Epaper for December 12 2011

KIWI’S LUCKY NUMBER 7 New Zealand beat Australia by seven runs in the second and final Test in Hobart to level the series at 1-1. That bodes well for our boys as they head Down Under

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Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011 HYDERABAD

SPECIAL YOUNG CITY AT ITS CAMPUS HQ Today we begin our Campus page; dedicated to the leaders and thinkers of tomorrow. If you’re not on it, ask yourself why.

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Bradley Cooper

ACCEPTS PARADISE LOST MOVIE VERSION

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WWW.POSTNOON.COM

WEATHER: CLEAR WITH CLOUDY SPELLS; 20°C

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32 PAGES

ALONE IN THE DARK The Telangana agitation and government apathy has left the City gasping for power. And it’s the common man who’s bearing the brunt of a city heading into the dark ages REPORT ON PG 4

Beckinsale

WONʼT MIND DOING A NUDE SCENE

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THE STORY OF A LEGEND

The saying actions speak louder than words, stands true for veteran actor Dilip Kumar. And as the superstar enters his 90th year, we take a look back at a stellar career.

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Page Two

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

Spirit of Twin Cities

WAYE shows the way Sudeshna Koka feedback@postnoon.com

A

writer, a gymnast, environmentalist, a cricket enthusiast, a soccer player, Dinesh Godke wears many caps.

A management graduate from IIT Mumbai, Dinesh is one of the directors of WAYE (World Alliance for Youth Empowerment). His job is to tackle issues relating to the youth and support them on initiatives that help make a difference to themselves and the world around them.

In four years, WAYE has made its presence felt in about 50 cities in India and has a pool of about 250 trainers and 2,000 young dedicated volunteers!

We interview Dinesh about WAYE’s objectives, interests and missions.

WAYE addresses issues which concern the youth today, so where does environment fit in?

Environment is one of our foremost concerns and as a youth NGO we have adopted several methods to tackle damage to environment. To begin with, we educated the youth on how they need to proactively avoid using plastic. There are several alternatives like using jute and cloth bags. We have designed a few trendy cloth bags which are being circulated widely in the country.

What are the environment projects WAYE has been part of?

Two years ago, in Hyderabad we had organised an event called UTSAV in which more than 1000 youth from various engineering colleges had participated. In collaboration with the GHMC about a 1 lakh trees were planted in the

City. And what is interesting is that most of the participants have adopted the trees and are till date nurturing them. In an attempt to follow up volunteers in Bengaluru have create a website called www.itsmytree.net, were people could put up pictures of their adopted tree. Apart

2

A little effort on our part can do wonders to the world around us, social activist Dinesh Ghodke explains in a candid conversation with Postnoon from this, we have several projects like Mission Green Earth: Stand Up and Take Action, wherein youth from various universities in Hyderabad took a pledge to create awareness about global warming. In Barsana near Mathura, WAYE partnered with Nokia for afforestation of Rithoda village in the district. In Delhi we did the Meri Dilli Meri Yamuna (MDMY) campaign. During the span of the campaign, six ghats were cleaned with the efforts of 20,000 volunteers.

Why do you think laws like the plastic ban became ineffective?

We can’t legalise people’s consciousness. We can have many laws but unless one does not feel for the environment it’s not going to help.

What measures do you suggest to improve environment consciousness?

The biggest cause of environment pollution and emission of greenhouse gases is the meat industry. It’s not politically correct for me to talk about this. But yes, we need to be aware and let the youth do more research and creatively spread the knowledge.

Why are environment initiatives not encouraging in Hyderabad ?

“If there is darkness in a room it takes one lamp to dispel the darkness. Likewise, for several years nothing concrete has been done in Hyderabad. But now we can walk together and bring a lot of change,” he concludes.

Around the city: Your guide to the Twin Cities

A night of ghazals and food

PICS: SRINIVAS SETTY

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

Have paint, will travel The Corner House Gallery brings to you C Chandrasekhar’s travelling exhibition of graphic prints.

Where: The Corner House Gallery, Jubilee Hills.

When: Ongoing, 7pm to 9pm Contact: 9885288982

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.

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

Life in the dark An innovative format to experience and understand the daily life of the visually challenged with their trials and tribulations in doing the most simple of tasks.

Get a tour in complete darkness with visually 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

Spin 2 Win To get a chance to win deals on your bills and drinks everyday head to Novotel Airport and spin the wheel of fortune.

Where: Alankritha, Jubilee Hills

When: Ongoing, 11am-7pm Contact: (040) 23113709

So fresh you can taste it To experience a typical seafood market, head to the Simply Fishy Food Festival.

So head to Marriot to sample food prepared by the chefs using fresh seafood cooked in a variety of marinades and sauces.

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

Christmas treat It’s Christmas time, Novotel Hyderabad’s Le Café

CINEMAS

celebrates the festive season with a gingerbread house. View this marvel as well as pick up Christmas goodies such as Christmas Cookies and moulded chocolate that are available at site. They have also put up a huge eco-friendly Christmas tree which revolves around the concept of recycle décor.

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

Get Commercial DJ Saahil will be spinning the best commericial hits at Grill Room.

Where: Grill room, Banjara Hills When: 12th December, 7pm Contact: 9848968656 Generous spirit, Mahender Reddy unfailingly comes everyday to Nampally Railway Station to feed pigeons

Classic and vintage rock For the best of classic and vintage rock by DJ Rahul head to 10 Downing street.

Where: 10 Downing Street, Begumpet

When: 12th December, 7pm Contact: 9866000078

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

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

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Half of GHMC property ‘non-existent’ Inkeshaf Ahmed ahmed.m@postnoon.com

HYDERABAD:

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), already reeling under severe corruption charges, is believed to be the hub of another scam.

A resolution passed by the standing committee (Resolution No 31, dated July 16, 2011) of the corporation reveals what can only be described as shocking details of many a leased properties of the corporation.

The committee had directed the GHMC commissioner and estates officer to make a detailed survey of all the leased-out properties of the corporation.

According to the estate wing of the

Zone

Charitable Educational Residential Commercial Institutes and Health

South Zone

6

5

57

37

105

Central Zone

19

11

25

92

147

North Zone

2

-

18

-

20

East Zone

Nil

Nil

Nil

Nil

0

West Zone

2

2

Nil

Nil

-

Total

29

18

100

129

276

corporation, GHMC has leased out 274 properties to various firms and individuals of the city, most of them decades ago.

The list of beneficiaries includes charitable organisations, educational and health institutions and residential and commercial ventures.

only 109 properties have clear title deeds, 29 properties have double entries, while the other 136 properties do not exist at all.

“We were surprised when we found that there was no trace of 136 properties. We could not locate these properties at all,” he said.

He said the misappropriation could not have happened without involvement of earlier officials of the estate wing, which clearly indicates foul play by someone from within the corporation.

According to sources in the corporation, many of these properties have either been encroached upon or sold away illegally.

Total

The survey further revealed some astonishing information.

Many of these leased properties do not even exist. That is, they no longer belong to the corporation.

Speaking to Postnoon, GHMC Estate Officer Chandrasekhar Reddy stated that during the investigation they realised that

Congress wants local 62 turns to Rajinikanth polls to counter Jagan S A Saye Sekhar

HYDERABAD: The Congress is expecting to corner its breakaway group, the YSR Congress led by YS Jaganmohan Reddy, by conducting elections to the civic bodies and local governments. The tenure of local governments and civic bodies has ended almost two years ago across the State.

With these elections, the ruling party believes will benefit not one but two advantages.

Explaining the twin advantages, an APCC senior functionary told Postnoon that this would force the Jagan’s group to contest as independents and they might not get a uniform symbol across the State.

Apart from this, Jagan would be ‘constrained to pronounce’ his party’s stand on a separate Telangana, which would corner him. If he supports the Telangana cause, his perceived support base in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema will erode. If he opposes it, he may not even be able to enter the Telangana region. This would weaken the formation of Jagan to contest the by-elections that would arise due to the ‘disqualification’ of the MLAs owing allegiance to Jagan.

What’s more? The ruling party would then enjoy the support from more people — for they would elect representatives of the ruling party at the civic bodies and local governments for obvious reasons.

APCC President Botsa Satyanarayana, who ought to

have left for Delhi on Saturday evening, cancelled that programme and had confabulations with the chief minister instead.

Though on paper it is projected that they met to decide on the strategy to seek disqualification of four ‘impudent’ Congress members of the State Legislative Council, the agenda is said to delve much deeper.

The Congress high com-

mand had almost decided to bid adieu to the 16 rebel Congress legislators by seeking their disqualification. It made sure that the entire media discussed the issue of disqualification of MLAs. But none came around and gave in to the party leadership. In fact, the Congress Legislature Party should have met tomorrow to do the formalities. But now, the fate of the 16 MLAs sailing with Jagan will be decided only after the return of Botsa from New Delhi.

The Congress is also keen on conducting the local body elections, as the TDP’s support base was severely affected in the Telangana region and the natural advantage of the ruling party would cast its shadow on the prospects of the main opposition.

Meanwhile, MLC Jupudi Prabhakar Rao, owning up loyalty to the YSR Congress, said that the ruling party could not initiate any action against the four MLCs, as legal issues would come in the way. The election process undergone and who was elected from which constituency would have to be examined by the Chairman of the Council, he said.

A senior TDP leader, however, said that their party was not a trifle worried about the elections and they were geared up to meet the challenge. Meanwhile, minister Erasu Pratap Reddy said that the Congress would ensure the victory of its candidates even in the by-elections to the Assembly, after the legislators were disqualified.

uperstar Rajinikanth is celebrating his 62nd birthday today. Thousands of his fans have been celebrating the occasion all over the world.

Born as Shivaji Rao Gaikwad in 1950 in Bangalore, Rajinikanth's breakthrough in cinema happened in 1975 with K Balachander's Apoorva Ragangal. However it was Billa which catapulted him into a star and the rest is history.

Over the next three decades, he acted in more than 150 films out of which films such as Thillu Mullu, Moondra Mugam, Dalapathy, Baasha, Muthu, Narasimha, Sivaji and Robot were huge hits.

Known for his modesty, Rajinikanth is a phenomenon and everything he says becomes news.

Back in late 90s, there was a lot of speculation that he might join a political party and after keeping people guessing he stuck to films.

In this career spanning 36 years, he has been part of Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and English films.

Affectionately called as Thalaivar, Rajinikanth is an icon for those who understand him and for others, who can't make sense of his style, he still remains as a myth.

Few days ago, his fans started an online campaign to celebrate his birthday as World Style Day. Having recovered from a kidney

Tweeting greetings Chinmayi - "Thalaivaaaa!!

Happy Birthday. I pray you live long, eternally youthful and keep making films that I and my grandchildren can watch first day, first show," Amitabh Bachchan- "Its Happy Birthday for Rajnikanth... friend and colleague and a humble gentleman, despite his immense following and cult iconic figure."

Jiiva - "The man who gave back dignity to the common man The phenomenon The one and only Superstar Happy bday thaliva!" ailment earlier this year, Rajinikanth will soon be seen in a 3D film titled Kochadaiyaan.

Special Report MD. INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com

HYDERABAD:

Syed Toufiq Hussain, who works as a software engineer in a multinational IT company and stays in Nizampet, changed his daily routine three months ago. He now gets up at 5 am to excercise on the tread mill , do household chores and get ready for office well before 8 am.

Earlier, he used to be up at 6 am and be ready for office before 9 am for two years. However, the agitation for a seperate Telangana state, that started about three months ago, has led to frequent power cuts in the city and altered his routine.

Toufiq has been facing regular unscheduled power cuts at his residence everyday between 8 am to 10 am even after the end of the General Strike one-and-a-half month ago.

Toufiq is not the only one affected by frequent power cuts: almost everyone in the capital is.

Officials of the Central Power Distribution Company Limited (CPDCL), at the end of General Strike, had announced that they were withdrawing restrictions on power supply and scheduled power cuts. But in reality unscheduled power cuts have become an order of the day. “ When the strike was on, there were four to six hour scheduled power cuts everyday. But after the strike got over and despite the tall claims of electricity department officials, we are still facing this problem," Jubilee Hills Corporator Mamidi Laxmi told Postnoon.

Statistics in GHMC Total number of Domestic Connections

26.3 lakh Total number of Commercial Connections

4.45 lakh Total number of Industrial connections

39000 Total No. of Small and Medium Enterprises segment

4000 Street Lights

3.46 lakh

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

198 155313

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

155333 23431178 23431179 Street Light 155304 MUNICIPAL CORPORATION:

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

City cries foul as

4

Details of Power consumption in Greater Hyderabad in the last five days

power crisis

2-10-2011 3-10-2011 4-10-2011 5-10-2011 6-10-2011

gets personal

33.78 MU 34.86 MU 32.88 MU 32.32 MU 32.62 MU

City short of 400MW

V

arious other sectors in GHMC are also hit by frequent power cuts.

According to official figures, the city is short of about 400 MW of electricity every day. As against the daily electricity demand of 38 MU in GHMC, AP Central Power Distribution Company Limited (APCPDCL) is only able to supply only 35 MU - 36 MU per day.

Banjara Hills Corporator B Bharathi expressed similar views.

Ironically, Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills — where many VVIPs of the state like Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Opposition Leader N Chandra Babu Naidu and Assembly speaker N Manohar have their residences — have not been spared.

However, Chief General Manager (Master Plan) CPDCL DRK Prasad, speaking to Postnoon, claimed that there was no unscheduled power cuts in The basic Hyderabad.

He question added that is whatever power cuts that are being who will decide reported are for operation and whether something maintenance works. But is many other officialsorofobjectionthe department abusive have aable? different say. These Bystory thetosame officials, on the condition of logic, said will that factionist anonymity, the department still suffering frombe meetandis mafia movies ing the power demands, which is banned?

Shouldn’t leading to unscheduled power cuts. those soap operas on Power cuts havebanned also hit the TV be city’s street-lighting system. “Few days ago, street for lightsbeing in many parts of Jubilee Hills andetc?

Banjara abusive Hills went off inconveniencing

Commissioner & Spl Officer 23262266 24166666R ENC 23225267 Engineering 23220418 MCH Tankbund 23225397 Emergency MCH Circle I&II 24525842 MCH Circle III 24736912 MCH Circle IV 23326975 MCH Circle V 23326976 MCH Circle VI MCH Complaints 1100 Head Office 23225397 IVRS CUM MANUAL ENQUIRY PHONE NUMBERS (TRAIN & RESERVATION) RAILWAYS Rail Nilayam 27833150 Railway Information 131 Reservations 135 Recorded Information 1345 Enquiry (IVRS) 1331, 1332, 1333

Facts No. of Industries in and around Hyderabad

2 lakh No. of MSMEs

1.85 lakh Production loss per day due frequent power cuts

` 200 crore

Demand Total loss incurred so far

` 1800 crore

Scheduled power cuts per day

4 hours Power Holiday

once in a week many,” Superintendent Engineer (SE) of GHMC B Murali Krishna told Postnoon. The power crisis has also hit the drinking water supply schedule of the Metro Water Board.

WATER SUPPLY: Complaint Cell Sewerage Complaint Hyd. Water Supply HOSPITAL: General Hospital, Sec-bad Niloufer Hospital, Red Hills NIMS, Director, Punjagutta Osmania General Hospital Railway Hospital, Lalaguda Apollo, Jubilee Hills Care Hospital, Banjara Hills Care Hospital, Nampally Care Hospitals, Musheerabad Care Hospital, Sec-bad Kamineni Hospital,

LB Nagar 155313 23307328 23313163 27505566 23314095 23390933 24600146 27001134 23607777 30418888 30417777 30419000 30416666

BLOOD BANKS: Blood Bank,Narayaguda Chiranjeevi Blood Bank Blood Bank Mediton Goal Red Cross, Vidyanagar ADRM Blood Bank Mythri Charitable Trust NTR Memorial Trust Care Banjara Hills

Industrial sector feels the heat too HYDERABAD: Frequent power cuts in GHMC have not only been a great inconvenience to lakhs of residents in the city, but to the industrial sector in and around Hyderabad too. The result of these power outages led to a huge revenue loss to the industrial sector which consists of major industries like pharama, cement, ferro alloys, steel and thousands of other micro and Medium Enterprises. According to Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FAPCII),the industrial sector has so far lost `1,800 crore owing to reduction in production of various products because of these frequent power cuts. Speaking to Postnoon FAPCII President VS Raju said the industrial sector had recorded 40 percent production loss since the start of the power crisis. He informed over 1.85 lakh MSMEs located in and around the city have been hit by the power cuts and added they are still facing four-hour power cuts everyday. He added that

39879999 27567892 23559555 23226624 27633087 27035588 27550238 30799999 30418296 30417445

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

the huge gap between demand and supply of electricity is resulting in power cuts and added that they had requested the state government to supply power to the MSME sector on priority basis as it is being done in the case of IT sector. “This would help the sector from incurring losses and contributing more towards industrial growth of the state,” Raju said. A delegation of Jeedimetla Industries Association met TDP President N. Chandra Babu Naidu and sought his intervention to solve the problem of power crisis. According to this association, the electricity department has reduced power supply to industrial sector by 61 percent in the months of September, October and November. It further said that CPDCL had reduced the supply by 45 percent so far. The association is holding Dharnas at all Superintendent Engineers (SE) offices on Tuesday (December 13, 2011) and a Hunger Strike relay programme on December15.

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

24523211 232431300/7641 24521029

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

Hyper Local

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

5

Ailing NIMS needs major surgery 1,200, but the manpower has largely remained the same. NIMS isn’t equipped enough to handle the ever-increasing number of emergency cases. A staff member laments only one person does the work of four people. “So we are severely strained with our work-

Osama Salman & Aishwarya Yerra feedback@postnoon.com

N

izam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), one of the most prestigious medical institutes in India, is ailing. Myriad problems that began as teething troubles now attained gigantic proportions. From poor sanitation to scarcity of medicines, to shortage of paramedics to dysfunctional CT scanner and lack of proper disposal of waste water and sewage, everything is sick in NIMS. Recent raids by senior officials of the Pollution Control Board on the prestigious hospital once again exposed the worsening situation. Though planned to be developed on the lines as All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, things don’t seem to be working that way for NIMS. The hospital, preferred by thousands of patients for treatment, lacks in some major areas — some glaringly visible, others are well wrapped secrets. As Postnoon reporters dug deep more shocking details emerged.

I Only two ambulances A hospital as big as NIMS, which sees a massive flow of 1,000 outpatients and close 100 patients admitted every day, there are only two ambulances and neither of them are used for emergencies.

In fact, they are only used for clinical purposes and aren’t adequately equipped.

The situation is so hopeless that there are over 70 private ambulances that are hired by the hospital. This practice finds its support from the staff as they

earn a large commission from these ambulances. “If a staff member recommends a private ambulance service, they earn a commission from the transaction between the patients and the ambulance driver,” said a former employee of the hospital.

Desperate need for more staff In 1992, NIMS was a 600-bed medical institute. But over the years, its size has more than doubled. The current number of beds in NIMS is

pital is supply of drinking water.

Along with the patient, many attenders and are left waiting in corridors for a long time. The only option that they have when they feel thirsty is either to buy water from the canteen or remain thirsty. There is no drinking water provided on the campus.

No space for attendants

NVESTIGATION

load. As a result the camaraderie that we need to establish with our patients is not happening.

Therefore patients do not feel comfortable in such a hospital environment,” he said.

Another nurse says, “Typically an ICU requires a patient-nurse ratio to be 1:1 and in some emergency cases, it may even require the ratio to be 1:2. But alarmingly due to severe short staffing, the ratio is only 8:1 now.”

The numbers speak volumes about the alarming situation

Water woes A basic necessity of any hos-

Whether it’s rain or shine, the attenders who come along with patients literally have no roof over their head. There are plenty of benches scattered around the grounds but it is not enough for the increasing number of attendants.

One can see many of them sitting on footpaths and ledges or wherever they find place. Some can be seen lying down the road due to unavailability of space. “One of the biggest problems with NIMS is that there is no proper block for attenders to stay in. They come from places even far off as Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Each patient has at least four attenders with them and they don’t have place to rest.” said a member of the Employees Union.

(To be concluded tomorrow)

Hyper Local

Mario’s cartoons depicted sensibility and were distinctly more urban and cosmopolitan

characters, Miss Nimbupani and Miss Fonseca were quite popular.

Friends, associates and members of the art fraternity remember him for his warm, gentle and calm nature.

Managing Trustee of the Indian Institute of Cartoonists, based in Bengaluru, VG Narendra said he knew Mario for the past 20 years.

“I had met him on several occasions and whenever he was in town, he would give me a ring or just come see me. He was the perfect gentleman but also had a wicked sense of humor,” said Narendra.

Keshav, one of the finest cartoonists of the Hindu recalls Mario as a man who was compassionate and caring. “I had met him a couple of times but for the first time at the Israel show. I love his work which depicted the kind of person that he is. Mario in one sense was a social cartoonist and created travelogues, commenting on the Goan and Mumbai life,” said Keshav.

Mario’s illustrations were a work of art; they were much joyful and restrained from ridicule.

Mario started his career with the Times of India Group in 1953 and that is where he met and worked with noted cartoonist RK Laxman. A recipient of many national and international awards, Mario had also illustrated many books.

Sana.m@postnoon.com

P

rominent cartoonist Mario Miranda can be considered as the man who introduced Goa to the world on a canvas, through which the world was then introduced to India. The 85-year-old breathed his last in his sleep in his ancestral home at Loutolim, Goa, in the early hours of Sunday.

Mario was known to capture vignettes of Goan life, his cartoons made famous with their trademark style and general satire. His cartoons appeared with the Illustrated Weekly of India and his two memorable

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Remembering Mario

Sana Mirza

FABRICATION

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

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India‑View

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

India unveiled

7

India gets its way at climate meet DURBAN:

An impassioned speech by environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan capped the finale of the UN climate summit that ended here early on Sunday with a Durban Package, after she warned that India “will never be intimidated by any threat or pressure”.

Natarajan’s speech ensured that India’s main concern — the inclusion of the concept of equity in the fight against climate change — became part of the package.

According to the Durban Package, countries have agreed to work towards a new regime that ensures all countries take legal emissions cuts. The countries also committed to a second term of Kyoto Protocol — the existing regime.

Natarajan ensured there was a third option — “an agreed outcome with legal force” — apart from protocol or a legal instrument.

The plenary session of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change summit came to a halt following a row between Natarajan and European Union (EU) Climate Commissioner

Connie Hedegaard after objection over agreements reached behind closed doors. The conference ended a day-and-a-half behind schedule because of intense negotiations over contentious issues.

India had wanted a “legal outcome” as the third option, but Hedegaard said this would put countries’ sincerity in doubt.

That set off Natarajan, who roared: “We have shown more flexibility than virtually any other country. But equity is the centrepiece, it cannot be shifted. This is not about India.

“Does fighting climate change

mean we have to give up on equity? We have agreed to protocol and legal instrument. What’s the problem in having one more option?

India will never be intimidated by any threat or any kind of pressure.

What’s this legal instrument? How do I give a blank cheque?, she said.

As Natarajan finished her speech amid a thunderous ovation from a hall packed with thousands of delegates from 194 governments, observers and the media, some countries backed the EU but China strongly supported India.

Xie Zhenhua, the vice minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, pointed out that the developing countries like India and China were “already doing much more than developed countries” against global warming. Then some countries supported India and China, while others still supported EU. Conference president and South Africa’s foreign minister Maite Nkoane Mashabane then halted the session and asked EU and India to go into a huddle there and then.

Unprecedented scenes followed beyond midnight as nego-

tiators from all countries mobbed Natarajan and Hedegaard and snapped photographs, with no sign of exhaustion even at 2 in the morning.

US and Chinese chief negotiators joined the huddle too. More frenzied applause indicated an agreement had finally been reached. When the session reconvened, Natarajan announced that India had agreed to a change of wording in the third option “in a spirit of flexibility and accommodation”. Hedegaard thanked India.

Under the four-pronged Durban Package, rich nations have now agreed to reduce their GHG emissions from 2013 under the Kyoto Protocol, a key demand of developing countries. The end date of that commitment period has not been fixed, though.

Negotiators will now have to choose between 2017 and 2020.

In return, all countries have agreed to be part of the global treaty, which is supposed to be negotiated by 2015 and to come into force in 2020. The package included operationalisation of $100 billion Green Climate Fund to help the poor cope with cli-

Key agreements at Durban n The rich nations agreed to reduce their GHG emissions from 2013 under the Kyoto Protocol n All countries have agreed to be part of the global treaty, which is supposed to be negotiated by 2015 and to come into force in 2020 n Operationalisation of $100billion Green Climate Fund n Countries agreed to work towards a new regime that ensures all countries take legal emissions cuts based on equity. mate change.

Achim Steiner, United NEP executive director, said: “The outcomes of Durban provide a welcome boost for global climate action. The big question many will ask is how this will translate into actual emission reductions and by when?”

IANS

CHERRIE CHEER Cherrie Blair, wife of former British PM Tony Blair, sings religious songs along with devotees at an ashram in Vrindavan near Mathura on Sunday. PTI

Hyderabad’s first afternoon newspaper

e b i r c s Sub DAY! TO

Jaya convenes special House session on Mullaperiyar row CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Sunday announced that a special session of the Assembly will be convened on December 15 to pass a resolution that the State will not give up its rights over Mullaperiyar Dam in Kerala because of the “imaginary threat to its safety”.

While the dam is located in Kerala, its control is with Tamil Nadu and its waters serves the state.

In a statement issued here, Jayalalithaa said: “To express the solidarity of the people of Tamil Nadu and all the political parties, a Special Assembly Session will be convened on December 15

at 11am to pass a resolution that this State will not give up our rights over Mullai Periyar because of the imaginary threat to the safety and security of the Mullai Periyar Dam.” The decision for a special session is a reversal of stand for Jayalalithaa, who had earlier ruled out such a plan citing the united stand of the State’s political parties on the issue.

On December 9, the Kerala Assembly passed a resolution that the Central government should sanction a new dam and till this happens, the storage level in the existing dam should be brought down to 120 feet.

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India‑View

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

India unveiled

8

Support for Anna, Left and Right NEW DELHI: Leaders of various political parties on Sunday came out strongly in support of social activist Anna Hazare, who was on a day-long fast for a strong anticorruption Lokpal that would include the prime minister and entire bureaucracy under its purview.

But the support to the 74year-old anti-graft crusader, protesting in the heart of the Capital, came with a word of caution. Hazare was asked not to be rigid about acceptance of his Jan Lokpal Bill and not to expect Parliament to accept every single word of his proposed ombudsman law.

Thousands flocked to the venue, Jantar Mantar, against what Hazare believes is a toothless Lokpal recommended by a parliamentary standing committee.

They were joined in by BJP’s Arun Jaitley, CPM’s Brinda Karat, CPI’s AB Bardhan, Sharad Yadav of the JDU and other leaders of regional parties including SP, BJD, the Akali Dal and the TDP. The politicians favoured a strong Lokpal Bill and trashed the recommendations of the parliamentary panel.

Jaitley, like others, accused the panel of going against the sense of the Parliament and demanded that the prime minister, the CBI and the lower bureaucracy be brought under the purview of a proposed ombudsman.

Hazare 2011’s top newsmaker

A

nna Hazare, whose agitation for a strong authority to curb corruption has struck a responsive chord among thousands of Indians, has been named Yahoo India’s top newsmaker of 2011.

The rest on the list are: 2. Mamata Banerjee 3. J Jayalalithaa 4. MS Dhoni 5. BS Yedyurappa 6. LK Advani 7. Kiran Bedi 8. Osama Bin Laden 9. Sushil Kumar 10. Irom Sharmila n Hazare was also the most searched person of the year and Lokpal bill the most searched word.

Insult to House: Congress

T

he Congress refused to join Sunday’s debate on Lokpal, saying Lokpal “cannot be framed in Jantar Mantar”. The ruling party termed the hunger strike as “preemptive” and “premature” and an “insult to Parliament”.

“The Lokpal Bill report has been submitted. There will be debate and decision will be taken. Laws cannot be made at Jantar Mantar,” Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi said.

Kashmir minister escapes bid on life, cop killed Jammu and SRINAGAR: Kashmir law minister Ali Muhammad Sagar on Sunday escaped a bid on his life when militants attacked him in Srinagar.

One security guard was killed in the attack.

Senior police and CRPF officers rushed with reinforcements to the densely populated old city Nawa Bazar locality to escort the minister safely to his residence.

The minister had gone to his

ancestral home in connection with a social function there. This is the first major separatist guerrilla attack in Srinagar in many months and triggered panic in the area.

The attack occurred at a time when CM Omar Abdullah has been advocating the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Srinagar district as well as Badgam district in the Valley and Jammu and Samba dis tricts in the Jammu region. IANS

Bardhan said his party was in agreement with Team Anna on several issues but cautioned against the rigidity on acceptance of their version of the Bill. “Don’t expect that every word, full stop and comma of Jan Lokpal Bill will be accepted, be flexible. You should also have the patience to listen to others,” Bardhan said.

This led to howls of protest by the crowds which were repeated when other politicians also cautioned Hazare against his rigid stance.

JDU leader Sharad Yadav lashed out at the parliamentary panel and accused it of neglecting the sense of the House that was adopted in a resolution after Hazare’s August hunger strike.

The resolution said: “The House agrees ‘in principle’” on a strong Lokpal with provisions for Citizen’s Charter, setting up of Lokayuktas and including entire bureaucracy under the ombudsman through an appropriate mechanism.

Karat agreed that the recom-

n Sachin Tendulkar was the most searched sportsperson and Katrina Kaif, the most sought after celebrity.

mendations of the panel were weak and “are equivalent to not having the Lokpal at all”. She asked “what kind of drama was it to go against the resolution”.

Hazare, winding up the debate and ending his token fast, threatened to intensify protests if his version of the Lokpal was not accepted by Parliament.

IANS

BSY lobbies to get buddy CM elected HASSAN

(KARNATAKA):

Seeking to ensure unanimous election of Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda in the December 22 Legislative Council bye-election, his predecessor BS Yeddyurappa said he had requested leaders of the JDS and Congress not to field their candidates in the poll.

“I have called up JD-S supremo Deve Gowda, state PCC chief G Parameshwar and Opposition leader in the Assembly Siddaramaiah, requesting them not to field their candidates and

elect Sadananda Gowda unanimously to the Upper House,” he said. He, however, refused to divulge what the reactions of these leaders were to his request.

Siddaramaiah reportedly

told Yeddyurappa the Congress High Command would take decision on the matter and he would abide by it.

Yeddyurappa’s request came amidst speculation that BJP rebel leader B Sreeramulu, who has claimed he has 22 legislators with him, would join hands with Congress and JDS to defeat his close aide.

Gowda, sworn in CM in August, is an MP and has to get elected to the legislature within six months to fulfil a Constitutional requirement. PTI

Around the World

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

Beyond Borders

Russian leaders aim to calm ‘anti-Putin’ protests

Russian opposition activists protesting against alleged fraud in the 4 December AFP elections carry posters with photos of Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin

T

he Russian leadership has sought to calm tensions following an unprecedented protest against Vladimir Putin that brought tens of thousands of demonstrators on to the streets of Moscow.

The Prime Minister has yet to comment on the protest, but his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said: “We respect the point of view of the protesters. We are hearing what is being said. We will continue to listen to them.”

Up to 50,000 people demonstrated in

Clegg vows to correct PM’s path

N

ick Clegg promised to rebuild the government’s shattered relationship with the rest of Europe and risked opening a coalition rift by expressing “bitter disappointment” at David Cameron’s decision to block a new EU agreement.

The deputy PM said that Britain risked becoming “isolated and marginalised” from the European mainstream ground”, according to a senior government source.Clegg was biting in his critique of developments in Brussels but spoke of correcting the path chosen by Cameron.

Moscow on Saturday following the disputed parliamentary election in which Putin’s United Russia party won nearly 50% of the vote amid widespread allegations of fraud.

Protests took place in more than 50 cities, with a reported 7,000 people gathering in St Petersburg and up to 4,000 in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, despite the temperature of -20C. Protesters have promised to gather again in two weeks’ time if the Kremlin refuses to annul the result, which was confirmed by the election commission on

Friday. Peskov said: “In the past few days, we also witnessed demonstrations by other segments of the population who were supporting those results.” United Russia is rallying supporters for a protest on Monday in support of Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev. Medvedev, seen as politically irrelevant since Putin announced his intention to return to the presidency, took to his Facebook page to say that vote violations would be investigated.

“I do not agree with the slogans or speeches made at the protests,” Medvedev wrote. “Nonetheless, I have given the instruction to investigate all messages from polling stations related to the following of electoral law.” The message – which did not say which state body would carry out the investigation, the time limit or potential consequences – provoked thousands of mocking comments within minutes.

“Dmitry Anatolievich, are you kidding?

There were no elections! There was ballot stuffing!” wrote one user.

“This is called separation from reality – you need to see a psychiatrist,” wrote another. The Kremlin has been struggling to come to terms with its new politically active population. State-run televisioncovered the protests. Officials, however, continue to attempt to portray the protesters as traitors, following Putin’s charge that Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, prompted the show of discontent.

The unprecedented show of discontent comes just three months before the presidential elections.

Pak continues convoy blockade

P

akistan’s blockade of Nato convoys into Afghanistan may continue for several weeks, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani revealed today.

Pakistan stopped the convoys in protest at US air strikes which killed 24 of its troops at two checkpoints on the Afghan border last month.

Mr Gilani refused to rule out closing Pakistan’s airspace to the US. He also denied rumours President Asif Ali Zardari had suffered a stroke and the army was trying to oust him.

Mr Gilani said Mr Zardari was making a rapid improvement in hospital in Dubai, but would need two weeks’ rest before returning home. an interview with the BBC, Mr Gilani said: ‘Yes there is a credibility gap, we are working together and still we don’t trust each other.

‘I think we have to improve our relationship so that we should have more confidence in each other.’

Nato forces in Afghanistan rely significantly on overland supply routes from the Pakistani sea port of Karachi, where Hundreds of lorries have been camped out next to border crossings, waiting for the crisis to blow over.

Nato has apologised for the air strikes, calling them a ‘tragic unintended incident’.

President Barack Obama called Pakistan’s President last week to offer condolences over the deaths.Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also

offered condolences.

Mr Obama told President Asif Ali Zardari that the soldiers’ deaths were ‘regrettable’ and accidental, according to a White House statement.

The comments stopped short of a formal apology but were aimed at soothing Pakistani fury over the November 26 incident.

Explanation?

Amid already strained tensions with Pakistan, President Obama called the Nato strike ‘regrettable’ but also accidental The Nato air strike has added to strains in relations with Islamabad, whose cooperation Washington views as crucial to helping to stabilize the region before foreign combat troops leave Afghanistan in 2014.

U.S.-Pakistani relations were already frayed after the secret U.S. raid in May that killed Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.

Pakistan is boycotting an international conference due to the air strikes.

9

GLOBE AT A GLANCE TWO TELECOM SATELLITES LAUNCHED BY RUSSIA MOSCOW: Russia Sunday launched two telecommunications satellites -Luch-5A and Amos-5 from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan. A Proton-M carrier rocket with two telecommunications satellites onboard blasted off from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan.The separation of Russia’s Luch5A spacecraft is scheduled for 00:11 Monday (Moscow time), while Israel’s Amos-5 satellite will separate at 00:52 (Moscow time).

WE ARE DETERMINED TO FIGHT CORRUPTION : KARZAI KABUL: Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday vowed to fight corruptionwhile acknowledging implementation of laws was significant in curbing the menace.

Afghanistan has been ranked the second most corrupted nation.”We are determined to fight corruption and implement the law to curb this social evil,” said President Karzai on the International Anti-Corruption Day.

US President Obama at the taping of Christmas in Washington , in DC AFP

UAE-US OFFICIALS DISCUSS MILITARY COOPERATION ABU DHABI: The UAE and US have discussed ways for mutual cooperation in the fields of military coordination, training and exchange of expertiseduring a meeting between Chief of Staff of armed forces Lt. General Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi and General John R. Allen, Commander, International Security Assistance Force.

PRESIDENT ZARDARI’S HEALTH IS IMPROVING: GILANI ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said President Asif Ali Zardari’s health is improving as he is feeling comfortable and resting in a Dubai hospital as advised by doctors. “said Gilani. Zardari abruptly left Pakistan for Dubai on December 6 after reportedly suffering a stroke that caused bleeding in the brain and facial paralysis. Thus triggered speculation about his health and also rumours of a military coup.

Argentina’s reelected President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (L) during her inauguration ceremony. AFP

Around the World

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

Beyond borders

10

The day that hope died Katherine Haddon and Mushtaq Mojaddidi

KABUL: Tarana dressed up for the holiday in a specially tailored bright green robe, a 12-year-old Afghan girl excited to set off with her family for a religious festival that a decade of war had so far spared.

After a suicide bomber ripped apart the lives of Tarana’s family and scores of others, the image of her standing horrified in the blood-stained outfit came for many to symbolise Afghanistan’s violent present and its uncertain future.

“Suddenly there was an explosion. It was as if the world had overturned, as if all the walls had collapsed on me,” Tarana Akbari surrounded by tearful relatives told AFP. “When I could stand up, I saw that everybody was around me on the ground, really bloody. I was really, really scared,” said the girl, whose name means “melody” in English.

Out of 17 women and children from her family who went to a riverside shrine in Kabul a week ago to mark the Shiite holy day of Ashura, seven died including her seven-year-old brother Shoaib.

More than 70 people lost their lives in all, and at least nine other members of Tarana’s family were wounded.

Like millions of people in Afghanistan, the family lives hand to mouth in a mud-brick house, struggling to survive in a country ripped asunder by decades of conflict. During Tarana’s young life, an insurgency against US-led troops has grimly escalated as the Taliban battle to regain their lost power.

Refugees to Pakistan during the darkest days of the 1992-96 civil war that turned Kabul into a battlefield, the family returned in 2002, full of hope for peace and prosperity after a US-led invasion brought down the Taliban.

That hope has slowly ebbed away since, eroded by the insurgency and the lack of progress under a government led by President Hamid Karzai that stands accused of gross corruption and cronyism.

Twelve-year-old Tarana Akbari looks on during an interview

Photographer recounts horror

This file picture shows 12-year-old Afghan girl Tarana Akbari (C) standing among bodies and injured people shortly after a bomb explosion Pics: MASSOUD HOSSAINI\AFP Their dreams finally disintegrated on December 6 when the Islamist insurgency destroyed a family that had never imagined it would die for its faith, the minority branch of Islam in a nation that is 80-percent Sunni.

“I have a broken heart now, the family won’t be able to gather together again and that’s a really sad feeling,” Tarana’s mother, 30year-old Bibi Hava, said at their two room house, which is shared between seven people. “I hate this country, because everybody just dies.”

A scream heard around the world Tarana’s scream was captured by AFP photographer Massoud Hossaini, another Shiite whose family are wearily familiar with exile. He had already seen her in the crowd and been struck by the vibrancy of her outfit earlier that day.

A week later, Tarana’s family are mourning their dead. Relatives

gathered at their modest homes, clustered together around a small, muddy yard in the poor neighbourhood of Murad Khani, where the stench of open sewers laces the winter air and children scamper among piles of rubbish.

Tarana likes to play hide and seek, and marbles. But for now, she nestles under a thick blanket at home, where a small electric heater is the only source of warmth, her sad, brown eyes peeking over the top.

She spent three days in hospital. She has bandages on her legs, and limps when she tries to walk.

Bibi Hava’s two other daughters, Sunita, 15, and Sweeta, four, are still in hospital. She herself has ball-bearings from the bomb lodged in her neck and arm, and is badly bruised.

Her anguish over the death of her son Shoaib, Tarana’s little brother, is still raw.

“I will never see my child again. He used to walk in here for his breakfast and go out with his

Tarana (R) sits in the sun outside her home as she chats with relatives

father to work,” Bibi Hava said.

“This morning I woke up and saw he wasn’t there, and I just cried.”

Dressed in black velour mourning with gold bracelets around her wrists, Bibi Hava looks far older than her 30 years as she describes what happened the moment the suicide bomber struck. She blacked out briefly, but as she came around, she realised she was surrounded by people covered in blood.

“Little by little, I started to recognise my relatives,” she said, welling up. “I screamed and watched as they died.”

The extended family lives communally - a common arrangement in Afghanistan, particularly in neighbourhoods like theirs, which is impoverished even by the standards of one of the least developed countries on Earth.

The family’s roots in the area are deep and strong, which members said makes it even harder to accept such a huge loss of life so close to home.

AFP

Tarana Akbari (R) sits in a hospital as she visits her sister who was wounded in the bomb attack

ABUL: , December 12, 2011 (AFP) - Massoud Hossaini’s picture of an Afghan girl standing among a pile of dead bodies captured the devastation in the immediate aftermath of an unprecedented suicide attack on a Shiite shrine in Kabul.

The 30-year-old AFP photographer was just metres (yards) away when the bomb went off on December 6, killing at least 70 people.

Here he describes what happened and what it means to be an Afghan photographer working in his war-torn country. n Tell us what happened on the day.

“I was just looking at my camera when suddenly there was a big explosion. For a moment I didn’t know anything, I just felt the wave of the explosion as a pain inside my body. I fell down on the ground.

“I saw everybody running away from the smoke. I sat up and saw my hand was bleeding but I didn’t feel any pain.

“I ran in the opposite direction to everybody else.

“When the smoke went away I saw I was standing in the centre of a circle of dead bodies. They were all together on top of each other. I was standing exactly where the suicide attacker had been.” n How did you react?

“I was in shock. I didn’t know what to do. I just started clicking. I know that I was crying. It was really weird crying, I’ve never reacted like that before.

“I didn’t help anybody, because I couldn’t, I was really in shock. I knew I should cover this, record everything, all the pain, the people running, crying, shouting, beating their chests, shouting: ‘Death to Al-Qaeda, death to the Taliban!’” n How did you get the picture of Tarana, the 10year-old girl?

“I turned a bit to the right and I saw the girl. When Tarana saw what had happened to her brother, her cousins, uncles, mother, grandmother, the people around her, she was just shouting.

“She did a lot of things, but if you see my pictures she was just shouting. This shocked reaction was the main thing I wanted to capture.” n How has this incident affected you?

“I felt everything 100 percent. I was there before, at the same time. It was a really big experience”.

AFP

Business

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

Matters of saving and spending

11

Odisha stops iron ore exports through 2 Andhra ports

IIP nosedives

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha has stopped iron ore exports from the state through two private ports in Andhra Pradesh, an official said Monday. The state government in October had

HYDERABAD: The dragging economy received yet another jolt on Monday with the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) for the month of October contracting to 5.1 per cent as opposed to a growth of 1.9 per cent in September. IIP was dragged down by fall in capital goods, manufacturing and mining sector.

The growth of capital goods was at -25 per cent compared to 6.8 per cent in September.

Electricity growth was at 5.6 per cent compared to 9 per cent in September. Manufacturing was at -6 per cent versus 2.1 per cent in September, while mining was at 7.2 per cent compared to -5.6 per cent in September.

asked all the ports exporting iron ore from Odisha to provide operational details and the mechanism they follow to check illegal exports. “We have stopped issuing permits for the

exports through the Gangavaram and Kakinada ports in Andhra Pradesh after the port authorities did not respond to our queries,” said an official of the steel and mines depart-

ment. Odisha initiated steps to check illegal mining and exports of iron ore from the state after some politicians alleged in July 2009 that some mines were operating without licences.

South Indian Bank targets ` 1 lakh crore biz by 2014

Postnoon News

HYDERABAD: By 2014, we aim to do a business of `1 lakh crore with 8,000 employees, 800 branches and 800 ATMs, said V.A Joseph, MD & CEO, South Indian Bank, inaugurating 15 new branches across Hyderabad.

With the result, the number of branches went up to 32 in the twin cities and 44 in entire Andhra Pradesh and 674 in India. “We are doing a business of ` 3,000 crore in Andhra Pradesh and want to reach ` 5,000 crore in two years of time,” he said.

South Indian Bank was cutting down its operating costs by replacing senior people with younger ones. It has 2,600 employee-base (44 per cent) of the age below 30 years and wants to hire another 1,000 employees making it to 3,600.

The function is attended by Governor ESL Narismhan, Minister TG Venkatesh and Amitabh Guha, Chairman, South Indian Bank.

PIC: N SHIVA KUMAR

Sensex swings up and down

Governor ESL Narasimhan inaugurated 15 new branches of South Indian Bank on Monday.

Chairman of the bank Amiabha Guha (extreme right) also participated.

MUMBAI: The BSE Sensex rose by nearly 147 points in opening trade on Monday on fresh buying influenced by a firming trend in Asian markets after European leaders made a commitment for deeper fiscal integration as a first step toward resolving the region’s debt crisis.

However, the index was down by 126 points by 11.30 am due to slump in IIP. The Indian rupee fell by 23 paise to ` 52.26 against a US dollar in early trade today, extending its slide for the fifth straight day as the dollar gained against other rivals overseas amid increased demand for the American currency from importers.

‘Don’t bar internet in IT companies’ C

oncerns were raised by senior IT professionals on barring of internet in the offices of IT companies. This is not only affecting the productivity of employees, but research and innovation too.

When Postnoon took a peak into the perceptions of the senior IT staffers across companies at the Hyderabad Software Process Improvement Network, some laid emphasis on quality of delivery, while some focussed on productivity. Quality is evolving. Industry should mature from offering functional products and services to more customer-centric products and services. The whole notion and buzz of industry is around client or customer-centric experience. It is not sufficient anymore to deliver defect-free codes.

Companies should understand what end-user wants and try to get

PIC: N SHIVA KUMAR

Samir Dhir, Sr. Vice President Virtusa

there. Only this will drive business excellence. People or companies are willing to pay a premium, if they get the experience which they haven’t even dreamt of, Samir Dhir, senior vice-president, global delivery, Virtusa, said in his interaction at HYDSPIN. “Every metric has to result in happier client. The frustration of the client should not be ignored even if it is negligible and try to provide services that deliver customer delight,” Dhir said, while Chandra Sekhar, senior project manager, Polaris, raised the concerns of the employees in the forum. Some companies are restricting employees from having access to the internet. The developers are undergoing a lot of pressure working 14 to 15 hours and going all the way home for information. This kind of environment is restricting the productivity of

the employee. There is a need to reform in the information security practice. He wanted the software giants to do away with the practice of restricting internet. Instead, they could take measures that would bar a few sites that would affect the productivity of the staff.

Employees should spend 20 per cent of time on research and innovation and 80 per cent time on the on-going project. However, the time for innovation and research has been entirely taken by the most of the companies. It is a cost to the company but helpful in using new technologies for the upcoming projects. Chandra Sekhar told Postnoon.

Technology standards are not available at the starting time of the project. Companies should come up with basic technology standards that are used by the project leaders, he felt.

BSE – 16,086.816126.65, NSE – 4,827.15639.55, Gold 24k(10g)– `29,200, Silver (1kg)–56,800, Dollar $ – `52.48, Pound £ – `82.03

Playing Field

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

The games people play

Stoke stop Spurs winning streak

12

AVB stands by his plans

Adebayor was denied an equaliser as Stoke ended Tottenham’s unbeaten run in the Barclays Premier League with a 2-1 victory

T

he Spurs striker replied to Matthew Etherin gton’s first-half double from the penalty spot at the Britannia Stadium but had a second contentiously ruled out by an offside flag.

The visitors could also have had another penalty when Ryan Shawcross cleared off the line with his arm in a frantic second half but Stoke held on after the dismissal of Younes Kaboul.

Stoke claimed a deserved lead. A Ryan Shotton throw was not dealt with by the Spurs defence and Shawcross failed to connect when well placed at the back post.

The ball was worked back to Shotton and his deflected cross was flicked into Peter Crouch’s path by Jon Walters.

Crouch chested down and fired against the near post and Etherington followed up to

turn in.

The Potters grabbed a second in typical fashion just before the break. Walters again flicked on another long throw from Shotton and Etherington arrived unmarked to score despite not hitting the cleanest of strikes.

Spurs began to assert themselves, and referee Chris Foy pointed to the penalty spot after adjudging Glenn Whelan to have caught Luka Modric after 64 minutes. Adebayor made no mistake as he clinically dispatched his spot-kick.

There was further drama in the Stoke box when, after Jermain Defoe went down appealing for a penalty, a Kaboul shot was cleared off the line by the arm of Shawcross.

Again Foy saw nothing untoward and then blew for offside as Adebayor tucked the ball in, when replays indicated he may have been onside.

Stoke were clearly hanging on but they may have breathed a sigh of relief as Kaboul received a second yellow card for bringing down Walters on a rare counter-attack.

EVENING STANDARD

M

anager Andre Villas-Boas has dismissed suggestions he has tried to change too much, too soon at Chelsea as he ponders whether to stick or twist for Monday’s crunch Barclays Premier League with Manchester City.

Some critics accused him of rushing Chelsea’s transformation from a side who defend deep and rely heavily on power and pace to one who mirror the style of European champions Barcelona.

Despite a run of five defeats in nine games, Villas-Boas has repeatedly insisted the Blues’ new cavalier philosophy would not be abandoned.

It duly was during Tuesday night’s Champions League win over Valencia, although Villas-Boas revealed that was down to events on the field rather than a deliberate ploy, rejecting the obvious implication Chelsea were not yet ready to fully implement his instructions.

Asked if he had changed too many things, too quickly, he said: “No, I don’t say that.”

Yet, whether by accident or by design, the spectacular success of Chelsea’s approach against Valencia has given Villas-Boas a dilemma ahead of another possible door-die game. The Portuguese has admitted his side must “find a way” to beat City, who are perfectly capable of holding onto the ball in the same way as Valencia.

Games between the Premier League top six have been nothing short of spectacular this season, but with Chelsea having lost all their encounters with Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool, a tighter affair might suit them.

“We don’t know what is going to happen,” Villas-Boas said.”We know last year it was a difficult, tight game, solved in the last minutes with a 2-0 win.” ES

Mancini not ruling out Chelsea M

anchester City boss Roberto Mancini claims Chelsea remain serious title rivals. The Barclays Premier League leaders travel to Stamford Bridge to face Andre Villas-Boas’ side on Monday. The Londoners dropped out of the top four over the weekend, but they have emerged from a difficult spell over the past week, winning at Newcastle before beating Valencia to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.

Those results have eased any pressure on Villas-Boas and, while they remain 10 points

behind City, Mancini feels Chelsea should know from their own experience that large deficits can be overhauled. Mancini said, “Last year Chelsea had a big lead over (Manchester) United but in the end United won the title by seven or eight points plus [nine].”

He continued, “The Barclays Premier League is very difficult and in these two months, all the teams that play every three days will find it difficult.

“I think they can win it. They have 10 points less than us but we play two times against them

and there are 24 games until the end of the season.”

Mancini has also backed Villas-Boas to deliver for Roman Abramovich’s club.

The 34-year-old Portuguese coach has had a rocky start since succeeding Mancini’s compatriot Carlo Ancelotti in the summer, but the City boss thinks Chelsea have found a good man.

Mancini himself needed time to establish his current position of strength at the Etihad and feels Chelsea just need to be patient.

He said, “I think that has

shown in the last year he is a good manager. He did well at Porto, he won trophies.

Chelsea did well to get him.

“Carlo Ancelotti is a fantastic manager and I was sorry for him when Chelsea decided to sack him, but I think VillasBoas is a good manager for hem.”

ES

Live on ESPN/Star Sports Barclays Premier League Chelsea v Man City, 1.30am (Tuesday)

Playing Field

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

The games people play

Bracewell bowls Kiwis to exciting win

Doug Bracewell of Kiwis appeals during day four of the Second Test match between Australia and New Zealand HOBART: Doug Bracewell bowled New Zealand to a sensational seven-run victory over Australia in the second Test in Hobart on Monday for the Kiwis’ first win in Australia for 26 years.

The Black Caps claimed eight wickets for 74 runs to claim a dramatic victory midway through the fourth day of an extraordi-

nary Test match at Bellerive Oval.

Bracewell finished with 6-40 off 16.4 overs in a match-winning performance to stun the Australians, who appeared on track for victory at 159 for two chasing 241 runs to win.

But the Australians folded spectacularly and David Warner’s unbeaten maiden Test century

‘Australia series a different ball game’ CHENNAI: While expressing happiness over India’s 4-1 series win against the West Indies here on Sunday, stand-in captain Gautam Gambhir cautioned that the forthcoming tour of Australia would be a “different ball game” that will put to test both the technique and mental toughness of the players.

“It always helps to get runs under your belt, but in Australia, those are different conditions. We all know this is not what we are going to get in Australia. The Australians are tough nuts to crack and will come hard at us,” he said at a post-match media interaction here after India beat the West Indies in the fifth and concluding game. “In Australia, your mental toughness will be tested the maximum. You will be getting a quality attack and they will be coming

hard at you. I think one good thing is the guys that have gone early (to Australia) will be able to acclimatise. And we’re playing two practice games this time,” he said.

Gambhir sought to play down his captaincy record of six wins out of six by saying that he was only as good as the teams he had. “I’ll stick to the saying that the captain is as good as his team. One captain can’t win you the game; it is still 11 people on the park,” he said. IANS

went in vain as wickets tumbled around him and last man Nathan Lyon was bowled by Bracewell in the 64th over to claim victory.

It was the Black Caps’ first victory in Australia since 1985 and they tied the two-Test series after comprehensively losing the first Gabba Test by nine wickets.

Bracewell turned the match around with the wickets of Ricky Ponting (16), Michael Clarke (0), Mike Hussey (0), James Pattinson (4), Mitchell Starc (0) and Lyon (9).

Warner finished unbeaten on 123 off 170 balls with 14 boundaries to cement his position in the Test side after fellow opener Phillip Hughes was out again cheaply.

Warner edged out Bracewell as official man-of-the-match in a television viewers’ poll.

The Australian reached his century when he tucked Bracewell behind square leg for two shortly after lunch and greeted his achievement with a leap into the air and a kiss on his helmet.

In a tense climax, Lyon survived two reviews for lbw as Warner went after the runs. AFP

13

Khan for rematch

A

mir Khan has challenged Lamont Peterson to show he has the “balls” to give him a rematch in England after controversially losing his titles to the American in his Washington hometown.

The Briton lost his IBF and WBA light-welterweight belts on a split decision to Peterson on Saturday night after a sloppy performance which saw him dragged into a scrap by the local fan favourite.

Khan said, “In my eyes the referee (Joseph Cooper) was a bit on his side and it’s true what Bernard Hopkins (veteran light-heavyweight champion) said that when you come to DC, to someone’s hometown, you are two points down before the fight starts. I think that’s what happened.

Peterson won the fight but I’m ready for the rematch anywhere.”

Khan — who lost after two judges awarded the contest to Peterson with scores of 113-112 — preferred to focus on a perceived injustice at the Walter E Washington Convention Center, blaming Cooper’s decision to dock him a point on two occasions while also disputing the judges’ scoring of the bout.

Indeed, there was an air of confusion at the end of the fight as ring announcer Michael Buffer not only read out an incorrect score but also wrongly announced Peterson’s method of victory as a majority decision rather than a split decision.

Khan’s team have vowed to take their grievance through the official channels and while in reality little is likely to come from those complaints officially, the fight was close and exciting enough to warrant a rematch.

Khan added, “I came to DC so now let’s take the fight to the UK and see if he has got the same balls as me. We all know who won the fight. I’ve even had a few of the commissioners coming up to me and saying that was a disgusting decision.”

ES

Donald delight with double

WE CAN DO IT TOO

Sunil Chhetri (L) kisses the trophy that India won after beating Afghanistan 4-0 in the SAFF soccer Championshi p in New Delhi on PTI Sunday

L

uke Donald pointed his two index fingers to the sky on Sunday after completing an unprecedented double — a double that has earned the English world number one an amazing £8million When Rory McIlroy failed to win the Dubai World Championship — he finished “only” joint 11th — Donald knew he had added the European Tour money list title to the PGA Tour crown in America.

ES

Wacky World

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

Fun and frolic in a flat world

14

HOTEL FOR THE DEAD! A

hotel for the dead, now that’s something. This one is for real, actual corpses.

And it’s pretty luxurious, going from the pictures.

It’s a place where your folks check you in, and you wait it out until it’s time for you to be cremated. Also, it’s pretty luxurious.

The hotel Lastel run by Hisayoshi Teramura in Japan’s Yokohama suburbs, looks like any other building from the outside.

In fact, young couples mistake it for a regular hotel and come asking for accommodation. But the place is not meant for lovers, or for weary travel-

ers. Only for those who have already made their final exit from this world. The need for such a hotel very much exists in Japan, where there is a wait time of at least four days for a crematorium.

With a total of 1.2 million deaths in the country in 2010, the annual death rate is at

0.95%, while the global average is only 0.84%. The Japanese also apparently tend to splurge on funerals, on the cost of flowers, coffins and memorial services. Mr. Teramura seems to have found a business opportunity in the area of death.

Apparently, entry into the business is not all that difficult with the absence of

mandatory qualifications or licenses. An office and a telephone will suffice to get started. Mr. Teramura has plans to expand. His second branch will be a bigger space, able to hold up to 40 corpses. His neighbours however, have not even the slightest inkling that they sleep every night next to a group of dead bodies!

Hair tales !

L

eila Cohoon of Independence, Missouri is a retired hairdresser. She now teaches hair weaving and runs her own cosmetology school.

She is however linked to hair in more ways than apparent. Leila collects hair art, and puts it all on display in her museum.

What is hair art, you ask? We wondered the same. Contrary to expectations, the museum

does not display human hair in bunches, like the hair museum of Avanos, nor is the hair taken from the heads of the dead. Ask Leila, and she explains that hair art consists of intricate wreaths of hair set in frames to create beautiful designs. These frames were frequently used to decorate Victorian homes.

Leila’s collection started in 1956, with wreaths and jewelry made from hair.

Initially she stored her collection in her house, under the bed. Around 20 years ago, she decided to display them and started a one-room museum

in her cosmetology school.

She later rented out a commercial space and runs her museum there.

The walls of Leila’s Hair Museum are completely covered from floor to ceiling, with hair art. Apart from the art, Leila also has on display strands of hair from the heads of some very famous personalities, including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.

While she is fond of all the pieces in her collection, her latest discovery is something she’s excited about. It’s an old engraving that she’s had for many years, that she liked. It looks like it’s just a finely cross-hatched pen and ink illustration. That’s what Leila thought too, until she removed it from the frame recently. On close inspection, she realized that it was created painstakingly with pulverized hair.

Some of the art pieces on display are indeed, exquisitely beautiful. Which makes us wonder, what made humans cut and collect their hair in this manner?

Was it way of remembering their loved ones before cameras were invented? Or was it simply another creative, artistic expression? We may never really know!

Bizarre dress

T

he latest in bizarre dresses has arrived. After paper napkins and newspapers, we now have a dress made of tea bags. This one was made by a 16-year-old from Kuala Lumpur, and she used a whopping 4,000 tea bags to create her masterpiece. She won the top prize at the Green Awards 2011 held in Kuala Lumpur in October.

Suraya Mohd Zairin is a science student from SMK Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam. She says that she chose to make a dress out of tea bags because they were easily available to her.

With the help of her friends, she was able to collect the 4,000 bags and then it took her three months to complete the dress. The theme followed by

the budding designer was ‘flowers’, because their shapes have always mesmerized her.

Suraya says that people tend to take flowers for granted, and through her dress she wanted to highlight the significance of nature, especially that of flowers. She received RM4000, which is approximately $1,700, along with a trophy.

Brave New World

From the world of science & research

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

15

Antibodies that will fight Alzheimer’s

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esearchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a new method to design antibodies aimed at combating disease. The surprisingly simple process was used to make antibodies that neutralise the harmful protein particles that lead to Alzheimer’s disease.

The process is reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The process, outlined in the paper, titled “Structurebased design of conformationand sequence-specific antibodies against amyloid,” could be used as a tool to understand complex disease pathology and develop new antibody-based drugs in the future.

Antibodies are large proteins produced by the immune system to combat infection and disease.

They are comprised of a large Yshaped protein topped with small peptide loops. These loops bind to harmful invaders in the

By a surprisingly simple method that will target harmful proteins

body, such as a viruses or bacteria. Once an antibody is bound to its target, the immune system sends cells to destroy the invader. Finding the right antibody can determine the difference between death and recovery.

Scientists have long sought methods for designing antibod-

ies to combat specific ailments.

However, the incredible complexity of designing antibodies that only attached to a target molecule of interest has prevented scientists from realising this ambitious goal.

When trying to design an antibody, the arrangement and

sequence of the antibody loops is of utmost importance. Only a very specific combination of antibody loops will bind to and neutralise each target. And with billions of different possible loop arrangements and sequences, it is seemingly impossible to predict which antibody loops will bind to a specific target molecule.

The new antibody design process was used to create antibodies that target a devastating molecule in the body: the Alzheimer’s protein.

The research, which was led by Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering Peter Tessier, uses the same molecular interactions that cause the Alzheimer’s proteins to stick together and form the toxic particles that are a hallmark of the

disease. “We are actually exploiting the same protein interactions that cause the disease in the brain to mediate binding of antibodies to toxic Alzheimer’s protein particles,” Tessier said.

Alzheimer’s disease is due to a specific protein — the Alzheimer’s protein — sticking together to form protein particles.

These particles then damage the normal, healthy functions of the brain. The formation of similar toxic protein particles is central to diseases such as Parkinson’s and mad cow disease.

Importantly, the new Alzheimer’s antibodies developed by Tessier and his colleagues only latched on to the harmful clumped proteins and not the harmless monomers or single peptides that are not associated with disease.

Performance raisers up Identify blood poisoning quickly blood pressure in the brain New research suggests that EPO poses a risk to blood vessels in the brain and body

E

rythropoietin or EPO might be considered a “performance enhancing” substance for athletes, but new research published online in The FASEB Journal shows that these enhancements come at a high cost — increased risk of vascular problems in the brain. According to the study, short- or long-term use of EPO raises blood pressure by constricting arteries, which reduces the flow of blood to the brain. This finding also contradicts earlier evidence suggesting that EPO may be a viable early treatment for stroke victims.

“The new findings of this study urge to scrutinise present indications for EPO, and so help to better delineate positive versus ad-

versary health effects of EPO for each patient,” said Peter Rasmussen, PhD, a researcher involved in the work from the Zurich Centre for Integrative Human Physiology at the University of Zurich. “Future research should aim at developing an EPO-based agent for treatment that does not have a negative effect on blood vessels of the brain.”

To make this discovery, Rasmussen and colleagues evaluated the effects of acute high doses of EPO for three days and chronic low doses of EPO for 13 weeks in two groups of healthy males.

Responsiveness of brain vessels during rest and during bike-riding exercise, with and without hypoxia, was examined. Blood vessels were also analysed using ultrasound measurements and by measuring how much oxygen reached the brain. They found that prolonged EPO administration increased hematocrit, while acute administration did not. Both groups had higher blood pressure.

“EPO is used by doctors to increase red blood cells in sick people who can’t make enough of them: it’s called honest medicine.

When EPO is used by healthy bikers and runners to boost their performance, it’s called cheating. Now we know that folks who use EPO covertly are cheating not only the time-clock, but themselves,” said Weissmann, of The FASEB Journal.

I

s the patient suffering from blood poisoning? To answer this question, the doctor draws a blood sample and sends it to a central laboratory for testing. This takes up valuable time, which could cost the patient his life. In future, physicians will be able to analyse blood there and then and have the results within twenty minutes. This is made possible by a biochip, developed by scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM in Freiburg. “To analyse the biochip we have also designed a fully automatic device to carry out all the examination steps,” explains Dr A Brandenburg, group manager at the IPM. “All the doctor has to do is place the sample in the apparatus and wait for the results.”

Meanwhile, within the device there’s plenty going on: it starts by preparing the blood sample.

Red blood cells are separated from the blood and the plasma that remains is guided onto the biochip. When patients are suffering from sepsis, their immune system reacts by producing certain proteins. The biochip uses these in its diagnosis: there are antibodies positioned on the chip which fit these proteins like a key fits a lock. If the proteins are present in the blood, the antibodies fish them out of the fluid and bind them to the chip.

But how does the apparatus know if proteins have been caught? “The chip is rinsed with a solution containing the appropriate antibodies, which have in

turn been marked with a fluorescent dye,” explains IPM scientist Dr Manuel Kemmler. “These bind to the proteins — meaning antibodies, protein and marked antibodies are all firmly linked to each other and to the chip’s surface. When the chip is illuminated, the dye lights up.” The apparatus sees lots of little illuminated dots that show the protein was in the blood. If the patient is healthy, the chip remains dark.

The researchers can even test for different proteins at the same time in one cycle. This is done by placing various different catcher molecules on the chip, to which specific molecules in the blood attach themselves. A cunning selection of proven protein markers allows the scientists to

obtain additional important information about the severity and cause of the illness.

Together with colleagues from a university hospital, the researchers have already successfully tested prototypes of the device and biochip. Each biochip can only be used once — so they have to be affordable. “We predict that in the long run, with production on a large enough scale, each chip will cost no more than one euro,” says Brandenburg. There are various possible applications: other conditions such as heart attacks or cancers can also be investigated this way. What’s more, the chip facilitates doping and urine testing as well as the quality assessment of foodstuffs.

H‑Factor

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Immunity-packed cord blood promises better cancer cure

A

new method to boost the number of immune cells in umbilical cord blood prior to cord blood transplants for cancer patients appears to lead to a quicker rebuilding of a new immune system in the patient’s body than with a conventional cord blood transplant procedure, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The technique also paves the way for the development of a way to provide these patients with a salvage therapy from the same donor if their cancer returns.

“Umbilical cord blood is a potential cancer therapy that is thrown away every day,” said lead author Elizabeth Hexner, MD, an assistant professor in the division of Hematology-Oncology in Penn’s Abramson Cancer Centre. “Our findings point to a promising method to make better use of scarce cord blood resources available through public banks, which offer the only transplant option for patients who have no suitably matched blood or bone marrow donor prospects.” Though cord blood has a larger number of stem cells by volume than blood or marrow from living donors, the actual amount of blood available per cord is smaller — about one tenth the number of cells collected from living donors.

That deficit typically leads to a slower rebuilding of a sick patient’s new immune system following transplant, leaving patients vulnerable to severe, even life-threatening infections.

On the other hand, because

immune cells in cord blood are less developed and have not been fully “educated” to attack perceived invaders in the body, patients who undergo cord blood transplants are less likely to suffer graft-versus-host disease, a common, dangerous complication in which the new cells assault healthy organs like the liver and skin. Doctors say improvements to the transplant procedure hold great potential.

The procedure used in the Penn trial, involving four patients, began with cord blood donations that had been separated into two parts — typically an 80 per cent fraction and a 20 per cent fraction — prior to freezing.

Then, the team thawed the smaller fraction two weeks prior to transplant, activated and grew the number of donated T cells — which are a key driver for recovery of transplant patients’ immune system and play a role in fighting infections — using the co-stimulatory compounds CD3 and CD28 in Penn’s Clinical Cell and Vaccine Production Facility.

Following a chemotherapy and radiation regimen to destroy

Umbilical cord blood is a potential cancer therapy that is thrown away every day Lead author Elizabeth Hexner patients’ remaining cancer cells and the administration of immunosuppression drugs to prevent rejection of the donor cells, patients then received the thawed, larger fraction of the cord blood first (a standard, single cord blood transplant). An infusion of the newly activated and expanded T cells followed, with a portion of those cells being reserved and frozen for potential future use as immunotherapy in the event of a cancer relapse or transplant failure.

“Donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI) are frequently given to patients who need them following stem cell transplants from living donors, but until now, we have been unable to offer this therapy to cord blood transplant patients because the source of their cells is used up at the time of transplant,” Hexner says.

“Our results show that we are able to grow sufficient numbers of T cells to be available both for that use as well as to buoy the number of cells that patients receive during the transplant itself, which seems to have helped their immune systems come back online more quickly than is typically seen in umbilical cord blood transplants.”

Three of the patients enrolled

on the study experienced relatively early neutrophil engraftment — the point at which these critical infection fighting cells in our body reach 500 per microlitre. This milestone is important because above this threshold, the risk of life-threatening infections is drastically lower. For these three patients, engraftment was achieved on days 12, 20, and 17 post-transplant. This was approximately half the time this process has historically taken with this type of transplant, substantially narrowing the window in which patients have the greatest risk of death from transplant complications. Research has shown that using two cords per transplant can also speed this process, but that tactic also doubles the cost of the procedure, to more than $60,000. The fourth trial patient’s umbilical cord blood graft failed, and they were subsequently treated with another stem cell transplant. There were no infusion-related adverse events observed during the trial, and three of the four expansion samples yielded enough cells for future immunotherapeutic DLI use. Next, the team hopes to test the optimal expanded T cell dose necessary for speeding the process of immune recovery and develop a method to perform DLI after transplant. The Penn team says their work also sheds light on the need to buoy the number of public cord blood banks through which new parents can opt to donate their newborns’ cord blood for use treating sick patients. Commercial, private cord blood banks have proliferated in the US in recent years, despite a lack of evidence proving the utility of this so-called “biological insurance” and statements from the American Academy of Pediatrics and other groups discouraging new parents from paying for the service.

Since cord blood stored in public banks is already frozen and awaiting use, it offers a less labor intensive, quicker way to match patients for transplant than the two to three month timeframe for locating and obtaining cells from a matching unrelated donor through the National Marrow Donor Program. Blood stored in private banks, however, is not available for treatment of unrelated donors for whom a donor cannot be located.

“Greater investment in public banks and more opportunities for parents to donate to these banks are a necessary component of improving care for patients with blood cancers,” Hexner added.

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Chemotherapy holds the key

Dr P Raghu Ram

What is Chemotherapy and why is it given?

Chemotherapy is a form of treatment that uses a combination of anti cancer (cytotoxic) drugs. The aim is to destroy cancer cells that may have spread from the breast into the blood stream or the lymphatic system. This is known as systemic treatment, as the whole body is exposed to the effect of the prescribed drugs. Various factors such as size of the breast cancer, grade of the cancer, lymph nodes involvement, age of the patient and general health are taken into consideration before prescribing chemotherapy.

Primary breast cancer affects the breast and/or lymph nodes (glands) under the arm.

In most situations, chemotherapy is given after surgery and before radiotherapy. This is called adjuvant chemotherapy. It usually starts three to four weeks after surgery, so that the body has ample time to recover.

In some cases, chemotherapy is initiated before surgery to shrink large tumours. This is known as neo adjuvant or primary chemotherapy.

Secondary, or metastatic, breast cancer is when the cancerous cells have spread from the breast to other parts of the body. Chemotherapy is used to curb the growth of secondary breast cancer. Chemotherapy must be administered by a qualified medical oncologist. It can be done in many ways. For breast cancer, the drugs are intravenously administered. Chemotherapy comprises series of treatments between intervals of three to four weeks for six months. The period between each session gives the body time to recover from any short-term side effects.

Patients are usually allowed to go home the same day they undergo a session. The amount of benefit will depend on many factors such as age, whether lymph nodes are involved and the type, size and grade of the cancer. In some cases the benefits of chemotherapy are clear. In others they are quite small and it can be difficult to decide whether or not chemotherapy is needed.

(The writer is the director and consultant oncoplastic breast surgeon practising at KIMS-Ushalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases, Hyderabad)

F‑Folio

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

Because you are what you wear

Could this be the new LBD? Fashion critics definitely see the little black jumpsuit trying to overtake it.

And since Christmas is around the corner and so is the party season, this little number is sure to make you the star of the evening

Jump, it

suits

TREND SETTERS

F

orgive me for being a modern-day Scrooge here but there’s something I have to get off my chest. I hate sequins.

The small, sparkly skinscratchers might be synonymous with the silly season but I’ve always seen them as parasites on their host, spoiling otherwise perfectly lovely party dresses.

So this winter’s prevailing party trend is a soothing sight for those of us with sore, sequin-dazzled eyes. Chic, streamlined and, most importantly, free of the shimmery stuff, the little black jumpsuit (or LBJ) is proving to be a huge hit among pared-down partygoers. Championed by

DIG IT OR DITCH IT!

G

FreidaPinto Stella Tennant

you

Phoebe Philo who, true to form, was a country mile ahead of the pack last December when she stepped out in a strapless LBJ, part of her latest collection for Celine, the simply cut, all-in-one style has gained a host of new ambassadors this winter.

At last week’s British Fashion Awards, Model of the Year Stella Tennant was a walking example of the ‘less is more’ philosophy as she took to the stage to collect her award wearing an LBJ by Philo, while actress Tilda Swinton — a dedicated fan of the androgynous look — dazzled in a longsleeved incarnation. Singer Jade Williams, aka the Sunday Girl, chose a black wide-leg jumpsuit with a vibrant blue collar to attend

Tilda Swinton

Phoebe Philo

wen Stefani’s always been a trendsetter but will the singer convince fans to try this combover-meets-lopsided-hair-knot hanging off her forehead?

The effect’s actually quite elegant — it looks like a tiny fascinator perched on the side of her head. Plus Gwen’s make-up is a glam combo of cat eye and ruby red lips!

So, what do you think? Is Gwen’s hair sculpture trendy or just too funky for anywhere but the red carpet?

E!online.com

19

an event at Stella McCartney’s shop on Tuesday night. Other LBJ wearers include Kylie, who favours a sleeveless jumpsuit from Yves Saint Laurent, and Gwyneth Paltrow. The jumpsuit’s greatest appeal is that it comes with no age limit, so whether you’re 15 or 50 you needn’t shy away from one.

A wide-leg style is flattering for those who wish to keep their pins out of the limelight, while long sleeves ensure your bingo wings remain off the menu at the office party. On the high street, Whistles has a reasonably priced LBJ up for grabs. But for an upmarket option that’s certain to last a lifetime, I suggest you make a beeline for Celine.

Karen Dacre

A model in a creation by Phoebe Philo

Campus

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

Behind the scenes at St Mary’s

Students Speak Coolest thing about college The faculty is extremely friendly and the students and lecturers share a great rapport.

Students are allowed to remain in their element and that is what makes it really cool.

T

Fashion trend The mantra in college is to dress comfortably.

One of the popular trends among boys and girls alike is baggy jeans and cargos.

Another fad is fitting tees paired with sneakers or flip flops.

Dog tags are a common accessory for these fashionconscious teenagers; almost every third student is found sporting them.

Unlike most other colleges, a lot of students here are found wearing beanies. The best thing about these caps is that they look good with any outfit.

Coolest hangouts in college The canteen has always been a popular hangout.

Another place to gettogether, is the staircase near the administration office.

What would students want to change about their college?

The closed-gate policy should be changed. We are asked to be in college before 8.30am and are not allowed to leave until 2.30pm. We would appreciate it if the system was a little bit more flexible and easy-going!

Highlight of the college This college has one of the most active anti-ragging committees in the city.

Through this campaign, the student volunteers not only address the students of their college, but also try and spread awareness to other colleges as well — spread across the twin cities. They try to educate them about the ill-effects and consequences of ragging.

What’s on the playlist

Principal speaks

Kolaveri Di Chammak Challo Thug le Tonight I’m Loving You Like a G6

T

20

FOCUSSED

ON BUILDING LEADERS Students from St Mary’s College, Yousufguda, can be found in every major institution in the country and abroad. It was a modest beginning but soon St Mary’s broke all barriers and became the ‘most sought after’ college in the twin cities. Shiba Minai spoke to students to see why St Mary’s stood out from the rest

he principal of St Mary’s College, Mahender Reddy says, “We are one of the most flexible and progressive colleges. However, we are bound by university rules. I feel that the present education system has not changed much in the last two-three decades, but the culture and generation has evolved greatly.

Today’s curriculum does not have any

credits for subjects like photography or students who are active in activities like college fests etc. We don’t seem to be focussing in building leaders, we just restrain students’ credibility to numbers!

Mahender Reddy offers a very helpful tip for college students.

He says, “Every student must imbibe the habit of either playing sports or pursuing a hobby. This should become a part of their daily or weekly routine.” He continues, “I say so, as today's world has become very competitive and if you don't have something to de-stress you, sooner or later it will have adverse effects.”

he college was choc-a-bloc with hundreds of students high on the festive spirit. It was after all, the last day of Prerna, the annual college fest of Hyderabad’s ‘trendiest’ college, St Mary’s, Yousufguda. As one enters the college gates, one is greeted with loud music, constant cheers and hooting. One might think that college fests mean only fun and games but a peek into the process shows otherwise.

The two-day fest required two months of sweat and blood, say the student organisers. “We had to sit down and decide who would be in the core committee to organise the fest. We thought pitching the idea to the principal would be difficult but luckily he has been very supportive. We were appointed two lecturers to assist us. This was when an outline was made,” recalls Nisar Ahmed, a member of the core committee.

That was the easy part.

Getting resources and marketing the brand is always the hardest.

Nisar then gives us an example.

“Acquiring sponsorships is like going around town with a begging bowl,” he quips. “Jokes apart, it was a quite tough to gather sponsors,” he says.

They had aimed for a budget of Rs4–5 lakh. The first few weeks, they experienced severe disappointment because they were unable to find sponsors. Luckily, everything fell into place and they found two major sponsors.

“The next step was marketing the fest. We have invited 77 colleges for the fest. This year though, we went online as well.

Prerna tickets were available online,” echos Rahul, another committee member.

The amount of work that went into organising the fest was so gigantic that the committee decided to split the work between different departments.

But the organisers of Prerna are not complaining at all. They seemed to have overcome all the challenges thrown their way and emerged winners with all the learning and practical knowledge that they have clocked up through this experience. Finally when the day of the event arrived, it was a smooth ride.

By Osama Salman and Aishwarya Yerra

Magic Screen

The glamour behind the glitz

The saying actions speak louder than words, stands true for veteran actor Dilip Kumar. On his 89th birthday, we wish the legend many more beautiful years Isha Mukoo isha.m@postnoon.com

T

ragedy King, Devdas, the ultimate method actor... and the list just goes on.

Yes, it is impossible to stop raving about legend Dilip Kumar or Muhammad Yusuf Khan who has blessed cinema lovers with some of his noteworthy performances. Some remember him as a young lad trying to woo Vyjayantimala in the song Ude jab jab zulfein teri, from the movie Naya Daur, while others remember his unforgettable performance of a lovestruck heartbroken man in the eternal clas-

sic, Devdas, a term that became synonymous with men who have suffered a heartbreak. An inspiration for many and an idol for most, Dilip Saab completed 88 years of his life on Sunday, we look back at his contribution to Indian cinema.

Born in a Peshawari family to Lala Ghulam Sarwar, Yusuf grew up among 12 siblings. When he was still a young boy, Yusuf’s family shifted base to Mumbai in the 1930s. He then decided to venture out on his own and set up a canteen business in Pune.

It was the year 1943 when Devika Rani, the wife of the erstwhile owner of Bombay Talkies introduced him to the arc lights.

Yusuf started his career in 1944 with Jwar Bhata and a screen

name, Dilip Kumar. Though the film did not do well, he was noticed. His big break came in 1947 when his film Jugnu became a major hit and after that there was no looking back.

He gave remarkable performances after Jugnu but it was his role in Daag that fetched him Filmfare’s Best Actor award.

He then went on to give excellent performances of which some of his characters like Devdas, Prince Salim in Mughale-Azam and the flamboyant lover boy Shankar in Naya Daur are most talked about. This versatile actor did not restrict himself to one role. Be it tragedy, romance or comedy, he signed all movies and grabbed every opportunity that came by.

In the year 1966, yet another beautiful phase in his life began, when he tied the knot with actress and beauty queen Saira Bano. He was 44 and she was just 22. The two have been together since. Their’s is a long lasting relationship in Bollywood but it too, had its share of controversies.

On the star’s birthday, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan penned a few lines in his blog which read, "It is a celebration for the greatest, on the eve of his birthday.

He turned 89, the 11th of December. Exactly 20 years older to me by birth and exactly 2,000 years ahead of me in our common vocation.

He is my idol and has been since the day I first saw his work."

Amitabh

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

The story of a legend

21

worked with the legendary actor in 1982, in Shakti, which went on to gross big at the box-office.

Reminiscing about the film, Big B revealed that it was quite difficult for him to stand in front of his idol and act.

Shah Rukh Khan, who is quite close to Dilip Saab for years now, tweeted saying, “Sat with Dilipkumar sahib...it was his birthday...sairaji...amazing songs so much love...my parents would be so happy. Allah has blessed me.”

Dilip Kumar returned to the big screen after taking a sabbatical from the year 1976 to 1981, starting his comeback with the biggest hit of the year, Kranti which was followed by a list of hits like Shakti, Vidhaata, Mashaal and Karma. His last successful act on screen was in Saudagar with veteran actor Raj Kumar. His last film, Qila however doomed at the box-office.

Apart from receiving the maximum number of Filmfare awards, Dilip Kumar also received other honoraries like the Padma Bhushan in 1991, the Dada Saheb Phalkey in 1994 and was also bestowed with the Nishan-e-Pakistan by the government of Pakistan in 1998, for his efforts to bridge the gap between the two countries.

Though not a common face in the public eye, this all-time legend does not need to make his presence felt. His contribution to Indian cinema is irreplaceable. As Sr Bachchan mentions in his tweet, “He still at 89 exudes that magical power of his presence .. never before, never after .. the finest ..blessed to be in his presence.”

Sat with Dilip Kumar sahib...it was his birthday...sairaji...am azing songs so much love...my parents would be so happy.

Allah has blessed me Shah Rukh Khan

Magic Screen

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

The glamour behind the glitz

Nila Madhab Panda has new film JAL BIN JALPARI

E

ven as his debut feature film I Am Kalam continues to earn laurels, the latest being the Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor awards at the recent Silent River Film Festival in the USA, New Delhi-based director Nila Madhab Panda is launching his next feature film, which will be a children’s adventure thriller set in northern India.

The Hindi feature film, tentatively titled Jal Bin Jalpari, is being produced by

Ultra Distributors Pvt Ltd, the Rs-3-billion film production, distribution and restoration company headquartered in Mumbai.

Starring an eclectic cast comprising Parvin Dabas, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Suhasini Mulay, V M Badola, Rahul Singh and Harsh Mayar (who won the National Award for the Best Child Actor in I Am Kalam), the film will go on the floors in the 2nd week of November.

Put up our X’mas tree at home with the girls,so much fun,as they sang X’mas carols in their lovely voices while they decorated.

Heartwarming.

@ajaydevgn

e is a wizard of words and she the face of parallel Indian cinema — Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi make an enviable couple.

After almost three decades of marriage, the writer-lyricist admits he is still in awe of his ‘perfectionist’ wife whom he lovingly calls ‘Dr.No’.

“Shabana is a perfectionist. A lot of people think she is extremely picky and choosy about her work, but that’s her temperament...she won’t say yes to a script unless she is totally convinced. If she reads 100 scripts, she says no to all except maybe three or four! That’s why I call her Dr.No,” said Javed, who tied the

D

J Suketu was the only resident DJ manning the consoles at the Tom Cruise welcome bash that took place over the weekend in Mumbai. Attended by not just the who’s who but the ‘rarely-seen’ in the Bollywood fraternity, the night came alive not just for Cruise’s ardent fans but for Cruise himself who was quite bowled over by Suketu’s prowess with music.

The one remix that Tom was taken in by was Suketu’s version of Dhinka Chika. Cruise spent his time on his flight listening to Bollywood music and he loved Salman’s steps to it. This was brought to Suketu’s attention who promptly played the song especially for Cruise. The Ghost Protocol lead actress Paula Patton took to the dance floor to Suketu’s next remix for Chammak Challo and urged Mumbai to come out and party.

“It was an extremely adrenalinpumping experience for me. Since the time I was told I would be DJing for the Hollywood Megastar, I’ve been dream-

B-TOWN TWEETIES

@rampalarjun

Shabana is such a perfectionist H

22

knot with Shabana in 1984.

Javed, 66, says even though Shabana has too many criteria for zeroing in on her films, she gives the projects her all once she gives the nod. “It is amazing how much she dedicates herself to her work. When she takes up a film, she takes her role very seriously and goes into small details to get the role right.

“I remember Shankar Mahadevan saw Shabana’s Morning Raga in which she has played a Carnatic singer, and he told me that looking at her poise in the movie, no one could ever tell that she didn’t know classical singing. So that is what Shabana does...she perfects everything!” he said. The writer-lyricist, who is hosting Zee Classic’s new show Classic Legends, said even in their personal life, Shabana is ‘perfection personified’.

IANS

Suketu bowled over Tom Cruise with Dhinka Chika

Kajol wnt 4 d loomba trust dinner in delhi last night. Both of us support an believe tht every1 deserves it regardless of circumstance.

@NeilNMukesh I think I’ve given LOVE a lot of importance. Now the best thing.To do is Let go of it completely. What’s got to happen will happen.What say?

@realprietyzinta I think I just fell in love....

Yesss... With Morrocco ! I had the best time there. Hoping 2 come back soon 4 a holiday, a shoot. Anything !

@SrBachchan T 586 -A sportingly goodly day for the country .. won the soccer SAFF tournament and won the last ODI against WIndies .. and now Australia !

@iamsrk Fun watching Don2. Tom start the marathon travels to bring the film closer to viewers...hope all like seeing it as much as we did making it.

@juniorbachchan Spent the morning at the Dilkhush school for the specially abled in juhu. The kids know how to put a smile on your face.

@udaychopra ing songs that would appeal to him and make him love Bollywood. My top three songs for the night were Dhinka Chika, Chammak Challo and Sadi Gali and Cruise loved them all. When talking to

me, he mentioned his love for Bollywood music and thanked me for making his night a memorable and exciting one filled with the right Indian flavours,” said Suketu.

Just saw “New Year’s Eve”...what a movie..what a movie..what a movie!!! Ya, had to say it 3 times it’s that good..feel good film of the year

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

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

23

Magic Screen

The glamour behind the glitz

Cooper accepts Paradise Lost movie version

A

ctor Bradley Cooper is so fascinated by John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost that he immediately grabbed the chance to star in its movie adaptation. The actor is set to play Lucifer in the film, which revolves around the biblical tale of Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Cooper feels the film is likely to court controversy.

“I can really relate to the story of Paradise Lost. I did a Milton course as part of my English degree and fell in love with that character because I couldn’t believe how appetising he is in that poem.

Satan is the hero,’ Cooper told a website.

“It’s a story we can all relate to — Dad’s gone crazy and he wants us to worship the dog and then his brother says: ‘Dad’s right.’ It’s about the father betraying the character.

“You bet it’s going to be criticised. You’re taking one of the greatest pieces of literature of the past 300 years but who cares? It really is a wonderful experiment,” he added.

IANS

Renner wants Bourne film with Matt Damon

A

ctor Jeremy Renner replaced Matt Damon as Jason Bourne in the fourth instalment of the Bourne series. “We’ve kept the name, the style, tone and format of what the first three Bourne movies are... maybe eventually Matt and I could do one together.

That would be kick-ass! I love Matt,” Renner told Shortlist magazine. IANS

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

24 A

EM CIN

Magic Screen

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

The glamour behind the glitz

Rowland’s bossy dates

S

inger Kelly Rowland thinks one of the reasons why she is still single is because she can be very bossy on dates.

The Down for Whatever singer admits she has ruined dates with her determination to be in control at all times and thinks she needs to learn to let men be gentlemen and look after her, reports

25

Aniston crowned hottest woman

a website.

“The desire to be in control and decide everything myself as much as possible gets in the way of things,” she said.

“That’s probably one of the reasons why I’m single. I get in the way of myself when it comes to men. The fact that I can act a little bossy has ruined quite a few dates,” she added.

IANS

M

ove aside Angelia Jolie, because America’s Sweetheart is now officially America’s hottest — well, according to Men’s Health that is.

The Friends actress topped the mag’s list of the 100 hottest women of all time, out-sizzling Megan Fox, Cameron Diaz and yup, Brad Pitt’s gal Angie! Rounding out the Top 5 with Aniston are Madonna, Britney Spears, Marilyn Monroe and Raquel Welch. As for who Jen thinks is the sexiest woman of all time? The actress couldn’t hand it to just one gal, admitting: “It’s a tie between Bridgitte Bardot and Gloria Steinem.

But if I had to choose one, I’d say Gloria because, well, she’s the full package. That’s sexy.” And as for beating out Angelina? To us, that’s revenge. Which in this case is best served hot!

g n i o d d n i m t ’ n wo e n e c s e a nud

Beckinsale

far ter, and so my daugh appened,” e h ld be som that hasn’t role shou ughter . or id rb sa a a d e H r sh e rl he Pea ar-old has thing h roud of, The 38-ye aughter p te a e K b ss ld e u tr o ac sh old d has website.” a 12-year- -husband Beckinsale d reports a to x e e rs h e v it a w t ie Lily he is “I’m no always sh de ene, but l Sheen. S ector, sc e a e u h d n ic u g n M a in o g ir g d in o m to d o d fr ie to be t away now marr n.

IANS ould have I could screen, bu d w ig it b e a m th e lt n is in o fe W m I n ’t g e n in L o ew f someth she says sh is good. in front o le ally argue ro re e th if e it says th Beckinsale

T

Magic Screen

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

The glamour behind the glitz

26

I was a shy teen: Biel

A

ctress Jessica Biel admits she was a shy girl during her teenage days. The 29-year-old actress who is in a relationship with Justin Timberlake insists she didn’t get much attention from guys when she was younger because her insecurities had made her aloof, reports a website. “I never got chased by guys as much as people might think. I’m quite shy, so sometimes guys would find me aloof because they’d think I was acting cool when it was just my nerves,” she said. “It always takes me a while to feel comfortable in social situations or when I’m with new people,” she added. IANS

Roberts is protective about Adele

A

A

rnold Schwarzenegger is hoping to reclaim his title as action-hero superstar in the upcoming flick The Last Stand, his first post-governor of California film role.

After all those scandals and the ongoing rough patch with wife Maris Shriver, will Arnold be able to give his best?

“It’s his big comeback,” Schwarzenegger’s Last

Stand co-star Genesis Rodriguez told a website at the HFPA’s A Night of Firsts party in West Hollywood. “It is his film.” In the flick, Arnie plays a small-town sheriff who must stop a drug kingpin from escaping across the border to Mexico. Rodriguez plays an FBI agent . “Arnold is the coolest guy I’ve ever met,” she said. “He is so funny and he is such a trouper

doing his own stunts. He does it all. He’s literally superman.”

He certainly didn’t let the bloody injury he recently suffered while shooting slow him down.

“I saw that in person,” Rodriguez dished. “He got stitches and that same day he went back to work.

I would not go back to work after I got stitches in my face!”

ctress Julia Roberts has issued a strong warning to any man wishing to date Adele, saying she will come after anyone who breaks her heart. The Pretty Woman actress is a huge fan of the Someone Like You singer, reports a website. “Anybody that’s going to date her is a brave, brave man. You’re going to get a whole lot of love, but you’d better treat her right, or we’re all coming after you,” she said.

Roberts says the reason Adele, 23, has become a worldwide star is because people can relate to her and the pain and heartache she’s going through. “Adele’s music is so personal that you get invested in her life,” she added.

IANS

Magic Screen

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

The glamour behind the glitz

Comeback

Queens

A career in the tinsel world is everyone’s dream. Some get a break but are not able to sustain it. A comeback then, becomes an option. Here's our list of comeback queens of 2011

of the year

Nayanthara

Hemanth Kumar hemanth.k@postnoon.com

S

he was one of the most sought-after actresses for a long time and then she dropped the bomb about quitting films altogether. Post the release of Simha in 2010, Nayanthara didn't sign a single Telugu film for a very long time and finally agreed to play the role of Seetha in Bapu's mythological film Sri Rama Rajyam. The film and Nayanthara's performance garnered rave reviews. It was her comeback film of 2011, but it might very well be her last film as an actress unless she changes her mind in the near future. Her decision will break a lot of hearts but there couldn't have been a better graceful exit from her eight-year-old career.

Kriti Kharbanda

K

riti Kharbanda's career in Telugu cinema got almost derailed post the release of her debut film, Boni. The film, which was released in 2009, sank at the box-office and then in 2010, she went back to Kannada cinema where she acted in a film titled Chiru.

She made her comeback in Telugu films with a cameo in Nandini Reddy's Ala Modalaindi. But the biggest break in her career so far was bagging an important role in Teen Maar opposite Pawan Kalyan. Although the film didn't really make a noise at the boxoffice, she was in the limelight for playing a soft character in the film. Currently she's awaiting the release of Mr Nokia where she's playing the lead role opposite Manchu Manoj.

Tamannaah

T

amannaah is undoubtedly the comeback queen of the year. After a gap of two years, she made her comeback in 100% Love that was a huge success.

Later she played the lead role in Allu Arjun's Badrinath. Although the film didn't do too well at the box-office, Tamannaah sizzled in her glamorous role.

By the time the film had hit screens, she had already signed up Oosaravelli, Rachcha and Endhukante Premanta. Later, she replaced Anushka in Prabhas' Rebel. News is that she might play the lead role in upcoming Mahesh Babu's film in Sukumar's direction. Irrespective of the box-office result of her films, 2011 has been a dream year for the actress with back-to-back big-ticket projects.

Lakshmi Rai

L

akshmi Rai's presence has been minimal over the years.

Back in 2005, she acted in a Telugu film Kanchanamala Cable TV and after that few of her Tamil films like Dhaam Dhoom and Irumbukkottai Murattu Singam were dubbed in Telugu in recent times. However, her role in Raghava Lawrence's Kanchana brought her to the limelight once again in 2011.

Although it was a dubbed film, the Telugu audience lapped it up and the film was a big hit. Soon, she played an important role in Venkat Prabhu's Mankatha, which was dubbed in Telugu as Gambler. Her Telugu film career took off once again and she bagged one of the lead roles in Balakrishna's Adhinayakudu, which will hit the screens early next year.

Parvati Melton

S

27

he was nowhere to be seen for more than three years. But she was back in limelight this year, thanks to her cameo in the box-office monster Dookudu. All it took was 4 minutes and 14 seconds of fame, where Parvati Melton danced to a raunchy item song Poovai Poovai along with Mahesh Babu in the film. Everyone began talking about her after watching the film and she quoted in quite a few interviews that she's being approached by several filmmakers post the success of Dookudu. Currently, she's playing the lead role in Yamaho Yama and a little bird informs us that she has been signed up for one of Balakrishna's upcoming films to be directed by Ravi Kumar Chavali, which will go on floors early next year.

Magic Screen

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

The glamour behind the glitz

Manchu Manoj’s

Mr. Nokia releasing in January M

28

T-TOWN TWEETIES

@iamnagarjuna My favourite song in rajanna is gijigadu/just can't stop humming it/Wish I could sing :(

anchu Manoj’s upcoming Mr.Nokia has finally completed its shoot. Ani is directing the film and D S Rao is producing the film which has been on the sets for a very long time. Kriti Kharbanda and Sana Khan are playing the lead roles in the film.

Initially, Shriya Saran was considered for the role; however she walked out of the project citing date issues and later was replaced by Kriti Kharbanda. Yuvan Shankar Raja is composing the music and news is that he used a couple of tracks from the Tamil film Vaanam since Manoj liked the songs.

The film is expected to hit the screens in January.

@sneha_ullal Watching my fav show greys anatomy and crying..movies makes me cry more than reality..what scenes..ufff.

@themohanbabu Deepest condolences to the Family of Sri. MS Reddy garu.

Legendary producer Good hearted man. Outspoken and straight Forward. RIP Reddy garu.

@Actor_Siddharth

CCL-II promises to be bigger and better

T Adhinayakudu pulls out of Sankranti race

he second season of Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) promises to be bigger and better. Buoyed by the success of the inaugural edition of CCL, the organising committee has decided to expand the number of teams to six. Apart from the four existing teams comprising celebrities from Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada film industries, CCL-II will feature teams from Bengali and Malayalam film industries as well. Boney Kapoor and Sri Devi own the Bengal Tigers franchise

and Mohan Lal and Lizzy Priyadarshan own the Kerala Strikers team. The curtain raiser will be held on December 19 in HICC, Novotel and the first match will be played between Mumbai Heroes and Chennai Rhinos on January 13 in Sharjah.

Around 100 heroes from the six film industries are expected to take part in CCL-II and 16 heroines will cheer for their respective teams. The organisers are also planning to launch a calender ‘Girls of CCL 2012’ later this month.

Worked with @AnupamPkher today after years..what do i call this man?A mentor?A strong influence?A friend? I think "Kher Saab" covers it all!

@Hansika Watching dhoom 2 n I totally love udhay chopra's character ... Ist hilarious .hving a Sunday off is boring.

@shrutihaasan So blessed to have friends like @NatashaaBhalla with friends like this who needs bodyguards?!?;)

B

alakrishna’s upcoming film Adhinayakudu will not release for Sankranti. Directed by Parachuri Murali, the film has Balakrishna playing triple roles spanning three generations. Jayasudha, Lakshmi Rai and Saloni are playing lead roles in the film and it’s the first time Jayasudha is pairing up with Balakrishna. The film’s talkie portions have been shot and some songs will be shot later in the month.

Kalyani Malik has composed the music and producer, M L Kumar Chowdary is planning to release the audio by the end of this month.

Earlier, the film was supposed to release on January 12; however, the latest buzz is that Adhinayakudu might hit screens in the last week of January.

@LakshmiManchu Spoke in front of 1000 telugu women at UTAA in NJ. Thank you all for having me. You were all truly inspiring. Off to India tomorrow. #UKUP

@Isumanth #Sherlock on BBC entertainment. Quite a brilliant reinvention of one of my favorite literary characters.

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 Bhale Chancele 2200 CID 2300 Vasantha Kokila 2330 Alajadi 0700 Silver Screen 0730 Just For Fun 0800 Ayurvedam 0830 Chaganti Nava Vidha Bhakti 0900 Challenge

1400 Kannavaari Kalalu 1430 Maavichiguru 1500 Jeevitha Chakram 1530 Movie 1800 Jai Shri Krishna 1830 Shraavani Subramaniam 1900 Mandhara 1930 Auto Bharthi 2000 No. 23, Mahalakshmi Nivasam 2030 Mogali Rekulu 2100 Aparanji 2130 Devatha 2200 Mamathala Kovela 2230 Sree Mathi Sree 2300 Gemini Vaarthalu 0800 24 Frames 0830 Movie 1130 Aha Emi Ruchi 1200 Kalyana Tilakam 1230 Maa Inti Aada Paduchu 1300 Chittemmaa 1330 Gorintaku

1400 [V] Deadly Dus 1430 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1500 [V] Humse Hai Life 1530 [V] Trailers 1600 [V] Zabardast Hits 1800 [V] Fresh Songs 1830 [V] Humse Hai Life 1900 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1930 [V] Humse Hai Life 2000 [V] Love Net 2100 [V] Deadly Dus 2130 [V] Trailers 2155 [V] Fresh Songs 2200 [V] Steal Ur Girlfriend 2300 [V] Humse Hai Life 2330 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 0700 [V] Trailers 0730 [V] Zabardast Hits 0800 [V] Mind Blasting Mornings 1100 [V] Fresh Songs 1200 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance

‘[V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance’ at 1900 Hrs on CHANNEL [V]

1300 News Now At 1 1330 News Now 1800 6 Pm 1830 Live Report 1900 Primetime 1930 The Game 2000 News Now At 8 2030 Live Report 2100 The Newshour 2200 The Newshour - Plus 2230 E Now 2300 News Now At 11 0800 The Morning News 0900 News Now 1200 Live Report 1230 News Now

‘The Newshour’ at 2100 Hrs only on TIMES NOW

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

Telly sitcoms, news and movie listings

1400 Abhishekam 1430 Aadade Aadharam 1500 Antahpuram 1530 Aakasa Ganga 1600 Prema Mandiram 1630 Jagadeeswari 1700 Adhire Adurs 1800 Devimahathyam 1830 Puttadi Bomma 1900 Kumkuma Rekha 1930 Manasu Mamata 2000 Chandra Mukhi 2030 Bharyamani 2100 Etv News 2130 Paduta Teeyaga 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 Chittam Chittam Prayaschittam 2230 Shree 2300 Bindas 2330 Latest Superhit Songs 0800 Gopuram 0830 Bhakti Samacharam 0900 Sri Raghavendra Vybhavam 0930 Ayurveda Jeevana Vignanam 1000 Zee 70 Mm A.C

‘Business Tonight’ at 2100 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 1900 Global Business Report 1930 Business Express 2000 Business First 2030 Markets Tomorrow 2100 Business Tonight 2200 Top 10 At 10 2230 Investor's Guide 2300 Zigwheels 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

‘Curiosity’ at 2000 Hrs on DISCOVERY 1400 Man Vs. Wild 1500 Man, Woman, Wild 1600 Dual Survival 1700 Atlas 4D 1800 Killing For A Living 1900 Swamp Brothers 1930 Destroyed In Seconds 2000 Curiosity 2100 Man Vs. Wild 2200 I Shouldn't Be Alive 2300 Treeman - The Cure 0800 Into Alaska With Jeff Corwin 0900 Factory Made 1000 Time Warp

1415 Most Shocking 1505 Sony Lifestyle Tv Magazine 1535 Ebuzz 1605 Chef Academy 1700 Top Chef Masters 1800 The Amazing Race 1900 India's Minute To Win It 2000 Guinness World Records Smashed 2100 Wipeout 2200 Impossible - The World's Greatest Magicians 2011 2300 Breaking The Magician's Code 0905 Sky Teleshopping 0930 Whacked Out Sports 0955 Infomercial/5 Min 1030 Top Chef Masters 1130 Wipeout 1225 Guinness World Records Smashed

‘Wipeout’ at 2100 Hrs on AXN

‘Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto’ at 2030 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 2230 Haar Jeet

1400 Hamari Saas Leela 1430 Hawan 1500 Veer Shivaji 1530 Uttaran 1600 Parichay - Nayee Zindagi Kay Sapno Ka 1700 Sasural Simar Ka 1730 Veer Shivaji 1800 Uttaran 1830 Balika Vadhu 1900 Hawan 1930 Sasural Simar Ka 2000 Balika Vadhu 2030 Veer Shivaji 2100 Phulwa 2130 Parichay - Nayee Zindagi Kay Sapno Ka 2200 Uttaran 2230 Bigg Boss 2330 Balika Vadhu

‘Balika Vadhu’ at 2000 Hrs on COLORS

‘M K K P B’ at 2200 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 Shobha Somnath Ki 1730 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

‘Saas Bina Sasuraal’ at 2200 Hrs on SONY

29

‘E H M M B H’ at 2030 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 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

1405 The Fugitive 1635 Blade - Trinity 1845 Star Trek - Nemesis 2100 Madagascar 2244 Deep Blue Sea 0800 Friends 0830 Good Morning, Miami 0900 Friends 0930 Nikita 1020 Star Trek - Nemesis 1230 It's A Boy Girl Thing

1335 Devil 1520 Meteor Storm 1715 Carriers 1900 Ninja Assassin 2100 Super Shark 2250 Repo Men 0810 Practical Magic 1025 Two Weeks Notice 1240 Ninja Assassin

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 $H*! My Dad Says 2330 Better With You 0800 The Real Housewives Of New Jersey 0900 Body Of Proof 1000 $H*! My Dad Says 1030 Just For Laughs 1100 The Real Housewives Of New Jersey

‘Body Of Proof’ at 2200 Hrs on ZEE CAFE

Parvarrish Storyline - There is a fancy dress competition in Sunny’s school in tonight’s episode of Parvarrish – kuchh khatti kuchh meethi.

Pinky dresses up Sunny as Hanuman.

Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai Storyline - Akshara is taken to the hospital. Will the pandit's prophecy come true?

‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’ at 2130 Hrs on STAR PLUS

‘Parvarrish… Kuchh Khatti Kuchh Meethi’ at 2130 Hrs on SONY ‘Madagascar’ at 2100 Hrs on WB

‘Two And A Half Men’ at 2000 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

1400 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma 1430 Lapataganj 1530 Fir 1630 Don't Worry Chachu !!!

1700 Ring Wrong Ring 1730 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma 1900 Lapataganj 1930 Don't Worry Chachu !!!

2000 Chintu Chinky Aur Ek Badi Si Love Story 2030 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma 2100 Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo 2130 R.K. Laxman Ki Duniya 2200 Lapataganj 2230 Fir 2300 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma 2330 Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo 0900 Happy Housewives Club 0930 Don't Worry Chachu !!!

1000 Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo 1045 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma 1130 Fir 1200 Lapataganj

‘Lapataganj’ at 2200 Hrs on SAB

‘Business Of Bollywood’ at 2230 Hrs on ZOOM 1400 Movie - The Film 1730 Star Bonanza 1800 Letz Go! 1900 Planet Bollywood News 1930 Link'D 2000 Telly Talk 2030 Letz Go! 2100 Blenders Pride Fashion Tour 2011 2130 Link'D 2200 B - Tonite 2230 Business Of Bollywood 2300 Bollywood Bonanza 0700 Fresh Mornings 0800 Red Carpet 0805 20 - 20 Songs 0825 Fresh Mornings 1000 20 - 20 Songs 1021 Fresh Mornings 1100 Zoom Box 1200 Garma Garam 1300 Planet Bollywood News 1330 Page 3

1400 Oddities 1430 Discovery Science Classics 1530 Sci Fi Science 1600 Innovation Nation 1630 Mythbusters 1730 Machines!

1800 Industrial Junkie 1830 Best Of Discovery Science 1930 What's That About?

2030 Bone Detectives 2130 I, Videogame 2230 G.I. Factory 2330 The New Inventors 0700 How It's Made 0730 What's That About?

0830 Mummy Autopsy 0930 G.I. Factory 1030 Bone Detectives 1130 I, Videogame 1330 Connections 2

‘What's That About?’ at 1930 Hrs on DISCOVERY SCIENCE

‘The Defenders’ at 2100 Hrs on BIG CBS PRIME 1430 Jerry Springer 1530 Aspire 1600 Survivor 1700 Bellator 1800 Galileo Extreme 1900 The Defenders 2000 Entertainment Tonight 2030 Galileo Extreme 2100 The Defenders 2200 Jerry Springer 2300 CSI - Crime Scene Investigation 0700 Aspire 0730 Big Wheels 0800 Galileo Extreme 0900 CSI - Crime Scene Investigation 1000 Bellator 1100 Jerry Springer 1200 Aspire 1230 Entertainment Tonight 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

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

30

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Bamboo eater 6 Discontinue 11 “Ben-Hur” author Wallace 14 Spirit of “The Tempest” 15 Usher in 16 Author Wolfert or Levin 17 Golf course named after a Flintstone?

19 “Don’t give up!”

20 Thug at work 21 Singing John from Middlesex 23 Auction off 24 Window grate 25 Big sister?

28 Cop’s order 30 Ho Chi Minh Trail locale 31 Game or battle site 32 Apply knuckles to wood 35 It might give you chills 36 Two-footed 38 Southern college nickname: ___ Miss 39 End of a school pledge 40 Consumers 41 Garbage hauler 42 The ‘70s, e.g.

44 Strokes of unanticipated luck 46 Like a ninja 48 Basketball crowd-pleaser 49 Garcon’s list 50 Island group giant tortoises 55 Arithmetic directive 56 The first U.S. National Park 58 Fjord relative 59 Exhilarate 60 Demonstrating good posture 61 Exist, to Popeye?

62 Some vending machine selections 63 Accepts a challenge DOWN 1 Nickname for Haydn 2 Aphrodite’s love

3 Calligrapher’s fine points?

4 Lowers in dignity 5 Axis opponents in WWII 6 Bunch of schemers 7 “East of ___” 8 “I ___ my wit’s end” 9 [not my mistake] 10 Otherworldly 11 Arkansas capital 12 He playd Robin 13 Batman, really 18 Old measures equal to 45 inches 22 Actress Taylor, to tabloids 24 Actress Rowlands 25 First radio code word?

26 Debutante’s party 27 Project for giant beavers?

28 “___ Jacques” 29 Professional team in

Ohio 31 Copied 33 Plant with medicinal qualities 34 They’re positioned in the church 36 Ohio State players 37 “Gosh!” to an Englishman 41 Large Indonesian island 43 ___, drink and be merry 44 Imperfection 45 Was not renewed 46 Spine-tingling 47 Olympic gymnast Comaneci 48 Fruits of the blackthorn

SUDOKU

50 Word before “hand” or “rags” 51 Utah ski haven 52 Attendee 53 Twice from thrice 54 Places for making soaps?

57 “Telephone Line” group PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY “Money is neither my god nor my devil. It is a form of energy that tends to make us more of who we already are, whether it’s greedy or loving.”

– Dan Millman

Chai Time STAR POWER

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

Date 13-12-2011

ARIES

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

March 20 – April 18 Avoid open talk with unknown persons; chances to fall in to their trap and repu‑ tation might spoil. Indirect enemies tar‑ getting to defame you; be alert and cau‑ tious. Good will happen if you act wisely.

TAURUS

April 19 – May 19 Real‑estate deals will bring decent pro‑ fits. Selling alone is recommended; avo‑ id making any new investments. Coup‑ les need to put behind their egos and be cordial. Lovers should be patient.

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

June 21 – July 21

July 22 – August 21

May 20 – June 20

Avoid getting into legal issues or any dis‑ putes; time is not at all favourable. Financial position too, looks very bleak. You need to remain frank with relatives and friends, dis‑ cuss issues and make use of their help.

Expenses will increase and you may incur loss in some financial deals too. Be careful to avoid such events happening. A good news is expected soon. Friends and rela‑ tives will extend their help in time of need.

You will look cheerful and family membe‑ rs also will add to that. Artists will have a good time as their good work gets appre‑ ciation by all. Employees may be mentally upset as superiors are not supportive.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

October 23 – November 20

SAGITTARIUS November 21 – Dec 20

Your approach brings success as all will support you because of your adjusting nature. Your energy levels will be at a high and you will look attractive today.

Unexpected fortunes possible.

Avoid speculative deals as the time is not favourable. Your influence and social sta‑ tus is set to improve. Businessmen are in for a prosperous time and will make good profits. Comforts will increase in family.

You might face some adverse situa‑ tion; but keep your patience and don't give up. Soon the situation will change.

Unexpected financial gains possible for those who make serious efforts.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

January 20 – February 18 Though you might face hurdles and discouragement, do not stop; keep marching ahead till you achieve the goals. Businessmen need to take a review about signing contracts.

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

The High Priestess – You discover some‑ thing new about the occult and are keen to go down that mysteri‑ ous road. You realize there are many people whoʼre just like you.

Justice – Thereʼs confu‑ sion about whatʼs right and whatʼs wrong. Your beliefs and perceptions of morality will under‑ go major changes in the near future with new experiences.

Ace of Swords – Th‑ ere are clouds of con‑ fusion. Despite that, youʼre able to display clarity of thought. Yo‑ uʼre very clear about what you need and where youʼre headed.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Strength – No matter how difficult the cir‑ cumstances you come up trumps. You feel good about your abili‑ ty to fight the odds and emerge tri‑ umphant each time.

Four of Wands – Good fortune strikes and you deserve it. Youʼve been working very hard of lately and lady luck has been eluding you. This time, sheʼll give you all you want.

The Chariot – Overseas travel to an exotic location is indicated. Though itʼs work related, you end up having quite a good time during your free hours.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Six of Swords – Ove‑ rseas contacts give you something to think about. It changes you perception of where the world is headed and how economies are changing.

Nine of Wands – Success is imminent.

Youʼve worked hard for it and youʼre alm‑ ost there. Just one last test remains and you get everything that yo‑ uʼve ever wished for.

Two of Cups –Listen up, singles. You meet someone from the op‑ posite sex and the ch‑ emistry is immediate.

You might deepen yo‑ ur commitment to en‑ gagement or marriage.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Two of Pentacles – Youʼll be forced to do the balancing act. You must admit that you actually quite enjoy it even. Work and fami‑ ly lives are intersect‑ ing in many ways.

The Emperor – Love is in the air. You discover a new love for your partner and this keeps you going in the mar‑ riage. Do something nice like throwing a surprise.

The Wheel of Fortune – Times are not going to be the same all the time. If theyʼre bad now, things will look up.

This card urges you to keep your chin up.

February 19 – March 19

Think different and implement the same to see how far you are successful and continue with it if results are good. You will undertake challenges and achieve success. Keep your actions shrewd.

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

SOLUTIONS

Boggle DOVE CROW WREN SWAN LARK HAWK TERN LOON

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

Dec 21 – January 19 Employees look very comfortable and get work completed as planned. Your colleagues too, are very supportive.

Artists will receive good inflow of money and reward. Self‑assessment needed.

SUMAA TEKUR

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

August 22 – September21

Slow‑and‑steady policy to be adopted. Busi‑ nessmen can plan expansion to focus on growth. Chances for some to buy a house or vehicle. While expressing your views, be careful as you might me misunderstood.

September 22 – October 22

TAROT READ

31

Vol: 1, No. 149 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

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

32

PICS: AFP

PICS: SRINIVAS SETTY

Director’s cut British director Guy Ritchie kisses partner Jacqui Ainsley at the premiere of Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows in Central Rome on Sunday.

Anu and Sweta

THE NEW SMOKIN’ JOINT

The Nobel effect US actress Rosario Dawson reacts as she co-hosts the Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo on Sunday.

The opening of the Seven Oven cafe and hookah lounge at Jubilee Hills on Road no 36 on Sunday was a starstudded affair. Seen at the event were Asmita Sood, Sahil Gulati, Poonam Kaur and Nishanthi Evani and director Madhur Bhandarkar, among others.

Venket

Asmita Sood

Poonam Kaur

Deepesh and Prerna

The Art of Gifting Handicrafts, Designer Jewellery & Gifting solutions like never before!

Madhur Bhandarkar

Sahil Gulati

Nishanthi Evani

Welcome to India’s finest online store for Designer Jewellery, Home Decor & more!

Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad

www.maayin.com