Postnoon E-Paper December 08, 2011 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

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AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH

QUAKE ROCKS DELHI...BARELY

In Durban, at the ongoing 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference, nations, including India, are battling to save the planet from climate change. Here’s a primer to a devastating future that we must prevent

An earthquake measuring 2.6 on the MMS, was recorded in the Sonepat region on the Delhi-Haryana border this morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The quake occurred at 7.18 am today at a depth of 5 km, an IMD bulletin added.

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IT’S ALL OVER! One sportswriter described the events that unfolded in the Champions League last night “like receiving an ice ball to the head on the first day of winter”. Man City and Man United, the top two teams in the Premier League were unceremoniously dumped out of Europe’s hallowed football competition. REPORT ON PG 12

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SPOT THE CLICHE Like most Tollywood cliches, Item numbers are a must, no matter what the film’s story. Required ingredients are one hero, one rather voluptuous dancer, enough grog to down am alcoholic elephant, and one cracking song

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THROUGH THE SPY GLASS In the brightest of days and the blackest of nights, no evil shall escape their sight. They have no superpowers but their mission is the same — to save the world. Meet some of the most popular spies in recent history

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SUDHAKAR CLEARED BY HC

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Justices A Gopal Reddy and R Kantha Rao of the AP High Court quashed the order detaining Cheruku Sudhakar, politburo member of Telangana Rashtra Samithi, under NASA.

Page Two

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

Spirit of Twin Cities

There is no RTI commissioner in AP Md Inkeshaf Ahmed ahmed.m@postnoon.com

HYDERABAD: Right to Information (RTI), a landmark legislation and a powerful weapon in the hands of ordinary people, seems to be heading nowhere due to the step motherly attitude of the AP government. The delay in filling up the posts of RTI commissioners is leading to weakening the very purpose of the act. Thousands of cases are piled up at the office of the State Information Commissioner. In Hyderabad alone, more than 2,000 appeals are pending. Moved at the plight of the revolutionary act, City based senior High Court advocate Gopala Krishna Kalanidhi filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in Andhra Pradesh High Court on

Monday. Responding to the issue, the HC issued notices to the State government and directed it to submit its response before December 23. He recently filed an application under RTI to find out how many cases were pending in all the districts of the State under RTI.

Responding to the plea of the advocate, the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Jannat Hussain had expressed his inability to furnish information due to lack of staff. The commission has become a one man show with CIC being its head, since November 17, 2010 when the three commissioners retired. Since then, the posts have not been filled. According to clause 2 of section 15 of Right To Information Act-2005 the constitution of a State information commission is mandatory and the commission should be headed by one chief information commissioner and consists of a maximum of 10 commissioners as its members. But surprisingly, the State government has not implemented this clause in its full spirit ever since the act came into force in AP.

‘State is diluting the concept of RTI Act’

he State government is diluting the very concept of right to information act. I think the judiciary, which is one of the four pillars of democracy, is also playing a more active role in killing the very essence of the Act. Recently I filed an application under RTI at metropolitan sessions judge cum Chief Metropolitan Magistrate and raised the question, “In how many cases the court granted bail to accused within 3 days from the date of remand in dowry related offences between a specified period? The Magistrate’s reply to this question was, “Sorry we can’t furnish this information. If a

lawyer who is well versed with RTI Act is facing such a situation one can imagine the plight of common man. I had the experience in another case in which i requested Registrar of High Court to provide me information regarding proposed new family court in AP and i got the same reply that they can’t furnish this information. I think the remarks made by the then Chief Justice of India AS Anand that the office of the CJI does not come under the purview of RTI Act is also one of the reasons for the prevalent situation in judiciary.

Gopala Krishna Kalanidhi, Senior High Court Advocate

Around the city: Your guide to the Twin Cities

Where: Hyderabad Marriott & Convention Centre, Tank Bund When: Ongoing, 6.30 to 11.30 pm Contact: (040) 27522567

And the retro band played on It’s time to go retro at the Hard Rock Cafe with a live performance by Classic Rock band RLA.

Where: Hard Rock Cafe, Road #1, Banjara Hills When: December 8, 9pm Contact: (040) 44767900

The art of lost and found

Artist V Narsingha Rao presents Long, Lose Lost an exhibition of sculptural installation and drawings. Where: Iconart Art Gallery, Rd No 12 Banjara Hills When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 32411554

Taking the silk route Mala Treon presents her breathtaking and creative interpretations on silk and glass. The collections include old British Era coins. Where: Kalakriti, Banjara Hills, When: December 8–9, 11am Contact: : (040) 66564466

Awareness from the dark An innovative format to experience and understand the daily life of the visuallychallenged. Get a tour in complete darkness with visually-impaired guides as they lead you through situations such as crossing the road and shopping at a supermarket. Where: Inorbit Mall, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 10am to 8pm Contact: (040) 64603341/42

A night of ghazals and food Enjoy live Ghazal’s along with authentic Indian dishes at Novotel Shamshabad’s Indian speciality restaurant Haldi. Where: Novotel, Shamshabad When: Ongoing, 8pm-11pm Contact: (040) 66250000

Go bananas with Bollywood If it’s Bollywood on your mind head to the News Cafe as it presents exclusive Bollywood nights with DJ Sidhu. Where: News Cafe, Inorbit Mall, Hitech city When: December 8 Contact: (040) 40101234/35/36/37

What’s behind the wall? A photo exhibition by Alexandra Novosseloff and Frank Neisse depicting different walls, the lives of people who live near these walls. Where: Chitramayee State Gallery Of Fine Arts, Kavuri Hills When: Ongoing, December, 11am to 7pm Contact: (040) 32913922

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Go get some exercise An acting and movement workshop based on exercises for physical awareness and expressiveness involving the actor’s body, voice and mind. Where: The Actor’s Studio (Samahaara), Madhapur When: Ongoing, 7pm to 9pm Contact: 9885288982

So good you can taste it To experience a typical seafood market, head to the Simply Fishy Food Festival. Sample fresh seafood prepared with a variety of marinades and sauces.

Have paint, will travel The Corner House Gallery brings to you C Chandrasekhar’s travelling exhibition of graphic prints. Where: The Corner House Gallery, Jubilee Hills When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 23558446

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Candidates vie for MIM attention The decision announcing the next mayor will be made after general body meeting of GHMC on December 17. Six probable candidates are trying to catch the eye of Owaisi brothers Md Inkeshaf Ahmed ahmed.m@postnoon.com

HYDERABAD: After ensuring the smooth exit of its ally, the Congress party candidate B Karthika Reddy from the mayoral seat, the All India Majlis Itehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), is now grappling with the onus task of choosing a candidate for a mayor for Hyderabad. One can’t help but suppress a smile when half-a-dozen mayor aspirant’s jostle to please the MIM bosses — Asaduddin Owaisi and his brother Akbaruddin Owaisi. The names floating around for the coveted posts are former Mayor of MCH, Mir Zulfeqar Ali, Deputy Mayor Mir Jaffer Hussain, Pattargatti division corporator Mohsin bin Abdulla Balala, Rein Bazar corporator Khaja Bilal Ahmed and Chintal Basti corporator Yasmeena Sultana. Among these aspirants, the prospects of former mayor Mir Zulfeqar ali and deputy mayor

Mir Jaffer Hussain and Rein Bazar corporator Khaja Bilal Ahmed the brightest. But many political analysts, who have observed the developments in MIM from a close quarter, say that the party has the history of springing surprises. According to Mohd. Subhan, a political analyst, the decisions of the party president are considered supreme in MIM and there is no scope for public display of protest and disgruntlement among party leaders. He predicts MIM throwing a surprise by declaring the name of a dark horse for the mayor's post. Former Mayor of Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH) and a contender in the race for the GHMC mayor's post Mir Zulfeqar Ali express similar views while speaking to Postnoon. "In our party the decision of our party president is supreme. Everybody in the party, irrespective of their stature,

In our party the decision of our president is supreme. Everybody in the party, irrespective of their stature, should obey his decision Mir Zulfeqar Ali

should obey his decision," he said. Another strong contender for the mayor's post, GHMC Deputy Mayor, Jaffer Hussain, who is said to be very close to the party president agreed. According to party sources, the MIM is unlikely to take a decision till the resignation of Karthika Reddy gets approved by the General Body Meeting (GBM)

of the corporation. The GBM is scheduled to be held on November. The meeting should have been held within seven days from the date of resignation by the mayor but it is now being held with a gap of 12 days because of the recent Assembly session. According to the GHMC officials, the rules of the corporation say that a GBM should not be held if an Assembly or Parliament session is on. On its part, the MIM is also not hastening the process of selecting party candidate for the mayor's post. The president of the party Asaduddin Owaisi, who is also happens to be a Member of Parliament is now occupied with ongoing Parliament session in nation's capital — New Delhi. Speaking to Postnoon, party floor leader in AP Assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi has said that they would elect the candidate for the mayor's post after a meetting of the party leaders.

Special Report

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

The right to write Free Speech S Sudhir Kumar

et’s assume for a moment that Kapil Sibal’s idea will get converted into law. The law says social that websites should block material that is deemed “threatening, abusive, harassing, blasphemous, objectionable, defamatory, … or otherwise unlawful in any manner whatever.” Here’s the first basic question — who will decide whether something is abusive, objectionable blah blah? Let’s further assume that the genius in Mr Kapil Sibal

Campaign for Internet Freedom came up with a satisfactory answer to our first question. The next question is this — who is next? By the same logic, will factionist and mafia movies be banned? Shouldn’t those soap operas on TV be banned for being abusive etc? Better yet, what about the “debates” on news channels which qualify for the adjectives above? However these questions arising from mere assumptions are not the reason why Kapil Sibal’s idea is a joke. As lofty as it may sound, it is a joke because it steals from you, one of your basic freedoms — the freedom of expression. The government wants to first read what you wish to express, and then decide if it is appropriate or not for your neighbour or the citizen of Uzbekistan to

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The basic question is who will decide whether something is abusive or objectionable? By the same logic, will factionist and mafia movies be banned? Shouldn’t those soap operas on TV be banned for being abusive etc?

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It is a joke because it steals from you, one of your basic freedoms — the freedom of expression. The government wants to first read what you wish to express, and then decide if it is appropriate or not for your neighbour or the citizen of Uzbekistan to read it.

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read it. It actually doesn’t matter that social networking websites do provide for a “report spam” or “block” button. It also doesn’t matter that some websites actually remove “objectionable” content after getting complaints. It also doesn’t matter that it is practically impossible to prescreen everything that gets posted. What has logic got to do with anything as long as the government is unable to comprehend that ordinary citizens like you and me found a platform to criticise and have the gall to do so openly without any fear? And this is no exaggeration because a Google Transparency report says that the government wanted it to remove 255 items citing “government criticism” as the reason. Such actions are as despicable as banning books and movies merely because they might hurt a few. It is also a sad reflection of an inefficient system when a minister who is entrusted with the responsibility of reforming and running our education system gets busy with stealing our rights. Even worse if he is doing this to deflect attention from more pressing issues. As HRD minister, Kapil Sibal said - No more X board exams! Students are still writing those exams. As Telecom Minister, he said there is “zero loss” in the 2G scam. We know how big a lie that is. Here’s hoping that his third attempt at his “15 minute fame” also meets its natural death! After all, it’s about our right to write, right? :) The writer is an engineer who works for an MNC. He blogs about politics and media @ www.serious-fun.blogspot.com

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Sibal row storms FB n Madness of Sibal. there is no yard stick to measure the content value of FB and G. It’s a social networking site and ppl have the right to do whatever they want on their wall. If you find abusive content you can report it as abuse or make cyber laws more stringent and stronger. R Rajeswari Iyer, PR Consultant n The reported cannot b censord bt nt evrythng...... ths is nt a gud idea coz we share the cntent nly in our frns circle....tht l b against our privacy if they interfere in evrythn... Manavi Thatha, works in Manipal Group n I think it is a sign of things to come; like other governments across the world, ours also seems to be scared of the power of social media. I also think Sibal has over-reacted and acted patronizingly yet again (as is his wont) censoring social media is a lot like asking children not to talk to each other loudly when among grown-ups :-) Anand Viswanadha , Writer n He is silly, cheap and sick. He will perish if he even attempts. Mahesh Kumar Kathi, Film critic n Mr. Sibal, i think there are bigger issues staring the country and your gov. now - Plz decide on a strong Lokpal, the swiss bank accounts, Inflation, Fuel prices etc... If you think of regulating even our views, then India is no more a democracy... Plz earn respect first..and plz know that we hate you politicians the most even than Kasab as you are eating our money and our country subtely while Kasab does it on the face!

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Readers’ views We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 4067 2222

Hyper Local

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Bullets fly out of Ramkote market Sudeshna Koka

Today most youngsters who shop in Ramkote look out for Bullets which are hard to come by. The market has lost its glitz after big dealers and showroom sprung up everywhere

sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

amkote Street No 3. This board directs you to Asia’s largest used bike market.

Any bike that you cannot find in Ramkote is not worth a search. There are at least 200 motorcycle brokers and mechanics, in small garages and make-shift repair houses. Ramkote is a glaring example of what happens to small entrepreneurs when big companies step in with their huge capitals and schemes. Once thriving, the market is dull today, and the crestfallen brokers point a finger to big show rooms whose resources have weaned away youth from seconds to brand new vehicles. Lakshman Singh is the pioneer of this market. Starting in 1975, Singh never thought it would become such a big hit. “We were a monopoly 20-25 years ago but now used bike markets are all over Hyderabad. Unlike before the business has not been great since few years. Today people come here when they no other options, says Balber

Singh, owner Balaji motors. There are several reasons for this pattern. One of the most important reason is the EMI scheme. Today, buying a bike on an EMI scheme has become a convenient option and young employees prefer to buy a bike on an EMI rather than opting for a second hand bike. According to Anoop D of Wahe, Guru Motors, in the last two years the sales have dropped by more than 50 per cent. “In the year 2000, the EMI scheme was launched and ever since then there has been a 30 per cent dip in

the market. Adding to it is the increasing petrol price. With petrol price going up each day the demand for used vehicles has come down” he laments. Other dealers in the area echo Anoops sentiments. “We used to sell more than 200 vehicles during normal months but now it has come down to 140 vehicle pre months,” says Azam Ali, New India motors . “Before one would come here to sell their bike but today an owner of a two-wheeler goes to a big showrooms as they can exchange their old vehicle for any new

KCR, Jagan conspire to capture power in State Political circles indicate that the erstwhile antagonists have come together with a plan to dislodge the Congress at the next elections

U Srinivas srinivas.u@postnoon.com

nner circles of politics are abuzz with indications that TRS chief Chandrasekhar Rao and YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy have reached an understanding in principle for the next elections. Highly placed TDP sources confirmed this. While the no-confidence motion dust is settling down, the Congress leaders have got reports that Jagan has lured the Congress MLAs with the promises of securing them TRS tickets apart from taking care of the election expenditure. It is now known that if it was a secret voting then the pattern of voting could have been different. And, there was no way telling the fate of Kiran government.

Since it was head counting, some Congress MLAs did not dare to defy the whip. The broad understanding is that Jagan will concentrate on Seemandhra and KCR will take care of Telangana. The intelligence has reported that some of the YSR Congress supporters were also in touch with the Congress MLAs. The TRS leaders openly suggested the Congress MLAs to support them. The fact that of late the TRS and the YSRC are not charging each other with anti-T feelings is also taken as an indication of the newfound bonhomie. YSRC has been poaching from all other parties is a common complaint, especially so with the PRP. Chiranjeevi made an open allegation that his MLAs were lured by YSR Congress during the no-confidence motion. Interestingly, Jagan had promised to get them TRS tickets in the next elections if they wished to contest from Telangana. Chiranjeevi MLAs Maheshwar Reddy and Anil were lured by the Jagan for the TRS it is reported. Chiranjeevi alleged secret understanding between the TRS and YSR Congress. TRS leader K Tarakarama Rao complimented the Jagan legislators for defying the Congress’ whip.

model that is available in the market. Not only that, our customers from villages and smaller towns also choose to buy bikes from the nearest showroom than come all the way till Hyderabad,” says Ali. However there are a few bikes which are in great demand and the only sustaining USP of this market. Since 2009 Bikes like Yamaha RX-100, Java and SD are suddenly in great demand. These bikes are not in production now but still having a huge following among the youth. This creates a great demand and supply. Today, these

bikes price between `10,000 to ` 80,000. “There is a great demand for Bullet these days. Before I would sell it for `8000 but today It fetches up to `50, 000,” says Ali. two wheelers are a necessity these days. “Just like a wife, your bike is also your life” laughs out Haider Ali. He is the union head and president for the 400 shops that majestically stand on Ramkote road. He believes that despite all the problems and competition from retailers there is a huge population in Hyderabad which prefers to buy second-hand bike and this market is precisely just for them. “There is an immense demand for old bike as it’s cheap but the government does not approve bike which are more than 20 years old. Government wants us to dispose those bikes; if we do that then we face further losses,” Haider adds. Despite the 50 per cent dip, second hand bikes in Hyderabad are in enormous demand due to the immense bike lovers in the city. Ramkote give employment for more than 800 Hyderabadis and still claims to be the number one place to sell and buy second hand bikes.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

‘KVP passed MBBS because of me’ The controversial Shanker Rao, minister for handlooms, dismisses claims that he is a nuisance to many people in the cabinet. In an interview with Postnoon, Rao says only he could defeat Jagan U Srinivas

ence but no brains.

What about the fate of the 16 MLAs will they be axed? I told you elections are round the corner, yes, by-elections, just wait and see. First let action be taken. I don’t know if they will take the risk . They will get some time to explain. Let us see. They are Congress people, you know.

hanker Rao, the minister for Handlooms is on the hit list of Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy. In fact, ministers have lodged a complaint with the CM about Shanker Rao on several occasions. However, Kiran usually advises them to ignore him. Despite the fact that Shanker Rao has complained about the CM to the AICC chief, Kiran has kept his calm. The reason being, Jagan was brought to book by a petition filed by Shanker. Talking to Postnoon, Shanker, in his inimitable style brushed aside all criticism and said that Lord Venkateshwara will take care of him.

What will be the fate of the MLAs who ignored the whip? Just wait and watch. The elections are just round the corner. It is important to remember that they are all Congress workers and only Vijayamma is from YSR Congress. The problem is they don’t have brains and Jagan is a baccha (kid). The YSRC has everything, money, muscle and influ-

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What about the seven vacancies? It is better not to contest. Waste, I am telling you. I told you earlier, I will contest, I will campaign (Kadapa elections) and I will get elected, my bet.

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me. I still remember, he had come on a scooter and we had gone to a house in front of the Chikkadpally Sri Venkateshwara Swamy temple where I recommended that he be passed in his

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You must know I treated former Prime Minister PV Narsimha Rao. Just Re 1 I used to charge. Yes, I was a very popular doctor. But after entering politics I stopped

But you did not go to Kadapa? They did not ask me, they must have given the ticket or asked me for campaigning. What can I do? I am ready. Just give me an opportunity, I will show you. People say KVP Ramachandra Rao saved the government? Who’s KVP? It was because of me that KVP was even able to pass his MBBS exams. He is afraid of me. He will ignore me. Which is why if I walk into a room he will look away but he will not look at

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MBBS exam. You can ask him. But why did you not get the berth in YSR regime? Same thing, KVP ignored me as I know everything about him. I took him left and right in Delhi for ignoring me. It happened in front of YSR. He told KVP that Shanker is emotional, but our man. But KVP did not do anything as I blasted him. You know me I will not spare any one. Areeeey YSR also knew about me. He used to respect me, you have also seen that. YSR was a different man. KVP has his own calculations.

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Will you continue as a minister? Will this government continue? Where is the government? What wrong have I done. Let the high command tell me. What is the mistake I’ve made? If they want to, they can sack me. I told the CM also several times ‘Sack me. I am ready.’ Let me tell you the Congress will continue. Congress chief minister will rule till 2014. Congress will win again there is no doubt. Kiran is also a good man. But one cannot predict about the future.

Why are you against Kiran ? (Throws a one-eyed glance at Lord Balaji’s photo) I am happy with Kiran. If I did anything against the government, against the Congress party you can take action against me. Yes, take action. If you are angry, send me out, why should they harass me? (Shows a survey done by India today and says Rahul will be the PM.) Yes I will blast a bomb at CLP. Please come there. Even the local body elections I think we will win. There is no dhoka for Congress. Will you get the cabinet post again? God only Knows. Venkanna daya (Lord’s grace). While all the ministers have the photos of CM, PM and Sonia in their offices, he has only his photo on the wall apart from his swearing in photo with the Governor. Are you still a practicing doctor? Thammi, believe me, I had a roaring practice. I treated former Prime Minister PV Narsimha Rao. Just Re 1 I used to charge. But after entering politics I stopped.

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India‑View

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

India unveiled

Harvard removes Swamy-taught courses, citing anti-Muslim piece NEW YORK: Harvard University has decided to remove courses taught by Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy at its annual summer school session, terming his views as “reprehensible” in a controversial piece he wrote on Islamic terrorism in India. At a meeting of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, faculty members voted with an “overwhelming majority” to remove two economics courses ‘Quantitative Methods in Economics and Business’ and ‘Economic Development in India and East Asia’ - that Swamy teaches at the three-month Harvard Summer School session. The faculty meeting, convened to approve the 2012 Summer School course catalogue, resulted in a “heated debate” when Comparative Religion Professor Diana Eck proposed an amendment to exclude Swamy’s courses from the catalogue, the Harvard Crimson reported. In a July op-ed piece for an Indian publication, Swamy had recommended demolishing hun-

dreds of mosques and suggested that only Muslims in India who “acknowledge that their ancestors were Hindus” should be allowed to vote. Eck said Swamy’s op-ed “clearly crosses the line by demonising an entire religious community and calling for violence against their sacred places,” adding that Harvard has a moral responsibility not to affiliate itself with anyone who expresses hatred towards a minority group. “There is a distinction between unpopular and unwelcome political views,” Eck said. Earlier, more than 400 students had signed a petition calling for Swamy’s removal after Harvard had decided to stand by him, affirming its commitment to free speech principles. Dean of Summer School Donald Pfister said courses included in the catalogue are chosen by individual departments. “I find (Swamy’s) position reprehensible, but on the other hand, it is our duty to support departments and their offerings,” he said.

Philosophy Department Chair Sean Kelly had initially defended the unanimous decision of Harvard’s Faculty Council to keep Swamy on the teaching roster as an effort to preserve free speech at the school. Kelly ultimately voted for the amendment to remove Swamy’s courses. “I was persuaded ... that the views expressed in Dr Swamy’s oped piece amounted to incitement of violence instead of protected

In a July op-ed piece for an Indian publication, Swamy had recommended demolishing hundreds of mosques and suggested that only Muslims in India who “acknowledge that their ancestors were Hindus” should be allowed to vote political speech,” he said. Harvard had chosen to stand by Swamy in August in line with its declared commitment to free speech. However at Tuesday’s meeting, faculty members agreed to remove his two courses, effectively removing him from Harvard’s teaching roster. Faculty

Lokpal panel finalises report, Anna reiterates fast threat NEW DELHI: The Parliamentary Standing Committee examining the Lokpal bill finalised its draft report on Wednesday amidst increased dissent from members, including those of the Congress, over various provisions but Anna Hazare rejected the proposed legislation as unlikely to check corruption. Panel chairman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the report, carrying dissent notes, is likely to be presented in Parliament on Friday. Sources said of around 15 dissent notes on various issues, most relate to exclusion of around 5.7 million Group C staff, the largest chunk of government employees, from the Lokpal’s ambit. While members from the BJP, Left and the SP have already submitted their dissent notes, three Congress members — Deepa Dasmunsi, PT Thomas and Meenakshi Natrajan — joined them on Wednesday. The three Congress members also want the CVC under the Lokpal. Another contentious issue was whether the PM should come

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with finance minister Pranab Mukherjee in Lok Sabha in New Delhi on Wednesday. PTI

Congress backs Pawar, attacks Hazare NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday questioned Gandhian credentials of Anna Hazare for justifying the recent assault on agriculture minister Sharad Pawar and said any remark which incites people was condemnable. Party spokesman Manish Tewari said the basic principle of the Gandhian thought was non-vio-

lence and wondered how anyone justifying violence can be a Gandhian. On Pawar’s statement that Justice PB Sawant Commission had spoken about the maladministration and corruption by Hazare, Tewari said that the report of the commission was self-speaking. IANS

under the purview of the ombudsman. Singhvi said the controversial issues have been left for Parliament to resolve. However, the response from the Anna hazare camp was not favourable. Hazare said it seemed that the government is not committed to a strong Lokpal bill. “The government is not serious about fighting corruption,” he told reporters at his village, Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra. “There is rampant corruption in lower bureaucracy. To check the corruption, there is a pressing need to bring the Group C and D employees under Lokpal,” he said. He threatened to go on an indefinite fast from December 27 if a strong bill was not passed in Parliament during the Winter Session, which ends Dec 22. Hazare said that during the fast, he would request voters in seven states going to polls next year not to support the Congress. Key Hazare aide, Arvind Kejriwal also rejected the recommendations and said these will not have “any impact on corruption”. IANS

members said Swamy’s article was not a product of free speech—but of hate speech. “(Swamy’s position on disenfranchisement) is like saying Jewish Americans and African Americans should not be allowed to vote unless they acknowledge the supremacy of white Anglo Saxon Protestants,” said History Professor Sugata Bose. After Swamy’s controversial piece appeared, a group of Harvard students known as ‘Coalition Against Bigotry at Harvard’ had started a petition drive calling on the University to severe ties with him. The Janata Party leader had received his PhD in Economics from Harvard in 1965 and has served as an assistant and associate professor. Division of Continuing Education spokesperson Linda Cross had called the article “distressing” but had said “it is central to the mission of a university to protect free speech, including that of Dr Swamy and of those who disagree with him.” PTI

HC issues notice to Modi

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan High Court issued a show cause notice to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on a petition seeking initiation of criminal defamatory action against him for his reported remarks on country’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Justice Mahesh Chandra Sharma issued the notice on a petition filed by a Youth Congress leader Charmesh Sharma, a resident of Bundi. Both the Chief Judicial Magistrate and the Additional Sessions Judge, Bundi, had earlier dismissed the plea of the of YC leader. “Before passing any order we wish to hear Narendra Modi,” the High Court observed in its order. It fixed February 6 next for further hearing in the case. PTI

India‑View

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

India unveiled

Project Big Brother: Congress cautious, BJP opposes Sibal NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday reacted cautiously to government moves for a code of conduct for social media, calling for larger debate, while the BJP was supportive but said communications minister Kapil Sibal’s way of approaching the issue is not right. Congress spokesman Manish Tewari hoped the government would hold threadbare consultations with all stakeholders before taking a decision. BJP leader SS Ahluwalia supported the government’s view on objectionable content on the social networking sites but said Sibal’s way of approaching the issue is not right. “We condemn if some distortion has taken place on such sites. No political party would approve distortion of images of public figures on the social network sites,” Ahluwalia said. But he said that “Sibal’s way of regulating them is not okay”. Ahluwalia compared the government’s move to ask the social networking sites to block objectionable content with the way it treated yoga guru Baba Ramdev when he protested the black

Naval Command cadets demonstrate their search and rescue operation skills at mid sea on the PTI eve of Navy Day celebrations in Chennai on Wednesday.

money issue in Delhi earlier in the year and was asked to give a declaration on ending the agitation. The BJP leader said the government should instead bring the regulation that it planned for these social network sites to parliament for discussion. “We will give our views then,” he said. Stating that the constitution granted complete freedom of speech, Ahluwalia said the social networking sites should not promote pervert pictures or hurt religious sentiments of people. Sibal had said that global internet companies should block some content from their sites in view of senstivities and cultural ethos of people of the country. IANS

Army not to recruit youths with tattoos JAMMU: Youths with tattoos on their bodies will not be recruited in Army as it could be a cause of skin diseases, an army officer said. “Instructions have been received that boys with tattoos anywhere on their bodies except hands will not be recruited (in the armed forces),” deputy director general recruitment (Punjab and JK),” Brigadier Vinod Raizada said. “It has been seen recently that boys are going for tattoos which can spread skin diseases,” he said . Several boys get rejected for having tattoos on their bodies, the Brigadier said, adding “out of every 100 boys (who come for recruitment), 30 have body tattoos.” Most of the boys from Jammu, Samba and Kathua who had come for Army recruitment rally in Akhnoor border belt had body tattoos, he said. Those youths having tattoos on hands would be sent for medical tests and recruited only if cleared, Brig Raizada said. PTI

Military under Whistleblower’s Bill NEW DELHI: The defence ministry has given its consent for bringing the Armed Forces within the ambit of the Whistleblower’s Bill under consideration of the government. “Yes, it is correct that the defence ministry has agreed to put the Army and the other two services under the purview of the bill,” Army sources said . A Parliamentary committee had recently recommended bringing the Armed Forces and security and intelligence agencies under the purview of the Public Interest Disclosure and Protection to Persons Making the Disclosures Bill, 2010, commonly known as the Whistleblower’s Bill. The bill seeks to establish a mechanism to receive complaints regarding allegations of corruption or wilful misuse of power.

Dam row: Keralites’ shops attacked in TN CHENNAI: The political tussle between Tamil Nadu and Kerala over the Mullaperiyar Dam has shifted to the streets of Chennai, Coimbatore and Thanjavur with fringe Tamil groups attacking shops owned by Keralites and forcing them to down shutters Wednesday. Retaliating to the attacks on Tamils in Kerala, a Tamil fringe group attacked a sweets shop owned by a Keralite in Chennai’s Saidapet area, while a jewellery shop in T Nagar area was forced to down its shutters as a group of protestors staged demonstration outside it. Similarly, shops owned by Keralites in Coimbatore and Thanjavur were forced to close down by protesters. Demonstrations were also held outside the jewellery shops owned by Keralites in the state. A large police contingent has been deployed for security outside big shops owned by Keralites here. Meanwhile, TN Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa held a meeting with her Cabinet colleagues and officials to discuss the tense situation in the KeralaTamil Nadu border areas. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly A Vijayakant condemned the attack on Ayyappa

TN MP sits on fast inside Parliament NEW DELHI: An MP from Tamil Nadu on Wednesday sat on a fast inside Parliament House complex demanding that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh intervenes and stops Kerala from constructing a new dam near the Mullaperiyar dam. Thol Thirumavalavan of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi launched the fast in the morning condemning Kerala’s attitude in the Mullaperiyar dam issue. The MP demanded that Singh intervenes in the issue immediately.

devotees and bus passengers from Tamil Nadu by anti-social elements in Kerala. In a statement issued here Wednesday, he said: “The Central and the Kerala governments are watching the attacks on innocent Tamils in Kerala. Both the governments have to take strong action against the anti-social elements.” “.... the weakness is in the Kerala politicians and not in the Mullaperiyar Dam,” he added. On the other hand, PMK founder-leader S Ramadoss in a statement here demanded economic blockade of Kerala by closing the routes to that State for a week and imposing a ban on Keralites buying properties in Tamil Nadu. IANS

Chandy writes to Jaya, allays violence fears THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Expressing hope that the December 16 official level talks on the Mullaperiyar issue would be a meaningful exercise, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday assured his Tamil Nadu counterpart that his government was “totally committed” to ensure peace in

the dam area and the safety of the existing structure. “We should make use of the forum for a meaningful exchange of ideas and appreciation of each other’s position to find a way forward,” he said in a letter to Jayalalithaa. “Police presence in the area has been strengthened and we

are confident of protecting the dam and ensuring peace in the area,” Chandy said. He, however, said the scale of the catastrophe in the event of collapse of the “existing dam” was unimaginable and it would make both sides “eternally guilty.” PTI

Around the World

Beyond Borders

Pak rubbishes coup, Zardari exit reports ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTO N: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari’s sudden departure from Islamabad to Dubai for medical tests sparked intense speculation on Wednesday, with a US media report stating that he had suffered a heart attack and may quit. However, his spokesman dis-

missed it as “speculative, imaginary and untrue”. The official line was that he had gone to Dubai for medical tests and also to meet his children, though Pakistan Army doctors who carried out a medical check declared him fit. Meanwhile, a US magazine quoted a former American official as saying that Zardari had a minor heart attack and may resign as president. “President Zardari is in a Dubai hospital for medical tests and check-ups as planned. Reports in some section of the media speculating on the president’s activities and engagements are speculative, imaginary and untrue,” Xinhua quoted his spokesman Farhatullah Babar as saying. Zardari abruptly flew out of Pakistan on Tuesday, leading to much confusion and intense speculation. Sources close to

the president rubbished reports that he was about to resign and said he would come back after the medical check-up. Pakistan’s official news agency Associated Press of Pakistan reported that Zardari left on Tuesday evening for Dubai to visit his children and also to undergo some medical

President Zardari is in a Dubai hospital for medical tests. Reports in some section of the media speculating on the President’s activities and engagements are speculative, imaginary and untrue. Farhatullah Babar , Spokesman for Zadari tests. Zardari has three children — Asifa, Bakhtawar and Bilawal. The President’s personal physician Colonel Salman said that the proposed medical tests were of routine nature and linked to a previously diagnosed

cardiovascular condition. Zardari’s son and ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari met Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in Islamabad on Wednesday as rumours swirled about the state of the president’s health and whether he was stepping down. Geo News quoted a spokesperson as saying that Bilawal deliberated on the current political situation with Gilani. They also discussed Zardari’s health. The spokesperson said that doctors have termed the President’s condition as satisfactory, but newly prescribed medicines could have an adverse affect on his health. “The President went to Dubai following symptoms related to his pre-existing heart condition,” PM’s media office said in a statement, adding: “The president will remain under observation and return to resume his normal functions as advised by the doctors.” Though the News International said doctors from the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) found Zardari completely fit after a check-up, the president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar denied the report. Adding a new dimension, the US-based Foreign Policy magazine quoted a former American official as saying that parts of the US government were informed that Zardari had a “minor heart attack” on Monday night. He was flown to Dubai by an air ambulance. Zardari may have to undergo an angioplasty on Wednesday and may also resign on account of “ill health”, the magazine said. The ex-official noted the growing expectation inside the US government that Zardari may be on the way out, reported Foreign Policy.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

US aborts plan to retrieve drone downed in Iran

WASHINGTON: The US had considered but have finally given up a “covert mission” inside Iran to retrieve or destroy a stealth drone that crashed last week, fearing that such an action could provoke tensions with Iran, a media report said. Unnamed US officials have insisted that the RQ-170 drone was not shot down by Iran. Instead it developed mechanical difficulties and remote pilots of the CIA lost control of the unmanned aircraft, Xinhua reported citing the Wall Street Journal. After immediately knowing the drone had crashed, the US officials considered various options for retrieving the wreckage. Under one plan, a team would have been sent inside Iran to retrieve the aircraft. They also considered sending a team of US commandos based in Afghanistan or using allied agents inside Iran to hunt down the downed aircraft, the report said. Another option would have had a team sneak into Iran to

blow up the remaining pieces of the drone. A third option would have been to destroy the wreckage with an air strike. But the officials ultimately gave up the mission to retrieve or destroy the drone, fearing they would have risked discovery by Iran. If an assault team entered the country, the US “could be accused of an act of war” by the Iranian government, the officials were quoted as saying. The RQ-170 drone is an unmanned aircraft which has been used for reconnaissance and surveillance by the US in Afghanistan. Despite Iranian claims, US officials have denied that the drone was brought down by Iran, either through hacking its satellite link or by shooting it down. The report added that they are, however, concerned that the aircraft’s falling into Iranian hands could lead to security breach, although its technology cannot be “reverse-engineered” with ease.

UK ‘coins’ literary genius of Charles Dickens LONDON: A two pound coin featuring a portrait of British literary genius Charles Dickens will come into use next spring to mark his 200th birth anniversary. Dickens is seen in profile, with typography making up his portrait, using the titles of his greatest works, including Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, David Copperfield and A Christmas Carol, the Daily Express reported.

It has been produced by the Royal Mint. On the edge of the coin is an inscription of the quotation “Something Will Turn Up”, spoken by Wilkins Micawber in David Copperfield. Artist Matthew Dent said: “I wanted the design to represent both the immense contribution Dickens has made to British literature as well as his iconic por-

The typography uses several different typefaces, from ones that existed during his lifetime, to ones that were designed since his death.

trait.” “The visual reference for the portrait was based on a bust of a bearded Dickens from the collection of the Charles Dickens Museum in London.” “The typography uses several different typefaces, from ones that would have existed during his lifetime, to ones that were designed since his death.

Around the World

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

Beyond borders

Putin prepares to return, files papers MOSCOW: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has submitted his documents to be officially registered as a candidate for the March 2012 presidential elections. In line with Russian law, the Central Election Commission is to consider Putin’s bid within 10 days. The 59-year-old Putin, who served two terms as president in 2000-2008, announced his plans to return to the Kremlin in September and is widely expected to win the elections slated for March 4, 2012. Current Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has agreed to replace Putin as prime minister

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visits the Central Elections Commission office in Moscow on Wednesday for his registration as presidential candidate in Russia. The presidential AFP vote is scheduled on March 4, 2012.

in the next government. The United Russia party nominated Putin as its candidate for president during a party congress in late November. At least four candidates are expected to challenge Putin’s bid for the presidency. Among them are Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the LDPR party, and veteran Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov. They are expected to be officially nominated Dec 13 and 17. The A Just Russia party also intends to put forward its leader Sergei Mironov as a candidate. His nomination is likely to be approved by a party congress due December 10.

Pak nukes at risk from extremists? WASHINGTON: Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich said on Wednesday that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal was at risk of being seized by “extremists” who had probably infiltrated Islamabad’s military. “My guess is that they have well over 100 nuclear weapons and that the Pakistani military is so penetrated by extremist elements you have no idea if one morning, they are going to lose three or four of them. I mean just have them stolen,” Gingrich told CNN’s Situation Room . Gingrich, a veteran Republican who has surged in recent weeks to the top of the pack of contenders vying to unseat Democrat President Barack Obama, also derided Pakistan’s claims that officials did

Blogojevich gets 14 years A

district judge ignored pleas for leniency as he sent the former governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, to prison for 14 years for trying to sell a vacant seat to the US Senate. Under federal rules, Blagojevich must serve just

under 12 years at the very least — almost twice as much as his predecessor, George Ryan, who was imprisoned for six years for his corrupt activities. The judge said a harsh penalty was necessary because Blagojevich had “torn at the fabric” of the state and left it disfigured by trying to secure a highpaying job or campaign funds through his power to appoint someone to Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat. Blagojevich does not have to report to federal prison until 16 February. As the judge announced the

sentence, which includes a $20,000 fine, Blagojevich hunched forward and his face appeared frozen. Minutes later, his wife, Patti Blagojevich, stood up and fell into her husband’s arms. He pulled back to brush tears off her cheek and then rubbed her shoulders.

On his way out of the courthouse, Blagojevich cited Rudyard Kipling and said it was a time to be strong, to fight through adversity and be strong for his children. He said he and wife were heading home to speak to their daughters, and then left without answering any questions. Blagojevich, who generally cuts a swaggering figure, had delivered an abject and craven apology for his actions in the hope that the judge would be lenient. “I’m here convicted of

crimes,” he said. “The jury decided I was guilty. I accept it. I acknowledge it, and I of course am unbelievably sorry for it. I want to apologise to the people of Illinois, to the court, for the mistakes I have made . I never set out to break the law. I never set out to cross lines. “My life is in ruins. I have nobody to blame but myself for my stupidity and actions .I’m not blaming anybody. I have accepted responsibility for it. “ But the prosecutor, ignoring pleas of mercy from both Blagojevich’s wife and children the previous day, asked for the stiffest sentence possible. “The defendant’s criminal activity corrupted the decision-making process of Illinois,” said assistant US attorney Reid Schar. “His criminal activity has further eroded the public’s confidence in government and government officials.” The people have had enough. They’ve had enough of this defendant. They’ve had enough of those who are corrupt like him. A message must be sent. They should have the highest expectations that their elected leaders will honor that faith the people put in them.” Blagoyevich sipped on Cherry Coke while waiting for the judge’s decision. It was a harsh sentence. Judge James Zagel insisted that Blagoyevich’s crimes went

beyond the issue of money, to the basic issue of public trust and accountability. “The harm is the erosion of public trust in government,” Zagel said. “If a state senator takes a bribe, it’s one person out of 59 .You are not to be com-

My life is in ruins. I have nobody to blame but myself for my stupidity and actions .I’m not blaming anybody. I have accepted responsibility for it. Rod Blagojevic, Former governor of Illinois pared with those of lesser positions in government. You as a governor are seen to control all of government. “The fabric of Illinois is torn, disfigured and not easily repaired. You did that damage.” Blagojevich’s sentencing came just days before his 55th birthday on Saturday, and nearly three years to the day of his arrest at dawn on 9 December 2008.

not know Osama Bin Laden had been hiding there for years before elite US forces found and killed him in May. “The Pakistani military was capable of protecting bin Laden for six years,” in Abbottabad, a major military city north of Islamabad, Gingrich said. “Now do I think Osama bin Laden was sitting a mile from the national military university and nobody noticed him in their intelligence service? It’s inconceivable,” the presidential hopeful said. The safety of Islamabad’s nuclear weapons has been heightened ever since the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, when Pakistan’s then military ruler Pervez Musharraf allied his country with Washington’s “war on terror.” But Pakistan has suffered hundreds of deadly attacks from anti-US militants in the decade since. The fear of extremists gaining access to an atomic weapon has also surged in tandem with Washington losing trust in Pakistan since the revelation that bin Laden had been sheltering there. US opinion polls on Tuesday showed that Gingrich, who has been a former speaker in the House of Representatives, had extended his lead over rivals, both in the leadoff Iowa caucus nominating contest and nationwide.

Business

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

Matters of saving and spending

You don’t buy a Rolls Royce, you own it

not in competition with any car because other cars don’t give you what you our cars do. You don’t buy a Rolls Royce, you own it. It is like a piece of jewellery or art. When I asked one of our customers in Australia how he liked his car he said, “I sit on my balcony and smoke a pipe looking at my Phantom.” This goes to show just how great our cars are.

t just slides and gives a feel of gliding. Rolls Royce’s Herfried Hasenoehrl, head of business development, India, tells Osama Salman of Postnoon that already two units were sold in Hyderabad in just two days of opening a showroom. Are you expecting the sales volume in India to be the same as China? China is a well-established market for Rolls Royce. We have over 10 dealerships there. In India, this will be our third dealership. We see a lot of potential in the market and there is a very large demand for our motorcars here. In fact, India is ranked third in the Asia-Pacific region in pure volume. We will announce a fourth dealership by the end of this fiscal. As you know, there are a lot of Rolls Royce cars in Hyderabad much before we even announced the launch here. It was rumoured that the Nizam had a fleet of 50 Rolls Royce cars here. Hyderabad is a great market for us. The region is well on a par with other regions (Mumbai and Delhi). Are the cars modified to suit Indian road and climatic conditions? There was no necessity for us to tune the cars for India. All Rolls

How does Rolls Royce perceive the Asia market in growth? For us every market is important. The potential in Asia is very unique. We have explicitly dedicated a person in this region. Our focus is on Asia and it ever growing market for our cars. Royce cars are subject to cruel tests. We conduct 70 high pressure tests only with water and there are jet suspensions on all four wheels. The ground clearance has been increased by 15mm and that means that you can go over any speed breakers without having to worry. When it comes to road conditions, in one of our tests, the car goes through a session similar to driving on a bad road at 300kmph for a long time. I have driven the car personally here it still feels like a ‘magic carpet ride’.

established customers. The base is ever-growing and so our targets are ever-changing too. In India, we ran out of the Ghost model and the Phantom was sold out everywhere around the world and India played a part in that. We are now looking into production of new cars in February which speaks a lot about us.

When you first launched in 2005 in Mumbai, did Rolls Royce overachieve the target sales? Our Ghost model added a customer group to our already

How do you plan to compete with other car brands of the same stature? Our cars range from `2.75 to `4 crores. Frankly Rolls Royce is

Mojostreet launches real world mobile game for smartphones HYDERABAD: City-based Mojostreet has launched its locationbased real world mobile game for smartphones that lets the users check into interesting places and earn royalty rewards. Available for Blackberry, Nokia, Iphone and Android devices, Mojostreet witnessed18,000 downloads and check-ins in two weeks of its beta launch. Majorstreet founder and CEO Kalyan Manyam told reporters that the numbers were expected to touch 1,00,000 by next month. Mojostreet is a free to download real word game, friend finder, city guide, social network and loyalty rewards all rolled into one app for your smartphone,” he said.

Using the application, one can check-in to hotels, restaurants and stores in his location and earn royalty rewards. The user is directed to the nearest outlet, offering the discounts and can avail the “Mojo offers” by showing the screen to the merchant. Manyam said 150 brands were currently available on Mojostreet in 1,250 locations in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Noida, Gurgaon and Delhi. It plans to expand its operations to Chennai, Mumbai, Pune and Kolkatta soon. As part of its first global expansion, Mojostreet plans to enter southeast Asia early next year. Kalyan said they were not charging the customers but collect monthly charges from the merchants.

What are the kinds of customers you are targeting? Rolls Royce never targets any specific group. Anyone who wants to buy a car can come in. But the unique thing about our customers is that they are highly successful. Our average buyer’s liquid value is $30 million. Rolls Royce buyers are of a different league.

Are Rolls Royce motorcars going to go the eco-friendly way with green cars? We are still running the only Rolls Royce electric Phantom with the largest battery in the world. We have gotten mixed reactions with this. We will announce in the first quarter of 2012 which direction we are headed. Having said that, all Rolls Royce cars are the best in fuel consumption and low emission for its class. We produce only 10 cars a day so that there aren’t many trucks to carry them away from our factory. We have a low carbon footprint as the owners of RR don’t drive the car as much as other cars. 85 per cent of our car is recyclable. Have you got any booking now that you have come to Hyderabad? We have gotten two bookings already with our new partner here in just two days, We are keeping our fingers crossed.

Sensex plunges MUMBAI: The BSE benchmark Sensex fell by over 102 points in opening trade on Thursday as participants booked gains recorded in the previous session amid a subdued trend on other Asian bourses. The 30-share Sensex, which closed 71.73 points higher in the previous session, fell by 102.54 points, or 0.60 per cent, to 16,774.52 in opening trade on Thursday. In a similar fashion, the wide-based National Stock Exchange Nifty Index shed 35.00 points, or 0.69 per cent, to 5,027.60. Brokers said apart from profit-booking by participants, the government’s decision to suspend FDI in multi-brand retail also dampened the trading sentiment.

In addition, a weakening trend on other Asian bourses triggered selling on the domestic bourses, they said. Stocks of Pantaloon Ltd tumbled by 2.60 per cent to `193, while Trent Ltd fell by 0.23 per cent to `956. Meanwhile, in the Asia region, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was down by 0.79 per cent and Japan’s Nikkei shed 0.77 per cent in morning trade on Thursday. The Indian rupee fell by 19 paise to `51.90 per US dollar in early trade on the Interbank Foreign Exchange today amid appreciation of the American currency against other rivals overseas and a weak opening in the domestic equity market. Sustained demand for the dollar from importers also put pressure on the rupee.

BSE – 16,499.206377.86, NSE – 4,948.756113.85, Gold 24k(10g)– `29,600, Silver (1kg)–57,500, Dollar $ – `51.85, Pound £ – `81.41

Playing Field

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

The games people play

United chokes on a bit of Basel Manchester United have crashed out of the Champions League after a 2-1 defeat to Basle

ir Alex Ferguson’s men never recovered from Marco Streller’s ninthminute goal. Alexander Frei added another six minutes from time and though Phil Jones pulled one back it was too little, too late for United. The visitors got off to the worst possible start when a penalty area collision between Nemanja Vidic and Chris Smalling offered Xherdan Shaqiri the opportunity to collect a loose ball before drilling a cross across the visitors’ goal. It was not an easy moment for David de Gea. But the young Spaniard might have chosen a

better option than to lunge at the ball with his feet, succeeding only in turning it to Streller, whose first-time shot bounced in. Wayne Rooney, who faces a UEFA disciplinary hearing in nearby Nyon on Thursday, wasted their best chance to equalise when he inexplicably failed to make proper contact with the ball after Nani’s low cross. But the second shattering moment of the half came in the final minute when Vidic and Streller chased down possession, got their legs tangled up and hit the deck. The Serbian immediately called for assistance and medical staff wasted no time stretchering him down the tun-

nel. De Gea made a brilliant fingertip save to turn over Frei’s goalbound free-kick, and the visitors so nearly benefited from an outrageous slice of good fortune when, in attempting to hack Nani’s cross clear at the far post, Markus Steinhofer succeeded only in rattling the crossbar. Frei added Basel’s second eight minutes from time, although United did not go down without a fight. Jones grabbed a lifeline near the end but the visitors were unable to conjure up a miracle second, leaving Bael to celebrate the greatest night in their history.

Blues bow out despite victory

The British press reacts

Manchester City’s maiden Champions League campaign came to an end despite a convincing 2-0 win over an under-strength Bayern Munich

Kevin McCarra

avid Silva and Yaya Toure struck as City produced a fine attacking display to keep their slim hopes of qualifying from Group A alive, but Napoli’s defeat of Villarreal undid them. The results mean City will now be competing in the secondtier Europa League in the new year and the latter stages at the Etihad Stadium were played out in a muted atmosphere. The Germans, already qualified for the last 16, were without three stars in Arjen Robben, Toni Kroos and Bastian Schweinsteiger and left a host of others on the bench. Manuel Neuer, Frank Ribery, Thomas Muller, Mario Gomez and Philipp Lahm were all among the Germans’ high-profile substitutes as coach Jupp Heynckes decided to ease up. City created their first serious opportunity after six minutes when Samir Nasri got free down the right and crossed for Sergio Aguero but the Argentinian headed over from the penalty spot. Roberto Mancini’s men went ahead after 37 minutes when Gareth Barry whipped in a good ball and Silva took Edin Dzeko’s flick in his stride to strike a superb left-foot shot into the bottom corner from 18 yards. It was no more than the hosts

For [Sir Alex] Ferguson and his men regret has more often come of late from defeats by Barcelona in Champions League finals. There is no disgrace in falling to a lineup that will take an eminent place in the history of the game but the departure from the tournament at the hands of Basel is the sort of outcome to spark recriminations and questions. It will not do the balance sheet much good either. Guardian

Steven Howard

deserved and they could have increased their advantage before the interval as they broke into their considerable stride. Aguero made a brilliant run into the area and slid the ball past Hans-Jorg Butt only to be denied by a sliding stop from Jerome Boateng, who earned boos from the home crowd. The interval allowed Bayern to regroup and they went close after the restart when Danijel Pranjic shot wide but City soon took a firm grip. Toure instigated another slick move as he fed Aguero before continuing a run into the box. The ball came back to him via another

good Dzeko flick and he beat the advancing Butt to toe-poke into the goal. The atmosphere became noticeably more subdued as news of Napoli’s opener spread around the ground and for a while the only significant noise came from the large Bayern Munich section. The sense of anti-climax only deepened when Napoli doubled their lead but City still wanted to go down fighting as Dzeko shot at Butt. Nasri then had a tricky run halted by Butt before shooting wide from 20 yards.

Ferguson’s bravado certainly came back to haunt him. Perhaps he had forgotten that Switzerland had come up with the shock of the World Cup when they beat favourites and eventual champions Spain 1-0 at the group stage. Last night was almost a carbon copy of that evening in Durban when the Swiss sneaked a goal and then somehow hung on in the face of a furious, non-stop battering to take all three points. The Sun

Martin Samuel Going out of the Carling Cup is always an occupational hazard for Manchester United, but not the Champions League. This was an iceball to the side of the head on

the first day of winter. And if it is cold back home, it must have been Arctic in the dressing-room, judging by the expression on Ferguson’s face. He does not do transition, either. Daily Mail

Richard Williams City’s fans have known much, much worse than elimination from the Champions League, and success in turning their present lead in the domestic championship in victory in the spring would dispel even the tiniest cloud from the East Manchester sky. In Europe, however, their manager can consider himself still very much on trial. The Guardian

James Lawton City came into the Champions League with enormous hope and almost as much expectation but last night they had to deal with a hard reality. It was that money and even the most accomplished talent is no good unless you can meet every new set of demands. The one that City failed is the one that their much more experienced neighbours United now have to contemplate with a new edge of doubt. It is that in Europe no one can afford to rush their fences or forget certain standards. The Indpendent

Playing Field

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

The games people play

INJURED BRAVO TO MISS TODAY’S ODI

In-form West Indies batsman has been ruled out of Thursday’s penultimate one-day international against India with a hamstring problem

India beat Sri Lanka 3-0, face Maldives in semi-final

tylish left-hander Bravo retired hurt when on 26 during the third ODI in Ahmedabad on Monday, which the tourists won to stay afloat in the series 2-1. “Darren Bravo is out for the next game,” Sammy told reporters on the eve of the fourth ODI in Indore. “Like we showed when Shiv (Shivnarine Chanderpaul) missed a test (in Mumbai), young

(Kieran) Powell came in and took responsibility.” Powell, who replaced Chanderpaul in the team, made the most of his opportunity and hit a solid 81 in the first innings of the final test in Mumbai, which ended in a thrilling draw with both sides on level scores. The 22-year old Bravo scored consecutive hundreds in Kolkata and Mumbai during the test series and has been the most

Indian GP in Oct ’12, US round confirmed

ederation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) on Thursday confirmed a 20-race calendar for the 2012 Formula One season and the Indian Grand Prix will be held from October 26-28 as previously scheduled. The US Grand Prix was also included in the calendar. The FIA approved the race calendar at a World Motor Sport Council meeting in the national capital where its Annual General Assembly (AGA) is going on from December 5. The AGA is happening for the first time in India and will conclude with the FIA Awards Night on Friday. The Indian Grand Prix will again be the 17th race of the season and will take place at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida. The Bahrain round, which was cancelled in March will

be the fourth race in 2012. The FIA also announced a host of rule changes for the next season. A three-day test will be allowed during the season as compared to none previously and the maximum duration of a race will be four hours, the FIA said. When safety car returns to the pits all lapped cars will be allowed to unlap themselves and then join the back of the pack, ensuring a clean re-start without slower cars impeding those racing for the leading positions. The cars which were in the pit lane when a race is suspended will now be allowed to re-join the cars on the grid in the position they were in when the race was halted. The drivers will not be allowed to move back onto the racing line having moved off it to defend a position. IANS

consistent batsman for West Indies on the tour. “Yes, we will miss Bravo in the line-up. But it gives an opportunity for someone else to come out and make a name for himself,” Sammy said. “Our team is definitely improving, when we miss guys, the guys come in and perform,” he added. Chennai will host the final match of the series on Sunday.

ndia kept alive their hopes of defending the SAFF Cup football title after qualifying for the semi-finals with a clinical 3-0 win over Sri Lanka in their last Group A match on Wednesday. India, riding high after drubbing Bhutan 5-0, had to wait till the 50th minute to take the lead through Jeje Lalapeklua, who shot off a rebound after his striking partner Sunil Chettri’s attempt was parried away by Lanka goalkeeper Sujan Perera. Chettri also added to the score-sheet with a stunning header off Clifford Miranda’s perfect cross in the 69th minute and took his tally to four, one behind Afghanistan’s Belala Arezou, the leading goal scorer in the tournament. Sri Lankan defender Bandara Warakagoda committed a blunder in the dying minutes of the game in his bid to clear a ball but slotted it in. Five-time champion India finished second in the group and will face 2008 champions Maldives in Friday’s semi-final. In the second semi-final, Nepal

SAFF CUP will take on Afghanistan, who emerged Group A toppers with their 8-1 thrashing of lowest ranked team Bhutan here Wednesday. India played well in patches in the first-half but had their fair share of chances that went begging. The highly-rated Jeje couldn’t show his class in the first two matches. But against Sri Lanka, the 20-year-old played cleverly and combined well with Mohun Bagan striker Chettri to trouble the Sri Lankan defence. Five minutes into the second half, Pune FC striker Jeje, who is fresh from trials with Scottish giants Rangers, put India ahead as he slotted in a rebound after Perera made an acrobatic save. Perera had a busy day under the bar making some excellent saves including a powerful long ranger from Chettri. In contrast, Karanjit Singh enjoyed an easy day as the Indian defence was hardly threatened. IANS

Wacky World

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

Fun and frolic in a flat world

Age no bar! Unlike girls her age who indulge in hobbies like painting, Texas girl has a fetish for cards

lexa Fisher, from Texas, looks and talks like any other 8-year old girl. However, she has a skill that is most unusual for girls her age. She can play poker fabulously well. In fact, Alexa is so good at poker that she can take on card pros seven times her age. She was introduced to playing cards at the age of three by her father Justin, a 35 year old poker enthusiast. He says he taught her the game to

help improve her Math skills. Justin began by having ESPN and other poker game shows on TV playing in the background all the time. He also used playing cards as a way to teach her to count and learn math skills before she began school. Alexa slowly began to understand which cards were higher and recognized poker terminology, like a flash, a pair and three of a kind. He then went on to get her poker

chips. By the age of four, when other kids are barely able to hold an entire pack of cards in their tiny hands, Alexa was able to shuffle, deal and also knew the basic strategies of bluffing. When she reached five, she could play No-Limit Texas Holde’m like a pro. She slowly began to learn more games like Badugi, Double Flop Hold’em, and many other WSOP (World Series of Poker Tournaments) games. Alexa has played poker for charity events. At her first live tournament in 2009, she set an age record by outlasting well over half the field, including her father. She says she loves playing poker and the best thing about it is that there are a lot of games to choose from and they are easy to learn and play. She hopes to become a professional player when she grows up and inspire other women to play poker too. Choosing a trip to Vegas over Disneyland last year, Alexa attended the WSOP to meet her idol, professional poker player Greg Raymer. His signed autograph to her reads, “See you in 2024!”, which is when she will be legally eligible to enter the tournament herself.

Creating art from ash A

true artist can create art out of literally anything, even ashes. Steven Spazuk, a Canadian artist, is doing just that. Through his unique technique of burning paper and drawing on the soot, he creates breathtaking

monochromatic images. He has perfected his art form over ten years of practice. Spazuk uses candles and torch flame to partially burn thick pieces of paper. He then makes use of various tools to draw directly on the soot. A collection of burnt papers are gathered together to create the entire drawing. Spazuk says that he often works piece by piece, collecting a multitude of unique elements that he assembles into mosaics. “Entities that, once grouped together, afford a different meaning and provide a new perspective that is both novel and complementary,” he says. He mostly creates images of human faces or bodies, which contain a soulful element. Spazuk says that he has been drawing with passion since his childhood, encouraged by his parents and the people around him. The demand for his drawings exist-

ed even back then. He was a regular artist working with acrylics and collage, before he turned to ‘fire’. He now works in his studio with soot, often unsure of what is going to emerge out of the hours he spends there. When he burns the paper, he says that he goes with the flow, allowing patterns and images to emerge gradually.

Every bear has its home

icky Lenart, an artist and resident of Uptown New Orleans, has an entire holiday home dedicated to his collection of teddy bears. Every room of his threestory house at Duffossat Street is filled with the soft toys, a total of 10,000 in number. Lenart’s unusual hobby did not come cheap. This year alone, he spent a total of $40,000 to $50,000 on decorations for his home. He says he has had a lifelong fascination for teddy bears, which prompted him to start his collection. Before he knew it, the bears were everywhere. The Teddy Bear House, as it is called, hosts guided tours for visitors in the holiday season. All the bears are put on display in various rooms, and are otherwise put in storage between seasons. The guided tour sessions are an hour-long and proceeds from ticket sales are donated to non-profit organisations. In order to get the house ready for the holiday tours,

Lenart and his partner, Cornel Jeansonne, have been busy decorating for weeks. Jeansonne says that Lenart gives the orders, since he’s the artist. They put everything together, one room at a time. Each room has a special theme of its own. The salon, for instance, has old-fashioned teddy bears surrounding a Christmas Tree. There are rooms fashioned after Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the Teddy Bear Circus, the Teddy Bear Bakery, and even the Teddy Bear Mardi Gras room, complete with doubloons, beads and a crystal chandelier. Lenart began his stuffed bear collection when he was in school, and he was affectionately nicknamed Ricky Bear. He was able to learn more about toys and how they are made when he moved to New Orleans in 1984 and worked at a Christmas fantasy store. Lenart’s collection includes over 10,000 bears, 2,500 bear ornaments, 200 bear art books, 800 Beanie Baby bears, bear fans, plates, liquor bottles and blankets.

Brave New World

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

From the world of science & research

Reusing pacemakers from deceased

Videogame players advancing genetic research Users of game designed by McGill researchers contributing to analysis of DNA sequences

donors is safe and effective T Loyola physician co-authors study of devices donated to poor patients in India

any heart patients in India are too poor to afford pacemakers. But a study has found that removing pacemakers from deceased Americans, re-sterilising the devices and implanting them in Indian patients “is very safe and effective.” Dr Gaurav Kulkarni of Loyola University Medical Center is a co-author of the study, published online in the American Journal of Cardiology. Kulkarni helped conduct the research before coming to Loyola while he was a medical student in India. Fifty-three poor patients in Mumbai received pacemakers that had been donated by the families of deceased Americans. Following operations to re-implant the devices, all Indian patients were alive and doing well, researchers reported. The Indian patients had severe heart rhythm disorders called complete heart block and sick sinus syndrome. Typically, the slightest physical exertion would leave them gasping for breath and exhausted. Without pacemakers, they likely would have died within weeks or months. But in India, a pacemaker costs $2,200 to $6,600, which is well beyond the means of many patients. The pacemaker donations began as a philanthropic project. Physicians later decided to make a formal study of the safety and effectiveness of the donated devices. At every step of the study, patients gave informed consent. After receiving the reused pacemakers, they were followed for an average of nearly two years. There were no infections or other significant complications and no device failures. All but two patients reported marked improvement in their symptoms. Of four patients who were previously employed, all were able to return to their manual jobs. Twenty-seven women said their symptoms had

improved enough so they could resume household chores. “Implantation of donated permanent pacemakers can not only save lives, but also improve quality of life of needy poor patients,” researchers wrote. Kulkarni added, “Without pacemakers, these patients would pretty much be forced to remain on confined rest, due to cardiac fatigue.” Kulkarni was born and raised in Mumbai, and at the time of the study, was a medical student at King Edward Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. He interviewed patients before and after they received pacemakers and collected data for the study. “There was a dramatic change in patients after they received their pacemakers,” he said. The Food and Drug Administration prohibits reusing pacemakers in the United States. But there is no prohibition against donating and reusing pacemakers in other countries. Researchers reported that between January 2004 and January 2010, 121 pacemakers were removed and donated.

(The devices were made by Medtronic, St Jude Medical and Boston Scientific.) Sixty pacemakers were selected because they had a battery life greater than three years, but seven were discarded due to further decay in battery life. The remaining 53 pacemakers were rigorously cleaned and sterilised. They were sent to Holy Family Hospital in Mumbai, which serves all patients, regardless of income. There have been previous studies of reused pacemakers. But only one previous study involved the reuse of pacemakers donated by families in the United States. That study included 12 patients in the Philippines. The authors conclude that reusing pacemakers could “alleviate the burden of symptomatic bradyarrhythmia (abnormally slow heart rate) in impoverished nations around the world.” The authors expressed their gratitude to donors, family members, volunteers and others “who contributed to this charitable project and toward the welfare of poor and needy patients of India requiring cardiac permanent pacemakers.”

housands of videogame players have helped significantly advance our understanding of the genetic basis of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes and cancer over the past year. They are the users of a web-based videogame developed by Dr Jérôme Waldispuhl of the McGill School of Computer Science and collaborator Mathieu Blanchette. ‘Phylo’ is designed to allow casual game players to contribute to scientific research by arranging multiple sequences of coloured blocks that represent human DNA. By looking at the similarities and differences between these DNA sequences, scientists are able to gain new insight into a variety of genetically-based diseases. The researchers are releasing the results computed from the solutions collected over the last year today, together with an improved version of Phylo for tablets. Over the past year, Phylo’s 17,000 registered users have been able to simply play the game for fun or choose to help decode a particular genetic disease. “A lot of people said they enjoyed playing a game which could help to trace the origin of a specific disease like epilepsy,” said Waldispuhl. “There’s a lot of excitement in the idea of playing a game and contributing to science at the same time,” Blanchette agreed. “It’s guilt-free playing; now you can tell yourself it’s not just wasted time.” Waldispuhl and his students came up with the idea of using a videogame to solve the problem of DNA multiple sequence alignment because it is a task that is difficult for computers to do well. “There are some calculations that the human brain does more efficiently than any computer can. Recognising and sorting visual patterns fall in that category,” explained Waldispuhl. “Computers are best at handling large amounts of messy data, but where we require high accuracy, we need humans. In this case, the genomes we’re analysing have already been pre-aligned by computers, but there are parts of it that are misaligned. Our goal is to identify these parts and transform the task of aligning them into a puzzle people will want to sort out.” So far, it has been working very well. Since the game was launched in November 2010, the researchers have received more than 350,000 solutions to alignment sequence problems. “Phylo has contributed to improving our

understanding of the regulation of 521 genes involved in a variety of diseases. It also confirms that difficult computational problems can be embedded in a casual game,” Waldispuhl said. “What we’re doing here is different from classical citizen science approaches. We aren’t substituting humans for computers or asking them to compete with the machines. They are working together. It’s a synergy of humans and machines that helps to solve one of the most fundamental biological problems.” With the new games and platforms, the researchers are hoping to encourage even more gamers to join the fun and contribute to a better understanding of genetically-based diseases at the same time.

Our planet From the last gasps of a dying planet; a special report on the most pressing issue of our age

Climate change by numbers 10,00,000 What is climate change?

This decade is likely to be the hottest on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization; global mean land-ocean temperature index compared to the average from 1951 to 1980:

The Earth’s climate has always varied, so the term climate change is now generally used to describe the changes caused by human activity specifically, emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, which build up in the atmosphere and trap heat.

The amount in square kilometres of global sea ice lost since satellite image records began in 1979

50%

The decrease in the thickness of Arctic Sea ice since the start of submarine measurements in 1958

What about storing the CO2 underground or blocking the sun?

Number of floods has risen sharply due to climate changes.

0.700 C

ONE HOT DECADE

Warmer

0.475 0.250 Average

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1960

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One technology that would allow us to continue burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil without increasing CO2 levels in the atmosphere is carbon capture and storage (CCS). This involves extracting CO2 at power stations then pumping it underground. Critics argue the technology will prove expensive and is several years away from being proven. A more drastic approach is so-called geo-engineering. These are major technological fixes such as seeding clouds to bounce some of the sun’s radiation back into space or stimulating the growth of algae in the oceans to soak up CO2.

The world’s only existing treaty to limit emissions, the Kyoto protocol, has had limited success, and expires in 2012. Politicians are working to develop a replacement that would include countries excluded from Kyoto, such as China, and those that refused to join, such as the US. Last year, environment ministers and officials will met in Copenhagen to thrash out a successor to Kyoto. The two-week was seen by many environmentalists as a crucial diplomatic opportunity to create an international agreement on meaningful cuts in emissions that would prevent the worst consequences of climate change.

100 50 0 1970

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CALYPSE, Can renewable energy help?

HE DAY DAN REES, one of Frozen Planet’s producers, finished filming with Greenland’s Dogan reindeer herding tribe in April 2009, it was a balmy eight degrees. It should have been a bone-chilling -10 to -20°C. “I started the Frozen Planet

series with an open mind, but I have, even in the four years during which we filmed, seen the impact and the reality of climate change,” says the 40-year-old from Guildford who has worked on the BBC’s Natural History unit for 12 years. The Arctic tribes Rees met told him that the increasing frequency and unpredictability of warm weather was having catastrophic effects on

their livelihoods and animals. As the series concludes on Wednesday with a hard-hitting portrait by Sir David Attenborough of the effects of climate change, the evidence is being laid bare in both polar regions. “One of the tribesmen told me their village was sinking. The foundations of their houses were laid in the frozen ground but as it is melt-

Most plants and animals have evolved to live in a fairly narrow ecological niche. Some will move to find their desired conditions, others will be able to adapt. Those that cannot move or adapt will perish. Some animals, such as the polar bear, have nowhere to move to. A warmer climate will affect agriculture and water availability. Increased temperatures are also expected to limit rainfall in some regions and bring more extreme weather events such as storms to others. Sea levels will rise - gradually at first as the extra warmth works its way into the oceans and makes them expand; more quickly if the gigantic ice sheets in Greenland and west Antarctica start to break up.

Scientists say continued emissions will cause the planet to heat up further. To work out how much, they use computer models based on the programs used to predict the weather. These models are not perfect, and struggle to simulate some features of the climate system such as clouds. To get around this, the scientists run many different versions and pool the results. The computer models predict that if emissions continue to rise at the present rate, average temperatures will most likely increase by 4ºC by 2100. There are uncertainties, though — for example, the planet’s oceans, forests and soils could release their massive stocks of carbon as the world warms, leading to much greater temperature rises than human emissions alone would cause.

Offsetting is controversial because some people see it as an excuse not to change our behaviour. There are also concerns about whether it delivers the promised savings, as much of the market is unregulated.

Marie Winckler

Why are warmer temperatures bad?

What future temperature rise is expected?

What about carbon offsetting?

How can we tackle global warming?

The number of polar bears who live in the Arctic in 19 population areas, declining in eight of them

What about carbon trading?

As human activity increases, the concentration of these gases in the atmosphere far beyond their natural levels, much more heat is trapped. Hence, the term climate change is often used interchangeably with global warming.

Scientists say the only realistic way at present is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. How to do that — and where — is a political hot potato. Because it takes time for the heat to build up in the atmosphere, and because carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for a long time, there is a lag in the system, which means the effect of any changes will not be felt for decades. Put bluntly, we are headed for about another 0.5ºC of warming whatever we do.

Carbon trading is a market mechanism to achieve cuts in emissions. Countries or groups of countries (such as the EU) first agree a cap or maximum emissions level. Individual companies are then either given or must purchase carbon credits — the right to emit a certain amount of CO2. If they exceed their allowance they must purchase permits from another company that has company that has fallen short of its cap. If the cost of buying carbon credits is high enough it incentivises companies to invest in measures to reduce their emissions. To date, the EU’s emissions trading scheme has been heavily criticised for failing to reduce emissions. In the first phase, the number of permits issued was too high, sending the carbon price crashing and so removing any incentive for companies to spend money reducing their emissions. The environmentalist James Lovelock has branded Europe’s carbon trading scheme a “scam”.

Is it the same as global warming?

Flood Wind storm Drought and related disasters Slides

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20,000-25,000

What are the Kyoto protocol and the Copenhagen climate talks?

Measurements at the Earth’s surface show that average temperatures have risen by some 0.4ºC since the 1970s. Scientists are confident this change can be blamed on human emissions because the increase is too big to be explained by natural causes. Although natural factors such as changes in the sun and large volcanic eruptions are known to have warmed and cooled the planet in the past, these effects are not powerful enough to explain the rapid warming seen recently. Only an increased greenhouse effect caused by higher amounts of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere can explain it.

200

The increase in winter temperature over the Arctic Sea ice since 1950

(0 C = 32 F)

Can it be explained by natural causes?

EXTREME WEATHER

5-6°C

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said that we already have most of the technology we need to bring down emissions significantly. These include renewable energy sources such as windmills, geothermal and solar panels, as well as more efficient cars and power stations.

ing, everything falls down,” Rees says. “Some of the villages on the coast are being washed away because the water is freezing later, exposing the houses to huge coastal waves.” But it is the wildlife of the Arctic and Antarctica that is most affected. “There are tens of thousands of Pacific walruses and their calves that should have been floating out at sea

on ice floes are now forced to come ashore because the ice has retreated so far. They were crammed together so tightly in panic and confusion that many of the calves were crushed to death. The local Inuit have never seen nor heard anything like it,” says Rees. He says the polar bear population is also under threat: “They hunt on the frozen sea and the hunts have

become more and more difficult.” Some of the most dramatic images from Wednesday’s programme will be the scenes comparing the location of photographs taken of Antarctica during Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 expedition to South Georgia with the situation today. “We tried to go back and to find the exact same spot where his pho-

NOW!

tographer Frank Hurley took his pictures. And as we were standing in position it was impossible not the see the really dramatic shrinking of the glacier. I think it’s one of the most powerful images of the film. David Attenborough was telling us that he could see changes from his first expedition 30 years ago.” But it was the melting of the Arctic polar cap that really sur-

prised him. When Rees and his team first started shooting in 2007, it was the year with the smallest covering of ice on the Arctic Ocean in recorded history. “The game is changing and nobody really knows what’s going to happen next. Today there is 30 per cent less ice cover on the Arctic Ocean than 30 years ago. That’s huge, and it seems that it’s accelerat-

What is the main greenhouse gas? Water vapour in the atmosphere produces the strongest greenhouse effect, but it has been in balance for millions of years. Human emissions, though relatively small, tip that balance. Carbon dioxide is the chief greenhouse gas produced by human activity. It is produced when we burn fossil fuels: oil, gas and coal. The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is measured in parts per million (ppm). Before the industrial revolution, the carbon dioxide level was about 280ppm. It is now 386ppm and rising by 23ppm each year. When other greenhouse gases such as methane are included, the total level in the atmosphere, known as the carbon dioxide equivalent, is closer to 440ppm.

ing. Scientists say that almost certainly the Arctic will be ice-free in the summer by the end of this century — and quite possibly by 2050. It’s a massive change. “The amount of ice that Greenland is losing is taking everyone by surprise. Climate change in the polar regions is not just a theory — it’s actually happening,” says Rees. DESIGN BY MADHAVA B. KULKARNI

H‑Factor

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Ectopics are dangerous

Dr Divya T Sudarshan

Are you infertile? Check your stress levels THE SURROGATE LIFE Part II Ranjani Rajendra ranjani.r@postnoon.com

t’s a crossroads nobody wants to be at. Most people usually want a normal happy life — one that involves holding a great job, getting married by a certain age and then having babies in a few years to make the family couple. Trouble comes when everything goes as per plan; job and marriage but reach a stumbling block when it comes to planning a family. Then comes the agony of going through assisted reproductory sessions, which may or may not be fruitful depending on an individual. This could probably be because there has been a rise in the number of people facing infertility in India. In fact, for those who thought that the fault almost always lay with the woman, there is proof that men too are increasingly facing infertility problems. According to statistics, one in every five healthy young men between the ages from 18 to 25 suffers from

abnormal sperm count. In every 100 couples, 40 per cent of the males suffer from infertility compared to 50 per cent women. This alarming rise could probably be due to the fact that people are under a tremendous amount of stress these days, and stress is one of the precipitating factors for infertility. “The infertility rate is increasing as a result of high stress, competitive work environment, imbalanced and erratic lifestyles,” says Dr Narmada Devi, gynaecological endoscopic surgeon

and fertility specialist at Narmada Fertility Center. She goes on to add that stress is responsible for 50 per cent of infertility cases. “Stress plays a great role in the ability to reproduce in both men and women. When there is stress there is an imbalance in the hypothalamic pituitary ovarian access. As a result the hormonal balance is disturbed. The stress could be either physical or mental due to varied reasons. But they play havoc with the body’s hormones,” says Dr Mamata Deendayal, an infertili-

CAN STRESS CAUSE INFERTILITY?

nyone who's heard the conception advice "just relax and it'll happen" may wonder if stress really plays a role in how soon you're able to get pregnant. The answer: research confirms a link between stress, anxiety, depression and infertility, says Alice Domar, executive director, Domar Center for Mind/Body Health at Boston IVF. First, when you're stressed out, you're probably not having sex as often – a pretty obvious fertility derailment. "You're also more likely to smoke and binge drink," says Dr Domar, both of which have been known to negatively impact conception. Other research indicates that stress may impact other aspects of fertility including problems with fertilisation and implantation in the uterus. Another study tested whether helping women de-stress while undergoing IVF could impact the success rate. They found that women who were entertained by a clown after they received the treatment (laughter is a known stress-soother) were more likely to conceive. www.parents.com

ty specialist at Infertility Institute and Research Center. Hence, a man might find that his sperm count has dropped and in a woman’s case ovulation could be affected. This could especially worsen when a couple who is trying to conceive faces repeated dead ends. The whole ordeal could stress them out, worsening the situation. “The body clock has been programmed to release hormones at specific times. If this is disturbed, it interrupts the cycle. Even certain eating habits could play spoilsport,” says Dr Narmada. “You can’t tell a person to relax and take things easy. It is not as simple as that. When we get patients who face such stress related infertility problems we refer them to our patient support group and counsellors who can help them identify what the source of their stress is. If it is marital discord then they can work towards strengthening their relationship through marriage counselling and probably try out different relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation or art of living to try and ease whatever tension exists,” says Dr Mamata.

What is an ectopic pregnancy? Is it life threatening? Not too long ago I got a call from a frantic husband around midnight. It went something like this. Frantic husband: Doc, my wife is complaining of pain in abdomen. She is bleeding and just now she fainted. What do I do? Doctor: When was her last period? Did you do a pregnancy test? Husband: No, my friend said to do the test only after two months! Doctor: Ok. Rush her to the hospital. When the patient is finally brought to the hospital, she is in a state of shock and the pregnancy test comes back positive! The diagnosis — she has a ruptured ectopic pregnancy and requires an emergency surgery. There is nail biting drama, blood, sweat and tears. And all of this could have been avoided. Ectopic pregnancy is a life threatening condition of a pregnancy that occurs out the uterine cavity. There has been an increase in the number of ectopics in recent times, almost 1 out of every 100 pregnancies is ectopic. 98 per cent of ectopic pregnancies are in the fallopian tubes, while the remaining 2 per cent could be in the ovary, cervix and sometimes abdominal. As the pregnancy grows it causes pain and bleeding. If it is not treated quickly enough it can rupture and cause abdominal bleeding, which can lead to maternal cardiovascular collapse and death. Most ectopics occur between 2335 years. 75 per cent are identified before 12 weeks gestation. (The concluding part to this column will appear next week. The writer is a gynaecologist and obstetrician practising at Happy Women Clinic. You can write in to her at happywomenclinic@gmail.com)

F‑Folio

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

Because you are what you wear

LOVE, PASSION AND CANALI

Edward Tivnan, a writer, once said, ‘Like every good man, I strive for perfection, and, like every ordinary man, I have found that perfection is out of reach — but not the perfect suit’. And what Canali brings is not just the perfect suit, but a heritage of 70 years in precision tailoring and a passion for timeless elegance Indira Atluri Indira.a@postnoon.com

anali although fairly low profile has steadily and quietly built a place in the market purely on the strength of its product . An attestation of its pride in its history, tradition of fine tailoring and commitment to highest quality. As the third generation scion to the Canali empire, Paolo Canali walks in, it doesn't take too long for us to realise, that the air of distinction has as much to do with his accomplishments, as it does his sartorial choice. A perfectly symmetrical plaid lightweight wool, two buttoned jacket, all handstitched of course! Clearly 'Made In Italy' encompasses way more than just a label. As he politely requests for a cup of green tea, he begins his story by telling us, "Most of the suits available today are made using the fused methods, where the interlining is glued to the wool. It is less costly, and easier to make but the softness, comfort and the durability of the suit are compromised. Which is why, Canali suits are made using only the canvas method in our own factories in Italy." Paolo believes that the brand Canali is for those who understand the value of the product they buy, rather than those who believe that splurging money ensures quality . "It is about understanding style, elegance and sophistication, and wearing it for yourself, not for the sake of fashion." He adds, "I do understand the changing face of fashion today, but I also believe that the mark of a modern man is in his understanding of timeless elegance." While the Canali brand's repertoire is high amongst men over 35, a new emerging market is the young entrepreneur and achiever in his 20s. "The recently launched Kei Jackets are the first of their kind in the world. The light-weight jackets have no shoulder pads, no interlinings

yet formal in their appeal, are yet the most difficult to make." Interestingly, a limited edition of the red velvet variant of the Kei jacket, found an admirer in Shah Rukh Khan. That list of celebrities is of course ever-expanding ! The velvet Nawab jacket is another example of Canali's investment in a market, in order to meet its cultural and social needs. “The Nawab jacket is not a one-season-wonder. We understand the importance of heritage in every local market. And this is precisely why the Nawab suit as born.” The attention that the Canali empire gives to detail is extremely interesting. Paolo reveals, "Thirty years ago, the lightest cloth available was 400 grams. Now it is 200, which translates into comfort. There is no compromise made on the quality of fabric, including the interlining — which while not visible is the soul of the suit." For a first timer attempting to be a Canali man, Paolo advises, "It is a very simple rule. Follow the mirror ! If it looks good, go with it. The first look is what determines which cut, fabric and suit style works best for you. Also, I believe that quality is a style statement." Paolo agrees that fashion today is changing. Newer lifestyles have needed new innovations in fabric and technique. Constant travel, meetings, 'day to night' days necessarily mean that clothing needs to adapt to changing environments. In the world of fashion, this has ushered in a plethora of light-weight, crease proof and water resistant suits. Paolo agrees that it is imperative to adapt, but is firm on the fact that no matter what the innovations, 'timeless elegance' has to remain the rule the of the thumb.

STYLE GURU

It’s good to know n Blazers are a man's must-haves n Canali brand is most popular among entrepreneurs and highranking officials n The 25-year-olds today have

great disposable income, and Canali gives great attention to creating suits for the age-group n Suits worn without socks are fashion's worst faux-pas

n There are only 11 red velvet Kei Jackets manufactured by Canali in the world so far, making them one of the most exclusive garments available.

Movies Padmini C padmini.c@postnoon.com

atest in the list of spy thrillers comes a brand new thriller titled Tinker Tailor

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

Soldier Spy. Based on John Le Carre’s book by the same name, the movie revolves around George Smiley (Gary Oldman), a disgraced spy, who is forced out of retirement by the British

government to find a Soviet mole in the British Secret Intelligence Service, a.k.a. MI-6. Whether George Smiley manages to catch the fancy of the audience remains to

be seen. His predecessors however have proved there need be no such uncertainty. Spies have always been of immense interest to Hollywood. If you need further proof, take a look:

Salt er unforgettable line was, “I AM Evelyn Salt!” But Angelina Jolie, for all intents and purposes, was the unforgettable female version of Bond.

Jason Bourne:

Johnny English:

Austin Powers:

hether it be gravity-defying stunts, racing against time to retrieve genetically engineered virus, or locating the rabbit’s foot, there’s no where Ethan Hunt can’t go, no one he can’t be, and nothing he can’t do. This rogue IMF agent of the Mission Impossible franchise sure knows his business.

ith a tormented past, a million aliases, expertise in hand to hand combat, firearms, knives, explosives, automobiles, and nine languages, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is one spy you don’t want as an enemy. Few antiheroes match Robert Ludlum’s amnesia-ridden killing machine that is Bourne.

lso known as Agent One, Johnny English is the clueless but fortuitous British spy who bumbles his way through mysteries. Whether its solving the case of the missing Crown Jewels or stopping international assassins before they kill Heads of State, Britain sleeps in peace knowing English is on the case.

kay, so Austin Powers at first glance might not look like a spy you would ever want to trust any mission to, even if it happens to be stealing your cat from your ex-boyfriend. But don’t be duped by the hipsters and the hangover of the ‘60s. If the world is still not slave to Dr. Evil, you know who to thank.

F O LF LOOLWL OTWH E T THREA I L

Ethan Hunt:

James Bond:

Body Of Lies

eonardo Di Caprio plays Ferris, the man on ground, stuck between CIA and Middle East Politics. He is a dedicated Arabist fluent in the language; he relies on trust, local knowledge and human intelligence.

he suave, charming MI 6 agent with a “license to kill,” is as famous today as he was back when Ian Fleming first conceived of 007 back in the ‘50s. Albeit with a small difference. In his own words, Fleming originally thought of his hero as “an extremely dull, uninteresting man to whom things happened.” When adapted to the screen, the Bond was thankfully anything but. With a taste for fine living and fine women, James Bond is the quintessential British spy who routinely saves the world without breaking into a sweat.

In the brightest of days and the blackest of nights, no evil shall escape their sight. They have no superpowers but their mission is the same — to save the world. Meet some of the most popular spies in recent history

Through the Spy glass

Spy Game

ike chick flicks are for women, thismovie became popular as we call it a “Buddy flick.” This movie gave a double dose of espionage with Nathan Muir (Robert Redford) and Bishop (Brad Pitt).

Taken

iam Neeson returns to action in a spy film, in which he races against time trying to find his daughter.

True Lies

rnold Schwarzenegger plays an over-the-top action ready special agent and has been a treat to the audience in the role he played.

Magic Screen

eeting small-town India on Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), the hugely popular game show, has left him with a sense of inadequacy — of not being able to do enough for the people — but it has also been exceptionally rewarding, says Amitabh Bachchan, who confirms that he will host the sixth season of the TV programme as well. “I feel we are so unaware of what the ‘real India’ is all about,” Bachchan admits. The 69-year-old iconic Indian actor, whose feet, most KBC participants touched reverentially, is taking a break from work right now. He reveals that the November 16 birth of his granddaughter— the child of son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya — has caused everyone in the Bachchan household to adjust their time around ‘the little one’. Q: How has the interaction with the small town people on Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) 5 affected you as a person and as a star? I do not differentiate between a ‘person’ and your mention of ‘star’. To me they are both the same and equal and that really sums up my interaction with those who come on the KBC Hot Seat in front of me. I like to treat them like I would a guest in my house. I am pained to learn the plight of those that come from small towns, the conditions they live in and their extreme circumstances. It has been very moving emotionally to hear their stories and there’s a feeling of great inadequacy for being unable to do something for them. We keep contributing and supporting many causes, but surely the extent of their requirement is much, much greater than what we can possibly do. One feels so helpless in their company, but seeing their drive, confidence and will to do better is motivational not just for me as an anchor but, I am certain, as a viewer of KBC as well. I feel we are so unaware of what the ‘real India’ is all about. Yes, we read about them through the media but meeting them personally, talking to them, being a part of their emotions and thinking has been most revealing and at times most rewarding. Rewarding,

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

The glamour behind the glitz

WE ARE SO UNAWARE OF THE REAL INDIA

because we learn so much from their spirit, their beliefs and their sense of morals. Will there be a KBC 6? If yes, what do you think should be the focus next time? Yes, I am contracted to do another season, which should begin by JulyAugust 2012 and, no, I am

not aware of what and where the focus will be for the show. That the creative team at Sony decides. You have signed Ashutosh Gowariker’s film. Share something about your role. Yes, I have accepted Gowariker’s next film and I play a detective in that, but that is as much as I can reveal about the film at this stage. It is expected to be on the floors by the middle of next year. You have played a role in Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, your first international project. How was the experience? Baz Luhrmann and Gatsby is more a friendly gesture for a minute cameo of just one scene in the film. But the experience of working in an international project with such luminaries as Leonardo Di Caprio and Toby

Maguire has been fantastic. The amount of effort put in detail and the time spent in getting every possible angle correct in the most professional manner has been extraordinary. My work has been wrapped up. Any plans to sign more international projects? There are no offers at the moment, but were they to come, I would consider them. How has the ambience in the house changed after the granddaughter came home? What would you like to call her, if not formally, then at home? The ambience at home is one that would reflect the entrance of a new member in the family in any other home. There is excitement and happiness all around and our time is now adjusted to the little one and her habits. We do not have a name yet, but shall soon. Informally, she is the “little one”. IANS

Gypsy Prince Hussain feeling bored

e has been entertaining live audiences for a little over a year with Zangoora: The Gypsy Prince. After completing 500 shows of the Bollywood musical, actor Hussain Kuwajerwala admits it has become monotonous, but says the enthusiasm of the audiences keeps him going. “I can’t deny that Zangoora is monotonous, because we do the same show over and over again. But it is a first-of-its kind in India. When the audiences come, they expect a new form of entertainment, a lot of energy and enthusiasm. And it is that desire to live up to their expectation, which has kept us all going through 500 shows. So it has all been worth the efforts,” Hussain said. Zangoora: The Gypsy Prince, a colourful and magical live show with drama, action, emotion, romance and lots of dance, is showcased each day at the Kingdom of Dreams, located in Gurgaon on the outskirts of New Delhi. On weekdays, the show costs between Rs750-Rs4,500, while on weekends, the ticket prices go up to Rs1,000-Rs6,000. Hussain plays the key role of Zangoora, a boy who grows up to be a gypsy dancer, unaware of his real identity of a prince. He acts alongside Gauahar Khan and Kashmira Irani. It takes a lot to maintain my body, reveals the 34-yearold, who performs six shows a week. “It takes the hell out of me to keep this body in shape. As far as food is concerned, I have never had as many fruits as I have while doing Zangoora. But it is important to eat healthy and be fit to match the energy levels required for the show,” said Hussain, who even admitted he has shed a lot of weight. Hussain, travels to Mumbai over the weekend to be with his family, and in his free time, in Gurgaon, he watches films as this was something he couldn’t do when he was busy being a small screen actor. IANS

Magic Screen

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

The glamour behind the glitz

Symonds wants to learn Indian culture on Bigg Boss

ustralian cricketer Andrew Symonds is the latest celebrity to enter the Bigg Boss house and says he is looking forward to his stint on Indian television and is hoping to get an opportunity to understand Indian culture. “I don’t know much about Indian culture. I know about it in bits and pieces. Hope to learn about it more,” Symonds said. The sportsman, who

entered the house yesterday, is well-versed with the challenges on the field, but he is now looking forward to the challenges inside the house. “There are different challenges on the field, but challenges would be different inside the house. Right now I am quite relaxed. I am going inside the house with an open mind and take on challenges as they come. I haven’t planned anything,” he said.

“It will be challenging but at the same time it will be a lot of fun also. I just want to enjoy the entire experience,” he added. Symonds will be the second international celebrity to enter the Colors’ show after IndoCanadian porn star Sunny Leone. Symonds was in the news when in 2008 he accused Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh of making racial comments against him. IANS

Fourth Bengaluru film fest to pay tribute to Dev Anand

he fourth edition of the Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFF), starting on December 15, will pay tribute to actor, producer and director Dev Anand, who passed away recently. Narahari Rao, creative head of BIFF informed that South African Zulu language film Lucky, which features noted theatre personality and Rajya Sabha member B Jayashree, will be the inaugural movie at the fest, which will also pay homage to renowned cinematographer S Ramachandra. Internationally acclaimed Iranian film director Dariush Mehrjui will also

Marriage talk hampers Geeta Basra’s career

eeta Basra, who is said to be dating cricketer Harbhajan Singh, finds engagement-marriage rumours infuriating because these can harm her career, which is yet to take off. “He (Harbhajan) is a dear friend. Look, everyone in this industry has a personal life. Beyond that, whether we are getting married or not...I am not getting into all that. I am here to work really hard. And it hurts to hear my hard work being trivialised by such rumours,” she said. “I’ve shot a terrific item song for Zilla Ghaziabad. Rumours of an engagement or marriage at this juncture would definitely harm my career. There is no shaadi on the anvil. Such talk will take my career 10 steps backwards. I can’t afford that. When producers hear such rumours, they will obviously say, Isski to shaadi hone wali hai. I’ve been hearing such talk for three years. How come I’m not married yet?”

Reacting sharply to the latest engagement rumours, Geeta said, “I’ve been getting updates about my private life in the papers. Now they’re even drawing up a list of the guests. Let me set the record straight. He (Harbhajan) is my very good friend. But we aren’t getting engaged or married. My personal life is my personal life. No way am I going to use it to stay in the news.” Geeta’s last release was The Train in 2007 and she is making a comeback with an item song with Sanjay Dutt in Zilla Ghaziabad. She admits she has waited long to sign a new film. IANS

be honoured during the inaugural function. Actors Om Puri and Anant Nag will be guests of honour at the opening ceremony. TS Nagabharana, president of the Karnataka Chalanachithra Academy, Ra shared the details of the fest at a press meet here. A total of 179 films, out of which 20 are Kannada movies, will be screened at the fest, said Rao. Upendra-directed Super is among the films selected for screening. Kannada movie Rasarushi Kuvempu will be premiered and Tulu film Gaggara will also be screened. IANS

B-TOWN TWEETIES

@rampalarjun Surprised the kids and wife with the new BMW 7,have always wanted to buy that car.Finally did it.Wife happy,as I have to drop them 2 school.

@NeilNMukesh Closing to 2lakh followers. Should keep a meet and. Greet for the 2 lakhth follower :)

@realprietyzinta Running around trying 2 do a million things before I head 2 Morocco 4 da Closing of da Film Festival! So excited cuz its my 1st trip there !

@SrBachchan T 582 - ‘This isn’t going to be a good country for any of us to live in, unless its a good country for all of us to live in’

@TheShilpaShetty Hello all! Todays thot: You will become as small as your controlling desire, as great as your dominant aspiration !:)

@AnupamPkher Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.:)

@deespeak Multiple celebrations unfolding! Yipee yay! I love December ;)

@sonamakapoor Back home after a day in Paris. Now looking forward to promote Players in a big way. Gonna be glitzy over the top and faaab!

Magic Screen

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For Further Details Please Contact Abhinay 9989399972 Nandlal 9951467988 Ravi Chander 8106039919

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

Magic Screen

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

The glamour behind the glitz

Baldwin kicked MADONNA out of flight FAN OF MIDDLETON’S A STYLE

ctor Alec Baldwin says he was booted out of an American Airlines flight after an altercation with a cabin staff. The “30 Rock” actor was forced to deplane from his flight from Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon. “The flight attendant on American reamed me out for playing ‘Words With Friends’ while we sat at the gate, not moving. No wonder American Air is bankrupt,” Baldwin wrote on microblogging site Twitter. Baldwin’s representative told usmagazine.com: “Alec was asked to leave the flight for playing Words with Friends while parked at the gate. He loves WWF so much that he was willing to leave a plane for it, but he has already boarded another AA flight.” IANS

op diva Madonna is a huge fan of Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton’s style statement.“She is a lovely girl with a great sense of style. Her wedding dress by Alexander McQueen was very beautiful,” a website quoted Madonna as saying. “I like her choices. She’s elegant and still knows how to have some fun. I’m a fan of her style,” she added. IANS

Lohan to show nude pics on DeGeneres show

ctress Lindsay Lohan is set to give a sneak peak into her nude Playboy pictures on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”. The troubled actress has reportedly been paid $1 million for the photo shoot. Lohan appears in the magazine essaying a Marilyn Monroe style. Playboy boss Hugh Hefner described the pictures as a “classic tribute” to Monroe. “Lindsay has agreed to do one media interview during the on-sale period of her issue, and has chosen Ellen. Lindsay will not be doing any additional interviews to promote her pictorial,” a website quoted a representative for Playboy magazine as saying. IANS

24 A

EM CIN

Magic Screen

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

The glamour behind the glitz

Cheryl feels sexy after gaining weight S

inger Cheryl Cole feels sexy after putting on pounds and says she is comfortable in her own skin. The 28-year-old has gained seven pounds over the past two months. “When I’m really thin is normally when I am working non-stop. I don’t put any emphasis on thinking, ‘Oh, I’m thin at the moment.’ Right now I’ve got my curves back because I’ve had time off, I’m at home cooking, I’m more relaxed,” a website quoted Cole as saying. “I’m not defined by being seven pounds heavier than I was two months ago — I think it is really unhealthy to go there. The curves are back, well and truly. I’ve got my bum back and, yeah, I like it. I think it’s sexy,” she added. IANS

Benet to become dad

&B singer Eric Benet is set to become a father as his wife is expecting their first child. Halle Berry’s ex-husband Benet wed longtime partner Manuela Testolini in July, and now they are preparing to become parents, reports a website.

Benet took to Twitter to tell his fans the news and uploaded a photo of Testolini cradling her baby bump alongside the caption, “We’re expanding”. The singer is already dad to daughter India, from a previous relationship. IANS

For Efron, kissing Pfeiffer wasn’t easy

ctor Zac Efron says kissing his New Year’s Eve co-star Michelle Pfeiffer on screen wasn’t easy. Efron, 24, adds that locking lips with the 53-year-old actress didn’t go as smoothly as he had hoped. “Those things are best to do spontaneous. Have fun and be in the moment. I definitely thought about how it was going to go down. In my mind, the way I pictured it, it was going to be perfect, very romantic, very leading man,” a website quoted him as saying. “Then of course, as we went to film it, right when I went to dip her, a huge piece of confetti went straight into my mouth. I didn’t want to finish the kiss like that, so I spit and went for it. That’s actually in the movie,” he added. IANS

Magic Screen

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

The glamour behind the glitz

Pattinson leaves Los Angeles home A

ctor Robert Pattinson and girlfriend Kristen Stewart have moved out of their Los Angeles house. The Twilight star couple had been renting a 240-squaremetre property in the city’s exclusive Bel Air neighbourhood, but

had to leave as the owner is putting it on the market at a price of $5.9 million, reports a website. Pattinson, 25, and 21-year-old Stewart were believed to be paying $22,500 per month to stay in the four-bedroom, four-

bathroom property. The home also features a high wood ceiling and hardwood floors, a spa, pool and a gazebo as well as a guest house with its own kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom. IANS

Parker knows what’s good for her A

ctress Sarah Jessica Parker says she dresses for her age and knows what looks good on her. “I try to dress appropriately for my age and I’m a realist about what I look like. But if those physical things were my insecurities I’d be thrilled,” a website quoted her as saying. “My insecurities are more substantial than that. I worry first and foremost about my children and their health. My husband, and his. I worry about what work opportunities will come up. My own creative satisfaction,” she added. IANS

Scarlett beanie to help cancer patients T

he ongoing fight against cancer received another boost of support on December 1 as a leading action sports apparel company teamed up with actress Scarlett Johansson to donate money and beanies to one of the nation’s leading research and treatment hospitals.

The collaboration between Johansson and Ventura, Calif.-based Neff Headwear has produced the Scarlett Beanie. For every Scarlett Beanie purchased through online retailer Zappos.com, one will be donated to a cancer patient at City of Hope, an

independent medical and research institution located in northeast Los Angeles. Neff will donate up to 5,000 beanies; thereafter, 10 percent from each Scarlett Beanie sold, up to $20,000, will be donated to City of Hope, while supplies last. AGENCIES

Magic Screen

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

The glamour behind the glitz

The Hero

ver wondered why most heroes in Telugu movies are so happy-golucky to begin with? It is because it’s cool to watch a lazy bum do the most amazing things in life to entertain the audience. The hero isn’t a loser per se since he finds his purpose in life within an hour into the film and we aren’t complaining if he turns out to be an undercover cop in the end.

The Sets

ilms with extravagant budgets have an option to set the story anywhere in the world but when it comes to filming action sequences, Binny Mills in Chennai and the Aluminium Factory in Hyderabad remain popular choices. If the director wants to show a carnival in front of a temple, there’s only one option, Sri Rama’s temple at Ammapalli, near Shamshabad. Apart from the sets in Ramoji Film City, there seems to be a severe dearth of palatial bungalows to accommodate an entire family. No wonder too many films are shot in Ramanaidu Studios in Nankramguda and three other houses which became popular post the release of Dhee, Athadu and Maryada Ramanna.

Top

The Villain

e’s supposed to be one of the most wanted dons or criminals in the world. Not even the CIA or FBI can trace him. But he makes one fatal mistake. He leaves his abode in Bangkok or Dubai or Kuala Lumpur and arrives in Hyderabad to kill his longtime opponents. The saddest part is that he ends up confronting the hero and instead of putting a bullet in the hero’s head, he indulges in a long conversation. Since films must have happy endings, either villains are killed or sent to jail. What a waste of talent, money and power. All we can say is remember Tuco’s golden words from Good, Bad and Ugly – ‘When you have to shoot, shoot. Don’t talk.’

The Heroine

Karunakaran is the primary reason why the heroine usually wears a white dress in her introduction scene. The trend began with Tholi Prema and several filmmakers have made this cliche a part of their stories. If the hero has to be attracted to the girl she has to be in white. The heroine’s entry into the story happens on a rainy day. And yes, she’s the damsel in distress who’s always looking for someone to save her.

Destination Thailand

o other film industry in the country would have explored and exploited the beaches in Thailand as much as the Telugu film industry. Almost every other film has a song which must be shot on a beach and the film’s team lands in Phuket or Pattaya. Maybe the Thailand government should consider giving Puri Jagannadh an honorary citizenship for popularising Thailand as the number one foreign destination for Telugu filmmakers.

Movie Cliches Making films maybe one of the toughest jobs in the world but made a little easier when you know what the audience wants. Film after film they churn out the same formula. So we decided to see how cliches work in the Telugu film industry Hemanth Kumar hemanth.k@postnoon.com

Brahmanandam

t’s taken for granted that Brahmanandam will appear in the film to brighten up the mood. Sometimes, he’s the most popular actor in the film and the crowd starts hooting almost instantly. It’s amazing how people have learnt to laugh at anything which Brahmanandam does. If Brahmanandam has a Guinness record of acting in the most number of films in a single language, he also has the record for being slapped most number of times by the hero.

Item Number

Happy Endings

tem numbers are a must, no matter what the film’s story. To accommodate this item number, the hero ends up in bars or a dhaba in the middle of the night or any random place where women, alcohol and heroes can co-exist. The song is usually placed in the second half of the film, which is another careful trick which directors and producers play to hold the audience’s attention.

The Sidekick

eing a sidekick is perhaps your best bet to travel the world, hang around some of the biggest heroes and directors and if your are really lucky, you get some witty dialogues to boost the hero’s ego. There’s a golden rule that the hero’sfriends are hyperactive and loud and most of the times, the heroine’s friends end up being silent props who just fill up space. We don’t need to tell you that not a single heroine has a friend who is as good looking as her.

elugu cinema’s tryst with happy endings is legendary. For better or worse, filmmakers make it a point to have a happy ending to make sure that the audience walks out in a good mood. The hero will never die and tragic climaxes are a big no-no. After all, films are the perfect medium to escape from reality and nobody is allowed to die in a dream world, except the bad guys.

Thagubothu Ramesh

little known actor, Ramesh shot to limelight earlier this year in Nandini Reddy’s Ala Modalaindi. He played a drunkard’s role in the film and since then he has been christened as Thagubothu Ramesh. Some even call him Climax Star. He is the one who makes cameos towards the end of the film to lighten up the mood and even if he has a lengthy role in the film, he’s always plays the drunkard.

Magic Screen

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

The glamour behind the glitz

T-TOWN TWEETIES

Siddharth turns producer

@Actor_Siddharth I still remember buying my first watch with my first paycheck...it was an Alwyn Trendy (complete with pathbreaking interchangeable straps)

@sneha_ullal

Reading an amazing book.not letting me sleep and jess (my dog) is snoring away to glory.hhehehhehe

iddharth is going to make his debut as a producer with one of his upcoming films, Love Failure. He's producing the film under his new production company, Etaki Entertainment. Shashikanth and Nirav Shah are going to co-produce this film. “Introducing my baby, my production company, Etaki Entertainment. For everything I am and anything I will ever be, thanks to my parents,” Siddharth tweeted soon after announcing about his latest project. Amala Paul is acting in this film and Balaji Mohan is directing the film. The film is currently being shot in Hyderabad and it'll be simultaneously released in Telugu and Tamil early next year.

@taapsee Rushing to delhi fr 2 days taking a small quick brk frm CBD schedule. My best buddies coming to Delhi aftr an year. Can't miss meeting em!

@RanaDaggubati

Venkatesh set to play Swami Vivekananda

Varun Sandesh loves gaming A

lthough it's been four years since Varun Sandesh made his onscreen debut, he's still in his early 20s. After spending most part of his life in the US, he had developed a great amount of interest in Basketball. “I love sports. But ever since I got into acting, I haven't had much of a chance to play sports as much as I used to. These days, I am more into gaming. When I have free time, I am always on my Playstation 3 playing NBA 2K,” he said. The actor's recent film Priyudu opened to lukewarm response in theatres; however, Varun Sandesh has got good reviews for his performance. Currently, he's acting in Neelakanta's upcoming film Chammak Challo.

On board an ATR to Vizag, feel like giant sitting in the plane. But will be happy flying along with the fun #NaaIshtam crew around.

@PriyaWajAnand Thing just got way better!!! My cuz Bhairav who I haven't seen in 4 yrs decided to pay me a surprise visit! Going to show him around town!!!

@shriyasmiling Censor has to like what you google?really? What happened to freedom of speech?

@_Hansika Stopped on d signal n on my left in side there is school bus,full of girls student shoutin n waving out2me! Feels blesd 2hv young ones as fans

enkatesh is all set to play Swami Vivekananda in one of his upcoming films. In the past, there were rumours that Venkatesh might play this role in a mega TV series which was supposed to be directed by K Raghavendra Rao. Although buzz about the project had slowly subsided as time passed on.

Venkatesh recently revealed that he's going to team up with director Mani Shankar for this film. The film is expected to hit the floors in the first half of 2012. Apart from this film, the Venkatesh, Mahesh Babu starrer Seethama Vaakitlo Sirimalle Chettu will begin its principal shooting from December 16 onwards.

@LakshmiManchu It shall be a day of shopping.. Wooohooo.. Ladies, I will keep you updated with my favorite things for this holiday season.

Chai Time 1400 Naadi Aadajanme 1430 Pavitra 1500 Movie 1800 Sri Shanidevuni Mahimalu 1830 Vasantha Kokila 1900 Chinnari Pelli Kuturu 1930 Anna Chellelu 2000 Pellipandiri 2030 Edureetha 2100 Challenge-3 2200 CID 2300 Vasantha Kokila 2330 Alajadi 0700 Silver Screen 0730 Just For Fun 0800 Ayurvedam 0830 Chaganti Nava Vidha Bhakti 0900 Money Money

1400 Kannavaari Kalalu 1430 Maavichiguru 1500 Jeevitha Chakram 1530 Movie 1800 Jai Shri Krishna 1830 Shraavani Subramaniam 1900 Mandhara 1930 Auto Bharthi 2000 No. 23, Mahalakshmi Nivasam 2030 Mogali Rekulu 2100 Aparanji 2130 Devatha 2200 Mamathala Kovela 2230 Sree Mathi Sree 2300 Gemini Vaarthalu 0800 24 Frames 0830 Movie 1130 Aha Emi Ruchi 1200 Kalyana Tilakam 1230 Maa Inti Aada Paduchu 1300 Chittemmaa 1330 Gorintaku

1400 [V] Deadly Dus 1430 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1500 [V] Humse Hai Life 1530 [V] Trailers 1600 [V] Zabardast Hits 1825 [V] Fresh Songs 1830 [V] Humse Hai Life 1900 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1930 [V] Humse Hai Life 2000 [V] Steal Ur Girlfriend 2100 [V] Trailers 2130 Gladrags Megamodel Manhunt 2011 2155 [V] Fresh Songs 2200 [V] Humse Hai Life 2330 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 0700 [V] Trailers 0730 [V] Zabardast Hits 0800 [V] Mind Blasting Mornings 1130 [V] Fresh Songs 1200 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance

‘[V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance’ at 1900 Hrs on CHANNEL [V]

1300 News Now at 1 1330 News Now 1800 6 PM 1830 Live Report 1900 Primetime 1930 The Game 2000 News Now at 8 2030 Live Report 2100 The Newshour 2200 The Newshour - Plus 2230 E Now 2300 News Now at 11 0800 The Morning News 0900 News Now 1200 Live Report 1230 News Now

‘The Game’ at 1930 Hrs only on TIMES NOW

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

Telly sitcoms, news and movie listings

1400 Abhishekam 1430 Aadade Aadharam 1500 Antahpuram 1530 Aakasa Ganga 1600 Prema Mandiram 1630 Jagadeeswari 1700 Genes 1800 Devimahathyam 1830 Puttadi Bomma 1900 Kumkuma Rekha 1930 Manasu Mamata 2000 Chandra Mukhi 2030 Bharyamani 2100 Etv News 2130 Super 2245 Movie 0800 Jeevana Jyothi 0830 Tollywood Time 0900 Movie 1130 Abhiruchi 1230 Star Mahila

1400 Ardhangi 1430 Movie 1800 Veera Naari Jhansi Laxmi Bhai 1830 Kalavari Kodallu 1900 Chinna Kodalu 1930 Pasupukunkuma 2000 Muddu Bidda 2030 Radha Kalyanam 2100 Kanyadanam 2130 Sa Re Ga Ma Pa - Little Champs 2230 Shree 2300 Bindas 0800 Gopuram 0830 Bhakti Samacharam 0900 Sri Raghavendra Vybhavam 0930 Ayurveda Jeevana Vignanam 1000 Zee 70 Mm A.C 1200 Mee Inti Vanta

‘Global Business Report’ at 1900 Hrs only on ET NOW 1400 The F And O Show 1430 Closing Trades 1530 Tomorrow's Trades 1600 Business Day 1730 Markets Tomorrow 1800 Rush Hour 1830 Starting Up 1900 Global Business Report 1930 Business Express 2000 Business First 2030 Markets Tomorrow 2100 Business Tonight 2200 Top 10 At 10 2230 Brand Equity 2300 Investor's Guide 0900 First Trades 1000 Hot Stocks 1100 Buy Now Sell Now - The Stock Game 1130 Buy Now Sell Now 1200 Market Sense 1300 Business Day 1330 Markets Now

‘Dinosaur Revolution’ at 2100 Hrs on DISCOVERY 1400 Man Vs. Wild 1500 Fearless Planet 1600 Dual Survival 1700 Aircrash Confidential 1800 Killing For A Living 1900 Swamp Brothers 1930 Destroyed In Seconds 2000 Dinosaur Revolution 2100 Man Vs. Wild 2200 I Shouldn't Be Alive 2300 My Shocking Story 0800 Dinosaur Revolution 0900 Factory Made 1000 Worst Case Scenario 1030 Million 2 One 1100 Stan Lee's Superhumans

1405 Most Shocking 1455 Guinness World Records Smashed 1550 Got To Dance 1700 Top Chef Masters 1800 Wipeout 1900 India's Minute To Win It 2000 Guinness World Records Smashed 2100 Wipeout 2200 Live To Dance 2300 Breaking The Magician's Code - Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed 0905 Sky Teleshopping 0930 Whacked Out Sports 0955 Infomercial/5 Min 1000 Whacked Out Sports 1025 Infomercial/5 Min 1030 Top Chef Masters 1125 Wipeout 1220 Live To Dance

‘Wipeout’ at 2100 Hrs on AXN

‘Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto’ at 2030 Hrs on IMAGINE 1400 Haar Jeet 1500 Nach Le Ve With Saroj Khan 1600 Haar Jeet 1700 Dharampatni 1800 Beendh Banuga Ghodi Chadhunga 1830 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto 1900 Nach Le Ve With Saroj Khan 2000 Dwarkadheesh - Bhagwan Shri Krishn 2030 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto 2100 Beendh Banuga Ghodi Chadhunga 2130 Dharampatni 2200 Baba Aisa Varr Dhoondo

1400 Hamari Saas Leela 1430 Hawan 1500 Veer Shivaji 1530 Uttaran 1600 Phulwa 1630 Parichay - Nayee Zindagi Kay Sapno Ka 1700 Sasural Simar Ka 1730 Veer Shivaji 1800 Uttaran 1830 Balika Vadhu 1900 Hawan 1930 Sasural Simar Ka 2000 Balika Vadhu 2030 Veer Shivaji 2100 Phulwa 2130 Parichay - Nayee Zindagi Kay Sapno Ka 2200 Uttaran 2230 Bigg Boss 2330 Balika Vadhu

‘Balika Vadhu’ at 2000 Hrs on COLORS

‘M K K P B’ at 2200 Hrs on ZEE TV 1400 Hitler Didi 1430 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 1500 Bhagonwali 1530 Yahaaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 1600 Pavitra Rishta 1630 Star Ya Rockstar 1800 Ram Milaye Jodi 1830 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 1900 Ek Nayi Choti Si Zindagi 1930 Choti Bahu 2 2000 Hitler Didi 2030 Yahaaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 2100 Pavitra Rishta 2130 Ram Milaye Jodi 2200 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 2230 Bhagonwali 2300 Pavitra Rishta

1400 Saas Bina Sasuraal 1430 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 1500 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 1600 CID 1800 Saas Bina Sasuraal 1830 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 1900 Crime Patrol - Dastak 2000 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 2045 Dekha Ek Khwaab 2130 Parvarrish - Kuchh Khatti Kuchh Meethi 2200 Saas Bina Sasuraal 2230 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 2300 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 0900 Adaalat 1000 Crime Patrol - 1 1200 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 1245 Dekha Ek Khwaab 1330 Parvarrish - Kuchh Khatti Kuchh Meethi

‘Parvarrish’ at 2130 Hrs on SONY

‘E H M M B H’ at 2030 Hrs on STAR PLUS 1400 Sapnon Se Bharey Naina 1500 Navya 1530 Diya Aur Bati Hum 1600 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behnaa Hai 1630 Sasuraal Genda Phool 1700 Saath Nibhaana Saathiya 1730 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 1800 Mann Ki Awaaz… Pratigya 1900 Saath Nibhaana Saathiya 1930 Sasuraal Genda Phool 2000 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 2030 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behnaa Hai 2100 Diya Aur Bati Hum 2130 Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai 2200 Navya 2230 Mann Ki Awaaz… Pratigya 2300 Maryaada ... Lekin Kab Tak?

MOVIES OF THE DAY AND OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

1450 Blade II 1650 Blade - Trinity 1900 Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past 2100 Lord Of The Rings - The Return Of The King 0802 Friends 0832 Good Morning, Miami 0902 Friends 0932 Nikita 1022 Scooby - Doo 1207 The Fugitive

1400 Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone 1715 Batman - Under The Red Hood 1855 The Running Man 2100 The Score 2335 Shutter Island 0920 Leap Year 1130 Shutter Island

Yeh Rishta Kya Saas Bina Kehlata Hai Sasural Storyline - How will Akshara manage to keep Gayatri happy about the god bharai preparations. ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’ at 2130 Hrs on STAR PLUS

Storyline - Ved is shocked to see all the family members at the orchestra and starts hiding himself. He hides behind a woman who misunderstands that he is teasing her. ‘Saas Bina Sasural’ at 2200 Hrs on SONY

1400 $H*! My Dad Says 1430 Better With You 1500 The Real Housewives Of New Jersey 1600 Body Of Proof 1700 $H*! My Dad Says 1730 Better With You 1800 E News 1900 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 2000 $H*! My Dad Says 2030 America's Funniest Home Videos 2100 The Real Housewives Of New Jersey 2200 Body Of Proof 2300 $H*! My Dad Says 2330 Better With You 0800 The Real Housewives Of New Jersey 0900 Body Of Proof 1000 Pretty Little Liars 1100 The Real Housewives Of New Jersey 1200 Body Of Proof

‘Body Of Proof’ at 2200 Hrs on ZEE CAFE

‘The Big Bang Theory’ at 2300 Hrs on STAR WORLD 1400 Masterchef USA 1500 Necessary Roughness 1600 The Big Bang Theory 1630 Home Improvement 1700 The Sheild 1800 Masterchef USA 1900 Love2 Hate U 2000 Rules Of Engagement 2030 The Simpsons 2100 Masterchef USA 2200 The Sheild 2300 The Big Bang Theory 2330 Home Improvement 0700 The Big Bang Theory 0730 Home Improvement 0800 Rules Of Engagement 0830 The Simpsons 0900 Masterchef USA 1000 The Sheild 1100 Love2 Hate U 1200 Terra Nova 1300 The Big Bang Theory 1330 Friends

1400 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma 1430 Chidiya Ghar 1500 R.K. Laxman Ki Duniya 1530 Lapataganj 1600 Fir 1630 Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo 1700 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma 1830 R.K. Laxman Ki Duniya 1900 Chidiya Ghar 1930 Don't Worry Chachu !!! 2000 Chintu Chinky Aur Ek Badi Si Love Story 2030 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma 2100 Chidiya Ghar 2130 R.K. Laxman Ki Duniya 2200 Lapataganj 2230 Fir 2300 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma 2330 Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo 0900 Don't Worry Chachu !!! 0930 Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo 1000 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma 1130 R.K. Laxman Ki Duniya

‘Lapataganj’ at 2200 Hrs on SAB

‘1920’ at 1400 Hrs on ZOOM 1400 Movie - 1920 1730 Star Bonanza 1800 Letz Go! 1900 Planet Bollywood News 1930 Link'D 2000 Tentalize 2030 Letz Go! 2100 Style Strip 2130 Link'D 2200 B - Tonite 2230 Shine On With Gitanjali 2300 Bollywood Bonanza 0700 Fresh Mornings 0800 Red Carpet 0805 20 - 20 Songs 0825 Fresh Mornings 1100 Zoom Box 1200 Garma Garam 1230 Telly Talk 1300 Planet Bollywood News

‘The Score’ at 2100 Hrs on HBO

1430 Discovery Science Classics 1530 Exodus Earth 1630 Some Assembly Required 1730 Mission Demolition 1830 Best Of Discovery Science 1930 UFO 2030 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 2130 Science Of The Movies 2230 Massive Machines 2300 Massive Speed 2330 The New Inventors 0730 UFO 0830 Mummy Autopsy 0930 Massive Machines 1000 Massive Speed 1030 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 1130 Science Of The Movies 1330 Weird Connections

‘Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman’ at 2030 Hrs on DISCOVERY SCIENCE

‘The Defenders’ at 2100 Hrs on BIG CBS PRIME 1430 Jerry Springer 1530 Big Wheels 1600 Survivor 1700 Bellator 1800 Galileo Extreme 1900 The Defenders 2000 Entertainment Tonight 2030 Galileo Extreme 2100 The Defenders 2200 Jerry Springer 2300 CSI - New York 0700 Big Wheels 0730 Aspire 0800 Galileo Extreme 0900 CSI - New York 1000 Bellator 1100 Jerry Springer 1200 Big Wheels 1230 How To Be A Gentleman 1300 Galileo Extreme 1330 The Defenders

Chai Time

KAKURO

How to Play Kakuro Kakuro is a popular game similar to sudoku in some ways. But is also suitably different. The key question: “How do you play Kakuro?”, well here are the rules of kakuro. The answer: The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers. However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number. Within each collection of cells - called a run - any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once. Let’s have an example to explain this concept more clearly: In the image above, which shows a section of a kakuro puzzle, you will see the numbers ‘26’ and ‘14’ in the top row. Look at the 14. This means that the total of the three cells underneath must sum to 14. Therefore 9, 4, 1 could be the answer, or perhaps 7, 4, 3 and so on... So, how do you work out the actual combination? Well, this is done through elimination and cross-referencing. For instance, as you work out the answers for other kakuro clues, this will naturally limit the valid combinations, and hence the answer for this particular run. Note the second cell in row two - it contains two numbers, 30 and 11. The 30 refers to the vertical run underneath the number 30 and the 11 refers to the two cells to the right, horizontally, of the number 11.

SCRIBBLING PAD

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Very small landmass 5 “Friendly” action 10 Amateur radio operators 14 Bona fide 15 Papas of “Zorba the Greek” 16 Help in wrongdoing 17 Land measure 18 On-the-floor exercise 19 Court panel 20 Brunch dish named for a region in France 23 Miffed 24 Gaudy light 25 Carrier of genetic info 27 Complete collection 28 Sigma-upsilon gobetween 31 Pulls along the ground 33 Diana Ross back-up, once 37 Burden of proof 38 Dessert that’s lit on fire 41 Steel-mill refuse 42 Tongue-in-cheek 43 Point with intent to shoot 45 X-ray dose unit 46 Kin of “mac” 49 Put-___ (pranks) 50 Yours and mine 54 Black, on a piano 56 Ladyfingers enclosing Bavarian cream 60 Make an appearance 61 Ancient Roman senate house 62 Refuse to acknowledge 63 Roll-call response 64 Outdated interjections 65 Mite-sized 66 Coastal diving birds 67 Change the hue anew 68 Herb of wisdom? DOWN 1 Some Arab League members

2 Safe and sound 3 Cowboy’s rope 4 Campaign poster word 5 Far from foolish 6 Hard seed covering 7 Board, as a bus 8 Accustom to hardship (Var.) 9 Printing proof, briefly 10 Visitor to Mecca 11 Plentiful 12 Dance with a sliding step 13 Place to serve slop 21 Highly perturbed 22 Word in many law-firm names 26 Biblical equine 29 Chimps and others 30 Bear in the night sky 32 Campus military gp. 33 “Sonic the Hedgehog”

developer 34 Suffix with “tall” 35 Sierra Club founder 36 Biblical book or prophet 38 Decisive win or statement 39 Shofar 40 Duck valued for its down 41 ___ Paulo, Brazil 44 Craggy rock 46 Part of former Yugoslavia 47 Without praise 48 “Toodle-oo” 51 Stomach lining problem 52 Cosmeticscounter buy

SUDOKU

53 Pricey string instr. 55 Goes over 21, in blackjack 57 Renders speechless 58 Neat and orderly 59 “... with the greatest of ___” 60 Pronoun for a boat PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. – Albert Einstein

Chai Time STAR POWER

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

Date 9-12-2011

ARIES

thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9177596118

March 20 – April 18 Court verdicts will favour you. Pregnant women should avoid long journeys. Father may get chest pain. Be in harmony with friends. Confusions and inferiority complex likely.

TAURUS

April 19 – May 19 Businessmen will undertake surprise changes for good. Chances of hurdle in ancestral property likely but will dis‑ appear soon. Chances likely to lose good friends due to your outburst.

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

June 21 – July 21

July 22 – August 21

May 20 – June 20

Avoid disputes. Differences with blood rela‑ tives will disappear. Govt works will get completed favourably. VIPs friendship likely. Some will get honorary posts. Newly mar‑ ried can get ready to invite offspring.

Employees should work with full involve‑ ment and complete work. Politicians should maintain a low proﬁle. Avoid unwanted discussions. Amicable solution likely on the litigation on property.

Artists will attract masses with their excellent performance in the new project. Businessmen will announce good sche‑ mes to attract more customers. Politicians will get close to high command.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

October 23 – November 20

SAGITTARIUS November 21 – Dec 20

Innovative efforts will bear fruit. Work undertaken will succeed. Businessmen will sign the contracts which were post‑ poned. Be careful while driving. Employees might get new opportunities.

Fresh handloan might be required. Avoid bringing strangers to home. Friendship circle, likely to expand. Marriage talks will advance towards ﬁnalisation.

Speculation will bring decent proﬁt. Money from expected source will come by. Friends might create embarrasing situations. Wanderings might irritate you. Spouse may face health problem.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

January 20 – February 18 Businessmen can expect mindbog‑ gling profits. Dealing in shares will bring good returns. Peaceful ness will prevail there will be a happy reunion in the family.

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

Death – This is not physical death but an indication of drastic changes in your current situa‑ tion. It may be a job change or a change of city.

The Chariot – A new car is on your mind and you do every‑ thing it takes to own that dream vehicle. Travel is also on the cards.

Six of Cups – You meet an old friend and get nostalgic about the times gon‑ e by. This nostalgia lingers all through the day and youʼre feeling wonderful.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Three of Pentacles – You need better training in your area of expertise or you run the risk of not being able to move up the ladder as quickly.

Five of Pentacles – Conﬂict and confusi‑ on are to be avoided at all costs today. A coworker may be dr‑ agging you into a bit‑ ter ﬁght. Try to avoid getting involved.

Judgement – A new assignment is likely to come your way. The new opportuni‑ ty will open up the world for you, giving you more options to choose from.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Five of Wands – Th‑ ereʼs contradiction and confusion. Som‑ eone is saying one thing and meaning something else. Avo‑ id making any com‑ mitments today. Trust carefully.

Ace of Swords – You‑ ʼre being quite harsh with coworkers. Itʼs either your way or nothing, you tell the‑ m. You may be right but not in the way you communicate.

Four of Swords – Youʼre feeling secure, monetarily and are happy with the raise and the promotion. Now, itʼs time to convert that trust into good work.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

February 19 – March 19

Friends circle will expand. Tensions existing in a legal case will disappear and the verdict will be in your favour. Powerful posts for some likely. Businessmen will learn good tactics.

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

King of Wands –Job‑ ʼs looking great and youʼre appreciated for your style of fun‑ ctioning. A hefty rai‑ se is also in the ofﬁ‑ ng since your bosses are so happy with you.

Ace of Cups – You think of new ways to do an old job. Youʼre appreciated for it although you might ﬁnd it tough to convince others of your ideas.

The Emperor –Youʼre in control of your de‑ cisions and your big‑ gest strength is that you see every obsta‑ cle as a challenge. What you want is co‑ ming your way soon.

SOLUTIONS

Boggle KOALA DINGO WOMBAT KANGAROO

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

Dec 21 – January 19 Employees will be overburdened. Keep a distance with relatives. Property issue might upset you. Keep a close watch in legal issues. High command will accept politician's demand.

SUMAA TEKUR

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

August 22 – September21

Businessmen will struggle. Pregnant women advised not to take any medicines without Doctor's advise. Avoid sharing family secrets with others. Pay taxes in time to avoid penal action and penalty.

September 22 – October 22

TAROT READ

Vol: 1, No. 145 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No. 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad–500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad–500037, Editor: Prahlad Rao – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-40672222, Fax: 040-40672211

Spotlight

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

PICS: SRINIVAS SETTY

Nikita Reddy

LADIES NIGHT OUT

As the sun set and the temperature dipped in the city, the Club at Novotel only got warmer on Wednesday night as Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful people partied the night away. They gathered there for the launch of Ladies Night at The Club.

Surmine and Alisha

Jwala Gutta

Shubha and Nikita Reddy

Bisket and Vamsi

Spinning a musical web With DJ Lloyd in town you can be sure that foot-tapping music will not be far. On Wednesday, musicand dance-lovers gathered at Spoil Pub in Jubilee Hills where DJ Lloyd spun some magic

Teena

DJ Lloyd

Swetha

Nandita, Manvi, Bhavana

Vijayander Goud

DJ Abhinav and Baghys

Nidhi and DJ Amit