Pak News Wire: 02/14/15

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Over 100 whales die after washing up on beach

Scores of whales stranded on a remote New Zealand beach got back in the water, only to return to land -- leaving more than 100 of them dead and conservationists racing to save those clinging to life.

100 whales dead on NZ beach

Scores of whales stranded on a remote New Zealand beach got back in the water, only to return to land -- leaving more than 100 of them dead and conservationists racing to save those clinging to life.

Ukrainian ceasefire begins

After days of ferocious attacks, a ceasefire went into effect after midnight Sunday in Ukraine, followed by brief accusations of violence.

Ukraine ceasefire begins amid mistrust

After days of ferocious attacks, a ceasefire went into effect after midnight Sunday in Ukraine, followed by brief accusations of violence.

Tiger Woods takes a break from golf

It is some admission from one of the finest golfers ever to play the game.

‘American Sniper’ trial defendant ‘explained killings’

A former deputy testified last week that he overheard the defendant in the "American Sniper" murder trial explain why he killed two men.

Group: Sudanese soldiers raped 200 women and girls

Darfur has a long, dark history filled with horrors.

Vilks: ‘Should be possible to insult all religions’

Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks has been a target for Islamic extremists since drawing a cartoon of Mohammed with the body of a dog in 2007.

2 charged in alleged Canada mall shooting plot

A Canadian man and an American woman have been arrested in what Canadian authorities said Saturday was a foiled plot to carry out a mass murder-suicide at a Nova Scotia mall on Valentine's Day.

More than $28K raised for heroic dog

Fans of a heroic dog who fought in vain to save her owner's life in an Ohio house fire have donated more than $ 28,000 toward the $ 25,000 goal for the care of the 9-year-old boxer named Carmen.

World Cup: Behardien plays as Zimbabwe put South Africa into bat

NEW ZEALAND: Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura won the toss and sent South Africa into bat in their first World Cup Pool B match in Hamilton on Sunday.

“It’s a good ground to chase down, the guys are in good form,” said Chigumbura after the toss. “We are excited for this first game.”

South African all-rounder Farhaan Behardien passed a a late fitness test, having recovered from a back problem, to make it into the team.

“I’m very happy with the XI walking on the park,” said Proteas skipper AB de Villiers, who added he had considered fielding first had he won the toss.

“The sun put a bit of doubt in mind but I’m happy to see it out now we’re batting,” said the captain.

South Africa entered the game with three frontline seamers and leg-spinner Imran Tahir while Zimbabwe left out Prosper Utseya.

Teams

South Africa: AB de Villiers (capt), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, Farhaan Behardien, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn

Zimbabwe: Elton Chigumbura (capt), Sikandar Raza, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Craig Ervine, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Hamilton Masakadza, Solomon Mire, Tinashe Panyangara, Brendan Taylor, Sean Williams

Umpires: Rod Tucker (AUS) and Ranmore Martinesz (SRI)

TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS)

Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (SRI)

Weather: Sunny and humid

Nutella, Ferrero Rocher owner Michele Ferrero dies aged 89

ROME: Billionaire Michele Ferrero, who became Italy’s richest man thanks to the confectionary empire he built on his popular Nutella spread, died on Saturday at the age of 89.

“I have learnt with emotion of the passing of Michele Ferrero, a true entrepeneur, known and loved in Italy and abroad,” Italian President Sergio Mattarella said in a statement.

“Ferrero was a leading light in Italian business for many years, always managing to stay on trend thanks to his innovative products and his tenacious and cautious work. Italy remembers him with gratitude.”

It was Ferrero’s father, a smalltime pastry maker named Pietro Ferrero, who laid the groundwork for the Nutella recipe and famously added hazelnut to save money on chocolate.

But it was Michele Ferrero who turned the paste into the Nutella now known the world over.

The first pot of the addictive mix was made in Alba in northwest Italy in April 1964.

Ferrero now produces around 365,000 tonnes of Nutella every year in 11 factories around the world. The biggest market is Germany, followed by France and Italy.

The Ferrero group also makes Ferrero Rocher, Mon Cheri and Kinder chocolates and employs more than 22,000 workers. The group has an annual turnover of more than 8 billion euros ($ 9 billion).

Ferrero and his family are estimated by Forbes to hold Italy’s biggest fortune at $ 23.4 billion.

Ferrero’s son Giovanni became chief executive of the Ferrero group after his older brother Pietro died of a suspected heart attack while cycling in South Africa in 2011.

Flying skier sets new record

Slovenia's Peter Prevc secured a monster leap of 250 meters to set a new ski-jumping world record at the Vikersundbakken hill in Norway Saturday.

PJF honours star judoka Shah Hussain Shah

KARACHI: The Pakistan Judo Federation (PJF) honoured athlete Shah Hussain Shah in a ceremony at the Mehran Hotel on Saturday after the judoka was awarded Rs2 million by the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for his silver medal at the 20th Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014.

PJF secretary Masood Ahmed said that the ceremony was held to encourage Shah for future events, adding that the judoka was Pakistan’s main hope for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“We organised this reception for a number of reasons,” Ahmed told The Express Tribune. “The federation is not only pleased with the PSB’s recognition of Shah, but is also delighted with the Sindh Judo Association’s announcement of presenting him with an honorary gold medal.

“Shah is our main hope for the 2016 Olympics; even the [Iranian] coach Sajjad Kazemi believes that he can go on to represent Pakistan at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.”

Shah, who is the son of Pakistan’s sole Olympic medallist boxer Shah Hussain received further bonus in the shape of Rs200,000 given to his mother for coaching him.

The 21-year-old had received the Rs2 million from the PSB along with silver-medallists Muhammad Waseem (boxing) and Qamar Abbas (wrestling), while bronze-medallist Azhar Hussain collected Rs1 million on February 12 in Islamabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2015.

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Bereavement: Army chief’s mother laid to rest

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif’s mother, Mrs Mohammad Sharif, died of cardiac arrest at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology in Rawalpindi on Saturday morning. Her funeral prayers were offered in Chaklala Garrison in the afternoon and were attended by top military and civilian officials, along with relatives and friends of the bereaved family.

President Mamnoon Hussain, federal ministers Khawaja Asif, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir, AJK President Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Rashad Mehmood, naval and air chiefs, and serving and retired civil and military officers attended the funeral prayers. Messages of condolences were delivered by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Mamnoon Hussain.

After the funeral prayers in Chaklala, an open house was held at the army chief’s residence where officers, friends and family gathered to convey their condolences. The event was attended by former army chiefs Gen (retd) Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and Gen (retd) Waheed Kakar.

General Raheel hails from a military family, his father retired as a Major and his brother, Major Shabbir Sharif Shaheed, lost his life during the 1971 war and became the recipient of the Nishaan-e-Haider, the highest award of gallantry in the military.

The burial of the army chief’s mother took place at Cavalry Ground cemetery in Lahore Cantt, where the Sharif family home is also located.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2015.

Berdych routs Simon to reach Rotterdam final

ROTTERDAM: Holder Tomas Berdych followed his game plan to the letter and reached his second consecutive final at the ATP Rotterdam World Tennis event on Saturday with a crushing 6-2, 6-1 defeat of Gilles Simon.

The rout, which took the Czech third seed into Sunday’s final, lasted just 56 minutes.

Berdych, now coached by Andy Murray cast-off Dani Vallverdu, said that he and his Venezuelan coach have been concentrating on strategy. “We are focusing a lot more on game plans than I have done in the past,” said Berdych, who has never defended an ATP title.

“We’ve only had a few weeks together, but we have been able to implement a lot into my game.”

Berdych stayed in total control as he swept to his ninth straight Rotterdam victory, losing only one point on first serve.

He kept Simon on the back foot throughout the brief contest, with the eighth seed barely recognisable as the man who upset top seed Murray 24 hours earlier.

“It’s good not to find anything wrong with your game,” said a satisfied Berdych. “It was a really good match, solid from the beginning.

“And it all started with the right game plan. I felt very good on court, it was all positive for me. I was able to add something to my game.”

Berdych, who trailed Simon 3-6 coming into the match, said: “I did many things differently today compared to our last matches, this result is clear proof.

“I’m happy with how I handled it, with just the right amount of patience and choosing the right shots in the right moment.”

Berdych won the opening set in 32 minutes with two breaks of Simon’s serve and then picked up the pace as he hurtled to victory, advancing to the final on the first of three match points.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2015.

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Finch, Marsh get Australia’s campaign off to a flying start

MELBOURNE:

Mitchell Marsh proved the unlikely bowling star and Aaron Finch blasted the first ton of the World Cup as Australia crushed England by 111 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.

The tournament favourites ruthlessly swept to victory in their opening Pool A match by posting their highest-ever ODI total against England of 342-9.

They then dismissed their hapless arch-rivals for 231 with more than eight overs to spare.

All-rounder Marsh, making his World Cup debut, claimed 5-33 as Australia latched on to their catches with Steve Smith’s mid-air screamer to dismiss Jos Buttler the best of the highlight reel.

It was a comprehensive victory that signalled Australia as the team to beat as they bid to win their fifth World Cup and their first at home since going out in the semi-finals to England when they last hosted the event in 1992.

“I don’t think we’ve made any secret about it, we’re here to win the World Cup like 13 other teams are,” said Finch.

“I suppose what was great was that everyone contributed either with bat, ball or in the field, so from a team point of view it’s really good to see everyone playing well and peaking at the right time.”

Taylor misses out on century

It was a grim night for England, who only narrowly avoided their heaviest World Cup defeat – in terms of runs – following a 122 run-thrashing by South Africa at The Oval in 1999.

And apart from their bowlers getting flogged and dropped catches, England skipper Eoin Morgan was out for his fourth duck in his last seven innings.

“Probably the most frustrating thing was that we were making errors that we haven’t made this trip and again Australia played well but we had opportunities to take the game to them and we didn’t,” rued Morgan.

James Taylor’s face-saving unbeaten knock of 98 not out was the lone bright spot, with England now having won just two of their last 16 ODI encounters Down Under.

However, England didn’t even have the consolation of seeing the gutsy Taylor get to a maiden ODI hundred when the match ended in confusion.

Taylor was adjudged lbw but overturned the decision on review. However, Anderson was given run out for eight as he went for a single with Taylor’s protestations that the ball was dead when he was initially given out failing to impress the umpires.

Officials later admitted that the umpires got the decision wrong when the Playing Control Team (PCT) met and reviewed the final ball of the game.

Article 3.6a of Appendix 6 of the Decision Review System Playing Conditions states that the ball should have been deemed dead when the batsman (Taylor) was given out leg before wicket. No further runs or dismissals were possible.

The PCT spoke to the England team management and acknowledges that the game ended incorrectly and an error was made.

(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM ICC)

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2015.

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Zimbabwe must compete

ICC:

Many people, including me, have spoken about the desire for Zimbabwe to be ‘competitive’ during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. No doubt that can be interpreted as a euphemism for wishing to avoid heavy defeats, but it is not. If a team is ‘competitive’, then it stands to reason that they can win. Nobody can win if they are not competing.

For Zimbabwe to be competitive requires everyone to contribute rather than two or three players producing outstanding, individual performances. Even if the likes of Brendan Taylor, Hamilton Masakadza or Elton Chigumbura do grab the headlines, the team will still falter if the rest of the players don’t do the basics well.

We have always been in that situation and we faced up to that reality. The players looked at the superstars in the world game and knew we couldn’t match them – with respect to Dave Houghton, Andy Flower and Heath Streak who were in a different class to the rest of us. But we knew that the sum of our parts could be much greater than the individual pieces if we worked hard and did the basics well.

South Africa, obviously, will be a very hard opening game. If they play to their best ability then they should win. But if we capitulate and lose control of our basic disciplines then it could make life difficult for the remaining games. They may be a team of world class individuals, but they will also be nervous – every team will be before their first game. I hope we remember that it is a game between bat and ball and don’t think about the ‘names’ and reputations.

Defeat against the UAE, however, will be completely unacceptable. Zimbabwe is a Test nation and we should never be embarrassed by associate nations. Without compromising the ‘stick to basics’ philosophy, I fully expect a degree of ruthlessness from the team.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2015.

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Kiwis register resounding win over SL

CHRISTCHURCH:

New Zealand cemented their status as genuine contenders for the World Cup with a dominating 98-run win over Sri Lanka in Saturday’s opening match in Christchurch.

Co-hosts New Zealand piled up 331-6 after losing the toss at a chilly Hagley Oval, with skipper Brendon McCullum (65) and Kane Williamson (57) laying the foundations for a big score before all-rounder and man of the match Corey Anderson smashed 75 off just 46 balls at the finish.

However, 24-year-old McCullum passed the credit to the two veterans in the side. McCullum, he said, erased any nerves in the side when he blasted a rapid 65 in a quickfire 111-run opening partnership with Martin Guptill to set up New Zealand’s impressive 331-6 in their 50 overs.

“We had a few nerves before the game, it being the first World Cup game, but they settled pretty quickly when Brendon and Guptill went about their work,” said Anderson.

“We all know McCullum as being someone that in a big event he really turns it on.”

Daniel Vettori then snared the key wickets of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jaywardene as New Zealand rolled Sri Lanka for 233.

Meanwhile, the most astonishing feature of Sri Lanka’s innings, however, was that the team’s spearhead, Lasith Malinga, went wicketless in an expensive 10-over spell costing 84 runs.

Sri Lanka were well-placed at 124-1 but their innings fell away, with all-rounder Anderson taking 2-18.

Thirimanne blames sloppy fielding for loss

Senior Sri Lanka batsman Lahiru Thirimanne blamed sloppy fielding for their 98-run hiding. “We leaked 20-30 runs through poor fielding,” said Thirimanne. “It was a good wicket and 280-290 would have been chaseable on this ground. But our fielding cost us.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2015.

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We need to forget recent poor patch: Dhoni

ADELAIDE:

India captain MS Dhoni urged his team to forget their losing streak in Australia as they prepared for their World Cup opener against arch-rivals Pakistan.

The defending champions have endured a miserable three months on tour in Australia where they were beaten 2-0 in the Tests and did not win a match in the subsequent tri-series.

But Dhoni said that Sunday’s clash against Pakistan, which he described as a ‘prized game’ on the cricket calendar, was an opportunity for players to transform themselves into heroes.

“There is of course more intensity when we play Pakistan because the game is followed by so many fans,” said the Indian captain. “But I see it as a good platform for the team to perform. We need to forget the past and try to not make the same mistakes. It’s been a long summer but the positive thing is that we have got used to the conditions. The boys are looking good.”

Unlike Pakistan, India have been lucky enough to escape injuries and have their first-choice 15 fit for the clash. “I can also proudly announce that all 15 are fit and available for selection — unless something happens between now and tomorrow.”

Dhoni said he did not need to calm nerves ahead of the key encounter, explaining his players were used to appearing before huge crowds in the Indian Premier League and during other high-profile home games.

A sell-out crowd of 47,000 at the refurbished Adelaide Oval and millions of passionate fans across the world will follow the Pool B match which organisers said was sold out within 20 minutes.

Dhoni played down repeated questions about India’s impressive 5-0 record World Cup record against Pakistan, saying what mattered more was how the team played on the given day. “All I know is that I am asked a lot of questions about the record,” he said. “I am not bothered about statistics because what happened in the past will count for little in what is a prized game for all.”

The current Indian squad has just four players — Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin and Dhoni himself — who were part of the winning side four years ago. “There have been a lot of changes in the last four years,” said Dhoni. “But the current team has played together for a long time and knows what is needed in pressure situations.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2015.

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Ignoring the environment: Rawal Lake cleaning project faces delay

ISLAMABAD: A project to clean Rawal Lake and Simly Dam faces possible delays as the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration has failed to submit a PC-1 of the project to the Finance Ministry.

Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) and civic authorities of the twin cities had agreed in October last year to install four water treatment plants at Rawal Lake in the first phase. The ICT was to prepare and submit a PC-1 “without delay” to the Finance Ministry but three months on, the plan has not been prepared yet. The project, it is feared, might not be a part of the 2015-16 budget due to the delay.

The plan agreed by ICT, Pak-EPA, Capital Development Authority (CDA), and Rawalpindi Water and Sanitation Authority was estimated to cost Rs2.2 billion.

Water pollution in Rawal Lake and Simly Dam has been on the rise recently.

Sewage water being used for agriculture

Parliamentarians have also voiced concerns at the rising pollution in Rawal Lake and reports of sewage being used for agriculture in suburban Islamabad.

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change, in a recent meeting, sought a response from the Climate Change Division over the usage of sewage for growing vegetables and crops in Tarlai and pollution in dams.

Minister for State for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab told the body on behalf of Pak-EPA that the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997 does not deal with issues that fall under the ICT municipal laws. He said that new laws were being formulated to address the problem.

The minister also claimed that the authorities regularly checked water from the reservoirs, tube-wells and filtration plants.

Pak-EPA officials told parliamentarians that the two dams are the source of water for agriculture and drinking purposes for residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. It said that environment had been devolved to the provinces under the 18th Amendment.

The agency said it was working with the ICT Administration and CDA to stop sewage polluting the catchment areas of Rawal and Simly dams.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2015.

Real Madrid bounces back

A nervy Real Madrid returned to winning ways Saturday with a 2-0 victory over mid-table Deportivo la Coruna at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Whatever happened to the daily horoscopes?

In India and Pakistan, lots of people believe in astrology which, throughout its history, was considered a scholarly tradition that goes back to the second millennium BC. It has been defined as one of the several pseudoscientific systems of divination based on the premise that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world. There was a time in Karachi when many individuals didn’t step out of their home unless they had consulted the horoscope in their morning paper. This included besides businessmen, politicians, surgeons and sportsmen, and even a former governor of Sindh, who initially insisted in driving to work in his own car. These days, some of the dailies have dropped the forecasts, possibly due to financial constraints, forcing devotees to go on the net, or visit local astrologers, palmists and tarot card readers.

I understand most of the syndicated horoscopes are written by women with exotic names that hint at Romany ancestry, though I never quite understand how, after studying the effect of the sun, the planets, the moon and the stars on human beings, they could guide a Scottish housewife to change her hairdresser. In Europe, the incumbents in the tent at carnivals, dressed in gaudy apparel, their heads wrapped in folds of muslin, staring into huge crystal bowls, are invariably women. I confess that for a time I used to read the horoscopes, even though some of the predictions had the blushing sensibilities of a Jane Austen’s vicar’s widow, though I did have a bit of trouble trying to respond to the vibrations of the planets. And then one day, many years ago, the inevitable happened. In a library I discovered four morning newspapers printed in English which carried horoscopes.

It was February and it happened to be my birthday, and wondered what the league of soothsayers had in store for me. This is what the first paper had to say. “Perhaps you will be feeling quite exhausted now. Certainly you have been pushing yourself extremely hard of late. It would be a good idea to slow down a bit. Postpone any important appointments until the following week.” As I had just returned from a relaxing holiday in the mountains, I tossed the paper aside and turned to the next daily. “Congratulations. Your boss will now grant you your hard-earned leave. You can take that trip into the mountains that you have been dreaming about. Take lots of warm clothes. Beware of foreign tourists who don’t carry cameras.” Paper number three was more specific. “Today is favourable for all creative and imaginative work. If you are currently engaged in the making of motion pictures being shot in the mountains, you will find many new and exciting ideas.” And finally, “unexpected financial gains are certain. Visitors are likely to drop in on Monday. Beware of salesmen selling toasters. You may start a new friendship with someone of the opposite sex. Travel on business may materialise. Avoid wearing blue on Saturday.”

I admire these writers who make a living by churning out 12 terse messages day after day, year after year, with rote-like predictability in an endless variety of permutations offering advice on when to pop the question, when to sell a failing stock or when to visit the doctor for the pimple in the groin. It is a measured caricature perfected over the years, balancing hope with despair, positive statement with innuendo. I don’t believe in horoscopes, but if certain superstitious readers get a kick out of them, I say to the editors, bring them back and stick them in the sports section. Who knows, we might get a tip for the World Cup.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2015.

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Our pitched battles

You hear the constant rat-a-tat of machine gun fire as people crouch down and huddle together for safety. It’s a terrifying, gut-wrenching video shot on a cell phone by some braveheart as he stares possible death in the face. He holds the phone camera steady, catching the attacker barging into the mosque hallway, firing like a maniac, and then exploding himself in a bloody carnage of death and mayhem.

This mobile footage of the attack on the Peshawar imambargah captures the horror of terrorism on tape like never before. But will a desensitised nation be moved?

It’s World Cup fever here as Pakistan battles India today in a combustible blend of sport, politics and history. For the eight hours this rivalry plays out on the cricketing field, little else will matter for us. Explosions, killings, sectarian genocide, slaughter of innocents and the burning fires of hatred, bigotry and intolerance — all will fade into the background as ball collides with bat amidst rapturous roars of millions of crazed fans. Eight hours of unity will cement a fractured nation in unparalleled ecstasy of winning, or the unbearable pain of losing. Dormant emotions will snarl like a raging river, smashing through dulled senses and resigned indifference to electrify a nation shocked into paralysis. And then…

Then it will end. The horrors will return and the nightmares will come back into focus. But only for a while. Yes, just for a bit, before the next match drags us back into a sea of cricketing passion.

Something is not right. The brazen slaughter of men, women and children shocks us for no more than a few days — or perhaps a few weeks. Collective anger flashes, then subsides. Resolve tightens, then lightens. Perhaps such is life. It moves on. Time heals all wounds.

“The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.” (Milan Kundera, author)

The horror of December 16 is not yet two months old. The slaughter in Shikarpur is a wound still bleeding, and the death toll from the carnage in Hayatabad is still rising. We are at war. But could you have guessed?

Life does indeed go on, even in the worst of times. During the decade-long civil war in Lebanon — where streets were little more than shooting galleries — people adjusted to the ravages of war by building walkways, shopping plazas and restaurants underground. Elevators in the hotels of Beirut even today have buttons that read B1, B2, B3, B4 and B5, ‘B’ of course denoting ‘Basement’ floors.

So yes, by all means let’s revel in the cricketing fever, let’s all dance with joy at every Pakistani success and weep tears of sorrow at the dismal performance (may it never come) — but — let’s not forget. Forgetfulness breeds apathy which leads to indifference and desensitisation. And when you have reluctant warriors as your leaders — men who would rather be shopping than leading this fight — then distractions like the World Cup can acquire an air of semi-permanence.

Every horror, every slaughter, every barbarity just seems to raise the bar of what we can stomach. Like the frog in the water who keeps adjusting to the temperature as the water heats up on a stove, and the frog ends up boiling to death, we too seem to be improving our threshold of pain with every successive bloody blow. No more, we say, and then more happens. Never again, we promise, till it does — again. The page has been turned, we are told, except it’s the same as the last one. And so it goes, round and round, spinning on its familiar axis, sameness over and over and over again. The boom boom of the bombs becomes fainter, the wailing and shrieking of victims becomes duller and more distant, and the empty rhetoric of leaders turns to unrecognisable gibberish as words and actions dissolve into nothingness.

Something is wrong here. Is it the guilt of enjoying the World Cup while brethren bury their dead? Is it the fakeness of solace in our humdrum routine while ‘other’ countrymen get slaughtered by terrorists? Or is it resigning to fate that things will just not change in Pakistan; that leaders will just not transform into statesmen; that we will never learn — ever — to rise above and beyond our own petty interests and agendas unless it happens to us?

Today then is a day of mixed emotions. Yes, we are all glued to our TVs, and perhaps no news, howsoever bad it is, will distract us from the Pakistan-India match. What resilience! What passion! What singularity of purpose and strength of resolve. Terror may strike, but we will not care. TV ratings will prove this if ever there is a doubt. No breaking news on any channel will snatch viewers away from the game. No sirs, that’s how the cookie crumbles; and that’s how we fight our monsters. Yep, with cricket.

Am I being cynical? No, not at all. I love my cricket. But I love my country too. I want my team to crush India. I want my country to crush terror. I want Team Pakistan to win the World Cup. But more than that, I want our nation to win this existential war that we are supposed to be fighting. Sure I want my electricity and gas back, I want my petrol to stay cheap and inflation to keep under control. Indeed, I want all the good things that every government promises — but more than anything else, I want security of life and property. More than anything else, I want my kids to stay safe.

So let us enjoy the game today, and let us hope we ground India into dust. But do not forget that revenge over India on the field pales into insignificance when compared with the revenge we want for the slaughter in Peshawar, Shikarpur, Hayatabad and all other cities awash with blood.

Here’s to victory on both fronts.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2015.

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Ali Gul Pir’s Shor Macha gets clean-bowled

KARACHI: The World Cup season is upon us yet again and with every tournament’s arrival, a catchy track is necessary to get the spectators’ spirits heightened. Sadly, it has not been the case this time around. Like Pakistan’s fast bowling stocks, the stocks for our world cup anthem also seem to be on an all-time low.

Defining a quality world cup anthem– it is one that manages to galvanise a listener, create excitement and spur on the viewer. Ali Gul Pir’s song- Shor Macha, fails to strike the right note and delivers the exact opposite of the definition.

Enough has been said and written about the world cup song produced by Strings, which features several Pakistani stars (such as Asrar), lip-syncing to the vocals of Atif Aslam. But that appears to be the tip of the iceberg as the Saeen of Satire, Ali Gul Pir returns to the fore with his World Cup song, Shor Macha- a song which would leave even the most passionate of spectators cold.

Unlike world cup songs of the past, Ali’s anthem fails to incite any emotion in the listener. The song ends up resonating more like a hodgepodge of sounds fused with rhyming lyrics and signifies zilch to the context it is intended for.

Over the last two years, Ali Gul Pir has delighted audiences with comic songs like Wadeire Ka Beta, Taaroo Maroo, and the more recently released Kaisa Diya.

The song is a far cry from Ali’s earlier release Tum Hi Toh Ho Saeen - an anthem which he released for the 2012 WT20 in Sri Lanka, a song which can be regarded as a better-produced version of his debut release, Waderay Ka Beta. Tum Hi Toh Ho Saeen saw the singer riding high on the waves of the Saeen Sensation and coupled with a catchy tune and star power proved to be yet another hit.

But when forced to come out of his comfort zone and produce something original, creative and catchy Ali Gul Pir failed to deliver.

In cricketing terminology, Ali’s latest offering can be termed as a slog and mis-hit. His songs have never been about quality music but are designed for one purpose only, which is to entertain the audience at all costs and get embedded in the listener’s head like a hook. Unfortunately, the song has been unable to live up to fans expectations.

Friends can be weapons in the battle of the bulge

NEW YORK: When it comes to joining a weight-loss programme, people trust their friends who have lost weight more than from advice of celebrities, said a study published in the Journal of Healthcare Engineering.

People who find success in a wellness programme are more influential in getting friends to sign up than a charismatic but less successful person, the findings showed.

“Your ties and social contacts may have a bigger effect because you see them every day and you have that close connection,” said Lora Cavuoto from the University of Buffalo.

“If they can be successful, then that’s your best way of getting information out that a programme is good and it works,” Cavuoto added.

The findings could help diet and exercise programmers reach more people by advising marketers on which people to target as endorsers.

The study simulated the behaviour of fictional people created, using combinations of physical attributes and personality traits, such as the ability to lose weight and a high or low-body mass index. The model distributed traits based on national population averages.

Based on the simulations, people in social networks linked to someone who successfully lost weight produced the largest total weight-loss among peers.

Networks surrounding people with a high number of charismatic or popular friends produced lower weight-loss totals.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2015.

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Behind Emmanuel Lubezki’s one take in Birdman

LOS ANGELES: Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki was finishing the complex filming of Gravity when director Alejandro G. Inarritu approached him with a daunting proposal: To film Birdman in a way that makes the movie look one continuous shot.

In an interview, Lubezki said his first thought was: “‘I hope I don’t get to do this’ because it was such a big challenge and I didn’t want it to be gimmicky.”

Known popularly as “Chivo” (‘goat’ in Spanish), Lubezki is a favourite to win the Academy Award on February 22 for best cinematography, a year after the Mexican earned his first for space thriller Gravity.

Birdman is also a front-runner for best picture.

A seven-time Oscar nominee, the 50-year-old Lubezki has what Inarritu describes as “beautiful talent and exquisite taste,” and together they have created a “terrific process.” They are now making their second film.

When Inarritu won the Directors Guild award last weekend, he joked with Gravity director and fellow Mexican Alfonso Cuaron about their “shared secret weapon.”

Still, Lubezki gives Inarritu full credit for the idea of the long, unbroken shot: From the beginning, the director wanted to immerse the audience in Riggan Thomson, played by Michael Keaton, and the collapse of his life as the former superhero actor attempting a comeback in his own Broadway play.

“He wanted this one shot not to be completely objective, so that made it very hard,” Lubezki said. “The shot is sometimes very subjective, so you are feeling what he is feeling and you are watching what he is watching, and then goes back to reveal the environment.”

Emotional grind

It was a formidable challenge for the actors to be filmed in long takes, accustomed as they are to working in tiny bursts of scenes. Keaton felt the full burden.

“He realised that this was no joke, that he had to learn all the dialogue and go through this whole emotional grind in very, very, long takes,” Lubezki said.

Only recently did Lubezki realize that “Michael Keaton is playing, like, five characters” in Riggan’s different states of mind.

“Sometimes he goes from one character to another, to another, in the same take with no safety net, so it is really, really hard,” he said.

The whole undertaking would have been much more taxing for Lubezki if Inarritu had gotten his wish of truly doing the movie in one unbroken shot, in a theater that had everything they needed.

“I just got lucky that we couldn’t find a theater to do all the guts of the theater and all the hallways and dressing rooms that worked,” he said. “And because of that, we had to chop.”

When they were nearly done shooting and they started to put a lot of the movie together, Lubezki said he suddenly felt “the pay-off was immense.”

“I have seen a lot of movies that have very long shots, but I have never seen a movie that is partly a comedy, that uses the close-ups these ways,” he said. “There was something very special about it.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2015.

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‘Tere bin’ takes Uzair Jaswal even further

ISLAMABAD:

Following the momentum of Pakistani artistes darting across the border and making a mark in Bollywood, Coke Studio Singer Uzair Jaswal makes his Bollywood debut with two songs in upcoming Sunny Leone starrer Leela.

It started when someone heard Jaswal sing on Coke Studio in England and traced his contact in Pakistan and eventually connected him to Mumbai. Speaking to The Express Tribune, Jaswal says that he was skeptical at first when he received a phone call from the director of the film, Bobby khan who showed interest in wanting to feature two of his personal favourites Tere Bin and Jaan Veh in the upcoming flick. However, discussing the opportunity with family and friends, he went ahead with the venture. “I was a little worried about giving away an important song that will appear and disappear, but then realised it was a good opportunity,” he confesses.

The film will be produced by Ahmed Khan and Gulshan Kumar.

“I was convinced by the filmmakers that my songs will play an important part in the movie,” he reveals.

The lyrics and composition of both the songs have been tailored according the requirement of the movie. “Tere Bin is one of the main songs and gels well with the story,” he adds. Excited about new choruses, Jaswal says, “It’s like the same picture in new frame. They are the same songs for me, but they have a whole new life now.”

The 24-year-old who started his career with launching songs on YouTube says that the channel being banned in Pakistan has limited opportunities for local artists, who could be crossing borders and making their mark.

“It has become extremely tough in Pakistan for young musicians to reach out alongside so many restrictions. When I started off, YouTube was all I had and it was the reason I became what I am today,” he claims.

Asserting the importance of the channel, Jaswal adds, “The YouTube ban has really hurt us musicians and artists all over. I hope something can be done about it soon. Social media plays such an important role to promote young talent and people who are doing their countries proud.”

On making it to Bollywood, he says, “It’s not about Bollywood. Any opportunity you get to reach out to people is worth it. It’s about exposure to new territories and new crowds. The thought of small villages in India playing my song excites me.”

Though the opportunity has opened up avenues for the artist, he intends to stay in Pakistan.

“There are no boundaries and borders for musicians and artists. I am proud to be doing stuff to make my country proud,” he says. “However, it is unfortunate that we get noticed more when we do projects abroad,” he remarks.

Jaswal will also feature in the upcoming movie Jailabee, made by his brother Yasir Jaswal, which is scheduled to release on 20^th of March. Undertaking a minor role in the movie, Jaswal says that the year-long project was something close to his heart. The singer has also composed music for the movie adding his song Jhooti to the soundtrack.

The musician-actor has also signed his second film with filmmaker Imran Kazmi which is likely to start shooting soon. When probed about his acting penchant, Jaswal asserts he prefers roles that require him to sing and act together.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2015.

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The mystical world of psychic sport predictions

While many have gambled to predict the outcomes of sporting events, others have turned to soothsayers and astrologers to help them pick the winning choice in important events.

In recent years, animals and robots with supposed psychic powers have come to the fore for predicting outcomes. We select five who have had an incredible success with predicting results.

1. Paul the octopus

Paul the octopus correctly chooses Spain to win the final this Sunday PHOTO:AFP

FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa observed the first time ever a mega sports event was forecasted by a psychic octopus “Paul”, with a success rate of 85 per cent- which includes choosing Spain as the champion. Two boxes of food bearing national flags were placed in front of the bewitched octopus for the prediction.

2. Nelly the elephant

Nelly kicks the ball in to either of the goal posts to predict the winner. PHOTO: AFP

Nelly is no rookie. He came in to the highlight during the Euro Football Championship 2012. He also has said to have predicted the correct UEFA Champions League winner of 2013, Bayern Munich along with 30 of 33 results correctly from the women’s FIFA World Cup in 2006, the men’s FIFA World Cup in 2010 and the Euro 2012, Nelly seems to be nothing short of a football ‘pundit.’

3. Bob the Sloth

Bob choosing Germany to win the final. PHOTO: Toronto Zoo

A sloth at the Toronto zoo, Bob has animal predictions has challenging results with 70 per cent success rate. The simple sloth does not do anything fancy like the ball kicking elephant he just reaches out for one of two flags he is presented with and got Germany’s right as well.

4. Shaheen the camel from Dubai

A screengrab of camel Shaheen from Dubai.

The leader of animal predictors after Paul was this camel. Shaheen is 19-of-29 on his FIFA World Cup 2010 picks, giving him a respectable 66 per cent success rate, far behind his predecessor, the legendary Paul.

5. “Ikram” the robot

A screengrab of the robot Ikram

The last predictor on the list is not an animal but a robot The mega sports event, ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 is “blessed” with the fortuneteller robot to predict the winners with great doubts on its accuracy as it chose Afghanistan as the champion- therefore no success so far. Eduardo Sandoval, a University of Canterbury HITLab PhD student in New Zealand, has developed the robot’s prediction software and says “cricket is an unexpected game” over its prediction.

There have been others apart from these ‘psychics’ such as Ukraine’s Fred the ferret and a pig called Funtik. The psychic list also includes llamas.

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One billion people to tune in for Pakistan vs India match

ADELAIDE: One billion people are expected to tune in for the biggest cricket rivalry of all time, India vs Pakistan, set to take off on Sunday at the Adelaide Oval.

Here are match facts to get you ready for the most anticipated match of the tournament:

1) The viewership of the match is expected to approach 1 billion people, according to the Washington Post.

PHOTO: REUTERS

2) We are not the only ones feeling the excitement. Google has designed a doodle for the match in the colour of Pakistan and India’s flags.

3) India and Pakistan have won five matches apiece of their last 10 ODI meetings.

PHOTO: AFP

4) Pakistan have lost their last seven ODIs in Australia. India have lost six of their last seven in Australia to produce a result.

PHOTO: AFP

5) Shahid Afridi’s ODI bowling average of 59.2 against India is his highest against any team — he has played against 16 oppositions in ODIs.

PHOTO: AFP

6) Virat Kohli has hit 14 centuries in 80 ODI innings batting second. Only Sachin Tendulkar (17 in 232 innings) has more tons when chasing.

PHOTO: REUTERS

7) Misbahul Haq is in line to become the first player to feature at a World Cup for a Test-playing nation at the age of 40+ since Somachandra De Silva for Sri Lanka in 1983.

PHOTO: REUTERS

8) Violence breaking out at India vs Pakistan cricket matches is not unheard of. At the 1999 World Cup, the match was disrupted by a fight that began after fans hurled insults at each other. Police said there were three arrests, two Pakistanis and one Indian. One man was injured by the fireworks, according to the Washington Post.