THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013 HYDERABAD
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WEATHER: LIKELIHOOD OF RAINS; 27°C
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THE PETITE PARADE Now, who wouldn’t want to get back to school in fashion? Stride Rite Children’s Group showcased it’s back-to-school collection as tiny tots took to the ramp in outfits designed by Jennifer Smith.
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HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER
SEEMANDHRA READIES FOR A SHOWDOWN WITH CENTRE
Even as calls to clamp the the Essential Services Maintenance Act on striking employees have come down from Delhi, State ministers hailing from Seemandhra came out with their own coordination committee to take forward their fight for Samaikyandhra.
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THE ‘GOOD’ FELLAS
Mark ‘Chopper’ Read was convicted of robbery and murder, but the man turned a new leaf when he became a writer. Eric Bana recently played him on the big screen. Here are some others who got the star treatment.
TOUTS MAKE A
With no system to filter touts from genuine passengers, Railway counters test the patience of people who have no knowledge of the ‘amazing’ nexus between touts and railway employees.
KILLING AT RAILWAY COUNTERS REPORT ON P4
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
city events
BOOK LAUNCH
Landmark is organising the launche of the novel Bankerupt by Ravi Subramanian on 12th October at Landmark. Nothing is as it seems in this cunningly vicious thriller where the plot turns on a dime.
Weather for Hyderabad
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A mix of cloud and sun
Cloudy with thunderstorms.
20C
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Cloudy with clear skies.
New Delhi Mumbai Max 38 Max 32 Min 27 Min 29 Sunny
Clear with chances of rain.
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Chennai Max 31 Min 27
Bangalore Max 29 Min 20
Cloudy with chances of thunderstorm
Cloudy with chances of thunderstorms.
AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES Celebrations As part of Durga Puja Celebrations 2013, an event called Udbodhani Sangeet will be held. Don’t miss this! We assure you that it will be an experience like no other. Get your passes now! Where: Banjara Function Hall, Road No. 1, Banjara Hills, Masab Tank When: October 10, 7:30pm onwards Contact: (040) 23391416/ Bengalee Cultural Association - 66752540
EXHIBITION Lepakshi Dasara Mela Lepakshi Dasara Mela A handloom Exhibition-Cum-Sale for Dussehra. Where: Opposite Police Control, Room, Gun Foundry, When: Until October 13, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2323-5028 Chaturang Exhibition Ladies, want to meet the Bollywood queen Karishma Kapoor in your own city? Then you should not miss the inauguration of Chaturang exhibition on 9th of October at Taj Krishna! When: October 10, 10am - 8pm Where:Taj Krishna, Road No.1, Banjara Hills. Contact: 984802994.
DINING Navratri Celebration A special Navratri thali at Firdaus, a fine dining speciality Indian restaurant with a variety of vegetarian options. Where: Firdaus, Taj Krishna, Road No. 1, Banjara Hills When: Until October 31; Lunch -
12:30pm to 3pm and Dinner 7:30pm to 12am Contact: (040) 30512844 ext: 987 Business Lunch
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
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MUNICIPAL CORPORATION
ART
N SHIVA KUMAR
This month, Via Milano will pamper you with their lunch buffet which includes a choice of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, a starter, maincourse and a choice of dessert just for Rs.500/When: October 10, 12pm - 3:30pm Where:Via Milano, 4th Floor, 1259/a, Jubilee-Hills Contact: (040)- 64556677, 89 offer Heads or Tails, the drink is yours! Go to Spoil and pamper yourself as you enjoy any drink at just Rs.89/- every day of the week When:Whole of October, 8:30pm onwards Where:Spoil, Road No.1, Jubilee Hills, Navratri special Indulge in some delicious Mock Meat
Commissioner & Spl Officer
Helpline
ELECTRICITY General Complaints Breakdown Section
WATER WOES: Vehicles seen wading through waterlogged roads as heavy rains lashed the City on Wednesday.
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
this Navratri. This include alternatives to chicken, crab and lobster products. Where: Godrej Nature’s Basket Contact: +91 8790432354
WORKSHOP Zumba(R) in the Circuit It is 30 minutes of dance-fitness moves combined with circuit training, a series of strength exercises at timed intervals. When: October 10, 7pm - 07:30pm Where:360 Degree Fitness 2nd Floor, Above Tata Chroma, Road No.36, Jubilee Hills Contact: 8686028484. Theatre festival A 7 day public speaking workshop for kids using drama as a technique
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
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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
is going to be held. This could be a fun activity that you can do with your kids. Make sure to participate. Where: Lamakaan, Lane next to CBAY, Off Road No.1, Banjara Hills When: Until October13 ,4pm Contact: 96427 31329
SHOWS 100 Pipers Music Week - Raahie If you love Indian classical and sufi music and Pop/rock base, then Hard Rock Cafe is the place for you. Don’t miss out on the gig. Gather your friends and head to Hard Rock Cafe! When: October 10, 7pm - 10pm Where:Hard Rock Cafe, GVK One, Road No. 1, Banjara Hills.
27567892 23559555 23226624 27633087 27035588 27550238 30799999 30418296 30417445
AMBULANCES Apollo 23548888, 23607777 Kamineni 24022222 Medwin 23202902, 23204616 Smile Line Dental Hospital 23747979 Red Cross 27627973 Niloufer Hospital 23314095 Gandhi 23320332 AIRLINES
Exhibition of Painting An exhibition of paintings by Ashoke Ganguly and Sarbani Ganguly. A versatile painter who has befriended with brush and canvas since he was a teenager. He is excellent in traditional art forms. When: October 10, 11am - 7pm Where:Alankritha Art Gallery, Residence Inn, Kavuri Hills. Contact: 98850 80296 The Native Fest A group show of figurative paintings by seven artists will be held. Iconart Gallery is hosting a group show titled "The Native Fest" for 13 days. I Where: 1672, 3rd floor, SBI Building, Road No. 12, Banjara Hills When: Until October 17, 11.30am 7pm; Contact: (0) 9849968797
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 # Plot no.550-A1, 3rd floor, Road no-92, Jubilee hills, Hyderabad-500033 a call on a call on 2354 1412
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
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IS DIGGY MAKING OVERTURES TO THE YSRC BY SAYING JAGAN IS LIKE MY SON?
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LUCKY ESCAPE
POLICE ACTION
Oz police storm Hells Angels' havens MELBOURNE: More than 700 Australian police swooped on the Hells Angels biker gang Thursday in a series of heavilyarmed raids in Melbourne and its surrounds, seizing guns, ammunition, drugs and cash. In a coordinated operation, police stormed some 60 clubhouses and properties simultaneously to clamp down on an escalating war between rival motorcycle outfits that has sparked a spate of shootings with high-powered weapons. The crackdown came after new anti-fortification laws came into effect on Sunday, which allow police to tear down barriers, cameras and booby traps at club facilities. "If they're affiliated with the Hells Angels, they've been targeted," Acting Deputy Commissioner Steve Fontana told reporters. Several people were arrested but Fontana said the full extent of what had been seized would take time to determine as many of the properties were heavily fortified. But he admitted that none of the "high-powered militarystyle weapons" that police had been searching for had so far been found. "We're determined to track them down," he said. "We've located a number of firearms, a large quantity of ammunition, we've located drugs, a large quantity of cash, but the investigations and searches are still going." He added that police were "extremely concerned about these weapons". "We're extremely concerned about the intel we've got about the tensions and the intentions of these clubs, and so we thought it necessary to make a pretty strong stance."
TODAY’S QUESTION
YESTERDAY’S QUESTION
CASES ARE BEING WITHDRAWN AGAINST TOP LEADERS. IS THERE SOMETHING FISHY?
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Abducted girl returns She was 19 when a besotted youth from Rajasthan took to her and pursued her with offers of love and marriage. The girl says she refused and therefore he arranged her kidnapping and kept her captive in Rajasthan for two years. MOHD SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com
promises but she refused to accept his advances. Thereafter, the girl says he began to taunt her and threaten her. One day in 2011 he arranged her to be kidnapped and took her to Rajasthan. The complainant says
HYDERABAD: The girl now 21 came back home and lodged a complaint with the city police against a young man of 28 from Rajasthan, by name Mulchand. Police went to Rajasthan and arrested him. According to Bowenpally police, Mulchand came to the city two years ago in search of a livelihood. He stayed in Mallikarjun Nagar in Bowenpally and got employed in a private firm. During this time he came in touch with a 19year-old girl of the same locality. He began to court her with sweet
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she made a couple of bids to escape from his clutches, but her lack of knowledge of the area where she was lodged did her in. Only recently she stumbled on a Hyderabadi who helped her to escape and board a train home.
CHAOS
Libyan PM Ali Zeidan kidnapped The abduction comes five days after US forces seized senior AlQaeda figure Abu Anas al-Libi — indicted for the 1998 bombings of US embassies in east Africa — off the streets of Tripoli.
TRIPOLI: Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan was kidnapped from his Tripoli hotel at dawn on Thursday by an armed group and taken to an unknown location, the government and sources said. "The head of the transitional government, Ali Zeidan, was taken to an unknown destination for unknown reasons by a group" of men believed to be former rebels, the government said in a brief statement on its website. A source in the prime minister's office said Zeidan had been kidnapped from Tripoli's Corinthia hotel, where he resides. The abduction comes five
AROUND THE
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days after US commandos seized senior Al-Qaeda figure Abu Anas al-Libi -- indicted for the twin 1998 bombings of US embassies in east Africa -- off the streets of Tripoli and whisked him away to
a warship. The government said it suspected two groups of ex-rebels, the chamber of revolutionaries and the brigade for the fight against crime, which in principle fall under the defence and interior ministries, of being behind the kidnapping. The cabinet and the General National Congress, Libya's top political authority, were dealing with the situation the statement said, while calling on citizens to remain calm. Saturday's raid by US commandos in Tripoli has embarrassed and put the Libyan government under pressure from its critics.
CITY BRIEFS GoM to meet tomorrow over Telangana
Dr Rao to file PIL against Viswaroop to join YRSC Chief Minister on October 18
YSRC says GoM is just like Simon commission
Congress party state panel reorganised
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he reconstituted Group of Ministers (GoM) on Telangana is scheduled to meet on tomorrow to discuss threadbare the issue of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. It would be presided over by Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. A JAC of 17 leaders of Seemandhra Congress has also been constituted under minister Sailajanath.
ormer minister Dr P Shankar Rao said he was preparing to file a public interest litigation in the High Court against the chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and the expolice chief Dinesh Reddy. He said the DGP said many things against the Congress party and CM and public have a right to know the truth.
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ormer minister and Congress MLA Viswaroop will join the YSR Congress Party on October 18. He said that he had submitted resignation in protest against the CWC decision to bifurcate the State. He said he was upset that the Congress party leaders declared that the process of bifurcation of the State would not be stopped.
rawing a parallel between the Group of Ministers (GoM) and the Simon Commission, YSR Congress on Wednesday demanded the UPA-led Central Government to stop the process of bifurcating Andhra Pradesh, and appealed to all political parties in the country to join hands to press against the creation of Telangana.
he Congress party has reorganized the Andhra Pradesh Congress Coordination Committee on Wednesday. AICC Chief Sonia Gandhi approved the new committee, which has six members and PCC Chief Botcha Satyanarayana has been appointed convener. Members include AICC general secretary incharge of AP Digvijay Singh.
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News THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013 LAST YEAR... HERE
SHUTDOWN FALLOUT
Salmonella outbreak sickens 300 in US
Courting a disaster Last year we had reported on the growing problem of engineering colleges in the City that were churning out unemployable graduates. We also wrote about how a change in understanding students’ aptitude can make all the difference.
OCTOBER 10, 2012
NUMEROLOGY
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Australian police swooped on the Hells Angels biker gang Thursday in a series of heavily-armed raids in Melbourne and its surrounds, seizing guns, ammunition, drugs and cash.
We believe in serious talks and we are ready to sit down for them, but the government has not taken any serious steps Hakimullah Mehsud, Pakistani Taliban leader
THINGS WE 5LEARNT TODAY The column that teaches everyone something new about the way the world functions.
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US deputy commander loses gamble The deputy commander of US nuclear forces has been fired from his post after being investigated for allegedly using counterfeit chips at a casino, officers said Wednesday.
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DU’s photocopy shop at the centre of a publishing battle A court battle brought by 3 academic presses over the interpretation of India’s copyright law is centered at the busy shop in DU.
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Dubai property bounces back, but bubble looms It has weathered the debt crisis, leaning on its robust trade, tourism and transport, but Dubai still carries a debt of over $100bn.
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Samsung goes ahead of the curve In a bid to maintain it’s market lead, Samsung plans to unveil a smartphone with a curved display.
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Silk Road mastermind to be sent to New York for trial. A US judge ordered the accused mastermind of the nefarious online black market Silk Road sent to New York to stand trial.
WASHINGTON: A salmonella outbreak in raw chicken has sickened nearly 300 people in the United States, officials said Wednesday as consumer advocates warned the federal shutdown was hampering a government response. The 278 illnesses in 18 states were believed to be linked to raw chicken from three Foster Farms locations in California, according to the Food Safety and Inspection
Service. "The outbreak is still ongoing, and therefore our investigation is still ongoing," an FSIS spokesman said, noting that 135 inspectors were on duty responding to the outbreak despite the government shutdown. "The only folks that were furloughed were back at our headquarters." The shutdown, which began October 1, has sent hun-
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dreds of thousands of federal workers home without pay, including staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration. A CDC spokeswoman said that six employees had been
recalled to staff a network of public health labs that monitor for food-borne outbreaks, bringing the total number of employees on that project to seven. A high proportion of people have been hospitalised — 42 percent — and some of the salmonella strains are showing resistance to antibiotics, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. AFP
A QUICK BUCK
Touts make a killing at railway counters
Heavy rush during the festive season drives customers to desperate measures. ALEENA ALICE aleena.t@postnoon.com
I
t is festive season. It is also touts’ season. With a string of festivals approaching, railway touts have been trying to strike gold by charging as high as `1300 per passenger for a confirmed A/C birth. Last month the regular reservation for outstation journeys were completed and tatkal counters are flooded with people who have been trying to make last minute ticket reservations. But the fact is that a lot many of them on the lineup to counters are touts or their agents. Since the last weekend all reservation counters in the city have been witnessing long queues right from 6 in the morning for the tatkal counters which open at 10 am. Taking advantage of this situation, railway touts are making a killing and charging passengers over and above normal fares. These agents have been demanding anything from Rs. 1000-1300 for confirmation of birth in the 2 tier and 3 tier A C birth. Undeniably there are some who are willing to pay `2000 if it will relieve them of the trouble of going after a ticket. “I was asked to pay an advance of `2,000 for 4 confirmed 3 tier A C births to Bangalore. The tout asked me to come back to the reservation counter by 8:30 the next day,” said A. Santosh a resident of Secunderabad. Though the railway officials and police deny these allegations and claim that no one is allowed to stand at the counters
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till 7 in the morning, one passenger who recently booked tickets to Vijaywada said, “The tout was standing on my behalf since the wee hours. Once i reached the station, he signalled me and I took his place, meanwhile he casually slipped into the crowd.” On regular basis every day 80 trains leave Hyderabad and approximately 1 lakh 50 thousand passengers travel. However because of the festive season, another 40 special trains have been arranged. Even the special trains, now have no more reservations for this week. Reservations for trains from Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Kakinada, Tirupati,
TATKAL MADNESS
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ecause of the maddening rush, for the first time in history the Central Railway has been issuing tatkal tickets for passenger trains. Railway reservation centres at Nampally, Secunderabad, Secretariat, Ameerpet, A.S Rao Nagar, Moulali and also various MMTS station counters have been flooding with people buying tatkal tickets.
Kadapa, Machilipatnam, Narsapur, Vijayanagara, Gudur and main cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata and Howrah have been completed. There has been a rush for these trains, and passengers have been trying all means to get confirmed births in these trains. According to the rules passengers who want to avail the
tatkal facilities have to purchase the tatkal ticket 24 hours before the date of journey by paying Rs. 75 more. Only a few persons close to the window are able to get tatkal tickets which get sold within minutes leading to touts waiting at the counters all night. Central Railway spokesperson K. Sambasiva Rao however denied these allegations and said it's not possible for touts to operate near tatkal counters. "There are CCTVs monitoring the entire area, besides the RPF men. We also have vigilance officers. One has to show their ID proof at the counter and it's not possible for touts to buy a ticket on someone else's behalf. If someone is standing on your behalf, it may be difficult to nab him as he may claim to be your relative. However we will drive away such elements," said Rao.
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News THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
FACE-OFF
Seemandhra set for a showdown with Centre
Even as calls to clamp ESMA on striking employees have come from Delhi. State ministers hailing from Seemandhra came out with their own coordination committee to take forward their fight for Samaikyandhra. POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com
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ll eyes are now at chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to bring results. Kiran, who has publicly disassociated with the Central decision to divide the state, is under pressure from the Centre to bring to a close the employees’ strike to save the party from further loss of credibility. Fresh attempts are being made to thrash out the issue. The yesterday’s meeting between the CM and the APNGOs and leaders of Seemandhra Secretariat Employees Association broke down but the Centre wants the government to bring peace by any means to tame the massive uprising against the Congress party. Alternatively, it wants the government to clamp strict punitive measures. The Chief Minister has put across two issues before the striking employees. He told them that a cyclone is most likely to strike the coastal areas of the state and they must call off the strike, as people will not be able to cope with the problems in the absence of government support. He also conveyed to them AICC general secretary in-charge of state affairs Digvijaya Singh’s promise, that the bifurcation Bill
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will come to the state Assembly twice. The Congress has called for imposition of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) in the Andhra Pradesh state, to bring back striking employees to work, particularly in the Seemandhra region.’ In the AICC briefing, Congress spokesperson PC Chacko said, “14 districts are without light, services in hospital have also been affected. The government is willing to talk to agitators. The state government should take strong action and ESMA should be invoked”.
In another major development on the political front, the AICC has reconstituted the state coordination committee by pruning its size. The new coordination committee as approved by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, now consists ofGeneral Secretary in-charge of state affiars Digvijay Singh, Chief minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana, Deputy Chief Minister D. Raja Narasimha, AICC Secretary Tirunavukkarasu and Union Tourism minister Chiranjeevi. This, while the GoM on state bifurcation is slated to meet on Friday under the chairmanship of Union Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. While the GoM was to be headed by Defence minister AK Antony, Shinde will be officiating as its chairman during its first-ever meeting on that day due to ill-health of Antony. In the meantime, state ministers hailing from Seemandhra came out with their own coordination committee to take forward their fight for Samaikyandhra. It will have 17 members: ten state ministers, six MLAs and one MLC. Its convener will be state minister Sailajanath. The formation of the committee has been approved by state PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana.
POLITICS
Queer is the ways of India’s party politics. Soon after Jaganmohan Reddy’s surprising laudatory remarks about Narendra Modi, his mother and honorary president of YSRC Vijaymma, met the BJP President Rajnath Singh in New Delhi, setting tongues wagging of a possible informal understanding with the saffron party.
Lady from Lotus Pond ‘courts’ Lotus PK SURENDRAN surendranpk@postnoon.com
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SRC leader Vijaymma says she met the BJP chief yesterday to muster his party’s support for resolving the Andhra Pradesh political tangle. But she was not stoutly denying her party would never have any tie up with the BJP. It is too early to talk of pacts was all she said. Political circles say the move is to neutralise the conciliatory attitude the TDP has taken to the BJP. The BJP is seen to be emerging a serious contender for forming a government after the 2014 polls and no regional party wants to gamble away any of its future chances of opportunistic tie up that a possible central government which will only benefit AROUND THE
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the state-level party in a variety of ways. “We requested him to keep the state united,” YSR Congress party MP Mekapati Rajamohan said after the meeting. He said the United Progressive Alliance government has taken an “arbitrary, unilateral decision” on division of Andhra Pradesh without considering the problems faced by people of Seemandhra region.
‘YSRC IS PRUDENT’ “Showing untouchability in politics is imprudent,” said Lokeswar Rao, a political scien-
tist. “In a bewildering scenario such as India’s permutations and combinations must be tried to keep afloat in a given circumstance,” he said. He pointed out the fate of the communist parties that practised ‘untouchability’ with the right-wing BJP. “Where is it now?” he asks adding the Reds who had all the chance of emerging a great champion of the downtrodden is pushed to the backyard of Kerala. However, nobody suspects the YSRC, which is rooted in minority votes, could overtly court the BJP. What all it may do is to have localised understanding with the party.
Covert relations
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owever, nobody suspects the YSRC, which is rooted in minority votes, could overtly court the BJP. What all it may do is to have localised understanding with the party.
NATION BRIEFS Mulayam to hold 18 rallies across UP
‘Shillong jailbreak report tampered with’
Oz, India to develop alternate clean fuel
20 pilgrims killed in Punjab accident
BSF recovers 26 kg heroin in Punjab
LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav will start his campaign for Lok Sabha polls 2014 Oct 29, party leaders said Thursday. The first of 18 rallies would be held in Azamgarh. The state parliamentary board Wednesday chalked out an elaborate electoral road map for its chief.
SHILLONG: Questioning the findings of Justice (retired) SP Rajkhowa on the infamous Shillong jailbreak, the Civil Society Women’s Organisation (CSWO) of Meghalaya said Thursday it would approach the high court, seeking a full CBI inquiry. On Wednesday, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma tabled the 79-page probe report.
CANBERRA: India and Australia could solve energy shortage problems and reduce reliance on imported fuels through a research partnership, a statement from an Australian national science body said Thursday. The project will also draw the expertise of the Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited.
CHANDIGARH: At least 20 people, including women and children, were killed and over 30 injured when a small truck rolled down a gorge in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district bordering Himachal Pradesh, police said Thursday. The accident occurred early Thursday, when the truck rolled down near Manguwal barrier, 20 km from Hoshiarpur.
CHANDIGARH: The Border Security Force (BSF) Thursday recovered nearly 26 kg of heroin in the Amritsar sector near the IndiaPakistan international border in Punjab, an officer said. Alert BSF troopers foiled an attempt by Pakistani smugglers to push the consignment to their Indian counterparts.
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News THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
THE INDIE SCENE
A nerd and a zealot The Off the Record @Rowson's Reserve Smooth Spaces concert is back and better than ever. A star at the show, Sahej Bakshi aka The Dualist Inquiry talks about his gig, love for music and more. ARUN DANIEL YELLAMATY arunyellamaty@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: Sahej Bakshi, the electronica musician and producer (who goes by the stage name Dualist Inquiry!) managed to put together a successful career in a few years has a packed year ahead. The game plan includes tours out of the country and many other popular cities. With an unbeatable rock influenced live electronica style, Dualist Inquiry has been the Indian artist choice to open for top international DJ’s including David Guetta, DJ Shadow and BeardyMan. Speaking on the experience, Sahej says, "it was a fantastic experience, very early in the career getting a call from David Guetta's manager and wanting me to open the event. People who came to see him, got to see me. It was a great platform." Speaking about how he landed in this
THE THIRD FRONTIER Planet found floating without star in space
MAKING AMENDS New Zealand clears up centuries-old map blunder
WASHINGTON: Astronomers said Wednesday they have found a lonely planet outside the solar system floating alone in space and not orbiting a star. WELLINGTON:New The gaseous exoplanet, dubbed PSO Zealand on Thursday moved J318.5-22, is just 80 light years from Earth and to correct a clerical oversight has a mass only six times that of Jupiter. lasting 200 years that meant Having formed 12 million years ago, the its two main islands were planet is considered a newborn among its never officially named. peers. Universally known as the "We have never before North and South seen an object free-floating in Islands, the landAROUND THE space that looks like this. It masses had never WORLD has all the characteristics of been formally young planets found around recognised despite other stars, but it is drifting out there all appearing on maps since Eualone," said research team leader Michael Liu ropean settlement began in tof the Institute for Astronomy at the he early 1800s, the New University of Hawaii at Manoa. Zealand Geographic Board The researchers, whose study was pubsaid. lished in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, After discovering the identified the planet from its faint and unique error in 2009, the board heat signature using the Pan-STARRS 1 widebegan a long public consultafield survey telescope on the Haleakala voltion process looking at how cano of Hawaii's Maui island. to rectify the mistake, resultThey suggested the newly found planet ing in an announcement from may have the lowest mass of all known freely Land Information Minister floating objects. Maurice Williamson on During the past decade, researchers have Thursday. found about a thousand extrasolar planets Williamson also using indirect methods, including planetapproved alternative Maori induced wobbling or dimming of their host names for the islands: Te stars. Waipounamu — meaning But only a handful of these planets have rivers of green stone — for been observed directly since most are orbitthe South Island and Te Ikaing around young stars less than 200 million a-Maui -- the fish of Maui (a years old and thus very bright. Maori god) -- for the North. AFP AFP
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career, Bakshi said, he studied music in L.A. when he chose to attend “Introduction To Music Technology.” “It taught me the basics of setting up a studio and how to record. It made me apply to a music school next semester.” L.A. was also where Dualist Inquiry took roots as Bakshi opened up to electronica, a phase he compares to that of learning a new language. “I went as a pure rock guy and returned loving electronica,” he says crediting his friends for introducing him to psychedelic trance, rave and drum n bass. "A lot of people come up, and ask how I play EDM with a guitar in one hand and computer on other. I keep getting these questions," says the 25-yearold, who says his love for rock music will
always be there. Sahej Bakshi is in a way a nerd. “Qualia,” “Blitzkreig,” “Soleil,” [French for sun], “Anathema” and soon-to-bereleased album Doppelganger all got their names after spending a lot of time looking up for words for his albums and songs, so that he could pick the best title for his songs. Coming to Hyderabad he says, "I keep putting up posters of every event I am at, a lot of people had asked me why I wasn't coming to Hyderabad, so I decided and my manager made a few phone calls and in no time we are I. Hyderabad, for our first ever event." Sahej adds, that the EDM is growing in the country like never before and the rest of world is looking forward to new music coming out of India. Advising aspiring musicians, he says, people should just download a few softwares and start producing, something will click and their career will take off.
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News THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
FUN WITH SPORTS SRINIVAS SETTY
Corporate hotshots play hardball The employees of various companies kept themselves busy during the weekend with one of the biggest sporting events in the corporate world. Close to 1,500 employees and 25 companies have been busy at the American Chamber of Commerce in India (AMCHAM India) Sports Fair organised by the The Sports Managers. ARUN D YELLAMATY arunyellamaty@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: The four-month AMCHAM sports extravaganza has kept a lot of young sport lovers, who otherwise miss sports due to their busy work schedules, enthralled. Competitions are being held in sports such as cricket, football, basketball, table tennis, tennis, badminton, caroms, chess, throw ball, volleyball and athletics. Sandhya Rodriguez, regional head of AMCHAM, says, “The purpose of the complete event is to create awareness of health and fitness, and these events are also a great platform for employees to mix up with people of other companies. The Chamber’s mission is to assist its members succeed though advocacy, information, networking and business support services. “ She adds, “We conduct this event every year, and this is the most sought after among many
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cultural events that are organised by us. Many kept calling us to check about the timing of the competitions. There is a lot of buzz pertaining to this event at various companies. They work very hard throughout the week and participate in these competitions on the weekends.” “It is fun organising these events and promoting fitness through sport. It is also a great sight to see so much talent among these players who participate.” says Sukesh H from The Sports Managers. His team has been busy ensuring each event is efficiently organised and that no companies complain of any foul play. Close to 30 companies such as Deloitte, DE Shaw, S&P Capital IQ, CA India, Broadridge, International Paper, St Jude Medical, ADP, Anthelio Business
Technologies, D S T Worldwide, Wells Fargo, Franklin Templeton, Invesco, Ispace, Keste, Steel Wedge, Qualcomm, Ernst & Young and Tetrasoft have participated in these events. Members of AMCHAM also took part at this major event. The employees have been having a jolly good time as most rarely participated in sports due to their hectic lifestyle. Rama Prakash, of CA Technologies, who captained their football team, says, “Football has always been my passion and representing my company is a privilege. Thanks to these events, we are able to play sports apart from our daily workload, and keep a check on our heath. We are also able to interact and spend time with people working at various companies too”. As of now the football, volleyball, throw ball have been concluded and this much-awaited tournament ends on December 15.
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News THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013 DÉJÀ VU
Muzaffarnagar dual murder sparks tensions AROUND THE
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LUCKNOW: Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh grew tense again, after two young people were murdered in two different places a day ago, officials said Thursday. The district was rocked by communal violence last month. Initial information available is that a carpenter, travelling from Pallavpuram to his village Jamalpur was stabbed to death by two motorbike-borne assailants. Soon after the first murder, a 25-year-old barber at Pancheda Road in the Nayi Mandi Kotwali area was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants while he was shaving a customer. Following the murders, both of which occurred late Wednesday, people came out on the streets in large numbers, jammed roads and raised anti-government slogans. Heavy police reinforcements were rushed to the tension-hit areas. There were allegations that these murders too were communal incidents. The district administration fears that the crimes may take a communal hue. “The situation was tense last night, but under control now. No one will be allowed to take the law into their own hands. The culprits behind the murders will be arrested soon,” a senior police official in state capital Lucknow said. IG (Law and Order) RK Vishwakarma told IANS that the two crimes have still to be investigated, and no clue about the possible motive was yet available. “The atmosphere in Muzaffarnagar continues to be tense, as people attribute the murders to communal forces,” Vishwakarma said, adding that the police force is investigating the cases, and things are under control, for now. IANS
ANTICIPATING DISASTER
Cyclone Phailin intensifies, Odisha raises warning level The cyclonic storm has moved slightly northwestwards, and intensified further and lay centred at about 850 km southeast of Paradip. BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Thursday raised its warning level as cyclonic storm “Phailin” over east central Bay of Bengal was gaining strength and moving slowly towards the east coast, officials said. The distant storm warning signal number has been raised to two from the earlier one at the AROUND THE
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state’s Paradip and Gopalpur ports, an official of the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre told IANS. The storm moved slightly northwest, and lay centred at about 850 km off the port town of Paradip. “It would intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm during next two days, before mak-
The state government has made elaborate preparations to meet any eventualities, and directed collectors of 14 cyclone-prone districts to deploy relief and rescue officials at vulnerable points. ing landfall between Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Paradip by Saturday night with a maximum sustained wind speed of 175-185 kilometers per hour”, the official said. The system will bring lashing rain and strong winds to the state’s coastal belt, the official at the state’s met department said.
The state government has made elaborate preparations to meet any eventualities, and directed collectors of 14 cycloneprone districts to deploy relief and rescue officials at vulnerable points. People will also be evacuated from low-laying areas to safer places if the need is felt for such a measure. “We have asked all the concerned officials to stay prepared and conduct mock drills of relief and rescue forces. We have asked them to keep adequate food items, boats and tree cutting equipment ready,” Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Mohapatra told IANS. He said the state has about 50 satellite phones and officials were ensuring that they work properly in case there was disruption in telephone services. Round-the-clock control rooms have been activated in the district headquarters towns, including in the highly cycloneprone Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Ganjam, Puri and Kendrapada. A state level control room set up at state capital Bhubaneswar was coordinating with control rooms in the districts. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik held a meeting of top officials Wednesday to review the preparedness for dealing with the cyclone. Such meetings are expected on a day-to-day basis. “We are fully prepared, and we have adequate boats and food items ready. Disaster forces have been kept on standby. We may evacuate people from low laying areas later, if such a step is necessary,” Satya Kumar Mullick, collector of Jagatsinghpur district, said.
Strike-hit state braces up for cyclone POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has put all departments on high alert in view of the cyclone threat looming over the North Andhra districts and Odisha Coast. The Chief Minister today held a review meeting with ministers and top officials of various departments concerned on the threat of cyclone and the preparedness in this regard. All leave of the various governmental staff has been cancelled. During the meeting, the CM asked the officials to remain alert and constantly monitor the situation and can request for helicopters, boats and coast guard services and so on in advance. He said fishermen should be kept informed and be asked not to venture into the see as the cyclone approaches. He also asked the officials to mobilise vehicles and rescue teams, including NDRF
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teams if necessary and also asked the Civil Supplies Department to stock all essential commodities of one month’s requirement. The CM also asked the Power sector officials to be on high alert since there is likelihood of power being disrupted due to gales and winds etc. The state also appointed special officers for cyclone prone districts. According to the Indian Meterological Department Hyderabad director Sudhakar Rao, the system would intensify into a cyclonic storm during next 12 hours. As a precautionary measure, round-the-clock Control Room has been opened in Revenue (DM) Department in the Secretariat. Telephone Number is 04023456005/23451034, Fax No.040-23451819.
IANS
WORLD BRIEFS Syria chemical weapons watchdog calls for truce
US launches joint naval drill with Japan, S Korea
Merkel, Greens to sound out potential coalition
Bound for Japan forced to turn back
Colombia rebels reject call to fast-track talks
THE HAGUE: The world’s chemical weapons watchdog has called for temporary truces to meet tight disarmament deadlines in Syria, where fresh bloodshed served as a deadly reminder of the mission’s difficulties. The OPCW has been charged with dismantling Syria’s chemical arsenal and facilities by mid-2014.
SEOUL: The United States launched a joint naval drill along with South Korea and Japan despite dire warnings of a “horrible disaster” from North Korea, officials said. The drill comes after Seoul and Washington last week agreed a joint strategy to address what they described as the mounting threat of a North Korean nuclear attack.
BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives will meet the Greens party for initial coalition talks, sounding out an alliance that is seen as unlikely but not impossible. The exploratory talks with the left-leaning ecologist party are part of Merkel’s hunt for a governing partner after her conservatives won.
TOKYO: A 787 Dreamliner bound for Japan was forced to turn around and fly back to Russia after toilets on the plane refused to flush, operator Japan Airlines said on Thursday. The Boeing plane carrying 151 crew members and passengers left Moscow late Wednesday for Narita airport east of Tokyo but returned two hours later.
HAVANA: FARC rebels holding peace negotiations in Havana on Wednesday said they were committed to moving forward in the talks, but shrugged off their president’s call to pick up the pace. “As far as the FARC is concerned, we are locked at the negotiating table until we sign an agreement to end the conflict,” said rebel negotiator.
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News THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
ALL TALK, AND NO WALK?
THE RECALIBRATION Pakistani schoolgirls walk along a path after school in Mingora, a town in Swat valley, on the first anniversary of the shooting of Malala Yousafzai by the Taliban. Yousafzai, the teenage activist nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Pakistan Taliban say they are open to talks ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud on Wednesday said he was still open to peace talks, but that the government has not taken any serious steps to start a dialogue. Mehsud, who has a $5 million US government bounty on his head, said he would continue to target the United States and its allies and reiterated the demand that any ceasefire in Pakistan must include an end to US drone strikes. "We believe in serious talks and we are ready to sit down for them, but the government has not taken any serious steps," Mehsud said in a rare video interview with the BBC at an undisclosed location in the north-western tribal areas. "The government has not for-
CHIPS ARE DOWN US N-forces deputy chief sacked WASHINGTON: The deputy commander of US nuclear forces has been fired from his post after being investigated for allegedly using counterfeit chips at a casino, officers said Wednesday. AROUND THE
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The move was highly unusual against such a senior officer in US Strategic Command, which oversees the country's nucleararmed missiles, submarines and bombers. Vice Admiral Tim Giardina, a career three-star submarine officer, was reassigned from his position as the #2 officer at STRATCOM to the Navy staff pending the outcome of a probe by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
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mally made any contact," he said. "There is a set procedure for talks, that if one is ready for talks with the other side then they sit with each other and discuss the matters." The main Pakistani political parties last month backed a government proposal to seek negotiations with the militants, who have been waging a bloody insurgency against the state since 2007. The umbrella Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan (TTP) faction responded with a list of preconditions, including a government ceasefire and the withdrawal of troops from tribal areas.
US suspends arms deliveries to Egypt Aiming to signal its concern to Egypt's government about weeks of bloodshed, Washington said it had stopped shipments of some large-scale systems. AROUND THE
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JO BIDDLE & DANIEL DE LUCE feedback@postnoon.com WASHINGTON: The United States has suspended deliveries of major military hardware and cash assistance to Egypt, following a deadly crackdown against protesters and the Muslim Brotherhood. Aiming to signal its concern to Egypt's military-led government about weeks of bloodshed, Washington said it had stopped shipments of some large-scale military systems as well as halting $260 million in cash aid to the country's armed forces. Although the US review of its decades-old policy would not be permanent, it would remain in place "pending credible progress toward an inclusive, democratically-elected civilian government through free and fair elections," State Department spokeswoman Jen
Egyptians hold candles in remembrance of those who were killed when security forces violently crushed a Coptic Christian demonstration in front of the state television (Maspero) building in Cairo.
Morsi trial on Nov 4 CAIRO: An Egyptian court set November 4 for the trial of Mohamed Morsi for inciting the murder of protesters, a move likely to further anger the ousted Islamist president's supporters. Morsi and 14 others are charged over the killings of protesters outside his palace last December.
Psaki said in a statement. Marking a dramatic break with years of unqualified support to Cairo, the decision will prevent deliveries of big-ticket items, including Apache helicopters, F-16 fighter jets, M1A1 Abrams tank parts and Harpoon missiles, officials told reporters. They would not give specific figures, but said the value of the frozen contracts would run into "hundreds of millions of dollars�.
OSCAR FRONTRUNNER
Captain Phillips storms home Directed in hyper-realistic style by British director Paul Greengrass the movie looks like a contender possibly for multiple Oscar nominations. LEILA MACOR feedback@postnoon.com LOS ANGELES: Forrest Gump and Castaway star Tom Hanks again plays an everyday guy thrust into exceptional circumstances in Captain Phillips, a true story of a cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates. Directed in hyper-realistic style by British director Paul Greengrass the movie looks like a contender possibly for multiple Oscar nominations. The film, based on A Captain's Duty, the autobiography by the real Captain Richard Phillips, tells the story of the US-flagged Maersk Alabama, attacked off the coast of Somalia by pirates in 2009, the first American ship to be hijacked in
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200 years. After their bid to to take the entire crew hostage fails, the pirates instead kidnap only the captain, taking him off into a sealed lifeboat. The story, which played out
in real time in April 2009, ends with the heroic captain being saved by US Navy SEALS, and three of the four pirates killed. The other was arrested and brought to justice in the US. Greengrass, using his trade-
mark documentary style, treats the story as a thriller, focusing on the tension between Captain Phillips and the pirate leader Muse (played by Barkhad Abdi). The director, who also made two of the blockbuster Bourne movies, prevented the actors playing the four pirates from meeting those playing the crew before the assault scenes were filmed, to increase tension. In real life, Captain Phillips' story is not quite as simple a hero's tale as in the movie; a number of crew have sued him for allegedly ignoring warnings to stay further away from the Somali coast.
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News THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
RESCUE CREW
Saving souls on Europe’s edge Crews of 12 spend months or even years on operations together, and such closeknit relationships help hugely when tragedy strikes.
ELLA IDE Agence France Presse LAMPEDUSA: For the officers at coast guard headquarters on Italy’s Lampedusa island, a normal day is nothing of the sort as they are called out time and again to rescue boat-loads of stricken asylum-seekers floundering off the coast. The men and women here patrolling Europe’s southern frontier often rely on the most basic alert system — a satellite phone call from a crewman asking for help. They scour their radars for the stricken vessel, dispatch a helicopter with searchlight and set sail on cutters with infrared radars to follow cries for help. “Rescue operations are often dramatic, in rough seas,” coast guard spokesman Filippo Marini said at the busy control room overlooking the island’s harbour. “We arrive at night and find them clinging on to the sides of the dinghy, and it’s not easy to save them.” Sometimes aid arrives too late: on Thursday, a boatload of Eritrean and Somalian refugees caught fire and sank just hundreds of metres from the coast. Rescuers pulled 155 people from the sea but over 300 people are feared dead and divers off the remote island have spent days fishing bodies from the water. As EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso flew in on Wednesday to pay homage to the drowned, no place illustrates better the scale of the challenge posed by the growing influx of refugees trying to reach Europe. “The sea was full of floating corpses, and we had to pull them out and see their lifeless eyes,” border guard marshal Alessandro Falcone said. “It left a bitter taste, it’s still hard to talk about.” The EU’s executive is pushing for extra resources to launch sea patrols at
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Europe’s doors in the aftermath of the Lampedusa tragedy, with stepped-up operations by the Frontex border guard service from Cyprus to Spain. The remote island is Italy’s southernmost point and closer to the African continent than to the rest of the country. Italy has appealed to EU states for help in coping with the thousands that are washing up on its shores every month, and wants migration to be put on the agenda of summit talks in Brussels at the end of the month. ‘Considerable physical and psychological challenge’ Meanwhile, the arrivals continue: nearly 150 Syrians including 28 children were rescued in Italian waters Tuesday, a day after 250 immigrants were saved. “The crews often hardly have time to come back to shore, unload those rescued, refuel and wash their faces before they head back out to help other people.
The physical and psychological challenge is considerable,” Marini said. Officers work in shifts to keep patrolling in the night. The asylum seekers set out in overcrowded, rickety fishing boats or dinghies from the African coast, with just a satellite phone to call for help. Without tracking systems onboard, it’s impossible to spot that they are anything but standard fishing boats. Hense, border guards rely on infrared systems to zone in on people cramped together in the prow or the hold. “With our night-visions systems we can see the types of boats — sailing, fishing or dingy and from about 500 metres away we can see whether the vessels are crammed full of people who may be in trouble,” Falcone said. The cutters are equipped with special Formula 1-style seats in the cockpit, locking the crew firmly in place as they speed out over choppy waves. “In rough seas, it’s often extremely difficult to pull up alongside and transfer the immigrants off their doomed vessel. The waters are never calm, there are
always problems and some of the dinghies flip right over,” he said. The cutters are designed to right themselves should they be tossed upside down by the waves, and the stern can lie flat to ease boarding behind. The crews of 12 can spend months or even years on operations together, and Falcone said such close-knit relationships help hugely when tragedies strike. “This latest catastrophe has left us all shaken, but we cannot dwell on the dead, we have to be back out there looking to help the next poor soul.”
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News THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
CONSERVATION
Nicaragua gears up to aid threatened tapirs Tapirs are threatened in Nicaragua, Honduras and Costa Rica, largely because they continue to be hunted for food by people, say experts.
BLANCA MOREL Agence France Presse MASAYA: Nicaragua is pulling out the stops to try to aid threatened tapirs, an endangered mammal sometimes mistaken for anteaters or tiny hippos. Experts in Nicaragua say the tapir's long gestation period, poaching and loss of habitat caused by logging have led to dwindling numbers of the distinct-looking animal.
"The tapir is the most endangered animal right now in Nicaragua, and in the world, because its gestation period is so long — they are pregnant for 400 days — so they are dying out," Eduardo Sacasa, a veterinarian in charge of Nicaragua's National Zoo tapir project, told AFP. At home in forests of Central and South America, and Southeast Asia, tapirs have a fleshy prehensile nose able to
help them grab leaves and breathe while swimming. Aside from their long pregnancies, they usually have just one offspring per birth. They can grow as large as 300 kilos (660 pounds), live up to 18 years and have hooves similar to horses or rhinos. The animals are nicknamed "the gardener of the forest" since they play a huge role in dispersing seeds. Looking on at a pair of zoo-
bred tapirs that will soon be released and tracked, Sacasa said of two-year-olds Maya and Carburito: "We'll see how widely they range, how they adapt... if they can survive. Or not." In a few months, the pair will be flown on an army helicopter to Kahka Creek, a 650-hectare (1,600-acre) nature reserve on Nicaragua's Caribbean coast. It is a remote area where Sacasa said "many small farmers are willing to cooperate" with what the zoo is trying to do: "to save Nicaragua's tapirs." There are thought to be about 500 left in this country, down from 2,000 a few years back.
HUNTED FOR FOOD
The four different species of tapir around the world are all regarded as either endangered or threatened. The Nicaraguan project also has been supported by American specialist Christopher Jordan from Michigan State University, the environment ministry and a
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local NGO. In the nature reserve, there are 65 cameras that will help scientists keep an eye on how tapirs and other animals are faring, Sacasa explained. Before it can release Maya and Carburito, the zoo is rushing to fence in the sprawling reserve. It is hoping to raise the $10,000 or so it needs with a social media campaign. Tapirs are threatened in Nicaragua, Honduras and Costa Rica, largely because they continue to be hunted for food by people, said Enrique Rimbaud, who leads the animal protection group Amarte. He said the local regional government where the reserve is allows indigenous people to hunt up to four annually to eat, another factor endangering the animal's population.
UN CONFERENCE
Minamata mercury treaty adopted
TOKYO: A UN conference adopted a treaty on mercury control Thursday near the site of Japan's worst industrial poisoning, as Tokyo pledged $2 billion to help poorer nations combat pollution. Delegates from some 140 countries and territories were set to formally sign the world's first legally binding treaty on the highly toxic metal, later in the day, officials said. The Minamata Convention on Mercury is named after the Japanese city where tens of thousands of people were sickened — around 2,000 of whom have since died — by eating fish and shellfish taken from waters polluted by discharge from a local factory. The treaty sets a phase-out date of 2020 for a long list of products -including mercury thermometers --
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and gives governments 15 years to end all mercury mining. But environmental groups say it stops short of addressing the use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining, which directly threatens the health of miners including child labourers in developing countries. They also warn of health risks from eating the mercury-polluted meat of whales and dolphins, which occasionally feature in the diet of some coastal communities in Japan and elsewhere. Because of their position near the top of the food chain, dolphins and whales frequently consume a large
quantity of mercury from their prey. The treaty will take effect once ratified by 50 countries -- something organiser the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) expects will take three to four years. "It's necessary that many developing nations ratify the treaty so that it takes effect in an early date," Japanese environment minister Nobuteru Ishihara said at the opening ceremony. A UNEP report issued last year said the spiralling use of chemicals, especially in developing countries, is damaging people's health and the environment. Many developing countries lack safeguards for handling chemicals safely or disposing of them properly, according to the report, entitled "Global Chemicals Outlook". AFP
PICK YOUR
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Across Stores
ities Twin C
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News THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
COPYRIGHT
One-room varsity shop at centre of India publishing row A court battle brought by three academic presses over the interpretation of India’s copyright law is centered at the the busy shop in DU, where photocopiers churn out papers for students AMMU KANNAMPILLY Agence France Presse NEW DELHI: A cramped, oneroom shop tucked away in Delhi University seems an unlikely battleground for a publishing war that, academics warn, threatens quality of and access to education in the world’s second most populous nation. The busy shop, where photocopiers churn out papers for a steady stream of students for a small fee, is at the centre of a court battle brought by three venerable academic presses over the interpretation of India’s copyright law. The lawsuit, filed by Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press and Taylor & Francis against Delhi University and the shop threatens production of “course packs” — de facto “textbooks” made of photocopied portions of various books. Course packs are common throughout much of the developing world — where most university students cannot afford to purchase new or even secondhand textbooks — and are seen as key to the spread of education there. Distinguished Indian academics have lined up to express dismay over the suit, including Nobel Prize winner and Harvard University professor Amartya Sen, warning that these packs could become expensive, or unavailable altogether, hitting students hard. “As an OUP (Oxford University Press) author I would like to urge my publisher to not draw on the full force of the law to make these course packs impossible to generate and use,” Sen wrote in an open letter last September, a month after the case was filed in the Supreme Court. “Educational publishers have to balance various interests, and the cause (access to) of education must surely be a very important one,” he wrote. Experts fear that the case could set a precedent that forces the closure of such shops in India. Universities that still want to provide packs to their students could instead be forced into potentially expensive licenc-
de Beer told AFP in a phone interview. Most libraries de Beer visited housed only one copy of each textbook on the syllabus, making it necessary to photocopy whole books, he said.
LICENCING DEALS LONG RESISTED
ing arrangements with publishers to reproduce the texts. Amita Baviskar, associate professor at the Institute of Economic Growth at Delhi University, who has campaigned against the suit, calls it “a case of big-name publishers bullying academics, students and a small shop to make more profit”. “If the court rules in favour of the publishers, access to educational material will become more expensive and the quality of students’ learning will suffer. Students will struggle without course packs,” Baviskar told AFP. Indian copyright law already allows students and academics to photocopy textbook excerpts
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freely for educational use, under a “fair dealing” provision, according to Baviskar. Publishers, however, argue that this provision, while allowing an individual to copy small numbers of pages for academic use, doesn’t extend to a profitmaking photocopying shop generating entire course packs. According to Sudhir Malhotra, president of the Federation of Indian Publishers, “a photocopying shop which copies excerpts from various
Indian copyright law already allows students to photocopy textbook excerpts freely for educational use, under a “fair dealing” provisions. books and then sells the resulting course pack for a profit...this is not fair use, this is commercial exploitation of private property”. “It’s not as if photocopiers are doing it for free. So why blame publishers for wanting their share?” Malhotra told AFP. The practice of copying textbook excerpts is “typical of emerging economies”, according to copyright experts like Jeremy de Beer, associate professor of law at the University of Ottawa in Canada. His published work on the issue includes a 2010 book on copyright law and access to education in eight developing nations, including South Africa, Senegal, Egypt and Kenya. “What I found was that most universities lack the resources to buy brand-new copies of academic books, so photocopying is integral to the education there,”
Publishers do not expect a massive boom in textbook sales even if the lawsuit succeeds, he said. Instead Indian universities are expected to be pushed into new copying arrangements with publishers. “As far as this case in India is concerned, publishers have an ulterior motive. They want to create a system whereby the university obtains a copying licence from the publisher in exchange for a flat fee per student,” he said. So far, universities have been reluctant to sign licence deals, saying they can rely — through their small photocopy shops — on “fair use” legal provisions to photocopy material. The Supreme Court of Canada in 2004 ruled on a similar case filed by three legal publishers against the Law Society of Upper Canada. Its verdict supported the Law Society’s right to photocopy library materials. The crucial issue, according to de Beer, is whether an Indian court will regard a privately-held photocopying shop in the same light as a not-for-profit library, and whether the court supports licencing deals. “If the court in Delhi supports licencing then publishers can use India as an example to drive a global trend,” he said. “In the past, Indian courts have set precedents with important implications for other emerging economies,” he said, citing landmark rulings on issues like pharmaceutical patents that helped expand access to cheap drugs in developing nations. “This case has the potential to create similar shock waves.” Prem Vipin said his shop in Delhi University, with its six-odd photocopiers remains open as the court battle drags on. But he fears for the future, not just for his business but for the students too. “We face tough times. But it is the students who will suffer the most,” he said.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
Business
OIL REBOUNDS ON BREAKTHROUGH HOPES
Oil prices rebounded in Asian trade Thursday on hopes of a possible breakthrough in the US budget crisis after the White House moved to convene meetings with leading members of Congress.
XANADU RISING AGAIN?
PALMER IS STRONGER
Dubai property bounces back, but bubble looms Dubai has weathered the debt crisis, leaning on its robust trade, tourism and transport sectors, although the city-state still carries a large burden of debt exceeding $100 billion.
ALI KHALIL feedback@postnoon.com DUBAI: Dubai’s property sector is making a comeback five years after prices nosedived, but a surge in demand and bouncing prices have triggered calls to remember the crisis. Scale models of grandiose developments rolled out at the three-day Cityscape property show, which ends on Thursday, showed the renewed confidence in a market that shed around half of its value. But Ali Lootah, chairman of Nakheel, the giant developer behind a clutch of landmark projects in the Gulf emirate including its famous palm-shaped manmade islands, was bullish. “Dubai is booming again,” he said. He was speaking as Nakheel launched a new seafront development on reclaimed land, along with a handful of residential projects. “We have a lot of people moving to Dubai. Dubai is back in business, and I’m not worried about speculations,” he said. Speculation on the market pushed property prices to record highs before sending them tumbling during the global financial crisis. Dubai’s property market grew rapidly during the five years before the crash as the sector became a magnet for foreign investors. But foreign financing dried up when the global financial crisis hit the sector, just as it struck the heavily-indebted government-related companies, while the economy contracted in 2009 and 2010.
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SYDNEY: Australian mining tycoon Clive Palmer brokered a crucial alliance Thursday giving him the balance of power in the nation’s new parliament, warning of a “very cold winter” if the government tries to cross him. Palmer said he had joined forces with the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party (AMEP) to form a bloc that will be key to passing legislation through the upper house. The colourful resources billionaire’s self-titled Palmer United Party won three Senate seats at the September 7 elections and he is still in the running himself for a lower house seat, with a recount under way after the initial tally was too close to call.
NUMEROLOGY
80.3
mn
is the number of personal computers that were shipped worldwide in the third quarter of this year, an 8.6 per cent drop from the same period in 2012.
NY TRIAL FOR ULBRICHT Dubai has weathered the debt crisis, leaning on its robust trade, tourism and transport sectors, although the city-state still carries a large burden of debt exceeding $100 billion. Its economy grew 3.7 per cent in 2011 and 4.4 per cent in 2012, and is expected to expand by 4.1 per cent this year. Some residential property has bounced by about 20 per cent, said Alan Robertson, chief executive officer for the Middle East-North Africa region at Jones Lang LaSalle property consultancy. “We think prices will continue to grow quite quickly over the next 12 months, but over the next 24 months we will see the rate of growth slow down,” he
told AFP, adding that prices were still 20 to 30 per cent below their 2008 peak. “We think that this is an initial burst of growth which will settle down as the pent-up demand we have experienced is satisfied.” He said his consultancy predicted that “the market will reverse into a more sustainable growth in prices”. Robertson warned against getting carried away by signs of recovery, but said he was cautiously optimistic for the future. He did not foresee another bubble burst because of “a number of key differences,” highlighting a recent decision to double sales duties to four percent, in an attempt to curb flipping.
“This will take a bit of steam out of the market place,” said Robertson, pointing to demand from end users, including Arab investors sheltering their money in Dubai away from their countries that have been rocked by the Arab spring uprisings. But despite the gleaming display models at the show, the projects appear to be phased in over a long period of time, with releases made in small portions, according to Robertson. This was clear at the show, where a salesman standing by a model of thousands of planned villas, said only a couple of hundred had been released for sale. “The developers are showing that they have learnt lessons from last time,” Robertson said.
GOLD `29,290 10g SILVER `48,900 1kg
24C
for
for
DOLLAR `62.20 POUND `99.10
SAN FRANCISCO: A US judge on Wednesday ordered the accused mastermind of the nefarious online black market Silk Road sent to New York to stand trial. Ross William Ulbricht, speaking through a defense attorney, put off seeking bail and agreed to be taken back to the city where federal criminal charges against him were filed. However, he denies being the infamous “Dread Pirate Roberts” who ran the underground website that openly hawked illegal drugs, forged documents, hacker tools and even the services of hitmen. Federal marshals will take Ulbricht to New York City,
THUS SPAKE The President thought it was important to talk directly with the members who forced this economic crisis on the country
BSE NSE
JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE SPOKEMAN
20,161.43 87.83
5,986.25 21.20
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
Comment
HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS
The writer of the BBC movie Pride and Prejudice wanted Colin Firth playing Fitzwilliam Darcy to emerge stripped from the pond — it would have been the perfect action on impulse, he thought. Firth, but, had reservations, love handles for one. That would have been a spoiler: sometimes it is good to cover up.
FITFALLS OF THE MODERN LIFE
14
Evolved into a desk nerd Test for desk nerds
BUT... SERIOUSLY
O
h, to find out if you have evolved into a desk nerd like myself, simply place both your hands on the desk, palms facing down, and if one hand starts to curl back up and form the shape of a mouse, you my friend, are not fit for the slave camps of Qatar.
Ajay Hotchandani
E
volution is defined as “a gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually more complex or better form”. The phone evolved into a phone/camera/music and video player and GPS all in one. Humans, depending on who you talk to, evolved from monkeys – if you ask my mom, I still act like a monkey at times. But not all humans are created equal. In a short span some of us have evolved – or at least had slight changes that occurred due to lifestyle. Even as a type I realize that there is already a physical change that has occurred due to my everyday activities – the fingers on my right hand are in a constant state of being semiflexed, basically, it always looks like I have a computer mouse under it. The computer has become such a integral part of my daily life that my right hand has taken on the shape of a mouse. Another ‘evolutionary’ change that has occurred in such a brief period is my tolerance for exposure to sun and heat. As a kid I could ride around for hours on my bike in the baking hot tropical sun of Belize and not be bothered by it, now I’m like a delicate flower, five minutes in
the sun and I feel like I’m being tortured for exceeding my cell phone minutes. Once upon a time I could partake in hard manual labor, which involved construction; now the sight of a shovel and cement leads me to a dangerous level of exhaustion. I can’t even begin to imagine what I would be like if I were like one of the guys stuck in Qatar under those circumstances.
For those of you who are unaware of what’s happening let me briefly update you. Qatar won the bid to host the 2022 World Cup so they went on this massive frenzy to develop the nation, which involves an army of construction workers that had to be imported due to the local shortage. India, Nepal and Pakistan were the major recruitment hubs. These men found
themselves stuck in Qatar in horrid conditions – worse than a prison after an outbreak of diarrhea. Lack of food, water, sanitation, proper working conditions and worse of all, little to no pay was the nightmare they ended up in. To make matters worse, local authorities appear to not care and the World Cup Organizers have appeared to be stuck in a long drawn out debate
as to what the next mascot should be, therefore have not dedicated any time to this matter. Given my current state of employment, I would like to say I have it nice. Some days I miss going to work for no other reason than my air condition, seriously. If I ever found myself stuck in a labour camp in Qatar I think I shall pass out from the smell alone. Someone wears too much perfume or cologne around me and I want to slap them, can you imagine what my visceral reaction would be if 60 guys are trapped in one house with no shower or working toilet? Then again I might just be the guy who demolishes building if they don’t provide me with two-ply toilet paper, a ‘scent’ free office and access to high speed internet. Oh, to find out if you have evolved into a desk nerd like myself, simply place both your hands on the desk, palms facing down, and if one hand starts to curl back up and form the shape of a mouse, you my friend, are not fit for the slave camps of Qatar.
EDITORIAL What shall become of those souls?
W
hat has finally happened as a fallout of the exposing by media of the slave camps run by Qatar? It may have to forego being the host to the football world cup. That it? That all? What happens to all the men who died trying to make Qatar the splendorous host that Qatar had aspired to be? How are the families going to be compensated? Weighing what’s happening in Qatar (not just here: in varying degrees this sort of conditions exist for labourers in one
READERS’ VIEWS
form or another in many countries in the Middle East: they vociferously deny all this: check The Dark Side of Dubai by Johann Hari that was published in the Independent). For all the piety and good nature these countries project, news like these reveals a decadence and degradation of the basic human values, fueled by the excess of wealth and high quality of life. What else do you think makes those responsible for this savage shame behave so despite several lessons that history has to tell
The world has a responsibility towards those unfortunate souls trapped over there. us? The modern slave masters brazenly wash their hands off the issue saying that they shall only act when they receive complaints when the Guardian report that 44 nepalese have died in the construction works of the stadiums,
was brought to their notice. As if there had been any chance of that happening. They were already living in the most inhuman conditions and to cream it all without any wages. Would they dare move against their employers with the knowledge that they would lose everything including the hope that they may get their dues someday if they plough on? The world has a responsibility towards those unfortunate souls trapped over there. There’s no need to wait for another Lincoln for that.
We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or Plot No 550-A1,3rd Floor, Road No 92, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad–500033 Landmark — Volkswagen showroom or even by way of a call on 040-2354 1412. Editor: Dean Williams
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
tELEVISION A UNIQUE CONCEPT
AN ESCAPE FROM DAILY SOAPS The original series had a huge fan following but the desi version of 24 might, only if you gave it a chance without being too judgmental.
AKSHA ANAND feedback@postnoon.com
I
f you are someone, who has watched too much of western television, I plead you to not read any further. If you are someone who is cynical of what is being aired on Indian television and have given up on the kind of content that exists today, then its time you start playing Candy Crush to make yourself feel useful . If you are someone who is addicted to any kind of television, then you have definitely sampled 24 on Colors and I am hoping your thoughts are echoed by mine. 24 is a mini-episodic series brought to the idiot box by none other than our very own Lakkhan, aka Mr. India aka Anil Kapoor. Kapoor who has had a fair run in Hollywood with movies like Slumdog Millionaire and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, made an appearance on the original
show, 24 alongside Kiefer Sutherland. He, then, bought the rights to the show to air an “adapted” (this is what they do when they can’t come up with an original script. Say that it’s been inspired or adapted) version in India. Like the original format, it tells the story of an officer in the anti-terrorist squad with glimpses into his personal life as well. With our desi version, you see Jai Rathore played by Anil Kapoor trying to foil an assassination attempt at a recently elected young Prime Minister Aditya Singhania (Neil Bhoopalam). Simultaneously, you are introduced to Jai’s wife, Trisha (Tisca Chopra) and daughter Kiran. All is not well between Jai and Trisha whose relationship seems to have been tested with time. As the clock ticks, Jai and Trisha are found struggling to find Kiran who goes missing after she goes to a party.
For those of you who prefer Homeland and CSI series will frown upon this show but its for the audience who are less exposed to international shows.
The series comes as a breath of fresh air in comparison to all the saas-bahu drama and the nonsensical content that has been playing on our channels for over a decade now. The story has been presented well and the acting is low-key. When you are introduced to Anil Kapoor on the show, you will be taken by surprise as to how much he has had to tone down his “over-the-top-extremely-
jovial” self to mellow down to a serious agent (What was he doing in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol!) Mandira Bedi plays Nikita Rai and has finally left the cricket pitch and her sleazy, cleavage popping sarees behind to don a dark, mysterious character in uniform. The show is fast paced but it does have its flaws. I, for one, thought that it was best to ignore
it and hold my verdict till the end of the season and enjoy it as plainly as writer’s vivid imagination. For those of you who prefer Homeland and CSI series will frown upon this show but one needs to understand that there is also a huge part of an audience who are less exposed to these international series. I think it’s a great change from the regular hogwash that you get to watch on TV all week long. So is this the much needed change that Indian TV is so desperately in need of? For now I think it’s a date with 24 every weekend!
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
spotlight PARTY POSERS 1
2
7
8
3
FRIENDS & FUN
Business talk
ANDHRA PRADESH Real Estate Developers’ Association announced the launch of the 4th APREDA Property Show 2013 at HITEX, Hyderabad. The show will be held on 25th, 26th & 27th of October.
4
5
6
9
10
11
1 Priyanka
5 Sunny, Kashish
9 Asnan
2 Sadhna, Poonam
6 Prerana
10 Ashima
3 Poonam Kaur
7 Faci
11 Akshita
4 Irfan, Ali
8 Avinash
Sunny Anand's besties made a beeline to Lost Society, Jubilee Hills where his birthday was celebrated with much fanfare.
ALL GLAMMED UP
DJ PRITHVI, Seema Azaruddin and model Deborah Doris Fell unveiled details of German pop singer Stella G's Beat the Box album at The Park on Wednesday.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
health
SLOW, LOVING TOUCH COULD BOOST SENSE OF SELF
Research shows a slow, loving touch, which is often an instinctive gesture from a mother to a child or between partners in romantic relationships, may boost the brain’s ability to create a healthy sense of self. This technique demonstrates the changeable nature of the brain’s perceptions of the body.
IN A HAZE
19
Smoking can cause progressive vision loss The hazards of smoking are well known. But what is not so well known is that smoking can also be a reason for vision loss in people at or above the age of 50 years due to what is called Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
A
MD is an eye condition that leads to the deterioration of the centre of the retina, called the macula. It has emerged as the leading cause of vision loss in people. “People who smoke, those suffering from cardiac diseases, excessive exposure to ultraviolet light and fair skinned people are at a higher risk of acquiring AMD,” Deependra V. Singh, director of eye-care centre Eye Q Retina, told IANS. “As there are no specific preventive measures, we advise people to quit smoking, protect the eyes from ultraviolet light and control their cholesterol,” Deependra Singh said. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), AMD is the third largest cause of vision loss worldwide. It first leads to vision distortion and, if not treated well, can cause permanent vision loss. In this disease, the photo receptor cell of the retina is killed by waste products, and tiny spots called “Drusen” are developed, which then leads to blurring of vision. This is the dry AMD, one type of AMD. “The most severe is the wet AMD in which a neo-vascular
membrane behind or in the retina grows progressively and destroys the central retina. It is not a cancer but behaves like one and the wet AMD, if not treated on time, can cause permanent blindness,” Deependra Singh said. The symptoms of dry AMD are difficulty in fine reading and the central portion of the image becoming invisible, while for wet AMD the image starts getting distorted. Patients suffering from it see straight line as a curve. “The treatment for the AMD is injecting a special drug in the eye, which has to be taken in multipe rounds, like in cancer treatment. In severe cases a combination of laser treatment and injection is given,” Sanjay Dhawan, director, ophthamology, Fortis Memorial Institute told IANS. The injection to treat AMD costs about Rs. 20,000 to 25,000; so doctors feel that the treatment of the disease is still very expensive. “Once the vision is lost it cannot be retrieved back; so for whatever has been left behind the patients are given low vision aids that are equipped with magnifying glasses to make reading easier,” added Dhawan.
I AM SO LONELY Lonely and despressed S in a connected world
hweta Mathur has 700 ‘friends’ on a popular social networking site. Yet, when she sat in a psychologist’s office after her parents’ suspected suicidal tendencies, she said she didn’t have a “real friend”. In an increasingly connected world, the boundary between the real and the virtual is blurring. Mental health experts say this is a key reason for rising cases of
Though not a new disease, cases of AMD have been on the rise. “With lifespan of human beings increasing, the detection rate has been increasing. However changing lifestyle and food habits can also be attributed
depression among youngsters, driving some to suicide. According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, 135,445 people committed suicide in India in 2012 - an average of about 15 suicides an hour. A large number of the suicides were in the 15-29 age group. “Adolescent suicides have quadrupled in the last two decades. In 90 percent of the
as one of the cause,” Kingshukh Biswas, ophthamologist at Columbia Asia, told IANS. Thus doctors advise people nearing the age of 50 years to take Vitamin A rich food like fish and green vegetables.
cases, the person was suffering from an undetected and unidentified psychiatric disorder,” Samir Parikh, director of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences at Fortis Hospital, told IANS. He added that in most cases, the underlying depression takes root for months before an event, like a failed love affair or bad academic result, becomes the final
“Once a person nears the age of 50 years he should also undergo regular retina screening and use Amsler Grid. It is a chart which is given to patients to monitor or check any kind of distortion,” Biswas added. - IANS
breaking point. Changes in the social structure and lack of interpersonal touch are some of the main factors that contribute to increasing There is no simple solution to such problems, but a beginning must be with good parenting. “Parents need to spend ample time with their children, talk to them and encourage interpersonal communication IANS
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
Technology DISPLAY PIECE
APPLE’S IPAD NEWS?
SAN FRANCISCO: Apple is
Samsung goes ahead of the curve Samsung said it would unveil a smartphone with a curved display — a technological innovation aimed at maintaining its market lead.
S
amsung Electronics Co Ltd on Wednesday launched the world's first smartphone with a curved display, a variant of the Galaxy Note which moves the Asian giant a step closer to achieving wearable devices with flexible even unbreakable - screens. Curved displays are on the frontlines of Samsung's innovation war with rivals such as Apple Inc and LG Electronics Inc, as the South Korean firm seeks to expand its lead in the slowing market for high-end smartphones. "It's a step forward for having unbreakable gadgets and flexible devices eventually. But for now, the new phone is more of a symbolic product," said Hana Daetoo Securities analyst Nam Dae-jong, adding that Samsung did not yet have capacity for large-scale production of curved touch-screens for the new Galaxy Round. The Galaxy Round is Samsung's attempt to gauge consumer appetite for curved phones although its lack of other eye-catching features means it is unlikely to be a hit, he said. "I don't think it'll be massively compelling enough for gadget buyers as ... the curved display doesn't come with many
$1.000
Samsung's new curved-screen phone, available through South Korea's biggest mobile carrier SK Telecom Co Ltd, costs 1.089 million won ($1,000).
unique features," he said. The Galaxy Round's 5.7-inch (14.4-centimetre) display has a slight horizontal curve and weighs less than the Galaxy Note 3, allowing a more comfortable grip than other flatscreen models on the market, Samsung said in a statement. Its key features include a tilt function which allows users to check information such as missed calls and battery life, even when the home screen is off. Users can also scroll through media files by pressing the screen's right or left, the company said. The phone initially would be available only in South Korea and no decision had been made about releasing it in other markets.
DESIGN CHALLENGES Curved displays open up possibilities for bendable designs that
The race is hotting up
C
ompetition is heating up with Samsung's cross-town rival LG Electronics planning to introduce a smartphone with a vertically curved display in the first week of November, a source familiar with the matter said this week.
could eventually transform the high-end smartphone market, where growth has slowed amid competition from low-end producers. Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch released last month has a flat screen, but the company is hoping to have the technology to make more attractive and wearable devices in what is shaping as a key battleground for consumer electronics companies. Technology firms have yet to figure out how to cheaply mass produce the parts and come up with display panels that can be thin and heat-resistant. Batteries
also have to take new forms to support flexible screens that can be rolled out, attached to uneven surfaces or even stretched. The battery in the Galaxy Round is not curved, Samsung said. Competition is heating up with Samsung's cross-town rival LG Electronics planning to introduce a smartphone with a vertically curved display in the first week of November, a source familiar with the matter said this week. Its components affiliate, LG Chem Ltd, said on Tuesday it had started commercial production of a curved battery for use in the device. The firm also said it has developed a battery in cable form, suitable for wearable devices, and expected to start commercial production within the next couple of years. Technology analysts and media reports say Apple is working on a smartwatch, potentially with a curved screen, but there has been no word from the California-based company about its plans. Samsung's new curvedscreen phone, available through South Korea's biggest mobile carrier SK Telecom Co Ltd, costs 1.089 million won ($1,000).
planning to reveal iPad updates at an invitation-only event later this month, the technology news website AllThingsD reported Tuesday. The next-generation iPad is expected to be thinner than its predecessor and boast improved camera capabilities. An upgraded version of the iPad mini is likely to list an improved screen among its features. The event will be held on October 22, according to AllThingsD. Apple declined to comment on the report, which cited unnamed sources. The iPad remains the largest-selling tablet, according to surveys.
‘SPYING NOT ILLEGAL’
OTTAWA: Canada's electronic
eavesdropping agency chief spoke for the first time since allegations of spying on Brazil's mining and energy ministry, saying its work is legal and doesn't target Canadians. John Forster, head of the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSE), was speaking at a technology conference in Ottawa, after Brazilian TV station Globo said on Sunday that the agency carried out industrial espionage against Brazil's government.
PHYSICS NOBEL CONTESTED STOCKHOLM: A member of the Swedish institution that awards the Nobel Prize for Physics publicly contested this year's award, saying the honour for two physicists should have included the CERN laboratory which proved their theories. "I think it's wrong," Anders Barany, a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences told AFP. "I think those experimental researchers have done incredibly fantastic work and should be rewarded." Peter Higgs of Britain and Francois Englert of Belgium won the Nobel Prize for Physics for theoretical work on a particle that explains why the Universe has substance.
21
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
Entertainment OPENING UP
CINE BYTES
I WILL NOT ON MY VALUES:
TAMANNA
Multi-starrer rolling at Annapurna Studios
F
or the very first time the entire Akkineni family is going to be seen together in the multi-starrer project, Manam. The movie is currently being shot in Annapurna Studios and the general curiosity has increased since its first look. It said to contain an interesting screenplay and is being produced by Nagarjuna in association with Reliance Entertainment.
Sudeep denies political rumours icha Sudeep is playK ing a crucial role in Rajamouli’s BaahuBaali. Owing to his star status, speculations were rife that Sudeep would be getting in to politics and is planning to float a new political party to contest in next elections. However, he has brushed aside the rumours.
All eyes on NTR Jr and his upcoming movie
Y
oung NTR’s Ramayya Vasthavayya is all set to hit the screens on Friday. His dance moves are extraordinary for the song Pandaga Chesko while JabilliNuvve Cheppamma has outstanding visuals and the song Neneppudaina has been shot in exotic locations. The film has Samantha as the leading lady and Shruti Haasan is doing a guest role.
I
n a candid interview, Tamanna opens up, asserting that though glamour is an important aspect for a film, a good script and screenplay is mandatory. She also states that she has a certain set of values and that she follows while choosing a film.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
fashion
MOST WOMEN CAN’T AFFORD FASHION TRENDS
Fashion trends change with seasons, but a study reveals that most women are unable to spend much on new collections in vogue. The study conducted by VoucherCodesPro.co.uk, has revealed that 64 per cent of women feel that they can’t afford to keep up with the latest fashion trends, reports femalefirst.co.uk. IANS
Now, who wouldn’t want to get back to school in fashion? Stride Rite Children’s Group, the leader in premium children’s footwear, showcased it’s back-to-school collection as the tiny tots took to the ramp in outfits designed by acclaimed NYC kids fashion stylist, Jennifer Smith as part of Petite Parade, a bi-annual event which showcases fashion and products for toddlers to tweens.
SPORT DIAMOND JEWELLERY FOR FESTIVALS
Diamonds and the festive season form the perfect cocktail for a woman. Enjoy this festive season by shopping for the sparkling pieces. Jewellery brand Tanishq’s Diwali special diamond collection consists of earrings, pendants and finger rings available within the range of Rs.50,000. IANS
THE PETITE PARADE
22&23
Entertainment THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
24
Entertainment THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
25
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
Chai Time
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.. -VINCE LOMBARDI
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 Much-used pencil 5 Defunct hoops org. with a red, white and blue ball 8 A, as in Athens 13 Graceful sea eagle 14 Singer Anthony 16 No longer covers 17 Human shark’s offering 18 Island near Corsica 19 Tropical vine 20 Case for Columbo 23 It’s pressed for cash 24 Maxima maker 25 Parched 28 Former nuclear agcy. 29 U.S. intelligence org. 31 Soak a fiber 32 Feel longing for 35 “Peek-___, I see you!” 38 Part of “FWIW” 40 “Indiana Jones” genre 43 Auburn heads? 44 Bookbinding leather 45 Borodin’s prince 46 Lass 47 Admiral’s org. 49 ___ Alamitos, Calif. 51 Farrow and Gardner, to Sinatra 53 Biblical promised land 56 Hunk’s or babe’s asset 59 “The Producers,” e.g. 62 Make quake 64 10 percent of DXXX 65 Soprano’s showstopper 66 Chewed up 67 Flush 68 Disgusting buildup 69 Danger signal 70 Chang’s closest kin 71 Traditional Easter buys
DOWN
1 1965 Freedom March city
2 Rainbow or speckled fish 3 Turn swords into plowshares, e.g. 4 Reach for your toes 5 Statesman? 6 Healing ointments 7 Roast beef chain 8 Having the means 9 Pumas’ pads 10 Kneeling spot 11 She may feel cooped up 12 “Solid ___ rock” (Ashford & Simpson lyric) 15 Legendary lover 21 67.5 deg. on the compass 22 Thousands of lbs. 26 Active start? 27 Anesthesia of old 28 Z ___ zebra 30 Barley bristle 32 Madonna, to the Brits 33 Mountain climber’s tool 34 No-win situation 36 Nautical hanger-on 37 “Deep Space Nine” changeling 39 “The Andy Griffith Show” character 41 Buckeyes’ sch. 42 Intertwining 48 ___-fi (genre) 50 Yoko from Tokyo 52 With fewer reservations 54 Without worldly sophistication 55 Little green man 56 Coiner of “It ain’t over till it’s over” 57 Abhorrence 58 Groups of two 60 Dispatched 61 Jet speed 62 “Under the ___” (“The Little Mermaid” song) 63 First name among Baltimore sports legends
Chai Time THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013 Thiruvaikumar
STAR POWER for 11-10-2013
27
As per Hindu panchang thiruvaikumar@yahoo. co. in, 040-27177230 / 9177596118
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
All the new efforts will be successful and yield expected results. Money will come by from all the expected sources which will make you feel very much comfortable. Tensions and worries which existed will disappear.
STRIP TEASE AGNES
Avoid taking harsh decisions as the good suggestions proposed by you will draw flak and might get strong opposition. You will be in search of real & loyal persons as you get cheated in many issues.
Politicians are advised to keep way from the internal issues and also avoid expressing your opinions in open in the controversial issues. You will show good maturity in your talks and execution of works. Adopt slow and steady policy.
Those deprived of child since long time will get favorable news. New plans and innovative steps will be implemented successfully. You will march ahead with a determination without minding the hurdles faced.
You will not hesitate to punish those who take a wrong path to achieve their goals. Politicians will be in limelight and participate from forefront for the party sponsored agitations. Speculative deals are likely to bring decent gains.
Tension and embarrassing situation due to children are likely. Helps expected from all the sources will come by with which construction of your house will go on without any hurdles. Financial position will be more than satisfactory.
New plans and efforts will be successful. Marriage talks will progress well and finalization is almost certain. You will gain success in all the challenging tasks that were undertaken. Even enemies are likely to become friends.
Financial position will improve considerably. Some have bright chance to purchase new and valuable movable assets. Plans to construct a new house also will materialize as loan applied will get a green signal from the financial institution..
Family will be in a cheerful atmosphere as happy events are likely to take place in line. You will surrender to those who will show good affection towards you. Friendship circle is likely to expand with good natured friends.
TAROT READ
Sumaa Tekur
tarotreadhyd@gmail. com
ARIES:
GEMINI:
Two of Pentacles – Balance is an art you need to develop. Do not get over-excited about something in the immediate future. It will not last long.
LEO:
Six of Pentacles Finances are in focus. You need to manage your money better. Help is at hand. You need to ask for it and you’ll get the right advice.
LIBRA:
PEARLS BEFORE SWINE
Queen of Wands – This represents female intuition and also the ability to create something new. You’re in control of your environment.
SAGITTARIUS:
Ace of Wands – You’re at your creative best. Ideas are flowing in your head at great speed. Take notes lest you forget some brilliant ideas.
TAURUS:
Ten of Swords – You’re all worked up as you’re not sure what kind of journey is up ahead and tense about something which will show up in your work.
CANCER:
King of Pentacles – You can look forward to launch a parallel career in an area that’s very different to your current career. You will discover a new talent.
VIRGO:
Three of Swords Some loss or disappointment is possible.. Something that you really hoped for may not be panning out as you had planned.
SCORPIO:
Ace of Swords – You’re only thinking extremes. For you, it’s your way or the highway. Life is never that simple. Open up your mind and think of a middle path.
CAPRICORN:
Knight of Cups – You’re feeling overwhelmed and emotional. But you’re more in touch with your own emotions and may not care much for others’.
PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS
PISCES:
Queen of Wands – You’re in control of your emotions but may come across to those around you as cold and insensitive.
NUMBER GAME
Fortune – If you’ve been having a rough time or stuck in a difficult situation, be assured it won’t stay that way forever.
SCRABBLE
AQUARIUS: The Wheel of
POOCH CAFE
You will be able to raise the income through multiple channels. Real estate matters will bring you decent gains. You will be bold enough and be successful in completing all the challenging works in time with perfection.
for 11-10-2013
The Emperor – You may have become too intimidating to a person – so intimidating that it affects your work and life in some way. You have to tone down.
NON SEQUITUR
Your stock is set to pile up. Couple who were living apart all these days might come together again and lead a happy life hereafter. You will struggle hard with determination to make your dreams come true.
SUDUKO
Disappointments and failures will not deter you from marching ahead. Expenses and tension due to children are inevitable but will be resolved soon. Good help and support extended by friends and relatives will make you cheerful..
Boggle RAFT YACHT TUGBOAT ROWBOAT Vol: 3, No 79 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at # Plot no.550-A1,3rd floor, Road no-92, 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 040-23541412,
28
Entertainment THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
LUCKY MASCOT
CINE BYTES
'Desi Kattey' goes on floors
A
fter Zila Ghaziabad director Anand Kumar is set to start shooting for his next film Desi Kattey. "Desi Kattey' shooting begins in Mumbai, bless us! (sic)," Kumar posted on micro-blogging site Twitter. An action drama, the story revolves around the life of two children, who turn out to be great shooters due to their upbringing in a handmade pistol factory. IANS
HRITHIK CONSIDERS GRANDPA LUCKY
H
rithik Roshan comes from a film family and considers his grandfather, filmmaker J.Om Prakash, his lucky mascot. It was his grandfather who had called the first shot for his debut film Kaho Na... Pyaar Hai, which turned out to be a huge success at the box office. So the 39-year-old, who is eagerly waiting for the release of his superhero film, Krrish 3, insisted that his grandfather give the first clap for this one too. "Hrithik hopes that this time also he is accepted by the audience as he has been in the past," said a source close to the actor. Directed by Rakesh Roshan, the film also stars Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut and Vivek Oberoi in pivotal roles and is set to release onNovember 1. IANS
Teaming up with Mary Vernieu great for Shekhar Kapur
D
irector Shekhar Kapur tweeted that he feels privileged to be working with Hollywood casting director Mary Vernieu. Being made under the Yash Raj Films banner, the film will focus on a world where wars break out due to water scarcity. IANS
Govinda loves lyrics of 'Gori Tere Naina'
G
ovinda launched his second music album Gori Tere Naina on Monday and his first albu, Govinda was launched in 1998. "It has been long (since I launched my last album). Through the songs I made a place in people's heart. But there is a phase in every artist's career when he has to start again and it happened with me almost two-three times," Govinda said at the launch. IANS
sports
29
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
FORMULA ONE
Vettel eyes fourth season Red Bull driver, Sebastian Vettel, stands on the verge of true Formula One greatness as he targets a successive fourth title. YOKOHAMA: Sebastian Vettel said Wednesday that winning his fourth world title in a row would be “incredible”, ahead what could be the championship decider in Japan this weekend. The Red Bull driver stands on the verge of true Formula One greatness. A victory at Suzuka would elevate him to the stature of Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher as only the third four-in-a-row champion. “It is an incredible position to be in,” the soft-spoken German told a fan event at Nissan Motor Headquarters in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. “Our car seems to work well. So we have a reason to believe we will have a good weekend,” the 26-year-old said. Vettel has won the last four races — and eight out of 14 this season — to put one hand on his fourth successive world title, which he can claim at Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix. But his dominance has not been welcomed by everyone.
Sebastian Vettel has won the last four races — and eight out of 14 this season — to put one hand on his fourth successive world title. Vettel has been booed repeatedly on the podium by disgruntled spectators who want to see a nail-biting competition. However, anyone hoping he might fall at this weekend’s hurdle has history against them — Vettel has won three of the past four Japan Grand Prix. “To be honest, I am looking forward to Suzuka. From the driver’s point of view, it is one of the best, if not the best track in the world,” he said. Vettel added he was focused on the race at hand, not busy counting his past victories. “I think you have other things in your head. You obviously are busy driving the car. You are looking after the tyres.
Alway focused on the moment,” he said. “When you cross the line and you did a good job, then
you are happy with yourself. (It) gives a lot of satisfaction. So that’s the most important, I think.” AFP
CYCLING
Belkin split with Sanchez THE HAGUE:: Dutch cycling team Belkin have split with Spanish rider Luis Leon Sanchez amid accusations he was linked to Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes in the Operation Puerto blood doping racket, the De Telegraaf daily reported Wednesday. Spanish police believed Sanchez was a client of the doctor in 2006 while riding for the Liberty Seguros team — something the 29-year-old denies. Sanchez has won several major titles, including the San Sebastian Classic in 2010 and 2012, the 2009 Paris-Nice, the Tour Down Under in 2005 and four stages of the Tour de France. “His name crops up in too many files,” a Belkin spokesman was quoted as saying. An internal investigation that got under way at the start of the year had revealed nothing, but the “confidence between the team and Sanchez has been broken”, he said. In a bid to prevent Sanchez potentially discrediting Belkin, the team made a settlement with the rider, who leaves with two years to run on his contract.
BADMINTON
Jwala moves high court against ban NEW DELHI: India’s top doubles badminton player Jwala Gutta (in pic) Wednesday moved the Delhi High Court challenging the order of a life ban on her recommended by the disciplinary committee of the Badminton Association of India (BAI). Jwala, a World Championship bronze medallist, moved the court saying the disciplinary committee’s order was issued in “violation of settled principles of natural justice and fairness, without giving a hearing to her”. Justice V.K. Jain, before whom the case came up for hearing, posted the next hearing for Thursday. The 30-year-old Jwala told the court that Badminton Association of India has also stopped her from participating in national and international tournaments. “The entire approach of the association was pre-determined and has been taken to single out her,” the plea said, adding that BAI has threatened her with a life ban without reason or justifi-
Jwala moved the court saying the disciplinary committee’s order was issued in “violation of settled principles of natural justice and fairness, without giving a hearing to her”.
cation. The plea, filed against BAI and the sport ministry, sought quashing or setting aside of the
order passed by BAI. “Pass direction for ministry to seek an independent report of the incident and to put in place
an independent regulatory mechanism to oversee the functioning of decision-making process of BAI in the absence of a
proper procedure,” the plea said. The plea also sought quashing of the alleged independent panel appointed by BAI to look into the recommended life ban. BAI’s disciplinary committee recommended a life ban on Jwala, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, for trying to stop her franchise Krrish Delhi Smashers from playing against Banga Beats in an Indian Badminton League (IBL) fixture in Bangalore Aug 25. Delhi had threatened to pull out of the match over the lastminute replacement of injured singles player Hu Yun of Hong Kong with Denmark’s Jan O Jorgensen — a higher-ranked shuttler. IANS
sports
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
SHANGHAI OPEN
Djokovic wins despite injury scare JOHN WEAVER Agence France-Presse SHANGHAI: Defending champion Novak Djokovic shrugged off an injury scare to win his Shanghai Masters opener on Wednesday, keeping alive the prospect of a mouthwatering quarter-final against Roger Federer.
Nadal victorious BEIJING: Spain’s Rafael Nadal coasted to a 6-3, 6-2 victory Wednesday over Alexandr Dolgopolov in his opening match at the Shanghai Masters. Nadal dominated his service games against the Ukrainian and did not face a single break point during the match, which he wrapped up in just under an hour. A key to the match was Nadal’s first-serve percentage, which was above 80 percent in both sets. Combined with his 82 percent success rate on firstserve points, Dolgopolov could never make a dent in the Spaniard’s service games. The 13-time Grand Slam champion, who is back on top of the ATP World Tour rankings this week thanks to a stellar 2013 that has included titles at the French Open and U.S. Open, will next take on Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq in Thursday’s AFP round of 16.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia serves against Marcel Granollers of Spain during their men’s singles match in the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament in Shanghai on Wednesday. AFP/PETER PARKS
In a late-evening match, newly re-crowned world number one Rafael Nadal polished off Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov in less than an hour, with just five unforced errors in a 6-3, 6-2 win. Top seed Djokovic cantered through his first set against Spain’s Marcel Granollers with
MOVIE OF THE WEEK
Overwhelmed by support: Federer SHANGHAI: Roger Federer (in pic) said Wednesday that he draws huge motivation from the support he receives in China despite his slip from the pinnacle of the men’s game. The Swiss has formed a special bond with fans in Shanghai after regular visits to the city over more than a decade, and the fact that he is no longer world number one barely seems to register. “It was crazy in the practice today. I mean, I expected some people to be there, but not sort of hanging over the fence and holding up the banner ‘I believe in you’,” said Federer, who won his opening match at the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday. “It was great energy, I must say. It gives me unbelievable motivation, inspires me to train hard, work hard, push further, you know, for that particular day, but also wanting to come back again next year, and again and again.” Federer said time spent in China and his success around the world had helped him connect with the fans.
the loss of only two games. But early in the second he pulled up in obvious discomfort and called for the ATP trainer, who applied heavy taping to his right foot and ankle. Despite the medical treatment, the 26-year-old did not look inconvenienced as he returned to the court to seal a 6-2,
6-0 victory, hitting a total of 26 winners. “It was just an awkward movement. I was in an off-balance position. I was running and I made a quick movement that caused a sharp pain at that instant moment,” said Djokovic. “But after the match we determined that it’s nothing seri-
ous, so it’s all fine.” Federer, who has slipped to seventh in the world rankings and faces a battle to qualify for next month’s World Tour Finals in London, won 6-4, 6-3 against Italian Andreas Seppi after a testing start. The Swiss great, playing his first singles match since a disappointing US Open, lost his serve early but broke back immediately against the world number 22, repeating the feat to take the opening set. A single break in the second was enough to seal the match. Federer, who had a mixed bag of 19 winners and 29 unforced errors, said going a set up and then an early break up in the second set was key for him. “Even though it remained tough, Seppi did a good job of hanging around. That’s the kind of match you want in this particular situation I’m in right now.” Nadal admitted he found the going tough early in his match against Dolgopolov. “In the beginning I couldn’t do anything. He was playing amazingly, hitting every ball very hard, playing winners from every place. “The positive thing is that I resisted well at the beginning... But after that I think I played a great match,” he said.
SNOOKER AND BILLIARDS
Lee appeals against ban LONDON: England’s Stephen Lee has appealed against his 12-year ban from snooker for match-fixing, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) announced Wednesday. Lee, the former world number five, had repeatedly insisted upon his innocence of match-fixing charges relating to seven matches in 2008 and 2009. He was banned last month by an independent tribunal headed by leading English sports lawyer Adam Lewis and Lee’s appeal was widely anticipated. “The WPBSA has received notice of appeal from solicitors representing Stephen Lee,” the world governing body said in a statement issued Wednesday. “He is appealing against the finding of the tribunal,
Lee, the former world number five, had repeatedly insisted upon his innocence of match-fixing charges relating to seven matches in 2008 and 2009. the sanction and the costs (£40,000) awarded. The WPBSA has asked Sport Resolutions UK to manage the appeal process and appoint an independent QC to chair the appeals committee.” After being handed the ban Lee, who turns 39 on Saturday, said: It’s over, isn’t it? My career’s over.” However, he also said he would appeal. Lee’s case is the biggest match-fixing scandal to hit snooker since Australia’s
Quinten Hann was suspended for eight years in 2006 after he was caught in a sting by undercover reporters where he agreed to lose a game at the China Open in return for money. The WPBSA said Lee was in contact with three different groups of people all of whom placed bets on
the outcomes of his matches or on the outcomes of frames within his matches or on the exact score of his matches. The total amount bet on these matches was in excess of £111,000 ($176,500, 132,300 euros) leading to winnings of over £97,000 for the persons placing the bets.
sports
31
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
COURTING TROUBLE
‘My conscience allowed me to be chief’ A defiant Narayanaswami Srinivasan said his conscience allowed him to continue as the president of the BCCI. NEW DELHI: A defiant N Srinivasan Wednesday said his conscience allowed him to continue as the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. He, however, refused to answer any question on his son-inlaw Gurunath Meiyappan, accused in the IPL betting scandal. “Most certainly, I would not have taken up the position if I felt otherwise. And, as I said in the beginning, I stand for what I do. If I have done something wrong, yes, my conscience would not permit me. But in this case it was not so that is what I said in the very beginning,”
BRIEFS
Yonuis strikes form ABU DHABI: Pakistan’s Younis Khan hit a brilliant hundred in the two-day match against hosts United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, providing a batting boost ahead of the forthcoming two-Test series with South Africa. Younis scored 103 in Pakistan’s total of 317-9 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. Pakistan will look to Younis and captain Misbah-ul Haq to anchor the batting against world number ones South Africa in the first Test starting in Abu Dhabi on Monday. Pakistan have been badly let down by their batting in their last five Tests, losing 3-0 in South Africa and squaring a
two-Test series 1-1 in Zimbabwe this year. Besides Younis, wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal scored 71 and Abdur Rehman 52. A satisfied Younis said he wanted to take responsibility. “I always try to lead as a senior player from the front,” he said. “It’s not pressure but just a question of self pride to do well against big teams.” AFP
No hot spot at Ashes
SYDNEY: The controversial decision-review technology known as Hot Spot has been dumped just weeks before Australia’s Ashes series against England, the Nine Network said Thursday. The host Ashes broadcaster confirmed on its website that negotiations with the technology’s Australian inventor, Warren Brennan, had broken
down over the use of the infrared camera system. The decision-review device, which uses heat sensors and infrared cameras to detect contact between the ball, bat and pads, will now not feature in the showpiece five-Test series, beginning at Brisbane’s Gabba ground on November 21. “It’s their decision and that’s what’s been communicated to us. As far as I’m concerned, it is final,” Brennan told Fairfax Media. “We’re just moving on with things. Channel Nine have got a new deal with Cricket Australia which I know has cost them a lot more money. I gather there had to be some restructuring of costs.” AFP
FOOT IN THE MOUTH
Srinivasan told Times Now. “If this is the road we want to travel, then in a sense we differ (from each other) then. If that is your view, you are entitled to that,” he added. Srinivasan was clearly uncomfortable taking questions on Meiyappan, a former team principal of CSK, owned by his company India Cements, and at one point also wanted to walk off from the interview. Asked about the shoddy probe by the two-member panel set up by BCCI, Srinivasan said: “I cannot answer it because the panel was set up after I had stepped aside as the president. I
was not even part of the probe panel. The report was submitted to the working committee and I was not even part of it.” Srinivasan also refused to comment whether the image of cricket in India has taken a beating after the betting and the spotfixing scandal in the IPL. “I don’t agree that people had any anger against me. I can only say that I was attacked savagely by the media. For 12-13 days, I was on the front page of the newspapers and some 81 articles were written about me. Am I that important?” he asked. IANS
NEW ZEALAND VS BANGLADESH
KP takes ‘English only’ Jack to task
Bangladesh strike after Kane’s ton
LONDON: Kevin Pietersen took to Twitter to question England footballer Jack Wilshere’s belief that only English players should represent the national side. Pietersen, born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa to an English mother and South African father, has become a mainstay of the England cricket team and is just one match away from appearing in 100 Tests. He is one of a number of players across several sports, including Jamaica-born footballer John Barnes, who’ve represented England without being born in the country, a legacy of the country’s imperial past, ‘mixed’ marriages and, more recently, greater global migration. But Wilshere said Tuesday: “The only people who should play for England are English people. If you live in England for five years it doesn’t make you English.” However, Pietersen pointing to his own case and that of several other South Africa-born England cricketers as well as Somali-born double Olympic champion Mo Farah, said: “Jack Wilshere -- interested to know how you define foreigner...? “Would that include me, (Andrew) Strauss (the exEngland cricket captain), (Jonathan) Trott (England batsman), (Matt) Prior (England wicketkeeper), Justin Rose (South Africa-born golfer), (Chris) Froome (Kenya-born Tour de France champion), Mo Farah?,” said Pietersen. AFP
CHITTAGONG: Kane Williamson hit a fluent century for New Zealand before Bangladesh hit back in the final session of the opening day’s play in the first Test in Chittagong on Wednesday. Williamson made 114 to enable the Black Caps to reach 280-5 after they won the toss and elected to bat on a newlylaid pitch at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium. New Zealand were coasting at 244-2 when left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, recalled to the Test side after two years, grabbed two of the three wickets that fell after tea. Williamson was leg-before to Shakib Al Hasan in the penultimate over, before Razzak dismissed skipper Brendon McCullum (21) off what turned out to be the final delivery of the day. The flurry of late wickets undid the good work of the top order where opener Peter Fulton made a patient 73 to lay the foundation of a big total. Fulton put on 57 for the first wicket with Hamish Rutherford and 126 for the second with Williamson on a slow wicket that hampered stroke-making. Fulton, who needed 156 balls to reach his 50, celebrated his third half-century in Test cricket by pulling Marshall Ayub for a six over mid-wicket. But the 34-year-old from Canterbury fell just before tea, hitting a short ball from parttime spinner Nasir Hossain to
Mominul Haque in the covers. “It was pretty disappointing not to be able to carry on with the job, but I am pleased with giving the team a good start,” Fulton said after the day’s play. “We did a lot of good work in the first 85 overs, so it was disappointing to lose those last two wickets. “We still have capable batsmen to come in and we will look to get around 350 to 400. That will give our bowlers something to bowl at. I would expect the wicket to get lower and slower.” Williamson moved to 98 with a back-foot punch off Sohag Gazi for a boundary and then completed his fourth Test century with another four off Razzak in the next over. AFP
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013
sports
DYKE UNVEILS FA COMMISSION LINE-UP
Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has announced the full composition of a commission that will investigate the failings of the England national team. Former England manager Glenn Hoddle, former Leeds United player Danny Mills and Howard Wilkinson would have a role.
WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
32
A night of nerves TOM WILLIAMS Agence France-Presse LONDON: England’s chances of securing automatic qualification for next year’s World Cup in Brazil will be in the balance when they host Montenegro in their penultimate qualifying match on Friday. Whereas victory at Wembley Stadium will preserve their place at the top of Group H ahead of next week’s final game at home to Poland, anything less could dash their hopes of qualifying automatically. England go into the game a point ahead of Ukraine and Montenegro, but should Roy Hodgson’s men fail to win and the Ukrainians prevail at home to Poland, it is they who would take over at the summit. With Ukraine completing their campaign away to perennial punching bags San Marino, who have lost all eight of their games, conceding 43 goals, such a scenario would almost certainly consign England to the play-
offs, provided they were not pipped to second place by Montenegro. An added source of concern for England is that, in their eight games to date, they have only managed to beat Moldova and San Marino, the pool’s two
England’s chances of securing automatic qualification for next year’s World Cup in Brazil will be in the balance when they host Montenegro. weakest teams. Their last meeting with Montenegro, in Podgorica in March, ended in a 1-1 draw and striker Wayne Rooney has urged his team-mates not to get flustered if they are unable to make an early breakthrough on Friday. “They are organised and hard to beat, they put a lot of men behind the ball and try and
England footballer Jermaine Defoe (3rd L) and teammates attend a training session at the St George’s Park training complex, near Burton-upon-Trent in central England. England face Montenegro at Wembley in a 2014 World Cup qualifier today. AFP/PAUL ELLIS
contain you,” he said. “We have to make sure we are patient and try to create the chances that could lead to us scoring goals. I think if we can get that first goal in the first half, then the game will open up. That first goal is vital.” England manager Hodgson has insisted that he is looking no further than his side’s next two games, despite the looming possibility of a first major qualification failure since Euro 2008. He can nonetheless take heart
from the injury problems plaguing opposite number Branko Brnovic, who is expected to be without goalkeeper Mladen Bozovic, centre-back Marko Basa, midfielder Miodrag Pekovic and talismanic captain Mirko Vucinic, the Juventus forward. England have lost Ashley Cole and Theo Walcott to injury but are otherwise at full strength and Hodgson will be able to pair Rooney in attack with Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge for only the second time this year.
“The potential in that partnership is frightening,” says captain Steven Gerrard. “They are both very skilful, they can both create and they can both score. All the boxes are ticked. They just have to prove they can make it happen.” For once, Hodgson will not lack for striking options, with Tottenham Hotspur’s Jermain Defoe, Rooney’s United teammate Danny Welbeck and new international Rickie Lambert also in the squad.
Germany out to secure Brazil berth COLOGNE: Coach Joachim Loew has said he wants Germany to be “greedy” against the Republic of Ireland in Friday’s World Cup qualifier to finally secure their Brazil 2014 berth. “We’re greedy, we want to win the game before a home crowd and secure our qualification,” said Loew ahead of the Cologne international. “I have fond memories of the compact Cologne stadium and we want to qualify as group winners without questions or discussions. “I have a good feeling about Friday.” Germany are five points clear in Group C, needing just a point in Cologne to guarantee their place at next June’s World Cup and Loew’s side thrashed the Irish 6-1 in Dublin in last
German national football team head coach Joachim Loew (C) attends a team training session in Duesseldorf. Germany will face the Republic of Ireland in Cologne today. AFP/PATRIK STOLLARZ
October’s qualifier. Ireland are fourth in the group under caretaker manager Noel King after Italian great Giovanni Trapattoni’s resigna-
tion last month after his side’s qualification hopes went up in flames. Republic captain Robbie Keane is an injury concern after
the veteran striker missed the final training session before the squad flew to Cologne and had a scan on his ankle injury. The Germans are eager to wrap up their qualification at home ahead of Tuesday’s final qualifier away to Sweden in Stockholm and Loew has said he expects a tough match against the Irish. “The Irish are defensively compact and play with a physical presence,” said Loew. “It’s in their nature, they defend incredibly well and get back quickly. It does not matter which coach is sitting on the bench and what players are on the pitch, the Irish are always difficult to play.” Germany will be without injured winger Marco Reus and striker Miroslav Klose, who scored three of the six goals in
Dublin between them. Untested 25-year-old Max Kruse of Borussia Moenchengladbach is set to make only his sixth appearance as a lone striker and Loew has already ruled out using Bayern Munich’s right winger Thomas Mueller up front. “Kruse isn’t just the type of player who gets forward into the penalty area, but also drops back and gets into gaps. I’m pleased to have him in the squad,” said Loew. Loew has also said Bayern Munich midfielder Mario Goetze is set for a cameo off the bench, having only just returned from injury. Captain Philipp Lahm will remain at right-back, despite having been switched to defensive midfield by Bayern coach Pep Guardiola. AFP