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JANUARY 5, 2013 HYDERABAD
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ON SATURDAY
HAZY SHADE OF WINTER
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t’s winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Here, in pictures, are some memorable European winterscapes. PG 14&15
WWW.POSTNOON.COM
Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper
JANUARY 5, 2013 HYDERABAD
WEATHER: CLEAR WITH CLOUDY PERIODS; 26°C
`3
32 PAGES
ON SATURDAY
With the recent outrage against sex crimes and a desperate call to change our societal outlook, Postnoon looks at the crucial role schools play in forming our attitude towards women.
ABOUT TIME
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ive sporty cars that will make their way to India in 2013.
REPORT ON PG 5 PG 11
SEGREGATING
YOUNG MINDS
ZOOEY TALKS LIFE CHANGE
Z
ooey Deschanel graces the cover of Glamour's February issue. Since New Girl debuted in 2011, the show — and Zooey — have racked up multiple Golden Globe and Emmy nominations. Zooey discusses her "oddly controversial" character, and gives dating advice. PG 23
CONSERVATIONIST AT HEART
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n her own words, she is a creative conservationist. Asher Jay, who is showcasing her art at Muse Art Gallery this week, is a designer by qualification and an activist by choice. “I call myself a creative conservationist. I use my art to spread awareness about the need to conserve the environment,” she says. PG 16
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PAGE TWO SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
CELEBRATING BRAILLE
Chai wallah art show This is an exhibition at Iconart gallery.There is an exhibition of paintings by Vijay Gille at the gallery on Chai wallah and other stories. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills When: Up to January 12 11:30am to 7pm Contact: www.iconart.in
Code Red Countdown Code Red Countdown is an art collection revolving around ecology, by New York based artist Asher Jay. The theme is endangered wildlife. Where: Lalitha Kala Thoranam, Public gardens When: January 27 6pm to 9:30pm Contact: 93965 55888
Gloria Jean’s coffee Gloria Jean’s, an international coffee chain, has introduced two new flavours for this season: Creamy Christmas Chocolate and Snowy Christmas Chiller. Gloria Jean’s Coffees will also give all its customers a chance to win exotic holidays in India and Thailand. Where: Lifestyle, first floor, Begumpet and No.G 49 A, Inorbit Mall, Madhapur When: Up to January 15 Contact: (040) 4221 9376
Longest winter fest There will be live shows, carnival parade, special entertainment shows, fun rides, evening parties and buffet in this winter fest. Where: Ramoji Film City Travels Unit 5, 2nd Floor, Balayogi Paryatak Bhavan, Greenland, Begumpet, When: Up to January 6, 9am to 6pm Contact: (040) 32577654
Alexander Jaya Prakash Reddy is performing a 100-minute solo. He plays a retired army officer who wants to help people with their problems by starting a helpline. Where: Ravindra Bharathi, Public Gardens, Nampally, H-01, Abids, When: January 6, 7pm to 9pm Contact: (040) 2324 9045
Tribute to Khanna There will be dance performances on Rajesh Khanna’s songs to pay tribute to the superstar. The dance will be choreographed by Mahesh L Munde, who has choreographed national and international performances. Where: : Lalitha Kala Thoranam,
CINEMAS
204th birthday celebrations of Louis Braille at Malakpet on January 4. Public gardens When: January 27 6pm to 9:30pm Contact: 93965 55888
Concert for a Cause Apna watan, MS Foundation & Hyderapals are presenting Sounds from England. The money collected will go to the MS school for underprivileged children. The passes are available at Goethe-Zentrum. Where: Vidyaranya High School When: January 5, 6pm onwards Contact: (040) 2335 0473
Krishnakriti festival Krishnakriti Art & Culture festival 2013 is starting on January 7. The inauguration and talk on the first two days will be held at Kalakriti. The time and agenda for the rest of the dates are available with Kalakriti. Where: Kalakriti Art Gallery When: January 7-11 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 6656 4466
Transpersonal session Art & Science of Self-Actualization, a foundation course in transpersonal counselling, by clinical psychologist Sujata Potay. Where: Center for Organization Development, Madhapur When: January 19-April 27
Contact: 98494 53045
Numaish Numaish is the 73rd All India Industrial Exhibition is an ongoing event in the City. Where: Exhibition Ground, Mukarramjahi Road, Nampally When: Up to February 15, 4pm to 11pm Contact: (040) 2460 3015
New York's Quilt Fiesta Portico New York's Quilt Fiesta is at at shopper’s stop, where quilts of different designs are available. Where: Shopper’s Stop stores When: Up to January 6
Photo competition Alliance Francaise, Hyderabad, is conducting a photo competition. The theme for the contest is Professions of the world. The winning entries will be sent to Paris. Where: hyderabad.afindia.org When: Up to January 10
Philatelics The Hyderabad Philatelic & Hobbies Society is celebrating its golden jubilee from January 4. There will be an exhibition of stamps, coins and currency notes. Where: Juloori Veereshalingam Kalyana Mandapam, near Paradise Circle, Secunderabad
N SHIIVA KUMAR
When: Up to January 6, 10:30am to 6:30pm.
A-Bong Live A-Bong is a group of music enthusiast Bengalis from Hyderabad who have formed a band and will be performing live. Where: La Makaan, Lane Adjacent To C-Bay , Banjara Hills When: January 6 5pm onwards Contact: 93965 55888
Cotton & Silk Mela Lepakshi Handicrafts Emporium is organizing a cotton and silk mela, an exclusive handloom exhibition cum sale. Where: TTD Kalyanmandapam, Himayath Nagar, Liberty X roads When: Up to January 10 11am to 9pm Contact: (040) 2323 5028
Whole Sale Dhamaka Coupon Mall is launching a wholesale price dhamaka for the first time in Hyderabad. It has to be availed in bulk purchase. Fashion merchandise like dip-n-dye shirts, trousers and ethnic wear for women are available at wholesale prices. Where: Coupon Mall When: Ongoing
Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally, 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills, 447677770, Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 08800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973
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CITY SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
Best passport office award
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yderabad's regional passport office has been awarded the best passport office award in the country by a national bureau. It was judged on the basis of the number of passports issued per month and the quality of service it delivers. Hyderabad's regional passport office delivers about 5.50 lakh passports per year.
Special trains this month
Two men held for murder
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he authorities of South Central Railways are operating 10 special trains for the ensuing Sankranthi festival. These will be run between 10 selected routes, which witness huge a influx of passengers, from January 10-14, including Secunderabad-Nellore, TirupathiGuntur, Vijayawada-Lingampally and Machilipatnam-Secunderabad.
he Begumpet police arrested two men, Mahinder Varun, 25, an office boy, and S Rajesh, 26, an attender, both residents of Shyamlal building, for allegedly killing a man named Narsimha Goud with the help of boulder after consuming alcohol on the night of December 30, near a graveyard. The two have been sent to prison.
Police arrest ‘lover’ for rape, murder A man, who allegedly raped and murdered a 16-year-old girl when she refused to marry him, has been arrested by the police. NARESH SEXUALLY ASSAULTED HER AND FORCED HER TO MARRY HIM, AND KILLED HER WHEN SHE REFUSED.
MOHD SUBHAN
mohd.s@postnoon.com
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hile the nation is still seething after the gruesome Delhi gang-rape incident, another student was brutally raped and murdered in the State. The SSC student was allegedly assaulted and killed by a man when she refused to marry him, said the Kandukur police. The police arrested the accused, V Naresh, and produced him in court before imprisoning him, said V Surender Reddy, ACP, Ibrahimpatnam. The 22-year-old Naresh, who was working as a labourer was a resident of Dasarlapalli village in Kandukur mandal. He had fallen in love with the minor girl two years ago. The girl, 16, was a student at a local government school, and belonged to a poor family from the same village.
PICTURE FOR REPRESENTATIVE PURPOSE ONLY
On December 30, 2012, Naresh called the girl to a field to discuss some issue. However, upon reaching there, the girl realised that he was inebriated. Naresh then sexually assaulted her and forced her to marry him. However, the girl refused his proposal and said that she wanted to continue her studies. A heated argument ensued and Naresh beat up the girl before strangling her. She died on the spot. In a panic, Naresh fled from the scene, but was identified by another villager who witnessed the crime. The witness informed the Kandukur police about the incident and they registered a case. The police managed to trace Naresh by his mobile phone and arrested him. The accused confessed to his crime, the ACP added.
Road widening in City Md Nizamuddin
nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com
T
he GHMC will be taking up massive road widening works on several roads in the City. Several stretches are under proposal for road widening. Kavuri Hills, Jubilee Hills Road No 45 to Durgam Cheruvu via Nectar Gardens, Madhapur, will be widened this year. About 45 properties are affected on both sides of the road. Madhapur main road to Knowledge Park via Raheja IT Park is also being cleared, as the GHMC is about to conclude negotiations with nine properties on the stretch. Raidurgam Junction, connecting Gachi-
bowli to HiTec City, which turns into a bottleneck during the rush hours, is also being considered. Around 29 properties need to be cleared for widening this junction. An 80-feet wide road is also under proposal from Raidurgam Old PS to OU Colony, close to the junction. Apart from this, nearly 45 properties will be affected as a result of the widening of Road No 13 in Banjara Hills. Similarly, Nalgonda X Road to Govt Printing Press in Malakpet, Ek-Minar Masjid, Lata Talkies Road and Bazarghat to Nampally, Yousufguda Check post to Rahmath Nagar, Ayodhya Junction to SD Eye Hospital, near Mehdipatnam, are some of the stretches which were already
marked for widening. More than 60 properties will be cleared at Chandanagar Railway Station, from My Home Jewel on National Highway 9 to Railway track to widen the road and ease vehicular traffic congestion. Property acquisition is already underway at KothapetNagole cross road stretch. Hundreds of properties will be cleared on stretches for 100-feet wide road from Radhika Cross Road to Dammaigudda and Gandhinagar to Jagathgirigutta in the next phase of the road widening works. “If there is clear coordination between three departments involved in the process, then the road widening works will be smoother,” said a senior GHMC official.
Paritala’s bail petition to be heard
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earing on the bail petition of Paritala Sriram, son of TDP MLA Paritala Sunita and late leader Paritala Ravindra, was posted to January 7. Sriram is an accused in the conspiracy to murder Congress leader Kamireddypalli Sudhakar Reddy. Sriram’s lawyers filed an anticipatory bail petition in the district court here. Meanwhile, police have been searching for the youngster, who had gone underground, after the case was registered against him. On Wednesday, police searched the houses of Sunita in Anantapur and their native village Venkatapuram. They also searched the houses of his relatives. On Thursday, police intensified the search and sent teams to Karnataka also, as they received information that he was there. Cases were registered against 15 persons in the case. Police have already arrested four persons and are searching for the remaining eleven, including Sriram.Three teams were fanned out to search for the accused, Nagoor Hussain, a follower of Paritala was named accused 15 in the NSS case.
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CITY SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
T-issue stalls Cong plans
The union government’s one month deadline to solve the Telangana issue seems to have stalled the proposed filling up of nominated and organisational posts by the ruling Congress party. organisational posts at a time when the Center is on the verge of taking a final decision on the Telangana issue. All these activities will be undertaken only after the UPA government's decision," AP Congress committee general secretary, G Niranjan told Postnoon. Another senior Congress leader and nominee P Ramesh said, "We felt very happy when the CM announced that he would give us a Sankaranthi gift. But the prevailing circumstances in the State seem to have put these activities on hold. I think we will just have to wait longer for our wishes to be fulfilled.” It may be emphasised here that the proposed decision on separate Telangana also led to the postponement of the party's very crucial and first regional convention that had been scheduled to be held on January 7. The party had already made elaborate arrangements to make the first regional convention a grand success. APCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana said that
Md INKESHAF AHMED
ahmed.m@postnoon.com
A
ddressing the party's State level convention on December 16, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy promised that he would fill up the nominated posts before Sankaranthi, which will be celebrated on January 14. This announcement by the CM sent a wave of happiness across the party cadres, including nominated posts’ aspirants. But the all-party meeting held by the Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde on the formation of a separate Telangana state and his subsequent announcement to address the problem in a month's time has had its impact. "It will be highly unlikely for the Congress and the chief minister to undertake the process of filling up nominated posts and
the regional meeting would be held after a gap of two weeks instead of the initially decided January 7.
Meeting postponed
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he political developments that took place over the separate Telangana issue during the last two days in Delhi led to the postponement of the party’s proposed regional meeting in Vijayawada on January 7. The party had already made elaborate arrangements to make the first regional convention a grand success. According to party sources, AICC AP in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad called up APCC president Botsa Satyanarayana and asked him to postpone the meeting citing the ongoing confabulations of the party high command on the Telangana issue.
Pakistani stalls back in City Fourteen stalls from Pakistan, selling dry fruits, clothes, crockery and footwear, among others, will be put up at Numaish, Hyderabad’s annual industrial exhibition. S BALAKRISHNA
Anubha K Singh anubha.k@postnoon.com
T
he City is making a beeline for the annual industrial exhibition Numaish, and this year’s star attractions are the stalls from Pakistan. Although the stalls are still under construction, they have already generated a buzz and stall owners hope that the response will be good. The 14 Pakistani stalls will be housed under one roof named Paras Industries. Incidentally, this is the first time Pakistani stalls will be making an appearance after 2006. “We have 14 stalls under one huge stall that is yet to be completed. We are going to exhibit footwear, melamine crockery, suits and sarees for women and exclusive marbles from Karachi,” said Mohammed Asif, a store owner. About being back in Hyderabad after a long gap, he said, “After the Mumbai blast, for one or two years there were some restrictions from both the countries. However, this is the first time I am putting up my stall in Numaish. There were other people who used to come from Karachi and Islamabad earlier.” “We put up our stalls in other exhibitions in Delhi, Punjab or other states of India
as well. The problem with Numaish is that it is a long exhibition, compared to other exhibitions in other states, which are for short period of time. Apart from that we need to travel much longer to reach Hyderabad,” said Ziauddin Khan, a shopkeeper from Karachi. For them, Hyderabad is the same as any other state in Pakistan. “There is barely any difference in the behaviour of
the public here. They are polite and respectful. Even the other stall owners at the exhibition are very helpful. I don’t see much difference between Hyderabad and my home town,” he said. Asif feels the relationship between both the countries has been dampened due to politicians and bureaucrats of both nations. Otherwise, except the border, there is little difference in the general population. “People here are very friendly. In fact, some of them even introduced us to labourers, who are putting up our stalls. If the response is good from the public, we will definitely come back.” But they were unhappy over the delay in putting up the stalls. “We appointed labourers on the day we arrived in the City. But the work is still pending. The labourers are very slow,” Asif said. Talking about Pakistan winning the just-concluded cricket match, he said, “Every time there is a match between India and Pakistan, it turns more like a war. But it’s exciting and I am happy Pakistan won. But this time, I am not watching the match as Sachin is not playing. He is my favourite.” In addition to Kashmiri dry fruits, this year there are many stalls selling woollen clothes from Kashmir.
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CITY SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
With the recent outrage against sex crimes and a desperate call to change our societal outlook, Postnoon looks at the crucial role that schools play in forming our attitudes towards women.
CLASSIFIEDS HEALTH/ CLINIC
SEGREGATING YOUNG MINDS ARUNIMA RAJAN
arunima.r@postnoon.com
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S
egregation has always been part of the Indian school system. Archaic rules like separate stairways for girls and boys in some educational institutes have made headlines across the nation. Whether it’s in the classroom or the school bus, the vigilant eyes of the authorities constantly monitor even casual chats between boys and girls. Yet, sex education often remains in the corners of curriculum of most schools. Although children today are more exposed to sex today than ever before, it still remains a taboo topic. So much so that when the CBSE introduced sex education in its curriculum a few years ago, the Maharashtra government chose to refrain from teaching it in its schools. Teachers are yet to be trained to take such classes and AS Srikanth, Karnataka’s former principal secretary of higher education, feels sex education is still a dicey topic in India. “The efficacy of such classes depends on the expertise and knowledge of teachers who deal with the topic,” notes the former bureaucrat. This is one reason why Delhi Public School (DPS) in Bangalore has employed doctors to conduct sex education classes. Manju Sharma, principal DPS South, feels that gender sensitisation is one of the important ways by which schools can shape a child's thought process. Nina Kanjirath, director of Gaia Preschool and Childcare Centre, points out that since children spend close to eight hours a day at schools, education institutions play an influential role in
imparting the right values. “It must start from a very young age and at our pre-school, children and adults are encouraged to respect each other. We teach children that their bodies belong to themselves and that they have the right to reject or refuse any physical contact. They are also encouraged to ask for help from adults and to respect similar rights of others,” she says. Sharma seconds this and feels that it is vital that students develop mutual respect for each other. In order to help students tackle sensitive issues of adolescence, DPS conducts sessions with students as well as parents. The principal feels that violence and aggression portrayed in movies also have a lasting impact on the impressionable minds of children. “Children try to imitate the macho personality of heroes in Indian cinema. This behaviour is noticed primarily among high school students,” says Sharma. However, M Srinivasan, principal of Gear Innovative International School disagrees. “I think we are confusing a lot of things. Lack of sex education doesn’t lead to children watching adult movies,” says Srinivasan. He
We don’t feel free to discuss such topics with student counsellors. I am worried that my own classmates will pull my leg if they come to know about my queries. So, I don’t discuss any private matters with counsellors. Vishal, high school student.
attributes such behaviour to the culture of the home and the habits of elders. “Sex education doesn’t deal with individual family perceptions which result in a culture at each home. Aggression and violence is seen mainly by a certain section people who can be disciplined by enforcing strict laws. Deterrence will only control maniacs. Sex education will make everybody a better person,” he explains. Some of the most reputed schools in the country are not coeducation institutes. Kanjirath highly recommends co-ed schools as they more accurately represent the real world. “Co-ed schools may have some advantage when it comes to fostering mutual respect with the opposite sex in a more realistic setting rather than getting their perspective from inappropriate and biased second-hand sources,” she says. But, sending your wards to coed schools may not necessarily tackle this issue as most schools practice some form of gender segregation in their campuses. “Some schools segregate students in the higher grades by making them sit separately in the class to prevent distraction caused by an increased
Some schools segregate students in the higher grades by making them sit separately in the class to prevent distraction caused by an increased awareness of the opposite sex in relation to their changing bodies. Nina Kanjirath, director, Gaia Preschool and Childcare Centre.
awareness of the opposite sex in relation to their changing bodies,” adds Kanjirath. At a time when children are learning things at a much faster pace, teachers often find it difficult to handle their problems. Several schools have roped in student counsellors to initiate open discussions about thorny topics like adult relationships. “Schools can help by providing counselling in establishing a code of conduct so that young adults may gain more control of their fluctuating emotional and hormonal state in relating respectfully and appropriately with the opposite sex,” says Kanjirath.
Still, teenagers often find it difficult to share their thoughts and desires as there is always a fear of being mocked by their peers or being misunderstood by adults. “We don’t feel free to discuss such topics with student counsellors. I am worried that my own classmates will pull my leg if they come to know about my queries. So, I don’t discuss any private matters with counsellors,” says Vishal, a high school student. So, what role can schools play in imparting values, to prevent them from committing crimes? Most teachers admit that schools can be instrumental in ensuring that students of either sex respect each other. “Schools must build strategies and activities to promote a healthy, open and culturally rich environment. Academic work simply cannot achieve this,” concludes Srinivasan.
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COMMENT SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
Absolutely!
Organisation’s fault
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I
completely agree with the article, Cricket rot needs stemming. It’s this shameful “playing safe” attitude that’s stopped our youngsters from showing any killer attitude on the field. “Always play safe”. COME ON! This is a game after all. One should always look to win and if beaten take it well. Rakesh Sharma via email
f women are silent about the sexual abuse at work, it could be plainly the fault of the organisation for not having proper measures to stop it and punish the perpetrators. Also could be blamed the thought that it is shameful to come out against the wrong done to them. Saumya S via email
EDITORIALS Readers’ views We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 4067 2222.
Plain unfair
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ow this is plain unfair. How can a road be closed down to facilitate VIPs? Everything is done for the well being of the high and mighty here, that too on tax payers’ dough who in turn are denied roads for which they paid for. Well, this is India, so this is nothing extraodrinary. Varun Krishan Gachibowli
EDITORIALS THE BEAUTY OF Bhagwat’s Bharat There’s nothing surprising about Mohan Bhagwat’s comments that violence against women happens only in urban India and such things do not happen in rural India, where things happen the old way, where people and places have managed to remain uncorrupted by western values. Right; let’s ignore the insinuating statement, something extremely divisive by the loose way he used India and Bharat. It’s a fact that urban and rural Indias exist. What is unpalatable is Bhagwat’s claim that “such things” do not happen in the villages and forests. One look at the stats will reveal that incidents of this nature are never reported. Victims prefer to suffer pain and keep their injuries to themselves than seek redress and invite further insults from those around them and live in perennial shame. Because if “such things” happen to women in rural areas, that’s the end of their lives. And do enlighten us, Bhagwat, what are those traditional values that make Bharat a better place than India? Dowry? Caste system? Manual scavenging? Oligarchy? Khap panchayats? And oh the best of all sati? Are these the wonderful aspects of the India, oh, sorry, Bharat you envisage? If you choose to be objective you will admit that far worse things happen in the rural areas. People are murdered, girls raped, women beaten, people denied the right to equality and on some occasions, the right to live. But we don’t expect you to admit any of it. Because all this is right and the proper ways of life in your Bharat. There’s immense power and wisdom in the ancient ways. Many an eminent person has acknowledged the greatness of India: Mark Twain, Albert Einstein... the list is endless... But the sad part is those in the know-how of it in India twist it to suit them. That has been and is our curse.
Now is a good time Soul Curry SUMAA TEKUR
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’m often asked to do Tarot readings on a good time to start something – a diet plan, a new job, an exercise regimen, the process to quit smoking, etc. My answer, without consulting the cards, would first be to start now. Then I check with the cards, and for most readings, the answer is the same. Why put off till tomorrow what you can do today? Another New Year has already begun. Add new thinking to this fresh start and it has the potential to reward you with something you haven’t experienced before. Here are a few things you can put on your bucket list for 2013. 1. Travel well: There’s a difference between simply travelling and travelling well. A popular saying goes that the best travelers are those not intent on arriving. Enjoy the
journey and the destination will unfold before you in new, exciting ways. Visit at least one place you haven’t been to. Talk to people you wouldn’t otherwise speak to when travelling. Collect the experience rather than travel brochures and picture postcard-perfect photographs. Collect memories and stories. Spend some time in the main marketplace. Feel the energy, its ebb and flow to get a sense of the real culture of the place. 2. Make new friends: ‘No time’ is often our refrain for making the effort to meet new people. Sign up for a class, any class. It could be music lessons, painting classes, pottery, or anything where you have the potential to meet interesting people. Get to know them — not just where they work, where they live or how they spend their weekends. Get to know the real person behind these social constructs. Ask them what they like, what bothers them, why they are attending these classes. Make at least one new friend this year. 3. Meditate: If you’re
ADD NEW THINKING TO THIS FRESH START AND IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REWARD YOU WITH SOMETHING YOU HAVEN’T EXPERIENCED BEFORE. already meditating, try different relaxation techniques. We’re in the New Age, where humans are increasingly finding new ways to connect with the self. Meditation can be in listening to soothing music to painting to cooking to gardening to playing badminton or even playing with a pet. Find your comfort zone and make an effort to connect with yourself or a few minutes every day. This is needed for long-term cleansing of the mind and soul. This may not seem urgent but it most certainly is important. 4. Learn a new skill: It could be a new language, baking classes, management tech-
niques or classes on how to ride a motorbike. Do anything that is not connected with your job. And do this with no motive to utilise this for profit at a later date. Learn a new skill for the joy of learning. It will open up your mind to another world you aren’t too familiar with. It is an important reminder that we need to center ourselves frequently so that we don’t get too caught up in defining who we are based on our job designations or our family roles. 5. Spend time with kids: Kids can ask the most creative questions and make us wonder what if the world was truly that crazy. They motivate us to remove ourselves from the daily routines we build for the sake of convenience, and continue to ask pertinent questions. Real education, after all, is about being able to question everything. We learn truly by asking lots of questions. And who better than kids, untouched by the expectations of the harsh adult world, to teach us to realign our place in society.
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COMMENT SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
In New Year, Out Old Promises Quirky-side-Up ARPITA BHAWAL
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he New Year has set in and five days have whizzed past as if they were as eager to leave us as we were to receive them. Let us be honest about the seemingly optimistic stance of all years that have come before this, promising rainbows with pots of gold. They have always left some of us after 365 or 366 days with a sense of ‘oldness’. What is it with the New Year that makes us believe that everything bad, unlucky, evil and inept will magically disappear to be replaced by nothing short of ‘new’ bliss in every walk of our lives? It has nothing to do with religion or a calendar with some numbers in black printed upon it. It is just you and I. Somewhere, in the deep recesses of our minds and hearts, with an exotic mix of logic and emotion we concoct a bright future. If you are a follower of Deepak Chopra, the new-age healing Guru, you will see the nature of
Urban sketches VISWAPRASAD RAJU
eternal optimism is always laced with an essential ingredient: YOU. Though reams have been written about New Year resolutions, both you and I have made many of them, only to discard them in the hands of Fate or Time (whichever was hungrier). Lots has been said between December 16 and December 31 of how we must not forget ‘that girl who was gang raped in a bus’, who shook up the very ground on which we walked with feigned ignorance - but we may just forget. We can’t really pat ourselves on the back with the same fervor this year as we did in the past years because we all know that somewhere, something has gone very wrong. Those grand dreams of success and networking in the corporate sector appear somber with widespread unemployment. Even the fashionistas who went out and partied on the eve of another New Year looked halfhearted in the designer wear. So, our vows of turning into new leaves or trees in 2013 have lost color because we are not ‘present’. Perhaps, that is because we began 2013 with a tsunami of disappointments. To begin with,
the world didn’t end, so now even the Mayans can’t be relied upon. Then, the gang rape victim’s worst perpetrator is only seventeen-odd-years so he can’t be hanged to death like the other five men. More sex crimes against women (25 since December 16, 2012) have been reported until yesterday which makes them want to quit their jobs and stay home. Further, corporate houses
Journey
have no intention of moving their head offices out of Delhi to safer cities for women like Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad. Finally, as if it would make or break the Fate of India, there seems to be no end to the discussion about Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captainship of the Indian Cricket Team. So the New Year is not all new — it has brought with it the
ghosts of the past year like always only now we are more aware. There is a huge sense of futility in India and its people. Young people what to know if they will get a job. Yesterday’s tweet about Infosys letting off 5,000 people has shocked many. In other industries, there could be more jobs in 2013 for midsenior managers. Forbes is tweeting about: Here are 10 ways to start the year off right at work. But only @Kaalicharan continues to support the cause of abandoned puppies or dogs in Delhi/NCR, which is actually quite heartwarming, because it gives me hope that maybe not all of us have lost our humanity in the noise. This sense of futility can be ascribed to our fatigue about old promises - made by others to us, made by us to ourselves, and made by us to others. Whether it is India or you or I, the time for promises is past. Old promises are no more real than Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I would like to go with Mahatma Gandhi here: “Be the change you want to see in the world.”It might be said to death, but if we can really do this to death, we might just survive another New Year.
Global edits The Guardian (UK)
Racism in Europe: kicking off
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n less than 48 hours, European football has produced two remarkable events, one on the pitch, one off it. On Thursday, the AC Milan player Kevin-Prince Boateng led his team off the field in protest at persistent racial abuse from a segment of the opposition crowd. And in the hours since, there has been not a single word of criticism levelled against him, nor his team, nor the officials who let the players go. Italian football professes itself shamed. But that's no reason for British football to feel smug. In the past, a player who responded to racist taunts by kicking the ball into the crowd, as Mr Boateng did before walking off, would have been treated more as villain than hero. When England under-21 player Danny Rose did just that during a match against Serbia last October, he was sent off immediately, one more statistic in the long history of acceptance of the unacceptable. The European football authorities are notoriously lax about punishing clubs with racist fans, imposing fines that are usually less than a single Premier League player's weekly wage. This time, though, there has been no talk of retribution from the Italian Football Association. Both Uefa and the FA have been silent. It is hard to think of a more effective weapon against abusive crowds than denying
them the game they came to watch. But what is now a regular – and effective – part of the official armoury against violent behaviour has yet to be used against the racist chants that are still heard at matches everywhere (including England). The FA talks the talk, but fails to back up lofty sentiments with the kind of action that would tackle the blatant inequality in every aspect of the game off the field. Only after the Reading player Jason Roberts refused to wear the Kick It Out T-shirt in protest at the feebleness of last autumn's campaign (whose highlight was changing the kit rather than changing the rules) did the players' own body, the PFA, respond. Its six proposals – including a variation of the Rooney Rule, which would require at least one candidate from black and minority ethnic groups to be interviewed for any senior coaching job – might one day make a difference. But they will take time, and time is an increasingly scarce resource. The crisis in the economy is exaggerating faultlines in society. Political rhetoric comes perilously close to making scapegoats of particular groups, and in hard times it is all too easy to turn people against one another. For all the headlines it generates about sex and sin, football still performs an important role as a setter of cultural norms. In that context alone, the lack of official, meaningful effort against racism is a disgrace. The lesson from Milan is that the best weapon against institutional inertia is solidarity.
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BUSINESS SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
Everest in Limca Book
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verest Industries Limited, one of India’s fastest growing building solutions companies has found a place of pride in the Limca Book of Records. The company has been credited for bringing about a technological innovation in building construction. They received this award for completing a 60,000 sq ft campus in 90 days using their Smart Steel technology.
Google maps’ resolutions
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No looking back
Like all engineering graduates, Vinayak Sharma dreamt of making it big in the IT sector. Despite many challenges, the techie launched Byteridge, a software services and solutions company.
Vinayak Sharna (second from right) with his team at Byteridge.
PRUDHVI RAJU K
prudhvi.k@postnoon.com
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inayak Sharma is certainly not among the crowd. This young man was so driven by his passion to create something on his own that he quit his comfortable job and took the hard route to the top. This self-belief pushed him to start ‘Byteridge’ — a software services and solutions company — in May 2008. The business has grown more than 20 per cent and is expected to clock a growth of 50-60 per cent this fiscal. A computer science engineering graduate from the Army Institute of Technology, Vinayak, like many of his peers, dreamt of kick-starting his career in the IT sector. However, things didn’t look up as the company where he got a job through campus placement could not honour their deal. “What followed was months of struggle through which I gained expertise in the field. This also taught me to value my job and made me a better professional and engineer. Initially, I worked for free for almost a month in a bid to gain exposure in the corporate world. Soon I started my career with a start-up called Extenprise eSolutions,” he says. But the decision to work with a start-up was not a deliberate one. Although he had his doubts, in retrospect, he says, it was the best
Oldest Swiss bank to close
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oogle is letting people peg their New Year's resolutions to an online map and see what promises others around the world have set in 2013. By Friday, a resolutions section at the California Internet giant's 2012 Zeitgeist website had logged half a million entries, more than a third of which involved desires to love or be loved.
thing that happened to him. “In any start-up, expectations from an individual are high although the pay is less when compared to IT giants. These expectations pushed me to be more proficient than peers in big companies. It also gave me a confidence to venture in to business,” adds the young engineer. Seeing his friends run successful businesses stirred the passion within Vinayak to start something on his own. If they could do it, so could he. But success wasn’t achieved without a bitter dose. One of his ideas nosedived as it wasn’t well planned. “It was a terrible idea, but was, to an extent, achievable if
VINAYAK SAYS HE WANTS HIS COMPANY TO BE KNOWN AS ONE THAT HAS EXPERTISE IN CLOUD AND MOBILE APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT. there were multiple co-founders and dedicated folk or a product division. It needed blood, sweat and money. However, I could not launch the product due to the high investment requirements but started offering a wide range of IT services to customers instead,” says Vinayak. Byteridge began with an initial investment of about `5 lakh. The business achieved operational breakeven in the first year itself and has shown 20-30 per cent growth in revenues from the second year of
its inception. The business is looking to get 50-60 per cent growth in revenues this fiscal. “Any successful business doesn’t just need tangible resources like financial investments, but also moral and psychological support. I almost thought of giving up at one point in 2010 when the company was in financial crisis. However, my wife pushed me to float it for another six months. After that, we got better clients and have never looked back,” Vinayak recalls. Quality human resource, he says, is another challenge as it is difficult to attract talent to a startup. So Vinayak had to rope in fairly talented fresh graduates and groom them himself according to the requirements of the job. “Today, these young men have become seniors and are the backbone of the company,” he says. Running a company all alone is no mean feat. Sure, the decisionmaking process is much quicker, but not having a co-founder also has its own issues. Vinayak is now on the lookout for a partner who has complimentary skills (business development) as he believes it will help the business grow and expand its client base. Having seen Byteridge grow steadily over the years, Vinayak says he wants his company to be known as one that has expertise in cloud and mobile application development. He signs off by saying simply that, “We must be an unparalleled company with no peer match in different domains.”
he oldest Swiss bank, Wegelin & Co, is wrapping up an existence that has spanned more than 270 years after pleading guilty in a US case involving Americans who hid funds in secret accounts abroad. Wegelin, which was founded in 1741 unveiled late Thursday an agreement with US federal prosecutors that includes penalties worth a total of $57.8 million.
FACT
FILE
Services: Mobile Application Development (Android, iOS, Blackberry, J2ME); Cloud Applications (Azure & AWS based Applications); Microsoft Technologies (SharePoint 2010/2007, .NET, Silverlight, Reporting Services, Dashboards); Rich Internet Applications (Web 2.0, AJAX/PHP, CMS based portals using Joomla, Drupal). Number of employees: 10 Number of recurring clients: 12 Total number of clients till date: 30 Clients target for next fiscal: 20 (15 recurring + 5 one time customers)
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NATION SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
Man held for bank fraud
Cops to patrol Goa buses
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ops in plain clothes will be patrolling the public transport system in Goa while a separate 24x7 desk would be set up in all police stations across the state to help women in distress. The decision stems from the recent outrage over the Delhi gangrape incident. The security review committee decided to step up measures to ensure safety of women.
It’s 2.9°C in Delhi
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cashier of a nationalised bank has been booked for an alleged bungling of over Rs 30 lakh in Loni area of the district. According to Station In-charge of Loni police station, senior manager of Punjab National Bank's Baghpat Road branch has filed a complaint against cashier Tara Singh accusing him of cheating the bank of `31 lakh.
he capital got no respite from the bitter cold as the minimum temperature Saturday settled at 2.9 degrees Celsius — four notches below average. The Met office has forecast a clear day ahead. "The city was enveloped by the fog in the morning, but the day will be clear. The maximum temperature would hover around 15 degree Celsius," a MET official said.
Delhi gang-rape case in court as boyfriend of victim speaks
Rupam Jain Nair
Agence France-Presse
NEW DELHI: The case of five men accused of the gang-rape and murder of a student on a New Delhi bus was set to be transferred to a fast-track trial court Saturday, as her boyfriend recounted for the first time his efforts to save her. The horrifying crime has appalled India and brought simmering anger over widespread crime against women to the boil amid demands for safer streets, more sensitive policing and a change in social attitudes. Police arrested six suspects soon after the attack and formally charged five of them in court on Thursday with murder, rape and kidnap. One of them claims to be a juvenile aged 17, who is undergoing a bone test to check his age. A district court was due to hold its second hearing Saturday and is expected to transfer the case of the five men to a special "fast-track" court set up amid a public outcry and demands for the culprits to be hanged. Adding to the anger and soulsearching underway in India was the first description of events from the boyfriend of the 23-yearold physiotherapy student, who was with her when they were attacked. "The cruelty I saw should not be seen ever," the 28-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told AFP of the savagery of the assault, which left the woman with such serious inter-
Protesters display placards as they form a human Chain during a demonstration demanding justice for the gang-rape victim, at Central Park in New Delhi on Friday. PTI
Cops file case against Zee NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police have filed a case against Zee News for revealing the identity of the rape victim by carrying an interview of her friend. "A case under Section 228-A of the Indian Penal Code was filed against Zee News at police station Vasant
Jaya to assess crop damage CHENNAI: Assuring relief to farmers hit by failure of monsoon and Cauvery water crisis, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today announced setting up of a high-level committee to look into the extent of damage to crops. The committee will assess the extent of damage to crops and drought and make recommendations to the government regarding areas that should be declared as drought-hit, she said in an official statement. "Based on this, relief will be provided to farmers in drought-affected areas and my led government will take all efforts to ensure the farmers are not affected," she said. Finance Minister O Panneerselvam will head the committee while Agriculture Minister Damodaran and Electricity Minister Natham R viswanathan are among its other members.
Vihar," said Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat. Section 228A (Disclosure of identity of the victim of certain offences etc) lays penalty of a jail term extending to two years for those who "print or publish the name or any matter which may make known the identity" of a rape victim.
Zee TV since Friday night started running a scroll saying the young man agreed to reveal his identity voluntarily. The channel said they will give whatever the man said to the Justice JS Verma panel which is looking into strengthening anti-rape laws.
Woman abducted, raped for two months NOIDA: A married woman alleged she was sold after being served sweets laced with sedatives and raped by two men for two months in Aligarh. The woman, a resident of Dadri, was married to man in Bulandshahar a year ago. Two months ago, she had come to her parents house here as her mother was ill and hospitalised. A woman from the neighbourhood came on the pretext of going to the hospital and took her with her. She also took Rs.50,000 and told the victim that she may need money to pay at the hospital. The neighbourhood woman took her to her room and gave sweet mixed with sedatives. She fell unconscious. The victim alleged the neighbourhood woman sold her for Rs.80,000 to an Aligarh man who PTI raped her for two months.
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nal injuries that she died last weekend. "I tried to fight against the men but later I begged them again and again to leave her," he said from his family's home in rural northern India where he is taking time out from his job at a software firm in the capital. The 28-year-old recounted bitterly how passers-by had failed to come to their rescue after they were thrown out of the moving vehicle without clothes after their ordeal. He also criticised police for failing to be sensitive to their mental condition after the attack, and raised questions about the emergency care given in the public hospital which admitted his girlfriend. "A passerby found us (after the attack), but he did not even give my friend his jacket. We waited for the police to come and save us," he told AFP. Later Friday, he appeared for the first time in public since the attack, giving an anguished interview to Hindi-language Indian cable channel Zee News, in which he again criticised police and onlookers for failing to help. "They could have taken us to hospital, given us clothes in that crucial one and half hours. For a dying person every minute is important," he told the channel, adding that police had taken 45 minutes to reach the scene. The man, who said he was "in love" with the victim told AFP how events had quickly spiralled out of control on the bus.
Human rights case against Badal WASHINGTON: A US federal judge has set an evidentiary hearing for Jan 29 in a human rights violations case against Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to resolve basic jurisdictional issues. Wisconsin Judge Rudolph T Randa set the hearing on a plea by Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) seeking the court's protection against alleged intimidation, threats and abuse to the families of the plaintiffs in India by Badal's agents. Badal through his lawyers has sought dismissal of the case on the ground of lack of service of summons after two special Agents from State Department's Diplomatic Security Service claimed in sworn statements that Badal was not present at Oak Creek High School on Aug 9 as claimed by the plainIANS tiffs.
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WORLD SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
‘I’ll become Russian’
Saudi man held for assault
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Saudi airforce sergeant stationed in the United States was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy in a Las Vegas hotel, police said Friday. Mazen Alotaibi, 23, on holiday in Sin City from training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, was arrested on New Year’s Eve after the alleged assault and faces a series of charges.
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ormer French sex siren Brigitte Bardot has said she will have to become Russian if the French authorities do not drop their plan to put down two sick elephants at a zoo. “If those in power have the cowardice and impudence to kill the two elephants Baby and Nepal despite all the proposals made by my foundation, then I have decided to ask for Russian nationality,” she said.
‘Chavez needn’t step down’
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enezuela signaled Friday that cancer-stricken President Hugo Chavez will be unable to be sworn in to a new term next week, laying out a legal rationale for delaying the oath-taking ceremony. Vice President Nicolas Maduro said the ailing leader could take the oath of office at some later date before the Supreme Court without giving up the presidency in the interim.
US troops land in Turkey US troops began arriving in Turkey on Friday to man Patriot missile batteries against threats from neighbouring Syria.
DAMASCUS: US troops began
He tweets to kill by Michele Leridon
ROME: Fidel Castro, Mikhail Gorbachev and Pope Benedict XVI — Italian Tommasso Debenedetti has killed them all in fake tweets aimed at exposing shoddy journalism that have earned him global notoriety. The latest victim of Debenedetti’s unusual hobby is British author JK Rowling, whose death in an accident he announced from a fake Twitter account purporting to belong to fellow writer John Le Carre. “Death works well on Twitter,” Debenedetti, who is in his 40s and says he teaches literature at a school in Rome, told AFP in a phone interview. Debenedetti said that when he saw his Le Carre account had 2,500 followers including journalists from major British, German and US media, “I decided to make John Le Carre say JK Rowling had died”. The literary fake artist says his aim in all of this is to “show that Twitter has become a news agency — the least reliable in the world. “Unfortunately, journalism works on speed. False news spreads exponentially,” he said.
arriving in Turkey on Friday to man Patriot missile batteries against threats from neighbouring Syria, where the 21-month conflict between the regime and rebels has escalated. Syrian air and ground forces were pounding insurgents dug in outside Damascus in a ferocious offensive a day after a car bomb in the north of the city killed at least 11 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The arrival of the US personnel specialised in the six Patriot systems to be deployed on the Turkey-Syria border under a NATO agreement has highlighted fears that Syria’s civil war could suck in other nations in the region. Cross-border fire has already erupted several times in recent months from combatants in Syria into Turkey, Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The United States last month also expressed concerns that there were signs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could be preparing to use chemical agents in missiles or aerial bombs as a last-ditch measure against insurgents. The US military’s European Command (EUCOM) said on Friday that the troops being sent to Turkey’s Incirlik air base would swell to 400 within days to support the two US Patriot batteries being supplied by America. Germany and the
Cross-border fire has erupted several times in recent months from combatants in Syria into Turkey, Lebanon and Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
(FILES) This file photo dated February 11, 2003, shows a Dutch Patriot missile system unit at De Peel. NATO began deploying Patriot missiles in Turkey on January 4, 2013, to defend against threats from neighbouring Syria, the US European Command (EUCOM) said.
Netherlands will supply the four other Patriot batteries under the NATO agreement struck at Turkey’s request and described as purely defensive. “The forces will augment Turkey’s air defence capabilities and contribute to the de-escalation of the crisis along the Alliance’s border,” the EUCOM said. Syria’s chief ally Iran, however, has called the Patriot deployment “provocative,” seeing it as a blunting of its own offensive capabilities. Ankara has responded by telling Tehran to use its clout with Assad to resolve the civil war in his country. That conflict has worsened in the past six months as Assad has ordered warplanes and heavy artillery to blast rebels who hold great swathes of Syria’s countryside, especially in the north. The United Nations this week said 60,000 people have died since the rebellion began in March 2011. Its figures showed average daily fatalities have multiplied since mid2012, correlating with the increased use of regime air power.
$9.7bn for Sandy victims
US hopes N Korea visit will be ‘positive’
Hitler statue at Holocaust site
WASHINGTON: The US Congress finally approved emergency disaster aid for victims of Hurricane Sandy on Friday, but only after a delay that sparked East Coast Republican outrage against their own party leadership. The House voted 354-67 to provide the Federal Emergency Management Agency with $9.7 billion to pay the flood insurance claims of thousands of victims of the killer October storm that devastated coastal communities. The legislation, just a wedge of a much larger package sought by the White House, then breezed through the Senate by voice vote, and goes to President Barack Obama for his signature. “We should not have parades down the street because this bill has passed,” said Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer.
WASHINGTON: Former US governor Bill Richardson said Friday he hopes to assess what is happening in North Korea under its new leader Kim Jong-Un during what he hopes will be a “positive” visit. He also dismissed US government concerns over the planned trip to Pyongyang with Google chairman Eric Schmidt, which he said would be “wide-ranging.” Although it was “very doubtful” he would meet with Kim, who took over after his father died in December 2011, Richardson told CNN he would be able to “talk to a number of North Korean officials” and see the reclusive country’s humanitarian situation for himself. He stressed he and Schmidt would be traveling as private citizens, representing neither the US government nor Internet giant Google.
WARSAW: Poland’s chief rabbi on Friday voiced outrage over a statue of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler kneeling at a Holocaust site in Warsaw, part of an installation by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. “When it comes to showing the figure of Hitler, we have an extra special responsibility to be sensitive to those who suffered because of what Hitler created, to Holocaust survivors, to non-Jewish survivors, to those who didn’t survive,” Rabbi Michael Schudrich told AFP. “To place it right here, on Prozna Street, part of the old Warsaw ghetto, is lacking in that sensitivity and therefore it creates a problem for me,” Schudrich said. The wax statue depicts Adolf Hitler with a child’s body dressed in a grey suit, kneeling in prayer.
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MOTORING SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
Nissan reassures consumers
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issan Motor Co. plans to bolster the warranty of the battery modules in its electric Leafs to reassure consumers of their durability. The company intends to notify current owners early next year that it will make the warranty retroactive to cover all existing Leafs, offering to repair or replace the car’s lithium-ion battery if it loses more than 30 per cent of its ability.
PORSCHE BOXSTER S
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orsche Boxster stands apart from the crowd with its extreme performance and technicality. It has a top speed of 279kmph and runs on a 3,436cc engine that produces 315 Bhp power at 6,700 RPM. Expected launch month : February 2013 Expected price : `50L - 75L
Nano on Facebook
Renault to increase prices
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ata Nano has become India’s first auto brand to cross 3 million Facebook fans. With its unique engagement style and consistent efforts, Tata Nano has achieved this feat in an unbelievable span of just 12 months. From fun FB Apps like Nano Expert Quiz to Drive with MTV and Nano Student of the Year, Nano has done several activities in the digital space.
rench auto-major Renault plans to increase prices of its automobiles in India by up to 1.5 per cent with effect from January 1, 2013 due to high input costs. "The price increase will be up to 1.5 per cent across the range and will be effective from January one, 2013" Renault India Executive Director (Sales and Marketing) Sumit Sawhney said.
ABOUT TIME
JAGUAR F-TYPE his car can touch speeds of 300kmph and is a successor to the famous but old E-Type which saw its world debut in 1961. It is as exciting to drive as it looks and will make Jaguar more popular among auto-enthusiasts in the country. Expected launch month : July 2013 Expected Price : `60L - `70 L
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Five sporty cars that will make their way to India in 2013
ASTON M ARTIN VANQUISH
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he restyled RCZ Sports Coupe continues with 18 inch 'Original' alloy wheels and a host of familiar features including dual-zone air conditioning, rear parking aid and USB box with Bluetooth. With RCZ, Peugeot will be trying to build a sporty image than push out volumes. Expected launch month : April 2013 Expected price : `35 L - 45L
his car needs little introduction and Aston Martin is bringing the Vanquish back to India. Expected launch month : March 2013. It has a top speed of 293kmph and a 5,935cc V12 engine that produces 565 Bhp power at 6750 RPM. Expected Price : `3.50 cr - `4cr
NISSAN GT-R fter launching 370Z, Nissan is now bringing the larger GT-R model to India. It has a top speed of 290kmph and has clean sleek look associated with Nissan cars. It is like an elder brother of 370Z, both in looks and performance. Expected launch month : February 2013 Expected price : `1.00 cr - `1.20 cr
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BOOKS SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
SHORT READS Title: Gun Machine Author: Warren Ellis Publisher: Mulholland Books After a shootout claims his partner’s life in a building on Pearl Street, Detective John Tallow unwittingly stumbles across an apartment stacked high with guns. When examined, each weapon leads to a different, previously unsolved murder.
Title: The Icarus Deception Author: Seth Godin Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover Everyone knows that Icarus’s father made him wings and told him not to fly too close to the sun; he ignored the warning and plunged to his doom. The lesson: Play it safe. Listen to the experts.Godin shows convinces us why it’s essential.
Title: Mastermind Author: Mario Konnikova Publisher: Viking Adult Beginning with the "brain attic"--Holmes's metaphor for how we store information and organize knowledge-Konnikova unpacks the mental strategies that lead to clearer thinking and deeper insights. The book explores Holmes' unique methods.
Title: Shadow Woman Author: Linda Howard Publisher: Ballantine Books When Lizette Henry wakes up one morning and makes a terrifying discovery: She doesn’t recognize the face she sees in the mirror. She remembers what she looks like, but her reflection is someone else’s. To add to the shock, two years seem to have disappeared from her life.
Detective Jang is back!
A Muzaffar Jang mystery that you just can’t put down! As you turn every page, trying to uncover the truth, the suspense keeps you gripped till the end.
DEEPASHRI V
deepashri.v@postnoon.com
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ngraved in stone is the third book in the series of Madhulika Liddle’s detective Jang novels. If you haven’t read the previous books, you can still go right ahead and open this one, opening with it an engaging tale of history and mystery set in 17th century India. Muzaffar Jang is the detective in the novel, who, during his unplanned visit to Agra finds himself thrust with the investigation of the murder of his close friend Akram’s uncle, Mumtaz Hassan. There are no sophisticat-
Fleme Varkey fleme.v@postnoon.com
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Subramania Bharati is renowned as the herald of the renaissance in Tamil literature. The simplicity and lyricism that marked his poetry reflect a clear shift in sensibility and craft from the classical tradition, which had adhered to strictures of style, imagery and language for years. Panchali's Pledge is the English translation of Bharati's Panchali Sabadham, which recounts the pivotal Game of Dice incident in the Mahabharata. Usha Rajagopalan's present translation seeks to ‘create an epic using simple phrases, a simple style, easily understood prosody and rhythm which the common man appreciates.’ The book was released on
ed gadgets and equipments to help crack the case; only intuition, trial and error and an understanding of human nature. Just as you were about to guess who the killer could be, Jung picks up different leads along the way, each shifting the suspicion to a different man, friends and foes of the dead. You read curiously as Jung pursues each lead and gets frustrated as each comes to a dead end. More than one unsolved mystery is intertwined as the story proceeds. In the middle of all this, Muzaffar Jang fights with his own feelings for a woman, his stereotyping of the gender, with the exception of his sister, and his bitter experiences from the past that stop him from venturing into romance again. The first paragraph itself makes you fall in love with the
narrative style, which takes you back to Agra’s nakhkhas or the cattle market during Shahjahan’s time. It’s just been a few years since the Taj Mahal was built. It stands proud and unpolluted in the heat of the city and people who grew up seeing it being built from scratch and artisans who worked then speak of the days of the Taj. The stories behind the fine architecture and their superstitions, as secrets from the past
Lost in words
ed works as is with this, is also the truthfulness of the translation. As in how far the translator has managed to evoke the same feelings as the writer.
Name Engraved in stone Author Madhulika Liddle Pages 309 Publisher Hachette India
Translating Bharati is a formidable task. It needs knowledge, fluency in both languages, and something else — a literary touch. the 130th birth anniversary of the poet and what better way to mark the occasion than this piece of work. Usha, in fact, learnt Tamil to be able to do justice to the poet's work. By her own admission, the translation took her eight years to complete. The poems talk about the events that culminate in Panchali’s pledge on her disrobing. They deal with Duryodhana venting his wrath, seeking the
help of his uncle Sakuni, the dice game, the victory of the Kauravas, the disrobing and the final vow taken by Panchali. The poems also have a political undertone to it, as it was written by Bharati while in exile, escaping the British persecution. Panchali, the 'cherished consort of the five' is the manifestation of India, the mother, goddess and of Shakti. The problem with most translat-
and present unfold, and the mystery of the paving stones is slowly revealed. The humour is intelligent wherever intended. “And no, the hands of artisans who built the Taj Mahal were not chopped off,” says one of the characters, outraged at such a rumour, going into an animated explanation of why this is a ridiculous thing to assume. Evidences of how the rich were getting richer and poor becoming poorer in those days, inter-state politics, the religious, cultural and social practices that prevailed, make an interesting read, giving you an insight into the kind of lives people led during that period. It is a story set in the backdrop of history you have grown up reading and can relate to. If you love detective novels, this is a must read. Often the public is at a loss, as a lot of factors determine a translator's work. Many have feared misrepresentation and misquoting with the poet's work and as up till now no good English translation has come up for Bharati's work. Those who are fluent in Tamil, and the nuances of the language can only be the judge.
Name Panchali's Pledge Author Subramania Bharati Translated by Usha Rajagopalan Pages 267 Publisher Hachette India
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BOOKS SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
THE LORD OF THE RINGS BY JRR TOLKIEN
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his is how the story begins. Folklore and tales of fantasy were not new when Tolkien penned his masterpiece, but he is considered the father of modern fantasy fiction. The epic journey, fantastical beings, the fight of good versus evil all intertwine to make an immensely satisfying trilogy. There are many who consider The Lord Of The Rings to be filled with too many inconsequential details, but that is the beauty of Tolkien's writing — he doesn't just tell a story, he creates a world. In a nutshell: Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship have to travel to Sauron's lair, Mordor, to destroy the One Ring that rules them all.
THE INHERITANCE CYCLE CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI
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hristopher Paolini was only 15 when he wrote Eragon, the story of a farmboy who discovers a dragon egg, but his book captured the imaginations of fantasy readers young and old. Highly reminiscent of The Lord of The Rings and Star Wars in setting and theme, the books are nevertheless a fun read for novice fantasy readers. A striking feature of The Inheritance Cycle is its treatment of Saphira, Eragon's dragon, who is a complex and strong character instead of just being a fearsome creature. The bond between the two is also fleshed out beautifully. In a nutshell: Eragon and Saphira, with the help of the Varden (a rebel army), travel through Alagaesia to overthrow the evil king Galbatorix.
Long we have waited, and finally, our patience will be rewarded. The final book of the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (and Brandon Sanderson) will release on January 8, bringing to end a saga that began 13 books ago. But if you're still to enter the wondrous world of fantasy fiction, start your journey with these equally engrossing series. You won't regret it. Jyotsna Nambiar
jyotsna.n@postnoon.com
A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE BY G EORGE RR M ARTIN
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oving away from the idyllic world of fantasy fiction, A Song of Ice and Fire plunges the reader into grey Westeros, filled with morally ambiguous characters. There is no good and evil here, only people fighting to stay alive. Each chapter is told in third person, giving dizzying and brilliant multiple perspectives. Each of Martin's characters are well etched out, in all their scheming, duplicitous glory. The multiple narrative format allows the readers to see endearing sides of supposedly evil characters, making it difficult to decide who to root for. Two more books are in the pipeline. In a nutshell: Family cannot be trusted, dragons will rise, wars will be fought and no one is safe from being killed off.
DISCWORLD PRATCHETT
BY
TERRY
I
f you thought fantasy were all about honour and fighting and dragons, read the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. Discworld is a fictional disc-shaped world supported on four elephants standing on a giant turtle. From Rincewind, the unskilled magician to Moist Von Lipwig, master conman, Discworld is inhabited by weird and eccentric characters. Pratchett's dry British humour comes as a welcome change in the fantasy fiction world. The author also parodies many standard fantasy fiction staples — like witches, vampires and Death, who rides a horse named Binky. In a nutshell: In Discworld, anything — from walking luggage to tiny men who have very colourful vocabularies — is possible.
WHAT’S SELLING Walden’s best in fiction
Walden’s best in non-fiction
New York Times’ best in fiction
New York Times’ best in non-fiction
n Racketeer by John Grisham
n Return of a King by William Dalrymple
n The Racketeer by John Grisham
n Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
n Love Stories That Touched My Heart by Ravinder Singh n Forgotten by David Baldacci n Red Sorghum by Mo Yan n The Bankster by Ravi Subramanian
n Durbar by Tavleen Singh n Land of the Seven Rivers by Sanjeev Sanyal n India Grows At Night by Gurcharan Das n Turning Points by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam
n Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn n Threat Vector by Tom Clancy with Mark Greaney n Merry Christmas, Alex Cross by James Patterson n The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling
n Thomas Jefferson by Jon Meacham n Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly n No Easy Day by Mark Owen n America Again by Stephen Colbert et al
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WOMEN SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
WEBSITES OF THE WEEK Ever wanted to see yourself on a wall banner? Now you can! Just go to PhotoFunia, select an effect and have some fun. You become an astronaut, Santa Claus or even be on a Paris Hilton’s CD cover.
Sometimes we see awesome-looking black & white photos. It looks like those photos were drawn with ink. You can also make a photo like this. All you need to do is go to “Magnigraph”, upload your photo and press one button.
You don’t need to buy or download a programme to edit your photos. All you need to do is go to “Splashup”. Here you can easily edit your photos for free. You will also find many drawing tools.
Conservationist at heart
Asher Jay — designer, activist and conservationist — uses her art to spread awareness about the need to conserve the environment and save the planet. AMY ROSE THOMAS
amyrose.t@postnoon.com
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n her own words, she is a creative conservationist. Asher Jay, who is showcasing her art at Muse Art Gallery this week, is a designer by qualification and an activist by choice. “I call myself a creative conservationist. I use my art to spread awareness about the need to conserve the environment and save the planet. I want people to be selfish about their health. If they are, they would know about the chemicals they are throwing into the planet, which in turn gets back to them. I want people to think beyond themselves. The problem with people today is that they don’t feel connected to the outside world. You are also part of the outside and once you know that you are connected to it, you will start being responsible too. I feel responsible for the tiger that was killed and the rhino that was poached. One needs to develop this connection with fellow human beings and also with animals. Once done, there wouldn’t be rape, murder or killing and harming of animals,” she says. She founded her own country, The United Flotsam of Garbagea, in a bid to raise awareness about pollution in the oceans and the amount of plastic being dumped. She even designed a national flag and an anthem for the country. “I make appearances as the head of the state in different events in the US. The capital of the country is the floating city of Litterin, located in West Chaos Wastes. I hold talks and request for investments for the country. The money raised goes to preserving the oceans. I also made an animated short film, Transparent Sea, for the Blue Ocean Film Festival that was organised in the US. The film received honourable mentions in two categories. Through these initiatives, I wish to get people to
give a second thought to the oceans. It is for their own good, as the chemicals in the ocean get back to them through the food they eat,” she says. Apart from her work towards ocean conservation, she is also involved in other issues, like violence against women and protection of extinct animal species. “I was named the UN Woman Design Star of 2012 when one of my designs was selected by the foundation for raising awareness about violence against women. My logo was used for all marches and protests that were organised
Last film seen Chasing Ice
Last book read Fate of Nature
Inspiration Wildlife and nature
Motto Comment, conserve and contribute
First job Maggie Norris Couture last year in the US,” she says. With her exhibition, Code Red Countdown, she will be raising awareness about endangered animals. “I think one person can make a huge difference to the lives of these critically endangered animals. The money raised will be going to the organisations that help save these animals. For instance, after selling a tiger painting, I will be donating the money to an NGO that helps save tigers,” she says.
One world for us all All About Eve
JYOTSNA N
G
oogle ‘Delhi gang rape’ and your Internet will almost crash with the flood of entries that pop up. But for all the media’s focus on the incident, one victim has been conveniently forgotten. There was a young man along with the 23-year-old woman that night. A man who was knocked unconscious and thrown out for dead along with the girl. He was luckier than her, certainly, but as recorders of the truth, the media cannot afford to forget him. The whole country has been screaming itself hoarse, asking that women’s safety be ensured. But a young man was also assaulted that night. Shouldn’t our focus then be on demanding that the safety of all citizens be ensured? Women get a raw deal in India, for most part. Most women will tell you that they feel like second-class citizens in their own country. The biases against the ‘Bharatiya Nari’ are so ingrained in the Indian mindset that when a woman is attacked, it is she, not her attacker, who is blamed. But men don’t have it easy either. A male friend recently told me that even though women are the most prominent victims of patriarchy, men are also often silent victims. Patriarchy only serves brutes well; a sensitive and conscientious man who stands up for the rights of women will usually find himself beaten and bruised for his troubles. Women have been historically sidelined in every fight. Even in a repressed group, it is the women who are at the bottom of the pile. But as women, who are treated the worst of the worst, we should not repeat the mistakes that men have made. Let us not restrict our quest to freedom and rights to women alone. Demand an equal society in every way; let no group be victimised for our freedom. Forget feminism; rename it ‘humanism’ and dream of an equal world. Hopefully, somewhere in the future, the dream will come true.
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SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013 S BALAKRISHNA
S BALAKRISHNA
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1
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Wedding bells The engagement of Rohit Reddy, son of Sinila and Ram Prasad Reddy, chairperson of Aurobindo Pharma, with Neha Reddy, daughter of Sunanda and Vijay Sai Reddy, was celebrated with great pomp at N Convention on Friday night.
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1 Saloni
4 Bindu
2 Chandini
5 Shyla, Shika
3 Namitha
6 Ruchika Tagoor
Shop till you drop
The City’s lovely ladies turned up in droves to shop and admire the merchandise at Khwaaish Exhibition and Sale at Taj Krishna. 4
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For a healthy lifestyle
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1 Rohit, Neha Reddy
3 Vijayamma, YS Bharathi
5 K Surekha
7 N Tarakaratna
2 Keerthi
4 Subbarami Reddy, Indira
6 A Rambabu
8 Naresh
AVP Kapil Ayurveda Chikitsalayam will be holding a free Ayurvedic Medical Camp at Champapet, Hyderabad. The camp will be held from January 5-6 from 9am to 5pm. Seen in the photo are (L-R) Dr MK Unni, chief physician, V Ravindar Kumar, director and Dr V Deepthi, physician at a meet.
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RELATIONSHIPS SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
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ocial networking sites may increase the bonds of friendship among 9- to 13-year-old boys. This is one of the findings of a study by Sally Quinn and Julian Oldmeadow from the University of York. Sally explained: “Our research is consistent with the view that boys may value the online environment as a rehearsal space for self disclosure skills and that SNSs might help those who are less socially mature.”
I AM ALL EARS Q:I have recently started dating and my first date went quite well, the only hitch was he was quite forward and wanted to take things to another level which I politely declined. I like him and would like to go out with him again. I think after my refusal he might not talk to me again. Please advise.
ell, considering the fact that this was a first date he was being more than forward. Since his W and your ideas do not match on this level, the best thing you should do is bid this man goodbye. Or if you think that’s thinking too harshly, ask yourself this question- What does he see in you? You guys meet for one date, you are hooked and he wants to play in bed, clearly you are missing the point. Try to keep such rotten apples out your life as far as possible. The consequences may not be that pleasant.
When scars begin to show
According to a survey AP is one of the four states that reported the highest percentage of sexual abuse among boys and girls. Here is how parents can identify signs of abuse in their children. NIDHI BHUSHAN
nidhi.b@postnoon.com
T
welve-year-old Alice (name changed) had not been her chirpy self for the past few days. An outgoing and bubbly girl, she had become withdrawn and sad. She didn't like doing things she had earlier loved. Something had been eating her up inside. And unable to share it with anyone, a depressed Alice attempted suicide. Alice’s parents then sought counselling. After a few sessions and immense support from her parents, Alice finally spoke. She told her parents about the horrific sexual abuse she had been undergoing. It is a well-known fact that most cases of child abuse involve adults who are close to the family – a relative, a neighbour or a trusting friend. Even Alice’s case was no different; the monster in her life was her paternal grandfather.
Kinds of abuse
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Emotional: Children suffering from this sort of abuse are constantly shamed or humiliated and end up feeling that they are useless. Medical: This kind of abuse occurs when a parent or caregiver fails to provide the child with necessary medical treatments. Physical: Includes beating, slapping, biting and other forms of physical violence. Sexual: This is mostly a hidden abuse as there are hardly any tell-tale signs to identify the same. It includes kissing, fondling, indecent exposure, making the child see sexually suggestive pictures and videos, etc. Neglect: This includes failure to provide proper clothes, food, hygiene, all the attention and care he/she needs.
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“While a significant percentage of people ignore the abuser, her [Alice] parents filed a police complaint,” recalls Dr Melissa Bartsch, a counselling psychologist at the University of Tennessee, who is currently visiting the Hyderabad Academy of Psychology. “Most children find it difficult to talk about abuse because they are threatened by the abuser, who either threatens their safety or of his or her loved ones. Most children are manipulated into staying quiet.” Even though abused children mostly suffer silently, their behaviour can sometimes speak louder than words. “The most significant tell-tale sign would be a drastic behavioural change. For instance, if an active child suddenly becomes withdrawn, parents need to find out what’s going on,” says Dr Bartsch. “Parents must have the patience to listen to what their child is telling them.” The main forms of child abuse are physical, emotional and sexual. “A physically abused child might have bruises, scars or complain of severe pain. In those cases, parents need to gain their child’s trust and find out who the abuser is. And in cases, where the abuser is the parent, school teachers can help the children,” says counselling psychologist Dr Sucharita N. “In cases of emotional and sexual abuse, children tend to become withdrawn and scared all the time. In such cases, parents need to identify the cause. For instance, if the child fears a particular friend or relative, parents need to find out why. They need to gain their child’s confidence and make him or her talk.” Sadly, there are only a few parents who are brave enough, open enough to take action against the monstrous act. “I have hardly come across parents seeking counselling for their child undergoing abuse. Most of the time, young adults seek counselling for what they faced while growing up. However, even though such acts have always been there, today there is more awareness and parents realise that it isn’t in the best interest of their children to remain quiet about these things,” observes Dr Sucharita.
Most common tell-tale signs of sexual abuse n The child begins to have difficulty walking and sitting n Starts bed wetting or having nightmares n The child suffers from
change in appetite, either begins to eat a lot or stops eating altogether n Begins to show interest or have knowledge about sexual acts
n Avoids taking part in a physical activity or change clothes around others n Is scared or uncomfortable when a particular person is around
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CINEMA SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
SHRIYA SARAN is back as Pavitra
S
hriya Saran will soon be seen in Janardhan Maharshi’s upcoming film Pavitra. She’s playing the role of a sex worker in this film, which delves into how society looks down on a woman. The film’s first look was recently unveiled and Janardhan Maharshi, who had earlier made Devasthanam, has changed gears and this time he’s making a bold film. Apparently, the film traces Pavitra’s life and how she manipulates the men around her and becomes a politician in the end. Shriya Saran was last seen in Sekhar Kammula’s Life is Beautiful and she has wrapped up shooting for Roopa Iyer’s upcoming bilingual film Chandra. With a film like Pavitra to her credit, it looks like Shriya is venturing into mature roles. MM Srilekha is scoring the music. The film’s shooting is in the last stage and it’s likely to release in February this year.
It’s a double whammy for Anushka
E
ver since Anushka became one of the most sought-after actresses in Tamil cinema, she was away from the limelight in Telugu cinema. But she’s all set to make a spectacular comeback with two big budget films, which will go on floors soon. She has already signed Gunasekhar’s upcoming historical film Rudrama Devi, which is based on Rani Rudrama Devi of Kakatiya dynasty. Now, we hear that she’s in talks with SS Rajamouli for the latter’s upcoming big budget action adventure with Prabhas in lead role. Anushka’s name is almost confirmed in this film and sources say that there’s going to be another heroine cast opposite Prabhas. Incidentally, this will be the second time that Anushka is teaming up with SS Rajamouli. She scored her first blockbuster with his Vikramarkudu and in the past, Anushka and Prabhas had teamed up for Billa and Mirchi. The film is slated for release in February.
Nayak set for a record release in AP
R
am Charan’s upcoming film Nayak is set for a record release in Andhra Pradesh on January 9. Last year, Pawan Kalyan starrer Cameraman Ganga Tho Rambabu broke the record for the highest release ever in Hyderabad when almost 105 theatres screened the film all over the City. Now, Nayak is slated for release in around 110 theatres. Allu Arvind and Dil Raju are distributing the film in Nizam area. In Vizag region, the film is expected to release in 103 screens, which is another record. With such a massive release, trade analysts are confident that Nayak will register record openings in the first two days of its release and after that, it’ll vie for box-office supremacy with Seethamma Vaakitlo Sirimalle Chettu and Vishwaroopam, which are releasing on January 11. VV Vinayak has directed the film and it stars Ram Charan, Kajal Aggarwal and Amala Paul in lead roles. SS Thaman has scored the music.
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CINEMA SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
I’m changing my style of filmmaking, says S U D H I R
M I S H R A
A
fter making off-beat films like Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi and Khoya Khoya Chand, Sudhir Mishra is changing track. He is trying to make films that speak the language of the audience. “Inkaar is amongst my better films. My filmmaking is changing. I am trying to go towards the audience yet staying in my realm. I am picking up subject matters that people will like, that interest them and something they face in their lives,” Sudhir said Thursday while launching a clothing range. “I am trying to take my
I don’t believe in camps:
Arjun Rampal
style of narration towards the way the audience wants. I did a bit in Yeh Saali Zindagi and it will now change more,” he added. His latest film Inkaar, about sexual harassment at the work place, stars Arjun Rampal and Chitrangada Singh in the lead. When asked about his much-delayed film Dhruv, the veteran director said: “I make one film at a time and Dhruv will happen. It will be produced by Excel (Entertainment) and Balaji together. But it will happen after I make my next film which is called IANS Mehrunissa.”
Abhishek, Riteish to host Zee Cine Awards 2013 B
luffmaster pair Abhishek Bachchan and Riteish Deshmukh, known for their spontaneous comic sense, will spice up the Zee Cine Awards 2013 ceremony as the hosts. They are both excited to make it an entertaining affair. “The audiences have appreciated Riteish and me together in films, I hope they like our pairing at the Zee Cine Awards also because we are really working hard for it,” Abhishek said in a statement. The event is to be held at the Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai on Sunday. “After nearly 15 years, Zee Cine Awards is returning to
Mumbai and our effort will be to make it entertaining for the audiences worldwide. We make films for our audiences. Without their love and support, we are truly nothing,” said Abhishek. Riteish, who has recently completed a decade as an actor in Bollywood, has hosted awards in the past. Talking about co-hosting Zee Awards with Abhishek, he said: “Abhishek and I are going to be hosting an award function for the very first time together. It is a huge responsibility that Zee has bestowed on us and we hope to entertain our audiences to the hilt.” IANS
R
eacting to reports that he has shifted his loyalties from Shah Rukh Khan to Salman Khan, Arjun Rampal says he doesn’t believe in such concepts and adds it’s his own ability that keeps him going in the industry. “It’s all nonsense, I am telling you,” the National Award winning actor told IANS. “First of all, I don’t believe in camps. I just don’t. I am friends with everyone. I know Salman Khan since my modeling days and I have a lot of respect for Shah Rukh as well. But at the end of the day, wherever I go, whatever I do, I do it with my own ability. I don’t need any camps to be a part of,” he added. There were reports that Arjun, who worked with Shah Rukh in Om Shanti Om, RA.One, and Don, has now shifted his loyalties to Salman Khan. And Arjun’s tweet: “Killer first look Ek Tha Tiger, wow, can’t wait to see this one. Awesome,” added fuel to the fire. However, Arjun feels the story was written in wrong context. Explaining the background, the 40-year-old said: “A journalist called me and asked me that I have heard, you will go to Bigg Boss to promote your film! I said, if I need to promote my film there, then I will go to promote my film. On this context, they have filed a story saying that I have left Shah Rukh’s camp and entered Salman Khan’s camp. What rubbish.” The actor is right now in the news for his next release Inkaar that focuses on sexual harassment at the work place. He has teamed up with Chitrangada Singh in the movie that is coming out Jan 18. IANS
CINEMA SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
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CINEMA SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
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CINEMA SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
Django Unchained a big milestone for Tarantino
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fter nine days in theaters, Django Unchained is on pace to be Quentin Tarantino's highest grossing movie ever. That's right, if the trend holds, the blood-soaked slave-revenge fable will rack up more at the box office than Pulp Fiction ($213.9 million worldwide), Kill Bill Vol. 1 ($180.9 million worldwide), Kill Bill Vol. 2 ($152.1 million worldwide) and previous record holder, Inglourious Basterds ($321.4 million worldwide). Even though Django Unchained has only debuted stateside, with $82.4 million through January 2, it is outstripping all of the previous Tarantino movie mash-ups.
ZOOEY DESCHANEL
Z
talks life change
ooey Deschanel graces the cover of Glamour's February issue, which arrives on newsstands January 8. Since New Girl debuted in 2011, the show — and Zooey — have racked up multiple Golden Globe and Emmy nominations. On January 13, Zooey will find out if she takes home the Golden Globe for best actress in a TV comedy or musical. Inside the magazine, Zooey discusses her "oddly controversial" TV character, whether she feels pressured to look in a certain way, and gives dating advice. Here's more from Zooey Deschanel in Glamour: On her New Girl character: "I'm just being myself. There is not
an ounce of me that believes any of that crap that they say. We can't be feminine and be feminists and be successful?" On feeling pressures to look a certain way: "I don't. But actresses have definitely gotten thinner over the course of my lifetime. Women I admired growing up — Debra Winger, Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep — were all beautiful and thin, but not too thin. There are a lot of actresses who are unhealthy-skinny — much, much too skinny. You can't Pilates to that. I'm a very small person, and if I lost 15 pounds, I'd look like them; it's scary. For young girls, what does that
say? You need to look this way to be successful? That's not true. You do not need to look or be anorexic to be successful in Hollywood. The range of what's acceptable is larger than what people believe." On giving friends dating advice: "It depends on the people. Everyone has to make some compromises... I think of my parents, who have been married for 40 years, and my grandparents, who were married for 69 years before my grandfather passed away. My dad is so sweet; he's always like, 'Your mom is a better cook than any restaurant.' And I remember my grandfather looking at my grandmother, saying, 'She's the most beautiful woman in the world.' You can't get any better than that. But we live in a different time. I don't get it when people just have the goal of meeting someone — then it's only about the goal. I've never been a fiveyear planner."
Frank Ocean smoked out
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erhaps Frank Ocean should change the name of his album from Channel Orange to Smoking the Green. The rising R&B star was busted for possession of marijuana during a New Year's Eve drive near Yosemite National Park in Northern California. A spokesperson for the Mono County Sheriff's Office tells Reno's NBC affiliate Krnv that the 25-year-old Ocean was pulled over by a deputy with an assist from a California Highway Patrol officer who spotted his black BMW speeding on Highway 295. As the deputy approached the vehicle, he reportedly smelled marijuana, and a search allegedly eventually turned up a small bag of weed on Ocean's person.
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CHAI TIME SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
SUDOKU
I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.
Play & Win
Play & Win
voucher from VENKEY’S VEG Restaurant, Nampally
voucher from VENKEY’S VEG Restaurant, Nampally
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 voucher from VENKEY’S VEG Restaurant, Nampally number 11.
Play & Win
Play & Win
Please send in your filled-in entries to Postnoon, #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033. The winners will be announced on this page in Sunday’s edition.
QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Big ATM manufacturer 4 Shrubs with intoxicating leaves 9 Non-PC catchword creators 14 Unrefined lode 15 Soft palate feature 16 Pull the plug on 17 Part of a successful health and diet plan 20 ___-case scenario 21 Vegetable to cry over? 22 Sheltered, on a ship 23 Realised, as profit 26 NYC opera house 29 ‘Are we having fun ___?’ 30 Represents in drawing 31 One for the books? 32 Infant’s illness 33 Prayer 35 1995 Kevin Spacey movie (with ‘The’) 38 Visitors from Mars 39 Lose a staring contest 40 Moves aimlessly (with ‘about’) 41 One of the Allmans 42 Fill ‘er up filler 45 ___-man band 46 ‘Valse ___’ (Sibelius work) 48 Central points 49 Prompting the anchorperson,
eg 51 Prom, for one 52 Party leaders 57 Like freakish coincidences 58 Hearing-related 59 Nine-to-five drudgery 60 Certain bridge positions 61 Substantial, as a role 62 Sargasso or Coral DOWN 1 Lillehammer’s country 2 Louisiana language 3 Contrite feeling 4 Branch Davidians,
eg 5 Eggs, in biology 6 Hardly a show dog 7 Pub standard 8 Ivanhoe’s kinsmen 9 Strong and pungent, as an odor 10 Art ___ (retro style) 11 It’s in front of a mizzen 12 Double-curved letter 13 Word in wedding notices, often 18 Put to work 19 Peoria-toCleveland dir 23 Underwater breathing organs
24 French friends 25 Medieval evil spirit 27 They may need massaging 28 Bart Simpson’s perpetual age
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
KAKURO
How to play kakuro
– Harry S Truman
30 Bank transaction 31 Choose 32 Pool gear 33 Sound off 34 Kevin’s ‘Tin Cup’ co-star 35 ___ Bator 36 Motorcycle add-ons 37 Strip under the mattress 38 In days past 41 Two-letter sequence 42 They have no chance 43 Grow, as interest 44 Nap, in Mexico 46 They come and go at the beach 47 Biochem focus 48 Lead-in to ‘fetched’ or ‘sighted’ 50 Military division 51 Tyne with a Tony and Emmys 52 Visualise 53 Long Island Iced ___ 54 ‘With all ___ respect ...’ 55 Undergarment with an underwire 56 Consume
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CHAI TIME SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Seven of Wands
Three of Wands
Seven of Pentacles
Two of Pentacles
Justice
Four of Cups
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W
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ork – There’s the threat that you’re spreading yourself too thin, unable to manage all the jobs you have committed to. Be clear about your priorities. Romance – Your partner needs more time to feel reassured that the relationship is going well. Singles need to spend more time looking for a partner. It won’t just happen. Health – You need to take out more time to exercise. It will be difficult, initially. You have to do this to maintain good health. Money – You have a philosophical attitude towards money. Realise that it’s needed to survive and keep your dreams afloat. Tarot message – Balance is the name of the game. You can be an expert juggler when needed.
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ork – It’s a long journey to what you have in mind for your career direction. Don’t be in a hurry to get somewhere. You may end up paying a heavy price. Romance – One cycle is ending and another is about to begin. This may not mean a break-up. But it definitely means a renewal. Health – You need to create more balance. Work out some more, eat healthy. You may be over-doing either, or both! Money – if you’ve been facing a cash crunch, it will be resolved very soon. Don’t get tense and do something irrational. Tarot message – You’re in the midst of change. Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is yet to come. Use this time to recharge.
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W
ork –You feel a mysterious air around you. Your coworkers may be hiding something from you. The secrecy is getting to you. Romance – There’s some friction between you and your partner. You need to sit down together and talk through it before it aggravates. Health – Sleep may be a problem. Practice good sleep hygiene. Avoid watching action films or intellectually stimulating movies just before sleeping. Money – Meet your tax consultant again and get a fix on what needs to be done with your savings. Plan your finances better. Tarot message – You feel left out and are not in the best of moods, somehow. Only you can remedy this with your attitude.
ork – Things have been stagnant for a while and you’re worried that you’re probably doing something wrong. It is all about to change. Romance – In a partnership, a third person may be coming in the way of a good relationship. Don’t over-react to it. Take it easy and think logically. Health – You may need to review your health routine. Do what it takes to optimise your time spent working out. Money – Torque it up! Tune it up a notch! Be brave and invest in new undertakings. It will give you more than the returns you hoped for. Tarot message – All is going well, as per your expectation. Do not get unduly worried about anything.
ork – There’s much for you to learn at work. Pay attention to what seniors in your industry tell you. Be open to new ideas. Romance – A new relationship brings the promise of stability and love. But if you’re looking for that passion and chemistry, wait before you commit. Health – Socialise whenever you can. Avoid spending time by yourself too much. It may bring up all kinds of emotions you find difficult to deal with. Money – Finances are well taken care of. You have accounted for everything in a traditional way, and are also managing some substantial savings. Tarot message – You prefer it when everything around you is structured. Be open to new concepts and experiences, too.
ork – A job offer is likely to come your way soon. It will set you thinking about your priorities and which direction you’re headed. Romance – If you’re single, don’t be in a hurry to get committed. You may be feeling lonely and craving good company. But bide your time for now. Health – Get a second opinion about a nagging health problem. There is always a solution to everything. You need to hit upon the right one. Money – You may need to freelance or moonlight in order to make ends meet. But you will be able to more than manage with your sharpness and street smart attitude. Tarot message – You have options. Just play your cards right.
SUMAA TEKUR tarotreadhyd@gmail.com
Libra
Scorpio
The High Priest
The High Priestess
W
ork – Use your strong intuition to your advantage to sort out work issues. You will be surprised with how well your bosses will accept your ideas. Romance – Love is in the air. You’re feeling the first flush of love, and are absolutely enjoying this experience. Health – You’re feeling great on the inside, and it is reflecting on your body and health as well. Beware of minor injuries, such as an ankle sprain or sore throat. Money – Finances are not really your priority, but there is enough in the bank balance for your every need. Tarot message – Very few people have the gift of using their intuition to better their lives. You have that gift. Use it well.
ork – There are expectations from you considering your experience and talent. Don’t get pressurised by those expectations. Just go with the flow. Romance – Romance may not be your priority right now since you’re on a deeper spiritual journey of understanding. But don’t ignore your partner. Health – You need to focus on inner health and on keeping your soul clean. Be careful of getting carried away by quickfix solutions. Money – Finances are in good shape. You may not be planning it all that well. But some synchronicity work their magic to get you what you need. Tarot message – You need not look elsewhere for answers. Look within yourself; meditate; and you will find what you’re looking for.
W
Sagittarius Ace of Pentacles
W
ork –A raise, promotion, new job or career change may be in store. It will be completely different from what you’re doing now. It will be closer to your heart, too. Romance – Singles meet someone new and the chemistry is immediate and powerful. You hit it off big time and are even good friends at the intellectual level. Health – It’s important that you stick to a physical exercise programme you have taken up. Do not hesitate to carve more time out, if needed. Money – Your investments are beginning to pay off. You save on taxes, and may venture into real estate deals. Tarot message – You have a plan, and also the power to make it happen.
Capricorn
Date 6-1-2013
Aquarius
Nine of Wands
Eight of Pentacles
W
ork – You may be called upon to take up an assignment in an unfamiliar area. Despite it being new, you do rather well. Romance – New experiences and difficult situations strengthen the bond between you and your partner. See a tough phase as also positive. Health – Your energy is low, and your confidence is not that encouraging either. Do more of what makes you happy. Money – Help comes from friends and those who mean well for you. You may need to plan better for the future, and save for a rainy day. Tarot message – You take a lot of pride in everything you do. Keep the confidence that this pride will convert to good things.
ork – The final meeting before you seal the deal is very important. Don’t ignore that despite knowing that you may be already at the end of the deal. Romance – If you’re committed, give your partner a lot of breathing space. Spend some time away from each other. You return feeling more confident about your decisions. Health – Consider a meditation course seriously. You will be rejuvenated and centred. Spiritual health is as important as any other. Money – The bank balance may not be looking that great. You will need to dip into your rainy-day savings to meet some immediate needs. Tarot message – You have the power and talent to overcome any obstacles that life throws your way.
W
Pisces Five of Swords
W
ork – It’s an uphill task at work. You may get little in terms of help or empathy from colleagues. It’s one of those difficult phases. But you learn a lot. Romance – Your partner may be too dominating. (It might be you, also.) Understand the dynamics of your relationship and take steps to remedy it. Health – You have been dealing with a number of strong emotions lately. Do not direct the anger and frustration on yourself. Be kind to yourself. Money – Things are not going to come to you easily. Welllaid plans may fail and you may have to re-jig your plans. Tarot message – This is a tough learning period. Be dignified during this time.
Vol: 2, No 170 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
26
THE SATURDAY QUIZ SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012
10. Which Indian heritage site was considered being in danger in 1999 but removed in 2006 following successful conservation? 11. Which were the first two India’s sites inscribed on the list at the Seventh Session of the World Heritage held in 1983?
DO YOU KNOW YOUR SUPERVILLIANS?
1 2
Which tourist paradise was recently voted by Economist as the best place to be born in 2013?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Carlos Slim Helu & Family Bill Gates
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Altamas Kabir inaugurated the first fast-track court in Delhi on January 2, 2013, for dealing with the crimes against whom?
Warren Buffet
Bernard Arnault
3
An IPS officer of 1977 Madhya Pradesh cadre has recently taken over from Nehchal Sandhu as the director of Intelligence Bureau . Name him.
Amancio Ortega Larry Ellison
4
Which islands in the North Pacific do Geologists claim are dissolving rapidly and in the near future might completely extinct from the maps?
Eike Batista
Stefan Persson
5
A biochemist at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Nora Noffke said that the traces of bacteria here are among the oldest fossils ever found. Name the place.
Li Ka-Shing
1 Switzerland 2 Women.The first case to be heard here is that of the Delhi gangrape. 3. Syed Asif Ibrahim the first Muslim to acquire such a prestigious post in the IB. 4.Hawaii 5. Australia.
Answers
KNOW YOUR COUNTRY
1
Earlier this year, the Union Government constituted the 14th Finance Commission under which former RBI governor?
PICTURE PUZZLE 48 with Santosh Ghule Since celebrations need have no expiry, we wish you this...
WHO AM I?
At 70, I am still a reigning star in Bollywood. I’ve even been named the hottest vegetarian celebrity three times in the past and even won the crown in Peta Asia's equivalent contest last year. Who am I?
Clock-wise... it seems!
Answer for 47:
4
Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad at a recent India Health Summit declared that India was witnessing a steep decline in fresh cases of which epidemic?
Green Goblin 4.Loki
3
As per the data released by the Planning Commission of India, which North Indian state became the fastest growing state in India at 10.9 per cent between 2006 and 2010?
Answers: 1 Lex Luthor 2.Penguin 3.
The union government of India withdrew Z-plus security provided to this ex-army chief. Name him.
Karl Albrecht
Answers:
2
How did these men make their billions?
Answer : Amitabh Bachchan
CURRENT AFFAIRS
TEST YOURSELF
1. Telecom 2 Microsoft 3. Berkshire Hathaway 4. LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton 5. Zara 6. Oracle 7. Mining, Oil 8. H&M 9. Hutchison Whampoa 10.Aldi
IN THE NEWS
7. Only two countries have ever had a world heritage site removed from the list. What are they? 8. How many sites in the world have made it to the World Heritage Site? 9. A World Heritage site added in 2006 recognizes what in Mexico?
Answers
site in South Africa 4. What national park was in the first group added to the World Heritage List? 5. How many countries have adhered to the World Heritage Convention? 6. Which site in the United States of America is on the World Heritage
1.Europe 2.Their Town Planning 3. It's the world's largest asteroid impact site .4.Yellowstone National Park, U.S 5. 190. 6.Statue of Liberty, New York. 7.Germany and Oman 8. 911 as of 2010. 9.Its tequila producing area.10. Hampi 11. Agra Fort and Ajanta Caves
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE 1. Which continent of the world has the most heritage sites? 2. The Swiss towns of La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle were added to the World Heritage List in 2009 for what cultural distinction? 3. What is the Vrederfort Dome, a World Heritage
1. Yaga Venugopal Reddy. 2.Chief General V K Singh 3.Bihar 4. HIV
Answers
27
SPORTS SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
Armstrong may confess
Bryant garners 340k fans
PGA opener to restart
NEW YORK: Disgraced cyclist Lance
LOS ANGELES: You can add Kobe
MAUI, HAWAII: High winds and
Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping, is weighing whether to admit he used performance-enhancing drugs, The New York Times reported on Friday. Armstrong has told associates and anti-doping officials he is considering admitting publicly that he used blood transfusions and banned drugs.
Bryant's name to the list of NBA stars who are reaching out to fans via Twitter. The Los Angeles Lakers player ended his holdout and set up an account on the social media network on Friday, tweeting: "The antisocial has become social." The all-star guard had garnered more than 340,000 followers in the first few hours.
driving rain wiped out Friday's round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii, giving players a weekend restart in the PGA Tour's season-opening tournament. The cancellation means all participants, weather permitting, will have to play 36 holes on Saturday at the Plantation Course at Kapalua.
Songlark good for Oaks
Pessi Shroff-trained Songlark from Mumbai will be fancied in The Golconda Oaks (Grade II), the main attraction of Sunday afternoon races at Malakpet in the City. 1st Race:The Roman Beauty Plate (Div-I) (about) 1400 Metres,Cat-II; A handicap for horses, 4 year olds and upward, rated upto 75. 12-45 P.M. 1 Ashok Chakra 60 (Srinivas R) P S Chouhan 3 2 Ocean Side 59 (D’Silva) I Chisty 4 3 Aarohan 58 (Prasad R) Withdrawn 4 Prince Paladin 56.5 (S’uddin) NitinSingh 8 5 Handsome Hunk 56 (Satheesh) Deep Shanker 2 6 Hurricane Dancer 55.5 (S Abbas) Ch K Chary 7 7 Sweety Girl 55 (Hassan) MMark 1 8 Golden Jewel 53 (Vatsalya) N Rawal 6 9 Home Town 52.5 (Netto) Harinder Singh5 Selections: 1 Ashok Chakra 2 Ocean Side 3 Hurricane Dancer 2nd Race:The Raj Bahadur Venkatram Reddy Memorial Cup (about) 2200 Metres,Cat-I; A handicap for horses, 4 year olds and upward. 1-15 P.M. 1 Golden Queen 60 (LaxmanS) Harinder Singh 3 2 Mystical Knight 57 (Deshmukh) P Venkat 5 3 Vijayshaurya 56.5 (Deshmukh) P S Chouhan 1 4 Elzaam 54 (LaxmanS) DeepShanker 2 5 San Ramon 53.5 (D’Silva) I Chisty 6 6 El Paso 51 (D’Silva) Kuldeep Singh4 Selections: 1 Golden Queen 2 Vijayshaurya 3 San Ramon 3rd Race:The Banarsilal Gupta Memorial Cup (Div-II) (about) 1000 Metres,Cat-III; A handicap for horses, 5 year olds and upward, rated upto 50. 1-45 P.M. 1 Betty Prior 61.5 (S’narayan) Khurshad Alam8 2 Robust 61.5 (Srinivas R) PVenkat 2 3 Silver Liner 61.5 (Fayaz) Kuldeep Singh7 4 Flowers Of Music 61 (KV Srinivas) A Ramana 6 5 Commanche Gold 59.5 (Prasad R) S John 4 6 Kohinor Forever 58 (Vatsalya) Ajit Kumar 9 7 Part Time Lover 56.5 (Satheesh) KAnil 5 8 Over Taker 56.5 (Kassam) Deep Shanker10 9 Chemeli 54.5 (N Rao) G Sai Vamshi 3 10 Zulu Punch 53 (Vatsalya) N Rawal 1 Selections: 1 Commanche Gold 2 Betty Prior 3 Robust 4th Race:The Smt.Teegala Sulochana Reddy Memorial Byerly Turk Million(Grade III) (about) 1200 Metres. Terms For Indian Fillies 3 year olds only (Foaled in 2010). Sweepstakes: 2-15 P.M.
1 Lucy diamond 54 (KVSrinivas) G Sai Vamshi 2 2 Musical Note 54 (Deshmukh) P S Chouhan 6 3 Nano Belle 54 (Vatsalya) C Henrique 5 4 Striking 54 (Attaollahi) P Trevor 1 5 Lovely Angel 50 (Hassan) Martin Wepner4 6 PalmSprings 50 (D’Silva) I Chisty 3 Selections: 1 Musical Note 2 Striking 3 Lovely Angel
3 Galiant 55 (Netto) A Imran Khan 4 4 Globetrotter 55 (D’Silva) Kuldeep Singh8 5 Magical Punch 55 (D’silva) M Mark 1 6 Vijays Triumph 55 (LaxmanS) P S Chouhan 6 7 Ciel Blu 53.5 (S Abbas) KiranNaidu 7 8 Ice Barrier 53.5 (Satheesh) P Trevor 5 Selections: 1 Cile Blu 2 Coral Springs 3 Vijays Triumph
5th Race:The Salarjung Cup (about) 1400 Metres,cat-III.; A handicap for horses, 4 year olds and upward, rated upto 50. 2-45 P.M. 1 Any Given Time 61.5 (Hassan) S John 9 2 Golden Dash 59.5 (Vatsalya) Ajit Kumar 2 3 Maharadhi 59.5 (Silvester) Kuldeep Singh6 4 Our Mascot 59.5 (S Abbas) A ImranKhan 11 5 Homely Helo 55 (LaxmanS) Deep Shanker 1 6 Over Shadow 54.5 (Netto) P S Chouhan 5 7 Swift Arrow 52 (S’narayan) Khurshad Alam7 8 Symbol Of Beauty 52 (A Sharma) C Henrique 10 9 Tripple Eight 51 (Z Shaikh) Ravinder Singh 8 10 Flower Drum 50.5 (Hassan) J Vikas 4 11 Fashionista 49.5 (KV Srinivas) Harinder Singh 3 Selections: 1 Our Mascot 2 Maharadhi 3 Any Given Time
8th Race:The Golconda Oaks 2013 (Grade II) (about) 2400 Metres, Terms For Indian Fillies ,4 year olds only (Foaled in 2009) Sweepstakes 4-15 P.M. 1 Capital Attraction 57 (S.Kolse) S John 6 2 Chiron 57 (PShroff) P.Murlinan 4 3 Racing Queen 57 (Deshmukh) N Rawal 5 4 Set Ablaze 57 (P Shroff) C Henrique 7 5 Simply Stylish 57 (Ganapathy) I Chisty 8 6 Songlark 57 (P Shroff) P Trevor 3 7 Supreme 57 (Attaollahi) R Vaibhav 1 8 Winjoy 57 (Deshmukh) P S Chouhan 2 9 Spiritual Star 57 Withdrawn Selections: 1 Songlark 2 Capital Attraction 3 Chiron
6th Race:The Banarasilal Gupta Memorial Cup (Div-I (about) 1000 Metres,Cat-III; A handicap for horses, 5 year olds and upward, rated upto 50. 3-15 P.M. 1 Ashleen State 61.5 (Deshmukh) P Venkat 5 2 Victorous Sally 61.5 (Kassam) Kuldeep Singh10 3 Ice Rain 61 (Satheesh) PTrevor 1 4 Palace Affairs 61 (Vatsalya) K Anil 4 5 Grigori 60.5 (Prasad R) S John 9 6 Cannon Ace 59 (Prasad R) Ajit Kumar 3 7 Speed Striker 59 (S’narayan) M F Alikhan 2 8 Geography 57 (Srinagesh) NitinSingh 7 9 Kathakali 55.5 (A Sharma) M Mark 8 10 Carson Troy 52.5 (N Rao) G Sai Vamshi 6 Selections: 1 Grigori 2 Carson Troy 3 Ashleen State 7thRace:The Hyderabasd Juvenile Million (about) 1400 Metres; Sweepstakes: Temrs for Maiden horses 3 year olds only (Foaled in 2010) 3-45 P.M. 1 Coral Springs 55 (D’Silva) I Chisty 3 2 Fairy Emperor 55 (Hassan) S John 2
9th Race:The Roman Beauty Plate (Div-II) (about) 1400 Metres,Cat-II; A handicap for horses, 4 year ols and upward, rated upto 75. 4-45 P.M. 1 Dazzling Prince 60 (Hassan) M Mark 7 2 Strides Of Glory 59.5 (Prasad R) S John 2 3 Dark Avanger 58 (S Abbas) A Imran Khan 4 4 Prince Of Arabia 57 (D’Silva) I Chisty 3 5 Sporting Star 56 (Satheesh) P Trevor 1 6 Azaiba 54.5 (Srinivas R) P S Chouhan 8 7 Jaden Gil 54.5 (S’narayan) M F Alikhan 5 8 Kohinoor Vikrant 53.5 (Vatsalya) Ajit Kumar 6 Selections: 1 Sporting Star 2 Prince Of Arabia 3 Strides Of Glory
DAYS BEST: GRIGORI
Jackpot Race Nos: 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 1st Treble Race Nos: 1, 2 and 3 2nd Treble Race Nos: 4, 5 and 6 3rd Treble Race Nos: 7, 8 and 9 Tanala pool will operate on all races where there are five or more starters. No false rails.
Specialist in fine fettle Specialist, Precisley That, Amazon Princess, Rajkumari and Alankrita pleased when horses were exercised this morning (Saturday) at the Malakpet racecourse in the City. SAND
TRACK
800
METRES
Lady Luck (rb) 1-0, 600/45 Easy. Lumier Blanche (Harinder Singh) Tejaswini (Deep Shanker) 57, 600/42 They finished together. Vijaysheel (Tograllu) 1-2.5, 600/47 Easy. Naughty Gal (Deep Shanker) 59.5, 600/43.5 Un-extended. Precisely That (Joshi) 54.5, 600/41 Impressed. Vijaykeerti (rb) 58, 600/43 Moved freely. Valentine (Kiran Naidu) 55, 600/41.5 Moved
well. Most Impressive (Sreekant) Rustic Gal (Imran Khan) 59, 600/43.5 Former finished in front. Elzaam (Deep Shanker) 58.5, 600/43.5 Moved on the bit. Amazon Princess (Ravinder Singh) Alastor (Chary) 56.5, 600/42 Former finished a length in front. Combined Force (rb) Catherine (Joshi) 1-1, 600/45 Former finished in front. Alexander Square (Sreekant) 57,
600/43 Urged. Set Ablaze (rb) 12.5, 600/46 Easy. Looking For Love (Ramana) 1-1.5, 600/45.5 Easy. Iceland (rb) 3y. Mull Of Kintyre/Serious Trouble (K Alam) 1-3, 600/47 They moved freely. Cold Smile (rb) 58.5, 600/45 Easy. Rajkumari (Sreekant) 57, 600/42 Pleased.
SAND
TRACK
1000
METRES
Alankrita (Chary) Kohinoor
Supreme (Ajit Kumar) 1-12, 800/55.5, 600/41 Former finished in front. Specialist (Tograllu) 112, 800/55, 600/41 Impressed. Genius Empress (rb) 1-16, 800/10, 600/45 Easy. Meri Merzi (app) Lady Of Grace (rb) 1-17.5, 800/11, 600/46 They moved freely. Golden Star (rb) 1-18, 800/1-1, 600/46 Easy. Light Blue Sky (Chary) Excluisve Lady (Imran Khan) 1-17.5, 800/1-1, 600/45.5
Former finished 2 lengths in front. Homely Helo (Harinder Singh) Flames of Forest (Trainer) 1-11.5, 800/57.5, 600/44 They finished together.
SAND
TRACK
1200
METRES
Okai Okai Okai (rb) 1-30, 1000/112.5, 800/57, 600/42.5 Moved well. Dauntless (rb) Big Move (Sreekant) 1-33, 1000/1-17, 800/11.5, 600/47 They finished together.
28
SPORTS SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
Fergie sets sights on ending FA Cup drought Steve Griffiths
LONDON: Alex Ferguson has set his sights on ending Manchester United’s FA Cup drought as the 11time winners prepare to face West Ham in Saturday’s third round tie at Upton Park. United have not lifted English football’s oldest trophy since 2004 when they defeated Millwall in the final and have seen Chelsea dominate the competition in recent years, winning four of the last six tournaments. Ferguson’s team have suffered with tough draws in recent years and they lost at Liverpool last season after being beaten by Manchester City in 2011. But,
Radwanska wins Auckland title
with United in a strong position in the Premier League -- they sit seven points clear of second placed Manchester City -- Ferguson can confidently turn his attention to making a winning start to the FA Cup campaign. “Over the last three or four years we have had some really difficult ties,” Ferguson said. “When the draw comes out you hope for either a home tie or one you can navigate. This is a particularly hard one. “But I always feel, at a club like ours, the closer we get to Wembley, the better we become and we are improving.” United’s match at West Ham is one of four all-Premier League ties, alongside West Bromwich Albion’s trip to Queens Park Rangers, Arsenal’s game at Swansea City, and holders Chelsea’s match at Southampton.
Richard Eaton
DOHA: Top-seeded David Ferrer was sensationally denied a place in the final of the Qatar Open on Friday by forgotten man Nikolay Davydenko (above). The 31-yearold Russian, without a win over a top 10 player in 15 attempts, and without an appearance in a final for 21 months, clinched a stunning 6-2, 6-3 win over one of the tour’s most tenacious players. Davydenko beat the Spaniard with a brilliance which one a little of the successive victories he produced over Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal when he capture the title in Doha three years ago.
Indian challenge ends
Somdev Devvarman out of doubles at Chennai Open.
AUCKLAND: World number
CHENNAI: The Indian chal-
four Agnieszka Radwanska (right) swept to a 6-4, 6-4 win over Yanina Wickmayer in the ASB Classic final on Saturday, setting her up perfectly for this month’s Australian Open. “I’m very, very happy. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start the year,” said the Wimbledon finalist after strolling through the week-long Auckland tournament without dropping a set. “It’s a great way to prepare for the Australian Open.” The Polish star was off to buy her 11th Louis Vuitton handbag to celebrate -- the tournament top-seed says she traditionally treats herself to a new handbag “as a reward” for each WTA title and already has 10 in her collection. After being forced into two
lenge ended at the Chennai Open tournament today with Somdev Devvarman and his Ukrainian partner Sergiy Stakhovsky losing their doubles quarterfinal match to Thai brothers Sanchal and Sonchat Ratiwatana in straight sets. The Indian-Ukrainian pair lost 3-6, 5-7 to the Thai twins in 66 minutes past midnight. In the semi finals tomorrow, Ratiwatana brothers take on Germans Andre Begemann and Martin Emmrich and Benoit Paire of France and Stanislas Wawrinka (Sui) play Raven Klaasen (Rus) and Nicholas Monroe (USA). With Devvarman’s loss, the Indian challenge came to an end at the tournament. Yesterday, the top seeded pair of Mahesh Bhupathi and Canadian Daniel Nestor was ousted from the tournament. PTI
tie breaks in her semi-final against unseeded American Jamie Hampton, Radwanska took early control in the final against Wickmayer when she broke the Belgian’s second serve. Although she dropped her own serve at 4-3 she immediately broke Wickmayer again before serving for the set. AFP
Davydenko upsets Ferrer
Top-seed Berdych ousted
CHENNAI: Top seed Tomas Berdych crashed out of the ATP Chennai Open on Friday on a night of dramatic upsets that saw third seed Marin Cilic and number four Stanislas Wawrinka also bow out. Berdych, the world number six from the Czech Republic, was stunned by the 80th-ranked Roberto Bautista
Agut (left) of Spain, who won 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 to storm into his first ATP semi-final. The 24-year-old Agut, one of the 13 Spaniards to finish in the top-100 last year, showed no signs of nerves as he served and volleyed superbly to beat the tournament favourite in two hours and 17 minutes. “This is of course my biggest win on the tour,” said Agut, who was playing in only his second ATP quarter-final. “I am happy to make such a good start in the first week of the season.” Agut’s semi-final opponent on Saturday will be 47thranked Benoit Paire. AFP
AC Milan racism protest applauded Justin Davis
Boateng vows to walk off again if racism continues MILAN: AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi (right) pledged Friday that his team would walk off the pitch again to support a player who was victim of racist abuse by fans, as the move was widely hailed as setting a precedent against bigotry. Italy’s former prime minister, who is both president and owner of the club, spoke out a day after German-born Ghanaian forward Kevin-Prince Boateng was heckled during a friendly by fans of Pro Patria and the Milan giants left the field in protest. Boateng
LONDON: AC Milan star Kevin-Prince Boateng has vowed to walk off the pitch again if he suffers more racist abuse no matter what the significance of the match. Boateng was subjected to racist taunts by Pro Patria fans during a friendly on Thursday and the German-born Ghanaian forward responded by storming off the pitch in protest followed by his Milan
team-mates. The 25-year-old has been backed by Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi and he is adamant the racists must not be allowed to win. Boateng’s zero tolerance policy means the former Tottenham player is even willing to leave the pitch in a big Champions League or Serie A match if it helps draw attention to racist abuse.
won plaudits for taking a stance against racist fans who blight the game, though some, including former players Gennaro Gattuso and Clarence Seedorf, questioned his approach. Berlusconi, however, said he would back his team if they walked off the pitch again whether in domestic or continental matches, calling the scenes at fourth-tier Pro Patria, who are based in Busto Arsizio, near Milan, “disgraceful”. “I can assure you that in every game if we experience episodes of this nature we will, as a rule, leave the pitch.”
29
SPORTS SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013
LANKA PUSHED
ON TO BACKFOOT
SYDNEY: Sri Lanka were pushed on to the backfoot on the third day of the final Test match against Australia when they were left staggering at 203/7 in 57 overs. Dinesh Chandimal, who was unbeaten on 9 was at the crease along with Rangana Herath. Earlier, an unbroken partnership of 106 between Dimuth Karunaratne and skipper Mahela Jayawardene had all but wiped out Australia’s innings lead on the third day of the final Sydney Test on Saturday. The pair
Clarke c Karunaratne b Herath 50 Hussey run out (Karunaratne) 25 Wade not out 102 Johnson c Chandimal b Pradeep 13 Siddle c Chandimal b Pradeep 38 Starc lbw b Herath 2 Lyon b Herath 4 Bird not out 6 Extras (lb6, w7, nb3) 16 Total (9 wkts declared; 107 overs) 432 Bowling: Lakmal 0/95, Pradeep 2/114, Prasad 0/53, Mathews 0/11, Dilshan 1/58, Herath 4/95 Sri Lanka 2nd Innings (at Tea) D. Karunaratne not out 83 T. Dilshan c Hughes b Johnson 5 M. Jayawardene not out 38 Extras (lb1 nb3) 4 Total (1 wkt; 31 overs) 130 Bowling: Starc 0/42, Bird 0/26, Johnson 1/14, Siddle 0/18, Lyon 0/29
Proteas thrash Kiwis, aim to stay ruthless Colin Bryden
CAPE TOWN: South African
Brief Scores New Zealand 45 and 275 (D. Brownlie 109, B. McCullum 51, B. Watling 42, Steyn 3/30, Kallis 2/31, Philander 2/76 lost to South Africa 347-8 decl.
ad, who has cancelled his visit to India following a controversy, did so on the advice of PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf and other officials, sources said. Miandad, now a senior official
NEW DELHI: India’s Virat Kohli on Friday bagged the International Cricketer of the Year award while Pakistan was named as the Best International Cricket Team in the 2011-2012 season at the CEAT cricket awards, here. Kohli beat the likes of Australia’s Michael Clarke, Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara and South Africa’s opener Hashim Amla to clinch the top honour. Kohli, however, could not make it to the event and former Pakistan captain and bowling legend Wasim Akram collected the award on his behalf. “He is a special player. One of the best batsmen and fielder in the world cricket.”
NEW DELHI: Sunil Gavaskar and Imran Khan on Friday held
South Africa wicketkeeper AB de Villiers and teammates celebrate their side’s victory on day three of the first Test match against New Zealand, in Cape Town at Newlands, on Friday. AFP/ALEXANDER JOE innings, when they shot New Zealand out for 45 before lunch on the first day. With Dean Brownlie scoring 109, his maiden Test century, New Zealand defied South Africa’s powerful attack for most of the morning before succumbing to the second new ball. They were eventually bowled out for 275 shortly before tea. Although there was no repeat of the first day rout,
Smith had high praise for his bowlers. “We bowled superbly with the new ball in both innings. I thought we were excellent with the areas we hit and the intensity with which we started.” Smith said he wanted the level of his team’s play against largely inexperienced opponents to continue in the second Test, which starts in Port Elizabeth AFP next Friday.
Visit cancelled on Zaka’s advice KARACHI: Javed Miand-
Kohli bags International Cricketer award
Gavaskar, Imran blame IPL for India’s show
in the Pakistan Cricket Board, declined to comment on the issue except for saying that some pressing personal commitments had come up, but sources close to him said he called off his visit to India on the
advice of Ashraf and some senior people in the government. Miandad was due to leave tomorrow for New Delhi to watch the third and final one-day international against PTI India on Sunday.
IPL responsible for the Indian team’s recent downfall, with the former going on to say that for some Indian players national duty comes second to the IPL. Without naming anyone, Gavaskar questioned some Indian players’ complete focus on IPL. “If you look at the events that took place immediately after the World Cup, you will know the guys who actually took their places for granted, those who did not make themselves available and preferred to play in the IPL and then go for surgeries,” Gavaskar said. “I think those are the guys who instead of looking at India were looking at contributing for their IPL franchises.
India, Pakistan teams arrive in Delhi NEW DELHI: The Indian and Pakistani teams arrived here on Friday evening amid tight security cover for the third and final ODI to be held at the Feroze Shah Kotla ground on Sunday. The two teams arrived by a chartered flight from Kolkata and were taken straight to the team hotel by two separate buses. MS Dhoni, however, was conspicuous by his absence as he was not in the bus along with his team-mates. Down 0-2 in the three-match series, India have already lost the rubber and would look to redeem some pride by winning the third and final match here.
SOLUTIONS Scrabble
captain Graeme Smith said on Friday that his team would not rest on their laurels after securing an innings victory over New Zealand inside three days in the first Test at Newlands. He said South Africa wanted to build on an unbeaten run in Test matches in 2012 which took them to the number one ranking in the world. Asked if the manner of their innings and 27 runs win was an indication of a ruthless approach, Smith agreed. He said: “It’s about winning. It’s what you are defined on in modern sport. If you play games like this and you are dominant and can take the game forward it’s very nice.” South Africa were made to work harder than in the first
spinner Nathan Lyon. Earlier Wade scored a thrilling unbeaten century as Australia declared to lead Sri Lanka by 138 runs on the first innings. Wade opened up in a lastwicket stand of 39 with Jackson Bird to grab his second Test century and gave skipper Michael Clarke the opportunity to declare his team’s innings at 432 for nine in the half hour before lunch. Wade rushed towards his teammates in the Sydney Cricket Ground Members Stand and kissed his helmet after crashing Suranga Lakmal for a boundary to raise his century off 158 balls, after setting out on the third day on 47. He was dropped by Dhammika Prasad at fine leg two balls later going for another big heave before skipper Clarke called a AFP halt with the declaration.
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Sri Lanka 1st Innings 294 Australia 1st Innings (overnight 342/6)
had pushed the tourists to the brink of hitting the front after the early loss of Tillakaratne Dilshan for five and turning the pressure back on to the Australians. At tea, Sri Lanka were 130 for one and trailing by eight runs with Karunaratne on 83 and Jayawardene not out 38. Their 100-run partnership came up in 98 minutes. The SCG pitch was playing easier under a baking sun, raising hopes that Sri Lanka would go on and win their first-ever Test match in Australia at the 13th attempt. Dilshan was caught centimetres from the ground by Phil Hughes at third slip off Mitchell Johnson in the seventh over. Karunaratne, playing his best innings of the series, gave a sharp chance to wicketkeeper Matthew Wade when on 54, off
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Australia’s Matthew Wade celebrates after scoring his century on day three of the third Test against Sri Lanka at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.
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