Postnoon E-Paper for April 4th 2013 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 HYDERABAD

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

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32 PAGES

PRIVATE SCHOOLS GIVE RTE ACT THE THUMBS DOWN The fate of unwary students and their parents is in peril. An overwhelming majority of private schools have ignored the RTE Act and the law, if allowed to take its course, will throw these schools out of business soon. What then will happen to thousands of students left in the lurch? Postnoon enquires.

HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER

LOKAYUKTA SPOILS GHMC’S `1.5CR ‘SUMMER VACATION’ Ministers from the Congress plan to visit Modi’s Ahmedabad to study the transport system there and a group of TDP leaders want to go to Kerala’s capital, Thiruvananthapuram. But it will be you who will foot their bills which will amount to a whopping `1.5 crore. The Lokayukta, however, is reportedly not convinced about the ‘feasibility’ of such trips and has slammed the leaders for the need for such trips.

REPORT ON P4

Time for round 2 Google is aiming to ship as many as eight million Asustek-made tablets in the second half of the year, throwing down the gauntlet to other low-end tablets such as Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Apple’s iPad mini, industry sources say.

P13

KE$HA

CLAIMS SHE HAD ‘EYEBALL SEX’ WITH

THE BITTER PILL

JOHNNY DEPP

The Supreme Court recently denied a patent on Glivec, a cancer drug developed by Novartis, in what many see as a triumph for generic drugs. However, Big Pharma has cried foul, claiming that this is a blow for intellectual property rights. We weigh both sides of the scale.

P16&17

P28

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

city events

PIANO RECITAL BY DANIEL GOMEZ

Alliance Française of Hyderabad presents piano recital by Daniel Gomez on April 12, 6.30pm onwards. The event is at Alliance Française, Banjara Hills, where invites for the same will also be available. The contact number is (040) 2355 4485.

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

Overnight

Morning

Afternoon

35°C

26°C

32°C

39°C

A mix of cloudy and clear skies.

A mix of cloud and sun.

A mix of sun and cloud.

New Delhi Mumbai Max 33 Max 33 Min 19 Min 24 Clear.

Chennai Max 36 Min 29

Partly cloudy.

Mostly cloudy.

Bangalore Max 36 Min 24 Partly cloudy.

AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES by Samahaara theatre group. Where: Lamakaan When: April 7, 7.30pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329

WORKSHOPS 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 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 Chocolate making workshop All materials will be provided by the organisers and you can take what you make. The seats are limited for a

HEAVY RAINS: There have been heavy rains in the City for the last two days. This picture was taken at Dilsukhnagar last evening. SRINIVAS SETTY hands-on session. Where: Panache-The Finishing School When: April 6, 11.30am onwards Contact: (040) 6673 3451

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

Commissioner & Spl Officer

Helpline GAS BOOKING IVRS NO HP 9666023456 Indane 9848824365 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

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

155333 23431178 23431179

MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

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

Special lunch A changing menu, with a wide spread of food items, and special packages for kitty and group lunches. Where: Kailash Parbat Above Ebony Gautier, 2nd floor, Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 23558856

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

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

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

Jaya Vilasam Ananda Priya Foundation is organising Jaya Vilasam, a dance presentation by Dr Yashoda Thakore Where: Saptaparni, Next to Kalpa school, Road no 8, Banjara Hills When: April 7, 6.30pm onwards Contact: 93962 12232

SHOWS Shakespeare’s Hamlet play reading The play reading is being organised

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

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

Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings. For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec-bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999 UK VISA OFFICE VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7

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

24523211 232431300/7641 24521029

Readers’ views

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

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

City

TODAY’S QUESTION

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

IS RAHUL GANDHI RUNNING AWAY FROM MODI?

IS WAR IMMINENT BETWEEN SOUTH AND NORTH KOREA? 50% 50%

YES (A) NO (B)

YES

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

CRIME

They are out to get your goat! The police take the cases of goat thefts lightly though it leads to violence and even death.

Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

ow, it is not gold and cash alone, you have to take care of your goats too... if you have any. Gangs specialised in stealing goats and selling them to meat markets have been going around. They prove ruthless with the result that a man in Shamshabad was recently killed by the gang when he objected to the stealing of his goats.

Though these gangs have been working for quite some time, the police didn’t take them seriously. But the Shamshabad rural police had to arrest a twomember gang recently after they killed a goat owner who tried to resist the gang. Identified as Mohammed Hashmath and Mohammed Aijaz, the gang members have been making good money by stealing goats that command high value in the meat market and selling them to butchers. On

their routine prowl, the gang came upon a house owner in Kavalliguda village of Shamshabad, who happened to

have a few well-fed goats. The duo’s eye fell on the beasts and they were spiriting them away when owner M Mallesh confronted them. The two put all the goats in their van and ran it over protesting Mallesh. It was after a special team was formed that the two culprits were nabbed. They said there are many gangs exclusively devoted to lifting goats as mutton commands high prices. It is an easy way of making money. The only difficult part is searching for

goats. The duo admitted to have stolen hundreds of goats from peripheral areas and making huge profits. They are not limited to the City; the goat gangs go to neighbouring districts and it is there that they strike it rich. The police said these gangs are a menace to the society. However, allegations are that they looked the other way for obvious reasons. It is said that many youngsters who have no regular job also join the goat thievery and make money.

RAINS

Summer rains injure 9, plunge City into darkness

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

S The tin-roof of a house collapsed in Talabkatta, injuring a resident. SYED MAZHAR ALI

tudents preparing for SSC examinations were the worst sufferers as power outage throughout the night rendered them helpless. Sudden thundershowers last night played havoc in many parts of Old City. At several places, walls or roofs had caved in, leading to injuries. In all, nine people sustained injuries. Most places had no power supply throughout night. Heavy rains began around

8pm and continued intermittently through the night. Students preparing for SSC examinations suffered as the power supply was not restored till this morning. The worst affected areas are: Malakpet, Moosarambagh, Saidabad, Chader ghat, Azampura, City College, Tallabkatta, Misrigunj, Kalapathar, Jahanuma, Tadbun, and in New City, East and West Marredpally, Karkhana, Bollaram, and other parts of Secunderabad. In front of Falaknuma bus depot, two electric poles had been uprooted.

city THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

CIVIC

LAST YEAR... HERE No takers for geriatric care

City fathers on study tour to ‘serve us better’

ast year we had reported how Osmania Hospital study revealed a shocking fact. Doctors wanted to take up geriatric care as a speciality for want of popularity and glamour of other branches of medical studies. A study by doctors’ forum of Osmania Medical College revealed that there is an urgent need of geriatric course in medical colleges.

APRIL 4, 2012

NUMEROLOGY

18,438

sanitation workers work with the GHMC, out of which 17,206 workers work from 6am to 2pm. Another 1,232 work from 11pm to 7am.

The government should regulate the admission process. Every school is going against the RTE Act and we have no option but to send our children for entrance tests. Sunitha Verma, a parent See page 6

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

It’s not just cash and gold, even your goats are not safe. A gang has been arrested for stealing goats and selling them in meat markets, where there is a huge demand for mutton.

TRS to rope in Hyderabadis in protest? TRS plans to shift the focus of Telangana agitation to Hyderabad, as the widespread feeling is that Hyderabadis allegedly do not want a separate Telangana.

Corporators vacation in taxpayer’s money. In the name of a study trip, crores of rupees are wasted, and at the end, there is no signiﬁcant development in the City either.

Condition of sanitation workers poor in City. Not only do they have to pay for the brooms from their pocket, the equipment given to them do not work and their salaries are cut.

Rain wrecks havoc in Hyderabad. A total of nine people have been reported injured as a result of heavy rains in the City over the last two days.

Congress group may visit Modi’s Ahmedabad to study the transport system and TDP will try ‘god’s own country’ Kerala’s capital, Thiruvananthapuram. You will pick up their bills amounting to `1.5 crore. Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

or the fourth consecutive term, GHMC corporators are gearing up for a ‘study tour’ this month, even as taxpaying citizens reel under power shortage and water crisis. But this time, they have to convince the Lokayukta that their earlier ‘bharat darshan’ benefited the City. Lokayukta is reportedly dismayed at the lack of clarity on why corporators visit tourist centres and what good it has brought to the City in the past four years. Three groups of corporators will head in three different directions across the country. These groups, also called ‘parties,’ are formed on the lines of a political party. One each will head to the east, north and south. According to deputy mayor G Rajkumar, the month of April would be feasible for this tour, else summer would reach its peak. “Congress has decided to visit Mumbai or Ahmedabad,” said the deputy mayor. It will study the modern bus transport system in vogue in Ahmedabad and Mumbai. He maintained that it does not mean that corporators of other parties can’t join. Those who are interested in a particular city can join in. After they visited Gangtok, Darjeeling, Kolkata, Chennai, Andaman and Nicobar Islands last year, the Lokayukta has questioned the rationale of visiting small cities in the name of a study tour. Now the corporators are cautious in choosing cities and are thinking of a strong reason for the visit. “We must take the permission of the Lokayukta

this time,” says the deputy mayor. The approval for the study has to be signed by commissioner MT Krishna Babu. TDP floor leader Singireddy Srinivas Reddy has chosen Kerala’s capital. “I have chosen Thiruvananthapuram for the study tour,” said Singireddy. The study tour, carried out by 150 corporators and five ex-officio members each year, was proposed in the standing committee meeting several months ago as part of the table agenda. As the study tour is being

developing the City. Observers were critical about the way public money was wasted. Gangtok was the latest amongst other cities visited with just over 1 lakh population. Some of the cities visited so far are tourist destinations, like Darjeeling and Shimla. Even though more than a crore is spent on such trips, the reports produced later hardly helped in developing the City. This time, the estimation is around `70,000 per corporator, which is expected to cost the exchequer `1.5 crore. “As there is a general body meeting within a few days, we have not decided (anything) as of now. There will a be route map prepared in advance; we will go according to it,” says Mohammed Nazeeruddin, MIM floor leader.

How cities are chosen

The estimation is around `70 thousand per corporator, which is expected to cost the exchequer `1.5 crore.

ities to be visited by corporators is decided by the floor leaders of the civic political parties. Corporators, of course, express their desires, but the decision is left to the floor leaders. The sole criterion for choosing a city for a visit is that it should have more than one lakh population. Any area of civic management — sanitation, lighting, parks, road transport, water or sewage management — could all be subjects of study.

perceived as a holiday trip for the corporators on taxpayers’ money, the Lokayukta last year sought explanations from the GHMC as to how the earlier trips helped in

NEWS BRIEFS Health of 5 MLAs deteriorates

CM holds review HDD review committee meeting on power crisis meeting on April 10

Man consumes poison, dies later

he 'Power Satyagraha' launched by opposition YSR Congress demanding rollback of electricity charges entered the third day today. Besides YS Vijayamma, party MLAs and other leaders continued the fast. A medical team deputed at the strike spot found that the condition of ﬁve MLAs had deteriorated following decrease in blood sugar levels

hief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy will hold a high level review meeting this evening to debate on the hiked electricity charges. This comes in the wake of Opposition attack on power tariff hike. Some sops to small consumers using upto 150 units are expected. A decision in this regard is likely to be taken by evening.

he Hyderabad District Development Review Committee meeting will be held on April 10.The meeting to be held at Jubilee Hall will be presided by heavy industries and Hyderabad district in-charge minister Dr J Geetha Reddy. MLAs from different parties are likely to raise issues related to shortage of drinking water and energy crisis.

Sai Krishna, 25, committed suicide by consuming poison on Tuesday night at his home in Allahpurspital. The deceased was a car painter. He is said to have forged a relationship with a woman and she had been forcing him to marry her, which he resisted. This could have led to his taking the extreme step, police believe.

city THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

POLITICS

Pink panther to tame City now Despite its success in the 2009 polls, the TRS was unable to leave a mark in Hyderabad. Many leaders feel that its poor show in the City is the reason behind the weakening T-stir. INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com

The TRS wants to show all the anti-T leaders by proving that the people of the GHMC also crave for a separate state.

he Telangana Rastra Samithi has shifted its focus on the Greater Hyderabad region now. The reason is that the party, which had a dominant effect in nine districts of Telangana during the 2009 general elections, could not win even a single seat in Greater Hyderabad region, which consists of 23 Assembly seats. This continues to rankle the leaders and cadres. They hold the party’s weak position in Hyderabad as the reason for poor response to T-stir. The party won two Assembly

seats in the 2004 General Elections when it fought the polls in alliance with the ruling Congress on the plank of separate Telangana. Keeping this in mind, TRS chief K Chandrasekahara Rao recently held a meeting with

Assembly-level leaders of the GHMC and chalked out an action plan. This is aimed at giving a befitting lesson to all the anti-Telangana activists and leaders and detractors of the ongoing Telangana agitation by proving that the people of the GHMC, especially in Hyderabad, also crave for a separate Telangana state. “The detractors of our party have always attacked us by saying that there is no Telangana

sentiment in Hyderabad. This is a baseless allegation. People of Hyderabad crave for Telangana as much as people of other districts of the region do. Our thumping victories in the GHMC and at the APSRTC employees union elections are a strong evidence for this," former minister and TRS senior leader Nayani Narasimha Reddy said. Reddy also revealed that the strategy that the party will imple-

ment has already been chalked out by the party president. “Initially, we undertook a 15-day long survey programme with the main objective of identifying different groups at the grassroot level. Our survey is aimed at identifying and collecting data about different categories of people — tailor shop owners, meat shop owners, washer men, labourers, APSRTC, GHMC and government employees. After

collecting this data, we will form committees from booth-levels and various other committees like BC, SC, ST and minority communities in all the slum areas of GHMC," he said. According to Reddy, the party is sure of winning three MP seats — Secunderabad, Chevella and Malkajgiri — and as many Assembly seats as possible during the next elections. The senior TRS leader also said that his party is ready to take on the MIM, which has a dominant presence in the Old City with seven MLAs. “Yes, the MIM is a strong force in the City. We are facing slight problems in making inroads into strong MIM areas. But we will overcome them and give a tough fight to the MIM," he said. TRS MLC Mehmood Ali also expressed similar sentiments. He said that the time has come for the people in the Old City to stand up for the just cause of a separate Telangana.

DIVERTING ATTENTION

Cornered, CM turns to sub-plan Kiran to go to the people with his last year’s vote-catching SC and ST sub-plan legislation to divert attention from the unprecedented hike in electricity charges.

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

ushed to a corner from all quarters for effecting the unprecedented hike in electricity charges, the ruling Congress government has come out with a strategy to divert the attention of rival political parties. In a fresh move to tackle the opposition attack, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has decided to go to the people with his last year’s vote catching SC and ST sub-plan legislation. The historic sub-plan legislation, the first of its kind in the entire country, aims at comprehensive development of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled

Tribes (ST) Communities in the state by providing adequate funds for them. It envisages planning, allocation, utilisation of financial resources for the progress of the SC and ST communities. Both the Houses of the AP Legislature had passed legislation by approving the AP Scheduled Castes sub-plan and Tribal sub-plan (planning, allocation and utilisation of financial resources) Bill 2012 in December last year. Following the directions of the chief minister, officials had decided to hold a nine-day long awareness programme among the SC and ST communities about the sub-plan. The programme will be kicked off by the

chief minister at Jangareddy Gudem of West Godavari district tomorrow. After launching the programme, the CM will address a public meeting too.

Later, he will head to Illandu of Khammam district and participate in a similar programme. Reacting on the issue, a senior Congress leader, who is very close to the CM, confirmed that the idea behind holding the special campaign on the historic SC, ST sub-plan is to divert the attention of the opposition parties. “The State government is beset with several problems. We want the public attention to focus on positive issues. If we raise the sensitive issue of SC and ST, all political parties will have no option but to reduce their ante against our government," he hoped. The special campaign will continue till April 14.

What is the sub-plan legislation? n

The historic sub plan legislation, the first of its kind in the entire country, aims at comprehensive development of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Community-ties in the state by providing adequate funds for them.

It envisages planning, allocation, utilisation of financial resources for the progress of the SC and ST communities.

city THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

RIGHT TO EDUCATION

Parents at mercy of schools Despite the implementation of the RTE Act, many parents are still at the mercy of private schools that do as they wish. Postnoon found several schools across the City openly flouting regulations.

ALEENA ALICE aleena.t@postnoon.com

n one hand where efforts are being made to ensure that equal and free education is given to children from economically backward classes, on the other, majority of private schools — including some of the most reputed ones — are violating all the norms of the RTE Act. According to the Act, private schools must keep 25 per cent seats for students from the government list. Under no circumstances are the schools supposed to conduct entrance tests of their own from Class II to Class IV. “No school shall, while admitting a child, subject the child or the parents to any screening procedure,” the Act states. It also guarantees free and compulsory elementary quality education to all children aged between 6 and 14 years. Despite several complaints by parents, no action has been taken against school authorities who have been violating these norms. However, the

Government officials have formed a nexus with the private schools and are trying to spirit away the funds released by the Central government towards the RTE. Achyuta Rao APBHS president Andhra Pradesh Balala Hakkula Sangham (APBHS), a child right organisation, has filed a petition with the Lokayukta court to take action against the educational department for failing to curb private schools from acting according to their own whims and fancies. “Clearly violating the RTE Act, schools like Johnson Grammar High School, Bashyam High School, Sri Chaitanya Techno School and Bharathi Vidya Bhavan are among the few that have been conducting entrance exams. These schools have started issuing applications forms for the next academic year. Most of private schools are done with their entrance tests and will be announcing the results by April 14,” says the president of the APBHS, Achyuta Rao. Stating that government officials are hand-in-glove with private schools, he added, “If today these schools are openly conducting entrance tests without any fear it’s only because they know that they have the support of ministers. Government officials have formed a nexus with the private schools and are trying to spirit away the funds released by the Central government towards the RTE.” This apart, the APBHS has also told

the Lokayukta that these schools have not been recognised, but are still being allowed to function. “The RTE clearly states that schools in the City should be recognised, however many schools are getting only a few of their branches recognised, and since they have a brand name, they do not get other branches recognised. Half of these schools have teachers who are not adequately qualified,” he adds. When Postnoon contacted these schools most of them refused to comment, and a few that did denied the allegations against them. Meanwhile, parents whose children appeared for the entrance test said that the indifference of the government will cost the children their future.

Norms flouted n The RTE Act states that no school shall, while admitting a child, subject the child or the parents to any screening procedure. But many schools have been conducting their own entrance tests from Class II to Class IV. n Many schools in the City have recognition only for a few of their branches; whereas the RTE Act clearly states that all schools must be recognised. Since the schools have a brand name, they do not get other branches recognised. n Many private schools have teachers without adequate qualification.

“The government should regulate the admission process. Every school is going against the RTE Act and we have no option but to send our children for the entrance test. Despite several complaints, no action has been taken,” says Sunitha Verma, a parent. The Lokayukta has issued notices to the department of school education on the alleged violation of norms of Right to Education Act. Acting on the petition by the APBHS, the Lokayukta has asked the government to explain action taken by April 9. Hyderabad district collector Syed Ali Murtuza Rizvi said, “We have issued notices to schools and have sought an explanation. Action will be taken accordingly,” he said.

classifieds THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

MISERY OF SANITATION WORKERS

Cleaners down in the dumps

There are problems aplenty for those who toil to keep our City clean. For sanitation workers and sewage cleaners, their job takes everything from them and gives only misery in return. RAHUL RAMKRISHNA rahul.r@postnoon.com

study by City NGO Chetna shows that sanitation workers are grouped into three categories depending on the nature of their work — road cleaning/sweeping, garbage collection and garbage transportation. There are a total of 18,438 sanitation workers that work for the GHMC, of which 17,206 workers work from 6am to 2pm. Another 1,232 work between 11pm and 7am. As B Nageshwari, a community organiser of the society says, “There are 990 supervisors, 450 drivers and helpers and only 3,000 of the total workers have been given permanent status of work.” The Chetna study found that each worker collects and removes 177 kg of dirt and garbage everyday. So how does the GHMC and the HMWSS & SB repay them for their efforts? Nagamma, a 47-year-old sweeper working the Erramanzil stretch, says, “The government bodies initiated bank transactions as a mode of payment for us and ever since this system has started, we have stopped receiving our wages in full. For example, I earn `5,000, but sometimes I get only `4,200 or `4,000 or even less. Somewhere, money is being eaten out of our accounts,” she says. Bank accounts were supposed to put an end to exploitation, but it has turned out to be a bigger problem than before. Even the brooms used to sweep the streets are bought by the workers who say that expecting a refund is out of the question. Their job makes sanitation workers victims of skin diseases, ringworm infections and espe-

cially respiratory problems. “Our bones creak by evening and we are scared to do night duty because there is no guarantee of our safety. We are fooling ourselves if we expect to get new reflector jackets,” Nagamma says. The water board is not far behind in providing its share of miseries to sewage cleaners. Out of the total 5,500 employees working for the board, 2,250 alone are sewage cleaners. There are a total of 124 sections for the 8 lakh water connections in the City; all of this is manned by the 2,250 sewage cleaners. This means that each sewage cleaner

Paying workers through bank accounts were supposed to put an end to exploitation, but it has only made matters worse. mans 355 sewage lines every day. Here, too, corruption has seeped in and eaten into their wages. “Manning and cleaning sewage lines is not an easy task. Working on drain pipes during floods and monsoons is potentially fatal. Yet we do it, because

we have no other option. Our officials always promise to give us equipment to work with, but at the end of the day, not even a new radium coat reaches us. We have no sanitation, health and medical aid and our wages never increase,” says Baasha, a sewage cleaner from Banjara Hills. Sanitation workers hardly get to benefit from the water board’s `695 crore budget. Little surprise then that there is no mention of the ‘sanitation workers’ in the City Sanitation Plan. The monthly `21 crore revenue accrued by the water board seems to vanish without any portion of it going to

the welfare of the workers. “We were given equipment that does not even work like air-tech cleaning pumps used for cleaning septic tank. Most of the work is still being done manually because these machines do not work,” says Baasha. But D Narsimha Reddy, chief mentor of Chetana Society says, the solution doesn’t just lie in bringing the officials to task.“The problem begins with the society itself. They have no proper nomenclature. Sanitation workers are given names that no selfrespecting citizen would ever care to use.”

RECOGNITION

Awards for smoke-free villages, schools HYDERABAD: The AP government in collaboration with Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) and World Health Organization (WHO) has announced awards to the smoke-free villages/ municipalities and tobacco-free school for the year 2012. During, this the WHO’s global adult tobacco survey-Andhra Pradesh fact sheet was released. The first prize with a reward

of `25,000 went to Pongali Paka village of Vizag district for ‘smoke-free village’ in AP. The Guntur Municipality took the second prize and was named the ‘smoke-free municipality’ and was granted `15,000. Likewise, the first prize fort ‘tobacco-free school’ went to Begumpet ZP high School with a reward of `15,000. Ulindakonda ZP high school in Kurnool district was

awarded the second prize in the same category with a reward of `10,000. M Jayasudha, Secunderabad MLA, and the chief guest at the function expressed her happiness and wondered why the Twin Cities could not win any of such awards. She pleaded to chief guest at the august gathering to work to strengthen execution of laws meant for this and

stressed on the need to raise awareness levels in the City. As per WHO GATS, more than 30 per cent of the people in the City suffering due to using tobacco. Poonam Malakondaiah, commissioner, health and family welfare, said that there is a need to implement the COTP Act 2003 to curtail the use of tobacco. She also thanked the Guntur police for their initiatives. NSS

city THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

ART WORK

Light for a living Chandelier-makers from Rajasthan at work at their roadside workshop in Habsiguda. A finished product fetches anything between `500 to `2,000.

8 SRINIVAS SETTY

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

focus

THE LOOPHOLE

Tokyo says that researching the mammals is “perfectly legal” under international whaling rules, as is selling meat by-products. Organs including ovaries and stomach contents are crucial for research, the Institute says.

JAPAN

A WHALE OF A PROBLEM Japan says the research that goes on behind the locked security door at the Institute of Cetacean Research is crucial for studying whale populations, but critics slam the practice as a loophole to get around an international ban on commercial whaling.

PETER BRIEGER and HIROSHI HIYAMA Agence France-Presse TOKYO: The Institute of Cetacean Research can be found in a nondescript white-brick office building in Tokyo’s port district. Down a hallway and through an unmarked door is a small lobby with a model ship, a poster showing various whale species, and a sign that reads “Keep Out”. Japan says the research that goes on behind the locked security door is crucial for studying whale populations, but critics slam the practice as a loophole to get around an international ban on commercial whaling. Captured whales are studied by the Institute, which refers to its work on them as “lethal research” before their meat is sold across Japan, including in restaurants in nearby Tsukiji market where a sushi-style piece of the purple flesh costs a few dollars. Telephone and fax requests for an interview went unanswered. An AFP reporter who visited the office recently was confronted by two men who did not identify themselves. “What are you doing here? You are not supposed to be here. You have to leave,” one said in English. When told the taxpayer-funded institute had not responded to AFP’s interview requests, he said: “That means no. It means we’re not interested.” Norway and Iceland are the only other nations that hunt whales in open defiance of a 1986 moratorium, and Japan’s annual hunt has drawn criticism from both activists and foreign governments. But the Institute insists “antiwhaling is not ‘world opinion’”. “Rather, it is a predominantly Western phenomenon in developed countries amplified by antiwhaling fundraising NGOs (nongovernmental organisations) and the Western media,” it says on its website, pointing to hundreds of whaling research papers. “The purpose of Japan’s research is science -- science that will ensure that when commercial whaling is resumed it will be sustainable.”

What Japan sees as research is at the heart of a bitter grudge match between militant activists intent on ending the nation’s annual whale hunt and an equally determined Tokyo, which dismisses the campaigners as “terrorists”. Japan’s whaling fleet left port in December aiming to catch about 1,000 whales in the icy waters of the Antarctic, where they are regularly pursued by militant environmentalist group Sea Shepherd. Activists said this year’s hunt ended in March with no more than 75 whales killed. They have clashed violently in exchanges that have in the past seen stink bombs thrown at Japanese crew and water jets trained on protesters. The bitter fight has also reached the legal arena with both sides launching lawsuits. Tokyo says that researching the mammals is “perfectly legal” under international whaling rules, as is selling meat by-products. Organs including ovaries and stomach contents are crucial

The whalers Norway and Iceland are the only other nations that hunt whales in open defiance of a 1986 moratorium, and Japan’s annual hunt has drawn criticism from both activists and foreign governments. for research, the Institute says. “Some indispensable data have to be collected by lethal means, which simply cannot be obtained by non-lethal means,” it says, adding that death “is as rapid as possible”. “A large proportion of the whales taken are killed instantly by an explosive harpoon”. Critics question what remains for the Institute to conclude about sustainable whale populations after carrying out its research in the decades since the moratorium on international whaling was established. “They (the Institute) don’t really have an argument to justi-

fy themselves anymore,” said Junichi Sato, executive director of Greenpeace Japan. “If they can’t get enough data by killing thousands of whales, then that is a failure of the science,” he said. But “it’s about pride. Japan has been claiming this is part of Japanese culture. Once you raise that issue, it’s very difficult to back down.” Questions remain about the economic viability of whaling given the decades-long decline in Japanese consumption of the meat. A report by the International Fund for Animal Welfare recently said the whaling programme costs Japanese taxpayers $10 million a year. There was little appetite among private firms to restart commercial whaling given the prohibitive expense, Sato said. However, Fisheries minister Yoshimasa Hayashi recently told AFP in an interview that the hunt would continue, dismissing antiwhaling voices as “a cultural attack, a kind of prejudice

against Japanese culture”. In the narrow streets around Tsukiji market, billed as the world’s biggest fish emporium, that view was echoed by some who defended whaling as an important tradition, albeit a fading one. Others feared job losses in the whaling sector if the hunt ended and criticised activists’ in-yourface approach -- even if they had little affection for whale meat itself. “It is Japanese food culture,” said 45-year-old Miuka Arita. “People who decide they want to eat it should be allowed to do so. Just because (activists) didn’t grow up eating it does not justify the aggressive actions they take,” she said. Tamie Sawai doesn’t think much of “dangerous actions” by conservationists either. But the 83-year-old added that she had not eaten whale meat in years. “Its bacon was quite good, but I don’t have any strong sense of nostalgia for whale meat,” she said. “I don’t miss it at all.”

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Business

FACEBOOK UNVEILS ITS 'HOME'

Facebook unveils its "home" on the Android smartphone Thursday, a move expected to tie the leading social network's services tightly into mobile software.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Home-grown success

IAG TO BUY DREAMLINERS

Bizzbook, started by a young City entrepreneur, is going places in the domestic tablet market — and it’s locally manufactured. PRUDHVI RAJU K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

There should be heavy taxation on imports of electronic devices and this tax should be used to support indigenous manufacturing.

hen most electronic majors are doubtful of setting up a tablet-manufacturing unit in the country, Nidhin Rao, a young entrepreneur, started Bizzbook in 2010 with manufacturing unit in Lingampally. Incidentally, Bizzbook turned out to be the first tablet manufacturer in the country to produce customised tablets for corporate orders. More than economics, it is passion towards electronics along with confidence in the future of tablet market that pushed Nidhin to start his enterprise. Today, the company is reaching 50,000-unit mark and also has tie-up with businesses and retail companies to customise and manufacture tablets on order. About his educational background, Nidhin says, “I did electronics engineering from University of Wolverhampton, UK. It is during this time, I started getting interested in touch screen technology. After this course, I did Masters in Project Development, for which I did a project on the surface mount touch technology. “However, it turned out to be expensive to bring this technology to masses. So I started concentrating on touch screen technology. I envisioned that this is the technology of the future and will not limit itself to mobiles or tablets alone.” On setting up the business, he says. “The tablet market just started in 2010 and I was confident that this will lead the future of electronic devices after mobile phones. Luckily, I was able to convince my parents about the strength of my business idea. I started with an investment of around `5 crore.”

Nidhin Rao Bizzbook founder

In terms of value addition, he explains “Our uniqueness is in offering customised products which integrates and customises software for running various enterprises applications along with hardware. We are not limited to manufacturing of 7 inch or 10 inch screens but can even manufacture 15-inch screens based on customer requirement. We are also converting Windows-based applications to Android and make them available and seamlessly operate on our tablet.” Bizzbook gets almost 80 per cent of their orders from corporates and the other 20 per cent is by retail customers.

When asked why the company is not aggressive in the retail division, he says, “We don’t want to ignore the retail division and want to launch specialised tablets catering to the various needs of the market. However, retail is a different game altogether, which needs time and effort in marketing, building brand awareness. Instead, we want to concentrate and invest on technology, which is our forte. This will help us to roll out innovative and advanced products.” The business is also supporting various tablet brands to facilitate retailing. He says, “We take care of complete manufac-

turing, logistics and service with our 150-centre network. Wherein the tablet companies need to just market, advertise and retail the products.” The company is also manufacturing customised products like point of sale devices and printing devices based on the orders. It could bring down the cost by almost 400 per cent for point of sale devices and is able to manufacture these units as low as `10,000 for retailers. Talking about future plans, Nidhin says, “We always want to be one step ahead of the industry. We also want to step into manufacturing motherboards. This will reduce the costs of the tablets significantly and help the country save foreign exchange,” On government support for indigenous manufacturing, he says, “There should be heavy taxation on imports of electronic devices and this tax should be used to support indigenous manufacturing. We cannot continue depending on imported devices and lose valuable foreign exchange forever. It’s high time that we need to innovate and boost manufacturing sector here to decrease current account deficit and improve the economy of the country.”

GOLD `29,100 10g SILVER `51,000 1kg

24C

for

DOLLAR `54.60 POUND `82.51

International Airlines Group, the owner of Iberia and British Airways, said Wednesday it has reached an agreement with aerospace giant Boeing to buy 18 of its currently grounded 787 Dreamliners. The move is a show of confidence in the plane, which was grounded around the world in January due to problems with its battery system. "IAG plans to convert 18 existing Boeing 787s options into firm orders for British Airways. They will be used to replace some of the airline's Boeing 747-400 aircraft between 2017 and 2021," the company said in a regulatory filing with the Spanish stock exchange. The order for the 18 Dreamliners is on top of an existing request by British Airways for 24 Dreamliners, the company added.

NUMEROLOGY

is what Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto is expecting from the sale of its struggling Australian thermal coal mine operations.

EX-GS TRADER CHARGED A former trader at Goldman Sachs pleaded guilty Wednesday to fraud linked to a scheme to hide an unauthorized $8-billion futures bet he made at the US banking giant. Matthew Marshall Taylor surrendered to the Federal Bureau of Investigation early in the day, then entered his guilty plea in Manhattan federal court. He could face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, but prosecutors recommended a much lighter 33 to 41 months as a result of the plea deal.

THUS SPAKE "There is a famous instance where a company has claimed that it has refunded more than Rs20,000 crore in the last 3-4 months to so-called investors, out of which more than 90% has been returned in cash. How credible can this story be?

BSE NSE

UK SINHA, SEBI CHIEF

18,655.99 147.95

5,620.95 51.95

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

nation

SC-APPOINTED PANEL SAYS 6 ENCOUNTERS WERE FAKE A Supreme Court-appointed panel probing six cases of extra-judicial killings in Manipur says these were not genuine encounters. This comes as a blow for the government which has been touting its anti-insurgency success statistics.

INTERNAL SECURITY

HALL OF SHAME

SECURITY SCARE

Man tries to stop molestation, thrown out of train

4 Naxals killed in encounter Police suspect that the toll could be higher as the Naxals are known to take the bodies of fallen men as they retreat. GADCHIROLI: Four naxals were killed in an encounter today with police in a remote forest area in the district bordering Chhattisgarh, a police officer said. Police suspect that more ultras were killed in the gun bat-

Maoists blow up panchayat office LOHARDAGA (JHARKHAND): Maoists blew up a panchayat bhavan in Lohardaga district, police said today. A group of Left ultras reached Siram panchayat on Tuesday night and blew up the panchayat bhavan there, they said. Security officials recovered a leaflet from the spot which stated it was a revenge attack following the killing of ten Maoists in Chatra last week. PTI

tle that ensued after a patrol party came under fire from the insurgents in the wee hours near Bhatpar village in Bhamragad taluka. “The gun battle ensued after the police party on anti- naxal operation in Bhatpar area was fired upon by naxals, following which police returned the fire in which four ultras were killed,” ASP (Aheri) Rahul Shrirame told PTI over phone. The officer said police found four bodies of the ultras from the spot and suspect that the number of naxal casualties could be more. Police have intensified combing in the region following the skirmish, he said. The latest incident is said to be another success for police after the Govindgaon encounter in January when six top rebels, including two women cadres, were gunned down. PTI

Man held near Pinarayi’s house KANNUR: A septuagenarian found moving about in a suspicious manner with an air gun and sword near the residence of Kerala CPI(M) secretary Pinarayi Vijayan here has been taken into custody, police said today. Locals spotted the 75-year-old man from Valayam area in Kozhikode at a bus stop near Vijayan’s residence yesterday. When questioned he tried to hide the arms, following which police were informed and he was taken into custody.

CII SUMMIT

tors said his condition is critical. The victim, hailing from Idukki district, was travelling in the Malabar Express on his way to the Mookambika temple near Mangalore, they said, adding that the incident came to light when he regained consciousness. Police said the man had tried to help the woman who was being harassed when he was pushed out of the train. PTI

Man held for raping minor step-daughter THANE: A 41-year-old man was arrested from the powerloom town of Bhiwandi for allegedly subjecting his mentally-challenged step-daughter to sexual abuse, police said today. “Kasim Hamid Shaikh allegedly used to rape the 14-year-old repeatedly at his house in Evai village in the district over a period of time,” a police official said. He was apprehended yesterday after the girl lodged a complaint against Shaikh with the help of some locals, the official said, adding that the accused was booked under Sec 376 (rape) of the IPC. Police said the girl’s mother lived with Shaikh in the village after their second marriage. “The victim fled the house as she was unable to bear the torture and was spotted by some locals who knew her in neighbouring Kalyan,” Borande said. The girl has been sent for a medical examination. PTI

NEWS BRIEFS

Rahul praises India Inc NEW DELHI: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Thursday praised India Inc for introducing the country to the world. “When I went to university in 1991, nobody knew India...that is not the case now thanks to you people,” he said addressing the annual general meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industries here. India, Gandhi, said is bursting with optimism and ideas. The 42-year-old Congress scion, formally addressing a gathering such as this for the first

THRISSUR: A 28-year-old man, who tried to prevent some inebriated youth allegedly from molesting a woman co-passenger, was seriously injured after he was thrown out of a moving train at nearby Cheruthurthi, police said today. The man was found unconscious on the tracks in the morning yesterday, with both his hands severed. He was rushed to a hospital where doc-

time, said: “We tend to think of India as a nation, but if we go

back 100 years, India was actually a energy...a force”. Industry chamber CII’s annual general meetings over the years have seen many political bigwigs cutting across party lines making an appearance to enunciate their vision for economic growth. Congress president and Rahul’s mother Sonia Gandhi had made at least two showings at the annual conference in the past. This year’s AGM was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday. IANS

Pick

Four arrested with smack worth `80 lakh

ALLAHABAD: Police claimed to have busted a major inter-state drug racket with the arrest of four persons here with smack worth over `80 lakh in their possession. Acting on a tip off, a police team arrested Alok, Giriraj, Furkan and Kafeel from Dhoomanganj area of the city and seized 850 grams of smack, worth about `80 lakh in the international market, SSP Mohit Agrawal said. Three mobile sets and about `75,000 in cash were also recovered from the accused, all of whom have been booked under the Narcotics Act, Agrawal said.

at the

5-yr-old boy injured in firing by marriage party GHAZIABAD: A five-year-old boy was critically injured in celebratory firing by a marriage party this evening in Mawai village, police said here. Aditya (5) was standing on the roof of his house when he was hit, inspector Rajesh Dwivedi said. Following the incident, Mohsin and his marriage party fled from the spot, Dwivedi said. The boy was admitted to hospital where his condition was stated to be critical, he said. The matter is being probed, he said. There are several such incidents reported in the state every year and in many cases they turn fatal.

airport,

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

World

ARGENTINE FLOODS CLAIM 54 Argentina's government declared three days of national mourning from Wednesday after massive flooding killed 54 people in Buenos Aires and the nearby university city of La Plata. At least 46 people died as flood waters hit La Plata about 60 kilometers (40 miles) south of the capital.

KOREAN CONUNDRUM

TEMPLETON FOR TUTU

NK replies in kind

After the US moved in missle interceptors, North Korea appears to have moved a medium range missile capable of hitting targets in South Korea and Japan. The Musudan missile was first unveiled at a military parade in October 2010 and is believed to have an intended range of around

3,000km. However, it is not known to have been tested.

MISSILE TRIBUTE TO SUNG Yonhap cited intelligence sources as saying the North might launch the missile on

April 15, Musudan missile

SEOUL: North Korea appears to have moved a medium range missile capable of hitting targets in South Korea and Japan to its east coast, the South's Yonhap news agency reported Thursday. The movement was detected by both South Korean and US intelligence, Yonhap said, citing military and government sources. "It appeared that the object was a Musudan mid-range missile," it quoted one South Korean official as saying. "We are closely monitoring whether the North moved it with a view to actual launch or just as a show of force against the US," the official added. Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper also carried a similar report. The Musudan missile was first unveiled at a military parade in October 2010 and is believed to have an intended

US response

24-hour watch

he South Korean Defence Ministry declined to confirm the report, but stressed that it kept a "24-hour watch" for any potential North Korean missile launches.

NK seeks list

the birth anniversary of founding leader Kim Il-Sung.

range of around 3,000 kilometres (1,860 miles). However, it is not known to have been tested. Yonhap cited intelligence sources as saying the North might launch the missile on April 15, the birth anniversary of founding leader Kim Il-Sung. The South Korean Defence Ministry declined to confirm the report, but stressed that it kept a "24-hour watch" for any potential North Korean missile launches. "We believe there is always an open possibility for a missile launch and related measures have been prepared," ministry spokesman Wi Yong-Seop told reporters without elaborating. The United States said Wednesday it was sending ground-based missile interceptors to Guam in response to North Korean threats to strike the Pacific island and other US targets.

he US said Wednesday it was sending groundbased missile interceptors to Guam in response to North Korean threats to strike the Pacific island and other US targets. The Pentagon said it would send ground-based THAAD missile-interceptor batteries to protect bases on Guam, a US territory some 3,380 km southeast of N Korea.

SEOUL: North Korea has asked companies in the Kaesong joint industrial zone for a list of all South Korean personnel who wish to leave the complex in the coming days, the South's Unification Ministry said Thursday. An earlier report by the Yonhap news agency said the North had demanded that all South Korean personnel quit the complex by April 10.

Venezuela rivals trade army meddling charges

Twenty-four die in PNG bus accident: report

1 missing as US cruise line suffers new mishap

US hopes up ahead of P5+1 talk with Iran

CARACAS: The Venezuelan opposition and government accused each other on Wednesday of courting the country's military to meddle in April 14 elections to replace late president Hugo Chavez. A top elections ofﬁcial, meanwhile, said an investigation was opened after a ruling party technician accessed passwords for EVMs.

SYDNEY: Twenty-four people were killed when a bus plunged off a cliff into a river bed in the rugged western highlands of impoverished Papua New Guinea, a report said on Thursday. The National newspaper, which published a picture of the bodies lined up outside the Mt Hagen provincial hospital, said two others were critically injured.

WASHINGTON: One dock worker remained missing late Wednesday after a new mishap involving a Carnival cruise ship, which broke free from moorings in a US port, the company said. Two employees were thrown into the water when high winds caused the Carnival Triumph to break free in the Gulf Coast port of Mobile.

WASHINGTON: Ahead of the P5+1 (the US, Britain, China, Russia, France (P5) and Germany) talks with Iran in Almaty over its controversial nuclear programme, the US is "cautiously optimistic" on the results of the conference, with senior administration ofﬁcials saying that the ball is in Tehran's court to convince the international community.

AFP

NEWS BRIEFS

Anti-apartheid icon Desmond Tutu, the former archbishop of Cape Town, was on Thursday awarded the $1.7-million Templeton Prize for his lifelong work to promote "love and forgiveness". The 81-year-old Nobel peace laureate, who rose to fame in the 1980s as a vocal opponent of South Africa's white-minority apartheid regime, will be presented with the award at a ceremony in London on May 21.

NUMEROLOGY

$22

billion

Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and France's Areva are expected to win a $22 billion contract to build a nuclear power plant in Turkey, a newspaper said Thursday.

KERRY FLIES TO M EAST US Secretary of State John Kerry is headed back to the Middle East for his third trip in a month, foraging for signs that Israel and the Palestinians are ready to make tough sacriﬁces for peace. In a surprise move, the State Department announced Wednesday that Kerry will return to Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories early next week to build on a series of talks last month between American and regional leaders. Expectations are growing that the US administration is ready to resume some kind of shuttle diplomacy to rekindle the moribund peace process.

If Iran is not prepared to engage seriously, if they act other than what their public rhetoric has been, we will need to evaluate what the next steps should be in this process. The United States on P5+1 talk with Iran

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Technology TABLET WARS tablets popularized by Amazon and Samsung, among others. Pricing is yet to be determined and Google’s plans are fluid, the sources said. Market

leader Apple is expected to launch new iPads this year as well, possibly forcing its competitors to change their assumptions. Google may choose to sell

F E O M I UN O

R D

Google to sell second-gen Nexus 7 tablet from July, say sources

oogle is aiming to ship as many as eight million of the Asustekmade tablets in the second half of the year, throwing down the gauntlet to other low-end tablets such as Amazon.com Inc’s Kindle Fire and Apple Inc’s iPad mini, the sources with knowledge of the new product said. This is the first time details about the timing and sales targets for Google’s new tablet have been unveiled, although the company has not publicly released any information. Google, which gets almost all of its revenue from online advertising, wants the aggressively priced Nexus tablets to be a hit as more Nexus users would mean more exposure for Google’s ads. The latest version will have a higher screen resolution, a thinner bezel design and adopt Qualcomm’s chip in place of Nvidia Corp’s Tegra 3, which was used in the first Nexus 7s released last year, the sources said, declining to be identified because they are not authorized to speak to the media. In a blow to Nvidia, Google weighed both US chipmakers’ processors but finally decided on Qualcomm’s for power reasons, one of the sources added. Google and other traditionally non-hardware companies like Amazon and Microsoft Corp have begun making inroads into mobile devices as consumers increasingly access the Web on the go. Google introduced its first tablet last June, hoping to replicate its smartphone success in a hotly contested market now dominated by Kindle Fire and iPad. The Nexus 7 joined the ranks of smaller, 7-inch

the new gadget for $199, the same as the first generation rolled out last June, while the old model may be discounted, one of the sources said. Alternatively, the new tablet could be priced more competitively at $149 and the previous model discontinued, the source added. The cheapest iPad mini goes for more than $300.

The Internet search giant, plans to ship six to eight million of the new Nexus 7s in the second half of this year.

CORE STRENGTHS

Though pricing has not been finalised, discounting could play to Google’s and Amazon’s strengths by getting cheaper hardware into more consumers’ hands to drive revenue from their core Internet-based businesses. The Internet search giant, which has never disclosed tablet sales, plans to ship six to eight million of the new Nexus 7s in the second half of this year, the sources said. That compares to an estimated 4.6 million Nexus 7s sold in the same period last year, according to Enders Analysis mobile industry analyst Benedict Evans. The large volume could help to accelerate development of tablet-specific applications for its Android operating software. Asustek, a netbook PC pioneer, will continue to cobrand with Google on the new Nexus 7. The Taiwanese company has said it aims to ship over 12 million tablets this year, almost double last year’s shipments. AGENCIES

LUCASARTS SHUT DOWN Just 154 days after acquiring LucasArts as part of their larger, $4B acquisition of Lucasfilm, Disney has dissolved the classic video game development company. Beginning today, Disney will continue to license out the LucasArts properties (namely Star Wars), but has ceased the development of all internal projects. Some projects (such as the incredible looking Star Wars 1313) may find new homes with other development houses, but their status is currently up in the air. While the move was not unforeseen, that doesn’t make today’s news any less disheartening. At least 150 people have been reportedly laid off in the move.

GOOGLE FORKS WEBKIT

Google just announced that it is forking WebKit and launching this fork as Blink. As Google describes it, Blink is “an inclusive open source community” and “a new rendering engine based on WebKit” that will, over time, “naturally evolve in different directions.” Blink, Google says, will be all about speed and simplicity. It will soon make its way from Chromium to the various Chrome release channels, so users will see the ﬁrst Blink-powered version of Chrome appear on their desktops, phones and tablets in the near future.

PRICES FALL Prices of Windows RT devices have started falling, signaling an attempt by PC makers to quickly clear out stock after poor adoption of tablets and convertibles with the operating system. Microsoft released Windows RT for ARM-based devices and Windows 8 for Intel-based devices in October last year. The price drop is an acknowledgement that Windows RT has failed, analysts said. Prices of popular products usually don’t fall, but Windows RT devices were not in demand, and prices fell, analysts said. The starting price for Dell’s XPS 10 is now $449 for a 32GB model, scalping $50 off the original launch price

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Comment The intellect of the wise is like glass; it admits the light of heaven and reflects it.

CRICKET CARNIVAL

INGRID BAZINET Agence France-Presse

man in a white wedding dress flanked by two others in striped prison uniforms is outside the office of a Spanish lawmaker, pushing for changes to the country's tough eviction laws. The unusual-looking protest is the latest in a wave of such demonstrations — dubbed "escraches", the Argentine slang word for denunciation — staged outside the homes or workplaces of lawmakers from Spain's ruling conservative Popular Party in recent weeks by campaigners who blame the eviction laws for forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes during a deep recession. "Why am I dressed as a bride? To show that we have come here full of love and not violence," said Daniel Garcia, an activist from the Platform for Mortgage Victims, which organised the protest Wednesday outside the office of lawmaker Eva Duran in Vallecas, a working-class neighbourhood in Madrid. The grass-roots association wants the government to change Spain's laws to end evictions, allow insolvent homeowners to write off their debts by surrendering their homes and transform repossessed flats owned by banks into social housing. Under the current law, a bank can pursue a mortgage holder to pay off the remaining balance of a loan if the value of the seized property is not enough. Parliament agreed in February to debate the reforms proposed by the group after it collected over 1.4 million signatures in an online petition, but last week the Popular Party tabled amendments that would water down some of the key demands.

T-20 TIME WITH YOUR ‘MUSTACHE’ BUT... SERIOUSLY

Augustus Hare English author

Spaniards protest evictions

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS

What would be the best way to shut Kim Jong-Un’s mouth? Scrapping sanctions imposed on his nation, more respect for “Kimland”, international appreciation for his ideas and methods? Know what would work best? A big, big pacifier!

Ajay hotchandani

t’s that time of year where devoted fans start to prepare excuses why they can’t go to work or go out with friends in order to stay home and watch Indian Premier League T-20 matches. The season opener was April 3, 2013 between Kolkota Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils. One of the attractive things the IPL has done is allowed fans to start a fantasy league. For those of you who don’t know what this is, a fantasy league is “is a game where participants act as owners to build a team that competes against other fantasy owners based on the statistics generated by the real individual players or teams of a professional sport”. The good thing about a fantasy league is that people can join in and have an objective way of determining who is a “bigger” fan, or who is more apt to coach the national team in case they decided to do a google search for “Who should be the next cricket coach?” Approximately seven hours before the first game, I remembered I had not set up my league team yet. At this point it was about 1 am in Belize. Hurrying to set up my initial roster I did an ‘auto pick’ (which is another function that helps novice or lazy people set up their team within seconds). I’m not sure why I decided to start my own league rather than join an existing one? It took me couple of minutes of fiddling around and there, on the IPL official website, was my team. Listed along with my league (Ajay’s Mustache) were only two other league teams, Overseas League and Fans of RCB. Initially I was caught off guard, as these two leagues had

almost 14,000 people in them and my league only had one person, me. I quickly sent out an invitation on facebook telling them to join and within an hour Vivek C joined. The boy decides to name his team “The Towel Head Jedis” – I guess he was paying homage to Indians and Star Wars. Further search on the website revealed thousands of players in hundreds of leagues. Hyderabad even had a strong presence. I guess I am a bit too late in joining the Hyderabad league. However, if there are any of you feeling adventurous and can create a unique but silly name, please feel free to join my league. League Name: Ajay’s Mustache League Code: 20379 So how did my first day as captain of my

own team go? After I did an auto pick I thought my overall roster was good but wanted to make one change to include a Delhi Daredevil player as they were playing in couple of hours. Looking at the reviews I thought I would hedge my bets on Unmukt Chand. For those of you who watched the game knew how that bet went. Because of the time difference I was barely able to wake up for the start of the match. You could only imagine the profanities my mind started to come up with when I saw that he got knocked out by the very first pitch. Any hopes of getting points from him went out the window. I did have Sunil Narine of my roster too, he got me couple of points.

EDITORIALS There is no method in Kim’s madness Watch it, Gauti

kay, North Korea’s April Fool prank has gone too far. Ratcheting up a war-like situation is not the right way to get the ear of the international community and there is no method in this madness of Kim Jong-Un. And this is no triﬂing issue to joke about when the peace and well-being of a whole continent are at stake. Kim seems not to understand that you cannot force another to give you respect. Trading threats to nuke and blast ever-tolerant neighbour S Korea is not at all the way. Kim since his ascension has been working hard to further isolate his country by his rhetoric and missile tests which only brought more sanction on his impoverished nation. If sanctions were placed, it may be said that Kim had been begging for it. Now with the US moving in missile interceptors and are seriously considering bolstering its forces to secure itself and its ally South Korea from any possible Pyongyang strike and “Kimland” reciprocating by moving missiles that can hit targets in South Korea and Japan, things are on the brink of blowing out of proportion. As it is, the world has several issues to wrack the bean, and Kim and his capricious nature are not at all helping.

READERS’ VIEWS

e won’t know for sure how will Gambhir’s comment that he enjoys more support of his Kolkata fans than those in his hometown be taken. Fortunes change and there are not many things as ﬁckle as the weather and luck. It’s only the beginning and you are sure to play in Delhi. Now that you have said it, you may brace for a ﬁtting welcome in Delhi.

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

tELEVISION

DEMI LOVATO ON 'DANCING WITH THE STARS'

Demi Lovato has booked an appearance on this week's Dancing with the Stars results show. The musician will perform new single Heart Attack, ABC has confirmed.

LAWSUIT SETTLED

IN THE BUNKS

The new M*A*S*H?

In a season full of intense drama and thrills, Bluestone 42 lends just the comedic relief you need. American Idol vs X Factor The lawsuit between American Idol and X Factor has been settled. Idol creator Simon Fuller sued Fox Broadcasting in July 2011 over claims that he was owed an executive producer credit and fee over the Simon Cowell-fronted X Factor. Papers have now been ﬁled in the LA Superior Court to dismiss the claims with prejudice following the settlement, The Hollywood Reporter says. Terms of the settlement are conﬁdential and neither party has commented on the reports.

DID YOU KNOW...

Hilary

Duff is to star in the season finale of Two and a Half Men. According to TV Line, the 25-year-old actress will star as Walden's (Ashton Kutcher) love interest Stacey in the final episode of season 10. Meanwhile, Taxi actress Marilu Henner will also guest-star in the episode as her grandmother. The featured storyline will reportedly see Walden falling for Stacey's gran.

TRENDING... POSTNOON TEAM feedback@postnoon.com

s sitcoms go, this one is pretty much off the charts. BBC 3’s new comedy is centered on a British bomb disposal squad in Afghanistan. Nothing brings out the gallows humour quite like being on the frontlines in an on-going war and Bluestone 42 banks heavily on it. The eight part series comes from Richard Hurst and James Cary — the makers of the successful BBC comedy Miranda and it delivers. The pilot opens with the viewers being introduced to a motley team of soldiers that are saving the day by defusing landmines and bombs in rural Afghanistan. The team is led the handsome wise-cracking Captain

Nick Medhurst (Oliver Chris) and his faithful side-kicks, Corporal Lynda Bird (aka the Bird) the only female in the team but more manly than all the men combined, Corporal Christian Mills (aka Millsy) the brains of the unit and the mischief maker privates Lance, Kevin and Euan. Not to forget of course, the man who runs the ship, Lieutenant Colonel Philip Smith who in his near retirement days makes up rules as he goes. Each day is much like the next until the arrival of a CIA agent on the camp to assist with the team. Ten minutes in to the first assignment with the team, he is killed in a roadside ops. Enter the quirky, and did we mention incredibly goodlooking, Padre Mary Greenstone which quickly manages to catch the eye of

The show manages to walk the thin line between risque and distasteful and for that alone, it deserves a watch. Captain Nick. Their hilarious encounters combined with the ruthless banter of the team makes for the gags that will have you chuckling in no time. The show manages to walk the line between risque and distasteful and for that alone, it deserves a watch. If you can forgive slapstick, you’ll find Bluestone incredibly funny and entertaining. But irrespective of whether it tickles your funny bone or not, the one thing Blackstone 42 does manage to achieve is to remind you that

behind the tremendous responsibility of their stations, the these men are much like anyone else. And the army like any other workplace, with the fun and the frolic, competition and complaints, bosses and reportees and everything else. Surprising for a BBC show, our only grouse is the setting. It does not look or feel anything like Afghanistan which we find out is little wonder considering the show was filmed in South Africa. Bottomline. The show is not exactly unprecedented in that we’ve seen classics in the genre before with shows like M*A*S*H and Blackadder. So how does Bluestone compare? It might not match in stature we definitely think that it holds its own. Episodes of the show are available online.

Holliday Grainger and Emile Hirsch have won the lead roles in a new Bonnie & Clyde miniseries. The Borgias star Grainger and Into the Wild's Hirsch will play fugitive lovers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow for cable network A+E, reports TVLine. Miley Cyrus was brieﬂy linked to the role of Bonnie, but dropped out in October.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson will be announcing the Tony Awards nominations. The Modern Family actor will be joined by Bunheads star Sutton Foster to reveal this year's nominees on April 30. This year's nominations announcement will be held at the New York Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Centre.

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

spotlight

SING ALONG

10 Downing Street is hosting Karaoke night tonight. So, head to the pub and take centre stage.

S BALAKRISHNA

STAR POWER

A GLITZY DO

The audio of Nagarjuna starrer Greekuveerudu was launched on Wednesday at Shilpakala Vedika. The event was a glitzy affair that saw the entire Akkineni family come under one roof. 1

6 ANR, Nagarjuna 7 Raghavendra Rao

1 Akhil 2 Amala Akkineni 3 Naga Chaitanya

8 Priyamani 9 Nagarjuna 10 SS Thaman

4 Anushka 5 SP Balu

9 10

11 Sushanth 12 Dasaradh 13 Sivaprasad Reddy

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

health

MEXICAN SOCCER LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN AGAINST OBESITY Mexico's first division soccer clubs will be kicking orange-coloured balls around the field starting next weekend as a reminder of the nation's fight against obesity. The Liga Mx soccer league, the federal health department and other institutions launched Tuesday their 2013 Measure Yourself and Get Active campaign.

BEAT THE HEAT

Come summer and the body struggles to keep a lot of things at bay and two very important culprits of these uncomfortable months are prickly heat and body odour. We talk to experts about how to maintain your personal hygiene this summer.

THE THORN in your side FLEME VARKEY

fleme.v@postnoon.com

elevision channels may have already started showing you ads on different creams, lotions, powders and deodorants to use this summer. Some prevent dryness, some prevent rashes and itching, some guarantee protection from the sun’s harsh rays, but few tell you about the hygiene part of all this. In case of prickly heat and body odour, a few lifestyle changes that can keep you from wrinkling your nose in pain or disgust. Prickly heat, also called heat rash, or to give it its medical name, miliaria, is an itchy, irritating skin condition that children can get when they spend a lot of time in any hot or humid environment. It’s a result of the sweat ducts becoming blocked. Prickly heat is extremely common, especially in babies and young children. People who are overweight or sweat easily are more likely to get it. It can show up anywhere on the body, but you can see it around folds of the skin — at joints and around the tummy or bottom — and also on the arms, legs and face. A related and sometimes simultaneous condition is folliculitis, where hair follicles mix with foreign matter,

resulting in inflammation as well. Dr Sachith Abraham, consultant dermatologist at Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, gives us some tips on how to prevent prickly heat. “Clothing is an important area of concern, as usually rashes are caused by fabric like polyester, synthetics, nylon and silk chaffing against the skin, in case the fitting is tight. So avoid such fabric and wear preferably loose-fitting cotton clothes. For babies especially, one must make them wear cottonbased clothes only. In terms of food, keep off spicy, oily food. While stepping out, use a hat, umbrella and remember to apply sunscreen, as these can prevent the sun from directly harming your skin.” The body loses a lot of water in summer through perspiration. Losing weight at this time is comparatively easier than the rest of the year, however, Dr Abraham cautions against doing any activity that produces too much of sweat. “Though this is not possible for all, try and keep yourself in cool, air conditioned environments and take frequent showers using mild a soap. Keep in mind not to expose the body to different temperatures, like extreme heat or cold. Most importantly, make sure to drink plenty of water and keep yourselves hydrated,” he adds. Another problem that becomes acute in summer is body odour. People who perspire profusely are often

ANEWS PP-LYBRIEFS YOURSELF

found suffering from this. Embarrassing, isn’t it? While sweat itself is virtually odourless, bacteria use it as a breeding ground and multiply rapidly. In short, when sweat meets bacteria body odour is produced. While body odour is usually associated with the armpits, bacteria can also produce odour in the groin, anus area, upper thighs and feet, among other places. Smelly feet also lead to smelly shoes and a scenario wherein everyone gags the moment you remove your shoes.

Dr Abraham tells us how to prevent getting into uncomfortable situations n

Change your diet. Sometimes, fatty foods, oils, or strongsmelling foods such as garlic, curry, and onions, can seep through your pores and cause odour.

HOUSECALL

Omvana

Osteoarthritis

Omvana brings you thousands of customisable meditations, relaxation audios and personal growth tracks in one beautiful app. Sleep better, relax better and transform your life with exclusives audios from many of the world's best health, wellness and meditation teachers. You can also mix each meditation your way.

Osteoarthritis (OA) can be divided into primary OA where the joint was previously healthy and secondary OA which follows either a congenital deformity of bones or joints, or an injury. The term 'wear and tear' arthritis is sometimes used as there is evidence that the repair process of the joint is faulty or ineffective, and osteoarthritis becomes more likely as a person gets older. However, younger people can be affected too.

Shaving your underarm regularly will help prevent the accumulation of bacteria and can reduce sweat and odour.

If you sweat a lot, wear clothing made of cotton, linen or other natural material.

DID YOU KNOW? Nap at work is good for your boss A 20-minute nap can improve your overall alertness, boost your mood, and increase productivity. William Anthony, co-author of The Art of Napping at Work (Larson Publications, 1999), says the post-nap boost can last for several hours. Your heart may also beneﬁt from napping.

Keep areas that are prone to sweating clean and hygienic.

Use anti-fungal creams if you are prone to fungal infections.

The best way to prevent body odour is to wash away sweat and bacteria.

PIONEERS Virginia Apgar Virginia Apgar was an American obstetrical anesthesiologist. She was a leader in the ﬁelds of anesthesiology and teratology, and introduced obstetrical considerations to the established ﬁeld of neonatology. To the public, however, she is best known as the developer of the Apgar score, a method of assessing the health of newborn babies that has drastically reduced infant mortality over the world.

health THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

A GLIMMER OF HOPE

Hormonal hunger may combat Alzheimer’s

STUDY

Childless men more depressed than women

Researchers theorise that feeling hungry creates mild stress which in turn fires up metabolic signalling pathways that counter plaque deposits known to destroy nerve cells. WASHINGTON: The feeling of hunger itself may protect the brain against Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. The study in mice suggests that mild hunger pangs, and related hormonal pathways, may be as important to the much-discussed value of "caloric restriction" as actually eating less. Caloric restriction is a regimen where an individual consumes fewer calories than average, but not so few that they become malnourished. Studies in many species have suggested that it could protect against neurodegenerative disorders and extend lifespans, but the effect has not been confirmed in human randomised clinical trials. The authors of the new study, published in journal

To study the sensation of hunger, the research team analysed the effects of the hormone ghrelin, which is known to make us feel hungry. PLOS ONE, argue that hormonal signals are the middlemen between an empty gut and the perception of hunger in the brain, and that manipulating them may effectively counter age-related cognitive decline in the same way as caloric restriction. "This is the first paper, as far as we are aware, to show that the sensation of hunger can

reduce Alzheimer's disease pathology in a mouse model of the disease," said Inga Kadish, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "If the mechanisms are confirmed, hormonal hunger signalling may represent a new way to combat Alzheimer's disease, either by itself or combined with caloric restriction," Kadish said.

DOCTOR’S COLUMN I’m 28 and recently got married. Until now, I always had my period on time. But this time it has been delayed by nearly 10 days. I took a pregnancy test and it turned up negative. Why the delay then? Also what is a good contraceptive method I can opt for? We don't want a baby for another year at least. It is a dictum in gynaecology, that in a sexually active women with a delayed period, consider her pregnant until proven oth-

The team theorises that feeling hungry creates mild stress. That, in turn, fires up metabolic signalling pathways that counter plaque deposits known to destroy nerve cells in Alzheimer's patients. To study the sensation of hunger, the research team analysed the effects of the hormone ghrelin, which is known to make us feel hungry.

They used a synthetic form of ghrelin in pill form, which let them control dosage such that the ghrelin-treated mice felt steadily, mildly hungry. If it could be developed, a treatment that affected biochemical pathways downstream of hunger signals might help delay cognitive decline without consigning people to a life of feeling hungry, researchers said. PTI

LONDON: Men are more likely to feel depressed and angry than women if they are childless, a new study has claimed. Men without children tend to associate jealousy, loneliness, and depression with the fact that they did not have kids, according to research from Keele University. The impact can last a lifetime, with many older men feeling pangs of regret when their friends become grandfathers, the study found. While some women said they felt 'guilt' about not having children and spoke of feeling a 'biological' need, men were more likely to cite cultural and family expectations. Meanwhile, among those who are already parents, women are more likely than men to feel a strong desire for a second child. The study was presented to the British Sociological Association's annual conference in London by Robin Hadley, a counsellor and doctoral student at Keele University who interviewed two samples of men and women with and without children. Almost four out of 10 childless men said they felt depressed, compared with three out of 10 of their female counterparts. "My work shows that there was a similar level of desire for parenthood among childless men and women in the survey, and that men had higher levels of anger, depression, sadness, jealousy and isolation than women and similar level of yearning," Hadley said. PTI

Dr Divya Sudershan

Birth control safer than emergency pills

erwise. Most women have periods ranging from 25- 35 days and their cycle is considered normal if that is the regular pattern. So you can have either 10-13 cycles a year, which is still perfectly normal. The most common reasons for a delayed cycle is stress, believe it or not. The brain has a big part to play in your hormone levels and ovulation. Excessive exercise/dieting (very common in brides to be),

overdoing the weight loss either by stressful exercise or crash dieting, can result in delayed cycles. In fact, sportswomen who regularly work out have fewer and scantier periods than most women. Weight gain, which is quite common in early married life, can slowly change the hormonal balance and delay cycles. Other reasons are hormonal disorders like PCOD, hypothyroidism and adrenal hormo-

ne problems. We mostly investigate the patient if more than three cycles are missed and she is not pregnant. Certain drugs like anti depressants, chemotherapeutic can also cause this. Your luck will not last if you don’t take any steps since regular contraception condoms have a high failure rate. Contra-ceptive pills are safe and very low dose to be taken for 21 days, and much better than the emergency

pill which is very high dose which most women choose to use because you have to take it only once. You can meet a gynaecologist just before or during your period and she will suggest a safe medication. The writer is a gynaecologist and obstetrician at Happy Women Clinic. You can write in to her at happywomenclinic @gmail.com or call her on 9959729444

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Entertainment CINE BYTES

Baba Sehgal joins Rudrama Devi's cast

opular singer Baba Sehgal has been roped in for a role in Gunasekhar's upcoming historical drama Rudrama Devi. Although the costume trials are under way, it's not yet clear what role he's going to play in the ﬁlm. Anushka is playing the titular role and the ﬁlm also has Rana, Krishnam Raju and Prakash Raj in important roles.

Telugu short film goes to Cannes

nukokunda, a Telugu short film directed by Tharun Bhascker, has been selected for Cannes Film Festival. Last year, the short film had won the 48 Hour Film Project contest held in Hyderabad. Kireeti Damaraju and Ritu Varma, who acted in the short film, will be soon making their entry in Telugu films.

Chinna Cinema to release on April 11

rjun Kalyan, Sumona Chanda and Komal Jha starrer Chinna Cinema is gearing up for release on April 11. The film has been directed by AK Kambhampati. Praveen Lakkaraju has scored the music. A major part of the film has been shot in US and narrates the story of a guy who wants to make a film.

BIG AMBITIONS

YVS CHOWDHARY SPENDS A BOMB FOR REY'S CLIMAX

VS Chowdhary is going all out for his upcoming film Rey. The film has been under production for almost two years now and finally, it's nearing completion. Sai Dharam Tej, nephew of Chiranjeevi, and Saiyami Kher are making their debut in Tollywood and Shraddha Das is playing the role of a pop singer in this musical love story. Now, we hear that YVS Chowdhary has spent a whopping `1.5 crore for a song, which comes in the climax in this film. Explaining the reason behind the budget for the song, YVS Chowdhary says, "As per the script, several teams compete against each other in a contest in the climax and we wanted it to be grand in every possible way. Prem Rakshit has choreographed some amazing moves for the song and his team has been rehearsing for the song for nearly a month."The principal shooting of the song began on March 25 at the Annapurna Seven Acres studios in Hyderabad and it'll go on till April 15. "The song is inspired from a live show I saw in Las Vegas back in 2007. We have also roped in Mike Spencer, a record producer, for the song and he'll be joining the team soon. Chakri and Bhargavi Pillai have sung the song and Noel will be rapping in the middle of the song. Around 60 dancers, Russian girls and more than 1,000 junior artistes have been featured in the song," YVS Chowdhary said. Chakri has scored the music and Gopal Reddy is the cinematographer. YVS Chowdhary has also written and produced the film, apart from directing it. This is his first big project post Saleem and Nippu and the film will hit the screens later this summer.

Entertainment THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

TRYING NEW TRICKS

CINE BYTES

meesha Patel will be seen revisiting Madhuri Dixit’s hit song Ek do teen from Tezaab in her maiden production venture Desi Magic. “...just the way Madhuri created the magic, I hope me and my choreographer Raju Khan create the (same) magic,” Ameesha said recently. The original song was choreographed by Saroj Khan and the song was one of chartbusters in the 1980s. Now Saroj Khan’s son Raju will choreograph it for Ameesha and he said: “I am really looking forward to the Desi Magic and as you all have seen my mom do Ek do teen. It’s kind of killing me already. But my fingers are crossed and I hope we create magic (again) on that.” Being made under Ameesha Patel Productions, Desi Magic is being directed by ad filmmaker Mehul Atha, while screenplay is by Dhoom fame director Sanjay Gadhvi. Asked about including an item number in the film, Ameesha said: “We have Ek do teen with us, so we have all the items possible. At the end of the day, the winner is the subject. Content is the king. No hero, no heroine can make your film work if your film lacks the content.” IANS

AMEESHA to revisit Madhuri’s Ek do teen

PC lends voice for Disney’s Planes

ctress Priyanka Chopra, who lends her voice to the character Ishani in animated movie Planes, says her character is strong, spirited, and a talented Indian racer. “Disney creates the most outstanding stories and unforgettable characters and I am very excited to be a part of their latest adventure...Planes,” Priyanka said in a statement. IANS

Aamir Khan learns Bhojpuri for Peekay

ctor Aamir Khan is said to be learning Bhojpuri for his upcoming Rajkumar Hirani directed movie Peekay. The 48-year-old has been taking lessons over the last four months as his character in the movie demands ﬂuency in the language. This is not the ﬁrst time the star has taken language lessons for a role. He learnt Awadhi while preparing for Ashutosh Gowariker’s blockbuster Lagaan. PTI

Vidya, Emraan to promote new film in local trains

umbai local trains play an important role in Vidya Balan and Emraan Hashmi-starrer Ghanchakkar, so the makers have decided to promote the ﬁlm in local trains. A source revealed that “when promotion strategies were being discussed, promotions on train was considered an important idea”. “Emraan and Vidya are set to promote the ﬁlm on the local trains in Mumbai, Delhi, Indore and Lucknow,” added the source. IANS

Entertainment THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

MORE SPACE?

CINE BYTES

ollywood star Tom Cruise says he won't mind a space trip, which can cost him 130,000 pounds, but would just like "a couple of other people to test it out first". While promoting the new sci-fi film Oblivion, Cruise admitted he would love the experience, reports thesun.co.uk. "Who wouldn't want to do something like that? I'm going to let a couple of other people test it out first, but it would be great. I was always hoping, when I was a kid, that we would be travelling to different planets by now," said Cruise. The War of the Worlds star, 50, would be following other celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, who plan to go into space. The Two And A Half Men star has already kept aside 130,000 pounds for Virgin Galactic's upcoming two-hour mission. Cruise believes aliens can exist. In fact, some of his religious friends do believe that an alien called Xenu brought humans to Earth 75 million years ago. The actor said: "I don't think you can actually count it out. It might be a little arrogant to think we were the only ones in all the galaxies throughout the universe— but I've never met one!" Cruise spoke at the Russian premiere of Oblivion, in which he plays one of the last men on Earth after an alien battle ravages the planet in 2073. He is well practised for a trip to space as he once flew a Space Shuttle simulator at Nasa's space centre in Houston, Texas.

Cooper reveals perm

fter he was spotted a few weeks ago in little pink hair rollers, the world can ﬁnally get a look at Bradley Cooper's perm. Cooper is currently in Boston, working on David O Russell's next movie with Jennifer Lawrence, Christian Bale, and Amy Adams. Bradley's new look comes days after he appeared at the premiere of The Place Beyond The Pines, with no hint of a perm.

Will Arnett joins Megan in Ninja Turtles

ill Arnett has joined Megan Fox as one of the leads in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, being made by Paramount and Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes production banner. The ﬁlm is on the classic 1980s characters that debuted in an indie comic before going on to become a massively popular cartoon and merchandising line.

IANS

Finding Nemo sequel has a title, a new logo

E S I U R TOM C ind won't m ip r t e c a a sp

he long-awaited sequel to Pixar's 2003 smash hit Finding Nemo is finally ready to set sail. Ellen DeGeneres, who provides the voice for the charmingly forgetful fish Dory, will officially return for the sequel, which is now officially titled Finding Dory. Dory takes place about a year after the first film, and will focus on Dory, while also including the return of Marlin, Nemo, the Tank Gang, and others.

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Chai Time

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you're going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus. Oprah Winfrey

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 Engage in a gabfest 5 Appear impressively large 9 Couch/bed hybrid 14 Prayer’s end 15 ‘What ___ can I say?’ 16 Apparently amazed 17 Wash up 18 Do a farmer’s job 19 Not as well 20 Buddy from way back 23 Poet’s pasture 24 Succumb to gravity 25 Name tags, briefly 28 Impish one 31 Nutty, chewy stuff 36 Baseball starters, in number 38 Stick together 40 Shorelines do it 41 Tail end of the work week 44 Drive back 45 Type of diamond earring 46 Absolutely positive 47 Sporting spots 49 Omen 51 Explosive palindrome 52 Covert fed group 54 One-third of IX 56 Severed all ties 65 Mistake 66 One place to get fresh water 67 ___ Romeo (sports car) 68 Actor’s representative 69 Rent-a-car option 70 Skiers’ ride 71 Search with a divining rod 72 Longings 73 British nobleman

DOWN

1 Baby powder ingredient

2 Asian nurse 3 Jeans purveyor Strauss 4 Mournful peal 5 Listlessness 6 Some of this and some of that 7 Home of the Nobels 8 Canasta plays 9 One at an expo 10 Citrus variety 11 Narrative 12 Candid 13 Stereotypical computer programmer 21 New socialite, for short 22 Strike out, in baseball 25 Prefix with ‘red’ or ‘structure’ 26 Less rosy 27 Fools hunt it 29 Word of woe 30 Clumps of grass 32 Samovars 33 Stop burning 34 Beautify with baubles 35 Group belief 37 Earthly paradise 39 Small accessory case 42 Ordering option in a restaurant 43 Sign of nerves 48 Attack word 50 Penpoint 53 Put to rest, as fears 55 Seeing red 56 Hoover Dam lake 57 Jason’s fleece-finding ship 58 Selected, as straws 59 Ages and ages and ages 60 Roof rim 61 Related 62 Napoleon’s first exile 63 A distant point 64 Unfunny Marx

Chai Time THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 5-4-2013

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

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Avoid giving lift to anyone while travelling in your vehicle who doesn’t seem to be trustworthy. Misunderstanding between couples is most likely, avoiding which will keep you happy. Businessmen will have reduced profit margins.

STRIP TEASE AGNES

Health looks fine. Children do well in studies and are confident of scoring ranks; this cheers you. Enemies will stay away from you seeing your stupendous growth. Employees will complete work in stipulated the time and earn a name.

Influx of visitors will make you and other family members very happy. Mother’s affection will make you feel comfortable. Some are likely to get due share of ancestral property. You fulfill the wishes of children at any cost and make them happy.

Children will be adamant, which will irritate you but it is necessary to remain cool and advise them to follow your way. If you are availing financial assistance by pledging your property it should be done through a person who is completely trustful.

Changes likely in your outstation travel plans. Avoid mentioning past events while talking to paternal relatives when they come visiting. Businessmen might face roadblocks in getting new contracts signed and also in expansion plans.

You need to advice your children politely so that they proceed efficiently and march ahead. Income from ancestral property is likely. Parents or spouse will be forced to make debt because of you. Try and avoid getting into such a situation.

Avoid foods that are not suitable to you to stay healthy. Enemies will change their attitude and become friends. Though inflow of money is good, expenses too will increase to upset you. You seek help from friends and also help them.

You extend help to your maternal relatives to the maximum extent possible. You have to make your son flexible by showing love and affection as he will be stubborn in his decisions irrespective of good or bad. Enemies keep a low profile.

Employees need to follow managements’ instructions carefully; else they might face penal action. To meet family expenses, some will raise a new financial assistance which is unavoidable. Businessmen will announce attractive sops.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail. com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

Queen of Pentacles – You’re likely to bump into an old friend at a supermarket or at the movies. It will trigger old emotions. Stay with it and let it go at its pace.

LEO:

Six of Pentacles – Be open to new ideas at the work place and don’t reject anything anyone has to say. It may also be a fresher in the industry. New ideas bring change.

LIBRA:

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

Two of Pentacles – You’ve been managing the juggling act rather well and it’s working out fantastically. You’re also becoming more aware of the possibilities.

SAGITTARIUS:

Ace of Cups – This is a lucky phase and you’re in for a good run with both career and relationships. A word of caution: Don’t get too attached.

TAURUS:

The High Priestess – Someone not that close to you will approach you with problems. It may leave you wondering. Just listen and don’t go out of your way.

CANCER:

Eight of Cups – A friendship gone sour is not a pleasant experience to remember in the later years. You wonder what you should have done for it to be different.

VIRGO:

Queen of Cups – You’re feeling very emotional about a person very close to you. It can be a parent or a sibling. Distance yourself. Give yourself a lot of space.

SCORPIO:

Ace of Wands – Creativity needs an outlet. Look for it. It can be as simple as posting something on Facebook and getting people to notice how you think.

CAPRICORN:

Seven of Cups – Don’t believe all you hear or even see. There are stories and rumours floating. You may even be the subject of a few of these. Ignore!

PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

King of Wands – Spending time with friends at a coffee shop with no plan in particular, and talking about this and that, is a good de-stressor. Do it more often.

NUMBER GAME

Man – Spiritual awareness is need of the hour. Try something new. How about power yoga or the emotional freedom technique? It’ll relax you.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: The Hanged

POOCH CAFE

Children might seem dull; it is necessary for you to encourage and guide them properly. Valuable property documents should not be kept in others’ custody as there are chances of misuse. Enemies might provoke you but maintain calm.

for 5-4-2013

The Devil – You’re in the mood for some retail therapy. Before you head out, take stock of finances and make sure you’re not overstepping. Keep a budget.

NON SEQUITUR

Children likely to discuss wishes with you openly and it is for you to take care of them by fulfilling them. You will be happy as one of the oldest problems will get resolved to your satisfaction. Avoid seeking friend’s help in family issues.

SUDUKO

You will be keen to maintain a good health. You will act wisely and face enemies tactfully. Couples look more cordial and adjust with each other to lead a happy life. Businessmen expand their horizon. Financially, a satisfactory position is likely.

Boggle FOOT YARD MILE METER FURLONG Vol: 2, No 258 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 THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

WHEN THEIR EYES MET

CINE BYTES

Lindsay Lohan: Pregnant, or April Fools’ Joke?

s she pregnant, or only joking? “Its ofﬁcial. Pregnant…” Lindsay Lohan wrote on Twitter although the timing of the announcement was certainly suspicious. If it was an April Fools’ joke, it was a late one, posted after midnight Et. Then again, lateness is a Lohan specialty — she was an hour tardy to her crucial court hearing last month, and also missed her ﬂight back from Brazil on Monday.

Amy Poehler Is Dating Nick Kroll!

my Poehler has found herself a new man! According to the New York Post, the Parks and Recreation star has been spotted out several times with fellow comedian Nick Kroll. As of recently, the two were caught on a date at the Pikey Cafe and Bar on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles on Friday.

y n n h o J Finances exposed by ti h p celebrity hackers w ep A D

’ x e s l l a b e y e s ‘ aim d

l ha c a he h $ s e K

Ke$ha is not a slut, but she did have “eyeball sex” with Johnny Depp — that is, if you believe Ke$ha. The Die Young singer, who previously announced she had sex with a ghost, claims she and Depp virtually got it on in December. “Me and Johnny Depp had eyeball sex at the benefit concert for Superstorm Sandy in LA,” Ke$ha tells Metro. “We never really talked — we just had eyeball sex.” The pair did meet up backstage at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in March, but no word on whether their alleged eyeballing progressed into anything more substantial. Despite hooking up via her eyeballs, Ke$ha wants the world to know she’s not really that kind of girl. “If men in music talk about sex, girls, strippers and partying, then why can’t I,” she laments. “Just because I’m a woman, it doesn’t make me a drunk or a slut.”

ngelina Jolie and Lady Gaga are the two newest victims of the celebrity hackers who had already exposed the ﬁnancial secrets of Michelle Obama and Beyonce ... TMZ has learned. The hackers hit six more A-list victims, including Angelina, Gaga, NRA advocate Wayne Lapierre, Dennis Rodman, Michael Vick, Secret Service Director Julia Pierson and Robert De Niro. The hackers have posted what they claim to be the social security numbers.

sports

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

NBA PLAYOFF BERTHS

EVE-TEASING

Celtics beat Pistons

Seven of the eight Eastern Conference playoff teams have now been determined, with the reigning champion Miami Heat leading the way. BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Jeff Green’s game-high 34 points included a key threepointer that helped Boston hold on for a 98-93 victory over the Detroit that secured the Celtics’ NBA playoff berth. Green made 13-of-19 shots from the field, including three three-pointers. The victory, coupled with the Philadelphia 76ers’ 88-83 loss to Charlotte, ensured the Celtics will be in the post-season for the sixth straight year. Milwaukee remain in eighth position, six games in front of Philadelphia for the final spot despite falling 107-98 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.

Jeff Green (L) of the Boston Celtics secures a loose ball against Greg Monroe of the Detroit Pistons during the game on Wednesday at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. AFP/ JARED WICKERHAM

2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES

Emblem unveiled SYDNEY: The logo and a countdown clock for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games were unveiled at an official launch ceremony on Thursday, marking five years to the opening ceremony. Commonwealth Games Minister Jann Stuckey said the logo, or emblem, captured the essence of the tourist Gold Coast strip, 90 kilometres (55 miles) south of Brisbane, and what the event was all about. “The emblem has been inspired by the Gold Coast’s stunning beach side location, its iconic skyline, and the colours are representative of the coast, the hinterland and the celebratory atmosphere

which is synonymous with the region,” Stuckey said in a statement. “Centred upon fluid representations of a gymnast, a hurdler and a swimmer, the emblem reflects the Games’ deep heritage and humanity.” The logo shows beams of orange, yellow, green and blue radiating outwards, with the coloured silhouettes of the three sportsmen cleverly merging in the middle. It received praise from Commonwealth Games Federation president Tunku Imran. “I feel it captures perfectly the warmth, the energy, the fun and the vibrancy of the Gold Coast,” he said. AFP

In Boston, Paul Pierce and Brandon Bass scored 17 points apiece for the Celtics, with Bass adding a team-hig seven rebounds. Pierce was back after missing Monday’s game because of personal reasons, while Kevin Garnett missed his seventh straight game for Boston with an ankle injury. Greg Monroe led the Pistons with 24 points and 17 rebounds. In Milwaukee, Nikola Pekovic scored a team-high 27 points to go with eight rebounds to lead the Timberwolves to a victory over the Bucks. Ricky Rubio had 19 points, 12 assists and eight steals and Derrick Williams scored 15. AFP

Kabaddi champ overpowers miscreants THANE: In a courageous act, a national-level kabaddi champion got two youths arrested when they tried to eve-tease her, police said today. The incident took place at Satis skywalk on Tuesday when Harshala More and her friends were returning after practice when the duo passed lewd comments at them, they said. The duo were identified as Ramesh Thorat (24) and Pritesh Gharat (26). Unfazed, Harshala managed to catch hold of Thorat and handed him over to policemen on duty near Thane railway station while Gharat fled the spot. He was later arrested. In a separate incident, a teenage girl from tribal-dominated Wada tehsil in the district beat up a biker when he tried to harass her. PTI

IN TROUBLED WATERS

Perkins lashes at Aussie ‘show pony’ swimmers SYDNEY: Australia’s under-fire men’s swimmers must focus on their sport and not act as “celebrity show ponies”, former Olympic champion Kieren Perkins (in pic) said on Thursday. The two-time Olympic 1,500m freestyle gold medallist believes Australian swimming has not been irrevocably damaged by the revelations of athletes abusing prescription drugs, alcohol and curfews during last year’s London Games. But the findings of a damning review into Australia’s Olympic swimming team should act as the catalyst for a greater emphasis on

performance, he said. “The guys who are involved in the team now need to take on board the lessons,” Perkins told reporters. AFP

RARING TO GO

Myanmar’s musclemen flexing for glory AIDAN JONES Agence France-Presse YANGON: Sporting just a navy blue thong and several layers of tan oil, Zarli Tin (right) says he dreams of becoming Myanmar’s greatest bodybuilder as the discipline undergoes a revival after years in the doldrums. One of a new generation of musclemen, he hopes to be among the beneficiaries of a cash injection for the sport,

which floundered like all others during the wasteful and corrupt junta era. “I’m not great yet, I’m not very famous... but I’m trying, I’m on the way,” says the jovial 33year-old, flashing a grin as he flexes his grapefruit-sized biceps by way of credentials. Myanmar’s reformist government has loosened the purse strings for sport as it hunts success at the Southeast Asian Games regional event which

it will host in December, billed as the country’s ‘coming out’ party. It has targeted several medals at bodybuilding and hopes to extend the nation’s impressive record in the event. Home to a demure culture and relatively diminutive people, Myanmar has an unexpected lineage in the ultimate of exhibitionist sports -- which was popularised through the 1970s by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

sports

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

FAMILY CIRCLE CUP

Stosur, Wozniacki advance

Stosur and Wozniacki cruised into the third round at Charleston. CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA: Ex-champions Sam Stosur (in pic) and Caroline Wozniacki cruised into the third round of the WTA Tour’s Family Circle Cup Wednesday, while Venus Williams had to battle her way through. The second-seeded Wozniacki breezed past Spaniard Silvia SolerEspinosa 6-1, 6-1 just under an hour, while the third-seeded Aussie Stosur routed New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic 6-1, 6-2 on the green clay at Daniel Island Tennis Center. Wozniacki, who won here two years ago, only entered the tournament on the weekend, after she and golfer boyfriend Rory McIlroy post-

DAVIS CUP

Berdych injury rocks Czech ALLAN KELLY Agence France-Presse

PARIS: What looked like being a fairly straightforward assignment in Kazakhstan for Davis Cup holders the Czech Republic has turned into a quarter-final minefield following the late withdrawal of Tomas Berdych. The towering Berdych, who led the Czechs to glory in the team competition last year against Spain, pulled out after injuring a shoulder in a quarterfinal loss to Richard Gasquet in Miami last week. That leaves Radek Stepanek, himself just back from neck surgery, as the number one with backing from Lukas Rosol, Jan Hajek and Ivo Minar. The Kazakhs will look to their number one Mikhail Kukushkin to provide the inspiration in Astana backed by Andrey Golubev, who has a fine Davis Cup record on home soil. The only previous time the two teams met in the competition was in 2011 when Kazakhstan won in the first round. The Kazakhstan v Czech tie is the only one of the weekend’s quarter-finals to be played in Europe.

poned a trip to Haiti. Stosur won here in 2010, while Wozniacki claimed the title in 2011. “I felt like I really served well and returned well today,” Wozniacki said. “Playing your first match of the year on clay, it’s always going to be difficult to slide and move unbelievably, but I felt like I did a pretty good job of that out there and I’m pleased with my work.” Stosur was playing her first match since withdrawing prior to the quarter-finals at Indian Wells in March with a calf injury. “But as the match went on I felt really good and the way I was playing all came together,” Stosur said. “And of course, I really enjoy playing

on this court, so I always try to do my best every time I’m out there.” Williams, the fifth seed who won the title here in 2004, had to work harder to get past 19-year-old Puerto Rican Monica Puig. Puig pushed the seven-time Grand Slam winner to three sets, Williams-advancing 6-2, 5-7, 6-3. Yet another former champion was taken to the limit as seventh-seeded Jelena Jankovic, the winner here in 2007, rallied to beat French qualifier Caroline Garcia 5-7, 7-6 (12-10), 6-3. American qualifier Mallory Burdette surprised 15th-seeded 2009 champion Sabine Lisicki 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 in their second-round match. AFP

ASHES

Faulkner looks to be in Ashes frame

SYDNEY: All-rounder James Faulkner has surged into contention to play in this year’s Ashes series in England after being a surprise recipient of a Cricket Australia contract, reports said on Thursday. The Tasmanian, who was previously regarded as a limited-overs specialist, leapfrogged recent Test debutant Moises Henriques to earn a central contract for the 2013-14 year, from July. Faulkner does not turn 23 until later this month but has already played 95 domestic matches for his island state. In November selectors picked an Australia A team laden with all-rounders, including Henriques and John Hastings, to face South Africa, but ignored Faulkner. “While Henriques’ skills are skewed in favour of his batting Faulkner is a better bowler, which is reflected in the left-armer’s Sheffield Shield record of 125 wickets at 22.34,” Fairfax newspapers said. “His batting average is just below 30 but the Tigers (Tasmania) have been prepared to bat him in their top six.” The Daily Telegraph said that Faulkner has “rocketed into the frame” for the Ashes tour in July after Henriques missed out on a contract. AFP

KRAFT NABISCO CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

Lewis aims for another major title

RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA: Stacy Lewis will be more concerned with adding another major title to her resume at the Kraft Nabisco Championship this week than with retaining her world No. 1 ranking. Lewis made her LPGA title debut one to remember when she won the first major championship of 2011 at Mission Hills Country Club, beating then-number one Yani Tseng of Taiwan. That triumph launched the Texan on a trajectory that saw her supplant Tseng atop the rankings after her triumph at the LPGA Founders Cup in

Phoenix earlier this month. She thinks it’s better to worry about winning than staying there. “There are so many things that I can’t control,” Lewis said. “I can’t control how Yani plays, how In-bee Park plays. “If they go out and play better than me, then I lose the No. 1 ranking... If I go out there and take care of myself, I’ll be at that No. 1 ranking.” Tseng is also in the starstudded field competing for a $300,000 first prize from a $2 million purse. It has been more than two years since Tseng arrived at a major championship without

SPORTS BRIEFS

Ryder assault accused appear in court

WELLINGTON: Two men charged with assaulting cricketer Jesse Ryder were remanded on bail when they appeared in court today. A 37-year-old man was charged with assault and a reckless disregard for Ryder’s safety, while his nephew, 20, faced two charges of assault at

Christchurch District Court. Both were granted name suppression at their lawyer’s request, though some New Zealand media outlets had previously named them. Police didn’t oppose the continuation of bail and Judge Gary MacAskill remanded them to April 18. PTI

the No. 1 ranking, but she insisted she felt comfortable coming in at No. 2. “The first couple of days were weird,” Tseng admitted

of being toppled from the top spot. “I (was) very emotional after that couple of days after I lost world No. 1, but after that I felt, like, total relief.” AFP

McIlroy fine-tunes game SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: With the season’s first major around the corner Rory McIlroy figured that adding the Texas Open to his schedule would be the best way to help him polish his game. “I feel like all the components of my game are there,” McIlroy said. “It is

just a matter of putting it all together.” McIlroy heads a strong international field in the Texas Open. This marks the first time that the Texas Open will serve as the final Masters tune-up with the winner getting a free pass into Augusta. AFP

IPL 6

BATTLE OF THE TITANS

METRE

6S 3

Jayawardene (DD), Gambhir, Y Pathan (KKR)

1 4S 29

Mahela Jayawardene (DD)

HIGHEST SCORE

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 Mahela Jayawardene (DD)

BEST BOWLER

4-13

Sunil Narine (KKR)

Clash of the under-achievers Getting points on the board straightaway after two years is a great feeling. It was a fantastic effort by the bowlers to restrict them [DD] to 128. Gautam Gambhir KKR Captain

Mahela Jayawardene (DD) 332 runs

Sunil Narine (KKR) 4 wickets

‘Kumble’s guidance will help us win’

oyal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli on Wednesday said he was unhappy to miss the services of Anil Kumble as the 'Mentor' but the players guided by the former India captain would turn the heat on Mumbai Indian today. "We miss the services of Kumble, but luckily we have bunch of players he had mentored who are pretty confident, and we are ready to cash on them," he told reporters here on the eve of the match against Mumbai Indians. Kohli further said Kumble's attitude of giving hundred percent on the field and giving confidence to players a little low in confidence strick him the most. P

T PT

0 -0.511

CSK

0.000

RCB

0.000

KXIP

0.000

KKR

G APARNA SAI

aparna.s@postnoon.com

oyal Challengers Bangalore take on Mumbai Indians in their first match and the second of the season, on their home turf today. While the Challengers ended at the fifth position in the previous season of the tournament, Mumbai Indians fared better, sealing the third spot on the points table. In the sixth edition of the event, both the sides will be led by new captains. RCB will see young and dynamic Virat Kohli donning the role of the skipper while the Mumbai team will have Ricky Ponting captaining them for the first time. The Mumbai camp looks to be in a strong position with experience and energy, both on their side. The experience of Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh would give

RCB VS MI AT 8 PM ON SET MAX the team the needed confidence, while the young lads contribute to the high energy levels. But this does not seem to be the same case with the opponents, RCB. Although they have Chris Gayle’s force and Kohil’s

SCORECARD

dynamism, the team will not be going in with their full power as pinch hitter and wicket keeper, Brendon McCullum and their main strike bowler, Zaheer Khan have been ruled out off this game. Both these teams have been in the final of the tournament atleast once but none have ever clinched the coveted trophy, giving them the tag of the

perennial under-achievers. The two sides will look to make the best of their opportunities in their opening clash, to reduce their burdens and kick start their journey in IPL-6 on a positive note. And looking at the way teams usually perform in this format of the game, picking a clear winner before the start, will not be an easy task.

CHEERING ON

DELHI DAREDEVILS VS KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS Delhi Daredevils innings (20 overs) U Chand b Lee 0 D Warner c Kallis b Narine 21 M Jayawardene c Narine b Lee 66 M Juneja c Shukla b Balaji 8 N Ojha c Lee b Bhatia 9 J Botha lbw b Bhatia 7 I Pathan c Tiwary b Narine 4 A Russell c & b Narine 4 S Nadeem run out (Bisla/Narine) 4 A Nehra c Shukla b Narine 0 U Yadav not out 0 Extras (b 1, w 4) 5 Total (all out; 20 overs) 128 Bowling O M R W Econ B Lee 4 0 40 2 10.00 J Kallis 3 0 23 0 7.66 L Balaji 4 0 20 1 5.00 S Narine 4 0 13 4 3.25 R Bhatia 4 0 23 2 5.75 LR Shukla 1 0 8 0 8.00

Kolkata Knight Riders innings (target : 129 runs from 20 overs) M Bisla c Chand b Nehra

G Gambhir* lbw b Botha

J Kallis c Chand b Nadeem

M Tiwary c Ojha b Nadeem

E Morgan not out

Y Pathan not out

Extras (lb 2, w 3)

Total (4 wickets; 18.4 overs)

129

Bowling

M R

W Econ

I Pathan

1 15

7.50

A Nehra

0 20

6.66

U Yadav

0 23

7.66

S Nadeem

0 22

5.50

3.4

0 23

6.27

0 24

8.00

J Botha AD Russell

Kolkata Knight Riders won by 6 wickets (with 8 balls remaining)

0.511

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

Kolkata Knight Rider owner Shah Rukh Khan and actress Deepika Padukone cheer during the IPL T20 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils at Eden Garden in Kolkata on Wednesday. PTI/ASHOK BHAUMIK.

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

sports

BARTON FACES RAP FOR THIAGO SILVA SLURS Paris Saint Germain and gay rights campaigners on Wednesday criticised controversial English midfielder Joey Barton after he insulted Paris SaintGermain and Brazil captain Thiago Silva on Twitter. Barton took to Twitter to describe Silva as a “pussy” and “a overweight ladyboy”.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER FINALS

SERIE A’S CL QUALIFIER

Real cruise to 3-0 win

It was an especially good night for the Madrid strikers as both Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain silenced their critics of late by finding the back of the net. KIERAN CANNING Agence France-Presse MADRID: Real Madrid took a huge step towards reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the third consecutive year as they beat Galatasaray 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Cristiano Ronaldo got the hosts off to the perfect start as he calmly chipped home from Mesut Ozil’s wonderful through ball after just nine minutes. Karim Benzema then doubled Madrid’s lead on 29 minutes with a simple finish at the back post from Michael Essien’s cross and Gonzalo Higuain headed home the third 17 minutes from time to seal a highly satisfactory evening for the hosts. And Higuain said it was important to build up a first-leg advantage to try and take the sting out of their trip to Istanbul on Tuesday. “We knew the return would be very difficult and the truth is we can go there happy because 3-0 is a very favourable result,” he told reporters. “The strikers are calm. I have already said the coach has never pressured us with our

Mourinho happy with Real professionalism

Real Madrid’s Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (L) vies with Galatasaray’s Brazilian midfielder Felipe Melo during their UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg match on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. AFP/ CURTO DE LA TORRE

goals but only with the work we do for the team.” Galatasaray manager Fatih Terim had signalled his intent to attack by naming the trio of Wesley Sneijder, Didier Drogba and Burak Yilmaz in his line-up. However, as a result the Turkish champions gifted way too much for Madrid to create in

midfield, with Ozil in particular shining in the first-half. The German international set-up the opener as he received Xabi Alonso’s pass before turning and feeding Ronaldo to dink the ball over the advancing Fernando Muslera for his ninth Champions League goal of the campaign.

eal Madrid manager Jose Mourinho was delighted with his side’s professionalism as they all but secured their place in the Champions League semi-finals with a 3-0 win over Galatasaray on Wednesday. Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain got the goals for the hosts, but Mourinho was just as happy with the defensive side of their performance in the first leg of their quarter-final. “The team played a serious and wellbalanced game,” he said. “We defended well and counter-attacked with danger. The players knew at this stage of the competition small details can define the games but we played very well. “Higuain and Benzema scored a goal and this is good for their confidence,” he added.

Dortmund denied in Malaga stalemate MALAGA, Spain: Borussia Dortmund were left to rue a host of missed chances as their Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Malaga at La Rosaleda ended in a 0-0 draw on Wednesday night. The result means it’s still all to play for in Dortmund in next Tuesday’s second leg,

although the Bundesliga side may live to regret not grabbing an away goal. Borussia do however remain the only unbeaten team in the Champions League this season, while Malaga extended their unbeaten home record in Europe to 14 games.

Afterwards Malaga winger Joaquin Sanchez said the tie is still wide open. “It’s a positive result for us, if we score in Germany it complicates things for them, so I think we go there with the same chances as they have,” he told Spanish television.

His coach Manuel Pellegrini, who is attempting to become the first coach to take two teams to the Champions League semi-finals in their debut season in the competition, agreed. “I don’t think the game in Germany will be too different from tonight,” he said.

FOOTBALL BRIEFS Conca the conqueror inspires Guangzhou rout

Buffon hits back at Beckenbauer’s slur

Rangers sack Spanish striker after phone hoax

City, Chelsea USA friendly sells out

SINGAPORE: Argentine wizard Dario Conca inspired Guangzhou Evergrande to a 4-0 win over Muangthong United and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Kashiwa Reysol also enjoyed big victories as goals ﬂowed in the AFC Champions League on Wednesday. Guangzhou were matched until the break by the Thais before Conca started a second-half rout.

MILAN: Veteran Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon hit back Wednesday after being labelled “a pensioner” by former Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer for failing to stop an early goal in their Champions League defeat. Juve lost 2-0 in Munich but Buffon said Beckenbauer should be wary of speaking too soon.

GLASGOW: Scottish club Rangers said on Wednesday they have sacked Spanish striker Francisco Sandaza following an investigation into a hoax phone call made by a man claiming to be an agent. A club statement read: “Rangers announced today that the club has decided to terminate its contract with Francisco Sandaza.

LONDON: Manchester City said on Wednesday their end-of-season friendly against Chelsea in the United States has sold out. City said the May 23 match in St Louis sold out inside just 20 minutes after tickets went on sale. The EPL giants will meet at the home of St Louis Cardinals, Busch Stadium, which has a capacity of 46,861.

Palacio’s double helps Inter win JUSTIN DAVIS Agence France-Presse MILAN: Rodrigo Palacio (above) scored a brace as Inter Milan inched closer to Serie A’s Champions League qualification places on Wednesday with a precious 2-0 win away to Sampdoria. Four days after a 2-1 defeat at home to leaders Juventus left them in seventh place, Inter were desperate to make amends in a fixture that was originally postponed on March 17 due to adverse weather in Genoa. However, Andrea Stramaccioni’s side were bossed for long periods in the first half before taking the lead through Palacio’s 43rd minute header. Palacio then brightened up an insipid performance from both sides in the second half with a fine individual effort three minutes into injury time to help push Inter up to fifth on 50 points seven short of third-placed Milan in the final Champions League qualifying spot. “It was crucial for us to get back to winning ways,” said Palacio, who signed for Inter last year from Sampdoria’s city rivals Genoa. “It’s been a difficult period for us recently and this will help give us some self-belief.”

It was crucial for us to get back to winning ways. It’s been a difficult period for us recently and this will help give us some selfbelief. Rodrigo Palacio Inter Milan winger