Postnoon E-Paper for April 9th 2013

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TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 HYDERABAD

WWW.POSTNOON.COM

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

32 PAGES

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THE BIG BOSS

The workplace makes for a good setting for television shows; proof being that so many shows revolve around this very premise. We take a look at some of the best bosses on TV. Who knows, your boss might just get inspired.

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HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER

CHIRU

AGE CATCHING UP AT WORK

TO LEAD

CONG

IN 2014?

All indications point to such a possibility as the actor-turnedpolitician has suddenly become very vocal in State affairs and has claimed that every State matter will have a ‘Chiru stamp’.

Narain Kumar recently gave his fifth interview of the month. Narain is 36 and has 10 years of experience. But the one question that had him flustered in all the interviews was, “Why should we hire you and not a young, dynamic fresher instead?” Like Narain, there are others who have often faced this dilemma. And while aging out is not necessarily age discrimination, some changes in your workplace or industry could lead to you being left behind, in part because of your age.

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REPORT ON P5 CITY HAS ONLY 4 EMERGENCY VEHICLES

I HAVE A FLAIR FOR COMEDY: KAJAL

City Central Emergency Squad should have been one of the strongest wings of the GHMC, but the CES, that has to cater to a city of one crore, has six members and four vehicles.

Not too long ago it seemed as if Kajal had fallen prey to being stereotyped as the quintessential pretty girl. She looks set to change that with her fullfledged comic role in Baadshah.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

city events

PUNJABIYAAN DI SHAAN

With Baisakhi round the corner, masterchefs from Punjab, along with the skilled team of Radisson Blu Hyderabad, recreate the lip smacking authentic Punjabi delicacies and an array of cultural festivities. The event is at Chill Restaurant & Terrace, up to April 14.

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

Overnight

34°C

26°C

Clear with cloudy periods.

Clear with cloudy periods.

Morning

Afternoon

32°C

40°C

Sunny with cloudy periods.

Mostly sunny.

New Delhi Mumbai Max 35 Max 33 Min 23 Min 26 Clear.

Chennai Max 34 Min 26

Partly cloudy.

Partly cloudy.

Bangalore Max 35 Min 23 Partly cloudy.

AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES Banjara Hills, When: Up to April 9, 11am to 7pm Contact: (040) 6656 4466

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

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

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

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,

ART STUNT MASTER: A student performs bike stunts as part of Carpediem, the college fest at CBIT College. SRINIVAS SETTY Where: Aalankritha Art Gallery, Kavuri Hills, Jubilee Hills When: Up to April 10 Contact: www.alankritha.in French artist B2Fays Alliance Française of Hyderabad,

Commissioner & Spl Officer

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

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

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,

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

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

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typical Sunday brunch can be a little confusing — it's hard to stick to one cuisine. Taj Krishna in the City has decided to go off the beaten track by launching its Sparkling Yumcha brunch this Sunday at the Golden Dragon. The brunch, which includes sparkling wine, will focus only on delicacies from the heart of China. It lures you with dimsums, soup, spring rolls, noodles, rice and a variety of seafood to choose from. Visit once, you'll definitely indulge again! City’s #1 spot

Group painting exhibition An exhibition of paintings by Pradosh Swain and Suchismita Sahoo.

Helpline

Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 23558856

SHOWS 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 Rhythm Dhol Bass World famous Punjabi music band RDB will perform live during the Baikashi mela. Dancer Shweta Sharma will also be performing live. Where: LB Stadium When: April 14, 7pm onwards Contact: 89778 99777 Piano recital Alliance Française of Hyderabad presents piano recital by Daniel Gomez. Where: Alliance Française, Banjara Hills (invites also available here) When: April 12, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2355 4485

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


TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

City

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

IS THE COUNTRY HURTLING TOWARDS MID-TERM POLLS? 46% 54%

YES (A) NO (B)

TODAY’S QUESTION

WILL THE CM HAVE TO LET GO OF SABITHA REDDY TO SAVE HIS GOVERNMENT’S IMAGE? A)

YES

B)

NO

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

POWER TARIFF HIKE

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City gives bandh a miss But outstation bus services were hit after Leftists stormed bus stations. All other services remain unaffected. ing buses, only 401 departed. The strike affected bus movements at Mahatma Gandhi bus station and Jubilee bus stand, but by 9am, things were streamlined as the agitators were arrested early in the day.

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

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arring buses plying between districts and the City, the Oppositioncalled bandh against power tariff hike today had little impact on the general life of Hyderabad. The bandh call, originally sounded by the Left (CPI and CPM) and backed by the BJP, YSRC and TDP, picked up some steam early in the morning when the Reds went in hordes to the central bus station, preventing plying of outstation buses. Police took some 300 protesters from Diamond Point, Karkhana, Afzalgunj, RTC cross roads, Imlibun bus stand, Jubilee bus stand, Gowliguda, Musheerabad, and Chikadpally into custody. One Road Transport Corporation (RTC) bus was damaged at Marredpally after protesters threw stones at it. However, despite the arrests, bus service was adversely affected. Officials recorded that of the total 926 expected incoming buses from districts, only 478 made it to the City early this morning. Of the total 736 outgo-

Police took some 300 protesters into custody. One RTC bus was damaged at Marredpally after protesters threw stones at it.

Police detain Left party leaders and activists during a protest against the power tariff hike. The protest disrupted bus schedules at the Mahatma Gandhi bus station early this morning. N. SHIVA KUMAR

Bus services within the City remain unaffected with none of the unions supporting the strike fully. Autos and rail services too continued to work despite the bandh calls given by various auto and railway employee unions. Schools and other educational institutions also remained unaffected. All governmental offices, the GHMC and other public establishments are working as usual. Only Osmania University was affected as it postponed all its exams scheduled today to Thursday.

CRIME

Posers fleece jobseekers

Incidents of people getting duped by opportunity seekers are on the rise in the City. Two women were the latest to fall prey to such scamsters. Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

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t has become commonplace for people seeking a job to get fleeced by smart operators who take lakhs from them on the pretext of finding them a job. A resident of Secunderabad was the latest to fall prey to such scamsters. Devika, a resident of Warasiguda in Secunderabad, has lodged a complaint with the Chikalguda police after a couple duped her of `2.5 lakh. In the complaint. she said that the couple were tenants in her building and had earned her confidence by posing as

influential people. The tenants promised Devika that they could secure a job for her son in the police department for `2.5 lakh. The

couple told Devika that the amount would guarantee that her son, Ganesh, got posted as a sub-inspector in the police force as they had powerful connection in the home ministry and police department. The couple promptly vanished soon after Devika gave them the money. In another incident, Madhurekha, a resident of Yousufguda was cheated of `1.5 lakh by an IT firm in Begumpet. She said in her complaint that the firm offered her a job with a salary of `15,000 a month. She was asked to give `1.5 lakh as security deposit, but Madhurekha got neither the job nor her money.

Man throws aged mum onto street POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

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man, vexed that his mother did not transfer property in his name, has abandoned her in revenge. Venkat Reddy, 33, the eldest of 70-year-old widow Sumithra’s three children, was unemployed and lived off his mother. Sumithra, a resident of Jillalguda, lost her youngest child in an accident and her daughter is married. Venkat, who is a bachelor, often drank and quarreled with his mother. In her complaint to the police, Sumithra said that her son had off-late been

harassing her to transfer the house they live in to his name. But Sumithra did not trust him and refused to transfer the property. Venkat came home in an inebriated state on Saturday and again picked up a quarrel with his mother on the issue. When she refused to do so, Venkat dragged Sumithra out of their house, cursed her and said that he wished a vehicle would kill her. As she lay hapless on the road, neighbours came to Sumithra’s rescue and helped her lodge a police complaint. Venkat has been missing since Saturday.


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city TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 LAST YEAR... HERE Uneasy calm in City

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ast year we had reported how the City was slowly limping back to normalcy after rioting in the Old City. Several causes contributed to sparking off the violence that left several injured. While the police were trying their best to restore the peace, voluntary organisations came forward to help smoothen ruffled feathers and calm the City.

APRIL 9, 2012

NUMEROLOGY

CIVIC

Emergency service aka leisurely service A wing of GHMC that should have been battle-ready is in poor shape. Neither the City fathers nor the administration seem to bother about it. FILE PHOTO

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is the number of people who died due to attacks by wild animals, particularly bears, in J&K from 2006 to 2011. The man-animal conflict has been escalating in the Valley.

Imposing a dress code for teachers is not a bad thing. But making it a priority instead of important things is unfair. the government is more concerned about appearance. M Ravindar, gen secy, APTF See page 6

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

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What you wear is of utmost importance. Government school teachers are being told to follow a dress code. Teachers are upset not because of the code but because the State refuses to give them basic facilities and adequate pay.

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Man and animal clash in the Valley. Asiatic black bears are increasingly attacking people in the Valley as humans encroach their habitat. In retaliation, people chase down and burn the bears alive. Activists are working to save both parties.s

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Trees uprooted in last week’s storm remain on the roads, thanks to the ill-equipped Central Emergency Service.

Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

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any trees uprooted in the sudden storm last week are yet to be completely removed in many places, thanks to the illequipped Central Emergency Service under the GHMC. With a six-member workforce for a City of one crore, the Central Emergency Squad (CES) follows the traditional mechanism in its services. At the time of disaster, workers go through a time-consuming process without modern equipment like gas cutters for cutting through materials like iron and steel. After the storm that struck last week, even though the squad has received more than 60 calls, it could only offer services to most after 24 hours. Nearly 20 still await a response

from the GHMC. Even though officials claimed that they were doing the needful, the CES with its four vehicles failed to complete the task, while people were facing power cuts. “We have six vehicles in monsoon season, but as it is an unseasonal event, the number of vehicles at our disposal is four,” says additional commissioner (health) Vandana Kumar. During the last monsoon, when the City recorded one of the highest rainfall ever, the GHMC had failed to provide emergency services on time. For several days, roads remained flooded not only in parts of Old City but also in parts like Hitec City. The diesel motors meant for pumping out the water were unable to deal with the amount of water on the roads. This was one of the reasons why the road near Shilparamam had to be dam-

aged to let the water flow. According to observers who visited sites of disaster, like the Narayanaguda building collapse a couple of years ago, point out that if timely service was provided, casualties could have been controlled. A total of 13 people died in the collapse. “The GHMC, with its vast budget, is unable to save the lives of its denizens. For this kind of disaster, the CISF should have been engaged,” said P Sheshadri, a resident of Nagarayaguda. Working within a radius of 625 km and in 150 divisions, the Central Emergency Squad has been awaiting upgradation in men and material for several years. “Now the GHMC is considering expanding its area, will it be able to respond to emergency situations in the peripheral areas?” asked a GHMC employee.

EVENT

Workshop held for urban managers POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

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dhar Sinha, principal secretary, MA&UD, inaugurated a two-day Statelevel workshop for urban managers on April 8 and 9, organised by the National Institute of Urban Management, in association with Andhra Pradesh Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited at Banjara Hills on Monday. A total of 53 participants from across the State have attended the workshop. While addressing the gathering, Sinha said the main aim of the workshop was to strengthen the capacity of urban managers and municipal commissioners to enable them to work efficiently during the transitional phase of JNNURM. He said the workshop would enable them to overcome challenges that officials faced during the earlier phases of JNNURM. Sinha urged the commissioners and engineers to prepare detailed project reports (DPR) for implementation of JNNURM in consultation with the stakeholders, including the beneficiaries, so as to ground the programme close to the reality in the field and also to avoid bottlenecks during the implementation. Sinha expressed the hope that the national institute, which was training the managers and municipal commissioners, would soon become a centre for good urban governance. GHMC commissioner MT Krishna Babu; commissioner and director of municipal administration Dr Janardhan Reddy; Y Madhusudhan Reddy, IFS; managing director, APUFIDC, Professor Srinivasa Chary addressed the gathering. K Bhasker, project director of Andhra Pradesh Municipal Development Project and Anita Ramachandra, mission director of MEPMA were present. The person in charge, K Bhoopal Reddy, welcomed the participants to the workshop.

NEWS BRIEFS

Chiranjeevi wants to put his stamp on the State. The Tollywood star promised that every activity related to the State will have a ‘Chiru stamp’ soon.

Reward raised for info on blasts

FAPCCI to hold job fair on April 10

Bike-borne thieves steal 16 go to jail for drunk sr citizen’s gold chain driving

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City continues as usual through bandh. Except for a few outstation buses being stopped, life in the City seemed unaffected.

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City’s emergency services in need of saving. With a tiny staff and poor equipment, it seems like emergency services need some help themselves.

he reward for anyone giving information that will lead to the arrest of accused behind the Dilsukhnagar blasts has been hiked to `30 lakh. The National Investigation Agency’s investigations have come to a deadend and the agency is now seeking public support to help nail the suspects. NIA has promised that the informants will be kept secret.

he Federation of AP Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FAPCCI) will organise a job fair with Bharat Institute of Technology at its Ibrahimpatnam campus on April 10. Placements for freshers and experienced candidates with BA, BSc, BCom, MBA, BPharma, DPharma and BTech may apply. Details are available on the FAPCCI website.

gold chain weighting eight tolas was snatched from a senior citizen, Vijayalaxmi, in broad daylight on Monday at Ayodhyanagar in Mehdipatnam. Vijayalaxmi was reportedly returning home after buying groceries when bike-borne thugs snatched her chain and sped away. A complaint has been registered.

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local court has sentenced 16 people to three days of imprisonment each for drunk driving. The enforcement against drunk driving was carried out over the last weekend on April 5-6. A total of 315 cases were booked. The errant drivers attended compulsory counselling sessions at TTI, Begumpet, and Goshamahal on Monday.


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city TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

POLITICS

Will Chiru be Congress torchbearer in 2014 polls?

The actor-turned-politician’s bid to give the State a tourism advantage and his criticism of Kiran leaves little doubt about his intentions, political observers say. Md INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com

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ill the ruling Congress have actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi as its torchbearer in the 2014 general elections? Will Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy be asked to step aside when the bugle is sounded? If Chiranjeevi’s performances and utterances in the last five months since he assumed charge as a Union minister is anything to go by, then it looks like this might just turn out to be true. Though Chiranjeevi did not react when Postnoon asked him if he would lead the party in the next general elections, in a United Nations World Tourism Organisation press conference, he made it clear that he will leave his stamp on every activity related to State. “Henceforth, you will all see a ‘Chiru stamp’ in all activities in AP. I will do everything I can to take the State forward,” he had said. To prove his point and to consolidate his position in State

To prove his point and to consolidate his position in the State Congress, Chiranjeevi had established himself as a ‘man of development’ by allocating projects worth `221 crore to Andhra Pradesh in the current fiscal. Congress, Chiranjeevi had already established himself as a ‘man of development’ by allocating projects worth `221 crore to Andhra Pradesh in the current fiscal. “In five months of taking charge as a Union minister, I have done complete homework to learn the intricacies of the tourism department. Within five days of becoming the tourism minister, I attended the World Tourism Mart conference in London. Now I want to see that the tourism sector across the country, and especially in Andhra

Karnataka Assembly Campaign

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he Tollywood megastar is likely to campaign for the Congress in the coming Karnataka Assembly elections. Asked about this, Chiranjeevi said that he is yet to receive any direction from the party high command on the matter. He simply said that he would abide by the wishes of the party.

Pradesh, is developed in a comprehensive manner," he said. Some of Chiranjeevi’s achievements include a mega tourism circuit at Konaseema, Bhadrachalam and Papikondalu and another mega circuit at Kondapally and Ibrahimpatnam of Krishna district. Both these projects alone cost `50 crore each.

Apart from this, he has played a crucial role in sanctioning circuits at Pileru in Chittoor and Nizamabad, each costing at a cost of `8 crore, as part of tourism development. This, his bid to give the State a tourism advantage and his criticism of Kiran leaves little doubt about his intentions, observers say.

POLITICS

Sabitha puts Kiran on spot

Home minister is the latest in the CM’s Cabinet to be named as an accused by the CBI in the Jagan disproportionate assets case. POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

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he Kiran Kumar Reddy government has found itself in a cleft stick after the CBI named home minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy as accused number four in the disproportionate case against YSR Congress leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The home minister has been charged with criminal conspiracy, criminal

breach of trust, cheating and misuse of office. Though she has been asked to hold on to her post by the chief minister, the event has sent tremors down the corridors of power. The opposition has been baying for her blood for long. Now, political observers say that the chief minister will have to take a decision soon else suffer further embarrassment after several minis-

ters in his Cabinet have been named in the CBI report. There are 13 accused in all. Sabitha, as the minister for mines and geology in the YSR cabinet, had allegedly allotted 407 hectares of land belonging to the State in Kadapa district for limestone mining to Eshwar Cements, which was later transferred to Dalmia Cements, which had invested in Jagan's Bharati Cements.

‘Minister must quit’

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issident Congress leader and former minister Sankar Rao has said that home minister Sabitha Indra Reddy should immediately resign from the Cabinet after her name was included as an accused in the disproportionate assets case of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. Rao said that Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy must dismiss Sabitha from the Cabinet if she does not quit. He also said if neither happens, he will discuss the matter with Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Rao said that the Kiran government has lost its moral moorings and that the Centre should find an alternative so that the party can do well in the 2014 elections.


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city TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

EDUCATION

Do clothes pip infrastructure? Teachers ask why the government is worried about clothes when there is no water to drink. ALEENA ALICE aleena.t@postnoon.com

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he new dress code rule imposed on government school teachers which states that they must wear only formal clothes and avoid wearing jeans, T-shirts or anything ‘flashy’ is drawing criticism. Though the order has been generally welcomed, the teachers’ bodies of public schools say the State government should focus on upgrading infrastructural needs rather than focusing on what they wear. “Imposing a dress code for teachers is not a bad thing, but making that a priority instead of concentrating on other important needs is unfair. Teachers are denied basic facilities like drinking water and proper toilets in government schools,” says M Ravindar, general secretary of Andhra Pradesh Teaching Federation. He adds that though the government has been making promises and keeping a check on their promises on paper, the reality is quite different. Teachers are overburdened as each

teacher is expected to handle 60 students. Their plight is worse during evaluation time, as they are all stuffed into small classrooms and made to work in sub-human conditions. Students are also at the receiving end of government apathy. The children are not given proper food for mid-day meals. So why, ask the teachers, is the government more interested in the appearance of the teachers when there are bigger issues that deserve attention? Over two lakh government school teachers will now be banned from wearing jeans, emblazoned T-shirts, caps and fancy belts. “I don’t understand how wearing jeans will hamper students’ concentration. If the government wants all male teachers to wear black trousers and white shirts and women to wear cotton sarees or salwar kameez they should give teachers a uniform and make it mandatory,” says S Srinivas, member of the primary teachers association. He says that teachers have to stand under the hot sun without proper drinking water available. “To what extent the lack of basic

THE LONG WAIT

Telangana sorrow an unending story: KCR Says he would rather cut off his head than go back on his word on a separate state. The TRS chief recalled how Prof Jaya Sankar, the ideologue for the Telangana movement, had opposed the merger of AP and Telangana in 1956 itself.

WARANGAL: TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao expressed anguish that the Telangana region’s misery was like an unending story. Addressing a meeting organised in for the retirement of teachers’ association leader Nellutla Ravinder Rao, Lauding the teaching community for fighting for the cause of a separate state,

asserted that Telangana would be achieved at any cost. He said now so much awareness was created that even a Class V student can give a speech on Telangana for an hour. The TRS chief recalled how Prof Jaya Sankar, the ideologue for the Telangana movement, had opposed the merger of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in 1956 itself. Stating that teachers play a significant role in the society, KCR assured that there would be free education from kindergarten to post-graduation once Telangana state is formed. The party chief said that he would rather cut off his head than go back on his word. On the occasion, he assured Rao that he would be sent to the Council as an MLC from TRS. NSS

facilities hampers the concentration of students is not an issue for the government, but teachers wearing jeans has become a concern,” Srinivas says. Meanwhile, school education minister S Sailajanath says the government has spent crores on developing infrastructure and is concentrating on improving government schools. “Teachers are role models and what they wear has a great impact on the minds of the students. Imposing a formal dress code is the first step that we have taken in improving the quality of the education system in government schools. This apart, the government has sanctioned several hundred crores for the development of infrastructure and most schools now have good facilities. If the teachers are facing any sort of inconvenience, the government is always ready to address their problems,” he said. Though the teachers agree with the broader concept of dressing appropriately, they say that the rule should not be imposed on teachers. “Dressing up in a professional manner is a must for teachers, but imposing a specific attire is not required,” say some teachers.


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city TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

POWER

Price of local resources raised This means that the rate of power production is all set to increase, which will affect all power consumers and producers of all categories. Thermal power production costs are likely to skyrocket.

N SHIVA KUMAR

RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA rahul.r@postnoon.com

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he Central Electricity R e g u l a t o r y Commission has affected a 6.6 per cent hike in locally produced coal and 6 per cent for gas produced from the KG-6 basin. This means the rate of power production is all set to increase with a literal cascading effect on all power consumers and producers of all categories. Terming this as an “upward revision of all fuels”, APGenco authorities agree that this hike in production will inevitably prove a burden for the common man in a long term effect. While the State is yet to recover from the recent drama over power tariff hikes and the subsequent waiver by the State government, APGenco has taken this notification from the CERC seriously. Authorities say that efforts are on to study the effect of fuel cost on power generation in the new financial year, beginning from May. “It is obvious that the hike on locally available fuels like domestic coal and gas produced from Ravva oil and mined from gas fields will have an effect on power consumers by the end of this financial year, i.e. by next April. It is an imbalanced state of affairs, and we cannot comment on it. Power tariff rates will have to be increased, otherwise generation companies and DISCOMS will face heavy debts,” says Muthyala Rao, O&M Divisional

Head from NTPC, Ramagundam. Others add that the thermal power generation plants in the State such as NTPC are not willing to burden themselves by bearing the additional fuel cost, considering the history of opposition towards power tariff hikes in the State and the severe reprimanding they face by regulatory commissions. A member of the AP Electricity Regulatory Authority says that APGenco has filed for a public

hearing and it will be convened at the APERC meeting hall on May.

With the hike limited to locally produced coal and gas supplies, the effect will be visi-

Current prices

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urrent price of locally produced coal : `4,200 per tonne Hike on locally produced coal: 6.62 per cent Current price of gas produced from Ravva oil and gas fields: $4.2 per MMBTU

Current price of gas produced from KG-6 basin : $5.734/MMBTU Hike on gas: 6 per cent (Million Metric British Thermal Unit (MMBTU) is the standard unit of gas measurement in power generation units.)

ble on thermal power generation. Experts suggest that by the end of this fiscal year, thermal power generation is slated to be the costliest under all power generation schemes. The current thermal power generated by APGenco alone stands at a whopping 112.41 million units per day. Last week, Singareni Colleries, which is the highest coal producer in the State, had hiked the price of coal by an average of `18 per tonne.

Form Indian Judicial Service: Lok Satta There is no reason to doubt that judicial officers cannot do justice to their job, even if they are recruited on an all-India basis and have no prior knowledge of local language and customs.

L

ok Satta Party national president Dr Jayaprakash Narayan said on Tuesday that constitution of an Indian Judicial Service (IJS) is imperative if the judiciary was to attract the best and the brightest and offer services of highest standards. In a media statement, Dr JP Narayan pointed out that Constitution makers, in their wisdom, had provided for the formation of IJS (Indian Judicial Service) on the lines of all-India services like the IAS and the IPS. The Supreme Court too, on many

occasions, has underlined that the formation of IJS has been long overdue. Narayan recalled that at the initiative of Lok Satta, three eminent jurists of impeccable integrity and credibility — Justice MN Venkatachalaiah, Justice JS Varma and Justice VR Krishna Iyer — had studied the subject in depth and unanimously recommended the constitution of a National Judicial Commission and an Indian Judicial Service. There is broad consensus among all mainstream political parties on the need for Indian

Judicial Service, Narayan said, and added that the new service would go a long way in promoting national integration. Once an Indian Judicial Service is constituted, it will provide a pool of talent for recruitment to higher judiciary in course of time. Narayan trashed apprehensions among certain quarters that the Indian Judicial Service will be ineffective since its members, recruited on an all-India basis, will not have knowledge of the local language, history and customs. If IAS and IPS officials recruited on an all-India

basis interact with people on a daily basis and render high quality services, there is no reason to doubt that judicial officers confined mostly to their chambers cannot do justice to their job, the leader added. Learning of local language can form part of training for judicial officers just as it is for IAS and IPS officials. The Lok Satta president appealed to all political parties and young law graduates to come together and ensure that IJS becomes a reality without further delay. NSS


8

special report TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

CONFLICT ZONE Conflict awareness programmes held by Wildlife SOS education officer Aaliya Mir.

Bear-human conflict in Kashmir has cost the lives of both villagers and the animal.

MAN VERSUS

ANIMAL ELIZABETH SOUMYA, elizabeth.s@postnoon.com

F

our months ago, shocking footage from the district of Shopian in Kashmir went viral. An Asiatic black bear being tied to set on fire by a mob had climbed up a tree. Even as the animal had no place to escape, an amused crowd watched cheering for its death. Stories of the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) or ‘harpat’ as the Kashmiris call them visiting human habitations are not new. WR Lawrence’s work in the 19th century reveals, “…Of the family Ursidae, the black bear is very common, being a great pest to the crops and a danger to the people” (Imperial Gazetteer of India, 1895), and the people of Kashmir have long been wary of the ‘bomba hâpat’, with most venturing out with an axe when walking along forested paths (Dar, Tales of Kashmir). While these stories were never rare, they have never been so common either. The tales of confrontations with the black bear — also called moon bears because of the yellow crescent

moon on their chest — have become an urgent issue in Jammu and Kashmir. The state's department of wildlife protection's (DWLP) data on man-animal conflict in Kashmir indicates a discouraging increase after 1995.

THE CONFLICT

Humans have been attacked, mauled, had their faces torn leaving many permanently injured, disfigured and dead. Bears that are caught in villages and towns have been beaten, burnt, dragged through streets in gruesome retaliation. Vivek Menon, executive director, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) in a panel discussion on NDTV in November 2012 said about conflict's seriousness, “Ten per cent of hospital beds in Srinagar are occupied by bear maul victims at any given time.” The DWLP recorded 118 human deaths and 1,147 attacks by wildlife in Jammu and Kashmir from 2006 to 2011. The J&K government makes an ex-gratia payment of `1 lakh to the families of those killed by wild animals and between `5,000 and `33,000 to

attack victims depending on the nature of injuries endured. In 2007, in one such incident of revenge, a bear was burnt alive and dragged through the streets in Tral, Kashmir. The brutality of the event changed a young woman, Aaliya Mir, forever. She knew that understanding bears and the reasons for this growing conflict was key to avoiding them. Mir has been an education officer with Wildlife SOS since and

The advent of militancy and subsequent deployment of security forces across the Valley had an immediate impact on wildlife and its habitats. The 2008 'Predator Alert' report

has made awareness about bears the focus of her work.

WANING BUFFER ZONES

Explaining the reasons for the increase in such incidents, Mir points out that the buffer zones between forests and human habitations in Kashmir are waning. People are building houses at the foothills and planting fruit orchards. People here prefer separate houses and the rise in population has meant an inevitable move towards forests. Fragmentation, development projects, degradation of forest areas — including road construction in protected areas are few reasons — she says. What attracts bears towards human habitations is that much of what is grown by those living in the forest periphery now constitutes the bears’ natural diet. Apples, walnuts, apricots, maize, plums and cherries are open invitations for these animals. Many who earlier grew paddy have now switched to multiple cropping that includes fruit trees and maize, says Mir. Dr Rahul Kaul from the

Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) was part of the team that worked on a man-animal conflict report with the department of wildlife protection, Jammu & Kashmir. The report 'Predator Alert', released in 2008, studied conflict and suggested solutions. Over 200 victims of bear or leopard attacks were interviewed and over a hundred locations visited and inspected. Having grown up in Kashmir, Kaul says calmly, “This is after all a state that grows corn, fruit and all forms of nuts. These have always attracted bears to come to lower altitudes. There is a cycle of conflict and many incidents of bear attacks occur in autumn during the fruit ripening season or early winter when the animals are building up their fat reserves before going into hibernation.”

INCREASING INTOLERANCE

According to him, what has changed for certain is our ability to deal with the conflict. People are increasingly intolerant now, he says. “Much money and human labour is invested into crops and orchards and people


9

special report TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PHOTO CREDIT: WILDLIFE SOS, DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE PROTECTION, JAMMU & KASHMIR

Rescued bears who can’t be reintroduced into the wild play at Wildlife SOS's Pahalgam bear centre.

Asiatic black bear

YEAR 2006 –07 2007-08 2008 2009 2010-11 2011-12 2012–13

Mir, on her awareness programmes across Kashmir, advises people to not venture into a forest alone. Whether to answer nature's call, gather firewood or take cattle grazing, they must go in groups. Surroundings must be kept clean so as to not attract animals to scavenge; bushes around the house must be cleared, so wild animals don't find a hiding place, she warns. Vulnerable areas such as crop fields and orchards must be adequately lit. She also recommends avoiding shortcuts through the forest and venturing out during dawn or dusk when the encounters are likely to occur. Other preventive measures that Wildlife SOS teaches locals include restricting human movement during a conflict so the stranded bear has 'safe passage' to escape back to the forest. It is also not advisable to grow crops vulnerable to be damaged by bears in high bear density areas, i.e. around protected areas. Local methods such as burning of red chilli mixed in cow dung are effective in preventing bears from entering crop fields.

DEATH

27 20 23 24 24 35 17

73 356 357 350

Asked if the political conflict in Kashmir makes dealing with animal conflict difficult, Mir confesses people could be preoccupied with other concerns and sometimes don't see conservation as a priority. Militancy has meant more security presence in the forests. India's Border Security Force camps and VIP huts in the forest can cause some disturbance to wildlife, she agrees. Many also believe that Kashmiris having surrendered their weapons after 1990s is a reason for the rise in bear numbers and attacks. The 'Predator Alert' report on militancy and its impact says, “The advent of militancy and subsequent deployment of security forces across the valley had an immediate impact on wildlife and its habitats. One of the first things to happen post-militancy was the surrender of private fire arms. This coupled with the fact that forest areas became out of

HOW TO DEAL WITH IT

Bear death and injury since 2006 in Kashmir

150 192 219

POLITICAL STIR

bounds for people (not wanting to confront the security forces or the militant groups) could only have provided opportunities for wildlife in these regions to grow in numbers.” The report also states, “...border fencing in certain areas may have hampered animal movements across areas, disorienting animals towards human settlements.” But with no bear census having been done in Kashmir, increase in bear numbers has not been confirmed. Disturbance due to presence of militants and security forces in the forests are also speculations unless studied, reminds Kaul.

he Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) is one of the four species of bear found in India. It primarily inhabits the Himalayas, extending from Jammu and Kashmir in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India.

INJURIES

are resentful to any damage.” Bears only attack when startled, he explains. “As a rule of thumb, when you're walking in a forest, make some noise, whistle while you're walking, so that the animal isn't caught off guard. Like other wild animals, bears with cubs can be defensive.” A bear that enters a village isn't always caught in a conflict, it might just raid the orchard and return to the forest, or if chased by humans it may run back into the forest. As in most man-animal conflict situations, it is the response of the people to the animal that can make it fatal. Crowds screaming and chasing an animal, blocking its exit can cause it to become disoriented and turn more aggressive. Many have been attacked by bears trying to escape a chasing mob.

T

(SOURCE DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE PROTECTION, JAMMU AND KASHMIR)

Kaul explains that reaching a conflict area in Kashmir isn't always easy. If a bear has entered a village, waiting for department of wildlife protection (DWLP) might even take days in difficult terrain. In the 2008 report, he says recommendations made included better co-ordination in the wildlife department in case of conflict. The DWLP in Jammu and Kashmir only has control over conservation reserves. So, when conflicts occur outside these areas, there is no manpower to deal with it. The report also suggested creation of Rapid Response Teams to deal with conflict, requiring both training and investment in specialised equipment. “Mobile animal intervention vans, capable of transporting animals, should be made immediately available. One wildlife veterinary officer should also be appointed to each region,” it said. Now, thankfully, rescue vans have made the situation better, says Kaul. Another piece of advice was training of community level Primary Response Teams. “These can be farmers who have some clout in the community,” he says. “This would include controlling crowds from tackling the situation themselves before experts arrive.”

RECOMMENDATIONS

Manzoor Ahmed Tak, chief wildlife warden, DWLP, says the department is just about wrapping up a project report on the conflict to be submitted to the ministry of environment and forests. Among recommendations in the report are census of bears in the state. Ex-gratia payments for victims of bear attacks needs to be a priority, he believes. The current amount is too meagre in the light of what

victims go through and the lengthy period of recovery that renders them useless. “Hundred per cent of the victims are from lower economic backgrounds,” he says. Majority of the injuries are to the head and face and often include permanent and severe facial disfigurement that require complicated surgeries. Needless to say, victims have to cope with psychological morbidity and trauma. The department has made some headway after 2006 and there has at least been a plan since, he admits. There are currently 17 response teams across Rapid Response Centres that are located in high conflict zones such as Kupwara and Anantnag. Helplines are constantly advertised through local radio and television and people are beginning to use them, he says. But infrastructure and the equipping of manpower are scarcely adequate. Lack of manpower is an issue with the department not having done recruitment for years; “old employees are now retiring,” says Tak. That apart, the current number of trained staff is low. “We also need supplies such as tranquilising guns, medicines and rescue vans,” he says. While there's no way of saying whether the conflict is reducing in recent years, Mir, who talks to 6,000 people every year on the topic, says change has definitely begun. The DWLP receives less number of rescue calls now and this is perceived as lesser conflict by the wildlife department, she says. Tak points out that human deaths have been fewer for the year 2012-13. Actions based on information and reports need to be taken, he says. Whether people want to live in harmony with bears or not, the only option is to learn how.


TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Business

PETROBRAS FINED $5 MILLION FOR OIL SPILL

Petrobas has been ordered to pay a fine of $5 million over an oil spill that fouled several beaches along Sao Paulo state's coast, authorities said Monday. The spill occurred Friday as a result of "an operational failure" at a sea terminal of Transpetro, a Petrobras subsidiary.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

10

GE BETS BIG ON OIL, GAS

Partnering with nature Despite being cold-shouldered by State-run institutions, Ramanjaneyulu succeeded in showing agriculturists the green road to success. PRUDHVI RAJU K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

Other initiatives

G

Tolakari magazine Krishi TV, an online channel Krishi Media Pathi Vishada Gadha, a book on cotton farmer suicides

reat ideas and practices can take birth from keen observation of societal problems. GV Ramanjaneyulu’s keen interest on farming pushed him to form Centre for Sustainable Agriculture and various other sustainable agriculture initiatives, which help farmers to support ecological and viable agriculture practices. This organisation helped in converting seven lakh acres in the State to organic farming. On his educational background, he says, ”I was basically interested towards sciences and was part of Jana Vignana Vedika since childhood. However, getting in to agriculture is not a

For more info http://www.csa-india.org/ http://www.sahajaaharam.in

The revenue of the co-operative led by Ramanjaneyulu, started in 2009, has grown from `20,000 per month to `2 lakh per month now. planned journey. I was not interested in medicine and the obvious choice left for any biology student at that time was agriculture. With my interest on the subject, I did a PhD from Indian Agriculture Research Institute.” “I was moved by the farmers’ suicides news in 1986. I was pursuing B.Sc Agriculture in Bapatla. Neighbouring districts of Guntur and Prakasam became hotbeds of farmers’ suicides. As students, we were told that there is lot of technology is available to farmers. Making this technology reaching the farmer will solve all these problems,” he says.

“Government says that everything is done for farmer, but in reality it is done to benefit industry or for government institutions themselves. There is also big disjointing between agriculture development and farmer development. Although there is a growth of technology for agriculture, that is not reflecting in the farmers development,” he says. About the incidents that pushed him to start the organisation, he says, “I was working in the Directorate of Oilseeds Research of a public sector research organisation and was actively part of the civil society and observing the root causes of

farmers’ suicides in Karimnagar and Guntur districts in 1997-98. Strangely, we found that technology reaching to a farmer had become a major problem. Large numbers of farmers were getting poisoned with pesticide usage. It also became a reason mounting costs of farming. Around 30-40 per cent costs involved in agriculture were due to pesticides. Nobody used to question whether these technologies (seeds, pesticides and fertilisers) fit the ecosystem at that time. There was also no accountability, regulation or support in using that technology. For instance, if a seed fails to

germinate there is no body where you raise it,” he says. He resigned from job and formed Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, a not-for-profit organisation, in 2004. “There were informal groups who came together to start this organisation. The idea was to facilitate organic farming across the State with valuable inputs. Although we could initiate and prove organic farming successful, the department of agriculture and Agriculture University did not agree with this approach, as there was not enough research backing this.” “With support of rural development ministry, we implemented this organic farming methodology in seven lakh acres by 2007. Even during that time, the Agriculture University or the department of agriculture did not agreed to take it to the masses in a larger scale. We stopped the dialogue with agriculture department and approached people directly.” Ramanjaneyulu also started consumer cooperative, Sahaja Aharam, along with 80 similar like-minded people, who pooled an investment of `2-3 lakh. This has become a bridge between consumer and producer and helping farmers market their produced goods and consumer get healthy organic food.

GOLD `29,809 10g SILVER `51,554 1kg

24C

for

for

DOLLAR `54.44 POUND `83.12

General Electric's $3.3 billion acquisition of Lufkin Industries marks the industrial conglomerate's latest effort to strengthen its holdings in petroleum amid a booming oil and natural gas market. The purchase gives GE a major stake in the technology for drawing hydrocarbons to the surface from reservoirs with low pressure. Lufkin manufactures a variety of tools used in the "artificial lift" of oil and gas, technology used in roughly 94 per cent of oil-producing wells around the world. The global artificial lift sector is expected to approach $13 billion in 2013, strengthened by the boom of unconventional oil and gas, especially in the US.

NUMEROLOGY

$2

bn

has been approved by three key international lenders to support a sweeping restructuring program for impoverished Jamaica.

ADB POSITIVE ON ASIA The Asian Development Bank said Tuesday the region's emerging economies would pick up this year but warned that the recovery remained fragile due to the eurozone crisis and tensions in Asia. The Manilabased lender said in its latest forecast that the uptick in China's economy and "robust growth" in Southeast Asia would lead expansion in the region, which would be also boosted by strong domestic consumption. The ADB estimated that the gross domestic product (GDP) for developing Asia, which covers 45 nations, was set to grow at 6.6 percent this year before edging up to 6.7 percent in 2014.

THUS SPAKE Today the economy is significantly stronger than it was four years ago, although conditions are clearly still far from where we would all like them to be. BEN BERNANKE, FEDERAL RESERVE CHIEF

BSE NSE

18,445.02 7.24

5,559.90 16.95


11

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

nation CRIME

NRI kills himself in Dubai over domestic tiff DUABI: A 27-year-old Indian man allegedly committed suicide here by jumping off the 10th floor of his apartment building after a fight with his wife, police said. The man, who had been married for a year, had a fight with his wife after which she left the apartment in Jumierah Lake area. He then jumped from the balcony and died on the spot, local media reported quoting a senior police official.

The man, who had been married for a year, had a fight with his wife after which she left the apartment. He then jumped from the balcony and died on the spot. “This is a suicide and not homicide," Brigadier Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, director of the Dubai police Criminal Investigation Department (CID), was quoted as saying by media. Mansouri said that initial investigations and forensic examinations revealed that there was no suspicion of criminal act behind the incident. The body of the man, who was not identified, was sent for forensic examination while the police are investigating the incident. PTI

MAN HELD FOR RAPING SIX-YEAR-OLD A man has been arrested for allegedly raping a six-year-old girl at Pachampadi village, about 45 km away from Salem, police said today. The girl’s parents, who are daily wage labourers, were not at home last night when the incident occurred, police said.

POWER STRUGGLE

MODI BETS ON YOUTH

Naveen rival forms political party Pyari Mohan Mohapatra said his party is likely to field candidates in 110 of the state’s 147 seats. BHUBANESWAR: Expelled BJD leader Pyari Mohan Mohapatra Tuesday converted his Odisha Jana Morcha forum into a political party without changing its name. Mohapatra’s announcement comes months after he was expelled from the ruling party for allegedly plotting a coup to unseat chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik. Making the announcement at a press conference at his residence in state capital Bhubaneswar, the 73-year-old bureaucrat-turned-politician said the decision to convert OJM into a political party was taken at the general body meeting of the forum here March 30. Mohapatra said the new party is likely to field candidates in 110 of the state’s 147 assembly seats and considering to forge electoral alliance with the likeminded parties. “Talks are on with likeminded parties. I cannot disclose detail at this moment," he told reporters. Mohapatra has been

Naveen Patnaik’s non-official advisor for over a decade. He was first suspended and later expelled from the party after he allegedly plotted a coup to unseat Patnaik. The alleged attempt May 29 last year forced Patnaik to return from Britain in the middle of an official tour. After his suspension, Mohapatra launched the Odisha Jana Morcha (OJM), a political forum Oct 1, 2012 saying he wants to establish “internal democracy” in the state’s rul-

ing party. He was expelled in November last year. Mohapatra had given the chief minister six months time to change and asked him to act as per party’s constitution. The new political party was formed because the chief minister did not make any efforts to reform, he said. Mohapatra’s OJM has organised several rallies and meetings across the state in past months against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. IANS

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today expressed hope that the youth of the country would be inspired by the ideas of Swami Vivekananda and take the nation to great heights. “I am confident that the youth of the nation will make the country proud by making it ‘Jagatguru’ following the ideas of Swami Vivekananda," Modi told reporters after paying a visit to the Belur Math here. Recalling his early days, Modi said, “I used to visit the Math founded by Swami Vivekananda frequently during my teenage (years) and I had received a lot of love and affection from Swami Athwasthananda". “However, this is my first visit to the Math after I have become chief minister," he said.

5 CHARRED TO DEATH Five persons were today charred to death when a van caught fire and rammed into a roadside tree at Seethur, about 75 km from Madurai, police said. The five, all painters, were on their way to Rameswaram from Shengottai for some work when the mishap occurred, police said. The exact reason for the van catching fire is being ascertained, they said.

NEWS BRIEFS Two jeweller brothers strangulated to death

Youth commits suicide in police custody

India destined to be a close partner: Pentagon

THANE: Two jeweller brothers were allegedly strangled to death by unidentified persons at their home in the wee hours today in Nalla Sopara town here, police said. Dinesh Narayan Sonik Mandora (27) and Madan Narayan Sonik Mandora (41), who owned a shop named Dinesh Jewellers in the town, were found dead this morning by a relative who came to visit them, Inspector Mukund Mahajan of Nalla Sopara police station said. The assailants seemed to have broken into the house through grills and strangulated both the brothers with plastic straps, Mahajan said. The exact cause behind the killings is still not known and police suspect it to be a case of rivalry as no theft took place at the house. Police have registered an offence under IPC section 302 (Punishment for murder). The bodies have been sent for postmortem and a hunt was on for the killers, Mahajan said.

SATARA: A 21-year-old youth, who was held on charges of damaging a state-owned bus, allegedly committed suicide in police custody in the district today. Pilya alias Sunil Kabulya Shinde, a resident of Watharnimbalkar village, was detained by Khandala police on April 6 for allegedly damaging a state transport bus and was later sent to a day’s police custody, police said. However, Shinde was found hanging from a water supply pipe in the wee hours today. He was also accused in a number of other crimes committed at several places in the state. When his relatives came to know about the death, they held protests outside the police station, but the situation was soon brought under control, they said. According to a senior police officer, three policemen have been suspended and the probe into the alleged suicide has been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department.

WASHINGTON: Noting that India is destined to be a close partner of the US, a top Pentagon official has said New Delhi wants to enhance military to military relationships through close technology cooperation and co-production. “India is, I think, destined to be a close partner of the US. We just share so much in the way of values and aspirations, and our people just seem to mix it up so easily and so well. That has nothing to do with the defence or military but I think will be reflected there," Ashton Carter the Deputy Secretary of Defence said."One area of particular importance where I think we would make a lot of progress quickly is in building the Indian military capabilities. They don’t want to do it just by buying things. India wants to do it with close technology cooperation and co-production," Carter said in response to a question.

PICK YOUR

@

Across Stores

ities Twin C


TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

World THATCHER DIES

Friends, foes remember Iron Lady PARIS: Mikhail Gorbachev, Helmut Kohl and Bill Clinton were among the former friends and foes who joined in tributes to Margaret Thatcher, praising the fearlessness and fierce determination of an "iconic" leader. The "Iron Lady" was a polarising figure in Britain and beyond, but foreign leaders Monday were unanimous in acknowledging her place in 20th-century history, with President Barack Obama mourning a "true friend of America". Thatcher died of a stroke on Monday in London aged 87. Former German chancellor Kohl, considered the father of Germany's 1990 reunification, said he "greatly valued Margaret Thatcher for her love of freedom, her incomparable openness, honesty and straightforwardness". In Glasgow and in the edgy south London neighbourhood of Brixton, enemies of the late premier held small street parties to celebrate her death, with some holding placards saying "Rejoice — Thatcher is dead". AFP

HAGEL URGES CHANGES TO US MILITARY JUDICIAL SYSTEM Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Monday said US commanders should be barred from overturning criminal convictions, in the wake of anger over a quashed guilty verdict in a sexual assault case. Under Hagel's proposal, which would have to be approved by lawmakers, commanders would still have the power to alter sentences handed down in court martial cases, defense officials said.

KAESONG

N Koreans bunk work

SEOUL: North Korean workers failed to report to work Tuesday at the joint Kaesong industrial zone with South Korea after Pyongyang suspended operations, upping the pressure on Seoul in an escalating military crisis. "As of now, no North Korean workers have reported to work this morning," said a spokeswoman for the South's Unification Ministry. North Korea announced it was taking the unprecedented step of temporarily shutting Kaesong down on Monday, following a tour of the zone by senior ruling party official Kim Yang-Gon.

The workforce ome 53,000 North

S

Koreans work for the 123 South Korean companies set up in Kaesong, which was established in 2004 and lies 10 kilometres (six miles) inside North Korea.

Some 53,000 North Koreans work for the 123 South Korean companies set up in Kaesong, which was established in 2004 and lies 10 kilometres (six miles) inside North Korea. After pulling out the workforce and temporarily suspending operations, Pyongyang will

12

CHELSEA INTO POLITICS?

The turnover

T

urnover in 2012 was reported at

$469.5

million, with accumulated turnover since 2004 standing at $1.98 billion. "examine the issue of whether it will allow its existence or close it," Kim said. A rare symbol of cross-border economic cooperation, Kaesong is a crucial hard currency source for the impoverished North, through taxes and revenues, and from its cut of the 53,000 workers' wages.

Just as speculation rises over Hillary Clinton's presidential ambitions, daughter Chelsea hinted Monday that she too could enter politics. With ex-president Bill Clinton as her father and the former secretary of state and would-be first female president as mother, Chelsea has politics in her blood. So far, the 33-year-old has kept out of the family business. However, a foray into television journalism and frequent appearances on conference stages are rapidly increasing her prominence.

NUMEROLOGY

MALI SEES ACTION AGAIN

10

years

Iraq on Tuesday marks a decade since US-led forces took control of Baghdad, sealing the ouster of Saddam Hussein's brutal regime, but the country remains plagued by deadly attacks and mired in political crises.

IRAN’S NEW N-FACILITY

French armoured personnel carriers (VAB) leave the city of Gao during the "Gustav operation" on April 6, 2013. A French force of 1,000 soldiers in a major offensive has swept a valley thought to be a logistics base for Al-Qaeda-linked Islamists near the Malian city of Gao, an AFP journalist accompanying the mission reported. Operation Gustav, one of France's largest actions since its intervention in its former colony, involves dozens of tanks, helicopters and aircraft, said General Bernard Barrera, commander of the French land forces in Mali, on Monday.

NEWS BRIEFS Japan says Chinese ships in its waters

French ministers ordered Fake Rockefeller face to declare their assets murder charges

Canada teen girls plead not guilty to pimping

TOKYO: Chinese government ships were in the territorial waters of disputed Tokyo-controlled islands on Tuesday, Japan's coastguard said. The three surveillance ships were navigating in the 12-nautical-mile limit around the Senkakus, which Beijing claims and calls the Diaoyus, at around 10:00 am (0100 GMT), the coastguard said.

PARIS: France's Socialist government said Monday it had ordered ministers to declare their assets publicly within days, as it seeks to limit the damage from a tax fraud scandal involving an ex-minister. Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault announced that ministers would have until April 15 to publish details of their assets.

OTTAWA: Three teenage girls on Monday pleaded not guilty to forcing fellow suburban teens, one as young as 13, into prostitution through intimidation, here. Police say the trio, who were 15-16 years old when they were arrested last June, acted on their own without adult guidance in operating a prostitution ring from a home in Ottawa.

LOS ANGELES: A German man who posed as a member of the famed Rockefeller family after allegedly killing his landlord in California likely killed the man's wife too, prosecutors said Monday. The claim came as both sides rested their cases against Christian Gerhartsreiter, who also pretended to be an English nobleman.

Iran, under global sanctions for its nuclear enrichment programme, on Tuesday launched a new uranium production facility and began operations in two extraction mines, state television said. The mines in the city of Saghand in central Iran operate 350 metres (1,150 feet) underground and are within 120 kilometres (75 miles) of the new yellowcake production facility in the city of Ardakan, in Yazd province. The report gave few details of the Ardakan facility but said it had an estimated 60 tonnes output of yellowcake, an impure state of uranium oxide.

We've got to believe that, you know, well, every once in a while, we set politics aside and we just do what's right. Barack Obama The US President accused Republicans of stooping to political stunts to block gun reform.


13

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Technology VIRTUAL MONEY

Gaining traction

THOMAS WATKINS feedback@postnoon.com

S

ome call it the most famous pizza purchase in history: In May 2010, a programmer called Laszlo asked an online forum if anyone would buy him a couple of pies in exchange for 10,000 Bitcoins, an experimental online currency launched in 2009. “No weird fish topping or anything like that," he wrote. With each Bitcoin fetching less than a cent at the time, the order was worth about $41. Today, it would be valued at about $1.4 million (1.08 million euros). As of Friday, a single Bitcoin traded at around $135, with the currency nearing $147 earlier in the week — up from about $20 at the start of February. It’s a stratospheric jump some claim has been fuelled by Cypriots and Russians seeking to invest their euros elsewhere during Cyprus’s banking crisis, stoking fears that a new online bubble might soon burst. “It’s completely irrational," said Yannick Naud, a portfolio manager at the Glendevon King Asset Management firm, who has seen an increase in client queries about Bitcoins. “As an investor you can’t put any underlying value on the Bitcoin itself." Bitcoins were launched in 2009 in the wake of the global financial crisis by an anonymous programmer who wanted to create a currency independent of any central bank or financial institution. A form of “e-money", it is made of strings of dazzlingly complex code created by raw computing power — a process called “mining” that

BIT by BIT can in theory be carried out by anyone with a computer. The software is written in such a way that it becomes increasingly difficult to generate new Bitcoins, with the number in circulation designed to eventually top out at 21 million. Once mined, Bitcoins are stored on a user’s hard drive in a virtual wallet, and can be sent directly to another person. Such peer-to-peer sharing bypasses the banks so is largely anonymous. But this brings its own risks — in June 2011, hackers targeted virtual wallets and wiped some people’s

accounts clean. At first a coder’s curio, Bitcoins quickly found a home in the “deep web", the shadier part of the Internet that is largely anonymous and requires some good technical understanding to access. It was used to fuel illicit drug buys and pay for other illegal services on specialist sites. But computer aficionados and tech-savvy libertarians embraced the currency too, and in recent months a flurry of legit businesses have started accepting Bitcoins. A cottage industry of stores buying and reselling goods online for Bitcoins has emerged,

and some high-profile transactions have helped push the currency into mainstream consciousness. One Canadian man reportedly hoped to sell his house for Bitcoins, and a US man claimed to have traded his 2007 Porsche for 300 Bitcoins. Robert Walker, a digital designer from London, said he bought about 200 Bitcoins over a six-month period starting at the end of 2011. He spends much of his time online and was excited by the idea of the Internet minting its own currency, and an investment not beholden to any central authority. His purchase set him back about $900, but today would net some $27,000. But despite this week’s new price highs, he’s going to keep his virtual stash — for now at least. “It’s not a life changing amount of money, but it could be if I sat on it for five years," Walker said. But for Naud, the asset manager, Bitcoin is reaching unsustainable levels. On paper at least, the value of Bitcoins in circulation now tops $1 billion, and a continued increase in price will require a lot of new investors. “The bubble will burst when there will be less people willing to enter than people willing to leave it," he said. “It’s hard to pinpoint, but it probably won’t last another month at this price." Experts said Bitcoins are especially vulnerable to rapid deflation. Governments trying to regulate them, for example, could spook investors and cause them to lose confidence. Already in the US, regulators have moved to make firms report transactions worth $10,000 or more, according to the Wall Street Journal.

As Bitcoin virtual currency soars, bubble fears do too

AFP

NEXT XBOX IN MAY Microsoft had originally been planning to unveil its next-generation Xbox details at an event in April, but The Verge has learned that the company has pushed this back to May. Windows watcher Paul Thurrott revealed recently that Microsoft is planning an Xbox event for May 21, and we understand this date is accurate. This is the tentative date for a next-generation Xbox announcement, but Microsoft had originally planned an April 24 event. Sources familiar with Microsoft's Xbox plans have revealed that the event will be at a small venue with a focus on providing the very first details on the next Xbox.

KICKED OUT Apple has ousted a popular appdiscovery application from its iTunes App Store, claiming the app circumvented App Store rules preventing applications promoting other apps and direct marketing. On Sunday, AppGratis, which promotes paid apps by offering one for free everyday, abruptly vanished from the App Store without explanation or comment from Apple. At the time of its disappearance, word on the street had it that Apple banished the app for violation of an App Store Review Guideline clause.

HP’S MOONSHOT

Hewlett-Packard launched its Moonshot server line with an Intel-based Atom system available today and more chipsets planned in the future. The promise: HP will create Moonshot hyper scale software defined servers for custom workloads and an ecosystem. The bet for HP is that it can launch new Moonshot systems at three times the product cycle of traditional servers. For HP, Moonshot represents the company's ability to innovate, remain a server leader and keep up with cloud customers, who are increasingly building their own gear. The case for Project Moonshot, a multi-year effort, is that these systems will cut space and power in the data center.


TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Comment If you just set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time and you would achieve nothing.

KOREAN KONUNDRUM

T

hree years after a jet crash in Russia killed a Polish president and 95 other people, conspiracy theorists in Poland are as adamant as ever that it was an assassination. The conservative opposition — led by the late Lech Kaczynski's twin brother Jaroslaw -- has accused leaders from Warsaw and Moscow alike of having a hand in the crash on April 10, 2010. Many high-profile Poles died when the Russian-made Tu-154 airliner went down in thick fog while approaching Smolensk airport in western Russia. The delegation was en route to memorial ceremonies in Katyn for thousands of Polish army officers slain by the Soviet secret police in 1940, a massacre the Kremlin denied until 1990. Poland's conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party has repeatedly accused Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centreright government of not taking Russia to task over what it insists was a botched investigation and cover-up. Fuelling the fire is Moscow's foot-dragging on handing over the wreckage to Poland, where around 30 percent of the population are PiS supporters. For the Wednesday anniversary, the party has called for demonstrations at the Russian embassy and the presidential palace in Warsaw and will release a fresh report on the crash. A Russian probe concluded in 2011 that the crew was under "psychological pressure" to land in dangerous weather, a report Warsaw slammed as incomplete and riddled with errors. A Polish report attributed the crash to errors by the illtrained crew, mostly blaming Poland but also faulting Russia for the sub-standard airfield and poor traffic control there.

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Soft and hard: Images of power in North Korea PYONGYANG TALES

Margaret Thatcher Former British PM

The great Polish Prez Plot?

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS Many times Margaret Thatcher proved her wit. Arguably this could be her best: To those waiting with bated breath for that favourite media catchphrase, the U-turn, I have only one thing to say: You turn if you want to. The lady's not for turning.

Lim Chang-Won

F

rom smiling family man with a common touch to hardened military leader ready for all-out war: North Korea's propaganda machine has given leader Kim Jong-Un a visual makeover in the past month. The rapid escalation in Pyongyang's shrill, bellicose rhetoric in recent weeks has been matched by an equally swift shift of focus in the content of the images being disseminated by the state media. As the North's language has become ever more threatening, so the accompanying photographs have become discernibly more aggressive, both in general and in their particular portrayal of the young Kim JongUn. Immediately after Kim took power in North Korea following the death of his father Kim JongIl in December 2011, there was a flurry of military-themed pictures, often showing Kim with senior army officers. The obvious message was one of consistency -- a new supreme commander who had the loyalty of the armed forces and intended to continue the "military first" policy that was

his father's main legacy. "In the company of the most senior military men, the young Kim presumably gained a measure of military credibility without even having served in the army," said Katy Oh of the Institute for Defence Analyses in Alexandria, Virginia. But by mid-2012, the tone had changed. The militarylinked photos were still there, but there were fewer of them and more of Kim cutting a smiling, benign, parental figure. As well as the "on-the-spotguidance" photo-ops of Kim's visits to factories and schools — a propaganda staple stretching back to Kim's grandfather and the North's founding leader Kim Il-Sung — there were more intimate portraits. More extrovert and clearly more comfortable being seen and speaking in public that Kim Jong-Il, the new leader was shown enjoying himself and even taking a thrill ride at an amusement park. And increasingly there was his wife, a stylish, attractive woman who lent a refreshing touch of modernity and glamour to her husband and became something of a foreign media celebrity in her own right. North Koreans are used to the dual image, which can otherwise seem contradictory, of their leaders being shown both as commanding military fighters, and comforting, almost maternal

figures. In his book The Cleanest Race, B.R. Myers, an expert on North Korean propaganda, argues that North Korea has a race-based ideology that paints Koreans as more innocent and morally virtuous than foreigners, but not physically superior, thus requiring "guidance and protection" from a leader. Towards the end of 2012 and following the North's long-range rocket launch in December, the volume of military-themed pictures first increased and then dominated after the North conducted its third nuclear test in February. Suddenly Kim was everywhere, visiting military units on outlying frontline islands, perched on the prow of an unstable-looking open-topped boat,

impervious to the wind and rain. Photos had him in artillery pillboxes, surveying enemy positions on South-occupied islands through binoculars, always pointing and gesticulating like a conductor leading an orchestra of military officers. When the North threatened the United States with nuclear attack, Kim was pictured at his desk in a war room, surrounded by top-ranking officers, with a map in the background showing projected missile strikes on US targets. "The change really came after the nuclear test and the imagery quickly became menacing," said Byeon Yeong-Wook, a photographer at the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper who has monitored and edited pictures from the North's state media for years.

EDITORIALS Chiru’s new real-life role When she proved herself wrong

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he Tollywood badshah and now mantri, Chiranjeevi, seems to be taking his mantralaya role seriously. The celluloid idol is believed to be groomed to step in, in case the state slips too deep in the mire as the General Elections approach. Of late, Chiru has been asserting more and more on State issues though he is a Union minister. While he did quite a lot for state tourism, his stepping into castigate the Kiran government for hiking power tariff is indicative of his ascendance, political observers believe. Though he has a caste disadvantage, his charisma is trusted to make him sail through in times of difficulty. That the state Congress urgently needs a refurbish of its image—both at the organisational level and at the government — is beyond debate. However, many sceptics still doubts Chiru’s ability to play as effective a role in real life as he did in reel life. Politics is not a cakewalk and those who sold dreams to the impoverished millions may find it tough when it comes to hardcore politics, his critics say. But Chiru is a fighter. And, time alone will tell.

READERS’ VIEWS

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he was fiery, fierce, determined and would not stop till she achieved what she had set out to. There are similar and different views that are coming up in response to the death of Margaret Thatcher. But do you know what’s really quirky? Thatcher when she was the education secretary in 1973 said: I don't think there will be a woman prime minister in my lifetime.” And she became the islands’ first woman Prime Minister six years later.

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

AFP


TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

workplace

GOOGLE TARGETED IN PRIVACY COMPLAINT

Google's new privacy policy is under legal attack from regulators in its largest European markets, who want the company to overhaul practices they say let it create a data goldmine at the expense of unwitting users.

AGE LIKE WINE

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KNOW YOUR COMPANY

Age catching up at work

Amul Amul is an Indian dairy cooperative, based at Anand in the state of Gujarat, India. The word Amul is derived from the Sanskrit word Amulya, meaning invaluable. The co-operative is also sometimes referred to by the unofficial backronym: Anand Milk Union Limited.Amul spurred India's White Revolution, which made the country the world's largest producer of milk and milk products. In the process Amul became the largest food brand in India and has also ventured into markets overseas.

DID YOU KNOW... Normally being experienced is thing of pride and that grey hair on your head is just a testament to that. But now with the demographics at the workplace becoming younger, age and experience can be a huge deciding factor. We tell you how to get over this gap. FLEME VARKEY fleme.v@postnoon.com

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arain Kumar recently gave his fifth interview of the month. He has his hopes up, but going by his previous four experiences, he is being cautious. Narain is 36, and has been working for the past 10 years. However, with these interviews he realised the one question which was common to all interviewers, “Why should we hire you and not a young, dynamic fresher for your post?” Like Narain, there are others who have often faced this dilemma. And while aging out is not necessarily age discrimination, some changes in your workplace or industry could lead to you being left behind in part because of your age. Here are some tips to recognise the gaps and try and match up before you get the boot. Vaishali Sinha, a talent research and development manager from a reputed software company tells us how.

1. NETWORK

Stop staying cooped in that cubicle of yours, and build up on

that networking. For all you know, your next job offer might come from networking. You may notice that the demographics in your office keeps constantly changing and that a younger lot is replacing the older ones. Don’t be sitting in your high and mighty chair and refuse to interact. Don’t be too chatty as well. Take time to mentor them, and even learn from them in the process.

2. KEEP LEARNING AND THINK YOUNG

You have heard the saying, it’s never too old to learn. It’s true. Why does a fresher gain the upper hand despite you having the experience? It’s because he/she is up to date with the market trends, technology and software. Keep abreast of what is happening in the industry and company and by that I don’t mean reading the news. I mean learn new software, new programmes, whatever could aid your chances of growth. Acquire a different set of skill sets, it can be helpful in the long run and

don’t resist change.

3. BEEN HERE TOO LONG

Every time a person asks me, how long have I been working, I get sighs and sometimes and an awestruck face. I have been working for the past six years and I am just 29. Usually, I take this as a compliment but it is also a subtle hint, if the person talking to you is your senior or reporting manager.

ENCE THAN REQUIRED Ordinarily, this should be a compliment that you have studied so far and accomplished so much. But if you get this often, then it’s time to rethink. If your years of experience only yield that you have years working in the field, you may not be the candidate the employers of today are seeking. Senior positions come with a lot of responsibility and it also impacts the lower rung of employees. So you’re employers would definitely like to know what you have been doing so long.

5. DON’T LET YOUR RESUME PUT THE SPOTLIGHT ON YOUR AGE These kind of remarks may be signs your tenure at the company has outlived its usefulness. Consider whether to follow up with the employee who said this and/or if it’s time to pursue outside opportunities.

4. ‘YOU’RE OVERQUALIFIED’ OR HAVE MORE EXPERI-

Age used to be linked with wisdom and experience. Today it is just as frequently linked with out-of-date skills and unrealistic salary expectations. So keep that in mind. Resume experts can help you out with this. While most of us believe that having a resume which states every award and every song and every degree in college is important. Some beg to differ, highlight what you achieved in these years and let that speak for you.

Adidas

which bought Reebok in 2005 for $3.8 billion to try to close the gap with market leader Nike (NKE.N), last year had to cut its 2015 sales target for the brand by a third after two quarters of declining sales. But the group believes Reebok has a future alongside the Adidas ownname brand and the TaylorMade golf unit.

MANAGING WORK GOOF UPS

Don’t just walk away and wash your hands of the If you caused the problem, you are responsible for coming up with the plan to resolve it. The plan needs to address the actions that need to occur, the people who need to take them, and the amount of time you think the actions will take.

Trying to cover things up rarely works. If and when your boss finds out, say, from someone else, things will be even worse for you. In this kind of situation, it’s important that you be in control of the message. So as hard as it will be, you should summon up your strength and go talk to your boss.




TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

spotlight

A NEW ADDICTION

Catch Benny Dayal of Lat Lag Gayi fame perform live in the city. His desi beats will make sure you have a rocking night. The venue is Vignana Bharathi Institute Of Technology, ECIL, 7pm onwards.

STYLE WORKSHOP

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Sounds of style Jewellery designer Moni Agarwal brought the Vogue School of Style to Hyderabad. Bandana Tiwari and her team from Vogue put together a brilliant fashion show on Monday at N-Convention.Apart from Agarwal’s collection, Shilpa Reddy also showcased her designs with actors Rana Daggubati and Shriya Saran being the showstoppers.

S BALAKRISHNA

SWEET SUCCESS

NTR and Kajal Agarwal starrer Baadshah has made a killing at the box office on its release last weekend. The cast and crew of the film held a celebratory party at Daspalla Hotel on Monday to mark the event.

FESTIVE FOOD

With the festival of Baisakhi around the corner, Radisson Blu is hosting a Punjabi food festival. On Sunday, some of the Punjabis in the City were invited to partake in the celebration.


TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

health

BANGLADESH REPORTS FIRST BIRD FLU DEATH A two-year-old baby from eastern Bangladesh has died of H5N1 virus, the first bird flu death in the South Asian country, a senior health official said Monday. Mahmudur Rahman, head of IEDCR told Xinhua that "the seventh case of Influenza A has been confirmed from one of our surveillance sites in Comilla."

RESET THE CLOCK DEEPASHRI VARADHARAJAN

deepashri.v@postnoon.com

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ou’re working when the rest of the world is asleep. Your entire routine is disturbed and reversed. To make it worse, your shift changes again, just when you thought you were falling into some pattern. Naman Manwandia works in an MNC in Gurgaon. His shift changes every two weeks. He started getting frequent headaches. The days when it starts at 7pm and 3am, his whole eating clock used to change — breakfast time would be different, lunch timings changed. There was no routine. “Sleep rhythm gets disturbed,” said Dr Aftab Ahmed, general physician at Apollo

Hospitals. “Melatonin (a hormone that acts as a biological clock) levels get disturbed. This leads to insomnia. The patient wants to sleep but can’t.” According to webmd.com, such people suffer from shift work sleep disorder (SWSD). They are irritable, are unable to concentrate and are prone to accidents. The website also quotes experts linking this to other mood disorders and even substance abuse. Working in shifts also makes it difficult for people to socialise, and over time, people might go into their cocoon or feel lonely. No one else is free when you are and you are working when all your friends are catching up. Naman used to come back at 3am and found it hard to sleep till 6 in the morning. He then used to sleep throughout the day and complained of feeling

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lethargic. Spending time with family and friends took a backseat. Dr Ahmed said he has seen many patients who come to him with acidity-related problems, which result from altered dietary habits and eating at odd times. “They may eventually develop anxiety disorders, depression and hypertension.” “In our bodies, we have a circadian cycle. You menstruate at a certain cycle, feel hungry and sleepy at a certain time. If day and night cycles are shifting continuously, the body won’t know when it is night, when to feel sleepy; the mind will have no sense of relaxation or balance,” said clinical psychologist Dr Savita Date Menon. She said even if you have night cycles, the body adjusts to it over time. But weekends become a challenge as this cycle is disturbed.

NIGHT DAY Patients come asking for medical proof that they can show their boss and request for a change of shift, doctors say.

A N D

ANEWS PP-LYBRIEFS YOURSELF

HOUSECALL

Arm Workouts Free

Otitis externa

Lose weight, look better, feel healthier and more confident with this simple FREE app. The features include easy arm exercises with steps and animations, in-app trainer voice, and pre-set workouts with four difficulty levels. You can also design your own custom workouts and get your own personal e-trainer via mail. itunes.apple.com

Otitis externa is an inflammation of the outer ear canal — the tube between the skin surface of the external ear and the ear drum. There's redness and swelling of the skin of the ear canal. It may be itchy (especially in the early stages) and can become sore and painful. There may be a discharge, or increased amounts of ear wax. If the canal becomes blocked by swelling or secretions, hearing can be affected. bbc.co.uk

DID YOU KNOW? Colds have nothing to with being wet Colds are not caused by being wet or cold. They are caused by viruses, that have nothing to do with cold temperatures. However, in cold temperatures, people are more inclined to spend time together indoors, thereby more easily transmitting the virus from one person to another. health24.com

PIONEERS Lars Leksell Lars Leksell was a Swedish physician and Professor of Neurosurgery at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. He was the inventor of radiosurgery. Leksell served as a mentor for a number of other leading neurosurgeons including L Dade Lunsford who established the first U.S. Gamma Knife center at the University of Pittsburgh and Stanford Professor John R Adler, the inventor of Cyberknife. en.wikipedia.org


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health TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

BREAKTHROUGH

STUDY

CHINESE BOY RECOVERS FROM BIRD FLU WHO may send intl experts His recovery proves that not every human infection of H7N9 avian influenza is severe, experts said. BEIJING: A four-year-old boy, who was infected with the deadly new H7N9 bird flu, surprised the Chinese health officials by recovering from the disease, believed to be incurable as there is no medicine to treat it. His recovery proves that not every human infection of H7N9 avian influenza is severe, they said, even as World Health Organisation said there is no evidence of sustained human-tohuman transmission. “From a clinical point of view, the boy has recovered," said Wu Fan, the director of the Shanghai Disease Control and Prevention Centre. The boy will need to remain in the hospital for further observation, Wu added. The boy’s temperature is normal and he has no respiratory symptoms, said Yu Hui, director of the infectious disease department of the Children’s Hospital affiliated with Fudan University, where the boy is being treated. The new bird flu strain has sickened at least 21 people in Shanghai and the east China provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui, killing six of them. As the virus spread during the past few days, China had approved a drug which is reportedly being administered to patients. China Food and Drug Administration said the potential of injections of peramivir diluted in sodium chloride has been proven successful by preliminary tests.

There are currently no standards for the discharge of H7N9infected patients in China. For the more common H1N1-infected patients, a full recovery period of seven days and two negative virus tests are required before the patient can leave the hospital. Meanwhile, WHO which is keeping a close watch on the H7N9 virus in China said it has yet to found evidence that the new avian influenza has become human-to-human transmissible. “Although we do not know the source of infection, at this time there is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission," WHO representative Dr Michael O’Leary said here today. O’Leary said growing interest in the virus globally has prompted WHO to consider sending an international team, comprising epidemiological, laboratory and communications experts, to China. An 87-year-old man surnamed Li and his two sons in Shanghai were hospitalised recently for showing symptoms like fevers and coughing. Li and the younger son died, and the other son has recovered. But H7N9 bird flu virus has only been found in the father. “The family cluster raises the possibility of human-to-human transmission, but two of the cases in that cluster have not been laboratory confirmed," O’Leary said. PTI

Hypertension kills 1.5mn every year in SE Asia: WHO NEW DELHI: High blood pressure or hypertension kills nearly 1.5 million people every year in South-East Asia making it the single-most important risk factor for non communicable diseases like heart attack and stroke, according to the World Health Organisation. “Every individual has the power to prevent high blood pressure by adopting a healthy lifestyle — eating a balanced diet, reducing salt, regular exercise, avoiding harmful use of alcohol, quitting tobacco and checking their blood pressure regularly” says Dr Samlee Plianbangchang, WHO Regional Director for SouthEast Asia. The WHO is raised the alarm about high blood pressure on World Health Day 2013 which fell on April 7 this year. In India, among adults one in three was found to have a raised blood pressure and about half of them remained undetected during WHO surveys. “The number of hypertensives in India was expected to nearly double from 118 million in 2000 to 213 million by 2025. However, recently we estimated that among those aged 25 years in 2013, there are already about 199 million hypertensives currently (103 million men and 96 million women). “In addition, many more have pre-hypertension; a precursor condition which if left unaddressed will convert to hypertension in about four years. Another recent analysis of global data also indicated an increase in hypertension in developing countries like India compared to declines in most developed countries," says Dr Sailesh Mohan, Senior Research Scientist and Associate Professor at the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI). PTI

RESEARCH

High mercury exposure tied to diabetes risk WASHINGTON: Higher levels of mercury exposure in young adults can increase their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 65 per cent later in life, a new study has warned. The research, led by Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington epidemiologist Ka He, is the first to establish the link between mercury and diabetes in humans.

The main source of mercury in humans comes from the consumption of fish and shellfish, nearly all of which contain traces of mercury. Fish and shellfish also contain lean protein and other nutrients, such as magnesium and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, that make them important to a healthy diet. In the study, published

in the journal Diabetes Care, the people with the highest levels of mercury also appeared to have healthier lifestyles — lower body mass indexes and smaller waist circumferences, more exercise than other study participants. They also ate more fish, which is a possible marker of healthy diet or higher social economic status. The study, which involved 3,875 men and women,

established the link between mercury levels and type 2 diabetes risk after controlling for lifestyle and other dietary factors such as magnesium and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which could counter the effects of the mercury. These findings, He said, point to the importance of selecting fish known to have low levels of mercury. PTI


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TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Entertainment THE LAUGH FACTOR

I HAVE A FLAIR FOR COMEDY: KAJAL

HEMANTH KUMAR hemanth.k@postnoon.com

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ot too long ago, it seemed as if Kajal had fallen prey to being stereotyped. We ask her if she has got bored of playing the quintessential pretty girl or the damsel in distress in Telugu films, after all that seems to be her forte. She’s surprisingly candid about her work and says, “If people think I suit those roles really well, then I don’t have any qualms being the pretty girl in films. However, I did try to juggle between different roles. Baadshah is my first fullfledged comedy role.” In the film, she played Janaki, who loves doling out philosophical quotes to reform others. We tell her that she was uproariously funny in the film and she’s evidently pleased with the response she has got for her role in the film. “I think I have a flair for comedy and I hope to do more comedy roles in future. One of my favourite scenes in the film is my confrontation with

MS Narayana in Milan and another such scene is the one where I stop NTR from committing suicide. We were in splits throughout these scenes. The tough part was that I had to put up a straight face even while delivering all those hilarious philosophical quotes,” Kajal recalls. After Brindavanam, it’s the second time Kajal has teamed up with NTR and she reveals that it was a lot more fun this time because the two understand each others comic timing well now. “Moreover, NTR is all the more patient now, both with me and others in general,” she laughs. It has been an incredible year so far with Nayak and Special 26 turning out to be big hits and now Baadshah is turning out to be a blockbuster. “I am really glad that all the three films have done well, but I haven’t had the time to celebrate the success. I have been shooting continuously and there’s plenty of work left to do before I take a break,” she says. She’s one of the top heroines in Telugu and it’s no wonder that she often works with the top actors and directors in the industry. So does she just get lucky when it comes to the

roles she’s offered or is there a strategy behind signing a film? “A lot of things have to fall in to place. I have to like the story, my role and the people I am going to work with. Of course, I am quite instinctive when it comes to deciding what I want to do at any given point of time. Other than that, there’s no strategy as such. I believe in taking each day as it comes and not think too much about future,” she confesses. Despite the success and fame she has enjoyed so far, she admits that she never takes anything for granted. “I am very critical of my work. Thank God, I am busy all the time otherwise I would never be content with my work,” she quips, adding, “I understand what the director wants and do it with all my conviction. All said and done, I don’t take my success or failure too seriously,” she signs off.

CINE BYTES Allu Arjun joins Yevadu’s shoot

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llu Arjun has finally begun shooting for Vamshi Paidipally’s upcoming film Yevadu. He’s playing an important role in this action thriller which has Ram Charan, Shruti Haasan and Amy Jackson in lead roles. The film’s shooting is currently happening in Hyderabad.

Adda’s title track launched

Hollywood calling

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ishnu Manchu seems to be keen on charting new territories. Apparently, he bagged a role in a Hollywood film, but he had to let it go since he didn’t have the ‘dates’; however, he revealed that there’ll be more ‘exciting news’ on this project.

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he title track of Sushanth’s upcoming film Adda was unveiled recently at the IPL match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Shweta Bhardwaj accompanied Sushanth in this event. Anup Rubens has scored the music for this film.


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Entertainment TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

STRIKING IT RICH

CINE BYTES

I'm releasing Krrish 3 on a Sunday: Rakesh Roshan

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akesh Roshan has taken the prized Diwali release to the next level. Moving away from the traditional Friday screening, he has decided to release Krrish 3 on Sunday, November 3, which is Diwali. Confirming the development Roshan said: "November 3 is an auspicious day, so we're releasing Krrish 3 on that day." The film also stars Priyanka Chopra, Kangna Ranaut and Vivek Oberoi. IANS

CHASHME BADDOOR

mints money at the box office D avid Dhawan's Chashme Baddoor, a remake of 1981 film of the same name, has not only got thumbs up from the critics, but it has also managed to mint `19 crore in the first three days of its release, collections till Sunday that is. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted: "Chashme Baddoor is off to a super start in India. North India and Mumbai circuits leading. Even mass-dominated belt very good!" Said to be made at a budget

of `17 crore, the funny drama has been produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures. What worked in the favour of the movie is that the director revamped the script and set the story of Chashme Baddoor in Goa focusing on the current lot of youngsters and their life style. The film collected `5.18 crore on Friday and `6.27 crore on Saturday, making the total to `11.45 crore. The original, produced by Gul Anand and directed by Sai Paranjpye, revolved around

three students living in Delhi — Siddharth (Farooque Sheikh), Omi (Rakesh Bedi) and Jai (Ravi Baswani) — and what happens when they meet Neha (Deepti Naval). Dhawan's Chashme Baddoor features Ali Zafar, Taapsee Pannu, Siddharth, Divyendu Sharma, Rishi Kapoor, Anupam Kher and Lilette Dubey. The Sai Parnajpye-directed Chashme Buddoor was recently restored and released with the new Chashme Baddoor on Friday. IANS

When Aashiqui 2 meets Aashiqui

T

he first look of Aashiqui 2 and its music will be launched at Sudeep Studios, a place where Aashiqui music was recorded about 23 years ago. Released in 1990, Rahul Roy and Anu Agarwal-starrer Aashiqui was co-produced by late Gulshan Kumar and Mahesh Bhatt, who had also directed the film. IANS

Barfi! wins top honours at TOIFA

T

he story of a deaf and mute boy, Barfi! turned out to be the top winner at the maiden edition of the TOIFA cornering the best film, best director, best actor and best actress trophies. At a glittering awards function, Anurag Basu picked up the best director award while Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra carried home the best actor and best actress trophies, respectively. IANS


Entertainment TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

23


Entertainment TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

24


25

Entertainment TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

FINDING MR RIGHT

IANS

faith in dating

A

ctress Eva Longoria believes dating websites are a great way to find your soulmate after one of her friends found her life partner online. But for herself, she relies on close friends to find her a partner. "My girlfriend went on Match.com, (and) she's getting married this year. They are perfectly matched for each other. They are really a great couple," contactmusic.com quoted Longoria as saying. But the 38-year-old, who is producing a new dating show called Ready for Love, insists she is not ready to start Internet dating yet. The Desperate Housewives actress, whose second marriage to basketball player Tony Parker ended in divorce in 2010, relies on her close circle of friends to find her a new partner instead. "I feel like the matchmaker would may be like, 'Hey, it's Eva Longoria', as opposed to, 'There's this great girl', whereas my friends, who know me, will be like, 'There's this girl, she's really fun," She told Jay Leno on his show. When asked about the qualities she looks for in her ideal man, she said: "I love a good vocabulary, a good vernacular... Compassionate to the world."

Eva’s has

CINE BYTES

Amy Adams unwinds with her daughter

H

ollywod actress Amy Adams says she enjoys spending time with her three-year-old daughter Aviana. When asked what she does in her spare time, Adams said: "I like spending time with my daughter. I find that very grounding. She has been such a fantastic addition to my life for so many reasons, but one of my favourite things is how I feel when I am with her.” IANS

Katie Price eyeing 4mn pounds mansion

M

odel Katie Price reportedly wants to buy a 4 million pounds house with husband Kieran Hayler. Katie, 34, who is expecting a child with Hayler, has twice been spotted looking around the luxury nine-bedroom country house, called Brownheath Park, reports the sun.co.uk. IANS

Is Niall Horan dating Irish model?

S

inger Niall Horan is reportedly dating Irish model Zoe Whelan, whom he met backstage at one of his gigs. "Niall has been secretly seeing Zoe for a couple of months after he met her backstage. She's a Dubliner but is based in London to work on her modelling career. Zoe's traveled all over Britain to meet up with Niall on the band's tour," the sun.co.uk quoted a source as saying. IANS


TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Chai Time

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you. Dale Carnegie

KAKURO

QUICK CROSSWORD

26

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

ACROSS

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

SCRIBBLING PAD

1 Reputation blemish 5 Pacific tuber 9 Ruffles one's feathers 14 Kimono cousin 15 More-than-admired one 16 Cove kin 17 Once ... 19 Pan-fry 20 Golf shirt? 21 Any ship at sea 22 Marching to a different drummer 24 Acquire a wintry glaze 26 Have a bug 27 Apartment building owner 30 Sickeningly suave 35 ‘___ we all?’ 36 Hull hazard 37 Bird along the coast 38 Put back the way things were 39 Assume as fact 40 Like many beds 41 Controlled regimen of food and drink 42 King of the stage 43 Tribal trademark 44 Most peaceful 46 Farriers, often 47 Pencil stump 48 Piano man John 50 Like a car full of money 54 ‘____ House’ (Madness hit) 55 Wrinkle-faced pooch 58 Exuding reverence 59 Once ... 62 Pioneer carrier 63 Coral habitat 64 When many doors open 65 Courtroom statements 66 Like a yenta 67 2000 presidential candidate Keyes

DOWN

1 Very dry, as champagne 2 Run in long, easy strides 3 Common woodwind 4 Face card's value, often 5 Church supporter 6 Bye at the French Open? 7 CD follower 8 Spread for bread 9 One who can't adjust 10 Once ... 11 Chimney cleaner's concern 12 Cheese in Greek salads 13 Leave in after all 18 British racing spot 23 Gemstone surface 24 Once ... 25 Beat, as a heart 27 Praises mightily 28 ‘Sesame Street’ resident 29 Exodus commemoration 31 Word after ‘film’ or ‘cafe’ 32 Wax eloquent 33 Reporting to 34 Appears to be 36 Hatfields and McCoys, eg 39 Navel newbie (var) 43 Lead-in to ‘fare’ 45 Hospital staff 46 Strait-laced 49 Rich ore deposits 50 Lhasa ___ 51 Actress Hayworth 52 Castle defense 53 Sock-mender's oath? 55 Milking container 56 Forearm bone 57 ‘Galveston’ crooner Campbell 60 New beginning? 61 Genetic messenger letters


Chai Time TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 10-4-2013

27

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

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

As there is a happy atmosphere at home, women feel happy; also good events likely to take place in line. You complete all challenging tasks successfully by changing the approach. Those planning to go abroad will get their visa easily.

STRIP TEASE AGNES

Financial position looks strong and there is no need to worry. Caution to be exercised while spending as also monitoring to avoid extravagance. Those in love will succeed. Struggles inevitable while executing work, but success will be yours.

Politicians will be in the limelight. You will be the most respected in functions and public meetings you attend. Unwanted tension and higher expenses likely to upset your mood. Employees will be irked by hurdles, which might delay their work.

Avoid anger and emotional outbursts at family members, which could boomerang. Persons in real-estate business have a boom time. Politicians will do a good job and get appreciation from high command. You fulfill all commitments.

Debt issues will be under control. Employees might be favoured with promotion or pay hike. Couples will be cordial and affectionate towards each other. Businessmen will effect drastic changes. Those wanting change of job can initiate efforts now.

Minor ego clashes between couples will go and they will live in harmony hereafter. Employees likely to be entrusted with new responsibilities and get recognition on completing the same successfully. Good news is very much on the cards.

You need to be active by driving out laziness in you so that all work get completed successfully. Avoid bringing in a third person to mediate for you as it might widen the rift substantially. Spouse and children are to be kept in a cheerful mode.

Good effects likely to get delayed, hence it is advisable to postpone new efforts. Avoid interfering in others’ personal issues as it might bring a bad name to you. Employees need to plan their work in advance and work with focus to succeed.

Debt problems will be under good control with the help of friends and close relatives. You will be very happy as marriage of your son or daughter will be performed in a grand manner. Those awaiting a job should be prepared to relocate.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail. com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

The World – You are about to embark on a wonderful journey of discovery. Till now, you have come across people who taught you about life. Now, you will use that.

LEO:

King of Pentacles – Finances are in focus. A windfall, in the form of an inheritance or a smart investment move, will force you to plan further. All will go well.

LIBRA:

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

Nine of Cups – Today goes like clockwork. Everything you planned will fit into place and you will be relieved that all organising skills are being put to good use.

SAGITTARIUS:

Six of Cups – if you have any important appointments, make sure to reach on time. You may need to keep a buffer of a few minutes to beat traffic, etc.

TAURUS:

The Lovers – Decision time! You may need to be harsh on someone. You’ll be expected to take a tough call, which may not be the best for someone you love.

CANCER:

Ten of Wands – You are feeling burdened by the emotions of someone very close to you. You two, either a partner or sibling, have a karmic connection.

VIRGO:

Page of Swords – You make amends with an old friend you had fallen out with. You realise that nothing is permanent. People come and go, so do emotions.

SCORPIO:

Judgment – You may be running the risk of upsetting someone close to you because of the way an issue turned out. Don’t take things too seriously.

CAPRICORN:

Knight of Pentacles – An argument with a peer can get into trouble. You may need that person’s help much more than he/she needs you. So, be practical.

PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

Ten of Cups – You get emotional about something that a family member said. It will hurt you. But you need to learn to let go and move on to better things.

NUMBER GAME

– This is a time to improve general knowledge and get into intellectual discussions. It will up your status in social meetings. Watch news channels.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: Nine of Wands

POOCH CAFE

Some are likely to undertake a tour abroad. Mother’s health might be a cause for concern. Vehicle might trouble increasing expenses. Drastic changes, as expected, await employees at workplace, which will make them very happy.

for 10-4-2013

The Hierophant – This card tells you that you need to make things work if you want change. It is in your hands to allow positive things to work for you.

NON SEQUITUR

Politicians will be entrusted with more complicated responsibilities; they struggle to complete them but eventually will. Women in the family work with patience and shrewdness and get appreciated. A tight financial situation is likely.

SUDUKO

New efforts might need a lot of good and hard work but will get completed successfully. Employees might need to change their residence because of a transfer. Misunderstanding likely between couples; stay harmonious to avoid unwanted rifts.

Boggle SEOUL ATHENS ATLANTA MONTREAL Vol: 2, No 263 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon. com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211


28

Entertainment TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

IN AWE

A

in that kind of timeless movie-star way, but she can be grungy in this very cool 1990s way," Marie Claire magazine quoted Miller as saying. "You say this about people who have style, but it is true — she genuinely doesn't think about

the way she looks or how she puts herself together. She could throw on a bin bag and look beautiful," she added. Knightley, 28, has been the face of numerous beauty and fashion campaigns including Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle perfume. IANS

LLE R

Kei tim ra Kn e i l e SIE ss mghtle NN ovi y like A M e-sta I r:

ctress Sienna Miller, who starred alongside Keira Knightley in 2008 film The Edge Of Love, is quite impressed with her co-star's beauty and style. The 31-year-old says her close friend has a unique style and can pull of any outfit because of her classic appearance. "The first thing that springs to mind (when thinking about Keira) is the 1940s. I think of her as glamorous

CINE BYTES Blake to conduct Kelly’s wedding

K

elly Clarkson revealed to ET's Nancy O'Dell backstage at the ACM Awards on Sunday night that not only is Blake Shelton singing at her upcoming wedding, he is conducting the ceremony! Singer announced her engagement to Shelton's manager, Brandon Blackstock, in December.

Lindsay Lohan single again

A

ctress Lindsay Lohan, who began dating Avi Snow last month, has split from the rocker. A source told eonline.com that Lohan broke up with Snow after returning to Los Angeles from a party-filled business trip to Brazil. IANS

Kellan Lutz Is Hercules

A

s if it wasn’t enough for Twilight veteran Kellan Lutz to score the role of one famously buff character in Tarzan, he’s now aiming for the double by taking on Hercules. Harlin is gearing up Hercules 3D for Nu Image/Millennium, which has been busy developing this take on the Greek demigod.


sports

29

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

WBC CHAMPIONSHIP

OLYMPIC REPERCUSSION

Triple delight for Japanese boxers in Tokyo Shinsuke Yamanaka, Akira Yaegashi and Takashi Miura won their bouts to make the hosts proud. TOKYO: Japan’s Shinsuke Yamanaka defeated Malcolm Tunacao of the Philippines by technical knockout to defend his World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight title on Monday. Yamanaka, 30, floored the challenger twice in the third round with a straight left. And it was the same straight left shot that knocked a bloodied Tunacao to the canvas one minute and 57 seconds into the 12th, for the referee to top the fight. “I was ready to knock him out, but my opponent was also fighting pretty well. I went for it in the end. I got married and I have a child now, that made me stronger,” said Yamanaka. “A title unification match is always one of my targets, so I welcome any title matches against champions of the WBA, IBF or WBO. I’m not sure it was a nice fight today, but I’m determined to show an exciting fight next.” It was his third defence of the title he won in November 2011, improving his unbeaten

World Boxing Council bantamweight defending champion Shinsuke Yamanaka of Japan punches challenger Malcolm Tunacao of Philippines during their title bout in Tokyo on Monday. AFP/ TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA

Miura credits father TOKYO: Japan’s Takashi Miura said his late father helped him win the new World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight champion Monday, after a technical knockout in the ninth round against Gamaliel Diaz. The 28-year-old challenger floored the Mexican title-holder with a straight left one minute and 21 seconds into the ninth to finish the contest, having already knocked his opponent to the canvas several times during the bout. “I have no words but I’m happy. I wanted to show this belt to my father,” he added.

record to 18 wins, including 13 KOs, and two draws. Tunacao, the top-ranked challenger in the WBC, saw his record reduced to 32 wins, including 20 KOs, against three defeats and three draws.

YAEGASHI IS NEW WBC FLYWEIGHT CHAMPION Challenger Akira Yaegashi won a close-range battle to outpoint fellow Japanese Toshiyuki Igarashi in a World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight title bout on Monday. Three judges scored it 115110, 116-109 and 117-108 in

favour of the challenger. “It’s like a dream. A small boxer like me was able to fight in a big class. It was a nice challenge. I’m the strongest in the world,” said Yaegashi, who had a 0-4 record against Igarashi when the two were amateur fighters. “I tried to fight in my style until the end,” added Yaegashi, 30, who improved his record to 17 wins, including nine KOs, against three defeats. Igarashi started cautiously against Yaegashi, who unleashed numerous left jabs and left and right hooks to lead 3-0 after the fourth round. AFP

New bosses for Australia after flop show SYDNEY: Former Hockey Australia boss Mark Anderson and the ex-head of British swimming Michael Scott were on Tuesday appointed to rebuild Australia’s swim team after their dismal London Olympics campaign. Anderson becomes chief executive, replacing Kevin Neil who quit in the fallout from last summer’s Games, with the swim team’s performance marred by ill-discipline, drug use and drunkenness. Scott, who was the high performance boss for British Swimming for five years in the lead-up to the 2012 London Olympics, assumes a similar role in Australia. He takes over from Leigh Nugent, who resigned from both that position and head coach last month as inquiries continued into allegations of misbehaviour. “We’ve gone through an exhaustive process to find the right people to lead our sport and we know Mark and Michael have the skills and acumen to take the organisation forward,” Swimming Australia President Barclay Nettlefold said. “These appointments are just another positive step in setting up the best leadership structure.”

LEAGUE CRICKET A Institution 1-Day League ECIL 140 (Vijay Kumar 54, Chandrasekhar 3 for 30, Murali 3 for 26, Arvind Shah 4 for 22) bt FCI 60 (Kanda Swamy 6 for 13, Vijay 3 for 12) VST 46 (Bobby 3 for 17, Siddappa 4 for 0) lost to HAL 50 for 1

ANTI-DOPING MEASURES

Russia says it’s making progress ALEXANDRE FEDORETS Agence France-Presse MOSCOW: World athletics championships hosts Russia on Monday rejected claims they are soft on doping, saying the exposure of a spate of high-profile cheats was due to a step forward in testing. A number of Russian athletes, including 2004 Olympic hammer champion Olga Kuzenkova, have been banned in recent months for doping violations, prompting calls in some

France’s Longo back in anti-doping spotlight PARIS: Veteran French female cyclist Jeannie Longo is back in the crosshairs of national antidoping authorities for failing to comply with procedures aimed at catching drug cheats. The head of the French anti-doping agency, the ALFD, said Longo was again “obliged to provide details of her whereabouts” so that she could be subjected to surprise tests.

ALFD president Bruno Genevois told AFP the measure was ordered “in the light of previous failings” by the cyclist. Longo, aged 54 and still racing, had received three warnings from the French Anti-Doping Agency for breaking the whereabouts rule. Longo is a sporting icon in France, having won 59 national titles, 13 world titles and four Olympic medals including a gold in road racing.

quarters for Moscow to be stripped of its right to host the championships later this year. But Russian athletics federation chief Valentin Balakhnichev told AFP in an exclusive interview that Russia had dramatically changed its approach in the fight against doping. “Three years ago the national anti-doping agency RUSADA was created to keep the use of drugs in sports under control,” Balakhnichev said. “It changed the situation radically as the Russian sports min-

istry upgraded the technical equipment of Moscow’s antidoping laboratory up to the highest modern standards and increased the level of its staff’s skills.” “Now it is paying off, as the laboratory is not only testing but also regularly working out new methods of analysis that are currently used worldwide.” Russia is in the spotlight in the fight against doping as it prepares to host the world athletics championships in August in Moscow.


30

sports TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

AUGUSTA MASTERS PREVIEW Thaworn aims to make the cut

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA: Asian Tour No. 1 Thaworn Wiratchant is aiming to become the first Thai golfer to make the cut in all four rounds at the Masters after receiving a special invitation to play in this week’s event. The 46-year-old Asian Tour veteran star won three times last year and became the oldest player to win the Order of Merit on the circuit. Thaworn now has 17 international victories. Countrymen Thongchai Jaidee, Prayad Marksaeng and Sukree Onsham have previously competed at Augusta National, but Thaworn hopes to do what none of them managed and reach the last two rounds. “I’ll try to make the cut. That would be the goal," Thaworn said. “If I don’t make it, then I want to ensure that I had played my best. The players at the Masters are all good players and it is a very challenging golf course." Thaworn’s prior major appearance was at the 2006 British Open where he shared 31st. But he made an impression last month at Doral with a pair of 69s in a World Golf Championship event before settling for a share of 53rd place. Thaworn has worked on his long irons to cope with the 7,435yard Augusta National layout but knows the undulating greens will provide their own test. “From what I’ve seen, you have to be good in every department, especially around the greens, which are very fast and tricky," Thaworn said. “I’m sure it will be really challenging." Thaworn has received some advice from Prayad as well as 2007 Masters winner Zach Johnson. “Some of the advice has been very helpful, but I will adjust my routine accordingly," Thaworn said. “If I miss the cut, I may get criticism but if I make the cut, the story may change. This is natural. I accept that. AFP

‘Enjoyment is main goal’ Saying he does not feel intimidated by rivals or surroundings, 14-year-old Tianlang is putting a priority on enjoying his historic Masters debut. JIM SLATER Agence France-Presse AUGUSTA, GEORGIA: Saying he does not feel intimidated by his rivals or awestruck by his surroundings, 14-yearold Chinese schoolboy Guan Tianlang (in pic) is putting a priority on enjoying his historic Masters debut. Guan will become the youngest player in Masters history after qualifying to play at Augusta National this week by winning last year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Thailand. “It’s going to be a little pressure, but I’m not going to push myself too hard. I’m going to enjoy it," Guan said. “I have the confidence. I know I can play well. I’m going to play like myself. I’m not going to try to do too much. “Just enjoy the tournament and play some good shots and just enjoy it and hopefully I can play well."

Hamstring injury forces Clarke out

On Monday he played a practice round at Augusta National with two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw and joined fellow amateurs in the Crow’s Nest living area of the clubhouse, the youngest to

enjoy that Masters tradition. “It’s hard to believe he’s 14," said Crenshaw. “Today was great to play with Mr. Crenshaw," Guan said. “He told me a lot and we really enjoyed it on the golf course."

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA: Darren Clarke, the 2011 British Open champion from Northern Ireland, announced he was withdrawing from the Masters on Monday after suffering a pulled hamstring while on vacation in the Bahamas. Clarke missed last week’s US PGA Texas Open because of the injury, suffered more than a week ago on the island of Abaco. He is continuing treatment in the Bahamas and has decided on a timetable for his return to competitive golf. “It is with deep regret that I will not be able to play at Augusta this year," Clarke said. “Playing in the Masters is one of golf’s greatest pleasures and I am very disappointed to be missing out." Twice-a-day treatments did not bring Clarke back to fitness enough to cope with the undulating terrain of Augusta National Golf Club. AFP

Cold comfort for Stricker AUGUSTA, GEORGIA: Steve Stricker is hoping he can come in from the cold this week to finally get to grips with Augusta National, a course he says has overwhelmed him in the past. The 46-year-old “quiet man” of US golf has played in 12 Masters and has just a tie for sixth place in 2009 to show for it. Last year was typical when he could only tie for 47th. This year, though, Stricker has decided to drastically cut back on his schedule and, instead of playing in the week before the year’s first major, he spent the time at home up north in Madison, Wisconsin, where winter still has a grip. “I was at home last week enjoying a couple springlike days at home finally," he said. “We are finally starting to break grass.

We can see grass now. But it was still the same for me last week, hitting balls from inside the trailer although I threw a couple out on the grass. “Courses are still closed up there, but it’s still the same preparation for me at home and came down here yesterday." Stricker, who has yet to win any of the majors, admits he finds it hard to pinpoint just why he has such a poor record at Augusta National. “For the most part I’ve struggled here a little bit ... there’s still a few things I haven’t figured out. “Or I’ve gotten in my own way, I think, a few times here, too. Just not committing to shots, not committing to lines. You know, feeling a little overwhelmed about this place at times, I think." AFPAFP

BASKETBALL

Payton voted into Basketball Hall of Fame

(L-R) Gary Payton and Jerry Tarkanian interact during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 2013 announcement on Monday. AFP/LECKA

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Nine-time NBA All-Star Gary Payton and fourtime NBA All-Star Bernard King were among seven people voted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this year, officials announced on Monday. US college coaching greats Jerry Tarkanian, Guy Lewis and Rick Pitino plus five-time Women’s NBA All-Star Dawn Staley and three-time US women’s coach of the year Sylvia Hatchell were also voted into the sporting honor roll. Enshrinement ceremonies will be staged September 8 at Springfield, Massachusetts, and will include five

previously announced members elected to the Hall of Fame by various committees. Brazilian legend Oscar Schmidt was among those previously named to the Class of 2013. Payton, known as “The Glove” for his defensive skills, had 2,445 career steals and was the 1996 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He played on Olympic gold medal US teams in 1996 and 2000 and won an NBA title with Miami in 2006. First-time nominees who failed to obtain enough support from the honors committee for induction included Mitch Richmond, Tim Hardaway and Tom Heinsohn. AFP


IPL 6

31

BATTLE OF THE TITANS

METRE

6 46 S

FLASH

RR captain Rahul Dravid has been fined for the team’s slow over rate during last night’s IPL match against KKR. RR were assessed to be two overs behind the required rate after allowances were taken into consideration. Since it was his first offence of the season, Dravid was fined US$20,000. David Warner (DD) 98 runs

Sunil Narine (KKR), Kevon Cooper (RR) 6 wickets

‘Our strategy worked to perfection’

R

ajasthan Royals’ medium pacer Siddharth Trivedi said that their strategy of playing only the pace bowlers had worked to perfection against Kolkata Knight Riders. Insisting that it was a well planned out strategy, Trivedi said: “It was our strategy which helped us to notch crucial victory. See we did not have any spinners in the eleven and the pace bowlers did it for us. We were able to grab wickets whenever we needed them.” Rajasthan Royals outplayed the defending champions by 19 runs to register their second successive victory in the Pepsi Indian Premier League, here last night. PTI

P

W

L

T PT

NR

RR

2

2

0

0

SRH

2

2

0

0

4 +0.550

KXIP

1

1

0

0

2 +3.158

MI

2

1

1

0

2 +0.175

RCB

2

1

1

0

2 +0.050

KKR

2

1

1

0

2 -0.231

DD

2

0

2

0

0 -0.403

CSK

1

0

1

0

0 -0.450

PW

2

0

2

0

0 -1.915

4 +0.600

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

5 4S 197

D Karthik (MI) C Gayle (RCB) K Pollard (MI)

David Warner (DD)

13

HIGHEST SCORE

92*

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 Chris Gayle (RCB)

BEST BOWLER

4-13

Sunil Narine (KKR)

Time for Challengers to rise G APARNA SAI

aparna.s@postnoon.com

S

unrisers Hyderabad take on the Royal Challenegers from Bangalore once again in the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League, today on the latter’s home turf. These very teams had clashed in an exctining contest on Sunday. In that encounter, batting first, the Challengers posted a total of 130, a score which Sunrisers Hyderabad eventually tied. Hence, to declare a winner, the result was then decided in the super over (or the one-over eliminator). Sunrisers came out victorious as they defeated RCB by five runs. The Sunrisers Hyderabad, who happen to be playing for the first time in the IPL, have won both the matches they have participated in — the first against Pune Warriors India and the second against Royal

RCB VS SRH AT 8 PM ON SET MAX Challengers Bangalore. The Hyderabad team is currently placed second on the points table behind Rajasthan Royals. The Royal Challenegers Bangalore would look to avenge their defeat to the

SCORECARD

Sunrisers today. They would look to fire in the batting, which also happens to be their strength with the likes of demolisher Chirs Gayle, Virat Kohli and Tillakaratne Dilshan among the others present in the team. Sunrisers on the other hand, have not had much to boast about when it came to their batting of feilding. It has

always been their bowling which has helped them win matches. Dale Steyn, their biggest strenght in the bowling, has been well supported by the others like Amit Mishra, Perera and Ishant Sharma. Another victory would make them to be one of the teams to watch out for in this edition of the IPL.

Delhi look for Daredevilry

RAJASTHAN ROYALS V KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS Rajasthan Royals innings (20 overs maximum) SR Watson c Morgan b Lee

5 (10)

AM Rahane c †Bisla b Narine 36 (34) R Dravid* b Bhatia

17 (20)

STR Binny lbw b Shukla

14 (11)

BJ Hodge not out

46 (31)

K Cooper st †Bisla b Narine

0 (2)

DH Yagnik† run out (Shami Ahmed/†Bisla)

16 (11)

S Sreesanth not out

1 (2)

Extras (b 1, lb 6, w 1, nb 1)

9

Total (6 wickets; 20 overs)

144

Bowling

O

M R

W Econ

B Lee

4

0 20

1

5.00

Shami Ahmed 3

0 26

0

8.66

SP Narine

4

0 28

2

7.00

JH Kallis

4

0 28

0

7.00

R Bhatia

3

0 21

1

7.00

LR Shukla

2

0 14

1

7.00

Kolkata Knight Riders innings (target: 145 runs from 20 overs) MS Bisla† b Shukla 1 (4) Gambhir*c †Yagnik b Trivedi 22(22) JH Kallis c †Yagnik b Shukla 0 (1) MK Tiwary lbw b Trivedi 14 (13) EJG Morgan b Cooper 51 (38) YK Pathan c †Yagnik b Cooper 0 (2) LR Shukla c Shukla b Trivedi 2 (9) R Bhatia c Binny b Tait 12 (7) B Lee Shukla b Sreesanth 5 (6) S Ahmed c Rahane b Cooper 5 (10) SP Narine not out 2 (2) Extras (lb 5, w 6) 11 Total (all out; 19 overs) 125 Bowling O M R W Econ S Sreesanth 4 0 25 1 6.25 SW Tait 4 0 29 1 7.25 R Shukla 3 0 28 2 9.33 K Cooper 4 0 15 3 3.75 SK Trivedi 4 0 23 3 5.75

Rajasthan Royals won by 19 runs

SYED SHOAIB shoaib.s@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: Though Delhi Daredevils will be bolstered with Morne Morkel, a ‘genuine’ pace bowler who is also useful with the bat down the order, and spinner Roloef van der Merwe joining them, they will wait till the playing 11 are announced to reassure themselves. Crippled by the absence of Virender Sehwag, DD have lost both the matches they have played till now, first to Kolkata Knight Riders and then to Rajasthan Royals, and will be wanting to make a turnaround. Standing squarely in the path of DD being able to open their account today is a formidable Mumbai India team that lost

a close match to Royal Challengers Bangalore before going on to beat Chennai Super Kings. With Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting opening the batting, Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudy following and Michelle Johnson, Munaf Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha in charge of the bowling department, and, with wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, MI line up may well be the ideal team. Dinesh Karthik has been in supreme form lording over bowlers he faced in both the matches, Ponting and Tendulkar have been playing copybook cricket and Munaf and Ojha bowling their hearts out. All said, it is Viru who is going to make the difference to the visiting DD team.


TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

sports CL PREVIEW

CASSANO ADDS TO INTER INJURY WOES Antonio Cassano has added to Inter Milan's injury woes after the Serie A giants confirmed the striker has suffered a hamstring tear which could end his season. Cassano limped off during Inter's shock 4-3 home reverse to Atalanta on Sunday.

PREMIER LEAGUE

32

CL PREVIEW

Champions City keep faint title hopes alive City delay surrender of the title to United by beating them 2-1.

History against Galatasaray for Madrid tie ISTANBUL: Galatasaray will have to rewrite history here on Tuesday if they are to overturn a three-goal deficit against Real Madrid in their Champions League quarterfinal, second-leg clash. The odds are stacked against the Turkish champions with Madrid having advanced on all seven previous occasions in Europe after winning the opening leg 3-0. Added to the challenge in front of them is the fact that Real coach Jose Mourinho, who's seeking a third Champions League title with a third club, has never been eliminated at the quarterfinal stage in six attempts. Even so, Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim (above) has not given up hope. "It's very difficult, we're not playing against any old team," he said on Monday. "But we'll try everything. I've seen everything in football and I hope I'll see another one of those nights. "I'm convinced my players want to play, they're enthusiastic and they want to win." Terim is also without the suspended Yilmaz, who's tallied eight goals in Europe this term, as well as defender Nounkeu, whose absence will further weaken a defence that already has conceded 12 goals in the competition thus far.

Barcelona favourites despite injuries: Xavi

CHRIS MCKENNA Agence France-Presse MANCHESTER, UK: Sergio Aguero (right) came off the bench to grab Manchester City a 2-1 win against rivals United at Old Trafford and close the gap at the top of the Premier League to 12 points. James Milner had put the visitors ahead with a deflected effort straight after half-time before Vincent Kompany's own goal levelled it up for the home side. However, Aguero replaced Samir Nasri before firing in at the near post with 11 minutes remaining to claim the three points and move City closer to leaders United. When these sides met almost twelve months ago at the Etihad Stadium, United were on the slide and City's win catapulted them into the lead in the title race that ended in dramatic fashion on the last day. This season's race seems rather more mundane with United coming into this Old Trafford clash with a 15-point lead and very close to claiming their 20th English league title, but this result may just spark some nerves in Alex Ferguson's camp.

Derby victory buoys Mancini for next season Roberto Mancini insists he knows Manchester City can win the title next season after the Blues beat rivals United 2-1 at Old Trafford. The victory, thanks to

goals from James Milner and substitute Sergio Aguero either side of a Vincent Kompany own goal, moves the defending champions to within 12 points of runaway

leaders United with seven games to go. Mancini remains defiant the title race is over for this year but is confident his side can regain the crown next time around.

He said: "This win is not important [for next season] but we know that we can win the title next year. "This year we know we made some mistakes. We can do nothing.”

FOOTBALL BRIEFS Lazio let slip win in Rome derby

FA probe shows no Ferdinand racist abuse

'Pensioner' remark spurs Malaga out to down Juve for Bayern clash Dortmund for coach

MILAN: Brazilian midfielder Hernanes went from hero to villain as 10-man Lazio let slip a potential win in a thrilling derby against Roma that was marred beforehand by clashes between fans and police. The 'Derby della Capitale' was much anticipated but the tension got too much for some prior to the encounter at the Olympic Stadium.

LONDON: The Football Association on Monday confirmed they have been unable to find evidence that England fans chanted racist abuse about Rio and Anton Ferdinand during the recent World Cup qualifier against San Marino. Anti-racism group FARE had reported England to FIFA over the alleged singing of an abusive song.

MILAN: A throwaway jibe against goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is spurring Juventus as they bid to make club history by overcoming a 2-0 first leg deficit to Bayern Munich in their Champions League quarterfinal. Juventus qualified for the last eight of Europe's premier club competition last month for the first time since 2006.

DORTMUND, GERMANY:

Malaga defender Martin Demichelis says the Spaniards want to win at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday to reach the Champions League semifinals for their grieving coach Manuel Pellegrini. The 59-year-old flew from Spain to Chile on Saturday straight after the 4-2 Spanish league defeat.

MADRID: Xavi Hernandez (above) believes that Barcelona were still favourites in their Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain despite a number of key injuries in defence and the possibility that Lionel Messi could also miss the second-leg. The first leg ended 2-2 in Paris last Tuesday thanks to Blaise Matuidi's last minute strike for the hosts but the biggest blow for Barca was the injuries suffered by Messi and Javier Mascherano. Four-time world player of the year Messi still has a chance of returning for Wednesday's clash at the Camp Nou but Mascherano's knee injury will see him miss the majority of what remains of the season. But Xavi said that two away goals and home advantage should still be enough to see Barca into their sixth consecutive Champions League semi-final. "We have 90 minutes left at home and we will play in front of our fans, who showed the top level of devotion in the game against Milan," he was quoted as saying in an interview on uefa.com published on Monday. "The shame has been the injuries, Mascherano's just as much as Leo's,” he added.

We have 90 minutes left at home and we will play in front of our fans, who showed the top level of devotion in the game against Milan. The shame has been the injuries. Xavi Hernandez Barcelona midfielder


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