SHE PROVED HER METTLE STUDYING IN SARKARI SCHOOL
T
he faces of these children may not grin at you from full-page advertisements of corporate schools; they might not have the best of accommodation. Yet they pass exams with flying colours — a befitting tribute to the sacrifices made by their family. PG 4
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MAY 27, 2012 HYDERABAD
ON SUNDAY
Some 15 shops in the three-storey Sony Shopping Centre in Begumpet were gutted in a sudden blaze this morning. No casualties were reported. A transformer snag is suspected as the cause.
FL ASH
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32 PAGES
INFERNO! SRINIVAS SETTY
FL ASH EXPLOSIVES FOUND ON RAILWAY TRACK
A
lert gangmen averted a massive tragedy when they detected a cache of detonators on the railway tracks near Hanumakonda Mandal between Peedapandiyal and Naskal railway stations in Warangal district this morning. The Bhagyanagar Express and Golconda Express which were to pass by at 9am escaped tragedy. Police and sniffer dogs reached the spot and the explosives have been seized.
WANT TO BE A STEP AHEAD OF VIDYA BALAN:
VEENA MALIK
V
eena Malik, set to sizzle in the Kannada version of hit Bollywood film The Dirty Picture. PG 22
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CITY SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
SAFARI TIME
Library summer camp
N SHIVA KUMAR
A library summer camp for parents and faculty of UG and PG students will be held from May 10 onwards. The camp will provide guidance for faculty and final year PG students for National/State lectureship and scholarship test(NET/APSET) for `3,650. Where: Hyderabad library services, Sagar View Complex When: May 10 - June 10, Contact: (040) 2322 2247, 94412 37751
Numerology Logically numerological, numerologically logical. Everything of you, based on DOB. For appointments call Appaaji, numerologist. Contact: 95734 11255
Colonial cousins live Colonial cousins — the extremely popular duo of Hariharan and Leslie Lewis will be performing live at Shilpa Kala Vedika to support Sparsh Hospice Care Centre. Where: Shilpa Kalavedika, Madhapur When: June 3, 6.30 pm onwards
Paradigm shift Mumbai based fusion band PARADIGM which plays a combination of Indian classical music and contemporary progressive rock will be performing live on May 31 at Hard Rock Cafe. Where: Hard Rock Cafe, Banjara Hills, Rd No When: May 31, 9pm onwards Contact: (040) 6463 6375
Blood song Blood Song, a radical adaptation of Federico Garcia Lorca’s "Blood Wedding"will be showcased on May 26 and 27 at the Nift auditorium. Where: Nift auditorium, Madhapur When: May 26 and 27, 7.30pm onwards Contact: 98852 88982
A matter of perception Juxtaposed Perceptions, a solo painting exhibition by renowned artist Ninad Jagadish. Where: Muse Art Gallery, Lower Tank Bund When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 2752 2999
Weaves lifestyle A fashionable exhibition cum sale “weaves lifestyle” is being held at
CINEMAS
Imperial Gardens, Sikh Village from June 1 to June 3. Where: Marvel Pavillion, Imperial Gardens, Secunderabad. When: Ongoing, 11am onwards
Sunday brunch The Square at Novotel is host to an exciting summer brunch. Great food, beverages and games for your family. Where: The Square, Novotel, Hitech City When: May 20 onwards, Contact: (040) 6682 4422
Theatre workshop Samahaara is hosting special four week summer acting workshops. The workshops will be held for a duration of four weeks in three different parts of the City. Where: Vidyaranya School, The Terrace, The Actor’s Studio When: Ongoing , Monday-Friday Contact: 83411 20303
Buy art Iconart Art Gallery as a part of it’s Buy Art initiative is hosting an exhibition featuring abstract art, sculptures and paintings. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing, 11.30 am onwards
Contact: 98499 68797
Metamorphosis
This workshop aims to help child gain confidence so as to participate in a group , perform on stage through it’s fun-filled play methodology. Where: Treasure House, Jubilee Hills, Rd No 36 When: Ongoing, 2.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2355 0118
Painting exhibition An exhibition of paintings by Lalu Shaw is being held at Shrishti Art Gallery. Where: Shrishti Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills, Rd No 15 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2354 0023
Solo exhibition Ramakanth’s Solo Painting Exhibition deals with the loneliness of a long distance runner. Where: Hyderabad Marriott, Tank Bund When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2752 2999
Summer camp Annapurna International School of Film and Media will be holding a Summer Camp program in filmmaking, acting and photography. The first batch is from May 21.The
second batch is from May 28. Where: Annapurna School, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 4914 1234
Water colours A painting exhibition featuring new water colour works by Sunil Lohar called Narrations, Connotations and Interpretations is on display. Where: Kalakrithi Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No10 When: Ongoing, 11.30 am onwards Contact: (040) 6656 4466
Food and cricket Great food and a great game of cricket makes for great news. Head to News Cafe to catch the IPL matches with some great IPL inspired food. Where: News Cafe, Inorbit Mall, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 8pm onwards Contact: (040) 4010 1236
Mexican brunch La Cantina, at Novotel presents Sunday brunch, an interesting mexican spread, every Sunday. Where: La Cantina, Novotel, Madhapur When: Every Sunday, 12pm onwards Contact: (040) 6682 4422
Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally, 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills, 44767777, Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 8800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973
3
CITY SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
Man commits suicide
Y
RTC bus knocks down 3
adaiah, 35, whose wife and kids had gone to their native place, came home late night, drunk and singing loud film songs. His aged father who was irritated scolded Yadaiah to stop the infernal noise. The man, police said, in a fit of anger and desperation made a noose of a sheet and hanged himself to death in his room in Gangaputra colony.
MOHD SUBHAN
mohd.s@postnoon.com
T
he new City Police Chief Anurag Sharma is angry. He gave his officers of the Crime Control Station (CCS) a dressing down the other day. Why incidents of chainsnatching are increasing in the City? He wanted to know. In the last two weeks nearly two dozen cases of snatching were reported in Narayanguda, Mirchowk, Gopalpuram, Asifnagar, Begum bazaar, Humayun Nagar, Langer Houze, Tappachabutra, Chandrayangutta,and Bowenpally. In all some 30 to 40 tolas of gold ornaments have been lost. The City police chief argued that it sent a wrong signal to the people, that the police are inept and don’t care. What made the situation sticky is the fact that the CCS cops were not sufficiently successful in spiking the gangs that go around merrily snatching chains. What about safety of travelling women? Sharma told his officers in his daily telecom conference
Man found dead
T
A
hree persons were hurt when a speeding RTC bus of Uppal depot hit their bikes on Saturday night on Chandrayangutta Road. Abdul Mohsin, Abdul Lattef and Abdullah were riding two bikes to home when the accident happened. Brake failure is said to be the reason. Some passers by too were injured, police said
that what all matters to him is the crime detection rate. The rest is all secondary. The police efficiency is measured in detecting crime and bringing cases to a logical conclusion, he told them. Enquires with the CCS reveal a curious situation. On the one hand it is short of hands, on the other, many of the ranks are on verge of retirement and take the posting as the relaxed last tenure post. They
An unidentified pedestrian aged 55 was found fatally knocked down by as yet unidentified vehicle at Bapughat area in Langer Houze police station limits last night. He wore a blue coloured pants and a black shirt. Body is kept in Ormania Hospital mortuary for identification, Langer Houze police said.
City top cop asks CCS: why this snatching spree? lack the skill and will to pursue the hard cases of robbery, burglary, snatchings, which require a hot foot and cool head, an inspector confided. The recent posting of P John Victor as CCS too is said to have created a division in the ranks due to his avuncular style of functioning. The commissioner is learnt to have suggested to the CCS to deploy decoys to nab snatchers. Once a gang is caught the police must try to extract all information possible of other gangs, the police were told. The police chief ’s directive comes in the wake of a hue and cry raised by many women who say the police are not taking the snatching incidents seriously.
Nani may pay for empathising with Jagan Postnoon News
A
P Congress disciplinary committee chairman Kanteti Satyanarayana Raju has hinted at action against Eluru MLA Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas (Nani), for getting close with the YSR Congress party. The party is keeping a close watch on those overtly and covertly sympathise with Jagan Mohan Reddy. The party leader said on Saturday that show
cause notice was being issued to Nani. The party would take serious disciplinary action against those showing empathy to
the YSRC and thus tarnish the image of the Congress. Stating that PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana has lodged a complaint seeking action against Alla Nani for getting close with the YSR Congress, he said, the party's disciplinary committee would issue show-cause very soon. The party high command has asked the State unit to be firm with those bringing a bad name to the party.
Jagan’s interrogation continues Rahul Ramakrishna rahul.r@postnoon.com
O
n the third consecutive day, the CBI continued interrogating YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy in the disproportionate assets case. Jagan left his home around 10.15am with a huge fan following as usual and reached the Dilkusha Guest House at 10.30am. Jagan’s deposition before the CBI has led to rumours of his impending arrest. Both his party supporters and the city police are keeping vigil. Tomorrow is D-Day. Jagan Mohan Reddy will be attending the Nampally CBI court tomorrow. City police are taking extra precautions for the event it is learnt. On Saturday, the police claimed that they had discovered and foiled a conspiracy to set afire 100 buses in the city in the event of Jagan's arrest. In a separate incident, Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana, who was arrested in connection with the issuance of controversial GOs, has been shifted to CARE hospital following a rise in his blood pressure. The minister is currently under arrest in connection with disproportionate assets case. Meanwhile the police have also made elaborate security arrangements in Jagan's native Kadapa district and other parts of the State. Prohibitory orders banning assembly of five or more people have been imposed.
4
CITY SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
She proved her mettle studying in sarkari school
N SHIVA KUMAR
SUDESHNA KOKA
sudeshna.k@postnoon.com
“M
y education ended at Class IV. The same happened to my eldest daughter. She had to discontinue studies as I could not afford to pay her school fees,” says Parsha Ramulu with moisture in his eyes. He’s a watchman at Ushasuu apartment. But Ramulu’s gloom turns to glow as he summoned his two younger children — Sai Kiran (Class X) and daughter Saritha Govind (Class XII). Sai scored 9.04 GPA and Saritha 94 per cent. For the barely-literate embroidery worker, who migrated to Hyderabad from Karimnagar six years ago for two square meals a day, his kids’ achievement is no mean feat. Saritha’s is an inspiring story. She had no coaching and she studied in Telugu medium government school. In Class X she scored 85 per cent. But the family could barely manage the studies of Sai, and Ramulu had almost decided to discontinue Saritha’s studies. But Collector M Dana Kishore, who came to know of her zeal, sponsored her intermediate education. He is said to have helped many such bright kids. “I was in a Telugu medium government school till Class X but after that I was enrolled in Narayana College which is an English medium. It was a very difficult phase as I had to learn English and study all my subjects in English. My friends who
were from English medium schools would help me understand and translate from English to Telugu. In return I would teach them math,” explains Saritha. She scored full marks in math and chemistry. To make up for the few marks she lost in physics, Saritha is writing improvements and is confident of a centum. A diehard fan of actor Prabhas and a movie buff, she credits all the success to her teachers. “Neeraja ma’am and Vidya ma’am are my role models. If I don’t become an engineer then I will surely become a
teacher like them. They taught me the importance of education and its role in empowerment.” Who said competition is bad? In this family, it’s the brothersister competition which has yielded rich results. Sai Kiran’s 9.04 GPA translates into an A+ grade for Class X. Unlike his sisters, he had the privilege of studying in a private English medium school. “After coming to the City I understood the importance of English and the opportunities it would unlock.' Come what may, my son will study in English medium private school,' I decided,” recalls Ramulu. “His school
fee is `16,000 a year and I earn only `3,000 a month. At first we worried whether we could afford such high fees but later my wife stared working as a domestic help and I stared to clean cars to supplement our income. That’s how we managed to pay his school fee,” he adds. “Every effort that we put in is worth it," chips in his wife Vimala from the background. Sai is an avid cricket fan and a lover of watches. “I listen in class and finish most of my studying at the school hour. Later, an aunt in my building helped with my doubts,” he beams. The youth
wants to a software engineer. When asked what his message is for students preparing for board exams this year, he says, “Listen in class. Understanding the subject is important.” The faces of these children may not grin at you from fullpage advertisements of corporate schools and colleges; they might not have the best of accommodation, with the entire family squeezing into a single room. Yet they came out with flying colours — a befitting tribute to the sacrifices of the family. It’s celebration time now Ramulus.
Power houses attacked in City Facing the double trouble — punishing heat and power cut — people are becoming restive and vent their ire on electricity offices. Two incidents happened last night, one of which involved a corporator Mohd Subhan
mohd.s@postnoon.com
L
ast night Langer Houze, Karwan and surrounding areas slipped into dark after the power supply snapped following sudden strong winds.
In fact, many areas of the City faced this problem but the stations concerned were quick to rectify the fault. Not the Netaji Nagar substation people. Three to four hours lapsed and sweating people and wailing kids made a hue and cry.
SRINIVAS SETTY
Some, unable to bear any longer, approached the Karwan corporator Aruna who went with them to the substation office. The employees there are alleged to have told them to wait, but they did not appear to be eager to solve the problem. After a while, restive people started throwing stones at the office and some barged in and damaged equipment till the Langer Houze police drove in. In Motinagar Borabanda under SR Nagar police station limits too witnessed similar scene where people after waiting for a couple of hours to get the snapped power restored rushed to the power station office and attacked it.
5
FOCUS SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
Vietnam joins protest against Dow Chemicals
Vietnam joins the protest against Olympic sponsor Dow Chemical, accused of “green-washing” its Agent Orange sins Cain Nunns
T
he organisers of London’s 2012 Olympics call them the Green Games — a monument to best sustainable practice within the sports world. The Vietnamese government says the organisers should tell that to the hundreds of thousands of children born with cleft palates, mental disabilities, hernias, lung, larynx and prostate cancer, missing limbs and extra fingers and toes. Vietnam joined the growing chorus of protest against Olympic sponsors accused of “greenwashing” their past sins earlier this month. In a letter obtained by GlobalPost, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism castigated the Lausanne-based International Olympic Committee (IOC) for green-lighting Dow Chemical as a major Olympic sponsor. Dow produced about one-third of the 80 million liters of Agent Orange defoliants sprayed over southern Vietnam, during what the Vietnamese call “The American War.” The Vietnamese Red Cross estimates that up to 3 million Vietnamese have been affected by Agent Orange, including at
DOW PRODUCED ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF THE 80 MILLION LITERS OF AGENT ORANGE DEFOLIANTS SPRAYED OVER SOUTHERN VIETNAM, DURING WHAT THE VIETNAMESE CALL “THE AMERICAN WAR” least 300,000 children born with birth defects. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates are much higher. It says 4.8 million people were exposed, resulting in 400,000 deaths and injuries and about 500,000 children born with defects, many of which are still being born to this day — some four generations later. “Agent Orange … destroyed the environment, claimed the lives of millions of Vietnamese and left terrible effects on millions of others, who are now suffering from incurable diseases. Hundreds of thousands of fourth generation children have been born with severe congenital deformities,” wrote Hoang Tuan Anh, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to the IOC. “Dow Chemical has expressed indifference and refused compensation for victims of Agent Orange, as well as their responsibility to clean up contaminated areas. Dow also continues to destroy the environment. In 2010, US EPA listed Dow as the second worst polluter in the world,” the letter said. Vietnam has unsuccessfully brought legal action against Dow and other Agent Orange producers in US
courts. But activists say that the Communist state is caught in a legal bind. The producers of Agent Orange blame the US government for its use, while sovereign immunity shields Washington from prosecution in American courts. US helicopters and planes sprayed about 20 per cent of southern Vietnam with the defoliants over a 10-year period. The goal was to strip the North Vietnamese of jungle cover and limit access to food supplies. A less reported aim was to drive rural Vietnamese who may have been sympathetic to Hanoi into US-controlled cities in what was then South Vietnam. “It’s ironic that Dow is allowed to sponsor sporting events including Paralympics athletes when it is responsible for creating generations of severely disabled children and refuses to do anything to help them,” wrote a Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin spokesman in an email. Dow, the IOC and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games ignored repeated requests for comment. Dow Chemical inked a 10-year deal with the IOC in 2010. Dow envisioned a global sales bump of about $1 billion by promoting, ironically enough, a raft of environmentally-friendly products. But it was the $11.25 million contract doled out to Dow for the 336 giant panels that will make up the decorative wrap that first sparked controversy. The Commission for a Sustainable London 2012, a watchdog body charged with overseeing the Games’ environmental credentials, was rocked when commissioner Meredith Alexander resigned last month in protest over Dow’s awarding of the stadium contract. Campaigners believe that Dow also has ongoing liabilities relating to the 1984 Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal, India, that led to an estimated 20,000 deaths and serious injury to tens of thousands more. “But the Olympics is big business. There is an expensive machine behind the Games that is funded by corporate sponsors. Sadly when these sponsors are selected, money talks much more loudly than values,” said Alexander to The Guardian. Big business indeed. Dow’s Olympic stable mates also include BP and Rio Tinto, two resource extraction behemoths that rights groups say have woeful environmental and human-rights track records. “Dow refuses to accept responsibility. They state they were told to make the chemicals by the US government and will not and have not paid one cent in compensation,” writes Len Aldis, secretary of Britain-Vietnam Friendship Society, in an email to GlobalPost. “Despite their record, money talks. The IOC should cancel Dow’s sponsorship of the Games.” GLOBAL POST
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6
NATION SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
Woman attacked with acid
PM upbeat on Myanmar
ROHTAK (HARYANA): A teenage girl,
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister
who is a junior national volleyball player, was hospitalised with serious injuries after two motorcycle-borne youth threw acid on her while she was going for practice Saturday evening, police said. Ritu Saini, 17, was taken to the PostGraduate Institute of Medical Sciences here with burn injuries on her face and chest. The youth managed to escape.
Manmohan Singh today said India and Myanmar would explore new initiatives and define a roadmap for further boosting of bilateral ties with focus on trade, investment and connectivity as he begins a three-day visit to that country. He said that “recent years have witnessed significant strengthening and expansion of our relations”.
First cloud physics laboratory to open in Maharashtra NEW DELHI: India’s first laboratory to study formation of clouds and their interaction with the environment is taking shape at the popular hill station of Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra. The High Altitude Cloud Physics Laboratory started functioning from an IMD office in the hill station about 100 km from Pune 10 days ago. The location of the research centre, about 1,500 m above the mean sea level, would give scientists an opportunity to study the clouds and study its interaction with the environment.”The lab will be equipped with a large number of state-of-the-art equipment to measure all the micro-physical properties of the clouds and rain as well as environmental conditions such as the aerosols, winds, temperature, humidity at high temporal intervals,” an official said. Mahabaleshwar offers a unique location for the experiment at the hill station receives nearly 500 mm of rains every year while the surrounding plains are usually drought prone. This year, Satara district, where the hill station is located is experiencing one of the worst droughts of recent times. Weather scientists have been by flying an aircraft fitted with observation instruments inside clouds to study how the aerosols in the atmosphere influence the cloud formation and bring rain. There were, however, limitations on the number of samples taken on cloud properties and other environmental parameters due to the number of flights that can be carried out, officials said. They said it was necessary to set up a lab where long term continuous measurements of clouds could be made and where clouds were found at the ground level. The foundation stone of the laboratory was laid by Earth Sciences Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh last week. Construction is expected to start after the monsoons in October, and is likely to be completed by PTI June next year.
Order on Sajjan reserved NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Saturday reserved its order on a plea of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a case against him saying that the probe agency (CBI) was not relying upon certain documents of the complainant and key prosecution witness in the case. Sajjan Kumar and five others are accused of inciting mobs against the Sikh community during the 1984 riots.
India may bar Europe carriers over climate tax NEW DELHI: India said it may stop European carriers from flying into the country if the European Union bans airlines from the South Asian nation that boycott the EU’s new emissions fee system. “We will take retaliatory actions to counter steps taken by the EU. If Europe bans our carriers we will ban theirs as well,” the senior government official, who did not want to be named, told reporters late Friday. The EU in mid-May gave India and China a month to comply with the airline carbon emissions fee system across the 27-nation bloc, or face penalties for flights into and out of Europe. European Union Commissioner for Climate Change Connie Hedegaard said all EU airlines and “nearly all” world airlines had agreed to hand over emissions data required under the controversial carbon levy that took effect on January 1. While some 1,200 airlines have complied with the European Union requirements, eight Chinese and two Indian airlines representing less than three per cent of aviation emissions in the bloc have refused.
‘Info on projects must be made public’
S
Revise thermal plants guidelines: Green Tribunal
T
he National Green Tribunal has directed the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) to revise guidelines for setting up of thermal power projects by clearly demarcating the areas not conducive for projects. The MoEF was asked to submit the revised guidelines, which should clearly indicate ‘Go’ as the area for a project and ‘No go’ as the place where a project cannot
be undertaken, within three months. The order came along with the tribunal’s decision that environment clearance to Nagarjuna Construction Company Ltd for first phase of proposed 2,640 MW coal-based thermal power plant in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district, shall remain suspended and the MoEF shall revisit the nod.
tressing on greater transparency, the National Green Tribunal has asked the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to bring in public domain the relevant information regarding ventures in eco- fragile zones. “We also feel there is need to have more transparency in the EIA process and as such, whatever relevant information regarding the projects are used during the time of appraisal of the project from environmental angle by the Environment Appraisal Committee (EAC) and MoEF should also be made available in public domain including the executive summary of specific studies. “Therefore, we direct the MoEF to make available relevant information other than EIA report and report of the public hearing considered during the appraisal of the project through its website,” the bench said.
AFP
ATS exposes underworld-IM link MUMBAI: With Maharashtra ATS naming Dubai-based Muzaffar Kola, an associate of jailed 1993 serial blasts accused Mustaffa Dossa, as a wanted accused in last year’s 13/7 triple blasts case, the link between underworld and home grown terror outfit Indian Mujahideen has surfaced. Kola, who runs Muzaffar Kola Enterprises based in Dubai, was instrumental in facilitating availability of `10 lakh to IM’s elusive chief operative Yasin Bhatkal,
sources in the ATS said, adding that the money was used to trigger the blasts. “Kola has been associated with Dossa and his absconding brother Mohammed Dossa. On Kola’s instructions, hawala operator Kanwar Pathrija (arrested in the 13/7 blasts case) allegedly handed over Rs ten lakh to one Shivanand, who later turned out to be Yasin Bhatkal,” said the source. “With this link, we now cannot rule out underworld help in this terror attack,”
the source added. On July 13, 2011, triple bomb blasts occurred at Dadar, Zaveri Bazaar and Opera House of the city killing 27 people. Dossa was charged with conspiracy and making arrangements for landing of arms and ammunition at Raigad coast for the 1993 serial blasts. His brother Mohammed, also wanted in the same case, is absconding. The explosions had killed 257 persons and injured 574. The main trial in the blasts
case is already over and the court has convicted 100 accused. However, Dossa and some other accused, including extradited gangster Abu Salem, who were taken into custody at the fag end of trial, are being tried separately. Meanwhile, ATS officials had identified the planters in two months after the triple blasts following painstaking efforts of sifting through the 308 hours of CCTV footage. PTI
7
WORLD SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
CLASSIFIEDS AUTOMOBILES
Gaga’s Indonesia show cancelled JAKARTA: Pop diva Lady Gaga’s show in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation has been cancelled, her promoters said on Sunday after Islamic hardliners threatened “chaos” if she entered the country. “Lady Gaga’s management has considered the situation minute to minute, and with threats if the concert goes ahead, Lady Gaga’s side is calling off the concert,” the promoters lawyer said.
4 dead in tunnel explosion TOKYO: Four Japanese construction workers were confirmed dead today after being recovered from inside a mountain tunnel where they had been trapped since an explosion on Thursday, an official said. The blast occurred early on Thursday inside a 2.8-kilometre (1.7-mile) highway tunnel being built in Minami Uonuma, about 180 kilometres northwest of Tokyo police and fire department officials said.
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FABRICATION
Brazilian Slut Walk draws thousands SAO PAULO: Several thousand scantily clad women staged boisterous “Slut Walks” in several Brazilian cities Saturday to protest sexual violence against women. With horns, drums, chants and placards denouncing sexism, nearly 3,000 took to the streets in Brasilia. In Rio de Janeiro, organizers said nearly 1,000 women and men brandishing placards calling for the decriminalization of abortion and an end to machismo took part in the walk. Abortion in Brazil can only be legally performed if the woman’s life is in danger or if the pregnancy is the result of rape. AFP
Clouds of civil war loom DAMASCUS: The head of a UN mission has warned of “civil war” in Syria after his observers counted more than 92 bodies, 32 of them children, in the central town of Houla following reports of a massacre there. UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon joined a chorus of international condemnation on Saturday amid mounting calls for world action to halt the bloodshed. The rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) said it was no longer committed to the UN-backed peace plan for Syria unless there was prompt UN intervention to protect civilians, and called for air strikes against regime forces. UN head of mission Major General Robert Mood called what happened in Houla a “brutal tragedy.” “This morning UN military and civilian observers went to Houla and counted more than 32 children and over 60 adults killed,” Mood told reporters in Damascus on Saturday. A monitoring group said 114 people had been killed in Houla. “Whoever started, whoever responded and whoever carried out this deplorable act of violence should be held responsible,” Mood said. “Those using violence for their own agendas will create more instability, more unpredictability and may lead the country to civil war,” he added. Ban and Kofi Annan, the UN and Arab League envoy who brokered a truce which has been flouted daily since it came into effect April 12, said the massacre is a “brutal” breach of international law. “This appalling and brutal crime, involving indiscriminate and
Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan called for an urgent Arab League meeting, saying the “massacre shows the failure of Arab and international efforts to stop the violence against civilians in Syria.” The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, of which the UAE is a member, urged the international community to “assume its responsibilities” to end the bloodshed.
ANNAN ‘HELL’
THE REBEL FREE SYRIAN ARMY (FSA) SAID IT WAS NO LONGER COMMITTED TO THE UN-BACKED PEACE PLAN FOR SYRIA UNLESS THERE WAS PROMPT UN INTERVENTION TO PROTECT CIVILIANS disproportionate use of force, is a flagrant violation of international law,” a UN spokesman quoted Ban and Annan as saying. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also condemned the “atrocity” and said Washington would work with its international allies to increase the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad and his “cronies”
“Rule by murder and fear must come to an end,” she declared. Condemnation also poured from the European Union. Britain, France and Germany, with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius saying he was making “immediate arrangements” for a meeting of the Friends of Syria group. His British counterpart William Hague said “we will be calling for an urgent session of the UN Security Council in the coming days.” Amateur videos posted on YouTube showed horrifying images of dead children, with at least one child’s head partly blown away. The massacre will heighten the importance of a trip Annan is to make to Syria “soon,” his spokesman said, while the Security Council is due to discuss Syria on Wednesday. UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh
PEACE PLAN GOING TO
A statement by the Free Syrian Army said it could no longer commit to the ceasefire and that unless the Security Council takes urgent steps to protect civilians, “Annan’s plan is going to go to hell.” Earlier the head of the FSA’s military council, Turkey-based General Mustafa Ahmed al-Sheikh, urged the Friends of Syria nations to launch air strikes against President Assad’s forces. Killings in Houla and elsewhere are taking place “under the eyes of the UN observers,” the FSA said, urging the international community to “announce the failure of the Annan plan.” The opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) for its part demanded prompt UN Security Council action. SNC spokeswoman Basma Kodmani said “some of the victims were hit by heavy artillery while others, entire families, were massacred.” State news agency SANA blamed “armed terrorist groups” for the killings, adding that “clashes led to the killing of several terrorists and the martyrdom of several members of the special forces.” AFP
Tuareg, Islamists join forces to run north Mali
Bunga Bunga parties cost Berlusconi $25 mn
BAMAKO: Tuareg rebels and the Islamist rebel group Ansar Dine announced on Saturday they are joining forces and creating a body to rule northern Mali as an independent Islamic state. “The Ansar Dine movement and the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (Tuareg MNLA) proclaim their dissolution in Azawad (northern Mali),” the two groups said in an agreement sent to AFP. The accord between the secular Tuareg and the Islamists comes after weeks of sometimes fraught discussions between two movements which have long been separated in their objectives and ideologies. It also marks a major turning point for northern Mali which has slipped out of the government’s control since a March coup. In Gao, a major town in the north where leaders of the two movements have been holding talks, the sealing of the deal was greeted by the sound of guns being fired into the air, local residents said. “Allah has triumphed,” declared Sanda AFP Ould Bouamama, an Ansar Dine spokesman.
LONDON: Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi had 16 million pounds (about $25 million) in cash delivered to his luxury villa to pay girls at his bunga bunga parties, The Sun reported. The staggering stash was revealed during the trial of the 75-year-old politician who refuses to admit to have paid for having sex with a minor. Dozens of women received money, cars and jewels for attending the bashes and sleeping with the politician, say prosecutors. Some of the girls dressed up as nuns and police officers and performed pole dances to entertain Berlusconi and his cronies. Guiseppe Spinelli, Belusconi’s accountant, has revealed how he drew sums totalling 16 million pounds out of the bank in 2009 and 2010. He took wads to the millionaire’s mansion near Milan, where parties were held in the basement. AFP
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COMMENT SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
Smooth changeover helps
Chaotic traffic must ease
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onder why the administration cannot plan things in advance and ensure a smooth transition when things change. Before springing a surprise at the public in the form of a huge hike, the least the government could do is to address problems of people who would be directly affected by it — autorickshaw owners. Is announcing a revised fare so difficult? Vidyavathi Nampally
need to travel through Lakdi-ka-put every day from and back home to my office. I get delayed here every single day both at my office and home, making life miserable for me. I had not realised that it is inter-city busses that have been creating hell for me and all other road users here. Mofussil busses should operate from the outskirts of the city. Javed Ahmed Mallepally
EDITORIALS 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 040-4067 2222.
City held to ransom
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e have played into the hands of unscrupulous politicians and seem to have no way out. Whenever it fancies them they hold us to ransom, sometimes even the whole city in one go. And why shouldn’t there be more bundobast for Mr Jangan, isn’t he bigger than Bush? Ask him and see if he is even remorseful about upsetting the city’s routine. Dakshaini M By email
EDITORIALS OPPORTUNITY beckons India As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh begins his visit to Myanmar, all eyes are set on how successful India will be in befriending the eastern neighbour — which was an international pariah till recently. The new 'democracy' and freedom for Aung San Suu Kyi has made the South Asian country the latest poster boy for the success of US-led sanctions. Democracy is old news; India has bigger stakes here. Management of the currently porous border is essential for crushing the militant groups that operate in the Northeast. Myanmar is rich in natural resources, especially oil and natural gas, and we have to secure our share before China, the junta's all-weather friend, gobbles it up. The third concern is maintaining a good relationship with the 'civilian' government so that Chinese military ambitions in the region are checked. By rolling back the crippling sanctions in return for the reforms, the West has shown that their interests are in the business opportunities rather than ensuring adherence to human rights. This visit is the perfect opportunity to consolidate the ties that were created by India's Look East policy and secure a friendly neighbour, ally and business partner for future.
SYRIA’S OFFICIALLY up the creek The death of 32 children in the Syrian town of Houla has proved that the situation in the besieged country is getting worse. The international community has twiddled its thumbs rather than tackling the issue. China and Russia, two countries who care nothing for human rights have to be brought around, or else more blood will be on the UN’s hands.
English should power our writers From the Hip SYED SHOAIB
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English came to India with the British rule, meaning it was the language spoken by the Brits and was largely not understood by the native Indian. That made it a foreign language to us. As English education took root in India mainly for administrative purposes, concomitantly forays into expression in the form of literature also began. They were hesitant steps, yet left their mark in the poems of Sarojini Naidu and writings of authors like RK Narayan. It was only after Salman Rushdi’s Midnight’s Children in 1981, which won the Man Booker prize, that Indian writers saw the potential of writing in English. From 1985 came a host of writings like Vikram Seth’s The Golden Gate and A Suitable Boy, The Trotter-Nama by Allen Sealy, The Shadow Lines by Ghosh,
English August: An Indian Story by Upamanyu Chaterjee, culminating with Arundati Roy’s The God of Small Things that also won the Booker. We may well wonder at the sudden crop of English writers from India that arose after 1985. Post-1950, a class of Indians arose to whom English became the first language in schools and for many it was the only language, in which they spoke, wrote and thought. Therefore they became intimate with the language, which then enabled them to project their creativity through it. This led to a boom in English writing by Indians both in fiction and serious academic subjects. It is noteworthy that this class of people are specifically from urban, upper and middleclasses having the same intellectual background; most of the modern authors came from Bombay and Delhi more particularly from St Stephen’s College, Delhi. From the days of RK Narayan, Indian writing in English was predominantly published in the West, so it led to the writers writing with western audiences
in mind. Indian writing being a very young literature, writers were not able to find the right idiom to express themselves effectively. Hence, a large part of Indian experience is now unrecorded and the tendency to present India as an exotic land is prevalent in these writings. It is only after the huge success of English books written by Indians of late that the authors realised the vast Indian market for their works. A major part of the audience is in India while the western audience is limited to critical acclaim. Writings of Shobha De and Chethan Bhagat are very popular among the Gen Y, much as the earlier generation was familiar with Mills & Boon, James Hadley Chase and Westerns. Today, the young set has a blank look at the mention of these authors. The other problem faced by Indian writers is that there was hostility to English as it was considered the language of the colonialists. More importantly Indians felt that they were letting down their mother tongue by giving patronage to English. It was only in 1960s that there
was an award instituted for English writing in India. With English becoming the global language for communication and the ‘computer language’ the unease of adopting the aggressor’s language has been trashed. What has doubly helped is that memories of colonial rule are becoming faint and distant. English has also become the lingua franca in the country, so there is more acceptance of this young tradition of literature, kindling optimism about its future. Aside the original writing in English, there is also the big unexplored potential of translating works of Indian languages into English. The limited English writers in India, mainly urban India, have captured only a miniscule slice of the great experience that is India. It is from creative works in regional languages that an indepth view of the totality of India can be had. This could be a window to India for the rest of the world and we would do well to foster this activity. The writer works for Postnoon.
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BUSINESS SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
Keventer plans food park
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‘States can cut petrol VAT’
olkata-based Keventer Group is planning to set up a food park in West Bengal, investing about `700 crore, a top executive of the company said on Saturday. He said many food companies were looking to set up units in the state and about 80 firms were expected to build units in the upcoming park.
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inting at a reduction in petrol prices in the state, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal Saturday said the Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol may be reduced further provided the Congress-ruled states took initiative in this regard. He said the Maharashtra government has already refused to lower VAT on petrol.
Sheila plans poll budget
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With an eye on the Assembly polls slated for next year, Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit is likely to put special focus on social sector and development when she presents the annual budget of her government for the second consecutive year tomorrow. The budget is expected to be a populist one and a bid to regain the Congress’ support base.
Browser wars flare in mobile space Rob Lever
WASHINGTON: The browser wars are heating up again, but this time the fight is for dominance of the mobile Internet. Google, Apple, Microsoft and Yahoo! are all in the struggle, along with the Norwegian-made Opera browser and the open source Firefox software from Mozilla. The motive behind the wars is not just bragging rights. The company that controls the mobile Web can direct users to its websites, and importantly, gather data that can be used in targeted advertising. “The browsers need to be present on the mobile device for survival,” said Greg Sterling, an analyst with Opus Research. “Everyone is trying to manage their strategy in this multiscreen and multiplatform world.” Research firm StatCounter found that global access from mobile devices, not including tablets, doubled in the year to January to 8.5 per cent of all Internet usage. Google stepped up its effort earlier this year by releasing a full version of its Chrome browser for mobile devices, which will over time replace the unnamed browser on devices powered by Google’s open Android platform. The Google-Android browser by April had grabbed 21.5 per cent of the mobile Web, overtaking Opera, the early leader that had 21.3 per cent, according to StatCounter. “Chrome is definitely the up-and-comer because of Android, and it has a lot of momentum on the PC,” Sterling said. Running third was Apple’s Safari, the default browser on iPhones, with 20 per cent. Nokia, BlackBerry and a few others hold small shares. When tablets are included, Apple is the dominant player with 63 per cent, according to data from Net Applications’ NetMarketShare survey, but Android is gaining with nearly 19 per cent. The push by Google meshes
with its strategy of gathering information about users across platforms, so that someone searching on a mobile device might get an ad on a PC, or viceversa. And Google just completed its $12.5 billion deal to buy mobile phone maker Motorola Mobility, freeing the California company to build its own handsets that play into the strengths of its software. “Everybody wants to have that first point of contact with the user to control the experience from that point, capture certain data and direct them to services,” said Al Hilwa of the research firm IDC. “It’s all about control, about who is further up on the stream of data.” Meanwhile Microsoft, in its effort to get a share of the mobile space, is pushing its own Internet Explorer browser for devices running Windows, but critics say the software giant is limiting compatibility. Mozilla’s Harvey Anderson
complained in a blog post that Microsoft is limiting the “advanced” capabilities for outside software, effectively shutting out browsers like Firefox. Anderson said Microsoft in its new Windows 8 devices was signaling “an unwelcome return to the digital dark ages where users and developers didn’t have browser choices.” Yahoo! became the latest to boost its effort in the mobile space, introducing its Axis browser designed for mobile devices. “It is meant to replace Safari,” Yahoo! product management director Ethan Batraski said of Axis. “You will never have to use Safari ever again.” Ben Schachter, an analyst at Macquarie Capital who follows Google, said the Internet search giant will also introduce a version of Chrome for the Apple operating system. Schachter said in a note to clients that Google benefits from Chrome by reducing the pay-
ments from “traffic acquisition costs” and that a Chrome browser for iPhones and iPads could “meaningfully” reduce what Google pays Apple. But Apple can tweak its strategy without competing head-on against Google, Sterling said. He said Apple’s Siri voice assistant and its new maps software offer a type of search. And as tensions rise with Google, it could change the Safari search engine to Microsoft’s Bing, or another. Analysts say it remains unclear to what degree device makers will try to block out competing browsers, and if this will trigger a government response. In the 1990s, Microsoft’s efforts to lock out competing browsers prompted actions on both sides of the Atlantic. The battle for control of the mobile Web raises questions about Facebook, which is groping for a mobile strategy after a troubling response to its massive
share offering. One report said Facebook was eyeing Opera, which could solve some of the perceived problems for the social network giant by offering a platform to get better data on mobile usage for targeted advertising. “It wouldn’t surprise me” if Facebook were to acquire or tie up with Opera or develop its own browser, Hilwa said. Another player to watch, said Hilwa, is Amazon, which has developed its own browser for the Kindle Internet device — a move that can also steer users various services, earning cash along the way. Hilwa said Amazon, like the others, is pursuing a strategy that includes hardware and software, but can also sell goods and services. “They have content, they sell stuff, they have Web services,” he said. “They have a lot of assets and have been successful. I would watch them.” AFP
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INTERVIEW SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
Towards a better future
SRINIVAS SETTY
You don’t have to move mountains or travel across the world to bring a change in society, a small initiative can ignite a revolution. Swati Ram the coordinator of ‘Youth for seva’ believes in the same concept
Sneha Mashetty and Bhavneet Singh
feedback@postnoon.com
How did you start with ‘Youth for seva’? I was a happy- go-lucky person who was living a comfortable life with a great job at Infosys and a happy family. But when I started attending the classes at Ram Krishna Matt it all changed, I realised that they are many things beyond living a luxurious life and earning money. I decided to quit my job as I had no sense of satisfaction. I wanted to do something to bring a change and that is how I started with the Youth for Seva in Hyderabad.
What were the challenges you faced initially? Something what I felt was challenging was to get youngsters involved.When I shared my idea with my friends, six of them were convinced and thought that it could help building a better society and so they joined me, then we started our Facebook page and website to communicate with the youngsters and today we have 350 active volunteers and 3,500 youngsters registered on our website. What are the issues you work on? We do not limit ourselves to one single issue, we are open to ideas and take up anything
THE YOUTH OF THE CURRENT GENERATION HAVE A LOT OF ENERGY WE JUST NEED A PLATFORM TO CHANNELISE IT.SO WE TRY TO MAKE OUR ORGANISATION A PLATFORM FOR THE YOUTH that is proposed by our members. Currently we are working on four major issues education, environment, health and the differently abled.We aim to distribute 10,000 school kits to poor school children, the kit includes a bag, books, geome-
try box and a plate for mid-day meal. What campaigns have you held till date? Our main objective is to spread awareness among the ignorant so that they can take care of their health. We have conducted many health camps in border villages and we named the campaign ‘Aarogya’. We organised many 5k runs in villages to spread awareness about cleanliness and protecting the environment. Our volunteers go to orphanages and slum schools and teach kids every weekend on a regular basis . How do you get the funds? Initially there was a problem generating funds but today
Was your decision readily accepted by your family? In the early stages all my family members were astonished with my decision to quit my job. My husband understood my enthusiasm to bring a change and has been very supportive, in fact, he is a parttime volunteer with the organisation. My parents still don’t approve of my decision, even though they are proud of what I do. They think I shouldn’t have quit my job and managed time between both of them. Visually challenged people (R) playing chess
School kits distributed
we have many companies ready to give funds. Money is not the criteria it is automatically collected when you are working for a good cause, getting people’s sustained support and time is the main problem. There are people who come one day and don’t turn up the next day, it is very difficult to keep them engaged all the time. As you engage with the youth what do you think the major problem with the youth is? I remember a quote by Swami Vivekananda, “Youth are not useless, they are just ‘used’ less”. The youth of the current generation have a lot of energy we just need a platform to channelise it. So we try to make our organisation a platform for the youth. The youngsters of today are preoccupied with their own life and future plans. What is the message that you would want to give to the youngsters? In the race of life do not forget the society you live in. Sit back, think and analyse if you done anything for the people suffering around you and I’m sure you would want to join Youth for seva after that. I hope to see all the young energies work together.
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GOLDEN YEARS SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
Adjusting to change
Retirement on one hand is welcome but on the other the thought of living out one’s retirement years is overwhelming. Your choice of action and attitude can make all the difference. Here’s why RANJANI RAJENDRA
ranjani.r@postnoon.com
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hen 60-year-old Nagaraju P realised his retirement date was nearing he was perplexed. After having worked every single day of his life for the last 40 years, this central government employee could not fathom a life without a job. Fiercely independent and used to providing for his family, Nagaraju had forgotten that one day he’d be the one his children would be looking after. For the better part of his life, his job took up most of his day. But after retirement he simply didn’t know what to do with all his free time. “Although he had us around, it was not enough. He needed to keep himself busy and this lack of a hectic routine really got to him. He would get extremely irritable and would snap for the silliest of reasons. We tried to perk up his mood, but nothing helped. Eventually he sank into depression and is currently under treatment,” says Nagaraju’s daughter, Avantika.
While most people dream of the day they will retire and be free of responsibilities, there are a few who sorely miss their routines and find it hard to settle for a retired life. “Elderly people are caught up in the current times of socio cultural transition. Retirement in the past was a stage of fulfillment, enjoying the toils of the past. Unfortunately these days elderly people seem to go through various issues after retirement. I do see several clients with post retirement problems ranging from retirement blues to severe depression. Psychologically it is a state of not having any work to do. Reduction in income, loss of role at work place and unfortunately in the current nuclear family setting the role of retired is diminishing. This leads to reduction in self esteem and anxiety. There might be financial issues and also issues about the place of their stay. Conflict with children and with their spouses can precipitate issues of depression,” says Dr Praveen Kumar Chintapanti, psychiatrist and director, Tranquil Minds. He adds, “Depression in elderly can manifest as low mood, lack of energy, lack of interest in activities they used to
Things you can do after retirement
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Develop a habit of going for a walk. Get your periodic health checks. Eat healthily, never neglect your sleep, ensure you get 6 to 8 hrs of sleep per day.
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Avoid drinking alcohol to excess and stop smoking.
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Ensure that you are compliant with your treatment for medical illness you are suffering from.
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Should there be signs of depression seek help immediately.
enjoy earlier, irritability, reduction in concentration and memory. Sleep and appetite disturbances are very common. Some might present with apprehension and fear, palpitation. There are occasions when this depression is not treated these clients
can contemplate suicide.” Given the rat race and increasing number of nuclear families these days, most people who retire prefer to keep themselves occupied and not just become complacent. “When I realised that my retirement date was nearing I was extremely apprehensive. For so many years I was used to juggling work and home life and not to mention the attractive pay packet. But when I finally retired last month I knew that I would miss my office, colleagues and of course the salary at the end of each month,” says Ramadevi Subramanian, a former customer service executive. “Each person reacts differently to retirement, there is a general sense of loss of identity. After having worked for more than 30 years or so suddenly having to retire is a huge overnight change. They suddenly go from being the provider to being the receiver. A lot also depends on how well prepared the person is for this role transition,” explains Dr Siva Prasad, professor of psychiatry at Osmania Medical College. While Ramadevi is happy that she now has time for herself, she is looking forward to doing some consulting work on a
EACH PERSON REACTS DIFFERENTLY TO RETIREMENT, THERE IS A GENERAL SENSE OF LOSS OF IDENTITY. AFTER HAVING WORKED FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS OR SO SUDDENLY HAVING TO RETIRE IS A HUGE OVERNIGHT CHANGE. freelance basis. “It will keep me occupied and I could use the money too. As of now, I’m just soaking up the pleasures of retired life – taking a nap when I want to, spending time with my grandkids, running the house the way I’d like to etc. But I know I can’t do this for long. I need to do some kind of constructive work. After all how much television can I watch,” she says. The best way to handle it is plan the retirement much earlier, have some arrangements for retirement, i.e place of stay, travelling between children, secure financial status. Finding a job or a nurturing a hobby which can keep one engaged can help too.
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ART AND CULTURE SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
Healthy Art Auction
Photographers’ Gallery Revamped
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parks flew last night at the opening of the revamped Photographers’ Gallery in London when arts heavyweight Liz Forgan followed the ever ebullient Ed Vaizey, the arts minister, as guest speaker at the swanky launch bash. Forgan went on to describe the new Photographers’ Gallery, after a five-year, £9m transformation of its multi-storey home near London’s Oxford Street, as the “classiest loft conversion imaginable”.
ne charity auction that has caught our eye is the PiH Contemporaries sale due to take place at Bonhams, Knightsbridge, on 28 May. PiH stands for Paintings in Hospitals, an important charity that places works in UK healthcare facilities. All of the participating artists have agreed to donate 100% of the sale price to the good cause.
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SRINIVAS SETTY
Gregor sets up in OZ
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ustralians will soon be able to experience first hand the disconcerting art of Gregor Schneider who will shortly install the original basement rooms. The cellar rooms come from the artist’s childhood home in Rheydt, north-west Germany, which he has relentlessly reconfigured since 1985. The perturbing piece will be on view in a newly refurbished wing.
An artist’s impressions
Artist Hari Srinivas’s elaborate discourses in colour tell us what it means to be human. We visited his ongoing exhibition and here’s what we found
FAUSTINA JOHNSON
feedback@postnoon.com
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ot one who enjoys the glassed claustrophobia of luxury hotels, I hardly knew what to expect as I drove to an art exhibition at one such venue. Stepping in through the foyer of
Taj Deccan, I was greeted by a visual experience that immediately made me glad. Artist Hari Srinivas unveiled Vermillion Reds, his latest installment in his colourful career, on May 21, to a star studded audience. The exhibition, a charity show in support of Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital and Research Institute featured some of the artist’s best work. Light and shadow play was extensively explored in many of the paint-
ings. Although there was a blending of different styles, what stood out is the emotion in every piece. The highlight of the exhibition was an artful frolic with light and illusion, with delicately tapered tree branches coming together to form a woman’s visage. While there was no central motif, women were a recurring theme. Also on display was a separate series of glass paintings, bursting with the artist’s signature vivid imagery. Light and crafty, these pieces mainly feature flora amidst fairytale settings with subtle rustic touches. Inspired by scenes from daily life, the paintings deal with a wide variety of subjects, from religion to sport. At a time when the contemporary scene is saturated with references to Indian culture, Hari’s work is a refreshing change. Each of the paintings witnesses the robust union of European and Indian techniques. Two of the exhibits were exclusively produced for the cause. The first of these is titled
A return to Realism
The intensity of reality when explored can be magical
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his style of visual art began evolving as early as the first decade of the 20th century. But, it was only in 1925 when magic realism and new objectivity were officially recognised as major trends. Franz Roh published a book on the subject the same year, translated as After Expressionism: Magical Realism: Problems of the Newest European Painting. Gustav Hartlaub curated the seminal exhibition on the theme,
entitled simply Neue Sachlichkeit (translated as New Objectivity), at the Kunsthalle Mannheim in Mannheim, Germany. The magical realism is theoretical or critic’s rhetoric. Eventually under Massimo Bontempelli guidance, the term magic realism was fully embraced by the German as well as in Italian practicing communities. The style was roughly divided into two subcat-
egories: conservative, (neo-)classicist painting. When art critic Franz Roh applied the term magic realism to visual art in 1925, he was designating a style of visual art that brings extreme realism to the depiction of mundane subject matter, revealing an interior mystery, rather than imposing external, overtly magical features onto this everyday reality. In painting, magical realism is a term often inter-
‘Mother And Child’, Anita, his wife, tells me, was his most challenging piece. “He placed particular emphasis on the shading in that piece. He worked on it for a long time.” The sombre depiction of care and family comes alive. The second, ‘Woman in Linen’, is a compelling personification of emotion. The contrast of the woman’s olive skin against the textured white of the sheets stands out among all the exhibits. The minimalistic use of colour captures the angst and desolation of a cancer patient
ART FOR DUMMIES
effectively. This is Hari’s 22nd solo exhibition. An artist with a natural inclination to aesthetics, he was given his first colour kit at the age of four. He excels in a range of schools including abstracts, landscapes and figurative. Sincere and modest, Anita takes care of the promotion and publicity. Together, the couple make a dynamic pair.”I offer critiques on all of his pieces as he works on them,” she says, “But he prefers his solitude while he paints.”
changed with post-expressionism for the very title of Roh’s 1925 essay was Magical Realism:Post-Expressionism. Roh used this term to describe painting that signalled a return to realism after expressionism’s extravagances, which sought to redesign objects to reveal the spirits of those objects. Magical realism, according to Roh, instead faithfully portrays the exterior of an object, and in doing so the spirit, or magic, of the object reveals itself. Recent magic realism has gone beyond mere overtones of the fantastic or surreal to depict a frankly magical reality, with an increasingly tenuous anchoring in everyday reality.
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ENVIRONMENT SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
Carbon capture
Potomac river endangered
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or a world dependent on fossil fuels, carbon capture and storage (CCS) could be a key to controlling greenhouse gas emissions. But the technology meant to scrub carbon dioxide pollution from the air is experiencing stiff headwinds that have stalled many projects. The IEA would like to see more than 3,000 CCS-equipped plants come online by mid-century to achieve some reductions.
Oxygen’s long delay
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merica's most endangered river is the Potomac, says the nonprofit organisation American Rivers in its 2012 annual report. The Potomac was placed at the top of American Rivers' annual list to alert the nation to the fact that Congress is considering cuts to national clean water protections, just as rivers nationwide are facing threats from natural gas drilling, pollution and new dams.
xygen currently makes up 21 per cent of our atmosphere. But for the first half of Earth's existence, the air had almost no oxygen. If any humans could travel back to that ancient environment, they'd need spacesuits to survive. Now, a new study of 70,000 rock samples from around the world may have solved the mystery of oxygen's long delay.
Wealth from waste
Composting is nature’s way of recycling. The end product of this process is manure, which is what all plants require. So if you are tired of organic waste lying in your yard, build a compost pit and have an effective waste management in place SNEHA MASHETTY
feedback@postnoon.com
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f you thought the garbage from your house is nothing but a stinking mass of useless things, think again. Here are a few people who found out how to dispose off this waste, and also help the cause of going eco-friendly. “I’m very glad that I took this initiative,” says Amarjeet Singh, a businessman who has a compost pit in his house. “My Amarjeet Singh son had suggested this idea and so I got it done. Now all the waste just goes into it and after a week or so, we have manure for our plants. It doesn’t matter anymore if the ragpicker comes or not” he adds. Composting is a technique in which you dump all the organic waste from your house into a pit in your garden or nearby. Then cover it for a week or so with leaves and mud, and at the end of it, you’ll have organic manure for all your plants. “The cycle is pretty simple. All you have to do is keep adding waste water from your kitchen. This helps the cause of the decomposing garbage which brings out the minerals into the soil,” says Varun Naidu, a Life Sciences student. “It’s like an underground dustbin which keeps my house, and also the earth clean. “Making a pit is very easy and in fact doesn’t require any investment. All you have to do is dig into the ground and Varun Naidu then dump the garbage in layers.” Manpreet Soni, a software engineer, too advocates using this method of compositing, “There’s hardly any money
needed, it just requires initiative and effort from our end.” But that said, the process of composting requires a bit of patience. First, you need to dig a pit in your backyard. Then, try and line it up with a few stones to make sure that nothing from the soil around gets mixed with it. Add organic matter and cover the pit with some dried leaves and a layer of soil. The next time you add some more organic stuff into it, repeat the dried leaves and soil layer. This allows for some air. Finally, let the water from your kitchen flow into it to help the
Five precautions to take while composting n Make sure that there is only organic waste that goes inside. Plastic by no means qualifies as one! n The waste in the compost has to be moved continuously to allow air to enter. n The walls should be lined to prevent erosion which sometimes is toxic. n The layer of sand and dried leaves is a must. n Do not flood the pit with water as excess water can ruin it all.
decomposing process. At the end of 45 days (for the first time) you get ready to use manure which can be placed Manpreet Soni back into the soil to improve its productivity. Contrary to what many might think, the process is simple and effective. Also, one of the ways we can repay mother nature for the food we eat. So hurry up, and start digging!
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FOOD SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
PepsiCo to bring new drinks
Kerala to ban gutka
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EPSICO is considering launching production of alcoholic beverages for the first time in its history. The new products are expected to appear in Russia.The company has already notified the Russian Agency for Patents and Trademarks, about its plans to launch cider, saloop and mead under the Russkiy Dar brand name.
Animal fat found in edible oil
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he Kerala government on Friday imposed a complete ban on the sale and consumption of gutka and paan masala in the state.Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told reporters that the government order was passed on May 22 and the news would be passed across the state in a few days. With this, Kerala becomes the second state after Madhya Pradesh to ban gutka and paan products.
ver 130 tonnes of edible oil in southwestern China’s Yunnan province has been found adulterated with animal fat meant for industrial use and would be recalled. A local oil manufacturer, the Yunnan Fengrui Oil and Fat Company, was suspected to be producing three types of cooking oil with animal fat, China Daily reported.
The taste of the city Over the years Paradise has become the go to place to taste the best biryani in the city. Today, we explore some of the lesser known restaurants which serve this delicious dish BHAVNEET SINGH
feedback@postnoon.com
Biryani Durbar
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iryani Darbar is another place that serves great biryani. This place is the Biryani specialist of Secunderabad as it serves only biryani. Located in Trimulgherry, the speciality of this place is the Double masala biryani. However, its Achilles Heel is the ambience. It’s not that great and probably that’s the reason the parcel section is more crowded than the restaurant.
Leo’s Food Court
Garden Restaurant
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ext on the list is Leo’s Food Court, Sainikpuri. Leo’s prides itself in serving a unique kind of biryani. This one dish everybody loves to experiment with. Here, the flavours are very strong and the spices come through very well. Ambience is great and so is the service. This place with its yummy biryani will make you come back for it again and again!
G Alpha Hotel
T
opping the list is Alpha Hotel. Located opposite Secunderabad railway station, this place has been serving good biryani for over six decades now. The prices here are moderate and service is very quick. The crowds that throng this place tell the story of how good the biryani here is. So when you crave some biryani next time in Secunderabad, you know where to head to.
iving tough competition to Alpha hotel is Garden Restaurant, opposite the Clock Tower in Secunderabad. Garden Biryani is very different from the one served anywhere. They add a lot of spice to the biryani which makes it very unique. The prices are moderate and the taste and the ambience is worth it. The only thing that this place lacks is fast service.
Hotel Pride
L
ast on the list is Hotel Pride of Hyderabad. This hotel as the name says is surely the pride of Hyderabad when it comes to biryani. The hotel is located on the Kukatpally road and you’ll hardly find place to sit here in the evening. Service is bang on target, and taste is out of the world. The prices are much lower in comparison to all other places we have listed here. DEEPAK DESHPANDE
15
FOOD SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
Khubuli
The Buffet at GVK One stands true to its theme and serves an elaborate spread of the best in world cuisine. We spoke to their Unit Chef, Sunil Chauhan to get a taste of their exquisite fare
Noor’s Kitchen NOOR JAFRI It’s a chana dal and rice preparation, cooked biryani style Ingredients
A mega spread
SANA MIRZA
sana.m@postnoon.com Tell us a little bit about The Buffet. At the GVK space, we have a pub (Cuba Libre) and an A’ La Carte restaurant (Khan Saab). So we decided on a buffet theme which went onto become the name of the restaurant itself and defines it the way it is. The restaurant is a multi-cuisine restaurant serving the best in Oriental, Chinese, Italian, French and Indian cuisine as well. n What is unique to the restaurant? What lies unique to the restaurant is that it has one of the biggest kitchens in India. In order to serve quality food, n
we believe that it is highly important to have enough space and the best of equipment in order for chefs to work more freely and openly without getting in each other’s way. n Does your menu change every day? We prepare close to 52 dishes everyday, that is, for lunch and dinner including desserts. So, yes, it does. We make sure to not repeat the items for lunch and dinner. We don’t have a set menu as such for the buffet spread but we rely mostly on spontaneity and available products. n Share with us your experience working at The Buffet. We are a team of 15 chefs dedicated to different cuisines and Nithin basically handles the operations of the restaurant at The Buffet. My team and I have been working together for the past 6-7 years
Italian Rice with fresh green veggies and a drizzle of olive oil
MON-FRI Vegetarian and Non-vegetarian
LUNCH `249 + taxes
DINNER `349 + taxes
SAT–SUN Vegetarian and Non-vegetarian
LUNCH `299 + taxes
DINNER `399 + taxes
course the much-loved Hyderabadi Biryani. How many people can the restaurant seat at one time? About 110 people.
n
Risotto alla primavera Ingredients n n n n n n n n n
DEEPAK DESHPANDE
and we have developed this amazing chemistry when we are on the job. n How do you insure that the food stays fresh? We start work by 8 in the morning and since we are a multi-cuisine restaurant, we have a variety of cuisines to work with in a limited span of time. We usually prepare the sauces first and by 11 we get our vegetables and other produce so we start cooking the main dishes then. I have a very efficient team so there is hardly ever an issue with getting the dishes out on time. n At the restaurant, what does a typical buffet look like? Since we are offering so many cuisines, we believe in balancing it out completely. So for example, you would find Noodles in Thai sauce, red curry, kebabs, a variety of salads, pasta, a little bit of South-Indian and of
n
n n n
Arboria Rice – 150 gms White sauce – 50 ml Cheese spread – 50 ml Salt – 5 gms Black pepper corn (crushed) – 5 gms Oregano (dry) – 5 gms Olive oil – 10 ml Veg aromatic powder – 5 gms Bosca white wine – 20 ml Red, green and yellow capsicum (diced) – 20 gms each Green and yellow zucchini (diced) – 20 gms each Mushroom (quarters) – 20 gms Green peas – 20 gms
n
n
n n n n
Red chilli flakes – 5 gms Parmesan cheese (powder) – 5 gms Fresh basil (leaves) – 10 gms Fresh cream – 10 ml
Method n
Cook arboria rice in a pot of boiling water till it is
n
n n
n
75% cooked. To it, add the white sauce, cheese spread, salt, crushed black pepper corn, oregano, vegetable aromatic powder and chilli flakes. Now add the roasted vegetables (red, yellow and green capsicum along with the green zucchini and mushrooms) and cook it for 2-3 minutes. Now add olive oil and bosca white wine and mix it well. Add fresh cream. Transfer it to a 9’’ pasta bowl. Garnish it with fresh basil leaves and the powdered parmesan cheese. Serve hot.
1. Basmati rice - 500 gms 2. Chana Dal - 150 gms 3. Onions - 2 medium sized - finely sliced and fried till golden brown and crisp 4. Ghee or refined oil - 60 ml 5. Ginger-garlic paste - 2 table spoons 6. Red Chilli powder - 1/2 a teaspoon 7. Mixed garam masala powder - 2 teaspoons 8. Saffron - 2,3 strings 9. Yellow food colour - 1 pinch 10. Yoghurt (dahi/curd) - 1cup 11. Milk - 1 cup 12. Lemon - 1 teaspoon 13. Salt to taste. 14. One small bunch of green coriander & mint leaves. 15. Green chillies - 5 to 6 (slits)
Procedure 1. In a big vessel boil water, with whole garam masala and salt. 2. When the water boils, boil the already soaked rice till half done. Once cooked strain it and keep it separately. 3. Wash and pressure cook chana dal, till half done. 4. Heat the oil or ghee, in that fry the onions and take them out. 5. In the same oil, fry ginger garlic, and add all the masalas, curd, lemon juice, green masala, and boiled dal. 6. Fry for some time and keep it separately. 7. In a big flat thick bottom vessel, put some ghee and half the boiled rice, top it up with the layer of cooked dal and cover it again by the remaining rice. 8. Mix the saffron and yellow colour, in hot milk and sprinkle it over the rice layer with the remaining sliced onions and hara masala. 9. Seal with tight lid and with weight on top, cook till the steam is formed. Reduce the flame when the steam is formed. 10. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, and switch off the gas, serve hot after 10 minutes, by mixing it portion by portion. 11. Can be accompanied with dahi ki chutney or raita.
Chef’s note: Since the preparation is with all the rich ingredients of biryani, and rich in protein and carbs, advisable to have in moderate.
Contact n Noor’s Kitchen n Mobile:- 91-9441282318 n Residence:- 91-40-23356947
18
HISTORY SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
May 28
1961 - Amnesty International, a human rights organisation, was founded.
May 28
1965- Methane gas causes a mine explosion near Dharbad, India, that kills 375 people and injures hundreds more.
May 29
1911 - The first running of the Indianapolis 500 took place.
May 29
1953 - Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first men to reach the top of Mount Everest.
May 30
1431 - Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in Rouen, France, at the age of 19.
June 3
1970 - Har Gobind Khorana and colleagues announced the first synthesis of a gene from chemical components.
May 30
1981 - In Chittagong, Bangladesh, President Ziaur Rahman was assassinated.
June 2
1818 - The British army defeated the Maratha alliance in Bombay, India.
May 31
1884 - Dr. John Harvey Kellogg patented “flaked cereal�.
June 1
1968 - Helen Keller died. She had been deaf and blind since the age of 18 months. During her life she learned to speak, ride horses, and the waltz. She also graduated from Radcliffe cum laude.
June 2
June 1 1953 - Elizabeth was crowned queen of England at Westminster Abbey.
1938 - Superman, the world's first super hero, appeared in the first issue of Action Comics.
19
SPOTLIGHT SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
FOOTBALL FEVER DEEPAK DESHPANDE
DEEPAK DESHPANDE
Swapna & Nidhi
Anne, Natasha & Erica
Living the good life
Youngsters in the city gravitated towards B&C on Saturday night for an evening of great music from Jalebee Cartel as part of The Kingfisher Ultra Soul Flyp
Elite Football League of India with brand ambassador Lakshmi Manchu talk to the press a week before the first match, on June 2.
Madhu Smita
Aparna
Sirisha
COLORFUL CANVASES
DEEPAK DESHPANDE
The art festival at Muse Art Gallery, Marriott opened with a preview of a solo exhibition ‘My Thoughts’ by Madhu Smitha. Many celebs graced the event.
Sakshi
Srijitha
Chalapathi Rao
Allu Aravind
20
CINEMA SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
T-TOWN TWEETIES @ssrajamouli
@RGVzoomin
@shrutihaasan
@purijagan
Car broke down.caught an auto to work.realised it’s been years since I travelled in one.Fun!!!...:)
Department asalu version ni tondharlo telugu lo `Rendo Departmet` perutho vidudhala cheyyabothunamu.
I’m so lucky to have wonderful friends who help me in ways even they don’t realise by just being a part of my life :)
Don’t make a permanent choice over a temporary feeling..
@actressanjjanaa
@RanaDaggubati
@snehaullalheart
@richyricha
u can hurt urself more than anyone can hurt u just by keeping all your feelings hidden.so be expressive n happy
Working Sunday for me!! Started shoot at 7am in filmcity. Last day of the action piece. Hoping the sun-god shows mercy on us today!!
I think our song,title and concept is decided..ideas pouring in,what a high
Sorry guys. Have been in hibernation as i wasn’t feeling well, but thanks soooo much for all those who are
Aksha goes back to her roots
A
ksha, who was last seen in Kandireega, is back in Tollywood after a brief hiatus. Ask her why she took a long gap after Kandireega, she says, “I want to do good films and I am not in a hurry to sign as many films as I can. I am quite young, so I have plenty of time to plan my career carefully.” She’s currently acting in a film starring Srikanth. Meanwhile, she is all excited about her guest appearance in a song in an upcoming Malayalam film titled Bangles. “I was supposed to act in the film; however, they needed bulk dates for the film and those dates were clashing with my Telugu film. So they added an extra song and when they asked me to do the song, I couldn’t say no. I started my career in films with a Malayalam film and I am pretty happy about working there again.” Ajmal, Poonam Kaur and Archana Kavi are playing lead roles in the film.
t x e n s ’ m s a e R o g film floors on
T
he principal shooting Ram’s upcoming film in Bommarillu Bhaskar’s direction began earlier today in Guntur. We hear that the film’s cast and crew will continue to shoot in Guntur
for almost 40 days since the film is set in the backdrop of the market yard in the city. “Starting my film#9 with Bommarillu Bhaskar from tomorrow☺..off to Guntur!Heard its just 4850degrees there..niccee! *palm
on face* Keeping the temperature aside...very excited! A New look..A New script..A New character..A New phase in my life! ;) (sic),” Ram posted on Twitter yesterday. Shubha Phutela is going to play the lead role in the film. BVSN
Prasad is producing it and GV Prakash is going to compose the music. Meanwhile, Ram, Tamannaah starrer Endhukante Premanta has been confirmed for release on June 8. It certainly looks like a busy summer ahead for Ram.
Sukumarudu will be as good as Sundarakanda
A
fter scoring two hits in a row, Aadi is teaming up with Pilla Zamindar’s director Ashok for an upcoming film titled Sukumarudu. Nisha Aggarwal is playing the lead role in the film and K Venugopal is producing the film under the Sri Soudamini Creations banner. KVV Satyanarayana is presenting the film. Talking about the film, Aadi said, “I am confident that Sukumarudu will be a big hit and I really loved the script written by Ashok. He’s
a passionate director. This is the first time I am acting in a film which feature more than 60 senior artists.” Anup Rubens will be going to compose the music for the film. “Sukumarudu will be as good as my earlier production Sundarakanda. Ashok has been working on the film for over six months and I am sure that one day he’ll become as famous as K Raghavendra Rao,” KVV Satyanarayana said. The film will go on floors in the first week of June.
21
CINEMA SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
B-TOWN TWEETIES @GulPanag
@MaheshNBhatt
@realpreityzinta
@thevirdas
Every one from my local chemist to divas gracing magazine covers wears them coloured contacts!
My mistakes are my life. Samuel Beckett
Morning folks ! Just landed in Sri Lanka 4the Carlton Super 7’s Rugby tournament ! This Sunday is definitely a sporty1.
That akward moment when plane doors open, you and cabin supervisor realize no one is there to pull the staircase 5ft to your plane.
@AnupamPkher
@RanvirShorey
@bipsluvurself
@Neha_Dhupia
Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. :)
And here comes Sunday morning! Whee!
On my way to the location!Shooting fr my next fitness DVD called ‘Breakfree’!Day 1 ws awesome...
The only thing worse than a manic monday is a working sunday!!!!
Naseer to work with Madhuri V eteran actor Naseeruddin Shah is delighted to team up with Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Dedh Ishqiya, and says he is looking forward to their working together. “It’s a really funny script. What Vishal Bhardwaj and (director) Abhishek Choubey have come up with is quite gorgeous. And I’m really looking forward to doing this film. I am very happy to get to work with Madhuri. Whatever work we’ve done together so far has been very sketchy,” said Naseer. Talking about their roles in Dedh Ishqiya, Naseer said, “We play two con-persons trying to constantly out-con each other.” Dedh Ishqiya is a sequel to 2010 film Ishqiya starring Vidya Balan, Naseer and Arshad Warsi. While Naseer and Arshad would reprise their roles, Madhuri has taken Vidya’s place.
Karan’s b’day bash, a grand affair
I
t was supposed to be Bollywood’s party of the year, and that it truly seemed like it was! From Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Bipasha Basu to Aamir Khan, Vidya Balan and Jaya Bachchan — Bollywood’s who’s who, dressed predominantly in black and white, attended filmmaker Karan Johar’s grand 40th birthday bash, at the Taj Lands End hotel in Mumbai, on Friday night. The theme for the night itself was black and white, revealed designer Manish Malhotra, who took charge of preparing the venue, styling the waiters’ uniform as well as styling a list of celebrities
who tip-toed to the party with elan. Johar looked dapper in a jet black suit, white shirt teamed with a shimmery bow and a white rose in his left pocket. He added more glamour with shimmery black shoes. There were other couples too— Hrithik RoshanSuzann Khan, SanjayMaanyata Dutt, Riteish Deshmukh-Genelia D’Souza, AnilTina Ambani,Goldie Behl-Sonali Bendre, Vidhu Vinod ChopraAnupama Chopra and actors Boman Irani, and Ronit Roy came with their respective wives. The guest list also included directors Jugal Hansraj, Punit Malhotra and Sooraj Barjatya.
‘Bollywood holding up to Hollywood’ H
ollywood may have wiped out the “whole world’s indigenous film industry” but Bollywood has held up, giving room to talent from all over the globe, says Dibakar Banerjee, the maker of acclaimed films such as Khosla Ka Ghosla and Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! Stating that Bollywood had not buckled under Hollywood pressure, Banerjee said: “Today Bollywood has become one
of the last few independently surviving and independently profitable industry, as Hollywood has managed to wipe out the whole world’s indigenous film industry, and Bollywood is one of those last frontiers that’s holding up because of its economic liberalisation.” “People are coming to us because we are a good second choice, it’s profitable and our business booms on its own, we don’t have to export our films,” he added.
22
CINEMA SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
Want to be a step ahead of Vidya Balan V E E N A
M A L I K
P
akistani actress Veena Malik, set to sizzle in the Kannada version of hit Bollywood film The Dirty Picture, aims to go a step ahead of Vidya Balan’s act in the original. She maintains the two films are different.” I have not seen the The Dirty Picture in Hindi, though I have heard that Vidya Balan has delivered an awesome performance in the film. But I really want to go one step ahead in my performance in this film,” said Veena. The actress, who rose to fame in India after her stint in controversial reality show Bigg Boss 4, says it is unfair to compare the two films. “Please don’t compare the Bollywood film with the Kannada film that I am doing now,” said Veena. This is her first Kannada film, and she is confident it will be appreciated. IANS
I would love to do Marathi films: Vidya Balan
B
ollywood actress Vidya Balan, who has performed a ‘Lavani’ number in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s forthcoming film Ferrari Ki Sawari, says she is now keen to do a Marathi film as well. “I would love to do Marathi film...they are doing well. There is some great work happening there (Marathi cinema),” Vidya said. While doing the
song, the actress looked up to noted actresses Madhuri Dixit and late Smita Patil for inspiration. “For the lavani song...my inspiration is Madhuri. I liked her song (Humko Aaj Kal) from film Sailaab and I also admire Smita Patil’s performance in Bhoomika,” she said, adding that she practised for ten days to perfect her steps for the dance.
“I was happy when this song was offered to me. It was always my dream to do a lavani song. I am not a trained dancer...I had to put it in a lot of effort,” she said. Besides Vidya, the entire star cast of Ferrari Ki Sawari including Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani, director Rajesh Mapuskar and producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra were present at the PTI event.
CINEMA SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
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For Further Details Please Contact Abhinay 9989399972 Nandlal 9951467988 Ravi Chander 8106039919
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CINEMA SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
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25
ENTERTAINMENT SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
Halliwell wants George Michael to help F
ormer Spice Girl Geri Halliwell wants to recruit George Michael as her celebrity helper on The X Factor. The 39-year-old singer says she doesn’t want to bring in a star who she will pretend is her friend as some talent show judges do. Instead she plans on asking her longtime friend to accompany her at the judges’ houses stage, reported Sun online. “Whoever I bring in as my guest helper will be authentic to me. It wouldn’t be rent-a-celeb. I’d possibly ask George as that feels authentic. It would either be him or my mum,” Halliwell said. The singer also said that she wished the talent show had been around when she was trying to PTI carve out a career.
Zoe Saldana
to star in Machete Kills A
ctress Zoe Saldana has signed up for Machete Kills alongside Sofia Vergara, Michelle Rodriguez, Jessica Alba, Mel Gibson and Danny Trejo. The 33-year-old will star in the follow-up to 2010 action movie Machete, and Danny Trejo —who is set to reprise his role as blade-wielding
Mexican Federale Machete Cortez – says he can’t wait to kiss all three girls in the film. “The sequel Machete Kills is going to be a lot more overthe-top than Machete. We’ve got Sofia Vergara, who is a star in her own right, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, and Zoe Saldana — and guess what? I get to kiss all of ‘em,” Trejo said. PTI
Allman ties the knot...again! P
erhaps the seventh time’s a charm. Rocker Gregg Allman is set to walk down the aisle with wife No. 7, and “this time,” the 64year-old rocker said, “I am really in love.” The Allman Brothers Band founding member, who appeared on Piers Morgan Tonight on Tuesday (among several other shows this week), is engaged to 24-yearold Shannon Williams and although he’s tied the knot many times before, Allman said it feels like his first ‘I do.’ “This is my first wife...It’s just—it’s altogether different. I’m sober,” Allman went on to say. Allman was once married to Cher. The couple has yet to set a date for their nuptials.
26
CHAI TIME SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
SUNDAY CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Woe is me! 5 Guru's community 11 Terre Haute's river 17 Daydream 21 ‘Hi- —, Hi-Lo’ 22 Son of Charlemagne (2 wds) 23 Exact, to Pablo 24 Lariat 25 Complaint 26 French brandy 27 Tempo notations 28 Sufficient, in verse 29 Put on the block 31 Nut shells 33 Meals 35 Pack rat 36 Chomps down 37 Retail giant 38 Anka's ‘— Beso’ 41 Debussy subject 42 Sponsorship 43 Cathedral town 44 Rhett's Scarlett 48 Leafs through 50 Reef builder 51 — you serious? 52 Made it snappy 53 Whale constellation 54 Memento 55 Scattered about 57 Amigo of Fidel 58 Kept in custody 59 Mubarak predecessor 60 Lighter fluids 61 Use FedEx 62 Bambi's aunt 63 Cornball 64 Jiffies 65 Strapped for cash 66 Rangy 68 TV knob 69 Put the kibosh on 70 Nulls 71 MIT grad 72 Jabber 73 Toshiba competitor 74 Fast-talk 75 Nitrogen compounds 78 Amusement 79 Startled cries 80 Not good at music (hyph) 84 Drilled a hole 85 Ocelot 87 Sit on the throne 88 ‘Honest’ fellow 89 Winter forecast 90 Museum display (2 wds) 91 Like a fair lass 92 Gullet 93 Coffee brewer 94 By the book 95 Violin's middle 96 Italian poet 97 Rent-sharer 99 — Lobos of pop 100 Country crooner Crystal — 101 Quays 102 Tough fabric 103 Math subj 104 Blacktops 105 Jazz genre 106 ‘Silent Spring’ topic 107 Piqued 109 Fridge raider 110 J Paul —
112 Chocolate desserts 115 Photographer — Adams 116 Spread thickly 120 Like most radios (hyph) 121 Charters 123 She loved Lancelot 125 German import 126 Dwarf buffalo 127 Eventually (2 wds) 128 Kindling 129 Lean 130 Feel nostalgic 131 Fliers' frustrations 132 Really fast 133 Monsieur's pate DOWN 1 Actress Jessica 2 Stead 3 Sir — Guinness 4 Weighs, as evidence 5 Niches 6 Jayhawk rival 7 More humongous 8 Cheese coating 9 White — — ghost 10 A Great Lake 11 Kane portrayer 12 Lutz alternatives 13 Censors
14 Fake it 15 Turbulent 16 Hebrew prophet 17 Year-end ornaments 18 Smoke-detector outputs 19 Location 20 Wields an ax 30 Poets' feet 32 Gas or tel 34 Arrogant 36 Jaunty lid 37 Soft tissue 38 Writer with acid 39 Jungle queen 40 Desperado 42 Perfect, at NASA (hyph) 43 Unpredictable 45 ‘Gesundheit!’ evoker 46 End a layoff 47 Whizzes 49 Flood residue 50 In secret writing 51 Acclimates 52 Lo- — graphics 54 Bet accepter 55 Heat source 56 Former NBA coach — Unseld 59 Ditties 60 Keane of ‘Family
Circus’ 61 Destroy documents 63 Whetted 64 Janitor's tool 65 Playing card 67 Moisten 68 They sacked Rome 70 Sharply piquant 72 Holiday tradition (2 wds) 73 RCMP patrol zone 74 Dive 75 Ridiculous 76 Marilyn or Vaughn 77 Type of applique (hyph) 78 At last 79 Nutritious grain 80 Jumpy 81 Got paid 82 Subsided 83 Least 85 Clown's getup 86 Utter loudly 87 Makes turbid 90 Admission — 91 Aspirin brand 92 Cleveland cager 94 Sketches 95 Ripples 96 Pool dimension 98 Swamp gases
100 Track receipts 101 Sweepstake 103 Mr Lupin 104 Free tickets 105 Hit on the head 108 Nearly frozen 109 Foe 110 Dance move 111 Brewer's supply 112 Sir's companion
113 Old Dodge model 114 Aerial enigmas 115 China's place 116 Healthy upstairs 117 Decide, as a jury 118 Revise text 119 Small coin 122 Maj ocean 124 Teacup rim PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
27
CHAI TIME SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
STAR POWER Date 28-5-2012
As per Hindu panchang
THIRUVAIKUMAR
thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9949870449
TAURUS
GEMINI
You will plan your children's future settlement. All work as per your plan will take place without difficulties. You will realise that some hand loans given by you will not be coming back to you.
Financial situation will improve for the better. You will fulfill wishes of all your family members. The slowness in your children will bother. Some have bright chances to buy a vehicle.
Though you will not be able to save, the income will balance the expenses without a deficit. Blood relatives might land you in unwanted trouble. Avoid believing on agents in important work.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Blood relatives will seek your help and you are bound to do it. Long-distance journey likely. You will have to spend more for fulfilment of children's wishes. Be careful in expressing your opinions.
Elevation or pay hike on the cards for employees. You will work swiftly and complete all work well in advance. Some will undertake pilgrimage. Businessmen will earn good profits.
No problems seen in the inflow of income. Family will remain in a peaceful atmosphere. Expenses will jump due to influx of visitors but it will bring cheer to family members at the same.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Work expected to get completed without difficulties, might not work. You might face some hurdles. Chances of differences with blood relatives. Expenses are likely to increase.
Health problems and debt issues will upset you. Also, you might face dilemmatic situation because of blood relatives. Employees who are close to superiors are likely to get a promotion.
Hurdles will upset you in most of the work undertaken by you. Avoid helping unknown or wellknown persons as you might get into trouble by doing so. Be careful in financial transactions.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Your hard work will be recognised very well. While expressing your opinions be careful and think well before expressing them aloud. Happy events are likely to take place at home.
You will be bold enough and show a lot of actions in implementing your work. Financial position to improve in a big way. Those planning to construct a new house will be successful.
Unexpected financial fortune likely. Be careful about your health as chances of medical expenses is seen. Those doing a partnership business will do well and profits will be steady.
TAURUS
GEMINI
Page of Cups – Pay attention to your health. Drink lots of water and eat fresh fruits to stay upbeat and feel healthy from within. Avoid fried foods.
Three of Cups – A celebration is about to take place. You will be excited about an achievement, however small that may be.
Ten of Swords – Dreams hold the key to understanding your true feelings. When you wake up, try to remember dreams. Talk it out with someone to feel better.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Three of Swords – A heartbreak is likely. Don’t be too upset about it. It is a test to strengthen emotions and make you immune to disappointments.
Two of Wands – This is a waiting period. Not much may move ahead and things may get delayed or postponed. Use this time to prepare yourself. Read a lot.
The Magician – Intuition plays an important role today. You will be able to figure out what may happen next without really putting all the pieces together.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Three of Wands – Success is just around the corner. Be patient and don’t get overly excited about reaching the destination. Enjoy the journey as much as well.
Three of Pentacles – Your skills will come to good use. A foreign trip is in the offing. It will happen quickly and you may be expected to make a longish trip abroad.
Nine of Pentacles – There are times when you feel like you want to be left alone and don’t want to socialise or take the trouble to be around other people.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
The Devil – You’re tempted to take a shortcut. Not a very good idea because you run the risk of putting all your good work down the drain in no time.
Six of Pentacles – An elderly person in your industry is going to come to your rescue and tell you the difference between being professional and being pushy.
Five of Swords – Some conflict is likely. You should not get into a brawl with anyone. Stay away from all kinds of politicking. Put your ego aside.
For Better or for Worse Stone soup
Fun reads
M
y brother is a terrible musician. The other day he asked my sister if she had heard his last recital. She replied, “I certainly hope so”.
Ink pen
COMICS
SUMAA TEKUR
tarotreadhyd@gmail.com
ARIES
Fred Basset
ARIES
TAROT READ Date 28-5-2012
Man 1: After buying this new hearing aid, I am able to hear something two blocks away. How much did it cost? Man 1: The time is 3 past 10. Lady 1: My son is very well behaved. Lady 2: How can you say that? Wasn't he arrested and imprisoned for 5 years.
Lady 1: Yes, but he got out after 2 years for good behaviour inside the jail. Doctor to a rich man: Do you prefer a local anaesthesia? Rich man: I would rather an imported one. A woman went to the Doctor and said, "When I looked in the mirror this morning, I saw my hair was frizzy, my skin wrinkly, my eyes bloodshot — what is wrong with me?". The Doctor replied, "Well the good news is that your eyesight is fine".
Vol: 1, No 315 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
28
WACKY WORLD SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
An economical eat-out
B
asis is a bring-your-own-food bar that recently opened in Amsterdam, in response to the crisis currently affecting it. The Basis Bar allows its customers to bring their own food, either cooked at home or ordered from cheaper eateries, like pizzerias. The bar provides everything from dishes, cutlery and microwave. People have to only pay for their drinks.
Care for a haircut?
A wedding for your pet?
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f you thought your hairstylist was amazing, wait until you see what living masterpieces these camel enthusiasts can create with scissors and some patience. Every year, the desert city of Bikaner hosts one of the most colorful events in the world – the Bikaner Camel Festival. This homage to camels includes various events, from camel races and rides, to camel haircut competitions and even a camel beauty pageant.
nn Clark calls herself an “animal registrar”, which is just a fancy way of saying she performs weddings for pampered pets. You might think that’s a silly job, but she’s making up to £20,000 ($31,600) per event. Why should pets miss out on the unforgettable moments of getting married? That’s probably what Ann told herself, when she decided to become this.
NOW, NOW...NO MONKEY BUSINESS
AFP / PRAKASH MATHEMA
A monkey and a bull beat the summer heat on the banks of the Bagamti river in Kathmandu. Temperatures in the Nepalese capital are rising with the onset of summer.
Artist turns bananas in art
Ugly potholes turn miniature gardens
Art on phone book pages
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ultimedia artist Phil Hansen uses a technique similar to pointillism to turn ripe bananas into organic canvases, recreating some of history’s most famous artworks. Hansen’s works are just so detailed it’s hard to believe all he uses to create them is a common pushpin and the banana’s natural oxidation process. The talented artist just punctures the peel repeatedly with the pushpin and the banana, and as the the banana browns, his intricate designs are revealed.
teve Wheen realised nobody likes to hit potholes on their way to work, so if authorities weren’t going to fill them, he would. He became a guerrilla gardener, travelling around the world, turning ugly potholes into charming miniature gardens. The London-based artist started pothole gardening during his university years, partly to make art, partly as a hobby, and mostly to highlight how crappy East London’s streets were. Since then, he’s been to other big cities like Milan, to turn potholes into tiny gardens featuring all kinds of small props.
hilean artist Carlos Zuniga creates detailed portraits and images by simply striking out names from phone book pages, with black ink. Sounds simple enough, but the results are awe-inspiring. Carlos Zuniga isn’t the first artist to use phone books as the main medium for his works. Alex Queral has also been using them to carve his amazing celebrity portraits, but Zuniga developed his own artistic technique, which allowed him to differentiate himself from everyone else.
59 DAYS TO GO
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SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
S Korea, Japan look to book berths TOKYO: South Korea have one foot in the London Olympics after they whipped Thailand in three sets in the women’s volleyball qualifying tournament Saturday, while Japan remain in contention despite losing heavily. The South Korean women only need to defeat Peru on Sunday to ensure their place at the Games after their 25-18, 25-22, 25-20 victory. “We are going to keep our concentration for tomorrow’s match against Peru. Hopefully we can win. I also hope that the three Asian teams — Korea, Japan and Thailand — will qualify for the Olympics,” said coach Kim Hyung-Sil. The top three sides in the eight-team round robin and the best-placed Asian side among the rest will qualify for the Olympics. Already there are Russia, the two-time world champions, who outgunned Japan in straight sets to secure top place in the standings with one day to go in the tournament in Tokyo. They have 18 points from six wins out of six, ahead of South Korea and Serbia, who each have 12 points. Japan have 11 points in fourth place, followed by Thailand in fifth on nine points. If it stays like that, Thailand will miss out at the expense of Japan. Japan and Serbia go head-to-head in the other big game. Thai coach Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai knows his side will need to beat Cuba to stand any chance of keeping their Olympic hopes alive. The Russian women never gave the Japanese a sniff on their way to a powerful 25-22, 25-20, 25-20 victory for their sixth straight win. “I’m satisfied with the result. I’m especially satisfied that my players played strong mentally. We had some problems in receiving, but we solved it during the match to get the victory,” said Russian coach Sergey Ovchinnikov. Italy, the United States and China have already qualified after taking medals at the World Cup last year with continental champions Algeria, the Dominican Republic, Turkey, Brazil, as well as hosts Britain, joining them.
Pellegrini blows away competition
DEBRECEN, HUNGARY: Italy’s Federica Pellegrini (above) dominated the women’s 200m freestyle to retain her title at the European championships here on Saturday and put down a marker ahead of the London Olympics in two months time. While her time, 1min 56.76, was hardly spectacular being only the 12th fastest in the world this year, it was the way in which she controlled the race that caught the eye. She touched the wall almost two seconds up on Germany’s Silke Lippok who also finished second to her two years ago in Budapest. “Everyone was expecting
me to win but it wasn’t so obvious for me,” she said. “Lippok can swim a lot better than she did today. I had to be very careful.” This was Pellegrini’s first individual race here this week after guiding Italy to their first ever team relay title in Thursday’s 4x200m freestyle. On Sunday she will conclude the championships in the 400m freestyle, a distance in which she is the double world champion. Amongst the men, Serbia’s Milorad Cavic posted the fastest time in the world this year when claiming the 100m butterfly in 51.45, with Hungarian Laszlo Cseh second in 51.77.
This was a return to form for Cavic who after the 2008 Games in Beijing suffered a back injury following the 2009 world championships in Rome — he is now on course to clash with American swimming giant Michael Phelps in London. Poland’s Radoslaw Kawecki won his first major title when lifting gold in the men’s 200m backstroke. He won in a time of 1:55.28 in front of local hope Peter Bernek. Sunday’s closing day’s action features the men’s 50m freestyle in which Sweden’s Stefan Nystrand will start as favourite after posting the quickest time in the semi-finals.
TERAKAWA LAYS DOWN MARKER TOKYO: Japan’s Aya Terakawa clocked the world’s second fastest time of the season to win the women’s 100 metres backstroke at the Japan Open swimming championships, laying down a marker ahead of the Olympics. The world 50m silver medallist, who set a new Japanese record at the national championships in April to qualify for the Olympics, improved on it with a time of 59.08 seconds, beating Shiho Sakai into second place. “I’m happy, because I hadn’t expected to swim a personal best,” said Terakawa, who was 0.09 seconds faster than the current world record pace.
Team GB takes gymnastics gold MONTPELLIER: Britain’s men’s gymnastics team flexed their muscles ahead of the London Olympics by claiming a first team gold ahead of Russia at the European championships on Saturday. Daniel Purvis (right), Kristian Thomas, Louis Smith, Ruslan Panteyleymonov and Max Whitlock became the first British team to take a major championships team gold medal. Despite a fall on the final apparatus, the high bar, they held on for victory after building up a sufficient lead on
the other five — floor, pommel horse, rings, vault and parallel bars — to score 266.296 points. Russia achieved 265.535 for silver with Romania third with 261.319. Smith, who gave Britain their first Olympic medal with his bronze on the pommel horse in Beijing four years ago, will take on world and European champion Krisztian Berki in the final on that apparatus Sunday. “It’s my first European gold medal and also a page in British history and I’m proud to be part of it,” said
Smith. Britain’s men and women’s teams have surged to the fore of world gymnastics in recent years with Beth Tweddle winning their first world title on the uneven bars. “Today’s an important day with a view to the London Games and a fantastic achievement,” said British Gymnastics Olympic performance director Tim Jones. “Many people never thought they would see a day like today and to see our juniors and seniors European champions is huge.” Germany were however a
pale shadow of the team that won the European title in 2010 with an error-strewn performance which saw the team led by two-time world silver medallist Philipp Boy finish sixth. Hosts France also had a nightmare championships with high bar specialist Yann Chucherat hurting his fingers in qualifiers, and triple European medallist Samir AitSaid suffering a knee injury on the vault.
SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
ALL
BEAUTY
YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
Best EURO performance: winners 1972, 1980, 1996 Coach: Joachim Löw Leading scorer: all-time – Gerd Müller (68); current – Miroslav Klose (63)
GERMANY
THE BEST
&
G ERMANY ’ S
Most appearances: all-time – Lothar Matthäus (150); current – Miroslav Klose (113) Association formed: 1900 Nickname: Nationalmannschaft
Löw’s juggernaut The UEFA European Championship’s most successful team and runners-up to Spain in 2008, Germany are aiming for a fourth title after qualifying for the finals with a perfect record.
POSTNOON PREDICTION
STATS
PLAYER TO WATCH
Miroslav comes Klose to history Ryland James Miroslav Klose will be looking to roll back the years at Euro 2012, as the evergreen veteran aims to claim his first major title. Klose turns 34 on June 9 when Germany open their Group B campaign against Portugal in Lviv and German fans will be hoping to see him perform a few more of his famous front-flip goal celebrations during the month-long tournament. With 63 goals in 114 appearances for his country, Klose is just five short of Gerd Mueller's all-time record of 68 goals for Germany, the last of which sealed a 2-1 win over Holland in the 1974 World Cup final. Lazio's Klose has repeatedly said his main
BERLIN: Coach Joachim Löw goes to
Alongside Spain, Germany are certainly favourites to win the title. But a horrific defensive display in yesterday’s friendly against Switzerland (pg 31), will give them pause for thought.
E URO
MATCHES PLAYED Overall: P126 W81 D29 L16 F268 A91 Final tournament: P38 W19 D10 L9 F55 A39 Qualifying: P88 W62 D19 L7 F213 A52
MUNICH: Poland-born Germany striker
Ryland James Euro 2012 with a job guarantee, having guided Germany to runner-up at Euro 2008 and third at the 2010 World Cup. But only victory in the Kiev final will enhance his status here. Having taken over as head coach in 2006, Löw knows his job is safe until the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, regardless of results at the European Championships in Ukraine and Poland. Germany are among the favourites to lift the title having qualified with 10 wins from 10, but 52-year-old Löw needs to finally claim a major title after going close twice. "We all agree that in Löw and [team manager Oliver] Bierhoff we have the best pair possible," Wolfgang Niersbach, the president of the German Football Federation (DFB) has said. "They both do excellent jobs and so we see no reason to change a winning formula. If we have to suffer disappointment, we are strong enough to stand up and face it." Despite his impressive 52 wins in 76 internationals with 13 draws and 11 defeats in six years, Löw needs the Euro 2012 crown to be considered one of his country's top coaches and with the German public craving their first title for 16 years. Other than a title, his record com-
FIXTURES
Saturday 9 June: Germany v Portugal, 20.45CET, Lviv Wednesday 13 June: Netherlands v Germany, 20.45CET, Kharkiv Sunday 17 June: Denmark v Germany, Lviv
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pares favourably with Germany's legendary coaches Franz Beckenbauer, who coached the 1990 World Cup winning team, and Berti Vogts, whose side won Euro 96. Germany's former reputation of ruthless efficiency has been replaced by fleet-footed attack, with Löw playing a single striker up front supported by pace on the flanks. It was in South Africa two years ago when Löw's young side made the world sit up and take notice. The Germans ran riot in the World Cup knock-out stages beating England 4-1 in the Round of 16. Argentina were then dispatched 4-0 in the quarter-finals before Spain halted their march in the last four. Germany carried their South Africa form into Euro 2012 qualifying while friendly wins over Brazil, in August, and Holland, last November, underlined their status as favourites.
GERMANY GROUP B At a glance Three-time victors and three-time runners-up, Germany are the European Championship's most successful side and an exciting squad approach Euro 2012 knowing the Nationalmannschaft, last winners in 1996, have never had to wait more than four editions for glory. Third in the last two FIFA World Cups and runners-up at Euro 2008, Löw's charges qualified with a 100% record this time around.
motivation this June is to see Germany realise their potential, rather than passing Mueller's mark, by winning the Euro 2012 final in Kiev on July 1. He is the only player to score five goals or more in consecutive World Cups (in 2002 and 2006) and with 14 World Cup goals, he is second only to Brazil's Ronaldo, who with 15 is the competition's all-time top scorer. Having made his debut in 2001, Klose has yet to lift a major title, despite playing in the 2002 World Cup final, the Euro 2008 final and also twice reaching World Cup semi-finals in 2006 and 2010. A hard-working striker who can thanklessly harass goalkeepers and defenders for 90 minutes before popping up in the right place to score the winner, he was top-scorer in Germany's flawless qualifying campaign with nine goals.
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SPORTS SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
Schumi vows to bounce back
Strauss ton puts England on track Julian Guyer
Tim Collins
NOTTINGHAM: England captain Andrew Strauss struck his second hundred in as many matches to answer one earlier Saturday from West Indies skipper Darren Sammy in the second Test here at Trent Bridge. At the close of the second day, England were 259 for two in reply to the tourists’ first innings 370, which featured Sammy’s 106 — the all-rounder’s maiden Test century. England were 111 runs behind, with Strauss 102 not out and Kevin Pietersen, who had struck a six and 10 fours, unbeaten on 72. They’d so far added an unbroken 136 for the third wicket as they both cashed in on an excellent batting pitch. Strauss, who had gone 18 months without a Test hundred before scoring 122 in England’s five-wicket series opening win at Lord’s, posted his 21st century in 96 matches at this level on Saturday. That meant the 37-yearold left-handed opener was now just one short of the England record of 22 Test tons held jointly by Walter Hammond, Colin Cowdrey and Geoffrey Boycott.
Dutch football player Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (R) vies for the ball with his Bulgarian opponent Nikolay Bodurov during a friendly football match between the Netherlands and Bulgaria at the Arena stadium in Amsterdam. AFP/ANP/JERRY LAMPEN
Big two stumble
PARIS: Germany and the Netherlands, two of the sides widely-tipped as potential Euro 2012 winners, suffered worrying friendly international defeats on Saturday. Germany slumped to a shock 5-3 defeat in Switzerland while the Dutch were booed off in Amsterdam after surrendering a one-goal lead to lose 2-1 against Bulgaria. Defending European and world champions Spain, however, showed off their impressive strength in depth when a secondstring side defeated Serbia 2-0. England, meanwhile, gave Roy Hodgson a winning start as new national coach with a hard-
fought 1-0 win over Norway in Oslo. Germany, who rested their eight-strong Bayern Munich contingent, suffered their first loss to Switzerland, who failed to qualify for Euro 2012 for the first time since 1956. Joachim Löw’s Germany qualified for Euro 2012 without losing a match, but they have now lost two friendlies in succession having been defeated 2-1 by France in February. Roy Hodgson made a winning start to his reign as England manager after an Ashley Young goal in the ninth minute gave his side a 1-0 victory over Norway in Oslo.
Hodgson, who only took over as the successor to Fabio Capello earlier this month, saw his experimental England side record their first win over Norway for 32 years. Ireland saw off Bosnia 1-0 in Dublin while Portugal were held 0-0 in Leiria by Macedonia. Denmark lost 3-1 to a young Brazil side, who are preparing for the London Olympics. Elsewhere Saturday, there were wins for tournament co-hosts Poland who beat Slovakia 1-0. Croatia beat Estonia 3-1, the Czech Republic edged Israel 2-1 while 2004 champions Greece were held 1-1 by Slovenia.
Venus, Del Potro eye prize PARIS: Venus Williams and Juan Martin Del Potro, whose careers have seen Grand Slam highs as well as injuryhit lows, take centre-stage on Sunday as the French Open gets underway. With top drawcards such as Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams all being spared opening day duty at Roland Garros, the likes of Williams and Del Potro get an early chance to impress. Williams, now ranked 53
in the world after battling energy-sapping Sjogren’s Syndrome, was runner-up in Paris in 2002, losing the final to sister Serena but comes into the French Open still dreaming of claiming a place at the Olympics in London. The 31-year-old begins her 15th Roland Garros against Argentina’s Paula Ormaechea. Del Potro, the only man to have won a Grand Slam title outside of the ‘big three’ in the last seven years, begins against Spanish veteran Albert Montanes.
Ninth-seed Del Potro was a semi-finalist here in 2009 before going on to win the US Open that year. Del Potro won the claycourt title in Estoril this year. Three former champions are also in action on Sunday. Juan Carlos Ferrero, the 2003 men’s winner, faces France’s Jonathan Dasnieres de Veigy. Ana Ivanovic, the 2008 women’s champion, faces Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino of Spain while 2009 winner Svetlana Kuznetsova tackles Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic.
MONTE CARLOL: Michael Schumacher vowed on Saturday to ignore his fiveplace grid penalty and go out in search of his sixth victory at the Monaco Grand Prix. Seven-time world champion Schumacher has been struggling this season to convince his critics he can still deliver his once-phenomenal speed, but produced an amazing fastest lap in qualifying to top the times and secure what proved to be an illusory 69th pole position of his career. He was the fastest man on the circuit in his Mercedes, but due to a fiveplace grid penalty handed to him for colliding with Bruno Senna’s Williams in Spain two weeks earlier, he will start the 78-lap showpiece from sixth on the grid. It was the great Ger man’s best performance in qualifying since he returned to Formula One after a three-year ‘retirement’ in 2010. Schumacher said: “First of all, I am more than thrilled and excited about making a pole here in Monaco. “Monaco to all of us is the track of the year that has a very prestigious position and to manage pole position here after what I have gone through in the last two-and-a-half years is just fabulous — and that is what sticks into my mind. “I told you guys in (an earlier) press conference that I would get pole, start sixth and win it - and that is what I am going to aim for. That’s all I have in my mind and the past doesn’t matter.” Schumacher, who has started from pole in Monaco three times in his career, described the feeling, when he knew he was fastest, as ‘beautiful’. “Obviously I saw my time on the dashboard and I thought it should not be too bad, but you don’t know — as being one of the early ones out on track — you don’t know what will come behind.”
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SPORTS SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012
High octane match on cards G APARNA SAI
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fter eight weeks and 74 matches, the stage is finally set for the grand finale. Today’s final will be the fourth for defending champions, Chennai Super Kings and the first for Kolkata Knight Riders. CSK would hope to repeat
what the Aussies did with the World Cup; win the title on three consecutive occasions. Looking at the way Chennai has bounced back since the play-offs, certainly makes one believe that it will be a whistle podu moment by the end of the game. Touted as the team which had the ability to retain the trophy, Chennai did not exactly begin the season on a promising note. They faltered in the inaugural match and conceded a few more defeats. But lady luck seemed to have favoured them when Deccan Chargers beat
Celtics head into finals BOSTON: The Boston Celtics punched their ticket to the NBA Eastern Conference finals on Saturday with an 85-75 victory over Philadelphia behind a "triple-double" by Rajon Rondo. Rondo scored 18 points with 10 assists and 10 rebounds as the Celtics won the decisive game seven in the Eastern Conference second-round series. The Celtics will open the best-of-seven Eastern conference finals in Miami against the star-studded Heat on Monday night. That winner will face San Antonio or Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals.
Dufner keeps lead…just FORT WORTH, TEXAS: Jason Dufner, chasing his third US PGA title in five weeks, fired a four-under par 66 to keep a one-stroke lead after Saturday's third round of the $6.4 million Crowne Plaza Invitational. Dufner, who led by two strokes when the day began, stood on 15-under 195 after 54 holes at Colonial with 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson, seeking his second Colonial title in three years, one stroke adrift after a third-round 65. "There has been a lot of good golf and I have a lot of confidence going to the first tee on Sunday," Dufner said.
Donald set for #1 spot WENTWORTH, UK: Luke Donald is in pole position to retain the PGA Championship title and return to the top of the world rankings after overnight leader James Morrison suffered a third round meltdown at Wentworth. Morrison had been four shots clear after a second round 64, but the world number 236 carded a woeful 81 on Saturday to leave him eight strokes behind Donald heading into Sunday's final round. As England's Morrison struggled to recover after a quadruple bogey eight, a triple bogey eight and three other bogeys, Donald made light of testing conditions to take the lead.
Royal Challengers Bangalore; a match which saw Chennai make it to the next round. Chennai thrashed Delhi Daredevils in the second qualifi-
er to cruise through to the final. They posted a formidable 222, a target which Delhi failed to reach, by a huge margin. Murali Vijay starred for Chennai scoring a century in this high octane match. His blistering 113 of 58 balls saw him hit 15 fours while another four sailed over the boundary rope. The bowlers then came to the party, dismantling the Daredevils’ batting line up. Chennai would hope to continue this same performance when they meet Kolkata on home turf for the ultimate clash.
Meanwhile, the Knights have been consistently performing well this season; but for a bumpy start and a few off games, KKR dominated their opponents through out the tournament. Gautam Gambhir led his team from the front while his teammates have always chipped in. Sunil Narine remains a mystery which is yet to be solved. The SRK co-owned team would look to claim their maiden title while Chennai would look to claim a hat-trick while the fans enjoy the match and “raise their hands”.