Epaper 23 october 2013

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013 HYDERABAD

WEATHER: LIGHT RAIN; 25°C

WWW.POSTNOON.COM

32 PAGES

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iPAD’S UP IN THE AIR

The new Apple products will fuel the trend of mobile devices vanquishing old-school PCs, but the launch failed to catch fire with investors.

P20

HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER

BATTERED WIFE REACHES BREAKING POINT, BURNS HUSBAND ALIVE P3

Pushed to the limit, a battered wife fought back and killed her abusive husband in an incident that took place in Chandaram village of RR district.

IS PAWAN

KALYAN RIDING TO THE TDP’S

RESCUE?

REPORT ON

As the 2014 draws near, rumours are abound that Tollywood star Pawan Kalyan and brother Nagababu are set to join the P5 Telugu Desam Party.

KEEPING THEM SAFE

Dr Indira Priyadarshini Pal Singh, Head of Emergency, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals has been designated as the Chief Medical Officer for the 2013 Formula One Indian Grand Prix. She talks to P19 Postnoon.

ISLAND FASHION Sri Lankan models and acclaimed fashion designer Johann Peiris shared the spotlight on the ramp at XXV by Johann fashion show in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

P16&17

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

city events

BARBEQUE NIGHT

Enjoy exotic Indian and Western meats steeped in home-made marinades, slow cooked on cinders by a team of culinary experts at Park Hyatt. The fest is on till October 24.

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

Overnight

Morning

Afternoon

New Delhi Mumbai Max 36 Max 36 Min 21 Min 28

22°C

20°C

23°C

25°C

Mix of cloud with showers

A mix of cloudy and clear skies

A mix of cloud and sun with showers

A mix of cloud and sun with showers

Mostly sunny

Chennai Max 32 Min 26

Thundershowers

Bangalore Max 26 Min 20

Thundershowers

Thundershowers

AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES WORKSHOP

Pinktober Go pink this October! The hot spot of music lovers, Hard Rock Cafe lends its support to the subject of breast cancer this month Where: Hard Rock Cafe, GVK One Mall, Road No. 1, Banjara Hills When: Until October 31, 12pm to 1.30am Contact: 7569016340

Zumba In The Circuit 60 Degree Fitness presents Zumba In The Circuit workshop for those who love to combine a bit of dance with their regular health regime.

Where: 360 Degree Fitness, Croma Building, 2nd Floor, Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills When: Until October 31, 7pm to 8pm Contact: (040) 23456789

Stories And Folktales Library and Activity Centre organises 'Stories and Folktales'. This event will take the participants to around 25 Countries through the Stories and folktales. Under the guidance of expert mentors, kids will go through the timeless theme folktales.

Where: Books N More - Library And Activity Centre Plot No. 292, Street No. 6, West Marredpally When: October 26, 5pm to 6.30pm Contact: (040) 27800722 Imagery Vs Photography The workshop will teach the participants how they can become thinking photographers, how imagery and photographs can be treated as a science.

Where: Fortune Select Manohar, Hotel, Begumpet Airport Exit Road, Begumpet When: Until October 25, 9am to 6pm

COLOUR CODED: Artisans displayed their intricate works at Pochampally Ikat Art Mela held at YWCA, West Marredpally. Tollywood actress Sowmya inaugurated the event.

Contact: (040) 39884422 Sketching Workshop For Kids This workshop will be hosted by Faraaz Farshori, an artist known for creating impromptu sketches using a ball point pen.This artist will be sharing his knowledge and experience with the young enthusiasts who want to explore their creative skills on paper.

Where:Lamakaan, Road No. 1, Lane Adjacent to C-Bay, Banjara Hills When: October 27, 11am - 12pm Contact: 9642731329, 9963107235

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

155333 23431178 23431179

MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

artisans across the country are presenting their designer sarees, dress materials, gold jewellery, imitation jewellery,hand bags and all types of lifestyle accessories at the exposition Where: Shop No. 8-6-949/1/B , Kamma Sangam, Ameerpet When: Until October 27, 10am to 8:30pm Contact: (040) 23456789

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

DINING Scrumptious brunch It’s time to relax and rejuvenate. Head over to N Grill to feast on a scrumptious Wednesday brunch which serves some exceptional preparations.

Where: N Grill, Plot No. 788, Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills When: October 23, 12pm to 3pm Contact: 7569099444

Fashion yatra Renowned fashion designers, best

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

Ladies, it’s time to fall head over heals in love with Metro shoes’ newest collection, available in spectacularly vibrant hues.

Where: All Metro shoes outlet across the city When: Until October 31 Contact: 9391099710

Drenched In Color

EXHIBITION

Commissioner & Spl Officer

Helpline

ELECTRICITY General Complaints Breakdown Section

Barbeque Night A penchant for grilled food need look no further than their own neighbourhood when they crave for grills. Enjoy exotic Indian and Western meats steeped in home

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

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

made marinades, slow cooked on cinders by the team of culinary experts of Park Hyatt.

Where: Hotel Park Hyatt Hyderabad, Road No.2, Banjara Hills When:Until October 24 7pm to 10.30pm Contact: (040) 49491234

PLAY Little Blue Planet Commissioned by Jindal Steel Works foundation, this show titled 'The Little Blue Planet' aims at presenting the occurrence of rapid climate change that the world is experiencing today. Don’t miss the show!

Where: Shilpakala Vedika Jubilee Enclave, Hitech City Road, Madhapur When: October 26, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 23112704

Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings.

For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec-bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999 UK VISA OFFICE VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7

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

24523211 232431300/7641 24521029

Readers’ views

We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or # Plot no.550-A1, 3rd floor, Road no-92, Jubilee hills, Hyderabad-500033 a call on a call on 2354 1412

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

news

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

WILL TELANGANA’S CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS BE ITS UNDOING? 70% 30%

YES (A) NO (B)

TODAY’S QUESTION

WAS IT SENSIBLE TO RETAIN ISHAN SHARM IN THE THIRD ODI? A)

YES

B)

NO

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

REVERSE PUNISHMENT REGIME

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Wife sets abusive husband ablaze Pushed to the brink, the battered fought back and kills her abusive husband in a chilling incident that took place in Chandaram village of RR district.

MOHD SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

P

eople in this village have not come out of the daze as they had witnessed the scorned and harassed woman, Mangamma, in full fury.

Before dousing his clothes and setting her man, Raju, ablaze, Mangamma, had warned the villagers against trying to save him.

“Where were you when he used to beat me for no reason?” she wanted to know from the villagers.

Both Raju and Mangamma are labourers and move about from work place to work place.

They were married 10 years and have a daughter.

Police gathered that Raju had

Raju and Mangamma are labourers and move about from place to place.

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picked up the habit of alcohol and drugs and he would beat his wife with no valid reason. She suffered for years but she had come to her tether’s end last week. The couple were working on the work site in the City and they had gone to their native place in Mahbubnagar for Dasara. Raju, it is said, had ignored her warnings

that a day would come when she would not take anymore but he laughed it off, said sub inspector Sridhar Reddy. On October 19, he came home fully drunk and began his usual quarrel that ends

up in beating her. This day too he had taken a stick and began beating her. She lost her patience and she took a boulder and hit the intoxicated man. He fell down.

She dragged him outside,

brought kerosene from the kitchen and doused his clothes while he shouted abuses at her.

Neighbours came running when they all the screaming and abuses.

They saw Raju on floor, unable to get up, and Mangamma preparing for burning him alive. Neighbours shouted her to stop, she snarled and said to mind their own business as it was she and her child who suffered at the hands of this man.

Nobody dared to move.

When well drenched, she torched him. As his shrieks for help rent the air and neighbours tried to do something, Mangamma slipped the scene and escaped.

Police are hunting for the woman.

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News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013 LAST YEAR... HERE Domestic tourism suffers

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ast year we had reported how the inflow of domestic tourists to the City have come down following the numerous political agitations that have rocked Hyderabad. Figures say that while festival crowds swell, actual domestic tourists are dwindling. Local tour operators point out that they are making losses owing to reasons like Telangana agitation.

OCT 23, 2012

NUMEROLOGY

6,000

soldiers from 14 countries will take part in the exercises which codenamed Steadfast Jazz 2013 in Poland and the Baltic States between Nov 2 and 9, Xinhua reported.

I love having strong women in my movies. I think that’s what’s sexy. You don’t have to exaggerate, just make them strong and beautiful.

Robert Rodriguez, Director See page 12

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

1

Fly high, fly private The Las Vegas business jet show opened in Las Vegas to showcase a sector which is a barometer of both the climate for glitz and the health of international business.

2

Rahul Gandhi takes the road well travelled As the UPA-II’s term draws to a close, the Congress is going to the people with its flagship National Food Security Act that aims to provide cheap foodgrain.

3

‘Spying reports is false’ Citing documents from former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, Le Monde reported that the NSA taped 70.3 million phone calls in France.

4

Britain set for christening The christening of Prince George will be held at the Chapel Royal in London’s St James’s Palace.

5

Fourth edition of Hyderabad Children’s Theatre Festival The fourth edition of the Hyderabad Children’s Theatre festival is back.

STINK CITY

Strike leaves city smelly Striking contracted sanitation workers are demanding better wages and regularisation of their work.

ALEENA ALICE aleena.t@postnoon.com

O

utbreak of contagious diseases squarely stares the face of the City as the City’s garbage has being piling up following strike by municipal contracted sanitation workers. Since Monday over 24,000 contract workers have been on strike. On Tuesday over 2,000 permanent workers too joined the strike to make things worse.

So far nearly 7,000 metric tons of garbage has been left uncollected since the strike started.

With main and arterial roads upswept, garbage bins are overflowing. Nearly 7,000 metric ton of garbage are yet to be removed.

With main and arterial roads upswept, garbage bins are overflowing, rains adding to the woes.

On Tuesday evening’s meeting with the workers and the officials, and Commissioner MT Krishna Babu requested the workers to get back to work, however the meeting bore no fruit as the workers refused to call off the strike till their demands were met.

Balaji Chandra, a resident of Vanastali Puram says, “If the strike continues for another

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two days, the entire city’s sanitation will go topsy turvy.

The continuous rains since the past two days, has been making it difficult for residents to step out of the house, because of the stagnated garbage on the roads. Many roads have unserviced overflowing bins forcing residents to dump garbage around the

bins. Street dogs have been feasting on the unattended garbage making it even worse.

We fear that very soon rodents and bugs will enter our houses because of the overflowing garbage. The government should do something keeping in mind the public health.”

Meanwhile Mayor Mohd Majid Hussain asked the corporation to go ahead with a contingency plan for lifting garbage by hiring private vehicles. The commissioner also

7000

So far nearly 7,000 metric tons of garbage has been left uncollected since the strike started.

instructed the engineering team to hire garbage lifting vehicles so that the garbage could be collected by private agencies and dumped at the various dumping yards.

CINEMA

Children’s theatre fest begins The fourth edition of the Hyderabad Children’s Theatre festival is back and is being held at the Shilpakala Vedika.

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he fourth edition of the Hyderabad Children’s Theatre festival is back and is being held at the Shilpakala Vedika.

The festival was inaugurated by Namrata Shirodkar. She was behind the schedule and why? Because was held up at the work place of her son Gautam Krishna who is shooting for his upcoming film with his dad Mahesh Babu.

The actress said she was

Anita Bai, from Betul district, returned to her father’s place, despite repeated assurances by her inlaws and husband to provide a toilet. very happy for the theatre festival and said she would try to attend few of the shows. She

kept saying she likes ‘Lion King’ film and hoped it notches up a place for itself.

Started in 2010, Hyderabad children’s theatre festival, the brainchild of Vaishsali Bisht, cofounded by Priyanka Viv and Deepthi Pendurty, aims at bringing to our city internationally acclaimed troupes that specialize in theatre for children and young adults with world class production values that have been applauded by critics

and audience alike.

Donors passes are Rs.130 rupees and for more details call 9848023379.

Festival schedule: 28th October at 6:30pm, ‘Quixotic Wonderland’ (Hindi)Ranga Theatre, Mumbai.

29th October at 6:30pm, ‘The Little Blue Plabet’ (non verbal) Katksths Theatre, New Delhi.

30th October at 6:30pm, ‘Two Blind Mice’ (English) Proscenium Productions,

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News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

MOMENT OF TRUTH

STAR POWER

Huge commercial tax TDP to get fraud shocks govt some ‘Power’?

Vigilance has confirmed the commercial tax department defrauding the exchequer to the tune of `500cr. A shocked government is trying to grapple with the issue.

As the elections are drawing near, reports are alive that the power star Pawan Kalyan and brother Nagababu would join the Telugu Desham Party.

The rumours of their joining the TDP are now thick with strong possibilities.

Governance were shocked and wondered why no action like suspension or prosecution or properties attached of the concerned officials involved in such a huge scam of `500 crores.

They pointed out that the

inefficiency of the state administration to firmly deal with those involved in the scam was exposed with the Chief Vigilance Officer Revenue (Vigilance) Department in the Secretariat had informed the Forum for Good Governance that “disciplinary proceedings are being initiated against erring officers in connection with this scam” The Forum for Good Governance was shocked that the Revenue Department was just sitting on the file on the pretext of initiating disciplinary action. The Forum authorities pointed out that when a common man paid excess amount towards electricity or water charges, such excess payments were adjusted in future bills and never returned in cash. Even Section 40 (1) of VAT Act specified adjustments in future bills for any excess payments. “When this be the case how Rs.500 crores was returned to the contractors was a mystery”, they observed.

Giving details about this `500-crore scam unearthed by the Forum, Padmanabha Reddy explained that while preparing estimates for irrigation projects and other works, four percent VAT would be levied and the contractor has to remit the same to the Commercial Tax Department.

In a number of projects taken up under Jalayagnam like Kalvakurthi, Nettampad, Bheema etc, the VAT collected was returned to the contractors clandestinely and during the last three years `500 crores remitted by the contractors to CTD was refunded by some corrupt officials, he charged.

One BSF trooper killed in firing by Pak Rangers

UP to cancel unused allotted industrial plots

Onion prices to stabilise in 10 days: Dikshit

Eight held for smuggling gold in Kerala

Class 8th UP girl set on fire after gangrape

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POSTNOON NEWS

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he Commercial Tax Department (CTD) instead of generating more revenue to the cash-starved state government had clandestinely refunded the tax collected through VAT resulting in a revenue loss of `.500 crore.

This multi-crore scam in the Commercial Tax Department, which was unearthed by a civil society called Forum for Good Governance, was confirmed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Enforcement which in its report submitted to the State Government six months back had stated that the alleged Rs.500-crore scam did take place in the department.

Revealing this at a press conference on Tuesday M.Padmanabha Reddy, Secretary and Rao Chelikani , Vice President, Forum for Good

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scam

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his multi-crore scam in the Commercial Tax Department, which was unearthed by a civil society called Forum for Good Governance, was confirmed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Enforcement which in its report submitted to the State Government six months back had stated that the alleged Rs 500 crore scam did take place in the department.

POSTNOON NEWS HYDERABAD: As the elections are drawing near, reports are alive that the power star Pawan Kalyan and brother Nagababu would join the Telugu Desham Party. The rumours of their joining the TDP were there before but the air is now thick with strong possibilities, say political circles.

If they join, it would be a big boost to the sagging morale of the TDP. The party is trying to shore up support in Seemandhra after its prevarications about Telangana.

However, a senior leader and former minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said he had no definite information about this though he also heard about it. But he was sure the party will wholeheartedly welcome the mega stars.

Ramakrishnudu said, “We have no sure information

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about the reports that TDP leader and actor Nandamuri Balakrishna held parleys with the mega brothers. Some Congress leaders of the Seemandhra region are ready to join our party”, Yanamala said, adding that TDP is the only forum through which “we can fight for the cause of Telugu people”.

Pawan Kalyan had not approved his evergreen megstar brother Chiranjeevi merged his PRP with Congress. It was a betrayal of the trust people reposed on the PRP, he had argued.

Pawan Kalyan is also reportedly thinking about bringing his brother Nagababu in the party fold and save a seat for Machilipatnam parliamentary constituency.

NATION BRIEFS ne Indian paramilitary trooper was killed and four people, including three Border Security Force (BSF) troopers and one civilian, were injured in firing by Pakistan Rangers in the R.S.Pura sector of the Jammu region overnight.The BSF has strongly retaliated to Pakistan firing and heavy shelling, the officer said.

he Uttar Pradesh government has decided to cancel allotment of industrial plots which have not been utilised by establishing industrial units within the stipulated time period, an official said Wednesday.

After serving notices these plots would be allotted to such investors who are really desirous of setting up industrial units, the official said.

elhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Tuesday assured onion prices would stabilise in 10 days, adding her government has been intervening from time to time in the matter.

With expected arrival from Rajasthan, the prices are bound to stabilise after a week. Dikshit also blamed "unprecedented rains" for the skyrocketing prices of onion.

ight people, who arrived from Singapore early Wednesday, were nabbed at the airport here after they were found carrying one kg of gold, said authorities.The Thiruvananthapuram airport customs officials nabbed the eight people after they were found carrying the gold valued at more than Rs.1 crore.

minor girl was gangraped by village youth and then burnt alive in a Uttar Pradesh district Tuesday night. The girl sustained 80 per cent burns and died in a district hospital Wednesday morning, police said.

The incident took place in Sirsa Kalaar area of Orai in the Jalaun district. Police teams were raiding locations in pursuit of the assailants.

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News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

HMMM...BURGER

A culinary feast of burgers The World Burger Fest, currently on at the Taj Krishna promises a global journey through burgers, and delivers on every aspect. If you think you know your burgers, think again.

ARUN DANIEL YELLAMATY arun.yellamatty@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: For the first time ever, Encounters at the Taj Krishna has launched its 'World Burger Fest,' a tantalizingly mouth-watering experience from across the world.

The choice of burgers is vast, ranging from a large vegetarian selection, to a chicken and beef carnivorous paradise.

The Classic Tenderloin (Grilled tenderloin, bacon, fresh cucumber slices, lettuce, tomato, and topped with Cheddar cheese) was my personal favourite, with enough stuffing with perfect fresh baked bread this burger was gastronomically mind-blowing.

There is a burger to suit every palate: Texas BBQ (Barbequed Tenderloin fillet, caramelized onions, cayenne spiced finger potatoes), Montgomery (Crisp lettuce, fresh tomatoes, pickles, bacon, onions, jalapenos, american cheese, and choice of mustard and mayo), Nizam (Spiced tala gosth, garlic yoghurt mayo, rich leaven bread), Mediterranean (Premium ground grilled lamb kibbeh, grilled haloumi, garlic aioli, rocket salad and pesto), Bali (Grilled marinated chicken, mayo, salad and satay sauce), PolloCabos (Fried chicken, Pico De Gallo, avocado, Swiss cheese, crisp Lettuce and chipotle mayo), Osaka (Japanese inspired salmon patty grilled to perfection with

pickled carrot and cucumber, Nori salad, Wasabi mayo) and Liverpool (Battered fish and steak cut chips with salad, tartar sauce).

There is enough for veggies too: Grilled cheese soufflé with beurre blanc, red onion, gherkins and tomato relish, Cordon Bleu (Fried potato and vegetable patty, gherkins, melted cheddar, fresh lettuce, tomato), Swiss (Crispy fried rosti, gherkins, pickled pearl onions, Emmenthal), and a must try for veggie-lovers is the Falafel Libanés (Crispy spiced chickpea patty, hummus,

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and fattoush).

Each dish tastes unique, which is in itself an amazing culinary feat. The chef’s here worked hard to ensure this inaugural burger festival will soon give life to many more in the future.

One suggestion is that you eat your burger as soon as it reaches your table.

The burgers taste good when not kept waiting.

The best part of the festival is that it is reasonable at `425 per head + taxes. If you like beer than, for `600 + taxes you get any burger from the menu and two beers to wash them down.

The festival is on till Sunday, October 28.

7

News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

AUSTRALIAN BUSHFIRES

Oz blazing inferno rages as firefighters battle the odds As the crisis entered its seventh day, at least 65 fires were raging across New South Wales with 18 of them uncontained and warnings again issued for people to leave their homes.

AMY COOPES feedback@postnoon.com MOUNT VICTORIA: Firefighters in Australia battled hot, dry winds and soaring temperatures as new blazes began breaking out in a week-long bushfire disaster that shows no signs of easing.

As the crisis entered its seventh day, at least 65 fires were raging across the state of New South Wales with 18 of them uncontained and warnings again issued for people to leave their homes or be extra vigilant.

"On days like today, minutes really matter," NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said, with the focus again on the Blue Mountains region west of Sydney, a popular tourist area home to 75,000 people where three huge infernos have been burning for days.

One of them, in Springwood where more than 100 homes were lost last week, was upgraded to the highest "emergency" level.

But fires were also breaking out elsewhere around the vast state with a blaze at Minmi near Newcastle, north of Sydney, which was deemed an "emergency" as it closed the main freeway that links the two cities and sparked traffic chaos.

"If you are Minmi, follow your survival plan. If your plan is to leave, leave now," the RFS said.

Another blaze at Colo, to the northwest of Sydney, was burning aggressively with waterbombing aircraft attempting to bring it under control, although the high winds were hampering

down firegrounds" but it also hampered the mostly volunteer crews fighting the blazes.

"Whilst that is some welcome relief in terms of moderating the current fire behaviour, it has compromised considerably the ability to continue with the backburning operations that were planned throughout the evening," Fitzsimmons said.

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell

drove home the message, saying regardless of what happens on Wednesday "we're not out of the woods yet".

He also said reports were filtering in of people trying to cash in other people's misery, with one landlord hiking up the rent for his property in the Blue Mountains because of demand with so many homes already lost.

AFP

the effort.

"It's a very fluid situation. It's a very dynamic situation," said the fire chief.

So far more than 296,500 acres of land has been burnt across the state and more than 200 homes destroyed. But only one person has died as residents heed advice to either flee or head to evacuation centres.

Temperatures were at the

mid-30 degrees Celsius range Wednesday and coupled with low humidity and forecast wind gusts of up to 100 kilometres per hour, the fire chief called the conditions "as bad as it gets".

Drizzle overnight "settled

‘Apocalyptic’ smog eases in Chinese city

Greece suspends state aid to neo-Nazi party

Gitmo detainees assert right to claim torture

Sharif takes up post-war ties with Obama

Hurricane Raymond weakens off Mexico

BEIJING: A bout of choking smog that brought life to a standstill in a far northeast Chinese city for three days has dissipated, with flights resuming and students returning to school. The heavy pollution, which drew national and international headlines, was largely due to coal-fired heating and the burning of large amounts of straw.

ATHENS: The Greek parliament adopted a measure suspending state aid to the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, after six of its lawmakers faced charges in a probe of the group's alleged criminal activities.

The measure was adopted by 235 votes out of 300 in the assembly.

Members of Golden Dawn called the move "unconstitutional".

Lawyers for Guantanamo Bay detainees said their defendants' rights were violated because they are prevented from open discussion of alleged mistreatment in secret prisons. Lawyers asked for the death penalty to be eliminated as a possible sentence, in light of alleged torture the inmates had undergone.

GUANTANAMO BAY:

WASHINGTON: Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif heads to the US seeking to build a new post-Afghanistan war relationship as he presses for an end to drone strikes. In a nod to the fading of tensions since the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, President Obama's administration has moved to release more than $300 million in blocked assistance.

ZIHUATANEJO: Hurricane Raymond weakened and parked off Mexico's Pacific coast, dumping more rain on a region still recovering from a previous deadly storm.

The new system prompted the evacuations of some 1,500 people in the states of Guerrero and Michoacan while schools closed and beach plans were upended for tourists.

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WORLD BRIEFS

8

News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

WHALE-RIDER A youth stands on a a whale shark towed by fishermen along the coast of Surabaya in eastern Java island on October 22, 2013, to be sold to prospective buyers after getting entangled in a fishing net. Listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and banned for fishing by some countries, the species continues to be hunted in some parts of Asia.

AFP PHOTO / JUNI KRISWANTO

HINDI CHINI BHAI BHAI

TWO YEARS OF LIBERTY

India, China bond over border pact

Libya after Gaddafi

BEIJING: India and China Wednesday inked a key border agreement for peace on the border as well as managing transborder rivers as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang held talks here.

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Manmohan Singh said his talks with Premier Li have been very good and said that when India and China shake hands, the world notices.

Manmohan Singh said the agreement on Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) will add to “existing instrument to establish peace and tranquility on the border”.

His Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang said: “I am sure it will bring peace and tranquility in border areas.”

Li said that “we have more common interests than differences”.

“We have agreed that the leadership of both sides have the ability to manage differences along the border,” he said.

Manmohan Singh said his talks with Premier Li have been very good and said that when India and China shake hands, the world notices.

Besides inking the Border

We have more common interests than differences Li Keqiang China PM

MoUs n

Strengthening trans-border rivers,

n

On cooperation on road transportation

n

On power equipments

n

Establishing Nalanda University in Beijing

Sister cities

T

hree more MoUs were on establishing sister city relations. One is between Delhi and Beijing, the second between Bangalore and Chengdu while the third is between Kolkata and Kunming.

Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA), the two countries also signed MoU on strengthening trans-border rivers, another one on cooperation on road transportation while a third was on power equipments. An MoU on cultural exchanges was also inked.

Another MoU was on establishing Nalanda University in Beijing.

Three more MoUs were on establishing sister city relations.

One is between Delhi and Beijing, the second between Bangalore and Chengdu while the third is between Kolkata and Kunming.

Li said his visit to India and Manmohan Singh’s visit to China is significant.

He said that visit led to “close, friendly” talks, which produced “excellent results”.

Both countries have decided to hold strategic defence cooperation under which they will have joint counter terrorism exercise in southwest china and also maritime cooperation.

TRIPOLI: Libya marked the second anniversary Wednesday of its “liberation” from loyalists of veteran dictator Moamer Gaddafi with no official celebrations as it struggles to heal the wounds of the conflict. The post-Gaddafi authorities are still struggling to assert their writ over large swathes of the country.

Many rebel units which fought in the bloody NATOAROUND THE

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backed revolt against Gaddafi’s forces have refused to lay down their arms and now operate as more or less autonomous militias, sometimes in outright defiance of the government.

The government did issue a brief statement on Tuesday, congratulating the people on the “decisive day that ended tyranny and despotism.”

On October 23, 2011, the

victorious rebels declared the “liberation” of Libya from Gaddafi loyalists three days, after the once-feared dictator was captured and killed outside his home town Sirte in the final battle of the eightmonth conflict.

But two years on, there was no sign of any preparations for festivities in either the capital or second city of Benghazi, birthplace of the uprising.

The anniversary comes less than two weeks after a former rebel militia briefly kidnapped Prime Minister Ali Zeidan, exposing the persistent weakness of the central government.

Tripoli resident Abdelhadi al-Sultan, 41, was downbeat about the anniversary.

“Nothing has changed in Libya,” he said as he left a mosque. “Libya is not getting better, it is heading towards worse things because of the militias that really govern the country”.

9

News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

LE MONDE REPORT FALLOUT

SYRIA EFFECT

US denies Saudi ties are strained

‘Spying reports is false’ Citing documents from former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, Le Monde reported that the NSA taped 70.3 million phone calls in France over a 30-day period between December 10 and January 8, 2013.

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WASHINGTON: Relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia remain strong, a US official insisted Tuesday, brushing aside a report its key Gulf ally was seeking to distance itself from Washington amid differences over Syria.

Asked if Riyadh had told Washington that it planned to cut back cooperation, the official replied: “Not to my knowledge has that message been sent to the State Department by the Saudis.”

“The fundamental relationship and partnership with the Saudis is strong. We value their efforts on a range of issues,” added State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf.

Her comments came after the Wall Street Journal reported that the Saudi intelligence chief, Prince Bandar Bin Sultan alSaud, told European diplomats he would scale back cooperation with the US on arming and training Syrian rebels. It also coincides with Riyadh’s rejection of a prized seat as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

WASHINGTON: The US intelligence chief said Tuesday that articles published by the French newspaper Le Monde about America’s espionage activities abroad “contain inaccurate and misleading information.”

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said the specific allegation that the National Security Agency collected more than 70 million “recordings of French citizens’ telephone data” was false.

“While we are not going to discuss the details of our activities, we have repeatedly made it clear that the United States gathers intelligence of the type gathered by all nations,” Clapper said in a statement.

“The US collects intelligence to protect the nation, its interests, and its allies from, among other things, threats such as terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.”

Citing documents from former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, Le Monde reported Monday that the NSA taped 70.3 million phone calls in France over a 30-day period

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between December 10 and January 8, 2013.

The newspaper said the documents gave grounds to think the NSA targeted not only people suspected of being involved in terrorism, but also high-profile individuals from the world of business or politics.

It followed up on Tuesday by publishing details of US spying on French embassies around the world.

In a phone call with President Barack Obama, French leader Francois Hollande expressed “deep disapproval,” saying according to his office that such practices were “unacceptable between friends and allies.”

In Paris, meanwhile, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius used a breakfast meeting

THE ROYAL BABY

Britain set for christening The christening of Prince George will be held at the Chapel Royal in London’s St James’s Palace, will be hidden from the world’s media.

LONDON: Three generations of future British kings will gather on Wednesday for the low-key christening of Prince George, the son of Prince William and his wife Catherine.

Current monarch Queen Elizabeth II will also be present for the third-in-line prince’s baptism, where she will be joined by heir apparent Prince Charles and second-in-line William.

But the ceremony, to be held at the Chapel Royal in London’s St James’s Palace, will be hidden from the world’s media.

Royal officials have said that only “close members of both families” will attend the baptism, reflecting William and Catherine’s belief in keeping their son out of the spotlight.

The service will be conducted by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who called it “the

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next hugely important moment” in the young prince’s life.

“A few months ago millions of people around the world celebrated the birth of Prince George,” he said in a YouTube message released by his Lambeth Palace office..

“Now we’re celebrating the next hugely important moment, which is his christening.”

A Church of England christening involves a new baby having holy water poured on its head — the baby is not fully immersed.

Celebrity photographer Jason Bell has been given sole responsibility for the official pictures.

The award-winning photographer will take the shots at Clarence House, the home of William’s father Prince Charles, following Wednesday’s service.

The pictures are expected to gain iconic status, showing four generations of monarchs together. The last time such a photograph was taken was in 1894 at the christening of the future king Edward VIII, showing the infant with his father, later king George V, grandfather, the future king Edward VII, and great-grandmother, queen Victoria.

with US Secretary of State John Kerry to demand a full explanation of the claims.

Clapper, in his short statement, sought to defuse the row by highlighting the close relationship between Washington and Paris.

“The United States values our longstanding friendship and alliance with France and we will continue to cooperate on security and intelligence matters going forward,” he said.

NATURE’S BOUNTY

Oz scientists find gold in gum trees SYDNEY: Australian researchers have found tiny particles of gold hidden inside the leaves of eucalyptus trees, in a discovery they say could help prospectors discover new deposits of the precious metal.

Scientists from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) made the find in the resource-rich Kalgoorlie region of Western Australia.

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“The eucalypt acts as a hydraulic pump — its roots extend tens of metres into the ground and draw up water containing the gold,” said Geochemist Mel Lintern.

“As the gold is likely to be toxic to the plant, it’s moved to the leaves and branches.”

10

News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

THE STUNNING SEVENTIES

CATHERIN E DENEUVE THE GREAT Deneuve, often described as the “ice queen” of French cinema, has appeared in more than 100 films and frequently addressed the issue of ageing in interviews.

DOMINIQUE AGEORGES feedback@postnoon.com PARIS: Catherine Deneuve, who turned 70 on Tuesday, is one of a generation of mature actresses for whom interesting character roles are no longer a rarity.

Judy Dench, 78, Helen Mirren, 68, Meryl Streep, 64, and Amour star Emmanuelle Riva, 86, have in recent years blazed a trail largely barred to their predecessors.

At a time when many female actresses several decades younger bemoan the lack of good parts for anyone over 40, Deneuve & Co have found themselves in demand, at least in part due to the growing influence of affluent, cinema-loving baby boomers.

Deneuve, often described as the “ice queen” of French cinema, has appeared in more than 100 films and frequently addressed the issue of ageing in interviews.

“I don’t want to grow older than I am, but I don’t want to try to be very resistant to reality either,” she told one interviewer during the 1990s.

More recently at this year’s Berlin film festival she cautioned that ageing was “not easy for a woman and still less for an actress, but it must not become an obsession”.

More than five decades after she first found fame, the actress appeared this year as a harried restaurateur and ageing beauty queen in On My Way (Elle s’en va).

In France, which the FrancoBritish actress Kristin Scott Thomas has said is leading the way in offering opportunities to older actresses, others are also enjoying unexpected longevity.

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Fanny Ardant, 64, has just starred as a retired dentist in Marion Vernoux’s Bright Days Ahead, which was the surprise hit of the summer in France.

The late Bernadette Lafont, meanwhile, was at 74 the grandmother who turned to drug trafficking to make ends meet in the comedy film “Paulette”.

That film attracted more than a million cinemagoers in one of the actress’s last films before her death in July 2013.

And Michael Haneke’s hugely successful Amour featured two octogenarians in the lead roles —

Deneuve & Co have found themselves in demand, at least in part due to the growing influence of affluent, cinema-loving baby boomers.

Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant.

Riva turned 86 in February on the same day she attended the Oscar ceremony in Los Angeles as a best actress nominee.

Demographics are one possible explanation for the change in fortunes of some older actresses.

According to a recent study

by France’s National Centre for Cinema, the over-fifties now make up the largest group of film-goers, representing 34 percent in 2011 — up from 14 percent in 1993 — and well ahead of the 31 percent in the under-25 age group.

“In the same way that there

are teen movies, I don’t see why there would not be films about older people,” said director Emmanuelle Bercot, 45, who says she would like to create a role for Deneuve.

“Older people are those who go to the cinema most along with the young,” she added, echoing the findings of the research.

But cinema historian Bernard Bastide said he did “not think that all these examples are the result of a general movement in cinema”.

Instead, he said he believed that good roles for women in their fifties, sixties and seventies were still the exception rather than the rule.

According to Bastide, Lafont described her role in Paulette as “a magnificent opportunity for an actress of her age”, rather than one among many opportunities.

“She said she had had a big role in each decade [and that] Paulette was the big role of her seventies,” he said.

Whatever the precise scope of opportunities for actresses like Deneuve, one thing is certain — they are entering uncharted territory.

Ageing has to be tackled “head-on”, Ardant told AFP. “We should not listen to anyone.

We must tame it, like death,” she said.

11

News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

ROAD TO 2014

Rahul Gandhi takes the road well travelled to 2014 As the UPA-II’s term draws to a close, the Congress is going to the people with its flagship National Food Security Act that aims to provide cheap foodgrain to around 800 million of India’s 1.2 billion people, the largest social welfare initiative in the world.

AMIT AGNIHOTRI feedback@postnoon.com NEW DELHI: Taking a leaf from the Congress’ 2004 campaign that saw it storming back to power, party vice president Rahul Gandhi is focussing on rural voters and the poor - historically the core support group of the Congress - by highlighting the UPA-II government’s social welfare agenda ahead of the 2014 general elections.

The Congress under Sonia Gandhi focussed on and benefited from its rural strategy in 2004 at a time when the then ruling BJP was harping on its “India Shining” plank. Since then, the Congress has been devoting considerable attention to the rural segment through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in 2006 and the mammoth Rs.70,000 crore farm loan waver in 2008, both during UPA-I. As the UPA-II’s term draws to a close, the Congress is going to the people with its flagship National Food Security Act that aims to provide cheap foodgrain to around 800 million of India’s 1.2 billion, the largest social welfare initiative in the world.

Simultaneously, it is also talking about the land acquisition act which provides right to fair compensation and rehabilitation to those whose land is taken away.

Over the past weeks, Rahul Gandhi has been carefully taking the message of the two pro-poor and pro-reform laws to the voters while addressing rallies, whether in assembly poll-bound Rajasthan (Salumbar and Saran), Chhattisgarh (Jagdalpur) and Madhya Pradesh (Shahdol and Gwalior) or in Gujarat (Rajkot) and Uttar Pradesh (Aligarh and Rampur).

He even made an emotional

pitch while addressing a rally in Gwalior where he spoke how his mother Sonia Gandhi wanted to vote for her pet food bill in parliament despite being unwell.

Experts believe focussing on rural India is a good electoral strategy for the Congress, whose leadership right from the days of former prime minister Indira Gandhi has been identified with pro-poor programmes.

Zoya Hasan, a professor in JNU, told IANS: “It is a good strategy to focus on disadvantaged sections. They need to focus on rural poor and highlight UPA’s inclusive growth as they are down in urban areas over corrup-

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tion and price rise issues.”

According to Badri Narayan, who teaches at the GB Pant Social Science Institute, Jhusi, near Allahabad, both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have been focussing on the masses through poverty reduction programmes.

“This is a good strategy and has worked well for them,” Badri Narayan told IANS. “Two classes of haves and have-nots emerged from the liberal economy in the past two

Pick

decades,” he said.

Says Pradip Dutta, a political science professor at Delhi University: “The Congress has been consolidating its rural strategy in the past nine years.”

This, said experts, is in contrast to the strategy of the BJP’s prime ministerial nominee and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi who finds support in sections of the urban middle class, youth and corporates.

“Modi is targeting the urban middle class, youth and corporates,” Dutta told IANS. Agrees Badri Narayan. “Modi is addressing issues of urban voters’ concern like nation state and

at the

security,” he said.

But Modi will have to be careful since the entire middle class is not with him as it is fearful of his “divisive”agenda.

“The middle class has not fully shifted towards Modi as there is a fear among them of his being a divisive leader. There is anxiety in the Modi camp due to this,” said Dutta.

According to Dutta, this has compelled Modi to try “an image makeover as a secular leader whose priority is development over religion.” Modi’s recent remark, that he preferred constructing toilets to temples, was a case in point, Dutta pointed out.

airport,

-

12

News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

THE WEDNESDAY INTERVIEW

The hell-raising auteur Robert Rodriguez defends his brand of cinema, insisting that ‘movies are supposed to be fun’ and that a director who wants to do something out of the ordinary must ignore Hollywood rules and take an ‘unorthodox’ path.

Did you know...? n He earned most of the $7000 it cost to make El mariachi (1992) by subjecting himself to experimental drug studies. n Set up a symphony orchestra in his garage to record the score for Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002). n He wrote two scripts for Predator 3. One took place at a ship in the 17th century, while the second one was about Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Glover’s characters being taken to the alien planet, as trophies. n Left the Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) in late 2001, citing the organization had too many rules and just take your money”. n Salma Hayek is his children’s godmother. n Was engaged to Rose McGowan. n Close friends with Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith.

Often the three will be among the first to view each other’s films and offer their feedback.

5 hot Rodriguez flicks CAROLA SOLE feedback@postnoon.com MORELIA: US film-maker Robert Rodriguez, director of the bloody action sequel Machete Kills, readily admits his wild flicks will not win him an Oscar.

While his style has been compared to that of his friend and Oscar-decorated collaborator Quentin Tarantino, Rodriguez recalled with a smile that he was never nominated for an Academy Award.

“I’ve achieved so much in my career which is so different from the Hollywood path that they don’t even give awards for that,” he said in an interview on the sidelines of the International Film Festival of Morelia, a city in western Mexico.

“Yeah, there’s no chance” of getting an Oscar, said Rodriguez, who left the Directors Guild of America because he disagreed with its rules.

Rodriguez defended his brand of cinema, insisting that

“movies are supposed to be fun” and that a director who wants to do something out of the ordinary must ignore Hollywood rules and take an “unorthodox” path.

His career was launched by his widely acclaimed 1992 lowbudget film El Mariachi about a Mexican musician who takes up arms to combat a gang after being mistaken for a criminal.

The film won an award at the Sundance Film Festival.

This led to a career that includes the vampire thriller From Dusk Till Dawn, the dark action film Sin City and the child-friendly Spy Kids franchise.

“Machete stars Danny Trejo as a former Mexican ‘federale’ (policeman) who wields blades to hack down countless enemies.

In the follow-up, Machete is recruited by the US government to stop an arms dealer from launching a weapon into space.

The sequel debuted in fourth place at the North American box office last week with $3.8 million

I choose really strong women because I think that’s what’s sexy.

You just make them strong and beautiful.

Robert Rodriguez Director despite a star-studded cast that includes Mel Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez, Charlie Sheen and Lady Gaga.

His films are often a mix of US and Mexican flavors, reflecting his own heritage as a Texan of Mexican descent.

“Being a Mexican American, I like being able to use both sides,” Rodriguez said.

“I can make a very American

film or I can make a very Mexican film, or something in between. I kind of like the in between where it’s a little of both,” he said.

“A lot people are like that in the US. They have very mixed identities. This, I think, helps them say ‘Oh, that’s like me’ and I think they can enjoy it on a different level.”

Many of the actors in Machete Kills, which was partially filmed in the Mexican Pacific resort of Acapulco, are either from Latin America or have Latino heritage, such as Sheen, Rodriguez or Jessica Alba.

Other recurring characters is in his movies are voluptuous and dangerous women who sometimes shoot down rivals with brazier guns.

“I love having strong women in my movies,” he said. “I choose really strong women because I think that’s what’s sexy. You don’t have to exaggerate, just make them strong and beautiful.”

SIN CITY A film that explores the dark town, Basin City, and tells the story of three different people, all caught up in violent corruption.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO El Mariachi becomes involved in espionage involving a psychotic CIA agent and a corrupt Mexican general.

FROM DUSK TILL DAWN Two criminals and their hostages seek temporary refuge in an establishment populated by vampires.

DESPERADO A gunslinger is embroiled in a war with a local drug runner.

EL MARIACHI A traveling mariachi is mistaken for a murderous criminal and must hide from a gang bent on killing him.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

Business

ASIAN SHARES RISE ON WEAK US JOBS DATA

Asian markets climbed Wednesday and the dollar sat around a two-year low against the euro after a weak US jobs report fuelled hopes the Federal Reserve will keep its stimulus programme in place.

EXCECUTIVE DECISION

FLY HIGH, FLY PRIVATE The Las Vegas business jet show opened in Las Vegas on Tuesday for three days until Thursday to showcase a sector which is a barometer of both the climate for glitz and the health of international business.

DELPHINE TOUITOU feedback@postnoon.com PARIS: The exclusive world of business jets associated with film stars and royalty is showing signs of being on the up as a vital tool for companies and executives.

The Las Vegas business jet show opens in Las Vegas on Tuesday for three days until Thursday to showcase a sector which is a barometer of both the climate for glitz and the health of international business.

Frustrated by the fixed schedules of regular aviation companies, international businesses are turning to luxury jets as a means of raising, not cutting, their profit margins.

“More than ever private aviation allows company directors to be more competitive and closer to their clients,” said Check Suma, a vice-president for NetJets, the world leader in the sector.

Although the economic crisis still hangs over manufacturers of private jets, after four dark years there are hopes the skies may be clearing.

“Coming out of the crisis is a lengthy, slow process. It is happening but in a rational way,” said Eric Trappier, chief executive of the French group Dassault Aviation speaking before the show.

The business aviation sector was hit badly by the economic crisis in 2008. The market fell by 29.2 percent between 2008 and 2012, according to a study by US analysts Teal Group and it has barely managed to return to the prosperous 2005-2008 period.

Last year the 672 plane orders for private jets in the world was a drop of 49 percent compared to the 2008 peak of 1,315 planes, the aviation organ-

13

TEETHING TROUBLE

WASHINGTON: Republicans revived attacks against their favorite target “Obamacare” by seizing on technical failures to try to delay its rollout, amid some fraying of Democratic support for the health care reforms. The rocky debut of the website where people started to sign up for insurance on October 1 under the country’s health care law was largely obscured by recent political clashes in Washington over spending and raising the nation’s debt limit.

President Barack Obama signaled a shift in tone in acknowledging the technical problems, with reports emerging that Healthcare.gov was launched despite serious flaws.

NUMEROLOGY

$3.3

billion

is the cost to build Dubai’s Solar City.

The first plant of the solar energy megaproject is 30 km from the city of Dubai and can produce 10 megawatts of energy on its own.

US HIRING TEPID isation Gama said.

In the first quarter of 2013, global deliveries were down by 4.1 percent compared to the same period in 2012, while manufacturers avoided forecasting a date for an upturn.

“Companies are more careful. Their order books have filled up and investment time is coming,” said Trappier, who did not want to estimate when this might happen in the business jet industry.

Aviation equipment-maker Honeywell believes the private jet sector will grow by 3 to 4 percent in 2013.

For Suma, there are reasons to be quietly hopeful. “We are observing a continuous improvement of the economy, slowly but surely, and as a result business aviation is getting better too. But... growth will

depend on a sustainable economic recovery.”

The main obstacle to this, according to aeronautics expert at Oddo Securities Yan Derocles, is the still sluggish macro-economic environment.

“In the next two years economists are not anticipating a strong recovery,” said Derocles, adding that the absorption of the used market is key. “It is a sine qua non condition of the recovery of new plane orders.”

NetJets, financially backed

by US millionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, is convinced the market has longterm growth potential.

President of Executive Aviation Market at the Brazilian aerospace conglomerate Embraer, Ernest Edwards, said globalisation has opened up the

market, with private aviation less limited now to its traditional pool of clients from the US, Britain, France, Switzerland and Germany.

“Asia, the Middle East and Russia are examples of regions where the demand for private aviation is growing,” Edwards said. In China, India and Russia the number of millionaires increases each year.

In China, according to the Teal Group study, 3,000 people own more than $500 million and there are 130 billionaires.

Teal Group forecast an 11 percent growth this year, followed by four years at around 12 percent. Richard Aboulafia, vice-president of the group, estimated any return to the peak number of orders from 2008 would not happen before 2015.

GOLD`31,410 10g SILVER `49,486 1kg

24C

for

for

DOLLAR `61.19 POUND `99.53

WASHINGTON: US businesses hired at a tepid pace in September as the Washington battle over the budget and debt ceiling was headed toward a government shutdown, Labor Department data showed. The economy generated a fewer-thanexpected 148,000 jobs during the last month, just barely above the average for the third quarter, and well below the 195,000 monthly average in the first half of the year. Of that only 126,000 jobs came from the private sector, expected to drive the recovery, while expansion in hiring of teachers and other school officials made up much of the balance.

THUS SPAKE We would be astonished now if the Fed were able to taper this year; even March looks like a struggle.

IAN SHEPHERDSON, PANTHEON MACROECONOMICS

BSE NSE

20,687.55 177.42

6,146.70 56.10

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

Comment

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS HFT is glad that India has taken umbrage with China for stapling visas to passports of those from Arunachal Pradesh. Our government may allow hunderd of Indian labourers to die in modern slavery in the heat of the Middle East, but hey, at least they give a hoot about staples.

MURDOCH MYSTERIES

14

THE ETERNAL OUTSIDER PAPER TIGER Rob Lever

U

Rupert Murdoch still sees himself as an anti-establishment outsider, even after building the most powerful media empire on the planet, a new book on the tycoon says.

Murdoch’s World: The Last of the Old Media Empires by David Folkenflik says the Australianborn US magnate remains distrustful of governments following his long history of battling regulators in several countries.

Murdoch’s executives “have always defined themselves by [the company’s] enemies — unions, liberal elites, the New York Times, the BBC, the Guardian and the Australian Broadcasting Corp; self-satisfied politicians, red-tape happy government regulators, the leftist university professoriate”, the author writes.

“It is the defining contradiction of Rupert Murdoch’s corporation that it has accumulated more influence than any other media company in the world and yet remains convinced of its status as an outsider.”

Murdoch, who is under pressure from a phone-hacking scandal in Britain and recently split the huge News Corp. conglomerate into separate companies focusing on entertainment and publishing, has long had “contempt” for much of what government does, the book argues.

“Murdoch comes by that con-

tempt for government intervention by way of personal experience,” Folkenflik writes in the book released this week.

“He is a man whose very history tells him that regulations are designed to trip him up. He is an executive who has built up his own empire after seeing his family’s holdings shrink from taxes levied on his father’s estate, He is an entrepreneur who repeatedly had to win permission to buy television and newspaper properties in all three English-speaking countries in which he became a dominant presence.”

The book maintains that Murdoch and his executives “con-

vinced themselves the establishment loathed the corporation”.

“This declaration would be repeated despite the fact that Murdoch pere and fils and their top lieutenants were courted by prime ministers, and their top executives were often culled from the establishment’s ranks,” it says.

Folkenflik, a media reporter for National Public Radio in the US, said Murdoch personally sees global warming as a problem but that he allows his news organizations to cast doubt on the issue.

“Murdoch’s belief in the need to contain climate change was pitted against his hatred for cen-

tral government regulation,” the book says.

“So he set a corporate example but refused to endorse a mandate... he sees the environmental movement littered with alarmists, a cadre of managerial elitists who snatch away power and property and wealth from his working- and middle-class tabloid readers.”

The author said Fox News “sprang from Murdoch’s decision to create a television empire around sports” as he had done in Australia and Britain.

Murdoch, according to the author, was committed to getting NFL broadcasts as a foundation

for his television network and initially wanted a news program as a “bookend” which would compete against the CBS show 60 Minutes.

“The idea of creating a new show yielded to the idea of creating an entire cable network — a niche news channel,” the journalist wrote.

Folkenflik said Murdoch, 82, has not publicly named a successor but that his son James was best-placed.

Lachlan, the eldest son, appeared to be “the anointed one” in 2000, but when he resigned years later “amid Machiavellian machinations,” the father “saw the son’s retreat as a sign of weakness”.

The media tycoon used Britain’s Sky TV “as a proving ground for the succession games,” and James’s time there as chief executive saw him massively boost subscribers and revenues.

The appointment of James as deputy chief operating officer and chief executive of international operations in 2011 “formalized his status as heir apparent,” the book said, though many believe his earlier handling of the phone hacking scandal in Britain had damaged his credibility.

The author said Murdoch repeated a lesson he learned when he was five years old and his mother threw him in a swimming pool to teach him to swim.

“She would not allow anyone to rescue him, even though he was screaming for help, he recalled as an adult,” the book said.

EDITORIAL Another gang rape signals the hypocrisy of New India

A

Another day, another young woman raped. After the Delhi gang rape incident, the world applauded ‘New India’. It praised the manner in which the country’s youth took to the streets in peaceful protest at police inaction. It heralded a new dawn in India. It was wrong.

The problem with Indians is that we are innately selfish people, even though we peddle selflessness like we do our so-called morals and values.

One may find it distasteful, but

READERS’ VIEWS

there was a period last year when being a supporter of women’s rights and arguing for capital punishment in rape cases was cool and the bandwagon was packed.

While this paper does not support capital punishment, we do believe that women do have the right to walk alone on the streets at night, they do have a right to equal pay, and above all they do have a right to be proud to be a woman.

But the latest gang rape case in

Hyderabad just proves that nothing much has changed in India.

Women are still viewed as mere commodities to be traded into marriage, sexual slavery, and used whenever a man’s animal urge rises.

This streak of misogyny starts in the Indian family unit, where it is ingrained into sons that they are better than women. It isn’t obvious anymore, but it’s still rampant.

Society then picks up where the family ends. Aided by members of the

police force and society and abetted by politicians, women face an up-hill struggle.

It is sad to say but we are failing in the fight to protect women in public and in the privacy of their own homes.

‘New India’ is just a façade.

It has no meaning and certainly no bearing on the country’s arc. Women, unfortunately have been fooled into believing it does. Capital punishment is not the answer, publicly shaming the perpetrator’s family is.

We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or Plot No 550-A1,3rd Floor, Road No 92, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad–500033 Landmark — Volkswagen showroom or even by way of a call on 040-2354 1412. Editor: Dean Williams

15

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

Cinema BREAKING BARS

PAPILLON

ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ

P

E

scape from Alcatraz is a 1979 American prison film, directed by Don Siegel and starring Clint Eastwood.

It is based on true events. It dramatizes possibly the only successful escape attempt from the maximum security prison on Alcatraz Island.

The film also features Patrick McGoohan as the suspicious, vindictive warden. The film marks the fifth and final collaboration between Siegel and Eastwood, following Coogan's Bluff, Two Mules for Sister Sara , The Beguiled and Dirty Harry.

apillon is a 1973 prison film directed by Franklin J Schaffner, based on the bestselling autobiography by the French convict Henri Charrière.

Steve McQueen is Henri Charrière ("Papillon"), and Dustin Hoffman is Louis Dega.

The film's title is French, and means 'Butterfly' in English, referring to the tattoo and nickname Charriere was given.

Henri Charrière, a petty criminal also known as Papillon, is unjustly convicted of murder in 1930s France.

SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

T

his is such a different one becasue we on ly learn of the plan in hindsight.

Through out the movie there are clues as to the plan of the Tim Robbins as Andy Dufresne, a banker convicted of murdering both his wife and her lover, sentenced on circumstantial evidence to consecutive life sentences, to fly. Only after Andy misses morning roll call do we begin to process what he’s done, in a bid to escape this tyrannical warden and his unjust incarceration.

g^fi_ob^h pmb`f^i MIDNIGHT EXPRESS

M

idnight Express is a 1978 film directed

by Alan Parker and produced by David Puttnam.

It is based on Billy Hayes' 1977 book Midnight Express and was adapted into the screenplay by Oliver Stone. It starred Brad Davis, Irene Miracle, Bo Hopkins, Paolo Bonacelli, Paul L. Smith, Randy Quaid, Norbert Weisser, Peter Jeffrey and John Hurt. Hayes was a young American student sent to a Turkish prison for trying to smuggle hashish out of Turkey.

With the Sly-Arnie starrer Escape Plan out in cinemas, here are the top five breakout films that one must just has to see.

THE GREAT ESCAPE

T

he ultimate bank-holiday film is an all-star ripping yarn based on the true story of a mass breakout from "escape-proof" Stalag Luft III. Produced and directed by John Sturges, it bursts with memorable moments: Charles Bronson’s claustrophobia; “Cooler King” Steve McQueen jumping the barbed wire fence on a Triumph motorbike. The theme music is now synonymous with England football fans. A proper crowd-pleaser, despite its downbeat ending.

18

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

spotlight FASHIONABLE CAUSE

POMP AND

PAGEANTRY

Fashion For A Cause, a show by designers Tejas and Harish was organised at Evolve. Proceeds from the show was donated to Udaan NGO.

WORLD IS THEIR STAGE Actress Namrata Shirodkar was present at the inaugural ceremony of Hyderabad Children's Theatre Festival on Tuesday at Radisson Blu Hotel.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

health

KERALA RECORDS RISE IN CANCER CASES IN 30 YEARS

There has been a 280 percent rise in cancer patients in the past three decades in Kerala, reveals a study by the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC). Incidentally, the only full-fledged cancer centre in Kerala is the RCC, while the Malabar Cancer Centre in Kannur district is as yet only partially operational..

GUARDIANS OF SPEED

19

KEEPING THEM SAFE

Dr Indira Priyadarshini Pal Singh, Head of Emergency, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals has been designated as the Chief Medical Officer for the 2013 Formula One Indian Grand Prix.

She opens up to Postnoon about how she prepared for the role for such a huge event. any medical needs during or after the race.

Is India prepared to take on such a responsibility? Are we come at par with the required expertise and medical infrastructure to handle an event of this scale, please elaborate?

Yes, India has been hosting the 2013 Formula One Indian Grand Prix for the last three years and in every aspect including the expertise and medical infrastructure, we seem to be at par with the best.

Apollo hospitals is known world over for its medical expertise and clinical acumen and has been a favoured medical destination for patients from more than 120 countries.

Insights into the preparedness of herself and the team.

A lot of stress was laid during practice sessions to check responsiveness and communication of the team, as it is very important during such high adrenaline rush races that messages are properly conveyed on from the control room to the respective team and vice versa.

What are the preparations and trainings gone into formulating the team to handle critical situations that may arise on the ground?

We had tailor made drills and practice sessions simulating the fast paced nature of the

Formula 1 racing. The simulations have included extrications in case of an accident, ambulance transfer and air

evacuation drills. During the event, four medical intervention vehicles, seven ambulances and two standby heli-

copters along with a specialist team of doctors will be stationed at the world class equipped medical centre for

Q4: How is this, a challenging career opportunity – the professional courses undertaken and the skills honed?

I underwent training during the Singapore GP for the past two years and also participated in seminars and specialist training overseas to prepare for this role. In 2012, I was designated as the Deputy Chief Medical Officer prior to being nominated as the Chief Medical Officer.

TRIAL AND ERROR

Clinical trials should be for Indians’ benefit: SC The clinical trials of 162 new chemical entities will continue to be on hold as the Supreme Court is yet to examine the benefits of these trials for the country

A

bench of Justice R.M.Lodha and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh said that 157 new chemical entities which were cleared for clinical trials in December 31, 2012, would be reviewed by the two apex committees.

“It is not possible to pass any order in respect of the clinical trials of 157 new chemical entities.

We are not passing any order.

You will tell us the findings of the apex committee and the technical committee,” the bench told Additional Solicitor General Siddarth Luthra who had appeared for the government.

Reviewing the clearance for clinical trials of 157 new chemical entities by the National Drugs Advisory Committee and the Drug Controller General of India, the court said the technical and apex committees would look

into the assessment of risk vs benefits to the patients, innovation vis-a-vis existing therapeutic options and the unmet medical needs of the country.

The court said the apex committee will examine whether the new chemical entities that are

being put to clinical trials are actually required in the country.

In respect of five other new chemical entities for which approval has been granted for the clinical trials in 2013, the court accepted the statement of Luthra which said that appropri-

ate directions will be issued with regard to audio visual recording of the consent of the subject participating in such trials.

The court directed that such documents in the wake of the video recording shall be preserved and the principle of confidentiality and transparency would be observed.

In the course of the arguments, senior counsel Colin Gonsales informed the court of the Aug 30 report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee which had made damning findings about the working of the office of the Drug Controller General.

He said that the Standing Committee has said that it were the invisible hands that were writing the report and were being approved by the office of the DCGI.

At this, Justice Lodha said: “We should have a balanced approach. These are the issues where you can’t have one sides approach. We should allay their (of the petitioner) apprehensions reasonably. The clinical trials should help us.”

Gonsalves said that the ministry of health and family welfare was using a committee headed

by Ranjir Roy Chaudhury to derail the regime set up by the Standing Committee. He sought the disclosure of the 162 new chemical entities.

Assailing the position of Chaudhury, Gonsalves said that he wanted to make India a hub of clinical trials even in the phase I and Phase II in which healthy people are subjected to the testing of the new chemical entities.

The next hearing of the matter will take place Dec 16. - IANS

20

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

Technology AN APPLE A DAY

iPAD’S UP IN THE AIR

The new Apple products will fuel the trend of mobile devices vanquishing old-school PCs, but the launch failed to catch fire with investors.

DOLPHIN INSPIRATION

PARIS: British engineers said

they had taken inspiration from dolphins for a new type of radar device that could easily track miners trapped underground or skiers buried in an avalanche.

The device, like dolphins, sends out two pulses in quick succession to allow for a targeted search for semiconductor devices, cancelling any background “noise”, the team wrote in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

With more accuracy and speed than conventional radar, their device was able to pick up roadside bombs even in areas with a lot of metal “clutter”.

NOKIA’S FIRST TABLET

ABU DHABI: Nokia, whose

GLENN CHAPMAN feedback@postnoon.com SAN FRANCISCO: Apple has unveiled the ‘iPad Air’, a slimmer version of its top-selling full-size tablet, and a revamped iPad Mini, bidding to fend off rivals who have eroded its market dominance.

The new products will likely fuel the trend of mobile devices vanquishing oldschool personal computers, but the launch failed to catch fire with investors, as Apple shares dipped following Tuesday’s highlyawaited event. Some analysts, however, were upbeat after the US tech giant unveiled upgrades to its tablet devices, notebooks and desktop computers along with free software to sweeten the deal.

“It is going to be a really strong holiday for Apple,” Gartner analyst Van Baker said of the California company’s prospects of sales during America’s important holiday shopping season.

“The highlight of the day is the breadth of Apple’s announcement; this is apps, tablets, MacBooks, Mac Pro, software... It is very wide ranging,” he said, after spending some hands-on time with the latest devices.

The new iPads will be sold alongside existing versions starting November 1 in more than 40 markets around the world. For the first time, China will be among the countries getting the latest iPad models on launch day.

Things you should know about the new Apple products The new iPad Air is thinner than the version it replaces.

The iPad Air weighs just 450 grams.

The upgraded iPad Mini has a rich retina display along with faster computing power and graphics.

Both new iPads feature the Apple-designed A7 chip with 64-bit ‘desktop-class architecture’.

Apple has said its iWork and iLife software suites will now be free with all its devices.

$499 $399 The starting cost of the new iPad Air

The cost of the new iPad Mini

The new iPad Air is thinner than the version it replaces, weighs just 450 grams, and is “screaming fast”, Apple vice-president Phil Schiller said at the unveiling in San Francisco. And the upgraded iPad Mini has a vividly rich retina display along with faster computing power and graphics.

Both new iPads feature the Appledesigned A7 chip with 64-bit “desktop-class architecture,” the company said.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook said he was not troubled by competition in the

tablet space, despite the iPad losing share in the sector in recent times.

“Everybody seems to be making a tablet,” he told the audience. “Even some of the doubters are making them.”

The iPad Air will start at $499 and the new Mini version at $399 for US customers.

Apple will trim prices of current iPad models. Apple announced upgrades for its MacBook line of notebooks and Mac Pro desktop computer, and its new operating system called Mavericks. In a strategic shift, Apple also said that iWork and iLife software suites — for tasks from video editing to mixing music and making business presentations — would be free with all its devices.

“These are really incredibly rich apps, and we have only just scratched the surface of what you can do with them,” Cook said.

“We are turning the industry on its ear; because we want our customers to have our latest software and access to the greatest new features.”

Baker said this was a smart move which can drive sales of hardware along with posing a threat to Microsoft’s empire, which is built on selling operating systems, productivity applications and other software.

Like Google does with its online array of Docs applications, Apple will be making available for free the productivity software that Microsoft sells to users of Windowspowered computers.

handset division is to be acquired

by Microsoft, launched its first tablet computer in Abu Dhabi, aiming for a stake in a fast expanding sector. The Windows 10-inch screen tablet, Lumia 2520, was one of six new devices unveiled, including two so-called “phablets” — large screen smartphones. The Nokia Lumia 2520, available in red and white in a glossy finish as well as cyan and black in matte, is to go on sale in the US at an estimated price of $499 by the end of the year.

FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE COPENHAGEN: Spending on measures to limit global warming declined last year, and was deeply inadequate to avoid its worst effects, said a climate finance analysis released Tuesday.

Governments and the private sector spent about $359 billion in 2012 — down from $364 billion the year before, said a report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), an independent team of climate finance analysts and advisors.

The analysis was unveiled at a meeting of the Global Green Growth Forum which includes representatives of governments, the business sector, investors and international organisations working for cleaner, safer energy.

21

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

Entertainment

CATHERINE TRESA

NEW ENTRY

CINE BYTES

Venkatesh and Charan’s film to roll from Nov

part of Rudrama Devi D Director Gunase khar might have had a streak of bad luck in the boxoffice, but he is all set to leave that aside and start afresh for Rudrama Devi. He has roped in an interesting star cast for this film. And the latest buzz is that Catherine Tresa has joined the team and she will be portraying the role of princess Annambika.

Her character is supposed to be the love interest of Gona Ganna Reddy in the movie. Anushka and Rana Daggubati will be playing the main leads and Illayaraja is composing the music for the film.

I

f the latest rumours are to be believed, Venkatesh and Ram Charan Tej will be teaming up for a multi-starrer. Shoot of the movie is expected to start from mid-November. And this is not all, the makers are apparently trying to rope in a bigger star in this mix. Seems like they are keeping media away from this.

Now, we are interested.

Bhai triple platinum disc on Oct 24th

T

here is good news for Nagarjuna fans.

Akkineni Nagarjuna starrer Bhai’s triple platinum disc function will be held on Oct 24th. The event will be held at Prasad Labs.

Devi Sri Prasad has composed the music for the movie.

Boman Irani eager to work in Tollywood

A

fter Pawan Kalyan’s Attarintiki Daredi was declared a hit, bollywood star Boman Irani who made his Tollywood debut in the movie has become the toast of the town. He says he is very impressed with tollywood stars and is eager to work with them.

He is getting many offers from T-Town and he will surely start working with them when he gets good script.

22

Entertainment WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

DIGITAL MART

CINE BYTES

Kareena loves shopping online

Anthony D’Souza to make aerial adventure film

B

lue director Anthony D’Souza would have gone into oblivion had it not been for Akshay Kumar’s support. Now he marvels at the response to his new film Boss, and he is planning an aerial adventure drama. “It’s a pet subject. It’s a project close to my heart. And I want to make it the way I do. I am happy that Boss has been accepted. I am glad for my wife.”

K

areena Kapoor ends up splurging more than required whenever she shops online from the comfort of her home.

“I am a voracious online shopper. I buy a lot of stuff via the internet because I don’t get a lot of time to go to the stores and try on things.

I have a wonderful experience,” the actress said here while unveiling Malabar Gold’s online store Monday.

“It seems I end up buying more while shopping from the comfort of my home. So, sometimes you tend to buy a little extra, which is good, I think,” she added.

On the movie front, the actress will soon be seen in Punit Malhotra’s “Gori Tere Pyaar Mein” with Imran Khan. The film will release Nov 22. – IANS

Priyanka supports cancer fight

A

ctress Priyanka Chopra, who lost her father Ashok Chopra to cancer, has joined a crusade against the dreaded disease and says treatment should be available to everyone suffering from it. At the inauguration of HCG Cancer Unit the actress said: “I am supporting a crusade against cancer.”

Farhadi’s The Past gets standing ovation

O

scar winning Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi’s The Past drew a keen audience, which remained glued to their seats till almost 11 pm and stood in unison to applaud the director’s vision behind the film, screened at the Mumbai Film Festival. Audiences queued up outside the 736-seater Liberty cinemas one hour before the show began.

Entertainment WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

23

Entertainment WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

24

25

Entertainment WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER

CINE BYTES

KIM COMPARES daughter's style with own S ocialite Kim Kardashian enjoys dressing up her fourmonth-old daughter North West, and says the latter's wardrobe is more stylish than what her own baby clothes used to be.

"This is the fun part right? Dressing her up and making her look nice. She's much more stylish than I was when I was little, absolutely," vogue.co.uk quoted Kardashian as saying.

The 32-year-old recently took to imagesharing website Instagrma to post photographs of her daughter wearing outfits by labels like Alexander Wang, Celine and Lavin. –IANS

Portman hates travelling for work

N

atalie Portman has to travel from one place to another forwork commitments, but if she had her way, she would love to live and work in one place. The actress, who lives in LA and often shoots in London, does not like so much travel. She is envious of British co-stars who can live and work in the same city as most of the Hollywood productions are now in London.

Simon's mother wants him to get married

M

usic mogul Simon Cowell’s mother Julie reportedly wants him to get married and settle down soon, and he plans to make his mother's wish come true. Simon's partner Lauren Silverman is due to give birth to their first child in February.

Rumour mills are abuzz that Simon is going to marry her.

Hemsworth competes with siblings

A

ctor Chris Hemsworth, whose brothers Liam and Luke are in the business of acting too, says they are as competitive as most siblings are. Luke is the eldest of the brothers, while Liam is younger to Chris. "We're competitive as siblings are, in everything from sport -to who's in control of the remote watching TV," femelefirst.co.uk quoted Chris as saying.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

Chai Time

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

“Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery.”

J.K. Rowling

KAKURO

QUICK CROSSWORD

26

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

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

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

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

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

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

ACROSS

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

SCRIBBLING PAD

1 Automobile-eschewing sect 6 Possessed, to Shakespeare 11 Janitor’s closet item 14 Wash oneself 15 1998 BP acquisition 16 Pie ___ mode 17 Member of a legislative body 19 Loser’s total in a shutout 20 Cathedral city of England 21 Unit of work 22 Old greeting for Caesar 23 A water-skier hangs on to it 27 Cast aside 29 Plastic ___ Band 30 Not in one’s birthday suit 32 Wimbledon ranking 33 A dunker may grab it 34 Gold purity unit 36 Thermoslike flask 39 You can get this in bars 41 Country on the Red Sea 43 Extinct pigeon relative 44 “The ___ Sanctum” 46 Philanthropist 48 Base for some wrestlers 49 Remnant 51 Lymph ___ 52 It may be blond or pale 53 Fairy folk 56 Meet by chance 58 Self-proclaimed “greatest” of boxing 59 One-eighty from WSW 60 Potok’s “My Name Is Asher ___” 61 Clerical abbreviation 62 Meg or Beth, in literature 68 Vigoda of sitcoms 69 Indian police officer’s club 70 A sister of Clio 71 Yon maiden fair 72 Single-masted sailing vessel 73 Winona of “Edward Scissorhands”

DOWN

1 Attorneys’ org.

2 They have young’uns 3 “__ a long story” 4 Gossamery 5 Socrates’ last drink 6 Linden of “Barney Miller” 7 First daughter Carter 8 Hemispherical roofs 9 Lines of cliffs 10 Word with “sharp” or “silver” 11 Match made in a famous garden 12 Martini orb 13 Was puny (by comparison) 18 Actor’s incidental activity 23 Some stick figure lines 24 It can bring tears to your eyes 25 Subject of old, politically incorrect jokes 26 Dog-___ (like some used books) 28 Wetlands plant 31 Matt of Hollywood 35 Range of some saxophones 37 Fully grown human 38 Ritzy drive 40 Prefix with “scope” or “meter” 42 Rounded protuberance 45 Spins the same yarn 47 A longtime magazine subscriber, e.g.

50 Friendly 53 “Going Rogue” author Palin 54 First-year cadet 55 Petty quarrel 57 Elephant tusk 63 In spite of, in short 64 Mouth piece?

65 Ready to be committed 66 Got fed up?

67 Word between here and there

Chai Time WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 24-10-2013

27

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

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Unexpected financial opportunity is on the cards. Litigation in ancestral property issues is likely to surface. Avoid taking legal path but try to settle the issue out of court. Politicians are advised to obey the high command’s instructions.

STRIP TEASE AGNES

Blood relatives will stand as strong support to you. Children will make you proud and your status in the society will go up because of their good performance. Spouse and relatives will be more affectionate towards you and stand strong.

House plan approval will be received and construction to start soon. All the major works will get completed as expected.

Debt issues will keep haunting you and it is necessary for you to take suitable steps to come out of the same.

Businessmen will plan for expansion with which profits are likely to jump. Employees need to be careful as colleagues might try to put you in trouble.

Unexpected financial opportunity is likely to keep you financially strong.

Children will make you happy and proud. You will undertake renovation works in the ancestral property. Employees will be given challenging tasks by their superiors and test their caliber.

Need to act smart and proper to win superior’s heart.

Government work will end satisfactorily and within the expected time. Misunderstanding with spouse is likely. Try to remain cordial to keep a peaceful atmosphere. Businessmen can consider new investments for expansion. but after due analysis..

You will come out of certain major issues by selling out one of your fixed assets. Indirect financial income will keep you relaxed. Employees will be suitably rewarded for their hard work. Politicians are advised to remain neutral.

Court verdict will go in your favour. Unwanted doubts will rise about spouse in your mind; but it is advised to avoid such thought. Never share any confidential matters with outsiders.Major issues will get resolved with your approach.

A close friend whom you were longing to see will meet you surprisingly which will make you cheerful. You will clear a portion of your debt for which you were paying higher interest.

Some have chance to change their residence.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail. com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

Two of Wands – Certain unpleasant circumstances will make you bring out the beast in you. Be careful of hurting people in the bargain.

LEO:

Eight of Pentacles – An enemy is back to haunt you. He/she will declare war and you will have no choice but to fight. Don’t think; just do what dharma expects of you.

LIBRA:

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

Nine of Cups – This is a good time to go shopping.

You will find what you’re looking for.

This is also a time to shop for others and give gifts.

SAGITTARIUS:

King of Pentacles – It’s very important to not mix people and emotions in your head.

One group of people may be only for work; another only for entertainment.

TAURUS:

Ace of Pentacles – No matter what you think of the setup, you will have no choice but to respect hierarchy. May as well accept it than try to fight it.

CANCER:

Eight of Cups – Sometimes, it’s best not to react to anything. Sit there like a stone and watch the happenings around you in mute silence.

VIRGO:

The High Priestess – You will be thrown into a new job, which may not be your domain. It will be difficult to cope up but you will learn along the way.

SCORPIO:

Judgement – You are in the process of shutting down all those old memories and now creating new ones with a new set of people.

CAPRICORN:

Three of Cups – There is a technique to keeping people on your side and doing what’s necessary to keep them on your side.

PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

The Lovers – Stop bingeing on junk food. Chips, cola, oily foods are all slowing you down.

Focus on your health. Take up an exercise routine that you will enjoy.

NUMBER GAME

You’re confident about the future despite the ups and downs you’ve recently experienced. However, work hard and don’t be over-confident.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: The Chariot –

POOCH CAFE

Focus well in completing your job on time. As time is not favourable, you need to express your opinions carefully, else you will be misunderstood. Businessmen might face difficulty in collecting their old dues.

for 24-10-2013

Seven of Swords – Meditate. Spend some time everyday in silence. You will find the answers you’re looking for without having to work too hard to get to it.

NON SEQUITUR

Misunderstanding about children will be over. Son will discontinue his friendship with bad friends. Money will come by from all the expected sources. Politicians will get appreciation from the high command.

SUDUKO

Financial position will gradually improve for better. Introduction with VIPs is likely to be beneficial in future. Never interfere into others issues voluntarily.

Politicians will be in the forefront in meetings and other welfare activities.

Boggle OAK ASH ELM PINE PALM MAPLE SPRUCE Vol: 3, No 91 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at # Plot no.550-A1,3rd floor, Road no-92, Jubilee hills, Hyderabad-500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon. com and for subscription, please call 040-23541412,

28

Entertainment WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013 CINE BYTES

ME, MARRY YOU?

The Wanted’s new song based on experiences

S

inger Max George says his band The Wanted’s latest album Word Of Mouth has tracks based on the members’ past experiences, especially around his relationship with his ex-fiancée Michelle Keegan. George and Keegan were engaged for a year, but they called it quits after he was seen kissing another girl.

Keegan is now engaged to Mark Wright.

IANS

Minnie Driver feels guilty

A

A

ctress Minnie Driver, who has a five-year-old son, feels guilty when she has to leave him and go away on long shoots.

If I leave the house before Henry has woken up, I’m back after he has gone to bed, it’s awful. So I find a way of getting his dad, or his nanny to bring him on set when I’m working,” she said.

IANS

“

When Perry’s ‘teenage dream’ went for a toss

K

aty Perry says her divorce from British comedian Russell Brand made her face the harsh realities of life. Perry and Brand were married for 14 months before they parted ways in 2011. The situation was not easy for Perry, who took some time to resume her normal life, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Perry says the incident brought her face-to-face with adult reality.

IANS

Keegan took Wright’s proposal as joke

ctress Michelle Keegan says she felt her fiancé Mark Wright was kidding when he popped the question to her.

The couple dated for almost six months before getting engaged in Dubai last month.

“I thought he was joking at first and then he said ‘come here’,” Hello magazine quoted Keegan as saying.

It was an emotional moment for Keegan when she realised that Wright was serious about it.

“I started crying, and said ‘Yes’.

Then he started welling up as well.

Then as we walked further down the beach, I saw a table set up with lanterns and petals, and with two glasses of champagne,” said Keegan. IANS

sports

29

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

LEAGUE CRICKET

FORMULA ONE

Hope India takes F1 to heart: Hamilton

A 2 AND 3 DIVISION TWO DAYS Gujrati 220 (Baljeet Singh 38, Manoj Kumar 42, Suresh 3/48) bt Sporting XI 189 (Vikas Mohan 57, Mohammed Nadeem Uddin 47, Dharaas Vardhan 6/50) SA Amberpet 173 (Faheem 34, Shahbaaz Qubai 43no, A Jayasuriya 5/39) Drew with Telangana 71/2 (Anirag Vittal 39no) Galaxy 76 (Shashidhar 40, DGJ Chaitanya 5/27, Praneeth 4/22) lost to Continental 79/1 (Rohith Reddy 50) Sultan Shahi 343/9 (CH Prasad 48, Vinay Kumar 160no, Ashwin Vijay 62, Manish Parashar 5/121) drew with Budding Star 186/4 (Tushar Saklani 92, Siresh Goud 37) CCOB 189 (Abdul Mannan 89, Mark 4/35, Pargat Singh 3/45) drew with Khalsa 121/5) P&T Colony 169 (Steven Son 3/39, Abhishek Kumar 5/54) bt Nizam College 157 (Sharath Kumar 91, Uttam Kumar 3/35, Ajay Rawat 3/56, Taqiullah 3/32) HBCC 217 (Ameya Soman 152) drew with Sai Satya 121/7 (Mickil Jaiswal 49) Osmania 156 (Santosh Reddy 54, B Prasad 4/29) vs National 13 for no loss

A DIVISION ONE DAY Shalimar 249/7 (Shantan Reddy 32, Pavan Kumar 33, Krishna Prasad 51) bt Reliance 55 (Akshay Nag 4/17, Vineet Somani 3/9) PKCC 92 (B Kumar 33) lost to Gowlipura 94/5 (G Vishnuvardhan 30) Youth 127 (Venkata Reddy 42, Srinandh Reddy 3/24, Jitesh 3/10) bt LNCC 98 (S Moqeeth Ahmed 3/31) Greelands 265 (Sunder 34, M Pratyush 51, V Kiran 61, Dheeraj 4/89, Mahendra 5/75) bt Consults 97 (E Sree Charan 3/32, M Pratyush 4/38) Abhinav Colts 148 (Praneeth 31, Naveed 4/28) bt SUCC Mansoor 40, Zeeshan 30, Asheer 6/30) Southern Star 244 (Harshit 73, Vijay 51, Varun 30, Rudra Atri 6/69, J Sidharth 3/17) bt Cheerful Chams 79 (Kishan 5/31, Vinod 4/48) Bhartiya 158 (Babu 78) lost to WMCC 159/3 (Susheel 83, VVVS Sai Charan 38no) Time CC 297 (Sawan 33, Sanjeev 39, Shiva Koti Reddy 82, Chandu 49, Bindu 5/66) bt Lucky XI 96 (Phani 43, Shiva Koti Reddy 4/24) Secunderabad Club 201/9 (Dipendra Bhadoria 59, Akshat Badrukar 42, Mohsin 3/30) bt Rushi Raj 169 (Mohsin 40, Hassan 41, Akshat Badruka 3/49, Anoop Singh 3/49) Bharath CC 171/7 (Vikas Rao 42, Tejodhar Rao 44) bt Satyam Colts 127 (Chandu 43, T Sohan 3/39, S Ganesh 3/28, Harashavardhan Reddy 3/11) Mayur 225 (Anant Prabu 44, Sharief 3/44) bt Young Master 183 (Shajathullah 36, Mohammed Ibrahim 42) Mahaveer 132 (Deepak 30, Shaik Abdul Shakeel 3/35, Azmath Khan 5/37) lost to Boys Town 135/2 (Abdul Khaled Al-Qureshi 50, Pragun Dubey 32) Tirumala 219 (Pavan 90, Saradhi 64, P Arun 5/67) bt S Raymonds 121 (Alok 44, Vignesh 33no, Ashwin Manney 6/21) Vijayanand 131 (C Avinash Reddy 34, Kareem 30, Bhanu 3/18) bt ML Jaisimha 123 (Neeraj 55, Yadi Reddy 4/6)

NEW DELHI: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton (in pic) Tuesday said he hopes Formula 1 fans in India take the sport to their heart in the future.

The 2008 drivers’ World Champion also added that he has enjoyed his trips to India so far.

“I have really enjoyed our two visits to India so far. It’s such a vibrant country and the support that we’ve received from the fans there has been fantastic. They love sport and the knowledge that some of the fans that I’ve met have had about Formula 1 has been great to see. I really hope that we can see the country take Formula 1 to heart in the future,” said Hamilton, who finished fourth last year in India.

The Briton also hailed the Buddh International Circuit (BIC), praising the layout and the high speed corners of the track.

“I also really like the BIC. The layout has a great rhythm and I love the fast turns and high speeds. We’re hoping for a strong weekend. We know that we have a good car and if we can put together a good race weekend, then we have the potential for some great results before the season is over.”

Hamilton’s teammate Nico Rosberg said he is looking forward to his trip as he finds India a fascinating country.

“I’m looking forward to our trip to India. It really is a fascinating country and there is always something new to experience when you are there for the race weekend. The

track itself is pretty challenging and there are good overtaking opportunities at the end of the long straight so the race should hopefully be quite exciting,” said Rosberg, who won the Monaco and British Grands Prix earlier in the season.

“The Indian fans are very passionate and increasingly knowledgeable about our sport and I hope they will enjoy the experience and provide some good support for our team. The last few races haven’t been the best for us so I am hoping for a good weekend. We are all determined to finish the season strongly and to continue our challenge for second place in the Constructors’ Championship.”

F1 needs 10 years in India to create racing culture NEW DELHI: Formula 1 needs at least another decade in India to create a racing culture in the country, believes Force India driver Adrian Sutil. Sutil said the first two races have shown that F1 and motor racing could be big in India. “I have come to India many times and I see racing is not so big here. One way we can make it big here is by keep coming back year after year.

IANS

FRENCH OPEN

Jayaram advances; Kashyap, Gurusaitdutt out

PARIS: It wasn’t a great day for Indians at the $200,000 French Open Super Series as two of its three leading men’s singles shuttlers lost in the opening round at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin here Tuesday.

While Mumbai’s Ajay Jayaram advanced to the second round, it was dead end for India’s top-ranked male Parupalli Kashyap and his citymate R.M.V. Gurusaidutt.

Mumbai’s Jayaram, in their firstever encounter, beat Japanese Kazumasa Sakai with relative ease in 37 minutes. The World No.25 Indian won 21-16, 21-11.

Later, China’s Chen Yuekun drubbed Gurusaidutt with ease in their first ever career meet. The Chinese ousted his higher ranked opponent 21-9, 21-14.

IANS

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

SWISS INDOORS

GOOD START

Wawrinka, Berdych ousted Uzbek Denis Istomin booked a second-round meeting with former world number one Roger Federer as he beat Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos.

BASEL: Stanislas Wawrinka seriously dented his hopes of reaching the ATP season final when crashing out of the Swiss Indoors with a 6-4, 6-3 firstround loss to Edouard RogerVasselin on Tuesday.

The same fate befell second seed Tomas Berdych when the next man in the queue to qualify for the eight-man year-end event was beaten by Ivo Karlovic 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/2).

Berdych had a chance to serve out a three-set win but failed and then could not extricate himself from the big-serve danger of the Croatian, who won with 23 aces in almost two and a half hours.

Wawrinka, now five times a loser in Basel opening matches, ended disappointingly on a fifth double-fault of an evening to forget for the fourth seed at his home event.

The Swiss stands provisionally eighth in the race to the World Tour Finals, but he now must work a miracle next week at the Paris Masters - the last event of the regular season - to save his qualifying hopes.

Wawrinka ended disappointingly on a fifth double-fault of an evening to forget for the fourth seed at his home event.

The US Open semi-finalist, who put out holder Andy Murray in New York and reached a September semi-final in Kuala Lumpur, showed only a shadow of his game as he went down to the Frenchman in 71 minutes.

After dropping the first set, the sluggish Swiss was broken to start the second and could never close the gap on his 65th-ranked opponent.

Meanwhile, Uzbek Denis

MISSION ISTANBUL

Serena makes speedy start ISTANBUL: Serena Williams crushed one of the few women to have beaten her in the last 15 months as she began her defence of the WTA Championships in Istanbul with a speedily impressive win on Tuesday.

The world number one from the United States took little more than an hour and allowed only four games to Angelique Kerber, who beat her in Cincinnati last year but who was now outplayed almost from the moment she dropped serve in her opening service game.

As usual it was Williams’ superbly produced serve and withering power off the ground which overwhelmed her opponent, and the 6-3, 6-1 success suggested she is as far ahead of the field as she has ever been.

Only briefly, when Kerber earned a break back point in the third game, did the German have a glimpse of getting back into it, and Williams soon denied her that with fierce straight drives on the backhand and the forehand. Williams’ composure was oceanic, and possibly disconcerting. “Tennis is tranquil for me to get out there,” she said before the match. “It helps me relax and it makes me calm because I don’t have to worry about all the other stuff going on.” That apparently referred to business affairs which will presumably take a back seat while she chases the record of Grand Slam titles during 2014.

Istomin booked a second-round meeting with former world number one Roger Federer as he beat Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos 75, 7-6 (7/3).

Federer, whose poor form this season has yielded just one title and seen him slump to sixth in the world, is battling to reach the eight-man World Tour Finals in early November, with every win here and in Paris crucial to him appearing in a tournament he has won six times.

He began with a victory in front of his home crowd on Monday as he beat Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.

Federer has never lost to 48th-ranked Istomin in five previous meetings, defeating him most recently at Indian Wells in March despite suffering from a painful back.

Japanese sixth seed Kei Nishikori, losing finalist two years ago to Federer, reached the second round by winning 6-2, 6-4 against Switzerland’s Marco Chiudinelli, a wild-card entry and childhood friend of Federer.

Nishikori next plays Croatian Ivan Dodig, who advanced in just nine minutes as Argentine Carlos Berlocq retired while trailing 2-0.

AFP

Federer beats Mannarino

B A S E L (SWITZERLAND): Oct 23 (IANS/EFE) Switzerland’s Roger Federer, the No. 3 seed, got off to a good start in his hometown tournament, defeating France’s Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 6-2 in the first round of the Swiss Indoors in Basel.

Federer’s next opponent will be Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin, who beat Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old Federer, whose ranking has dropped to No. 7, is trying to make it into the eightman field for the year-end ATP World Tour Finals for the 12th straight year.

Federer, winner of a record 17 Grand Slam men’s singles titles, has won 48 matches in Basel, where has been the champion five times.

The Swiss great, who has been struggling in the past few months, is trying to win his second title of the season in his hometown.

IANS

BMW MASTERS Stenson arrived in the Chinese business capital sporting blue ‘spider’ tape on a swollen right forearm, revealing he sustained the injury while practising.

SHANGHAI: Swede Henrik Stenson is in serious doubt for his return to golf at this week’s BMW Masters in Shanghai.

FedEx Cup champion Stenson arrived in the Chinese business capital sporting blue ‘spider’ tape on a swollen right forearm, revealing he sustained the injury while practicing last week at the Lake Nona

Stenson in doubt

course in Orlando, Florida.

The current World No. 4, who is commencing a sevenevent run to end his season, was to undergo an MRI scan on his forearm at a Shanghai hospital later Tuesday.

“I’ve had four weeks off since the Tour Championship but unfortunately I’ve got a bit of a problem with my right wrist and forearm,” he said.

“I am hoping to get it sorted over the next couple of days but at the moment I’m not in great shape and I’m not certain of playing this week here in Shanghai.

“I really don’t know how it happened as I was practicing last week back in Florida but on Wednesday and Thursday I just felt it ache a little bit and it’s just got progressively sore and a little

swollen.

“Then on the flight over here it felt just worse and worse and I couldn’t hit any golf balls yesterday and instead I had treatment on it, and was advised to have an MRI on it to make sure there is nothing major wrong.”

After winning both the season-ending Tour Championship and FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour, Stenson has returned to the European Tour season-ending four event Final Series looking to finish the year also as European Tour No. 1 Stenson currently leads the number two Race to Dubai placed Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland by 425,573 euros in this week’s event carrying a first prize cheque of 852,660 euros.

“I’m no expert on wrist injuries but this spider-like tape on my arm is supposed to draw some fluids out and help lift the skin and make it easier for treatment,” he added.

AFP

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

INDIA’S TOUR OF SOUTH AFRICA

Resentment continues to linger The arrival of the Windies in a two-Test series will see India batting legend Sachin Tendulkar — the highest run-scorer in Test history — play his 200th and final Test before retirement.

South Africa and India will now play just two Tests and three ODIs, both boards said.

Lingering anger in India at the way CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat treated the country during his time in charge of the International Cricket Council (ICC) governing body was blamed for the stand-off.

But although CSA said Lorgat had now been “withdrawn” from dealing with India, the chief executive of the South African Cricketers’ Association, Tony Irish, added fuel to the fire by lamenting the curtailed series and blasted the off-field wranglings.

“This is a huge blow not only

CAPE TOWN: India’s on-off tour of South Africa was finally confirmed on Tuesday but failed to draw a line under a simmering row between the countries, as a leading players’ body called the shortened series meaningless and harmful to the game.

The South Asian giants — currently the world’s leading one-day international side and whose wealthy board effectively holds the global game’s purse strings — had been due to play the number one-ranked Test team from November 18 in three Test matches, seven ODIs and two Twenty20 internationals.

But doubts about that schedule emerged when the BCCI announced arrangements for an incoming tour by the West Indies and a tour of New Zealand which clashed with the beginning and the end of the fixtures published by CSA.

BANGLADESH VS NZ

Rain forces early stumps DHAKA: Shakib Al Hasan claimed three wickets as Bangladesh reduced New Zealand to 107-3 on Tuesday before rain forced an early close on the second day of the second Test in Dhaka.

A downpour led the umpires to suspend and then call off play after an early tea break with the game evenly poised. New Zealand had dismissed the hosts for 282 early in the morning thanks to Neil Wagner’s maiden five-wicket haul, but Bangladesh struck back through Shakib.

He took two wickets in his first two overs, with New Zealand in trouble at 32-2 at lunch before Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor rebuilt.

Williamson had to leave the field after Rubel Hossain struck him with a bouncer, but he returned soon afterwards as Shakib removed Brendon McCullum.

Rubel took a stunning catch at deep square leg as the New Zealand captain fell for 11. Resuming on 228-5 at start of play, Bangladesh managed to add only 54 more runs in the face of tight bowling.

Wagner finished with 564, making full use of overcast conditions to induce some edges from the batsmen, after play resumed 30 minutes early to make up for overs lost on the opening day due to rain.

AFP

to the players but also to the cricket-loving public of South Africa,” he said in a statement.

“Everyone is now deprived of a meaningful series, especially in the Test format, between the world’s top two cricket nations.

“I don’t see how this can possibly be in the interests of either cricket in this country or of the global game. Cricket is the loser, plain and simple.”

Irish added that CSA would suffer “massive” financial losses as a result of the row, which would impact on cricket at all levels in South Africa, from the grassroots upwards.

“It’s a very sad day when international cricket becomes more about what happens off the field than what happens on it,” he said, referring to the “compromise” deal over Lorgat thrashed out at a recent ICC meeting in London.

AFP

COMMUNAL CLASHES

IN THE NAME OF RELIGION

India confident of equalling series: Raina

Vatican launches cricket club

RANCHI: India batsman Suresh Raina Tuesday said that the team will try to level the seven-match series against Australia in the fourth game

Raina believes that India have a good chance of levelling the ODI series against Australia 2-2 when they take on each other today. here Wednesday.

“We are focused on the match. Every day is a new day in cricket. The bowlers have worked hard during the practice match,” said Raina at a press conference at Jharkhand State Cricket Association

(JSCA) stadium here.

He said “the team will come to field with positive mind. Ishant Sharma has also worked hard in last two days”.

Raina spoke about the new ODI rules as they were creating difficulties for the

bowlers.

“The two balls from either side are a concern for us. There cannot be excuses and we have to perform well under circumstances,” said Raina. Under new ODI rules, new ball is used from both ends.

IANS

VATICAN CITY: The Vatican served up tea and cucumber sandwiches on Tuesday as it launched its own cricket club, challenging the Church of England to a match and vowing to take on Indian Hindu and Muslim clerics.

With the coat of arms of St Peter’s as its symbol and the Vatican yellow-and-white flag as its colours, the club will unite cricket-mad priests and seminarians — and perhaps eventually nuns. “The team will be strong enough to beat anyone in the world,” said Father Theodore Mascarenhas, an Indian priest and a mean off-spin bowler, who is the chairman of the new St Peter’s Cricket Club.

The initiative brings together the sporting madness of hundreds of clerics — mainly from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka — with a Vatican aim to find new ways to spread the word.

BRIEFS Clubhouse to be named after Sachin Root added to England central contract list MUMBAI: Cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar will on Nov 11 be honoured with a cricket club in his name - the Mumbai Cricket Association’s new Kandivli clubhouse in north-west Mumbai. “We shall name the Kandivli clubhouse after Sachin. The unveiling will be done there Nov 11 with both the teams of India and West Indies witnessing,” newly-elected MCA president Sharad Pawar said here Tuesday.

Sachin will retire from the game at

the end of the forthcoming second India-West Indies Test match - and his 200th, Nov 18. To be held on a grand scale, the function will attendance of top dignitaries including Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and BCCI President N. Srinivasan, and all past cricketers from Mumbai who have played tests and Ranji Trophy matches.

Pawar said that the BCCI is likely to felicitate Sachin ten minutes before the start of the Test. IANS

LONDON: Yorkshire and England batsman Joe Root was the new addition when the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced their 11 centrally contracted players for 2013/14 on Tuesday.

Root, 22, featured throughout England’s recent 3-0 home Ashes series win and scored a Test-best 180 in his side’s crushing 347-run win over Australia in the second match of the series at Lord’s in

July.

Now an England regular across all three formats, he replaced Middlesex batsman Eoin Morgan as a centrally-contracted player.

The timing of Tuesday’s announcement was significant, coming as it did a day before England are due to fly out to Australia for a return Ashes series starting next month.

AFP

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

sports

KAKA WINS MILAN PRAISE

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri heaped praise on Kaka after his impressive display contributed to a spirited 1-1 draw. Injury-hit Milan opened the scoring in the ninth minute when Robinho pounced on a defensive error to hold off Gerard Pique and beat Victor Valdes.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Gunners run out of Arsenal Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat against Borussia Dortmund has left the side’s bid to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages on a knife-edge.

STEVEN GRIFFITHS Agence France-Presse LONDON: Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat against Borussia Dortmund has left his side’s bid to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages on a knife-edge.

Wenger’s team lost their 100 percent record in Group F as Robert Lewandowski’s late winner stunned the Gunners and ended their 12-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan had put Dortmund ahead early in the first half and, although Olivier Giroud equalised before the interval, Wenger conceded Arsenal had been below their best both physically and mentally.

The Arsenal boss suggested a combination of fatigue and naivety had undone his team and he knows they face a tough road to the last 16.

Next up for Arsenal is a daunting trip to Dortmund on November 6 before a home clash with Marseille and then the final group fixture in Napoli in December.

“The group is tight and difficult for us but it (qualification) is still possible,” Wenger said.

“We have three teams with six points and we have played twice at home so we need a result away, but we can do that.

“Physically Dortmund were a stronger team than any we have played so far this season.

Arsenal’s French striker Olivier Giroud (R) and German midfielder Mesut Ozil (L) react after Borussia Dortmund score their second goal during the Champions League Group F match on Tuesday.

AFP/ADRIAN DENNIS

Arsene Wenger’s team lost their 100 percent record in Group F as Robert Lewandowski’s late winner stunned the Gunners.

“But disappointment like that is part of a team’s development and growth. It is down to us to recover physically.”

Wenger felt the turning point of a tightly contested tie came when Swedish referee Jonas

Eriksson opted to book Lewandowski rather than show the Pole a red card when he caught Laurent Koscielny with an elbow before his decisive 82nd minute goal.

“It looked like that,” Wenger said when asked if Lewandowski should have been sent off.

“But the referee was in a much better position than I was and he didn’t decide to do it. I will have to look again.”

With Arsenal’s German playmaker Mesut Ozil tightly marked by Dortmund’s tenacious midfielders, Wenger need-

ed a vibrant performance from Jack Wilshere.

But the England international was a subdued figure as Wenger once again deployed him out of position in a wide attacking role before substituting him once he suffered an ankle injury.

“You could see he was not completely himself, that’s why I took him off,” Wenger said.

“He looked handicapped after the first tackle.

“He landed awkwardly and after that he limped a little bit. We will see how he responds in the next two or three days and wait for the medical assessment.”

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Milan hold on to draw MILAN: AC Milan survived a dominant second-half display by Barcelona to deprive the Spanish giants of a third successive Champions League Group H win in a pulsating 1-1 draw at the San Siro on Tuesday.

The draw leaves Barcelona top of the group on seven points with Milan in second on five while Celtic are third with three having beaten Ajax 2-1 also on Tuesday.

Milan missed a golden chance through Robinho in the second half to take the lead for the second time on the night but, having then soaked up plenty of pressure, coach Massimiliano Allegri was pleased with a share of the spoils.

“I’m happy with our overall performance.

Mistakes are part of the game and conceding a goal against Barcelona is always to be expected,” said Allegri.

“We had to be extra focused tonight, against a team like Barcelona you have to have eyes all over the pitch to keep track.”

Meanwhile, Barca coach Gerardo Martino did his best to avoid questions about his side’s ‘Clasico’ against arch rivals Real Madrid this weekend, but he was visibly frustrated with his side’s failure to virtually secure early qualification for the last 16.

AFP

Torres hits brace in Chelsea win

GELSENKIRCHEN: Fernando Torres marked his 100th start for Chelsea with a brace in a 3-0 win away to Schalke on Tuesday as Jose Mourinho’s side safely negotiated a tough test in Champions League Group E. Schalke were punished for slack defending as Torres opened the scoring in the fifth minute and, as the hosts pushed forward in search of an equaliser, the Spaniard netted again at the end of a second-half breakaway.

The oft-maligned forward might even have had a hat-trick, but he hit the woodwork with a header and Eden Hazard ignored the chance to pass to the

Spaniard when he went through alone to seal the win late on.

Chelsea were deserving winners as they comfortably soaked up everything that Schalke threw at them in Gelsenkirchen, and the London club now find themselves level with Schalke on six points at the top of the group after Basel were held 1-1 away by Steaua Bucharest in the night’s other game.

With two home matches still to come, including the return against Schalke on November 6, the 2012 European champions look well-placed to avoid a repeat of last season’s groupstage exit.

Chelsea´s Spanish striker Fernando Torres and Oscar celebrate scoring during their UEFA Champions League Group E match against Schalke 04 in Gelsenkirchen on Tuesday.

AFP/PATRIK STOLLARZ

“I told the players after the Basel match (which Chelsea lost 2-1) that we did garbage and we had to clean it,” Mourinho told British Sky Sports television after the game. We did it in the best possible way with two wins away and now we are in good conditions to qualify and we can also try to finish first.”

Mourinho also had praise for Torres after selecting him ahead of Samuel Eto’o, saying: “He is a hard worker. It was a surprise for me because he is not the kind of guy who hides behind the fee Chelsea paid for him. He always gives his best and he is a player I trust and respect.”

AFP