Postnoon E-Paper for April 3rd 2013 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

The grass is always greener on the other side. On ‘Don’t go to work unless it’s fun’ day, Postnoon gives you a list of professions that you have time and again envied, without reason. Here's a reality check.

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WEATHER: A MIX OF CLOUDY AND CLEAR SKIES; 34°C

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013 HYDERABAD

HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER

HATHAWAY REFUSES TO TURN ON CABLE

ath n a j a i la ment S S ter gover n l ies s i n f m i ia ble’ s yea r f at o n atio of ‘u nv w n th i a nce th y. l e v g re d reds sed do ent st pr ior it n i k n m o c Sho that hu ld be cl gover n s its top u ce of tion i o w ols the fa educa o h c s in

S L O O H C S C I L B U P 880

Despite a High Court ruling giving 15-day relief to the digitalisation of cable TV, screens continue to appear dark. The reason, Postnoon gathers, is that Hathway is awaiting a copy of the judgement to resume operations. As of now, Hathway has a majority share of the City’s cable viewers with over 65 per cent.

E X A E C FA REP

P7 N O ORT

BOX-OFFICE

BAADSHAHS

Starting from April to end of June, plenty of big budget films featuring A-list celebrities vie for supremacy at the box office and since 2000, there have been plenty of films which have shattered all previous records. Here’s a list of five such blockbusters.

P15

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

city events

CHOCOLATE MAKING WORKSHOP

All materials will be provided by the organisers and you can take what you make. The seats are limited for a hands-on session. The workshop is at Panache-The Finishing School, on April 6, 11.30am onwards. The contact number is (040) 6673 3451.

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

Overnight

Morning

Afternoon

34°C

26°C

32°C

40°C

A mix of cloudy and clear skies.

A mix of cloud and sun.

New Delhi Mumbai Max 31 Max 32 Min 21 Min 24 Clear.

Chennai Max 35 Min 28

Partly cloudy.

Bangalore Max 35 Min 24 Mostly cloudy.

AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES DINING Punjab Da Tashan Ambar sariyan murg, Punjabi chicken keemedar, kalimirch machhi, achari paneer and khumb hardhaniya are some of the items on the menu. There is a starter and welcome drink free for ladies above 21 years. Where: Terrace Bay and Sky Bar, Babukhan Mall, 6-3-1111/B 501, 5th Floor , Somajiguda When: Fridays up to April 12, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2341 8545 Saturday sunset BBQ Bring your family and friends for a fun barbecue evening with grilled specialties, a variety of kebabs and a whole lot of Asian delights. Where: The Square, Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre When: Every Saturday, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 6682 4422

SHOWS Shakespeare’s Hamlet play reading The play reading is being organised by Samahaara theatre group. Where: Lamakaan When: April 7, 7.30pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329 Gumma Tapta This is a theatre performance about

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

155333 23431178 23431179

MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

Vaishali Bisht’s theatre workshop Vaishali Bisht is conducting special Summer Holidays theatre workshops for children between the ages of six and 12. The course consists of 20 classes held Monday to Saturday. Using theatre games and exercises, the workshop helps children use their imagination and get creative. Where: Road no 7, Banjara Hills When: From April 15, Monday to Saturday, 4.30pm to 6.30pm Contact: 94904 40986

Heritage and restoration in post WWII Germany This is a lecture by Anuradha Reddy, an expert in restoration and heritage with many years of experience in Germany. Where: Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad, 20 Journalist Colony, Road no 3, Banjara Hills When: April 10, 6pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329

Filmmaking workshops for children Yavanika Films is conducting a unique filmmaking workshops this summer vacation for children in Hyderabad. Each participant will make their own short film as part of the workshop. Even a parent and child can register as one student pair to make a short film together. Where: Begumpet When: From April 24, 2pm to 7pm, daily classes except on weekends Contact: 94901 00404

ART Group painting exhibition An exhibition of paintings by Pradosh Swain and Suchismita Sahoo. Where: Aalankritha Art Gallery, Kavuri Hills, Jubilee Hills When: Up to April 10 Contact: www.alankritha.in

Commissioner & Spl Officer

GAS BOOKING IVRS NO HP 9666023456 Indane 9848824365

MISCELLANEOUS

A two part Improv play By removing the restrictions of a scripted play, this even gives actors a chance to interact spontaneously on stage. Where: Lamakaan When: April 4, 7.30pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329

French artist B2Fays Alliance Française of Hyderabad, Kalakriti Art Gallery and Park Hyatt Hyderabad present French artist B2Fays. It is an exhibition of paintings and multimedia installations. Where: Kalakriti Art Gallery, Plot No: 468, Road no 10,

Helpline

When: ICONART Gallery, 1672 SBI bldg Road no 12 Banjara Hills When: Show on till April 13, 11.30am to 7pm Contact: 98499 68797

a mother who, upon finding that her son is dead one morning, refuses to bury him and insists on putting him in a boat and letting him sail away. Where: NIFT auditorium When: April 3, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 2335 0443

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

DANGEROUS RIDE: One child dozes off sitting pillion on a scooter, and the other sits facing the opposite direction. The picture was taken at Afzalgunj. M ANIL KUMAR

Banjara Hills, Hyderabad When: Up to April 9, 11am to 7pm Contact: (040) 6656 4466

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

Tracing dualities An exhibition of abstract art by artist Suresh Kumar P. Where: Ravindra Bharathi, Saifabad

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

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

City

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

SHOULD THE DEADLINE FOR SET-TOP BOXES BE EXTENDED? 75% 25%

YES (A) NO (B)

TODAY’S QUESTION

IS WAR IMMINENT BETWEEN SOUTH AND NORTH KOREA? A)

YES

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

CRIME

No end to dowry crimes Schoolgirl found Two young women in the City were forced out of their homes for failure to give more dowry to their greedy in-laws. Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

ightening laws on crime against women has not curbed domestic violence. Two more young women in the City were victims of apathy when they were thrown out of their homes on Monday. Swaroopa, 25, has sought police help to take action against her husband, M Ashok, and in-laws who, she says, kicked her out of her home for not bringing more dowry. Swaroopa and Ashok, a resident of Secunderabad, tied the nuptial knot two years ago. At the time of marriage her parents gave `5 lakh in cash, 10 tolas of gold and 80 tolas of silver besides some household goods.

But within months, Swaroopa was tortured as her in-laws claimed that the dowry was paltry. According to the police complaint, her in-laws pressured Swaroopa to ask her parents to give them more dowry. Things took a bad turn on Monday when Ashok and his parents joined hands and booted her out of their home. A hapless Swaroopa lodged a com-

plaint with the Begumpet police. In a similar incident, N Anuradha, a resident of West Marredpally, also found herself locked out of her husband’s home. She was married to N Chaturvedi of Sindhi Colony in 2011. Anuradha said in her complaint that her parents had given her in-laws 20 tolas of gold, two kg of silver, a motorbike and other valuables as dowry at the time of marriage. But her in-laws too were dissatisfied and started troubling her for more. Anuradha claimed that her in-laws threatened that they would get Chaturvedi married off to another woman if she fails to bring more dowry. Begumpet police are investigating the case.

murdered in Tenali

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

enali in Guntur district woke up today to a disturbing scene. News soon spread early in the day that a girl’s body was found in a car. Police suspect that the girl, a teenager, was kidnapped from Vijayawada and murdered in Tenali. The car driver has been taken into custody. The girl has been identified as Sushma Priya, the daughter of Bhandaru Srinivasa Rao, a cable operator of Singh Nagar in Vijayawada. Sushma as usual left home on Monday to go to school, but unlike any other day, she did not return. Suspicion fell on the driver, Paul alias Rama Krishna Reddy, who took her to school every day and a search operation was launched. The

police spotted Paul in Mangalagiri, Guntur district. During interrogation, Paul revealed that he had left the car near the Market Bridge. Police found Sushma’s body in the car

Police suspect that the girl was kidnapped from Vijayawada and murdered in Tenali. Her body was found in a car. after they inspected it. As there were no injuries on the body, the police suspect it to be a murder. Paul, however, maintains that he is innocent and that Sushma consumed pesticide and committed suicide. He has been charged with murder.

city WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013 LAST YEAR... HERE

CIVIC

CLASH OF THE TITANS

Water loot

ast year we had reported how nine private well owners had been slapped with notices for illegally drawing groundwater and selling it. The wells were to be sealed. The action came after a Postnoon report on illegal usage of borewells was printed. Apart from being illegal, such water loot depleted the groundwater table massively.

There is more than meets the eye. A mayor, known for evading holding general body meetings, snatches with alacrity the TDP’s suggestion of a council meet. Why? It now emerges that the civic body meet is an excuse for an all-out official bashing.

APRIL 3, 2012

NUMEROLOGY

days is the period of relief the HC has granted the City on the issue of digitisation of cable TV. The reason was lack of awareness about the subject among the public.

The more the time is extended, the more problems arise. We have to ensure that the RTE Act is successful. Over three years was sufficient for the implementation. S Sailajanath, minister See page 7

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

Right to Education? Not in this State. Over 800 schools in the State may face closure because there aren’t enough students. Meanwhile, thousands of children have no access to education. Right to education, anyone?

Metro respects religious sentiments. Some 33 shrines that are in the way of the Metro are safe. The ofﬁcials have decided to ensure that no harm will come to these structures, nor will they have to be relocated.

HC gives breather to City over digitisation. The City gets two weeks more to get its set-top boxes in place and opt for digitisation, thanks to the HC’s ruling on Tuesday.

Mayor slams ofﬁcials for not completing work. The mayor was unhappy that only 10 per cent of standing committee resolutions had been carried out.

Dowry crimes continue unabated in City. More women are being harassed by their husbands and in-laws.

Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

he announcement of the mayor for a special council meeting raised many an eyebrow, with leaders believing it to be a meek surrender to the Opposition. But facts seem to be different. The last council meeting was held after several months of dillydallying by the mayor. Even after several representations and threats by almost all the parties, he set the date for the meeting February, though it was earlier planned for October 2012. In the recent months, there were several closed-door meetings where Singireddy Srinivas Reddy, the TDP floor leader, met Mayor Mohammed Majid Hussain and ‘convinced’ the latter to hold a meeting.

TROUBLING DEVELOPMENTS There were two important developments in the recent months, which disturbed corporators of various political parties. One was the direction of the High Court to conduct regular ward sabha and area sabha

meetings, and another, delay in allocating `1 crore per member fund to corporators. The second issue appears to have united the corporators cutting across political affiliations. According to sources, ever since the Kapra episode revealed discrepancies in the official machinery, the mayor has been thinking of calling a special council meeting. Now, he has support from an unexpected quarter, and he wants to use it. The TDP floor leader is among the corporators who felt hurt by GHMC commissioner MT Krishna Babu’s observation that ‘disqualification’ could be the fate of corporators who failed to conduct sabha meetings. “What about the resolutions which are passed in meetings? They never get implemented. Then what is the use of meetings?” Singireddy asked. As the issue of area meetings is listed among the three to be discussed, corporators are likely to put the blame on officials for not implementing resolutions. Those whose wards were listed by the commissioner are furious.

Ranjana Devi Goel, corporator of Goshamahal, blames the officials for not taking up the issue seriously. “I am ready to conduct the meetings but officials are not co-operative,” said Goel. Is the commissioner ready to face the music in the council meeting is to be seen. But he has fielded questions posed by several corporators skillfully over conducting Prajavani programme in the last general body meeting.

COMMISSIONER TACKLES CORPORATORS During the last meeting, MIM corporators asked the commissioner to conduct Prajavani programme in presence of public representatives. “How can the important programme be conducted without the presence of the mayor?” asked corporator Abdul Haq Nazeer. Supporting the argument, the former mayor, Mir Zulfeqar Ali, also raised his voice, stating that officials cannot circumvent corporators, who are there to solve the public’s problems. Syed Aminul Hasan Jafri,

MLC, also supported this and said that corporators should be given due consideration in these meetings. Answering these questions, the commissioner explained that as officials are not accessible most of the time, especially during the visiting hours (3 -5 pm) due to various reasons like meetings, the general public was given a chance through ‘Prajavani’. As the process of attending to the public for three hours on Monday is ‘transparent’, with computer registration of grievance, the programme is effective in solving various problems. “It’s the government’s direction that officials should present themselves in the early hours of Monday in each department. It’s not a discretion,” Krishna Babu said. He added that the general body is for executing decisions and corporators are part of it. If they were interested in solving public problems, they should complement ward committee meetings, area sabha meetings and pinpoint programmes. “This has nothing to do with policy .”

NEWS BRIEFS `1 lakh given to kin of bomb blast victims

Fake cops rob cloth merchant

State asks for Aadhaar card deadline extension

Indefinite YSRC strike enters second day

HMC handed over cheques of `1 lakh ex-gratia to the dependents of those died in the Dilsukhnagar blast. Mayor Majid Hussain, along with the deputy mayor and GHMC commissioner, handed over cheques to the families of V Ramulu, Swapna Reddy, Md Raﬁquddin, Nakka Venkateswarlu, Aijaz Ahmed and Amanullah Khan.

wo men, posing as policemen, robbed a cloth merchant, K Venkataiah, on Tuesday near Dilsukhnagar bus stop and got away with `45,000 in cash, police said. He had come from Nalgonda to buy goods. At the bus stand, two men claiming to be cops on duty frisked him and took away the currency and a gold chain.

he State government has urged the Centre to extend the deadline for Aadhaar card registrations by another three months (till June), according to minister D Sridhar Babu. The reasons quoted are various constraints of resources and the need for time to plug loopholes. Thousands of cards are rendered invalid due to faulty procedures.

he indeﬁnite strike launched by YSR Congress honorary president YS Vijayamma along with party MLAs entered its second day this morning. Vijayamma said the strike would go on till the government rolled back increased electricity charges and alleged that the party government ran away from holding discussion on power problem.

city WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013 TASK MASTER

Mayor cracks whip on GHMC officials Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

ayor Mohammed Majid Hussain has expressed displeasure with the working style of senior GHMC officers and the non-implementation of the standing committee resolutions approved by the body since last year. Annoyed with the fact that only 10 per cent of standing committee resolutions on maintenance works were grounded in the last one year, the mayor said that the reluctant attitude of the officials was causing delay in development. He was chairing a review meeting on the Action Taken Report on resolutions of standing committee III with the board members. The mayor said that the standing committee was given clear instructions to conduct a review meeting along with officials of the APCPDCL on the progress of works pertaining to shifting of electrical poles, and

Annoyed that maintenance works were grounded, the mayor said that the reluctant attitude of the officials was causing delay in development.

ANALYSIS

Disquiet once more in Congress camp

With 18 MLAs jumping ship to YSR Congress and two more billed to follow, can the ruling party only rely on TDP’s support to retain power? PK SURENDRAN surendran.pk@postnoon.com

The Cabinet reshuffle is only going to aggravate the situation as every MLA expects to be a minister and every minister aspires to be CM.

ill the recent Congress win of No Confidence Motion at the Assembly prove a pyrrhic victory? Recent flux in the State’s politicalscape reveals that the Congress can’t rest on its laurels as dangers lurk in the corners to jump upon it. The statement of senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Palvai Govardhan Reddy a few days back that there is no danger to the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh even if 20 more MLAs leave the party and join the YSR Congress because the TDP will not allow the government to fall has stirred a wild bee-nest. His stance has created much consternation in the Congress camp and has pumped adrenalin through YSRC’s

Jailed minister Mopidevi Venkataramana is said to have exhausted his patience and has resolved to join the YSRC party.

veins. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party, which has off late been suffering a cramp, has suddenly got a new surge of energy, political sources point out. The Cabinet reshuffle on the cards is only going to

aggravate the situation as “every MLA expects to be a minister and every minister aspires to be chief minister,” remarks an APCC secretary. Now, the question being asked by Congress leaders is if 20 MLAs are ready to jump ship to YSRC before the polls, or is this just talk? Few would be surprised if this happens because as of now 18 MLAs — nine each of Congress and TDP — are billed to join the Jagan bandwagon while two more are on the verge of doing the same. Meanwhile, causing further

discomfort to the Congress, jailed minister Mopidevi Venkataramana is said to have exhausted his patience and has resolved to join the YSRC. The Congress and the TDP — the worst sufferers of political volatility in the State for the past two years — find themselves in the same boat and therefore have developed a camaraderie. But the TDP will have to aggressively follow anti-Centre policies if it wants to be reckoned with in the next elections as it was built on the anti-Congress plank. Complicating matters further, PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana is in a rebellious mood after Rahul Gandhi insisted on all ministers giving up more than one party post. All eyes are on CM Kiran Kumar Reddy who will be at Delhi Durbar to present a case for a new team. Telangana Congress leaders are expected to be placated before the elections.

NEEDS OF INDUSTRIES A Classified Display Feature

expressed his anger as this meeting had not been conducted for five months. The mayor directed the additional commissioner (electrical) to furnish all details pertaining to the payments made for shifting of poles and the number of poles shifted over the last three years. He also directed the zonal commissioners (ZC) to submit a list of GHMC properties for which they have taken up fencing work in the next standing committee meeting. Next, the additional commissioner (finance) was directed to submit subject-wise variance report of the year along with the receipts and expenditure statement of the week. The day that the mayor will hold a review meeting on all resolutions of standing committees I and II.

APRIL 8

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city WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

CIVIC

Metro steers clear of ‘god’ Nearly 33 religious structures and nine heritage sites have been identified in HMRL’s route plan. Authorities insist no harm will come to them, but how will they ensure the project continues? RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA rahul.r@postnoon.com

Metro rail and EIA expert Mithun Rao says. This leaves an option for future road works such as widening, expansion or diversion, after the rail project is finished. “There was a time when the employed staff was scared of even representing this issue with their seniors during layout designs fearing a backlash from communal groups. We thought it would prove to be a problem but the idea to stay away from them makes more sense,” says Bheemanayak, assistant divisional engineer of HMRL.

n what can be a case of religion winning over development, many religious structures that occupy prime positions on many major roads will not be mowed down, displaced or relocated by the coming of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project. According to the Hyderabad Metro Rail CPRO Murali Mohan, the design of the plan has been devised so as to not touch a single place of worship located along the project’s route plan. “The plan is to stay away from all religious structures lying on its path. In any case, like the Tarnaka shrine, for example, a distance of 25 feet is maintained between the pier and the shrine and the rail project’s works are underway,” he said. Experts agree that this solution is cheaper and economical compared to

PROBLEMS CREATED relocation or displacement of any structure. To ensure that the piers are laid as far away from the shrines as possible, road expansions or road diversions have been planned along the rail routes. “The nominal 25 feet exten-

sion/diversion does not hamper the alignment plan of the rail route and helps smoothen traffic flow. This is far easier to get done than negotiate with the religious bodies or the shrine’s authority and pay them a compensation for relocating or dismantling it,”

DIGITISATION

Small screens still blank Major cable operator Hathway cuts operations, as it waits for a copy of the court’s ruling.

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

espite the High Court ruling giving 15-day relief to the digitalisation of cable TV, screens continue to appear black. The reason, Postnoon gathers, is that Hathway is awaiting a copy of the judgement to resume operations. As of now, Hathway has the majority cable viewers in the City (over 65 per cent). The High Court’s ruling over digitisation of cable television services in the City has formally extended the date for

complete digitisation by two weeks with effect from Tuesday evening. Greater Hyderabad Cable TV Operators Welfare Association president L Hari Goud informed Postnoon that the High Court’s decision took into account the confusion and lack of awareness over digitisation among the common public. All Multiple Service Operators (MSOs) have been directed to provide analog cable services for two weeks starting from Tuesday, i.e. April 2, 2013, until complete awareness and digitisation of television services takes place.

As can be expected, rail works around shrines can hamper traffic activity. In the initial days of pier laying and foundation testing along the Uppal Metro rail depot, one particular shrine opposite GE building in Habsiguda proved to be a dampener. “Even during the CM’s inau-

guration and foundation laying of the Metro rail, traffic was thrown out of gear. And despite all of this, the traffic marshals put in place by L&T and the Hyderabad Traffic Police helped regulate some of the traffic flow. Their effort is visible even today as there is no disturbance to traffic during peak hours,” Nirmal Satish, a resident of Habsiguda says. The traffic consultation and management project was actively pursued by the Cyberabad and Hyderabad Traffic Police, L&T and their traffic consultant, LEA Associates. “Only 14 minor to sub-minor cases of traffic accidents have been reported since the project’s inception and not one major case of accident has been reported. This has been possible due to the deployment of 100 marshals in the City and the active collaboration of the traffic police,” says Sanjay Kapoor, L&T’s communications head.

city WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

EDUCATION

880 public schools face the axe Minister S Sailajanath’s revelation that hundreds of ‘unviable’ government schools would be closed down flies in the face of the government’s stance that education is its top priority. PICS: N SHIVA KUMAR, M ANIL KUMAR

ALEENA ALICE aleena.t@postnoon.com

Key factors discussed at the workshop

rony of ironies! While the Right to Education (RTE) Act clearly states that free and compulsory education should be given to children aged six to 14 and that there should be a school in every three-km radius, the government is talking about closing down more schools. Minister for primary education S Sailajanath said that nearly 880 government schools will be closed by the beginning of the next academic year. “There is no point in running schools where students are less in number. Hence, there is a proposal to shut down those schools and most likely, it will take place by June this year,” said the minister. In view of the implementation of the 25 per cent seat reservation at private schools, the government, which dragged its feet for so many years, will decide on what action has to be taken within a couple of months. “Regarding the extension of the deadline, it is the Centre which has to take the decision. However, because of the court cases by the private schools in regard to this matter, there is a delay. Within one to two months, the State government will decide and there will be more clarity with regards to the action that has to be

n Strengthening of government schools by ensuring that there are no students dropping out. Since lack of toilet facilities is forcing 60 per cent of girl students to drop out, better facilities should be provided in all government schools. n Ration card facility should be given to students below the poverty line. n Hostel facilities should be provided to students in districts whose parents are daily-wage workers and have to migrate from one place to another. Teachers, ministers and child rights activists discussed the issues plaguing the RTE Act at a workshop Tuesday.

taken against private schools not complying with RTE guidelines,” said Sailajanath. Stating that any extension of the deadline will not be a solution to the current problem, the minister said, “The more the time is extended, the further the problem arises. Right now, we have to ensure that the RTE Act is successful and students benefit. Over three years’ time was sufficient for the effective implementation of the Act,” he added. Many educationalists and representatives of child welfare NGOs

feel that the government should concentrate more on the enrolment of students into government schools and less on the 25 per cent seat reservation in private schools. “There was a blueprint when RTE came into existence, however it was not acted upon. For example, the Central budget of `1.75 lakh crore was granted for the upgradation of the infrastructure of public schools for the four-year period. However, the government sanctioned `33,000 crore. So it is obvious that there will be no proper infrastructure

development. Now the government wants to shut down the schools stating that there is no development. Without putting in a collective effort, closing down schools overnight is not right,” said Prof G Haragopal of HCU. The State-level consultation workshop for the effective implementation of the RTE Act, organised on Tuesday, saw many teachers, MLCs, representatives of NGOs and other government officials discussing the issues and solutions for the effective implication of the RTE Act.

n The government should also concentrate on pre-primary education and ensure that there is a pre-primary school constructed every three kilometres. n English-medium education should be made compulsory for Class I to V. n Inspection should be made compulsory in every school to ensure that the standards are maintained. n Textbooks and school uniforms should be provided in the beginning of the year itself to the students.

city WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

SKY OPENS UP PICS BY M ANIL KUMAR AND N SHIVA KUMAR

Rain soaks City

The sudden summer thunder showers brought relief to the baked City last night. But with the first drop and roar of the sky, power supplies went off in most parts of the City. Rains and wind pulverised many trees. “Our staff is clearing many uprooted trees with the help of about a dozen emergency vehicles,” said Vandana Kumar, additional commissioner. Low-lying areas saw knee-deep water, which was, however drained by morning.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

focus

‘DAM’NED WATER SUPPLIES

The construction 40 years ago of a hydro-electric dam further up the valley to provide for the growing population and tourist trade at Ouarzazate, along with the relentless desertification of the region, has taken a heavy toll on water supplies.

PURE WATER IN THE SAHARA

By the way of the cloud, by the power of the sun

The ‘waterpod’ allows desert-dwellers to turn water extracted from wells into clean drinking water through evaporation and condensation, using the heat of the sun, a technology that the Arabs were among the first to develop as far back as the 16th century. M’HAMID, MOROCCO: Omar Razzouki gazes intently at the wooden box, marvelling at what might be the solution to the perennial water woes that he and other nomads like him across the Sahara desert face daily. More than 330 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, or around 40 percent of the population, do not have access to clean drinking water, according to a report published to mark world water day by British NGO WaterAid. The World Health Organisation estimates that this lack of drinking water is the reason for nearly nine out of every 10 deaths linked to diarrhoea. In the Sahara, nomads are among those suffering most from limited access to water, particularly during the hotter periods when rising salt levels in water drawn from wells make it undrinkable. The “nomadic festival” held earlier this month in M’Hamid, in Morocco’s southern desert region, was an opportunity for the pioneers of a portable water purification device to showcase their invention. It uses a process as old as the sky. “It’s simple. It emulates the natural cycle of cloud condensation,” explained Alain Thibault, an ex-sailor who had to confront the issue of fresh water shortages at sea. The experience gave him the idea several years ago of reproducing the process using just a “small machine that is easy to make and easy to use.” The “waterpod” allows desert-dwellers to turn water extracted from wells into clean drinking water through evaporation and condensation, using the heat of the sun, a technology that the Arabs were among the first to develop as far back as the 16th century. The device, which resembles a large letter box, currently costs around 500 euros ($650). But the inventors have already given courses at a college

Scientists show a nomad how to assemble a “waterpod” near the village of M’hamid El Ghizlane, southeast of Zagora, on March 16, 2013. The “waterpod” allows desert-dwellers to turn water extracted from wells into clean drinking water through evaporation and condensation, using the heat of the sun, a technology that the Arabs were among the first to develop as far back as the 16th century. AFP PHOTO/FADEL SENNA

in Tiznit, on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, to teach students how to produce them more cheaply. “The waterpod is made of wood, cork, stainless steel and glass,” said Thierry Mauboussin, who is helping to promote the water project in Morocco. “It works with solar energy, so no fossil fuel.” Noureddine Bourgab, the president of the nomad festival at M’Hamid, also praised the environmental value of the new device, which he hoped could “put an end to the problem of salty water for the desert nomads.” “It’s a technique that embod-

ies the real meaning of sustainable development and protection of the environment,” he said. Razzouki, a nomad from the M’Hamid region, was concentrating hard on figuring out how the waterpod works. “This could resolve many of our water problems,” he said, noting that the box was light, and “we won’t have the problem of salty water everywhere we go.” M’Hamid El Ghizlane, Morocco’s gateway to the Sahara, is an oasis on the edge of the Draa valley surrounded by rolling sand dunes, 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the Algerian

border. The construction 40 years ago of a hydro-electric dam further up the valley to provide for the growing population and tourist trade at Ouarzazate, along with the relentless desertification of the region, has taken a heavy toll on water supplies. So there are high hopes for the waterpod, one of which can produce six litres of pure water daily from 12 litres of brackish water, according to its creators. They give it an estimated lifespan of 20 to 40 years, with just a daily clean needed to keep it in good condition. AFP

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

Business

EADS BOARD APPROVES HUGE SHARE BUYBACK

The new board of European space and defence group EADS has approved an 18-month share buyback plan worth up to 3.75 billion euros , the company said on Tuesday. The company will buy up to 15 percent of EADS stock at a maximum price of 50 euros per share.

MUTUAL FUNDS

Place your bets wisely Many risk factors need to be considered thoroughly before investing.

PRUDHVI RAJU K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

any research reports say that people in India consider mutual funds are risky for investments. However, the risk and return are directly proportional in the investment world and mutual funds are not an exception. An investor has a choice between return and risk while investing even in mutual funds and it is up to the investor whether to take heavy risk and higher returns or balanced risk and returns and returns or lower risk and lesser returns.

6 COUNTRIES SUE GOOGLE

Six European countries, including France and Britain, on Tuesday launched joint action against Google to get the Internet giant to scale back on new monitoring powers that watchdogs believe violate EU privacy protection rules. Despite sharp criticism from US and European consumer advocacy groups, Google last year rolled out a common user privacy policy for its services that condensed around 60 previous sets of rules into one and allowed the company to track users more closely to develop targeted advertising. Among the Google services affected were Gmail, YouTube, the Android mobile system, social networks and its Internet search engine. France's Cnil data protection agency said that the concerted action was launched "on the basis of the provisions laid down in their respective national legislation".

NUMEROLOGY

$17.2

Fund managers take informed decisions before choosing stocks for a particular fund based on various factors. “An investor can choose type of mutual fund based on the objectives of the prospectus. For instance, if an investor is confident about the growth of the certain sector based on different projections, he can opt for sectoral funds. These are riskier compared to equity diversified funds wherein the managers invest in different stocks of multiple sectors. For instance, if an investor bets on real estate sector growth, and opts for sectoral funds. It may or may not perform well depending on various factors increasing the risk or returns for investor. “In contrast, even if few industries do not perform well, the risk can be mitigated by other industries which perform well in equity diversified funds. An investor can even choose fixed income funds, which invest in corporate bonds or government bonds if he wants to reduce the risk, further where

is the annual net income of US mortgage finance giant Fannie Mae for 2012.

AUTO BOOM IN US Definition An investment vehicle that is made up of a pool of funds collected from many investors for the purpose of investing in securities such as stocks, bonds, money market instruments and similar assets. They are operated by money managers, who invest the fund's capital and attempt to produce capital gains and income for the fund's investors. Its portfolio is structured and maintained to match the investment objectives. in the returns are also compromised to an extent compared to equity funds,” says Arun Joseph, product manager, Third Party products, JRG securities. “Although it is the choice of

TYPE OF FUNDS BASED ON THE RISK n n n n n

Sectoral funds Balanced equity funds Debt funds Corporate Bonds Government Bonds

a customer to choose the type of mutual fund based on the risk and returns, it is up to the discretion of the mutual fund manager to invest in the type of stocks in that particular mutual fund. Fund managers are through professionals who take informed decisions before choosing stocks for a particular fund based on various factors. There intention is to bet on stocks that grow and get higher returns to the investors. For instance, various factors like

macro economical scenarios, consumer demand for that product, past track record of the company are considered before investing on a particular stock,” he says. The risk can be lowered in a long-term investment because an investor does need to worry about temporary setbacks. “The purpose should drive the investment. One should have a longterm investment goal and should liquidate these funds based on the value when he is nearing the need of the funds. He can shift these funds to highly secure and liquidable investment vehicle like bank savings. An investor can also save tax by investing in Equity linked savings schemes (ELSS). Investments up to `1 lakh can be exempted from income tax under Section 80c but investor has to wait for threeyear locking period to liquidate these funds,” he adds.

GOLD `30,300 10g SILVER `51,200 1kg

24C

for

DOLLAR `54.37 POUND `82.01

General Motors, Ford and Chrysler reported their best US sales performances since 2007 on Tuesday amid booming overall auto demand following the US industry's near-collapse five years ago. Total industry sales rose 3.4 percent from March 2012 and came in at a seasonally adjusted, annual pace of 15.3 percent, according to Autodata. That's down slightly from February, but means the industry has now racked up five consecutive months with a sales pace of over 15 million vehicles. The strong sales come after years of painful restructuring and the plunge in demand following the 2008 financial crisis, which pushed GM and Chrysler into government-backed bankruptcies.

THUS SPAKE A world free of poverty is within our grasp. It is time to help everyone across the globe secure a one-way ticket out of poverty and stay on the path toward prosperity. JIM YONG KIM WORLD BANK CHIEF

BSE NSE

18,984.64 56.09

5,730.70 17.25

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

nation

8% GROWTH POSSIBLE DESPITE PROBLEMS: MANMOHAN Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made a case for speedy and decisive actions to achieve 8 per cent growth. He said the government will further relax the FDI policy and take steps to bring down inflation. He also said India can get back to 8 per cent growth even while dealing with problems like corruption, bureaucratic inertia and the difficulties in managing coalition.

BHARADWAJ MURDER

Rape victim burns perpetrator to death PATNA: A woman set on fire a man who had allegedly raped her in Soiya village in Patna district, police said today. The woman caught hold of Bhola Thakur, who had allegedly outraged her modesty last night at her home, and poured kerosene on him before setting him on fire, the sources said. Thakur died on the spot, they said, adding the body

has been sent for postmortem. The woman, who was trying to flee after fatally setting the suspected rapist on fire, was arrested by the police today, the sources said. The deceased man’s wife has lodged a complaint against the woman for the murder of her husband, they added. PTI

5 held for harassing schoolgirls

3 Indians get US award for saving women

INDORE: Five youths were today arrested for allegedly throwing colours and beer at schoolgirls travelling in a bus and harassing them, police said. The youngsters, all aged around 16, were nabbed in connection with the incident which occurred on March 30, police said. The youths had boarded the bus in which the girls were travelling and forcefully applied colours on them. They also threw beer at them and harassed them, they said. A case was registered against them, they said.

WASHINGTON: Three brothers from India have received the prestigious Vital Voices Global Leadership Award from Vice President Joe Biden for their humanitarian working to end violence against women. The three, Ravi, Rishi and Nishi Kant, who started the NGO Shakti Vahini to fight injustice against women in 2001. Over the past decade, Shakti Vahini has rescued more than 2,000 people, 70 per cent of whom were children. It has responded to more than 600 victims of honour killings, the Post said. Vital Voices was started by former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 1997. IANS

PTI

NBW FOR DIGVIJAY

Sleuths zero in on real estate baron ‘godman’ NEW DELHI: Investigators have identified the “spiritual guru” who is suspected to have hired shooters for `50 lakh to `1 crore to kill local BSP leader Deepak Bhardwaj (pictured). Sources said they have zeroed in on the spiritual guru following investigations into the details provided by the two alleged sharpshooters Sunil Mann and Purushottam Rana. When asked whether they have arrested the accused, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Chhaya Sharma told PTI they have not taken him into custody. Sources said the spiritual guru had in possession vast tract of lands which he allegedly acquired through various means. However, they said he allegedly got into a fight with Bhardwaj over a land issue. The spiritual guru is said to be hailing from Bahadurgarh. Investigators said they were probing whether he acted on his own or whether others were also involved. Bhardwaj was shot dead in his farmhouse in south Delhi’s Rajokri on March 26 and four persons were arrested in the case. A Delhi court Tuesday sent

three men who allegedly killed BSP leader and business tycoon Deepak Bhardwaj to 10 days police custody. The accused, presented in court with their faces covered, refused to undergo an identification parade sought by police. PTI

RS horse-trading: HC raps CBI

Quarrel-solving turns fatal for man 3 insurgents arrested in Manipur

RANCHI: Jharkhand High Court today asked

THANE: A 40-year-old man was killed by his neighbour when he tried to intervene in a domestic quarrel between the accused and his father. Narendra Prabhakar Gaikwad had an argument with his father Prabhakar Gaikwad around midnightover the latter disapproving of him marrying twice, a police ofﬁcial said. Following the row, Narendra attacked his father with a sharp weapon. Hearing the noise, their neighbour Santosh Mohan Karande rushed to save the elderly man. Narendra, in a ﬁt of rage, attacked Karande with a knife. He died on the spot.

Pick

IMPHAL: Three insurgents belonging to different organisations have been arrested during anticombing operations in different parts of Manipur by commandos and para-military forces in the past 24 hours. A United National Liberation Front cadre was arrested in Thoubal district. A member of Kanglei Yawol Kann Lup was nabbed from Nongbrang area and a People's Liberation Army operative was arrested from Wangjing market complex. Over 25 insurgents from different outﬁts have so far been arrested by the forces during search operations this year in Manipur.

at the

A local court in Ujjain issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh and Ujjain’s Congress MP Prem Chand Guddu after they failed to appear before it in connection with a case against them and others for allegedly thrashing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha workers. The BJYM workers were chased and beaten up allegedly by Congressmen, including Singh and Guddu, on July 17, 2011 when they tried to show them black flags protesting against a remark by Singh.

‘TRANSFER KUNDA COPS’

The spiritual guru, hailing from Bahadurgarh, had in possession vast tract of lands. He allegedly got into a fight with Bhardwaj over a land issue.

NEWS BRIEFS the CBI why no charge-sheet was filed so far in connection with the horse-trading case that had led to countermanding of the 2012 Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand. Hearing a PIL filed by a social activist, the division bench, headed by Chief Justice P C Tatia, asked the CBI about the delay while reviewing its progress report. The CBI informed the bench that a final report was in the process of completion and chargesheet would be filed soon. The bench fixed April 15 for the next hearing.

In a twist to the ongoing probe in the triple murder at a Kunda village in which a senior cop was also among those killed, the CBI has sought the removal of all station house officials of Kunda. It has also sought the removal of Additional Superintendent of Police Asha Ram Yadav. In a letter to the state government, a joint director of the CBI cited political pressure and unease amongst villagers to come forward and testify in the triple murder case as reasons for seeking the transfer.

At least people facing heinous charges like rape, murder, kidnapping, dacoity and moral turpitude should be barred from contesting elections.

airport,

SY Quraishi Former CEC

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

World ARMS TREATY VOTE India protests, abstains UNITED NATIONS: As the UN General Assembly Tuesday overwhelmingly approved the first UN treaty regulating the multi-billion dollar international arms trade, India abstained from the resolution, stressing its strong protest over the draft which it described as an instrument in the hands of weapons exporting countries. The resolution adopting the treaty was approved by a vote of 154 to 3 with 23 abstentions in the 193-member world body. Iran, North Korea and Syria had blocked adoption of the draft by consensus at the end of a two-week final negotiating conference last Thursday. The three countries voted “no” on Tuesday’s resolution while Russia and China, both major arms exporters, also abstained.

SAVITA’S DEATH REPORT

JACKSON DOCTOR REFUSES TO TESTIFY AT AEG TRIAL Michael Jackson’s jailed former doctor refused Tuesday to testify at a trial in which the singer’s mother is seeking massive damages from tour promoters she blames for hiring the medic. Commenting as jury selection began for the wrongful death civil trial between Katherine Jackson and AEG Live, Conrad Murray said he is appealing his 2011 involuntary manslaughter conviction.

KOREAN CONUNDRUM

RARE VISIT

NK cuts SK access to key industrial zone Any move on the Seoul-funded Kaesong complex — established in 2004 and a crucial source of hard currency for North Korea — will send tensions soaring.

UN chief Ban Ki-Moon to warn Tuesday that the situation had “gone too far” as the US vowed to defend itself and regional ally South Korea. South Korean officials said the North had informed them Wednesday morning that it was stopping the daily movement of South Koreans into Kaesong, which lies 10 kilometers (six miles) on the North side of the border. However, it would allow the 861 South Koreans currently in Kaesong to leave, they said. Describing the North’s move as “very regrettable",

Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Hyung-Suk called on the North to normalise movement to Kaesong “immediately." Kim said the North had not specified how long the access ban would remain in effect. Around 53,000 North Koreans work at plants for 120 South Korean firms at the complex, which was still operating normally Wednesday. Kim Dong-Kyu, a South Korean company manager waiting to leave Kaesong, told the YTN news channel that he wasn’t “particularly” worried.

Thai marine abducted and shot dead

Violent storm kills at least eight in Argentina

Woman put skeleton brother in trash: police

Malaysian PM dissolves House for landmark polls

NARATHIWAT: A Thai marine has been abducted and executed in Thailand’s deep south in a possible revenge attack for losses sustained by militants in a botched raid on a military base, an army spokesman said Wednesday. The body of Maela Tolu, a 24-year-old Muslim private at the base, on a village road in another district late Tuesday.

BUENOS AIRES: At least eight people died after torrential rain and strong winds battered Buenos Aires and its suburbs, knocking out power, downing trees and affecting 350,000 residents, ofﬁcials said Tuesday. More than six inches (155 mm) of rain fell between midnight Monday and 7 am Tuesday, the city weather service said.

TOKYO: A Japanese woman who lived with her brother’s mummified body for years tried to dispose of his corpse with household rubbish when she finally realised he was dead. The woman, 49, said she discovered the desiccated cadaver of Masao Tadano as she and another sister tried to move house last November, a police officer said.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak dissolved parliament Wednesday in preparation for a general election seen as the toughest challenge yet for the ruling coalition after 56 years in power. “This morning I met the king and asked for his consent to dissolve the parliament," he said.

LONDON: Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar, who died in Ireland last year after being denied abortion, may have been saved had the hospital staff not paid “overemphasis” on the welfare of the unviable foetus and “underemphasis” on her deteriorating health, according to an inquiry report. Savita, hailing from Karnataka, died from blood poisoning on October 28 after doctors refused to terminate her 17-week long pregnancy.

Top US military officer General Martin Dempsey will pay a rare visit to China this month as the Pacific powers discuss concern over tensions with North Korea, the Pentagon said Tuesday. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel confirmed Dempsey’s visit when he paid a congratulatory telephone call to China’s new defense minister, General Chang Wanquan, Pentagon spokesman George Little said.

NUMEROLOGY

SEOUL: North Korea blocked South Korean access to a key joint industrial zone Wednesday, matching its angry rhetoric with action as Washington condemned Pyongyang’s “dangerous, reckless” behaviour. Any move on the Seoulfunded Kaesong complex — established in 2004 and a crucial source of hard currency for North Korea — carries enormous significance and will send tensions soaring. Neither of the Koreas have allowed previous crises to significantly affect Kaesong, the only surviving example of interKorean cooperation and seen as a bellwether for the stability of the Korean peninsula. The latest North Korean move fitted into a cycle of escalating tensions that prompted

‘Foetus was the focus’

53,000

Around North Koreans work at plants for 120 South Korean firms at th-e complex, which was still operating normally Wednesday.

The last time

he last time the border crossing was blocked was March 2009 in protest at a major US-South Korean military exercise. It reopened a day later.

NEWS BRIEFS

of the people polled in Pakistan said that the country was heading in the wrong direction, a survey by the British Council found. Also more than half of the youth favoured sharia law.

MARTJIN BAN SCRAPPED Dutch paedophile group Martijn, which argues for society’s acceptance of consensual sex between children and adults, cannot be banned, an appeals court said today, overturning a 2012 ruling. “According to the court of appeal, the work of the association is contradictory to public order but there is no threat of disrupting society," the Arnhem-Leeuwarden court in the north of the country said. The decision came after the head of the association, Martijn Uittenbogaard, appealed a June ruling by a court in nearby Assen banning the group.

What Kim Jong Un has been choosing to do is provocative. It is dangerous, reckless and the United States will not accept (North Korea) as a nuclear state. John Kerry US Secretary of State

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

Technology ‘PRESS’ING ISSUES

NEXT IPHONE IN THE WORKS The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple will begin production of its next-generation iPhone during Q2 2013. The report reiterates previous claims that Apple’s next flagship smartphone will sport a design akin to the current iPhone 5. Production of this “iPhone 5S” device during Q2 could point to a release this summer. Previous claims have said that the next iPhone could launch as soon as August. Various analysts previously said that Apple would debut an “iPhone 5S” like device during summer 2013. Some have said that the new iPhone will come in multiple color options much like the recently released fifth-generation iPod touch.

Apology accepted?

IT’S FOR FREE IF...

Sorry Apple gets respect in China after tabloid trial.

ith its rare apology, Apple Inc went from pariah to praiseworthy in the eyes of China’s state-controlled media, a lesson for other foreign firms not to underestimate the speed and power of the government press. After coming under neardaily media assault for the past two weeks and facing the threat of penalties from two Chinese government bureaus, Apple apologised to Chinese consumers on Monday for poor communication over its warranty policy and said it will change the terms for some of its iPhones sold in China. Greater China is Apple’s second-biggest and fastest-growing market, with sales up almost 40 percent to $6.8 billion in the final quarter of 2012. The Chinese newspapers that threw brickbats at Apple a few days ago have since changed their tune. “The company’s apology letter has eased the situation, softening the tense relationship between Apple and the Chinese market ... Its reaction is worth respect compared with other American companies," wrote popular tabloid the Global Times, published by Communist Party

mouthpiece the People’s Daily. Only last week, the People’s Daily issued a scathing editorial on Apple’s return policy saying the popular smartphone maker was filled with “unparalleled arrogance". Apple was first targeted in mid-March by state broadcaster CCTV during its annual consumer day segment. Volkswagen AG, which was also criticised on the same show, plans to recall vehicles to fix a gearbox problem. Foreign companies who are adept at managing media crises at home find it much tougher to navigate China where state media outlets, pandering to different audiences, often have opaque agendas and intentions. Analysts also said that foreign companies need to remember that the bigger the brand, the bigger a target it will be. “What foreign companies need to pay attention to, is that nobody operates in a vacuum, nobody operates only on the good graces of a brand name ... Five to 10 years ago a report on CCTV would have rippled a little bit, now it goes viral and has a life of its own," an market expert said.

NOT APPLE’S FIGHT TO WIN

Greater China is Apple’s secondbiggest and fastestgrowing market, with sales up almost 40 per cent to $6.8 billion in the final quarter of 2012. Apple’s acquiescence in this setting, where the world’s largest technology company by market value was ironically the David going up against China’s Goliath state media, shows its wisdom in not challenging a more powerful enemy. Although popular opinion on the Internet swayed in Apple’s favor, against state media and the reported threats of penalties from China’s State Administration for Industry and Commerce as well as its quality and inspection bureau, it was not Apple’s fight to win, experts said. Other foreign companies targeted by CCTV, such as fast food chain operator Yum Brands Inc, have also apologised and faced scrutiny from government agencies. Last December CCTV reported that two of Yum’s suppliers purchased chickens from

farmers who used excessive levels of antibiotics in their animals. The report and subsequent investigations hurt sales at Yum’s KFC chain. But Apple’s situation is somewhat different because CCTV’s claim was not completely new. Last July, a Chinese consumer rights group also slammed Apple for its aftersales policies. That time, however, Apple held its ground. With the apology and warranty change, Apple’s mea culpa is significant not just because it comes from a tech firm that rarely apologizes, but also because Apple may be realising that in China, it needs to be proactive. “They’re out of the woods and into the weeds. Things will rarely be smooth for Apple in China — even if consumers love it there will always be factions in and out of government that are trying to take it down," said Michael Clendenin, managing director of technology consultancy RedTech Advisors. “Apple made it easy this time, but they have learned to be more proactive. The next time they stumble, it will be easier to recover," he said. AGENCIES

Google on Wednesday announced the release of Quickoffice for Android and iPhone, available gratis for all its Apps for Business customers. If you fit the bill, you can download the apps now for free from Apple’s App Store and Google Play. Google’s Quickoffice is meant for business users that have to share files and collaborate with users who don’t yet use Google Docs. Google has said before that these free apps are part of its plan to make converting Office files to Google documents, or making quick edits without converting, easy on any mobile device.

FIREFOX UPDATES A spate of improvements to Firefox on desktops and Android gives you ﬁne-tuning in “private browsing” mode, a new download manager, and multiple changes under the hood. Along with an update to “private mode” that turns off your browser’s ability to record your browsing session, the new Firefox 20 includes usability and back-end changes. It allows you to run a private browsing session in a new window, alongside a standard Firefox browsing window. On Firefox 20 for Android, the browser lets you run private mode tabs next to standard session tabs. Another update will ask if you’d like to restart plug-ins that have been frozen for more than 45 seconds.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

Comment Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves.

PYONGYANG

MARIE ROUDANI Agence France-Presse newborn baby abandoned on the street in the battleground Syrian city of Aleppo has been named “Gift from God” by the family who adopted her even at the cost of an extra mouth to feed. In a city that has been devastated by fighting since July last year, where jobs have disappeared and prices for even basic goods have risen beyond most people’s reach, parents face impossible choices. Doctors say the abortion rate has increased, as parents take fright at the prospect of having to fend for another child. Others have sent children to live with family members, or abandoned them altogether. Hibat Allah, as she is named in Arabic, was lucky to survive her abandonment in a rebel-held neighbourhood of the city in December, her adoptive parents recall. “She was left in a bag at the entrance to a building. It was 3:00 am, she was crying, and no one had cut her umbilical cord,” mother Umm Moawiya, a hairdresser turned volunteer field nurse, told AFP. “She was lucky. In 12 hours, she was seen by 20 doctors in five hospitals. She was blue in the face and needed oxygen, but hospitals in liberated (rebel-held) areas did not have the electricity needed to run the incubator. Eventually I found a hospital in an occupied (army-held) area willing to keep her for two days.” Umm Moawiya was tasked with looking after the baby, who at just two kilos (4.4 pounds) required the special care that could only be provided by a person with some medical care experience.

N KOREA HINTS AT REFORM WITH NEW PM THE INSIDE STORY

Lord Byron Poet

‘Gift from God’ amid the Syrian war

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS A rape victim in a village in Patna has served punishment to the one who wronged her by setting him afire after dousing him with kerosene. There cannot be much more said about this bold act. Only that he got what he deserved, for it was poetic justice.

Jung Ha-Won

n the middle of an escalating military crisis on the Korean peninsula, North Korea’s appointment this week of an economic reformer as its new premier struck a discordant, and possibly optimistic note. The promotion of Pak PongJu, 74, is notable not only for the fact that he has served as prime minister before, but also because he was sacked from the post in a backlash against the economic reforms he spearheaded. His re-appointment is therefore being interpreted as a possible indication that North Korea’s new, young leader Kim Jong-Un is serious about turning around the North’s moribund economy. When Kim’s father, Kim Jong-Il, died in December 2011 he left a country in dire economic straits -- the result of a “military first” policy that fed an ambitious missile and nuclear programme at the expense of a malnourished population. Some observers initially saw a glimmer of reformist hope in his Swiss-educated heir who, soon after he took over, made several public statements on the need to improve living standards.

Instead, Kim Jong-Un has followed his father’s military lead, overseeing a long-range rocket launch and a third atomic test, and engaging in an intense bout of global brinkmanship that has included threatening the US with nuclear attack. On Wednesday, the North showed the priority of military over economic strategy as it blocked access to South Koreans working in the Kaesong joint industrial complex -- a key hard currency earner for Pyongyang. But analysts note that along with all the bellicose rhetoric, Kim has continued to stress the need for economic development, albeit with little or no details about how it might best be achieved. Kim presided over a meeting Sunday of the ruling party’s top leadership which formulated a “new strategic line” of simultaneous economic and nuclear weapons development. State media touted this as an organic progression from Kim Jong-Il’s military-first strategy and clearly attributed it to the “steadfast will” of Kim Jong-Un. Where, if anywhere, it will lead is still unclear, but Pak’s appointment could be viewed as an attempt to give the economic side of the dual policy some weight and credibility. A senior South Korean government official on Tuesday cited the selection of a premier

“with an economic background” as a sign of North Korea’s “willingness to engage” in genuine economic development. “But whether it’s really a good sign is something we have yet to see,” the official said in a briefing for foreign reporters. Jeung Young-Tae, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, said Pak’s promotion might only be symbolic, “but it’s a symbol that mirrors the need for economic construction” outlined at the party meeting. “It suggests, albeit to a limited degree, that the North may be wanting to create a more efficient internal economic system,” Jeung said. Pak, who previously served

as prime minister from 2003-07, is best known as the architect of Chinese-style market reform measures issued a year before he assumed office. The measures envisaged changes in food distribution and price-fixing mechanisms and more autonomy for state enterprises. As premier, Pak was responsible for pushing these reforms, which prompted the emergence and spread of private markets. But influential officials in the party and military viewed such reforms as a threat, and a backlash ensued which included a disastrous, inflationary currency reform intended to wipe out the profits of the new private traders.

EDITORIALS Pakistan: When democracy goes wrong Summer of cricket begins

hey took birth a day before us. Yet they are in no way ahead of us as should be an entity that enjoyed an early start. Would the founders of Pakistan ever have forseen the present situation, then? A nation that ﬂounders in the dark, one of the chief hubs of global terror, a nation that despite being an Islamic state promised equality to one and all but always failed in its vows, that ploughed on with the intense desire to outsmart their neighbour, only to be corrupted and stray from its purpose following numerous setbacks from their plots of hate. Now a survey is out that shows that the efforts of those that built Pakistan was in vain. The survey by the British Council found 96 per cent of the Pakistanis thought that the nation was going in the wrong direction. Even more disturbing is that more than half of the youth think that the country should be run like a Khalifate. They think democracy has been the bane of the nation and they would prefer military dictatorship to democracy. Imagine the fate and fortunes of a nation whose youth thought thus? Pakistan is an excellent example of what things would be like if democracy goes wrong. Musharraf would be pleased to hear this.

READERS’ VIEWS

ith show of bling and fancy steps of Bollywood stars starts the carnival of cricket, IPL Season 6. This has become an occasion where the whole nation tunes into cheer for their team, but above all to celebrate cricket. Before us lies days of sixes and fours, of bowled and catches, of freehits and super-overs, of controversies and rows and pitched battles. Enjoy.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

Cinema

AWAY FROM PRYING EYES Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry wants to block photographers from capturing unauthorised pictures of celebrity children, reports nypost.com. She is reaching out to her famous friends, including Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, for the initiative, said a source.

ACTION SPEAKS LOUDEST

awan Kalyan, Shruti Haasan starrer Gabbar Singh turned out to be a box-office rage upon its release in 2012. The hype surrounding the film had touched the sky before its release and the fact that it went on to become the biggest hit in Pawan Kalyan’s career and one of the biggest hits ever in Telugu cinema history made the feat all the more special. A remake of Dabangg, the film had Pawan Kalyan playing a dashing cop who plays by his own rules. Pawan Kalyan’s dialogues, action, songs and an ‘anthakshari’ episode in the film’s second half got rave reviews too. Pawan Kalyan’s fans had been waiting for almost a decade for a moment like this and the celebrations that ensued post the film’s phenomenal success continued for a long time. The film also made Shruti Haasan and director Harish Shankar hot property in Tollywood.

Box-office Baadshahs

HEMANTH KUMAR hemanth.k@postnoon.com

SIMHA After faction-based action dramas like Samarasimha Reddy and Narasimha Naidu which released between 1999 and 2001, it took Balakrishna nine more years to taste the kind of success which reflected his popularity among the masses. Simha, directed by Boyapati Sreenu, turned out to be one of the best films and biggest hits in Balakrishna’s career. He played a double role and it was his role as a doctor, a descendant of a royal family in Bobbili, who takes up arms to fight against the atrocities of a rival family that got a thundering response. Dialogues in the film’s second half were received quite well and the stylised action sequences in the first half were a far cry from the usual stuff which Balakrishna had been doing till then.

AADI

‘C

hinna, Okka saari thoda kottu chinna (Slap your thigh once, boy)’ — a henchman tells NTR, while coaxing him to take up a cause which had led to his parents’ death several years ago. NTR obliges and at that precise moment there’s lightning in the backdrop. That scene was not only the turning point in NTR-starrer Aadi, directed by VV Vinayak, but also the actor’s career. Student No 1 was the only noticeable film which NTR had acted in prior to Aadi’s release in 2002 and nobody had a clue what was in store for them when they went to watch Aadi. NTR stunned everyone with that one film and Tollywood had found a new star in him. High adrenaline action, great dialogues and above all, NTR’s acting in a role which was larger than life were more than enough to propel NTR into super stardom.

SCREEN POOPERS POKIRI

‘E

vadu kodithe dhimma tirigi mind block avuthundho, vaade Pandu gaadu (When your head spins and you suffer a mental block after a punch, that punch is from Pandu)’ — a popular dialogue from Mahesh Babu, Ileana starrer Pokiri had people hooting all the way across the state in the summer of 2006. Directed by Puri Jagannadh, the film had Mahesh Babu playing an undercover cop to put an end to gangsters in Hyderabad. After a week of its release, the word of mouth about the film was so good that the film ran to packed houses for nearly three months. Puri Jagannadh’s dialogues and Mahesh Babu’s lackadaisical attitude throughout the film got a big thumbs up from the audience and not to forget, Ileana, who played the lead role, became a heartthrob overnight. Pokiri was Mahesh Babu’s biggest hit till that point of time and the film became so popular that it paved way for hordes of MNCs approaching Mahesh Babu to endorse their brands.

KHUSHI

he ‘Bengal Tiger Siddhu, Siddharatha Roy roared in summer of 2001 and how! In late 90s, Pawan Kalyan had emerged as the youth icon, thanks to films like Tholiprema, Thammudu and Badri which were all huge hits. However, it was SJ Suryah’s Khushi which cemented his place as the ‘Powerstar’ of Telugu cinema. Pawan Kalyan starred as a Calcutta-based college student who comes to study in Hyderabad, where he meets Madhu (Bhumika Chawla). They fall in love but their egos become a major hurdle in their relationship. The film redefined the style quotient of Telugu cinema back in early 2000s and every move of Pawan Kalyan, in this film, was imitated by his fans. Pawan Kalyan even got a chance to sport a katana and show some cool Isshin-Ryu, a Japanese martial art form, in the action sequences. Mani Sharma’s music was a huge asset but the film truly belonged to Pawan Kalyan.

In wrong ‘company’ What has happened to the tough, brooding man’s image that Ajay Devgn boasted a few years ago? As if it wasn’t enough torture seeing him in Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal series and Bol Bachchan that Devgn, the ‘action’ hero, went ahead and sold his soul to star in Himmatwala. It’s saddening to see a once-upon-a-time Omkara and Malik (Company) do a Himmatwala. Mr Devgn, please don’t become Akshay Kumar 2.0, one clown in the industry is more than enough!

A ‘teeny-weeny’ ambition Nargis Fakhri is back making headlines these days. The 33-year-old ‘actress’ is ecstatic about her latest bikini escapades for the GQ India magazine cover. Now, that’s what true ambition is made of! The actress, who made her debut in Rockstar, has long overcome her failure to make an impact in the world of acting and hopefully, after her next release — Madras Cafe opposite John Abraham — she’d be over acting altogether.

TRENDING...

Katie Holmes’ representative has shot down reports that the actress went on a date with movie producer Rick Schwartz, insisting Holmes met Schwartz to talk about business. There were reports that she enjoyed a date with the producer earlier this week, reported Ace Showbiz.

Himmatwala has earned `31.14 crore in the opening weekend and with the film’s success director Sajid Khan’s prediction has come true. Before the release of the film, he had said: “I don’t read reviews. I do not want any stars. Whenever critics pan my film, it does well at the box office.”

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

spotlight

MIDWEEK MADNESS

Two pubs in the city 10 Downing Street and Kismet are hosting Ladiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Night tonight. So, gang up with your girl pals and head to these pub to let your hair down.

FUN NIGHT

Party time

With the house DJ spinning the latest thumping tracks, party peeps took it to the dance floor and had a blast at Kismet. Spotted were Nitya, Khushboo and others. 1

Splash of colour 6

Actress Amala Akkineni and MLA Jayasudha launched Ugadi collection by fashion designer Usha Raghunathan at Singhanias store, Banjara Hills. New collection includes silk and cotton sarees.

1 Pooja

5 Farah

8 Lovely, Sheetal

2 Neha 3 Kriti

6 Neha, Rimmi,

9 Khushboo 10 Nitya

4 Arunima

Pratima 7 Nupur

BLUE SKY

Buddha statue at Hussain Sagar was lit up blue on the occasion of World Autism Day on April 2.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

health

MONUMENTS TURN BLUE FOR AUTISM AWARENESS To spread autism awareness in the city, six historic monuments were lit up in blue lights Tuesday on World Autism Awareness Day yesterday. Historical monuments including Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb, Safdarjung Tomb, Purana Quila, Jantar Mantar and Qutab Minar were lit up.

SUMMER DO’S AND DON’TS Cold Water

Ice creams and yoghurt

Drink a lot of water and if you doubt the quality of the tap water, buy bottled water. Dehydration can be sometimes sudden and devastating. Keep your fridge well-stocked with water mixed with lemon and sugar, milk shakes, etc. Coconut water and fresh fruit juices can also help you stay fit. Green tea, suggested by most dieticians and nutritionists, are a healthy option. Dr Ali says, “During summers, every individual must try and follow a liquid diet. Try and consume sugar-free products as far as possible; avoid cappuccinos, mochas and aerated drinks. Avoid cocktails and cut down on alcohol consumption; most cannot do without a dose of their poison. Moderation is the key here.” Also try and skip the ice as it’s sometimes unhygienic.

Most of us like to believe that ice creams offer us that succour from the blistering heat, but the comfort that it offers is shortlived, apart from the calories it packs. Too much icy food and cold drinks can cause diarrhoea and indigestion. Ice cream also speeds up the gastrointestinal tract, so organs cannot properly absorb nutrition. Think of other desserts such as custard or fruits. Another extremely healthy option is yoghurt. Now-a-days, it is no longer plain curd; yoghurts now come in a lot of fruity flavours, even ones like chocolate, berry, caramel and vanilla. It provides one with the essential protein while keeping taste in mind and also helps keep your digestive system running smoothly .

A bottle of soda and a juicy burger might seem very enticing in summer, but with the mercury rising, this sort of food can do a lot of harm. We talk about what best suits your plate this summer. Dr Sunitha Sapur, director of Akshaya foundation, advises: n

Don’t consume too much of hot, spicy and salty foods. Spicy and oily food is generally not tolerated by the body during summers. Avoid fried foods likes fries, samosas, burgers and fried chicken. Proteins and fat take a long time to digest and if you must have it, be sure to balance it with enough fluid intake. Completely avoiding any food group is also not recommended. A lot of people express their apprehension regarding certain foods that generate heat in the body. It’s perfectly ok to avoid them, but make sure they are compensated for in the form of liquids.

ANEWS PP-LYBRIEFS YOURSELF

FLEME VARKEY

fleme.v@postnoon.com

WHAT’S ON

YOUR MENU?

HOUSECALL

Health4Me

Oral thrush

The UnitedHealthcare Health4Me mobile application is designed to help you manage your health care easier and faster. Whether you want to ﬁnd physicians near you, check the status of a claim or estimate your health care costs, Health4Me is your go-to resource for everything related to your health.

Oral thrush, also known as candidiasis, is an infection of the mouth caused by a yeast called Candida albicans. It usually causes white, creamy or yellow raised spots on the surface of the pink membranes in the mouth, sometimes described as having a 'cottage-cheese' or 'curd-like' appearance, and can be confused with milk residues on a baby's tongue. The spots can be scraped off, leaving a tender, red area beneath.

DID YOU KNOW? Humans glow in the dark It was revealed by ultrasensitive cameras that our bodies emit tiny amounts of light that are too weak for the human eye to detect. Amazing pictures of "glittering" human bodies were released by Japanese scientists who have captured the ﬁrst ever images of human ‘bioluminescence’.

Fruits and Greens Doctors have always advised us to pay attention to eating fruits and leafy greens. Dr Nishat Ali, a nutritionist, explains, “When it’s hot outside, we inevitably look for cooler substances to ease our discomfort. But sometimes, people tend to go overboard looking for all things cool. In fruits, watermelons, oranges, lemon, mangoes, cantaloupes, pineapples, papayas and coconut water can do a whole lot of good. Fruits have approximately 80-90 per cent water, natural sugars and give you a healthy, radiant looking skin as well. In salads, spinach, celery, cucumber, lettuce, zucchini, shallots etc are healthy options.” But what most people do is that though they eat salads, they eat it the wrong way, topping it with cheese, mayonnaise, sauces, cream and a whole lot of unhealthy dressing which packs in the calories and makes one feel sluggish as well, she cautions. Increase your consumption of raw foods and ease up on dishes that require long cooking techniques like roasting, braising and baking. When you do cook, opt for the quick stir-fry or grill at high temperatures.

PIONEERS William Osler Abbott William Osler Abbott was a United States physician. His most notable contribution to the ﬁeld of medicine was his part in the development of the MillerAbbott tube, used in decompression and stenting of the small intestine, alongside Thomas Grier Miller, and also for devising the Abbot Rawson tube. Abbot received his MD in 1928 from the University of Pennsylvania. He died of myelogenous leukemia in 1943.

health WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

BREAKTHROUGH

GOOD FOODS

Gene associated with epilepsy identified

Walnuts can slash diabetes risk by a quarter: Study

Australian researchers say this breakthrough could lead to earlier diagnosis in people who don’t have a family history of the condition. SYDNEY: An Australia-led study has identified a gene associated with a common form of epilepsy which could lead to earlier diagnosis, a researcher said Tuesday. Melbourne University academic Ingrid Scheffer said a number of genes linked to epilepsy were known to scientists, but these related to rare families in which a large number of members had the condition. “The reason that this discovery is very important is that it’s not just for rare families, we think it will be a gene that will be important for people without a family history,” Scheffer told AFP. “So it’s changing the game in terms of being important for a much broader number of people with focal epilepsy.” Focal, or partial, seizures start in one part of the brain and affect the part of the body controlled by that part of the brain. Scheffer said a clinical diagnosis could not be made for epilepsy without seizures of some kind but the finding could aid genetic counselling and diagnosis — particularly in cases where everything else in the brain is normal. “When you have epilepsy, people always say, ‘Why have I got this?’ And this is the next level, which is the gene test,” she said. “So they will be able to be tested for this gene, and that’s important in terms

A clinical diagnosis could not be made for epilepsy without seizures but the finding could aid genetic counselling. of understanding the cause, in terms of treatment, and hopefully, this will one day help outcomes. “And it’s also important in terms of genetic counselling for their own children,” she said, meaning people would be able to assess the risk for their own offspring if they were found to have the gene. The research comes after new gene detection techniques allowed scientists to pinpoint the abnormality, finding it in 12 per cent of the 80 families studied, in which one or more members had epilepsy. “That’s huge to find a gene that picks up 12 per cent, 12 per cent of the common cause of epilepsy,” Scheffer said. “I think that it means that if you look at anybody with focal epilepsy — without an abnormality on their MRIs, what we call a structural abnormality — my guess is that it will be 2-4 per cent of them will have this cause.” The research, published in the April issue of the journal Nature Genetics, also involved scientists in Europe and Canada. Most families studied were Australian, but the group included some from Spain, Israel, Italy and elsewhere, he said. AFP

LONDON: Eating walnuts two or three times a week can lower the risk of developing type two diabetes in women by almost a quarter, research has claimed. Researchers studied nearly 1,40,000 women in the US and found that those who ate a 28gm packet of walnuts at least twice a week were 24 per cent less likely to develop type two diabetes than those who rarely ate them. While previous research has shown the anti-diabetic effects of walnuts, the study is believed to be one of the largest to find that regularly snacking on them can help prevent the condition. Although the latest research was conducted on women, it’s likely that the same benefits apply to men, researchers said. Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, tracked 1,37,893 nurses aged from 35 to 77 over a tenyear period to see how many developed type two diabetes, The Telegraph reported. Their dietary habits were closely monitored, including details on how often they ate nuts, particularly walnuts. After allowing for body fat and weight, the researchers found eating walnuts one to three times a month curbed the risk by four per cent, once a week by 13 per cent and at least twice a week by 24 per cent. “Our results suggest higher walnut consumption is associated with a significantly lower risk of type two diabetes in women,” researchers said in the study published in the Journal of Nutrition. PTI

study

Changes in food habits can impact genes W A S H I N G T O N : Scientists have shown in new research that dietary changes are linked to alterations in gene expressions that could affect overall health and physiology. Even the most healthconscious eaters find themselves indulging in junk

foods from time to time. New research by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) raises the striking possibility that even small amounts of these occasional indulgences may produce significant changes in gene expression that could negatively impact physiolo-

gy and health. A pair of papers published by AJ Marian Walhout, PhD, co-director of the Program in Systems Biology and professor of molecular medicine at UMMS, describe how metabolism and physiology are connected to diet.

Using C.elegans, a transparent roundworm often used as a model organism in genetic studies, Walhout and his colleagues observed how different diets produce differences in gene expression in the worm that can then be linked to crucial physiological changes. IANS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

Entertainment CINE BYTES

ALL IN THE FAMILY

R Kochadaiyaan heads to Cannes!

he ﬁrst teaser of Rajinikanth, Deepika Padukone starrer Kochadaiyaan will be screened at Cannes, if the latest buzz is to be believed. Soundarya Rajinikanth has directed this ﬁlm and KS Ravikumar has written the script. Apparently, the team is keen on reaching out to a wider audience on a global level. A R Rahman has scored the music.

ight from the early days of his career, NTR has been imitating his grandfather and legendary actor Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, especially the latter’s dance moves. After a long time, we hear that NTR is going to pay an ode to his grandfather in his upcoming film Baadshah. According to the latest buzz surrounding the film, NTR has danced for some popular tracks from his grandfather’s films in

one of the scenes in Baadshah. All these songs will be part of a sangeet scene in the film which lasts for five minutes and one of the songs is said to be Atta Madugu Vagulona from the film Kondaveeti Simham. Moreover, NTR’s name in Baadshah is Rama Rao which has given director Sreenu Vaitla ample scope to drop references to NTR’s grandfather. A trailer which was unveiled recently has fuelled the hype surrounding the film by a big margin

and Baadshah is expected to take a humongous opening upon its release on April 5. Although the film is set in a mafia backdrop, Sreenu Vaitla has promised a rollicking entertainer replete with comedy and family drama. All the songs from the film have become quite popular and currently two songs Diamond Girl and Banthipoola Janaki have been topping the charts. Baadshah is expected to release in more than 80 screens in Hyderabad alone and in

countries like US, UK, Canada and Australia, it’s going to be the biggest release ever in NTR’s career. Last year, although NTR starrer Dhammu released with huge hype, it couldn’t sustain the momentum, but this year, Baadshah is the first major film to hit the screens this summer and it has a clear road ahead for at least two weeks to make a killing at the box office. The positive prerelease buzz about the film will ensure just that.

Greekuveerudu’s audio launch today

he audio of Nagarjuna’s upcoming ﬁlm Greekuveerudu is going to be held in a grand way in Shilpa Kala Vedika later today. Nayanthara is playing the lead role opposite Nagarjuna in this romantic entertainer. Dasarath has directed it and D Sivaprasad Reddy has produced it. SS Thaman has scored the music.

Srikanth, Meghana team up again

rikanth and Meghana, who had earlier acted in a film titled Lucky, are teaming up once again for an upcoming action film. Journalist turned filmmaker Prabhu is going to direct the film and Raja Rajeshwari Sreenivas Reddy is going to produce it. This untitled film is going to be launched in Hyderabad on April 5. Sai Karthik will score the music.

NTR to pay an ode to his NTR?

Entertainment WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

A COMPLIMENT

CINE BYTES

ctor Vidyut Jamwal is already in news for his daredevil action stunts in upcoming movie Commando, and he was further elated when a real life commando called and praised him for his work. “My father was in the armed forces, and I felt that it was my responsibility to showcase a commando’s life the right way. To get a pat on the back from a true blue commando of the Indian forces was extremely encouraging and reassuring,” Vidyut said in a statement. “I am so happy and humbled to represent the brave soldiers who protect our borders and fight for us,” he added. Directed by Dilip Ghosh, Commando has been produced by Vipul Shah and Vidyut, 27, plays the lead role in the movie. Pooja Chopra plays female lead in the movie. Releasing April 12, the movie will show the softer side of Vidyut, who falls in love with Pooja’s character. Vidyut entered Bollywood as villain in 2011 movie Force. IANS

Shilpa turns designer for Rajasthan Royals

ollywood actress Shilpa Shetty has used her fashion instincts to design a new ‘ofﬁcial fan wear collection’ for her Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals, in association with apparel brand Provogue. The idea behind the line is to embody suave and sophisticated, yet youthful and fun dressing at the same time. IANS

Vipul wants to direct Akshay, Vidyut

WHEN A REAL COMMANDO PRAISED REEL-LIFE COMMANDO

VIDYUT

irector-producer Vipul Shah has expressed a desire to make an action ﬁlm with Akshay Kumar and Vidyut Jamwal. “I would love to write a script where I could have Akshay Kumar and Vidyut Jamwal together. It would be fantastic to see both Akshay, the superstar of action, and Vidyut, the new generation of action hero, doing something together. It would be amazing,” Shah said here. PTI

I don’t work out for six pack abs: Sunny Deol

is name might not feature in the six pack ab list but actor Sunny Deol says just because he never flaunts his muscles does not mean he is not a fitness freak. “I have always been a fitness freak but I am not here to work for six packs and gloat about muscles, that is not who I am. When I joined this industry, that time action was really action. There were no safeties for stunts, no cables,” he said. PTI

Entertainment WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

NO RESERVATIONS

CINE BYTES

Mira Nair attracted

SCHREIBER to 'The Reluctant...

ctor Liev Schreiber, who plays an American journalist in Mira Nair's The Reluctant Fundamentalist, says the urge to work with the US-based Indian filmmaker was the first attraction for him to sign the movie. "To be honest, what initially attracted me was Mira. She was someone I admired and was eager to work with, on anything," Schreiber said in a statement. The film is a big screen adaptation of Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid's eponymous bestseller. "Then I read Mohsin's book and I felt it was a really timely piece, and provocative in a way I was drawn to and even incendiary a little bit, in a way I think is healthy," said the Scream fame actor. Set in the post-9/11 period, The Reluctant Fundamentalist is about a young man chasing corporate success on Wall Street struggling between his American dream, a hostage crisis, and the enduring call of his family's homeland. Apart from Schreiber, the film stars Kate Hudson, Kiefer Sutherland, Riz Ahmed, Shabana Azmi and Om Puri. The movie will release in India in May. IANS

Orlando to don the ‘Romeo’ hat

eginning August 24, Lord of the Rings star Orlando Bloom will make his Broadway debut in a production of Romeo and Juliet, as the male lead. His co-star will be the Tony-nominated daughter of actress Phylicia Rashad, Condola Rashad, the New York Times reports.

Drinking felt naughty: Hudgens

ctress Vanessa Hudgens has admitted she felt "naughty" when she drank in her youth. The 24-yearold explained she couldn't really relate to her role in 2012 movie Spring Breakers, which follows a group of college girls on their spring vacation who get caught up with a drug dealer, because she and her friends are "very tame".

Baldwin's early birthday surprise

ctor Alec Baldwin was surprised to get an early birthday part by someone special. Baldwin will turn 55 today, but he ended up celebrating it earlier. He shared the moment with his fans through a picture on Twitter. The picture had him holding a bowl of fruit decorated with lit candles. “Someone special put together an early birthday party for me,” Baldwin wrote. IANS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

Chai Time

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

Impatience is a great obstacle to success; he who treats everything with brusqueness gathers nothing, or only immature fruit which will never ripen. Napoleon Bonaparte

KAKURO

QUICK CROSSWORD

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 Lobster’s pincer 5 Hawaiian skirt material 10 Nose-wrinkling stimulus 14 Alphabetic symbol of yore 15 Symphonically slow 16 Handle hassles 17 Hand cream ingredient 18 Not bottled 19 2000 title role for Julia 20 Content of some shells 22 Contaminate, as water 23 Hoped-for response to ‘Will you marry me?’ 24 Spooky meetings 26 Readily flexible 30 Kind of suit or engineer 31 Words after ‘bend’ or ‘lend’ 32 Carbon-dating estimate 33 It may be big or bright 37 ‘It’s fine as it is’ 38 Wrecks 40 Trail mix components 41 Tornado-riding dog 42 ___ Arbor, Mich 43 Hardwood tree 44 Unwanted sound 46 Like a farm smell 47 Permission to search 50 Tit for ___ 51 Emotionally distant 52 Lid colorer 58 Ballet outfit 59 New Zealand aborigine 60 ‘All ___!’ (court phrase) 61 Plumber’s challenge 62 Bring forth 63 Hardly height-challenged 64 Unlikely fable loser 65 ___ Cup (golf trophy) 66 Parking-meter feature

DOWN

1 Rugged outcropping 2 A real doozy 3 Author credited on many poems 4 Turn on the waterworks 5 Menacing look 6 Rips to pieces 7 Start a hand 8 Aries or Scorpio, eg 9 Dip, as bread in gravy 10 Titanic, for example 11 Like some Greek columns 12 Offer a thought 13 Payments to a landlord 21 Open hearing, in law 22 James Clavell best seller ‘___-Pan’ 25 Times for celebrating 26 Have stamina 27 Look ___ (explore) 28 Athletic competition 29 LSU site 30 ‘Dressed to Kill’ star Michael 34 Song for two 35 Inscribe indelibly 36 Covered with soot, eg 38 Drought ender 39 Wavering 43 Something to draw 45 Clumsy person 46 Not as complicated 47 Wrist timepiece 48 Bebop follower of the 1950s? 49 Apache topper 50 Third monastic hour 53 ‘___ better watch out ...’ 54 They may be fine or performing 55 ‘___ M for Murder’ 56 It was formerly Christiania 57 Whip mark 59 The sea, to the French

Chai Time WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 4-4-2013

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

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Avoid luxurious expenses to avoid future financial problems. Drastic changes are likely in your lifestyle. While expressing your opinions you need to consider the place and time into consideration to avoid misunderstanding about you.

STRIP TEASE AGNES

Happy events are likely to take place at home. Good financial flow will improve your position from weak to strong. Your social status is likely to see an upward trend. Some have bright chance to buy a new house or land.

Unwanted confusions and apprehensions are likely to make you upset. Consult with your close friends, well wishers and elders of the family to avoid such problems. Your impartial stand will bring you a good name.

You need to be cautious before taking up any type of assignments to avoid unexpected troubles or hurdles. However help from relatives and brothers will help you at a right time. House maintenance works are to be undertaken without fail.

You will make surprising strides in your life which will make other to feel jealous of you and their efforts to create trouble to you will not be successful. However, you are advised to keep away from participating in social works.

You will get promising opportunities which will help in improving your life comforts. Your involvement and shrewdness will bring you desired results. You will plan to renovate the house for good comforts and will be successful.

Your creative thoughts are likely to take a shape and get implemented. Misunderstanding you had with some of the close relatives will disappear. Your suggestions will be accepted by everyone in the family.

Enemies will be nowhere as you will gain strong and upper hand. You will be straight forward in your actions and plans. Make your talks to be purposeful. A long pending work will be completed which will bring cheer to you and family.

You will be upset with the irresponsible comments from friends and relatives. Though your talks look matured and acceptable, avoid talking in unwanted occasions. Repair in the vehicle need to be attended immediately.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail. com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

The Fool – You have been taking care of your body well of lately. Paying attention to diet and exercise is reaping good results. Go easy on yourself.

LEO:

Ten of Pentacles – You get a lot of satisfaction by doing things for other people. It may be charity in the simplest of forms but it makes you proud. Keep it going.

LIBRA:

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

Five of Wands – Justice will be done. For that, you have to be patient and not do anything that will add to more problems or create more confusion.

SAGITTARIUS:

The Hermit – Be careful of your keys, cellphone and other small but very important objects you keep with you all the time. Keep it in a bag.

TAURUS:

The Sun – You have tremendous energy and this is coming from inner self-motivation. Use this energy to accomplish some important tasks.

CANCER:

Three of Pentacles – Think sharp and clear about your next moves, especially in career. Where there are ambitious people, there will be office politics.

VIRGO:

Two of Wands – You need to play the game that others expect you to play. Life can be simple if your needs are simple. Alas, we live in a complex work of desire.

SCORPIO:

Two of Swords – You may feel as though you are being made the victim of something you do not even know. Don’t feel pressurized to act offensive.

CAPRICORN:

Ten of Swords – Work-life balance needs attention. Be strict and disciplined about stopping work when office hours are over.

PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

The Emperor – Happiness is within kissing distance if you only alter your perspective a little bit. There are many ways to look at the same situation.

NUMBER GAME

Don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it. It is a sign of a strong, stable and secure person who knows that one cannot be expected to do all.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: Six of Wands –

POOCH CAFE

New efforts will face a delay to get completed successfully. Avoid trying to live a luxurious life but safeguard whatever you possess at the moment carefully. Younger blood relatives will extend their possible and best help.

for 4-4-2013

Page of Wands – Organise your time in a way that you optimize the time spent at work. Start by creating a time table and sticking to it.

NON SEQUITUR

Avoid interfering into others’ personal issues as you are likely to land in trouble. Also avoid talking about resolved issues again with blood relatives. Be careful while driving and undertaking journey. Some might shift to a better house.

SUDUKO

Good effects are going to pour upon you. Comforts will increase with regard to house and vehicle. Younger brothers will improve with their hard work. Your son also will get a good career opportunity and will try to continue studies.

Boggle ANGOLA ALBANIA ARGENTINA AUSTRALIA Vol: 2, No 257 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

Entertainment WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

FUTURE INTERESTS

CINE BYTES

Jolie opens All-Girls school in Afghanistan

ngelina Jolie’s big heart has made an even bigger difference: The Unhcr Goodwill ambassador exclusively conﬁrms to E! News that she has opened a school in Afghanistan. Jolie chose to fund the girls-only primary school in an area just outside of Kabul, a region that traditionally favours boys’ education over girls’.

Heidi Klum saves son Henry from drowning

eidi Klum is counting her blessings. While vacationing in Oahu, Hawaii, March 31, the German supermodel’s 7year-old son, Henry, was swept away in a large riptide along with two nannies. Klum, 39, and her bodyguard boyfriend Martin Kirsten sprang to action and saved the trio from drowning.

Beyoncé covering Amy for The Great Gatsby

hloë Moretz, at just 16 years , has already participated in a bevy of thematically grim and/or bleakly-titled work — films like Today You Die, The Amityville Horror, Wicked Little Things, Kick-Ass, Texas Killing Fields, Let Me In, Dark Shadows, and the upcoming Carrie remake. It stands to reason shell sign on to join Charlize Theron in an adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s Dark Places. If you’ve read the novel, Moretz is eyeing the role of Diondra. If you haven’t read the novel, Moretz is still eyeing that same role.

eyoncé is going to do a Great job covering an Amy Winehouse hit. E! News can exclusively reveal that the Single Ladies hitmaker has teamed up with Andre 3000 for a duet of the late singer’s Back to Black for the soundtrack of the upcoming remake of The Great Gatsby.

sports

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

LEAGUE CRICKET A4-11 division one day LNCC 90 (Sudhir 3/11) lost to United CC 93/5 A institution one day Central Excise 179/9 (Sanjay 106, Jatin Mehta 3/33) tied with IAC 179/7 (Prabhu Kiran 62, Subba Rao 4/62) Hyderbad Industries 111/6 (Nicholas 31) lost to IDL 112/8 (Nandakishore 31no, Ashok 4/32, Srikanth 3/15) ECIL 127/9 (Vijay Kumar 48, Chaitanya 4/50) bt APSEB 124 (Shekar 4/29, Vijay 3/39) VST 178/8 (Praya Raj 33, Sandeep 38, Amarnath 4/38) bt National Insurance 115 (MD Anees 5/11, Srinivas 3/18) HAL 199/5 (Venkat 61, Sandeep 80 n.o.) bt HMWS&SB 84 (Somaraju 4/10). BHEL 211/5 (Razique Khan 81, Sunil 51 n.o.) bt AP High Court 81 (Sreenivas 4/6) Vidyuth Soudha 153/5 (B Srinivas Rao 60) bt NFC 117 (Hasham 3/35, Ramakrishna 3/29).

NBA

NY Knicks down depleted Miami Heat Anthony matched his career high with 50 points to lead the Knicks to a 102-90 victory over depleted Heat. MIAMI: Carmelo Anthony matched his career high with 50 points on Tuesday to lead the New York Knicks to a 102-90 NBA victory over the injury depleted Miami Heat. Anthony made 18-of-26 from the floor, including 7-of-10 from three-point range as the Knicks pulled away in the closing stages against a Heat team that was missing LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers for the second straight game. J.R. Smith scored 14 points for New York, who won their ninth straight, while Raymond Felton contributed 10 points and nine assists. The victory was a welcome-back present for Tyson Chandler who missed 10 games with a bulging disc in his neck. With the win, New York pulled level with Indiana for the second seed in the Eastern

Tyson Chandler #6 of the New York Knicks grabs the ball against the Miami Heat during a game on Tuesday at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. AFP/NBAE 2013 NATHANIEL S. BUTLER

Conference behind the Heat with nine games remaining in the regular season. Chris Bosh, who sank a game-winning

DOPING

Russian Olympic champion Olga Kuzenkova banned

MOSCOW: Russian hammer thrower Olga Kuzenkova, the 2004 Olympic champion, has been handed a two-year ban for doping, the country’s athletics federation said on Tuesday. The federation said that the samples which Kuzenkova gave for testing at the 2005 athletics world championships in Helsinki, Finland, contained banned drugs, without elaborating. Kuzenkova’s ban was backdated to March 27, 2013 and all of her results from August 12, 2005 until August 11, 2007 were cancelled. The shot putter Svetlana Krivelyova, who won the bronze medal at 2004 Olympics, was also banned for two years from Tuesday as samples she had given in Athens also contained prohibited substances. Again, the federation did not specify the drugs. The anti-doping panel of the Russian athletics federation meanwhile said it had also banned 400m runner Yelena Churakova for two years from February 28, 2013. Her samples taken in the training camp in Portugal in January contained testosterone and methandienone.

three-pointer in San Antonio on Sunday to lift the Heat to an 8886 victory over the Spurs, once again led Miami with 23 points.

CORPORATE T20 LEAGUE Capgemini beat Cognizant HYDEABAD: The week started with 2 top teams Capgemini and Cognizant battling it out to keep their hopes on quarterfinal berth. The match started with Cognizant batting first after winning the toss. They reached 50 in only seven overs only but soon tumbled scoring just 115 runs. Capgemini chased the target easily with Mrinal unbeaten on 72. In other matches Sagarsoft beat Emulex by 3 wickets. Brief Scores: Cognizant 115/4 in 20 overs (Ravi Krishna 36) Mrinal 21/3 lost to Capgemini 121/1 in 16 overs (Mrinal 72) Emulex 110 in 16 overs (Pavan 26) Sampath 17/3, Suresh 15/3 lost to Sagarsoft 111/6 in 15 overs (Satheesh 34) Net Cracker 148/7 in 20 Overs (Ashish 46) bt Yashoda Hos[itals 80 in 15 overs Naresh 12/5 Prime Ki 76 in 14 overs Praveeth 8/3 lost to Sew 78/1 in 8 overs (Praveeth 38) World View 179/6 in 20 overs (Rahul 55) bt Meta Mind 62 in 15 overs Vikas 13/4 NMDC 110 in 20 overs (Mustaq 39) Arjun 21/5 lost to Vast 113/3 in 15 overs (Gnany 51).

SPORTS BRIEFS NBA Referee Willard dies of cancer at 54 NEW YORK: Greg Willard, a referee who officiated more than 1,600 NBA games, died on Monday night after a battle with pancreatic cancer, the league announced on Tuesday. He was 54 years old. Willard refereed 1,494 regular-season games, 136 playoff games, the 2006 NBA All-Star Game in Houston and two games in the NBA Finals. In tribute to Willard, all NBA officials will wear wristbands or patches with his jersey number, 57, for the remainder of the NBA season. Ther-

e will also be a moment of silence at all games Tuesday and Wednesday for Willard. “The entire NBA family joins me in mourning the loss of one of our own,” NBA commissioner David Stern said. “Greg touched all those with whom he came in contact thanks to his extraordinary spirit, dedication and hard work. “As a Finals referee, he reached the highest level of his profession while at the same time demonstrating a strong commitment to his family and his community.”

‘Doping doctor’ denies charges as case concludes

(FILES) Olga Kuzenkova of Russia throws the hammer in the women’s hammer throw final at the Seiko Super track and field meet in Yokohama on September 19, 2005. Russian hammer thrower Olga Kuzenkova, the 2004 Olympic champion, has been handed a two-year ban for doping, the country’s athletics federation said on Tuesday. AFP/KAZUHIRO NOGI

Russia has long been considered a black spot in world antidoping, with a string of athletes found guilty of doping violations in recent years, but the (IOC) has said it is confident of a turnaround. Moscow will host

the World Athletics Championships this year while the Winter Olympics come to the Black Sea resort of Sochi next year, which the IOC hopes will prove a spur to more rigorous testing. AFP

MADRID: A Spanish doctor accused of being at the centre of a huge blood doping racket in cycling on Tuesday denied endangering the health of his clients, as evidence in the high-profile case concluded. “In my 35-year long medical career I have never prejudiced the health of my patients, nor have I ever been aware of damage I have caused to one of my patients,” Eufemiano Fuentes told the court in Madrid. “The objective that I always pursue as a doctor is

to protect the health of others, not to prejudice it.” Fuentes, his sister and three other co-accused are on trial charged with endangering public health for the manner in which they extracted, transfused, stored and transported blood belonging to a number of top professional cyclists. Earlier Fuentes’ lawyer, Tomas Valdivieso, said that his client did not deserve an exemplary two-year sentence as had been called for by the prosecution, but rather one that complied with the law.

sports

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

FAMILY CIRCLE CUP

Serena wins opener Serena beat Camila Giorgi 6-2, 6-3 in

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA: World No. 1 Serena Williams served nine aces Tuesday during her first match this season on clay, beating Italy’s Camila Giorgi 6-2, 6-3 at the $795,000 WTA Family Circle Cup. Williams did not commit a double fault but took full advantage of 12 by her 85th-ranked rival to win after 82 minutes in her first match since capturing the WTA Miami crown last Saturday by beating Maria Sharapova in the final. “It wasn’t great for me — I played well, but I wasn’t great, footing-wise," Williams said of the switch from the hard courts of Miami to the clay courts of Charleston. “I was just trying to get my stability. I only had one or two days of practice. But I felt good. I’m glad I came here and hope I can get ready for what can hopefully be another good clay court season." Next in the path of Williams, who was among eight top seeds to receive a firstround bye, is a third-round match

her first match.

against either Germany’s 15th-seeded Sabine Lisicki or US qualifier Mallory Burdette. Others reaching the third round included Swiss Stefanie Voegele, who ousted Spanish seventh seed Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-4, and Romanian 11th seed Sorana Cirstea, who defeated Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues in a walkover. US wildcard Betha-nie Mattek-Sands rebo-unded from a marathon firstround victory on Monday to topple fourth-seeded compatriot Sloane Step-hens 6-2, 6-0 and reach the third round. Among first-round winners were Britain’s Laura Robson, who dismissed Spain’s Estrella Cabeza Candela 6-2, 6-2, and New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic, who eliminated Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.

TOUR OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY

Results 2nd rd: Stefanie Voegele bt Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-4 Serena Williams bt Camila Giorgi 6-2, 6-3 Sorana Cirstea bt Anabel Medina Garrigues walkover Jessica Pegula bt Mona Barthel (GER x8) 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 Varvara Lepchenko bt Mathilde Johansson 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 1st rd: Sabine Lisicki bt Anna Tatishvili 6-0, 6-0 Marina Erakovic bt Daniela Hantuchova 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 Vania King bt Yaroslava Shvedova 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 Julia Goerges bt Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-3 Madison Keys bt Alexandra Cadantu 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 Jelena Jankovic bt Melanie Oudin 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 Mirjana Lucic-Baroni bt Romina Oprandi 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 Laura Robson bt Estrella Cabeza Candela 6-2, 6-2

SPORTS BRIEFS

Indian shuttlers in second round

SYDNEY: Indian shuttlers Ajay Jayaram, R M V Gurusaidutt and Anand Pawar today advanced to the second round of the men’s singles event at the Australian Open Grand Prix Gold here. Veteran former national champions, Chetan Anand and Arvind Bhat, however failed to stretch their campaign at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. Top seed Lee Chong Wei of

Impey sprints to stage win VITORIA, SPAIN: South Africa’s Daryl Impey on Tuesday won the second stage of the Tour of the Basque Country but Italy’s Francesco Gavazzi, whom he beat in the sprint for the line, took the leader’s green jersey. Spain’s Angel Vicioso, who finished third on Monday, filled the same position again on the 170.2km stage from Elgoibar to Vitoria. The 28-year-old Impey was following up his second stage win in the race last year.

Malaysia defeated Bhat 21-10, 21-18 in 31 minutes while Indonesia’s Riyanto Subagja got the better of Chetan Anand 21-14 21-16 in 25 minutes. Among the ones who emerged victorious, Jayaram, seeded ninth, took less than an hour to thrash unseeded Malaysian Kwong Beng Chan 21-11 21-14 in their first ever encounter. 14th seed Pawar, though, had to struggle before beating

Arif Ramadhan of Indonesia 19-21 21-11 21-13 in 59 minutes. Jayaram and Pawar will next face South Korea’s Dong Keun Lee and Malaysian Zulfadli Zulkiffli, respectively, in the next round. Gurusaidutt, seeded 11th, took just about 15 minutes to cruch local boy Hu-Wen Chew 21-4 21-7. Gurusaidutt will next meet Suppanyu Avihingsanon of Thailand in the next round. PTI

Alok enters quarters

Helped by his teammates he held on strongly to prevail in the dash for the finish. Gavazzi replaced Australian Simon Gerrans at the top of the overall standings. The stage was marked by a solo breakaway by Amets Txurraka with the peloton swooping six kilometres from the line. Wednesday’s third stage takes the riders 164.7km from Vitoria to Trapagaran. AFP

INDORE: Former Asian champion Alok Kumar booked a berth in the knockout quarterfinal stage on the second day of the 12th Asian English Billiards Championships on Tuesday. Although all the round robin matches will end on Thursday, but in his group combination he has clearly stepped into knockout. In the match, despite losing the first game, Alok had little difficulty in defeating his compatriot Dhvaj Haria 4-1 (62-102, 101-37, 101-41, 102-09, 100-54). However, Aung Htay of Myanmar defeated the other

Indian, K Venkatesham 4-2. Leading 2-0, Aung played little loose and Venkatesham took advantage by winning third game to narrow the margin. Sniffing the danger, Aung registered century break to maintain the lead but Venkatesham again bounced back and clinched next game. However, before Venkatesham could do anything in the sixth game, Aung scored 87 points break to seal the match. Both the players from Vietnam — Nguyen Thanh Long and Nguyen Thanh Binh - won their respective matches

easily by defeating Mohd Yousef and Fan Kian Sang by identical scores 4-0. On second day of ONGC 14th Asian Under-21 Snooker championship, the break machine from China registered another century break but this time bettered the previous one by scoring 130 with 14 red clearance. Zhou constructed this break while playing against Nitesh Madan of India. Nitesh, after potting first red, played safe from where Zhou smashed a long pot and started picking balls one by one. PTI

sports

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE

Sehwag out of opener Delhi Daredevils Virender Sehwag, who is down with a back spasm, was ruled out of their IPL VI opener against Kolkata Knight Riders today. KOLKATA: Delhi Daredevils on Tuesday suffered another jolt as star opener Virender Sehwag, who is down with a back spasm, was ruled out of their IPL VI opener against Kolkata Knight Riders here today. “He is having back spasm. His doctors advised him to take rest an not to join the side in Kolkata,” a team official told PTI. The team will also miss last season’s Purple cap holder Morne Morkel, who bowled Titans to a semifinal place in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge in the South Africa domestic cricket. “They are playing semis tomorrow and if they make final (April 7) we may miss him for another game,” coach Eric Simons said. The Daredevils already have injury setback as Kevin Pietersen has been ruled out for the entire IPL season. They will also not have the services of big hitting New Zealander Jesse Ryder who was badly injured following a brutal assault at a Christchurch bar.

Media left in lurch at opening ceremony KOLKATA: The dazzling IPL 2013 opening ceremony might have enthralled the Kolkata crowd on Tuesday, but inadequate media facilities stumped hordes of scribes gathered from across the country. With no separate media facilities at the grand venue with a seating capacity of 120,000, the journalists were seated among the crowd and basic devices like laptop were not allowed to carry with them. As the ceremony began, the excited crowd stood up on their respective chairs to have a better view of the proceedings and the scribes had no choice left but to follow suit.

The scribes also faced difficulties in accessing telecommunication networks with jammers put in place. This added to the woes faced by journalists, who were already bearing the brunt of a disorganised programme. “This is so disappointing ... I am getting erratic phone signals due to the jammers. I am texting my story to my office an they are doing the needful,” a miffed Mumbai journalist said. The Salt Lake Stadium does have a spacious media box but that was being used for some other purposes by the Shah Rukh co-owned Red Chillie Entertainment Limited, the opening ceremony organisers. AFP

Gayle, Dilshan attend RCB net session

xplosive Jamaican Chris Gayle and Sri Lankan dasher Tillekratne Dilshan on Tuesday batted under lights for half an hour at the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s net practice ahead of their encounter with Mumbai Indians on April 4 at Chinnaswamy Stadium here. Gayle and Dilshan had their first net session for RCB after they had arrived yesterday late night. Both of them batted with the same vigour as they normally do out in the middle. They spanked bowlers mercilessly. Former captain Daniel Vettori, who is coming into the team after recovering from an injury, also rolled his arms over. PTI

KOLKATA: The ‘City of Joy’ opened its heart to the cricket world as a dazzling Bollywood-style opening ceremony kicked off the sixth edition of the IPL here on Tuesday, with American rapper Pitbull and superstar Shah Rukh Khan stealing the limelight. The city let its hair down with SRK, Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone grooving to the desi moves, leaving the healthy turnout at the Salt Lake Stadium enthralled. It reached a crescendo when the evening’s biggest attraction of them all, Pitbull, took to the stage. The 120,000 capacity football stadium transformed into a magical kaleidoscope of Rabindra Sangeet, Bollywood dance, songs and, above all, unfettered enthusiasm as the 2013 leg formally opened with all the nine team captains taking the ICC Spirit of Cricket Pledge, ‘Play hard, play fair’. Flying drummers, Chinese percussionists, fireworks were the some of the other attractions that were on offer for the event. After that a collection of balloons rose slowly and smoothly into the hot air above to the sound of drums, music and the cheers of people, with a performer carrying the winner’s trophy. The 1 hour and 45 minute extravaganza, which was high on entertainment, have surely made the 60,000-plus turnout forget the controversial build up cash-rich T20 league. PTI

BOWLED OVER BY BEAUTY

Deepika Padukone performs during the Pepsi Indian Premier League opening ceremony held at the Salt Lake RON GAUNTSPORTZPICS Stadium in Kolkata on the Tuesday.

CA CONTRACT

Mitchell Starc hits jackpot SYDNEY: Cricket Australia today unveiled a list of 20 contracted players for the new season amid reports that star bowler Mitchell Starc is celebrating a million dollar pay-day. With the retirements of former skipper Ricky Ponting and stalwart Mike Hussey, funds were freed up for a changing of the guard in the lucrative 2013-14 roster. Sydney’s Daily Telegraph said Starc was the big winner when the National Selection Panel (NSP) made

IPL-6 kicks off in Bollywood style

its pick. The 23-year-old left-armer broke onto the scale last season with a base deal reportedly worth Australian dollars 230,000 a year. His match-winning efforts saw him surge up the elite rankings alongside captain Michael Clarke and into the seven-figure pay bracket, the newspaper said. Starc was one of the few Australians to stand out in all three forms of the game meaning he scored highly on the complex formula used to rank top players. PTI

IN BRIEF Five lakh reward for Parveez Rasool JAMMU: Praising Parveez Rasool for his impressive performance at the national and international level, JKCA President Dr Farooq Abdullah announced a reward of Rs five lakh for the cricketer. Abdullah has announced a reward of Rs five lakh for Parveez Rasool in recognition of his outstanding performances both at the national and international level, chairman JKCA media committee Ranjeet Kalra said tonight. Abdullah in a message to Parveez, who is all set to play in the IPL for Pune Warriors team, has expressed happiness on his impressive performance this season.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

sports

SNEIJDER VINDICATED BY GALATASARAY MOVE

Galatasaray midfielder Wesley Sneijder has claimed his decision to leave Inter Milan for the Turkish champions has been vindicated by the Turkish champions run to the Champions League quarter-finals. The Dutch international left the Serie A side in January to move to Istanbul.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER FINALS

PSG salvage draw Barca appeared to have snatched the win when Xavi converted from the spot before Matuidi scored for PSG. ANDY SCOTT Agence France-Presse PARIS: Blaise Matuidi’s (bottom, #4) goal deep in stoppage time earned Paris Saint Germain a deserved 2-2 draw in in their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Barcelona at Parc des Princes here Tuesday. Barca appeared to have snatched the win when Xavi Hernandez converted from the spot in the last minute of normal time after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had cancelled out Lionel Messi’s first half opener. The penalty was awarded when PSG goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu charged out and brought

down Alexis Sanchez. Messi put the Spanish giants into a 38th minute lead when a first-time Dani Alves pass with the outside of the right boot dropped straight into his path. The finish, volleyed into the far corner, was as emphatic as Alves’ assist was sublime. This was the Argentine fourtime world footballer of the year’s 57th goal in all competitions this season. But Messi’s night came to a premature end when he suffered a right hamstring injury and failed to emerge for the second half, with Cesc Fabregas taking his place. Ibrahimovic, who had an

unhappy one season spell with Barca, put PSG back in the game when pouncing on a rebound after a Thiago Silva header in the 79th minute ricocheted off the far post. Then Matuidi popped up in the fourth minute of injury time to give PSG hope for the return leg at the Camp Nou next week. PSG had come desperately close to taking the lead inside five minutes when Ezequiel Lavezzi saw a shot from inside the area take a touch off Sergio Busquets and hit the post. The big-spending French club’s coach Carlo Ancelotti sprang a surprise when electing to start 37-year-old English star David Beckham.

‘Old lady’ shows her age in Munich Munich needed less than a minute to take the lead before Mueller grabbed Bayern’s second.

MUNICH: Bayern Munich have one foot in the Champions League semifinals after their 2-0 win at home to Juventus on Tuesday in the quarter-final, first leg clash. Munich needed less than a minute to take the lead over the Italians through a thunderous strike by Austria defender David Alaba before Germany’s Thomas Mueller grabbed Bayern’s second at the Allianz Arena with an hour gone. “It was a great game and that is a great result to take to Turin next week,” said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. With both sides top of their respective leagues, Bundesliga giants Bayern are

bidding to reach their third Champions League final in four years while Juventus have won all five of their previous European quarterfinals against German teams. But the Serie A leaders will have to produce a top performance in Turin next week if they are to maintain that record. “We know there is still the return leg to play and we can certainly hope for a comeback,” said Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo. “Obviously it’s never easy when you play away and you concede a goal after less than one minute, but Bayern played better than us for the entire 90 minutes. “It was very difficult for us to play our normal game.”

EUROPA LEAGUE

Chelsea lead English trio in Europa Of the eight teams left in the competition, Tottenham are the only club to have previously lifted the trophy. MARTYN WOOD Agence France-Presse PARIS: Chelsea will resume their quest to become the first British side to win all three major European club competitions when they host Russian hopefuls Rubin Kazan in their Europa League quarter-final first-leg tie on Thursday.

Despite a forgettable Premier League campaign, Rafael Benitez’s maligned tenure at Stamford Bridge still has the Blues in the hunt for both domestic and European silverware after Chelsea despatched rivals Manchester United on Monday to progress to the last four of the FA Cup. In Rubin, Chelsea face a side

that has already eliminated holders Atletico Madrid and one that is unbeaten in five European away games. Of the eight teams left in the competition, Tottenham are the only club to have previously lifted the trophy (1971/72 and 1983/84). Spurs host Swiss pacesetters Basel in the first leg, a pairing that ostensibly favours

Andre Villas-Boas’ men. Basel have never defeated an English side on their travels, but Manchester United’s untimely Champions League exit at the hands of the Swiss outfit last season should serve as a warning not to underestimate them. Meanwhile Newcastle, the third English team left in the

tournament, face Portuguese high-flyers Benfica in Lisbon. Manager Alan Pardew claimed his team’s European adventure has come at a cost to Newcastle’s league performances but stressed his approach wouldn’t change even with the club’s top-flight status still not assured for next season.