Postnoon E-Paper for May 10th 2013

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013 HYDERABAD

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FUNCTION HALLS IN CITY...ONLY P9

WEATHER: A MIX OF CLOUDY AND CLEAR SKIES; 38°C

14

32 PAGES

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ARE LEGAL!

Only 14 out of 626 functions halls in the City are licensed! These ‘illegal’ venues add to the City’s traffic and parking woes and nobody questions them.

HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER

That is Rahul’s scathing indictment of AP’s Congress leaders. He is said to have told party MPs from Andhra to follow Karnataka style and not to entertain illusions of grandeur about themselves.

‘BE MORE LIKE KARNATAKA’ REPORT ON P3

All aboard the USS Enterprise Space, the final frontier.

With Star Trek: Into Darkness releasing today, we go boldly where no man has gone before... into the Star Trek universe.

P16&17

Lake issue dries up in GHMC

Let us not complain about scorching summer and groundwater level depleting. We deserve it as the civic authorities and government have failed to prevent the rape of water bodies like lakes, say some officials who are not part of the land grab brigade.

The demolition of encroachments in Mysamma Cheruvu Lake brings into focus the relentless assault on lakes and their surroundings.

P6

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FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

city events

EXPERT TALK

Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad and Birdwatchers Society of Andhra Pradesh present expert talk by Pankaj Sekhsaria on the post December 2004 ecological scenario in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands at Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad on May 16, 6 pm.

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

Overnight

37°C

28°C

Clear with cloudy periods.

Clear with cloudy periods.

Morning

Afternoon

35°C

43°C

Sunny with cloudy periods.

Sunny with cloudy periods.

New Delhi Mumbai Max 40 Max 33 Min 30 Min 27 Partly cloudy

Chennai Max 38 Min 31

Clear

Mostly cloudy

Bangalore Max 34 Min 23

Cloudy with chances of thunderstorms.

AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES WORKSHOPS

The Signature Paintings and poetry by artist Samiran Dhar are on display.

Where: ICONART Gallery, Banjara Hills When: Till May 11

MISCELLANEOUS Music to serve a cause Karuna, musical concert dedicated to kids with HIV. Concert will feature singer Usha Uthup and others.

Where: HITEX, Madhapur When: May 17, 5.30 pm

PUTTING LIVES IN DANGER: Women and children illegally cross the tracks while the stop-signal is on at Uppuguda M ANIL KUMAR Railway Station on Thursday.

Junior masterchef Junior Gourmet is on.

Where: The Park Hyderabad When: Till May 17, 10 am

Where: Our Sacred Space, Secunderabad When: May 10 to May 12, From 5 pm

Play pursuits Children’s theatre workshop by Samahaara.

Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills When: Till June 1, 5 pm to 7 pm Spirit of Summer A contemporary jazz workshop is on.

Where: Rang Manch, Himayathnagar When: Till June 1, 8 am to 9 am

Potters all A pottery workshop will be held.

Where: Saptaparni (After School Activities), Banjara Hills When: Till May 11, 9 am to 11 am and 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm

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

Listening post Western classical Beatles and Jazz will be conducted.

Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills When: May 12, 4 pm to 5.30 pm

Personality development Soft skills for children will be taught.

Where: Prashanthi Counselling & HRD Center, Secretariat Road When: Till May 9, 10.30 am to 3.30 pm

Movie matter French movie L’Arbre will be screened.

Where: Alliance Francaise, Banjara Hills When: May 10, 6.30 pm Behind the scene A script-writing workshop by Sheel

Commissioner & Spl Officer

Helpline

Where: Prasads Lab Preview Theatre, Banjara Hils When: May 12, 11 am.

SCREENINGS

Art lovers An art and craft workshop by Meena will be organised.

Where: Saptaparni, Banjara Hills When: Till May 10, From 10.30 am Magic of dance Kuchipudi dance workshop by Veena Ganesh will be conducted.

will be held.

Where: Saptaparni, Banjara Hills When: May 13 to May 17, 10.30 am to 12.30 pm

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

It’s showtime Movie Char Adhyay will be screened.

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

ART

Fans galore Sunrisers fans meet-up will be held.

Where: Rush Sports Cafe & Bar, Madhapur When: May 13, 8 pm

Group show Works of four artists Jaya Prakash K srinivas Murali and Shanti are on display.

Where: Di Bella Coffee, Jubilee Hills When: On May 18

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

A musical voyage Raahie, a musical show will be staged.

Where: Hard Rock Cafe, GVK 1, Banjara Hills When: May 16, 9 pm

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

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

news

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

WILL SC’S STRICTURE AGAINST CBI LEADS TO UPA’S FALL?

YES (A) NO (B)

53% 47%

TODAY’S QUESTION

WILL SACKING OF MINISTERS REMOVE STAIN ON UPA GOVT? A)

YES

B)

NO

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

POLITICS

CRIME

Rahul’s bomb blasts AP leaders He is said to have told party MPs from Andhra to follow Karnataka style and not to entertain illusions of grandeur about themselves.

Sexual assault on minors, 2 youth held MOHD SUBHAN

mohd.s@postnoon.com

MD INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: The Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has reportedly sought and garnered support from MPs and party leaders from Andhra Pradesh for his stance that the PCC president and Congress

Legislature Party leader will not have a natural claim on chief ministership. Rahul said this strategy of not declaring chief ministerial candidate in advance worked well for Karnataka and it should be proved for other states too.

Sources close to the MPs who participated in the meeting said Rahul’s stance has stunned the PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana and Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. The two are the worst hit if the party goes by Rahul’s theory.

Union Minister MM Pallam Raju and Senior MP Kavuri Sambasiva Rao supported the idea and others followed suit.

The meeting came to conclusion that if a particular leader is not projected, all will work united and help party win the elec-

tions. In short, the party does not want individual heroes who project a larger than life image and grows above the party like the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

This means that Botsa and Kiran have to work with others in complete tandem and should not hope to lead the next government if the party is voted to AROUND THE

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power in AP. Rahul has dropped another bomb that swept the leaders off their feet. He said he had detailed reports of all winnable candidates from the State and that they should not be under the illusion that they will automatically get tickets. Now, the

TRANSPORT

Amid tension, Chinese tunnel Delhi metro line NEW DELHI: Amid the media brouhaha in India over the border incursions by their troops, Chinese engineers were last week calmly tunnelling in the heart of the national capital for the heritage line of the Delhi Metro network, signifying the growing commercial linkages between the two neighbours.

Engineers of the Shanghai Urban Construction Group (SUCG) lowered a

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massive 300-tonne Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) into a crater that was once a park in the shadows of the city's main mosque - the 17th century Jama Masjid in Old Delhi.

A station will be built here as part of the Delhi Metro's 9.37 km Central Secretariat- Kashmiri Gate

corridor, also called the heritage line because of its proximity to many monuments.

"Tunnelling this section is quite a difficult and sensitive job because of so many historic monuments here. The task is complicated by the rocky and sandy nature of the soil in this section," Lu Yuanqiang, chairman, SUCG Infrastructure India, told IANS on location.

SUCG has formed a joint venture (JV) with Indian conglomerate L&T that has been awarded different projects by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). With another Indian company, it has already constructed the New Delhi Elevated Subway (viaduct) for the second phase of DMRC's project.

"The work has to be meticulous as it's coming up under an operational corridor," said Shen Chenming, the project director.

IANS

question in every MP’s mind is what of his or her political career? According to Rahul only those leaders who can win the elections for the party would be given tickets," said MP Ponnam Prabhakar.

T-MPS TARGET CM

On the other hand, the Telangana Congress MPs include seniors V Hanumantha Rao, G Vivek and MA Khan targeted CM Kiran and lodged a complaint with Rahul over the unilateral decisions taken by him. The MPs reportedly highlighted the CM's recent statement over Bayyaram mining issue and told Rahul that the said statement of Kiran is causing harm to the party in Telangana region and oozing political mileage to TRS.

HYDERABAD: Another breach of promise and a pregnancy has been reported. A 20-year-old youth, Shiva, is now in custody for impregnating a minor girl on promise of marrying her.

Asifnagar police said Shiva had AROUND THE

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fallen in love with the girl who is from Bojjagutta. They had developed intimate relationship with the result that she got pregnant.

However, the man developed cold feet and denounced her. In another incident, a rape complaint was lodged with Banjara Hills police against one Naresh, 30, of Hayatnagar. A girl, 9, is alleged to have been raped by him.

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News FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013 LAST YEAR... HERE Distant dream

STACKS OF BODIES FOUND

Toll crosses 1,000 in Bangla

L

ast year we had reported how the plan for a fully computerised smart Secretariat had hit some hurdles. The reason? Well, it seemed that the dream had been torpedoed from within as files suited functionaries better than computers when it came to unlawful activities. Mysterious disappearances of files, putting proxy attendance are so much easier on paper.

MAY 10, 2012

NUMEROLOGY

`50

is the price of French beans at the Rythu Bazaar. The combined effect of acute summer, lack of water, and irregular power supplies has hit vegetable production in the State.

It is less of superstition and more of a conspiracy, to grab the property of the woman or to take revenge for unfulfilled sexual intent in the case of younger women.

SHAFIQ ALAM feedback@postnoon.com DHAKA: The death toll from last month’s collapse of a garment factory complex in Bangladesh rose past 1,000 Friday as piles of bodies were found in the ruins of a stairwell where victims had sought shelter.

Brigadier General Siddiqul

Alam Sikder, the army officer overseeing the operation on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka, told AFP that the death toll now stands at 1,035 after dozens more remains were discovered overnight.

Alam said that many of the bodies were now little more than skeletons, 17 days on from the implosion of the Rana Plaza compound.

And the stench from under the rubble suggested that many more bodies are still to be located, he said.

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“We have found a huge number of bodies in the stairwell and under the staircases.

When the building started to collapse, workers thought they would be safe under the staircases,” he said. “Each time we moved a slab of concrete, we found a stack of bodies.”

Efforts to identify the victims are being hampered by the decomposition, although some were found with phones or ID cards on them.

AFP See page 10 for related report.

EXAM TIME

Frisking at Eamcet venues There was tight security at all Eamcet centres this morning to prevent any malpractices as 3.9 lakh students across the State took the test.

N SHIVA KUMAR

Shravani, social activist See page 9

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

As students wrote the Eamcet exam, anxious parents waited outside the venues till the exam was over.

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ALEENA ALICE aleena.t@postnoon.com

Getting married? Check the function hall’s credentials.

It turns out that all save 14 out of 626 functions halls in the City are unlicensed. They also are a major traffic hassle, and the GHMC has issued notices to 443 function halls for parking space violations.

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Several lakes under encroachment The encroachments around Mysamma Cheruvu have finally been demolished thanks to the mayor’s intervention. However, the GHMC continues to turn a blind eye to the fate of other lakes.

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Payouts won’t wipe away the pain.

The workers left injured and jobless after the Bangladesh factory collapse are furious about the negligible compensation they have received from the industry.

4

Make the men stay home as women enjoy the night.

Minister Renuka Choudhary has the right idea with this suggestion.

5

Chinese filmmaker in trouble for having seven children.

Zhang Yimou’s family contradicts China’s one-child policy.

HYDERABAD: The much awaited Eamcet exam 2013 began smoothly amidst tight security. To avoid any confusion and last minute panic, most students were present at their respective centres one hour early.

A total of 735 centres were alloted across the State this year.

Nearly 3.9 lakh students will be

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appearing for the exam this year. For the engineering exam that began at 10am today, 2,90155 students appeared.

The Eamcet officials have taken the support of the State police department and tight security was ensured so that no

and submit it in the exam hall.

“We had written to APTransco and requested them not to cut the power during the examination in the morning and afternoon. We also alerted the fire and ambulance department in case of any untoward situation,” said Eamcet convenor Ramana Rao. Anxious parents did not leave the venue till the exam was completed.

malpractice could take place in any of the centres. To make sure the incident which took place two years ago where candidates attempted to cheat using Bluetooth devices was not repeated, in most centres jammers were installed.

Students were frisked before being allowed in. To prevent impersonation, candidates were made to affix a colour photograph on the application form

NEWS BRIEFS Get pet licences without Chainsnatcher caught fail, says GHMC by students

Naidu heads to Delhi for all-party meet on EVMs

Eamcet causes traffic jams in City

T

T

T

he GHMC has asked all owners of pet dogs to obtains pet licences without fail. The licence fee costs `50 for usual canines and `1,000 for breeder dogs. The validity of the licence is for one year and can be obtained at government veterinary hospitals, Blue Cross, private vet hospitals or GHMC's Citizen Services Centres at Abids and Khairatabad.

A

chainsnatcher was chased down and caught by students in an RTC bus. Identified as Suresh Singh, he was allegedly trying to flee after snatching a gold chain from a constable who was in the bus. He raised the alarm and students travelling in the bus gave chase, subdued the man and handed him over to the Kanchanbagh police.

elugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu left for New Delhi this morning to attend an allparty meeting convened by Election Commission. The meeting is being held to take the opinions of all political parties on the reported defects in the usage of Electronic Voting Machines for voting. Naidu had raised reservations on EVMs.

he City witnessed massive traffic jams this morning due to conduct of Eamcet exam. Many important City roads witnessed a sudden rush of candidates appearing for the exam. Traffic came to a standstill between Malakpet and LB Nagar junction and Lalapet and Tarnaka junctions. Traffic cops took pains in regulating the traffic at junctions.

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News FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

ONE-CHILD POLICY

It’s unlucky number 7 for Chinese filmmaker Famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou has at least seven children and faces a 160 million yuan fine.

BEIJING: One of China’s most famous movie directors is facing a $26 million fine for having seven children in violation of China’s strict family planning laws, media reports said Thursday.

Zhang Yimou, the maker of Raise the Red Lantern and Red Sorghum, is being investigated by family planning officials in the eastern city of Wuxi, the website of the People’s Daily newspaper reported.

He has “at least seven children and faces a 160 million yuan fine,” the website of the Communist Party mouthpiece said.

Penalties for breaching the policy are

11 SKELETONS Cop arrested for human sacrifice

RANCHI: A senior constable was arrested in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district on charges of trying to sacrifice two girls, police said Friday.

According to police, Munnilal, a senior constable, was arrested and two girls were recovered from his house on Thursday. The parents of the girls said the man intended to sacrifice the girls, and had tied their hands and legs and performed tantrik rituals over them.

Police sources said 11 skeletons were recovered from the house of Munnilal, who was arrested and interrogated.

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The two girls, Seema, 7, and Choti, 4, are the daughters of one Umesh Yadav. They were playing outside their house Thursday evening, when Munnilal allegedly took them to his house by offering them chocolates.

When girls did not return home till late evening, their family started searching for them, and found them in Munnilal's house.

The family of the girls said Munnilal was getting the children ready for sacrifice to goddess Kali.

IANS

calculated according to a violator’s income and the number of children involved.

Many of Zhang’s early films were

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banned in China but he has since become close to authorities and was picked to direct the opening ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The state-run Global Times newspa-

per quoted “online posts” as saying he had “relationships with several women”, but it was unclear in the People’s Daily report where the children were born.

China has implemented a strict onechild policy for many urban residents for over 30 years, although there have been recent suggestions that the policy may be loosened.

Zhang directed some of China’s most successful modern martial arts films, including Hero and House of Flying Daggers. His most recent work, 2011’s The Flowers of War, starred Christian Bale. APF

COMBATING SEXUAL VIOLENCE

Red rebels take on predators Fed up with deeply ingrained patriarchal mindsets, Red Brigade promotes a brand of vigilante justice in their home state of Uttar Pradesh.

SANJAY KANOJIA / AFP

ABHAYA SRIVASTAVA feedback@postnoon.com LUCKNOW: India’s “Red Brigade” is a group of angry young women with a simple message for the country’s sexual predators: Change your ways or be ready to face the consequences.

Dressed in bright red shirts and loose black pants, the brigade’s members are fed up with deeply ingrained patriarchal mindsets and promote a brand of vigilante justice in their home state of Uttar Pradesh.

Their leader is 25-year-old Usha Vishwakarma, who has become an unlikely heroine to poor young girls growing up in the bylanes of Madiyon.

Vishwakarma founded the group two years ago when she saw many of her friends being forced to give up their studies or stop going out.

“We were told to stay at home to avoid sex-starved men.

If we went to the police, we were asked to ignore the ‘teasing’ and carry on. We were fed up with this moral conditioning,” Vishwakarma said.

Initially comprising 15 members, the group has swelled to more than 100 since the fatal gang-rape of a 23-year-old student in New Delhi in December.

‘Can’t take revenge’

W

hile the Red Brigade has so far not faced any legal comeback over their actions, authorities take a dim view. “We do not encourage such vigilante groups. You can’t take revenge in this fashion,” R.K. Vishwakarma, inspector general (law and order) of Uttar Pradesh state told AFP. "As far as the spirit and confidence of the women is concerned, we appreciate that.

But their ways may land them in trouble some day."

“The attack in Delhi made us so angry. Many young women approached us saying they wanted to bring about a change so that no one else has to suffer like she did,” said Vishwakarma.

Reported crimes against Indian women stood at 2,28,650 in 2011, the latest figures available from the National Crime Records Bureau, but these are thought to represent only a fraction of actual offences.

Social stigma attached to sex-

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ual abuse often prevents victims from filing complaints to the police, who are largely perceived as corrupt and insensitive.

Surprisingly, the rough justice the Red Brigade metes out has been winning quiet approval from community elders, such as father-of-four Ram Avatar Singh, who said the group was “show-

GOLD `27,051 10g SILVER `44,875 1kg

24C

for

for

DOLLAR `54.46 POUND `84.11

ing the way” to other girls.

“When we first started out, everyone ridiculed us. Now they look at us with respect and fear,” said Vishwakarma.

Activist Kavita Krishnan of the Delhi-based All India Progressive Women’s Alliance calls such groups a “positive and collective assertion” of women's rights, but not everyone is a fan.

“If everyone starts taking law into their hands there will be total anarchy. We should not condone mob justice mentality,” warned Mriganka Dadwal, founder of SLAP, another women's rights group.

AFP

BSE NSE

20,006.55 67.51

6,069.05 18.90

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News FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

CIVIC

CRIME

Lake issue dries up in GHMC

Man arrested for raping minor daughters

After the exemplary initiative to demolish encroachments in Mysamma Cheruvu Lake the other day, the mayor seems to have slowed down. However, the broader subject of the assault on water bodies is brushed aside by all at the GHMC, which shows the pressure being exerted by land sharks.

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PANAJI: A 44-year-old man was arrested for allegedly molesting his minor daughter recently and raping his elder child some years back, police said.

The unemployed accused, living in Verna village near here, molested his 13-year-old daughter five days back, they said.

While she was being counselled by a local NGO yesterday, it also came to light that the accused had allegedly raped his elder daughter in 2008 when she was around 13-year-old.

Verna police arrested the accused yesterday and booked him under relevant sections of Goa Childrens' Act. The mother of the two girls has been working abroad, police added.

PTI

Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com HYDERBAD: Let us at least not complain about scorching summer and ground water level depleting. We deserve it as the Civic authorities and government failed to prevent the rape of water bodies like lakes, say some officials who are not part of the land grab brigade.

Even decades after, the GHMC and the State government departments failed to keep the lakes which are supposed to act as the groundwater protectors.

The demolition of encroachments in Mysamma Cheruvu Lake under the prodding of Mayor Mohd Majid Hussain the other day brings to focus the relentless assault against lakes and its surround-

TOURISM

Kashmiris pray for large influx of tourists SRINAGAR: As the temperatures rise in the plains so do the tourist arrivals in Kashmir, with people associated with the industry praying for another record season this summer.

Last year, over 1.4 million tourists visited the valley, an all-time record. In 2011, one million tourists came to the valley. These figures do not include 7,50,000 pilgrims who paid obeisance at the Amarnath Himalayan cave shrine in 2012 and 6,35,000 pil-

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grims who came in 2011.

Scores of vehicles daily ferry tourists to north Kashmir's Sonamarg and Gulmarg and south Kashmir Pahalgam tourist resorts besides those carrying them to the Manasbal Lake in Ganderbal district, the Mughal gardens in Srinagar district and other places.

Hotels on the fashionable Boulevard road along the Dal Lake here

are running with 60 per cent occupancy these days and so are the houseboats on the lake.

"This time our occupancy is 60 per cent," Muhammad Azim Tuman, president of the houseboat owners association, told IANS. "We are expecting more arrivals after the middle of this month when schools get their summer recess in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Hopefully, we have a good season ahead," he added.

Interestingly, Tuman had expressed apprehension while talking to IANS in the aftermath of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's hanging on February 9. He had then said this year's tourist season could be a washout in Kashmir.

"We see something different here. Kashmir is totally blessed with beauty by nature. It is an overwhelming experience," said 32-year-old Ravi, a tourist from Kerala.

IANS

ings by many for realty value.

Town Planning department now admits that many lakes are under heavy encroachment. The Full Tank Level (FTL) of Pedda Cheruvu, for instance, was about 60 acres and now it has been encroached all around. It is now less than 10 to 15 acres.

Land sharks have eaten the remaining up whose market value runs to billions. “We are regularly taking stock of the situation. Fencing is being made after identifying FTL”, says G V Raghu, chief city planner.

According to GHMC, FTL (Full Tank Level) of 63 lakes has been identified with the cooperation of other departments mainly irrigation and revenue, and fencing was made for 14 of these lakes. Some of the lakes like Pedda Cheruvu in Ramantapur is having problems

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from the residents who claim to have pattas in the catchment area. “If we go by their claim, the catchment would be about an acre, which is unfathomable as we have all documents of this lake existing spread over several acres”, says the official.

MAYOR LAUDED

Mayor who has shown keen interest in protecting the lakes in the last few weeks is silent over the issue and shifted his complete focus on other civic issues. “I sought Google maps from last seven years,” said Mayor. However, he seems under pressure as he skips questions on the subject.

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News FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

THE ROYAL BACHELOR

HEALTH

Harry the heartbreaker on US tour Squeals ricocheted down the halls as the 28-year-old inspected a photo exhibit.

ROBERT MACPHERSON feedback@postnoon.com WASHINGTON: Britain's Prince Harry broke hearts in Washington's corridors of power, showing more interest in landmines than in the excited fans who greeted him at the start of a week-long US visit. Squeals ricocheted down the halls of the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill

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as the 28-year-old eligible bachelor inspected a photo exhibit set up by the HALO Trust, a charity favoured by his late mother Princess Diana.

There were no public remarks, but Harry was overheard inquiring about the price of mine detectors when he cast an eye over mannequins in

cobalt blue outfits combing the polished marble floor for imaginary unexploded ordnance.

"He's very much tuned in to the landmine issue," said HALO chief executive Guy Willoughby.

Diana famously toured minefields cleared

by HALO teams in Angola shortly before her death in a Paris car crash in August 1997, a year after her stormy divorce from Prince Charles.

FOOD

Vegetable prices soar

Sudden spurt in vegetable prices in the retail market has given a jolt to the City populace but the government seems apathetic.

RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA rahul.r@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: The combined effect of an acute summer, lack of water, and irregular power supply has adversely hit vegetable production in the State.

The consequence has been skyrocketing prices of popular vegetables. District-wise, the horticulture department has recorded a fall in the crop area due to several factors. Officials from the Rythu Bazaars in the city and retail market representatives say that this situation might get worse, if the horticulture department does not take necessary steps.

According to officials from the Horticulture Department, many factors are involved in this situation.

Assistant Director of Horticulture Hyderabad Zone says, “Because of the lack of water supply and drying up of borewells or ground-water levels, vegetable production has come down consequently. In Ranga

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Reddy district alone the hectare area for vegetable crop cultivation has come down from 15,000 to 10,000 hectares.” While the Rythu Bazaar markets ensure lower prices than the retail stores, it is the population buying vegetables from push cart

services that are most affected.

KR Vijay Kumar, Estate Officer of Mehdipatnam explains the case of high priced beans, “These vegetables don’t grow locally and are mostly brought in from border districts of Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Also, the Rythu Bazaar price is wholly dependent on the wholesale market, which generally has a lot of flux during summer season because of power Vegetables French Beans Cucumber Colocasia (Chama) Field Beans Cluster Beans Potato Carrot Ribbed Gourd Green Chillies Tomatoes

and water crises.”

Customers however are at the receiving end of this situation. “The price of beans and tomatoes is ridiculously high. I am buying beans and tomatoes at `45 a kg, whereas it is cheaper by `15 in retail supermarkets.

These push-cart sellers are fleecing us and it is impossible to shop without spending `1000 for a two week supply,” says citizen Manikrishna Iyer.

Rythu Bazaar Prices (in `) 50 15 30 36 16 20 30 22 40 20

Local Market Prices (in `) 47 20 28 44 14 26 27 37 24 36

‘Omega-3 acids won’t help cardiac risk group’ WASHINGTON: Fish oil supplements rich in omega-3 fatty acids are not beneficial for patients at high risk of cardiovascular troubles and already being medicated, a study found Wednesday.

In the study, carried out in 2010 in Italy with 12,513 patients, half the group took an omega-3 supplement and the other half an olive oil placebo.

Previous clinical trials have suggested that these supplements could reduce cardiovascular risks for patients suffering from cardiovascular disease or who have already suffered cardiac arrest.

But a major study in 2010 found that the fish oil suppleAROUND THE

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ments did not help prevent atrial fibrillation, a common problem with the heartbeat's rate or rhythm.

The latest research found that just under 12 percent of patients in both groups -- 11.7 percent of the omega-3 group and 11.9 percent of the placebo group -- experienced a stroke.

"In a large general-practice cohort of patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors, daily treatment with n-3 fatty acids did not reduce cardiovascular mortality and morbidity," the study concluded.

The research was led by Mario Negri at the Societa Prodotti Antibiotici in Milan. AFP

NATION BRIEFS ‘No political interference Maha pharmacists join in varsity decisions’ all-India strike

Modi to address Indians in 18 US cities

Lifer for man accused of double murder

Medicine shops closed in Nagaland

NEW DELHI: There should be no political interference in the decisions of a university, says minister of state for human resource development (HRD) Shashi Tharoor after several MPs sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s intervention to stop the proposed four-year bachelors degree course in Delhi University.

WASHINGTON: Still a persona non grata in the US, Gujarat CM Narendra Modi is again set to talk to the Indian community in 18 cities in North America via satellite from Gandhinagar Sunday. He will be the keynote speaker at Gujarat Day celebrations, according to the organisers of the event, Indian/Gujarati Samuday of North America.

MUMBAI: Accepting the testimony of an eyewitness, the Bombay HC has upheld the life sentence imposed on a man in a double murder case. Hearing an appeal filed by Janardhan Mali, Justices PD Kode and VK Tahilramani upheld his life sentence, saying that evidence in the trial court corroborated with the version given by the eyewitness.

KOHIMA: All medicine shops remained closed in Nagaland in response to a 12-hour bandh call by the Nagaland Medicine Dealers Association (NMDA). The bandh was in support of the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists', protesting non-fulfilment of its demands by the Union ministry of health and family welfare.

MUMBAI: Over 50,000 retail and wholesale pharmacists and chemists in Maharashtra Friday joined the allIndia strike called by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists Associations (AIOCDA) in support of various demands, said Pharmaceutical Wholesalers and Retailers Association (PWRA) president Dilip A Mehta.

8

News FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Tiger pits activists against locals As wildlife activists sought release of the big cat in the wild describing its captivity as illegal, people living near the zoo launched a signature campaign against the move.

BHUBANESWAR: A wild male tiger, which strayed into the Nandankanan Zoo here, has put the Orissa government in a spot as locals demand that it should be kept in the zoo while wildlife activists are opposed to it.

As wildlife activists sought release of the big cat in the wild describing its captivity as illegal, people living near the zoo and adjoining areas launched a signature campaign against the release of the tiger, fearing it may cause harm. “We apprehend that the tiger will again return and create problem for human beings,” Balaram Lenka, a local resident, said.

The signature campaign has been launched by “Nandan Kanan Suraksha Parishad” headed by Bijoy Patra. An advocate, Patra filed a PIL in Orissa High Court against any move to release the tiger.

GOLAN PEACEKEEPERS

Philippines plans exit T

Lenka said though the sixyear-old healthy Royal Bengal Tiger had not attacked any human being or cow in the area, pugmarks were detected for three years creating panic among people.

“Fortunately, the tiger has been trapped due to its own

fault. Its release may create problem in future,” the residents of Baranga and Dadha villages said.

However, wildlife activists oppose any move to keep the tiger in captivity as it would violate the law of the land.

“We wish to lodge a strong

protest about attempts of the state government to retain the tiger in zoo to bolster its tiger gene pool for captive breeding,” said Biswajit Mohanty, a member of the National Board for Wildlife.

In a letter to the Additional PCCF & Member Secretary, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Mohanty said: “It is a blatant violation of wildlife laws as well as the SOP (standard operating procedure) issued by NTCA.” A perfectly healthy male tiger which has obviously strayed from Satkosia Tiger Reserve, the nearest known tiger habitat, is now doomed for life, he pointed out, adding that captivity of the tiger in zoo would amount to clear violation of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Mohanty said keeping the tiger in a cage would violate

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Section 38–I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Quoting the act, he said “...

No zoo shall acquire, sell or transfer any wild animal or captive animal specified in Schedule I and II except with the previous permission of the Authority.”

This apart, capturing a wild tiger and retaining it illegally without any attempt to release it amounts to “hunting” which is prohibited under section 9 of the WPA, 1972, wildlife activists pointed out.

This offence is punishable under Section 51 (1) of the WPA, 1972 by a jail term of minimum of 3 years and a maximum of 7 years as it relates to a Schedule I species, they said.

PTI

RING OF FIRE IN THE SKY SYDNEY: Sky-gazers were treated to an annular solar eclipse in remote areas of Australia on Friday, with the Moon crossing in front of the Sun to leave a “ring of fire” around its silhouette.

The eclipse, which occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun

he Philippines said Friday it may withdraw from a United Nations peacekeeping force in the Golan Heights because of security concerns, following the abduction of four Filipino troops.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said

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he had recommended to President Benigno Aquino to pull out the more than 300 troops from the area, and it was up to him to make the decision.

Syrian rebels seized four Filipino peacekeepers in Golan Heights on Tuesday, two months after 21 Filipino soldiers were abducted by the same group. AFP

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A woman (C) reacts while watching a partial solar eclipse with a child at the Sydney Observatory on May 10, 2013. Star-gazers were treated to an annular solar eclipse in remote areas of Australia with the Moon crossing AFP/SAEED KHAN in front of the Sun and blotting out much of its light.

but is too close to the Earth to completely cover the Sun, was seen in full across northern Australia, while Sydney saw a partial eclipse.

“It was perfect,” said Geoff Sims, who photographed the event from a remote spot in Western Australia.

“It was my first time I had seen an annular eclipse. I thought it was spectacular.”

WORLD BRIEFS Philippine Navy denies Taiwan shooting

N Korea in dangerous nuclear showdown: US

Israel ‘sabotaging’ peace efforts

Syria will ‘respond’ to any Israeli strike

Former archbishop denies abuse cover-up

MANILA: The Philippine Navy has denied allegations that its forces had shot dead a crewman of a Taiwan fishing vessel, saying none of its ships were in the area at the time of the incident. “The Philippine Navy denies any involvement in an incident where a Taiwanese fisherman was reportedly shot,” the statement said.

NEW YORK: North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is playing a dangerous game in his nuclear showdown with the international community, a US envoy said. Glyn Davies said ahead of a tour of South Korea, China and Japan that it was becoming clear that the young Kim is the master dictating policy, including sanctions-busting nuclear bomb.

JERUSALEM: The chief Palestinian negotiator has accused Israel of trying to “sabotage” US moves to rekindle peace talks by signing off on plans for nearly 300 new settler homes near Ramallah.

The Israeli announcement came days after PM Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a freeze on tenders for new West Bank settler homes.

DAMASCUS: Syria has threatened an immediate response to any new Israeli strike, as its militant ally Hezbollah said Damascus would provide “game-changing” weapons despite two reported attacks on military sites. Damascus also welcomed a US-Russian initiative to find a political solution to end the twoyear-old civil war.

LONDON: A former Church of England Archbishop has denied claims that he covered up allegations of child abuse against a senior clergyman. David Hope, who served as Archbishop of York between 1995 and 2005, said he “strongly resisted” accusations that he withheld from police claims made by choirboys against Robert Waddington.

9

News FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013 RESEARCH

Anti-spider venom jab in the pipeline LONDON: A jab that protects against poisonous spider venom may become a reality one day, early research suggests.

Brazilian scientists created a synthetic protein that protected rabbits from the effects of spider poison in experiments, reported the BBC. A new generation of antivenom vaccines could save thousands of lives a year, researchers report in Vaccine journal.

The spider tested, belonging

CIVIC

City’s ‘mal’function halls

Only 14 out of 626 functions halls in the City are licensed! These ‘illegal’ venues add to the city’s traffic and parking woes and nobody questions them.

We shall be taking strict action against the function halls that are causing traffic problems.

GV Raghu Chief City Planner

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to the genus Loxosceles, injures almost 7,000 people a year in Brazil alone.

Members of this group of spiders, which are found worldwide, include the reaper or brown spider. Their bite causes open sores and can lead to more serious effects such as internal bleeding and kidney failure.

In experiments, researchers used part of the spider toxin to create a synthetic protein designed to raise antibodies against the venom.

AGENCIES

Police struggle to manage traffic in front of a prominent function hall in Lower Tankbund. The flow of traffic is repeatedly obstructed by vehicles slowing to enter the premises and those coming out.

SRINIVAS SETTY

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104

Function halls, which have followed GHMC norms, will be given operating licence if they pay 33 per cent extra fee.

Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: In a glaring instance of the wayward working style of the Town Planning department, it is learnt that only 14 function halls within the GHMC limits have permission to operate and all the others, numbering 612, are unlicensed and therefore unauthorised.

The GHMC has issued notices to 443 function halls in its limits for parking space violations.

“We shall be taking strict action against the function halls that are causing traffic problems”, said Chief City Planner, GV Raghu.

According to the CCP, 104 function halls are in according with the GHMC set norms. If they come forward for permission, the Corporation will give

them permission to operate according to 45 (A) of HMC Act, where 33 per cent extra fees have to be paid by the applicant for permission. But the parking issue remains to be tackled.

With most of these function halls being owned by politicians and other ‘well-connected’ men no one has bothered to raise this issue until now. In the recentlyheld Assembly session one of the MLAs raised this question.

It is believed that for all these years, the management of these function halls kept officials in their good books and operated without permission.

Most of the function halls do not even have trade licenses.

BACK TO THE DARK AGES

Real reasons behind witch hunts: Beauty, wealth Victims in most cases were young, good looking widows or single women who owned huge property.

NIRUPAM SINGH feedback@postnoon.com KOLKATA: Women lynched, sexually exploited and forcibly evicted from their homes after being branded witches. Witchhunting is not about a stray report tucked away in a corner of the newspaper but an increasingly worrying pan-India trend that specifically targets women in a patriarchal society, say experts.

With reports of witch-hunting coming in from villages and even towns across the country, sociologists, women activists and others believe that it but another form of gender-based violence. And women who stand out from the crowd, either because they have property, are good looking or independent are specifically targeted.

There have been increased instances of single women/widows being branded witches and murdered when they refused sexual overtures of someone domi-

nant in the village or in the family.

In some cases, relatives branded them witches to grab their property. NGOs working in rural areas have found "beauty and wealth" to be the prime reasons behind witch-hunts.

"It is less of superstition and more of a conspiracy, either to grab the property of the woman or to take revenge for unfulfilled sexual intent in the case of younger women," social activist Shravani told IANS. Shravani has been working with rural women in what is now Jharkhand for the

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past 20 years. She said victims in most cases were young, good looking widows or single women/widows who had huge property in their names and were childless. "Saloni Khujoor of Mandar village, an educated single woman, was branded a witch and killed because society could not tolerate a woman being the heir of her father's property and

people don't want to see women being self-dependent," said Shravani.

Several NGOs in Jharkhand said that most cases go unnoticed and unreported as they are hushed up. Renowned Wiccan priestess Ipshita Roy Chakraverti blamed "vested interests like property, personal interest in the woman" as the reasons for women being branded witches. "More than 800 women have been killed after they were denounced as witches across the country since 2008. This is the official figure. The actual number may be higher," Chakraverti told IANS. In a patriarchal society, an independent single woman is a threat, warranting immediate elimination. Keeriti Roy, a social worker from West Bengal, said almost all the cases of witch killings in the State had a close connection to property or other vested interests — and that rejection in love was also a reason.

IANS

The numbers

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ccording to the National Crime Records Bureau, 243 women have been killed after being denounced as witches across India in 2011, with Karnataka registering the maximum with 77 cases, followed by Odisha with 41 and Jharkhand with 36. Many other states are also in the list.

G Vijayan of The Atheist Centre in Andhra Pradesh said settling old scores was a primary reason for witch-hunting besides land grabbing.

Often, there is official neglect. "In some parts of the Telangana region, when a woman is killed after being branded a witch, a case is not even registered," he said.

10

News FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

OHIO KIDNAPPINGS

Lawyers mull death for Castro!

The kidnapper-rapist of three Ohio women could be facing the death penalty.

MIRA OBERMAN feedback@postnoon.com CLEVELAND: A US prosecutor said Thursday he would seek to press charges that carry the death penalty against a man accused of kidnapping three Ohio women, raping them and forcibly ending their pregnancies.

Ariel Castro, a 52-year-old unemployed bus driver, has already been charged with kidnapping and raping the women over the course of a decade in his home in Cleveland. He was ordered held on an $8 million bond on Thursday.

But Cuyahoga County pros-

ecutor Timothy McGinty said investigators would also go back over the many torments Castro allegedly inflicted on the women during their long ordeal, with the aim of bringing even more serious charges.

“I fully intend to seek charges for each and every act of sexual violence, rape, each day of kidnapping, every felonious assault, all his attempted murders and each act of aggravated murder he committed by terminating pregnancies” for which he himself was responsible, McGinty said.

Castro is alleged to have beaten at least one of the women to terminate pregnan-

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cies that began while they were locked in his home, which McGinty called “a torture chamber and private prison.”

McGinty warned that Ohio imposes the death penalty in cases of aggravated murder in the course of a kidnapping and said his office was “in a formal process in which we evaluate to seek charges eligible for the death penalty.”

Castro was arrested on Monday after 27-year-old Amanda Berry managed to call out to a neighbor who kicked in the door to the suspect’s home and rescued her and the sixyear-old daughter she bore during her captivity.

Police arrived on the scene and entered the house, finding two more women, 23-year-old Gina DeJesus and 32-year-old Michelle Knight. All three had been snatched in separate incidents around a decade earlier.

On Thursday, Castro was presented to the Cleveland municipal court on charges of kidnapping and raping the three women, as well as kidnapping the child.

The judge set the bond terms — $2 million in each of the four cases — and instructed that Castro was to have no contact with any of his alleged victims.

AFP

BUILDING COLLAPSE

Payouts won’t wipe away the pain

The situation in Bangladesh may be summed in the words of a Union leader there: “No one is happy. They are not being paid for their overtime and most are getting less than half the amount they are due.”

SHAFIQ ALAM Agence France-Presse SAVAR, BANGLADESH: Shahnaj Begum struggles to suppress her rage as she thumbs through banknotes given in compensation after she was left injured and jobless from the collapse of her nine-story workplace.

A single mother of two, she was one of around 3,000 mainly female workers on shift at Rana Plaza, on the outskirts of Dhaka, when the building suddenly caved in at around 9:00am on April 24.

Since then she has been unable to walk properly and suffered a relentless headache as well as losing her job. For her trouble she received 8,500 taka ($107) as a lump sum pay-off from the Bangladeshi garment industry’s umbrella body.

“In April, I worked 150 hours’ overtime and yet they haven’t given me a single taka for that,” she told AFP after picking up her compensation from a makeshift set-up next to the ruins of the Rana Plaza compound.

“I am still injured. I still feel the pain from being hit on the head and the left side of my body is virtually paralysed,” the 30-year-old said, leaning on her father for support as she limped around the tangle of concrete.

By Thursday the death toll

PAIN AND LOSS: The father (front L) and aunt (R) of Bangladeshi garment worker Shahina Akter react after her mortal remains were returned to the family following her unsuccessful rescue from the eight-storey building that collapsed in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka.

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had passed 900, a figure that is expected to rise as recovery workers and bulldozers churn through the rubble.

Fresh disaster hit the textile industry on Thursday when fire swept through a factory in Dhaka, killing at least eight people.

The typical Bangladeshi garment worker takes home less than $40 a month, a wage that

Pope Francis has condemned as akin to slave labour.

But with the five factories that once operated in the Rana Plaza complex having turned to dust, its army of seamstresses will find it even harder to make ends meet once the compensation money has run out.

The exact level of compensation varies from worker to worker and is partly dependent on the years of employment.

Union leader Mohammad Ibrahim said the compensation being paid out was both “unjust and low”, failing to take into

account the fact that many of the survivors worked way beyond the normal 48-hour week.

“No one is happy. They are not being paid for their overtime and most are getting less than half the amount they are due,” he told AFP from the scene.

Shefali Akter, 25, who lost two sisters in the disaster, said she had refused the compensation money offered as it would not even cover the monthly cost of the medicine she now has to take to relieve her splitting headaches.

“The authorities want to pay me just 6,000 taka,” she said.

“They are not taking into account the three years’ work that I did in another factory in the same building,” she said while showing an X-ray of her bruised skull to an AFP correspondent.

“After spending the money on my medicine, I don’t have enough money to feed myself and my family properly,” said the married mother of two.

There are around 4,500 garment factories in Bangladesh, churning out products for Western fashion labels which then sell the clothing at many times the cost price.

Spain’s Mango, Britain’s Primark and the Italian chain Benetton are among the firms to have confirmed that they had clothing made at Rana Plaza in recent months.

Shefali Akter, 25, who lost two sisters when the building they worked in collapsed killing hundreds, refused to accept her salary in protest saying it was not enough to cover even basic medical bills.

‘Slave labour’ n The typical Bangladeshi garment worker takes home less than $40 a month, a wage that Pope Francis has condemned as akin to slave labour. n There are around 4,500 garment factories in Bangladesh, churning out products for Western fashion labels which then sell the clothing at many times the cost price.

Among these are Spain’s Mango, Britain’s Primark and the Italian chain Benetton.

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News FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

REPORTERS’ DIARY

Renuka’s remedy worth a try he inimitable Renuka Chowdhary has done a world of good for the pub business when she batted for women, as she always does for matters on gender parity. Reacting to the reported directive of excise officials to turn women out of pubs after 10pm, she suggested that for a change men went home and women come out for a drink.

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the traffic department. Why so?

This scribe asked a senior police official. “Women cops are high maintenance," was his answer, "the two main problems we have in recruiting women cops in the traffic department is their drop back after working late hours, and their inability to work beyond duty hours. But for male traffic police that is not the case. So it is more cost-effective to recruit men in the traffic department.”

AA

According to a corporator, they get only one per cent of the works allotted while officials get as much as 10 per cent.

And the taxpaying citizens get the crumbs!

SMART ALECS, OFFICIALS NETAS DEFY LAW

Only in India. Lawmakers and lawkeepers think they are above the law. Respecting law and order is for the aam aadmi, is their belief. Look at the scene where political leaders and legislators flout the plastic ban by carrying massive plastic carry bags of gifts to Samatha (CMO) to

Now, her argument has got further teeth in the light of the revelation (Postnoon, May 9) by traffic police officers that no woman has been caught drunk driving since January this year.

Even earlier, women getting caught amounted to less than five per cent. This is an eye-opener. Either women are smart not to get caught by the law or they, unlike men who drink like fish, are cautious drinkers who know their limits.

Whichever way one looks at it, it seems as if roads are safer if more women are out at night. Well, for a change, as Renuka suggested, why not seriously think of letting women out at night and discourage men from roaming around?

Safety is after all the ultimate aim of policing, is it not?

PK

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hand over to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to celebrate the party capturing Karnataka. If they do not respect the law, how do they expect ordinary people to follow it? Political leaders must be put in their place if this country is to progress.

SS

WOMEN COPS ARE EXPENSIVE?

There are just 10 women traffic constables in a City of 80 lakh and the police department sees no reason to get more women cops for

There is a growing perception among corporators that officials are taking them for a ride on public works. The issue of ‘budget variation’ has strengthened their view. “It is them [officials] who are enjoying the fruits of the corporation. What we get is crumbs,” bemoaned a corporator. According to him, corporators get only one per cent of the works allotted while officials get as much as 10 per cent. And the taxpaying citizens get the crumbs!

MN

PONNALA KEEPS HIS COOL

While many of the Cabinet ministers facing a CBI inquiry are getting the heebie-jeebies, IT minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah appears unperturbed. He used an opportunity for a foreign jaunt and came back revitalised. He goes about with his work and visits his office regularly. His calm poise surprises many. But few dare to ask him for the secrets of his equanimity.

IA Contributed by Aleena Alice, Srinivas Setty, Md Nizamuddin, Inkeshaf Ahmed & PK Surendran

BUSINESS

2.5% jump in industrial output 10 of the 22 industry groups have shown positive growth during March.

NEW DELHI: Showing signs of recovery, the industrial growth has bounced back to 2.5 per cent in March on better performance of manufacturing and power sectors coupled with higher output of capital goods.

Industrial production had seen a contraction of 2.8 per cent in March last year.

However, the factory output measured in term of index of industrial production (IIP) grew by just one per cent in 2012-13 compared to a growth of 2.9 per cent in the previous fiscal, according to official data released here today.

Meanwhile, the growth in the industrial output for February has

been slightly revised downwards to 0.46 per cent from the provisional estimates of 0.6 per cent released last month.

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as against a decline in output by 3.6 per cent in the same month of 2012.

However in 2012-13, the growth in output of the key sector remained low at 1.2 per cent as against 3 per cent in 2011-12.

Power generation grew by 3.5

per cent in March this year compared to a growth of 2.7 per cent in same month last year.

During 2012-13, electricity generation had gone up by four per cent against 8.2 per cent in 2011-12.

The capital goods output saw a growth of 6.9 per cent in March this year compared to a decline in production by 20.1 per cent in the same month of 2012.

During the entire last fiscal, the capital goods production declined by 6.3 per cent compared to a contraction of four per cent in 2011-12.

Overall, 10 of the 22 industry groups in manufacturing sector have shown positive growth during March.

PTI

PICK YOUR

@

Across Stores

ities Twin C

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News FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

THE SCREENING ROOM WITH HEMANTH KUMAR

YOU’RE THE WRITER The story so far: Gautham and Rashmi spot smoke rising from a hillock and Gautham believes that it could be an alien spaceship. The two began walking towards...

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FIGHTING a lost cause

Scene V

ashmi cannot believe what she just heard.

She thinks Gautham has gone crazy but she has no other option but to trust what he has to say about the alien spaceship.

Rashmi: Ok, you've completely lost your mind.

Spaceship? Like a ship from space?

Gautham: Yes! come quickly.

He drags her by her hand and starts to run forward and up the hillock. Rashmi half runs, half resists, still yelling at Gautham to make sense.

Gautham has an intense look on his face and doesn’t seem to be in a mood to listen to her.

Suddenly, a bright flash of light blinds them both and they shield their eyes. In that shock, Rashmi trips and falls flat in the slush. Gautham tries to help, but instead also falls, losing his balance.

Rashmi tries to sit up and looks around her and sees thick smoke going up along with sparks. She is now really scared and tries to get up. Gautham is lying flat on the ground and staring into space, with a vacant look. She goes to him and tries to get him to stand up. Gautham refuses to move and his body feels like stone, heavy, cold, and he looks unconscious, except that his eyes are open.

Rashmi starts to whimper and cry, all the while trying to wake Gautham up. The place is eerily silent.

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THE BIG ISSUE

Scene VI

ashmi is now shivering with fear. She suddenly remembers her cellphone and runs back to the car. The cell just has 10% battery and there is no signal. Shaking and shivering in the cold damp air, she tries to dial, all the while shouting for Gautham to wake up. Giving up, she stumbles her way up to the spot where she sees Gautham still in a slump.

Rashmi: Gautham, please wake up, I’m scared, this place is spooky! Gautham! Gautham!

Gautham still lays there without moving. Now even more worried, she puts her ear to his chest to hear his heart. Suddenly she hears a blood curling scream and she also screams in fear. She raises her head and looks up.

Her voice dies in her throat.

Written by, Radhika Kowtha-Rao The writer lives in the suburbs of Washington DC with her three children, husband and their adorable dog Zephie. She enjoys writing short stories and has been blogging for the past eight years at http://kowthas.me This is the continuation of a fictional story, published on May 3 about Gautham and Rashmi. Based on these two scenes from the series, now it is your turn to continue the narrative. Send us your entries about how the story must end in the next two scenes. The best entry will be published next Friday. You can mail me at hemanth.k@postnoon.com.

NEWSMAKER

A league apart...

The recent incident where two techies were thrashed by Ram Charan’s bodyguards throws light on several issues, but the most surprising is a tepid response from the tech community.

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F

or the past few days, a lot has been written about Ram Charan’s bodyguards manhandling two techies in Hyderabad, after the latter got into an argument with Ram Charan. All said and done, it’s quite strange that an actor, who cannot tolerate injustice in his films, would actually be a silent spectator to what was happening right in front of his eyes in real life and it’s shocking that he let it happen in the first place.

Explaining his actions, Ram Charan said, “I’m a law abiding citizen. I kept quiet all these days because if I had complained, it would have ruined the career of the techies. The photos that have been circulating in the media for the past few days are morphed.” No matter how much you try, this will always remain as an infamous instance where one person showed his ‘power’.

Being a star, who commands an immense fan following, does have its fair share of burden. One of the perils of being a celebrity is that they are always under media glare and everything they do becomes news. Is it really tough to be the role model which one expects a celebrity to be? One can understand that losing cool under some circumstances is human nature, but that’s not a privilege that celebrities have, simply because they are always judged by their actions. And everything they do is bound to resonate with people who closely follow their personal and pro-

fessional lives. On the other hand, the fact that the techies didn’t register a complaint is proof enough that they realised that they were fighting a lost cause. Even if they decided to fight back, what would have been the end result? Nothing.

Ever since the incident came to light, one thing that has stood out is the response from the tech community or the lack of it. Numerous blogs have been written defending Ram Charan’s actions but on the other hand, except for a handful of techies raising their voice, the reaction from the tech community has been almost non-existent. Is it apathy or does it reflect on how seriously the younger generation, where almost one out of four people is a software engineer these days, reacts to incidents like these? We talk about volunteering and standing up for one’s rights, but when it comes to issues which don’t affect us personally, the participation is dismal.

An internet campaign was kickstarted recently and a select few have been venting their anger, but there’s very little hope that it would bring about any substantial change. A week from now, people will stop writing or tweeting about it. It won’t be long before this incident becomes a story which people would talk about with great enthusiasm. After all, we are a society which puts an Aston Martin ahead of human dignity. The latter is at stake now.

Follow Hemanth on Twitter @crhemanth or email: hemanth.k@postnoon.com

he rise of Nawazuddin Siddiqui as an actor to reckon with is the stuff of legends in Bollywood. After years of struggling to make his mark, his work began to get noticed in films like Kahaani and when his next film Gangs of Wasseypur released, he became the darling of critics across the nation. With films like Chittagong, Aatma, Miss Lovely and Talaash to his credit, he pretty much seems to be an important part of the new wave of cinema that’s sweeping Bollywood these days. Few days ago, he once again stood out in the anthology film Bombay Talkies, in which he played the role of a failed actor, who gets one chance to prove himself to the world. His part in the film was directed by Dibakar Banerjee and both of them got rave reviews.

WEEKEND WATCH Not in a mood to go to a theatre this weekend? Here’s a brief list of films you can watch in your home.

1

The Lives of Others (2006) A secret Stasi officer is appointed to spy on a writer’s family and as time goes by, he becomes completely involved in their lives. One of the most absorbing dramas you’ll ever see.

2

Man On the Moon (1999) Jim Carrey has never looked this good in a serious drama and it’s a delight to watch his quirky side in this drama based on the life of Andy Kaufman.

3

Okariki Okaru (2003) Directed by Rasool Ellore, Okariki Okaru is one of the most underrated love stories in Telugu. The film, starring Sriram and Aarthi Chabria, is about two lovers who let fate decide their future. Watch it, especially for its music.

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

Comment

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS

It couldn’t get any better for the Congress. The Karnataka BJP’s infighting and corruption was to such an extent that a party that is under siege for its record corruption tally at the Centre could pull of a comfortable victory in the State.

STAIN ON RAINBOW?

All religion, my friend, is simply evolved out of fraud, fear, greed, imagination, and poetry.

13

ORANIA, S AFRICA'S WHITES-ONLY TOWN

Edgar Allen Poe Poet

Pyongyang’s Japan ‘mission’ back under hammer

T

he fate of North Korea's de facto embassy in Tokyo was in limbo Friday after the winner of an auction for the building said it could not make good on the $45 million bid.

Tokyo District Court was set to nullify the original sale in which a Buddhist temple promised to continue to allow Chongryon, the organisation that represents North Korean interests in Japan in the absence of diplomatic ties, to use the building.

However, the chief priest of the Saifukuji temple in southwestern Kagoshima said Thursday afternoon he had failed to secure necessary loans and could not afford the property. He has until the end of Friday to make the payment and claim the property — 25,725-sft plot and 10-storey building in central Tokyo.

In March, the temple topped the bidding with an offer of 4.52 billion yen ($45 million) in the forced auction after authorities seized the land and building for unpaid debts.

Saifukuji's chief priest Ekan Ikeguchi had suggested in March that he would let North Koreans use the building and said he hoped to use it "to promote harmony among Asia's different ethnic groups, including North Korea". But Ikeguchi told Japanese media Thursday afternoon he could not secure funding from potential lenders and has "given up" on buying it.

Chongryon officials declined to immediately comment on the latest development, but said they continued to operate in the building.

AFP

QUENTIN LEBOUCHER Agence France-Presse

W

Welcome to Orania, South Africa: a whites-only enclave established in 1991 during the dying years of apartheid. The town in the sparsely populated Karoo region is inhabited only by Afrikaners. These descendants of Dutch-speaking migrants who arrived in South Africa in 1652 with Jan van Riebeeck, now make up six percent of the "Rainbow Nation's" population.

But they make up 100 percent of rural Orania.

It was the Afrikaners who formed the backbone of the National Party that introduced apartheid, and many South Africans regard Orania's residents as little more than latterday bittereinders — term used for Boer War holdouts — who rage against today's majority rule.

But residents maintain the town is not racist. They argue that Orania is the best way of preserving Afrikaner culture and language and offers a safe sanctuary from crime-ridden neighbourhoods.

"We are safe here," said resident Kobus Jonck. "We do not worry about locking our cars at

night, even the (house) doors... they are never locked."

Its easy to see why some may find the setting idyllic.

The town is built on the 8,000 hectares (19,768 acres) of a private farm, along the Orange River, in the beautifully desolate Northern Cape province.

There are no high-rise buildings or factories. Children run barefoot between small prefabricated homes. According to the town's authorities, its modest population of 1,000 is growing at nine percent a year.

Jonck, a sheep farmer, settled in Orania in 2012 with his family only after going through an interview process with the town committee.

"When new people come to Orania, they are interviewed by a group of people to make sure that they have sufficient understanding of what the town is about," said Carel Boshoff IV, the son of the late founder of the town, Carel Boshoff III. Its leaders have dreams of turning it into an independent state for the Afrikaner minority, who today number three million.

In line with the town's motto of "working for freedom", residents are encouraged to be self sufficient, and the majority are farmers or traders. They all work to grow and develop the town and labour is provided by the townspeople, as little as possible comes from the outside.

Like any other town, Orania is run by a council which is elected on an annual basis, according to Mayor Harry Theron. It boasts shops, schools and its own flag and currency, the ora, which is pegged to South Africa's rand.

But unlike other towns, blacks are not welcome. At the entrance of the town, a statue of Hendrik Verwoerd, the architect of apartheid, stands proudly among other prominent icons of the old South Africa. The town's flag with blue, white and orange colours similar to the old apartheid flag (pictured) is visible everywhere across this microstate in the making.

Perhaps ironically, Orania's existence is protected under article 235 of South Africa's

Constitution which ensures right to self-determination.

The legislation was adopted after the end of apartheid, following years of fighting against the system of separate homelands for native blacks.

"This republic is growing," proclaimed Quintin Diederichs, a former rugby player who became a resident three years ago. "We have 50 companies that we have created with our own hands," said Diederichs.

But beneath the seemingly safe and secure environment lurks paranoia, some residents believe that one day blacks might turn against them.

A waiter at a bar said that he fears "black South Africans will kill all white people" when peace icon Nelson Mandela dies.

EDITORIALS Start at the roots

T

hey are lynched, sexually exploited and evicted from their homes and then stoned to death. This is what happens on most witch hunts. A report states that most women targeted in the name of witchcraft are single women who own land or might be pretty or both. And in rural areas which follows a patriarchal system, if women do not follow the will of man the consequences can be dire. The report also exposes that more than fears fuelled by superstition, most cases are conspiracies to get their victims’ property, or a case of revenge wreaked by high and mighty men on pretty single women when they are spurned. What we see here is a general intolerance towards women and a situation in which they are independent. This is where it all stems from and this is where work must start to change the way women are perceived — at the grass-root level.

READERS’ VIEWS

Some truth, finally!

A

candid external affairs minister Salman Khurshid has finally admitted what the whole world knows — that India is clueless on the reason behind the Chinese incursion. Decades have passed since the debacle of 1962 but little has changed in the way we deal with such situations.

Though India has been increasing the troop levels at the border with China and improving the logistics infrastructure, it doesn’t seem to be good enough to deter the Chinese. This time India got lucky as the Chinese weren’t too comfortable with the negative international spotlight due to border rows with its eastern neighbours. But we can’t count on luck too much, can we?

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

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

Living spaces FACTS ABOUT HAFEEZPET SCHOOLS:

Kidzee School SEEDS Gowtham Model School Little Pearl International School COLLEGES:

JNTU College of Engineering, KPHB Colony IIIT, Gachibowli ISB, Gachibowli

Infrastructure ROAD

LOCATION MAKES HAFEEZPET A Its connectivity and proximity to Gachibowli, Hitec City and Kondapur has made it a choice for residents who do not want to spend long hours commuting to work.

Connected to Miyapur (5 min) Connected to Lingampally (15 min) Connected to Kondapur (15 min) Connected to Hitec City (15 min) RAIL

MMTS Lingampally Railway station Miyapur Metro station (under construction) AIR

Shamshabad Airport (38 km) ENTERTAINMENT AND SHOPPING

Talkie Town, Miyapur Inorbit Mall, Hitec City

PRUDHVI RAJU K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

H

afeezpet, set adjacent to Gachibowli-Miyapur road, was once a small village, has grown to residential and commercial centre today. Its connectivity and proximity to the Gachibowli, Hitec City and Kondapur has made it a choice for residents who do not want to spend long hours commuting to their work. The transport facilities like APSRTC buses, MMTS

trains also connect it well to other parts of the City. It is also adjacent to Miyapur and is at a close proximity to Mumbai Highway at a distance of half a kilometre.

Talking about the strengths of the location, Atul J Trivedi of Rashmi Srisairam Property Developers, says, “Hafeezpet has two main roads passing on the either sides. One is Miyapur to Gachibowli road and other is Manjeera Pipeline road, which starts from Lingampally crossroads and ends at Hitec City railway station flyover.

Most of the real estate market is driven by the IT crowd, who work in near by locations, followed by investors, business people and film stars.

“The Centre is expanding it to 100 feet wide two-way road.

The locality is also close to proposed metro station at Miyapur with a travel time of 10 minutes.”

ADITYA'S IMPERIAL HEIGHTS n 9 towers in 10.5 acres n Flat size: 1,250-2,000 sft n Bedrooms 2-3 n Intercom facility n Power back-up n Automatic lifts n 2-level parking system n 2 car-parking bays per apartment n Air-conditioned club house n Health and fitness centre n Swimming pool n Children’s play area n Central park n Landscaped garden n Round-the-clock security n Shopping area n Basic price: `3,600 per sft

The location does not have much pollution and traffic as compared to near by locations like KPHB, Nizampet and Miyapur. However, one can not undermine traffic in peak office hours on Miyapur-Gachibowli road, due to commuters travelling to the IT hub choose this way from Miyapur. “The new 100 feet wide road to Hitec City railway station will decrease the traffic. This road will enable the commuters to choose Manjeera pipeline road rather than the main road (GachibowliMiyapur road),” he says.

RASHMI’S LAKE CITY n 4 blocks in 2.5 Acres (Lake City Phase -1) n Unique payment with huge savings on interest cost (40 interest-free installments) n Club house with gym n Yoga and meditation hall n Jogging track n Multi-purpose Hall n Children’s play area n Round-the-clock security n Indoor games facility (table tennis, board games) n Outdoor Games (badminton, lawn tennis, cricket practice net n Basic Price: `3,300 per sft

YOUR WEEKLY GUIDE TO HYDERABAD REAL ESTATE SRINIVAS SETTY

Integrate approvals C SHEKAR REDDY

feedback@postnoon.com

HONEYPOT FOR BUYERS Developers are confident about underground water levels. “We have decent underground water levels as this is not hilly area. For instance, we found water at the depth of 450 feet but went up to 800 feet. The gated communities are also offering Manjeera connectivity for drinking water,” says Atul.

For entertainment, the residents have to depend on Miyapur, which is of 10 minutes journey. Rashmi Srisairam Property Developers is planning for shopping complex and multiplex theatres in this locality, which may take more than three years for availability.

The locality also has schools, hospitals and hotels. As of now, there are not any major villa development happening in this

Nearby areas

6 km to Hitec City 5 km to Kukatpally 1 km to Miyapur 300 mts to the MMTS station 10 km to Gachibowli locality but there are high-rise gated community projects. In future, there will be many more gated communities in this locality as there is an ample land space. Almost 80 acres is set for development in this area.

Most of the real estate market is driven by the IT crowd, who work in nearby locations, followed by investors, business people and film stars.

There is also appreciation in the property values by around `500 per sft in last eight months with the real estate back in the growth track. “The price may range anywhere between `3,500- 4,000 depending on the construction quality. The price is almost similar to the nearby localities like Miyapur and Chandanagar. Less pollution with no major industries in surroundings and proximity to financial district give it an edge.

“A customer can get standalone apartments in near by localities at lesser price (`800 per sft). However, a gated community will not only provide facilities and amenities but also continue to drive the demand and have a decent growth in values,” he concludes.

SRI SAIRAM TOWERS n 8 blocks on 7 acres with 74 per cent open space n 3-level car parking n Clubhouse and gym n Swimming pool for adults and kids n 24*7 security with CCTV and intercom n One flat exclusively for ladies gym, yoga and aerobics in each block n Jogging and cycling track n Courts for basketball, lawn tennis and badminton n Laundry facility in basement floor n Approximately 45,000 sft built-up area for amenities n Basic Price: `3,600 per sft

14&15

HYDERABAD: Digital technologies are a boon for the industry if they are effectively integrated in City planning.

These will not only bring down hassles for the developers but also save valuable time and money for both the developers and the respective departments in giving various permissions.

Civil aviation authorities agreed that they would incorporate the heights permissible for buildings in the digital master plan. Such a move will help developers to identify permissible heights with the help of software rather than going to the concerned offices. This will enable the architects to plan the building according to the heights prescribed in the digital master plan.

In the same way, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has plans to earmark 4,000 monuments in the urban areas and also propose the buffer zone that need to be left for each of the monument. Likewise, there

is a need for each department to integrate these guidelines in a digital format, which should be easily accessible by the builders.

Once each of the department uses digital technologies and put forth their guidelines in giving permissions, the builders do not need to waste time, energy and money in understanding the intricacies of those rules.

The Union ministry of environment and forests can forward their guidelines to local bodies that give occupancy certificate at the end of the construction. Only those builders who follow these parameters should be given occupancy certificate. Similarly, water board requires a feasibility report. So far, they have not rejected a single application in the urban area. They can put the water supply possibility and

sewage details on website and digital master plan.

We don’t want to undermine the payments that are paid to these departments. For instance, we pay the GHMC for each of application on the name of sewage and water connection.

They should not let us go through all these hassles just for the sake of money.

When a single NOC is very much feasible and acceptable for multi-sector SEZs, why it cannot possible for residential segments? Such an arrangement gives long-term benefits for every stakeholder. The department can also collect payments quickly rather than waiting till builders finish the process.

On the request of CREDAI, the MoEF constituted a committee headed by Kasturi

When a single NOC is very much feasible and acceptable for multi-sector SEZs, why it cannot possible for residential segments?

Ranganathan. We requested the committee to condense the entire process to few guidelines, which are to be part of building regulation. They are about to submit the report. If ministry agree, they will amend the Act. Already, we are seeing the improvements in various states with the support of CREDAI. In Bihar, architect is giving permissions for buildings. In Pune, one can submit the application and construct 75 per cent of the allowable area without permissions. In due time, he can avail permissions. Builder does not need to waste his valuable time in the name of permissions. Such steps will remove red-tapism and unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles.

The writer is the national president of CREDAI.

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

spotlight

DESI BEATS RULE

Dance the night away as DJ Shafi churn out the latest Hindi chartbusters tonight at Firangi Paani.

REVELERS HAVE A BLAST

18

Dancin’ party

Sahil Guhati, Ankita, Priyanka and others were seen setting the dance f loor on fire at Bottles n Chimney on Thursday night.

1

2

4

5

3 4

A striking blend Essence of Life, a revolutionary dance and music show, held at Ravindra Bharathi on Thursday night had prominent artistes from dance traditions like Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam, Kathak, Odissi and Kuchipudi taking part in the show.

6

MANGO MANIA

1 Sahil Gulati

3 Ankita

5 Iantha

2 DJ Khanna

4 Priyanka

6 Apoorva, Mona

Melange at The Golkonda Hotel is hosting Mango Magic food festival. Restaurant will serve a range of delectable dishes as part of the fest.

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

health

INDIAN-ORIGIN DOCTORS TO MEET IN CHICAGO

Over 2,000 doctors are expected to attend the five-day annual convention of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) — the largest ethnic medical organisation in the US — from May 23.

MYTHS 1

3

If y ou ha v ad eg oc ot to yo r, t

r th control from fr iend i b s on on s a re just for you. It's bet a nd i t o ter ma myth to ther r o be s n f ese i sa ou h r t fe r u n e t h

YI

Tap & Track — Calorie Counter This app contains the largest offline food database of any iPhone calorie counter (over 500,000 foods). It is available for both iPod Touch and iPhone users. It is a calorie counter that allows you and your partner to track calories on a single iPhone/iPod. itunes.apple.com

5

MYTH: A woman can't get pregnant if the male "pulls out" before he ejaculates.

FACT IS: This is a huge myth!

Withdrawal is not FLEME VARKEY always a reliable fleme.v@postnoon.com method, and there are several reasons for this. Once a male becomes aroused, he ejects pre-ejaculate fluid — this fluid can contain at least 300,000 sperm (and it only takes 1 to join an egg)! There is also the risk that he doesn't pull out in time as, in the heat of the moment, it can be hard to keep control. Even if he ejaculates outside of the vagina, sperm can swim, so semen anywhere near the vagina can still lead to pregnancy (this means that pregnancy can occur even without penile penetration if a male ejaculates on or near the vagina). Withdrawal can be an effective method, but only if it is done perfectly (which is extremely hard to do).

E

MYTH: Douching, showering, or bathing can prevent pregnancy FACT IS: Douching is not an effective method of birth control as it is impossible to douche fast enough to keep the sperm from fertilising an egg. This is true even if you douche immediately after sexual intercourse. Urinating or taking a bath or a shower will not wash sperm out. As a side note, deodorant vaginal suppositories or sprays do not work either and can be equally harmful.

ANEWS PP-LYBRIEFS YOURSELF

MYTH: The pill is always effective immediately after you begin taking it.

FACT IS: If you think just having sex and then popping the pill will keep you safe, then you have news you need to hear. In some women, one complete menstrual cycle is needed for the hormones in the pill (oral contraceptive) to work with the woman's natural hormones to prevent ovulation.

Some doctors recommend using a back-up method of birth control the first month of taking the pill.

AF

PLA

4

2 MYTH: You can use plastic wrap or a balloon if you don't have a condom.

FACT IS: Finding substitutes for a condom is foolishness. Plastic wrap and balloons are not good to use as condoms. They don't fit well and can easily be torn during sex. Condoms are specifically made to provide a good fit and good protection during sex, and they are thoroughly tested for maximum effectiveness. Also standing up and having sex does not act as a contraceptive either. It's just one of those numerous positions you need to try.

from ot dn a n r y. s, or ce a n s h

MYTH: It's safe to have sex without protection during periods.

FACT IS: There is no safe time to have sex. Period.

There are safe ways to have sex, however. Many women (and men) believe this myth.

It is possible for a female to get pregnant at any time during her menstrual cycle.

Though it means there is no ovulation, there are females with irregular and shorter cycles who can actually ovulate during their period. Sperm can live inside a woman's body for up to five days, so if she ovulates anytime within seven days of having unprotected sex, she could become pregnant.

19

NG IT S

HOUSECALL Ulcerative colitis Ulcerative colitis is a long-term (chronic) condition affecting the colon. These can range from mild to severe, with the condition being unpredictable. Symptoms can flare up and then disappear (known as remission) for months or even years.

There is currently no cure for ulcerative colitis, so the aim of treatment is to relieve symptoms during a flare-up and prevent symptoms from returning during remission. nhs.uk

DID YOU KNOW? Your inner ear contains 20,000 hair The inner ear is about the size of a pencil eraser, but it contains more than 20,000 hair. If those hair were the size of a pencil, you could create a stack 433 feet tall — about the same height as a 43 story skyscraper.

The whole area of the middle ear is no bigger than an M&M. calmear.com

PIONEERS Alfred Blalock Alfred Blalock was a 20th century American surgeon most noted for his research on the medical condition of shock and for the development of the Blalock-Taussig Shunt, a surgical procedure he developed together with surgical technician Vivien Thomas and pediatric cardiologist Helen Taussig to relieve the cyanosis from Tetralogy of Fallot — known commonly as the blue baby syndrome. en.wikipedia.org

20

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

Technology TABLET MARKET

Asus bets big on India Launches new tablet, slashes prices of notebooks by 10 per cent NT BALANARAYAN

balanarayan.nt@postnoon

T

aiwanese company Asus, known for their innovative line of products said that they are betting big on Indian market. They have slashed the price of their ultrabooks while introducing more tablets which they think the market demands.

The ultrabooks that were earlier priced above `40,000 now starts at `36,000 and touchbased Vivobooks that were earlier priced at `39,999 will now cost `36,999. Ultrabooks have an optical drive and SSD, while Vivobooks have a touchscreen thus offering two different products for customers to choose from. “Now we are going aggressive on the price point in India. We have realised that in this market people look for value for money and that is what we are trying to offer now,” Unaez Quraishi, director of Sales and distribution for Asus System Builder Group in India, said.

“We are aiming to be the leading seller of touch-based notebooks in India and we want to maintain at least 20 per cent marketshare in this segment in the long-term,” Apratim Sharma, product head for Asus System Builder Group in India, said.

As of now there are very few companies offering touch-based notebooks in the market and those that are available come in hybrid line which costs much more. As far as hybrids are concerned Asus says that they haven’t received a great response for such devices in the market.

“From the feedback we have got we believe hybrids form only two per cent of the PC market in the country. Taichi is a flagship device that showcases our innovation and the kind of technology we are bringing to the market,” Quraishi said.

The company’s hybrid device, Taichi sports two screens — the second one is on the back of the lid — and can be used as a tablet when it is closed. However the device is priced north of one lakh as

OOPS, THERE’S A LEAK The International Space Station is leaking the chilled ammonia coolant it uses to cool its power systems into space, but there’s no danger to the crew, NASA announced. The four solar arrays that provide power to the station are each cooled independently with their own thermal control systems, meaning that the rest of the arrays can continue to function normally while everyone troubleshoots the problem. The faulty loop is the same one that astronauts worked on during a November spacewalk, but it’s not clear whether the ammonia coolant leak is now coming from the same location or somewhere else on the structure.

DON’T PRINT GUNS: GOVT

Defense Distributed founder Cody Wilson received a letter from the State Department Office of Defense Trade Controls Compliance demanding that he take down the online blueprints for the 3D-printable “Liberator” handgun that his group released on Monday, along with nine other 3D-printable firearms components hosted on the group’s website Defcad.org. The government says it wants to review the files for compliance with arms export control laws known as the Intrnational Traffic in Arms Regulations.

opposed to devices from Dell that is priced around `80,000.

Asus said that they will launch a similar device at that price point very soon. They compared it to the state of Ultrabooks that were launched at prices of `70,00080,000, but have reduced over time.

Sharma said that they haven’t noticed any decline in the PC market in India because of the introduction of Windows 8 devices here. “The PC market here is very small compared to the rest of the world so the new OS hasn’t really affected sales here. We have converted all our stock in the country to Windows 8 and it is only a matter of time before people get used to having a touchscreen on their laptops,” Quraishi added.

TABLETS GALORE

More than half of the tablet market in India is controlled by white label brands that import products in bulk from China and sell them here at very low prices. Asus says that they don’t

More than half of the tablet market in India is controlled by white label brands that import products in bulk from China and sell them here intend to directly compete against these devices that are priced around `5,000. Their lowest offering is Memopad which the company says is doing well in tier-II cities. “Most of these white-label brands don’t have any R&D centres and import these tablets in bulk and from what we understand most of these devices are sold in the grey market,” Quraishi says.

The company released FonePad, a 7-inch device that has a phone functionality a few days back and they are expecting this product to do well in the market. The product will be competing with Samsung’s

Galaxy Tab 2 which sells at about the price point, however Asus says they have the advantage as FonePad runs on an Intel processor. The company claims that you can get up to 32 hours of talktime and 9 hours of data use from the tablet.

The company has four tablets in the market right now with Memopad being the cheapest and high-end Nexus 7 being at the top. The company had also launched PadFone, a phone that could be docked into a tablet shell and which in turn could be fit into a keyboard last year. The price of this device has been dropped to around `50,000 according to the company.

PadFone 2 is out in most western countries but hasn’t been brought to India yet; the company said that it will be happening soon.

Asus is the third biggest player internationally in the tablet market and they will be launching 100 stores across India to showcase their devices.

AMAZON ON SMART TRACK Amazon is expanding beyond its range of Kindle devices as it aims to compete more directly with Google and Apple. The Seattle ecommerce giant has recently been developing a wide-ranging lineup of gadgets to expand its reach beyond its Kindle Fire line of tablet computers, said people familiar with the company’s plans. One of the devices is a high-end smartphone featuring a screen that allows for 3D images without glasses, these people said. Using retina-tracking technology, images on the smartphone would seem to float above the screen like a hologram and appear three-dimensional at all angles, they said.

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

Entertainment CINE BYTES

Gabbar Singh 2 soon in offing

P

awan Kalyan is gearing up to reprise his role as a police officer in Gabbar Singh 2. Sampath Nandi is going to direct the film.

Contrary to the rumours that Pawan Kalyan will start shooting for Trivikram’s Kobaali, we hear that he has decided to begin shooting for Gabbar Singh 2 from June onwards. More details will be revealed soon.

Allu Arjun praises Aadi

A

adi seems to have found a new fan in Allu Arjun. The latter was invited as the chief guest to launch the platinum disc of Aadi starrer Sukumarudu.

Talking about Aadi, he said, “From what I have seen, he is a very hard working actor and it’s difficult to create a different style in terms of dances. Aadi has all the makings of a star.”

Vikram, Bala to team up again?

V

ikram is all set to team up with director Bala, as per the latest reports from Kollywood.

The duo had earlier worked together for award winning films like Sethu and Pithamagan.

Currently, Vikram is shooting for Shankar’s upcoming film Manoharudu and this untitled film with Bala is expected to go on floors later this year.

PINNING ALL HOPES

TURNING A NEW LEAF

Naga Chaitanya is betting big on his upcoming film Tadakha and for a good reason. He reveals why Tadakha is a crucial film in his career, lessons that he has learnt and that word of advice from Nagarjuna.

HEMANTH KUMAR hemanth.k@postnoon.com

I

t has been nearly a year and a half since Naga Chaitanya was last seen on big screen and even longer since he has had a hit to his credit.

However, the long wait might be worth the effort if the pre-release buzz about his upcoming film Tadakha is anything to go by. The film, directed by Kishore Paradasany, is the remake of a superhit Tamil film Vettai and Naga Chaitanya is reprising Arya’s role in the film. Ask him how different the Telugu version is going to be, he says, “I really liked Vettai and the reason why I immediately agreed to do the film was because I liked Arya’s characterisation. We have made plenty of changes and there’s lot more entertainment in the Telugu version. I’m very confident about the film.”

He admits that the long delay between the release of Tadakha and his previous film Bezawada was quite a frustrating experience. “I was quite disappointed with myself. I am still at a very early stage in my career and I shouldn’t have taken such a long gap. Not only that, I have made a lot of mistakes in the past and I am all the more determined to correct them,”he confesses.

Tadakha is also his first fullfledged commercial entertainer and quite evidently, he’s excited about how the film has shaped up.

“I must say that Tadakha is more of an inspiration of Vettai. We didn’t want to make a frame by frame remake since the sensibilities of Telugu audience are quite different. You can’t just replicate the success unless you own the character in the film. Even though there’s plenty of comedy and action in the film, I have done what suits my body language. Moreover, I was quite surprised by Kishore Pardasany’s style. His previous film Koncham Ishtam Koncham Kashtam was mainly targeted at the urban audience but Tadakha has something for everyone. Of late,

entertainment has become such a critical part in a film’s success and Tadakha has plenty of it. This film has come at a crucial stage in my career ,” Naga Chaitanya says.

There’s an undeniable urge to break the mould from the manner in which he speaks. Turns out that it’s a result of the choices he had made in the past. So is there a strategy behind what he wants to do in future? “There’s no strategy as such. The script is the most important aspect for me. At the same time I don’t want to become monotonous or get stereotyped for doing similar kind of films. I do want to try different genres,” he says. What if he really likes a script but isn’t sure if the director can pull it off? “I do think twice before signing such a project. In any case, I do consult my father (Nagarjuna) if I like a script and take his opinion before signing a film. He always tells me, ‘No matter what others tell you to do, the final decision has to be yours.’ and that’s something which I always try to follow. But then, not every film turns out the way you want it to, even though I put in my best effort for every film,” he reveals.

He’s already five films old as an actor and there’s plenty in store in the next few months, but there are lot of things which he’s keen on improving. “As an actor, I am never satisfied with my performance. I know that I have to work hard on my dancing and dialogues. In the past, I think it was my own lack of experience which led me to take up a few projects. I did believe in those films, but I couldn’t reach out to all sections of the audience. I have to prove myself. It’s almost like starting afresh,” he signs off.

21

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

fashion

YASMIN SEWELL TO OPEN BEACH IN THE EAST

YASMIN SEWELL is opening a luxury pop-up shop in the unlikely location of a full-size empty swimming pool on May 18 until August 24. The temporary space, named Beach In The East, will be housed in the heart of Shoreditch.

mìåâ=ÖÉíë= The punk parade at Met Ball 2013 had a few rebels scorching the red carpet while some others who were merely a lost cause.

Here are some of the night’s stunners.

SEBASTIAN MANES NAMED SELFRIDGES BUYING DIRECTOR

SEBASTIAN MANES has been promoted to the newly-created role of Selfridges' buying and merchandising director. Having previously been responsible for womenswear, childrenswear and accessories buying, he will now also oversee menswear, home and leisure

T

he Met Ball 2013 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York became all the more fashionable this year. Adhering to the year's theme, Punk : Chaos to Courture, some peppered safety pins and studs onto their dresses while others showed off new hair shades. Some of those who rocked the red carpet were Sarah Jessica Parker who wore a Giles Deacon ball gown with Philip Treacy Mohican headpiece and Anne Hathaway who made a statement with Valentino and dyed her hair blonde. Then there were others who turned up to celebrate the legacy of punk in pink and other flowery frocks. Celebs in this category include Gwyneth Paltrow who shamelessly opted to wear a Valentino Couture custom-made hot pink gown for the occasion. Anna Wintour was a disappointment as she came in a floral, floorlength Chanel.

mobqqv

22&23

Entertainment FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

24

Entertainment FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

25

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

Chai Time

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their intellects. A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.

Oscar Wilde

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 Group bent on a coup 6 Seeing through the deception of 10 Car wash cache 14 One kind of therapy 15 Change direction suddenly 16 What a surveyor finds 17 Get a bad situation under control 20 Attendance fig., often 21 ___ d’oeuvres 22 Almond willows 23 Highlander with land 25 Cabbage variety 26 Ollie’s sidekick 28 Blowhole?

32 Powerful couple in publishing, once 34 Sports squad 35 Mu ___ pork 38 Words of determination 42 “That ___ a close one!”

43 Array of options 44 Swashbuckler’s weapon 45 Historic stone 48 God of war 49 Fix, at the vet’s office 51 Pessimistic expectation 53 Brothers-in-arms 55 Trig ratio 56 TV network letters 59 Knuckle under 62 Hamburg’s river 63 Egg-shaped, e.g.

64 Swing bandleader Shaw 65 Colored, as Easter eggs 66 They’re never “civil” 67 ___ up (gets smart)

DOWN

1 Sherlock’s undertaking 2 Bachelor of ___

3 Some workers’ footwear securers 4 Electric guitar must 5 Indian police officer’s club 6 Go to extremes 7 Bills on birds 8 Abbr. on business cards 9 Common cookie 10 Kind of saw or tire 11 Israel’s Sharon 12 Jazz or opera, e.g.

13 Hangs heavy 18 Basketball game-ending sound 19 Mukluk wearers 24 All over again 26 Tap the brakes 27 Salad type 29 Drum major’s gait 30 Afternoon social 31 Bled in the wash 33 Arctic dog 35 Efficiency improvers 36 “Take this” 37 Asian legumes 39 Happy response to a marriage proposal 40 Atomic number of hydrogen 41 “___ the night before Christmas ...”

45 Complained bitterly 46 Twirls, as one’s hair 47 Highly rated 49 With cunning (Var.) 50 First-year cadet 52 Further shorten, as a piece of wood 53 Voiced approval, in a way 54 Put in a hold 55 Fight verbally 57 Camembert’s kin 58 Has dates with 60 Reproductive cells 61 ___ Lanka

Chai Time FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 11-5-2013

27

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

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Money will come by from all the expected sources.

Employees need to maintain their patience at workplace as superiors may not be in their favour. Avoid interfering in others’ issues as the time is not in your favour.

STRIP TEASE AGNES

Employees are likely to be rewarded with elevation and pay hike. Issueless couples can expect happy news. Romance is on the cards for some.

Businessmen will get good co-operation from their staff and profits are likely to go up.

Financially a comfortable situation is likely to keep you happy.

Avoid unwanted arguments and discussion. Spouse’s change of mind might disturb you. You might face minor troubles from your close friends.

Handle debt issues carefully.

Expenses will overtake the inflow of money. Minor tensions through blood relatives are likely which might make you depressed. Be alert as you may face irrelevant charges against you.

Government sops likely for entrepreneurs. You need to take immediate steps to clear debts.

Marriage delay might depress you but do not worry as that will be settled soon. Keep the expenses under control, else a deficit situation is not ruled out.

Avoid extending financial helps to others. Postpone new efforts for a couple of days till you feel that right time is ripe.

Businessmen are advised not to sign any new contracts.

Unwanted wanderings and work burden are likely.

Those faced with chronic disease will feel a major relief.

Misunderstanding between couples will be over. A major debt issue will be cleared which will make you cheerful.

Employees will get very good support from colleagues.

Children might get you some unwanted tension, be careful.

Mixed results are likely and hence you need to be more alert and careful for getting good effects as much as possible. Held up marriage talks will resume and progress well

Some have bright chance to buy a house of their own.

Minor health issues like cold and flu likely; take good care.

Expected money will be received. Employees might feel dissatisfied as they are not recognised well.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail. com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

Justice – Blame no one if you’re feeling left out and wish you could share more – whether with cthem. You’re not the best at group work these days.

LEO:

Nine of Pentacles – You’ve created a comfort zone for yourself with the things that matter most to you. You’re unwilling to trade-off this comfort.

LIBRA:

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

Seven of Swords – You’re feeling tired and need to get away. It’s like you’re on the treadmill nonstop. Switch off the BlackBerry and go away for the weekend.

SAGITTARIUS:

The Moon – Logic and reason may not work as well as intuition and insight. Trust your gut feel; live in the moment, and believe it’ll all be fine.

TAURUS:

Five of Cups – There’s too much confusion and you need space and time to settle down.

You don’t have the full information.

Don’t jump to conclusions.

CANCER:

The World – You need to conquer your fear and the world will be at your feet. Your own apprehensions are stopping you from going ahead with confidence.

VIRGO:

Judgement – Decisions need to be made. Consider the long-term impact of seemingly minor moves at this point. Your seniors are watching you.

SCORPIO:

Three of Pentacles – Your skill and training are important and will determine the quality of your work and also the kind of job offers you get.

CAPRICORN:

Queen of Pentacles – Whether at home or at work, those around you are seeking advice. You’re not impulsive and that quality is appreciated.

PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

The Chariot – If you’ve been feeling stuck in a situation it won’t be so for long. Things are about to move forward in a positive way and bring many changes.

NUMBER GAME

You’re missing home (the things that remind you of your childhood or the best year). You get nostalgic and want to get out of this situation.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: Six of Cups –

POOCH CAFE

Politicians are advised to maintain a low profile. Financial helps will come by from the expected source. Businessmen will be able to make good profits. Misunderstanding with spouse is likely to make you upset.

for 11-5-2013

The Magician – Your intuition is taking you places.

The ideas are just popping up and you’re doing a swell job of making them work.

NON SEQUITUR

Night travels need to be avoided. Avoid the confusions which are putting you in a dilemmatic situation and march forward.

Employees face a situation at workplace due to which their confidence of getting a promotion and pay hike will reduce.

SUDUKO

Litigations in ancestral property will be resolved smoothly.

Businessmen might have minor differences with their partners but will get resolved soon and hence need not worry.

Misunderstanding between couple will be over.

Boggle POLAND ANGOLA CANADA BRAZIL FRANCE Vol: 2, No 294 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 FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

THE LEGEND RETOLD

DICAPRIO, LUHRMANN

REBOOT GLITTERY GATSBY LEGEND

T

he Great Gatsby is an American classic. But that hasn’t stopped Australian director Baz Luhrmann from bringing his trademark style to the tale, set to a provocatively modern soundtrack. With Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role, the movie depicts the wild glamour and energy of Roaring Twenties America, while also evoking a “hollow” feeling at the heart of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s era-defining 1925 novel.

“I think everyone has some sort of connection to Gatsby,” the 38-yearold actor said ahead of the film’s release in the United States.

“He is a character that has created himself according to his own imagination and dreams and lifted himself from his own bootstraps as a poor youth in the Midwest and created this image that is the great Gatsby. It’s a truly American Story in that regard,” said DiCaprio.

AFP

CINE BYTES

Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev split

V

ampire Diaries costars Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev have called it quits after dating for several years, PEOPLE has confirmed.

The couple were last seen taking a late-night trip to a cat hospital together last month, with no sign then that their own relationship may have been hurting.

Somerhalder, 34, and Dobrev, 24, kept their romance secret during their early days as a couple.

Neil Patrick Harris Will Host the Tonys

T

o the surprise of none but delight of all, Neil Patrick Harris will return to host the Tony Awards for a fourth time this year, the American Theater Wing announced today. Harris hosted the previous two ceremonies as well as the 2009 ceremony, and he’s charming and funny and game and everything you’d hope an awards-show host would be.

Husband gifts Keira Knightley an olive tree

N

ewlywed actress Keira Knightley reportedly got an unusual wedding gift from husband James Righton — an olive tree with their name initials carved on the bark.

The couple got married in France May 4 and Righton paid 3,000 pounds for the 100-yearold tree, which he planted in their backyard on their big day, reports thesun.co.uk. IANS

sports

29

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

AMERICA’S CUP

BRIEFS

Simpson dies as boat capsizes SAN FRANCISCO: British double Olympic sailing medalist Andrew Simpson died Thursday when a 72-foot catamaran of Swedish team Artemis capsized during America’s Cup training on San Francisco Bay, officials said.

Simpson, 36, was trapped underneath the boat for about 10 minutes after it flipped over and efforts to revive him failed.

“Our prayers are with Andrew Simpson’s family, his wife and kids, and also the rest of my teammates,” a shaken Paul Cayard, chief executive of Artemis Racing, said hours after the accicent.

“It’s a shocking experience to go through, and we have a lot to deal with in the

next few days in terms of assuring everybody’s w e l l being.”

A fleet of rescue boats — including c h a s e boats from rival teams — and helicopters went to the aid of the stricken vessel. Once Simpson was freed from the wreckage, rescuers attempted CPR as he was transported to the St. Francis Yacht Club, where paramedics waited.

“Unfortunately, they ended up pronouncing him dead at the Saint Francis Yacht Club,”

San Francisco Fire Department spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge told AFP. Talmadge said she had no information on what caused the boat to capsize, and Cayard did not immediately address that issue.

Another sailor suffered injuries that were not thought to be life-threatening, and all 12 aboard had been accounted for, Talmadge said. Artemis Racing spoke of the team’s “immense sadness.” “Despite attempts to revive him, by doctors afloat and subsequently ashore, his life was lost,” it said.

Simpson was an experienced yachtsman, winner of Olympic gold in 2008 and Olympic silver in 2012 in the keelboat star class. “Andrew was an immensely popular and respected member of the sailing community, and his two Olympic medals were testament to his talent,” America’s Cup officials said in a statement posted on their website.

The yacht involved was an AC72 catamaran, the Swedish team’s first, according to the online statement, which said the incident occurred between 12:30 pm and 1:00 pm (19302000 GMT).

AFP

An Artemis Racing flag is at half staff at the Artemis facility on Thursday after Olympic medalist Andrew Simpson (in pic) was killed in San Francisco Bay in a training run yesterday afternoon.

AFP/ALEXIS CUAREZMA

NORWAY CHESS 2013 SUPER TOURNAMENT

BADMINTON

Malaysia cry wildcard foul

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s singles coach has suggested a conspiracy after badminton chiefs handed four-time Chinese winner Lin Dan a wildcard for this year’s world championships, a report said on Friday.

Tey Seu Bock told the New Straits Times that the wildcard entry for the double Olympic champion — which could affect the chances of Malaysia’s world number one Lee Chong Wei — gave China an unfair advantage.

“I don’t understand the reason behind BWF’s decision to give Lin Dan a wildcard despite China having three players in the men’s singles. I cannot help thinking that people want China to win the title,” he said.

AFP

Anand holds Carlsen

SANDNES (NORWAY): World champion Viswanathan Anand won the psychological battle holding his world championship challenger Magnus Carlsen of Norway to an easy draw in the second round of the Norway Chess 2013 Super tournament in progress here. The much awaited clash turned out to be a full entertainer to the audience as Carlsen tried but could not make much use of his white pieces in a keenly contested game arising out of a Sicilian defence.

Both Carlsen and Anand inched to one point out of a possible two in the 10-player roundrobin tournament following a draw in the opener too.

The other game to end early was a damp squib between former world champion Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria and Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan while Levon Aronian came up with a fine effort to outclass Hikaru Nakamura of United States. In

the other two games Sergey Karjakin crashed through the defences of Jon Ludvig Hammer of Norway and, in a surprise, Peter Svidler of Russia was outdone by Wang Hao of China.

After the end of the second round, Karjakin emerged as sole leader with a perfect two points out of a possible twoand he is now followed by Aronian a half point behind. Anand, Svidler, Nakamura, Calrsen, Topalov and Wang Hao share the fourth spot on one point each while Radjabov is ninth with ahalf point in his kitty. With seven rounds still to come, Hammer is at the bottom of the tables, yet to open his account.

PTI

Sentia surges ahead HYDERABAD: Sentia, Govindraj and Meridian were victorious in their respective cricket matches of the Boston Cup, in the city on Thursday.

Brief Scores Sentia the Global School 60/8 in 7.4 overs bt Super Cat CC 56/6 in 8 overs.

Govindaraj Cricket Academy 94/3 in 8 overs bt SCF (Yellow) 83/7 in 8 overs.

Meridian High School 78/1 in 8 overs bt Son of Pitches CC 74/4 in 8 overs.

Oz axe coach of troubled relay team SYDNEY: Australia have axed the coach of their scandal-hit 4x100m freestyle relay team for the world championships as part of a wideranging shake-up after last year’s Olympics flop, officials said Friday.

John Fowlie, who oversaw a medal-less showing by the world champions in London, moves aside for Brant Best, coach of relay anchor man James Magnussen, Swimming Australia said.

Fowlie’s demotion, ahead of the world championships in Barcelona in July, is the latest step of a rejig within Swimming Australia over the past six months, following Australia’s worst Olympics swimming medal tally in 20 years.

A new administration and support team have been installed, the head coach is out and has not been replaced, government funding has been slashed and swimmers have been fined and threatened with suspension for poor behaviour.

Last year Fowlie was in charge of the men’s sprint group that was favoured to win gold in London but missed a medal altogether.

BASKETBALL

Russia turns back the clock

ALEXANDRE FEDORETS Agence France-Presse

MOSCOW: Russian men’s and women’s basketball clubs have a chance this weekend of sweeping every European trophy for the first time in the country’s history, in a throwback to Soviet domination of the sport.

With two women’s tourna-

ments and the men’s second-tier European cup already secure, the CSKA Moscow just need to win the Euroleague title to complete an extraordinary and amazing clean sweep.

Lokomotiv-Kuban from the Russian southern city of Krasnodar clinched their firstever continental trophy by downing Bilbao Basket 64-75 in

the Eurocup final at Charleroi, Belgium.

This year’s Russian female champions UMMC from Ekaterinburg grabbed their second women’s Euroleague title by beating Turkish outfit Fenerbahce 82-56 in the final, while Dynamo Moscow bagged the women’s Eurocup beating another Turkish side, Kayseri.

Meanwhile, a rampant CSKA Moscow will challenge for their third Euroleague title in the Final Four tournament, held in London this weekend.

The Red Army side will take on their old foes Olympiakos in the semi-final, while Spanish arch rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona will determine the other finalist.

sports

30

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

MADRID MASTERS

FEDERER CRASHES OUT

Defending champion Roger Federer was dumped out of the Madrid Masters by world number 14 Kei Nishikori as the Japanese came through 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in their third round clash.

KIERAN CANNING Agence France-Presse MADRID: Defending champion Roger Federer was dumped out of the Madrid Masters on Thursday by world number 14 Kei Nishikori as the Japanese came through 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in their third round clash.

Second seed Federer, who had just returned to the tour after a two-month break, joins world number one Novak Djokovic in being eliminated early in the Spanish capital and his lack of match practice showed.

One break was enough for Nishikori to take the opening set

6-4, but Federer roared back in the second to take it 6-1.

However, with the momentum seeming to be with the 17-time Grand Slam champion, it was Nishikori who edged ahead when he broke to move 3-1 in the third.

And after comfortably holding serve in his next two service games, the 23-year-old broke again to seal a first career win over Federer. “He was my idol actually, so to beat him, that was one of my goals for my tennis career,” Nishikori told a press conference.

“That it happens on clay is amazing because, you know, it’s

Roger Federer leaves at the end of his men’s singles third round match against Kei Nishikori on Thursday.

AFP/JAVIER SORIANO

PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

CRICKET COVERAGE

Unheralded Castro seizes lead PONTE VEDRA BEACH: In a star-studded field, unheralded Roberto Castro matched the course record with a nineunder par 63 on Thursday to seize the first-round lead at the Players Championship.

Castro, making his debut in the US PGA Tour’s $9.5 million flagship event, equalled the record set by Fred Couples in 1992 and matched by Australian Greg Norman in 1994.

His effort gave him a threeshot lead over world number two Rory McIlroy and American Zach Johnson, who shared second place on sixunder 66.

Northern Ireland’s McIlroy, who failed to make the cut in

Roberto Castro of the USA plays his shot from the seventh tee during round one of the players Championship on Thursday.

AFP/ANDY LYONS

three prior appearances in the tournament at TPC Sawgrass, said he benefitted from perfect scoring conditions.

“It was benign out there,” he said. “There wasn’t much wind. It was perfect conditions for scoring and I was able to take advantage of those.”

World number one Tiger Woods, who won the title in 2001, bogeyed his final hole to fall into a group of players sharing fourth place on fiveunder 67.

He was joined by Steve Stricker, Hunter Mahan, Webb Simpson, Casey Wittenberg and Ryan Palmer.

Castro’s round included seven birdies and an eagle. He teed off on 10 and gabbed his

first birdie at the 11th, where he drained a seven-foot birdie putt. After another birdie at 14, he reeled off three straight birdies from the 16th. He eagled the par-five second hole, where he stuck his second shot within four feet.

Two more birdies, at the fourth and sixth, saw him match the record.

“It was a fun day,” Castro said. “(It’s) nice to have 18 holes that I showed what I’ve been working on.”

McIlroy also played without a bogey, picking up six birdies before finishing out his round with seven straight pars.

“I’m definitely a lot more relaxed coming in here this year,” McIlroy said.

AFP

REHABILITATION PROGRAMME

Cummins to train with Australia A squad

Cummins will travel with the squad as part of his ongoing rehabilitation programme.

SYDNEY: Emerging fast bowler Pat Cummins will travel with the Australia A squad to the British Isles as part of his ongoing rehabilitation programme, Cricket Australia said on Friday.

But CA Executive General Manager Pat Howard said Cummins, 20, will not be added to the squad and will not play in any tour games.

Instead he will continue to work on his “customised programme” with Centre of Excellence Head Coach Troy Cooley’s guidance, Howard said.

not my really favourite surface.

“I feel good, of course. I wasn’t really expecting this, it is not easy, 6-2 in the third, that’s not easy against him.” Three-time champion Federer, who beat Nishikori in straight sets in their only other previous clash in Basel in 2011, admitted Nishikori was a deserving winner.

“I’m disappointed with my match. Today Nishikori played better and the best man won,” said Federer. Rafael Nadal eased into the last eight with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Mikhail Youzhny and will next face either Tommy Haas of Germany or Spanish compatriot David Ferrer.

Although Cummins will travel with the squad, he will not play in any of the tour games, Pat Howard, CA Executive General Manager said.

Cummins developed back soreness during the Twenty20 Champions League in South Africa last year and was then

diagnosed in November with an early stage stress fracture.

He has not played since in either domestic or international

matches. “Depending on his continued progression, he may play in intra-squad and warm up matches if this is deemed appropriate based on his workloads, but there is no intention for Pat to play in any of the tour games,” Howard said.

He added that Cricket Australia saw it as a priority to continue Cummins’ progression as a fast bowler.

“The aim is to have Pat available and prepared for Australia A series in South Africa in July/August,” Howard said. AFP

TV networks tussle for Oz rights SYDNEY: Australia’s Ten Network television has offered Cricket Australia Aus$500 million in cash for coverage rights over the next five years, sparking a legal battle, reports said Friday. The bid is well above the $45 million Nine Network has paid annually over the last seven years for international matches and the $12.5 million FoxSports Australia has paid for the Big Bash T20 tournament and other domestic games.

The Australian Financial Review said free-to-air channel Nine, which has broadcast

Oz’s Ten Network has offered CA Aus$500 million in cash for coverage rights over the next five years, sparking a legal battle. live cricket since 1977 as Kerry Packer built his television empire on international coverage, has four weeks to match the offer. However, negotiations between CA and Nine have broken down and the ruling body has filed a writ against the network, Fairfax Media reported.

The Sydney Morning Herald said it was believed Nine is willing to match the offer made by fellow free-toair station Ten. AFP

IPL 6

METRE

6 S 478

They [RR] have got the bowlers, their bowling style is such that they know how to take pace off the ball and bowl massive off spinning balls.

Adam Gilchrist KXIP skipper

Michael Hussey (CSK) 574 runs

Dwayne Bravo (CSK) 21 wickets

Appeal leaves Gilli shocked K

W

L

T PT

13 10

P

3

0

NR

20 +0.687

RR

13

9

4

0

18 +0.445

MI

12

8

4

0

16 +0.644

RCB

12

7

5

0

14 +0.568

SRH

12

7

5

0

14 -0.228

KXIP 12

5

7

0

10 +0.113

KKR

13

5

8

0

10 -0.071

DD

12

3

9

0

6 -0.778

PWI

13

2

11 0

4 -1.367

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

Chris Gayle (RCB),

40 4S 1526

Michael Hussey (CSK)

61

HIGHEST SCORE

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

175*

Chris Gayle (RCB)

BEST BOWLER

5-20

James Faulkner (RR)

Tussle for the top spots

G APARNA SAI

aparna.s@postnoon.com

T

he tussle for making it to the playoffs is getting more intense with every passing match.

Chennai Super Kings, who are comfortably placed at the top of the points table, are the only team, as of now, to have qualified for the playoffs.

The Rajasthan Royals are the other team who look close to making it to the next round.

While Delhi Daredevils and Pune Warriors India do not stand a chance of making it to the next level of the tournament, the remaining teams need a few more victories to be able to qualify.

But with matches swinging in unexpected manners, it will be tough to take a call on the teams which would make it to the top four.

Meanwhile, the Royal

DD VS RCB AT 8PM ON SET MAX

SCORECARD

nown for his calm and composed nature, an appeal from Rajasthan Royals' Ajit Chandila during a Pepsi IPL match here today left Kings XI Punjab skipper Adam Gilchrist shocked.

He made the appeal in the third over of the innings.

Shaun Marsh, who was on strike, hit the ball to mid-on and on seeing the ball being fielded there, Gilchrist, who was inches out of the crease at the non-striker's end, immediately turned to make his way back into the crease.

The incoming throw hit Gilchrist on the glove and the rebound was collected by Chandila. Finding Gilchrist inches short of the crease, Chandila hit the stumps and appealed, prompting Gilchrist to give the bowler a good stare.

CSK

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BATTLE OF THE TITANS

KXIP VS RR

Challengers Bangalore are set to clash with Delhi Daredevils today in the country’s capital.

The Challengers are tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad on the points and need this victory to surge forward.

On paper, and keeping in mind the recent performance of both the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Delhi Daredevils, it is most likely that Bangalore would emerge victorious.

Royal Challengers Bangalore have a formidable side, and on a good day at office, they can demolish their opponents.

But it will be unfair to decide on a winner before the match begins, since the Daredevils, though only a few, have had some remarkable victories, including one against the Mumbai Indians.

Although DD would be playing this game to redeem their pride, it should not come as a surprise if they play party spoilers for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

A CAPTAIN’S KNOCK

PWI VS KKR

Kings XI Punjab innings (20 overs maximum) Mandeep Singh c & b Chandila 0 AC Gilchrist*† c & b Cooper 42 SE Marsh b Cooper 77 DJ Hussey b Watson 1 DA Miller c Rahane b Cooper 8 MS Gony c Samson b Faulkner 3 R Sathish not out 4 PP Chawla not out 1 Extras (lb 6, w 3) 9 Total (6 wickets; 20 overs) 145 Bowling O M R W Econ A Chandila 4 0 24 1 6.00 S Sreesanth 2 0 18 0 9.00 JP Faulkner 4 0 37 1 9.25 SR Watson 4 0 19 1 4.75 SK Trivedi 2 0 18 0 9.00 K Cooper 4 0 23 3 5.75 Rajasthan Royals innings (target: 146 runs from 20 overs) R Dravid* b Bipul Sharma 4 AM Rahane not out 59 SR Watson b Chawla 31 SV Samson not out 47 Extras (lb 1, w 5) 6 Total (2 wickets; 19 overs) 147 Bowling O M R W Econ P Kumar 4 0 27 0 6.75 Bipul Sharma 4 0 21 1 5.25 P Awana 4 0 39 0 9.75 PP Chawla 4 0 27 1 6.75 MS Gony 2 0 22 0 11.00 R Sathish 1 0 10 0 10.00

Kolkata Knight Riders innings (20 overs maximum) MS Bisla† st †Rawat b Kumar 12 G Gambhir* c Mathews b Marsh 50 Kallis c Mathews b Parvez Rasool 2 EJG Morgan c Uthappa b Marsh 15 RN ten Doeschate c Upadhyay b Kumar31 YK Pathan c †Rawat b Kumar 3 MK Tiwary not out 15 R Bhatia not out 13 Extras (b 4, lb 3, w 4) 11 Total (6 wickets; 20 overs) 152 Bowling O M R W Econ WD Parnell 4 0 40 0 10.00 K Upadhyay 2 0 19 0 9.50 B Kumar 4 0 25 3 6.25 Parvez Rasool 4 0 23 1 5.75 AD Mathews 4 0 31 0 7.75 MR Marsh 2 0 7 2 3.50 Pune Warriors innings (target: 153 runs from 20 overs) Uthappa c Gambhir b Iqbal Abdulla 31 AJ Finch* b Kallis 5 Yuvraj Singh c †Bisla b Balaji 1 UA Birla b Iqbal Abdulla 7 AD Mathews c Tiwary b Narine 40 MR Marsh c Tiwary b Bhatia 5 M Rawat† c †Bisla b Kallis 5 WD Parnell c Tiwary b Narine 5 B Kumar b Balaji 1 Parvez Rasool c & b Balaji 1 K Upadhyay not out 1 Extras (w 3, nb 1) 4 Total (all out; 19.3 overs) 106 Bowling O M R W Econ Iqbal Abdulla 4 0 26 2 6.50 L Balaji 3.3 0 19 3 5.42 JH Kallis 4 0 27 2 6.75 SP Narine 4 0 12 2 3.00 ten Doeschate 1 0 3 0 3.00 R Bhatia 3 0 19 1 6.33

Rajasthan Royals won by 8 wickets

Kolkata Knight Riders won by 46 runs

Kolkata Knight Riders's captain Gautam Gambhir plays a shot during the IPL 6 match against Pune Warriors India in Pune on Thursday.

PTI/SHIRISH SHETE

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

sports

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

The long kiss goodbye Sir Alex Ferguson will orchestrate the final game of his career at Old Trafford on Sunday.

STEVEN GRIFFITHS Agance France-Presse LONDON: All eyes will be on Old Trafford and Goodison Park on Sunday as Alex Ferguson and David Moyes say their emotional farewells at the end of one of the most dramatic weeks in the history of the Premier League.

At the start of this week it was hard to imagine that Manchester United’s apparently meaningless final home game of the season against Swansea and Everton’s relatively mundane Goodison Park fixture against West Ham would captivate millions across the globe rather than just the supporters of the respective clubs.

But Ferguson’s sensational announcement on Wednesday that he will retire as United manager at the end of the season after 26-and-a-half years in charge at Old Trafford and the subsequent appointment of Everton boss Moyes as his replacement on Thursday changed all that.

Now the world will be watching as Ferguson takes charge of United at Old Trafford for the last time, while Moyes will also be under the microscope ahead of his official

move to Manchester on July 1.

There will be more than a few tears as the 71year-old Ferguson bids farewell, but the overriding emotion should be joyous celebration of his incredible achievements at United.

It is fitting that the Scot will depart with one last piece of silverware officially installed in the Old Trafford trophy cabinet on

It is fitting that the Scot will depart with one last piece of silverware when United are presented with the EPL trophy.

Sunday when United will be presented with the Premier League trophy.

While Moyes has effectively been hand-picked

by Ferguson, who recommended the Scot to United owners, the Glazer family, the 50-year-old has never had to face the scrutiny he will be under at Old Trafford.

His 11-year reign at Everton has earned him plenty of respect for his ability to construct a highly competitive team on a relatively limited budget.

CAHILL EYES GLORIOUS FINALE FOR CHELSEA

Chelsea defender Gary Cahill has challenged his side to finish the season in triumphant style as they aim to qualify for the Champions League and win the Europa League in their remaining three games. The midweek failure to beat Tottenham means Rafael Benitez’s side must win at Aston Villa.

City, Wigan look for FA Cup relief

LONDON: At the end of a week dominated by Alex Ferguson’s shock retirement as Manchester United manager, Manchester City will seek to drag the spotlight back to the blue half of the city

by beating Wigan Athletic in Saturday’s FA Cup final.

Victory over Wigan will give City a third major title in three seasons and salve some of the pain inflicted by United’s uncontested romp to this

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season’s Premier League title and their own abject group-stage exit in the Champions League.

City’s fans would love to interrupt the Ferguson swansong by repeating their 2011 FA Cup success.