GoanTimes August, 31 2018

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Friday, August 31, 2018 | www.goantimes.titosgoa.com | 12 Pages 

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COASTAL BELT ON THE BOIL 

* Protests erupt opposing PDAs, CRZ 

* Lobo sees RED, says people who have people’s trust are trying to malign me 

onday saw a huge protest to 

thousands of people gathered for 

Mthe protests against the ODPS, 

PDA, Draft CRZ this week. While it is a 

good thing to keep a check on authorities 

and oppose the illegalities one has to 

also see the political repercussions of the 

same. GOAN TIMES digs deep to find out 

why the people seem to be so agitated. 

Not just the people, there were 

children, housewives, priests and nuns 

who descended at Calangute circle to 

oppose the “draconian” as they said, 

ODP and PDAs. 

Yes, peaceful protest is the right of 

every citizen of this democratic country 

but off late this seems to become a 

regular feature and as they say anything 

and everything is being opposed off late. 

After the protest against the Greater 

Panjim PDA, the activists have turned 

towards the Calangute Candolim ODP 

and so also to oppose the decreasing 

the CRZto 50-meters. 

While the spirit of the people was 

palpable what was striking that not many 

had the idea of what they were opposing. 

More importantly, people like Joseph 

Sequeira, the ex sarpanch and the 

former MLA Agnelo Fernandes also 

supported them. 

“This is something hilarious,” said 

one individual speaking to Goan Times, 

What the person meant and further 

explained was that the people who gave 

birth to illegalities were themselves 

opposing. 

Calangute-Candolim 

needs planning? 

Yes, there are so many illegalities that 

90 per cent of the hotels and residential 

houses are illegal and someone needs 

to take initiative and bring a end to 

this illegalities. 

The coastal area of Calangute, 

Candolim and Baga is so congested that 

in an event of fire or any emergency it 

is difficult for even emergency vehicle 

to enter during season. 

“There is a need for wider roads, 

better planning, cattle pounds etc,” 

says local MLA Michael Lobo addinal 

“our constituency comes in the top 

tourist destinations in the world and 

we need to give the tourists good 

memories of their stay and not traffic 

jams and congested places”. 

Lobo explained that 90 per cent of 

houses are illegal and someday they 

will have to legalise it. 

Protests motivated 

Lobo, who is in the eye of the storm 

over the Planning and Development 

Areas (PDAs), Outline Development 

Plan (ODP) says the protests are 

politically motivated. 

Lobo, also Deputy and Chairman of 

North Goa Planning and Development 

Authority, has slammed his bête-noire 

former MLAs Agnelo Fernandes and exsarpanch 

Joseph Sequeira for alleging 

that ODP would finish Calangute. 

Recently, Fernandes and Sequeira 

said the ODP, being prepared by the 

NGPDA under the chairmanship of 

Lobo, would finish the local community. 

However Lobo has taken strong 

exception to the comments saying the 

people who have lost people’s trust are 

now trying to malign his image. 

“They’re saying I’m bringing in 

builders from Delhi, but there is no 

land available in Calangute in the 

CRZ areas,” Lobo lamented. “It’s all 

owned by locals, who have their own 

guesthouses and don’t want to sell 

them.” Lobo said the land in CRZ areas 

“which belongs to outsiders” was 

sold when Sequeira was heading the 

panchayat and Fernandes was MLA. 

“Politicians who have lost elections 

are now trying to misguide the people by 

saying the ODP will lead to destruction 

of hills and agricultural fields, but it is 

these politicians,who were responsible 

for marking the Calangute hill slopes 

at Boa Viagem as settlement zones in 

regional plan 2021.” He added the ODP 

has changed that from settlement to 

orchard to preserve its greenery. 

The protest 

The villagers from Nagoa, Arpora, 

Parra, Calangute, Candolim and 

surrounding areas took out a peaceful 

rally on Monday afternoon to display 

their opposition to the ODP, PDA, Draft 

CRZ 2018 and other issues. 

A crowd of over 1,000 gathered 

together for a peaceful march from the 

Dolphin Circle opposite St Alex Church, 

Calangute concluded at the Dayanand 

Bandodkar’s Statue at Calangute Beach. 

People shouted slogans such as PDA/ 

ODP Amka Naka, Drugs/Prostitution 

Amka Naka, Amchi Matti Amka Zai 

and Goenkarponn Amka Zai. 

What is notable is that the protests 

are backed also by a few politicians 

who themselves were involved in these 

illegalities. 

Arturo D’Souza of Goenkars Against 

PDA congratulated the people for 

coming out in large numbers to protest 

against issues plaguing their villagers. 

He also felt that this fight is being taken 

up for the youth who are the future and 

who should in turn carry on this fight. 

“We have seen what has happened 

in Kerala, how the low lying areas 

have got totally submerged, it is high 

time we wake up or our State may 

be next. The Goa government is only 

out to destroy but the people of Goa 

will decide their future in the next 

elections. Without taking the locals 

into confidence projects are being 

slated. According to me we do not even 

need such a government,” Arturo said. 

The Founder of Goa Foundation, 

Claude Alvares said, “We can see that 

every area is going out of the hands of 

the Goans. We need to get together to 

oppose this to save something for our 

children. Of late we have witnessed 

people building houses in fields or even 

on the beach area. The government 

cannot do anything and hence the 

common people have to go to court”. 

St Alex Church Calangute, Parish 

Priest Fr Polly Lobo appealed to the 

crowd that we should not allow a repeat 

of the disaster that occurred at Kerala 

and should stop felling of trees. He spoke 

about how drugs are easily accessible 

to the youth of Calangute. He also spoke 

about the other vices that are plaguing 

the village which need to be stopped to 

ensure a better future for the youth. 

Activist, Rama Kankonkar while 

addressed the gathering stated that he 

was happy to see the restlessness of the 

people of Goa. 

“This fight is not against any political 

party or politician. These will come and 

go but Goenkarponn once gone will not 

come back. These people in power are 

only fooling the people of Goa,” he said. 

The signatures of locals gathered 

at the rally were collected and a 

memorandum was prepared which 

will be submitted to the CM’s office as 

well as to the offices of other concerned 

authorities. 

The rally was organised by the Social 

Action Team of Calangute Parish 

Council in collaboration with Centre 

for Responsible Tourism along with 

other Parish Associations and NGO’s.

02 World 


Raksha Bandhan 2018: Narendra Modi, Ram Nath 

Kovind celebrate with children, greet nation on festival 

On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan on 

Saturday, children tied rakhi to Prime 

Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. 

Students from various schools took 

part in the festivities and tied rakhi 

on Modi's wrist. The prime minister 

Twitter @BJP4India 

blessed the girls who tied him a rakhi 

and wished the nation on social media. 

Children also tied rakhi to President 

Ram Nath Kovind on Raksha Bandhan. 

Students from many schools also 

participated and celebrated Raksha 

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Email: GOANTIMES1@GMAIL.COM 

presidentofindia.nic.in 

Bandhan with the president. He too 

greeted the nation on social media 

and hoped that the festival would 

strengthen the feeling of brotherhood 

in the country. He also wished for a 

society safe for women and girls. 

Kofi Annan 

remembered in Ghana 

ACCRA. — The national flags of Ghana 

are flying at half mast across the 

country and at the country’s missions 

around the globe. 

Kofi Annan, former United Nations 

(UN) Secretary-General, passed on at a 

hospital in Bern, Switzerland, after a 

short illness. 

“We knew that in August he tends to 

come to Ghana and stay in his house 

and family members will go and see 

him. So we were looking forward to 

seeing him in August. So to hear this 

news is really shattering,” Kojo Amoo 

Gottfried, Ghana’s former ambassador 

to China, told Xinhua on Saturday 

hours after the news broke. 

Commentators say not only do people in 

war-torn countries recognise the greatness 

of Annan, who took over from Boutros 

Boutros-Ghali in 1997 as the seventh UN 

secretary-general, but also the youth and 

women see a father figure in him. 

“To say he is a statesman is an 

understatement. He lived a fulfilled life 

always preaching peace and fairness in 

the world and he practiced it so much,” 

Ghana’s deputy information minister 

Nana Ama Dokuaa Asiamah-Adjei 

remarked in an interview with Xinhua. 

“His fight for the youth, his fight for 

women, we cannot forget,” she said, adding 

that her wish was for Annan to have stayed 

a little longer for Ghana and Africa to tap 

into his reservoir of experience. 

The expert credited the late secretarygeneral 

with the introduction of the 

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), 

now the Sustainable Development Goals 

(SDGs), as well as some of the finest 

works on HIV and AIDS, the green 

revolution and new thinking into ICT. 

First Country in the 

World to Give Free 

Sanitary Products to 

All Students 

Scotland is now set to become the first 

country in the world that provides free 

feminine hygiene products to all of 

their students. 

The $6.6 million (£5.2 million) 

initiative will benefit roughly 400,000 

students across all of the country’s 

schools, universities, and colleges. 

Recent surveys have shown that one in 

four responding pupils have had trouble 

accessing sanitary products, while one in 

five participants have experienced “period 

poverty” in the past. The new scheme 

will ensure that Scottish students will no 

longer have to forgo their hygienic needs 

based on their income or social situation. 

“In a country as rich as Scotland 

it’s unacceptable that anyone should 

struggle to buy basic sanitary products,” 

said communities secretary, Aileen 

Campbell, according to The Guardian. 

“I am proud that Scotland is taking 

this world-leading action to fight period 

poverty and I welcome the support of local 

authorities, colleges and universities in 

implementing this initiative. 

“Our £5.2m investment will mean these 

essential products will be available to 

those who need them in a sensitive and 

dignified way, which will make it easier 

for students to full focus on their studies.” 

AirAsia offers cheap 

international flight 

tickets from Rs 4,399. 

AirAsia is launching lucrative 

discounts for all its international flyers 

in its 'Thailand on Sale!' deal. 

The tickets under the offer start at 

an all-inclusive rate of Rs 4,399 and are 

only available for select routes. 

In order to avail the benefits of the 

scheme a customer has to book tickets in 

advance till September 2, 2018. The offer 

is only available on connecting flights too. 

According to the official website of the 

airline, the offer is available for flights 

flying to Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, 

Chiand Mai and many others. 

The cheapest ticket under the offer 

is of Rs 3,999 and is available for the 

Bhubaneswar to Kolkata route. 

Other cheap flying options are available 

for the routes Kochi to Kuala Lumpur (Rs. 

5,399), Kolkata to Kuala Lumpur (Rs. 6,999), 

Goa to Kuala Lumpur (Rs. 8,223), Jaipur to 

Kuala Lumpur (Rs. 4,890), Bhubaneswar to 

Krabi (Rs 6,610) and many more. 

The offer is only available for a 

limited travel period and ends on 

February 17, 2019.

03 Touristic 


India and Bulgaria to sign MoU to promote tourism 

NEW DELHI: India and Bulgaria will soon 

have a Memorandum of Understanding 

(MoU) in a bid to promote tourism. The 

Union Cabinet has approved the signing 

of MoU between India and Bulgaria for 

strengthening cooperation in tourism. 

Bulgaria is a potential tourism market 

for India as the latter received over 

5,200 tourists from Bulgaria in 2017. The 

signing of the MoU with Bulgaria will 

be instrumental in increasing its tourist 

arrival from what is being seen as an 

important source market. 

Eco tourism unit 

inaugurated in 

Old Goa 

Panaji, Aug 16 (UNI) The Indian 

Council of Agricultural Research 

(ICAR) - Central Coastal Agricultural 

Research Institute (CCARI) at Old Goa 

threw open its doors of its agro-eco 

tourism 

unit to the public on Thursday. This 

unit was inaugurated by the Director 

General, ICAR, New Delhi earlier in 

July this year. 

The Chief Guest for the function was 

Deepak Narvekar, Senior Manager 

(Public Relations and Marketing), Goa 

Tourism Development Corporation 

Ltd. (GTDC). 

The Director ICAR-CCARI, Old Goa, 

Dr E B Chakurkar, while welcoming 

the gathering expressed how the 

mission and mandate of ICAR also 

included Agro-eco tourism. 

"Farmers form the backbone of India 

and if we want to ensure that the 

income of farmers doubles, we can't 

only rely on increasing production and 

prices. The farmers should look at the 

potential in value addition and 

presentation of products. We must 

co-relate and link agriculture and 

tourism," he said. 

"We will help disseminate knowledge 

in agro-eco tourism to farmers, 

academician and the youth of Goa," he 

added. 

UNI AKM 1729 

In addition to expanding bilateral 

cooperation in the tourism sector, 

the MoU also facilitates exchange 

of information and data related to 

tourism. The signing of the MoU is also 

likely to enhance cooperation among 

the different groups of stakeholders, 

including hotels, tour operators 

who would also be responsible for 

arranging exchange visits of tour 

operators, media, opinion makers for 

promotions of two-way tourism. 

The two countries will also exchange 

experiences in areas of promotion, 

marketing, destination development 

and management. Fostering bilateral 

cooperation through film tourism not 

only helps promote the countries as 

attractive tourist destinations but also 

as safe and sustainable, according to 

the Ministry of Tourism. 

In another effort to make India a 

popular Buddhist circuit destination, 

the Ministry of Tourism recently 

held the sixth international Buddhist 

conclave on the theme of Buddha Path 

Shop for your Home 

needs at Valanka! 

- The Living Heritage. Delegates were 

taken for site visits to Aurangabad, 

Rajgir, Nalanda, Bodhgaya and 

Sarnath during the conclave. 

Delegates from 29 countries, including 

Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, 

Cambodia, Canada, China, France, 

Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, 

Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mangolia, Myanmar, 

Nepal, Norway, Russia, Singapore, 

South Korea, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sri 

Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, USA and 

Vietnam participated in the conclave. 

Mahabaleshwar 

beats Cherrapunji 

to become the 

2nd wettest place 

this season 

GUWAHATI: Mahabaleshwar in 

Maharashtra, which received profuse 

rain this monsoon, beats Cherrapunji 

to be the second wettest place after 

Mawsynram this season. 

India Meteorological Department 

(IMD) data revealed that the hill station 

in the state of Maharashtra received 

a staggering 5661.6 mm rainfall this 

season till now, much more than 

Cherrapunji's 4735 mm. 

According to A K Srivastava, head 

of climate monitoring and analysis at 

IMD said that this monsoon too, rainfall 

has been below normal over northeast 

India, while it has been quite good over 

central India and the west coast. 

/ 90752 06544 

Calangute - Anjuna Rd, Naika Vaddo, Bardez, Calangute, Goa 

Phone: 0832 228 2662

04 Technology 


New iPhones will focus on 

speed and camera upgrades 

As Apple's upcoming September 

product announcement approaches, 

rumors are surfacing about what they 

have planned for this release cycle. 

A new report from Bloomberg claims 

Apple will launch three new iPhone 

models, Apple Watches with larger 

screens, updated AirPods, an AirPower 

wireless charger and updated iPad Pros. 

These three new iPhones will keep 

the same bezel-less screen as the 

iPhone X, but will come in varying 

sizes and price ranges to appeal to 

more customers. The largest model 

will come with a 6.5-inch OLED 

screen, making it the largest iPhone 

ever. The next step down will have a 

6.1-inch LCD screen and is meant as a 

Drones to take flight 

in Indian skies 

legally from Dec 1 

Indian drone enthusiasts have a reason to 

cheer. After many years of deliberations, 

the Ministry of Civil Aviation has 

announced the country’s first drone policy. 

This will put an end to the ambiguity 

regarding drone-flying rules and the task 

of seeking police permissions. This policy 

allows for the commercial usage of drones 

from December 1. Further, the stipulations 

refer to what can be classified as a 

remotely piloted aircraft, how they can fly, 

and restrictions they have to adhere to. 

So, how does the DGCA define 

drones? It states that “the remotely 

piloted aircraft, its associated remote 

pilot station(s), command and control 

links and any other components forms 

a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System 

(RPAS).” Further, these RPAs will 

require a Unique Identification Number 

(UIN), an Unmanned Aircraft Operator 

Creative Artist Agency 

replacement to the iPhone 8. Finally, 

the iPhone X's replacement will be 

a 5.8-inch OLED model with a faster 

processor and improved camera. All 

three devices will come with Face ID. 

In order to maintain sales, Apple is 

looking to bump up device prices and 

will also continue to focus on markets 

outside of the US where they have less 

than a 25% market share. 

Bloomberg's sources, who requested 

anonymity, are calling this an "S Year." 

That means new iPhones will generally 

have the same design as the previous 

generation, but will have updated 

internal components and features. 

Next year's launch will come with 

more significant changes. 

Besides those iPhone details, not much 

is known about the other products yet. 

The new Apple Watches will be very 

similar in size to previous models, but 

will come with a larger screen and 

smaller bezels. The iPad Pros will likely 

come in 11-inch and 12.9-inch variants 

and just like the iPhone X, will remove 

the home button in favor of Face ID. 

Permit (UAOP), and will have to adhere 

to other operational requirements. 

Moreover, the regulation elaborates on “no 

drone zones.” Thus, areas around airports, 

near international borders, important 

military installations, etc. are a strict no-no. 

Besides, owners and pilots will need the 

requisite permissions. Users will have 

to apply for permission on the Digital 

Sky Platform app, which has put up "no 

permission, no takeoff” criteria. What’s 

more, operators will obtain digital permits 

instantly through an automated process. 

Additionally, during daytime, drones 

can be flown at a height of up to 400ft. 

The DGCA has also classified the 

drones as nano, micro, small, medium, 

and large and provided the norms 

under which they can be used. 

Meanwhile, this is just a preliminary 

policy and has, therefore, been termed 

Regulations 1.0. This heralds a new 

phase of a possible drone culture in 

India. Don’t be surprised if you soon 

begin to receive drone deliveries from 

Amazon and Flipkart! 

Entertainment from A to Z. 

Russian and Belly Dancers, Jugglers, 

Fire and LED Performances. Aerial 

Gymnasts, Hostesses, Welcome Acts, 

Coyote, Musicians & Much More. 

BOOK OUR ARTISTS! 

We do Special Creative Acts! 

Fb: charizma.india | YouTube: Charizmaindia | Instagram: @charizma_india 

Email: charizmaindia@gmail.com | Call: +91 988 117 2149 

Female Characters 

Take Centre Stage 

in Upcoming Video 

Games 

FIFA will be receiving a major update in 

its upcoming edition, FIFA 19. The game 

will allow players to play as a female 

American soccer player in its story mode. 

The storyline shows Character Kim 

Hunter, a young American soccer player, 

aiming to win the Women's World Cup. 

The addition reflects a major shift taking 

place in the gaming industry. Developers 

are increasingly coming up with strong 

female lead characters in their games. A 

similar upcoming addition was shown in 

'Battlefield V’, featuring a female soldier 

with a prosthetic arm. The upcoming 

updates to these games are being 

showcased at Cologne's Gamescom 

Nokia 6.1 Plus goes out 

of stock on Flipkart in 

less than 3 minutes, 

150 units sold every 

second 

The Nokia 6.1 Plus went on sale for the 

first time in India today via Nokia's 

online store and Flipkart at 12pm. In 

less than 3 minutes, the phone went out 

of stock on Flipkart. This is something 

unheard of for a Nokia phone in India, 

but Flipkart sources told India Today 

Tech that 150 units of the Nokia 6.1 Plus 

were sold every second for those three 

minutes. A rough calculation would 

suggest that the company sold a total of 

around 27,000 units on Flipkart alone, 

but this is just speculation until exact 

numbers are provided by the company. 

The Nokia 6.1 Plus sports a 5.8-inch 

FHD+ (2280x1080) display with a 19:9 

aspect ratio and a display notch. It 

sports Gorilla Glass 3 on the front 

and back which is glossy and has a 

premium look to it. It is powered by 

an octa-core Snapdragon 636 chipset 

coupled with 4GB of RAM. You get 64GB 

of internal storage, which is expandable 

up to 400GB via a microSD card. 

The dual sim Nokia 6.1 Plus is an 

Android One device which brings pure, 

stock Android Oreo. 16MP + 5MP dual 

camera setup on the back with f/2.0 

aperture and a 16-megapixel sensor 

on the front with similar aperture. It 

boasts a 3,060mAh battery with support 

for fast charging via USB Type-C. 

Located at a stone 

throw away from 

Baga beach with a 

panoramic sea view 

located on Tito’s 

lane. An Alfresco 

restaurant that offers 

a multi- cuisine 

menu of local Goan, 

Continental and 

Italian food. 

This place has some of the best Vintage 

Wines and Spirits both Indian and International. 

It’s the perfect place to meet and connect with 

other such amazing foodies, laugh with friends 

over drinks or chill out while the live band 

performances keep you entertained. 

The staff here are very friendly and 

informative, and with quick service. This 

place is definitely eye catchy on the inside 

with soft lighting and a very vintage look. To 

one side is the bar where the music keeps 

on playing and the bartenders flip and mix 

the perfect drink for you while you catch up 

on your favourite Sports or Music channels 

on the huge television 

situated above the bar. 

On the other side you 

will find a calm place 

with lovely ambiance, 

soft music and very 

attractive lighting. 

The Restaurant is 

open from 12 pm to 

3am. The ambiance 

is the key in any 

restaurant and Tito’s 

is one that has kept 

up its mark!

05 Lifestyle 


Made by a lady in Japan, these 

cat-like hand bags look so real, 

they're freaking creepy 

only sold on Yahoo! Auction Japan. 

Pico's Twitter handle is @Picopoco08, 

and recently a photo of one of her cat 

bags gained popularity on Twitter and 

got thousands of retweets and favourites. 

Harish Bist emerged 

Winner of the Goa Flair 

Challenge August - 2018 

28 Aug, Tito's, Baga: The results of Goa Flair Challenge of August month is out 

and Harish Bist of Club Tito's clinched the Winner's title. 

It's not everyday that a housewife 

sitting in one part of the world creates 

something by hand that goes viral 

and becomes all the rage online. But 

that's exactly what happened with 

Pico, a Japanese housewife, whose 

brainchild of creating hand-made bags 

that resemble cats, just became a huge 

hit. It goes without saying that the lady 

loves the furry creatures. 

Although the bags feature cats 

usually in a sitting position, some of 

the cats even have legs and accessories 

like hats, such as the one below. 

Pico describes herself as a cat-loving 

housewife who also enjoys making 

stuffed cat toys and bags. She uses 

wool felt to create the realistic body 

and furry textures. As the bag also 

comes with zipper and a strap you can 

actually freak people out by reaching 

into what looks like your pet cat to pull 

out your wallet. Creepy, but funny! 

As she is the only person who makes 

such realistic bags which requires a 

lot of detail, they take quite a while to 

prepare and get retail ready. Also the 

bags are not easily available; they are 

US state bans use 

of word 'meat' for 

lab-grown meat 

What's the definition of "meat"? Once 

upon a time that would have been an 

easy enough question to answer, but 

the advent of meat-substitute products 

such as the Impossible Burger and 

the arrival of cultured meat -- aka 

lab-grown meat -- has given regulators 

in Missouri pause for thought. On 

Tuesday, it became the first state in the 

US to enact a law stating that the word 

"meat" cannot be used to sell anything 

that "is not derived from harvested 

production livestock or poultry." 

The law could see violators hit with 

a $1,000 fine and up to a year in prison. 

The driving force behind the ruling, 

apparently, is shopper confusion. 

This realistic cat handbag, which 

ended up as a three-colour cat, started 

as a simple white cat and ended up 

selling for about 700 USD! (Rs 45,000 

approx.) Picture courtesy: Twitter/Picopoco08. 

Rare Ferrari 250 GTO Sold For Record 

Rs 340 Crore at 2018 Pebble Beach 

The rare 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO sold for a final price of $48,405,000, which smashes the previous record set in 2014 of $38.1 

million for a 1963 version of the same model. 

If you want to see some of the rarest 

and most valuable cars in the world the 

annual gathering Monterey Car Week 

at Pebble Beach in California is the 

place to be each August, and this year 

a number of new auction sale records 

have been broken at the world-famous 

event -- a look at the cars that managed 

the feat. Perhaps the biggest headlinegrabber 

was inevitably the 1962 Ferrari 

250 GTO which even prior to the event 

was already being touted as likely to 

Goa's popular bartendering contest 

organized by Tito's Bar Academy at Cafe 

Mambo's in Baga is held every month 

and the grand finale takes place towards 

the end of the year. Top 3 winners in the 

monthly contest qualify for the grand 

finale - Best Bartender in India. 

In the August contest, there were 9 

participants. Each one had 7 minutes 

to showcase their skills at the bar. 

Lifestyle brand 

Guess may set up 

India unit 

NEW DELHI: Los Angeles-based lifestyle 

brand and retailer Guess plans to set up 

an Indian subsidiary — Guess India — to 

relaunch the brand and expand its retail 

presence by opening companyowned 

stores, a departure from the earlier model 

where stores were operated by franchisees. 

“The immediate plan is to launch 2-3 

stores, followed by another 8-10 stores 

over the next year or two,” said Lander 

break the record for the most expensive 

car ever sold at auction. 

Including fees, the final price for the 

car came to an astonishing $48,405,000, 

which smashes the previous record 

set in 2014 of $38.1 million for a 1963 

version of the same model. The 

auctioneers certainly knew their stuff, 

as back in June they placed an estimate 

on the car of between $45 million 

and $60 million when it was initially 

entered into the Pebble beach auction. 

The winners of August 2018 edition of 

the contest are - 1st place – Harish 

Bist, Goa, Tito’s, 2nd place – Rachel 

Qadeer, Pune, Flair-o-Logy and 3rd 

place – Rahul Rasal, Goa. Tito’s 

The next contest will be open on the 

last Tuesday of September and all those 

willing to participate can contact Tito's 

Bar Academy. 

Isasi, managing director for Guess — 

Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia 

and India. 

Apart from partnerships with popular 

e-commerce firms, Guess India will also 

start its own online portal for wider reach. 

Although a long way short of the $48 

million the Ferrari went for, another 

notable world record was set by a 1935 

Duesenberg SSJ sold by Gooding & Co 

at their Pebble Beach auction. Even 

though the $22 million it went for is less 

than half that the Ferrari sold for, that 

sale price brought two world records 

for the Duesenberg. First, it made the 

car formerly owned by Hollywood icon 

Gary Cooper the most valuable pre-war 

car ever to be sold at auction. 

On top of that though, it also became 

the most expensive American collector 

car ever sold at auction. And that's quite 

some record to take as the previous 

holder was none other than the very first 

Shelby Cobra to be built, which went for 

$13.75 million back in 2016. Not every 

sale was as successful as these though. 

A Concours restored 1969 Ford Bronco 

test vehicle was estimated to fetch 

somewhere between $180,000 and $220,000 

but in the end, the hammer came down 

on that one at $121,000, which although 

still a lot of money for a Bronco, fell well 

short of what was expected.

06 Music 


Michael Jackson earns more in 

death than he did when he was alive 

Michael Jackson made $75 million 

(Rs 528 crore) in 2017, enough to make 

him the world’s highest earning dead 

celebrity, according to Forbes. The late 

singer is making more in death than he 

did when he was alive. 

In 2016, Jackson’s earnings were 

over $800 million - the highest annual 

total for any entertainer ever, dead 

or alive - thanks mostly to the sale of 

his half of the Sony/ATV catalogue, 

which Jackson purchased first in 1981. 

He also rakes in millions through his 

Cirque Du Soleil show in Las Vegas 

and his publishing catalogue, which 

also features hits by other musicians. 

According to Forbes, Jackson has 

earned over $3 billion pretax in his 

career - before and after death - and close 

to $4 billion when adjusted for inflation. 

Jackson, who died in 2009 because of 

an alleged overdose of prescription 

medication, would have turned 60 

on August 29. His doctor was later 

convicted of involuntary manslaughter. 

Other high earning dead celebrities, 

according to Forbes’ 2017 list, are golfer 

Arnold Palmer ($40 million), cartoonist 

Charles Schulz ($38 million), Elvis Presley 

($35 million) and Bob Marley ($23 million). 

The high earnings mean that his 

three children, Paris, 20, Prince, 21, 

and Blanket, 16, aren’t living like 

‘vagabonds’ as Jackson had claimed 

months before he died in 2019. At the 

time, he was $500 million in debt. 

Jackson’s videos have accumulated 

over 1 billion views so far this year. 

Jennifer Lopez 

designing 

leggings to 

‘make the booty 

look good’ 

Jennifer Lopez‘s curves are the stuff of 

legend, so you’d better believe she knows 

how to make your butt look its best. 

The “Dinero” hitmaker, 49, has 

teamed up with sustainable activewear 

brand Niyama Sol on a line of workout 

pants and matching sports bras inspired 

by her own music, and the first few 

styles are already available to shop. 

The This Is Me Legging ($88) and Sports 

Bra ($58) are covered in handwritten 

lyrics and photos from Lopez’s 2002 album 

of the same name, while the Miamithemed 

Amor Amor Amor Legging ($88) 

features colors and imagery (including 

JLo’s own family vacation photos) 

inspired by the vibrant Floridian city. 

There’s even a Vanguard Legging 

($88) printed with the MTV VMA 

honoree’s album covers and lyrics, 

in honor of Lopez’s Michael Jackson 

Video Vanguard Award. 

The musician sang Niyama Sol’s 

praises on Instagram earlier this 

summer, hashtagging a photo of herself 

in the label’s workout pants “#whent 

heleggingsmakethebootylookgood” — 

so it seems the brand’s fit has the JLo 

stamp of approval, too. 

Javed Akhtar 

recognized 'Person of 

the Year' by Indian 

Music Industry 

MUMBAI: Eminent script writer, 

lyricist, poet and IPRS Chairman, 

Javed Akhtar was awarded ‘Person 

of the Year’ award by the inaugural 

Indian Music Industry. 

In a function organized by the 

IMI, which is an apex Indian Music 

Industry body, Akhtar was presented 

with the award by Sony Music India 

President and IMI Chairman Shridhar 

Subramaniam, and co-founder/ 

chairman Sire Records and VP Warner 

Bros Records Seymour Stein. 

On receiving the award, Javed 

Akhtar said that the creator is an 

indispensable part of the music 

industry and the soft power of creators 

could be a critical part of the strength 

of the music industry as it deals 

with the serious challenges posed by 

technology. He said, “This award is 

not only a recognition of me but for 

all stakeholders in the industry of the 

extremely positive and mature fashion 

in which, the industry now conducts 

and views itself.” 

Gajendra glad that 

Indie pop is as famous 

as Bollywood 

Life is happening - quite literally - for 

singer Gajendra Verma. His single, 

Tera Ghata, has received over 130 

million views so far, reaffirming his 

faith in independent music. 

"The best part is that people are 

listening to pop music, and [making it] 

as famous as Bollywood. People are not 

just relying on Bollywood to give them 

songs," he gushes. The singer, who is 

know for his hit song in the movie Table 

No 21 (2013) says he was always inclined 

towards indie pop. "Beech beech mein 

Bollywood happened. Even Mann Mera 

was a single of mine that got picked up 

for a film (Table No 21)," Verma shares. 

What are his thoughts on the trend 

of recreating hit singles for films, 

including songs such as High Rated 

Gabru and Ban Ja Rani being taken up 

for films? "It's more like a business call, 

not a music call. So, if it's a hit song, it 

gets picked up for a movie," an amused 

Gajendra replies, quipping, "Maybe 

Tera Ghata will also get picked up for a 

movie... I don't know!"

07 Cinema 


Milind Soman 

reveals why he 

is not seen in 

Bollywood films 

Amitabh Bachchan says he's 

scared to work with Alia 

Bhatt & Deepika Padukone & 

the reason will surprise you 

Nawazuddin 

Siddiqui charged R1 

for his film Manto 

Milind Soman may have been the 

heartthrob of the 90s, but if the actors 

words are to believed no one wants to 

cast him in films anymore. 

The fitness enthusiast who got 

married to his wife Ankita Konwar few 

months ago says filmmakers do not 

cast him in their films because he does 

not have a good network in Bollywood. 

According to IANS Milind says, 

"Nobody wants to cast me in films, yes 

that is true. I do not know why, but that 

is the reality. Once in a while, film offers 

come to me and I do that. I am interested 

in performance though I like acting. It 

is a well-paid job and according to some 

people, I am good at it." 

Though the ex-supermodel has 

famously acted in quite a good amount 

of films recently like Bajirao Mastani, 

Bheja Fry, David and Chef, along with 

appearances on some TV shows like 

Captain Vyom, Noorjahan and Fear 

Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi x 3, the 

actor still has less visibility. 

According to him it is because "I think 

people do not associate me with the 

mainstream... Only the urban people 

(maybe). I do not have friends and network 

with the commercial cinema world. In 

every business, the network is important." 

The actor also agreed to the fact that 

he does not know of any filmmakers 

who are interested in working with 

him, in fact, he also agreed that he does 

not watch any films. 

"Perhaps that is the potential reason 

why people do not cast me in the film. 

I am one of those people who love to 

act in the film but does not want to 

watch the film. I think in a year, I 

watch maximum three films, that too 

superhero films," he told IANS. 

Even at the age of 75, Indian cinema 

thespian Amitabh Bachchan continues 

to wow and impress the critics and 

audience alike. An actor par excellence, 

Big B has an unparalleled fan following 

that spans from children, their 

parents to their grandparents. But the 

superstar himself makes no qualms in 

accepting that he's scared to work with 

the current leading ladies of Bollywood 

including Alia Bhatt, Deepika 

Padukone and Anushka Sharma. 

At the press conference of the 

upcoming film Kaun Banega Crorepati, 

Big B was asked about Indian cinema's 

leading ladies when the superstar 

revealed that he's scared to work with 

the younger lot because they are so 

brilliant. “From the younger lot, Alia, 

Anushka and Deepika – all of them are 

such powerful actors that I am scared to 

work with them. Kha hi jaayege humko.” 

Will R.K. Studio join the R100 crore club 

Mumbai: The sale of Mumbai’s iconic R.K. 

Studio, founded by legendary actor Raj 

Kapoor, is likely to fetch around R100-128 

crore, property brokers and experts said. 

The Kapoor family has started talks 

with a few local builders to sell 1.6 

acres out of the two-acre property 

located in suburban Chembur, a 

person aware of the development said, 

on condition of anonymity. 

Actor Rishi Kapoor, son of late Raj 

Kapoor, told Mumbai Mirror in an 

interview published on 26 August that 

the family has collectively decided 

to sell the studio as it was no longer 

economically viable to rebuild after 

severe damage from a fire a year ago. 

Kapoor also said the family had 

considered renovating the property 

with a state of the art technology. 

Eddie Murphy, 

57, is expecting 

his 10th child 

Actor Eddie Murphy, 57, is expecting 

his 10th child. His partner Paige 

Butcher has debuted her baby bump. 

"Eddie Murphy and longtime 

girlfriend Paige Butcher are pleased 

to announce that they are expecting 

their second child in December," a 

representative for Murphy said in a 

statement, people.com reported. 

The Australian actor looked 

comfortable as she kept her hair down 

and wore flip-flops.The couple, who 

have been together since 2012, already 

share two-year-old daughter Izzy Oona. 

R.K. Studio was the headquarters of 

Raj Kapoor’s film production company 

R.K. Films and was a hub of film shoots, 

particularly in the 1970s and 1980s. 

Another local broker said the property 

could attract several local developers 

planning premium residential projects. 

When contacted, Kapoor said he 

will “not be able to comment on the 

transaction beyond what has been said 

in the Mirror interview”. 

The last major deal around Chembur 

area was in January 2017, when PepsiCo 

sold its 2.3 acre Duke’s plant to real estate 

firm Wadhwa group for Rs 167 crore. 

According to the deal, cost of land for 

residential development around the 

area stands at around R71 crore per acre. 

“Land prices around the area for 

residential developments range 

The legendary actor and comedian 

has eight other children from previous 

relationships. His oldest son Eric is 29. 

Butcher, 39, was photographed 

wearing a floral maxi dress that 

accentuated her growing belly. 

between R70-80 crore per acre on the 

higher side,” the broker quoted earlier 

said, on condition of anonymity. 

“The property (RK Studio) would be a 

sweet spot for developing smaller size 

housing projects,” the person said. 

“One may not expect a price lower than 

the Duke’s deal. Having said that, the real 

estate market has not grown; instead, 

it is being compressed over the last few 

years... So, the land price around area 

would be R65 crore per acre on the lower 

side and R80 crore on the higher side,” 

said Shobhit Agarwal, managing director 

and chief executive officer, Anarock 

Capital, a real estate brokerage firm. 

However, other brokers said that several 

mid-range developers would be eying the 

property due to its easy connectivity to 

most of the Mumbai region. 

Mumbai: Celebrities like Rishi Kapoor, 

Gurdas Maan and Javed Akhtar didn't 

charge a penny for actress-filmmaker 

Nandita Das' forthcoming film "Manto". 

She says there is more to life than 

money. Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, 

who plays the late Urdu writer Saadat 

Hasan Manto in the film, offered to do it 

just for "Re 1 largely for Manto and little 

bit" for Nandita. 

"This is the character that an actor 

would give an arm and leg for. But to 

not charge even a nominal fee is very 

gracious of Nawaz," Nandita said in a 

statement to IANS. Apart from him, 

there are many eminent actors who 

agreed to do small parts purely to 

support the film. 

"Rishi Kapoor and Gurdas Maan said 

yes in our first meeting. I also reached 

out to many whom I knew well and 

have used up all my goodwill to get a 

stellar cast that truly does justice to the 

characters in the film," she said. 

"While many have done cameo 

roles, they all bring their talent and 

credibility to the characters." Actor 

Paresh Rawal had worked with her in 

"Firaaq" and now in "Manto". 

Talking about veteran lyricist Javed 

Akhtar, she said: "I have known Javed 

Saab even before I did 'Fire'. And I have 

always felt that he would be perfect in 

front of the camera. 

"I thought it would be quite 

interesting to have a progressive writer 

of today defending 'Manto'. You will see 

him in a new avatar. So not like Javed 

saab." 

“Chembur, was once called the cousin 

of Bandra. Due to its connectivity with 

prime locations in Mumbai city, Chembur 

has emerged as a major residential area 

in the past few years,” said Gautam 

Saraf, managing director, Cushman and 

Wakefield, a property consulting firm.

08 Clubbing 


Happy hours at Cafe Mambo 

| Mon | Tue | Thu - 6 PM to 11 PM 

(Buy 1 Get 1 Free on selected brands) 

Café Mambo’s Tagline “where the 

world comes together” is apt, as this 

is the place where locals, weekender 

visitors and international tourists all 

come together to enjoy a fun night out. 

It’s a chilled out zone to meet up with 

friends & catch up for a drink over some 

great house music. 

Café Mambo is within walking distance 

from Calangute. The café started as 

another run of the mill joint, gained 

immense popularity immediately. 

Club Tito’s offers an 

unforgettable Nightlife 

Experience in Goa. It is difficult 

to imagine a more idyllic setting 

for a nightclub than Club Tito’s 

which is situated on Tito’s Lane, 

a hop skip and jump away from 

Baga Beach. 

While the sun is still out you 

can’t take your eyes away from 

the lovely beach, the calm village 

life and the breezy ocean air. 

When it’s dark the lane comes to 

life and takes on a different form 

with loud music, people dancing 

and clubs and restaurants 

bustling with visitors both of 

Indian and foreign origin.

09 Leisure 


THE MOST INTERESTING AND VIBRANT INDIAN FESTIVALS 

THAT YOU SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN 

If the only name that came to your mind while thinking of a colourful festival in India is ‘Holi’, it is time for some 

enlightenment! Yes, for India is a land of more colours than you can imagine in a palette, so vibrant that it is more of a 

painter’s dream than a country. This nation is a melting pot of cultures so diverse and interesting that you will be left awed, 

especially if you have a penchant for folk arts. So yes, it is time to move over Holi and know more of the wonder that is India; 

with that in mind, we have a lowdown on some of the most colourful festivals of India. 

Hemis Festival, Ladakh 

While Ladakh in the state of Jammu 

& Kashmir is already known for its 

stunning landscape and thus a visual 

delight, the Hemis Festival takes its 

reputation a notch up. It is an annual, 

two day festival that is celebrated on 

the 10th day of the Lunar Month as per 

the Tibetan calendar. Brace yourself 

for enticing and immensely colourful 

Cham dance performances that see 

masked dancers in awe-striking outfits 

dancing to the tunes of some really 

interesting Ladakhi instruments. 

Bihu Festival, Assam 

It would be apt to refer to Bihu as the 

most important festival of Assam. It 

JUSt a JOKe! 

Do men remember 

anniversaries??? 

A woman awakes during the night to find 

that her husband was not in their bed. 

She puts on her dressing gown and goes 

downstairs to look for him. 

She finds him sitting at the kitchen table 

with a hot cup of coffee in front of him. 

He appears to be in deep thought, just 

staring at the wall. 

She watches as he wipes a tear from his 

eye and takes a sip of his coffee. 

'What's the matter, dear?' she whispers 

as she steps into the room, 'Why are you 

down here at this time of night?' 

The husband looks up from his coffee, 'I 

am just remembering when we first met 

20 years ago and started dating. You were 

only 16. Do you remember back then?' he 

comprises of three different festivals, 

Rongali, Kogali and Magh, held in April, 

October and January. So yes, you have 

more chances of partaking in Bihu! 

Rongali Bihu sees celebrations on a 

massive scale, and is the perfect one 

to get an insight into the culture here. 

Apart from some immensely delectable 

food, Bihu is a festival wherein you will 

get privy to Assam’s folk dance and 

music as well. Mark our words, the sheer 

energy here will take your breath away. 

Pushkar Fair, Ajmer 

Think about colours, and you cannot 

not think of Rajasthan and one of its 

says solemnly. 

The wife is touched to tears thinking that 

her husband is so caring, so sensitive. 

'Yes, I do' she replies. 

The husband pauses. The words were not 

coming easily. 

'Do you remember when your father 

caught us in the back seat of my car?' 

'Yes, I remember!' said the wife, lowering 

herself into a chair beside him. 

The husband continues. 'Do you 

remember when he shoved the shotgun in 

my face and said, 'Either you marry my 

daughter, or I will send you to jail for 20 

years?' 

'I remember that too' she replies softly. 

He wipes another tear from his cheek and 

says… 

'I would have been released today.' 

biggest fairs, Pushkar. It is an annual, 

five-day event, also hailed as country’s 

biggest animal fair. Yes, you read that 

right. This fair is where you can see 

legal animal trading; the mammoth 

event also sees the fairground turning 

into a carnival with shepherds coming 

from all over the state and pitching tents 

there. Delicious Rajasthani cuisine is 

very well-complimented by the state’s 

rich legacy of music, dance and other 

arts. Needless to write, Pushkar Fair is 

a riot of colours in what can be called as 

India’s most colourful state. 

Kullu Dussehra, Kullu 

This one sees around five lakh people 

swooping to the Himalayan town of 

Kullu in the state of Himachal Pradesh. 

An immensely entertaining event, 

Kumbh Mela 

it is celebrated to mark Dussehra, a 

major Hindu festival. The fair has been 

taking place since 16th century and is a 

major event for the locals. Apart from 

the regular rituals and a rath yatra, 

Kullu Dussehra sees the locals and 

participants in their most colourful 

attire, proudly pulling a feat of sorts. 

The celebrations have found a place in 

the Guinness Book of World Records 

as the largest folk dance festival in the 

world by attracting a humongous 12,000 

women for dance. 

Kumbha Mela, multi-city 

This one is, unquestionably, the biggest 

and most colourful festival or fair in 

India and the world. Also famous as the 

world’s largest religious congregation, 

it is held in four Indian cities, including 

Haridwar, Allahabad, Nashik and 

Ujjain, with each city hosting it every 

12th year. You can imagine the grandeur 

of this one with the fact that it finds 

a place in UNESCO's Representative 

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage 

of Humanity. Kumbha Mela is where 

you will also see foreigners, travel 

journalists and photographers coming 

in huge numbers, for the host city 

becomes an amalgamation of people, 

faiths, and so much more. Not to miss 

events in these fairs are the main 

processions that see sages, naga sadhus, 

and yogis marching around the town on 

horses, elephants, camels and what not! 

Believe us, a Kumbha Mela is where you 

can see this country as its grandest. 

SUDOKU

10 Goa! 


REASONS WHY IT’S WORTH MAKING A TRIP TO 

GOA IN THE OFF-SEASON, COME RAIN OR SUN 

Goa in the off-season isn’t everyone’s glass of fenni. Once you can look past the mush, there’s a lot 

to be explored–from the gushing waterfalls and local watering holes to the hidden shacks that stay 

open and cycling tours you can take from one island to another. 

CYCLE AROUND THE CITY 

GO ON A RAINY DRIVE 

It’s almost an injustice not to see the lush 

greenery of Goa in the monsoon, and the 

best way to do that is by going on a drive. 

Locals often take off in the car or twowheeler 

to visit the Tiracol Fort, which 

is located on the northernmost tip of Goa. 

Whether you’re visiting for a short 

duration or are planning to stay 

awhile, no rule stops you from taking 

a vacation within a vacation. Hitch a 

ride to the Wildernest Nature Resort 

in Chorla Ghats and call yourself a 

happy camper. This beautiful property, 

albeit two hours from Goa, is where the 

monsoons can best enjoyed with a cup 

of tea from the wooden cottages, and 

with a view of the Vazra waterfalls. 

RAFT IN THE RAPIDS 

An 82km bicycle ride through the 

mangroves or perhaps the chance to 

go island-hopping in Goa? The Bicycle 

Trip Goa is one such company that 

organises offbeat ways to explore Goa, 

all on two wheels. These personalised 

tours, are usually of medium difficulty, 

and show you different sides of the city, 

whether through a dessert crawl or a 

vintage tour of Goa's historic sights. 

FEAST ON 

That the shacks in Goa are mostly shut 

can be a deterrent to those who love to 

eat, but there’s a lot more to explore. 

A little birdie tells us that Rocket in 

Anjuna not only serves up burgers with 

a lot of meat, but also becomes a hub on 

Wednesday nights. With open mic nights 

every mid-week, the musicians of Goa get 

together and perform, making music a 

perfect accompaniment to the monsoon. 

Goa CM Manohar 

Parrikar flies 

to US again for 

treatment 

PANAJI/MUMBAI: Goa chief minister 

Manohar Parrikar, who was admitted 

to a private hospital in Mumbai, flew 

to the US on Wednesday evening for 

further medical treatment as he has 

developed “some complications”, state 

assembly speaker Pramod Sawant said. 

“Some complications have developed 

due to which the chief minister is going 

to the US for treatment. His condition is 

stable and we need not worry,” he said. 

A senior official in the chief minister’s 

office said “the official charge of the 

post of the CM will remain with him 

(Parrikar). There is no need to hand 

over the charge to anyone,” he said. 

The drive to the Fort is through Panjim, 

past paddy fields, amidst palm trees, and is 

frankly, almost as scenic as the view from 

the fort. In fact, you can even stay at the 

Fort Tiracol Heritage Hotel while you are 

there, making it a quick overnight trip. 

TAKE A MINI STAYCATION 

Whoever said that Manali and Rishikesh 

are the only places for river-rafting in 

India hasn’t yet tried it in Goa. This 

monsoon, roar through the rapids of 

the Mmhadei River in Goa. This is an 

activity that only takes place between 

June and September each month, when 

the rains increase the volume of the river 

enough to make this a bumpy ride. The 

white water river rafting journey begins 

(and ends) at a meeting point in Sattari, 

Goa. You can pick from two slots for this 

two-hour-long ride: 9.30am or 2.30pm. 

Casa Tito- by Ricardo is the story of an 

intrepid business traveller and designer. 

The brand deals with luxury goods with 

an international feel that have been 

carefully curated, and in most cases 

manufactured under Ricardos personal 

supervision. 

Ricardo- who is also Director of Titos 

Resorts and Hospitalities Pvt Ltd. now 

brings to you a beautiful Portuguese era 

Goan heritage house with contemporary 

world street cuisine and a cosy romantic 

Bar replete with Titos own Sparkling 

Wines and Spirits as well as some of 

the world s finest Alcohol. Also indulge 

in some sensual head and foot massage 

whilst sunbathing on our very private 

pool side Cabanas. 

Book our venue for Wedding/ Birthday/ 

Anniversary/ Corporate or private party 

Xim Vaddo Arpora, Near Hilton Double 

Tree. Mobile: 99235 86659 

Email : casatito@titosgoa.com 

MIRABAI’s 

GOAN SPECIALITIES 

FAMILY 

RESTAURANT 

Our GOAN THALI or Curry is very delicious 

as well as all Fish dishes (Shark, Kingfish, 

Pomfret, Lobster, Red Snapper, Tiger Prawns 

or anything else what the Ocean offers). 

MIRABAI's has an open kitchen for the 

Guests to see what's cooking! 

BAGA - CALANGUTE ROAD, NEAR 

CHARLSTON HOTEL - PH. 9822176808 

FB: MIRABAI'S GOAN VILLAGE

11 


Can't Dance? 

This AI has you covered 

In brief: A new Artificial Intelligence has 

got your back if you’ve got two left feet: it 

can change a video of you standing still 

to one of you dancing like a pro. 

A team of researchers at UC Berkeley 

have developed an AI that can copy 

actions from one person onto another. 

As described by the title of their report 

Everybody Dance Now the obvious thing 

to do is make videos of people dancing. 

Their AI takes a ‘source’ video of a 

person, in this case professional dancers, 

and overlays their actions to a ‘target’ 

video. Both people are turned into 

3-dimensional stick figures which can be 

adjusted to their position in the frame. 

Then the music starts and the AI generates 

new frames of the target dancing. 

Akin to “deepfakes” which is often 

associated with the act of superimposing 

existing images or video onto source images 

or videos, these have been showcased mostly 

as manipulations of facial expressions, 

some more impressive than others. 

While you can tell in most of their 

brief YouTube demonstrations that 

they’re not really dancing, this is a 

real improvement in AI technology 

because the AI isn’t trained with seeing 

the target dancing first. This means 

that, at least in theory, even a video 

shot from a smartphone could be used 

Painting Panda Lure 

Visitors in Vienna Zoo 

by this AI to make the person in it do 

whatever the AI wants. I can’t wait for 

the Snapchat filter – but it does raise 

some serious concerns. 

With some improvement over a 

few years this AI could turn a video 

of a mundane shopping trip into a 

robbery and that’s a scary thought. 

Reassuringly, the AI can’t account for 

substantially different camera angles 

or limb lengths yet. Meanwhile let's 

just enjoy all the groovy videos that'll 

inevitably swamp social media as soon 

as this can go mainstream. 

There's a painting panda at Vienna's 

Schoenbrunn Zoo and her abstract 

artwork is selling for more than $500 

a pop. 

Yang Yang uses black paint with white 

backgrounds, which seems to be a favorite 

color scheme for the zoo's giant panda. 

With a zookeeper acting as her easel, 

the panda creates minimalist splotch 

art reminiscent of the American 

abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock. 

One hundred of her adorable pieces 

will be sold online for around $560 

each to fund a picture book about the 

Vienna zoo's pandas. 

Yang Yang, 18, has given birth to 5 

pandas, with one set of twins over the 

years. 

Uber may 

launch aerial 

taxi service in 

India: Report 

New Delhi: US ride-sharing major Uber 

may launch aerial taxi service in India 

soon. According to a Times of India 

report, Uber Elevate, aerial taxi arm of 

Uber is considering India as one of the 

five countries where it wants to launch 

the service. The daily further said that 

Uber officials in a meeting on Tuesday 

have conveyed this to Union minister 

of state for aviation Jayant Sinha. 

“They are considering five countries for 

launch of air taxis. When I had met Uber 

CEO Dara Khosrowshahi (on February 

22, 2018), I had stressed on him the need 

to do so, given our country’s consumer 

base. Now, Uber has informed me that 

India is one of the five countries they are 

evaluating for launching air taxis. They are 

very close to selecting India (for this),” the 

daily quoted Sinha as saying after meeting 

Uber’s chief business officer (India and 

emerging markets) Madhu Kannan. 

Uber is likely to use small vertical take 

off and landing aircraft for this service 

that unlike helicopters will make use 

of electric propulsion and will be quiet, 

barely audible at flying altitude, the ToI 

report said. The aircraft is supposed to 

cruise between 150 and 200 miles per hour, 

up to 2,000 feet above the ground. A single 

charge will be good enough for 60 miles of 

range and Uber expects the thing to need 

just five minutes to top up the batteries 

between flights, the daily further said. 

The government on Monday announced 

the drone policy, which does not allow 

delivery of packages and meals by 

e-commerce firms. Sinha told ToI "That 

policy is for general users. If someone has 

a specialised application for drones and 

can ensure the required security and air 

navigation, such cutting edge uses may be 

allowed on a case-to-case basis.” 

Uber may use these taxies in cities, 

which face traffic issues. “Passenger 

drones can enable people to travel 

distances of 30 to 50 km at a much higher 

speed than by surface transport. Our 

security considerations will apply for 

passenger drones as they do for other 

drones,” the daily quoted Sinha as saying.

12 Tourist Map 


FREE 

Estd. 1971 

TM 

ight seeing in Goa 

MAP NOT TO SCALE 

Sight Seeing Spots in Goa 

RELIGIOUS PLACES: Basilica 

of Bom Jesus Church at Old Goa, 

Mangueshi Temple, ShantaDurga 

Temple, Bodgeshwar Temple 

FORTS : Reis Magos, Aguada, 

Chapora, Corjuem, Tiracol, Cabo 

de Rama, Alorna, Nanus, Rivona 

BEACHES: Baga, Calangute, 

Candolim, Sinquerim, Coco, 

Anjuna, Vagator, Ashvem, 

Mandrem, Arambol, Morjim, 

Need Help? 

Ambulance: 108/102 

Police: 100 

Fire Brigade : 101 

District Hospital: 0832-2225540 

Miramar, Dona Paula, Bogmalo, 

Varca, Benaulim, Rajbag, 

Palolem, Colva 

BACKWATERS : Mayem Lake 

WILDLIFE: Mhadei, Bondla, 

Cotigao 

WATERFALLS: Dudhsagar, 

Harvalem, Kuskem 

SPRINGS : Kesarval, Pomburfa 

MARKETS :Mapusa, Panjim 

GMC Hospital 0832-2458727, 2458049 

Manipal Hospital: 0832-3048800 

Women Police Helpline : 1091 

Senior Citizen Helpline: 1090 

Child Helpline: 1098 

Electricity Helpline: 1912 

Railway Helpline : 139 

Airport : 0832-2540796 

Bus (Kadamba) : 0832 2438034 

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Goa's only tourist friendly entertainment newspaper 

WhatsApp or Call : 7744008837 

Email: GOANTIMES@GMAIL.COM

GoanTimes August, 31 2018

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