Postnoon E-Paper for 02 march 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

DIA MIRZA POSES IN AD AGAINST ANIMAL SKIN TRADE Bollywood actor Dia Mirza has posed as a snake to raise her voice against animal skin trade in an ad for animal rights organisation People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). P24

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012 HYDERABAD

WWW.POSTNOON.COM

WEATHER: MOSTLY CLEAR; 28°C

SRINIVAS SETTY

THE STORY OF CREATION Creation and life are two words synonymous with Gaia, the first of the Greek gods. Today we learn more about her P16&17

OFFICIALS FUMBLE, AS CITY CRUMBLES While a population of 7.5 million cries itself hoarse over civic problems, the officials concerned have gone into hibernation. Nearly 300 public issues were raised at the DRC meeting held on January 21. How many were solved? Zero! REPORT ON PG 7

FLASH

70 OUT OF 550 CLEARED CIVIL SERVICE EXAM IN AP The declaration of the Union Public Service commission (UPSC) results last evening took everybody by surprise. Blogs are full of youth saying how they were caught unawares. Over 70 candidates from the State are reported to have cleared the civil service examinations (finals) which were held in October 2011. A total of 550 candidates from the State had appeared for the examination. This is said to be the same as last year.

32 PAGES

Page Two

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Spirit of Twin Cities

A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE

Mohenjo-da-ro

M ANIL KUMAR

A Hindi play titled Mohenjodaro will be presented at Nift. The play directed by Kulvinder Bakshish is a love story in the times of war. Where: Nift, Madhapur When: March 2, 7.30pm Contact: (040) 23110 841

Acting workshop Samahaara- an acting and dancing workshop is being held. The workshop focusses on a variety of topics such as understanding the basics of stage acting, character analysis, stage and rehearsal terms, movement and stage geography. Where: The Actor’s studio, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 7pm to 9pm Contact: 98854 04784

Kalighat Victoria Memorial and London’s Victoria hall and Albert museum present Kalighat, an exhibition of paintings from Kalighat.The exhibition features 100s of paintings by 15 contemporary artists currently working in rural Bengal. Where: Salarjung Museum, Charminar When: Ongoing, 10am Contact: (040) 2452 3211

Silk Utsav

Jai Bhim Comrade

Madhya Pradesh Khadi & Village Industries Board, Bhopal is hosting an MP Silk Utsav.Head to the exhibition for a variety of exotic & colourful bagh Khadi sarees, Maheshwari sarees, cotton and poly khadi dress material along with quality products made by SHG’s such as spices, pickles. Where: Institute of Engineers, Khairtabad When: Ongoing, 10am Contact: (040) 2339 4969

A documentray presentation by Anand Patwardhan,Winner of the Best Film Award, Mumbai International Film Festival and the Muhr Asia Africa / documentary Specal Award at the Dubai Film Festival 2011-12 will be on at Lamakaan. Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills When: March 2, 6.30pm Contact: 96427 31329

Art from the heart

Musical concert

Muse Art Gallery presents a charity art show by Anjum Mohammadi (Karachi) for Soul. Where: Muse Gallery, Tank Bund When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: (040) 2752 2999

AnandaPriya Foundation for Arts and Learning present a Concert Lecture on Hindustani and Carnatic Melodic Structures by Shri Sriram Parasuram. The event will be held at the Amphi Theatre, Road No 8, Banjara Hills on March 5. Where: The Amphi Theatre, Saptaprni, Banjara Hills When: March 5, 7pm

Kalahastu Kalmkari An exhibition of Kalamkari works is on at the Malkha shop in Humayun Nagar. Where: Malkha marketing trust, Humayun Nagar When: Ongoing, 11 am onwards Contact: (040) 2332 5548

Technical fest MGIT ( Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Technology) presents the first ever MICROCOSM’12, a National level technical symposium. Where: MGIT, Gandipet When: March 1-2,9am Contact: 08413 233355

Midnight Buffet Midnight hunger pangs? Head to Best Western for it’s midnight buffet where you can enjoy Hyderabadi dum biryani and live dosa with chicken curry every night. Where: Best Western Jubilee Hills When: Ongoing, 10.30pm-2.30am

CINEMAS

delicacies such as Thai,Classic Western, Oriental and South Indian. Where: Hyderabad Marriot, Tank Bund When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 2752 2999

Contact: 80083 00373

Voice and Ventriloquy Gallery Space presents Voice and Ventriloquy- a solo show by Subroto Chowdhury . The exhibition is on till March 10. Where: Gallery Space, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 11am to 7pm Contact: (040) 6554 1836

unwind at the poolside. During the evenings, the atmosphere gets romantic with great music, martinis and apertifs. Where: The Westin, Madhapur When: Monday-Friday, 5pm-10.30pm Weekends, 8am-10.30pm Contact: (040) 6767 6828

Painting exhibition

Catch the painting exhibition Chowrasta featuring artistes such as Natraj S, Thirumala M Thirupathi, Srinivas Mouni and Subodh Singh. Where: Shrishti Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: (040) 2354 0023

An exhibition featuring artistes such as Konduru Nageshwar Rao, Narendranath Palala, T Nageswara Rao and Rajeshwar Nyalapali will be displayed at Inspire Art Gallery. Where: Inspire Art Gallery Hyderguda When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: (040) 3062 844

Go Splash

Momo Cafe

Splash lounge is the perfect leisure destination for you to

Momo Café at the Marriot presents a new A-La-Carte Menu with

Chowrasta

Through her eyes Iconart Art Gallery plays host to ‘Through her eyes’- an art exhibition by Priyanka Poogalia. The exhibition is on till March 4. Where: Iconart, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 11.30am Contact: 98499 68797

Basically Hyderabadi An art exhibition titled Basically Hyderabadi by artist Syed Rayees Ahmed is on at Arts Heaven, Red Hills. Where: Arts Heaven, Red Hills When: Ongoing, 11.30am

Timeless thoughts A group exhibition of paintings and sculpture by 39 artist from India and abroad is on at Iconart. Where: State Gallery of Fine Arts, Kavuri Hills When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: (040) 23113 308

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

Hyper Local

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

MMS creates tension

Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

nam Vivekananda Reddy, MLA from Nellore and elder brother of finance minister Ramanarayana Reddy, was today caught by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy in the Assembly lobby when he was smoking a cigarette. Vivekanand Reddy, who is bachelor, is known for his cigarette smoking habit and many other antics even

Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com

ension prevailed in some places of the Old City today after some mischievous persons flashed a provocative MMS depicting a holy place with unsavoury slogans. The Commissioner of Police, AK Khan, on getting a wind of the growing unrest, immediately ordered crime control station to swing into action and trace the source. Two special teams were quickly formed under Deputy Commissioner of Police CCS, J Satyanarayana and ACP cyber crime Chitti Babu. Two cyber crime Inspectors Majeed Khan and G Venkatesham were drafted to the teams. Khan said the situation was kept under check. Since Thursday some miscreants in order to create a law and order problem sent a provocative MMS with photos of a house of god on mobiles with slogans. Some who came to know went around rousing

MLA caught smoking A

CRIME

in his constituency. He was caught on cameras many a time. He was spotted when he was rolling cigarettes earlier too on the Assembly premises. The Chief Minister, in a lighter vein, cautioned Vivekananda Reddy not to smoke in the public places especially the Assembly premises. The legislator just smiled away and pretended as if he was afraid. The MLA is a chain smoker and rolls cigarettes on his own with a special tobacco.

TDP seeks NREGS panel Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

T communal feelings and tension began to build up, police said. It was later found that the MMS originated from Mangalhatt, Dhoolpet, Puranapul areas. Police suspects that some politicians are behind this as earlier also some miscreants

CRIME BRIEFS Fourth time unlucky He was about to tie knot with a 24 year old girl but timely tip off by one of his victims’ relatives spoiled it. Instead of honeymoon he is now counting lockup bars in Malkajgiri police station. Revanth, 35, was about to marry a girl, Usha, 24, In Malkajgiri when the police were told about the fraudster on Thursday. He is said to have already married three women and have several children. This was his fourth attempt but was caught. It is not clear what vocation he follows but his main vocation, said Malkajgiri police, it seems to be trapping unwary and poor girls who can’t aspire for well-settled good bridegrooms. He collects whatever jewellery, cash and property is there and hops on to the next victim in a distant locality, police said.

Fire in chemical shop A major fire broke out in a chemical shop in Tilak Road on Thursday morning under the Abids police limits. The shop was closed for the night and the fire broke out around 1 am. Electrical fault is blamed for fire. A major mishap was averted after some passersby noted smoke and sparks coming out of the shop and alerted Abids police which in turn summoned fire personnel. Fire was brought under control by 5am. The shop was gutted, said Inspector Abids, K Shiv Kumar.

Youth kills himself Nagaraj, who is said to have been dejected after not landing a good job, was found dead in his house on Thursday. The 26-year-old man, who was a BSc electrical graduate, was found hanging by the ceiling fan. Preliminary enquiry stated that he had recently given up a job owing to getting a low salary and was unhappy about not getting a better paid job after quitting in the past few months, Bowenpally police have said.

had created the same problem. After this incident, the police nabbed one youth and booked a case against him. AK Khan said that police was taking precautionary measures with deployment of additional forces in certain areas.

Traffic chaos at centres U Srinivas srinivas.u@postnoon.com

DP MLA Payyavula Keshav on Friday demanded constitution of a House committee on the irregularities in the NREGS scheme. Making a point during the question hour, Keshav alleged that the scheme was not being implemented properly. He demanded that the social audit report must be put on the website so that the public could see what

was happening in the scheme. Minister Dokka Manikya Varaprasad told the members that all precautions were being taken to see that the loopholes in were plugged. He agreed that there was some problems but overall it was a success. But the TDP members differed and said that he was giving false information. They demanded a House committee and rushed to the podium. The house was adjourned for 15 minutes.

Subscribe Today!

he traffic was thrown out of gear this morning in the City between 7.30 and 8.30 with the commencement of the intermediate public examination. The police had a tough time in making the vehicles move away from the colleges and also on the main road. The traffic was completely choked in the Nallakunta and the Musheerabad areas. Even after caution that cell phones will not be allowed to the examination centres, students in large numbers brought the cell phones along with them. While some returned the cell phones to their parents, some others had to deposit them in nearby shops and other places. Some students who drove to the examination centres too did not have a clue on where to park their bikes. So they parked them up on the roadsides. Ramana Murthy, who works in AGs office, said that it could be the same chaos kind of situation when they would come to pick up the children after the exam. Some examination centres in the Old City area were found without proper furniture and the students had to squat on the floor and write the exam.

1 Year

` 349/-

Subscription Offer

6 Months Hyderabad’s first afternoon newspaper

040 - 4067 2222 subscription@postnoon.com

` 199/-

Hyper Local Sudeshna Koka Sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

rom a one floor library to one shelf library to no libraries; from huge playgrounds to basement playgrounds to no playgrounds; from fans to coolers and now to AC colleges; from six hour-classes to 12 hour-classes, indeed corporate colleges have changed the whole face of our education system. This is the new so-called revolution that the corporate schools have brought to our education system. If we thought this was causing great damage to our children then hold on, the bigger damage is yet to come. After breaking through the country’s best engineering and medical colleges it’s now time to establish Andhra Pradesh’s footprint in the civil services.

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

The IAS effect

Students juggle 12-hour work days in exam preparations

Politics via IAS “My aim is to become a politician. I was forced to join the science stream but then through a friend I came to know about this college and immediately shifted here. If I become an IAS officer it will be easy for me to join politics which is my aim,” said Irfan

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: Commissioner & Spl Officer 23262266

Exam fever grips City On the first day of the intermediate exams, students speak

PIC FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY

The paper was very easy. Though I knew everything I took my own sweet time to write the exam. If the first paper was so easy I am sure all the other exams will be equally easy. MOHAMED SAFIULLAH, SRI SAI VIDYA VIKAS COLLEGE, URDU

DUCATION XCLUSIVE

Colleges like Sri Chaitanya and Narayana are now coaching their students for civil services right from first year of college. “Unlike North India, students in AP are still running after medical and engineering. There is no great rush for civil services examination in our State. We wanted to change the notion of parents and teachers. Therefore, we came up with a college that teaches board syllabus along with IAS coaching,” said Raj Sekhar, senior counsellor, Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy. Colleges like these offer courses in humanities for intermediate studies and BA at graduation level along with intensive coaching for civil exams which they will be eligible for after five and three years respectively.

The paper was a little difficult. Sanskrit is a scoring subject but this year the paper was more difficult as compared to the previous years’ question papers. RAJESH J, WESTLEY JUNIOR COLLEGE FOR BOYS, SANSKRIT

Application process online from this year This year the application process for Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has gone completely online. Until last year it was both online and offline but the commission has decided to make the process completely online from this year onwards. A majority of the candidates are happy with the decision as they no longer need to stand in long queues at post offices and the process can be completed in a couple of days instead of the usual week.

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

Basha, first year student, of History. When asked if it was okay with him to lose the thrills and frills of adolescence by immersing himself in books, he said he can’t gain without pain. Each of these colleges has an average of 450 students who study from 8 am to 10 pm. However, what is troubling everyone from educationalists to psychologists is whether this pain is worth it. Diana Monteiro, psychologist says, “At the age of 17-18 a child’s brain is not fully developed but forcing him/her to one stream will lead to lopsided develop-

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

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

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

ment. They get stuck in the groove and will not give them a chance to gain an equitable growth. We are only creating robots and not experts.” Industry experts who have been coaching civil applicants for more than two decades too believe that these colleges are doing more harm than good. “We need to think how good these colleges are for our students. The syllabus keeps changing and we don’t know what will change in the next five years. Burdening students for five years is not fair,” quips Rajeshwar R, faculty, RC Reddy IAS coaching center.

39879999 27567892 23559555 23226624 27633087 27035588 27550238 30799999 30418296 30417445

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

AIRLINES Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings. For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec’bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999

The French paper was easy. They say that when the paper is easy the correction will be strict. I hope my paper is corrected liberally. YOSHITA P, I-CLASS JUNIOR COLLEGE, FRENCH

The exam was easy, but the center was bad. I had to dust the benches and the desk is terrible. It was very difficult to write an exam here. AKSHITA RAO, I-CLASS JUNIOR COLLEGE, FRENCH

UK Visa Office VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7 Beside Meridian School, Banjara Hills34. Working hours are from 8 AM to 1 PM And 2 PM to 3PM. MUSEUMS Salar Jung Museum AP State Museum Nizams Museum

24523211 232431300/7641 24521029

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

Hyper Local

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Sixth seat in RS poll No more ‘begging’? becomes contentious S Postnoon News

feedback@postnoon.com

POLITICS U Srinivas srinivas.u@postnoon.com

he Assembly lobbies are abuzz with the prospects of the upcoming by-elections and the election to the six seats falling vacant in the Rajya Sabha. With the nominations for the by-elections coming to a close and nominees of all parties being declared, the next topic that’s hogging the limelight is Rajya Sabha elections. Six seats will fall vacant by April 2. While the Congress will win three for sure, the TDP will get two. There will be cut-throat competition for the sixth seat. One argument doing the rounds is that if the 17 MLAs owing allegiance to YS Jagan are booted out of the Assembly, the TDP might enjoy an edge and pitch in its candidate for the third seat. If Jagan’s group is not shown the door, the TRS and Jagan’s group may together field a candidate, making cross-voting

imminent. The term of Rajya Sabha members Dasari Narayana Rao, K Keshava Rao, G Sanjiva Reddy, Rashid Alvi from the Congress, MV Mysoora Reddy from TDP and Syed Aziz Pasha from CPI (M) would end on April 2. Sources in the Congress indicate that almost none of the outgoing members would be renominated. All indications are pointing to the selection Chiranjeevi, industrialist GVK Reddy, Renuka Chowdhary the fire brand politician. While the grapevine has it that Chiranjeevi and Renuka Chowdary are sure shots, former minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir is angling for the fourth seat. He began his lobbying long

ago, considering his closeness with AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad. Kesava Rao is also working overtime for a second chance. He stopped talking of Telangana and desisted from organising meetings of Telangana MPs, MLAs at the drop of a hat at his residence in Hyderabad. Whether G Sanjeeva Reddy will retain his seat is turning out to be interesting, as he is known to be an integrationist. Rashid Alvi, who belongs to Uttar Pradesh, already served eight years as Rajya Sabha member from AP. So he is not in the list. The reason for Shabbir being kept away from contesting the by-elections in Nizamabad is to pitch him in if there is an opportunity for Rajya Sabha. Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao, chairman of GMR Group, is also in the race for a seat in Rajya Sabha. If Renuka Chowdary is not given a chance, a BC leader will be chosen for the slot. Former Assembly speaker Yamanala Ramakrishnudu is almost certain to be fielded by the TDP.

peaker Nadendla Manohar on Friday advised the members in the House that they must not leak information regarding the adjournment motions to the media, before the speaker is informed. But it has been a trend that even before the speaker takes it up, the members give the information to the electronic media on the subjects on which they proposed to serve the adjournment motions. On the other hand, it is learnt

that one of the Legislators had advised the Speaker Manohar informally that they must do away with the age old tradition of using "I beg to move" nomenclature when the Bills are passed especially by the Speaker. Why should the speaker and the members use the language which depicts the British culture, he asked. The member has given it in writing to the Speaker. Though the Speaker was in agreement with the member, he would take legal angle on this issue if the "beg" word can be done away with.

CLP executive to discuss RS nominees Postnoon News

ore than the Assembly proceedings, Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy was seen busy working on the executive council meeting of the Congress Legislature Party meeting slated for 2pm. With most MLAs wanting to go out of station and with some of them participating in the by-election campaign, it was decided to complete the CLP meeting before 4pm.

It is learnt that the leaders might discuss the selection of members to the Rajya Sabha. The CM would also impress upon the leaders to work for the victory of at least four out of the seven Assembly seats going to polls. Some MLAs at the CLP told Postnoon that nothing had been finalised on the selection on the RS candidates. Some of them even opposed the candidature of Chiranjeevi to Rajya Sabha.

Break traffic rules at your own peril TRAFFIC Osama Salman salman.o@postnoon.com

ext time you jump a signal or don’t wear a seat belt while driving your car, you are in for big trouble. You will have to pay through your nose the hefty penalty that will be levied. People in the City will surely fall in line and fast. The Union Cabinet approved an array of amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act on Thursday. These will enhance the punishment for not using seatbelts, signal jumping and drunken driving. The new rules will come into force, once they get the nod from the Parliament. This evoked a panic reaction across the City, especially among denizens who often flout the rules. While some think it is a tad too harsh, some others welcomed it saying that only something as severe can bring a change. Tarang Mudgal, a tech support executive in an IT firm, says that an increase in fine can bring traffic sense among road users in the City. “It will defi-

nitely help people be more cautious and less complacent. The move should have come much earlier. However, it will take a long time for it to be implemented,” he says. Apoorva Prasanna, an instructional designer, too is in agreement with Mudgal. “It will help reduce traffic violations in the City. I hope it comes into force soon. Harsher fines will bring the accident rate down

considerably,” she says. On the other hand, photographer Vijay Kumar Tirunagari, who was shocked on hearing the news laments, “The middleclass can’t afford to pay the increase in fines. Sometimes, a person invariably breaks rules, such as crossing the stop line at signals. If he has to pay such high amounts, that will be unjust. Even if the fines are hiked, they should keep in mind

how much an average person earns.” Vijay says that he will start travelling by bus once the rule comes into force. On the other hand, Sandeep Chitgopkar, a creative designer, thinks that a hike in fines wouldn’t result in people violating the rules lesser. “Instead, it is better to make people more aware of rules and make sure denizens follow them than just collecting fines,” he points out. A visibly upset Neeraj Bajaj, a tax analyst in a multinational company, says that it doesn’t matter how much the fines increase. “I would say the fines should be lower so that instead of bribes, people can pay fines and not try to evade them. At least it will go the government account. As of now, in the fear of higher fines, people bribe the police and get away.” “Whatever they increase, the police should get really strict with the rules. My friend was drunk the other day and when caught by the police, he paid a fine. The cop told him that he could show the fine’s slip if he got caught again,” recalls Pratyusha Sharma, a theatre artiste. “Certain rules should be reworked first,” she concludes.

New Traffic Fines n Drunk drivers will be penalised according to the amount of alcohol found in their blood. Fines will start with `2,000 and/or six months in prison; higher alcohol amounts will double that punishment. If the driver is caught drunk again within three years of the first offence, fines up to `10,000 and a jail term of four years could apply. n Those found to be driving dangerously will face a fine of `1,000 and/or up to six months in jail. n Those caught jumping signals, not wearing seatbelts or helmets will pay `500 the first time; the current fine for these violations is `100. Repeat offences will come with fines up to `1,500. n Those caught speeding will pay `1,000 instead of `400. Subsequent offences will cost them up to `5,000, five times what repeat offenders pay today.

Hyper Local

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

GLENN JOHN

Weave your way through colours

CLASSIFIEDS FABRICATION

Isha Mukoo isha.m@postnoon.com

REAL ESTATE GACHIBOWLI TO VATTINAGULAPALLY ORR FACING HOUSING PLOTS FOR SALE. NEAR MICROSOFT, WIPRO, ICICI, INFOTECH, KOKAPET IT SEZ. CONTACT - 9989354333

Two college students held

wo engineering students, who committed thefts to cover their luxuries and other bad habits, have finally landed in the police net. The Banjara Hills police said that they seized a gun, a knife, two bikes, 55 tolas of gold, `20 lakhs in cash and some silver coins.

Playground abandoned the playground. The local head of all the grounds in Alwal said that, though the news is doing the rounds quite sometime, the problem remained unresolved.

CIVIC Glenn John feedback@postnoon.com

Ill effects

o you think a playground should ever be abandoned? Surely, the answer is no. But the Old Alwal playground, which is adjacent to Loyola Degree College, lay abandoned for several years. A lot of shrubs grow there and anti-social elements gather there. Being adjacent to an educational institution, the abandoned playground is turning out to be a cause of concern for the college authorities too. Former municipal chairman of Alwal Jeevakan said that the land was under litigation. Well, the case was filed by the locals residing in the surrounding areas as well as others against a man who is staying right behind the playground. The man residing behind the

playground is a retired policeman. He claims that the land is given to him by the government as he was running a home for the aged in the past. Whereas the locals say that the land was given by the government to encourage sports. Jeevakan said: “The area around the ground produced many sportsmen.” But then, the sad part is that the area is now missing a playground. He also said that the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has to protect

THE FACES OF HYDERABAD Veeraswamy, coconut water vendor, Alwal

As the ground is situated in a low-lying area, dirty water from the adjacent colony gets dumped in the playground thus making it waterlogged. When it rains, the condition of the ground is even worse. Sometimes, the water flows towards the road which could be very dangerous making it accidentprone. In fact, there are three colleges and two schools around the area. Also the ground remains to be a collection point for domestic sewerage which may result in many infectious diseases and also spoils the environment. But the locals say that unless the litigation is resolved, the playground remains a perennial problem. GLENN JOHN

ur country has always revelled in its history and its diverse culture and one can see it in every aspect of our lives. From food, festivals and languages and also in beautiful and colourful dresses, it emerges from every state. While Hyderabad revels in its own culture and its own traditional attires, an exhibition in Imperial Gardens has brought more than just Hyderabad to display. A wide range of beautiful sarees, suits and much more is available at this one stop shop for the entire family. Weaves, as it has been named brings different handlooms from fourteen weaving states in the Country and offers a wide range of silk, cotton and many other varieties. Madhavi Naidu, one of the organisers feels it’s a good time as people would want to buy clothes for summers as well for approaching festivals such as Ugadi. “The good part about this exhibition is that it a complete family shopping destination. One can shop for elders, kids and all the age groups. It caters to more of the traditional attires so families can shop for the festivals or any occasion.” she shares. Banarasi brocades, colourful Bandhej from Rajasthan. Patola from Gujrat, Paithani from Maharashtra, Tussar from Bihar; the list does not end. It’s a treat to eyes. The icing on the cake is that it is not heavy on the pocket.

No more ladies special in MMTS trains Anubha Singh

eeraswamy, is quite a delightful person. He is a coconut water vendor in Alwal. He claims to be selling the best quality coconut water in and around the area. Although his native place is Amalapuram, he came all the way from Amalapuram to Hyderabad to excel in his business. It has been 6 years since he started the business. He has three daughters who are currently studying in class 1, 2 and 3. His only goal is to

Glenn John A city is defined by the people who live and work in it. Here we take a look at the human threads that make up our urban tapestry

educate his three daughters. His family runs only through the income that he gets from selling coconut water. When asked him about the business, he said that in the off-season, he earns only `200 per day, and in the summer season he earns `700 per day. He faces a financial crisis during the off season. He recovers his losses in the summer season. Besides selling coconut water, he also owns a fruit shop which he started recently through his savings.

anubha.k@postnoon.com

omen passengers travelling in MMTS trains can no longer have an exclusive train for themselves, as the South Central Railway (SCR) has decided to convert the Matrubhumi ladies’ special into a general service. Beginning this Thursday, the services can be used by all passengers. The ladies special used to operate in the FalaknumaLingampally route. “Due to poor patronage, the special service has been dispensed with and the same will now operate as a general service. Many women are now opting for other MMTS trains too so most of the Matrubhumi trains are empty” said, K Sambasiva Rao, CPRO, SCR.

Hyper Local

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Public suffers while officials snooze Public grievance redress forums are suffering due to the absence of punitive action Name of the Department AP CPDCL Archaeology Chief rationing office Commissioner of police DM & HO e-SEVA Education department GHMC HMWS & SB Marketing department Minorities welfare department Minority finance corporation Prohibition & excise QQSUDA, hyderabad Registrar office Revenue department Road transport office SC corporation Tribal welfare department Wakf board Youth welfare department Total:

CIVIC Md Inkeshaf Ahmed ahmed.m@postnoon.com

s there a gang working covertly to ‘distribute’ stray dogs and unwanted pet dogs in downtown areas of the City which lacks vigil? Yes, says MLA Virasat Rasool Khan of Nampally. Raising this as a serious public health issue at the District Development Review Committee (DRC), Khan said, an organised gang or gangs exist that take

A Herculean task Hyderabad Chief Planning Officer (DPO), Balram, who monitors the DRC issues, agreed that many officials showed a negligent attitude towards solving these problems. He observed that it was a Herculean task for them to remind respective civic service providers and government departments to address these problems. “Many of the departments don’t give much priorities to these complaints. We need to remind them many times over to address these problems,” he said. Balaram warned that if these respective departments do not solve these problems, they would have to face the wrath of public representatives besides facing disciplinary action. unwanted street dogs and abandoned pets from high-end areas like Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills and ‘distribute’ them in Mehdipatnam, Secunderabad and nearby areas where lax vigil

help them do the dark work. Deriding it as ‘equitable distribution of canine wealth,’ the MLA regretted that even after 40 days of raising this issue not one was attended to. The GHMC officials

have made no attempt to inquire into this and redress the people’s grievance. MLAs, MPs and MLCs have raised 299 public issues of Hyderabad in the meeting held on January 21. Not one has been attended. “This shows how eager these departments are to solve people’s problems,” says Malekpet MLA Ahmed Bin Balala. Most of these issues are civic problems which includes faulty street lights, dog menace, dumps of garbage, clogged nallahs, indiscriminate digging of roads and safety aspects involving electricity and water supply. They are

Issues raised Action taken Pending 28 0 28 1 0 1 7 0 7 14 0 14 8 0 8 1 0 1 23 0 23 100 0 100 44 0 44 1 0 1 1 0 1 5 0 5 27 0 27 1 0 1 1 0 1 32 0 32 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 299 0 299

The DRC meeting n The DRC meeting has a special place in solving all the problems faced by residents of a particular district in the State. n DRC is headed by a cabinet minister who is responsible to monitor the progress of issues and problems raised by ruling and opposition party MPs, MLAs and MLCs and ensure that these are solved within the stipulated time. collected and presented for official action. But DRC, they say, has become scarecrow in the absence of punitive action.

Turf war between APSRTC and Setwin TRANSPORT Osama Salman salman.o@postnoon.com

he Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) that until recently had a strong hold over public transport buses in the City, seems to be losing out on precious passengers. The encroaching culprit here is the Society for Employment Promotion and Training in Twin Cities (SETWIN) buses. The main reason, say passengers, is the difference in customer service. Interestingly, there are only 99 Setwin buses compared to APSRTC’s fleet of 3,769 buses on the City roads. Yet the Setwin services are giving Goliath a run for its money, simply because their

services are better than the ones being provided by the APSRTC. “Although Setwin buses are smaller in size and fleet, the drivers and conductors know how to speak to passengers. They are always smiling and aren’t

rude like some of the APSRTC bus drivers,” says Girish K, a government employee. “Moreover, these buses don’t just stop at bus stops, but anywhere you ask them to. Many a times, I have boarded Setwin

buses when they stop at signals. And the best thing is that they don’t stop anybody from boarding from anywhere,” he adds. The Setwin buses are 24seaters with only one entrance. Unlike APSRTC buses, these buses can’t accommodate the sheer number that an APSRTC bus can. “The driver is forced to stop until everybody has gotten out and till all the passengers are inside. This makes it a lot safer than foot-boarding the regular buses,” says Lakshmi, a maid who uses the Setwin buses. But not all was hunky dory for the Setwin services. From 2003, the services were held back for 2.5 years as their vehicles were found to be flouting traffic rules, resulting in accidents and deaths as well as heavy pollution. But in 2006, they were back on the City roads and ever since, they have

received a good response. However, Setwin managing director, T Subhash Chandra Bose, says that their fleet of buses is too small to compete with the APSRTC. “We only operate 99 buses and each of them is 24seater. There is no competition that to the APSRTC,” he says. On the other hand, B Prasada Rao, vice chairman and managing director of APSRTC, says that Setwin buses eat into the profits of APSRTC by deviating from the fixed routes . He refused to comment further on the topic. Despite Setwin’s advantages, for some the APSRTC bus service still remains the first choice. “There are very few routes that Setwin buses travel to. The frequency too, is far lesser. I will always travel in APSRTC busesas they are more reliable,” affirms Aadesh Trivedi, an IT employee.

17,646.13 59.16

5,363.95 24.20

BSE

NSE

Business

10g= `28,300

GOLD

1kg= `58,900

SILVER

`49.31

DOLLAR

POUND FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012 8

Matters of saving and spending

Obama blames India, China for spike in oil prices WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama sought to blame burgeoning growth in India, China and Brazil for the rising oil prices in a bid to deflect the criticism of the Republicans in an election year who are attributing the surge to his failed energy policy. Citing rising auto sales in these countries, he said as people in India and China get wealthier they will buy more cars and fill them up like Americans do, driving up oil prices. Although Obama did not did not lay out a plan to deal with energy issues at home, he did call for removing subsidies to oil companies and investing more in clean alternatives. “When you start hearing a bunch of folks saying somehow that there’s some simple solution, you can turn a nozzle and suddenly we’re going to be getting a lot more oil, that’s not just how it works. “Over the long term, the biggest reason oil prices will rise is because of growing demand in countries like China and India and Brazil,” Obama said in a speech in New Hampshire. Obama travelled to Nashua in New Hampshire to deliver an address in energy and gas prices, which has crossed USD 4 per gallon here and has started

IMF advises caution on policy easing

pinching common man’s pocket. Observers say the Republicans, in a presidential election year, are trying to exploit the issue in their favour to defeat Obama, who is seeking re-election. “Just think about this. In five years, the number of cars on the road in China more than tripled. Over the last five years, the number of cars tripled. Nearly 10 million cars were added in China alone in 2010 — 10 million cars just in one country in one year. So that’s using up a lot of oil,” he said. “Those numbers are only going to get bigger over time. As places like China and India get wealthier, they’re going to want to buy cars like we do, and they’re going to want to fill them up like we do, and that’s going to drive up demand,” Obama said. Obama, however, did not give any assurance to Americans on decrease in gasoline prices. “While there are no short-term silver bullets when it comes to gas prices, I’ve directed my administration to look for every single area where we can make an impact and help consumers — from

helping to relieve bottlenecks...to making sure speculators aren’t taking advantage of what’s going on in the oil markets. PTI

BUSINESS BRIEFS BUDGET TIP Fiscal deficit to go up

iscal deficit in the upcoming Budget 2012 is likely to be on the higher side. The fiscal deficit should be within 4.6 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP). By January end, the Union Government had gone up to `4.34 lakh crore of fiscal deficit which is 105 per cent of the budgeted estimates, owing to dip in direct taxes and slowdown in collection of nontax revenues.

Sudhakar elected ABOA general secretary HYDERABAD: Peddi Sudhakar was elected the general secretary of Associate Banks’ Officers Association (ABOA) central office. The position was held by Sivasankar Pillai earlier. Sudhakar was also co-opted as vice-president for All India State Bank Officers Federation (AISBOF) by the executive committee. Sudhakar is currently the general secretary of ABOA of State Bank of Hyderabad unit. This was announced by ABOA president P Narasimha.

LIC’s new single premium policy

Sensex recovers MUMBAI: The BSE benchmark index Sensex on Friday recovered by over 77 points in early trade on fresh buying by funds and retail investors, supported by a firming trend in other Asian markets. The 30-share index, which had lost 168.71 points on Thursday, recovered by 77.42 points, or 0.44 per cent, to 17,661.39 points with stocks of the auto, metal, power and banking sector leading the recovery. The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty moved up by 22.20 points, or 0.42 per cent, to 5,362.25.

WASHINGTON:

Noting that the global recovery had suffered a setback, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has advised India and other emerging economies with high inflation and public debt to take a cautious stance to policy easing. “In emerging economies, the priority is to ensure a soft landing as domestic growth slows amid a deteriorating external environment and volatile capital flows,” it said in a staff note prepared for last week’s G-20 Finance Ministers’ meeting in Mexico City. “Monetary policies can be eased in economies with diminishing inflationary pressure,” it said in the note released publicly here on Thursday. But in those economies like India “with relatively high inflation and public debt, policy space is more limited, warranting a more cautious stance toward policy easing.” Collective action to address global imbalances can help ensure a return to strong, sustainable, and balanced growth, IMF said. “This will require further deleveraging by households in advanced deficit economies, and policies encouraging more inclusive growth and lower saving in emerging surplus economies.” “In emerging economies, the focus should be on responding to moderating demand, while dealing with volatile capital flows,” IMF said suggesting “appropriate policy response” depending on the varying circumstances.

`78.62

LIC’s zonal manager AK Sahoo (third(third from left) launched Jeevan Vriddhi single premium policy on Thursday. Postnoon News

HYDERABAD: The

Life Insurance Corporation of India launched a single premium non-linked insurance plan, Jeevan Vriddhi. The plan offers five times risk cover to the premium chosen by the customer and offers guaranteed return on maturity. The plan almost doubles the premium in 10 years’ time with loyalty additions (based on corporation’s experience). The minimum entry age for the plan is eight years (completed) and while the maximum is 50 years. The policy has a fixed term of 10 years and the minimum premium under the policy is `30,000 and does not have any upper limit. The loan facility would be available after a year from the start of policy with an interest of 10.25 per cent. Customers can avail around 60 per cent of the premium amount as a loan. The policy offers the additional benefit to

the customers who pay high premiums by adding 1.25 per cent in guaranteed matured sum at the maturity of the policy for the premiums in between `50,000 to `99,000 and 3 per cent for and above `1 lakh. This policy is independent of volatile market conditions and fluctuations in interest rates. It only requires onetime premium payment and customer can have peace of mind from paying regular premiums. The limited period plan is only available up to 120 days, said A K Sahoo, zonal manager, South central zone, LIC India. The LIC is planning to collect `2,500`3,000 crore as a premium on this policy in this month. Talking about Jeevan Ankur, he said about 50,000 policies sold in a month after the launch. The south central zone contributes 15-16 per cent to the total premium of the LIC and holds second position in the country.

Dr Chaitanya’s clinic opens at AS Rao Nagar

HYDERABAD: Dr Chaitanya’s cure clinic , a chain of homeopathy hospitals, has opened its centre at AS Rao Nagar on Thursday. The centre was opened by Thumkunta Narsa Reddy, MLA, Gajwel. The hospital has its centres in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The centre is offering free consultation from March 1, 2012 to March 7,2012.

India‑View

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

India unveiled

Avant garde art gets market tilt NEW DELHI: Avant garde art, traditionally known to set aesthetic trends away from the commercial drill, is reinventing itself as cutting edge contemporary art with a tilt towards market forces in post-globalised India. “The concept of avant garde is not applicable to India because it is obsolete. Works of successful and celebrated artists are often described as avant garde, but they are consumed by the market. It is better known as cutting edge contemporary art which pushes new frontiers of creativity,” Rajinder, editor of the Indian Contemporary Art Journal told. The art writer critic and scholar said “avant garde art originally referred to the works of non-mainstream marginal artists like Gustave Courbet, the 19th century French realist, and Salvador Dali who addressed social realism in art”. Courbet painted subjects that were considered vulgar, such as the rural bourgeoisie, peasants and working conditions of the poor. “In India, new experimental art like those by Subodh Gupta or even by GR Iranna are consumed by the market. They are part of the mainstream and hence not avant garde any more,” Rajinder said. According to critics, the history of avant garde in post-modern Indian art dates back to the 1970s with Vivan Sundaram who created his own language away from the mainstream by using a combined artscape of performance, art, design, European avant garde and Indian socio-cultural references, allowing viewers to participate in his art. “It is cutting edge art which is going on in the world today. We have been playing safe far too long...The attitude is how do we think conceptually beyond this? If artists are not concerned about saleability and were interested in

Vivan Sundaram’s new avant garde art installation: Gagawaka: Making Strange. pushing through the conceptual boundary, it would have been avant garde art,” Daniel Kunitz, writer and former US editor for Art Review, said at a forum on avant garde in emerging Indian contemporary art at the Lalit Kala Akademi this week. David Ross, former director of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, said, “Why art no longer qualifies as avant garde is

because of the consuming power of the growing collectors’ class.” “It has made it possible for artists to sell everything to the mass market,” he said. “America is a melting pot of several cultures - like Latin American, European, African slave culture, Chinese, Japanese and Asian. All these cultural references came together to make a

distinct mix that bent set rules to create something new. In India, when the symbols and values of the great traditional arts heritage collide with the different constructs of neo art, it forms cutting edge avant garde expressions,” Ross told with examples of painters like Tyeb Mehta and FN Souza. Artist Arpana Caur said “Every day in my life, when I

paint, I think it is avant garde because it is new. I sometimes have blood in my work - and by sticking to my blood, I think it’s avant garde. For most artists who push creative borders, it is the sheer pleasure of painting...the market is never on our thought...” But Caur is one of India’s highest selling artists. IANS

Reviving an age-old art Aarushi case: SC says NEW DELHI: India is now using performance art as a revivalist and critiquing device, a tool of social intervention. It was introduced in the country’s art space by artists like Bhupen Khakhar, Vivan Sundaram and Nasreen Mohamedi in the 1970s. Considered the next level of the arts movement in countries where art is used as a tool of social change, it engages people in aesthetic dialogue on issues with a combination of performance, body language, music, narrative, discussions and conventional visual art.” Performance art forms a good

bridge between literate and non-literate people because the performer uses his body, offering viewers direct access to art. It opens up cultural conversations because it is direct. You learn about a particular artist’s attitude. It is a rich vehicle to put ideas across,” Roselee Goldberg, a US-based performance arts pioneer, critic and art historian, told. “I was fascinated by Subodh Gupta’s new performance art act, Spirit Eaters. He brought us into a conversation that was also a narrative,” Goldberg said. IANS

no to Talwars’ petition NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed Rajesh and Nupur Talwar's plea that the trial in their daughter Aarushi Talwar's murder be transferred from the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Ghaziabad to New Delhi. An apex bench of Justices BS Chauhan and EJS Khehar said the reason of inconvenience raised by the dentist couple for seeking the transfer of the trial from Ghaziabad to Delhi was not a valid ground.

The order pronounced by Justice Khehar said that the security available to the Talwar couple was adequate. The court directed the trial court judge to ensure that only the parties in the case and their counsel would be present during the hearing of the case. The dentist couple had moved the apex court seeking the transfer of trial on the grounds of their personal security, and that a large number of witnesses in the case resided in Delhi. IANS

India‑View

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

India unveiled

US doesn’t support NGOs to oppose nuclear projects Agitators release statement of accounts

WASHINGTON: The US has said it’s strongly supportive of India’s investment in civil nuclear power and its support to NGOs goes only for development and for democracy programmes and not for opposing projects like Kudankulam. Asked to comment on a reported remark of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that three US NGOs were funding a movement in Tamil Nadu state to oppose setting up of a nuclear power plant there, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said, “I’m

not aware of that.” “As you know, we are strongly supportive of India’s investment in civil nuclear power,” she said. “The NGOs that we fund in India are involved in the same kind of democratisation projects, et cetera.” “We are supportive, as a government, of India’s investment in civil nuclear power,” she repeated in response to another question. “That’s not what we support NGOs to do in India. Our NGO support goes for development and it goes for democracy programmes.” IANS

CHENNAI: On the eve of 200th day of their agitation against the Kudankulam nuclear project, the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) on Thursday released a statement of accounts to prove that the struggle is powered with small donations of local villagers. “PMANE has a 30-member finance committee to manage the funds. Starting from Aug 14, 2011, till Feb 26, the total funds raised by PMANE are `2,517,991 and the total expenses during that period is `1,764,233,” G Stanly, a member of PMANE’s finance committee, said. “We have issued receipts to all donors. For those donors who want to be anonymous too we have issued receipts accordingly,” he said. According to him, the struggle committee first collected around `200 from each house in Idinthakarai. The main purpose of releasing the accounts is to silence the critics of the movement that they get foreign funds, he said.

Raids on Cong leader Kripashankar in Mumbai MUMBAI: The Mumbai Police today conducted raids at the premises of former city Congress chief Kripashankar Singh, who has been accused of amassing disproportionate assets. “The house and office of Kripashankar Singh in suburban Mumbai were raided. We are looking for some documents that will help us in the probe,” said a police officer. The former Mumbai Congress chief, who is facing graft charges, had yesterday moved the Supreme Court challenging the High Court verdict for his prosecution and attachment of immovable properties, two days after an FIR was registered by the city police against

him in the DA case. On February 22, the High Court, after holding that prima facie case of criminal misconduct is made out against the leader, ordered his prosecution. “The Commissioner of Police Arup Patnaik shall obtain sanction from the government to prosecute Kripashankar Singh for criminal misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The role of other respondents (Kripashankar’s family) shall also be investigated into,” a division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Roshan Dalvi had said. The HC passed the direction while hearing a PIL filed by activist Sanjay Tiwari. PTI

Security officers to Karuna raided CHENNAI: Vigilance officials today raided premises of three personal security officers to former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi here in connection with a disproportionate assets case. Search is on in six premises, including properties of the officers-- Pandian, Ganesan and Vinothan-- and that of those who bought properties

from them, Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption sources said. Several DMK leaders and former Ministers besides MLAS have faced police and DVAC action either on land grab charges or allegations of disproportionate assets after the AIADMK government came to power in April last year. PTI

Kashmiri teen’s imprisonment trauma Izhar Wani

SRINAGAR: Syed Maqbool Shah, an aspiring teacher from Kashmir aged 17, was visiting his brother in New Delhi in June 1996 when police wrongly accused him of taking part in a bombing. The car blast the month before had ripped through the bustling Lajpat Nagar area of shops and homes, killing 13 people and putting local law enforcement agencies under intense pressure to find the culprits. Police swooped in a pre-dawn raid on Shah’s brother’s rented residence where evidence tying the teenager to the blast was said to have been found — including a spare tyre from a stolen car linked to the bombings. Shah was arrested, charged and sent to Tihar Jail, the highsecurity New Delhi prison that he would share with militants, rapists and other criminals for nearly 10 of the 14 years he was imprisoned. For the first three months, he wept every day, but later took refuge in religion after meeting an elderly Kashmiri detainee. “I used to pray five times a day,” he told AFP in his family’s home in Kashmir’s main city of

File photo of a relative of a disappeared Kashmiri youth looking at photographs of missing people during an event organised by the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons in Srinagar. Srinagar. He also kept a prison diary documenting his life behind bars. After his arrest, the case took four years to come to trial and another 10 to reach a verdict, which finally saw Shah acquitted of all charges. Over the course of his imprisonment, the judge handling his case changed 26 times, and with each switch came new delays.

“I was never convicted but never released, not even on bail,” a thin and pale-looking Shah said. “The last five years were the toughest. I was in solitary confinement and it adversely impacted my health.” He now takes medication for neurological problems and has chronic pain in his neck, back and legs. Shah’s lost years, which he describes as “pain and agony”,

point to two major failings in India’s criminal justice system. Administrative delays mean suspects charged with non-bailable offences must often wait years before the evidence collected by India’s police service can be challenged in court. Shah’s case is far from rare. In another case highlighted in May, Imran Kirmani, an aeronautical engineer from Kashmir who

dreamed of being a pilot, was released after four and half years in jail after being wrongly accused of plotting a terror strike in 2006. Right groups and campaigners have long sought to highlight how false imprisonment occurs. Human Rights Watch, the New York-based rights group, released a report called The AntiNational last year, accusing the police of fabricating confessions and arbitrarily detaining people. “By relying on forced and sometimes fabricated confessions, the Indian government risks punishing the wrong suspects while perpetrators remain free,” the report said. Markandey Katju, a former judge from the Indian Supreme Court who retired last September, said police ineptitude lay at the core of the problem. “The point is that they (the police) cannot catch the real culprits, so whomever they think may have committed the crime they catch hold of them,” he said in an October interview with cable news network NDTV. “Some bomb blast takes place, they catch hold of the local Muslims and young people and implicate them,” he added. AFP

Around the World

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Beyond Borders

RHINO WAR: SOUTH AFRICA RESORTS TO DRASTIC MEASURES Will we see Africa's rhinoceros become extinct in our lifetime? The continent's rhinos are already endangered and now they are being killed at a rapidly increasing rate. The rhinos aren’t safe despite gun battles with poachers to 83. It has increased exponentially every year since, hitting a record high of 448 dead rhinos in 2011 despite a barrage of new efforts to stop the poaching. Because rhinos are an endangered species, the South African National Parks closely monitor their numbers. Security has been ramped up at private reserves and national parks, and rhinos have been fitted with tracking devices and microchips. Game rangers rely on high-tech equipment, including night-vision goggles, while border guards at Johannesburg’s international airport have received special training to detect horns. Delegations of South African police and officials have travelled to Vietnam for meetings with their counterparts. But so far, nothing has helped. At least 58 rhinos have been killed just two months into 2012 — a year slated to be the worst yet for poaching.

Erin Conway-Smith

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa: A tense war rages across the Bushveld here, over the fate of the rhinoceros. On one side, heavily armed poachers are killing rhinos at a ferocious rate, at times deploying helicopters and high-powered rifles to claim their quarry. They are cashing in on a high-stakes trade, fuelled by the erroneous belief among increasingly rich Chinese and Vietnamese that rhino horn can cure cancer, among other maladies. Squaring off against them, South Africa is resorting to extreme tactics to save a fragile population that may be slumping towards extinction. The country is deploying helicopters, radar technology and army troops. Some are even attempting to poison rhino horns to dissuade would-be consumers. At times, the conflict spills over into actual armed battle between the two sides. Conservationists are shocked that the problem has become so grave. By the latter half of the 20th century, South Africa’s rhino resurgence was considered one of the world’s great conservation victories. In the late 19th century, decades of trophy hunting by rich white men in pith helmets decimated the white rhino population. At least one variety, the southern white rhino, had nearly been wiped out. For a while they were thought to be extinct, until a few dozen were discovered around iMfolozi, the former hunting grounds of Zulu King Shaka, in the 1890s. From fewer than 500 white rhinos in the 1950s, South

Africa’s population has grown to about 18,500. There are also about 2,500 critically endangered black rhinos. (All rhinos are grey in colour; the term ‘white’ is thought to come from the Afrikaans word for ‘wide’, referring to the shape of the white rhino's mouth.) But four years ago, a new siege began. This time, it is led by poachers who shoot or tranquilise rhinos before brutally hacking off their horns. In the past, low-level poaching saw small amounts of illegal horn sent to Yemen to make dagger handles, and East Asia for use in ‘traditional medicine’. Although rhino horn is essentially fingernail — both are com-

posed of keratin — these days it fetches up to $65,000 a kilogramme in Vietnam and China, according to conservation experts who track the illicit market. The newly rich buy it as a cure for cancer, a fever or even just a hangover. Demand from Vietnam has grown particularly fast. Some conservationists point to claims by a high-level Vietnamese government official that rhino horn cured his cancer, which is said to have spurred demand. The new crisis has escalated quickly. An average of 13 rhinos a year were killed by poachers for most of the last decade, considered a manageable level. But suddenly, in 2008, that number rose

Can China help save the rhino?

Poisoning horns to save rhinos

Shoot and pay to save the rhino

an rhino horn be harvested like sheep’s wool? Chinese pharmaceutical company wants to farm rhinos and harvest their horns. Critics say the plan is cruel, yet cunning: South African rhinos flown to China, penned up at a breeding farm owned by a Chinese medicine company, and their horns harvested regularly with a purpose-built tool — providing a steady supply of a substance worth more than gold. So far, the rhino horn harvesting scheme hasn’t turned out as planned. Rhinos have fallen ill from poor living conditions, the animals won’t breed, and there is mounting opposition to the use of rhino horn in “traditional medicine” among Chinese animal lovers, a growing force in big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. Some conservationists fear that rhino horn harvesting could lead to greater demand, and in turn more poaching if supply is not met.

ildlife experts test innovative ways to save endangered rhinos from poachers. Despite the good intentions of his would-be human protectors, things wouldn't end well for Spencer the rhino. At first, he kicked and snorted, although he had been tranquilised, and his huge prehistoric body shook violently as he lay on his side. Ten rangers struggled to hold him down. The old bull’s eyes were covered with cloth, and ears plugged with cotton to muffle loud noises that would stress a rhino. Then the veterinarians went to work on his horns. The experimental treatment was part of a controversial new effort to thwart rhino poaching by injecting a toxin into their horns, to dissuade people from using them in folk remedies. The treatment, conservationists said, would be harmless to the beasts.

ome argue controlled hunting can make money that will help conserve the rhino. Killing rhinos to save them doesn’t seem like an obvious solution to the poaching problem. And for the foreign hunters, mainly American, who pay tens of thousands of dollars to come to South Africa and shoot a white rhino — think wealthy white men in khaki living out their Hemingway fantasies — protecting the species is probably not their main motivation. But the irony is that some lobbyists believe legal hunting of rhinos is an essential component in saving the animals from poachers that are killing them at a frightening rate. Even some conservation groups have spoken out against a proposed moratorium on rhino hunting.

Around the World

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Beyond Borders

Putin rules out early House polls

Syrian forces overrun major rebel bastion

MOSCOW: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Friday ruled out any possibility of holding early parliamentary elections but confirmed to make President Dmitry Medvedev the country’s next premier, RIA Novosti reported. Putin, who is also a presidential candidate, said that he has plans to appoint current President Medvedev the prime minister in the next government should he win the March 4 elections. “My offer to him and our agreement on such power sharing, it’s not only about [our] willingness to stay in power, but also to continue the reforms that have been launched,” Putin said during a meeting with editors of leading Western newspapers in his Novo-Ogaryovo residence near Moscow. When asked if he had plans to disband the Russian parliament’s lower house — the State Duma — and hold early polls if he won the March 4 elections, Putin said: “no”. Mass street protests against the outcome of December 2011 parliamentary polls swept across Russia late last year. Citing what the protesters called “mass vote fraud” in favour of Putin’s United Russia party, they have demanded that the State Duma be disbanded and early polls held. However, the election authorities have ruled out any change to the results saying that fraud allegations are baseless and without any evidence. IANS

DAMASCUS: Syrian forces overran the Baba Amr district of Homs following a rebel retreat, with relief agencies hoping to gain access to the bombarded city on Friday to deliver aid and evacuate the wounded. As rebel fighters pulled back on Thursday, the opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) warned of a “massacre” in Baba Amr. The UN Security Council called on Syria to allow “immediate” humanitarian access to protest cities in a statement supported by Russia and China, who had vetoed two resolutions on the conflict that has claimed thousands of lives. US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said she had seen press reports that the Syrian government was promising to allow aid into Baba Amr. “So if in fact it’s true, it would be a good step forward, but we, you know, we are obviously skeptical of Syrian government promises,” Nuland said in Washington. The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent were preparing to urgently reach the conflict zone, an ICRC spokesman said. “The ICRC and the SARC will go on Friday to Baba Amr to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate the wounded,” Damascus spokesman Saleh

RASQUERA

was gunned down on Friday in Peshawar. His 13-year-old son, who was riding pillion, was injured in the attack, police said. Gunmen opened fire at Bashir Khan, an Intelligence Bureau inspector who was on his way to work on his motorcycle. Khan, 38, died at the spot. On February 24, three policemen were killed and six injured in a suicide attack here.

WASHINGTON: US lawmakers have An ambulance, part of the convoy carrying French journalists, arrives at Beirut’s Hotel Dieu de France hospital on Friday. They were trapped for days in bombarded Homs and have escaped from Syria to Lebanon. AFP Dabbakeh told AFP. The rebels said they had pulled out “tactically” from Baba Amr on Thursday, the second day of an all-out ground assault by the feared Fourth Armoured Division led by President Bashar al-Assad’s younger brother Maher. The SNC, citing “confusion” on the ground in Syria, said in Paris that it would provide leadership to an outgunned and fragmented force, and control the flow of arms to fighters. The storming of the rebel bastion began early Wednesday, following 27 straight days of relentless shelling of Homs, a central city that has been a protest hub since anti-regime demonstrations erupted in March last year. Syrian authorities found

(SPAIN):

Pallisa said that the project is supported by a majority of the townspeople, adding that he felt like a “pioneer on the European level”. He also said he was “surprised” by the response to the

ISLAMABAD: An intelligence official

Congressmen threaten to divert Pakistan aid

the bodies of US journalist Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik in Baba Amr after the rebels retreated, the foreign ministry said. The journalists were killed in a rocket attack last month. The FSA was formed in mid-2011 in response to the brutal crackdown by Assad’s forces on anti-regime protesters, and now boasts up to 40,000 armed fighters, although the numbers are impossible to verify. A Syrian security official said in Damascus that the army was in total command of the Homs neighbourhood. State television aired what it said was footage filmed inside Baba Amr, including interviews with people it said were residents angry with the rebels. AFP

Spanish town clears cannabis plantation Leaders of this northeastern town have given the green light to the establishment of a cannabis plantation to boost municipal revenues and create jobs as Spain faces economic crisis. The Rasquera city council voted in favour of leasing land to the Barcelona-based ABCDA group to plant marijuana, a project that will create 40 jobs and is projected to generate 1.33 million euros ($1.78 million) over the next two years. The private consumption and cultivation of pot is legal in Spain, and although its use to alleviate the symptoms of different diseases — such as cancer — is very controversial, some patients with chronic pain resort to marijuana to mitigate their suffering. Rasquera Mayor Bernat

GLOBE AT A GLANCE Intelligence official shot dead in Pakistan

project in Germany, Italy, Argentina and the US, from where the city government has received requests for more information, and a company has gotten in contact with him expressing interest in establish-

ing a cottage in the town to house cancer, fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis patients. He announced that next week an assembly will be held in Rasquera where scientists, attorneys and physicians will explain the aspects of the project to the locals. However, those opposed to the measure say that it “brushes the limit of illicit activities”, and so they voted against the plantation and demanded “a binding referendum” on the matter. Rasquera, a farming community governed by the leftist Catalan nationalist party ERC, has a population of about 900 and debt of 1.3 million euros. The pot plantation project, which was suggested seven months ago by ABCDA, is seen by authorities as an opportunity to revitalize the battered local economy. IANS

introduced a legislation in the Congress to divert American aid meant for Pakistan to the Mexican border until Islamabad takes concrete and satisfactory action against Haqqani terrorist network. The State Department is requesting $2.4 billion in civilian and security assistance to Pakistan.

Britain’s Prince Charles fires a paintball gun as he meets personnel from The Welsh Guards during a visit to their barracks. AP

US judge apologises over racist Obama mail WASHINGTON: A judge in Montana has apologised after forwarding an email to friends that contained a joke deemed racist and involved President Barack Obama’s mother. According to local media, the Montana state judge argued that he forwarded the email because he disliked Obama, not because he was a racist, Xinhua reported Friday.

Obama birth certificate may be fake: Sheriff WASHINGTON: Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County unveiled the results of a probe into the origins of the document. His investigators found “probable cause” the certificate may have been made by “forgery and fraud”, he said. Arpaio, known for his tough stance on immigration, is being investigated over allegations of racial profiling.

Maldives’ police personnel arrest a supporter of former Maldives’ president Mohamed Nasheed during a protest. AP

Comment

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Fair, free and forthright

Editorials PAROCHIALISM MUST not effect education

ccording to the report of a national body on education planning, at least 2 crore children, in the group class I–VIII, are enrolled in English-medium schools. This is a wake-up call to regional parties and interest groups across the country trying to promote their local language as the medium of education. Today, the country is reaping the benefits of globalisation and economic liberalisation and English is the lingua franca of the growth and success stories. Most recruiters in the private sector, especially corporate, insist that candidates be fluent in English. While it is desirable that the local language be given its due place, students who learn in their mothertongue are at a disadvantage compared to English-medium students. Love for one’s language and culture is fine, but we shouldn’t let an overdose of it put the students at a disadvantage in a world of cutthroat competition.

WHY WE LOVE The Red Cross

cross the world, on every battlefield and in every warzone, there’s one organisation that’s always at the fore. Picketing human rights abusers, taking care of the wounded, and working in areas of the world where even the superpowers fear to tread, the Red Cross has shown the way for decades. And now, as the organisation makes its way into Homs to help the bleeding masses, we wish them all the luck in the world, for they go boldly and with heart.

Healthy allocation to cure India’s ailment From the Hip Syed Shoaib

he Central government will increase the outlay for the health sector from 1.48 per cent to 2.5 per cent of the GDP by the end of the 12th Plan. This was decided at a high-level meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) while taking stock of the current situation and to consider implementation of the recommendations of the High Level Expert Group (HLEG) on Universal Health Coverage constituted by the Planning Commission. Planned incentives would include a minimum healthcare package to all citizens, free medicine and a dedicated health cadre. The goal is universal healthcare. A minimum package of care to all citizens through provision of cashless, hassle-free outpatient, in-patient, diagnostic care and supply of essential medicines is envisaged. Ambulance service for accessibility to remote areas, and focus on prevention of diseases and promotion of good health by creating a public health cadre are the major ways of achieving these goals. The Centre and states spent less than 1 per cent of the GDP on health in the period covered by the 11th Plan (2007-12). India’s public spending on health in proportion of its GDP is among the lowest in the world. While Sri Lanka spends 1.8 per cent of GDP, figures in China and Thailand are 2.3 per cent and 3.3 per cent, respectively. The corresponding figure for the US is in excess of 7 per cent while European nations like the UK, Spain, Germany and Italy spend 6.5–8 per cent of their GDP on healthcare. The per capita government spending on health in comparison is also one of the lowest. While India spends $43 per head, counterparts in Sri Lanka invest $87; China spends $155 and Thailand over six times at $261. Accessibility of healthcare for all citizens is seen as the means to improve health outcome indicators. It is hoped that this is an important step to achieve inclusive growth,

Misplaced sympathy

Lift your Face

I’m writing to you about the story Why do we assume the poor are miserable? I completely support the argument supposed by the writer. We don’t have to care about the people living in the slums, whether they are happy or sad, living in miserable conditions or thriving (as in small scale industries of Dharavi). What we have to care about is that cities are crumbling and will implode if we don’t do something soon. Population increase, lack of resources and stress on civic services will only make matters worse. Manisha Kurien Kukatpally

I am an avid reader of your paper and read it page by page. Of late I have found that Faces of Hyderabad is beginning to bore. The same style of writing, the same questions and it seems like a random person were picked for it. You could talk to more interesting people, not that these are not interesting but they lack a certain amount of style. The writer is doing a good job but this only my suggestion. Also keep up the good work with the weekend editions. Manish Kumar Secunderabad

WHILE INDIA SPENDS $43 PER HEAD, COUNTERPARTS IN SRI LANKA INVEST $87; CHINA SPENDS $155 AND THAILAND OVER SIX TIMES AT $261 which is the focus of the 12th Plan. To achieve this broad goal, there should be an all-round effort to achieve these indicators by drawing from various sectors and not just accessibility to hospital facilities and making available medicines. Good health is not limited to just availability of curative facilities but also acknowledging the importance of the preventive aspects and strengthening these factors. Preventive strategies are a broad spectrum that spill over to areas such as sanitation, provision of safe drinking water, creating awareness on health and improving nutri-

TALK BACK 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

tional levels. While the plan of execution should be increased spending to cover these areas particularly in rural areas, alternate means of ensuring access to curative health facility should be explored, such as insurance coverage. Imaginative schemes of health coverage affordable more importantly to the unorganised sector, agricultural sector and women and children is the urgent need of the day. Ironically, but not illogically, it is those who cannot afford treatment that require it the most as they fall prey to unhealthy surroundings, low nutritional levels and lack of awareness. Compulsorily insuring individual health at very reasonable rates could be a sure option of generating required funds to ensure healthcare to every citizen. Besides it would vastly improve confidence levels of the common man by eliminating the constant niggling worry of unaffordable health costs.

Love to bring change

Prejudice not good

This is with regards to the story in your paper titled Techies take the IAS road. The perceptible shift in the number of IT professionals and engineers gravitating towards civil services is indeed a notable trend. However, I think that your story was completely off the track in what you described as the motivations behind their actions. As an IAS aspirant, that is my motivation as is it for a lot of my fellow aspirants. I think that’s an angle that should have been explored better. Rajiv Sharma, Banjara Hills

The edit piece on the poor was a really interesting one. Not many think of it in this manner. I myself have experienced this phenomenon. When I was in school we went on a trip for a project on social work. We were taken to a village and were asked to come up with interesting stories or projects we could do to help the people in the village out. Once there I realised that it was not they but us that needed a change. Prejudices never get us anywhere. Shiney Mishra Begumpet

Rhythm Nation

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Can an Asian-American be America’s Idol? Struggling Asian-American artists cite racial barriers to stardom in the US Ashley Kim

erhaps you’ve heard of Heejun Han, the 22year-old Korean American from Flushing, Queens, who also happens to be a semi-finalist on American Idol Season 11. To many, he may seem an unlikely star. He’s known for his likable personality, but also for shaking his arms before each performance to get the nerves out. Idol judge and Aerosmith lead man Steven Tyler said Han’s song selection on Tuesday night — Robbie Williams’s Angel — was a miss. But when he opens his mouth to sing — that’s when US pop star Jennifer Lopez gets a little teary. His voice on Tuesday was “smooth as silk,” J Lo said. His initial performance “really impressed and shocked” another judge, music producer Randy Jackson. Even Tyler said

iTunes Top 10

1. We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monáe) Fun. 2. Live My Life (feat. Justin Bieber) Far East Movement 3. Glad You Came

The Wanted 4. Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) Kelly Clarkson 5. Good Girl Carrie Underwood 6. Somebody That I Used to Know (feat. Kimbra) Gotye 7. Set Fire to the Rain Adele 8. Part of Me Katy Perry 9. So Good B.o.B 10. Call Me Maybe Carly Rae Jepsen

previously he thought Han “could be the next American Idol.” Han isn’t the first Asian American to be on American Idol, but the overwhelming love and attention he’s getting on camera and off makes it seem that way. Most talented AsianAmerican singers have struggled to break into the US music scene. But even as Asian Americans have trouble getting the attention of US music producers — a problem many artists blame on racial barriers — imported K-pop, or Korean pop music, is growing in popularity in the US. K-pop groups have landed on stages like Madison Square Garden and the Letterman show, while most AsianAmerican artists are self-supported, reaching their audience primarily through YouTube. And many more Asian Americans are making the reverse journey to Asia in search of opportunities to perform. The trend is nothing new, according to Oliver Wang, a music journalist and assistant professor, who teaches pop cul-

ture at California State University Long Beach. “When I was in college in the early ‘90s, people would talk about the LA Boyz who found far greater fame and success in Taiwan than they did here,” Wang, said. LA Boyz, a TaiwaneseAmerican boy band formed in 1992, brought American hiphop from Los Angeles to Taiwan. Solid, a KoreanAmerican trio, did the same but with R&B in Korea, becoming the country’s first R&B group. “I do think that for many Asian Americans, frustrated by the lack of opportunities locally, they see Asia as a potential avenue where racial differences won’t matter as much. It’s certainly no guarantee — Asian countries generate so much local talent it’s not like they need our expats to go over there — but it’s been a 20-year trend thus far,” Wang said. “Asian-American artists are both American and Asian so it’s strange and exotic [to them],” said Tatsu Aoki, Japanese American founder of the Chicago Asian American

Jazz Festival. Entertainment companies in Asia, especially Korea, frequently hold worldwide auditions in search for the next Kpop star. Often the top contestants include Asian Americans who may or may not speak fluent Korean. “There’s like 10 of them [audition shows] in Korea,” Heejun Han said. “When I see those shows with people who sing so well and have perfect English, I’m curious why they don’t try in the US.” But even if he is eliminated on Thursday, Han says he has no plans to pursue music in Korea. He wants to stay and try his luck in the US. “I don’t know how far I’m going to go [on the show] but I want to pursue singing here. There has been no AsianAmerican singer really out there in America. I don’t want to be a lawyer or a doctor. I want to break those stereotypes,” Han said. “I just want to be an ordinary nerdy Asian guy that pursues his dream in the US,” he said.

Bollywood Top 10

Billboard Top 10

3. Aunty ji

3. NOW 41 Various Artists 4. 19

1. 21 Adele 2. Whitney: The Greatest Hits Whitney Houston

Adele 5. 2012 Grammy Nominees Various Artists 6. A Different Kind Of Truth Van Halen 7. Kisses On The Bottom Paul McCartney 8. Doo-Wops & Hooligans Bruno Mars 9. Own The Night Lady Antebellum 10. Barton Hollow The Civil Wars

1. O Saiyyan Agneepath 2. Hosanna Ek Deewana Tha

Ekk main aur Ek tu 4. Tu Mohabbat Hai Tere Naal Love ho Gaya 5. Tore Bina Kahaani 6. Jeene De Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya 7.Thehree si Zindagi London, Paris, New York 8. Kahaani Kahaani 9. Vo Dekhne Mein London, Paris, New York 10.Gunaah Blood Money

H‑Factor

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Tread with caution n

Anishaa Kumar anishaa.k@postnoon.com

n n

Precautions to avoid injuries Wear the right shoes Appropriate clothing

n n n

Warm up and cool down Drink plenty of water Don’t exert yourself

xercise is something on everyone’s mind these days. At the crack of dawn, parks and jogging tracks are filled with people in their running shoes , taking to exercise such as jogging and walking. The reason behind it being unanimous-the desire to be fir. Although a number of options and easy at home methods are available to exercise, precautions need to be taken to avoid the numerous injuries associated with exercising without caution.

Common injury According to Dr KJ Reddy, senior orthopaedic consultant and knee specialist, Apollo Hospitals, “Ankle sprains and ligament tears are the most common injuries. If it is painful, immobilisation in the form of plasters for around 2-3 weeks. It takes around six weeks for the ankle to recover.” He adds that apart from ankle injuries, neck pain due to bad posture and back sprains are also common. Knee pain is common in elderly people who already have weak knees.

Precautions Kuldeep Sethi, director 360 degrees fitness, says that the right gear also has a lot to do with preventing injuries.“Wearing the right shoes is important. People should try 2-3 types of shoes and see which one is the most comfortable. It is important that the shoes you use have good grip.” According to Dr Reddy, apart from the right shoes, wearing tight clothes is not good as it can distract and make you uncomfortable. He mentions that it is important for people to walk on flat surfaces and do warm up exercises as it helps prepare the ligament and stretch the muscles. In case, a person has a knee problem they should avoid running or using a treadmill and should cycle instead.

Exercise in moderation According to Kuldeep, when we run or jog the body produces an impact. As the impact cannot be absorbed by the surface it is sent back to the joints which can cause an injury. While exercising Dr Reddy says, “any exercise should be done gradually, slowly and

then the frequency should be built up.” He explains that when a person starts exercising, they should do it slowly and see what suits them. If it does not cause discomfort or pain then perhaps the intensity could be increased.

Good exercise So is any exercise good? Kuldeep says, “People tend to stress on only on cardio exercises, but what they fail to understand is that weight training is also important at least twice weekly.” Dr Reddy adds, “No exercise can be good. It depends on the person, his/her fitness levels. Walking on the other hand is good for everyone especially people with arthritis.”

Reasons for injury According to Dr Reddy, the reason people suffer from so many injuries is because of lack of proper planning. He says, “People impulsively decide that they should start exercising or lose weight. They should chalk out a plan. People understand their fitness levels.”

Walk with caution While walking or jogging, Kuldeep suggests, that people carry a bottle of water. It is important to stay hydrated. He adds that walking or jogging in the early morning and late evenings is advised.

Exercise also has a number of benefits such as 1. Improved cardiovascular fitness 2. Reduced BP 3. Improves endurance 4. Stronger bones 5. Improved sleep 6. Improves mental fitness 7. Immune system

New device can detect infectious disease quickly WASHINGTON: Infectious diseases can spread very rapidly and identifying them promptly takes hours and days. Scientists have now developed a device which can detect infections within minutes. A portable device, developed by University of Tennessee researchers, can now be used onsite to detect within minutes infectious diseases, pathogens as well as physiological conditions in people and animals. All that’s needed is a droplet of blood to place on a microchip within the device, which is treated with disease-specific antigens. They are a toxin or other foreign substance that induces an immune response in the body — and captures disease — specific antibodies in the blood. If the antigens and antibodies match, then the device tells the tester that the patient or animal is infected. So far, it has been used to detect tuberculosis in humans and wild animals, as well as Johne’s disease in cattle. “Time is of the essence in treating infectious diseases,” said Wu, associate professor of computer science and electrical engineering at Tennessee, Knoxville, who designed the device with Shigetoshi Eda, associate professor of forestry, wildlife and fisheries at the Tennessee, according to a Tennessee statement. “This device has the potential to save a lot of lives by saving time in detection. It also saves a lot of money as it is cheaper to detect diseases than the system that is currently being used since we do not have to send them to a lab and have the sample scrutinised by technicians,” added Wu.

New valve implant for heart NEW DELHI: In a cheering development for heart patients, a new technique to implant an artificial valve by a catheter instead of a surgery has been successfully performed in India. For thousands of Indians living with aortic valve stenosis (AS), the “pathbreaking” valve implant technique would give them a fresh lease of life, said Ashok Seth, chief of cardiology at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute. Announcing the breakthrough at a press conference, Seth said, “Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) is a pathbreaking technique where an artificial valve can be implanted by a catheter in a simple procedure similar to angioplasty.” According to Fortis experts, almost five per cent people above 75 years of age develop AS where the aortic valve stops functioning properly. This is the first time that TAVI has been performed in the country, claimed Seth.

H‑Factor

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Fried food raises stroke risk in older women WASHINGTON: Older women who eat high amounts of the kind of fat found in fried foods and baked goods face a greater risk of stroke than women who eat lower fat diets, a US study suggested on Thursday. However, aspirin use could cut those risks, said the researchers from University of North Carolina whose findings are published in the Annals of Neurology. The data came from the largest study to date of postmenopausal women and their eating habits, and included 87,025 women between the ages 50 and 79 who were generally in good health at the time of enrolment. Women who reported eating diets high in trans-fatty acids, or 6.1 grams a day, showed a 39 per cent greater incidence of stroke due to a blocked artery than women who ate 2.2 grams per day of such fats. The researchers did not find any significant links between stroke risk and how much total fat the women consumed, or their level of dietary cholesterol. But aspirin use was shown to slim down the link between

trans fat intake and stroke, which affects nearly 800,000 people in the United States per year and is the fourth leading cause of US death. “Our findings confirm that postmenopausal women with higher trans fat intake had an elevated risk of ischemic stroke, but aspirin use may reduce the adverse effects,” said lead author Ka He of the UNC School of Public Health. “We recommend following a diet low in trans fat and adding an aspirin regimen to help women reduce their risk of stroke, specifically follow-

SYDNEY: Lifestyle factors, not exposure to chemicals in food and consumer products, are the most significant causes of cancer, according to the latest evidence. Bernard Stewart, professor of oncology at the University of New South Wales, said, “Measures known to prevent cancer include smoking cessation, reducing alcohol intake, curbing obesity and avoiding deliberate sun exposure.” “Diverting attention from these messages threatens to undermine their efficacy to deliver proven benefits,” added Stewart, who systematically reviewed medical literature on known and suspected cancer hazards,

ing the onset of menopause.” Trans fat is on the decline in the United States due to a public health and legislation campaign which has banned its use in many fast food restaurants and in food preparation. But it hasn’t disappeared altogether. “Trans fats are rare in living nature, but can commonly occur in foods as a result

the journal The Lancet Oncology reported. “Cancer is arguably the mostfeared disease in the western world, and media attention focuses on any inference of causation,” he said. “Most people are aware of a multitude of possible cancer causes.” While there is evidence that air pollution contributes to cancer risk, “The risk is at least 10 times less than it is for smoking,” a university statement quoted Stewart as saying. “Though exposure to very small amounts of carcinogenic (cancer-causing) chemicals occurs as a result of food contamination

Lifestyle factors behind most

cancers

of food processing called partial hydrogenation when a liquid vegetable oil is turned into a solid fat,” said Nancy Copperman, director of public health initiatives at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in New York. Copperman, who was not involved in the study, added that the behaviors of women who ate lots of trans fat were also unhealthy, including decreased physical activity, smoking, and higher levels of diabetes. “Encouraging and supporting women consume a balanced diet avoiding trans fat and including healthy oils and daily physical activity can be a major step in preventing stroke and other lifestyle related diseases,” she said.

and by using certain consumer products, these circumstances have never been shown to cause cancer in developed countries,” he said. “Cancer has not been shown to have arisen because regulatory authorities overseeing food standards or consumer product safety overlooked the evidence, with the possible exception of quicker action to ban tanning devices,” Stewart said.

AFP

SKIN DEEP

Dr Kamal Jhamnani, Chief medical officer, Elite Lifestyle Studio, Jubilee Hills

Hair loss can be tackled Anishaa Kumar

“T

here has been an increase in both awareness and incidents of hair loss in women,” mentions Dr Kamal Jhamnani. The two most common reasons could be hypothyroidism or polycystic ovarian syndrome. The main causes for female pattern baldness include, women have a more stressful life, more work for women, anaemia. POS could be caused due to junk food. Hair loss can also be hereditary. Another growing reason is exposure to extreme climate due to international travel. He further explains, “The reason men have more hair loss is that they have a hormone called DHT. Although DHT is present in women as well, but women also have other hormones such as oestrogen and progesterone which help counter act the implications of DHT.” A number of solutions are available to tackle hair loss mentions Dr Kamal. “Menoxidil and a mixture of multi-vitamins are prescribed for people with some hair which is thinning. For people whose scalp is visible, mesotherapy is suggested. Here the micro-injections are given directly into the mesoderm (the skin contains two layers, epidermal and mesoderm). Another option available is a laser comb. After an initial sitting with the doctor, people who are travelling can use the comb at home.” In many cases combination therapy is the best option. There could be other causes for hair loss says Dr Kamal. “In immune mediated hair loss, the body’s immunity damages organs. Hence we cannot conduct a hair transplant. Here medication and advanced therapies are used. Fungal infections or post-pregnancy can cause hair loss.” The process of hair loss usually takes a few hours but the growth starts after three months. In the case of hair systems such as Sensigraft, a patch is fixed on the bald patch. A person can continue with his normal activities with the hair system, which needs to be serviced (which includes trimming) with the doctor after a few months. Apart from that it is like your normal hair. Dr Kamal can be contacted on (040) 6666 7171

F‑Folio

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Because you are what you wear

Their vision may not fall in line with popular trends in fashion but the emergence of talented alternative fashion designers of late has not gone unnoticed

ALTERNATIVE AND INDIAN Surabhi Chauhan feedback@postnoon.com

hen you think of alternative fashion, images of unconventional, off beat and unusual clothing are immediately conjured. Well, that is what Google image search on this topic bring you. But alternative forms of art such as painting, sculpting and music do not intend to shock or create uneasiness though that

has been the general effect. Alternative fashion is a vision of a designer that may not fall in line with the popular trends in fashion. In fact, the words ‘popular’ and ‘trends’ seem to put off these designers when they talk about fashion. Their vision of pretty and beautiful lies in things different from what traditionally has been thought to be appealing. We are fortunate to have a bunch of emerging talents in the Indian fashion industry who are brave enough to create a unique line each season, even when the

majority of the market is looking for strictly saris, lehenga-cholis, or cocktail dresses when buying designer wear. Even if they make a thin slice of the pie-chart of the industry, they have a booming market. Their ideas may transcend into a fashionable trend, but what they do next will always be originated within their workshop’s four walls. Here is a list of the designers who think a bit different and showcased their Autumn Winter 2012 collections at the recently concluded Wills India Lifestyle Fashion Week in Delhi:

Anand Bhushan

Kallol Datta 1955 A name to reckon with among the new designers, Kallol has the talent, education and success to support his title. Having been invited to Berlin Fashion Week this year, the designer also showcased his fall/winter collection titled ‘xoxo’ in Delhi. A glance at his collection (and him too) will reveal a trait: lack of colour or brightness in his choice of palette. His collection was inspired by ‘heartaches and heartbreaks’ — some interpretations literal in terms of prints and some with a deeper melancholic meaning with its fluid yet concise draping. Kallol, at a young age, is clear about what he designs and continues to do that each season. He is not swayed by the conventional demands, which is the reason for his success. Kallol’s sensibility is soon catching on among women with the same emotional quotient as his. But this is a designer who will remain inimitable because of his designs with complex pattern cutting which take a new form on different body shapes and sizes.

Anand’s take on fashion cannot be called dark but maybe twisted. The Delhi-based designer lives life to the fullest and is often the life of a party. But once you see his creations on the runway, you understand there is another side to the man. Anand likes to play with the textures of his garments — metal mesh, unorthodox patterns with sequins, nuts and bolts, loops of fabrics stitched together to make the base fabric, silver ruffle detailing, and more. Seeking humour in traditional silhouettes and creating wearable fashion from out of ordinary materials are Bhushan’s trademark.

F‑Folio

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Because you are what you wear

Rishta by Arjun Saluja If Voldemort were looking for a stylist, Arjun Saluja would be a good suggestion to the Dark Lord. With a strong hand at tailoring, concise cuts, fondness for shades of black and grey, silhouettes that seem to be the opposite of frivolous and casual — this designer feels comfortable in this world of darkness. His strength lies in creating separates like sharp tailored jackets and trousers that make for good casual day wear for women. But at this show, the designer’s designs were different. He used colours like neon green, beige and shocking blue. The collection, he says, was inspired by the women working at construction sites who toil day and night without complaining. Clearly his muse is letting down her guard, perhaps just a bit, so as to let her feminine nature peep through her superhuman demeanour.

The writer is a fashion blogger (www.lovestruckcow.blogspot.com) who attempts to bridge the gap between creator and consumer. As a fashion writer, she hopes to promote Indian fashion among Indians and on a global level too.

My Village by Rimzim Dadu Sometimes designers change their style to make ‘unwearable’ designs otherwise. But Rimzim doesn’t resort to that tack. Her designs were stunning on the runway and attractive enough to be worn on the streets as well. Having used materials such as paper, and plastic in the past, the designer continued the trend by using some unique fibres and fabrics in this collection, too, but mostly as embellishments and not as the base of the garment. The tedious job of handwork and embellishments was evident which Rimzim seems to have conjured up from within her studio itself. With nothing conventional about the garments, this collection will surely turn the most cynically ‘safe’ fashion girls into fans.

Spotlight

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

THIS IS HOW WE DO IT On Thursday night Bottles and Chimney was the hottest place in the city as the pub held its ladies night. There was food, there was grog and there were beautiful ladies. Cheers to the ladies.

Rachana

Tanisha

Neha & Upasana

Ishani

Priya

Neha & Bhavani

A creative collaboration While Hyderabad revels in its own culture and its traditional attire, an exhibition by Weaves in the Imperial Gardens at Sikh Village, has put more than just Hyderabad on display. A wide range of beautiful saris, suits and much more is displayed at this one stop-shop for the entire family. Weaves has brought together artisans from 14 different states to showcase their collection.

Upasana

Aarti & Anusha DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Magic Screen

rib c s b Su

! y a Tod

6 Months

` 199/-

1 Year

` 349/-

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Magic Screen

DIA MIRZA POSES IN AD AGAINST ANIMAL SKIN TRADE

ollywood actress Dia Mirza has posed as a snake to raise her voice against animal skin trade in an ad for animal rights organisation People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The caption of the ad reads: “Face It: Exotic Skins Kill. Wild Animals Belong in the Wild, Not in Your Wardrobe.” Dia said, “Skinning animals alive or beating them to death for a pair of boots or a purse cannot be justified.” “By choosing widely available fake snake and mock croc, you can pay tribute to these animals’ beauty without stealing their skins and killing them,” she

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

added. Dia is “bloodied” in the ad to make it look as if she was skinned alive, which is the case for many snakes used in the skin trade. The ad is shot by ace photographer Jatin Kampani. According to PETA, snakes, alligators and other exotic animals suffer greatly before their skins are turned into shoes, bags and other products. PETA India had recently honoured Dia’s production house, Born Free Entertainment, with a Hero to Animals Award for promoting the adoption of homeless dogs in the company’s film Love, Breakups, Zindagi. IANS

B-TOWN TWEETIES @RGVzoomin I nvr hid a fact tht am a devotee of womans beauty... bt I hvn’t seen nyone mre beautiful thn Nathalia kaur who did dan dan song in Department.

@sonamakapoor Back home back to reality... But have some exciting meetings lined up!!

@imarshadwarsi I am calm while shooting for a film n at home, other places or in front of any camera I suffer from an acute nervous disorder... HELP.

@NeilNMukesh Life spent with someone for a lifetime may be meaningless, But a few moments spent with someone whom u really love, Means more than a life.

@bipsluvurself Yesterday Met @MaheshNBhatt saab after long!I received a pat on my back,lot of affection n his motivating n encouraging words fr a scene!

@FarOutAkhtar Have read Abhinav Bindra’s biography. It was very gracious of him to gift me a signed copy.

Magic Screen

Ilayaraja,Yuvan croon for Gautham’s film G

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

autham Menon’s upcoming film Yeto Vellipoyyindhi Manasu will feature voices of Ilayaraja, Yuvan Shankar Raja and Karthik. Ilayaraja is composing the music for this romantic film. This is the first time that Gautham Menon is working along with Ilayaraja and it’s turning out to be quite an overwhelming experience for the hotshot director. Nani and Samantha are playing the lead roles in the Telugu version. “Watched spellbound, listened and was lost in happiness as Raja sir recorded a song yesterday in his own voice. (sic)” Gautham Menon posted on Twitter couple of days ago. Ilayaraja had recently composed music for Bapu’s Sri Rama Rajyam and Prakash Raj’s Dhoni; however, this is the first time in several years that he’s composing tunes for a full fledged romantic film.

Love Failure goes to Bollywood S

iddharth,Amala Paul starrer Love Failure will soon be made in Hindi. Directed by Balaji Mohan, the film impressed the audience in both Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu so much that the producers are reaping huge profits. Siddharth, Nirav Shah and Shashikanth produced the film under the Etaki Entertainment banner and Y NOT Studios banner. “We’ve trebled our investment in revenues! It’s not just that we made a hit film! We’re happy we did it our way! Cheers Y Not & Etaki ent. : ) (sic), “ Siddharth posted on Twitter. In the past, Balaji Mohan had

told Postnoon that a Hindi version of the film was definitely on the cards and it’ll be produced by the same team. Meanwhile, Siddharth is gearing up for his upcoming film to be directed by Nandini Reddy.

Chai Time

KAKURO

How to Play Kakuro Kakuro is a popular game similar to sudoku in some ways. But is also suitably different. The key question: “How do you play Kakuro?”, well here are the rules of kakuro. The answer: The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers. However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number. Within each collection of cells - called a run - any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once. Let’s have an example to explain this concept more clearly: In the image above, which shows a section of a kakuro puzzle, you will see the numbers ‘26’ and ‘14’ in the top row. Look at the 14. This means that the total of the three cells underneath must sum to 14. Therefore 9, 4, 1 could be the answer, or perhaps 7, 4, 3 and so on... So, how do you work out the actual combination? Well, this is done through elimination and cross-referencing. For instance, as you work out the answers for other kakuro clues, this will naturally limit the valid combinations, and hence the answer for this particular run. Note the second cell in row two - it contains two numbers, 30 and 11. The 30 refers to the vertical run underneath the number 30 and the 11 refers to the two cells to the right, horizontally, of the number 11.

SCRIBBLING PAD

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Wed on the run 6 Aromatherapy spots 10 Buenos ___!” (“Good day!”) 14 Turn red, as a tomato 15 Teller’s partner 16 “Mamma Mia!” group 17 Civilization conquered by Cortez 18 Shorthand for burglary: B ___ 19 Type of jet 20 Start of a timely quip 23 Octad plus one 26 Miner’s vein contents 27 Hotel addition? 28 Timely quip (Part 2) 32 Health supplement chain 33 Sprinter’s goal 34 General on a Chinese menu 35 Talk back to 37 Baseball arbiter, for short 39 Washing-up pitcher 43 ___ Vegas, Nevada 46 Greek peak 49 Santa ___, Calif. 50 Timely quip (Part 3) 55 “___ the ramparts we watched ...” 56 Suffix with “super” or “infer” 57 Polar formation 58 End of a timely quip 62 “When I Was ___” (“H.M.S. Pinafore” song) 63 Cash register drawer 64 Instruments in military bands 68 Like old generals (Abbr.) 69 Grandson of Adam and Eve 70 “Ready or not, here ___!” 71 Memorable WWII event 72 Prefix meaning “ten” 73 Put an end to DOWN 1 Period of history 2 Taylor or Claiborne 3 Take one’s pick

4 Little kids’ baseball league 5 Bewitch 6 Extend ACROSS 7 ___-up (confined) 8 “You said a mouthful!” 9 More than frown on 10 Surrealist Salvador 11 European peninsula 12 Humiliated 13 “No Exit” dramatist Jean-Paul 21 Norse literary collection 22 Come clean (with “up”) 23 Heart charts, for short 24 “Peter Pan” pooch 25 The Giants won it in 2010, the Cards in 2011 29 “The Simpsons” storekeeper 30 Take another crack at the lawn 31 He slapped Larry 36 Full of cunning

38 It comes before omega 40 Former females’ service grp. 41 One-named “Waterm ark” singer 42 Wood file 44 All in the family 45 Like a pig’s face 47 Chef’s direction 48 Self-denying one 50 In the direction of 51 Followed closely, like a dog 52 Printing goofs 53 He’s a real weasel 54 Conclude 59 Circular water movement

SUDOKU

60 Common interest group 61 “Born Free” lioness 65 Snake that squeezes its prey 66 Pro-___ (mixed tournaments) 67 Visualize PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY I have always admired the ability to bite off more than one can chew and then chew it. – William DeMille

Chai Time STAR POWER

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

As per Hindu panchang

FOR 3-3-2012

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

TAURUS

GEMINI

Employees might be disappointed as they are denied of proper recognition for their hard work. Businessmen need to be cautious as chances of loss. Some have bright chances to buy a vehicle.

Enemies will become weak. Women will be very happy as spouse will appreciate their skills and show more affection. Children too will make you happy and relativesʼ visit will prove beneﬁcial.

Your expectations will get fulﬁlled. Fina‑ ncial position will get stronger. Spouse's long‑term goal will be achieved. Inﬂuen‑ ce will go up in the midst of friends and relatives. Some will go abroad.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

You will never stop or allow anyone to stop till taken up projects get completed. Son will get a job abroad with a reputed MNC. Financial help from the expected source will come. Avoid hurting others.

You will implement bigger plans with ease. Those who criticise you will change their attitude. Businessmen are blessed with good profit. Tension and health problems likely.

Your approach will ensure that work undertaken is achieved without major problems. You will identify the culprits who were taking you for a ride all these days and chuck them out.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

You will be bold enough and take clearcut decisions to complete work undertaken. Written off dues get col‑ lected and surprise you. Spouse will discuss frankly with you all issues.

Your thirst to increase general knowled‑ ge will pay rich dividends. Friends and relatives will always be around you. So‑ me might face stiff criticism from oth‑ ers, but stay cool and avoid disputes.

Daughter's marriage is likely to get set‑ tled. You will pay with the same coin those who ill‑treated you. Certain work will have to be completed with a lot of struggle. Employees get appreciation.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Happy news will arrive soon. Financial inﬂow will be slow but steady. Your home will be happy as friends and rela‑ tives will visit. Businessmen might face losses due to mishandling of issues.

Ancestral property will be renovated. You will identify source of business secrets leaked from the ofﬁce and take necessary corrective action. Employees may have to face uphill tasks.

House construction work will get completed earlier than expected. You will monitor expenses well and start saving. Support from in laws likely for women. Businessmen will benefit.

SUMAA TEKUR

FOR 3-3-2012

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

Three of Cups – In a relationship, you have competition. A third person may be vying for your part‑ nerʼs attention and it can get quite ugly.

Queen of Pentacles – A creative free‑ lance project will give you the much‑ needed conﬁdence to make some smart investments and use your ﬁnances well.

Nine of Pentacles – You like being alone and enjoy your single malt at the end of the day. Donʼt disconnect yourself too much from the outside world, however.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Six of Wands – A pro‑ motion or raise is in the ofﬁng. You have gone through a difﬁ‑ cult phase but have come out of it feeling quite victorious.

Seven of Cups – Money is your main focus. You want to make choices – even everyday minor decisions – based on how it will impact your ﬁnances.

Knight of Wands – Your boss may ask you for creative ideas today and you will deliver to expec‑ tation. Think freely and donʼt put restric‑ tions on yourself.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Two of Cups – A rela‑ tionship will become stronger and the bo‑ nd will deepen in the form of a commitme‑ nt. It could be mar‑ riage. Or you could decide to have a kid.

Ace of Swords – You cut through the hea‑ rt of the matter with such brutal honesty that sometimes peo‑ ple are scared to ask for your opinion. Su‑ gar‑coat your words.

Page of Cups – You need to look within your heart, and intro‑ spect about what you really need from life. Are you happy seeing only one part of life?

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Temperance – A close family member may be testing your patience. You will feel awful about an argu‑ ment that might have gone horribly wrong. Take it in your stride.

Two of Wands – This is an important wait‑ ing period. You will need to be patient at this time. No matter how many buttons you push, things donʼt seem to move ahead.

Justice – A new job of fer will take the pressure off you; relieved you can plan better for the imme‑ diate future. You may have to compromise on the conditions.

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

SOLUTIONS

Boggle PAWN ROOK KING BISHOP KNIGHT

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

ARIES

TAROT READ

Vol: 1, No 229 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

Chai Time 1400 Naadi Aadajanme 1430 Pavitra 1500 Movie 1800 Kodala Kodala Koduku Pellama 1830 Vasantha Kokila 1900 Chinnari Pelli Kuturu 1930 Anna Chellelu 2000 Missamma 2030 Edureetha 2100 Dammu 2200 CID 2300 Challenge 0730 Maa Punyakshetralu 0800 Ayurvedam 0830 Real City 0900 Movie 1200 Movie

1400 Kannavaari Kalalu 1430 Maavichiguru 1500 Sumangali 1530 Movie 1800 Jai Shri Krishna 1830 Shraavani Subramaniam 1900 Mandhara 1930 Auto Bharthi 2000 Swathi 2030 Mogali Rekulu 2100 Aparanji 2130 Devatha 2200 Mamathala Kovela 2230 Nippu Special 2300 Gemini Vaarthalu 0700 News 0730 Subhalagnam - Live 0800 Gemini Talkies 0830 Special Programmes 0930 Movie 1130 Adhi Matter 1200 Movie

1400 Abhishekam 1430 Aadade Aadharam 1500 Antahpuram 1530 Aakasa Ganga 1600 Prema Mandiram 1630 Jagadeeswari 1700 Paduta Teeyaga 1800 Devimahathyam 1830 Puttadi Bomma 1900 Kumkuma Rekha 1930 Manasu Mamata 2000 Chandra Mukhi 2030 Bharyamani 2100 Etv News 2130 Wow 2245 Movie 0700 Etv News 0730 Subhamastu 0800 Jeevana Jyothi 0830 Tollywood Time 0900 Movie 1130 Abhiruchi

1400 Ardhangi 1430 Movie 1800 Meera 1830 Kalavari Kodallu 1900 Chinna Kodalu 1930 Pasupukunkuma 2000 Muddu Bidda 2030 Radha Kalyanam 2100 Kanyadanam 2130 Baghyalakshmi Bumper Offer 2230 Shree 2300 Chitrapuri 2330 Latest Songs 0800 Subhamastu 0830 Bhakti Samacharam 0900 Movie 1230 Mee Inti Vanta 1300 Movie

1440 Whacked Out Sports 1510 Wipeout 1605 Mondo Magic Singapore 1635 Magic Asia - India 1700 Supernatural 1800 Chuck 1900 Wipeout 2000 Whacked Out Sports 2030 E Buzz 2100 Minute To Win It 2200 Movie - Aeon Flux 0900 Whacked Out Sports 0930 Wipeout 1020 Minute To Win It 1300 Movie - Aeon Flux

‘Aeon Flux’ at 2200 Hrs on AXN

‘Dwarkadheesh’ at 2000 Hrs on IMAGINE 1400 Haar Jeet 1430 Jamuna Paar 1500 Baba Aisa Varr Dhoondo 1600 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 1630 Jamuna Paar 1700 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 1730 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto 1800 Jamuna Paar 1830 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 1900 Haar Jeet 1930 Gyaan Guru 2000 Dwarkadheesh - Bhagwan Shri Krishn 2030 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto 2100 Jamuna Paar 2130 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 2200 Baba Aisa Varr Dhoondo 2230 Haar Jeet 2300 Jamuna Paar

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

1300 News Now At 1 1330 News Now 1800 6 PM 1830 Live Report 1900 Primetime 1930 The Game 2000 News Now At 8 2030 Live Report 2100 The Newshour 2200 10 PM 2230 E Now 2300 News Now At 11 2330 News Now Overnight 0900 News Now 0930 The Hidden Truth 1000 News Now

‘The Newshour’ at 2100 Hrs only on TIMES NOW

‘Top 10 At 10’ at 2200 Hrs only on ET NOW 1400 The F And O Show 1430 Closing Trades 1600 Business Day 1730 Your Trades 1800 Rush Hour 1830 Tee Time With Shaili Chopra 1900 Global Business Report 1930 Business Express 2000 Business First 2030 Your Trades 2100 Business Tonight 2200 Top 10 At 10 2230 Et Insight 2300 Et Interview 2330 Your Trades 0700 Starting Up 0730 Et Insight 0800 Tee Time With Shaili Chopra 0830 The Market Makers 0900 Your Trades 0930 Investor's Guide 1000 Talking Technicals

‘One Man Army’ at 2200 Hrs on DISCOVERY 1400 I Should'nt Be Alive 1600 Swords 1700 Survivors 1800 Wild Discovery 1900 Man Woman Wild 2000 Man Vs Wild 2100 We Built This City 2200 One Man Army 2300 The Survivors 1000 Man Woman Wild 1100 Breaking Point 1200 Get Out Alive 1300 Food Detectives 1330 Massive Engines

1400 Parichay 1430 Balika Vadhu 1500 Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha 1530 Uttaran 1600 Phulwa 1630 Parichay 1700 Sasural Simar Ka 1730 Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha 1800 Uttaran 1830 Balika Vadhu 1900 Hawan 1930 Sasural Simar Ka 2000 Balika Vadhu 2030 Veer Shivaji 2100 Phulwa 2130 Parichay 2200 Uttaran 2230 Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha 2300 Na Aana Is Des Laado

‘Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha’ at 2100 Hrs on COLORS

‘Punarvivah’ at 2100 Hrs on ZEE TV 1400 Hitler Didi 1430 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 1500 Afsar Bitiya 1530 Yahaaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 1600 Pavitra Rishta 1630 Punarvivah 1800 Hitler Didi 1830 Punarvivah 1900 Afsar Bitiya 1930 Choti Bahu 2 2000 Hitler Didi 2030 Yahaaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 2100 Pavitra Rishta 2130 Ram Milaye Jodi 2200 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 2230 Punarvivah 2300 Afsar Bitiya

1400 Saas Bina Sasuraal 1430 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 1500 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 1530 Crime Patrol - 2 1800 Saas Bina Sasuraal 1830 Crime Patrol - 2 1930 Shubh Vivah 2000 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 2030 Dekha Ek Khwaab 2100 Saas Bina Sasuraal 2200 CID 2300 Crime Patrol - Dastak 2330 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 0700 Telebrands 0730 Sky Star Advertising 0900 Movie - Sooryavansham 1230 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai

‘Shubh Vivah’ at 1930 Hrs on SONY

‘Diya Aur Bati Hum’ at 2100 Hrs on STAR PLUS 1400 Sajda Tere Pyaar Mein 1500 Navya 1530 Diya Aur Bati Hum 1600 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behnaa Hai 1630 Sasuraal Genda Phool 1700 Saath Nibhaana Saathiya 1730 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 1800 Navya 1830 Ruk Jana Nahin 1900 Saath Nibhaana Saathiya 1930 Sasuraal Genda Phool 2000 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 2030 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behnaa Hai 2100 Diya Aur Bati Hum 2130 Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai 2200 Sajda Tere Pyaar Mein 2230 Mann Ki Awaaz… Pratigya 2300 Maryaada ... Lekin Kab Tak?

MOVIES OF THE DAY AND OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

1505 The Last Mimzy 1700 Demolition Man 1915 Shrek 2 2100 The Lord Of The Rings - The Fellowship Of The Ring 0750 Rush Hour 0945 Miss Congeniality 1155 Shrek 2 1340 House Of Wax 1400 [V] Vignettes 1430 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1500 [V] Humse Hai Life 1530 [V] Trailers 1600 [V] Steal UR Girlfriend 1700 [V] Zabardast Hits 1800 [V] Fresh Songs 1830 [V] Humse Hai Life 1900 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1930 [V] Humse Hai Life 2000 [V] My Big Decision 2100 [V] Vignettes 2130 [V] Trailers 2200 [V] Dare 2 Date 2300 [V] Humse Hai Life 2330 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 0700 [V] Trailers 0730 [V] Zabardast Hits 0800 [V] Mind Blasting Mornings 1100 [V] Fresh Songs 1200 [V] Humse Hai Life

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Telly sitcoms, news and movie listings

1505 Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay 1650 Turbulence 1850 Rocky III 2100 Crank - High Voltage 2250 The Blair Witch Project 0800 Baxter 0900 Dickie Roberts - Former Child Star 1105 Curious George 2 - Follow That Monkey!

Ruk Jana Nahin Sasural Simar Storyline - Indu again comes to Sadanand’s house waiting for Sanchi to come in the balcony. ‘Ruk Jana Nahin’ at 1830 Hrs on ZEE TV

Ka Storyline - While Simar and Roli sort their differences but they continue pretending that problems exist between them in front of the family. ‘Sasural Simar Ka’ at 1930 Hrs on SONY ‘Crank - High Voltage’ at 2100 Hrs on HBO

1400 My Kitchen Rules 1500 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 1530 America's Funniest Home Videos 1600 Scrubs 1630 The Big Bang Theory 1700 Rookie Blue 1800 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 1900 Outsourced 1930 The Big Bang Theory 2000 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 2030 America's Funniest Home Videos 2100 My Kitchen Rules 2200 Rookie Blue 2300 Outsourced 2330 Scrubs 1000 Criss Angel 1100 Less Than Perfect 1200 Gary Unmarried

‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ at 2000 Hrs on ZEE CAFE

‘Supernatural’ at 2100 Hrs on STAR WORLD 1400 Supernatural 1500 Achievers' Club 1600 The Big Bang Theory 1630 The Simpsons 1700 The Shield 1800 Supernatural 1900 Desperate Housewives 2000 Two And A Half Men 2030 The Simpsons 2100 Supernatural 2200 The Shield 2300 The Big Bang Theory 2330 Two And A Half Men 0700 Dexter 0800 The Shield 1000 Pan Am 1100 Friends 1200 The Big Bang Theory

1400 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1430 Chidiya Ghar 1700 Gutur Gu 1730 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1900 R. K. Laxman Ki Duniya 1930 Lapataganj 2000 I Luv My India 2030 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 2100 Chidiyaghar 2130 R. K. Laxman Ki Duniya 2200 Lapataganj 2230 F.I.R 2300 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 2330 Chidiyaghar 0800 Teleshopping 0830 Religious Slot 0900 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah

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

‘Haale Dil’ at 1230 Hrs on ZOOM 1230 Movie - Haale Dil 1600 Letz Go! 1700 Telly Talk 1730 Star Bonanza 1800 Letz Go! 1900 Planet Bollywood News 1930 The Zoom Review Show 2000 Letz Go! 2100 Telly Talk 2130 The Zoom Review Show 2200 B - Tonite 2230 Link'D 2300 Bollywood Bonanza 0700 Letz Go! 0800 Red Carpet 0805 Letz Go! 1100 Your Likes 1200 Garma Garam 1230 Bollywood Big Story 1300 Zabar 10 1330 Telly Talk

1400 Megascience 1430 Extreme Engineering 1530 Mummy Autopsy 1630 The Indestructibles 1700 Million 2 One 1730 Surviving The Cut 1830 Olympic Park Machines With Jonny Smith 1930 How The Universe Works 2030 Heavy Metal Taskforce 2130 Greatest Ever 2230 Weaponology 2330 Everything You Need To Know About 1030 The Indestructibles 1100 Million 2 One 1130 Extreme Engineering 1230 Some Assembly Required 1330 How The Universe Works

‘Heavy Metal Taskforce’ at 2030 Hrs on DISCOVERY SCIENCE

‘Lucha Libre’ at 2200 Hrs on BIG CBS PRIME 1400 Frasier 1430 Jerry Springer 1530 Aspire 1600 Galileo Extreme 1700 Survivor 1800 Entertainment Tonight 1830 Galileo Extreme 1930 Frasier 2000 Entertainment Tonight 2030 Galileo Extreme 2100 Hawaii 5.0 2200 Lucha Libre 2300 Jerry Springer 0700 Aspire 0730 Galileo Extreme 0800 Survivor 1000 Lucha Libre 1100 Galileo Extreme 1130 Big Wheels 1200 Aspire 1230 Galileo Extreme 1300 Movie

Playing Field

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

The games people play

Mayweather mum on Manny Greg Heakes

Wlad puts chin on line Ryland James

BERLIN: World champion Wladimir Klitschko (above) may suffer from a lack of genuine heavyweight challengers, but he plans to prove his jaw is not made of glass by knocking out France’s Jean-Marc Mormeck on Saturday. World champion Klitschko defends his IBF, IBO, WBO and WBA titles against Mormeck, who stepped up from cruiserweight just over two years ago, in Dusseldorf. The pair were scheduled to meet last December, but kidney stones forced Klitschko to postpone the fight which will be the 60th of his career and he wants to make Mormeck his 50th knock-out. Likewise, the Frenchman is planning to become his country’s first world heavyweight champion and to test the strength of the champion’s jaw. “Klitschko has something that I want and I need to smash his face in order to get it,” said the 39-year-old Mormeck. “I know that he is not happy getting

[Wladimir] Klitschko has something that I want and I need to smash his face in order to get it. Jean-Marc Mormeck, boxer hit. I’ve already said it and mean it — he has a glass jaw.” The 35-year-old world champion has not been beaten since April 2004 when he suffered a fifth-round technical knock-out to Lamon Brewster. Elder brother Vitali, the WBC champion, holds the only other title in the division and Klitschko makes no apologies for the Ukrainians dominating the division. David Haye, from whom Wladimir took the WBA title in Hamburg last July,

has branded the champion “a Ukrainian robot” and “a fraud” for taking only fights against perceived less able fighters. But the Briton ignores the point that Klitschko has beaten all obvious challengers and Klitschko refuses to apologise for making his so-called “easy” fights look one-sided. “Maybe it looks simple and one-sided for you guys, but it’s demanding a lot of work and concentration and you have to be right on the ball,” he said in a press conference. “It doesn’t matter what kind of mood you are in, what kind of physical shape you are in, you need to show your best performance on Saturday night. “If our fights were kind of sloppy and we were getting punched in the face, probably that would be exciting for the fans.” Klitschko said the brothers will dominate the heavyweight division as long as they keep having fun, but his coach Emmanuel Steward admits the dearth of challengers is a concern.

HOLLYWOOD: For once, Floyd Mayweather (below) had nothing to say about Manny Pacquiao, deflecting questions on the Filipino fight king Thursday at a news conference to promote his fight against Miguel Cotto. Two days after he said Pacquiao wasn’t “one of the sharpest knives in the drawer,” Mayweather insisted he just wanted to talk about his super welterweight world title fight against World Boxing Association champ Cotto coming up on May 5. Mayweather was also reluctant to discuss New York Knicks star Jeremy Lin but said he had no regrets about recent tweets in which he said rising NBA star Lin was getting “all the hype because he’s Asian.” “I never regret anything,” Mayweather said. “I am not here to talk about Jeremy Lin. I am not fighting Jeremy Lin. “It is not Mayweather versus Pacquiao or Mayweather versus Jeremy Lin, it is Mayweather versus Miguel Cotto.” Mayweather was criticised for his Lin comments, but the 35-year-old said he doesn’t plan to change his outspoken ways. “I thought this country had freedom of speech,” he said. “Jeremy Lin I said was a good player ... Anything Mayweather says finds the front page of the media. I get dragged through the mud but it doesn’t stop me.”

Love basks in the sun at Palm Beach PALM

BEACH

GARDENS:

Davis Love matched the course record with a 64 on Thursday to seize a two-shot first-round lead at the Honda Classic over a group led by Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy. As 14-time major champion Tiger Woods (right) again found it tough to get putts to drop, Love avoided any putting problem completely at the 197-yard fifth hole, where he made a hole-inone. The 47-year-old US Ryder Cup captain capped his round with birdies at 17 and 18 as his six-

TIGER WOODS FOUND IT TOUGH TO GET PUTTS TO DROP, LOVE AVOIDED ANY PROBLEMS COMPLETELY AT THE FIFTH HOLE, WHERE HE MADE A HOLE-IN-ONE. under effort on the par-70 course put him in position to challenge for his first US PGA Tour title since Disney in 2008. He became the 10th player to shoot 64 at PGA National, the first

since Graeme McDowell last year. “If I had not birdied the last two holes, it still would have been a good start,” Love said. “It’s fun to tie the course record. And it’s fun to shoot low scores.” McIlroy, 22, arrived in Florida with a chance to claim the world number one ranking with a victory. On Sunday he was runner-up at the elite World Golf Championships Match Play Championship in Arizona. McIlroy, the reigning US Open champion, teed off on 10 and birdied 14, 17 and 18. He nabbed two more birdies

coming in, at the par-four second and par-three seventh -- where his six-iron landed 12 feet from the pin. “It was pretty stress-free out there,” McIlroy said. “I hit quite a few fairways and a lot of greens and gave myself a lot of chances, and that’s sort of what you need to do around this golf course.” McIlroy was joined on 66 by England’s Justin Rose, Ryan Palmer, Dicky Pride, Martin Flores, Kevin Stadler, Noh Seung-yul of South Korea and Harris English. Reigning PGA champion Keegan Bradley headed a group of nine players on 67.

Playing Field

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

The games people play

After F1, Barrichello heads to IndyCar series INDIANAPOLIS:

Brazilian Formula One veteran Rubens Barrichello (right) is jumping to IndyCar racing, and will team up with compatriot Tony Kanaan at KV Racing Technology, the team said Thursday. Barrichello, 39, raced in Formula One from 1993-2011, driving last season for Williams. His resume includes 11 F1 victories and he was runner-up in the Formula One championship in 2002 and 2004. Barrichello said he was excit-

ed at the prospect of taking up the US open-wheel series. “I am thrilled, it is something very new to me,” said Barrichello, who tested the new Dallara car powered by Chevrolet at Sebring International Raceway and Infineon Raceway in the past month. “I need to thank everyone involved, especially Tony because he has been involved for a long time... With all my experience I will start as a rookie, but I think I will get better as the year progresses.”

Djoker, Murray set up for classic Richard Eaton

DUBAI: Novak Djokovic needed a piece of luck against close friend Janko Tipsarevic on Thursday before carrying his bid for a record fourth successive Dubai Open title into a semi-final clash with Andy Murray. The triple Grand Slam titleholder beat the seventh-seeded Tipsarevic 6-1, 7-6 (8/6) but only escaped from set point down at 5-6 in the tie-breaker thanks to a double fault from his fellow Davis Cup star from Serbia. It raised hopes that Djokovic will on Friday witness another classic encounter with Murray, similar to their sensational fivehour Australian Open semi-final. Murray reached the semifinals with a 6-3, 7-5 victory Tomas Berdych. Friday’s other semi-final will see four-time Dubai champion Roger Federer, whose 6-3, 6-4 win over Mikhail Youzhny was his 12th over the Russian, against inform Juan Martin del Potro. The big Argentine defeated French fourth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 (7/1), 6-2. For a while Djokovic seemed likely to win comfortably against Tipsarevic, with whom he had “practised a million times.” He hit with great power off the ground, moved superbly, and won the first set in only 27 minutes. But he ran into difficulty after failing to convert break points at

Roddick heads into Quarters at Delray DELRAY

BEACH: Andy Roddick defeated Denis Istomin in straight sets on Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the Delray Beach ATP tournament, avenging his loss to the Uzbek a fortnight earlier. Roddick, the fourth seed, converted all three of his break chances to book his second quarter-final appearance of the season. Istomin had beaten Roddick in the quarters en route to the final at San Jose, California, in February, before falling to Canadian Milos Raonic in the title match. Roddick, 29, next faces seventh-seeded South African

Kevin Anderson. Anderson took his 2012 record to 7-4 with a 63, 3-6, 6-3 victory over two-time former Delray Beach champion Xavier Malisse of Belgium. Fifth-seeded German Philipp Kohlschreiber reached the quarter-finals with a 6-2, 62 victory over Croatian Ivan Dodig. Kohlschreiber broke Dodig twice in each set to lock up the victory in 78 minutes. Kohlschreiber will be trying to reach his third semi-final of the season, after making the final four in Auckland and Montpellier. He’ll face Israel’s Dudi Sela, who reached his second quarter-final of the season.

Kiwis axe Jesse Ryder 30-40 in the fifth and seventh games of the second sets. Tipsarevic struck the ball more boldly, won many of the longer rallies with tenacious baselining, and got the support of the crowd for his fight-back. Asked about playing Murray again, Djokovic said: “We are the same age and the first time we played each other was at the age of 11. So hopeful-

ly we will play another great match.” Murray progressed with a straight sets win over Berdych, the fierce-hitting fifthseeded Czech against whom he had lost the previous three times. The other semifinal is between Federer and del Potro, the 2009 Biljana Tipsarevic, US Open finalist from wife of Janko Argentina whose victowatches the ry against Tsonga was match his second in five days.

Troubled WELLINGTON: New Zealand cricket star Jesse Ryder (right) was dropped Friday from the squad for the first Test against South Africa but selectors said the move was due to form, and not his latest drinking bout. Ryder’s exclusion was announced a few hours after he and pace bowler Doug Bracewell were dropped from Saturday’s third and final oneday international against South Africa following a drink-fuelled bar incident. Team manager Mike Sandle said the pair broke team protocols by going out drinking and had “verbally reacted to taunts from the public” about New

Zealand’s six-wicket defeat in the second ODI in Napier. The Test starts in Dunedin next Wednesday.

Playing Field

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

The games people play

Barça sans Messi to tackle Gijon Dermot Ledwith

MADRID: Barcelona must live without the inspirational presence of Lionel Messi (pictured) when they tackle Sporting Gijon on Saturday as the Argentine superstar serves his first La Liga suspension. Messi was booked in last weekend’s 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid, his fifth yellow card of the campaign. His absence will be a huge blow to Barcelona, who trail Real Madrid by 10 points in the title race, as his value was shown in midweek when he smashed a wonderful hattrick in Argen-

tina’s 3-1 friendly win in Switzerland. Real Madrid, who face Espanyol on Sunday, also have their own worries with the club facing more speculation over the future of coach Jose Mourinho. The colourful Portuguese was spotted in London in midweek, fuelling rumours of a return to the English Premier League next season. While some media reports say the trip was to purchase a property in the British capital, Spanish newspaper Marca claimed this is for Mourinho’s own investment purposes and not a signal that he will be coaching in London next season. Espanyol will provide another stern test of Madrid’s dominance in La Liga. Currently sitting eighth,

just two points from a Champions League place, the Barcelona-based club have their own objectives. “I won there with Seville and I think we can do it again. It was a nice feeling, very intense and difficult but I think we can repeat that if we stick to our game,” said midfielder Koffi Romaric. “We want the points for our own goals, not to do Barca a favour.” Portuguese international Fabio Coentrao joined Madrid’s injury list when he pulled up with a muscle problem in his country’s friendly with Poland on Wednesday. He will be out for three weeks and joins Angel Di Maria and Karim Benzema, both also out for similar periods with muscular injuries.

Juve look to take command Emmanuel Barranguet

ROME: After last weekend’s nailbiting affair between the two left AC Milan a point clear, Juventus will hope to take command in Serie A on Saturday with a seemingly easier fixture than their rivals. The ‘Old Lady’ were lucky to escape from the San Siro with a point after Sulley Muntari had a header ruled out despite crossing the line and now the Turin outfit will look to beat midtable Chievo. Milan, having played a game more, head for Palermo a point clear of Chievo and clearly a tougher proposition in front of their partisan fans, whom they have treated to 10 home league successes for only two losses. A win for Juve and a draw for the rossoneri would put Antonio Conte’s men top of the heap as they chase down their first Scudetto since 2003 - since when seven coaches have come and gone before the arrival of Conte, a veteran of more than 400 league games in the black and white.

As the leading pair jostle for glory the ripples from last weekend’s confrontation saw the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) investigate alleged misconduct by Milan’s Philippe Mexes and Muntari and Juve’s Milan old boy Andrea Pirlo. French centre-back Mexes punched former Roma colleague Marco Borriello to earn himself a three-match suspension, while his Ghanaian team-mate Muntari escaped sanction after shoving Stephan Lichtsteiner. Pirlo likewise escaped punishment for elbowing Mark van Bommel. Juve remain unbeaten but have drawn 11 of their 24 games. Sunday sees the Rome derby between AS Roma and Lazio. Lazio, who won the season’s first derby right at the death, will expect to bag full points as they chase down the top two — they are currently level on 45 points with third-placed Udinese, who take on Atalanta. But Roma, blowing hot and cold under Luis Enrique, can overhaul Napoli and move into fifth with a win.

Mourinho in frame for England job?

LONDON: The Football Association is to draw up an official shortlist for the England manager’s job and begin the process of establishing the availability of the people in question, starting with Harry Redknapp, according to a report published in the British daily, The Guardian. The newspaper reported that Redknapp’s work at Tottenham Hotspur has formed the most significant part of the talks, led by the FA’s chairman, David Bernstein, since Fabio Capello resigned over the row about John Terry being stripped of the captaincy. However, Redknapp is not the only candidate who has been discussed at length. While Redknapp is known to want the job, the FA is aware that Pep Guardiola at Barcelona and José Mourinho (above) at Real Madrid would be high-calibre alternatives. The report goes on to say that both would be highly ambitious moves, particularly in the case of Guardiola, but the FA has shown before it is willing to go for the best possible candidates. Mourinho, who looks set to leave Madrid at the end of the season, was approached before Capello’s appointment and the Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, has also been sounded out before.

Playing Field

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

The games people play

Liverpool, Arsenal hope to go fourth and conquer Silva boosts Mancini Neil Johnston

MANCHESTER: David Silva

Mike McGrath

LONDON: Liverpool and Arsenal will face each other at Anfield this weekend after potentially seasonchanging performances before the international break. Kenny Dalglish’s men lifted the League Cup at Wembley after a sixyear trophy drought for the club, going a goal down before eventually defeating Cardiff on penalties to end their wait for silverware. Earlier in the day, Arsenal were trailing themselves before coming back in spectacular fashion to beat their fierce rivals Tottenham 5-2 at the Emirates Stadium. The two victories could have a

positive impact on both clubs’ attempts to qualify for the Champions League. Arsene Wenger’s side are now fourth and have ambitions to overtake third-placed Spurs, while Liverpool are seventh heading into the weekend fixtures. “We can use that [Spurs win] to our advantage in the games coming up,” said Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. “We’re there now. We’re six or seven points behind Tottenham. “Hopefully we’ll have momentum and Tottenham will drop a little bit. We want to push on and finish as high as we can. “After the last game we certain-

ly believe we can finish not just in the top four but challenge Tottenham for the spot we deserve.” Liverpool’s joy at Wembley has been dampened slightly by a double injury setback. Dalglish said defender Daniel Agger was facing several weeks on the sidelines with a cracked rib while Steven Gerrard picked up a hamstring injury on duty for England. Having secured the League Cup, Liverpool are guranteed a place in next season’s Europa League. But Dalglish’s side can still secure a Champions League spot if they finish fourth.

Luiz slams Lampard, Blues continue Ian Winrow

LONDON: David Luiz’s (right) apparent criticism of his teammate Frank Lampard this week has done nothing to dispel the view that Chelsea are currently a club in turmoil. England midfielder Lampard has grown frustrated after losing his regular starting spot and recently confessed his relationship with beleaguered manager Andre Villas-Boas was “not ideal”. Speaking about the situation in Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, Luiz seemed to suggest Lampard should knuckle down and adopt a stronger team ethic. “No one has to be someone’s father or son in a football club,” Brazilian defender Luiz said. “There are no privileged people there. He [Lampard] simply has to listen to the coach when he gives orders and take them,” added Luiz, who joined Chelsea from Portuguese giants Benfica. “No player can forget that they

are just an employee of the club.” Luiz later took to Twitter to claim he was speaking generally but there can be no doubt tensions are rising at Stamford Bridge, with Portuguese boss Villas-Boas’s position increasingly under threat.

Last weekend’s victory over Bolton Wanderers provided some respite but three points will again be the minimum target when Chelsea, still outside the Champions League places on goal difference, travel to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. The presence of Jose Mourinho in London this week on a house-hunting mission prompted speculation the Real Madrid coach could be set for a return to his former club — where he employed Villas-Boas as a scout. Meanwhile the current Chelsea manager admitted he was unsure if he retains the backing of ‘hire and fire’ Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich. Against such a backdrop, Chelsea must galvanise themselves and the sight of Daniel Sturridge limping out of England’s midweek friendly international defeat by the Netherlands only adding to VillasBoas’s woes.

(above) has stated his intentions to stay and help manager Roberto Mancini transform Manchester City into the Premier League’s major powerhouse. Silva has played a key role in City’s title charge this season and was part of the team which ended the club’s 35-year trophy drought by winning the FA Cup last season. The former Valencia player, who returns to club action against Bolton on Saturday after scoring for Spain in midweek, still has two years remaining on his contract at the Etihad Stadium. And Silva has made it clear he will see out his contract as City close in on their first topflight title for 44 years. “I am very happy in England, I have two years on my contract and I want to complete it,” he said. “Right now I do not want to

DAVID SILVA HAS PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN CITY’S TITLE CHARGE THIS SEASON AND WAS PART OF THE TEAM WHICH ENDED THE CLUB’S 35-YEAR TROPHY DROUGHT BY WINNING THE FA CUP LAST SEASON. return to Spain. I’m happy, people treat me great and I hope to get more enjoyment. “In addition, Mancini has total confidence in me. That’s important for a player and I’m happy, team-mates are adapting to my game and that’s also very good for me. In England, football is enjoyed to the fullest.” Silva is a player in form having followed up his goal against Porto League with another in Spain’s 5-0 friendly win over Venezuela.