Postnoon E-Paper for February by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013 HYDERABAD

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POPE PUTS CHURCH IN

HOLY CRISIS P9

32 PAGES

WEATHER: A MIX OF CLOUDY AND CLEAR SKIES; 26°C

The Catholic Church entered uncharted waters on Tuesday after Pope Benedict XVI's shock announcement that he would become the first pontiff to resign of his own free will in 700 years. The 85-year-old Benedict told a group of cardinals on Monday that he will step down on February 28 because of his advancing age.

HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER

THE RICH DON’T PAY TAX Nearly 80 per cent of the oldest property tax evaders are in Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills and adjacent commercial areas. The list of top 100 defaulters include noted personalities like MIM MLA Mumtaz Ahmed Khan, Nawab Mukram Jah Bahadur and establishments like NIMS Hospital and Gayathri Hi-tech Hotels Ltd among others.

REPORT ON P4 N KOREA WALKS THE TALK, BLASTS NUKE

Fast track court

North Korea confirmed on Tuesday it had "successfully" carried out a nuclear test, drawing immediate condemnation from all over the world.

needed to stem drug trade The number of drug peddlers being arrested each year has been increasing. But despite that, most of them go scot-free thanks to the lax judicial system that our country boasts of. P8

P12

DEEPIKA SAYS SAIF'S ENCOURAGING

After having worked with Saif Ali Khan in four films, Deepika Padukone describes him as a supportive co-star with whom she enjoys working. “Saif is a very encouraging and entertaining co-actor. He has a great sense of humour and it is always lovely working with him," Deepika said.

P22

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

city events

THE POWER OF PROMISE

There is a book launch at Lamakaan at 7pm today. The Power of Promise: Examining Nuclear Energy in India is written by physicist and writer MV Ramana. The book offers a detailed narrative of the evolution of India s nuclear energy programme.

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

Overnight

Morning

Afternoon

27°C

19°C

24°C

33°C

A mix of cloudy and clear skies.

A mix of cloud and sun.

New Delhi Mumbai Max 23 Max 33 Min 9 Min 24 Partly cloudy.

Partly cloudy.

Chennai Max 31 Min 23 Mostly cloudy.

Bangalore Max 30 Min 20 Partly cloudy.

AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES V-DAY SPECIAL

Chinese New Year Traditional Chinese dishes including dimsums, oriental barbeque and dumpling soup will be served. Where: The Square, Madhapur, Hitec City When: February 8-17 6:30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6682 4422

Valentine’s Day buffet There is a candle light dinner and special buffet for Valentine’s day. Where: Seasonal Tastes, Westin Hyderabad Mindspace When: February 14, 7pm to 11pm Contact: (040) 6767 6888

MISCELLANEOUS

Landmark love hampers Landmark is giving out romantic novels, music CDs, romantic movie DVDs and gadgets at a discount. Three for two on romantic reads and 30 per cent off on romantic DVDs are some of the offers. Where: Landmark When: February 14 Special V-Day menu Enjoy a sumptuous Valentine’s Day meal with a delectable western and Indian menu at The Dining Room. There is also a special Valentine’s Day menu at Tre-Forni Bar & Restaurant. Where: Park Hyatt When: February 14, 7:30pm onwards Contact: (040) 4949 1200 Four course meal There is a special meal for Valentine’s Day. The meal combo for two people includes roasted vegetable, goat cheese quesadilla, pot stickers, stuffed nachos, and cottage cheese delight pizza. Where: TGI Friday’s, RK Cineplex,

Numaish Numaish is the 73rd All India Industrial Exhibition is an ongoing event in the City. Where: Exhibition Ground, Mukarramjahi Road, Nampally When: Up to February 15, 4pm to 11pm Contact: (040) 2460 3015

RISKY MOVES: A woman crosses the road holding her baby at Koti. Heavy traffic and lack of a foot overbridge in the M ANIL KUMAR vicinity makes it difficult for pedestrians to cross. Road no 2,Banjara Hills When: February 14 Contact: (040) 4015 1925

SHOWS For 'HER' A tribute to Victim X, raising the conscience to respect womanhood through art. Exhibition of installations and mixed media art by a variety of artists. The preview is on February 4 at 6:30pm. Where: Iconart Gallery When: February 4-14, 11:30am to 7pm Contact: www.iconart.in Buy Art It is an anniversary art show of affordable art by 30 artists. All artworks are priced between `1,000 to `10,000.

Commissioner & Spl Officer

Helpline GAS BOOKING IVRS NO HP 9666023456 Indane 9848824365 BSNL Complaints HMWS & SB Complaints

198 155313

POLICE CONTROL ROOM Hyderabad 27852435 Traffic Control Room 27852482 DCP Traffic 23234065, 23243499F Pollution Control Board 23887500 ELECTRICITY General Complaints Breakdown Section

155333 23431178 23431179

MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

23262266 24166666R ENC 23225267 Engineering 23220418 MCH Tankbund 23225397 Emergency MCH Circle I&II 24525842 MCH Circle III 24736912 MCH Circle IV 23326975 MCH Circle V 23326976 MCH Circle VI MCH Complaints 1100 Head Office 23225397 IVRS CUM MANUAL ENQUIRY PHONE NUMBERS (TRAIN & RESERVATION) RAILWAYS Rail Nilayam 27833169, 27824216 Railway Information 131 Reservations 135 Recorded Information 1345 Enquiry (IVRS) 1331, 1332, 1333

Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad When: January 18-February 18 11:30am-7pm Contact: www.iconart.in

ART Hyderabad 360 Live virtual and visual music by Puce Muse. Where: Qutb Shahi Tombs When: February 17, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 2355 4486 French Film Festival Six French films will be screened with English subtitles. Where: Prasads IMAX When: February 19-21 Contact: hyderabad.afindia.org

WATER SUPPLY Complaint Cell Sewerage Complaint Hyd. Water Supply HOSPITAL General Hospital, Sec-bad Niloufer Hospital, Red Hills NIMS, Director, Punjagutta Osmania General Hospital Railway Hospital, Lalaguda Apollo, Jubilee Hills Care Hospital, Banjara Hills Care Hospital, Nampally Care Hospital, Musheerabad Care Hospital, Sec-bad Kamineni Hospital, LB Nagar

155313 23307328 23313163

27505566 23314095 23390933 24600146 27001134 23607777 30418888 30417777 30419000 30416666 39879999

BLOOD BANKS Blood Bank,Narayanguda Chiranjeevi Blood Bank Blood Bank Mediton Goal Red Cross, Vidyanagar ADRM Blood Bank Mythri Charitable Trust NTR Memorial Trust Care Banjara Hills

Yudh Sai Shree Arts presents Yudh, a Bharathanatyam solo by Savitha Sastry on war. Where: Ravindra Bharathi, Hyderabad When: February 19, 7pm to 8:15pm Contact: (040) 2323 1245

DINING Golden Dragon Taj Krishna is hosting a Chinese New Year at special meal. Master chef Hung Fong Ng is crafting an array of traditional delicacies. Where: Golden Dragon, Taj Krishna When: Up to February 17, Lunch: 12:30pm to 2:45pm Dinner: 7:30pm t 11:45pm Contact: (040) 6629 3309

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

The Landmark sale Landmark announces its sale of Up to 70 per cent off. Bestselling books starting at `49, 3 for 2 on the top 500 new releases are just some of the offers. Where: Landmark When: January 25-February 25 Filmmaking workshop Yavanika Films is conducting a film appreciation course over two weekends and a filmmaking workshop over four weekends. The workshops are for adults and will be held on weekends. When: Weekends starting from February 23, 11 am onwards Contact: 94901 00404

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

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

24523211 232431300/7641 24521029

Readers’ views

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

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

City

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

DOES REGULARISATION OF LAYOUTS AMOUNT TO ACCEPTING BRIBES ? 83% 17%

YES (A) NO (B)

TODAY’S QUESTION

SHOULD DRUG ACCUSED BE GIVEN MAXIMUM PUNISHMENT? A)

YES

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

CRIME

Builder duped by fraudsters The builder began to construct on a plot as directed by them, only to be confronted by the real owner. Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

gang of a four, including a woman, allegedly cheated Mohd Abdul Shukur, the owner of a construction company for a pretty sum after giving him fake documents of a plot that belonged to another. According to the police, Shukur is a resident of Lalaguda, Secunderabad, and runs a construction company in the same area. In November, 2011, four persons — A Laxman Rao, T Rama Rao, AR Suma Lata and N Pandu — met him and said they have a plot of 400 sq yards situated at Marredpally, which was worth a few crores in the present market value. They wanted a builder to construct and give them a percentage of the cost of the land in cash. Shukur found the land and documents in order. But when he

POLITICS

Govt trying to weaken RTI Act: MCPI (U)

The four approached Mohd Abdul Shukur and asked him to construct a building on a plot they owned and give them a percentage of the land’s cost. started construction a few months later, one Krishna Rao asked him how dare he construct on his plot. A shocked Shukur ran to the four ‘owners.’ The four allegedly beat him up saying that it was his business to check the plot. Shukur approached the Secunderabad court and filed a complaint. He sobbed out his story before the magistrate, who issued orders to the Marredpally police to investigate the matter and take necessary action against the gang.

CRIME

Bizman’s car torched

arxist Communist Party of India (United) state committee has opposed the government’s attitude in weakening the Right to Information Act (RTI). It threatened that it would opt for a legal battle in case the governor fails to clear the loopholes in the RTI Act under Sections 17/3 and 4, and to implement it in favour of the public. In a press release, Md. Ghouse, secretary, MCPI (U), held the government responsible for the de-activation of RTI Act, by which people could seek required details from the officials concerned for solving their grievances. He claimed the government was hiding facts and misleading the public in order to divert attention from its failures. He commented that the government was misusing the commission for sake of political rehabilitation and appointing commissioners who lacked qualities like service, sincerity and being aware of the relevant Acts. NSS

Smart kid helps police with clue POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

fter the bikes, it is cars. A car which belongs to a businessman, Y Arun Kumar, was set fire to late last night at Murad Mahal of Tallabkatta in the Old City. Kumar had parked his car as usual in front of his home.

He woke up at night as the crackle of fire and noises woke him. He says he tried to put out the fire by pouring water on it and succeeded but the car was badly damaged. Kumar rang up the Moghalpura police. The police team came and inspected the spot and a case has been registered. The businessman has reportedly

given some hints to suggest possible elements who indulged in arson. However no arrest has yet been made. This is not the first such incident with Arun Kumar. In December 2012, someone had torched his bike. Police failure to trace the attackers has led to last night’s incident, he bemoaned.

t was an alert boy who helped find a body of a youth from Hussain Sagar Lake. The body was identified as N Shanker, from Khammam district, who seems to have committed suicide. However, nobody knew about it and therefore no complaint was registered. On February, a boy walked into Gopalpuram police station and deposited a mobile he had found on the footpath. Police checked the call history and found the last call had gone to one N Venkateshwar Rao. They gave a call to him and asked if he knew the owner. He turned out to be the father of one N Shanker. He said his son had last called him on February 7. Police made an attempt to trace him. Divers brought out a decaying body of the youth, who turned out to be N Shanker. The boy was not identified.

city TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

CIVIC

LAST YEAR... HERE A long bridge to nowhere

The rich don’t pay tax

ast year we had reported how nearly 11 children go missing in India every hour and at least four of them are never found. The report by Bachpan Bachao Andolan covered 392 of India’s districts. Child welfare associations pointed out that this could have something to do with the organ racket. But since most missing kids were poor they remained untraced.

Nearly 80 per cent of the oldest property tax evaders are in Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills and adjacent commercial areas. Why can’t GHMC file a common caveat to courts and prevent a stay?

FEBRUARY 12, 2012

Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

NUMEROLOGY

umtaz Ahmed Khan (pictured), MLA Yakutpura, whose properties are in Shalibanda is amongst the defaulters who have not paid tax for years. With `20,98,341 tax to be paid, the MIM MLA is listed in the 100 defaulters of GHMC. Circle No 10, which includes the posh localities of Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills and other highly commercial areas have most of the oldest defaulters of property tax. While some of them have approached courts a few others have filed petitions but most of the owners of the properties are simply not interested to pay property tax. The top defaulter, Hyderabad Asbestos Cement Pro based in

`20.98L is how much MIM MLA Mumtaz Ahmed Khan owes the GHMC towards property tax. He is one of the top defaulters.

I hope the railway budget will allocate money for development of escalators in the railway stations. Cleanliness and hygiene too should be focal points. Jayasudha Kapoor, MLA See page 7

Banjara Hills with its `13,17,60,682 has gone to court. The NIMS Hospital and N.I.M.S Hospital (Erramanzil) with its `4,20,10,055 and `4,30,38,978 combined would be second largest defaulter of property tax. One of the curious facts is that some of the taxes are not paid because of the property dispute. Lake Plaza Hotels Ltd & Others (Somajiguda) with its `6,95,10,716 is under dispute has not paid for years. In the list of top defaulters include Gayathri Hi-tech Hotels Ltd (Banjara Hills) with `3,31,53,044 and A n n a p u r n a Enterprises (Abids) with `3,21,88,201. Others from Banjara Hills include Bupender Singh Sahney (`1,20,11,589), Indo Arab League Hyderabad (`1,67,34,110), Secretary Sultaan Ul

Uloom Edu Society (`2,12,51,669), D Narayana & 17 Others (`1,00,62,915). In Jubilee Hills, Jubilee Hills Land Mark Projects Ltd has defaulted with `2,81,26,111 and A L Manoharam with `63,50,272 for more than two years. According to officials, most of the defaulters are from Circle 10, which is clustered with most of the commercial establishments in the City. “GHMC is pursuing the matter, but several defaulters have approached courts,” says chief valuation officer, S Pankaja. With around `275 crore pending for years, commissioner MT Krishna Babu recently decided to involve higher officials directly to pursue the matter. “If a common man like I don’t pay property tax, they will attach my house,” said Krishna Veni, a house owner in Kukatpally, “but these bigwigs manage it.”

Some other defaulters 1. Kamineni Hospital:

`71,11,549

2. AP Film Development:

`55,51,576

3. Hyderabad Stock Exchange:

`52,08,272

4. Principal Hyderabad Public School:

`20,47,792

5. St Joseph Edu Society:

`16,35,875

6. Nawab Mir Barkat Ali Khan Mukram Ja Bahadur

`28,33,251

7. United News of India:

`18,78,255

8. Secretary Exibition Society:

`28,81,354

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

Found a lost cellphone? Turn it in. A young boy who recently found a lost cellphone gave it to the police. This eventually helped them uncover a youth’s suicide.

Common man is put through the grind, while rich escape. While most of us struggle to pay property taxes and whole lot of other such taxes, the rich happily ignore them. This includes big establishments and politicians.

You can’t really trust anybody these days. Or so learnt a builder the hard way. He was approached by four people to construct on a plot of land, only to realise they had duped him after he began work.

It’s time for the young to participate in politics. Or so believes Rahul Gandhi. He has issued directives to include younger politicians in party activities.

Cops work hard but drug dealers still get away. Thanks to our lax judicial system, drug dealers get away on bail while cops continue chasing them.

NEWS BRIEFS HC raps State govt on Aadhaar cards

Special buses for marriage season

One more Congress MLA HC stays demolition of joins YSRC? illegal buildings

he AP High Court has pulled up the Central and State governments and various oil companies for an explanation on the link between the Aadhaar cards and LPG subsidy. Headed by Chief Justice PC Ghose about a petition lodged by a private employee, the bench questioned the need for Aadhaar card, which is not an alternative to the ration card.

ith several thousands of marriages on three most auspicious days, the APSRTC will run 300 special buses across the State between February 13 and 15. For districts Karimnagar, Medak, Nizamabad and Adilabad people can use Jubilee Bus Station and MG bus station for coastal districts and Rayalaseema.

everal Congress workers of the Addanki constituency of Prakasham district met Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy on Monday and complained that their MLA Gottipati Ravi was planning to join the YSRC and asked him to appoint someone else in his place. The CM has reportedly assured the party workers to do the needful

ustice Nooty Ramamohana Rao of the AP High Court stayed the demolition of illegal buildings and structures in Manikonda. The stay orders followed after the local counsel argued that there were no records available with the panchayats to prove they were illegal. The stay was declared on condition that the buildings would not be used.

city TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

POLITICS

Rahul guns for a young image The newly appointed vice-president of the Congress has issued directives to ensure more opportunities for youngsters in the party. INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com

Rahul Gandhi’s directive includes appointing newcomers to party posts by putting aside leaders who have enjoyed party posts twice.

cion of the Nehru-Gandhi family and newly appointed vice-president of All India Congress Committee (AICC) Rahul Gandhi has begun to reform the party organisation. These reforms are aimed at giving the party a young image ahead of the next General Elections, to be held in 2014. The crucial stakeholder on Congress’s list, Andhra Pradesh, is no exception to these reforms by the yuvaraj of the party. Rahul, who is the numero uno contender for the prime minister’s post in the next General Elections, had recently issued certain important directions to all party units across the country. Accordingly, all the state party units of the Congress issued circulars to office bearers and DCC presidents of the party. Among these directions, the most important are the appointing mandal- and block-level leaders and giving opportunities to newcomers. Rahul Gandhi’s first directive asked party units to appoint leaders who are less than 40 years of age as the mandal- and block-level units’ presidents of

HEALTH

the party, in what could be seen as an attempt to form his own team across the country. The second directive of the Congress’s vice-president includes appointing newcomers to party posts by putting aside leaders who have enjoyed party posts twice. Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee has also recently issued a circular to all its district party units and directed them to immediately implement the guidelines of the party high command. “Yes, we have received a circular from the APCC on the guidelines and directions to be followed while appointing leaders to various party positions. The most important guidelines among them are appointing leaders of less than 40 years as mandal- and block-level unit president, and declining party posts to leaders for the third time,” APCC general secre-

The clinic has been without a full-time doctor for six months, say miffed employees.

t used to be a favourite haunt of health buffs at the Secretariat. The homeo clinic there provided effective treatment to skin diseases, sinusitis, obesity and even hair fall, which other systems do not effectively cure. But for the last six months, the clinic is proving a training ground for medical students.The clinic does not have a full-time qualified doctor. “Are

CURRENT STATUS OF CONGRESS IN AP

The party is filled with leaders who have crossed 50 years of age. APCC president Botsa Satyanarayana, CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy and most of the other leaders, including Cabinet ministers, are over 50 years of age. The average age of party leaders enjoying various party posts stands at 45 years. There is little scope for new leaders to aspire for party and government posts as majority of them are occupied by musclemen and top leaders for years together.

POLITICS

M ANIL KUMAR

Homeo clinic sans doctor at Secretariat POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

tary R Padma Raju told Postnoon on Monday. Raju is a member of Team Rahul, which recently conducted a nationwide comprehensive survey of all the Lok Sabha seats in the country with an objective to devise methods to ensure the victory of party candidates during the next General Elections. Raju felt that the entire party is bracing itself to follow in the footsteps of Rahul Gandhi. He added that Rahul Gandhi is trying to encourage young leadership in the party in coming days with a view to strengthen the party. His directives are poised to bring radical change in the party organisation in coming days.

we guinea pigs?” asked a mid-level secretary angrily, when asked about the condition of the clinic. “How can the students treat the patients? In homeopathy, diagnosis is the most important thing because all pills look same but each is different. These kids are not at all qualified to diagnose and treat. Frankly, they do not like it themselves. When we approach them, they simply ask us to approach other clinics citing the lack of a full-time doctor,” a woman

employee who frequented the clinic told Postnoon. The authorities agreed that the employees are facing problems due to the non-availability of the doctors at the clinic. The officials said they have written to the department concerned for appointment of a full-time doctor at the clinic. Those who visit the clinic now are those wanting to gossip, read a free paper or simply while away time till lunch break.

‘Why no case against Chiru, Botsa?’

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

SRC’s Sharmila, on padayatra now, asked why the government had not registered a case against filmstar-turned-Union minister Chiranjeevi, though IT authorities found `70 crore in his daughter’s house. Sharmila also questioned why there were no cases against PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana although there were several corruption charges against him. Addressing meetings during her ‘Maro Praja Prasthanam’ in Nalgonda district on Monday, Sharmila said her brother, Jagan Mohan Reddy, is a tiger caged by political cowards. She added that YSRC would prove to be a force to reckon with and the Congress will have difficulty finding a foothold in Andhra Pradesh.

city TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

FESTIVITIES

LOVERS WILL SPEND LESS THIS V-DAY POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

wing to an ongoing weak consumer sentiment, lovers on this Valentine’s Day are likely to curb their expenditure on big-ticket items like jewellery, romantic getaways or an expensive designer outfit, according to a recently concluded month-long survey conducted by premier industry body Assocham. Even as traditional things like flowers, chocolates, cosmetics and perfumes are leading the Valentine’s Day gift list, electronic gadgets like low-cost tablets, smartphones, iPods and digital cameras are other most desirable gift options for couples this V-day, according to the survey of around 750 young couples in the age group of 20-30 years, carried out by the social development foundation (ASDF) of Assocham.

EXHIBITION

Bonanza awaits Numaish shoppers Collection from Numaish runs 18 educational and vocational training centres under the Society. ANUBHA K SINGH anubha.k@postnoon.com

umaish, the longest exhibitioncum-sale in India, is coming to an end. And the last days are going to be the best bet for shoppers, organisers say. “The last three days are very important in terms of sale for the shopkeepers here. Most of us try our best to clear the stock. The number of visitors in the last three days is four times more as compared to the opening days. We offer products at half their original price as we need to clear stock. It’s not a loss as most of us earn our profits in the starting days,” said Ramkishan Paliwal, Jaipur Bangle store owner. Last year, on the closing day, 1.25 lakh visitors thronged the exhibition ground, which was the highest in the past 72 years. “This year, we are expecting two to 2.5 lakh visitors on the closing day. So far, 25 lakh people have visited the exhibition, as compared to last year’s 21.46 lakh visitors,” said Sukesh Reddy, honorary secretary, Exhibition Society. “Unlike previous years, this

year the exhibition ground was teeming with visitors right from day one and is still continuing,” he added. Despite similar exhibitions taking place throughout the year at Shilparamam or Necklace Road, Numaish is a favourite among Hyderabadis, especially women and oldtimers.

BUYERS SMILE

“I prefer visiting Numaish in the last days. I came here to buy crockery, bed sheets and other household items at my own price. In the starting days, the price of double bedsheets was `400, and the same bedsheets are now available at `180 or `200. The only thing is bargaining works this time,” said Geet Goyal, a visitor at Numaish. “We came from Kashmir and after Numaish, we are not taking part in any exhibition for three months so it’s important for us to clear the stock before leaving Hyderabad,” said Asif Ahmed, owner of Willow Dryfruit Kashmir. The collection from the 45-day long exhibition will be utilised to run 18 educational and vocational training institutions under the Exhibition Society.

The average V-Day spending this year will be in the range of `1,500 to `3,500. Lovers will have to be satisfied with flowers, lunch, socks and ties.

The survey was carried out in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Dehradun, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna and Pune between November 2012 and January 2013. Of the total, around 40 per cent respondents said they are tightening their purse strings as far as V-Day

spending is concerned and will spend only on traditional gifts, while 30 per cent said they’d prefer to gift an electronic gadget to their loved one. Online spending on flowers is expected to strengthen as many respondents said they will log on to online flower retailers, where they can browse and compare prices against brick-and-mortar flower shops, highlights the survey. Designer clothes, handbags and shoes are gift options for 15 per cent couples. Since Valentine’s Day is falling on a weekday, many said they will celebrate by watching a movie, followed by dinner. Interestingly, about half said they do not approve of the gift given by their partner but accept it as a token of love. Many of these said a romantic meal with their significant other is the best part of their V-day celebrations. (Compiled by PK Surendran)

classifieds TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

LAW

Won’t interfere in micro-finance: HC T he Andhra Pradesh High Court has made it clear that it will not question the authority of the government in regard to controlling the activities of micro-finance companies. On Monday, a bench comprising Chief Justice PC Ghosh, and Justice Vilas V Afzal Purkar made it clear that there was no need for the AP High Court to interfere in this regard as the governments and Reserve Bank were implementing specific laws. The Court said that the Reserve Bank had made it clear to protect the Self Help Groups‘

(SHGs) interests in regard to micro-financing on August 3. 2012. The High Court also directed the State Government not to act tough against the microfinancing companies till the Central government, which was looking after the rules framed by it, makes the rules as a full-fledged law. It may be recalled that several micro-finance companies have approached the Andhra Pradesh High Court against the State Government’s interference in collecting the loans forcibly from the loan-takers. NSS

CLASSIFIEDS CLOTHING

HOTEL

HEALTH

TRANSPORT

Bleeding, but MMTS set to expand South Central railway looks hopefully to the railway budget in order to save and invigorate the service it renders to connectivity. RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA rahul.r@postnoon.com

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ith barely two weeks left for the Indian Railway budget, South Central (SC) rail management is keeping its fingers crossed. Will Union railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal oblige Hyderabad by saving and strengthening the MMTS since the ministry now has an Andhraite, KJ Surya Prakash Reddy, on its ministerial board? Postnoon takes a look at the multi-modal transport service in the City, a one of its kind that has continued to function despite many financial and technical problems. The MMTS conveys more than 1.7 lakh people everyday. Despite the staggering number, the train service continues to run into losses. The official data reveals that on a single day, it incurs a loss of `35 lakh. And the recent hike in the minimum charges failed to add a cheering effect. It only made its most loyal commuters unhappy. According to K Satyanarayana, a GHMC ticket collector and MMTS commuter: “The minimum price hike from `2 to `5 has not pleased the crowd. While people travelling long distances, say Lingampally to Falaknuma, might find the service cheap and affordable, but short distance users like me find no difference in service. The train frequency and timing are to be revised to suit people’s needs.” Mohammad Rafiq, a private security guard and a regular MMTS commuter, said, “The

fares will keep increasing whether the railway budget allocates any money or not. I think they should increase train services and train frequency and the budget allocated should focus on this issue.” Gous Pasha, a JNTU fine arts student, added, “It is only the lower middle class and the poor who use the MMTS. And now, with the sudden increase in minimum ticket price, they too are disillusioned with the service. The train frequency is not good, neither is the connectivity great, especially in the Hyderabad to Lingampally route where the trains are a rarity. Whether they increase the budget or not, I don’t think it is going to help the users in any way.” Pritam Pandey, a private software employee, voiced similar opinions. “I have been using the MMTS regularly and I find it a very useful mode of transport. I think the services offered are great whether or not any budget is allocated for it in the railway budget.” While the public seems dispirited about the railway budget and offers no great opinions over the service, another phase of the MMTS service is slated to be inaugurated for construction by April. The new phase will include increased rail services between FalaknumaInternational Airport, TellapurPatancheru, SecunderabadBolarum, Sanathnagar-Moula Ali, Moula Ali-MalkajgiriSitaphalmandi, BolarumMedchal and Moula AliGhatkesar. “Old railway tracks that were not being put to use will also be used under Phase II,”

said an official from the Southern Central Railway. However, most of the officials declined to comment on their expectations for the railway budget. “It would be inappropriate to talk about what we expect from the railway ministry before the budget is out. All discussions are classified. As of now, we will comment after the budget has been released,” K Sambasiva Rao, CPRO of the South Central Railway, said. Secunderabad MLA Jayasudha Kapoor said, “I hope the railway budget will allocate money for development of escalators in the railway stations. Cleanliness and hygiene too should be focal points and sufficient money must be allocated to achieve these demands. As for the MMTS, we have no expectations for it until it reached completion by 2014.”

PROJECTED WORKS FOR MMTS PHASE II

Phase II of the MMTS is expected to integrate with the Metro at several junctions in the City. Malakpet, Lakdikapul, Bharatnagar will meet the Metro rail corridor I and Secunderabad, Begumpet, Nampally will meet Metro rail corridor II. Around five lakh commuters are expected to use the MMTS Phase II after its completion. The budget allocated for the MMTS is `632 crore, with twothirds of it borne by the State government and the rest by South Central Railway. So far, the Central government has released `99 crore for the Phase II budget.

city TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

CRIME

Act fast to tackle drug trade ALEENA ALICE aleena.t@postnoon.com

rime bosses aka the drug Mafioso have become smart operators in the City. Though according to the police Hyderabad is maintaining a low profile when it comes to drugs, facts are not comfortable. Sources point out that Goa has become a transit point for sending drugs into the country. The drug merchants are trying to extend their nexus to far cities like Hyderabad. The high-end drugs are sold to the rich kids who are their main targets. “It’s an international racket where they have an extended nexus to even arms smugglers. On a larger warfare, these drugs can ruin the country’s youth. By selling to tycoons, the business and other commercial activities also can get affected. However, in Hyderabad, most of the accused have been found to be peddling drugs for money. They try to make a quick buck overnight. Though it is the foreign nationals mostly who smuggle the drugs into the country, they engage Indian youths to sell them to locals,” says West Zone DCP Sudhir Babu.

Drug peddling cases have been increasing every year. Just a couple of days back drugs worth `2 crore were seized by the City police at RGI Airport. Is the drug mafia slowly taking over the City? Going by the statistics of the past few years the magnitude of drug seizures says it all. In 2011, 60 people were arrested of which 48 were Indians and 12 foreign citizens. In 2012, 79 arrests were made of which 72 were Indian and 7 were foreign nationals. According to sleuths of the crime branch, the most sought after drugs among the urban

crowd are Cocaine, LSD and other designer drugs like mushroom and grass. No points for guessing how there is a free flow of these drugs into the City. Most of the accused are African nationals from Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, West Africa and Kenya who have taken over the drug distribution system. They have made Hyderabad the drug transit point. What is shocking is that some of the reputed coffee shops in the City too are hubs for drug sales. Places like Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills,

POPULAR DRUGS IN THE CITY Ganja: The most common and easily available drug. It is used since it is available at a low cost. Hashish/ Charas: Not-soexpensive drugs but imported into the City from other parts of the country. Cocaine: Flown into the City mostly by Nigerians and sold at a high cost to youngsters.

Usually costs `10,000 per gram. Heroin: Popular with the rich, it is exported from India to other countries. Opium and LSD: The most expensive in the market. Reportedly 0.1 gram of LSD costs `20,000. These drugs are smuggled into the country from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Punjagutta and other socalled hip places top the list of drug transactions. However, a senior police officer says the use of drugs in the City is not rising to an alarming level. Whenever the police are tipped off they trap the offenders. If any person is found to be suspicious or under the influence of drugs, the police are well equipped with kits provided by the Narcotics Control Bureau. Special cops are stationed at sensitive

areas to arrest dealers. Although arrested, most of the offenders are out on bail. This can be blamed onto the legal system dragging its feet on such matters. “We work with the Interpol and all information regarding the drug mafia is shared. Most of the arrested are not first-time offenders. They get bail and continue their trade. However, once the case is registered it is the judiciary that takes charge and takes its own time. There should be more fast track courts only for drug cases so that immediate punishment is given to these offenders,” said a senior police official.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

focus

BOLT FROM ABOVE

Lightning strikes St Peter's dome at the Vatican on February 11, 2013. Pope Benedict XVI has announced he will resign as leader of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics on February 28 because his age prevented him from carrying out his duties — an unprecedented move in the modern history of the Catholic Church. AFP PHOTO/FILIPPO MONTEFORTE

GOOD GOD!

POPE PUTS CHURCH IN

HOLY CRISIS The Catholic Church entered uncharted waters on Tuesday after Pope Benedict XVI's shock announcement to step down.

DARIO THUBURN VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI's shock announcement makes him the first pontiff to resign of his own free will in 700 years. The 85-year-old Benedict told a group of cardinals in a speech in Latin on Monday that he will step down on February 28 because his advancing age prevented him from carrying out his duties in a fast-changing world. Only a few advisers knew of the pope's plan beforehand and many leaders of the Vatican hierarchy were caught off guard, with Cardinal Angelo Sodano saying the announcement came "like a lightning bolt in a clear blue sky". Ordinary faithful among the world's 1.1 billion Catholics were divided. Some said the move was a courageous act that would breathe new life into a Roman Catholic Church struggling with multiple crises and could possibly set a precedent for ageing popes no longer at the height of their powers. Others said they were dis-

The faithful’s response I happened to be re-reading Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code just recently and was quite intrigued by the whole Papal election. But I did not expect it to happen so soon. He's made history, but since his reason for this unprecedented move has been health, all we can do is accept it.

- Aakash Maity (believer & College student)

We at the convent were extremely shocked to hear of it, since the news broke in the morning, we were quite the last ones to come to know. As of now, we have received no orders from Rome or the Church. It was a sad news. We will pray that his health improve and will be offering mass and prayers for his safety and that he gets courage to go ahead with this decision.

- Sisters of a convent in the City

mayed that a leader whose election by the Church's cardinals is believed to be divinely inspired could simply decide to quit. World leaders said they were respectful of Benedict's decision and praised his pontificate, particularly for increasing inter-religious dialogue. The pope's eight-year rule — one of the shortest in the

Good riddance, says US, Irish victims of sex abuse WASHINGTON: Pope Benedict XVI did nothing to punish pedophile priests or Church seniors who looked the other way, according to US and Irish victims hoping his successor will focus on fighting sex abuse. Barbara Blaine, founder and president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, called the outgoing pope's record "dismal." "He has made lofty statements. He has not matched those statements with deed or action. Under his reign, the children remained at risk," Blaine said. The US and Ireland have been among several countries rocked by successive sex scandals involving members of the Catholic clergy and Church higher-ups accused of covering up abuses. This month, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez was forced to release files on presumed cases of pedophilia involving some 100 priests.

So who’s the next Pope?

Top from left Cardinal Claudio Hummes, Brazil Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodrigues Maradiaga,

Church's modern history — also earned him a lot of enemies however, from the gay community to AIDS activists to campaigners for victims of paedophile priests. An academic theologian and the author of numerous tomes including a trilogy on the life of Jesus Christ, the pope was often seen as some-

what distant from the intrigue of the Vatican and the day-today running of the Church. Speculation over who could be the next pope was already in full swing in Rome just hours after the announcement, although even seasoned observers cautioned that predictions on future popes are notoriously unreliable. AFP

These are the Cardinals likely to succeed to Pope Benedict XVI who announced today he will step down at the end of this month after an eight-year pontificate.

Honduras Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Argentina Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, Mexico

Joao Braz de Aviz, Brazil Luis Antonio Tagle, Philippines Peter Turkson. Nigerian

Bottom row from left Cristoph Schonborn, Austria Peter Erdoe, Hungary Angelo Scola, Italy

Marc Ouellet, Canada Francis Arinze, Nigeria John Onaiyekan, Nigeria Timothy Dolan, US.

The Pope's announcement is indeed a shocking and saddening news. We still can't believe it. But since he has his reasons behind it, we will pray for his health. Pope Benedict XVI is one of the most outgoing and active Popes we have had. He has been surrounded by controversy though, regarding his stand on abortion and test tube babies. On the other hand we should accept his decision as in this way he is paving way for a better leadership. His old age and failing health will be a burden for him and taking decisions, touring and the rest will be quite demanding, hence he is right in making this decision. - Sisters of a convent in Tamil Nadu

Benedict XVI will lead a monk’s life in Vatican VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI, who has announced he will resign on February 28, will retire to a monastery tucked away inside the historic walls of the Holy See: so once the new pope is elected, there will be a former pontiff and his successor living in the Vatican. Benedict, 85, who said he was standing down due to old age, will temporarily stay at the papal summer house at Castel Gandolfo near Rome. During that time, the Mater Ecclesiae monastery building within the Vatican grounds — an oasis of calm with its own vegetable garden and blooming flowerbeds — will be renovated. The Vatican said it expected his successor to be elected in time for Easter. Spokesman Federico Lombardi said, "It's an unprecedented situation, we'll see how it goes... He has often said that he wanted to dedicate his old age to writing.”

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

Business

‘AMERICAN AIRLINES, US AIRWAYS TO MERGE’

American Airlines and US Airways are close to striking a merger deal that would create the largest airline in the US. The Wall Street Journal reported that their boards are scheduled to meet on Wednesday, and a deal could be disclosed by Thursday.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

A win-win travel option through ‘localisation’ Community-based travel company reaps rich dividends and changes lives. PRUDHVI RAJU K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

hishir Nikam, an MBA graduate, had put an end to successful five-year software career to start Black Swan, a community-driven travel company in January 2010. The Pune-based company, started with mere `1 lakh investment is not only successful in reaping profits with around 50 per cent growth but also bringing change in lives of communities and travelers. Talking about the business idea, Shishir says, “I was bored of cubicle life as a Trade Analyst with a software company and the work was monotonous not enriching me in anyway. Travelling has always been a hobby for me and wanted to do something in the field. The business idea is to create community-based travel company, wherein locals of the village play a key role in providing enriching experiences for travelers. For me, business is not just about profits. The business also empowers the local communities and becomes alternative source of their livelihood. “Most of the revenues generated by the company go back to the locals as they are the ones who provide accommodation and food. We ensure to avail most of the services from locals. In a way, it employs local people as guides and operators,” “Travellers get an opportunity to explore the place, culture, food and listen to the legendry or mythological stories of place through its own people along with sightseeing. For instance, In Kotagiri, the tradi-

Places on offer Anegundi, (Hampi, Karnataka) Kotagiri (Tamil Nadu) Garli (Himachal Pradesh) Varnasi (UP) Rajasthan and Goa (to be offered soon)

tional honey hunters are the guides. Where as in Banaras and Chanderi, highly skilled weavers will let travellers know more about their culture and art forms of the place,” says Shishir. Talking about the value addition, he says, “Most of the times, the hotels, rooms or even the food is almost similar across the country. However, with us traveller gets an opportunity to experience the real culture and enjoy the real cuisine of the people and get even access to their kitchens to see how it is prepared. Any place is more than just physical monuments or sightseeing. One can also know various art forms of the place like painting, music, weaving. These kinds of experiences will become lifelong cherishable memories than few days of sightseeing. Business is also doing its part by promoting the art forms of locals by conducting various exhibitions. “Designing and promoting such travelling trips will help the locals to keep their fading culture alive. As part of the core philosophy, we recently conducted Cherial paintings exhibition in the City and also designed a trip to Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, where the travelers get an opportunity to understand the philosophy of 15th century mystic poet Kabir through the folk singers of the place along with sightseeing of the spot,” he says. The company is also active in Hyderabad and has plans to start its operations in Bangalore and Dharamsala. It is also looking for 70 per cent growth in revenues this fiscal.

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JAPAN, KSA IN N-TALKS

The Japanese government has agreed to resume talks with Saudi Arabia on exports of nuclear technology for the construction of power plants in the Middle Eastern country, the Nikkei business daily reported. Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Toshimitsu Motegi agreed Saturday to begin talks with Saudi atomic energy ofﬁcials, the business newspaper said. Saudi Arabia, one of the world's largest oil producers, is developing its atomic energy industry as part of a plan to meet rising demand for electricity from a rapidly growing population. The Saudi government plans to build up to 16 nuclear power plants by 2030, allowing the country to increase its oil exports, Nikkei said.

NUMEROLOGY

$3.8

is the net profit of French cosmetics giant L'Oreal. Sales rose by 10.4 percent.

BARCLAYS TO CUT JOBS Troubled British bank Barclays is set to axe annual costs by $3.1 billion and cut 2,000 investment bank jobs, media reports said Monday on the eve of its 2012 results. The Financial Times newspaper, which cited bank insiders and analysts, said that the cuts — equivalent to ten percent of the group's cost base — would focus on a retrenchment of investment bank operations particularly in Asia. The scandal-hit lender will also announce a partial wind-down of retail and commercial banking in parts of Europe, such as Italy. A group spokeswoman declined to comment on the matter.

THUS SPAKE I think that my bonus should be assessed on all of the things I do well and badly and judgment should be reached, STEPHEN HESTER, RBS CHIEF

BSE 5,903.40 6,057.70 NSE

20,025.67 19,493.76 44.10 33.19 9.20 5.55

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

nation

RETAIL INFLATION RISES TO 10.79% IN JAN Rising for the fourth consecutive month, retail inflation remained in double digits at 10.79 per cent in January, driven by higher prices of vegetables, edible oil, cereals and protein-based items. The retail inflation had stood at 10.56 per cent in December, 9.90 per cent in November and 9.75 per cent in October, 2012.

AFZAL HANGING

SURYANELLI CASE

Kashmir curfew enters day 4 Three persons have died while over 50 others including 23 cops have been injured in the clashes since Saturday.

Policemen play cricket on a deserted street in Srinagar on Monday.

SRINAGAR: Curfew continued in Kashmir Valley for the fourth consecutive day today even as authorities blocked all roads leading to the hometown of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru to foil any attempts by people to assemble there on the fourth day ceremony of the deceased. “Curfew is in place in the Valley for the fourth straight day. The night passed off peacefully,” a police spokesman said. He said there were no rep-

Valley residents remained without mobile Internet services and newspapers for the fourth day while news channels remained off air . orts of any fresh incident of violence or violation of curfew this morning. The authorities have blocked all roads leading to

AFP/ROUF BHAT

Sopore town, the hometown of Guru, as some separatist outfits had called for a march to mark the fourth day of his death today. Valley residents remained without mobile Internet services and newspapers for the fourth day while news channels remained off air on cable TV networks. Additional forces have been deployed at vulnerable spots following clashes between protestors and law enforcing agencies. PTI

Cops hunt for convict, Kurien rubbishes claim THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Police has set up a special team to trace and arrest the absconding convict in the Suryanelli gangrape case, who appeared on a Malayalam TV channel alleging that Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien was involved in the case, as claimed by the victim. The four-member team has left for Karnataka from where Dharmarajan purportedly gave the interview to the channel yesterday and made the startling claim. The task entrusted with the team would be co-ordinated by Kottayam SP, police said. The third accused in the 1996 gangrape case, Dharmarajan fled Kerala before the probe was completed, but he was traced and arrested at Udupi in Karnataka later. The special court which tried the case sentenced him to life in 2002. The High Court, however, remitted it to five years in 2005. He secured bail to file an appeal the same year but has been absconding since then. In his TV interview, Dharmarajan claimed that Kurien, who was a minister at the Centre then, had travelled in

his car to a guest house in Kumali, where the girl alleged she was molested. He claimed he was under pressure from the chief investigator not to mention Kurien’s name. Kurien, however, rubbished Dharmarajan’s charge, holding that the statement of a convict has no legal validity. “Every accused gets a chance to make a statement before the judge. He did not say this at that time. You (mediapersons) find out why he is making this claim now,” Kurien had said. Kurien was acquitted in case but the victim had recently named him as one of those who assaulted her in 1996. She sent a letter to the Supreme Court last week, seeking a review of the Apex Court’s order quashing all charges against Kurien. PTI

NEWS BRIEFS CAG officer arrested for accepting bribe

Freed in UAE, 17 Indians to return home today

Hate speech: Nagaland CM Rio ready for jail

PANAJI: An officer attached to the CAG office of Mumbai was arrested by the CBI here for allegedly accepting a bribe from a canteen contractor in Goa. S Chedda, an assistant audit officer from CAG Mumbai, was arrested here after he was caught while allegedly receiving `20,000 from contractor Balkrishna Shetty. Shetty runs a canteen in the National Institute of Technology (NIT) at Farmagudi, a village 25 km from Panaji. According to the complainant, Chedda was demanding a bribe to waive `3.6 lakh, which was shown as service tax. The contractor had claimed that the service tax cannot be levied on him as he was serving the food at subsidised cost in the NIT canteen. As Chedda was reluctant to buy Shetty’s arguments, the latter went to CBI and filed a complaint. Chedda has been booked under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

NEW DELHI: Seventeen Indian men who were on a death row in the UAE since 2010 on charges of murdering a Pakistani national, have been freed by a Sharjah court and will return home today. The men were allowed to be freed after blood money worth nearly `5 crore was paid to the family. They had been sentenced to death by a Shariat court in Sharjah March 2010. They were convicted of murdering Misri Khan and injuring three others January 2009, following a ﬁght over illegal liquor business. Two other Pakistanis were injured in the clash which occurred in Al Sajaa area of Sharjah. The Indian men had all along maintained that they were not involved in the murder of the Pakistani national and that they had been framed. A Dubai-based Indian hotelier SP Singh Oberoi led the campaign and collected money to secure the release of the Indian men.

NEW DELHI: Stating that he spoke for the rights of the Naga people, Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio said on Tuesday that he was willing to go to jail for their sake. He was reacting to the Manipur government’s decision to seek action against him for making a “hate speech” last week. On February 8, the Manipur cabinet decided to approach the Election Commission and the Union home ministry to seek action against the Nagaland chief minister for a “hate speech” against Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh. On February 6, the Nagaland chief minister, who is seeking re-election from the Northern Angami-II Assembly Constituency, referred to Ibobi as “one of the biggest enemies of Naga people and responsible for the suppression of Nagas” during his election campaign for his party in Nagaland’s Zunheboto district.

PICK YOUR

Across Stores

ities Twin C

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

World

SRI LANKA DROPS IMF LOAN BID OVER SPENDING DISPUTE Sri Lanka on Tuesday dropped plans for a fresh $1.0-billion loan from the International Monetary Fund following disagreements over how the money should be spent, the central bank said. The government announced last month that it was seeking a new cash infusion from the IMF.

KOREAN CONUNDRUM

N Korea walks the talk North Korea confirmed Tuesday it had “successfully” carried out an underground nuclear test, drawing condemnation from rival South Korea. US takes cognizance

n a first US reaction to North Korea’s apparent nuclear test, the office of the Director of National Intelligence said spy agencies were evaluating a “seismic event” in the Stalinist state. “The Intelligence Community is aware of a seismic event with explosive characteristics in North Korea,” they said. North Korea’s apparent nuclear test on Tuesday had an explosive yield of at least

7 KILOTONS

signalling “enormous destructive power”, South Korea’s defence ministry said citing seismic data.

South Korean passengers watch TV news reporting North Korea’s apparent nuclear test, at the Seoul train station on February 12, 2013. North Korea’s apparent nuclear test had an explosive yield of between six and seven kilotons, South Korea’s defence ministry said, revising its earlier estimate of 10 kilotons or more. Ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok said seismic monitors had detected a tremor with a 4.9 magnitude emanating from AFP/KIM JAE-HWAN the North’s nuclear test site.

SEOUL: North Korea confirmed Tuesday it had “successfully” carried out an underground nuclear test, drawing immediate condemnation from rival South Korea. “A third nuclear test has been successfully staged,” the state-run Korean Central News agency said. “The nuclear test was conducted as part of measures to protect our national security and sovereignty against the reckless hostility of the United States that violated our repub-

lic’s right for a peaceful satellite launch,” KCNA said. Seismic readings from the area around North Korea’s nuclear test site detected a “suspected explosion”, according to China’s Earthquake Administration, and South Korea said all the signs pointed to a test. “We suspect North Korea has pushed through with a third nuclear test,” South Korean defence ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok told reporters, putting the yield at significantly

more than North Korea’s two previous tests in 2006 and 2009. North Korea had provided China and the United States with advance warning that a test was imminent, Kim said, after the communist state earlier Tuesday called for “high-intensity” action and further longrange rocket launches. In Vienna, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation said the location of Tuesday’s explosion was “roughly congruent” with the 2006 and 2009 tests.

The nuclear test was conducted as part of measures to protect our national security and sovereignty against the reckless hostility of the United States that violated our republic’s right for a peaceful satellite launch. Korean Central News N Korean state run agency

NEWS BRIEFS Tunisia in crisis as Prez party rejects govt plan

Fugitive US ex-cop charged

UN chief appeals to Syria; Assad to fight on

Myanmar Prez stresses political stability

TUNIS: Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki’s secular party said Monday it would stay in the ruling coalition reversing a previous threat, but maintained its call for key Islamist ministers to resign. The widow of the assasinated opposition leader whose assassination last week sparked the political crisis has called on the government to quit.

LOS ANGELES: Christopher Dorner, the embittered former US cop on the run since last week, was charged Monday with murder in California, as authorities said he may have ﬂed south into Mexico. The 33-year-old had posted a chilling online manifesto threatening to kill policemen and their families over his 2008 sacking.

DAMASCUS: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to accept an opposition offer of peace talks, hours after Assad himself vowed to ﬁght on. Ban referred to an offer for talks by National Coalition leader Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib as “an opportunity we should not miss”.

YANGON: Myanmar President U Thein Sein Tuesday stressed upon the importance of political stability and end of armed conﬂicts for democracy to ﬂourish in the country. In his message on the occasion of Myanmar’s Union Day which falls Tuesday, U Thein Sein said constant efforts are being made for all inclusiveness in the political process.

CARNIVAL ENTERS DAY 4

Carnival entered its fourth day in Brazil Monday and crowds thronged the streets across the giant South American nation in the annual bash. Apart from the wild parties taking place all across the country, most Brazilians were also keeping an eye on Rio de Janeiro’s Sambadrome, where the first night of the magnificent parades by the samba schools ended shortly before dawn. The last of the six schools parading on the first of two intense days of spectacle was Portela, whose procession featured Prince Albert of Monaco as a special guest.

NUMEROLOGY

litre

of Coca-Cola a day was a major factor in the death of a New Zealand woman, Natasha Harris, said her coroner, urging the soft drink giant to put health warnings on its products.

BRAZIL DISCO TOLL 239 The death Monday of a young man who had been hospitalized with respiratory problems after being injured in the Jan 27 ﬁre in a discotheque in the southern Brazilian city of Santa Maria raised to 239 the toll in the tragedy, authorities said. The young man, whose identity was not revealed at the request of his relatives, died at Hospital Cristo Redentor in Porto Alegre. The blaze broke out when a ﬂare was lit during a concert being attended by some 800 people at the Kiss discotheque.

It is a clear and grave violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions. Ban Ki-moon The UN leader condemned North Korea’s claimed nuclear weapons test as a “deeply destabilizing” provocation.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

Technology ENTREPRENEURIAL WOES

The pains of

STARTING UP

Square scandal highlights growing pains at tech start-ups

Rabois (right) decided to leave Square after the controversy.

hen Square COO Keith Rabois left his job last month, citing legal threats from a young colleague with whom he had a two-year relationship, he threw a spotlight on the risks associated with the freewheeling startup culture that many entrepreneurs cherish. Startups often thrive on a lack of rules and boundaries. But experts say that as they make

the transition from a handful of people in a room to sizeable businesses, the hazards of operating without manual — including lawsuits, reputational hits, and waning employee morale — grow exponentially. Longtime employees sometimes chafe at the arrival of human resources professionals, codes of conduct and other policies that they fear will step on the company’s culture. Yet entrepreneurs and start-up invest-

ors say they ultimately have little choice. Take Facebook Inc, which displayed murals of naked women, some riding dogs, in the Palo Alto offices it leased as a small company in 2005. As proud as some of the early employees were of them — one was painted by the then-girlfriend of Facebook impresario and serial entrepreneur Sean Parker — they got painted over shortly after venture-capital firm Accel Partners invested in the company. Facebook had no immediate comment. About a year into the life of online-ad tracking startup DoubleVerify, an employee gave a presentation about how advertising fraud takes place. Many in the room got a rude awakening when a slide popped up showing an example of an ad where it shouldn’t be: next to a particularly raunchy image on a pornography site. “That was the first time we realized, ‘We gotta get a little more institutionalised,” recalls founder Oren Netzer. Today, the company has policies concerning naked images. The same presentation would use a less controversial example, or obscure anything racy. Alcohol is another dicey topic. “We used to have these new employee hazing ceremonies," said Dheeraj Pandey, chief executive of virtualisation company Nutanix, largely involving knocking back tequila shots with chili peppers. But once the company hit about 100 employees, some new hires pushed back and he started considering the potential for liability. “It just faded away about four, five months ago," he said about the hazing. Potential concerns run the gamut from some employees feeling excluded if they don’t drink to incidents that sometimes accompany drunken behaviour.

MISSION STATEMENTS, HR FLUFF

A year ago, Holmes made his executive assistant the director of human resources. That type of promote-from-within strategy for HR is commonplace, startups say. A few months into her role, the new HR director told Holmes the company needed a mission statement. “I said, ‘Oh my God, this is HR fluff,'" Holmes remembers. But shortly afterward, when he overheard new hires discussing beliefs he thought were out of step with Hootsuite’s ethos — he says he

cannot recall the details — he realized she was right. But Holmes says he is resisting conforming on other levels. Hootsuite employees attend team-building trips, including a recent stay at a hot-springs resort. That is the type of event big companies cut out — Google Inc halted its famous all-employee trips in 2009 — often because of the potential for various kinds of legal liability and cost. Holmes says he might have to rethink his overnight trips if the company ever goes public, but for now, he plans to keep going. “We think it’s very valuable," he says. Start-ups often deal with the inevitable by aiming for a careful, light-footed approach to new policies. “I’ve tried to make sure we don’t talk about rules,” says Evan Wittenberg, HR head at cloud-content firm Box. “The language around this really matters. These are guidelines."

As they make the transition from a handful of people in a room to sizeable businesses, the hazards of operating without manual — including lawsuits, reputational hits, and waning employee morale — grow exponentially. Still, there are tensions as the company, which now employs around 700 and is considered a likely prospect for a 2013 initial public offering, grows. Cecilia Wong, people manager at Box, cites the daylong orientation process for new employees. Many large organizations — not just companies, but nonprofits and government agencies — have firm policies about intra-office romances, and often prohibit them if one party has any kind of supervisory authority over the other. “You can be open to liability if the relationship goes sour, and you have a person in a position of power over the other person," said San Francisco employment attorney Therese Lawless. “Any actions of that person in power can be deemed to be retaliatory." In addition, it can create a morale issue if other employees believe the more junior employee in an ongoing relationship is receiving favourable treatment, she said. AGENCIES

FOREVER GATES

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates did his first-ever Ask Me Anything (AMA) on Reddit last night and when asked what was the thing that was left on his bucket list he replied with “don’t die”. He didn’t say how h was going to pay off death tough, with a cheque of unknown sum or the new Surface Pro. When asked what his biggest disappointment was he said that it was WinFS, a file system they were supposed to ship with Vista but never did. The idea behind WinFS was to integrate some relational database technologies with the Windows File System. In its early (codename “Cairo") days, WinFS was key to Microsoft’s plans to create a true, object-oriented file store.

SUED OVER LIKE Facebook is facing legal action over its use of the “like” button and other features of the social network. It is being sued by a patentholding company acting on behalf of a dead Dutch programmer called Joannes Jozef Everardus van Der Meer. Rembrandt Social Media said Facebook’s success was based, in part, on using two of Mr Van Der Meer’s patents without permission. Facebook said it had no comment to make on the lawsuit or its claims. A lawsuit has been ﬁled in a federal court in Virginia by Rembrandt Social Media.

NEXTBOX RUMOURS The next-generation Xbox — the one that will follow the still-popular Xbox 360 — will run multiple games at once, require game installations, and will only work when a much-improved version of the popular but divisive Kinect sensor array is plugged in, according to a source who says he has access to development hardware. Those are a just a few details about the new console, codenamed Durango, that were shared with us by a person with access to next-gen information. The sources also told Kotaku that graphics are of Crysis quality and is a major leap for consoles.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

Comment I am sometimes a fox and sometimes a lion. The whole secret of government lies in knowing when to be the one or the other. Napoleon Bonaparte 1st emperor of France

All eyes on Vatican he world's media Tuesday

speculated on whether the next pontiff may come from the developing world, while paying mixed tributes to Pope Benedict XVI following his shock resignation announcement. The 85-year-old Benedict said on Monday that he would step down at the end of this month because of health reasons, becoming the first leader of the Catholic Church to resign of his own free will in 700 years. Argentina's largest selling newspaper, Clarin, ran a headline on its website asking whether the next pope might hail from the Americas, Asia or Africa rather than Europe, where all popes have come from through the centuries. "After the virtually unprecedented decision by the head of the church to resign, there is a growing possibility that deeply established traditions and criteria might change in the next choosing of the pope and there could be a surprise," the report said. Clarin said this was not just a matter of geography but something that went much deeper. Catholicism is in serious decline in Europe but growing robustly in Africa and Asia. And Latin America, despite fervent adherence to the faith being patchy, is home to 40 percent of the world's Catholics, the paper noted. In the Philippines, the Catholic Church's stronghold in Asia, the pope's decision dominated the front pages of newspapers, while major Internet news sites focused on whether Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle may succeed him."He has the rare chance, like 116 others, to choose the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. And who knows? He himself may become Pope Benedict XVI's successor," news portal Rappler wrote of Cardinal Tagle.

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS When Manchester United host Real Madrid in the Champions League tomorrow they are going to have to contend with a former player of their club, the formidable Christiano Ronaldo who is on a rampage, coming off a 20th hat-trick as he is. What a match this promises to be!

NATIONAL POLITICS

Yuvraj vs Saffron swamy Modi

HARD TALK

n Talk of a mistake in 2002 and seek forgiveness. n Hold a half-filled glass of water and talk of air and water (more air). n Talk of indistrial development. n Talk of swami Vivekananda and youth. n Talk of respecting all (and protect some) n Ask the chokra if protecting involves protecting sister’s hubby, too. n The Congress is destroying the whole country. n Vote for sanity.

PK Surendran

ow the billion rupee question is if the ‘Yuvraj’ Rahul Gandhi (Gandhis are young at 42, you know) or the Saffron Swamy who talks of ‘development’ will be coroneted the next king of Delhi Durbar in 2014. Rahul vs Modi is raging debate on the internet. Both parties are testing waters without wetting their hands. In this game, both the Congress and the BJP are partners. The idea is to have a mass opinion without spending money on surveys. The ‘secular ’ and ‘saner ’ camps are busy now. Now, I presume the two camps must be spending a fortune to groom the two for the coronation next year. And I know as well as you that any great specialist in image making is available to both — for cash or for kindness. So here on the right side are two boxes of the possible things the image makers of the two would be doing to spruce up their cracked visages. Well, on the practical side, Rahul’s makeup men will make him visit Kashi Viswanath Temple, Somnath temple to reaffirm his faith while Modi’s makeover masters will take him to the Delhi mosque, nearby church and proclaim how Modi

Rahul n Talk of Mom, Grandmom & how Mom cried, ”Politics is poison, Beta,” and whispered in his ‘ear to drink it merrily. n Condemn terrorism, but praise Muslim brothers. n Praise the youth and say they are great. n Talk of a quota for everybody from Muslim to Brahmin. n All Indian women are my sisters and lay down my life for their honour. n They (NDA) are dividing society. n Vote for stability.

as a child was enamoured with the Biblical ‘other cheek.’ Rahul will recall how his father had taught him to respect all reli-

gions (the dead never tell a lie, you know). His company, Gandhi Inc. will rally around him and the great march would

go on and the great band strikes the tune: Saare jahan se achcha Hindustan hamara. Jai Hind!!!!

EDITORIALS Cure this morbidity The barking dog that bites

ne fails to understand the rationale behind the raucous outbursts of the self-styled civil society and human rightists on the hanging of condemned terrorist Afzal Guru. They ﬁnd fault with ‘secret’ hanging. Well, did they want the government to make a public celebration of a person condemned to death for his terrorist links? Once the law has run its course, it is for the justice to do the needful. It is up to the government of the day to decide the date and time of hanging a condemned prisoner. Who are these rightists that have not bothered to check the human rights of the policemen who fell to the bullets of these terrorists? All those who carp at this hanging are providing masale to the anti-india outpourings of terrorist outﬁts across the border, and thus they are doing a disservice to the country. All these people should read the reaction of J&K leader and union minister Farooq Abdulla on this issue. He said, Afzal Guru was hanged according to procedure. "Afzal Guru's mercy petition was put before president. He rejected it. The matter is over.

READERS’ VIEWS

ou can trust this dog to bark and bite. North Korea had said it would conduct a third nuclear test in response to the sanctions imposed on it by the United Nations. The son is purusing the policies of his father without a modicum of change. The tests have brought instability to the nation and the world awaits what could be the next move of this backwater nation when the next set of UN resolution comes.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

workplace

SPAM ATTACK

Telecom has admitted the Yahoo Xtra email service has been hacked as hundreds of customers continue to receive spam mail, some from dead relatives. Telecom said it had been the victim of two separate but potentially related "malicious" attacks.

V-DAY BLUES

Valentine’s Day froufrou KANCHAN AGARWAL kanchan.a@postnoon.com

ou are set out to do a story on how to make the most of Valentine’s Day. You start looking for single people and suddenly it dawns on you that no one is single anymore. Anyway, for all its propagation of love, the day is immediately associated with the kind of love that involves romance and puts you in the comfortable zone of ‘in a relationship’ or ‘married’. It is not necessarily so. So how would you make sure to not feel left out from the spirit of Valentine’s Day because as unbelieving as you may be of the concept, there is no harm in revering in common celebrations a bit. Be a pleasant sight: Bargain well with your wardrobe and pick out clothes that fit very nicely, look fresh and appropriately bright for office wear. Spend a few extra minutes in front of your mirror and do all that it takes from minimal make up to basic moisturizing for looking good. When you smell good, you feel good. And don’t beat yourself for being a pleaser. Remember you want to look good for yourself. Take an initiative: Be the Santa of the day and buy some

white or yellow roses on your way to work. You can never go wrong with chocolates either. Be generous and handover these to your colleagues. This way the hype that comes with the day will automatically be relaxed and the joy of giving will only add to your selfesteem. Pamper yourself: There is nothing sad about being that person who truly cares about themselves. Go shopping. Buy

Be the Santa of the day and buy some white or yellow roses on your way to work. You can never go wrong with chocolates either. that one thing you have always desired but procrastinated purchasing because you thought you could do without it. Take it from those who have undergone massages when they say, “It is the one thing everyone should experience every now and then”, and book an appointment at a reputed spa. It is rejuvenating and you are really made to feel like you belong to a royal family. Remember you have

Valentine’s Day is a day meant to profess love, of any kind, to anyone. As genuine as many may sound when they say it is just another day, when their colleagues start receiving gifts and flowers on February 14, it triggers some tiny remorse somewhere. We tell you how to deal with it.

friends: Don’t take it for granted that your friends are all being showered upon with love and expensive gifts and flowers. Call them and make plans to hang out with them. There is no way you can escape the thematic decorations in red but heading to your favourite coffee shop or bar with your closest friends is a great idea. Even if you are upset for not having given attention, who better than your friends to talk to about how you feel! Make arrangements: Call up a friend who is just as cool and mischievous as you are and make a pact to send each other gifts or flowers at office. That you will not feel left out is obvious, but think of what a funny story you will share and laugh about later. Expect less: Tell yourself that not receiving gifts on Valentine’s Day is not a sign of not being loved. Let the other 364 days of love with your truly loved ones win over this one trivial day of commercial love.

KNOW YOUR COMPANY

NIIT NIIT offers cutting-edge learning solutions to Fortune 100 companies, universities, technology majors, training corporations and publishing houses. The company’s expertise in strategic consulting, learning design, customised content, off-the-shelf content (elearning), training delivery, highend technology training, testing and assessment, and learning management enables large organisations to train cost effectively and efﬁciently.

DID YOU KNOW...

Secretary

According to the US Census, the most common job for women today remains the same as 60 years ago. Between 2006 and 2010, about 4 million people in the United States worked as "secretaries and administrative assistants" — and 96 per cent of them were women. This skewed gender ratio made sense in the 1950s when fewer career options were open to women and when under 10 per cent of women didn't have college degrees.

TRENDING

Does answering calls and emails from bosses on your smartphone after hours constitute work that should be compensated? A lawsuit winding its way through federal court in Chicago says that it does. Chicago police Sgt Jeffrey Allen claims in the suit that the city owes him and fellow ofﬁcers overtime pay for work performed on department-requisitioned phones. If the plaintiffs eventually prevail, it could mean millions of dollars in back pay.

Layoffs have touched nearly every American household in some fashion or the other over the last few years, according to new survey data by the John J Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University. While about 8 per cent of Americans are unemployed, nearly a quarter of Americans say they were laid off at some point during the recession or afterward, according to the survey.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

spotlight S BALAKRISHNA 1

GET READY TO TRAVEL

A Journey from Inlay to Intaglio is the title of the exhibition being held at the Paryatak Bhavan, Tourism Plaza, Begumpet. The exhibition consists of mixed media etchings, paintings by Sonal Varshneya. Head to Rainbow Art Gallery. The display is on till Sunday.

CODE RED

The Young Ladies Club organised a pre-Valentine bash on Monday at Kismet. Most of the invitees were seen sporting a dash of red on their person, adhering to the an unsaid dress code. 8

1 Sunny Anand, Kashish 2 Divya 3 Ritu 4 Jai, Heena 5 Reema,

Ricky 6 Roopa 7 Roshini 8 Alka, Prerna 9 Pooja 10 Stuti,Heena 11 Mamta

SRINIVAS SETTY

LIVING IT UP

Adeel sure knows how to make an impression. He threw a lavish birthday party at Kismet on Monday. Yesha, Mical, Komal, Teena, Ruby, Mamta, Sonia and Ankita, all friends of the birthday boy were seen posing for photographs with him and enjoying the party in general.

TIME FOR LOVING

The JCI Hyderabad chapter held a pre-Valentine bash at Taj Banjara on Monday. Some couples were seen making most of the occasion and even took to the dance ďŹ&#x201A;oor to groove with their partners.

1 Girish and Puneeta 2 Praveen and Kusum

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

health

TWEAKED PROTEIN PREVENTS HEART FAILURE Researchers have identified and tweaked a specific protein molecule, parvalbumin, to prevent diastolic heart failure when its pumping mechanism goes haywire. The next step will be determining the best possible small molecule or gene delivery mechanism for the protein.

PREGNANCY WEEK

SO WHAT’S YOUR PICK?

Birthing is no longer restricted to the natural method and C-section. Couples world over are opting for different methods like water and hypno births to welcome their bundles of joy. RANJANI RAJENDRA

ranjani.r@postnoon.com

ou know how earlier having a baby meant calling home the midwife? But eventually people began checking into hospitals for either a natural birth or C-section so there was expert help at hand in case of a complication. Today though women the world over are exploring different options to have their babies. It is no longer about just natural birth and C-sections. Right from the Bradley method, which coaches the husband to help his wife through labour, to hydro birthing there are a range of options couples now pick from.

BRADLEY METHOD Also known as husbandcoached method of birthing,

the Bradley method advocates natural child birth but lays emphasis on the partner’s support as a labour coach. Bradley method believes that adequate preparation, education and help from a labour coach (usually the husband) can help women give birth without drugs or surgery. In this method, mothers are encouraged to learn to trust their bodies, focus on diet and it also teaches couples to manage labour and delivery through deep breathing and a partner’s support.

WATER BIRTHING Water birthing has been gaining popularity all over the world and even in India. Cities like Mumbai and Bangalore offer this option to expectant mothers. In this the woman gives birth in a tub of warm water. The belief is that this relaxes the woman and also reduces the pain to a

ANEWS PP-LYBRIEFS YOURSELF

great extent. The other theory of water birthing is that since the baby has been in the amniotic fluid for nine months, being born in a similar environment is gentler for the infant. According to experts this method of birthing helps the woman too. Warm water is soothing, comforting and relaxing. It is said that in the later stages of labour staying in the warm water increases the woman’s energy. Also since the human body is buoyant in water it reduces the mother’s weight and allows free movement. Doctors also suggest that this buoyancy promotes better uterine contractions and improves blood circulation. All of this results in better oxygenation of the uterine muscles and reduces the mother’s pain while increasing oxygen supply to the baby. Staying immersed in water also helps

HOUSECALL

Sleep Machine

Multiple myeloma

Sleep Machine provides a huge assortment of professionally mastered ambient sounds designed speciﬁcally for achieving a total relaxed state and improving sleep. The multi sound player design is easy to play, mix, and create a truly lifelike sound for your sleep environment. You can mix iPod music with your favorite sounds too.

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the bone marrow. It occurs when plasma cells, a type of white blood cell, start to grow uncontrollably. The uncontrolled growth of plasma cells disrupts the normal production of RBCs, WBCs and platelets. This may damage the bone, causing pain. This often occurs in the lower spine and the ribs. Bone destruction can result in osteoporosis, bone fractures and poor mobility.

reduce the mother’s blood pressure, which usually increases due to the anxiety of childbirth.

HYDRO BIRTHING Very similar to water birthing, in this method the expectant mother chooses to stay in a tub of warm water during labour but gets out of it during the actual delivery time.

HYPNO BIRTHING As the name suggests, hypno

DID YOU KNOW? Do you breathe through both nostrils? Though you’ve got two nostrils, about 85 per cent of people only use one at a time. But the erectile tissue in your nose slowly swells the tissue in one nostril while shrinking it in the other, so that you automatically switch breathing between nostrils about every four hours.

birthing helps the mother deal with labour through hypnosis — either self hypnosis or hypnosis by an expert. According to several online blogs, hypno birthing makes the labour pain almost negligible, which is why several women are willing to give this method a shot. According to this method, women need to understand the way the uterus functions during childbirth and also the ill effects of the fear-tensionpain cycle during birthing. The mothers and their partners are taught relaxation techniques like meditation and visualisation to assist pain-free deliveries.

CAUTION While all these techniques might have their advantages, we still suggest consulting your doctor before you try any of them out.

PIONEERS Karl Landsteiner Karl Landsteiner was born June 14, 1868 in Vienna, Austria. In 1897 he pursued his interest in the emerging ﬁeld of immunology and in 1901 published his discovery of the human ABO blood group system. He won the 1930 nobel prize for physiology or medicine for his discovery of the major blood groups and the development of the ABO system of blood typing that has enabled blood transfusions.

health TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

RESEARCH

STUDY

Asthma drug may treat diabetes, obesity

24 genes behind shortsightedness

Researchers say the drug appears to work in mice by inhibiting two genes that act as ‘a sort of brake on metabolism.’ Releasing this brake burns more energy.

WASHINGTON: Amlexanox, a drug prescribed for asthma in Japan, also reverses obesity, diabetes and fatty liver in mice, according to a new study by US researchers. "One of the reasons that diets are so ineffective in producing weight loss for some people is that their bodies adjust to the reduced calories by also reducing their metabolism, so that they are 'defending' their body weight," says Alan Saltiel, director of the

University of Michigan's Life Sciences Institute (LSI), which conducted the study. "Amlexanox seems to tweak the metabolic response to excessive calorie storage in mice." Different formulations of amlexanox are currently prescribed to treat asthma in Japan and canker sores in the US, the journal Nature Medicine reports. The study appears to confirm and extend the notion that the genes IKKE and TBK1 play a crucial role for maintaining

Doctors’ Corner

40-year-old female patient came to my clinic complaining of pain in the right arm around the right shoulder, which was diagnosed as frozen shoulder by another orthopaedician. As the pain was not getting better, she had come to see me. Myself: Where does the pain start and end? Patient: From right side of neck, down the right arm, upto the elbow and rarely into the fingers M- Which fingers? P: Little finger mostly.

metabolic balance, a discovery published by the Saltiel lab in 2009, according to an LSI statement. "Amlexanox appears to work in mice by inhibiting two genes - IKKE and TBK1 - that we think together act as a sort of brake on metabolism," Saltiel said. "By releasing the brake, amlexanox seems to free the metabolic system to burn more, and possibly store less energy." Using high-throughput chemical screening at LSI's

Centre for Chemical Genomics to search for compounds that inhibit IKKE and TBK1, the researchers hit upon an approved off-patent drug: amlexanox. They then demonstrated that amlexanox had profound beneficial effects in both genetic and dietary-induced obese mice. The chemical lowered the weight of obese mice and reversed related metabolic problems such as diabetes and fatty liver. IANS

LONDON: Scientists have identified as many as 24 new genes behind short-sightedness (myopia), a major cause of blindness and visual impairment worldwide. Chris Hammond, professor of genetic epidemiology at the King's College London, who led the study, said: "We already knew that myopia - or shortsightedness - tends to run in families. But until now, we knew little about the genetic causes." "This study reveals for the first time a group of new genes that are associated with myopia and that carriers of some of these genes have a 10-fold increased risk of developing the condition," adds Hammond, the journal Nature Genetics reports. Researchers from Europe, Asia, Australia and the US collaborated under the Consortium for Refraction and Myopia (CREAM), according to a King's College statement. They analysed genetic and refractive error data of over 45,000 people from 32 different studies, and found 24 new genes for this trait, and confirmed two previously reported genes. Thirty percent of Western populations and up to 80 percent of Asians suffer from myopia. Interestingly, the genes did not show significant differences between the European and Asian groups. Myopia can be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or surgery.

Dr Ganesh Chunduri

PAIN IN FINGERS RELATED TO NECK Upon examination, I found that she had full range of movement in her neck and shoulder, ruling out frozen shoulder completely. However, she had decreased sensation in the little finger area, and weak elbow straightening and bending against power. I informed her that the shoulder is perfectly fine and the problem is in the neck . We ordered an MRI scan of the neck, which showed disc bulges at

C5 C6 levels in the neck, which corresponded to her painful arm. She was advised to apply local heat, use adequate pillow and take the necessary treatment. She showed a lot of improvement within a few days. The writer is a consultant orthopaedist at Oxygen Hospitals, Vikrampuri. You can contact him on 7702446000.

IANS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

Entertainment MAKING HISTORY

RANA joins Rudrama Devi’s cast

unasekhar has roped in Rana Daggubati to play one of the lead characters in his upcoming film Rudrama Devi. Anushka is playing the titular role as Rudrama Devi. The film is based on the story of Rani Rudrama Devi, one of the prominent rulers of the Kakatiya Dynasty which ruled the Deccan Plateau in 13th century AD. Rana Daggubati will play the role of Veerabhadra, an Eastern Chalukyan prince of Nidavarjyapuram (present day Nidadavolu near Rajahmundry), who later marries Rudrama Devi.Rudrama Devi is being touted as the first historical 3D film to be made in India and director Gunasekhar flew to Germany for a test shoot few weeks ago. Soon after coming back from Germany, he visited the Warangal Fort and other monuments, along with art director Thota Tharani, to study the architecture of Kakatiyas and design the film’s sets. The preproduction is going on in full swing and the film will go on floors later this year. Gunasekhar has also written the script, apart from producing it. Ilayaraja is going to score the music. Ajay Vincent is the cinematographer. Incidentally, Rana and Anushka are also playing lead roles in SS Rajamouli’s upcoming film Baahubali.

CINE BYTES

Shruti Haasan begins her new film

hruti Haasan has begun shooting for her upcoming film starring NTR. Harish Shankar is directing this film and it also stars Samantha in a lead role. “First day of shoot with @harish2you lots of fun is being had on the set!good to be back to this team :) (sic),” Shruti Haasan posted on Twitter. Incidentally, it’s the first time she’s acting in a film starring NTR.

Pawan Kalyan goes to Pollachi

awan Kalyan’s upcoming film under Trivikram Srinivas’ direction is currently being shot in Pollachi. Recently, the film’s first schedule was wrapped up in Hyderabad. Samantha is playing the lead role and Pranitha Shubash will be seen in an important role. After wrapping up the shoot in Pollachi, the film unit will soon fly to Barcelona, Spain.

DK Bose nears completion

undeep Kishan, Nisha Aggarwal starring DK Bose is almost complete, except for two songs. An Bose is making his debut as a director and Anand Ranga, Seshu Reddy are producing the film. Sundeep Kishan is playing the role of a young police officer and Sampath Raj is playing the villain’s role. Achu is scoring the music. The film is likely to hit the screens in summer this year.

Entertainment TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

THE LUCKY PAIR

CINE BYTES

DEEPIKA

SAYS SAIF’S

ENCOURAGING

fter having worked with Saif Ali Khan in four films, Deepika Padukone describes him as a supportive co-star with whom she enjoys working. “Saif is a very encouraging and entertaining co-actor. He has a great sense of humour and it is always lovely working with him," Deepika said. The 27-year-old, who made her debut with Om Shanti Om in 2007, first worked with Saif in the 2009 hit romantic-drama Love Aaj Kal, in which their on-screen chemistry was appreciated by the audience. Two years later, Prakash Jha’s Aarakshan saw them as the lead pair and they teamed up again in last year’s release Cocktail. The popular on-screen couple also featured in the recently released action thriller Race 2, their fourth outing together. IANS

‘I would love to try out comic roles’

e possesses a great sense of humour, but Randeep Hooda never got an opportunity to show his funny side on the big screen, thanks to his intense roles. The actor is now game for comedy. “People say I have good sense of humour, which no one has seen on the silver screen till now. So now I believe comedy is deﬁnitely one thing that I would like to explore very soon,” Randeep said. IANS

‘India making a huge mark internationally’

ndia is making a huge mark now in the international ﬁlm fraternity, feels leading Indian actor Anil Kapoor. “India is making a huge mark now. There are four ﬁlms with Indian presence which are contenders for the Oscars," Kapoor said while inaugurating fashion designer Raghavendra Rathore’s couture tailoring store. IANS

‘Cricket is first love of all actors, I may play next year’

ollywood superstar Salman Khan, who was guest of honour at the opening ceremony of the third edition of Celebrity Cricket League (CCL), is happy that actors are doing well on the cricket ﬁeld. “I may play next year. The disadvantage with actors is that we are very busy. In spite of this, they are playing well. This is because cricket is their ﬁrst love,” Salman said. IANS

Entertainment TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

MUMMY RULES

CHILDREN SHOULD EARN REWARDS FEELS HEIDI KLUM

erman Supermodel Heidi Klum loves pampering her four children on their birthdays and Christmas, but is strict when it comes to good manners. “They have to do chores. I am a stickler about saying, ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. But I am sure I do spoil them for Christmas and birthdays and give them lots of presents. They love going to Chuck E. Cheese’s but they have to earn that,” contactmusic.com quoted Klum as saying. Klum has four kids — Leni, eight, Henry, seven, Johan, six, and three year-old Lou — with estranged husband Seal. The 39-year-old admits having four children can be hard work and when she takes them all out together, chaos often ensues. “I am a loving and organised mother. You have to be organised with four kids otherwise they gang up on you! When we go to the park they run in different directions. So it’s like, ‘Whoa, where’s this one?’ I am constantly counting,” she said. IANS

CINE BYTES Clarkson has found her dream wedding dress

inger Kelly Clarkson, who is engaged to Brandon Blackstock, says she has found the wedding dress of her dreams. “It is my personality in a dress. It’s sweetly damaged. A little rock and roll. A little tattered. Nothing like a princess thing!” aceshowbiz.com quoted Clarkson as saying. IANS

Sarah Harding is confused

inger Sarah Harding says she is confused between her love for singing and acting. She will soon be seen in the film Run For Your Wife. “I’m in two minds about what direction to go — I love music but acting is close behind,” she says. IANS

Price’s comment has disappointed Brook Kelly Brook says she Actress is not angry but disappointed with supermodel Katie Price. Price had recently called curvaceous Brook as “heffer”. “I was really disappointed. It is unladylike as far as I’m concerned for another woman to say that sort of thing publicly about another woman,” she says. IANS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

Chai Time

Play & Win

Please send in your filled-in entries to Postnoon, #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033. The winners will be announced on this page in Sunday’s edition.

KAKURO 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 refer-

QUICK CROSSWORD enced 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.

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1 Recess at St Peter’s 5 Colorful quartz in many marbles 10 Said ‘no contest,’ eg 14 Perceive by touch 15 Fifth of the seven canonical hours 16 Surf sound 17 Two-dimensional calculation 18 Waiting to be poured 19 Part of the back 40 20 Purring, as an engine 23 Martini preference 24 Watch the kids 25 Like a cool cat of the ‘40s 28 Put at risk 32 Actress Longoria 35 Notions cases 37 Came down, as on a perch 38 Cry from the pews 39 Putting the past behind 42 Fencer’s weapon 43 First first name on the moon 44 Skip over 45 Once surnamed 46 Peculiar state 48 Sue Grafton’s ‘___ for Lawless’ 49 Rushmore carving,

familiarly 50 Sinuous shocker 52 What nearby stores may be ‘within’ 61 UAE ruler 62 Clairvoyant’s card deck 63 Peruse 64 ‘Little Caesar’ role 65 Put in high spirits 66 Turf defenders 67 Eve’s first home 68 ‘A ___ the Races’ 69 Scot’s tongue

DOWN 1 Off yonder 2 Lake Titicaca is partly in it 3 Witnessed 4 African antelope with twisted horns 5 Mr X, for one 6 Bad sound at a talent show 7 Crawling colonists 8 Blue Jays, Orioles or Ravens 9 Hockey’s Phil 10 Brooklyn’s ___ Institute 11 Nessie’s home, eg 12 Lady’s man 13 Squirrel’s nest 21 Emerald Isle folk

22 Slick material? 25 Hercules types 26 Troops’ campsite 27 Blender setting 29 Like windows 30 Baylor of basketball fame 31 Winchester weapon 32 Correspondence sans stamp, say 33 ‘Aida’ composer 34 Llamas’ locale 36 Swelling reducer 38 Shoemaker’s hole punch 40 Started a paragraph, perhaps 41 Put to zero 46 It’s a cinch in Japan 47 Last six lines of a sonnet 49 City known for rubber products 51 Jumbo 52 ‘___ No 1!’ 53 In the center of 54 Pet pests 55 Joyous celebration 56 Low, heavy cart 57 Itsy-bitsy bit 58 Come closer to 59 Food bank containers 60 Cutting-___ (like the latest technology)

Chai Time TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 13-2-2013

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

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Time is right for those planning a change of residence. Employees will be suitably rewarded for hard work. Be cordial with family members and avoid hurting anyone with your talk. Important work, if planned, will get completed successfully.

STRIP TEASE AGNES

Happy news from distance relatives is on the cards. Health looks fine. Some practice yoga and meditation. Pay hike and promotion on cards for some. Income will match your hard work. Expenses will increase as happy events are performed.

A strong financial position is likely. Blood relatives will be more affectionate towards you. Guide children properly with love and put them on the right track. Businessmen need to keep records perfectly as govt officials might initiate inquiry.

Income increases rapidly, which will make you financially strong. You act with responsibility, control expenses well and start saving for the future. Blood relatives will respect and seek your suggestions. Employees likely to face the ire of superiors.

Income will be more than satisfactory and as per expectation, which will keep you cheerful. Businessmen will be able to reduce debts as profits are likely to jump considerably. Partners too will be very co-operative. A cheerful time for employees.

Businessmen might experience a dull trend; avoid planning new efforts. Politicians need to act with responsibility and act carefully. Avoid buying luxurious items and being extravagant. Demands of most employees likely to be fulfilled.

Held-up marriage talk will resume and marriage will be performed soon. Parents’ health needs to be taken good care of. Businessmen could face some roadblock in their important work but sincerely efforts will get them resolved soon.

Favourable atmosphere at workplace for employees. Superiors too will support them. Businessmen need to be aggressive in collecting old and written-off dues; consider minor investments to expand their horizon. Blood relative might seek help.

Employees get relief at workplace and feel cheerful as superiors support them. Strained relationship to resume and go well hereafter. Good turning point in court issue likely. Businessmen will do well and income will be as expected.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail. com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

Five of Wands – There’s confusion because you haven’t been given full information. Don’t make hasty decisions or major changes. Wait for the confusion to clear.

LEO:

Ten of Wands – Learn to delegate responsibilities so you don’t feel burdened. You don’t have to do it all by yourself. But yes, the quality of work may not be best.

LIBRA:

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

The Emperor – You’re a born leader and your leadership skills will be put to test today when subordinates question your decision. You handle it with confidence.

SAGITTARIUS:

Ace of Pentacles – Your power lies in immense faith. This intangible becomes a strength and you achieve the impossible. Meditate to get better perspective.

TAURUS:

Seven of Wands – Avoid conflict with coworkers at all cost. Things might get difficult especially when two or more colleagues are vying for the same position.

CANCER:

Two of Swords – Your actions are likely to upset two very important parties. You are unable to choose between the two but will be forced to do so.

VIRGO:

Page of Swords – There are clouds of confusion around you but you are able to see things clearly. Trust your instincts and continue doing what feels right.

SCORPIO:

The Lovers – You will be expected to make an important decision today. Weigh all pros and cons well. But you will eventually go with your gut feel.

CAPRICORN:

Seven of Swords – Avoid any kind of conflict, whether at home or work. You will find yourself in a sticky situation, unable to get out easily. Act smart.

PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

Three of Swords – Something you have great expectations for is unlikely to go your way. Disappointment needs to be handled. Go through this phase.

NUMBER GAME

Resist the temptation to go down the illegal path. Greasing an official’s palms may seem necessary but is avoidable. Do what feels right to you.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: The Devil –

POOCH CAFE

Income from various channels is most likely. Avoid taking important decisions based on suggestions of friends and relatives alone; do your homework before deciding. Health looks fine. Financial position will make you cheerful.

for 13-2-2013

Eight of Swords – Some bonds from the past are being severed. You may not see it yet but it is for your own good. You’re able to see things more clearly now.

NON SEQUITUR

Health needs attention. Employees might be faced with minor hurdles but superiors will help them to come out of the same. Parents will value your suggestions and extend support. Postpone plans to change residence for the time being.

SUDUKO

You encourage your children and support them, which benefits their growth. Some are likely to undertake a joyful trip with family. Employees to focus well and complete all work within stipulated time. Religious interests are likely to increase.

Boggle OBOE DRUM GUITAR TRUMPET TROMBONE Vol: 2, No 207 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon. com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013 DEAN WILLIAMS dean@postnoon.com

THE STORY OF O

David O Russell is the master of the intimate. His canvases aren’t large enough to take ensembles or sweeping, epic strokes. They’re meant to be small groups of dysfunction, and they meet in a crescendo of laughter and tears.

he name David O Russell does not conjure film imagery like, say, the names of Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg. But that does not mean that Russell’s not a master of the art of storytelling. Russell had been around Hollywood for a while before his 1999 ‘breakout’, Three Kings. The film itself has become infamous for the fractious relationship between Russell and his leading man George Clooney (Clooney said in an interview with Premiere in 2004: “Quite honestly, if he [Russell] comes near me, I'll sock him right in the mouth.”), but that should not mar the fact that it is a superb movie. Russell’s brilliance lies in his ability to take human flaws and put them out for all to see. Clooney’s character Archie Gates is a US marine in the First Gulf War who goes off with his squad to look for Saddam’s hidden bullion. In a jingoistic setting, Gates is the incorrigible cynic. His jaundiced view of America is his guiding light as he juggles being a soldier and knowing that in this world everyone’s out for himself. It is one of Clooney’s finest performances, and that’s in no small part to Russell’s direction. After Three Kings, Russell directed I Heart Huckabee’s in 2004. It was a reasonably well-received film, but it was just a taster for what was to come. In 2003 the life rights for boxer Micky Ward and his brother Dick Eklund came up for grabs. Mark Wahlberg (who starred in Three Kings, and Huckabees) jumped at the intrinsically Boston story. Scorsese was asked if he wanted to

direct the film, but said no. The next name was Darren Aronofsky, but he later dropped out to make Black Swan. In the meantime the Eklund role, which was originally slated for Brad Pitt went to Christian Bale, and soon Russell was picked thanks to a push by both Bale and Wahlberg to direct the film. In 2010 The Fighter released to rave reviews. Bale’s portrayal of the heroin-addled Eklund, snatching at demons around every corner came in for special commendation, but Russell’s superb direction was also heralded. The Fighter is widely regarded as the best film of 2010, and cemented Russell’s reputation as a director with enough nous to one day be placed in the pantheon. After the success of The Fighter, most expected Russell’s next film to be something more, how shall we put it, glitzy. But Russell is nothing if a not an artist, and for better or for worse his next project would be small, uncomfortable, and stunningly good. Last year’s Silver Linings Playbook put the ZZZs in Sleeper

Hit, and came from nowhere to become one of the most talkedabout films of the year. Bradley Cooper, who plays the mentally illat-ease Pat, was once again the flawed muse to Russell’s genius. But this time he was ably backed up Jennifer Lawrence in a career-defining role as Tiffany. Russell is the master of the intimate. His canvases aren’t large enough to take ensembles or sweeping, epic strokes. They’re meant to be small groups of dysfunction, and they meet in a crescendo of laughter and tears. As Pat says in Silver Linings: “The world will break your heart ten ways to Sunday. That's guaranteed. I can't begin to explain that. Or the craziness inside myself and everyone else. But guess what? Sunday's my favourite day again. I think of what everyone did for me, and I feel like a very lucky guy.” Russell may have had a rough ride with Clooney, but of late, he’s been one of the luckiest guys in the world. And he deserves every bit of it.

sports

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

NBA

Clippers rout 76ers with wire-to-wire win The Clippers got off to a 10-1 start and never looked back, leading by as many as 32 points at one stage.

PHILADELPHIA: Chris Paul was back in fine form, finishing with 21 points, 11 assists and five steals as the Los Angeles Clippers defeated Philadelphia 107-90 in a wire-to-wire victory Monday. Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford bagged 20 points each for the Clippers, who have won two of three since Paul returned to the lineup Friday. “Their defense was tremendous,” Sixers head coach Doug Collins said. “Their bigs are so active and quick. They were impressive.” Paul had missed 12 of the Clippers’ past 14 National Basketball Association games because of a bone bruise on his right knee. Griffin provided the dynamic moment of the game when he dunked over top of 76ers Spencer Hawes. Driving the left side, Griffin rose with the ball in both hands and switched to his left before slamming it home. AFP

Warriors unveil unique sleeved jersey SAN FRANCISCO: Disdaining a sleeveless-style jersey for a lightweight shirt, the NBA’s Golden State Warriors unveiled on Monday the new alternate jerseys they will wear for three home games this season. Billed as the first modernera NBA short-sleeve jersey, the Adidas-designed tops and ventilated stretch-woven shorts will be on display for the first time when the Warriors play host to

San Antonio on February 22. The yellow tops, featuring armhole insets that allow for free range of motion for the arm and shoulders within the stretch fabric, also will be used when the Warriors entertain Houston on March 8 and Chicago on 15. The unique uniforms were 18 months in development to ensure comfort while maintaining peak performance compared to the sleeveless “tank tops”.

LIGHTWELTER BOXING

Peterson set to defend crown after long layoff WASHINGTON: Lamont Peterson (below), finally set to defend the title he took from Britain’s Amir Khan in controversial fashion 14 months ago, says his long layoff will not be a problem against Kendall Holt next week. Peterson won a controversial split decision in Washington over Khan after the Englishman was twice penalised a point for pushing. A planned rematch last May was called off after Peterson tested positive for a synthetic testosterone. The World Boxing Association restored its lightwelterweight crown to Khan but the International Boxing Federation accepted an appeal by Peterson. When Zab Judah bowed out as mandatory challenger for another bout, Holt had his title chance and Peterson finally had an opponent. The two will meet on February 22 in Peterson’s hometown of Washington. “To me it feels great to get back into the ring,” Peterson said. “The layoff did not hurt me

The explosiveness is there and I’m punching harder than ever. I feel more confident in my ability to back up my opponents. I feel like a whole new man. Lamont Peterson IBF lightwelterweight champ because I’ve been in the gym training like I was going to fight for the past year. “I don’t believe in ring rust. A fighter fights and that’s what I do. But one good thing with the time off is that I have been able to rest my body and work on fine tuning my skills. I’m ready to fight now.” AFP

JUNIOR NATIONAL ARCHERY

Championship begins today HYDERABAD: More than 400 archers from 25 states and sports units will take part in the 35th Junior National Archery championship beginning here from Tuesday. The championship would attract the top archers of India, Anil Kamineni, president of

Andhra Pradesh Archery Association (APAA), which is conducting the event, told reporters here on Monday. Some of these archers include national champions and international medal winners who have brought laurels to the country on the world stage,

such as Ritul Chaterjee, Jyothi Surekha and CH Jignas from Andhra Pradesh and several others from around the country, he added. The 10-day tournament is being held at the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh complex here. PTI

HYDERABAD TRACK WORK

Silver Crown in fine form

Silver Crown, Emerald Reef, Ziglar and Palace Affairs pleased when horses exercised here this (Tuesday) morning at the racecourse in Malakpet. Sand track 800 metres Imaan (Harinder Singh) Joel (Trainer) 1-1.5, 600/46 They moved freely. Queen Of The Star (S Nayak) 1-3, 600/48 Easy. Garibaldi (S Nayak) Prince Prashant (Pawar) 58, 600/44 They finished together. Meri Merzi (Sreekant) 1-1, 600/45 Easy. Amicable Advisory

(Ravinder Singh) 57, 600/42 Moved well. Rajkumar (Imran Khan) 1-2, 600/46 Easy. Ziglar (rb) 55, 600/41 Moved well. Palace Affairs (Ajit Kumar) 57, 600/43 Pleased. Sand track 1000 metres Silver Crown (Parmar) Emerald Reef (K Alam) 1-11, 800/54, 600/40 Former finished in

front. Mystical Knight (Ravinder Singh) 1-14.5, 800/58.5, 600/44 Moved freely. Okai Okai Okai (Ravinder Singh) 1-17, 800/1-0, 600/45 Easy. Machine Gun (Joshi) Play The Music (app) 118.5, 800/1-2.5, 600/46.5 They moved together. Sand track 1200 metres Golden Queen (Deep Shanker)

Vijays Splendour (Trainer) 1-30, 1000/1-14, 800/59, 600/44 They finished together. Audacious (rb) 1-31, 1000/116, 800/1-1, 600/45 Easy. Vijays Pride (Joshi) 1-30, 1000/1-14.5, 800/59, 600/42.5 Moved on the bit. Dauntless (rb) 1-32, 1000/1-17, 800/1-2, 600/47 Easy.

LEAGUE CRICKET A4-11 DIVISION ONE DAY LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP HYDERABAD: Kishoresons 224 for 5 (D Randhir Kumar 104no, Rahul Pawar 65) bt Youngmasters 199 for 8 (Parvez Baig 35, Yaseen Khan 38, D Randhir Kumar 5 for 50) Sungrace 137 (Pragun 31, Shanawaz 30, Riyazuddin 3 for 22) lost to Victory CC 138 for 1 (Srinivas 51no, Karthik 54no) Vijaynagar 206 (K Sudheer Kumar 58, Harish 41, N Mohit Kumar 3 for 21) bt AB Colony 111 (Arun Kumar 3 for 27, Abdallah 5 for 29)

sports TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

ROTTERDAM WORLD TENNIS

DOPING SCANDAL CONI to probe Cipollini allegations

FEDERER muses about Nadal return SCOTT WILLIAMS Agence France-Presse ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS: Roger Federer (right) welcomed the return to tennis of Rafael Nadal, but will not spend much time worrying about his long-time rival’s progress as he concentrates on his own game with a Wednesday start at the Rotterdam World Tennis. While Federer was making his preparations, there was disappointment on court for third seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as the French player went down to Igor Sijsling of the Netherlands 76 (7/3), 4-6, 6-4. Even 14 aces could not help Tsonga in the two-hour match, with the seed converting only one of eight break point chances. Tsonga, a finalist here in 2011, saved a match

GRENKE CHESS CLASSIC

Anand beats Arkadij, in 2nd spot BADEN-BADEN (GERMANY): Viswanathan Anand came up with a sterling effort to beat Arkadij Naiditsch in the fifth round of Grenke Chess Classic here. After misplaying some fine positions, the Indian ace was finally at his best and Naiditsch was outdone in the middle game itself. The first victory in the tournament took Anand to three points out of a possible five and at the half way stage he stands clear second. Italian Fabiano Caruana continued to top the ranking after settling for a draw with Daniel Fridman of Germany while English Michael Adams had a close shave before he could restore parity with lowest ranked local hopeful Georg Meier. With five rounds still to come in the category-19 super tournament between six player, Caruana stays ahead of the field on 3.5 points and he is followed by Anand a half point behind. Naiditsch and Fridman are joint third on 2.5 points apiece while Adams is fifth on two points. Meier with 1.5 points is at the bottom of the tables. Up against the Berlin defense, Anand went for the closed Ruy Lopez and asserted his superiority in the middle game. PTI

MILAN: Italy’s Olympic Committee (CONI) said it had launched a probe following newspaper allegations that retired cyclist Mario Cipollini was a client of a sports doctor currently on trial in Spain on doping charges. Cipollini was accused Saturday by La Gazzetta dello Sport of being a client of Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, who is currently standing trial in Spain on charges of administering doping products. The report claimed to have solid evidence of a sophisticated doping programme Fuentes prepared for Cipollini during the period 2001-2004, which included the use of the banned blood booster EPO, blood transfusions and growth hormones. Cipollini’s lawyer refuted the allegations and indicated the possibility of launching legal proceedings against the newspaper. AFP

point in the final game but lost his serve a few moments later to make a surprise first-round exit. “This is not my worst moment, but I’m disappointed,” said Tsonga. “I missed four or five of the same volleys on key points. That was the difference. “He was serving very well and I was always chasing the score. I didn’t play a bad match, just missed my chances. I was missing on shots that I usually make. But I will keep working hard and try to improve things.” Tsonga’s s compatriot the fifth seeded Gilles Simon moved into the second round with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 victory over German qualifier Daniel Brands. AFP

MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

McIlroy, Tiger head field MARANA, ARIZONA: World No. 1 Rory McIlroy and 14-time major champion Tiger Woods (right) lead the qualifiers announced on Monday for next week’s World Golf Championships Match Play Championship. The top 64 in Monday’s world golf rankings were set for the showdown near Tucson but exact brackets will not be established until Sunday, in part because players have until Friday to commit to play in the $8.75 million event. Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson, ranked 10th, has said he will not play in the event, allowing 65th-ranked Shane Lowry of Ireland to advance into the field and make his first career start in the 64-player event. If that position holds, Lowry would open against Northern Ireland’s McIlroy, last year’s PGA

Championship winner. McIlroy, Woods, England’s Luke Donald and American Brandt Snedeker, who won last week’s title at Pebble Beach and last year’s US PGA playoff crown, would be top seeds if their ranking position holds. Defending champion Hunter Mahan, ranked 26th, will also be in the field for the event, which begins next Wednesday with 32 first-round matches at Dove Mountain. South Africa’s Richard Sterne made a major jump Sunday to book a berth in the field, leaping from 94th to 55th in the rankings by virtue of his victory at the Joburg Open. Six other players moved from outside the top 64 at the start of the year to crack the lineup for the WGC Match Play, including Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee, who was 80th to open the year and now ranks 54th.

TOUR OF OMAR

Wiggins hindered as Kittel leads MUSCAT: Tour de France champ Bradley Wiggins (in pic) endured a frustrating start to his Tour of Oman challenge on Monday as he came in last over a minute behind stage winner Marcel Kittel. The British rider was delayed by a pile-up in the last few kilometres of the and came in 1min 30sec adrift of the leaders.

Kittel held off the challenge of David Apollonio (AG2R) and Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ), following the ride from Al Musannah to Sultan Qaboos University, east of Muscat. Alberto Contador of Spain and Australian Cadel Evans as well as Belgian world champion Philippe Gilbert came home in the peloton, gaining a useful

early advantage over Olympic time-trial champion Wiggins. Wiggins openly admitted that he came into the race short of form, but he now faces an even tougher challenge to catch Contador and Evans in the sixstage race that culminates on Saturday at Matra Corniche. The stage had been marked by a long escape which was led

by Dutch rider Bobbie Traksel who was in the company of Kohei Uchima a member of the Japanese team and only national formation in the race. The two men make their break after just 1km before Traksel was reeled in by the peloton with 32km to go and Uchima survived another 16km before he too was swept up by the charging pack.

sports TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

AUSTRALIA’S TOUR OF INDIA

‘Test lineup very open’

Clarke declared himself fighting fit as he left for India, saying the line-up for the first Test since the retirement of Michael Hussey was “very open”. SYDNEY: Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke declared himself fighting fit as he left for India Tuesday, saying the lineup for the first Test since the retirement of Michael Hussey was “very open”. Clarke, who missed the final one-day international against the West Indies in Melbourne with a hamstring strain, voiced confidence he would be ready for the first Test in Chennai on February 22. “I don’t think there’s any doubt that I will be fit for the first Test match,” he told reporters, adding that he hoped to play in the second opening tour game to get used to conditions on the subcontinent. “I think I’ve been lucky throughout my career to be honest, with the degeneration in my back, to have played 80-odd Test matches and not missed one is something I’m very proud of.” The skipper said it remained “very

PAK IN SOUTH AFRICA

Irfan, Younis shine in practice match CAPE TOWN: Pakistan’s Mohammad Irfan made a claim for a Test place and senior batsman Younis Khan played himself into form on the second and final day of a practice match against an Emerging Cape Cobras team at the Western Province Cricket Club on Monday. Irfan followed up his first innings haul of four for 20 with three for 20 as the home side, comprising amateur players from the Western Cape franchise, were bowled out for 78. Set to make 59, the tourists romped to a ten-wicket win. They batted on until they reached 126 for one, enabling Younis Khan to score 74 after his first four innings on tour yielded only 34 runs. The second Test starts at Newlands on Thursday.

open” on who would play in the first Test, the first since Hussey called it quits which followed veteran Ricky Ponting’s decision to retire late last year. Clarke said the two opening tour games provided a good opportunity for the Australian players to prepare themselves for the tricky conditions they will face in the four-Test tour. “There are 17 guys in the squad, we’re all fighting for a spot -- unfortunately, you can only pick 11,” he said. “Runs and wickets (in the opening tour games) will certainly play a big part in picking the side. “But for a lot of the guys it’s more about preparation and seeing (Indian) conditions.” Selectors will be faced with where to place vice-captain Shane Watson, who returns from injury and who has put himself forward as an opener. AFP

Broadcaster dumps India Tests series SYDNEY: Australia’s public broadcaster on Tuesday said it will not broadcast or report live from the upcoming cricket Test series in India after deciding not to pay inflated rights fees. The ABC said it could not afford the broadcast rights fees demanded by the BCCI, understood to be much higher for the four-Test series beginning February 22 than previous Australian tours. It had still intended to send veteran radio commentator Jim Maxwell, but the BCCI refused him accreditation. “It is really disappointing,” an ABC spokeswoman told AFP. “It will result in it being covered through the news just like a news item but there won’t be any feeds, certainly not ball-by-ball coverage.” AFP

ICC WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

West Indies thrash New Zealand

MUMBAI: West Indies emerged as one of the leading title contenders after thrashing New Zealand by 48 runs in their second Super Six stage match of the ICC Women’s World Cup at the Brabourne Stadium here. With the odds stacked against after three losses and one no result in their previous four clashes against New Zealand, the West Indies pulled off a comprehensive victory after bowling out their opponents for 159 in 44.3 overs, which kept themselves in hunt for a berth in the final. New Zealand, who had opted to bat second, started their run chase of 208 with a stutter, as they lost opener Frances Mackay (4), one-down Sarah McGlashan (18) and Sophie Devine (9) within 10 overs for only 47 runs. West Indies Tremanye Smartt’s devastating first spell of 7-026-3 was the main reason behind New Zealand’s poor start. Smartt provided her side with the initial breakthroughs as she trapped

BRIEF SCORES West Indies 207/9 in 50 overs (Stafanie Taylor 49, Shanel Daley 37, Anisa Mohammed 31 n.o., Deandra Dottin 27; Morna Nielsen 327, Sian Ruck 2-32, Suzie Bates 2-36) bt New Zealand 159 all out in 44.3 overs (Rachel Priest 36, Suzie Bates 30; Tremayne Smartt 3/39, Deandra Dottin 2/11, Stafanie Taylor 2/26) Mackay leg-before wicket and then castled McGlashan with a yorker. Smartt would have also dismissed McGlashan, but for a no-ball. The 27-year old also got rid of Devine, though the batter was unlucky to be have been given leg before. The New Zealand middleorder, which didn’t have enough role to play in the tournament so far, struggled against the spin attack and things nosedived for

the last edition’s runners up, when they lost their in-form player, captain Suzie Bates, to be reduced to 83 for six. Bates managed to score 30 off 44 balls with three fours, before she was caught and bowled by Trinidadian spinner Anisa Mohammed. The White Ferns’ misery could be gauged from the fact that they took 31 overs to post 100 runs on board. PTI

Bates blames batswomen for defeat

MUMBAI: New Zealand skipper Suzie Bates blamed her team’s lacklustre batting display against the West Indies in the World Cup Super Eight match and said they need to use the willow better to be successful in the tournament. “It is just disappointing that we perhaps haven’t managed anywhere near as well as we can in this tournament (with the bat). That is what wins you games, as batters stepping up in the top five and scoring runs,” Bates said. “So obviously disappointed that none of the top five stepped up and it we left it to Rachel Priest and it was too much for her to do. If we wanna win the next game or be successful in this tournament, we have to step up with the bat,” she said. PTI

CRICKET BRIEFS Ganguly welcomes Bhajji recall

Mushtaq set to join DD: Report

Praveen refuses to talk about suspension

KOLKATA: Sourav Ganguly welcomed the national selec-

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan Test leg-spinner Mushtaq

KANPUR: A “sad and hassled” Praveen Kumar refused to speak about the BCCI’s suspension imposed on him, which bars the pacer from playing the inter-state Vijay Hazare Trophy matches for Uttar Pradesh. “I do not want to talk to media about this ban. I am sad and hassled. Please do not disturb me. My silence would answer all the queries,” Praveen told PTI Bhasha when contacted over the phone. “I will remain silent,” the pacer responded when asked whether he actually abused the opposition team batsman as well as the umpires in a Corporate Trophy game recently. Indian Cricket Board issued a Show cause notice Praveen on Saturday and suspended him from participating in the forthcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy. PTI

tors’ decision to recall off-spinner Harbhajan Singh for the ﬁrst two Tests of the upcoming series against Australia. “It’s a good decision to bring him back into the side. I’ve always been hopeful of Bhajji. But it’s the skipper (MS Dhoni) whether he would play in the XI,” Ganguly said at Eden Gardens after the CAB’s working committee meeting. Asked about Gautam Gambhir’s omission, Ganguly said, “It’s normal to be left out when you’re not doing well. But I’m conﬁdent he would do well to make a comeback.” India might have lost to England in their last Test series at home, but Ganguly said the hosts would have the edge against Australia.

Ahmed is set to join IPL side Delhi Daredevils as its spin-bowling consultant after accepting a one-year deal, a report said. Mushtaq had last week told PTI that he had got a written offer from the Delhi franchise and was giving it serious consideration. A Cricinfo report today said that Mushtaq had accepted the offer though the actual signing is yet to take place. “I have been offered a one-year deal. I have accepted it but the deal is yet to be ﬁnalised and is in process as written documentation is currently being exchanged,” Mushtaq was quoted as saying by Cricinfo. PTI

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

sports

BOATENG AGREES TO JOIN OLYMPIAKOS Greek champions Olympiakos have reached agreement with experienced Ghanaian midfielder Derek Boateng to join them, Greek media reported Monday. The 29-year-old was in Athens and after passing a medical examination agreed to join Olympiakos for the rest of this season.

PREMIER LEAGUE

West Brom 2-0 Liverpool

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Only once in the 3-points-for-a-win era have Liverpool had fewer points from 26 games (1992-93: 34) than they do this season (36). United have title in sights, says Fergie

lex Ferguson admits the destiny of the Premier League title is in Manchester United’s hands after they opened up a commanding 12point lead over Manchester City with a 2-0 win against Everton. Following City’s defeat at Southampton on Saturday, Ferguson reversed an earlier plan to rest key players ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Real Madrid and put out his strongest line-up on Sunday, with the exception of defender Rio Ferdinand who watched from the stands. The result was a convincing win at Old Trafford and Ferguson acknowledged United are in pole position to regain the title with 12 games to play, although he refused to completely write off City. “I was going to make seven changes, but when I got the City result I thought this would be a more important game for us,” said Ferguson.

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool crashed to a dismal 2-0 defeat against West Bromwich Albion on Monday as Steven Gerrard’s (right) penalty miss triggered an Anfield meltdown. Brendan Rodgers’ side looked set to secure their first win in four Premier League matches when Gerrard stepped up to take a late penalty, but the Liverpool captain’s effort was saved by Ben Foster and Albion went on to take full advantage of that escape. Gareth McAuley headed the opener with nine minutes remaining and Romelu Lukaku’s stoppage-time strike secured Albion’s first league victory in seven attempts and lifted them above Liverpool into eighth in the table. “The players gave everything, but we just couldn’t make the breakthrough and the longer it goes on, it gives West Brom a wee bit more encouragement,” Rodgers said. “I can’t fault the players. We weren’t at our best but we cer-

AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS

Nigeria’s head coach Stephen Keshi (C) is carried by staff members as they celebrate winning the 2013 African Cup of Nations on Sunday. AFP/ A JOE

Real host United in clash of titans DERMOT LEDWITH Agence France-Presse

tainly were on the front foot. We just needed that first goal.” Albion’s third successive win against Liverpool was also sweet revenge for manager Steve Clarke, who was the Reds’ assistant manager under Kenny Dalglish last season before being sacked at the end of the campaign.

“Since the turn of the year things haven’t gone our way, so it’s a terrific win for us,” Clarke said. “To come here and play a Liverpool team, probably playing as well as they have all season, I’m absolutely delighted for the players.” AFP

Keshi quits as Nigeria coach JOHANNESBURG: Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi told a South African radio station Monday that he had resigned after leading his country to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations title. “I gave the national football federation my letter of resignation immediately after the final, but I have not heard from them,” Keshi revealed to

public broadcaster SABC. Keshi dropped hints last week of his unhappiness with Nigerian football officials in Durban before the semi-final drubbing of Mali, telling a media conference he would “pack his bags and leave” if unwanted. “If, back home, they do not like what I am doing, well, you cannot force someone to like you,” said

only the second Nations Cup-winning coach after the late Egyptian Mahmoud El Gohary to also achieve the feat as a player. Keshi captained Nigeria to victory over Zambia in the 1994 final and guided his country to a 1-0 win over Burkina Faso Sunday in a Soweto final settled by a Sunday Mba goal five minutes before half-time.

FOOTBALL BRIEFS Beckham to attend PSG match at Valencia

Buffon: Juve don’t fear Celtic roar

Mancini ready to wield the axe after City flop

Israeli racists may have gone step too far

VALENCIA, SPAIN: Former England captain David Beckham will join his Paris Saint-Germain teammates for the Champions League trip to Valencia on Tuesday, but will play no part in the last-16, first-leg tie, confirmed coach Carlo Ancelotti. “(David) Beckham will come tomorrow (Tuesday) to watch the match,” said the Italian.

GLASGOW: Juventus goalkeeping great Gianluigi Buffon insists the Italian champions will not be intimidated by the frenzied atmosphere at Celtic in the Champions League last 16 first leg on Tuesday. Buffon and his Juve team-mates are expecting a hostile reception from the 60,000 sell-out crowd in Glasgow.

LONDON: Roberto Mancini has revealed he is ready to drop several of his Manchester City flops after accusing the champions of lacking the stomach for a fight. Mancini was livid with City’s lacklustre performance in surprise 3-1 defeat at Southampton and he is prepared to make a host of changes for the club’s FA Cup tie against Leeds.

JERUSALEM: The torching of Beitar Jerusalem’s offices by fans angry at the signing of two Muslim players has sparked a major outcry which both supporters and explayers hope could end decades of open racism at the club. Friday morning’s arson attack caused heavy damage to a room used as the club’s museum.

MADRID: The world’s richest football clubs Real Madrid and Manchester United meet on Wednesday here in a Champions League last 16 first-leg tie described by Jose Mourinho as “the match the world is waiting for”. Alex Ferguson takes his United side to the Spanish capital after extending their lead at the top of the Premier League to 12 points with Sunday’s 2-0 win at home to Everton. “The world is not waiting for other matches in the Champions League so I hope we can give the world what they are waiting for,” purred Madrid boss Mourinho. Cristiano Ronaldo (above) will face his old club on the back of another hat-trick in the 41 win over Sevilla on Saturday and his attacking partner Gonzalo Higuain is convinced their side can beat United in the Bernabeu. “With our individual quality and counter-attacking play we can do a lot of damage to United. We have to keep it solid at the back and find our winning mentality and team spirit,” he said. Madrid are almost at full strength and the inclusion or not of Portuguese centre-half Pepe is Mourinho’s big dilemma.

With our individual quality and counter-attacking play we can do a lot of damage to United. We have to keep it solid at the back and find our winning mentality. Gonzalo Higuain Real Madrid striker