Postnoon E-Paper for March 26th 2013 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013 HYDERABAD

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HOLIDAY!

It's that time of the year again — the festival of colours is here. With the whiff of gulaal in the air, we once again have a reason to feel the true ‘spirit’ of the holiday.

P16&17

HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER

Did you know you could bargain with a retailer to sell a product at less than the MRP? It is not the final price. But neither the govt nor retailers tell the customer this.

REPORT ON P7

LIVING IN UNINFORMED BLISS?

CORPORATE BAIT PUTS PARENTS IN A FIX

Business takes precedence over education. Although the Class X board exams are in progress, many parents have been getting calls from various junior colleges in the City offering them attractive discounts if they make an advance booking. Top junior colleges luring parents is not new. However, with the offers pouring in from various colleges, parents find themselves struggling to make a choice for their child’s future. With the fee structure in schools and colleges reaching new heights, most parents find themselves vulnerable to such attractive offers.

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

city events

FILM SCREENING

Lamakaan is hosting an array of films on gender issues. The film Manjuben Truck Driver, made by Sharna Dastur documentary is an emotive and introspective tale of a woman in a man’s world. The screening is on March 26, at Lamakaan, from 7pm onwards.

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

Overnight

24°C

21°C

Cloudy periods. Chance of showers.

Mostly clear, chance of thunderstorm.

Morning

Afternoon

25°C

28°C

Sunny. Chance of a thunderstorm

Cloudy periods. Windy at times.

New Delhi Mumbai Max 32 Max 31 Min 22 Min 22 Partly cloudy.

Chennai Max 34 Min 26

Partly cloudy.

Bangalore Max 35 Min 24 Partly cloudy.

AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES Where: Celeste, Taj Falaknuma Palace When: March 31, 12.30pm to 3.30pm Contact: (040) 6629 8585

ART French artist B2Fays Alliance Française of Hyderabad, Kalakriti Art Gallery and Park Hyatt Hyderabad present French artist B2Fays. It is an exhibition of paintings and multimedia installations. Where: Preview: Park Hyatt Exhibition continues at Kalakriti Art Gallery When: Preview: March 28, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6656 4466

Holi Special Aam panna, thandai, assorted pakodas and special chat platters are some of the items on the menu. There will also be tattoo and mehendi artistes, musician and bangle seller at the venue. Where: Kailash Parbat Above Ebony Gautier, 2nd floor, Road no. 36, Jubilee Hills When: March 23-31 Lunch: noon to 3.30pm Snacks: noon to 11.30pm Dinner: 7pm to 11pm Contact: (040) 2355 8856

Homage to Ganesh Pyne There is an exhibition of mixed media and jottings by Ganesh Pyne. The preview will be followed by a talk and presentation at 7pm by Pranab Ranjan Ray, art historian and activist of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Where: Kalakriti Art Gallery When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 6656 4466 Thinking form and content An exhibition of art work by Gopal Nayak. Where: ICONART Gallery, Road no. 12, Sri Ram Nagar Colony, Banjara Hills When: Up to March 30, from 11.30 am to 7pm Contact: 98499 68797

COUNTING ALL HER MONEY: An elderly woman takes stock of her earnings at Secunderabad. from 6pm to 8pm Continues till April 10, from 11am to 7pm Contact: www.alankritha.in

Group painting exhibition An exhibition of paintings by Pradosh Swain and Suchismita Sahoo. Where: Aalankritha Art Gallery When: Preview: March 30,

Innovating traditions Artists with interest in sculptural forms are invited to participate in this workshop. There will be an interactive use of techniques between Nakashi art and contemporary art practices. Where: ICONART Artist in Residency Premises, 1672 SBI building, 2nd ﬂoor, Road no12, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing Contact: 98499 68797

DINING Double Easter treat There is an exquisite seafood barbe-

Commissioner & Spl Officer

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

198 155313

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

155333 23431178 23431179

MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

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

cue, along with Easter classics at Okra. Specially crafted Easter hampers are available at The Hyderabad Baking Company. Where: Okra,Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre When: March 31, 12.30pm to 3.30pm Contact: (040) 2752 2567 Full moon dine Dine with your loved ones under the full moon. A special thali will be served every full moon. Where: La Cantina When: from March 27, 7.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6682 4422 Easter goodies Hot cross buns, Easter Bunnies, and Easter chocolates are part of the special Easter menu.

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

Where: Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre When: March 25-31 Daily treats Orange is the fruit of the month at The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace. Dishes include orange blossom cheesecake, orange creme brule and dark chocolate orange tart. Where: Daily Treats, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace When: Up to March 31 Contact: (040) 6767 6818

MISCELLANEOUS The great Oxford sale Discounts on books, magazines, stationery and gift items. Where: Oxford Bookstore, Tresorie, The Park, 22 Raj Bhavan Road When: Up to March 31, Contact: (040) 31002959

Easter brunch The multi-cuisine buffet includes western barbecue, oriental and Hyderabadi specialties, soft beverages and live stations. There are exciting activities for children like egg painting, face painting and treasure hunt

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

M ANIL KUMAR

It’s Easter! There is a special Easter brunch. Where: : Seasonal Tastes, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace When: March 31, noon to 4pm Contact: (040) 6767 6888

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

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

24523211 232431300/7641 24521029

Readers’ views

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

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

City CRIME

Wife cries torture, ends life POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

young woman, Lavanya, 26, has allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself at her in-laws house at Balajinagar of Alwal after her husband and in-laws tortured her for more dowry, Alwal police reported. Lavanya married Shivaji six years ago. Her parents gave her `2 lakh in cash, 20 tolas of gold and 50 tolas of silver besides some household goods. Despite all this, her in-laws ganged up on her and her husband was only too happy to lend a helping hand, alleged the woman in her suicide note. The victim narrated how she was regularly beaten up by Shivaji and her in-laws. As she knew there was little hope of getting more from her parents, she wanted to end the misery, she stated. Lavanya’s father has lodged a complaint against the man and his parents. Despite all this, the police are yet to arrest the husband and in-laws.

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

ARE COUPLES LOOKING AT DIVORCE AS THE SOLUTION? 83% 17%

YES (A) NO (B)

TODAY’S QUESTION

SHOULD LAW BE AMENDED TO MAKE WATER WASTAGE A CRIMINAL ACT? A)

YES

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

CRIME

Man rapes mentally challenged woman, held The married man, a distant relative of the victim, assaulted her when she was alone at her home in Ranga Reddy district. MOHAMMED YAHIYA KHAN

Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

Panchayat leaders asked the man to marry her since he violated her modesty. He refused. Thereafter, the parents lodged a police complaint.

married man, Parashuram, was arrested by the Karankote police on Sunday on the charge of sexually assaulting a mentally challenged 20-year-old woman when she was alone at home in Kotabaspally village of RR district. Parashuram, said to be a distant relative of the woman, realised she was alone on Saturday. He came to the house, started chatting and tried to befriend her. The terrified woman resisted, and the man forcibly pinned her down and allegedly assaulted her. After the crime, he escaped through the rear door. The woman’s parents came home and saw their daughter lying unconscious. After a while, she told them about the rape by

CRIME

Railway police nab two for theft

Parashuram. Her parents informed the panchayat and Parashuram was summoned. The panchayat leaders asked the man to marry her since he violat-

ed her modesty. He refused. Thereafter, the parents lodged a police complaint. Parashuram, 28, is a labourer and married a few years ago. He

has two children. Superintendent of police B Raj Kumari arranged medical help for the woman and ordered that Parashuram be arrested. The SP assured the panchayat that the police will make a note of homes which have women living alone and intensify vigil to avoid recurrence of the incident. This is the second incident in 10 days of a mentally challenged woman being raped in the City and Ranga Reddy district. Early last week, three men had allegedly raped a mentally ill girl and they have been arrested.

BEST FOOT FORWARD

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

wo men worked as labourers for years but they found the income from toiling long hours was not commensurate with the efforts they put in. The duo then carved out a ‘career’ in theft at railway stations and made good money, till recently, when the two were picked up by the railway police and thrown into jail. G Hanmanthu, 30, and B Krishna, 40, hail from Tenali in Guntur district. The two, after years of labour work, found a lucrative vocation in lifting luggage and picking pockets in crowded railway stations and trains. When the railway police set up a special team to check

after the Dilsukhnagar blasts, the team stumbled on the two at Khammam railway station. They had in their possession goods, gold and money worth lakhs, said railway superintendent of police M Kantarao. Krishna and Hanmanthu have told police that they would have continued with labour work if that paid well.

MP V Hanumanth Rao, president of APFA, and MLA Afsar Khan present a trophy to the winners of the ‘C’ Division Championship Winners -2012 at Golconda Football Club. Anisulmulk, general secretary of APFA; Zulfikar Uddin, Olympian; Md Habeeb, Arjun awardee; Md Jafar, international sportsman; Md Saleemulla and Syed Tahseen Pasha of Golconda Football Club; and Srikanth Goud were also present.

city TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

CIVIC

LAST YEAR... HERE Fighter’s last battle

ast year we had reported how a St Bernard puppy died of canine distemper because of negligence by his owners. When Fighter, the St Bernard puppy, became sick, his rich owners washed their hands off him and he had to be cared for by volunteers. Many citizens shell out large sums to buy exotic breeds but fail to understand the difﬁculties the dogs face here.

MARCH 26, 2012

NUMEROLOGY

93%

consumers have never made a formal complaint over poor service. Of the seven per cent who did, only 0.3 per cent got redressal for their complaint.

The college management offered to give me a 20 per cent discount if I make an advance booking. Since we got a call from this college, we are reconsidering. C Pushpalatha, parent See page 6

THINGS WE 5LEARNT TODAY

‘BJP, MIM, birds of a feather’ Civic politics is in a state of flux. With the General Elections nearing, many permutations and combinations are being tried and retried. Even traditional rivals are not immune to this trend, Postnoon finds out. Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

t’s all a show, says a Congress corporator at the GHMC. Even the MIM and BJP are not enemies but complimentary to each other. For Congress leader Diddi Rambabu, the MIM and the BJP are two sides of the same coin. “There are occasions when both these parties helped each other in the last General Elections. Without the MIM help, the BJP would not have won the Amberpet MLA seat. If the BJP is serious about cornering the MIM, why did its State president spend two hours in Akbaruddin’s cabin recently after his speech in Assembly?” he asked. The Congress is the elephant that does not care for small animals, he adds. His speaking in parables is a reference to the small parties like MIM and YSRC, which, he says, will not affect the fortunes of the Congress in the General Elections. “Where will these parties go? Look at the NCP in Maharashtra. After having fought the Congress, it is now a Congress ally.

Don’t just pay MRP blindly, bargain. MRP stands for maximum retail price, a fact that manufacturers and consumers seem to have forgotten. It is perfectly legal to charge below MRP, but it is illegal to charge taxes over the MRP.

Corporate colleges go all out to woo students. Several SSC students have been receiving calls from corporate colleges, who are offering them discounts if they make an advance booking. Merit doesn’t seem to be important, but commerce rules.

Diddi Rambabu Congress leader BJP president G Kishan Reddy and MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi might seem to lead rival parties, but Congress leaders believe it is all a show.

“Or look at the various denominations of Kerala Congress. There are half a dozen Kerala Congress varieties which all attach themselves to the coat tail of Congress to survive,” Diddi Rambabu said. The leader said the party is not worried about the MIM forging a tie-up with YSRC or MIM going in for an under-

standing with the TDP. Anything is possible in politics, he observed. Meanwhile, the MIM floor leader, Md Nazeeruddin, pointed out that the decision not to field a candidate for the MLC rests with the high command. “It was in a particular context that the leadership made headway with the YSRC a few months ago. It does not mean

that it would continue. Until General Elections near, we cannot say anything,” Md Nazeeruddin said. The Telugu Desham Party (TDP), which spurned the MIM’s offer to put up a common candidate for the legislative council seat recently, is not unduly worried. “We cannot predict what will happen in the General Elections either,” said a TDP corporator.

CIVIC

The column that teaches everyone something new about the way the City functions.

There are occasions when both these parties helped each other in the last General Elections. Without the MIM help, the BJP would not have won the Amberpet MLA seat.

South zone collects `6cr from defence

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

HMC commissioner MT Krishna Babu has recognised the efforts of N Ravi Kiran, zonal commissioner (south zone), and his team for collecting property tax amounting to `5,98,73,411 from DMRL, DLRL, DRDO and DRDL, and the ministry of

The arrears due from the ministry of defence organisation, which were pending since 2006, amounted to `5,11,57,151 and this year’s tax came up to `87,16,260.

defence organisation. The arrears, which were pending since 2006, amounted to `5,11,57,151 and this year’s tax came up to `87,16,260. The team managed to recover the amount with the persistant efforts of valuation officers V Ashok, K Arjun Rao and tax inspector P Sukanya to convince S Govind Rajan, chief construction engineer, Kamal Pasha,

consultant, DRDL, and other top officials of the ministry of defence. Govind Rajan, senior officer from the ministry of defence, N Ravi Kiran, Vijaya Laxmi, deputy commissioner, V Ashok, K Arjun Rao, and P Sukanya were seen handing over the cheque to MT Krishna Babu in his chambers at GHMC head office.

NEWS BRIEFS

Making music, behind the scenes. Love music but not a performer? Try sound engineering, a hot new option for talented youngsters.

Cylinder blast toll rises to eight

Beef, wine shops to be shut for Holi

Hike in bus pass prices on the cards

No weaver suicides, says government

Telangana protesters waiting in the wings. The T-agitation may witness an upsurgence in June, with Congress T-leaders leading the charge.

Cops need to pay more attention to dowry deaths. A woman allegedly killed herself claiming torture by her husband. No arrests have been made so far.

he death toll in the cylinder blasts at Rajeev Gruha Kalpa complex in Vikarabad on Saturday rose to eight with the death today of a youth, Vijay, who was among the injured. Seven had lost their lives in the blasts at the Chandrappa ﬂat. Vijay was undergoing treatment for severe burns in Osmania Hospital.

he GHMC ofﬁcials have ordered closure of all retail beef and beef slaughter houses in Chengicherla on March 27 on account of Holi. The Cyberabad and Hyderabad police commissioners have also issued orders to all toddy and wine shops to be closed from 6am on March 26 to 6am on March 28 on account of Holi.

PSRTC vice-chairman and MD AK Khan hinted at a possible price hike of bus passes, particularly those issued for students. The reason behind the possible hike, say ofﬁcials and experts, was the increasing ﬁnancial burden on the APSRTC and the department's revenue bleeding by `860 crore every year in losses.

he State government stoutly denied that the handloom weavers in the State were continuing to commit suicides due to heavy debts and lack of remunerative prices for products. Minister for handlooms and textiles Prasad Kumar said so far 786 suicides had taken place in the sector for which exgratia had been sanctioned.

city TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

TELANGANA ISSUE

T Cong gear up for a grand show

PK SURENDRAN surendran.pk@postnoon.com

tage seems to be in the making for a political upsurge on Telangana issue if it is not resolved by June. This would also be the right time to strike as the general elections will be a few months away. It is learnt that this time it will not be the TRS but the Congress leaders who will put pressure on the leadership as they have high stakes in the region. “We will not go with the TRS. We will toe our line and remain with the Congress. But we will not assume any party position or responsibility,” remarked a worried TCongress MLA. He says the leaders have nothing to plead before people this time. It is learnt that pressure is on Central minister Jaipal Reddy who is already vexed at his unceremonious shifting from the petroleum ministry for not toeing a big corporate line. He is said to be gathering opinion from various leaders of the region. They wanted him to take the leadership but he is said to be reluctant pleading delicate health. Another leader who is likely to assume the Congress protest procession for T will be Jana Reddy. He too is waiting

Md INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com

C for the opportune time. All the Congress MPs and MLAs have to quit the party in protest for T if they want to contest and hope for the best. But the Centre is unable to come to terms with the concept of separate Telangana state. Too many issues have complicated it. The stance of the Rayalaseema and Seemandhra is only one. TRS’ unwillingness to dissolve after the T state is granted is another. People’s reported lack of interests in statehood is the third. Congress party leaders including the governor ESL Narasimhan have ascertained popular views on the statehood and found that people are not as eager for a statehood as the TRS leaders appear to be. This gives the Congress hopes.

MIM has not given up hopes on TDP

he ambitious plan of the City-based AIMIM party to join hands with the main opposition and key political party in the state Telugu Desam Party was short-circuited by some State-level minority leaders of the TDP. They advised against a hasty marriage to be repented later. The rejection of the friendship proposal of MIM by TDP is nothing short of a huge shock for the MIM leaders though they act unfazed. The reason for this is that the MIM, which severed its 14-year-long friendship with the Congress last year has been looking for a strong ally to work with during the crucial general elec-

Housing board, RTC guzzle money CAG has observed that the State government is spending money on things breaching financial rules.

POLITICS

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

ASSEMBLY

tions next year. The MIM, especially its floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, had strongly desired to have an alliance with the TDP during the MLC elections under local body quota in order to teach its erstwhile partner, the Congress a lesson. The TDP had said that it would never join hands with the MIM as it is a non-secular party. This did not go down well with MIM. When Postnoon contacted Akbaruddin Owaisi, he declined to comment saying that he as not aware of the comments made by TDP. "I am not aware of this statement. I can’t comment on it." But all said and done, the MIM has not given up hopes on a future electoral tie-up with TDP. Probably why MIM ducked questions on the subject.

omptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India expressed its dissatisfaction over the functioning of the State government in relation to budget preparation, its allocation and spending. It has observed that the State government is spending money on things breaching financial rules. The government has failed in appropriating the money allocated for various departments. The State government presented the annual CAG report for the year 2011-12 in the Assembly today. According to CAG, despite the fact the allocation of funds were made keeping in mind specific objectives, the objectives set were not being achieved by the government during the last fiscal. The CAG had also revealed a shocking fact that a total of 11 State owned organisations incurred a loss of `5,979 crore. Among these organisations, prominent organisations like AP Housing Board incurred `3,554 crore losses while another State owned APSRTC incurred

`1,984 crore losses during the last fiscal. The CAG report said that by the end of last fiscal State had an public debt outstanding of `1.64 lakh crore.

ROUTINE SCENE

Earlier in the day, when the house began, Speaker in his usual style rejected the adjournment motions moved various political parties. This had led to pandemonium as the members of opposition parties rushed to podium demanding the Speaker to allow their adjournment motion resulting in the adjourn-

ment of the House for one hour. On the other hand, the State government had decided to introduce vote on account Money Appropriation Bill in the house seeking its approval. As had been announced earlier by finance minister, the State would seek the approval of the house to spend a total of `34,675 crore. The vote on account budget was necessitated following adoption of a new system in the State from this year by constitution of 12 standing committees to debate and suggest on the budget presented this month.

TILL OUR DEMANDS ARE MET

Osmania General Hospital Nursing students continue their relay strike protesting against the proposal to shift the nursing college and hostel from the OGH Campus on Tuesday. N SHIVA KUMAR

city TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

EDUCATION

Corporate bait puts parents in a fix Even as students are appearing for the Class X exams, parents are getting calls from leading corporate colleges offering rebate much like goods in supermarket. It seeks to deprive students of their rights to choose. ALEENA ALICE aleena.t@postnoon.com

usiness takes precedence over education. Although the class X board exams are in progress many parents have been getting calls from various junior colleges in the City offering them attractive discounts if they make an advance booking. Top junior colleges luring parents is not new, however with the choices pouring in from various colleges, parents find themselves struggling to make a choice for their child’s future. With the fee structure in schools and colleges reaching new heights, most parents find themselves vulnerable to such attractive offers. Some of the corporate junior colleges which charge a fee of anything from `30,000 to `50,000 depending on the course have been offering a discount from 10 per cent to 20 per cent. However, the catch is that the

college management will not payback the initial deposit if the parents change their mind later. “Just a few days back I was surprised when I received a call from a reputed junior college for my elder son who is writing his class X exams. The college management offered to give me a 20 per cent discount if I make an advance booking. We were planning to get my son admitted in another college. However, now since we got a call from this college, we are reconsidering. We just hope that our son’s future is not lost in the bargain,” says C Pushpalatha, a housewife. Similar is the story of another parent who received a call from a reputed corporate institution. “My son has always been a merit student. I received a call from a top junior college offering me an option to book a seat at their college. When I enquired about how they got to know about my son’s merit, they informed me that

the school management gave them a list of all the merit students. Since it is a reputed college and the results are good, I will opt for this college for my son,” says Renuka R. Meanwhile the corporate junior colleges which will be for-

DANGEROUS HYDERABAD

M ANIL KUMAR

WHAT LANE DISCIPLINE?

ane discipline? What is that? We, Hyderabadis clearly don’t know what that is. What else could possibly explain the rampant practice of motorists zipping past City streets on the wrong side of the road? Be it a narrow on way street or a major traffic junction, there is going to be at least one motorist driving on the wrong side of the road. There have been several instances where a speeding motorist on the wrong side of the road has rammed into somebody going in the right direction, only to

pick up a huge fight, with the one driving correctly. And woe be it to the person if he tries to defend himself. A couple of blows are bound to be rained on him, even if it wasn’t his fault. In this picture, not one, but two bikers can be seen riding on the wrong side of the road near LB Stadium in Basheerbagh. Event he presence of traffic police does not seem to deter motorists these days. After all, how much can the traffic police do, if as citizens, we ourselves don’t work towards creating safer roads.

mally announcing its admissions soon, say that they will also be giving a discount on the fee to students who secure a high merit in their class X examinations. “Every year we give discounts to students who score a high percentage. Last year the

cut off percentage was 85. Depending on the number of students with a particular cut off marks, the discounts will be given,” says a principal of a top corporate junior college in Secunderabad. Justifying that these discounts will only act as a motivation for students the principal adds, “With the aim of joining good colleges with a low fee, students will work more hard and try to secure a good percentage. This will be a good motivation for them to study well,” she says. Parents are unsure of this kind of motivation. “College managements stating that a discount will serve as motivation is very untrue. What after putting in a lot of efforts the student is not able to get the desired percentage? It will only make him or her lose hope. Colleges should lower their high fees and give an equal chance to all students,” says B Chandrashekar, a parent.

CITY TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

CONSUMER RIGHTS

A fraud of Himalayan order Manufacturers and supply chains swipe a gigantic sum from the public every day. The government and the whole system are silent abettors. Consumers, never an assertive lot, are unaware how they are being swindled every time they buy goods on MRP. Postnoon investigates this little-known area of fleecing. RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA rahul.r@postnoon.com

trip to the legal metrology department can throw up unexpected surprises. Almost every daily transaction in the business of living gives importance to MRP, but the story of MRP is not what it seems, entirely. Here are several consumer issues Postnoon has investigated which, if given importance, all point towards a consumers’ revolution. According to Standards Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules of 1977, the retail price shall be declared by the manufacturer/packer in the form of MRP, which is inclusive of all taxes. As Shantaram Rao, a legal metrology expert explains, “MRP is not a price fixed by the government. The price is fixed by manufacturers themselves and there are provisions in the law that allow consumers to bargain over MRP. MRP should not be seen as the final price on any commodity. Selling products below MRP is not prohibited by the law.” Surprised? Here is what MRP actually means — the maximum retail price at which a product

No justification In Kerala and Karnataka, margin-free shops have come up and are doing roaring business. They allow one to 10 per cent reduction on MRP, and yet rake in profit. How? Therein hangs the grimy tale of an organised loot by producers and merchants. MRP is fixed without any guidance. No one, for instance, knows how a pencil is priced at `7 apiece. There is no explanatory note on production costs on the packet, like ingredients in an edible item. The government has been allowing this organised loot of the masses all these years. may be sold in retail and such products shall include all levied taxes. “Consumers should always look for retailers who sell below the MRP because MRP is the maximum retail price allowed for that commodity and not the actual price. A retailer can very well reduce his margin built into the MRP. In some cases, the actual price could be about 10-15 per cent lower than the MRP. The printed MRP is so high that the difference between the selling price and the MRP can be as

much as 30-50 per cent,” said Shantaram. It is an offence to sell at a price higher than the marked price, he added. Which means, the next time one goes shopping, consumers are by all means allowed to bargain at retail outlets over the MRP. “What fraudsters generally do is they take advantage of the fact that these days, consumers do not look at MRP anymore and simply believe the word of the retailer. This gives him an option to fool you into believing that he/she is actually giving you a discount on the MRP, whereas in reality, he has just upped the price of the product and is still selling it at MRP rates only,” Shantaram says.

COMMON BUSINESS TRICKS

The very commonly seen “Goods once sold shall not be taken back” mantra practised by businessmen and traders is actually against the law. According to Section 14 of the Consumer Protection Act, the law provides for redressal of consumer complaints. The aggrieved consumer can get the item replaced, repaired or even get a full refund, under the law. Also, every time there is a price hike, old goods with old prices get sold off at hiked prices. “These

higher prices do not apply to the stock produced before the hike. Anyone caught selling old goods at hiked prices can face criminal punishment and exemplary damage and refund up to `10,000 can be levied on the retailer,” Shantaram says. “A few exceptions can be made in case of easily perishable goods or goods of sensitive nature that cannot be exchanged due to medical reasons. That should not, however, stop one from complaining or demanding a refund in case any problems or dissatisfaction with the product is found,” Shantaram added. So the next time a retailer refuses to take back the products you have purchased, you can very well complain to the legal metrology department or the consumer grievance redressal forum at the consumer courts.

HOW AWARE ARE CONSUMERS?

A study by Consumers Association of India reveals that only 20 per cent of India’s consumers are aware about the Consumer Protection Act; only 42 per cent have heard of consumer rights and a large majority of 53 per cent are unaware of the redressal system offered by the government.

A study shows that n Of

the per cent who do know about India’s external redress mechanisms, only 28 per cent believe that it is easily accessible.

n Around

67are per cent of the redressed

complaints beyond the frame of 150 days, applicable. n

stipulated time 90 days or whichever is

Some per cent of consumers have never made a formal complaint. And of the seven per cent who have, only 0.3 per cent have got redress. If this is an indication of consumers losing faith in the system, then the matter needs serious attention. Still, these percentages are encouraging because compared to the situation five years ago, the trend is upward. For example, a survey by CoPRA commissioned by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in May 2006 revealed that only 18 per cent of consumers were aware of CoPRA and 34 per cent of consumer rights.

city TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

EDUCATION

ARUNIMA RAJAN arunima.r@postnoon.com

f a nine-to-five job is not your cup of tea and you have a good ear for music, then why not consider taking up sound engineering as a career option. With the spurt in live performances and events, the demand for audio engineers has considerably increased. No engineer in the music field has been glorified, but they play a vital role in ensuring that the band sounds good. But is having an interest in music – something that most of us have, anyway – enough to become a sound engineer? “A sound engineer is somebody who works with sound. He is the person who ensures that the audience can hear the band properly throughout the performance,” explains Rahul Samuel, a freelance sound engineer. The music first goes through the sound engineer and is then heard by the audience after he mixes it together with his equipment.

QUINTESSENTIAL TRAITS

To be an audio engineer you must first have a very keen pair of ears which is essential to pick up the right sounds and know what will and will not work. A sound engineer must have completed at least 10+2, preferably in science, have a knowledge of physics, acoustics, wave-related subjects, basic electronics and music theory. A love for gadgets is an added bonus as an engineer must keep himself abreast with latest technical developments in the field of music. One would conclude that it is necessary to have a musi-

cal background to be a good engineer. Rahul says that this is not the case, but it doesn’t hurt either. There are many good sound engineers who do not come from a musical background, but their technical abilities have made them shine in the music field. A rookie engineer can earn around `35,000 per month and this figure goes as high as `1 lakh in the domestic market.

INDUSTRY DEMAND

According to Vauhini Venugopal, CEO of Audio Academy, Bangalore, which offers courses in audio engineering, the music industry is expected to grow by 17.6 per cent and the radio industry by 19.5 per cent by 2015. “Growth in live events and home-grown bands further increases the demand for studios and professionals. In addition, latent markets such as the devotional music sector offer additional opportunities. The audio industry is not affected by traditional macro and micro economic forces such as recession, inflation and market slump,” she adds. Most of the formal training in sound engineering today leans towards studio engineering. Studios used to be one of the most lucrative career venues for audio engineers back in the day when there were only a handful of them. Other more specific roles of sound engineers were traditionally taken care of by studio engineers. Over time, the demand for the specific roles — especially live sound — has increased with the rise in the number of concerts and events. Technology also has evolved and engineers from studios can no

longer just walk in and set up or start mixing at a live concert. Artistes also have become more demanding due to the availability of better and more complex equipment. Unfortunately, the training of engineers has not evolved and most institutes are still stuck in the old curriculum. Most experienced teachers are also from the studio background.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment of a

sound engineer is unlike that of many other professionals. Working at live performances can be quite challenging, but those that do it note that that is what makes it fun. “We are probably the strongest believers in Murphy's Law. If I wanted a relaxed job, I could have taken up a nine-to-five desk job. The best thing about my job is that I get to meet new people every day and I get to travel a lot. Artistes are great people to be around but they are also human beings, so there are good times and bad times. We get to see them at their creative best while recording or while rehearsing

city TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

Is a desk job just not what gets you out of bed every morning? India today has opened up to several unconventional careers that our parents could not have dreamt of taking up. Try sound engineering, where you get to travel with bands and feel the rush of live performances. The best thing about my job is that I get to meet new people every day and travel a lot. Artistes are great people to be around but they are also human beings, so there are good times and bad. We get to see them at their creative best while recording or while rehearsing and only a handful of people are privy to that. Rahul Samuel sound engineer

for concerts and only a handful of people are privy to that,” adds Rahul.

MULTIPLE ROLES

Niranjan Shivaram, founder of Audio Academy in Bangalore, enlists multiple roles for a sound engineer. “On location, a recordist is the person who records music live for movies and theatres; a sales engineer then understands the technical aspects and sells digital mixing consoles to customers,” says Niranjan. Comparing a system engineer to a doctor for

the system, he adds, “An engineer uses graphs and analyses the system and ensures that everything sounds the way it is supposed to.” A sound engineer can also don the role of a Front of the House (FoH) engineer, who mixes sounds and is responsible for making the band sound as good live as it did in the studio. There are also numerous other job profiles like that of a studio engineer.

SOUND ENGINEER’S LIFE There is no room for error in sound engineering, unlike studio recording. A sound

engineer starts his work a few days ahead of the performance, coordinating with the venue manager and sound vendor to make sure the equipment the band needs is provided and that all their specifications are met. He arrives at the venue a day before the event to ensure that everything is set up. On the day of the performance, the sound engineer heads to the venue before the band to make sure the sound vendors have placed the microphones correctly, runs

cables for the instruments the artistes will use and checks if all the stage monitors are working. He then does a line check. The artistes take to the stage only after all this is done for a sound check. This is done to see if all the levels are balanced for the main PA and stage monitors. The engineer works on getting the right timbre for every instrument. He makes sure that all voices are heard and the mix is clean. This may sound simple, but this is where all the stress and panic takes place.

CAREER PATH

Usually a novice starts as a roadie, whose job is to help artistes transport, pack and unpack their gear. Another option is to start as a stage hand with a rental company where you help with putting things at the right place. From here, one goes on to be a stage technician. If it’s a rental company, then you are usually in charge of telling the roadies what to do. An instrument technician is one who travels with the band and is in charge of making sure that the instruments are rigged, working, plugged in and sound right. Most sound engineers learn on the job; however, skills like the ability to hear music well, identify different parts of music and work under pressure help them survive in the industry. “If you have an equal passion for music and technology nothing can stop you from becoming a good sound engineer. It’s not the easiest job in the world, but I assure you that every day you will look forward to the next day. Sound engineering will teach you one thing: in life, there are no retakes,” concludes Rahul.

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

Business

BRITISH REGULATOR DETAILS NEW LIBOR RULES

Britain’s Financial Services Authority announced Monday detailed proposals on how to overhaul Libor following the scandal over fixing the key global interest rate.

MOBILE INDUSTRY

BIDDING WAR FOR DELL

Customer needs hold key According to estimates, data revenues will overtake voice revenues by 2018. As of now, 15-16 per cent of revenues are generated by data usage.

PRUDHVI RAJU K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

obile telephony industry, which is struggling with fall in growth, is bullish about the future projections. Increase in data usage and growth in penetration are the key drivers that propel growth says Deepinder Tiwana, Aircel circle business head for AP. “The growth can be relatively easy in the early sage of the industry. However, the industry is matured and grew over time. The next level growth is mainly driven by data followed by penetration. According to the estimates, data revenues of the industry will overtake voice revenues by 2018. The penetration will significantly increase with the evolution of tablets; GPS devices and dual sim phones. This may constrain ARPU with division of usage across the devices. Overall, we are optimistic about future with huge bunch of people across the age groups, demographics to see mobile as a necessary productive tool,” he says. As of now, 15-16 per cent of revenues are generated by data usage in the industry. Many assume 3G data is expensive, which is not really the case. With 3G mornings offer, we want to make the user to understand and enjoy the seamless connectivity of 3G free. Talking about the tariffs, he says, “The industry, which is offering one of the lowest tariffs in the world, may not continue this way in the future as well. There may be increase in the tariffs, according to increase in costs,”

Mobile stats Number of telecom circles in the country: 22 Andhra Pradesh ranks: 2 (overall revenues) Size of AP market: `930 crore (month) Industry ARPU : `200 the last quarter. Data and VAS also significantly contribute for overall revenues, which is currently around 30 per cent in the state. With 4G licence in hand, we are adequately resourced to take shift in the future growth,” he says. The mobile operator also has plans to launch 4G services in the state some time in next year.

Deepinder says its too early to comment on 4G technologies but says the data speeds may range anywhere between 7.2 Mbps to 20 Mbps depending on various factors like congestion and device. “Data is going to big differentiator for us in this intense competition. We strive to give best experience to the user according their needs. “One should not also expect the whole customer base shift to 3G to 4G with launch. The option to choose any technology is based on the need. For instance, a student may use 2G for simple browsing.

However, a university may use 3G to get seamless video streaming and a doctor may use 4G for video conferencing,” “To continue the growth story, Aircel continues to launch different promotions. For instance. Aircel 3G Mornings offers unlimited access to 3G data from 6am to 9am during the offer period. Where as ‘One Nation, One Rate’ offers one rate for voice, SMS and data in home circles and on roaming on Aircel network. We, official sponsor of Chennai Super Kings team, also launched exciting offers for upcoming IPL season,” he adds.

A bidding war broke out Monday for US computer maker Dell as two new acquisition offers emerged in competition with the private buyout led by founder Michael Dell. The company said the offers were from billionaire corporate raider Carl Icahn and investment fund Blackstone Group. Both offers “could reasonably be expected to result in superior proposals,” but further study is needed, Dell said in a statement. Dell said its special committee, which had set a Friday deadline, would continue negotiations on both offers. The new offers suggest Dell could bring a higher value than the $24.4 billion proposed in the initial buyout offer, analysts said.

NUMEROLOGY

worth order has been bagged by Hyundai Heavy Industriesto build two offshore platforms for French energy giant Total.

JAPAN-CHINA-KOREA FTA? China, Japan and South Korea kicked off formal negotiations Tuesday on securing a free trade agreement to bind together three economies that account for around 20 percent of global GDP. With all three countries under new leadership, trade officials hope they can move beyond damaging territorial disputes which have dogged their relations for decades. The idea of a trilateral FTA has been on the table for decades, but diplomats say China is now pushing especially hard for a pact, in part as a counter to US initiatives in the Asia region. Washington is leading negotiations on a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade pact that some see as part of the so-called US “pivot” -aimed at reaffirming the US role in Asia in the face of China’s economic rise. The TPP talks currently involve Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam.

AIRCEL GROWTH STORY.

“Despite downturn in the industry, Aircel continues to grow around 3 per cent month on month (customer base) in

GOLD`29,900 10g SILVER `54,500 1kg

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18,842.69 107.19

5,687.70 36.35

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

nation HALL OF SHAME

Girl alleges rape in moving car AMRITSAR: A 22-year-old girl has alleged that she was raped by four men in a moving car here last night. ADCP Crime Harjit Singh Brar said that as per the statement of the girl, she was forced into a car by some men at 8pm last night when she was waiting for a bus to reach home. The girl alleged that she was repeatedly raped by the four accused for at least 45 minutes and later thrown out of the vehicle, police said, adding the accused are absconding. The victim is working with a cellular phone company here. The girl was admitted to a Government Civil Hospital where her medical examination was carried out. A team of doctors have confirmed intercourse but said no injury marks were found on her body, police said. Brar said call details of the girl's phone show that she received a lot of calls from some particular numbers before and after the incident. Police suspect that the kidnappers were already known to the victim. PTI

FOUR KILLED IN ACCIDENT Four persons were killed and another injured when a truck rammed into a car on the Lucknow-Sultanpur Highway, police said today. The mishap took place last night, killing Abhishek Yadav, 21, Monu Shukla, 26, Shamim, 25, and Varun, 25, on the spot and injuring one Monu Singh, the police said.

UNSAFE CELEBRATIONS

‘LOST’ GECKO REDISCOVERED

Holi powder kills one on Mumbai train

MUMBAI: One commuter was killed and five others injured after they fell from the footboard of a running suburban train, when some miscreants threw chemical-laced Holi powder at them, police said Tuesday. The incident took place around 8pm Monday night when the victims were travelling on the footboard of a crowded Dadar-Thane local train. "The powder caused severe injuries and a burning sensation in the eyes of the commuters

and they lost their grip and balance and fell out of the running train," the official said. Some miscreants threw a yellow powder at them from a local train speeding in the opposite direction, an official of Kurla Railway Police said. G Nityanand Ganpati, a 26-year-old resident of Chembur, died from the fall, while at least five others were injured, including two who are reported to be serious. The Government Railway Police (GRP) have collected

samples of the yellow powder and sent these for chemical analysis to determine its contents. The police are also probing whether the powder could have been thrown from a bridge running above the railway lines in the vicinity. The incident took place barely hours after Mumbai police and the railways issued separate appeals to people to celebrate a safe Holi without troubling others.

For over a century and quarter, the tiny Geckoella Jeyporensis, a small lizard measuring up to 10 cm, was given up as extinct. Now it has been spotted in the Eastern Ghats, causing scientists to cheer. A dedicated and concerted effort by a group of environmentalists has caused the rediscovery of the Geckoella Jeyporensis in the Eastern Ghats, in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. The lizard has not been seen in 135 years, a scientist involved in the efforts revealed."This gecko, a lizard of the Gekkonidae family, is morphologically unique. It was known only from a single male specimen collected in 1877 by a British ofﬁcer, Col RH Beddome, from the Jeypore Hills, in modern Orissa," Varad Giri, a scientist with the Bombay Natural History Society, told IANS.

BSP LEADER SHOT DEAD Local BSP leader and businessman Deepak Bharadwaj was today shot dead by two men in his farmhouse in south Delhi, police said. The incident took place in the farmhouse located in Vasant Kunj area at around 9.15am. Two men came in a car and had a chat with Bharadwaj and after sometime they opened ﬁre, a senior police ofﬁcial said.

NEWS BRIEFS 21 UP districts declared sensitive for Holi

6 militants arrested in Manipur, arms seized

PM voices distress over killing of Indians in CAR

LUCKNOW: A day ahead of Holi, the UP government declared 21 districts, including Meerut, Aligarh and Faizabad as sensitive and asked the authorities to be extra vigilant, an official said. The government has asked the district magistrates and police chiefs to be "extra vigilant" as the state has a history disturbances on the day of the festival. It warned of strict action against errant officials. Meerut, Moradabad, Bareilly, Aligarh, Agra, Faizabad, Lucknow, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Azamgarh, Firozabad and Mau among others have been provided with additional security forces. With more than 27 communal riots reported in the last one year, the government is taking no chances. "The CM has made it clear that no disturbance on the festival would be tolerated and that strict and punitive action would be taken against errant officials," a close aide of the CM said.

IMPHAL: Six insurgents of separate outfits were arrested by security forces from different places in Manipur, officials said today. The insurgents, belonging to United National Liberation Front, People's Liberation Army and Kanglei Yawol Kann Lup, were arrested yesterday. An AK 47 rifle, ammunition, one 9mm pistol, and a hand grenade were recovered. A PLA sympathiser was arrested from Imphal last evening. Following his interrogation, police recovered two 9mm pistols, some rounds of ammunition, one grenade, two mobile phones and 5 kg of explosive materials from a house, they said. A powerful bomb was recovered from the godown of a private transporter by labourers in Imphal west district today, police said. The matter was reported to the police who defused the bomb. Unidentified militants have been planting bombs in different areas for subversive activities for the past few months.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has told of his "deep distress" at the killing of two Indians by French troops guarding the Central African Republic's main airport following a coup. In a statement, Singh said he had received a letter from French President Francois Hollande expressing his regret about the deaths and assurances that the circumstances of Monday's shooting would be thoroughly investigated. "The prime minister expressed his deep distress at the loss of innocent lives," said the foreign ministry statement. "He has directed that all efforts be made to ensure the safety of approximately 100 Indian nationals in the Central African Republic," it added. The French defence ministry has said the Indians were killed when troops shot at three vehicles approaching the airport in the capital Bangui who had ignored warning shots.

PICK YOUR

Across Stores

ities Twin C

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

World

RARE FIND: TWO NEW SPECIES JOIN PRIMATE CLUB Scientists Tuesday made a rare live addition to the order of primates, unveiling two new species of mouse lemur — tiny, big-eyed animals that inhabit the forests of Madagascar. The find brings to 20 the known tally of mouse lemurs, nocturnal tree-dwellers that weigh less than a large apple.

Obama pushes for immigration reform

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama is pushing Congress to move fast on immigration reform to fix the problem of over 11 million illegal immigrants, including some 250,000 Indians, that he can sign into

law next month. “We are making progress but we’ve got to finish the job,” he said during a naturalisation ceremony for 28 immigrants from 26 countries, including one from India, at the White House.

“Everyone pretty much knows what’s broken. Everybody knows how to fix it,” Obama said. “We’ve all proposed solutions and we’ve got a lot of white papers and studies. “We’ve just got at this

5 AFGHAN COPS KILLED

point to work up the political courage to do what needs to be done,” he said. “I expect a bill to be put forward. I expect the debate to begin next month. I want to sign that bill into law as soon as possible.” IANS

CAR CRISIS

Rebel leader digs in Constitution suspended, Parliament dissolved. UN Security council condemns coup, threatens ‘further measures’.

BANGUI: Central African strongman Michel Djotodia has dissolved the country’s institutions and declared transitional rule a day after a bloody coup that has drawn international condemnation. The former diplomat turned rebel leader, whose Seleka coalition took over the capital Bangui in a rapid-fire weekend assault, announced late on Monday he would rule by decree until elections are organised in three years. Earlier Monday, the African Union suspended the coupprone landlocked nation from its membership and the European Union condemned the coup as “unacceptable”. The 15-member UN Security Council emerged from an emergency meeting on the crisis called by former colonial power France to condemn the coup. But while it threatened “further measures”, it made no explicit threat of sanctions. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned Seleka’s power grab and called for “the swift restoration of constitutional order”. Djotodia announced the suspension of the constitution, as well as the dissolution of parlia-

A group of seven suicide bombers attacked a police base in Jalalabad on Tuesday, killing five officers. One bomber set off a large explosion at the entrance of the quick reaction police headquarters before two bombers blew themselves up inside the facility and four others died in a gunfight with police. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, claiming that it had targeted “foreigners and Israeli teachers” training Afghan police.

NUMEROLOGY

is the death toll from recent communal violence in central Myanmar, state media reported on Tuesday. Eight more bodies were found in Meiktila, 130 kilometres north of the capital Naypyidaw.

SAAKASHVILI POWER CUT

Seleka coalition rebels guard the presidential palace in Bangui on Monday.

AFP/SIA KAMBOU

offensive that shattered a January 11 power-sharing deal between the old regime and Seleka. Francois Bozize, the ousted president, who himself seized power in a 2003 coup fled the country over the weekend and on Monday he was in Cameroon. But the authorities there said he would moving on “to another host country”. Djotodia, who is about 60, is

a former civil servant and diplomat. He served as the country’s consul to Sunday. But since 2005 he has been one of the leading figures among the rebels. In his address on Monday night, he promised to restore order. The Seleka rebels were initially welcomed by residents waving palm leaves in celebration, but the mood quickly darkened as looters took to the streets. AFP

ment and the government late on Monday in Bangui. “During that transition period which will lead us to free, credible and transparent elections, I will legislate by decree.”. Earlier Monday, in an interview with Radio France Internationale, Djotodia made it clear he would not rule out running in polls he promised for 2016. The power change in Bangui came after a lightning

NEWS BRIEFS Muslim student expelled Amnesty’s Moscow over hijab in Russia office searched

Paralysed Japan man gets $2m for bike crash

Rescuers scramble to reach trapped miner

MOSCOW: Russian prosecutors are looking into a case of alleged expulsion of a female student from a Siberian university over her hijab. A local TV station in Krasnoyarsk city reported that an unnamed third-year student from Muslimpopulated Dagestan had been expelled from the city’s medical school for wearing a headscarf.

TOKYO: A Japanese man who became a quadriplegic after the front wheel of his Bianchi-brand bicycle came off has been awarded $2 million in a compensation lawsuit, reports said. The court ordered the importer of Bianchi bicycles to pay $2 million to the plaintiff in damages, in addition to 38 million yen to reimburse his insurer.

SANTIAGO: Rescue workers were battling to reach a trapped miner buried 300 meters underground at a copper plant in northern Chile on Monday, ofﬁcials said. The miner, identiﬁed as Mario Lopez, 42, was trapped in the Victoria mine, located near Vallenar, a city some 600 kilometers north of the capital Santiago.

MOSCOW: The Moscow offices of Amnesty International have been searched in what critics say is a sustained pressure campaign against rights organisations. Officials were accompanied by a crew from fiercely pro-Kremlin broadcaster NTV, which specialises in producing lurid and sensationalist documentaries smearing government opponents.

Lawmakers in Georgia have approved changes to the constitution that will reduce President Mikheil Saakashvili’s authority and tip the balance of power to the prime minister. The changes, which include stripping the president of the right to dismiss the government without parliamentary approval, mark a new victory for billionaire prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, whose Georgian Dream coalition triumphed in the October elections. Once political allies, Ivanishvili and Saakashvili have become sworn enemies and have over the past few months traded increasingly bitter barbs.

We’ve been there (in Afghanistan) for over a decade, and that’s far too long. The easiest thing in the world to get in, hardest thing in the world to get out. Stephen Smith Oz defence minister

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

Technology NET BENEFIT The rise of Internet over the past two decades has helped reduce the amount of waste we generate to a huge extent.

EBOOKS WERE SOLD IN 2011 That's some

200

Ebook sales surpassed print book sales for the first time in history

million pounds of paper saved!

REEN revolution of a different kind

97.5

million less pounds of plastic have been produced!

ordered online printed at home

that means 90 million less pounds of paper used!

YAHOO BUYS SUMMLY

Yahoo said it had acquired the trendy and decidedly stylish news reading app Summly, along with its telegenic and very young entrepreneur Nick D’Aloisio. Yahoo said it plans to close down the actual app and use the algorithmic summation technology that the 17year-old D’Aloisio built with a small team of ﬁve throughout its products. While Yahoo did not disclose the price, several sources told me that the Silicon Valley Internet giant paid $30 million to buy the London-based Apple smartphone app.

THAT LOOKS BETTER

That

Vinyl records are the only medium bucking this trend, where sales are up nearly 40% from 2010

AIOS EVERYWHERE Lenovo has brought 18 new All In One (AIO) PCs including the IdeaCentre A720, B340, B540, C240, C340 and C440 to India. The company has clearly kept all sorts of consumers in mind with these launches, and potential buyers are looking at shelling out anything upwards from Rs. 22,000 and crossing Rs. 1,15,000 depending on the desktop of choice. The most expensive of the lot is the IdeaCentre A720, a 27inch AIO which has a profile measuring 24.5 millimeters. It leverages the Windows 8 OS’ partiality for seamless HMI and permits users to take advantage of its 10point multi-touch capability.

VIA THE INTERNET DAILY! That's some 2750 million pounds of paper was saved by the internet!

Nine months ago, the 1600 x 900 display on Samsung's Series 9 laptop was relatively impressive for its time, but it has since been bested by a number of 1080p (and occasionally even higher) ultrabook displays. Now Samsung's playing catch-up, announcing today the latest version of its ﬂagship laptop, which it teased at CES in January. The new Series 9 has a 13.3-inch, 1920 x 1080 LED display, coupled with a "SuperBright" technology that Samsung says is 50 per cent brighter than other laptop screens. Bizarrely, it's not a touchscreen, a surprising omission that leaves Samsung trailing some of its 1080p competition, but brings it closer to parity with its competition, from Asus and others.

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

Comment A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. George Bernad Shaw Playwright

EU bailout: Cyprus faces years of suffering

ypriots face years of economic hardship due to a harsh eurozone bailout deal, while the Mediterranean island's future in the single currency remains deeply uncertain, analysts said Monday. The fallout will begin immediately with food and medicine shortages likely in coming weeks as businesses struggle with a lack of cash in Cypriot banks, which were hammered by the agreement, said economic experts. The tiny nation then faces two years of deep recession coupled with soaring unemployment, with few hopes of longerterm recovery as Russians and other foreign investors will steer clear of its devastated financial sector. Fiona Mullen, an economist specialising in Cyprus, said that while the deal had prevented an overnight exit from the euro many Cypriots would wonder if it would be better off leaving anyway. "They feel very betrayed by an awful lot of countries in this and I think that there are going to be longer term implications," Mullen said. Under the terms of the deal Cyprus's second biggest lender Laiki (Popular Bank) will be wound up overnight but investors looked set to lose all unsecured deposits of over 100,000 euros. The Bank of Cyprus, the island's No.1 lender, survives but the government said a "haircut" of around 30 percent on all deposits of more than 100,000 euros was likely. Mullen said capital controls including drastic limits on withdrawals from bank ATMs were likely for several weeks. AFP

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS St Antony has confessed that he ‘feels’ that ‘someone has taken money’ in the Augusta Westland helicopter deal. Wakey wakey Antony, the probe has moved much ahead. Looks like the divine revelations are coming to you pretty late these days.

UNSOLVED MYSTERY?

BORIS, SECRETS BURIED STUART WILLIAMS Agence France-Presse

nigmatic in death as in life, Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky has left a swirl of mystery after his passing, including a letter reportedly begging President Vladimir Putin for forgiveness. The exiled businessman and former Kremlin powerbroker, who won asylum in Britain after falling out with Putin and being convicted in absentia, was found dead at his Berkshire home at the weekend in circumstances that have yet to be made clear. Russia's press on Monday leapt at the chance of publishing the wildest conspiracy theories, ranging from an assassination by MI5 to even a staged death that left the real Berezovsky still alive. Friends have suggested he was depressed over a costly court loss against fellow oligarch Roman Abramovich and personal trouble, pointing to suicide as a possible though unconfirmed explanation. "Berezovsky made a mystery even of his death," said the mass circulation Komsomolskaya Pravda in allusion to his reputation from the 1990s as the shadowy grey cardinal of Kremlin politics. "It seemed he liked blurring the boundary between truth and mystification," the business daily Vedomosti said, describ-

ing him as a "Faust or Frankenstein" who became a "King Lear". A journalist for Forbes Russia magazine who spoke to Berezovsky last week said the fallen oligarch had told the magazine that "life had lost meaning." Adding to the intrigue was the apparent existence of a letter which Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Berezovsky had sent to the Russian president asking for forgiveness. Peskov told the Interfax news agency that the letter was a "personal one". He also told TV Rain that the exiled oligarch had passed it on via a third party who he did not name. The editor in chief of RT television, Margarita Simonyan, a key figure in Kremlin media circles, said on her television talk show on Sunday night that a figure close to Putin had read out the letter to her. She said that person, who she did not name, described the letter as a "prayer for returning to Russia". "I committed many mistakes, I understand how hard it is to forgive me, but I had got confused and I beg for forgiveness," the person cited the letter as saying, Simonyan said. That person did not reveal the identity of the third person who gave the letter to Putin but cryptically told Simonyan: "You will never believe who handed it over." Vedomosti said that a Kremlin official had unexpectedly revealed in a private con-

versation with one of its journalists this month that Berezovsky had wanted to return to Russia and had written the letter to Putin asking for an end to his prosecution at home. Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the head of the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party, said that he had met Berezovsky by chance while on holiday in Israel earlier this year where the oligarch told him of the wish to return to Russia. Zhirinovsky, a veteran of the political scene for over two decades, told the pro-government Izvestia daily that Berezovsky could have been killed by the British MI5 intelligence service after they found this out. "It is possible that they accelerated his end. All the secret services have this tactic. Today there are many ways of provok-

ing a heart attack," the maverick politician said. Leading pro-Kremlin political analyst Vyacheslav Nikonov raised the possibility that Berezovsky's "diabolical brain" could have even staged his own death. "As long as there is no proof that he is dead, I am going to have doubts," he told First Channel television. Adding further spice to the brew, the man Britain has accused over the polonium poisoning of the dissident Alexander Litvinenko, raised the possibility that foul play could have been a cause. "Maybe I should not talk like this, but I knew that something was going to happen to him," former agent Andrei Lugovoi told RT, repeating his claim that Berezovsky had been implicated in the Litvinenko murder.

EDITORIALS Stop badgering CAG MNS back in business

he CAG report, which has become an annual ritual, has ceased to shock anyone, especially the people. The reason is that corruption in government has become so pervasive that public have become insulated against it. But it does not augur well for the country. The CAG report for AP, tabled in the Assembly today, points out how two public utilities — APSRTC and Housing Board — have been guzzling money. Eleven public organisations have together hogged `5,979 crore. Of them, the APSRTC and Housing Board take the cake. Lack of professionalism and allowing corruption are the only reasons for a public body to incur repeated losses. If it was a private organisation, such service can not run even a day on loss. Why the bureaucracy and politicians are so callous about public money? One thing is clear. If the government itself takes up cudgels on behalf of the corrupt and the inept how can things improve? It has become a fashion among the Congress leaders to run down CAG or attribute motives. It is not therefore surprising that Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy said a laughable thing the other day: CAG is not Gita or Bible. Blah, what a propriety. Little wonder corruption ﬂourishes. Stop this gross misuse of public money.

READERS’ VIEWS

aj Thackeray’s MNS is back at what it does best — thuggery. The continuing attacks on Indiabulls offices by MNS goons and subsequent justification by the party reeks of arrogance. One wonders how a band of thugs can go around indulging in violence in one of the most heavily guarded cities in India. Unless these ruffians are brought to book, the administration will soon face an extraconstitutional force beyond their control.

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

workplace

SAMSUNG WORKING ON A SMARTWATCH

Lee Young Hee — Executive VP of mobile business at Samsung — has confirmed the rumours about Samsung developing on a smartwatch; and has said that the company has been working on the device "for so long."

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY

THE CORPORATE DONKEY

SPLASH OF COLOUR

Festival of South India Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) launched a unique initiative FESTIVAL OF SOUTH INDIA (FoSI) in the City. FoSI is scheduled to be held in November 2013, and is dedicated to highlight and promote the rich and diverse cultural legacy of South India, to the outside world.

DID YOU KNOW...

Donkeys are handy commodities for any company. They work hard and expect little in return. This behaviour is especially beneficial to another kind of animal — the corporate foxes, who get their job done without even lifting a finger. Do you happen to know any of these people? Find out. SHILPI SAHAY

feedback@postnoon.com

he donkey has a distinct place in the corporate world. The donkey phrases are very prominent and ubiquitous in reviews/annual meetings/ dressing down sessions and the usual high and low peak days. The credit to the ‘donkey years’ phrase goes back to the donkey who lived till the age of 62, he was the oldest living donkey. The donkey slang has found much wider acceptance in the corporate sector. Back in school, we learnt that wherever there are two people in question, you take your name after the second person’s name. The best way to recall this was the ‘Donkey and I’ phrase. It was a great way of memorising. No matter how much the animal is ridiculed and laughed upon, it is a sure-footed animal with a lot of patience. Though employers keep referring to their employees as donkeys, they expect that the work output should be of a horse.

There is a constant classification of employees by the HR, one category is the horses and the other dead woods. Corporate donkeys are also required as they can carry on tasks, which may be regular, mundane and repetitive. The horses can lead the donkeys, but from the business context, few distinct characteristics of corporate donkey’s are — n Has a great load of work n Simple in approach n Has high tolerance and patience levels n They work very hard but still remain in the background without being recognised n There is always the desire to be recognised n Affable

If the corporate donkey is leading any department/division, he would keep the corporate cunning foxes at bay. The challenge is to harness these donkeys and ensure that they are rewarded and recognised. These corporate donkeys work earnestly from 9-5 in there as they believe that hard work is the ladder towards getting higher in the corporate rankings and that is the way by which they can earn the management’s respect. However, the management has an alternate view of the employees who show these donkey traits. The management feels that these creatures are paragons of dumbness. However, hardworking they might be, but they cannot handle complex work.

Hence, the management does not elevate them to higher positions and so, the donkey is always left to harbour the illusion that there is something in store for them. It is easy being stamped as a donkey; however, the reverse is difficult to happen. Corporate donkeys need to re-look their position in the organisation and have a self-realisation that they are wanted but also realise what are the roles meant for them. Their towering aspirations need self-awakening. Ascending the corporate ladder requires more than just hardwork. So, the rule of the game is — Play the Management Game. — The author is principal consultant at The Strategist

Find out if you know a corporate fox CORPORATE FOX

Corporate foxes are those employees that display shrewd and cunning behaviour. They spin lies and excuses with ease and term them as communication or negotiation skills. Consequently their rise on the corporate ladder is faster and without many hiccups. Foxes don’t do much till the end of the day, except shirk work by way of their communication skills. However, they have high expectations of monetary rewards

without being highly productive. They do not mind going the extra mile to make their bosses or influential people happy. Foxy behaviour is in fact analogous to treachery. But the organisation can correct this kind of behaviour by discouraging foxes, see that they complete their given work, distribute the work load equally among employees and give promotions on the basis of work done and not unnecessary socialisation. Source: Times of Oman

€1.29m

is the new pay of Aer Lingus CEO Christoph Müller. Müller, who took over the top job at Aer Lingus in 2009, received a pay package of €1.24million for 2011. The rise of more than 4 per cent was recorded even as his basic salary remained below €500,000.

WORK PRANKS

There are plenty of things that you can do to a coworker's computer that are harmlessly funny work pranks. Whether you remove the roller ball from his mouse, darken the monitor so it looks turned off or unplug the keyboard, you'll bring a burst of laughter. Set the screen saver to scroll a cryptic message, such as "I'm watching you" or "Help me!

Whether you have someone call a co-worker to place a ridiculous order or you leave a message for them to call a fake person, crank calls can be hilarious if done right. A classic crank call is to leave a call back message with a co-worker for a "Mr. Bhear" with the phone number of the zoo. When the coworker calls, he'll feel more sheepish than bearish.

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

spotlight

GRAB THAT MIKE

It's sing out-loud-time this Tuesday and KJ Zaid will be at the console spinning all your favourite numbers to get you singing. There 's free drink for the singers as well,so grab that mike and croon your heart out at Bottles & Chimney.

RANG DE

HOLI SPIRIT

It’s not only kids who enjoy Holi, even the adults try and make the most out of this festival. These young women were spotted at Radisson Blu enjoying a pre-Holi bash.

1 Sweta 2 Trishna 3 Seema 4 Preethi 5 Sweta 6 Roopal 7 Sheetal,

Lavanya 8 Sheetal,

Shivani

SET TO STORM THE CITY

The launch of the first look of Toofan, the Telugu version of Apoorva Lakhia’s remake of Zanjeer was held at Park Hyatt on Monday. Chiranjeevi launched the teaser of the film. The film stars Ram Charan and Priyanka Chopra in lead roles.

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

health

EXTRA CHROMOSOME LINKED TO IMPAIRED FUNCTIONS

Scientists have shown that inheritance of an extra chromosome in Down's syndrome that leads to decreased protein production is responsible for impaired cognitive functions, says a study. Researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute have new evidence that points to a protein called sorting nexin 27, or SNX27.

HOLI SKIN CARE

me rashes?

Who doesn’t love to play holi? But given the harsh chemicals used in the colours these days, considerable damage to the skin, hair and eyes are guaranteed. Here’s why you should consider switching to organic colours instead.

RANJANI RAJENDRA

ranjani.r@postnoon.com

or as long as I can remember, Holi has been one of my most favourite festivals. The riot of colours and friendly banter definitely sets the mood for a pleasant spring season. However, of late I find myself preferring to stay indoors rather than playing with the colours. Reason — the harsh chemicals being used to manufacture colours. Not only do they smell foul, they also leave ugly stains, not to mention the risk of redness and rashes. With most industrially manufactured colours using a high concentration of chemicals like lead, chromium, nickel, cadmium, mica, silica and red soil, it seems like a better option to steer clear of them. While these colours might seem more affordable, truth is the damage they wreak on one’s skin, hair, eyes, lungs and kidneys, definitely doesn’t make it seem like it’s worth taking the risk. Natural or organic colours

on the other hand are a whole lot safer and are even pleasant smelling, with the manufacturers adding fragrant elements like sandalwood powder in them. Needless to say, these natural colours are more expensive than the regular ones, but at least they make Holi seem like a more pleasant and safe festival. Regardless, it is always better to stay safe and take a few precautions to avoid any kind of skin or hair damage this season of colours.

Not too colourful now… n n n n n n

POST HOLI

Apply a mixture of curd and lime juice to your skin before you wash off the colours. Instead of giving your face an overdose of soap and water try using a good quality cleanser first. It will not only clear the colours, but will also keep your skin soft. For your hair, first wash off the colour with plain water and then rinse with a mild shampoo and conditioner. Follow it up with an olive oil massage.

Massage your skin and hair with some mustard oil the night before you play Holi. This will help the colours wash off easily and will protect your skin and hair from dryness and rashes. You could also rub in some petroleum jelly into your skin before your head out to play to form a protective layer over your skin. It might also be a good idea to apply a coat of nail polish to keep the

HOUSECALL

Distance Meter Free

Onycholysis

Future Apps has created a free version of Distance Meter. You can upload your workout data to MapMyFitness.com, where you can view your workout details, google maps of your routes and plan your workout training. There is a ‘Live Route View,’ with maps integrated within the app. It also has a calorie meter.

Onycholysis is the separation of a ﬁngernail or toenail from its nail bed. It is gradual, painless, and usually caused by physical trauma. The nail may appear whitened or, if there’s an infection, discoloured (commonly yellow or green). The nail may also appear damaged. It's not known how many people experience onycholysis, but it can affect people of any age, sex or race. It appears to be more common in adults and in women.

Red: mercuric oxide Pink: rhodamine B Orange: chromium Iodide, Yellow: auramine Green: copper sulphate Black: lead

damage to your nails to a minimum. Do tie up your hair to avoid breakage from all the tugging and pulling. Don’t forget the sunblock.

PRE HOLI

ANEWS PP-LYBRIEFS YOURSELF

DID YOU KNOW? Foot has body's thickest area of skin The skin on the palms and the soles of the feet is four mm thick and the thickest skin in the body, the heel portions of the feet being the thickest portions. This is because we pick up, carry weight and handle objects. It's also got the most sweat glands than in any other area.

PIONEERS William Stewart Halsted Halsted was an American surgeon who emphasized strict aseptic technique during surgical procedures, was an early champion of newly discovered anesthetics, and introduced several new operations, including the radical mastectomy for breast cancer. Along with William Osler, Howard Atwood Kelly and William H Welch , Halsted was one of the "Big Four" founding professors at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

health TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

TREND

STUDY

Dieticians say there has been a 70 per cent jump in the number of employers asking them to conduct diet workshops.

Reading early signs of schizophrenia

Companies take expert help to keep

EMPLOYEES FIT GURGAON: From asking dieticians to draw up cafeteria menus to conducting counselling sessions to keep them fit, multinational companies and others are becoming mindful about their employees’ health, given the steady rise in lifestyle diseases affecting their workforce. “It’s no longer just my prerogative to shed the tyre around my belly. My boss is bothered too," Atul Sharma, a 29-year-old employee in a call centre in Gurgaon said half-jokingly. It seems the mantra, ‘Work should not suffer’ still holds true, but with an addition, '...nor should the workforce'. Dieticians say that given the rise in lifestyle diseases like diabetes, obesity, and even cardiovascular related ones, it’s a healthy trend that more and more companies are lining up to invite them for health workshops and counselling sessions with their employees. “In the last two years, there has been a 70 per cent jump in the number of MNCs asking us to conduct health workshops and counselling sessions," said Deepika Agarwal, a senior dieti-

cian at New Delhi’s Apollo Hospital. So be it Fujifilm, Samsung, or the Park Hotels, everyone is lining up at the doctor’s to ask them to advise their staff on healthy eating habits amid their hectic schedules. “For instance, I conduct a two-hour session on how to place a food order in a restaurant without jeopardising your health. There is a concept of green, yellow and red zones from the most healthy downwards. The aim is to keep off the red zone," Agarwal said. Explaining this further, she said that asking for a chapatti would be in the green zone; adding butter to it, or going for a butter naan (bread) will bring it down to the yellow zone. Again, boiled rice will be in the green zone. Seasoning like mint chutney is green, but a cheese dip is not. Heavily fried, sweet food is in the red zone. “I also advise professionals to carry crackers, nuts or fruits with them which they can snack on when they are hungry," she added. Ritika Samaddar, head dieti-

cian at Max Hospital, went on to say that companies are also seeking help of experts in designing menus for their cafeterias. “Given the 12-14 hour work schedules and the various health problems that pose a threat, thanks to a bad lifestyle,

Given the rise in lifestyle diseases like diabetes and obesity, it’s a healthy trend that health workshops and counselling are available at work. we keep in mind the food items are not to be too heavy," Samaddar said. “Care is taken to include seasonal vegetables, less oil and fruits in dessert," she added. Experts also lauded the efforts of companies in spreading health awareness by observing Health Day, Nutrition Day and the likes to focus on the subject. Some companies also offer health packages to their

employees for regular checkups as an incentive. Shruti Ghosh, who works in the marketing department of an MNC, for instance, said that skipping meals constantly led recently to a bad bout of acidity. “Our schedule is such that you can’t help but miss your breakfast or lunch, and instead keep drinking tea or coffee," she said. “Some of my colleagues carry medicines for acidity and headache with them always. Only when I went to the doctor recently with a particularly bad bout of acidity did I realise that I was bordering on developing ulcers. I have now reformed my habits," the 25-year-old said. Samaddar said that there is definitely an increased level of awareness, seen by the increased attendance in her health workshops. “Also, the questions that they ask - like how can you exercise at work? - indicate that they are aware. In my clinic too I have seen a greater number of people who are there with the aim to practise caution, rather than come after they have been detected with some illness". IANS

WASHINGTON: Children at risk of developing schizophrenia have brains that function differently than those not at risk, a new study has found. Since these differences in brain functioning appear before neuropsychiatric symptoms such as trouble focusing, paranoid beliefs, or hallucinations, the scientists believe that the finding could point to early warning signs or “vulnerability markers” for schizophrenia. “We want to use our findings to identify those individuals with differences in brain function that indicate they are particularly vulnerable, so we can intervene to minimise that risk," said senior study author Aysenil Belger, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina Health Care School of Medicine. The study, published in the journal Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, is one of the first to look for alterations in brain activity associated with mental illness in individuals as young as nine years of age. Individuals who have a first degree family member with schizophrenia have an eight-fold to 12-fold increased risk of developing the disease. However, there is no way of knowing for certain who will become schizophrenic until a diagnosis is reached. In this study, Belger and her colleagues performed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on 42 children and adolescents ages nine to 18, half of which had relatives with schizophrenia and half of which did not. Belger found that the circuitry involved in emotion and higher order decision making was hyperactivated in individuals with a family history of schizophrenia. PTI

breakthrough

Parkinson drug helps in decision-making LONDON: A drug widely used to treat Parkinson’s disease can help to reverse agerelated impairments in decision making in some older people, a study from researchers at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging has shown. The study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, also describes changes in the patterns of brain activity of

adults in their seventies that help to explain why they are worse at making decisions than younger people. Part of the decision-making process involves learning to predict the likelihood of getting a reward from the choices that we make, reports Science Daily. Dr Rumana Chowdhury, who led the study at University College London,

said: “We found that when we treated older people who were particularly bad at making decisions with a drug that increases dopamine in the brain, their ability to learn from rewards improved to a level comparable to somebody in their twenties and enabled them to make better decisions. The older volunteers who were less able to predict the likeli-

hood of a reward from their decisions, and so performed worst in the task, showed a significant improvement following drug treatment." Older adults who performed poorly before drug treatment were not able to adequately signal reward expectation in the brain; this was corrected by L-DOPA and their performance improved on the drug. IANS

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

Entertainment OVERCOMING HIS FEARS

CINE BYTES

he first look of Ram Charan’s upcoming film Thoofan, which is the Telugu version of Apoorva Lakhia’s Zanjeer, was launched yesterday in Hyderabad. Priyanka Chopra has played the lead role in the film and it also stars Srihari, Prakash Raj, Thanikella Bharani and Mahie Gill in important roles. Chiranjeevi, who launched the teaser, was all praises for the entire team of the film. “It took me close to 13 years to make my debut in Hindi, but my son Charan has managed to do it in less than half that time. I am both jealous and proud of him. I was quite impressed with Apoorva Lakhia’s meticulous planning while making the film and I have no doubt that Thoofan is going to be a huge hit. Charan is gone to the next level as an actor. I must also thank Srihari who immediately agreed to act

in this film at the last moment,” Chiranjeevi said. Talking about the film, Ram Charan recalled how nervous he was to say yes to the film. “When Apoorva Lakhia approached me initially with the script, I refused to do it since the pressure of stepping into Amitabh Bachchan’s shoes was too much to handle; however, Apoorva Lakhia was adamant. Four months later, he approached me again and I was quite impressed with the script. That’s when my father said, ‘Don’t do it if you don’t like the story, but don’t back out due to fear. I think I have given my best shot and the entire team has worked really hard for the film,” Ram Charan confessed. When asked if he was trying to redefine the concept of angry young man for today’s age, Apoorva Lakhia said, “Although the film has been adapted to modern sensibilities, the essence has been retained. I grew up watching Zanjeer and a film like that will stay in my mind forever. There’s plenty of action in the new version, although the story is still the same. It’s more of a tribute to Amitabh Bachchan and I don’t think we are trying to redefine the concept of angry young man in cinema.” Meet Bros, Chirantan Bhatt, Anand Raaj Anand have scored the music.

Adda to release in May

ushanth, Shanvi starrer Adda is in the last stages of principal shooting. Currently, an item song is being shot on Sushanth and Shweta Baradwaj in Annapurna Seven Acres studios. After this, the film unit will go abroad to shoot couple of songs. Karthik Reddy is directing the film and Anup Rubens has scored the music. The film will release in May.

GJG’s audio launch on March 27

he audio of Nithin, Nithya Menen and Isha Talwar starrer Gunde Jaari Gallanthayindhe is going to be launched on March 27 in Hyderabad. Anup Rubens has scored the music and Vijay Kumar has directed the ﬁlm. The principal shooting of the ﬁlm has been wrapped up and it’ll release on April 19.

YVS Chowdhary goes all out for Rey

I was nervous to do Zanjeer:

RAM CHARAN

VS Chowdhary’s upcoming ﬁlm Rey is turning out to be quite an expensive project. It has been under production for almost two years and the we hear that YVS Chowdhary recently spent a whopping `1 crore for a song which was shot on Sai Dharam Tej and Saiyami Kher in Ramoji Film City. Shraddha Das is the other actress in this ﬁlm.

Entertainment TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

will SON b futu e seen AKS H re fi i n lms: one I Saji of m dK y han

DIRECTOR’S ACTRESS

CINE BYTES

ilmmaker Sajid Khan seems to be all praise for actress Sonakshi Sinha who will be seen doing a peppy dance number Thank God It's Friday in his upcoming film Himmatwala. The director said he would like to rope her in one of his future films as well. "I nurtured a desire to work with Sonakshi after I saw her in Dabangg. You will see Sonakshi in one of my future films as well. I am very fond of that girl," Khan said. Sonakshi has been donning a desi avatar in her previous films like Dabangg and Rowdy Rathore. Khan wanted to break this image through his song. "A lot has been said about her not being modern and that she can only look nice in Indian clothes. I wanted to break this image that she doesn't look nice in western outfits," he said. Talking about the outfits used in the song, Khan said that he wanted clothes from that era. "The Western outfits over here are retro. I said I wanted outfits from that era," he said. Sonakshi has two looks in the song. The first one has been inspired from Parveen Babi's look in Shaan and the second one is similar to Sridevi from Chaalbaaz. Directed by Sajid Khan, Himmatwala stars Ajay Devgn and Tamannaah and is all set to release on March 29. IANS

Stardom has no side effects, says Hrithik

ctor Hrithik Roshan has been in the ﬁlm industry for over a decade now and feels there are no negative aspects to being a star. "There are no side effects of anything. If there is a negative feedback then it is just a feedback. There is no negative sideeffect. We all have areas in our life which are not perfect and we can choose to sit and complain about that," Hrithik said. IANS

No bikinis or kissing for Tammannaah

outhern actress Tammannaah Bhatia, who is making her debut in Bollywood with Sajid Khan's Himmatwala, has some reservations. "Even in the south, I had a few restrictions that I followed. I don't wear a bikini or kiss on screen and I did not have lovemaking scenes either. I'm just going to continue what I always believed in," she says. IANS

Navneet Kaur Dhillon crowned Miss India 2013

avneet Kaur Dhillon was on Sunday night crowned Femina Miss India 2013 in a star studded grand ﬁnale of the 50th edition of the beauty pageant. Actresses Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra added Bollywood glamour to the ceremony, which was judged by Karan Johar, Shiamak Dawar, cricketer Yuvraj Singh, Ritu Kumar, John Abraham, Asin Thottumkal and Chitrangda Singh. IANS

Entertainment TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

KEEPING OUT OF SIGHT

e t a v i r p p i h s n o i t a l e r s i h p e e k o t s t n a w

R E H C T KU

CINE BYTES

Justin Timberlake might sell 1 million copies

stimates for Justin Timberlake’s ﬁrst-week 20/20 Experience sales are creeping toward the 1 million mark. Taylor Swift selling 1.2 million copies of Red last October meant also a “wow, how long will it take for that to happen again?” moment, so this could be big. Initial projections for Timberlake’s ﬁrst record in seven years started around 500,000 and have grown steadily since.

Brand appeals to fans to help sick teenager

ritish comedian Russell Brand took to Twitter to help a young girl, Aneesa Hussain, who is suffering from a particular kind of blood cancer. Brand met Hussain, 17, at a Teenage Cancer Trust fundraising event March 20. The teenager is suffering from aplastic anaemia and is finding it difficult to find a bone marrow donor reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Schoolkids wait hours to catch a see Rihanna ll e wi eopl relap s ay ut his 35, s vao her, ssing ab refer pri c t u K e p u l g il s inue he w lank t. cont hip but h g i the b e are l e s e n h i n t m l o i r l i l t fi ed he left nder will cy earn t. T life u , I’ve l le priva re cy. “People ey wan e better me, l a n w r b o a h told at a pers You kno w valua at there at er t wev ings th e once rich and “ h er o th o t h h h e c d f t h y n i e t l u d a o e . learn our ome st an on K to b do ome rd w vate Asht will ng ha nd I’ve ngs in y eing pri of s rivate. S wants e rich fir to be r o t A e e c p he is. on f thi e thi em b om b ant nyon IANS says possibl lationlot o enefit fr ips are ‘If a us, let th still w a y h e b g r o r s y n in eve ep his lfriend fam if they said. reall relatio . ryth r id o do eve is relaa to ke with gi nd see us’,” he s e A a,” h going t ave th n g i m a ship e. e famo g tin x- th “I am er to h lle m g. a at E d v i ” i r w e, in is p arted cher ’s s ss rivat y po s say Kun t le st e in m hip be p utcher a Mila he coup after Ku to actr T tions quoted K ear ge e ast y marria . h l t y l d zine e d g Ju faile -lon learn his year i Moore as now inging r Dem utcher h f not b o K ce rtan impo

inger Rihanna turned up more than three hours late for an event where almost 2,000 schoolchildren were waiting to meet her. The 24-year-old had to attend a meet-and-greet session with the students of Barrington High School in Illinois and thank them for raising US$40,000 for Joplin town, Missouri, which was ﬂattened by a tornado in May last year. IANS

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

Chai Time

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent. Buddha

KAKURO

QUICK CROSSWORD

SUDOKU How to play kakuro Kakuro is a popular game similar to sudoku in some ways. But is also suitably different. The key question: ‘How do you play kakuro?’, well here are the rules of kakuro. The answer: The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers. However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number. Within each collection of cells — called a run — any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once. Let’s have an example to explain this concept more clearly: In the image above, which shows a section of a kakuro puzzle, you will see the numbers ‘26’ and ‘14’ in the top row. Look at the 14. This means that the total of the three cells underneath must sum to 14. Therefore 9, 4, 1 could be the answer, or perhaps 7, 4, 3 and so on... So, how do you work out the actual combination? Well, this is done through elimination and cross-referencing. For instance, as you work out the answers for other kakuro clues, this will naturally limit the valid combinations, and hence the answer for this particular run. Note the second cell in row two — it contains two numbers, 30 and 11. The 30 refers to the vertical run underneath the number 30 and the 11 refers to the two cells to the right, horizontally, of the number 11.

ACROSS

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

SCRIBBLING PAD

1 Lugosi of “Son of Frankenstein” 5 Sty guy 9 Number-matching game 14 Moistureless 15 “I almost forgot ...” 16 Israel’s Yitzhak 17 Ukraine city 18 Puerto ___ 19 What air quotes sometimes indicate 20 Taken off the stove too soon 23 Exasperate 24 Bar for birds 25 Floated to the top 27 Caught cold 30 Frost-free zone 33 “___ on a Grecian Urn” 34 Brown pigment 37 Of birth 38 Showgirl Manilow sang about 40 Not so maniacal 42 Cradle call 43 Bikini blaster 45 Family tree member 47 Dawson or Deighton 48 Recent arrival 50 It’s open for discussion (Var.) 52 Global extremity 53 Broom type 55 Pricer’s word 57 Go further than anyone would think 62 On ___ and a prayer 64 “___ 18” (book by Leon Uris) 65 Housekeeper 66 Military surveillance, briefly 67 “___ do” (faint praise) 68 Crow 69 Venue for big crowds 70 Trueheart of the comics

71 No more than

DOWN

1 Capital of Azerbaijan 2 Ireland, poetically 3 Stretched the truth 4 Modifying word 5 Lines in super-markets? 6 Hodgepodges 7 Knotted neckwear 8 Corner chest piece 9 Snaffle bit 10 Flair for music 11 Beyond arrogant 12 Famed love potion number 13 Cameo stone 21 Certain deer 22 Blow it 26 Many unread messages 27 Ryan in Cooperstown 28 Hacienda brick 29 How some homes are sold 30 Chinese weight equal to 50 grams 31 Star’s minor role 32 Faddish language 35 Tylenol target 36 Halfway house? 39 Early church pulpit 41 Extremists 44 Oscar Mayer product 46 Genie’s offering 49 Gun the engine 51 In a bent position 53 Pound the keys, perhaps 54 Large gathering places 55 Beginning for “normal” 56 Washstand accessory 58 Throw out 59 Make, as a salary 60 Blood sample container 61 Nervously irritable 63 Tours turndown

Chai Time TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 27-3-2013

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

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Son is likely to get a good career opening. Loans given to others will be returned and you will feel financially comfortable. Your thought to do charity will increase. You will fulfill wishes of your children. Some have chance to change residence.

STRIP TEASE AGNES

A very favourable day. Confusions will disappear. Happy events are likely to take place at home. Bitter clashes between a couple will disappear. Wandering will reduce for businessmen and works get completed as per expectations.

Mother’s health needs attention. Promotion and pay hike on the cards for employees. Financially a strong position is likely to keep you relaxed. Debt issues will be under control. Wandering and tensions will be over soon.

Children’s health needs to be taken care of. Sudden changes likely in travel plans. Influx of visitors will make you happy but workload will increase. You will take bold decisions and implement the same without any deviation.

Held-up construction works will resume and progress well. Friends might irritate you with their irrelevant actions but you will manage them well with your wise action and exercising patience. All your long pending wishes will get fulfilled.

Women are advised to be careful while working in the kitchen. Drastic changes in your approach and upgrade in your social status is certain. Works which were delayed and upset you will now get completed and make you happy.

Financial assistance which was given to others and not returned since long will be repaid and you will feel relaxed. This will improve your financial position considerably. Long pending works will get completed successfully.

Children will understand and co-operate with you very well. Father’s health may be a cause for concern, need to take care. Realtors will have a decent gain in the deals. Long pending wishes and plans will materialise and keep you cheerful.

Employees are likely to be given additional responsibilities and hence they will feel increased pressure. But completing work with focus and perfection will get them recognition. Businessmen will be able to sell all the pending products.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail. com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

Seven of Wands – Office politics may be at its peak. To get ahead, you may have to butter up your boss. These are options life brings us. The choice is entirely yours.

LEO:

Knight of Cups – Material objects are not giving you the happiness you expected. You’re feeling empty from within and are hoping to fill that with shopping.

LIBRA:

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

Nine of Wands – Learn to balance various aspects of life and avoid tilting towards one school of thought/living. Open your mind to new possibilities.

SAGITTARIUS:

Knight of Pentacles – You’re ready to go to the next stage of life. Give up the mundane and think of enhancing the quality of life by doing things differently.

TAURUS:

Queen of Wands – Your siblings or close relatives may need your help with something. Don’t ignore them. It will determine how your relationship will go in future.

CANCER:

Two of Cups – What’s on your plate? If there aren’t enough vegetables, it’s possible you’re headed for health problems. The first step to avoid that is to eat right.

VIRGO:

The Star – There may be confusion about the purpose of your job and the things you do. Take time out and clear your head. No point working with that confusion.

SCORPIO:

Knight of Swords – There is increased interaction with members of the opposite sex. You begin to understand them better and alter some stereotypes you held.

CAPRICORN:

Five of Cups – Personal gratification has been the core of your beliefs. You do everything for your satisfaction. Why should it bother you what others think?

PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

Four of Cups – Understand your potential before you launch a project. Know strengths and limitations. This knowledge can be turned into your biggest strength.

NUMBER GAME

Exercise is a must. You need to give your body as much exercise as your mind. Your body needs to keep up in order to maintain balance.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: Six of Cups –

POOCH CAFE

Be cordial with neighbours and avoid any sort of disputes or unwanted arguments. Mother’s health may be a cause for concern. Commission agents will see a boom time. Written-off old dues will be repaid to your surprise.

for 27-3-2013

Page of Pentacles – You may be getting mixed up in your head about a number of things. Learn to discriminate between the soul and mind/body.

NON SEQUITUR

Good news on the cards which will bring cheer to you and family members. Apprehensions and worries will disappear which will make you work with briskness. Marriage might settle according to your expectations.

SUDOKU

Influence will increase and all your good suggestions will be accepted by family members. Purchase of new vehicle likely with exchange of old one. Employees may face delay in getting their expected transfer or pay hike.

Boggle SEOUL PARIS CARIO QUITO TUNIS Vol: 2, No 249 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon. com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211

Entertainment TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013 CINE BYTES

Stephen Fry under treatment for spider bite

ritish actor Stephen Fry has sought medical attention for a spider bite. The actor sustained the injury earlier this weekreports contactmusic.com. In a series of posts on his twitter Fry wrote, "Bite mark now hot and huge. Shall have my spider bite looked at it (in) case it's a Brown Recluse spider and I get necrosis and ulceration, eew." IANS

Styles' grandfather proud of him

inger Harry Styles's grandfather Brian Selley says he is proud of his grandson and all that fame has not changed him at all. Selley says, "I'm very proud of him. Harry hasn't changed at all. He's still the same. He always has a smile on his face and is very loving and caring," mirror.co.uk quoted Selley as saying."We're all lucky to have him. To me he's just lovable Harry, he added.

Separation with Beyonce was difficult, says father

inger Beyonce Knowles' father Mathew Knowles says it was difﬁcult for him to let his daughter go post their fallout. "Normally I hate to talk about anything personal, but it would be a lie if I did not say it has been difﬁcult," said Mathew. The decision to walk in opposite directions was mutual, reports thesun.co.uk. IANS

TOO HEROIC

ROBERT DOWNEY JR. gets a little cocky

K, Tony Stark, we see you. Actor Robert Downey Jr. and his superhero alter ego let his confidence and cockiness fly during the latest TV spot for Iron Man 3, which aired during the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. "It's moments like these that I realise what a super hero I am," Stark says in a voiceover as he suits up. Check out the latest Iron Man 3 trailer here! Even his lady, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, couldn't stop herself from letting a, "Wow," slip out of her mouth. But hey, we're not hating. The self-confidence mixed with new action shots and not-yet-seen scenes from the movie gets us excited and pumped for the flick—from director Shane Blackand costars Paltrow, Ben Kingsley, Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce—to finally hit theaters this May.

sports

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

FORMULA ONE

‘Webber to compete in Chinese GP’ Australia’s Mark Webber will drive in the Chinese GP despite a strained relationship with Red Bull teammate, Sebastian Vettel, the 36-year-old’s father said. SYDNEY: Mark Webber is not considering his future in Formula One and will drive in next month’s Chinese Grand Prix despite a strained relationship with Sebastian Vettel, his father said on Tuesday. The Australian, 36, was incensed when his Red Bull teammate defied orders and overtook him to snatch victory in last Sunday’s Malaysia Grand Prix. He returned to Australia for some reflection and was reported to be contemplating missing the April 14 Chinese Grand Prix, but his father Alan said his son would be on the Shanghai starting grid. “We’ll be up in China for the

Red Bull driver Mark Webber reacts to the crowd on the podium after finishAFP ing second at the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang.

LEAGUE CRICKET A3 division one day knock out Venus Cybertech 187 (Krishna 44, Sanjiv 49, Sohail 4/40, Charan 3/13) lost to Mega City 188/3 (Sai Charan 60, Anirudh Reddy 43) National 202/9 (Jaipal Naik 61, Shiva 36 n.o., Shravan 3/39) bt Zinda 95 (Jaipal Naik 6/18) A institution one day IICT 191/5 (Adinarayan 34, Arun Kumar Jr. 71, Srinivas Reddy 52) bt Vidyuth Soudha 177 (Jaffer Abbas 33, B Srinivas Rao 102, Arun Kumar Jr. 4/29) National Insurance 38 (Praveen 3/9) lost to HAL 39/2 IDL 114 (Nandakishore 33, Y Sadanand 6/36, Suryakiran 3/18) lost to Postal 115/4 (Sounder Rajan 32 n.o.) Commercial Tax 95 (R.V.S.S.N. Raju 6/27) lost to HMWS&SB 96/2 (Yousuf 30, Ravinder Reddy 50 n.o.) Canara Bank 99 (B. Vikas 35, N.P. Durai 4/10) lost to NFC 101/4 (M.D. Ramaiah 50 n.o.). A division one day SK Blues 199/7(M. Vamshi Reddy 64, Suman Goud 43, Kiran 4/30) bt Tarakarama 140 (Rohit 34, M. Vamshi Reddy 4/51, Nadeem 3/13). Southend Raymonds 131 (Abrar 4/46, Arshad 3/10) lost to Red Hills 132/4 (Abrar 42, Badri Naresh 3/25) Vijaypuri Willowmen 202 (Shakir 32, Vijay 42, Alok Jain 5/31) lost to Vijaynagar 205/3 (Alok Jain 124 n.o.).

next one,” Alan Webber told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. After the race Vettel said “I’m not proud I did it” and Webber’s father said he believed the triple world champion was sincere, but the damage to the already fractured relationship had been done. I think it will take a while to earn the respect and trust again,” he said. Webber said it was not just his son who was upset with Vettel, pointing out that the Britain-based Red Bull team had also expressed their displeasure. “Sebastian disobeyed team orders and most, if not all the team, are disappointed with him,”

he said. “Up and down pit lane Mark has not lost any credibility at all. It’s probably Sebastian who has lost an awful lot.” Alan Webber said Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz had confirmed his son’s position on the team was “assured”. Formula One commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone has warned that the incident could come back to haunt Red Bull. “Let’s assume that these two guys are in a position to win the championship at the end of the year, then there is no way that Mark is going to help Sebastian,” Ecclestone told Britain’s Daily Telegraph. AFP

NBA

Heat march past Magic

ORLANDO, FLORIDA: The Miami Heat edged closer to the Los Angeles Lakers’ longest win streak in NBA history, beating Orlando 108-94 Monday behind a 24-point effort from LeBron James. “I just try to be complete and do little bit of everything; rebound, pass and score,” James said. “Winning is all that matters.” James also had 11 assists and nine rebounds for the Heat who claimed their 27th consecutive victory as they home in on the 33-game winning streak set by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers, who had Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and Jerry West on the team. This year’s scorching-hot Heat team features all-stars James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The team however had to do without Wade on Monday, who missed his second-consecutive game with a sore right knee. First-place Miami are just six victories away from tying the Lakers, and haven’t tasted defeat since

Juwan Howard (L) of the Miami Heat goes to the basket against E’Twaun Moore of the Orlando Magic on Tuesday at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

February 1 on the road against the Indiana Pacers. The dominant win over the Magic kicked off a fourgame road trip for Miami, who have won 13 in a row as the visitors. On the upcoming road swing the Heat will also travel to Chicago, New Orleans and San Antonio, where they will face the mighty Spurs on Sunday. Wade is hoping to return for Wednesday’s game against Chicago. “We’ve been playing in a lot of competitive games over this streak so we’re look forward to playing in Chicago against a very well-coached team. We will be ready for them,” James said. Tobias Harris finished with a team-high 20 points for the short-handed Magic who have lost seven-straight games. Miami’s dynamic win streak was almost snapped by Orlando on March 6. But after tying the game briefly, 68-68, in the third they let Miami go on a 10-0 run and never threatened after that. AFP

MOTOGP

Crutchlow outshines Rossi, Lorenzo

JEREZ, SPAIN: British rider Cal Crutchlow stole the show at the end of three rainaffected days of MotoGP testing sessions here on Monday, posting the fastest time on his Yamaha Tech3.

Crutchlow, seventh in the world championship last year, timed a best of 1min 39.511sec, faster than the two official Yamaha bikes ridden by defending champion Jorge Lorenzo and Italian great Valentino Rossi. Crutchlow was 14thousandths of a second faster

than Rossi, who is returning to Yamaha after a disappointing spell with Ducati, and 29thousandths quicker than Lorenzo. Crutchlow was delighted with his series of testing which is the last before the first MotoGP of the season in Qatar on April 7.

“I feel good,” said the 27year-old. “It is a shame that I couldn’t do 70 laps on a dry course over three days but to ride at this rhythm is good news,” added Crutchlow, whose bike is powered by French stable Tech3. AFP

sports TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

WOODS BACK AT NO.1 SPOT Woods’ victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational saw the 37-year-old replace Rory McIlroy atop the rankings in the latest milestone of his comeback from a spectacular fall from personal and professional grace. ORLANDO: Tiger Woods reclaimed the world number one spot on Monday for the first time since his career was derailed by a sex scandal and a string of injuries. Woods’ victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational saw the 37-year-old replace Rory McIlroy atop the rankings in the latest milestone of his comeback from a spectacular fall from personal and professional grace. “I play well here,” said Woods, who secured his eighth victory at Bay Hill with after a closing round of two-under 70. “That is about as simple as it gets. It is a by-product of hard work and patience.” It took an extra day, but Woods out-dueled fellow American Rickie Fowler down the stretch, winning the $6.2 million event by two strokes. Woods, who pocketed $1.08 million for Monday’s win, has won 14 majors in his career and had previously spent a record 623 weeks on top of the world. But he has not led the rankings for nearly three years, after injuries and an infamous scandal saw him stumble. Woods fell to his lowest rank on November 11, 2011 when he dropped to 58th in the world. His woes began in 2009 when

AUSTRALIAN PGA New date for relocated event SYDNEY: The Australian PGA Championship will be played on Queensland’s Gold Coast at the Royal Pines in November, officials said on Tuesday. The tournament is moving from its regular spot as one of the final events of the PGA Tour of Australasia and the OneAsia seasons to its new venue from November 7-10 to attract a quality field of players. “Since announcing the new home of the championship we’ve received some great feedback from a number of areas and we’re looking forward to creating a new legacy for the tournament on the Gold Coast,” PGA CEO Brian Thorburn said. AFP

Tiger Woods holds the trophy after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Florida. /GETTY IMAGES/AFP Sam Greenwood

a US tabloid aired claims he had an affair with a nightclub manageress. Two days later, amid speculation about his marriage, he was slightly injured when he crashed his car near his home. In December of that year, Woods issued two statements admitting to serial marital infidelity and announced he would take a break from golf. He later said that he had undergone therapy to help him change his behaviour. He returned to golf at the 2010 Masters in April, but his marriage was over and his divorce with former model Elin Nordegren was granted in August. His game had clearly suffered during the turmoil and his return to the top took three years. “The first step in the process was getting healthy. Once I got there, then my game turned,” Woods said. “I’ve won six times on the tour the last couple years. That’s not bad.” Last week, Woods announced that he was dating US ski racer Lindsey Vonn. “Number 1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!” Vonn tweeted after Woods’ victory. Woods also claimed his 77th PGA Tour victory - his 99th professional victory - in his final tune-up event for next month’s Masters. AFP

Factfile: Tiger Woods Turned pro: 1996 Major titles: 14 USPGA Tour wins: 77; International wins: 11 Player of the Year: 1997, ’99, 2000, ’01, ’02, ’03, ’05, ’06, ’07 and ’09. Career milestones: Youngest Masters champion. Youngest world No. 1 in golf. First player to win the US Open, British Open and US PGA Championship in the same year (2000) First player to hold all four major titles simultaneously. Youngest player to win 50 US PGA Tour titles at 30 years. On Dec 11, 2009, announced he was taking “indefinite break” from golf, after admitting marital infidelity. On Mar 16, ’10, announced that he was ending his break. Woods finished equal fourth at Masters, equal fourth at the US Open, equal 23rd at British Open and equal 28th at PGA Championship On Nov 1, 2010, officially lost world number one ranking. In ’11 he fell out of the top 50. On March 18, 2013, announced he was in a relationship with American skiing star Lindsey Vonn On March 25, 2013, regained world number one ranking.

MIAMI MASTERS

Murray, Williams advance MIAMI, March 23, 2013 (AFP) Reigning US Open champs Andy Murray and Serena Williams stepped up their bids for another title while China’s Li Na halted the giant-killing run of a Spanish teen to advance at the Miami Masters Monday. Second seed Murray blasted nine aces en route to a 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 victory over disgruntled Grigor Dimitrov to reach the fourth round of the hardcourt tournament. Murray, who won this event four years ago, needed one hour and 54 minutes to oust the 29th-seeded Bulgarian Dimitrov. Murray said he started slowly but soon figured out how to cause problems for his opponent. “I was leaving the ball a bit short. Once I started to improve

Bopanna-Ram crash out

Andy Murray of Great Britain returns a shot to Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria during the Sony Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on Monday in Key AFP/MATTHEW STOCKMAN Biscayne, Florida.

my depth a bit I made it tough for him and he started to make mother mistakes after that,” Murray said. Dimitrov, last year’s run-

ner-up to Novak Djokovic, would have faced a tougher task had not the 21-year-old lost his composure when serving for the first set at 5-3. AFP

MIAMI: Sania Mirza kept Indian hopes alive by progressing to the women’s doubles quarterfinals even as country’s challenge ended in the men’s doubles with the defeat of Rohan Bopanna and his partner Rajeev Ram in the second round of ATP-WTA Sony Open, here. Sania and her American partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands overcame a fighting pair of Jarmila Gajdosova and Sabine Lisicki 6-1 3-6 10-7 in the second round. They will now fight it out with Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci for a place in the semifinals. PTI

sports TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

ENGLAND IN NEW ZEALAND

Thrilling Test ends in a draw An unbeaten century by Prior saw England snatch an unlikely draw in a dramatic Test. AUCKLAND: A defiant, unbeaten century by Matt Prior saw England snatch an unlikely draw in a dramatic end to the third Test Tuesday as a fired up New Zealand attack were denied an historic victory by one wicket. England were holding on by a thread at the close as Prior sought to shield last man in Monty Panesar from the bowling for the last three overs in a cliff-hanger finish to the Test and the series. At the close, Prior was unbeaten on 110, his seventh Test century, and England were 315 for nine. A despondent New Zealand were left wondering what the outcome would have been had two regulation catches in the final over before lunch not been dropped. All three Tests ended in draws, denying New Zealand the chance of a rare series win over England. They have only won three of 32 series against the English and the last was in England in 1999. New Zealand, with innings of 443 and 241 for six declared, batted England out of the Test and the tourists were never seri-

Scorecard

New Zealand’s Neil Wagner (2nd R) celebrates with teammates the wicket of England’s Ian Bell for 75 runs during day five of the third Test played at Eden Park in Auckland, on Tuesday. AFP

ous about chasing their 481-run second innings target. Instead they faced a battle for survival and when they resumed the final day at 90 for four the odds were heavily in New Zealand’s favour. At lunch, the Test still belonged to New

Zealand with England at 158 for five and Joe Root gone for 29. But there were signs of luck going England’s way with Ian Bell and Jonny Bairstow both surviving catch opportunities when New Zealand took the second new ball just before lunch.

Bairstow was gone for six soon after play resumed but Bell made the most of his opportunity as he and Prior put on 78 before he was removed in the last over before tea and England were 237 for seven. But luck stayed with Prior

New Zealand, 1st inn 443 England, 1st inn 204 New Zealand,2nd inn 241/6 dec England 2nd inn (90/2 overnight) Cook c Brownlie b Williamson 43 Compton c Watling b Southee 2 Trott c Watling b Wagner 37 Bell c Southee b Wagner 75 Finn c Southee b Williamson 0 J. Root lbw Boult 29 Bairstow c Taylor b Southee 6 Prior not out 110 Broad c Taylor b Williamson 6 Anderson c Taylor b Williamson 0 M. Panesar not out 2 Extras (lb 4, nb 1) 5 Total (9 wkts; 143 overs) 315 Bowling: Boult 29-13-55-1, Southee 30-6-77-2, Martin 3918-74-0, Wagner 25-8-61-2, Williamson 20-8-44-4

who beat two appeals for caught behind that went to review on 18. On 20 he was dropped by Neil Wagner and on 28 the ball deflected off his helmet and on to the stumps but the bails did not come off. AFP

AUSTRALIA’S TOUR OF INDIA

Aussie player suspensions galvanised the team: Arthur PERTH, AUSTRALIA: Australia coach Mickey Arthur (right) insisted Tuesday his contentious punishment of four players for not completing a feedback review had galvanised the team on their disastrous tour to India. The South African said he had no regrets at axing the players for the third Test against India for not doing a homework assignment designed to identify team weaknesses. His decision, made with captain Michael Clarke, to suspend vice-captain Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson, Usman Khawaja and James Pattinson for one Test polarised Australian sports fans. Australia subsequently crashed in the series 4-0, causing gloom among fans over the team’s Ashes hopes against England later this year. Despite the heavy loss a defiant Arthur said he would do the same again and that the punishment had “pulled together” the team. “If we had our time again, we’d do the same thing," Arthur told reporters upon his return home to Perth. “These are line in the sand moments. It’s been well documented.

The team needed to just be pulled together, just a little bit. “With representing Australia comes massive expectation, we all are very aware of that, and with that comes a lot of responsibility, so we’ve done it to make the players really aware of what that is and what is expected of them over the next 12 months. “It’s galvanised our team. Our team responded fantastically well." Arthur said Watson had deserved the opportunity to captain Australia in the final Test in Delhi, despite being stood down for the previous match.

“He did the time and sort of paid the crime as they say, and came back when Michael couldn’t captain as he was the vice-captain," Arthur said. “He came back with a really good attitude," he added. Arthur said despite the series savaging by India the experience of battling the tough playing conditions had brought the team closer together. “Team harmony is fantastic," he said. “Honestly, the players work extremely hard. We have a really good group of young players who want nothing more than to make Australia the best cricket team in the world." Despite being outplayed by MS Dhoni’s Indians, Arthur said he did not envisage too many changes for the team when they take on England in July. “We felt that we took the best players possible to India," he said. “We know that they have a bit of experience and are going to be better for it." Arthur said he was optimistic about Australia’s Ashes chances but the team needed Clarke back to full fitness. AFP

Mickey unlikely to be sacked after India debacle MELBOURNE: Despite Australia suffering a humiliating 0-4 Test series whitewash against India, coach Mickey Aurthur is unlikely to be sacked as Cricket Australia has backed him to continue at the job though the Board termed the team performance as “unacceptable". CA Chief Executive James Sutherland said the team management, including Arthur and national selector John Inverarity, retain the Board’s support. Arthur, who took charge as coach in 2011, has a contract until the end of the next World Cup, to be held in Australia and New Zealand in 2015, but has been under pressure after presiding over the country’s heaviest defeat in a series in 34 years. “Like the fans and the players, we all are disappointed with our performances in India. We always knew the conditions would be uniquely tough and we went to India with a team that is young and relatively inexperienced by current international cricket comparison," Sutherland said. “But it is not acceptable to either Australian cricket fans or to any of us involved to lose so convincingly. While the group has had a difficult month, its resolve has never been higher and I know we will bounce back," he was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald. AFP

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

sports

ENGLAND WILL DO TALKING ON THE PITCH: GERRARD

Steven Gerrard feels Montenegro manager Branko Brnovic has played into England’s hands by seeking to create tension ahead of the World Cup qualifying showdown between the sides on Tuesday. Meanwhile, England manager Roy Hodgson elected not to react to Brnovic’s comments.

WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

Fred spares Brazil the blushes

Stam set for United return

A last-gasp equaliser by Fred rescued Brazil from the pits with a 1-1 draw against Russia in the friendly at Stamford Bridge. ALEC KENNEDY Agence France-Presse LONDON: Fred spared Brazil the blushes with a last-gasp equaliser to rescue a 1-1 draw against Russia in Monday’s friendly at Stamford Bridge. Luiz Felipe Scolari is still waiting for the first win of his second spell as Brazil manager following this lacklustre display on a freezing evening in west London, but it would have been even more embarrassing for the former Chelsea boss without Fred’s late intervention. Russia took a deserved lead when Zenit St Petersburg winger Victor Fayzulin scored his third goal for Fabio Capello’s side in the 73rd minute. But Fluminense forward Fred snatched a dramatic equaliser when he tapped home Marcelo’s cross from close range in the last minute. For Scolari the fixture marked a return to Chelsea, where he spent seven months before being sacked by Roman Abramovich in 2009, but he failed to take the opportunity

Brazil’s striker Fred (C) scores the equalising goal with defender Marcelo (L) during the friendly football match between Brazil and Russia at AFP/GLYN KIRK Stamford Bridge stadium in London on Saturday.

to prove a point to the Blues’ Russian owner. The Selecao, continuing on their global tour in the build up to staging the 2014 World Cup, clearly have plenty of room for improvement. Capello, who has been linked with a possible move to Chelsea in the closeseason, was back in the city he called home for four years dur-

ing his England reign. This impressive result suggested he may yet get a call from Abramovich to return to English football. Russia’s Sergey Ignashevich called Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar into action after just two minutes when he unleashed a powerful 30-yard drive. The CSKA Moscow centre-

back’s low shot skidded across the turf, but QPR’s Cesar was equal to his effort. That wasn’t Brazil’s only early scare. Ten minutes later Cesar’s goal was again threatened as the ball was pumped into the box and Roman Shirokov and Aleksandr Kerzhakov both saw shots blocked. Cesar then had Real Madrid midfielder Kaka to thank for some last-ditch defending as the playmaker got another block on a shot from Kershakov and Shirokov’s follow up. Brazil, five-time world champions, saw their goal continually peppered as defensive midfielder Shirokov then tried his luck from range in the 15th minute. It took nearly 30 minutes for Scolari’s side to click into action and even then Neymar shot high and wide of Russia keeper Vladimir Gabulov’s goal after surging into the box. Five minutes before the break, Fayzulin cut in off the left touchline, beat Barcelona’s Daniel Alves before lashing into the side netting as Russia regrouped.

‘Spain face tough battle’ ANDY SCOTT Agence France-Presse PARIS: France coach Didier Deschamps said Monday he was hopeful his team can cause problems for world champions Spain in their 2014 World Cup qualifier and insisted playing for a draw is not in his thinking. France served notice to Spain in the first qualifier, a 1-1 draw in Madrid in October, that they were not going to be an easy opponent and come into the rematch at the Stade de France on Tuesday with a two-point lead at the top of Group I. Deschamps knows his side benefited from some breaks in that clash, notably Spain’s early loss of David Silva to injury and a missed Cesc Fabregas penalty. However, the outcome of that match and Finland’s 1-1 draw with the

Spanish on Friday have left France in an ideal position. “We respected Spain before and continue to do so now,” he said. “You need to respect teams, but there is no need to be scared or intimidated. We need to use the ball well and if we do that we can cause them problems.” “The game in Madrid could have ended very differently. “We could have been 2-0 down and gone on to lose. I don’t know if we are a stronger team now than we were then, but we have three points more and two more than Spain. Nobody would have imagined that a couple of months ago. “Now we will need to be at our absolute best against Spain and hope they don’t play at their best, although I am sure they will be at their best.” Deschamps added that his

team should not be preoccupied with dominating possession, but his comments suggest that packing the defence like Finland and others have done in order to stifle Spain is not the way he will go. “We will not play for a draw. I prepare my teams to win, but if that is the way the game ends it will be a good result for us.” There is intense interest as to whether Karim Benzema will lead the home attack despite his questionable form at international level in recent times. The Real Madrid striker has not scored for his country since netting in a friendly against Estonia prior to Euro 2012, but it seems that Deschamps will keep faith with him and leave Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud, who scored against Georgia, on the bench. AFP

French national football team head coach Didier Deschamps arrives for a press conference on Monday, on the eve of a World Cup 2014 qualifying football match France vs Spain in Saint-Denis. AFP/FRANCK FIFE

AFP

LONDON: Former Manchester United defender Jaap Stam will make an emotional return to Old Trafford later this year as part of the Legends squad to face Real Madrid in a friendly to raise money for charity. Stam left United in controversial circumstances in 2001 after angering United manager Alex Ferguson with a series of critical comments about his team-mates in his autobiography. Ferguson responded to Stam’s revelations by selling the Dutch centre-back to Lazio, even though he played a key role in United winning a hattrick of Premier League titles and the 1999 Champions League crown during his threeyear spell with the club. The United boss later described the decision to sell Stam as the biggest mistake of his career and the pair have since made their peace. United confirmed on Monday that Stam will be part of their Legends squad for their charity fixture against Madrid at Old Trafford on June 2. Stam’s former United and Holland team-mate Edwin van der Sar has also agreed to play in the game, as have Teddy Sheringham and Nicky Butt, who both helped United win the treble in 1999. “Four new names have signed up for the United Legends squad ahead of the Red Heart United gala fixture against Real Madrid’s former stars,” a statement on United’s website confirmed. “Treble winners Teddy Sheringham, Nicky Butt and Jaap Stam will form part of Bryan Robson’s plans for the 2 June encounter at Old Trafford, along with one of the best goalkeepers ever to play for the club in Edwin van der Sar. AFP