Top 10: Transfers that shook the world

10: Thierry Henry to Barcelona (2007) 
The legendary Frenchman has gone down in Arsenal's history as not only their most prolific striker, but also probably their best ever player. 
It came as an incredible shock then when Arsene Wenger said that he was determined to keep the world-class striker, only to allow him to join Barcelona for €24million at the end of the 2007 season. 
At the time he was one of the best in the world and, having played for the Gunners for eight years- including numerous times as captain, very few expected him to leave for La Liga. 

9: Carlos Tevez to Manchester City (2009) 
Carlos Tevez's highly publicised switch from Manchester United to Manchester City was about as shocking as you can get. 
A regularly used striker, and one who had enjoyed bags of success at Old Trafford, Tevez seemed happy to remain under Sir Alex Ferguson. 

8: Gareth Bale to Real Madrid (2013) 
One very good season in the Premier League saw him transferred to the Spanish giants for a reported £85.3million, which left the footballing world well and truly staggered. 

7: Mesut Ozil to Arsenal (2013) 
The surprise nature of Ozil's arrival at the Emirates is what forces this transfer into contention. 
Most definitely a transfer that made the world sit up and view Arsenal's credentials in a different light, and one that will probably stand to gain them more than they lost in the transfer fee. 

6: Eric Cantona to Manchester United (1992) 
After an extremely impressive, albeit short, stint at Leeds, during which he won the English title, Cantona moved to Manchester United in a move that no-one really saw coming. 

5: Robinho to Manchester City (2008) 
One look at history will tell you this move was an ill-fated one, but at the time it could not have been met with more of a gobsmacking reception. 

4: RVP to Man United (2012) 
Arsenal's captain and key man caused more than just a stir when he traded the Emirates for Old Trafford in 2012. 

3: Sol Campbell to Arsenal (2001) 
The former Tottenham stalwart didn't so much kick the hornets nest as pick it up and throw it into a crowd of football fans. 

2: Luis Figo to RM (2000) 
Even more shockingly ground-breaking than the last slide, Figo made history when he traded Barcelona for Real Madrid. 

1: CR-7 to RM (2009) 
The majority of the footballing world sensed that eventually Ronaldo would end up at the Bernabeu, but few would have predicted that Madrid would have splashed out a record breaking £80million for him.

KGS beats Aitchison to win All Pakistan under 19 Debating Competition

Karachi Grammar School logo. PHOTO: FILE

LAHORE: The 23rd All Pakistan under 19 Parliamentary Debating Competition ended here on Sunday with the Aitchison College being defeated by Karachi Grammar School (KGS) in the final lap of the competition.

Held under the Debating Society of Pakistan (DSP), the final round of the competition was held at Aitchison College where teams deliberated over the topic of forming a coalition government with the Taliban in exchange for the militants laying down their weapons.

Karachi Grammar School was for the proposition while the Aitchison team was in opposition.

As many as 48 teams participated in this competition, which spanned over 4 preliminary rounds, short listing 16 teams.

The teams later battled it out in the quarter and the semi finals with Karachi Grammar School and Aitchison College making it to the finals.

Teams hailed from different educational institutions across the country including, Karachi Grammar School, Nixor College Karachi, The Lyceum School Karachi, Angels International College Faisalabad, Beaconhouse School Margalla Islamabad, Headstart School Islamabad and Beaconhouse School Gujranwala, the competition was participated by teams from Islamabad, Karachi, Faisalabad, Lahore and Gujranwala.

From the reinstatement of ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi to deliberations over chemical and conventional warfare, the teams participating in the competition engaged in various critical discussions and debates to persuade the judges over to their side during the preliminary rounds.

Each team consisted of three speakers and is allocated a time of eight minutes followed by a four-minute summary.

In her shadow: Reshma

Artistes remember late singer Reshma’s voice as one to be cherished. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: 

Some voices are exceptional. They challenge contemporaries and travel beyond borders. Reshma’s was all that and more.

Much like the sweet morning breeze slowly soothes the desert that is Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s heart in Raat Yun Dil Mae Teri, Reshma was a breath of fresh air to the music of this region. With her demise, she left us with a timeless season full of melodies; a spring on which the fall shall never come, no matter how harsh the winds or how strong the sun. Her voice made miracles that her legacy will protect.

We spoke to stalwarts of music, her contemporaries and youngsters, about her musical legacy and lessons the nightingale of the desert left behind.

Arshad Mahmud, veteran musician-actor

“She was truly impeccable. If you go through the history of recorded music, you will not find a voice like Reshma. Apart from her exceptional voice, something that she had developed over time was the perfection with which she could always hit the right notes with utmost ease — it is definitely the sign of a legend. She would sing and render any piece of poetry with such spirit that you could never experience the same feel while reading it on paper. In 1999, I was composing a song by featuring all the mainstream artistes and also wanted to feature Reshma in it. Despite of the fact  she was weak and hospitalised, she came all the way to my studio and sung the starting alaap of the song. Today, that alaap is by far one of the most brilliant pieces of singing present in my studio.”

Akhtar Chanal Zahri, Folk artiste

“Artistes of her caliber paida na shud, [Persian for ‘are never born’]. She was an entire university in herself and me, or any other folk artiste for that matter, could only be a student for her phenomenal music legacy. There was casualness in her voice. It was simple yet sharp. That mere feeling of this strange casualness could give you goosebumps any time you’d listen to her. Such impact can only be felt in the voices of people who have a genuine spiritual connection with the creator. However, what is most important is that she was the voice of this soil. If you’d listen to her live then you could smell the essence and the sweet fragrance of the desert spreading around. Her legacy should make us more humble and dedicated. After all, despite all the years of startdom, she behaved just like a shy teenage girl from a village. May God bless her soul.”

Tina Sani, Singer

“Reshma meant so many things to me that I can’t explain it. Her beautiful, incredible and ever soothing voice undoubtedly made her the absolute epitome of folk singing in this region. After looking at the flair of artistes like Reshma jee, I am grateful to God that we had PTVand, more importantly, a much more smaller country like Pakistan because had it been somewhere else, for that matter India, then a talent of her caliber would have been lost in the mist. I grew up with her music and because I did not have that intricate classical singing voice — my voice was rather deep — it was always Reshma’s voice that I could pick up, emulate and feel comfortable with.”

Atif Aslam, Singer

“Despite her stature in the music industry, in her presence she always made you feel like you were the star. After sharing the stage with me, she said ‘Beta, tu nae aaj Reshma ko jawaan kar diya”, and that’s how I have learnt to appreciate everyone no matter how big a star they are.”

Mohammad Ali Shyaki, Singer

“Whenever I think of Reshma jee or listen to her voice, I’m reminded of a lioness; someone with class, caliber, composure and the fierceness and the spirit to make her presence felt in the biggest of crowds. The most important thing about her was that she had individuality, both as a singer and as a person and it was this quality coupled with her ability to stick to her folk roots that made us [artistes] and the audience realise the importance of our own soil. She was not only the pride of Pakistan but also the grace of this soil.

Style Icon: The week of Deepika Padukone

AN SVA CREATION

Does this girl ever get anything wrong? Bollywood’s current darling Deepika Padukone is receiving all the attention this year. And we can’t blame her. With the success of her films and tasteful sense of style, Deepika seems to be doing no wrong.

It also helps that she has a body to die for! We spotted her looking her fabulous best at recent promotional events and B-town bashes.

She looked elegant in a white lace dress by Dolce and Gabbana at the success party of Chennai Express, with subtle make-up and her hair up in a pony tail. At the unveiling of Starweek’scover featuring her, Deepika looked smashing in a beautiful strapless Mary Katrantzou oriented dress; we love the hair and red lips and are so happy to see her replace her regular nude pumps with these dainty blue peep-toes!

With Ram Leela promotions in full swing, Deepika has kept her looks desi, vibrant and colourful. At Comedy Nights, Deepika looked lovely in this Atsu creation — a houndstooth printed bodice paired with a billowing orange skirt. At another event, she wore a floor-length SVA anarkali with traditional kaam on the front. The sexy lady managed to carry it off with elan! Love her lips, updo and statement earrings.

Last, she was spotted at Radio Mirchi wearing this pretty powder pink, floor-length anarkali with a fitted embroidered jacket on top. Keep at it, Dips! We’re rooting for you.

NBC to air Richard Branson’s inaugural space flight live

Nearly 700 people, including actor Leonardo DiCaprio and physicist Stephen Hawking, have signed up for the flights, which will cost up to $250,000. PHOTO: FILE

NEW YORK: 

Virgin Group founder Richard Branson announced on Friday that the NBCtelevision network will be tracking preparations and will broadcast the inaugural flight of his Virgin Galactic SpaceShip Two rocket plane into space.

If tests and plans go according to schedule, Branson and his two children, Holly, 31 and Sam, 28, could blast off into space from New Mexico next August, which will be aired live on NBC.

“We are delighted that we are going to be working with you,” Branson, 63, told Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie, the hosts of NBC television’s Today morning show. “It is going to be an incredibly exciting year.”

NBC plans to air a special programme the night before the launch, and Lauer and Guthrie will host a three-hour live event when it takes off.

“We are very happy to be a part of this project,” Lauer said, adding NBC will be a part of the entire process.

The British self-made billionaire said the aircraft has already broken the sound barrier in tests and he expects by early next year to do a test flight to the edge of space.

He and his children will be the first passengers on the aircraft that will have two pilots and a total of six passengers. The other passengers have not yet been announced.

Nearly 700 people, including actor Leonardo DiCaprio and physicist Stephen Hawking, have signed up for the flights, which will cost up to $250,000.

“I think most people in this world would love the chance to go to space if they could afford it and if we could guarantee them a return ticket,” Branson said.

Space travel is the latest adventure for Branson, one of the world’s most famous businessmen and entrepreneurs whose business empire ranges from airlines to mobiles phones. He has attempted to fly around the world in a hot air balloon and across the Atlantic Ocean in a power boat.

Branson has an estimated net worth of $4.6 billion and is Britain’s sixth-richest businessman, according to business magazine Forbes.

However, he has recently come under fire after it emerged he was living full-time on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, which was uninhabited when he bought it in 1979. Being a resident there means he can avoid Britain’s 50 percent income tax on high earners as well as capital gains tax, but it does limit the time he can spend each year in the UK.

A study commissioned by the US and Florida governments has estimated that in their first decade of operations, commercial suborbital spaceflights could bring in between $600 million and $1.6 billion in revenue, with tourism driving about 80 percent of the demand.

Indie music: We’ve only just begun

Pakistan’s DIY generation continues to charm us as the refreshing new season of Lussun TV rolls out. PHOTO: LUSSUN MEDIA

KARACHI: 

If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s the fact that musicians in Pakistan will always find a way to produce music. Acts like Rushk (yes, they are coming back), Ali Azmat, Mekaal Hasan Band, Zeb and Haniya and many more are still making majestic music. Having said that, the DIY generation of musicians deserves equal attention, if not more.

Two independent musicians — Sheryar Hyatt aka Dalt Wisney (the force behind the online label Mooshy Moo) and Amman Mushtaq aka Smax — have been part of Red Bull Music Academy (RBMA), a travelling series of workshops, live events and much more. Sheryar was part of the series in 2006 when RBMA took place in Melbourne, while Amman was a participant earlier this year when the series went to New York. From Lahore, acts like Malang Party, Poor Rich Boy and Jamal Rahman’s True Brew Records, among many others, are proving that music can make sense even as the world is ripping itself apart with violence and mayhem.

From Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Yasir & Jawad are developing curiosity about the poetry of Ghani Khan while Naseer & Shahab are blowing us away by mixing Pashto language with Western instruments and the pertinent question of identity. Haamid Rahim aka Dynoman is gearing up to perform in Berlin later this month. Danial Hyatt, Amman Mushtaq, Ziyad Habib — one half of the indie act Mole — alongside Hannah Cox, are also planning to head off to Berlin and play as Solar Eyes.

Forever South (FXS), another Internet label from Pakistan, whose impressive roster includes acts like Alien Panda Jury, Dreadnaught, Empror Lephant, TMPST, Toll Crane and a few others, is planning to celebrate its first year anniversary with a show, aptly titled BASH, later this month in Karachi. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In the same vein is one such musical effort called Lussun TV.

Spearheaded by Nadir Shehzad Khan and a host of equally talented musicians, Lussun TV/Sessions is an independent [online] music show where artists get a chance to showcase their music. Even without YouTube, they are still here, making us remember what it means to fall in love with different genres of music, new sounds and reflective lyrics. Lussun TV is a great place to take ownership of our DIY music scene.

Now in its third season, Lussun TV has, over the years, featured acts as diverse as Mole, //orangenoise, Usman Riaz, Mooroo, Basheer & the Pied Pipers, Chaand Tara Orchestra, Lower Sindh Swing Orchestra, Positive, Jumbo Jutt, Ustaad Sajid Hussain and Khizar Jhumra.

This time around, it’s the ‘drawing room sessions’ giving the show a low-key, intimate and refreshing feel. Nadir explained that it’s called the ‘drawing room sessions’ because it was “literally shot in my drawing room. We do all this with zero budget so whatever is convenient for us, works”.

The first episode of the new season opened with artist Shajie Hassan, who first caught attention with his absolutely beautiful song Battakhain. On this show, Shajie performed a song called Saaray. He sings about two people in a room, filled with chairs — a place where flowers don’t bloom.

Understated much like Shajie, the song conjures a sound that gradually builds to a crescendo with electric guitars, synth effects and bass before dropping gently. It’s a fantastical world and Shajie invites us to sing along. More significantly, the production value shines through as you realise that this is neither an amateurish effort nor over-polished. Shot by Salik Abbasi and Daniel Arthur Panjwaneey, the video is slick and sexy.

In a phone conversation from Multan, Shajie explained the story behind the song, “Nadir and I came up with a made-up story about an old age home in Swat, so cut-off from the world that an apocalypse misses them, even though it’s a post-apocalyptic world. It’s not supposed to be taken seriously.”

It’s a great start to the third season and should be heard by everyone as such. Keep watching this space as we uncover more songs/artists from the mighty effort Lussun Sessions in the coming days

Adamant Imran demands no drones during peace talks

A screengrab showing Imran Khan during the press conference.

NOWSHERA: The federal government should ask the United States (US) for assurance that they will not conduct drone strikes during peace talks with the militants, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said on Sunday.

Imran was addressing a press conference in Nowshera.

Speaking about his party’s decision to block Nato supply lines, Imran said the move is not an act of conflict but a way to protest against the US drone attack which sabotaged the peace process.

“The US killed Hakimullah Mehsud because he had targeted US citizens but are negotiating with Afghan Taliban who have killed far more Americans,” Imran stated, emphasising what he considers as the flawed logic of the US government.

He further said that a friend would never damage the peace process the way the US did.

The PTI chief also criticised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for not responding to this appropriately. “It’s time Nawaz starts spending time in Pakistan; why is he touring foreign countries?” Imran questioned, adding that no one would invest in a country where there was no law and order.

He said Nawaz should have concentrated on ending terrorism more than worrying about foreign investment, and that the prime minister should have led the dialogue process himself.

Corrupt ministers

Responding to a query about certain Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa lawmakers involved in corruption, Imran said all ministers are closely monitored and action will be taken against those involved in illegal practices.

He informed the media that the provincial accountability bill was recently passed and a working body based on the law will take care of such incidents.

Imran added that his party stands by its manifesto which calls for zero tolerance against corrupt officials.