Epaper 12 june 2013

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 HYDERABAD

P16&17

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WEATHER: A MIX OF CLOUDY AND CLEAR SKIES; 29°C

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THE INSIDERS

Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who released classified documents about NSA’s top-secret surveillance programme, is the latest whistleblower to join the ranks of those who shook the world. Here’s a list of others who spilled the secrets and made a change.

HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER

UNBURDENED AND FREE,

HAPPY KIDS RETURN TO SCHOOL Children’s school bags are lighter this year, thanks to the SCERT’s initiative to take some burden off their tiny shoulders.

REPORT ON P6&7

M ANILKUMAR

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

city events

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

Workshop on make up tips Where: Ushodaya Enterprise Private Limited, Moosapet When: Till June 13, 10 am to 1 pm

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

Overnight

Morning

Afternoon

26°C

22°C

26°C

31°C

Cloudy with showers likely.

A mix of cloudy and clear skies.

A mix of cloud and sun. Windy.

Cloudy with showers likely.

New Delhi Mumbai Max 35 Max 30 Min 25 Min 25 Cloudy with rains likely

Chennai Max 34 Min 27

Cloudy with chances of rain.

Partly cloudy

Bangalore Max 26 Min 20

Cloudy with chances of thunderstorms.

AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES SHOWS

WORKSHOPS

Book launch Book Stray Birds by Anand Vishwanadha will be launched.

Where: Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad, Banjara Hills When: June 13, 6 pm Ceramic exhibition Surfacing, a ceramic exhibition by Akila Chungi will be held.

Where: Opposite Golkonda Resorts and Spa, Gandipet.

When: Saturday June 15, 5 pm to 9 pm, Sunday June 16, 4 pm to 9 pm Contact: 9989425825

Blood donation A blood donation camp is on.

Where: Freedom House, Road No 5, Banjara Hills When: 11 am onwards Contact: 9866520337 MONSOON WOES: A huge tree downed by the rain on Road No. 63 Jubilee Hills. Heavy rain and strong winds topSRINIVAS SHETTY pled many trees across the City on Tuesday night.

Contact: 96427-31329 French Film screening Tony Gatlif’s Liberté (Freedom) will be screened.

Where: LV Prasad Preview Theatre, Road No 2, Banjara Hills When: 14th June, 6.30pm

Dancing delight Kathak dance performance by Sanjay Kumar Joshi Where: Ravindra Bharathi, Saifabad When: June 13, 6.30 pm yo 8.30 pm Contact: 98493-16526 Two together Free lamaze session for expecting couples will be conducted.

Where: The Birthplace, Banjara Hills When: June 15, 3 pm to 4.30 pm

Contact: 80086-34949 Lebanese Spread It’s a week of authentic Lebanese delicacies at Seasonal Tastes.

Where: Seasonal Tastes, Westin When: Till June 16, 12 pm to 3 pm For Reservation call: 040 67676888

DINING

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

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

Karate classes Karate classes for kids will be held.

Where: Colorama Printers, Secunderabad When: Till June 14, 4 pm to 6 pm Contact: 80086-24949

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

Film making workshop A workshop where participants will learn to develop ideas into a script, and the concepts and grammar of film-making and editing.

Where: Yavanika Films, Begumpet Contact: +919490100404 Film appreciation Reflect and unwind about thrillers from world cinema.

Where: Yavanika Films, Begumpet When: July 22 and 23, July 29 and July 30, 11 am to 7 pm

Foodie's haven Non vegetarian cooking classes will be held.

Where: Colorama Printers, Secunderabad When: From June 12 to June 14, 10 am to 12.30 pm

Sufi music Bhakti Varsham - Sufi fusion music will be conducted.

Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills When: June 12, 7 pm to 9 pm

Summer splash Lesson for kids with Keith Moss on swimming.

Where: Taj Banjara, Banjara Hills When: Till June 12, 8 am

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

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

news

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

DO COPS SHOW DOUBLE STANDARDS WHEN DEALING WITH CELEBS? 100% 0%

YES (A) NO (B)

TODAY’S QUESTION

HAS ADVANI BEEN REDUCED TO A MANTELPIECE ORNAMENT? A)

YES

B)

NO

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

CRIME

3

Ugly conclusion for FB ‘stud’ Two reported cases of abuse of a popular social network reveal how some misuse the site for nasty purposes. Police say hundreds of such cases go unreported.

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Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: Danger lurking behind social networks came out starkly in two recent cases.

In the first instance, Jagdish, 25, who lived in HUDA colony of Sai Nagar, Vanasthalipuram, was caught for posting on Facebook vulgar messages and pictures of a girl he tried in vain to court.

Police interrogation revealed that the woman, 20, committed the commonest error of taking people at face value. Jagdish, said

the girl, had posted a handsome man’s picture on his Facebook account to give the impression that it was his picture.

After exchanging phone numbers, they decided to meet. When she met him, she says, she was shocked because there was hardly

any resemblance between the youth who stood in front of her and the photograph she had seen.

When questioned, he admitted it was not him. Moreover, Jagdish was unemployed.

He expressed his love for her and proposed marriage but she

did not say anything at that moment.

Afterwards, she told him she does not want to continue the friendship and he should stop calling her. Enraged, he reportedly began to post vulgar messages with revealing pictures of the girl, though she said the pictures must have been morphed.

The Vanasthalipuram police arrested him the other day.

In the second incident, 30year-old Srinivas of Hayathnagar, who works with a real estate agency, had recently joined a spoken English class. He began to court one of the teachers there, though she rebuffed him. When he began to send SMSes at night, she warned him to desist. He

FB Fundamentals

F

B lets you block and report content that you find unfit for the social network. Content will be removed if it contains nudity or other sexually suggestive content, hate speech, threats or direct attacks, content that contains self-harm or violence. To report an item, hover over it and click on the arrow at the top right. Click ‘Report story for spam’ and select the reason you’re blocking it.— NTB then posted obscene messages with pictures he had taken of her.

She complained to LB Nagar police. He is now in custody.

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News WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 LAST YEAR... HERE

CIVIC

State chooses today

GHMC faces shutdown

L

ast year we had reported how canecharging, stone-pelting, fisticuffs and suspension of polling officials marked the by-elections to 18 Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha constituency in the State. Voters were seen standing in queues even before the polling began at 8am in most of the 5,413 polling stations in these constituencies spread over 12 districts.

JUNE 12, 2012

NUMEROLOGY

PAPAL CONFESSIONS

The government can neither give in to the union demand for regularisation of 60,000 contract workers nor ignore it.

10.5 mn

children worldwide work as domestic servants, in what can be hazardous and even slave-like conditions, the International Labour Organization said Wednesday.

Way to respect a guest in your country, trash media, way to make us feel welcome... It’s just a matter of time before you gun us all down.

British singer Seal tweets about Australia’s “trash media” after Joel Madden was kicked out.

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

1

Don’t believe everything you see on Facebook.

A City woman was in for a shock after she befriended a “handsome” man on Facebook, who turned out to look nothing like his profile picture.

2

Dog lovers, don’t head to Iran!

The conservative country is cracking down on people with pet dogs, which are viewed as unclean in Islam. D sales though have not suffered.

3

A ‘light’ year for school students?

The SCERT has taken an initiative to reduce the number of books and number of chapters in textbooks to reduce the burden on children.

4

A bed of only roses — minus the thorns.

An institute in Himachal Pradesh has developed a new variety of thornless rose.

5

Beware! You are being watched.

The US intel leak sparked a Net freedom debate on Tuesday.

Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

T

he government faces a Catch-22 situation. Its negligence of a longpending demand of contract workers to raise their remuneration has given the GHMEU, the largest civic employee union affiliated to the TRS, a chance to bring the civic administration down to its knees.

Knowledgeable sources said that if the government had cared to make a reasonable hike in the salaries of contract employees from the current `6,000 to `12,000 or so, the problem would not have arisen.

Now, regularisation demand has put the government in a tight spot because allowing it in the GHMC will trigger a massive repercussion in other municipalities in the State. The Union prefers regularisation to salary hike because it would bring to its fold such a massive body of workers and it will get strengthened.

The relay hunger strike of

the GHMEU will enter the 100th day on June 14, the day when the union plans to shut down all services.

A high-level meeting took place at the Secretariat today where principal secretaries of legal, finance and Municipal Administration & Urban Development (MA & UD) and several IAS officials pondered over ways to deal with the AROUND THE

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In a tight spot

E

ven though the government has given assurances of hiking the salaries of the workers, the union leaders are demanding regularisation of the employees. The government’s worry is that if it succumbs to the pressure, it will set off a chain reaction in all the municipal administrations in the State.

impending problem.

Meanwhile, the union leaders will be holding an important meeting with the commissioner, MT Krishna Babu, tomorrow over the issue.

“We will be chalking out a strategy after having a meeting with him. The level of agitation and its overall impact can be planned,” says Durga Prasad, leader of one of the unions in alliance with GHMEU. On several occasions, the president of GHMEU maintained that complete services will be stopped from the 100th day of the relay hunger strike.

One of the worrying facets for the government is that the union is trying to gain support of other municipalities in demanding regularisation of the employees.

About 60,000 contract workers in the GHMC working in various wings in five zones, get an average salary of 6,000 per month. Even though the government gave assurance of hiking `10,000 to `15,000 it’s only on paper.

‘Gay lobby exists in Vatican govt’ VATICAN CITY: Besides corruption, there is a “gay lobby” inside the Vatican government or curia, Pope Francis admitted, saying “we will have to see what we can do”.

“Yes... it is difficult. In the Curia, there are also holy people, really, there are holy people. But there also is a stream of corruption, there is that as well, it is true... The ‘gay lobby’ is mentioned, and it is true, it is there...

We need to see what we can do,” the pontiff said.

He did not specify what kind of action he might take.

Francis made the remark during an audience with members of the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of AROUND THE

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Religious Men and Women.

He also signalled his support for the reform of the government of the Catholic Church.

“The reform of the Roman curia is something that almost all cardinals asked for in the congregations preceding the conclave. I also asked for it,” Francis said.

In February last year, the Vatican attacked Italian media reports of a powerful “gay lobby” inside the curia, citing a confidential report commissioned by the previous pope, Benedict XVI. The “Vatileaks” report was prepared by a three-cardinal commission. Shortly before Benedict abdicated in February, the Vatican said the report would “remain solely at the disposition

CITY BRIEFS CM urged to allow Assembly march

Nutrition institute invites applications

Municipal Act to get amended in Assembly

City tops in passport processing

HYDERABAD: Leaders of BJP, TRS and other pro-T parties today urged AP CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy to allow the ‘Chalo Assembly’ protest planned to be held on June 14. The MLAs of BJP, TRS and others met the CM in this regard. “We told the CM we will take full responsibility to ensure peaceful conduct of the event,” TRS MLA T Harish Rao said.

HYDERABAD: The National Institute of Nutrition invites applications to fill up the posts of section officer and personal assistant.

Candidates must have a degree and must not be over 35 and 25 years of age for section officer and personal assistant posts respectively .

Application can be downloaded from ninindia.org.

HYDERABAD: The Bill, AP Municipal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2013, was tabled for discussion in the Assembly on Tuesday. It ensures that corporation meetings are held at least once in three months. It revises the powers of various municipal authorities and also makes sure that lease on immovable property to be limited to 25 years.

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Regional Passport office has topped cities for processing the maximum number of passport applications in the financial year 2012-13. The passport office cleared 5.93 lakh passports. AP stood third by processing 7.31 lakh passports. Kerala leads the list by processing 9.21 lakh passports.

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News WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

ASSEMBLY

CONFLICT

60 Shiites killed in Syria as West seeks solution DAMASCUS: At least 60 Shiite villagers died in clashes with rebels in eastern Syria while twin suicide bombings hit Damascus as the West moved to support the opposition following battlefield losses against pro-regime forces.

Despite Tuesday's attacks, Bashar al-Assad's regime, dominated by his Alawite sect of Shiite Islam, appears to have gained the upper hand against mainly Sunni Muslim rebels, buoyed by military support from its Shiite allies, Hezbollah and Iran.

With regime forces gaining ground, France said the nearly 27month conflict, which is estimated to have killed at least 94,000 people, is at a "turning point" and that it is time to review whether to arm the opposition.

The issue of military support is likely to top the agenda when US Secretary of State John Kerry meets in Washington with British counterpart William Hague on Wednesday. "Armed Shiite villagers attacked a nearby rebel post yesterday and killed two.

Today (Tuesday) rebels attacked the village and took control of it, AROUND THE

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killing 60 Shiite residents, most of them fighters," Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP. The clashes came in the majority Sunni village of Hatlah, in eastern Deir Ezzor province.

At least 10 rebels were also killed in the fighting on Tuesday, and Shiite residents of Hatlah were fleeing following the violence, Abdul Rahman said.

Earlier in Damascus, two suicide bombings left at least 14 people dead and 31 wounded, and caused widespread damage in the Marjeh neighbourhood, state media and the rights Observatory said.

AFP

Washed out — 3rd day

Assembly continues to be in turmoil with each Opposition party following its own agenda. For the third day, House discussed nothing.

INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: Unity among all opposition political parties continued to evade on the third consecutive day of the ongoing budget session in AP Assembly today.

The main opposition Telugu Desam Party did not take up any concrete step to bring in amity and cohesion among the other opposition parties.

The House had to be adjourned twice in the day following the uproar created by opposition party members.

It also led to the suspension of the crucial questions and answers (Q & A) session in the House for the second consecutive day. It was a repeat of yesterday. Each party pursued its own agenda to corner the government on public issues.

As Speaker N Manohar rejected all adjournment motions, the members of the TDP, YSRCP, TRS, BJP and CPI rushed towards podium and raised slogans, asking him to allow their motions to undertake a detailed debate on the issues.

But Manohar did not yield to the demands and continued to plead with members to take their seats for the question and answer session. When the din persisted, the chair adjourned the House. When it met again after the adjournment, the same scene continued, forcing him to adjourn it again.

While the Telugu Desam gave adjournment motion on shortage of seeds, YSR Congress gave the motion on national status for Pranahita-Chevella and Polvarama irrigation projects of the State. The T-champions — TRS, BJP and Telangana Nagara Samithi — gave the adjournment motions for resolution in the House for creation of a separate Telangana state.

The Left party, CPI, gave the motion on granting of permission for the proposed Chalo Assembly

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When the din persisted, the chair adjourned the House.

When it met again, the same scene continued, forcing him to adjourn it again.

a dharna in front of CM N. Kiran Kumar Reddy’s chamber in the Assembly, demanding that he give permission to hold the Chalo Assembly programme of the TJAC and award compensation to the victims of Neelam cyclone from Telangana region.

MONSOON

ASSEMBLY The staging of the dharna angered the CM. He asked the TRS members to come inside his chamber for discussions instead of staging a dharna outside.

programme by Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) on June 14. The CPM raised the issue of salaries for contract employees through the motion.

Pro-minority MIM Party gave the adjournment on implementation of prime minister’s 15-point programme for the development of minorities.

TRS ANGERS CM On the other hand, taking full advantage of the adjournment of the House, TRS MLAs staged

NATION BRIEFS 6 killed, 12 injured in mishap

Two insurgents arrested in Manipur

School girl gang-raped, killed

Two dead in lightning in Uttar Pradesh

Andaman’s 3 min alert tsunami warning system

THENI: Six persons were killed and 12 injured when their jeep rammed into a bridge near Seelaiyampatti early this morning.

While three persons died on the spot, three succumbed to injuries on the way to hospital, police said.

They were part of a group of two families proceeding to Karumattur from Kambam.

IMPHAL: Two insurgents were arrested during search operations in Manipur, the police said today.

Yumnam Ibungomacha, 29, of United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and Yengkhom Momo Singh, 41, were arrested by a combined team of police commandos and personnel of 40th Assam Rifles battalion yesterday.

NADIA: According to police, a Class VII student had taken shelter under a railway shed as it was raining. Her neighbour, Bimal Sardar, offered to share his umbrella to walk back home. Police said Sardar accompanied by two other associates took her behind a turmeric bush and gang-raped her. They then strangulated her to death.

BADAUN: Two persons were killed and five injured after being struck by lightning in separate incidents in the city, official sources said today. Sunil, 21 was killed and four injured in village Omnagaria in Kadar Chowk area here yesterday after lightning struck them, they said. The injured were rushed to the hospital, and their condition is stable.

PORT BLAIR: The Early Tsunami Warning System installed at Rangachang in Andaman and Nicobar Islands can predict a tsunami immediately after an earthquake, chief scientist of National Institute of Ocean Technology Vinith Kumar said. It would assess the impact of waves during the earthquake for the possibility of triggering tsunami.

News WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

EDUCATION

HIMALAYAN WONDER SRINIVAS SETTY

6

Rose sheds its thorn An institute in Himachal Pradesh has developed a new thornless variety of rose.

Happy days are here again!

Children’s school bags are lighter this year, thanks to the SCERT’s initiative to take some burden off their tiny shoulders.

ALEENA ALICE aleena.t@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: With schools reopening today after a two-month break, excitement and anxiety take over the minds of children. This academic year has a special significance for majority of students in the State syllabus.

The State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT) has taken steps to reduce the size of text books for class IV, V, VIII and IX students, who are relieved of the burden to some extent. Moreover, parents can now relax and need not spend extra bucks on buying additional books for their children’s curriculum.

The number of pages and the thick-

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ness of books have been reduced in most of the textbooks. For example, students of class IX, who earlier had to carry mathematics textbooks which had around 420 pages in Telugu medium and 390 pages in English medium, will now carry textbooks with only 360 pages.

“Nenu moste baruvu tatginanduku ento anandanga undi (I’m happy the weight I carry is reduced),” says Mukesh Raju, a Class V student.

Students of class IV, V, VIII and IX now do not have to buy or use workbooks, guides, non-details, or any other material since the textbooks fulfill the requirements of the students.

For students in class VIII and IX, non-detail textbooks in their first language as well as in English have been eliminated and the contents of these books have been included in their text books.

Since 2011, there have been changes initiated in the syllabus with the aim of reducing the burden on students. Last year, changes were made for classes III, VI, VII. N Upender Reddy, the head of department for curriculum and textbooks at SCERT, said, “The books that have been re-designed are in accordance with the State curriculum framework, 20011, and the national curriculum framework, 2005. The main intention was to reduce the physical and mental burden on the students.”

Parents and students welcome the change in the pattern and feel that it now focuses on more quality education than quantity education.

“Now children will not have the additional tension of reading his/her non-detail book separately. They can just read their main text books and prepare for the exam,” said Ramalatha, a parent.

PALAMPUR: Every rose has its thorn. The saying seems to have lost its meaning in Himachal Pradesh.

The Institute of Himalayan Bio-resource Technology (IHBT) here has developed a variety of rose, for the first time in the country, whose thorns don't stick out.

"A thornless variety of red rose named Himalayan Wonder has been developed by the institute after three years of research," IHBT director PS Ahuja told IANS. He said it was only variety in the country sans thorns. "Scientists have also developed a pink-coloured rose from the Himalayan Wonder variety. Now work is on for mass multiplication of the red variety."

The institute has introduced some high-value ornamental like tulips, bird of paradise and double tube rose in the region. It

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has also made popular low cost greenhouses for floriculture trade.

Many pockets in Solan, Shimla, Sirmaur, Mandi, Kullu, Bilaspur and Chamba districts in Himachal

Pradesh have earned a name in flower business.

Farmers are growing commercial varieties of marigold, carnation, tulip, lilium, gladiolus, chrysanthemum and rose. Approximately 860 hectares of land is under flower cultivation and over 3,000 farmers are involved in it.

IANS

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News WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

STUDY TIME

SRINIVAS SETTY, M ANIL KUMAR, S BALAKRISHNA

NEW BEGINNINGS As schools open across the Twin Cities today, we see that some things never change.

The most popular uniform colours are blue, white and grey, kids still have to stand in a line to go to class, and everybody seems happy to be back in school.

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News WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

HALL OF SHAME

HERITAGE BOOST

US national's gang-rape: Cops file chargesheet

Access road for Maula Ali Dargah Mohd NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

Earlier, the defence counsel had refused an identification parade of the trio.

SHIMLA: Within a week of the alleged gang-rape of a 30-yearold US national in Himachal Pradesh's Manali tourist resort, police have filed a chargesheet against the three accused, all

CARE HOME KILLING

Angel of death found guilty

drivers of Nepali nationality, an officer said Wednesday.

The chargesheet was filed against Arjun, Lucky and Som Bahadur Tamang in the court of Civil Judge-cum-Judicial

Magistrate Gaurav Sharma in Manali Tuesday, Superintendent of Police Vinod Dhawan told IANS on phone.

The accused, who were arrested two days after the crime, are currently in judicial remand till June 17.

The woman who reached Manali, some 500 km from the national capital Delhi, with three other women just a day before the crime, alleged that she was repeatedly raped by three men who offered her lift in a vehicle early June 4 when she could not find a taxi on the outskirts of Manali.

Police said the men drove the woman to a secluded spot to rape and rob her.

Earlier, counsel for the accused had refused for the iden-

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tification parade of the trio in front of the victim.

Dhawan said a report from the state forensic science laboratory is awaited and would be submitted later in the court.

The accused have been charged with rape, abduction and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The victim, who is on a tourist visa and has been declared a government guest, is currently touring the picturesque Kullu Valley, known for attracting backpackers, especially from the US, Britain, Italy, France and Germany, said police officials.

IANS

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CITY

FLYING HIGH

MADRID: A security guard at a Spanish retirement home was on Tuesday found guilty of killing 11 elderly residents, three of whom he forced to drink bleach.

Prosecutors are seeking a 194-year jail term after Joan Vila Dilme, AROUND THE

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dubbed "the angel of death", was found guilty by a unanimous jury decision at a court hearing in the northeast town of Girona.

He was arrested in October 2010 after the death of an 85-yearold woman. He later confessed, saying he did it in order to "end their suffering".

AFP

HYDERABAD: In a relief to thousands of pilgrims who visit the dargah of Maula Ali, which is more than 400 years old, braving steep and unsafe stairs, the GHMC has planned to construct an access road to hill top by the end of this year.

Mayor Mohammed Majid Hussain said that he received several representations from devotees to provide an access road. “By providing access to the dargah we shall be able to help old and the weak in reaching the top,” he said.

The mayor pointed out that after getting a heritage award recently, the structure’s importance has gone up, and with it, ability to attract tourists.

Estimates are being made by engineers and the additional commissioner (planning) who accompanied the delegation, which also

Indian Air Force has flown home its first Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, becoming the newest operator of the leading airlifter. The Boeing is on track to deliver four more C-17s to the IAF this year and five in 2014. IANS

included MLA Syed Ahmed Pasha Quadri and MLC Syed Altaf Hyder Razvi. “This place is revered by people from various communities, some of whom visit from foreign countries”, said Ahmed Pasha Quadri.

With a rough estimate of `4 to `5 crore, this work will be taken up in two phases. First one will be start from Khushal Khan Kaman to Aashur Khana, Azrath Abbas Neem bada. The second phase requires lot of technical assistance due to steep rocks, Mayor instructed the officials to prepare estimates as soon as possible so as to take up a decision in this regard.

Additional commissioner (planning), engineer-in-chief and chief engineer will visit the area again to prepare the estimates within 10 days to place before the Standing Committee.

Later, the matter will be placed before the General Body to accord sanction.

WORLD BRIEFS World's oldest ever man dies aged 116

N Korea won't pick up phone after rift: South

US kidnap suspect expected to enter plea

Mandela 'very serious' but stable: Zuma

Toll in China's building collapse rises to 11

TOKYO: The world’s oldest person and the oldest man ever to have lived has died of natural causes aged 116, officials in Japan said.

Jiroemon Kimura, who was born in 1897, died in hospital early Wednesday morning "from old age", an official in Kyoto's Kyotango city said. Kimura was hospitalised suffering from pneumonia.

SEOUL: North Korea played hard to get Wednesday following the scrapping of high-level talks with South Korea, refusing to answer calls from Seoul on a recently restored inter-government hotline.

“We made an opening call at 9am,” the South's Unification Ministry said in a brief press statement. “But the North did not answer.”

CLEVELAND: A Cleveland man accused of holding three women captive for a decade is expected to plead not guilty Wednesday to charges of kidnapping, rape and murder for beating one pregnant captive until she miscarried. The stunning case came to light after Amanda Berry, 27, managed to escape with her daughter.

JOHANNESBURG: South African President Jacob Zuma has sought to reassure an uneasy nation that Nelson Mandela, although in a "very serious" condition as he battles a recurrent lung infection, is receiving the best of care. Zuma got a briefing from doctors on the condition of the anti-apartheid icon, who has showed no sign of improvement.

BEIJING: The death toll in a building collapse in eastern China after an explosion caused by a gas leak today rose to 11, officials said.

Twenty people were buried after the three-storey building collapsed in Suzhou City in Jiangsu Province following an explosion in the staff canteen on the first floor. "Eleven died in hospital," Xinhua agency said.

9

News WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

MUSIC

BUMBLEFOOT ROCKS ON DESPITE LOW TURNOUT Guns N’ Roses guitarist Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal set the stage on fire at Hard Rock Cafe last night. Postnoon catches up with the legend on his tour of India.

ARUN DANIEL YELLAMATY arunyellamaty@postnoon.com

SRINIVAS SETTY

T

uesday night’s gig which featured Point of View and the very popular Guns N’ Roses guitarist Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal at the Hard Rock Cafe was a night to be remembered. The turnout could have been better, but people who turned up got more than their money’s worth.

Those who missed it surely did miss one of Ron’s great performances. Point of View, the band which started off the show by singing songs from their album kept the fans busy till Ron walked on to the stage.

From then on, it was his show completely.

Ron awed the crowd with his guitar riffs and kept them glued to the stage. At the end of the concert, they decided to do a few GNR staples like Sweet Child Of Mine, Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door and even played Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven on acoustic guitar after a special request. Overall, the concert was amazing, but the turnout could have been better.

People who missed out really missed something very special.

Postnoon caught up with Bumblefoot and Nikhil Uzgare

(Point of View’s lead vocalist and frontman), who is visiting the City for the first time. All the band members mentioned that they’ve been enjoying eating biryani.

Talking about the visit, Nikhil said, “We are all from India and wanted to play here.

We wanted our songs and new album Revolutionize the Revolution to be heard and of course sold here, which is the reason for the Indian tour.”

Ron has been helping the band and touring with them.

Point of View has won quite a few titles, including best Dubai band and is known as a band that writes songs with a message. Nikhil, added, “We are humbled to have Ron around, He is a very humble person, we get to learn a lot of things from him, He doesn’t carry on that he is from GNR and is very approachable, which makes us humble too.”

“I exhort all the young bands to stay united and help bands to come up in this Bollywood generation.”

Apart from being in GNR, Bumblefoot is also a solo artiste and producer. He has released nine studio albums so far, starting with 1995’s debut release The Adventures of Bumblefoot.

Talking to Ron about his association and opportunity to play for GNR, he said, “It was over eight years ago that GNR reached out (to me). At the time, I was releasing my own albums, touring, producing great bands, a guest guitarist with cool artistes, licensing music to TV shows and videogames, teaching music production at a university... my life was complete and gratifying and the thought of putting all this aside to join another band... I told them no. A yearand-a-half later, I said okay. We jammed seven times, after

which we toured and played to a few hundreds and fifty thousand people. Later I learned all the unreleased Chinese Democracy songs by listening on a laptop for half an hour with pen and paper in hand, and hit the road. Now we are a great family.”

Speaking about influences, Ron said, “When I was five years old, I heard KISS and said that is what I want to do.

My major influences were surely KISS, The Beatles, AC/DC, Queen, and many more.”

Explaining how the name ‘Bumblefoot’ came about, Ron said, “The nickname was my band name, releasing ’Bumblefoot’ music for the last 15 years. Before the band, it was the name of my first album The Adventures of Bumblefoot on Shrapnel Records in the mid90s. That album title came from a song called Bumblefoot that AROUND THE

CITY

was on a guitar comp CD in the early 90s and became the title track of the album. I wrote the song when I was helping my girlfriend study. She was in veterinary school, and bumblefoot, aka ulcerative pododermatitis, was one of the animal diseases she was learning about. I said ‘what a stupid name’, but later it became my name. I got used to it.”

Ron added he was planning a bigger project in future in which he can help and support upcoming bands. Ron also said he wants to use this platform of music to fulfil a bigger purpose.

Tips from the great Bumblefoot: “From a business point of view, they need to study hard about music and should learn how to write, produce and do as many things as they can do. They have to have a diverse portfolio.”

10

News WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

COOL CAT

Tribal student to study at IIM-T

BHUBANESWAR: For the students of many tribal groups in Odisha, clearing the Class 10 exam is considered a huge achievement. But a little help can bring out the best as it did for Ganeswar Miniaka, who is all set to take admission into one of India's coveted B-schools.

Miniaka, 20, who belongs to Odisha's primitive Kandha tribe, has been invited by several prestigious institutions, including Indian Institutes of Management (IIM), after

he scored 56.46 percentile in the Common Admission Test (CAT) held in October last year - thanks to his efforts and the support provided to him by a private institution here.

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CAT is one of the most rigorous entrance examinations for business administration programmes, and the test score is used by the country's top B-schools to short-

OH DEER! IT’S TOO DEEP!

T

wo deers swim in the flooded water of the Danube river to look for shelter at the Gemenc Forest, about 170 km south from Hungarian capital Budapest. About 45 thousand deers, boars and foxes live on the largest contingent with18 ha of floodplain forest here, cared the animals by the Gemenci Forest and Game Co. Ltd.

list applicants for admissions. "Although I have got six calls including those from IIM-Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Kashipur (Uttarakhand) and Udaipur (Rajasthan), I have decided to join IIMTriruchiapalli," he said.

Miniaka, a resident of Serigumma village in Rayagada district, about 550 km from here, attributes his success to his continuous efforts and the support he received from Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS).

IANS

AFP PHOTO / PETER KOHALMI

TURKISH TURMOIL

Calm before the storm?

An uneasy calm has descended on the protest square even as Erdogan vows zero tolerance for mass protests.

CEREN KUMOVA Agence France-Presse

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ISTANBUL: An uneasy calm returned to Istanbul's protest square early Wednesday after running clashes between riot police and protesters, as Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed zero tolerance for the mass demos.

Hours earlier, Taksim Square had resembled a battle scene, swathed in acrid smoke as police dispersed tens of thousands of protesters chanting

Can you believe that? They attack Taksim, gas us in the morning just after proposing talks with us?

Yilmaz A protester

“This episode is now over. We won't show any more tolerance.”

Recep Tayyip Erdogan "Erdogan, resign!" and "Resistance!" on the worst night of violence in 12 days of nationwide unrest.

After riot police sent the large crowd scrambling with tear gas and jets of water, cat-and-mouse games with smaller groups of demonstrators continued into the night.

By 5 am (0200 GMT), refuse trucks were clearing up the empty gas cannisters and the remains of broken barricades which had for more than a week blocked all access to the square and neighbouring Gezi Park, the original flashpoint for the protests.

There was a heavy police

presence in the square while thousands of weary demonstrators took refuge in the park.

Fresh unrest also erupted in the capital Ankara on Tuesday, with police using tear gas, pepper spray and water cannon against 5,000 protesters near the US embassy. Some threw rocks in

response.

The unexpected police intervention in Istanbul's Taksim Square, which began early Tuesday morning, marked the first time officers had returned to the area since pulling out more than a week ago. They fought hours-long battles with clusters of demonstrators, some of whom hurled fireworks and Molotov cocktails.

The assault on Taksim Square surprised protesters, many of whom were dozing in the nearby park, because it came after Prime Minister Erdogan said he would meet with protest leaders on Wednesday, his first major concession since the trouble began.

But the premier made no mention of the olive branch Tuesday and resumed his tough stance against the demonstrators.

"This episode is now over. We won't show any more tolerance," the premier told cheering lawmakers of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) in a speech broadcast live on television.

SPY GAMES

US intel leak sparks Net freedom debate

DAVE CLARK Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON: A fierce debate about Internet privacy and the limits of US executive power erupted on Tuesday, in a victory for the young intelligence

technician at the center of a global leak storm.

While 29-year-old Edward Snowden has gone to ground in Hong Kong and may yet face legal action for blowing the lid on Washington's vast Internet snooping program, he has trig-

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gered the public battle he said he wanted.

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers, civil liberties groups and even one of the web giants accused of collaborating with the intelligence sweep separately urged President Barack Obama's administration to lift the veil of secrecy.

"We can't have a serious debate about how much surveillance of Americans' communications should be permitted without ending secret law," said Jeff Merkley, one of eight senators proposing a bill to increase transparency.

11

News WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOUR

TASTELESS FARE

For children of a lesser god, it’s about abuse, slavery According to the 2001 census, there were officially 12.9 million child labourers in India, though child rights activists say the figure is much higher.

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SYDNEY: A high-profile Australian political candidate apologised Wednesday for a menu at one of his fundraisers featuring a quail dish named after Prime Minister Julia Gillard which had “small breasts” and “huge thighs”.

Former government minister Mal Brough, now an opposition Liberal National Party candidate at national elections in September, said it was devised by a non-party member who thought it would be “humourous”. Brough told the

PRATHIBA RAJU feedback@postnoon.com NEW DELHI: Being forced to sit like a hen for hours or getting thrashed for being slow at work.

Or being starved as punishment and not given enought to eat.

This is not a throwback to a 17th century slave plantation but an instance of the modern day travails of children in India as young as eight who work in the numerous manufacturing and handicraft units, small-time eateries and factories in and around the capital.

Eight-year-old Aman, who was recently rescued from a zari embroidery unit, says that the punishments meted out in these factories are severe.

“I was brought to Delhi from Nepal by an uncle in my village.

My parents were told I will have a better life in India and I will be sent to a good school to learn the art of zari embroidery. Coming here, I was made to work in a zari unit from 8am to 12 pm, was given food twice a day, without being allowed to go out of the building,” Aman told IANS. His tale is similar to Satvik’s horrific ordeal. His employer would make him sit like a hen and cane him for being slow in his work as an embroiderer.

According to the 2001 census, there were officially 12.9 million child labourers in India, though child rights activists say the figure is much higher.

The figure for Delhi was 41,899, but civil society and NGOs like Save the Children estimate it about 50,000 to 200,000.

Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), an NGO working for children, said a large number of children are trafficked from poor and underdeveloped states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh to cities like Delhi and Mumbai and made to work in various indus-

Gillard’s rival says sorry for sexist menu

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tries for paltry wages.

BBA conducted 164 raids across India from January 2012 till June 6 and rescued 1,742 child labourers. In Delhi alone, it conducted 78 raids and liberated 1,049 bonded labourers. Almost 90 per cent of the rescued children spoke of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their employers.

“Most of them are weak, look starved, have scars on their bodies and are emotionally traumatised. To keep them awake, certain employers play popular Bollywood and Bhojpuri songs,” Preeti Sharma, a volunteer, said.

Narrating his story, Rizwan, a rescued boy, said: “I was brought to Delhi in the name of better livelihood opportunities. I was told that in Delhi I can study and earn. But here I was made to work for 16 hours a day and was given `200 a week. Once the supervisor hit me so hard that

from then on my vision is blurred.”

Similar are the stories of 13year-old Ranjan and 10-year-old Manu, who toil away cleaning dirty dishes at small eateries in a cramped street in Chandni Chowk.

“It is back-breaking work but I have no choice but to work in a dhaba to earn some money to help my mother run the house, with three other siblings to feed.

My father died in a road accident three years ago,” Ranjan told IANS. Social activists say that in the capital alone more than 2,000 placement agencies are operating, of which only 24 are registered with the government.

“It is known to everybody that most of the placement agencies working here are functioning illegally. Every now and then, we rescue children, particularly girls who are brought to work as maids from povertystricken states,” BBA chariperson RS Chaurasia told IANS. A senior government official said the home ministry will soon bring a stringent law against such placement agencies.

The menu offered a dish called “Julia Gillard Kentucky Fried Quail: Small Breasts and Huge Thighs and A Big Red Box”.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation he had not seen nor approved the menu and was “deeply apologetic”.

The menu for the event in March offered a dish called “Julia Gillard Kentucky Fried Quail: Small Breasts and Huge Thighs and A Big Red Box”.

But opposition leader Abbott, and the Liberal National Party, condemned the menu. “I think we should all be bigger and better than that; whether it’s a tacky, scatological menu out the front of a Liberal Party event, whether it’s squalid jokes told at union conference dinners with ministers present,” Abbott said. AFP

IANS

Pick

at the

airport,

-

12

News WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

ANIMALS

Iran dog lovers face persecution With no judicial law implemented to forbid the ownership of pet dogs, the country has criminlaised every pet owner by levying fines as pet dogs are veiwed as ‘unclean’ in Islam.

TEHRAN: Iran is again cracking down on people with pet dogs, viewed as unclean in Islam, but Soroush Mobaraki says sales are booming despite fears the pooches might be “arrested” and their owners fined.

The veterinary pharmacologist, sitting in the small Tehran pet shop he owns, said “there has been a sharp increase in demand for dogs in recent years.

For decades, keeping dogs as pets was a rarity and thus tolerated in Iran, where the Islamic beliefs cherished by the vast majority of traditional Iranians consider dogs as “najis", or unclean.

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Guard dogs, sheep dogs and hounds have always been acceptable, but the soaring number of pets acquired by a middle class keen to imitate Western culture has alarmed the authorities in recent years.

They have now criminalised walking dogs in public, or driving them around the city.

“You see, for me, she is not only a pet but a family member," 28-year-old Nahal, who declined to give her full name, said of her two-year-old Pomeranian.

Mobaraki says many Iranians today boast about their pets, and some even show off in style.

“They want to have a dog (to brag), like they want to have an expensive luxury car."

Reports of lap dogs dressed in Western designer clothes and accessories, being driven in fancy cars, or walked in parks in affluent Tehran neighbourhoods have drawn the ire of hardline clerics.

FIGHTING WESTERN INFLUENCE In June 2010 Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirzi labelled dog companionship as “a blind imitation” of Western culture, warning that such behaviour would lead to family corruption and damage societal values.

“Many people in the West love their dogs more than their wives and children," the ayatollah was quoted in the media as saying.

Those remarks, and a decree issued by Shirzi, gave ground to the ministry of culture and Islamic guidance forbidding all media from publishing advertisements about pets.

The restrictions, implemented in 2010, forced many breeders to keep their dogs out of sight.

“We are not allowed to keep them in pet shops," said Mobaraki, who spoke of his safe haven in a garden outside Tehran. “I only bring them here when I have struck a deal in advance with the buyer."

The popularity of the unIslamic trend has also forced the police to reinforce its sporadic crackdown on dogs.

Police “will confront those who walk their dogs in the

streets. Cars carrying dogs will also be impounded", deputy police chief Ahmad Reza Radan said in April, according to the Fars news agency.

Animal rights activists have questioned the legality of the crackdown.

“There are no laws that forbid dog ownership, or their transportation," said the Iranian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in an open letter to Radan’s boss, police chief Esmail Ahmadi Moqadam.

“Owners are being told that their dogs will be killed, and no paper (confirming the confiscation) is given to them," a Tehran pet hospital chief, Payam Mohebi, was quoted as saying by Bahar.

For now, the police warning seems to have effectively scared off dog lovers, forcing some to walk their animals in secluded areas and request home calls by vets.

Previous crackdowns had seen dogs returned home after their owners paid a fine and signed a pledge to observe the moral code.

“I don’t dare to take my dog out with me any more," said a middle-aged woman, who asked not to be named, at a family picnic in a park in western Tehran.

“So we left her home today.

ONLINE ALTERNATIVE

The 2010 ban on pet-related advertising, including for pet food, has redirected some animal enthusiasts to the Internet.

“Most of our customers go on our website to pick the dog they want," said Mobaraki, who refused to share the Internet address for fear of retribution.

“There they can even find useful information on different breeds, and on how to take good care of pets."

The online practice picked up after lawmakers in 2011 proposed a law to ban dogs from public places and even private flats, saying pet ownership posed “a cultural problem” as well as “a danger to public health".

The bill, addressing a “growing number of dog owners", specified that violators would be fined and “their animal confiscated.” But it was never put to a vote as some lawmakers, as well as animal rights activists, opposed the motion.

Today Iranians can go online to find professional dog training schools, private trainers and even “dog hotels", most of which boast international certificates and even experienced foreign trainers.

Dedicated pages on social networking sites, including Facebook, are also common.But there can be a downside to the market.

Breeder Amirhossein, 42, from the central city of Isfahan, said some of his competitors keep their animals in cramped, dirty conditions without sufficient veterinary care.

Then there are instances of false advertising. “The websites attract dog buyers with irresistible pictures and phony promises," he said. “But the dog you get may not be the one you picked."

AFP

HEALTH

Low-cost devices to cut maternal mortality

Jhpiego introduces a hand held device for mothers to seek guidance in absence of adequate medical staff .

BANGALORE: Specialist doctors favour low-cost devices to reduce maternal mortality and ensure better healthcare for women.

“There is an urgent need for low-cost technology to provide quality healthcare services in areas where trained medical staff are inadequate," Jhpiego vice president Harshad Sanghvi told about 500 delegates at the World Congress on Obstetrics and Gynaecologists.

On a pilot basis, the Federation of Obstetrics & Gynecologists Societies has introduced low-cost devices in partnership with Jhpiego, an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University, to train doctors in modern reproductive system and demonstrate the benefits of smart technology.

Jhpiego has developed a

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labour monitoring tool, a handheld device that allows recording of clinical observations, predictions of complications and quick decision-making. Itincludes a sensor module for partial automation of data collection and a telemedicine module to allow midwives seek guidance from distant clinicians.

“We collaborated with the National institute of Design in Ahmedabad to produce better user interfaces," Sanghvi pointed out. Similarly, Jhpiego developed

another low cost device, HemoGlobe, to detect anaemia among women without drawing blood.

According to federation president Hema Divakar, maternal death is a serious concern and the direct causes were haemorrhage, sepsis, hypertensive disorders and abortion. The federation has also launched a fast track initiative - ‘Helping Mothers Survive’ (HMS) - to reduce the maternal mortality ratio. The three-day congress of the specialistS deliberated on women’s SUCH as infertility management, challenges in setting up low-cost fertile centre, scarless surgery, infertility practices and high-risk pregnancy.

IANS

Maternal mortality falls in Russia

M

aternal mortality rate in Russia has fallen by 55 per cent since 2005, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said. In 23 Russian regions, the figures have fallen to the level of West European countries, he added. He linked the positive dynamics to a state programme to build 23 perinatal centres and a programme to improve the supply of equipment and medicine to the centres.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Business

INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT GROWTH SLOWS TO 2% Industrial output growth has slowed to 2 per cent in April this year. However, retail inflation has dropped to 9.31 per cent in May from 9.39 per cent in April.

AGRICULTURE

‘Govt choking farm sector’ Haphazard planning and whimsical decisions by the government has created a situation where neither the farmer nor the consumer benefits from regulations.

SRINIVAS SETTY

PRUDHVI RAJU K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com HYDERABAD : Despite India being one of the few countries which has most suitable lands and climatic conditions for agriculture, the Indian farmer struggles to survive. The agriculture experts say the Indian agriculture has lost so much due to the intervention and policies of the government rather what it has gained from it.

"India is one of the few countries which has surplus in food grains. It ranks top in the production of milk and Jute and second in rice, vegetables, fruits and cotton. However, these achievements did not benefit the farmer or the country to an extent. There is huge potential for the agriculture that has to be unleashed. The markets have opened up with WTO agreement and entire world is looking at India. But, the problem is with the government's framework and policies. They put lot of troubles in importing or exporting agriculture produce.

The process of exporting wheat from Brazil to India is much easier than to getting food produce from UP to Tamil Nadu. Even

AgriTech India 2013

K

eeping in mind the success of fourth AgriTech 2012, Media Today group is organising 5th edition of AgriTech India 2013 from August 23-25 at Banglore International Exhibition Centre. The group is also organising DairyTech India 2013 and International Poultry and Livestock Expo 2012 at the same venue.

According to organisers, the exhibition will be an eye opener for for the growers, wholesalers, importers, exporters and all other stakeholders of agriculture and allied sectors. It will help stakeholders to see and adopt the latest technologies. Around 370 companies from more than 22 countries will have stalls in these exhibition. district boundaries create hassles. The state governments are empowered to issue directives on what should be exported and what not. Invariably, they all

worked against the farmer.

"Few years ago, we mango growers in UP, got an opportunity to export the surplus produce due to less production in South. We could only sell mangos at `12/kg, whereas the price in Delhi was at `80/kg. The government destroyed the opportunity for farmers to make at least `50/kg by banning exports. They say that consumers in UP will not have mangoes if we let farmers sell to other states. The fate of farmer is not only determined by monsoons but also by whims and fancies of government," says S Jafar Naqwvi, president, iFlora.

He further adds, "Indian farmer has to compete with his counterparts elsewhere in the world. Due to large acreage and technology adoption, the farmers there get better yield. If a farmer in Holland can get a yield of 40 kg tomato from one plant, why not Indian farmers?

“The farmers need to adopt technology and arm themselves to compete globally. It may be difficult for them to buy these products independently. But, they can have these machines at panchayat level and use these products to improve the

methodology of farming. They should look at alternatives that benefit them being in farming.

“For instance, farmers of soybean should explore the opportunities in livestock farms.

We export soybean to other countries and those countries feed their livestock with this and import meat to us. Indian farmers themselves can do this and export meat to other countries.

“Government says that it should look at consumer interests before farmer interests. But neither the consumer nor farmer is benefit from its policies. After WTO, we agreed to reduce the taxes on Soybean oil that was imported from US from 100 per cent to 40 per cent. This has drastically affected the Indian soybean farmers. At the same time, Malaysians over produced palm oil and wants to export to India at `12. This would have benefited the consumer but the government put 300 per cent import tax on it," he says.

When asked about the price that has to be determined by government, he questions, "Why government has to determine the price for the produce?

They agree that farming is a loss-making venture but still decides the price that makes it unsustainable. Let the price of the produce is determined by world markets. When the price of gold, fuel is determined by world markets why not agriculture produce? They simply show the interests of the consumer as a reason to hurt the farmers. Wherever there is less intervention of government, the sector will grow in the country.

For instance, Indians are the world leaders in software exports due to low interference of government. Intervention will only breed redtapism and corruption making the sector inefficient and handicapped."

GOLD `28,000 10g SILVER `44,100 1kg

24C

for

for

DOLLAR `58.18 POUND `90.99

13

A350 READY TO FLY

TOULOUSE: French aircraft maker Airbus on Tuesday said its new longhaul carrier, the A350, is scheduled to make its maiden flight on Friday after having successfully passed a series of tests. The company said in a statement the flight would take place at 0800 GMT at the Toulouse-Blagnac airport in southwestern France, "weather conditions permitting."

Flight test teams were however carrying out a final round of controls before giving "their final green light".

Airbus hopes the 314-seater will compete with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner by being both lighter and more fuel-efficient than previous models.

The first deliveries are scheduled for the second half of 2014.

NUMEROLOGY

$1.3

bn

- is the worth of the order Samsung Heavy Industries won to build two offshore drilling platforms for the Norwegian oil firm Statoil.

GREEK BROADCASTER CLOSES ATHENS: Greece's public TV and radio channels were off the air Wednesday after a shock decision by the government to shut down the state broadcaster's operations with immediate effect, a move affecting nearly 2,700 jobs. Thousands rushed to the broadcaster's main headquarters in a northern Athens suburb shortly after the announcement Tuesday to show their support. "ERT is a case of an exceptional lack of transparency and incredible extravagance.

This ends now," government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said at a news conference. His announcement comes after months of work stoppages by ERT employees in opposition to plans to restructure the broadcaster as demanded by debt-laden Greece's troika of international creditors.Nearly 500 people also gathered outside the organisation's Thessaloniki branch in northern Greece as news editors union Poesy called on private broadcasters for work stoppage in solidarity.

BSE 5,769.15 NSE

19,071.61 75.35

19.65

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Comment Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

A NEW DAWN

JOHN DAVISON Agence France-Presse

L

eaders of a growing Palestinian movement to boycott Israel oppose any peace talks, even if they include a longdemanded freeze of Jewish settlements on Palestinian land.

“We have no faith... in the socalled negotiations,” said Omar Barghouti, head of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which lobbies worldwide for the economic, cultural and academic boycott of Israel. Speaking to AFP on the sidelines of the fourth annual BDS conference at Bethlehem University at the weekend, Barghouti said the talks were “absolutely useless, just another smokescreen to allow Israel to continue its colonisation — its building of settlements.” The Palestinians have demanded not only a freeze on settlement building but also a return to lines that existed before Israel seized the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza in the 1967 Six Day War. But Barghouti said that, even if these key demands were met, negotiations would still be unacceptable. The only way to ensure the Palestinians secured all their rights is through the non-violent “resistance” of a full boycott of Israel.

Barghouti said that for there to be peace, the Israelis must guarantee the right of return for Palestinian refugees everywhere and equal rights for Arab Israelis, as well as a complete end to the occupation of Palestinian territories. At the conference, local BDS leaders called in impassioned speeches on the Palestinian leadership not to “play the role of mediator between us and Israel”.

14

Women see flicker of hope for rights in Iran vote LETTERS FROM TEHRAN

Winston Churchill Former British PM

Peace talks ‘useless’

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS After months of stand-off, the Koreas were to sit down and talk that would have resulted in the mending of relations between the two countries.

However, N Korea is not lifting calls, says the South, which is just like the bad boy image Kimland has.

Mitra Amiri

I

ran’s presidential election is offering a flicker of hope to activists hoping to revive women’s rights after they deteriorated during the eight years of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s presidency.

The ailing economy, hit hard by international sanctions against Iran’s vital oil income which has sparked high inflation, has grabbed the spotlight in the short election campaign.

But activists say that despite the sidelining by the authorities of reformists who advocate women’s rights, there is still hope that the situation of the country’s 35 million women, more than half the population, can be improved.

“The election is providing an opportunity,” said activist Minoo Mortazi, who urges women not to let emotions influence their voting decisions.

“Even a candidate who is promising a better situation for housewives, by providing financial security merits a vote,” she said. “It will gradually build a platform allowing women to reach higher.”

Fereshteh Rouhafza, who is campaigning for conservative candidate Saeed Jalili, the top

nuclear negotiator, has called for ‘housewife’ to become an officially accepted job, and for the promotion of women as “mothers and wives.”

“The ground is not prepared for women to focus on having kids and raising them,” she said at a debate on the situation of women in the Islamic republic.

But Maryam, a 28-year-old private company employee, said she sees no point in voting as “women have no voice within the regime.”

Moderate candidate Hassan Rowhani, who is also being backed by the reformist camp, has vowed that “discrimination against women will not be tolerated” by his administration, should he be elected.

“Today we need movement in the society to achieve developments. For that we need to pay attention to women,” Rowhani said during his campaigning.

His pledges however have little chance of being implemented as he is not expected to be able to blunt the conservative challenge for the presidency.

Meanwhile the only reformist candidate, Mohammad Reza Aref, pulled out of the race on Tuesday, under pressure from the reformist camp who believe Rowhani stands a better chance of mounting a credible bid against the rival conservatives.

Aref had urged Iranian women to cast their ballot, saying “without their participation no government could execute development plans,” according to his women affairs advisor Zohreh Alipour, speaking to AFP. Aref wanted to “revise the law to eliminate discrimination against women,” Alipour said.

Although better than those of many regional Arab countries, Iran’s laws since the Islamic revolution three decades ago are criticised as unfair to women in marriage, divorce and inheritance.

And although women hold key posts, including in parliament and the cabinet, they are yet to be allowed to stand in presidential elections.

They are also barred from working as judges, while married women can be prevented by their husbands from working and need his consent to obtain a passport.

Iran’s clergy, which holds sway within the country, defends the laws, saying they are designed to protect against a Western lifestyle that they say takes advantage of women.

According to the Iranian constitution, the laws are aimed at shielding women from being treated as “a mere thing” or “being a mere tool for work.”

In the lead-up to the election, a non-governmental organisation, the Iranian Civil Society, called for the removal of “discriminatory policies” against women.

EDITORIALS Erdogan’s moment of crisis

L

ooks like the situation in Turkey is worsening day by day. The heart of the matter looks simple: the government had plans to reconstruct of the Taksim Military Barracks or Halil Pasha Artillery Barracks that was razed down in keeping with the French architect and city planner Henri Prost’s urban design in 1940. When Prost’s plan came into force, in place of the barracks came a large park, that had been a place of recreation and green space for many Turks and tourists since then.

Now the current plan of the government proposes rebuilding the barracks in which may be housed a shopping mall. Protesters say the decision was unilateral and was done without taking into account what the people wanted. It has become the epicentre of a protest that threatens to turn into something that can recreate the situation that Turkey’s neighbour Syria is faced with. Several prominent Turks, including Nobel

READERS’ VIEWS

winning writer Orhan Pamuk, have criticised the Erdogan administration for not taking into consideration the people’s wishes before going ahead with this project. It’s surprising that Erdogan seems unperturbed by the current state of his country. It was his calling the protesters vandals that exacerbated the situation and though he seemed slightly conciliatory at one point of time, that has vanished and the Prime Minister has served an ultimatum that the protesters must withdraw. Erdogan will be wise if he notices that among many things there are complaints that his government is growing more and more authoritarian and the people are unhappy. He has an impressive track record, coming to power thrice through a democratic system, but how democratic he is will be judged by how he deals with the current crisis.

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

Editor: Dean Williams

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Cinema FEMME FATALE

Emma Watson starrer The Bling Ring is set to hit theatres this week.

The movie that showcases how a group of fameobsessed teenagers used the Web to track celebrities’ whereabouts in order to rob their homes inspired Postnoon to list the top five con women characters of Hollywood and Bollywood.

NIDHI BHUSHAN feedback@postnoon.com

SCREEN POOPERS BUNTY AND BABLI

Directed by Shaad Ali, Bunty Aur Babli is one of Bollywood’s most entertaining movies. It’s funny, it’s a joy ride and it has its heart in place. Essentially a love story, the movie revolves around two mismatched characters Rakesh aka Bunty (Abhishek Bachchan) and Vimmi aka Babli (Rani Mukerjee).

LADIES VS RICKY BAHL

Directed by Maneesh Sharma, Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl is a con man’s nightmare come true. The movie revolves around three women who hire a fourth to teach a con artist the lesson of his lifetime. The very chirpy Anushka Sharma (Ishika Sharma) dons the con woman in this flick. Though

Hailing from a small town, the duo’s dreams come crashing down when their hard work doesn’t pay off. They soon realise that there’s little room for honesty in this big bad world, and thus, begins the era of conning and making quick money. It’s Babli’s charm, dialogue delivery and quick wit that carries the movie from the word go.

a bummer at the Box Office, the movie has a gripping storyline and Ishika’s constant character transformation is a delight to watch. Anushka Sharma manages to play her salesgirl character and con woman character with equal finesse and conviction. A must-watch for her fans because she’s not just a bubbly, Punjabi girl in this one.

CON BANEGA CROREPATI DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS

Directed by Frank Oz, Dirty, Rotten, Scoundrels is one of the best con movies ever made. And, even though Glenne Headly who plays Janet Colgate in the movie didn’t make it to the movie poster, she is by far the best con woman Hollywood has ever seen. Lawrence and Freddie are con-men; big-time and small time respectively. They unsuccessfully attempt to work together only to find that this town ain’t big enough for the two of them. They agree to a 'loser leaves' bet. Glenne Headly outsmarts, outwits and outshines the two big actors Steve Martin and Michael Caine with her calm and composed demeanor. No wonder she gets it all in the end!

HEARTBREAKERS

THE LADY EVE

The Lady Eve is a 1941 American screwball comedy film. After one year in Amazon researching snakes, the naive ophidiologist Charles Pike (Henry Fonda) returns to the United States in a transatlantic. The swindlers Jean Harrington (Barbara Stanwyck), her father 'Colonel' Harrington and their friend Gerald plan a confidence trick on Charles. Sometime later, in New York, the trio of con-artists learn that 'Sir' Alfred belonged to the high-society of Connecticut. Jean pretends to be the British noble Lady Eve and meets Charles. One of the oldest con women movies, it is a must-watch in this genre.

Directed by David Mirkin, Heartbreakers has got it all in terms of glitz and glamour. With a plot in which a mother and daughter con team seduce and scam wealthy men. When it comes to conning millionaires, Maxine Conners (Sigourney Weaver) and her daughter, Paige (Jennifer Love Hewitt), are real pros. First, Maxine leads them to the altar. Then, Paige lures them into seduction and a hefty divorce settlement! After that, it's on to the next unfortunate victim: repulsive billionaire, William Tensy. Unfortunately, Paige breaks the cardinal rule of the con and falls in love, with a young bartender. Watch it for its oomph factor.

Shortcut to failure Filmmaker Susi Ganeshan's debut film Shortcut Romeo will surely bomb at the BO. One doesn't even need to watch this flick to know its destiny. The movie stars Neil Nitin Mukesh and Amisha Patel. Given that Neil can only look good in black and white and should not open his mouth unless he's imitating Sachin Tendulkar, the film is ready for disaster. Then, there's the Amisha Patel factor.

What ascertains Shortcut Romeo's short cut to failure is the news that the Neil-Puja Gupta lip lock has been cut short by the censor board. It was their only hope!

Audience Ghayal!

Some people can never be satisfied! He’s played a cop, a patriot, a sardar and he’s even screamed his way from Pakistan to India atop a train, but still Sunny Deol wants more. The Gadar screamer who recently ‘acted’ in Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 is all set to make a sequel to his decade-old blockbuster Ghayal. What Sunny paji fails to understand is the fact that his shouting and screaming days in Bollywood are long gone.

TRENDING...

Mumbai police Tuesday said they are awaiting medical reports of actress Jiah Khan to ascertain if she had undergone an abortion or been assaulted by her boyfriend, actor Aditya Pancholi's son Sooraj, as alleged in her letter - found three days after her suicide

Saif Ali Khan has opted for a naturally-tanned look instead of makeup to play a rural gangster in Tigmanshu Dhuliadirected Bullet Raja. According to a source, the 42year-old actor would sit outside his van in the afternoon to get that tanned look.

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

spotlight 1

2

3

BACK TO THE ’60S

Cuba Libre will be hosting Rock N Retro night at the pub tonight. Fun begins at 8 pm.

4

5

6

TONS OF FUN

1 Shreyans, Nishma 2 Shwetha, Krishna 3 Payal, Varun 4 Shruti, Sameera 5 Lakshmi Manchu 6 Samrat

Party peeps poured in at Kismet to let their hair down and have a good time. Also spotted at the watering hole were actors Lakshmi Manchu, Manoj and others.

7

8

9

7 Monisha 8 Avantisha 9 Vaishali 10 Shikha, Deepthi 11 Manoj Manchu

10 11

A TOUCH OF GLAMOUR

Akritti Elite, a two-day exhibition kicked off at Taj Krishna, Banjara hills. Designers from Bangalore, Jaipur, Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi participated in the show.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

health

DENGUE CASES RISE IN SINGAPORE A total of 820 infections were reported in the week ended June 8, surpassing the previous weekly record of 756 cases seen this year, according to figures released by the National Environment Agency. Both were more than the previous peak seen in September 2005 during the worst dengue epidemic there.

IANS

UNDERSTANDING YOUR HEART: PART III

FO R

Show your heart some love. It isn’t difficult to maintain a healthy heart — just eat well and remember to exercise.

A

19

H E Y A H R T T L A E H

Aerobics

Other tips for a healthy heart n n

T

his is one of the most popular and most recommended exercises for a healthy heart. Aerobics improves metabolism and is good for your heart and lungs. According to QuickMedical, the heart supplies more blood to organs during exercise (to meet increased demand for oxygen supply). Thus, heart rate and blood circulation increase, along with increased elimination of body wastes.

Other recommended exercises include cycling, swimming, jogging and walking. Experts recommend at least 20 minutes of exercise, for at least three days in a week.

Control cholesterol

W

hen cholesterol increases in the body, it accumulates in the arteries, causing atherosclerosis. If you are overweight, it increases the risk of heart diseases. Regular exercise with a healthy diet can help maintain

cholesterol within the acceptable range.

Fruits, vegetables, legumes, beta-carotene, grains, olives and fat-free dairy products are some the foods listed by Health24 that help control cholesterol.

n

Quit smoking/use of tobacco. It’s a risk factor for developing heart disease.

Get a regular health check-up for diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure.

Maintain a good body weight.

n n n

Take a break and go for a walk if you’re stressed.

Avoid excessive salt consumption.

Avoid excessive alcohol consumption.

Sources: nhs.uk, mayoclinic.com

Weight training

E

xcept for those with acute heart illness, the American Heart Association recommended weight training to “enhance the benefits of aerobic training” and improve functional capacity.

Published in WebMd, some of the benefits listed

out from these exercises are increased muscle strength, ease of day-to-day activities, increased insulin sensitivity and increased endurance.

Those with ailments should consult with their physician or trainer about what would best suit them.

Food for heart Some of the foods that are good for your heart are: n n n n

Kidney beans Walnuts Almonds Oatmeal

n n n n

Tuna Brown rice Soy milk Blueberries

n n

Broccoli Dark chocolate

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Technology GAMING

AMD’S NEW CHIPS

AMD has announced their latest CPUs, the FX-9590 and FX9370and these chips are the result of tuning and binning on GlobalFoundries’ 32nm SOI process, though the latest jump from the existing FX-8350 is nonetheless quite impressive. The FX8350 had a base clock of 4.0GHz with a maximum Turbo Core clock of 4.2GHz; the FX-9590 in contrast has a maximum Turbo clock of 5GHz and the FX-9370 tops out at 4.7GHz. Yes, all other things being equal (cache sizes, latency, pipeline depth, power use, etc., etc…), having a higher core clock will result in better performance. The stark reality is that all other things are almost never “equal”.

X

IT WASN’T US!

Sony CEO Andrew House announces the pricing for the new PlayStation 4.

box One but PS4 won

MICHAEL THURSTON feedback@postnoon.com

S

ony’s new-generation PlayStation 4 console scored an opening skirmish triumph over Microsoft’s Xbox One on the eve of the Tuesday start of premier E3 videogame conference here.

Sony and Microsoft each hosted distinctly different private events on Monday to spotlight their new champions in long-running console wars.

Both titans showcased blockbuster games, but Sony triggered unbridled cheers with assurances it would not interfere with sales of used titles or require Internet connections for play. The points were in sharp contrast to Microsoft, which designed Xbox One consoles to check-in on the Internet once every 24 hours for games to work, and set conditions on used games.

Sony also priced PS4 at $399 as compared to the $499 Microsoft said it will charge for Xbox One consoles when they

are released in the US and Europe in November.

“Clearly, Sony won the battle of the day," said Gartner analyst Brian Blau. “The price point is going to be a big factor," he continued. “At a minimum, it is a poke in the eye because Sony is just cheaper."

Blau responded that the price divide widens when taking into account that Xbox One console owners must subscribe to an Internet service, because the device requires an online connection if users want to play.

He cautioned that it was still too early to tell which console would prove more popular because hardware and games, no matter how slickly they were presented at the media events, have yet to get into people’s hands.

Microsoft fired the opening shot with a media event providing more details about the Xbox One home entertainment hub it revealed in May. Microsoft focused on its core audience of gamers at the E3 presentation of a box designed

to become a hub for films, television shows, music and other home entertainment streamed from the Internet.

The beefed-up hardware is powered by software that allows for instant switching between games, television, and Internet browsing.

Kinect

More than 140 games are in development for the PS4, with at least 100 of the titles due out in the year following the consoles release. motion and sound sensing accessories accompanying the consoles recognize users; respond instantly to commands spoken in natural language, and even detect a person’s pulse.

Sony fired back with the first look at its new PS 4 console, promising to combine its film, music, television and game strengths in a powerhouse

Sony wins opening skirmish in new-gen console war.

home entertainment box.

The PS4 will launch with beefed up offerings at Sony online movie and music services as the console moves to expand into a complete home entertainment center while remaining true to hardcore gamers.

Sony will use the technology of recently acquired cloud gaming company Gaikai to launch a service next year that lets people use PS3 or PS4 consoles to play blockbuster games in the Internet “cloud” in real time.

Sony Computer Entertainment of America president Jack Tretton promised that Sony had no plans to stop people from being able to play used games, and that PS4 consoles did not need to be connected to the Internet if people preferred to go it solo.

Microsoft has sold some 77 million Xbox 360 consoles since they hit the market in late 2005.

Console rival Sony has sold about the same number of PlayStation 3 consoles, which was introduced a year later. AFP

Electronic Arts COO Peter Moore has said the company made no attempt to push Microsoft and Sony into implementing restrictions on used games in their next-generation consoles. "EA did not aggressively lobby for the platform holders to put some gating function in there to allow or disallow used games," Moore said at the E3 conference in Los Angeles. Microsoft's Xbox One has a built-in capacity for publishers to block used games, whereas Sony yesterday made a point of highlighting that the PS4 has no such restrictions.

ZUCKERBERG GRILLED

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg faced his shareholders for the first time on Tuesday— and many of them weren't happy.

With the company's stock nearly 40% below the price of last year's initial public offering, Mr. Zuckerberg took a half-hour of angry questions from investors at the company's first annual shareholders meeting. The grilling illustrates how far Mr. Zuckerberg has to go to persuade Wall Street that he has the drive and ability to build the kind of business investors had hoped for. Before accepting questions, the 29-yearold CEO tried to pre-empt concerns by acknowledging in his remarks that the company's stock price had been frustrating.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Entertainment CINE BYTES

IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE

I

n his career spanning almost 10 years, Siddharth has mostly been associated with family dramas and romantic films, although he has been dabbling with various genres in the past few months.

First it was Jabardasth where he played a comic role, followed by Chashme Baddoor and between these two films he was seen in NH-4, an action thriller written by Vetrimaaran. His latest film Something…Something has him play a software engineer who’s scared to interact with girls.

Directed by Sundar C, the film has Siddharth, Hansika and Brahmandam in lead roles.

Apparently, it was Sundar C’s earlier Tamil film Kalakalappu which impressed Siddharth so much that he expressed his wish to work with Sundar. “I met him at a party and when I casually mentioned that I would love to work with him, two days later he narrated me the story of Something…

Mahesh Babu’s Twitter account hacked

M

ahesh Babu created a huge flutter on Twitter on Monday night after he expressed his displeasure for not being nominated for a prominent awards ceremony; however, he soon clarified that his account was compromised. “Just got calls2 know someone walked in2 my account..sorry guys. It’s not me .. changed d password..goodnight..(sic),” he posted on Twitter.

fter Vishwaroopam 2, Kamal Haasan will be directing a comedy thriller which will be produced by Lingusamy’s Thirupathy Brothers production house. Buzz is that the film is going to be titled as Uthama Villain and the principal shooting is expected to begin in October.

Yuvan Shankar Raja is going to score the music.

Siddharth talks about his upcoming film Something …

Something, working with Sundar C and rumours surrounding his marriage.

A

A

U G I D E W T E O N

alakrishna launched B his official website Nandamuri.com on his

Kamal Haasan’s new film titled Uthama Villain?

Brahmanandam.

“I can’t imagine anyone else in that role. Our scenes have come out extremely well and the film reminded me of my college days. Working with Sundar C was quite a revelation. I couldn’t believe how he managed to keep smiling and work happily throughout the shoot. He once told me that if we keep bickering about small things during the shoot, it’s tough to keep calm. That’s the complete opposite to my working style,” he said.

Reacting to rumours surrounding his love life and marriage, he claimed at least in his case, there’s a lot of smoke without fire. “I’ll get married to the girl whom my parents want me to,” he signs off.

Post Something…Something, he’ll soon team up with Karthik Subbaraj, who earlier directed Pizza and Vasanthabalan for a period film.

N I G L N O I V L L E A F

Balakrishna launches website

birthday. “We wanted to create a common platform for my fans across the world. I’m really thankful to my fans for supporting me and I hope they continue to participate in welfare programmes,” he said.

Something. I completely fell in love with the story. It has a universal appeal,” Siddharth told the media.

Brahmanandam will be seen as a love guru who gives tips to Siddharth on how to woo the girl he loves. Needless to say, Siddharth is all praises for

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Entertainment WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

VERSATILE ACTOR

CINE BYTES

EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME

ed the role. English Vinglish gave me a lot of recognition as a performer and working with a production house like Excel Entertainment is in itself a big learning experience. Although this is my tenth film, when I joined the sets of the film, I realised that I had a lot more to learn,” Priya recalls.

What was so different this time? “We did quite a few workshops, rehearsals and script reading sessions before we began to shoot the film, which was in sync sound. I had to put a lot of effort to sound like a Punjabi girl. Besides, there’s a lot of pressure on delivering your best and sometimes, it’s not good enough. In that sense, all of us had to push our boundaries really high, but in the end, it’s a highly fulfilling experience,” she adds.

Her onscreen chemistry with her co-star Pulkit has already come under spotlight.

Ask her about her co-star, she replies, “He’s adorable and is a thorough gentleman. All my scenes were with him and we got along really well on the sets.

He has a huge fan base already because of his stint on TV.”

I have always believed that I’m a pan-Indian actor.

Moreover, I have never tried to fit in into a particular film industry.

Priya Anand talks about her upcoming film Fukrey, working with a big production house and her golden run in Tamil cinema.

HEMANTH KUMAR hemanth.k@postnoon.com

P

riya Anand couldn’t be happier about the initial wave of response which she got for her upcoming Hindi film Fukrey.

Ambarsariya, a song featuring Pulkit Samrat and Priya Anand, turned out to be an instant hit and we couldn’t

help but wonder how she managed to pull off her role. “My character in the film is named Priya and she’s nothing like how I am in real life. I could, some way or the other, relate to all the roles I have played so far, but playing a Punjabi girl living in Delhi was a completely different ball game altogether. I just followed what my director Mrighdeep Singh

Lamba wanted me to do. It was fun to work with someone who had a vision and knew exactly what I should be doing,” she reveals.

Fukrey is her third Hindi film post English Vinglish and Rangrezz, although she adds that she bagged the role before English Vinglish had released. “I had to go through two rounds of auditions and I guess I suit-

Unlike her contemporaries from the south, Priya Anand has somehow managed to avoid being compared with others based on how their films perform at box-office. She nods in agreement and reveals, “I have always believed that I’m a pan-Indian actor. I have never tried to fit into a particular film industry and I think I get offers in Tamil or Hindi because of the characters I have played so far.”

Meanwhile, her career in Tamil film industry is going great guns these days. She’ll soon be seen in Vanakkam Chennai and she has just signed two more films — Aishwarya Dhanush’s Vai Raja Vai and Anand Shankar ’s Arima Nambi. So what has changed so much in past few years? “You know, Karthik and Prabhu-starrer Agni Natchathiram is one of my all-time favourite films and it’s quite a coincidence that I’m acting with both their sons — Gautham Karthik and Vikram Prabhu. These days, Tamil filmmakers are keen on casting actresses who can speak the language well. I just happened to be there at the right time at the right place,” she smiles.

Ram Leela a huge ticket for me: Richa Chadda

A

ctress Richa Chadda, who has managed to bag Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Ram Leela, says that working with the filmmaker in such an early phase of her career is a dream come true. “I can't talk much about the film but I feel people spend their whole life to be part of Sanjay's film and I got to work with him at such an initial stage of my career. I feel I am very lucky," Richa said.

IANS

Masterchef finalists seek blessings

I

t was a classic example of how reality TV can turn commoners into stars.

Navneet Rastogi, Doyel Sarangi and Ripudaman Handa, the finalists of Masterchef-Kitchen Ke Superstars had to be guarded by a chain of 10 security personnel when they visited the dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Monday.

Shatrughan Sinha supports LK Advani

A

ctor-politician Shatrughan Sinha, one of the best known BJP leaders from Bihar, has reportedly thrown his weight behind BJP patriarch LK Advani, who relinquished all party posts after Narendra Modi was named the lead campaigner for the 2014 General Elections. According to a source, Sinha has taken extreme umbrage to Modi being projected as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate.

Entertainment WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

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Entertainment WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

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Entertainment WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

WEDDING BELLS?

Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher planning English wedding

A

ctors Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher are reportedly planning to get married in Britain. They are also said to be considering venues like Royal Pavilion in Brighton and Stonehenge the ceremony.

The couple has been stay-

ing in Britain for some time as Kunis has been shooting Jupiter Ascending here.

“Mila and Ashton have fallen in love with Britain. They are desperate to get married as soon as possible because they want to start a family and are slightly old-fashioned about

these things," femalefirst.co.uk quoted a source as saying.

“The first place they thought of was Stonehenge, but they’ve also been looking at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. Mila loves the idea of a stately home or something in the English countryside,"

the source added.

Despite considering lavish venues for the big day, the couple want the ceremony to be “low-key” with selected guests.

“Although the venue may be spectacular, the wedding itself will be low-key. It’s

expected it will be just Ashton, Mila and a few family friends," the source added.

Although the couple are yet to announce their engagement, things have progressed between them over the past few weeks as Kunis has introduced Kutcher to her parents.

IANS

CINE BYTES Kesha hates reading about herself in press

S

inger-songwriter Kesha says she is embarrassed when she reads about her wild ways in the press. The Die Young hitmaker, currently touring with Pitbull, admitted that she hates seeing stories about her wild antics. “I’d rather die than read stuff about myself,” femalefirst.co.uk quoted Kesha as saying.

IANS

Jerry Bruckheimer still planning Top Gun 2

D

uring his more than 35 years of making movies, most of Jerry Bruckheimer’s giant blockbusters have yielded bigbudget sequels — except Top Gun. “We still want to do it with Tom, and Paramount are still interested in making it,” Bruckheimer said.”

Game of Thrones draws 5.4M in Season Finale

O

ne week after a vocal minority of Game of Thrones fans vowed to bail on the series after its violent Red Wedding episode, the epic fantasy show drew its second-largest audience for its third-season finale Sunday night.

Nielsen estimates that 5.4 million tuned in Sunday for the first telecast of the season-ender.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Chai Time

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity.

Albert Einstein

KAKURO

QUICK CROSSWORD

26

SUDOKU How to play kakuro Kakuro is a popular game similar to sudoku in some ways. But is also suitably different. The key question: ‘How do you play kakuro?’, well here are the rules of kakuro. The answer: The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers.

However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number.

Within each collection of cells — called a run — any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once.

Let’s have an example to explain this concept more clearly: In the image above, which shows a section of a kakuro puzzle, you will see the numbers ‘26’ and ‘14’ in the top row. Look at the 14. This means that the total of the three cells underneath must sum to 14. Therefore 9, 4, 1 could be the answer, or perhaps 7, 4, 3 and so on...

So, how do you work out the actual combination? Well, this is done through elimination and cross-referencing. For instance, as you work out the answers for other kakuro clues, this will naturally limit the valid combinations, and hence the answer for this particular run.

Note the second cell in row two — it contains two numbers, 30 and 11. The 30 refers to the vertical run underneath the number 30 and the 11 refers to the two cells to the right, horizontally, of the number 11.

ACROSS

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

SCRIBBLING PAD

1 Band performances 5 Scandinavian seaport 9 Cay 14 Distinctive atmosphere 15 Woody and Kirstie's co-star 16 Old hag 17 Three hot things 20 Steep in brine 21 Found groovy 22 “... ___ any man should boast” 23 Unwavering, as a stare 26 Fairytale bear 28 Sales talk 30 One type of insurance 34 Suffix with “violin” or “guitar” 37 Love archer 39 Giraffe cousin 40 Four hot things 44 Urban railway 45 Frizzy coif 46 Preposition in poetry 47 Casual wear 49 Final Four matches 52 Very small amount 54 “Bonanza” setting 57 Pop the cork 60 Product pitches 62 Sunday words of agreement 64 Three hot things 68 Where vision is most acute 69 Canadian flag image 70 “And did I mention ...”

71 Countermands a deletion 72 Silly fellow 73 Affliction of the eyelid

DOWN

1 Cul-de-___ (dead-end roads) 2 Cash in much of the continent 3 Rainbow fish

4 Gets cheeky with 5 Thing held with a scepter 6 Mu ___ pork 7 Give for a while 8 Hull caulking 9 Not offering traction, in a way 10 Where rupees are spent 11 The stuff of legends 12 “Dukes of Hazzard” spinoff series 13 Backyard housing 18 Leak slowly 19 “Bejabbers!”

24 In ___ of (replacing) 25 ___ buena (mint relative) 27 “Got milk?” request?

29 Bums around 31 British art gallery name 32 Impressionist, say 33 Bygone Bologna bread 34 Beliefs accepted by a group 35 Do a spit take, e.g.

36 Bag with handles 38 Cop show sound effect 41 Christmas display 42 Yellow Brick Road pooch 43 Where Ali won a gold medal 48 Desperate guess 50 Tennis great Lendl 51 Dances from Brazil 53 Kind of supervision 55 Apportioned 56 Champing at the bit 57 Does in, mob-style 58 A good one will thicken 59 Gable part 61 Meat-and-potatoes dish 63 Wedge or wingtip 65 Is stricken with 66 ___ chi (martial art form) 67 Many a time

Chai Time WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 13-6-2013

27

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

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Pregnant women are advised to avoid journeys to the maximum extent possible. You might face a dilemmatic situation in certain issues but will get resolved within a short span of time.

Avoid unwanted arguments or disputes with anyone.

STRIP TEASE AGNES

Artists are likely to perform very well. Maternal relatives will extend their good help and support which will keep you cheerful. Changes are likely in your preplanned journey program. Childless couples may prepare for good news.

Though income is good, expenses too will be more and make you upset. Those working abroad will get a chance to visit their native place on holidays and enjoy the same. Ego clashes existed between couple will be over.

Those who are in a depressed mood will feel cheerful as the situation is likely to change in their favour. Real estate deals are likely to bring good gains.

Drastic changes are likely to take place and meeting with VIP friends will be beneficial.

Businessmen are advised to be careful with their partners. Both expenses and happiness through children are likely.

Delayed marriage talks will resume and finalization to be done soon. Employees will be overburdened.

Confusions existed in you will get cleared. You will be able to sell the old property at the expected price which will make you feel relaxed. Good news from your daughter or son is on the cards. Influx of close relatives will keep you cheerful.

Construction works of your house will start as loan applied for the same will get sanctioned. Your self confidence and will power levels are at their high with which you will achieve your goals. Couples will have a good time.

Employees will get good recognition and reward at their workplace for their sincere and hard work. Good and constructive thoughts will come to you and by implementing the same you will reap good benefits.

Depression and confusion existed will vanish. Employees will feel happy as atmosphere at the workplace will change as per their expectations. More expenses towards fulfilling children’s demands are likely.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail. com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

Six of Wands – You need to better yourself on the career front. Gain some new skills and also understand that your emotional quotient is more important.

LEO:

The Lovers – You will find a lot of peace in doing things together with your partner. Take to cooking, gardening or other fun activities.

LIBRA:

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

King of Swords – There are times when you don’t appreciate the presence of a nosy neighbor. Such people act as security for your house. Be tolerant.

SAGITTARIUS:

Eight of Wands – It’s time to flush out from your life the people and relationships that do not matter anymore. They have made use of you. Not any longer.

TAURUS:

Ace of Wands – You have a social standing that society looks up to. You do not want to do or say anything that upsets this stature in any way.

CANCER:

Seven of Wands – There is a beast within you – the beast of jealousy – which is upsetting you more than it is your enemy. Take control of your emotions.

VIRGO:

King of Wands – Excessive partying or moving out of your comfort zone may be taking a toll on your body. Detox and rest a lot so you can be more stable.

SCORPIO:

Three of Pentacles – Be more discreet about your life choices. Someone close should not be trusted with so much information.

CAPRICORN:

Seven of Swords – There are many relationship problems that need solving. You are too caught up in your own world to see that there is even a problem.

PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

Nine of Pentacles – Something that happens to you today will have a strong correlation to what you thought was an insignificant detail from your past.

NUMBER GAME

Swords – Memories are difficult to let go of. Make room for new people and new styles of thought in your life. It’s time for major changes.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: Nine of

POOCH CAFE

Long pending court verdict might go in your favour.

Drastic and favorable changes are likely to take place which will keep you in good spirit.

Plan to purchase land or house will materialize soon. Delayed works will resume.

for 13-6-2013

Page of Wands – Just like how you need to dust your home regularly to keep it clean, you also need to dust your mind of negative thoughts. Think positive.

NON SEQUITUR

Good news from daughter about arrival of offspring will bring cheer to the family. You will maintain your cool and get the works done with patience and without taking any hurried or emotional decisions. Vehicle maintenance will go up.

SUDUKO

As your attitude is in for a drastic change, you will take clear cut decisions without any confusion. Hurdles faced in finalizing your son or daughter’s marriage will be cleared. You might have to raise new debts on urgent basis.

Boggle MARS EARTH URANUS SATURN NEPTUNE Vol: 2, No 327 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon. com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211

28

Entertainment WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

DOUBLE THE HEROISM

CINE BYTES

Man Of Steel sequel in the pipeline?

M

an of Steel opens on June 14, but Warner Bros. is already looking toward the next Superman adventure.

Deadline.com editorin-chief Nikki Finke reports that a sequel to Man of Steel has been put into motion, with director Zack Snyder and screenwriter David S. Goyer set to return in those capacities for part two. Expect Superman himself, Henry Cavill, to don the red cape in Man of Steel 2 as well.

“How Hollywood works with these kind of things is that when you are doing a screen test, you will sign a contract saying, ‘OK, yes, I’ll do the movie if you guys want me,’” Cavill told HuffPost Entertainment in a recent interview. “And, in that, it’s standard procedure to do two options beyond the movie.”

The existence of Man of Steel 2 is hardly surprising to anyone who has been paying attention. During the Man of Steel press rounds, Snyder has talked about how another Superman film would connect to any Justice League movie Warner Bros. is likely to produce.

“I feel like you need to get Superman a little further down the road before you can do a Justice League movie,” Snyder told Collider.

Cavill, too, has discussed how future movies could connect Superman with Batman and other DC Comic characters for Justice League.

For what it’s worth, Justice League was originally rumoured for summer of 2015, but whether that comes to pass is unclear.

Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack act for ailing kids

A

ctor Johnny Depp visited a children’s hospital unannounced dressed as his famous character Captain Jack Sparrow.

According to a source, the actor regularly travels with his famous costume from the fantasy adventure film series Pirates of the Caribbean, so that he can surprise ailing kids. Sources said: “He knows he is a very fortunate person and he wants to give back.”

John Malkovich saves man in Canada

T

he actor became a celebrity hero after saving an Ohio man who fell into a Toronto street and began bleeding after cutting his neck on a scaffolding pole outside of his hotel on Thursday. Along with another man, who’s been identified as restaurateur Ben Quinn, Malkovich rushed to 77year-old Jim Walpole’s aid after hearing his wife, Marilyn, yell for help.

Justin Bieber Has Guys’ Night Out at Disneyland

A

fter getting escorted out of Lure nightclub in Hollywood on Saturday for attempting to sneak in despite being turned away for being underage, Biebs decided to spend his Sunday Funday where he knew he’d be accepted: Disneyland. A source exclusively tells E! News that the singer “was surrounded by a lot of security. Half were like his personal security and the other half were from the theme park.”

sports

29

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

CHILD PRODIGIES

TENNIS’ NEW DAWN

Two upcoming champs who started their career very young and are already on the way of becoming the best, have won many titles as well as ranked No.1 in their respective age groups.

N SHIVA KUMAR

ARUN DANIEL YELLAMATY arunyellamaty@postnoon.com

T

ennis which has become one of the favourite sports for many children and players like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are some big influences for children nowadays. We caught up with two upcoming champs who started their Tennis career very young and are already on the way of becoming one of the best, have won many titles as well as ranked No.1 in their respective age groups.

B Rithvik Choudhary (right) (12), his latest achievement of becoming India No. 1 in the boys under-12 category is any indication. Trained at the School of Power Tennis, run by coach CV Nagraj, he has already won more than fifty titles in U-12, U-14, U16 categories. Postnoon also spoke to another child prodigy, Koushik Kumar Reddy (left) (9), who is also made a mark in U-10, U-12 and U-14 by winning quite a few titles at the age of nine, trained at Advantage Tennis Academy under DRC Kiran.

Both the upcoming champions say winning grand slams are their goals and are working really hard to do that someday.

Speaking about how tennis became their favourite sport, Rithvik said, “I started playing Tennis at the age of 7 years. I wanted to play Cricket, but they said it was too early for me to join cricket coaching and I remember crying and refusing to go for Tennis practices, but once I started to win titles and matches, I am very happy I chose tennis over Cricket.”

Koushik: “I wanted to play tennis, my mother took me to coaching and I started to enjoy it and now i just play tennis and

LOCAL SPORT

Chahana, Srujana clinch titles HYDERABAD: Chahana and Srujana won the under-8 and under-10 titles respectively in the Vasishta Open Tennis Tournament held in the city on Tuesday.

RESULTS: BOYS:

Under-10: (semifinals): K Sashedhar bt Yashwanth VVS 6-4, G. Sevanth bt B Karthik Reddy 6-2 Under-12: (quarters): Reddy Chainta Pranav bt I Nikhil 6-4, Rahul Chandana bt J Yashwanth 6-2, Sri Ram Suresh bt R Anurag w/o, Lohith Sai Deva bt M Varshith Kumar Reddy 6-5 Under-14: (quarters): T Akhilesh Reddy bt G Ganga

Jathin 6-0, Anirudh Suddasani bt Sparsh Mittal 6-4, K Paresh bt R Anurag 63, Reddy Chintha Pranav bt B Yogeshwar 6-3.

every day look forward to go to camp and play tennis. I played first when I was 7 years too.”

When checked how they manage school and tennis together and also don’t they miss doing things other children do, as most of their time goes in tennis?

Rithivik: I do go to school, I study at Delhi Public School, my school is very supportive and encourages me a lot. I used to be a topper earlier to tennis. Now I do get 3rd to 5th rank in school. I have got used to school to tennis

I wanted to play tennis, my mother took me to coaching and I started to enjoy it and now i just play tennis.

Koushik Kumar Reddy Tennis player

NBA

Spurs stun Heat to take 2-1 lead

San Antonio Spurs stunned the Miami Heat 113-77 in game three of the finals.

GREG HEAKES Agence France-Presse

GIRLS:

Under-8: (final): Chahana Budhbgatti bt G Diya Reddy 5-2 Under-10: (final): R Srujana bt Sanjana Sirimalla 7-1 Under-12: (semis): R Srujana bt Sanjana S 6-5, Sai Deepa Reddy bt Anishitha V 6-0 Under-14: (semis): B Gayatri Choudary bt S Sreya 6-0, Aishwarya bt R Anjana Reddy 6-2.

camp to tuition and am used to it. I always felt spending time outside doing nothing is just waste of time.”

Koushik: I love tennis, I am from DAV Public School and I took got used to schedule now. I enjoy myself more on the court than anywhere else, I never got tired with the schedule of school and practice, and the only time I get tired is when I play three back to back matches. I do play cricket with my friends near my house too.

Speaking about favourite players?

Rithvik: I am a big fan of Andy Murray, I like the way he plays and challenges other top players.

Koushik: Nadal, because his strokes are very nice and I think I am right handed Nadal.

However, both the kids are also popular in their school and do get a lot of attention from their friends too. Both say they got to meet their other favourite Indian tennis players like Somdev and Vishnu and got some nice tips and encouragement too. Like any other kids Koushik like to watch ‘Doremon’ and other cartoons. Both thank their parents for the encouragement and the support they gave and also their coaches, who believed in them.

Cory Joseph #5 of the San Antonio Spurs goes up against Chris Andersen #11 of the Miami Heat during Game Three of the 2013 NBA Finals on Tuesday at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.

AFP/NATHANIEL S. BUTLER

SAN ANTONIO: Gary Neal scored a playoff career-high 24 points and Danny Green had a gamehigh 27 points as the San Antonio Spurs stunned the Miami Heat 113-77 in game three of the finals.

The Spurs never trailed in the contest, seizing a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series as they gave the Heat a taste of their own medicine after Miami blew out San Antonio 103-84 in game two.

“It shouldn’t be a surprise if these are the last two teams standing this season in the finals,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Ruthless India reach semifinals LONDON: World Cup holders India marched into the Champions Trophy semi-finals with an emphatic win over the West Indies on Tuesday that knocked archrivals Pakistan out of the race.

A career-best five-wicket haul

by Ravindra Jadeja and a second successive century from Shikhar Dhawan lifted India to an eightwicket victory at the packed Oval ground on a grim, overcast day in London.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men, backed by some 22,000 largely Indian supporters at the stadium, restricted the West Indies to 233-9 and then batted

Champions Trophy points table Group A P W L T NR Pt Kiwis England Australia Sri Lanka

1 1 1 1

1 1 0 0

1 2 2 2

2 1 1 0

0 0 1 1

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

NRR

2 2 0 0

+1.048 +0.96 -0.96 -1.048

4 2 2 0

+0.97 +0.41 +0.08 -1.10

Group B India S Africa W Indies Pakistan

0 1 1 2

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

fluently to surpass the target in 39.1 overs.

Dhawan followed his 114 in the tournament opener against South Africa with an unbeaten 102, reaching his second one-day hundred by smashing Dwayne Bravo for a six over third man.

Dhawan put on 101 for the first wicket with Rohit Sharma (52) and an unbroken 109 for the third with Dinesh Karthik, who made 51 not out.

India’s second successive win in group B ensured them a place in the semifinals even before their last league match against w i n l e s s Pakistan in Birmingham on Saturday.

The West Indies and South Africa, who both beat Pakistan, clash in Cardiff on Friday to determine the second semi-finalist from the group.

Left-arm spinner Jadeja, who finished with 5-36, set up the win with three wickets for five runs to reduce the Windies from 103-1 to 109-4 after India won the toss and elected to field.

“Overall, it was a very good performance,” Dhoni said. “The West Indies got a great start, they seemed to be heading for 280, but

our bowlers did well to restrict them.

“What is pleasing that our young batsmen have accepted the challenge. Dhawan and Rohit were really good. But it has also helped that we have become a very good fielding side.”

Dhoni, asked about Saturday’s “dead” rubber against Pakistan, said: “I don’t think the Indian team has ever played a dead game. That match is also important to improve in the areas we want to.”

West Indies opener Johnson Charles smashed 60 off 55 balls, but it was a brilliant unbeaten 56

Fletcher leaves for mother’s funeral

LONDON: India coach Duncan Fletcher will fly to South Africa on Tuesday following the death of his mother, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced.

Former Zimbabwe international and England coach Fletcher saw India beat the West Indies by eight wickets at the The Oval on Tuesday to book their place in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy.

He will now fly to Cape Town to attend his mother’s funeral before flying back for India’s final Champions Trophy group game against arch-rivals Pakistan in Birmingham, central England, on Saturday.

India’s Shikhar Dhawan celebrates his century (100 Runs) during the ICC Champions Trophy match against West Indies at The Oval in London, England on Tuesday. India defeated the West Indies by eight wickets.

AFP/GLYN KIRK

from 35 balls by former captain Darren Sammy towards the end that boosted the total.

Sammy plundered five boundaries and four sixes to lift his side from 182-9, making all the 35 runs from the last two overs as last man Kemar Roach watched from the non-striker’s end without scoring.

“We just did not have enough runs on the board,” said West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo.

“After the start we had, we deserved to get at least 40-50 runs more.

“But the Indians bowled well and stuck to their plans. Sammy was particularly good for us, but we need to work the ball around and improve our strike-rate. Our next game is like a final itself. We know it will not be an easy game, but we have the talent to win it.” India won the initial battle by getting rid of danger man Chris Gayle in the fifth over, caught at slip off Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, after he scored 21 of the first 25 runs.

The West Indies were without wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin, who was handed a two-match ban for claiming a dropped catch during his team’s victory over Pakistan at the Oval on Friday.

AFP

Scoreboard

INDIA VS WEST INDIES West Indies innings CH Gayle c Ashwin b Kumar J Charles† lbw b Jadeja DM Bravo st †Dhoni b Ashwin MN Samuels lbw b Jadeja RR Sarwan c †Dhoni b Jadeja DJ Bravo* c Jadeja b Yadav KA Pollard c Kumar b I Sharma DJG Sammy not out SP Narine c Karthik b Jadeja R Rampaul b Jadeja KAJ Roach not out Extras (b 4, lb 2, w 2) Total (9 wickets; 50 overs) Bowling: B Kumar

8

0

32

UT Yadav

9

0

54

1

I Sharma

10

1

43

1

R Ashwin

9

2

36

1

V Kohli

4

0

26

0

RA Jadeja

10

2

36

5

21 60 35 1 1 25 22 56 2 2 0 8 233

1

India innings RG Sharma c †Charles b Narine 52 S Dhawan not out 102 V Kohli b Narine 22 KD Karthik not out 51 Extras (b 4, w 5) 9 Total (2 wickets, 39.1 overs) 236 Bowling: KAJ Roach 6 0 47 0 R Rampaul

6

0

28

SP Narine

10

0

49

2

DJG Sammy

4

0

23

0

DJ Bravo

5

0

36

0

MN Samuels

4

0

17

0

CH Gayle

1

0

11

0

3.1

0

21

0

KA Pollard

0

India won by 8 wickets

India’s Rohit Sharma (3-L) waits for a third umpire decision while West Indies’ Darren Sammy (4-R) and Jason Holder (2-R) point towards him during their ICC Champions Trophyay match The Oval in London, England on Tuesday.

AFP/GLYN KIRK

30&31 No need to panic: Bailey

BIRMINGHAM: Stand-in captain George Bailey insisted now was not the time for Australia “panic stations”, despite their crushing opening Champions Trophy defeat

by England.

Australia, bidding to win a third straight Champions Trophy, will look to get their Group A campaign back on track against New Zealand — the team they beat in the 2009 final in South Africa — at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

The manner of Australia’s 48-run defeat by England at Edgbaston last week, and the fact they suffered another poor toporder display in the absence of injured captain and star batsman Michael Clarke, led to many dire forecasts about what might happen to the side in the Ashes series starting next month.

“We’re not playing the cricket we’d like to play,” Bailey told reporters at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

“Probably the best way to get over that would be to win this tournament. I think we only lost the first game thus far, so we’re not at panic stations just yet.

“The loss hurt us as much as anyone, more than anyone. We don’t want to be losing to England, we don’t want to be losing to anyone, but more so than the loss, the challenge is to be playing our best cricket.”

Since Bailey made his ODI debut in March last year, only England’s Ian Bell and Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan have scored more runs in this format than his 819.

AFP

Pup out of today’s match

BIRMINGHAM: Australia captain Michael Clarke (right) remained sidelined from Champions Trophy action after he was ruled out of Wednesday’s match against New Zealand, Cricket Australia said in a statement on Tuesday.

A recurrence of the star batsman’s longstanding back injury meant he missed defending champions Australia’s opening 48-run defeat by England at Edgbaston on Saturday.

He will again be absent when Australia return to the Birmingham venue for their trans-Tasman Group A clash with New Zealand on Wednesday.

Australia are now pondering Clarke’s fitness for next week’s final pool match against Sri Lanka at The Oval.

By then, however, they may not be in a position to reach the semi-finals should they be defeated by the Black Caps and other results go against them.

In a Cricket Australia statement issued Tuesday, team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said: “Michael is continuing to have intensive treatment in London, and whilst he is making good progress, he has not improved sufficiently enough to play the game against New Zealand on Wednesday.

“We will continue to monitor his progress and determine his availability for next week’s final group game against Sri Lanka.”

Stand-in skipper George Bailey said Clarke’s absence had come as no surprise.

“It’s something we’ve been preparing for. I don’t think ‘Pup’ (Clarke) was ever going to come in and play a game without having trained,” Bailey told reporters at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

“So the fact he hadn’t rejoined the group as of yesterday

(Monday), I think everyone assumed what was going on.”

In Clarke’s absence, Australia, winners of the previous two editions of the Champions Trophy, were bowled out for just 65 in a warm-up match by India and could only manage a modest 221 for nine against England, raising fresh questions about their top-order

batting.

“We missed him last game.

He’s our captain and our best batsman, so we miss him every time he’s not with us,” said Bailey.

“But as any team does, when you’ve got your best players out, the challenge is for someone to step up and fill the hole.”

Clarke is considered a key, indeed in some quarters an essential, figure as both batsman and captain if Australia are to regain the Ashes from England, starting with the first Test at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge ground on July 10.

Bailey, however, refused to speculate about whether the 32year-old Clarke would be fit to play some part in the Champions Trophy or the Ashes.

“I’m not qualified, I’m no good at backs,” he said. “I’ve got no idea what he’s going through.

My understanding is he’s still trying to fix it day by day.

“Having played with him in the past, there’s times when it (the back) just does suddenly free up and he’s right to go again.

And there’s other times when it obviously takes longer.

“It’s an issue he’s had a while.

‘Pup’ knows how to deal with it as best as anyone.

“He’s not going to make any silly decisions and he knows the summer that’s coming up as well.”

AFP

Pak lament perennial batting failure KARACHI: Former cricketers and fans on Tuesday lamented Pakistan’s woeful batting performance in their Champions Trophy defeat to South Africa which left them on the point of crashing out of the tournament.

Pakistan were bowled out for 167 in their crucial clash at Birmingham’s Edgbaston ground, chasing a modest 234 against a weakened South African bowling attack missing the injured Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel.

Only captain Misbah-ul Haq (55) and Nasir Jamshed (right) (42) crossed double figures, while top order batsmen Imran Farhat (four runs in two matches), Mohammad Hafeez (11), Shoaib Malik (nought and eight) and Kamran Akmal (two and nought) flopped miserably.

Pakistan’s chances of reaching the semi-final now hang by a thread.

They must beat arch-rivals India in their last group game on Saturday and hope other results go their way.

Former captain Zaheer Abbas told AFP the side’s failings with the bat were all too familiar and urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to come up with a proper strategy to address the existing problem.

He said the batsmen looked nervous both against South Africa and in the first game against the West Indies, when they were skittled out for 170 inside their 50 overs.

“I don’t know why our batsmen were in awe of the West Indian and South African bowlers, why fear set in is unfathomable,” said Abbas, who was once dubbed the “Asian Bradman” for his prowess at the crease.

“Our batsmen play Tests like one-day internationals and one-

day internationals like Tests,” said Abbas.

“We have to change the attitude of our batsmen and for that we need to have a good and able batting coach. Batsmen get out but they should be taught to fight.”

Former spinner Tauseef Ahmed said the batsmen lacked guts.

“We are now used to of defeats, used to batting failures because this has been going on for quite some time now,” said Ahmed. “Batsmen not performing at international level is disappointing.”

Fans on the street were left shattered.

“Our batsmen let us down, but this has been going on,” said Saqib Murad, a student in Karachi.

“We must do something otherwise people will lose interest in the game,” he went on to add. AFP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

sports SPOT-FIXING SAGA

Confident of getting a clean chit: Sreesanth

KOCHI: S Sreesanth, who is out on bail after being arrested for being allegedly involved in the IPL spot-fixing case, today said he was confident of getting a clean chit in the case.

“Even my enemies should not suffer this fate,” Sreesanth, who arrived here this morning at the nearby Nedumbassery airport from Delhi, told reporters.

“I got bail yesterday. I am confident of getting a clean chit...

Even my enemies should not suffer this fate,” he said, adding he had no role in the spot-fixing episode. Police and CISF security had a tough time in bringing the cricketer out of the airport as a huge crowd of fans, onlookers and media personnel had gathered to receive him.

“I am happy to be here. I can meet my people,” an emotional Sreesanth, who arrived here after spending 27 days in Tihar jail, said. Sreesanth and Rajasthan Royals teammate Ankeet Chavan were released on bail last evening. However, another RR player Ajit Chandila has not applied for bail.

PTI

BOLT AIMS TO REBOUND FROM ROME BLIP Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt is aiming to become the first male athlete to dip under 20 seconds for the 200m this season when he takes to the track in Thursday’s Bislett Games. After being beaten last week at the Rome leg of the 14-meet Diamond League, Bolt is keen to bounce back.

Chavan, Sree out of jail

NEW DELHI: After spending 26 days behind bars in IPL spotfixing case, cricketer Sreesanth (in pic) was released from Tihar Jail Tuesday night along with Ankit Chavan and 17 others.

Sreesanth, who was arrested along with Chavan and another player Ajit Chandila on May 16 from Mumbai by Delhi Police, did not speak to waiting media outside Tihar Jail.

All the 19, including Sreesanth, Chavan and 14 alleged bookies, were granted bail Monday by a court here.

Sreesanth was in police custody for the first 13 days while for the rest of the period he was lodged in Tihar Jail.

In between, Chavan was granted interim bail for his marriage.

Monday, a Delhi court while granting bail in the IPL spot-fixing case indicted Delhi Police for slapping the stringent provisions of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on cricketers Sreesanth, Chavan and the 17 others.

The court said that there was prima facie “no sufficient material” against the accused to

‘Won’t forget the days spent in jail’

establish their “nexus” with organised crime syndicate.

Besides the two cricketers, the court also granted the relief to 17 other accused, including 14 bookies, on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with one surety of the like amount.

Delhi Police have so far arrested 26 persons, including

Sreesanth and two of his Rajasthan Royals teammates Chavan and Ajit Chandila - in connection with the case.

Besides the 19 who were granted bail by the court, six others were in judicial custody till June 18 while one of the alleged bookies, Ramesh Vyas, is in police custody till June 18.

US OPEN

Struggle to solve soggy Merion JIM SLATER Agence France-Presse ARDMORE: Tiger Woods tries to follow in the iconic footsteps of Bobby Jones and Ben Hogan this week with a historic victory at Merion despite heavy rains that have drenched the 113th US Open.

The year’s second major championship begins Thursday on the old 6,996-yard course with the red wicker baskets atop its flagsticks, one of many oddities that makes Merion a strong test of shotmaking and patience even when soggy.

“I don’t think we have an exact feel for it yet, what we’re going to have to do and what we’re going to have to shoot — the conditions keep changing,” Woods said Tuesday.

“We haven’t dealt with teeing it up in a tournament yet with it raining and drying out for a couple of days and the mud balls appearing. That’s going to be interesting, especially the longer holes.”

World number one Woods, a 14time major champion chasing the all-

32

Garcia leaves locker room note for Woods ARDMORE: The Tiger Woods/Sergio Garcia “fried chicken” spat rumbled on at the US Open on Tuesday after the two men failed to have a clear-the-air talk over comments the Spaniard made last month.

The two old rivals did shake hands on the practice range at Merion Golf Club on Monday between the downpours that have soaked the layout outside of Philadelphia.

But both men said they had not had the time to have a meaningful discussion and Garcia was unable to make the face-to-face apology he had pledged to make over the controversial comments he uttered about Woods three weeks ago.

In the end, the Spaniard left a note in Woods’ locker, purportedly saying he was wrong to have said what he said.

“Obviously we saw each other yesterday on the range,” Garcia said.

AFP

time record of 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus, has not won a major title since the 2008 US Open but he has won four times this year and is again among the favorites.

“I’ve played Opens under both conditions where it’s dry and soft. I’ve won on both conditions, which is nice,” Woods said.

“Execution doesn’t change. You’ve still got to hit good shots, especially now with the rough being wet. It’s imperative to get the ball in play so we can get after some of these flags and make as many birdies as we can.”

Woods seeks a fourth US Open crown after triumphs in 2000, 2002 and 2008 to match the all-time record shared by Nicklaus, Hogan, Jones and Willie Anderson.

“I would like to obviously put my name there at the end of the week,” Woods said. “But I’ve got to do my work and put myself there.”

With two par-5s in the first four holes, Merion is a tale of two courses, the one that offers short but tricky oppotunities early and the final five holes where players will struggle to

NEW DELHI: S.Sreesanth said the last 27 days have taught him a lot and retiterated that he was innocent. “I am very happy. I should thank my lawyer. It was a testing phase for me, the last 27 days. I believe in the Indian judiciary and I am sure my innocence will be proved,” Sreesanth told reporters in a press conference here after coming out of jail. “I played the game in the right spirit. I’ll abide by the process of law. I won’t forget the days spent in jail. The last 27 days have taught me a lot. I can say I totally believe in Indian judiciary. My innocence will be proven soon,” said Sreesanth.

Additional Session Judge Vinay Kumar Khanna granted bail to the accused on a personal bond of Rs. 50,000 each with one surety of the like amount. IANS

Tomic bows out as father watches on LONDON: Bernard Tomic (left) insisted he wasn’t distracted by the presence of his controversial father as the Australian suffered a first-round exit at Queen’s Club on Tuesday, losing 64, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/4) against Germany’s Benjamin Becker.

Tennis authorities gave John Tomic a worldwide ban from watching his son’s matches in person after he was charged by Spanish police for allegedly assaulting his son’s French hitting partner, Thomas Drouet, during the Madrid Masters earlier this year.

Drouet suffered a broken nose and back injuries after being allegedly headbutted and Tomic senior is due in a Madrid court in October in relation to the assault allegations.

Tomic’s father was told to stay away from the recent French Open and security guards were issued instructions to bar him from entering.

AFP