Postnoon E-Paper for 06 April 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

FLASH

ARMY HAS ONLY 10-DAY STOCK OF AMMUNITION

TSUNAMI GHOST SHIP SUNK The US Coast Guard sunk a Japanese “ghost ship” with bursts of heavy gunfire when it drifted into Alaskan waters more than a year after being set adrift by a devastating tsunami. The deserted trawler was first spotted off the coast of Canada on March 24, having drifted thousands of miles across the Pacific on the current.

Adding to the Centre’s embarrassment, a news channel has reported that the Army is facing a severe shortage of critical ammunition and the current stock will run out in less than 10 days in the eventuality of a war. The report also says a substantial stock of ammo is faulty.

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WEATHER: CLEAR WITH CLOUDY SPELLS; 33°C

TRADERS IN HUMAN MISERY FLOURISH The multi-crore human organ trade continues unabated in City REPORT ON PG 7

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WESTWOOD LEADS CHARGE AS WOODS, RORY STRUGGLE World No 3 Westwood birdied four holes in a row on the front nine on his way to a five-under par 67 for a one-stroke lead over Peter Hanson and Louis Oosthuizen P29

HEAR THE MUSIC THIS SUMMER Summers can be a lazy time or you could spend it doing something productive like learning how to play a musical instrument. Here are a few places that might interest you P15

Page Two

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

Spirit of Twin Cities

WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Crepes and waffles Lover of waffles and crepes? Deli9 is offering a crepe and waffle festival. Taste a variety of waffles such as fruit waffle and the classic waffle or a variety of exotic crepes such as caramel apple. The festival is on from April 7-April 21. Where: Delhi 9, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: April 7 onwards, 8am to 8pm Contact: (040) 6550 6662

SRINIVAS SETTY

Acoustic night It’s Acoustic Night featuring Luminium at Via Milano. Where: Via Milano, Jubilee Hills, Rd No 36 When: April 6, 8pm onwards Contact: (040) 6455 5544

It’s Easter Bring in Easter with loads of goodies and hampers. Head to Novotel for a special Easter brunch, spirits fun, games and egg painting for the children. Where: Novotel, Kondapur When: Ongoing, 12pm onwards Contact: (040) 6682 4422

Angkor Wat A painting exhibition based on the Angkor Wat in Columbia is being presented by Kalakrithi Art Gallery and ITC Kakatiya. Where: Hyder Mahal, ITC Kakatiya, Begumpet When: Ongoing, 11am-7pm Contact: (040) 2340 0132

Solo show A display of paintings by well known artist Rayees Ahmed will be held. The exhibit is being held at Indian Art Gallery B, Chitramayee State Art Gallery. Where: Chitramayee State Art Gallery, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 10.30 am onwards Contact: (040) 2311 3308

Easter time Godrej Natures Basket is offering Easter treats which include some delightful hot cross buns and marzipan cakes. Celebrate Easter with a variety of Easter eggs. Where: Nature’s Basket, Banjara Hills, Rd No10 When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 2335 5399

Combo platters Deli 9 is offering Combo Platters in it’s lunch and dinner menu. Choose from various salad and sandwich combos also. Where: Deli 9, Banjara Hills, Rd No1

CINEMAS

When: Ongoing, 11am to 8pm Contact: (040) 6550 6662

Asian barbeque

12 pm to 3.30pm Contact: (040) 6666 3939

Go Splash

The Square, Novotel, Madhapur plays host to an Asian barbeque. Sample grilled specialities from around the world — from Lebanese to Japanese. Where: The Square, Novotel, Madhapur When: Every Saturday, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 6682 4422

Splash lounge is the perfect leisure destination for you to unwind. There is also great music, martinis and aperitifs. Where: The Westin, Mindspace, Madhapur When: Monday - Friday, 5pm - 10.30pm Weekends, 8am - 10.30pm Contact: (040) 6767 6828

Unique buffet

Being ’together’

Yellow Chilli is offering a lunch buffet which is truly different. The Buffet which costs `199 (Monday to-Friday) and `249 (Saturday and Sunday). The dinner buffet costs `299 and `349. Where: Yellow Chilli, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 2338 3838

A suitable lunch Syn at Taj Deccan is offering Syn-to-suit you lunches. Various lunch offers for various requirements from the quick 15 minute lunch to the healthy and long lunches. Where: Syn - Asian Bar and Grill, Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: Ongoing,

Together, an exhibition of paintings by Shravan Kumar GK will be on display from April 6. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: March 6 onwards Contact: 98499 6879

Play time Catch two humorous back to back plays April Fool and Miya-Biwi only at Nift auditorium on April 8. Where: Nift, Madhapur When: April 8, 7pm onwards Contact: (040)2311 4537

Silk expo The National Silk Expo is being held at Sri Sathya Sai Nigmagamam from March 31- April 6. Catch an exclusive collection of traditional and designer materials and sarees

with fabrics such as Tussar etc. Where: Sri Sathya Sai Nigmagamam, Sri Nagar Colony When: Ongoing Contact: 93688 82225

Water colours Iconart is hosting Aquarelle as a part of it’s Buy Art initiative. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing, 11.30 am onwards Contact: 98499 6879

Photo exhibition Villart is hosting a photography and video exhibition from April 6April8. The exhibition which basically is for photography and videography aims at promoting aims to promote and educate the various self-employed photographers that are present in AP. Where: Villart Photography, Hitech City, Madhapur When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 6663 3327

The great Sunday brunch ITC Kakatiya offers The Grand Sunday Brunch. Great food is the best way to spemd your Sunday. You can choose from the brunches at Deccan Pavillion, Dakshin, Kebabs and Kurries. Where: ITC Kakatiya, Begumpet When: April 8 Contact: (040) 2340 0132

Big Cinemas, Ameerpet: 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills: 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally: 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills: 44767777; Prasads, Tank Bund Rd: 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta: 8800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur: 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad: 27844973

City cops play new role of peacemakers

POLICE

way have to step in. “Prevention is better than cure you know,” he said. The initiative began some 20 days ago and is proving to be a boon to scores of people who were otherwise driven to the mercy of advocates dealing with civil cases and a lengthy litigation. “I am grateful to the police,” said Sulaiman, a shop owner in

Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com

ou have experienced this. An uncharitable neighbour lets out stinking water into your plot or someone uses abusive language or your neighbour encroaches a few yards of your property. You go to the nearest police station and tell them. The poker-faced cop at the desk fobs you off saying, “All civil matters go to the court.” No longer. Help is at hand. The first-ever initiative taken by a young DCP (South Zone) Manish Kumar Sinha, has instructed all police stations in his jurisdiction to help citizens with such cases so that they would not go to court or end up taking violent measures. The rationale Sinha gives for the move, which puts additional burden on the police, is that if not attended, many such cases turn into criminal cases and the police any-

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Prevention is better than cure. Small matters ignored can turn big and prove to be a headache for law keepers. So quell them. Nayapul, who had a civil case which was solved. On an average, 15 civil cases are reported in each police station in South Zone. Most of them concern property issues, petty cases, threats or abuse which had so far not been entertained. “We are able to bring a smile on many faces and that’s our reward,” said a beaming Sinha. South zone has 17 police stations and the police are already working on 200 cases, Sinha said.

REACHING FOR THE CLOUD

Governor ESL Narasimhan, unveils the book To the Cloud at ISB, Hyderabad along with Raj Biyani, author of the book and head of Microsoft IT India, and Salil Dave, senior director, Microsoft and co-author

NEWS BRIEFS

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Man kills paramour in drunken rage

n a shocking incident, N Kistaiah, 45, attacked his paramour N Bhagyamma in an inebriated condition, resulting in her death. Bhagyamma is said to have sustained head injuries. The couple were resident of Mansaanpally in Maheshwaram. Surprisingly, the Maheshwaram police are yet to arrest the man though a case has been registered.

Burglars abscond with gold, cash

urglars decamped with six tolas of gold jewellery, 20 tolas of silver and `20,000 in cash when they struck one Mohd Moizuddin’s house in Tandoor on Wednesday. According to the police, the family were attending a function when the burglars seized the opportunity. The police have registered a case and investigations are on.

Srinivas Reddy now IG Coastal Security

he chief secretary of AP Pankaj Dwivedi is learnt to have issued a charge memo to ACB additional director K Srinivas Reddy this morning asking him to accept his new posting as IG Coastal Security. His midnight marching orders had created a rancour in the ACB top brass and reportedly happened due to pressure from Botsa Sayanarayana.

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FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Drunken dramas keep Gandhi on toes Use and abuse of alcohol happen to be on the rise as is evident from the number of victims brought to City’s premier public hospital PAULO ROCKER

ALCOHOLISM Osama Salman salman.o@postnoon.com

reality check at the Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, the premier public hospital, reveals startling facts about abuse of alcohol. Alcohol related accidents are on the rise in the emergency wing of Gandhi Hospital. Most of the accident cases that come to the hospital are because the people act irresponsibly in an inebriated condition. Take for instance the bizarre incident of Santosh Kumar, 28, who poked a broken tubelight into his stomach after consuming alcohol. In a separate incident, Rajashekhar Reddy, a 28year-old residing in Warasiguda, attempted suicide by cutting his wrist with a blade. He was found to be in an inebriated condition. Drunk driving cases too continue to plague the City. Around 1 am on Tuesday Tanoov, 37, a native of Warangal, met with an accident in Tarnaka while driving drunk. He sustained head injuries. In yet another incident, Shiv Raj, 30, jumped from his second floor apartment in LB Nagar on March 4. He sustained grave injuries and had to be rushed to Gandhi Hospital. For the staff at Gandhi Hospital, drunken scenes are all too familiar. Only recently, 35year-old Laxmipathy created a ruckus in the casualty ward, following which he had to be admitted to the emergency ward to control the situation. Situations like these are an everyday affair for hospital staff.

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recent past,” he said. The doctor said alcohol cases in the past one year averaged 300 a month as compared to 200 in the corresponding period last year. Confirms Dr Naina Acharya, a senior doctor at Gandhi Hospital’s emergency wing, “To my knowledge, such cases have increased by about 30 per cent when compared to last year. Most of the accident victims consume alcohol, losing motor control and end up hurting themselves and others around them. We advise them to control their alcohol intake.”

Why you shouldn’t drink too much?

Alcohol-related cases have increased by about 30 per cent when compared to last year. Dr Naina Acharya

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In fact, doctors in the emergency wing of the hospital first check for traces of alcohol before proceeding with any treatment. Dr Afzal K at the emergency section said that over the past few months, alcohol-related accident cases have increased. “We used to get many such cases earlier, but the numbers have increased drastically in the

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Medical experts say excessive alcohol consumption can cause alcohol poisoning. This condition can be extremely dangerous, or even fatal in extreme cases. Alcohol poisoning occurs when a large amount of alcohol is consumed, such as drinking a cocktail of more than five alcoholic beverages in a short amount of time, though the exact amount of beverages that determines the limit for one is determined by age and body constitution. Other substances containing forms of alcohol can also cause alcohol poisoning is consuming wittingly or unwittingly substances like antifreeze rubbing alcohol and some lotions. Accidental consumption of any of these products may result in alcohol poisoning. The use of illegal drugs and many prescription medications can also cause alcohol to be fatal. Some prescription medications and other drugs amplify the effects of alcohol, causing alcohol poisoning.

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Digitisation of lands in progress, says minister Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

K Meena, director of Financial services in the Union Finance Ministry, has suggested that AP speed up the digitisation of the land records in the State to help banks verify the land holdings of farmers for cash and disbursement of loans. The revenue department in the State was assigned the task of completing the process of online records. Minister for Revenue Raghuveera Reddy said that the process was going ahead well. “We know digitisation of the land records will also help the State government in a big way,” he stated. The minister also said that 200 lakh land records of 67 lakh farmers in 203 talukas have been computerised in Karnataka under the Bhoomi programme and the AP government was completing the process in a similar format. The farmers also can have the land records verified whenever required once they are computerised.

Deposit of Title deeds for Equitable Mortgage The State government has suggested to notify the places where bank branches would work for creation of equitable mortgage by deposit of title deeds under Section 58(f ) of Transfer of Property Act, as the branches in those areas are facing a lot of inconvenience for creation of mortgage while financing loans to borrowers.

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

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FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

THE PASSION

Panel finds fault with engineering colleges High level committee report on engineering colleges in AP finds that the colleges are far below par in infrastructure and quality education U Srinivas srinivas.u@postnoon.com

A play depicting the crucifixion of Christ being presented in M ANIL KUMAR the City on the occasion of Good Friday

Report on cohort Congress leaders Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

he Centre has received a report that some leaders of the Congress in AP were working against the government and the party. They were named as cohorts in the report. Sources indicated that the report could have been prompted by the CMO through the intelligence. The report named those who

are providing fodder to rivals. The prominent names are K Kesava Rao (MP), Jeevan Reddy, DL Ravindra Reddy, Madhu Yashki Goud (MP), Peddi Reddy Ramchandra Reddy, Vivek (MP), Shanker Rao (ex-minister). There are reports that Shanker Rao would resign from the party on or after April 20. There are speculations that he may now join TRS or YSR Congress.

lot has to be done for engineering education, A report on the engineering education in the State submitted to the high level committee formed by the AP government gives a grim portrait of the colleges and suggests ways to improve them. “Number of students is going up but the standard is going down,” says the report. The main reason is lack of infrastructure and faculty. Besides permanent infrastructure, health care, grievance redressal, counseling, and placement are far below par. Talking to Postnoon, minister for higher education Damodara Rajanarsimha agreed that despite having 707 engineering colleges,

GHMC goes corporate, new target for 2012-13

the number meeting the criteria is small. The government will check the quality of education in the colleges, he said. The bench

mark given by the experts would be taken and will be implemented without delay and the quality would be improved he assured.

What the committee found 1.Preference was given to the outward splendor of the buildings rather than the facilities inside such as e class rooms and labs 2. No lab equipment, no Internet facilities 3. Low priority to home work, usage of library and subscription of standard journals 4. No trained faculty nor encouragement to upgrade the teaching ability

5. Less concern at the time of selection of the faculty 6. No video lessons 7. Less emphasis on bridge and remedial courses 8. No encouragement for research and consultancy 9. Low priority to linkage with industry 10. Treating engineering colleges as a business proposition 11. Priority to just fill the seats

Remedies:

1. A change from the exam oriented teaching system 2.Valueable additions in terms of internships and collaborations

3. Core specialisation and soft skills must be included 4. Strengthening home work, research and project work

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Encouraged by a record collection of `634 crore property tax, the Corporation sets a new target for officials Md Inkeshaf Ahmed ahmed.m@postnoon.com

he lottery scheme exposed them, and now the property owners who had been paying `100-150 per annum tax due to the corporation’s failure in making periodical reassessment are receiving calls from the GHMC officials. The GHMC in its drive to collect property tax, managed to net a record `634 crore by the end of March. The officials are now concentrating on a special drive to reassess the low tax payers. The fact that the Corporation had

been losing substantial revenue due to the officials’ failure to revaluate the properties came to the notice of the commissioner M T Krishna Babu when the lottery scheme launched and the property tax payers who won used to pay a paltry sum of `150 or so. This amount seems to have been fixed 30-40 years ago. The commissioner, after having a hearty laugh, ordered a check and found that over 50,000 property tax payers are paying measly sums. This years target is `720 crore “We implemented many innovative steps. These steps resulted in augmentation of our income. This year we are planning to dispatch demand notices in May itself. This would mentally prepare the tax payers,” GHMC chief valuation officer Pankaja told Postnoon. During the last fiscal, the officials began to send the demand notices in June and sent reminders through SMS till the tax payers realised the dues. It may be emphasised that during 2010-11, the corporation could only achieve `494 crores income through property tax. Officials are fretting that the higher-up are caught in the glitz of corporate behaviour. “What do they think we are, marketing managers?” queried a lower-rung functionary.

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FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Grandeur rules at rally N SHIVA KUMAR

FESTIVAL Anubha K Singh anubha.k@postnoon.com

housands took part in a grand Hanuman Jayanthi procession that began from the Gowliguda Ram temple around 11 am this morning. Eager devotees had begun to arrive at the temple since early morning. The air was rent with Jai Hanumanji slogans. VHP international president Pravin Thogadia and VHP president Raghava Reddy participated in the pooja. Two prominent leaders, Yaman Singh and Ramaswamy flagged off the rally. The City police made elaborate arrangements in view of Hanuman Jayanthi, Good Friday and Friday Mosque prayers all taking place together. Some 10,000 policemen have been mobilised and the police had barricaded some mosques the rally would pass in a bid to prevent possible trouble. Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy also held a telephonic review with DGP Dinesh Reddy over the security arrangements being made for the festivals. He instructed the director general of police to take all possible measures to ensure the peaceful passage of the Hanuman Jayanthi procession.

APSRTC workers slam management

he APSRTC Staff and Workers Federation has lashed out at the RTC management for calling upon the employees to get ready for sacrifices to save the corporation, which was in recurring losses. They also demanded that the management immediately stop harassing the workers. Speaking to the media here on Thursday, Federation leaders said that it was shameful on the part of the management to say that the workers have to protect the RTC. They alleged that the management itself was throwing the RTC into crisis. They also alleged that the RTC management was allotting prime land worth several crores of rupees to private people under the pretext of bailing out the RTC from losses. The employees were not in a position to bear the harassment and increasing burden, they said. Meanwhile, the APSRTC executive director Koteshwara Rao said that they were plying 6,126 buses additionally from Hyderabad keeping the summer rush in mind.

ICONIC CITY Chowmahalla palace, Moti Gali, Charminar

f you ever want to experience the grandeur of the royal city of Hyderabad, go to Chowmahalla Palace in Old City. Being the official residence of the Nizam, you will be transported to the glorious history that revolves around these beautiful gardens. The name literally translates to four palaces. Chowmahalla takes you aback as soon as you enter. With intricate designs, this is truly an architectural marvel. Upon coming here, you can see the epitome of royalty that the Nizams were famous for. On display are rare family photographs,

Osama Salman Hyderabad as a City has a lot to offer in terms of heritage and sights. We take a look at the various places that make this City so special

clothes, jewellery, furniture, chandeliers, clocks and cars, all displayed in the true Nizami style. It took years of hard work and determination to restore this palace and this has been concreted with UNESCO heritage award. Do see the cars put on display here, especially the fleet of rare Rolls-Royce. The palace is closed on Fridays. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best to visit this heritage site early in the day spend it soaking in the sheer opulence. Time comes to an halt as you enter Chowmahalla. It is a trip worth making, and no holiday is complete without a visit here.

SRINIVAS SETTY

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FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Traders in human misery flourish The multi-crore human organ trade continues unabated despite the law banning it. The involvement of some black sheep in the medical fraternity and in khakhi contributes to the crime after organ was the kidney and that it is mostly labourers and people from the lower strata of the society who, desperate for money, go in to sell their kidneys for as cheaply as about `10,000 when the kidney is then sold to rich patients at a high price. This racket is conducted by a few immoral doctors under the protection of the police. Apparently, people from Hyderabad have gone to other Metros to donate their organs, indicating the wide network of the organ trade. Apart from the poor scapegoats who part with their organs and tissues very easily, the next major source of organs and tissues are unclaimed corpses. The traffickers have a wide network of informants who perform unauthorised removal of organs from an unclaimed corpse. These bodies are often whisked away from the mortuaries after greasing the palms of the concerned officials, said the medical compounder at Gandhi. Satya Harischandra Foundation, a society active in cremating and disposing unclaimed dead bodies had been combating this issue for many years. G Mahesh Chandra, president of the foundation, said “It is not uncommon to find an unclaimed dead body with many of its vital parts missing. The dangerous thing about it is that the body could be a host to many infections and diseases. And if a kidney or a liver were to be removed from it and sold in the black market, the recipient's fate is sealed.”

CRIME Rahul Ramakrishna rahul.r@postnoon.com

yderabad has contrary to the general belief, a rampant human organ trade that remains hidden from public view. The secretive trade is mostly aided and abetted by rogue doctors and policemen, victimising the unwary poor who are in dire straight. A close look at the goings-on in some of the City’s leading public hospitals reveals the nasty face of human avarice. While the Organ Transplantation Act of 1994 banned donation or sale of human organs and tissues from any person other than a near a relative, organ traffickers have cashed in on a loophole that allowed “sympathy donation”, thereby making it easy for them to get away with their heinous act. A compounder at the Gandhi Hospital, when asked about the availability of kidneys or liver for donation said, the whole thing was an expensive affair but it could be managed. A kidney’s rate can cost anywhere from `50,000 to `2 lakhs depending on the availability and requirements. While recent legislations have promised stricter regulations and harsh punishments for those caught in illegal organ trade, the scene on the streets is gravely different. The compounder explained that the most sought

WHILE THE ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION ACT OF 1994 BANNED DONATION OR SALE OF HUMAN ORGANS FROM ANY PERSON OTHER THAN A NEAR A RELATIVE, TRAFFICKERS HAVE CASHED IN ON A LOOPHOLE THAT ALLOWED SYMPATHY DONATIONS. The need for organs is much greater than the supply that has paved the way for the black market of human organ trade to flourish so well. Citizens are not aware of the importance of pledging their organs after death so that it may be of immense help to a person in need. MOHAN (Multi Organ Harvesting Aid Network), a charitable, non profit organisation works towards spreading awareness about the social responsibility of pledging organs after death. Lalita Raghuram, director of the MOHAN Foundation said, “We help people donate and pledge their organs after death through awareness programs. In the past 5 years we have helped over 120 transplants and have gathered more than 750 organs and tissues. We ensure that the pledged organs are donated by a person after death and work closely with the police in spreading awareness and importance about organ donation.”

Easter preparations in full swing City Christians are all set to celebrate Easter on Sunday with prayers, feasts and family get-togethers

FESTIVAL Anubha K Singh anubha.k@postnoon.com

t’s time for hot cross buns, bunnies breads, cookies and not to forget the traditional Easter eggs. It’s time for the Christian community in Hyderabad to celebrate Easter on Sunday. Easter is the culmination of the 40-day lent, which is a time of fasting and spiritual renewal. “Easter is a big celebration for our community. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, and Good Friday is the death day or crucifixion day and resurrection from the death is

celebrated as Easter. The peculiarity of Easter is that it is a common fest for all denominations of Christians,” said, FR Michael, a Railway Employee. Hyderabad is home to some five lakh Christians and they have nearly 20 churches. Easter prayers are held evening in all the City’s churches. There is no mention of Easter bunnies and eggs in the Bible but celebration of Easter is incomplete without Easter eggs and bunnies. “Easter has been synonymous with the long-eared, cottontailed creature and kids painting or adding creativity to eggs. There is a special tradition going on in my family since ages. The elder people from the family hide dec-

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

orated eggs during Easter celebrations and children in the family hunt for them in return of candies, chocolates, cookies and other goodies,” said Binoy Jacob,

a pharmaceutical employee. “Initially, real chicken eggs were decorated with colourful paint for the festival but now plastic and chocolate eggs are in

the market and are being increasingly used instead of the real ones for the Easter egg hunt,” he adds. “I have only been having vegetarian food since the last 40 days as a part of lent. I have collected money in my piggy bank which I will spend on having non- vegetarian dishes in restaurants. I will attend evening prayer on Easter day in Holy Family Church,” said Beula CH, team leader in RealPage India. On Easter, there is a pre-dawn service. The services on the day are comparatively large and different from regular services. The community members believe that the day symbolises the victory of good over evil and every household rejoices on this day.

Business

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

Matters of saving and spending

Let your money grow Money Matters Nupur Pavan Bang

axmiamma has been putting away the `500 that she saves every month, under her mattress. This has been going on since 2002. She likes the smell of money whenever she picks up the mattress. She likes to keep counting them. She likes their fading colour; it indicates that she has been saving since really long and speaks volumes about her discipline! Somewhere in her heart, Laxmiamma has the desire to buy back the gold bangle that she had to sell off when her husband took seriously ill some 25 years back and the family needed the money for his treatment. The bangles were a wedding gift from her grandmother and had 25g of gold. They were her pride. She felt like a queen when she wore them. Alas, there is still a long way to go. She only has `61,500 (500*12*10yrs and 3 months) under the mattress. Two years back when she had gone to the jeweller, he told her that it would cost her `40,000. When she went with `40,000 to him, he said that the price of gold has gone up and it will cost `60,000. Three months back when she went with `60,000 to him, he said that now the bangle will cost `70,000. “If this is the way the price keeps going up, I’ll

never be able to buy those bangles”, thought Laxmiamma with tears welling in her eyes. This is the story of a lot of us. While prices keep going up, our income and savings do not go up in the same proportion. And this is where Prof. Nicky enters the scene. Prof. Nicky does not promise to solve all your financial problems or make money grow on trees. Prof. Nicky gives simple tips on money and investment, which might help ease your situ-

Twitter sues spammers SAN FRANCISCO: Twitter on Thursday turned to a US federal court in its latest effort to stop spammers targeting the worldwide oneto-many text messaging service. Twitter sued a small cadre of what it described as “the most aggressive” culprits behind blitzes of messages ranging from junk promotions to frauds and even links to websites or files boobytrapped with viruses. “Our engineers continue to combat spam-

mers’ efforts to circumvent our safeguards, and today we’re adding another weapon to our arsenal: the law,” the San Franciscobased firm said in a blog post. “With this suit, we’re going straight to the source.” The suit filed in a San Francisco federal court targets five spam-generating software programs and their creators, according to Twitter. “By shutting down tool providers, we will prevent other spammers from having these services at their disposal,” Twitter said. “Further, we hope the suit acts as a deterrent to other spammers.” AFP

Facebook to debut on Nasdaq SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook has picked the technologyheavy Nasdaq exchange for a much-anticipated stock market debut expected next month, according to unconfirmed reports on Thursday. Facebook will trade under the symbol “FB” in a record-

setting initial public offering of shares on the Nasdaq, the New York Times said in a story citing unnamed sources. Facebook in February filed to go public and could raise as much as $10 billion in the largest flotation ever by an Internet company. AFP

ation. Enter Laxmiamma and Prof. Nicky. Prof. Nicky: Laxmiamma, why do you keep your money under the mattress? Does it grow there? And what if there is a thief in the house one day? Why do you take the risk of keeping it at home? Why don’t you invest it? In this way, the money is not only safe, it grows too! Yes, money can grow if invested well. Laxmiamma: “You mean keep it in the bank?”

Prof. Nicky: That is the easiest way to invest. You could at least start by putting your money in the bank. Infact, you would have been able to buy your gold bangles by now if you had invested your money in a recurring deposit with a bank every month. By now you would have `84,682 — (using 6% p.a. interest and the Future Value of Annuity Formula) in your account instead of `61,500 under the mattress. With popping eyes, Laxmiamma asks, “Really?” Prof. Nicky: Really. You might actually have earned even more, if you had invested in other assets like Equities, Mutual Funds, Bonds, and Derivatives. In the past ten years, the Equity indices have given over 400% returns in India. Of course with return comes risk, but one must balance the two and invest in asset classes where they are comfortable with the risk. Laxmiamma: I understand that I should invest. And I am going to start by putting my money in the bank from now on, rather than under the mattress. But pray do tell me more about risk and return and these other asset classes that you have mentioned. Prof. Nicky: I will tell you that in this column some other time. Till then, why don’t you think about risk and return in our day to day affairs? The author is a senior researcher at Centre for Investment, Indian School of Business

Acer tops the charts in desktop category HYDERABAD: Acer India topped desktop segment with a market share of 13.2per cent per cent in the fourth quarter of 2011 calendar year, according to IT market research and advisory firm IDC’s report. Acer registered a growth of 5.2 per cent, quarter on quarter, (QoQ) basis and also a growth rate of 19.4 per cent, year on year. Acer also became the leader in Mini-Notebook/ Netbook vendor in India for four consecutive quarters, with a market share of 42.2 per cent in last quarter of 2011 (calendar year). The desktop marked had tough macro-economic challenges in 2011 with the dollar fluctuation and hard disk drive shortage. However, Acer continued to maintain its position by sizeable wins from the government, large private corporate and the education segment. “Our business model ensured

fresh technology being contemporized ahead of others, along with efficient and seamless logistics support proved to be extremely critical for us in meeting customers’ requirements across various industry verticals. We also had various channel partner initiatives that helped motivate our partners during difficult business environment,” said S Rajendran, chief marketing officer, Acer India. Acer also topped the desktop category in 2011 (calendar year) with a market share of 10.67 per cent.

NUMEROLOGY

$5.14 billion first-quarter operating profit of South Korea’s Samsung Electronics — a 97 percent rise from the previous year.

THUS SPAKE This (allowing foreign airlines to pick up stake in Indian carriers) has been discussed with the Finance Minister, the Civil Aviation Minister and myself and an appropriate view and decision will be taken very soon,” Anand Sharma Commerce and Industry Minister

GOOGLE PLANS Google co-founder Larry Page on Thursday said that his first year back at the company’s helm has been marked by big bets on social networking and mobile gadgets. Page marked the anniversary of his return as chief executive of the Internet colossus by sharing his thoughts in a letter posted at Google+ social network. “Since becoming CEO again, I’ve pushed hard to increase our velocity, improve our execution, and focus on the big bets that will make a difference in the world,” Page said.

BAD NEWS A small credit ratings agency on Thursday downgraded the United States’ credit rating for a second time, arguing the country was no closer to solving its runaway debt problem. In a move that could foreshadow decisions from larger agencies, EganJones downgraded the US to AA from AA+. The company cited “the lack of any tangible progress on addressing the problems and the continued rise in debt to GDP.” “For the first time since WWII, US debt exceeds 100 per cent,” analysts said, predicting that would rise to 106 per cent by the end of the year, calling that an “inflection point.” EganJones scrapped the US’ toplevel AAA rating in July, one month before S&P.

India‑View

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

India unveiled

Ladakh home to booming exotic veggie market LEH: At 73, Ama Sonam Dolma is a successful entrepreneur. She grows the seeds of exotic vegetables and herbs which we buy at a handsome price to spice our pasta, soups and salads. The only difference: the seeds of her broccoli, lettuce, bok choy and leek are very much Indian unlike the European varieties in the market. Staying in Upper Tukcha, a village about a kilometre from Leh town in Ladakh, Ama (Mother) Dolma got into this business at the age of 58 when most people retire. Her seeds instantly became a hit with the foreign tourists. “My seeds are kept in the local products’ shop of the Women’s Alliance, an NGO. Most foreigners like the seeds as they are organic," she said. Seeds in Ladakh are increasingly becoming a lucrative business, thanks to the region’s cold and dry climate. With a minimum investment of `2,000, those like Ama Dolma are earning about `30,000 annually from seeds. “Seeds, like that of leek for instance, are imported from Europe. They cannot be produced anywhere in India but Ladakh. Other seeds like beetroot, knol khol, celery and zucchini can also be easily grown in Ladakh because the region enjoys long daylight hours, which means high light intensity," said Dorjay Anghcuk, a scientist at the Defence Institute of

High Altitude Research (DIHAR) in Leh that works under the Defence Research and Development Organisation. “This, combined with very low humidity, makes Ladakh quite congenial for the production of seeds," he said. “These also fetch a good price." Added Shashi Bala Singh, a former director of DIHAR “Because of the weather, vegetables transform from vegetative to reproductive state, which is when they breed seeds. Also, their size grows bigger than normal. The flowers are also bigger and more in number, which means more seeds." Surprised tourists stop to

buy the unusually fat zucchini and cauliflower (sometimes weighing more than 2kg) in the Leh market where many a women sit selling their extraordinary stuff. In one acre of her field, Ama Dolma has a treasure trove of parsley, celery, Swiss Chard, the German Knol khol, beetroot and zucchini apart from carrot, radish, cabbage, cauliflower, onion and a variety of spinach seeds which would be any chef’s delight. All her seeds are certified by the National Seeds Corp of India. “I sell lettuce seeds for `840 a kg and knol khol for `2,000 a kg. The mongol variety

Italy’s last resort: priests

of spinach goes for `2,000 a kg. Onion and radish seeds sell cheap at `500 a kg but most local farmers easily buy them," said Ama Dolma. “If these seeds are exported to other regions in the country, farmers will get better rates. But agricultural labour cost is higher as compared to other states. This, along with transportation cost, would mean that we can compete only in high value exotic vegetables and not onion and cabbage." Mohammad Hussain, the chief agriculture officer of Leh, said “Scientists say there is great potential to produce organic seeds in Ladakh. The soil here is not yet contaminated; therefore the disease incidence in plants is very low. Most seed varieties India imports can be easily grown here." AVT Natural Products Ltd, a Kochi-based company, is experimenting with the production of marigold seeds in Ladakh. Although farmers around Leh town are growing seeds, most in Ladakh still farm traditional crops. “Young people, whom one expects to experiment with new things, are moving out for army or tourism jobs. Old people still farming do not take to new ideas easily. We need to convince the young to stay back and experiment with production of seeds and tab the market outside Ladakh," said Angchuk of DIHAR. IANS

KOLLAM: After the visit of three Italian ministers to try and get two Italian marines released from prison, Kerala witnessed a round of Church diplomacy when two Italian priests arrived at the home of one of the fishermen shot dead by the marines.

Confirming to IANS that on Wednesday two Italian priests arrived here and visited the home of Gelastine, one of the two fishermen killed by the Italian marines, Father Rajesh Martin said the visit was “just a spiritual exercise”. “Reports that have appeared in a section of the media that the visit of the Italian priests was to find an out-of-court settlement are baseless. Two fishermen, Ajesh Binki, 25, and Gelastine, 45, were apparently mistaken as pirates and shot dead by marines aboard the vessel Enrica Lexie on February 15, off Alappuzha. The marines, Latorre Massimillano and Salvatore Girone, were picked up from the vessel and sent to jail February 20 on murder charges by a court in Kollam. They are lodged in the Central Prison in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. Gelastine’s wife and children have filed a petition in the high court demanding compensation of `1 crore.

History doused with drama a big hit NEW DELHI: History books are inching back on the shelves — but with a dash of drama and peppy language to hook the average reader. “I think there are two major attractions that a historical narrative holds for us. First, history is all about stories...stories about people and places with the benefit of hindsight. And who doesn’t like a good story?" asked Udayan Mitra, publisher of Allen Lane and Portfolio imprints at Penguin Books India. “And the second historical epics are full of heroism, grandeur and romance - something that entertains everyone,” Mitra said. People read historical fiction because they give readers a window into a time they have no idea of, says Priya Kapoor, editor and director of Roli Books. “Historical fiction brings alive history in a more entertaining way. We would certainly like to know how people of that time lived, what they ate and what did they do. Such books take history to another level,” Kapoor told IANS.

Hottest historical dramas

The Shadow Princess The Twenteith Wife The Feast of Roses. Pyre of the Queens The Krishna Coriolis

Roli Books have two new titles under production — a fictionalised volume, Hidden Women, by British Nepalese writer Greta Rana about the Rana (royal) women of Nepal and an untitled fictional work about Maurya and Gupta rule in Magadh what is now Bihar — by Geneva-based Indian debutante Sumedha Ojha, a native of Bihar, Kapoor said. The market is flooded with historical titles. “History books priced `299 to `499 with exciting tales fetch maximum business,” Mirza Asad Baig of the Midland Bookstore in the capital told IANS. Hot on the shelves for almost a year is a fictional trilogy — built around facts about the life of Mughal emperor

Jahangir, wife Noor Jahan and son Shah Jahan by Indu Sundaresan — The Shadow Princess, The Twenteith Wife and The Feast of Roses. Sundaresan says she decided to “write the trilogy after she stumbled upon a book on Mughal harems in her last year at the graduate school at the University of Delaware” and later realised that “there were stories to be told". Author Alex Rutherford gives Mughal history a racy fictional twist in his trilogy Empire of the Mughal, while New Zealand-based award-winning author David Hair connects to young Indian readers with lores from Ramayana in his Return of the Ravana trilogy — Pyre of the Queens, Swayamvara and The Ghost Bride. And the exploits of Lord Ram of Ayodhya gets fictional makeover in writer Ashok Banker’s six-part Ramayana novels. In The Forest of Stories, Banker retells the Mahabharata while the The Krishna Coriolis scripts the exploits of Lord Krishna. IANS

India‑View

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

India unveiled

Senior citizen turns ‘serial’ killer in TN SALEM (TN): Fearing that his son would send him away after inheriting the property, as he saw in a TV serial, an octogenarian former panchayat president killed him with an iron rod while he was asleep, police said. They said the 80-year-old man was watching the serial last night at Valpadi panchayat, showing a man sending his parents away from a town after inheriting the property. Scared that the same fate might befall him, he took an iron rod, went to where his son was sleeping and beat him to death, police said. His wife and daughter were also asleep at the time of the incident. The old man, who has been arrested, was running a school in the village and had 20 acres of cultivated land, police said. PTI

Mamata defends ace cop’s transfer KOLKATA: Faced with criticism over transfer of senior IPS officer Damayanti Sen, who had differed with Mamata Banerjee on the genuineness of the Park Street rape case, the West Bengal CM defended the decision saying it was a prerogative of the government. Banerjee, without referring to the transfer of Sen, the former JCP (Crime), said “it is the prerogative of my government to get the job done by someone who can perform in a better way.”

Pointing out that it was the management of media houses which decided who would be editor and other staff, Banerjee alleged a section of the media and television news channels were making personal attacks on her and trying to malign her government. “This is yellow journalism. The manner in which personal attacks are being made is a conspiracy and a planted game. “Those who are engaged in this planted game, how can

they claim that they are impartial? Just as I cannot impose or bulldoze, you cannot impose or bulldoze,” she said at the launch of ‘Kalom’, a Bengali daily. Banerjee said “one can disagree with my policies. The freedom of the press has a broad meaning. The deliberate misuse of the pen can be dangerous for society. “If self-interest is not served, one will resort to lies. This is not the freedom of the press,” she said. PTI

GLOBE AT A GLANCE Hostage crisis: Orissa to free 27 Naxal prisoners BHUBANESWAR: Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday announced the names of 27 people, including a Maoist’s wife, whose release will facilitate the freeing of an Italian and a legislator being held captive by Maoists. Patnaik said the decision to facilitate the release was taken on humanitarian grounds and he expected the rebels would reciprocate and release the hostages.

Kashmir gunfight ends, five guerrillas killed SRINAGAR: Five separatist guerrillas were killed Thursday in a 10-hour gunfight between the security forces and the guerrillas in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, police said. Last week, five guerrillas belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit were killed in two separatist gunfights in the same district.

GRAND CEREMONY

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna meets Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow on Thursday. PTI

Eight killed in road Gujarat accident ANAND (GUJARAT): Eight persons

Jharkhand: EC to seek CBI probe NEW DELHI/RANCHI: Armed with the Jharkhand High Court order, the Election Commission said it will write to Government seeking a CBI probe into allegations of use of money power in last week’s countermanded Rajya Sabha elections in the state. Hailing the Court’s dismissal of the petition challenging the EC decision to countermand elections and its order for a probe by a specialised agency like CBI, Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi said it was yet another success aganist corruption. He also said he was “extremely delighted” with the court verdict. Quraishi said the poll body will formally write to the Union Home Ministry on Monday for the CBI probe. He also said that a probe by this central investigating agency was one of the options which was under the consideration of the Election Commission early this week. IANS

were killed today and 10 others injured when a truck collided with a luxury bus in Kheda district. The incident took place on the Mahuda-Dakore road near Alina village, police said. The injured have been taken to the government hospital in Kheda district headquarters Nadiad and are undergoing treatment.

Artists present a show to pay tribute to the late singer Kishore Kumar at Nautanki Mahal in PTI Gurgaon.

India, China to lead urban population growth: UN UNITED NATIONS: India and China will witness the largest growth in their urban populations in the next four decades, posing new challenges of providing jobs, housing, energy and infrastructure to their people, the United Nations said today. The UN’s ‘2011 Revision of the World Urbanisation Prospects’ said Africa and Asia will lead the global urban population growth in the next four decades with the largest increases expected in India, China,

Nigeria, US and Indonesia. India will add another 497 million to its urban population between 2010 to 2050, while China will see 341 million people moving into urban cities followed by Nigeria (200 million), the US (103 million) and Indonesia (92 million). The projected increase in urban population in India and Nigeria between 2010 and 2050 will be higher than that of the past 40 years. This trend is particularly prominent in Nigeria, where its

urban population grew by only 65 million between 1970 and 2010, but is projected to increase by 200 million between 2010 and 2050 — the third largest increase in urban population of all countries of the world. Africa’s urban population will increase from 414 million to over 1.2 billion by 2050 while that of Asia will soar from 1.9 billion to 3.3 billion. The UN said both regions would together account for 86 per cent of all increase in the world’s urban population. PTI

3 injured as constable’s rifle fires accidentally PUNE: Three persons were injured as a service rifle belonging to a police constable accidentally fired inside a hotel this morning. According to the police, constable Vilas Nivrutti Kashid of Khadak Police Station was at the hotel, having tea, when the incident happened. His rifle, kept on a chair, slipped and three rounds got fired, injuring a waiter and two customers.

ADAG Chairman Anil Ambani with his family during a visit to the Tulip garden in Srinagar on Thursday. PTI

Around the World

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

Beyond Borders

Pizza solution for Euro!

oday the finalists for the Wolfson Economics Prize were announced. This year, the prize is offering £2,50,000 to whoever has the best idea for an orderly breakup of the Euro.

The finalists are all here: a) Catherine Dobbs - The NEWNEY approach to unscrambling the Euro. b) Roger Bootle - Leaving the euro: A practical guide. c) Jonathan Tepper - A Primer on the Euro Breakup: Default, Exit and Devaluation as the Optimal Solution. d) Jens Nordvig - Planning for an orderly break-up of the European Monetary Union. e) Neil Record - If member states leave the Economic and Monetary Union, what is the best way for the economic process to be managed to provide the soundest foundation for the future growth and prosperity of the current membership? All the papers certainly make for good reading on the issue. There was also an honourable mention to 11-year-old Lord Wolfson, chief executive of Next and a donor to the Conservative party launched The Wolfson Economics Prize. It will be the second largest cash prize to an academic economist after the Nobel Prize. Jurre Hermans of the Netherlands. And we have to say, it’s actually kind of tyrannical

Jurre Hermans pictorial representation of the solution. from the mind of an 11-year-old boy: Greece should leave the Euro. How do you do that? All Greek people should bring their Euro to the bank. They put it in an exchange

machine (see left on his picture). You see, the Greek guy does not look happy!! The Greek man gets back Greek Drachmae from the bank, their old currency. The Bank gives all these euros to the Greek government

(see top left on my picture below). All these euros together form a pancake or a pizza (see on top in the picture). Now the Greek government can start to pay back all their debts, everyone who has a debt gets a slice of the pizza. You see that all these euros in the pizzas go the companies and banks who have given loans in Greece (see right in my picture) Now here comes the clever part of my idea. The Greek people do not want to exchange their Euro’s for drachmas because they know that this drachmas will lose its value dramatically. They try to keep or hide their Euro’s. They know that if they wait a while they will get more drachmas. So if a Greek man tries to keep his Euros (or(or bring his euros to a bank in an other country like Holland or Germany) and it is discovered, he gets a penalty just as high or double as the whole amount in euros he tried to hide!!! In this way I ensure that all Greeks bring their euros to a Greek bank and so the Greek government can pay back all the debts. I hope my idea helps you!!!! Of course if a country has paid back all his debts, he can return to the eurozone. A bit more about myself: I am 10, love animals since I have a dog and a bird. I live in a family of 5 in Holland. I have 5 friends with whom I play all day, mostly outside. PS: My father helped me with my English translation as I speak Dutch Jurre Hermans

WillKat fly economy

n this era of European austerity, even Prince William and Kate Middleton are watching their spending. The royal couple flew the budget airline easyJet home from their vacation in the Alps Sunday, Marie Claire said. Will and Kate boarded their flight early with their security team as other passengers Tweeted about it, the magazine said. While their memories of the trip may be priceless, the UK’s Daily Mail points out Will and Kate’s tickets for the Geneva to Manchester flight may have cost as little as £60 each. And the royals didn’t get to skip security. Said the Daily Mail : “They went through the usual security checks before boarding, and received no special treatment in the air.” The paper noted that the flight wasn’t Will and Kate’s first on a budget airline. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge flew the budget airline Flybe when returning to the Manchester area from a wedding in Edinburgh last year. Prince Harry also has been spotted aboard EasyJet, MSN said.

Real cupid going strong 40 years on DHAKA: Kazi Ashraf Hossain’s work colleagues always told him he had a talent for getting couples together, so when he was forced to quit his job as a crane operator, he set up as a matchmaker. Nearly 40 years later, Hossain known by his nickname “Pakhi Bhai” (Bird Brother) — is celebrated as Bangladesh’s national “cupid” who has put together about 10,000 couples. “They said I had this natural ability to persuade a stubborn groom. I had to stop operating cranes after an ulcer operation, so I thought why not give matchmaking a go?” he told AFP at his smart office in the capital Dhaka. “With an armful of photos, I set myself up in business. My father vehemently opposed it. For him it was the worst job.”

1973. “The reward was meagre, not enough to feed my family properly.” “I used to travel between clients so fast that they wondered whether I flew in like a bird. Hence the name: Bird Brother.”

akhi Bhai charges between US$1,200(S$1,508) and US$4,000 when a marriage takes place, and also runs a membership scheme that gives access to thousands of online resumes and photographs.

Kazi Ashraf Hossain, known as ‘Pakhi Bhai’, works in his office in Dhaka. AFP/MUNIR UZ ZAMAN In the early years, Pakhi Bhai used to go about his trade like a street hawker, visiting families door to door with photographs of

potential brides and grooms. “The number of clients was negligible in the early days,” said Pakhi Bhai, who started out in

His break came in the late 1970s, when he invested money and started to buy newspaper advertisements. “It shocked a lot of people. The hotel where I lived threatened to evict me,” he said.

But now he is a well-known celebrity, a regular feature on annual Valentine Day television specials and widely admired for his wealth, influence and contacts. The job has changed from the days of walking the streets, and Pakhi Bhai now works out of his headquarters in a swish city mall with three mobile phones on the go, a computer database and five female assistants. For Pakhi Bhai, all marriages should be “arranged” by family members in the traditional manner instead of being “love” marriages between two individuals. “I have seen thousands of love marriages break up after the wedding. These divorcees then come to us for an arranged marriage,” he said. AFP

Around the World Mali rebels declare independence PARIS:

Tuareg rebels of north Mali’s National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) today proclaimed the “independence of Azawad” in a statement on their website and through a spokesman on France 24 television. “We solemnly proclaim the independence of Azawad as from today,” said Mossa Ag Attaher.He added that the rebels would respect “the borders with other states.” Armed Islamists had stormed the Algerian consulate in northeastern Mali and abducted seven diplomats amid fears Al Qaedalinked fighters are turning the country into a rogue state and fuelling a crisis. As the Tuareg trumpeted the success of a decades-oldstruggle to liberate their homeland, their fundamentalist comrades-turned-rivals began imposing Sharia law in parts of northern Mali. The MNLA said as a result of their successful conquest of an area they call the Azawad, they were halting all military operations from midnight on Thursday. AFP

25 years in prison for ‘merchant of death’ NEW YORK: A US judge on Thursday sentenced Russian ‘merchant of death’ arms smuggler Viktor Bout to 25 years in prison for conspiring to sell a massive arsenal to anti-American guerrillas in Colombia. Bout, 45, has been accused of selling arms to despots and insurgency groups embroiled in some of the world’s bloodiest conflicts and was the inspiration for the arms smuggler played by Nicolas Cage in Lord of War. Prosecutors had asked for life in prison, but US district judge Shira Scheindlin decided to give Bout the minimum required sentence of 25 years on one count and 15 years for each of the three other counts of which he was found guilty, to run concurrently. “Twenty-five years is sufficient,” Scheindlin said, citing the “unique circumstances” of his case and the fact that it was the result of a sting operation. “He embraced an opportunity presented to him to make money, but didn’t seek it,” she said, adding there was “no evidence that he was looking to get actively involved with a terrorist

Santorum surge under doubt?

Rick Santorum

AFP

PENNSYLVANIA: The rally here began — as most Rick Santorum campaign events do — with a prayer. But barring divine intervention, it will take a change of heart by much of Pennsylvania’s diverse electorate to help the religious arch-conservative win his home state and stay in the hunt for the Rep-

ublican presidential nomination. Santorum, trailing a distant second in the battle to see who will challenge President Obama in November, will spend the next three weeks criss-crossing Pennsylvania after Easter. He readily admits “we have to win here” on April 24 in order to keep going. If he prevails it would provide momentum into more favourable contests in May, but if he loses it would likely be the end of his candidacy. “Pennsylvania can be a new starting point for Rick, and it can take him through other states like Texas,” state Senator John Eichelberger told AFP at Wednesday’s rally in Hollidaysburg. “It’s going to be much more difficult for him to continue if he doesn’t win Pennsylvania.” AFP

Obama team slams Romney over records WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama’s camp on Thursday accused Republican foe Mitt Romney of hiding his finances in a “black box” following a report he used an ethics loophole to avoid offering details of some earnings. The Washington Post report unleashed a new spat between the president’s aides and Romney.

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

Beyond Borders

The report said that Romney legally used an obscure exception in ethics laws to provide a limited accounting of his assets, making it hard to trace his wealth. The paper said the strategy made it tough to determine whether there were conflicts of interest, or if his assets were offshore or invested in controversial companies. AFP

This courtroom sketch of Viktor Bout. AFP

Ex-CIA officer indicted WASHINGTON: A former CIA officer was indicted on Thursday on charges of leaking secrets to journalists, including the name of a covert agent and the role of another CIA employee in classified operations. John Kiriakou was charged in January with leaking secrets. The indictment allows the case to proceed to trial without an evidentiary hearing. The indictment grand jury in Virginia charged Kiriakou with one count of violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act and violating the Espionage Act. AFP

organisation.” She handed down the sentence after the mustachioed Bout, dressed in a light green prison suit, stood before her and, dramatically pointing to the packed court room, insisted he was innocent. “I am not guilty,” he said, speaking in Russian. “I never intended to kill anyone and I never intended to sell arms. God knows the truth,” he said firmly. His wife Alla and daughter Lisa, 17, who wrote a letter to the judge proclaiming her father’s innocence, were seated in the second row in the courtroom. The sentencing had been delayed twice, with Bout’s lawyer demanding more time to prepare his request and accusing prosecutors of “outrageous conduct” in allegedly entrapping the Russian. Bout was eventually extradited and convicted in November on four counts of conspiring to sell missiles to terrorists. “Today’s sentence is a fitting coda for this career arms trafficker of the most dangerous order,” said US Attorney Preet Bharara. AFP

Radioactive fluid leaks at French nuclear reactor

GLOBE AT A GLANCE Hackers claim to have defaced 500 websites LONDON:Hacker group Anonymous has claimed to have defaced around 500 websites in China to protest against the Chinese government’s strict control of its citizens, BBC reported.The targets included government sites, official agencies and trade groups among others.The websites defaced had a same message posted on them that chided the government for its repressive policies.

Tiny US town fetches $900,000 at auction LOS ANGELES: Billed as the smallest town in America, Buford, Wyoming, was sold at auction for $900,000 to a Vietnamese national who wants to remain anonymous, the seller said. the package went to a Vietnamese man from Ho Chi Minh City. He actually flew here from Vietnam.

A man stands in front of riot policemen during a protest, held due to the suicide of an elderly debt-ridden Greek man. AFP

Man contacts MI5 to get wife arrested LONDON:A man who tried to get his estranged wife arrested by emailing MI5 and claiming she had planted a bomb at a school was jailed for 16 months.Ghulam Kibria, 33, caused panic after he sent a bomb threat to the security service’s website.He pretended to be his wife and wrote on the website: ‘There is a bomb in Prince Albert Junior and Infant School in Aston’.

Mega Millions mystery drags on BALTIMORE:The Mega Millions mysFirefighting vehicles are parked within the Penly nuclear power plant. AFP RENNES: Radioactive cooling fluid leaked at a French nuclear reactor on Thursday following two small fires, but the spillage was safely collected separately, officials said. A reactor at the power plant in Penly near the port of Dieppe shut down automatically after two small fires broke out Thursday, the plant’s operator EDF said. Firefighters easily extinguished the blazes but a cooling pump was damaged, in turn causing a joint to leak radioactive water into collection tanks located

inside the reactor building. The reactor continued to be cooled properly and teams were working to lower the water pressure, the company said. EDF said the installation was secure, no one was injured, and there were “no consequences for the environment”. It was not clear what caused the fires but the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) said firefighters had found small pools of burning oil but quickly extinguished the flames. AFP

tery dragged on Thursday with no one yet coming forward for a share of a worldrecord $656 million jackpot, even after a Baltimore woman claimed she had a winning ticket. “No one has indicated to us that they have the winning ticket,” said Stephen Martino, director of the Maryland lottery.

Parishioners in the Chapel of St Joseph of Arimathea, Washington DC, following the Maundy Thursday mass. AFP

Comment

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

Fair, free and forthright

Editorials PRISONER SWAP sets bad precedent

rissa government’s decision to swap 27 Maoist prisoners to secure the release of two hostages – an Italian and an MLA – though driven by humanitarian considerations, sets a dangerous precedent. This is not the first time the Naxals have taken hostages and forced the state to accede their demands. Considering the fact that there are thousands of officials and elected representatives in areas where Maoists are active, such policies will open floodgates for more abductions. Thousands of crores spent in anti-Maoist operations and the loss of lives suffered by security personnel in ‘liberating’ Maoist-controlled territory and arresting their leaders are nullified by such incidents. The Maoist menace is as challenging as the threat the country faces from terrorists. The Central government has come out with clear guidelines on dealing with hostage situations and negotiating with the captors – without compromising on national interests. However, the states are yet to adopt similar strategies for situations at state level. There should not be a situation where extremist outfits are allowed to gain an upper hand because of complacency of the states.

WHY WE LOVE Ghost ships

othing says maritime mystery like a ghost ship, and though we were sad to see the sinking of the Ryou-Un Maru, we’d like to think the ship’s ethereal denizens had a fun time from Japan to Alaska.

Incredible India!

The Anonymous Alien

blast India too much. I’m not going to justify or defend myself, just stating a fact. My housekeeper blasts India too…she’s had a hard life and blames her mother country. The executives in my company blast India also…some of them have lived abroad, and they now find much fault with their homeland. And newspapers, this one included, seem to blast India and its scandals and corruption relentlessly. But the truth is, all of us I think – ALL OF US – love India, love what it is, and love what it could be. And I thought, for a moment, I’d spell out some of the little things that make this country so extraordinary to live in for me, a foreigner, and maybe for you, if you’re a native. Things we should all appreciate, but maybe don’t. Let’s start with mangoes, a very good place to start. If heaven is filled with fruit, it would be mangoes from the orchards of India. Nothing else like them on the planet. Okay, maybe huckleberries, but practically

Anger management

Pets page

Thank you for that piece what to do when you blow your top. I work in a very stressful environment and by the end of the day someone in the office or the family has to bear the brunt of my anger. I realise this is a bad habit but was having a lot of difficulty controlling it. After I read the health piece, I decided to put it into practice and surprisingly I was much calmer. The idea of counting from one to 10 never appealed to me , because for me by the end of my count, I would be even more angry. There are several incidents of highly talented people quitting jobs due to anger management issues. These kinds of articles are really helpful. Kinshukh Dalmia Kukatpally

I am a fairly new reader of Postnoon and I would like to say that your paper with a truly refreshing look. I like the different categories your pages have been divided into. The knowledge central page is my favourite after the pets page. The pets page provides so much information that comes in handy for us animal lovers. I was surprised to see the way you bring out genuine articles and things that not many newspapers will care about looking into. Kudos and keep up the good work. Ankit Guha Secunderabad

nobody’s heard of huckleberries, so mangoes get the nod. How about this? A doctor giving you their cell number! To many of us foreigners, that’s almost as bizarre and wonderful as, say, a great restaurant saying you can eat there forever, for free. Simply unheard of, truly extraordinary and taken for granted here in India. What about the water hose in bathrooms? I don’t want to get too intimate here, but this invention for me rivals the wheel, the computer and space travel. Life-altering. Now, if only someone would tell me what the bucket’s for… Himalayan Bottled Water. Please, toss out the processed stuff you find in Kinley and Aquafina bottles and splurge for the Himalayan. A water so light and delicate that it belongs in a wine glass, served with a fine slice of French cheese. Perfection in H20. Indigo and Spice Airlines. These amazing, low-cost airlines have personally called me on my cell when I was at the wrong gate, their planes are always immaculate and their personnel professional. In short, they kick the stuffing out of most foreign airlines I’ve flown, and they’re dirt cheap. What’s not to love? Tandoori ovens. Is there anything that doesn’t taste great when cooked in a Tandoori? Yummy!

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

Natural Ice Cream… delivered! Have you tried their tender coconut? Their mango? This stuff stimulates taste buds you didn’t even know you had and get this… they’ll deliver it to your door! Watch out, waistline. Monsoon. Every time the monsoons start I feel like a potted plant being watered by the heavens. Glorious. Goa. What a tropical paradise should be. Fresh. Wild. Affordable. Exotic. As the Beach Boys once noted about Kokomo, everyone needs a place to get away, and the reality is, everyone should have a Goa. There you go. A starter list. A glorious list. But really, missing the best of what India is… the thing we all live, every moment, every day, the thing that permeates every aspect of life here: the pure energy. The vibrancy. The hope. In a world that in the last four years has mostly been devoid of optimism, India stands out. A great, frenetic, insane, extraordinary democracy moving forward to the future with passion and spirit. It may drive you crazy, it may drive me crazy, but when I step out of India and back into the West, a part of me shifts into a somnambulist stupor from which only India can awaken me. Because India invigorates the soul. Thanks, India. A foreigner’s observations on living, working, surviving and thriving in India

No tears for cop

Didi’s poor decision

The constable who shot himself in the temple deserves no mercy. Cowards like him should not have been inducted into the force at all. The weapons are given to police officials so that they can use it to save others and their lives in case of danger and is not to be used as an easy escape route from life. He never once thought that by doing so he could have harmed people in the temple itself. Suppose the shots had ricocheted? If someone wants shoot themselves, they should choose some location where they will be the Khateeja sole victim. Banjara Hills

Mamata Banerjee’s decision to transfer the woman IPS officer who was instrumental in cracking the sensational rape case smacks of narrow minded arrogance. When she called the story cooked up and her minister questioned the morals of the victim, the police officers refused to be prejudiced and brought the culprits to book. By punishing such upright official, Mamata has once again proved that she is populist leader and horrible administrator. Earlier the railway minister from her party who took the pragmatic decision to hike fares was forced to step down. If the CM continues like this she will disappoint the people who elected her with high hopes. Vishal Chatterjee Khairatabad

Rhythm Nation

Hear the

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

MUSIC this summer

Summers can be a lazy time or you could also spend it doing something productive like learning how to play a musical instument. Here are a few places you might be interested in

arm sunshine and the occasional rains automatically paints a picture of tall palm trees, long vacations, sandy beaches and of course buckets full of free time. No doubt summer is the time to unwind, put those overworked grey cells to rest after weeks of studying for exams, just relax and reconnect. But, this could also be a great time to nurture the musician in you. For those you who are interested in learning an instrument or two, there are a lot options available. Give wings to your new hobby and register at any one of the following institutes offering summer courses in music.

Alliance Francaise:

t is the largest network of foreign cultural centers in the world. Apart from offering courses in learning how to speak fluent French, the organisation also pays attention to honing musical talents. A guitar learning course is available for beginners and intermediates, it is based on an international standard curriculum. Then, there is also a music notation reading workshop which puts an emphasis on vocal and harmony. The classes will begin on April 7 with rudiments of reading music with vocal practice during learning. The workshop is open to all interested in music. Website: www.hydmusic.com Phone number: 9912201659/ 23554485

Swaramela Music Academy:

his 16-year-old music institute is well-equipped to teach students to play not just western musical instruments but classical as well. Whether you are interested in learning the guitar or the veena, the keyboard or the tabla, Swaramela has it all. It awards certificates and diploma courses in Carnatic and Hindustani music to approximately 500 students every year. website: www.swaramelamusic.com Phone number: 237326216, 9246341990

iTUNES Top 10 songs

1. We are young (feat. Janelle Monáe) – Fun 2.Somebody That I Used to Know (feat. Kimbra) – Gotye 3.Boyfriend

– Justin Bieber 4.What Makes You Beautiful – One Direction 5.Wild Ones (feat. Sia) – Flo Rida 6.Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen 7.Glad You Came – The Wanted 8.Drive By – Train 9.Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) – Kelly Clarkson 10. Dance Again (feat. Pitbull) – Jennifer Lopez

Philip’s School of Music

his particular school of music trains students to play the guitar, the violin, harmonica, drums and piano. It trains about 150 students each year and prepares them for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music examination which is considered to be the standard of classical music in London. Your best bet here would be to take the instrumental courses which provide lessons in learning the acoustic guitar right down to understanding the theory of music. Website: www.philipschoolomusic.com Phone number: 9849477277

If you believe that your child needs to hone their musical talents, then private coaching is for you. A certificate course in learning about keyboard basics is being offered by Karthik Suman in Sai Krishna Nagar. So let the music play this summer.

Bollywood Top 10 songs

Top 10 abums

1. Hunger Games – Soundtrack 2. 21 – Adele

3. Port of Morrow – The Shins 4. Up all Night – One Direction 5. The OF Tape Vol. 2 – Odd Future 6. Wrecking Ball – Bruce Springsteen 7. The MF Life – Melanie Fiona 8. NOW 41 – Various Artists 9. Whitney: The Greatest Hits – Whitney Houston 10. Radio Music Society – Esperanza Spalding

– Kahaani 3. Mann Jaage

1. Rabbta – Agent Vinod 2. Piya Tu Kahe Rootha Re

– Bittoo Boss 4. Pyaar ki Pungi – Agent Vinod 5. Tore Bina – Kahaani 6. Kaun Kenda – Bittoo Boss 7. Tujhe Sochta Hu – Jannat 2 8. Rab ka Shukrana – Jannat 2 9. Tera Deedar Hua – Jannat 2 10. Thehree si Zindagi – London Paris New York

H‑Factor

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Give them a chance

Asperger’s Syndrome is a developmental and social disorder which may make the person suffering from it temperamental, distant and non-responsive to those around them

The name game Anishaa Kumar anishaa.k@postnoon.com

ill now for many of us a mention of Asperger’s Syndrome was restricted to movies like My name is Khan and Rain man. But for many others, it is a reality. “Asperger’s Syndrome is a form of autistic disorder. A person suffering from autism generally is not able to reciprocate in a normal way. It tends to begin at the age of 4-5 when the parents notice that the child is not able to emote or talk properly,” says Dr Phani Prasant, consultant psychiatrist, Care Hospital. “A particular sign of someone with Asperger’s Syndrome is that they have a highly developed splinter function. This implies that certain functions of the brain are highly developed. For example, they may have an unusual ability to remember large numbers without batting an eyelid,” explains Dr Ashok Alimchandani, senior consultant psychiatrist, Apollo Hospital. The highly developed splinter function is a symptom associated only with Asperger’s. Apart from that a person suffering from this syndrome displays symptoms such as those associated with autism like poor

sperger’s Syndrome gets its name from the Viennese paediatrician Hans Asperger who in the 1940s is said to have observed behaviours and difficulties with social and communication skills similar to autism in boys who otherwise had a normal development and behaviour.

social bonding and absence of eye contact. Dr Phani explains that people with Asperger’s may be slightly better in terms of communication and social behaviour. It is said to be a slightly milder version of autism. The main issue is that it is not diagnosed very easily and if it is, it is diagnosed quite late, says Dr Ashok. Although the nature of Asperger’s Syndrome has been found, researchers and doctors

are yet to find a cause. Asperger’s Syndrome like many other ailments till today has no specific cure. Dr Ashok says, “There is no particular treatment available but generally people with this syndrome are treated symptomatically like for temperament and any obsessive behaviour as people with Asperger’s tend to have a penchant for routine.” These therapies help people fit into general society although they do not provide a cure. Medical science has seen progress over the years. When it comes to Asperger’s Syndrome there have been a number of studies conducted. Dr Ashok says that a study is being conducted to see the effectiveness of a particular Alzheimer’s drug which shows an improvement in terms of social behaviour. Dr Ashok states, “The most important fact is that people with Asperger’s should be taught to integrate with society. The people around them should be counselled in order to understand how to deal with such people.” Dr Phani explains that as they are unable to understand emotions and hence people may take undue advantage of them. Asperger’s Syndrome is not a choice for those suffering from it, it’s time we accept and understand them and give them a chance to be an active part of society.

Green vegetables vital for breast cancer patients LONDON: Women diagnosed with breast cancer are more likely to survive if they eat up their greens, a study suggests. A Chinese study has found a link between higher consumption of cruciferous vegetables such as greens, cabbage and broccoli, and reduced breast cancer death rates. Researchers followed the progress of almost 5,000 women for around five years after they were diagnosed with breast cancer, Daily Mail reported. They found that the more cruciferous vegetables women ate during the first three years after diagnosis, the less likely they were to die. As consumption increased, the chances of dying from breast cancer fell by between 22 per cent and 62 per cent and from all causes by between 27 per cent and 62 per cent. During the study period, 587 women died, 496 from breast cancer, the Mail said. The researchers pointed out that cruciferous vegetable consumption habits differed between China and the West. “Commonly consumed cruciferous vegetables in China include turnips, Chinese cabbage/bok choy and greens, while broccoli and brussels sprouts are the more commonly consumed cruciferous vegetables in the US and other Western countries,” said study leader Sara Nechuta, from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, US. IANS

H‑Factor

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

PREGNANT DIABETICS more prone to birth defect: Study NEW DELHI: Pregnant women with diabetes are more likely to have birth defects than women without the condition, a study by a Britainbased major research-intensive university said on Wednesday. “The study led by Newcastle University and funded by Diabetes UK, for the first time has evidence that quantifies the effect of glucose levels. The blood glucose level around the time of conception is the key factor predicting the

risk of congenial anomaly,” a statement from Newcastle University that has published the study said. The study carried out in mainly white women in England suggested that as many as one in 13 deliveries to women with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes involved a major congenital anomaly, also known as a birth defect. “The researchers have found that during pregnancy, a woman with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes has a risk of a birth

defect which is about seven percent, as compared to an average of around two per cent in women without diabetes,” the study said. The study involved an

investigation of the recorded outcomes of 401,149 pregnancies, including 1,677 pregnancies in women with diabetes, between 1996 and 2008 in the north of England. “The good news is that, with expert help before and during pregnancy, most women with diabetes will have a healthy baby. The risk of problems can be reduced by taking extra care to have optimum glucose control before becoming pregnant,” said Ruth Bell, the study's lead

Red wine may help block fat cell formation A new study at Purdue University found that a compound found in red wine, grapes and other fruits was able to prevent fat cells from developing Alexander Besant

compound know as piceantannol, present in red wine was found by researchers at Purdue University to stop fat cells from developing, a finding that may pave the way for new advances in weight loss. Resveratrol turns into piceatannol when consumed, which was found to be effective in stopping fat cells from matur-

ing. Kee-Hong Kim, an assistant professor of food science, and Jung Yeon Kwon, a graduate student in Kim’s laboratory, said that piceatannol would be able to bind the receptors of immature fat cells and block their ability to mature, according to the Daily Meal. According to Science Daily, piceatannol is also present in different amounts in red grape

seeds and skin, blueberries, passion fruit, and other fruits. The next step in testing this finding is creating an animal model. The hope is that piceatannol can be preserved for long enough in the blood stream to prevent fat cells from forming in the long run. The findings of the study can be found in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. GLOBAL POST

researcher. Birth defect is a physical anomaly which is recognisable at birth and which is significant enough to be considered a problem. “Any reduction in high glucose levels is likely to improve the chances of a healthy baby. All young women with diabetes need to know about preparing for pregnancy, and should contact their doctor or diabetes team as soon as possible if they are thinking about pregnancy," Bell added. IANS

F‑Folio

Because you are what you wear

The Marc Jacobs Stam

ne of the products that became instant classics from the house of Marc Jacobs was the Stam bag. The quilted bag with thick metal chains and signature kiss lock closure comes in many colours, and textures. It is one of the most coveted series to come from the label. Designer Marc Jacobs named this bag after the Canadian model Jessica Stam in 2005. The handbag is popular with women of all ages because of its vintage charm juxtaposed with modern Marc Jacobs elements. Stam is a leading model who has appeared on many magazine covers, ad campaigns and runways in Milan, Paris, New York, and is one of Victoria’s Secret Angels too. Perhaps it was one of the reasons why the designer thought to name this evergreen handbag after her.

Price: $1350 Surabhi Chauhan feedback@postnoon.com

Fashion and luxury brands have time and again dedicated a popular style of their handbag to celebrities. Today we look into the story of six such handbags, who they were named after and the reason for their popularity

The

lizabeth Woolridge Grant better known by her stage name Lana Del Rey is an American singer and songwriter and the latest to be bestowed with an honour of having a handbag inspired by her. This 25year-old beauty is the latest to have the Internet and entertainment industry buzzing because of her sultry voice and her chart topping singles like Video Games and Born to Die. Mulberry, a British leather goods brand launched ‘The Del Rey’ handbag during their Fall Winter 2012 show. The Del Rey is described as ‘designed to be a modern classic; practical, refined and timeless with a touch of Lana’s signature glamour and mystique’, on the company’s website. The bag will be available at Mulberry stores abroad or online from mid-May 2012.

Jessica Stam

Price : Not available in the market yet.

The Del Rey by Mulberry

Lana Del Rey

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

20&21

The Birkin bag by Hermes

erhaps the most well recognised and easiest symbol of wealth is the Hermes Birkin bag. Named after actor and singer Jane Birkin, this bag has a waiting list for its customers even after 28 years of its launch. The story behind this collaboration was accidental. In 1981, Hermès chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas was seated next to Jane Birkin on a flight from Paris to London. She had just placed her straw bag in the overhead compartment of her seat, but the contents fell to the ground, leaving her scrambling to

replace the contents. Birkin explained to Dumas that it had been difficult to find a leather weekend bag she liked. In 1984, he created a bag for her based on a previous design. Each Birkin bag is made over a span of several days in France by Hermes’ expert artisans. The house uses its signature saddle stitching on this otherwise logo-free handbag. Celebrities like Victoria Beckham, Lindsay Lohan, Kim Kardashian, Katie Holmes, Pamela Anderson, Catherine Zeta Jones, Lady Gaga, Julia Roberts and Sarah Jessica Parker are just a few names who own this coveted bag. The bag even caused a stir when Pakistan’s foreign minister Hina Rabani Khar visited India last year carrying a pricey Hermes Birkin handbag.

Price: $9,000 to $150,000 Kim Kardashian

Victoria Beckham

Namesake I

talian luxury label Tod’s named its iconic bag after Lady Diana in 1997 after her death. A fan of the Tod’s brand, Lady Diana owned a camel colour D-bag which she carried to many of her trips. The D-Bag represents understated luxury, taste and quality similar to that of Lady Di. Her elegance and charm made her a muse for many designers of her time. Tod’s has a similar ethos since its inception in the early 1900s as a shoe manufacturer. All Tod’s products are handcrafted by skilled craftsmen and are made out of the finest leather. The D-Bag is still a favourite with many celebrities and drew a lot of attention when last year, princess-to-be Kate Middleton was spotted carrying a grey version of it. Her decision to carry a handbag which was named after the former princess was accepted by the British people as the sign that she was to be filling her mother-in-laws shoes —at least when it came to style and good taste. This bag is popular in Hollywood and Bollywood as well. Kareena Kapoor, Halle Berry, Julianne Moore, Katie Holmes, Nicole Kidman, Jessica Alba and Freida Pinto have been seen toting the bag. The D-Bag comes in various sizes, styles and colours as well starting from the D-Mini.

Price: Ł795

lexa Chung is a the newest joinee to the celebrity circuit, she started her career hosting a show on MTV and soon becoming a fashion icon gracing magazine covers and fashion shoots. Her androgynous figure and sense of style is what grabs most attention. In 2009, English leather goods label Mulberry released a handbag named after the young Brit-it girl. The bag matches her personality and therefore appealed to a lot of people who admired her style. The Alexa bag is a cross between the brand’s classic Bayswater bag and the men’s Elkington briefcase combined to become an understatedly cool satchel. Constructed with two straps – one on top and one longer like of a messenger strap allowing it to be worn across the body. This bag comes in three different sizes: the Mini Alexa, Alexa and Oversized Alexa.

Tod’s D-Bag

Alexa Chung

Price :`67,000 – `94,000

The Alexa by Mulberry

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

Spotlight

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

A soulful evening Members of the Kashti & Krishala club had on Thursday organised a themed night titled Nitya gharana mehfil. The event was held at the Fortune Park Vallabh Hotel at Road no. 12 in Banjara Hills. DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Bandana Jaju

Namita Kanodia & Savita Bansali

Priyanka & Ritu

Neha

Keerthi SRINIVAS SETTY

Trisha Trends boutique celebrated their first anniversary followed by a fashion show at their showroom in Vikrampuri.

The fashion destination

Magic Screen

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The glamour behind the glitz

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

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FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

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The glamour behind the glitz

ALL ABOARD

Was there a need to make Titanic in 3D? Absolutely not. Are we glad, they made it anyway? Most definitely

Padmini C padmini.c@postnoon.com

n the interests of full disclosure, you should know that this writer is not a fan of 3D conversions. Especially of classics with sentimental value, say, like the Lion King. She’d rather, the makers just re-release the movie (in 2D minus the subterfuge) saving us the trouble of having to wear those ridiculous glasses, furiously trying

Movie: Titanic in 3D Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Gloria Stuart and Billy Zane Director: James Cameron Rating: to ‘spot the difference’ and succeeding only to come out of the hall with a dent on your nose. It’s obvious anyway that those who come to watch these movies aren’t here expecting visual wizardry ala Avatar. All we care about is, to go and maybe take our kids to the theatre, and re-live the cine-

matic experience that was such a big part of our growing up experience. However, in this case, that’s not to take anything away from Cameron or his 300 best, who we are led to believe, spent 60 weeks and $18 million, working on a frame-by-frame reconstruction of the original. The work is there for us to see, especially in the last hour of the movie. The costumes are more refined, the ship larger and grander, the iceberg, more looming and ominous, the rush of the water more severe and immediate, and finally the sinking, infinitely more detailed and heartbreaking. But it’s while you are watching the long, sweeping, iconic shot of the young Rose and Jack standing against the bow as the king and queen of the world, you are instantly transported back to that magical time in your own youth when this scene changed your world and then know that it’s still every bit the Titanic you remember. And its precisely for many, many moments like these that you should see the movie. 3D being the handy ruse.

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

Chai Time

KAKURO

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

SCRIBBLING PAD

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Overhead ovals 6 Not-so-hot grade 9 Jordanian port 14 Soap-on-___ 15 Historical period 16 Haul off to jail 17 Grantrecipient 18 On behalf of 19 Cheap and tawdry 20 What marijuana users hope for? 23 They turn millionaires into billionaires? 24 Get a move on 25 Restorative resort 28 Where local government goes to play tennis? 32 Former Russian space station 33 Voice quality 34 It has 14 lines 35 "Yikes!" 37 Hoedown participant 39 Pro'sopposite 40 Like some checkups 43 It prevents a win-win situation 46 Last word on a list, sometimes 47 Alex Trebek's favorite legal term? 50 Kingston duo? 51 Metro maker, once 52 Prefix meaning "billionth" 53 Electricalquality inspector? 58 Solidified in the cold 61 I might signify this? 62 Villains of some fables 63 Device for catching speeders 64 Bro's sibling 65 Big name in department stores 66 Some court hearings 67 Part of a telephone no. 68 Lauder of cosmetics DOWN 1 Mecca pilgrimage (Var.) 2 "Buck"add-on 3 Jennifer on "WKRP in Cincinnati" 4 "___ Christmas Day"

(gift-tag command) 5 Manager's terse order 6 Calming down, as a tense situation 7 Winged archer 8 Singer Kitt 9 The Chrysler Building's style 10 Wharf where ships dock 11 Pismire 12 Drill attachment 13 Start for "body" or "way" 21 "Only When I Laugh" actor James 22 Lubricates 25 Got some rays 26 Adjective in a Julia Roberts film title 27 Cellar'sopposite 28 Filet ___ 29 Heavenly discovery of 1781

30 Positive thinker Norman Vincent 31 "Based ___ true story" 32 Maryland fort name 36 Do a film editing job 38 Most out-to-lunch 41 Capital on the Mediterranean 42 Lascivious look 44 Marital squabble 45 California's first state capital 48 Full of merriment 49 They make you red in the face 53 Industry magnate 54 Alternative to DOS or

SUDOKU

Windows 55 "Gosh darn it!" 56 Richard of "Breathless" 57 To be, in Latin class 58 One way to swing? 59 Tampa player 60 Poetichomage PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and popular opinion – Jack Kerouac

Chai Time STAR POWER

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

As per Hindu panchang

FOR 7-4-2012

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

TAURUS

GEMINI

There will be incidents that will make you happy. The worst phase of life you have faced will now be over. You have to be polite and should not become headstrong. Avoid criticism on others.

Talk nicely. Never share personal fami‑ ly matters with ofﬁce colleagues. Responsibilities entrusted to you are to be handled by you only, don't pass it on to others.

Be careful in executing the works. Never be negligent or work in a hurry. You have to be responsible enough, even while discharging very small responsibili‑ ties. Never interfere in other's issues.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

You will become bold enough and conﬁ‑ dent. Avoid laziness and the air that you are solely responsible for your success. Expected transfer and pay hike likely for employees.

Employees need to be obedient to supe‑ riors. Avoid unwanted arguments and discussions with colleagues. Person working in the palce of dealings with cash, need to be extra cautious.

You need to adopt a slow and steady policy to taste success.Employees, if given any unexpected transfer, just pro‑ ceed as it is for your good only. Do not share secrets with friends and relatives.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

You will be very happy. Plan to build the base for your future. Employees will be recognised; elevation and pay hike too are certain. Differences with the spouse will disappear.

Never be in a hurry while executing work. If you put in necessary hard efforts, expected transfer and elevation will come through. Avoid bringing in a third person to solve a family feud.

Bad things will disappear and whatev‑ er you touch will become successfully done. All your efforts put in all these days will start yielding result. But avoid hurting anyone at this time.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Be polite and straightforward. At work‑ place, never interfere in anyone's per‑ sonal issues unwantedly. Avoid argu‑ ment with superiors. Also never magni‑ fy other's mistakes.

You have to put in your hard efforts to get the desired results. Employees can expect desired transfer or eleva‑ tion. Avoid murmering about your fate as workload has increased.

You have to drive away the laziness, plan properly and maintain punctuali‑ ty. Either avoid night travels or undertake with extra caution. Wast‑ eful expenditures need to be curtailed.

SUMAA TEKUR

FOR 7-4-2012

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

Queen of Wands ‑ Youʼve created an atmosphere of com‑ fort and are on the right path to what exactly you need at this point in time. Avoid mental tension.

Two of Cups ‑ Get a partner on board to execute your ideas. Two minds working together is better. Singles ﬁnd a lover and wish to deepen the commitment.

Seven of Wands ‑ Youʼre feeling tired and need to rest. Use this time to look back, review your decisions and plan ahead for the months to come.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Three of Wands ‑ Success is imminent. All your plans are working out ﬁne and your patience in the last few weeks is pay‑ ing off.

Temperance ‑ Travel is on the cards. Spend time with loved ones before you set out on long trips. If your travel plans go awry, be patient.

King of Wands ‑ Youʼre in the mood to show off your ideas and something new. A party at your house is a good plat‑ form for this.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

The Hanged Man ‑ Spiritual awareness is in focus. You may be in the mood to achieve greater understanding of spirituality and lifeʼs philosophies.

Eight of Wands ‑ This is a lucky phase when all plans are working to your expectation. Time to sit back, relax and have some clean fun.

Ace of Swords ‑ There are clouds of confusion. Despite that, youʼre able to display clarity of thought. Youʼre clear about what you need.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Six of Swords ‑ A for‑ eign trip is possible. There is also a strong chance that youʼll meet someone attractive. Singles have a chance of commitment.

Six of Cups ‑ You meet someone from your past and that person will have an important role to play in dictating how your future plans pan out.

Three of Pentacles ‑ Upgrade your skills and learn something new. This is the only way you can move ahead in your career and not get stuck in any one job.

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

SOLUTIONS

Boggle ARSON FLAME BLAZE SMOKE

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

ARIES

TAROT READ

Vol: 1, No. 264 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

FRIDAY APRIL 6, 2012

METRE

The way Morne [Morkel] bowled, he bowled some quality stuff. The total we had was a quality total in the end, but they [Delhi Daredevils] batted well. Gautam Gambhir, KKR Captain

BRIEF SCORES KKR 97/9 IN 12 OVERS (L SHUKLA 26, M MORKEL 3/18) LOST TO DD 100/2 IN 11.1 OVERS (IRFAN PATHAN 42 N.O., R BHATIA 1/7) NOTE: AS RAIN DELAYED PLAY, EACH SIDE WAS ALLOWED TO PLAY 12 OVERS.

6S 15

Richard Levi (MI), Irfan Pathan (DD)

3 4S 29

Richard Levi (MI)

HIGHEST SCORE

Shahrukh Khan is still a worried man when it comes to his IPL team, KKR. His side has had fluctuating fortuanes since the inception of this torunament. Although KKR began as favourities in their clash against DD, yet they failed to fire right. Having begun on the losing side, this would not give SRK any reason to smile.

BEST BOWLER

3-18

Morne Morkel (DD)

M ANIL KUMAR

APARNA SAI G

feedback@postnoon.com

igh on adrenal levels and confidence, Mumbai Indians (MI) take on Pune Warriors (PW ) today in their second match of IPL’s fifth edition. Having defeated defending champions Chennai Super Kings with a comfortable margin in this season’s first clash, MI would look to repeat their demolishing act. With all departments firing perfectly for the Mumbai team, many are already laying their bets on MI. Wednesday’s game certainly spoke volumes about the confidence brewing within the whole squad — the batting did not falter, the bowlers pitched the ball in the right areas and the fielding was upto the mark. Having players like Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Lasith Malinga, Richard Levi and Pragyan Ojha, Mumbai needn’t lose mush sleep before the match.

On the other hand, Pune Warriors, under the captaincy of Sourav Ganguly would hope to thrash Mumbai’s ambitions and begin their season on a winning note. Dada would keenly look forward to erase the ‘unfortunate player’ tag he has been carrying along since the inception of this money-churning extravaganza. But the absence of a match winner like Yuvraj Singh, who is recuperating following treatment for a cancerous tumor in his left lung, is a worry for the Warriors. While Mumbai can comfortably bank on their high profile players, PW will expect Marlon Samuels, Murali Kartik and Ashish Nehra to fire up. These men who have loads of experience will be the ones opponents need to watch out for. Young Manish Pandey, who in 2009 became the first Indian to notch an IPL ton, is still a force to reckon with. At the moment, Pune Warriors may seem like a team with some lose ends. But Mumbai Indians cannot afford to be complacent since this is cricket and unpredictability is the nature of the game.

PW vs MI at 4pm on Set Max

M ANIL KUMAR

OUT OF PURE LOVE FOR THE GAME

The number of balls Irfan Pathan took to make his quick-fire 42 which included 3 sixes and two fours and to be adjudged the man of the match

Fingers crossed

Richard Levi (MI)

Pune hope to erase Blues

20 P W L T NR PT MI 1 1 0 0 0 2 DD 1 1 0 0 0 2 CSK 1 0 1 0 0 0 KKR 1 0 1 0 0 0 KXIP 0 0 0 0 0 0 DC 0 0 0 0 0 0 PW 0 0 0 0 0 0 RCB 0 0 0 0 0 0 RR 0 0 0 0 0 0 P-played; W-win; L-lost; T-tie; NR-no result; PT-points

KXIP vs RR at 8pm on Set Max

Kings XI look for Royal beginning

ery few players can boast of Adam Gilchrist’s IPL feats. He took over the reins of Deccan Chargers, a team that was rock bottom in the pointstable in the first edition, and won the title in the second — he literally turned tables, from bottom to top. Fast forward to 2012, Adam Gilchrist, now the captain of Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), would hope to recreate the magic of 2009. Rajasthan Royals under Rahul Dravid will be trying to restrict Gilchirst who will open for his team, for if Gilly gets going, there’s no stopping him.

And then there’s the prodigious Paul Valthaty and David Hussey. And if Praveen Kumar, Ryan Harris and Ramesh Powar click, the bowling department is taken care of. But Rajasthan Royals are not a team which would be bogged down easily. The winners of the first IPL would look to repeat history with the composed and dependable Dravid at the helm and players like Johan Botha, Paul Collingwood, Shane Watson and Sreesanth giving the team balance and strength. ASG

ast night, Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, unlike what happened at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, saw a large number of spectators gather (56,742 to be exact) to watch KKR take on Delhi Daredevils in their opening match this IPL season. But unfortunately the rain Gods decided to play spoil sport and soon the covers were brought out. Yet this did not dampen the spirits of the spectators who still waited patiently in the hope of witnessing some action. Eventually, the summer showers stopped bringing some respite to the patient spectators and the game did take place but with only 12 overs being bowled by each side. KKR, having been asked to bat first, had a brilliant start with Brendon McCullum and Gautam Gambhir thrashing the DD bowlers. But soon KKR lost wickets at regular intervals and this brough about their downfall. Yet the crowd, which was mute most of the time with not much to cheer, sat through the rain-affected match and acknowledged the performances of DD.

PLAYER OF THE DAY MORNE MORKEL: The match against the Delhi Daredevils and the Kolkata Knight Riders began with KKR as favourites. It would have continued to remain so until Morne Morkel spoilt their party. The 27-year-old South African bowler, who was on the verge of taking a hat-trick, applied brakes on KKR’s innings to end with figures of 3 for 18 and help his side restrict their opponents to 97 in 12 overs. Delhi Daredevils went into this match without the experienced Ajit Agarkar but it did not seem like a bad decision at the end as the team got the required result with Morkel leading the way. Although Irfan Pathan was adjudged the man of the match for his brilliant 42 of 20 balls, yet credit needs to be given to the bowler who not only bowled well but was exceptional on the field too.

Augusta Masters Special

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

DAY 2 PAIRINGS

Leaderboard: day 1 -5 Lee Westwood (Britain) -4 Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) Peter Hanson (Sweden) -3 Paul Lawrie (Britain) Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) Francesco Molinari (Italy) Ben Crane Jason Dufner Bubba Watson -2 Zach Johnson Vijay Singh (Fiji) Jim Furyk Scott Stallings

Selected others

-1 Steve Stricker Matt Kuchar Nick Watney Rory McIlroy (Britain) E Tiger Woods Martin Kaymer (Germany) Justin Rose (Britain) Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) Hunter Mahan +2 Phil Mickelson +3 Adam Scott (Australia) Luke Donald (Britain) +4 Jason Day (Australia) Ryo Ishikawa (Japan)

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Lee Westwood of England chips onto the tenth green during the first round of the 2012 Masters Tournament at Augusta. ANDREW REDINGTON/GETTY IMAGES/AFP

n n

Westwood leads charge as Woods, Rory struggle World No 3 Westwood birdied four holes in a row on the front nine on his way to a five-under par 67 for a one-stroke lead over Peter Hanson and Louis Oosthuizen Jim Slater

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA: Lee Westwood has the openinground lead at a Major for the first time in 55 tries and the 38year-old Englishman might just capture his first major title this week at the 76th Masters. World No. 3 Westwood birdied four holes in a row on the front nine on his way to a five-under par 67 on Thursday for a one-stroke lead over Sweden’s Peter Hanson and 2010 British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa. “It’s nice to get off to a good start and have a platform to build from,” Westwood said. “Just trying to cruise my way into the tournament, get in a good position and then hopefully stay there.” Westwood said the round might have been the best he has played in the first day at a major, a span dating to the 1995 British Open. “I played well. I’ve been playing well all year and I just tried to continue with that,” Westwood said. “I hit pretty much every fairway and 16

greens in regulation and rolled a few nice putts in from five to 10 feet, which, when you are hitting it close is productive.” Westwood matched his low score at Augusta National from last year’s second round and round one in 2010, when he finished second to Phil Mickelson, in 43 rounds over 13 Masters starts. “I didn’t realize it was the 13th time,” Westwood said. “Hopefully that’s the lucky number for me.” Westwood was unconcerned that his legacy might be dminished if he never won a major title, worried more about how he is remembered as a man than as a golfer. “Obviously if I sit down at the end of my career and there’s no major championship wins, I’ll be disappointed,” he said. “If there’s five or six, I’ll be delighted. “But at the end of the day, that won’t actually change that much, will it? It will be the impression I’ve had on people and whether I’ve basically gone away having done more good than bad.”

Donald misses DQ, heads into Round 2 AUGUSTA, GEORGIA: World No. 1 Luke Donald of Britain remained in the hunt for his first major title on Thursday at the Masters after an inquiry into what was wrongly feared to be an incorrectly signed scorecard. The concern was that Donald had signed for a birdie at the par4 fifth hole when he in fact took a bogey on the hole. Signing an incorrect scorecard would have resulted in disqualification. Donald had a birdie posted for his score on the hole after detailing how he suffered a three-putt bogey on the hole. A smudge on the fax copy of his card caused those who post Donald’s score to incorrectly trim two strokes off his score for the hole and thereby the round. But after an inquiry by Augusta National officials, the club issued a statement on the matter, putting the issue to rest. “Due to administrative error, an incorrect score was entered into our scoring system.”

Westwood has produced five top-three finishes in his past nine major starts without collecting that elusive first victory, including second at the 2010 British Open and Masters, and shares of third at last year’s US Open and the 2009 British Open and PGA Championship. “I’ve been in this position a lot recently, in contention,” Westwood said. “When you are in contention and you don’t finish it off, you then go home and you assess what you did wrong and where you can improve. So that’s what I did. “I’ve done a lot of fitness work through winter and start of this year to strengthen up. This is a demanding golf course. There are a lot of hills out there. You’re concentrating all the time. “It’s mentally draining and physically draining. So both should help me as the week goes on.” Westwood began the back nine with a bogey but birdied the par-5 13th and par-4 17th to seize the lead, late-day rains easing lightning-fast greens only slightly.

n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n

Scott Verplank, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Sean O’Hair Mark O’Meara, Chez Reavie, Martin Laird Sandy Lyle, S Dyson, Corbin Mills Ian Woosnam, Edoardo Molinari, Kevin Chappell Louis Oosthuizen, Mark Wilson, Graeme McDowell Zach Johnson, Ian Poulter, Patrick Cantlay Kevin Na, Fredrik Jacobson, Ben Crane John Senden, Jonathan Byrd, Paul Casey Bernhard Langer, Jason Dufner, Charles Howell Mike Weir, Brandt Snedeker, Webb Simpson Vijay Singh, Lee Westwood, Jim Furyk Thomas Bjorn, Scott Stallings, Rory Sabbatini Fred Couples, Darren Clarke, Ryo Ishikawa David Toms, KJ Choi, Sergio Garcia Angel Cabrera, Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan, Peter Hanson Craig Stadler, Brendan Steele, Tim Clark Jose Maria Olazabal, Robert Garrigus, Randal Lewis Larry Mize, Paul Lawrie, Anders Hansen Ross Fisher, Ryan Palmer, Harrison Frazar Ben Crenshaw, Robert Karlsson, Bryden Macpherson Adam Scott, Bo Van Pelt, Martin Kaymer Steve Stricker, Padraig Harrington, Stewart Cink Aaron Baddeley, Kim Kyung-Tae, Lucas Glover Kyle Stanley, Jason Day, Bill Haas Trevor Immelman, Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose Tom Watson, Johnson Wagner, Hideki Matsuyama Matt Kuchar, Geoff Ogilvy, Yang Yong-Eun Gary Woodland, Henrik Stenson, Alvaro Quiros Charl Schwartzel, Keegan Bradley, Kelly Kraft Tiger Woods, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Bae Sang-Moon Luke Donald, Francesco Molinari, Nick Watney

Quote of the day

“

I hit some of the worst golf swings I’ve ever hit today, and that’s all right qfdbo tllap

Playing Field

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

The games people play

Williams sisters advance CHARLESTON: Fifth-seeded Serena Williams overpowered New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday as she and sister Venus edged closer to a clash on the green clay courts of Charleston. Serena fired six aces and won 80 percent of her first serve points to advance to the quarterfinals in emphatic style. She could eventually face a semi-final showdown with elder sister Venus, who rallied from 2-4 down in her opening set to beat Australian Anastasia Rodionova 7-5, 6-2. “I hope we both get there,” said Serena, who must get past big-hitting German Sabine Lisicki, the sixth seed, in the quarterfinals. “I have to win another match, and I really, really hope we both get there, so we’ll see.” Lisicki rallied from a break down in both sets to beat Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova 7-5, 6-4. This is the third time both Williams sisters have played the WTA tournament in Charleston in the same year, but the first

Venus Williams

IOC asked to ban Saudi

WHEELS OF FIRE

he International Olympic Committee (IOC) faced calls to ban Saudi Arabia from London 2012 after the country’s Olympic chief ruled out sending women athletes to the Games, according to The Guardian. The Saudi Olympic Committee president Prince Nawaf bin Faisal said he was “not endorsing” female participation in London as part of the official delegation. Sue Tibballs, chief executive of the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation (WSFF), said that was unacceptable. Tibballs said, “Saudi Arabia’s current refusal to send sportswomen to the Olympics puts them directly at odds with one of the IOC’s fundamental principles as laid out within the Olympic Charter. It reads that ‘any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, sex or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement’.”

Simon Van Velthooven of New Zealand speeds to the bronze medal in the men’s 1km time trial at the 2012 Track AFP/WILLIAM WEST Cycling World Championships in Melbourne, on Thursday.

time both have made the quarters in the same year. Venus will have to wait until Friday to find out who she faces in the quarter-finals after heavy storms moved into the area and halted play for the night as second-seeded Samantha Stosur led unseeded Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan 4-2. Stosur, the US Open champion ranked fifth in the world, was left as the highest-ranking player in the field after the injury withdrawal on Sunday of Agnieska Radwanska, just a day after her triumph in Miami. Marion Bartoli, the third seed from France, was toppled 6-4, 16, 6-4 by 14th-seeded Polona Hercog of Slovenia. Hercog set up a quarter-final clash with Russian Nadia Petrova, a 6-1, 6-4 winner over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia. Meanwhile, Russia’s Vera Zvonareva and Czech’s Lucie Safarova set up a quarter-final match-up. Zvonareva beat Stefanie Voegele 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 and Safarova defeated Aleksandra Wozniak 6-2, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1. AFP

Deng leads Bulls to victory CHICAGO: Luol Deng scored a season-high 26 points on Thursday to lead Chicago to a 9386 NBA victory over Boston as the Bulls bounced back from their first two-game skid of the season. Deng, who is expected to lead Britain’s basketball squad at this year’s London Olympics, added six rebounds, three assists and four steals. Joakim Noah had 17 points and nine rebounds and Carlos Boozer had 12 points and 14 rebounds for the Bulls, who erased a 13-point first-half deficit to hand the Celtics a second straight defeat. The Bulls took control in the third quarter, when they outscored Boston 29-17. We needed this one,” said Deng, who scored 12 of his points in the fourth quarter. “We haven’t been playing well and we just played hard.” Paul Pierce scored 22 points, Brandon Bass added 15 points and Kevin Garnett chipped in with 12 points and 14 rebounds for Boston. AFP

Playing Field

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

The games people play

Zaragoza hope to avoid Messi affair Tim Hanlon

MADRID: After breaking the record of goals in a Champions League season in midweek, Lionel Messi turns his attention back to La Liga where Barcelona continue their pursuit of Real Madrid with a home clash against Zaragoza. Last month, with Madrid ten points clear at the top and on course for their first title since 2008, Barca coach Pep Guardiola claimed that the championship race was over. But Barca have won eight league games in a row to narrow the gap at the top down to six points and, with Messi in blistering form, the Catalan side still hold an outside chance of success. Barcelona and Real safely secured their passage into the semi-finals of the Champions League in midweek, with Messi bagging a brace of penalties in Barca’s 3-1 win against AC Milan. The records continue to tumble for the Argentine, who has scored an incredible 24 goals in his last 12 games and now has 58 in total for the season. Messi’s brace against Milan means that he now has a total of 14 in the Champions League,

which is two more than the record that he and Ruud van Nistelrooy held. He is now level with Jose Altafini, who scored the same number in the old European Cup for Milan in the 1962-63 season. Messi resumes his battle this weekend for the honour of being La Liga’s top scorer on 36, trailing Cristiano Ronaldo by one. Barca are up against a Zaragoza side fighting relegation

but a victory away to Sporting Gijon last weekend took them off the bottom of the table and coach Manolo Jimenez denies that it is a hopeless task against the reigning champions. “We can win although it will not be easy and you just need to look at the statistics to see that Barcelona are superior to us,” he said. “I am not going to lie and we are going to go out and give 100 per cent, looking to play on

the counter-attack. If I felt that we could go out and play them at their own game of one-touch passing then I would be crazy.” Jose Mourinho’s Real are in the midst of a run of key matches but after making light work of Osasuna last weekend and then beating APOEL 5-2 in the Champions League on Wednesday, they are favourites to get the better of an off-colour Valencia.

Yu got that lovin’ feeling Shigemi Sato

TOKYO: When Yu Darvish (left), Japan’s latest high-priced baseball export, makes his debut in the regular US major league season, it is not just the reputation of his blazing right hand that will be at stake. Darvish has taken it upon himself to rescue the pride and bragging rights of reigning world champions Japan, after a run of failures by his countrymen in Major League Baseball. “The ratings of Japanese players are declining considerably,” the 25-year-old Texas Rangers pitcher told Japan’s TV

Blue Jays down Reds

P Arencibia hit a three-run home run in the top of the 16th inning Thursday to give Toronto a 7-4 victory over the Indians in Cleveland in the longest opening day game in Major League baseball history.

Asahi network as he wound up spring training in Arizona last week. “Some of them were unlucky. Some struggled to win as pitchers or shape up as bat-

ters. I want to turn that around,” added the 196-centimetre (six foot, five inch) tall starter, who can hurl at 156 kilometres (98 miles) per hour. Darvish, who starts against the Seattle Mariners at home on Monday, sparked a media storm when the Rangers acquired him for a whopping $111.7 million in January, including nearly $52 million to negotiate his transfer. That was a record under the bidding system for MLB-bound Japanese. “If Darvish fails, Japanese professional baseball will be dismissed,” the Japanese weekly Baseball warned in its latest edition this week.

Stoner fastest in practice DOHA: World champion Casey Stoner (below) threw down the gauntlet to his rivals in impressive style on Thursday when he topped the first free practice for the season-opening Grand Prix of Qatar. The Australian Honda rider clocked 1min 56.474sec to edge out former champion Jorge Lorenzo on a Yamaha with Ducati’s Nicky Hayden almost half a second off the pace in third. Seven-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi, who has won this race three times, endured a miserable start to his season, managing just the 10th best time, over a second behind Stoner. Stoner will start as favourite for Sunday’s race to be held under the Losail circuit floodlights having won four times in the elite class in six visits. “The track wasn’t so bad, I expected the conditions to be much worse but in general it was ok,” said Stoner. “We finished quickest which is good but we’ll have to wait until tomorrow for some real track time and with the conditions a little better and see where we are.” Lorenzo said he was content with his lap on his new 1000cc machine after setting his best time in the closing minutes of the session. “A quite good start, but the track seems pretty dirty,” said the Spaniard. “I feel good, we are at the top, close to Casey and we have improvements to come from the bike, the track and myself.”

Playing Field

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

The games people play

Spurs eye third, if only for a moment Jon West

LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur know they will reclaim third place in the Premier League if they avoid defeat at Sunderland on Saturday. Harry Redknapp’s side are locked in an intriguing battle with north London rivals Arsenal for a guaranteed spot in the Champions League next season. Only goal difference currently separates the capital clubs and, whatever happens on Wearside, the door will still be open for Arsenal to go back ahead on Sunday by bettering Tottenham’s result when they face Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium. Tottenham are in action on Monday as well, at home to Norwich, while Arsenal next have a fixture on Wednesday, when they travel to Wolverhampton. Redknapp is sure to rotate his squad for the two Easter games and has already confirmed that Aaron Lennon, the winger, is only fit enough to feature in one. “Aaron will be ready for 90 minutes but you won’t get two games out of him at the weekend no chance,” Redknapp said. “He’ll play one game — whichever one I choose to play him in. He keeps getting little hamstring problems and he and the medical people would be a bit wary of playing two games in quick time.” Forwards Jermain Defoe and Louis Saha will be hopeful of being handed starts after being forced on to the sidelines by the return to fitness of Rafael van der Vaart.

Mancini gears up for pivotal weekend Julian Guyer

LONDON: Manchester City

Tottenham lost three of the seven games the Dutch playmaker was unable to start because of injury but have posted an unbeaten four-match run since his return. Centre-back Ledley King’s chronic knee problem means he too can only play one game a week so that will open the door for exArsenal defender William Gallas.

The France international, now 34, cautioned his team-mates not to let tiredness get in the way of achieving their goal. “We have to be strong if we want to finish third,” he said. “We have to play every game with 100 per cent, and at the end of the season we will go on our holidays and feel that maybe we deserved to finish third.

Chelsea come down to earth Ian Winrow

LONDON: Chelsea’s achievement in reaching the Champions League semifinals will be put to one side when they continue their bid to break into the Premier League top four against Wigan at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The London club continued their impressive revival under interim coach Roberto di Matteo with victory over Benfica in midweek to set up a two-legged meeting with European champions Barcelona in the last four. But before the Blues meet the Catalans, they face Wigan

and Fulham over the course of 48 hours in the Premier League before the FA Cup semi-final with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. The cup clashes may carry extra glamour, but league points are crucial if Chelsea are to close the fivepoint gap on fourth-placed Spurs and ensure qualification for next season’s Champions League. They now face a Wigan side still fighting for topflight survival despite showing impressive resilience to beat Stoke last weekend. Chelsea’s cause will not be helped by the absence of club captain John Terry.

manager Roberto Mancini (above) believes the destiny of an intriguing battle for the English Premier League title could be decided this weekend. The mathematics of the situation have become increasingly stark for City, bidding to be crowned champions of England for the first time since 1968, as they have dropped points in recent weeks. They are currently five points behind leaders and reigning champions Manchester United. And that deficit could be increased to eight points by the time they kick-off against Arsenal on Sunday, should United beat QPR earlier in the day. If that happens, and City lose to Arsenal, the Eastlands club would be eight points behind their local rivals with just six games left. Mancini, asked if such a scenario would mean the end of the title race, said Thursday: “If we lose against Arsenal and they beat QPR — yes.” City have dropped points in a

defeat at Swansea and draws with Stoke and Sunderland but their Italian manager said: “We should think positive for the next seven games. “I think it may be more difficult but it is my opinion that this championship is not finished.”

Super Mario in Bentley crash LONDON: Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli was involved in a car carsh on Thursday, although the striker was said to have emerged unharmed. The 21-year-old Italian, who drives a Bentley, was in collision with another vehicle Manchester city centre. Although Balotelli was unscathed, a passenger from one of the cars was taken to hospital. In a statement, Greater Manchester Police said: “Shortly after 3.15pm on Thursday 5 April 2012, police were called to Manchester city centre to reports of a collision between two cars. “The passenger of one of the cars was taken to hospital for precautionary measures.”