Postnoon E-Paper for May 2nd 2013

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 HYDERABAD

DAYS OF GLORY

WWW.POSTNOON.COM

The history of Andhra Pradesh can be traced back to the days of the Kakatiya Dynasty.

Now, filmmaker Gunasekhar is making a film on the life of Rani Rudrama Devi.

P16&17

WEATHER: CLEAR WITH CLOUDY PERIODS; 36°C

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DATA THEFTS OF AADHAAR LOOM LARGE Civil society and RTI activists plan to move Supreme Court on the safety aspects of Aadhaar data.

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HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER

SARABJIT IS DEAD!

PAKISTAN CHARGES TWO FOR MURDER

Sarabjit Singh’s lawyer Awais Sheikh confirmed the 49-year-old’s death and said his body had been moved to a mortuary. The doctor said arrangements were under way for an autopsy.

REPORT ON P8

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THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

city events

A MUSICAL MELANGE

Banyan Tree's World Music Festival will be held at Taramati Baradari, Gandipet on May 3. The day will feature musicians Farah Siraj, Prasanna, Andres Rotmistrovsky, Jake Hertzog others.

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

Overnight

Morning

36°C

30°C

35°C

43°C

Clear with cloudy periods.

Clear with cloudy periods.

A mix of sun and cloud.

Sunny with cloudy periods.

New Delhi Mumbai Max 36 Max 35 Min 25 Min 27

Afternoon

Clear

Partl cloudy

Chennai Max 36 Min 30 Mostly cloudy

Bangalore Max 38 Min 24 Partly cloudy

AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES Humanities for kids.

Where: Oxford Bookstore, The Park When: Ongoing, Till May 12, 9:30 am to 2:00 pm Contact: 92461-12461

WORKSHOPS Dish out A workshop on cake baking and chocolate making.

Where: Colorama Printers, Secunderabad When: Till May 8, 10 am to 1 pm

DINING

Fountain of youth Workshop on make-up tips is on.

Where: Colorama Printers, Secunderabad When: Till May 6, 10 am to 1 pm Contact: 80086-24949

Indoor games Scrabble workshop for kids is being held.

Where: Saptaparni (After School Activities), Banjara Hills When: Till May 3, 9 am to 11 am All About Cycling A half-day interactive workshop on cycling.

Where: Alliance Francaise, Banjara Hills When: May 4, 2 pm to 6 pm Contact: 96034-73470

Junior masterchef A summer camp Junior Gourmet is being organised.

Where: The Park Hyderabad, Somajiguda When: Till May 3, 10 am Contact: 86860-47000

The art of writing Calligraphy workshop is on.

Where: Saptaparni (After School Activities), Banjara Hills When: Till May 3, 9 am to 11 am Contact: 90320-10200 The joy of reading Oxford Bookstore in association with GHAC and LICH is organising an informative, exciting and fun-filled workshop in social sciences and

BSNL Complaints HMWS & SB Complaints

198 155313

POLICE CONTROL ROOM Hyderabad 27852435 Traffic Control Room 27852482 DCP Traffic 23234065, 23243499F Pollution Control Board 23887500 ELECTRICITY General Complaints Breakdown Section

SHOWS

155333 23431178 23431179

MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

ART

23262266 24166666R ENC 23225267 Engineering 23220418 MCH Tankbund 23225397 Emergency MCH Circle I&II 24525842 MCH Circle III 24736912 MCH Circle IV 23326975 MCH Circle V 23326976 MCH Circle VI MCH Complaints 1100 Head Office 23225397 IVRS CUM MANUAL ENQUIRY PHONE NUMBERS (TRAIN & RESERVATION) RAILWAYS Rail Nilayam 27833169, 27824216 Railway Information 131 Reservations 135 Recorded Information 1345 Enquiry (IVRS) 1331, 1332, 1333

Love Cliche Exhibition of art by Crimson is on.

Where: Bidri, Hyderabad Marriott Hotel, Tank Bund When: On till May 2, 6.30 pm Contact: 93964-44424

HARD-EARNED: An elderly man painstakingly attempts at pulling a heavy-laden cart at Abids on Labour Day. M ANILKUMAR When: May 2, 9 pm Contact: 6463-6375

Rock n Roll Alter Egoz will be performing live.

Where: Hard Rock Cafe, Banjara Hills

Commissioner & Spl Officer

GAS BOOKING IVRS NO HP 9666023456 Indane 9848824365

Summer Fun Beat The Heat — Food Fest.

Where: GVK One Mall, Banjara Hills When: Till May 5, From 11 am

Budding geniuses A creative writing workshop for kids above the age of 7.

Where: Saptaparni (After School Activities) (2.6 km), Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, May 4, 10.30 am to 12.30 pm

Train Your Brain Creative memory and study skills workshop by Jayasimha.

Where: Sundarayya Vignana Kendram, Lingampally When: May 2, 6 pm Contact: 92461-50570

Helpline

Foodies' haven Awadhi food festival is on.

Where: Bidri, Hyderabad Marriott Hotel, Tank Bund When: Till May 7, 6.30 pm to 11.30 pm

Poetry & dance Creature of the Earth, poetry and

WATER SUPPLY Complaint Cell Sewerage Complaint Hyd. Water Supply HOSPITAL General Hospital, Sec-bad Niloufer Hospital, Red Hills NIMS, Director, Punjagutta Osmania General Hospital Railway Hospital, Lalaguda Apollo, Jubilee Hills Care Hospital, Banjara Hills Care Hospital, Nampally Care Hospital, Musheerabad Care Hospital, Sec-bad Kamineni Hospital, LB Nagar

155313 23307328 23313163

27505566 23314095 23390933 24600146 27001134 23607777 30418888 30417777 30419000 30416666 39879999

BLOOD BANKS Blood Bank,Narayanguda Chiranjeevi Blood Bank Blood Bank Mediton Goal Red Cross, Vidyanagar ADRM Blood Bank Mythri Charitable Trust NTR Memorial Trust Care Banjara Hills

dance performance by Space Theatre.

Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills When: May 2, 7.30 pm

27567892 23559555 23226624 27633087 27035588 27550238 30799999 30418296 30417445

AMBULANCES Apollo 23548888, 23607777 Kamineni 24022222 Medwin 23202902, 23204616 Smile Line Dental Hospital 23747979 Red Cross 27627973 Niloufer Hospital 23314095 Gandhi 23320332 AIRLINES

Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings.

For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec-bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999 UK VISA OFFICE VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7

Beside Meridian School, Banjara Hills34. Working hours are from 8 AM to 1 PM And 2 PM to 3PM. MUSEUMS Salar Jung Museum AP State Museum Nizams Museum

24523211 232431300/7641 24521029

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

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

news

TODAY’S QUESTION

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

WILL SARABJIT’S DEATH TRIGGER A NEW BOUT OF CONFLICT BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN?

WILL COALGATE BRING THE CENTRAL GOVT DOWN??

YES (A) NO (B)

55% 45%

A)

YES

B)

NO

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

CIVIC

HEALTH

Water, drain pipes collide Lack of co-ordination between the GHMC and the HMWSSB creates a block as drainage lines collide with massive Krishna project II pipelines.

N SHIVA KUMAR

Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

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his is a classic case of how the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. Officials at the engineering wing of the GHMC have been tearing their hair out trying to think of a way out of the impasse where storm water drainage lines collided with huge Krishna project II pipes.

It has been five months since the road at the Fever Hospital AROUND THE

CITY

crossing caved in where a storm water line was being planned. An important arterial road, this connects Ameerpet with Barkatpura.

Now closed for re-laying storm water drain beneath the road, commuters are struggling and businesses are losing customers.

People cover their nostrils as they pass through this stretch.

“At this pace, it may take at least two years for the GHMC to complete it,” said V Venkat, a resident of Nallakunta, who used to commute regularly via this route.

According to locals, GHMC

commissioner MT Krishna Babu, who had visited the place a while ago, promised to resolve the issue within a month. But that was before the roadblock.

Local corporator G Sridevi claims that the matter is being pursued with officials. “The

officials have a proposal to reroute the pipeline by twisting (it). But I am not sure it will help solve the issue,”she said.

“The work which started with great pace immediately came to a grinding halt. I doubt if it would be easy for the GHMC engineers to solve the problem. People are taking a two km long route to reach their destination,” says TDP’s Singireddy Srinivas Reddy.

Till now, the GHMC has spent `1.5 crore, apart from handing over a check of `18.5 lakh to the HMWSSB for finding an alternative route to the water pipeline. The superintending engineer of central zone was unavailable for comments.

“We are working closely with the HMWSSB to complete the project,” said R Dhan Singh, engineer-in-chief, GHMC. He assured that within a few months, the issue would be resolved.

CRIME

Robbery, burglary on the rise

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Healthcare to urban poor gets nod

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he government Wednesday introduced a scheme to provide healthcare to the urban poor on the lines of its flagship National Rural Health Mission.

The National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) would be formed under the over-arching National Health Mission (NHM), officials said.

Under the NUHM, approved by the union cabinet Wednesday, the government plans to set up various facilities at an outlay of `22,507 crore for five years.

These include one urban primary health centre for every AROUND THE

NATION

The scheme will be implemented in 779 cities and towns that have a population of over 50,000. It will cover about 7.75 crore people, said officials.

50,000-60,000 people, one urban community health centre for five to six areas in big cities, one auxiliary nursing midwives' centre for a population of 10,000, and one Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA or community link worker) for 200 to 500 households.

The scheme will be implemented in 779 cities and towns that have a population of over 50,000. It will cover about 7.75 crore people, said officials.

It will help reduce infant and maternal mortality, and provide universal access to reproductive healthcare and convergence of all health-related interventions. IANS

containing `25,000 was taken away by his co-passengers. He was left stranded on the road.

Koteshwar Rao, a native of Guntur, lost his gold ornaments and some cash while travelling in a share-auto in the City.

When he reached Tadbun Bowenpally, the driver asked

him to get down saying the vehicle developed a snag and requested Rao to travel by another auto. After reaching home he realised that valuables had been stolen from his bag.

Gold ornaments worth `12 lakh were stolen from a priest’s home in Hayatnagar. The inmates were sleeping on ground floor. The burglars entered through the first floor and stole jewellery that belongs to the temple where he serves.

TJAC to start Chalo Assembly programme

Foetus found on the roadside

Direct procurement of fish from AP

Ranga Rao donates land to village school

No extension of time for supplementary exams

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POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

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fter the incident of gangs looting several residents in RTC colony two days ago comes the news of three incidents of daylight robbery and burglary in the City.

Ramdenu, a businessman, said he was travelling by a share-auto from Secunderabad railway station to his home in Karkhana basti, when his purse

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CITY BRIEFS hairman of TJAC Prof Kodandaram said that a massive Chalo Assembly programme will be organised for achieving separate statehood for Telangana. Kodandaram said that the Chalo Assembly programme was part of a series of agitations to pressurise the State government for the formation of a separate Telangana state.

foetus was found on the roadside of Moosapet on Wednesday. It was wrapped in a white cloth. Local persons informed the police. Later, the KPHB police registered a case and the body was shifted to the mortuary of Gandhi hospital police. No clue about the parent has yet been found, police said.

ith the growing demand for fish from AP, the Assam government wants to avert middlemen.

Assam state co-operative minister, Siddique Ahmed visited fish markets in the City and said that their government had decided to buy fish directly from AP without depending on middlemen. Ahmed visited AP to ensure direct procurement.

V Ranga Rao, son of late Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, has donated 17 acres of his land to Gurukula girls school in Vangara. He also gave `10 lakh to collector’s fund and got it renamed after his mother and father. Rao promised the villagers that he was going to donate every rupee of his will for the Vangara village development.

he Board of Intermediate Education announced that th last date for payment of the examination fee for first year intermediate examination is May 3. No extension of date was on the cards for the supplementary examinations. The advanced supplementary intermediate public examinations will commence from May 22.

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News THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 LAST YEAR... HERE Lake at receiving end

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ast year we had reported how Hussain Sagar, with its historical and cultural importance had been the epicentre of many environmental campaigns, but only a few of them have skimmed upon the surface of the problems lying within it. Various governments initiated umpteen projects to give a facelift to the lake but none of them were effective.

MAY 2, 2012

NUMEROLOGY

`1.5 cr is the amount spent by the GHMC for the construction of the storm water drain line, which is now colliding with a water pipeline.

The dysfunctional MCA portal has caused irreparable damage in the form of non compliance by various companies.

Professionals lost their reputation built over years.

Rahul Jain, a secretary See page 7

THINGS WE 5LEARNT TODAY The column that teaches everyone something new about the way the world functions.

1

There can be benefits from controversies.

Azam Khan is being portrayed as a champion for minorities after his humiliation at a US airport. Some good out of some bad, eh?

2

Honour for a sacred mountain.

Mount Fuji in Japan is likely to be awarded Unesco heritage status next month, the BBC reports.

3

Aadhaar card could be a huge mistake.

Details of over seven lakh applicants have gone missing from the Aadhaar card data base, it has been reported.

4

Civic engineers waste crores of money again.

Lack of co-ordination between the GHMC and the HMWSSB has led to a roadblock, with a drain line colliding with a water pipe. Lakhs of rupees have already been spent over it.

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City unsafe, robbery, burglary on the rise.

Three incidents of robbery and burglary have been reported from different parts of the City. Two of them took place in a share-auto.

VISA

CRIME

Muscovite kills boss with crossbow

US holds what could be last Green Card lottery

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Moscow-based power engineer, who took a loan from his boss, opted to repay him with a crossbow bolt to the back.

Alexei Kopylov, who worked at the Kimpor powder metallurgy plant, used to run a dry cleaning service on the premises as a side business, the investigative committee reported late Tuesday.

Kopylov borrowed an unspecified sum from Kimpor’s general director to pay the rent.

The so-called diversity visas would vanish from next year if a final vote on the reforms is passed.

IVAN COURONNE feedback@postnoon.com

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round 100,000 people were chosen from several million Wednesday to get a head-start on a US Green Card, in what could be the last such annual lottery, slated to vanish under proposed reforms.

Created in 1995, the lottery system leads to the awarding of 50,000 permanent residency permits each year to people from countries that send relatively few emigrants to the United States.

But it has long been in the crosshairs of US Republican lawmakers, who control the House of Representatives and have included a plan to scrap it in the comprehensive immigration reforms currently being debated in Congress.

A final vote on the reforms is not expected before this summer, but if they pass, the socalled diversity visas would vanish from next year.

This year’s crop of hopefuls did not know when they applied that this might be their

AROUND THE

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last chance. From 4pm GMT on Wednesday, the candidates were able to check their status on the government website.

For Yuri Jacquet, 28, this is his sixth failed attempt to win a AROUND THE

WORLD

visa. “It’s a little discouraging," admitted the entrepreneur.

“Each time, you tell yourself the next time will be the one."

In last year’s lottery, 7.9 million people, with 4.6 million spouses and children, submit-

On Tuesday, the director, Yevgeny Balai, was found dead in a trench on the plant’s premises, slain by a crossbow bolt to his back. Kopylov was pegged as a suspect the same day.

He pleaded guilty upon questioning, saying he wanted to avoid repaying the loan, the committee said. If charged and convicted of murder, he can end up in jail for up to 15 years.

Crossbows with draw weight under 43 kg-force are sold in Russia without license. Though they are considered not dangerous for humans, they are often modified upon purchase to increase draw weight.

IANS

ted applications. More than 18,000 Africans got Green Cards through the lottery the year before, the most from any continent. Half of the lottery is reserved for applicants from Africa, who could now lose out.

Mamina Ezra, a 28-year-old Ethiopian, was one of the lucky ones this year — her 11th try.

“I’m still in shock," she told AFP. Countries that sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the past five years are excluded from the lottery. This year includes a range of countries like Bangladesh, Brazil and Canada.

AFP

ENVIRONMENT

HP battles invasive shrub Lantana’s tentacles are threatening the natural regeneration of native species.

SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh’s forest department is engaged in a massive project to remove lantana, an exotic flowering shrub that threatens the state’s biodiversity, and re-greening the hills with fast-growing native flora, foresters said.

Lantana’s tentacles are threatening the natural regeneration of native species. It is estimated to be spread over 1,850 sq km of forests and wastelands, especially in the subtropical belt of Sirmaur, Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Solan and Kangra districts.

The official said that the department aims to clear lantana from 50 sq km this fiscal, before planting fast-growing native species like bamboo, khair and amla.

Lantana is not only posing a threat to the forests but also reduces the productivity of the land and adversely affects liveli-

IANS

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A lantana bloom.

hoods, the official said.

He said funds for removing the weed and subsequent regreening drives have been arranged under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority of India and

the Green India Mission Fund.

“Even the locals are involved through the MGNREGS and participatory forest management committees," he said.

The forest department is using the mechanical method and using tools like monkey

jacks to physically remove the weed. Between 2009 and 2013, over 62 sq km of forest land was cleared of lantana, Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri informed the assembly earlier this month.

According to the Forest Survey of India report of 2011, out of the state’s geographical area of 55,673 sq km, 3,224 sq km is under very dense forests, 6,381 sq km under moderately dense forests and 5,074 sq km under open forests.

Due to massive afforestation drives, the state has witnessed an increase in forest cover from 11,780 sq km in 1991 to 14,679 sq km in 2011 — an increase of 2,899 sq km forest cover in 20 years.

IANS

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News THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

CRIME

‘Consultant’ dupes hundreds Hundreds of unemployed youths were cheated of their money by a conman who promised them lucrative employment opportunities in Oman.

Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

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travel agent, Mohd Saleem, who has three aliases has allegedly cheated hundreds of jobless youngsters promising them works in the Sultanate of Oman.

The man and his travel agency have since vanished into the thin air.

Only after Chandanagar police received a written complaint did the law come into the scene.

Inspector N Venkateshwarlu said several complaints of cheating have been pouring in since the investigation began.

Saleem opened a job consultancy office, titled, ‘Safar Consultant” in the year 2012 in the Dolphin Towers of Chandanagar. He put out adver-

tisements in Telugu papers mentioning several job opportunities in Oman.

Hundreds applied and all those who contacted him were promised jobs. He collected vari-

HEALTH US approves morning after pill for 15 and up WASHINGTON: The US government has lowered to 15 the age at which girls can buy the morning-after contraceptive pill without a prescription.

The US Food and Drug Administration yesterday announced to approve a contraceptive known as Plan B or popular as "morning after pill" for all women 15 and older.

The announcement is expected to stir the controversy among conservatives who consider it another form of abortion.

In a statement, the FDA said the approval of Plan B One-Step for use without a prescription by women 15 years of age and older is based on an actual use study and label comprehension data submitted by Teva showing that women age 15 and

ous amounts from each according to his/her gullibility. He reportedly assured the applicants that visa could be expected in a month or two.

On March 17, some job seek-

ers found the Safar consultants office closed. They tried the mobile phones but the calls returned dead tone. Only after a couple of days applicants realised they were taken for a jolly ride.

Panic gripped among them and they began scurrying about trying to locate the cheat.

However, they did not have his whereabouts. It is now reported that Saleem had not only cheated Telugus but had roped in scores of Maharashtran youth too.

The complainants, Syed Sujath Ahmed of Khammam and his brothers Aijaz, Afroze and one Venkatramana, Sahikh Basheer and several others told police they had raised money taking loans from loan-sharks believing that they would be able to pay back in a short while after getting service. Police inspector

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The magnitude of the cheating is yet to be assessed as not all victims have come to know of the man’s flight. Their number could easily run into several hundred, police said. said many were in tears.

The magnitude of the cheating is yet to be assessed as not all victims have come to know of the man’s flight. Their number could easily run into several hundred, police said.

HONOUR ABROAD

Indian bags Dubai prize To qualify, the driver should not commit any traffic offense or be involved in any accident.

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older understood that the product was not for routine use and would not protect them against sexually-transmitted diseases.

These data also established that Plan B One-Step could be used properly within this age group without the intervention of a health care provider.

"Research has shown that access to emergency contraceptive products has the potential to further decrease the rate of unintended pregnancies in the United States," said FDA Commissioner Margaret A Hamburg.

PTI

DUBAI: An Indian national became the proud owner of a 100,000-dirham car after being selected as an ideal driver by the Dubai traffic police.

Jayaseelan's name was shortlisted from 700 drivers who had gathered the maximum number of white points in one year, during which the drivers did not commit any traffic offence or were not involved in any accident, the Emirates 24/7 website reported Tuesday.

Jayaseelan has been presented with a Chevrolet car.

This Dubai traffic police's unique white points system is the first in the region and was

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Jayaseelan's name was shortlisted from 700 drivers who had gathered the maximum number of white points in one year.

launched two years ago to encourage people to respect traffic rules.

“We honour 700 drivers

who collect the maximum limit of white points every year but we intend to increase that number to 1,000,” Dubai traffic police chief Maj. Gen Mohammed al Zafin was quoted as saying in the report.

A private sector employee, Jayaseelan said he was “very happy” with the award.

IANS

WORLD BRIEFS US releases Benghazi attack photographs

PNG proposes death by firing squad

China bans forced Australian held on terror mental asylum detention charges in Saudi

N Korea gives US citizen 15 years' hard labour

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S authorities have released pictures of three men it said were present during the September 11, 2012 attack on the US mission in eastern Libya, saying it wanted to question them. The FBI's website did not say whether the three men — all of whom carrying guns — are suspects in the attack that killed four Americans.

apua New Guinea has proposed death by firing squad as part of stringent new measures to combat rampant violent crime that PM Peter O'Neill said was destroying the country. The government agreed on Wednesday to bring a series of bills aimed at toughening PNG's criminal code to parliament when it meets in two weeks.

new law has taken effect prohibiting Chinese from being committed to mental hospitals without their consent in an attempt to prevent "forced detentions". The law comes after right groups accused authorities of locking up hundreds of thousands in psychiatric hospitals each year, often as a form of punishment for dissidents.

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n Australian is being detained on terrorism-related charges in Saudi Arabia, with the man's brother claiming he has been tortured.

Shayden Thorne, 25, has been held in a jail outside Riyadh for almost 18 months, reportedly after a laptop, which his family says he borrowed from a mosque, was allegedly found to have terrorist material on it.

orth Korea said Thursday that it had sentenced a US citizen to 15 years of prison labour for "hostile acts" against the communist regime. Pae Jun-Ho, known in the United States as Kenneth Bae, was arrested in November as he entered the northeastern port city of Rason.

He has been accused of trying to "topple the DPRK" (North Korea).

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News THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

GOVERNANCE

Data thefts of Aadhar loom large Civil society and RTI activists plan to move Supreme Court on the safety aspects of Aadhar data.

RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA rahul.r@postnoon.com

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ith over seven lakh Aadhaar enrolment applicants’ data missing, the question now being raised is what can happen if it lands in the wrong hands?

It is common knowledge that data are the new currency. Since the basics required for living demand proofs of identity, data now translates into a benefit of availing any government or private service.

The loophole with the Aadhaar card system, however, is the framework of its functioning. Many feel that there is no guarantee of data safety, considering the number of private players roped in to handle the enrolment for the Aadhaar card.

According to Viplava Simha Reddy, High Court advocate, “The government has done a blunder by employing private agencies for enrolment. These agencies have employees who do not owe allegiance to government and have all the freedom to misuse the data they are entrusted with. It is the Central government’s responsibility to prosecute those private agencies found guilty of data loss and mismanagement.”

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Data thefts

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ccording to the National Crime Bureau Records of 2012, Andhra Pradesh accounted 349 out of the total 1,791 cases which is 19.5 per cent, followed by Kerala (277), Karnataka (151) and Rajasthan (122). These cases related to data loss/theft, computer hardware mismanagement.

Hyderabad registered 76 cases in 2012.

According to City Cyber Crime Wing ACP K. Chitti Babu, “ We have not so far received any complaint of data theft or identity theft related to Aadhaar card. However, we do come across many such cases every year.”

Civil society activists plan to file a PIL in the Supreme Court with the help of senior counsels. Raoji Brahamanand, RTI activist and former civil servant says, “ It is surprising that nobody from the judiciary circles have challenged the credibility of the Aadhaar card. The government is arm twisting its citizens into enrolling for the Aadhaar card but states that it is not mandatory.

It is like poisoning the village well and selling mineral water bottles and proclaiming that people are buying it on their free-will.”

Comparative break-up of registrars and enrolment agencies

Registrars State government of Andhra Pradesh : 1,78,204 Union Bank: 51,255 IT & Communication Department: 37,153 NSDL e-governance Infrastructure limited: 29,976 Bank of India: 10,422 Others: 2,365

Enrolment Agencies Grapesoft : 1,14,191 Tera Software Limited : 44,191 Karvy Data Management : 29,943 MARS Telecom: 26,897 Others: 25,254

He also adds that if any individual is unhappy with the state of functioning of enrolment agencies, he/she can file an RTI and claim their proofs of identity back.

“If this does not happen, one can move the Supreme Court and thereby bring attention to this issue effectively,” he says.

Registrar is an entity recognised by UIDAI for enrolling individuals for UID cards popularly known as Aadhaar cards. Registrars are those entities which are normally frequented by people for various purposes like banks, rural development departments, public sector undertakings (PSUs).

These registrars will also act as data warehouses for storing applicants’ details which will be further deposited to CIDR (Central ID Data Repository) for keeping all citizens’ data in one place.

Given the number of copies of proofs of identity that are hoarded by those handling the enrolment processes, cyber experts believe they have a huge profit value in the international black market.

“In Hyderabad itself, insurance and banks pay huge amounts for customer data bases. Normally, agents are hired and paid through bidding process for bank account information and credit card information. The bids start at `13 and end at `750. In my opinion, if the data of seven lakh applicants were put on the international market, anybody from the corporates to fundamentalist organisations will be willing to buy it,” says Srikanth Sahay, cyber security expert. “ It is hard to understand how there has been no public agitation or action against the Aadhaar card or the recent data loss, considering the immense security threats it poses.There is a false sense of security among our citizens,” says Srikanth.

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News THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

GOVERNANCE

SCIENCE

MCA portal bungled, thousands suffer A one-stop solution for filing returns worked well under TCS for six years.

But now, after another company took over, the portal has gone awry, report finance professionals.

ALEENA ALICE Aleena.t@postnoon.com

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he much talked about ministry of corporate affairs MCA21 portal, turns out to be another non-functional government website. With the web portal not functioning since January this year, despite several appeals to the Ministry, distressed Charted Accountants and Company Secretaries say that companies are running into heavy loss because of the faulty portal.

In 2006 when the portal was launched by the ministry for various companies registered under the Companies Act 1956, the e-filing portal was the one stop solution to file various returns/ forms and also get approvals from the government.

More than 19 lakh Director Identification Numbers (DIN) have been issued to the directors of Companies, over 4.7 crore visitors have been using the portal and there are more than 6 lakh registered users with 2.15 crore e -filings.

For six years the site was managed and handed by the Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS).

However, after their term got over, leading software company Infosys had taken up the portal on January 17. Ever since, it has been sleepless nights for various chartered accountants and company secretaries, and investors who access the portal to upload the documents including annual reports, various financial and non-financial details and access information.

“The slowdown in the portal has been causing a lot of prob-

The dates on which the company availed loans are shown to be the same on the website.

Users have been trying to reach the minister of state for corporate affairs Sachin Pilot through various online petitions. However, so far all their pleas seem to be going in vain. lem as we cannot access the filings. Many transactions are not going forward, deals are stuck and many reports that have to

be uploaded within a grace period of 30 days have been stalled.

Because of which companies have to pay penalties, which is amounting to lakhs of rupees.

“The dysfunctional MCA portal has already caused irreparable damage in the form of non-compliance by various companies and professionals, who lost their reputation built over the years. It is high time the government gives ear to our desperate pleas and ensures that the portal runs seamlessly to salvage the reputation of the corporates, professionals and the country,” says Rahul Jain a company secretary in the City.

Though while addressing the media on January 30, the MCA secretary Naved Masood assured professionals that the site would be up and running soon, so far the problem has not been resolved and the Ministry.

Despite desperate appeals by various company secretaries and chartered accountants whose professional services require a functioning MCA21, so far neither the ministry nor the Infosys has got back to the professionals assuring them of anything.

Lakhs of users who have been facing inconvenience from all over the country because of the faulty portal have been trying to reach the minister of state for corporate affairs Sachin Pilot through various online petitions. However, so far all their pleas seem to be going in vain.

A ministry communication, however, says that the problem is gradually being fixed.

When Postnoon contacted the ministry, the deputy director of the MCA, Sanjay Kumar Gupta, said, “The system has considerably improved over the last few days. As and when any issue came to our notice, we have been trying to fix the problem. Logins are taking place.

However, since the queue is very long there is a slight hitch with the system’s responding.

Since April 19, the systems seem to have normalised.”

No spokesperson from Infosys was available for comment.

Hawking dreams of space travel

B

ritish theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking, who has suffered from a degenerative disease for decades, said during a public appearance that he would like to go into space, a media report said.

The 71-year-old Hawking said he would like to travel into space aboard the private spacecraft that mogul Richard Branson is developing, the Daily Telegraph said Wednesday.

AROUND THE

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Hawking made the rare public appearance at an event organized in London by Breathe On, a charity that helps people on long-term ventilation.

"Being on a ventilator has not curbed my lifestyle," the widely traveled Hawking said.

The theoretical physicist and cosmologist suffers from a motor neuron disease related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

"I hope to go into space with Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic," Hawking told the audience.

IANS/EFE

NATION BRIEFS Police denies permit for Yasin Malik's protest

Elephant dies of ailment in Sathyamangalam

Minor raped by teenagers

One killed in powerloom unit wall collapse

Acid attack on father, two daughters in Mumbai

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A

A

A

A

he Delhi Police has denied permission to Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik to hold a 48-hour hunger strike in the capital to press for his demandsincluding handing over the body of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru to his family.

The decision came after security agencies submitted a report to the Centre.

50-year-old female elephant died in Sathyamangalam forest division due to ailment. According to forest officials they noticed the elephant lying at Diginarai forest range in Sathyamangalam forest division while patrolling few days ago. They tried to provide treatment to the animal with the help of veterinary doctors.

12-year-old girl was raped allegedly by three teenagers in Rupaideeha area, police said here in UP. The victim was raped on Tuesday night when she had stepped out of her house for some work, they said. Police said one of the accused has been arrested and efforts were being made to nab the remaining two. PTI

powerloom worker in Bhiwandi was killed and four others injured when a wall of their unit collapsed, police said today. The incident took place last evening when the tin roof sheet of the unit in Shreeji Compound fell on the wall, leading to a crash, burying one worker, they said. The owner of the powerloom unit has been held.

n unidentified man threw acid on a father and his two young daughters at the crowded Bandra station here on Thursday morning, railway police said. The incident took place around 8.15 a.m. shortly after the man in his 50s stepped off the Garib Rath train arriving from New Delhi with his two daughters, a railway police official said.

8

News THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

HIS TRAVAILS END

Sarabjit succumbs to injuries

The head of the medical panel of the hospital was quoted as saying that Sarabjit succumbed to injuries at 1.15 am (Indian standard time).

2 held for murder

P

akistan has charged two prisoners with the murder of an Indian man jailed for espionage, officials said Thursday. Sarabjit Singh, who was sentenced 16 years ago over deadly bombings, died in the early hours of Thursday from injuries suffered in an attack on April 26.

“We have added a murder clause to the police complaint,” Tariq Mehmood, a police official at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat police station, told AFP. The two suspects were taken into custody immediately after last week’s attack.

Pakistani police say Singh was hit with bricks and other blunt objects by two inmates, who have been identified only by single names Aamir and Mudasir. The motive has been unclear, but police say an initial investigation pointed to an exchange of “hot words” with Singh.

Singh’s lawyer Owais Sheikh said his client had received threats following the execution of a Kashmiri separatist in India.

LAHORE: Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh, who was admitted to a Lahore hospital after being savagely attacked in jail, died Thursday, a media report said.

Sarabjit Singh died in Lahore’s Jinnah Hospital, reported Geo News.

The head of the medical panel of the hospital was quoted as saying that Sarabjit succumbed to injuries at 12.45 a.m.

(Pakistan time) or (1.15 a.m.

Indian standard time)

We are shattered. He has been sacrificed.

Sarabjit’s family

PUNJAB IN MOURNING BHIKHIWIND (PUNJAB): Sarabjit Singh’s hometown Bhikhiwind Thursday mourned his death in a hospital in Lahore.

Establishments in the town remained shut since morning after receiving the news of his death in a hospital where he was admitted April 26 after being viciously attacked in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail by fellow prisoners.

Some residents also gathered outside the local gurdwara and protested against Pakistan.

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Sarabjit’s lawyer Awais Shiekh told an Indian news channel that Sarabjit’s death was confirmed by hospital authorities.

Sarabjit had suffered serious head injuries after being attacked by two prisoners at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail April 26. He was on ventilator support since then.

“It is very sad. We are sorry that we could not save him. I had tried to stop his family from going back to India (Wednesday) since his condition was very bad but they went bac”,” Shiekh told the channel.

The post-mortem will be conducted Thursday morning, he said.

Sarabj’t’s family, including sister Dalbir Kaur, wife

‘Pak did not heed India’s pleas’

P

rime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday said it was “particularly regrettable” that Pakistan “did not heed the pleas...to take a humanitarian view” of the case of Sarabjit Singh who died after being attacked in a Lahore jail. “Particularly regrettable that the Govt of Pakistan did not heed the pleas.... to take a humanitarian view of this

Sukhpreet and daughters Swapandeep and Poonam, had gone to Lahore Sunday. They returned to India Wednesday morning alleging that they were

Pak to hand over Sarabjit’s body

case,” tweeted Manmohan Singh after Sarabjit Singh died Thursday in Lahore’s Jinnah hospital.

P

akistan will hand over the body of Sarabjit Singh, an Indian prisoner who died Thursday in a Lahore hospital, to the Indian High Commission at the earliest, said the ministry of foreign affairs.

not being given information on his medical status.

“We are shattered. He has been sacrificed,” his family said.

IANS

WITHOUT

EQUAL

Japan’s near-symetrical snowtopped volcano, Mount Fuji, looks likely to become a Unesco World Heritage site. Here’s some interesting facts about it.

M

ount Fuji is named after the Buddhist goddess of fire – Fuchi.

Some Japanese say that Fuji came from (not + two), meaning without equal or nonpareil.

Mt Fuji, at is Japan’s

3,776m highest mountain.

T

he uppermost portion of the peak belongs to the Fujisan Hongu Sengentaisha shrine, having been granted the title in perpetuity by the Shogun in

Officially designated as “dormant”, Mount Fuji last erupted

1609

years ago.

300

M

ount Fuji was traditionally seen as an abode of the gods; a place where “unclean” women were forbidden to go.

It wasn’t until

1872

that the official ban on women climbing Mount Fuji was lifted.

T

he sunrise as seen from atop the mountain is called Go-raiko.

View from Lake Yamanakako

Mt Fuji is surrounded by five lakes: Lake Kawaguchiko, Lake Yamanakako, Lake Saiko, Lake Motosuko and Lake Shojiko.

I

t is one of Japan’s “Three Holy Mountains” along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku.

As many as

200,000 people climb Mount Fuji every year.

9

News THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

BOSTON BLASTS

KARNATAKA POLLS

Suspect’s pals in a spot

EC takes to streets to woo voters

The three are alleged to have tried to help Tsarnaev avoid arrest after seeing his picture on television three days after the April 15 Boston Marathon bombing.

MARCIA SCOTT HARRISON Agence France-Presse BOSTON : Three 19-year-old friends of one of the alleged Boston bombers were charged Wednesday with trying to cover his tracks by throwing out fireworks and a laptop and then lying to US police.

The three teenagers — two Kazakhs and an American — were fellow students at Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s university and appear to have been hastily AROUND THE

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trying to keep him out of trouble rather than taking part in an organized conspiracy.

Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov were accused of conspiring to destroy a laptop and backpack containing fireworks belonging to Tsarnaev, while Robel Phillipos, an American, is charged with making false statements to police.

The three are alleged to have tried to help Tsarnaev avoid arrest after seeing his picture on television three days after the April 15 Boston Marathon bombing, which killed three people and wounded more than 260 others.

Tsarnaev is accused of carry-

The charges

D

ias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov were accused of conspiring to destroy a laptop and backpack containing fireing out the bombing with older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, who is said to have masterminded the attack and was gunned down in a police shootout hours after the pictures were released to the media.

Officials have said they believe the two ethnic Chechen brothers acted alone, but authorities are probing a six-month trip taken by Tamerlan to the restive

works belonging to Tsarnaev, while Robel Phillipos, an American, is charged with making false statements to police.

North Caucasus region of Russia in 2012.

According the formal complaint released by the Justice Department, Kadyrbayev texted Dzhokhar the night of April 18 after the images went public, saying one of them looked like him.

Tsarnaev responded, texting “lol” (laughing out loud) and “you better not text me.”

According to the charge sheet he also told Kadyrbayev: “I’m about to leave if you need something in my room take it.”

The three friends then met at Tsarnaev’s dormitory room on campus and watched a movie while waiting for him to return.

Then they noticed a backpack containing fireworks that had been opened and emptied of their gunpowder.

“Kadyrbayev decided to remove the backpack from the room in order to help his friend Tsarnaev avoid trouble,” the charge sheet says, adding that he also removed a jar of Vaseline he thought might have been used “to make bombs.”

“He decided to take Tsarnaev’s laptop as well because he did not want Tsarnaev’s roommate to think he was stealing or behaving suspiciously by just taking the backpack,” it said.

Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov took the items back to their apartment, where they placed them in a black garbage bag and threw them into a nearby dumpster. Police later recovered the items from a landfill.

When police questioned the three over the next week, Phillipos initially said he did not remember going to Tsarnaev’s room on April 18 and later said the three had gone there but left after no one answered the door.

BANGALORE: Street plays are a powerful medium to impact the public and the Election Commission thistime has opted for this form of informal theatre to make the electorate in Karnataka know its responsibility.

Aimed at creating awareness among the public about elections and voters’ rights, street plays with voters’ rights and their importance as their pivot were staged at the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)’s main office recently.

Karnataka is going to AROUND THE

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Assembly polls on May five.

Artistes from across the state staged unique street plays as part of Systematic Voter’s Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP), conducted under the aegis of theElection Commission of India. According to stage artiste Lalitha GN, “the response to the street plays staged in well known pockets of the city, including Malleshwaram and Jayanagar has been excellent.

Peoplewatched the plays with rapt attention, soaking in everything that was being told to them through this medium”.

The street plays will cover all the 198 wards and partly Anekal taluk. Under the first phase, around 10 constituencies were covered in the last few days, says GS Mallanna, programme coordinator.

AFP

PTI

POLITICAL DRAMA

SP hardsells Harvard boycott

With more than 28 communal flare-ups during its latest stint, the ruling party is leaving no stone unturned.

LUCKNOW: Concerned that its appeal among Muslim voters was dimming, Uttar Pradesh’s ruling Samajwadi Party is on an overdrive to hardsell its boycott of a Harvard lecture after minister Azam Khan was detained at Boston airport as “standing up to imperialist US”.

Azam Khan’s detention last week led to CM Akhilesh Yadav boycotting the lecture at the Harvard Business School on the successful management of the Kumbh Mela and also a civic reception held in his honour by the Indian consulate. While the party has since been attacking the US in its bid to become a

“mascot of anti-Americanism”, Khan also blamed external affairs minister Salman Khurshid.

Soon after his return from the US on Monday, Azam Khan announced that the state was AROUND THE

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cancelling all future trips by its ministers to the US. As if on cue, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey late Monday cancelled the US leg of his Commonwealth tour beginning May 20.

PWD Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav also wrote to US President Barack Obama on the issue.

Party strategists say the attack on Khurshid, added to the anti-US campaign, was a “well thought one”. As an SP functionary put it: “Our minority vote bank had been dented owing to the killing of a Muslim cop and the 28 plus communal flare-ups but we hope all that would be a thing of past.”

Insiders admit that in the coming days the party would go into overdrive to tell its crucial Muslim vote bank that the SP has stood for them on foreign shores.

IANS

10

News THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 HEALTH

New strain of H7N9 virus?

SECURITY

SERVICE WITH A SMILE

Coup atempt in Chad foliled

S

T

cientists are concerned about a new bird flu virus that is causing severe disease in China, killing a fifth of all those it infects, reports The Guardian.

There are worries the virus, known as H7N9, which is trans-

he government of Chad has said security forces foiled a coup attempt that was in the planning for several months against President Idriss Deby, reported The Guardian .

"Today, a group of individuAROUND THE

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WORLD

mitted to humans from chickens, could mutate into a form that could be passed from one person to another.

Five mutations are known to be necessary for that to happen – H7N9 already has two of them. If that occurs, it could spread worldwide with lethal effect.

(Left) Traffic joint commissioner of police CV Anand (right) gives an e-challan to a motocyclist via the new integrated challan system, near the traffic control room on Wednesday. (Right) The new machine used for e-challaning.

N Shiva Kumar

als with bad intentions sought to carry out an action to destabilise the institutions of the republic," said Hassan Sylla Bakary, communications minister of Chad.

The impoverished former French colony in the west African desert has a long history of coups and rebellions.

MUSIC

Striking the right chord Arko Pravo Mukherjee couldn’t have dreamt of a better debut as a music director in Bollywood. After striking the right chord in Jism 2, he’s now working on nine films.

I’m influenced a lot by people like Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Sting where there are stories in songs. There’s a perspective and journey in their songs.

Arko Parvo Mukherjee

AROUND THE

CITY

HEMANTH KUMAR hemanth.k@postnoon.com

S

ix years ago, Arko Parvo Mukherjee was on track to become a doctor when he graduated with an MBBS degree from Burdwan Medical College in West Bengal in 2007, but fate had other plans for him.

His parents thought he had gone nuts and everything that he had done till that point came to a standstill. That year, he decided to leave everything behind in Kolkata, start his life afresh in Mumbai and try to break into Bollywood as a music director.

“I was into music from a

young age and I didn’t want to let it be just a hobby. I had to feel the pinch, get hurt and face the questions initially. I ended up struggling for nearly three years, before I got my first big break in Bollywood,” Arko recollects.

In 2011, when Arko got a chance to meet Mahesh Bhatt, the latter gave him just 10 minutes. By the time they finished their meeting, Bhatt was so impressed that he asked him to score songs for Jism 2.

“That’s a moment I’ll always cherish. He’s a great music connoisseur and Jism 2 was a great platform to reach out to a wider audience,” Arko says.

So what kind of music does he relate to the most? “I love soulful music and anything which touches the heart. I would say I’m influenced a lot by people like Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and Sting, where there are stories in songs. There’s a perspective and journey in their songs.”

Fair enough, but does he get the freedom to pursue what he really wants to do in Bollywood?

“I don’t like mixing up genres or doing something which I’m not good at. If it means that I’ll lose a lot of work, so be it. I’m happy doing less but quality work.”

About his struggling years, he says, “The problem with

Bollywood is that, below a certain standard, there a lot of people who will take you for a ride because you don’t have proper guidance. We end up being vulnerable in their hands. It would be nice if it’s a little more organised because otherwise, we end up wasting a lot of time meeting people and being rejected.”

He was recently in Hyderabad to get started on composing a single as an ode to mothers.

“Ramakrishna of Keerthana Recording studio and I have been working on this single and we are planning to release it in Bengali and Telugu just before Mother’s Day. I’m quite excited about this.”

It’s going to be a hectic year ahead for him with plenty of films in his kitty. “I’ll be scoring music for nine films, including Hate Story 2, Tamanchey and Tina and Lolo,” he signs off.

11

News THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

WILDLIFE

THE NEW VINTAGE

‘Perfect’ new wine up for grabs BARRY PARKER Agence France-Presse

In a glimmer of hope for the big cat, a minister recently declared that Nagpur would become the tiger capital of India.

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

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aharashtra minister for social justice and district guardian minister Shivajirao Moghe recently said

AROUND THE

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that Nagpur city will be known as the tiger capital of the country in the near future thanks to the reserves.

Moghe said, “As many as thirteen tiger reserves have been developed within 200 km radius of Nagpur, which is the only city in the counry to have a rich forest. It will be known as the tiger capital in the future.”

PTI

N

estled in Australia’s Adelaide hills, Penfolds Magill Estate opens the double cellar doors on Thursday morning to launch global sales of one of the most hyped “new world” wines in recent history.

Since the 2008 Penfolds Grange Shiraz earned a perfect 100 score from Robert Parker’s US wine magazine Wine Advoc ate on March 1 the wine world has been fizzing in anticipation.

However, you will need deep pockets, with a hefty recommended retail price of Aus$784.99 (US$814) per bottle.

Penfolds global brand business director Sandy Mayo says global demand is outstripping supply after unprecedented pre-release interest ignited by the perfect 100-point review, the first Grange to attract the accolade in 40 years.

The historic South Australia winery, owned by AROUND THE

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Fate of the big cat

A

ccording to the latest tiger census, done in 2011, the current tiger population in India stands at

1706.

T 42

here are

tiger reserves in India. The latest, Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary, was declared a reserve in March 2013.

P

oaching has greatly decimated the tiger population, but rapid deforestation and human encroachment also pose a threat to this majestic animal’s existence.

T

B

igers can be found in

17

states, including Andhra Pradesh, and seven of these states have more than 100 tigers each.

etween 1994 and 2010,

923

tigers were killed.

The number is much lower than the actual figure, as the cases that go unreported are many.

Pick

I

n 2013, so far,

38

tigers have died. While 20 died naturally, 18 were killed by poachers.

Treasury Wine Estates, swiftly jacked up prices by $160 a bottle from the original release estimate.

Despite the cost, Mayo said Grange was flowing to Asia and Europe, where demand was greatest.

Wine Advocate reviewer Lisa Perotti-Brown started the frenzy with her description of the 2008 as “wonderfully opulent and a magic vintage for this label".

“Deep purple-black in colour, the 2008 Grange puts forward a very complex nose packed with aromas of mulberries, layers of baking spices, cloves and cinnamon with nuances of minced meat, anise, potpourri and whiffs of dried mint and chocolate.

“It is framed by firm, grainy tannins and a refreshing acid line before finishing very long with aniseed and lingering blackberry preserves notes,"

at the

said the master of wine.

Peter Gago, Penfolds Chief Winemaker, offered a lighter approach.

“Somewhat intimidating?

Yes. Brazen? Never," he wrote.

“Power and density naturally respectful of balance and structure. No DNA check required — an immediate familial link to the 1998 Grange.

“Ration carefully. Resist temptation. Or, failing that, forget the budget and buy accordingly!"

Experts say the Grange will be at its best between 2018 and 2035 and thereafter. Buyers are advised to look online where retailers are slashing prices in the race for customers.

Penfolds Grange Shiraz began as an experimental vintage in 1951. The 1955 drew attention locally and internationally and went on to become an Australian National Trust heritage-listed wine, which the company claims changed the face of the Australian wine industry.

It has certainly set the tills ringing.

airport,

French President’s wines to be auctioned

W

ines from the French presidential cellar will be auctioned off in Paris next month with 1,200 bottles on offer, auctioneers Drouot said on Tuesday.

The estimated value of the various wines up for auction ranges from a modest 15 euros to 2,200 euros ($2,800) for a Petrus 1990, Drouot said in a statement.

The Elysee Palace’s cellar is selling the wines in order to raise funds for a refurbishment, it said.

-

12

News THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

BANGLADESH COLLAPSE

SHOCK FROM THE PAST

Fashion houses under fire High-street retailers are accused of turning a blind eye and making a fortune off the backs of labourers working in dangerous conditions.

ANNE PADIEU feedback@postnoon.com

T

he deadly collapse of a Bangladesh garment factory has piled pressure on Western fashion stores that churn out the season’s hottest looks at cheap prices, many of which are sourced from sweatshops in poor countries.

The country’s worst ever industrial disaster, which has left at least 388 dead, comes after deadly fires in other factories and years of concerns over the flouting of safety standards in the bargain-basement clothing industry.

Bustling high-street retailers are routinely accused of turning a blind eye and making a fortune off the backs of cheap labourers working in dangerous conditions.

A week after the disaster in a suburb of the capital Dhaka, with hundreds still missing under the rubble, the backlash is growing against these brands.

Clothing retailers such as Britain’s retailer Primark and Canada’s Loblaw have offered compensation to victims and their families, but activists have demanded they do more.

“International brands must take responsibility for what has happened there,” said Laila Blanch from anti-poverty group

War on Want, which has launched an online petition against high street brands Primark, Matalan and Mango.

“They outsourced the production to countries such as Bangladesh and China because of the lowest wages in the world,” she said, accusing them of ignoring “very poor health and safety standards”.

The organisation has demanded these brands sign the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement. “I’ve been in many factories and what I’ve seen is that emergency exits are normally blocked with boxes, are blocked with rubbish from the factory,” said Blanch.

“The windows of the factory... there are bars, so if there is a fire, workers can’t escape from the windows as well.”

Ineke Zeldenrust from Clean Clothes Campaign backed these demands, saying AROUND THE

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brands’ safety proposals in the past had been “insufficient”.

“Workers need a structural solution, not a quick fix. The lack of action demonstrated by brands amounts to criminal negligence,” Zeldenrust said.

Aid agency Oxfam wel-

comed the offer by Primark and Loblaw — who were both supplied from the collapsed Rana Plaza complex — to compensate victims.

Spanish label Mango said it had placed orders for sample items at the factory, while Italian group Benetton also admitted it had products manufactured in the building.

Benjamin Martin of PR agency Publicis Consultants told AFP that these companies “can no longer feign surprise” after a November 2012 fire left 111 dead in a Bangladesh factory, which made clothes for the likes of US giant Wal-Mart.

“There is clearly a problem of transparency and traceability in the industry,” said Julie Stoll of the French Fair Trade Platform, referring to apparent confusion among companies as to whether their suppliers were involved or not.

The country’s $20-billion garment industry is the world’s second-biggest after China’s, and Bangladeshi textile bosses scrambled to assure leading brand names such as H&M and Gap about safety standards.

However, for the fashionhungry shoppers plying these stores, dodgy practices by the textile industry “are still not a priority”, said a source from a large European consumers’ union.

AFP

Starving Times drove first US settlers to cannibalism

A

rchaeological evidence has emerged revealing how some of the first settlers of America who weathered the famine during the vicious winter of 1609 had to turn to cannibalism to stay alive.

Only 60 of the colonists at Jamestown, Virginia, were left of the original 300 when help and supplies arrived finally the following spring after that deadly period called Starving Times.

The shocking revelation comes after research on the skull of a 14-year-old girl, excavated last year from a rubbish dump at James Fort, revealed a mass of cut marks, at first tentative, then

AROUND THE

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fiercely smashing the skull apart to extract the brain and other soft tissue for food. Experts have reconstructed her skull has to reveal a delicately pretty face and have called it Jane of Jamestown.

Her bones give the first solid evidence of rumoured cannibalism, and she is unlikely to have been the only victim.

A forensic anthropologist who was at the site told the BBC: "In 17th century recipes the brain is included in food — certainly not human, but it is very common with animal brains," he said.

"These are desperate people, and they're very short of food."

CROSS-BORDER ALLIANCES

Love in the time of nuclear threats

The marriages between North and South Koreans are probably more founded in pragmatism than romance.

JUNG HA-WON feedback@postnoon.com

T

hese should be tough times for North-South Korean matchmaking, but Hong Seung-Soo says the search for the right husband or wife trumps all other considerations — even threats of nuclear war.

“None of my clients care about the threats, or the political situation between the two Koreas. The most pressing issue is getting married,” Hong says.

Korean culture has a long, established tradition of marriage broking, stretching from traditional neighbourhood matchmakers to dedicated internet sites.

When the newly-divorced

Hong re-entered the Seoul dating scene, he ended up meeting and — much to his surprise — marrying a North Korean defector.

“We met at a date arranged by a friend, and I remember thinking, what if she was a communist spy?” Hong told AFP. AROUND THE

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It turned out she wasn’t and, seven year later, Hong is not only happily married but has helped match around 400 South Korean men with brides from the North.

He started off arranging dates between men he knew and defector friends of his wife,

before setting himself up as a professional matchmaker.

Sixty years after the end of the Korean War, the two Koreas remain technically at war and cross-border contact between ordinary people in the South and North is essentially non-existent.

But Hong’s business keeps ticking over regardless.

“No matter what the North says, I just focus on my job, which is finding love for these men and women,” he said.

In reality, the marriages Hong helps broker are probably more founded in pragmatism than romance — on both sides.

Since the end of the Korean War in 1953, some 25,000 North Koreans escaped home — most

after a deadly famine in the mid90s — and settled in the South.

About 70 per cent are women: a gender discrepancy attributed to stricter controls on the activities of North Korean men that make it harder for them to flee. Life in the capitalist, hyper-competitive South can be tough for such women, who generally lack marketable skills and are widely discriminated against.

With assimilation such a challenge, many look to marriage as a way forward.

There is no official data regarding inter-Korean marriages, but the number of couples is estimated at 1,000. Hong’s is one of 10 agencies that specialise in North-South match-ups.

AFP

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

Business

JAPAN AIRLINES TESTS MODIFIED DREAMLINER

Japan Airlines on Thursday conducted its first test flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet since the aircraft was grounded worldwide, with an eye on resuming commercial flights in June.

PERSONAL FINANCE

Silver linings playbook

13

FACEBOOK POSTS PROFIT

Though gold has been giving excellent returns in the last 10 years, silver holds more promise for those planning long term investments.

Facebook’s profit in the first quarter of this year climbed as it used its grip on people’s online social lives to challenge Google and Apple for revenue from mobile ads and apps.

Mobile advertising helped Facebook boost its first-quarter profit 58 percent from a year ago to $217 million, and to lift revenues past market forecasts, according to earnings results released Wednesday. Facebook said its monthly active users rose 23 percent from a year ago to 1.11 billion, including 751 million who accessed the network on mobile devices.Mobile ads accounted for 30 percent of advertising revenue for the quarter. The profit was just below market forecasts, but revenues were better than expected, rising 38 percent from a year ago to $1.46 billion.

MONEY MATTERS Nupur Pavan Bang

A

fter a long hiatus, Professor Nicky was back to the campus.

After the cool breeze of the hills, the heat of Hyderabad summers was not helping her mood. The innumerable messages, mails and posts needed her attention, as also a long list of people who wanted to meet her. As usual, she took a cup of coffee and strolled out of the campus to clear her head. Just outside the campus gate, she bumped into Laxmiamma.

Laxmiamma was always a pleasure to meet. With a smile

on her face, she greeted Nicky.

But the smile was extra wide today.

Nicky: Oh hello there! What is the reason for your million dollar smile today?

Laxmiamma: First reason is that you are back....

Nicky: Thank you. What’s the second?

Laxmiamma: Gold prices fell by more than 20 per cent last month. I bought 50 grammes of my favourite metal. I will buy more if it falls further.

Nicky: You are above 60 years of age. Why do you need to buy gold now? I’ve never seen you wear any ornaments.

Laxmiamma: What does age have to do with buying Gold?

And anyways I buy it as a security for the future, for bad times.

Nicky: Then why just Gold?

Why not Silver as well?

Laxmiamma: Silver?

Nicky: Yes. While Gold has given a total return of around 325 per cent over the last 10 years period, Silver has given a return of around 375 per cent over the same period. And it is expected to give a much higher return than Gold in the future.

Laxmiamma: Why? Nicky: Well, for one, the reserves of Silver have been going down, thereby making its supply limited. It is used in small quantities in many industrial processes. It is one of the most widely used commodity, with over 10,000 uses. Hence, the demand for silver is growing, but the supply is limited.

Another parameter is the GoldSilver ratio. The current ratio between the gold and the silver

prices is approximately 1:60.

Whereas, historically, this ratio has been around 1:15 to 1:20.

Laxmiamma: You are losing me.

Nicky: Sorry. What I mean to explain is that, either Gold is priced too high, or Silver prices are too low, or it’s a combination of both. We can expect the Silver price rises to be steeper than the Gold price rises in the future.

We should see a correction in the ratio.

Laxmiamma: So are you saying that I should not invest in Gold?

Nicky: No. I am not saying that.

I am saying that Silver is also a good option and you should try investing in Silver too, if the aim is to invest. Anyways it is better to diversify your investments.

Laxmiamma: Yes. Like you keep saying, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”!

Australia smashes South Korean spy ring SYDNEY: A South Korean spy ring has been uncovered in Australia trying to cultivate public servants to obtain trade secrets, a report said Thursday.

The Sydney Morning Herald said previously suppressed information revealed that South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) had sought “to obtain sensi-

tive information” on trade negotiations between Canberra and Seoul.

The Herald reported that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation

(ASIO) alleged that a senior Australian agricultural trade specialist was involved in “foreign interference” by the Korean spies and had been “successfully cultivated”.

GOLD `26,840 10g SILVER `43,959 1kg

24C

for

for

DOLLAR `53.74 POUND `83.58

NUMEROLOGY

$932

mn

is what the International Monetary Fund’s executive board approved as loan for Jamaica, aimed at helping the government begin cutting its borrowings and spark economic growth.

LUFTHANSA IN PAY DEAL German flag carrier Lufthansa reached a pay accord with workers on Wednesday, unions and management said, resolving a bitter dispute that resulted in strikes which grounded hundreds of flights. The agreement, which runs for 26 months, will result in a 4.7 percent pay increase for staff working at subsidiaries Lufthansa System, Technik and Cargo. Employees at Lufthansa itself will get a three percent rise in a deal that affects 33,000 staff in total. Services union Verdi had demanded a 5.2 percent rise for all staff over a 12-month period, but expressed satisfaction at the outcome. A strike on April 22 crippled Lufthansa operations and forced the airline to cancel all but a handful of flights from its Frankfurt hub, Europe’s third busiest.

BSE NSE

19,586.51 82.33

5,957.65 27.45

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

Comment I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will.

CRICKET FEVER

MARIA ANTONOVA Agence France-Presse

M

oscow resident Alexei Gaskarov was in the middle of remodelling his apartment and living with his parents late last month when he went out to get some food for his cat. He didn't make it to the store: outside, two cars full of Russian riot police were waiting to arrest the 28-year-old on suspicion that he hit a policeman at a protest one year ago whose participants have been the subject of an aggressive crack-down by President Vladimir Putin's regime.

Gaskarov is now under arrest, charged with using violence against a policeman, the latest member of the diverse group of two dozen people probed over the May 6, 2012 protest on the eve of Putin's return to the presidency.

For the opposition, the case has become a symbol of injustice and political repression in Putin's Russia, which they say has echoes of the repression of political opponents in Soviet times.

Twenty-six protestors have been accused in the case. Two have already been jailed — one for four and a half years, the other for two and a half — and 15 are languishing in pre-trial detention. Those arrested come from a wide span of Russian society — from a retired geologist who allegedly threw a plastic bottle at policemen to a former marine who was attending his first opposition rally.

"It is a signal to everyone who participates or sympathises with the protest movement," said Carnegie Center analyst Maria Lipman.

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IPL EXCUSES, EXCUSES, EXCUSES BUT... SERIOUSLY

Charlotte Bronte English Author

The ghost of anti-Putin rally

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS

Desperate times call for desperate measures. During the Starving times in the early 1600s, the first US settlers were driven to cannibalism because severe famine. As experts warn of more such conditions in days to come, this is a shocking revelation from the past.

Ajay Hotchandani

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ahul and Vikram.

What does those two names have to do with this week’s article? You will find out in a bit.

So IPL is in full swing. Last week I posted an article about IPL Fantasy League and I got couple people to join. The matches have been really interesting and some have come down the last over.

Who can forget Pollard’s game changing catch, or Chenai Super Kings match without losing a wicket? What makes fantasy league so amazing is that you are constantly changing who you are cheering for. I hedged my bets on Chris Gayle and it paid off.

As with any major sporting event guys have been coming with excuses as to why they missed work (or school) so they can watch the game or recover from staying up all night to watch it. In the spirit of helping a fellow fan out here are some excuses you can use.

1 Wedding – while most weddings are announced months in advance there is the wedding that gets announced over the weekend. Now no one will really believe that a wedding just cropped up overnight so you really have to sell the story, and this is

how you do it. First, the reason why there was a sudden wedding is that the girl got pregnant and the parents fast-tracked the wedding so it looks like she got pregnant on her wedding night. For those of you in India I’m pretty sure there are weddings happening all over the place at any given time. Simply get dressed, walk down to the wedding and take some pictures. Take few of the ceremony, one of the couple looking right at you (that way it seems like they know you) and one final picture with only one member of the couple, that way you can tell them you are with the other side of the wedding party. Don’t forget to post them up on facebook.

Oh the groom’s name is Rahul.

2 Medical Emergency – worldwide one of the most common illness is “Acute Gastroenteritis” caused by a virus.

Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal bloating.

It usually self resolves within 48 hours, however it is very important that the infected person remain in some form of pseudo isolation to avoid cross contamination and spreading the virus. If you have a friend who is a doctor and can write you a note then you just got yourself another two days off to watch cricket. The key to selling this is that the day you get back to work your lunch has to be very bland, you have to be seen drinking copious amounts of fluids and occasionally sprint to the

bathroom as though if you wait any longer your pants will need changing.

3 Funeral – desperate times call for desperate measures.

The thing about funerals and asking for time off to attend them is that a boss or supervisor has to be really insensitive to ask for proof of death. India, being as big as it is, allows you for some extra days for travelling. For my fellow Postnoon readers in Hyderabad you guys are in a very good strategic location. Being almost the middle of India (very loosely speaking) it allows you to be just close enough that you can take 2 days off but not far enough that the employer deems the distance to be so great that it will take 4-5 days to travel there and back. If they asked who died, say your Uncle Vikram. He was your dad’s second brother who fought in a

war and was working for a charitable organization that sets up homes for those abandoned by society. The man was a saint! To sell that you actually left your home state, give a friend in another district your facebook login details and have them go to a random café or restaurant and “check in” so it appears you were there.

Why did I choose Vikram and Rahul? According to a quick google search the most common names in India are Rahul and Vikram (hey google said so, not me). So if they check the newspaper they will see a Rahul who just died (got married) and a Vikram who died – last names are not important. One last note, if you can’t travel but still want to use the funeral excuse, you can do it locally and maybe even attend a funeral. True story, I once showed up to the wrong funeral.

EDITORIALS Not a localised problem anymore

T

he Chinese incursion is not a localised problem anymore. The Chinese are being aggressive day after day and have rebuffed India’s request that their troops withdraw from Indian territory. Not just that, they have started strengthening their troops with extra supplies in the area. In fact pictures from Indian drones reveal that they have started building proper roads in the area where they have crossed over. This is serious, because the Chinese intrusion into the Depsang Bulge will effectively cut off India’s reach to Northern Ladakh. This is no time for complacency or lack of initiative in taking the Chinese dragon head on and responding strongly. A pacifist attitude will not work. Also, this must not be used by political leaders to create instability in the government, for there can be nothing better for China’s purposes.

As it is our lawmakers have a reputation for bickering and mudslinging, and in this situation, this will further weaken us. This is not just the matter of land. It’s of pride and honour and our sovereignty and we must not spare any effort to regain our land.

READERS’ VIEWS

His travails have ended

H

is travails have ended. He had been suffering for long without reprieve for years. Whether Sarabjit was a spy or not, it remains a mystery. And stories like his open our eyes to hundreds, languishing in jails, without the hope of ever being a free man. And to them, death is the ultimate deliverer. For in that undiscovered country, from whose bourn no traveller returns, they are safe without any worries.

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.

Editor: Dean Williams

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THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

tELEVISION

MOVING GROUND Pretty Little Liars star Tyler Blackburn is moving from ABC Family's biggest hit, Pretty Little Liars, to its spinoff. The network announced Tuesday that the actor will star in Ravenswood, which will premiere in October after the annual Liars Halloween episode. .

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

TV SERIES

Can you stomach it?

A mix of Dexter and Sherlock, Hannibal isn’t exactly a watch-while-youdine kind of series. Apart from the cannibalism, a sure appetite killer, the series is too intense and demands your full focus.

NIDHI BHUSHAN nidhi.b@postnoon.com

N

BC’s recent foray into the world of psychotic killers — Hannibal — is one of the most intense dramas in this genre. The series is based on characters and elements featured in the novel Red Dragon by Thomas Harris Hannibal certainly has a leg up on competition because of its central character’s rich history thanks to Anthony Hopk-

ins and Jodie Foster, who rightfully earned the Oscars for their portrayal of Dr Hannibal Lecter and FBI agent Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs. Also, little could have gone wrong with Bryan Fuller’s script and David Slade’s direction. After all, only a brilliant director can make a gory dream sequence look aesthetic.

Four episodes into its 13episode first season, Hannibal starts on a promising note. The pilot, which focuses on shaping its lead characters, uses violence and gore intelligently.

Unlike other thrillers, violence, sometimes bordering on horror, is not just a prop to keep the suspense alive and the audience engaged.

In Hannibal, it plays a necessary part in outlining the unconventional characters of Will Graham, played perfectly

by Hugh Dancy and Dr Hannibal Lecter, played by a refined Mads Mikkelsen.

While not many come close to the original Dr Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), Mikkelsen is a revelation. With his know-it-all and calm demeanor, it’s Mikkelsen who keeps one hooked to the seat.

And, when you combine

Dexter and Sherlock, you’ll get Will Graham, an FBI criminal profiler who is haunted by his ability to empathise with killers. The fact that he feels the urge to kill (bad guys) is far too close to Dexter. And, we all know that getting into the mind of the criminal is a pure Sherlock trait.

Each episode of the series is named after an element of the French cuisine. The pilot — Apéritif — shows Will Graham mentally recreating the crime with vivid detail.

However, the episodes so far have failed to cash in on Lawrence Fishburne (Jack Crawford) who is nothing but a mere spectator — hopefully we’ll see him in more action in

the coming episodes. While his role maybe crucial to the script as it is he who introduces Will Graham to his cunning enemy Dr Hannibal Lecter, Fishburne does nothing in terms of screen presence. Anyone could have played his part.

Other main characters include Dr Alana Bloom, a psychiatry professor and a friend of Will Graham's and Freddie Lounds, an annoying online reporter played equally annoyingly by Lara Jean Chorostecki.

Hannibal definitely beats TV shows like Castle, Criminal Minds and Lie To Me as it’s not just about catching the killer or good triumphing over evil.

There is a whole of gray to deal with.

However, even though the slow pace is deliberate, it can be putting off if not justified well. Also, the writer should have spent more time fleshing out the supporting characters as well.

So, if you have the stomach for gore bordering on perversion at times, Hannibal is the series for you. However, if you’re the kind who watches TV to relax, don’t bother watching it, the show’s too intense.

Killing Hannibal?

An NBC affiliate is killing off Hannibal. Utah’s Salt Lake City station Ksl TV posted on their Facebook page that it will no longer air the ratings-challenged freshman drama. “After viewing the past few episodes, as well as receiving numerous complaints from viewers, Ksl TV will cancel the airing of the NBC show Hannibal on Thursday evenings,” the station posted. This decision was made due to the extensive graphic nature of this show.

DID YOU KNOW

Gwyneth Paltrow is to star in a 10-episode miniseries for AOL produced by Ryan Seacrest. The 38-year-old American Idol judge described the project as "a new focus" for his company Ryan Seacrest Productions, and marks the presenter's first move into digital programming. It will feature inspiring stories from women who have overcome adversity.

TRENDING...

Sarah Silverman is to star in her own HBO comedy special. The comic will tape her special Sarah Silverman: We Are Miracles in Los Angeles next month. HBO president Michael Lombardo said in a statement that he is happy to welcome a "fresh, fearless and utterly original comedy voice" to the network.

Matthew Perry has joked about continuing rumours of a Friends reunion.

Jennifer Aniston humorously dismissed the idea as former co-star Perry's fantasy. "I think what we do is a show called Old Friends, and it's on a park bench and when we're in our eighties," Perry quipped.

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THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

spotlight

SALSA NIGHT

You can learn some cool salsa steps at Cuba Libre tonight. So, head to the club with a partner in tow.

BIRTHDAY BASH

1

Night of a star Birthday bash of tollywood actress Sindhu Sri was a fun affair. Friends of the actress joined in at Mozzarella pub, Banjara Hills and were seen partying till the wee hours of the morning.

1

2

3

The stiletto set

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Having strapped on their dancing shoes, ladies danced the night away at various night-clubs in the city. Spotted enjoying themselves on the dancefloor were Snehal, Sharon and others.

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5

6

3

4

7

5

6

8

1 Madhuri

3 Praneet

5 Smritika

2 Shravya Reddy

4 Vinita

6 Priyanka

7 Sunita 8 Sindhu Sri

PRINCESSES ALL

Miss Indian Princess 2013 Sharon Fernandes was present at the launch of new collections at CMR Shopping Mall, Secunderabad. Also present at the do were Indian Princess beauty pageant contestants Deepthi Sati and Laxmi Jairaj.

1 Manvi, Neha, Apoorva

Jeev

GLITZ & GLAMOUR

2 Arasha 3 Greeshma 4 Deepika

5 Sharon 6 Snehal

The Great Gatsby premiere in NYC last night was a start-studded affair with a whole host of celebrities stepping out to support the movie's stars. Leonardo DiCaprio was the man of the night, arriving in a sharp suit, while Carey Mulligan and Isla Fisher stunned in Lanvin and Dolce & Gabbana, respectively.

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

health

US GLOBAL AIDS CO-ORDINATOR TO VISIT INDIA During his India trip from May 1 to 4, Eric Goosby, the US global AIDS coordinator ambassador, will meet with key government officials in the health sector, development partners, donor agencies, NGOs and academic institutions to see first-hand the work being done to fight HIV/AIDS in India.

VITAMIN DEFICIENCY FLEME VARKEY

fleme.v@postnoon.com

R

emember the time when your mum told you to eat your veggies and carrots? If you had listened then, you would not have had to wear spectacles for poor vision. For those who don’t have that burden on your nose or spend excessively on contact lens, you are lucky. For those who do, your lack of vitamin A is the cause of your trouble.

This vitamin ensures proper development and functioning of our eyes, skin, immune system, and many other parts of our body.

Research also suggests that vitamin A may reduce the mortality rate from measles, prevent some types of cancer, aid in growth and develop-

ment, and improve immune function.

Dr PC Chandra, an eye specialist tells us the importance of this vitamin for vision. “The human eye has to be healthy in order to receive and send visual messages to the brain. Like other organs in the body, the eyes need a variety of specific nutrients in order to do their job. Vitamin A play an important role in the production of tears and in keeping the surface of the eyes moist. It’s sad that people tend to neglect their eyes so much. Preserving your eyesight is a daily responsibility. Consuming a balanced diet rich in essential nutrients is an important part of maintaining healthy vision.” Dr Chandra’s lament is sure to be shared by a lot of mothers.

A hallmark of vitamin A deficiency is night blindness — an impaired ability to see in low light conditions.

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WHAT VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY CAUSES

V

itamin A deficiency causes dry and rough skin, making it take on a kind of "goose flesh" appearance. In addition, one can become more susceptible to infectious diseases. That's because the lack of vitamin A damages the lining of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, so they can't act as effective barriers against bacteria.

Infections of the vagina and the urinary tract are also more likely. A disease accompanied by prolonged fever, such as infectious hepatitis or rheumatic fever, can rapidly deplete the liver's reserves of vitamin A.

‘Eye’ need it

If you want to keep the ‘windows to your soul’ clean, there is a little vitamin which can help you do that — vitamin A. A few of the best sources of vitamin A include

SYMPTOMS OF VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY n

n

The early symptoms start with itching, burning and inflammation of eyelids followed by various eye conditions.

n

Xerophthalmia occurs due to changes in the epithelial tissues of the eye. The cornea becomes dry, wrinkled, lusterless, hazy and pigmented.

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Deficiency of vitamin A leads to irregular development of the skeleton, including the skull and vertebral column.

n n n n n

Vitamin A is needed for the maintenance and functioning of the mucous membranes of the body. When there is a deficiency the membranes are thin, dry, porous and flaky.

ANEWS PP-LYBRIEFS YOURSELF

HOUSECALL

iVibe Massager Lite

Pins and needles

Vibration has been proven to stimulate hair growth, treat cellulite, and wrinkles. The full version has four different vibrational modes, all of which come complete with graphics. iVibe Massager Lite makes great use of the iPhone’s internal vibrating function turning your phone into a personal vibrating massager.

Pins and needles is a pricking, burning, tingling or numbing sensation that is most commonly felt in the arms, legs, hands or feet. It does not usually cause any pain but it can cause numbness or itching. Pins and needles is often temporary but it can sometimes be long lasting (chronic). The medical name for pins and needles is paraesthesia. Most people have temporary pins and needles from time to time. nhs.uk

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DID YOU KNOW? Headphones promote ear bacteria Did you know headphones can cause ear infections? Wearing headphones creates a great habitat for bugs, similar to a swamp. In just an hour the number of bacteria in your ear increases by 700 times. And yes, a common sign for ear infections is itching ears. calmear.com

Cod liver oil Eggs, whole milk Sweet Potato Pumpkin Carrots, leafy green vegetables, tomatoes Spinach Kale Fortified cereals

PIONEERS Norman Bethune Henry Norman Bethune was a Canadian physician and medical innovator.

Bethune is best known for his service in war time medical units during the Spanish civil war and with the Communist Eighth Route Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. He is known for developing mobile medical units, surgical instruments and a method for transporting blood for transfusions. en.wikipedia.org

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THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

Technology TWITTER RESEARCH

Is the world happy?

WAIT, THAT'S NOT FIREFOX! Mozilla has sent a cease-anddesist letter to a company that sells spyware allegedly disguised as the Firefox browser to governments. The action follows a report by Citizen Lab, which identifies 36 countries (including the US) hosting command and control servers for FinFisher, a type of surveillance software. Also known as FinSpy, the software is sold by UK-based Gamma International to governments, which use it in criminal investigations and allegedly for spying on dissidents. The spyware doesn't infect Firefox itself, so a victim's browser isn't at risk. But the spyware uses the company’s brand and trademarks to lie and mislead as one of its methods for avoiding detection and deletion.

Researchers measure tweets for happiness ‘pulse’.

NOW THAT’S REALLY SMART

ROB LEVER feedback@postnoon.com

T

ake all the comments expressed on Twitter, crunch them with an analytics program and you can get a sense of the mood of a city, state or country. US researchers say they have come up with such a tool, called a “hedonometer,” which is effectively a happiness sensor.

The project at www.hedonometer.org, which went live on Tuesday, has been collecting data for five years, measuring the ups and downs of the moods expressed on the popular messaging platform.

The tool analyses roughly 10 per cent of all tweets posted in English, giving a sense of the mood of the Internet community, albeit with a heavy weighting in the United States.

The researchers found that the day of the Boston Marathon bombings, April 15, was the saddest day measured in five years, slightly worse than the day of the Newtown, Connecticut school massacre. The happiest days

were on holidays such as Christmas or Thanksgiving.

The hedonometer draws on the “psychological valence” of about 10,000 words. Using a scale of one to nine, “happy” is ranked 8.30, “hahaha” 7.94, “cherry” 7.04.

At the bottom, “crash” is rated 2.60, “war” 1.80, and

Researchers say that by aggregating the data from tweets, one can get a better picture of a national or regional mood than by looking at individual comments. “jail” 1.76.

The team collects some 50 million tweets from around the world each day “then we basically toss all the words into a huge bucket,” to calculate a happiness score, said lead researcher Peter Dodds.

“It gives us some great insight and it works in real time,” Dodds told AFP.

The day of the US raid which killed Osama bin Laden was ranked as a sadder-than-average day, according to Dodds, because of the negative words expressed in tweets. “It happened to a negative person, and the texture of that day is talking about death, a negative event,” he said.

The hedonometer’s initial measurements come from English-language tweets, but researchers say the hedonometer will soon be drawing in other data streams, like Google Trends, The New York Times, blogs, CNN transcripts, and text captured by the link-shortening service Bitly. And it will be mining data in 12 languages.

The research team in February released data from geo-tagged tweets from cell phones, to rate the happiest and saddest cities in America: Napa, California, was at the top and Beaumont, Texas, at the bottom.

While some may be unnerved by the results, Dodds said the project can be useful because “we are good at making things better if we can measure them.”

The hedonometer project was led by Dodds and Chris Danforth at the Computational Story Lab at the University of Vermont with Mitre, a not-forprofit group that operates federal research centers and has expertise in big data analytics.

The term hedonometer was coined by Irish-born economist and philosopher Francis Edgeworth in the late 19th century, who spoke of “an ideally perfect instrument... continually registering the height of pleasure experienced by an individual.”

The researchers say that by aggregating the data from tweets, one can get a better picture of a national or regional mood than by looking at individual comments.

“Many of the articles written in response to the bombing have quoted individual tweets reflecting qualitative micro-stories,” said Danforth.

“Our instrument reflects a kind of quantitative macrostory, one that journalists can use to bring big data into an article attempting to characterize the public response to the incident.”

AGENCIES

Smartphones fall a little short for those living with visual impairment.

While apps like Siri and SayText do offer a good deal of assistance, 2011 TED Fellow Sumit Dagar had an idea for a more effective solution: a smartphone that's specifically designed for people who have trouble seeing. The phone has a screen comprised of a grid of pins, which move up and down to form into Braille shapes and characters whenever an SMS message or email is received. It uses what's called Shape Memory Alloy technology, so as each pin expands, it remembers and contracts back to its original flat shape.

JUST A MINOR UPDATE With only a few weeks to go until Google I/O kicks off, Android followers expect to see the debut of Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie, the platform's next-generation build.

Well, you know what they say about assuming, right? According to Android Police, recent server logs for 4.3 Jelly Bean version of Android are being tested and used in the real world.

Specifically, an Android 4.3 JWR23B build has been tracked to Google IPs, and allegedly tied to a pair of employees who "have a lot to do with Android."

Reportedly, two devices were found running 4.3: the Nexus 7 and Nexus 4.

21

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

Entertainment TAKING IT STEP BY STEP

CINE BYTES

I don’t stick to one formula A conversation with Dasaradh puts a lot of things in perspective, especially about his signature style and things that he believes in.

HEMANTH KUMAR hemanth.k@postnoon.com

T

here are couple of things which will leave you puzzled when you meet Dasaradh, best known for directing films like Santosham and Mr Perfect. You cannot imagine how Dasaradh would react when he’s under immense pressure. Less than 48 hours before his next film’s release, he’s as calm as ever and that’s something which will always remain an enigma.

Another puzzling thing about him is the tone in which he speaks. It’s almost as if his personality will always tilt towards the positive side of whatever scale you are going to measure it. That aspect is something which is clear in his films. There are no villains in his films and there is a reason behind that.

“Most of my films so far have been family dramas, which is why there’s no scope for villains, in the conventional sense, in my films. There are ego issues between family members, but do they go to the extent of killing others? I doubt that,” Dasaradh says.

His upcoming film Greekuveerudu, starring

Nagarjuna and Nayanthara, looks like a typical Dasaradh film and one could argue that it seems to follow a similar pattern set

by Santosham and Mr.Perfect. “Honestly, I don’t think I stick to a formula. Greekuveerudu, like Santosham and Mr.Perfect, is a character driven film and once we zeroed upon what Nagarjuna’s character should be like, the rest of the film fell into place accordingly. In the film, Nagarjuna plays an event manager who’s too selfish and doesn’t believe in the concept of love. So when he comes to India, he sees a different way of life and that becomes the conflict in the story,” Dasaradh explains. So does that explain why his films stress on the importance of family? “I think so. Sometimes, living in a joint family may not be practical in today’s world, but I

believe that there has to be a feeling of togetherness no matter where we live. It’s quite possible that two people, who live under the same roof, are emotionally detached,” he avers.

Dasaradh is teaming up with Nagarjuna after almost 11 years. How different is Greekuveerudu compared to Santosham? “The difference is obviously in Nagarjuna’s characterisation in the film. It’s a wholesome entertainer and we took care that the film caters to all age groups. There’s no infatuation between Nagarjuna and Nayanthara in the film, which is why I said that it’s a mature love story. I’m glad that I got a chance to work with Nagarjuna once again. He hasn’t changed at all in the past 10 years or so. Even on the film’s sets, he thinks more about the well-being of others than himself,” he confesses.

What’s next? Will he ever follow the same path of his contemporaries and do a mass entertainer? “I haven’t thought about what I’m going to do next. I would love to do an action film someday, but a mass entertainer is not my cup of tea,” he signs off.

NTR-Santosh Srinivas’ film titled Rabhasa?

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TR’s upcoming film under Santosh Srinivas’ direction has been tentatively titled as Rabhasa. Recently, producer Bellamkonda Suresh registered this title at the AP Film Chamber of Commerce. Samantha is playing the lead role opposite NTR and it’s going to hit the floors later this year. Currently, NTR is busy shooting for Ramayya Vastavayya.

Radhika teams up with Kodi Ramakrishna

K

annada actress Radhika Pandit has teamed up with Kodi Ramakrishna for a devotional film titled Avataram. Yugandhar Reddy is producing this film under Arundhati Arts banner and it also stars Bhanupriya and Rishi.

Ghantadi Krishna is scoring the music. The film is said to be on the lines of Ammoru and Devi.

Pawan Kalyan set to fly to Europe in June

T

he principal shooting of Pawan Kalyan’s upcoming film will be held in Spain and few other countries in Europe from the first week of June. The film unit will be in Europe for nearly 25 days for this schedule.

Trivikram Srinivas is directing the film and it also stars Samantha, Praneetha Subhash, Nadiya and Boman Irani in lead roles.

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Started off by three young entrepreneurs Karan Rai, Sumit Shah & Ayushi Singh, this website is all set to revolutionised the world of all Superhero fans! With Superheroes like Batman, Superman, Spiderman, Thor, Hulk and many more, the variety and designs are will add on to the superhero craze!

Entertainment THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

24

Entertainment THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

25

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

Chai Time

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain, and play with it!

Charlie Chaplin

KAKURO

QUICK CROSSWORD

26

SUDOKU 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.

ACROSS

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

SCRIBBLING PAD

1 White linen robes 5 Port-au-Prince’s place 10 Fisherman’s handled hook 14 Drummer’s duty 15 Word with "space" or "limits" 16 Diva’s delivery 17 Capital of Azerbaijan 18 Enjoy a meal with a companion 20 ___ out (made, but barely) 21 Relative of "Pow!" 22 Tickle pink 23 Coin jar mainstays 25 Infinitesimal amount 27 Highland-games poles 29 Constantinople, today 33 Follows, as advice 34 Performances like 16-Across 35 Expunge, as text 36 One kind of acct.

37 Elaine in "Seinfeld" 38 The Santa ___ winds 39 Printing prefix with "type" 41 Throw off, as steam 42 Movie award 44 Unusually harsh 46 Female with a showy mate 47 Businessman’s collection 48 Hedge component 49 Actor Cheech 52 Pod veggie 53 Talk back to 56 Goals for karate students 59 Like some singing voices 60 Thomas Edison’s middle name 61 Remove by dissolving 62 "Glengarry ___ Ross" 63 Jigger or jib, e.g.

64 Transports for the wealthy 65 Get a glimpse of

DOWN

1 Monastery resident 2 Plumbing problem 3 Boston food 4 Hit the books 5 Comic strip tiger 6 Distinctive atmospheres 7 Newspaper clipping 8 "Coffee or ___?"

9 Bug 10 "The Wizard of Oz" star 11 Two-dimensional calculation 12 Formal decree 13 Diminish 19 Word with "blocker" or "testing" 24 Married woman’s title 25 Hawaii feature 26 Name on elevators 27 Day care attendee 28 Eaglet nursery 29 Classical column style 30 Seaside fixtures 31 Bones in forearms 32 Figure out 34 Final Four matches 37 ___ noire 40 Kind of illusion 42 "___ the ramparts" 43 Breakfast meat 45 Noise from the farm 46 Gradually works (in) 48 Petty quarrel 49 CEO degrees 50 ___ breve (musical marking) 51 First name among sitarists 52 Clue professor 54 Pedometer activator 55 Electronics giant 57 ___ Paese (semisoft cheese) 58 Inventive Whitney

Chai Time THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 3-5-2013

27

As per Hindu panchang thiruvaikumar@yahoo. co. in, 040-27177230 / 9177596118

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Do not run away from your responsibilities and try to fulfill them. Problems and hurdles existed since a long time will come to an end. Employees need to put in their hard work on a continuous basis to get recognition.

STRIP TEASE AGNES

Separated couple might rejoin again and lead a happy life.

Mother’s health is needed to be taken care of. Some might have chance to get affected by skin ailment. Take good care.

Be careful before purchase of house or land.

Employees are the gainers as they get recognition for their hard work. Be careful in the food habits as chances of food poisoning are likely.

Businessmen need to adopt new and innovative schemes to attract more customers.

Those trying for a job will get favorable news. Marriage talks will be successful. Employees will be recognized well. Their wishes and demands will get fulfilled. Businessmen need to focus well to achieve planned growth.

Debt issues will be handled well and kept under control.

Employees working in private sector might struggle to keep their job alive. Avoid arguments and taking controversial stand at workplace. Avoid giving any financial commitment to others.

Politicians and social work organizers will get good support from the public for their constructive works. Those who were jealous of your growth will realize their mistake and support you well. Good times ahead for traders.

All your new and innovative efforts will achieve success.

Artists will get name and fame with their good performance in their recent project. Financial position will be very much comfortable and hence you will be able to fulfill wishes.

Those planning to start their own business can go ahead as the time is most favorable now.

Employees will be entrusted with more responsibilities but they will discharge them successfully. They are also favoured with expected transfer.

Employees are to be entrusted with new responsibilities.

Minor misunderstanding likely within the family members; but will be resolved soon. Artists will bag new and promising opportunities with their hard work.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail. com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

Four of Wands – There are some simple ideas floating around, which can simplify your life to a great extent. They may be unconventional ideas.

LEO:

Page of Cups – You feel stuck in a rut and want to get out. It could be a job or a relationship. You want freedom but don’t know what to do with this freedom.

LIBRA:

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

The Hermit – Add more interest and interaction at the work place. You’re feeling bored and you may be to blame, largely. You’re feeling stuck in a rut.

SAGITTARIUS:

Temperance – Seniors in your group at the work place or in the nighbourhood have some very useful words of wisdom. Listen.

TAURUS:

Justice – No point sticking to old, traditional rules in the name of culture when they no longer are practical. Time to break your age-old perceptions.

CANCER:

The Chariot – You may be feeling demotivated at work.

It is your manager’s duty to do something about it, you also have to make the effort to bring in some changes.

VIRGO:

Seven of Pentacles – The blame game is not going to work. There will be times when you feel you did nothing wrong but that may not be entirely true.

SCORPIO:

The Magician – Plan the future in a way that you feel mentally at peace. Planning is everything. You need to spend some time organizing your finances.

CAPRICORN:

Ace of Cups – You need inspiration to jump into something you’re not very familiar with. You can get inspiration from even a rock.

PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

Two of Pentacles – You are likely to be intimidated by the sheer weight of expectations people have of you. Try not to get bogged down.

NUMBER GAME

Cups – You are capable of making a real difference in your line of work. Be confident about your ideas and don’t get emotional about the feedback.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: Queen of

POOCH CAFE

Benefits through spouse or womenfolk are most likely.

Those without job will be favoured with one soon.

Transfer and promotion are on the cards for employees.

Students will continue to study well with focus.

for 3-5-2013

Four of Cups – A job offer will confuse matters for you than resolve them. You are in demand; that’s the good news. How you make use of this time is important.

NON SEQUITUR

Transfer with promotion on cards for the employees.

Purchase of new immovable property likely. Delays existed in selling the old assets will be over and deal will go through successfully. Businessmen might have to undertake trips.

SUDUKO

Businessmen need to take advice from the experienced while making new investments.

Minor tensions are likely; but keep your cool and proceed with a determination. Some have bright chances to buy a new house or land.

Boggle MARS EARTH SATURN MERCURY NEPTUNE Vol: 2, No 286 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: Dean Williams – 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 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211

28

Entertainment THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

BUTT WOES

CINE BYTES

Jennifer Aniston talks keeping her butt in shape: ‘It has a tendency to go right & left’

E

ven Jennifer Aniston has to work hard when it comes to keeping her backside in shape!

Access Hollywood caught up with the superstar in Hollywood on Tuesday, where Jen dished on getting in shape to play a sexy stripper in her upcoming film, We’re The Millers, and which body part gives her the most grief when it comes to toning.

“My butt [is the toughest],” she said with a laugh, at the launch of Mandy Ingber’s new book, Yogalosophy: 28 Days to the Ultimate Mind-Body Makeover.

“My butt just has a tendency to go right and left. And I’d like it to go up!” Jen continued. “It’s not even going down… so it just hits the right and the left a little bit and it’s like, what’s that all about?!”

The actress said audiences should be prepared to see quite a bit of her hard-earned physique in the comedy, which also stars JasonSudeikis and Emma Roberts.

“You might see more than you want to see,” she said, laughing. “[Stripping] was so much fun. I had a great choreographer — she was fantastic, and it was to great music and it was fun.” To prepare to strip down, Jen, 44, said she did twice the amount of her normal yoga training with Mandy. “[I] just doubled the amount that [I] normally do,” she explained.

“You get up into my age and you’ve gotta do a little bit more.”

Nick and Mariah renew their wedding vows

A

nd the whole family lived happily ever after. It was a storybook 5th anniversary — and happy 2nd birthday treat for their twins — as Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon renewed their vows at the Happiest Place on Earth, California's Disneyland, on Tuesday night, Entertainment Tonight reports. "On our way to renew our vows," Carey Tweeted early in the evening. "I love you @Nick Cannon.”

Sofia will have baby via surrogate

S

ofia Vergara confirms she will use a pregnancy surrogate when she's ready to have a baby, but says she isn't going through that process just yet — despite rumors to the contrary. The Modern Family star explains where the rumour came. "Because I froze my eggs, I had to go to my doctor's office a hundred million times to do injections. The [rumor] probably came from that.”

Kristen Stewart voted as best dressed woman

F

or the second time in a row Snow White and the Huntsman actress Kristen Stewart has been voted as the best dressed woman.

In a poll conducted by Glamour magazine, the 23-year-old has been voted as the best dressed woman. The actress bagged the award because of her rock chick style reports the sun.uk. British actress Emma Watson bagged the second position.

IANS

sports

29

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

NBA

Celtics claw their way back

Damian named rookie of the year

Kevin Garnett finished with 16 points and 18 rebounds and Jason Terry had 17 points as the Boston Celtics staved off elimination with a 92-86 win over New York.

NEW YORK: Kevin Garnett finished with 16 points and 18 rebounds and Jason Terry had 17 points as the Boston Celtics staved off elimination with a 9286 win over New York in game five Wednesday.

Paul Pierce scored 16 points and Terry went five-of-nine from beyond the arc for the Celtics, who now trail in the best-of-seven first round playoff series three games to two.

“We have got the heart of a champion,” Terry said. “We are not going to lay down. Every game is a game seven for us.

What do we really have to lose?” In the other Eastern Conference game Wednesday, David West had 24 points, while Paul George finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds in the Indiana Pacers routed the Atlanta Hawks 106-83 to take a 3-2 series lead.

LOCAL CHESS

Kevin Garnett #5 of the Boston Celtics grabs a rebound against Tyson Chandler #6 of the New York Knicks in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2013 NBA Playoffs on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

AFP/NBAE JESSE D. GARRABRANT

SPANISH MOTOGP PREVIEW

Marc Marquez stays calm

Khan in lead HYDERABAD: S Khan of Hyderabad is in lead after the 7th round of the Raja Bahadur Venkatarama Reddy Memorial Fide Rating Chess Tournament

SELECETED RESULTS (ROUND 7): Khan S (7) bt Raghav Srivathsav (5.5); Y Grahesh (6) bt Kuldeep Kashap (5); Anand Naik (6) bt Samal Ansuman (5); Varun Anant (5) lost to Harshavardhan Reddy (6); Prateek Srivatsava (5) lost to Dhiraj Patil (6); Naga Shashank(5.5) drew with Chetan Sharma (5.5); Salini R (5.5) drew with Bonu Ravi Kumar (5.5); Rahul Srivastava (5) drew with Sai Agni Jeevitesh (5); Erigaisi Arjun (5.5) bt Lakshmi Krishna Bhushan (4.5); Jadi Kishan (4.5) lost to Raju K S R M (5.5).

NEW YORK: Guard Damian Lillard, who was the Portland Trail Blazers sixth overall draft pick in 2012, has been named Wednesday as the National Basketball Association’s top rookie.

Lillard was a unanimous selection for the award after averaging 19.0 points and 6.5 assists in 82 games this past season.

He beat out New Orleans Hornets centre Anthony Davis and Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal who finished second and third in voting by North American sportswriters.

The six-foot-three point guard is the fourth member of the Trail Blazers to win the award. He joins Geoff Petrie (1971), Sidney Wicks (1972) and Brandon Roy (2007).

Like Terry, Jeff Green hit a couple of big three-pointers in the fourth quarter and tallied 18 points, while Brandon Bass scored 17 for the Celtics who got off a wobbly start by giving up the first 11 points of game five.

Boston now hopes to make history but they will have their work cut out as no NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 hole to win a best-of-seven series.

Game six is set for Friday in Boston. “It’s definitely on us still,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said. “It’s another game seven for us. That’s the way we’ve been viewing it. It’s still a ton of pressure on us. We have to be really good defensively.”

After their sluggish start, the Celtics got their act together, making half of their 22 threepoint tries and nailing all 17 of their free throws.

AFP

SYLVAIN DUBUS Agence France-Presse

JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA, SPAIN: Marc Marquez became the youngest ever MotoGP winner a fortnight ago but he is not letting that success go to his head as he and his fellow riders prepare for Sunday’s Spanish MotoGP at Jerez.

The 20-year-old Spaniard, last year’s Moto2 world champion, showed few nerves in capturing the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas, but he says he is not expecting other victories to fall into his lap.

“I have to keep my feet on the ground after my success in the United States because here

all the riders have a lot more experience than I do,” he admitted.

Chief among those who will be chasing him down will be the Yamaha duo of his compatriot and defending champion Jorge Lorenzo and Italian legend Valentino Rossi.

Lorenzo, who along with Rossi dominated testing in Jerez pre-season, said that the lay-out of the Jerez track would suit him better than the Austin circuit.

He was, however, outridden in this race last year by Honda’s now retired Australian star Casey Stoner, who beat him by less than a second.

“The fast bends will make

it easier for us here,” said Lorenzo, whose third place in the United States was his 100th podium finish 10 years after posting his first with victory in the Brazil Grand Prix.

Yamaha aren’t panicking because of Marquez’s stun-

ning victory as they had held the upper hand in the opening race when Lorenzo won the Qatar MotoGP with Rossi second. “The podium is our target,” said team chief Wilco Zeelenberg. There is no rush to win as there are so many races still remaining.”

Marquez’s team-mate Dani Pedrosa will also be keen to make his mark after a disappointing start to a season he is hoping will see him finally land the world title that has eluded him since he moved up to this category in 2006.

Pedrosa, 27, has not won at Jerez since 2008 but will be looking to re-establish his preseason status as number one Honda rider.

ATHLETICS

Japan teen tipped to become fastest Asian

TOKYO: A Japanese teenager will this weekend bid to become the first native Asian to run 100 metres under the 10second barrier, joining an exclusive world club.

Yoshihide Kiryu, 17, is already the joint world record holder for juniors, having this week clocked 10.01 seconds at a meet in Hiroshima, making him one of only three men under-20 to have run that fast.

The high-school student says he is confident he can shave his time to become Japan’s quickest sprinter, but

has his eyes on a greater prize — taking on Usain Bolt.

“It’s like a dream. Honestly, I am surprised,” he told Japanese media after his show-stopping time in the 100m heats at the Mikio Oda Memorial meeting on Monday, his first race with seniors.

He won the final in 10.03, beating Ryota Yamagata, by one hundredth of a second. “Having come this far, I want to become the first (Japanese) to run under 10 seconds,” he said. “If I tune up thoroughly, I can run 10.00.”

sports

30

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

GOLF

USGA, R&A back officials’ decision

Masters officials were right in opting not to disqualify Tiger Woods from Augusta, golf’s governing bodies said.

LOS ANGELES: In the face of two wrongs, Masters officials came up with a right in opting not to disqualify Tiger Woods from the first major of the year, golf’s global governing bodies said Wednesday.

The Royal & Ancient (R&S) and the US Golf Association, governing bodies of the game, issued a lengthy statement on the contentious issue saying Masters officials acted correctly in exercising discretion but that the case shouldn’t set a general precedent.

Tournament officials were alerted by a television viewer to the fact that Woods may have taken an incorrect drop on the 15th hole of the second round at Augusta National last month. However, they decided no infraction had occurred and failed to discuss the matter with Woods before he signed his card. Woods signed for a 71, but acknowledged in a postround interview that after hitting the flagstick and seeing his ball roll into the water at 15 he had dropped the ball about two yards back from the

original shot to avoid a similar risk.

Rules require a drop “as nearly as possible” to where his original ball had been played, so he should have been assessed a two-shot penalty.

Woods therefore faced disqualification for signing an incorrect card.

The USGA and the R&A concluded the Masters tournament committee “reasonably exercised its discretion” in waiving disqualification, since tournament officials could have perhaps prevented him from signing an incorrect card.

AFP

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

ALEKHINE MEMORIAL CHESS

Anand draws with Gelfand

ST. PETERSBURG (RUSSIA): World c h a m p i o n Viswanathan Anand (in pic) played out a draw with Boris Gelfand of Israel in the ninth and final round to finish third in the Alekhine memorial chess tournament here.

Playing the black side of a SemiSlav, Anand got nothing to push for, even as Gelfand played quite solidly for one of his best performance ever. The Israeli ended as joint first along with Levon Aronian of Armenia, who defeated Maxime Vachier-Lagraev of France in his final game.

In other games of the day, Nikita Vituigov of Russia mishandled a promising position and drew with Ding Liren of China, while another Russian Peter Svidler shared the point with Laurent Fressinet of France.

World number three Vladimir Kramnik won against Michael Adams of England to deprive the English GM of a joint third place.

Both Gelfand and Aronian ended on 5.5 points and Anand stood sole third with five points in all.

After a shocking first round loss, this was a good comeback by Anand who started winning only in the fifth round of the tournament.

For the records, the Indian ace won two, lost one and drew the remaining six games.

Kramnik tied for the fourth spot with Vachier-Lagraev, Adams, Frsssinet and Vituigov on 4.5 points each, while Ding Liren finished ninth on 3.5 points.

PTI

LPGA KINGSMILL

Ronnie in semis before final farewell SHEFFIELD, UNITED KINGDOM: Defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan eased into the world championship semi-finals on Wednesday and, true to his unpredictable nature, said he had only returned after a selfimposed exile because he needed the money to pay his children’s school fees.

The 37-year-old — who had not played all season after winning last year’s world title — outclassed fellow Englishman Stuart Bingham 13-4 to set up a semi-final with Judd Trump, who had edged former world champion Shaun Murphy 13-12 in a thrilling match earlier on Wednesday.

O’Sullivan, who looks well set for a fifth world title, said this would be his ‘final farewell’ at the championships, although he is contracted by his sponsor to play 10 tournaments next season.

It is not the first time that the engaging but temperamental Englishman has alluded to retiring full-time from the sport he has lit up but he said that, while some enjoyed playing, he suffered too much and was tired of not

being happy.

“It’s nice to be in the semi-finals but I didn’t really miss snooker,” he said.

“But I missed having something to do and I was struggling for a bit of money.

“I’ll be honest, I still owe the school money for my children’s school fees, I haven’t paid the last two or three terms.

“I didn’t know what was going to happen here but I’ve made a little bit of money now so I can go and pay the school fees now for the next two years.

“But really I don’t think snooker is for me. This could be my last proper major event.

“As far as putting my heart and soul into snooker, I don’t think that’s what I want to do anymore but I had to give it a go. I needed some money quick.

“I have signed a contract with my sponsor to play in 10 events so I’ll play in those.”

But O’Sullivan stated those events could include Legends tour events, and low-profile tournaments, and stressed there was no stipulation that he should appear at events such as the UK Championship, Masters or World Championship.

Asked if he would be in Sheffield for next year’s World Championship, O’Sullivan added: “I’ve no intention to come back.

“If I find something else to do you definitely won’t see me. I’ve kept my cards close to my chest but there’s no reason to keep them close now. This is my last farewell, it’s my swansong. I’m happy; I’m done,” he said.

Shin returns to defend title W I L L I A M S B U R G , VIRGINIA: World number one Park In-Bee and defending champion Shin Jiyai headline a stellar field for the $1.3 million LPGA Kingsmill Championship that starts Thursday.

All of the top-10 players in the world rankings are competing as the LPGA plays its first tournament on the US East Coast this season.

Shin won last year’s title in dramatic fashion, finally triumphing over Paula Creamer on the ninth hole of a sudden death playoff.

That came on a Monday morning after darkness halted play with the two still deadlocked through eight playoff holes. The victory ended a 31tournament LPGA drought for Shin, who went on to win the Women’s British Open the following week.

AFP

IPL 6

31

BATTLE OF THE TITANS

METRE

6 S 367

Chris Gayle (RCB)

36 4S 1202

Michael Hussey (CRK)

52

HIGHEST SCORE

175*

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 Chris Gayle (RCB)

BEST BOWLER

5-20

James Faulkner (RR)

A battle of the Kings I am pleased the way we played. The last few weeks, we were trying to complete our game. We knew that our batting needed to improve.

Tom Moody SRH coach

Chris Gayle (RCB) 484 runs J Faulkner (RR), AMishra(SRH) D Bravo (CSK) 16 wickets

Wary of Hussey, MSD: Lehman

O

pener Michael Hussey and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's form with the bat is a cause of concern for Kings XI Punjab coach Darren Lehmann ahead of their IPL game against Chennai Super Kings today.

Hussey and Dhoni have so far accumulated 450 and 298 runs respectively from nine games each and Lehmann said Kings XI need to "come up with a plan" for the duo as they can take the game away from the opposition with their aggressive brand of cricket.

"Yes, we have (a plan for them), but I am not going to tell you. We have to come up with a plan, which we have for the two," Lehmann said.

PTI P

W

L

T PT

CSK

10

8

2

0

16 +0.733

RCB

10

6

4

0

12 +0.690

RR

9

6

3

0

12 +0.577

MI

10

6

4

0

12 +0.134

SRH

10

6

4

0

12 -0.102

KXIP

9

4

5

0

8 +0.172

KKR

10

3

7

0

6 -0.104

DD

10

3

7

0

6 -0.599

PWI

10

2

8

0

4 -1.433

P-played; W-win; L-lost; T-tie; NR-net run rate; PT-points

NR

formidable Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Pune Warriors India in the second match

APARNA SAI

aparna.s@postnoon.com

C

t

hennai Super Kings take on Kings XI Punjab today on their home turf while Pune Warriors are set to clash with the Royal Challengers Bangalore at Pune.

Chennai are currently at the top of the table with 16 points from 10 matches. They have lost only two matches and look to be going very strong.

Meanwhile Kings XI Punjab are presently placed on the sixth position. They have eight points from nine matches and need to win today’s match in order to strengthen their chances of making it to the top four.

They missed out on a victory narrowly in their last match when they lost by four runs against the Mumbai Indians.

While the KXIP side need this victory badly, the

CSK VS KXIP AT 4PM PWI VS RCB AT 8PM ON SET MAX

SCORECARD SRH VS MI

h

o f e

day.

Pune have won only two matches from the 10 they have played and a loss today could as well bring the curtains down on their chance of making it to the playoffs.

PWI have been struggling in all the seasons of the they have participated in and they do not have a different tale to narrate this time either.

RCB, currently placed on the second rung on the points table, would look to increase their chances and sealing a berth in the playoffs while Pune would look to redeem their pride and secure a win.

While the RCB-PWI clash may look to be one-sided, the battle between CSK and KXIP would be the match to watch out for, today.

‘Home sweet home’

DD VS KKR

Mumbai Indians innings (20 overs maximum) DR Smith lbw b Mishra 38 (40) SR Tendulkar b I Sharma 14 (12) KD Karthik† c KV Sharma b I Sharma 0 (2) RG Sharma* c I Sharma b Mishra 22 (22) KA Pollard not out 14 (19) AT Rayudu not out 34 (27) Extras (lb 1, w 4, nb 2) 7 Total (4 wickets; 20 overs) 129 KV Sharma 4 0 25 0 6.25 DW Steyn 4 0 27 0 6.75 I Sharma 4 1 15 2 3.75 NLTC Perera 4 0 37 0 9.25 A Mishra 4 0 24 2 6.00 Sunrisers Hyderabad innings (target: 130 runs from 20 overs) PA Reddy c Smith b Johnson 7 (9) S Dhawan not out 73 (55) Sangakkara*† c & b Harbhajan 21 (21) GH Vihari c Rayudu b Kulkarni 25 (23) DJG Sammy not out 1 (1) Extras (w 2, nb 1) 3 Total (3 wickets; 18 overs) 130 Bowling O M R W Econ MG Johnson 3 0 21 1 7.00 DS Kulkarni 2 0 13 1 6.50 Harbhajan 4 0 35 1 8.75 SL Malinga 3 0 23 0 7.66 PP Ojha 4 0 18 0 4.50 RG Sharma 1 0 5 0 5.00 DR Smith 1 0 15 0 15.00

Kolkata Knight Riders innings (20 overs maximum) MS Bisla† b Yadav 4 (7) G Gambhir* run out (Pathan) 0 (0) YK Pathan c Pathan b Morkel 20 (16) JH Kallis c Rohrer b Pathan 12 (15) EJG Morgan c Yadav b Nadeem 10 (9) DB Das c †Jadhav b Nehra 18 (26) R Bhatia not out 26 (26) S Narwal c Chand b Yadav 23 (15) B Lee not out 16 (6) Extras (lb 2, w 5) 7 Total (7 wickets; 20 overs) 136 Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-16, 3-37, 4-48, 550, 6-84, 7-114 Bowling O M R W Econ IK Pathan 4 0 16 1 4.00 A Nehra 4 0 37 1 9.25 UT Yadav 4 0 36 2 9.00 M Morkel 4 0 22 1 5.50 S Nadeem 4 1 23 1 5.75 Delhi Daredevils innings (target: 137 runs from 20 overs) Jayawardene* c Kallis b Balaji 5 (8) V Sehwag c Pathan b Kallis 17 (15) UBT Chand c Balaji b Lee 37 (39) DA Warner not out 66 (42) BJ Rohrer not out 10 (3) Extras (lb 1, w 1) 2 Total (3 wickets; 17.5 overs) 137 Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-27, 3-122 Bowling O M R W Econ B Lee 4 0 26 1 6.50 L Balaji 4 0 35 1 8.75 JH Kallis 3 0 29 1 9.66 SP Narine 4 0 14 0 3.50 R Bhatia 2 0 21 0 10.50 YK Pathan 0.5 0 11 0 13.20

Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 7 wickets

Mumbai Indians won by 4 runs

HYDERABAD: The Sunrisers Hyderabad extended their ‘win streak’ at home to 4 matches as they defeated Mumbai Indians in a comfortable victory on Wednesday.

Shikhar Dhawan who was out of the side until recently, struck a well paced unbeaten 73 runs off just 55 balls.

He was well supported by skipper Kumar Sangakkara earlier and then Hanuma Vihari.

Chasing 130 for victory, the Sunrisers reached the target with two overs to spare.

Earlier, Mumbai Indians won the toss and elected to bat.

Dwayne Smith opened the innings along with Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar.

Both the batsmen began the innings on a positive note strik-

ing the ball all over the field, but then the usual happened and Tendulkar perished after his stumps were rattled by Ishant Sharma.

Sharma struck once again in that very over to send back wicket keeper Dinesh Karthik for knot.

But the Mumbai side still looked strong as skipper Rohit Sharma and Smith continued to dominate until Amit Mishra came in the 13th over and dismissed both the players.

Mumbai failed to recover from there on. Rayudu managed to hits a few fours while Kieron Pollard struggled all through the time that he was at the crease.

With this win, SRH now have 12 points.

AS

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

sports CL SEMI-FINAL

Bayern Munich’s Mario Mandzukic (R) vies with Barcelona’s Adriano during their UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg match on Wednesday.

AFP/LLUIS GENE

Bayern destroy Barça again Bayern cruised into their third CL final in four years with a 3-0 win over Barcelona.

KIERAN CANNING Agence France-Presse BARCELONA: Bayern Munich cruised into their third Champions League final in four years as a 3-0 win over Barcelona at the Camp Nou on Wednesday gave them an incredible 7-0 aggregate semifinal victory. The absence of Lionel Messi from the Barca starting line-up almost eradicated any hope of an unlikely comeback before the game had even begun, but Bayern showed their 4-0 first-leg win last week had been no fluke with a display of controlled dominance.

Arjen Robben opened the scoring for the visitors with a trademark left-foot strike just after half-time before a Gerard Pique own-goal and Thomas Mueller’s header in the final 20 minutes ensured Bayern booked their place in an all-German final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on May 25 in some style.

Afterwards Pique admitted it was one of the most difficult nights he has had in his five years at

the club. “Perhaps it was the bitterest night I have had at Barcelona,” he told Spanish Canal Plus television. “We tried but they scored a goal very early in the second half and this left us broken. The last 25 minutes were very difficult.”

For Robben meanwhile it was unconfined joy as he aims to make amends at Wembley for missing a penalty that could have won Bayern the trophy on home soil against Chelsea last season. “That’s history - 4-0 at home and then 3-0 here, we should be proud of that and enjoy it. Now we have to win this thing,” he told Sky Germany. “We have so much quality in the team that we can win games like these, in this manner.”

Already without Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba through injury and suspension respectively, Barca were handed another huge blow before kickoff as the persistence of a hamstring injury suffered in the first leg of their quarter-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain forced Messi to start on the bench.

SHEIKH SALMAN ROMPS TO AFC PRESIDENCY

Bahrain royal Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa became scandal-hit Asian football’s new leader on Thursday with a crushing election win following a campaign filled with intrigue and controversy. The sheikh won 33 of the 46 votes to become president of the Asian Football Confederation.

Messi not in right condition: Vilanova

BARCELONA: Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova defended the decision to field Lionel Messi at the weekend after the Argentine was forced to sit out Wednesday’s 3-0 defeat to

Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final.

The Germans’ 7-0 aggregate victory was Barca’s worst-ever European defeat, and although Vilanova recognis-

32

ed that the World Player of the Year’s recurring hamstring injury had played its part in the Catalans’ dismantling, he denied that their dependence on him has grown substantially this season. AFP