WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013 HYDERABAD
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WOMEN’S WORLD CUP KICKS OFF
Last week the 23rd annual Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) was held and saw high-end watch manufacturers record large profits. So if you're looking to buy the watch that makes time stand still... here's our guide.
Untouched by the hype and hoopla that follows their male counterparts, India’s women cricketers are all set to start their World Cup campaign when they take on the West Indies in a Group A match here tomorrow.
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HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER
T MANTRIS DECLARE
WAR ON KCR Congress ministers from Telangana have decided to say ‘enough is enough’ to the TRS and KCR and follow their own conscience and party discipline.
REPORT ON P5
DEEPASHRI VARADHARAJAN
Most of them have either been neglected or abandoned by their families. Fathers refuse to believe that a special child could be theirs and mothers are often irresponsible. That is where Sri Vidhya’s Centre for Special Children steps in to give these youngsters a shot at normal life.
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GIVE THEM A CHANCE,
WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION
CITY POLICE IN FOR A RESHUFFLE? A major reshuffle of the City’s top cops is on the cards and is likely to take place once the political situation settles down.
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
city events
BUDRUS
Budrus is an award winning Palestine film on non-violence and demonstrations conducted by the residents of Budrus to protest against the building of the Israeli West Bank barrier inside of the village. It will be screened at Lamakaan from 7pm.
Weather for Hyderabad
Evening
Overnight
25°C
17°C
Clear with cloudy periods.
Clear.
Morning
Afternoon
22°C
30°C
Sunny. Windy at times.
Sunny with cloudy periods.
New Delhi Mumbai Max 22 Max 30 Min 8 Min 21 Partly sunny.
Chennai Max 30 Min 20
Clear skies.
Bangalore Max 28 Min 16
Mostly sunny.
Clear skies.
AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES Nampally, When: Up to February 15, 4pm to 11pm Contact: (040) 2460 3015
SHOWS Yudh Sai Shree Arts presents Yudh, a Bharathanatyam solo by Savitha Sastry on war. Where: Ravindra Bharathi When: February 19, 7pm to 8:15pm Contact: (040) 2323 1245
Fastrack discounts There is a discount on backpacks, totes, hobos, leatherette bags, among other things, in all Fastrack outlets in the City. Where: Fastrack outlets When: Up to February 17
Confluence Perfect Harmony Productions and Cisne for Arts bring together Zakir Hussain, Bela Fleck & Edgar M for a trio concert. Where: Shilpa Kala Vedika, Hitec City When: February 8, 6:30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2311 2707
Big Hyper Sale HyperCITY, is having its Hyper Sale at all its stores across India. Customers can get discounts and deals across categories, including fresh produce, home & furniture, electronics, toys and apparels. Where: Inorbit mall, Madhapur When: Up to January 31
DINING Snack Like a King Delicious varieties of snacks and beverages inspired by the Spanish tradition. Where: La Cantina, Hitec City When: Up to January 31 Contact: 9pm onwards
SURPRISE SHOWER: Out of the blue came welcome showers last evening. But it also caught people unawares. Rains added a nip to the air, which was already under the influence of cool winds blowing from the south-east. N SHIVA KUMAR 1pm to 3:30pm Contact: (040) 6535 5018
Just For Women Special W-Lunch for Women on Wednesdays. The menu changes on a weekly basis. Where: Ohri’s Ruci & Idoni, Opp Rainbow Hospital, Banjara Hills When: Every Wednesday
Kailash Parbat food fest Kailash Parbat, a vegetarian multicuisine restaurant, is organising a Gujarati and Rajasthani food fest, which includes dishes like Ram Khichdi, Dhokla, Angoori Basundi, and Barfi Choorma. Where: Kailash Parbat, Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills When: Up to February 3 Contact: (040) 2355 8857 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 started with Britannia restaurant & cafe located in Bombay, with delicious Parsi dishes.
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
Where: Truffles cafe Plot no. 376, Road no. 10, Jubilee Hills, When: Up to February 10 Contact: (040) 2355 0105
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 The River Moving Within The River Moving Within is an exhibition of art work by Koeli Mukherjee Ghose. It is inspired by the works of Rumi and 'Narda Bhakti Sutra' and reflects a love for life.
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
Where: Truffles Cafe, Jubilee Hills When: Up to February 8 Buy Art It is an anniversary art show of affordable art by 30 artists. All artworks are priced between `1,000 to `10,000. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad When: January 18-February 18 11:30am-7pm Contact: www.iconart.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 When: Ongoing Contact: www.shoppersstop.com
MISCELLANEOUS Numaish Numaish is the 73rd All India Industrial Exhibition is an ongoing event in the City. Where: Exhibition Ground, Mukarramjahi Road,
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 Landmark sale Landmark announces its sale of Up to 70 per cent off. Bestselling books starting at `49, 3 for 2 on the top 500 new releases are just some of the offers. Where: Landmark, Hyderabad When: January 25-February 25
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
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
City
YESTERDAY’S QUESTION
DO YOU THINK MORE SHOULD BE DONE TO ENCOURAGE WOMEN VOTERS? 94%
City police in for a reshuffle Cyberabad top cop Thirumal Rao to go. Six SPs get DIG rank, others transferred.
Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com
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big reshuffle of the senior police officers in the twin cities is on the cards. Amit Garg, currently additional commissioner law and order Hyderabad may be replacing Cyberabad commissioner Ch Dwaraka Thirumal Rao (pictured). Addittional commissioner of police, crime, Sandeep Shandilya will take Garg’s place. Some six SPs have been promoted to the rank of deputy inspector general rank. They are — M Shiva Prasad, A Ravi Chandra, T Murli Krishna, K Venkateshwar Rao, T Youganand and A Abraham Lincon. The chief secretary Minnie Mathew had issued a GO instructing the same. Changes are likely to take place after the political scenario in the State settles down. M Stephen Raveendra is likely to be elevated to the position of joint commissioner of police. He is currently working as group commander of gray hounds and earlier he had been assigned to the west zone as the DCP.
CRIME Two car thieves caught, cars and bikes seized
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he Shamshabad police have picked up two men who had formed a crime syndicate and lifted expensive cars and bikes from outside hotels on roadside. Police have recovered three stolen cars and four bikes besides electronic devices worth half a crore. T Laxman alias Santosh, 22, is a polytechnic dropout and T Ravi Kumar, 40, is a scrap dealer. The duo who had turned to thievery first met when they were in prison. They soon became friends and began working together, said sub-inspector
6%
A)
YES
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NO
NO (B)
To vote visit www.postnoon.com
CRIME
POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com
YES (A)
TODAY’S QUESTION
WILL ADVERSITY OVER T FINALLY UNITE KIRAN MINISTRY?
M Mahesh Goud. Santosh, a native of Guntur, was working as an electrician in the City. He was first arrested for theft at Guntur and after serving term he once again turned to theft. The second time he was arrested by the Nacharam police and imprisoned, where he met Laxman and the two formed a gang. Police said the duo targeted hotels where customers would park vehicles outside. They would sell the stolen vehicles to a car gang. The two have stolen dozens of bikes and cars, police said.
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Foggy weather for 2 more days
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he City will continue to remain foggy for the next 48 hours. The sudden showers the City experienced last evening was due to the moist south-eastern
winds blowing over Andhra Pradesh. Weathermen forecast thunder showers towards evening and a misty morning for another two days. Rains can be expected
across Telangana, Coastal Andhra. Night will be pleasanter with temperatures at 19 degree Celsius. Though fog enveloped the airport, flights were on time.
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city WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
DEVELOPMENT
LAST YEAR... HERE Land sharks bane of Bon
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ast year we had reported how the 68-acre Bon Cheruvu (lake) had shrunk to a mere 25 acres, thanks to the encroachment by a function hall owner and also one of the City’s biggest real estate developers. The stench of contamination replaced the fresh air and mosquitoes replaced migratory birds. The tank limit was marred by houses.
JANUARY 30, 2012
NUMEROLOGY
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superintendents of police have been promoted to the rank of deputy inspector general in the City. Some others have been transferred to other places.
Children should be at home. It’s a pity these children (specially abled) are not taken home. Even for festivals and vacations, they don’t come to take the child. Rama R, parent See page 8
POLITICS
At last, BJP will score over mayor
Metro deadlock
A section of people believe Metro rail is a folly while others say the rail must go underground in certain stretches to save heritage sites.
RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA rahul.r@postnoon.com
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he demand for underground Metro rail in Hyderabad faces opposition from S Jeevanand Reddy, the environment consultant to Metro rail and convenor of Forum for a Sustainable Environment. “Digging up the City for the underground rail project is not like any normal tunnel or canal digging. Since Hyderabad is based on a rocky surface with granite composition mostly, it is very unsafe for an underground rail project. Moreover, the cost of the project will shoot up by three to four times if the underground rail project is taken up, since the overhead rail project has already begun,” he said. Going by his statistics, the budget of the rail project will shoot up from `16,375 crore to `48 or 50,000 crore. “When old, heritage roads like Koti Bank Street or Abids got widened and the City lost
a lot of heritage value, or when the golf course near Golconda popped up, why did nobody criticise it then?” he said. “If you want to make it underground near heritage sites like Sultan Bazaar, you will have to dig a rail tunnel equal to the height of the pier, and with a sufficient sloping run down from a distance, for the rail to go in and smoothly come out. Will that not affect the old buildings in the core City areas?” Reddy also said that underground rails will only increase the crime rate in the City by becoming hubs of prostitution and other evils. But critics are unconvinced. According to C Ramachandriah, a popular critic of the Metro rail project, “Every city in India, including Bangalore, has gone underground at some stretch or the other, except Hyderabad. Bangalore and Hyderabad share similar underground topography, and there, at least eight kilometres
have been dug up for underground. The experts in drilling and digging will testify that drilling through hard rocky formations is far easier than clay or sandy areas. So the ‘granite underground’ theory stands dismissed.” He also pointed out that the homework for the project’s financial aspects has not been done. “They have not conducted any study with any expert agency on two things: The feasibility of going underground and the cost benefit analysis of comparative rail projects (overhead and underground). Reddy cannot tell you that one-third of cement and steel usage will go down if it’s made underground,” he said. While the debate rages on, especially after the recent heritage conservation committee of the HMDA raised objections to the overhead railway and proposed underground stretches, it remains to be seen how the future of the project will shape out.
S BALAKRISHNA
THINGS WE 5LEARNT TODAY The column that teaches everyone something new about the way the City functions.
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Telangana ministers find their voice. Congress ministers from Telangana have decided to stop obliging the TRS and KCR, and to start following their own party discipline.
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Give specially abled children a chance. Children with special abilities face discrimination in various walks of life. With some guidance, they too can live a normal life.
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Young men risk their lives for a living. Maut ka Kuan (well of death) is a dangerous act performed without safety measures at Numaish for public amusement.
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Out for dinner? Watch where you park your car. Police have arrested two men who lifted expensive cars and bikes parked outside hotels on the roadside. Goods worth half a crore have been recovered.
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Be prepared to burn a hole in your pocket. Apart from the existing Fuel Surcharge Adjustment Charges, the government is planning to hike existing power tariffs.
BJP corporator finally set to take oath at the next general body meet. Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com
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fter having made the BJP wait for months, the mayor and his party, MIM, will have to swallow the bitter pill on February 2, when the civic general body meeting will be held after eight months. Mayor Mohd Majid Hussain will have to administer oath to the BJP’s Langar House corporator Uday Kumar, who was declared the winner after the MIM corporator was disqualified by a court. The mayor and his party had been postponing the general body meeting for quite some time, reportedly to avoid the ‘unpalatable’ task of administering oath to the BJP corporator. While it would be the budget session, the MIM eating humble pie is the talk of the civic circles. Besides, the new Congress floor leader, Diddi Rambabu, would be tested for his mettle. Much has changed since the last general body meeting held in May. The Congress-MIM alliance has broken and the MIM has found new allies in YSRC and TDP. Civic observers and Diddi’s rivals point out that he would not be able to lead the party effectively as he lacks experience. Deputy Mayor G Raj Kumar of the Congress is non-committal. He says his party has always taken up public issues, whether in or out of power. But will the party, the largest in the civic body, asserts its supremacy? He does not know. TDP floor leader Singireddy Srinivas Reddy is getting ready for a ‘great show.’ “You just watch how I will be taking up the matters at the meeting,” he said excitedly.
NEWS BRIEFS Thief arrested, gold seized
Maoists kidnap Bangalore engineer?
Unemployed youth hangs himself
Sub-committee clears bottlenecks for HMR
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he police team of Chilkalguda have arrested a man named Shiv Kumar, 22. He is a resident of Gulzar House in Padma Rao Nagar of Secunderabad. He was arrested for a series of thefts in the City and the police recovered gold, silver and cash. He is said to have been involved in five thefts and burglaries in the City.
software engineer, MV Prabhu, who belongs to Bangalore, has been reported missing since January 11 from Kurnool. He was returning to Bangalore in his car. His car was found abandoned on the wayside and there was no trace of him. His phone is switched off. Maoists are suspected and efforts are being made to trace him.
Shanker, 26, a graduate who was a resident of Shivaganga Nagar of LB Nagar, has reportedly committed suicide by hanging himself at his home on Monday night. The deceased was jobless. He had been searching for jobs for the past few months but in vain, police found out. They suspect this is the reason behind his suicide.
he traffic sub-committee of special task force for the Metro rail project inspected various traffic bottleneck points and facilitation works from HPS and Begumpet to Oliphenta bridge near Secunderabad railway station in Metro rail corridor-III. Various officials, including the additional commissioner and project director, took part.
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city WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
POLITICS
T-mantris declare war on KCR Congress ministers from Telangana have decided to say ‘enough is enough!’ to the TRS and to KCR, and follow their own conscience and party discipline. INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com.
We have complete faith in our party high command. There may be a delay in the creation of the Telangana state, but the state will certainly come.
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ummelled and pushed around constantly by the aggressive TRS, the Telangana’s Congress ministers have decided to tell KCR to get off and mind his own business. The decision seems unanimous among ministers, since they believe the TRS has been appropriating all the credits for the battle for Telangana, using the T-Congress ministers like menial workers. The result has been a fusillade of artillery attack on TRS, KCR and the T-JAC since yesterday. The attack launched by Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy was followed by a series of statements by the T-ministers. “We are not the servants of KCR and T-JAC leaders. How can they resort to such acts and burn our effigies and level baseless allegations? We strongly condemn their acts and allegations,” said G Prasad Kumar, minister for textile. “We too are from Telangana and have our own identity as State cabinet ministers. We have not won elections with the sup-
Sunitha Lakshma Reddy cabinet minister
port of KCR or any other T-JAC leader,” blurted out another minister. Ministers whom Postnoon talked to said they are answerable to the people of Telangana and not to TRS or T-JAC. “No more pussyfooting,” it was declared.
POWER
Tariff hike public hearing
Another cabinet minister V Sunitha Lakshma Reddy said that all the ministers of State government from Telangana region have full confidence in the party high command over the issue of creation of the separate state. “We have complete faith in our party high command. The recent
developments over the issue have bolstered our confidence levels. There may be a delay in the creation of the Telangana state, but the state would certainly come,” she said. This is the first time the cabinet ministers from the region came out openly against the TRS
and KCR. In a collective and individual meeting, the ministers expressed anger at the TRS, saying the statehood of Telangana would be a reality but everybody should exercise a little more patience and restraint. Abusing the Congress leaders is not the solution, ministers believe. The ministers have now decided to launch joint offensive against the TRS and T-JAC and plough their own furrow on the vexatious T issue.
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he State government, which is already facing the public ire for imposing unprecedented Fuel Surcharge Adjustment (FSA) charges, is now preparing the ground for increasing existing power tariff from the next financial year beginning April 1 this year. Four power distribution companies — central, north, south, east and west — have submitted proposals to impose `12,723 crore through power charges hike to AP Electricity Regulatory Commission. In order to receive suggestions from the public over the decision, the council has decided to hold public hearing across the State. The hearing will begin from February 19 and will conclude on February 25. Four public hearings will be held in four different places of the State. The first one will be held in Vijayawada on February 19 under the limits of Southern Power Distribution Company of AP Limited (SPDCL).
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city WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
TECHNOLOGY
CITY BUZZES FOR BB 10
The new BlackBerry phone is not in the market yet, but loyalists have already booked theirs, say City retailers. PRUDHVI RAJU K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com
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lackBerry is all set to launch its BB 10 (smart mobile phone) in the global market today. Loyalist fans, retail stores, stock market investors and BlackBerry’s competitors are eagerly tracking this launch as it can change the course of BlackBerry either way. However, positive reviews of this phone by critics and around 17.49 per cent growth in its share (RIM’s stock in US) in the last 15 days acknowledging the market confidence in the product, will definitely bring the company relief. The launch has also created hype in City markets, with buyers already calling and visiting stores to know more about the launch. As the price is yet to be officially confirmed, many stores are finding it hard to take up bookings. “The product price is yet to be revealed, without which it is
unethical to take bookings in advance. However, we are taking bookings without any charge from BB loyalists who earlier bought a BlackBerry phone from our stores. Around 50 people have already booked with us and the City can absorb anywhere between 8,000-10,000 sets in the first month, which also depends on the stock availability. As there is need to fulfil orders globally, stores cannot easily get what they request from the company in the initial days,” said Jaiveer Rao, managing director, Frontline — the Live and Exclusive BlackBerry store. “According to the leaks and rumours on the Internet, the Indian price can be estimated to be around `40,000-
`45,000. The product is also offered with payment in three equal instalments without any charge when paid through credit card at our store,” he said. When asked about expectations from the product, he said, “The accurate product features and specifications will be out today with its launch. As per the Internet rumours, the features and specifications are set to revolutionise mobile computing. “For the first time in the history of mobile phones, a user
DOWN BUT NOT OUT
NT BALANARAYAN balanarayan.nt@postnoon.com
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lackBerry manufacturer Research in Motion is but a mere shadow of itself and has placed all its hope for a comeback on devices that will run its new OS — BB10. The sales of the device might be falling world over, but here in Hyderabad, there are plenty of people who are still rooting for BlackBerry. Atul Sharma, CTO of Ozontel, has been using BlackBerry devices for the past six years. Sharma said, “I tried out Android and iOS, but went back to BlackBerry.” So what does he like most about the device? “It’s the safe no-nonsense BlackBerry messenger. It’s an ideal tool to keep in touch with the team and we know that it will work every time flawlessly. A phone is too personal for me to install Whatsapp and open it up for public access,” he added. Nitin Aggarwal, a banker who was visiting the City, also loves his BlackBerry Bold. “My device has touchscreen also, but I really like the keypad.
I’m comfortable with touchscreen, but there’s something about the tactile feel of the device that a touchscreen just hasn’t been able to match,” Aggarwal says. He feels that BlackBerry will succeed with BB10. “Even if they don’t find success immediately, they are not going to stop manufacturing as there are a lot of people who use the device,” he said. Sharma echoes the sentiment. “They are the
can work on eight active windows seamlessly without pressing the back button unlike others. Time Shift camera will also be a killer in terms of taking photos. The BB 10 smart phone actually records a video and gives an option for the user to pick the right frame (photo) that he likes in the video; guaranteeing that the photo will come out well. The 1.5 Ghz processor with 2GB RAM gives it an edge for faster operation of applications like browsing. It may also enable the user to have around 80GB of data in his mobile phone for the first time ever (16GB inbuilt memory and also supports 64GB SD slot).” The brand continues to have a set of loyalists despite intense competition — loyal corporate employees who choose BB for security and other features like push mail. It also enjoys a fan following among the young crowd, who love features like BBM, which enables unlimited media messaging (photos, audio, video, text) between BlackBerry users apart from
WhatsApp. Talking about the customers, Rao said, “We have a major chunk of corporate clients, cricketers and celebrities who always prefer to carry a premium BlackBerry phone. This product will have a huge replacement market along with the new buyers.” Despite the robustness of the product, BlackBerry has suffered due to the number of applications in offering compared to its counterparts, “However, this has changed now. For instance, within record time of 37.5 hours, the company has got 15,000 new BB10 applications from developers. This acknowledges the developers’ confidence in the product and the high-end configuration of the product will attract many more applications in the future,” he concluded. Some of the information expressed by the retailer in the article is based on speculations. BlackBerry, Postnoon or the speaker cannot be held responsible for the factuality of the information.
BlackBerry is launching a new QNX-based operating system and a new device that looks as good, if not better, than most devices in the market. BlackBerry users in Hyderabad believe that the company can make a comeback with this approach. FOR REPRESENTATIVE PURPOSES
team that built the hardware and software with a USP, long before Ghz processor and MBs of memory were available on a mobile chipset. They should be able to put a good fight,” he said. Engineering student Mohammed Ashraf, however, is not too keen on holding on to BlackBerry. “I heard about the new device they are coming up with, but they have a lot of catching up to do and it doesn’t make sense to buy first generation of any device,” he said.
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classifieds WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
EXHIBITION Impoverished young men risk their lives performing stunts in the ‘maut ka kuan’ without even a safety harness. ANUBHA K SINGH anubha.k@postnoon.com
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n ominous feeling takes over when you are hit with the strong smell of burnt oil; when all you see is smoke and all you hear is the sound of a vehicle accelerating. Being welcomed by a sign that reads ‘Maut ka kuan’ — or the ‘well of death’ — seems eerily fitting. Part of the amusement at Numaish, the ‘well’ is a 30-foot high tent with bikes and cars constantly circling it. For most of us, the maut ka kuan is not a new attraction as it has been a part of many a circus performance. But
In the well of despair
what we may not know is the plight of the drivers who risk their lives on a daily basis for a measly sum. Most of these riders are poverty stricken and have been risking their life from a young age to earn `50. “Nine of us perform stunts here and we are all from Ranchi. Eight riders perform at any given time — four on bikes and four in cars — and we have one extra person ready in case of an emergency. No doubt this is a risky job, but we have been doing this for years now and we no longer fear for our lives. The stunts are risky, but by God’s grace, accidents are rare,” said Afroz Aalam, head of the team. The ‘well’ is made of wooden planks supported by a metallic frame which is held in place with nuts and bolts. The audience is made to stand around the edge of the artificial well from where they can easily view the stunts. “Most of us are not educated and belong to poor families. This is the only way we can earn and
N SHIVA KUMAR
fulfil our family’s basic needs. Our salary ranges from `15,000 to `20,000 a month, depending on the stunt man’s experience,” said Ganesh Rai, a bike rider. So how do they ensure they don’t fall off the wall? The riders must ensure that the moving vehicle does not stop at any point while on the wall of the
well. If it does, the vehicle will break the centrifugal force and gravity will bring it down. This is when there is a risk of injury. Over the years, many women have also started participating. “In our home town, even girls perform the acts. Not only that, they perform stunts that are more dangerous than the
ones that the men perform. We have four girls in our company, but we can’t take them to outdoor exhibitions as we can’t ensure their safety. Accom modation is a major problem and we are sometimes forced to live in the tent itself. The girls will not be comfortable with this,” said Chotu, the youngest among the riders. What is shocking is that there are no safety measures taken while the young men perform life-threatening stunts. While riding their bikes and cars, they swing their limbs, wave to the crowd and change their positions by holding their hands together — all without a single safety harness. What makes the problem worse is that the riders use old and discarded vehicles. Despite all this, maut ka kuan is no doubt a thrilling and spectacular event. But just as Postnoon had reported on the risks of another attraction at Numaish — the Ranger — safety again does not seem to be the prime responsibility at the event.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
Business
RBS FACING £500MN FINE OVER LIBOR: REPORT
Britain’s Royal Bank of Scotland could face a £500-million ($786-million) fine from British and US authorities for its role in the Libor rate-rigging affair, a report by The Wall Street Journal, citing people briefed on negotiations, said.
AGING WORKFORCE
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PFIZER PROFITS JUMP
Wheezing dragon? With fewer people available to work and higher labour costs, investments will be harder to maintain with higher spending on health care.
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hina’s demographic timebomb is ticking much louder with the first fall in its labour pool for decades, analysts say, highlighting the risk that the country grows old before it grows rich. The abundant supply of cheap workers in the world’s most populous nation has created unprecedented cost efficiencies that underpinned its blistering economic expansion over the past 35 years. But now the inexorable consequences of the one-child policy imposed in the late 1970s are beginning to appear, and threaten to impact its future growth. China’s working-age population, defined as 15-59, fell 3.45 million last year, official data showed earlier this month — the first decline since 1963, after tens of millions died in a famine caused by the Great Leap Forward. The immediate effect may be small in a nation of 1.35 billion people, but the cumulative effects will accelerate over the coming decades. The number of people aged between 15 and 64 will drop by around 40 million between 2014 and 2030, said Wang Guangzhou, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), a government think-tank. “The population is aging so fast that we are running short of time to deal with it,” said Li Jun, also of CASS, adding the family planning policy had exacerbated the problem. China’s proportion of over-65-yearolds is projected to double from seven to 14 percent over only 26 years — a key demo-
By around 2060, every three Chinese workers will have to support two people above 60, compared with a ratio of five to one now graphic measure that took the United States 69 years to complete. “Undoubtedly it will substantially slow down China’s potential growth rate,” Yao Wei, an economist with Societe Generale in Hong Kong, said. An ageing population not only means fewer people available to employ and higher labour costs, but investment — a key driver of China’s growth — will be harder to maintain as families spend their savings on
health care, she said. Chinese authorities maintain that controlling its population growth has been key to increasing its prosperity. But while China has risen to become the world’s second-largest economy, on a per capita basis it still lags far behind the United States and other developed countries. Industrial disputes have become more common in recent years, as workers demand higher pay and better working conditions on the back of growing awareness of their rights and the shortage of skilled staff. Multinational companies are looking to other developing economies with lower wages for further expansion, with some already moving production bases out of China to rivals such as Indonesia and Vietnam. In a survey of 514 Japanese manufacturers by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation last year, the number of respondents voting China as the top destination for overseas business fell by more than 10 percentage points on 2011. By around 2060, every three Chinese workers will have to support two people above 60, compared with a ratio of five to one now, according to Li’s projections. Analysts said the medical services are increasingly expensive and hard to access, while the public pension plans are crippled by problems including insolvency risks, difficulties in expanding coverage and mismanagement. AFP
Wave Systems partners with Infodat POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com
W
ave Systems announced an expansion of its distribution channel, highlighted by strategic agreements with Infodat Technologies in India; TechSearch Corp. in Korea; and Bangkok Systems & Software in Thailand. Wave is
also expanding existing relationships in Singapore and other Asian-Pacific markets. These new distribution partners are now authorised to offer their customers Wave’s solutions for data protection, data loss prevention, authentication, security compliance and malware protection. “We’re putting Wave’s technology into the hands of
top regional distributors whose relationships and trained service professionals offer a fast path to deployment,” said Brian Berger, Wave’s executive vice president of business development and CMO. “The mass availability of external endpoint devices, and a lack of standards, makes many companies in a country
like India even more vulnerable to data threats.Therefore, it’s critical for small and large organisations alike to include endpoint protection as part of their IT security strategy. We are excited to partner with a company like Wave and offer this security to our customers,” said Rao Pallepati, President, Infodat Technologies India.
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Pfizer reported a big jump in fourthquarter earnings as cost-cutting efforts plus a gain from an asset sale helped offset the loss of exclusivity of a blockbuster cholesterol drug. The world’s biggest pharmaceutical company posted fourth-quarter net income of $6.3 billion, up from $1.4 billion in the year-earlier period. The results included a $4.8 billion gain from the sale of the Nutrition business to Nestle. However, Pfizer continued to feel the effects of the loss of exclusivity of its popular Lipitor anti-cholesterol drug. Fourth-quarter revenue fell seven percent compared with last year’s level, to $15.1 billion. Pfizer’s adjusted net income, which excludes one-time items such as the Nestle deal, fell seven percent from the year-earlier period to $3.5 billion.
NUMEROLOGY
$43.2
bn
is South Korea’s current account surplus for 2012, boosted by growing overseas construction orders and exports that remained relatively solid despite a global slowdown.
BP SPILL FINE CLEARED A US judge on Tuesday approved a $4.5 billion deal in which BP pleaded guilty to criminal charges from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill — but the British energy giant’s legal woes are far from over. BP is set to return to the Louisiana courthouse on February 25 for a mammoth trial consolidating scores of remaining lawsuits stemming from the worst environmental disaster to strike the United States. It must also still resolve a civil case on environmental fines which could amount to as much as $18 billion if gross negligence is found. It also remains on the hook for billions in economic damages, including the cost of environmental rehabilitation. The blowout on the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon drilling rig on April 20, 2010 killed 11 people and unleashed some 4.9 million barrels of oil, blackening beaches in five states and crippling the region’s tourism and fishing industries.
BSE 6,057.70 6057.65 NSE
20,025.67 20021.20 44.10 30.30 9.20 7.75
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
nation
ARUNACHAL CM PROMISES DEVELOPMENT Arunachal Pradesh CM Nabam Tuki has reiterated his government’s commitment to develop the interior areas of the state at par with the other parts. “The government will deliver its best efforts to develop not only Nyapin subdivision in remote Kurung Kumey district but every interior and remote administrative centre across the state.”
POLITICAL DRAMA
VISHWAROOPAM ROW
Uddhav, Raj to unite?
‘You cannot clap with one hand,’ said Uddhav. MUMBAI: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday hinted that he was open to the possibility of his party joining hands with cousin Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. The clear hint came in an interview to the party mouthpiece Saamna, Thackeray’s first since his father Balasaheb Thackeray’s death on November 17 last year and after he took over the reins of the party on January 17. Responding to a question on whether the cousins could come together, Thackeray said: “You cannot clap with one hand. Tell me, can you?” Pushing further, Saamna’s executive editor and party MP Sanjay Raut asked whether this implied the two parties could
AUSTRALIAN HONOUR
Order of Australia for Auntieji MELBOURNE: An Indian-origin woman is all set to figure in the prestigious list of people who have received the Order of Australia Medal (OAM). The 85-year old Krishna Arora, who has been running a community service was selected for this year’s awards for her contribution to the Indian community. “When I came here, I found the only thing that needed attention was loneliness of new migrants. Someone said to me Australians pass their time by doing community work. I thought it was a great idea and then there was no looking back,” said Arora, former principal of a Delhi-based catering college. Arora, also popularly known as ‘Auntieji’, runs a hotline tele service offering cooking tips. “For a newly arrived person, it is very, very important they get in contact with the right type of people who will be able to tell them the little customs and traditions of Australia and get on with life” said Arora. She has also been teaching Asian cooking to Australians for two years at one of the Community Centre in Victoria. PTI
join hands? “Why do you ask this question only to me? I am ready to reply. But for that you have to make us sit together, next to each other. Then you can ask the question to both of us. It depends on both sides,” Thackeray said, hinting at the possibility of burying the hatchet with Raj.
“More important than coming together, we have to first analyse why we drifted away... If we reunite, then for what purpose? Who is your main political opponent? Who do you want to destroy politically? And what direction should be taken for achieving this?” Thackeray told Raut.
NEWS BRIEFS Armed men rob California Gurudwara WASHINGTON: Armed men barged into a
IANS
TN files appeal
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu government today filed an appeal against the interim order of a single judge of Madras High Court giving clearance for screening of Kamal Haasan’s controversial Tamil movie Vishwaroopam. The government sought immediate hearing of the appeal on the issue, which is likely to be heard this afternoon. The decks were cleared late last night by Justice K Venkataraman, who granted the interim stay of operation of the order made under Section 144 of the CrPC by District Collectors across the state that had prevented release of the movie made with a nearly `100 crore budget. Advocate-General A Navaneethakrishnan had said yesterday that the court’s order was not final and would be challenged. Justice Venkataraman, who had viewed the spy-thriller on Saturday, had passed the order
considering the prima facie case established by Haasan, who questioned the two week ban, imposed after Muslim outfits were up in arms against its release claiming it portrayed their community in a bad light. In his order, the court had said it was surprising that all District Magistrates/District Collectors of 31 districts, had taken a common decision and passed an order under Section 144 of CrPC “which appears to be strange.” PTI
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Gurudwara in California city and took away the money from a donation box kept inside the complex, police said. According to the local Livingston police in California, three robbers entered the Gurudwara through the front door early Sunday morning. One of the men was armed with a gun, while another with a knife. The third robber was unarmed. The three men took a few thousand dollars from a donation box and left through a side door.
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Two persons arrested for demanding ransom ITANAGAR: Two extortionists have been arrested from Assam on the charge of demanding a ransom of Rupees five lakh from an IAS officer’s wife in Arunachal Pradesh, the police said. The extortionists had threatened to kill either of her two sons if she failed to pay the amount, the police said quoting the FIR lodged by Namijaya Tapak, the wife of an IAS officer. Abdul Salam, one of the extortionists was arrested from Molanpukhri village under Dhekiajuli police station of Assam’s Sonitpur.
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Indian’s subway death: NY woman’s arraignment postponed NEW YORK: The arraignment of a 31-yearold woman, accused of shoving an Indian immigrant to his death from a subway platform here last month, has been postponed as defense attorneys seek to contest a ruling that she is mentally fit to stand trial in the case. Erika Menendez of Queens pushed Sunando Sen, 46, in front of an oncoming subway train on December 27, telling authorities later that her hatred for “Hindus and Muslims” prompted her to push the India-born off the subway platform.
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
World
GATES URGES POLIO ERADICATION BY 2018 Microsoft founder Bill Gates said the battle to eradicate polio was one of the toughest the world has faced, but said it could be conquered by 2018. Delivering the annual Richard Dimbleby lecture in London on Tuesday, Gates, the United States’ richest man, said ridding the world of polio would be “one of the great moral and practical achievements of our age”.
LOOTING AND SMOKING
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CHAVEZ BETTER EACH DAY ALMOST THERE: French troops were at the gates of the last major city in northern Mali still outside their control early Wednesday after their forces landed at the airport in Kidal, local sources said. “We confirm that French aircraft are on the Kidal landing strip and that protection helicopters are in the sky,” said a regional security source.
A Malian soldier trys to disperse looters in the streets of Timbuktu on January 29, 2013. Hundreds of Malians looted stores in Timbuktu on Tuesday, saying the shops AFP/PHOTO ERIC FEFERBERG belonged to “Arabs” and “terrorists”.
TIT FOR TAT?
S Korea plans rocket launch
SEOUL: South Korea braced Wednesday for its third bid to launch a satellite into orbit -- a critical moment for the future of the country’s space programme and a high-stakes challenge to national pride. The pressure surrounding the mission has risen considerably in the wake of rival North Korea’s successful launch of a satellite on an indigenously-built carrier in December. Final preparations for Wednesday’s rocket launch were also being made under the North’s threat of an imminent nuclear test. After two previous failures in 2009 and 2010, the 140tonne Korea Space Launch Vehicle (KSLV-I) was scheduled to blast off some time after 3:55pm (0655 GMT) from the Naro Space Center on the south coast.
A man smokes several cigarettes to celebrate on January 29, 2013 in Ansongo, a town south of the northern Malian city of Gao, as AFP/KAMBOU SIA Niger troops entered the city.
SYRIAN CRISIS
The river of horror Bodies of 80 youths recovered from Aleppo river.
UNITED NATIONS: The Syrian war has reached “unprecedented levels of horror”, UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said Tuesday after dozens of men were killed in a grim new massacre. Brahimi told the divided UN Security Council that it must now act to halt the carnage epitomized by the nearly 80 young men, each killed with a single bullet and dumped in a river in the battlefront city of Aleppo. Syrian rebels blamed President Bashar al-Assad’s government for the killings, but state media said an Islamist opposition faction was to blame. Syria “is breaking up before everyone’s eyes. Only the international community
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who is recovering in Cuba after a fourth cancer surgery, is improving each day and becoming more engaged in his work, a top aide said Tuesday. Chavez is getting “better each day, and more involved in his official duties,” science and technology Minister Jorge Arreaza told VTV television by phone from Havana. Arreaza, who is also Chavez’s sonin-law and has served as a family spokesman in recent weeks, said he had just come from a meeting with the Venezuelan leader.
NUMEROLOGY
14
th
of September is the date PM Julia Gillard said Australia would go to the polls. Australians usually know only weeks before when an election will be held, Gillard, whose minority government has only a narrow margin, surprised pundits by ending speculation and giving a date.
SENATE CONFIRMS KERRY
Men look for their relatives amongst the bodies of Syrian civilians executed and dumped in the Quweiq river, in the grounds of the courtyard of a Yarmouk School.
can help, and first and foremost the Security Council,” Brahimi told the council’s 15 ambassadors. Twenty-two months of conflict have now left well
over 60,000 dead, according to the United Nations, which on Wednesday will seek $1.5 billion in humanitarian funding for beleaguered Syrians at a conference in Kuwait. AFP
AFP
NEWS BRIEFS S Korea president-elect loses PM nominee
US woman, boyfriend held for caging girl
Lawyers of 9/11 plotters seek access to prison
Anti-whalers intercept Japanese fleet
SEOUL: South Korean presidentelect Park Geun-Hye’s incoming administration has been hit even before it takes office, with her nominee for prime minister withdrawing ahead of his confirmation hearings. Kim Yong-Joon, 74 stepped aside after media reports raised suspicions about his accumulated family wealth.
LOS ANGELES: A US woman and her boyfriend have been arrested for leaving their 8-year-old adoptive daughter locked in a cage while they went out police said. Cindy Patriarchias, 33, and Edmond Gonzales, 37, were both charged with child negligence after the girl, who has a developmental condition, was found in a wooden cage.
Lawyers for five alleged 9/11 plotters urged a military judge Tuesday to give them two days to visit the super-secure prison and cells where their clients are being held. The defendants, meanwhile, boycotted proceedings on the second day of preparatory hearings at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp.
US NAVAL BASE, GITMO :
SYDNEY: Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd said Wednesday it had intercepted the Japanese fleet in its annual Southern Ocean hunt “before a single harpoon has been fired”. It claims to have saved the lives of 4,000 whales over the past eight whaling seasons with evergreater campaigns of harassment against the Japanese harpoon fleet.
The US Senate on Tuesday confirmed Senator John Kerry will be the next secretary of state, approving President Barack Obama’s pick to replace Hillary Clinton as America’s top diplomat. Kerry — a senator from Massachusetts best known outside the United States for his unsuccessful 2004 presidential campaign — was nominated last month to take over the foreign affairs portfolio in Obama’s second term team. The Senate voted 94-3 in favor of the veteran Democratic lawmaker.
Syria is breaking up before everyone’s eyes. Only the international community can help, and first and foremost the Security Council. Lakhdar Brahimi UN envoy
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
Technology PARENTAL GUIDANCE REQUIRED
13 NEW OFFICE OUT Microsoft announced the latest version of its Office software and it comes with a subscription option. For now, Office 365 Home Premium is priced at $99.99 for an annual subscription, with permission to install the suite on up to five PCs and Macs. There's also a "University" version for college students and faculty, which costs $79.99 for a four-year plan. Either way, the sub includes 20GB of SkyDrive storage on top of whatever plan you already have. At the low end, there's Office 2013 Home and Student 2013 ($139), which comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. Home and Business adds Outlook for $219.
PAY AND WATCH
Kids need parental guidance while using media as they may not be mature enough to do so. Setting these limits is the responsibility of parents and if not set early enough, they may not be able to strike a balance between the real and virtual worlds.
ARE YOUR KIDS OVERLOADING ON DEVICES?
YouTube is prepping to launch paid subscriptions for individual channels on its video platform in its latest attempt to lure content producers, eyeballs, and advertiser dollars away from traditional TV, according to people familiar with the plans. Youtube currently lets users pay and watch movies in selected regions and now may be expanding that plan. This may have something to do with Google’s plan to push Google TV especially when there are rumours of Apple working on a connected TV.
500px back One week after it was unceremoniously booted from Apple's iOS App Store, 500px has returned. The app is once again available for both iPhone and iPad after it was pulled down last Monday. In a statement at the time, Apple explained that the 500px takedown came as a direct result of the app "featuring pornographic images and material, a clear violation of our guidelines." The company even claimed that it had received complaints of child pornography within the photography app. However, it appears both sides have worked through the issue. Now users can ag inappropriate content and comes with a 17+ age rating.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
Comment Sweet are the uses of adversity which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head.
ABUSE OF LAWS
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memorates Adolf Hitler's rise to power 80 years ago, with exhibitions exploring what Chancellor Angela Merkel has called Germany's "everlasting responsibility" for crimes committed by the Nazis. In a black-and-white photo, visitors can make out the Fuehrer saluting the crowd from the chancellery window on the evening of January 30, 1933, after earlier having been made chancellor and been charged by president Paul von Hindenburg with forming a new government. The picture is on display at "Berlin 1933. On the Path to Dictatorship", due to be opened by Merkel in the German capital on Wednesday, on a site charged with history as the former headquarters of the Gestapo, the secret police of the Nazi regime. It now houses The Topography of Terror, an open-air documentation centre whose exhibition will trace Hitler's first months in power through photos, newspapers and posters. "The hour has come! We are at Wilhelmstrasse (the site of the chancellery at the time). Hitler is chancellor of the Reich. Like in a fairytale," wrote Joseph Goebbels, who was to become Nazi propaganda chief, in his diary on January 31, 1933. Posters go on to show images of the Reichstag going up in flames the following month and then the first measures taken against the Jews on April 1, with the start of a boycott of Jewish shops, doctors and lawyers. "Germans, defend yourselves! Don't buy from Jews," a poster states.Andreas Nachama, director of The Topography of Terror, said the arrival of the failed painter from Austria at the helm of power in Germany was an "incision" in history, although nobody at the time thought he would last. AFP
14
TOYING WITH THE JUDICIARY FUSILLADE
William Shakespeare Playwright
Remembering Adolf Hitler erlin on Wednesday com-
HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS Balotelli had been quite a force in City’s squad, but when there’s no way to control that force, it’s best to let it go. Mancini had high hopes of making Mario into something outstanding. Don’t know if City is going to rue their decision.
Arun Koshy Philip
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ack of faith in elected representatives and administrative machinery has seen people increasingly turning to judiciary to get things done. Well... faith in judiciary is good, but it doesn’t mean its understaffed machinery should be dragged into all matters — the latest row over Telangana statehood being the best example. A Hyderabad court has directed the police to file a case against Union ministers P Chidambaram and Sushilkumar Shinde for making crucial announcements regarding the formation of Telangana, and subsequently failing to keep them. The petitioner had moved the court saying the ministers should be booked under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for “cheating”. Now let us see what the law says. Section 420 in The Indian Penal Code, 1860: Whoever cheats and thereby dishonestly induces the person deceived to deliver any property to any person, or to make, alter or destroy the whole or any part of a valuable security, or anything which is signed or sealed, and
which is capable of being converted into a valuable security, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine. Hello, where does this apply in the context of Telangana? While one can understand the emotion behind the petition, the rationality of admitting a political policy decision should be considered more carefully. If politicians, whether holding public office or not, are to be booked and punished for not keeping their promises, there would hardly be anyone who can stay out of jail. Considering the amount of lofty promises that politicians make regarding bringing development, introducing welfare measures, providing good governance and weeding out corruption (ROFL here..), cases against political class alone will be sufficient enough to create a separate wing of judiciary. Crores of cases are pending in our courts – some of them dragging on for decades. Tens of thousands are languishing in overcrowded jails awaiting trial. Scores of them have spent more time behind bars than what the maximum punishment for their crime would have been. Despite the crushing workload, curiously, there is always time for trivial cases like complaints against random movie
stars for ‘indecent’ performances at stage shows, ‘obscene’ posters and ‘objectionable’ opinions. One can’t help but wonder if the legal luminaries who drafted our laws did not have the foresight to include separate laws to protect the moral fabric of the society. May be, in the ongoing process of legal reforms, we should introduce laws on soul too! A wise man once said “there is nothing permanent except change”. In realpolitik, policies and decisions keep changing to adapt with changing circumstances. This evolution is
inevitable in the course of decision-making and progress. If change of stance is a criminal offence, there would be no scope for the politics of alliances in India. When a party switches its support, it is never done with the approval of every single member and those who voted for it — therefore it would amount to fraud. The legal system is in place to address grievances and provide justice. When it is abused for publicity and other vested interests, it is this original purpose which is being defeated. And we don’t need that... Do we?
EDITORIALS Tariff hike is not the solution
H
iking power tariff is child’s play; anyone can do that. But to streamline production, distribution and optimal use of power requires sagacity in governance. It is sadly lacking in the AP power ministry and the cabinet. The talk of another dose of power tariff hike from April 1 is bound to create its cascading effects on the tenuous industrial situation in the State which is already bogged down with the endless strife in the name of Telangana. Industry has taken the place of agriculture today and industry is emerging the biggest employer. Maintaining power supply is the basic job of the government and it should ensure a balanced production using a judicious admix of thermal, hydro, gas and nuclear (if need be). Failure of the successive governments since 1990 has led to the present situation of acute paucity of power. Government should bring down cost of production, curtail transmission loss, remove unwanted posts and reduce cost instead of raising tariff.
READERS’ VIEWS
The young ‘un’ needs to introspect
K
im Jong un needs to do a bit of introspection about what his country needs most: food for his people or more nuke tests thus alieanaing the world and chances for reconciliation. After sanctions were imposed on N Korea, Pyongyang has been vociferously issuing vitriolic statements about retaliation, first against arch-rival the US and then against the traitor nation, South Korea. This is not about the beloved first family, but the present and future of millions living in subhuman conditions, impoverished and in perennial want of basic needs.
We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 4067 2222. Editor: Dean Williams
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
Cinema
BOX OFFICE NUMBERS
Django Unchained once again led the foreign box office, reaffirming that mixing Quentin Tarantino with an all-star cast is enough to get foreign audiences to check out a western. Meanwhile, Skyfall finally opened in China and the results were nothing short of spectacular. Django added $43.1 million from 64 markets this weekend.
IMAGES THAT LAST A LIFETIME
A sea of emotions
Calling Mani Ratnam as one of the most influential filmmakers in contemporary Indian Cinema would be a cliché. From the days of Pallavi Anu Pallavi to his recent film Raavan, he has dealt with some of the most complex themes like religion, terrorism, politics and relationships. What makes his films so relevant and timeless? HEMANTH KUMAR hemanth.k@postnoon.com
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here’s a scene in Mani Ratnam’s Kannathil Muthamittal where Thiruchelvan (Madhavan) takes his nine-yearold daughter Amudha (Keerthana) to the sea shore to confess that he isn’t her father. Till then, Amudha’s life is filled with so much joy that at first she doesn’t care about what Thiruchelvan is about to say. She plays, quite carelessly, on the sea shore and when Thiruchelvan confesses that her biological mother is in Sri Lanka, Amudha’s entire world crumbles and all we hear, for a brief moment, is the sound of waves crashing on to the shore. Nature has been an important part of how Mani Ratnam designs the scenes in his films. Whether it’s the gentle rays of the sun being used to light up the face of Maragatham (Revathi) in a dark room in Iruvar or the fog kissing Geethanjali’s (Girija) feet when Prakash (Nagarjuna) proposes to her in his landmark romantic film Geethanjali, there are very few filmmakers who can stir up a myriad of emotions without having to say much. Three years after he made his debut with Pallavi Anu Pallavi in Kannada, Mani Ratnam quickly rose to fame with Mouna Ragam, a 1986 film starring Mohan, Revathi and Karthik. The film was a huge success in both Tamil and Telugu and it marked the beginning of a glorious phase in his career. Nayagan starring Kamal Haasan as Sakthivelu Nayakar, which released in 1987, became a cult classic and it was even included in TIME magazine’s ‘All time 100 Best Films” in 2005. Geethanjali, his only Telugu film till date, is still considered as one of the best romantic films of all time but the film which made Mani Ratnam a national phenomenon was Roja, a 1992 film starring
Arvind Swami and Madhubala. From the bylanes of Bombay, Ooty, Chennai and Delhi, Mani Ratnam moved on to address a much bigger theme of terrorism in Kashmir in Roja. The film paved way to a much more ambitious project Bombay which was set in the backdrop of riots in Bombay in late 1992. Iruvar, which was inspired from the evolution of Dravidian movement and emergence of icons like MGR and Karunanidhi, is widely regard-
ed as one of Mani Ratnam’s best films. Despite such complex themes which Mani Ratnam has dealt with over the past three decades, the crux of the story always lies in the emotional struggle which the characters go through. Be it Amudha who goes searching for her biological mother in Kannathil Muthamittal or take Raagini (Aishwarya Rai), a police officer’s wife who finds herself drawn towards Veera (Vikram),
SCREEN POOPERS
Recommended Films
n n n n n
Nayagan Iruvar Geethanjali Roja Kannathil Muthamittal
the very outlaw whom Raagini’s husband Dev Prakash (Prithvi Raj) wants to arrest, the emotional curve which the characters in Mani Ratnam’s films go through is in itself the anchor which makes all these stories so real. Behind the façade of gorgeous cinematography by stalwarts like Santosh Sivan, Rajeev Menon and PC Sreeram and soulful music by Ilayaraja and AR Rahman, every Mani Ratnam’s film is a definitive character study of the times we live in. In a recent essay, K Hariharan, the director of LV Prasad Film and TV Academy, wrote about the influence of Nehruvian socialism to Rajiv Gandhi’s liberalisation on Mani Ratnam’s films. A glimpse of such an influence can be found in the portrayal of marriage in Mouna Ragam as compared to another remarkable film named Alaipayuthey. The tenderness in emotion which Divya (Revathi) portrays in Mouna Ragam is replaced with a modern and independent, yet caring Shakti (Shalini) in Alaipayuthey. The very fact that Mani Ratnam’s films dig deep into our psyche and the mood of our times is proof enough of what makes his films so relevant to our times and timeless at the same time. His upcoming film Kadal is set in the backdrop of a fishing village in coastal Tamil Nadu. Are we excited about his fascination with nature and relationships? Oh yes! Because no one makes films like Mani Ratnam.
‘Saif’ to stay away We liked you in Dil Chahta Hai and you were loved for playing Langda Tyagi in Omkara. Our hopes were pinned on your movie choices Saif, till you betrayed us with last year's disastrous Cocktail. Dancing around in a corset with shocking pink lipstick isn't our idea of cute, Mr Khan. It's a pity you're far behind in the Bollywood 'Race' today.
Where are the women? Jennifer Lawrence has been sweeping up all the Best Actress awards so far. Really? Daniel Day-Lewis is winning the male counterpart of the same awards for his brilliant portrayal of Lincoln. Lawrence was good, but nowhere even near that level of mastery. So where are all our great female characters? The fact that Judi Dench was nominated for her role in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is enough to make people weep. Show us your acting chops, women!
TRENDING...
Lucasfilm isn’t kidding in its aim to pour all of its efforts – every fiber of the Force, every ounce of Stormtrooper chutzpah – into its revival of the Star Wars franchise. It’s even pushing back scheduled 3-D rereleases of prequels Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
Liam Neeson was 56 years old when he starred in Pierre Morel's Taken and suddenly discovered a second career for himself as an action star. Now it seems that Sean Penn is banking on Morel doing the same thing for him with the upcoming Prone Gunman.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
spotlight
CREATIVE IMPULSES
Following the legacy of exhibition 'New Olds' held in July 2012, with Art in Objects III Daira Art Gallery, Taj Deccan and the Confederation of Indian Industries will be presenting another an art exhibition that yet again encompasses aesthetics and functionality. Daira Art Gallery at Banjara Hills is the venue.
DANCING TO CELEBRATE
A SHOWREEL OF BRILLIANCE The students and staff of the Jain group of institutions celebrated their fourth annual day at Sri Satya Sai Nigamagamam on Tuesday.The students put up some brilliant dance performances on this occasion.
FESTIVE RETURNS
Jayalakshmi, the winner of GRT Jewellers’ festival bonanza draw was given the key to her prize —the Toyota Etios, at the Somajiguda store. SRINIVAS SETTY
18 S BALAKRISHNA
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
health
FRIED FOOD INCREASES CHANCES OF PROSTATE CANCER If you love French fries and gorge on fried chicken, you could be heading for trouble in the shape of aggressive prostate cancers, warns a new study. Regular consumption of deep fries such as French fries, fried chicken and doughnuts is linked to aggressive versions of prostate cancers, says a research by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
OSTEOARTHRITIS
19
No reason to stop
Sure osteoarthritis can be debilitating, but it is no reason to stop say doctors. One should in fact, make an effort to stay more active to help take the pressure off. RANJANI RAJENDRA
ranjani.r@postnoon.com
W
hen 56-year-old Lalitha was diagnosed with osteoarthritis her orthopaedic consultant advised her to take it easy and not walk too much. However, staying off her feet didn’t do her any good. On her next visit to her diabetologist, she was asked to lose weight to help manage her condition better. When she confessed that she wasn’t walking too much of late, leave alone exercise, her doctor chided her and asked her to remain active. Osteoarthritis was no reason to stop walking, he said. Understandably, Lalitha was confused. The common perception among the general population is that a person with osteoarthritis should limit their physical activities to limit the strain on their joints. Experts point out that this is not required. “In fact, a patient with osteoarthritis should make sure that they go for regular walks and do some muscle strengthening exercises. The only difference is that they should try and walk on flat surfaces and wear good walking shoes,” says Dr KJ Reddy, senior orthopaedic consult and knee specialist at Apollo Hospital, Jubilee Hills. Physiotherapy, he says, is one of the key factors in treating osteoarthritis. “Patients should be trained by a
ANEWS PP-LYBRIEFS YOURSELF
physiotherapist to strengthen their muscles, especially the quadriceps. This way their muscles can share the load that falls on the joints. A lot of people seem to think that walking wears their joints. This is not true. In fact, it strengthens muscles aiding the joints,” he explains. Strenuous activity may be ruled out for patients with osteoarthritis, but not complete physical activity. Besides, a lot of people with weight issues and osteoarthritis are advised to lose weight as it helps reduce the
Obese people who suffer from osteoarthritis should lose weight to help reduce the load on their already damaged joints. Physiotherapy helps. load on the joints. “This might seem difficult since they think they cannot exercise as much. However, they can do activities like swimming (hydrotherapy), static bike and cross trainer. Initially, they should do this under the guidance of a physiotherapist as they can be taught how to modify the load on the exercise equipment. They should also go for regular walks. This might be painful at first, but the pain will become more manageable once they do it regularly,” says Dr Reddy. So go ahead. Don’t let osteoarthritis stop you.
HOUSECALL
DID YOU KNOW?
PIONEERS
Heart Fitness
Multiple Sclerosis
We are not alone
Frederick Grant Banting
Measure your heart rate with the built-in camera and monitor your physical fitness using our patented technology. Developed in the laboratory of Centre Hospitalier Universitaire in France, this method has been tested and validated against FDA-approved instruments in clinical conditions. Works on iPhone 4G, works on 3GS.
Multiple sclerosis, also known as “disseminated sclerosis”, is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms. Disease onset usually occurs in young adults, and it is more common in women. It has a prevalence that ranges between 2 and 150 per 100,000.
No matter how clean we are we carry around on our bodies billions of microbes. Although they cannot be seen, microbes hide under fingernails, lurk between teeth, and live in hair. There are more than 600,000 bacteria living on just one square inch of skin. There are more microbes on a body than there are humans on Earth.
Frederick Banting was a Canadian scientist and doctor noted for his contributions to the discovery of insulin. He soon developed a deep interest in diabetes, directing his studies to research methods for extracting insulin from the pancreas. Together with medical student Charles Best, he discovered a way to isolate insulin and effectively treat diabetic patients. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1923.
20
health WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
RESEARCH
BREAKTHROUGH
DNA-based cancer treatment within 5 years? Patients will soon have their tumour's DNA, its genetic code, sequenced, enabling doctors to ensure they give exactly the right drugs to keep the disease at bay.
LONDON: Scientists are closer to rolling out a radical technique that will make cancer a manageable disease rather than a 'death sentence' within five years, UK experts say. Scientists believe the technique will allow them to develop extremely personalised cancer treatments, that will substantially increase life expectancy. Patients will soon have their tumour's DNA, its genetic code, sequenced, enabling doctors to ensure they give exactly the right drugs to keep the disease at bay, 'The Telegraph' reported. Doctors hope it will be an important step towards transforming some types of cancer into a chronic rather than fatal disease. The technique could enable terminally ill patients, who can currently expect to live only months, to carry on for a decade or more in relatively good health, according to specialists at the Institute of Cancer Research in London. "We should be aspiring to cure cancer, but for people with advanced disease, it will be a question of managing them better so they survive for much longer – for many years," said Prof Alan Ashworth, chief executive of the institute. The institute wants to build a DNA database to identify lots of genes responsible for cancers. It is launching a three-year, 3 million pounds project to advance knowledge of the genetic profile of cancer. "Cancer often appears in people who are old, and if we can keep them alive long
enough for them to die of something else, then we are turning cancer into a chronic disease," Ashworth said. He said that understanding of how different cancers were caused by different genetic triggers was building "incredibly rapidly".
"None of this is science fiction. One would think in five or 10 years this will be absolutely routine practice for every cancer patient," he said. Ashworth believes the method would have "a big impact" on a range of cancers within a decade, but added:
Safer, effective vaccine delivery designed WASHINGTON: Researchers have designed a new type of vaccine delivery that holds promise for improving the effectiveness of DNA vaccines, besides being painless. About 20 years ago, DNA coding for viral proteins was found to induce strong immune responses in rodents, but so far, tests in humans have failed to duplicate that success. MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) researchers have developed this new vaccinedelivery film with the help of polymer coated vaccines, the journal Nature Materials reports. This type of vaccine delivery would also eliminate the need to inject vaccines by syringe, said Darrell Irvine, MIT professor of biological engineering and materials science and engineering, according to an MIT statement. "You just apply the patch for a few minutes, take it off and it leaves behind these thin polymer films embedded in the skin," said Irvine, who co-authored the research with Paula Hammond, professor of engineering. Peter DeMuth, graduate student in MIT biological engineering led the study. These polymer films are implanted under the skin using micro-needles that penetrate about half a millimetre into the skin - deep enough to deliver the DNA to immune cells in the epidermis, but not deep enough to cause pain in the nerve endings of the dermis. IANS
"Over the next two to three years, there will be individual patients who receive substantial benefits from these technologies." He said genetic profiling would make developing new drugs quicker and less expensive. PTI
STUDY
Diabetics' heart at risk from BP, cholesterol
WASHINGTON: For diabetics, blood pressure and cholesterol are the two key factors that could increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, says a new study involving mo re than 26,000 people suffering from blood sugar. "People with diabetes are often focused on controlling their blood sugar, but our study found that controlling blood
pressure and cholesterol is even more important in preventing heart disease," said Greg Nichols, senior investigator and study author from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in the US. "This doesn't mean that people with diabetes should ignore their blood sugar levels. They should still get regular tests to measure and control their blood glucose, but it's also important to pay attention to other factors that
increase the risk for cardiovascular disease," reported the Journal of General Internal Medicine, quoting Nichols' study. Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely than non-diabetics to have cardiovascular disease, and most people with diabetes will die from a heart attack or stroke, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. IANS
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
Entertainment CINE BYTES
LUCKY GIRL
Jwala Gutta grooves for Nithin starrer GJG
A
ce shuttler Jwala Gutta is all set to make her debut in Tollywood. After much speculation about her acting debut, we hear that she’ll be grooving for a special song in Nithin’s upcoming film Gunde Jaari Gallanthayindhe. Nithya Menen and Isha Talwar are playing the lead roles in this romantic film. Vijay Kumar Konda is directing the film.
Chammak Challo to release mid Feb
V
arun Sandesh, Sanchita Padukone and Catherine Tresa starrer Chammak Challo is likely to release on February 15 as a Valentine’s Day special. Neelankanta has directed this film and it’s his first one in the romance genre. The film was censored almost a month ago and the makers had been patiently waiting since then to release the film.
Case No: 666/2013 to open on Jan 31
C
ase No: 666/2013, the first ‘found footage’ film in Telugu, is going to release on January 31. Venkat Siddareddy and Purnesh Konathala have directed this film and we hear that the team shot the entire film within 20 days. Aditya, Charan Tej, Anurag and Guru Charan have played the lead roles in this film which is set in Narsapur.
Shruti Haasan to romance NTR!
I
t’s raining offers for Shruti Haasan these days. After bagging the lead role in Ram Charan’s upcoming film Yevadu, we hear that she has been roped in for one of the lead roles in NTR’s upcoming film. Harish Shankar is directing the film and it also stars Samantha in lead role. Incidentally, Shruti Haasan had earlier acted in Pawan Kalyan’s Gabbar Singh which was directed by Harish Shankar and that went on to become a blockbuster. In fact, Harish Shankar was so impressed with Shruti Haasan and her professionalism that he even termed her as the ‘lucky charm’ of Gabbar Singh. Couple of years ago, Shruti Haasan was roped in to play the lead role in NTR starrer Dhammu; however, she had to opt out of project after the film’s shooting was delayed numerous times. The principal shooting of NTR-Harish Shankar’s film has already begun and Shruti Haasan is expected to join the film’s sets shortly. She’ll soon be seen in Balupu, Ramaiya Vastavaya, D Day, Yevadu and another Tamil film later this year.
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Entertainment WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
P AKISTANI
A NEW RECORD
B A N D
S T R I N G S
B A C K
T O
B O L L Y W O O D
opular Pakistani pop rock band Strings, best known for songs like Duur and Dhaani, is set to record a song for a new Bollywood film titled John Day. Strings — which is a twomember band comprising lead vocalist Faisal Kapadia and composerguitarist Bilal Maqsood earlier created songs for Hindi films like Zinda and Shootout At Lokhandwala. They even composed the Khan theme of My Name Is Khan, while their song Naa jaane kyun from the album Dhaani was included in the soundtrack of the Hindi version of SpiderMan 2 in 2004. The song for John Day will be a promotional track, said a statement. It will be filmed on actors Naseeruddin Shah and Randeep Hooda, who are back in a film after over a decade. They last shared screen space in 2001 film Monsoon Wedding. Directed by debutant Ahishor Solomon and produced by A Wednesday fame Anjum Rizvi along with K Asif, John Day is a thriller. It also features Elena Kazan, Shernaz Patel, Sharat Saxena and Vipin Sharma. The film is slated to release in summer this year. IANS
CINE BYTES Nambiar removes 'Ya Hussain' song from 'David'
D
irector Bejoy Nambiar has decided to remove Lucky Ali's song Ya Hussain from his new film David after some groups objected to it. However, he has retained the tune in the movie. A section of the Muslim community had urged Nambiar to remove the song as they felt it does not befit their definition of propriety. IANS
RGV to launch film song at Leopold Cafe
L
eopold Cafe was one of the key targets of the brutal 26/11 Mumbai attacks.Now, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has decided to release the first song of his film The Attacks on 26/11 at the same cafe, February 6. IANS
Vishal of 'Blood Money' to direct another crime-thriller
D
irector Vishal Mahadkar, who made his directorial debut with Blood Money, is all set to get behind the camera again for a crime thriller. The Kunal KhemuAmrita Puri-starrer had got a mixed response from the critics and at the box office last year. The film was produced by Mukesh Bhatt. PTI
Entertainment WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
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Entertainment WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
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25
Entertainment WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
BIG DADDY
CINE BYTES
W
CHANNING TATUM TERRIFIED OF FATHERHOOD
hat's Channing Tatum most terrified about when it comes to his impending fatherhood? "I think everything and above," the hunky actor, who's expecting his first child with wife Jenna Dewan-Tatum, told E! News while promoting his new film Side Effects with costar Rooney Mara. "I mean, I don't think there's one thing that doesn't terrify you, but in the most unbelievably beautiful way," the 32-year-old Magic Mike star gushed. "Someone said it's really like watching your heart jump out of your body and run around, and I think that can possibly be the coolest thing that I've heard of." Meanwhile, Tatum's Side Effects costar and father of four Jude Law has some parenting advice for the Sexiest Man Alive. "I just warned him," Law cracked, adding, "I just said, ‘Make the most of it while you can, brother.' They will break you. Sleep while you can."
Paul Giamatti 'in talks to play Rhino in Spider-Man 2
P
aul Giamatti is reportedly in talks to star in the Amazing Spider-Man sequel. The actor is being lined up to play the villain known as the Rhino and could be joined by Felicity Jones, who is also negotiating an unspecified role, The Hollywood Reporter claims. The Rhino first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #41 in 1966 as a thug from a Soviet Bloc country who wore a suit that made him superhuman.
Tough times made JLo a better actress
S
inger Jennifer Lopez, who will be seen on the big screen in upcoming crime thriller Parker, believes the difficulties in her personal life have helped her become a better actress. "I think I am now ready to really work as an actress. Maybe because I am different now. I have suffered some experiences lately," reports femalefirst.co.uk.
I need to prove myself: Victoria Beckham
S
inger-fashion designer Victoria Beckham wants to prove herself. She says she needs to work to show that she can be successful without the Spice Girls tag or her footballer husband David. "When I was on stage with the Spice Girls, I thought people were there to see the other four and not me. And when I go out with David and people take pictures, I think, 'They're here to take David's picture'," femalefirst.co.uk quoted Victoria as saying. IANS
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 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
26
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1 Exiled Irani 5 Has a hitch in one’s giddy-up 10 In wonderment 14 Smidgen 15 ‘So long’ on the Seine 16 Yawn inducer 17 Living royally since birth 20 Father, Son and Holy Ghost, eg 21 ‘... need is a friend ___’ 22 Sound processor 23 ___ du Flambeau, Wisc 26 Exclamation of affirmation 27 Stage scenery 30 Perlman of TV and film 32 Perignon’s title 34 Do a slow burn 36 Type of doll for the vengeful 39 Frank account? 40 Sleep restlessly 42 Karloff of scary films 44 Evening affair 45 Genesis follower 47 ___ generis (of its own kind) 48 100-yard race 52 Room for indoor
sports 53 $ dispenser 55 Disorderly crowd 57 ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, ___’ 58 Take credit? 61 Caliph’s faith 63 Be a braggart 67 Small clue 68 Less damp 69 Res ___ loquitur (legal phrase) 70 Spread on the table 71 Sweepstakes submission 72 Outer banana
DOWN 1 Word with ‘house’ or ‘baby’ 2 A cheer 3 Outfit 4 Jessica of the PTL scandal 5 Skedaddle 6 First Lady McKinley 7 Revealing garment 8 It may be offered for your thoughts 9 Some leathers 10 Monastery resident 11 The rescuer of Little Red Riding Hood 12 Make a mistake
13 Place to chill 18 That’s a moray 19 Distillation leftovers 24 Brouhahas 25 Musical endings 28 Always, to an old poet 29 Take a whack at 31 Stay away from 33 Pre-stereo records 35 Stuck in mud 37 Place for bones 38 Intense hatred 40 Slide instrument 41 Lounge group, maybe 42 Ask for alms 43 Moron’s prefix? 46 Walked decisively 49 Not straight up 50 Limited in number 51 Sunday songbook 54 Lament 56 Coal container 59 Dog in ‘Beetle Bailey’ 60 Order in the court? 62 Send, as a parcel 63 In spite of, in short 64 Painter’s medium 65 Above, to Shakespeare 66 Like some senses of humour
Chai Time WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013 Thiruvaikumar
STAR POWER for 31-1-2013
27
As per Hindu panchang thiruvaikumar@yahoo. co. in, 040-27177230 / 9177596118
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Money will come from all expected sources and make your position comfortable. You will stand firm and get all work completed successfully. Court case regarding ancestral property will go in your favour. Chance to buy immovable asset.
STRIP TEASE AGNES
You face even difficult situations courageously and proceed to achieve goals without giving up. Sudden and unexpected financial fortune likely. Govt work might get delayed. A longpending wish gets fulfilled. Renovation of house likely.
Your bold decisions will yield desired results as time looks favourable. You extend help to others also in making them successful in their efforts. Expenses may be up beyond expectations which will upset you. Marriage talk will resume.
You do not hesitate to question wrongdoings by anyone in the society. All expectations will be fulfilled without any hurdle. Money will come from expected sources. House construction plan will get approval. Children make you happy and proud.
You will be the most respected person wherever you go. Your seeking legal solution to problems faced by you will go in your favour. Father’s health may be a cause for concern. Problem likely in getting your share of paternal property.
Those deprived of a child since long will be favoured with an offspring. Businessmen need to act on their own rather than entrusting important work to others. Financial position will be strong. All challenging tasks undertaken will get done.
Never hesitate to seek help from others whenever there is a dire need. To achieve success in your tasks this is most necessary and hence just be frank and go ahead. Businessmen will flourish, earn big profits and plan fresh investments.
You are bold enough to face any type of problem, difficulty or sabotage by enemies. Since self-confidence and boldness levels are at their high, you will be able to achieve your goals successfully. Real-estate deals will bring decent gains.
You understand the strengths and weaknesses of yourself and act accordingly. All longpending wishes will get fulfilled. Hurdles will disappear and mental depression will reduce. Money will come from all expected sources.
TAROT READ
Sumaa Tekur
tarotreadhyd@gmail. com
ARIES:
GEMINI:
Five of Wands – Someone is plotting against you. They don’t want you to do well and you may be too blind to this. Be shrewd and aware of your environment.
LEO:
King of Swords – Don’t act in panic. Your intellect is at its peak and your bosses want to utilize your knowledge. You should ask for the right remuneration in return.
LIBRA:
PEARLS BEFORE SWINE
The Moon – Mood swings are possible. Don’t let this affect your relationships, especially with close family members. Guard against making hasty decisions.
SAGITTARIUS:
Seven of Wands – You’re tired and exhausted with being in the rat race. At the end, you’re only a rat, you tell yourself. Take the plunge to make changes.
TAURUS:
Two of Swords – You’re taking the extreme step in every situation and that’s not a good thing. There is a middle path and you’re not a wimp if you took it.
CANCER:
Six of Wands – Good luck will bring many new things your way. A new job offer, a foreign trip, a relationship are just some things that fall in your lap.
VIRGO:
The Empress – Love is in the air. Singles will meet someone attractive at a bookstore or public place. Those committed will find love again in their partners.
SCORPIO:
Four of Cups – A job offer will take you by surprise. Just when you’re about to decide, a counter offer takes you by surprise. Ball’s in your court.
CAPRICORN:
Four of Pentacles – The money flow is good and it’s giving you the confidence to do the unknown and go into unfamiliar territory. Get adventurous.
PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS
PISCES:
Temperance – Be patient and work out a plan based on how much time you can devote to a project. Jumping the gun is a sure way of wrecking it.
NUMBER GAME
You’re getting too emotional and this may not be the best time to show your emotions to the world. Guard against bad decisions.
SCRABBLE
AQUARIUS: King of Cups –
POOCH CAFE
You will be a troubleshooter for others who seek help. Sudden and unexpected financial fortune likely. Some have a bright chance to go abroad. Health problems will be over and you will feel fine. You save as expenses get under control.
for 31-1-2013
The Fool – You’re in the mood to explore new tastes, new flavours – in everything, including culture, food, travel and books. Do the new, is your new motto.
NON SEQUITUR
You will achieve in all work undertaken, but remain calm and cool. Health looks fine so no need to worry. Minor hurdles faced in govt work will be over bringing benefit. Employees attempt more than once to complete certain important work.
SUDUKO
VIP friends and wellwishers will extend help at your time of need. Financial position just comfortable. Wandering and increased expenses will upset you. Couples will be more affectionate towards each other. All undertaken tasks will be done.
Boggle LATIN FRENCH ENGLISH RUSSIAN ITALIAN Vol: 2, No 194 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
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Entertainment WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
BESTIES ON SCREEN?
CINE BYTES
Lloyd Phillips, producer of Man of Steel, dies at 63
L
loyd Phillips, an Academy Award-winning producer, died in Los Angeles on January 25 after suffering a heart attack, his representative said. He was 63. In 32 years in the movie business, Phillips produced films including Inglorious Basterds, The Legend of Zorro and Twelve Monkeys, as well as Zach Snyder’s upcoming Superman reboot, Man of Steel.
Amy Poehler scores book deal
F
NICOLE KIDMAN and Naomi Watts want to work together
T
he last and only time Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts appeared in a movie together was in the 1991 indie Flirting. Considering what besties they are, one would think they would have reunited on the big screen by now. Sadly, they haven’t. But it’s not like they don’t want to. “We’re looking," Kidman said. In fact, Watts added, “We’ve been looking for a long time now. But both of us have…picky tastes. It has to be the right piece." Kidman pleaded with a smile, “Somebody think of something, please!" Not that the two aren’t busy enough. Both just wrapped films in which they play two of the most iconic princesses in modern history. Kidman stars as Grace Kelly in Grace of Monaco and Watts as Princess Diana in Diana. “You said we were going to have a princess party," Kidman said to Watts. Watts quickly responded, “I was joking, but maybe we’ll have a tea party kind of thing."
ollowing in the footsteps of her bff Tina Fey, Amy Poehler is writing a book of her own. The 41year-old Parks and Recreation star has scored a book deal with HarperCollins Publishers’ It Books, and will pen an “illustrated, non-linear diary” that includes stories that are true and fictional, according to the Washington Post.
George Clooney movie named ‘Tomorrowland’
G
eorge Clooney’s mysterious new movie for Disney has been renamed Tomorrowland. The film, which will be produced and directed by Brad Bird (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol), is due to be released on December 19, 2014, Entertainment Weekly reports. Tomorrowland, which was originally known by the working title 1952, has been written by Bird and Damon Lindelof , from a concept originally devised by Lindelof and senior writer Jeff ‘Doc’ Jensen.
sports
29
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
HYDERABAD TRACK WORK
LEAGUE CRICKET
Windsor Manor, Silver Crown impress
Sand Track 800 Metres: Fighting Fit (Kuldeep Singh) Magical Punch (S.Nayak) 56.5, 600/41 Former finished a length in front. Kathakali (rb) 1-1, 600/46 Easy. Coral Springs (Kuldeep Singh) Rosemead (S.Nayak) 55.5, 600/40 They finished together. Cold Smile (Dileep) 56, 600/42.5 Urged. Windsor Manor (M.Mark) 55, 600/42 Pleased. Play The Music (app) Fastest Finger (Josh) 57, 600/42.5 They finished together. Half Moon Bay (rb) Paradise Bay (rb) 59, 600/43 Former finished in front. Alastor (Imran Khan) 58, 600/44 Moved on the bit. Winjoy (Tograllu) Maths Professor (Uday Kiran) 58, 600/44 Former finished a length in front. Proof (M.Mark) 58, 600/44 Moved on the bit. Santa Monica (app) 58, 600/44 Moved freely. Home Town Hero (N.Rawal) 55, 600/40.5 Pleased. Winning Shot (Imran Khan) 1-1.5, 600/46 Moved freely. Kansas City Mac (Ajit Kumar) 57.5, 600/44 Moved well. Golden Star (Ravinder Singh) 1-1, 600/46 Easy. Musk Melon (Ravinder Singh) Any Given Day (M.Mark) 56.5, 600/43 They finished together. Trustful (Deep Shanker) 56, 600/42 Moved well. Silver Crown (K.Alam) 56, 600/43 Retains form. Lucy
Diamond (rb) 1-3, 600/47 Easy. Devils Advocate (rb) Maid For Love (rb) 1-1, 600/45 They finished together. Kohinoor Punch (app) 1-3, 600/46 Easy. Rahuls Diamond (rb) Ek Ek Ek (Ravinder Singh) 54, 600/40 They impressed. Sand Track 1000 Metres: Whats Up (Deep Shanker) Olympic Whisper (app) 1-18, 800/1-1, 600/46 They finished together. Havok (rb) 1-12, 800/58, 600/43 Moved well. Westminister (Ajit Kumar) 1-12, 800/55.5, 600/42.5 pleased. Classic Crown (rb) Baba’s Gift (rb) 114.5,800/59, 600/42.5 They finished together. Fearless Moments (Ravinder Singh) 1-15, 800/59, 600/44 Moved on the bit. Handsome Hunk (rb) 1-12, 800/56, 600/42 Moved well. Chayanandan (rb) Architect (rb) 1-13, 800/57, 600/42 Former finished in front. Outer Winter Race Track 800 Metres: Kohinoor Destiny (Ajit Kumar) 52, 600/39 Moved well. Salvadore (rb) Royal Apportunity (Ravinder Singh) 55, 600/41 Former finished a length in front. Outer Winter Race Tack 1000 Metres: Midnight Beauty (Sai Kumar) Classic Wish
(N.Rawal) 1-8, 800/51.5,600/39 They moved together. Outer Winter Race Tack 1200 Metres: Young Soldier (app) 1-22, 1000/1-7, 800/51, 600/40 Moved well. Gate practice 1200 Metres: Original Gladiator (app) Bel Amil (K.Alam) Galaxy Princess (Parmar) 1-22, 1000/1-6.5, 800/52.5, 600/40 They jumped out well. Sanjaa (app) Aware (M.Mark) Rave Debut (Dileep) Macintosh (Tograllu) 1-21.5, 1000/1-6, 800/54.5, 600/41.5 They took a level jump. Kohinoor Victory (Ajit Kumar) Strategic Command (app) Kohinoor Adhira (Ravinder Singh) Catherine (Joshi) 1-20, 1000/1-6, 800/53, 600/37.5 They jumped out well. August Kranti (Deep Shanker) Moghul Emperor (Harinder Singh) 1-20, 1000/1-5, 800/52, 600/39 They jumped out well and finished together. Bernabeu (rb) Shades Of Victory (Henrique ) Apology For Love (Nitin Singh) 1-19.5, 1000/1-5.5, 800/52.5, 600/40.5 They jumped out well. Merry Maid (S.Nayak) Drayton (Sai Kumar) Victorous Sally (Ravider Singh) Cannon Nine (N.Rawal) 1-18.5, 1000/1-4, 800/52, 600/40 They took a good jump.
2013 INDYCAR SEASON
Vautier, Pagenaud unite as French duo
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA: Tristan Vautier will join forces with 2012 Rookie of the Year Simon Pagenaud (right) as French driving teammates for the 2013 IndyCar season, team owner Sam Schmidt announced on Tuesday. Vautier won the Star Mazda series crown in 2011 and the Indy Lights title last year to set up his jump to the main US openwheel series. His IndyCar debut will come at the 2013 season opener March 24 at St. Petersburg, Florida. “It’s a big first step and I’ll try to learn as quickly as I can because there will be many new things this year,” Vautier said. “I just hope Sam will be able to handle two Frenchmen... two on the same team will be tough.” Pagenaud, fifth in the IndyCar drivers’ championship last year, hopes that having a two-car team this season after going it along last year will provide a boost for both drivers. “Having a rookie sometimes is a good thing because he’ll have a lot of raw speed that we can extract from him on
my side and he can extract my experience. Having that extra information is what’s needed to have a top team,” Pagenaud said. “I see him being quick straight away. The biggest thing for Tristan is to make the most of the situation.” Both Frenchmen are following in the footsteps of IndyCar veteran Sebastien Bourdais, who won four Champ-car titles from 2004-2007 but struggled in Formula One before joining IndyCar for the past two seasons. “It’s great to see Frenchmen moving out of Europe and coming to the US and trying to do their best to do a good job here,” Pagenaud said. “It just shows in France we’ve got some good driving schools and we shape pretty good drivers. “It’s interesting to see. I’m pretty happy for France. But in the meantime we’re in the US and nationality doesn’t matter. The most important thing is to do well.” Vautier, who lives in St. Petersburg, won his first race in each of his prior series but is setting modest goals for his IndyCar start. AFP
A division one-day CK Blues 247 (Saradhi 51, Uday Kiran 44, Upender 3/77) bt Picket 129/9 (Upender Reddy 35, Sharan 4/11) Kishoresons 201/7 (Nitin 62 n.o., Mohit Agarwal 39, Afroz 4/13) bt Sungrace 73 (Roopchand 3/19). A1 & A2 one-day knockout Semifinals AOC 133 (SS Patwal 31, Indershekar Reddy 5/20) lost to SBH 136/3 (T Suman 49) National deaf T20 championship Jharkhand 91/8 in 20 overs (Rakesh Raj 52, B Raju 3/11) lost to Hyderabad 92/7 in 16.2 overs (T Hari Krishna 28, Amit Modi 3/5, Jai Prakash 2/39) West Bengal 93 in 18.5 overs (Dinesh Kumar 29, Ramesh 3/14, Dayananda 2/6) lost to Karnataka 94/2 (Mukesh 36, Md Imran Wasi 2/14) Uttar Pradesh 90 in 18 overs (Bhanu Prathap 29, Shashi 2/10, Feyaz Ahmed 3/18, Abiyas Prasad 2/10) lost to Orrisa 93/5 in 15 overs (Rimun 23, Sailendra 2/16) Bihar 91/6 in 12 overs (Athar Ali 26, Siva Kumar 2/14) lost to Pondicherry 92/2 in 7.1 overs (Madan Mohan 61 n.o.). Madhya Pradesh 83 (Vipin V 2/17. Abdul Jabbar 2/8) lost to Kerala 84/6 in 10.5 overs (Mahmood Sohail 27 n.o., Jitendra Suryavamshi 2/11, Pradeep Deharia 2/16) Tamilnadu 157/7 in 20 overs (J Sudheer 44, Kumar 2/24, Amir Rouf 3/21) bt Jammu & Kashmir 145 (Haroon Nazir 68, C Vijayan 4/12, Abhilash 3/34). Haryana 132 in 17.5 overs (Akash Singh 55, Suyash Satput 2/34, Santosh 3/16) bt Maharastra 130/9 in 20 overs (Akash Singh 2/16, Satyavan Sharma 2/12, Ajit Kumar 2/12).
HOCKEY INDIA LEAGUE Delhi Waveriders blank Punjab
NEW DELHI: High-flying Delhi Waveriders continued their unbeaten run in the inaugural Hockey India League as they thrashed Jaypee Punjab Warriors 3-0 in a round-robin match thereby ensuring a place in the last four of the cash-rich championship. The Waveriders scored through Akashdeep Singh (14), Kiwi Andrew Hayward (52) and Simon Child (70th) to consolidate their position at the top of the league standings with 32 points from seven matches. Irrespective of the loss, the Warriors continue to occupy the third spot in the points table with 21 points from eight games, behind second-placed Ranchi Rhinos (27).
BRIEFS
Japan female Olympians ‘beaten’ by coaches
TOKYO: Japan’s Olympic female judokas were beaten with bamboo swords and slapped by their coaches, officials said on Wednesday, weeks after a schoolboy suicide sparked debate over corporal punishment. A 15-strong group of judokas complained to the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) last month that they had been subjected to physical punishment by the team’s head coach. The group, which included athletes who took part in the London Olympics, charges that head coach Ryuji Sonoda routinely abused them, slapping them in the face and hitting them with thick wooden swords like those used in the Japanese martial art of kendo. AFP
As expected, the match started on a fast note and it was the Punjab outfit which dominated the early exchanges before the Waveriders started the catch up game successfully. Dharamvir Singh got the first real scoring chance of the match in the sixth minute but his fierce shot from the right of the circle went wide. After sitting back for the first 10 minutes, the Waveriders seized the initiative and earned their first penalty corner in the 12th minute which was wasted as the ball wasn’t stopped properly. However, the Waveriders surged ahead two minutes later when Akashdeep scored with a stunning reverse hit after beating a couple of Punjab defenders inside the circle. PTI
Thompson powers Warriors over Cavaliers
CLEVELAND, OHIO: Klay Thompson went on to score a career-high 32 points, including a personal best six 3-pointers, to power the Golden State Warriors over Cleveland 108-95 in an NBA game on Tuesday. Thompson hit 13-of-24 shots from the field, including a 6-of-8 showing from beyond the 3-point arc, as the Warriors won for the fifth time in seven games despite the absence of Stephen Curry with an ankle injury. Golden State was also without Australian center Andrew Bogut, who returned to the lineup on Monday after missing 38 games but was benched to rest a surgically repaired ankle, as well as Carl Landry and Harrison Barnes. AFP
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
PARIS OPEN
Vinci cruises, Goerges out MARTYN WOOD Agence France-Presse
Roberta Vinci returns the ball to Simona Halep at the 21st edition of the Paris WTA Open on Tuesday. AFP/MIGUEL MEDINA
A NEW BEGINNING
Olympics for mentally disabled PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA: Around 2,300 mentally disabled athletes from around the world gathered in South Korea on Tuesday for the opening of the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games. After swearing an oath which states “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt”, participants from more than 100 countries will take part in eight sports including alpine skiing, snowboarding, figure skating and speed skating. Under the slogan “Together we can”, the eight-day event kicked off at an ice rink in Pyeongchang — venue for the 2018 Winter Olympics — 180 kilometres (112 miles) east of the capital Seoul. Myanmar’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi said at the opening that the games were not to celebrate sports but “the supremacy of the human spirit over everything else. The disabled ones are not those who are suffering, but those who do not care for the suffering. I’d like my country to be able to contribute towards something that will change the world into a better place.”AFP
PARIS: Australian Open doubles champion Roberta Vinci cruised through the opening singles round at the Paris Open on Tuesday as she brushed aside Romania’s Simona Halep 6-0, 6-3. Vinci, who sealed her third Grand Slam doubles crown alongside partner and fellow Italian Sara Errani in Melbourne last Friday, powered past a hapless Halep in just 52 minutes to set up a second-round match with Germany’s Mona Barthel. Earlier, Kristina Mladenovic claimed the biggest scalp of her fledgling career as she knocked out world number 19
Julia Goerges of Germany in the first round. Nineteen-year-old Mladenovic, ranked 87th in the world, lost her way after going up a set and a break in the French capital, allowing Goerges to force a decider, but she held her nerve as the German crumbled with the finish line in sight to clinch a 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (7-4) victory. Excited after recording her best win to date on the WTA Tour, Mladenovic jumped the gun in revealing that she has been called up to France’s Federation Cup squad for next month’s tie against Germany 24 hours ahead of the official announcement by new team captain Amelie Mauresmo. “I found out that I had been
selected just before the match,” she said. “That could have put extra pressure on me, but maybe Amelie just wanted to test me and put a little element of doubt in the minds of the Germans.” Mladenovic appeared to be on course for a straight-sets victory as she served at 4-3 in the second, but Goerges broke to level before reeling off three of the next four games to extend the contest. Goerges then secured what appeared a decisive service break in the sixth game of the final set but faltered as she tried to close it out at 5-3, planting an attempted backhand dropshot into the net on break point as Mladenovic stayed alive.
PATTAYA OPEN
Cirstea, Watson progress PATTAYA, THAILAND: Sorana Cirstea (right) joined British number one Heather Watson and Japan’s Kimiko Date-Krumm in the second round of the Pattaya Open as the trio cruised through their matches on Tuesday. But it was heavy work for the top seed and world number 13 Ana Ivanovic who trailed 1-2 in the final set against Ayumi Morita before rain suspended play late Tuesday. She will be hoping to regroup to join second seeded Maria Kirilenko in the next round, who made it through with a nervy 63, 7-5 win over unfancied Uzbek Akgul Amanmuradova. Rain prevented last year’s champion Daniela Hantuchova, a late entry due to a withdrawal, from starting her title defence against Russian Olga Puchkova. Before the skies opened
Romanian ace Cirstea completed a routine 6-1, 6-3 win over American challenger Bethanie Mattek-Sands behind a strongservice game. Fresh from climbing to a career-high world ranking of 40 after a impressive showing in the Australian Open, Heather Watson swept to a 6-1, 3-0 lead when Hungarian Timea Babos retired through injury. Forty-two-year-old DateKrumm was pushed hard on her way to a 7-5 first set win against South African Chanelle Scheepers who ranks 13 places higher at 64, before the younger woman capitulated in the second set 6-1. She will face former world number one Ivanovic if the Serb — who arrived in Thailand looking to build on a decent showing in Melbourne — progresses to the second round. AFP
BRIEFS Ferrari trouble for Australia’s Bernard Tomic SYDNEY: Australian Bernard Tomic has been caught speeding in his yellow Ferrari and will lose his licence, reports said Wednesday. Fresh from the Australian Open where he was knocked out in the third round by Swiss master Roger Federer, Tomic was allegedly clocked going 78 kilometres per hour (48 mph) in a 60 kph zone on the Gold Coast on Tuesday. The 20-year-old was handed a Aus$220 (US$230) fine which comes with a loss of three points from his licence, the Sydney Morning Herald said, adding that the player only had one point to lose given past infringements. He was found guilty in November of failing to stop for police in a high-powered orange BMW some 11 months earlier. At the same hearing in November the tennis star also admitted to three other charges after a series of run-ins with the authorities on the same day relating to his driving. Tomic has been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons before, falling foul of Tennis Australia several times since reaching the quarter-finals of Wimbledon in 2011. Despite winning the Sydney International this month and his promising form at the Australian Open, he has not been picked for the Davis Cup tie against Taiwan after he was disciplined for a lack of professionalism. “I’ve had a slippery slope the last year,” Tomic admitted in December. “It’s changing me and I’ll prove I’m going to be the best-ever player one day to play this game.”
Doping doctor ‘worked in various sports’ MADRID: A Spanish doctor on trial over a major blood doping racket involving top professional cyclists said Tuesday he had worked for athletes in “all kinds” of sports. Eufemiano Fuentes, was testifying at his trial in the so-called Puerto affair, one of the biggest ever doping scandals, which came to court seven years after it erupted. Fuentes is charged with public health offences rather than sports doping, which was not illegal at the time in Spain. Although the doctor admits providing blood transfusions for athletes, who he refuses to name, he denies this risked their health. That may limit the trial’s impact on the sporting world, which is reeling from US cyclist Lance Armstrong’s admission that he doped his way to seven Tour de France victories. “I worked on a private basis with individual athletes of all kinds,” Fuentes told the court in Madrid in his four-hour testimony on Tuesday. Police detained Fuentes in 2006 when they seized 200 bags of blood and other evidence of performance-enhancing transfusions. Asked who those bags of blood belonged to, Fuentes told the court: “It could be other kinds of athlete, but in 2006 it was mainly cyclists.” Investigators listed 58 cyclists. Of the 58, only six have received sporting sanctions: Alejandro Valverde, Jan Ullrich, Joerg Jaksche, Ivan Basso, Michele Scarponi and Giampaolo Caruso, who was later cleared by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. AFP
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
India-WI gear up for opener India’s women cricketers are all set to start their World Cup campaign when they take on the West Indies in a Group A match in Mumbai tomorrow for the event’s opener. MUMBAI: Untouched by the hype and hoopla that follows their male counterparts, India’s women cricketers are all set to start their World Cup campaign when they take on the West Indies in a Group A match here tomorrow. The day-night clash would set the ball rolling for the event, which will also be held in Cuttack where the Pakistan team (placed in Group B) is based due to security concerns in Mumbai. Group A matches are to be held in Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium, MIG Club and the Bandra-Kurla Complex ground of the MCA. Group B matches, involving Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan, would be held in two grounds in Cuttack. The remaining Group fix-
India Womens cricket team captain Mithali Raj (L) address journalists while England captain Charlotte Edwards looks on during a press conference for the forthcoming ICC Women’s World Cup 2013. AFP/INDRANIL MUKHERJEE
tures for India, who finished third in the last championship, are against three-time winners (1973, 1993 and 2009) England at the Brabourne on February 3, and qualifiers Sri Lanka at the same ground on February 6. Prior to that England will take on Sri Lanka on February 1 at the Brabourne. Sri Lanka would lock horns with the West Indies side on February 4 at the MIG ground in Bandra while the EnglandWindies clash on February 6 is scheduled at the BKC. Apart from Mithali, India would bank on former captain Jhulan Goswami, diminutive batter Poonam Raut, wicketkeeper Sulakshana Naik. The bowling attack would be spearheaded by Gouher Sultana and Niranjana Nagarajan.
“We have senior players like Jhulan Goswami, Amita Sharma, vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who has been among runs. We have two comeback players (Murugesan) Thirush Kamini, Karuna Jain, who have played the last World Cup. I am hoping that with this kind of combination, we will do very well,” said world number one batter and Indian captain Mithali Raj. England, led by Charlotte Edwards who is playing her fifth successive World Cup, are tipped to top the group and commence their bid to win the crown for the fourth time with a game against Sri Lanka on February 1 at CCI. The second and third place in the group would be a hard fought contest, with the West Indies a vastly improved side from four years ago. PTI
ARMSTRONG SCANDAL
WADA slams UCI over hearing closure
JULIAN GUYER Agence France-Presse LONDON: The World AntiDoping Agency (WADA) accused cycling’s world governing body of “deceit” on Tuesday following its decision to disband its own independent commission into the Lance Armstrong drugs scandal. WADA’s damning criticism of the International Cycling Union (UCI) came as the independent commission itself issued a statement Tuesday saying a lack of cooperation by the UCI and other interested parties
had made its work “impossible”. Monday saw UCI president Pat McQuaid announce the closure of the independent commission after protracted argument about its powers and whether witnesses would be granted an amnesty protecting them from subsequent disciplinary action. The commission had been created in response to allegations by the United States AntiDoping Agency that cycling officials had been complicit in the American’s cycling cheating episode.
‘International Cycling Union made our job impossible’ LONDON: The disbanded independent commission set up by the International Cycling Union (UCI) to look into the Lance Armstrong doping scandal said Tuesday its work had been made “impossible”. In its first public response to being closed on Monday, the commission issued a statement bemoaning a lack of cooperation by the UCI and confirmed its second public hearing, scheduled for Thursday, would not now take place. “Neither the UCI nor interested stakeholders have provided sufficient cooperation to enable the commission to do its job,” the statement said. “This failure to cooperate makes our task impossible. Therefo-
In its first public response to being closed, the independent commission issued a statement bemoaning a lack of cooperation by the UCI. re, the proposed hearing on 31 January will not take place.” The UCI shut down the commission — whose three members included British Paralympic champ Tanni Grey-Thompson — after arguments over its powers and whether witnesses testifying before it would receive an amnesty from any subsequent punishment. AFP
CRICKET BRIEFS Dhoni named in India Cements squad
Second-string spinners for warm-up games
Ex-players lash out at ICC, BCCI
NEW DELHI: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been named in the India Cements squad for the BCCI Corporate Trophy which will be played from February 1-8 even after he made it clear that he wanted a break during Irani Trophy which was being played from February 6-10. India Cements are the owners of IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings of which Dhoni has been the captain since 2008 and incidentally BCCI president N Srinivasan is the MD cum vice-chairman of the company. The squad list of India Cements has Dhoni’s name and interestingly, it’s the last name in that list. PTI
NEW DELHI: The national selection committee’s tactic of not including a single spinner in the warm-up game against England had fallen flat but they have again picked the Board President’s XI and India A squad on similar lines for warm-up games against Australia. While Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha will be representing Rest of India in the Irani Trophy, little-known Punjab leggie Sarabjit Ladda, who has played only three Ranji Trophy matches this year, has been picked along with Kamlesh Makvana. The India ‘A’ squad has Rakesh Dhruv who, at 31, is well past his prime and the left-arm spinner is certainly not even among the top-10 in the country. PTI
KARACHI: PCB has remained silent on the decision by ICC to allow the organisers of the Women’s World Cup in India to house the Pakistan team at a stadium instead of a hotel but former players have lashed out at the ICC and the BCCI for this development. Former Test leg spinner Abdul Qadir said the state of affairs prevailing in the Women’s World Cup was a sad commentary on the state of relations between Pakistan and India and the role of the ICC. “I would like to see more cricketing ties between the two countries but for this Indian political parties need to keep sports away from politics.” PTI
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013
sports
MIKEL WARNS FAVOURITES IVORY COAST
Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel has warned Ivory Coast not to write off Nigeria ahead of a mega quarter-final clash here this weekend. Mikel excelled and Stamford Bridge team-mate Victor Moses slotted two late penalties as they overcame gallant Ethiopia 2-0 on Tuesday.
PREMIER LEAGUE
Mancini backs Balotelli Mancini admitted he will be disappointed to see Mario Balotelli leave Manchester City for AC Milan but insists the move is in his best interests. IAN WINROW Agence France-Presse
City crumble without Mario Balotelli
LONDON: Roberto Mancini admitted he will be disappointed to see Mario Balotelli leave Manchester City for AC Milan but insists the move is in the best interests of the Italian. Balotelli was missing from English champions City’s goalless Premier League draw away to Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on Tuesday as his reported £19 million ($30 million) transfer was finalised. His spell at the Eastlands has been marked by a succession of controversies on and off the pitch but City manager Mancini insisted his side would miss the erratic player during the final weeks of the season. “Mario was an important player for us,” said Mancini. “With Mario we won the Premier League and the FA Cup in two years. He’s a fantastic player but, for him, this could be an important chance to go back to Italy and play for a
LONDON: Manchester City started what seems certain to be life without Mario Balotelli with a frustrating goalless draw at Premier League bottom club Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday. Balotelli was missing as he concluded the details of his move to AC Milan after City had accepted the Italian club’s reported £19 million offer for the striker earlier in the day. And without him, Mancini’s champions missed out on the chance to close the gap on leaders Manchester United to two points. But the draw left QPR within four points. Balotelli’s departure this month has been predicted for some time and the Italy international has been out of favour with Mancini, scoring just one league goal this season.
ITALIAN CUP Lazio beat Juventus in thrilling semis clash
Wigan battle back for Stoke draw STOKE: Wigan battled back from a two-goal deficit to snatch a 2-2 draw with Stoke and move out of the English Premier League relegation zone on Tuesday. The Latics moved up to 17th in the table with 20 points, ahead of Aston Villa, who lost 2-1 to Newcastle, on points difference and one point ahead of Reading, who host Chelsea on Wednesday. The draw saw Stoke, who have only won one of their last nine matches, stay in 10th spot on 30 points. Ryan Shawcross opened the scoring for the home side, scrambling a goal in from a messy free-kick in the 23rd minute of a quiet, scrappy opening to the match. Stoke increased their lead through Peter Crouch, finding the net in the 48th minute after a shot by Charlie Adam rebounds off Wigan’s Omani ‘keeper Ali al-Habsi. But Wigan pulled one back soon in a great response, James McArthur curling in a shot from close range after he was played through. AFP
QPR frustrate Man City, Villa sink into drop zone
Juventus’ forward Mirko Vucinic (R) vies with Lazio’s Andre Dias Goncalves during Italy’s Cup semifinal match on Tuesday. AFP/ALBERTO PIZZOLI
ROME: Lazio beat Juventus 2-1 after a dramatic finish to a pulsating Italian Cup semi-final second leg on Tuesday to seal their place in the final against either Inter Milan or rivals AS Roma. With the tie level at 1-1 after last week in Turin, Lazio took the lead at the Stadio Olimpico when Alvaro Gonzalez headed in a measured Cristian Ledesma cross. It looked as if that goal would be enough to take Vladimir Petkovic’s side through to their first national Cup
big club in Milan. It was a difficult decision because I lost a striker, an important striker, and he could be important in the next 14 games. But it’s important for Mario to go back to Italy. It will be a good chance for him to stay with his family, to play for Milan. I think he can improve and I’m happy he will become one of the best players in the world.” Balotelli’s impact has been limited this season with the striker scoring just one Premier League goal and his final weeks of the club were overshadowed by a training pitch confrontation with his manager. Mancini, though, denied he had grown frustrated with a player he worked with at Inter Milan when Balotelli made his Serie A debut. “I invest a lot of time with all players,” Mancini added. “With Mario, maybe more. But I think that Mario is in the history of the club because we won three trophies in two-and-a-half-years.
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final since 2009, but then Juve hit back a minute into injury time when Arturo Vidal reacted quickest inside the penalty box to stab the ball home. For a brief moment extra time loomed, but only until Sergio Floccari got his head to a corner inside a crowded box. There was almost another twist in a dramatic injury time, as Sebastian Giovinco was denied when left with just goalkeeper Federico Marchetti to beat in the sixth minute of time added on. AFP
LONDON: The post-Mario Balotelli era at Manchester City began in lacklustre fashion as they were held to a 0-0 draw at Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday that prevented them from making up ground on Manchester United. Victory for City would have cut United's lead to just two points but instead Alex Ferguson's side will tackle Southampton on Wednesday with an opportunity to re-open a seven-point lead at the Premier League summit. AC Milan claim Balotelli has agreed to join them and the troublesome Italian striker is expected to complete a switch to San Siro on Wednesday, but City could have done with some extra firepower at Loftus Road. An injury to Vincent Kompany obliged the champions to start with Spanish midfielder Javi Garcia at centreback, but they began with both
Queens Park Rangers' Loic Remy (R) watches his shot go wide of Manchester City's Joe Hart (L) during their English Premier League match AFP/GLYN KIRK at Loftus Road in London, England on Tuesday.
Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero in attack as they sought to exploit bottom club QPR's defensive frailties. Joleon Lescott blazed an early chance over the crossbar from close range, while Pablo Zabaleta headed against the bar from a David Silva cross and
Aguero had a goal ruled out for offside. Adel Taarabt provided a reminder of QPR's threat with a low shot that Joe Hart had to keep out but the hosts were indebted to Julio Cesar for a superb save to deny Gareth Barry and keep the scores level at half-time. AFP