Postnoon E-Paper for March 28th 2013 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013 HYDERABAD

WEATHER: CLEAR WITH CLOUDY PERIODS; 32°C

WWW.POSTNOON.COM

JESSE RYDER IN COMA

32 PAGES

AFTER BAR BRAWL

New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder was in a critical condition in hospital on Thursday after being severely beaten as he left a bar in Christchurch, police said. The 28-year-old was in an induced coma with a fractured skull and serious internal injuries, and his family were at his bedside. The attack came just days before he was to take up an IPL contract.

P31

HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER

REPORT ON P4

GHMC TARGETS

IRONING SHOPS, BARBERS IN SEARCH FOR RECORD HAUL Before you launch even a small push cart business, you should look over your shoulder, for lurking behind you could be a civic official looking for new avenues of revenue. The GHMC is eager to add to its trade cart more ‘trades’ such as ironing, barber salons, catering services and many more to earn license fees.

Honour among thieves Here’s the amusing tale of Mangoor basti nicknamed chor ki basti where people make a living by thievery, and shows exemplary co-existence between Hindus and Muslims. You’d think chor ki basti is a cluster of wretched hovels. Far from it. They are pukka houses with all amenities and cars and bikes in garages or parked along the road. Some children even study in leading English schools and some others with a ‘flair for thievery’ are trained to follow tradition.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

city events

BLACK NIGHT — A SHORT FILM

This is a story of two chess players challenging each others’ game skills. The movie shows us how the winning pattern changes during the course of time and how emotions take over the situation. The screening is at Lamakaan on March 29, from 7pm.

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

Overnight

Morning

Afternoon

32°C

25°C

31°C

39°C

Clear with cloudy periods.

Sunny with cloudy periods.

Mostly sunny.

New Delhi Mumbai Max 30 Max 30 Min 20 Min 23 Chances of rain.

Chennai Max 34 Min 27

Bangalore Max 34 Min 24

Mostly clear.

Partly cloudy with chances of storm.

Clear.

AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES activities for children like egg painting, face painting and treasure hunt 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 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: Up to March 28 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

GREEN CITY? These trees have been planted at Necklace Road in an attempt to attract tourists When: Preview: March 30, from 6pm to 8pm Continues till April 10, Contact: www.alankritha.in

Group painting exhibition An exhibition of paintings by Pradosh Swain and Suchismita Sahoo. Where: Aalankritha Art Gallery

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 Grand Easter brunch The chefs at Avasa have devised a special menu. The brunch will not only have a great choice of food, but also loads of entertainment activities. Where: Pi, Avasa Hotel, Madhapur When: March 31, noon onwards Contact: (040) 6728 2828 Easter goodies Hot cross buns, Easter Bunnies, and

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

Easter chocolates are part of the special Easter menu. 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 Easter workshop for children A workshop with the executive chef including a special Sunday brunch for children. Where: The Park Hotel, When: March 31, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2345 6789

Easter brunch The multi-cuisine buffet includes western barbecue, oriental and Hyderabadi specialties, soft beverages and live stations. There are exciting

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

N SHIVA 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

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

City

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

ARE TRADE LICENSES A MERE MONEY MAKING PLOY? 100% 0%

YES (A) NO (B)

TODAY’S QUESTION

IS AP GOVT LOSING ITS GRIP ON POWER SITUATION? A)

YES

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

CRIME

An ideal commune of ‘thieves!’ Here’s the amusing tale of Mangoor basti, nicknamed chor ki basti, where people make a living by thievery, and show exemplary co-existence between Hindus and Muslims Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

ou’d think chor ki basti is a cluster of wretched hovels. Far from it. They are good, pucca houses with all amenities, with cars and bikes in garages or parked along the road. Some children study in leading English schools and some others with a ‘flair for thievery’ are trained to follow tradition. Mangoor basti is located at Afzalsagar of Habeeb Nagar and there are around 1,000 houses belonging to Hindus and Muslims. Many of them have come from Maharashtra and Karnataka border districts — Nanded, Parbhani, Bijapur, Baswa Kalyan, Bidar, Bhalki. Their fathers had come three decades ago and settled here. They lived in hutments, yes. It was MLA and minister Danam Nagender and former MLA B Krishna who helped them build pucca houses and secure amenities. They fall under Asifnagar Assembly constituency. To be fair, not all are ‘chors.’ Some of them make an honourable living too, people say. KS Brahmachary, 66, the patriarch of the basti, sitting on his cot, told Postnoon about the basti’s history and the life and living of the inmates. “We (Hindus and Muslims) don’t quarrel and help each other in times of need. We are one when it comes to dealing with the police or those who dislike us.” The patriarch said there are nearly 15 gangs of men and two gangs of women. Each gang has

Honour among thieves n

some 25 youngsters. Each member gets `200 and two bottles of beer everyday for their toil. It is a sort of socialism where each one does what he could and each gets a share, no matter if his productivity was less. The gang leaders have divided the City and demarcated their territory for operations. Obviously, where there is a crowd, there is the gang — bus stands, railway stations, shopping malls, cinema theatres, super markets. The names of the gang leaders are dropped: Nagaraju, Giridhari, Chakradhari, Laddu, Chintu, Laxman, Wasee, Faheem, Feroze, Imran, Reshma, Salma, Farheen, Sabitha, Kavitha,

Parvathi. What about fear of police? “Ha, ha,” he laughed. “We live in harmony with everybody. No fights.” He winks and the sign is self-explanatory. Among them, Laddu and Parvathi do not want their children to follow them. Their children are sent to leading schools and they want them to become doctors, engineers, IT professionals or executives. But majority of the bastiwalas are indifferent to their children’s education. ‘When there is good money, why waste time in schools?’ is the argument. Outside some homes, Toyota Qualis, bikes, Ambassadors and

auto rickshaws are seen parked.

TRAINING

The talents are spotted early and they are initially kept with seniors. They always start with pick-pocketing. Girls adept with their fingers are sent with seniors in crowded trains and buses. Every theatre that releases new pictures will invariably have gangs on duty — both men and women. Women are also trained to go to marriage halls and conduct thefts of gold and silver. Some of them also go to homes, posed as relatives, where people are dead and come out with what they can manage. “Don’t think

Don’t fight with police; give them mamools. Don’t argue with or fight with gang leaders (ustads) Help the gang that faces trouble. Don’t harm anyone — you are after goods and money, not life All women operators will wear purdah compulsorily. It’s a convenience. Don’t lie to gang leaders about the quantum of loot.

we are happy and jolly,” corrected a woman gang leader. “We are not proud of this because we have no social status. But money is good so we plough along.”

GOVERNANCE

Hand-held devices for ‘transparency’

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

or the bill collectors who were in the eye of the storm in the recent years for delay in recording property taxes, hand-held devices connected with the GHMC server came as a jolt: It leads to efficiency and transparency. “As the devices are connect-

ed online, when a bill is received by a bill collector, it is immediately updated,” said GHMC commissioner MT Krishna Babu. He gave credit to the entire process for increased efficiency and felt that there would be no more discrepancies in property tax collection. The device also controls the number of receipts by reducing it to two days or `5 lakh service.

When a bill is received by a collector, it is updated online. After the bill collector hands over the collection to the office, the device will be recharged to provide scope for another two

days and `5 lakh. “If a bill collector does not respond after two days after the device stops working, the higher officials will get to him to know the reason”, says an official. For the higher officials, one of the important facets of the device is keeping track of the bill collector — how many house he reached out to or how many commercial spaces he visited.

Earlier, even though they collected the tax, they failed to record it in books immediately. Some times, due to technical difficulties, the bill collectors suffered. There were allegations of fake receipt books, and in the recent past, the GHMC was ripe with rumours that bill collectors were giving hoarding money and running interest businesses.

city THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

CIVIC

LAST YEAR... HERE The great City circus

GHMC meets trade licence target, and how!

ast year we had reported how the budget session was stormy as expected, with ample issues like liquor, mining scam, CBI probe and Telangana providing to be ammunition for the Opposition. Neither the price rise nor the water problem was discussed. Adjournment of the House without transacting any business dominated the proceedings

MARCH 28, 2012

NUMEROLOGY

`25

crore mark was crossed by the GHMC in collections on trade licensing, with many questioning the ways in which the money was collected.

These are people who stand with no recognition in today’s world thanks to the paid media, which is the root cause of corruption that’s eating up the society. Srikanth K, NASDAC employee

See page 8

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

‘All-round’ education no more in City? With institutions encouraging students to join the rat race with 12 hours of study, there’s hardly any time left for extra-curricular activities.

Can the residents of chor ki basti hope to get govt help? Chor ki basti has many gangs of thieves who are united in their operations. But some want their children to have better standards of life.

Before you launch even a small push cart business, you should look over your shoulder, for lurking behind you could be a civic official looking for new avenues of revenue. The GHMC is eager to add to its trade cart more ‘trades’ such as ironing, barber salons, catering services and many more to earn licence fee. Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

ollections on trade licensing have crossed the `25 crore mark in 2012-13. It was `15 crore last year. But many are questioning the way the GHMC officials are collecting trade licence fees. “One can easily guess how they could have reached their target. It’s now common to catch the small fries by their scruff and extract money,” says Syed Aslam, owner of a small restaurant. According to officials, the saloons, mess and hostels are some of the newly identified

The task, which should have been taken up several months ago, was completed within two months. trades in addition to those earlier identified. Coffee shops, catering services, jewellery, showrooms, lodges, internet cafes, cinema halls, shopping malls, mobile phone shops and software companies were identified last year. Till the review meeting held about two months ago by com-

missioner MT Krishna Babu, there was no enthusiasm shown by health officials. He pointed out that medical officers and deputy commissioners must take personal interests for issuing trade licenses, as there was a lot of scope in the area. He had warned the Assistant Medical Officers of Health (AMOHs) that penalties would be imposed on them if they fail to reach the target. But the task, which should have been taken up several months ago, was completed within two months. One can guess how it could have been done. A lot of discrepancies are cropping up, even as the GHMC

is closing its files for the financial year end. “This year, we made good revenue out of this,” says a senior official from the finance wing. Even the much hyped survey on this subject failed to reach its aimed conclusion. By the end of 2012, the progress on the survey, according to an official, was only two per cent. Now no one talks about the survey or the criteria for trade licensing, as there is no clarity on the issue. “If you give the officials their cut the trade license fees would be meager or else you will end up paying much more than you are supposed to pay,” says a civic functionary.

Some respite for passengers this season. A total of 118 additional special summer trains will be run by the South Central Railways, in addition to the 164 summer special trains already announced.

‘Govt to fill 1.25 lakh vacancies’

TDP MLAs’ fast continues for third day

Student ‘ragged,’ attempts suicide

Police rescue sex workers in City

Where did all that money come from? The GHMC has crossed the `25 crore mark with its trade licensing collections in 2012-13.

A more efﬁcient tax collection system. The new hand-held devices for property tax collection will ensure transparency and efﬁciency.

NEWS BRIEFS hief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy took salute in the passing out parade of 1,256 Trainee Sub Inspectors and Armed Reserve Police at APPA (Andhra Pradesh Police Academy) this morning. The CM proudly announced that his government had ﬁlled up 1.25 lakh vacancies so far and is gearing up to ﬁll another 1.25 lakh vacancies.

he indeﬁnite fast launched by TDP MLAs entered into the third day this morning. The condition of two MLAs is said to have deteriorated. Scores of party leaders continued to visit the camp site of the strike at old MLA quarters in Hyderguda. A team of doctors have visited the site and conducted health check-ups.

rishna Veni, a ﬁnal year nursing student at Gandhi Medical collage has allegedly attempted suicide by consuming sleeping pills. She was admitted in an unconscious state to the hospital. The 22-year old-student from Mahbubnagar is said to have been a victim of ragging by seniors. Chikalguda police are investigating the case.

he Begumpet police have raided an apartment located at Chikoti garden and rescued two sex workers.The police arrested Mary, aged 35, and a customer, Basavaraj, and seized mobile phone sand cash. It is said that the brothel was bringing girls from other places, far away from the City, with the promise of good payments.

city THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

POLITICS

Will join YSRC, says angry Vamsi An angry Vallabhaneni Vamsi reportedly trained his guns at TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu for removing him from the Krishna district polls. He allegedly threatened to quit the party and reports claimed he might join YSRC. Naidu however, rubbishes the reports saying all was well. VIJAYAWADA: Krishna district senior TDP leader Vallabhaneni Vamsi openly expressed his anger against party chief Chandrababu Naidu removing from Krishna district politics and giving him a nominal post of the states executive secretary. Stating that he was promised Gannavaram seat by Naidu, Vamsi said he would quit politics if he did not get it. He expressed discontent that there was no assurance from the chief on this. He said he would quit politics altogether and would not join any other party. However, it is being said that he might join the YSR Congress as he has good relations with Jagan. It may be recalled that Vamsi hugging Jagan had become a big controversy earlier. TDP even gave a showcause notice to him. However, he met Naidu and gave a written explanation to him that it was a chance meeting and he has no plans to leave TDP. Now it is being said that Vamsdi also would join the YSR Congress like Kodali Nani. He was very much hurt that he was removed from the post of Vijayawada urban party chief. The post was given to the follower of Nani, owner of the Kesineni Travels. Now Naidu not only

gave total control of Vijayawada party, but also announced his candidature for the Lok Sabha seat. Nani went into the PRP and came back to the TDP recently. Though Devineni Uma is said to have touted the come back of Nani, it is being said by insiders that it was all the plan of Bala Krishna. Bala Krishna has been trying to snub his brother’s son and hero NTR. As Vamsi is an ardent follower of the actor, Bala Krishna removed him from the Vijayawada political scene as a first step against Jr. NTR said sources. It is being said Bala Krishna felt that party in Krishna, native district of the Nandamuri family should be totally in the hands of people hundred percent loyal to the family and the party. Bala Krishna is still suspecting NTR as most of the partymen who join the Jagan bandwagon are his loyalists. As such, he suspected that even Vamsi might leave the party some time or the other. It is in this contest that he removed Vamsi from the scene say sources. Vamsi is totally hurt that the party chose not to trust him despite being loyal to the party and trusted Kesineni Nani who left the party and came back.

Naidu rubbishes claims TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu rubbished the reports that the party senior leader Vallabhaneni Vamsi would join the YSR Congress. When asked about the discontent expressed by Vamsi over not being assured of the Gannavaram Assembly seat, Naidu questioned if the media dreamt about Vamsi leaving the party. He maintained that the party was treating Vamsi well. When asked about Vamsi’s ouster as the Vijayawada urban unit president, Naidu said he was taken into the State executive, which he said was an elevation. He said when Vamsi was asked to contest from the Vijayawada Lok Sabha seat, he had refused. Stating that he knew who deserved which post, Naidu said the party would decide which seat should be allotted to Vamsi. It may be mentioned that Vamsi expressed discontent over not being assured of Gannavaram ticket. TDP’s Balavardana Rao is now representing the Gannavaram seat. It is learnt that Balavardana Rao is unwilling to leave the seat.

NSS

POLITICS Primary education to be revamped by State govt

TOUGHENING UP

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com Students of the Indian Karate Academy perform martial arts. With the recent uproar over women safety, several martial arts institutions have seen an increased number of enrolments of girls and young women. N SHIVA KUMAR

lementrary education offered by the State is in for a huge makeover in coming days if the government plans are implemented. The State government has already begun steps to reform the existing system hoping to make it more effective in nurturing young minds. The State government strongly feels that the existing sytems of elementary system are not effectively implemented in the wake of implementation of RTE Act. With a view to bring in reforms, the department of elementary education held a meeting with MLCs, who have been nominated under Teacher’s quota. The meeting chaired by

minister for primary education S Sailajanath laid emphasis on suggestions from MLCs. Some of the suggestions made by the MLCs include regulating admissions, fee in private schools as per RTE. Speaking to Postnoon MLC BV Mohan Reddy said that many private schools were not implementing RTE and also avoided SSC syllabus. He added that there was a need to prevent this by implementing rules and bringing in reforms. Among the other suggestions made by these law makers, the most important are taking the services of retired government teachers by making them a part of school committees in order to effectively run the school, setting up of 10-15 schools in every mandal and soliciting of donations from generous donors.

city THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

MUSIC

Gear up for battle of the bands Three bands will slug it out for top honours and a chance to represent the City at the global Battle of the Bands tonight at Hard Rock Cafe. POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

he undiscovered music talents of Hyderabad are all set to vie for the top spot representing the City at Hard Rock Cafe’s ‘Hard Rock Rising’ global band talent hunt. Nine bands fought their way to the finals, but only three bands made it through. Out of the contesting three, one band will be chosen by local music industry experts and one will move onto the great finals of contesting with 95 other bands from across the world. Fan support and voting will determine the top 25 bands and a panel of celebrities and musicians of international stature will pick the Grand Prize winner. On Thursday, all the three finalists for the Global Auditions will come together at Hard Rock Cafe to go out all guns blazing. Hyderabad’s contribution to this global scale “Battle of the Bands” are Eagle Riders, homely lads whose music is a mix of genres and quite a popular band within the college circuit and Luminum, a three piece with no

genre classification and believe that their ‘music does all the talking.’ Next comes Gingerfeet (in pic) from Kolkatta, who describe themselves as a power combination of three bands from Calcutta and Gangtok and adhere to funk and experimental music. The grand finale is slated to be held on Thursday at Hard Rock Cafe at 9pm. Hard Rock Rising will place the Grand Prize winner on the fast-track to global stardom as they embark on a World Tour in six renowned cities arranged by Hard Rock International – including a spot on the bill at the Hard Rock Calling festival in London, with additional dates at Hard Rock Cafes in cities such as Sydney, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Chicago and Honolulu; make an album and music video through Hard Rock Records; and receive new music equipment and gear valued at $10,000. Be there at Hard Rock Café on Thursday at 9pm to see, what can possibly be, the best band from the country making it to the grand finale of Hard Rock Rising. Entry fee is priced at `500 only.

DANGEROUS HYDERABAD

S BALAKRISHNA

TREACHEROUS BLIND SPOT

his is probably a common sight across the City. The HMWS&SB or the GHMC will open up manholes to carry out maintenance or repair works and then very conveniently leave it open. As a stop-gap measure they might place a couple of stones and dried twigs around it, as if those are warning enough for unsuspecting motorists or pedestrians. In this picture you can see one such manhole, seemingly fenced by a couple of stones, lying open in Langer House. What makes this even worse than the other cases is the

fact that this one happens to be located at a turning, a blind spot for most motorists. Imagine, what would happen if someone was driving past at night and missed spotting it? In the past too, there have been several incidents of motorists having taken a bad fall due to such open manholes and of children and pedestrians falling down them. Yet, the civic officials concerned don’t seem to want to pull up their socks. Like in most other cases, they are probably waiting for an accident to happen before they do act.

classifieds THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

118 new summer special trains

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY DRAIN STUDENTS

Corporate college route to secure medical and engineering college admissions comes at a price. ALEENA ALICE aleena.t@postnoon.com To meet the holiday rush, 118 additional special trains will be run by South-Central railway between April and July. This would be in addition to164 summer special trains already announced, officials said. Following are the special trains. SecunderabadVisakhapatnam (26 services), Machilipatnam-Secunderabad (16 services), SecunderabadMumbai (26 services), HyderabadRenigunta (18 services), GunturTirupati (18 services) and AurangabadTirupati (14 services). NSS

CLASSIFIEDS WISHES

FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY

magine your child walking into a majestic building with posh classrooms and studying in one of them for over 12 hours a day. Well, this is not an imaginary situation. Thousands of students are doing this every day. With growing competition, most parents want their children to become professionals — especially doctors or engineers. And this is the ambition that most corporate collages are cashing in on. There was a time when schools and colleges had a big campus where students had time to study as well as take part in extracurricular activities. However, now, colleges, especially the corporate junior colleges, are nothing but 2-3 storeyed buildings where it is all work and no play. Under the pretext of coaching for various competitive entrance exams, students are put under constant pressure, and all this so that later the colleges can advertise about their success rate. These colleges are so engrossed in achieving top ranks in the examinations that students who are studying complain that the intermediate portion for the IPE exam is neglected. Thanks to the Board of Intermediate, now that there is a percentage of weightage to be given to the intermediate marks; else, according to students, earlier the faculty would just rush through the syllabus only to complete the portion. What is being neglected is the practicals, which the corporate colleges take for granted and neglect until a few weeks before the final practical examinations. “During our practical class we are told to remain in the classrooms and treat it as a study hour. Though we have labs in the college and want to conduct the experiments, our lec-

sections according to the marks they secure in their weekly test. This division is not only causing them mental tension but also makes them feel embarrassed in front of their peers. “If we do not secure good marks in our weekly exam we are shuffled in different sections. All the bright students who secure good marks are put in one particular section and the best faculty teaches them. The next section has students who secure lesser marks and the students who score the least are all put in another section,” says Karthik, a second year BPC student. Such is the plight of corporate colleges who, in the name of better results, put students under a lot of

Crucial elements like syllabus for intermediate exam and practical classes are ignored by corporate colleges, complain students.

turers do not allow us to do so,” says Premakalyani, a student of Nalanda who just completed her second year examination and is awaiting results. Yet of all this, these students find themselves at a disadvantage when it comes to competitive exams. “We are made to mug up the entire portion. The faculty does not teach us on the basis of questioning and reasoning. When we go for our higher education, we feel very inferior compared to the students from other colleges,” says S Meghana, a former student of a leading corporate college who secured a 90 per cent in her intermediate exam. Another problem the students complain of is that despite the Board of Intermediate instructing

the junior colleges not to conduct any tests or classes on Sundays, a few of them go ahead and ask the students to give their weekly test on Sundays. “In case we have a holiday for a festival during the week, the management asks us to come on Sunday for the weekly test, failing which they warn us of strict action. Many times our parents had to approach the management regarding this issue, after which they would cancel that weekly test,” says a second year MPC student.

UNSCIENTIFIC DIVISION

Ask any student who is studying in a corporate college, the worst complaint is that they are divided into

pressure. When Postnoon asked a few students and former students about their experience of studying in a corporate college, this is what they had to say. But corporate college heads seek to clarify much misconception about the education in corporate colleges. “Most of the students who come to corporate colleges come with an aim to secure a seat in engineering or medicine or science and technology. Our courses and working style are also oriented towards these aims. It is not true that all we have is work. We have facilities for yoga and meditation and other stress-busters. Those unwilling for hardwork would not come here,” said a principal of a leading corporate college in Secunderabad.

QUOTES

TO ADVERTISE ON THIS PAGE CONTACT ‑ 040‑40672222

It was my parent’s choice for me to join this college. We are made to study for over 12 hours and not even given a break of 45 minutes completely throughout those 12 hours. The IPE portion is neglected and the faculty mostly concentrate on the coaching for various competitive exams. G Dev, IInd year MPC student, Sri Chitanya College

We were assigned only a certain number of experiments during our second year. During the academic year, we had to sit and study in our classrooms instead of going to the practical lab. However my friends studying in regular intermediate colleges had the opportunity to attend the practical classes and benefited because of that. K. Shiva Suryakanth, ex-student, Guntur Vikas College

I would not suggest anyone to join a corporate college, because instead of enjoying learning we were made to learn under constant fear. It was just not the case in my college. My friends in other corporate colleges had the same experience. They make us feel that engineering and medicine are the only two professional courses.

I fear the whole concept of dividing students into different sections based on our performance in the weekly test. This system should be removed from all corporate colleges. Because of this there is a lot of pressure on the students mind. Sometimes fearing of being shuffled to another section we score badly in the test.

Komal Malhotra, ex student, Nalanda

Avinash V, IInd year student, Narayana Junior College

city THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

COMMUNITY RADIO

NRI radio airs woes of home As a harbinger of new media in the emergence, NRIs in the US work steadily through online community radio. They bring news from far and wide of India and prove to be catalysts of social change.

RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA rahul.r@postnoon.com

or many an NRI living abroad, patriotism is not just a primrose to be worn in breast pockets. While the great green pastures on the other side of the world may seem a cosy escape, it is not be so for everybody. Meet NRI Samay, a group of dedicated individuals working towards the betterment of India’s society through an online community radio discussion and communication on the many troubles that plague the country today. As co-founder Srikanth Kocherlakota, an employee in NASDAC and originally from Vijaywada, puts it, “NRI Samay started as a culmination of good forces, which through a sustainable model for community radio wanted to give a continuous stream of simple, motivating plans for the country’s betterment.” The radio started officially on September 24, 2011 with a prior history of activism in America itself at the time of India’s heightened civil society activity. “The 2G scam had just fallen through and we were numbed down by the sheer size of the scams that were coming out. So, me and my friend and cofounder Srihari Atluri decided to walk for our cause, and rally support and drum up awareness about our country’s corruption issues. We ended up carrying out our Dandi March, a 240 mile walk from San Diego – Orange County, Los Angeles – Bay Area, San Francisco in California, USA, from March 12 to 26.” The result, as Srikanth puts it, caught the eye of the entire world watching them. “Other bare beginnings were to fight for NRI voting rights and putting the bill into motion by personally calling up and insisting each an every MP from our Parliament to actively consider our demand,” says Srikanth. NRI Samay is a small but dedicated group comprising of Sravani, Tejaswini, Sneha Sugmani, Brahmani Bogpudi, Usha Turgavelli, Kumar Shastry and Rohit, Vasistha, Srikanth Naidu. The number of women on the team reflects a conscious decision to include them in the group, Srikanth says.

HOW NRI SAMAY FUNCTIONS

Inspired by grassroot activists working in remote areas of the

country, NRI Samay works as an online radio community with a continuous data material stream of over 150 interviews of activists, politicians, writers, journalists and scientists. “When people like Kalyan Akkipeddi, an activist who has designed a ‘proto village’ near Lepakshi village in AP in 1395 days, whose idea was to provide all living comforts for people in the rural side, that includes a home designed to sustain any environmental, social or financial calamity all in `11,000, I realised that these were the people the world needed to know about,” Srikanth says. Their list of inspiring figures also include Pushpa Besnet from Nepal, which started out as a campaign on rehabilitating and educating jailed women and children jailed in Nepal, Veena Lakshmi who fights against gun violence, Ravi Kuchimanchi an activist who worked on water distribution issues. Incidentally, the movie Swades was based on Ravi Kuchimanchi. “These are people who stand with no recognition in today’s world thanks to the paid media, which is one root cause of corruption eating up the society. We realised that these people were as important as any historic figure and there was an urgent need for an alternative communications system outside the media” Srikanth says. Things got into motion when Srikanth, along with Srihari and Venkat Dabbara, two software program writers and one IT manager, wrote the program codes

Inspired by grassroot activists working in remote areas of the country, NRI Samay works as an online radio community with a data stream. for the online radio setup. Venkat Dabbara, came out with an Android app for this radio. “NRI Samay started spreading with the help of social media. When we realised we were sitting on a network, where in every person present on a social forum was not just an individual but also a network behind them, our website took its own steady route through social networks,” Srikanth says.

RESPONSE RECEIVED

The online community radio, has garnered immense support from both Indian and American population. Their webcount, video viewership and radio listeners strength is well poised to cross the 1 lakh mark.

“For instance, last week’s interview of Shakuntala Devi, the forgotten mathematician genius’ show, recorded 1,500 people on YouTube alone in the last one week,” Srikanth says. Their key statistics in the last 30 days show over 3,794 video views for any show, over 52,677 Youtube views. NRI Samay’s listenership and the duration of minutes heard in the last 30 days are an estimated minutes 15,634 minutes and 90,253 minutes heard since inception. “The highest number of views for any show we recieved so far were 4,048 on YouTube. It was a show on an NRI woman whose husband had left her in an airport. The show was basically about what women can do in such situations where the husband or family abandons them abroad,” Srikanth says.

FUNDING AND FUTURE PLAN

“As and when people talk about revenue, you get stuck. Either you had to rely on someone or move around asking people for money from one to source to another which would eventually consume all the time we had for our cause. Since we were people in technical domain, we wrote the project this way- that it could survive any meltdown and run free from financial control. NRI Samay runs on volunteerism and a little bit of money, which we ourselves are able to pool in. Right now our radio station is running out of our pockets at this point in time but this might change in the future,” says Srikanth. All details of the funds

received and spent are put up on their website with constant updates, ensuring that the transparency they preach is always in practiced. Although they are not actually a community radio station with a radio broadcasting setup, running an internet radio is also quite a task. And since this is running in the hands of experienced computer programmers, their setup is minimal, powerful and effective. “We use a combination of audio mixers, laptops of good configuration and phones as mike to record our interviews and the internet as our source of transmission. With a database of 150 interviews, each interview is conducted after a thorough check on what the activist has done and a profile is made of him/ her, we group together and pour our questions onto a Google doc created. Anybody is free to conduct the interview within our community. Thanks to the Anna Hazare movement, it has become easier to reach out to activists who have come under an umbrella with their works,” Srikanth says.

THE PLAN AHEAD

With the media, print or visual, being highly localised and content becoming decentralised, NRI Samay hopes to design models for a broader community development through internet becoming a radio, ultimately. “We are building a community called NRI Samay contributors which relies not on paid news contributors but people working incredibly remote areas and contibute news about issues and activism which can be compiled for transmission across the world through internet. Citizen journalists is another community of 35 people across India, a dedicated activist network bringing issues into the global foray.” As the interview comes to a close, Srikanth says, “The stories of people like Poulomi Basu, an activist working on women patrolling borders in India, is just one example of how rarely we know about these things eating into our society.” It is clear from the passion in his voice, that the radio station has only one dream — the dream of helping the next generation realise that there were always some incredible people who worked right at the heart of the nightmares our country was going through.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

focus

CRACKDOWN OF FAKE GREENS Due to increasing false claims by advertisers about product sustainability, the US Federal Trade Commission established updated Green Guides in 2012 against deceptive environmental marketing. The guidelines discourage the use of general and unsubstantiated terms such as "eco-friendly" and include strong guidelines for use of terms such as "biodegradable" and "recyclable."

ADVERTISING

Mantra of subtle blitzkrieg Advertisers are betting on innovative methods and increased focus on new media to sustain growth.

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

iving the lie to the general cry of sliding ad in media, the global trend shows a rebound in advertisement spending in 2012. Only, the traditional media like print, television, radio will have to share the cake with new subtle methods of ads like promotional material on blogs, product placement, and interactive advertising on social media, reports Worldwatch Institute. Global expenditures on advertising grew 3.3 percent in 2012 to $497.3 billion, a gradual rebound since the sudden 9.6 percent drop in 2009 as a result of the global economic downturn. Spending has responded to shifts in popular media with Internet advertising the fastestgrowing sector in 2012, now accounting for 18 per cent of the total, according to Worldwatch Institute's Vital Signs service. US advertising expenditures grew by 4.3 per cent in 2012 and are still nearly a third of the global total. The Asia Pacific region accounted for the fastest growth, however, with ad spending there increasing by 7.9 per cent in 2012 (excluding Japan, which grew by 3.1 per cent). Expenditures fell by 2.2 per cent in Western Europe, the only region to see a decline, largely due to the ongoing

Eurozone crisis. The growth in spending on Internet ads has been driven by the expansion of social media and online video advertising. Mobile and social media now account for more than half of all advertising revenue in the United States, for example, having increased by more than 30 per cent in both 2011 and 2012. "As consumers grow overexposed to advertising, traditional forms such as television commercials, print advertising, and billboards are becoming less effective," said Shakuntala Makhijani, the study's author. "As a result, advertisers are turning to more subtle techniques, such as promotional material on blogs, product placement, and interactive advertising on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. The distinction between advertising and media content is therefore increasingly blurred." The impacts of advertising and consumerism on all aspects of society and culture are well documented. Advertising targeted at children is particularly penetrating and influential, defining their identity as consumers from an early age and interfering with normal childhood development. Evidence has shown that children are experiencing increased physical, emotional, and social harm as a result of consumerism through advertising. US consumer advocates

Outlook for India Television: Projected to command half of the entertainment pie by 2015 as it is estimated to grow at a robust 14.5% cumulatively over the next five years, from an estimated `306.5 billion in 2010 to `602.5 billion by 2015. Film: Projected to grow at a CAGR of 9.3% over the next five years, reaching `136.5 billion in 2015 from the present `87.5 billion in 2010. Print media: Projected to grow by 9.6% over the period 2011-15, reaching Rs. 282 billion in 2015 from the present Rs. 178.7 billion in 2010. Radio: Projected to grow at a CAGR of 19.2% over 2011-15, reaching `26 billion in 2015 from `10.8 billion in 2010. Music: Projected to grow at a CAGR of 17.6% over 2011-15, reaching `21.4 billion in 2015 from `9.5 billion in 2010. Internet advertising: Projected to grow by 25.5% over the next five years and reach `24 billion in 2015 from `7.7 billion in 2010. PricewaterCoopers

continue to call for limits on the extent and influence of advertising, especially in environments such as health clinics and public spaces as well as advertising specifically targeted at children. In particular, advertising in public schools has gained force in recent years and has infiltrated nearly all aspects of student life. Advertisers have also focused more resources recently on "green" advertising aimed at attracting consumers with claims of improved environmental impact by tapping into growing public interest in sustainability and the environment. The number of new products marketed with environmental claims each year in the United States grew from around 100 in 2004 to over 1,500 in 2009. Due to increasing false claims by advertisers about product sustainability, the US Federal Trade Commission established updated Green Guides in 2012 that will allow the agency to take enforcement action against deceptive environmental marketing. The guidelines discourage the use of general and unsubstantiated terms such as "eco-friendly" and include strong guidelines for use of terms such as "biodegradable" and "recyclable." While regulatory controls on false advertising such as the Green Guides are a positive development, true sustainabili-

Highlights n Newspaper advertising has declined significantly, dropping from nearly a third of all expenditures in 2002 to less than a fifth in 2012. n The expansion of television's share of global advertising has levelled off after decades of growth: it rose from 36 per cent to 40 per cent of advertising expenditures between 2000 and 2012. n Global product placement expenditures are increasing rapidly, reaching $8.2 billion in 2012, with the United States accounting for more than half of the market worldwide. n Retail companies account for nearly one fifth of total advertising spending, followed closely by the automobile industry in the United States. n New media grows at 1518 per cent. ty will ultimately require less material consumption and therefore stronger overall limits on advertising to stem its global growth and increasing presence in everyday life. (Compiled by P K Surendran)

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

Business

American Airlines, US Airways merger approved A US bankruptcy court judge approved Wednesday the merger of American Airlines and US Airways, which will create the country’s largest airline, the two companies said. But the judge left undecided the $19.9 million payout planned for AMR chief executive Tom Horton.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

ROAD TO SUCCESS Industry leaders share what they perceive as crucial factors that go into making a successful business venture.

PRUDHVI RAJU K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

ften many doubt whether there is some mantra to be successful in business? Experts say that there is no single formula or formulae. However, there are definitely some valuable inputs that can help small businesses to get into next level says these experts. “Business should be different not just for the sake of it. It should be built on underlying value addition and innovation. This will make enterprises to stand out and gain competitive advantage,” says CK Ranganathan, chairman and MD, CavinKare, On importance of teams, he asserts, “Individuals or entrepreneurs should first build teams. Many times, we see the leaders are powerful and the teams around them are not. Team is crucial for implementing the idea. The environment and chemistry between team members in executing the idea is also play a key role for the growth of business. “How to build this effective team is another challenge for a small business. They should differentiate among the competitors to attract talent. For instance, businesses have to pay salary on time. Some of them don’t pay on time (end of the month) and postpone it to the first or second week of the following month undermining the value of the employee.” “Businesses can also pay 20 per cent more salary than the competitors. Even, if the employee wants to switch the company, he will not get a similar kind of pay package elsewhere. Growth of employee in terms of skills and knowledge need to be taken care in the process. These small changes can

EADS REFORMS

EADS shareholders approved sweeping reforms on Wednesday that weaken the inﬂuence of European governments and allow the aerospace giant to pursue its global ambitions unfettered. The extraordinary meeting in Amsterdam overwhelmingly adopted 15 proposed amendments in a major easing of state clout in the powerful group that also controls Airbus. They notably dissolved a complicated shareholders pact that gave EADS’s three founding states — France, Germany and Spain — veto rights on strategic decisions and rights to nominate board members. Germany in October used the right to block a plan to merge EADS with British defence company BAE Systems in a move that would have created a global defence and aerospace giant to rival Boeing. The amendments also allow shareholders German automaker Daimler and the French conglomerate Lagardere, to sell their stakes, with the volume of EADS shares that trade freely rising above 70 per cent from below 50 per cent in December. In the new ownership pact, national governments remain important shareholders, but their ability to inﬂuence company strategy decisions is more limited. Germany is to takeover the 12 per cent stake in EADS from Daimler, and France is to cut its holding to 12 per cent, with Spain at 4 per cent.

NUMEROLOGY

$500

Team building, incentives for employees, paying taxes and uncompromising ethics help to reap rich dividends. make big difference in attracting quality human resource and retain them,” he says. Busting the tax myth for business survival, he says, “Many small companies remain small because they don’t pay tax. There is an assumption that tax is a major component that takes away business profits and evading it is crucial for survival. On the contrary, a business can

grow only if they pay tax. For instance, let’s assume a business has `100 white money, it can get another `200 from the bank and re-invest `300 in the business and make `90 as profits. Even after paying interest of `30, the business can retain profits of `60. However, a business that tries to evade tax can only invest `100 and make a profit of `30.” Businesses can only turn into institutions by not cutting corners and being ethical in their values says Arun Ananth, CEO of Kasturi and Sons. Phanindra Sama, founder and CEO of Redbus, stresses that business can ignore corruption and still be successful. He recalls, “In the initial days of building Redbus, we thought of

bringing government bus operators on board and approached APSRTC and KSRTC. The managers expected bribes to take it further. “However, after discussion with our mentors, we thought of making our existing business strong rather than bringing these government bus operators on board. After six years, four government bus operators themselves approached and partnered with us to sell tickets on our platform without us spending a single penny in wooing them.” The story is based on question and answer session with panelists at CII Southern annual regional meeting and conference that recently held in the City.

GOLD `29,800 10g SILVER `54,300 1kg

24C

for

DOLLAR `54.37 POUND `82.30

is what Twitter is set to earn in ad revenue this year and is projected to make $1 billion next year.

CYPRUS BANKS OPEN Cyprus conﬁrmed banks would reopen on Thursday after a nearly two-week lockdown in the bailed-out country, but only under draconian capital controls unprecedented in the eurozone. Finance Minister Michalis Sarris issued a decree Wednesday for temporary limits on daily withdrawals to 300 euros to prevent the “collapse of credit institutions". Other measures include banning the cashing of cheques and ordering those travelling abroad not to take more than 1,000 euros out of the country. Five shipping containers reportedly ﬁlled with billions of euros were delivered to the central bank in Nicosia late Wednesday.

BSE NSE

18,615.26 88.04

5,619.10 22.50

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

nation

3 FOUND MURDERED AT BUS STAND

Three persons were found murdered at the bus stand in Karamadai, about 35 km from Coimbatore, today. All the bodies bore identical injuries inflicted by some sharp weapons on the face and throat, police said. Police suspect it to be the handiwork of a psychopath and investigations were on.

DIPLOMACY

‘NO THREAT TO UPA’

PM raises Brahmaputra issue in meeting with Xi

DURBAN: In the first-high level contact after the new Chinese leadership took over, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met President Xi Jinping and raised the issue of Beijing's proposal to construct three dams across the Brahmaputra river on its side. Singh called on President Xi, who took over as President earlier this month as part of decadal change of power structure in China, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit which the two leaders attended here. This is the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders at the highest level after the recent change in power structure in China. "Water was discussed," official sources said tersely after a 25-minute meeting late last night after the summit without getting into specifics. The Prime Minister is understood to have conveyed to President Xi concerns in India over the Chinese proposal to construct three dams across Brahmaputra. India has said the proposal would affect water flow to India while China says it was just runof-the mill project that would not hold water. The entire expanse of the bilateral relationship was dis-

Amid speculation that Samajwadi Party might withdraw support to the UPA, Union minister V Narayanasamy said the coalition enjoys absolute majority in Parliament and would remain in office for its full five-year term. SP and BSP had already given their letters of support to the UPA and the government has "therefore absolute majority to remain in office for its full five year term," he said. He also said DMK, at its executive committee meeting, declared it would not let communal parties to come to power.

NUMEROLOGY

airports will be developed in the next five years, according to Airport Authority of India plans.

MINOR RAPED cussed and the meeting was very positive, the sources said. All aspects of the relationship were discussed but the South China Sea issue was not not discussed, the sources said. Asked whether border and trade issues were discussed, the sources maintained that all aspects of bilateral relations

came up for discussion. The sources said during an informal discussion at the summit earlier in the day, President Xi told Singh that he was aware that the Prime Minister had good relations with his predecessor Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao and he would like to carry forward that.

At the meeting, the Prime Minister invited President Xi to visit India to which he said he accepted it and would make the visit at an appropriate time. Similarly, the President extended an invitation to Singh to visit China and he reciprocated it in a similar vein.

Naxals kill tribal youth

MUMBAI BLASTS VERDICT Not going for pardon, says emotional Sanjay

BSP leader's wife, son quizzed

MUMBAI: Actor Sanjay Dutt, who has been convicted under the Arms Act for his role in the 1993 Mumbai bombings, said Thursday that he would surrender when the time comes and would not be seeking pardon. Speaking out for the first time since the Supreme Court ruling last week, Sanjay appealed to the media for privacy and said: "...When I am not going for pardon, there is no debate." An emotional Sanjay, who broke down while addressing the media, said he had the highest respect for the court. "This a very, very tough time,"

NEWS BRIEFS GADCHIROLI: A tribal youth was allegedly axed to death outside his house in Laheri village by Naxalites on suspicion that he was a police informer, police said today. Police said suspected Maoist insurgents called out Bandu Durga Pungati, 27, outside his house last afternoon and attacked him with an axe before slitting his throat with a sharp-edged weapon. "Pungati was murdered as the ultras suspected that he was a police informer", police said, adding that a case was registered against unidentified persons.

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police Wednesday said they have detained eight people and questioned around 20 others in connection with the murder of billionaire realtor and BSP leader Deepak Bhardwaj. Those quizzed include his wife and younger son. Bhardwaj's wife was questioned because police wanted to know if she had a grudge against her husband since she was living separately in Dwarka with younger son Nitish for several months, a police officer close to the probe told IANS.

PTI

A daily wage labourer was arrested today on the charge of raping a 14-year-old girl in the district, police said. The man had allegedly lured the girl to an isolated place here and raped her on Monday night, police said. Acting on a complaint by the girl's parents, the 20-year-old man was arrested. He has been booked under various sections of IPC including 376 (rape).

PICK YOUR

@ he said. "Just let me be in peace till I go in." He said he would be completing his work commitments. He was accompanied at the press conference by his sister and Congress MP Priya Dutt. IANS

Across Stores

ities Twin C

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

World

‘BANE’ MAY PLEAD GUILTY TO AVOID DEATH

UN ARMS TREATY

‘Take it or leave it’ The 193 UN members pored over the last ‘take it or leave it’ draft ahead of a crunch decision Thursday on the first ever treaty to regulate the conventional arms trade. The president of the negotiating conference said he would not consider further amendments.

UNITED NATIONS: The 193 UN members pored over the last “take it or leave it” draft ahead of a crunch decision Thursday whether to agree the first ever treaty to regulate the conventional arms trade. The president of the negotiating conference, Australian diplomat Peter Woolcott, on Wednesday gave UN members the final draft hammered out in nine days of marathon talks. “I will not consider further amendments. It is take it or leave it," Woolcott told the conference as he presented the draft that is being given particularly close scrutiny by the major arms producing nations. It was not immediately clear whether any country would block the required consensus required to agree a treaty on Thursday or disassociate themselves from Woolcott’s proposed text. While diplomats expressed cautious optimism, if there is not an agreement by midnight Thursday, seven years of efforts to agree on the first treaty on weapons ranging from side pistols to combat aircraft and warships will collapse. Changes made since the start of the talks have made “significant improvements," said Britain’s chief negotiator Joanne Adamson. Adamson highlighted “a new article on preventing diversion of arms and (a) strengthened section on exports which are prohibited."

THE TOP GUNS n n n n n n

The United States Russia Germany France China Britain

It is not everything that we wanted, but it will be the first treaty on an industry that causes much suffering and there are benchmarks A UN ambassador

“It is not everything that we wanted, but it will be the first treaty on an industry that causes much suffering and there are benchmarks," said a European UN ambassador, speaking on condition of anonymity. The treaty calls for national checks on arms sales on the international market that some groups estimate at being worth $80 billion a year. The United States, Russia, Germany, France, China and Britain were the top six arms-

James Holmes, the suspected gunman in the horrific Aurora theatre massacre, could plead guilty in exchange for escaping the death penalty, lawyers said ahead of a crucial hearing next week. The 25year-old is due in court Monday for a hearing at which prosecutors are expected to say whether they will seek the death penalty for the mass shooting, which left 12 people dead in July.

‘TRY ME!’

Alaa Abdel Fattah, a prominent Egyptian dissident against the ruling Islamists, will stand trial for allegedly participating in a May attack on a presidential candidate’s headquarters. He was jailed during the previous regime of the Hosni Mubarak, said he had received a letter telling him he and 12 others, were to go on trial. He along with his sister and fellow dissident Mona Seif, has been accused over an attack on Ahmed Shaﬁq’s ofﬁces.

NUMEROLOGY

£2

THE GOALS n

The treaty calls for national checks on arms sales on the international market that some groups estimate at being worth $80 billion a year.

selling nations in 2012, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said on the day the treaty talks started. The treaty would aim to force countries to assess whether the sale of a weapon or component could be used for genocide, war crimes or by terrorists or organized crime gangs. Non-government lobbying groups and many countries are disappointed that ammunition is not subject to the full controls applied to weapons. But the

million

The life story of Malala Yousafzai, 15year Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban, will be published later this year, in a deal reported to be worth around £2m. I am Malala will be published in the autumn, the Guardian reported.

The treaty would aim to force countries to assess whether the sale of a weapon or component could be used for genocide, war crimes or by terrorists or organized crime gangs.

United States had made it clear it would not accept ammunition controls. China and Russia also had concerns about the reporting of arms sales and whether weapons given as part of cooperation accords would be included. The latest version of draft only encourages countries to make public efforts made to control arms sales. Any annual report on arms sales can be edited to keep confidentiality.

NEWS BRIEFS Judge in Sarkozy probe receives ‘bullet’ mail

Pope to stamp personal touch on Easter fete

Time running out for Italy leftist Bersani

Congo gets a week to act against ‘rape’ troops

BORDEAUX: The judge who charged former president Nicolas Sarkozy with taking ﬁnancial advantage of France’s richest woman has received a bullet and a death threat in the post, say lawyers. Jean-Michel Gentil, the most prominent of three judges investigating the case, received the threatening letter with blank cartridges on Wednesday.

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis will stamp his personal touch on Easter celebrations starting by washing the feet of young prisoners on Thursday as he stresses the importance of reaching out to those in need. The Holy Thursday mass will kick off symbolic ceremonies which commemorate Jesus Christ’s cruciﬁxion and resurrection.

ROME: Time was running out for Italy’s leftist leader Pier Luigi Bersani on Thursday as he wound up days of bitter talks with rival parties aimed at mustering the necessary support to form a government. The former Communist will report to members of his Democratic Party (PD) after intense political consultations.

UNITED NATIONS: The UN gave Democratic Republic of Congo a ﬁnal one week deadline to take action against two army battalions accused of carrying out at least 126 rapes. Peacekeeping chief Herve Lasous delivered the ultimatum at a meeting with DR Congo Foreign Minister Raymond Tshibanda on Wednesday.

LOOK WHO CHECKED IN A sea lion pup startled guests after waddling from a California beach into a nearby luxury hotel, where it pitched up at the patio bar. Shane Pappas, manager of the Pantai Inn in La Jolla, said he was alerted when staff found the malnourished animal. “I got an email saying that we had a sea lion pup lounging on our patio," he said. He checked surveillance cameras, “and sure enough she waddled her way up to the patio," Pappas said, speaking after experts from San Diego’s nearby SeaWorld park came to rescue the 27.5-pound female creature.

Today’s main focus is to reduce violence. Today we will focus on building mutual trust and good relations. Paradorn Pattanatabut Thai National Security Council chief. Thailand is to talk with a rebel group from its insurgency-wracked south Thursday as a blast claimed 3 lives

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

Technology

2 3

ELEVATORS

THE DEEPEST ELEVATOR

THE MPONENG GOLD MINE ELEVATOR, SOUTH AFRICA n n n

THE LARGEST ELEVATOR

THE UMEDA HANKYU BUILDING ELEVATORS, JAPAN n n n

Building contains five 105m2 elevators Each can carry 80 passengers Each can carry a maximum load of 5 tons The building contains a total of 25 mitsubishi elevators

Extends 3,037m underground 4,000 workers carried to and from the mine daily 3-story elevator cages carry up to 120 miners

THE BUSIEST ELEVATORS

LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT n n n

It’s all pirated

The world's busiest origin and destination airport Served 61.8 million passengers in 2011 Otis installed 40 energy efficient elevators to cater for the 30 airlines operating at the terminal

FAST AND THE

CURIOUS Elevators are something we don't pay enough attention to always, but there are some that demand attention from you. Here are some.

5 1

TALLEST OUTDOOR ELEVATOR

THE BAILONG ELEVATOR IN CHINA n n n

The world's highest outdoor lift Carries passengers 1,070ft in 60 seconds Cost an estimated £12m to build

THE HIGHEST & FASTEST ELEVATOR THE BURJ DUBAI THE WORLD'S TALLEST MANMADE STRUCTURE n n n n

The highest elevator rise (504 metre) World's fastest elevator (64 km/h) Building with the most floors (163) World's highest nightclub (144th floor)

A recent white paper released by the International Data Corporation on behalf of Microsoft revealed that roughly 33 per cent of all software is counterfeit. The paper further highlights the fact that issues related to counterfeit software like identity theft, repair and data recovery cost $22 billion worldwide. Enterprises dealing with counterfeit software are projected to spend $114 billion this year and if that weren’t enough, consumers will waste 1.5 billion hours fooling with it. One of the main concerns with counterfeit software is that a large portion of it – 78 per cent to be exact – contains some type of malware.

Made in USA

Google will manufacture Project Glass, its futuristic digital eyewear, in Silicon Valley, in a high-proﬁle example of the return of electronics manufacturing to the US. Google is working with Hon Hai Precision Industry, the Taiwanese contract manufacturer better known as Foxconn, to assemble the sci-ﬁ headset at a facility in Santa Clara, California, according to people familiar with the company’s plans. The decision to manufacture in California will boost President Barack Obama’s drive to ensure “the next revolution in manufacturing is ‘Made in America’”.

Phew that’s fast!

Researchers at the University of Southampton have produced optical fibers that can transfer data at 99.7 per cent of the universe’s speed limit: The speed of light. The researchers have used these new optical fibers to transfer data at 73.7 terabits per second — roughly 10 terabytes per second, and some 1,000 times faster than today’s state-of-theart 40-gigabit fiber optic links, and at much lower latency. The speed of light in a vacuum is 299,792,458 meters per second, or 186,282 miles per second. In any other medium, though, it’s generally a lot slower. In normal optical fibers (silica glass), light travels a full 31 per cent slower.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

Comment If a little dreaming is dangerous, the cure for it is not to dream less but to dream more, to dream all the time.

ZZZZZ.....

age and filing breaking news on Twitter and Facebook, Myanmar's long-muzzled reporters are gearing up for another revolution — daily newspapers. New freedoms have swept through Myanmar's press since a reformist regime took power two years ago, but archaic rules meant private titles could only publish once a week. That is set to change from April 1, when 16 weekly news journals will be allowed to become dailies. "People are really excited about having daily newspapers. But I'm worried whether their hopes will be met 100 percent when the papers are in the market," said Nyein Nyein Naing, editor of 7Day News, one of Myanmar's most popular journals. Each morning an array of readers, from civil servants to rickshaw drivers, gather at streetside news stands to devour the newly uncensored news cull-ed from the various weeklies. It is a novel experience for a population hungry for information after decades of rule by a repressive junta that neutered the country's media. "I think when daily papers come out, they will be more capable to lead and educate the people," lawyer Htay Win told AFP in a teashop in a bustling suburb of the largest city Yangon. News reporting in Myanmar is already a far cry from during the junta era, when sensitive news was often delivered through whispered rumour. In November 2010, when Aung San Suu Kyi was freed from house arrest following controversial elections, sales of the First Eleven Sports Journal were halted by the authorities for two weeks because a message about her release was embedded in a frontpage football headline. AFP

Sleep deprived math derivatives BUT... SERIOUSLY

Marcel Proust French novelist

Myanmar media to write history fter embracing the Internet

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS For every rise there’s a fall: for every crest there’s a trough. This not only applies to sport, but life in general. Ask the Aussies. Once how they lorded over every other team that played cricket and look at them now: in squabbles and a mere shadow of what they were.

Ajay Hotchandani

’m on vacation! When on vacation it is written in the Geneva Convention that the person on vacation is entitled to at least eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. So why the hell is it that I am being woken up at the ungodly hour of 6.30 am? I’ll tell you why, ‘cause I’m a doctor and somewhere in the Geneva Convention law about “Persons on Vacation” there was a footnote that excluded doctors from the ‘uninterrupted sleep’ clause. If you have never experienced what it feels like to be on call as a doctor, let me give you a scenario to try. Print out two pages of complex mathematical problems. Go to bed at 1am and set your alarm for 3am (that’s right, two hours of sleep). When your alarm goes off, quickly wake up and start solving those math problems. Oh, you have 15 minutes to solve those problems and if you get one wrong the patient could die! So I went to bed last night at about 1am as I was preoccupied reading medical journals ( I was actually watching ‘Two and a Half Men’ ). In deep sleep I hear the message tone on my phone go off. I check to find a message

from my sister stating she and her husband are sick. I could barely keep my eyes open, worse yet try to write a coherent medical message. I attempted to ask the appropriate questions over text, but thanks to my blurry vision and auto-correct , the message they got was, “My goat ran for mayor.” After struggling

for couple of minutes I decided to call them via FaceTime. The online consultation lasted about 30 minutes, but felt much longer than that. It felt like 40 minutes. After that was done I tried to get back to sleep but my phone buzzed again. This time I got a spam email asking me if I was interested in Viagra. I could

barely keep my eyes open, I really don’t think I have the energy to deal with Viagra or its effects right now. Realizing it was futile to try to get back to bed, I went to get a cup of coffee. Usually I drink coffee at work and have become accustomed to one brand of coffee. Since being home I have had to drink a different brand and the only time I remember that I need to purchase the one I like is when I’m making my coffee. Phone rings: “Hey cous, what’s up?” my cousins asks. Since I hadn’t taken the Viagra there was one thing that wasn’t up. Turns out his kid was on the verge of having an asthma attack and he wanted to know what medication to give him. Now you see what I mean by waking up to do math problems. There are very few professions where people have no respect for your sleep. Police, firefighters and pole dancers are amongst the few who get called in at all hours to attend to an emergency. Then there are other professions like bankers, fortune tellers and chefs who get to sleep peaceful at night, as their rights are covered by the Geneva Convention. My sister is an accountant, I swear one day I’m going to call her up at 3am and ask her to balance my check book or conduct a forensic audit.

EDITORIALS Feel the cold? Tiger’s a sport

t’s spring time in Europe. Well, it ought to be. But it is still winter. People there fear that they are being punished. Even in these times of advanced science, nobody can be blamed for falling for such thoughts of karma. It is karma indeed that has caused four consecutive winters that froze life in those parts… karma that is giving it back to us for our hand in causing and exacerbating global warming. It won’t be long before the expression “feel the heat” changes to “feel the cold” in Europe. If it is life-freezing winters there, in Asia and Australia it is the opposite. Wildfires played havoc Down Under, threatening to wipe out huge tracts of life, human and vegetation and experts have warned that such conditions could be the norm in the years to follow. In God’s own country (we must find out the chap who coined it: he must come up with another moniker that’s becoming of the Kerala now, for various reasons), people are ravaged by the blazing sun and the constant chant on their lips is, “When will it rain?” Rivers that flowed with pomp even in summers look emaciated and emasculated, because rains don’t keep their date. And what are we doing? Nothing.

READERS’ VIEWS

he ladies may not like it. They will in all likelihood disagree, but whatever Tiger Woods may or may not be, he is deﬁnitely a sport. When Rory McIlroy texted him to congratulate him on his becoming the World No 1 again, that too usurping him, this was Tiger’s reply: "Get your ﬁnger out and win this week" at Houston Open. He may have played games, but let there be no doubt about his gamesmanship.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

tELEVISION

HAPPY ENDING CAST IN HIMYM

Casey Wilson (Penny!) and Key and Peele's Keegan-Michael Key will appear in the last episode of HIMYM's eighth season, airing in one month.

CHILL DOWN YOUR SPINE

BREAKING BAD

LAKESIDE VIEW Even as Top of the Lake is dark and disturbing, the seven-part mini-series is a strangely compelling drama that sucks you in despite your best efforts.

PADMINI C padmini.c@postnoon.com

ot just another police procedural: If you've liked The Killing, you're going to dig this. Detective Robin Griffin (Elizabeth Moss) has returned home to visit her dying mother when she is called in to investigate the disappearance of Tui Mittcham (Jaqueline Joe), the pregnant 12-year-old daughter of local drug lord Tsui Mittcham (Peter Mullan). Time is running out and there are few clues. All the men in her family, and the community as a whole, are suspects. Though it's hard to say at this point, how the story will pan out, the show is tightly strung and is thick with suspense. Performances: Having shown her worth as a woman who learns how to hold her

Elizabeth Moss reinvents Peggy from Mad Men to take over as detective Robin, who's the lone female champion in a testosterone-fuelled arena. own in a man's world, Elizabeth Moss reinvents Peggy from Mad Men to take over as detective Robin, who's the lone female champion in a testosterone-fuelled arena. Haunted by her demons, but unwilling to back down, pursuing Tui but running away from her mother's illness; Moss makes it easy for us to buy into Robin as a fascinating enigma. Supporting her in the role of Sergeant detective Al Parker is David Wenham (Faramir!) who bats in a solid Jane Campion who gave us The

Piano and most recently Bright Star, sets the pace perfectly and has us eating out of her hands. The Setting: With long sweeping shots of lush golden woods, vast obsidian lakes, sprawling meadows and forested mountains, the rural countryside in New Zealand serves as the backdrop for Campion's series and it's breathtaking despite the ominous overtones and the sinister shadows. Hinting at the symbolic significance of the landscape, the lead character Mittcham explains, “ This land has great history. Adam and Eve... Garden of Eden... Coming of the serpent. It's Paradise.” The Subtext: Family, community, culture, misogyny, sexism, violence, abuse... we can go on. If you didn't guess it already, Top of the Lake is depressingly serious. Not just in its subject but also its treat-

ment. The dialogue is tense, the atmosphere is almost always intense, the characters barely ever crack a smile leaving the audience edgy. But if you are willing to live with that, the themes are cerebral. The end is near: The show's in parts, slow and dreary and sometimes outrightly bizarre. There'll be sudden cues into the lives of strange women who are chimp lovers and sex addicts meditating in containers. But's let's admit it. After living through eight and half seasons of listening to a dad talk to his children about he met their mother, the idea of a suspense being revealed in one season, seven parts, to be precise cannot be appreciated enough. So bottom line? Even as it is dark and disturbing, Top of the Lake is a strangely compelling drama that sucks you in despite your best efforts.

Script stolen The script of Breaking Bad final season was stolen from star Bryan Cranston's car. Cranston called police in Albuquerque, N.M., where the show films, on March 1 to report that someone had broken into his car and stolen several items, including an iPad and a script from the AMC series. Cranston and his castmates are filming the show's final episodes, which are set to air in the summer. A man named Xavier McAfee was arrested over the weekend and charged with the theft, although the script hasn't been recovered.

DID YOU KNOW...

Friends

stars Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow will reunite on Web Therapy. Matt will play the role of an online gambling addict who is counselled by Fiona Wallice (Kudrow), reports Entertainment Weekly. Additional guest stars for Web Therapy's new season include Sara Gilbert, Alan Cumming, Meg Ryan, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Megan Mullally.

TRENDING...

Keith Urban has vowed never to "humiliate" American Idol contestants. The singer continued: "We're artistes talking to a young artiste on camera in front of millions of people, trying to give constructive criticism in a way that doesn't humiliate them.” Nicki Minaj said last month that it was her responsibility to be tough on contestants.

Lindsay Lohan was well-prepared and "incredibly nice" while shooting her Anger Management guest appearance, according to a source. The Liz & Dick star booked the role in February, for an episode where she will play herself as one of Dr Charlie Goodson's (Charlie Sheen) patients.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

spotlight

KARAOKE TIME

It's a day not just for the pretty ladies but also for the bold voices! It's karaoke time so get ready to enjoy a peppy night with KJ Anand at 10 Downing Street.

LET’S PLAY HOLI

18 N SHIVA KUMAR

RANGEELA RE!

Taj Deccan on Wednesday was awash with people as they gathered to celebrate the festival of colours. There was laughter, colours and a whole lot of fun as people let their guard down and enjoyed smearing colour on family and friends. N SHIVA KUMAR

S BALAKRISHNA

CAMP OF COLOURS Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy celebrated Holi at the camp ofﬁce on Wednesday. Also seen enjoying the festival were MLAs Danam Nagender and Sudheer Reddy and the ex Mayor B Karthik Reddy.

MUSICAL NIGHT

The audio launch of Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde was held at Taj Banjara on Wednesday. The cast of the movie was present at the do.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

health

CONTRACEPTIVE PILLS KILL 20 IN FRANCE The use of contraceptive pills cause some 2,500 accidents and 20 deaths every year in France. This is the finding of the National Agency for the Safety of Drugs and Health Products (ANSM), reports Xinhua. Contraceptive pills are tied to blood clots, and 1,751 accidents.

ENERGY DRINKS

DON’T DRINK THAT! RANJANI RAJENDRA

ranjani.r@postnoon.com

ccording to a report in the Chicago Tribune, a doctor sees a large number of young patients rushing into his emergency room, convinced that they are going to die. They usually present with symptoms like palpitations, tremors, shortness of breath and anxiety — things you would normally associate with an elderly patient. But do you know the reason why this happens? Energy drinks. In almost all of these cases, Dr David Zich found that the youngsters had glugged down more than a couple of cans of energy drinks. Not surprisingly, the consumption of such highly concentrated stimulants does result in such symptoms. According to a report published in medicaldaily.com, which quoted a research presented by the reputed American Heart Association, energy drinks’ side effects can include a disturbed heart rhythm and higher blood pressure. The website goes on to say that the link between energy drink consumption and heart irregularities is well established — a teenage girl died of cardiac arrest after drinking an energy drink last year, and the FDA linked a

particular energy drink to 13 deaths since 2008, mostly from heart attacks. More than 20,000 people were taken to emergency rooms for problems related to energy drinks’ side effects. According to Dr Holly Benjamin, a paediatric sports medicine specialist quoted in the Chicago Tribune, “Energy drinks have no place in the diet of children or adolescents.” The main reason energy drinks are tied to the risk of heart ailment and anxiety is because it contains two stimulants in concentrated measures to give you that burst of energy — sugar and caffeine. A typical energy drink contains at least 80 mg of caffeine, which is equivalent to one cup of coffee. While one can of the energy drink might not do one much harm, imagine the lethal effects if someone drinks more than a couple of cans, which according to experts is what most people do these days. Caffeiene boosts heart rate and blood pressure. Butwhat caffeine also does is cause the heart to release calcium, which may affect the heart beat. Excessive consumption of these drinks may also disrupt the normal balance of fluids and salts in the body. So the next time you reach out for one, do stop to think what you’re putting your heart through.

ANEWS PP-LYBRIEFS YOURSELF

Latest studies suggest that energy drinks could be doing much more than just making you feel re-energised. They could send your blood pressure soaring and even result in cardiac arrests. So do you still want to drain that can?

HOUSECALL

myCigna

Onychomycosis

The all-new myCigna Mobile app gives you a simple way to personalise, organise and access your important health information on the go. Dependents can now search for a doctor, dentist, pharmacy or health care facility from Cigna’s national network and compare quality-of-care ratings.

Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the ﬁnger or toenail. There are number of different types of fungal infection that can cause this problem. Our nails help us to manipulate objects, aid our sense of touch and protect the tissues at the end of our ﬁngers and toes. Onychomycosis alters the look of nails, making them very unsightly, and requires treatment. A thickened nail may limit usual activities.

DID YOU KNOW? Our body is capable of producing aspirin Findings from the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry indicate that study participants who received benzoic acid, a natural substance in fruits and vegetables, could make their own salicylic acid, the key component that gives aspirin its anti-inﬂammatory and pain-relieving properties.

PIONEERS Victor Chang Victor Peter Chang was a Chinese Australian cardiac surgeon and a pioneer of modern heart transplantation. He trained in England and the United States as a surgeon before returning to Australia. In St Vincent’s Hospital, he helped establish the National Cardiac Transplant Unit, the country’s leading centre for heart and lung transplants. He pioneered the development of an artiﬁcial heart valve.

health THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

BREAKTHROUGH

REPORT

Scientists pinpoint gene coding errors for cancer Researchers said the work should, in the future, help doctors calculate an individual’s cancer risk long before any symptoms emerge. PARIS: The biggest-ever trawl of the human genome for cancer-causing DNA errors has netted more than 80 tiny mutations, a finding that could help people at high risk, researchers said Wednesday. The results, which double the number of known genetic alterations linked to breast, ovarian and prostate cancer, were unveiled in a dozen scientific papers published in journals in Europe and the United States. The three hormone-related cancers are diagnosed in over 2.5 million people every year and kill one in three patients, said a Nature press statement. Teams from more than 100 research institutes in Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States said the work should in the future help doctors to calculate an individual’s cancer risk long before any symptoms emerge. People with high-susceptibility mutations could be counselled against lifestyle choices that further increase their risk, given regular screening and drug treatment, or even preventative surgery. “We have examined 200,000 areas of the genome in 250,000 individuals. There is no (other) study of cancer of this size," Per Hall, coordinator of the Collaborative Oncological Gene-environment Study (COGS), told AFP of the research. The studies compared the DNA of more than 100,000 patients with breast, ovarian and prostate cancer to that of an equal number of healthy individuals. Most were of European ancestry.

DNA, the blueprint for life, comprises four basic chemicals called A (adenine) C (cytosine), T (thymine) and G (guanine) strung together in different combinations along a double helix. Researchers noted where the A, C, T, G combinations of cancer patients differed significantly from those of healthy people. They were looking for a tiny “spelling mistake” in the code, called a single nucleotide polymorphism or SNP that can cause problems in gene function. For breast cancer, the researchers found 49 SNPs, “which is more than double the number previously found", said Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet, which took part in the giant

study. “In the case of prostate cancer, researchers have discovered another 26 deviations, which means that a total number of 78 SNPs may be linked to the disease." For ovarian cancer, eight new SNPs were found. Everyone has inherited alterations in their DNA, but whether these mutations are dangerous or not is determined by where on the code they lie. And carrying a mutation does not necessarily mean a person will develop cancer, a disease that may have multiple causes. The researchers said further study is needed to allow scientists to translate these DNA tell-

tales into tests for predicting cancer risk. A more distant goal is using the knowledge for better treatments. “Since there are many other factors that influence the risk of these cancers (mainly lifestyle factors), future tests have to take more risk factors than just genes into consideration," said Hall. “It will take a couple of years before we have the necessary models enabling us, with high accuracy, to predict the individual risk of these cancers." The findings were published in Nature Genetics and Nature Communications, PLOS Genetics, the American Journal of Human Genetics and Human Molecular Genetics. AFP

DISEASE

UAE man dies from novel disease

GENEVA: A 73-year-old man from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has died in Germany from infection of a novel disease coronavirus, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. WHO said in its latest disease outbreak update that the man was transferred from a hos-

pital in Abu Dhabi to Munich March 19. Germany’s Robert Koch Institute informed WHO of the new confirmed case. WHO also said that the British patient in the family cluster reported on February 11 with travel history to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia prior to his illness

has died. To date, WHO has been informed of a global total of 17 confirmed cases of human infection with the novel coronavirus, including 11 deaths. WHO continued to encourage all member states to continue their surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections and

to carefully review any unusual patterns. It said it was currently working with international experts and countries where cases have been reported to assess the situation and review recommendations for surveillance and monitoring. IANS

Number of US cancer survivors is on the rise WASHINGTON: The number of Americans who have survived cancer is on the rise and is expected to reach 18 million people in the next decade, according to a report released Wednesday. That would be a 30 per cent increase over the latest figures in January 2012, which showed 13.7 million people in the United States had survived some form of cancer, according to the American Association for Cancer Research. The forecasted increase is mainly due to the aging population, with two thirds of cancer survivors expected to be 65 or older by 2020, said the study. “How to ensure that these patients lead not only long lives, but healthy and productive lives, will be a vital challenge to all of us," said Julia Rowland, director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship at the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health. The AACR’s report shows that women with breast cancer account for 22 per cent of survivors, while men with prostate cancer make up 20 per cent. However, those with lung cancer make up a slim three percent of all US survivors. “For patients with prostate cancer, we have a nearly 100 percent five-year survival rate, and breast cancer has made tremendous strides as well, with fiveyear survival rising from 75 percent in 1975 to almost 89 percent in 2012," said Rowland. A report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released in January showed that fewer people were dying from cancer in the United States, continuing a trend that began in the early 1990s. Cancer kills more than 1,500 people a day in the United States — a total of 301,820 men and 275,370 women in 2012, according to the latest estimates by the American Cancer Society. AFP

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

Entertainment BACK IN ACTION

CINE BYTES

enkatesh is slowly moving into a new zone in his career. He is no longer the actor we saw a decade ago. Although he has been choosy about the kind of films he takes up from time to time, he confesses that he’s quite impulsive. “I am very impulsive when it comes to deciding what films to do. I don’t think much about the director’s track record and I am not the kind of person who thinks much about the past or future either. I believe in living in the present,” he says. His upcoming film Shadow will mark his return to an action-packed role after a long time. Ask him what impressed him so much about the film, he says, “When Meher Ramesh approached me, I could see his sincerity and conviction in trying to present me in a different avatar and I had been wanting to do a mass action film for quite sometime. Luckily, we found a good team and the project kickstarted within no time. No matter how much I plan about the kind of films I aspire to do, few things happen in no time. Besides, there’s no point thinking too much about things which aren’t permanent. Hits and flops are a part of a film industry, but what’s more important is commitment and discipline towards your job.” Talking about Shadow, he clarifies that he isn’t playing a don’s role contrary to the rumours which have been doing rounds for quite sometime. “Shadow is a revenge drama with plenty of action, sentiment and comedy. After a long time, I have done some risky stunts in this film and we are all quite happy with the output. More importantly, I believe people have liked my look in this film and the feedback I have got so far is quite encouraging. Thaman’s music is an added advantage and among the songs, I liked the way the title track and Naughty Girl were shot,” Venkatesh said. Taapsee is his co-star in the film and Srikanth has done an important role. The film is likely to hit the screens on April 11.

GJG’s audio launched

he audio of Gunde Jaari Gallanthayindhe starring Nithin, Nithya Menen and Isha Talwar was launched in style, last night in Hyderabad. Vijay Kumar has directed the ﬁlm and Anup Rubens has scored the music. The ﬁlm’s shooting is nearly complete and it’s all set to hit the screens on April 19.

Disha gets busy

isha Pandey, who was last seen in Race, has bagged two more films in Telugu. She’s paired opposite Prince in an untitled film to be directed by Suresh P Kumar. Sethu and Richa Panai are the other lead actors in this film. “I am also in talks for another film in Telugu, apart from a Hindi film," Disha reveals.

Trisha signs a new endorsement deal

I’m very impulsive about films:

VENKATESH

fter endorsing products like Colgate, Vivel, Fanta and Fairever, Trisha is all set to endorse an American ice-cream brand which will soon enter the Indian market. “Happy 2 announce Ill b d brand ambassador fr my most fav ice cream brand. Soon 2 b launched in India..Will kip u posted. til ten Ssshhhhhhh (sic),” Trisha posted on Twitter.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

fashion

A RAY OF HOPE FOR TEXTILE INDUSTRY

A GREAT STYLE FILE

Shazahn Padamsee in a n Archana Kochha creation

Payal Singhal creation Debarun Mukherjee creation

Regulars in the Indian fashion scene would not be strangers to the high level of innovative and enduringly thoughtful additions, season after season at LakmĂŠ Fashion Week.

A Ssuhani Pittie creation

A Farha and Firdos creation

A Ssuhani Pittie creation

NATIONAL TEXTILE Corporation Limited signed an MoU with Ministry of Textiles, Government of India on March 18. Zohra Chatterji, IAS, Secretary - Ministry of Textiles and K Ramachandran Pillai, Chairman cum Managing Director, National Textile Corporation Limited, signed the Memorandum of Understanding between Ministry of Textiles and NTC Limited.

Ayushmann Khurana in a Vikram Phadnis creation

Shantanu & Nikhil creation

turies gone by. Suhani’s jewellery revealed a spiritual and soul searching aspect, which had an arresting impact on the ramp. The highlights of the fashion week included master couturier Tarun Tahiliani, who showcased his collection that boasted of designer weaves in tribal and jungle influences with authentic chikankari and kantha embroidery. International Designer Naeem Khan debuted his collection in India at LFW which included custom-made pieces of luxury fashion, especially for this fashion fest. Namrata Joshipura was the Grand Finale designer at LFW Summer/Resort this year, reiterating Lakmé Fashion Week’s pledge to provide a platform for India’s finest talent. The show marked Joshipura’s first-ever showcase at LFW. Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor looked her best as she walked the ramp for designer Namrata Joshipura on Tuesday during the grand finale. The actress looked spectacular in an orangish-pink shirt and long blingy palazzos with a pink semi formal jacket. The show followed a theme of ‘Pop tints’ which are a range of lip and nail paints by Lakme. LFW also showcased designs by Manish Malhotra, Vikram Phadnis, Swapnil Shinde, Rocky S, Arjun Khanna, Shantanu and Nikhil among others.

Neha Dhupia

Shantanu & Nikhil design

Aditi Rao in a Payal Singhal design

AKMÉ FASHION WEEK is organised twice every year. LFW Summer/Resort 2013 was held from March 22 to March 26 at Grand Hyatt Hotel, Mumbai. The first day of LFW Summer/ Resort 2013 saw designers like Amalraj Sengupta, Debarun Mukherjee, Suhani Pittie, Anupama Dayal and Arpan Vohra showcase their collections. “Lights, Camera, Fashion,” announced Arpan Vohra and the ramp came alive with a visual spectacle of colours as seen through the spectrum of lights. Visions in pink, white, black, beige and dull metallic gold glided down under the arc lights. The wonderful fashion era of the ‘60s was recreated as lace and gold were designed into corset style silhouettes for dresses and jumpsuits. Amalraj launched his hand stitched bespoke line called Tailor with a collection called The Tribe. A great fashion collection for stylish men and women. Debarun declared his collection essentially as Be You . He presented his unique collection for men and women. Bringing in a melangé of summer hues onto the ramp, Debarun let his creativity loose by selecting kora cotton and viscose woven striped fabrics and then added tribal inspired block prints. Suhani Pittie meanwhile brought earthy glamour to her jewellery line at LFW. Her collection called Dances with the Earth revealed raw ancient beauty that celebrated the particular form of paganism seen amongst tribes of cen-

22&23 Bipasha Basu in a Shantanu & Nikhil design

BIPASHA LAUNCHES TOMMY HILFIGER’S SPRING SUMMER COLLECTION

TOMMY HILFIGER recently launched their Spring Summer 2013 collection with Bipasha Basu at their store in Bangalore. The Spring/Summer collection for 2013 - the Prep Passport is inspired by a whirlwind world tour. The collection returns home with three distinct adventures to share. Each one is unique but all of them celebrate the beauty of clean lines, riotous colour, rich textures and special finishes.

Entertainment THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

Chai Time

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness. Dalai Lama

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 Inflatable floatable 5 Rose oil 10 Wood-carver’s tool 14 Emerald Isle 15 Put off, at a meeting 16 Lecherous look 17 Wedding party member 19 Ruler in Rimsky-Korsakov operas 20 IOU component 21 “In the headlights” animal 22 Messages via modem 24 Author Fleming 25 Collect-all-the-cards game 26 Small finch 28 “Tattooed lady” of song 30 Got up from one’s chair 32 Possessive for sharers 33 Stage attire for Madonna 35 ___ it good (is well-off) 36 Having many irons in the fire 37 They have no height requirement 40 Boss Hogg’s deputy 42 Bug killer banned by the EPA 43 Word often repeated before “again” 44 Piglet’s mom 45 Sneaker bottom 47 English test segment, perhaps 51 It’s closed by the epiglottis 53 Cockpit approx. 55 Santa ___, Calif. 56 Gets outta Dodge 57 Grad 58 Rocky crag 59 Civil rights hero Parks 60 Like some refrigerators and freezers 63 Varieties or types 64 Thrill to death 65 They could use some refinement 66 “___ From Muskogee” (Merle Haggard tune)

67 Wabbit hunter 68 Bird’s digs

DOWN

1 Heat again, as water 2 Ventilation shaft 3 Crony 4 Williams, the “Splendid Splinter” 5 Serving on a sub, say 6 Lion handlers, in a circus 7 Ski lift component 8 Baba of folklore 9 Add more silt to banks 10 It may have a cross to bear 11 Wanting (with “of”) 12 Gung ho 13 Goof up 18 Kingly name, in Britain 23 Ready to be committed 26 Fly high 27 Humorously ironic 29 Egret relative 31 Eighth Greek letter 34 Letter opener 36 Ottoman Empire dignitaries 37 Stanley in “A Streetcar Named Desire” 38 Brainstorm 39 Extremely attractive 40 Founded (Abbr.) 41 Virginia port city 45 Common article 46 Get rid of, electronically 48 Biting writing 49 Positive electrodes 50 Most dexterous 52 Put a stop to 54 Potato, for one 57 First man 59 “City the sea-o” 61 Down with a bug 62 Boy child

Chai Time THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 29-3-2013

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

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

There are possibilities of a deficit financial situation but you will manage it well. Chances of a sudden financial fortune. You will not go against the truth. Parents’ health may be a cause for concern, take care.

STRIP TEASE AGNES

Favorable verdict is on the cards in court case. Politicians will be in limeligh. As money inflow is looking good, you will be financially comfortable. Major portion your long pending debts will get cleared which make you feel relaxed.

Your influence graph is set raise steadily. You will get introduction of top industrialists. Unexpected financial opportunity is likely. You will focus in solving the debt issues and achieve success too.

Your self-confidence level and courage will be at their highest levels which will make you to proceed with a determination in all the works undertaken. Worries and expenses are likely to make you upset. Be alert and active and get rid of them.

Financially a strong position is likely. VIPs friendship with you will bring good luck and help in solving the critical issues. You are that kind of a person who will never repent a decision but continue to stick to it. Once committed you will stand by it.

You will handle the issues well and earn praise from all. You will feel relieved as money from all the expected sources will come by. Your stock in the society is set to pile up. Fulfill wishes of your children and keep them cheerful.

Renovation of your house will go well without any hurdles. Ancestral property is likely to be received earlier than expected. You will understand very well the intentions of people surrounding you and act accordingly.

Your opinions will be well received and you will gain upper hand in all the issues. Held up house construction will resume and progress well. You will receive bouquets for solving issues by finding their root cause and stop them.

Government works will end favorably and faster. Support likely from your close friends and well wishers. You will face problems with confidence and solve them. You will help those in trouble and share their difficulties.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail. com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

Three of Pentacles – Take up a training course or learn a new skill. You may feel it’s not required right now. Tomorrow, you never know.

LEO:

Queen of Pentacles – You have a spiritual approach to all things material. However dichotomous this may sound, it’s true and it’s putting you in a bit of quandary.

LIBRA:

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

Six of Pentacles – A senior person in your office will help get you a better deal at the work place. A recent hike or promotion may be.

SAGITTARIUS:

King of Cups – Don’t get emotional about a person or situation or begin to blame yourself if something’s not working. Not everything can be under control.

TAURUS:

Six of Cups – Get your college buddies together for a game of Scrabble of Pictionary. Re-live the old days and take comfort those good memories.

CANCER:

Queen of Swords – You may be feeling a little lonely, especially if those around you are moving on, on the relationship front. Get into the game, or stay out.

VIRGO:

Eight of Cups – You’re working very hard on a project without knowing where it’s headed or what the outcome will be. Keep working and keep the faith.

SCORPIO:

Queen of Cups – You wear your heart on your sleeve and that may be a problem if you’re in a job that involves managing people. Not everyone wants the truth.

CAPRICORN:

Ten of Cups – Despite wanting a breather, one job after another demands attention. Housewives have a rough time catching up with all the cleaning.

PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

Six of Wands – Finances are looking great. An investment is giving returns now and you feel more confident than ever about your decisions.

NUMBER GAME

Swords – You’re settling down in a relationship and everything’s going as perexpectation. You’re very comfortable with your partner. Take it slow.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: Four of

POOCH CAFE

Blood relatives will help and support you. Minor misunderstanding is likely with family members. Your new and innovative plans will be implemented well and yield desired results. Financial position is above satisfactory.

for 29-3-2013

Ten of Swords – Don’t heed to advice unless you trust this person completely. He/she may be meaning well for you. But your decisions are your own.

NON SEQUITUR

Housing plan will get approval and work will start soon and progress well. Your swift actions will take you forward. Those who were criticising and opposed to you will keep quiet now. Success in all the works is your ultimate achievement.

SUDUKO

A cheerful atmosphere will prevail at home. Friendship circle will expand and you will benefit. You will gain in all the important works that are undertaken. Businessmen are likely to do well with their new and innovative plans.

Boggle IRAN INDIA ITALY ISRAEL ICELAND IRELAND Vol: 2, No 251 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 THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

MUMBAI CALLING

“T

he south Indian film industry is more traditional. This reflects in their work. The cultural differences, language and approach are completely different, while Bollywood is more open and caters to a wider audience,” Asin told IANS in a telephonic interview from Mumbai. There is another key difference, she added. Down south “people are ready to accept you the way you are. They appreciate and value simplicity. You don’t have to wear make-up or be in your glamorous image when you make public appearances”. “Whereas in Bollywood, it’s about creating a star image, a style quotient that you have to carry throughout. You have to be in the glamorous image all the time,” said the actress who made a big name for herself in Tamil and Telugu films before she moved to Hindi cinema. Asin, who debuted opposite Aamir Khan in the 2008 hit Ghajini, said Bollywood gives a chance to women in varied spheres. “On the sets, I see a lot of young women technicians, women camerapersons, hairdressers, make-up artists, dress designers, stage designers and technicians... It’s not the same in the south,” she said. The 27-year-old however feels the barrier between the two industries is slowly diminishing. Bollywood filmmakers have taken inspiration from Tamil and Telugu films and remade them in Hindi. Yuva, Singham, Rowdy Rathore and Wanted are some examples. She is glad “the trend is growing at a fast pace”. “The main purpose is to entertain viewers and that is undoubtedly being done. I also like the fact that a lot of young writers and directors are coming in with fresh, original scripts,” she added. Aamir, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar... Asin has romanced some of the top-notch actors of Hindi cinema on the big screen in the last five years and says teaming up with big names helps in growth. She says she feels “blessed” that Hindi movie buffs had accepted her. “It’s not easy.” “Those who migrate from Tollywood or Kollywood or freshers do not really get to work with A-listers. Working with them helps in growth. I am lucky. I worked with Aamir Khan and AR Rahman in my first film Ghajini. But I have also put in a lot of hard work to be where I am today,” she said. Before entering Hindi films, she was already a star in the south Indian film industry and featured in films like Chakram, Varalaru and Dasavathaaram. Apart from movies, the 27-year-old keeps herself busy with endorsements, but her wish list includes more Bollywood projects. Asked what kind of roles she was eyeing, Asin said: “I would like to do well-written fresh characters. So far, I have played a fun-loving girl-next-door. Now I would like to try something different, something more challenging and exciting.” Ready, Housefull 2 and Bol Bachchan are some of her recent Hindi releases. Many film stars are dabbling in television but the small screen is not for Asin. “I haven’t thought about it. It’s good that film personalities are appearing on TV as hosts or judges but I am not ready for it. I won’t do it,” she said. IANS

CINE BYTES

The southern film industry is far more traditional than Bollywood, which caters to a wider audience and gives opportunities to women in technical fields, says actress Asin Thottumkal after a fiveyear stint in Hindi films.

‘Ghanchakkar’ trailer to be released digitally

ilmmaker Rajkumar Gupta’s Ghanchakkar will have its trailer launched digitally today. “Yes, it is true that we have deviated from the traditional trailer launch route of having an event and decided on launching Ghanchakkar trailer digitally,” said Shikha Kapur, executive director, marketing, studios, Disney UTV. “The trailer will be attached with Himmatwala, which has a really wide release.” IANS

David Dhawan proud of son Varun

ilmmaker David Dhawan says he is proud of his son Varun Dhawan and it’s now payback time with his entry into Bollywood. “It’s payback time, I would say, with Varun’s entry into showbiz. After working so hard in the industry, I am glad the industry has accepted my son. I am extremely proud of Varun,” Dhawan said. IANS

I'd never remake my dad's films: Rohan Sippy

ilmmaker Rohan Sippy, son of renowned producer-director Ramesh Sippy, doesn't want to remake any of his father's films. Ramesh Sippy is known for his memorable films Sholay, Seeta Aur Geeta and Shakti. “I would always like to do original films. I would never remake my dad's films, only then one would understand the difference between us," said Rohan, who has directed four films, including forthcoming movie Nautanki Saala. IANS

sports

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

NBA

Bulls halt Heat win streak

The Chicago Bulls ended the Miami Heat’s epic 27-game NBA winning streak with a 101-97 triumph over them. The Heat’s streak was the second-best winning run in major North American professional sport. CHICAGO: The Chicago Bulls ended the Miami Heat’s epic 27game NBA winning streak on Wednesday with a 101-97 triumph over the reigning league champions. The Heat’s streak was the second-best winning run in major North American professional sport, trailing only the 33game NBA winning streak of the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers. The Heat hadn’t lost since February 1 at Indiana. Chicago’s Luol Deng scored 28 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, and made four three-pointers. Carlos Boozer added 21 points and 17 rebounds for a Bulls team playing without injured All-Star center Joakim Noah of France, as well as guards Richard Hamilton and

WINTER GAMES

Russia’s dreams hit reality check ALEXANDER FEDORETS Agence France-Presse

MOSCOW: Any dreams Russia had of dominating its home Winter Olympic Games in Sochi next year have been dealt a harsh reality check by the mediocre performances of the country’s athletes this season. With most of the main winter competitions now finished for the year, Russia risks only coming fifth in the Olympics medals table if its performances at this year’s world championships are repeated at Sochi 2014. The failure to win any world championship gold in biathlon -a hugely popular televised sport in Russia — has caused particular concern. Russia captured only one gold at the world figure skating championships, in the pairs discipline -- the latest sign that the era of its total dominance of the sport has ended. According to a tally by leading sports daily Sovetsky Sport, Norway are undisputed leaders of this winter season with 17 world championship golds, while the United States are second with 11. Germany collected nine and Russia and Canada seven apiece, with the world championships in ice hockey and men’s curling still to come. AFP

Carlos Boozer #5 celebrates with Taj Gibson #22 and Daequan Cook #14 of the Chicago Bulls during the game against the Miami Heat on Wednesday at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. AFP/NBAE NATHANIEL S. BUTLER

Marco Belinelli -- and with star guard Derrick Rose yet to play a game this season since he is recovering from a knee injury. “We didn’t play perfect, but we fought hard the whole game,” Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich said. Jimmy Butler added 17 points for the Bulls, who limited the Heat’s formidable offense to 44.4 percent, shooting from the field in the second half. Heat superstar LeBron James scored 32 points on 11-of-17 shooting with seven rebounds. Dwyane Wade returned from a two-game absence to score 18 points and grab seven rebounds, while Chris Bosh scored 21 points in the setback. As they had more than once during the streak, the Heat fell behind by double digits, trailing

by as many as 13 in the first half. They were behind 55-46 at halftime, but once again found another gear after the interval. James scored four points on dunks to open the third quarter as for the eighth time in the streak the Heat launched a rally from a double-digit deficit. The Heat took the lead for the first time, 59-58, with 4:30 left in the third quarter on Shane Battier’s three-pointer. Butler’s dunk on an alley-oop pass from Deng saw the Bulls rebuild their lead to 64-61 with 2:25 left in the third, Butler rising over Miami’s Chris Bosh to grab the pass. The Heat responded with another three-pointer by Battier, and had knotted the score at 69-69 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. AFP

JAMAICA INTERNATIONAL INVITATIONAL ATHLETICS MEET

Bolt, Felix to run in Kingston KINGSTON: Usain Bolt, the two-time reigning Olympic champion at 100 and 200 meters, will run at the Jamaica International Invitational athletics meet on May 4, organizers announced on Wednesday. Yohan Blake and US sprint star Allyson Felix (right) will also compete in the meeting, but meet director Donald Quarrie, a former Olympic 200 champion, said there will be no showdown between Bolt and Blake in the same event at Kingston. “Bolt has been confirmed, but his coach, Glen Mills, will decide on the event he will run at a later date,” Quarrie said. Blake, second to Bolt in both sprints at the London Olympics, is also undecided

about his event. “Bolt and Blake will run, but not in the same event,” Quarrie said. “Hopefully next week we should know the event.” Felix, the Olympic 200m champion, will compete in the meet for the first time and she will have a showdown with Jamaica’s Veronica CampbellBrown in the women’s 100, Quarrie said. Felix, a three-time world champion in the 200, first ran in Kingston at the 2002 world junior championships. Two-time Olympic 100m women’s champion ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce will run the 200, the event in which she finished second at the London Olympics. AFP

BRAZIL 2016

CHESS

Stadium shuts over roof trouble

RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil’s preparations for the World Cup and Olympic Games have run into further trouble after the authorities indefinitely closed a Rio de Janeiro stadium because of roof problems, the city’s mayor announced. The Joao Havelange stadium, home to the Botafogo football club and due to host the track and field competition

during the 2016 Games, will be shut down until the matter is resolved, mayor Eduardo Paes said. “The stadium will remain closed indefinitely,” he said. “If it takes a year, then it will be closed for a year.” “Today, we cannot say when it may reopen. We are going to look into what solution can be found,” said Armando Qeiroga, a top official of

RIOURBE, the city’s urban planning firm. “We need to know the solution before determining how long the (repair) work will take,” he told a press conference, insisting that this was an “isolated incident”. After being informed of the problems by the company working on the structure, Paes said he asked if they represented a risk for fans. AFPK

Selections for State on Sunday

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Chess Academy will be organising the Hyderabad district chess under-7 boys and girls State level selection on Sunday. All the participating players should have been born on or after 1 January 2006. The top two players in each category will be selected to represent Hyderabad in the upcoming under-7 State level tournament.

sports

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

MIAMI MASTERS

Title quest on track for Maria Maria kept her quest for a first Miami title on track with a deserving win. Haas in last four

MIAMI: Giant-killer Tommy Haas followed up his triumph over world No. 1 Novak Djokovic with a 6-3, 6-1 quarter-final victory against France’s Gilles Simon at the Miami ATP Masters on Wednesday. Haas, at 34 the oldest player ranked in the top 50 in the world, had shocked Djokovic in straight sets in the fourth round on Tuesday. The 15th seeded German showed no sign of a letdown against 11th-seeded Simon, and advanced to a semi-final clash with third-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer.

MIAMI: Maria Sharapova kept her quest for a first Miami title on track Wednesday with a hard-fought 7-5, 7-5 quarter-final triumph over Italy’s Sara Errani. “With all the tournaments I have played, this one I have been so successful at but yet I haven’t won it,” said Sharapova, a four-time finalist at the Miami WTA and ATP Masters hardcourt tournament but never the winner. “I’ve been so close to winning,” she said. “I would love to win this. I’ve been coming to this tournament since I was a little kid. It would mean a lot to win it.” Sharapova will battle for a place in the final against 22nd-seeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic. Former world No. 1 Jankovic defeated Italian Roberta Vinci 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3. The other women’s semi-final

was set on Tuesday, with world No. 1 and top seed Serena Williams advancing to take on defending champion and fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland. Third-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer led the way into the men’s semis as he rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory over unseeded Austrian Jurgen Melzer. Ferrer, winner of two titles already this year at Auckland and Buenos Aires, steadied after an erratic first set and eventually cruised through the third to improve to 7-2 against the Austrian left-hander.

Maria Sharapova of Russia plays a shot against Sara Errani of Italy at the Crandon Park Tennis Center on Wednesday in Key Biscayne, Florida. AFP/MIKE EHRMANN

AUSTRALIAN OPEN Event set for Royal Sydney

HOUSTON OPEN PREVIEW

Rory into Masters than ranks HOUSTON, TEXAS: Rory McIlroy is more concerned with playing well in his final tuneup event ahead of next month’s Masters rather than reclaiming the world No.1 spot. Tiger Woods recaptured the top ranking for the first time since October of 2010 by taking his third US PGA triumph of the year on Monday at Bay Hill, adding the Arnold Palmer Invitational to wins at Torrey Pines and Doral. McIlroy, who has struggled in the early going this year as he adjusts to new clubs, would take back the top ranking with a victory in this week’s $6.2 million Houston Open at par72 Redstone Golf Club, which

starts Thursday. “It’s always nice to say that you’re on top of the world and top of the rankings, but if you play the golf that you want to and win the tournaments that you want to, then that takes care of itself,” McIlroy said. “Getting into contention is the main goal, try to have a chance to win on Sunday. We’ll go from there.” The Northern Irish prodigy, who won last year’s PGA Championship and the 2011 US Open, shared eighth at Doral and skipped Bay Hill as he prepares for the fast and undulating greens of Augusta National, and for Woods at his best.

“I didn’t think I could go into the Masters under the radar,” McIlroy said. “I can sort of go in a little bit underneath him, so in a way it’s not a bad thing. “It’s great for golf to have him playing well and hopefully I can just try and keep up with him.” McIlroy and Woods traded motivating e-mails over Woods retaking the top ranking. McIlroy texted him “Well done” and Woods sent a clear message he wants to see McIlroy playing his best at the Masters in two weeks as well. “He said everything was good there — told me to get my finger out of my ass and win this week,” McIlroy said. AFP

SYDNEY: This year’s Australian Open will be held at The Royal Sydney Golf Club in November, Golf Australia said Thursday. The tournament, cosanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia, moves to Royal Sydney, which has been home to the tournament 13 times before, after three years at The Lakes course, also in Sydney. Earlier this month, sixtime Australian Open champion Jack Nicklaus confirmed the tournament would move to The Australian Golf Club, also in Sydney, in 2014. This year’s event takes pace from November 28 to December 1. AFP

BACK FROM A BREAK

Mellouli back in pool, eyes worlds

TUNIS: Double Olympic champion Oussama Mellouli has taken to the water again after a long break following the London Games with his eye on competing in the 1500m and 10km at this summer’s World Championships in Barcelona. The Tunisian became the first man in Olympic history to win gold medals in both pool and open-water races when he won the 10km swimming marathon in London after having topped the 1500m freestyle podium in Beijing four years previously. The first African man to win a gold medal in an Olympic swimming event, Mellouli told AFP he was now raring to go after having a time-out following

Olympic champion Oussama Mellouli swims during a training session in the northern Tunis suburb of La Marsa on March 22. AFP

his success in London. “I want to compete at the World Championships,” the 29-year-old said of the July 19-August 4 event. “It will be 10 years since my first medal, in the world champs (also) in Barcelona in 2003. “I want to compete in both the openwater event and the 1500m.” Mellouli admitted he had backtracked on postOlympic thoughts of calling it a day. “After London, I said I was ready to take my leave,” he said. “But I re-evaluated my situation and I fixed for myself new goals with this new passion that is openwater swimming. “At my age and after the career I’ve

had, it’s cool to have that sort of stimulus.” Mellouli, who has trained since 2002 in Los Angeles where he is studying for a Masters in sports management, spent two months in his homeland after London but insisted he was not completely out of shape. “I’ve kept fit but I’ve not been training intensively,” he said. “Four months out from the worlds, I’ll see how it pans out and afterwards will seriously start on the Olympic cycle.” Mellouli’s participation in the Barcelona worlds will also offer the Tunisian a chance to further banish the memory of the 18-month ban he received in 2007 for a doping offence. AFP

sports

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

BAR BRAWL

SNIPPETS

Ryder in critical state WELLINGTON: Troubled New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder was in a critical condition in hospital Thursday after an “extremely vicious” attack as he left a bar in Christchurch, police said. The 28-year-old was in an induced coma with a fractured skull and serious internal injuries, and his family were at his bedside. The attack in the South Island city came just days before the talented batsman was to take up a lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) contract. Ryder has a history of disciplinary lapses and alcoholrelated incidents, but although he had been drinking before the early morning assault police said alcohol was not a factor. Detective senior sergeant Brian Archer said there was a brief altercation involving Ryder and “two or three” people when he stepped outside the bar. Ryder then crossed the road to a nearby fast-food outlet where he was attacked by one of the people from the initial confrontation. “The hospital advise he is in a critical condition. He is in an induced coma as a result of suffering multiple injuries,” Archer said. Prime Minister John Key, who led messages of support for Ryder, said the attack appeared “somewhat unprovoked, so there must be something behind that and the assault seems extremely vicious”. “Obviously we wish him a speedy recovery,” he added. A witness, identified only as Adam, told Fairfax Media Ryder tried to fight back as four men “absolutely smashed him”. He said he was not sure if the attackers were known to Ryder but

said they “damn knew who he was”. Police were viewing closed-circuit television coverage of the brutal attack and Archer said they were following “positive lines of enquiry”. The incident occurred while Ryder was having a night out with his Wellington teammates after earlier losing a sea-

Jesse Ryder was in a critical condition in hospital after being severely beaten as he left a bar in the South Island city of Christchurch.

This file March 29, 2011 file photo shows New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder eyeing the ball as he plays a shot during a training session at the R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium in Colombo. Jesse Ryder has been rushed to hospital with a fractured skull following a bar brawl, police and media said on Thursday. The attack came just days before Ryder was to take up a lucrative IPL contract. AFP/LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI

son-ending one-day match to Canterbury. The batsman is on a self-imposed break from international cricket to address “personal issues” following a series of incidents. New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association chief executive Heath Mills said Ryder was known to have resumed drinking in recent weeks. “It will be an ongoing struggle for Jesse and we need to do all we can to help him,” Mills said. “What I will say is Jesse was having a few drinks with his team-mates at the conclusion of his season. The actual assault was not an alcohol-fuelled incident.” Ryder, who last played for New Zealand a year ago, was due to fly to India this weekend to compete for the Delhi Daredevils. Last year, Ryder, who has a Test average of 40.93 and a highest Test score of 201, took his manager and a psychologist with him to India when he played for the Pune Warriors.

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE

Zaheer in RCB training session at NCA BANGALORE: Royal Challengers Bangalore pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, who is set to play in the IPL after recovering from an injury, trained at the National Cricket Academy here under the watchful eyes of coach Ray Jennings. Zaheer bowled at the nets, and according to his teammate Jaydev Unadkat, looked good as he was getting the ball to swing both ways. Zaheer had sustained a calf injury during Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy game against Gujarat

last December. He was dropped from the Indian Test squad against England. “Zaheer looked good as he was getting the ball to swing both ways as he normally does and it was good bowling in tandem with him at the nets. I learnt a lot by just seeing him bowl from close quarters,” Unadkat told reporters after the training session. Unadkat said he has been working on the basics of remaining fit throughout the

season so as to improve his pace. “I am hitting 135 kmh mark at present,” he said. Unadkat said he has been working on variations for the IPL. “We have been working on pace and slower ones (to put them in use),” he said. He said he has been working on increasing his pace. “I have been working quite a bit on it during off-season as well. I am really looking in good rhythm for now,” the left-arm fast bowler said. PTI

IPL rejigs fixture NEW DELHI: The Indian Premier League on Wednesday. re-jigged the fixtures of the high-profile tournament, making changes in the dates and timings of some of the matches, including the ones to be held in Bangalore on May 4 and 6, which were rescheduled owing to the Assembly elections in Karnataka. The match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab, earlier scheduled to be held in Bangalore on May 4, will now be played on May 14, while RCB’s home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, which was slated for May 6, has been advanced to April 9. Kings XI Punjab’s match against Delhi Daredevils, earlier scheduled for April 23 in Mohali, has been shifted to Dharamsala on May 16, while KXIP’s May 16 fixture against Royal Challengers Bangalore at Dharamsala will now be held in Mohali on May 6. Delhi Daredevils’ home match against KXIP, earlier scheduled for May 13 here, has been rescheduled for April 23. The following changes have been made to the IPL schedule: KXIP vs DD – shifted from April 23 (8:00 pm, Mohali) to May 16 (8:00 pm, Dharamsala) SH vs DD – stays on May 4 but moves from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm in Hyderabad RCB vs KXIP – shifted from May 4 (8:00 pm, Bengaluru) to May 14 (4:00 pm, Bengaluru) RCB vs SH – shifted from May 6 (8:00 pm, Bengaluru) to April 9 (4:00 pm, Bengaluru) DD vs KXIP – shifted from May 13 (4:00 pm, Delhi) to April 23 (8:00 pm, Delhi) KKR vs PWI – shifted from May 14 (8:00 pm, Ranchi) to May 15 (4:00 pm, Ranchi) KXIP vs RCB – shifted from May 16 (4:00 pm, Dharamsala) to May 6 (8:00 pm, Mohali) CSK vs DD – shifted from May 16 (8:00 pm, Chennai) to May 14 (8:00 pm, Chennai) RCB vs CSK – shifted from May 19 (4:00 pm, Bengaluru) to May 18 (8:00 pm, Bengaluru) PWI vs DD – shifted from May 18 (8:00 pm, Pune) to May 19 (4:00 pm, Pune).

Harmanpreet to lead side Mumbai: The All-India Women’s Selection Committee has picked the Indian team for the T20 International series and ODI series against Bangladesh, to be played in April 2013. Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Poonam Raut (VC), M.D. Thirushkamini, Smriti Mandhana, Anagha Deshpande, Sneha Dipti, Mona Meshram, N. Niranjana, Archana Das, Poonam Yadav, Ritu Dhruv, Swagatika Rath, Shubhalaxmi Sharma, Sushma Varma, Ekta Bisht.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

sports

PEDRO OUT FOR 10 DAYS DUE TO LEG INJURY

Barcelona winger Pedro Rodriguez will be out of action for 10 days after pulling a muscle in his leg during Tuesday’s 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory in France, his club said. Pedro scored the winning goal before being substituted for club team-mate Cesc Fabregas in the 76th minute.

LIGUE 1

EPL

PSG face tricky match ahead of Barcelona showdown The Ligue 1 leaders face the Catalans at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday in the first-leg of a tie that has generated huge excitement in the French capital. ANDY SCOTT Agence France-Presse PARIS: All thoughts may currently be on next week’s Champions League quarter-final tie with Barcelona, but Paris Saint-Germain must first negotiate a potentially tricky Ligue 1 encounter with Montpellier on Friday. The Ligue 1 leaders face the Catalans at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday in the first-leg of a tie that has generated huge excitement in the French capital, and their meeting with the reigning champions has been brought forward to aid their European preparations. Midfielder Clement Chantome admits that focusing on their domestic obligations has not been easy with so much attention on the club’s first Champions League quarter-final in 18 years. “Everyone is talking about it,” said Chantome. “Even us players have never received so many calls asking us for tickets. You get the impression that, outside the club, people are forgetting about the league. “I won’t lie, we are all thinking about it. But the most impor-

tant thing is Montpellier.” The quick turnaround after the international break poses a problem for coach Carlo Ancelotti, with several members of his squad having been in action with their countries on Tuesday. The Italian is likely to rest some of his star names, including Ezequiel Lavezzi, who was only expected back at the club on Thursday after Argentina’s World Cup qualifier in Bolivia. However, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was allowed to miss Sweden’s friendly in Slovakia on Tuesday, and the Swede could therefore start against Montpellier before also featuring against Barcelona after having a suspension for that game rescinded. In addition, midfielders Marco Verratti and Thiago Motta are fit again after injuries. PSG’s league form immediately prior to the international break was far from perfect, with eight points dropped from their last five games, but they still come into this weekend five points clear of Lyon at the top. “We are in a good position, with a five-point lead and quite a favourable goal difference,” said the 25-year-old Chantome.

RVP plans to end career at Man Utd He joined United from Arsenal at the beginning of this season and has already become a firm fan favourite. THE HAGUE: Robin van Persie has been a revelation at Manchester United this season and now the Dutch international forward says he would like to finish his career at the Red Devils. The 29-yearold joined United from Arsenal at this season but has already become a firm fans’ favourite at Old Trafford. With 19 Premier League goals this season — second only to Liverpool’s Luis Suarez — Van Persie has been instrumental in firing United to a 15-point lead at the league summit. But with the likes of Ryan Giggs, 39, and Paul Scholes, 38, as teammates, Van Persie has his eyes on a long stay. Van Persie told Dutch magazine Voetbal International: “For the next few years I will be at Manchester United — and maybe longer. United could be my last club.”

WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS REVIEW

Gerrard praises Rooney’s ‘control’ Gerrard felt Rooney was instrumental in England’s best moments in the draw against Montenegro.

LONDON: England captain Steven Gerrard insists Wayne Rooney’s ability to keep his fiery temper under control is crucial to his side’s bid to qualify for the World Cup. Rooney scored for the fourth successive qualifier, the first England player to achieve that feat since David Beckham 10 years ago, as Roy Hodgson’s team held on for a 1-1 draw against Montenegro on Tuesday. The Manchester United forward’s first-half header wasn’t enough to secure what would have been a valuable victory over the group leaders as

Montenegro hit back to equalise through Dejan Damjanovic in the second half. But Gerrard felt Rooney, who had been sent off on his last appearance in Montenegro 17 months ago, was instrumental in England’s best moments because he was able to cope well with the hostile atmosphere in Podgorica. And, with England’s bid to reach the 2014 World Cup in Brazil still in the balance, the Liverpool midfielder hopes Rooney can continue to play with such maturity. “Wayne is a fantastic player and a

great goalscorer. If the lads in the team can create the service for Wayne, we know he will score goals,” Gerrard said, “He also deserves credit for that goalscoring record. Hopefully he will get more goals and fire us to the World Cup. “I also thought his behaviour was magnificent. He had been on the agenda in the Press all week with people wondering how he was going to behave. I thought he handled himself magnificently.” Rooney’s goal was his 35th for his country and he is now only five behind fourth-placed Michael Owen.