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

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012 HYDERABAD

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32 PAGES

HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER

56% OF INDIAN MEN SAY THOSE WHO DEMAND

DOWRY SHOULD BE FIRED FROM THEIR JOBS IN CHANCHALGUDA, JAGAN TURNS TO BOOKS, PRAYER

Many wonder how YS Jagan Mohan Reddy passes the time at Chanchalguda jail. Postnoon makes enquiries and finds a man searching for god.

A survey conducted by a matrimonial website on dowry gives some interesting statistics.

THE LUXE LIST

If you've ever wondered if money does indeed make the world go round, take a look at some of the world's most expensive things this year on our list which will lay all your doubts to rest.

REPORT ON P9

FLASH

T SOLUTION IN SIGHT?

A day after the T-Congress MPs revolted against the party for ignoring the Telangana statehood issue but voted with the government on FDI Bill, party chief Sonia Gandhi and other leaders today held discussions with the Telangana Congress parliamentarians. An all-party meeting is being considered on the issue, reports say.

YEAR IN REVIEW P16&17

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

city events

BLITHE SPIRIT

As part of the Samahara Theatre Festival, St. Francis Degree College For Women will perform the play Blithe Spirit at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan on December 8. Blithe Spirit was written by Noël Coward, an English playwright known for his wit.

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

Overnight

24°C

18°C Mostly clear

Clear

Morning

Afternoon

23°C

31°C

Sunny with cloudy periods

New Delhi Mumbai Max 24 Max 32 Min 11 Min 24 Mix of sun and cloud

Chennai Max 29 Min 23

Sunny, clear skies

Partly cloudy

Bangalore Max 28 Min 17

Chances of shower

AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES Contact: (040) 23400132

ART

MISCELLANEOUS

Photo exhibition A wildlife photography exhibition by Suheim Sheikh will be held from December 8 onwards. It will be inaugurated on December 7 at 6pm. Where: Goethe Zentrum, Banjara Hills, Rd No 3 When: December 8 onwards, from 9:30am Contact: (040) 2335 0473 Tales of an idyllic world Alliance Française, Hyderabad, is hosting an exhibition of paintings: Tales of an Idyllic World by Bala Abhiram. The exhibition is on till December 14. The exhibition will be inaugurated on December 6. Where: Alliance Francaise, Banjara Hills, Rd No 3 When: December 7 onwards from 9am Contact: (040) 2355 4485 Po10tial A show of recent works by various artists like Anand Bekwan, Jinson Jospeh and Maredu Ramu. Where: Kalakrithi Art Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 10 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 6656 4466 The Maasai Mara A wildlife photography exhibition will be held for 3 days .

Photo competition Alliance Francaise, Hyderabad, is conducting a photo competition. The theme is Professions of the world. The winning entries will be sent ot Paris. Where: http://hyderabad.afindia.org When: December 3-January 6 Music workshop There is a 3-day workshop on Hindustani classical music and ghazal singing by Ustad Rajkumar Rizvi Sutradhar and Naadbrah. Where: 3-6-145/9/1/1, Himayatnagar When: December 7-9 5:30pm-9pm Contact: 77990 00792

HERE WE GO: Students during a marchpast ceremony at a City school sports day event that took place at Gachibowli SRINIVAS SETTY stadium on December 4. Where: Goethe Zentrum, Banjara Hills, Rd No 4 When: December 8-10 from 9:30am-5:30pm Contact: (040) 2335 0443

Christmases. Where: RNR auditorium, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: December 8, 9 and 10 Contact: (040) 6515 7558

from November 23 to December 7 at Hitec City. Where: Westin, Hitec City When: Ongoing, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 6767 6838

Inertia Photography Photography exhibition on India by Lona Lohan till December 27 Where: Rajiv Gandhi Airport, Shamshabad When: 11am-7pm Contact: (040) 6625 0000

Célimène and the Cardinal Alliance Française of Hyderabad & Qadir Ali Baig theatre foundation present Célimène and the Cardinal by Jacques Rampal. Where: Nift Auditorium, Madhapur When: December 11, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 2355 4485

Pizza and Past treat Pizzas, pastas, sandwiches and more at Taj Krishna's multi-cuisine restaurant, Encounters. Where: Taj Krishna, Road No.1, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing 11am onwards Contact: (040) 6666 2323

DINING

Rajasthani food festival There is a Rajasthani food festival at Deccan Pavilion. Where: Deccan Pavillion, Begumpet When: Upto December 9

SHOWS The last Christmas The last Christmas is a large-scale production featuring live singing, dancing and acting, is the heartwarming story of Retired Gen Roy who recounts his seven favourite

Commissioner & Spl Officer

Helpline GAS BOOKING IVRS NO HP 9666023456 Indane 9848824365 BSNL Complaints HMWS & SB Complaints

198 155313

POLICE CONTROL ROOM Hyderabad 27852435 Traffic Control Room 27852482 DCP Traffic 23234065, 23243499F Pollution Control Board 23887500 ELECTRICITY General Complaints Breakdown Section

155333 23431178 23431179

MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

23262266 24166666R ENC 23225267 Engineering 23220418 MCH Tankbund 23225397 Emergency MCH Circle I&II 24525842 MCH Circle III 24736912 MCH Circle IV 23326975 MCH Circle V 23326976 MCH Circle VI MCH Complaints 1100 Head Office 23225397 IVRS CUM MANUAL ENQUIRY PHONE NUMBERS (TRAIN & RESERVATION) RAILWAYS Rail Nilayam 27833169, 27824216 Railway Information 131 Reservations 135 Recorded Information 1345 Enquiry (IVRS) 1331, 1332, 1333

Khamma ghani sa The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace is hosting a Rajasthani food festival

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

155313 23307328 23313163

27505566 23314095 23390933 24600146 27001134 23607777 30418888 30417777 30419000 30416666 39879999

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

27567892 23559555 23226624 27633087 27035588 27550238 30799999 30418296 30417445

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

Story Writing Contest Annapurna International School of Film and Media has launched the preliminary phase National Level Story writing Competition. It is open to both UG and graduate students. Where: www.script2screen.in When: Before December 10 Public speaking workshop There is a four-day workshop on effective public speaking. Where: Media Junction, Parthani Towers, , Golconda Cross Roads, Musheerabad When: 13-16 December from 6-9:30pm Contact: 98488 42471

Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings. For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec-bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999 UK VISA OFFICE VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7

Beside Meridian School, Banjara Hills34. Working hours are from 8 AM to 1 PM And 2 PM to 3PM. MUSEUMS Salar Jung Museum AP State Museum Nizams Museum

24523211 232431300/7641 24521029

Readers’ views

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

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

City

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

DID INDIA DESERVE TO BE SUSPENDED FROM OLYMPICS? 67% 33%

YES (A) NO (B)

TODAY’S QUESTION

SHOULD PERFORMANCE OF DEPARTMENTS BE THE CRITERIA FOR PROMOTION OF OFFICIALS? A)

YES

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

CRIME

In Chanchalguda, Jagan turns to books, prayer Many wonder how YS Jagan Mohan Reddy passes the time at Chanchalguda jail. Postnoon makes enquiries and finds a man searching for god. MOHD SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

he Chanchalguda jail’s VIP catch, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (pictured), has taken refuge in books and prayer of late, as opposed to his initial days of imprisonment in the disproportionate assets case, when he was politically hyper active, jail sources tell Postnoon. Jagan has completed six months in prison, as his bids to get bail have been repeatedly rebuffed by the

court. It is learnt that the other nine political–bureaucrat prisoners, including Nimmigadda Prasad, Brahmanand Reddy, Sunil Reddy, Mopidevi Venkatramna, Gali Janardhan Reddy, Srinivas Reddy and Rajgopal, along with Jagan, are in one barrack, earlier known as “Old Hospital,” for security reasons. But jail staff responsible for their security hint that Jagan does not come out of his cell just for the heck of meeting co-prisoners. “In fact, he has reduced the num-

ber of visitors he receives.” His routine, as per the sources, is like this: n 6am, gets up and prays. n Goes out, plays shuttle and meditates. n Takes tiffin consisting of light food and fruits. n Meets visitors if appointment is fixed. n Retires to cell and reads biographies of national leaders like Gandhi and Dr.Ambedkar. n Around 2pm is his lunch time and siesta. n Again resumes reading and

comes out of his cell for fresh air. n It’s then more reading, dinner and sleep. He has been allotted a 10member security team who look after his safety needs and comfort. Jail sources say that he has lost the initial zeal of meeting people. He has consciously reduced the number and is relying more on intuition than receiving advice. His mother, Vijayamma, meets him frequently to acquaint him with the progress of his sister Sharmila on padayatra.

city THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

CIVIC

LAST YEAR... HERE

GHMC corporators rethink travel plans

A blot on policemen

ast year, we had reported how a 14year-old girl was repeatedly raped by two people, including a constable. Another constable was arrested for abetting the crime. The girl had lost her mother and was living with her alcoholic father. Taking advantage of her vulnerability, the accused offered to help her ﬁnancially, but instead raped her.

DECEMBER 6, 2011

NUMEROLOGY

62%

Indian women believe that the girl’s family should be punished for encouraging the practice of dowry, according to a survey conducted by a matrimonial website.

We will all visit each and every village of Telangana region and interact with our people. We will form committees from grassroot level to strengthen our party. D Vinay Bhaskar, TRS MLA See page 5

THINGS WE 5LEARNT TODAY The column that teaches everyone something new about the way the City functions.

After the Lokayukta demanded an explanation as to how study tours help the City, corporators are mulling over where to go this time. Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

hanks to the Lokayukta’s recent directive, GHMC corporators are now in a fix as to where to go for their latest study tour, even as the dates draw near. With the study tour being perceived as a holiday for corporators on taxpayers’ money, the Lokayukta recently sought an explanation from the GHMC as to how the earlier trips had helped in developing the City. The Lokayukta demanded a detailed report in the directions given to the GHMC. The corporation is yet to produce an explanation. Recent tours taken by GHMC corporators had raised many eyebrows, as the locations chosen were small corporations that have nothing in common with the City. Many political observers criticised the way public money was being wasted. One of the last tours the corporators took was to Gangtok, with a population of just over one lakh. The other places for the study tours included tourist

We are planning a trip in January, but the place is yet to be decided. Keeping in mind the Lokayukta’s directives, it will most likely be a big city. G Raj Kumar Deputy Mayor

The ‘secret’ nature of the agenda item was such that some of the corporators learnt about it only a week later, and that too from newspaper reports. A standing committee member, who was absent the other day, expressed surprise at the tour being approved without his knowledge. “When was it placed in the meeting? How is it that it did not catch my attention?” he asked. Deputy mayor G Raj Kumar said, “We are planning the trip in January, but the place is yet to be decided. Keeping in mind the Lokayukta’s directives, it will most likely be a big city.”

POLITICS

Dowry still looms large over Indian weddings. Over six dowry-related deaths occur in India every day, shows a survey conducted in 2007. The dark underbelly of the big fat Indian wedding still remains, despite education and prosperity.

destinations l i k e Darjeeling and Shimla. Even though about `2 to `3 crore was spent on these trips, most of the reports produced as a result are rarely used for developing the City. Every year, a study tour is carried out for 150 corporators and five ex-officio members. The matter of the tour was proposed in the standing committee meeting more than a month ago as part of the table agenda.

Owaisis face wrath of voters

Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

Few takers for Doomsday theories in City. While the Mayan calendar predicts the end of the world on December 21, City Christians are not allowing the doomsday theories to affect their celebrations.

NEWS BRIEFS

he Owaisi brothers, who virtually rule the collective mindset of Old City Muslims, are at the receiving

end for once. The two MIM leaders — Asaduddin Owaisi and Akbaruddin Owaisi — are facing uncomfortable questions from citizens in their constituencies, who want to understand their sudden change of mind

about the MIM’s alliance with the Congress. Akbaruddin recent attack on Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy in the Assembly, where he branded the CM as antiminority, has caused anguish

among voters, who reminded them how they praised the same chief minister last year when he had released compensation for some Muslim youths who had been ‘wrongly’ jailed on terror charges.

Serious study tour or a leisurely holiday? After having visited Gangtok and Shimla, GHMC corporators might now have to visit places that will teach them how to run the City.

India ranks 94th on corruption index

GHMC disqualifies Congress leaders meet Langer House corporator party T-ministers

50th day of Sharmila’s padayatra today

Don’t rejoice the stay on fuel surcharge yet. The HC stay on fuel surcharge may still be circumvented by a tariff hike next summer.

UPA stumps parties by calling all-party meet. After clamouring for an all-party meet to address T-issue, parties seem stumped when it happens.

ndia’s image on tackling corruption has not improved, with Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index ranking it 94th out of 176 nations this year. Though India was ranked 95th last year, the watchdog said it has started evaluating the positions through a different formula and cannot be compared to last year’s ranking.

he GHMC election authority and the commissioner, MT Krishna Babu, said on Thursday that the High Court of Andhra Pradesh upheld the decision of the City Civil Court, declaring the election of B Ravi Yadav, corporator of Langer House, as void on grounds of having more than two children. The GHMC has now disqualiﬁed him.

ongress AP in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad and political secretary to AICC president Sonia Gandhi Ahmed Patel held discussions with party MPs from Telangana this morning. The meeting revolved around holding the proposed allparty meeting of UPA with AP political parties on the contentious issue of separate Telangana.

SRC chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s sister YS Sharmila’s 3,000-km padayatra, launched with an objective to consolidate the position of the party across the State, is completing its 50th day today. Party leaders are planning to hold a special programme to commemorate the occasion. Sharmila has completed 686.60 km in 49 days.

city THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

POLITICS

TRS launches ‘Palle Baata’

Telangana Rashtra Samithi is now looking towards strengthening its position at the grassroot level with Palle Baata, an initiative wherein they will interact with Telangana supporters. INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com

RS, the champion of separate Telangana agitation for the last 12 years, has now shifted its focus to strengthening itself from the grassroot level. The party, which kept its emphasis on intensifying its agitation and holding various types of protest programmes instead of constituting organisational hierarchy has finally embarked on a novel programme called Palle Baata (Village Yatra) with the sole objective of forming committee from village level. The party did not have permanent committees from village level since the year 2008 and has been operating on with the help of ad hoc committees. This has not only resulted in severe disappointed among scores of party leaders but also discouraged many Telangana supporters from joining the party. Through Palle Baata, the idea of the party top brass is to visit

every village across all Telangana districts and invite all Telangana supporters to join the party and constitute party committees accordingly. “We will visit every village of Telangana region and interact with our people. We will invite them into our party. Finally, we will form committees from grass

Party MLA G Govardhan denied the reports that the party is launching the Baata in an attempt to emulate rival parties.

root leve,” TRS MLA D. Vinay Bhaskar said. The MLA further informed that the party’s programme will boost the confidence of existing party cadres and encourage them to participate in large numbers. Apart from strengthening the party, the programme also aims

POLITICS

at targeting the next General Elections. It may be emphasised here that the party president KCR, during the party’s brainstorming session in Karimnagar last month, said that the party would strive win 100 Assembly seats in the entire Telangana region. “The programme is also aimed at preparing the party for the next elections. We strongly feel that the time has come for our party to consolidate its position by increasing our tally of MLAs and MPs in Assembly. It would play a crucial role in our fight for separate telangana state as we would be in a crucial position in dictating terms for the government,” he said. Party MLA G Govardhan denied reports that the party is launching the Baata to emulate rival parties, and said that there was no need for so. “Our party lives in the hearts of Telangana people. We have not lost credibility. Our yatra is aimed at strengthening ourselves from within,” he said.

CRIME

All-party meet creates buzz Accusations drive The announcement of the all-party meet on December 28 has come as a shock to major political parties. POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

he announcement of Telangana Congress MPs that the UPA government has agreed to hold an all-party meeting on December 28 has created a buzz in political circles. This came as a shock for major political parties like the TDP and YSRC, which have firmly cemented their presence in all three regions of the State. These two parties were bidding for time by choosing to tread on the middle path on the issue of a separate Telangana. Reacting to the announcement, YSRC leader G Ramchandra Rao told Postnoon that the party will make its stand clear on the issue of a separate state during the allparty meeting. But the tension among the TDP leaders is palpable as its president N Chandrababu Naidu, keeping his recent padayatra in Telangana region in mind, wrote a letter to PM Manmohan Singh

asking him to immediately convene an all-party meet to take their opinions on the T-issue. Interestingly, keeping his party's interests in Andhra and Rayalseema regions in mind, Naidu did not spell out the TDP’s stand on the issue in his letter. But he wisely used his padayatra to declare that he whole-heartedly supports the creation of a separate Telangana. This has created a flurry of sorts within the leaders. While the Telangana TDP forum leader E

Dayakar Rao welcomed the decision of the UPA government on the meet, the Andhra and Rayalaseema leaders are yet to react. The ruling Congress is also faced with a similar situation. At a conference on Wednesday, CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy desisted from giving a direct answer. He confined himself to saying that the party high command will present its stand on the Telangana issue. "I don't know who will attend the all-party meeting. The party high command will take a call on the issue," he said. On the other hand, senior Congress leader and a staunch supporter of united AP, G Venkat Reddy, said that the Centre must invite two leaders from two regions of the State. Another staunch supporter of united AP and Cabinet minister TG Venkatesh felt that the government will be able to function properly again if a favourable decision is taken on Telangana.

father-son to suicide MOHD SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

n a bone-chilling incident that mocks at the law of the land, a man, M Bassapa, 45, and his minor son, M Ravinder Kumar, committed suicide on Tuesday night after they were beaten up by elders in the panchayat charging them with a fake offence. Basappa, aged 45 was a mason, and his son, Ravinder, 15. The boy was a Class X student. According to reports Kumar, lived with his son alone after the death of his wife. Recently, a teacher is reported to have found a black magic book in the possession of two of his classmates, Mallkappa and Pratap Reddy. Teacher upbraided the students for possessing such books. Pratap told this to his uncle Madhukar Reddy and claimed the books were given to them by Ravinder. Enraged, Madhukar called a panchayat and summoned them and accused them

of misleading youths. Not satisfied, some elders had abused and beat them up. It is said that the father and son were locked in embrace and crying on the road. It is believed that the boy said he was going to end life to which his father said he too would do it. They bought a bottle of poi-

The boy and his father resorted to this extreme step after being humiliated and beaten up by the panchayat. son and went home. The neighbours got suspicious when after the two did they did not come out of their home. The boy’s classmates too made enquiries when Ravinder did not turn up for class. They searched and found the home locked and the two lying dead. A suicide note was found.

city THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

DOOMSDAY COUNTDOWN

Christians rubbish doomsday hype

According to the Mayan calendar, the world will end on December 21, four days before Christmas. Postnoon finds out if the Christian community believes the prediction and whether it is impacting celebrations.

FESTIVITIES Cake, wine, carols and of course, Santa The Anglo-Indian community is all set to welcome Christmas. They battle with changing times and government restrictions to keep tradition alive. POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

A still from a recent doomsday movie

ANUBHA K SINGH anubha.k@postnoon.com

n one hand, Christians in the City are preparing for Christmas, and on the other, there are many who believe that the world is going to end on December 21. The Mayan calendar has predicted that the world will end before Christmas this year, and this theory has quite a few takers. “The Mayans were good mathematicians and did a lot of research. They predicted many other events which came true. This is why I strongly believe the

world will end on December 21. But that doesn’t mean I am sitting in a corner and waiting for that day to come. I have begun preparing for Christmas,” said Rebecca Lazarus, an Anglo-Indian. However, there are many who say that the belief in the doomsday predictions have a lot to do with the hype created around it. “This has become a big topic of discussion now, especially after the release of Hollywood movies on it. There is nothing related to Christianity or Christians in the Mayan calendar, but I know many people from the community that believe

it. The Bible has no mention of a particular date on which the world will end. In fact, it says that no man will know the day or time of his death,” says Binoy Jacob, a resident of Kachiguda. Youngsters are certainly not a worried lot. “Whatever the case may be, no one should miss out on Christmas shopping and celebrations. The Mayan calendar does not predict the end of the world, or anything like that. They made the calendar thousands of years ago and it probably just didn’t go past December 2012,” feels Anita D’souza, a medical student.

hristmas is just around the corner, but for the Anglo-Indian community, celebrations begin as early as October and continue till January 6. Come December, and the festivities are at an all-time high. Most Anglo-Indians in the City live in and around Secunderabad, and many still practice Christmas traditions. One such custom is making wine. This is no longer practised as the government has banned homemade wine under the excise law. Waren La Touche, president of the Twin Cities Anglo-Indian Association, says the government must reconsider this ruling. “They should make an exception and allow Christians to make wine during Christmas at least. Since the ban, we have had to make-do with local wines,” he said. Like every year, there are many events planned for Christmas this year, too. Apart from midnight Mass and carol singing, Christmas tree decoration and the arrival of Santa Claus will be held at South Lallaguda Railway Institute on December 23. The celebrations will conclude on December 26 with ballroom dancing at Tivoli Gardens.

“Times have changed and now emails and SMS have replaced greeting cards. But there are still many of us who follow the tradition of sending greeting cards and goodies to our loved ones. Earlier, we used to send homemade cakes to relatives in other countries who could not come home for Christmas. This has turned into a tradition and many of us follow it,” said Rosy Lazarus. Anglo-Indians living abroad too make it a point to come home at least every two years. Many offers are available on airfare, and companies offer them around 15 days of leave. Most choose not to come home during the rest of the year so that they can save up and be home for Christmas. The midnight Mass on the intervening night of December 24 and December 25 is the highlight of Christmas. The celebrations continue for many more days and January 6 is, formally, the last day of the festival season. It is said that this is when the Three Wise Men visited infant Jesus at his stable in Bethlehem. Traditionally, Christmas decorations are removed on January 7. Families are busy preparing plum cakes and other goodies. Ball curry, pork vindaloo, guava cheese and coconut rice are the staples on the special menu on Christmas day.

ANALYSIS

Who owns the child?

SHANKAR JAGANATHAN feedback@postnoon.com

he last few days have seen heightened emotions on the issue of an Indian couple being prosecuted in Norway for allegedly maltreating their child. Indian culture vs. Norwegian culture is the prime focus of debate, whereas the moot point should be a more critical question — ‘Who owns the child? The family or society?’ To answer this, we need to go back and see what changed in Nordic societies. Is it possible that the threat of human extinction transferred the ownership of a child from the family to the state? The first quarter of the twentieth century in Sweden saw declining

fertility. In 1910, a law was enacted to ban public information being made available on the sale of contraceptives. By the 1930s, the problem had been exacerbated as total fertility rates dropped from four children per woman at the turn of the century to less than two. The Crisis of the Population Question, written in 1934 by Gunnar Myrdal and Alva Myrdal, both social democrats, addressed this challenge head on. They advocated measures aimed at improving the quality of life for women by helping them combine family life with work. The social democrats, who came to power in 1931, acted on their advice. Their reforms included universal antenatal and child healthcare. The ban on contraceptives was lifted and

instead, family planning services offered. The reasoning for this was to promote childbirth as a conscious choice rather than as an accident, as captured in the popular phrase of that time, ‘Love without children is better than children without love’. Given the historical backdrop that transferred ownership of a child from the family to the state in these Nordic countries, do Indians moving to these countries need to be educated on this major cultural difference before they get their visa? Even if the change in visa process takes some time, could the Indian employers take on this obligation to ensure that this kind of avoidable embarrassment is averted? (The writer is the author of Wisdom of Ants: A Short History of Economics)

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classifieds THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012 INTERIOR

POWER

Another dose of power tariffs?

It seems a losing game for consumers. HC stay on fuel surcharge for first quarter 2010-11 will be circumvented with a tariff hike by the onset of summer. RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA rahul.r@postnoon.com

Discoms have accumulated losses of `10,000 crore ,” says an official from ACPDCL.

A HEALTH/ CLINIC

P High Court’s stay order on collection of FSA (fuel surcharge adjustment) for 2010-11 comes as a relief for domestic consumers but Discoms continue to reel under a financial crunch. While the High Court’s stay orders have been limited to the first quarter of 2010-11, the same batch of consumer applicants who had petitioned a similar request on a stay order for FSA for the financial year 2011-12 was not entertained. Now the question is, what will the cashstrapped Discoms do to fill their coffers? Officials from APERC suggest that another tariff hike will be suggested despite the recent tariff hike for both domestic and commercial consumers in March 2012. According to commissioner secretary of APERC Manohar Raju, “The stay order was limited only to 20102011 but further collection of FSA for the financial years of 2011-2012 are yet to be entertained by the court. If that too happens the Discoms might actually suggest a tariff hike for cost recovery.” The pinch will obviously be felt

TARIFF HIKES SO FAR

by both domestic and industrial consumers who will have to shell out more if the proposal does manage to materialise. Which means if the additional costs included in your bill as fuel surcharge availability do not fall through, then the power companies will inevitably force an increased tariff hikes on consumers. Currently, all the four Discoms

in AP show a collected spending of `3,992 crore for the first seven months of this fiscal year while the revenue-expenditure gap stands at `6,103 crore. Last year, Discoms had spent as much as `3,498 crore buying power from other states. “Additional power purchases have increased every year for the last three years with `2,082 crore incurred in 20102011. And to top it all, all the four

The proposed tariff hike in April was partially rolled back after the chief minister decided to make it easy for the two categories of domestic consumers within the LT category- those with a connected load of 500 watts and those without the connection. The final tariff hike was capped at a uniform charge of `1.45 per first 50 units in both categories. This was after the state government came under immense pressure because of a 40 per cent increase in tariff rates. Now however, Discoms are considering another tariff hike of 16 per cent on domestic, commercial and industrial categories. “The price hike will exempt those under the consumption slab of 100 units per month, but those who exceed the limit will have 30 to 80 paisa extra per unit of consumption. Commercial category consumers will have 50 to 70 paisa and industrial category consumers will have 20 to 80 paisa hike,” officials from AP Electricity Regulatory Commission say.

HEALTH

Those morning sickness blues AFP

RANJANI RAJENDRA ranjani.r@postnoon.com

A WANTED

nything to do with the royals sells like hot cakes, be it Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding memorabilia or the Duchess of Cambridge’s style statement. So would it be little surprise that the news of her pregnancy and subsequent hospitalisation has most of the world’s media and twiterrati excited and talking. While speculation is rife that this form of acute morning sickness could signal Kate carrying twins, we speak to City experts about what exactly morning sickness is and how many women experience it. “Most women experience morning sickness due to the elevated levels of certain hormones during pregnancy. The hormone HCG is closely linked to nausea during this period and women who have elevated levels of HCG are likely to have morning sickness. However, not every pregnant woman experiences nausea,” says Dr Divya T Sudarshan, gynaecolo-

gist and obstetrician, Happy Women Clinic. “Hyperemesis gravidarum or acute morning sickness, as it is more commonly known, usually affects women with very high levels of the hormone. HCG levels are usually

more elevated in women who have multiple pregnancies (are carrying more than one foetus) or have an abnormal pregnancy (molar pregnancy),” she adds. Women with acute morning sickness usually have severe vom-

iting and find it hard to hold down even a drop of water, let alone food. “This leads to dehydration, starvation and even weight loss. Sometimes women can continue experiencing nausea till the fourth month of pregnancy as well,” says Dr Anuradha Panda, gynaecologist at Apollo Hospital. Since this condition could indicate an abnormal pregnancy as well, doctors keep a close watch on the development of the foetus and get regular scans done to rule out any abnormality. The incidence of Hyperemesis gravidarum usually peaks between eight and 12 weeks of pregnancy. “Since the severe nausea causes the mother to dehydrate and robs the foetus of nutrition, the woman is hospitalised and put on IV fluids and other nutrients to rehydrate her and to replace nutrients,” says Dr Divya. Dr Anuradha adds, “We also prescribe injections and oral medication to control the vomiting. The nausea usually wears off within a few months of pregnancy.”

city THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

BABRI ANNIVERSARY

FEAR FORCES

OLD CITY TO DOWN SHUTERS

MOHD SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

ear of possible trouble on the Babri Masjid day today generated a bandhlike situation in the Old City, whose spill-over effect was felt in few areas off the City too. Normal life was hit in almost all parts of Old City, as shops, educational institutions and many public utility services remained

closed as a precautionary measure. Traffic was normal in the morning, though few auto rikshaws and city buses were seen plying. Private vehicles, especially two-wheelers, constituted most of the traffic. City police had taken extra measures with a large number of additional forces posted at all potential trouble-spots. Police had also made preventive detention of elements who are likely to generate tension.

N SHIVA KUMAR

city THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

SURVEY

Stricter laws needed for dowry harassment? A survey conducted by a matrimonial website on dowry gives some interesting statistics.

53%

52%

of Indians believe that the people who demand dowry should be forced to pay twice the demanded amount to the bride’s family instead

56%

of Indian men firmly believe that men who demand dowry should be fired from their job

48%

of Indian women believe that women misuse the dowry law

44%

of men believe that dowryseekers should be forced to pay five times their current income tax to the government

62%

of Indian women agree that a girl’s family should be punished for encouraging the practice of dowry, while 38 per cent men believe that the boy’s parents deserve a harsher punishment.

of Indian women hold the brides’ parents more responsible for encouraging the dowry system in Indian marriages

52%

of Indian men feel that the groom’s parents are more responsible for dowry in India

dowry-related deaths occur in India every day, according to a 2007 study by NCRB

SOURCE: SHAADI.COM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

Business

ECUADOR GETS $200M LOAN FOR METRO Ecuador has received a $200 million loan for its first metro line, in Quito, from the Inter-American Development Bank. The capital’s first metro line should be built by 2016, and authorities estimate it could carry almost 360,000 passengers a day.

PARKING SERVICES

Italian oil chiefs resign over Algeria bribery

Making hay in the urbanisation shine

ROME: Italian energy giant ENI’s chief financial officer and the CEO of its oil services subsidiary Saipem resigned over a probe into bribery allegations in Algeria.

The investigation by Milan prosecutors is an offshoot of a broader inquiry in Algeria over contracts worth hundreds of millions of euros. AFP

Parking is the first and last point of customer experience and a consumer expects a hassle-free and delightful experience. PRUDHVI RAJU K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

apid urbanisation coupled with increase in vehicles makes parking a troublesome experience. Shoppers undoubtedly prefer to buy from a shop which has quality parking service and space. The evolution of parking management services is not only making the sector organised but also making parking a hasslefree experience for the customer. This unorganised sector, which is slowly turning organised, is growing at 35 per cent (CAGR) is creating new business opportunities. “India is already the third largest market in the world for automobiles and parking is directly linked to the automobile population, and infrastructure growth. Today, the consumers want convenience and are willing to pay for such services. With the growth recorded and market potential, we believe there is ample scope for private players in this business. More players will not just expand the market but drive in greater efficiencies as well,” said N Sathyanarayanan, MD, Central Parking Services. Private businesses slowly understood the importance of parking. “Parking has traditionally been seen as a support facility and enough attention hasn’t been given to it. Of late, commercial establishments have realised that parking lots are an important part of the overall customer experience. Parking is the first and last point of customer experience and a consumer expects a hassle-free and delightful experience.” He says there is tremendous need to reduce the congestion and efficiently manage services. “The solution is multi-dimensional — starts with more practical municipal norms which holistically

capture parking needs of a building depending on the building use. Further, urban planning with a at least a 10-year window in terms of traffic planning needs to be adhered to. Parking lots needs to be created in various open land parcels, thereby reducing illegal on-road parking and congestion,” he explains. Talking about the value addition for various stakeholders, he says, “Parking management companies like us bring in their expertise better traffic management, quicker turnaround times, and better utilisation of a given space by careful planning and efficient and transparent operations ensure better revenues from a given space in addition to leading to higher levels of customer satisfaction. “As of now, parking is a labour

intensive process. However, deployment of technology helps in better revenues for the businesses. Electronic handheld ticket-issuing machines are also getting popular. For instance, we have India’s only parking command centre in Bangalore which connects every parking lot on IP and we have realtime access to traffic, revenues, live streamed video , and other business parameters to help us make informed decisions. “We are also introducing a CPS1 card, a prepaid RFID card which will make the entry and exit hassle-free and cashless. This can cause tremendous convenience in terms of change, exit time etc. Similarly, all our parking lots are insured to ensure that consumer is protected in our parking lots,” he adds.

GOLD`31,458 10g SILVER `62,098 1kg

BSE 5,856.45 `54.51 5,209.05 DOLLAR`55.14 17,179.95DOLLAR NSEPOUND `86.60 `87.70 POUND BSE NSE 24C

for

GOLD `29,500 10g SILVER `53,000 1kg for

for

98.90

33.65

Since our country is a union of states, we abide by its federal character and, therefore, are bound by the consensus on the issue, ANAND SHARMA, COMMERCE MINISTER

19,245.37 146.49

ANAND SHARMA, 44.05 COMMERCE MINISTER

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

nation

FIVE VEHICLES SET ON FIRE Five vehicles which were parked near the Tamluk Municipality office were set on fire by miscreants, police sources said today. Five vehicles including an ambulance and four taxis were parked in the road near the municipality office last night. Late in the night some miscreants set the vehicles on fire.

MAHARASHTRA

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

NCP cautions Chavan on FDI

Naga tribesmen perform a traditional dance during the fifth day of the Hornbill festival in Kisama near Kohima on Wednesday.

REALPOLITIK

Sonia, PM on Forbes list of ‘most powerful’ WASHINGTON: India’s ruling Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are ranked 12th and 19th respectively on the Forbes list of ‘The World’s Most Powerful People’ with President Barack Obama retaining his top position. As leader of India’s ruling party, Sonia Gandhi, 65, who was ranked sixth on Forbes list of Power Women, “has the reins of the world’s second-most-populous country and tenth-largest economy”, the US business magazine said. “Son Rahul is next in line to take over India’s most famous political dynasty,” it suggested. Listing Manmohan Singh, 80, 19th on the power list, Forbes says: “Oxfordand Cambridge-educated economist is

the architect of India’s economic reforms, but Singh’s quiet intellectualism is increasingly seen as timid and soft.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel moves up to number two from fourth place last year, followed by Russian President Vladimir Putin (No. 3), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Co-chair Bill Gates (No. 4) and Pope Benedict XVI (No. 5). Rounding out the Top 10 are US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S Bernanke (No. 6), Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud (No. 7), ECB President Mario Draghi (No. 8), General Secretary, Communist Party of China Xi Jinping (No. 9) and British PM David Cameron (No. 10). IANS

PTI

MUMBAI: Ally NCP has asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan not to take any decision regarding implementation of multi-brand FDI in retail in the state without consulting it, even though the party voted in favour of the move in the Lok Sabha. A letter signed by NCP State President Madhukar Pichad was delivered to Chavan by former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar last night. The party has said the issue of implementation needs to be discussed in the co-ordination committee first. “We have issues which need to be discussed and clarified. There are Mathadi labour unions, Market committees and we have to ensure that their interests are not harmed while implementing

FDI in retail,” Pichad said. The coalition partner in Maharashtra government has told Chavan that no one-sided decision should be taken. The UPA government of which NCP is a key constituent at the Centre won approval for FDI in Lok Sabha yesterday after the Opposition motion seeking immediate withdrawal of the decision was rejected as the BSP and SP walked out. 218 voted in favour of the Opposition motion, while 253 voted against it in the House where 471 members participated in the voting. The total strength of the House is 545. Yesterday, soon after the voting, NCP leader Praful Patel said that his party did not support implementation of the decision in Maharashtra. PTI

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NEWS BRIEFS Akali leader arrested for killing police official

Counting begins for J&K Legislative Council polls

AMRITSAR: A leader of Punjab’s ruling Shiromani Akali Dal and an accomplice were arrested Thursday for allegedly killing a police official who had objected to them harassing his daughter, police here said. The main accused, Ranjit Singh Rana, was arrested from the border belt of Amritsar districtal ong with another accused. Rana had been stalking ASI Ravinder Pal Singh’s daughter for the last few days. Two other accused in the killing are absconding.

SRINAGAR: Counting for the four Legislative Council seats in Jammu and Kashmir under the Panchayat quota began today. The pollswere held after a gap of 38 years as the Panchayat elections in the state were held last year after a gap over three decades. As many as 33,450 panchayat members will decide the fate of 37 candidates.

A FRESH NEW POINT OF VIEW You can also call or email us at:

040 - 4067 2222 subscription@postnoon.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

World OBITUARY

Father of Brasilia passes away RIO DE JANEIRO, Oscar Niemeyer, the Brazilian icon who revolutionized modern architecture and designed much of the country’s futuristic capital Brasilia, died in Rio Wednesday, his doctors said. He was 104. A statement from Samaritano hospital, where the star architect had been hospitalized since November 2, attributed the death to a worsening of his respiratory infection. A pioneer in the use of reinforced concrete to produce soaring, curvaceous forms, Niemeyer designed 600 works around the world and had some 20 other projects under way. “Brazil today lost one of its geniuses. It’s a day for mourning,” President Dilma Rousseff said in a statement posted on her official blog. Rio State Governor Sergio Cabral Filho highlighted Niemeyer’s contribution to the global skyline. “Niemeyer was Brazil’s leading architect. A genius of world architecture. Soft in the treatment, firm in his convictions and beloved by the Brazilian people,” he said. The architect’s body was to be flown to Brasilia Thursday for a funeral wake at the presidential palace, one of his major works. The body was then to return to Rio for another funeral wake followed by the burial, according to Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes. AFP

THE CENTENARY OF DISCOVERING NEFERTITI Berlin will open a major new exhibition Thursday celebrating the centenary of the discovery of the 3,400-year-old fabled bust of Egypt’s Queen Nefertiti as a feud with Cairo over its ownership rages on.

EGYPT ERUPTS

MCAFEE ARRESTED

5 die in Cairo clashes

The five were killed by gunfire or buckshot as nearly 350 wounded when allies and foes of Morsi clashed. GUATEMALA CITY, US Internet security guru John McAfee, on the run from authorities in Belize over a murder probe, was arrested by Guatemalan police Wednesday for illegally entering the country, ofﬁcials said. “National police agents have taken Mr John David McAfee before immigration authorities... He has entered our country illegally,” police spokesman Pablo Castillo told AFP.

NUMEROLOGY

200,000

EGYPT, Cairo : Egyptian policemen protect an opposition demonstrater after a scuffle with members of the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of Egypt’s Islamist President Mohamed Morsi during clashes outside the AFP/MAHMOUD KHALED presidential palace in Cairo on Wednesday.

CAIRO, Five demonstrators died overnight Thursday in the worst violence since Mohamed Morsi became Egypt’s first Islamist president in June. The five were killed by gunfire or buckshot as nearly 350 others were wounded when allies and foes of Morsi clashed around the presidential palace in Cairo, state news agency MENA said. They started off by lobbing fire bombs and rocks at each other on Wednesday as their simmering standoff over the president’s expanded powers and a new constitution turned violent. Morsi drew the wrath of the opposition and many in

the magistrature by assuming exceptional powers under a November 22 decree. Bloodied protesters were seen carried away as gunshots rang out and the rivals torched cars and set off fire crackers near the presidential palace, where opponents of Morsi had set up tents before his supporters drove them away. Riot police were eventually sent in to break up the violence, but clashes still took place in side streets near the palace in the upscale Cairo neighbourhood of Heliopolis. In the early hours of Thursday gunshots rang out intermittently and sporadic violence continued, an AFP

correspondent said. Many of the opposition had left and a few hundred protesters remained outside the palace. The violence spread beyond the capital, with protesters torching the offices of the powerful Muslim Brotherhood in the Mediterranean port city of Ismailiya and in Suez, witnesses said.Sobhi Saleh, a Brotherhood official and member of the constituent assembly -- the body that drafted the controversial charter -- was attacked and beaten by opposition protesters in the northern city of Alexandria, MENA reported.

NEWS BRIEFS US support for same-sex Japan polls tip big win marriage goes up: Poll for opposition

‘Camps in unrest-hit western Myanmar dire’

Beijing to allow visa-free transit trips

WASHINGTON: Support is growing in the United States for marriage equality, two polls showed on Wednesday. According to a new Gallup poll, 53 percent of American respondents believe same-sex marriage should be legal with the same legal rights as traditional marriage. The ﬁgure is back at the same record high it hit in May 2011.

YANGON: The UN’s humanitarian chief has described conditions for thousands of displaced Muslim Rohingya in western Myanmar as “dire” and said both Muslim and Buddhist communities are living in fear. Valerie Amos said in a statement released overnight that she was “very concerned” by the situation there.

BEIJING, China will allow transit passengers from 45 countries including the US, Canada and all members of the EU to spend up to 72 hours in Beijing without a visa from next month, city authorities said. The move would “strongly spur the development of the tourism industry, speed up building of an international city”, sources said.

TOKYO, Japan’s main opposition party will comfortably win the general election this month, opinion polls showed Thursday, the ﬁrst time surveys have indicated anything other than a fragile coalition. The hawkish chief of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Shinzo Abe is also tipped to win back the premiership.

are homeless and more than 300 dead after the Philippines suffered its worst typhoon this year, Typhoon Bopha, reaching out for international aid to cope with the scale of the disaster.

UNICORN LAIR, EH? An apparent North Korean claim to have uncovered a “unicorn’s lair” that created an Internet storm was partly the result of mistranslation by Pyongyang’s much-mocked propaganda machine. In a report carried on its English service last week, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) cited archaeologists who “reconfirmed” the discovery of “a lair of the unicorn” ridden by King Tongmyong. Tongmyong is a quasimythical figure — similar to the legend of King Arthur — credited with founding Kokuryo, one of the three ancient kingdoms of Korea, in 37BC.

Whether the final blow comes from flesh-eating zombies, demonic hellbeasts or from the total triumph of K-Pop, if you know one thing about me it is this — I will always fight for you to the very end. Julia Gillard Oz PM in a spoof vidoe

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

Technology BUILDING THE DEATH STAR

THE BIRTH OF A STAR? Fast fact

160

Is the diameter of the Death Star, making it 21 times smaller than the Moon.

What does a Death Star do?

A petition posted to the White House’s We The People platform advocates the construction of the universe’s ultimate weapon, Star Wars’ Death Star, as a way to boost the economy. But what will it take to build the planet-destroying superweapon? We find out, with a little help from the Force.

The Death Star is a moonsized spacestation. It is capable of destroying a planet with a single destructive energy beam.

ARE YOU A SOCL PERSON?

THE COST

Microsoft has a decent share in Facebook, so it was a bit surprising when they announced a social network — Socl — last year. Now they have removed the invite system and opened it up to the public. The social network lets you create collections and might remind you of Pinterest, albeit a less interesting version. Though the site is image heavy, it does not have the visual appeal of Pinterest and looks like a hobby project by Redmond. If you’re interested, head over to http://so.cl/ and check it out for yourself.

$13.25 quintillion

Is the cost to produce the estimated 134 quadrillion tonnes of steel required to build the Death Star. According to a study earlier this year by economics students at Lehigh University, it is estimated that it would take roughly 800,000 years to manufacture little more than a quadrillion tonnes of steel.

WE DARE YOU TO SUE US

$13.8

Google Chairman Eric Schmidt has called out Apple for suing their partners instead of targeting the search giant directly. Apple has been going after Samsung, HTC and other companies that make Android-powered devices. Many netizens believe Apple is only trying to slow down the march of Android phones by going for the limbs than the brains at Google. There is also a legal wrangling underway between the now Google-owned Motorola and Apple, but that again comes under the proxy war territory. It needs to be seen if Apple will accept the bait and sue Google for copying their interface and design from iOS.

septillion

Is how much it would cost to transport the various Death Star elements into space.

$2.87

The manpower

septillion

The cost of the 8.23 quintillion cubic metres of nitrogen required to allow people to live in the Death Star.

$15.96 septillion

Is the total estimated cost of constructing an operational Death Star.

The chance of a Death Star actually being built.

INFY LOSES SPOT Facebook will replace Infosys as part of the NASDAQ 100, the basket of companies that determine the movement of the NASDAQ index. Facebook has lost value since its IPO, but the company has stabilised, and is turning in results that could be construed as consistent. At current point, its market capitalisation is roughly $59.5 billion. That makes Facebook the only tech company that IPOed recently but went on to succeed in the market. Others such as Zynga have struggled, losing marketshare and share value at a staggering speed. As far as Infosys is concerned, they would be hoping that some other company gets relegated so they get their spot.

Vehicles in the Death Star 7,200 TIE Fighters 4 Strike Cruisers 3,600 Assault Shuttles 1,400 AT-ATs 1,400 AT-STs 1,860 Drop ships

265,675 operating crew 52,276 gunners 607, 360 troops 25,904 Stormtroopers 42,782 Support staff 167,216 Pilots and fighter support staff

Defensive weapons 10,000 Turbolasers 2,500 Laser cannons 2,500 Ion Cannons 768 Tractor beams

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

Comment Do not ever say that the desire to "do good" by force is a good motive. Neither power-lust nor stupidity are good motives.

ALL THAT GLITTERS...

THE HUMAN CONDITION Dean Williams

riving to and from work every day I am still stunned at the callousness shown by motorists to their own lives, but also to others’ lives as well. Is life in India so cheap that we can afford to lose fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters so easily? I might be flogging a dead horse here, but the reason this rankles is the fact that nobody seems to care, least of all the educated youth. Motorcyclists ride without helmets, under the influence of alcohol, and break traffic rules like they’re brittle bones. The traffic police throw their hands up in exasperation citing ignorance and the devilmay-care attitude of citizens. But the number of cops you see doing exactly what they’re meant to be stopping, is staggering. I have tried explaining to youngsters in my organisation that if they have a death wish, there are far more flamboyant ways to go than dying on the road simply because they were too lazy or thought they were too cool for helmets and seatbelts. What are the parents of these youngsters doing? There’s no point weeping in front of a coffin or by a funeral pyre when all you had to do was take their vehicle keys off them. Idiocy is not genetic; it’s a social construct, founded on an apathetic ethos. As much as the human roadkill is to blame for his fate, so are we. Let’s not shed a tear for those foolish enough to court death on our highways. Instead, let’s be enraged that we were too cowardly to stop them.

Diamonds are bright, shiny and worthless! BUT... SERIOUSLY

Ayn Rand Author

Of human roadkill

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS

There is a din over the incident in which two Aussie RJs pretending to be the Queen phoned and tricked the nurse at the King Edward VII private hospital where the Duchess of cambridge is undergoing treatment for morning sickness, into divulging her condition. Wonder what would happen if the real Queen called.

Ajay Hotchandani

n 1998 I was forced to take a Microenomics class while in university. I did what most Indians did at the time, signed up for the course taught by the one Indian professor on campus. Dr Vani was an amazing professor, and furthermore she treated all the Indians like her kids, but that is not to say she made it easy for us in class. Fourteen years have passed since her class and one of the two lessons that still stick today is diamonds are worthless! Yes, people I said it, diamonds are one of the most overpriced useless materials that exist. The thought of what people pay for diamonds is rather disgusting and borderline moronic. I’ve gotten into numerous discussions with friends and family about what a waste of money diamonds are. The same arguments are always made in defence of a diamond’s worth. Diamonds are forever — so is herpes! So what’s your point? Diamonds are rare – no, they are not. The DeBeers Diamond Company has bought up all the diamonds and only release a little at a time to give you the

The same arguments are always made in defence of a diamond’s worth. For instance, diamonds are forever. So is herpes! appearance it is scarce. An honest politician, now that is rare! Diamonds are a good investment – no they are not. Studies have shown that if you adjust for inflation, overall a diamond will never be worth what you paid for it. If you don’t believe me, take the diamond you bought five or ten years ago to the same jeweler and see what he offers to buy it back from you. Diamond companies are very aware that there is a

greater chance you will lose the diamond before you try to sell it. Most people don’t ever intend on selling their diamonds, but rather pass it down to their kids, who in turn will either lose it or sell it to buy a new iPhone. A person has to be experiencing severe financial distress before they reach the point that they need to sell their jewelry. Knowing that you are in financial distress, most people will offer you 50% or less of the proposed worth of the jewelry. So you will never fully recover what you paid for it on the retail market. This brings me to the “Diamond-Water Paradox”. A glass of water is worth pennies compared to a piece of diamond. The paradox is that we

place such arbitrary values on those two items, but if the scenario where such that you are dehydrated (a common occurrence in sub-Saharan region) due to lack of water then all of a sudden a glass of water is worth more than the diamond. You might say, “Oh I’ll trade the diamond for the water.” To which I would say, “No, you moron: I’ll drink the water, and wait for you to die from dehydration and then take the diamond away from you for free!”. Life can exist without diamonds; life cannot exist without water. The other lesson I learned from the class was ‘Supply and Demand’ and right now my stomach is demanding food, so its best I go supply it with a chocolate cake.

EDITORIALS When teachers become monsters

nother child who was supposed to be nurtured by his teachers has died at their hands. The incident in Bhopal is many in the series of similar reports from all over the country. In this case the boy had merely gone up to them to complain about a broken bucket in the toilet. And for that the 10-year-old was mercilessly beaten up, that the boy suffered severe injuries to his neck and spine and died while undergoing treatment. The idea is not to pin the blame for such cruelty on the teaching fraternity, but there are serious issues to be addressed and there are wolves amongst them that must be identiﬁed so that kids being beaten to death for triﬂes like complaining about a broken bucket do not become an every day news. Are teachers given proper training in nurturing

READERS’ VIEWS

kids? Is there is any sort of mechanism or test to check and find out if the individual enrolled for teacher’s training has the aptitude to teach, guide and be a role model that inspires students to learn the proper, right values of life? Can they be patient with kids? Perhaps the accused in this case and in many others were having a bad day, but that’s no excuse to take it out on wards entrusted with them. Or perhaps they do not have it in them to be teachers. If that’s the case, they must ask themselves if they can do justice to their job and if the answer’s no, they must seek some other sort of employment, because not everyone can be teachers and parents do not expect their kids to die because they sent them to school.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

tELEVISION

SEAN REPLACES BRENDAN FRASER

Sean “The One Who Always Turns Traitor and/or Dies” Bean is replacing Brendan Fraser as the lead of TNT’s Legends. The project, from Homeland exec producer Howard Gordon, details deep-cover operative Martin Odum (Bean), who has an uncanny ability to transform himself into a different person for each job.

FROM BOOKS TO TV

NEW SERIES TO WATCH

GAME OF THRONES (HBO)

f anyone had said even a year ago that George R. R Martin’s epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire could be faithfully replicated on the big screen, bibliophiles across the world would have had a hearty laugh. But little did they know that HBO would take it up and have legends like Tim Van Allen and Alik Sakharovnot lend their excellence, and not only do Game of Thrones justice but make it an unparalleled mini-series in its scope. The mythical, fantasy land of Westeros comes alive in their hands, replete with violence, sex, blood and gore of a magnitude that was hitherto inconceivable on tv. Brilliant acting, combined with epic sets, a budget of $5-10 million per episode, adaptations can get no better than this.

DEXTER (STAR WORLD)

ometimes, an extremely visual book becomes extremely popular and lends itself to a series. At others, a series becomes a runaway hit and increases the sales of the books. The television series Dexter, based on Jeff Lindsay’s books of the same name, belongs to the latter category. An amicable Miami police forensics expert moonlights as a serial killer of criminals who he believes have escaped justice. Do we need to say more?

SHERLOCK (BBC)

t may not be set in the 19th century, but the modern update of Sherlock Holmes remains faithful to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels. Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays the iconic detective in Sherlock, epitomises classic Holmes — lean, spare and coldly intelligent. Martin Freeman provides ample support as the more lovable Dr Watson, the army doctor troubled by his experiences in Afghanistan. The BBC series has done a fine job of recreating and updating classics like A Study In Scarlet to the 21st century. And it is a pleasure to see Sherlock revelling in all the latest technology available. Doyle would have approved.

BOOK MY SHOW With JK Rowling’s book for adults Casual Vacancy being adapted into a TV series, the focus is back on some of the best adaptations of books that shot to fame on TV. BONES (STAR WORLD)

passionate FBI officer teaming up with a detached scientist to catch criminals might not sound like something that happens in real life, but the TV show Bones is not entirely fictitious. The series is inspired by the life and writings of Kathy Reichs, a forensic anthropologist, who is also one of the producers of the show. Reichs acknowledges that she is a lot like Dr Brennan (Bones) in temperament and at her work. While the nature of crimes and the relationship between Booth and Bones is all fiction, Reichs ensures that the show gets its science right. What makes the show even more meta? On the show, Dr Brennan writes mystery novels about a forensic anthropologist called Kathy Reichs.

SEX AND THE CITY (HBO)

t is the TV series that defined a whole new outlook and lifestyle for young working women in big cities, but Sex And The City initially started off as a book of the same name by Candace Bushnell. Bushnell’s life reads very much like the life of Carrie Bradshaw (played by Sarah Jessica Parker), as she too wrote a column called Sex And The City focusing on the love lives of her friends and herself. Carrie gets by only with the help of her friends Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte, who are equally clueless about life and love. Bushnell also has a series of books called The Carrie Diaries, which focuses on Carrie as a teenager.

Cult The CW announced Tuesday that the new thriller Cult will premiere on February 19 at 9/8c, replacing the recently cancelled Emily Owens M.D. The meta series centres around Jeff (The Vampire Diaries’ Matt Davis), a journalist blogger who, after his brother goes missing, starts an investigation along with a young production assistant (Melrose Place’s Jessica Lucas) on a popular TV show called Cult. Their theory? That the show’s rabid fans may be re-creating the crimes from the programme.

DID YOU KNOW...

Fawlty Towers

Each episode’s opening shot of the Fawlty Towers hotel sign shows rearranged and misplaced letters. Variations include: Watery Fowls , Farty Tower, Flay Otters, Fatty Owls, Warty Towels, Flowery Twats and Farty Towels. Production teammember Iain McLean supplied the hotel sign anagrams.

TRENDING...

Jason Alexander is taking a ﬁeld trip to Community. TVLine has conﬁrmed that the Seinfeld vet will guest-star in a Season 4 installment of the NBC comedy. “Filming a crazy episode of Community this week,” Alexander revealed via Twitter Tuesday. “Can’t say much about it, but it’s a fun one.”

Anderson Cooper is back to good health after he was recently blinded on the job! Luckily for the Anderson Live host, the eye afﬂiction wasn’t permanent. “Temporarily blinded last week while on assignment,” the 45-yearold posted on Instagram with a photo of a large white patch covering his right eye.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

spotlight

LOVE FOR ROCK MUSIC

Zedde, Indian rock band based in Mumbai will be performing live at Hard Rock Cafe tonight. So, head to HRC for a night of rock & roll.

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CHRISTMAS TIME AGAIN

ALL THAT GLITTERS

Kids from Passionate Foundation were invited over for the launch of the gingerbread house which which will be stocked with a range of Christmas goodies this season.

Actress Nayanthara and John Alukka, Managing Director of Jos Alukkas unveiled the new Platinum Jewellery Season's Collection at Jos Alukkas on Wednesday.

MAKING MERRY 3

S BALAKRISHNA

FUN-FILLED NIGHT Ladies made a beeline to Kismet to let their hair down and dance the night away. The pub hosted Ladies Night on Wednesday night and PYTs put their stylish foot forward, glamming up the evening. 6

1 Rashmi

5 Monica, Simy

9 Shilpa 10 Karishma

2 Deepak, Satwar

6 Bhavya

11 Mona

3 Dorin, Raghu

7 Pinky, Brinda, Ritika

12 Tejaswini

4 Rehan, Muskan

8 Lauren, Megan

13 Akansha

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

health

EATING TOMATOES WARDS OFF DEPRESSION? Researchers analysed the mental health records and diet habits of just under 1,000 men and women aged 70 years or over. They found those eating tomatoes two to six times a week were 46 per cent less likely to suffer the blues than those eating the red fruit less than once a week.

JOINT PAIN

Dodge pain this winter Winter along with the chills, coughs and sniffles can also cause joint pain in those suffering from arthritis. Appropriate care and preparation to brace this season can help. Protect your joints

ANISHAA KUMAR

Anishaa.k@postnoon.com

he winter chill had set in. Meera had spent a day with her grandchildren at a relative’s party. She awoke the next morning with excessive pain in her knee joints. Initially considering it to be due to the long tiring day she had her regular pain killer and went to sleep. It was during a conversation a few days later with a friend that she came to know about the effects of harsh

WINTER CARE and cold winters on her joints. According to Dr KJ Reddy, senior consultant orthopaedist, Apollo Hospital, “Painful joints during winter is very normal. One of the reasons could be that during winter the pain threshold of a person comes down. Hence, we notice that even a small injury causes excessive pain in comparison to how one would react during the warmer climates. The second reason could be that because of the cold the blood supply to the joints comes down.” The low supply of blood to the joints make them stiff thus causing pain during movement. These aggravated joint pains tend to occur in people who are

n n

Cover up your joints when going outside. Wear knee socks or stockings under your trousers, long gloves that cover the wrists, and so on. Loosen up your joints underwater, take a nice warm bath or shower after spending a while outside. Follow a regular exercise routine that test the range and mobility of your joints. But know your limits. Stop when things become too painful. Get the right nutrition and regulate your weight, this not only keeps the joints healthy, but the lighter you are, the less pressure is exerted over your joints. It is recommended that you sleep on a firm mattress. If you are suffering from arthritis you are advised to use assistive devices (such as knee, wrist, elbow,) on the most painful areas. www.EzineArticles.com

things, massage the joints and also drink warm fluids.”

PREVALENCE

already suffering from arthritis or orthopedic problems. Dr Reddy says, “The weather as such does not cause the problem it only aggravates it. It also does not cause and perma-

ANEWS PP-LYBRIEFS YOURSELF

nent disabilities.”

STAY WARM Staying warm is an essential to prevent such a situation. Dr Reddy says, “People should

HOUSECALL

wear warm clothing, cover joints with a warm support (for example a knee cap in case there is knee pain), stay in a warm environment, have a bath with warm water, avoid touching cold

DID YOU KNOW?

Excessive joint pains can occur in age although it is more common among people who are in the older age groups (50, 60 plus) says Dr Reddy. He adds that such cases in the City are rare as the weather is not that cold though it may occur in very old. This is more common in the northern parts of the country. In case one does not get relief from the remedies than doctor’s advice should be taken.

PIONEERS

Brain and nerves

Miner’s lung disease

Tears, a sign of emotion

John F Burke

Brain and nerves is a unique app that helps one discover important topics when it comes to nerve and brain disease. It covers various topics such as dizziness, fainting , migraine, memory, pain, concussions etc. The app for iphone and ipad users can be downloaded free-of -cost.

This disease gets its name from the fact that coal miners are the ones that are mostly effected by it. Coal dust can irritate the sensitive tissues of the lung and lead to the development of several diseases. This can ultimately lead to various disabilities. The symptoms include shortness of breathe, chronic cough, increased phlegm, chest infection etc.Treatment depends on the kind of respiratory disease it causes.

We cry when we are happy, when we are sad and even when we are angry. But we are the only ones who do so. Humans are the only animals to produce emotional tears. In the animal world, humans are the biggest crybabies, being the only animals who cry because they’ve had a bad day, lost a loved one, or don’t feel good.

John F Burke was an American medical researcher at Harvard University. He is known for his invention of synthetic skin with Dr Ioannis V Yannas. Burke was also known for developing a system of infection control in hospitals and showing that antibiotics given before surgery lower risks of post-operative infections. Burke was head of the Shriners Burns Institute and chief of trauma services at Massachusetts.

health THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

RESEARCH

Inflamed gums triples risk of erectile disorder Researchers who compared men with ED with another group without ED, found that 53 per cent of the men in the first group had inflamed gums. ANKARA: Inflamed gums, caused by severe periodontal disease, tripled chances of erectile dysfunction (ED) among men in their 30s, according to a Turkish study. Turkish researchers who compared 80 men aged 30 to 40 years with ED with another group of 82 without ED, found that 53 per cent of the men in the first group had inflamed gums, compared with only 23 per cent in the second group. When the results were rationalised, the men with severe periodontal disease were found to be 3.29 times more likely to suffer from erection problems than men with healthy gums. Periodontal disease attacks the gum and bone and around the teeth. “Erectile dysfunction is a major public health problem that affects the quality of life of some 150 million men, and their partners, worldwide,” says Faith Oguz from Inonu University in Malatya, Turkey, who led the study. “Physical factors cause nearly two-

Risk factors n n

n n n n n n n

Medical conditions, particularly diabetes or heart problems. Using tobacco, which restricts blood flow to veins and arteries. Over time tobacco use can cause chronic health problems that lead to erectile dysfunction. Being overweight, especially if you’re very overweight (obese). Certain medical treatments, such as prostate surgery or radiation treatment for cancer. Injuries, particularly if they damage the nerves that control erections. Medications, including antidepressants, antihistamines and medications to treat high blood pressure, pain or prostate cancer. Psychological conditions, such as stress, anxiety or depression. Drug and alcohol use, especially if you’re a long-term drug user or heavy drinker. Prolonged bicycling, which may compress nerves and affect blood flow to the penis, can lead to temporary erectile dysfunction. Source: www.mayoclinic.com

thirds of cases, mainly because of problems with the blood vessels, with psychological issues like emotional stress and depression accounting for the remainder, according to a Malatya statement. “Chronic periodontitis (CP) is a group of infectious diseases caused predominantly by bacteria that most commonly occur with inflammation of the gums,” said Oguz. “Many studies have reported that CP may induce systemic vascular diseases, such as coronary heart disease, which have been linked with erection problems,” Oguz added. The average age of the men in both groups was just under 36 and there were no significant differences when it came to body mass index, household income and education. Their sexual function was assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function and their gum health using the plaque index, bleeding on probing, probing depth and clinical attachment level. IANS

Doctor’s corner Dr Divya T Sudarshan

Diet is a four letter word Hi doctor, I am 26, weigh 80kgs and my height is 5’5. I have normal periods and my hormones are fine. Many of my friends keep telling me to lose weight. I have tried many techniques but nothing seems to help. Please advise. I remember reading somewhere that ‘it is not what you eat, it’s what’s eating you’. We all have reasons for what, why and when we eat, and if we can sort out those reasons, we will automatically be comfortable in our skins. So all I am going to give you is advise and a little push to do the right thing the right way. One must also not expect any wonder drug to help you lose weight, because if something like that really existed, you would never find any chubby doctors, would you? It may seem odd, but every time a patient asks me how to lose weight, I cringe a bit. Even though I am a doctor, and I know the things to do, I rarely actually do them. I keep throwing up excuses that my schedule is busy, my timings crazy, my stresses too many and that my life is unpredictable but underneath all that is the single truth that I really am too lazy to care and right now since nothing seems to be going wrong except those seven extra kgs! But seven extra kgs means 700 metres of capillaries feeding the fat and that much strain on the plodding heart. So again, with the coming new year, I am bravely pulling up my socks and making the simplest possible changes to help the weight loss. I don’t believe in meal plans and special foods. I believe fads never last, so lets go over tried and tested reasonable ways for hardworking women like us to lose a few kilos! (column will continue next week) The writer is a gynaecologist and obstetrician at Happy Women Clinic. You can write in to her at happywomenclinic@gmail.com or call her on 9959729444/ 9581952485.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

Entertainment CINE BYTES

Kumki to be dubbed as Gajaraju

Parvati Melton set to tie the knot

ikram Prabhu, Lakshmi Menon starrer Kumki is going to be dubbed in Telugu as Gajaraju. Prabhu Solomon, who had earlier made Mynaa, has directed the film. Bellamkonda Suresh is distributing the film in AP. Gajaraju is slated for release on December 14.

arvati Melton, who was last seen in Srimmanaryana, is all set to tie the knot with her longtime boyfriend Shamsu Lalani, a Mumbai-based real estate tycoon. The wedding is expected to take place in Mumbai on December 29. Parvati Melton will soon be seen in Yamaho Yama.

Ganesh Venkatraman bags a biggie

anesh Venkatraman, who recently played the villain’s role in Dhamarukam, has bagged one of the lead roles in Sundar C’s upcoming bilingual film. Siddharth and Hansika are playing the other two lead roles in the romantic comedy and it’s said to be a triangular love story.

DIFFERENCES CROP UP AGAIN!

NTR replaces RAM in Santosh Srinivas’ film?

am’s upcoming film to be directed by Santosh Srinivas has hit a roadblock once again. Bellamkonda Suresh was supposed to produce the film. Last year, the trio had teamed up with Kandireega and it went on to become a big hit at box office. However, not everything was going well between Ram and Bellamkonda Suresh. Initially, the two had differences over remuneration and it took a long time before the issue could be settled amicably. Their latest film was formally launched earlier this year and before the film could go on sets, Santosh Srinivas lodged a complaint on Bellamkonda Suresh alleging that the latter had hit him. Several big wigs from Telugu film industry got involved to resort the issue between the two. Few days ago, the producer even informed the media that Shruti Haasan was going to star opposite Ram in this mass entertainer. After all these twists and turns, the project is once again in news for all the wrong reasons. If the grapevine is to be believed, Ram has been dropped from the project. The reason behind this sudden change in plans is not clear yet, but there’s a strong buzz that NTR is going to star in the same film. Apparently, Bellamkonda Suresh had asked Santosh Srinivas to narrate the script to NTR and we hear that the actor has reportedly given the green signal. A formal announcement is expected to be made soon. If all goes well, the film is likely to go on floors after NTR wraps up shooting for Baadshah and Harish Shankar’s film.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

fashion

KATE BOSWORTH, NEW FACE OF TOPSHOP

KATE BOSWORTH is the face and voice of Topshop’s first ever Christmas campaign. The actress stars in a short film, in which she sings festive song Winter Wonderland, directed by her fiancé Michael Polish.

alenciaga announced the appointment of New York star Alexander Wang as its new top designer, taking over from Nicolas Ghesquiere at the helm of the French fashion house. “Balenciaga and PPR are pleased to announce the appointment of Alexander Wang to the post of Creative Director of the Balenciaga fashion house, as of today,” said a joint statement from Balenciaga and its owner, the PPR luxury group. One of the hottest names in US fashion, Wang will be responsible for designing the brand’s women’s and men’s ready-towear and accessories collections, as well as for Balenciaga’s image, the text said. The 28-year-old, born in California to Taiwanese parents, will continue with his independent New York-based house, turning out relaxed chic with a streetwise edge, along-

side his new duties at Balenciaga. “I am deeply honoured to embark on this new role for a brand and house that I have such great admiration and respect for,” Wang was quoted as saying in the statement. PPR took the fashion world by surprise last month by announcing the departure of Ghesquiere, its designer of 15 years, who put the house founded by Spaniard Cristobal Balenciaga in 1919 back on the fashion map in his time there. The trade magazine Women’s Wear Daily had reported — that Wang had been picked to succeed him. Isabelle Guichot, Balenciaga’s chief executive, paid tribute in the statement to Wang’s “proven talent, modernity and individual and cosmopolitan vision of design.” She predicted he would “naturally embrace and enrich

the unique heritage of this fashion house which will soon be one hundred years old.” PPR, whose fashion labels include Gucci, Yves SaintLaurent, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney has owned Balenciaga since 2001. Turnover had been multiplied by 11 since the house was acquired by PPR, with two-figure growth for the first nine months of this year. Industry experts suggested the choice of Wang, who speaks Mandarin and whose own-name brand has been pushing into Asia, could signal a willingness to focus on the vast Chinese market, building on PPR’s strong presence in the region. In Paris meanwhile, the designer has already received a high-profile endorsement after Karl Lagerfeld let slip at an exhibition launch this month that he was wearing an Alexander Wang overcoat. — AFP

MARION COTILLARD DESIGNS DIOR BAG

MARION COTILLARD is designing her own handbag for Christian Dior. The French actress is creating her own “personal” take on the fashion house’s recognisable Lady Dior bag, of which she is currently the face.

Balenciaga’s newdesigner is ALEXANDER

WANG

The US-based designer Alexander Wang will be succeeding Nicolas Ghesquiere who served as the top designer at Balenciaga for the past 15 years.

22&23

Entertainment THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

Chai Time

Play & Win

Please send in your filled-in entries to Postnoon, #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033. The winners will be announced on this page in Sunday’s edition.

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 refer-

QUICK CROSSWORD

enced 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.

Play & Win

voucher from VENKEY’S VEG Restaurant, Nampally

ACROSS

SCRIBBLING PAD

Play & Win voucher from VENKEY’S VEG Restaurant, Nampally

SUDOKU

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

Play & Win voucher from VENKEY’S VEG Restaurant, Nampally

1 Address to a lady 5 Cry of dismay 9 Breads with pockets 14 Spanish stew pot 15 Close by, old-style 16 Make a grand speech 17 Examine oneself, literally or figuratively 20 Put off, as loan payments 21 Yard contents, sometimes 22 Two-syllable poetic foot 23 Axed-tree remnants 26 Pool table material 28 Change the wall color 30 Buster on the silent screen 34 It may be put on 37 They may lie in a boat's tholes 39 Shoulder scarf 40 One step in preparing for sleep 44 Female parents 45 Trivial tiff 46 One who's had tee many martoonis? 47 Provide storage for forage 49 Surrealist artist Max 52 Guide one's dance partner

54 Where flag pins can be spotted 57 Native of world's largest peninsula 60 Home to many schools? 62 Social creme de la creme 64 Get out of a foggy situation? 68 Gold measurement 69 Nuts for Coke? 70 Baker's dozen? 71 Arboreal mammal 72 Careless misstep 73 Observe the Sabbath

DOWN 1 It appears when things go bad 2 Lotion lilies 3 Among the clouds 4 Lipstick, rouge, liner, etc. 5 Raggedy doll 6 Like burning candles 7 Turkish title 8 Pantry part 9 Baked Hawaiian dish 10 Get one's goat 11 Scarlett's refuge 12 Tiny bit of matter 13 Romanian's neighbor 18 " ___ la Douce" 19 "... the ___ shall inherit the earth"

24 Subatomic particle 25 Bumps along the way 27 A smaller amount of 29 Metaphor, for one 31 Santa's load 32 Substitute spread 33 Cardinal's residence 34 Crowning point 35 Scot's family 36 "Uncle ___ Cabin" (Harriet Beecher Stowe classic) 38 Traffic problem 41 Catamaran, for one 42 Very small landmass 43 Volcano of Sicily 48 Relaxed condition 50 Many writers work on it 51 One with lots of bills 53 Classroom furnishings 55 Feudal lord, or his subject 56 Big bucks? 57 Is inquisitive 58 Not faux 59 Prefix with "dynamic" or "lite" 61 Off base, like a bad soldier 63 Former, formerly 65 Advanced degree? 66 Thrilla in Manila boxer 67 Mouth, slangily

Chai Time THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 7-12-2012

As per Hindu panchang thiruvaikumar@yahoo. co. in, 040-27177230 / 9177596118

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Planning will ensure success. Avoid anger and emotional decisions. Avoid extravagant expenses. Children will do well in studies and will make you happy. Government officials need to work with patience to avoid getting into trouble.

STRIP TEASE AGNES

Good and drastic changes are likely to take place. This is the time you should act without any laziness. Your abilities and decisions will be welcomed by all and earn a good name for you. Hurdles will disappear and work will go smoothly.

A patient approach with bold decision will bring desired result. Avoid blaming others for your inept handling of issues. Be careful in the financial transactions and keep a perfect track of them to avoid future tensions.

Need not grumble about the sudden transfer and accept the same as it will be good for you.Be careful while handling official and confidential documents as chances of getting blame likely due to your negligence.

Some have bright chance to buy a house or land. Government officials and politicians are advised not to share any confidential matters with new friends. Attend to the problems with the vehicle immediately.

Slow and steady policy to be adopted to achieve success in the works undertaken. Employees need to discharge their duties perfectly. Financial situation looks strong. Avoid luxurious expenses and be conservative.

All your sincere and wellplanned efforts will yield results. Surprise good news on the cards. Parents’ health will be a cause for concern. Government officials need to exercise extra caution while implementing important plans.

Your self-confidence and courage will increase. Unwanted apprehension will disappear. Pay hike and promotion on cards .You will be happy as superior too will support. Take good care of spouse's health.

Your soft and sweet approach will yield expected results. Employees advised to be cordial with colleagues and obey superiors. Government staff can be successful in getting elevation by their smart action.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail. com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

Ace of Wands – You’re brimming over with creative ideas and you take pleasure in tasks that make you feel happy. It could be cooking, gardening, pottery, etc.

LEO:

Page of Cups – You’re feeling adventurous and emotional. Strive to strike a balance between the two. Go with your instinct if you’re feeling impetuous.

LIBRA:

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

Six of Swords – Overseas connections will determine your course of action in the next few months. Work on some projects will need to be stepped up.

SAGITTARIUS:

Nine of Cups – This is a great time when ideas click; every thought brings a new opportunity. Make a wish and it is about to come true.

TAURUS:

Two of Wands – Don’t be in a hurry to get what you want. Wait for things to happen to your advantage. Also, don’t antagonise those who want to help.

CANCER:

Knight of Cups – This is a time to manage your emotions and ensure you do not trample on the feelings of others. Be empathetic to others’ problems and needs.

VIRGO:

Queen of Wands – You’re feeling content in the world of your own making. It’s fine for now, but you cannot ignore the outer world for too long.

SCORPIO:

Seven of Cups – The focus is on material possessions. You’re at a stage when you believe money will solve most of your problems. It’s a passing phase.

CAPRICORN:

Three of Swords – You’re disappointed with something or someone as you expected more. Grieve if you have to. But get up and move on.

PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

The Moon – You’re feeling temperamental and may force your opinions and moods on others. Watch out for extreme mood swings.

NUMBER GAME

You’re perhaps failing to see it but there’s a silver lining in the midst of your troubles. Keep the faith and go ahead with what you believe.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: The Star –

POOCH CAFE

Employees need to work with focus. Loss of memory likely, might get rectified if yoga or meditation is practiced. Your cordial approach to family members will bring a peaceful atmosphere at home. Children will make you happy.

for 7-12-2012

The Devil – You’re tempted by what you see around you. You feel others are getting a better deal than you. The grass is always greener on the other side.

NON SEQUITUR

Avoid friends who always talk wrong about others. Employees will be suitably recognised for their sincere and hardwork. Never ever neglect the valuable advises of experienced persons. Avoid night travel.

SUDUKO

Need to act with caution to drive away difficulties. Never act in a hurry at the office. Avoid locking horns with family members as this will affect happy events to take place at home. Children's health needs attention.

Boggle DOG CAT BIRD FISH HAMSTER Vol: 2, No 140 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon. com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211

Entertainment THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012 CINE BYTES

THE PITFALLS OF FAME

Hathaway frets over body issues

Matt Damon enters The Monuments Men

eorge Clooney has a new man for The Monuments Men. “Yes, I will be in that movie!” Matt Damon exclusively conﬁrmed to E! News. Damon had been in talks to join the cast of Clooney’s latest directorial effort—a period drama that sounds like it’s about Mt. Rushmore but is actually set in Germany toward the end of World War II, when Hitler’s regime was trying to cover its genocidal tracks.

Tarantino awarded at Moma

uentin Tarantino was the man of the hour at the Museum of Modern Art Monday night, when he was honoured at the museum’s fifth-annual Film Benefit. Many of the stars of the director’s films turned out to pay tribute, including Resevoir Dogs stars Steve Buscemi and Harvey Keitel, Diane Kruger and patron Harvey Weinstein.

Hollywood’s most overpaid actor?

ddie Murphy might have once been a hit on Saturday Night Live and Beverly Hills Cop, but these days the actor’s claim to fame is landing the title of Most Overpaid Actor in Hollywood. Murphy came in at the No. 1 spot for the most overpaid actor this year. A series of recent box ofﬁce ﬂops — like A Thousand Words, Meet Dave and Tower Heist — left studios with $2.30 for every $1 they paid Murphy.

he may be one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood, but Anne Hathaway has her insecurities — and a lot of them revolve around her weight. Hathaway covers the January issue of Glamour magazine and admits she still feels out of place in the spotlight. “I still feel the stress over ‘Am I thin enough? Am I too thin? Is my body the right shape?’” the Les Miserables star, 30, explains to Glamour. “There’s an obsessive quality to it that I thought I would’ve grown out of by now. It’s an ongoing source of shame for me.” Hathaway says the same goes for her fashion decisions— whether she’s going to the supermarket or heading to the Oscars. “I just think about the ridicule you get if you have an off day,” she admits. “If people weren’t watching, I’d be so much more eccentric. I know it makes me sound weak, but rather than make myself happy and wear the silly hat and say, ‘Oh, I don’t care.’ I actually really don’t feel like getting made fun of,” the actress adds, “So I put on something boring and navy and go out and try to disappear.”

sports

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

HYDERABAD TRACK WORK

Kallu Mama, Custodian excel HYDERABAD: Machiavelianism, Custodian, Kallu Mama, Vijayshaurya, Vijaykeerti and Plenipotent Impressed when the horses excercised here this morning.

SAND TRACK 800 METRES:

2y.Zorro The Legend (rb) 1-1,600/45 Easy. 2y.Kallu Mama (Joshi) Vijays Best (rb) 57,600/43 They moved togethr. FineRacer (app)Classic Wish (N.Rawal) 58, 600/44 Former finished infront. Plenipotent (Togrolu) 52.5, 600/40 Caught the eye. Super Duper (Joshi) 57, 600/44 Moved freely. Vijaykeerti (Ravinder Singh) 54.5, 600/41.5 Impressed. Ice Rain(app) 2y.Colorful Trip (Anil) 57, 600/43 They moved together. Jaden Gil (M.Mark) 1-1, 600/45 Easy. Aegis (Joshi) 55, 600/41 Pleased. Ashwa Shakti (Ravinder Singh) 54, 600/41 Moved well. Sea Runner (rb) Prince Of Arabia (Togrolu) 56, 600/43 They finished together. San Ramon (Christopher) Ocean Side (Kuldeep Singh) 54, 600/41 They moved together. Mr.Glorious (M.Mark) 57, 600/43 Moved well. 2y,Palm Springs (Christopher) 2y.Coralsprings (S.nayak) 57, 600/443 They moved together. Perfect (Kuldeep Singh) Rio Grande (Togrolu ) 56, 600/43 A fit pair. Rose Queen (app) 2y. Chocolate Soldier (Ravinder Singh) 58, 600/44 Former finished in front. 2y.Wow O Wow (Joshi) Silver Lid (app) 1-2, 600/46 Theymoved freely. Rebut (K.Alam) 58, 600/44 Urged. Red Magic (AK Pawar) Deccan Storm (Christopher) 1-1.5,600/45 Former finished a length in front. Star Value (Imran Khan) 1-3, 600/45 Easy. Crimson Look (K.Alam) 2y.Rainbow In The Sky (Alikhan) 56.5, 600/43 They finished together. Montpelier (Kuldeep Singh) 1-3, 600/47 Easy. Carson Troy (rb) 59, 600/43 Speedy. Geography (rb) Chayanandan (rb) 58.5, 600/44 They finished together. Saravagnya (rb) 1-0 600/44 Easy. Maximus (I.Pasha) 57, 600/42 Moved well.

SAND TRACK 1000 METRES:

Machiavellianism (Ravinder Singh) 1-10, 800/54, 600/41 Impressed. Vijayshaurya (Ravinder Singh) 1-12, 800/55, 600/42 Pleased. Custodian(app) Lavish Kid (Anil) 110, 800/55, 600/42 They moved together. 2y.Roma Rouge (app) Molla (rb) 1-16, 800/1-1, 600/46 They moved freely. Valentine (Togrolu) 112, 800/58, 600/44 Easy. Robust (Joshi) 1-14, 800/59, 600/45 Easy. 2y.Lots Of Love (Imran Khan) Inner Strength (Kiran Naidu) 1-18, 800/1-2 600/47 They moved together.

SAND TRACK 1200 METRES:

Golden Rule (Kuldeep Singh) Golden Palace (Christopher) 1-27.5, 1000/1-11, 800/57, 600/43 They finished together.

SAND TRACK 1400 METRES:

Malabar Prince (M.Mark) 1-38,1400/600 in 53 Impressed but a bad starter.

LEAGUE CRICKET

‘A’ DIVISION TWO-DAYS

CCOB 383 (Maqbool Baig 87, SK Mohammed 121, Akbar Khan 100, Sultan 4/80) bt Telangana 220 (Paramjit Singh 30, Vikram 40, Ramesh 91, Syed Muzzamil 6/100). Continental 326/7 (B Rahul 102no,Y Harish 79, Rohit Reddy 39, Yashwanth Reddy 39, Rajender 3 for 60) vs Galaxy CC

A4-11 DIVISION ONE-DAY

MP Youngman 230/4 (Bala Brahma Chary 71, Nithin 75,

CK NAYUDU TROPHY Sandeep 33 n.o.) bt RK Puram 188 (Pushkar 35, Srikanth 3/20). Aggarwal Seniors 232 (Syed Ghouse 72, Khaled 30, Syed Mauinuddin 5/38, Shaiva Bhaskaran 4/27) bt HUCC 220 (Syed Mauinuddin 55, Mohd Bilal Ahmed 61, Md Azhar 32 n.o., Syed Shakir 7/39). Sutton CC 86 (Yashwanth Reddy 30, Bhvvandhar 30, E Sreecharan 3/23, G Arjun 4/21) lost to Dhruv XI 87 for no loss (E Sreecharan 56 n.o.).

Superstars 323/4 (Vamshi 121, Vikas 153, Haseeb 3/66) bt PN Youngstars 87 (Murali 4/24, Gopi 3/22). Rushiraj 127/9 (Syed Mohammed 34, Pavan 4/54, Ravi Kumar 4/25) lost to Kakatiya 128/4 (Krishna 30, Ramana 56 n.o.). CK Blues 269/8 (Chaitanya 58, Saradhi 49, Udaya Kiran 56, Shiva Santosh 30, Yash Kapadia 3/41) bt HCA Academy 192/8 (Varun Goud 42, Yash Kapadia 56, K Shiva 3/38).

Jhala to lead Hyderabad ‘A’

HYDERABAD: Parth Jhala will captain the Hyderabad ‘A’ for the match against Andhra ‘A’ side in the Col. CK Nayudu Trophy. Squad: Parth Jhala (Captain), K. Sumanth, L. Naveen, Mohanty, Benjamin Thomas, Praneeth Kumar, Aakash Bhandari, Vishal Sharma, Shiv Prasad, Vishwajeet Pattnaik, Mudassar, Rajendra, Mehdi Hasan, Neeraj Bist, Surinder Singh.

NBA

BRYANT REACHES

30,000-POINT MILESTONE Kobe Bryant became the youngest player to reach 30,000 career points in the NBA as he helped the Los Angeles Lakers to a 103-87 victory over the New Orleans Hornets. NEW ORLEANS: Kobe Bryant became the youngest player to reach 30,000 career points in the NBA on Wednesday as he helped the Los Angeles Lakers to a 103-87 victory over the New Orleans Hornets. With 1:16 left in the second quarter, Bryant drove into the lane and rose to connect on a jump shot, taking his tally for the contest to 14 and for his career to 30,001. “It’s a huge accomplishment,” Bryant said of becoming just the fifth player in NBA history to reach the milestone. He joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Michael Jordan (32,292) and Wilt Chamberlain (31,419). “It feels good,” Bryant added. “I’ve been very fortunate that I haven’t really had any serious injuries. It’s been a lot of sacrifice on my part and my family’s part — a lot of time away and just working extremely hard.” At 34 years old, he’s the youngest player in history to reach the mile-

stone. Chamberlain was 35 years old, while Malone and Abdul-Jabbar were both 36 and Jordan 38. However, Bryant was the fifth-fastest player in terms of games played to reach the milestone, achieving it in his 1,179th contest. Chamberlain got there in 941 games. NBA Commissioner David Stern was on hand to see the feat, but Bryant was just as concerned that the Lakers reversed their recent fortunes with a victory. He finished with 29 points and six rebounds as the Lakers ended a twogame skid. They bounced back from a disappointing loss at Houston — where they surrendered a double-digit fourth-quarter lead — to win for just the second time on the road this season. Dwight Howard added 18 points, eight rebounds and five blocks for the Lakers. “We came out very focused in the second half,” Bryant said, praising Howard in particular. “We just kept on rolling.”

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers waits for a play against the New Orleans Hornets at the New Orleans Arena on Wednesday in New Orleans, Louisiana. Bryant scored his 30,000th point in the game making him the fifth player in NBA history to reach the achievement. STACY REVERE/GETTY IMAGES/AFP

sports

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

IOA ELECETIONS

Chautala elected president

Abhay Chautala took over as the president of the IOA while tainted Lalit Bhanot became the secretary general after the IOA conducted its controversial elections defying the IOC’s directive. NEW DELHI: Abhay Singh Chautala on Wednesday took over as the president of the Indian Olympic Association while the tainted Lalit Bhanot became the secretary general after the IOA conducted its controversial elections defying the IOC’s directive not to go ahead with the polls. Chautala and Bhanot were declared elected unopposed in the polls conducted by an Election Commission made up of retired High Court Justices, just a day after the IOC suspensed the national Olympic body. The world body had yesterday said that the IOA elections will be “null and void” following its suspension. Just after his election to the high-profile post, Chautala

It was an unanimous decision that we have done nothing wrong. The IOA bore the brunt of the tussle between the government and the IOC. Abhay Singh Chautala IOA President defended the decision to go ahead with the polls despite IOC’s directive, saying that the IOA had to abide by the Delhi

High Court order. “We have completed a free and fair election under three eminent retired High Court Justices.

DAVIS CUP

I want to re-iterate that we have not done anything wrong by going ahead with the polls. We have to obey the law of the land,” he told reporters. “It was an unanimous decision of the House that we have done nothing wrong. The IOA had to bear the brunt of the tussle between the government and the IOC. Now we will explain to the IOC the circumstances under which we had to go ahead with the elections. We hope that we will be able to convince the IOC to reconsider the suspension. We will also meet the Sports Minister and the Prime Minster and plead before them to drop the Sports Code which had brought us to this situation. We will work to lift this suspension as soon as possible,” he said.

Bhanot, who was jailed and later released on bail for his alleged involvement in the Commonwealth Games corruption scandal, said that he would quit from the post of IOA secretary general if he is proven guilty by the law of the land. “I have not been proven guilty. I will quit if I am proven guilty by the law of the land,” he said. Virendra Nanavati and N Ramachandran were respectively elected unopposed to the posts of senior vicepresident and treasurer. The elections were held for the eight posts of vice-presidents, six joint secretaries and 20 Executive Council Members. There were seven candidates in the fray for vice-presidents’ posts, 15 for joint secretaries and 28 for Executive Council Members. PTI

DOPING TROUBLE

Tomic axed over behaviour IOC bides time with Armstrong medal

SYDNEY: Captain Pat Rafter will not select troubled Bernard Tomic for Australia’s opening Davis Cup tie next year amid concerns over his on and offcourt behaviour, Tennis Australia said on Thursday. Tomic, 20, has fallen foul of Tennis Australia several times over the past 18 months since reaching the quarter-finals of Wimbledon in 2011. “As a team, we just felt that part of the commitment that we make to athletes and athletes make to the sport is they always put 100 percent commitment and effort in competing for their country,” said Craig Tiley, Tennis Australia’s director of tennis. “It’s not one specific incident, just an aggregation of his approach to the game. We just felt that this decision should provide additional motivation

every time he walks on the court to be a total professional in his approach to not only his preparation but competing in the match and post-match. And it would be no different if he was the number one player in Australia, or the number 100

player, or a junior.” Rafter had been particularly scathing of Tomic’s performance in losing to Andy Roddick in the second round of this year’s US Open, describing his final set capitulation as “disgraceful”. AFP

LAUSANNE: Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong will be able to hold on to his Olympic bronze medal from the time-trial event at the 2000 Games in Sydney for at least a little longer, the International Olympic Committee has said. Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from the sport for life in October after the US AntiDoping Agency (USADA) produced evidence of widespread doping by him and his former team-mates. But the IOC said it would not be stripping Armstrong of his bronze medal because of a technicality that demands that world cycling’s governing body the UCI be first to inform the Ameri-

can, who would then have recourse to sport’s highest court, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). “On the Armstrong case, the IOC will not move today,” IOC president Jacques Rogge said.

SPORTS BRIEFS Radwanska headlines Sydney draw

Ag2r back for Tour Down Under

SYDNEY: Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska will lead a ﬁeld

SYDNEY: French cycling outﬁt Ag2r La Mondiale will return to Australia next month for the team’s 15th start in the Tour Down Under, organisers said. Ag2r La Mondiale is the only team to have competed every year since the ﬁrst event in 1999, race director Mike Turtur said. The French team has the most successful record in the Australian road race with previous winners including Martin Elmiger (2007), Simon Gerrans (2006), Mikel Astarloza (2003) and Gilles Maignan (2000) and also Blel Kadri (in pic). “The Ag2r La Mondiale team will be very competitive. They are bringing a group of experienced riders including Yauheni Hutarovich, the 2012 Belarus national road race champion,” Turtur said.

featuring seven of the top 10 women players for next month’s Sydney International, organisers said on Thursday. World number four Radwanska is the likely top seed but will face a ﬁerce challenge from three Grand Slam champions, China’s Li Na, the Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova and Australia’s Samantha Stosur. Angelique Kerber, French Open ﬁnalist Sara Errani and former world number one Caroline Wozniacki are the other top 10 players in the draw. The men’s line-up features the French pair of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet. The Sydney International takes place from January 6 to 12. AFP

sports

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

ENGLAND’S TOUR OF INDIA

scoreboard

England take control

India 1st Innings (overnight score)

Despite a fighting half-century by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, England managed to bundle out India for 316 before reaching 22 for no loss at lunch on the second day of the third Test. KOLKATA: Despite a fighting half-century by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, England managed to bundle out India for 316 before reaching 22 for no loss at lunch on the second day of the third Test here today. At break, the visitors were in an advantageous position with captain Alastair Cook and Nick Compton unbeaten at the crease. India’s first innings total certainly seems inadequate on a batting-friendly flat Eden track. Resuming on 273 for seven, overnight batsman Dhoni, start-

ing on 22, went on to hit a fine 52 to help India cross the 300-run mark. But Monty Panesar’s two wickets in the first five overs of the day enabled England dictate terms. Pacer James Anderson, after starting the proceedings, created pressure from one end, while Panesar bowled cleverly using a lot of variations. With two wickets today, Panesar’s figures read an impressive four for 90, while Anderson, though could not add any more wicket to his yesterday’s tally,

finished with three for 89. India had a jittery start as Zaheer Khan, on 2, edged the ball at the second slip in the third over of the day but only to be dropped by Graeme Swann off Anderson’s bowling. Anderson once again troubled the hosts with his reverse swing but was unlucky in giving his team the first breakthrough. Zaheer, however, failed to make the most of his dropped chance, as in the very next over he was trapped by Panesar. He departed for six.

AUSTRALIA VS SRI LANKA

168th Test for Australia against South Africa in Perth, which finished on Monday. Selectors also recalled pace bowlers Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus for the December 1418 Hobart opener after they were left out of the third South Africa Test, won by the Proteas who sealed the series 1-0. Hughes, who has played 17 Tests as an opening batsman, gets another chance to establish himself after technical issues with the rising ball led to his axing. “Phillip Hughes has been selected to fill the vacancy created by Ricky Ponting’s retirement,”

England 1st Innings AN Cook* not out 17 NRD Compton not out 5 Extras 0 Total (0 wickets) 22 Bowling O M R W Z Khan

14 0

I Sharma

R Ashwin

RANJI TROPHY

Hughes recalled in place of Ponting

SYDNEY: Phillip Hughes (in pic) is in line to replace newly retired Ricky Ponting after being named Thursday in the Australian squad for the opening Test against Sri Lanka, starting in Hobart next week. Hughes, whose last Test appearance was against New Zealand in December 2011, was preferred ahead of Rob Quiney and Usman Khawaja to fill the vacancy left by former skipper Ponting. Ponting, the second-highest Test run-scorer of all-time behind India’s Sachin Tendulkar, played his final and record-equalling

Panesar seemed to be on a roll as he returned to castle Ishant Sharma (0) in his next over, and India looked in danger of being skittled out short of 300. With the hosts reeling at 296 for nine, Dhoni stitched a 20-run partnership with Pragyan Ojha, who gave a good support to his skipper without scoring a single run. Field was spread out for Dhoni, who preferred to score in boundaries or taking a run off the last ball trying to save Ojha. India crossed the 300-mark with Dhoni lofting Panesar for a six.PTI

273/7

MS Dhoni*† c Swann b Finn 52 R Ashwin b Anderson 21 Z Khan lbw b Panesar 6 I Sharma b Panesar 0 PP Ojha not out 0 Extras (b 5, lb 13, w 5, nb 1) 24 Total (all out) 316 Fall of wickets: 1-47, 2-88, 3-117, 4-136, 5-215, 6-230, 7-268, 8-292, 9-296, 10-316 Bowling O M R W JM Anderson 28 7 89 3 ST Finn 21 2 73 1 MS Panesar 40 13 90 4 GP Swann 16 3 46 1

chairman of selectors John Inverarity said. “Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Rob Quiney and Alex Doolan were the four batsmen to come under consideration to bat high in the order. “Phillip is an improved player and his recent and overall career statistics present a compelling case,” Inverarity said. “The selection panel holds the view that he, having just turned 24, is a very significant part of the future.” The chairman said captain Michael Clarke would decide on his batting order during the next few days, with Hughes an option at number three in Ponting’s place. “The dressing-room will be different without the presence of Ricky Ponting. His absence creates both the opportunity and the necessity for others to grow and fill the gap,” Inverarity said. Pacemen John Hastings and Josh Hazlewood were not considered because of injuries. “The squad welcomes the return of Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle. Neither bowler was considered to be 100 percent fit to perform and (they were) not included in the final squad of 12 for the Perth Test match against South Africa,” said Inverarity. Australia: Michael Clarke (capt), Shane Watson, David Warner, Ed Cowan, Phil Hughes, Mike Hussey, Matthew Wade, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Ben Hilfenhaus, Nathan Lyon. AFP

Players released for domestic duties

KOLKATA: Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, Ajinkya Rahane and Bengal speedster Ashok Dinda were today released by the Indian team management for their upcoming Rani Trophy encounters, starting December 8.

While Harbhajan and Rahane have been released for the Group A Ranji encounter between Punjab and Mumbai, Dinda was releived off the national duty for Bengal’s match against Saurashtra in the same group. The three cricketers, who were not inculded in the playing eleven for the ongoing third Test against England which began at the Eden Gardens here today, were released for their respective Ranji encounters to get proper match practice. While Harbhajan has played the second Test in Mumbai, Rahane and Dinda are yet to play a part in the series.

RAY OF HOPE

Parthiv hopeful of Indian team comeback

NEW DELHI: India discard Parthiv Patel still nurtures hope of returning to the Indian cricket team and feels that his good showing with the bat in the ongoing domestic season will attract the attention of the national selectors. “There’s been ups and downs in my career since I made my debut. But I am quite happy with the way I am playing at the moment in domestic circuit. I am going through a good Ranji season with the bat. I am hoping to return (to the Indian team),” Parthiv said

on the sidelines of a function here. Parthiv, who was last seen donning the India colours against Sri Lanka in Brisbane in February this year, said he is keeping himself ready to make a comeback as and when he gets a call from the selectors. “I am waiting for my chance. Whenever I got a chance to play for the country, I had performed to the fullest,” he said. But off late Parthiv has been been out of favour with the selectors as they have been favouring Wriddhiman Saha. PTI

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012

sports

DEL PIERO SIDELINED BY HAMSTRING INJURY

Italian superstar Alessandro Del Piero will miss Sydney FC's weekend trip to play Wellington Phoenix in Australia's A-League with a hamstring injury, the club said on Thursday. Officials said scans revealed he suffered a strain during last weekend's scoreless home draw with Melbourne Heart.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

United slump to defeat Luis Alberto scored the only goal as Cluj secured a 1-0 win over Manchester United but were still eliminated from the Champions League. GRAHAM CHASE Agence France-Presse MANCHESTER: Luis Alberto scored the only goal as Cluj secured a 1-0 win over Manchester United but were still eliminated from the Champions League here on Wednesday. Alberto put the Romanian champions ahead just before the hour but with Galatasary coming from behind to win 2-1 in Braga, Cluj were eliminated on the head to head ruling. Paulo Sergio's side, who must have believed a victory at Old Trafford would take them to the next stage, will now feature in the Europa League in the new year. United were through even before the 1-0 defeat at Galatasary last month and progress as group winners. But despite making 10 changes ahead of the Manchester derby with City on Sunday, Alex Ferguson will still be frustrated at his team's second successive European defeat. It was his team's first home loss since a 1-0 defeat to Besiktas in November 2009. But, having taken the unusual step of criticising the defending of his side, who have now conceded 33 goals this season, before the game, he will be angry to have witnessed more errors against Cluj. Alberto's goal was the 15th occasion United have fallen behind this season and they have only kept four clean sheets in 23 matches in the current campaign. Danny Welbeck went close to

Cluj's midfielder Luis Alberto (R) celebrates with Cluj's Portugese defender Ivo Pinto after scoring during the Champions League group H match between Manchester United and CFR Cluj-Napoca at Old Trafford in Manchester, on Wednesday. AFP/PAUL ELLIS

giving United an early breakthrough but his header from a Ryan Giggs cross flew wide of goal. There was more evidence of what has been troubling Ferguson when a loose Giggs backpass put Chris Smalling under pressure and the England defender's poor clearance allowed Rui Pedro to shoot, only for David De Gea to make a smart save.

The Romanians pressed forward whenever they could and Pedro swapped passes with Modou Sogou before the striker's effort was deflected wide by United youngster Scott Wootton. Camora found more space when he got in behind Phil Jones only to see his cross cleared wide by Tom Cleverley with Sogou about to pounce at the near post.

Messi scare for Barรงa TIM HANLON Agence France-Presse

BARCELONA, Lionel Messi was stretchered off with a knee injury as Barcelona drew 0-0 with Benfica at the Camp Nou, a result which saw Celtic go through at the expense of the Portuguese from Champions League Group G. The club later confirmed the injury was only bruising to the left knee, but added that the Argentine "is still awaiting more tests to determine the extent of the injury". Benfica needed only to match Celtic's result against Spartak Moscow and they wasted a number of excellent chances against a weakened Barca, especially in the first half and were to rue them as Celtic snatched a 2-1 win over Spartak Moscow.

Barcelona's forward Lionel Messi leaves the pitch on a stretcher after being injured during the CL match against SL Benfica on Wednesday. AFP/JOSEP LAGO

Messi was brought on as a second-half substitute but went down clutching his knee later on. The Catalan side cruised through the group stage with just one

defeat, away to Celtic, in what has been a prolific start to the season where domestically they have established a new record of 13 wins from 14 games.

Chelsea exit CL PARIS: Chelsea made the wrong sort of history on Wednesday as they became the first holders to exit the Champions League at the group stage despite winning their final group game. Their 6-1 thumping of Danish minnows Nordsjaelland - their biggest Champions League win, having previously twice won 5-0 - proved pointless as Juventus won 1-0 and inflicted a rare home defeat on Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk. Chelsea's despair was in contrast to the joy in Glasgow as Celtic reached the Last 16 with a 2-1 home win over Spartak Moscow and become the first Scottish side to garner 10 points from the group stage. Chelsea's victory gave interim coach Rafael Benitez - who has received a less than warm reception by the Chelsea fans since he replaced Roberto di Matteo - his first win in four games at the Stamford Bridge helm. "The other game was out of our hands, so we couldn't do anything about it," said Benitez, who will not have enjoyed seeing some Chelsea fans holding up posters of another former Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, imploring him to return. "I said before that we just had to do our job. As a manager, you have to be really pleased with the performance of your team. "People ask about the Europa League. Every competition is important for us. We will try to challenge and win where we can." Juventus progressed thanks to an own goal by Olexandr Kucher, although they also spurned several chances of their own and left assistant coach Angelo Alessio a happy man. "We are really happy with this victory, to have reached the next round and to have finished top of our group," he said.

Celtic through to last-16 ALISTAIR WATSON Agence France-Presse GLASGOW: A late Kris Commons penalty sealed a 2-1 win for Celtic over ten-man Spartak Moscow that saw the Glasgow giants progress to the last 16 of the Champions League after Benfica could only manage a goalless draw in Barcelona. Spartak had come close through Kim Kallstrom and Emmanuel Emenike before Gary Hooper pounced on a Spartak defensive error to fire Celtic into a 21st minute lead. The goal spurned Spartak on and the Russians grabbed an equaliser in the 39th minute when Ari showed good composure to lob Fraser Forster from a difficult angle. Georgios Samaras smacked

the post with a volley just after the break and Mikel Lustig saw a header tipped just over as Celtic chased a winner. With just 10 minutes remaining Samaras won a penalty after a push in the box from Kirill Kombarov and Commons kept his cool to smash his spot-kick in off the bar. Both sides ended with ten men after Kallstrom saw a straight red in the 88th minute for a high challenge on Commons, that saw the Celtic player stretchered off with the home side having made all their substitutions. The win sees Celtic become the first Scottish side to achieve ten points in the competition as they progress out of the group stages for only the third time in their history behind Group G winners Barcelona.