Postnoon E-Paper for 05 December 2011

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On December 6, the commissioner of police has declared a Red Alert in the city.

Vehicles will be checked in Hyderabad and Secunderabad. These operations will continue into Wednesday.

Communal offenders have been taken into preventive custody, to avert any untoward incident. Additional forces have been called in and City security has been beefed up.

Socialite Khloe in legal trouble

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CITY SET FOR RED ALERT

ARTISTS They are the unsung heroes of our City, silently picking up after the urban mass. While we live and litter, it is their job to separate the City’s waste and initiate the recycling process. But even after rag-pickers were told by the local government that they could not be provided with safety gear, the intrepid group have carried on... voluntarily. Here’s a peek into their lives

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Spirit of Twin Cities

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

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KVP, the ‘Rajguru’ back in action YSR man’s work for Kiran is a curious twist in the Congress tale. The no-confidence motion has brought the man who acted as the ‘soul’ of YSR to the midst of action U Srinivas srinivas.u@postnoon.com

K

VP Ramachandra Rao, the back room man , the king maker, power broker and the trouble shooter of the YSR regime is back with a bang. This time to break ice with the Congress MLAs supporting Jagan.

The man whom YSR called “his soul” is in full form, enticing YSRC-supporting MLAs to vote for the mother party at least in the no confidence motion.

After abandoning him for a long time, the Congress leader-

ship now roped in the services of KVP Ramachandra Rao to make sure that the government comes

out with flying colors on Monday evening. Now Kiran is bent upon proving a point with the High command by winning the confidence vote.

Dubbed by some in the congress as a king maker, KVP is back in action at a time when the Kiran Kumar Reddy government is feeling the heat from Jagan legislators and also Chiranjeevi group.

Though an out and out well wisher of Rajasekhara Reddy, KVP does not want Kiran Kumar Reddy to suffer because it will only harm the Congress.

The effect of KVP could be

gauged from the fact that recently Jagan Mohan Reddy’s relative Shoba Nagireddy said that they were not aiming at pulling the government down. They want to oppose the Congress for the welfare of the people. But the reality is that they do not have the numbers to trounce Kiran.

It is learnt that minister Shanker Rao refused take the whip. The chief minister has suggested the ministers to send whip via SMS, email, MMS or whatever. They must deliver the whip to all the members that is the job assigned to the ministers.

Kondrul Murali, the party whip,

said that they have used the telegram facility also deliver the party whip to the MLAs. The chief minister and PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana held a prolonged strategy meeting with KVP to take tips from him on how to face the political situation arising out of the noconfidence motion till late in the night. “There is no threat to the government. This is not a crisis at all,” a confident KVP said.

Earlier the chief minister had sidelined KVP soon after coming to power. Now that the government is in the crisis, KVP is brought back into action.

Chiru chickens out Is it bravado or bravery?

Analysis A Saye Sekhar saye@postnoon.com

HYDERABAD: Chiranjeevi chickened out, once again. He issued a whip to all the 17 legislators elected on his party symbol to vote against the no-confidence motion. This is the nth time that he chickened out after igniting trouble initially.

Chiranjeevi was indeed seen as a force to reckon with after the resounding success of the grandiose public show at Tirupati in 2008 where he announced the launch of his political party and christened it as ‘Praja Rajyam’.

But, Dame Luck refused to smile on him, always. He barely managed to win 18 seats. His contest in two Assembly constituencies proved to be a saving grace, for he lost to the Congress candidate in his native Narsapur constituency. Ever since, YSR had schemed to rope him into the Congress and he wrote to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi in so many words too. After the demise of YSR and his son broke away taking a few MLAs from the

Congress, spin doctors realised the need to cajole and bring in Chiranjeevi into the Congress party. Sans much difficulty, the Congress managed to ‘acquire’ the Praja Rajyam, but did not complete the ‘deal’ by reciprocating the ‘goodwill’ gesture of Chiru, in spite of numerous ‘representations’ to the high command.

Vexed with the political shenanigans of the Congress, the Chiranjeevi camp struck at an opportune time. They indicated that they together could pull the proverbial rug from under the Congress’ feet in the State.

The Congress leadership could not conceal its knee-jerk reaction to the punch line — ‘we will take a call’ — of the Chiranjeevi camp. Union Minister and AICC in-charge of AP affairs ghulam Nabi Azad spoke to Chiranjeevi several times and APCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana went and placated the frayed tempers of the new-found allies.

It is said that the Chiru camp arm-twisted the Congress only to prove a point that it could not be ignored when the State was caught in the vortex of hectic political activity. On finding the Congress leadership profusely sweating over the political abyss between the PRP and the Congress, the Chiru camp relaxed the tight fist. Chiranjeevi issued a whip to MLAs to defeat the motion. But, the Congress has to remain wary of this group all through the remainder of the current Assembly’s life.

Postnoon News

HYDERABAD: Having rubbed shoulders with YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who always demonstrated a blend of “frustration, emotion, leadership, bravery, perseverance and patience”, senior Congress leaders feel whether the audacity of Jagan (YSR’s son) can be termed bravery or bravado?

Several Congress leaders thronged the wedding of the son of a senior journalist on Sunday night in the city. Though hordes of leaders from several political parties were present, they only exchanged pleasantries and deliberately remained silent on the ongoing no-confidence motion.

APCC president Botsa Satyanarayana and Rajya Sabha member and YSR’s close confidante KVP Ramachandra Rao were seen engaged in hectic parleys even at the marriage venue.

Though several people went up to them and greeted, the response was just a smile and a reciprocation of greetings.

Minutes before these two arrived, Praja Rajyam chief Chiranjeevi came, blessed the couple and left. Telugu Desam MLA Revanth Reddy was seen exchanging pleas-

antries with Congress MLA Daggubati Venkateswara Rao and his wife, D Purandeswari, Union Minister of State.

Another TDP MLA, D Umamaheswara Rao, from Krishna district was found very pally with Malladi Vishnu, Congress MLA from Vijayawada. Yet, there was no talk of the no-confidence motion.

But a senior Congress leader told Postnoon, that many seniors were unable to understand the tricks up the sleeve of Jagan.

“While several legislators of his camp are distancing themselves from him, he is hell-bent on their voting in favour of the no-confidence motion. We know he is a man in a hurry and now angry too

with the CBI probe and a concerted vilification campaign unleashed against him. But is it bravery or bravado?

Perhaps, he is emboldened by the resounding victory of Sriramulu in Bellary.”

He went on to add: “Jagan took things too far. His relations with the Congress have moved beyond a point of no return.

However, the Congress can demonstrate maturity if need be to bring him back into its fold. But the leadership is firm that he should be re-admitted only after he learns a lesson or two.

The TDP-sponsored no-confidence motion is just a stick the Congress wants to wield on him.

“Jagan knows he cannot topple the Government with his ‘niggardly’ numbers. But he achieved what he wanted.

The war veterans of politics in the Congress had to walk several extra miles to checkmate his group or lure them on to the Congress side.”

But the Jagan group is firm in asserting that their boss wants to test the waters in a by-election, even if it happens in a few seats, and prove a point to the Congress high command and also silence his critics. If he wins, it is bravery; or else, it ends up as bravado.

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Financial emergency stares at new mayor Even as GHMC lives on borrowings, its own properties are under encroachment and revenue collection pitiable. New mayor has an uphill task ahead of him Md Inkeshaf Ahmed

Blame the predecessors

ahmed.m@postnoon.com

T

he political crisis facing the GHMC has mercifully blown over with mayor Karthika Reddy resigning. But her successor faces a financial uphill task.

The Corporation is already under an overdraft of ` 600 Cr and it is mounting every day. On the other hand, revenue sources seem a sieve where dues are not collected and proper management of its assets are not done, point out sources.

Nothing is as shocking as the criminal bungling of properties vested with it. The government-conferred 2000 plots spread over the City for municipal use have virtually disap-

G

peared as the records of government land vested with municipalities (GVMs) are not traceable! These GVMs were handed over to the corporation way back in 1973.

Now, majority of these properties are believed to have been gobbled up by the high and the mighty of Hyderabad.

“We are now planning to take up a survey,” said an official of revenue department.

HMC estates officer Chandrasekhar Reddy blamed the earlier administration for the prevailing state of affairs and said that he is trying to set things right. “We did not have any records of GVMs. The officials who worked here earlier are responsible for this. We have lost these documents. I am trying to set things right by undertaking a detailed survey of the GVMs,” he told Postnoon. He added that once they locate these properties they would take necessary steps to take over them. He said that most of them may have been encroached.

GHMC commissioner Krishna Babu and mayor Banda Karthika Reddy preside over the Face to Face session organised to address citizens’ grievances

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City shies away from safety Hyderabad’s riders refuse to wear helmets in spite of traffic police rules, ignoring safety measures PICS: SRINIVAS SETTY

Osama Salman salman.o@postnoon.com

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad and helmets don’t gel well with each other. Compared to all major cities the sale of helmets in Hyderabad is just 25 per cent.

The number of bikers is increasing by the day, but of them wearing helmets is steadily decreasing. Hyderabadis fail to realize the importance of helmets and how they can save valuable lives.

The recent deaths of cricketer Azharuddin's son and Telugu actor Kota Srinivasa Rao's son due to motorbike accidents sent a wake up alarm around the country. In spite of this Hyderabad has not been moved and still continue to give helmets a miss. The sale of helmets is down by 40 percent from 2010 and helmet shop owners are concerned.

“There is no awareness amongst Hyderabadis. 90 per-

A motorist ignores traffic rules and rides without a helmet

cent of the riders don’t wear helmets here. Forget just the rider, in cities such as Delhi it is mandatory even for pillion riders to wear a helmet. The same rule should be applied here,” says Asif Khan, owner, Helmet World.

Syed Junaid of Helmet Paradise agrees, “Only 20 percent of bikers wear a helmet in Hyderabad. The police implement the rule only to ease it later.

If the rule is passed, they must

follow it strictly” he laments.

The need to wear a helmet Apart from protecting your head, says Ritesh Ved of ‘On the Rocks’ adventure store, helmets protect the most exposed part of the body after the limbs — eyes and chins. “You can survive with broken limbs but when your head hurt, it can turn fatal,” says Ritesh.

Why half-helmets spell danger

Helmet talk

Half-helmets are mostly worn by women but the trend is catching up with men too.

Wearing a half-helmet is breezy and has a better view, say riders. However, Ritesh says that half helmets should only be worn when you can use it for a definite short distance.

A helmet typically has three layers: n Outer shell which is made of fiber glass or ABS plastic n Protective padding made of expanded polystyrene n Comfort padding made of expanded polyurethane n Apart from this it also has a visor to protect the face.

Beware of fakes While the Bureau of Indian Standards (ISI) has laid down guidelines that must be followed by helmet manufacturers, and certify the product if it complies with it, there are several helmet companies which use substandard materials.

“The non-ISI marked ones are useless. The cheap material isn’t strong enough to save a life.

Most ISI marked helmets follow maximum European standards (ECE) which other helmets don’t,” says Vikram Sutil, MD,

Postnoon traffic safety campaign Armex Helmets. “The best way to know if a helmet is a genuine ISI marked one is to check if the ISI website www.bis.org.in is printed on it. If a helmet weighs 1000 grams or more, it is genuine. Anything less than 800 grams it is fake.

CITY IN PICTURES: A KENNEDY ON A BICYCLE AND A DARING BALANCING ACT Prof Adrian Kennedy who runs Lifetime WELLNESS in Apollo, leads by example. He uses the cycle as his only mode of transport around the city. He wants the city's youth to be inspired by him and switch to cycling instead of motorbikes and cars in order to curb pollution.

PIC SRINIVAS SETTY

A labourer is weighed down under the load of dozens of plastic buckets. While the affluent in India keep getting richer, the poor are left behind to struggle for their day-to-day survival PIC: N SHIVA KUMAR

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PICS: SRINIVAS SETTY

Money wins over filth, stench Despite the unhygienic conditions at Jawahar Nagar dump yard, rag pickers choose to continue for just one reason — it is a sack of gold for them

SPECIAL Osama Salman salman.o@postnoon.com

I

n between the filth, flies, burning plastic, toxic water, and millions of tonnes of garbage are saddened yet content faces. They pick plastic, glass and scrap metal for a living and that too amidst conditions that could potentially prove fatal. Despite being aware of the health hazards, these rag pickers choose to continue as they are. The reason, they say is that this is a way to make easy money. Each rag picker earns ` 200 a day and they have all the basic amenities, including dish TV connections.

The Jawahar Nagar dump yard gets 4,800 metric tonnes of unsegregated waste. But what might seem like a load of stench to some, is a sack of gold for these rag pickers. Close to 1,200 metric tonnes is recyclable, which is what earns brings these 300 odd families their daily bread and butter.

“We have gotten used to the conditions. We don’t get sick and neither does the garbage bother us,” said 20-year-old Wasim Khan, who hails from Nasik.

Many like him have migrated from across the country to make a quick buck in this massive pile of garbage.

But all is not as rosy as it seems. In November this year, three women rag pickers went missing and were never found. In a separate incident last monsoon, three rag pickers fell into the dump while collecting waste and passed away. Yet, these incidents have not deterred these rag pickers from the path that they so willingly follow. “My brother was one of the people who passed away last year. But I chose to continue in this profession as I like what I am doing. I don’t face any problems,” says Mohammed S, brother of the deceased Khaja Mohammed.

Incidentally, Khaja had gotten married merely two months before the unfortunate accident.

When the government intervened, the rag pickers submitted a signed letter to the collector of the area saying that they will continue the work at their own risk. The shubrakhs (rag pickers) live in miserable conditions and with no aid from the government too. “We have to do everything ourselves, from cleaning to sanitisation, and the government doesn’t do anything for us. It is a sorry reality we have to live with,” said Ramanna R, a shopkeeper.

“These rag pickers are here by their own choice. The GHMC doesn’t employ them to segregate waste. We asked them to vacate the premises, but they want to continue,” said Ranga Rao, assistant engineer of the Jawahar Nagar dump yard who refused to take any responsibility, even on humanitarian

grounds.

However, even the workers outsourced by the GHMC are not given any sanitation facilities and they too are exposed to the poisonous gasses that the garbage emits, thousands of flies and of course the risk of death.

Some of the employees are minors, going against the ‘strict’ child labour rules. Nagender Prajapati, a 14-year-old from Jharkand, drives a tractor and works under Krishna seth, who has been given the contract for the tractors in the dump yard.

“We need to understand that the shubrakhs are using our garbage. They make

money out of something we use so freely.

They need to be rehabilitated. We should make them collect waste from door to door rather than risk their lives here. Everyone needs to realise that there are people living this side of town as well,” opines Major Shiva Kiran, president of Sukuki Exnora, an NGO working for the rehabilitation of shubrakhs.

As they say, one person’s trash is another’s treasure. The recyclable goods are collected and sold at for ` 200 per sack and more. But while they do that, the shubrakhs say, “This is how our life is and we have come to accept this.”

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TMC chairman Amarnath Nangunuri passes away A Saye Sekhar saye@postnoon.com

HYDERABAD: “Rupee fluctuation will not impact our profit and loss, as long as we maintain our turnover. It is a temporary phenomenon. I am confident that the government of India will take some measures to arrest the rupee fluctuations.”

This was the response of Amarnath Nangunuri, chairman of TMC, on the rupee fluctuation. Postnoon spoke to him on November 23, when the rupee had hit an all-time low against dollar. Perhaps, this was the last interaction he had with any media house.

Amarnath, 43, suddenly passed away due to a cardiac arrest on Sunday evening.

Even before he could be taken into the emergency ward at Apollo Hospital, where he was taken as he complained of chest pain and discomfort, he breathed his last.

Amarnath, who hails from Nalgonda district, launched his small establishment with just tape-recorders, two-in

FABRICATION

Amarnath’s last media interaction ones and TVs store at Malakpet with a seed capital of ` 10,000 in the late ‘80s, grew his business by leaps and bounds. There are now eight different branches in large format in the City and has branches in Visakahapatnam, Vijayawada, Warangal and a few other cities in the State.

He is survived by his wife, daughter and son. His daughter, Hansika, is pursuing BBM in London, while his son, Tejas, is in class IX. Amarnath grew his businesses to a turnover of ` 240

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crore with hundreds of people employed in his company TMC (earlier known as Tirumala Music Centre).

In his interaction with Postnoon, Amarnath went on to say that the fluctuation of rupee would affect the home appliances by three to four per cent, but the companies would absorb the cost. If the impact was more, a portion of the burden would be cast on the consumers. If the import duty was more on the inputs, naturally the cost of the products would escalate, he observed.

“Usually, the companies cut down their margins to ensure that the business remains sustainable,” he said.

Several business houses and industrial houses expressed shock at the demise of Amarnath at such a young age. Former president of Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry K Harish Chandra Prasad said that he had met Amarnath only once. “It is very unfortunate to lose such an entrepreneur at a young age.”

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Woman dies after lorry rams into motorcycle Postnoon News

A

25-year-old woman died on the spot while her husband suffered minor head injuries after the motorcycle they were travelling on rammed into a speeding lorry near Gandhi statue in Uppal late on Sunday night.

The victim, G Sirisha, a resident of Vijaypuri Colony and her husband, Srinivas Goud, in charge of the IT department at SVIT engineering college, were crossing the road when the mishap occurred. The couple had gone to Dilshuknagar for an ‘Ayyappa pooja’ performed

by Srinivas Goud’s brother. Late in the evening, the duo set off on a motorcycle and reached Vijaypuri Colony. While trying to get to the other side of the road a lorry coming from the opposite direction hit them.

Sirisha suffered severe head injuries and died on the spot due to profuse bleeding while Srinivas Goud escaped with minor injuries. The Uppal police seized the lorry and arrested its driver, Venkatesh. A case under Section 304 A (causing death by negligence) of IPC was registered against Venkatesh and has been remanded to judicial custody.

10 T activists arrested outside Assembly Postnoon News

T

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According to the Saifabad

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

India unveiled nice and full

Jayalalithaa ups the ante, seeks Central forces for dam CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Sunday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to deploy Central forces to protect the Mullaperiyar dam in Kerala, citing a threat of mobs attempting to damage it.

In a letter, the text of which was released to the media here, Jayalalithaa said: “In view of the violent activities reported at the dam site, it is imperative that central forces be deployed at the dam immediately.”

“I, therefore, request you to order the deployment of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at the dam site to avert any man made catastrophic consequences,” she wroted.

“A mob of 200 people damaged the gate at the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board facility at the dam yesterday (Saturday) and today (Sunday) certain lumpen elements marched towards the dam from Vallakadavu (Kerala) with a JCB (earthmoving machine) and some implements, with the intention of letting out water and wanting to damage the dam.”

“As I have pointed out earlier, the orchestrated campaign of fear mongering carried on by

the Kerala government has led to this situation wherein the very security and safety of the dam is being deliberately threatened,” she added.

According to her, the current situation of fear and panic mongering by the Kerala government was beyond comprehension.

Jayalalithaa said the situation “requires mature and informed decisions and wise handling at the level of the prime minister”.

Tamil Nadu has refused to send its representatives to the informal meeting convened by the prime minister for solving the dispute.

Tamil Nadu also created a controversy when it banned a movie Dam 999, saying it would create panic and would promote enemity between the people of both the States.

IANS

Kerala Minister to observe fast NEW DELHI: Seeking an amicable solution to the vexed Mullaperiyar dam dispute, Kerala Water Resources Minister PJ Joseph will observe a day-long fast at Birla House here today.

“I will observe a day-long fast at Birla House seeking a peaceful solution to Mullaperiyar dam dispute. My move is to express solidarity with thousands of people who will sit on fast in Kerala tomorrow seeking an amicable solution to the issue,”

STAR PRESENCE

Actor Amitabh Bachchan with his wife Jaya and ADAG Chairman Anil Ambani during the marriage function of Prateek Yadav, younger son of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh, PTI and Aparna Bisht, in Etawah on Sunday.

Joseph said on Sunday.

Kerala and Tamil Nadu are at loggerheads over the safety aspects of 116-year-old Mullaperiyar dam.

While Kerala says the dam is in danger and the region is witnessing a number of quakes, Tamil Nadu has rejected any such fears saying the Ministers and officials of Kerala were “spreading panic and rumours” among people through media on the PTI issue.

7

Krishna says no licence was given NEW DELHI: A dayy after a Lokayukta Court ordered probe against him, external affairs minister SM Krishna insisted that no mining licence was issued during his tenure as CM and expressed confidence that judiciary would vindicate him.

He said former Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde had conducted “a very detailed and comprehensive enquiry” into the issue of mining from 1999 to 2010 which also covered his tenure as the Chief Minister and there was no indictment of him “anywhere in the Lokayukta report”.

“The fact that Justice Santosh Hegde has gone on record in public only further confirms this,” he said in a statement issued here and asserted that there had been no de-reservation of forests “as being incorrectly reported”.

“I wish to point out that I never retained the portfolio of Mines and Geology. Further to the best of my knowledge no mining licence was issued during my tenure,” Krishna, who was the chief minister from 1999 to 2004, said.

Ev e n if such licences were issued this would have been done by the competent authority of the mines and geology department, PTI he said.

Farmer drinks poison at Chavan’s meeting AMRAVATI: In a major embarrassment for Maharashtra’s ruling Democratic Front government, a debt-ridden farmer attempted suicide by consuming poison during an election rally of Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan in Dhamangaon village, near here, Sunday. Arun Sabane, 30, was shouting slogans demanding better prices for cotton and soyabean farmers along with other farmers, when suddenly, he whipped out a bottle of poison and consumed it in full public view, said NGO Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti chief Kishor Tiwari.

Police immediately rushed him to the nearby Dhamangaon civil hospital but when his condition failed to improve, he was shifted to the government hospital at the district headquarters.

Terming his condition as

“critical,” Tiwari said that besides Sabane’s suicide attempt, 10 other debt-ridden farmers have already ended their lives in just the first four days of December.

Incidentally, this was the same venue visited by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh June 30, 2006 to provide “a healing touch” to the farmers of Vidarbha, when Chavan had accompanied him as the then minister PTI of state in the PMO.

India‑View

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

India unveiled nice and full

8

Stalin faces defamation suit CHENNAI: ^=q~ãáä=k~Çì=ãáåJ áëíÉê= ë~áÇ= çå= pìåÇ~ó= íÜ~í= ajh íêÉ~ëìêÉê= ~åÇ= ÑçêãÉê= ÇÉéìíó ÅÜáÉÑ= ãáåáëíÉê= jh= pí~äáå= ÅçìäÇ ÄÉ=éêçëÉÅìíÉÇ=Ñçê=äÉîÉääáåÖ=Ñ~äëÉ ä~åÇ=Öê~Ä=ÅÜ~êÖÉë=~Ö~áåëí=`ÜáÉÑ jáåáëíÉê=g=g~ó~ä~äáíÜ~~K få= ~= ëí~íÉãÉåí= áëëìÉÇ= ÜÉêÉI ãáåáëíÉê= Ñçê= eáåÇì= êÉäáÖáçìë ~åÇ=ÅÜ~êáí~ÄäÉ=ÉåÇçïãÉåíëI==j m~ê~åàçíÜá= ë~áÇW= qÜÉ= ~ääÉÖ~J íáçåë= çÑ= jh= pí~äáå= ~êÉ= åçíÜáåÖ Äìí= ãÉ~åáåÖäÉëë= Ñìäãáå~íáçåë íç= ÇáîÉêí= íÜÉ= ~ííÉåíáçå= çÑ= íÜÉ éÉçéäÉ= Ñêçã= íÜÉ= ä~åÇ= Öê~Ä ÅÜ~êÖÉë=äÉîÉääÉÇ=~Ö~áåëí=ÜáãKÒ eÉ= ë~áÇ= ~ë= pí~äáå= ã~ÇÉ= Á Ñ~äëÉ=~ääÉÖ~íáçåë=ïáíÜçìí=~å=áçí~ çÑ= íêìíÜ= ~åÇ= ëìÄëí~åÅÉI= ÜÉ= áë äá~ÄäÉ= íç= ÄÉ= éêçëÉÅìíÉÇ= Ñçê

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HITTING THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL FOR LOKPAL Team Anna member Kiran Bedi participates in a car and bike rally of Anna Hazare supporters to drum up support for civil society’s version of the Lokpal Bill, in New Delhi on Sunday.

PIC: PTI

ADRENALINE RUSH

A contestant and his buffaloes take part at the traditional “Kadri Kambla” (buffalo race), in Mangalore on Sunday.

PIC: PTI

Stalin sticks to land grab allegations CHENNAI: jh= pí~äáå= íÜêÉï çìí=~=ÅÜ~ääÉåÖÉ=íç=ä~ï=ãáåáëJ íÉê= j= m~ê~åàçíÜá= çå= Üáë íÜêÉ~í=íç=áåáíá~íÉ=ÇÉÑ~ã~íáçå éêçÅÉÉÇáåÖë= ~Ö~áåëí= ÜáãI ë~óáåÖ= ÜÉ= áë= êÉ~Çó= íç= Ñ~ÅÉ íÜÉ=ÅÜ~ääÉåÖÉ=äÉÖ~ääóKÒ pí~äáå= ëçìÖÜí= íç= íìêå= íÜÉ í~ÄäÉë=çå=m~ê~åàçíÜáI=èìçíáåÖ Ñêçã= íÜÉ= gìëíáÅÉ= hm páî~ëìÄê~ã~åá~å= `çããáííÉÉ êÉéçêíI= ëÉí= ìé= Äó= íÜÉ= ajh ÖçîÉêåãÉåíI= ïÜáÅÜ= ãÉåJ íáçåÉÇ= íÜ~í= íÜÉ= ä~åÇ= áå páêìíÜ~îìê= ï~ë= ìëìêéÉÇ= Äó g~ó~ä~äáíÜ~~=~åÇ=ÑêáÉåÇëK qÜÉ= êÉéçêí= áë= ëíáää= ïáíÜ

íÜÉ=ÖçîÉêåãÉåíI=ïÜáÅÜ=ïÉåí áåíç= íÜÉ= páêìî~íÜêìê= ä~åÇ áëëìÉK= qÜÉ= ä~ï= ãáåáëíÉê ëÜçìäÇ=êÉ~Ç=áíIÒ=ÜÉ=ë~áÇK nìçíáåÖ= Ñêçã= íÜÉ= êÉéçêíI pí~äáå=ë~áÇI=íÜÉ=îáää~ÖÉêë=Ü~Ç ÑáäÉÇ= Åçãéä~áåíë= ~Ö~áåëí çïåÉêë= çÑ= ÄìåÖ~äçï= áå ïÜáÅÜ= g~ó~ä~äáíÜ~~= ï~ë= ëí~óJ áåÖK= fí= ÄÉäçåÖë= íç= Ñ~ãáäó ãÉãÄÉêë= çÑ= p~ëáâ~ä~K= páåÅÉ íÜÉó=ïÉêÉ=ëÉåí=~ï~ó=Ñêçã=íÜÉ éä~ÅÉ= ÇìêáåÖ= ^f^ajh êÉÖáãÉ=áå=NVVQI=íÜÉó=êÉèìÉëíJ ÉÇ= íÜÉ= íÜÉå= ajh= ÖçîÉêåJ ãÉåí= íç= í~âÉ= ~Åíáçå= ~Ö~áåëí PTI íÜçëÉ=ä~åÇ=Öê~ÄÄÉÇÒK

pìéÉêÄìÖ=ëÅ~êÉW q~êÖÉí=fåÇá~å ãÉÇáÅ~ä=íçìêáëã AGRA: qÜÉ=ëÅ~êÉ=~Äêç~Ç=çîÉê íÜÉ= ëìéÉêÄìÖ= çê= kajJN= EkÉï aÉäÜá= jÉí~ääç= ÄÉí~= ä~Åí~ã~ëÉF ä~ëí= óÉ~ê= ï~ë= ÇÉäáÄÉê~íÉäó= ÅêÉJ ~íÉÇ=íç=í~êåáëÜ=fåÇá~Ûë=áã~ÖÉ=~ë ~=ãÉÇáÅ~ä=íçìêáëã=ÇÉëíáå~íáçåI ë~óë=sj= h~íçÅÜI= ÇáêÉÅíçê= ÖÉåJ Éê~ä= çÑ= íÜÉ= fåÇá~å= `çìåÅáä= çÑ jÉÇáÅ~ä=oÉëÉ~êÅÜ=Ef`joFK ^=ÜóéÉ=íç=ÅêÉ~íÉ=ëçãÉ=âáåÇ çÑ=~=ëÅ~êÉ=~Äçìí=ëìéÉêÄìÖ=íÜÉJ çêó= çÄîáçìëäó= ÜÉäéë= ëçãÉ ÅçìåíêáÉëIÒ=h~íçÅÜI=ïÜç=áë=~äëç ëÉÅêÉí~êó=áå=íÜÉ=ÇÉé~êíãÉåí=çÑ ÜÉ~äíÜ=êÉëÉ~êÅÜI=ë~áÇK eÉ= ë~áÇ= íÜÉêÉ= ï~ë= åçíÜáåÖ ìåìëì~äK= qÜÉ= ëìéÉêÄìÖ= Ü~ë ÄÉÉå= âåçïå= Ñçê= óÉ~êëK= qÜÉ ëÅ~êÉ= çÄîáçìëäó= ëìáíÉÇ= ëçãÉ áåíÉêÉëí= Öêçìéë= ~Äêç~ÇK= tÉ Ü~îÉ= ~äï~óë= ëíêÉëëÉÇ= ÖêÉ~íÉê éêÉÅ~ìíáçåë= ~åÇ= Å~êÉ= áå= äÉîÉäë çÑ=ÜóÖáÉåÉ=~åÇ=ë~åáí~êó=ÅçåÇáJ íáçåë=áå=çìê=Üçëéáí~äëKÒ h~íçÅÜ= ï~ë= áå= ^Öê~= íç ~ííÉåÇ= ~= ÅçåÑÉêÉåÅÉ= çå ~Çî~åÅÉë= áå= ãçäÉÅìä~ê= íÉÅÜJ åáèìÉë=~åÇ=íÜÉáê=~ééäáÅ~íáçå=áå ÜÉ~äíÜ=~åÇ=ÇáëÉ~ëÉëK h~íçÅÜ=ÇáÇ=åçí=ëÉÉ=~åó=åÉï íÜêÉ~í= çê= ÅçåÇáíáçå= íç= ê~áëÉ= ~å ~ä~êã=çå=íÜÉ=ëìéÉêÄìÖ=áëëìÉK eÉ~äíÜ= Ñ~ÅáäáíáÉë= ~åÇ= íêÉ~íJ ãÉåí= áå= fåÇá~= ~êÉ= Ñ~áêäó= ÖççÇ ~åÇ= ~ÑÑçêÇ~ÄäÉ= ~åÇ= íÜÉêÉ= Ü~ë ÄÉÉå= ~= ÇáëÅÉêåáÄäÉ= áåíÉêÉëí= áå ÅáíáòÉåë=çÑ=ëÉîÉê~ä=ÅçìåíêáÉë=íç

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Around the World

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

Universally fresh

Poll setback for Putin’s United Russia party MOSCOW: Vladimir Putin’s ruling party Monday barely won half the vote in legislative polls marred by claims of dirty tricks by the authorities, a major setback for the Russian strongman ahead of his planned Kremlin comeback.

United Russia won just 50.16 percent of the vote, the Central Election Commission said in results based on 85 percent of polling stations, while the Communist Party was second with 19.13 percent.

The poor show comes after the Russian strongman announced in September that he planned to reclaim his old Kremlin job in the March presidential polls, reflecting that more and more Russians may be growing disillusioned with his 11-year rule.

The outcome marks a major reversal from the last parliamentary elections.

Veteran Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov said the vote was a wake-up call for the Kremlin showing it would have to make more room for the opposition in the parliament.

“People have refused to give credence to the authorities, and in the future we will have a dramatically new political layout in the

Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin speaks to supporters in the United Russia ruling party’s campaign staff in Moscow, yesterday AFP

Duma,” he said.

Putin sought to put a brave face on the results, saying the polling results reflected the state of affairs in the country.

“Based on these results, we will be able to ensure the stable development of our country,” he said in a terse speech standing alongside President Dmitry Medvedev at United Russia campaign headquarters.

Medvedev rejected the claims of foul play by the authorities, saying the election results showed Russian ‘democracy in action’ and reflected voters’ true moods.

Opponents and Moscowbased Western-funded observer group Golos had said the

vote was marred by unprecedented violations as the ruling elite downed websites and harassed monitors to limit dissent.

Putin, who has dominated Russia since 2000, is widely expected to win back his old Kremlin job in March presidential elections after his fouryear stint as prime minister.

His protege Medvedev is set to step aside and become prime minister, a step that the two men hope will determine Russia’s political future and stability for years to come.

The populist A Just Russia group had 12.98 percent of the vote while the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party was fourth with 11.8 percent, the

results showed.

“The authorities are losing trust -- it’s a new situation for them,” said Sergei Lukashevsky, head of the Andrei Sakharov Museum and Public Center.

“The regime’s ideology is exhausting itself.”

Maria Lipman, an analyst with the Carnegie Moscow Center, said the ruling party’s poor showing will present the Kremlin with a choice. “What to do next?” she said. “To tighten the screws or get adjusted to a new reality in which United Russia no longer has an unchallenged monopoly?”

Moscow Echo radio, citing senior United Russia sources, reported that United Russia chairman Boris Gryzlov would resign his post as Duma speaker, in a sign that the Kremlin will draw lessons from Sunday’s vote. The party refused to confirm the report.

Veteran liberal politician Grigory Yavlinsky’s Yabloko party trailed in fifth place with 3 percent of the vote, the results showed.

Results from Russia’s regions showed miserable performances by United Russia, especially in far-flung regions with resentment against the policies of the authorities.

9

Clinton’s Israel remarks earn ire

JERUSALEM: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Saturday’s remarks voicing concerns about Israel’s democracy and women’s rights in the country have anguished some Jewish lawmakers who view her comments as “exaggerated.”

Speaking at the Saban Forum in Washington, Clinton said her concerns were caused

by Israel’s recently passed legislation that limits foreign funding for non-governmental organisations(NGOs), Xinhua reported.

She cited the gender segregation on certain bus lines as well as religious soldiers who refuse to attend women’s performances, and compared the phenomena to that of Iran, the Ha’aretz daily reported.

Several Israeli ministers, strongly disapproved Clinton’s claims “The Israeli democracy is alive, liberal and breathing,” said Israel’s Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz while calling Clinton’s comments “completely exaggerated”.

‘Effin’ name gets Irish Iran shoots down US spy plane village barred on FB LONDON: Facebook users from a village called Effin in Ireland cannot use the name after the social networking website banned it for being “offensive”.

This was discovered by residents of the Irish village who said they could not register the village name as their place of birth on the website, The Sun reported.

Ann Marie Kennedy, who was born in the village, has launched a campaign to get it recognised by Facebook.

But when she tried to cre-

ate a Facebook group called “Please get my hometown Effin recognised”, it was also rejected.

“It came back with an error message saying ‘offensive’. I would like to be able to put Effin on my profile page and so would many other Effin people around the world to proudly say that they are from Effin, but it won’t recognise that,” she said.

Kennedy is trying to get the village’s population of around 1,000 behind her cause.

TEHRAN : Iran’s armed forces have shot down an unmanned US spy plane that violated Iranian airspace along the country’s eastern border, the official IRNA news agency reported .

An unidentified military official quoted in the report warned of a strong and crushing response to any violations of the country’s airspace by American drone aircraft.

“An advanced RQ-170 unmanned American spy plane was shot down by Iran’s armed forces. It suffered minor damage and is now in possession of Iran’s armed forces,” IRNA quoted the official as saying.

The US-led coalition in Afghanistan said in a statement the aircraft may be an

American drone that its operators lost contact with last week while it was flying a mission over neighbouring western Afghanistan.

Iran is locked in a dispute with the US and its allies over Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme, which the West believes is aimed at developing nuclear weapons.

Iran denies the accusations,

saying its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and that it seeks to generate electricity and produce isotopes to treat medical patients.

The RQ-170 Sentinel, is made by Lockheed Martin and was reportedly used to keep watch on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan as the raid that killed him was taking place earlier this year.

Sport

T

he former Brazil captain Sócrates has died at the age of 57. Sócrates had been in the Albert Einstein Israeli hospital in São Paulo since Thursday, when he was interned with food poisoning which developed into septic shock. He had been on a life support machine, the newspaper O Estado said.

It was the third time Sócrates had been taken to hospital since August, when he spent nine days there due to a digestive haemorrhage caused by excessive drinking.

Sócrates, who played for Brazil at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups, spent 17 days in the hospital in September, with liver trouble. He had been recommended for a transplant.

A qualified doctor, whose full name was Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira, he sprang to fame at Corinthians in the early 1980s.

The bearded, lanky Socrates was a leading player of his generation, along with the midfielder Zico. He also played in Italy for Fiorentina.

Sócrates's club career also included spells at Botafogo, Corinthians, Flamengo and Santos, while in 2004 he famously came out of retirement at the age of 50 to make a one-off substitute appearance for Garforth Town.

Simon Clifford, the man who was responsible for taking Sócrates to Garforth, was quick to pay his respects.

Writing on his Twitter page, he said: "Another sad weekend for football with the passing of our friend Sócrates, wonderful player & principled man who stood by his values, RIP." A qualified doctor – he took his exams while playing – Sócrates was named in World Soccer's top 100 players of all time and was put up as one of compatriot Pelé's 125 greatest-ever players. His brother Raí succeeded where he failed, winning the World Cup with Brazil in 1994.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

10

Former Brazil football captain Sócrates dies in hospital at the age of 57

THE WISDOM OF SOCRATES THIS SPORTING LIFE

1954: Born Sócrates

Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira on 19 February in Belém do Pará, Brazil.

1974: Makes professional debut for Botafogo.

1978: Joins Corinthians, for whom he will play almost 300 games.

1979: Makes debut for

Brazil. He will win 60 caps and score 22 goals.

1982: Captains Brazil in

the World Cup in Spain, but they fail to make it past the second round.

1984: Joins Italian side Fiorentina.

1986: Returns to Brazil

to play for Flamengo. Plays at the World Cup in Mexico, where Brazil lose in the quarter-finals to France, on penalties.

1989: Returns to Botafogo.

2004: More than a

decade after retiring, agrees a one-month player-coaching deal with a Northern Counties East club, Garforth Town. Comes on as a substitute 12 minutes from time in a 2-2 draw against Tadcaster Albion – his only appearance for the club is watched by a club record crowd of more than 1,000 at Wheatley Park.

Another sad weekend for football with the passing of our friend Sócrates, wonderful player & principled man who stood by his values, RIP Simon Clifford

2008: Inducted into the Pacaembu Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame.

2011: Dies in São Paulo,

according to reports in his home country.

Business

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

Matters of saving and spending

11

Crisis jut a ‘blip’: Steven Levitt Penny MacRae

NEW DELHI: No matter how bad the global financial turmoil seems, don’t worry — there’s no doomsday looming on the horizon, says Freakonomics author Steven Levitt.

Levitt, known for his startling and provocative observations about human behaviour, has comforting words for those alarmed about Europe’s debt crisis and the sluggish US economy.

“It doesn’t feel like ‘The End’,” said Levitt, 44, a leading professor of economics at the University of Chicago, who was on a lightning 48-hour trip to India for a speaking engagement.

“The US economy is even growing a little,” Levitt noted, referring to a two percent expansion in the last quarter.

In fact, “economies around the world have grown so much since World War Two, — unless there’s something horrific on the horizon which I don’t see — people will look back on these days as nothing more than a blip,” he told AFP. “We’re certainly not looking at something like the Great Depression,” added Levitt, who co-authored the best-selling Freakonomics and its much-accla-

imed sequel SuperFreakonomics.

Levitt, who revels in the tag of a “rogue economist” challenging conventional wisdom, said people were also far too worried about terrorism.

While governments across the world pump huge resources into tackling terrorism, it is only a “minor problem in the larger scheme of things”, he argued.

“We can’t ignore the fact that many more people die in car crashes each year — in fact it really puts to shame (the casualty toll from) terrorist attacks.

“It is only our reaction to terrorism that is so extreme that it makes the problem look bigger than it actually is,” said Levitt, who in 2003 won the John Bates Clark Medal as the most influential economist in America under the age of 40.

Despite his successful career, he says he has “never been proficient in math” and had to struggle with the subject all through school.

When he was admitted to Massachusetts Institute of Technology to do his doctorate,

he realised “a terrible mistake had been made” because he had such trouble doing the maths.

“But they had had a problem with student suicides at MIT and didn’t like to flunk anyone.

“Also, failing someone involved a lot of paperwork which professors didn’t like so they kept tossing me on to the next year.”

Levitt says he has an enormous appetite for probing the riddles of life and decides his subjects through personal experiences and the incongruities that he sees around him.

“I just follow my nose to look at events and circumstances and draw conclusions,” he said.

He is known for applying economic reasoning to unusual real-world topics and coming up with counter-intuitive conclusions, such as the fact that many drug dealers live with their mothers because they just don’t earn that much.

He also created a stir by suggesting that the elimination of unwanted pregnancies helps reduce the population of wouldbe criminals.

He compares his interest in “freakonomics” with the work of his father — a world-renowned medical expert in intestinal gas who is known in some quarters as the “King of Farts”.

His father was told he did not have much talent for medical research but there was one area desperate for scientists — intestinal gas — and so he applied himself in that field and became a leading voice.

“When you’re not good enough to compete on an equal footing with other people, you’ve got to find that niche nobody else wants to take up.

“What I do (in economics) parallels my father’s career in gas,” Levitt said.

Sensex down 76 pts in opening Online sales hit record levels trade on profit-booking MUMBAI: The BSE benchmark Sensex fell by over 76 points in opening trade today as funds and retail investors booked gains recorded in the previous three sessions despite a firming trend on other Asian bourses.

The 30-share Sensex, which has gained nearly 840 points in the previous three sessions, fell by 76.32 points, or 0.45 per cent, to 16,770.51 in opening trade today. In a similar fashion, the wide-based National Stock Exchange Nifty Index shed 25.10 points, or 0.49 per cent, to 5,025.05.

Stocks of metal, banking, oil and gas and realty firmsbore the brunt of the selling pressure, dragging down the Sensex.

Brokers said the emergence of profit-booking by speculators

after the recent gains mainly checked a further advance in stock prices, but a slightly better trend on other Asian bourses limited the losses in the domestic market.

Meanwhile, in the Asia region, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was up by 0.55 per cent, while Japan’s Nikkei gained 0.52 per cent in morning trade today. Rupee declines by 12 paise against

US dollar in early trade The Indian rupee fell by 12 paise to Rs 51.32 per US dollar in early trade today, weighed down by gains posted by the American currency against other Asian peers overseas amid a weak trend in the domestic equity market.

The domestic unit had closed 26 paise higher at a fresh two-week high of Rs 51.20/21 per US dollar on the Interbank Foreign Exchange in the previous session on Friday amid a rally in the stock market and dollar-selling by exporters and some corporates. Dealers said weakness of other Asian currencies against the dollar overseas and a lower opening in the domestic stock market mainly put pressure on the rupee in PTI early trade today.

WASHINGTON: American consumers spent more than a billion dollars a day last week during a three-day online sales period, which started with “Cyber Monday,” a monitoring firm reported Sunday.

The firm comScore said that for the holiday season to date, $18.7 billion has been spent online, marking a 15-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year.

The most recent week saw three individual days eclipse $1 billion in spending, led by “Cyber Monday,” which became the heaviest online spending day on record, the firm noted.

On that day alone consumers’ online spending came to $1.25 billion.

Tuesday, November 29, reached $1.12 billion, while Wednesday, November 30 reached $1.03 billion, com Score said.

These three billion dollar spending days currently rank as three of the four heaviest online spending days in history, according to the firm.

“As the deals from this week expire, it will be important to see the degree to which consumers return to the same retailers to continue their holiday shopping,” commented comScore AFP chairman Gian Fulgoni.

BSE – 16,716.596130.24, NSE – 5,008.10642.05, Gold 24k(10g)– `29,400, Silver (1kg)–57,800, Dollar $ – `51.41, Pound £ – `80.22

Play Field

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

A critical look at games and players

Cup draw throws up Manchester derby B

arclays Premier League top two Manchester City and Manchester United will meet in a mouth-watering FA Cup third-round tie.

City will welcome their archrivals to the Etihad Stadium still revelling in their 6-1 league triumph at Old Trafford in October. The tie was one of only two all-Premier League affairs to emerge from Sunday afternoon’s draw, with Newcastle hosting Blackburn in the other.

Arsenal will host npower Championship Leeds in a repeat of the 1972 final, while Blue Square Conference Tamworth’s reward for their 2-1 second round win at Gateshead is a trip to top-flight Everton.

Chelsea boss Andre VillaBoas’ first taste of the FA Cup will come at home to Championship side Portsmouth, who beat Cardiff in the 2008 final.

Aston Villa face a trip to League Two Bristol Rovers, who earned their place in the third round with a 6-1 demolition of Southern Premier Division AFC Totton on Sunday afternoon.

Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham will also entertain opposition from League Two as

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Huth hurts Toffees

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Cheltenham head for White Hart Lane, while Liverpool will await the outcome of the second-round replay between Southend and Oldham to discover their opponents.

Fulham take on League One leaders Charlton, while midlands neighbours Birmingham and Wolves will meet at St Andrew’s. Premier League newcomers Norwich have been drawn at home to Championship

Burnley, while Swansea, who were promoted with the Canaries, travel to Barnsley and Q P R travel to League One MK Dons.

There are away ties too for Stoke, who head for League Two Gillingham, and Bolton, who will visit either Conference South Chelmsford or League Two Macclesfield, and Martin O’Neill’s first FA Cup tie in charge of Sunderland will come at

Peterborough of the Championship.

West Brom entertain Championship promotion hopefuls Cardiff, while Premier League basement boys Wigan head for League Two Swindon.

Elsewhere, West Ham boss Sam Allardyce will take his side to Hillsborough to face Sheffield Wednesday, and Championship leaders Southampton head for bottom-of-the-table Coventry.

Wolves fightback stuns Black Cats N ew manager Martin O’Neill saw Sunderland miss a penalty before Steven Fletcher’s double earned Wolves a 2-1 victory at Molineux.

O’Neill, who will officially take charge on Monday as Steve Bruce’s successor, watched from the directors box as Kieran Richardson put the Black Cats ahead early in the second period.

But then Sebastian Larsson saw his penalty saved by Wolves keeper Wayne Hennessey

before Fletcher struck twice in eight minutes.

Victory moved Wolves fourpoints clear of the bottom three and relieved the pressure on manager Mick McCarthy.

Wolves threatened for the first time when Jamie O’Hara’s volley ballooned up to Christophe Berra whose header was held on the line by Keiren Westwood.

Stephen Ward came to Wolves’ rescue three minutes

before the interval when he cleared off the line from the impressive Stephane Sessegnon. But after 53 minutes a superb strike from Richardson put Sunderland in front after a quickfire counter-attack.

Nicklas Bendtner’s flick found Sessegnon in space and he released the overlapping Richardson whose rising shot flew past Hennessey inside the near post for his second goal of the season.

toke gained some welcome relief from their Europa League hangovers with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park.

Tony Pulis’ side recorded victory after a European outing for only the second time this season. Defender Robert Huth’s first goal of the campaign early on proved to be enough as Everton missed the chance to pick up a third successive Barclays Premier League win for the first time in 22 months.

They were not without their chances, however, and should have had a penalty just before half-time and could easily have had another after the break.

Tony Pulis’ side recorded victory after a European outing for second time this season.

There was little in the early exchanges with Diniyar Bilyaletdinov bundling a shot wide, before the Russian’s weak header from Matt Etherington’s 15th-minute corner dropped to Dean Whitehead on the edge of the penalty area and he drilled in a shot which Huth turned past Tim Howard from close range.

Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini was convinced he should have had a penalty on the stroke of half-time when he nodded Bilyaletdinov’s corner wide.

The Belgium international claimed he was being held by Ryan Shawcross and television replays suggested his accusation was right.

Play Field

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

A critical look at games and players

13

Woods ends title drought T

he former world number one was trailing his fellow American Zach Johnson but pulled out a two at the short 17th and then added a three at the last to close out victory.

Woods made a 69 to finish 10 under par for the tournament, one ahead of Johnson who carded a 71.

England’s Paul Casey, who began the week with a 79, finished third on five under after a third successive round under 70, a 69.

Woods had conceded the overnight lead to Johnson after a third round of 73, but he only trailed by one shot and it remained tight between the pair throughout the closing 18 holes.

But when it mattered most Woods made back-to-back birdies while his playing partner

managed just pars, securing the swing he needed to take the title and the 1.2million US dollars (£770,000) in prize money.

It gave him his first win since the BMW Championship in September 2009, which was followed by the sex scandal which cost him his marriage and led to Woods taking a spell out of golf.

Woods came into the week on a positive note having helped the United States to win the Presidents Cup, after also finishing third in the Australian Open last month.

Asked after clinching victory whether it felt like joy, relief or satisfaction, Woods said: “It feels awesome whatever it is.”

Tiger Woods ended a long barren streak by winning his first tournament since 2009 — making birdie at the closing two holes to win the Chevron World Challenge

Davis Cup glory for Spain R

afael Nadal ensured Spain victory in the Davis Cup final after bouncing back from a onesided first set against Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro to win a four-set classic in Seville.

World number two Nadal was a 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6 (7/0) winner in the penultimate rubber, sealing the title for his country for a fifth time after taking a 3-1 lead with one singles clash to play.

Del Potro was irresistible in the opening exchanges but Nadal quickly found his best form, levelling matters and then coasting into the lead in the third set. The fourth proved a thriller in every

respect, with both men serving for the set only to be broken as the momentum ebbed and flowed before Nadal dominated the tie-breaker.

After guiding Spain to victory Nadal immediately announced he will sit out their title defence in 2012.

It was a fifth world team crown for the Spanish but their hopes of making it six receded within an hour when Nadal confirmed a crammed schedule - made worse by the London Olympics — would prevent him from participating next year. Spain will certainly miss Nadal — his two wins over Juan Monaco and Del Potro paving the way for this success.

Champions Challenge: India buckle last-minute JOHANNESBURG: A last minute goal saw India lose 3-4 to Belgium in an exhilarating final of the Champions Challenge hockey tournament here Sunday.

India were comfortably sitting on a 3-1 cushion in the second half but a resiliant Belgium bounced back in the match.

Tom Boon scored the winner and in the process became the joint top scorer of the tournament along with Justin Reid Ross of South Africa with eight goals.

For India, V.R.Raghunath (23rd minute), Sandeep Singh (41th) and Shivender Singh (54) scored. Belgium, who defeated Argentina in a tense

shoot-out for a place in the final, responded through Jerome Dekeyser’s brace (44th, 57th) and Gauthier Boccard’s strike (55th)before Boon (70th) separated the two teams.

Sandeep finished with seven goals, all through penalty corners, and won the Player of the Tournament award.

But it was hardly a consolation for India as their propensity to concede last minute goals came back to haunt them.

Belgium, who have already made it to the London Olympics, also qualified for next December’s champions Trophy in Australia.

“It is a cherry on the cake,” said ecstatic Belgian player Xavier Reckinger.

Wacky World

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

Fun and frolic in a flat world

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Driver seat, keys fail to help man steal police car

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olice officers in Amherst, Ohio, on Tuesday arrested a Lorain man they say tried to steal an Amherst police car.

The incident happened outside the police station just before 7 pm while an officer was leaving to check on a car crash.

According to a news release from the Amherst Police Department, the officer noticed a man sitting in the driver’s seat of police car 107 with the doors locked. Officers tried to unlock the cruiser’s doors but were unable to remove the man from the car.

Police said the man, 38year-old Peter Theado of Lorain, used the computer inside the cruiser and the police radio to ask dispatch how to put the car in gear. Theado told officers he wanted to take the car out on “patrol” to protect the people of Amherst, the news release said.

The world’s biggest bug?

I s this the world’s biggest bug? As with all superlatives, it depends on your definition. But the sight of a New Zealand giant weta chomping down on a carrot surely has to give you the creeps, even if it’s rivaled by other giant creepy crawlies.

This particular species of the cricketlike creature — known as a giant weta or wetapunga to the Maori, and as Deinacrida heteracantha to scientists — is found only in protected areas such as New Zealand’s Little Barrier Island.

That’s where Mark (“Doctor Bugs”) Moffett, an entomologist

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and explorer at the Smithsonian Institution, found the specimen after two nights of searching.

“The giant weta is the largest insect in the world, and this is the biggest one ever found,” Britain’s Daily Mail quoted Moffett as saying. “She weighs the equivalent to three mice. ... She enjoyed the carrot so much she seemed to ignore the fact she was resting on our hands and carried on munching away. She would have finished the carrot very quickly, but this is an extremely endangered species, and we didn’t want to risk indigestion.”

The carrot-crunching cricket went viral today, and now

pparently, women can now wear condoms too!

Thanks to a Vietnamese student, Nguyen Minh Tuan, who created a dress entirely made of condoms. He made the dress for his graduation project at Van Lang University in Ho Chi Minh City. The dress is called “Breaking the Condom Taboo” and contains 700 condoms.

Tuan says he created the dress with a purpose – to raise awareness of the use of condoms among the Vietnamese people.

According to Tuan, the attitude of the Vietnamese towards sex

questions are starting to emerge about the “biggest bug” label.

The information accompanying the picture lists the insect’s weight at 2.5 ounces (71 grams) and its length at 7 inches (17.8 centimeters, supposedly for wingspan, but keep reading).

The New Zealand-based news site Stuff.co.nz checked that with Landcare Research entomologist Thomas Buckley.

“From the picture, it’s a female, but it just looks like an averagesized one of that species,” Buckley said.

Even the biggest giant weta has its rivals in the insect world. By some accounts,

goliath beetles can reach a weight of 100 grams (3.5 ounces) during their larval stage and achieve a wingspan of nearly 10 inches (25 centimeters). The White Witch moth, meanwhile, has a wingspan of up to 12 inches (31 centimeters), which is wider than the wings of a sparrow.

But if you confine yourself strictly to adult insects, and define “big” in terms of weight, Moffett appears to have a good case. He told me in an email that the giant weta he found counts as the “largest one weighed, as far as I have seen recorded anywhere.”

He then told police that he wanted to be a police officer but was disappointed that he couldn’t get the car in drive, Amherst police said.

The police department said the cruiser was not running at the time. The keys were inside, but the car had a security system.

Theado was charged with criminal trespassing, attempted grand theft, obstruction of official business and unauthorized use of a police computer.

He was taken to the Lorain County Correctional Facility.

Design student creates fashionable dress from condoms and safe sex practices needs changing. So he decided to make the dress a part of World AIDS Day on the 1st of December. He hopes that the dress will encourage people to use condoms and protect their loved ones against STDs. The dress itself is quite pretty, and has been getting compliments from designers and models worldwide. In fact,

unless the dress is looked at upclose, it’s hard to tell that it has been made from condoms. The dress is being described as quite versatile, designed to suit different body types. Although latex has been used in garments before this, it is perhaps the first time that a dress has been fashioned entirely with condoms in their original form. It is highly

unlikely though, that the dress might make an appearance in retail stores or malls. Regular women would probably find it weird to wear a dress made of condoms, no matter how pretty it is. It is unclear as to what Tuan plans to do with his creation. For now, he seems to be happy with creating an awareness about condoms and safe sex.

Brave New World

From the world of science & research

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

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Impact of climate change on world’s highest mountains F

indings from the most comprehensive assessment to date on climate change, snow and glacier melt in Asia’s mountainous Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region — site of Mount Everest and many of the world’s tallest peaks — highlight the region’s extreme vulnerability to climate change, as rising temperatures disturb the balance of snow, ice and water, threatening millions of mountain people and 1.3 billion people living downstream in Asia’s major river basins.

The findings, published in three reports by the Kathmandu - based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), were released during Mountain Day, a convening of mountain experts, policy makers, and climate change negotiators on the sidelines of UN climate talks.

The three reports published by ICIMOD provide the most up-to-date compilation of information on the current

impacts.” The region offers livelihoods to the 210 million people living there and indirectly provides goods and services to the 1.3 billion people living in river basins downstream who benefit from food and energy.

Rich in biodiversity, the region is home to some 25,000 plant and animal species, and contains a larger diversity of forest types than the Amazon. Yet despite an abundance of natural resources in the region, poverty is rife. HKH countries account for 15 per cent of the world’s total migration.

status of climate change in the HKH region and the first authoritative data on the number and extent of glaciers and the patterns of snowfall in the world’s most mountainous region.

“The Hindu Kush-Himalayan region is like a gentle giant.

While physically imposing, it is one of the most ecologically sensitive areas in the world,” said David Molden, director general of ICIMOD. “We must meet the intensity of climate change in these mountains with an equal intensity of will to mitigate and to adapt to the

Valuable new data on glaciers and snow The HKH region, home to 30 per cent of the world’s glaciers, has been called the ‘Third Pole’. But there are scant data on these glaciers. One of the reports, The Status of Glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region — presenting findings of a three-year Swedenfunded research project led by ICIMOD — begins to fill in the

important data gaps. Using remote sensing studies, the project was able to tally the number of glaciers in the region — over 54,000 — and measure the area covered, 60,000km.

Of these 54,000 glaciers, however, only ten have been studied regularly to determine the net loss or gain of ice and snow (called the mass balance).

That handful of studies shows a loss of mass balance, with the rate of loss roughly doubling between 1980 and 2000 and 1996 and 2005. In the Everest area, the data show a marked acceleration in the loss of glacial mass between 2002 and 2005. Glaciers appear to be shrinking in both the central and eastern Himalayas. The clean glaciers of the Tibetan plateau are retreating at a faster rate than the glaciers of the rugged central Himalayas, which have higher debris cover; debris creates an insulating effect, slowing melting.

To continue

Undersea robots to get the big picture

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cientists have successfully transitioned fundamental research in autonomy to undersea gliders, demonstrating in recent sea tests how the new software, sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), can help robots become smarter at surveying large swaths of ocean.

“Using the new algorithms, the vehicle has a greater ability to make its own decisions without requiring a human in the loop,” said Marc Steinberg, programme officer for ONR’s Adaptive Networks for Threat

and Intrusion Detection or Termination (ANTIDOTE), a multi-disciplinary university research programme.

With plans to deploy squadrons of air, surface and undersea robotic vehicles later this decade, the Department of the Navy is investing in basic research programmes to improve autonomous system capabilities.

“Advancing autonomy for unmanned systems allows you the ability to do things that wouldn’t be practical otherwise because we don’t have enough warfighters or communication today,” said Steinberg, who works in ONR’s Naval Air Warfare and Weapons Department. “If you incorporate some intelligence on the vehicles that can solve complex mission problems, then we can enable wholly new capabilities that can be achieved with limited numbers of people and communications in complicated, dynamic environments.”

ONR provided funding to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and University of Southern California (USC) to advance the intelligence of autonomous vehicles under both ANTIDOTE and a related university programme called Smart Adaptive Reliable

Teams for Persistent Surveillance.

They developed a persistent surveillance theory that provides a framework for decision-making software that maximises a robot’s collection of information over a given area. It gives some guarantees on performance in dynamic environments.

“The ability to do surveillance that takes into account the actual conditions of the environment brings a whole new level of automation and capability,” said Dr Daniela Rus, co-director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory Centre for Robotics. “We have come up with a solution that lets the robot do local reasoning to make decisions and adjust the path autonomously without having to come up to the surface to interact with humans.”

The scientists produced an algorithm that incorporates both the user’s sensing priorities and environmental factors, such as ocean currents, into a computer model to help undersea robots conduct surveys and mapping missions more efficiently.

Tests proved the benefits of using the new algorithm. The scientists conducted two separate experiments using underwater robots called gliders.

H‑Factor

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

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World Aids Week

Sensitivity is the key Despite being literate and progressive, society still shuns people with HIV, making it harder for them to seek help Ranjani Rajendra ranjani.r@postnoon.com

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hen Rama’s husband was diagnosed with HIV, the couple were shocked. To add to their woes, his family members turned their backs upon him. Despite being an only son, his parents began avoiding him, simply because of the stigma attached to HIV. Shocked and disappointed at this, he withdrew into a shell and had bouts of depression. Eventually, unable to bear the trauma of it all, he passed away within a couple of years of his diagnosis leaving behind his wife and threeyear-old son.

Despite how much society has progressed in recent times with live in relationships, one night stands, premarital and casual sex becoming the norm, it is surprising how there’s still so much taboos about certain issues. People with HIV still have little confidence to come out in the open about their condition. Fear of stigma and societal back lash still keeps them from seeking help, information or even counselling. In fact, there are

still cases of kids being forced to leave school because their parents are HIV positive or people losing jobs for having tested positive.

“When a person is told he/she is HIV positive they are quite devastated. What they need at such a time is counselling. While they don’t need to be mollycoddled, they don’t need to be judged either. For all you know they could have gotten HIV due to

blood transfusion. It is not always due to sexual contact.

Even if it is sexually transmitted, the fact that they’ve got the virus is bad enough. We can’t make it worse for them by shunning them and being judgemental,” says Dr Savita Date Menon, consultant psychologist at Apollo Hospital.

The fall out of such a scenario would be that the person who is already reeling under the shock of being HIV

positive will face a huge emotional turmoil and probably go into depression. This will definitely not help matters.

“These people suffer a lot as it is. First is the shock of being diagnosed with HIV, then the accusatory glances and fingers being pointed at them. Usually all of them have a tragic story behind being HIV positive. We need to be more humane. And they don’t cease to being human beings just because they are positive to be treated badly,” says Mr Parthasarathy, project director at Apsacs.

The key to getting better sensitivity towards people who are HIV positive is to educate and spread awareness among the public. “To eradicate the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS one first needs to educate people about it.

The two are interlinked. It is because people are not aware of what HIV actually is and how it spreads that they are so negative towards such people,” says Parthasarathy.

Also in companies with strong HR policies it is unlikely that people with HIV will be discriminated against.

However, it is in companies where policies are not well defined that such people might face a problem. But given the kind of progress our society has made, it is about time they stopped categorising HIV/AIDS as an amoral disease. People with HIV can still lead near normal and respectable lives.

In both Phir Milenge (above) and Philadelphia, the protagonist after being diagnosed with HIV is sacked simply because of the stigma attached to it

Breast can be reconstructed

Dr P Raghu Ram

What is breast reconstruction?

The option of breast reconstruction must be discussed by the specialist with a patient requiring mastectomy. Breast reconstruction can be done either at the same time as the primary operation or many months after primary surgery (delayed Reconstruction).

There are different breast reconstruction options available depending on the individual, age, general fitness, type of breast cancer and any future treatment that may be necessary. It is all individualised.

Having an immediate reconstruction avoids the need of future surgery. Women who are likely to need radiotherapy to the chest wall after mastectomy may be advised to have delayed reconstruction as radiotherapy may impair the result of reconstruction.

It must be remembered that reconstruction is major surgery and should be considered carefully.

What is Oncoplastic breast surgery?

Oncoplastic breast surgery is one of the most interesting and challenging new developments of the last 20 years. The aims of oncoplastic surgery are wide local excision of the cancer coupled with partial reconstruction of the defect in the breast to achieve a cosmetically acceptable result.

Avoidance of mastectomy, consequent reduction of psychological morbidity and patient satisfaction are the principal goals in the development of various oncoplastic techniques Oncoplastic surgery allows large areas of the breast to be removed in carefully selected patients without the need for the patient to undergo a mastectomy.

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

F‑Folio

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

From mundane to luxury look

Paillettes: If looking like you've gone 10 rounds in the Christmas decorations aisle in Tesco is not your intention, bypass sequin-trimmed party frocks and choose one that is detailed with paillettes.

Demonstrated beautifully

by Stella McCartney, who sprinkled her autumn/winter collection with polka dots cut from cotton, paillettes offer a grown-up way to wear embellishment.

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Backless: Where an ability to create floaty, divinely beautiful party frocks is concerned, Roksanda Ilincic is in a league of her own. We love this draped-back gown, part of her capsule collection, available exclusively at Matches. Proof that the onset of the silly season needn't mean dressing like a colourcrazed teenybopper. You heard it here first.

Pleats: The pleat has serious staying power. Set to remain in favour come next spring, a mid-length pleated frock remains a firm favourite with fashion bunnies.

Perfect for the party season particularly for those who favour a dressed-down approach - this wet-look style gown from Hobbs (£299) looks lovely layered with a sweater.

YOUR

OFFICE PARTY SURVIVAL GUIDE T

oo tight, too long, too drapey, too ugly or just way too likely to make that man from accounts think he's in with a chance this year, every Christmas-approved dress is loaded with a series of sequin-trimmed disasters waiting to happen But help is at hand. From the ultimate work-toplay party frock to the most elegant sequin-trimmed dress the high street has ever seen, we've done the hard work so that you, dear readers, don't have to.

Now, pass the mulled wine.

Feathers: Nothing says festive glamour like a dress that is lavished with ostrich feathers, yet for most of us it's a terrifying option.

Dip your toe in the trend with a frock that is subtly trimmed with the plucky stuff.

Matthew Williamson's is among our favourites (£2,500).

Dress it down with ankle boots.

PARTY IN STYLE Asymmetric hem:

EVENING STANDARD

Long at the back and short at the front, this slightly complicated dress style is all the rage with red-carpet-loving celebrities. Best avoided by anyone who intends to end their evening with a soggy walk home from the Tube, this mermaid-inspired gown from Oasis requires metallic heels and cash for a cab.

Eighteen Hour: There are no sequins, no silly fastenings and, most importantly (drum roll, please), it has sleeves.

Praise be! An Eighteen-Hour Dress so named because you'll wear it all day long without feeling the need to change - is an essential wardrobe addition, like this one from Preen, for stressed-out working women who intend to rush from the office to after-work engagements this month.

Matt sequins: You won't catch these on Strictly. Subtle, not silly, a matt or gunmetal sequin is the no-nonsense way to approach sparkle at Christmas time. This V-neck wrap dress from Coast is among the best examples on the high street. Great for a curvaceous silhouette. Wear with Hollywood hair and ruby-red lips.

Velvet: A dress for the under25s. This winter's crushed velvet - a fabric once the preserve of eccentric art teachers - requires its wearer to be young, slim and sprightly. Opt for a style in a short, playful cut and avoid - like the plague - anything drapey.

Note: velvet looks best in boozy hues of claret and purple.

Living Room

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

A peep into the lives of cityʼs stars and achievers

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PICS: A SUDHEER REDDY

Considerate yet firm all times

Recipient of the National Award for the best principal last year, Madhubala Kapoor is at the helm of one of the oldest schools in Hyderabad — Nasr.

Compassionate and humble, she is truly one of a kind. We talk to her about her journey, her ambitions and more

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I believe

Shiba Minai Shiba.m@postnoon.com

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adhubala Kapoor is committed to teaching and has believed in contributing to every student’s life.

A lot of people would wonder about what her own student life was like. “I did my schooling in Dehradun. I was a very quiet and shy student. I hardly ever spoke. I also played the sitar from the age of six, which I learnt on my own. I used to sing a lot too,” she reminisces. She further adds, “There was a time when I didn’t get out of bed until someone sang to me. And if on one day I was not heard singing, my dad thought I was unwell or upset.” She laughs.

So, did the idealistic principal ever bunk school, she says, “Absolutely not, as I studied in a very strict environment and we could not even imagine sneaking out of the sister’s sight. But yes, I did bunk classes in University as I was bad in math and hated sitting through my classes.” She continues, “Even my dad was a typically strict Rajput father, so such things never struck us. Although he was very loving and caring, he was very strict.”

What were some of the challenges that she had to overcome?

She says, “I don't think I had any major problems in life. But one of my toughest challenges was settling in Hyderabad after marriage.” She adds, “I was very fortunate to get a supportive husband and in-laws. I think I came onto my own after marriage,

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Never be judgmental Face the truth, never back off Compassion is one of the most important virtues a person can possess

Compassionate Educationist! thanks to them. And I slowly fell in love with Hyderabad and its tremendous culture. It also has this power of absorbing all kinds of people.

Today, I can manage to live in any other city for just a day or two, not more.” She also mentions, “My mum says this city taught me to tolerate chilly.”

To does she have any regrets in life, she smiles, and with a serene calmness replies, “I am a content person, and don't regret anything.” She elaborates, “I had intended to appear for IAS, but after having met my husband it all changed, and I gave it up. When I meet my old friends they enquire if I regret or miss all the luxuries they have. Trust me, I don't. I am glad I made these choices and

landed where I did.” We surely cant disagree.

To what concerns her the most about today's generation, she says, “My biggest worry is the gap between parents and children! Today, some parents are not even aware of what they children actually aspire. I feel the family time is missing. Electronic media is partly to be blamed; it is often found that in a family, some are on the Internet, some on television, one person on a call and another texting. This leaves little or no time for the family to bond.”

She further adds, “Another major concern is that education is perceived as showmanship by parents and kids alike. They

seem to have compromised on basic values. Can core human values be negotiated?”

She questions. We say, definitely not as its the foundation of the very existence of a human being.

To what would she be doing if she wasn’t a principal, she replies, “I think I would be a teacher or do anything with kids. I may also have done something with specially-abled children.”

Outside of work, she has many interests. “I love reading.

I read a lot. I love music. And a lot of people don't know I love knitting, it’s a great stress buster. I also love taking care of my garden. But nothing beats knitting, because every time I knit, I definitely find someone perfect to gift it to,” she says.

arsh Kapoor, her husband tells us how he admires his wife's ability to do justice to every role she dons. He says, “She can stand on her own and has great organising skills.”

He continues, “What makes her what she is the fact that she is considerate yet firm, and will never be found compromising on her principles.”

Would he like to change anything about her? “I don't think so,” he replies and adds, “There is little I would ever want differently.”

Son, Aditya Kapoor, an orthopedic surgeon, talks about his mother, “The most redeeming quality about her is, she has the courage to speak the truth, and does not mince her words.” He continues, “She is calm, soft spoken and extremely gentle.” He talks about how it’s overwhelming when people tell him about his mum, “Everywhere we go, we always find someone who walks up to my mum.

Although she has never taught me, I hear good things about her all the time. I think most people like her because of her unbiased and loving attitude towards her students.”

Magic Screen

About stars, actors, and a bit of fun

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

Hemanth Kumar hemanth.k@postnoon.com

J

ean Luc Godard once said, "Photography is truth. The cinema is truth at 24 frames per second." Whether art imitates life or vice versa, cinema has always been a direct reflection of the society.

Over the past 100 years, there has been a sea change in the themes Bollywood filmmakers have dealt with and majority of the films followed a certain pattern in each decade. If films about land and nation dominated in the 50s and 60s, Bollywood saw the rise of angry young man in the 70s.

After that it was all about families and romcoms. Now filmmakers are slowly drifting towards narrating stories about individuals and their journey. Ashutosh Gowarikar's Swades starring Shah Rukh Khan was about one man's journey to find his roots. Onir pushed the bar higher with his anthology of stories I Am which had several characters grappling with several issues including identity crisis.

Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar was about a man’s quest for salvation. Has Bollywood embraced stories which concentrate on individuals? The verdict is mixed.

"This is just a phase where characters take centerstage. It happens when characters are created first and then a story is woven around them.

Usually it's the other way around. When you take a mass market like

DISCOVERING THE SELF Bollywood is slowly drifting towards narrating stories about individuals and issues that they deal with.

21

Bollywood into consideration, new directors can't take such risks as it is quite tricky to understand how audience will react. Only well-settled directors can afford such risks," says Anand Ranga, a filmmaker. Over the past ten years, a handful of directors have created a niche for themselves and now directors like Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Imtiaz Ali have earned the creative freedom to tell their stories their way.

"Coming-of-age films have been on the radar for more than a decade now.

Earlier, the protagonist's conflict was more with the society and the family but now the stories have become much more personal. Sometimes the hero himself is his biggest obstacle," says Sudhish Kamath, a film critic.

Sanjay Gadhvi, the director of Dhoom, says, "It’s all about the new filmmakers wanting to make a difference. Unlike the usual trends of movies with weddings, family drama etc. the movies are more reflective of the individual struggle. Sometimes creative dearth also prods the director to dig deeper and he comes out with movies that are based on character introspection."

However, another filmmaker N Chandra has a different opinion to share. "I would not say its a new trend as character centric movies have been in the past as well. But at the same time, when these movies bounce back, it always brings back the interaction that the character has with the audience. Such trends are the reflective of the society and its always the society that guides the director and where he gets his inspiration from," he says.

(With inputs from Isha Mukoo)

Magic Screen

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

About stars, actors, and a bit of fun

‘The Dirty Picture’ not one day wonder, cash registers ringing

V

idya Balan’s noholds-barred performance in The Dirty Picture has received an overwhelming response and has managed to gross Rs20.32 crore at the domestic box office since its release on Friday. "The response is fantabulous. We are doing well in A, B, C centres. It’s holding on, it is not a one day wonder," Girish Johar, head of acquisition and distribution, Balaji Motion Pictures, said.

"We released the film

on 1766 screens, but the response is such that we are adding 30 to 40 screens. Even multiplexes are increasing the screening of the film," he added.

Directed by Milan Luthria, the film from Ekta Kapoor’s banner also sees Naseeruddin Shah, Emraan Hashmi and Tusshar Kapoor helping in recreating the era of the 1980s southern film industry and its functioning.

An unofficial biopic of southern sex symbol Silk

Dev Anand loved classical music

B

ollywood’s Nightingale Lata Mangeshkar remembers Dev Anand as a man who was fond of classical music, had a zest for life and never looked back or regretted anything. "He was a very lively person. He was an amazing person. He continued working despite his age. He never looked back. He used to say, ‘I will never give up. I work because it keeps a person going.’ This spirit in his personality was amazing," Lata said.

"Dev saab was fond of classical music. In fact, all three brothers were very fond of classical music. They used to organise programmes.

Dev Anand, known for all time classic Guide, died of a heart attack on Sunday in a hotel in London. His son was with him. He was 88.

Smitha, The Dirty Picture, is described as Vidya’s movie all the way and Johar says that ‘this is the highest grosser for a Vidya starrer and a Emraan starrer ever.’ Always seen in graceful roles on the big screen, the 32-year-old actress pulled out all the stops to fit into the shoes of a sultry siren who ruled the silver screen. Her bold attempt seems to be paying off as the cash registers are ringing non-stop.

Though critics felt that the script could have been more taut and meaty, they are raving about Vidya’s uninhibited act as well as Naseer as an ageing superstar. On day two, Saturday, the film recorded a 13 percent jump from Friday on account of strong word of mouth and exceptional response.

"The film is poised for a record creating opening weekend ahead of some of the biggest blockbuster of the recent time. It has already found place on the top 10 list," said Johar.

B’town directors have different styles vision:

A

professional photographer, Boman Irani had done theatre and featured in many TV commercials before he entered Bollywood.

Having delivered some memorable performances, the versatile actor says he is lucky to be there at a time when different directors are bringing different styles to cinema.

"I like to call myself a newcomer because I have been in this industry barely for eight years.

But I have been fortunate enough to get the opportunity to work with some of the best actors and directors of Bollywood. So it has been a wonderful learning experience," Boman said.

The charismatic actor has always tried to stay away from the stereotypes and experimented with his roles.

With the release of Don 2: The King Is Back just around

the corner, Boman reveals his character is the same as the one in Don: The Chase Begins Again."My character is the same, but the motivation is different, situations are different," he said.

22

T-TOWN TWEETIES

@SrBachchan T 579 -Just back from an almost cross country tour ..

Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi and back to Mumbai .. but with thoughts on Dev Saheb !!

@NeilNMukesh Jst met Tom cruise on the promotional event of PLAYERS on the red carpet for MI4. With the players team.

@FarOutAkhtar Thank you all for the love. I don't know what to say... overwhelmed by the feeling of gratitude towards each and every one of you.

@udaychopra I think of death a couple of times a day. No Its not morose,actually quite the opposite. For as long as Im not dead, I can make a difference.

@AnupamPkher Had an interesting and thought provoking session with Singapore Forum of India Against Corruption. All I can say India has GREAT future.:)

@bomanirani Devsaab will not allow heaven to be a place where angels with wings float on clouds! He will walk in and say "Wake up! let's make a movie!!"

@reddysameera i need some inspiration to get into the pool and do killer laps! #now playing David Guetta!! i need to wake up !!!!! ;P

@deespeak Lips of an Angel... - extreme behavior - #hinder a song that is setting the mood for the scene I am about to get into :)

Magic Screen

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For Further Details Please Contact Abhinay 9989399972 Nandlal 9951467988 Ravi Chander 8106039919

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

23

Magic Screen

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

About stars, actors, and a bit of fun

Katie Price waiting M for perfect man

odel Katie Price has vowed to stay single until she meets the man of her dreams. The TV star split from Argentinean model Leandro Penna earlier this year and despite recently being romantically linked to rugby player Danny Cipriani, she is putting all her energy into work until she meets Mr. Right, reports a website.

“I am single. I am very much single, I have been for four months and I’m happy about that. I’m not looking for anyone, I’m going to enjoy it for now and if I do meet anyone they have a heck of a lot of boxes to tick this time,” she said. “I work, work, work all the time, I’m always so busy and when I stop working I get ill, I get colds and stuff,” she added. Katie has three children, Harvey, nine, Junior, six, and Princess Tiaamii, four, from previous relationships. IANS

Online shopper Rachel Zoe

R

achel Zoe is a fan of online shopping and loves the way internet fashion phenomenon fits perfectly into her schedule.

The celebrity stylist who has dressed the likes of Anne Hathaway and Cameron Diaz explained as she is often too busy to visit stores in person, she likes to shop online. IANS

Buble’s wife ready for kids

C

anadian singer Michael Buble wife Luisana Loreley can’t wait to have children with him. The two had tied the knot with model-and-actress in April but the blonde beauty admitted they are already thinking about having children, reports a website.

“We can’t wait!

Family means so much to us. Mike is wonderful, he always asks how I am and how I feel,” she said. IANS

24 A

EM CIN

Magic Screen

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

About stars, actors, and a bit of fun

25

Demi Lovato’s tattoo tale Brooke Shields wants more kids

A

ctress Demi Lovato has revealed that her tattoos remind her how far she has come in life. The former Disney star was admitted to rehab in November 2010 to receive three months treatment for an eating disorder and selfharming. It was the time she got the inkings on her wrists to make sure she doesn’t forget what she has overcome,

reports a website.

“I think scars are like battle wounds-beautiful, in a way.

They show what you’ve been through and how strong you are for coming out of it. My tattoos say ‘Stay’ and ‘strong’.

‘Stay’ on one wrist and ‘strong’ on the other,” she said.

“Now I’m able to look at them and be thankful for being alive. I think that I’ve been blessed over the past year to be able to start over,” she said

Kimberley Walsh

A

ctress Brooke Shields has revealed she would love to have more kids but her husband is not so keen.

The actress has two daughters, Rowan Francis, eight, and Grier Hammond, five, with her husband Chris Henchy, reports a website.

“I would die for one.

Unfortunately, my husband is not as amenable.

So I either have to trick him or lie to him to get knocked up,” she said.

“He said to me the other day, ‘I’m beginning to think that if I don’t give this to you, you’ll do it on your own’. Yeah, it’s like, ‘Don’t test me. I’m very independent.’ But I’m older so my eggs probably need a chisel,” he added.

comfortable being 30 S

inger Kimberley Walsh insists she is comfortable being 30 and didn’t freak out when she reached the age. The Girls Aloud singer turned 30, Nov 20, and wasn’t scared of this number, reports a website. “It’s been easy for me

to accept turning 30 as the last 10 years have been amazing. I can’t exactly complain,” she said. “I’m in a good place in my life in a lot of ways, so there’s no reason to be freaked out. I’m really happy and that’s the most important thing,” she added.

Magic Screen

About stars, actors, and bit of fun

Noel Gallagher supports Beady Eye

F

ormer Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher insists he wants Beady Eye, the group formed by his brother Liam, to be successful. Beady Eyes mem-

Khloe in legal trouble S ocialite Khloe Kardashian has been hit with a lawsuit over an alleged fight outside a Hollywood nightclub two years ago. The 27-year-old has been accused of fighting with a transgender woman, Chantal Spears, in front of Playhouse Dec 5, 2009. A website reports that Spears is seeking unspecified damages over claims that she sustained serious injuries after Kardashian hit her ‘in and about her body’. The site claims to have obtained legal documents.

The altercation started after Spears told Kardashian’s basketball star partner Lamar Odom that he was ‘too young to be married’. IANS

bers include Liam Gallagher, Chris Sharrock, Andy Bell and Gem Archer.

The 44-year-old insists he isn’t happy that his debut solo album, ‘Noel Gallagher’s High-Flying Birds’ did better business than Beady Eye’s ‘Bring the Light’.

It’s not fair for me to compare mine to theirs. I know you want me to say I danced around on a copy of their album or that I held them in each hand and had a mock fight between them but I genuinely don’t give a damn about that.

“Chris and Gem are still my mates, I’ve got a lot of friends on their crew. I want them to do well,” a website quoted Noel as sayIANS ing.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

26

Barbie Doll moment for Nicki Minaj

S

inger Nicki Minaj says she is excited at the fact that toy company Mattel has crafted a Barbie Doll inspired by her looks.

“It’s just a one of a kind, limited edition for charity, and so I never thought Mattel would even pay attention to me. For me this is a very major moment, because it just shows that you can come from nothing and still be a force in the main world, a business woman, and hopefully a mogul one day,” Minaj told a website.

The toy, which features Minaj’s signature hair and sparkly outfits, will be a one-ofa-kind model that will be auctioned at Charitybuzz.com Dec 7 at the price $1000. All the money will go to Project Angel Food which helps those affected

by HIV and AIDS. IANS

Magic Screen

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

About stars, actors, and a bit of fun

Sowmya Sharma has dubbed for over 200 films.

We find out more about her life and career

27

It’s the best phase of my life Hemanth Kumar hemanth.k@postnoon.com

I

hate being down with cold,” rues Sowmya Sharma as she takes a walk through her backyard. No wonder it’s her worst nightmare because she gets paid a lot for lending her voice for the likes of Anushka, Kajal and Shruti Haasan. “I have completed dubbing for more than 200 films,” she says adding, “Earlier the directors used to finish dubbing within 20 days but over the past 23 years, a lot of directors are taking dubbing very seriously and for big projects they spend about three months on dubbing alone.”

She began her career as an RJ at Radio Mirchi in 2005 and then she made her foray into dubbing. Nagarjuna and Anushka starrer Super was her first big project. “A lot of people don’t know that I dub for both Anushka and Kajal. We try really hard to sound different in every film, but these days people have become quite intelligent and they can make out who dubbed for whom,” she says with a grin.

In the past six years, she has won the Nandi Award for best dubbing artiste twice for her work in the movies Lakshyam and Mahatma. We ask her if she ever gets emotionally involved with the characters she dubs for. “While I was dubbing for Bhavana in Mahatma, I was in tears for the entire second half of the film. Another time, I was dubbing for Anushka in Arundhati and they had these rough designs of really scary characters and I freaked every single time such characters popped up on screen. I can’t stand horror films,” she says.

So what else is big no-no? “I can’t get myself to say vulgar words and I feel uncomfortable while dubbing for really intimate scenes. Once a director picked up a fight with me because I refused to dub a few lines, which had a lot of double entendre,” she confesses.

Last year, she got married to Anand Ranga, the director of Oy! and she admits that he has brought peace to her life. “Marriage has changed my life for good and I am really lucky to have him

in my life. Anand accepts people unconditionally and that’s a rare quality to have these days,” she says.

We wonder if being a director’s wife makes a difference to her work. “I think people don’t want to hurt me or have a heated argument with me anymore.

There’s a bit of additional respect as well,” she says.

She loves dogs and tells us that the love developed early in her childhood.

“When I was young, my mother used to leave me in a cradle with two dogs keeping an eye on me and every time I used to cry, the dogs would give a signal to my mother in the kitchen,”she recollects. Her other interests include reading. “I read a lot of books on philosophy.

I am a big fan of Paulo Coelho’s books and I make it a point to send him a tweet every day hoping that he will reply someday,” she laughs.

There’s quite an interesting story behind why she fell in love with Paulo Coelho’s books. “When I was dubbing for Three, a film on reincarnation, I underwent a therapy in past life regression upon the advice of Sekhar Suri, the director of the film. I got a chance to see what I was in my past lives and it was a life changing experience. I think I became a better person after that,” she signs off.

Magic Screen

About stars, actors, and a bit of fun

Nippu moves to Turkey

Parvathi Melton

in Pawan Kalyan’s film?

P

arvathi Melton’s second innings in the Telugu film industry is going great guns these days. Ever since she agreed to dance to an item number in the Mahesh Babu starrer Dookudu, she’s being considered for lot more such item numbers in the upcoming films. Recently, she had even confessed that she has no issues with playing cameos and starring in item numbers in big budget films. If the rumours in the industry are to be believed, she’s being considered for a sizzling item number in Pawan Kalyan’s upcoming film Gabbar Singh. The film is the official remake of Salman Khan’s Dabangg and Malaika Arora had danced for Munni Badnaam Hui which became quite popular last year. Currently, Parvathi Melton is acting in a socio fantasy film titled Yama ho Yama which has Sairam Shankar in lead role.

28

T-TOWN TWEETIES

@themohanbabu Thank u New Jersey for helping raise funds for poor students in AP. Lots of children donated today. Amazing!

R

avi Teja’s upcoming film Nippu is going to be shot in Turkey now and not in Saudi Arabia as reported a few days ago. The location had to be changed at the last minute.

Except for two songs, the rest of the shooting has been completed. The film unit will begin shooting in Turkey from December 11 onwards and it is likely to be wrapped up

by December 20.

Ravi Teja and Deeksha Seth are playing the lead roles in this film while Gunasekhar is directing the film and YVS Chowdary is producing it. Thaman is composing the music.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

@tashu_02

Kaajal signs Murugadoss’ next film

K

aajal Aggarwal is flying high in Telugu and Tamil cinema with some big projects, back to back. In Telugu, she’s playing the lead role in Mahesh Babu’s The Business Man after which she’s going to play the lead in Ram Charan Tej, V V Vinayak’s upcoming film. Apart from this, she’s starring in Suriya’s Maatran which is one of the most eagerly awaited films of 2012. The latest buzz is that she has signed A R Murugadoss’ upcoming film titled Thuppaki.

Several leading actresses from Bollywood including Priyanka Chopra and Sonam Kapoor were considered for this film but finally A R Murugadoss chose Kaajal Aggarwal to play the lead role opposite Vijay. Lady luck seems to have smiled upon her after a string of controversies which haunted her for most part of 2011.

Reached Atlanta.....phew.....

Great weather here.....but need to go and take some rest now....

@sneha_ullal cant wait for 2012. i hope the world doesnt end :(

@richyricha Time to get off Twitter and get some fresh air! Hyd weather is always lovely :)

@shrutihaasan being yourself comes with a tag of being misunderstood..accepting forgiving and being open to changing yourself is worth a bazzilion bucks!

@trishtrashers Jus launched ‘The CAD’ calender in Chennai..(The Chennai Adoption Drive)Pls do buy these calenders to promote awareness n a good cause..

@devakatta “The Ascent of Money” is an excellent documentary I’ve come across in recent times, a 5 hour series produced by BBC.

@actor_Nikhil Crazy packed crowds in rayalseema for veedu theda..

Mobbed scratched hugged touched and even kissed by mad crowds in alagadda and nandyala..

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

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‘Kuch Toh Log Kahenge’ at 2000 Hrs on SONY

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Saas Bina Sasural

Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai

Storyline - Chaturvedi family of Saas Bina Sasural past witnessing some heart storming twist after Tej went missing is engaged in various hues of celebrations now!

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

‘Saas Bina Sasural’ at 2200 Hrs on SONY

‘The Simpsons’ at 2030 Hrs on STAR WORLD 1400 Masterchef USA 1500 Necessary Roughness 1600 The Big Bang Theory 1630 Home Improvement 1700 The Sheild 1800 Masterchef USA 1900 Love2 Hate U 2000 Rules Of Engagement 2030 The Simpsons 2100 Masterchef USA 2200 The Sheild 2300 The Big Bang Theory 2330 Home Improvement 0700 The Big Bang Theory 0730 Home Improvement 0800 Rules Of Engagement 0830 The Simpsons 0900 Masterchef USA 1000 The Sheild 1100 Love2 Hate U 1200 Terra Nova 1300 The Big Bang Theory 1330 Friends

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

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

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

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

‘Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo’ at 2100 Hrs on SAB‘

‘Swordfish’ at 2100 Hrs on WB

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

1400 Oddities 1430 Discovery Science Classics 1530 Cosmic Collisions 1630 Mythbusters 1730 Machines!

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

2030 Bone Detectives 2130 I, Videogame 2230 How Do They Do It? Specials 2330 The New Inventors 0700 How It's Made 0730 What's That About?

0830 Discovery Science Classics 0930 How Do They Do It? Specials 1030 Bone Detectives 1130 I, Videogame 1330 Connections 2

‘Bone Detectives’ at 2030 Hrs on DISCOVERY SCIENCE

‘Galileo Extreme’ at 2030 Hrs on BIG CBS PRIME 1430 Jerry Springer 1530 Aspire 1600 Survivor 1700 Bellator 1800 Galileo Extreme 1900 The Defenders 2000 Entertainment Tonight 2030 Galileo Extreme 2100 The Defenders 2200 Jerry Springer 2300 CSI - Crime Scene Investigation 0700 Aspire 0730 Big Wheels 0800 Galileo Extreme 0900 CSI - Crime Scene Investigation 1000 Bellator 1100 Jerry Springer 1200 Aspire 1230 Entertainment Tonight 1300 Galileo Extreme 1330 The Defenders

Chai Time

KAKURO

How to Play Kakuro Kakuro is a popular game similar to sudoku in some ways. But is also suitably different. The key question: “How do you play Kakuro?”, well here are the rules of kakuro. The answer: The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers.

However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number.

Within each collection of cells - called a run - any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once.

Let’s have an example to explain this concept more clearly: In the image above, which shows a section of a kakuro puzzle, you will see the numbers ‘26’ and ‘14’ in the top row. Look at the 14. This means that the total of the three cells underneath must sum to 14.

Therefore 9, 4, 1 could be the answer, or perhaps 7, 4, 3 and so on...

So, how do you work out the actual combination? Well, this is done through elimination and cross-referencing. For instance, as you work out the answers for other kakuro clues, this will naturally limit the valid combinations, and hence the answer for this particular run.

Note the second cell in row two - it contains two numbers, 30 and 11. The 30 refers to the vertical run underneath the number 30 and the 11 refers to the two cells to the right, horizontally, of the number 11.

SCRIBBLING PAD

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

30

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 In front of 6 Aid and ___ 10 Tire near the finish 14 Zoroastrian 15 Mumbai dress 16 Big cats do it 17 Variety of beet 19 You hope they meet 20 ___ out a living (barely scrape by) 21 Fawning females 22 Author Hemingway 24 Tools with teeth 25 Political clique 26 Sketching tool 29 Intense dislike 33 “The lights ___ but nobody’s home” 34 12 p.m.

35 Work hard 36 Mondrian the artist 37 Squash or pumpkin, e.g.

38 “Hang ___ your hats” 39 Versatile, electrically 40 Tropical wading bird 41 Expos 42 Not needing dry-cleaning 44 Aquarius follower 45 Party cheese 46 “Red” coin 47 Dry and desolate 50 Gratis 51 Miner’s vein contents 54 Bar in a narrow dish 55 Feta-and-olive first course 58 Strain, as flour 59 Certain Euro forerunner 60 Jellyfish’s defense 61 Plastic alternative 62 Jerk sharply 63 Be a ham in “Hamlet” DOWN 1 Choir recess 2 Dove’s opposite

3 Canal for Sal 4 Long-eared animal 5 Feeling of contempt 6 Phoenix’s birthplace 7 Calls to Mary?

8 Make a mistake 9 Area often covered by flooding 10 Breakfast dish from Paris 11 Top-notch steak sauce?

12 June celebrants 13 Prefix with “while” 18 Hood-shaped cover 23 Go bad, as a plum 24 Soup dish from Glasgow 25 Churlish chaps 26 Fruit tree with purplish flowers 27 Susan Lucci’s Emmy

role 28 Necessary things 29 One of Donald Duck’s nephews 30 Column style 31 Gunpowder ingredient, to a Brit 32 Lip shiner 34 Peer of the realm 37 In a taunting manner 41 Tactful handling 43 Is in the plural?

44 Cheat at hide and seek 46 Old floorboard sound 47 Kind of pear 48 Inter ___

SUDOKU

(among others) 49 They assess penalties 50 Common houseplant 51 Hodgepodge 52 ___ and rave 53 Part of a skate blade 56 Small inlet 57 Money machine PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY It's a sign of mediocrity when you demonstrate gratitude with moderation.

– Roberto Benigni

Chai Time STAR POWER

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

Date 6-12-2011

ARIES

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

March 20 – April 18 Life will be filled with happiness, this is the time to make merry. Financial posi‑ tion looks very much satisfied and no problems seen. Avoid wasteful expendi‑ ture. Old dues will come to you.

TAURUS

April 19 – May 19 Avoid sharing your personal matters with anyone as it won't remain secret anymore. Do not blindly believe any‑ one who may take you for a ride financially. Recognition for hard work.

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

June 21 – July 21

July 22 – August 21

May 20 – June 20

Health needs to be taken care of. Avoid eat‑ ing junk foods outside. Plan your expenses and adhere to it without deviation. Involving in social activities will make people under‑ stand your extraordinary skills.

Opportunities will come in abundance.

Choosing the right one lies with you, hence advised to do a thorough analysis before deciding. Never underestimate your own calibre as you don't know your capabilities.

You will get opportunity to meet interest‑ ing personalities; develop a good rapport with them and make use of their help to grow by all means. Businessmen need to discuss issues with partners frankly.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

October 23 – November 20

SAGITTARIUS November 21 – Dec 20

Financial transactions need to be han‑ dled with extra caution other wise of unexpected loss is certain. Employees need to do work with involvement to complete the jobs as per schedule.

People of bad reputation will come across and make lots of fake promises. Take care that you don't give in. Businessmen need to check whether all the partners are well natured as chances of a fraud in the group.

Avoid being controversial as some per‑ sons want to make things worst for you.

Be in your limits and keep patience.

Plan the works properly to achieve goals in the stipulated time.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

January 20 – February 18 Your willpower and self‑determina‑ tion only can make you successful.

Employees need to be cordial with superiors as disputes might cost your job. Think of changing the job.

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

Seven of Cups – Youʼre in the process of reviewing your finances. You make most of your deci‑ sions based on the impact it will have on your bank balance.

The Devil – Resist the temptation to be rude to someone you donʼt like. Like they say, fools live to regret their words and the wise, their silence.

The Star – It seems like everything is leading to a dead‑ end and you have few options left.

Maybe you havenʼt checked out all your options yet?

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Queen of Cups – You seem very vulnerable and those around you feel you might need to protect your‑ self better. What you feel is what you show on your face.

Ten of Wands – You‑ ʼre anxious, depres‑ sed, stressed out and feel as though youʼre close to a burnout.

Take a break and rejuvenate yourself.

Meet new people.

Ace of Swords – Tho‑ ugh your circumstan‑ ces may not look that encouraging, your pr‑ actical mind set helps you see the situation better. You find solu‑ tions that work well.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Ace of Pentacles – Yo‑ u manage to combine your creativity and p‑ racticality to improve your life. Money mak‑ ing remains in focus as you believe it is the way forward.

Nine of Wands – Youʼre comfortable in a world of your own making. You surround yourself with books, art, music and intelli‑ gent people whose company you enjoy.

Five of Wands – Be‑ ware of someone who might be conspiring a‑ gainst you at the wor‑ kplace. Keep your eyes and ears open and do‑ nʼt trust anyone blind‑ ly. No one is a friend.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Two of Pentacles – Work‑life balance is in focus. You need to find the comfortable middle path where youʼre doing justice to both work and your personal life.

The Fool – Youʼre being a bit immature in man‑ aging something imp‑ ortant, be it relation‑ ships or job. Youʼre re‑ fusing to see circumst‑ ances around you and respond accordingly.

Knight of Wands – You have the youth‑ ful energy and raw enthusiasm to try out the new. This is a lucky phase. Make the most of it and use your positivity.

February 19 – March 19

Avoid hurried decisions. Take enough time to study any offer that came to you and take a right decision. You can un‑ dertake works with challenge and you will come across lot of creative persons.

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

SOLUTIONS

Boggle OTTER PANDA TIGER HORSE WHALE

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

Dec 21 – January 19 Don't allow anyone to treat you in an in‑ ferior way. As Venus is not favourable, those involved in romance might experi‑ ence a bad phase. Spouse's health needs a good care. Financial position not sound.

SUMAA TEKUR

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

August 22 – September21

Be practical in life, plan expenses and stick to it. Inculcating savings might help you when you are in dire need. Financial trans‑ actions to be handled with extra caution as there are chances to incur loss.

September 22 – October 22

TAROT READ

31

Vol: 1, No. 142 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No. 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad–500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad–500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-40672222, Fax: 040-40672211

Spotlight

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

32

PICS: SRINIVAS SETTY

THAT’S A FEAST! When it comes to food and fun Hyderabadis cannot be far behind.

A large crowd turned up at the launch of the Slaz global cuisine restaurant at Road No.92 in Jubilee Hills on Sunday. Seen at the event were Rummy Azad,Jayanth Paranje, DJ Blackjack, Malini Alexander and Zubin Vakil among others.

Krishna Vamsi

Divya and Kavita

Rummy Azad

Mehzabin

Timeless beauties

Naveen and Libratha

An eye for style Tollywood actress Akanksha at the inauguration of the KSR Eye Wear Center at Secunderabad on Sunday. Also seen is KS Reddy and Dr.Satyanarayana Rao.

Titan has come up with yet another Helios Showroom in AP on Sunday. This one is situated on MG road in Secunderabad. It’s a classy showroom with over 22 fashion and premium brands spread over two floors. It has a great variety and the designer watches start from as low as `6,000. Also seen at the store were Jai Batla, Kirthi Jai Swathi, Sanjay Batla and Roenton Noria among others.

Handicrafts, Designer Jewellery & Gifting solutions like never before!

Pot

Jewellery

The Art of Gifting Maayin, Hyderabad’s leading Gifting Solutions Store, now brings to you hig h qu

ality

handicrafts and contemporary design

in 925 Sterling Silve r and ry elle Fashion Jew

Lekha

Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad

www.maayin.com