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THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012 HYDERABAD
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SEXUALLY `ljm^qf_ib\ So how great is your sex life really? With hectic work schedules, do you ever get the time to spend some time with just your partner? Take our sexual compatibility test to find out.
Festive colours Members of the Jain community took out a procession on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanthi, at Secunderabad.
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Chelsea are through to the semis, and so are Real Madrid. Game on!
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It’s that time of the year again, and all eyes turn to Augusta, Georgia for the Masters. Our hypercoverage gets you VIP seats.
GUFTAGU IN DELHI DARBAR, KCR HOBNOBS WITH CONG TRS leadership is reportedly offering to barter a merger with Congress for T-statehood. Congress high command is charmed, reports say.
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THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
Spirit of Twin Cities
PLAY TIME
Alter Egoz
SRINIVAS SETTY
Alter Egoz performs live at Hard Rock Cafe. They are all set to pay tribute to the legends— Pink Floyd. Where: Hard Rock Cafe, Banjara Hills, Rd No1 When: April 5, 9pm onwards Contact: (040) 4476 7900
It’s Easter Bring in Easter with loads of goodies and hampers. Head to Novotel for a special Easter brunch, spirits fun, games and egg painting for the children. Where: Novotel, Kondapur When: Ongoing, 12pm onwards Contact: (040) 6682 4422
Angkor Wat A painting exhibition based on the Angkor Wat in Columbia is being presented by Kalakrithi Art Gallery and ITC Kakatiya. Where: Hyder Mahal, ITC Kakatiya, Begumpet When: Ongoing, 11am- 7pm Contact: (040) 2340 0132
Easter time Godrej Natures Basket is offering Easter treats which include some delightful hot cross buns and marzipan cakes. Celebrate Easter with a variety of Easter eggs. Where: Nature’s Basket, Banjara Hills, Rd No10 When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 2335 5399
Unique buffet
Solo show A display of paintings by well known artist Rayees Ahmed will be held. The exhibit will be at Indian Art Gallery B, Chitramayee State Art Gallery. Where: Chitramayee State Art Gallery, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 10.30 am onwards Contact: (040) 2311 3308
Combo platters Deli 9 is offering Combo Platters in it’s lunch and dinner menu. Choose from various salad and sandwich combos also. Where: Deli 9, Banjara Hills, Rd No1 When: Ongoing, 11am to 8pm Contact: (040) 6550 6662
Wraps and rolls Rolls — boring did you say? Head to Promenade at Ameerpet for a wide variety of rolls that will suit everyone’s taste. Where: The Promenade, Ameerpet When: Ongoing
CINEMAS
Contact: (040) 6678 8888 Yellow Chilli is offering a lunch buffet which is truly different. The Buffet which costs `199 (Monday to-Friday) and `249 (Saturday and Sunday). The dinner buffet costs `299 and `349. Where: Yellow Chilli, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 2338 3838
A suitable lunch Syn at Taj Deccan is offering Syn-to-suit you lunches. Various lunch offers for various requirements from the quick 15 minute lunch to the healthy and long lunches. Where: Syn - Asian Bar and Grill, Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: Ongoing, 12 pm to 3.30pm Contact: (040) 6666 3939
Go Splash Splash lounge is the perfect leisure destination for you to unwind. There is also great music, martinis and aperitifs. Where: The Westin, Mindspace,
Madhapur When: Monday - Friday, 5pm - 10.30pm Weekends, 8am - 10.30pm Contact: (040) 6767 6828
Being ’together’ Together, an exhibition of paintings by Shravan Kumar GK will be on display from April 6. The preview is beig held on April 6 from 6.30pm onwards. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: March 6 onwards Contact: 98499 6879
Salt of the earth An exhibition of paintings by Tailor Srinivas titled Salt of the Earth is being held at Iconart Gallery. The exhibition is on till March 5. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing, 11.30 am onwards Contact: 98499 6879
New conceptualist Catch an exhibition of paintings by Sujatha Basu at Muse Art Gallery. Where: Muse Art Gallery, Tank Bund When: Ongoing, 11am onwards
Contact: (040) 2752 2999
Silk expo The National Silk Expo is being held at Sri Sathya Sai Nigmagamam from March 31- April 6. Catch an exclusive collection of traditional and designer materials and sarees with fabrics such as Tussar, Chanderi, Kotha, Jamdani etc. Where: Sri Sathya Sai Nigmagamam, Sri Nagar Colony When: Ongoing Contact: 93688 82225
Bollywood Hungama It’s Bollywood hungama and ladies night at News Cafe. Great Bollywood music and drinks to help liven up your evening. Where: News Cafe, Inorbit Mall, Madhapur When: April 5, 8.30 pm onwards Contact: (040) 4010 1236
Water colours Iconart is hosting Aquarelle as a part of it’s Buy Art initiative. It features water colour paintings. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing, 11.30 am onwards Contact: 98499 6879
Big Cinemas, Ameerpet: 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills: 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally: 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills: 44767777; Prasads, Tank Bund Rd: 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta: 8800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur: 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad: 27844973
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THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities
Nikhil duped many more CRIME
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Vaquar in Modi murder plot? Mohd subhan
Inkeshaf Ahmed
mohd.s@postnoon.com
ahmed.m@postnoon.com
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he arrest of Angrez fame K Nikhil Reddy who was arrested in cheque bounce case seems to have a long list of victims. Postnoon’s investigation revealed that Reddy not only deceived industrialist G Vasanth Kumar Goud for `50 lakh but also duped many other residents of the City worth lakh of rupees. Reddy, it is revealed, took loans from different people and issued post-dated cheques of Axis Bank, Srinagar Colony branch. A Ashok Kumar, a resident of Malakpet police limits area gave `5 lakh loan to Nikhil Reddy. Reddy gave him a post-dated cheque on January 23 which bounced when deposited. Another resident of Vitthalwadi, Vinod Kumar gave `5.5 lakhs loan to Nikhil Reddy in exchange for a postdated cheque which bounced. The list of the victims of Nikhil Reddy, who portrayed the role of an NRI in the popular movie Angrez, also included J Nagaraju Yadav of Chappal bazaar, Kacheguda and S Harish Kumar of Gandhi Nagar. Both Yadav and Harish shelled out their hard
earned money to help Nikhil in good faith. “I gave him money which was for the education of my children. He sought my help and asked me to give a loan for a temporary period. But when I deposited the cheque, it bounced leaving me in shock,” Ashok said. Another victim, Harish, also expressed similar feelings and said that his hard-earned money kept for his family has now been wasted. “I thought he would keep his word and give me his money but he duped me. I was surprised when I came to know that I was not the only victim. Imagine my shock when I read that he had taken several for a ride!” Harish said. Vinod Kumar
had kept aside some amount for his future but Nikhil Reddy foiled his plans. “My future is now at risk. I gave him a loan in good faith but he tricked me,” Kumar said. The victims have filed private complaints in various courts pertaining to cheque-bounce and cheating. Another case has already been filed against Reddy in Gandhi Nagar police station. “We will not leave him. We will fight for justice to get our hard earned money,” Vinod kumar said . A probe is being launched to find out if there are similar complaints against the film producer in other police stations too.
ounder of Tehreek Galabha-e-Islam (TGI) and an accused in the killing of three policemen in Hyderabad City, Vaquar Ahmed, will be handed over to Gujarat police for investigation about his involvement in a murder case in Gujarat. Rangareddy court has issued orders to hand him over to the Gujarat police. He may be taken into custody by the Gujarat police team that is already camping in Hyderabad for this purpose. The duo are said to be part of the ring that hatched a plan to kill Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi after the Ahmedabad riots. Vaquar Ahmed and his associate Salman, have been in Warangal jail since the last few months. On Wednesday they were produced before the court. The duo face 14 criminal cases including the murder of three policemen in Hyderabad in the aftermath of Babri Masjid demolition. He had allegedly attacked cops at Shahlibanda, IS Sadan and Falaknuma area.
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THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
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Ponnala blasts doomsayers on Lanco land imbroglio The government is unperturbed at the High Court ruling on Lanco lands. It says the image of Brand Hyderabad and that of stake holders is safe
INFRA U Srinivas srinivas.u@postnoon.com
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inister for IT, Ponnala Laxmaiah said it is a false alarm that the IT companies would be in trouble over the lands allocated to them by the State government following the High Court decision on Lanco land. The court ruled in favour of the Wakf board. It said to the great discomfort of stake holders that the 1,654 acres of land allotted to business indeed belonged to the Wakf Board. Talking to Postnoon, Ponnala said the final decision on the land will be given by the Wakf Tribunal. Now the matter is between the government and the Tribunal, he explained. If there is anything to be settled, the government will come forward and negotiate with the Wakf Board and others involved in the process. “In this matter why should the image of Hyderabad take a beating,
how is this possible? Why this kind of false propaganda when some issues crop up?” he questioned. “Come with me I will show you the applications pending with the government from the IT companies for land allocations. Issues will be there but that does not mean Hyderabad’s image will suffer,” he said tersely. CM Kiran Kumar Reddy is out of station and once he returns a decision will be taken. “When the government has allocated the land it is duty-bound to protect the interests of the business people and the IT people,” he added. Since Wipro, Infosys, Indian School of Business and Lanco have been allocated land by the government, it has to be honoured. On the other hand minister for Revenue Raghuveera Reddy said that he has to study the issue. He says the government will sort it out with the Wakf Board and also the Wakf Tribunal. The departments concerned will sit and decide on the further course of action. The companies and other institutions need not worry, he assured.
Legal status
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hen it comes to legal jurisdiction, the Wakf Tribunal is already apprised of the matter and the High Court has advised the parties to settle the matter in tribunal. Earlier, there was a case regarding Viceroy hotel at Tankbund. There were allegations that the land belonged to the Wakf Board. This was during the TDP regime. The matter was settled and the hotel is safe.
Rehman (YSRC) stance
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ehman, former MLC, had filed the case against Lanco lands when he was a TRS leader. Now he is with YSRC. Rehman raised the issue of Lanco land in court and claimed it was Wakf land. Rehman said that truth prevailed and now it is proven beyond doubt that the land belonged to Wakf. He denied allegations that the case was filed after the companies did not pay party funds.
Company says
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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
Artist alleges his work’s been copied
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IM MLA Pasha Quadri said he was sure that the government slipped when allocating the land to the IT sector and real estate. Now they have to return the land, he added. He praised the court for giving a verdict in favour of Wakf.
TRS
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RS leader Nayanai Narsimha Reddy said, "When we took up the issue, there were allegations that it was for political reasons. Now it has been proved beyond doubt that they are Wakf lands. Let Rajagopal reply to this.”
155333 23431178 23431179 MUNICIPAL CORPORATION: Commissioner & Spl Officer 23262266
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arliament member Lagadapati Rajgopal, the chief promoter of Lanco Hills project told
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
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,
n Air India International flight, with 92 passengers on board, escaped a tragedy today when the pilot detected a technical snag while it was on the runway for takeoff for Visakhapatnam. The flight from Dubai to Visakhapatnam, via Hyderabad, was about to take off when the snag was noticed. The pilot immediately notified the technical staff, who then rectified the problem.
security guard, P Chandran alias Chandraiah, who was arrested for cruelly attacking a dog, is remanded to judicial custody. The man, said to be drunk at the time of the incident, had attacked and injured the dog in a most horrible manner on Tuesday night at Sainikpuri Bhaskar Raonagar. He was booked under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
MIM
WATER SUPPLY: Complaint Cell Sewerage Complaint Hyd. Water Supply
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about the issue through newspapers and it has been there since a long time. The higher-ups involved in the land purchase would look into the matter and that they refused to be drawn into the controversy.
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
NEWS BRIEFS Possible air disaster averted by alert pilot
Dog beater remanded to judicial custody
Cong (L. Rajgopal MP)
ost of the company representatives in Hyderabad said that they came to know
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Postnoon on phone from Vijayawada that he no longer held any more business interests in Lanco and he is now full time into politics. He informed that it was Venkatram Reddy who was now looking after the business. Despite repeated attempts, Venkatram remained unavailable for comment. A PRO associated with the company clarified that flat investors need not worry and that their interests would be fully protected.
Present status
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anco has already constructed a massive structure, it is now for the Tribunal to decide a way out for the issue keeping investors in mind. Now the Lanco group will have to deal with the Wakf Board to sort out the issue. The State government had alloted 1,654.32 acres of land, worth nearly `32,000 crores, to companies and IT firms allegedly at throwaway prices. The Wakf Board alleged that the land belongs to them and the Dargah Hazrath Hussain Shah Wali, in Manikonda village. Now a lot depends on how the government handles this issue.
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
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
City-based artist Guduri Prabhakar Rao has alleged that Siri Institute of Painting’ chairman Swamy was displaying his paintings under somebody else’s name, at the art gallery in Marriott Hotel since March 31. Prabhakar said that two of his paintings that were displayed at Inspire Art Gallery in September 2011 were copied and being displayed without his knowledge. He added that he would file a case against Swamy if he failed to remove his paintings.
One day auto strike in City on April 11
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uto drivers in the twin cities, including outskirts, will observe a day’s token strike on April 11 in protest against the government’s delay in fixing existing auto fares and demanding a ban on the sharing auto-rickshaws ferrying passengers illegally in the City. The other demands include exemption from police e-challan system, exemption from class VIII pass condition to obtain driving license and badge to drive auto-rickshaw, stoppage of private auto financiers harassment etc.
AIRLINES Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings. For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec’bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999
UK Visa Office VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7 Beside Meridian School, Banjara Hills34. Working hours are from 8 AM to 1 PM And 2 PM to 3PM. MUSEUMS Salar Jung Museum AP State Museum Nizams Museum
24523211 232431300/7641 24521029
Readers’ views We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 4067 2222
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Guftagu in Delhi Darbar, KCR hobnobs with Cong POLITICS U Srinivas srinivas.u@postnoon.com
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ll the big players of AP politics are in Indrapuri. And, all of them are doing more than what meets the eye. Having got the leopard (ACB joint director Srinivas Reddy) off his shoulders, PCC chief and bête noire of CM N Kiran Kmar Reddy, Botsa Satyanarayana is singing unity songs with Kiran. Both were seen riding yesterday in one car to AP Bhavan. The two leaders were asked by the AICC leadership to sink their differences or sink together. Ghulam Nabi Azad, the party in-charge of AP, repeated the Sonia directive to them saying the forthcoming 18 by-elections are crucial and they must work in a do or die fashion. The same homily was ladled out to the deputy chief minister. They will have another round of discussions before they return Meanwhile, the revolt of the ACB’s
director general against the midnight transfer of his joint director remains to be sorted out. The upright officer is seen to have been used politically after he did an exemplary job on the liquor mafia in the State. The DGP has refused to relieve Reddy.
TRS merger with Congress? There are rumours in Delhi that KCR
has sent feelers to the Congress leadership offering to barter his political loyalty for Telangana statehood. If the statehood is announced before the forthcoming bypolls, TRS will merge with Congress and thus would pave the way for a big win for Congress in the 2014 general elections. This has become a big hit and the high command had asked the CM to stay back.
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HMDA faces cash crunch Inkeshaf Ahmed ahmed.m@postnoon.com
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MDA, which is responsible for the infrastructure development of Greater Hyderabad region seems to be heading towards a fund crunch. The budget estimates prepared by the development body for FY2012-13 clearly reflects its financial status. The cash crunch is such that it had to cut down its present budget to `2,938.21 crores as against the earlier budget of `4,486.21 crores. Even after this, the budget does not seem to be realistic as the authority is depending on the State government to execute many prstigious projects like the ongoing ORR project, Engineering and Urban Greening projects. The authority is expecting `1,,220 crore from the State as grants, a whopping 62 per cent of the total capital receipts, but is also depending on borrowings to execute its projects. Apart from this the authority is also expecting `350 crore loans from banks and other institutions to fund its projects. Interestingly, it could not realise the projected loans during the last fiscal.
Statistics Budget estimates for 2012-13: Last fiscal Budget estimates ( 2011-12): Expected revenue surplus: Deficit in the last two years:
`2938.21 crores `4486.21 crores `217.50 crores `1500 crores
A race against time Filmmakers in Hyderabad gear up for a one of its kind challenge — making a short film in 48 hours
MOVIES Hemanth Kumar hemanth.k@postnoon.com
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aking a short film is no easy task for aspiring filmmakers. Some even spend months trying to come up with a good story just for a 10 minute short film. But what if you were asked to make a short film within 48 hours? That’s what the 48 Hours Film Project is all about. The short film competition, which began way back in 2001 in the US, is going to be held for the first time in Hyderabad. After Mumbai and Delhi, Hyderabad is the third city in India which will play host to this competition. “Three years after we began the India chapter of 48 Hours Film Project, we wanted to go south. We thought that we
would get a lot of support in Hyderabad since the City has lot of film studios and film schools. There’s a lot of activity involving short filmmakers. It’s all about the energy, vibrancy and having the enthusiasm to go ahead to take the challenge,” says Preeti Gopalkrishnan, one of the two organisers of the competition. Along with Yogi Chopra, she came to Hyderabad almost a month ago to interact with short filmmakers in the City for the inaugural session of the competition. “We were thinking that people will come in droves because we had a great run in Mumbai and Delhi. Things went on very slowly in the beginning. But it all turned out well. We have about 40-50 teams right now competing in the project,” Preeti adds. In Hyderabad, they partnered with ISFM and Spykar to host the event. Yesterday, Kurt Inderbitzin, CEO of ISFM, interacted with the participants and spoke about the nuances of scripting, editing, shooting and planning. ISFM will be awarding the winner, a cash prize of `50,000 and Spykar is giving out gift vouchers worth `75,000. So how was the reaction from the participants? “People have only heard about 48 Hours Film Project, but the whole experience of participating and making a film in 48 hours is incredible,” Preeti says. 48 Hours Film Project will begin from April 6 at 7pm and end on April 8 at 7:30pm.
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THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities
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Public left in the dark as power cuts continue Daily routines thrown into disarray as scheduled and unscheduled outages wreak havoc
ELECTRICITY
VOICES
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he untimely power cuts are taking a toll on me. When I come home after a night shift, power goes, making sleep an uncomfortable proposition. Worse, nobody could say when the power supply will be restored. Sometimes I had rushed back to office to send a document which I thought would be done via mail but my laptop or mobile happens to have little charge left. Supraja Koganti, IT professional
Osama Salman salman.o@postnoon.com
P Four IPS officers promoted
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dditional Director of the ACB, Kothakota Sreenivasa Reddy has been promoted as Inspector General of Police and posted as inspector general of coastal security. The State Government has issued a GO on Tuesday midnight giving promotion and postings to four IPS officers . Chief vigilance & security officer of APGENCO, Kripanand Tripathi Ujela has been promoted to the Super time Scale of IPS in the rank of inspector general of police. Deputy inspector general of police (intelligence) N Balasubramanyam has been promoted as inspector general of police and posted as inspector general of police, intelligence. Another senior IPS officer Shivdhar Reddy has been transferred and posted as the additional director of AntiCorruption Bureau, Hyder abad. Additional director general of police, (co-ordination) Ambati Sivanarayana has been posted as additional director general (vigilance & enforcement), general administration (V&E) department.
ower cuts are back with a bang and its waywardness is haunting people. Outage this time around is more unpredictable than last year. The unpredictability makes it more painful an affair than scheduled load-shedding. Morning is the most difficult time for working people as they have hundred things to take care before leaving for work. Load-shedding in the morning makes daily chores difficult. There is neither certainty of its duration nor its timings. For Narender Thakur, a school principal residing in Mangalhat, unscheduled power cuts have often meant being late to school. “Every day I struggle with the power cuts. One day the lights blink out at 7am and the next it is 8 am and some other times it is 7.40 am. How do we plan our day? It results in waste of energy too, I believe. To avoid being caught in the midst of chores, I switch on geyser at 6 am,” Thakur said dismay in his voice. Ghulam Mustafa Khan, an event manager living in Tolichowki, pointed out that more than him, his wife Taskeen Famita suffers. “Taskeen has to prepare lunch for my children and me before we head to school and office. She uses the grinder, toaster and microwave extensively
and without electricity, she is helpless. More difficulty comes from not knowing for how long the power remains snapped,” Khan said “I can hear her grumble and complain as the power play truant. Who can blame her? Sometimes in frustration she pounds the masalas on a rock grinder but it is not easy,” he said. Students have bigger complaints. Their life itself revolves around electricity. Rajarshi Mukherjee, a company secretary (CS) student lamented that his studies were being affected. “It is terribly hot throughout the day and studying without electricity is impossible. I can’t study without a fan or an air-conditioner. There are untimely power cuts at night as well. I feel miserable,” he moaned.
Sandeep Chitgopker, a graphics designer working with a company in Narayanguda goes to office early in the morning. “Being a graphic designer I have problems while working. If I haven’t saved my work quite often I end up losing all what I painstakingly did. If the outage has a schedule, it becomes easier to cope with power cut. Since it’s hard to predict I end up losing a week’s worth of work in a few seconds,” he said. It’s not that people do not realize the situation. Power regulation and load shedding are invariable in summer but the electricity department could be more scientific and responsible devising a method for load shedding rather than playing catand-mouse game with consumers, people say.
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ore than me, my wife suffers. Every morning when she is making meals for us power goes and I can hear her grumble. In frustration she takes out pestle and mortar and start grinding. Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Event manager
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or those working on computer without a backup unscheduled power cut could prove the undoing. If one, in the midst of work, forget to save frequently it would mean a great loss of efforts. Sandeep Chitgopker, Graphic designer
ICONIC CITY Abids book bazaar
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ot everyone is interested in shopping for clothes and jewellery etc. And for those people there is a paradise called the Abids Sunday book bazaar. Every Sunday, the entire Tilak Road stretch starting from Hollywood to GPO is covered with street vendors selling second hand books. It is one of the eclectic markets of Hyderabad which you would not find in other cities. The books bazaar sells all kinds of novels ranging from old and tattered copies of Sydney
Aishwarya Yerra Hyderabad as a City has a lot to offer in terms of heritage and sights. We take a look at the various places that make this City so special
Sheldon to Perry Mason to Nancy Drew to even pirated copies of Harry Potter. The best part about this market is that you can buy books for as cheap as `10 or `20. For many of us nothing can replay that joy in discovering an old copy of a novel which was a childhoodfavourite. I would suggest that the best way to spend a lazy Sunday morning is to visit the countless stalls and secure amazing bargains on a variety of books and novels which inturn leaves you with a sense of satisfaction.
SRINIVAS SETTY
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Racha is extremely predictable Ram Charan Tej’s Racha tries too hard to impress but falls flat due to a bad screenplay and clichéd characterisation
MOVIES Hemanth Kumar hemanth.k@postnoon.com
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am Charan, Tamannaah-starrer Racha follows the age old formula of a revenge drama along with a love story. Directed by Sampath Nandi, the film was touted to be Ram Charan’s comeback film to mass entertainers. Ram Charan stars as Raj, who loves betting. One fine day, he meets James (Ajmal) who provokes him to accept his challenge — to make Chaitra (Tamannaah) fall in love with him. The condition is that if Raj wins the bet, James will pay him `20 lakhs for his father’s operation. However, there is a catch — Chaitra’s father is Bellary (Mukesh Rishi), who is extremely pro-
Movie: Racha Cast: Ram Charan Tej, Tamannaah, Mukesh Rishi Director: Sampath Nandi Rating:
tective of his daughter. How Raj manages to win his bet, forms the plot. There’s hardly anything new in terms of Ram Charan’s characterisation. Even his dialogues lack the zing, which is required for a mass entertainer like this. The biggest problem is that it is extremely predictable. Except for one twist, there’s nothing noteworthy. Ram Charan is okay in his role, while Tamannaah looks great in a few songs and Ajmal doesn’t have much to offer in the film. Mukesh Rishi, Nazar, Dev Gill, Kota Sreenivasa Rao and Parthiban deliver fine performances. Sampath Nandi plays it safe by following a routine family drama and perhaps that is the biggest problem with this film. It doesn’t offer anything new. Racha is strictly for Ram Charan’s fans. There are plenty of fights and well shot songs, but that doesn’t constitute a good film.
City’s in for an oriental treat
The dining area on the first floor
DINING Aishwarya Yerra aishwarya.y@postnoon.com
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ood lovers in the City have a new destination to head to. On Wednesday Hyderabad added another fine dining restaurant to its kitty — N Asian by the famed N franchise. Located on road number 36, Jubilee Hills, N Asian promises to dish out gourmet Chinese
The alfresco dining area cuisine. Co-owned by popular Tollywood actor Nagarjuna and businessman Preetham Reddy, N Asian seems to be the next big thing. When Postnoon spoke to Preetham Reddy on the launch of N Asian, he said, “We opted to open a Chinese restaurant because Hyderabad needs a gourmet Chinese restaurant. Future plans for N Asian will unfold with a surprise.” The sprawling structure, that has an architectural shape similar to N Grill’s, is done up taste-
fully and boasts of oriental knick knacks. On entering the lobby one is instantly taken in by the strong oriental theme of the place. A large wooded railed stone staircase leads to the restaurant on the first floor. The main dining area is situated on the first and second floors and the balcony is equipped with seating arrangements as well for an alfresco experience. An open kitchen with a glass division allows diners a full view of the food preparations. The dining
area has an attached bar but there is a separate bar on the ground floor as well. The high ceilings give the place a spacious feel and the ambience had a soothing effect. What works best here is the fact that the oriental décor is just right and nothing is overdone. In two words N Asian is classy and understated. Dining experience apart, the ground floor is also houses former Mrs World Shilpa Reddy’s designer boutique, which showcases some of her creations.
So if you’re in the mood for some oriental food, head to N Asian for some authentic Chinese cuisine. The food offered here is not tampered with to suit the Indian palate. It instead, focusses on giving diners a taste of gourmet Chinese cuisine. The menu is rather extensive too, with a separate menu for dumplings alone. However, it is the seafood and the duck that steal the show here. Read Postnoon on Saturday for a detailed review.
Hyper Local
Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
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N SHIVA KUMAR
Summer’s sweet surprise A common sight during the summers is men on bicycles carrying baskets covered with leaves. These baskets contains the summer fruit called Munjal (seeds of the sugar/toddy palm tree) which are popular among people of all age groups. A juice from the palm is also extracted and sold.
17,486.02 111.40
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10g= `28,300
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1kg= `55,800
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Matters of saving and spending
Digital revolution to cut costs Prudhvi Raju K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com
G
one are the days when the film reels were processed in the lab and physically distributed to the theatres in different parts of the country. The digital distribution is helping the digital print to be uploaded from a central server which can be played at different theatres. The maximum returns of the investment of any film are collected in the first few weeks of the film release. Digital distribution is enabling the distributors to make as many copies as possible with negligible costs; get a wider, timely release and maximise collections. Big budget films are releasing with a record number of prints without incurring heavy initial costs that used to be the case earlier, said U Lakshminarayana, CEO, Cinematica Digitals. There is a misconception that digital technology is killing small films. Small producers can choose few digital theatres and get the film released. They can increase the number of exhibition centres once the film gains popularity. It is not pain for any distributor to pay the subscription to digital exhibitor as long as the movie makes revenues. The digital distribution is helping them to pay monthly subscription rather than a lump
Yahoo! to cut 2,000 jobs to stay healthy SAN FRANCISCO: Struggling US Internet pioneer Yahoo! said on Wednesday it would slash some 2,000 jobs in a purge aimed at transforming into a “smaller, nimbler, more profitable” company. Yahoo! chief executive Scott Thompson, who took the helm in January promising to turn the company around after a year of falling income, said the job cuts were a “tough decision” to achieve that goal. “We are intensifying our efforts on our core businesses and redeploying resources to our most urgent priorities,” Thompson said in a statement. Yahoo! has been trying to re-invent itself as a “premier digital media” company since the once flowering Internet search service found itself withering in Google’s shadow. AFP
sum initial investment, he said. The growth story of digital exhibition has taken off with the release of Maghadheera. Almost 70 theatres in the State converted to digital format just few weeks before the film release. This enabled the film to hit 1,000 screens. The producer of the film, Allu Arvind, further went ahead and started Cinematica to focus on digital exhibition across Andhra
Pradesh, he buttresses his point. The trend has picked up, and the growth is immense in conversion of normal theatres in to digital ones in last two years. The few theatres that are left out may get converted in to digital very soon,
making the whole distribution switch to digital, he added. On piracy, Lakshminarayana said the movie is also better protected with digital technologies. Even if some theatre owner tries to make a pirated copy of the film, he can easily get caught. Forensic
n Number of active theatres in n n n n
water marking, which is not visible to the naked eye can be easily read and identified from which theatre (print) the film is pirated.
Digital Cinematography Even though distribution is taken over by digital technologies, the penetration of digital tech-
the state: 1600 Number of theatres converted in to digital: 1200 Theatres converted in to digital: 75 per cent Cost savings: Almost 65 per cent at the time of release Cost savings with digital camera: 30 per cent (As of December 2011)
nologies is quite slow in cinematography even with huge cost savings. However, the success of films likes Love Failure, Ee Rojullo created some buzz in adopting digital technologies. Digital cinematography helping the industry to save 30-40 per cent costs. However, if the technicians are not skillful enough, the costs end up same as film camera. Only 10 per cent of the films in the State are produced through digital technologies. The industry has not seen a major success with digital technologies, said Srinivas (SKS), executive producer, Ee Rojullo. All the major stars films are cinematographed with a film camera, due to various reasons like long running shots and chasing shots. The trend will pick up in the industry once they see a star film produced with the digital camera. The quality of the movie produced will not be inferior to any of the film camera, he said.
Google unveils Internet glasses SAN FRANCISCO: Google on Wednesday gave the world a glimpse of its vision for letting people look at life through Internet-tinted glasses. A video posted at a Project Glass page at Google+ social network confirmed the rumor that the technology titan is working on eyewear that meshes the online world with the real world. “We think technology should work for you — be there when you need it and get out of your way when you don’t,” members of the project team said in a Google+ post. “A group of us from Google X (Labs) started Project Glass to build this kind of technology; one that helps you explore and share your world.” Images showed people wearing eyeglasses with stylish silver frames that featured tiny cameras and on-
lens displays to discretely show information such as walking directions, weather forecasts or messages from friends. Built-in microphones let wearers command the Internet-linked glasses by speaking. “We took a few design photos to show what this technology could look like and created a video to demonstrate what it might enable you to do,” Google said, stressing that the glasses were a concept far from being brought to market. “We’re sharing this information now because we want to start a conversation and learn from your valuable input.” The project team invited people to express ideas for the glasses at the Google+ page. Google cofounder Sergey Brin is deeply involved with the California company’s X Labs, best known for its work on a selfdriving car. AFP
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worth of properties were purchased by Indians, topping the list of first-time property buyers in Dubai last year.
THUS SPAKE “Fresh viability is there for everyone to see. If they (Kingfisher) get more equity, the company is viable,” Pratip Chaudhuri, chairman,State Bank of India
HEAT ON CHEVRON A Brazilian prosecutor is demanding that Chevron and the oil drilling contractor Transocean pay $10.9 billion for a second offshore spill last month, the US oil giant said Wednesday. The new penalty sought — 20 billion reals, or $10.9 billion — “is arbitrary, speculative and not based on facts,” Chevron said in a statement. On March 4, an oil spill was detected at a depth of 1,300 meters (4,200 feet) not far from the site of a bigger spill that occurred last November in the Chevronoperated Frade field located off Rio de Janeiro state.
AMORI PLANS BIG Amori Industries, a city based company, has ventured in to mobile retail by starting 11 outlets across the city on Wednesday. The company has further plans to open more than 100 retail stores in different tier2 and tier3 cities of the State in next one year. “The outlets have a wide range of mobiles catering different classes of customers. Each store is backed up by a service centre facility to strengthen the after sales support, “said Ajay Vijaywargi, managing director, Amori Industries. Amori cellphone superstore sells mobiles from all major brands like Nokia, Smasung, Apple. It also has plans to sell high end premium brands like Virtue, Taugher, Armani and Ferrari in the future.
India‑View
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THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
India unveiled
Chinese lessons for military students CHAIL: The defence ministry has decided to introduce Chinese language from this academic session in one of its prestigious residential schools here, said an official on Wednesday. The students will be taught the Chinese language from this session, Rashtriya Military School (RMS) principal Arun Kulkarni told IANS Wednesday. He said the Chail school is the first school among the country’s five military schools where the foreign language has been introduced on a pilot basis. “The Chinese language will be introduced from class VI to X and it will be compulsory for all the students,” Kulkarni added. “China is our powerful neighbour and...we must know what China is doing. For this, we have to master its language,” the principal said, adding “learning Chinese at primary level is better than at later stage”. The Chail military school in Solan district, some 120 km from Chandigarh, is one of the oldest military residential schools in Asia. “Though rooted deeply in its tradition and heritage, RMS Chail has been responsive to the demands of changing times,” Col A.S. Paul, in charge education in Western Command, said. The school has to its credit a number of officers, serving the
nation in the armed forces and civil services. The school traces its history to the King George Royal Indian Military College, which was established in Jalandhar in Punjab in February 1922 and laid the foundation for the other four military schools - Ajmer,
Red tape ‘detains’ rescue Myanmar girls GUWAHATI:
Even as Myanmarese refugees from various parts of India are returning home to celebrate the political return of Aung San Suu Kyi, two sisters from Myanmar, rescued from the clutches of human traffickers in Mumbai, are spending sleepless nights at a shelter home in Guwahati, waiting for the Indian government to facilitate their return home. The two sisters were first rescued by Mumbai Police from the clutches of human traffickers in 2008 and sent to Assam as ‘the state is close to Myanmar’. The two had spent over three years in Benapur in Bangladesh, in Kolkata and later at a shelter home in Mumbai before being brought to Ujjwala, a shelter home run by Global Organisation for Life Development (GOLD), a city-based NGO in September last year, for repatriation. “It’s more than six months now after they were brought here. We have contacted the Ministry of Home Affairs of the government of India for
looking for jobs and a better life. “We stayed at the house of one person in Benapur in Bangladesh. The person got us in touch with another person named Alam in Kolkata who helped us to move to Kolkata,” said one of the girls, while adding that after staying for a few days in Kolkata they were taken to Mumbai by train by Alam along with four other Bengali girls. Alam promised them jobs in Mumbai, and by the time they were also separated from their relatives. “However, as we reached a place called Mondua, we were spotted by some police personnel in plainclothes. During conversation, the police personnel got suspicious and forced us to get down from the train. They also interrogated Alam, who later confessed that he was taking us to sell to some brothels in Mumbai,” said the girls. Later, they were taken to a shelter home run by the Child Welfare Committee, Mumbai, where they spent about three years with some girls who
their repatriation. However, nothing has been done so far,” general secretary of GOLD, Rajeeb Kumar Sharma, told IANS, while adding that it is better for the two girls if they are sent home early as it’s a sentimental issue for them. Sharma, however, did not divulge the names of the girls and only said that they hail from a place called Rodo in Myanmar, close to Bangladesh. Narrating their story, the two girls told IANS they had crossed over to Bangladesh along with 10 relatives in 2008
were rescued from traffickers. “On September 17 last year, the two girls were sent to us by the Mumbai child welfare committee for repatriation. They were sent here because Myanmar is closer from here,” said Sharma. “We have also traced their houses and talked to their parents in Myanmar. The parents are very much excited and eager to take their daughters back. However, we cannot do anything until the Government of India takes up the case and arranges for their repatriation,” said Sharma.
Dholpur, both in Rajasthan, and Bangalore and Belgaum, both in Karnataka. All these schools provide education to the wards of defence personnel and civilians with the aim of preparing them for their entry into the armed forces as officers. IANS
Delhi says ‘shall we dance’ NEW DELHI: Tango from Argentina, salsa from Colombia and much more will be on shown at the three day Latin American dance and music festival that starts on Saturday. The event will bring to India three leading contemporary dance and music troupes from Latin America to promote understanding of Latino culture. A variety of dance and musical performances such as folk dance Mariachi from Mexico by troupes like Mama Julia from Colombia, Folklorico Ballet and Tlen Huicani from Mexico and Tango Emotion from Argentina will be presented at the Siri Fort theatre. The festival is being organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations with the support of the embassies of Mexico, Colombia and Argentina. “The fiesta is yet another initiative by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to fulfil the vision of promoting culture as
a powerful instrument of communication and building between diverse societies which is also the very basic element of Indian spirituality and civilsations,” Suresh K. Goel, director general of ICCR, said. Goel says that the “music and dance of Latin America celebrate life and energy”.
The nine-member Mama Julia musical troupe from Colombia will open the event with a 70-minute concert. They play Afro-Colombian music with hip hop influences from the streets of Colombia. Their songs speak out on social issues and everyday life. IANS
India‑View
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THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
India unveiled
Kokilaben hospital owes Maharashtra `174.88 cr: CAG MUMBAI: The city-based Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital owes `174.88 crore to the Maharashtra government for change of ownership. According to the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, which is yet to be tabled in the legislature, since the time the 12,050 sq. metre plot in Andheri on which the hospital stands was allotted for a hospital and research centre to Malti Vasant Heart Trust in 1997, the trustees were changed without the approval of the government. The land was allotted at lease rent of Re one per year for 30 years to the trust whose trustees were Nityanand Vasant Mandke, Alka Nityanand Mandke and Jysotna Vasant Mandke. According to the report, barring Alka Nityanand Mandke, the trustees were changed and, in place of the two original trustees, three new faces were brought in. The hospital building was constructed in January 2009 and named Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and research Institute. “Effecting such changes without knowledge of the government was irregular,” the report said The CAG report said the bed charges ranging from `15,000 to `20,000 a day were also not approved by the government. “The building is put for commercial activities like gift shop, spa, beauty salon, food court, office of Reliance company, business centre, ready to use office blocks, in violation of the conditions of the original agreement,” it said. PTI
Prize for solving rape: Transfer KOLKATA: Damayanti Sen, Kolkata’s first woman joint commissioner of police (Crime) who endeared herself to the masses by her singleminded pursuit and subsequent cracking of the sensational Park Street rape case, was on Wednesday shunted out to an insignificant post, triggering angry reactions across the city. Sen has now been made DIG (Training), Barrackpore, considered a garage posting for an IPS officer till now entrusted with solving the complex crime cases in the metropolis. She has been replaced by Joint Commissioner (Organisation) Pallab Kanti Ghosh. In stark contrast to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, who dismissed the allegations of an Anglo-Indian woman that she was raped in a moving car February 6 as “cooked up” and “an attempt to malign the government”, Sen had said: “Something must have occurred.” She, along with her team of dedicated officers continued the investigation with gusto, and then arrested three people
to confirm that the mother of two had indeed been raped. Sen’s success in solving the case had also run counter to city Police Commissioner Ranjit Pachnanda’s comment that the allegation was a campaign to “malign the police and the government.” Two days after she cracked the case, Sen and JCP (Headquarters) Jawed Shamim had to rush to the state secretariat, Writers’ building to “clarify” their stand to the chief minister. “Several newspapers have been reporting that I have been working on the case as an individual going against my organisation. This is absolutely false. I have been successful only because of my team. This is not
my individual success,” Sen told the media after the meeting. With the media going ga-ga about her, a visibly uncomfortable Sen -a 1996 batch IPS officer - said: “The investigation is still on and we are yet to arrest more accused persons. But more than the probe, my personal life has become important for the media which I feel very disturbed about. I wanted to clarify this.” Some newspapers and television channels had claimed that Sen had worked almost without a break for three days, with some assistance from Shamim, to solve the case, despite her boss the police commissioner and the chief minister raising doubts publicly about the victim’s allegation. The 37-year-old victim, grateful to Sen for standing by her, had called the police officer a “tigress”. Aghast over Sen’s removal, writer Suchitra Bhattacharya said: “This will not send the right signal to people. This will only lower the morale of the police force.” IANS
Ex-chiefs rubbish ‘coup’ report NEW
DELHI: “Ridiculous,” “irresponsible”, “contemptible” and “mischief” were the common refrain of several former armed forces chiefs, senior officials and strategic analysts on the sensational media report here Wednesday suggesting that there was an army coup bid based on movement of two key battalions to the national capital in January. First to call it “ridiculous” was former army chief General Ved Prakash Malik, who headed the 1.13-million strong world’s second largest standing army during the 1999 Kargil war with Pakistan. “I think it is a ridiculous report and that’s all that I can say,” Malik said. The Indian Express, in a front page report Wednesday, said the Hisar-based Mechanised Infantry unit and elements from the airborne 50 Para Brigade in Agra moved towards the capital on the night of January 16, without following the standard operating procedure of informing the defence ministry in advance. He, however, believes that
Tripura State Rifles jawans keep a vigil at Baramura Hills during sunset on Wednesday. PTI the troop movement was a routine training exercise and there was no need for notifying the defence ministry on such minor movement of units. His sentiment was shared by a former defence secretary who is regarded quite well by the government for his experience and knowledge on matters of military. “We have to see the basics of the report. The inferences drawn from it seem ridiculous. That’s about it,” said
the former bureaucrat who did not want to be identified. The most stinging criticism of the report already dubbed “alarmist” by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and “baseless” by defence minister AK Antony came from former Indian Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash. “It is a very irresponsible piece of journalism by a senior editor, especially at a juncture when the situation is tense and
uncertain. I am wondering what purposes does this report serve. It is a very contemptible piece of writing,” Prakash said. “This is about the Indian Army and not the Pakistan Army, right? Should we be worrying about Indian Army units moving within the country?” he asked. Former Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi though acknowledged that the media report was correct to the extent that there were indeed some army unit movements. However, the report is “incorrect as far as the nefarious purposes of the army units’ movement is concerned”, Tyagi said. Former Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses director C Uday Bhaskar, a reputed strategic analyst, said he was “intrigued, disappointed and very concerned” at the way the report had presented the army movement. “The nuance and innuendoes, as though there was an attempted coup or there was any sort of an intimidation, is invalid,” Bhaskar said. IANS
NATION AT A GLANCE Spurned marriage, youth sets girl ablaze GHAZIABAD: A 20-year-old girl was set on fire in the district allegedly by a spurned youth whose marriage proposal she refused, police said. The girl had been staying at her elder sister’s home since a few days, they said, adding that the youth was known to her as her sister’s brotherin-law. He took the girl to a room and proposed marriage, they said, adding that he poured petrol on her when she rejected.
Child dies during fire in Govt hospital in MP REWA: A child died during a fire which broke out in a government hospital here today and triggered a mini stampede, officials said. The fire broke out in Government Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, where the atients and their attendants ran for safety leading to a stampede, authorities informed.
Actor Suniel Shetty campaigns for the Congress candidate for Andrews Ganj constituency in New Delhi on Wednesday. PTI
Zardari may get flowers instead of sword AJMER: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari may be gifted flowers at the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti instead of the sword that is customarily presented to visiting heads of state or government, sources said on Wednesday. The administrative committee of the shrine held discussions on the issue but a final decision was yet to be taken.
Babu seeks Akhilesh’s help in rape case KANPUR: An IAF officer, whose 17year-old daughter tried to end her life after being allegedly sexually exploited by a DySP rank police officer, today appealed to Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav to direct the police to file a rape case. A case had been registered against the officer at Chakeri police station on the father’s complaint after the girl attempted suicide.
Firemen rescue residents after a fire at an apartment in Thane, Mumbai on Wednesday. PTI
Around the World
12
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
Beyond Borders
Will Canada shun the F-35? The F-35, America’s disastrous and expensive fighter jet, may lose yet another customer.
Sandro Contenta
TORONTO: After two years of vigorously defending its agreement to buy US-made fighter jets, Canada’s Conservative government has suddenly opened the door to backing out of the controversial purchase. Forcing its hand is a reality the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper refused to acknowledge for the past year — the cost of buying 65 F-35 Lightning II jets will be significantly higher than the $9 billion budgeted. “We have not as yet discounted, the possibility, of course, of backing out of any of the program,” associate minister of national defense Julian Fantino told the committee on March 13. He added that “the decision will be made as to whether or not Canada will actually enter into a contract to purchase the F-35” once it knows what the actual cost will be. It was a stunning about-face for the Harper government. Until then, it had dismissed evidence of having horribly underestimated the cost of the new jet fighters as nothing more than “clatter and noise,” in the words of defense minister Peter MacKay. In July 2010, the federal government announced it would
buy 65 F-35 stealth fighters, made by Lockheed Martin. They would replace Canada’s existing fleet of 80 CF-18 fighters, due to be retired between 2017 and 2020. At the time, MacKay said the fighter was needed to ensure Canada’s sovereignty, to “shoulder our share of the NATO and international load, and lead
by example.” The purchase is in line with the government’s disputed transformation of Canada’s military role internationally, from a peacekeeping tradition to more aggressive deployments. The shift began in 2002, when Canada sent troops to help fight the Afghan war, and accelerated when Harper’s Conservatives came to power in 2006. Under Harper, generals “stressed the war-fighting capacity of the Canadian forces,” writes military historian Jack Granatstein. By 2010, Canada’s military budget stood at $21 billion a year — a 50 percent increase since 2003, most of it occurring under Harper’s watch. (On March 29, the Harper government announced a 5 percent cut in the military’s budget.)
“Canada cannot lead with words alone,” the Harper government wrote in its 2008 Canada First Defense Strategy. John Siebert, executive director of Project Ploughshares, a Canadian anti-war group, recently denounced Canada’s sud-
den embrace of military might. “Most Canadians would be surprised at this change in how Canada presents itself officially to the world. Harper has put a strong military at the heart of Canadian foreign policy, not just defense policy. And he has gone a step further, calling alternative approaches ‘timid and trendy,’” Siebert said. During Libya’s civil war, Canadian pilots dropped more than 330 laser-guided bombs as part of NATO’s mission against the forces of the late dictator, Muammar Gaddafi. The purchase of F-35s would preserve
the capability for similar missions in the future. The US government chose Lockheed Martin in 2001 to lead the development of the “fifth generation” warplane. Canada and seven other US allies, including Britain and Italy,
partnered with the United States to finance a fraction of the development costs. Opposition parties immediately attacked the government for settling on a fighter jet without tender. They added that as a “sole-sourced procurement” deal, there would be no alternative on the market if the F-35 was hit with production problems.
Critics also noted a discrepancy the federal government never explained — the cost for a single plane, as calculated by the Harper government, was significantly lower than the cost calculated by the US government. Others accused the federal government of misplaced priorities during troubled economic times. Such attacks are likely to grow after Harper’s deficit-fighting national budget announcement on March 29, which pushed back the eligibility age for a large part of pension payments from 65 to 67 years old. Pressure mounted in March ’11, when parliament’s financial watchdog, Parliam-entary Officer Kevin Page, calculated that the price of buying and maintaining the fighter jets over 30 years would be $30 billion — about twice the government’s estimate. There was further bad news that the first batch of F-35s would lack the capability to communicate in Canada’s high Arctic region, where radio signals have to bounce off satellites. Then came word of serious technical flaws discovered during testing, including a generator failure that grounded all F-35s. Last week, the CBC revealed the plane doesn’t meet Canadian military requirements. GLOBALPOST
Egypt revolution graffiti brings down barricades CAIRO: They were hit, pushed back and even fired at, but Egyptian activists have returned to the scene of deadly clashes in the heart of Cairo, determined to keep their revolution alive, this time armed with paint brushes. From a distance, Sheikh Rihan street, a wide avenue in Cairo’s usually busy administrative centre, looks eerily still. Not a car, not a moving soul. But get closer, and a trompe l’oeil becomes apparent. On the surface of a concrete wall built by security forces in the middle of the road, artists have painted a street scene recreating Sheikh Rihan with all its lampposts, pavements and trees, in a bid to melt away the barricades as part of their “No Walls” campaign. Even after a popular uprising ousted veteran president Hosni Mubarak last year, activists have continued taking to the streets to push for the goals of their revolution — freedom, political transparency and social justice — which they say remain unfulfilled. In November and December, fierce clashes between protesters and security
forces in Cairo’s administrative centre prompted authorities to erect a series of concrete walls to protect vital buildings, they said. But protesters believe the walls were built to cage them in and prevent the spread of further protests. “We didn’t have a revolution so that in the end, they build walls to separate us from them and them from us,” said Ammar Abu Bakr, a lecturer at the Fine Arts School in the historic city of Luxor, in southern Egypt. “We have launched a non-violent campaign, simply by opening up the walls through drawing,” Abu Bakr told AFP. The once drab walls of downtown Cairo have turned into a giant graphic newspaper, recounting current events through an explosion of colour and form. Caricatures of the ruling generals, portraits of protesters who died in clashes, scenes depicting street battles have turned the centre of the capital into an open air art gallery. “Since our revolution is peaceful, if they play with walls, we will play with the mind. They put up a wall but we don’t see it,” said Amr Nazeer, a graffiti artist who
participated in the No Walls campaign. In a cat and mouse game with the authorities, the artists work fast to get exposure for their work before it is removed. “It’s an exhibition for the people, you express yourself and at most in a few days or a week it will be removed, then you paint again,” Nazeer said. “The message is always parallel to the events. When something happens or when there’s an event, the revolutionaries come first and then we step in,” said Abu Bakr, of the growing artists’ movement defying authorities through chalk, paint, spray and stencils. A ballerina on points, women in traditional robes carrying gas cylinders on their heads, wolves, spears, snakes with human heads, rainbows and balloons are just some of the images depicted in the murals that have covered the grey concrete walls. “Authorities don’t accept graffiti movements, not just in Egypt but all over the world... But we are trying to introduce a new style and propose new subjects,” said Alaa Awad, another lecturer at the Luxor Fine Arts School. AFP
Around the World US to ease sanctions on Myanmar WASHINGTON:
The US said on Wednesday it will ease restrictions on investment to Myanmar and quickly appoint an ambassador as it seeks to boost reformers who allowed landmark elections in the long-closed nation. In its latest gestures under a three-year diplomatic drive on Myanmar, the United States said it would step up aid and allow select officials to visit but stopped short of easing the bulk of two decades worth of biting sanctions. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hailed the “leadership and courage” of President Thein Sein after the opposition swept Sunday’s by-elections, giving Aung San Suu Kyi her first seat in parliament. Clinton said US would start easing restrictions on US investment and financial services in areas seen supporting reforms in the country. Officials said they were deciding the exact measures and timeframe but that one priority would be to allow the use of credit cards in Myanmar, one of the few nations where MasterCard, Visa and American Express are never accepted.
13
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
Beyond Borders
5 Katrina ‘encounter’ cops jailed for murder
F
ive former New Orleans police officers who shot six unarmed civilians, two fatally, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina have been jailed. The prison terms range from six to 65 years for the shootings on the Danziger Bridge in September 2005. Four of the officers were found guilty of firearms offences and the fifth was jailed for helping the cover-up. The officers planted a gun and fabricated witnesses and false reports to make the shootings appear justified. Robert Faulcon, 48, received the longest sentence of 65 years; Kenneth Bowen, 38, and Robert Gisevius, 39, received 40 years each; and Anthony Villavaso, 35, was sentenced to 38 years in prison. Retired Sgt Arthur Kaufman, 55, the officer who was assigned to investigate the shootings, received a six-year prison sentence for helping to co-ordinate the cover-up. On 4 September 2005, Faulcon, Bowen, Gisevius and Villavaso were among a dozen officers who responded to a radio call that police were being fired upon near the bridge.
rious “sniper alley” is now a busy street with shopping centres and skyscrapers and the burned-out parliament has been rebuilt but the city and its people still bear scars of its 44-month siege. From the hills around, Serb snipers fired at anyone who ventured on to the threekilometre (two-mile) stretch of road while shells pounded the Bosnian capital, reducing many buildings to ruins during the 1992-95 war. The Holiday Inn hotel, headquarters for foreign media during the war that broke out 20 years ago this Friday after Bosnia broke away from the then Yugoslavia, was among the first buildings to be renovated, keeping its distinctive yellow and brown exterior, always a bit of a joke among Sarajevans. A new parliament building has risen from the wreckage as well as a glass and steel tower for the Oslobodjenje newspaper, symbol of Sarajevo’s spirit during the siege, which killed
MOSCOW: A 64-year-old Uzbek woman has been detained in Russia while trying to smuggle over 2,000 tortoises into the country, the interior ministry said. According to the ministry’s transport department, the woman was detained in Orenburg city in the Urals region. The reptiles were found stuffed into bags.
File picture of Arthur Kaufman. They opened fire with assault rifles and a shotgun at an unarmed family walking on the bridge and at a man fleeing the scene. A New Orleans couple, their daughter, and their nephew, were wounded and a family friend, 17-year-old James Brissette, was killed. Ronald Madison, 40, who had mental and physical disabilities, also died on the bridge. In reports filed by the officers or on their behalf, they claimed they had opened fire only after being threatened and that they had seen weapons in the victims’ hands.
AFP/ ELVIS BARUKCIC
The main square in the Bosnian capital Sarajevoseen is seen through a 20 year old shrapnel hole in protective barrier. about 10,000 people including hundreds of children. Throughout the longest city siege in modern military history, Oslobodjenje defiantly continued to publish, with journalists working from the nuclear shelter in the basement of their shattered building. Sarajevo’s national library, an Austro-Hungarian architectural gem reduced to rubble by Serb shells in August 1992, is still a building site
DAMASCUS: Syrian forces pressed a crackdown on rebel bastions on Wednesday despite a truce pledge, with the United States voicing doubts that President Bashar al-Assad will comply with a peace plan deadline. Troops stormed and shelled several towns or villages, with 52 people killed around the country, including 28 civilians, with most of the casualties in the city and province of Homs.
Uzbek woman held with 2,000 tortoises
Sarajevo does a phoenix SARAJEVO: Sarajevo’s noto-
GLOBE AT A GLANCE Syria forces hit rebels, peace consent doubted
however, under renovation for some 16 years. The 1896 building in pseudo-Moorish style will be opened to the public around April 2014. One of Sarajevo’s most recognisable buildings today is a post-war addition: the impressive King Fahd mosque, named after the late Saudi ruler who financed it and whose regime supported Bosnian Muslims during the conflict. AFP
It took five years to establish what happened on the bridge. Kaufman is the only officer who was not already imprisoned when the sentences were handed down. He is due to report to prison on 23 May. The courtroom was packed with relatives and friends of the victims and policemen. The case was part of a wider effort from the Department of Justice to clean up the New Orleans Police Department. Hurricane Katrina battered the city, flooding most of it and stranding thousands of people on rooftops.
Snake fright for Australian pilot SYDNEY: An Australian pilot was given the fright of his life when a snake slithered from the dashboard of the plane he was flying, forcing him to make an emergency landing, airline officials said today. Braden Blennerhassett was on a freight run for Air Frontier from Darwin to the remote town of Peppimenarti in the Northern Territory on Tuesday when the reptile appeared in the cockpit. He made a mayday call and landed safely back in Darwin. “My blood pressure and heart rate was a bit elevated — it was an interesting experience,” Blennerhassett told Nine News. “As the plane was landing the snake was crawling down my leg, which was frightening.” Air Frontier director Geoffrey Hunt said Blennerhassett handled the situation well, given Australia is home to some of the most venomous snakes in the world. “He said, we’ve got a snake on board,” Hunt told reporters, adding that the pilot had trouble communicating with the control tower. AFP
South Korean soldiers cast absentee ballots for next week’s parliamentary elections at a polling station in Seoul today. AFP
French teens held after 9-year-old shot dead MENDE: Police in southern France on Wednesday detained two teenagers after a nine-year-old boy was shot dead. The fatal shooting in Mende appears to have been an accident, though ballistic tests and an autopsy must still be carried out. These tests would show whether the bullet had ricocheted off a wall before killing the child, rather than hitting him directly.
Shooting suspect charged with murder OAKLAND: A Korean-American arrested over a massacre at a religious college in California was charged with seven counts of murder on Wednesday, prosecutors said. One Goh, 43, who surrendered a short time after the killings on Monday in Oakland, was also charged with three counts of attempted murder said the Alameda County district attorney’s office.
A protester marches along in Miami during a rally to commemorate the death of Martin Luther King Jr and Trayvon Martin. AFP
Comment
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
Fair, free and forthright
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Editorials DON’T FAVOUR VIP criminals
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he Punjab government has been receiving flak over the ‘5-star’ treatment extended to Bibi Jagir Kaur at the state prison. The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal’s leader was slapped with a five-year rigorous imprisonment last week by a CBI court for abducting her daughter and forcing her to undergo an abortion when she was four-and-a-half months pregnant. The daughter, Harpreet, was later murdered. Initial reports said her jail cell was spruced up with gadgets including LCD television and DTH dish antenna connection. Though the jail officials were quick to remove the ‘add-on’ facilities after a media uproar, the incident is an indicator of the sad state of our system. While other prisoners, who are incarcerated for equally heinous crimes, live in appalling conditions, the politician gets treated like a VIP. Her continuing clamour for special treatment in jail reeks of arrogance of a well-connected politician who knows clout and wads of currency can bend and break rules with impunity. Shame on you, Punjab government.
WHY WE LOVE Golf
A
s the US Masters gets underway at Augusta today, all eyes turn to a sport that is far too often reviled. Supremely strategic, and requiring enormous amounts of skill, golf is a joy to play and behold. And with a Rory McIlroy-Tiger Woods battle set to erupt, who could ask for more.
Vigilante or murderer? Perceptions Mini Singh
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gaze at my laptop screen and Balwant Singh Rajoana gazes serenely back at me from YouTube, holding his super adorable daughter. For the uninitiated, Rajoana was scheduled to be hung until death on the 31st of March 2012 for the assassination of Beant Singh, who was the Punjab Chief Minister from 1992 till his death in 1995. The YouTube video was a last-ditch attempt to save Rajoana from the noose, appealing to my better sensibilities and telling me that Beant Singh was the Joseph Kony of Punjab; and in fact, Rajoana did a service to humankind by eliminating him. It is true that some people seem to be incurable scum, and we feel the earth would be a better place without them. The Mumbai police fake encounters cleaned up the city of several underworld gangsters who were holding the city to ransom with their extortion rackets
Hilarious history
All’s not fair in love
The Knowledge Central on April 1, History as our youth know was hilarious. I made all my friends in college read it and we had a good laugh about it. The story was wonderfully categorised and I loved the images used for Egypt and Napoleon. They really stood out on the page. The passage describing Greece and Renaissance and Egypt were particularly enjoyable. Once in a while, please do come up with such ribtickling stuff, it keeps the readers interested as well. Kudos for a wonderful attempt on Fool’s day. Bhavesh Kumar Gachibowli
The article on lovers elbowing out families from parks is certainly true. The other day I took my family out to the KBR Park. The full time I had to be with my children asking them not to go here and there. How much can I protect their curiosity? They will obviously want to see what other people are doing in the park. And happening to see a young couple in action is certainly not what a father would want his children to see. The security should be more vigilant in such parks or else, a separate park for lovers should be made.
Ashish Guha Banjara Hills
among other things. Women like Kiranjit Ahluwalia, Shelly Hendrickson, Laureen Rugen killed their abusive husbands, freeing themselves and their kids from domestic violence. It wouldn’t be too inaccurate to state that these men were a burden to others, and the world was better off without them. Still, the eternal question remains — is it OK to just murder evil people? In The Brave One, Jodie Foster plays Erica Baine, a vigilante who finds closure by illegally murdering thugs. People’s opinions about Erica’s deeds vary widely, covering the full spectrum — from being praised; to downright condemnation and being branded as a petty murderer. Two wrongs don’t make a right, it is said. But consider this — if Roy Whiting had been killed by someone after he sexually assaulted nine-year-old Anne Weathers in 1995, he would never have raped and killed eight-year-old Sarah Payne after he was released from prison. And, when he is released after serving his term this time, it is likely he will be on the prowl again; if history is anything to go by. Were Whiting’s life and rights more precious than Sarah’s? Closer home, are Ajmal Kasab’s rights more
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
important than the rights of his victims? Should he be dead? Almost everyone seems to agree that killing Osama Bin Laden was a good idea. Yet, would it have been considered murder if an average citizen, a vigilante had murdered him; instead of the US military? So then the question is not whether it is okay to murder criminals; the question is, who has the right to kill people perceived by society as evil? The Mumbai police officers such as Pradeep Sharma and Daya Nayak are feeling the heat for their fake encounters. While some would say they did the right thing, others would insist that they committed crimes. The battered wives such as Ahluwalia and Hendrickson who killed their abusive husbands were punished by the law until their cases were heard again. Rajoana’s hanging has been stayed for now, but his future remains uncertain. Are these people really criminals? Or did they serve humanity by doing what they did? Everyone has a different opinion about that. But one fact remains constant — it takes balls of steel to stand by your beliefs and do what it takes to right a wrong. And not everyone has the guts to do that. What do you think? The writer is a Hyderabad-based commentator
Wine wonder I am a new to wine drinking and was really surprised to see the article titled Let’s talk wine. When I attend wine and cheese events or wine-tasting events with my friends, I am often at a loss for words when I hear people using such terms. Thanks to your glossary of terms, I am finding it much easier and I also looked up some myself. I then also looked up Shamita Singha’s earlier articles and found a lot of information regarding wine and wine-drinking there. Thank you for Akriti Srivastava such informative details. Jubilee Hills
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CORRECTIONS CLARIFICATIONS
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n the story The vending machine published March 28, there were errors in the name and designation of Hussain Tinwala, general manager, TeamLease Services Pvt Ltd. The error is regretted.
It is Postnoon’s policy to correct errors swiftly and fairly
Telly Tales
Small screen, big idea
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
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THE BATTLE OF KINGS A grown-up’s fantasy, filled to the brim with sex, gore and death, Game of Thrones is back with season 2 and we tell you why you should watch the series if you haven’t already Sana Mirza sana.m@postnoon.com
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hen back in 1996 George RR Martin released Game of Thrones in the series, A Song of Ice and Fire, we didn’t expect a TV adaptation because it just looked impossible with an extensive storyline overflowing with political conspiracies. Exactly a year ago, HBO viewers got the chance to cross the bloodied threshold of the medieval fantasy land, the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros where the ploy to take over the Iron Throne is fought between nine long standing dynasties. With an intense storyline like that of Game of Thrones, remaining faithful to the book seems a little tricky but when you have quality directors and excellent camerawork by Tim Van Allen and Alik Sakharov who previously made The Sopranos, you are in for a visual treat. If you haven’t read the books nor watched the series, let us warn you, Game of Thrones is not for the weak-hearted. There is incest, infanticide, murder and adultery on one side whereas starvation, corruption, and savage arenas disguised as civilised courts highlight the other side. But beyond all of this, it is the presence of a strong cast that makes the story come to life. As most critics point out there is a lack of good American actors in Hollywood. But thankfully, Game
Judith Light Then: She played Angela Bower, a divorced advertising executive. While there is playful banter and many hints of attraction, Tony and Angela do their best to avoid facing this aspect of their developing relationship, and date other people. Now: She recently starred in one episode of The Exes as Marjorie
of Thrones is dominated by a British and Irish cast. Top of the lot is Sean Bean, famous for portraying Boromir in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Here he stars as Lord Eddard ‘Ned’ Stark, the honourable and just Lord of Winterfell. One who stands out in his character is Peter Dinklage who plays Tyrion Lannister, a highly intelligent dwarf who is mockingly nicknamed “The Imp” and “Halfman”. Dinklage out-
shines every actor in the series and even won an Emmy for Supporting Actor and a Golden Globe for the role in 2011. Michelle Fairley and Lena Headey shine in their roles as Catelyn Stark and Cersei Lannister. As for the technicalities, the first season of Game of Thrones had about 700 VFX shots, almost as many as your standard motion picture. It’s not the complex type of VFX present in shows like Terra
Nova, but rather plays a subtle role and is so discreet that you wouldn’t even know it was there! That would be fake blood, addition of snow to the landscapes, seamless set extensions, huge crowds and mighty battle sequences. The production work is excellent and the sets are fantastic. The lead studio that delivered these shots was London-based Blue Bolt, who also worked on some shots in the Sherlock
Living with the boss I
t was one of the most popular sitcoms during the mid 1980s. Former major-leaguer Tony Micelli and his daughter Samantha arrive at the Connecticut household of executive Angela Bower, where Tony has taken a job as live-in housekeeper. The Bowers are an inter-
Where are they now? esting family, to say the least. Angela is uptight and obsessed with her work. Her son Jonathan is shy and lacks self-esteem, and her mother, Mona, is a man-hungry vixen. Tony soon wins them over with his laid-back style, and
the Bowers soon begin to loosen up. Over time, romantic tensions begin to surface between Angela and Tony, and we see the children grow up. A highly unusual story about gender role-reversal, Tony the stay-at -home man, while Angela wears the pants in the family.
Tony Danza Then: His character Tony Micelli was listed as #23 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time". Tony plays a as a retired major league baseball player who relocates to Fairfield to work as a live-in housekeeper for a divorced advertising executive.
Now: In 2010, he developed his own reality show with A&E Networks about his attempt to enter the classroom as a full-time teacher . The show, Teach: Tony Danza, followed Danza in his first year as a 10th grade English instructor at Northeast High School in Philadelphia.
Holmes movies. They were supported by Screen Scene VFX. The second season however will be delivered by Pixomondo. There is a lot of sex and violence in Game of Thrones and the series strongly establishes a more adult tone, but isn’t too overbearing on the audience. Watch it! The first season is available online and the second season’s episode 2 will be shown on April 8
Alyssa Milano Then: She played Samantha Micelli, Tony’s young daughter who spends most of her growing up years on the show. She was 11 at that time. She was on the show till 1992 till it wrapped up. Now: Alyssa Milano has landed the final lead role in ABC’s Mistresses, a drama ordered to series last month and slated to bow in summer 2013.
H‑Factor
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
Holistic view of mind, body and soul
Are you
SEXUALLY compatible?
So how great is your sex life really? You may love your partner and feel you have a great connect, but how good are you guys really in bed? With hectic work schedules, choc-a-block social commitments, do you ever get the time to spend some time with just your partner? Or is it all piling up and driving the two of you apart? Take our sexual compatibility test to find out how the two of you are doing.
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Cotton suits Indian skin the best
Dr Divya T Sudershan
Do you find your partner sexually attractive? Yes No Do you often fantasise about being with him/her sexually; like kissing, making out, or having sex? Yes No Are you satisfied in bed with your partner? Yes No While physical beauty may not
be everything, does it turn you on to look at your partner? Yes No Do you enjoy when he/she touches you and makes out with you, and do you look forward to your make out sessions? Yes No Everybody has fantasies and likes being pleasured a certain way. Do you find it easy to express your desires to your partner, even if they’re kinky
Your scores So how did it go? Did you answer yes to most of the questions? You can review your answers here and based on this guide you can tell if you guys have a great sexual connection together...
desires? Yes No Do you enjoy the way he/she kisses you? Yes No Do you enjoy the way he/she makes love to you? Yes No Do you make love often, no matter how tired you are? Yes No
Yes 80 per cent of answers Yes! You find your partner very attractive and so you have a great sexual relationship together. Yes 60 per cent of time You find him/her quite attractive, but in general you may not be
satisfied with your sexual relationship. You crave for more passion. Yes less than 50 per cent of the time Seems like you’re still trying to strike a balance between work and your love life. Spice things
When you see other attractive men/women, do you secretly wish your partner was more attractive like them? Yes No Do you often wish your partner looked a certain way? Yes No When you are away from each other, do you long for the next time you’re together to make love? Yes No
up a bit and go that extra mile. You deserve to have a great sexual relationship, so why not find ways to keep the passion burning? Go on, explore your wilder side and make things extra special for your partner and you.
This is embarrassing, but I have very itchy breasts. Is it something to worry about? What can I do to get rid of the itch? If ever fashion were to be blamed, it is here. If you notice, most countries with very hot climates have very loose breezy clothing made of natural fibres be it a saree, salwar, an abaya or a lungi, mostly made of cotton or jute. But as time and globalisation progressed, we have now started looking for more acceptable western wear, which include tight clothes made of polyester and lycra, which cling to the skin. And not to forget undergarments which try to defy gravity. It is all very well in our air-conditioned offices, but the day involves a lot of travelling, sitting and exposure to the outside heat. And that is when the sweating and the tightness of the garment take its toll. The fabric used may be causing an allergic reaction (contact dermatitis) r not allowing adequate ventilation, especially if you live in a hot and humid environment. Women who tend to spray perfume directly on the skin of the chest or breast are likely to suffer with skin irritation as well. At other times, itching of the breasts may be associated with hormonal changes like prior to your period (premenstrual), or hypothyroidism. While breast swelling and/or tenderness is thought of as the main premenstrual breast symptom, itchy breasts are also a possibility in some young girls and women. The breast itching is more likely to affect both breasts simultaneously. Usually, it is not serious and will pass with a change of clothing, after bathing or after the onset of menstruation. (The writer is a gynaecologist and obstetrician practising at Happy Women Clinic. You can write in to her at happywomenclinic@gmail.com)
H‑Factor
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
Holistic view of mind, body and soul
Ultrasounds aid better breast screening: study Kerry Sheridan
WASHINGTON: Women’s annual breast exams could be improved by adding ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to the usual mammogram, according to a US study released on Tuesday. The research, published in the April 4 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that those two technologies helped spot small cancers that mammograms had missed. The study followed 2,662 women at high risk for breast cancer, particularly because of dense breasts or a family history of the disease. They agreed to undergo three independent screenings in one year, arranged in random order. The three tests found a total of 111 cancers, for about 2.6 percent of the total group. Mammography, which is a low-energy X-ray of the breast, turned up 59 cancers, or 53 percent of the total cancers found. Ultrasound, a scan that uses sound waves to produce a picture of the body’s internal workings and is often used for pregnant women, found 29 percent of cancers on its own, independent of other tests. MRI scans which use a magnetic field combined with pulses of radio wave energy, found a total of eight percent of cancers that the other two methods had failed to detect. Eleven cancers, or 10 percent, were not found by any of the three screening technologies, said the study. “Annual ultrasound screening may detect small, nodenegative breast cancers that are not seen on mammography,” said the study. “Magnetic resonance imaging may reveal additional breast cancers missed by both mammography and ultrasound screening,” it said, adding however that MRI is not suitable for all patients and can carry high-
er costs and risks than other methods. According to Kristin Byrne, chief of breast imaging at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, the study shows that alternative testing methods can help spot cancers that mammograms miss. “Nearly half of the cancers would not have been detected with mammography alone,” said Byrne, who was not involved with the study. “Breast cancer is difficult to detect on mammography in patients with dense breast tissue. Ultrasound and MRI detect a significant number of breast cancers which are not seen on mammography” in these patients, she added. “Additional yearly screening with MRI and ultrasound is important in high risk patients with dense breasts for early detection.” A separate study released on Monday by researchers at Harvard University found that
mammograms tended to overdiagnose a significant number of cancers — between 15 and 25 percent. That study followed nearly 40,000 women with breast cancer in Norway. It found no drop in the numbers of women with late-stage disease between those who had yearly mammograms and those who did not undergo annual tests. Even more, between 1,169 and 1,948 women were “overdiagnosed” — meaning they were told they had cancer when their tumors would have caused no harm had they not been found. “Mammography might not be appropriate for use in breast cancer screening because it cannot distinguish between progressive and non-progressive cancer,” said lead author Mette Kalager, a visiting scientist at Harvard and a researcher at the Telemark Hospital in Norway. “Radiologists have been trained to find even the
smallest of tumors in a bid to detect as many cancers as possible,” added Kalager. “However, the present study adds to the increasing body of evidence that this practice has caused a problem for women — diagnosis of breast cancer that wouldn’t cause symptoms or death.” Concerns about false positives in mammograms have existed for years, leading some researchers to believe less frequent exams may be the answer. Currently, the US National Cancer Institute recommends that women age 40 or older should have a screening mammogram every one to two years. Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among US women after nonmelanoma skin cancer, with about 202,000 new diagnoses per year and some 40,000 deaths according to the US Centers for Disease Control. AFP
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GREY MATTERS
Don’t blow your top
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ow often have you hit the roof at the slightest pretext and then regretted all those things you’d said in the heat of the moment? Given the stress of daily life and the kind of situations we deal with, most of us tend to find it hard to control that temper and end up saying some pretty hurtful things, only to have to belt out an apology once the anger dies down. But wouldn’t it be so much easier to simply keep a check on that infamous anger rather than have to cut a sorry figure later on? Read on to know how. n Timeout: When someone or something ticks you off, simply take a deep breath and count to 10. No, this technique is not just for kids. Slowing down can diffuse your temper. n Wait till you’re calmer: Hard as it might seem, refrain from saying or doing anything when you’re worked up. Just wait it out. Express your displeasure once you’re calmer. That way you’ll get your point across more effectively minus the mean things. n Channel that anger: If you’re filled with so much rage that you simply can’t contain it, then channel the anger into some other activity. Go for a run or simply hit the gym. Physical activity will help you blow some steam. Besides, exercise releases endorphins that leave you feeling happier. n Weigh your words carefully: It’s very easy to simply let loose in the heat of the moment. But some of the things you say could actually be very hurtful and cause irreparable damage. So take a few moments to collect your thoughts before you say anything. n Don’t hold a grudge: Forgiveness is a powerful tool. Believe it or not, but forgiving somebody could actually cause them to realise their mistake more easily than when you create a scene. Besides, anger and negative feelings will only leave you feeling bitter and upset. n Practice relaxation skills: When your temper flares, put relaxation skills to work. Practice deep-breathing exercises, imagine a relaxing scene, or repeat a calming word or phrase. You might also listen to music, write in a journal or do yoga poses — whatever it takes to encourage relaxation. Source: www.mayclinic.com
F‑Folio
Because you are what you wear
Hot and Surabhi Chauhan
feedback@postnoon.com
Shivan & Narresh
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hoever said swimsuits could only be bought from a sports store has not come across designer resort wear by ‘Shivan & Narresh’. The young and talented designer duo is a name to reckon with when it comes to coutureswimwear. For Spring Summer 2012, the label showcased a collection titled ‘Mosaic’ using colour blocking and sharply cut silhouettes. They presented a range of styles and designs in not just trikinis, maillots, bikinis and body suits, but also options to wear when out of water. Jumpsuits and rompers, shirts, trousers, jackets and sarongs were also shown in the same colour scheme. What’s interesting and unique is their ‘Maillot sari’ — a water friendly material pre-draped sari worn over a bikini top. The idea is to take a swim wearing the bikini and then slip on the sari for drinks, dinner or partying. Seems like the duo thought of the ideal beach vacation when designing this collection.
Summer heat brings a lot of changes in our lives besides the long hours of sunlight. Investing in a good sun block, planning out the summer vacation, airing your
S Savio Jon
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avio Jon presented a spring-summer collection which was in the true sense designer and could not be replaced by high street brands and local tailors. Not that the garments had heavy embroidery or draping. On the contrary, the garments were minimalistic in nature. Why were the garments so unique? Savio Jon introduced us to the idea of simple fashion which produces fine quality and light fabric clothing tailored to perfection while disregarding the conventional tricks. He has shirts with double collars, midi-skirts, knotted shirts, slashes on skirts and shirts as if to create a free air flow in between the fabric and the body. Woven knits for summer in cotton and macramé made for layering options, to carry forward the look post sunset. Savio Jon’s vision is for a very sensual, fuss free woman. The Goa-based designer loves to use lightweight fabrics and earthy tones which make this a must-have label to wear especially in summer.
ultry ummer
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
sandals and shopping for swimwear are just some of the things that most people plan for around this time. Here are a few Indian fashion designers who create great clothes for the Indian summer and you can even pick some of them for your beach holiday
20&21
The writer is a fashion blogger (www.lovestruckcow.blo gspot.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.
FASHION Nikasha Tawadey
Mineral by Priyadarshini Rao
Sanchita
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P
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esigner Nikasha has a great sense of what women like to wear. Fuss free garments in light fabrics and romantic colours make her an easy favourite for tropical season. The current collection was inspired by different forms of love – “possessive as well as unconditional”. The models wore roses in their hair with clean hair and make-up to match the inspiration. The brand has its roots set in ethnic silhouettes of easy separates like flowy tops, dhoti pants and flirty tunics. The colour palette was predominantly off-white with splashes of shades of orange, pink and yellow. What makes this collection an ideal for summer 2012 is that it is comfortable to wear on a hot day and yet maintains the fashion quotient with its flattering cuts and detailing. Nikasha also has a range of saris, suits and lehangas to wear for summer weddings and other ethnic functions.
riyadarshini Rao showcased a spring summer 2012 collection titled Mineral, with a riot of colours, prints, and textures all done in a weather appropriate manner. One will notice that in India, we do not shy from wearing clashing colours and prints during day time. Priyadarshini’s line defined a series of looks to wear during summer day time. Blouses in mustard, pink, blue worn with skirts, trousers in floral patterns. The beauty of this line was that the looks could be easily worn with an existing wardrobe like your classic pair of denim jeans or trousers. She also introduced fabrics like lace which played peekaboo with solid cotton fabrics. The neon green, orange and red solids gave a zesty addition to the whites which were equally appealing and practical for our summers. Tunics, shirts, kurtas make for comfortable office wear, or after-office hours for the bohemian yet urban woman.
anchita Ajjampur makes pretty clothes for party wear and for elegant evenings around town. Modern embellishments and feather detailing on materials such as cotton, jersey, and paper silk in shades of watermelon, cherry, rootbeer, grape, pineapple, ice and blueberry indicate a very resort friendly collection. Sanchita’s sensibility is global, travelling from Europe to Japan while making use of fabrics and artisans from India. The brand gives a girl plenty of options for summer — a range of crystal-studded bikinis, draped dresses, bold graphic motif footwear and handbags. The good news is if you are not quite ready with the bikini body, then her collection provides you with options for cover-ups like tunics and trousers that are voluminous and comfortable.
Spotlight
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012 N SHIVA KUMAR
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DEEPAK DESHPANDE
Gilded beauty A model presents the Art Karat jewellery’s latest designer collection labelled External by Asha. The exhibition was held at Taj Deccan on Wednesday.
Aksha
Tashu Kaushik
Hamsa Nandini
Hansika (C)
Talk about style
Shraddha Das
A bevy of Tollywood beauties including Hansika, Hamsa Nandini, Shraddha Das and Aksha were seen at the launch of the Amori Cellphone superstore at Road no 2, Banjara Hills, on Wednesday.
Jessica Gomes
Summer of fashion It’s not too late to replenish your wardrobe with the latest fashion. Head to the exhibition at Satya Sai Nigamagamam to get your fill.
DEEPAK DESHPANDE
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Magic Screen
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
The glamour behind the glitz
Endhukante Premanta’s release advanced
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am, Tamannaah starrer Endhukante Premanta is gearing up for its big release in May. Couple of days ago, producer Sravanthi Ravi Kishore had decided to release the film on May 31; however, the makers seem to have decided to avoid any clash with other big projects which are slated for release in May. The date of release of this romantic entertainer has been advanced to May 11. As a result,
Ravi Teja, Gopichand team up
R
avi Teja has moved on after the box office failure of Nippu. Currently, he’s acting in Puri Jagannadh’s Devudu Chesina Manushulu and before he could even complete the film, he has already agreed to act in Parasuram’s upcoming film. Now, we hear that he has given a green signal for an untitled project to be directed by Gopichand Malineni. The duo had earlier worked together for Don Seenu which had done well at the box office. Kona Venkat has penned the script and Prasad V Potluri is going to produce the film under the PVP Cinemas banner. Kona Venkat stated that it’s going to be an action entertainer. More details about this project will be revealed soon.
Sunil donates `1 Lakh for a cause unil has donated `1 lakh to an organisation which works closely with children suffering from autism. Earlier this month, Sunil was invited as the chief guest for ‘Walk A Mile’ event which was conducted by the Development Centre for Children with Autism (DCCA) in association with NIMH on the occasion of World Autism Day. On his career front, Sunil has a couple of projects in hand including the Telugu remake of Tanu Weds Manu, in which he’s paired with Isha Chawla and another film tentatively titled as s.
S
even the audio launch has been advanced to April 21. “#ENDHUKANTEPREMANTA will NOT clash with any other film as of Now!That’s why the Change! It will be the COOLEST Love Entertainer this summer! (sic)” Ram posted on Twitter recently. A Karunakaran has directed the film and I Andrew is the cinematographer. GV Prakash has composed the music and Kona Venkat has written the script.
25
T-TOWN TWEETIES
@PriyaWajAnand Lovely morning to all of u! I’m off to Thirupati with a few friends; hoping to have a good Darshan! God Bless
@sneha_ullal Any ideas for next video that u wud like to see me perform..don’t be cheap with ur ideas.. goodnight for now
@tashu_02 No other place like “home”. Finally home...thanx to my flight for landing so late..lolz.. Gonna sleep nw n u all sleepwell too..gn :-)
@RGVzoomin Departments first look trailer will be launched tmrw nite that is April the 5th btwn 9 pm nd 10 pm on all channels..will share the link soon
@shrutihaasan Only been shuttling between Mumbai Hyderabad and chennai dying for a holiday abroad !! But work is work !!:) off to the foreign soon for gs!
@sundeepkishan The biggest issue I have with films dealing with tragic love stories is that no1 evr shows what the parents go through #Parents>Love #anyday
@LakshmiManchu Today it was #errojullo at Annapurna theatre in Thatipaakam. It was a fun run movie. Really proud of the film makers. All the best maruti Ji
@shraddhadas43 So now 1 film with a young mega family hero and another with mahesh babu family hero!! Have my hands full with roles of a lifetime in each!
Chai Time
KAKURO
How to Play Kakuro Kakuro is a popular game similar to sudoku in some ways. But is also suitably different. The key question: “How do you play Kakuro?”, well here are the rules of kakuro. The answer: The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers. However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number. Within each collection of cells - called a run - any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once. Let’s have an example to explain this concept more clearly: In the image above, which shows a section of a kakuro puzzle, you will see the numbers ‘26’ and ‘14’ in the top row. Look at the 14. This means that the total of the three cells underneath must sum to 14. Therefore 9, 4, 1 could be the answer, or perhaps 7, 4, 3 and so on... So, how do you work out the actual combination? Well, this is done through elimination and cross-referencing. For instance, as you work out the answers for other kakuro clues, this will naturally limit the valid combinations, and hence the answer for this particular run. Note the second cell in row two - it contains two numbers, 30 and 11. The 30 refers to the vertical run underneath the number 30 and the 11 refers to the two cells to the right, horizontally, of the number 11.
SCRIBBLING PAD
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa
26
QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Shoe bottom 6 Ice-cream serving 11 Littlesalamander 14 “Windy City” airport 15 Beijing’s country 16 One hundred square meters 17 Condemn to the scrap yard 18 It’s used for good measure 19 Old sailor 20 Part one of a permanent definition? 23 iTunes loader 26 Lipstick holder 27 Starting from 28 “What goes up must come down,” and the like 30 Worm’s place on a fishing line 32 Gave a hoot 33 Part two of a permanent definition? 38 Soon, in poems 39 Notify of danger 40 Expressed, as a farewell 41 Part three of a permanent definition? 43 Do a front-end job 44 Source 45 Vistas 46 Group of cheerleaders 49 Fly high 51 Before, bard-style 52 End of a permanent definition? 56 Reiner of “All in the Family” 57 Gruesome, as some details 58 Western loop 62 Zeta-theta go-between 63 Skip asyllable 64 Freeze over, as a windshield 65 Lacking color 66 Meal with readings 67 Cowboy’s protective gear DOWN 1 Daycare attendee 2 Density symbol, in physics
3 Opposite of fast 4 ___ League (Middle Eastern group) 5 Wiped off the computer 6 Cancel, as a rocket launch 7 Bobsledding track 8 Hardlytrustworthy 9 Singles 10 Sun screen, of a kind 11 ___ the run (munch while in motion) 12 Coin replaced by the euro 13 Not verbose 21 Neighbor of Switz. 22 Pleasant 23 Long-tailed squawker 24 Hersey’s bell town 25 Pool shot 29 Army rank 30 Superman’s sandwich? 31 Get off the fence
33 Words after “thanks” 34 Soak, as flax 35 “Educating Rita” actor Michael 36 Lawn tool 37 Sensibility’s partner 39 Word before “in a galaxy far, far away” 42 Small knots 43 Kind of paint 45 Down at the mouth 46 Carpentry fastener 47 Fundraiser’s concern 48 Opposite of rural 49 Catty, as a remark 50 More peculiar 53 Whine and
SUDOKU
whimper 54 Adjective for Death Valley 55 Apiece 59 Aegean or Bering 60 Have a meal 61 Photo ___ (campaign activities) PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
THOUGHT OF THE DAY You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. – Christopher Columbus
Chai Time STAR POWER
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR
As per Hindu panchang
FOR 6-4-2012
thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9177596118
TAURUS
GEMINI
New efforts will yield the best results. Enemies will become inactive and you will gain upper hand. Financially you will be in a good position. Court cases will end in your favour.
Unexpected financial fortune likely for some which will put them in a happy shock. You will support children in their growth. Renovation of ancestral property is likely.
Administrative abiltiy will increase. You will solve the old age problems with your different and innovative approach. Son will get job in the firm of his own choice. Relatives will extend their support.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Success is yours in all the works under‑ taken. You are fortunate enough to meet the person whom you were longing to meet. You will make plans about securing childrenʼs future.
Works will end in a faster pace well within the scheduled time. Share in ancestral property will come by. Posptponed marriage talks will resume and get finalised.
Hurdles that existed will disappear and work will get completed. Flow of money will be in a expected way. Avoid negli‑ gence while executing Government works.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Even those who opposed you will be in favour of you. Help from top level active politicians likely. Delay occurred in buying and selling of assets will be over.
You will succeed in the challenges accepted and earn a good name. Court verdicts will go in your favour. Some may be forced to change their resi‑ dence.
You will change your approach to attain success. House will be rernovat‑ ed. You will perform your daughterʼs marriage in a grand way. Son will go abroad for higher studies.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
You will get close to those people who hold high and powerful offices. You will complete the works undertaken in a faster pace with their help. You will guide your children.
Your soft and wise approach will do all the magic that your work will get completed smoothly and perfectly. Home atmosphere will remain cheer‑ ful as happy events are to take place.
Financial position will improve for the best. Old problems will get resolved. Home loan applied will get sanc‑ tioned. You will encourage your chil‑ dren, knowing their capabilities.
SUMAA TEKUR
FOR 6-4-2012
tarotreadhyd@gmail.com
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
Two of Cups ̶ Singles will meet an attractive person. The chemistry is immediate and you plan to tie the knot or aim to deepen the commitment.
Seven of Wands ̶ Thereʼs some secre‑ cy surrounding you. People may be hid‑ ing something from you. This may not necessarily be a bad thing, though.
Three of Wands ̶ Success is imminent. All your plans are working out fine and your patience in the last few weeks is paying off.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Temperance ̶ Travel is on the cards. Spend time with loved ones before you set out on long trips. If plans go awry because of fog, be patient.
King of Wands ̶ Youʼre in the mood to show off your ideas and something new that youʼve learnt. A party will be held at your house
The Hanged Man ‑ Spiritual awareness is in focus. You may be in the mood to achieve greater understanding of spirituality and life.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Eight of Wands ̶ This is a lucky phase when all plans are working to your expectation. Time to sit back, relax and have some clean fun. You deserve it.
Ace of Swords ̶ There are clouds of confusion. Despite that, youʼre able to display clarity of thought. Youʼre clear about what you need.
Knight of Wands ̶ Be careful to not hurt othersʼ feelings. You may be coming across as quite an unscrupulous mon‑ ster.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Queen of Pentacles ̶ Youʼre strong financially, and that is giving you the con‑ fidence to make deci‑ sions, whether itʼs your living condition or relationship status.
Two of Pentacles ̶ Humour is the best way to manage many of lifeʼs problems. Have you lost yours to the daily grind called life? Stop, have some fun, smile.
King of Cups ̶ Youʼre being very emotional about something and it may not be worth so much attention. Look at the big pic‑ ture.
For Better or for Worse Stone soup
SOLUTIONS
Boggle BELIZE BRAZIL BOLIVIA BULGARIA
Number game
Suduko
Scrabble
Ink pen
COMICS
Fred Basset
ARIES
TAROT READ
27
Vol: 1, No. 263 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No. 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad–500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad–500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-40672222, Fax: 040-40672211
28
THURSDAY APRIL 5, 2012
METRE
It (the ball) came on nicely on to the bat. One or two (balls) bounced a lot. (Also) it was unbelievable [opening with Sachin]. He was very easy to talk to.
S Levi 3 6S 6 Richard 4 15 (MI)
Richard Levi (MI)
6
HIGHEST SCORE
50
Richard Levi (MI)
BEST BOWLER
2-15
Kieron Pollard (MI)
Battle between buddies M. ANIL KUMAR
Apart from Viru taking on Gambhir, it will be interesting as Pathan brothers face off. Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com
T
hey are great friends and it's no secret. But when Delhi Daredevils take on Kolkata Knight Riders, it will be interesting which skipper will outwit the other — Virender Sehwag or Gautam Gambhir. Both players know each other
Richard Levi, MI Player
exploits in West Indies. But they are sure to miss the services of Mahela Jayawardene, Kevin Pietersen and David Warner, who are now on national duty. Sehwag-Gambhir face-off is not the only one on the menu. It will be sibling rivalry when KKR’s Yusuf Pathan meets younger brother Irfan on the field. M. ANIL KUMAR
KKR vs DD 8:00 pm on Set Max
112
so well. They have been playing international cricket together for years now, not to mention their playing for Delhi on the domestic circuit. They have been there for each other through thick and thin. KKR will be favourites, as they play on their homeground on a slightly sticky-surfaced pitch. They also will be bouyed by their latest acquisition from Trinidad Sunil Narine, who boasts of an economy rate under five and an average under 15. But DD have the explosive Andre Russell, an allrounder famed for his T20
The paltry score to which Chennai was restricted to in the first match of IPL 5 against Mumbai Indians
3 The number of run-outs in the CSK innings. MI’s fielders were on their toes and missed no opportunity in displaying their agility on the field
OF MATCHES & EMPTY STANDS
C
ricket in India has always been considered to be a crowd puller. Even if local teams do not seem to participate, people still throng stadiums for the pure love of the game. But the fifth season of the IPL which began yesterday seemed to hav a different tale to narrate. The very first match of the IPL seems to have proven right what many had speculated — IPL is losing its charm as many chose to stay away from the stadiums. Chennai, which is usually known for its packed stadiums when cricket matches are held there, had a different story to narrate yesterday when the match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians took place. Many stands were left empty and the usually enthusiastic fans seemed to have prefered to stay away from the match. Neither were India’s Golaith, Sachin Tendulkar, nor the captain with a ‘golden touch’, Dhoni, able to draw the crowds.
P W L T NR PT MI 1 1 0 0 0 2 CSK 1 0 1 0 0 0 DD 0 0 0 0 0 0 KXIP 0 0 0 0 0 0 KKR 0 0 0 0 0 0 DC 0 0 0 0 0 0 PW 0 0 0 0 0 0 RCB 0 0 0 0 0 0 RR 0 0 0 0 0 0 P-played; W-win; L-lost; T-tie; NR-no result; PT-points
PLAYER OF THE DAY RICHARD LEVI: The South African
Cheerful owner Nita Ambani, as usual, was at her excited best. Her team, Mumbai Indians, drew first blood to send defending champions Chennai Super Kings home in the first match of IPL 5. Accompanied by her son, Nita was seen cheering every shot which crossed the boundary rope with the excitement of a child.
Neeta Ambani (C) applauds Mumbai Indians’ victory in the first IPL match against Chennai Super Kings in Chennai on Wednesday. AFP/MANJUNATH KIRAN
player who holds the record for hitting the fastest T20 century, proved his worth in the IPL by hitting a quick-fire half century for Mumbai Indians and was rightly adjudged the man of the match. His 50 came off just 35 ball which included six fours and three sixes. On a pitch which had grass on it and seemed to be only a pacerfriendly one, he seemed to be at ease as runs came off his willow without much effort. Having gone unsold in the auctions earlier this February, not many would have expected him to come up with a performance of this kind in his very first IPL encounter.
Augusta Masters Special
“
It’s all about understanding how to play this golf course. This is my 18th year, so I’ve spent just about half my life playing this tournament. qfdbo=tllap
“
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
It’s nice to be getting all this praise , but you have to take it with a pinch of salt. I definitely don’t have the achievements that Tiger has. olov=jÅfiolv
“
I think there’s a good chance that a young, fearless player that attacks this course can win, if you don’t need to show it the proper respect. mefi=jf`hbiplk
Augusta Masters set for stormy opening day
Jim Slater
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA: Ireland’s Padraig STREETER LECKA/GETTY IMAGES/AFP
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA: Overnight storms had Augusta National groundstaff scurrying to clean up debris on the course on Wednesday morning as players completed their preparations for the most hotly anticipated Masters in years. Despite trees being uprooted, bunkers swamped and waters swollen in Rae’s Creek, the traditional Par-Three contest got underway on schedule but was then called off as the bad weather returned in the late afternoon. With more rain and storms in the forecast for Thursday and Friday and
“
I’m excited to play in the Masters and excited to be here. I’m not so excited that everybody is playing well. I wish that everyone was playing poorly. ibb=tbpqtlla
falling temperatures predicted over the weekend, there was some trepidation over how the famed course will play. Three-time former winner Phil Mickelson, for one, believes that the prevailing conditions over the next few days will be crucial in deciding who will win the 76th edition of the tournament. “It seems that some of the planning I have made may go by the wayside. As soft as the golf course is, you can fire at a lot of the pins. The greens are soft,” he said after sampling the course on Tuesday. Tiger Woods, installed as tournament favourite after his victory in the Arnold
“
Palmer Invitational last month ago ended a 28-month winless streak, agreed that the course was as spongy as he could recall in 17 previous Masters appearances. The return to top form of Woods and whether he can crown his revival with a fifth Masters title and 15th major triumph, nearly four years after his last, is just one of a tantalising array of plots and sub-plots on display this week. Much has been made of the potential showdown between the 36-year-old Woods and 22-year-old Irishman Rory McIlroy, seen by many as the most exciting talent to emerge in the sport since Woods himself two decades ago.
Now all of a sudden that I’ve done it [won last year], I almost expect myself to win. I feel like if I’ve done it before, why can’t I do it again. `e^oi=p`et^oqwbi=
“
Obviously Tiger pushes the needle the most and Rory gets attention now. But for me, that’s a good thing. I can kind of go about my business. irhb=alk^ia
Harrington, Byrd risk the curse of 3
With more rain forecast for Thursday and Friday, there was some trepidation over how the famed course will play
Allan Kelly
“
29
Harrington and American Jonathan Byrd shared the title in Wednesday’s rain-shortened Masters Par-3 Contest, both risking the tournament curse with the triumph. No player has won the Par-3 Contest and captured the Masters in the same year since the short-course event began in 1960, so according to the jinx neither Harrington nor Byrd will not be donning a green jacket on Sunday. Harrington and Byrd each fired a fiveunder par 22 in the annual contest on the eve of the year’s first major tournament, staged on a special nine-hole layout adjacent to the famed Masters course. Australian Adam Scott was one stroke adrift with Masters debutante Webb Simpson on four-under as well through eight holes and Jerry Pate, a past Par-3 champion, at four-under after five holes when play was halted. Harrington became the first three-time Par-3 winner, although he shared the 2003 title with American David Toms in the only other rain-halted Par-3 event and won a playoff for the 2004 title. “The scoring was on,” Harrington said. “Actually pretty average shots. I just played pretty nicely for nine holes.” Harrington’s victory pushed him ahead of three other two-time Par-3 winners — Sam Snead, Japan’s Isao Aoki and Scotsman Sandy Lyle. Byrd birdied the last three holes to match Harrington just before the storm arrived to put himself on the jinxed list with the Irishman. “I like making putts, whatever they are for,” Byrd said. In a relaxed atmosphere, current stars and elder legends laughed and joked with each other and spectators, some even having family members serve as caddies and take some shots for them.
A few tee shots don’t really suit my eye, but it’s a great course and it’s up to me to find a way to play it. Playing a practice round with Bernhard will help. j^oqfk=h^vjbo=
“
Augusta is its own animal so I’m looking forward to the challenge. I feel like I showed myself thatg I don’t need to be perfect to win. erkqbo=j^e^k
Playing Field Lohse shines as Cards cruise to victory MIAMI: Kyle Lohse pitched seven-plus stellar innings Wednesday as World Series champions St. Louis opened their 2012 Major League Baseball campaign with a 4-1 victory that spoiled Miami’s first game in their new ballpark. Lohse, who got the starting nod because Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter was sidelined by a nerve problem in his shoulder, took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Marlins. Jose Reyes’s leadoff single ended Lohse’s bid to join Bob Feller as the only pitchers to toss an Opening Day no-hitter. “It actually did cross my mind probably after five (innings),” Lohse admitted of the chance of a rare no-hitter. “I just felt good. Our defence played well behind me.” He allowed only two other baserunners — hitting Emilio Bonifacio with a pitch in the fourth inning and surrendering a single to Logan Morrison in the eighth. The Marlins’ new ballpark worked in his favor, as well, as Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton twice produced long fly outs that would no doubt have been home runs elsewhere. Mike Matheny, who took over as Cardinals manager after Tony La Russa retired just three days after the team’s dramatic seven-game World Series triumph over Texas in October, opted to take Lohse out of the game with one out in the eighth. Reliever Fernando Salas wasn’t able to complete the shut-out as the Marlins’ John Buck drove in a run with a two-out double. The Cardinals roughed up Miami starter Josh Johnson, tallying 10 hits off him in six innings. World Series Most Valuable Player David Freese notched two RBIs in the first inning, his two-out, two-strike single scoring both Carlos Beltran and Lance Berkman. Rafael Furcal singled in the Cardinals’ third run in the third inning and Daniel Descalso drove in a run in the eighth.
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
The games people play
30
Bartoli pips Dushevina CHARLESTON: Marion Bartoli battled more than three hours Wednesday to get past Russian Vera Dushevina and into the third round of the WTA’s green clay Charleston tournament. France’s Bartoli, the third seed and the second-highest ranked player in the draw behind second-seeded Australian Samantha Stosur, cruised past Dushevina in the first set, then found herself fighting for a 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4 victory in a match lasting three hours and four minutes. Bartoli, who snapped Victoria Azarenka’s 26-match unbeaten streak when she downed the world number one en route to the semi-finals at Miami last week, was playing her first match at Charleston after enjoying a firstround bye. She next faces Slovenia’s Polona Hercog, a 6-3, 6-2 winner over American Varvara Lepchenko. In other early matches, Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan defeated Argentinian qualifier Paula Ormaechea 6-2, 6-3 to set up a third-round clash with Stosur. New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic, seeded 17th, beat Georgia’s Anna Tatishvili 7-5, 6-3 to advance to a meeting with fifth-seeded American Serena Williams.
Venus Williams, who received a wild card into the draw as she tries to rebuild a world ranking hit by a lengthy injury and illness layoff, was to take on seventh-
seeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic in a second-round clash of former world number ones under the lights on Wedenesday night. Sixth-seeded German Sabine
Lisicki, who won her first WTA title at Charleston in 2009, was also in action on Wednesday, taking on Czech lucky loser Andrea Hlavackova.
Stoner set to defend title PARIS: Australia’s two-time MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner begins his title defence in Qatar this weekend determined to show he is still the man to beat. The 26-year-old has been in sparkling form in pre-season testing on his Honda, along with teammate Dani Pedrosa, which has been all the more creditable as he and his wife Adrianna have just welcomed into the world their first child Alessandra. The baby girl was born on February 16, the birthdate of Italian great Valentino Rossi, who will be hoping for a more positive season this year on his
Ducati. Stoner, who won the world crown in emphatic style last year for Honda after winning his first title in 2007 with Ducati, shrugs aside the idea that a new born baby and all that entails will make him lose focus on the day job. “They say you slow down when you get married, but in my first year of marriage I won the title,” said Stoner, who has won 40 Grand Prix in all, 33 of those at MotoGP level. “When I found out we were having a baby I won it a second time. I don’t think that’s the case (that you slow down),” he told his team
sponsors Red Bull’s website. Stoner, who in between world titles suffered from a mysterious virus that badly affected him in the 2009 campaign, says that he hasn’t had to adjust his fitness levels much with the new bikes going up from 800cc to 1000cc this term. However, he was less impressed that new rules brought in forced them into having to modify the bike. “It is rather frustrating. We already had the bike developed and then they decided to change the regulations, so we had to add 4kg to the weight of our bike,” said Stoner. AFP
Playing Field
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
The games people play
Ronaldo double takes Real to semis
31
‘It’s gonna be tough’ MADRID: Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho predicted bitter rivals Barcelona would reach the Champions League final but was not sure whether his side would be strong enough to beat Bayern Munich and join them. The Portuguese tactician — winner of the trophy with Porto in 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010 — was speaking after the nine-time European champions had breezed into the last four after beating plucky Cypriot side APOEL Nicosia 5-2 on the night and 8-2 on aggregate. Mourinho, whose side lead champions Barcelona by six points in the Spanish league, said he foresaw few problems for holders Barcelona in their semi-final against one of his former teams Chelsea in their semi-final. “Our semi will be a difficult match for both sides, but I am sure Barca will be the other finalist as they have such a good side,” he said. “Bayern will obviously be a strong rival, they are a very powerful club both on and off the pitch with great fans and it’s a semi-final we all want to play, I think Europe in general will enjoy it,” he added. His compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo echoed his sentiments about their next opponents, who have been crowned European champions four times.
Real Madrid’s Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (C) vies with Apoel’s Brazilian midfielder Kaka (L) and Apoel’s Portuguese defender Paulo Jorge (R) during their UEFA Champions League second leg quarter-final football match. AFP/PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU MADRID: Nine-time champions Real Madrid eased into the Champions League semi-finals here on Wednesday, beating APOEL Nicosia 5-2 in their quarter-final second-leg clash and by 8-2 on aggregate. A double from Cristiano Ronaldo, along with goals from Kaka, Angel Di Maria and Jose Maria Callejon ensured the Spanish giants will meet Bayern Munich — who beat French side Marseille 2-0 on Tuesday and 4-0 on aggregate — in the final four. Gustavo Manduca and an Esteban Solari penalty gave the Cypriots some consolation late in the match. The result was never really in doubt after Real won the first leg 3-0 in Cyprus, but the visitors nevertheless gave a fighting performance on a wet
night in the Spanish capital. APOEL bow out of this season’s competition after a memorable run making them the first Cypriot team ever to reach the quarter-final stages. Real Madrid will go into the Bayern clash with a near perfect record, winning nine out of ten games scoring 32 goals and conceding only six. Jose Mourinho was happy with his team’s performance and had some kind words for APOEL. “We needed to put out a stong balanced team to win the game and at the same time rest some players, we lost a bit of concentration in the secondhalf but that is normal with the tie at 5-0, I can’t criticise my team, we are here on merit,” he said. “For APOEL to get to the quarter-fianls is the biggest achievement of this season’s
REAL MADRID WILL GO INTO THE BAYERN CLASH WITH A NEAR PERFECT RECORD, WINNING NINE OUT OF TEN GAMES SCORING 32 GOALS AND CONCEDING ONLY SIX. Champions League, bigger than if ourselves, Bayern or Barca win the competion, so I am happy for them,” he added about the Cypriot side. APOEL started the game playing very deep looking to frustrate the home team, a tactic that denied Madrid in the first leg until the 77th minute. Real Madrid, however, were quicker off the mark this time and on two minutes Gonzalo
Higuain took advantage of a poorly cleared Ronaldo cross to head just wide. A defensive error by Savvas Poursaitides three minutes later allowed Ronaldo a clear shot on goal from close range but Urko Pardo, the Spaniard in the APOEL goal, blocked well. The Cypriots began to settle after those early scares and started to enjoy some possession. On 20 minutes they made their first attacking foray into enemy territory and Sergio Ramos had to make a timely tackle as Ailton bared down on Iker Casillas in the Real Madrid goal. Ronaldo went close again on 25 minutes, and a minute later he made no mistake for the opening goal when a Marcelo cross from the leftwing found him unmarked six yards out.
Real Madrid’s Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho during the match.
Playing Field
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
The games people play
32
Blues set up Barça date
Chelsea’s Frank Lampard (C) scores a penalty against Benfica during their UEFA Champions League quarter finals football match at Stamford Bridge, West London in England on Wednesday. AFP PHOTO/ IAN KINGTON LONDON: Chelsea survived a nervous finale against 10-man Benfica to earn a 2-1 win in the Champions League quarter-final second leg and set up a last-four showdown with holders Barcelona. Roberto Di Matteo’s side were firm favourites to reach the semifinals after a 1-0 first-leg win in Lisbon, but they were made to sweat before clinching a 3-1 aggregate success at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. Frank Lampard’s first half
penalty and a red card for Benfica captain Maxi Pereira just before the break should have put Chelsea firmly in control. But this was a far from convincing performance from the Blues and Javi Garcia’s late header made for a few anxious moments before Raul Meireles sealed the victory in stoppage time. “It was a tough game and having won 1-0 away it presented us with a bit of a conundrum,” said Lampard, who was scoring his 22nd Champions League goal.
“It is a relief to get through as they’re a good side and deserve respect. “We didn’t want to be too gung ho.” Chelsea can now look further to another grudge match with old rivals Barca, who claimed a controversial victory over the Blues at the semi-final stage of Europe’s elite club competition in 2009. That was the most recent in a long line of explosive encounters between the two clubs and Chelsea’s sixth semi-final appear-
‘Chelsea will be in revenge mode’ LONDON: Roberto Di Matteo admits Chelsea will be motivated by revenge when they face Barcelona in an potentially explosive Champions League semi-final showdown. Many of Chelsea’s current stars can still feel the emotional scars from Barca’s controversial Champions League semifinal victory over the Blues in 2009. Chelsea felt they were denied several clear penalties before Andres Iniesta’s last-gasp strike sent Barca through to the final on away goals. The sense of injustice prompted Chelsea striker
Didier Drogba to abuse Norway referee Tom Henning Ovrebo on the pitch after the final whistle, while several other players hinted they had been cheated. That was the last meeting between two clubs whose rivalry has been become increasingly bitter since first erupting during Jose Mourinho’s time in charge at Stamford Bridge. Now Chelsea, 3-1 aggregate winners against Benfica in the quarter-finals, have a chance to avenge that loss by ending Barca’s reign as European champions.
ance in the last nine years looks certain to reignite the feud. However, Di Matteo’s men will need to improve on some wasteful finishing and careless defending here if they are to stun Barca and book a place in the final in Munich. “You have to respect Barcelona because they are the best side in the world,” said Lampard. Benfica boss Jorge Jesus added: “We’ve been the better team in both legs and I’m very proud of my players.
“We played with 10 men for the best part of an hour and made Chelsea look ordinary. We were penalised by the referee, unjustly I feel.” Salomon Kalou’s late winner last week had put Chelsea in charge and they received a further boost as injuries to Benfica’s firstchoice centre-halves Jardel and Luisao forced Jesus to deploy midfielder Garcia as a makeshift defender. Yet Di Matteo had warned Chelsea to guard against complacency as the Portuguese team had scored in all of their European away matches this season. Chelsea had the ball in the net when Juan Mata fired low past Artur, but the Spaniard’s strike was correctly ruled out for offside. Benfica had been warned but their under-strength defence was creaking and Ashley Cole took full advantage in the 21st minute. Cole made a perfectly timed run into the penalty area and, although his first touch was a little heavy, the left-back’s surge panicked Garcia into a crude block that sent him crashing to the turf. Referee Damir Skomina pointed to the spot and Lampard, making his 550th Chelsea appearance, stepped up to drill the penalty under Artur’s dive. Benfica’s hopes of a miraculous comeback suffered a hammer blow when Pereira, already booked for dissent following the penalty, earned a second yellow card for a studs-up lunge on John Obi Mikel in the 40th minute. Benfica needed an early goal in the second half to have any chance and they almost got it when Oscar Cardozo’s curling effort brought a brilliant stop from Cech. AFP