Postnoon E-Paper for March 1st 2013 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013 HYDERABAD

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On February 29, 1960 Hugh Hefner, the owner of Playboy Magazine, decided to treat the denizens of Chicago with something more than just a magazine to read. He opened the world's first Playboy Club, which became a hub for some of the best parties in town where the rich and famous hobnobbed with each other. The Playboy brand has grown by leaps and bounds since ’60s and some of the top actresses and celebrities have graced the pages of this widely popular men's magazine. Can you guess who these divas are?

P16&17

HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER M ANIL KUMAR

CITY GEARS UP FOR

CONJUGAL CHAOS

A loophole in the Indian Divorce Act, which allows erring spouses to escape from paying alimony, is widely being misused in the City.

BIZMAN WITH SUSPECTED IM LINKS ARRESTED

Despite the recent blasts, the second Test match between India and Australia in the City promises to draw huge crowds. The Australians will need to play their aggressive brand of cricket and be at their absolute best if they are to beat a confident India and level the series.

REPORT ON P31

Continuing their crackdown on suspected perpetrators of last week’s Dilsukhnagar blasts, the Special Operation Team (SOT) of the Cyberabad police arrested another person on Thursday night from Dabeerpura area. The accused, Syed Abrar Hussain, 35, is a resident of Malakpet and runs a real estate business.

LOST AND FOUND Lost your cat? Your grandmother? Or are you injured in a car crash, unable to call for help because your phone battery is dead? Never fear, a mobile solution is near. Manufacturers at the world’s biggest mobile fair in Barcelona showed off inventions to make the mobile even dearer to owners’ hearts.

P13

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

city events

POCHAMPALLY IKAT ART MELA

There is a 10-day handloom products exhibition at YMCA, beside Narayanguda police station. The mela will be held from March 1-10. Exclusive handloom products like hand made bed and home linen, dress materials, silk and cotton saris will be on display.

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

Overnight

Morning

Afternoon

28°C

20°C

26°C

34°C

Clear.

Sunny.

New Delhi Mumbai Max 25 Max 36 Min 12 Min 26 Sunny, clear.

Chennai Max 31 Min 24

Partly cloudy.

Sunny, clear.

Bangalore Max 32 Min 19 Partly cloudy.

AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES When: March 3 Where: Shilpa Kala Vedika

ART

Awadh food festival Lazzat-E-Awadh brings kebabs, qormas and kalias from the Nawab’s kitchen. Where: Kangan, Westin Hyderabad Mindspace When: Up to March 3 Contact: (040) 6767 6838

Return Of Innocence Sculptural paintings by Lester Paul will be on display. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills When: Up to March 2, 11.30am to 7pm Contact: www.iconart.in

MISCELLANEOUS

Solo art show Display of works by Saraswathi L. Where: Muse, Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre When: Up to March 2 Art for children Open-ended sessions to expose children to art and simultaneously refine their fine-motor skills. It is for children between two and 10 years of age. Where: Treasure House, Saptaparni building, Plot no. 21, Road no. 8, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, Contact: (040) 2335 5118 www.treasurehouse.in For the love of fauna ‘For the love of fauna’ is a group art exhibition by G Jagadeesh, Jaya Prakash and Maddileti Gaddam. Where: : Residence Inn, Opp SBH Bank, Kavuri Hills, When: Up to March 6

Urban Stampede The run is aimed at encouraging amateurs and seasoned runners alike to take part in a sport that is enjoyable and beneficial. Where: CBIT, Gandipet When: March 3 Contact: urban-stampede.com

MELON SEASON: As summer arrives, it brings with it the season of watermelons. The Kothapet market is flooded with the fruit. M ANIL KUMAR 11am to 7pm Contact: (040) 2311 3709

DINING All you can eat Guests can taste unlimited amount of food from a variety of cuisines, from hot curries to delicious desserts, at a fixed price. Where: Holy Basil, Radisson Blu Plaza When: Ongoing Sushi Food Festival There is a Feng Sushi food festival. Where: Deccan Pavilion, Begumpet When: Up to March 3, 7.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2340 0132 Special lunch A changing menu, with a wide

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

spread of food items, and special packages for kitty and group lunches. Where: Kailash Parbat Above Ebony Gautier, 2nd floor, Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 23558856

SHOWS ANANTA Opus 195 Concerto for Sarod electronic and symphonic orchestra by Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Pierre Thilloy. Where: Shilpa Kala Vedika When: March 1 Contact: (040) 2355 4486 Imany World music- jazz and soul. Where: Hyderabad International

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

Convention Centre Novotel & HICC complex Near Hitec City Cyberabad Post Ofﬁce When: March 15, Contact: (040) 2355 4486 The First Cut A festival of short films and documentaries, where amateurs can showcase their talents. Where: St Francis College for Women, Uma Nagar, Begumpet When: March 4, 10.30am onwards

Antenatal workshop LifeCell International is organising a workshop on the care and precautions that are needed before, during and post pregnancy to ensure good health of both mother and the child. Where: Hotel Fortune Select Manohar When: March 2, 2pm to 6pm Contact: 99666 97504

ConfiDance 2013 Shiamak Davar’s ConfiDance show is a display of dance styles from different parts of the world. These are performed by hand-picked students who get advanced training.

27567892 23559555 23226624 27633087 27035588 27550238 30799999 30418296 30417445

AMBULANCES Apollo 23548888, 23607777 Kamineni 24022222 Medwin 23202902, 23204616 Smile Line Dental Hospital 23747979 Red Cross 27627973 Niloufer Hospital 23314095 Gandhi 23320332 AIRLINES

The Great Oxford Sale Discounts on books, magazines, stationery and gift items. Where: Oxford Bookstore, Tresorie, The Park , 22 Raj Bhavan Road When: Up to March 31, 10am to 10pm Contact: (040) 31002959

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

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

24523211 232431300/7641 24521029

Readers’ views

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

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

City

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

DO YOU THINK METRO REQUIRES MORE ATTENTION THAN MMTS? 95% 5%

YES (A) NO (B)

TODAY’S QUESTION

SHOULD THERE BE STRICTER LAWS TO PREVENT CONTRACT MARRIAGES? A)

YES

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

TWIN BLASTS

3 N SHIVA KUMAR

Bizman with suspected IM links arrested The 35-year-old is said to be friends with IM operative Syed Maqbool and has worked with him in the past. Mohd SUBHAN md.subhan@postnoon.com

ontinuing their crackdown on the perpetrators of last week’s Dilsukhnagar twin blasts, the Special Operation Team (SOT) of the Cyberabad police arrested another person on Thursday night from Dabeerpura area. The accused, Syed Abrar Hussain, 35, is a resident of Malakpet and runs a real estate

The Special Branch Wing of the City police questioned Moulana Abdul Aleem Islahi, a popular Muslim scholar, for over two hours on Thursday night. business. Police say that Hussain is a close friend of Indian Mujaheedin (IM) operative Syed

Maqbool and the two even worked together for a short period. They are said to have gone their separate ways a few years back, after which Hussain set up his own business. Hussain’s brother Naveed Hussain, however, said that he is being wrongly accused. “My brother has no links with Maqbool. They only did business with each other some years back, but since they parted ways, my brother has not been in contact

with Maqbool. He was coming back from work as usual on Thursday night when the police took him into custody at Dabeeroyra Bridge,” said Naveed. Meanwhile, the Special Branch Wing of the City police questioned Moulana Abdul Aleem Islahi, a popular Muslim scholar, for over two hours on Thursday night. The officials are also likely to question his son, an engineering student, in connection with the blasts.

Youth on the radar

he SOT, it seems, is convinced of the role of the youth in the blasts. On Wednesday, a final-year BCom student, Mohammed Adnan Hussain, was detained from Saidabad. Another student, Saifi Uddin, has been missing under suspicious circumstances since Wednesday from Banjara Hills.

CRIME

Contract marriage back to haunt City Police have arrested a Sudanese national who paid `2 lakh to marry an underaged girl. However, the qazi who performed the wedding and the girl’s aunt got away scot free. POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

he issue of contract weddings, where underage girls are sold off in the name of marriage, has again reared its ugly head in the City. On Thursday night, police arrested a Sudanese national from Moghalpura area after receiving a complaint from his underage bride. Osama Ibrahim Mohammed Alnasri, 45, (in pic) an engineer from Sudan, paid a mediator in the City `1 lakh to marry an underage girl against her wishes. The agreement stated that he would divorce her and leave after a month. Moghalpura inspector P Vijaykumar said that Alnasri was already married and has a child back home. When he wanted to

It was the girl’s aunt who forced her parents into getting the 16-year-old married off to Osama Alnasri. She took the advance from Alnasri and the nikah was performed in Jahangirnagar. get married for the second time, he contacted some brokers in Hyderabad who found him a minor girl. He came to the City on February 19 and paid `1 lakh as advance two days later. Another `1 lakh would be paid after a month. At the time of the nikah, Alnasri had signed the divorce papers, in line with the agreement.

“It was the girl’s aunt who forced her parents into getting the 16-year-old married off to Alnasri. She took the advance

from Alnasri and the nikah was performed in a house in Jahangirnagar, Tallabkatta,” said Vijaykumar.

After the wedding, Alnasri visited the girl every day at her home in an attempt to have sexual intercourse with her, but failed. On Thursday, he again visited her and tried to force himself on her. Unable to bear it any longer, the girl told her friend who gathered some locals and lodged a complaint with the police. Cases under sections 366, 354 and 134 of the IPC have been booked against Alnasri. The police have also seized his passport and he will be produced in court on Friday. Angry locals, however, protested in front of the Moghalpura police station on Thursday night as no action has been taken against the qazi who performed the marriage and against the girl’s aunt who brokered the deal and took the cash.

city FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

GHMC

LAST YEAR... HERE Dipping levels

ast year we had reported how the City was going to face major water problems in summer, thanks to the indiscriminate drawing of ground water. While ofﬁcials said that there was enough water in the reservoirs to tide the City over the summer, most agreed that urgent regulatory measures were needed to ensure that illegal exploitation of resources stop.

MARCH 1, 2012

NUMEROLOGY

The number of votes required to win an MLC seat under MLA quota. The TRS, which already has 19 MLA votes, is now looking to other pro-T parties to help their candidate win.

If you work with only one company, many would think that you are bad at your work. Changing jobs makes you more competent since you are exposed to more. Smitha P, MNC employee See page 8

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

Contract weddings rear their ugly head in City. The practice of marrying off underage girls for money continues in the City. While the groom has been arrested, the qazi and the girl’s aunt who arranged the wedding have gone scot free.

Taking a leap into the unknown. No longer are youngsters taking the safe route. Job hopping, starting their own companies and taking risks is the norm for a generation that marches to its own beat.

POLITICS

Borabanda election heats up

Krishna Babu calls for ward meets

Ten women have filed their nominations for the corporator’s post.

The GHMC commissioner threatened to disqualify corporators who don’t hold ward committee meetings regularly.

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

he process for nominations of candidates for the Borabanda (Ward 108, Circle 10) constituency has ended. A total of 10 candidates filed their nominations as of the concluding day of nominations. Ward 108 is reserved for women. The Congress is being represented by Hajira Sultana, 31, while V Bhanumathi, 42, is representing MIM. The Telugu Desam Party would be represented by A Kavitha, 34, while S Kavitha, 34; K Jyothi, 35; T Vani Yashodhara, 38; Rukhsana Khanam; Annal Dass Madhavi; Atiya Begum, 33; and Fatima Begum, 29, are the other candidates who have filed their nomination with the returning officer. Following the completion of the process, all the parties have tightened their belts for campaigning. Congress, MIM and TDP will be the main parties contesting these elections and a candidate from one of these three parties is the likely winner. As a show of strength and reflection of their power, no party is leaving any chance for others to win the elections. The date for the scrutiny of nominations is March 1 and the last date for withdrawal of candidates will be March 4. The date on which the poll will be conducted is March 17 and counting will be done on March 19, after which results will be announced.

ollowing a heated exchange between a few corporators and him over the ‘Prajavani programme’ at the recent general body meeting, GHMC commissioner MT Krishna Babu has decided to take on the corporators by emphasising ward committee meetings. “If the corporator does not show interest in conducting ward committee meetings, he or she may be disqualified,” Krishna Babu said at a review meeting on the subject. Ghansibazar, Mehdipatnam, Saleem Nagar, Azampura and Puranapul are the divisions that have not had meetings regularly. The commissioner has directed the secretaries of municipal wards to request in writing the corporator of the area to fix the date and time for conducting ward committee meetings. “Even after two or three such requisitions, if the time is not fixed, he should bring the same to the notice of ward committee members and can facilitate the meeting with the majority of the members,” he said. In case of emergency works, if the majority of ward committee members submit a requisition notice by duly mentioning the time and date of the meeting, the secretary should bring it to the notice of the corporator concerned and can facilitate the meeting with his consent. Even if the corporator is not willing to conduct the meeting within 48 hours, the secretary can facilitate the meeting with the majority of ward committee members by duly recording the resolutions. MT Krishna Babu pointed

Conducting ward committee meetings once in two months and conducting area sabha meetings every three months is mandatory. out that as per the 74th amendment of the Constitution, conducting ward committee and area sabha meetings is a must for the local body. The High Court has also given interim directions to conduct ward committee and area sabha meetings regularly. Conducting

ward committee meetings once in two months and conducting area sabha meetings once in three months is mandatory for the GHMC. Zonal commissioners, deputy commissioners and secretaries of the municipal wards were also present at the meeting. The commissioner has also directed the secretaries to update the GHMC website with resolutions on par with the registers they are maintaining. If the required officers are not attending the ward committee meetings, the commissioner directed the secretaries to report the same to the deputy commissioner concerned.

NEWS BRIEFS

Using the law to avoid paying alimony. A lot of spouses are asking for restitution of conjugal rights when faced with divorce proceedings to avoid paying alimony.

Two hours of power cuts in City

Depressed aspirant commits suicide

Engineer consumes poison, dies

Undertrial dies in Chanchalguda jail

Counting his chickens before they hatch. DGP V Dinesh Reddy’s safe city record has been shattered with Thursday’s twin blasts.

Youth responsible for Dilsukhnagar blasts? The police seem to be rounding up youngsters in connection with the twin blasts in the City.

he Load Relief pattern, released by ofﬁcials from the State energy department, predicts two hours of power cuts in the City, starting with immediate effect. The load shedding is expected to last till the end of April, and energy department ofﬁcials have not ruled out the possibility of an increase in the number of power cuts.

lass X and Class XII Board exams have begun across the State from Friday. A total of 25,000 students have registered for these exams from all over the State — 20,000 for Class X, and around 5,000 students for Class XII. For the ﬁrst time, students will have to face ‘value based questions’, worth three to ﬁve marks, in all major subjects.

software engineer, M Teeja Soni, committed suicide by consuming poison on Wednesday night at her home in KPHB Colony. She was taken to hospital but died on Thursday. The deceased was in love with someone but her parents ﬁxed her marriage with another man against her will. The KPHB police have booked a case.

n undertrial in Chanchalguda jail, K Srikanth, died in suspicious circumstances on Thursday. He was arrested in December for smuggling gudumba and sent to prison. Srikanth, 22, complained of chest pains on Wednesday night, but jail authorities did not take him to hospital. When they shifted him the next morning, he died in hospital.

city FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

MLC ELECTIONS

KCR plays masterstroke

The TRS president, in an attempt to woo Muslims from the Telangana region, adopts a two-pronged strategy to ensure victory for his candidate in the MLC polls. FILE PHOTO

INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com

fter facing stiff opposition from the minority community, especially Muslims, the separate T state champion, TRS, is looking to soothe nerves by fielding a Muslim in the MLC polls. Minority wing president Mohammed Mahmood Ali will contest in the ensuing MLC elections under the MLA quota. Interestingly, the party had fielded Ali earlier also but could not win the elections due to a lack of adequate number of MLAs. To win an MLC seat under the MLA quota, a total of 27 votes (more precisely 26.6 votes) are required, which the party could not manage to bag earlier. This time around, things for the TRS are different as it has succeeded in increasing its strength to 19 MLAs. The party needs just eight more votes to win the MLC seat. As the existing strength is not enough for the party to win the seat, the TRS plans to rely on other pro-Telangana political parties like the CPI, BJP,

This time things for TRS are different as it has succeeded in increasing its strength to 19 MLAs. The party needs just eight more votes to win. Telangana Nagara Samithi and the City-based MIM parties. TRS president KCR had already appealed to these political parties and asked them to extend their support to Ali to ensure that he wins the polls. To do this, TRS has adopted a two-pronged strategy. KCR has

appealed to MIM to support Ali keeping in mind his minority status. The other two parties were requested to keep in mind TRS’s role in T-agitation. Reacting to the appeal, Janardhan Reddy, an independent MLA and president of the Telangana Nagara Samithi

POLITICS

has already appealed to the MIM, BJP and CPI. We are confident that they will back us," said Ali. The MLC candidate added that he hopes the MIM will also back him in order to boost the morale of the minority community. Ali will file his nomination papers on March 7.

WELFARE

The dark horse wins

Despite contesting against his very popular rival, U Murali Krishna managed to bag most of the votes in the recent APSA elections.

The new panel

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

President: U Murali Krishna Vice President: C Hareesh Kumar Reddy Secretary: A Padma Chari Additional Secretary: G Ramakrishna Joint Secretary (Organisation): S Ramanaiah Joint Secretary (Sports): M Bhanu Kiran Treasurer: GVS Vara Lakshmi

he curtains on the bitterly fought battle for the post of president of AP Secretariat Employees Association (APSA) have been drawn on Thursday with the peaceful conduct of the elections. There was tough competition between the dark horse U Murali Krishna and the very popular president of AP Secretariat Cooperative Society A Prasad. The nail biting tension, which prevailed till the last moment, finally saw Murali Krishna emerge as the winner. A Prasad got 633 votes, while Krishna got 642 votes giving him a comfortable victory. Krishna is currently working as assistant secretary with the State Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department currently. Speaking to Postnoon, Murali Krishna thanked all the

Nagam, and TDP rebel MLA C Venugopala Chari have confirmed their support to Ali, raising the TRS’ strength to 21. "We only need the support of four MLAs to win the MLC election, which I don't think will be difficult to get under the existing circumstances. Our party president

employees for reposing confidence in him. “I am overwhelmed with the results of the elections. It’s a great feeling to win the election in my very first contest. This could not have been possible without support of all the employees,” he said. The new president of the

association has promised to make it a vibrant one and added that his priority would be to see that the problems of the employees would be resolved at the earliest. The results were declared after four rounds of recounting at 1.30am today.

Sabita launches ‘chinnari choopu’ H ome Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy has said the State government was the first one in the country to launch ‘Chinnari Choopu’ scheme to conduct ‘eye-tests’ for government school children under the Rajiv Vidhya Mission scheme. Sabita Indra Reddy launched ‘Chinnari Choopu’ programme at Shamshabad and Maheshwaram mandal headquarters in Ranga Reddy district on Thursday. Launching the programme at Shamshabad Girls High School, Sabita said Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy introduced this innovative scheme keeping in mind the poor and middle class children, who were pursuing education in government schools were not in a position to view the letters written on the blackboard. She said already the government had conducted eye tests to over two lakh children in the district and surgeries to 150

children where 3,729 children needed spectacles. She said toilets will be constructed in all the government schools across the State at an outlay of `10 crore. She said the government was striving to supply mineral water to government school children by allocating `40 lakh. She also said the government was facilitating the girl child to learn Karate for self defence with experts. NSS

city FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

FAMILY COURTS

Spousal abuse dons a new look Restitution of conjugal rights, originally introduced to help estranged couples get back together, is now being misused by spouses who refuse to pay alimony. ALEENA ALICE aleena.t@postnoon.com

recent trend unfolding at City courts is that of an increasing number of erring spouses using the restitution of conjugal rights as a means of escaping alimony. But advocates are worried that the act is being misused by a few for their own selfish motives. According to Section 32 of the Indian Divorce Act, the petition for restitution of conjugal rights is applicable “when either the husband or wife has, without reasonable excuse, withdrawn from the society of the other. Either the wife or husband may apply, by petition to the District Court or the High Court, for restitution of conjugal rights”. However, many misuse this act to avoid paying maintenance or alimony to their spouse, which is mostly the wife. “These

days many women are coming forward to file divorce petitions, and along with this comes the proposal for maintenance and alimony. What we have been noticing off late is that the moment a man feels his wife will demand a permanent alimony,

Most of the time, if the court passes the order for restitution, the man does not even take his wife back or she does not return to her husband. he files a restoration of conjugal rights appeal before the court. In eight out of every 10 cases, the petition of restoration is filed only to harass the spouse. Very rarely we have cases where the couple gets back and lives together,” says advocate P

Vishwa Janani. Most of the time, if the court finds no legal grounds as to why the couple should separate and passes the order for restitution, the man does not even take back his wife or she does not go back to the husband. So the errant spouse not only gets away with paying the alimony, but also finds an easy way out of the marriage. Citing one such example, another City-based advocate C V Srinath says, “Recently I got a case where a client came to me asking to file a divorce petition five years after her husband had filed restitution to conjugal rights petition. Once the court had passed the petition, the man refused to take his wife back. He started ill-treating her and forced her to go back to her parent’s house. He did not want to divorce her but at the same time did not want to live with her nor

DANGEROUS HYDERABAD

SRINIVAS SETTY

ONE DIRECTION

hat Hyderabadis don’t think much about traffic rules is a well known fact. In fact, Hyderabadi traffic and motorists’ sense of discipline on the roads are rather infamous across the country. It is little wonder then that in their laziness to take a U turn, most people here would rather just drive in the wrong direction, regardless of the traffic situation at the moment. In this picture, motorists can be seen trying to cross an intersection on the busy Jubilee Hills Road no 36 only to head in the wrong direction to avoid taking a U turn at

Jubilee Checkpost. This, regardless of the fact there is a heavy rush of traffic from the opposite direction. A common sight on this stretch of the road, this practice has caused several accidents in the past. Worse still, the offenders rarely take responsibility for their actions and instead get into heated arguments trying to defend themselves. Despite, the confusion that reigns at this junction, traffic police are rarely stationed to man the flow of vehicular movement.

take up the guardianship of their child. After giving him ample time of five years, the woman decided to file for a divorce petition and approached the court.” In such cases what can be done in favour of the aggrieved party? “The decree of restitution of conjugal rights can be

enforced by the attachment of property and if the party complained against still does not comply, the court may additionally punish them for contempt of court. But under no circumstances can the court force the erring spouse to consummate the marriage,” says Janani.

classifieds FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

REPORTERS’ DIARY

All show, no substance

S BALAKRISHNA

GOVERNANCE

Schemes: Bankers, officials out of sync D

t seems like Hyderabad decks up when there is an international conference or some special occasion. After that it’s all back to square one; the City is neglected. The flowerpots (pictured above) that were put on Ali Cafe Road, Golnaka, in Amberpet, for Republic Day celebrations are still empty. Even the road is in bad shape. People feel it will remain this way till the next big event is round the corner. (SS)

WHAT’S THE TRUTH?

Ever since home minister Sushilkumar Shinde told the media that all metros had been alerted about a possible terror attack, the public wants to know why the police department failed to take any precautionary measures. While this sent out a feeling that the police failed in fulfilling its duty, police commissioner Anurag Sharma denied receiving any alerts from Central agencies at a press conference. He added

No important announcements can be made before elections regarding welfare programmes or schemes, as per the ‘Model Code of Conduct.’ that an alert had been received in November, following which they had taken the necessary measures then. So who’s bluffing here? (MS)

‘SAFE CITY’ NO MORE

The famous adage ‘Man proposes and god disposes’ seems to have come true in the case of directorgeneral of police (DGP) V Dinesh Reddy. The top cop of Andhra Pradesh would never have imagined that his dream of keeping the City completely safe and secure till the end of his term would be shattered by last week’s deadly bomb blasts. Reddy, who made headlines in almost all media houses following N SHIVA KUMAR

the twin bomb blasts, is shattered. The otherwise media savvy top cop deliberately dodged the media for obvious reason of being cornered by a volley of questions. When he took charge as the head of the State police force, Reddy, while addressing his maiden press conference, proudly announced that he held a successful term as the commissioner of police and added that during his term, Hyderabad did not witness any extremist incidents, including communal riots. Exuding confidence, Reddy further said that he hoped to continue his record as the DGP of the State. But the dream was short-lived. Now the most sacred goal for the DGP seems to be to nail the perpetrators of the deadly attacks. (IA)

istrict collector A Vani Prasad said officials need to identify the genuine beneficiaries of schemes and extend economic assistance to them by taking up thorough field visits. Prasad reviewed the implementation of welfare schemes of agriculture, self help groups, SC/ST/BC, minority and handicapped at Spoorthy Bhavan in the collectorate office on Thursday in a Bankers Consultations Committee’s special meeting. Speaking on the occasion, she said the bankers and officials have equal responsibility in implementing the schemes and both should work in coordination. She said the State government was implementing several development and welfare schemes for the upliftment of the poor, but the schemes were being watered down due to lack of coordination between the bankers and officers of the departments concerned. She expressed unhappiness over the tardy implementation of all schemes in the district.

Reviewing the agriculture sector, Vani Prasad said the government had extended `401.69 crore worth loans to 78,829 farmers in the last Kharif season. In this Rabi season, the government aimed to disburse `267.78 crore loans and already `190 crore worth loans have been disbursed among 38,640 farmers. In some areas, the bankers were not co-operating in extending loans to the farmers because the recoveries were not up to their expectations, she said, adding that the controlling officers have to issue adequate orders to the bankers concerned. The collector said the government has extended `225 crore bank linkage to 9,284 self help groups. Later, the collector released ‘Potential Linked Credit Plan,’ which was being published by the NABARD on credit potential in priority sectors for 2013-14. The government has allotted `1,514.27 crore for crop loans and `552.22 crore for loans affiliated to agriculture sector. NSS

SECURITY CHECK

NO MORE POLITICAL MARKETING

Following the issue of ‘Model Code of Conduct’ by the election commission in the entire area of the municipal corporation, political parties are biting their nails. As nothing substantial can be done in terms of gaining political mileage, all the corporators are finding it difficult to get an upper hand over their rivals. Even though the election is being conducted for a single ward, the code of conduct is applicable to all the 150 wards under the GHMC. No important announcements can be made with regard to public welfare programmes or schemes. While some corporators are lamenting that even the weekly meetings like standing committee meetings cannot be conducted, others find time to relax and take a break from the hectic schedules of the GHMC. (MN) Contributed by Srinivas Setty, Mohd Subhan, Inkeshaf Ahmed and Md Nizamuddin.

The police frisked people and checked their belongings at Paradise Circle yesterday, in what can be seen as tightened security to prevent a repeat of the Dilsukhnagar blasts. N SHIVA KUMAR

AGE OF Risks, riches, rebellion FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

A PAGE DEDICATED TO THE TRIUMPHS AND TRIBULATIONS OF GEN Z

Gen Z does not think twice before taking a leap — be it starting their own firm, switching streams, or taking up an offer from a rival company that pays more. AMY ROSE THOMAS

amyrose.t@postnoon.com

aking risks and making things happen is the order of the day. And they are the fearless lot. They definitely do not think twice before taking a leap. They do not shed a tear of remorse if one venture doesn’t work out since they already have another one in the pipeline. This generation Z is a far cry from its predecessors, for it consists of the gogetters who stop at nothing to achieve their dream. “I have been working for the past two years and so far I have worked with more than four companies. My parents had a heart attack each time I resigned from a company. They wanted me to stick to one till the time I hit retire-

ment as they did. We no longer live in that era where one can afford to work in the same company for long. If you work with only one company then many would consider you bad at your work. Changing jobs only makes you more competent, since you are more exposed than the others. And moreover, it is not the case of a few; everyone in the field is now job hopping,” says Smitha Patel, 23, who works for an MNC. While there are some who are money minded, there are others who are ready to make any number of sacrifices, which includes working without money to live their dreams. Sashikanth Kaja belongs to this category. He did his graduation in finance, but his interest for environment and photography took over. He didn’t wait for college to get over to start his own firm, a company that designs paper bags. “I always wanted to

start my own company. My interest lies in photography and environment and not in finance. I took my first step in this direction while I was in college. I started my preliminary work during this time, working on the idea and also befriending companies that will ultimately turn sponsors for my project. Now, it’s been one year since I passed out and I have two interns

working under me.” He vehemently denies that he would ever give up his dream company for a fat pay packet. “Even while I was in college, I couldn’t see myself working under someone else. I don’t mind struggling now, but I wish to stick to the same company till I make it big. There are many who vie to be part of a corporate company, but

I am not like that. Today, qualifications do not matter unless you have the talent,” says 22year-old Kaja. Meenakshi Thakur is another one from Gen Z who took the leap and started her own company after completing engineering. She says that her degree in engineering helps her since she can become an engineer if her entrepreneur dream doesn’t work out. “After I started the company, I had many relatives and friends questioning me about my decision. It was during my engineering that I realised my interest in clothes. If I had started this particular company after class XII, I would not have the required experience and exposure. During my fourth year of college, I had a talk with my parents and I luckily was able to convince them to spend the money they were intending to spend on my post-graduate studies for the company. If I wasn’t this qualified I wouldn’t have anything to fall back on if this particular venture was not to work out,” 21-year-old Thakur says.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

focus

PERILOUS EXISTENCE

Extremist Sunni Muslim bombers killed nearly 200 people in Pakistan’s southwestern city of Quetta in the two worst bomb attacks to strike Shiite Muslims from the minority Hazara community, just weeks apart on January 10 and February 16. Outlawed extremist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility and has threatened to exterminate all Shiites.

PAKISTAN

Hazaras take up arms over govt failure to stop terrorists Few believe that dozens of men rounded up after the bomb attacks will ever be brought to justice. KHURRAM SHAHZAD feedback@postnoon.com

smatullah holds an AK-47 and checks vehicles on the road. “Enough is enough. We have no trust in the security forces any more and we’ll protect our community ourselves,” says the teenage Shiite student. Extremist Sunni Muslim bombers killed nearly 200 people in Pakistan’s southwestern city of Quetta in the two worst bomb attacks to strike Shiite Muslims from the minority Hazara community, just weeks apart on January 10 and February 16. After each attack, thousands of Hazaras, including women and children, camped out in the bitter cold demanding that the army step in to protect them. The government brokered an end to the protests, but refused to mobilise the troops.

Outlawed extremist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility and has threatened to exterminate all Shiites. Few believe that dozens of men rounded up after the bomb attacks will ever be brought to justice. Pakistan’s Supreme Court and rights groups accuse the authorities of failing to protect Hazaras and now young men like 18-year-old Ismatullah are taking up arms to defend themselves and their families. Ismatullah’s best friend was shot dead last June near Hazara Town. He lost more friends when suicide bombers flattened a snooker hall on January 10 and a massive bomb hidden in a water tanker destroyed a market on February 16. “I couldn’t control myself when I saw scattered pieces of so many children and women of our community,” said the first year college student.

Our community is only interested in education and business, but terrorists have forced us to take up whatever arms we have and take to the streets. Ismatullah Hazara youth “Our community is only interested in education and business, but terrorists have forced us to take up whatever arms we have and take to the streets for our own security.” At the moment they operate as volun-

teers under the name, Syed-ulShohada Scouts, registered as part of the Baluchistan Scouts Association, an affiliate of the worldwide scouting movement. For years, young men like Ismatullah have volunteered to protect sensitive events, such as religious processions during the holy month of Muharram. But their chairman says the threat is now so great that they should be paid full time as an auxiliary to government security forces. “We have around 200 young men who perform security duties on specific occasions, but most of them are students and workers, and can’t work fulltime,” said Syed Zaman, chairman of the Hazara Scouts. “We are trying to make a system to start their salaries for permanent deployment and also coordinate with the security agencies. Hopefully, we will be able to form a regular force... and

salaries in a month,” he said. Scouts president Ghulam Haider said it was a mistake to rely on government security when the first of two suicide bombers struck at the snooker hall in the Alamdar Road neighbourhood. “It resulted in another bomb blast minutes after the first one and we lost many more people,” Haider told AFP. “We didn’t want that to happen again, so immediately after the blast on February 16, we armed our youth to man the streets and entry points, which helped to prevent the chances of a second attack,” he claimed. Hazara Town, where the market was bombed, is very exposed, in the shadow of the Chiltan mountains and near the bypass which links the Afghan border town of Chaman to Pakistan’s financial capital Karachi. While paramilitary Frontier Corps and police patrol the main approaches, they are not visible inside the neighbourhood. “Security agencies can’t protect us. They don’t know the area because most of them come from outside Quetta. So we’re planning to set up our own permanent posts inside our areas,” said Haider. The police, however, have their doubts. “If we start private policing by arming one particular community, it will set the wrong precedent,” said Fiaz Ahmed Sunbal, head of Quetta police operations. He claimed police were planning to close entrances to Hazara Town, and would recruit 200 young Hazaras to patrol their own areas. Haider says closing off roads will isolate the community but welcomed the recruitment of Hazara Scouts as a long-term solution. Others warn that time is running out. “If they don’t do anything and something happens again, we will take up guns and go out and kill our opponents. There will be open war,” said 26-yearold shopkeeper Zahid Ali. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

Business

SWISS TO VOTER ON REINING IN EXECUTIVE PAY

Swiss voters are poised this weekend to decide whether to clip the claws of the business fat cats deemed to draw excessive salaries. Polls show that measures to empower shareholders to rein in executive pay could pass in Sunday’s referendum.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

FB BUYS ATLAS FROM MS

Image isn’t built in a day

The industry is not getting skilled human resource and there is a huge need of talented professionals. Only 25 per cent of the people have the necessary skills.

PRUDHVI RAJU K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

usinesses turn out as brands not just by fulfilling by promises they make in form of advertising but also by creating an image for themselves via effective public relations. In the business world, it is the public perception and image of company that plays a key role in making customer choose a product over the other or during strategic alliances or in determining the value of the share in the stock market to an extent. “In the West, PR is an essential part not for only businesses but also for noted individuals, institutions and governments. Its value is tremendous in lobbying or getting things done for a business or for an individual. A similar

In the West, PR is an essential part not for only businesses but also for noted individuals, institutions and governments. Its value is tremendous in lobbying or getting things done. A similar trend is catching up in India. trend is catching up in India. Although, public relations industry has been growing in the country over last 20 years, its importance is irreplaceable in this current competitive business world,” said Ajai Kumar Agarwal, national president-elect, Public Relations Council of India (PRCI)

“Currently, about two to three lakh professionals are engaged in PR and allied fields. The `700-800-crore industry is growing at around 10-15 per cent with a need of 10,000-12,000 professionals. The industry is not getting skilled human resource and there is a huge need of talented young professionals. Only 25 per cent of the people are having necessary skills. Most of them are acquiring skills and knowledge on the field over time. “There is a need for universities to offer specialised courses on public relations. Students can also see this attractive and emerging field to choose as a career,” said Major Rakesh Gulati, national vice-president, PRCI. “As part of PRCI, we also have introduced youth wing —

Young Communicators Club (YCC) exclusively focused on young people, particularly journalism and mass communication, PR and business management students from various universities and colleges. The motto is to effectively communicate through media and bring in leadership movement and help each other becoming good and responsible citizens,” said Rakesh. About the importance of PR, Agarwal said “Businesses cannot see PR just as crisis management tool. The image of the company cannot be built in a day but it is constant and regular process. Even small and medium businesses are also seeing its importance by forming PR departments or by hiring the services of PR agency. These professionals determine and shape the communication that has to reach out people which will build image and reputation of the company over time.” Asked about the effect of economic down turn on PR industry, he said, “Like any other industry, there is a definite dip in PR. But the impact is low compared to their other spending. They could undermine the value of PR especially during the economic crisis. The industry also could not lose out its value to advertising or any other communication due to low costs and content credibility. He also said in this digital media age, brands are reaching out directly to public through Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. Any irresponsible communication over this medium with out the involvement of trained professionals will backfire at the image of the brand. The content building has its own importance irrespective of time and platform.

10g GOLD `29,800 10g GOLD`31,100 1kg `60,100 1kg SILVER `53,300

24C 24C

for for for for

DOLLAR `54.53 `53.79 `85.15 POUND `82.77

Facebook agreed on Thursday to buy Atlas Advertiser Suite from Microsoft as part of an effort to boost ad revenues at the massive social network. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Atlas was part of the aQuantive group acquired by Microsoft, which ended up in a writedown and loss for Microsoft last year. Facebook has become the world’s biggest social network with more than one billion users, but its stock has been hit by concerns about its ability to boost revenues and proﬁtability. The California group has been working on a number of advertising initiatives for both desktop and mobile Facebook applications. Facebook shares rose 1.4 percent to end Thursday at $27.25.

NUMEROLOGY

$3.2

is what US aircraft leasing firm Air Lease Corporation will pay for 10 long-haul Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

GROUPON BOSS FIRED Groupon said it was replacing chief executive Andrew Mason, who said he was “fired,” following the struggling daily deals firm’s share price plunge of 24 percent after bad quarterly results. The company said executive chairman Eric Lefkofsky and vice chairman Ted Leonsis would take over the post, effective immediately and that Groupon “will continue to invest in growth.” Sentiment has been souring on Groupon, which made a splash with its 2011 stock market debut but has been dogged by fears of “deal fatigue,” and worries about profitability and accounting questions.

THUS SPAKE If India succeeds in getting to a growth rate of eight percent, the winner will be the people of India, especially our youth, who need desperately new productive job opportunities. MANMOHAN SINGH PRIME MINISTER

BSE 6,057.70 5,714.90 NSE

20,025.67 18,927.67 44.10 66.13

9.20 22.00

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

nation POLITICAL DRAMA

Modi to address Wharton India meet, virtually WASHINGTON: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will be one of the keynote speakers at the prestigious Wharton India Economic Forum to be held in Philadelphia in March. The BJP leader would deliver key note address to the prestigious meet through video conference, the organisers announced. Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, too would address the day-long meeting on March 23. Wharton India Economic Forum is an annual student-run India-centric conference hosted by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The meet has emerged as one of the most prestigious India-focused business conferences that provides a platform for leaders to discuss the opportunities present in India and the challenges that need to be addressed. PTI

LOK SABHA ADJOURNS FOR THE DAY

Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day today after condoling the death of sitting member Mukesh Gadhvi. Gadhvi, a first term Congress member from Banaskantha in Gujarat, breathed his last in Ahmedabad this morning. He was 50.

RAHUL IN MUMBAI

YES BOSS

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is greeted by the new ministers Vaigai Chelvan, KC Veeramani and PTI TP Poonatchi during the swearing-in-ceremony at Raj Bhavan in Chennai on Thursday.

POLITICAL STRATEGY

BJP to huddle for 3-day brainstorming session NEW DELHI: With an eye on the general elections next year, leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will meet in the national capital for three days beginning Friday. The meeting of party’s national executive will be inaugurated by party president Rajnath Singh at 3.45 p.m. Friday. It will be followed by a meeting of the party’s national

council Saturday and Sunday. The national council will also endorse Rajnath Singh as party president. With several voices already picking him as the best man to lead the party in the 2014 elections, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be in the spotlight limelight at the meeting. It will be the first meeting of the national council after

Modi’s third successive win in the assembly polls in Gujarat. Party sources said he could be made chief of the campaign committee for the Lok Sabha polls but an announcement was unlikely to be made at the national council meeting. According to sources, the party will also prepare for the possibility of early Lok Sabha polls. IANS

Congress Vice President Rahul is meeting with workers and leaders from the party’s faction-ridden city unit here today. This is Rahul’s first visit to the city after taking over as the Vice President of the party. He was accompanied by Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, state Congress chief Manikrao Thakre and AICC in-charge Mohan Prakash for the meeting at the party’s state headquarters Tilak Bhawan in central Mumbai. All MPs, MLAs, corporators, office-bearers and chiefs from the six district units of Mumbai are attending the meeting with the Congress leader. Mumbai Congress unit has been without a leader for the last one year, after Kripashankar Singh, facing allegations of corruption, resigned following the party’s defeat in the civic elections last year. The party has not been able to find a replacement since then.

3 DIE IN TN FIRE Three elderly women were charred to death in a ﬁre at Kodungaiyur, near Chennai early this morning. The bodies of the women, aged between 52 and 85, were recovered from their burnt hut, Fire and Rescue Services ofﬁcials said. The cause of the mishap was being ascertained.

NEWS BRIEFS NCP candidate wins Maharashtra bypoll

MUMBAI: Sandhya Desai-Kupekar, widow of former Maharashtra speaker Babasaheb Kupekar, has bagged the Chandgad assembly seat in Kolhapur district, an ofﬁcial here said. The result of the by-poll, necessitated by the demise of Krishnrao R Desai alias Babasaheb Kupekar in September 2012, was announced here late Thursday. Desai-Kupekar, nominated by the NCP, defeated her chief rivals, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana’s Rajendra Gadynawar and Shiv Sena’s Sunil Shintre in a triangular contest. While DesaiKupekar polled around 93,486 votes, Gadyanawar got around 68,639 votes and Shintre around 22,448 votes. The polling was conducted on February 24 to ﬁll up the vacancy arising following Kupekar’s death September 26. Political analysts point out that the bypoll victory is a boost for NCP chief Sharad pawar in dealing with ally Congress.

Separatist shutdown affects life in Kashmir

SRINAGAR: Shops and other businesses were shut in most parts of the Kashmir Valley Friday in response to a shutdown call by separatists demanding that the body of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was executed on February 9, be returned to his family. The authorities have, however, not imposed any restrictions. “No restrictions have been imposed anywhere in the valley today (Friday) although adequate steps have been taken to monitor the law and order situation,” a senior police ofﬁcer said. There was heavy deployment of police and paramilitary troopers in the Jammu and Kashmir summer capital Srinagar and other major towns of the valley. Public transport was off the roads though some private vehicles were seen. Security forces, however, did not stop pedestrian and vehicular movement anywhere in the Old City or uptown areas in Srinagar.

4 MNS activists arrested for attack on NCP office

PUNE : Four MNS activists were arrested for allegedly attacking the office of NCP here, police said today. The four were arrested yesterday for attacking the NCP office in the city on Wednesday after tension in some parts of the state following a stone-pelting incident targeting MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s convoy, Khadak police said. The four accused, identified as Ashish Bhalchandra Sable, Abhishek Thite, Sachin Katkar and Ranjit Dhage, were later produced in a court which remanded them in two-day police custody, they said. Suspected NCP workers had hurled stones at Raj Thackeray’s convoy at Bhingar in Ahmednagar district on Tuesday and waived black flags, following which MNS workers and supporters vandalised NCP offices in several parts of Mumbai and adjoining Thane. NCP activists were angry over Raj’s criticism of state Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.

PICK YOUR

Across Stores

ities Twin C

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

World SOUTH KOREA

Park offers ‘flexible’ engagement SEOUL: South Korea’s new president Park Geun-Hye offered a “more flexible” engagement with North Korea on Friday if Pyongyang chooses a path of trust-building rather than provocation. In an annual speech marking Korea’s 1919 uprising against Japan’s colonial rule, Park urged Pyongyang to understand that “nothing will be gained from nuclear development or provocations save for greater isolation and hardship”. Park was inaugurated as South Korea’s first woman president on Monday, less than two weeks after North Korea triggered global outrage by conducting its third nuclear test. “While provocations by the North will be met by stronger counter-responses, the North’s willingness to make the right choice and walk the path of change will be answered with more flexible engagement,” the president said. During her election campaign, Park had promised to pursue a trust-building policy with Pyongyang, in contrast to the hardline stance of her predecessor Lee Myung-Bak. But observers say her options will be limited by the international outcry over the North’s nuclear test, which has emboldened the hawks in her party. AFP

DAVID BOWIE RELEASES FIRST ALBUM IN DECADE British rock icon David Bowie released his first album in a decade Thursday, streaming the comeback record. The highly anticipated surprise release —coming more than a week before its commercial launch on March 12 — will be streamed on Apple’s media player until the album is formally made available in stores.

BUDGET CRISIS

US braces for sequester pain

The cuts, which could cost a million jobs, will slice public services and threaten an economy that is barely growing. WASHINGTON: The United States was braced for $85 billion in budget cuts due to hit Friday in a self-inflicted wound brought on by deep ideological antipathy between President Barack Obama and Republicans. The cuts, which could cost a million jobs, will slice public services and threaten an economy that is already barely growing, and arrive with both sides agreeing on only one thing — that the other is to blame. The hit to military and domestic spending, known as the sequester, was never supposed to happen, but was rather a doomsday device seen as so punishing that rival lawmakers would be forced to find a better compromise to cut the deficit. But such is the dysfunction in gridlocked Washington that neither side tried very hard to get a deal, with Obama calling

CHAVEZ BATTLING FOR LIFE

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is ﬁghting for his life in a Caracas military hospital 10 days after returning from cancer treatment in Cuba, his vice president said. The government said last week that Chavez was still suffering from a respiratory infection and that the trajectory was not favourable. As he presented subsidised homes on state-run television, Maduro said that Chavez was “battling for his health, for his life, and we are accompanying him,” adding later that the president was in a “complex and difﬁcult” stage.

NUMEROLOGY The best hope for a deal now lies in the parallel negotiations on a new bill to cover funding for government operations for fiscal year 2013 that must be completed by the end of March. for tax revenue hikes on the wealthy and corporations — a demand Republicans flatly refused. “Instead of closing a single tax loophole that benefits the well-off and well-connected, (Republicans) chose to cut vital services for children, seniors, our men and women in uniform and their families,” Obama said. “They voted to let the entire burden of deficit reduction fall squarely on the

middle class,” he said. Obama is required by law to order the budget sequester by 11.59pm on Friday night, and the cuts are all due to be made by the end of the year unless a political deal can be reached. He has called top Republican and Democratic leaders to the White House for a last-ditch effort to bridge the gaps on Friday, but few people in Washington believe the meeting is much more than a photo-op. Republicans, who lost a showdown on raising tax rates on the rich late last year, have refused to accept any revenue raises -- part of the “balanced” solution, also involving targeted spending cuts, that the president wants. Going through the motions Thursday, senators failed to advance two bills — one Democratic, one Republican — to avert the sequester. AFP

NEWS BRIEFS Taiwan to stage live-fire drill on disputed island

White House backs gay marriage in top court

Congo clashes leave 36 dead, thousands flee

6 injured in Thailand bomb explosion

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s coastguard said Friday it would stage a live-ﬁre exercise next month in disputed South China Sea islands, a move that could raise tensions. The drill will take place on Taiping Island between April 9 and 11 in the Spratlys, claimed in whole or part by Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Brunei.

WASHINGHTON: Obama administration threw its weight behind gay marriage on Thursday, urging the Supreme Court to strike down California’s ban on same-sex unions. The court is set to examine the issue on March 26, when it will study the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8, a measure approved by a 2008 referendum.

UNITED NATIONS: Battles between the army and a militia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have left at least 36 people dead and thousands have sought refuge at a UN base, a spokesman said Thursday. Between 3,000 and 4,000 people are at the peacekeeping base at Kitchanga in North Kivu province.

BANGKOK: Six people were injured in a bomb blast in the restive Thai south Friday, police said, as unrest continued barely a day after Thailand signed a peace talk deal with one of several rebel groups. The device, hidden in a motorcycle, was detonated outside a busy morning market in the provincial town of Narathiwat.

mine workers were killed due to carbon monoxide poisoning in a coal mine in northern China. They died after an air compressor caught fire inside the mine.

TEEN DESIGNS N-REACTOR Eighteen-year-old Taylor Wilson has designed a compact nuclear reactor that could one day burn waste from old atomic weapons to power anything from homes and factories to space colonies. The American teen, who gained fame four years ago after designing a fusion reactor he planned to build in the garage of his family’s home, shared his latest endeavor at a TED Conference in southern California on Thursday. “It’s about bringing something old, ﬁssion, into the 21st Century,” Wilson said. “I think this has huge potential to change the world.”

We can build on the over $2.5 trillion in deficit reduction we’ve already achieved, but doing so will require Republicans to compromise. Barack Obama US President

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

Technology

PET TECH DAVID WILLIAMS feedback@postnoon.com

arcelona: Lost your cat? Your grandmother? Or are you injured in a car crash, unable to call for help because your phone battery is dead? Never fear, a mobile solution is near. Inventors and manufacturers at the world’s biggest mobile fair in Barcelona showed off new inventions to make the ubiquitous mobile even dearer to owners’ hearts. You don’t have to be human to benefit. If you buy a GPS pet-track-

In a crisis, a dead battery can render any smartphone dumb. Xpal’s new phone, SpareOne Plus, has the answer: the telephone takes a single AA battery, some of which can last 15 years. It comes delivered in a waterproof pack, just in case, so you can keep it ready for an emergency in the next decade or so. “That means I can keep the telephone in a drawer, in a car for example for 15 years, switched off, and if ever I am in an emergency and I have to make a call, it is always charged,” Xpal director Alan Cymberknoh told AFP. There is no need for a con-

Lost and

found Smartphones to rescue lost cats, grandmas.

ing device from Tractive, you can attach it to your dog’s or cat’s collar and get an immediate alarm on your smartphone the moment he or she leaves from the garden, or any other area you have defined. Your pet’s hopes of escape can be quickly squashed with the help of your iPhone or Android-powered mobile. “With the Tractive live tracking feature you can see your pet’s location and see where they are going,” the firm boasts. “By simply flipping a switch in the Tractive app, you can turn on the integrated light on the tracking device to help find your pet in the dark.” Forgetful grandparents can be traced easily, too. A new black and silver flip phone for seniors, Emporia Connect, comes with a system called Emporia Me, allowing a child or grandchild to check the device’s location, battery status, or even turn up the volume on the phone to make sure the elderly owner can hear it. While it is not a smartphone, it does have an orientation feature that lets a user push a single button to get turn-by-turn audible instructions for returning to a car while on a shopping trip, for example.

tract because emergency calls are free, but it will take a SIM card if you want to make regular calls. One year since the first version was launched, sales —- mostly online in the United States — are going “very, very well,” said Cymberknoh. The latest model on show at the February 25-28 World Mobile Congress can send your GPS location, too, when you make a crisis call. If you only have a smartphone with you, though, and the battery is dead, another solution is on the way. Wysips, a startup based in Aix-en-Provence, southern France, has developed a photovoltaic film which can be built seamlessly into a mobile phone screen and deliver the joy of life to a flat battery. Wysips chief executive Ludovic Deblois showed off a prototype of a smartphone equipped with the film at the Mobile World Congress. By just shining a torch on its screen,

the mobile’s battery icon showed that it had started to recharge. “With 10 minutes in the sun you will be able to communicate for two minutes,” Deblois said. “So if you arrive at the airport and you have your boarding pass on the mobile you can’t have a telephone that runs out of battery so you can just put it in the light and recharge it,” he explained. If reception is a problem when you try to make that

desperate call, Ericsson may have the answer. The communications giant is testing transparent antennas in a project called Window of Opportunity. It could turn an ordinary window into part of the mobile broadband work, “boosting indoor coverage and providing a great mobile experience,” the firms says. AFP

BOOK NOW Google has launched its Play Book Store is India letting users here download ebooks. Play Store let Android users download only apps till now and with this move the company is slowly expanding its presence here. However, Google is yet to launch the music store here and the online music purchases in India are currently from Flipkart’s Flyte and Apple’s iTunes. With Google Play, the books will be stored in the cloud and users can also read them on their web browser. The Google Play store does come with its fair share of its free classics such as Great Expectations and Alice in Wonderland.

FREE SMS, FROM FB

Facebook has tied up with select telecom service providers in India to offer free or heavily discounted data access to its users. With this Facebook users, on Airtel and RCom network, would be able to get the beneﬁts of this tie up while using the Facebook Messenger application. This offer would be valid for Android and iOS devices along with other devices as well which are optimised for access of Facebook chat. Messaging on Facebook lets people connect with friends and contacts on the go.

Cleaner keyboards A company called Operator Interfact Technology has a solution to germs on keyboards — waterproof copper keyboards. Copper has natural antimicrobial properties, so it is a natural ﬁt. According to the company, its new keyboards “can be cleaned and disinfected with any commercial solution and according to EPA tests, copper delivers continuous antimicrobial action, and kills 99.9% of bacteria within 2 hours.” The keyboards use a copper alloy called CuVerro that is said to be effective against E. coli and drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. A US study found that computer input devices such as keyboards were among the most contaminated objects in intensive care units.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

Comment As soon go kindle fire with snow, as seek to quench the fire of love with words. William Shakespeare Playwright

Tabs roar ahead in ads THE DIGITAL AGE Emmanuelle Trecolle

obile advertising is soaring and growing in sophistication, industry analysts say, but the money is pouring into tablets at a much faster rate than their smaller smartphone rivals. The days when mobile advertising was restricted to SMS text messages are long past, and an array of advanced solutions was on offer at the world’s biggest mobile fair, the Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona this week. Now, mobile owners are being targeted by interactive videos and offers that are tailored to users depending on their tastes and whereabouts as revealed by their online activity. Tablets, which offer greater screen space, are racing ahead of smartphones in the battle for advertising money, observers say. According to a forecast by international consultants Deloitte, in 2013 tablets will generate $4.9 billion in advertising revenue compared to nearly $3.4 billion for smartphones — and the gap is only expected to widen. Advertising on tablets is set to grow 50-55 per cent in 2014, compared to 30-35 per cent for smartphones, Deloitte said. The big change is that the devices can now identify and locate the customer, allowing advertisers to make personalised offers using existing data and information flowing in from the smartphone or tablet. But they are much more than just a new advertising platform, said Forrester Research analyst Thomas Husson. “We are seeing a change in behaviour with the mobile which is moving into shopping, banking and travel.”

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS

Pawar is back at the game of demanding his pound of flesh. Even as NCP workers battle it out on the streets with MNS cadres, the Maratha strongman is dangling the carrot to the BJP and wielding the stick at the Congress. It would be interesting to see what the Congress will offer him this time.

OF PROMISES AND VOWS

WORD MATTERS

ANONYMOUS ALIEN

e’ve all heard it. “I guarantee it, 110%!” ( Tr a n s l a t i o n : zero chance). “Give me 2 minutes.” (This is also called India Stretch Time…IST. Translation: 20 minutes, maybe more). “You’ll have it by Friday.” (Translation: Friday, but next month). And, of course, my personal favorite: “Absolutely.” (Translation: No chance.) I try very hard to be a man of my word. But it’s nearly impossible. How can I be on time for a meeting when everyone meeting me up until that point was late? How can I meet a guarantee when those I need to help me meet it don’t meet theirs? This isn’t just a personal thing. When a society collectively discounts words — when words cease to matter — it becomes extremely hard to function at any kind of productive level. If you can’t count on your supply chain to deliver on time or with a certain degree of quality, you can’t deliver quality goods to your customers on time. If your customers don’t keep their time and payment commitments, it’s hard to run your business efficiently. There are a few businesses in the world that have grown extraordinarily successful based

on the simple premise that they keep their word. Period. Federal Express is one such company. Their original tagline, “when it absolutely positively has to be there overnight” was a promise. And one they kept. They kept it so well that people in droves started abandoning their post offices and Fedex became a global shipping powerhouse. McDonalds also comes to mind. They say they are going to give you a fast competent meal and they do. Every time. And the quality is the same, every time. It’s that simple. As a result, there is a McDonalds on practically every corner of every street in every city in the world. Indigo Air is another. Subject

I try very hard to be a man of my word. But it’s nearly impossible. How can I be on time for a meeting when everyone meeting me up until that point was late? to events outside any airline’s control, like weather, they give you their word that they will safely, and on time, deliver you to your destination and they pretty much do. Every time. And as a result, they are growing like crazy. If you are a business owner, there is a lesson to be had here. And it’s simple. Keep your

word. If you run a restaurant, deliver quality food, in a clean environment, and bring your patron the bill within three minutes (not 30 minutes, which I find is more the norm) of his request. That is what you are implicitly promising to do when you call yourself a restaurant, and when you keep that promise, you foster your own success. If you run a school, don’t just run classes. Teach the kids, teach them loads, and prepare them for the modern world. If you do that — if you aren’t, say, one of the 85% of all schools that don’t prepare their students for the job market, then you are not keeping your word. And eventually, a school that does will put you under. If you run a hotel, check the customer in within five minutes of him arriving, give him a clean, quiet room, and when he is ready to leave — get him out fast. That’s the promise you are making when you call yourself a hotel, and if you keep the promise, you’ll succeed. In short, make strong promises to your friends, your children, your spouses, your employees and your customers, and keep them. If you do, I give you a 110% guarantee that you will get what you want out of life. Absolutely. And you’ll get it all in the next two minutes. You can reach The Anonymous Alien at AnonymousAlieninIndia@gmail.com

EDITORIALS Omar-Mufti consensus? Over his dead body Rehman LOL Malik

hat strategists from both camps and compromise deal makers in the state would not do for decades, a corpse has done. Bête noires Omar Abdullah and Mufti Sayeed are demanding that mortal remains of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru. Both the CM and Opposition leader are trying their best to tap into popular sentiment against Delhi’s policy of ‘selective’ executions — and they have an axe to grind as those convicted for involvement in assassination of Beant Singh and Rajiv Gandhi have been on death row for more than two decades. The statement of the apex court that it was clearing execution of Afzal to “satisfy the collective conscience of the society” did not help the case of rule of law much either. Civil society activists, Arundhati Roy wrote a scathing column on it in The Hindu, have raised questions of ﬂawed procedures in investigation, questionable sources and circumstantial evidence being relied upon in such a prominent case, and resulting in death penalty. Those looking to foment trouble in Kashmir was desperate for a rallying point — and they got it on a plate.

READERS’ VIEWS

“W

e have given a good beating to the terrorist. We have been able to break their back, we are in a position now to fight, to fight and fight.” This was what Pakistan’s interior minister Rehman Malik told Guardian last year. Now with the recent spate of blasts across the country what has he to say now? No one takes him seriously. Even terrorists. They have gone on to the extent of calling him a clown. The latest is his being compared to Boris Johnson. Seriously? Guess what Malik says: I am more of Churchill.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

Music

MADONNA SNUBS MOORE

Madonna is reportedly ‘firmly on side Ashton [Kutcher]' and has dissed her good friend Demi Moore. The Material Girl and 50-year-old actress Demi have been pals since the 1980s.

GREAT TIMES

Rock’s finest hour

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends, we’re so glad you could attend, come inside...the Classic Rock Zone GEORGE COLLINS

feedback@postnoon.com

Tooth & Nail

reviously in the zone we looked at the circumstances surrounding the creation of Led Zeppelin’s first four albums. To any of you out there worried that listening to Zeppelin is akin to crossing to the Dark Side, may I offer the words of legendary soul singer Mavis Staples. When accused of singing “the Devils music” she instantly shot back “the devil ain’t got no music, no sir, he ain’t got NO music!" Double negatives don’t apply if you’re a legend. The release in March 1973 of Zeppelins fifth album Houses of the Holy saw further expansion of their musical palette, incorporating reggae and funk into the mix, as well as another classic album cover. Again showing no lettering, the artwork was inspired by the ending of Arthur C Clarkes novel Childhoods End, and featured a mob of naked children clambering up the Giants Causeway (in Ireland) towards a distant glow on the horizon. This album contains the most beautiful work ever created, The Rain Song. Magnificent on Houses, this track takes on a magical, ethereal quality when played live. One critic wrote he could listen to The Rain Song all day. That, he said, would be a good day.

Following a two year hiatus, 1975 brings the release of the formidable double album Physical Graffiti, featuring eleven minutes of blues heaven with In My Time Of Dying and the surreal Eastern influenced Kashmir. March 1976, turn up the volume — do not deprive your neighbours — it’s the heaviest album in the Led Zeppelin catalogue, the mighty Presence. From the machine gun drumming of Achilles Last Stand to the classic hard rock of Nobodies Fault but Mine, from Pagey’s finest blues outing Tea for One to the throbbing For your Life, a song so sexy it actually gets women pregnant (I believed her!), this is a must-have. This is Classic Rock at its finest. The same year saw the release of the movie The Song Remains The Same, best watched on a huge screen, again at maximum volume, although admittedly it shines brighter if Willie Nelson has been round for a cuppa! This is as up close and personal as you could get in

1976. The live performance is interspersed with fantasy sequences for each band member and the fifth Zepp, manager Peter Grant. In case you’ve never seen it, Peter Grant dreams of being a 20s gangster, John Paul Jones has a huge organ, Robert Plant lays siege to a castle and rescues the damsel in distress and Jimmy Page climbs the Crowleyesque mountain (featured inside Zeppelin IV) and comes face to face with the Hermit. Spoiler alert, the Hermit is...Jimmy! John Bonham, to the crescendo that is Moby Dick, drives a variety of vehicles ranging from horse and cart to tractor to dragster. Cool! All good things must come to an end, 1977 and the storm clouds start to gather. June 3, 1977, and a gig at Tampa Stadium is cut short due to a thunderstorm, fans riot, leading to police breaking up the mayhem with tear gas and large sticks. Many fans are arrested, many more injured. July 23 and John Bonham, Peter Grant and two of the management team are arrested for beating a member of Bill Grahams Oakland concert team to a pulp. July 26 — the ultimate tragedy, Robert Plant is informed his five year old son, Karac, has died from a stomach virus. Devastated, he returns home to wife Maureen to try to come to terms with this unimaginable loss. Meanwhile Page and Grant are locked in their own substance abuse driven alternative reality. August 1979 and the release of In Through The Out Door. A beautiful album, but a serious departure from previous Zepp releases. Recorded from late '78

into early '79, the album reflects schisms inside the band by the fact that, generally, Plant and Jones recorded their parts during the day while Page and Bonham hit the studio at night. For the first time Bonham receives no writing credits and Pages name is missing from two tracks. Not very fair, for John Bonham as the album is driven by his, as always, stellar drumming, along with John Paul Jones’s experimental synth playing. The summer of 1980 saw Zeppelin kick off a rather low key European tour, to be followed by a more extensive American tour later in the year to herald in the new decade. Rehearsals for the US tour commenced in September 1980. After being picked up on September 24 to join the rehearsal, John Bonham reportedly stopped for a breakfast that consisted of four quadruple vodkas and a bite out of a ham roll, before consuming around one and a half litres of vodka during rehearsals. Retiring to Pages house in Windsor, he was helped to bed. The next morning John Paul Jones and their tour manager found him dead from asphyxiation, choked on vomit. An autopsy found no traces of any other substances. Zeppelin issued a joint press statement on December 4, 1980 — “We wish it to be known that the loss of our dear friend, and the deep sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide we could not continue as we were". Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham — Thank You.

The introspective and melancholic Billy Bragg that we ﬁnd on this album feels very much at odds with the rabble rousing enemy of the state that he made his name as but as an album it is quite beautiful and a brilliant exposition of modern country Blues. ‘Handyman Blues’ is quite the best love song — singing to his love that he isn’t a handyman, just a songwriter and poet.

DID YOU KNOW...

Adele

has reportedly sparked frenzy as TV producers are desperate to book her. The singer came out of hiding for Awards Season after going on a short hiatus from the entertainment industry to care for her newborn son. After the Academy Awards Sunday night Adele said: ‘Maybe I’ll do a HBO special like Beyoncé [Knowles] did.' Within 24 hours, numerous multimillion-dollar deals were on the table.

TRENDING...

Pop superstar Jessie J is to play an extra date at the Eden Sessions this summer following huge demand for her ﬁrst show. The singer is one of the hottest pop stars on the planet right now, having hit the number one spot in 19 countries, selling 16 million singles and more than three million copies of her multi-platinum debut album Who You Are.

Rita Ora has joked Snoop Dogg was scared of the elephants when they visited Thailand. Whereas Rita enjoyed the experience, Snoop was apparently not so enamoured with the local wildlife. The pair have been working on a musical collaboration and ﬂew to Southeast Asia to shoot the accompanying video.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

spotlight

LA FEMME

Tease, Taj Vivanta is hosting Ladies Night tonight. So head to the pub to let go and have a blast.

TAKING CENTRE STAGE

HEALTH TALK 1

Members of FICCI Ladies Organisation turned up at the Park where Padma Bhushan Prof K Srinath Reddy gave a talk on Productivity & Public Health.

A STARRY DO Tollywood actress Richa Gangopadhyay inaugurated the new outlet of health care chain Star Homeopathy and Star Ayurveda at Tirupathi. Present at the event were directors Dr Murali Anki Reddy, Dr Rama Krishna, Dr Srinivasa Gupta and Dr Ravinder Reddy.

1 Ishita 2 Meeta, Sweety

5 Rajitha Singh 6 Manjula Narsa

3 Komal, Neetu

7 Manisha 8 Sumi, Suri 9 Kavitha

4 Meenakshi

ALL FOR

A CAUSE

Events like tambola and fashion show will be organised by JCI Hyderabad Deccan to raise funds for old age homes. A press conference was organised by the members at Golconda Hotel on Thursday.

GIRLS HAVE FUN

With Women’s Day around the corner, Sonia Sobti and Shikha Dasuja hosted a Pre-Women’s Day bash for members of Gorgeous Girls club at Rain Pub on Wednesday.

S BALAKRISHNA 1 Megha, Sonia 2 Sweety Saliya 3 Divya 4 Rashmeet, Sweta,

Shikha 5 Sonia, Neeta 6 Anjali

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

health

NOW, PUFFED RICE THAT'S HIGH ON PROTEIN

A super-nutritious, protein-rich form of puffed rice could make it to the breakfast table soon, say researchers in New York. The current process of making puffed rice by steam can destroy heat-sensitive nutrients. So Syed SH Rizvi, professor at Cornell University, looked for a way to avoid that loss and enrich rice with protein during the puffing process.

HEALTH FACTS

MYTH: Drinking water makes you lose weight FACT: When you drink too much water and substitute it for other foods and juices, you lose out on calories. So it is not because you are drinking water, but because you don’t drink or eat much of anything else that makes you lose weight. Too much water can dilute the sodium concentration and essential salts in your body and lead to health complications. The condition is known as hyponatremia, which can even lead to swelling in the brain. A complete, balanced diet and an active lifestyle is the healthy way to lose weight. MYTH: If you pluck out a white hair, more will grow

MYTH: 8 glasses of water a day

MYTHS deepashri.v@postnoon.com

Postoon takes a look at some of the popular myths related to hair care and water intake.

ANEWS PP-LYBRIEFS YOURSELF

MYTH: Oiling your hair makes it grow

MYTH: Your hair grows faster if your trim it

FACT: While massaging oil on the scalp can stimulate hair growth by improving blood circulation, and moisturise your hair, oil itself does not make your hair grow longer. Regular oil massages can be relaxing and make hair more manageable. But dirt and dust get deposited on the hair and scalp if there is too much oil, resulting in dandruff and other hair problems.

FACT: Hair grows from the roots and not the tips. Trimming your hair won’t make any difference to the hair follicles on the scalp. Trimming, however, helps get rid of spilt-ends, which make the hair look thin. It also causes the hair to break. So trimming the split-ends once in two months can prevent this.

HOUSECALL

iBrush

Osteoporosis

The world always looks brighter from behind a bright smile! iBrush teaches how to effectively and properly brush your teeth. You have 60 seconds to clean as many dirty spots as possible. Raise your score by cleaning the dirty spots and see the teeth go from yellow to white. Get into the right habits quickly with this app.

Osteoporosis is the weakening of bones in the body. It is caused by lack of calcium deposited in the bones. This lack of calcium causes the bones to become brittle, so they break easily. Some side effects are limping. Some symptoms late in the disease include pain in the bones, living in a wheelchair, and lower back pain due to spinal bone fractures. Elderly people are more likely to develop osteoporosis than younger people.

FACT: Why eight glasses? Why not nine or seven? No one seems to know. While drinking sufficient amount of water is important, too much water is not good either. It can lead to “water intoxication.” It can lead to nausea and vomiting, headache, lethargy, fatigue and appetite loss. It is essential not to ignore your thirst and experts advise you to drink only when you’re thirsty. They also advise spreading out the water intake throughout the say instead of taking large quantities at once to ease the load on the kidneys.

DEEPASHRI VARADHARAJAN

BUSTING COMMON

FACT: A new white hair may regrow in place of the one you plucked, but it will not affect the surrounding hair. There are two types of pigments that give hair its colour, and the lack of pigmentation causes greying. However, improper way of plucking hair may lead to infection or scarring.

DID YOU KNOW? Capillaries can cover the earth twice! There are enough tiny blood vessels called capillaries that if placed end to end they would stretch over 2 times around the earth. All this is done with just over a gallon of blood which circulates 1 000 times in a single day through the body on a daily 60,000-mile journey.

PIONEERS Rita Levi-Montalcini Italian neurologist Rita Levi-Montalcini was born in Turin in 1909 and knew early on that she wanted to study medicine. She was invited to study for one semester at Washington University in St Louis and ended up staying for 30 years, eventually becoming a professor. She and her colleague won the 1986 Nobel Prize for her discovery of a bodily substance that stimulates the growth of nerve cells.

health FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

RESEARCH

BREAKTHROUGH The higher a mum's weight, the greater was the baby's aorta wall thickness, irrespective of the baby’s birth weight.

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NEWBORNS PARIS: Thickened arteries, the first signs of heart disease, are emerging in babies born to overweight mothers, says a new study. The thickening of body's major artery, the aorta, which heralds heart disease, is independent of the child's birth weight. It may explain how obese mums, who make up more than half the women of child bearing age in the developed world, could heighten their babies' subsequent risk of cardiovascular disease, suggest authors of the study, reports the journal Foetal and Neonatal Edition of Archives of Disease of Childhood. A group of women, with an average age of 35

years, were included in the study when they were 16 weeks pregnant. Ten of the babies born were boys, and birth weights ranged from 1.85 kg to 4.31 kg, according to a Sydney University statement. The abdominal aorta, which is the section of the artery extending down to the belly, was scanned in each newborn within seven days of birth to find out the thickness of the two innermost walls — the intima and media. Intima-media thickness ranged from 0.65-0.97 mm, and was tied to the mother's weight. The higher a mum's weight, the greater was the baby's intima-media thickness, irrespective of how much the baby weighed at birth. "The earliest physical signs of atherosclerosis (clogging of the arteries) are present in the abdominal aorta, and aortic intima-media thickness is considered the best non-invasive measure of structural health of the vasculature in children," says Michael Skilton from the University of Sydney, who led the study. This may explain how a mother being overweight might affect her child's subsequent risk of heart disease and stroke later in life, the study said. IANS

STUDY

Mum's vit D levels linked to baby's food allergies BERLIN: High vitamin D levels in pregnant women may trigger food allergies in their babies after birth, says a new research. The study conducted by Kristin Weibe's team from Helmholtz used samples from the LINA cohort that the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Germany, established together with the St. Georg municipal clinic between 2006 and 2008. The long-term study included 622 mothers and their 629 children. The level of vitamin D was tested in the blood of pregnant mothers and also in the cord blood of the children born. In addition to this, questionnaires were used to assess the occurrence of food allergies during the first two years of the children's lives. The result: In cases where expectant mothers were found to have a low vitamin D level in the blood, the occurrence of food allergies among their two-yearold children was rarer than in cases where expectant mothers had a high vitamin D blood level. Vitamin D is believed to strengthen bones, protect against infections particularly during the cold winter months and aid the nervous and muscular systems, the journal Allergy reports. It has been used in the prevention and treatment of rickets in babies for around 50 years. However, recent scientific investigations are increasingly questioning the positive aspect of the "bone vitamin", according to a Helmholtz Centre statement. At the end of the 1990s, for the first time people's attention was drawn to a link between high vitamin D levels and the development of allergies. IANS

Pregnancy-safe anti-nausea drug WASHINGTON: Morning sickness is an all-too-common side effect of pregnancy, and a new study out Wednesday said a medication used to treat the most serious cases is safe for fetuses. The trials of pregnancyinduced nausea — and its more devastating cousin, hyperemesis gravidarum — have made headlines lately, with celebrity moms and moms-to-be from Kate Middleton to Kate Winslet

publicly suffering through it. More than half of pregnant women report symptoms and between 10 and 15 percent need drug treatment, according to the authors whose study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. While there was no approved treatment, the researchers said a medication approved to treat the nausea from cancer drugs called Zofran, or

ondansetron, became doctors' go-to weapon against severe cases of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. But it had "not been well studied" in terms of fetal health, they added. The researchers examined data from more than 600,000 pregnancies in Denmark, about a fifth of whom had taken Zofran, and found no indication of any major problems at birth that could be linked to the

drug. The researchers compared rates of miscarriage, still birth, premature delivery, low birth weights and infants who were small for their gestational age. "Ondansetron taken during pregnancy was not associated with a significantly increased risk of adverse fetal outcomes," said the authors. The study was funded by the Danish Medical Research Council. AFP

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

Entertainment CINE BYTES

A birthday gift ahesh Babu’s upcoming M film under Sukumar’s V direction is expected to release on August 9, which happens to be Mahesh Babu’s birthday. The film will be extensively shot in London for almost 40 days and the entire shooting is expected to be wrapped up by June. Kriti Sanon is making her debut and DSP is scoring the music.

ALL SET

Varun Sandesh’s new film launched

arun Sandesh’s new film titled Ee Varsham Sakshiga was launched recently in Hyderabad. Ramana Mogili is going to helm this film. Hari Priya is playing the lead role opposite Varun Sandesh. The film’s main shooting has already begun and the first schedule will go on till March 21.

Advani gets emotional

GV’s latest film The Attacks of 26/11 has impressed some prominent politicians in New Delhi and RGV was thrilled with the response from the audinece. “Advaniji had tears in his eyes by the end of the film nd his daughter Pratibhaji was visibly affected (Sic),” RGV posted on Twitter.

SUNIL

has his hands full this year

unil has his hands full this year with as many as four projects to his credit. Ever since his previous film, Poolarangadu turned out to be a huge hit, Sunil has been flooded with offers. First among them is Mr Pellikoduku, a remake of Tanu Weds Manu, which released across the state today. Sunil has played the role of an NRI who comes to India to meet his prospective bride. Isha Chawla has played the lead role and Devi Prasad has directed it. Producers NV Prasad and Paras Jain are quite confident about the film’s success and talking about the film, Paras Jain said, “We are not worried that the film is releasing when students get busy with their exams. In fact, Mr Pellikoduku will be a great stress buster. Sunil and Isha Chawla have done a great job in the film.” S A Rajkumar has scored the music.After Mr Pellikoduku, Sunil will soon be seen in Kishore Kumar’s upcoming film which is a remake of Vettai. Sunil is playing the role of a police officer and Naga Chaitanya is playing his brother’s role. The film is likely to hit the screens in May. Meanwhile, he has already begun shooting for Uday Shankar’s next film which is being produced by Suresh Babu. He recently signed yet another film which will be produced by Bujji and newcomer Vikram Siri is going to direct the film. There’s also a buzz that Sunil has agreed to act in writer Gopimohan’s directorial debut project later this year.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

fashion

INSPIRING WOMEN

BEYONCĂ&#x2030; KNOWLES, Salma Hayek and Frida Giannini have launched a new Gucci global campaign for female empowerment, Chime For Change. The initiative aims to raise funds and awareness in support of projects for girls and women around the world, through sharing "powerful stories" about inspiring females.

MISSONI The hair at Missoni had dual texture: sleek around the crown and flowing in back. The make-up was highlighted by pastel shades.

DOLCE & GABBANA

GUCCI

Every model was a queen at the Dolce & Gabbana runway show. A winged eyeliner and ruby lipstick set off the bedazzled crowns perfectly.

At Gucci, eyes were encircled in a rusty purple shade with flicks of silver worked in. The rest of the face was kept fairly neutral.

A DATE WITH

STYLE

While the fashion wagon has moved to Paris, we could not just get over Milan. We take time out to round up the best accessories and make-up looks that became the highlight of the Milan Fashion Week- Autumn/ Winter 2013.

JUST CAVALLI

MAX MARA

BOTTEGA VENETA

Crimped hair is still having a revival according to the Just Cavalli fashion show. Middle parts were framed with zigzag waves and eyes were rimmed with sooty eyeliner.

The models at Max Mara donned smooth blow dries that were parted in the centre with two-toned eye makeup and soft-pink lips.

The voluminous curls showed, featured a deep side part and a bobby-pin accent. The look was completed with natural-looking make-up and a matte red lipstick.

22&23

FOOT POWER

KARL LAGERFELD has unveiled a preview of his collaboration with footwear brand Melissa. The four-piece collection is the first in a series of ranges to be rolled out over the next four seasons.

From the typical statement necklaces to exquisitely jewelled earrings the size of your hands, there's nothing subtle about the way in which you will be finishing off outfits with next season's style must-haves. So cover up in swathes of faux fur and sport killer bags, as we give you Milan's extra large selection of awe-inspiring accessoriesâ&#x20AC;Ś CITY STYLE STAPLES: For those of you who are more fond of a classic cut tote with discreet finish, here are a selection of designs by Aigner, Sportmax , Max Mara which are the perfect office style update.

PUCCI Pucci's hair and makeup look was simple yet chic.

A P ND H U E K A

ANIMAL PRINT BAGS:

S S O RIES E C C A THE FINISHING CLUTCH:

Think crocodile, snake, and psychedelic zebra patterns. Big or small, this season it's all about the print as seen on the bags of Bottega Veneta, Philipp Plein and Fendi.

The perfect evening accessory, all of the clutches at the runways of Milan featured details such as tassels or a patent shine to complement the outfits on the runways of Sportmax, Aigner and Bottega Veneta

DO NOT MISS: Next to necklaces, earrings are the other essential item of jewellery that you won't be able to miss next season. Francesco Scognamiglio, Roccobarocco and Alberta Ferretti's looks featured embossed ear cuffs and large drop designs.

STATEMENT NECKLACES: VERSACE The girls at Versace were given a bit of edge with black liner that went all the way around the eyes and a sleek hairstyle that felt more tough than sweet.

There was a dragon-shaped design by Blugirl, an exquisite shape that will no doubt be replicated amongst high street designers as was a huge metallic pink number by Roberto Cavalli and padlock design by Versace.

SECOND SKIN: Faux fur also featured itself amongst the jackets, gilets and oversized hats of the upcoming season. Efficient winter styling at its best as seen on the runways of Blugirl Maurizio Pecoraro, Roberto Cavalli and Marni.

Entertainment FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

Chai Time

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

There is no calamity greater than lavish desires. There is no greater guilt than discontentment. And there is no greater disaster than greed. – Lao-tzu

KAKURO

QUICK CROSSWORD

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 Get ___ of (eliminate) 4 Mexican-American 11 They prosecute perps 14 Is, for more than one 15 Titles differently 16 ‘Now’ or ‘long’ preceder 17 Kid’s lunch, perhaps 19 Frequent Warhol subject 20 Woman’s name in a Beethoven title 21 Skewer offerings (Var) 23 Mortise’s partner 25 Ultimate degree 28 The ‘A’ in A/V 29 Granola bar morsel 30 ‘Take ___ Train’ 32 Back of the bus 33 Baltimore catcher, say 37 Cow in milk ads 39 Patti LaBelle hit 43 Low end of the deck 44 Consisting of more than one 46 It has feet in a line 49 Stone paving block 51 Spanish mama bear 52 Madison’s neat roomie 54 Homer Simpson outburst 55 Stares with open mouth 57 Observed visiting 59 Makes, as a salary 61 Features 62 Threats along the beach 67 Final (Abbr) 68 Candidate who lost 69 Diner’s snippet 70 Abbr of politeness 71 Insecure bettors 72 Test, as patience

DOWN

1 Former British rule in India 2 Tax-deferral vehicle, for short 3 Senility 4 Jeanne of ‘State Fair’ 5 Cacklers in coops 6 Start a new paragraph 7 Blackbird’s call 8 ‘What ___ bid?’ 9 Flamingo feature 10 Milo of ‘The Verdict’ 11 Solve, as a cryptogram 12 Petroleum-packed peninsula 13 Motion detector part 18 ___-mo (replay technique) 22 Chest of drawers 23 A number’s homophone 24 Counterpart of a count 26 In that direction 27 Skipper’s spot 31 On the double, briefly 34 They’re often out 35 Caustic cleanser 36 Ostrichlike birds 38 Mariah Carey’s ‘___ Be There’ 40 Got a top grade on 41 Finesse stroke in tennis 42 Relaxed condition 45 ___ Palmas (Canary Islands port) 46 Pecs strengthener 47 Early tie 48 Casts out from the body 50 ‘___ coming to take me away!’ 53 Hindu prince 55 Shows satisfaction, in a way 56 True or false (Abbr) 58 Kind of ‘vision’ or ‘type’ 60 Way out there 63 Drug that might cause flashbacks 64 Nautical journal 65 Be inaccurate 66 Shoat’s home

Chai Time FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 2-3-2013

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

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Major misunderstanding with brothers will be resolved; a cordial situation will continue hereafter. Artists might not have enough opportunities but the financial position will be strong so that they will manage even though income is less.

STRIP TEASE AGNES

Those awaiting marriage will get favourable news. Businessmen will see good and fortunate times and flourish. Profits too will jump beyond expectations. Long pending debt issues may haunt you; you might be forced to sell some assets.

Children will do well and make you happy and proud. Be careful in travel or driving as minor accident likely. As expenses increase, proper planning is necessary to monitor and prioritise needs. Businessmen can expect profitable changes in their line.

Couples will be more affectionate towards each other. Artists will earn name and fame with their recent performance get appreciation. Employees advised to exercise patience as their transfer and promotion issues are under active consideration.

Businessmen have good growth in business as well in financial position but they might face stiff competition. Need to take strict measures to forge ahead. Because of sincere efforts, artists will bag good opportunities, which will bring them fame.

Indirect opposition is likely to upset you. Employees will feel cheerful as their demands will get fulfilled by the management. Financially, a very strong position is likely. Children’s behaviour might upset you; their attitude is in for a change.

Govt sops likely for businessmen and work related to govt will end without delay. Women will be extremely happy as they get support from the spouse and all family members. Media persons will be in the limelight. Politicians will be very active.

Minor obstacles in getting work done in time likely for employees because of which they face ire of superiors. Businessmen need to keep their cool as partners might create lots of problems. Turning point most likely; it will keep your cheerful.

Those doing business with partners have long-pending issues resolved and good times are ahead. Bonding between couples will get stronger and they will be affectionate towards each other. You execute work with perfection and earn a name.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail. com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

Ace of Pentacles – Your strength is your focus and intent to get a job done. Your coworkers may be quite jealous of this ability of yours. But your bosses love you.

LEO:

Three of Cups – Celebration time! Good news is on the way. You hear that you got the project, or you’re appreciated for all your hard work with a raise.

LIBRA:

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

The Moon – Mood swings are possible. Don’t let this affect your relationships, especially with close family members. Guard against making hasty decisions.

SAGITTARIUS:

Judgement – Don’t get impatient if you haven’t been able to achieve your short-term goals. Re-jig your plans and work them out as per the new plan.

TAURUS:

The Chariot – Travel is indicated. You may be going someplace to check out a new job or to move in order to manage your finances better.

CANCER:

Eight of Swords – Bonds are being severed. This is unlikely to affect very strong relationships though. Someone is going to rock your boat. Be prepared.

VIRGO:

Nine of Swords – Pay attention to your dreams. Something is bothering you, and the answer to that lies in your dreams. You may be restless and anxious.

SCORPIO:

The Empress – Love is in the air. You cherish the wine and dine. You and partner should enrol in a dance class or something that makes you spend time together.

CAPRICORN:

Ten of Wands – If you’re a manager at work or home, learn to delegate responsibilities. Even that is a lot of work. You cannot do it all by yourself.

PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

Five of Cups – Some form of loss is indicated. You probably did not account for this loss when you were planning. It cannot be avoided either.

NUMBER GAME

tacles – You’re focused, determined and moving ahead in the right path. At times, you wish you had good company. It’s hard to come by.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: Knight of Pen-

POOCH CAFE

Expenses likely to go beyond expectations, which might upset you. You will be able to resolve all issues wisely and win accolades. Minor tension in the family likely, but issues will be resolved soon. Speculation might bring moderate gains.

for 2-3-2013

Nine of Pentacles – You’re happiest when surrounded by favourite things – books, music, theatre, etc. Don’t alienate yourself from society in your quest for happiness.

NON SEQUITUR

Businessmen will see rise in the business volume and profits are likely to jump. Employees need to focus on work; else delay is unavoidable. Enemies might try to create trouble; You will gain an upper hand soon. Health looks fine.

SUDUKO

Trouble likely through unknown persons; be cautious. Health problem likely; take good care. Though financial inflow is good, unexpected expenses might upset you. Employees heave a sigh of relief as trouble mongers will be transferred.

Boggle TAFT TRUMAN ARTHUR CLINTON HARRISON Vol: 2, No 224 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

Entertainment FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013 CINE BYTES

MEMORABILIA LAWRENCE’S SILVER LININGS...

Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen Split

achel McAdams is back on the market. The actress has ended her real-life romance with Midnight in Paris costar Michael Sheen, a source conﬁrms to Us Weekly. McAdams, 34, and Sheen, 44, took their romance public in October 2010 after meeting on the naturally romantic set of Woody Allen’s ﬁlm.

Chris Cooper to Play Green Goblin

scar winner Chris Cooperhas signed on to play Norman Osborn in Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 for Columbia Pictures. The character of Osborn is pivotal in the franchise because he is the alter ego of the Green Goblin, which was played by Willem Dafoe in the original Spider-Man trilogy.

Damon to renew wedding vows in lavish way

ctor Matt Damon is reportedly planning to marry wife Luciana Barroso again in a larger than life way. Damon and Barroso got married in Manhattan Marriage Bureau in April 2005 in a small ceremony but wants to his celebrate anniversary by renewing vows in a big bash, reports nypost.com. “They had a really low-key wedding in Manhattan so now they want to do something bigger,” a source said. IANS

CLOTHES UP FOR AUCTION

scar-wining actress Jennifer Lawrence’s some outfits which she wore in Silver Linings Playbook are up for auction. The 22-year-old walked away with the best actress prize at the 85th Academy Awards for her performance in David O’Russell-directed movie. Now memorabilia dealer Nate D Sanders has put several items, including the skin-tight white dance pants that Lawrence wore in the film, up for sale in an online auction that will end Thursday, reports femalefirst.co.uk. There are five items altogether, and auction experts expect them sell for between $500 and $1,500. “She’s now on the record for having an Academy Award, which definitely gives it (the items) status now,” said a spokesperson of the auction house. IANS

sports

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

ANIMAL RIGHTS THE INDIAN TURF INVITATION CUP RACECARD

Native Knight for Stayers Cup Native Knight looks good for the Stayers Cup and Sunday Strom is the favourite to win the Oasis Star Sprinters’ Cup, the feature events of Saturday, the biggest annual day of Indian horseracing, scheduled this year at Kolkata. 1.The Japan Trophy (Div - 1); a handicap for horses rated 2045, rated 00-25 eligible; (about) 1100 metres; 12:45pm 1 Charlie Cool 62.00 (44) Imran Chisty 2 Secret Romance 61.00 (42) Valdir De`Souza 3 Miss Watermelon 59.50 (39) B Mahesh 4 Rithambhra 57.50 (35) Sk Zaffar Riaz 5 Flying Boy 54.50 (29) Dashrath Singh 6 I Command 54.00 (28) Sameer Khan 7 Apple Candy 52.50 (25) Ankit Kumar 8 Rewarding 51.50 (23) B Sreekanth 9 Thrice Blessed 50.00 (19) Kishore Kadam Selections: 1 Charlies Cool 2 Flying Boy 3 Rewarding

4 5 3 7 1 2 6 9 8

2. The Bookmakers` Association Cup (Sw); a handicap for horses rated 80 and above, rated 60-85 eligible; (about) 2000 metres; 1:15pm 1 Su Chaliyo 65.00 (110) Imran Chisty 2 Aerator 63.00 (106) C Alford 3 Vijay Monarch 61.50 (103) B Sreekanth 4 Razmaden 57.50 (95) P Kamlesh 5 Silverina 57.50 (95) PS Chouhan 6 Araceli 52.00 (84) Shailesh Shinde 7 Stupid Cupid 50.00 (75) Carlos Henrique Selections: 1 Su Chaliyo 2 Vijay Onarch 3 Stupid Cupid

5 2 6 4 1 7 3

3. The Japan Trophy (Div - I); a handicap for horses rated 2045, rated 00-25 eligible; (about) 1100 metres; 1:45pm 1 Ocean Clipper 62.50 (45) Imran Chisty 2 Songstress 61.50 (43) Shezad Khan 3 Trrust In Me 60.00 (40) S Zervaan 4 Angels Quest 57.50 (35) Vikram Jodha 5 Speed Angel 56.50 (33) Afzal Khan 6 Synch 54.00 (28) Nelson Maseyk 7 Sreeyantra 53.00 (26) Zarar Alam 8 Al Di La 52.00 (24) C S Jodha 9 Nine Tenors 51.00 (22) Carlos Henrique Selections: 1 Trrust In Me 2 Nine Tenors 3 Speed Angel

8 3 7 9 5 6 4 2 1

4. The Cross Cup; a handicap for horses rated 20-45, rated 00-25 eligible; (about) 1400 metres; 2:15pm 1 Sergeant Major 62.50 (45) 2 Sky Glider 62.50 (45) 3 Zoffany 62.00 (44) 4 Skyscraper 61.50 (43) 5 Voyager 61.50 (43) 6 Victorian Vice 61.00 (42) 7 Abarth 60.00 (40) 8 Riverdown Empress (Ire)60.00 (40)

Imran Chisty 2 B Mahesh 8 Vikash Tamang 13 C S Jodha 9 Martin J Dwyer 7 Md Azharuddin 11 S John 5 PS Chouhan 3

9 Araneda 58.50 (37) Shailesh Shinde 10 Moment Of Love 57.50 (35) D Gnaneshwar 11 Promissory Note 54.00 (28) Surjeet Singh 12 Sham Sunder 54.00 (28) Shezad Khan 13 Eternal Instinct 50.50 (21) Arman Khan Selections: 1 Abarth 2 Riverdown Empress 3 Voyager

7 Shaktiroop 54.50 P Kamlesh 8 Bengal King 52.00 Carlos Henrique 9 Giocrat 52.00 Dashrath Singh 10 Sur La Tete 50.50 A Sandesh Selections: 1 Adabella 2 Captaincouravgeous 3 Bengal King

8 5 4 3

5. The Two In One Cup; a handicap for horses rated 40-65, rated 20-45 eligible; (about) 1200 metres;2:50pm

8. The Oasis Star Sprinters` Cup (Grade I) (Terms); for Indian horses 4 years old & over; (about) 1200 metres; 4:30pm

1 Agent Archie 62.50 (65) Shailesh Shinde 13 2 Goliath 61.00 (62) Arman Khan 4 3 Our Chieftain 59.50 (59) B Sreekanth 3 4 Xavier 59.50 (59) Vikash Tamang 15 5 Amika 59.00 (58) Jimmy Fortune 8 6 Ocean Sunrise 58.00 (56) D Gnaneshwar 14 7 Red Passion 58.00 (56) Vinay Jaiswal 5 8 Masteroftheseas 57.00 (54) Valdir De`Souza 2 9 Burst of Stardust 55.50 (51) David Allan 9 10 Leandro Late Tintin 55.50 (51) P Trevor 1 11 Snow Ball 55.00 (50) Martin J Dwyer 7 12 Cee Four 53.50 (47) Kishore Kadam 10 13 Iconic 53.50 (47) P Kamlesh 6 14 Royal Saga 53.50 (47) Sameer Khan 11 15 Gorgeous 53.00 (46) Gajender Singh 12 Selections: 1 Our Chieftain 2 Amika 3 Burst of Stardust

1 Arrow in Auto Mode 59.00 (99) Carlos Henrique 11 2 Bullet 59.00 (107) Dashrath Singh 13 3 Crown Rule 59.00 (120) S Zervaan 10 4 Kohinoor Wish 59.00 (117) S John 9 5 Nefyn 59.00(123) Jimmy Fortune 4 6 River Star 59.00 (113) Imran Chisty 14 7 Secret Punch 59.00 (108) Valdir De`Souza 1 8 Speed Six 59.00 (120) P Trevor 12 9 Successor 59.00 (113) R Marshall 5 10 Sunday Storm 59.00 (119) Martin J Dwyer 2 11 Klipspringer 57.50 (108) David Allan 7 12 Master Bullet 56.50 (114) CS Jodha 8 13 Shivalik Star 56.50 (104) C Alford 6 14 Bullseye 55.00 (88) R Hughes 3 Selections: 1 Sunday Storm 2 Kohinoor Wish 3 Klipstringer

6. The Stayers` Cup (Grade I) (Terms); for Indian horses 4 years old & over; (about) 3000 metres; 3:20pm

9. The Ardiles Cup; A handicap for horses rated 60-85, rated 40-65 eligible; (about) 1600 metres; 5:15pm

1 Astapi 59.00 (114) R Hughes 2 Camorra 59.00 (108) David Allan 3 Native Knight 59.00 (119) Dashrath Singh 4 Star Marquess 59.00 (101) B Sreekanth 5 Unleashed 59.00 (112) C Alford 6 Abriella 57.50 (105) Shailesh Shinde 7 Drop of Honey 57.50 (114) S John 8 Spark of Silver 57.50 (104) Valdir De`Souza 9 Vijays Champ 54.00 (87) PS Chouhan Selections: 1 Native Knight 2 Star Marquess 3 Vijays Champ

7 1 2 6 5 3 9 4 8

7. The Olympia Tech Park Million (Sw) (Terms); for horses 3 years old only; (about) 1400 metres; 3:55pm 1 Captain Courageous 2 Multimagic 3 Adabella 4 Cristoffe 5 Gentle Knowledge 6 Paras Mani

58.00 58.00 56.50 56.00 56.00 54.50

RETURN OF THE KING Khan to fight Diaz at Sheffield in April LOS ANGELES: Former light-welterweight world champion Amir Khan (left) of Britain will fight in his homeland for the first time in two years when he faces Mexico’s Julio Diaz in April, promoters said on Thursday. “Return of the King” will be staged April 27 in Sheffield between the Bolton fighter and former world champion Diaz on a card that also

6 1 4 10 12

features the professional debut of London Olympic bronze medalist Anthony Ogogo of Britain. Khan, 27-3 with 19 knockouts, and Diaz, 407 with one draw and 29 knockouts, will meet at a catchweight of 143 pounds in a homecoming bout that Khan hopes will boost his chances of reclaiming his world title. AFP

B Sreekanth Shezad Khan C Alford P Trevor Martin J Dwyer Shailesh Shinde

7 6 10 1 9 2

1 Lake Leader 60.00 (79) Vikash Tamang 2 Al Attaturk 56.50 (72) P Kamlesh 3 Gluteus Maximus 54.50 (68) DK Ashish 4 Imperial Delight 54.50 (68) Shailesh Shinde 5 Smart Hunter 54.50 (68) P Trevor 6 Cafe Del Monte 54.00 (67) CS Jodha 7 Credit Ease 54.00 (67) A Sandesh 8 Enchanted Forest 54.00 (67) David Allan 9 Snow Mountain 51.00 (61) Imran Chisty 10 What A Feeling 51.00 (61) Dashrath Singh Selections: 1 Smart Hunter 2 Enchanted Forest 3 Snow Mountain

10 2 8 6 7 9 3 1 4 5

Day’s Best: Native Knight Jackpot Race Nos: 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 1st Treble Race Nos: 1, 2 and 3 2nd Treble Racenos: 4, 5 and 6 3rd Treble Race Nos: 7, 8 and 9 Tanala Pool will operate on all races where there are five or more starters.

NBA BLENDS WITH POLITICS

Jong-Un meets ‘The Worm’ SEOUL: Flamboyant former NBA star Dennis Rodman has become the most high-profile American to meet the new leader of North Korea, vowing eternal friendship with Kim Jong-Un at a basketball game in Pyongyang. At a time of heightened US-North Korean tensions following Pyongyang’s recent nuclear test, the man who once dated Madonna brought his charm to bear on the leader of the impoverished, isolated state.

Kim Jong-Un (bottom L) applaudes as he sits next to NBA star Dennis Rodman at a basketball game in Pyongyang.

“You have a friend for life,” Rodman told Kim in a speech after Thursday’s match between a North

Korean side against a US team featuring members of the Harlem Globetrotters which ended in a diplomatic 110-110 tie. His comments were recorded in a statement by the New York-based VICE media company, which organised Rodman’s trip Pictures showed Rodman in dark glasses and laughing next to a delighted Kim, who was dressed in a blue Mao suit with a lapel pin bearing the likeness of his father Kim Jong-Il. AFP

sports

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

HONDA CLASSIC

DELRAY BEACH INTERNATIONAL

Camilo Villegas in lead An eagle at the par-five 18th lifted Camilo Villegas to a one-stroke first-round lead at the Honda Classic. PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA: An eagle at the par-five 18th lifted Camilo Villegas (right) to a one-stroke first-round lead on Thursday at the Honda Classic, scene of the Colombian’s last US PGA Tour win in 2010. Villegas’s strong finish capped a sparkling round of 64 on the par-70 PGA National course, following four earlier birdies. The 31-year-old, who won by five strokes here two years ago for the most recent of his three US titles, hit 10 of 14 fairways and 14 greens in regulation and produced nine one-putts. Villegas had a one-stroke lead over Branden Grace of South Africa, Canadian Graham DeLaet and Americans Rickie Fowler and Robert Streb. The six-under par round was a welcome return to form for Villegas, who missed nine cuts in 25 starts last season, lost his tour card and has missed two of three cuts so far this

year. The Colombian said living nearby and liking the course is a help. “I’m sleeping in my own bed, I’ve got mom and dad here, I’ve got good

home cooking. There’s a lot of good things, a lot of good vibes around here, and maybe that has to do with my good play.” A group of 10 tied on 66 includes England’s Lee Westwood, South Korean Seung-yul Noh and Americans Dustin Johnson and Boo Weekley. Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell and South Korea’s Y.E. Yang were among another 14 players on 67. World number one Rory McIlroy, whose victory here last year catapulted him to the top of the world rankings for the first time, carded an evenpar 70, as did 14-time major champion and world number two Tiger Woods. Both countered two bogeys with two birdies. Woods went off the beaten track to post his par round, doffing his shoes and socks and getting his feet wet to play his half-submerged ball out of a water hazard and back to the fairway at the sixth hole, his 15th of the round. AFP

Haas advances, Querrey falls DELRAY BEACH: Top seed John Isner fired 15 aces in a 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 victory over Japan’s Go Soeda on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the ATP Delray Beach International Championships. The American player broke Soeda twice in the 75-minute match to book a meeting with defending champion Kevin Anderson of South Africa. Anderson, seeded sixth, continued his comeback from elbow surgery with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Taiwan’s Lu Yen-Hsun. German second seed Tommy Haas also advanced to the quarters of the $455,775 tournament, but US third seed Sam Querrey was eliminated. Haas ousted Uzbek Denis Istomin 6-4, 6-1, moving on in 67 minutes without facing a break point, while Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis outlasted Querrey 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4). Next for Haas will be a Friday quarter-final against Croatian Ivan Dodig, who downed Russia’s Evgeny Donskoy 6-3, 7-5. Gulbis will face fellow qualifier Daniel Munoz, a Spaniard who outlasted Belgium’s Xavier Malisse 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-3 to reach the last eight in a match that was halted Wednesday in the first set by rain. The persistent showers meant no matches were finished Wednesday, leaving all of the second round to be completed Thursday. AFP

PARIS-NICE RACE STAGES PARIS: The following are the stages for the 71st edition of the Paris-Nice race, which starts on Sunday: MARCH 3: Prologue - Houilles, 2.9 km individual time trial MARCH 4: 1st stage - SaintGermain-en-Laye - Nemours, 195 km MARCH 5: 2nd stage - Vimory Cerilly, 200.5 km MARCH 6: 3rd stage - ChatelGuyon - Brioude, 170.5 km March 7 - 4th stage - Brioude Saint-Vallier, 199.5 km MARCH 8: 5th stage Chateauneuf-du-Pape - Montagne de Lure, 176 km MARCH 9: 6th stage - Manosque Nice, 220 km MARCH 10: 7th stage - Nice - Col d’Eze - 9.6 km individual time trial

Race on to succeed Wiggins ANDY SCOTT Agence France-Presse PARIS: The absence of 2012 winner Bradley Wiggins (in pic) from the field means the race is wide open to emerge triumphant at this year’s Paris-Nice, which gets underway on Sunday. This will be the 71st edition of the Race to the Sun, which marks the start of the European cycling season and provides a hint of what might be to come on the Tour de France before attentions turn towards the spring classics. Wiggins has opted not to defend his title as he focuses on preparing for the Giro d’Italia, but there are no shortage of

potential winners heading into a race that is tailored initially for sprinters before finishing

with a mountain time trial on the Col-d’Eze on March 10. David Millar of Garmin-

Sharp, a winner of the prologue back in 2007, is one of the few British riders competing with Wiggins not there, although he will be performing a supporting role to the team’s leading contender Andrew Talansky. “It’s a very difficult one, the first big stage race of the year and the weather’s generally not that conducive to cycling,” Millar told Cyclingnews. Names like Tom Boonen, Alessandro Petacchi and Heinrich Haussler have won stages on Paris-Nice before and will be contenders if they can make an impression on the opening days. But the chance could be there for others, such as Nicolas Roche of Ireland. AFP

SPORTS BRIEFS Livestrong vows to carry on

Anand draws with Gelfand

Race walker Deakes retires

Semis’ date for Rohan, Mahesh

CHICAGO: The anti-cancer charity founded

ZURICH: Victory eluded world champion

SYDNEY: Australian race walker Nathan Dea-

DUBAI: Long time friends Rohan Bopanna and Mahesh Bhupathi set up the semi-final clash of the Dubai Tennis Championships against each other after winning quarter-finals with their respective partners, here on Thursday. Unseeded Bopanna and Ram hit seven aces and converted one of seven break point opportunities to beat Victor Hanescu and Lukas Rosol 4-6, 7-5, 10-4 in 79 minutes. Later in the day, Bhupathi and Llodra also came from behind to oust the fourth seeded pair of Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski 4-6 6-4 10-8 in a fiercely fought match.

by disgraced US cyclist Lance Armstrong will survive despite the doping scandal that forced Armstrong out of the organization, Livestrong Foundation’s boss said Thursday. “Will the Livestrong Foundation survive? Yes. Absolutely yes,” Andy Miller, head of Livestrong operations, said in what was billed as a “major” speech at the foundation’s annual meeting in Chicago. “Our work is too meaningful, our role too unique, the need too great, to stand for any other answer.”

Viswanathan Anand yet again as he played out a fourth draw in five games, against Boris Gelfand of Israel, and remained at the bottom after the fifth and penultimate round of the Zurich Chess Challenge here. Following a shock defeat in the previous round against Fabiano Caruana from Italy, Anand looked for sharp play against Gelfand but his efforts did not yield the desirable result as the Israeli first pressed for an advantage and had little problems in holding out a draw in the end.

kes on Friday announced his immediate retirement from athletics after a long career which included a world title and a record in the 50km. Deakes, 35, also won a bronze medal in the men’s 20km walk at the 2004 Athens Olympics. But his biggest successes were in the longer event -- a 50km world record (3:35:47) set in December 2006 and a world championships gold medal the following year in Osaka, Japan. Deakes, who withdrew from the Beijing Olympics because of injury, last competed internationally at the 2012 London Games.

sports

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

AUSTRALIA’S TOUR OF INDIA

‘We need to be aggressive’ The Australians need to play aggressive cricket and be at their absolute best if they are to beat India in the second Test match, Shane Watson said. HYDERABAD: The Australians need to play their aggressive brand of cricket and be at their absolute best if they are to beat India in the second Test match, visiting all-rounder Shane Watson said on Thursday. Watson, who is featuring in the team only as a batsman these days, said their side is determined to do well after suffering a heavy defeat in the series-opener in Chennai. "We need to win this Test match. We need to be certainly at our absolute best to beat India. They played very well in the first Test. Ashwin bowled beautifully in those conditions and M S Dhoni batted unbelievably well to take the game away from our reach. So we have to be certainly at our absolute best," Watson said after team's practice session here. "We need to play our aggressive brand of cricket where we

Warner hit by bug POSTNOON NEWS HYDERABAD: Australia’s David Warner missed the training session, on Thursday, for the second Test match against India suffering from a bout of gastroenteritis. The 26-year-old player faced a similar problem during the second innings of the first Test match in Chennai. During that innings he was forced to come after the fall of the first wicket instead of opening the innings with Ed Cowan. The remainig squad attended the training session which lasted till early afternoon. Warner’s illness would be a cause of concern for the Australain side as at this point of time they would not want any of their key players sitting out of the playing XI.

PITCHES FOR TEST MATCHES

MELBOURNE: Australia's newly-appointed spin mentor Stuart MacGill has warned the team against bringing in Xavier Doherty for the second Test as he feels the left-arm tweaker is "not a Test bowler" and the move would boomerang on the visitors. "Xavier Doherty is a great guy, but he is not a Test bowler," MacGill, told The Daily Telegraph. "I'm sure he is awesome for the team dynamic and in the past five years I would say he has been in Australia's top three short-form spinners. He is a fantastic short-form bowler, but I don't think Xavier brings that to Test cricket and his first-class record supports my argument," he said. Macgill said Nathan Lyon, who took four for 244 in the first Test, should be paired with Glenn Maxwell, the million-dollar buy of this year's IPL players' auction, in the second Test.

FORCE INDIA

Sutil completes line-up

Unhappy Miandad calls on ICC LAHORE: Pakistan great Javed Miandad (in pic) is not happy with the state of pitches being prepared for Test matches around the world these days and feels the ICC needs to keep a watch on the quality of turfs. Miandad, who also works as Director-General of cricket in the Pakistan Cricket Board, said while he agreed with the concept that Test cricket is all about learn-

Virat Kohli practices during a training session at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket stadium, in the city, ahead of the Second Test against Australia on Friday. M. ANIL KUMAR

are best as a team. We need to find a way to make sure that we play that brand of cricket. We will be making sure as a team go out there and make sure that we are really up for the contest," he added. Watson did not reveal if Australia will play an extra spinner in the second Test match, beginning Saturday. "I think that is something selectors are weighing at the moment. No doubt that India's game plan in Chennai was significantly different from ours as we saw in the second innings when their quick bowlers hardly had four or five overs which is a big contrast to what our team did. Option are going to be there. We have a game plan and have a team which cansucceed," he said. Watson seems to be happy with the wicket being offered for the second Test at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

Doherty is not a Test bowler: MacGill

ing curve for players, he felt some of the pitches used in recent Test matches didn't promote competitive cricket. "As a former Test player I can say that even Pakistan got to play on Test pitches in South Africa which had variable bounce. I can understand how difficult it is to adapt on such surfaces against a top class pace attack that South Africa has these days," he said.

NEW DELHI: Ending months of speculation, Sahara Force India on Thursday completed its drivers-line up by bringing back Adrian Sutil (right) as one of its race drivers for the Formula One 2013 season. The development means that there will be no Indian driver on the F1 grid this season since Narain Karthikeyan was also linked to this seat but missed out. Karthikeyan raced for Hispania in 2012 but the team found it difficult to continue in the expensive sport and opted out, leaving the Indian without a job. Sutil joins teammate Paul di Resta to complete Force India's drivers line-up with Jules Bianchi as reserve driver.

Sutil had raced for Force India till 2011 but was dropped last year after being implicated in an assault case. He was replaced by Nico Hulkenberg,

who now has moved to Suber. The 2013 campaign will be Adrian's fifth racing season for the side and sixth in F1. He will test for the team this week in Barcelona, driving on Friday and Saturday. Paul Di Resta will be back in the car on Sunday. "The decision over our driver line-up has not been an easy one and we have given it great consideration over the last few months. It was a close call, but ultimately we felt that Adrian's experience and historic links to the team gave him the edge, and will provide us with the best possible chance of realising our ambitions for the coming season," Team Principal Vijay Mallya said. PTI

SPORTS BRIEFS Mary Kom gets promised land

Jeev lies third in Tshwane Open

Calls for Misbah's removal unfair: Qasim

NEW DELHI: London Olympics bronze-medallist pugilist M C Mary Kom has finally been alloted the plot of land promised to her by the Manipur government to expand her boxing academy. "The managing board/committee of Mary Kom Regional Boxing Foundation would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to the Government of Manipur; Hon'ble CM. Shri. O Ibobi Singh and his Cabinet for allotting 3.30 acres of land, No. 21/109/2011-R as approved by the cabinet on 19/02/2013 for construction of infrastructure for the existing boxing academy of MC Mary Kom at National Games Village, Langol," a release from the Mary Kom Regional Boxing Foundation stated. The land was promised to her in August last year after she won a bronze medal in the London Olympics, where women's boxing made its debut, but the approval from the state cabinet came only earlier this month.

CENTURION (SOUTH AFRICA): Jeev Milkha Singh exploded into superb form on the back-nine with four birdies to card a five-under 67 and grab a share of the third spot after the first round of the Tshwane Open here. Jeev was two shots behind Pretoria native Darren Fichardt, who is once again handily placed at the top of the leaderboard after an opening round of seven-under 65. Fichardt was one stroke ahead of Swede Bjorn Akesson (66). Jeev, Jean Hugo (SAF), David Howell (Eng), George Coetzee (SAF), Gary Lockerbie and Mark Tullo (Chile) were all locked in tied third at 67 each. Jeev opened with seven straight pars before finding his first birdie on the eighth to make the turn one-under. A par on 10th was followed by a bogey on the 11th for the Indian ace.

LAHORE: Pakistan's chief selector Iqbal Qasim has termed as unfair calls for Misbah-ul-Haq's removal as captain in the wake of the national cricket team's whitewash in the Test series in South Africa. "I don't think it is fair for these calls to remove Misbah as captain on the basis of one bad Test series. One must keep in mind that he has led the side ably and successfully since 2010," Qasim said on Thursday. Misbah, who leads Pakistan in Test and ONe-Day cricket, has come under fire after the team was outclassed in all three Tests in South Africa. Some former players, critics and fans have been demanding that the Pakistan Cricket Board should start looking for a new Test and ODI captain. Misbah has led Pakistan in Tests since 2010 and was also made the ODI and T20 captain in May, 2011 after the board sacked Shahid Afridi.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013

sports

B’DAY BOY REDKNAPP BRACED FOR MARY’S RETURN

QPR manager Harry Redknapp knows he will only be able to enjoy his 66th birthday if his side win at Premier League relegation rivals Southampton on Saturday. The day is set to be a memorable one as he is sure to be subjected to cat-calls from home fans who do not like him much.

PREMIER LEAGUE PREVIEW

Pressure takes toll on Benitez

Chelsea's form has dipped recently, with just 3 wins in 8 games. TOM WILLIAMS Agence France-Presse

Top10

LONDON: As Rafael Benitez’s (left) angry outburst succinctly demonstrated, the manager’s job at Chelsea has become the most uniquely pressurised position in English football. Booed and barracked from day one, Benitez was able to maintain a diplomatic silence for just three months before the pres-

Man Utd Man City Tottenham Chelsea Arsenal Everton West Brom Liverpool Swansea Stoke

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MANCHESTER, UK: Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has told his players they are on the verge of a “big year” as they hunt down a memo-

rable treble. Ferguson, whose side host Norwich on Saturday, is eyeing up his second treble, winning the EPL, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season, and has called on his players to stand up and be counted as the pressure

mounts over the final weeks of the season. The Scot has told his stars that they will have to get used to the idea that many of them will not start every game as he looks to rotate his squad to ensure they remain fresh.

125 YEARS OF ENGLISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Current status of pioneers

LONDON: Saturday marks the 125th anniversary of the letter sent by Aston Villa secretary William McGregor that sparked the birth of the English Football League, the world’s first football championship, in 1888. Present status of the 12 founding members of England’s top flight.

ACCRINGTON

Accrington finished seventh in the Football League’s inaugural season but were relegated in 1893 and folded in 1896.

ASTON VILLA

Now an established top-flight side, they won the European Cup in 1982 but are currently threatened with relegation from the Premier League.

BLACKBURN ROVERS

One of the powerhouses of late-Victorian era football, Blackburn won five FA Cups between 1884 and 1891 and also claimed the league title in 1912 and 1914.

BOLTON WANDERERS

FA Cup winners in 1923, 1926, 1929 and 1958, they finished in the top eight in the Premier League for four seasons in a row under Sam Allardyce but were relegated to the Championship in 2012.

BURNLEY

They sank into the fourth tier in the mid1980s but rose to reach the Premier League in 2009, only to be relegated after one season among the elite.

DERBY COUNTY

Another First Division crown arrived in

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68 56 51 49 47 42 40 39 37 33

(played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points)

Fergie expects one big year CHRIS MCKENNA Agence France-Presse

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1975, under former player Dave Mackay, but they have been playing in the second tier since an abject campaign saw them relegated from the Premier League in 2008.

EVERTON

They have been playing in the English top tier for 59 consecutive seasons, a figure second only to Arsenal’s current record of 87, and are presently vying for Champions League qualification in the Premier League.

NOTTS COUNTY

FA Cup winners in 1894, they have spent the majority of their existence outside the top flight and can currently be found in third-tier League One.

PRESTON NORTH END

They won the FA Cup in 1889 and 1938, but currently reside in League One.

STOKE CITY

The Potters have been in the Premier League since 2008 and have developed a reputation for uncompromising but effective football under Welsh manager Tony Pulis.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION

Befitting the ‘Boing boing Baggies!’ terrace chant, the club have bounced between the top two divisions in recent seasons but are currently enjoying an impressive campaign in the top flight under coach Steve Clarke.

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

Success has been hard to come by in recent years and the Midlands club are currently fighting to avoid relegation from the Championship.

sure told. Speaking after his side’s 2-0 win at Middlesbrough in the FA Cup on Wednesday, he let rip at the club’s fans for their protests against him and even rebuked the Chelsea management for appointing him on only an ‘interim’ basis. Although the Spaniard weighed his words carefully British tabloids were quick to brand it a ‘rant’, fuelling speculation about his immediate job security.

LA LIGA PREVIEW Casillas wary of backlash

MADRID: Real Madrid captain Iker Casillas is expecting a backlash from Barcelona when the two meet again in the league on Saturday after Madrid's 3-1 victory over the Catalans on Tuesday. The Spanish champions booked their place in the Spanish Cup final with a complete performance that restricted Barca to very little going forward and contained their usual lightning speed on the counter-attack.