Postnoon_Epaper_for_15_December_2011

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HERE’S TO YOU Mr ROBINSON WIZARDS IN OZ

Indian bowlers got a glimpse of just how hard the tour of Australia is going to be when they failed to make early inroads into Cricket Australia’s Chairman’s XI on the first day of their two-day match, on Thursday. Opener Wes Robinson, and Tom Cooper raced to centuries helping CAC XI to 398/6.

Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011 HYDERABAD

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RUPEE FREE FALL CONTINUES The rupee fell by 46 paise to a record low of `54.17 against a US dollar in early trading on Thursday. It breached the `54-a-dollar mark for the first time in history. Food inflation plummeted to 4.35 per cent this week compared to 6.66 per cent the previous week.

Neha Dhupia

WWW.POSTNOON.COM

WEATHER: A MIX OF CLOUDY AND CLEAR SKIES; 20°C

EXCUSES GALORE, AS NIMS FLOUNDERS Nims’s deputy medical superintendent finds myriad of excuses for the sorry state of affairs but solutions remain a distant dream. In the final part of our series we find a management at loggerheads with reality REPORT ON PG 4

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GUNS FOR GOALS Football's governing body, Fifa, is studying plans to hand out free or cut-price World Cup tickets to football fans who surrender guns to the Brazilian government. According to reports in the Brazilian media, the government's suggestions also include swapping official footballs and shirts signed by World Cup teams for weapons handed in to authorities.

Another proposal, part of a new ‘World Cup law’ currently being debated by lawmakers in the capital, Brasilia, would see destroyed guns used to make goalposts that would be used during the World Cup in Brazil, and at other Fifa competitions around the globe.

I AM A STRUGGLER P21

‘MEETING OBAMA FILLED ME P22 WITH PRIDE’ Mallika Sherawat, who has been spotted with Hollywood celebrities like Sharon Stone, Zoe Saldana and Jake Gyllenhaal, says her most memorable moment has been meeting US President Barack Obama. She met Obama at a tea party in Los Angeles in April.

Page Two

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

Spirit of Twin Cities

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Anglo-Indians bid adieu to homemade wine ing,” he adds.

Meanwhile, many events are lined up for the community members. December 23rd will be Christmas Tree celebration.

Christmas decorations, arrival of Santa Claus, gift distribution are the main attraction of the day.

The community members will converge at South Lalaguda this year and are bound to have a gala time.

The festival concludes with a ball room dance on December 26 which falls on Boxing Day. The annual Boxing Day Ball, organised every year by the AngloIndian Association, is a gala affair with young and old from the community dancing the night away.

The homemade wine issue aside, the Anglo-Indians are busy making other the Christmas goodies like ball Curry, coconut rice, pork vindaloo, guava cheese and plum cakes.

Anubha K Singh

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hristmas calls for a time of celebration and Hyderabad is home to a Christian population sees a vibrant Christmas every year. But the festivities of the Anglo-Indian community have already been dampened. The reason being that the Excise department has prohibited the Christian or the Anglo Indian community from making homemade wine.

Waren La Touche, President, Anglo Indian Association, Twin Cities, said “Wine making is a tradition that we have been following since centuries but unfortunately it is prohibited this year. Wine and cake are an inherent part of Christmas celebrations. We don’t make wine daily nor do we make it for commercial use. Wine making is reserved for special occasions like Christmas, weddings or the

During the Boxing Day Ball

Committee members of the Anglo Indian Association, Twin Cities New Year. Homemade wine is fruity in flavour and hardly has alcoholic content”.

Every year Anglos start making wine months before Christmas.

Months of October and November are filled with merriment and anticipation. The intoxicating

aroma of guava cheese wafts through houses and the best grapes are crushed to make sweet wine. Some old families even make special wine from apple, beetroot and potato.

“Wine is a vital part of our Christmas celebrations. We have

64 branches all over the country and our community members in Chennai, Kolkata and other cities make it at home. But in Hyderabad some started selling wine throughout the year and commercialised it. Due to the greediness of a few, the whole community is suffer-

Around the city: Your guide to the Twin Cities

So fresh you can taste it

To experience a typical seafood market, head to the Simply Fishy Food Festival.

Sample food prepared by the chefs made with fresh seafood and a variety of marinades and sauces.

Where: Hyderabad Marriott & Convention Centre, Tank Bund When: Ongoing, 6.30 to 11.30 pm Contact: (040) 27522567

When: Ongoing, 11am-7pm Contact: (040)66564467

MISTY BEYOND PIC: A SUDHEER REDDY

‘Pointless To A Point - A Series Of Short Stories By Dramanon’ is a series of short stories that explore and reflect our everyday interactions in a new light.

Every play will lend a new dimension to a discussion, a new perspective to a conversation, a new angle to an argument, all woven in an intricate interplay of mirth, happiness, melancholy, absurdity, triumph, tragedy and fear.

Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills When: 15th December, 7.45pm Contact: 96427-31329

Christmas treat It’s Christmas time, Novotel Hyderabad’s Le Café celebrates the festive season with a gingerbread house.

You can view this marvel as well as pick up various exciting Christmas goodies such as Christmas Cookies and moulded chocolate that are available on site.

Where: Novotel, Hi Tech City When: Ongoing, 11 am-11pm Contact: (040) 66824422

Myriad Reflections View a collection of paintings at Alankritha Art Gallery by Ramachandra B Pokale at an exhibition titled “ Myriad Reflections”. His work depicts the youth.

Through his paintings he presents women as glamorous, enticing, alluring and charming in the form of a butterfly.

Where: Alankritha, Jubilee Hills When: Ongoing, 11am-7pm Contact: (040) 23113709

Life in the dark Dialogue in the dark is an innovative format to experience and understand the daily life of the visually challenged. Get a tour in complete darkness with visual-

CINEMAS

To the point

Sky Rabbit Hard Rock Cafe presents an energetic performance by Sky Rabbit with a bass guitar, Drums and vocals.

Where: Hard Rock Cafe, Banjara Hills

When: 15th December, 9pm Contact: (040) 4476 7900 ly impaired guides as they lead you through situations such as crossing the road and shopping at a supermarket.

Where: Inorbit Mall, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 10am to 8pm Contact: (040) 64603341/42

A night of ghazals and food Haldi offers the perfect idea for a perfect evening. Enjoy live ghazal’s along with authentic Indian dishes at Novotel Shamshabad’s Indian speciality restaurant Haldi.

Where: Novotel, Shamshabad When: Ongoing, 8pm-11pm Contact: (040) 66250000

4play at 4 Hard Rock Café’s Happy Hour ‘4Play at 4’ is on from Monday – Friday between 4:00-7:00pm.

Where: Hard Rock Cafe, Road no 1 When: Monday-Friday, 4pm-7pm Contact: (040) 4476 7900

Interactive art An Interactive exhibition via presence

by B2FAYS is being presented by Alliance française Hyderabad along with Kalakriti Art gallery. The exhibition will be inaugurated on 15th December at 7pm.

Where: Kalakriti Art Gallery, Banjara Hills

Feelin’ Blue A live performance of live and retro songs will be presented by Krishna and Dev at Ohri’s 1857.

Where: Ohri’s 1857, Necklace Road When: 15th December, 8pm Contact: (040) 64543333

Karaoke nights It’s Karaoke night at 10 Downing Street.

Come join in and sing to your hearts content.

Where: 10 Downing Street, Begumpet

When: 15th December, 8pm Contact: (040) 66629323

Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally, 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills, 447677770, Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 08800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973

Hyper Local sreecharan@postnoon.com

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We are conducting special raids and are arresting those indulging in such illegal activities Task Force DCP CH Ram Chander

card reader and dumps porn clips on the memory card, with a capacity of 1GB and gives it to the kid. They go to their school and see and exchange the clips with their friends who contributed the money. Children have found this way safer than surfing pornographic sites at home, which is nothing short of inviting trouble.

Once back home, the students are taking away their memory card and hiding it in a safe place and the phone is left without any malicious content. Even if the parent checks the mobile, they can't find any objectionable content.

In a most recent case, Commissioner's Task Force, North Zone on September 28, raided Trishul Computers and Internet in Chilkalguda and arrested Gadapa Sai Srinivas, 22, for illegally loading porn clips in mobile phones of ‘known’ customers. On Oct 4, memory card for Rs500 and ask them to upload clips into it.

Dealers offer two types of downloadable clips — 'desi' and 'firingi maal', which are priced at Rs100 and Rs150 respectively.

Once a deal is struck, the dealer inserts the memory card into his

Places where this business is flourishing

Ameerpet Dilshuknagar Koti Secunderabad

Silent witness to changing times Five arrested on charges ERITAGE T of flesh WATCH Saidanima Tomb trade Aishwarya Yerra

hink heritage structures in Hyderabad, and your mind would be racing towards Charminar, Golconda Fort and the other regular monuments.

Located towards one end of MG Road and adjacent to the Marriott Hotel is the Saidanima Tomb — a heritage structure that has seen the changing faces of Hyderabad for the better part of two centuries.

Today, when one drives down the MG Road towards the

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Mobile porn lures teens

D Sree Charan

f you think your ward is updating his mobile phone at Jagdish market or at some Internet cafe in the city with new software and other applications, which might help him with his studies, you could be wrong. Youngsters, especially school-going children are pooling in money to dump their memory cards with pornography clips and are exchanging them with their friends in the classrooms via blue tooth.

This is all thanks to some Internet cafe owners and dealers in Jagdish market who offer such services by charging nominal amounts ranging from Rs100– Rs150. There are several instances wherein city police have arrested miscreants who indulge in such activities at mobile stores and Internet cafes.

Because of this, demand for memory cards has also gone up and the mobile stores and shops in Jagdish market are stocking them up. Recently custom officials arrested a person who was in possession of memory cards worth Rs30 lakh. The person had bought the cards at Dubai and was in the city to sell them to various mobile stores here.

This is what is going on with many youngsters. Youths, mostly students, as young as 12 years, are spending Rs600–Rs800 to buy memory cards and porn clips.

They approach a cafe owner or mobile store owner and buy a

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

H

Tank Bund, it is easy to miss this tomb. Not only has age led to its discolouring, it hardly catches the attention of the average city resident. The Saidanima Tomb is an integral part of the city’s rich heritage. Its history should be

the reason for a higher interest quotient. Busy citizens pass by this ancient tomb every day, not so much as even taking a look at it or its architectural marvel, let alone ponder over its history.

Saidanima Tomb was built in 1883 by Abdul Haq Diler Jung, a Hyderabadi Nawab, for his mother, Hazrath Saidanima Saheba. The structure is not spectacular in size, but its intricate detailing and simple architecture holds its own charm. The uniqueness of the tomb is that it has elements of both Mughlai and Qutub Shahi architecture.

The dome construction might make one believe it has been influenced by the Qutub Shahi style but the underground tomb is certainly Mughal-inspired.

The remains of Hazrath Saidanima are kept in a crypt beneath the Dargah. The most interesting part of the tomb is that only women are allowed to enter in the tomb. When Saidanima was alive, no boy or man above the age of 14 was allowed to see her face, screened as it was by a purdah. So even her crypt is kept out-of-bounds for men. Steps from inside lead to the underground crypt where one can pay their respects to her.

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n two separate cases, Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills police, late on Wednesday, arrested five persons on charges of flesh trade. One customer was also arrested, while five women were rescued from those involved in the criminal activities. The police seized seven

Advice to general public by police

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t is advised that parents keep an eye on contents of mobile phones, schoolbags and rooms of their children, particularly teenagers. They should keep a track on their spending and their wards’ circle of friends. three mobile phone store owners were nabbed for downloading porn clips in mobile phones in Old City by Task Force sleuths.

The accused Syed Irfan runs Siraj Communications in Old City, while N Santosh Kumar runs Friends Communications at Lal Darwaza and Syed Shabbir Ali owns Counter No 1 in GRC Mobile Bazar in Charminar.

Every time police arrests someone, they seize CPUs, monitors, card readers, memory cards and hard disks with porn material.

Following a series of arrests, the police recently conducted raids on mobile stores as part of their drive to curb downloading of obscene films into mobile phones. cell phones and Rs2,000 from their possession.

According to the Banjara Hills police, the accused, M Ashok Reddy, a resident of Borabanda along with DVS Narayana and Nandana Mandadevi had been running a brothel in a rented apartment in Navodaya Colony.

Two women, S Jyothi, 23, from Vijayawada and Rabi Begum from Mumbai were among those arrested. The accused have been remanded to judicial custody.

Special Report

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

4

NIMS sinks, bosses play blame game Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), which is suffering from paucity of funds and host of several problems, is clueless on how to address them. The institution and its administrators are caught in a bind between government control and autonomy. With gaping holes in administration and operations, from lack of equipment to chronic red tapism, the premier medical institution is surrounded by numerous problems. Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr KT Reddy fielded questions of Postnoon on behalf of Director Dharma Rakshak in an interview with Osama Salman and Aishwarya Yerra Why can’t NIMS have more ambulances?

NIMS has two ambulances and one of them is used for clinical purposes. We cannot accommodate more ambulances as there aren’t enough funds to employ drivers.

Does the hospital have sufficient staff, doctors in all departments?

No. We have a staff crunch and like I said earlier, there aren’t enough funds to employ more.

NIMS does not even have a proper drinking water facility arranged for the attendants. Why is it so?

Yes we are aware of the situation and are apologetic about it. We have been looking into the matter.

Two of the pharmacies are shut due to conclusion of contracts and the lone medical shop too would close down soon. What is the plan of action for this?

The hospital is losing out nearly `12 lakh a month for not having more pharmacies. However, they have been closed down due to a GO and we are helpless. But we will have a pharmacy of our own soon.

The hospital makes the patients’ attendants go out to fetch the medicines even in cases of emergencies. Is it a right practice, especially when the lone pharmacy doesn’t stock all medicines?

There were reasons why we had to adopt this practice. NIMS was running into losses as people were asking for concessions. But, during emergencies, we stock medicines and use them if need be. They have to be refilled by the patient’s attendants.

Corruption is plaguing the system in general and NIMS is no exception. What steps do you intend to curb this unlawful and most painful practice?

When someone complains, we take the matter seriously and look into it. But because we are such a large hospital, it is extremely difficult to check such activities. Besides, there is corruption everywhere these days.

unable to do anything because lack of funds are hindering us.

The CT scan machine is defunct for the last six months. Do you intend to buy the latest one?

The life of hospital equipment is 10 years and has to be changed by the end of the ninth year. We have delayed it further than required. It is our mistake. We have already placed orders for small scanners.

There is nobody to assist or guide people coming from various parts of the State and the country?

We have an excess of patients and along with them there is an influx of attendants. So there are too many people to handle.

ments.

Staff problems like quarters, LETA, HOOPLA and other issues are only piling up and how can they be mitigated?

These issues will take time and cannot be solved easily and will take time.

There is no Public Relations Officer to do those liaises. Do you intend to appoint one?

We do have a PRO and deputy PRO but they have been temporarily shifted to other depart-

Computers at the out-patient wards don’t work resulting in the long serpentine queues. Do you have any budgetary allocation to augment new equipment?

We aware of this problem, but are

NIMS became a safe haven for criminals and undertrials. Can you do something about this?

The patients that are sent here by the government have to be treated here. It is the government’s call. We can’t do anything about it.

Can something be done to change NIMS for the better?

Yes, but it has to start at the grassroot level. Only then can the hospital reach its former glory. The NIMS is still the best hospital in the City and none can rival it.

Toilets for visitors are an issue.

Staff shortage is said to be the main reason. What is your take on this?

The staffs need to be more accommodating. Yes, there are only 24 toilets and 13 of them were locked by the staff. They have now been opened and they should not be a problem anymore.

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

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

AIRLINES 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

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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

Hyper Local

Kiran plays pacifier E T U Srinivas

he first collectors conference of the Kiran Kumar Reddy Government in Hyderabad almost turned into a Cabinet meeting it is reported. Health minister DL Ravindra Reddy came out of the meeting twice at Jubilee Hall and stated that the people inside were debating as if they are in a Cabinet meet.

Ministers Jana Reddy and DL Ravindra Reddy differed with the Chief Minister on some occasions and sought clarifications.

There was difference of opinion between ministers Danam Nagendar and Sridhar Babu. The CM had to personally intervene and request the ministers not to deviate from the agenda of the meeting and ensure that the collectors get clear directions.

It is also learned that the CM chided the ministers and told them not to embarrass the government with their tiffs before the collectors.

Panchayat raj minister Jana Reddy raised the issue of regularisation of thousands of contract workers in various government departments. He sought clarifica-

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Shanker shocker

ccentric minister Shanker Rao is at ait again. He took pot-shots at his boss Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy once again. At a tete-a-tete with media, Shanker Rao said “Hyderabadis don’t wake up before 10am and don’t stir out after 7pm. Our Chief Minister is also a Hyderabadi and you know that. I did not go to collectors’ conference as the weavers (his department) have no problems. So I am going back to Mahbubnagar,” he stated.

tion from the CM if they would be beneficiaries of the promised one lakh jobs. DL Ravindra Reddy too sought the same information.

Talking to Postnoon, revenue minister Raghuveera Reddy said there were some legal hurdles to absorb the contract employees but assured that the government was keen on absorbing them. On one lakh jobs scheme, a final decision would be taken after consulting the PM this month end or early in January, he said.

Labour minister Danam Nagendar demanded more ration cards for Hyderabad city. To this, civil supplies minister Sridhar Babu said that it looked like the ration cards outnumbered the targeted population. Danam differed with him and wanted the distribution of ration cards, especially the white cards for the poor, at the earliest. The CM intervened and calmed Danam assuring him that the issue would be addressed.

Education minister Parthasarathy openly expressed his unhappiness saying that his portfolio was not given much importance and that the CM deals mostly with the revenue minister.

It was again up to the CM to sooth frayed nerves and convince a visibly upset Parthasarathy that he too was equally important to the boss.

Some ministers were seen overheard saying that if the outspoken PCC chief and transport minister Botsa Satyanarayana was in the meeting the atmosphere would have been different. Botsa is in Delhi on some official work.

Minister Jana Reddy said the power problem has to be sorted out as it was erratic since last two weeks.

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Marathon session

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hief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy has instructed the district collectors to conduct integrated survey of all students studying SSC and higher courses, and compile data on caste, nativity, residence, date of birth, and income by March 2012. He also proposed the creation of a digital signed database so that certificates can be issued across counters under the Mee Seva programme. This was perhaps the first time the CM attended such a long session — from 9am to 8pm — at which 15 ministers were present.

Loo woes for babus Some district collectors said that the thought process of the chief minister was very clear. They were also impressed by his positive attitude. But some officials who had to relieve themselves had a tough time, as the toilets in the council hall area were locked.

Directives at collectors’ meet n Magisterial enquiries must be completed within four months n Magistrates and the collectors must disburse monetary relief to victims with immediate effect and intimate the government furnishing proof of payment n All reports to rights commissions must be sent via email, with a copy marked to the concerned minister n Due to non submission of compliance reports and proof of payment for compensation to victims of various kinds within the stipulated time, the chief secretary has been getting summons

for his personal appearance . This is causing embarrassment to the Government. n Particulars of ex-gratia relief sanctioned to the victims of extremist violence must be furnished every quarter to the government. Failure to do so will invite disciplinary action n Expedite Central relief to victims of communal and terrorist violence by speeding up paperwork n Detentions under the Preventive Detention Act have to be approved by the government and period of custody shall not exceed the 12-day limit

Review

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

FIRST LOOK

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BLUE IS FOR GLUE, RED IS FOR DEAD Movie: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol Cast: Tom Cruise, Paula Palton, Sitmon Pegg, Jeremy Renner Director:Brad Bird

Filled with style and panache, the film is consistently entertaining Sana Mirza sana.m@postnoon.com

T

he fourth instalment in the 'Mission:Impossible series, Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol directed

by Brad Bird is definitely worth getting excited about. Unlike Cruise, Bird is not a household name but has won Oscars for the movies Ratatouille and The Incredibles, both animated films from the Pixar den. Ghost Protocol's chief innovation is the

FABRICATION

selection of its director and Bird seems to be an interesting choice for the franchise. It turns out, he is quite inspired in directing MI:4 as it is his first live-action film.

Probably the best instalment in the series with a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, M:I4 is also one of the most entertaining films to have graced the screen in the last month before the year ends.

The film begins with a rescue team breaking into a Moscow prison to help Hunt

PACKERS & MOVERS

escape. Impossible Missions Force (IMF) agents Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and Jane Carter (Paula Patton) free Hunt, then together, the three of them embark on a mission to infiltrate the Kremlin (the Russian President's official residence) in order to retrieve information to prevent a nuclear attack. But a piece of evidence found in the Kremlin after a terrorist bombing attack allegedly points all fingers towards Hunt. This forces the IMF Secretary (Tom Wilk-

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inson) to inform him that the President has initiated a black ops 'Ghost Protocol' wh ich immediately wipes away team IMF off the grid. Hunt and his new rogue team, without any help or contact must clear their organization's name, else they will be branded as terrorists.

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Filled with episodes of humor in between a bullet train of action, with slick use of cool gadgets and hi-tech hardware, M:I4 is an opportunistic endeavour.

The movie works in its own favour. Even those allergic to Cruise would struggle to resist his daredevil grin while hanging from one hand from the tallest skyscraper in the world. The movie is filled with its thrilling moments right from the word go.

Definitely worth a watch!

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India‑View

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

India unveiled

Bengal hooch toll 63

Priest grandson to sue Sabari board

DIAMOND HARBOUR (WEST BENGAL): At least 63 people, mostly rickshaw pullers and labourers, died and 80 others were hospitalised on Wednesday after consuming spurious liquor in a West Bengal village. CM Banerjee said the government was contemplating demolition of illegal liquor dens.

Four people have been arrested for supplying the moonshine in Sangrampur village in the South 24-Parganas district. A district health official said the victims died of cardio-respiratory failure due to methyl poisoning. "Sixty-three people have died so far," a district official said.

The tragedy occurred when

SABARIMALA: Rahul Eashwar, grandson of Sabarimala temple thantri or head priest, on Wednesday said that he will seek legal recourse after his grandfather was allegedly abused by the Travancore Devasom Board (TDB). TDB is the body that looks after the day-to-day administration of this temple.

"As per the religious tradition of this temple, the thantri is the last word in all religious matters and the TDB has no voice in this matter. I will approach the High Court against the manner in which the TDB behaved with my grandfather," Eashwar told reporters here near the shrine.

Trouble started on Tuesday after Eashwar along with his grandfather Kandararu Maheswaru arrived near the sanctum sanctorum but Eashwar was prevented from entering by the officials of the TDB citing that rules do not permit him to enter the sanctum sanctorum. According to TDB

7

the villagers consumed country liquor on Tuesday night in dens near Sangrampur railway station. "From around 2am on Wednesday people started vomiting, had loose motions and complained of serious stomach pain. A lot of people are still in hospital. The death toll may go up," said a Sangrampur resident.

Banerjee said that the government was contemplating demolition of illegal liquor dens.

"I have seen many people die in hooch tragedies on several occasions. And they keep recurring. I urge help from the society and others to rise above political barriers and help in doing away with this social evil," she said. IANS

Sukhoi fleet grounded after crash NEW DELHI: A day after a officials, Eashwar, has no right to enter the hallowed place of the temple because he does not have the right to do so.

The rules of the temple states that only the thantri's son's son are eligible and Eashwar is the thantri's daughter's son and hence he is ‘ineligible’.

TDB president M Rajagopalan

Nair said: "The thantri and the rituals all come under the TDB and there is no way that Eashwar can enter the temple or take part in the poojas." An emotionally charged thantri broke down while speaking to reporters and said nothing will happen to the religious sentiments of this temple if Eashwar is allowed in.

IANS

Sukhoi fighter crashed, Indian Air Force's fleet of around 120 SU30MKI aircraft will remain on ground and they will resume flying only after its flight safety officials give clearance.

After the order, none of IAF's Su-30MKIs deployed at its bases in Pune, Bareilly, Chabua, Tezpur and Jodhpur took off for flying.

IAF has deployed two squadrons

of Su-30s at Tezpur and Chabua to strengthen its presence in the North-Eastern regions of the country.

IAF has so far inducted around 120 Su-30 fighters and has placed orders for a total of 272 of them. The IAF will induct all these aircraft by the end of the 2015-16. The aircraft have crashed thrice since their induction into the IAF in late ‘90s. PTI

BJP placates Reddy brothers BANGALORE: The ruling BJP in Karnataka on Wednesday withdrew suspension of one of the Reddy brothers and their three associates from the party ahead of the December 22 bypoll to the legislative council which Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda is contesting.

Gali Somashekara Reddy, two other party assembly members and one legislative council member were suspended Nov 25 as they supported the brothers' associate and former BJP minister B Sriramulu in a bypoll to the Assembly.

Sriramulu on December 4 won the bypoll to the Bellary Rural seat pushing

the BJP candidate to third place after Congress.

State BJP chief KS Eshwarappa late Wednesday announced withdrawal of the suspension of Somashekara, HT Suresh Babu and B Nagendra, all Assembly members from Bellary district. The legislative council member is Mrutyunjaya Jinaga.

The BJP decision comes after Sriramulu changed his tune of defeating Gowda in the council bypoll by supporting Congress candidate Anand Gaddadevaramath. The Janata DalSecular is not contesting and has not announced whether it will support the Congress nominee or stay neutral.

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India‑View

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

India unveiled

8

It’s going to be Longpal NEW DELHI: Consensus eluded the all-party meeting called

by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Lokpal with parties voicing divergent views on some key elements like inclusion of CBI and lower bureaucracy.

However, after the four-hour meeting, questions arose on whether the Bill would be passed in the current session of

Govt promises white paper on black money NEW DELHI: After a day-long debate and bitter criticism from the opposition on its poor handling of the black money menace, the government on Wednesday said it would come out with a white paper on the issue, claiming it is determined to get back the wealth stashed by some rich Indians in foreign tax havens.

Replying to the debate after BJP leader LK Advani’s adjournment motion was moved in the Lok Sabha, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said: “Yes there is black money stashed in tax havens. The government is putting best of its efforts to bring the money back.” The adjournment motion was defeated by a voice vote. After demands from the Opposition to share with them an authoritative report on what the government was doing to deal with it, the finance minister promised the house that the government “will bring a white paper on black money”.

“Don’t blame people on existing trust deficit. Can anyone take any commitment seriously hereafter? New Year in Mumbai/Delhi. With unmet demand for Janlokpal?”

Kiran Bedi, on Twitter

Parliament ending December 22, with a number of parties asking the government not to take any decision in haste on a matter having far-reaching implications. There were suggestions that a special session of Parliament could be convened to allow time to evolve consensus, sources said.

Consensus could not be reached at the meeting even as

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sought cooperation of political parties to ensure passage of the “momentous” Bill during the current session.

He said the Bill should not become a subject of party politics as the government was keen to get it passed in Parliament based on consensus that is driven by the House as the “custodian of legislation”.

Seeking “guidance and cooperation in this matter of paramount importance”, Singh said, “I am personally keen that this momentous legislation should be passed on the basis of consensus among all parties as far as possible and that this should not be subjected to party politics in any way.”

The meeting saw divergent views being aired by leaders of

the parties, with BJP pitching for inclusion of Group C and D employees under the Lokpal, a stand staunchly opposed by CPI. The BJP and other opposition parties also demanded that CBI’s investigative wing should come under Lokpal. However, both the Left and Right were on the same page with regard to inclusion of PM under the Lokpal.

PTI

Congress-NCP win in Hazare’s home district MUMBAI:

People in Anna Hazare’s home district voted largely in favour of the Congress and NCP in the civic body elections, the final results of which were declared here on Wednesday.

In Hazare’s home district, Ahmednagar, of the total 173 seats spread across eight civic bodies, the Congress has bagged 80 while the NCP got 37, totaling to 117, virtually retaining their existing positions. The BJP got 14 seats while Shiv Sena got three.

Smaller registered parties got 30 seats and nine seats were bagged

by Independents or rebels.

Last week, 175 civic bodies with a total of 3,825 seats went to the polls in two phases.

From the results of 3,825 seats declared so far, the NCP emerged as the biggest vote catcher, bagging 1,043 seats, across various civic bodies across Maharashtra, sending alarm bells ringing in the Congress. The Congress follows closely with 968 seats.

On the other hand, the BJP secured 342 seats, with its ally Shiv Sena getting 323 seats — an indicator that its alliance with the Dalit party, Republican Party of India has made little impact on the voters.

IANS

Colonial India’s treasures live in a Delhi home T he grandeur of Mughal and colonial India lives in a spacious library-cum-gallery and a boutique shop at a home in a Delhi neighbourhood where antique art collector and dealer Rajiv Jain and his daughter Rashi struggle to add to the family inheritance.

The repository at the Southex Books & Prints Pvt Ltd, in the Capital’s South Extension Part II, spans nearly 500 years — from 1630 when the first printed books on India appeared in English to 20th century masters like the signed first copies of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book and his complete collection of poems.

“It has been a long journey. We exhibited our collection in 1984 at the World Book Fair after moving from Kolkata to the capital. My father, GC Jain, began collecting antiquities — inspired by his association with noted artist Subho

Tagore (a nephew of Rabindranath Tagore). The association took shape in 1967,” Rajiv Jain said.

The Jain family has now brought a part of their precious collection out to celebrate 100 years of the Capital.

The rows of vellum, parchment and regular leather-bound books inscribed in gold — some frayed with years and some restored to look spanking new — are complemented by mounted British East India Company art, mostly rare lithographic prints and aquatints dating between 17501930.

The oldest book in the Jain collection is a leather bound Discoverie of the Sect of the Banians: Containing their Histofy (read ‘f’ as ‘r’), Law, Liturgie, Cafte (read ‘f’ as ‘s’), Cuftomes and Ceremonies published in London

by T&R Cotes. The language is a version of early modern English.

A Himalayan bird painted and printed by naturalist John Edward Gray in the 19th century

The Jains cater to an exclusive clientele, which include high-end private collectors like the Imperial Hotel and government institutions like the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) — whose core collection of rare antiquities has been sourced from the Jain’s family archive.

One of the striking volumes in Jain’s collection is an illustrated book, Six Principal Ragas With a Brief View of Hindoo Music by Sourindro Mohun Tagore printed by the Calcutta Central Press Company on Council House Street in 1877. The book was gifted to the Duke of Albany by Tagore in 1878.

“Calcutta (Kolkata) was the hub of all activities for 200 years during British Rule. When the capital shifted to Delhi, the cultural centre gradually shifted to Delhi and later Mumbai. The bulk of the arts and culture patrons now live in Delhi and Mumbai,” Jain said.

Around the World

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

Beyond Borders

Cameron is behaving like an ‘obstinate kid’: Sarkozy

T

ensions between Britain and France over the future of the EU intensified after Nicolas Sarkozy reportedly accused David Cameron of behaving like ‘an obstinate kid’ when he wielded the British veto at the European summit last week.

As Angela Merkel held out an olive branch to Cameron by describing Britain as an important partner, the prime minister has started agitating against the Franco-German push for a new treaty.

The prime minister has made it clear that he was prepared to foment opposition to the intergovernmental treaty, proposed

by Sarkozy and Merkel at last week's EU summit.

He told Conservative MPs at a meeting of the 1922 committee about conversations with Fredrik Reinfeldt, Enda Kenny and Petr Necas, his Swedish, Irish and Czech counterparts.

They have all indicated deep unease

China’s first aircraft carrier photographed

about the proposed Franco-German treaty.

Cameron has also spoken to Reinfeldt and Necas, whose countries are outside the euro.

The French satirical newspaper Le Canard enchaîné quoted Sarkozy as saying: “The whole world recognised that my pro-

posal was the only possible course. The accord will perhaps not put an end to the crisis, but it is a tool for facing up to it. The dynamism of the Franco-German axis enabled us to rally 26 countries.”

When asked whether the EU summit had met the prime minister's demand for ‘concrete action’, the spokesman said: “There has to be a decision taken to increase IMF resources. We have not taken that decision.”

About the IMF’s call for more resources for the eurozone, the spokesman said: "I have seen the information on their website.

It seems to be a sort of cut and paste from the eurozone statement at the end of last week. But there hasn't been a discussion.

There would have to be a process by which any increase in IMF resources was agreed."

But regardless of the British standoff, the summit's decision to push ahead with new punitive rules for the euro by March have already been set back.

A file photo of what is said to be China's first aircraft AP carrier

GLOBE AT A GLANCE NEARLY 20% WOMEN IN US RAPED, REVEALS STUDY

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early 20% of women in the US are raped or suffer attempted rape at some point in their lives, says a US study. Even more women, estimated at 25%, have been attacked by a partner or husband, the Centers for Disease Control said .The findings form part of the first set of results from a nationwide study surveying sexual violence by intimate partners against men and women.

CHIRAC CORRUPTION TRIAL VERDICT TO BE GIVEN

P

aris judges are to give their verdict on Thursday in the unprecedented corruption case against aged ex-leader Jacques Chirac, the first time a former French president has faced charges in court.The popular 79-yearold, president between 1995 and 2007, is facing conflict of interest, abuse of power and embezzlement charges and could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison and a fine.

Iraq pullout is a historic moment says Obama

A

commercial US satellite company says it has managed to take a picture of China's first aircraft carrier during its sea trials in the Yellow Sea. If confirmed, it would be the first photo of the former Soviet vessel recently refitted by Beijing. The warship began its sea trials in August, raising fresh concerns over Beijing's military build-up.

China is currently involved in several maritime territorial disputes, particularly in the South China Sea.Stephen Wood, director of DigitalGlobe's analysis centre, said the vessel had been photographed on 8 December off the Chinese coast by one of the company's orbiting satellites, the Associated Press news agency reports.

The carrier is a former Soviet warship - called the Varyag - that was never completed. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, its rusting hull sat in dockyards in Ukraine.In June, the PLA confirmed that China's first aircraft carrier was under construction.

BBC

9

A rally against a jail term for Ukraine’s 51-year-old opposition leader AFP

PAK PRESIDENT ZARDARI TO BE RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL

P

akistani President Asif Ali Zardari, who is is being treated in a Dubai hospital, will be discharged Thursday, the president's spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Zardari's physician has said that all medical investigations carried out on Zardari were "within the normal range". Zardari would be discharged Dec 15 to rest at home.

UAE HOLDS TALKS WITH SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES U.S. President Obama is pictured speaking to troops AFP

B

arack Obama marked an end to a war he once described as ‘dumb’ by declaring the conflict in Iraq a success and saying the last US troops will leave in the coming days with their “heads held high’.

The president told an audience of soldiers at Fort Bragg that the final pullout from Iraq after nearly nine years of war is an “historic” moment and that the country they leave behind is “an extraordinary achievement”.

“Dozens of bases with American names that housed thousands of American troops have been closed down or turned over to the Iraqis. Thousands of tons of equipment have been packed up and shipped out.

Tomorrow, the colours of United States Forces Iraq, the colours you fought under, will be formally cased in a ceremony in Baghdad,” he said. “One of the most extraordinary chapters in the history of the

American military will come to an end. Iraq's future will be in the hands of its people.

America's war in Iraq will be over.”

The president said the last US troops will leave in the coming days, travelling south across the desert by much the same route that American, British and coalition forces attacked Iraq in 2003.

Obama hinted at the military and diplomatic quagmire he inherited from a Bush administration that had promised Americans a quick and easy war that would see Iraqis scattering flowers at the feet of US soldiers.

Instead, the American invasion unleashed a conflict - part civil war, part anti-occupation that dragged on for years.

But the president, who came to power promising to end the war, said that for all the suffering, the final result could be termed a success.

U

AE officials have met representatives from Norway, Denmark and Hungary and discussed ways to expand trade and investment.

Minister of Economy Sultan Al Mansouri reiterated his country's interest in expanding trade, technological and investment cooperation with the Scandinavian countries, and to tap their expertise in the telecommunications, education, technology and energy sectors.

Norway's PM Jens Stoltenberg unveiling an ice sculpture of explorer Roald Amundsen at the South Pole AFP

Insight

CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is one of the world’s largest and one of the most respected centres for scientific research.

Its business is fundamental physics, finding out what the Universe is made of and how it works.

By studying what happens when these particles collide, physicists learn about the laws of Nature. Founded in 1954, the CERN Laboratory is located at the Franco–Swiss border near Geneva.

What’s in a name ?

The Higgs boson has often been referred to as ‘the God particle’ after the title of Leon Lederman's popular science book, The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question?

Scientists at CERN use the enormous ALEPH detector in their search for the Higgs particle. CERN

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

Behind the news

10

Final frontier of Physics?

What is the God particle?

The term ‘The God particle' was coined by the physicist Leon Lederman in his 1993 popular science book.

First hypothesised in 1964, the Higgs boson, if discovered, would be a vital missing piece of the model that physicists use to describe elementary particles and their interactions: the Standard Model.

What is the Higgs boson?

The theories and discoveries of thousands of physicists over the past century have resulted in a remarkable insight into the fundamental structure of matter: everything in the Universe is found to be made from twelve basic building blocks called fundamental particles, governed by four fundamental forces.

Our best understanding of how these twelve particles and three of the forces are related to each other is encapsulated in the Standard Model of particles and forces.

Developed in the 60s and 70s, it has successfully explained a host of experimental results and precisely predicted a wide variety of phenomena. Over time , the Standard Model has become established as a well-tested physics theory.

In the 1960s physicists began to realize that there are very close ties between two of the four fundamental forces between elements: the weak force and the electromagnetic force. The two forces could be described within a unified theory, which forms the basis of the Standard Model.

This unification implies that electricity,

magnetism, light and some types of radioactivity are all manifestations of a single underlying force called the electroweak force.

However, in order for this unification to work mathematically, it requires that force-carrying particles have no mass. Physicists including Higgs, Brout and Englert came up with a solution to solve this conundrum.

They suggested that all particles had no mass just after the Big Bang. It created an invisible force field which became commonly know as the ‘Higgs boson’. The problem is that no one has ever observed the Higgs boson in an experiment to confirm the theory. Finding this particle would give an insight into why certain particles have mass, and would help to develop physics.

Oh my God!

SCIENTISTS CLOSE IN ON BOSON GENEVA — Physicists said on Tuesday that they had narrowed the search for the elusive sub-atomic Higgs boson particle that would confirm the way science describes the Universe.

Experiments at Europe’s giant atom smasher have “reduced the window where scientists think they will find the Higgs boson,” also known as the God Particle, said Bruno Mansoulie, a researcher at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN).

Its existence if confirmed would explain in a single stroke the mystery of what gives this invisible constellation of particles mass.

For now, however, the cagey boson only exists in theory.If it turns out to be a mirage, it would force scientists back to the drawing board to rewrite the textbook of particle physics.

CERN reported on Tuesday that the midpoint results from two separate experiments that independently arrived at the same conclusion.

Taken together, the results provide hints that the sought after particle is hiding inside a narrow range of mass, CERN said in a statement.

“If it does exist, it is most likely to have a mass constrained to the range of 116 to 130 gigaelectronvolts (GeV),” CERN said. One GeV is said to be roughly equivalent to the mass of a proton.

AFP

Physicists are closing in on finding the Higgs Boson or the God particle, a vital missing piece of the model that they use to describe elementary particles and their interaction with the Standard Model Don’t call it ‘God particle’!

“I hate that ‘God particle’ term,” said Pauline Gagnon, a Canadian member of CERN’s ATLAS team of “Higgs hunters” — an epithet they do not reject.

Oliver Buchmueller, from the rival research team CMS, states “Calling it the ‘God particle’ is completely inappropriate,” said the German physicist, who divides his time between CERN and teaching at London’s Imperial College.” It is not doing justice to the Higgs and what we think its role in the universe is. It has nothing to do with God.” Pippa Wells, another Atlas researcher says.“Hearing it called the ‘God particle’ makes me angry. It confuses people about what we are trying to do here at CERN.” Lederman had told friends that he wanted to call the book “The Goddamned Particle” to reflect his frustration but it was rejected by his publisher.

REUTERS

Business

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

Matters of saving and spending

A Saye Sekhar saye@postnoon.com

HYDERABAD: At the opening of markets, rupee found itself suspended from the dollar hook 54.17 points below. Who is bleeding and who is leading?

The translational value of rupee this morning comes as a boon to almost all exporters, while the importers are taking a severe beating.

Take the case of a small software firm, BrandHill. Its Managing Director Hari made a killing of `1,80,000 with no extra efforts in his $ 20,000 deal. All thanks to the sliding rupee value against the mighty US dollar. Though several software companies have reduced their exposure to the market in Americas, especially after the dreadful recession in 2008-09, the dependence to an extent of 40-50 per cent of their toplines still lie in the United States of America.

Though most listed companies with global operations moved to International Financial Reporting Standrads, they still calculate their P&L accounts in terms of US GAAP (generally accepted accounting practices) and Indian GAAP. When the rupee value increased by almost 9-10 per cent in 2008 during boom time, companies like Dr. Reddy’s hedged their reserves. The amount hedged by Dr. Reddy’s alone was ` 450 crore then.

While US GAAP numbers glittered in green, the Indian balance sheets accrued a shade of red.

Another City-based software

Exporters C Dimporters

Now a dollar is ` 54.17 MUMBAI: The Indian rupee fell by 46 paise to a record low of ` 54.17 per US dollar in early trade on Thursday, breaching the ` 54 per dollar-mark for the first time in history on sustained foreign capital outflows and dollar gains against the euro and other rivals overseas.

The domestic currency had tumbled by 48 paise to close at a record low of ` 53.71/72 per dollar in the previous session. The BSE benchmark Sensex tumbled by223 points to a nearly three-week intra-day low of 15,658.16 in early trade on Thursday due to persistent selling pressure amid sustained foreign fund capital outflows and weak Asian cues. The 30-share Sensex resumed lower at 15,739.05 and hovered in a range between 15,795.84 and 15,655.64 before quoting at 15,658.16 at 1015 hours, a net loss of 222.98 points, or 1.40 per cent, from its previous close.

company, which closed a deal with a Los Angeles-based software firm, a couple of months ago is celebrating today. For, the amount agreed upon for dilution of the 51 per cent of stake in the city-based company was $100,000. The seller and buyer agreed that the amount be paid on or before December 15.

As a natural tendency, the payer delayed the release of funds till December 14 and transferred the sum this morning. And the software firm grossed an additional revenue of a cool ` 9 lakh. The translational value of the rupee to dollar at the time of payment is taken into account.

Vaidehi, Director of research, Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FAPCCI) says that margin pressures for exporters would not only ease but the bottomlines of those companies would swell.

Pharma, bulk drugs, raw materials, some food items (like fish and meat), minerals and readymade garments fall in the category of grossers. Items like electronics, laptops, white goods, and petroleum products would cast a heavy burden which would burn a hole in the pockets of the common man too.

There have been reports that foreign investors are shunning India, owing to the Government’s somersault in the FDI in retail. The foreign majors were looking at the $450 billion retail market in India. The banking regulator too remained a mute spectator as of now to the falling rupee value against the dollar.

FMCG market set to grow in towns FMCG sector growth in towns with 1-10 lakh population outpaces all-India growth HYDERABAD: The fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) market in about 400 smaller towns with population of one to 10 lakh is expected to surpass $20 billion by 2018 and $80 billion by 2026.

Currently, the 400 smaller towns represent approximately $6 billion US dollars that is 20 per cent of the total FMCG sales according to the study of Nielson.

“Although big Indian metros remain the staple for FMCG marketers and rural India is proving to be critical for volumes in the long run, the next wave of the Indian urban demand revolution may be found in these 400 smaller towns with a population of one to 10 lakh,” said Ranjeet Laungani, Executive Director, Nielsen.

The report says FMCG sales

in smaller towns contribute 30 percent of the urban FMCG sales. Since 2002, the FMCG sector grew 3.5 times in these smaller towns of one to 10 lakh population, compared to 3.2 times at the all-India level.

‘Middle’ India These 400 smaller towns are home to 100 million Indians and termed as ‘Middle India’ denoting its categorisation between metro and rural India.

The demand revolution has

percolated down to ‘Middle India’ and these towns will behave like the metros of tomorrow. Middle India leads the pack across urban and rural segments for FMCG value growth rates.

Out of 81 FMCG categories tracked by Nielsen, 49 product categories across personal care, over-the-counter drugs, household care, and food outgrew the all-India rate. Over 30 categories saw growth rates faster than 1.15 times the all-India rate. FMCG companies which anticipated this kind of growth and invested in these areas a few years ago, are likely seeing a positive return on their efforts, said Ranjeet.

Marketers will need to cultivate their brands with Middle India and build loyalty now while habits are changing, so that they can flourish when spending increases manifold in the coming decade, he added.

11

Indian individual wealthier Postnoon News

HYDERABAD: India’s individual wealth is expected to nearly triple from the existing ` 86.5 lakh crore to ` 249 lakh crore by financial year 2016, according to the second edition of India wealth report published by Karvy Private Wealth.

In fact, the wealth of India’s High Net-worth Individuals (HNIs) has grown by over 18 per cent compared to a mere 9.7 per cent for global HNIs in the last one year. The report also presents a break-up of wealth allocated across asset classes and a comprehensive analysis of the investment trend expected in the coming years.

Year FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016

Wealth (In ` lac crores) 86.5 106.87 132.00 163.00 201.29 248.62

With current annual household savings of about 34 per cent, and expected to grow 8 per cent on an average, India is well poised to lead wealth creation in the global arena.

The report shows that fixed deposits and bonds has become the top contributor to overall wealth held by individuals in India contributing to 62 per cent to total individual wealth, displacing last year’s topper, direct equity, primarily due to the uncertainty in the financial markets.

In terms of growth, alternative assets topped the list with a rise of 59 per cent, followed by provident fund and insurance, both around 46 per cent. The performance of mutual funds, small savings and savings bank deposits were quite dismal, rising 4 per cent, 1 per cent and 9 per cent, respectively.

Indian Investors are more prone towards debt instruments which comprise 68 per cent of their wealth in comparison to global counterparts at 53 per cent, in case of Equity the global investors are less riskaverse at nearly 41 per cent whereas Indians have invested approximately 32 per cent of their wealth in the same category. Alternative asset instruments combined with retirement benefit investments like provident fund and insurance is poised to grow significantly in the coming years according to the report.

BSE – 15,64.246240.90, NSE – 4,686.60676.56, Gold 24k(10g)– `28,200, Silver (1kg)–53,400, Dollar $ – `54.21, Pound £ – `83.69

Playing Field

Juventus prepare £21m bid for Tevez

Fulham eliminated by last-gasp goal

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he Cottagers started the match knowing victory against Group K’s bottom side would assure progression to the final 32, and they looked on course when Clint Dempsey and Kerim Frei scored, although a Hans Henrik Andreasen freekick resulted in a nervy finish.

And the west Londoners’ worst fears came true when substitute Djiby Fall scored a last-gasp header three minutes into stoppage time, meaning Wisla Krakow progress instead following their 2-1 win over FC Twente 2-1. Heading into the match, Fulham were rocked by the news that goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer could miss up to six weeks after suffering a compression injury to his thoracic spine, but their safe passage seemed all-but secured at the interval after two goals in four first-half minutes.

Excellent work down the left flank by Frei resulted in a low cross to Bobby Zamora, whose lay-off was finished by Dempsey after 27 minutes.

Four minutes later Mousa Dembele wriggled free and found Frei with a through ball, which the 18-year-old nonchalantly popped through Stefan Wessels’ legs.

EVENING STANDARD

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

The games people play

Seria A club set to trump Milan, PSG offers; City wants £25 for the Argentine forward

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uventus have opened formal talks with Manchester City to sign Carlos Tevez in the form of a series of telephone calls direct to Roberto Mancini from Pavel Nedved, a key director for the Italian club.

According to The Guardian Nedved, the former Czech Republic international, has spoken to Mancini several times to instigate discussions about the Argentina interna-

tional. The Serie A club have proposed a £21m package but City are hopeful they can get more than that in the face of rival interest from Milan and Paris St-Germain.

Tevez’s preference would be to join Milan but all they have proposed is a loan deal to the end of the season, leading to a possible £17.2m move next summer. Milan’s vice-president, Adriano Galliani, said on

Wednesday night that “offer is final” but City are adamant they will not entertain the idea of a loan and there is scepticism at the Etihad Stadium about whether Milan have the financial power to return with a suitable offer.

PSG certainly have the money, backed by Qatari owners, but so far they, too, have not come up with an offer good enough to tempt the City chairman, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, to sell a player who has been on strike since flying to Argentina without permission on 8 November.

Mubarak wants to get a fee of around £25m and is willing to hold out for that figure despite City’s eagerness to get Tevez off their books and lose the £250,000-a-week salary he earns via a contract that stipulates he is always the club’s best-paid player. After that City’s lawyers will look at what action can be taken against Tevez for allegedly breaching his contract, although what that will entail is not yet clear.

A complicated picture was further clouded on Wednesday night by Tevez saying he potentially wants to stay in Argentina.

Upson off as Stoke suffer defeat T

en-man Stoke lost their unbeaten Europa League record and had to settle for second place in Group E as Besiktas came from behind to triumph 3-1 in Istanbul.

With the Potters having already qualified for the last 32, boss Tony Pulis left all 11 players who started against Tottenham last weekend at home but then saw his side take an unlikely 29th-minute lead through Ricardo Fuller.

Asmir Begovic had been superb in keeping Besiktas at bay but in the 59th minute Manuel Fernandes equalised from the penalty spot after Matthew Upson was sent off for felling Hugo Almeida, and goals from substitutes Mustafa

Pektemek and Edu secured the points. The match always looked Stoke’s toughest test in the group, and those fears were quickly realised as the hosts raced out of the blocks, with the only thing standing between Besiktas and the lead they craved being Begovic, who saved well from Fabian Ernst, Veli Kavlak and Almeida.

Cameron Jerome missed a fine chance for Stoke from their first attack in the 16th minute, but 13 minutes later Fuller did give the visitors an unlikely advantage, picking up the ball 25 yards out and sending a shot in off defender Egemen Korkmaz.

The Jamaican, who had already earned the crowd’s wrath and

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TITBITS

WE ARE BUZZING, SAYS THEO Theo Walcott never doubted Arsenal would climb the Premier League table once their new signings had adapted to life at Emirates.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger spent nearly £30million in the last days of the last transfer window after watching his side pick up just one point from their opening three games.

Germany international Per Mertesacker, Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta, Brazilian fullback Andre Santos and South Korean striker Park Chu-Young all arrived in the last few days of August, while Yossi Benayoun moved across London from Chelsea on loan.

FERNANDO TORRES ‘GOING NOWHERE’, SAYS CHELSEA Chelsea insist Fernando Torres still has a longterm future at the club and is not for sale. It is understood the club are looking to sell the striker for £20million during next month’s transfer window because he has struggled to make an impact at Stamford Bridge. The 27year-old has scored just five goals in 35 appearances for Chelsea since joining for a British-record £50m from Liverpool in January.

However, Chelsea are determined to keep faith with Torres.

SUAREZ HEARING UNDERWAY

The Football Association have begun the disciplinary hearing into claims that Liverpool striker Luis Suarez racially abused Manchester United defender Patrice Evra. Suarez has been charged with abusing Evra, and referring to his “ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race” by the FA. The hearing is expected to last for two days with the outcome expected by the end of the week. Both players are due to give evidence to the hearing. The charge followed a month-long investigation and the Uruguay striker immediately denied the accusation.

REDKNAPP TO TRY AGAIN TO SIGN ZAMORA NEXT MONTH

been booked for persistent fouling, then appeared to complain he had been hit by something thrown from the stands

before a hectic period of play concluded with his hitting the bar in bizarre circumstances.

ES

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp will try to sign Bobby Zamora next month, having failed to buy the Fulham striker in the summer. It has been reported that the England international has had a bust-up with Martin Jol, something which the Fulham boss denied yesterday. Zamora was dropped for the defeat to Swansea on Saturday and Redknapp hopes he can convince Fulham to sell the forward when the transfer window re-opens.

Playing Field Lalit Modi backs Sunny

CANBERRA: Powered

by Wes Robinson’s 143 and Tom Cooper’s 182 n.o., the CA Chairman XI were 398 for six against India in a two-day tour match at Manuka Oval on Thursday. Indian captain Rahul Dravid won the toss and chose to field. This is India’s opening match of their Australian tour ahead of the four-test series against Australia.

New Delhi: A day after Sunil Gavaskar cried foul over nonpayment of his IPL dues, Lalit Modi has come out in support of the former Indian captain and said people like Sunny "should be rewarded and not crucified".

Speaking via Twitter, the former IPL Chairman said: "A lot is being said in the news about Sunny. I just want to clarify - Yes Sunny was promised the 4 Crores a Year by BCCI for IPL." "Yes it's due to him for the years he served on the IPL Governing Council. We used his name and credibility when setting up the IPL," he tweeted.

Modi also emphasized on how crucial it was for the IPL to have Gavaskar on board. "Sunny was critical at the time we were setting IPL - as no one believed in the Product then. So to have on Board was Critical to the IPL." "Keep in mind when we launched IPL - ICL was headed by Kapil Dev - and we needed all the more reason to have Sunny on our side. Because of Kapil's Stature ICL was snapping all the Players. So it was Important to counter that by bringing in Sunny. ICL was on a roll," Modi wrote on Twitter.

B-school sports meet Aaveg starts on Friday

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ome Friday and the sprawling 100-acre campus of the IBS will see action and the atmosphere there will ring with cheers.

Aaveg 2.0, sports meet of business schools, will kick off on the IBS campus in Hyderabad on Friday. More than 25 business schools will participate in this three-day event. Aaveg 2.0 comprises competitions in nine sports: badminton, squash, table tennis, basketball, football, tennis, volleyball, throwball and Counterstrike (videogame). Teams placed first will get `10,000 and the runnersup `5,000. Aaveg 1.0, which was the first edition of this event, witnessed participation of 18 Bschools in seven sports. This year’s additions are tennis and squash.

The meet will be inaugurated at 10 am on Friday and the matches start off at 2 pm and will continue till night.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

The games people play

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Bowlers made to toil

Cricket Australia Chairman's XI 1st innings Robinson (c Tendulkar b Ojha) 143 RA Broad (c Saha b Yadav) 8 JA Burns (b Ojha) 21 TLW Cooper (not out) 182 AJ Doolan (not out) 29 GJ Maxwell lbw Yadav 0 D Solway c Saha b Kumar 5 TP Ludeman not out 0 Extras (b 1, lb 7, nb 2) 10 Total (6 wickets) 398 Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Broad, 9.3 ov), 2-45 (Burns, 22.3 ov), 3-271 (Robinson, 69.4 ov) Bowling: I Sharma 5.3-3-7-0, U Yadav 12 3-23-3, A Mithun 13-1-41-0 R Vinay Kumar 14-1-58-1, PP Ojha 22.1-5-116-2 Kohli 3-0-10-0, RG Sharma 5-0-27-0

Indian cricketers having a nice time at Bob’s Steak House in Melbourne

Toro Rosso has new line-up for 2012 T

oro Rosso have surprisingly cleared their decks ahead of the 2012 Formula One season by booting out Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari.

For the first time since the team's 2006 debut, Toro Rosso will start a campaign with an allnew line-up of Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne - both products of the Red Bull Junior Driver programme.

After wielding the axe, team principal Franz Tost said: "I am pleased we have been able to reach an early decision on our drivers for next year because it means we can all give our full attention to 2012 without any distractions." He added: "Over the past year both Daniel and Jean-Eric have proved their worth and I expect them to

make a significant contribution to the team's performance next year. "Daniel has the benefit of having actually raced in grands prix for much of this year, while Jean-Eric proved he could adapt quickly to the demands of driving a Formula One car (in Friday testing). "As they have both worked with the team and its engineers very recently, this should allow us to get up to speed right from the start of winter testing in a couple of months' time."

Attempting to explain away his shock decision, Tost added: "One has to remember when Toro Rosso was established in 2005, it was done so with the intention of providing a first step into Formula One for the youngsters in the Red Bull Junior Driver programme. ES

Di Resta in dark over his Force India future LONDON: Force India driver Paul di Resta said he is still in dark about his future with the team.

Di Resta, however, said he would be "proud" if he is kept on with the team for the 2012 Formula One season. Mallya is likely to make an announcement on the driver line-up for 2012 by Thursday. Di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg, a reserve and test driver, could be given the two race seats with Adrian Sutil making way.

IANS

Wacky World

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

Fun and frolic in a flat world

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Hand-painted Taiwan village creates awe I t’s hard to believe that one man can change the fate of an entire village. Huang Yung-fu, an 86-year-old war veteran has done just this.

Huang lives in a village in a corner of the Taiwanese city of Taichung, a community that was created for Nationalist soldiers in the 1940s and 50s.

Over the years, the place slowly changed into a permanent settlement, suffering from urban problems like abandonment, decay and housing dereliction.

However, none of this is visible in the settlement today, thanks to the transformation brought about

by Huang’s colourful paintings.

The streets and the walls of practically every building in the

village is covered with Huang’s simplistic paintings of plants, animals, TV personalities, birds and buffaloes.

Considering the fact that he began painting only two years ago, his accomplishment is pretty huge. The bright colours and simple strokes used by Huang only add to the attractiveness of his work.

Born in Hong Kong, He started painting just to kill time, but it has now become a passion for him. A self-taught artist, he start-

ed off painting for himself, but was soon discovered by students of a nearby university. They took pictures of his work and spread the word. The pictures soon went

viral, making the small settlement a major tourist attraction in Taiwan. Rainbow Village is now listed as one of the must-see spots.

Xmas wish: Secret Santa pay my bills!

C Do not Disturb!

Private Karaoke rooms launched in Japan

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e now have one more reason to visit Japan – private Karaoke rooms.

Do you find yourself wishing that you could have had a little more practice before getting up to karaoke before all your friends? Or are you just a bathroom singer who prefers to sing alone, along with just music and lyrics? Either way, private karaoke rooms could be just as fun and exciting for you.

The single-person karaoke room, also known as ‘1Kara’ in Japan, was launched late November, and has been gaining in popularity. The store is located in front of Kanda station in Tokyo and offers small, solo rooms, equipped with a table, chair, microphones, headphones and a small screen.

Renting a room for yourself would cost you 600 yen per hour (around $8) between 10:00 am and 6 pm, and double that between 6pm and 6am. Free drinks are served to all customers.

These 1Kara things are just what the people of Japan needed to fine tune their singing for the karaoke-filled New Year’s Eve parties.

hristmas came early for three people in West Michigan when a stranger picked up the tab on some presents.

It happened on Monday night at the Big Kmart on the 4000 block of Plainfield Avenue in Plainfield Township.

A woman, walked up to the layaway desk, pushing a shopping cart full of toys she planned to donate.

“This lady came up randomly and said, ‘Can I, you know, pay off some people’s layaway?”said Dannell Goddard. Goddard works at Kmart in the layaway department. When she first heard the request, she was a bit confused. “I was like, ‘Well, are you trying to pick them up? ‘Cause you can’t pick them up if you don’t have an ID,” Goddard said. “And she replied, ‘Nope, I just want to help people.’” The woman looked

through several of the about 800 layaway contract tickets at the store. She randomly picked and paid the bill on three of them. She paid about $500 between all three of them and left a $10 balance on each of the accounts.

The woman’s only require-

ment was that there were toys in the layaway orders.

“It was really crazy the way she did it. She was so excited and so happy to do it,” said Goddard.

“She had a great heart, and I told her that I felt like she had a great heart, and she said she doesn’t want to take appreciation for it.

She just felt that she was blessed and she wanted to bless others.”

One of the recipients of that kindness was Mary Chapin. She said that the act of kindness had “restored her faith in people.”

Chapin had put about $200 worth of toys on layaway for her son, David, on Monday afternoon.

She said she hoped she’d be able to pay off the balance by the week before Christmas.

Then she got a call from Kmart that changed all that.

“They said that someone had paid $180 on my layaway and

there was only $10 left,” said Chapin. “I thought it was a joke.”

Chapin wanted to say thank you, but the only clue to the woman’s identity was a message on her receipt that read, “Happy Holiday from a friend.”

“I thank her. It’s the best gift that I ever received, and it’s the gift of believing in people,” said Chapin.

“And believing that there’s good out there, ‘cause you don’t always see that.”

One order was for 12-year-old David who has autism.

“Even though we’re all in the same boat, nobody’s thinking about anyone else, it’s every man for himself,” said Chapin.

“To have somebody come along behind, and just do something that’s totally unnecessary but so appreciated, it just really made a difference,” said Chapin.

It’s all gold! Millionaire creates his dream car W hat Swiss business man Ueli Anliker calls the car of his dreams, could very well be the one of your nightmares. He’s taken the classy, exclusive Mercedes McLaren SLR, and created a monster.

Anliker was apparently not satisfied with what the car had to offer, and so set out on a mission to transform it into his vision of the perfect SLR. A team of thirty five people worked on it, spending 30,000 hours and over £ 3.5 million ($5.5 million) . The transformed vehicle is called the Anliker McLaren SLR 999 Red Gold Dream. He’s made changes to the paintwork, wheels, interiors and even the engine. Twentyfive layers of red paint with 5kg of gold dust were used on the

body of the car. The wheels, headlights and door sills are all covered in 24 carat gold.

The indicators inside the car are jeweled, the seat covers and interiors gold trimmed, and the switchgear is covered in rubies.

The power on the existing 5.4 litre engine has been boosted to 999bhp from 640bhp.

This has caused the top speed to increase to 210 mph. A total of 600 rubies have been used in re-decorating the exclusive Mercedes.

The modified car is rather jarring to look at, and many aren’t too happy with it. It isn’t surprising that Anliker has decided to put up the car for sale

himself.

What is surprising is that he expects anyone to be interested in owning it. The Red Gold Dream is being quoted as the world’s most expensive vehicle on the open market, as the Swiss businessman is expecting a minimum of £7 million ($11 million) for his dream vehicle.

Brave New World With a sustained data rate of 186 gigabits per second, high-energy physicists demonstrate the efficient use of long-range networks to support cutting-edge science

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esearchers have set a new world record for data transfer, helping to usher in the next generation of high-speed network technology. At the SuperComputing 2011 (SC11) conference in Seattle during midNovember, the international team transferred data in opposite directions at a combined rate of 186 gigabits per second (Gbps) in a wide-area network circuit. The rate is equivalent to moving two million gigabytes per day, fast enough to transfer nearly 100,000 full Blu-ray disks — each with a complete movie and all the extras — in a day.

The team of high-energy physicists, computer scientists, and network engineers was led by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), the University of Victoria, the University of Michigan, the European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN), Florida International University, and other partners.

According to the researchers, the achievement will help establish new ways to transport the increasingly large quantities of data that traverse continents and oceans via global networks of optical fibers.

These new methods are needed for the next generation of network technology — which allows transfer rates of 40 and 100 Gbps — that will be built in the next couple of years.

“Our group and its partners are showing how massive amounts of data will be handled and transported in the future,” says Harvey Newman, professor of physics and head of the high-energy physics (HEP) team. “Having these tools in our hands allows us to engage in realisable visions others do not have. We can see a clear path to a future others cannot yet imagine with confidence.”

Using a 100-Gbps circuit set up by Canada’s Advanced

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

From the world of science & research

High-energy physicists set record for network data transfer Research and Innovation Network (CANARIE) and BCNET, a non-profit, shared IT services organisation, the team was able to reach transfer rates of 98 Gbps between the University of Victoria Computing Centre located in Victoria, British Columbia, and the Washington State Convention Centre in Seattle.

With a simultaneous data rate of 88 Gbps in the opposite direction, the team reached a sustained two-way data rate of 186 Gbps between two data centres, breaking the team’s previous peak-rate record of 119 Gbps set in 2009.

In addition, partners from the University of Florida, the

Ship large data over continents n More information about the demonstration can be found at http://supercomputing.caltech.edu. See a video about the demonstration here n The HEP team hopes that the demonstrations at SC11 will pave the way towards more effective distribution and use for discoveries of the masses of LHC data

University of California at San Diego, Vanderbilt University, Brazil (Rio de Janeiro State University and the São Paulo State University), and Korea (Kyungpook National University and the Korean Institute for Science and Technology Information) helped with a larger demonstration, transferring massive amounts of data between the Caltech booth at the SC11 conference and other locations within the United States, as well as in Brazil and Korea.

The fast transfer rate is also

crucial for dealing with the tremendous amounts of data coming from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, the particle accelerator that physicists hope will help them discover new particles and better understand the nature of matter, and space and time, solving some of the biggest mysteries of the universe. More than 100 petabytes (more than four million Blu-ray disks) of data have been processed, distributed, and analysed using a global grid of 300 computing and storage facilities located at laboratories and universities around the world, and the data volume is expected to rise a thousandfold as physicists crank up the collision rates and energies at the LHC. “Enabling scientists anywhere in the world to work on the LHC data is a key objective, bringing the best minds together to work on the mysteries of the universe,” says David Foster, the deputy IT department head at CERN. “The 100-Gbps demonstration at SC11 is pushing the limits of network technology by showing that it is possible to transfer petascale particle physics data in a matter of hours to anywhere around the world,” adds Randall Sobie, a research scientist at the Institute of Particle Physics in Canada and team member.

The key to discovery, the researchers say, is in picking out the rare signals that may indicate new physics discoveries from a sea of potentially overwhelming background noise caused by already understood particle interactions. To do this, individual physicists and small groups located around the world must repeatedly access — and sometimes extract and transport — multiterabyte data sets on demand from petabyte data stores.

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Links keep widowers in pink of mental health

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en who have lost their partner to cancer and who are still single four to five years after their loss run a far greater risk of developing mental illness than those who have managed to find a new partner, according to a unique study of 691 Swedish widowers carried out at the Sahlgrenska Academy.

More than 22,000 people die of cancer in Sweden each year. It has been scientifically proven that relatives of the deceased are at greater risk of dying themselves or developing mental and physical illness, although studies have tended to focus on widows, and on the short-term risks.

Unique long-term study Researchers at the University of Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska Academy have now carried out a unique long-term study of 691 Swedish men who lost their wives to cancer. Part-funded by the Swedish Cancer Society and the Swedish Research Council, the study shows that widowers who had found a new partner four to five years after the death of their wife managed to deal with their loss relatively well.

Sleeping pills and antidepressants Those who remained single were at far greater risk of developing depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and emotional blunting, and were also more likely to use sleeping pills and antidepressants.

Long-term risk “Previous studies have shown that people who lose their partner are at greater short-term poor mental health,” says professor Gunnar Steineck who worked on the study.

“Our study is the first to show that the risk of poor mental health last for many years but, on the average, the risk is restricted to those who don’t find a new partner.”

Can your results be interpreted as proof that love heals?

“We need more research to understand the underlying mechanisms, but yes, emotional support from a new partner does probably help to process grief and protect against mental illness,” says Steineck. “But it could also be the case that those men who cope best with their loss are more likely to show an interest in finding a new partner.”

Was Darwin wrong on emotions?

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ontrary to what many psychological scientists think, people do not all have the same set of biologically ‘basic’ emotions, and those emotions are not automatically expressed on the faces of those around us, according Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal published by the Association for Psychological Science. This means a recent move to train security workers to recognise ‘basic’ emotions from expressions might be misguided.

“What I decided to do in this paper is remind readers of the evidence that runs contrary to the view that certain emotions are biologically basic, so that people scowl only when they’re

angry or pout only when they’re sad,” says Lisa Feldman Barrett of North-eastern University, the author of the new paper.

The commonly-held belief is that certain facial muscle movements (expressions) evolved to express certain mental states and prepare the body to react in stereotyped ways to certain situations. For example, widening the eyes when you’re scared might help you take in more information about the scene.

Incidentally, the theory that emotional expressions evolved for specific functions is normally attributed to Charles Darwin, in his book The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals.

H‑Factor

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Quit smoking feel happier, healthier

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ome smokers have concerns that their quality of life may deteriorate if they stop smoking but research shows that those who kick the butt feel more satisfied and healthier than those who continue with the habit.

A new research by Megan Piper from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and her team looks at whether quitting smoking can improve psychological well-being.

“Our findings suggest that, over the long-term, individuals will be happier and more satisfied with their lives if they stop smoking than if they do not,” says Piper.

Positive experiences of quitting smoking, including improved well-being could be used by clinicians to educate and motivate individuals to stop smoking, reports the journal Annals of Behavioural Medicine.

The authors assessed quality of health, positive versus negative emotions, relationship satisfaction and stressors among 1,504 smokers taking part in a smoking cessation trial. They were assessed at one year and three years, according to a university statement.

The authors found that smokers who quit successfully, long-term, see some noticeable improvements.

IANS

Statins may reduce mortality in patients hospitalised with influenza

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he two main ways to prevent and control influenza today are annual immunisation and antiviral drugs. A team of investigators has found that statins, cholesterol-lowering drugs, may offer an additional treatment to complement these approaches and reduce mortality among patients hospitalised with influenza. The findings are published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases and are now available online. In an observational study led by Meredith L Vandermeer, MPH, then with the

Oregon Public Health Division in Portland, researchers used data for hospitalised adults during the 2007-2008 influenza season to evaluate the association between patients prescribed statins and influenza-related deaths. The data were drawn from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infections Program, which conducts active surveillance for patients hospitalized with confirmed influenza in 59 counties in 10 states.

Among 3,043 hospitalised patients with laboratory-con-

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firmed influenza, 33 per cent were given statin medications prior to or during hospitalisation. After adjusting for various factors, patients not receiving statins were almost twice as likely to die from influenza as those who did receive the medication.

“Our study found that statins were associated with a decrease in odds of dying among cases hospitalized with laboratoryconfirmed influenza, when adjusted for age, race, cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, renal disease, influenza vaccine

Fast Facts

n Statins may reduce the

risk of mortality among patients hospitalized with influenza and could be a useful complement to immunization and antiviral medications. n This is the first published observational study that evaluates the relationship between statin use and mortality in hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infection. receipt, and initiation of antivirals within 48 hours of admission,” the study authors wrote.

Changing times need new cures

Dr Divya T Sudarshan

Can an ectopic pregnancy be predicted before it actually happens?

Not really. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a major risk factor — responsible for almost 60 per cent of ectopic pregnancy — in relation to vaginal discharge, urinary infections, gonorrhoea/chlamydia, which damages the Fallopian tube, endometriosis (due to adhesions), history of IUD use, progesterone —only contraceptive pill (mini– pill) alters tubal motility — pregnancy after tubal ligation or coagulation, any previous tubal surgery, infertility treatments, ovulation induction or ovarian stimulation, in vitro fertilisation (2-5 per cent of pregnancies are connected with IVF), advancing age, (more women are delaying pregnancies for career choices) and previous ectopic (about 10-20 per cent of women attempting pregnancy after one ectopic may have another).

What could have been done differently? For a start, an early pregnancy test should be done; second, a visit to a doctor with an early routine ultra sound would have located the sac as early as five weeks in a TVS, blood tests like Beta HCG would give us an idea of how the pregnancy is progressing, allowing it to have been treated conservatively with a few injections or a planned laparoscopic/open surgery, with no loss of reproductive parts like tubes/ ovaries and no threat to life.

Take home message: as mankind evolves so does medicine.

(The writer is a gynaecologist and obstetrician.

You can write in to her at happywomenclinic@ gmail.com)

F‑Folio

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

Because you are what you wear

John Malkovich

Off-screen fabricators

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ohn is an American actor, producer and director who finally gave into his passion for fashion and turned a designer earlier this year. His clothing line is named Technobohemian. He has always expressed his love for clothes and sees designing as another form of selfexpression. His latest display had polka-dotted blazers, floral cravats, seersucker pants and distinctively woven ties and John’s designs have made their way to the latest edition of Italian Vogue.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

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he Olsen twins started their career with films and eventually moved into designing in 1993.Their design churning house is called Dualstar. Their designs and creations have gone down well with children from 4-14 years of age. The duo use a lot of fur, and love playing with flowy textures. They add a hint of their style that is close to Bohemian to make sure that their creations stay different. One can also find the sisters using a lot of dark-nmetallic combinations. Talk about sibling style, and this duo has it in plenty.

Madonna with daughter Lourdes

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aterial Girl Madonna has another ace up her sleeve. She is now ready for her next clothing line called Truth or Dare scheduled to be launched in 2012. Madonna’s 15-year-old daughter, Lourdes is responsible for her new junior line called Macy’s. This line is touted to be an amalgamation of Madonna’s class and Lourdes’s vibrancy. Meanwhile, she is expanding into beauty products, sleepwear, intimates, outerwear and party dresses as well.

Beyonce Knowles

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ootylicious, as she is described by the media for her curves, Beyonce introduced House of Dereon, a fashion range with her mother, a ready-to-wear contemporary fashion line for women in 2005. After four years of her brand in the market, she came up with a brand called Sasha Fierce for Dereon; a junior apparel label. As stated by the diva once, “I like to dress sexy and I like to carry myself like a lady.” Now, with her range of designs she has launched her collections in lingerie, jewellery and outerwear apart from the handbags and denims with fur.

Jessica Simpson

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he shot to fame in 1999 as a singer, and soon she came up with her range of cosmetics called Dessert in 2004 and later ventured into apparels, shoes and lingerie as well. Since Jessica’s been a fashionista her entire life, it’s only natural that she’s interested in designing — and not just clothes! There are Jessica Simpson shoes, jeans and swimwear!

Adding more to her kitty, this fashionista has came up with a Jessica Simpson collection of handbags, which makes her one of the largest selling designers.

On screen you may see them as actors and singers that is a shortlived dream.

So the new mantra is that fame and power may diminish, but the moolah must not. We take a look at some celebrities who continue to bask in the glory of their extended stardom!

COMPILED BY ISHA MUKOO AND SHIBA MINAI

Victoria Beckham

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nown more for style and oomph than anything else, after ruling the music charts, this style diva dived headlong into the fashion industry and designed a line of jeans for Rock & Republic. Apart from launching her own range of fragrance and sunglasses, she came up with her own denim brand dVb style in 2006. Posh Spice came out with her collection of dresses in NY fashion week in 2008. Touted as impressive, classy and desirable, celebs like Cheryl Cole, Elle Macpherson have worn her creations. From denims to dresses of limited edition to fragrances and sunglasses, the lady sure knows how to spice things up.

Telly Tales

Small screen, big idea

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

TV in the West has been bolstered by a glut of supernatural-themed shows. From Vampire Diaries and True Blood to The Secret Circle, audiences across the globe can’t seem to get enough of vampires, werewolves and witches. So why has Indian TV failed to jump on to this lucrative badwagon? We find out...

Shiba Minai shiba.m@postnoon.com

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INDIAN TELEVISION SHY OF WALKING INTO THE TWILIGHT?

he Indian television industry’s vision seems to be wearing blinkers, for you can either see bickering in a family drama or reality show fights! Channels and producers move very cautiously when venturing into areas like satirical comedy, horror or the supernatural. Initial attempts on making horror turned out to be more like comedy.

Off late, an attempt to tackle the supernatural was made with Pyaar ki ek Kahaani on Star One, which took a leaf or rather the whole tree from the Twilight series. While it did catch the attention of teenagers, it was criticised for not penning an original script and for its outlandish scenarios. Tonight will be the last episode of this so-called vampire and werewolf story. We have also had a few ‘horrifying’ attempts by the Ramsay brothers, but they seem to be falling as soon as they rise.

Why does Indian television not see such stories? Actor Aman Verma says, “Stories with ghosts, vampires and witches need a dedicated team, that is well-equipped with VFX (visual effects). Most of the attempts made so far are preposterous with the witch or the ghost looking like a joker with those noticeably fake rubber masks that can’t scare even a second grader!” He continues,“In most of these series you will see the monster running and the girls falling into a river. Then the focus shifts to half-wet, skimpily clad actor, and the monster is almost forgotten. The story lines that we have are also obnoxious and predictable.” We sure can’t disagree!

Does this mean that the Indian audience is not ready for genres like horror, sci-fi or the supernatural? Aman replies, “Of course the Indian audience is ready. The same Indian audience watches the Hindi thriller movies and the English soaps as well.” He adds, “For instance, in the latest

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Twilight series, the man turning into a werewolf was a visual treat. Don’t you think if something as good as that was produced for Indian television it would be taken well? Of course it will!”

Achint Kaur whom we have often seen playing negative characters in tele-serials also has an interesting observation.

She says, “If Vikram aur Betaal worked 20 years ago, then why won’t it work today? Those days, the whole country was a fan of the Indian vampire, Betaal.” That is surely an interesting observation. It kind of gives an affirmation that the Indian audience is waiting for something better. Achint goes on to add, “Another important factor that the makers must have in mind is that there is the need to be different with unique ideas, and not use ideas lifted straight out of another movie or serial. It is also important that actors with calibre are placed in those roles, as such stories need character actors.”

If the audience is ready and there can be a market for this, then what stops the makers from tapping this side of the potential market? To which actor and host Archana Puran Singh says, “Honestly speaking, the reputation of this genre has gone so low that an A-list actor associating with it, can be like a nail in the coffin. Also, today, with the audience aware of visual effects and the whole rigmarole, they have high expectations and cannot be fooled. I sometimes think the makers take the audience for granted or underestimate their intelligence as they expect them to actually watch these rubber bhoots or chudails.” She then goes onto say, “I also feel that these kind of ideas will be well received by the male audience and channels prefer women as their target audience. I think this must be made with the male audience in mind and I don’t think anybody has made a conscious effort to target that segment of audience.”

So, do we have the channels tuning in?

Pooja Misrra tries to clear the air W

ith just three weeks left, Bigg Boss 5 continues to score high on TRPs. Just like I had predicted last week, Pooja Misrra was brought back.

Thankfully she’s back only as a translator, so that leaves hope for another competitor as a wild card entry. She seems to have come only so she can mend her tarnished reputation.

Pooja is letting anyone and everyone know that she was pro-

jected incorrectly and her family is troubled because of the whole episode. Her sugar-coated nice self is just as weird as her original brash self. All I want to say to her is “Pooja Misrra spare us!”

Andrew Symonds is a guest, but the inmates are under the impression that he is a contestant. His assertive yet humane leadership is there for all to see.

He is also a no-nonsense person and I think that is a breath of

Reality Bites Shiba Minai

fresh air as all the other men of the house stand up for causes that suit them. If the cricketer were to be a contestant, I can

imagine how much he could intimidate them.

One of the most disappointing moments this week was the eviction of Mahek Chahal. She was a contender for the top three places at least. But I am assuming she will probably return as a wildcard entry as she has been extremely popular and her exit from the BB5 house has broken millions of hearts.

Between, this week’s nomi-

nated two contestants, Shonali and Amar, I think, again, that Shonali will be evicted. If Shonali stays back this week, I will be forced to think that the show is rigged and there is an ‘unknown’ reason for her staying in the house, in spite of the fact that she is not very entertaining or interesting.

While you keep watching Bigg Boss, stay tuned with us to get more of it!

Magic Screen

The glamour behind the glitz

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

21

Taniya Talukdar taniya.t@postnoon.com

Her last box-office outing Dear Friend Hitler did not set the cash registers ringing, but Neha Dhupia is back with her latest offering Pappu Can’t Dance Saala

II am a

N

eha Dhupia might have been the latest victim of over-exhaustion in the film industry but that hasn’t deterred her at all. The lady is up and about, fulfilling her film promotion commitments and enjoying every bit of it. In her upcoming film, Pappu Can’t Dance Saala, Neha is playing the role of a back-up dancer and talking about her role, Neha says, “I play the role of Mahek Malwade who is from a small town but comes to Mumbai to work in films and she dreams of making it big in the industry. There is also this character called Vidyadhar Acharya who is from Benaras. He and Mahek, are poles apart and hate each other. But as destiny would have had it, they end up as neighbours and romance ensues.”

Though Neha has worked with good friend Vinay Pathak in three other films, this is the first time that she has been romantically paired opposite him. “The chemistry that I share with Vinay, I don’t have it with anyone else. We are great friends and I can say that he brings out the best in me,” quips Neha about her working relationship with the actor.

Neha in fact feels that her co-actors Rajat Kapur, Vinay Pathak and Saurabh Shukla have helped her grow many folds as an actor. “They are institutions in themselves and there is no denying the fact that I have benefitted in more ways than one from them. They nourish me and helped me grow, what else can I ask for?” questions a candid Neha who thinks that she has more milestones to cover.

“Though today I know for a fact that I have made a place for myself, but within I also know that I still have a long way to go. I have got more chances than anyone else and I really appreciate people for having faith in me,” offers Neha, going on to add, “I am in a great place but I don’t want to get comfortable. I still have lots of things to do, I am a struggler just like Mahek Malwade though I have found my own calling.”

On her own admission, Neha feels that she is an underrated actor, “Often, people have told me that I am underrated and I quite agree,” confesses the actor.

When it comes to choosing a role, for Neha the budget is not a deterrent. Going by her choice of films so far, we have seen that her career has had a mix of films ranging from big-budget to medium to low-budget ones. We wonder what is her criteria for doing a particular film? “My mojo lies in the script and how well the story is told. I don’t see whom I am paired opposite, the budget or the makers, as long as the script is strong, I am happy doing it,” clarifies Neha.

The actor who has also acted in a few Telugu films, thinks that the film industry down South is a great

struggler

place to be in.

“Cinema in the South is so much advanced, the cinema and stories are just great here. Just see what happened to Kolaveri Di. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of such an illustrious industry? As and when I get a chance, I will surely do films here,” shares Neha. She is also keen on contributing towards Punjabi cinema and will do one when the script is right. The actor who recently turned entrepreneur with her newly launched lingerie website, thinks that film promotion is a very important aspect of filmmaking now. “Promoting a film is as important as acting in it,” expresses Neha.

Unlike most of her colleagues in the industry, Neha is a supporter of curvy women. She says, “I have always been curvy and I feel women look great in curves. I never supported size zero and never will. Women should have some meat on them and shouldn’t look like men!” Well, we get the drift Neha.

Magic Screen

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

The glamour behind the glitz

22

B-TOWN TWEETIES

@NeilNMukesh I love horses. I once wanted to own one train it. But then went to race course and.

Asked for a stable. None available !

@SrBachchan T 590 -Fascinating to have a book on the 'favourite words of famous people' .. you chuckle and laugh and wonder in awe at the choices ..!

@Riteishd

‘K3G was my dream come true’

O

n the 10th anniversary of his mega family drama Kabhi e Khushi Kabhie Gham (K3G), filmmaker Karan Johar remembers the multi-starrer with fond memories, even as Bollywood celebrities congratulate him.

“K3G completes a decade today....the illustri-

ous cast and brilliant crew made my biggest celluloid dream possible!!!” Johar posted on micro-blogging site Twitter.

The movie featured an eclectic cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Farida Jalal, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor. Rani Mukerji had made a guest

appearance in the film, written and directed by Karan.

It was a runaway hit not just in India, but in international markets too.

It struck a chord with people of all age groups due to its fun, emotional and romantic moments.

Its music also has topped charts with numbers like Shava shava, You

‘Meeting Obama filled me with pride’

M

allika Sherawat, who has been spotted with Hollywood celebrities like Sharon Stone, Zoe Saldana and Jake Gyllenhaal, says her most memorable so far has been meeting US president Barack Obama. She met Obama at a tea party in Los Angeles in April.

“The memory I cherish the most and when I felt really proud to be an Indian, was when I met president Barack Obama and I told him about Bollywood.

How we all love him there and I invited him here and he said that ‘I will take up your invitation for sure’,” said Mallika. The actress shifted base to Los Angeles after she received an honorary citizenship of LA for her career achievements and charitable efforts in 2009.

She has been visiting India on and off and has featured in films like Thank You and Double Dhamaal.

IANS

are my soniya, Bole chudiyan and Suraj hua maddham.

Shah Rukh, who played Amitabh’s adopted son in the movie, tweeted: “10 years of K3G...how time flies...shava shava,” while filmmaker Ritesh Sidhwani wrote: “@kjohar25 Congratulations Kjo on 10 Years of K3G.” IANS

‘Rishi Kapoor’s songs had spunk’

A

ctor Rishi Kapoor’s songs and films are still loved by people of all age groups and that’s because of their ‘spunk’, says Imran Khan, the title of whose next film Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu is inspired by one of the veteran star’s hit song.

“There is certain zing in the phrase Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, which connects it instantly to the youth. Rishi uncle’s songs are very lively and there is certain spunk in them. I think that’s the reason why there is an instant youth connect,” Imran said in a press statement.

“Not only his songs, but also his personality is youthful and full of verve even today,” he added.

Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, a Karan Johar production, also features Kareena Kapoor. It is a romantic comedy, and will hit the screens around Valentine’s Day next year.

IANS

Attended the success party of The Dirty Pic-More power to EKTA KAPOOR-this is how a blockbuster is made.congrats@tusshkapoor,milan & vidya

@bomanirani Wish we could go to many more countries and premiere Don there too. Days like this are memories for life.

@iamsrk Enroute to Nagpur...the tour begins for the chase continues film. I really lov meeting u all in the garb of film promotions.

DON is ON...

@deespeak The weather here in Kolkata has been magnificent...Shoot is surreal and close to completion...will miss being here...will miss being Ishita

@kjohar25 Ooh lalala...was on repeat mode and no one was complaining!!! @shreyaghoshal is the party voice of the season!! And Bappi da...is THE man!!

@juniorbachchan I remember the day I told my father that I wanted to become an actor and wanted to go to acting school. He responded, Watch Dilip Sahebs performances to learn acting.

Magic Screen

D I S P L A YA

D S RATE ` 150 sq. cm

For Further Details Please Contact Abhinay 9989399972 Nandlal 9951467988 Ravi Chander 8106039919

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

23

Magic Screen

The glamour behind the glitz

Getting cosy?

A

re they or aren’t they?

Cameron Diaz, 39, and Diddy, 42, were spotted affectionately pawing at each other at New York’s Dream Downtown Hotel fuelling rumours that the Charlie’s Angels actress and hip-hop artist are dating. But while People quotes a source who insists that the pair are not dating — just “friends — Life and Style paints a decidedly more passionate picture, citing an ‘eyewitness’ who says Diaz and Diddy “were making out like teenagers.” The magazine also reported that the duo began dating sometime in October, after they were spotted eating lunch in Beverly Hills. Diaz famously dated Justin Timberlake before dating New York Yankees baseball star Alex Rodriguez; the pair split in September, allegedly due to their busy schedules.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

24

Magic Screen

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

The glamour behind the glitz

25

Seth Rogen to be host at Indie Spirit Awards P

erfect choice. Producer, writer, actor, funnyman and soon-to-bedirector Seth Rogen, who has a film in the Independent Spirit hunt (50/50), is hosting the Indie Spirit Awards on February 25, 2012. The 27th installment of the Spirits luncheon ceremony awarding the best in indie cinema will be held at the usual blustery Santa Monica beach tent. “We’re incredibly excited to have Seth as the host for the

Chris Meloni joins True Blood C

hris Meloni has booked his first post-svu gig — and it’s a bloody good one. The former star of the Dick Wolf drama will join HBO’s True Blood in season 5 as an “ancient, powerful vampire who holds the fate of Bill and Eric in his hands.” He will be a series regular. Meloni’s role on Alan Ball’s drama marks a homecoming, of sorts: The actor previously played Chris Keller on the pay cabler’s gritty drama Oz from 1998 to 2003.

Earlier this year, Meloni decided to step down from playing Detective Elliot Stabler on the long-running NBC drama.

2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards and join us in celebrating this year’s exquisite films and talented filmmaking artists,” said Film Independent senior director Sean Mc Manus. “We’re also pleased to welcome back Diana. Her creativity and passion for independent film has delivered some of the Spirit Awards’ most memorable moments. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with this year.”

The Tree of Life is best movie of the year T

he Tree of Life has been tapped as the best film of 2011 by the Toronto Film Critics Association, which also gave Terrence Malick the best director trophy for his epic about boyhood and the end of innocence in 1950s Texas. The closest competition in voting by the Toronto critics group came from Michel Hazanavicius’ The Artist and Alexander Payne’s The Descendants, both major award season contenders on the road to the Oscars. The Tree of Life, which stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, in the last week received best film honours from the San Fransisco and African-American film critics associations as well.

Magic Screen

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

The glamour behind the glitz

PARIS

26

JACKSON

makes first solo appearance on Ellen

S

o many fans have faced the tragedy of seeing an icon pass away, but we can only imagine the effect Michael Jackson death had on his children. Luckily, Paris Jackson lets us know while appearing on Ellen (airing Thursday) that she will use her father’s memory as an inspiration to follow her dreams. The young Miss Jackson also discusses her latest acting gig, explains what it was like to wear a mask as a child and shares the most memorable thing her father told her. Growing up wearing a mask must have seemed strange to the young girl, but Paris realises that her father was only doing this to protect her and give her the chance of a normal childhood. “I’m like, This is stupid. Why am I wearing a mask? But I kind of realised the older I got like he only tried to protect us and he’d explain that to us, too.” And as far as the most memorable thing Jackson has said to Paris... “He said, ‘If I die tomorrow, always remember what I told you.’ I took his advice and I remembered everything he told me.”

Matt Damon

criticises writer of Bourne Ultimatum A

nd here we thought the on-screen drama was tense. Matt Damon who ordinarily remains above the trash-talking fray, sunk himself right down into it this week while speaking out as the cover-boy of the new issue of GQ Among other far less intriguing revelations, the A-list Oscar winner didn’t hold back while criticising the Bourne Ultimatum screenwriter Tony Gilroy for turning in a script that he dubbed not only “embarrassing” and “unreadable,” but a veritable “careerender” for the scribe.

And that’s only the tip of this bitterly cold iceberg. “It’s really the studio’s fault for putting themselves in that position,” Damon said, after explaining that for the third film, The Bourne Ultimatum, Universal gave Gilroy something of a sweetheart deal, which allowed him to write up only one (apparently quite rough) draft of the script in exchange for a hefty writer’s fee.

TOM

HIDDLESTON

talks Thor 2

S

uperhero nemesis Tom Hiddleston might be gearing up to sell the upcoming Avengers movie, but he also has one eye on a returning role in Thor 2, sequel to the movie which made him a star.

Sadly, he won’t be joined by director Kenneth Branagh, who has opted not to return to the director’s chair for a second outing. However, Hiddleston is confident that Marvel will have

a contingency plan at the ready… “You know, initially, I was sad that he wasn’t coming back,” he told Moviefone.

“When I had heard that he had chosen not to come I was very sad because I’m so proud of his achievements in directing that film. But, then, I understand why. He’s very busy and he’s got other things that he wants to do as an artist. As a director and as an actor.”

Magic Screen

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

The glamour behind the glitz

27

Nagarjuna is extremely confident that his upcoming film, Rajanna will be a huge success at the box-office. In a candid chat, he talks to us about his films and life in the fast lane

The King of Hearts Hemanth Kumar hemanth.k@postnoon.com

I

t's hard to ignore Nagarjuna when he's around. For 26 years, he has played a vital role in introducing several new talented filmmakers and actors to Telugu cinema. The moment you wonder if he has done it all, he comes up with one film, which reiterates that he's still hungry as an actor.

Annamayya and Sri Ramadasu were two such films, which gave a completely different side of Nagarjuna and now, Rajanna is likely to join the list of Nagarjuna's best films so far.

A mere mention of this film is enough to make Nagarjuna beam with pride. “People have not seen this kind of film in recent times. Nobody has gone back 60 years and tried to recre-

ate the whole setting to narrate a story. I am extremely confident that Rajanna will work with the audience,” he says.

Rajanna is a story about a 10-year-old girl, Mallemma who takes inspiration from the life of her father to bring about a change in her village. “It's an extraordinary story and more than 60 per cent of what we have depicted is inspired from true incidents that occurred back in the ‘50s and ‘60s in Telangana,” Nagarjuna says. He tells us that Rajanna's characterisation is inspired from lyricist Suddala Ashok Teja's father, Suddala Hanumanthu. One day, Ashok Teja happened to mention about his father to Vijayendra Prasad, the director, during a train journey and the duo ended up weaving the entire story based on his life.

“Vijayendra Prasad has done an excellent job in transforming his vision into the actual story.

His son, SS Rajamouli was quite moved when he heard the story and he choreographed some action scenes in the film,” Nagarjuna says. The actor is all praises for Annie, who played the role of Mallemma in the film. “She carried the film for the first 40 minutes all by herself. Annie has done an outstanding job,” he adds.

The trailers of the film have given enough reason for us to look forward to the film and the music, composed by MM Keeravani, is already a big hit in the market. “Keeravani's music is working like magic, especially in rural areas as most of the film is about their life and culture. In fact, the film's background score is so

awesome that I listen to it more than the songs. I feel that Keeravani deserves an Oscar for his work in this film,” Nagarjuna says as a matter-offact and we can't help but nod in agreement. But will the film work with audience everywhere? After all, the film is set in the hinterlands of Adilabad back in the ‘50s when Razakars and feudal landlords were wrecking havoc on commoners. “Take Osey Ramulamma for example. People said it may not run in Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema, but it turned out to be a huge hit. I truly believe that if a film has enough emotional depth, people will connect to it no matter where they are from,” he asserts.

Nagarjuna is currently busy with Srinivas Reddy's Damarukam, which is loaded

with special effects. “Damarukam is a new experience for me, but it does feel weird at times to act in such films because there's too much left to our imagination. There's a lot of trial and error happening all the time. I am supposed to be fighting a monster, which I can't see on the set,” he grins.

Post Rajanna and Damaru kam, he will be seen as Shirdi Sai Baba in a film to be directed by K Raghavendra Rao. “I am glad that I am doing different roles at this point of my career. I have been part of the industry for 26 years and I think I have stopped looking back at how life has unfolded.

For me, happiness comes from doing good roles like Rajanna,”he says signing off.

Rajanna opens at theatres on December 22.

Magic Screen

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

The glamour behind the glitz

SS Rajamouli pushes the bar for Eega

S

S Rajamouli is pushing the bar really high, in terms of technology, for his upcoming film titled Eega. For the first time in Telugu cinema, a high-speed Scorpio crane is being used to shoot few key scenes for the film. Apart from this, two special high-speed cameras, a Phantom camera and the Weisscam have been used in the film. The film’s VFx team is working overtime to ensure that the film’s visual effects are of international standards.

One of the key members from Magadheera’s Vfx team, Pete Draper is also part of this project.

Currently, Rajamouli is filming the climax of the film and the entire film’s shooting is expected to be wrapped up in a week. Nani, Samantha and Sudeep are playing lead roles in this film, which addresses themes like reincarnation and revenge.

28

T-TOWN TWEETIES

@actor_Nikhil "Veedu Theda" success meet happened today... We cut the 27days cake... Movie still running in more than 50 centre all over the state..

@shrutihaasan So much happening! I'm excited to bring in the new year with hope light and positive energy :) change is beautiful if you embrace it,truly .

@themohanbabu Very happy birthday to the only woman in my life who loves me unconditionally & puts up all my tantrums. Many returns of the day. My Wife!

@actorsubbaraju

BODYGUARD

to release early in the US T

Monal Gajjar in Varun Sandesh’s next film

V

arun Sandesh is teaming up with yet another newcomer for one of his upcoming films. In the past four years, he has worked with eight newcomers out of the ten films he had acted in.

Shweta Basu Prasad, Vimala Raman, Anita, Suma Bhattacharya, Vega, Asmita Sood and Preetika Rao had made their debut in Telugu film industry in films starring Varun Sandesh in lead role.

Now, another newcomer Monal Gajjar has joined the long list of debutantes. She was crowned Miss Gujarat earlier this year and has already acted in Vennela Kishore’s directorial debut, Vennela 1 ½, which will hit the screens early next year. This untitled film starring Varun Sandesh and Monal Gajjar was launched yesterday and it’ll go on floors in January. Nandyala Ravi is making his debut as a director with this film.

he Venkatesh, Trisha starrer Bodyguard is going to release three days in advance in the US. Bellamkonda Suresh, the producer of the film, announced this recently at the film’s audio launch and it did catch a lot of people off-guard.

Usually, Telugu films are released a day in advance in the US and in the recent years only Sekhar Kammula took the risk of releasing his film, Happy Days in the US before its release here. 2011 has been a lucky year for Bellamkonda Suresh with two huge hits — Kanchana and Kandireega. Buoyed by the success of these two films, he has decided that Bodyguard will be the first of his films to hit the screens. The film will release in Andhra Pradesh on January 12.

Many, many thanks for all those messages &calls of appreciation for my role in 'PANJA'.

@sundeepkishan Killer line..literally :p "@SirishAllu: "I have only been wrong once in my life and that was when I thought I was wrong." Adolf Hitler"

@Actor_Siddharth Theres always a first time...after dodging the bullet for years, i'm walking the ramp tomorrow for a dear friend...God save us all;) NERVOUS

@richyricha I think the only way ill ever get 2 meet @ChadMMurray is if I act in a film w him! Till that happens.... *weeps*. #faveactorintheworld

@trishtrashers Awww thank u all for the posts..M back on set for Dammu..Shootin a peppy number with Tharak...What a brilliant dancer he is..(Thumbs up)

Chai Time 1400 Naadi Aadajanme 1430 Pavitra 1500 Movie 1800 Sri Shanidevuni Mahimalu 1830 Vasantha Kokila 1900 Chinnari Pelli Kuturu 1930 Anna Chellelu 2000 Pellipandiri 2030 Edureetha 2100 Challenge-3 2200 CID 2300 Vasantha Kokila 2330 Alajadi 0700 Silver Screen 0730 Just For Fun 0800 Ayurvedam 0830 Chaganti Nava Vidha Bhakti 0900 Money Money

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‘[V] Humse Hai Life’ at 1930 Hrs on CHANNEL [V]

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‘The Game’ at 1930 Hrs only on TIMES NOW

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

Telly sitcoms, news and movie listings

1400 Abhishekam 1430 Aadade Aadharam 1500 Antahpuram 1530 Aakasa Ganga 1600 Prema Mandiram 1630 Jagadeeswari 1700 Genes 1800 Devimahathyam 1830 Puttadi Bomma 1900 Kumkuma Rekha 1930 Manasu Mamata 2000 Chandra Mukhi 2030 Bharyamani 2100 Etv News 2130 Super 2245 Movie 0800 Jeevana Jyothi 0830 Tollywood Time 0900 Movie 1130 Abhiruchi 1230 Star Mahila

1400 Ardhangi 1430 Movie 1800 Veera Naari Jhansi Laxmi Bhai 1830 Kalavari Kodallu 1900 Chinna Kodalu 1930 Pasupukunkuma 2000 Muddu Bidda 2030 Radha Kalyanam 2100 Kanyadanam 2130 Sa Re Ga Ma Pa - Little Champs 2230 Shree 2300 Bindas 0800 Gopuram 0830 Bhakti Samacharam 0900 Sri Raghavendra Vybhavam 0930 Ayurveda Jeevana Vignanam 1000 Zee 70 Mm A.C 1200 Mee Inti Vanta

‘Global Business Report’ at 1900 Hrs only on ET NOW 1400 The F And O Show 1430 Closing Trades 1530 Tomorrow's Trades 1600 Business Day 1730 Markets Tomorrow 1800 Rush Hour 1830 Starting Up 1900 Global Business Report 1930 Business Express 2000 Business First 2030 Markets Tomorrow 2100 Business Tonight 2200 Top 10 At 10 2230 Brand Equity 2300 Investor's Guide 0900 First Trades 1000 Hot Stocks 1100 Buy Now Sell Now - The Stock Game 1130 Buy Now Sell Now 1200 Market Sense 1300 Business Day 1330 Markets Now

‘Dinosaur Revolution’ at 2100 Hrs on DISCOVERY 1400 Man Vs. Wild 1500 Fearless Planet 1600 Dual Survival 1700 Killer Sharks The Attacks Of Black December 1800 Killing For A Living 1900 Swamp Brothers 1930 Destroyed In Seconds 2000 Dinosaur Revolution 2100 Man Vs. Wild 2200 I Shouldn't Be Alive 2300 My Shocking Story 0800 Dinosaur Revolution 0900 Factory Made 0930 Destroyed In Seconds 1000 Worst Case Scenario

1415 Csi - Crime Scene Investigation 1510 Wipeout 1605 Chef Academy 1700 Top Chef Masters 1800 Breaking The Magician's Code 1900 India's Minute To Win It 2000 Guinness World Records Smashed 2100 Minute To Win It 2200 Wipeout 2300 Breaking The Magician's Code 0905 Sky Teleshopping 0930 Whacked Out Sports 0955 Infomercial/5 Min 1030 Top Chef Masters 1130 Guinness World Records Smashed 1225 India's Minute To Win It 1320 Minute To Win It

‘Wipeout’ at 2100 Hrs on AXN

‘Beendh Banuga Ghodi Chadhunga’ at 2100 Hrs on IMAGINE 1400 Haar Jeet 1500 Nach Le Ve With Saroj Khan 1600 Haar Jeet 1700 Dharampatni 1800 Beendh Banuga Ghodi Chadhunga 1830 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto 1900 Nach Le Ve With Saroj Khan 2000 Dwarkadheesh - Bhagwan Shri Krishn 2030 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto 2100 Beendh Banuga Ghodi Chadhunga 2130 Dharampatni 2200 Baba Aisa Varr Dhoondo

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‘Parichay ’ at 2130 Hrs on COLORS

‘Y M G G K’ at 2030 Hrs on ZEE TV 1400 Hitler Didi 1430 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 1500 Bhagonwali 1530 Yahaaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 1600 Pavitra Rishta 1630 Star Ya Rockstar 1800 Ram Milaye Jodi 1830 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 1900 Ek Nayi Choti Si Zindagi 1930 Choti Bahu 2 2000 Hitler Didi 2030 Yahaaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 2100 Pavitra Rishta 2130 Ram Milaye Jodi 2200 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 2230 Bhagonwali 2300 Pavitra Rishta

1400 Saas Bina Sasuraal 1430 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 1500 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 1600 CID 1800 Saas Bina Sasuraal 1830 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 1900 Crime Patrol - Dastak 2000 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 2045 Dekha Ek Khwaab 2130 Parvarrish - Kuchh Khatti Kuchh Meethi 2200 Saas Bina Sasuraal 2230 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 2300 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 0900 Adaalat 1000 Crime Patrol - 1 1200 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 1245 Dekha Ek Khwaab 1330 Parvarrish - Kuchh Khatti Kuchh Meethi

‘Parvarrish’ at 2130 Hrs on SONY

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‘Y R K K H’ at 2130 Hrs on STAR PLUS 1400 Sapnon Se Bharey Naina 1500 Navya 1530 Diya Aur Bati Hum 1600 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behnaa Hai 1630 Sasuraal Genda Phool 1700 Saath Nibhaana Saathiya 1730 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 1800 Mann Ki Awaaz… Pratigya 1900 Saath Nibhaana Saathiya 1930 Sasuraal Genda Phool 2000 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 2030 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behnaa Hai 2100 Diya Aur Bati Hum 2130 Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai 2200 Navya 2230 Mann Ki Awaaz… Pratigya 2300 Maryaada ... Lekin Kab Tak?

MOVIES OF THE DAY AND OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

1430 The Phantom 1625 The Island 1905 Soldier 2100 The Dark Knight 0752 Golden Compass, The Tv Special 13' 0812 Friends 0842 Good Morning, Miami 0912 Friends 0942 It's A Boy Girl Thing 1132 Contact

1210 Sherlock Holmes 1500 Get Him To The Greek 1720 Spiders 1910 The Good Guy 2100 Four Christmases 2250 The Losers 0830 Four Christmases 1025 The Good Guy

Survivor Redemption Island Storyline - Secrets are revealed on Redemption Island and the second duel reduces one castaway to tears when he is eliminated from the game for good.

‘Survivor - Redemption Island’ at 2100 Hrs on BIG CBS PRIME

1400 $H*! My Dad Says 1430 Better With You 1500 The Real Housewives Of New Jersey 1600 Body Of Proof 1700 $H*! My Dad Says 1730 Better With You 1800 E News 1900 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 2000 $H*! My Dad Says 2030 America's Funniest Home Videos 2100 The Real Housewives Of New Jersey 2200 Body Of Proof 2300 Scrubs 2330 Better With You 0800 The Real Housewives Of New Jersey 0900 Body Of Proof 1000 Scrubs 1030 Just For Laughs 1100 The Real Housewives Of New Jersey

‘Scrubs’ at 2300 Hrs on ZEE CAFE

‘The Big Bang Theory’ at 2300 Hrs on STAR WORLD 1400 Masterchef USA 1500 Necessary Roughness 1600 The Big Bang Theory 1630 The Simpsons 1700 The Sheild 1800 Masterchef USA 1900 Love2 Hate U 2000 Two And A Half Men 2030 The Simpsons 2100 Masterchef USA 2200 The Sheild 2300 The Big Bang Theory 2330 Home Improvement 0700 The Big Bang Theory 0730 Home Improvement 0800 Rules Of Engagement 0830 The Simpsons 0900 Masterchef USA 1000 The Sheild 1100 Love2 Hate U 1200 Terra Nova 1300 The Big Bang Theory 1330 Friends

Saas Bina Sasural Storyline - Ved is continuously haunted with Nitika’s flashes. He is unable to understand what is wrong with him. Toasty and Malti try tricks to understand if Ved really cares for Nitika.

‘Saas Bina Sasural’ at 2200 Hrs on SONY

1400 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma 1430 Chidiya Ghar 1500 R.K. Laxman Ki Duniya 1530 Lapataganj 1600 Fir 1630 Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo 1700 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma 1830 R.K. Laxman Ki Duniya 1900 Chidiya Ghar 1930 Don't Worry Chachu !!!

2000 Chintu Chinky Aur Ek Badi Si Love Story 2030 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma 2100 Chidiya Ghar 2130 R.K. Laxman Ki Duniya 2200 Lapataganj 2230 Fir 2300 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma 2330 Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo 0900 Don't Worry Chachu !!!

0930 Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo 1000 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma 1130 R.K. Laxman Ki Duniya

‘R.K. Laxman Ki Duniya’ at 2130 Hrs on SAB

‘Four Christmases’ at 2100 Hrs on HBO

‘De Taali’ at 1400 Hrs on ZOOM 1400 Movie - De Taali 1730 Star Bonanza 1800 Letz Go! 1900 Planet Bollywood News 1930 Link'D 2000 Tentalize 2030 Safi Zoom Anchor Hunt 2011 2100 Style Strip 2130 Link'D 2200 B - Tonite 2230 Tentalize 2300 Bollywood Bonanza 0700 Fresh Mornings 0800 Red Carpet 0805 20 - 20 Songs 0825 Fresh Mornings 1100 Zoom Box 1200 Garma Garam 1230 Telly Talk

1430 Mummy Autopsy 1530 Exodus Earth 1630 Some Assembly Required 1730 Mission Demolition 1830 Best Of Discovery Science 1930 UFO 2030 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 2130 Science Of The Movies 2230 Massive Machines 2300 Massive Speed 2330 The New Inventors 0730 UFO 0830 Mummy Autopsy 0930 Massive Machines 1000 Massive Speed 1030 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 1130 Science Of The Movies 1330 Weird Connections

‘Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman’ at 2030 Hrs on DISCOVERY SCIENCE

‘The Defenders’ at 2100 Hrs on BIG CBS PRIME 1430 Jerry Springer 1530 Big Wheels 1600 Survivor 1700 Bellator 1800 Galileo Extreme 1900 The Defenders 2000 Entertainment Tonight 2030 Galileo Extreme 2100 The Defenders 2200 Jerry Springer 2300 CSI - New York 0700 Big Wheels 0730 Aspire 0800 Galileo Extreme 0900 CSI - New York 1000 Bellator 1100 Jerry Springer 1200 Big Wheels 1230 How To Be A Gentleman 1300 Galileo Extreme 1330 The Defenders

Chai Time

KAKURO

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.

SCRIBBLING PAD

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

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QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Give at no charge, as a hotel room 5 ___-Cola 9 The "f" in f-stop 14 Kind of thermometer 15 Dummkopf 16 College town on the Penobscot River 17 Ship of Columbus 18 Singer at the chess match?

20 Word after "terra" 22 They enforce anti-piracy laws 23 It has egg on the side?

24 Writer at the chess match?

28 Sailor's "yes" 29 Ruby of "Do the Right Thing" 30 Crossed Greek letter 31 Fight-or-flight response generator 33 Latin 101 verb 35 Surprise bust 38 Bird feeder bits 39 Actor at the chess match?

42 Storybook elephant 45 Wax-coated appetizer 46 Fish with an elongated body 50 Thrilled no end 52 Slap the cuffs on 54 Three-time heavyweight boxing champ 55 Old Ford 56 Dancer at the chess match?

60 Chaney with a thousand faces 61 Buffalo-to-Rochester dir.

62 Hangman turn 63 Rat Pack member at the chess match?

68 Johnson of "Laugh-In" fame 69 Wilderness photographer Adams 70 Range bordering Asia 71 Wiener schnitzel ingredient 72 Rough and grating 73 Continental capital?

74 Causes an unearned run DOWN 1 Acknowledge reluctantly 2 Baltimore team 3 Shelves over fireplaces 4 One in a buffet stack 5 300, to Tiberius 6 "Pay" or "Motor" ending 7 Island off Greece 8 Sun-dried brick 9 Opponent 10 Home planet of a Robin Williams character 11 Invention of new words 12 Bugged 13 Lumberjacks 19 Told whoppers 21 Display at the Getty 25 Prison exercise area 26 Earthshaking event 27 Versifier Ogden 32 Volleyball court dividers

34 Coup d'___ (rebellion) 36 Hoosier State (Abbr.)

37 Keaton of "The First Wives' Club" 40 "... __ saw Elba" 41 Auto financing co.

42 Sylvia Plath novel (with "The") 43 Pennsylvan ia railroad center 44 Naughtiness 47 One at a wedding reception 48 Outstanding athlete 49 Some locomotives 51 Three, in Munich 53 Use paper or plastic?

57 Follow as a conse-

SUDOKU

quence 58 India's first prime minister 59 Urbane 64 Nope's opposite 65 Nellie who circled the world 66 Rowboat propeller 67 Arafat's org.

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY Wisdom prepares for the worst, but folly leaves the worst for the day when it comes.

– Cecil

Chai Time STAR POWER

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

Date 16-12-2011

ARIES

thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9177596118

March 20 – April 18 You may receive good news through your children. Your stock is set to pile up. Your suggestions will be accepted.

You might be involved in religious activ‑ ities and derive pleasure from it.

TAURUS

April 19 – May 19 Avoid disputes. Businessmen need to exercise extra caution as there are chances of incurring loss. You might be criticised by some today but just ignore them. Be careful while driving.

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

June 21 – July 21

July 22 – August 21

May 20 – June 20

A good day to take important decisions. All work you undertake will be successful. You will sharpen your skills further and get ap‑ preciation from all. Spend good time with family and friends; it will improve bonding.

Avoid being emotional today. Assess your strength and weakness and take an appro‑ priate decision; decide your future plans accordingly. New investments and ventures are favoured today. Focus on growth plans.

Expences will increase. Keep a control over them or you might have to face a fi‑ nancial crisis. You may be criticised and blamed by some persons. Avoid such a situation by being calm and well behaved.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS November 21 – Dec 20

October 23 – November 20

Journey will bring benefits. Businessmen can expand their horizon by making fresh investments. A long pending work will resume and end successfully. Avoid being sensitive and win over emotions.

Family will be very happy. Family mem‑ bers will appreciate you for your good ac‑ tions. Artists will be appreciated and also rewarded for their performance in the re‑ cent projects. Take care of father's health.

Avoid getting into disputes and irritation.

You can undertake new assignments to‑ day so that you will be successful. You will involve in religious activities. Past work will start yielding good results now.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

January 20 – February 18 Your willpower and skills to bring you success in all you do. Financial investments, proposals and taking vital future decisions are favoured today. Donʼt fall for provocations.

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

The World – The fear of flying or some kind of apprehension is st‑ opping you from mak‑ ing a stronger decision and taking a leap for‑ ward, although you know itʼs good for you.

Page of Pentacles – Youʼre in the mood to discover and explore the opportunities that seem far‑fetched at the moment. The ad‑ venturous part of you is itching to jump in.

Two of Swords – You have to do the jug‑ gling act and it might seem overwhelming at the moment. Take a deep breath and work to a plan. You can manage well.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

The Empress – Love is in the air. You hit the right note with a person from the opposite sex and you find a soul mate in him/her.

Page of Swords – Youʼre young and impetuous. But youʼre also able to cut through the heart of the matter to get to the root of what needs attention.

Seven of Pentacles – You may need to play your cards close to your chest in order to avoid any untoward incidents. Trust issues will come up. You cannot avoid them.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Five of Wands – Thereʼs some conspir‑ acy and secrecy going on around you. Youʼre not being given the full information and this may be for your own good. Be patient.

Seven of Cups – Youʼre discovering a new material urge within you, and itʼs somehow not sur‑ prising you given your spiritual bent of mind.

The Star – Though there have been many ups and downs on the personal and work fronts, theyʼve all been for a reason.

Itʼs all working out in your favour.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Ten of Wands – You may be taking on more work than you can handle. Ease the pressure and find ways to communicate this with your boss.

Ace of Pentacles – Moneyʼs looking good.

Youʼve met all your targets and youʼre able to plan your finances really well. Youʼre well within the goal.

The Magician – Use your intuition to guide you into making the right decision. You may feel inadequate, though, when it comes to the lack of logic to support your ideas.

February 19 – March 19

You have to face lots of hurdles to get jobs completed. Refrain from taking any fresh assignments other than what you have in hand. Postpone important deci‑ sions, new projects for a couple of days.

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

SOLUTIONS

Boggle HARP LUTE BANJO VIOLIN GUITAR

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

Dec 21 – January 19 Be careful throughout the day as indi‑ rect enemies are planning to defame you. You might feel nervous and upset but keep your courage and face every challenge with determination.

SUMAA TEKUR

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

August 22 – September21

Some important message to be received.

Chances of financial fortune likely. Avoid making any fresh debts today. Be cordial with neighbours. Spend time with family and keep them happy. Eye infection likely.

September 22 – October 22

TAROT READ

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Vol: 1, No. 152 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 040-40672222, Fax: 040-40672211

Spotlight

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

PICS: SRINIVAS SETTY

AND IT RAINED... MUSIC There was music and there was fun when Parikrama took the stage at the Seagram 100 Pipers’ Free Bird 2011, at the N Convention in Madhapur on Wednesday.

The crowd’s enthusiasm as they swayed to the band’s tunes was a sight to behold.

PIC: N SHIVA KUMAR

PICS: A SUDHEER REDDY

DON IN THE CITY Hyderabad was able to catch the Don in his element on Wednesday at Cinemax, Banjara Hills.

Among hordes of screaming fans Shah Rukh Khan and Ritesh Sidhwani launched the Telegu audio version of Don 2.

Tollywood actor Sneha at the launch of Thirumala Milk in tetra packs at Hotel Taj Krishna on Wednesday

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