Amita Talwar belongs to a rare breed. A journalist turned publisher turned documentary maker turned photographer, she has enjoyed every role that came her way to the core.

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A photographer with a different focus, Amita Talwar was recently in Chennai for her solo photography exhibition. ‘I love travelling. It is like a spiritual quest for something. Here I experience the creator and I can feel the magic,’ says a beaming Amita as she sits amongst her favorite snaps at Sarala’s Art World, Alwarpet. And these travels have given her unexpected wonders by way of nature and human beings. We begin to look at nature with renewed respect once we see her photographs in the prakrithi category. They seem to evoke some kind of mysticism in our minds. The photographs taken during her innumerable travels around the country tell us that she is a born photographer. Sri Nagar, Dal lake, Jaipur, Prayag mela at Allahabad, Chattisgarh, Leh, Ladakh and Bhutan come alive in her photographs. ‘I can see peace in all these pictures. whether it be a Buddhist or a Hindu or an Islamic symbol, they all mean the same to me,’ says Amita. Interestingly enough temples, rituals and human conditions dominate Amita’s work. ‘I don’t like city temples. They don’t have the beauty of village ones. We need to go to a village to discover the charm of old temples,’ she asserts. Amita inherited the art of photography from her father Dayakrishna Puri. Her childhood in Patiala was amongst thousands of black and white photographs clicked by her father, and thus the love for the medium grew upon her. The editor and publisher of Channel 6 , a monthly magazine published from Hyderabad and Secundarabad Amita has been seriously pursuing photography for the last six years. And now she has thousands of photographs to her credit. ‘ Video shooting demands that we wait for the programme and also needs huge amounts of money. Besides we need to take help of others. But photography is a one person activity and I enjoy it like anything,’ she says. A high mega pixel camera she uses ensures a 300 dpi resolution. Amita believes in upholding the ethics of her profession. She would never invade into other people’s privacy in the name of photography. ‘Prior permission should be obtained before one begins taking pictures. By god’s grace there is no need to take permission for nature photographs,’ she jokes. There is a larger cause behind her photo exhibitions. The funds so raised will finally contribute to building of schools for the handicapped in Hawaali village in Chattisgarh and Ludhiana in Punjab

Kunnakudi takes the final bow

Tue, 09 Sep, 2008,03:42 PM . An ample forehead smeared with sacred ash and scarlet Kumkum right at the centre. Amongst a sea of musicians it was hard to miss Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan. The man and his music were familiar to the scholars of Carnatic music and the laymen alike. . Kunnakudi (he was readily identified with the name of his native rather than the name given to him to by his parents) did what most musicians of his generations considered almost blasphemous. It was his efforts that took Carnatic music within the reach of the layman. He was a craftsman who simplified Classical music for the common listener and made him appreciate it. The term janaranjagam found true meaning in his music. Born in 1935 at Kunnakudi to Ramaswamy Sastri and Meenakshi, Vaidyanathan evinced keen interest in Carnatic music since his young age. He mastered his music under the tutelage of his father who was a scholar in Sanskrit besides being proficient in Classical music . Even at a young age, he accompanied stalwarts like Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Semmangudi Sreenivasa Iyer and Maharajapuram Santhanam on the violin. He also performed with nagaswara vidwans like T N Rajarathinam Pillai and Thiruvenkadu Subramania Pillai. Known for his dexterity and subtlety in handling the violin, he catered not only to a scholar of music but also to a layman. His music reflected his own different moods and the demands of his audience with whom he established and enjoyed a good rapport. He dwelt with ease and competence in the high as well as the low octaves. A man of many talents, he ventured into the film industry with Vaa Raja Vaa. In the film Deivam, his composition Marudamalai mamaniyae murugaiyya became an evergreen hit. He had composed music for several films including Agathiyar and Raja Raja Chozhan. He even produced a Tamil musical titled Thodi Ragam featuring Carnatic vocalist T N Seshagopalan. Vaidyanathan made a special appearance in the Tamil blockbuster movie Anniyan directed by Shankar. He appeared for a scene on the Thiruvaiyaar music festival which preluded the song Iyengaaru Veetu in the film. Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan stopped accompanying vocal artistes in 1976 so as to concentrate on his solo concerts. He is well known for his experiments on the violin, which he referred as fingering techniques. He was conferred the Padma Shri by the Indian government. He received several honours including Kalaimamani, Sangita Mamani etc. He served as the president of Raaga Research Centre. Kunnakudi had contributed to the cause of theatres too. During his tenure as the president of Tamilnadu Iyal, Isai, Nataka Manram, he encouraged several new talents. The Carnatic music fraternity has expressed its deep shock at the sudden demise of Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan on Monday. Kunnakudi, breathed his last at his residence in Mylapore following a cardiac arrest. Expressing shock at his death, violinists duo Ganesh and Kumaresh said, ‘it is a big loss to Carntic music world. He was a guide for many aspiring musicians. He took up intense research in raagas and took Classical music to the common man.’ ‘The annual music festival in Thiruvaiyaru will lose its charm without the presence of Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan. His loss is irrevocable’, they added. According to Carnatic vocalist O S Thyagarajan, ‘Vaidyanathan was a popular name, who rendered yeoman service to Carnatic music. His demise is an irrevocable loss’. Says dramatist Raadhu, ‘I shared a good raport with Kunnakudi since 1954. He had a zeal to excel in his chosen field. A great scholar and a philosopher, Kunnakudi encouraged everyone and was generous with his praise for real talents.’ He took music close to the layman and always played to the gallery, he added. ‘Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan was a great violinist and had no equal in the field. He brought a status to the violin. His achievements cannot be numbered. He had a helping tendency and was responsible for helping many artistes obtain the recognition they deserved. His research on the healing effects of various ragas, was a great contribution to the medical world. He was a close associate of mine and his demise is a personal loss and a great loss to the music world’, said violinist M S Anantharaman. ‘He was a perfect gentleman, a capable administrator and great violinist. He produced melodious music that could entertain and appeal to all sections of people. He made the violin his very own and gave it a special status. His demise is a great loss to the music world’, said violinist M S Gopalakrishnan.

High alert has been sounded all across Tamilnadu following the serial blasts in Delhi. The blasts in the national capital last night claimed over 20 lives besides injuring 100. The Tamilnadu police have taken up extensive preventive measures across the State. A round-the-clock vigil has been taken up in Chennai and police conducted vehicular checks last night.

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A team of police led by City Police Commissioner Sekar raided lodges and hotels last night. A total of 408 persons have been taken into preventive custody. Security has been beefed up at Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchi, Tuticorin, Vellore, Salem. Police personnel have been deployed at all places of worship including Mylapore Kapaleeswarar temple, Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple, Thanjavur Brahadeeshwarar temple and Nellaiappar temple in Thirunelveli. ‘We are not taking any chance and have increased patrolling’, a senior police official said. Meanwhile, security has been beefed up at the Chennai airport, railway stations and bus stands. Cops have been deployed in large numbers at these exit and entry points. The passengers are allowed to enter these places only after thorough frisking by the cops.

Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign announced that it raised USD 66 million in August, marking another record fundraising month for the Democrat. The August total was second to the USD 55 million Obama raised last February during the primary campaign. He reached the USD 66 million mark with help from more than a half million new donors.

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Obama's total for August was almost USD 20 million more than the USD 47 million Republican rival John McCain raised last month. Obama's campaign said that with the latest figures he had more than USD 77 million in cash on hand. More details about the campaigns' finance are expected later this week, when their monthly financial reports are due at the Federal Election Commission. Obama, a prodigious fundraiser, has decided not to accept public financing for the general election, choosing instead to spend as much money as he can raise on his historic bid to put a Democrat back in the White House. Republican candidate John McCain has accepted public financing, which limits his direct spending to the USD 84 million he received after the Republican convention earlier this month. Obama's fundraisers have estimated that he still has to do better in September and October, than the August haul of USD 66 million, to remain on par with McCain and the Republican National Committee.

London, Aug 31: The Olympic torch relay before the 2012 Olympics will be limited to Britain after protests spoiled the worldwide relay ahead of the Beijing Games.

Tessa Jowell, the Olympics minister, told The Sunday Times that she had "a lot of enthusiasm" for the idea of the torch being taken round the "villages, towns and cities in the UK". Jowell, unveiling plans for four years of lead-up events, starting next month, said in an interview: "There would be no more powerful way of making them feel part of the Olympics, would there?"

Although welcoming the world will be one of the themes of the Cultural Olympiad that begins on the weekend of September 26, the torch relay is set to be restricted to Britain.

China's decision to take the torch around the world turned into a global protest by pro-Tibet campaigners, who tried to wrestle the torch from the hands of runners on stages in Europe.

The Beijing torch was surrounded by tracksuit-wearing security minders on its troubled passage around the globe.

The plans for Britain's Olympics, to be decared this week, show an effort to create a more welcoming atmosphere.

A week ahead of the opening ceremony on July 27, 2012, two days of free performances will take place on five stages along the Thames representing the continents and Olympic rings.

The World River weekend will mark the culmination of the Cultural Olympiad, which begins, with the Open Weekend next month.

Events include the illumination of Windsor Castle and other landmarks in the colours of London 2012.

Highlights over the coming four years will include festivals, free performances and the commissioning of a series of public works of art in each of the nine English regions, and one each in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

These will become national focal points for the Olympic celebrations and new works could include sculptures on the scale of the 65ft-high Angel of the North.

Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst could be among those approached to help the Arts Council choose winners from ideas submitted.

Jowell also disclosed that organisers have shaved 1.5 billion pounds off the cost of the Games by simplifying the design of the main stadium and aquatic centre, and reducing the size of the Olympic Park.

She admitted more money than originally predicted would be needed, but insisted the total cost to taxpayers would not rise above the 9.3 billion pounds budget.

"There's no more money. None from the taxpayer, none from the lottery, none from the government," she said.

Jowell, who has returned from three weeks in Beijing, said there were lessons to be learnt from China's experience.

Although the 2008 Games were acclaimed as the most spectacular ever, there were empty seats at events, security was often overzealous, and the opening and closing shows were considered too long.

Jowell believes there is a "good case" for staging shorter ceremonies and has staked her reputation on ensuring venues are packed.

"My ambition is to see seats filled, every Londoner having the opportunity to see some event, and people being able to come from around the country. It's not simple, but we are determined to crack this," she said

New Delhi/Vienna, Sep 6: US plan to lift a ban on India on the nuclear commerce was stalled from Friday, Sep 5 to Saturday after the revised proposal of India towards nuclear deal failed to get an approval from the NSG member countries, because it did not bind India to refrain from conducting nuclear bomb tests, diplomats said. The 45 member Nuclear supplier Group (NSG) of IAEA will resume their meeting at 2.30 pm on Saturday, Sep 6 to declare India 'clean waiver' after 34 years of long wait towards nuclear deal.

In an attempt to convince the smaller countries opposing NSG waiver for India, US diplomats have been engaged with the diplomats of smaller countries. The waiver document has already gone through two set of changes.

"You are probably aware that the Indian government has released a significant statement today with respect to India's non proliferation commitments. I report that statement has made a substantial impact on the governments of the NSG and that has facilitated the progress that we achieved today. US remains committed to reaching consensus in Vienna at the NSG to allow for nuclear trade with India." US Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security John Rood said.

"This is an important matter. This is a serious subject that is given a very serious discussion by our colleagues and I remain optimistic that we can achieve our objective to reach a consensus here," Rood said.

There were six countries opposing the NSG waiver for India at the start of the meeting, but at the end of round two that concluded at 2 am on Saturday, Austria and Ireland remained unconvinced. The rejection came stating that the amended language presented to them individually by US officials was 'inadequate'.

The two countries said India must categorically commit to refrain from nuclear tests and the document must spell out what kind of 'automatic reprisal' would follow in the event of transgression.

"Even though the negotiations could take more time, there might be a nod for the NSG waiver," said Austrian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Peter Launsky.

"Austria understands the importance of the nuclear deal for India. Austria appreciates significance of the fact that India is able to meet her energy needs. The Ministry of External Affairs said that the ongoing efforts should strengthen international non-proliferation. The objective of Austria going to the NSG meeting is that the result should reflect a net gain for the international security" he said.

"The participants have shown a constructive spirit. Efforts are on to include some auxiliary measures that would compliment existing draft and thus net gain for international security. There are ways and means of extending the limit of the talks by few hours," he added.

Ruling out any substantive changes, India has rejected any attempt to add a clause on testing to the waiver document. However, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday said that India was committed to non-proliferation and a unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing went a long way in converting sceptic countries over to its side.

Diplomats in vienna are altering the document to make it acceptable from all NSG members.

Even though the negotiations failed to make headway, sources say the fact that the talks haven"t broken down indicate that all the 45 NSG nations hope to evolve a consensus soon. According to the NSG rules, the waiver must be approved unanimously for it to be adopted.

Nagpur, Sep 6: President Pratibha Patil will arrive here on Saturday, Sep 6 on a two-day visit to Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. After reaching Nagpur by a special flight, the President will fly to Achalpur in Amravati District for laying the foundation stone of Finlay Mills.


After reaching Nagpur by a special flight, the President will fly to Achalpur in Amravati District for laying the foundation stone of Finlay Mills.

After an overnight stay at Amravati, the president will flag off a twice-a-week Amravati-Mumbai train on Sunday afternoon and lay the foundation stone for modernization of Amravati Railway Station. Maharashtra Governor S C Jamir, Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil are attending the President"s programmes. Patil will fly back to New Delhi the same evening via Nagpur.

New Delhi, Sep 5: Patiala High Court on Friday, Sep 5, sentenced Sanjeev Nanda, the key accused in the 1999 BMW hit and run case for five years. Businessman Rajiv Gupta gets one year rigorous imprisonment. A fine of Rs 10,000 is imposed on him. Six month jail was granted for helpers Bhola Nath and Shyam Singh also Rs 100 each to his two employees who were held guilty under section 201(destruction of evidence) of the IPC.

Sanjeev Nanda, I award you five years jail term and the time earlier spent by you inside the jail would be deducted," said Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Kumar, who had earlier convicted him under a stringent penal provision which carries a maximum punishment of 10

No immediate cut in Deora


New Delhi, Sep 5: The government on Friday, Sep 5 ruled out any immediate reduction in fuel prices, even as global crude oil prices have softened.

''...international prices will have to fall further to trigger a retail price reduction,'' Petroleum Minister Murli Deora told reporters here. Crude oil is being trade at over 106 dollar a barrel which is at the lowest level since April 4. ''Please pray that prices come down further so that we can consider reducing fuel prices,'' he said. The oil marketing companies such as IOC, HPCL and BPCL are are losing about Rs 400 crore per day on sale of petrol, diesel, domestic LPG and kerosene.

Gujarat Chief Minister is a teacher too... Impressed by Laloo's antics, Narendra Modi is the new politician to join the bandwagon of 'teaching' or shall we say 'preaching'. Students in schools and colleges across Gujarat were made to attend a one-hour Modi sermon. The programme, which was telecast live by Doordarshan Kendra, Gujarat.

A notice well before Teacher's Day was sent to all colleges and schools in Gujarat telling Narendra Modi will address the students. Modi also made it mandatory for students to watch this programme attentively, whether they want it or not. The District education officers made sure there were TV sets with cable connections in schools and colleges. The students were also administered an oath by the CM. A copy of the pledge was dispatched to all schools and the principals were asked to distribute photocopies to their students so that they can read the oath correctly.

Islamabad, Sep 6: Pakistan holds a presidential election on Saturday, Sep 6 to replace Pervez Musharraf, who resigned on August 18 under threat of impeachment by the coalition government led by the party of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Pakistan's ruling PPP chief Asif Ali Zardari appears set to sweep the presidential poll and would be expected to tackle problems like rising militancy and economic malaise after his election. Security will be tight as voting begins at 10 am on Saturday. Zardari has already moved house due to fears of attempts being made on his life.

MPs released as Zimbabwe parliament convenes

HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- The parliament that Zimbabwean voters elected five months ago finally convened Monday, but not before police briefly detained two opposition members.

Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC faction has a slim majority following parliamentary elections.

The election for parliament speaker is expected after President Robert Mugabe swears in members.

Two members of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) were arrested as they arrived at the opening session, but they were released after a short time, according to a government spokesman.

An MDC official said the arrests were part of the "sinister agenda of this regime" to "tilt the balance of numbers in their favour during the voting for the speaker of parliament."

One of those detained -- Shuwa Mudiwa -- appeared back in parliament, but the other member -- Elia Jembere -- was not seen, according to sources.

Government spokesman Bright Matonga said Jembere had been accused of rape, but that he has been released from custody.

A third member -- Elton Mangoma -- escaped an arrest attempt when other party members came to his rescue, MDC officials said.

Attendance at the session of parliament is important since the membership is closely divided between the MDC and the Mugabe's ZANU-PF.

The ruling ZANU-PF party lost its majority in the 210-seat parliament in elections in March, but vote recounts and political violence have delayed the body from convening until now.

Final results gave 100 seats to an MDC faction led by Morgan Tsvangirai, the party's presidential candidate. President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF got 99 seats. An offshoot of the main MDC party, led by Arthur Mutambara, won 10 seats. An independent candidate won one seat.

After the swearing-in ceremony, parliament is to vote on a speaker, the fourth most powerful post in the country. ZANU-PF will seek to re-elect incumbent John Nkomo. The two rival MDC factions have not agreed on a common candidate.

Tsvangirai's MDC has put forward its national chairman, Lovemore Moyo, for speaker, while Mutambara's smaller MDC faction is pushing senior party member Paul Themba Nyathi for the post, senior MDC sources said.

Tsvangirai, who was locked in a bitter presidential contest with Mugabe, had objected to Mugabe's decision to convene Zimbabwe's parliament, saying it could "decapitate" power-sharing talks that have been on hold for the past two weeks.

Still, Tsvangirai said he would attend the swearing-in ceremony.

MDC party spokesman Nelson Chamisa said all MDC members elected to parliament were expected to attend "except those few MPs who are still in hiding."

Indians arrest Kashmir separatists

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir (CNN) -- Indian authorities in Kashmir arrested more than a dozen pro-separatist leaders and placed the divided Himalayan region under an around-the-clock curfew to scuttle a planned pro-independence rally Monday.

Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers enforce curfew restrictions in Srinagar on August 24.

Still, stone-pelting mobs took the streets, clashing with police and security forces. One person was killed and 40 others were wounded, officials said.

Separatist groups had planned Monday's sit-in at Lal Chowk, or Red Square, to oppose Indian rule in the Muslim-majority region. Over the last two weeks, protesters have held several such demonstrations calling for independence.

Security forces shut down all roads leading into the city and put up corrugated tin sheets and barbed wires to barricade Lal Chowk.

The political leaders were rounded up in pre-dawn raids at their residences. Among them were Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who head the hardline and the moderate factions of the region's separatist parties.

Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan and claimed by both. The region has been the cause of two wars between the two countries.

Authorities say an Islamic insurgency in the region has claimed up to 43,000 lives since 1989, but human rights groups say the toll could be double.

Violence had dropped off since the two countries launched a peace process in 2004, but surged again after the state government announced a plan in June to donate land to a Hindu shrine, generating massive protests by Muslims.

Hindus took to the streets demanding it be restored and 30 people died in subsequent clashes between police and protesters.

China releases eight U.S. Olympics protesters

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Eight Americans arrested for planning or staging protests in Beijing were deported to the United States on Sunday, a U.S. Embassy spokesman said.

A plainclothes security official, bottom, grabs a Tibetan flag from three pro-Tibet activists in Beijing Thursday.

The U.S. Ambassador to China, Clark T. Randt Jr., had criticized the Chinese government for holding the Americans for several days.

He said it was the first time he knew of that a foreign national was detained for more than a few hours after being detained for protesting during the Olympic Games, which ended Sunday.

Six American members of the group "Free Tibet Reporters" and two Americans who unfurled a "Free Tibet" banner were put on a China Air flight to Los Angeles about 9 p.m. Sunday (1300 GMT), said Nick Snyder, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

Chinese law allows police to hold foreign nationals in jail for up to two weeks before pressing formal charges, but most other foreign protesters that China detained were held for only a few hours before authorities deported them.

The six members of "Free Tibet Reporters" were held for about four days, the embassy said, while the other two Americans were detained for about three days.

"We urge China to take positive steps to address international and domestic concerns about its record on human rights and religious freedom," Snyder said.

Russia signs cease-fire, tensions remain high..

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed the cease-fire plan designed to end its military conflict with Georgia, his office says.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a cease-fire deal designed to end the conflict with Georgia.

However, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said it would not completely withdraw from Georgian territory until troops had finished cleaning up ammunition, weapons and boobytraps left behind by Georgian troops.

Medvedev saw the cease-fire as "very positive," said spokesman Andrei Nesterenko Saturday.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili signed the deal Friday, during a visit from U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

It has been the toughest week in east-west relations since the end of the Cold War after Georgia launched an offensive against the Russian-allied separatist government in South Ossetia and Russia responded by invading, the conflict also spreading to a second breakaway region -- Abkhazia.

The fighting has died down, but Russian troops remained within 25 miles (40 kilometers) of Georgia's capital Tbilisi Saturday, and were still on the western front around the breakaway section of Abkhazia, according to CNN's Frederik Pleitgen.

Nesterenko told CNN the troops were "completing security operations," which included removing "huge depots" of ammunition and equipment and boobytraps left behind by retreating Georgian troops.

The fighting has raised fears a new era of east-west confrontation was drawing closer, which was worsened Friday by Russian anger over a U.S. deal with Poland to base part of its missile shield in the country.

The deal, signed Thursday, would see U.S. interceptor rockets based in Poland and linked to an air-defense radar system in the Czech Republic.

Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, a top Russian officer, highlighted Russia's anger with the system, saying that Poland was now at risk of attack, perhaps with nuclear weapons, The Associated Press reported.

Poland moved to diffuse the situation Saturday, saying it was open to Russian inspections of the missile interceptor base, AP reported. However, the Ukraine said it was interested in joining a joint missile defense system with other European countries.

Ukraine Foreign Ministry spokesman Liubov Abravitova would not specify if it was referring to the U.S. system. Watch devastation in port of Poti »

Ukraine also warned Russia it may not allow its ships involved in blockading Georgian ports to return to Crimea bases it leases from Ukraine.

The U.S. maintains its missile shield is to deter rogue attacks from Iran, but Russia says it is aimed at it.

The level of rhetoric on both sides has grown louder through the week, U.S. President George W. Bush chiding Russia for Cold War-style behavior in its territorial conflict with Georgia, accusing it of "bullying and intimidation."

Medvedev said Russia would "guarantee" peace in the Caucasus region but made no commitment to remove its forces from Georgia or its breakaway territories.

Meanwhile Rice warned Russia that it had to withdraw its troops after the cease-fire deal was signed.

Rice said international observers followed by neutral peacekeepers should be dispatched quickly to Georgia and its separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, where Russia has a peacekeeping mission. Watch Rice demand Russia's withdrawal »

The conflict began late last week, when Georgia launched a military incursion into South Ossetia in an effort to rout separatist rebels.

Russia -- which supports the separatists, many of whom claim Russian citizenship -- has peacekeeping responsibilities for the region and responded by sending tanks into the province for what it said was peace enforcement. From there the violence spread into Georgia and Abkhazia.

Under the cease-fire, about 1,500 Russian peacekeepers are allowed to remain, and can do patrols about 6 kilometers outside, the "zone of conflict," a reference to South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

They are not permitted to patrol in Gori and other Georgian cities and cannot hamper aid distribution or control ports, highways or railroads, the officials said. Watch President Bush on 'why Georgia matters' »

Electric bikes provide greener commute

When Honora Wolfe and her husband moved to the outskirts of Boulder, Colorado, she wanted an environmentally friendly way to commute to her job as a bookshop owner in the city.

Ed Poor rides an eZee Quando II electric bike to work in New York City.

Wolfe, 60, found her solution about a month ago: an electric bicycle. It gets her to work quickly, is easy on her arthritis and is better for the environment than a car.

"I'm not out to win any races," she said. "I want to get a little fresh air and exercise, and cut my carbon footprint, and spend less money on gas. And where I live, I can ride my bike seven months out of the year."

The surging cost of gasoline and a desire for a greener commute are turning more people to electric bikes as an unconventional form of transportation. They function like a typical two-wheeler but with a battery-powered assist, and bike dealers, riders and experts say they are flying off the racks.

Official sales figures are hard to pin down, but the Gluskin-Townley Group, which does market research for the National Bicycle Dealers Association, estimates 10,000 electric bikes were sold in the U.S. in 2007, up from 6,000 in 2006.

Bert Cebular, who owns the electric bike and scooter dealership NYCeWheels in New York, said his sales are up about 50 percent so far this year over last. Amazon.com Inc. says sales of electric bikes surged more than 6,000 percent in July from a year earlier, in part because of its expanded offerings.

"The electric bikes are the next big thing," said Frank Jamerson, a former General Motors Corp. executive turned electric vehicle guru.

They're even more popular in Europe, where Sophie Nenner, who opened a Paris bike store in 2005, says motorists boxed in by traffic jams are looking for an alternative for short journeys that doesn't involve navigating overcrowded transport systems.

Industry associations estimate 89,000 electric bikes were sold in the Netherlands last year, while 60,000 power-assisted bikes were sold in Germany.

The principle behind electric bikes is akin to that behind hybrid cars: Combine the conventional technology -- in this case, old-fashioned pedaling -- with a battery-powered motor.

The net result is a vehicle that rides a bit like a scooter, with some legwork required. Most models have a motorcycle-like throttle that gives a boost while going up hills or accelerating from a stop. On some models, the motor kicks in automatically and adjusts its torque based on how hard the rider pedals.

Although regulations vary by state, federal law classifies electric bikes as bicycles, and no license or registration is required as long as they don't go faster than 20 mph and their power doesn't exceed 750 watts.

Price largely determines weight, quality and battery type. A few hundred dollars gets you an IZIP mountain bike from Amazon with a heavy lead-acid battery. For $1,400, you can buy a 250-watt folding bike powered by a more-powerful, longer-lasting nickel-metal hydride battery like those in a camera or a Toyota Prius. At the high end, $2,525 buys an extra-light 350-watt model sporting a lightweight lithium-ion battery similar to a laptop's. Most models can go at least 20 miles before plugging in to recharge.

Joe Conforti, a commercial film director from New York, uses a four-year-old model designed by former auto titan Lee Iacocca in the 1990s for running errands or getting to social occasions.

"It's really nice," said Conforti, who is eagerly looking to upgrade to a newer, more powerful ride. "If you've got a date, you go to meet friends -- you go out on a (conventional) bike, you're gonna sweat up. You go out in an electric bike, it's great it's terrific, you're not gonna sweat up and you ride home fine."

Bike dealers said the growing demand goes beyond just the uptick in gas prices, but also because of word of mouth. Cebular said business at his store and on his Web site has been booming.

"Fifty percent of that increase is probably because of gas prices, and the rest is that there's just more bikes out there," said Cebular, who has run his shop on Manhattan's Upper East Side for seven years.

Improved technology also has made electric bikes more popular, Cebular said.

"When I started, there was only one bike that had a nickel-metal hydride battery -- everything else was lead-acid and was 80 or 90 pounds," he said. "That's a huge improvement."

Jay Townley, a partner at Gluskin-Townley, said the latest electric bikes are sleeker, better looking and hide their often-clunky batteries better than ever. That goes a long way to attract baby boomers and other mainstream customers.

"The new designs that we've seen in the marketplace are going to inure to the benefit of the electric bike companies," he said.

Ultra Motor, an England-based electric bike and scooter company, is betting big that it can capitalize on what it seems as a growing market for attractive-looking two-wheelers designed specifically for U.S. commuters. The company on Tuesday unveiled its "A2B" model, a slick, low-riding electric bike.

Ultra Motor took a conventional bicycle and redesigned it with fatter wheels, a lower center of gravity and a thick shaft designed to hide the lithium-ion battery inside, U.S. Chief Executive Chris Deyo said. The result is a cross between a motorcycle and a mountain bike.

The company already has signed up 75 dealers nationwide to sell the $2,500 bike starting next month.

"A year ago, when you mentioned the word electric bike, people looked at you and they really weren't sure what it was," Deyo said. "Today, what we're finding is we're actually having dealers call us seeking an electric bike to meet the demand."

Jamerson, the former GM executive who has become a staunch advocate for electric transportation, believes this is only the beginning for electric bikes. He retired from GM in 1993 after helping develop the company's EV1 electric car, and he's been an avid follower of alternative transportation ever since.

The EV1 project, though widely seen as a spectacular failure, helped convince Jamerson of the value of electric transportation. Given soaring fuel prices and thinning patience with foreign dependence on oil, Americans are ready to embrace electric vehicles, he said.

"Did you know there are 70 million electric bikes on the road today in China, and they are selling at the rate of 2.6 million electric bikes a year?" he said. "The public at large needs to understand that it is the right thing to do to move to electric transportation, and electric bikes and electric scooters will allow you to do that, to get that familiarity."

As for Wolfe, she could not be happier with her bike, a 48-pound mountain bike with a lithium-ion-powered assist made by California-based IZIP. A self-described "tree-hugger for decades," she drives her Honda Insight hybrid car or rides the bus when she's not using her bike to get to work.

It's part of her own personal campaign to reduce her carbon footprint. She also powers her home with help from a set of rooftop solar panels, and a geothermal furnace heats and cools it.

The furnace, she adds, even heats her water. Just one more way to reduce emissions, she said.

"Even my 92-year-old mother has a Prius," she said. "So I come by my green credentials genetically"

Woman hurt in Olympics stabbing back in U.S.

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- The woman whose husband was killed in a knife attack while attending the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, and who was herself critically wounded in the attack, is back in the United States, according to her doctors.

Chinese police are shown at the Drum Tower in Beijing last weekend.

Barbara Bachman arrived at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, late Friday morning, according to a written statement from the hospital.

The release says Bachman suffered "significant and life-threatening abdominal injuries" in the attack, which happened at a tourist site in Beijing last Saturday. She was listed in fair condition.

Her husband, Todd Bachman was killed in the attack. The stabber, a divorced and recently unemployed man from the eastern city of Hangzhou, committed suicide after the attack by jumping from the ancient Drum Tower, a popular tourist attraction.

The couple's daughter is married to U.S. men's indoor volleyball head coach Hugh McCutcheon. It is not believed the couple were targeted for being Americans, with authorities calling the stabbings "an isolated criminal act."

The clinic said Bachman was "alert, talking, and has good memory function" and that she received "excellent care" while in China, where she underwent surgery after the attack

Georgia men defend Bigfoot body claims

CNN) -- A pair of Georgia men faced more than a half-hour of skeptical questions from reporters Friday as they defended their claim that they stumbled upon the body of Bigfoot while hiking in a remote North Georgia forest.

The thawed body of a creature reputed to be Bigfoot reportedly weighs more than 500 pounds.

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Introduced by a publicist and beside a man who promoted what turned out to be a fake Bigfoot discovery in 1995, Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer repeatedly said that their claim is not a hoax and that scientific analysis will prove it.

"We were not looking for Bigfoot. ... We wouldn't know what we were doing if we did," said Whitton, a police officer on leave after being shot in the hand while making an arrest. "I didn't believe in Bigfoot at the time. ... But you've got to come to terms with it and realize you've got something special. And that's what it was."

The men say they were hiking in early June when they discovered the body of a 7-foot-7, 500-pound half-ape, half-human creature near a stream. They also claim to have spotted about three similar living creatures -- and showed reporters video stills of what they say is one of those creatures shadowing them through the woods. Watch report of scientist skeptical of Bigfoot claim »

The announcement, which the men first made on the Internet radio show "Squatch Detective" several weeks ago, has been greeted with healthy skepticism, even among some Bigfoot enthusiasts.

Scientists, including the head of North Georgia College and State University's biology department, have said it's unlikely a tribe of 7-foot-tall creatures would have avoided discovery in a region popular among hikers, hunters and vacationers.

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Several Web sites have popped up questioning the claim and comparing a photo that the men say is the creature's body inside a freezer to a widely available Bigfoot costume.

On Friday, Whitton acknowledged creating a pair of videos posted on the Internet video site YouTube, one in which his brother poses as a scientist and another in which Whitton briefly seems to admit that the body is a fake.

"It seems that the stalkers have busted us in a hoax," he says in the video. But then adds, "we still have a corpse. We just wanted to give you something to do for the weekend."

At Friday's news conference, Whitton first said that no video existed in which he calls the discovery a hoax.

But after speaking to Tom Biscardi, the self-described "Real Bigfoot Hunter" who has been searching for the creature of legend since 1971, he said the video was made "to have a little fun with it" and was originally intended to throw off the "psychos" who had stalked him and his family since the men first made their claim.

The two also promoted a Web site registered to Whitton on June 16 and said they plan to write a book about their experience.

Friday's news conference was held in Palo Alto, California, near the home of Biscardi. About 100 reporters and onlookers attended the event, in a hotel banquet room, including a man who shouted questions while wearing a gorilla suit.

Dyer and Whitton said they were carrying a video camera during their hike to film wildlife.

They said they handed the body over to Biscardi, who is keeping it at an undisclosed location until a team of scientists can examine it.

One of the two photographs the men gave to reporters Friday showed what appears to be the creature's mouth, an effort to disprove allegations that what's in the photo is a costume.

"I want to get to the bottom of it," Biscardi said. "I'll tell you what I've seen and what I've touched and what I've felt, what I've prodded was not a mask sewed onto a bear hide, OK?"

Biscardi acknowledged that he promoted a fake Bigfoot discovery in 1995, saying the woman who claimed to have the body convinced his staff members before he visited her and discovered that she was mentally ill.

Phelps ties Spitz's record with seventh gold medal ... just barely

His Olympics looking lost, Michael Phelps decided to flap those gangly arms one more time.

Milorad Cavic, inches from spoiling it all, glided along just under the surface, convinced he had won gold.

But it didn't matter who was fastest. Just first.

Phelps swam into history with a magnificent finish Saturday, tying Mark Spitz with his seventh gold medal by the narrowest of margins in the 100-meter butterfly.

One-hundredth of a second, the time it takes lightning to strike the ground.

Whew!

"Dream as big as you can dream and anything is possible," Phelps said. "I am sort of in a dream world. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure it is real."

Call it the Great Haul of China -- and it's not done yet. Phelps has one more race on Sunday, which will likely complete his coronation as the greatest Olympian ever.

Spitz already ceded the title.

"It goes to show you that not only is this guy the greatest swimmer of all time and the greatest Olympian of all time, he's maybe the greatest athlete of all time," said the icon of the 1972 Munich Games. "He's the greatest racer who ever walked the planet."

The finish was so close the Serbian delegation filed a protest and swimming's governing body had to review the tape down to the 10-thousandth of a second.

Phelps thought he lost -- until he saw the "1" beside his name on the scoreboard.

"When I did chop the last stroke, I thought that had cost me the race," he said. "But it was actually the opposite. If I had glided, I would have been way too long. I took short, faster strokes to try to get my hand on the wall. I ended up making the right decision."

Phelps' time was 50.58 seconds, the only time in these Olympics that he won an event without breaking the world record.

Not to worry. The 23-year-old from Baltimore has now pulled even with the greatest of Olympic records.

"One word: epic," Spitz told The Associated Press from Detroit. "I'm so proud of what he's been able to do. I did what I did and it was in my day in those set of circumstances. For 36 years it stood as a benchmark. I'm just pleased that somebody was inspired by what I had done. He's entitled to every second of what's occurring to him now.

"I feel a tremendous load off my back."

Phelps will return on Sunday to swim in his final event of these games, taking the butterfly leg of the 400 medley relay. The Americans will be heavily favored to give him his eighth gold, leaving Spitz behind.

Phelps slapped his hands on the water and let out a scream after the astonishing finish. The crowd at the Water Cube gasped -- it looked as though Cavic had won -- then roared when the "1" popped up beside the American's name.

Cavic's time was 50.59.

The Serbian delegation filed a protest, but conceded that Phelps won after reviewing the tape provided by FINA, swimming's governing body. USA Swimming spokeswoman Jamie Olsen said the tape was slowed to one frame every 10-thousandth of a second to make sure Phelps actually touched first.

It was impossible to tell on regular-speed replays.

"We filed the protest but it is already over," said Branislav Jevtic, Serbia's chief of mission for all sports. "They examined the video and I think the case is closed. The video says (Phelps) finished first.

"In my opinion, it's not right, but we must follow the rules. Everybody saw what happened."

FINA referee Ben Ekumbo of Kenya said there was no doubt who won after a review of the super-slow replay.

"It was very clear that the Serbian swimmer touched second after Michael Phelps," he said. "One was stroking and one was gliding."

Cavic still wasn't sure he actually lost, but said he would accept FINA's ruling.

"I'm stoked with what happened," Cavic said. "I don't want to fight this. People will be bringing this up for years and saying you won that race. If we got to do this again, I would win it."

Cavic watched the replay himself.

"It's kind of hard to see," he said. "I know I had a long finish and Michael Phelps had a short finish."

A notoriously slow starter -- Phelps was seventh out of eight at the turn -- he really turned it on with the return lap, his long arms gobbling up huge chunks of water as he closed the gap on Cavic and fellow American Ian Crocker, the world record-holder.

As they approached the finish, with Phelps' head in line with Cavic's shoulder, the Serb took his final big stroke and glided underwater toward the gold. Phelps, his timing a bit off but fully aware of where he was, did another mini-stroke, propelling his upper body out of the water, swooping his arms in a huge circular motion and slamming the wall with his hands on the follow-through.

Phelps watched the replay on the video board, then saw it again in the massage area.

"I saw it slow down frame by frame," he said. "It's almost too close to see."

It was reminiscent of the 100 fly finish at Athens four years ago, where Crocker appeared to have the race won but Phelps got him at the wall by 0.04.

"I thought four one-hundredths was close and I was shocked then," Phelps said. "I'm even more shocked now than I was then. One-hundredth is the smallest margin of victory in our sport. I guess it's pretty cool."

Makes that 400 free relay, in which Jason Lezak chased down France's Alain Bernard to win by eight-hundredths of a second, look like a blowout.

"My last two Olympics I've been able to nail my finishes, and it's been by four one-hundredths and one one-hundredths," Phelps said. "I'm happy and kind of at a loss for words."

As if Phelps needed any extra motivation, his coach, Bob Bowman, took note of Cavic's reported comments a day earlier that it would be best for the sport if the American lost.

On their way to breakfast, Bowman brought it up.

"I wasn't going to at first, then I was saying to myself, 'This race is going to be very tight and I'm going to use everything I got,' so I put it out there," Bowman said, chuckling. "Maybe it was worth a hundredth."

Just enough.

"It fires me up more than anything," Phelps said. "I always welcome comments. It definitely motivates me even more."

Cavic didn't leave anything to chance, either. Right before the race, coach Mike Bottom shaved a few stray hairs off the back of his swimmer's neck, looking for any edge he could get.

The 24-year-old Serb endeared himself to his homeland in March when he was suspended from the European championships for wearing a T-shirt proclaiming "Kosovo is Serbia" -- a reference to Kosovo's disputed declaration of independence.

After returning home, Cavic was greeted by hundreds of fans and met with Serbian nationalist Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, who called the swimmer a "hero."

Cavic knew where Phelps was all along.

"There was no need to look over," he said. "I saw his shadow in the corner of my goggles."

Phelps collected a $1 million bonus that Speedo, one of his sponsors, first offered four years ago if he could tie or break Spitz's record. Phelps failed to cash in at the Athens Games, where he won six golds and two bronzes, but he got it on his second try.

What's left? Already the winningest Olympian ever with 13 golds and most likely a 14th before he leaves Beijing, Phelps will have another thing to shoot for at the 2012 London Games. Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina captured a record 18 medals in her career: nine golds, five silvers and four bronzes.

"My big goal is to change the sport of swimming," Phelps said. "I am sure Bob and I can think of some more goals in the next four years."

Phelps set world records in his first six events, some of them by ridiculously large margins. He merely settled for a personal best and Olympic record in the 100 fly, which will at least give Spitz's supporters some reason to gloat: all seven of his wins in Munich were with world records.

But, like Spitz, Phelps is 7-for-7 with a chance for one more.

Or maybe that should be 6.99-for-7.

Andrew Lauterstein of Australia won the bronze medal in 51.12. Expected to be Phelps' main challenger, Crocker was again denied the first individual gold of his career. He didn't even win a medal, finishing fourth by a hundredth of a second in 51.13.

"It was a tight one," Crocker said. "I saw my short differential between getting a medal or not, but then I realized Michael's was pretty close, too. I'm really glad that he came out on top.

"It was everything that an Olympic final should be. It doesn't matter who's in the heats, you just got to get out and race and it's anybody's game. It was one of the more intense races that I've been in, which makes it a great way to end the meet."

While the medley relay figures to be nothing more than a coronation, Phelps isn't ready to talk about No. 8.

"It's not over yet," he said. "I really think the Australian team looks great for the relay. It's going to be a race."

Lauterstein was just thrilled to be part of history.

"It was an amazing final," he said. "Every time you race Phelps, you'll have a great race and a great time. Just hearing his arms slap on the block gets your heart racing, he's amazing."

Those arms sure came in handy Saturday.

Overshadowed by Phelps, two more world records fell on the next-to-last day of swimming -- the 22nd and 23rd of a lightning-quick week.

Rebecca Adlington of Britain won gold in the 800 freestyle, breaking Janet Evans' 19-year-old world record -- the oldest in swimming. Adlington touched in 8:14.10 to crush the mark of 8:16.22 set by the American in Tokyo on Aug. 20, 1989. Alessia Filippi of Italy took the silver and Lotte Friis of Denmark the bronze.

Adlington completed a sweep of the women's distance events in Beijing, having upset American Katie Hoff to win the 400 freestyle. There were no Americans in the field after Hoff and Kate Ziegler were shockingly eliminated in the preliminaries.

Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe finally won a gold in Beijing, defending her Olympic title in the 200 backstroke with a world record of 2:05.24. She lowered the mark of 2:06.09 set by Margaret Hoelzer at the U.S. trials last month.

Hoelzer not only lost her record but had to settle for silver. Reiko Nakamura of Japan earned the bronze.

No one was happier than Cesar Cielo, who won Brazil's first swimming gold with an upset in the 50 freestyle. He broke down crying on the medal stand and was mobbed by his teammates on deck.

He won in 21.30, lowering his own Olympic mark of 21.34 that he set in the semifinals. Amaury Leveaux of France took the silver in 21.45. Alain Bernard of France, the 100-meter champion, won bronze in 21.49.

World champion Ben Wildman-Tobriner of the United States was fifth and Aussie Eamon Sullivan, the world record-holder and silver medalist in the 100, could only manage sixth.

Also, 41-year-old Dara Torres of the U.S. cruised into the final of the 50 free with the fastest semifinal time, 24.27. Australian teenager Cate Campbell was second at 24.42.

The final is Sunday, the wrapup to a thrilling competition at the Water Cube.

But the legacy of these Olympics is already assured.

Mindzayev described the situation in the city Saturday as "complicated and nervous." He said that there were many unexploded shells laying on the ground. He also accused Georgian agents of shooting at people in the city, a claim that could not be independently confirmed.

Russian Emergency Situations Ministry troops were erecting a camp near the scorched shell of the South Ossetian parliament building. For the first time in days, there were more cars on the street than tanks.

Farther south, the Russian presence in Gori is strategically critical: The city sits along Georgia's only significant east-west highway, allowing the Russians effectively to split the nation in two.

As in many parts of Georgia, aid has been slow to come. On Thursday, staff from the United Nations refugee agency and its World Food Program hoped to enter Gori to assess whether it was safe to deliver humanitarian aid.

The situation turned ugly. South Ossetian militiamen appeared, pointing weapons, and began shoving civilians and shouting at people to leave the area.

Georgian police had come to enter Gori but turned back when confrontation developed between the Russian military and the Georgian army.

On Friday, Russian military vehicles were blocking the eastern road into the city, although they allowed in one Georgia bus filled with loaves of bread.

Garadzim Tamgiashvili, 46, an unemployed electrician with graying red hair, said there was a lot of looting in the city by South Ossetians and Russians before the Russian military arrived. He said they killed civilians.

He said the Russian soldiers told him they planned to "give it to the Americans."

"We know this is a war between the West and Russia," he said.

Residents reported atrocities in the villages between Gori and Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian provincial capital. Outside Gori, an Associated Press reporter saw a burning wheat field. In the village of Tirdznise, the body of a Georgian soldier lay swollen in the heat.

But for the moment, Gori itself seemed to be a showcase. The Russian troops had stopped the looting, restored order.

One of the few younger women left was Iya Kinvilashvili, 30, the owner of a now-empty shop. Standing next to a church that has organized handouts of bread and flour, she said the Russians were behaving well.

"When is peace coming?" she asked. "We only want peace. We never wanted this war.

GOETI, Georgia - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a truce with Georgia on Saturday, a definitive step toward ending the fighting there despite the uncertainty on the ground reflected by Russian soldiers digging in just 30 miles from the Georgian capital.
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Medvedev spokesman Alexei Pavlov said Medvedev signed the agreement in the resort city of Sochi, where the president has a summer residence, but did not give further details. It was not immediately clear if any troops had begun pulling back after Medvedev signed the cease-fire.

The agreement was signed by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili the day before. It calls for both sides forces to pull back to positions they held before fighting erupted Aug. 8 after Georgia launched a massive barrage to try to take control of the Russian-backed separatist region of South Ossetia. The Russian army quickly overwhelmed the forces of its small U.S.-backed neighbor and then drove deep into Georgia.

The Russian seizure of territory including the strategic city of Gori about 20 miles from Igoeti, raised fears that Russia aimed for a permanent occupation of the country that was once was part of its empire.

The shallow foxholes being gouged out of the earth at Igoeti on Saturday could indicate the Russians' intention to stay awhile. But they could be meant for defensive positions to guard their comrades as they withdraw.

Farther up the road toward Gori, a Russian armored personnel carrier sat behind a newly made earthen embankment. Other military vehicles were on the roadside, camouflaged by tree branches.

Refugees have begun returning to the heavily damaged South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali. On Saturday, many were sweeping up glass and debris from the fighting.

Teams of ethnic Georgians, some under armed guard, were being forced to clean the streets of South Ossetia's capital on Saturday. It was the first apparent evidence of humiliation or abuse of Georgians in the breakaway republic.

Mikhail Mindzayev, the interior minister for South Ossetia said police were cracking down on looters. Officers shot and killed two looters on Thursday, he said, and if they catch someone with a car or truck loaded with furniture or TV sets — and the driver does not seem to be the rightful owner — both the goods and the car will be burned

13 killed as heavy rains lash Andhra Pradesh Hyderabad: At least 13 people have been killed in heavy rains and flash floods that have wreaked havoc in the state capital and other parts of Andhra Pradesh, officials said. Eight people were killed in three incidents of house collapse as incessant rain since Friday night inundated dozens of residential areas and threw vehicular traffic out of gear. Medak district accounted for three deaths while two people were killed in Vijayawada in the coastal district of Krishna. With this, the death toll in heavy rains and flash floods since last week rose to 26. The rains, under the influence of a low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal, led to flash floods as several rivulets, streams and tanks were overflowing. The low-lying areas around the water bodies were inundated. The state capital recorded 13.6 cm rainfall on Friday night, meteorological officials said. The heavy rains resulted in inundation of roads and residential areas, disrupting electricity and communication lines. Three people were killed when a house wall collapsed in Gulzar Houz neighbourhood in the old city area. A couple died in a house collapse in Gokul Plots in Miyapur neighbourhood. A mother and her daughter were killed in another wall collapse in Basvataraka Nagar in Filmnagar area. Three people died in house collapse in Medak district in Telangana region while a similar incident in Vijayawada city claimed two lives. Chief Minister Y S Rajasekahara Reddy cancelled his scheduled visit to Krishna district and reviewed the situation with top officials. He directed the district collectors to take up evacuation of people from low lying areas and take all steps to provide relief to the affected. (IANS)

FLUMMOXED: V.V.S. Laxman succumbs again to Ajantha Mendis, stumped this time. It is the fifth time in as many innings that the stylish right-hander has been snared by the Lankan spinner in this series.

Colombo: Sri Lanka dismissed India for 249 on the first day of the crucial third Test, gaining the ascendancy through Ajantha Mendis’s five for 56 after being asked to bowl.

It was Mendis’s fifth successive haul of four wickets or more, and it curtailed an Indian innings that was curiously book-ended by two partnerships of 51. India’s famed middle-order didn’t enhance its reputation, the Fab Four managing a mere 76 among them.

Sri Lanka finished Friday on 14 for one in reply.

Earlier, India’s openers affected a manner of assured urgency on a cloudy morning, making the most of some undisciplined new-ball bowling, to race past 50 in just over half an hour. In between, Virender Sehwag was dropped at short square-leg off Chaminda Vaas, the batsman eventually swallowing the baited short-pitched delivery, before nearly being run out.

Prasad pacy

The control Mahela Jayawardene wished to exert over India’s openers, who had sparked similarly busy starts in both innings at Galle, was being compromised. The Sri Lankan captain, although visibly frustrated, persevered with Dammika Prasad.

The debutant reached speeds of 140 kmph, once touching 145, with a bustling, muscly, direct action; but the tendency of his head to fall away at delivery caused him to spray the odd ball like an out-of-control hose. When he got everything together, however, he tested the batsman.

Having been welted on the hand by a cracking Sehwag drive, Prasad let the batsman have a delivery that straightened like a curly strand through a hair iron. Sehwag had to play the ball, such was its line. The resultant nick was pouched by Prasanna Jayawardene, the wicketkeeper.

Double blow

Prasad then switched ends, reduced his pace a fraction to the mid-to-high 130s, and struck a vital double blow. He snared both Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar with deliveries that swung in — not dramatic, arcing swing, but enough to defeat the strokes intended.

Dravid, having dealt securely with Mendis, playing with bat well in front of pad, stretched too far across to Prasad, his front foot outside the delivery’s launched line. Umpire Mark Benson deemed that the batsman had hit it, prompting Jayawardene to ask for a review.

Replays showed ball eluding bat; the impact on the front pad was on off-stump — but only just. With the evidence available to Benson, he had to overturn his decision. Tendulkar referred his leg-before decision, and although it appeared to the naked eye as if the ball might have slipped down the leg-side, replays suggested that Benson’s initial estimate was defensible.

Third fifty

India went to lunch at 104 for three, with Gambhir having batted beautifully for his third consecutive half-century. The left-handed opener bested Vaas in an intriguing battle. The left-armer swung deliveries away from Gambhir, testing his ability to keep his shape and not thrust with his bottom hand.

Gambhir countered by playing outside the line, often advancing off the wrong foot with a Hayden-like two step. From this position, Gambhir picked the gap between mid-wicket and mid-on. He pulled the inevitable short stuff that followed. The 26-year-old also picked Mendis and Muralitharan from the hand, leaving deliveries with authority.

Just as Gambhir and Sourav Ganguly seemed to have wrestled back the initiative, taking India to 151 for three, Muralitharan struck. Ganguly, who had charged the off-spinner and struck him for a towering straight six, succumbed to indecision. His bat remained in the way of a quickish off-break, like an overzealous valet disinclined to leave, and Mahela held the catch at slip.

Smart instinct

Gambhir was done in by a smart piece of bowling, and an even smarter show of instinct. Mendis, who had trapped the left-hander in front with a googly at Galle (ball striking pad before bat in the squeezed-together defensive stroke), did the same with an off-break.

Mahela recognised immediately the situation, and the referral returned a favourable verdict for Sri Lanka. V.V.S. Laxman and Parthiv Patel tried to get a partnership started, finding limited success before Mendis deceived Laxman for the fifth time in as many innings. The dismissal showcased both Mendis and Prasanna Jayawardene. The carom ball had Laxman overbalancing — the batsman wristed a non-existent ball to the leg-side, while the real thing slipped past having cut away from the right-hander. Prasanna’s collection and removal of bails was fluidity itself.

Parthiv fell leg before to another carom ball; Kumble played outside a cunning Mendis googly; Harbhajan swiped fatally at Muralitharan: India crashed to 198 for nine.

Ishant and Zaheer applied themselves admirably, showing how it’s done and delaying their bowling stint. Zaheer struck out boldly from time to time, swinging Muralitharan for six and hitting Prasad through cover in a manner befitting a Caribbean. By the time he fell to another splendid bit of work from Prasanna — the keeper collecting softly a high-bouncing Mendis googly and disturbing the stumps before the batsman got back — Zaheer had offered India some succour.

Ishant then ensured India would end Friday in good spirits, bowling Warnapura behind his legs. Much work remains for India if it is to continue to have designs on the series — Saturday’s first session will be vital.

SCOREBOARD

  India — 1st innings: G. Gambhir lbw b Mendis 72, V. Sehwag c P. Jayawardene b Prasad 21, R. Dravid lbw b Prasad 10, S. Tendulkar lbw b Prasad 6, S. Ganguly c M. Jayawardene b Muralitharan 35, V.V.S. Laxman st P. Jayawardene b Mendis 25, P. Patel lbw b Mendis 13, A. Kumble b Mendis 1, Harbhajan c Vandort b Muralitharan 3, Ishant (not out) 17, Zaheer st P. Jayawardene b Mendis 32, Extras (b-1, lb-8, nb-5) 14; Total (in 80 overs) 249.

Fall of wickets: 1-51 (Sehwag), 2-92 (Dravid), 3-102 (Tendulkar), 4-151 (Ganguly), 5-155 (Gambhir), 6-190 (Laxman), 7-195 (Patel), 8-196 (Kumble), 9-198 (Harbhajan).

Sri Lanka bowling: Vaas 12-1-44-0, Prasad 17-0-82-3, Mendis 28-4-56-5, Muralitharan 23-3-58-2.

Sri Lanka — 1st innings: M. Vandort (batting) 3, M. Warnapura b Ishant 8, C. Vaas (batting) 0, Extras (b-1, lb-2) 3; Total (for one wicket in eight overs) 14.

Fall of wicket: 1-14 (Warnapura).

India bowling: Zaheer 4-1-9-0, Ishant 4-2-2-1.