CHINA RULE, BUT ITALIANS SHINE The Chinese have rushed into the Olympic lead taking their medal tally to six with four golds. But the Italians are close on their heels with five medals, including two golds.
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WEATHER: A MIX OF CLOUDY AND CLEAR SKIES; 26°C
PGS 28, 29, 30 & 31
Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper
JULY 29, 2012 HYDERABAD
32 PAGES
`3
ON SUNDAY
RAIN HARVEST: Whose baby is it?
SHANKERPALLY COPS IN THE DOCK
A
case of criminal negligence and conspiracy by law-keepers and hospitals has come to the fore with the arrest of a young man believed to have abducted and killed a 13-year-old girl, five years ago. PG 3
SRINIVAS SETTY
In rainwater harvest lies the City’s solution to its vexing water woes. But the HMWS&SB and GHMC refuse to take it seriously, despite the City’s parched state. REPORT ON PG 4
KUNIS WANTED ENHANCED ASSETS FOR COMIC
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ctress Mila Kunis was flattered when Seth Green wanted her in his comic book, but she agreed on a condition — she wanted a curvier alter ego. Green wanted her to serve as the inspiration for Annalee Rogers, the heroine in his Freshmen. PG 25
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CITY SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
CLOSE PERSPECTIVE
The dancing coffee
M ANIL KUMAR
An exhibition titled Dancing Coffee by Koeli Mukherjee Ghose is being held at Truffles Cafe. The exhibition is on till August 4. Where: Truffles Cafe, Jubilee Hills, Rd No 10 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2355 0105
Scaffold to infinity An exhibition of constructivist wooden sculptures by senior sculptor and artist Aekka Yadagiri Rao are being displayed. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing, 11.30am onwards Contact: 98499 6879
Play competition SKITS- Keep it short, a 12 minute short play competition for college students, corporates, theatre groups will be held from August 3 to August 5. Where: Nift Campus, Madhapur When: August 3 to August 5 Contact: (040) 2311 4537
Theatre festival The seventh edition of the multi-lingual theatre festival — Abhinaya National Theatre Festival will be held from August 16 to August 19. Where: Ravindra Bharathi, Saifabad When: August 16 onwards 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2323 1245
Soul cages A unique presentation of imagery and narrative told through Bharathanatyam will be presented on August 4. Where: Bhaskara Auditorium, Birla science centre, Adarsh Nagar When: August 4, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 2324 1067
children. It includes workshops on a variety of topics such as film making, theater, photography, robotics. Where: Oakridge International School, Gachibowli and Bachupally When: Every Sunday, 9am-12pm Contact:1800 200 8171
Thirst for theatre
Monsoon mania
Eugene O’Neil’s play Thirst deals with two men and a woman who find themselves on a life-raft, with little hope of rescue after a shipwreck leaves them stranded. Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: July 29, 7.30pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329
Ramoji Film City celebrates the onset of monsoon with eight weeks of fun-filled activities and entertainment with magic of cinema starting from July 1 to August 31. Where:Ramoji Film City, Hayathnagar When: Ongoing, 9am onwards Contact: (040) 2341 2262
Interactive workshops
Parantha festival
Oakridge International School launches Weekend Voyager. This is an exciting weekend activity for
Haldi at Novotel Airport is hosting a parantha festival titled Parantha Overload. The parantha festival that
CINEMAS
will be on till August 15, promises to offer a variety of paranthas in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian combinations. Where: Novotel Airport, Shamshabad When: Ongoing, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6625 0000
Ice Age festival Celebrate the Ice Age Festival at McDonalds, to celebrate the latest Ice Age film Ice Age: Continental Drift. The happy meals offer 8 exciting toys based on characters from the movie. Where: All McDonalds outlets
Kebab fest This fest is something that will surely appeal to the kebab lovers in town. Kangan at Westinn, Madhapur is hosting a Kebab fest. The fest is open only for dinner. Where: Kangan,
Westinn Mindspace, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 7pm-11pm (weekdays) 7pm-12pm (weekends) Contact: (040) 6767 6838
Festival of pasta TGIF is offering its new festival of pasta menu which includes a new selection of pastas. Where: TGIF, Banjara Hills, Rd No 2 When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 4015 1925
Smooth operators Tease Lounge at Vivanta by Taj presents Smooth Operators Night every Friday with DJ Mohit. Where: Vivanta by Taj, Begumpet When: Every Friday, 7.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6725 2626
Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally, 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills, 44767777, Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 8800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973
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CITY SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
Biker run over by RTC bus
M
Abandoned baby saved
ohd Muzaffer ,25, a worker in a cloth store of Madian market riding a bike was fatally run over by an RTC bus after he was knocked down by a speeding vehicle near DR mills last night. He was shifted immediately after he was hit but died on the way to the hospital.
A
n abandoned five-month-old baby girl was saved from the worst death from the forested part of Vikarabad near MIG colony this morning. The baby was about to be attacked by dogs when a passerby heard the cry and summoned villagers. They shifted the baby to a hospital.
Girl kills herself
A
teenager, Deepika, is alleged to have set her clothes ablaze by herself and died last night in her home in Reddy colony Champapet under the Saroornagar police station limits. Reason for the extreme step she took is not known. Police have registered a case of unnatural death and are investigating.
Shankerpally cops in the dock
A case of criminal negligence and conspiracy by law keepers and hospitals has come to the fore with the arrest of a youth believed to have abducted and killed a minor girl five years ago.
MOHD SUBHAN
mohd.s@postnoon.com
T
he poor parents of late 13year old Munni (name changed) Tangtoor village of Shankerpally can't be consoled. They don’t know where to turn to for justice and whom to trust, for they've lost faith in police, in hospitals, doctors and even god. Parents, M Buchaiah and mother M Yadamma, have however some consolation now that the man who murdered their daughter has been caught, albeit accidentally. The shocking insensitivity of police and hospitals was mercifully amended by the Ranga Reddy Superintendent of Police and CID crime. Munni, it is said, was trapped in' love' by one Mohd Younus, 25, five years ago. She was studying in Class IX in government school when the man
went around and sweet-talked her into love. As the parents would not allow the marriage and girl being a minor, the duo thought they could run away and live together. Accordingly the girl was led to escape from her home on May 9, 2007. Parents, in the dark, made enquiries everywhere and found no clue to their daughter's whereabouts. They used to go to the hospitals to find out if their daughter is admitted there. They
lodged a missing complaint with the Shankerpally police a couple of days after she disappeared. The police booked a first a missing case and later when learned of the love, converted it into an abduction case against Younus. But apparently the cops did nothing further. Years passed and the parents waited in vain for any news of their daughter. As nothing happened, the then SP of RR district thought it fit to transfer the case to the CID. On June 10 this year, Younus
fell in the CID trap for a petty crime. They had no notion of the youth being the same against whom an abduction case stands. However, during interrogation the CID investigators got some hints as to his past. Further questioning brought out that he is the one wanted by the Shankerpally police. Younus allegedly confessed the crime. According to his version, the duo had ran away (still not known where) and he made a show of some marriage ceremony somewhere to make the girl believe they are indeed man and wife. Soon the relationship soured as neither had an income. He was doing odd jobs. Meanwhile, she sustained burns after her clothes 'accidentally" caught fire. He got her admitted to Osmania hospital and disappeared. The Osmania Hospital is not on record of informing the police as it is a medico-legal case and the hospital is bound to register a police case. Later, Younus peeped in to find out her condition. When she
berated him for abandoning her, a seemingly contrite Younus got her admitted to a private hospital (which again remains a mystery as to why the hospital received a patient without background check). In the hospital she died. And, again, the horror of horror, he got her body released and dumped it in Balapur lake. The body was found but it remained unclaimed. The injustice did not end there. Even after the CID had handed over Younus to Shankerpally police for investigation of the abduction case, the police did not have the courtesy to inform the parents that Younus was arrested and is in custody. It was the villagers who talked about it and the parents went to SP Rajakumari who pulled up the Shankerpally police and opened the lid off the case. The parents lament that the Inspector Chevallah B Srinivas of Shankerpally continuously misled them saying the investigation was going on whenever they asked him.
Tolichowki turns mosquito haven Md Nizamuddin feedback@postnoon.com
A
s August nears, mosquitoes in Tolichowki are preparing for an all out attack on the denizens. Pushing the business of repellents to soaring heights each season, the menacing two-winged insects have turned more immune to novel ideas of repellent companies, which even the officials acknowledge. Each time when anyone goes for a medical or general store, he is most likely to encounter a person asking a mosquito repellent. While some amongst them could be seen buying more than two kinds of repellents, available in shop. Interestingly, they point out that if one fails another may work. “Almost half of the market for mosquito repellents in the City is from this area," says one of the shop keepers, who is happy selling various kinds of
repellents laced with pesticide traces. According to officials, one of the biggest reasons for the area being hub for mosquitoes is that the three tanks here provide fertile breeding ground for mosquitoes in all seasons. HUDA park in Langarhouse, Shatam Lake and Hakeemshah Kunta are three biggest contributors for spread of mosquitoes. These lakes, which are covered with Pistia plant is considered conducive for larvae. This is one of the reasons that even during summer mosquitoes infest the entire locality. The authorities have spent lakhs of rupees in containing the menace, but due to high levels of pollution in lakes, the process has proved to be futile year after year. Another concern the officials also point out
is spraying of chemicals is denounced by environmentalists. Recently, the Mayor, along with the Commissioner had paid a visit to the HUDA park. “Plants have covered the entire lake, which were removed recently. But if the remaining are not removed in time it will grow very fast,” says Jaipal Reddy, Contractor, HUDA park. Spread across several acres the lake’s bund has been transformed into park by
HUDA, but the lake in between is taken care by the GHMC. The lake would have contained clean water if sewage treatment plant was set up. Nadeem colony is always in the news for flooding the banks of Shatam lake. This lake bordering the wall of Golconda fort is another breeding ground for mosquitoes. Unlike HUDA Park, none is there to check the spread of pistia. Now the entire lake is covered with this weed. People in the close by areas are now habituated to the menacing mosquitoes which visit their houses all seasons. “Now we are habituated to provide daily blood donation to our neighbours,” says Sheikh Irfan, in a jest. Hakeemshah Kunta is another water body, at the
foothills of Jubilee Hills. Generally known as Kunta amongst the residents, the mosquitoes bred here spread not only Tolichowki, but also Jubilee Hills. But with the August fast approaching the problem will become worst and unbearable, as entire localities across Tolichowki will have to face the menace. Some residents already started making preparations by buying electric bats and mosquito nets. As part of measures to contain the menace, the authorities have handed over contract of HUDA Park and Hakeemshah Kunta. The clearing of weeds would get started by the next week. However, for Shatam Lake tenders have been called for. When asked when the officials would visit the sites, Ratna Joseph, Chief Entomologist said “After the Mayor returns from his tour, plans would be made and entire team would visit any of these three lakes”.
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CITY
Rain harvest: Whose baby is it?
M ANIL KUMAR
SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
In rainwater harvest lies the City’s part solution to the vexing water woes. But the HMWS&SB and GHMC have not taken it seriously. Many rainwater harvest requests get bounced because the buildings have one violation or the other. Rahul Ramakrishna rahul.r@postnoon.com
I
n order to conserve rainwater, a joint collaboration between the GHMC and the HMWS&SB’s campaign for rainwater harvesting has recorded over 23,000 connections from the 16 divisions within the twin cities. While the official statistic of 23,000 rainwater harvesting connections might seem staggering, it must be wondered as to how many of these have actually materialised into a fully working rainwater harvesting system within housing localities. As a part of the drive, it was made mandatory for all building constructions to construct rainwater harvesting pits. Data obtained from the HMWS&SB shows that 23,075 connections were finalised within the 16 divisions in the city.
The highest number of rainwater harvesting pits to be constructed within the city is at Division 10 (Kukatpally, Balanagar, Moosapet) where 300 of the total 7,831 rainwater harvesting constructions have been finished. Joint director of Rainwater Harvesting Cell at HMWS&SB, Satynarayana, said, “Within one month of initiating the drive, we have had so many requests for RWH connections. Despite the lengthy procedure of survey, pit specifications and finances required, people are coming forward to enrol. Our highest target reached was in division 10 at Sahebnagar where over 300 RWH pits have been constructed.” While officials are optimistic in their outlook towards rainwater conservation, resident associations say that the entire process of obtaining permissions and getting a pit constructed is cum-
Division
Connections
Div.
Conn.
Div.
Conn.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
325 570 1071 258 862 3030 762 292
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
2903 7831 933 1240 269 363 1845 521
bersome and even, expensive. The reason blatant violation of building laws that make it difficult for authorities to sanction rain harvest. Subrahmanyam, a member of a residential association in Somajiguda says, “Any additional expenditure towards building maintenance is frowned upon. In some localities, people do not
TOGETHER FOR A CAUSE
even pay their monthly maintenance bill. And added to this, a major number of constructions within the City do not adhere to basic rules such as floor scale limit, or even obtain a valid sewage and drinking water connection.” While millions of litres of water drains away every monsoon, it is evident from the municipal corporation’s apathy that such initiatives and drives exist only on paper. Only a few residential colonies within the twin cities have adopted rainwater conservation (Shantinagar Colony being a prime example.) What is more, neither the Water Board nor the GHMC has conducted any drive to check the indiscriminate pilferage and excessive usage of water. Residents at Division 9 in enjoy a bountiful supply of Manjeera water and it is a common sight
Secretariat safety committee set up Inkeshaf Ahmed feedback@postnoon.com
A Minister Sridhar Babu flags off the a walk to spread awareness on the need to save Hussain Sagar Lake. Actors Manchu Lakshmi, Manchu Manoj and BIG FM RJs Shekar, Jo, Krish and Ravi, were also present.
to see drinking water being used for washing and cleaning purposes. Nagaraj a resident of Kukatpally says, “People need to be educated about the difference between soft and hard water and their many uses. It is a criminal wastage of soft water being used to wash cars or water plants.” Officials too shrug away waste of precious water. “Our responsibility ends after we supply water. We cannot personally monitor each and every single drop being used,” says Satyanarayana. In its history, the HMWS & SB has conducted only one water audit and that too in 2007. As a part of the audit, over 150 bulk floating meters were installed at various divisions to check the inflow and outflow of water and to determine water pilferage. Another audit is due after five years but nothing has been done.
fter coming in for a heavy criticism for lacking adequate security and safety measures in Secretariat, the nerve centre of state governance, the government has finally initiated steps to ensure full proof safety norms. It has set up a committee under the chairmanship of Special Chief Secretary of Home Department to make suitable recommendations to ensure
proper safety at the secretariat. Following the fire accident at Maharastra Secretariat, the Disaster Response and Fire Services Department did survey of AP Secretariat and revealed that the many of the buildings located in the Secretariat complex have been constructed violating all fire safety norms and require necessary changes. It also submitted a report to the Chief Secretary. The CM directed the officials to take essential steps to ensure safety at the nerve centre of the state.
5
FOCUS SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012 Hemanth Kumar hemanth.k@postnoon.com
“I
have fulfilled all my dreams. Every President and Prime Minister, except Deve Gowda, has seen my plays in the past 20 years. I have achieved more than what I thought I would achieve when I began acting,” Aamir Raza Husain says, hinting at all the things he has achieved in his 40-year acting career. He has been acting since the age of 14 and so far, he has performed in more than 5,000 shows and directed scores of productions. He’s currently in Hyderabad to stage his play Murder, which he says is a gripping thriller about a man who’s planning a murder. His wife, Virat Husain, has been co-directing and writing several plays along with him. Most of his plays so far boast of lavish sets and he has even gone a step ahead and directed large outdoor productions like The Fifty Day War. How did this penchant to create such lavish sets begin? “He’s a lot into historical stuff and knows a great deal about our heritage and culture. Perhaps that’s where the inspiration to create such huge sets comes from,” Virat says. Aamir nods in agreement. “I was born in Lucknow and then studied in Mayo College in Ajmer. Later, I majored in History from St Stephen’s College, Delhi. I think all that had an impact on my conscience and made me the person I am today.
People have lazy speech today. I can’t reproduce that on stage. I have to teach them how to speak well before I teach them how to act. That’s boring Aamir Raza Husain, director As far as building such huge sets goes, today, I am competing with Rs 200-crore worth films. When someone can watch Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan and hundreds of serials on their TV for free, why would he want to come and watch my play? Everything I do has to be worth every penny that the person would pay to buy the ticket.” Aamir is happy that people are finally talking about theatre. “There’s a lot more awareness now and pretty soon, it’s going to be an industry of its own,” he says. However, there’s a certain tinge of sadness when he thinks about the stories which are being told these days and the audience as well. “People have become more contemporary, crass and insensitive. I have grown
All the world’s a stage Sometimes, all you want to do is listen, especially when people take a trip down memory lane recollecting fascinating stories about their lives. Here’s one such person. Meet Aamir Raza Husain, one of India’s most prominent theatre actors.
up in a different culture, time and environment which I loved. It has changed now. I had a lot of friends and patrons who watched my shows with great commitment. In fact, Raj Kumar, after watching Legend of Ram, told a TV channel that no one can ever copy my play. It’s been more than 15 years since he said that and it still holds true. I miss people like Rajesh Khanna, Sunil Dutt and Raj Kumar. I am dedicating this play (Murder) to
Murder by Aamir Raza Husain and Virat Husain Venue: Crystal Ballroom, Fortune Select Manohar, Begumpet Time: 6pm onwards Entry by invitation only Rajesh Khanna,” he says. Aamir is blunt about his opinions and has no qualms speaking his heart out. “Youngsters these days respond well when it comes to watching a play, but I have a problem getting a cast. People have lazy speech today. I can’t reproduce that on stage. I have to teach them how to speak well before I teach them how to act. That’s very boring for me,” he says. He has fond memories about how he staged The Fifty Day War, which was based on the Kargil War. “My wife’s father is a retired army general. Back then, we decided to cheer up the soldiers who were being treated at a hospital in Delhi. When they wanted to meet some film actors, I asked Pramod Mahajan, the then I & B Minister, who flew in 14 celebrities like Salman Khan, Raveena Tandon, Javed Jafri and Javed Akthar. Later, we all flew to Srinagar and Kargil to meet the troops. My wife wanted to make a documentary on the war and that’s when I realized that we could stage a huge play from the footage we had. It was a huge hit. Right from Pramod Mahajan to Atal Bihari Vajpayee, everyone saw the play and were in tears,” Aamir recalls with great fervor. So what keeps him going even today? “It’s the applause I get from the audience. You know, I feel old when I am not on stage,” he signs off.
6
NATION SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
2,400 shark teeth seized
Small quake in Assam
User trial of BrahMos held
NEW DELHI: Over 2,400 shark teeth
A
BALASORE (ODISHA): India
have been recovered from a passenger by Custom officials at the Indira Gandhi International airport here. Acting on intelligence inputs, Aditya Surendra Gupta was intercepted at the green channel and found carrying 2,445 shark teeth, the import of which is prohibited under Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.
moderate quake was today experienced in Assam and parts of the north-east. The quake measured 4.7 on the Richter Scale, sources at the Meterological Centre here said. The epicentre was yet to be ascertained. There was no report of any damage. Manipur was also rocked for some seconds by a mild tremor.
today test fired BrahMos supersonic cruise missile as part of a user trial by the Army from a test range at Chandipur off Odisha coast. The missile, which has a flight range of up to 290 km, is capable of carrying a conventional warhead of 300 kg.
Mines and minerals are national wealth: SC Court upholds Jharkhand’s decision to cancel lease to 6 firms NEW DELHI: Mines and minerals are part of the nation’s wealth, the Supreme Court has said, upholding the Jharkhand government’s decision to cancel its recommendation to the Centre to grant mining lease in the state to six private firms. A bench of justices RM Lodha and HL Gokhale gave the ruling rejecting the private firms’ plea that the state’s act of withdrawing its recommendation to the Centre after making the same was illegal. “Mines and minerals are a part of the wealth of a nation. They constitute the material resources of the community. Article 39(b) of the Directive Principles mandates that the state shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing
1,100 deals face cash fraud scan NEW DELHI: Over 1,100 financial transactions of firms and individuals during the last fiscal are under the scanner of intelligence agencies for alleged money laundering and black money dealings. A total of 1,130 Suspicious Transactions Reports (STRs), the highest in the last six years, was passed on to the Central Board of Excise and Customs and its two key intelligence units Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence (DGCEI) during 2011-12 by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), of the Finance Ministry. Sources said the STRs shared by FIU-IND were mainly related to tax evasion and money
laundering. “The STRs given by the financial intelligence unit are being looked into. We have also sought relevant details from the banks and firms involved in it,” a senior DRI official said. Whereas, a total of 121 STRs were shared by the FIU during 2010-11, 96 during 2009-10, 26 during 2008-09, 14 in 2007-06 and 10 in 2006-07. According to the Prevention of Money laundering Act, 2002, every banking company is required to furnish details of suspicious transactions whether or not made in cash. A STR is a transaction which gives rise to a reasonable ground of suspicion that it may involve the proceeds of a crime, appears to be made in circumstances of unusual or unjustified complexity.
that the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are so distributed as best to subserve the common good. “We, however, do not find any error in the letter of withdrawal dated September 13, 2005, issued by the state of Jharkhand and the letter of rejection dated March 6, 2006, issued by the Union of India for the reasons stated therein. “In our view, the state of Jharkhand was fully justified in declining the grant of lease to the private sector operators and in reserving the areas for the public sector undertakings on the basis of notifications of 1962, 1969 and 2006,” the bench said in a judgement. The apex court gave the ruling while dismissing a batch of appeal by Monnet Ispat and Energy Ltd and various other firms challenging denial of mining lease to them in the state. “The act of the state government is neither unfair nor arbitrary nor does it suffer from
(breach of) the principles of natural justice,” the bench said. By its letter dated September 13, 2005, the Jharkhand government had sought to withdraw its recommendation for grant of mining leases made in favour of the appellants in the iron ore bearing areas in Mauza Ghatkuri, West Singhbhum District, and certain other places after the Union ministry of mines returned the recommendation. The Centre had rejected the recommendations on the ground that subject area was under reservation and not available for exploitation by private parties. Under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, the lease in the reserved areas cannot be given to anyone, except to the public sector undertakings or joint venture projects of the State. “All that the state government has done is to act in furtherance of the policy of the statute and it cannot be faulted for the same,” the apex court.
Hazare begins fast NEW DELHI: Anna Hazare Sunday began his indefinite fast against corruption at Jantar Mantar, joining other Team Anna members who have been agitating here since July 25. “He has been fasting since morning,” a Team Anna member told IANS. The members, led by Arvind Kejriwal, began their indefinite fast Wednesday to press for a strong Jan Lokpal Bill and demanding an inquiry into allegations of corruption against over a dozen ministers. Hazare, 75, had said that he would join the fast from July 29 if the government failed to take immediate steps to check corruption in high places. His indefinite fast is expected to inject some life into the agitation. Team Anna has the permission to fast at Jantar Mantar till Aug 8, the day the parliament’s monsoon session is expected to begin. IANS
HEALING TIME
An Army doctor treats a man at a relief camp in Butgaon village in Assam’s Kokrajhar district on Friday. Police reported five more bodies had been recovered from the conflict in Assam between indigenous Bodo tribes and Muslim settlers over long-running land disputes, pushing the death toll to 50. AFP/DIPTENDU DUTTA
7
WORLD SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
CLASSIFIEDS REAL ESTATE
FABRICATION
COMPUTERS
HEALTH
SOUNDTRACK
Church refuses blacks
WASHINGTON: A Mississippi couple got the shock of their lives when the pastor at the church they attended told them the wedding they planned could not be held there because they are black, ABC television reported on Saturday. Pastor Stan Weatherford told the network there had never been a wedding for blacks at the First Baptist Church in
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EDUCATION
Crystal Springs, Mississippi, since it was opened in 1883. He said some of the white congregarion so virulently opposed the wedding of Charles and Te’Andrea Wilson, who are black, that they threatened to have him fired. Weatherford, a pastor who is white, offered to wed the Wilsons down the road at a mostly black church, he told the network.
‘Assad should be tried’
RESTAURANT
‘We want weapons that would stop tanks and jet fighters. That is what we want,’ said SNC chief Abdel Basset Sayda. ABU DHABI: The head of the exiled Syrian opposition called on Saturday for the rebels to be armed, insisting that President Bashar al-Assad should be tried for “massacres” and not be offered asylum in any future solution. Syrian National Council chief Abdel Basset Sayda also said that the opposition will discuss a proposed transitional government with rebel forces. “We want weapons that would stop tanks and jet fighters. That is what we want,” he said following talks in Abu Dhabi as regime forces
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There are massacres being committed. We believe Bashar al-Assad should be tried. He is a criminal and should not be given a shelter. SNC chief Abdel Basset Sayda
INVERTER
launched an all-out assault on the northern city of Aleppo. He urged Arab “brothers and friends to support the Free (Syrian) Army” saying the support should be “qualitative because the rebels are fighting with old weapons.” He said that the rebellion needs support in order to achieve a “significant change” in the uprising that began in March last year. “There should be relief support, but also support that allows this people to defend itself against the machine of killing,” he said. Sayda pointed out that the opposi-
Abdel Basset Sayda who was elected as the chief of the Syrian National Council in Abu Dhabi. AFP tion needs a minimum of $145 million monthly to provide basic needs, while it has received only $15 million over several months. He thanked oil-rich Saudi Arabia for organising a five-day fundraising campaign which concluded on Friday after collecting over $72 million. Sayda meanwhile said that any future plan should not include an amnesty to the Syrian leader, saying he should be put on trial. “The Yemeni example can’t be applied in Syria,” he said, referring to the amnesty given to former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh following mass protests. There are massacres being committed. We believe Bashar al-Assad should be tried. He is a criminal and should not be given a shelter,” he added. The SNC chief said the council would discuss a proposed transitional government with rebel groups on the ground, adding that its leader should be someone who had been committed to the uprising from the start, in an apparent rejection of giving General AFP Manaf Tlass a leading role.
To a d v e r t i s e i n t h i s p a g e , c o n t a c t : Fo r Se c u n d e ra b a d - + 9 1 9 2 9 0 2 0 4 0 3 0 Fo r Hyd e ra b a d - +91 9866663212 Fo r Cy b e ra b a d - +91 92480 50282
8
COMMENT SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
Spare other creatures
Strict action needed
I
S
t's really sad to know that even snakes are not spared the inhuman treatment. Holding them captive and starving them just for some festival? They might be poisonous and strike you but aren't they living creatures too?
nakes should be protected and the people who are behind their trade should be put behind bars. Stringent action needs to be taken by animal shelters and responsible authorities against offenders.
Shahina N Vijayanagar Colony
Radhika S Yousufguda
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.
Olympic shame
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ny citizen of India will feel dejected watching Olympics. This country of 1.3 billion continues to put up a miserable show at international events. Overdose of politics and nepotism in sports are the main reasons for India’s bad show. Megha Mishra Banjara Hills
EDITORIALS WHEN SHOWMEN steal the show Once again Anna Hazare starts a fast unto death for Jan Lokpal bill, today. At Jantar Mantar, Anna will join his team and a huge crowd is expected. Over the months the impetus for the cause has fizzled out, and the fervour among the people who came out in support of Anna Hazare and his cause is missing. Anna may not be responsible for it directly, but certain actions of his team members surely helped in watering down the movement. There was a time when the Congress was struggling to counter Anna’s verbal attacks: first it tried to appease him; then they tried to tarnish him. Anna stayed steady, but key figures in his team rocked the boat. The effects are becoming obvious. The low turn-out at the fast venue a couple of days ago is one. Media reports say it needed Baba Ramdev to get the numbers in the crowd that day. Ramdev, himself accused of tax fraud, is going to launch an agitation from August 9 at Jantar Mantar against the UPA government's failure to bring back the black money from foreign banks. It’s sad that people fall for showmen than men of substance.
ENCELADUS, home of aliens? After the moon and Mars, the latest attraction for scientists who believe there could be forms of life or circumstances conducive to life is Enceladus, an icy moon of Saturn. It may not be our type: 310 miles in diameter, orbiting in deep, cold space, 1bn miles from the sun, scientists say, however, it could be an ideal home for aliens. With global warming becoming a serious threat to our existence, we better speed up our search for an alternate home.
MIND OVER MATTER From the hip SYED SHOAIB
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ental illness, unlike physical ailments is ignored, jeered at and at best attended to, when it reaches an emergency situation. The State also pays less attention to the burgeoning issue of mental ill health in the light of more paying issues like civic, education and long-standing physiological diseases. A shocking court disclosure by lawyers for James Holmes, 24, accused of opening fire on July 13, 2012 on a packed showing of the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises, in the Denver suburb of Aurora says he had been under the care of a psychiatrist who was part of a campus threat-assessment team. The former University of Colorado graduate student accused of killing 12 people and wounding 58 others in a shooting rampage in a movie theatre, had sent a notebook to the university psychiatrist including details and drawing of his plans to kill people. Closer home, on July 26, 2012 police are confused
whether it is ‘psycho killer’ Sambashiva Rao or ‘Kerala Killer’ Antony who massacred three co-passengers and injured another, while they were asleep in an RTC bus in the Andhra Pradesh–Tamil Nadu border area on the National Highway. At the World Health Assembly in May this year, India pushed a resolution asking member states to acknowledge the need for a comprehensive response to mental disorders. Ironically, it is on Indian streets that mentally-ill people face stigma and discrimination, the most. Even the reformed patients find reintegration into workplaces impossible. How often have you seen a mentally-sick patient on the streets and tried to ignore or save yourself first? It is the responsibility of the state government, with the help of common citizens (not just voluntary organisations), to institutionalise such people who will never have claimants. Even within our own families, the first signs of mental marginalisation are brushed aside as agerelated or a temporary phenomenon. Even when people display suicidal tendencies, it is a deep-seated mental aberration that needs to be cautiously attended to. In this age of divorce and separations, researchers at the
University of Oxford have found that children whose fathers are more engaged with them at three months have fewer behavioural problems at 12 months. “The association tends to be stronger for boys than girls,” maintained Dr Paul Ramchandani, who led the study. World over, changes in mental health have been recorded due to unrest in society or stress factors that is fast adding on a growing number of healthy individuals to the registry of mental illness. Particular departments like the defence, prisons, educational institutions, groups with consanguineous marriages, religious sects, police and women, in particular are showing up new numbers. According to a 2012 study conducted by researchers from the University of Queensland, Australia, ‘Anxiety is more common in the Western world and depression in the East.’ In a global village marked by technological advancements, the Double Income No Kids
HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU SEEN A MENTALLY-SICK PATIENT ON THE STREETS AND TRIED TO IGNORE HIM?
(DINK) syndrome and high aggression and ambition levels leads successful people into their cocoons. Nuclear families are breaking into single-parent clubs and the concept of marriage is being refashioned to accommodate same-sex couples. An article in Psych Central by senior news editor Rick Nauert suggests that “Loneliness can be a major risk factor for health conditions such as depression, cardiovascular diseases and Alzheimer’s. While mild instances of such disorders like autism and learning disabilities are ignored, extreme cases like that of Bangalore serial killer Umesh Reddy, a former police constable turned serial rapist cum murderer of 20 women make it to the headlines. The English Patient (1996), The Addams Family (1991) and Majestic (2001) are some of the films that use mental illness as a backdrop. Recent cases of invasion of the privacy of mental patients through films shot on mobile phones and physical and mental abuse of them in institutions is on the rise. A society’s progress is assessed by the common psychological and emotional wellbeing of its individual citizens and ignoring even one would mean discredit to the concept of a holistic community.
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BUSINESS SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
Climate fund unit set up
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ith funding emerging as a crucial component in fight against climate change, the finance ministry has created a special unit which will provide guidance and inputs to the environment ministry to help it bolster India's voice in international negotiations. The Unit has been tasked with preparing briefs and position papers for the Centre.
SBH launches new scheme
Kurt Inderbitzin, helmsman of Annapurna International School of Film and Media, shares the institute's plan of action and the course he has charted for aspiring actors and film-makers.
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iming to expedite the ambitious high speed corridor project, the government has decided to set up a corporation which will exclusively deal with aspects like its tendering process and execution. According to Railway officials, among the eight upcoming high speed rail corridors, the one between Mumbai-Ahmedabad will be taken up on priority.
Passion matters PRUDHVI RAJU K
prudhvi.k@postnoon.com
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nnapurna International School of Film and Media has emerged as the first non-profit, privately managed film and media institute in the country. The school offers degree programmes and short courses and is located in the heart of Annapurna Studios in the City, one of country’s largest film and television production studios. Talking about strengths of the school and the value addition it creates for the student, Kurt Inderbitzin, CEO, says, “Many vocational course schools pop up and some of them operate for a few years and die. The two-month courses they offer teach the student a computer application. For instance, if a student aspiring to become a writer joins a course, they teach Microsoft Word and expect him to write a novel at the end of the course using the application. In a four-year degree programme, we teach student literature, history, writing skills among many others. That is how film-makers make connections while writing the script. In the movie Shrek, the writers studied mythology; otherwise they could not relate to the dragons and princess. “The students get to write short stories, sample novels as part
SRINIVAS SETTY
Boost for rail corridor
M Bhagavantha Rao, MD, State Bank of Hyderbad inaugurating the ePACT product at Gunfoundry Branch. The SBH has launched a Core Banking Solutions integrated New Pension System utility which will give the convenience of easy contributions to the NPS subscribers. The prospective NPS subscribers can have details from the NPS helpdesk of the bank.
of the course. We would not spend five minutes teaching these applications. For instance, a guy who works on FCP earns `15,000 a month and the guy (film-maker) who directs the editor earn `10 lakh a month. We want to create film-makers, not technicians,” The school is trying to compete with global film schools and make the location and fee pricing as a competitive advantage. Kurt says, “Our goal is to be counted as one of the best film schools in the world. There are many students who do not want to travel to far-off locations. The tuition fee is also far cheaper. We also expect 25-35 per cent of our students from other coun-
IF A PERSON TAKES THE SAFEST ROUTE SANS PASSION, HE ENDS UP WORKING 50 HOURS A WEEK, 50 WEEKS A YEAR FOR NEXT 50 YEARS — IN A JOB THAT HE HATES. tries in next three to four years,” When asked how much of the direction or acting can be learned at any film school, he says, “Making a good film is not easy. There are thousands of techniques that an artist should learn. Acting is not only an artistic skill but also a technical skill. However, there are people with sheer passion who have succeeded without formal training. For instance, Albert Einstein was not a trained physicist, but his laws changed the world. On the flip side, directors like Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Subhash Ghai went to film schools before making great films. “The top 500 schools in the world are non-prof-
it. If our school makes profits, they will not come to me or to the founders. The profits will be directed for better services like students scholarships, technology and faculty,” says Kurt. When asked why some parents are still not comfortable while their children pursuing a film or media as a career, he says, “Parents’ natural inclination is to get their children take the safest route and ensure there is a roof over the head and food on the table. This is not right. If a person takes the safest route sans passion, he ends up working 50 hours a week, 50 weeks a year for next 50 years — in a job that he hates. The parents are in a way gifting the student a very secure but miserable life. I always believe and tell my children, ‘pursue your passion, work hard and money follows.' One should also understand the media industry is growing at 14 per cent while the Indian economy is growing at around five per cent. There are a lot of opportunities in industries like television, gaming, films and apps,” Kurt points out. The school has partnered with media companies across the country for placements. “Even with our short courses, we placed all the graduates who wanted a placement and are not on an acting course. It is difficult to place an actor because director looks for various factors from height to complexion, depending on the need of the character. However, many of our students went for auditions and got selected for different roles,” he says. The school has brought on board many industry legends such as Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Kamal Hassan, Mani Ratnam, Govind Nihalani and K Raghavendra Rao. “Every week, two or three people whom one knows by name come to take class. It is a great experience for the students and to the school to have these great people,” Kurt added.
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PROFILE SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
CHERRY ON THE CAKE
DEEPAK DESHPANDE
PADMINI C
padmini.c@postnoon.com
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n the December of 2010, Maria George Tharakan was in an ordinary job going about her day-to-day life. Until one day, when she was playing with her little cousin and decided to make her a clay tortoise. It was a small intricate but incredibly detailed tortoise and everyone who laid eyes on it were enamoured. They wanted more. And so Maria and husband Anoop decided to have a Christmas sale. Soon, clay gave way to cakes and so it began. “After that December, we took a long break. In 2011, we baked a few cakes here and there. But it was only this year that it really took off. Now, we have our hands full,” Anoop explains, in between taking care of customers at their cafe in Banjara Hills. Have their hands full, they indeed do. Simply through
friends, colleagues and social networks, word spread and even before a formal launch Olive Arts has become the go-to place for custom-made cakes. Their Facebook page is indeed a revelation. Every picture of a cake rouses a minimum of hundred likes and as many comments. No surprise really, considering that from Batman to Garfield, Federer to Becker, fairy tales to angry birds, each of these handmade cakes is both aesthetically and gastronomically drool-worthy. Their fondant figurines, in particular, are of a quality you'll want to write home about. Her most recent cake, Batman standing over Gotham city is a particular favourite. “That was a last minute order. Batman was adamant that he would not stand. I had to make him twice. His muscles were such a challenge. I kept fussing that he was not macho enough. And Anoop kept saying, “He’s cute. Why is your batman cute?” recalls Maria, laughingly.
There are cakes and then there’s the stuff Maria Thakaran whips up for you — each an exquisite work of art that’s as touching as it is tasty. The city’s best kept culinary secret, presenting, Olive Arts
That the artist behind these beautiful creations is completely self-taught adds to the novelty. For Maria herself, all of this still has a dreamlike quality. “I was not considered creative at home or school. Nothing I did was particularly noticed. And then it all happened. This is really an art I kinda stumbled into,” she says smiling and adds, “Earlier, I was not very sure if I could pull off the clients’ requirements, so we used to give away a lot of stuff for free. Now, I’m more confident. Last week, we did eight orders, our highest yet!” But the couple is only getting started. Already they are booked out for a month and are taking orders till the end of the year. But interestingly, they are not keen on expansion. “Each of our cakes is our baby. Our attention to detail is extreme and we don’t want to ever compromise on quality. And it’s getting exhausting for Maria too. So we are planning to limit our orders,” explains Anoop. Their work
Olive Arts Road No.86, MLA Colony, Banjara Hills 08978812312 ethic shows through when the couple also admit that they turn down orders if the client’s requirements don’t sit well with them. “We are quite clear that we don't want to do anything negative. We explain that we are not comfortable and people understand.” Naturally, these custommade, hand-painted cakes don’t come cheap. Their most basic cakes start upwards of `900 and correspondingly appreciate depending on the quantity and work on the cake. Their cupcakes (which can be ordered in multiples of six) will cost you anywhere between `450-550 for a dozen. Needless to say, any toppers will cost extra. Having said that, you might find few better ways to spend money than on one of these beauties.
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GOLDEN YEARS SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
THE LONGEVITY FACTOR
Japan’s women lost their place as the world’s longest-lived in 2011 for the first time in more than 25 years, after the quake-tsunami cut female life expectancy by five months.
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he Japanese are renowned for their longevity, attributed in part to a healthy traditional diet and active lifestyle. But the health ministry said deaths from the country's double disaster (the earthquake and the nuclear reactor incident) were a key factor in lowering its calculation of newborn girls’ expected lifespan
from 86.3 years in 2010 to 85.9. Japanese women had had the world’s longest life expectancy every year since 1985, but the latest figure puts them behind Hong Kong, where women can expect to live to 86.7, the ministry added. Spanish women were third at 84.9 years, followed by French at 84.8, it said. “We can’t say Japanese women’s life
expectancy is on course to decline (longer term) because the East Japan Great Earthquake is seen as a onetime factor,” the ministry said. Japanese men’s life expectancy also declined to 79.4 years, the ministry said, putting them in eighth place globally. Now Japan is facing a situation with a highly skewed population and the healthcare need-
Tips to maintain a healthy lifestyle
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taying well naturally, without the use of drugs or even frequent conventional medical care, is not only possible but also may be the most successful strategy you can employ to increase your longevity. If you adhere to a healthy lifestyle, you most likely will never need medications in the first place. Proper food choices Pay attention to the food you eat. Focus your diet on whole, unprocessed foods that come from healthy local sources. Nearly as important as knowing which foods to eat is knowing which foods to avoid, and topping the list is fructose. When consumed in excess, sugar acts as a toxin and drives multiple disease processes in your body, not the least of which is insulin resistance, a major cause of accelerated aging. Exercise regimen Even if one is eating the healthiest diet, you still need to exercise to reach peak levels of health, and you need to be exercising effectively,
ed to care for it. More than one in five people in the country are older than 65, according to the CIA World Factbook. However, these female icons of long life should be back on top next time statistics are calculated. That’s because life expectancy is calculated cross-sectionally, meaning it relies on data from a slice of the population at one point in
time. And 2011 just happened to be a bad year for mortality in Japan. Even if Japan bounces back to its top spot on the lifeexpectancy charts, scientists have voiced concern that the country’s longevity is slipping due to relatively high rates of smoking, suicide rates and rising body mass index. AFP
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which means including not only core-strengthening exercises, strength training, and stretching but also high-intensity activities. A positive attitude You cannot be healthy if you avoid addressing the emotional component of your health and longevity, as your emotional state plays a role in nearly every physical disease, from heart disease and depression, to arthritis and cancer. Proper sun exposure We have long known that it is best to get your vitamin D from sun exposure, and if at all possible, I urge you to make sure you're getting out in the sun on a daily basis. Avoid Prescription Drugs Keep off these as much as possible. Collect information regarding the drugs you take and the condition you are taking it for. Maybe information will help you find a different strategy to help you stop using the drugs by changing your lifestyle. Source: www.mercola.com
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ART AND CULTURE SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
Sculptor Franz West dies
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Art and the Olympics
ustrian sculptor Franz West died on Wednesday after a long illness. He was 65. West was known for his large-scale works made from papiermache, polyester, aluminium and other ordinary materials. He initially used to produce paintings but moved on to collages, portable sculptures and furniture. He was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in 2011.
Viewers turn artists
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ho said you had to be an athlete to win an Olympic medal? For the first four decades of the modern Olympics, there were awards for painting, sculpture, literature, architecture and music inspired by sport. For the 2012 Olympics, though no medals will be awarded, artists sent in entries and winners will receive cash prizes for their Olympic-inspired works.
n art installation by MexicanCanadian artist Rafael LozanoHemmer will allow smart-phone users to create art across the Philadelphia sky. Lozano-Hemmer will point 24 searchlights into the sky, and smartphone users can download a free app to control each beam's brightness and position. The installation will appear from September 20 to October 14.
Packing a Manch
Manch, which started out as a hobby club on the Infosys campus, is now going places by giving back-to-back power-packed performances in the City
AMY ROSE
amyrose.t@postnoon.com
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his bunch of 25 youngsters is like any other group of techies — working on new programmes and creating ground-breaking gadgets. It is during weekends and outside work hours that their true colours come to the fore when they double up as actors. Started in 2004 as one of the hobby clubs on the Infosys campus, Manch has become one of the emerging theatre groups in the city to reckon with. Manch had a humble beginning and performed plays on campus. Later, it went into hibernation as members who were also employees had to shift from Hyderabad due to work. In 2008, the remaining members took up the challenge to relaunch Manch. Through their power-packed 15 performances in the past one-and-a-half years, Manch has made Hyderabadis sit up and take notice of them as more than just a hobby club. It is the principles Manch follows and abide by that set it apart from the rest. “In spite of the innumerable requests we receive for repeating
The theatre group Manch (above) is known for performing all their plays only once. Since the members are from different parts of the country, they prefer to perform in English and stage adaptations of awardwinning plays. (Left) The group performs God of Carnage at Telugu University shows, we haven’t performed any of our shows for the second time. This way, the purpose of the group, which is to perform plays, is served. It is the love for
acting that brought us together and we like to satisfy that love with as many plays as possible. Also, since the members in Infosys are from different parts
Field of colours
Hard-edge abstraction was part of a general tendency to move away from the expressive qualities of gestural abstraction
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ard-edge painting is a tendency in the late 1950s and 1960s art that is closely related to post-painterly abstraction and colour field painting. It describes an abstract style that combines the clear composition of geometric abstraction with the intense colour and bold, unitary forms of colour field painting. Although it was first identified with Californian artists, today the phrase is used
ART FOR DUMMIES to describe one of the most distinctive tendencies in abstract painting throughout the United States in the 1960s. Cooler yet still spiritual, it can track its influences way back to Synthetic Cubism, Park Avenue Cubism, De Stijl, Suprematism and the Bauhaus. Hard-edge abstraction was part of a general tendency
to move away from the expressive qualities of gestural abstraction. Many painters also sought to avoid the shallow, post-Cubist space of Willem de Kooning's work, and instead adopted the open fields of colour seen in the work of Barnett Newman. Hard-edge painting is known for its economy of form, fullness of colour, impersonal execution, and smooth surface planes.
of the country with varied cultural backgrounds, we find it comfortable performing in English. Moreover, there are many local theatre groups that
stage plays in Hindi and Telugu,” one of the founding members, Riyaz Usman, says. Some of the plays that Manch has staged in Hyderabad include adaptations of God of Carnage, Business is War and Doubt: A Parable. God of Carnage is a black comedy which was acclaimed in London, New York and France, while Doubt: A Parable is a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner. “We ensure that we pick award-winning plays to perform as the audience gets to witness plays that legends of theatre had once performed. We are no comparison to the original performers but through this, we intend to spread the word about these legends and their work,” he says. Apart from performing, Manch has ventured into holding theatre workshops for children and adults. “Since the past six months, we have started to hold theatre workshops to earn extra money that will help us in production. We do not have any source of funds but we survive with the ticket money that we receive and the workshops that we hold,” Usman says. Hyderabad is not known for affordable stages where startup groups could showcase their talent. Manch members feel that it was Lamakaan’s foray in the field that proved to be a boon for them. “Lamakaan has been a great help and encouragement for us. As a small group, we couldn’t afford to perform at NIFT or Ravindra Bharati. Even though Lamakaan is not the best stage for performing arts, it is an encouragement for new theatre groups in the city. Moreover, the founders of the organizations are theatre lovers and this proved beneficial for us,” Usman says.
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ENVIRONMENT SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
Wildlife trade curbs
Ivory trade to be legalised?
even countries may lose their ability to legally trade wildlife after UN conservation delegates decided to penalise them for failing to report their wildlife trade. The suspension on Nepal, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Paraguay, Rwanda, Solomon Islands and Syria will come into effect on October 1. The seven were slammed for their lack of restrictions on wildlife trade.
UN committee will consider a proposal to legalise trade in elephant ivory as a way to stop the rise in elephant poaching in Africa. The standing committee of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species will look into the proposal to create a Central Ivory Selling Organisation to sell tusks of elephants that die naturally or as a result of bounty hunting.
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Vietnam worst for wildlife
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conservation group has ranked Vietnam as the worst country for wildlife crime in its report on how well African and Asian countries protect rhinos, tigers and elephants. Vietnam’s tiger farms and use of rhino horn in medicine has made it the worst country for wildlife, followed by China and Laos, states the WWF report.
GENERATION GREEN
Students in colleges and schools are turning green soldiers by committing to the environment and bringing about changes in their small way. PRIYANKA SURESH
feedback@postnoon.com
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here are many issues plaguing the world today, like poverty, female infanticide and child labour, but the phenomenon that poses utmost threat to the very existence of the human race is global warming. True, a lot has been done and even more has been said about this issue. However, setting up organizations doesn’t solve the problem. It has to be tackled from the root — one household at a time. Schools and colleges across the city are setting up environmental clubs and have taken it up as a challenge to make a difference. St Ann’s High School in Secunderabad has an active club of the National Green Corps (NGC), with around 100 members of the student body being part of it. The club is headed C. Angeline and Mehrunissa. “The club is divided into four bodies, named Air, Water, Beautification, and Land. The “green students” undertake various activities like making environment-friendly Ganesha idols, closing taps, putting up posters to spread environmental awareness, making children aware of power usage and cleaning school premises,” says Jessica Patricia Fernandes, a member of the club. The management extends its support by participating in the Green Corps projects that save energy and contribute to a cleaner environment. The school also maintains a garden and the
members of NGC are encouraged to plant trees. Every year, a student who has made the most contribution to the environment is awarded a trophy. Jagruthi, the environment club at International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, has a banyan tree as its logo. Headed by Shyam Sunder Reddy, the environment club ensures that the college maintains a green campus. Dustbins are placed in various parts of the college. The college also has gardening as one of its activities which students participate in every morning. Every year, freshmen plant a tree each and are educated and encour-
HOW STUDENTS CAN HELP THE ENVIRONMENT 1.Stop using disposable plastic bags at stores, only 3 per cent of which are recycled each year. Instead, buy reusable cloth or paper bags. 2. Turn off your computer each night before bed, which could save 83 per cent of its carbon emissions. 3. Unplug your cellphone charger when it’s not in use, as well as other appliances around the apartment. 4. Use both sides of paper and then recycle. 5. Switch from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs.
aged throughout the course about gardening and organic farming. The college organises a Vanamahotsava festival every year as a way to contribute to the environment. Last year, the students of the college participated in a strike after many trees were uprooted in the City. “Little drops of water make a mighty ocean; little grains of sand make a pleasant land.” Similarly, if every organisation extends its support to a greener tomorrow and takes an oath to be a green soldier, whatever the magnitude of a difference made, the world would slowly progress to a better, cleaner and greener tomorrow.
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FOOD SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
Pay $100 to eat rats
Olympics-inspired beer
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s part of performance artist Laura Ginn's exhibit 'Tomorrow We Will Feast Again on What We Catch', she served a $100 multicourse rodent meal, featuring dishes like goat cheese crostini with rat meat, in Manhattan. The exhibit and the meal stems from the artist's focus on survivalism. The artist reportedly sourced the rats from a clean facility.
Breakfast goes couture
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f you love fashion, extend it to your breakfast with the Louis Vuitton waffle maker created by artist Andrew Lewicki. The sleek machine leaves waffles imprinted with the Louis Vuitton insignia. Though Lewicki's creation will probably never hit the market, one can always hope that the company will join hands with Lewicki and a manufacturer to churn out stylish breakfasts.
cottish brewery BrewDog has released a special Olympics-inspired beer called 'Never Mind the Anabolics', but has been drawing flak for the ingredients. In a release, the brewery claims that the beer contains, among other things, steroids. While there is outcry over a performance drug-laced beer for the Olympics, the brewery says, “We don't think of it as absurd.”
Kangan ke kamaal kebab Centuries ago, warriors in Persia cooked small chunks of meat using swords for skewers over fire. Thus came about kebabs. Here’s a place that gives you more than the usual.
rajesh.r@postnoon.com
SRINIVAS SETTY
RAJESH RAVINDRAN
Then we were served something entirely different — Lamb chelo kebab. Rakesh explained that this is the national dish of Iran. We tried the dish which is grilled pieces of lamb topped with saffron-flavoured creamy rice. It’s quite a hit, he reported, and quite authentic, as vouched by an Iranian citizen, a guest at the hotel, who had been ordering it during his one-week stay. As Rakesh was about to signal the boys to bring in more variations, a fleeting glance at us told him that we had had our fill. “But there are more varieties that you haven’t tried,” he smiled. I was reminded of the Arabian Nights: the rich kind Sindbad playing host to the mendicant of the same name, egging him to eat more, saying, “But you did not eat anything!”
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n the golden-lit hall of Kangan at The Westin Hyderabad, my friend and I, sat, taking in the glitter of the gold bangles on the horizontal poles on the wall facing us and the whiff of well done meat from the show-kitchen next to which we were sitting. Facing us was the bar, with the same arrangement of bangles on the wall, acting as a veil between us and neatly placed bottles on racks. Whether you drink or not, bottles are a pretty sight. But here your full focus is on the shine of the bangles, accentuated by the golden-yellow light from above… it’s surreal. We were first introduced to Rakesh Singh Anand, the chef de cuisine at Kangan, the man at the helm for the kebab festival there. We had gone there about 7.30pm and since there was ample time before rush hour, he was relaxed and composed as a noble hosting us in his court. After asking us about our preferences, he gave directions to his men to bring in the goodies and explained to us what awaited us. “I can bet you, among the many varieties of on the menu, you will find only two or three, maximum four, at other places,” he said with conviction. “Many of the mixes of spices that led to the different varieties of kebabs here were devised by us.” When the men brought in the platters, we were convinced. There were kebabs of fish, lamb,
RAKESH SINGH ANAND chicken, prawn in different hues, shapes and sizes. Despair not, vegetarians, for you they have kebabs of potato, mushroom, paneer, stuffed capsicum, and gobi, too. And a special dal kangan, made from the cream formed after keeping the mix to simmer for about 16 hours. First we tasted Jhinga malai kebab — tiger prawns blended with creamy cheese, lemon juice and green coriander, grilled in the tandoor. Next in line was mahi phalli tikka: now this caught my tongue, for as I took a bite, I almost concluded this was bland, but in about a moment or
two, I detected a slight tingle of the spices used as I chewed, like whisky — the kick set in late. It’s fish, river sole medallion, marinated in a unique tangy peanut base, cooked in tandoor. Next followed kacche haldi ka murgh tikka — creamy boneless chicken blended with cheese, lemon juice and raw turmeric paste, grilled. Those made of lamb were peach perfect: the chapli kebab, tala gosht, peshawari kebab were succulent and tender. As the name suggest, peshawari kebab is a Pakistani speciality, and chapli kebab is a flat shaped-
kebab (chapli in Pashto means flat, Rakesh explained), a Pashtun delicacy, we are told. In between, they served tandoori shimla mirch, whole green capsicum stuffed with vegetables and grilled in the tandoor. I became prudent every time they served vegetable kebabs, restricting my foray to one or two bites, to save space for the ‘real stuff ’. My friend, a big man with a spacious midriff, had no such cares, and that his plate was clean a little after he was served assured me that the vegetarian dishes were not lacking in any aspect.
The maestro
Specialty: Indian cuisine akesh Singh Anand has worked with prestigious institutions like the ITC Mumbai and two Michelin-star restaurants in the UK. He is the chef de cuisine at Kangan.
R Jhinga Malai Tikka l
Tiger prawns blended with creamy cheese, lemon juice and green coriander, grilled in the tandoor.
Kandhari Paneer Tikka l
Pomegranate stuffed cottage cheese in a creamy rose flavoured marinade, finished in the tandoor.
Phirnee l
Rice pudding or firni which has been set in a shallow earthen dish. At Kangan, you get a damn good one.
Tali Copra Machi l
Bekti fillet marinated in fresh garlic, red chillies, crumbed with curry leaves flavoured coconut, pan-fried.
Restaurant: Kangan Location: Westin, Hyderabad Mindspace. Meals for two: `2,000
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FOOD SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
Kobe beef wins new territory
Rarely exported Japanese Kobe beef made its way to Hong Kong dining tables as supermarkets and high-end restaurants started selling the previously exclusive Japanese culinary delicacy.
Haleem Noor’s Kitchen NOOR JAFRI Ingredients 1. Boneless mutton (Cut into big pieces) - 600 gms 2. Mutton soup bones - 300 gms 3. Wheat (de-husked or coarse wheat rawa) 300 gms 4. Channa dal - 100 gms 5. Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tbsp 6. Ghee - 200 ml 7. Onions (Cut into big pieces) - 200 gms 8. Onions (Thinly sliced and golden fried) 200 gms 9. Thick yogurt - 250 gms 10. Red-chilli powder - 2 tsp 11. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp 12. Dhania powder - 2 tbsp 13. Garam-masala powder - 2 tsp 14. Salt to taste 15. Coriander leaves, lemon, slit green chillies ginger juliennes, Mint leaves (pudina) & (Optional) fried cashew nuts (kaju)
Procedure
H
ong Kong is only the second foreign market after the nearby Chinese territory of Macau to receive exports of officially certified Kobe beef, the industry’s marketing association said. “The response has been overwhelming — most of our stock has been sold out in a few hours,” Taste supermarkets spokeswoman Athena Lee said. Kobe beef comes from Tajima-gyu cows that have been pure-bred since the 17th century in the hilly Hyogo prefecture of Japan. The meat is renowned for its buttery taste and its marble-like texture, made up of an even mix of meat and fat. It is often said the cows receive massages and listen to soothing music to increase their appetites, but the Kobe Beef Marketing and Distribution Promotion Association says such practices are not widespread. Though there is heavy worldwide demand for the delicacy,
it was not officially exported until February 2 this year when the first shipments arrived in Macau. Almost 1,500 kilogrammes (3,210 pounds) of Kobe beef arrived in Hong Kong from Osaka by air on July 18, and went on sale, Friday at a 30 per cent discount at around $11.3-$42 per 100 grams.
Nobu InterContinental Hong Kong is claiming to be the first restaurant to serve Kobe beef in the former British colony, which has earned a reputation as one of Asia’s main food and wine hubs. Executive chef Erik Idos said the meat will be offered as a five-course Kobe beef set with beef sashimi and sushi,
priced at HK$1,688. Four out of five of the courses will feature the tenderloin, striploin and the ribeye parts of the Kobe cow. “They’ll love it, because Hong Kong people love the soft texture of beef that melts in your mouth,” the American chef said. “This has all of it, it has the beef taste, it has the fat, it has the texture.” He said Japan was wise to open up the Kobe beef business to the world. “All that exporting helps their business because Japan is exporting one of the hardest ingredients you can get,” he said. Idos had no special advice for people lucky enough to snap up Hong Kong’s first cuts of authentic Kobe beef, saying only that they shouldn’t undercook it to make sure the fat melts in the mouth. “It’s very simple to cook,” he added, as he grilled a lightly seasoned cube of beef, then cut it into fine, marbled slices and served it with garlic, basil and ponzu sauce.
1. Soak de-husked wheat or coarse wheat rawa, channa dal over night. 2. Add to this boneless mutton pieces, onion pieces, half ginger-garlic paste and half tsp of turmeric 3. Boil or pressure cook this, with about 800 to 900 ml of water, till soft and tender, . 4. Bring it to room temperature, stir and mash well or grind it coarsely, keep it aside. In a separate vessel, heat the oil or ghee and fry the sliced onions till crispy, remove them from the oil. 5. In the same oil add the soup bones, stir, add ginger - garlic paste, chilli powder, salt, half of garam-masala powder, fry adding yogurt/curd. Add about 3-4 cups of water, and pressure cook it for 20 to 30 minutes; to make the thin gravy. 6 After it cools down, strain the gravy, remove the bones and add half the gravy or Ghee shorba in the wheat mixture. 7. Put this mixture on the gas, mix it thoroughly and cook it for some time, till it’s hot. Serve hot by topping it up with the gravy or ghee shorba. 8. Sprinkle garam-masala powder, fried crispy onions, ginger juliennes, chopped coriander, slit green chillies, mint leaves and lemon wedges; and fried cashew.
Chef’s note n
Haleem is used for breaking the fast in the month of Ramazan and is a complete meal in itself. It’s good for people who are fasting, but the weight watchers, can relish the speciality and burn it out, before it adds onto their calories. Happy Iftaar !
Contact n Mobile: 91-9441282318 n Residence: 91-40-23356947
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HISTORY SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
August 4 1944 - Nazi police raided a house in Amsterdam and arrested eight people. Anne Frank, a teenager at the time, was one of the people arrested. Her diary would be published after her death.
July 30
2001 - Lance Armstrong became the first American to win three consecutive Tours de France.
July 29 1981 - England's Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were married.
August 3
July 29
1936 - Jesse Owens won the first of his four Olympic gold medals.
1958 - The US Congress passed a legislation establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), a civilian agency responsible for coordinating America's activities in space.
July 30
July 31
July 31
August 1
2003 – The last classic VW Beetle rolled off the line.
1971 - Men rode in a vehicle on the moon for the first time in a lunar rover vehicle (LRV).
1975 - James Riddle Hoffa, one of the most influential American labor leaders of the 20th century, disappears in Detroit never to be heard from again.
1774 - Joseph Priestley discovers oxygen
August 2 1990 - Iraq invades Kuwait
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SUNDOWN PARTY Youngsters had a gala time at Aqua as they gathered, sipped drinks, kicked up their heels and admired the sunset at the sundown party yesterday.
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Surabhi Salima & Sirisha 3 Nikhil & Shannon 4 Ruksar 5 Neha 6 DJ Nina 7 DJ Mallika 8 Suhani 9 Ella 10 Sarih 11 Snidgda & Navitha 12 Anjali, Michael & Neetu 13 Iantha & Megha 2
STAR-STUDDED LAUNCH
Sushanth’s third film titled Adda was launched today at Annapurna Studios with much fanfare. Stars came down to grace the occasion. Spotted were Naga Chaitanya, Nagarjuna, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Akhil, Sushanth, Shanvi and Amala.
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DEEPAK DESHPANDE
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SPOTLIGHT
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CINEMA SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
Simer Motiani, who recently made her debut in Vu Kodathara Vulikki Padathara, talks about her journey so far and why she believes that being an actor is a larger-than-life experience.
Being an actor is
EXHILARATING HEMANTH KUMAR
hemanth.k@postnoon.com
I
t was a larger-than-life experience for Simer Motiani the day she started shooting for Vu Kodathara Vulikki Padathara, her debut film in Telugu, near Rajahmundry. More than 500 people had gathered around the shooting spot to catch a glimpse of their favourite actor, Balakrishna. Simer had agreed to play the role of Balakrishna’s sister in the film and she was completely taken aback by the passion which people had for her costar. “You know, I felt I was with Amitabh Bachchan or maybe someone bigger than that. It was crazy and that too on the first day of shooting. I couldn’t
have asked for a better start,” Simer recalls. Was it overwhelming? “Oh yes! That’s when I decided that I must continue to explore more in this industry. When people revere you so much for your work, what else would you want? Being an actor is quite exhilarating. It was always in the back of my mind,” she smiles. Born and brought up in Delhi, Simer has a degree in English Literature from Lady Sri Ram College. It was here that her first tryst with acting and modeling happened. “I was into dancing, theatre and then I took up an acting course with Barry John Acting Studio for a couple of months. Then I began modeling for print ads for brands like Mastercard, Airtel, Maruti and Malabar Gold,” Simer says. Before films, she began taking up lead roles in quite a few
short films. “One of my short films, Khwaab, is going to be screened at Venice Film Festival and then I was part of another short film named The Owner, which is a collaboration of 24 directors from 15 countries,” she reveals. So how did her Telugu film happen? “After I appeared in the TVC of Malabar Gold with NTR, I was called for an audition for this film. They described what role I am going to play and I was shown the set in which the film is going to be shot. It all happened so quickly. They liked me instantly and I liked my role,” she reveals. Simer is all praises for Lakshmi Manchu who was instrumental in casting her. “She’s very particular about whom to cast. Lakshmi has worked in Hollywood before coming to India and her profes-
sionalism is evident in the way she handles things both on and off the sets,” Simer says. What about Balakrishna? “You won’t believe how energetic he is. There was never a boring moment when he was around. He would talk a lot about his movies, his father, politics, astrology. I think he knows about everything under the sun,” she laughs. We ask her if she was ever afraid that she might be lost in the crowd? “Not really. My role is small, but it brings a major twist in the film. Yes, it’s quite intimidating at times. There’s a fine line which one has to toe and if you slip, it’s hard to stand up again. You have to keep doing something more to stand out,” she agrees, adding, “I am quite a moody person. If I like something, I’ll go all out and put all my efforts.”
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CINEMA SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
Pooja Bhatt
wants Jism 2 to be Family is her priority for Arth HAamir Khan P ooja Bhatt wants Jism 2 to be a game changer for her, just as the 1982 Arth was for her father Mahesh Bhatt. “I hope Jism 2 will be my Arth,” Pooja said. Pooja has directed four films — Paap, Holiday, Dhokha and Kajraare — none of which worked any magic at the box office. With the erotic thriller Jism 2, she is hoping for success, fame and acclaim. “It’s a coincidence that even I am at the same stage (as my father). Even he had made around four movies (before Arth) and none of them did well. He was at a point in his career where nothing was moving,” she said. Pooja also finds a common thread between Arth and Jism 2. “Somewhere what’s the specialty of Arth is that a lady makes a choice not to be with her husband and neither with her lover. In Jism 2, Isna, who is a porn star, makes a conscious choice for her life too. “We are talking about choices and that’s the similarity between the two. Jism 2 is contemporary, it’s a world view film. It’s a game changer in more ways than one,” said Pooja, who has roped in IndoCanadian porn star Sunny Leone to play the lead in the film. Jism 2 is an erotic thriller and has received an ‘A’ rating from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). IANS
e is one charming gentleman. Aamir Khan’s onscreen persona as the caring and concerned host of Satyamev Jayate transcends to real life too. Nikhat, Aamir’s sister is celebrating her 50th birthday on August 3. Aamir was scheduled to leave for his Chicago leg of shooting for Dhoom 3 on August 3 night with the entire team. He was planning to celebrate Rakhi, which is on August 2 and leave the following night. However, the entire family planned to have a lavish party on August 3 to celebrate the occasion. Aamir’s schedule for Dhoom 3 would seem him back only in the first week of
Salman’s wax figure coming to New York
B
ollywood superstar Salman Khan will join fellow stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan in the “Bollywood Zone” of wax figures at Madame Tussauds museum in New York August 2. Salman Khan, who burst onto the scene with his award-performance in Maine Pyar Kiya in 1989, is one of Bollywood’s most bankable actors. His latest film, Bodyguard, has become the second highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time. In 2004, People magazine named Khan the seventh best-looking man in the world. “Salman Khan is one of Bollywood’s most enduring and recognisable stars,” said Bret Pidgeon, general manager of Madame Tussauds New York. Bollywood exploded on the American pop culture scene several years ago and has become one of the most exciting entertainment categories. IANS
November. Despite the star having a busy year and his involvement with the TV show Satyamev Jayate, Talaash and Dhoom 3 all in the same breath, he decided to make time for family. When he heard about the party he requested Victor (director of Dhoom 3) and Aditya Chopra if he would be allowed to leave a day in advance. Of course he didn’t want to disrupt shooting or upset any schedule. Victor and Aditya were more than accommodating and felt Aamir could join the shooting on August 6 without any issues. Aamir Khan now leaves on August 4.
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ENTERTAINMENT SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
Renner has an embarrassing moment
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Miley scouting M fashion labels for Liam?
iley Cyrus has reportedly been spotted scouting fashion labels in New York on behalf of her fiancé Liam Hemsworth. Cyrus was said to be at SoHo fashion trade show Project New York because Hemsworth wants to create his own label, reports New York Post. A source claimed: “Liam’s looking to get his start in the business, and may be thinking of launching a label of his own. “Hemsworth previously appeared in The Hunger Games and is currently filming Paranoia with Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman. The couple, who have been dating for three years, announced their engagement last month. “I’m happy to share this news with you all,” she posted on her Twitter about her engagement. “I feel like all my dreams are coming true. Have a great day.”
Bristol Palin, Pamela Anderson part of B new DWTS cast
ristol Palin, Pamela Anderson, Shawn Johnson, Joey Fatone and Apolo Anton Ohno are among the contestants on the upcoming all-star edition season of Dancing With the Stars. Kirstie Alley, Helio Castroneves, Gilles Marini, Kelly Monaco, Drew Lachey, Melissa Rycroft, and Emmit Smith round out the cast. Viewers will be able to vote on which of three past contestants will be the thirteenth and final competitor this year: Sabrina Bryan, Carson Kressley, or Kyle Massey. ABC announced the competitors at the Television Critics Association summer press tour Friday. Dancing producer Conrad Green compared his new cast to The Avengers — a group of superheroes banding together. The show’s first all-star season is an attempt to reignite a show that has lost heat and ratings in recent seasons.
eremy Renner's flight from Los Angeles to London was not without a little turbulence. On his recent trip, The Bourne Legacy star's attempt to catch some shut-eye up in their air resulted in some problems below the belt. “I had to get off the plane to go to work, so I had to sleep on the plane,” Renner, 41, recalled on Tuesday's Jimmy Kimmel Live! “So I take a little sleeping pill, pop it and realise nothing's happening— but something else was happening.” What he thought was Ambien was actually Viagra, given to him by a friend. “Not only did I not sleep the entire flight,” he added of his 10-to 12-hour trip, but he also had to deal with his pants “camping.” The flight crew, who were “sort of in on the joke,” helped ensure an otherwise smooth voyage — with lots of ice. Still, “There was no walking,” he said. “If I had to go to the restroom, it was so embarrassing.”
CINEMA SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
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CINEMA SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
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CINEMA SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
No funny stuff in Die Hard 5 T he Die Hard films, starring Bruce Willis as the frequently unlucky cop John McClane, have always featured a heavy dose of wise-cracking levity to go along with the bonecrunching violence. Some fans, however, thought that 2007’s PG-13 “Live Free or Die Hard” (pictured) was too jokey and that the action was watered down as a result. Director John Moore wants to change that in the upcoming fifth installment, A Good Day to
Kunis wanted enhanced assets for comic
A
ctress Mila Kunis was flattered when Seth Green wanted to immortalise her in his comic book, but she agreed on a condition — she wanted a curvier alter ego. Her Family Guy co-star Green wanted her to serve as the inspiration for Annalee Rogers, the leading lady in his series Freshmen, which he created with writer Hugh Sterbakov, reports dailystar.co.uk. “My friend (Green) actually writes a comic book called Freshmen and he based the lead character on me. And when he was doing it, he asked what I wanted my powers to be and I was like, ‘I want big b**bs and a big old a** and a cape’,” Kunis told Heat magazine. She was ultimately happy with the result. “He drew these awesome pictures that from the neck up look like me, but from the neck down look like Pamela Anderson with a cape. I look so hot, I can’t even tell you. And she can enter people’s minds. So I’m living vicariously through what my character’s doing in that comic,” added the Black Swan star. IANS
Die Hard. When asked if the film will contain a lot of winking, self-referential humour, Moore (Max Payne, Behind Enemy Lines) told Empire, “No, because that’s preposterous! I don’t know whether it’s post-financial crash or whatever, but I don’t think people are in the mood for that b******s anymore. People are well savvy to the cynical reheating of any product, any franchise. Any shit won’t do. The bar’s a bit higher.”
Lady Gaga makes acting debut with Machete Kills
P
op star Lady Gaga will make her acting debut in Robert Rodriguez’s action movie Machete Kills. The 26-year-old took to her Twitter account to confirm she has joined the cast of Rodriguez’s action movie, a follow up of 2010’s Machete, as a character called La Chameleon, reports contactmusic.com. “Yes it’s true, I will be making my debut as an actress ln the amazing MACHETE KILLS BY @RODRIGUEZ IM SO EXCITED!!! AH! Filming was insane. (sic),” Gaga tweeted. Mel Gibson, Sofia Vergara, Amber Heard, Jessica Alba, Michele Rodriguez and Vanessa Hudgens are also part of the cast. IANS
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CHAI TIME SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
SUNDAY CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Reads quickly 6 Felt optimistic 11 Twangy 16 Wobbled, as a rocket 21 Prickle 22 Clear the slate 23 Peron sobriquet 24 Serviceable 25 Math proportion 26 Polyester partner 27 Egypt’s Anwar — 28 Diver’s hazard 29 Wanted-poster abbr 30 Shore up 32 Proof of ownership 34 Tiny village 36 Fond desire 38 Glasgow or Burstyn 40 Stingy 42 Playwright Oscar — 43 Recital piece 45 UFO passenger 47 Some pumps 49 Moves laboriously 52 Engender 53 Beatles drummer 54 Okla neighbour 57 Robed vocalists 58 Apple peeler 59 Pottery fragment 60 Cogito — sum 61 Burr or Spelling 62 Floors for good 63 Viennese dessert 64 S’il vous — 65 ‘Put a — on it!’ 66 Yellowish 68 Free-for-all 69 Repress 70 What the gunslinger did 72 ‘Instead of’ word 73 Played in the kiddie pool 74 Showed surprise 75 Correct a text 77 Minds 78 City in India 79 Emit, as light 82 Gosh! 83 ‘The Aeneid,’ eg 84 Vegan protein source 88 Baffling thing 89 Exhilarating 90 Rough fabric 92 ‘Willard’ sequel 93 Foofaraw (hyph) 94 Swimming holes 95 Fringe benefits 96 Golf-bag contents 98 Mixes in 99 Traffic jammers 100 James Whitcomb — 101 Raw wool 102 Winged insect 103 Ship of 1492 104 Bandleader Count — 105 Window-shopper 106 Chapter and — 107 Seaweed 108 Groovy! 109 Public tiff 111 Vicious elephant 113 Full of suds 115 El — (ocean current) 119 Horseshoe Falls
locale 121 Parade features 123 Entertain 125 Atlantic fish 126 Exit ramp sight 127 Bonnie of the blues 129 Comes to 131 Steer clear of 133 Say hi 134 Camel driver’s command 135 Astaire sister 136 Shampoo-bottle word 137 Festive 138 Disrespectful 139 Broadway awards 140 Hologram maker DOWN 1 Cow stall bedding 2 Uniform fabric 3 Tiny amounts 4 CAT scan relative 5 Haughty type 6 Proclaims 7 Seer 8 Check endorser 9 Anka’s ‘— Beso’ 10 Slight progess 11 Cuddled 12 ‘Venus’ singer
13 Triangle parts 14 — — premium 15 Strip of wood 16 More tasty 17 Coral reefs 18 More than tense 19 Please greatly 20 Susan — of ‘LA Law’ 31 Enlists again (hyph) 33 More remote 35 In — — (briefly) 37 Sun, in combo 39 AAA, maybe 41 Ritzy residence 44 Gull relatives 46 Wine sediments 48 Mad Hatter guest 49 Heat to boiling 50 Lion-tamer’s prop 51 Vast multitude 52 Marshy inlet 53 Destroy documents 54 Strong brown paper 55 Loose-limbed 56 Renowned 58 Turned white 59 Cobbler’s supply 60 Bring forth 62 ‘Dave’ actor 63 Lingerie buy 64 Chief god of Memphis
67 Queen of the Misty Isles 68 Like John Wayne 69 Alabama town 71 Tips the scales 73 Fuses 74 Walks unsteadily 76 Informal parent 77 Garden hoppers 78 Socially inept 79 Fixed-up building 80 Battery’s ‘+’ end 81 Vacuum tube 82 Columbus’ port 83 Strain in the kitchen 85 Reed instruments 86 Field enclosure 87 Al of Indy fame 89 More sultry 90 Conviction 91 Jet jockey 94 Groan getters 95 Leaning Tower site 97 Took back in battle 99 Broadcast 100 Hit the ceiling 101 Wears at the edges 103 Fine 104 Too frankly, perhaps 105 Causes to be lost in thought
106 Thin layer 107 Rock tumbler stones 108 Specifically 109 Make baskets 110 Supply a party 112 Off-Broadway awards 114 Like table and chairs 116 Desktop pictures 117 Boom-box issue 118 More peculiar
120 Places of refuge 122 Flatten a fly 124 Viscount’s superior 126 Selznick studio 128 Miscellany 130 ‘Much — About Nothing’ 132 By way of PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
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CHAI TIME SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
STAR POWER Date 30-7-2012
As per Hindu panchang
THIRUVAIKUMAR
thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9949870449
TAURUS
GEMINI
Open talks will take place regarding marriage of daughter or son and favourable decision will be taken. You will purchase new electronic gadgets and comforts too, are likely to increase.
Marriage is getting delayed; don’t worry. Delayed finalisation only will be lucky for you. Avoid blaming parents and keep them happy. You will handle debt issues with ease.
Debt issues haunting you will be over as you will clear a major portion of the debts. Money due to you will come; it will release you from tension. Businessmen’s legal issues will go in their favour.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Work can get completed only if you act with focused efforts. Debt problems to haunt you, as dues will not come in time and keep on disappointing you. Health needs to be taken care of.
Be careful while expressing your opinions as there are chances that you will be misunderstood. Unexpected good news will bring cheer to you. Ego clashes between couple will be over.
Drive away shyness and mingle with people to stay happy. Good opportunities likely to knock your door; its up to you to make use of them effectively. Happy events to take place at home.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Unexpected fortune likely. You will look cheerful and active. Some will undertake pilgrimage to famous temples. You will be given respect and importance wherever you go. Dues will get payed.
Keep your efforts on a continuos basis though result might get delayed. Expenses might increase due to health problem. Employees might face the ire and non co-operation of superiors.
All work undertaken by you will be completed successfully. Old court issues will go in your favour. Couples deprived of a child for long will hear good news of their offspring’s arrival.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Financial position will be strong as multiple-channel income likely. However, your massive plan that needs bigger financial assistance might not succeed and this could disappoint you.
You will be disappointed for not getting proper recognition for your calibre and skills. Employees might face dissatisfaction of superiors and colleagues too will misunderstand them.
Politicians will be given new responsibilities and importance by the high command. Avoid talking too much as you could lose friends as a result. Your enemies will become inactive.
SUMAA TEKUR
tarotreadhyd@gmail.com
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
Temperance – When you consider sharing some important information with someone outside the group, think of how that person will use that information.
Knight of Wands – While it might seem like great fun to have someone as a puppet in your hands, it is not a pleasant thing in the long term.
CANCER
LEO
Page of Wands – Lay low and do not do anything to draw undue attention to yourself. This is a tricky time when Mercury is going retrograde.
Seven of Wands – It may be a better idea to split with someone if the partnership is not giving you desired results. Do not hesitate; put the cards on the table.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Nine of Swords – Be careful of minor injuries like paper cuts or bruises that may put you in a bad mood, quite unnecessarily. It is very avoidable.
The Lovers – You’re in that phase of life when you’re discovering new things about yourself and your partner. You’re surprised with how you feel about some things.
Two of Swords – You’re getting into a big gamble. Be careful and review your choices carefully before you choose one or the other. Look at the big picture.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
The Hermit – Health needs attention. You may need to take some vitamins for skin and hair. Be open to experimenting with new hair care techniques.
Five of Cups – You must learn to sugarcoat what you tell people. They are likely to find your words too harsh. Be a little sensitive to others’ feelings.
The Tower – You have to run that extra mile to make a difference. You seem to have steadied your financial position now. But you need to do more.
Three of Swords – The jury’s out and you realise that you could have done a better job. People are watching every move and you’re in the spotlight.
VIRGO
Ten of Pentacles – There should be a limit to how much you tolerate. You’re being too nice and people are taking advantage of you. So be careful.
For Better or for Worse Stone soup
The lighter side of life
T
wo aerials meet on a roof — fall in love — get married. The ceremony was rubbish — but the reception was brilliant. I’m on a whiskey diet. I’ve lost three days already.
Ink pen
COMICS
Fred Basset
ARIES
TAROT READ Date 30-7-2012
I went to the doctors the other day and I said, ‘Have you got anything for wind?’ So he gave me a kite. My mother-in-law fell down a wishing well. I was amazed, I never knew they worked. I saw this bloke chatting up a
cheetah; I thought, ‘’He’s trying to pull a fast one’’. A woman has twins, and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt and is named ‘Amal.’ The other goes to a family in Spain, they name him Juan’. Years later; Juan sends a picture of himself to his mum. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wished she also had a picture of Amal. Her husband responds, ‘’But they are twins. If you’ve seen Juan, you’ve seen Amal.’’
Vol: 2, No 12 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
SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
Kashyap advances LONDON:
MEDAL TALLY
CHINA ITALY USA BRAZIL S KOREA AUS KAZA’TAN RUSSIA JAPAN COLOMBIA NE’LANDS POLAND ROMANIA BELGIUM HUNGARY NORWAY N KOREA SERBIA UZB’STAN
G 4 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
S 0 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
B 2 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1
T 6 5 5 3 3 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
NEWS BRIEFS Traffic travails Uruguay manager Oscar Tabarez was seeking alternative forms of transport after it took his side seven hours to get to London following a match in Manchester. Uruguay beat the UAE 2-1 in the opening Group A match.
Shuttler Parupalli Kashyap was the sole saving grace on an otherwise dismal day for India on the first day of competitions at the London Olympic Games here today. Kashyap provided the bright spot for India with a comfortable straight-game first round victory in men’s singles to make up for the poor show of mixed doubles pair V Diju and Jwala Gutta who lost their opening group game to Ahmad and Natsir (21-16, 21-12) as well as Jwala and Ashwini Ponnappa’s women’s doubles loss to the Japanese duo of Mizuki Fujii and Reika Kakiiwa. Elsewhere too, the country faced setbacks with the men’s archery team getting eliminated at the pre-quarterfinal stage and woman paddler Ankita Das making her exit without making a ripple. Rower Swran Singh also came fourth in his heats in single sculls but has a second chance in the repechage. There was controversy too with the Indian contingent expressing its outrage over the presence of an unauthorised mystery woman wearing a red shirt and blue trouser stealing the limelight
India’s Parupalli Kashyap plays a shot against Belgium’s Yuhan Tan on Saturday. Kashyap defeated Tan in PTI straight sets to advance to the next round of the men’s singles 2012 Olympics badminton event. alongside flag bearer Sushil Kumar at the march past during the glittering opening ceremony yesterday. The day began on an uninspiring note when Diju and Jwala, a settled pair hunting for a medal, were beaten in straight games 1621 12-21 by Indonesia’s Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir in under half an hour
in their opening Group C match. The Indians are still in the hunt for a medal and will take on the Danish combination of Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl in their next match tomorrow. The archery venue, the Lord’s Cricket Ground, also failed to provide cheer for the second day running when the
men’s team of Jayanta Talukdar, Rahul Banerjee and Tarundeep Rai were knocked out after losing to Japan in a tense pre-quarterfinal shootoff. Earlier, Jwala and Ashwini could not counter the speed and skills of the Japanese to go down 16-21 1821 in a match which lasted PTI close to 45 minutes.
Ghosh in 2nd round, Das crashes out LONDON: Soumyajit
Boxing’s ‘half-way’ Leading amateur boxers are to be offered the chance to turn professional while remaining eligible for future Olympics. But AIBA prez Dr Wu Ching-Kuo is to launch a ‘halfway house’ known as AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) next year.
Italian Job, done and dusted
Italy’s Michele Frangilli (R), Marco Galiazzo (C) and Mauro Nespolithe celebrate after defeating the US in the 2012 Olympics men’s team archery final at the Lord’s Cricket Ground on Saturday. While Italy claimed the gold, US walked away with the silver and South Korea clinched the bronze. AFP/JEWEL SAMAD
Ghosh’s maiden appearance at the Olympics proved to be a memorable one as he advanced to the second round of the table tennis event after Ankita Das bowed out in the London Games, here today. The 19-year-old Ghosh prevailed over Brazil’s Gustavo Tsuboi 11-9 14-12 7-11 12-10 5-11 120 (4-2) in a closely contested men’s singles first round match. There was however disappointment in store in the women’s section as Ankita lost 14 to Spain’s Sara Ramirez at the ExCel centre here. Siligury boy Ghosh then took it upon himself to make up for Ankita’s loss with a composed showing, which belied his age PTI and experience.
28-29 Galstyan makes history
NEWS BRIEFS Cancellara uncertain Reigning champion Fabian Cancellara could be forced to pull out after crashing during the men’s road race on Saturday. Although he went on to finish in 106th place, he was left with a suspected injured shoulder.
LONDON: Russia’s Arsen Galstyan and Sarah Menezes of Brazil made history for their respective countries as they won gold medals on the opening day of the Olympic judo competition on Saturday. Galstyan won Russia’s first Olympic gold in the sport since the break-up of the old Soviet Union while Menezes became the first woman from her country to climb the top step of the judo rostrum at the Games. For Galstyan it was an especially poignant moment as the 23-year-old is from Krasnodar, the town that suffered flash flooding earlier this month that resulted in 170 deaths. “My medal will mean a lot and talking of people who suffered from the flood I wish to express my condolences to them,” he said. “My medal will show that Russian judo athletes and Russian sport should be number one. “I feel absolutely wonderful and I’m very happy that I’m the person who’s brought the gold medal to Russia because we’ve waited for a very long time. I dont have enough words to explain my feelings.” Having stunned world champion Rishod Sobirov in the semifinal, the Russian beat Japan’s second seed Hiroaki Hiraoka in just 40 seconds in the under-60kg final. The fourth seed produced a stunning finale to flatten Hiraoka with a sweeping, winding throw (harai-maki-komi). He had been forced to hold on in the semi-final against Uzbekistan’s world number one but he survived and when Sobirov made a mistake in the sudden-death golden score period, Galstyan pounced to take his opponent over backwards and secure a place in the final. Sobirov went on to win bronze alongside Brazil’s Felipe Kitadai. Menezes’s victory was the culmination of a meteoric rise in Brazilian women’s judo since the Athens Games eight years ago. That was when coach Rosicleia Campos took over, at a time when winning any Olympic medal was a distant dream. But now Brazilian women are one of the leading nations in the sport and Menezes is at the AFP forefront of that.
Vijender Singh (L) goes on the offensive against Danabek Suzhanov of Kazakhstan during their first round Middleweight (75kg) bout on Saturday. Vijender won 14-10. AFP/ JACK GUEZ
Vijender romps into round two LONDON:
India’s top pugilist Vijender Singh, touted as a serious medal contender, kept his reputation intact as he cruised into the pre-quarter finals of the boxing event in the Olympics with a comfortable win over Kazakhstan’s Danabek Sukhanov here. The 27-year-old Vijender, a bronze medallist in the Beijing Games four years ago, was a trifle cautious in the first round as he did not go for the attacking mode, preferring to gauge his opponent’s strategy but opened up
subsequently to carve out a comfortable 14-10 verdict. The Haryana boxer was tactically superior than his opponent and also put his reach to good use to keep himself on course for a second Olympic medal. Although he was generally defensive in the first round, Vijender did unleash a few of punches to take the honours with a 5-4 margin. Vijender, who also won the gold medal in the Commonwealth Championship, had a decisive edge in the first round.
He put up a more dominating show in the second round, which he took with a 4-3 verdict and consolidated his position in the third and final round to eventually emerge victorious without being under any serious pressure. The Kazakh did manage to score points against the Indian but never really looked like springing off a major surprise. Vijender will now take on Terrell Gausha of USA in the pre-quarters on August 2. Gausha got the better of A Hukobyan of Armenia in the opening round with the referee PTI stopping the contest.
Radcliffe out? British veteran Paula Radcliffe will be forced to pull out of the marathon due to injury, probably spelling the end of her Olympic career. Radcliffe has been struggling for fitness since a foot injury flared up three weeks ago.
Persson for medal Former TT world champion Jorgen Persson has not ruled out challenging for an Olympic medal at the age of 46 after scoring a first round victory in the men’s singles. The Swede beat Segun Toriola, from Nigeria.
Aia’s scary debut Table tennis player Aia Mohamed who is one of the first Qatari women to compete in the Olympics admitted she was frightened by her historymaking bow. Aia lost a preliminary match by 11-3, 11-7, 11-6, 11-3 to Zhang Mo of Canada.
Seat probe launched Olympics organisers were investigating why several venues had swathes of empty seats. Organisers LOCOG were overwhelmed with demand for Olympics tickets when they first went on sale more than a year ago. But there were rows and rows of unoccupied seats.
Beautiful determination
Russia’s Anna Vozakova stretches for the ball during her women’s Beach Volleyball preliminary phase Pool B match against Xue Chen and Zhang Xi of China at the Horse Guards Parade in London on Saturday. Vasina and Vozakova won 18-21, 21-14, 16-14. AFP/ DANIEL GARCIA
SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
GAMES BRIEFS France, US cruise France and the US cruised to victory in the women’s basketball on Saturday. Here are the results: China 66 Czech Republic 57; Canada 53 Russia 58; Turkey 72 Angola 50; US 81 Croatia 56; Brazil 58 France 73; Australia 74 GB 58.
Germany on top Champions Germany began their title defence with Ingrid Klimke leading on 39.30 points, just ahead of Dirk Schrade (39.80). Britain’s Mary King, the 51-year-old competing in her sixth successive Olympic Games, was third.
Brazil beat NZ Brazil beat New Zealand 1-0 in the women’s football. Japan were held to a 0-0 draw by Sweden. GB beat Cameroon 3-0 and champions the US beat Colombia 30Canada beat South Africa 3-0, and NKorea lost 5-0 to France.
Federer pushed by Alejandro Steve Griffiths
LONDON: Wimbledon champions Roger Federer (right) and Serena Williams took contrasting routes into the second round on the opening day of the Olympic tournament at a revamped All England Club on Saturday. While Serena produced a polished display in a brutal 6-3, 6-1 demolition of Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic, Federer was made to sweat before finally beating Colombia’s Alejandro Falla 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 on Centre Court a few hours later. Federer will face France’s Julien Benneteau in the last 32 in a rematch of their third round clash at this year’s Wimbledon when the 30-year-old Swiss
Murray brothers out Andy Murray’s first match since Wimbledon ended in disappointment as the British number one and his brother Jamie lost 5-7, 7-6 (8/6), 7-5 against Austria’s Jurgen Melzer and Alexander Peya in the first round.
star again had to come from two sets down to win. It was much easier for five-time Wimbledon winner Serena, who was cheered on from the players’ box by US First Lady Michelle Obama. Former Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych was the first big name to tumble in the men’s singles as the Czech sixth seed lost 6-4, 6-4 to Steve Darcis, an unheralded Belgian ranked 75th in the world. Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic defeated David Nalbandian 6-3, 6-4, while John Isner beat Olivier Rochus. In the women’s singles, Belgium’s Kim Clijsters moved into the second round with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Italy’s Roberta Vinci. The 29-year-old next faces world number 45 Carla Navarro Suarez of Spain.
US, Russia make hay The US, Russia and hosts Great Britain exploited sloppiness from Japan and defending Olympic champions China to set the pace in men’s artistic gymnastics qualifying. China finished sixth, and Japan fifth.
Elisa is fencing’s new queen
Italy’s Elisa Di Francisca (R) took the Olympic Games women’s fencing foil gold medal, defeating compatriot Arianna Errigo 12-11 in the final. Defending champion Valentina Vezzali of Italy settled for bronze, defeating South Korea’s Nam Hyun-Hee. AFP/ALBERTO PIZZOLI
Vinokourov dashes Team GB hopes Justin Davis
LONDON: Alexandre Vinokourov (below) of Kazakhstan claimed an unexpected but deserved win in the men’s Olympic road race Saturday, wrecking Mark Cavendish’s hopes of delivering a first gold of the Games for the hosts. Colombia’s Rigoberto Uran won the silver with Norway’s Alexander Kristoff taking the bronze after 249.5 km of racing which finished in the shadow of Buckingham Palace on The Mall. Race favourite Cavendish finished well off the podium as Britain’s highly fancied team were undone by a combination of tactical racing and some incisive,
late attacks. Vinokourov, 38, who immediately announced his retirement, wrote the last chapter of a turbulent career. He only returned to cycling in 2009 after serving a two-year ban for his part in a drug scandal at the 2007 Tour de France. Despite the pre-Olympics hype of a British outfit labelled the “Dream Team”, a disappointed Cavendish was philosophical in defeat. “I can be proud of how the lads rode today. I’m proud of my country as there was incredible support. The guys are sat there, they are spent. They have got nothing left in the tank. It’s incredible to see that,” he said.
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Lochte wins, but Ye shines Lochte’s 400m individual medley showdown with Phelps turned out to be a no-contest as he dominated to win in 4min 05.18sec. Talek Harris
LONDON: America’s Ryan Lochte left recordchasing Michael Phelps trailing Saturday in a storming start to the London Olympics -- while China’s Sun Yang and Ye Shiwen wrote their name in the record books. Lochte’s 400m individual medley showdown with Phelps turned out to be a nocontest as he dominated to win in 4min 05.18sec, ahead of Brazilian Thiago Pereira and Japan’s Kosuke Hagino, with Phelps back in fourth. The loss is a setback for 16-time medallist Phelps, who memorably won a record eight titles in Beijing, and needs just three more medals to overhaul Soviet gymnast
Champion! The stand-out swim belonged to Ye, 16, who shattered the 400m medley world record with 4:28.43, more than a second faster than defending champion Stephanie Rice’s time from Beijing 2008.
Larisa Latynina’s all-time best of 18. Phelps has another six events to go. But Lochte was not the only star of the first full day of action as Sun became China’s first ever male Olympic champion in the pool, with a commanding
swim in the 400m freestyle. Sun’s clash with champion Park Tae-Hwan was also much anticipated, but it almost didn’t happen after the South Korean was disqualified from his heat for a false start, before being reinstated after an 11th-hour appeal.
Their race was a classic, with Sun gradually reeling in the leading Park before leaving him for dead over the closing stages with a time of 3:40.14. Park took silver with America’s Peter Vanderkaay claiming bronze. But the stand-out swim of the pool’s opening night belonged to Ye, 16, who shattered the 400m medley world record with 4:28.43 — more than a second faster than defending champion Stephanie Rice’s time from Beijing 2008. America’s Beisel was second and China’s Li Xuanxu third, with Rice joint sixth. Australia won their first gold in the women’s 4x100m relay, with Alicia Coutts, Cate Campbell, Brittany Elmslie and Melanie Schlanger beating out the Netherlands and America.
Wang delivers lifting masterclass
Luke Phillips
LONDON: Chinese weighlifting great Wang Mingjuan (above) extended her incredible 10-year unbeaten record by totally dominating the field to win her maiden Olympic gold in the -48kg class on Saturday. Wang’s performance lifted spirits for a sport that was earlier sullied by a fresh doping offence, with the IOC kicking Albanian weightlifter Hysen Pulaku out of the Games after testing positive for a banned steroid. Wang’s gold
medal ends one of the longestrunning anomalies in women’s weightlifting. Although the 26-year-old has dominated her scandal-tainted sport for a decade, she was mysteriously omitted from China’s 2004 and 2008 Olympic teams, meaning she had not been able to challenge for the ultimate prize. During that time Wang -- who this year was picked ahead of reigning world champion and compatriot Tian Yuan -- won four world championships (2002, 2003, 2005, 2009) and the Asian Games in 2010. Wang was diplomatic when asked about her absences from the two previous Olympics in Beijing and Athens. “It’s 70 percent hard work and 30 percent luck. I think athletes should believe in the decision-making of our leaders,” she said.
NEWS BRIEFS NZ duo set record New Zealand’s Hamish Bond and Eric Murray set a new men’s pairs rowing world record in the Olympic heats. India’s Swarn Singh Virk finished fourth in the heats of the single sculls. Virk will compete in the repechage round.
Montenegro beat GB Montengero thrashed Great Britain in the women’s handball. Results: Norway 23 France 24; Montenegro 31 GB 19; Croatia 23 Brazil 24; Russia 30 Angola 27; Spain 27 S Korea 31; Denmark 21 Sweden 18
China pip Serbia China overcame a slow start to overpower Serbia 3-1 in the women’s Olympic volleyball competition. Middle blocker Xu Yunli finished with 17 points for China, which won 16-25, 25-18, 25-13, 25-12.
Mum’s the word
Point black range
Shooting powerhouse China launched their Olympic campaign in style by taking the first gold of the London Games while South Korea’s Jin Jong-Oh survived a late attack of nerves to win. World number one Yi Siling (above) edged the women’s 10m air rifle competition at London’s Royal Artillery Barracks in a tense morning contest. With Pang Wei due to defend his title in the men’s 10m air pistol in the afternoon match, and the fancied Tan Zongliang also in the frame, China looked set to make a serious statement of intent. But sharpshooter Jin, winning his second Olympic gold medal and his fourth overall, entered the final with a sizeable lead and negotiated an untimely wobble to lift the title and turn 2008 Olympic silver in the event to gold. LONDON:
British middleweight Anthony Ogogo dedicated his victory to his ailing mother, laid low by a brain haemorrhage last month. The 23-yearold clinched a 13-6 first round win over Dominican opponent Junior Castillo Martinez.
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SPORTS SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
Black Caps under pressure NORTH SOUND, ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA: New Zealand
WEST INDIES HAD EARLIER MADE THE KIWIS’ OPENING TALLY OF 351
were up against it at stumps on the fourth day of their second Test against West Indies at North Sound after two breakthroughs for the hosts left them at 199 for 3, just 28 runs ahead. Looking to erase a 171-run first-innings deficit, opener Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum strove manfully to move the Black Caps towards positive territory but both fell after taking the tourists to 170 for 1 at one stage in the final session. West Indies spinner Sunil Narine (right), who pulled out a maiden five-wicket Test haul in the first innings, made the first breakthrough in the second innings after trapping Daniel Flynn lbw for 20 in an early blow for the Kiwis. But thereafter Guptill, who just missed a century in the first innings, and McCullum piled on the runs before falling for 67 and
LOOK MODEST AS THEY SCORED 522 ALL OUT WITH SKIPPER DARREN SAMMY SCORING 50. 84 as Narine and Kemar Roach claimed their respective scalps. Guptill and McCullum had put on 123 for the second wicket before spinner Narine had opener Guptill caught by Assad Fudadin at short leg. Kemar Roach then bowled McCullum to leave nightwatchman Neil Wagner on four not out with skipper Ross Taylor on 11. West Indies had earlier made the Kiwis’ opening tally of 351 look modest as they made 522 all out with skipper Darren Sammy instrumental in helping his com-
Wiesberger wins Vienna
Robert leads in Toronto
VIENNA: Local hero Bernd Wiesberger shot a seven-underpar 65 on Saturday’s final day to snatch the Austrian Open after a major loss of form by Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen, the star of the first three rounds. Wiesberger finished 19 under on the par-72 course at Atzenbrugg, near Vienna, three shots clear of Irishman Shane Lowry and Thomas Levet of France after sinking seven birdies in the last 10 holes — including from a 50foot putt on 18. “I actually could have made birdies on the other three holes. I knew that if I could hit good shots I could get lots of birdies,” the delighted 26-year-old said. “And it went perfectly.” It was Wiesberger’s second European Tour title of the year following his triumph at the Ballantine’s Championship in April, and he becomes the second Austrian to win his home Open after Markus Brier in 2006. “It’s the best day of my life so far,” Wiesberger said. “It seems like it went my way, especially the last two holes.
TORONTO: American Robert Garrigus shot a six-under 64 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead after three rounds of the $5.2 million Canadian Open. Garrigus, who is chasing his second USPGA Tour win, finished 54 holes at 16-under-par 194 at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club course. His 194 total broke the tournament’s 54-hole scoring record set initially by Arnold Palmer in 1955. Garrigus said his game plan for the fourth round is simple: “Foot to the floor, as much as possible.” Second round co-leader Scott Piercy shot 67 for the second consecutive day and is alone in third at 14-under-par 196, while William McGirt posted a 66 for the second straight day to get to second at minus-15. Scott Stallings and Chris Kirk both fired seven-under 63s Saturday. They share fourth place at minus-12 with Bo Van Pelt, who fired a 67. Two years ago in Memphis, Garrigus stumbled to the finish losing a three-shot lead on the final hole but he AFP doesn’t expect to collapse here.
Querrey reaches LA final LOS ANGELES: Twotime Los Angeles Open champ Sam Querrey came back from a break down in the second set to reach his third straight final at his home event with a defeat of Rajeev Ram 6-3, 7-6 (7/4). The southern Californian will be bidding to join Andre Agassi and Jimmy Connors as three-time champions at
the UCLA campus facility when he plays Lithuanian qualifier Ricardas Berankis, who put out
Australian sixth seed Marinko Matosevic 7-5, 6-1 in the other semi-final on Saturday. Querrey, winner of 12 straight matches in Los Angeles, and the 22-yearold Berankis have never played. The youngster will be competing in his first final on the ATP Tour, the best ever achieved for a player from his small AFP nation.
patriots to pass the 500 mark for the first time since Mumbai last year. Sammy helped himself to a six over deep midwicket to bring up his third Test half-century before falling next ball to Daniel Vettori. They reached the mark when Narine hit a boundary off Vettori before getting himself run out two balls later. It then fell to Doug Bracewell to end the West Indies’ first innings as he trapped Ravi Rampaul lbw for one before Guptill, who scored 97 in the first innings for the New Zealanders, and Flynn padded up to start chasing down the target. Although Guptill and McCullum made light of the loss of Flynn their own demise suggested the West Indies, cheered by centuries from Chris Gayle and Kieran Powell and 79 from Narsingh Deonarine, looked the likelier victor.
Scoreboard W Indies v New Zealand Test
New Zealand 2nd innings MJ Guptill c Fudadin b Narine 67 DR Flynn lbw Narine 20 BB McCullum b Roach 84 LRPL Taylor not out 11 N Wagner not out 4 Extras: (b3, lb7, nb3) 13 Total: 199 for 3 Bowling: Rampaul 6-0-25-0; KAJ Roach 13-1-44-1; SP Narine 26-567-2; DJG Sammy 12-3-24-0; MN Samuels 3-1-22-0; N Deonarine 4-2-7-0 West Indies 1st innings: 552 all out (Chris Gayle 150, K Powell 134, Martin 3 for 134) New Zealand 1st innings: 351 all out (M Guptill 97, D Flynn 45, Narine 5 for 132) Match situation: NZ lead by 28 runs with 7 wickets remaining