THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013 HYDERABAD
WEATHER: A MIX OF CLOUDY AND CLEAR SKIES; 36°C
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ROADS WIDENED, UTILITY POLES REMAIN
Just because there’s a utility pole in the street doesn’t mean it can’t be widened, but that’s what the City’s civic body thinks. While streets are gaining in girth, public safety has taken a back seat, and the authorities could give two hoots.
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HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER
CITY PULVERISED BY RAIN... AND THE MONSOON HASN’T EVEN STARTED!
SRINIVAS SETTY
THE CURIOUS CASE OF
ALLU ARJUN
Three days before his latest film Iddarammayilatho hits the screens, Allu Arjun is nonchalant about everything. In a tete-atete with Postnoon, the star talks about why Iddarammayilatho is different, his competition with Ram Charan and why he’s in no mood to start experimenting.
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REPORT ON P8&9
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THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
city events
FOOD FEST
Afghani Pathani food festival will be held at Hotel GreenPark, Begumpet from 31st May to 9th June.
Weather for Hyderabad
Evening
Overnight
Morning
Afternoon
34°C
27°C
32°C
39°C
Cloudy with a slight chance of showers
Cloudy with a chance of showers
Cloudy with showers likely
A mix of cloud and sun.
New Delhi Mumbai Max 41 Max 35 Min 28 Min 29 Clear
Cloudy with chances of rain.
Chennai Max 36 Min 29
Bangalore Max 29 Min 21
Cloudy with chances of rain.
Cloudy with chances of thunderstorms.
AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES Contact: 98499-87187
SHOWS
Success in interviews A workshop on success in interviews. Where: Swamy Vivekananda Institute of Human Excellence, Lower Tankbund When: June 1, 10 am to 1 pm. Swimming lessons A swimming workshop for ladies and children is on. Where: Novotel, Hyderabad When: Till May 31
Relations and Reflections Relations and Reflections, paintings of Shambu Prasad Reddy is on display. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills When: Till June 3. Movie matter Eszter's Inheritance — Film By Jozsef Sipos will be screened. Where: Alliance Francaise, Banjara Hills When: May 30, 4 pm
HERE COMES THE RAIN: City got much-needed respite from the heat when it rained heavily on Wednesday. People seen rushing to a shelter when they were caught unawares by the rain. SRINIVAS SETTY Where: Alliance Franaise, Banjara Hills When: May 31, 4 pm
Celebrating women Fast Girls by Regan Hall will be screened. Where: Alliance Francaise, Banjara Hills When: May 30, 6 pm
be held. Where: Treasure House, Banjara Hills When: Till May 30 Contact: 23355118
Movie matter Film by Marian Quinn, 32 A will be screened. Where: Alliance Francaise, Banjara Hills When: May 31, 6 pm
Game of bottles Attend bartending sessions by Tulleho. Where: Godrej Nature’s Basket, Road No 36, Jubilee Hills. When: May 30, 4.30 pm to 6 pm.
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
Photography workshop Photography workshop for kids will
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
Women empowered A self defence workshop for women will be held. Where: Inorbit Mall, Madhapur When: May 30, 5 pm to 6 pm. Mind care workshop De-addiction and mind care workshop by Dr Hari and Dr Devika will be held. Where: Nalanda - The World Wisdom Centre, Banjara Hills When: May 31, 6 pm to 8 pm
WORKSHOPS
Movie time Water Lillies by Celine Sciamma will be screened.
Where: Inorbit Mall, Madhapur When: May 30, 7 pm to 8 pm
Art and craft An art and craft workshop will be held.
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
DINING Singaporean food festival Enjoy the finest of Asian flavours at Singaporean food festival. Where: Oriental Bar & Kitchen, Park Hyatt When: 19:00 to 23:30 hours(weekdays), 12:00 to 15:30 hours and 19:00 to 23:30 hours (weekends)
Daira Workshop Summer workshop at Daira will be held. Where: Daira - Center For Arts and Culture, Banjara Hills When: Till May 31, 10 am to 12 pm
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
Wet paper painting Wet paper painting workshop by Sakshi Mudaliar will be held. Where: Our Sacred Space, Secunderabad When: May 31, 10.30 am to 12 noon. Contact: 9030013344
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, MAY 30, 2013
news
YESTERDAY’S QUESTION
WILL SPLIT IN FAMILY AFFECT TDP’S POLL PROSPECTS? YES (A) NO (B)
57% 43%
TODAY’S QUESTION
IS DYNASTY POLITICS HARMFUL FOR THE COUNTRY? A)
YES
B)
NO
To vote visit www.postnoon.com
POLITICS
‘Sonrise’ will see many switching party camps The real reason behind scores of Congress leaders making abrupt visits to rival camps is to promote their sons for bigger roles in politics. Md INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: Times have changed. Many prevailing values will see a change at the next general elections, it seems. Many senior politicians have begun to launch their sons or daughters to active politics, self taking a backseat. In this game, party loyalty, an old virtue, is given a miss. Many senior politicians in the State have begun grooming their
According to the TRS party sources, the sudden offer made by the TRS president convinced the Congress veterans to come out of their party and join TRS.
children for any colour of the flag, as long as they get a MP, MLA ticket. Following the traditional transition of power is the TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu. Mahanadu was the launching pad for his son, N Lokesh. The Congress veteran and exAPCC president K Keshava Rao and former Opposition Leader in Legislative Council Dadi Veerabadhra Rao follow. Senior political leader and ministers K Jana Reddy, K Lakshminarayana, former ministers R Damodar Reddy, P Shankar Rao, Dharmana Prasada Rao and Sabita Indira Reddy, Congress MP Manda Jagannatham also are grooming their successors in the family. The list goes long if we add up the names of scores of MLAs and MPs who desire to see that their sons got seats in the next general elections. While It would not be a difficult task for Nara Lokesh to contest the elections, leaders like K Keshava Rao and others are chalking out strategies to ensure a smooth entry of their sons into politics. Recognising the fact that the Congress would be doomed in the Telangana region, a delegation of the Congress leaders led by K Keshava Rao met with TRS president K Chandrasekhara Rao recently at his farm house in Medak district. The delegation included MPs Manda
15 PIOs in Spelling Bee semis WASHINGTON: A total of 15 Indian-American students, including six girls, have made it to the national Spelling Bee semifinals, making it almost one-third of the total 42 candidates who have qualified. The girls who succeeded include Himanvi Kopuri from Colorado, Nikitha Chandran from Florida, Vanya Shivashankar from Kansas, Neha Seshadri from Michigan, Shobha Dasari from Texas and Vismaya Kharkar from Utah. AROUND THE
There were nearly 50 Indian Americans who came to take part in this prestigious national-level competition.
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Jagannatham, S Rajaiah and G Vivekanand. Knowing the strong desire of these leaders to promote their family members in politics, the TRS President did not miss the opportunity. He immediately offered to give MLA tickets to K Keshava Rao’s son, K Viplava Kumar and MP Manda Jagannatham’s son M Srinath. According to TRS party sources, the sudden offer made by the TRS president convinced the Congress veterans to come out of their party and join TRS.
Mississippi State Univ to partner with OU
YSRCP leaders stage protests for Jagan
GHMC to act against ad firm on hoarding collapse
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enior Congress leader Dr N Thulasi Reddy expressed surprise over YSR Congress Party leaders staging protests on Jagan completing a year in jail. In a statement, Dr Reddy said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered cases against Jaganmohan over his disproportionate assets on the directive from High Court.
INDIANS ABROAD
WORLD
The four Congress leaders are likely to join the TRS in coming days in an attempt to groom their children. On the other hand, TDP veteran leader Dadi Veerabadhra Rao and Dr MV Mysura Reddy are also eyeing MLA tickets for their children. The sole reason for these two leaders to leave the TDP and join YSRCP was to create opportunities for their children. The children of many other Leaders like R Damodar Reddy and Dr P Shankar Rao, Cabinet ministers K Lakshminarayana are already active in politics and eyeing for bigger roles in coming days.
CITY BRIEFS team of academicians from Mississippi State University visited Osmania University on May 29 to discuss various issues with the OU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. S Satyanarayana. Led by Jerome A Gilbert, and expressed the desire to develop partnerships with OU in teaching, research, student and faculty exchange programmes.
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ollowing the collapse of hoarding inside the Nizam college precincts, the GHMC has warned action against the Prakash ad Agency to which it belonged. Commissioner, M T Krishna Babu, warned of criminal proceedings against the structural engineer who had issued structural certificate to the collapsed hoarding.
The boys who made it to the semifinals after the day-long competitions are Pranav Shivakumar from Illinois, Kuva Shahane from Michigan, Gokul Venkatachalam from Misouri, Ryan Devanandan, Sriram Hathwar and Arvind Mahankali from New York, Ashwin Veeramani from Ohio, Aditya Rao from New Jersey, and Chetan Reddy from Texas For the first time in the 86year history of the National Spelling Bee, the evaluation of vocabulary knowledge will be incorporated as an element of the competition, the organisers said. “This is a significant change in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, but a natural one," said Paige Kimble, director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. AFP
Love turns sour, wife thrown out with kids POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com
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man after performing an inter-caste love marriage threw out his wife alongwith two kids in the latest saga of greed and selfishness. The incident was reported from Mayapuri Marg in
Begumpet. According to complaint lodged with Begumpet women’s police, unable to find a job, husband Prabhakar Rao demanded his wife Susheela, 26, for dowry. When her parents refused, he beat up his wife and threw her out with the kids.
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News THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013 LAST YEAR... HERE A flyover to nowhere
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ast year we had reported how the Kompally flyover, which had been under construction since the past eight years, was incomplete, but was still being used extensively by motorists who risk their lives while doing so. The plan on paper was to make it a four-lane flyover with two lanes on each side. Accidents were common on this flyover.
MAY 30, 2012
NUMEROLOGY
60%
of candidates who applied for the civil services examinations did not turn up for the prelims. Last year, 55 per cent of candidates had not turned up.
The migratory adventure of the Indians in Guadeloupe was only a succession of dramas: lies during commitments, humiliation, violence, and misery during and after return. Christian S, professor See page 11
THINGS WE 5LEARNT TODAY The column that teaches everyone something new about the way the world functions.
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Renowned film director Rituparno Ghosh dies . Known for his films like Chokher Bali, Unishe April and Raincoat, Rituparno Ghosh died at 49 at his residence today.
EDUCATION
SANDWICH ATTACK
No Crème-de-laCrème for civils?
Aus PM gets lucky for the second time
Astonishingly high absenteeism in the prelim this month puts a question mark on the future of the once-awed exam. ALEENA ALICE aleena.t@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: The most prestigious competitive exam of India — civil service — seems to be losing its charm. The oncecoveted examination is either made more difficult or is being increasingly pursued by nonserious candidates with the result that absenteeism is high. Take for instance the prelim held on May 26. Nearly 60 per cent of the candidates were absent. Last year, it was 55 per cent. While reasons for the poor turnout are many, the underlying cause appears to be the change in the Mains exam in general studies. Since candidates can attempt the exam only four times, most senior civil service aspirants who were left with one or two attempts did not want to miss out on a future chance. “This year, the change in the exam pattern was released just a few months before the prelims. So candidates did not want to miss out
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on a chance without preparing enough. If the UPSC gives candidates enough time, whenever there is a change, the turnout will be better. Another reason is that the UPSC allows SC and ST candidates to apply without any admission fee. So there is no seriousness while filing in the application for some,” says Rajesh Saraf, the CSAT course
Pro-yo alters brain function The discovery that changing the bacterial environment, or microbiota, in the gut can affect the brain carries significant implications for future research.
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Many officials don’t clean up after road widening in City. After the roads are widened, many civic officials do not bother relocating the poles, which pose a huge risk to motorists.
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Do you know the SAR value of your mobile phone? The lower the SAR value of a mobile phone, the safer the phone is. Many do not check this while going for cheaper options.
director at T.I.M.E “A few years ago, candidates who applied for the exam were genuinely interested and wanted to get into the various civil service jobs. Now more and more professionals like doctors, engineers, advocates try their ‘luck.’ The non-serious ‘lucky’ spoil the chances of the serious ‘unlucky’ ones,” said Disha B, a civil service aspirant. Meanwhile, many candidates also feel that the UPSC should extend the number of attempts by one year more.
sandwich covered with Australia's favourite yeast-based lunch spread, Vegemite, at her during another school trip. Gillard appeared unfazed by the latest prank, commenting afterwards: “They must have thought I was hungry.” The student who threw the Vegemite sandwich was suspended from school for 15 days despite denying he was responsible.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Some respite for those who commute to Hitec City. The Hitec-Kukatpally rail over bridge is now open to public. The traffic flow is much smoother now and the flyover has proved a boon for commuters and pedestrians.
New vaccine for hand, foot and mouth disease. Researchers in China said that a trial vaccine has proven 90 per cent efficient in providing protection against HFMD for upto 12 months.
SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was forced to dodge a flying sandwich for the second time this month Thursday when someone's salami lunch was flung at her during a school visit. Gillard was greeting children at Lyneham High School in Canberra when the sandwich narrowly missed her. The incident came after a student earlier this month threw a
WASHINGTON: Eating probiotic yogurt can not only alter your gut bacteria for the better, it may also change your brain function, scientists say. University of California, Los Angeles researchers now have the first evidence that bacteria ingested in food can affect brain
function in humans. In a small study of healthy women, between the ages of 18 and 55, researchers found that women who consumed beneficial bacteria known as probiotics through yogurt showed altered brain function, both while in a resting state and in response to
an emotion-recognition task. The discovery that changing the bacterial environment, or microbiota, in the gut can affect the brain carries significant implications for future research that could point the way toward dietary interventions to improve brain function. “Many of us have a container of yogurt in our refrigerator that we may eat for enjoyment, for calcium or because we think it might help our health in other ways,” said Dr Kirsten Tillisch, an associate professor of medicine at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine and lead author of the study. “Our findings indicate that
some of the contents of yogurt may actually change the way our brain responds to the environment. When we consider the implications, the old saying ‘you are what you eat’ takes on new meaning,” Tillisch said. Researchers divided the women into three groups: one group ate a specific yogurt containing a mix of several probiotics twice a day for four weeks; another group consumed a dairy product that looked and tasted like yogurt but had no probiotics; and third group ate no product at all. During the resting brain scan, the women consuming probiotics showed greater connectivity between a key brainstem region known as the periaqueductal grey and cognitionassociated areas of the prefrontal cortex. PTI
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News THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
CIVIC
Roads widened, poles remain
Civic officials are enthused at works that yield them money and care less about public safety. Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: Like orphaned children, they stand sentinel on the middle of roads, posing a challenge to motorists and pedestrians. APCPDCL and civic officials, who should have co-ordinated on this after road-widening, have not bothered to do so. Most local corporators who could have pursued the matter did nothing, while some of the conscientious ones did and got the poles shifted in their areas. The shifting of electric poles needs the co-operation of the APCPDCL, which on payment from the GHMC, relocates the electricity poles. But after roadwidening is finished at various locations under the corporation limits, the planning wing is not concerned about the issue. Evidently, the local corporators
do not pursue the matter with the officials, as it does not provide any significant ‘cut’ for them, civic circles point out. Other civic issues like road-widening or relaying of roads provide a local corporator with significant cut. While Mayor Mohammed Majid Hussain, keeps harping on
the issue, similar enthusiasm is not shown by local councilors. Areas where corporators have shown keen interests have produced results. For instance, Ayub Khan, corporator of Sanathnagar, raised the issue more than once at the Standing Committee meetings. According to him, people
met with accidents in his area where poles were not removed after road-widening. “My area saw two accidents and I pursued the matter with the corporation. Now they have been shifted.” But many other areas, like the busy Lakdikapul area, are not lucky enough to get conscientious corporators. It has been several years since the road was widened at the bus stop towards Khairatabad, but the poles remain on the road. “Motorists weave through the small spaces between the poles at two places, risking not only themselves but also others,” says P Ramamurthy, a regular commuter. “Why complain?” asks Imtiaz Ahmed, a grocery man in Lakdikapul. “In our setup, nobody bothers about public safety. Everyone is selfish.” The involvement of three wings of the GHMC is slowing
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The shifting of electric poles needs the co-operation of the APCPDCL, which on payment from the GHMC, relocates the electricity poles. down the process. According to additional commissioner, electrical, Bhadru Mahlot, it is the projects wing which takes care of this. “We only coordinate with the APCPDCL; rest is taken care of by the projects (wing). I shall be pursuing the matter, so that it happens quickly.”
ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY
Electric cars off to slow start in Germany Germany’s plans to have one million electric vehicles on its roads by 2020 seem remote as the number of such cars registered in the country so far is just some 7,000.
road with dead batteries. After the Fukushima nuclear accident, Merkel rang in an energy transition away from fossil fuels and nuclear power toward renewables. She said the push for electric cars would dovetail with that plan, to ensure that the power that drives electric cars is produced from clean, alternative energy sources. Philippe Varin, chief executive of PSA Peugeot Citroen, said “it will be a gradual process over 10 years” to convince consumers to embrace first hybrids and plug-in hybrids and finally 100 per cent electric vehicles. AFP
where she affirmed she is a believer in electric mobility. “Our plans are ambitious,” she conceded about the onemillion goal pronounced by her government in 2009. “But we have a good chance of sticking to the timetable.” Her government has spent almost 1.5 billion euros ($1.9 billion) to subsidise research and development in electric mobility and is promoting the models by scrapping car registration tax for the first 10 years. However, unlike neighbouring France, Germany does not offer bonuses for the purchase of electric vehicles. Electric cars produce no
exhaust pipe emissions and can help clear the air in congested cities, while their carbon footprint ultimately depends on the type of energy
used to charge their batteries. Problems include the high cost of the batteries and limited charging stations, which make drivers fear being left on the
Three elephants run over by train
PM leaves Tokyo, heads for Bangkok
Businessman shot dead in Assam
Goa govt to seek CBI’s help in Vasco rape case
Filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh dead
JALPAIGURI: Three elephants were killed and another seriously injured early today when a speeding train ran over them in a jungle at Banarhat in Jalpaiguri district. Train services on the route have been held up due to protests by local residents who demanded an assurance that the trains would run at a lower speed in this route, officials said.
TOKYO: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday concluded his three-day visit to Japan. He will arrive in Bangkok later in the afternoon. The prime minister attended a bilateral summit with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe during the visit. In Bangkok, he will meet his Thailand counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra.
HAFLONG: Unidentified gunmen shot dead a businessman at Mahur market in Assam's Dima Hasao district, police said. Sudha Roy, 34, was shot on the chest from close range late last night and the attackers fled under the cover of darkness, sources said. Roy was rushed to a local hospital where he was declared brought dead.
PANAJI: Goa government has decided to recommend a CBI probe into the alleged rape of a sevenyear-old girl inside a school toilet in January. The investigations have hit a dead wall as the case could not be solved, state Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told PTI today. The girl was allegedly raped inside a school toilet at Vasco town on January 14.
KOLKATA: Renowned film director Rituparno Ghosh, who made films like Chokher Bali, Unishe April and Raincoat, died here Thursday. He was 49. Ghosh, who was suffering from pancreatitis, passed away at his residence around 7.30 am, his colleague Gautam Ghosh told reporters. Friends gathered at his home as news of his death spread.
BERLIN: Germany plans to have one million electric vehicles on its roads by 2020, but so far that goal seems remote as the nation’s motorists have shown little love for the quietly humming vehicles. So far, the number of elecAROUND THE
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tric vehicles registered in Germany is just some 7,000. Chancellor Angela Merkel put on a brave face in light of the statistics, speaking Monday at a government-organised international forum in Berlin,
AFP PHOTO/JOHANNES EISELE
NATION BRIEFS
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News THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
CIVIC
Nameless boon brings relief The Hitec-Kukatpally rail over bridge brings some relief to commuters and pedestrians. Naming the bridge, however, proves to be a contentious issue.
NEHA DWIVEDI feedback@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: After years of vexation and constant struggle, the Hitec-Kukatpally rail over bridge (ROB) became a reality. The smooth flow of traffic after the flyover was opened to public narrates the story of its success. It is peace after unbearable hustle and bustle for four years. Around two lakh people from the IT sector today enjoy a trouble-free travel to the IT city, thanks to the bridge. The 910 metre long, fourlane-bridge built by Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) had gone through much travail. At some point it looked as though it would never be a reality. Shaheen Paswan, an IT professional says, “The flyover is a blessing for people like me who have to travel five to six kilometers to reach their office. Earlier,
S BALAKRISHNA
it used to take me two hours to reach my office in Hitec City by auto. The auto drivers threw their own tantrums; but there is no such concern now.” It isn't just the office goers, but even pedestrians who benefit from it. “Walking through the dense traffic earlier was not just a nuisance, but also dangerous. Now
that we have the flyover, I can walk peacefully," said a beaming senior Nirmal Sharma, a resident of Kukatpally . With people opting for the flyover, the road below the Hitec City railway station is no longer an area of chaos. S Hari Prasad , railway protection force cop at the Hitec City railway station, says, “Earlier,
FOOD
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BRATISLAWA: Deep shades of red and vermilion catch the light as connoisseurs raise their half-full glasses to examine the colour of the wine before sinking their noses in to inhale enticing aromas. A sip, a swish and a spit is a winetasting ritual at prestigious competitions the world over. This May, it was performed on a grand scale in Central Europe for the first time as Slovakia played host to top-ranked wine competition, the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (CMB). "If Slovak wines were a woman they would look like Cameron Diaz — very
light, lively and they have a lot to give," French wine blogger Daniel Berger told AFP. They performed even better at the world-renowned Vinalies Internationales competition in Paris in March, taking nine gold and 38 silver medals, and charming tasters to trump France and other global rivals. Given its location and climate, Slovakia produces mostly white wine but also has a number of delicious reds. During nearly fifty years of Communism, vineyards were nationalised as the state-owned beverage industry focused on mass production of lowquality wines. Today Slovakia produces 340,000 hectolitres (a unit equivalent to 100 litres) of wine annually. AFP
Out of 214 wines submitted for degustation by Slovakia, 60 stood out among 8,168 rivals from 50 countries. Three triumphed, winning the top CMB Grand Gold, 19 scored Gold and 38 took Silver medals.
the road below used to be choked with constant stream of traffic. It took hours for the traffic to get cleared.” But there is one section that is indifferent to the flyover — auto and cab drivers. Says Akram , an auto driver, “I agree that earlier the situation was bad, but it didn't really matter as we were getting our money. But yes, our passengers suffered a lot.” While money remains his priority, he is happy that endless hours of traffic jam have come to an end, “The traffic jams were like hell,” says Akram. While the flyover has been thrown open for the public use, its name is yet to be decided. Sarve Satyanarayana, Union transport minister, on the day of inauguration, had said that he would recommend to the chief minister the names of YS Rajashekhara Reddy and P Janardhan Reddy; but the scuffle between Congress and Loksatta
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workers on the matter of credit being given to their respective leaders for completing the project has kept the process on hold. Optimism keeps the City going and people aren't ready to cede hope. “I hope things get even better. Hyderabad is an IT City. If more such flyovers crop up than I am sure big companies will invest in Hyderabad,” says Srikant Dubey, loss prevention manager at Spencers. Not everybody thinks like Dubey. There are few who believe that this project too would fail like any other government project. Raheem Ukani, a student, says, “Anything new is looked upon with interest, but as time passes by, the interest fades away and so does the optimism.”
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News THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
HEALTH
SECURITY SCARE
Vaccine hopes for HFMD
PARIS: Researchers in China said a trial vaccine provided "significant" protection against a virus that can cause potentially deadly hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in children. In the final testing phase, the vaccine proved 90 percent effective, providing protection for at least 12 months against HFMD caused by the enterovirus 71 (EV71), said a study published in The Lancet. HFMD caused by EV71 has
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caused more than 2,000 deaths out of about six million infections, mainly of children, in the past decade. It can also cause other, more severe diseases in young children, such as meningitis and encephalitis. The candidate vaccine was tested with more than 10,000
NY mayor receives toxic mail
healthy children from six to 35 months of age at four sites across China and it was tolerated well. HFMD starts with fever, painful sores in the mouth, and a rash of blisters on the hands, feet and buttocks, followed in some cases by more serious neurological, cardiovascular and breathing problems. The vaccine's major contribution would be to fight EV71 and reduce hospital admissions. AFP
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NEW YORK: Two anonymous letters containing traces of the deadly poison ricin were sent to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his non-profit organisation in Washington, the latest in a string of similar incidents. The anonymous letters were opened in New York on Friday at the city's mail facility in Manhattan and in Washington on Sunday at an office – Mayors’ Against Illegal Guns – the nonprofit launched by Bloomberg. Initial investigation indicted the presence of ricin in both letters but that more testing would be conducted to get a complete
INDO-JAPAN TIES
China daily mocks at encirclement theory
Ever present danger
‘It will take time for Japan to face the reality that the once only great power in East Asia has to give way to China,’ the party daily said. BEIJING: Japan's hope to encircle China is just an illusion, said a state-run Chinese daily Thursday as Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh concluded his Tokyo trip and flew out to Thailand. During Manmohan Singh's visit to Japan, "both sides have discussed maritime security cooperation", said an article in the Global Times. A few days back, when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe went to Myanmar, "it was seen as Japan's attempt to complete a `puzzle game' in order to `encircle China'." It said that Japan's strategy for China "drives its activity around China's neighbours". "Japan's prudence and cautiousness prove that China will have a major influence over Japan in the 21st century. But Japan's wishful thinking of `encircling China' is just an illusion. Besides sneaking a few bargains from its competition with
T
he letters were the latest in a string of toxin-laced ones sent to public officials. In Washington State, a 37year-old was charged last week with threatening to kill a federal judge in a letter that contained ricin. About a month earlier, letters containing the substance were addressed to President Barack Obama, a US senator and a Mississippi judge.
China, Japan does not have the strength to prevail over China's influence in Asia," it added. China's rise has resulted in the change of the power pattern of the Asian-Pacific region, making Japan, which has a special geopolitical relationship with China, bear the brunt of this "painful" impact. "It will take time for Japan to face the reality that the once only great power in East Asia has to
neither is it an opportunity for China to mend its broken fences with Japan. All China should do is `take it easy'. China should be aware that Japan tricks can never impact China strategy. China should take the initiative to decide when and how seriously we respond to it."
picture of the magnitude of the matter, said NYPD spokesman Paul Browne. The letters were postmarked in Shreveport and both the missives referenced the debate on gun laws and contained a suspicious pink-orange oily substance. Bloomberg is the loudest gun-control advocates and raise awareness among Americans using his position as a Mayor besides funding from his private charity. Police said the staff of Mayor's office that came into contact with the letters showed no symptoms of exposure to the poison.
IANS
AFP
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give way to China, whose GDP and marine strength will surpass that of Japan. The process will be tougher for Japan, which will be sincerely convinced some day," said the daily. "The day will come sooner or later. The little tricks that Japan is playing are nothing but a struggle for self-comfort, which will not affect the development of
Asia," it added. Global Times, however, said that "...gains and losses incurred by the frictions between China and Japan make no difference to the futures of either country. There is no need for China to exert too much energy on Japan". "This is not a final showdown between China and Japan,
WORLD BRIEFS Obama has settled on new FBI director: Report
Israel to build 1,000 homes in E. Jerusalem
US soldier to admit Afghan killings
Troops flood tense Japan 'comfort women' Myanmar town after riots mayor to face censure
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama has decided to nominate a Republican who served under George W. Bush in the Justice Department as the new director of the FBI, The New York Times reported. James Comey, 52, is a former hedge fund manager who now teaches at Columbia Law School. He would replace Robert Mueller.
JERUSALEM: Israel is preparing to build more than 1,000 new settler homes in annexed east Jerusalem as the United States strives to revive dormant Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, an NGO said late Wednesday. Danny Seidemann, director of JTerrestrial Jerusalem, told AFP that contracts for 300 homes havebeen confirmed.
LOS ANGELES: A US soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan villagers last year will plead guilty in exchange for escaping the death penalty, his lawyers said in remarks reported Wednesday. Sergeant Robert Bales faces charges including 16 counts of murder, six of attempted murder and seven of assault.
LASHIO: Security forces patrolled the riot-scarred streets of a town in eastern Myanmar after a fresh outbreak of religious violence that left one dead and several wounded. "The military is now taking responsibility for security here," local information ministry official Nang Hsai Li Kham told AFP, adding that the situation was now "peaceful".
TOKYO: A Japanese mayor who caused a storm with his comments on "comfort women" is expected to face a censure motion filed by local politicians on Thursday, reports said. Council members in Osaka plan to jointly submit the motion against city supremo Toru Hashimoto, who is also joint leader of the national Japan Restoration Party.
News THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
AND SO IT BEGINS... As we predicted, an unprepared City was pulverised by the very first shower on Wednesday. Scores of trees, electric poles, cable lines, and signboards were flattened blocking traffic and posing a danger to citizens. The GHMC has once again fallen woefully short. SRINIVAS SETTY & N SHIVA KUMAR
8&9
10
News THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
MINERALS
CRIME
This doctor groom sold himself for `1 cr
Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com
I
n the latest of a series of cheating and breach of trust in marriage market, it is a doctor who proved a villain this time! According to complaint lodged with the Trimulgherry police by parents, one Dr G Sudheer Babu, who was privately plasticising escaped with a diamond ring that costs a fortune and `1 lakh in cash from his would-be fatherin-law Subba Rao on the occasion of engagement function. Rao, a businessman residing at Trimulgherry, had performed
AROUND THE
CITY
the engagement of his daughter Rema Jyoti with the doctor two months ago. The function was held at a five-star hotel and itself cost a huge sum. Marriage was fixed to be held three months after the engagement. All his relatives and friends had attended the function. After a while, said Rao, Dr Babu met him and demanded `1 crore and other valuables in advance dowry. Rao was shocked. He, however, told the
prospective son-n-law he would think about it later. The shameless man kept ringing the parent up every one hour, pressing for the money. “If I had yielded I’d have lost that money too,” says Rao looking sad and dejected. Meanwhile, Subba Rao was shocked to learn that the doctor had fixed up marriage with another girl from Vijayawada and has taken `1 crore from them. Confronted with criminal complaint, thee man took to his heels. Since engagement is on record, a case of cheating and breach of trust has been registered against Dr Babu.
NMDC Q4 net profit `1,465 cr NEW DELHI: State-owned miner NMDC reported a 10.79 per cent dip in net profit at `1,464.95 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31, although production and sales improved significantly. The NMDC has declared a highest ever dividend of 700 percent for the fiscal 2012-13. For the final quarter of the fiscal, the iron iron ore production and sales grew at 37.5 per cent and 28 per cent respectively. The turnover for the same period also went up by 23.5 per cent. “NMDC has been in the forefront for providing raw material security to the steel industry. In spite of challenges, NMDC is adhering to play the pivotal role in the industrial development of the country. With the increase of demand of iron ore from the domestic steel
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industry, NMDC collective would be committed to produce 48 MT iron ore production by 2014-15,” said NMDC chairman CS Verma (pictured). PTI
SYRIAN CONFLICT
US demands Hezbollah withdraw from Syria
Hezbollah is believed to have sent at least 1,700 fighters to Qusayr. France estimates that 3,000 to 4,000 Hezbollah fighters are operating in Syria. WASHINGTON: The United States demanded the immediate withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters from Syria on Wednesday, saying their active role in combat there was an “extremely dangerous escalation.” Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah confirmed last week that the Lebanon-based Shiite movement was actively fighting on the side of its close ally,
In Geneva, 36 of the 47 members of the UNHRC voted in favour of a resolution that implicitly refers to the involvement of Hezbollah fighters. Syria’s President Bashar alAssad, in the Syrian town of Qusayr near the border. “This is an unacceptable and extremely dangerous escalation. We demand that Hezbollah withdraw its fighters from Syria immediately,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. Hezbollah fighters spearheaded an assault that cut off Syrian rebel fighters, drawing condemnation from the UN human rights body.
Lebanese President Michel Sleiman (centre) listens to a breifing by a soldier alongside Army Forces Commander General Jean Kahwaji (left) upon his arrival in the east Lebanon village of Arsal, near the Syrian border on Wednesday. AFP
AROUND THE
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In Geneva, 36 of the 47 members of the UN Human Rights Council voted in favour of a resolution that implicitly refers to the involvement of Hezbollah fighters from neighboring Lebanon in the fierce battle for Qusayr. The non-binding text put for-
ward by the United States, Turkey and Qatar “condemns the intervention of foreign combatants fighting on behalf of the Syrian regime in Al-Qusayr.” Psaki also condemned the “outrageous attack” on a Lebanese army checkpoint near the border on Tuesday that killed three soldiers. It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack, which was condemned by the Lebanese government and
Hezbollah. “These and other incidents are stark reminders that the conflict in Syria poses an incredibly dangerous threat to Lebanon’s stability, the people of Lebanon and security,” she said. “We call on all parties to do their part to act with restraint and respect Lebanon’s stability and security.” Hezbollah had long insisted its arsenal of rockets and other weapons would only be used to defend Lebanon from its southern neighbor. But Nasrallah has said the group must now defend Assad’s regime against an uprising increasingly dominated by hardline Sunni Islamists who view Shiites and Assad’s offshoot Alawite sect as apostates. Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria has raised fears the conflict could spill over into Lebanon, where deadly clashes between supporters and opponents of the Syrian regime have periodically erupted in the northern city of Tripoli. Syria has long been a crucial conduit for arms supplied to Hezbollah by its chief patron Iran. Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and some Palestinian groups view themselves as an axis of “resistance” against Israel and the West. AFP
Hezbollah: Profile
L
ebanon’s powerful Shiite Muslim party Hezbollah, whose men are fighting alongside Syrian troops to recapture a strategic town from rebels, is a key client of Iran and an ardent ally of the Damascus regime. Hezbollah was founded in 1982 in response to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon. It rapidly spearheaded the anti-Israeli guerrilla campaign and was the key actor in forcing the Jewish state to finally withdraw in 2000. That success, coupled with the party’s extensive network of social services, has gained it enormous support among Lebanon’s Shiites, who represent about a third of the country’s population. Its militia, blacklisted by a number of Western countries as a terrorist organisation, had never disarmed at the end of Lebanon’s 19751990 civil war on the grounds it was necessary to protect the country against Israeli attacks. It is widely viewed as more powerful than Lebanon’s army. And with its formidable security and intelligence apparatus, Hezbollah is able to wield extensive influence on politics, if not actually dominate them. Intelligence officials now estimate Hezbollah has amassed an arsenal of more than 40,000 short- and longrange rockets the party claims can reach deep inside Israel. AFP
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News THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
COLONIAL SHAME
REAL ESTATE
Indian diaspora's painful past
Realty expo with a difference
Exploited, humiliated, beaten, condemned and deported, hundreds of Indian labourers died in French West Indies.
ARUN KUMAR feedback@postnoon.com POINTE-A-PITRE (GUA DE LOUPE): They came from distant India to verdant Gudaeloupe, a group of French islands in the French West Indies, with dreams in their eyes, only to end up being exploited for endless years. Between 1854 and 1889, an estimated 42,873 Indians came largely from five French ruled territories in India to work on contract on sugar plantations not knowing that colonial settlers had turned to them to find cheap labour after the abolition of slavery in 1848. On their arrival, the cultural shock was brutal, as Michel Narayninsamy, president of Guadeloupe Global people of Indian Origin notes. "Their reception was not welcoming and they found themselves between the colonialist and the liberated people who regarded them with certain hostility as the masters were still recovering from the spirit of slavery," he said. Exploited, humiliated, beaten, condemned and deported, hundreds between them died in atrocious conditions for reclaiming their rights, their religious practices and mainly repatriation to India after the end of their five year contracts. Thirty-five of them were deported to the Isle of Goats and died there under atrocious conditions. This week GOPIO honours the ancestors of people of Indian origin who "resisted the times, the isolation and humiliation" by erecting a memorial to mark the history of the Indian presence in Guadeloupe on the Isle of Goats, Terre de Hauts. The three-day event from May 31 to June 2 marks another manifestation of GOPIO Guadeloupe's efforts to re-establish their links and culture with their
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For more than 157 years, the government of British India and the successive Indian governments after independence forgot and ignored us. Michel Narayninsamy of Guadeloupe Global People of Indian Origin forgotten native land initiated since the visit of Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi two years ago. Before that "for more than 157 years, the government of British India and the successive Indian governments after independence forgot and ignored us", said Narayninsamy. As one account by one Captain Bonnemaison of his visits to the Isle of Goat notes: "They showed us the disciplinary cells.
Pick
They were virtual tombs of stone of two metres long and one metre fifty centimetre wide and two metres sixty high. The prisoner would sit on the bare floor with his shoulder and head against wall and feet shackled and dangling 0.25 metres above the floor." Historical documents show that following a March 27, 1852 decree of the French President and the convention of July 1, 1861, all immigrants were entitled to be repatriated free to their homeland on completion of their five year contracts. But with plantation owners delaying the departure of their Indian labour by all means and various other reasons, only an estimated 8,700 Indians left Guadeloupe between 1861 and 1906 on 28 ships, though one of them returned after one month. As Christian Schnakenbourg, professor emeritus at the university of Provence, notes in his thesis on "The Indian Immigration In Guadeloupe 1848-1923": "The migratory adventure of the Indians in Guadeloupe was only a succession of dramas: lies during commitments, humiliation, violence, and misery during and after return." "For the vast majority amongst them, the emigration destroyed their lives; they came back to India just to die." IANS
at the
POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: Are you a prospective buyer for real estate property in the City? Here is a golden opportunity for you to see and book among the best properties of the City. Property Bazaar 2013, one of the biggest property expos in the City, is scheduled to be held on June, 8-9, 2013 at Lake View Park on Necklace Road. Now, the buyers not only get enough information about the range of properties but can also visit and feel the properties and their localities in a comfortable trips arranged by organisers. “This expo is a massive assembly of all the who's who in realty sector and can also be a great opportunity to builders, developers and bankers to get and speak to their prospective customers. A great mileage can be gained from this mega show of grand scale as we have ensured tremendous amount of media coverage,” says spokesperson of Corporate Real Estate, event organisers. On real estate environment, he says, “The government’s decision in the recent budget gave impetus to the middle-income first-time property buyer. Any buyer with the property value of not more than `40 lakh with a house loan of not more than
To be held in the sprawling Lake View Park opposite IMAX, the event will also offer banks and other financial institutions a golden chance to make business with the customers who may buy/ sell/ invest in the best property across six cities.
`25 lakh can avail additional tax exemption of `1 lakh this year in addition to the existing `1.5 lakh for the interest paid to the loan. The real estate environment has gained its momentum with the decent growth in property values. In this scenario, this show holds great potential for all the stakeholders.” It would be a neverbefore meet of the leaders of the realty industry across several major cities. Corporate builders, makers of smart homes, realty experts, and leading agents are likely to attend the event. To be held in the sprawling Lake View Park opposite IMAX, the event will also offer banks and other financial institutions a golden AROUND THE
CITY
chance to make business with the customers who may buy/ sell/ invest in the best property across six cities. “At the show, Property Bazaar 2013, financial institutions and bankers will be meeting a wide range of prospective investors in the mid and upper segments (`30-40 lakh to `3-4 crore). This definitely is a place where only targeted and prospective customers are likely to attend making it very useful for banks and for developers,” he explained brimming with confidence. On property yatra, he said, “We are making it a weekly affair for our valued prospective customers in real estate dealings. “For a start, visitors can book trips to visit propertiesfor June 16 and June 30. We propose to organise these trips every second and last Sunday. Some 20 projects will be lined up for customer perusal,” he added. For reservations, contact: mobile No +91 98662 70258.
airport,
-
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News THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING NT BALANARAYAN
BEST OF THE BEST
iTWIN CONNECT
T
hese days there is no guarantee about the safety of your data, especially when connected to a public WiFi network. In such scenarios this tiny dongle can come handy. It encrypts your data and sends it through a VPN while letting you share your desktop remotely. It even lets you share files your computer with friends. Any network sniffing or intelligent proxy servers in your location will be unable to decipher the data or ascertain anything about your browsing activities. It’s good to have this around when you travel to countries that monitor Internet usage.
DUMB WAYS TO DIE
F
ind out if you're any less stupid than the adorable, imprudent characters of Melbourne's award-winning spot for the Australian Metro, "Dumb Ways to Die," in this mobile game based on the film. In the game you need to swat wasps, step back behind the yellow line and avoid piranhas pecking at your privates just to survive. While most of these might sound like common sense, the game it quite fun to play and addictive.
GEEK SPEAK WEARABLE TECH
T
his is a term you’ll be hearing more and more in the coming days. Technology has improved to such a level that most of the things we find in a smartphone and PC now will be integrated into various accessories we wear daily. We already have various sensors built into wrist bands that can track how much we exercise and then there is Google Glasses that present information in a tiny display on your peripheral vision. These devices are empowered by tiny sensors some that can detect change in the heat, others than can detect motion, change in angles, change in direction etc. and when someone figures out how to get these sensors to work together while consuming very little power they way we use gadgets is expected to change drastically. Wearable technology will also have the ability to interact with other objects that are connected to the Internet that will become more mainstream in a couple of years.
M
arissa Mayer has been busy since she took over as CEO at Yahoo! — once a powerhouse, now a cautionary tale. Under her, the company has bought two hot properties in a short period — Summly and Tumblr — but still hasn’t managed to get people interested in the company. The problem is the same that Yahoo! has faced for the past 10 years, it has great products but there’s no way to navigate from one to the other without feeling like you’re using products from different companies. For an example, go to Yahoo! Mail, one of the most popular properties owned by the company and then hop on to Flickr which was redesigned last week. See anything in common apart from the common login? Nope, me neither and that essentially is the problem that Mayer needs to address. I’m sure this is not the first time she has seen such a situation. Google, her ex-employer went through the same issues a couple of years back till Sergey Brin decided to integrate the company with a common design language and vision. However Google, much to the disappointment of many, built all their services around Google Plus. If Yahoo! is to restructure their services today what will they build it around? Yahoo.com as a portal is a deadend as no one cares about portals anymore. Portals made sense before the rise of search engines and user-generated content. There were plenty of websites but people who were accessing Internet for the first time had no idea where to start or where to go. At such times, portals such as yahoo.com, msn. com and rediff.com made sense. However, as the Internet exploded with the rise of web 2.0 services that encouraged people to actively participate rather than being dumb consumers, Yahoo! was left on the sidelines. They bought services such as Flickr and Delicious but mismanaged them to such an extent that many active users left for other services. Mayer is trying to turn things around now, by redesigning Flickr, putting emphasis on mobile apps and
Why Y! Why? Yahoo! under Marissa Mayer is busy splurging money over acquisitions, but is that enough? by improving features of its services. She has bought Tumblr in the hope of getting the attention of teens who are increasingly using the micro-blogging turned social network to interact with their peers. However, these youngsters are now fleeing Tumblr because they are scared Yahoo! will somehow screw up their beloved social network. Earlier this year it had bought Stamped, a mobile app that lets users rate and review restaurants, books, movies, places, anything! It had also acquired snip.it which was like Evernote with a Pinterest-like interface. It also bought a couple of mobile
While Mayer has managed to grab the headlines with some acquisitions the real work is still ahead for her. Though she claims Yahoo! is more of a technology company now, it has very little to show apart from the money spent. gaming companies apart from Astrid a mobile productivity app. Now the big question is what the company plans to do with all these services, will they be integrated into Yahoo! services or will they continue to work the way they do now? Either way, Yahoo! is going to run into a lot of difficulty, if they decided to integrate and unify all services under a Yahoo! id, a lot of users may not continue to use it. After all, how many people still have a Yahoo! id and how many people want to start and
manage another email account? The other alternative is worse in the long run as Yahoo! will gain very little from these acquisitions. Integrating all services under a single id might be bad for Yahoo! in the short-term as I mentioned earlier, but over the years they will have a bouquet of services that go beyond news. Speaking of services the company owns, it is surprising that Mayer has done very little to push Yahoo! Messenger to the forefront. There is a lot of confusion among users on which messaging client to use, with the battle split between WhatsApp, Viber, Google’s Hangouts, Apple’s iMessage to name a few. So this would be a good time for Yahoo to re-enter the field and push Yahoo Messenger, which used to be a go-to chatting app in many parts of the world till about five years ago. While Mayer has managed to grab the headlines with some great acquisitions the real work is still ahead for her. Though she claims Yahoo! is more of a technology company now, it has very little to show apart from the money spent. Yahoo, the portal, still seems to be the company’s focus and the faster it can move away from that concept the better off it will be. It needs to be more focussed and shutter many of its services now one really cares about, it needs to integrate the good services better. Speaking of integration, there’s no way to attack a photo of mine from Flickr from within Yahoo! Mail, but it does offer me an option to attach a file from Dropbox. Did you hear that smacking sound? Sorry that was just me facepalming. So dear Mayer, it's about time you got rid of all this boohoo and brought back some Yahoo!
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THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
Business
WALL STREET FALLS
Stocks fell on Wednesday as high-yielding dividend stocks lost some of their luster after recent gains in the US. Treasury bond yields.
CHECKING THE CHEQUE
VERIFIED FACEBOOK PAGES
Is your cheque
CTS COMPLIANT?
NUPUR PAVAN BANG AND ANUJ HETAMSARIA
M
r Mukherjee was holding a sheet of paper and walking towards me at the Park. He looked agitated as he always is whenever faced with financial decision making or difficulty in understanding something. He held out the paper even before he greeted me. Prof Nicky: What is this Mr Mukherjee? Mukherjee: Read it. I got it from my bank as an email today. What does this mean? What am I supposed to do? Nicky: Okay, let me see. The email read, "The RBI has introduced a new Cheque Truncation System (CTS). All cheques issued from 1st August, 2013 need to be CTS 2010 compliant. Any old cheque or nonCTS cheque will not be accepted after 31st July 2013". You don't need to worry Mr Mukherjee. RBI is implementing a new clearing system called cheque truncated system that is meant for faster clearance of cheques. Mukherjee: What is CTS? Nicky: CTS was introduced and implemented in the National Capital Region (NCR) in February 2008 on a pilot basis. The number 2010 in 'CTS-2010' is because the guidelines for CTS came up in the year 2010. As per wikipedia, CTS is basically an online image-based cheque clearing system where cheque images and Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) data are captured at the collecting bank branch and transmitted electronically. Mukherjee: But why should I worry about it? Since you
In CTS, cheque images and MICR data are captured at the bank and transmitted electronically.
CTS is easier to implement and is less costly than physical movement of cheques. It will result in shorter clearing cycle and superior verification. minimised under the CTS regime, which is good for banks. Mukherjee: What kind of information will be transmitted electronically to the other bank? Nicky: Information like date of presentation, presenting bank details, data on the MICR band.
taught me to use internet banking, I hardly ever use the cheque. I transfer money using RTGS and NEFT. Pay bills through internet banking. Nicky: But didn't you give post dated cheques when you took a home loan? Also, you may need to pay for your daughter's education through cheque, many a time payments to government agencies need to be made by cheques, you may receive cheque from someone. If not immediately, you will definitely get affected by it in the future. So it would be best to be prepared rather than sorry. This system is anyways for your safety and benefit. Mukherjee: How so? Nicky: Its easier for banks to
implement and is less costly than physical movement of cheques. It will result in shorter clearing cycle, superior verification and reconciliation process. It will be faster as the physical movement of cheques will stop and an electronic image of the cheque will be transmitted with key important data. As the system matures, it is proposed to integrate multiple locations and reduce geographical restrictions in cheque clearing. Hence, there are chances of multi-city cheques getting cleared on the same day, going forward. It's not only beneficial from users perspective, it's good from regulators and banks' angle too. It reduces operational risk in banking. Scope for frauds are
Mukherjee: And what about the changes to the cheque leaf itself? Nicky: A CTS compliant cheque leaf is different from a normal cheque leaf you currently use, and has certain distinct features. Certain benchmarks have been prescribed like quality of paper, watermark, bank’s logo in invisible ink, void pantograph, etc, and standardisation of field placements on cheques. This will achieve standardisation of cheques issued by banks. The printer details along with the words ‘CTS-2010’ is mentioned along the area where you tear off the leaf from the cheque book. The new symbol of the Indian rupee is printed beside the area where the amount in figures needs to be written. The words ‘please sign above’ are mentioned indicating the space where you will need to sign the cheque. Mukherjee: It's good to know that the regulators are taking steps to introduce safer processes for us!
GOLD `26,556 10g SILVER `43,534 1kg
24C
for
for
DOLLAR `56.09 POUND `84.96
SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook began authenticating the pages of famous folks and big brands at the social network on Wednesday, in a move that follows in Twitter's footsteps. "Today we're launching Verified Pages to help people find the authentic accounts of celebrities and other high-profile people and businesses on Facebook," the California-based Internet giant said in a blog post. "You'll see a blue badge next to their names." Verified Pages display small blue circles with a white check mark in the middle to indicate that identities have been confirmed. The blog post used a verified Facebook page of singer and actress Selena Gomez as an example. Twitter has long featured similar verification badges that have become status symbols of sorts at the globally popular one-to-many messaging service.
NUMEROLOGY
$5.6
bn
is what Berkshire Hathaway unit MidAmerican Energy will buy NV Energy for, the company announced on Wednesday.
CITI SETTLES US SUIT Citigroup has settled a lawsuit by the US Federal Housing Finance Agency over the sale of home mortgagebacked securities to governmentbacked lenders, a court document showed Wednesday. According to a court filing, Judge Denise Cote said that both sides had reached an agreement. The FHFA sued Citigroup and 16 other financial institutions in September 2011 for violating federal securities laws in the sale of residential mortgage-backed securities to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The agency is the conservator of the two mortgage-finance giants that were seized by the federal government in 2008 as they veered toward bankruptcy amid the collapse of a housing price bubble. The FHFA accused the 17 companies of misleading Fannie and Freddie about the credit-worthiness of the assets.
BSE 6,094.30 NSE
20,126.53 21.11
10.00
THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
Comment Money and success don’t change people; they merely amplify what is already there.
INTERNATIONAL PEACE
F
acebook, like other web superpowers, has always wanted to be seen as a technology business, not a media player. That’s because media companies, which control their own content, are under the spotlight from regulators, politicians and advertisers. But overnight the company has had to respond to a campaign by women’s rights groups, angry about its apparent tolerance of misogynistic hate speech on the site. Facebook has been forced to face facts — offensive content posted on its platform will be seen by many as its responsibility and could harm its business. Facebook’s first response to campaigns by people disturbed by hateful material of any kinds on its pages has usually been to point out that it is a self-policing community, with controls that enable users to report offenders against its code. But now the social network admits that isn’t working. Facebook now outlines a series of moves to shore up those systems. The most significant appears to be an insistence that anyone posting cruel or insensitive humour — not hate speech — has to stand behind that with their own authentic identity so that they can be called out by other users. Women, Action and the Media, one of the groups which had been calling for action against anti-women hate speech, welcomed Facebook’s move, hoping it would mark “an historic transition in relation to media and women’s rights”. Last month, the social network removed decapitation videos from the site, after first maintaining that it could not censor material posted by users which gave a view of the “world in which we live”. So, is Facebook growing up?
14
RAY OF LIGHT IN IRAN NUKE PROGRAMME SIMON STURDEE
Will Smith Actor
Facebook learns a lesson
HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS
The ethics surrounding so-called killer robots will come under scrutiny as a report is presented to the UN’s Human Rights Council in Geneva. A report presented to the meeting will call for a moratorium on their use while the ethical questions they raise are debated.
Agence France-Presse
A
n important recent development in Iran’s nuclear programme, if it continues, might help to ease international fears that Tehran wants the bomb, but serious questions still remain, analysts and diplomats said. This potentially positive step, as highlighted in recent quarterly reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency, concerns uranium enriched by Iran to a fissile purity of 20 per cent. This material is of major international concern because if further purified to 90 per cent — a process well within Iran’s technical capabilities — it would be suitable for a bomb. According to the IAEA’s report last week, Iran has produced 324kg (714 pounds) of 20per cent enriched uranium, well above the around 240kg thought to be needed for one nuclear device — which is reportedly also Israel’s “red line”. But more than 40 per cent of this has been converted into another form, triuranium octoxide, which experts say is tricky — although not impossible — to convert back to the original uranium hexafluoride. Iran says that it is converting this uranium in order to provide
fuel for a reactor in Tehran, and four others that outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad last February ordered constructed, for nuclear medicines. Tehran calls it a “confidencebuilding” measure in so-far fruitless talks with six world powers on hold until after Iranian presidential elections on June 14. But the problem, says Mark Hibbs, analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, is that Iran’s output is “way beyond” what it needs. Plans for four more reactors are also “pie in the sky,” he told AFP. At the same time, the rate at which Iran is converting the 20per cent enriched uranium remains below the production rate — meaning that the size of the overall stockpile continues to creep ever higher. Moreover, Iran’s output of 20-per cent enriched uranium is set to triple once new machinery at its Fordo enrichment facility is up and running. Iran is also putting in more modern enrichment machines at its Natanz plant, which will enable Tehran to process fissile material more quickly. As the IAEA cannot vouch for Iran’s activities being peaceful, its 35-nation board of governors, which meets in Vienna from Monday, has passed several resolutions calling on Tehran to suspend all enrichment, as has the UN Security Council. Iran refuses, calling the UN
resolutions illegal and the IAEA, which derives some 65 per cent of its budget from Washington and its allies, “politicised”.
PLUTONIUM
But even if Iran manages to soothe some of the concerns about uranium, there are also other areas of worry. Not least of these is progress, as outlined in the last IAEA report, in building the new IR40 reactor at Arak, which Western countries fear could provide Iran with plutonium, an alternative to uranium for a weapon, if the fuel is reprocessed. “Everyone is always focusing on the uranium enrichment, and for understandable reasons, but there is this second path-
way,” said Shannon Kile, nuclear expert at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Arak “shows that this issue is not just about 20-per cent enriched uranium stockpiles. This is a broader picture,” agreed one senior Western diplomat in Vienna. Another bone of contention meanwhile is what the IAEA suspects may have been Iranian research, mostly before 2003 but possibly ongoing, into creating a nuclear payload for a missile. Iran denies this, and 10 meetings with the IAEA since its major November 2011 report summarising these claims — based mostly, but not only, on foreign intelligence — have failed to make progress.
EDITORIAL Educational realities of Andhra Pradesh
C
hanging Lives in Andhra Pradesh: Young Lives Children Growing Up, a book brought out by Young Lives India shows how poverty continues to shape the experience of children as it impacts many areas of their lives. The qualitative research found that children and their families may have higher aspirations, but their chances in life are often heavily influenced by where they are born and their family circumstances. Social protection schemes like the Mid-Day Meal Scheme and MGNREGS in which we so often see corruption, also act as cushions for such families. The study focuses on important aspects that the government needs to aim for while formulating policies in the field of education and health. One; families make
READERS’ VIEWS
sacrifices like foregoing a meal a day in order to enable their children to have better life than their own. Two; despite increased trends in school enrolment, gender disparities like not giving higher education to the girl child and taking her out of school for early marriage, is common. Three; despite best efforts, limited resources often force parents to make difficult decisions like shifting to a lesser-fee school. Four; elder children drop out of school to make way for education of younger siblings and support family finance by working at an early age to pay up family debt. For, the perspectives and aspirations of poor children in developing countries will help realisation of the UN Millennium Goals.
We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 4067 2222. Editor: Dean Williams
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THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
tELEVISION
SHAKIRA & USHER TO RETURN TO THE VOICE
The swiveling chairs on The Voice saw some new occupants this season. Newbie coaches Shakira and Usher debuted this fourth season and have generally earned rave reviews for their enthusiasm and coaching styles.
SERIES REVIEW
NEW SHOW
The dysfunctional Bluths are back! Finally the long wait ends for a devoted fan-base as Netflix revives this modern day classic of a series. EA ABHISHEK feedback@postnoon.com
S
even years ago when the show was scrapped by the Fox-network, Arrested Development was a hit amongst the critics, but wasn’t that a favourite with the viewers, mainly because not many of them completely understood it. What has happened in these seven years is that the show has managed to garner a huge fan following through the Internet and DVD sales. The audience demand for a new series was growing and Netflix took it upon themselves to revive the show. Fifteen episodes of the new season were released on May 26, 2013. There is humour you understand, jokes you don’t understand and then there is humour that deserves to be understood, Arrested Development has always been filled with such quirky, witty, adult, intellectual humour that it might take a replay to get it but then when you get the joke, it is always satisfying. The new season is nothing new in terms of the quality of humour or content. it is the same dysfunctional
Ekta’s Jodha Akbar Ekta Kapoor now walks through history. She is coming out with historical saga Jodha Akbar and the show's lead actor Rajat Tokas thinks it will be a change for the better. Produced by Balaji Telefilms, the show is likely to go on air sometime next month on Zee TV. Delhi guy Rajat, who will be seen as emperor Akbar in the series, said: “Being a professional, I have read about my character Akbar, but not about the people around him as I wanted to be excited with any new advancement on the show.”
DID YOU KNOW...
Mermaids Bluth family, same characters with an addition of a few new ones in each episode, similar method of narrative, but what the new season differs in is the approach. The previous seasons were all plot driven where each episode generally had the whole family involved, but this time around creator Mitchell Hurvitz has decided to stick to sub-plots and twists, with each episode focusing on a single family member. The first one is focused on Michael, the second on George Sr. and so on. This new approach might seem quiet ambitious, but then it ended up working out quiet well and maybe the show did require changes like these to increase the
interest among the audiences. One of the reasons why Hurvitz could pull off a storytelling experiment like this is because of the freedom and flexibility offered by the changed duration of the show from 22 minutes to anywhere between 30 to 40 minutes. The format of 15 episodes at a time is also a new experience for the audience, some ardent fans may even sit though all of them at once, some might choose to space it out and watch it the traditional way, once a week. This new season is more like a celebration of the series and it is important that the viewers have watched the previous seasons and are well versed with the characters to completely under-
stand this one. At the beginning the reactions to the new season might vary because it is no more a consistent storyline. If there is a character that does not amuse you enough, then the whole episode based on him might get boring. A few episodes might be disappointing as well, but it could also just mean that you didn’t get it, so watch it the second time and as we all know Arrested Development rarely disappoints on the second viewing. As the season progresses and the narrative gains context, the viewers will hopefully start adjusting to all things new and at the end of it they will be left with an Arrested Development experience like never before.
MEET THE FAMILY Michael is probably the only sane one in the Bluth household.
The matriarch, Lucille, is rarely seen without a drink in her hand.
Lindsay spends her days ignoring her kid and holding charity events.
Lindsay’s husbant Tobias is a ‘never nude’ and is probably gay.
George Bluth Sr., the manipulative patriarch, is back with his twin, Oscar.
Gob, Michael’s older brother, is a part-time magician and all-time jerk.
Mama’s boy Buster is the most socially awkward of the Bluths.
Mild-mannered George Michael is as nice as Michael, his father, is.
Lindsay’s daughter Maeby ‘Mae’ is an expert con artiste.
Americans’ fascination with mermaids seemingly knows no bounds, as Animal Planet drew a networkrecord audience on Sunday for Mermaids: The New Evidence. The special, kicking off Monsters Week on Animal Planet, averaged 3.6 million viewers, according to Nielsen — well above the previous record holder for the network, the 2.8 million who watched Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real in 2005.
TRENDING...
TV actor Mrunal Jain, currently seen in Uttaran, feels that the process of improving and learning is a must. "We get a script every day and we try to change it as much as we can. We try to keep improving a lot. We to add to the script. I try to be a better actor with every scene," Mrunal told IANS.
Actor Karanvir Bohra is excited to be participating on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, but rather than worrying about his competitors on the dance reality show, he says he is most scared of himself because he is a lazy bum. Karanvir said he is extremely lazy, and that could come in the way of his success on the show.
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THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
spotlight 1
A DOSE OF GLAMOUR
A ROCKING NIGHT
Galeej Gurus band will be paying tribute to U2 tonight at Hard Rock Cafe. Fun begins at 9 pm.
Fashion fiesta
6
Nikita Reddy organised Designer Trunk Show at Park Hyatt where designers from across the country exhibited their works. Namrata Shirodkar inaugurated the show.
1 Archana 2 Asmita
2
3
4
5
7
8
9
10
3 Dolly,
Swati
4 Shilpa,
5 Nikita Reddy
Lavanya
6 Namrata Shirodkar
7 Deepti,
Sirisha
A FLAVOURFUL EXPERIENCE
Actor Jagapati Babu inaugurated new barbecue restaurant Thugs of Grill at Kukatpally on Wednesday.
11
8 Rekha, Rachana
10 Sridevi
9 Preeti
11 Bobby
THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
health
PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTION CAN HELP QUIT SMOKING
On the eve of World No Tobacco Day, Sunil Mittal, leading psychiatrist and director of Cosmos Institute of Mental Health and Behavioural Science (CIMBS) here, said that the effectiveness of psychological intervention in smoking cessation is well established. IANS
PSORIASIS
STOPPING THE
I T C H
Not much is known about Psoriasis. A person suffering from the disease often feels stigmatised and unwelcome in many social circles. However, this should not be the case.
FLEME VARKEY
fleme.v@postnoon.com
A
t the recently concluded 66th World Health Assembly conference in Geneva, Qatar, along with Argentina, Ecuador and Panama, initiated a resolution for the establishment of World Psoriasis Day. According to a statement made by one of the representative countries, “Stigmatisation and discrimination of people with psoriasis is a major issue, for this reason we need a global awareness campaign about the diagnosis, treatment and care available for psoriasis, which is not contagious and has no borders. It requires action at global, regional and national level.” Biocon, in April this year, received approval to sell its newest biologic psoriasis drug in the country. In a report mentioned by the makers of the drug, it was said that Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin disease which affects two per cent to three per cent of India's more than 1.2 billion people. In simpler terms, Psoriasis is a common skin disease that affects the life cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis causes cells to build up
rapidly on the surface of the skin, forming thick silvery scales and itchy, dry, red patches that are sometimes painful. Dr A Sachin, consultant dermatologist at a clinic in Delhi tells us more, “In some cases psoriasis runs in families. The chance of a person developing it starts when they are infants, but it does not mean that all patients with the genetic propensity will eventually develop the disease. Since it has been deemed by many as incurable, many patients do not seek further treatment. This is wrong, as there are a lot of drugs that can help control the spread of the disease.” Informing us about the causes, Dr Sachin says, “When the immune system overreacts, it causes inflammation and flaking of skin. There are many trigger factors such as climate — cold, dryness and hot weather, sunlight and even humidity may accelerate symptoms. Then there are forgotten or neglected skin injuries. An injury to the skin can cause psoriasis patches to form anywhere on the body. Another triggering factor is stress, which can cause the disease to appear or even flare up.”
TREATMENT
Since it is a skin-related ailment, most doctors suggest the
SYMPTOMS Psoriasis signs and symptoms can vary from person to person but may include one or more of the following: n Red patches of skin covered with silvery scales n Small scaling spots (commonly seen in children) n Dry, cracked skin that may bleed n Itching, burning or soreness n Thickened, pitted or ridged nails n Swollen and stiff joints
essentials required to take care of one’s skin. Most cases of psoriasis are mild, and treatment begins with skin care. This includes keeping your skin moist with creams and lotions. These are often used with other treatments including shampoos, ultraviolet light, and medicines your doctor prescribes. “It is also important to avoid those things that can cause psoriasis symptoms to flare up or make the condition worse, such as smoking, excess alcohol consumption, prolonged exposure to sunlight etc..,” Dr Sachin. In some cases, psoriasis may go away without treatment. But in moderate to severe cases, it is best to treat psoriasis so that it does not get worse.
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THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
Technology WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY
Watching from the sidelines APPLE CHIEF SEES COMPUTERS ON WRISTS - NOT IN GLASSES
RUMOURS CONFIRMED Most of the rumoured new features in Windows 8 have been confirmed by winsupersite, it will have features such as boot to desktop and the start button will be back. When you hover over Start button, the button changes colour, with a black background and the accent color used on the flag logo. Yes, it looks exactly like the Start Charm, with similar animations. When you activate the Switcher app, Start button will appear at the bottom as the Start tip does today, and has Start text in the box, as it does now. You’ll also have an option to set your desktop wallpaper as your lockscreen and as background for the Start screen.
NEW LOOK GMAIL
GLENN CHAPMAN feedback@postnoon.com
A
pple chief Tim Cook on Tuesday said he sees promise in computers shrunk down and worn like watches or other accessories, but drew the line at Internet-linked eyewear such as Google Glass. Google Glass is “not likely to be a mass market item” but Apple is “incredibly interested” in the broader area of wearable computing, Cook said in an onstage interview at an AllThingsD conference in California. He predicted there will be “tons of companies playing” in the wearable computing sector but sidestepped a question as to whether Apple would be among them with the creation of a rumored “iWatch” device to be worn on the wrist. “I don’t know a lot of people that wear (glasses) that don’t have to,” a bespectacled Cook said in a sideways shot at Google Glass. “The wrist is interesting,” he continued in comments liveblogged by AllThingsD. “You still have to convince people it is worth wearing. Most young peo-
ple don’t wear a watch.” Google Glass was a common sight early this month as software savants shared visions of games, weather reports, news and more delivered to the Internet-linked eyewear at a San Francisco developers conference. Many developers attending an annual Google I/O event sported Glass as part of an “explorer” program to tinker with creative applications for the eyewear, which cost $1,500 a unit. Glass connects to the Internet using Wi-Fi hot spots or,
more typically, by being wirelessly tethered to mobile phones. Pictures or video are shared through the Google Plus social network. Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt said recently that it will take “a while” before consumer versions of Glass are available. Cook rejected the notion that Apple has lost its cool factor and said he was not worried about pressure from competitors such as Samsung, which has seized the crown as the world’s top
Apple to ease dependence on Foxconn
A
pple is easing its dependence on contract electronics colossus Foxconn by enlisting Pegatron to assemble a low-cost iPhone it is planning, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. Taiwan-based Foxconn had the enviable position of cranking out nearly all of the California company's iPhones and iPad tablet computers but Apple chief Tim Cook is moving to diversify the supply chain, according to the
Journal. Pegatron, headquartered in Taipei, became a minor producer of iPhones in 2011 and began making iPad Mini tablets last year, the Journal reported. The newspaper cited unnamed sources as saying reasons for the move included being less dependent on a single supplier and a willingness by Pegatron to accept a smaller profit in return for Apple's business.
smartphone maker. “Absolutely not,” Cook coolly replied when asked whether the California company was in trouble. “We’ve always had competent rivals. We’ve always suited up and fought.” He noted that Apple sold 85 million iPhones and 42 million iPads in the last fiscal quarter and that devices powered by the company’s iOS software account for about 59 percent of mobile Internet traffic. Cook said that Apple has quietly acquired nine companies so far this year and more takeovers could be on the horizon. The slide in Apple share price “has been frustrating,” according to Cook. Apple shares, which topped $700 in September, were at $440 in after hours trading on Tuesday. Cook contended that Apple has “several more game-changers” in it but declined to give details. He said the company was still committed to its Apple TV set-top boxes for streaming online content to big screens. Apple has sold 13 million Apple TV devices, about half of those in the past year, according to Cook. AFP
Google begins rolling out a redesigned Gmail today with an eye on removing inbox clutter, separating bulk emails from the main feed with new tabs for messages from social networks, deal sites, businesses, and forums. The move comes three years after the company launched its Priority Inbox for Gmail, which aimed to bring order to cluttered inboxes by sorting messages based on their importance. The new looks is expected to radically change the way we use and interact with email.
PASSWORDS RESET Passwords for almost one million accounts on the Drupal.org website are being reset after hackers gained unauthorised access to sensitive user data. Drupal.org is the official website for the popular open-source content management platform. The breach is the result of an attack that exploited a vulnerability in an undisclosed thirdparty application, not in Drupal itself, Holly Ross, executive director of the Drupal Association, wrote in a blog post published Wednesday. The hack exposed usernames, e-mail addresses, country information, and cryptographically hashed passwords.
21
THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
Entertainment JUST ME
CINE BYTES
The curious case of
ALLU ARJUN
In a tete-a-tete with Postnoon, Allu Arjun talks about why Iddarammayilatho is different, competition with Ram Charan and why he’s in no mood to experiment. HEMANTH KUMAR hemanth.k@postnoon.com
T
hree days before his latest film Iddarammayilatho hits the screens, Allu Arjun is nonchalant about everything. After a gap of six years, he has worked with Puri Jagannadh and the two, he says, share a great rapport. Ask him what makes Iddarammayilatho so different from the films he has done so far, he says, “It’s a romantic-action entertainer which has been shot in a different manner. I play the role of a guitarist, who’s a street performer in Barcelona. My characterisation, styling and the whole look of the film is different compared to my previous films. It would seem quite over the top if I play a character like that in a geography like Hyderabad, but now the ambience is different, it gives a whole new dimension to the film.” His styling is one of the several aspects that has made a lot of news in the recent few weeks and it’s a result of plenty of homework. “Ashwin designed my look in the film and we did tremendous amount of research on what costumes, hair style I should sport in the film. We went shopping in Hong Kong and Bangkok and retouched the fabric. After Happy and Arya 2, I did dress rehearsals for
this film and my costumes and accessories were finalised months before we began the shoot. This film will completely justify my tag of being stylish star," he reveals.Allu Arjun is all praises for Puri Jagannadh’s style of working and the additional care that he took for Iddarammayilatho. “He might have done quirky films, but when it comes to commercial films like this, he walks the extra mile to make sure that everything falls into place. I must credit Puri Jagannadh for all the good things about the film," Allu Arjun says. Action choreographer Kecha Khamphakdee turned out to be a revelation on the sets while shooting in Bangkok. Allu Arjun was quite impressed with Kecha’s team and says, “Here, the action choreographer takes care of everything but in Kecha’s team there was a specialist for every minute thing. For example, a person who specialises in sword fighting will not be involved in regular stunts." Few days ago, at an audio launch, he made a statement that he wants to see Ram Charan as the numero uno star in Telugu. We wonder if he is deliberately trying to pull out of competition. Isn’t it? “No way. The competition is always there, but Ram Charan is my cousin and I’m a loyalist of Chiranjeevi. It’s my personal wish to see him in numero uno position. Other than that, honestly, I’m always competing with myself. I want every film of mine to be bigger than the previous one," he adds, driving the point home. Now that he has a brand associated with him and that he has the freedom to do anything he wants, how far is he willing to experiment? Turns out that it’s a big no-no. “I’m in no mood to experiment. An actor is a brand and people watch my films because of that brand. I’ve no interest in off-beat cinema, but I would do a film with a universal appeal. Shankarabharanam wasn’t a commercial film and Bommarillu wasn’t shot in a commercial format, yet both those films have an universal appeal. When I acted in Vedam, I thought it would become an universal film, but it couldn’t reach that state. I would rather impress 90% of the audience than catering to the rest of the critics," he signs off.
NTR heads to Malaysia
A
fter wrapping up a long schedule of his Ramayya Vastavayya, NTR flew to Malaysia to begin a new schedule of the same film. Harish Shankar, the film’s director, and his crew have already reached the location, along with NTR. Samantha and Shruti Haasan are the lead actresses.The film is gearing up for release on September 27.
Sirish’s new film launched
K
otha Janta, a new film starring Sirish and Regina was launched earlier today in Hyderabad. The film is going to be directed by Maruthi and Bunny Vass is producing it under the Geetha Arts banner. Maruthi has revealed that the film is going to be a romantic comedy and JB will be scoring the music.
All eyes on Mahesh Babu
T
he first look of Mahesh Babu’s upcoming film under Sukumar’s direction will be unveiled on May 31 on the occasion of Krishna’s birthday. The film’s title is also ecpected to be revealed soon. Kriti Sanon is the lead actress and it’s her debut film. The current schedule in Hyderabad will go on for another week and in mid-June, the team will fly to London for a 45-day long schedule.
THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
fashion
JIMMY CHOO MAKEOVER CONTINUES JIMMY CHOO has hired renowned British architecture and design company David Collins Studio to give the label's stores a worldwide makeover. The first boutique to be rejuvenated will be the brand's Beverley Hills store, with a new look expected to be unveiled in spring 2014.
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AMY ROSE THOMAS amyrose.t@postnoon.com
S BALAKRISHNA
22&23
THE BATTLE OF THE FAKES: VERSACE WINS
VERSACE has won a landmark court case against the selling of counterfeit products on eBay. The Italian brand first started legal proceedings in California over four years ago against the Griffith Suisse Luxury Group — a company that had been selling fake Versace Goods via the online shopping platform.
Entertainment THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
24
Entertainment THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
25
THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
Chai Time
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
I wanted to invent an engine that could run for ever. I could have developed a new train, had I stayed in the railway. It would have looked like the AK-47 though. Mikhail Kalashnikov
KAKURO
QUICK CROSSWORD
26
SUDOKU How to play kakuro Kakuro is a popular game similar to sudoku in some ways. But is also suitably different. The key question: ‘How do you play kakuro?’, well here are the rules of kakuro. The answer: The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers. However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number. Within each collection of cells — called a run — any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once. Let’s have an example to explain this concept more clearly: In the image above, which shows a section of a kakuro puzzle, you will see the numbers ‘26’ and ‘14’ in the top row. Look at the 14. This means that the total of the three cells underneath must sum to 14. Therefore 9, 4, 1 could be the answer, or perhaps 7, 4, 3 and so on... So, how do you work out the actual combination? Well, this is done through elimination and cross-referencing. For instance, as you work out the answers for other kakuro clues, this will naturally limit the valid combinations, and hence the answer for this particular run. Note the second cell in row two — it contains two numbers, 30 and 11. The 30 refers to the vertical run underneath the number 30 and the 11 refers to the two cells to the right, horizontally, of the number 11.
ACROSS
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
SCRIBBLING PAD
1 Chip flavor 6 Wall Street closer 10 Sci-fi sightings 14 "The Wizard of Oz" composer Harold 15 Length times width 16 Iditarod racer’s destination 17 Avon Lady’s way of selling, once 19 "Apple" or "berry" lead-in 20 "Manner" attachment 21 Fixes, say 22 Crusoe’s refuge 24 Scaled-back thing? 26 Couple’s event 27 Beam of light 28 Archaeologist’s prize 32 Actionable words 35 Once upon a time 36 Picture puzzle 37 Embryonic invention 38 "Don’t delay!" 39 Word famously sung by Doris Day 40 Castle barriers 42 Trip stopover 43 Aquatic mammal 44 Ruffian or bully 46 Yonder yawl 47 Memorable time periods 48 Former address at the Kremlin 52 Unpopped corn 55 ___ serif 56 "Terrible twos" chorus 57 Give off, as light 58 Heatproof handwear 61 Alternative to liquid medicine 62 Dam buildup 63 Pop up, as a question 64 Canasta card 65 Angel costume accessory 66 Painful lumps
DOWN
1 How low you can go 2 "Kiss From ___" (Seal hit) 3 "Jurassic Park" sound 4 That lady 5 Accused 6 It’s flashed by the law 7 Love archer 8 Zodiac "king" 9 Rancher’s rope 10 Addams Family character 11 "... my kingdom ___ horse!" 12 Middle Eastern gulf 13 Drop in the mailbox 18 Greasy 23 Work with a wok, say 25 Handle mildly 26 Go down with the ship 28 "... the ___ of defeat" 29 Act as a henchman 30 Put in the smokehouse 31 Leader executed by the Bolsheviks 32 Like old lettuce 33 Object of blind devotion 34 Belle’s escort 35 Indigo-yielding shrubs 41 "Be glad to!" 43 Electrical principle 45 Half a wintertime pair 46 iPod selection 48 Division of a long poem 49 Ear bone named for its shape 50 Accomplish, as thou might 51 Skier’s shapes, often 52 Held on to 53 Dubai VIP 54 Ruffle the feathers of 55 Auction off 59 By way of 60 It’s major for miners
Chai Time THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013 Thiruvaikumar
STAR POWER for 31-5-2013
27
As per Hindu panchang thiruvaikumar@yahoo. co. in, 040-27177230 / 9177596118
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Obeying instructions from superiors is a must for employees. Avoid handing over important works to others as they might mishandle them which will affect your reputation. Your sweet and nice approach will make difficult tasks successful.
STRIP TEASE AGNES
Employees are likely to get elevation and pay hike. Health problems most likely need to be attended without delay. Self confidence and courage levels are set to increase. As good effects are about to take place, avoid behaving as headstrong.
Expected transfer with promotion on cards for employees will materialize with their sincere efforts. Keep away from friends who talk bad and have bad habits. Do not discourage children and support them so that they can achieve their goals.
Govt. officials need to be careful and avoid giving guarantee for anyone. Avoid magnifying others’ mistakes as it might have an impact on your growth prospects. Maintain patience and focus towards completion of the important tasks.
Adjust with family members to keep the atmosphere happy at home. Avoid murmuring for extra tasks entrusted and blaming the management. Your efforts should be sincere to achieve the expected targets, or you might be disappointed.
Financial inflow will be good from multiple channels. Avoid interfering into others’ personal issues at office. It’s the right time to lay foundation for all future projects and proceed with them. Existing misunderstandings with spouse will end.
Govt. Officials and politicians should refrain from sharing any secrets. Focused efforts will bring success to businessmen. Unwanted apprehension existed will end, creating a favourable atmos[here. Be cordial with life partner.
Children will make you proud and happy. Dull trend existed for businessmen will change and flourish well. Exisiting bad effects will disappear. All the hard efforts you have put in so far will yield expected results which will make you happy.
Be alert as your close friends might turn against you. Financial inflows and expenses will increase. Don’t indulge in acts that will hurt your colleagues at workplace. Be careful in completing tasks as minor mistakes may cost you.
TAROT READ
Sumaa Tekur
tarotreadhyd@gmail. com
ARIES:
GEMINI:
Two of Swords – You are drawn to your native place and want a trip down memory lane. Make a trip literally as the emotional and practical meet at this place.
LEO:
Death – There are some used theories in the world that you can recycle and use as guiding principles in life. Be more open to learning and sharing new ideas.
LIBRA:
PEARLS BEFORE SWINE
The Moon – You have a magnetic pull among the opposite sex members, though it may not be apparent initially. Use your charm to put across viewpoints.
SAGITTARIUS:
Strength – You are on the hunt for perfection. It could be the perfect job or perfect life or business partner. Remember that compromises will have to be made.
TAURUS:
Five of Pentacles – You will have to fight for your rights and do what is needed to stay afloat in a changing personal situation. Don’t take rubbish from others.
CANCER:
The Magician – These are exciting times. You are meeting interesting people and you are getting to experiment with new ideas. Treat this time as a teacher.
VIRGO:
Knight of Cups – It may have been hell the last few days with little time for work and family. You need to act on achieving better work-life balance and relax yourself.
SCORPIO:
Ace of Swords – You have made very big plans for yourself but you also need to be clear about the route map to achieving those plans. One day at a time.
CAPRICORN:
Knight of Pentacles – Don’t take threats lightly. Someone may have said something in jest but give it some consideration. Don’t fear, stay on the safe side.
PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS
PISCES:
The Lovers – Those in corporate jobs do well. Your contract gets an extension, and you get a raise. You will be asked to take on new interesting projects.
NUMBER GAME
Nothing will last forever. Change is the essence of life. So if you are looking for something to stay the same eternally, you better think twice.
SCRABBLE
AQUARIUS: Four of Cups –
POOCH CAFE
Businessmen need to postpone investments for some time. Drive carefully. Couples shouldn’t allow a third person in their personal issues. Give due respect to spouse’s words. Hurdles in the way of performing good events will disappear.
for 31-5-2013
Justice – You are fed up of just rhetoric and no action. But that is how the world works. Be diplomatic and don’t judge someone based on what they say.
NON SEQUITUR
Support from close friends and well wishers will cheer you up. Avoid luxurious expenses and start saving for future needs. Drive out the laziness in you; proper planning and completing tasks in stipulated time are very important for employees.
SUDUKO
Be cordial to all and avoid hurting others. Financial position will improve and you will be relaxed. Avoid arguments and controversial stand at workplace. Planned tasks will be successful. A cheerful atmosphere will prevail at home.
Boggle PEW SOFA BENCH CHAIR RECLINER Vol: 2, No 314 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon. com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211
28
Entertainment THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
PRAISE TO THE SKIES
CINE BYTES
Aashiqui 2 joins `100 crore club
D
A D I T I
finds Akshay incredible
irector Mohit Suri’s musical saga Aashiqui 2 has become the latest to join the `100 crore club and the producers are elated. Released April 26, the musical love story, starring Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor, was made on a budget of `9 crore. Aashiqui 2 was co-produced by Vishesh Films and T-Series. IANS
‘I’ve postponed my film on Salman’s request’
P
roducer Boney Kapoor, who had booked Salman Khan’s time to shoot No Entry Mein Entry, has relinquished his dates to allow filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya to make his film with the actor. No Entry Mein Entry is the sequel to the 2005 film No Entry. “I’ve postponed my film on Salman’s request. Such date reshuffles and adjustments are a routine happening in our industry," said Boney Kapoor. IANS
Varun approached for Dharma production
V
A
ctress Aditi Rao Hydari praises Boss co-star Akshay Kumar’s “disciplined” and “full on masti” attitude and feels privileged to have worked in the ‘Khiladi’ Kumar’s home production. The 26-year-old made her Bollywood debut in 2009 with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Delhi 6 in a supporting role, but graduated to lead roles with films like London Paris New York. “Akshay Kumar is an incredible actor," she said adding that because he is “disciplined behind the scenes” as well as “on the screen and in front of the camera, so he is full on ‘masti’ and a lot of fun".
“I think that’s a great quality to have for an actor. I am very inspired by the way he works. I am very privileged to be a part of his production house and his film," Aditi said. Last seen in Murder 3, Aditi is in the process of signing her next film. “Right now, I am reading a lot of scripts and I am seeing what I can do next as this is the time where one decides which way your career is going. I want to be very sure that I make the right choice," said the actress. Directed by Anthony D’Souza, Boss, also featuring Mithun Chakraborty, Danny Denzongpa, Ronit Roy and Johnny Lever, is slated to release in October this year. IANS
arun Dhawan will be appearing in Dharma’s next. Karan Johar confirmed the news by saying that filming will begin in October. A new girl will be launched opposite him as his leading lady. Varun Dhawan has in his kitty, Main Tera Hero and Sriram Raghavan’s yet untitled next.
sports
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THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES
BOXING
Mayweather set to fight Alvarez
Déjà vu for England England were left with more questions than answers after being held to a 1-1 draw by the Republic of Ireland at Wembley Stadium in their first meeting in 18 years. LONDON: England were left with more questions than answers after being held to a 1-1 friendly draw by the Republic of Ireland at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday in the neighbouring countries’ first meeting in 18 years. Frank Lampard quickly cancelled out Shane Long’s early opener for the visitors, and the lack of further goals meant the score between the sides finished 1-1 for the fourth game in succession. England largely controlled the second half, but manager Roy Hodgson, who saw Daniel Sturridge go off injured, will hope for a more enterprising display in his side’s next assignment. England travel to Rio de Janeiro later this week, ahead of a glamour friendly with 2014 World Cup hosts Brazil on Sunday that will mark the reopening of the iconic Maracana stadium. “I was very pleased with the second-half performance,” said Hodgson, who revealed that Sturridge would miss the trip to Brazil. “We had sufficient dominance and goal chances to win the game, but we must give credit to the Irish goalkeeper. “I can’t complain about any-
England midfielder Frank Lampard (R) stabs home his team’s first goal to equalise during the international friendly football match between England and Republic of Ireland at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday. AFP/BEN STANSALL
thing we did today. They scored a good goal, but it was the only time they looked like scoring.” Giovanni Trapattoni’s Ireland, meanwhile, host Georgia in a friendly on Sunday, before an important World Cup qualifier with the Faroe Islands
on June 7. “I think in 90 minutes, the result is right. Also, England in the second half had more possession,” said the Italian. “But we already knew the great personality that England have. They are one of the three or four strongest countries in
LOCAL SPORTS
football.” Pre-game, attention had focused on the potential for crowd trouble, as rioting England fans had caused the last encounter between the sides, in Dublin in 1995, to be abandoned after only 27 minutes. AFP
LOS ANGELES: Floyd Mayweather will put his undefeated record on the line when he fights Mexican champ Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on September 14 in Las Vegas. “I chose my opponent for September 14th and it’s Canelo Alvarez,” the 36-year-old Mayweather tweeted Wednesday night. “I’m giving the fans what they want.” Mayweather fought May 4 and remained unbeaten with a unanimous decision over Robert Guerrero to keep his World Boxing Council welterweight belt. The two will meet at the MGM Grand Hotel where Mayweather (44-0, 26 KOs) will try to wrestle more belts from World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association light middleweight title holder Alvarez. Alvarez posted a 12-round unanimous decision over Austin Trout on April 20 to unify those titles. Mayweather is moving up in weight to face light welterweight boxer Alvarez, who is 14 years younger than the veteran American. Manny Pacquiao has been trying for several years to get Mayweather into the ring but the Filipino and Mayweather’s feisty camp couldn’t come to an agreement on how to split the revenue from what would be one of the biggest fights in boxing history. AFP
MADRID SHIFT
Raghav surges ahead HYDERABAD: Raghav continued his good form when he defeated Krishna Vamsi in the AITA Talent Series conducted by Ranga Reddy District Lawn Tennis Association at the Advantage Tennis Academy courts in St.Thomas High School here on Wednesday. Results: Boys U-12 Quarterfinals Raghav C Gannavarapu bt Bommu Krishna Vamsi 8-2; Anne Akash bt Khan Mohd Iqbal 8-7 (73); K Ashish Anand bt Rahul Chandna 8-3; Shaik Rifaath bt Venkata Swamy Naidu 8-7 (7-3).
Boys U-14 Quarterfinals K Rohan Reddy bt Sanchith Sikka 8-3; Ganta Sai Karthik Reddy bt Aman Ayub Khan 8-6; Thota Sai Prateek bt K Ahish Anand 8-7 (71); Venkat Anikait bt B Srikar Sai Reddy 8-6. Girls Under-12 Quarterfinals Sahithi Annam bt Kudumula Shreya 8-1; Akshitha Mulla Goud bt Bipasha Mehn 8-4; Bhakti Shah bt Lipika Muramalla 8-3; Juvera Fatima bt Dhruthi Kapoor 8-2 . Girls Under-14 Second Round Juvera Fatima bt Navya Kola 80; Kudumulla Shreya bt Shreya Tatavarthy 8-2.
AP qualify for semis NEW DELHI: The AP boys and girls teams qualified for the seimfinals of the AITA Inter State Nationals U-12 Tennis Tournament being conducted here at R.K.Khanna Stadium, on Wednesday. The boys will next play against either Delhi or Gujarat while the girls take on either Haryana or Karnataka
Results: Girls: AP bt Gujarat 3-0. Amineni Shivani bt Bhakti Parwani 6-2, 6-3; S Rachana Reddy bt Aesha Patel 6-2, 6-7(8), 6-1, Prathyusha Rachapudi/S.Rachana Reddy bt Bhakti Parwani/Diya 6-1,6-1. Boys: AP bt Karnataka 3-0 Menga Rohit bt M.D.Shreyas 62, 6-0, B Rithvik Choudary bt Arvind Sunder 6-0, 6-1, B Rithvik Choudary/Teertha Shashank bt MD Shreyas/Arjun Sriram 6-2, 6-2.
Move difficult to turn down: Suarez
MADRID: Liverpool striker Luis Suarez (right) has admitted it would be hard to turn down an offer from Real Madrid should it arrive in the coming months. The Uruguayan is rumoured to be a target for Los Blancos as president Florentino Perez tries to refresh the squad after a disappointing season in which Jose Mourinho’s side failed to win a major trophy. “I have a contract with Liverpool, but it would be very difficult to say no to Real Madrid” he told Uruguayan radio station Radio sport 890 on Wednesday. Suarez has been a controversial figure in England with moments of brilliance on the field being overshadowed by
a ban for racist abuse towards Patrice Evra in 2011 and he is currently serving a 10-game suspension for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic
in April. And he claims he is fed up with the criticsm he has received from the English media. “I’m happy at Liverpool thanks to the fans. I have committed an error, I am human, but they’ve talked about me in ways they shouldn’t have. My family have suffered and things have gone beyond the limits “I am tired of it. My daughter and my wife have suffered. I’m not prepared to continue suffering at the hands of the English journalists. I suffered a lot as a kid to get where I am just to be attacked unfairly by the English press. They haven’t appreciated me as a player, they’ve just judged my attitude.” AFP
sports
30
THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
CHAMPIONS TROPHY
Woods seeks to put Garcia spat behind him Tiger Woods said he has not spoken to Sergio Garcia and has no plans to do so a week after the golfers got into a spat.
DUBLIN, OHIO: Tiger Woods said Wednesday he has not spoken to Sergio Garcia (in pic) and has no plans to do so a week after the golfers got into a spat that was sparked by raciallytinged comments from the Spaniard. Speaking at the Memorial Tournament, Woods said he does not expect to broach the subject when the two compete at the US Open in two weeks’ time. “That’s already done with," said world number one Woods, the day before he tees it up to try and defend his title at the Muirfield Village Golf Club. Garcia got himself into trouble during a dinner in England when he attempted a joke in which he quipped
about spending time with Woods at the US Open. “We will have him round every night. We will serve fried chicken," he said. The Spaniard’s remarks drew comparisons with a controversy in the late 1990s in which former PGA golfer Fuzzy Zoeller was accused of racism after suggesting that Woods would serve “fried chicken” at a Masters champions dinner. The Spaniard later apologised at a press conference and was clearly embarrassed by the furore he had caused. His comments came on the back of
an earlier clash with Woods in the third round of the Players Championship earlier this month — the latest in a line of disagreements between the two players over the last decade. At the Players the two were grouped together and locked in a tight battle when Garcia said he was distracted by crowd noise after Woods pulled a club out of his bag, in what he said was deliberate gamesmanship from the American. The two players have rarely seen eye to eye and Garcia tried to explain his position last week in England. “You can’t like everybody. He doesn’t need me in his life and I don’t need him in mine. Let’s move on and keep doing what we are doing." Woods had tweeted in response to the “fried chicken” remarks: “The comment that was made wasn’t silly. It was wrong, hurtful and clearly inappropriate ... it’s long past time to move on and talk about golf." AFP
Clarke looks to successful defence CARDIFF, UNITED KINGDOM: Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke said on Wednesday should his side successfully defend their Champions Trophy one day title it would give them a huge boost ahead of taking England on in the Ashes series which follows. The 32-year-old is seeking a pick me up ahead of the Ashes next month after a humiliating 4-0 test series loss to India which was also marked by serious splits in the squad which resulted in disciplinary action being taken against several players. Clarke - who is bidding to regain the Ashes after two successive losses - says all his energies and his team’s will be focussed on retaining the one day title they won in South Africa four years ago. The tournament runs from June 6-23 in England and Wales while the five-Test Ashes series is in July-August. “I don’t think we as a team are focused on the Ashes at all at this stage," said Clarke, who is leading a largely inexperienced test side. “No doubt there’s a lot of build-up in regards to media and the public back home. “I’m sure it’s the same here in England. I certainly have no problems in speaking about it and hearing about the Ashes because it’s a fantastic series that every Australian cricketer looks forward to." Clarke also played down any fears England would be better prepared for the Ashes, thanks to beating an outclassed New Zealand side 2-0 in a home test series which came to a climax on Tuesday. AFP
NEW ZEALAND IN ENGLAND
McCullum wants ODI relief JULIAN GUYER Agence France-Presse LONDON: New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum (in pic) hopes a change of format and the introduction of several new players will revive his side from the depths of a Test whitewash when they face England in a threematch one-day series starting at Lord’s on Friday. For both teams, this series will serve as a warm-up for next month’s ICC Champions Trophy tournament in England and Wales. McCullum would also like it to act as a pick-me-up for a squad that suffered a 247-run hammering by England in the second and
final Test at Headingley on Tuesday. Friday’s match will see New Zealand return to Lord’s where they lost the first Test by the comparatively modest, yet still huge, margin of 170 runs after collapsing to 68 all out in their second innings. They are set to take the field without left-arm seamer Trent Boult, a star performer when New Zealand faced England at home earlier this year and who also impressed in England before aggravating a side strain at Headingley that left him doubtful for the Champions Trophy. Ian Butler is ready to stand-in should Boult be ruled out. However, the inclusion of
McCullum hopes a change of format and introduction of several new players will revive his side from the depths of a Test whitewash when they face England in a threematch ODI series. eight new players for the ODIs with England should bolster the Kiwis, who lost the corresponding three-match one-day series in New Zealand 2-1 after winning an ODI series in South Africa for the first time in January. “We’ve got eight new guys
coming into the fold for the ODI series and Champions Trophy and they’re quite experienced, some of those guys," said McCullum. “One thing we have been able to do in recent times is move between the forms of the game and refocus too. That’s what this (situation) is going to require on a very short turnaround." Daniel Vettori, who ruled himself unfit to play at Headingley, James Franklin, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills and Grant Elliott will all add experience. Mitchell McClenaghan is an aggressive fast bowler and Colin Munro, when in form, a hard-hitting middle-order batsman. AFP
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THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
ASHES
There’s no avoiding Ashes: Punter Ponting has said England despite their best efforts could not avoid talking about the upcoming Ashes series with Oz. LONDON: Ricky Ponting has said England despite their best efforts could not avoid talking about the upcoming Ashes series with Australia. The mantra from everyone within the England camp, from captain Alastair Cook down, has been that the side, who completed a 2-0 Test series whitewash of New Zealand in Leeds on Tuesday and face the Black Caps in the first of three one-dayers at Lord’s on Friday, are concentrating on the “here and now”. Prior to the Ashes, England and Australia will both be involved in
next month’s Champions Trophy. But former Australia captain Ponting, in England to play for county side Surrey, said there was no avoiding the ‘A-word’ such is the prestige attached by both countries to cricket’s oldest Test contest. “You can guarantee at different times they’ll have conversations about it,” Ponting, set to miss his first Ashes since 1993 after retiring from international cricket six months ago, said Wednesday. “It’s inevitable it’s going to come up. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it,” said
Ponting, who fully expects Australia captain Michael Clarke and coach Mickey Arthur to discuss the Ashes well in advance of the first Test against England at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge ground in July. “When you turn up to play a Champions Trophy game, the last thing on your mind is what’s going to happen in the Ashes,” he said. “The Australian team will be saying the same thing - but I guarantee at different times during the Champions Trophy, Mickey and Michael will be talking about Ashes cricket at some stage.”
FIXING SAGA
Dalmiya remains evasive
KOLKATA: Former BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya today remained evasive on the mounting demand for the resignation of Cricket Board chief N Srinivasan but also dismissed reports that he had advised him not to resign. “Who am I to say this or that ? I have nothing to do. Why will one listen to me?,” he said in reply to a volley of questions on whether he would ask Srinivsan to quit in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal that has rocked the IPL. “This is a golden opportunity to clean cricket. Dirt in cricket has gone down deep and no one is bothered,” he said about the current scandals surrounding Indian cricket. “Instead of asking Srinivasan to
resign, clean cricket. If people are serious, they should use this opportunity and cricket can be cleaned,” the CAB president said. Asked about the appointment of
a three-member commission to go into the current allegations, he said it is “very very good”. Replying to a question about media reports that he had backed Srinivasan after his Saturday dinner, Dalmiya said it is “nonsense” that I have asked him not to resign. “I am not defending anybody”. “It makes me really allergic. I have not taken sides on Srinivasan resigning or anyone’s side. I have not spoken to anyone on the issue, not even Srinivasan. This matter was not discussed in the Saturday dinner party.” He said he had not taken a stand and he would discuss all the issues with his colleagues in the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). PTI
TEST STATUS
ICC issues Test warning
JULIAN GUYER Agence France-Presse LONDON: The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) cricket committee said Wednesday countries could risk losing their Test status unless they played a “minimum number of Test matches over a four-year period”. In a statement issued after it concluded its two-day meeting at Lord’s, the committee, chaired for the first time by former India captain Anil Kumble and featuring ex-England skipper Andrew Strauss, said it was concerned by several recent examples of Test matches being postponed to make way for one-day games. The committee, while approving of all three major international formats, which also include one-day internationals and the even briefer Twenty20
fixtures, said Test cricket needed support if it was to retain its place at the pinnacle of cricket. “The ICC cricket committee reiterated its support for the strategy of ensuring an optimum balance and a clear differentiation between the three formats of the game, and noted the need to ensure that Test cricket, in par-
ticular, was protected,” the statement said. “Noting the examples during the year where Test matches had been postponed to make room for other formats of the game, the committee recommended that all Test playing members should be required to play a minimum number of Test matches over a four-year period in order to maintain their Test status.” In September last year, Sri Lanka and West Indies agree to scrap a twoTest series due to take place in May and instead play a tri-series involving India. West Indies, having hosted Zimbabwe for a two-match series, will play no further Tests in their home season after Pakistan’s tour in July was also stripped of two scheduled Tests and reduced to five ODIs and two Twenty20s.
‘Probe commission an eyewash’
MUMBAI: Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi’s lawyer Mehmood Abdi today ridiculed BCCI’s three-man inquiry commission to probe the betting charges against President N Srinivasan’s son-in-law as mere an eye wash. Abdi contended that the committee was devoid of requisite mandate and could not investigate into the conduct of somebody who was not a member of the BCCI. “Under the BCCI bye-laws, a disciplinary committee is appointed annually by the general body of the board consisting of all 30 members. Twenty one days’ notice is mandatory for any such deliberation. This is why a committee or commission appointed by Srinivasn is devoid of the essential mandate,” Abdi said in a statement. Abdi, the president of Shriganganagar District Cricket Association, a constituent of RCA which is a full member of BCCI, said the manner in which it has been constituted showed that the BCCI president was unsure of support from the majority of the general house. “The hurried manner in bypassing the general body in appointing the commission shows that Srinivasan is unsure of the support of the majority of the members of the general house and wants to have a clean chit issued to him through the short cut. I hope that the honourable ex-judges of Madras High Court look into the mandate of their appointment and should not allow their esteemed names to be used in this self certification exercise by Srinivasan,” he said. PTI
THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013
sports
HODGSON GIVES TACTICAL TALK SHORT SHRIFT
England manager Roy Hodgson sought to defend his tactics after seeing his side held to a 1-1 draw by their Republic of Ireland neighbours in an end-of-season friendly fixture at Wembley Stadium in London on Wednesday.
FRENCH OPEN
Federer, Serena ruthless
Roger Federer won his 56th French Open match while Serena Williams racked up a 26th consecutive win as the former champions showed no mercy to hapless opponents at Roland Garros. PARIS: Roger Federer won his 56th French Open match while Serena Williams racked up a 26th consecutive win as the former champions showed no mercy to hapless opponents at Roland Garros on Wednesday. Federer, the second seed, trounced Indian qualifier Somdev Devvarman, ranked 188 in the world, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 and next faces France's Julien Benneteau. It was Federer's most onesided win in Paris since he beat Belgium's Kristof Vliegen in the first round in 2004, also for the loss of just four games. The Swiss great's latest French Open victory took him to 56, just two behind the tournament record held jointly by Guillermo Vilas and Nicola Pietrangeli. "It's great that all the work is paying off and I hope to keep experiencing this as long as possible," said the 2009 champion. Women's top seed Williams cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 win over French teenager Caroline Garcia, conceding just seven points on her serve. The 31-year-old American, who will face Romania's Sorana Cristea, the 26th seed, for a place in the last 16, has dropped just four games in two rounds. "I felt I was doing well, being serious and getting the job done," said Williams. "I like the clay here, I like to
32
Rafael Nadal, Djokovic target last 32 place PARIS: Seven-time champion Rafael Nadal and world number one Novak Djokovic, who are seeded to meet in the semi-finals, aim to bring that showdown a little closer on Thursday. Nadal, bidding to become the first man to win the same major eight times, faces Slovakia's Martin Klizan for a place in the last 32. Nadal, the third seed and 11time Grand Slam winner, was given a major fright in the first round against Daniel Brands.
Nadal, bidding to become the first man to win the same major eight times, faces Slovakia's Martin Klizan for a place in the last 32. Switzerland's Roger Federer (R) speaks to India's Somdev Devvarman after the former won the French Open AFP/THOMAS COEX match at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, on Wednesday.
Roger Federer, the second seed, trounced Indian qualifier Somdev Devvarman, ranked 188 in the world, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 and next faces France's Julien Benneteau.
slide." Her 26th consecutive win in 2013 is only nine behind the record of 35 set by sister Venus in 2000. In stark contrast, Danish 10th seed Caroline Wozniacki, a former world number one, went down 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 to Serbian world number 47 Bojana Jovanovski, who had defeated her in Rome two weeks ago. Wozniacki had only snapped a five-match losing
Tsonga serves French treat PARIS: Tsonga, the sixth seed, cruised past Finnish veteran Jarkko Nieminen, 7-6 (8/6), 64, 6-3. Tsonga, a quarter-finalist last year when he squandered four match points against Novak Djokovic, next faces compatriot Jeremy Chardy. "I'm French, it's in France, and of course there may be a bit more pressure, but for me it's positive," said Tsonga. Wildcard Monfils, a semifinalist in 2008, won a thrilling contest against in-form but
unpredictable Latvian Ernests Gulbis, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 and next faces Spanish veteran Tommy Robredo. Monfils was playing his 12th match in 17 days after reaching the final in Nice last weekend. "I don't think about fatigue, I just hope to be ready for my next match," said the 26-year-old who hit 29 winners and 33 unforced errors. Gulbis finished with 52 winners but an ugly 69 errors. In a match played in a fine spirit, Monfils even whipped
his mobile phone from his bag at the end of the third set to film the crowd giving him a standing ovation after he had recovered from squandering five set points in the ninth game. Spanish men's fourth seed David Ferrer, a semi-finalist in 2012, also made the third round, beating compatriot Albert Montanes, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3. "I was feeling really good. We had long rallies, and I'm very, very satisfied because I think I played very good tennis," said Ferrer. AFP
streak in the first round in Paris when she beat Britain's Laura Robson. "It hasn't been the best clay season this year," she admitted. "I guess it's good that it's the last tournament." Sixth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, cruised past Finnish veteran Jarkko Nieminen, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 6-3 as he continues his campaign to become France's first men's champion in 30 years. AFP
France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga celebrates after winning the first set against Finland's Jarkko Nieminen during their French Open on Wednesday. AFP/KENZO TRIBOUILLARD
The German took the first set and was a 3/0 up in the second set tiebreaker before the champion rallied to take his Paris record to 53 wins in 54 matches. Djokovic, beaten by Nadal in the 2012 final, and needing a French Open title to become just the eighth man to complete the career Grand Slam, faces Argentina's Guido Pella for a place in the third round. In the women's tournament, defending champion Maria Sharapova takes on Canadian Eugenie Bouchard. AFP