Postnoon E-Paper for 22 January 2013 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013 HYDERABAD

WWW.POSTNOON.COM

32 PAGES

WEATHER: CLEAR; 24°C

MEGA AWESOME

Featuring a 2048-bit encryption key, Kim Dotcom’s Megaupload 2.0 cocks a snook at his persecutors.

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TAXING TALES

It is that time of the year when everyone is busy rummaging through folders and documents to find every evidence of investment to save taxes. Here are a few tips to avoid the tax blues.

P15

HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER

Shops remain closed in many parts of the City after MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s arrest yesterday.

BOOTS, BARBED WIRE BACK REPORT ON P3

THE CIRCLE OF LOVE

P16&17 With Silver Linings Playbook nominated to the Oscars, we list a few other films whose dance sequences have been etched in our memories.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

city events

ABSTRAUTISTRY

It is an exhibition of paintings by Karuna Gopal and Vikram, mother son duo. The exhibition will be inaugurated on January 22 at 6:30pm at Muse Art Gallery, Marriott. A part of the sale proceeds will go for the cause of autism and disability.

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

Overnight

Morning

Afternoon

24°C

16°C

22°C

30°C

Clear. Windy at times.

Clear.

Sunny. Windy at times.

Sunny.

New Delhi Mumbai Max 18 Max 31 Min 6 Min 17 Clear skies.

Chennai Max 29 Min 23

Clear skies.

Bangalore Max 28 Min 15

Mostly sunny.

Clear skies.

AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES Mukarramjahi Road, Nampally, When: Up to February 15, 4pm to 11pm Contact: (040) 2460 3015

ART Rural Excerpts An exhibition of paintings and sculptures, of village depictions and life in rural areas, by Narsimlu Kandi. The preview is on January 19. Where: Aalankritha Art Gallery When: Up to January 30, 11am to 7pm Contact: www.alankritha.in

Shoppers Stop sale Sale up to 51 per cent off on international and Indian brands across categories at Shoppers Stop, HomeStop and Mothercare outlets with Shoppers Stop. Where: Shoppers Stop outlets, Hyderabad When: from January 12 Contact: www.shoppersstop.com

Diva Divine Deified An exhibition of ceramic and terrakota sculptures by artist Jayaprakash. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing Contact: www.iconart.in Code Red Countdown Code Red Countdown is an art collection revolving around ecology, by New York based artist Asher Jay. The theme is endangered wildlife. Where: Lalitha Kala Thoranam, Public gardens When: January 27 6pm to 9:30pm Contact: 93965 55888

DINING Hot Dog food festival ITC Kakatiya’s multi restaurant, Deccan Pavilion, is organising a hot dog festival. Hollywood hot dog, Philadelphia cheese steak dog, Garden Dog and Arizona rush are some of the items on the menu. Where: Deccan Pavilion,

PICNIC TIME: Visitors enjoy a boat ride at Shilparamam. ITC Kakatiya When: 18-27 Contact: (040) 4008 1816

When: Up to February 10 Contact: (040) 2355 0105

Kashmiri Food Festival Wazas, who are the Master Chefs of the Wazwan cuisine, are specially flown down from Kashmir to prepare a royal Kashmiri cuisine. Where: Ohri’s Jalvihar, Necklace Road When: Up to January 27, 1pm onwards Cafe Classics Month Truffles cafe pays tribute to some selective cafes and restaurants in India and the world. The cafe will be serving some of their special dishes. This weekend starts with Britannia restaurant & cafe located in Bombay, with delicious Parsi dishes. Where: Truffles cafe Plot no. 376, Road no. 10, Jubilee Hills,

Commissioner & Spl Officer

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

198 155313

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

155333 23431178 23431179

MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

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

S BALAKRISHNA

SHOWS The Monsoon Oracle The Monsoon Oracle is a factual film based on ritualistic practices that take places in the country. It revolves around the rituals performed, predicting the arrival of monsoon. Where: NIFT, Madhapur, Hyderabad When: January 25, Contact: (040) 2311 4537 Tribute to Rajesh Khanna There will be dance performances on Rajesh Khanna’s songs to pay tribute to the superstar. The dance will be choreographed by Mahesh L Munde, who has choreographed national and international performances. Where: Lalitha Kala Thoranam,

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

155313 23307328 23313163

27505566 23314095 23390933 24600146 27001134 23607777 30418888 30417777 30419000 30416666 39879999

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

Public gardens, Hyderabad When: January 27 6pm to 9:30pm Contact: 93965 55888

MISCELLANEOUS Buy Art It is an anniversary art show of affordable art by 30 artists. All artworks are priced between Rs1,000 to Rs10,000 Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad When: January 18-February 18 11:30am-7pm Contact: www.iconart.in

Nikhil Chinappa Night Sky lounge is set to host its first ever grand party on the January 23, with celebrated DJ Nikhil Chinappa entertaining the guests over a gala dinner. Exquisite variety of food and beverages will be served, with a wide selection of alternative Tapas cuisine. Where: Sky Lounge, Madhapur, Hyderabad When: January 23, 8pm onwards

Numaish Numaish is the 73rd All India Industrial Exhibition is an ongoing event in the City. Where: Exhibition Ground,

27567892 23559555 23226624 27633087 27035588 27550238 30799999 30418296 30417445

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

The Republic Ride The biggest corporate cycling event at Hyderabad is being organized by The Atlanta Foundation on republic day. The aim is to promote educational programs for underprivileged children. Where: Gachibowli Stadium, Hyderabad When: January 26, 6:15am onwards Contact: atlantafoundation.org

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

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

24523211 232431300/7641 24521029

Readers’ views

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

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

City

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

WILL THE STAND ON TELANGANA BECOME TDP’S UNDOING? 80% 20%

YES (A) NO (B)

TODAY’S QUESTION

IS OWAISI-BASED POLITICS BECOMING A BANE FOR THE CITY? A)

YES

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

LAW AND ORDER

Tense but under control

Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

early eight RTC buses were damaged and one set ablaze by protesters in different parts of the City on Monday after MIM chief and Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad Asaduddin Owaisi was sent to prison in connection with a 2005 case at Patancheru police station. The law and order situation in the City has been tense, but under control since last night. However, an RTC bus from the Kurnool depot was damaged and torched by some protesters near Zoo Park in Old City. The RTC bus was coming from Kurnool to Hyderabad carrying passengers when the bus collided with a water tanker. Some youths then gathered and started agitating. They pelted stones and damaged the bus, breaking the windows. Later, some youngsters in their 20s poured kerosene on the bus and burnt it. As a result, the bus driver, 37year-old Kistanna, suffered minor burn injuries on his arms.

He was shifted to Osmania General Hospital. The situation was tense in the area after this incident and police officials visited the spot. The Bahadurpura police have registered a case and started an investigation. In another part of the City, police commissioner Anurag Sharma has taken precautionary measures after Asaduddin was arrested and sent to prison by the Sangareddy court on Monday. Asaduddin is accused of disturbing the then Medak district collector, AK Singhal, while the collector and other officials were trying to demolish a mosque in Muttangi village in Patancheru Mandal. Asaddudin hasn’t applied for bail all these seven years, said police. Meanwhile, MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi’s judicial remand has been extended by the Nirmal court for 14 more days, up to February 5. On Tuesday, Akbaruddin was produced before the Nirmal court amidst a huge police bandobast. The Nirmal court gave orders to extend his judicial remand.

Shutters are down and streets deserted in many parts of the City after MIM chief Asaduddin was arrested on Monday. SYED MAZHER ALI

PICS: M ANIL KUMAR

CRIME

Fraud in the name of land

A gang was collecting money from slum dwellers under the pretext of allotting patta lands to them.

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

he Bowenpally police busted a cheating racket in which gang members used to collect large sums of money from people in the name of allotting them patta land. According to the police, the gang members have been identified as D Balaswamy, V Srinivas, A Reddy and S Eeshwar. All the accused live in different parts of Secunderabad, work with private companies and belong to middle-

class families. Since they are in touch with some government officers and local leaders, they formed a plan to take advantage of poor people who want to buy land. The gang members approached poor people who are residing in huts in a slum in Tirumalgherry and assured them that they would allot patta land to them in a very short time. For this, they collected `500-`1,000 from each of their victims. The victims were pleased and were waiting eagerly to be allotted some land. The fraud came to light when

The fraud came to light when Tirumalgherry government officials visited the slum and the victims told them about the gang.

some officials from Tirumalgherry MRO office went out to the sites. When they visited the slum in connection with a government scheme for allotting patta lands to poor people residing there, the victims

told them about the fraudsters. The MRO officials explained that government officials would not demand any money from them and those men are officials but cheats. On the complaint lodged by Tirumalgherry MRO officials, the police swung into action and arrested the four accused. A fifth gang member, P Nageshwar Rao, managed to flee. The police have now launched a manhunt to track him down. The arrested accused have been booked for cheating and the police has started investigations.

city TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

RTI CAMPAIGN

LAST YEAR... HERE

Not such a rosy picture

Killing hunger pangs

ast year we had reported how the hygiene and quality of City restaurants had taken a nosedive. With only one health inspector for 800 restaurants, it was no wonder that health norms had been tossed out of the window. Around 15 hotels were issued closure notices evey month, but overworked sanitation inspectors had their own tales of woe to recount.

JANUARY 22, 2012

NUMEROLOGY

62,760

The number of cases that the State Information Commission claims it has disposed since it was set up in November 2005.

The Seemandhra leaders’ activities seem to have become a hurdle for the Centre to undertake its process. We are going to Delhi to counter the campaign. A Mohan, Congress MLA See page 5

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

Congress struggles with divided house. Congress Telangana leaders are off to Delhi to ensure that the Congress Seemandhra leaders’ campaign against a separate Tstate does not inﬂuence the Centre. Talk about a divided house!

Don’t count your RTI pleas till they hatch. The SIC has been blowing its horn about clearing thousands of RTI pleas. Activists, though, say that the number of pleas denied and the answers given has to be taken into account.

M ANIL KUMAR

SIC claims that it has helped clear thousands of RTI applications. However, RTI activists say the quality of the replies and the time delay leaves a lot to be desired. RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA rahul.r@postnoon.com

he State Information Commission (SIC) website is filled with statistics on how the commission helped clear thousands of RTI applications from the State. In fact, going by the records, the commission has disposed 62,760 cases from when it was set up, i.e., from November 2005 to October 2012. The numbers, if anything, appear impressive, unless one pays attention to the large number of complaints from RTI activists about how the numbers are only projected calculations. According to Panasa Ramakrishna, RTI activist from the City-based group ITMD: “The number of applications received and disposed off is true. But nobody ever looks at the number of cases rejected or denied, especially from the ground unit level to the actual head office.” Panasa added that the quality of cases disposed off is never satisfactory in the State because of three main reasons — the PIOs do not understand

Small ray of hope

ne good thing that the commission’s report shows us is the increase in percentage of RTIs filed from the rural areas.

Year 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

RTIs filed (%) 11 32 39 42 43 49

Telangana registered the highest number of appeals, with 44.84 per cent, while Andhra registered 39.87 per cent and Rayalaseema 15.29 per cent of all pleas. what is required from the RTI, there is a huge delay period involved and most of the time, the PIOs are reluctant to clear the RTI application. “If you look at some of the replies we have received from the GHMC or the water board, you will realise that they will either wait for almost 30 days

and then say there is no information that can be provided or they will answer all your questions in one single rhetoric line,” says Panasa. It was precisely for this reason that a study was undertaken by two RTI activists — Rakesh Reddy Dubbudu and Umesh Varma — to check the quality of the replies/appeals and decisions made by the Andhra Pradesh Information Commission (APIC) in 2007. The study yielded some glaring examples of departmental indifference. The average time taken for case disposal in 2006 was 69.58 days. The number only got worse by 2007 with 92.84 days being the average time taken to dispose cases. The standard limit for a case disposal is 30 days. “The situation has become better now, although I can’t say it has changed greatly,” said Rakesh Reddy. Comparing the annual report of the APIC for 2011 with that of the study undertaken in 2007 by these two activists, the numbers are quite close despite the gap period of five years. The revenue department has always

been a favourite for RTI applications, with over 1,182 appeals pending with the department, followed closely by MA&UD, which registered 618 pending cases. Panchayat Raj and home departments too registered 405 and 287 appeals pending, while the least amount of appeals were registered in the IT department, with three appeals. About the quality of replies to RTIs, there have been consistent complaints. Despite the APIC claiming to have held 160 training programmes — 25 in Hyderabad — and 4,113 people participating in it, the quality of replies is yet to reach the expectation of the public. As Panasa said, “RTIs filed within the State have such utterly bad responses that there is absolutely no format or style or response. Basic things, such as date and time, are not mentioned on the replies. Sometimes signatures of the officer is missing, sometimes the reply is given in Telugu instead of English, sometimes the PIO simply moves the file to the department concerned almost a month after receiving the application.”

NEWS BRIEFS

Mind the garbage strewn around at Numaish. Heaps of uncollected garbage, dirty paths and leaking manholes are plaguing the exhibition.

Financier murdered by his friends

Woman sets herself ablaze, dies

Two chain-snatching cases reported

Jan 25 to be celebrated as Voters’ Day

No leaders, no meeting seems to be the motto. With some leaders arrested, some agitating, will the general body meeting ever happen?

Check credentials before falling for land scams. Many slumdwellers were conned by a gang claiming to allot patta land in a short time.

ﬁnancier, 35-year-old Ashok, was murdered by his friends on Monday at Yousufguda. The victim was running a ﬁnance business with his friends — Manoj, Prasad and Hari. Due to some business rivalry, Ashok quarreled with Manoj and Prasad, who chased him on a bike and attacked him with sharp weapons. He later died in hospital.

25-year-old woman, Umavathy, committed suicide by setting herself ablaze on January 15. She suffered burn injuries and succumbed at Osmania Hospital. She was engaged to one Laxman and they had a sexual relationship. When she became pregnant, her sisters scolded her, due to which she ended her life.

wo chain-snatching cases were reported at different places of Cyberabad on Monday evening. The ﬁrst incident was at Kusahiguda, where two bike-borne men snatched a gold chain that 55-yearold Anjamma was wearing. The second happened in Malkajgiri. The victim, Padmavathy, 66, was robbed of her chain by two unidentiﬁed men.

he Election Commission of India will be celebrating National Voters’ Day at all 3,239 polling station locations of 15 Assembly constituencies of Hyderabad district. Citizens can utilise this opportunity to obtain their EPICs from their respective polling stations. They can also submit the claims and objections to the booth level ofﬁcers.

city TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

POLITICS

T-stir storms Secretariat halls Pro-Telangana members of the AP Secretariat Employees’ Association have decided to boycott the union elections as a show of strength.FILE PHOTO

INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com

he ongoing separate Telangana state agitation, which has already caused a vertical division of the AP Secretariat employees, has now affected the ensuing elections of the AP Secretariat Employees’ Association (APSEA). The APSEA has employees from all the three regions — Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana — as its members. As many as 3,000 employees, both gazetted and non-gazetted, are members of this association. Out of these 3,000 employees, about 700 are from Telangana region. The elections of the APSEA is scheduled to be held in the third week of next month. However, in a recent move, the pro-Telangana employees of the association have decided to boycott the ensuing elections. The decision of the proTelangana employees has two objectives. The first is to send out a strong message to the State government by showing that the separate Telangana agitation had

reached its peak even among the State Secretariat employees and the second objective is to weaken the existing strength of the union. “The Andhra and Rayalaseema employees have always

falsely projected that majority of employees working in the Secretariat are from their regions and there are hardly any Telangana employees working in the nerve center of the State government. This is absolutely false.

The Seemandhra employees have repeatedly used this tactic to decrease the intensity of our fight for separate Telangana. Our decision of boycotting the elections would expose this tactic to the State government,” Telangana

Non-Gazetted Officers’ (TNGO) Association’s Secretariat unit convenor B Sravan Kumar Reddy told Postnoon on Monday. As part of the plan, proTelangana employees have decided not to renew their existing membership in APSEA with an aim to boycott the elections. “If we renewed our membership, the Seemandhra employees would have continued their false propaganda. In order to ruin their chances, we have decided not to renew our membership,” Reddy noted. The vertical division among the employees of the three regions has also had its effects on the present APSEA president, M Hanmantha Reddy. While speaking to Postnoon, Reddy revealed that he has decided not to contest this year’s elections owing to bitter differences among the employees. He worked as the president of the association for four long years. Though the State government authorities have not taken a call on the date to hold the elections, sources told Postnoon that the elections for the association are expected to be held on February 21.

POLITICS

T-Cong leaders plan counterstrike Appalled by the anti-Telangana state campaigning by Seemandhra and Rayalaseema Congress leaders, the T-leaders are heading to Delhi to meet the party high command. FOR REPRESENTATION ONLY

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Congress MLA A Mohan warned that T Congress leaders would be forced to target their own party leaders if this campaign continued.

midst the uproar of Andhra and Rayalaseema Congress leaders over the division of the State, the Telangana Congress leaders, including MLAs, have decided to undertake a Delhi yatra. A delegation of these leaders is leaving for Delhi today with an objective to convince the party high command not to succumb to the pressure of Seemandhra leaders. These Telangana Congress leaders seem visibly shocked by the Seemandhra leaders’ aggressive campaign to derail the process of creating a separate Telangana state by the Central government. “Our UPA government at the Centre has decided to solve the Telangana issue in a month’s time. It has also given indication that it is ready to fulfill the long cherished

desire of four crore people of Telangana by creating a separate state. But the Seemandhra leaders’ activities in the last couple of days seems to have become a hurdle for the Centre to undertake its process. We are going to Delhi to counter the poisonous

campaign launched by these leaders,” Congress MLA and whip A Mohan told Postnoon on Monday. He said that they were completely shocked to see their own party leaders becoming an obstruction for the creation of the

separate state. Mohan warned the Seemandhra leaders that if they continued to spew their venom and create hurdles, the Telangana Congress leaders would be forced to target their own party leaders in a direct manner. Another party MLA, Praveen Reddy, also expressed similar views. Apart from these MLAs, Telangana ministers are also doing their best to ensure that the Centre does not succumb to pressure from the Seemandhra leaders. A group of eight

Telangana ministers, who have been camping in the national capital since the last five days, have already met party top brass and important functionaries of the UPA government to put forth their point. Some of the T-ministers camping in Delhi include D Sridhar Babu, DK Aruna, V Sunitha Lakshma Reddy and B Saraih.

JAIPAL’S HOME TURNS INTO MEETING POINT

Union minister S Jaipal Reddy’s house in Delhi has become a focal point for the T-Congress leaders. These ministers held marathon discussions with Reddy on Monday. The meeting revolved around chalking out their strategy to counter the Seemandhra leaders’ propaganda. The T-Congress leaders are expected to meet scores of party high command leaders in the next couple of days.

city TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

COLLEGE FEST

Flash mobs at Francis fest

he wait for the most awaited college fest in the City was over when Arthashatra unfolded this weekend. The fun began at 10am at St Francis college on Friday. The fest saw students from across the City taking part in the various events. The theme of the fest was "Dreemagination".

CIVIC

Garbage turns Numaish into an eyesore ANUBHA K SINGH anubha.k@postnoon.com

N SHIVA KUMAR

Some of the events organised during the fest include Spark a Trend, Junk Yard, Treasure Hunt, Mock Stock Exchange, Mr & Ms CEO, Talking Heads, T shirt designing and so on. The highlight of the day was the flash mob that had hundreds of students even those from participating colleges swaying to the beats.

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M ANIL KUMAR

ith over 50,000 visitors on any given day, Numaish is undoubtedly one of the most popular annual events in the City. While the industrial exhibition offers Hyderabadis a great variety of artefacts, clothes and other knick knacks, it also offers one other thing — an eyesore. Piles of rubbish line the walkways and visitors end up trying not to walk all over the garbage that is mindlessly dumped around bins rather than in them. This, despite the fact that many shopkeepers, especially the food stall managers, have kept dustbins in front of their shops. The problem is only compounded by the fact that the 4,000 bins provided are rather small and clearance is not regular. The fact that even drains are overflowing here is testimony to the lax civic sense the City has. “We have placed three large dustbins here but they are full by 7pm itself. In addition to this, there are many visitors who don’t even throw the waste in the dustbins. The society should appoint labourers to empty the bins every hour,” says Bhajan Lal, of Jaipur Bangle store. Adding to the woes of the public was the overflowing manhole in front of the main gate on Sunday. It so happened

that it had been opened for maintenance and left that way for hours. “It’s high time the common man understands that public places need to be kept clean and hygienic. People throw plastic bags, paper plates, bottles and other things on roads. People lack civic sense,” said Asif Ahmed, owner of a Kashmiri dry fruit shop. The Exhibition Society claims that they are doing their best to keep the premises clean but there is no support from the public. “We have put up dustbins everywhere in the premises but people are lazy to walk up to a dustbin. There is a dustbin every 500 metres. We have sweepers cleaning the ground every morning but without the support of the general public the premises can’t be kept clean,” secretary Sukesh Reddy said.

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classifieds TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013 PROTEST

AISF warns T antagonists

r e a t e r Hyderabad council of All India Students Federation has demanded that the Congress-led UPA government announce formation of T State by January 28 as promised by Sushil Kumar Shinde otherwise, the movement would take a different turn. AISF leaders said the “Telangana betrayers” were once again trying their best to stop the Centre from creating a T state. NSS

CLASSIFIEDS HEALTH/ CLINIC

GHMC

Will it ever happen at all? The general body meeting, which had already been delayed several times, is once again shrouded by uncertainty, following the arrest of MIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi. Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

ill the general body meeting be held this time, is the question doing the rounds in the GHMC. Following the political developments, after the arrest of the MIM leaders, particularly Asaduddin Owaisi, the clouds of uncertainity are once again hovering over the corporation. Although the MIM befriended TDP over the general body meeting issue, several people in the GHMC say that the latest developments might put a spanner in the works. One of the biggest reasons, is the fact that the City’s MPs and MLAs are ex-officio members of the GHMC and without their support no meeting will be held. Moreover, Mayor Mohammad Majid Hussain, generally considered to be a yes-man of the Owaisi brothers, does not move an inch without the permission of the command centre at Darussalam. “How can he conduct the meeting, without the presence of the ex-officio members from his own party? If he

convenes the meeting when they are in prison he will be questioned,” points out a corporator. Another important development in the GHMC is the growing frustration amongst Congress corporators, who are now more fuming following the news of growing proximity between MIM and TDP leadership. According to observers, the GHMC’s Congress is now virtually divided into groups as the

HEALTH

First proton therapy centre in SE Asia POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

I To advertise on this page, contact: 9866074747 For Secunderabad 9290204030 For H y d e r a b a d - 9866663212

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ndia is all set to get its first Proton Therapy centre for treatment of cancer patients. This launch that marks the beginning of the next wave of advancement in radiation therapy in India is worth approximately `400 crore. The centre that is being set up by Apollo Hospitals, is said to be the first in South East Asia, Africa and Australia. The hospital announced its plans to establish the centre recently. Designed with state-ofthe-art technology, the centre will use clinically inspired equipment to configure the most appropriate combination of features to meet individual needs of patients and provide a versatility to meet the clinical objectives of physicians. The Apollo Proton Therapy Center will be equipped with three treatment rooms with Uniform Scanning and Pencil Beam Scanning capabilities. In addition to this, the proton thera-

py centre will have a significant portion of the facility dedicated to research and development that will partner with leading institutions across the world to foster innovation so as to make modern healthcare accessible and available for the nation. With nearly 3 million people suffering from cancer in India and one million new cases being detected each year, there is a need for speciality cancer treatment. Proton therapy is increasingly considered the most advanced and targeted cancer treatment due to its superior dose distribution and fewer side effects. Protons deposit the majority of their energy within a precisely controlled range, directly within the tumour. It is used to treat many cancers and is particularly appropriate in situations where treatment options are limited and conventional radiation therapy presents risks to patients. These situations include eye and brain cancers, prostate, liver, lung and breast and paediatric cancers.

City leadership is not trying to restore their flagging confidence. The fissures that appeared after the nomination of Diddi Rambabu as floor leader are not dying out. Most of the corporators who were in the race for the position of floor leader are not ready to accept him as floor leader, as he had fought the corporator election as an independent (as a rebel candidate from Congress).

While most of the Congress corporators find themselves disenchanted, the newly found friendship between MIM and TDP is a hard to digest development for the Standing Committee members from Congress. “We are finding it difficult to sit along with the MIM in the standing committee, after knowing their intentions,” says a Standing Committee member.

POLITICAL

Lagadapati under house arrest

Naidu begins padayatra amidst tension in Krishna

VIJAYAWADA: The Telangana issue has turned Krishna district into a cauldron as TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu commenced his “Vastunna Meekosam” padayatra in the district on Monday leading to protests, clashes and arrests of Congress leaders espousing the cause for a Samaikyandhra. The Congress leaders and workers, led by Vijayawada Lok Sabha member Lagadapati Rajagopal (pictured), who are all against bifurcation of the State,

are sore at the TDP president for supporting the cause of a separate Telangana State at the recent all-party meeting convened by the Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. After successfully completing his walkathon in the Telangana region, Chandrababu Naidu’s padayatra was to begin in the Krishna district from Today. He had planned to walk 129 km during his nine-day tour of Krishna district. However, ever since an announcement on the T issue was expected from the Centre anytime now, the need for maintaining the unity and integrity of the State also gained momentum in the Seemandhra region. Lagadapati planned to meet the TDP president and explain to him the sentiments and anger of the people of the Seemandhra region. However, other Congress leaders had threatened to prevent Chandrababu’s padayatra in the coastal belt. NSS

city TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

INTERVIEW

It’s enough to feel the poem S BALAKRISHNA

Theresa Hahl, a slam poet from Germany, is so swayed by her work that she is constantly writing and firmly believes that it is enough to just feel poetry even if you don’t understand the language.

Slam poetry is what gave Theresa individuality, she says. And with persistent efforts she has found her “spot on the scene”.

RAJESH RAVINDRAN rajesh.r@postnoon.com

he walks in gaiety, with feet clad in a pair of sneakers of anomaly — one red and the other white with polka dots. When I bring that up, she is quick to smile and say, “Not everything matches in life.” Right. Meet Theresa Hahl, 23-yearold slam poet from Germany, who meets a person like a new place she is visiting; she looks at you with interest and curiosity, listens to you intently — perhaps she does not speak your language, but no matter. When the subject of conversation veers from something frivolous to serious, her face becomes grave, but then her answers end on a cheerful note. A poetry slam is a competition at which poets read or recite original work; these performances are then judged on a numeric scale by previously selected members of the audience — says Wikipedia. I ask one of the officials at the Goethe Zentrum that was hosting Theresa before I met her to elucidate. She said, “It’s like rap, you know.” However, Theresa says, “Not quite.” When I ask her if she would recite for me something of her work, she obliges; she is so swayed by the rhythm of her work that she starts tapping, her left hand slowly assumes the yoyo gesture and shakes her arm where she stresses certain words, and gently punches down in the air for effect. I sheepishly grin that I know no German. Without the slightest

was too disturbed by the maniacal orderliness and discipline of the German way of life. There was hardly any space to do my thing,” she recalls. Then Theresa went for a year to Canada and that’s when things cleared up and she got a purpose. “I was inspired by the people there. They are so enthusiastic about learning.”

displeasure, she assures me, “That’s okay. If you don’t understand the language of a poem, it’s enough that you feel it.” And I feel it. The part where she kept pace with her feet and punched in the air is “Listen to your footsteps, then your heart beat” when you are pursuing something. Theresa says she “stumbled” upon a slam poetry workshop and became one. Till then, for about six years, she had been donning many roles to find out where her true calling lay. She learned to play jazz guitar, she

tried her hand at karate, she was a scout, she sang in the choir and studies literature and she paints. She even learned old Greek. Then she stumbled upon this workshop and she realised that she too has these complex thoughts which she wanted to let out. “And if he (the man who conducted the work shop) could, I can too, I thought.” “I can paint, I can play the guitar. With language I can do both: the effect is mellifluous.” Theresa too tried to fit in. Good grades, good job, financial security, building a family... “I

“That’s when and where I felt that I can and I will do something.” Theresa compares her journey to walking up a mountain. “It’s very hard. It’s always hard. But when you reach the top, the view is worth every step you took.” Slam poetry gave Theresa individuality, she says. And with persistent efforts she has found her “spot on the scene”. Indeed she has. Theresa, who has till now written about 30 slam poems, was the main mien in the documentary film Dichter and Kampfer, which is about the life of slam poets in Germany. In 2010, she won the Weidener Literaturpreis. Theresa is a voracious reader. She confesses to be an Anglophone and says she loves the works of Dylan Thomas. “You know, Bob Dylan took his name from Dylan Thomas,” she informs. She crosses her legs and my eyes fall on her sneakers. Is this about not keeping with orderliness and discipline? “Well, yes. But I don’t do that all the time, you know. Sometimes you have to be in order to be taken seriously.” Does she have occasions when she had to push herself to write? “No. I keep writing almost constantly,” says she. “I don’t have the writer’s block. If you have one, it merely means you don’t want to write. Maybe you need time and have to wait till it comes to you.” So what’s a slam poet’s day like? When does it start? “I could wake up somewhere in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland... or in India... maybe on a train on my way back home... seldom later than 10 in the morning... mostly eight,” she says. This is her first time in India, but Theresa is familiar with the

works of RK Narayanan, loves the magic realism of Salman Rushdie and is influenced by Gandhi. “I am a pacifist at heart.” It is time for her to prepare for her performance along with Kathak dancer, Mangala Bhatt, and pianist Daniel Gomez. She takes her leave and walks away, looking all around, “soaking up images that will come some day in her poetry”. PS: At the performance on Sunday evening at the Taramati Baradari, Mangala Bhatt was dressed in regal black and the gold she wore glittered when the limelight fell on her. Theresa is dressed in black too, only that she wore those sneakers — the red one on her right foot and the polka-dotted one on her left.

Guide to slam poetry

ne of the most vital and energetic movements in poetry during the 1990s, slam has revitalised interest in poetry in performance. Poetry began as part of an oral tradition, and movements like the Beats and the poets of Negritude were devoted to the spoken and performed aspects of their poems. This interest was reborn through the rise of poetry slams across America; while many poets in academia found fault with the movement, slam was well received among young poets and poets of diverse backgrounds as a democratising force. This generation of spoken word poetry is often highly politicised, drawing upon racial, economic, and gender injustices as well as current events for subject manner. A slam itself is simply a poetry competition in which poets perform original work alone or in teams before an audience, which serves as judge. The work is judged as much on the manner and enthusiasm of its performance as its content or style, and many slam poems are not intended to be read silently from the page. The structure of the traditional slam was started by construction worker and poet Marc Smith in 1986 at a reading series in a Chicago jazz club. The competition quickly spread across the country, finding a notable home in New York City at the Nuyorican Poets Café. Source: www.poets.org

focus TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

POLLS IN ISRAEL

ISRAELIS ‘DONATE’ VOTES TO PALESTINIANS IN PROTEST Real Democracy is a joint campaign launched by Israeli and Palestinian peace activists in which Israeli citizens “donate” their ballot to Palestinians.

s a Palestinian living in the West Bank, Mousa Maria has no legal right to vote in Israeli elections this week. But thanks to a protest initiative, an Israeli voter will be casting a ballot for him. He’s participating in the “Real Democracy” project, a joint campaign launched by Israeli and Palestinian peace activists in which Israeli citizens “donate” their ballot to Palestinians. Maria will be voting through Shahaf Weisbein for the ArabIsraeli party Balad. He asked Weisbein to vote for the party to show support for its embattled member Hanin Zoabi, who faced attempts to disqualify her from the Knesset last month.

“The Israelis tried to stop her from being a member of the Knesset and I think that she needs support, and if she knows that some Palestinians support her too it will make her feel stronger,” Maria told AFP. Weisbein announced on January 3 that she was donating her vote because “millions of Palestinians are affected directly by the decisions and acts of the government I am given the ‘opportunity’ to choose.” “This is not a democracy, it is an apartheid regime,” she wrote on Facebook. Shimri Zameret, a 28year-old Israeli activist who helped come up with the initiative, is donating his vote to a 19-year-old Palestinian

Weisbein announced on January 3 that she was donating her vote because “millions of Palestinians are affected directly by the decisions of the government I am given the ‘opportunity’ to choose." who has asked him to boycott the January 22 elections. “I would prefer to vote, but I completely see it as a legitimate way to look at this,” Zameret told AFP. “It makes a lot of sense to say that this system is so illegitimate that to participate in it is to give it legitimacy.” The activists behind the initiative say it is intended to challenge a system they see as inherently undemocratic. “The Israeli government

rules the citizens of Palestine, but is not elected by them. That’s undemocratic. Democracy means rule by and for the people," the group says in its mission statement. Zameret also hopes the initiative can draw attention to what he calls a lack of democracy at the United Nations, calling for reform of veto powers and a reorganisation of the body along the lines of the European Union. “As an Israeli who is opposed to my government, I don’t have a voice in the UN. If you look at the EU for example, the opposition parties are represented, but in the UN it’s only the government,” he said. Zameret said the initiative had attracted “thousands” of participants, along with plenty of criticism from Israelis and others on Facebook. Some Palestinians have also been wary, sending private messages of support, but declining to be publicly linked to a joint Israeli-Palestinian movement.

“It’s difficult for people to get involved in something that is seen as a joint Israeli-Palestinian partnership. They are scared that they would be seen as collaborators," he said. Even as Maria’s ballot is cast, many Arab residents of Israel — Palestinians who stayed in what became Israel after 1948, and their descendants — will stay away from the polls, boycotting for political reasons or out of sheer apathy. Some pollsters believe less than 50 per cent of community will cast a ballot on January 22, which Maria calls a huge mistake. “My message to them would be that if there is any kind of problem, to find a solution you have to be inside it," he said. “If they boycott the elections inside Israel, it means they will lose... If they have a space in the government, they will have a better chance to do something. Even if they don’t do very much, they will have a voice." AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Campaign posters of Israeli Prime Minister and Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu, with text reading in Hebrew: “ Only Netanyahu will guard Jerusalem” are seen under David’s Citadel at Jaffa Gate in the old city of Jerusalem on January 20, 2013, ahead of the Israeli general election on January 22. AFP

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

Business

CAIRN INDIA Q3 NET PROFITS UP 44 PER CENT

Private oil and gas producer Cairn India on Monday posted a 44 per cent rise in its net profit in third quarter ended December 2012, over the corresponding quarter of last fiscal.

RETAIL

JEROEN REPLACES JUNCKER

Policy overhaul a must As real estate costs in metropolitan cities are increasing, retailers are increasingly looking to suburbs to set up their stores.

Jeroen Dijsselbloem of the Netherlands took over on Tuesday as chairman of the key eurozone finance ministers forum, despite surprise Spanish resistance. A statement said Dijsselbloem was given a 30-month term and that he "will retain his (Dutch) post whilst chairing the Eurogroup". The decision brought to an end eight years mostly spent battling global financial headwinds that morphed into the eurozone debt crisis for Luxembourg Prime Minister Juncker, Europe's longest-serving national leader. Dijsselbloem will immediately face fresh scrutiny at talks between all 27 European Union finance ministers starting at 0900 GMT on Tuesday, with the Netherlands sitting out a bid by 11 eurozone states to launch a tax on financial transactions

PRUDHVI RAJU K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

he growth of organised retail industry is not bringing any huge returns to the bottom lines of the Indian retailers. Neither are retailers desperate for immediate profits, as they clearly know that retail is a long-term game. The industry, which has got a significant boost with clearance to FDI, has many other bottlenecks to worry about. Retailing in a high street or in mall has become an expensive affair. On an average, 12 per cent of the overall revenues will go for paying rents. Rising real estate costs is having serious implications on the bottom line of the business. “To reduce these costs, the retailers are increasingly attracted to suburb locations and the new malls that are evolving in major metros are in suburbs. Real-estate developers are designing retail properties with inputs from retailers for effective utilisation of mall space. The shift or suburbanisation will definitely benefit the industry in reducing costs,” Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, Retailers Association of India (RAI), “The tax structure in the country is another major impediment for the industry. There are multiple indirect taxes imposed by the Central government and also by State governments on sales, purchase and movement of goods in their respective state. Retailers are paying service tax on rentals and power bills. In a way, the retailers are paying both sales and service tax, which are turning out to be a huge burden on running businesses. I hope the proposed Goods and Services Tax sees the

NUMEROLOGY

$373

I hope the Goods and Services Tax sees the light of the day as it can substitute all the indirect taxes that are levied by the Central and state governments. Kumar Rajagopalan Retailers Association CEO light of the day as it can substitute all the indirect taxes that are levied by the Central and state governments,” He disagreed with recent uproar about IKEAs bargaining

over sourcing clauses. “Large businesses that bring in money should also know about the policies. He also said that there is nothing wrong in any of the FDI major bargaining on sourcing clauses, as they need to be clear before they invest in huge sums of money. Although, India is an attractive market and welcoming many global players with its sizable consumer base, the government should avoid laws in retrospective in nature to facilitate FDI. He also said the FDI in retail can be a possibility in 1011 states. “However, there should be a guarantee for continuity of these majors rather than sudden change in states decision effecting the business sustenance,” Kumar said. When asked about Wal-Mart lobbying and spending huge

money to come to India and the possible implications on pricing of goods for ROI. He said that the India is a very price sensitive market and any such decision would see drastic effect on sales. Indian and Srilanka are the only markets where there is an MRP and retailer should abide to it. On growing trend of e-commerce, he said that no body can be confined in to single channel retail. “Any retailer should be in all the possible platforms to target wide number of customers. For instance, technology is evolving and people started reading ebooks on their tablets or laptops rather than traditional books. “In a similar way, online commerce has gown in a big way and is going to play a key role in businesses strategies,” he added.

GOLD`31,100 10g SILVER `59,700 1kg

24C

for

DOLLAR `53.54 POUND `84.88

worth contracts have been bagged by German car parts and defence equipment manufacturer Rheinmetal in Kuwait, Malaysia and another unspecified Asian country.

RECORD UNEMPLOYMENT Five years after the global financial crisis hit, unemployment numbers continue to soar, with a record 202 million people worldwide expected to be officially jobless this year, the International Labour Organization said Tuesday. Last year saw a clear resurgence of the crisis, the UN's labour body said in its annual report on global employment trends, pointing out that jobless numbers rose by four million to 197 million in 2012. "This figure means that today there are 28 millions more unemployed people around the world than they were in 2007," before the crisis, ILO chief Guy Ryder told reporters in Geneva Monday. Last year's unemployment number inched up towards the all-time record of 199 million reached at the epicentre of the crisis in 2009, but "we will beat that record in 2013", an ILO expert told AFP.

BSE 6,095.15 NSE

20,137.83 36.33 12.85

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

nation

MAN SHOT DEAD IN UP

A man was shot dead by some unidentified assailants in Kotwa Narainpur village, police said today. Jai Prakash Khushwaha (50) was shot at by the assailants in the village last night. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The police is probing the matter.

JBT SCAM

OLD GOLD

Chautala, son get 10-yr jail Supporters go berserk, pelt stones and hurl crude bombs into the court complex.

A Tiger Moth vintage aircraft of Indian Air Force on its maiden flight after restoration at Hindon on Monday. PTI The aircraft had flown last in 1989.

CRIME

Six held for gang-raping tribal woman in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: Six people were arrested for gangraping a married tribal woman in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, police said. The woman was sexually assaulted when she went to a river bank at the district headquarters town of Baripadaalong with her husband on Sunday night. Two men forcibly raped the woman first after beating up her husband, and four others joined the attackers later and raped her one after another in the presence of her husband, Additional Superintendent of Police B.K. Aich told IANS. The woman, who hails from a nearby village, had come to Baripada town to attend to her brother who has been undergoing treatment in the district headquarters hospital, he said. PTI

UNITED NATIONS

India, Pakistan spar over UN Kashmir mission

UNITED NATIONS: India and Pakistan got into a verbal exchange at the Security Council on relevance of the UN observer group at LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, with India stressing the force's role has been "overtaken" by subsequent agreements signed by the two nations under which they resolved to settle differences "through bilateral negotiations". The exchange occurred during a UNSC open debate on peacekeeping, which was organised by Pakistan under its current Presidency of the 15nation powerful UN body. Presiding over the debate was Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani, who said his country has been a "proud participant" in peacekeeping missions. "Pakistan is also host to one

of the oldest UN peacekeeping missions - the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP). This Mission has played an important role in monitoring peace along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir," Jilani said. The reference to UNMOGIP was rejected by India's Ambassador to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri, who suggested that it would be better to spend resources allocated for the observer group elsewhere in difficult economic times. "Suffice it to point out that UNMOGIP's role has been overtaken by the Simla Agreement of 1972 between India and Pakistan, signed by the Heads of the two governments and ratified by their respective parliaments," Puri said in his remarks. PTI

Pick

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court Tuesday awarded 10 years in jail to former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala and his son Ajay Chautala in a recruitment scam involving junior basic training teachers. The other three main accused Sanjiv Kumar, Vidya Dhar and Sher Singh Badshami were also awarded 10-year sentences. Shortly after the verdict was announced, his supporters went berserk throwing stones and hurling crude bombs. Earlier in the day, thousands of Chautala supporters clashed with police which used batons and teargas to control them outside the court. The supporters had gathered outside the complex in the early hours and clashed with police after it prevented them from entering the court complex. Security has been tightened around the complex and entry has been restricted in the court. The court work was also affected and lawyers faced problems

getting in. On January 16, the court had held 78-year-old Om Prakash Chautala, his son Ajay Chautala and 53 others guilty of illegally recruiting 3,206 junior basic trained (JBT) teachers in the state in 2000. They have all been held guilty of cheating, forgery, using fake documents as genuine, conspiracy under the IPC and for abusing their official position under the Prevention of Corruption Act. PTI

Decent men can use tinted glasses, decrees UP mantri GHAZIABAD: A UP Cabinet Minister who arrived at a function here in a vehicle with tinted glasses said that the Supreme Court order banning black films in cars is applicable for "criminals" and not for "decent" men. "Ban on black film on vehicles is for criminals but if a person is decent and he poses no danger to society then he can use such vehicles," Samajwadi Party leader Ram Asrey Kushwaha said when

at the

asked by journalists about having tinted glasses in his vehicle. Kushwaha said that in view of security for politicians, vehicles with black films are more safe. "Politicians need security and vehicles with black films are more safe," he said. The Supreme Court in April last year banned the use of tinted glass, restricting visions beyond permissible limit as fixed under the Motor Vehicles Act, in vehicles. PTI

airport,

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

World

CANADIAN GUNMAN KILLS TWO IN PHILIPPINE COURT A Canadian man shot dead two people including a lawyer in a Philippines courtroom Tuesday, using a pistol he smuggled inside the court as he went on trial for petty mischief, police said. The Canadian man shot a local doctor who sued him, as well as the doctor’s lawyer.

SYRIA

HOSTAGE CRISIS

37 foreigners killed in Algeria bloodbath ALGIERS: Thirty-seven foreigners of eight nationalities were killed by Islamist militants in a well-planned attack on a remote gas plant, some of them executed with a bullet to the head, Algeria’s premier said. The grim body count was issued late Monday as the government gave its first death toll from the four-day crisis at the In Amenas gas plant, deep in the Sahara, which produced one of the worst hostage bloodbaths for years. Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal said one Algerian was also killed and five other foreigners were still missing after the hostage-taking by militants who claimed to be retaliating against French military intervention in Mali. “Thirty-seven foreigners of eight different nationalities” were killed during the siege, Sellal told reporters, adding that some of the hostages were gunned down in cold blood “with a bullet to the head”. AFP

JOKES AND ORDERS

Blasts rock Syria A suicide car bombing in central Syria killed at least 30 people as a powerful blast was reported in Damascus.

READY FOR DUTY: A Syrian National Defense force woman who just finished training, at the training centre in Homs. Some 500 women are being trained and will help other National Defence force recruits at checkpoints and with other security tasks. AFP/ANWAR AMRO DAMASCUS: The United Nations said it would conduct a major humanitarian operation in the war-torn country, with its mission to Syria describing the need for it as “enormous”, having found people in dire need of medical

and alimentary aid. Moscow, one of President Bashar al-Assad’s last remaining supporters, announced it would send two planes to Lebanon to evacuate more than 100 Russians out of Syria. The suicide bombing that

targeted a building used by proregime militiamen in Salmiyeh, a town in the central province of Hama, killed more than 30 people, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Britain-based Observatory simultaneously reported a deadly powerful explosion in Damascus’s upscale Dumar neighbourhood, but gave no further details and was unable to provide an immediate death toll. The blasts came as Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi said the mission of the international peace envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, had so far not even “yielded a glimmer of hope” to end the 22-month conflict. The head of the 22member bloc urged the Arab leaders to call “the UN Security Council for an immediate meeting and to issue a resolution enforcing a ceasefire to stop the bloodbath”. AFP

The angry prince A commander of the army’s most sophisticated attack helicopter, Britain’s Prince Harry described his “anger” at the media and accused newspapers of printing “rubbish” and depriving him of a private life in comments released as he completed his tour of duty Monday. “All it does is upset me and anger me that people can get away with writing the

stuff they do,” he told ITV News from his Afghanistan base in an interview which could only be aired after he had left the war zone. He stressed that the public was “guilty for buying the newspapers” but added he hoped “nobody actually believes what they read, I certainly don’t”. The prince, called in the Army Captain Wales, said he had fired on the Taliban during operations.

NEWS BRIEFS Girl, 8, killed, 7 hurt in Indonesia earthquake

Israel goes to polls, signs favour Netanyahu

UN to sanction N Korea space agency

Sao Paulo begins coke addicts’ detention

BANDA ACEH: A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia’s Aceh province Tuesday, killing an eight-year-old girl and injuring seven others, ofﬁcials said. The quake struck 112 kilometres (70 miles) southeast of the provincial capital of Banda Aceh at 22:22 GMT, at a depth of 37 kilometres, the US Geological Survey said.

JERUSALEM: Israelis vote Tuesday in a general election expected to return Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to power at the head of a government of hardline right-wing and religious parties. The ballot to choose Israel’s 19th parliament is likely to usher in a government that will swing further to the right.

UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council will order sanctions against North Korea’s space agency in a resolution to be passed this week condemning the secretive state’s ballistic launch. The resolution, which also targets other government entities and linked to North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, could be passed Wednesday.

SAO PAULO: Brazil’s economic capital Sao Paulo on Monday began mandatory detention of drug addicts for rehab, authorities said, amid rising worries over an epidemic of crack cocaine use. Rio de Janeiro already detaining minors, but the new drug treatment program in Sao Paulo, South America’s largest city, targets adults.

Venezuela’s top diplomat said Monday that President Hugo Chavez was joking and giving orders, after disappearing from the public eye six weeks ago for cancer surgery in Cuba. Chavez designated Vice President Nicolas Maduro as his deputy before ﬂying to Cuba for a fourth round of cancer surgery on December 11. He has not been heard from since. Opposition members have demanded Chavez speak to the Venezuelan people in state media if he is able, but he has not.

NUMEROLOGY

yrs

has passed since the Elysee Treaty was signed in 1963 between France and Germany. The landmark treaty was signed to paper over nagging differences between the two nations.

ROCK FIX WON’T WORK Claims that global warming can be braked by dissolving huge quantities of rock in the sea to absorb carbon emissions are laden with flaws, a study says. The analysis is the latest scientific appraisal into geoengineering, or techniques that are being promoted as quick fixes to the climate crisis. Scientists in Germany probed the feasibility of “enhanced weathering,” in which a plentiful magnesium-silicate rock called olivine would be crushed and scattered in the oceans. Doing so would make the seas more alkaline and thus better able to absorb manmade carbon dioxide.

It’s the start of a second life. The chances of being here today were very small. It’s a miracle because of the circumstances... luck. Alain Delord The French yachtsman who was rescued from a life-raft adrift for 3 days.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

Technology BACK IT UP

NO PAY UP

E M O A AWES

it. u t

t Be do

MEG

France, seeking fresh ways to raise funds and frustrated that American technology companies that dominate its digital economy are largely beyond the reach of French fiscal authorities, has proposed a new levy: an Internet tax on the collection of personal data. The idea surfaced Friday in a report commissioned by President François Hollande, which described various measures his government was taking to address what the French see as tax avoidance by Internet companies like Google, Amazon and Facebook. These companies gather vast reams of information about their users, harnessing it to tailor their services to individuals’ interests or to direct customised advertising to them.

te h r w the ds n d a r n ev i Me ed fo l d i y a o e gau r u kn c i o r h plo ow th ep ers w y h ad d a n the o t w a l y ne you don't. The cops a nd id n’t i l l pa w pay he on it you get an NT y e ed to the fa mous id iom a nd now th option to download the BALANARAYAN balanarayan.nt@postnoon.com

xactly a year back, New Zealand cops raided the house of Kim Dotcom, the eccentric founder of Megaupload, an online locker. The website domain was soon sealed off and all its data was confiscated by FBI. Over this weekend however, Kim launched his latest service, Mega (https://mega.co.nz) aka Megaupload 2.0. Mega lets users store up to 50GB of files for free and encrypts it with a 2048-bit key, making it one of the most safest places to store your file — if you’re seriously into privacy that is. The service itself is pretty simple with a clean interface, but works only in Google Chrome as of now because of certain specific features that are exclusively offered by the browser. Once you register, you’re taken directly into the ‘file explorer’ an interface similar to that of Google Drive and from

here you can upload your files and folders. The uploads were very slow over the weekend when I registered because of the number of people who were trying to use the site. According to Kim, more than a million people registered on the first day, making it one of the fastest growing startups of all time. Once a file is uploaded you won’t be able to view the content within a browser like Google’s offering, after all it’s only a file locker. You can double click on the file name to download or right click on it to rename it. You also get an option to share the file with a friend when you right click it and this is where things get interesting. To open a file you share with your friend they need to have a 43 character long key to download it. If you don’t share this key, they are stuck with a link to the file. Mega has no access to this key, so this absolves them all problems in case a user uploads

copyrighted content on Mega. Megaupload was sued over because the authorities had reasons to believe that Kim and co. were batting an eyelid to the pirate content uploaded on the site. As far as sharing the key goes, there are multiple ways to do it. You can share the link and the key separately or you can have both of them in one URL. The first method is good for people who don’t want anyone getting hold of their data, so they can share the link and key via different channels so that even if one of them is compromised the hacker will still not be able to access the file. In the second method you get a straightforward link and once you click

Mega lets users store up to 50GB of files for free and encrypts it with a 2048-bit key

file or import it into your own Mega drive. The only issue I faced was with the upload and download speeds that might have something to do with the sudden onslaught by netizens to try out the service, otherwise it is one of the best service I have used. This service though similar to Google Drive, Skydrive and Dropbox cannot be compared to them as Mega offers security and privacy unheard of in the others. It also offers much more storage space for free users and charges reasonably for those who want to store highers caps of data. Google Drive and Skydrive however have some great browser-based editing features, which I think Mega will never have and Dropbox is still the king of the hill when it comes to syncing data across platforms. So if you want to store a lot of data online, don’t care about editing them in a browser, but give a damn about privacy and security of your data, check out Mega; you’ll love it.

HOLY TWEET! Pope Benedict XVI’s posted his ﬁrst tweet yesterday in the presence of a Twitter employee. He tapped the screen of a tablet to send a predrafted message in eight languages. His tweet was his own words according to the Vatican, but someone else typed it for him. In the ﬁrst few hours, the tweet picked up more than 38,000 retweets and was tagged as a favourite by nearly 13,000. Benedict XVI's @pontifex account stayed busy, with four additional tweets addressing two questions about faith.

PRINT A HOUSE MIT’s Research Labs working on ways to 3D print the frame of a home in a day, as opposed to the month it would take a construction crew to do the same. But it isn’t just geeks taking an interest; a Dutch architect is interested in 3D printing a home, with the hopes that it’ll be ready by 2014. The architect’s name is Janjaap Ruijssenaars of Universe Architecture, and his project is a part of the European competition, which lets architects in over 15 different countries build projects over the course of two years. Ruijssenaars will work with Italian inventor Enrico Dini, founder of the D-Shape 3D printer.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

Comment You're born, you know, the wrong names, wrong parents. I mean, that happens. You call yourself what you want to call yourself.

ASYLUM-SEEKER BOAT TRAGEDY

DAN DE LUCE feedback@postnoon.com

he CIA and the Pentagon pulled out all the stops for the creators of Zero Dark Thirty, staging interviews with officials and a Navy SEAL for an inside account of the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Critics praised the movie's gritty and gripping feel but, with the film due for release in major European markets this week, controversy has erupted over claims that it justifies US agents' use of torture on detainees. The access granted to director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal has turned the Oscar-nominated movie into the most detailed public account that exists of the May 2011 raid on a Pakistani compound to kill Bin Laden. Nate Jones of the National Security Archives research institute dubbed it "the closest thing to the official story behind the pursuit of bin Laden." Bigelow has been forced to release a statement denying widespread allegations that the film set out to justify or sanitize the "enhanced interrogation techniques" employed during the so-called 'war on terror'. Although the assistance offered to the Zero Dark Thirty crew sparked accusations that the White House used the movie as a propaganda tool, cooperation between Hollywood and the Pentagon or CIA is nothing new. The first film ever to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards, Wings in 1929, featured dogfight scenes with bi-planes thanks to help from the army. It was the beginning of a relationship that has grown over decades. AFP

THE STORY OF THE SOLE SURVIVOR

TRUE TALES

Bob Dylan Singer-songwriter

Shaping the Army’s image

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS

An Indonesian judge is drawing flak for saying that rape victims enjoy the act. Well, people like Asaram Bapu and others who had issued insensitive comments during the stormy days of protest over the Delhi bus rape may sigh in relief. You were never tried for idiotic comments. The judge will be.

Olivia Rondonuwu

he image of his fellow passengers slowly succumbing to Indonesia's unforgiving waters is one that Habibullah — the Afghan sole survivor of an asylum-seeker boat tragedy — will never shake off. The 22-year-old, now trapped in limbo at a Jakarta detention centre, was en route to an Australian territory in October to seek asylum with 33 other men, all of whom were lost to the Indian Ocean after the boat sank. "There was rain and strong winds, and on the second night there was a storm and we were swinging like a pendulum," Habibullah told AFP in Jakarta, where he has been detained since his rescue. "In the morning we saw bodies floating in the water surrounding the boat." The small, 20-metre vessel lost power a few hours into the voyage on October 26 from Java to Christmas Island, an Australian territory closer to Indonesia than Australia. It sank a day later. Habibullah, who goes by one name, choked with emotion as

he described how his fellow asylum seekers one-by-one were swept to their deaths after losing their grip on a rope that held them all together in the water. "I was waiting for my turn to die," he said of his harrowing four days at sea with no food and nothing to drink. He had paid almost $10,000 to smugglers in the hope of ending up in Australia, which he calls "the land of freedom". Having fled the unrest of Afghanistan, he had moved to the Pakistani city of Karachi, but lived in constant fear of attacks against him and his Shiite Muslim community. When the boat lost power, one of the Indonesian captains abandoned ship, jumping into the ocean to leave only one captain and a mechanic behind, he said. The vessel sank the next day, but the men remained optimistic they would be rescued or carried ashore by the ocean, Habibullah said. "People were thinking there will be a boat, there will be an island, there will be something that will save us." But by the second day, the men's health had rapidly deteriorated. A container ship and a large fishing boat passed by, but they did not respond to the bright life jackets or the waving arms, nor did they hear the men's cries for help. At that

Habibullah, who goes by one name, choked with emotion as he described how his fellow asylum seekers one-by-one were swept to their deaths after losing their grip on a rope that held them all together in the water. point they realised their chances for survival were slim. Some asylum seekers began to hallucinate, others fought with each other as many "lost their grip on the rope" that had held them together. As he watched his fellow boatmen die one-by-one, Habibullah said he saw apparitions of his parents and siblings appear in front of him. "I remembered my mother told me 'you have to be very careful, you shouldn't make such a journey if it is so difficult.'" On the fourth day, only Habibullah and two others were left clinging, critically dehydrated with stabbing pains in their kidneys. The two other men drowned later that day.

Habibullah called out to one of them who had promised they would stay together until they found an island, but there was no response. Realising he was now alone, he swam away from the bodies in desperation, not expecting to live for much longer. He got lucky and a fishing boat passed nearby. Despite being unable to bring himself to wave at the boat, he was spotted and plucked from the the ocean. "I was crying when the guy saved me. I couldn't move my legs or my body, but he fed me and got me back on my feet." Habibullah's fate now hangs on the UN refugee council, which has the power to grant him asylum in a third country, a process that could take years.

EDITORIALS Leaders are answerable for their lackeys What a shame!

m Prakash Chautala has gained entry into the infamous group of politicians that has former BJP president Bangaru Laxman and former Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhram who have been convicted over corruption. He along with his son and 63 others have been found guilty illegally recruiting 3,206 junior basic trained (JBT) teachers in the state in the year 2000. As he was served 10 years by the Delhi court where he had been tried, his supporters were rioting on the court premises, trying to break through the barricade. But why must there be such hue and cry over a fellow who has been found guilty of corruption. If you break the law, you will have to pay for that: either a ﬁne or serve time. Why must there be disturbances in the law and order situation because some corrupt man or someone who has broken the law goes to jail? MIM has declared a bandh in Hyderabad because Asaduddin Owaisi has been arrested over rioting in 2005. Leader or not, you have to take responsibility for your actions and if your supporters go on rampage for you, you are responsible for that, too.

READERS’ VIEWS

he world listened to Barack Obama’s inaugural speech in which he told Americans to “seize the moment”. America is in tumultuous times, as most of the world is, but it’s their luck they have someone with good sense and wisdom like Obama, who is level-headed and had to ﬁght his way to where he is. Our conditions are different from theirs, but it’s sad those who are there to lead us are there because of a name, being sycophants or zealots. What a shame!

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

workplace

HEALTH CONCERN

If you are a woman who works in an industry involving plastics or metal manufacturing, or in a conventional farming environment, you could be at a higher risk of developing breast cancer than women in other industries. These are the findings of a new study out of the University of Stirling (UoS) in the UK.

GET AHEAD ON YOUR TAXES

TAXING TALES

It is that time of the year when everyone is busy rummaging through folders and documents to find every evidence of investment to save taxes. Here are a few tips to avoid the tax blues.

FOR SALARIED PERSONS

Most corporates have an employee tax planning package at the beginning of the Financial year. We tend to procrastinate and run to make last minute investments. Making investments in the beginning of the year gives one various options. This way you will also save time when filing for returns and get better returns on your investments. You face lesser TDS deduction from your monthly salary if you submit the investment documents at the beginning of the year to your employer.

DOCUMENTATION

Keep your financial documents ready and organised. Collect Form 16 from your employer in time. It contains details of your earned salary income in a Financial year. Similarly, obtain form 16A for income earned from other sources like bank interest. Form 16 and Form 16A act as a proof for the tax deducted at source (TDS). These documents are highly essential as they are required for claiming income/tax rebates/refunds.

COLLECT AND SAVE BILLS

n Bills are good to be collected at the time of purchase. Specifically fuel and medical bills. Rent receipts are not normally available but those could be arranged in time by preparing the landlord/land lady in advance. n If you have income from house property, keep documents like rent receipts, municipal tax receipts, certificates of interest and principal payments for property purchased by taking a loan.

FILE EARLY

Although there is no penalty for filing belated returns, it is suggested to get done with it within the said assessment year. A few of its benefits are: n Short term and long term capital loss, and loss from profits and gains from business can be carried forward and set off in future years. n Earlier you file the return, earlier you will receive refund. n Income tax website gets jammed up due to traffic during the last few days. So bet-

ter to do it before. n Interest is levied on delayed returns. It is recommended to file IT returns even if you don’t have taxable income.

FOR BUSINESSES

CONSULT AN EXPERT

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

It’s good to take professional advice. In terms of investments or finances or getting to know due dates.

FOLLOW THE BUDGET Keeping track of latest developments in the Budget every year

will prepare one in advance, of changes that will affect an individual during that year.

Remember all important dates for payment of advance tax, return filing etc. It’s good to file returns at least 2 weeks ahead of the due date (in case of monthly returns) and 1 month ahead (in case of quarterly/half yearly returns) as that gives one a

chance to revise/rectify errors.

APPOINT STAFF

For small businesses, unless one is well versed in the technicalities, it is advisable to have accounts maintained and tax computed by an expert. Hire an accountant so there’s no last minute rush and no way one can miss due dates. COURTESY: Harini Rao and Aman Gangadharan (Chartered A c c o u n t a n t s ) . As told to Kanchan Agarwal

KNOW YOUR COMPANY

Procter & Gamble P&G is one of the largest and amongst the fastest growing consumer goods companies in India. Established in 1964, P&G India now serves over 650 million consumers across India. Its presence pans across the Beauty & Grooming segment, the Household Care segment as well as the Health & Well Being segment, with trusted brands that are household names across India. P&G India is committed to sustainable growth in India, and is currently invested in the country via its ﬁve plants and over nine contract manufacturing sites, as well as through the 26,000 jobs it creates directly and indirectly.

DID YOU KNOW...

India Inc

seems to be tapping a new set of talent pool, the retired personnel who bring with them years of expertise for managerial and specialised roles, in sectors ranging from banking, energy and infrastructure to technology.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

You have to express your concern or problem clearly and constructively so that others understand where you're coming from. Getting to the point, stating the facts as you know them, and speaking with candor and respect are the best ways of getting to a point constructively and increasing the likelihood that you'll be heard the way you want to be heard.

A conflict is best resolved by addressing it face-to-face with the other party. Telling a third party or communicating by email cannot replace the person-to-person conversation that's required for conflict resolution. Despite the discomfort you may feel with this method, a good talk still is the true method for resolving conflicts.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

spotlight

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Muse Art Gallery will be hosting an exhibition of paintings by mother-son duo Karuna Gopal and Srinivas Vikram from today onwards. Titled Abstrautistry (Autism, Abstraction, Artistry), the exhibition will start at 11am-7pm, till January 25.

SAYING IT WITH MUSIC

A CHARMING

SRINIVAS SETTY

AFFAIR

The reception of Bhavesh and Tritti was a beautiful affair. There was a ghazal night to lighten the mood. The event was held at Paigah Palace.

Fighting

FIT

1 Bhavesh, Tritti 2 Swetha Agarwal 3 Aruna, Nisha, Swathi 4 Ashish, Divesh 5 Priyanka, Kritika 6 Harath, Rani

Over a 100 individuals from leading corporate houses participated in the ﬁrst ‘Say Yes to Health Challenge’, in a bid to lose weight and embark on the path of good health. Organised by XL Marketing and Consulting, the event was sponsored by LivLife Hospitals.

1 Dr Sunitha Rao,

Dr Vijay Anand 2 Ratna Kaza 3 Sailekhya 4 Bakul Mandal

7 Archana, Rekha,

Suman, Swarupa 8 Shikha,

Anjana, Manjula, Ranana, Nikila

M ANIL KUMAR

RECOGNISING TALENT

Ustad Ghulam Ali Khan was bestowed with the Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Sangeeth Puraskar at Ravindra Bharathi.

LIFE-SAVING MEASURES

The 4th edition of the two day ‘CRITICARE APOLLO 2013’ hosted by the department of Critical care, was inaugurated by Sangita Reddy, executive director, Apollo Hospitals Group recently at Hotel Marigold.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

health

NEW WAY TO TRAP MALARIA PARASITES

Researchers from Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins Universities have identified the cell signaling pathway used by these parasites to escape from and destroy their host cells and infect new cells pointing toward possible new strategies to stop these diseases.

NERVOUS DISORDER

Battling Batten’s disease Children with this disease start showing symptoms at the age of four or five. There is no known cure for it.

DEEPASHRI V

deepashri.v@postnoon.com

atten’s disease is an inherited, genetic disorder, the symptoms of which appear during childhood. It is a neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) disorder. There are different types of NCL disorders and one of them is Batten’s, which affects children. “It is a storage disorder. Abnormal proteins and steroids get stored in the brain,” said Dr Sudhir Kumar, senior consultant neurologist at Apollo Hospital, Hyderabad. “When I was at Christian Medical College, Vellore, there were some cases. Here I have seen only one or two cases in nine years.” According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), childhood NCLs are autosomal recessive disorders. They occur when a child inherits two copies of the defective gene, one from each parent. “There is no cure. Symptoms keep on increasing,” said Dr Alok Ranjan, neurosurgeon at Apollo Hospital. “Genetic studies can be done in very few research labs or institutes.” He said doctors mostly go by clinical studies or diagnosis. The symptoms of the disease start before 10 years in children, Dr Kumar said. “At about four to five years, the child may experience difficulty in walking, he/she may have fits, there may be difficulty in speech or mental disorders.” By the time they reach their teens, they lose their ability to walk or move around. In India, the care for such bedridden patients is not

that good, he said. Patients may aspirate or the fits may be very severe. They won’t cross 20 years here, Dr Kumar said. What do parents of these patients go through, knowing that their child is dying, despite

ANEWS PP-LYBRIEFS YOURSELF

their best efforts? Even the best medical treatment cannot reverse this genetic disorder as of today. Dr Kumar said it is very important to explain the condition to parents. Some doctors hold back the truth so as to not

HOUSECALL

hurt the parents. By 13 or 14, these children are bedridden. Parents must also be told about feeding, nursing and care of these patients, he said. According to NINDS, skin or tissue sampling, DNA analysis,

DID YOU KNOW?

measurement of enzyme activity, blood or urine tests, electroencephalogram, diagnostic imaging using computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are some of the ways to diagnose Batten’s disease.

PIONEERS

miCoach

Minor stroke

Sneeze speed

Charles Richard Drew

miCoach uses GPS and real-time voice coaching in your ear to pace you through easy to understand workout zones as you run. You can choose a training plan tuned for your sport to build speed and endurance. Track and share your achievements with the app or at miCoach.com. You can also easily access music during workouts.

A stroke is a general term for an event which disrupts the blood supply to an area of the brain. It may occur when a blood vessel to the brain is blocked, for example by a blood clot (preventing any blood reaching a part of the brain – this is called an ischaemic stroke) or when a blood vessel is damaged and blood leaks out into the brain tissue (a haemorrhagic stroke, about ten per cent of strokes).

The air from a human sneeze can travel at speeds of 100 miles per hour or more — another good reason to cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze — or duck when you hear one coming your way. Sneezing is possibly linked to sudden exposure to bright light, sudden change in temperature and viral infections, among others.

Charles Richard Drew was born on June 3, 1904 in Washington, DC. He was an African-American physician who developed ways to process and store blood plasma in "blood banks." He directed the blood plasma programs of the United States and Great Britain in World War II. Charles resigned after a ruling that the blood of African Americans would be segregated. He died in 1950.

health TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

STUDY

Diabetes at bay with gut bugs Good gut bugs provide energy and vitamins to the body and help ward off infections. WASHINGTON: The staggering number of good bugs in our lower intestine not only ensure good health but may also help ward off diabetes, researchers say. These bugs help us digest our food and provide us with energy and vitamins and help ward off the ‘bad guys’ such as Salmonella that cause infections. Research groups led by Jayne Danska, from the Sick Children’s Hospital, University of Toronto and Andrew Macpherson in the Clinic for Visceral Surgery and Medicine, University of Bern have now shown that the influence of the intestinal bacteria extends even deeper inside the body to influence the likelihood of getting diabetes. “We hope that our new understanding of how intestinal bacteria may protect susceptible children from developing diabetes will allow us to start to develop new treatments to stop children getting the disease,” says Macpherson, according to a Toronto statement. In children and young people, diabetes is caused by the immune cells of the body damaging the special cells in the pancreas that produce the hormone insulin. By chance, 30 years ago, before the development of genetic engineering techniques, Japanese investigators noticed that a strain of NOD lab mice tended to get diabetes. These mice (also by chance) have many of the same genes that make some humans susceptible to the disease. With the help of the special facilities of the University of Bern and in Canada, these teams have been able to show that the intestinal bacteria, especially in male mice, can produce biochemicals and hormones that stop diabetes developing. Even the biochemical reactions that build up and maintain our bodies come from our intestinal bacteria as well as our own cells. IANS

MENTAL HEALTH

RESEARCH

Irregular beat: Higher kidney failure risk WASHINGTON: The risk of kidney failure is greater for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), especially those suffering from atrial fibrillation - a common form of irregular heart beats in adults, says a study. The findings by the researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research could open the way to new approaches, with improved outcomes for CKD patients. The new study involved 206,229 CKD patients who were drawn from members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California, a large integrated health care delivery system, according to an UCSF statement. Over the course of about five years, approximately 16,400 patients developed atrial fibrillation, and those who did were 67 percent more likely to progress to end-stage renal disease compared with patients who had CKD, but did not develop atrial fibrillation. “These novel findings expand on previous knowledge by highlighting that atrial fibrillation is linked to a worse kidney prognosis in patients with underlying kidney dysfunction,” said kidney specialist Nisha Bansal, assistant professor of Nephrology at UCSF. IANS

Loneliness taxes immune system

WASHINGTON: Don’t take loneliness lightly — it could harm your immune system and health, says a new study. Loneliness spurs production of proteins signalling the presence of inflammation, linked to coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the frailty and func-

tional decline that can accompany aging, say researchers. “It is clear from previous research that poor-quality relationships are linked to a number of health problems, including premature mortality and all sorts of other very serious health conditions,” says Lisa Jaremka, postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Behavioural

Medicine Research at the Ohio State University, who led the research. “One reason this type of research is important is to understand how loneliness and relationships broadly affect health. The more we understand about the process, the more potential there is to counter those negative effects

— to perhaps intervene,” adds Jaremka, according to an Ohio statement. The results are based on a series of studies conducted with two populations: a healthy group of overweight middle-aged adults and a group of breast cancer survivors. The researchers measured

loneliness in all studies using the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, a questionnaire that assesses perceptions of social isolation and loneliness. Jaremka presented the research at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology annual meeting in New Orleans. IANS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

Entertainment FUTURE PROJECTS

CINE BYTES

SIDDHARTH hits the road

Muni 3 goes on floors

he principal shooting of Raghava Lawrence’s upcoming horror comedy tentatively titled Muni 3 has commenced in Chennai. Lawrence and Taapsee are playing the lead roles. Taapsee has termed her role as one of the most challenging roles she has played in her career. After Kanchana, it remains to be seen what Lawrence has in store for us this time.

Allu Arjun returns from Bangkok

iddharth has plenty of reasons to cheer about this year. He’s busier than ever with as many as five projects in hand and interestingly he claims that he’s moving away from lover boy roles in his future projects. The first look of his upcoming film Udhayam – NH4 was unveiled recently and writer, producer Vetrimaaran was all praises for Siddharth’s performance. “Siddharth has given a new dimension to the film with his composed performance. (sic),” Vetrimaaran posted on Twitter. The film is set on a national highway leading to Bangalore and it’s Siddharth’s first action thriller. Mangalore-based model turned actress Ashrita Shetty is playing the lead role opposite Siddharth. The film has been directed by Manimaran and GV Prakash has scored the music. Udhayam – NH4 is slated for release later this summer in both Tamil and Telugu. Apart from this film, Siddharth is awaiting the release of Jabardasth, Midnight’s Children, Chashme Baddoor and he’s currently shooting for Sundar C’s Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru. Another film titled Kaaviya Thalaivan to be directed by Vasanthabalan will hit the floors soon. “Trying 5 different genres in my releases this year. None of them sees me in ‘lover boy’ mode. Relief. Fingers crossed:) (sic),” Siddharth tweeted.

he first schedule of Allu Arjun, Amala Paul and Catherine Tresa starrer Iddarammayilatho has been wrapped up and Allu Arjun has returned from Bangkok after a month. Recently, the film was extensively shot in Bangkok and Kecha had supervised the action sequences which featured Allu Arjun. Puri Jagannadh has directed the film.

Gundello Godari pushed to February

akshmi Manchu, Taapsee, Aadhi and Sundeep Kishan starrer Gundello Godari is likely to hit the screens in February. The film’s release has been postponed couple of times already since Lakshmi Manchu, the film’s producer, was keen on releasing the Telugu and Tamil versions simultaneously. Kumar Nagendra has directed the film and Ilayaraja has scored the music.

Entertainment TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013 CINE BYTES

SINGING PRAISES

'Barfi', 'Kahaani' bag big awards at Filmfare

ujoy Ghosh's Kahaani and Anurag Basu's Barfi struck gold at the Filmfare Awards this year. Barfi was adjudged best film and got Ranbir Kapoor the 'best actor award while Vidya Balan bagged the 'best actor’ title for Kahaani. Madhuri Dixit, Ranbir Kapoor, Vidya Balan, Sidharth Roy Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, Boney Kapoor, Sridevi, Sonali Bendre, Goldie Behl and Deepika Padukone were spotted. IANS

fter starting her Bollywood career on a high note with Barfi!, actress Ileana D'Cruz is glad with the way her next Hindi film Phata Poster Nikla Hero is shaping up. "I am doing Phata Poster Nikla Hero with Shahid (Kapoor) and it is coming out really well. It is looking really promising and I hope you guys really enjoy it," the 25-year-old said at the 58th Filmfare awards. She says the team is halfway through the movie's shooting. Ileana is all praise for her co-actor Shahid and director Rajkumar Santoshi. "It has been really good. I think he (Shahid) is a fabulous actor. The role he is playing is fantastic. Raj-jee (Rajkumar Santoshi) is fabulous to work with," Ileana said. Phata Poster Nikla Hero also stars Padmini Kolhapure and is a romantic comedy. It is slated to release August 23. IANS

‘My role in 'Raajneeti' shocked many’

he petite and chirpy actress Shruti Seth, who is active in TV and ﬁlms, says the role she played in Raajneeti is her favourite because it shocked many. Often seen as pretty faced good girl, her Raajneeti role was quite a long take-off. She featured as a party worker who was ready to go to any length to get a ticket to contest election. IANS

IIFA confirms not going to Vancouver in 2013

he 14th edition of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards will not be held in Vancouver, as was announced earlier. The bid from the British Columbia government on behalf of Vancouver was rejected for 2013, said a statement from IIFA organisers, Wizcraft International. IANS

ILEANA IS HAPPY WITH ‘PHATA POSTER’

Entertainment TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

NEW WAVE OF MUSIC

GETTING MUSIC AROUND We spoke to British sarod maestro Soumik Datta, one half of the Circle of Sound, just after their first India Tour.

ELIZABETH SOUMYA elizabeth.s@postnoon.com What inspired you to begin the Circle of Sound project? Bernhard and I were playing shows in London since two years already, when we realised that we had accidentally stumbled upon a great sound. It was more than just two parts, it was whole — a sum of both parts. That’s when we started the Circle Of Sound journey. Skills aside, our collaboration is based on mutual respect, kindness and inspiring each other. The fact that we have the skills to bridge musical styles, innovate and toy with a new wave of music is wonderful. You've collaborated with many well-known artists. What is it about your music that makes these collaborations possible? Who are the musicians that you look forward to collaborating with in the future? Music is a reflection of the heart. If you are open in your soul, then all collaborations are possible. I've learned something new with each collaboration: about music, about my instrument and about myself. I hope to collaborate with AR Rahman, Sting, Radiohead, Ustad Rashid Khan and one day, I hope Hans Zimmer. You've said you've found inspiration in the experiences of people with music. Can you tell us about a few experiences and how they inspired your

work? A big theme in the show is QUEST. Quest for more than what you see. Aspiring to reach your dreams and making them come true. It is something that reflects in our artistic journey day by day. When you are creative there are many ups and downs and sometimes you

wonder if this all makes sense. Doubt is a big factor in creating new work. This is an aspect much reflected in the show. How important is it for you to play live, especially since there is much scope for improvisation in your music? Live is what it's all about. The

electricity in the room, the look in people's eyes, the expectation in the air and the silence when everyone holds their breath. It’s what gives purpose to a musical performance. Improvisation can mean that there is a chance things will go wrong. But that's the challenge, to control the journey and the arc of the spectator's experience How challenging was it for you to use the sarod to create contemporary music? The traditional sarod is majestic and sweet sounding. You can spend your whole life trying to improve your sweetness and tone on that instrument. With Circle of Sound, I wanted to experiment with other tones too. I wanted to try bringing about a dirty, grungy, fragmented sound. Also I was keen to play bass on it extending the actual range of the sarod. For me, contemporary music means re-examining the boundaries of our lives. And modernity has a lot of grunge and roughness to it. I wanted to be able to express this in my music too. How was your first album received in 2012? We received rave reviews from The Guardian and Evening standard in UK. We were awarded the Songlines Top of the World album. We sold out CD stocks wherever we played and were invited to present the music from the album at festivals across the world.

ABOUT THE BAND:

ircle of Sound is a project between two young musicians — British sarod maestro Soumik Datta and Austrian drumming visionary Bernhard Schimpelsberger. Trained by the legendary sarod master Pandit Buddhadev Das Gupta, Soumik also studied western composition at Trinity College of Music and is today the world's leading Electric Sarod player. Bernhard Schimpelsberger studied for many years with tabla master Pt. Suresh Talwalkar and percussion legend Trilok Gurtu, and now plays a customised hybrid drumkit with a distinctive style of his own. Together, they have collaborated with musicians as varied as Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Talvin Singh, Anoushka Shankar, Nitin Sawhney and Akram Khan, amongst others. They have played on the soundtrack for Deepa Mehta's Midnight's Children, Sangeeta Datta's Life Goes On starring Sharmila Tagore and the British comedy sequel West is West.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

Chai Time

Play & Win

Please send in your filled-in entries to Postnoon, #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033. The winners will be announced on this page in Sunday’s edition.

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 refer-

QUICK CROSSWORD enced 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.

Play & Win

voucher from VENKEY’S VEG Restaurant, Nampally

ACROSS

SCRIBBLING PAD

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SUDOKU

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

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1 Wander widely 5 Wound reminders 10 Furnace’s output 14 Sheltered on the sea 15 Parcel out 16 Up to snuff 17 ‘Young Frankenstein’ assistant 18 Object of prayers 19 Stir up, as muddy water 20 Beach Boys hit 23 Title woman in a Jim Carrey movie 24 County bordered by the Thames 25 Herd member 28 Bear lairs 30 It’s heard in Islamabad 31 Monopoly buy 33 Giant’s first word 36 Phrase from one in debt? 40 ‘Reach for the ___!’ 41 Rice field 42 One of the tides 43 Successful job interviewee 44 Horticulturist’s study 46 Transparent, as hosiery 49 Play with crayons 51 ‘Can you hear me now?’

57 Former senior, now 58 Occupy time and space 59 Palindromic ship deck 60 Manner of expression 61 Girder fastener 62 Park with the engine running 63 Proofreader’s direction 64 Court reporter 65 College head

DOWN

1 Attack without warning 2 ‘72 Olympics star Korbut 3 Million-millennia period (Var) 4 Forgiving 5 More melancholy 6 Spotless 7 Dress with some flare 8 Campus marchers, for short 9 Eyelid bulge (Var) 10 Bother blatantly 11 Dark hardwood trees, poetically 12 Lewis Carroll’s rabbit chaser 13 Fax forerunner 21 Literary ‘before’ 22 Star in Cygnus

25 Major airports 26 Satie or Estrada 27 Stand ___ by (watch without acting) 28 How some things are noted 29 Suffix with ‘baron’ 31 Go into seclusion 32 Having had many birthdays 33 Word with ‘circus’ or ‘flicker’ 34 Enthusiastic liveliness 35 See from afar 37 Veep after Hubert 38 Tavern 39 Courageous and daring 43 Protection for a skater 44 Plastered 45 Amazement utterance 46 Pillow coverings 47 Ancient serf 48 Get away from 49 Horror author Barker 50 Actress Mary-Kate or Ashley 52 That woman’s 53 Sign in the dark? 54 Valuable deposit 55 The Kinks sang about ‘her’ 56 Frank and honest

Chai Time TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 23-1-2013

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

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Delays and inconveniences will put you under stress. Adopt a patient approach and adhere to it in all chores. Chances are that one of your pet projects might get delayed beyond expectations. Keep your efforts alive and proceed without giving up.

STRIP TEASE AGNES

Expectations will be fulfilled but you may not be fully satisfied. Hence, be prepared to be content with whatever good greed. A good financial position will keep you cheerful. Those in love will get support from both the sides.

Be positive in your approach. Never get annoyed with anyone under any circumstance, come what may. Your art of creativity is set to increase. Good news awaits those trying for a job since long. Avoid taking others’ suggestion; follow your instinct.

Never get frustrated if things are not happening as per your expectations. Proceed with a determination of not giving up so that you will succeed. Businessmen might feel it tough to have dues collected but will succeed with proper effort.

Avoid taking a controversial stance. Friendship circle will expand. Avoid any important decision and travel today. Businessmen might find it difficult as they are unable to satisfy customers. Be alert as you might face unwanted blames.

Businessmen will be signing profitable new contracts. Assess pros and cons before undertaking important work and put proper effort to complete them. Be careful during travel as tension likely. Health needs to be taken good care of.

Your influence is set to increase. Your creative abilities will get sharpened and all efforts will bear fruits. Plan your trips whether in India or abroad properly and well in advance. Last minute changes might prove to be disappointing.

You might be in a fix to decide on an important issue but you need to go as per your plans and intuition rather than taking advise from others. It is also advisable to postpone the decision for the time being. Health problems cannot be ignored.

Your financial position looks strong. All dreams and expectations will get fulfilled. Businessmen are advised to be cautious and think twice before making any fresh large investment. Visitors to your house will charge the atmosphere.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail. com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

Eight of Cups – You have all it takes to cheer you. Yet, you’re feeling lonely and in need of someone to share your life with. Stay busy. The feeling will pass.

LEO:

The Fool – You’re plunging into an unfamiliar project with both feet without fully knowing what’s in store for you. But it is these new experiences that make you stronger.

LIBRA:

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

Strength – You have tremendous will power to keep at a problem till you find a suitable solution. This quality makes you a winner. This strength is very rare.

SAGITTARIUS:

Seven of Cups – Material possessions are in your focus today. You need to take stock and decide how much you really want to own and how much you need.

TAURUS:

The Devil – You’re tempted to have that entire chocolate mousse without sharing it with anyone. Are you then prepared to spend extra time at the gym?

CANCER:

The Hermit – You are in search of some answers and need to be left alone with your doubts and questions. Tell loved ones that you need some space.

VIRGO:

The Empress – Love is in the air. You and your significant other find new passion in your relationship. The flush or first love is making you ecstatic from within.

SCORPIO:

Seven of Wands – Secrecy is involved. Someone is not telling you the whole truth and you’re beginning to suspect a larger conspiracy. Don’t act on it yet. Wait.

CAPRICORN:

Ten of Pentacles – Finances are in great shape. You may get a raise and will be recommended for a higher pay structure with more perks.

PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

The Moon – You’re feeling moody. It’s probably because the party is over and everyone’s left leaving you to resume your daily life. Keep busy and it’ll be fine.

NUMBER GAME

– You tend to take the position of extremes in resolving a situation or making a judgment about a person. There can also be a middle path too.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: Two of Swords

POOCH CAFE

You will be more positive and cheerful. With determination and push, you will win wherever you have faced failure and that brings you more cheer and you proceed with a new zeal. Taking right steps at right time will bring you success.

for 23-1-2013

Three of Swords – Grief, disappointment and heartbreak are indicated. But then there is no escape from this. Go through it and come out stronger.

NON SEQUITUR

You might feel depressed to see that most work get struck half way. Time will change and stop not till your goals are achieved. Many turning points are likely to take place in your life. Friends may not act favourable to you.

SUDUKO

Opportunities to knock at your door; ensure that you make full use of them. Avoid acting in haste in all undertaken work to avoid failure and disappointment. Take any decision only after a clearcut analysis and consultation with the family.

Boggle GOAT PUMA MOLE WOLF MULE Vol: 2, No 186 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon. com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211

Entertainment TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

POST BREAKUP

SELENA GOMEZ

s Selena Gomez sending ex Justin Bieber a message? The 20-year-old newly single singer decided to sing Justin Timberlake’s Cry Me a River at the third annual UNICEF charity concert in New York City Saturday night, telling the crowd the song spoke to her, along with

other numerous breakup tunes. Selena reportedly told the crowd before beginning her acoustic version of Timberlake’s breakup anthem: “I’ve been through a lot the past few months. It’s been weird and sad and cool,” adding, “This song definitely speaks to me.” But Gomez’s performance wasn’t an original one. In fact, Bieber did his own rendition of Cry Me a River back in November after their first split.

PERFORMS JUSTIN’S “CRY ME A RIVER”

CINE BYTES Daniel Radcliffe spotted kissing Erin Darke

aniel Radcliffe has reportedly been spotted kissing his Kill Your Darlings co-star Erin Darke. The Harry Potter actor is said to have been secretly dating the actress, according to People. Radcliffe attended the dinner with Darke and co-star Michael C Hall with his girlfriend Morgan Macgregor.

Marvel reveals Iron Man 3 toys

ixteen ﬁgures will be released through 2013 to tie in with Iron Man 3’s release, starting in the US on February 11. The movie ﬁnds Robert Downey Jr’s billionaire playboy philanthropist up to his metallic neck in trouble as he’s targeted by the Mandarin.

Michelle Obama dances to Katy’s performance

olled up in a red, white and blue one-piece,Katy Perry hit the stage at the 2013 Kids’ Inaugural Concert. First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughters Sasha and Malia were in the audience dancing and throwing their hands up as the “Firework” singer performed.

sports

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

NBA

Rockets tame Bobcats

CONGRATULATIONS

The victory brought an end to the Rockets’ 7-game losing streak.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA: James Harden (dunking above) scored 29 points on Monday to lead Houston to a 100-94 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats that ended the Rockets’ NBA losing streak

Armstrong saga headed to silver screen: report

at seven games. The Rockets overcame a 35point effort from Charlotte’s Kemba Walker, whose careerhigh scoring performance wasn’t enough to prevent the Bobcats from enduring a club record 15th

LOS ANGELES: Lance Armstrong’s life story is headed to the silver screen, US media reported on Monday on the heels of the disgraced athlete’s doping admission. Paramount and Bad Robot studios have bought the film rights to a book being written on Armstrong by Juliet Macur, a New York Times sports journalist, The Hollywood Reporter (THR) said.

straight home defeat. Harden scored 12 of his points in the fourth quarter, when Houston out-scored Charlotte by a 26-13 margin. Houston’s bench came up big, with Marcus Morris delivering 21 points and eight rebounds and fellow reserve Carlos Delfino adding 16 points. “We needed this win," Morris said. “We’ve just got to keep going and keep building from there." Up by 11 at halftime, the Bobcats shot a dismal 21.1 percent — connecting on only 4-of19 from the floor - in the final period. Houston’s Jeremy Lin was ineffective guarding Walker and didn’t play in the fourth quarter. “When Lin backed off me I was confident and I made them," Walker said of his six threepointers. AFP

The release of the book “Cycle of Lies: The Fall of Lance Armstrong” is scheduled for June but there is no time frame yet for the film’s release, the report said. In an interview last week with talk show queen Oprah Winfrey, Armstrong, 41, admitted for the first time that he used banned substances to help him win seven Tour de France titles.

Nookaraju (R) is handed the champion’s certificate on winning the District-level Rapid Chess tournament at Women’s College on Monday.

LEAGUE CRICKET

Ameerpet lose to Gaganmahal A Division One-Day League Championship Aggarwal Seniors 167 (Mahbaboob Ahmed 38, Sohail 33no, Nitesh Singh 3 for 32) lost to MP Sporting 168 for 3 (Tript Singh 65no, Sameer Md 42) Elegant 215 (Manohar 63, Manoj 35, Naresh 4 fo4 57) bt Consult 161 (Naresh 41, Praveen 45, Vivek 4 for 26, Manohar 3 for 24) Reliance 210 for 3 (Preetham 31, Tapasi 70, Vijayendra 57, Kartheek 3 for 39) bt Chums XI 193 (Rithwik 56, Madhu 34, Barath 36) Hyderabad Patriots 234 for 9 (Mohseen 130, Manoj Kumar 32, Harinarayan 5 for 58, Mahesh 3 for 27) bt Hyd Panthers XI 175 (Saketh Reddy 61, Saikanth 50, Hyder Ali Khan 6 for 48, Imran 3 for 55) Redhills 299 for 6 (Abrar 61, Syed Azam 46, Md Akramullah 94, Akhil 3 for 71) bt AB Colony 87 (Adarsh 32, Haroon Rasheed 4 for 24, Yogesh 4 for 24)

HPS R 483 for 2 (G Sushmith 77, G Sankeerth 171, M Abhirath Reddy 139no) bt Young Citizen 121 (Srikar 32, Jayanth 3 for 10) Ameerpet 168 for 8 (G Santosh 45, Santosh Patil 50) lost to Gaganmahal 169 for 3 (Vamshidhar Reddy 84, Abhilash Gundala 47) Kishoresons 132 (Mustafa 32, Harinarayan 3 for 23, Shiva 3 for 24, Mahesh 3 for 14) lost to Hyd Panthers XI 136 for 6 (Saket Reddy 30, Mahesh 33) A1 and A2 One-Day Knockout tournament SCRSA 262 for 5 (Md Gayaz 53, H Trinath 50, M Suresh 59) bt CCOB 145 (M Maqbool Baig 95 Hyderabad Bottling 195 (Vamshivardhan 77, Rizwan 34, D Pathania 3 for 32, Ritesh Negi 4 for 60) lost to AOC 196 for 2 (Sumit Singh 101no, Maj Abhimanyu 58) Continental 199 (Shashidhar Reddy 83, B Rahul 31, Taquiullah 4 for 22) bt Evergreen 156 (Rachnesh 42, Harish 4 for 31)

HYDERABAD RACE TRACK

Vijayshaurya exhibits supreme form

HYDERABAD: Vijayshaurya and Vijays Champ impressed on the sand track when horses were exercised here this morning at the Malakpet racecourse.

SAND TRACK 800 METRES

Policy Maker (Trainer) 1-0, 600/46 Easy. Goldie (S Nayak) Sherman Oaks (Christopher) 13.5, 600/48.5 They moved freely. Major Luck (rb) 1-2, 600/47 Easy. Mystical Knight (app) 56.5, 600/42.5 Moved well. Guiding Light (rb) 1-3, 600/47 Easy. Half Moon Bay (app) Magical Punch (rb) 1-3, 600/46 They moved freely. Beau Ideal (Christopher) Coral Springs (S Nayak) 1-0, 600/44 Former finished in front. Bharatanatyam (rb) 1-2.5, 600/47 Easy. Symbol Of Victory (Henrique) 58.5, 600/42 Maintains form. Ice Barrier (Anil) 1-3, 600/46.5 Easy.

SAND TRACK 1000 METRES

Okai Okai Okai (rb) Oru Oru Oru (rb) 1-12, 800/57, 600/44 Former finished 2 lengths in front. New Dawn (app) Gold Medal (Anil) 1-17, 800/1-0, 600/45 Former finished in front. Genius Empress (Ravinder Singh) 1-16, 800/1-1, 600/47 Easy.

SAND TRACK 1200 METRES

Vijayshaurya (Joshi) 1-29, 1000/1-11.5, 800/55.5, 600/41.5 Impressed. Vijays Champ (Ravinder Singh) 1-25.5, 1000/1-11, 800/57, 600/44 Slightly pushed. Speed Striker (NS Parmar) 1-31, 1000/1-15, 800/1-0, 600/45 Easy. Noted on Monday

SAND TRACK 1000 METRES

Saravagnya (rb) Maharadhi (app) 1-14, 800/58, 600/44 They moved together. Brahmani (app) 1-14, 800/59, 600/45

Moved freely. Mock race 1200 metres 1st mock race Hero’s Choice (K Anil) Golden Jewel (Kunal) True Scholar (Tograllu) Golden Dash (Ajit Kumar) Vijays Victory (Deep Shanker) Kohinoor Punch (Ravinder Singh) Merry Maid (P Venkat) Turf Attack (Sai Vamshi) 1-16, 1000/1-3, 800/50, 600/38 Turf Attack and Merry Maid slowly off. First Three were the pick. 2nd mock race: 1200 metres Regal Groom (NS Parmar) Grenada (Christopher) Star Saloni (Sreekant) Yet Again (Tograllu) Superb (Henrique) A Horizontal Urge (Mukesh Kumar) Allendale (Kuldeep Singh) 1-15, 1000/1-2, 800/50, 600/37 They jumped out well First two to be noted. Noted on Sunday

SAND TRACK 800 METRES

San Ramon (rb) Perfect (S Nayak) 58, 600/43 They moved well. Havok (rb) 59, 600/44 Easy. Our Mascot (Imran Khan) 1-2, 600/46 Moved freely. Graceland (Kuldeep Singh) Globe Trotter (rb) 59, 600/44 Former finished in front. All Pepper (Kiran Naidu) 56, 600/42 Moved well. Exclusive (Ramana) Ice Lolly (Kuldeep Singh) 57, 600/44 They moved together. Joel (Deep Shanker) 59, 600/43 Urged. Bloody Mary (rb) 59, 600/43.5 Unextended. Half Moon Bay (Kuldeep Singh) Fighting Fit (rb) 1-3, 600/48 They moved freely. Dancing In The Rain (Imran Khan) 59, 600/44 Moved freely. Garibaldi (Kuldeep Singh) 1-3, 600/47 Easy. Magical Punch (app) 1-3, 600/46 Easy. Golen Phantom (Imran Khan) 1-1, 600/46 Easy. Scubarioo (S.Nayak) Riverdale (Chary) 58, 600/44 They fin-

ished together. Ground Crew (rb) 58, 600/43 Moved well.

SAND TRACK 1000 METRES

Swift Arrow (NS Parmar) 1-12, 800/57.5,600/43.5 Pleased. Palm Springs (S Nayak) Ocean Side (Christopher) 1-13, 800/58, 600/44 They moved together. Aphrodisiac (rb) 1-9, 800/56, 600/42 Caught the eye. The Leader (Imran Khan) 1-16, 800/1-1, 600/46 Easy. Dark Avanger (rb)1-17, 800/1-1, 60046 Easy. Prince Of Arabia (rb) Big Boss (S Nayak) 1-13, 800/57, 600/44 Former finished in front.

SAND TRACK 1200 METRES Staminoizd (Ramana) 1-33, 1000/1-15, 800/1-0, 600/45 Easy. So Super (rb) 1-25.5, 1000/1-11.5, 800/57.5, 600/45 Urged. Al Sarraah (rb) 1-33, 1000/1-18, 800/1-3, 600/46 Easy.

sports TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Li floors Radwanska Li Na stormed into the semis with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Agnieszka Radwanska, who suffered her first defeat of the year. MELBOURNE: China’s Li Na stormed into the Australian Open semi-finals Tuesday with a 7-5, 63 win over Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska, who suffered her first defeat of the year. Li became the first player to take a set off Radwanska this season when she edged a tight first set which saw seven breaks of serve, but she then lost the first two games of the second set to love. However, Li then rattled off

five straight games and saw off two break points when she served for the match at 5-3 to claim her sixth win in 10 meetings with Radwanska. Radwanska had been on a run of 13 straight wins, including 26 sets unbeaten, after claiming tournament wins in Auckland and Sydney. Li will face the winner of Tuesday’s all-Russian quarterfinal between world number two Maria Sharapova and Ekaterina

Makarova in the last four. Li, a 2011 Australian Open finalist, is now into her first Grand Slam semi-final since she won the French Open in 2011. The world number six, formerly coached by her husband Jiang Shan, praised the input of her new coach Carlos Rodriguez. “I think it was pretty good for me and my husband. It is much easier for our life, we don’t have to shout at each other on the court and also off the court,” she joked.

China’s Li Na celebrates after beating Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska during their women’s singles match on day nine of the AFP/MANAN VATSYAYANA Australian Open in Melbourne on Tuesday.

‘Consistency getting easy’ Federer believes it’s becoming easier to play consistently as he prepares for his 35th consecutive GS quarters. ROBERT SMITH Agence France-Presse MELBOURNE: Roger Federer (in pic) believes it’s becoming easier to play consistently as he prepares for his record 35th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open on Wednesday. The all-time Grand Slam leader with 17 major titles is the epitome of consistency after defusing the big service of Canadian Milos Raonic in Monday’s fourth round to take his place in the last eight. The Swiss great takes on JoWilfried Tsonga in the quarters having not dropped serve in his 57 games at the tournament. Federer last missed out on reaching a Slam quarter-final when beaten in the third round at the 2004 French Open by Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten.

He says slower court conditions have made his feat more achievable. “Obviously times have changed. Conditions have slowed down. That gives you

an opportunity to be more consistent in all four majors, while before we had the clay court specialists, the fast court players,” Federer said.

Navratilova backs Serena for historic GS WILL SWANTON Agence France-Presse MELBOURNE: Martina Navratilova backed Serena Williams to create history by sweeping to a calendar-year Grand Slam after she marched into the Australian Open quarter-finals. The tennis legend described Williams as the greatest player of her generation — and said “if anyone can, Serena can” achieve the holy grail of winning all four major titles in the same year. “We know that Serena at her best is better than anybody else out there, if for no other reason than her serve. It sets everything up,” Navratilova said at Melbourne Park. “She’s strong and she’s solid. She very confident and very focused right now. In the past there might have been times when you could catch her off-

Fedex, Williams in last eight TALEK HARRIS Agence France-Presse MELBOURNE: Roger Federer and Andy Murray were locked on collision course at the Australian Open Monday as an unstoppable Serena Williams powered towards her third straight Grand Slam title. As Novak Djokovic regrouped after his late-night thriller against Stanislas Wawrinka, Federer and Murray

had no such problems as they breezed into the quarter-finals. Murray had the simplest of tasks against a weakened Gilles Simon, still struggling after his marathon win over Gael Monfils, while Federer easily had the weapons to deal with the machine-gun serve of Milos Raonic. Federer, playing in the showpiece evening match on Rod Laver Arena, needed a solitary break to edge the first

set, and then won tiebreaker for the second before he swept through the last to take it 6-4, 76 (7/4), 6-2. The Swiss master, now into his 35th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final and seeking his 18th major title, said “good reflexes” were the key to coping with Raonic’s bullet serve. “You try to anticipate a bit, and it happened better and better as the match went on,” he said. “It’s important to stay

focused. I have learned that over the years, and it pays off in the end.” While Djokovic battled to recover from his five-hour, fiveset win, Simon was still struggling from his marathon victory over Gael Monfils a day earlier. The Frenchman was in no state to face Murray, and he quickly went down 6-3, 6-1, 6-3, calling it “a painful hour-and-ahalf.”

guard, but not these days. “She’s been very focused since she lost at the French last year. She’s very motivated. She’s a dictator.” Steffi Graf was the last woman to win the Australian Open, French Open, US Open and Wimbledon in the same season, way back in 1988.

DAVIS CUP

France, Argentina teams

he following players have been named to represent France and Argentina in their Davis Cup World Group first round matches agiainst Israel and Buenos Aires, respectively, which are scheduled to be held form February 1 to 3. Teams: France: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet, Julien Benneteau, Michael Llodra, Jeremy Chardy Argentina: Juan Monaco, Horacio Zeballos, Carlos Berlocq, David Nalbandian Reserves: Leonardo Mayer, Guido Pella

sports TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

QATAR MASTERS PREVIEW

Oosthuizen targets top rank Louis Oosthuizen fancies himself as a future world nu mber one ahead of the Qatar Masters, despite Rory McIlroy showing no signs of slipping down from the summit any time soon. BENEDICT JOHNSON Agence France-Presse DOHA: Louis Oosthuizen (in pic) fancies himself as a future world number one despite Rory McIlroy showing no signs of slipping down from the summit any time soon. McIlroy is far ahead in the rankings with 593.71 points at the top as compared to Oosthuizen’s 345.24, but the he is convinced his time will come as he prepared for the Qatar Masters beginning on Wednesday. “I want to climb up the world rankings to number one if I can, but I always take it slowly and see how my game is,” Oosthuizen said after a practice at Doha Golf Club where he and

fellow South Africans Ernie Els and Retief Goosen will be hoping to deny Scotsman Paul Lawrie an unprecedented third title.

Oosthuizen added, however, that he is ready to bide his time to achieve his ambition, saying he prefers taking one tourna-

COACHING RIGHT

‘Take time over coach’

ment at a time. “I never try to set goals that I know are too tough to achieve or out of my reach. I feel like I’ve got a good shot at getting to number two at least by the end of the year,” said the 30-year-old, who was joint runner-up behind Spaniard Alvaro Quiros in 2009. “I’ll need to work hard on my game to get there and stay there, and then reduce the gap with me and Rory.” Oosthuizen is riding a wave of confidence after winning the Volvo Golf Champions tournament this month, a factor he hoped would help him put in an impressive show in Doha. “Any win early in the season gets your confidence really high. I feel like I’m swinging it really

well at the moment and making the odd long putt. This week the greens are really big and I think we’ll have a lot of birdie opportunities, so the longer putts will be crucial.” Meanwhile, Els is considering himself a serious contender for a second Qatar Masters title. The four-time major winner will be hoping to join Adam Scott (2002, 2008) and holder Lawrie (1999, 2012) as a two-time champion. “I have good memories of the Qatar Masters, especially after I won in 2005 when I played really well on the final day (shooting a 65). I enjoyed going back to Doha the next few years and also played pretty well in 2007, when I came third and Retief was champion,” said the “Big Easy”.

AFGHANISTAN’S TOUR OF PAK

Jamieson has said there’s no need for British Swimming to rush for a new head coach, so long as they get the right person. LONDON: Olympic silver medallist Michael Jamieson (in pic) has said there’s no need for British Swimming to rush the appointment of a new head coach, so long as they get the right person for the job. Rebecca Adlington slammed the governing body last month in the delay over naming a successor to Dennis Pursley, who resigned following the host nation’s poor performance in the pool at last year’s London Olympic Games. Pursley has returned to his native United States while Australian Michael Scott quit as British Swimming’s performance director after a review into the team’s London results

suggested he should live in the UK. However, the review suggested British Swimming was broadly on the right track although Adlington, who won two golds at the 2008 Games in Beijing, labelled the coaching

situation an “absolute mess”. Adlington and Jamieson were the only British swimmers to win medals in London, with the Beijing heroine winning bronze in both in the 400 metres and 800m freestyle, while Jamieson took silver in the 200m breaststroke. This contrasted with a return of six medals won by British swimmers in China and a minimum target of five podium places in London. Jamieson took issue Monday with Adlington over the importance of the delay, saying: “I think it’s definitely about getting the right person in place.” AFP

CRICKET BRIEFS Clarke in doubt for final ODI

HOBART: Australian captain Michael Clarke is a seri-

ous doubt for Wednesday’s final one-day international against Sri Lanka after twisting his ankle. He was undergoing treatment and an assessment of his fitness would be made later Tuesday, Cricket Australia said. Sri Lanka lead the five-match series 2-1 after the fourth leg was washed out on Sunday. The tourists were chasing 223 runs to take the series after thrashing Australia in the second and third games. They needed 209 more runs off 46.4 overs with all their wickets intact when the umpires took the players off the Sydney Cricket Ground. Australia scored 222 for nine off their 50 overs after winning the toss.

Safe to play Tests in Pakistan: Misbah

JOHANNESBURG: Pakistan should be allowed to stage international cricket again, captain Misbah-ul-Haq said on Monday as his team prepared to face top-ranked South Africa in a three-Test series. No Test series has been staged in Pakistan since armed militants attacked a bus carrying the Sri Lankan team in Lahore four years ago, killing eight locals and wounding six visiting players. “Pakistan is such a big cricketing nation and the world has to think about bringing international cricket back to the country,” the 38-year-old right-hand batsman said. “A Twenty20 tournament in Pakistan saw full stadiums for every game and there were no security concerns. The people should have international cricket,” he told a media conference.

Afghanistan team reaches Pakistan KARACHI: At a time when not a single Test playing nation including minnows Bangladesh is willing to visit Pakistan because of security concerns, the Afghanistan cricket team has reached Lahore for a four week stay. During their visit, the Affhan team will play eight ODIs and four T20 matches against Pakistan A and other sides. The Afghanistan team led by Nauroze Mangal and coached by Kabir Khan also held a press conference in Lahore yesterday. “It is a four-week program for which Afghanistan has come to Pakistan. They will be using our facilities at the National Cricket Academy and also our coaches. Besides playing eight ODI matches and four T20 matches,” Pakistan Cricket Board director Intikhab Alam said.

He said the PCB was happy to host the Afghanistan side. “The good news is that we are also in the process of negotiating with two or three countries to come to Pakistan soon,” he said. The former captain said there was also a proposal to allow Afghanistan to take part regularly in Pakistan’s national T20 and ODI competitions so that their players could improve their skills. “Coming to Pakistan means that our players get to play against tough competition and get quality facilities and coaching at the NCA,” Afghan coach Kabir Khan, a former Pakistan Test bowler, said. He said the tour was in preparation for the qualifying rounds of the ICC World Cup in March and also a series against Scotland. AFP

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

sports STAYING POWER

Derry extends QPR stay

LONDON: Queens Park Rangers midfielder Shaun Derry (below) has signed a new one-year contract, the Premier League’s basement club said on Monday. The 35-year-old, who moved to Loftus Road on a free transfer from London rivals Crystal Palace in June 2010, now plans to stay at QPR until beyond the end of the 2013/14 season. “I’m absolutely delighted,” Derry told the club’s official website. “It’s changing times once again with Harry (Redknapp) coming in and I find myself playing more now than I did under (former manager) Mark Hughes.

PREMIER LEAGUE

REFEREE RUBBED WRONGLY

Saints hold Everton

The 0-0 result moved Southampton four points clear of the bottom three and left Everton three points adrift of the top four.

Everton’s English defender Leighton Baines (R) heads the ball off the line during their match against Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, England, on Monday. AFP/ GLYN KIRK

SOUTHAMPTON, UK: Mauricio Pochettino’s first match as manager of Southampton ended in a goalless draw at home to Everton at St Mary’s on Monday. “I just want to thank the players, they’ve been very good

“I’m just so delighted to commit myself to the club for another year -- I’m enjoying my football more than ever.” Derry, who has made 91 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops, had been on the fringes of the first team under Hughes but was restored by Redknapp. Now the veteran ball-winner has helped QPR on a run of five games unbeaten, with the Londoners just five points off climbing out of the relegation zone. “I’ve come to the club at the latter stages. I’ve enjoyed the happiest time of my career at QPR,” said Derry. AFP

PLATINI DISAGREES WITH BLATTER OVER BOATENG UEFA president Michel Platini differed with his FIFA counterpart Sepp Blatter on Monday in applauding Kevin-Prince Boateng leading his AC Milan teammates off the pitch after receving racial abuse in a friendly earlier this month. Blatter had said players should not take matters into their hands.

to me in the three days I have been working with them,” former Argentina international Pochettino, speaking through an interpreter, told Sky Sports. “And the supporters have been very good to me. “The only shame was we

didn’t score any goals but we were facing a very good side in Everton, they are fifth in the league. “We just needed that bit more luck. “I really enjoyed the game. Once you are in it, you realise what an amazing league it (the Premier League) is.” Pochettino was appointed after Southampton, once a byword for managerial stability, sacked Nigel Adkins on Friday just two days after the Englishman had overseen a draw away to European champions Chelsea. Adkins joined Southampton from Scunthorpe in 2010 and took the Saints, then a third-tier club, into the Premier League with back-to-back promotions. His exit came with Southampton in the middle of an encouraging run of results which had seen them lose just twice in their last 12 matches. AFP

PREMIER LEAGUE PREVIEW

Theo tells Arsenal to step on the gas STEVE GRIFFITHS Agence France-Presse LONDON: Theo Walcott (right) has warned his Arsenal teammates they are in danger of losing the battle to finish in the Premier League’s top four unless they play with more urgency. Arsene Wenger’s side head

into Wednesday’s London derby against West Ham on the back of successive league defeats to Manchester City and Chelsea which have left their bid to qualify for the Champions League in crisis. The Gunners, languishing in sixth spot, trail fourth placed Tottenham by seven points.

FOOTBALL BRIEFS Gerrard eyes Beckham’s French Cup next for England record shorthanded PSG

Cahill calls on Chelsea to show Champs’ spirit

Champs Zambia, Nigeria, held by minnows

LONDON: England captain Steven Gerrard is aiming to break David Beckham’s international appearance record and believes winning the World Cup in Brazil next year is possible for Roy Hodgson’s men. Gerrard won his 100th cap against Sweden in November while England are currently second in WC qualifying Group H.

LONDON: Gary Cahill has urged Chelsea to draw on the memory of last season’s Champions League success when they face Swansea in the second leg of their English League Cup semi-ﬁnal on Wednesday. Rafael Benitez’s side travel to the Liberty Stadium trailing 2-0 from the ﬁrst leg at Stamford Bridge and face a daunting challenge.

NELSPRUIT, SA: Defending champions Zambia held by Ethiopia and a late equaliser from Burkina Faso to deny Nigeria left Group C ﬁnely balanced on day three at the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday. Zambia are aiming to become only the fourth country to win back-toback titles but they had to settle for a 1-1 draw to the Ethiopians.

PARIS: Fresh off a return to the top of Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain continue their quest for silverware on Wednesday in the French Cup with the visit of Toulouse. Carlo Ancelotti’s side usurped former leaders Lyon following an emotional 1-0 victory at Bordeaux over the weekend, two days after the death of PSG director Nick Broad.

Fergie facing FA action for linesman rant LONDON: Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson (above) is facing disciplinary action by the Football Association (FA) after criticising a linesman for denying his side a penalty in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Tottenham. An FA statement Monday said the governing body had “contacted Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson to ask him for his observations in relation to comments he made in the media following Manchester United’s draw against Tottenham yesterday (Sunday).” After the match, Ferguson hit out at assistant referee Simon Beck, who kept his flag down despite Steven Caulker appearing to trip United substitute Wayne Rooney inside the Spurs 18-yard box in the 63rd minute. “It was a clear penalty kick on Wayne Rooney, but in no way was the linesman going to give that,” Ferguson told the BBC. “He gave them (Tottenham) everything else. We have not had a good record with this linesman -- against Chelsea a few years ago he gave onside to Didier Drogba, who was three yards offside. You remember those things.” In March 2011 Ferguson received a five-match touchline ban from the FA and a £30,000 (US $47,500, 35,600 Euros) fine for questioning the integrity of referee Martin Atkinson after a match at Chelsea. AFP

It was a clear penalty kick on Wayne Rooney, but in no way was the linesman going to give that. Alex Ferguson Man United manager