Postnoon E-Paper for 10 September 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012 HYDERABAD

DAMARUKAM’S AUDIO LAUNCH

The audio of Nagarjuna, Anushkastarrer Damarukam is going to be launched later today in Shilpakala Vedika, Hyderabad. Srinivas Reddy is the director of this socio-fantasy film.

WWW.POSTNOON.COM

REAL STEEL

While the Olympics is all about excellence, the Paralympics is an ode to the human spirit. As the London Paralympics 2012 comes to an end, we look at the men and women who gained our respect for their grit and determination in the face of adversity.

P16&17

32 PAGES

WEATHER: CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS; 25°C

EMMA WANTS TO LIVE HER OWN LIFE

Emma Watson says she does not want to focus only on acting as she wants the chance to pursue other things in her life.

P21

P25

HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

TOO

LITTLE,

TOO LATE

From the original estimate of `852 crore, the State budget for conducting the international biodiversity conference (CBD) was scaled down to `250 crore. Now, with a `300-crore grant from the Planning Commission, barely three weeks before the event, not everyone is happy. As officials have different versions on the spending plans, citizens worry that the funds will mostly be siphoned off.

REPORT ON P4&5

BLEEDING MMTS IS RAILWAY’S SALUTE TO YOU A highly placed railway official reveals the inside story of policy paralysis, grief and financial distress that plague the MMTS project in Hyderabad.

P8&9

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

city events

KUTCHI EXHIBITION

Shrujan (Threads of Life) a non profit organisation will be organising an exhibition-cum-sale of finest quality of Kutchi hand embroidered apparels and life style products at Veeves Boutique, Banjara Hills from September 14.

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

Overnight

Morning

Afternoon

25°C

21°C

24°C

29°C

Cloudy with showers likely.

A mix of cloud and sun

New Delhi Mumbai Max 35 Max 31 Min 27 Min 26 A mix of cloud and sun

Chennai Max 34 Min 26

Scattered thunderstorms

Bangalore Max 27 Min 19

Cloudy

Cloudy.

AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES Suniyata Khanna titled Sunyata ( the obvious identity) is being held at Alankritha Art Gallery. The painting exhibition will be on display till September 15. Where: Alankritha Art Gallery, Residency Inn Kavuri hills When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2354 0023

DINING Kebab and biryani fest The Jewel of Nizam at Hotel Golkonda is hosting a kebab and biryani fest. Sample various age-old recipes. The fest offers options for both vegetarians as well as for non-vegetarians. Where: Jewel of Nizam, Hotel Golkonda, Masab Tank When: Ongoing, 12.30pm onwards and 7.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6611 0130 Mediterranean food fest Take a trip and experience a variety of Mediterranean delights such as bruschetta and seafood marinara pasta, bruschetta and antipasto at Truffles cafe. The fest is on till September 30. Where: Trufﬂes Cafe, Jubilee Hills, Rd No 10 When: Ongoing, 8am onwards Contact: (040)2355 0105 Rajwar food festival Rajdhani celebrates the rich food of the kings from Rajasthan and Gujarat with the Rajwar food festival.The food festival is on till September 16. Where: Rajdhani, Banjara Hills, Rd No 3 When: Ongoing, 12pm onwards and 7.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6459 3998

Art exhibition An art exhibition by Kandukuri Ramesh Babu titled Samanyashetram is being held. Where: Muse Art Gallery, Tank Bund Road When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040)2752 2999

FESTIVE FERVOUR: Girls buy an idol of Lord Ganesha from a market in Old City. Hyderabad and the rest of the country is set to celebrate Vinayak Chaturti on September 19. SRINIVAS SETTY Daawat-e-biryani The first thing that comes to anyones mind when we say Hyderabad is the popular Hyderabadi Biryani. ITC Kakatiya is hosting a biryani festival. The fest is on till September 16. Where: Deccan Pavilion, ITC Kakatiya, Begumpet When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 2340 0132

SHOWS Play time Lamakaan will be hosting Manch Theatre’s A Plateful of Plays on October 6. This 120-minute offering is a collection of humorous short plays. Where: Lamkaan, Banjara Hills,

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

Rd No 1 When: October 6, 7.30pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329 Life of others A German film Leben der Anderen (The life of others ) directed by Floren Henckel Von Donnersmarck wil be shown on September 21. Where: Goethe Zentrum, Banjara Hills, Rd No 3 When: September 21, 4pm onwards Contact: (040) 2335 0443 Madly in love Head to Goethe Zentrum for a Swiss Film Festival. The movie Madli in love will screened on September 10. Where: Goethe Zentrum, Banjara Hills,

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

Rd No 3 When: September 10, 4pm onwards Contact: (040) 2335 0443

ART Deep in the wood The exhibition displays woodcut art prints by 22 artists.These art works are from the woodcut workshop conducted by Earth Art Gallery. The works will be on display till September 14. Where: Earth Art Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing Contact: 98480 22011

Painting exhibition Shrishti Art Gallery is hosting an exhibition of paintings by artiste Santosh Verma. The paintings aim to depict human nature. Where: Shrishti Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills, Rd No 3 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2354 0023

Sunyata An exhibition of paintings by

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

A relook at art Jannis—A Relook, a collection of recent water colours by Jehangir Jani will be held at Kalakrithi. Where: Kalakrithi Art Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 10 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 66564 466

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

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

City

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

WILL MMTS PHASE II ALLEVIATE COMMUTER PROBLEMS? 59% 41%

YES (A) NO (B)

TODAY’S QUESTION

WOULD YOU PREFER A SECOND TERM FOR OBAMA? A)

YES

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

CRIME

For all you know, the new entrant may be a fake A fake certificate racket has been unearthed in the City. The four member gang has sold counterfeit certificates from universities around the country to many people in the State.

Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

Initial suspicion is that some functionary in a university is involved in making the fake certificates.

ext time you plan to employ someone, better get the degree certificates verified by the university concerned or else you may have a sham degree holder on your payroll. A four-member team that the Golconda police nabbed a few days ago revealed that they have sold fake degree certificates to hundreds of people in Hyderabad and AP. According to them, many

(From left): Saleemuddin, Gulam Assad, Syed Basheeruddin and T Ravi.

have used these certificates to land a job in India and in the Gulf. After the arrest, the police also seized from their possession

dozens of spurious certificates from various universities in India. “You name it they have it. If they don’t have it at the moment they will arrange for

it,” says Golconda inspector Mohd Waheeduddin. The arrested have been identified as Mohd Saleemuddin, 35, a resident of Samatha Colony Toli Chowki, Gulam Assad and Syed Basheer both residents of Yakutpura and T Ravi, native of

Karimnagar district. Karar of Pasha Colony Narsingi, who is believed to be the kingpin has escaped from the police net. Until Karar is caught, the exact modus operandi would not be clear. The four caught are simply commission agents who sell the certificates provided by Karar for a cut, police said. But initial suspicion is that some functionary in a university could be involved as making a fake certificate by an outsider it is no easy task. Attempts are being made to locate Karar.

city MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012 VOICES

hen Delhi had received about `3,000 crore for the Commonwealth Games, Hyderabad should have got its share. There has been no political pressure from the State. I think another `5,000 crore should be allocated and planned for the City’s infrastructure by setting up a metropolitan planning committee that includes all the civic bodies, GHMC, HMDA and so on. I wish we had done more than the national capital.

Jayaprakash Narayan, Lok Satta party leader and MLA

transparent government would have convened an allparty meeting long ago to decide on the right course to take for decking up the City for the world conference. But you can’t expect it from a Congress government. The future of the City is at stake here. Whatever works they have taken up so far, they have failed to impress. There has been no concrete effort. When Hyderabad was chosen as the venue about a year back, they should have taken up all the greenery and beautification works right away. What use is greenery if it is taken up just before the delegates arrive? Moreover, 52 community halls have been stalled and pending because of the slow tender calls and irresponsible contractors. I doubt if this will help the City’s infrastructure in any way.

Kishan Reddy, BJP Leader

POSTNOON SPECIAL

WHO’LL SHARE THE

Bureaucracy has a 600-volt smile on its face. Officials at the secretariat and at the GHMC have different versions on the manna from the heavens. The size of the funds coming in for the conduct of the biodiversity conference (CBD) ranges from `125 crore to `450 crore. The final figure seems to be `300 crore. The situation is akin to the Babel Tower, and citizens worry the funds will find its way to several deep pockets. RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA AND Md NIZAMUDDIN feedback@postnoon.com

yderabad gets a golden opportunity to strut before the world. The world biodiversity summit beginning October 1 is a chance to showcase this historical city, but the government and the GHMC have been caught napping for over a year and have suddenly woken up speaking gibberish. Postnoon finds out how ill-prepared the government is and how ad hocism prevails in every area of execution. The crucial question is, what can be done with the sudden flush of funds at the eleventh hour? M Samuel, special chief secretary (environment and forests) says `200 crore had already been spent on beautification and `250 crore more

would be spent by the government. When Postnoon sought clarification, Samuel said that while `200 crore was for beautification, the remainder (`250 crore) was for the conference, which primarily includes providing security cover and

Owing to various constraints, including monsoon and non-availability of sand, the works could not be taken up in time. Now it is too late. MT Krishna Babu GHMC commissioner

for arrangements for the conference by the AP Biodiversity Board. According to him, Park and Pillion at Gachibowli are part of the bigger works being undertaken earmarked with

t is not `250 crore but `300 crore actually. Out of this, around `100 crore is being used for the AP State Biodiversity Museum that will be constructed after the Prime Minister’s inauguration before the high-level summit on October 17, 18, and 19. Around 15 acres has been acquired at Gachibowli for this purpose. As of now, we are busy with the construction of a pylon structure that commemorates the event, for which two and half acres of greenery and rare species plantation have been slated. As to the question of funds being released late, in my opinion they have been timed well and all projects will be finished by September 25, before the first delegates arrive. I do not know how the rest of the money will be put into use by the civic bodies that have been allotted their respective budgets.

R Hampaiah, Chairman of the AP Biodiversity Board

huge budgets. However, GHMC commissioner MT Krishna Babu tells a different story. “`852 crore was the earliest estimate, and later the government sanctioned `400

city MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012 VOICES

`300 CR CBD CAKE? taken up in time. Now it is too late,” said the commissioner, while explaining why `300 crore cannot be availed of now. After several rounds of meetings between members of State-level steering committee headed by the chief minister, State-level coordination committee headed by the chief secretary, COP-11 secretariat and nodal committees (includes 10 committees) in the beginning of the year, the ‘timeline’ for finalisation of executing agencies was set as May 15 and advanced operations and civil works were to be completed by May 31. The ‘beautification’ that includes plantation of lawn/shrubbery/palms was set to be well over by June 30 and potted plants by August 31. But most of these works have passed their deadlines long ago and now officials are finding it difficult to complete the task in spite of sitting on huge budgets. “How are they being paid salaries, when they do not even know how to do their own work properly?” laments the assistant commissioner in-charge of beautification about the subordinates. While the moot question is about the actual sum released, another one is how the City or the government would spend `300 crore in three weeks. “Even if you spend like Croesus, you can’t spend it well,” remarked an official at the secretariat. He believes there is a scandal in the making, like the one we saw at the Commonwealth Games.

crore. Due to various reasons, it was scaled down to `250 crore.” The recent developments point out the complete lack of coordination between the State and central governments. With less

than a month to go, the Planning Commission has sanctioned `300 crore. “Owing to various constraints, including monsoon and non-availability of sand, the works could not be

OPPOSITION PARTIES IN THE DARK

Blasted if they knew what was happening. Postnoon’s efforts to assess the Opposition’s involvement in the most prestigious event taking place at the foyer of the City drew a blank, at best

The main question that remains to be answered is how the government plans to spend `300 crore in three weeks. a shock. Lok Satta party leader and MLA Jayaprakash Narayan believes that the State leadership has utterly failed to utilise this occasion to buttress the City’s infrastructure. It seems that floor leaders of opposition parties in the GHMC are none the wiser either. Singireddy Srinivas Reddy, TDP floor leader, explains that `152 crore from GHMC and `100 crore provided by the chief minister are being utilised for the event. However, he is not sure how this was being spent. “They might have invested in new garbage mechanism,” Reddy points out.

or such a prestigious conference, they should have planned at the earliest. Neither was an all-party programme convened nor was a white paper released in the interest of the public or all political parties. As to my knowledge, funds will be diverted for other purposes, which has become a ritual with the Congress government. When the State government was not interested in releasing `25 crore for the World Telugu Conference, I do not see how the CBD will have any bigger prominence. As to my knowledge, only `70-80 crore will be used and the rest will be siphoned off happily.

Dadi Veerabhadra Rao, Ex-MLA and party member of TDP

hen they announced Hyderabad as the venue they should have started the civic body works at least three months back. And now, with additional funds being released, contractors will easily say they had very little time in finishing the works and white wash away the rest of the funds.

T Harish Rao, TRS member

personally think the government or the civic bodies will not be able to spend this money. The arrival of funds has been timed very late. Government has not understood the importance of the event and is behaving like a devotee with a fancy for rituals but no real dedication. The Central government has a policy paralysis and cannot act swiftly and the State government has an action paralysis, which makes the both of them a suitable combination.

DA Somayajulu, Leader, YSR Congress Party

uch a massive event like world conference calls for an expert project team that has experience in financial execution to meet the deadline and spend money prudentially. It can’t be handled by routine committees. If they use the money to set up more infrastructure that would be useful for the City later and less on temporary make-up, the money is well spent or else it would lead to waste and misappropriation.

Sujith Nair, Finance controller for Red Orange, a global logistics firm

city MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012 LAST YEAR... HERE Bikes gone missing?

ast year we had reported how the traffic police in the City had been allotted snazzy new Baja Pulsar bikes. The purpose behind this move was to give cops a set of wheels with which they could pursue errant youngsters, who flout traffic rules. But now one year later traffic rules continue to be ignored and cops on their snazzy bikes are a rare sight.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2011

POLITICS

DRUNK DRIVING More metros may adopt City initiative

At last, TDP will have T party

Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

ith 8,752 cases booked so far under the offence of ‘drunken driving’, the City traffic police have been able to raise a whopping `1.8 crore since the launch of the drive on November 4, 2011. The drive has been able to curb the habit, particularly among the rich and educated, most of whom were caught from the areas of Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills. Interestingly, only four women were caught during the same period. “Being identified as ideal, even for other major cities in the country, representatives from traffic departments are expected to visit Hyderabad to study this phenomenon,” says an official. According to the official, even WHO representatives will visit the City in November for this. One of the reasons for the huge collection is the fact that unlike other traffic violations, the fine amount imposed by court is `2,000 and `3,000. The traffic police detained vehicles of drunk drivers before sending them to third MM and fourth MM court, which would impose fine. At least 15 days of twohour counseling sessions is mandatory for the person involved in this case before he/she can get behind the wheel. Each counseling session with multimedia presentation was attended by 250 members. Till date, 12 such counseling sessions have taken place. The traffic police are now focusing on implementing more stringent penalties, like imprisonment. “We could have even implemented the helmet rule in Hyderabad, but for the nonconformity of some of the leaders who made fun of it,” notes the official.

Chandrababau Naidu has decided to give up the united Andhra policy. He is scared of the party’s future with Telangana region rejecting his party repeatedly.

NUMEROLOGY

`300 cr

is the budget allocated for beautifying the City ahead of the prestigious COP-11. The question however remains, will the works be completed on time.

We may do something on the first day of the CBD meet too. It will be a surprise but at the end we will make a huge impact and make sure students’ power is felt. Krishank M, OU TSJAC See page 7

THINGS WE LEARNT TODAY

The column that teaches everyone something new about the way the City functions.

Hiring an employee? Please check credentials. The police recently arrested a fourmember gang that was supplying fake degree certiﬁcates to people for jobs in the Country and in the Gulf.

The CBD might just be a huge let down. Earlier, the Corporation was unhappy that the govt didn’t sanction funds for the CBD preparations. And now that it has, there’s barely any time left.

TDP changes its tune in a bid to retain voters. With general elections round the corner, the TDP has now begun demanding a separate T state after insisting on united Andhra.

City trafﬁc police are proving to be trendsetters. They launched the campaign against drunk driving a year ago. Now the successful initiative is attracting other metros as well.

MMTS services may be your best bet to beat trafﬁc. The transport medium might be affordable and clean, yet the general public exploits the system.

INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com

etter late than never. The TDP that has suffered electoral defeats for many years for its argument for a united Andhra has at last decided to join the crowd and demand a separate Telangana state. The party is getting ready to organise a massive show on Telangana Liberation Day on Monday next and announce its support for a T state, thus ending the party’s prevailing prevarication on the issue, said the senior party leader E Dayakar Rao. He said the party chief Chandrababu Naidu had held discussions with the Seemandhra and Rayalaseema leaders and impressed upon them on the need to take a clear stance on T state or else the main opposition party will be reduced to zero at the next General Elections. “The party will officially write a letter to the Centre on the issue. It will demand of the

government to initiate the process of creating a separate Telangana state immediately,” Rao said. “We have been holding the Liberation Day celebrations every year. But this year’s celebrations will be held only after announcing our support to sep-

support to the separate Telangana state. But antagonists of the party, especially the TRS, ignored it and continued to play the tune that the TDP was against Telangana. Consequently, the party has been suffering humiliating defeats in Telangana region in the successive elections.

The party is gearing up to organise a show of Telangana Liberation Day and announce its support for a separate T state.

GAG ON SEEMANDHRA LEADERS

arate Telangana state,” he said. The party leaders from Telangana region including MLAs have held discussions with the party president on the issue. The leaders also have a plan to hold a massive public meeting to announce its decision in Hyderabad. The TDP had indeed written a letter to the Pranab Mukherjee committee earlier extending

The mood in the party headquarters is easily gauged ahead of the crucial decision on Tissue. While the faces of Telangana leaders are glowing with joy following the decision, leaders from Seemandhra region don’t dare to comment on the issue. Senior leaders like former Union minister K Erranaidu and Kodela Sivaprasada Rao have declined to comment on the controversial issue. Party sources informed Postnoon that the leaders from Seemandhra region were asked to be tightlipped on the issue by the party high command.

NEWS BRIEFS GHMC employee pours hot oil on woman

Girl, 20, found raped and Woman sets herself on murdered in bushes fire at Addagutta

Goods burnt to cinders at a footwear store

iqued at not getting regular mamools (bribe) from footpath vendors, a GHMC employee and his associates have allegedly splashed boiling cooking oil on a woman vendor this morning in Kothapet. It is said that after the attack he and his associates ransacked kiosks and pushcarts leading to tension and a trafﬁc gridlock.

20-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered by unknown persons. Her body was found in the bushes at Mallapur Ashok Nagar under the Kushaiguda police station limits. She was dressed in violet-print shirt and blue pants. Police suspect that she could be a sex worker. The body is shifted to Gandhi Hospital for postmortem.

woman by name G Gangamma, 50, has allegedly committed suicide by setting her clothes on ﬁre on Sunday at Addagutta. The incident occured by the roadside. Police said that she had an accident ﬁve years ago that led to a serious head injury and she has since been feeling miserable. The Tukaramgate police are investigating the case.

ootwear and furniture worth several lakh of rupees were gutted in a fire that broke out in the Bata showroom at Erragada on Sunday night. As the shop was closed for the business, nobody was inside the store when the fire erupted. Neighbours summoned the fire brigade and fire fighters fought for over an hour to tame the fire.

classifieds MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012 ART GALLERY

HEALTH / CLINIC

EDUCATION

PROTEST

OU T-students plan ‘Maha Dharna’ The stir is to protest the ‘false’ cases against students of Telangana. SUDESHNA KOKA sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

A SAREES

FURNITURE

PEST CONTROL

COMPUTERS

fter a long lull, the proTelangana agitation is back . On September 11 at the Arts College, OU, around 300 to 500 students of OU TS JAC will sit on a day-long hunger strike demanding that the State write off the criminal cases. “On several occasions, the home minister told us that all cases against us have been cancelled. But only petty cases have been cancelled. Major ones like category five (attempt to murder) have not been withdrawn. Therefore, we are going on a hunger strike asking the government to call off all the cases against us,” Krishank M, OU TSJAC spokesperson. Students from 10 districts of Telangana are expected to participate in the fast. This time students are working independently of any political JAC. “We are wary of political affiliations of the JAC and we would like to stay away from that fold. During the 2009 agitation, we were the ones who led the agitation and even now we will be fighting and will achieve a separate Telengana,” said Mandala Bhaskar, Schedule Tribe, president, OU. Student leaders have divided themselves into various groups and have been sticking posters all over the

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city about the ‘Maha Dharna’ and the Chalo Telengana march. More than 50,000 posters have been stuck in the City. In a move to revive the student Telengana agitation, students have called a ‘Chalo Hyderabad’ march on September 27. It’s a three day march which is also coinciding with the Ganesh Festival. “With Jai Ganesh it’s going to be Jai Telangana. All these events will have a snowball effect. First the ‘Maha Dharna’ then the Chalo Telangana march. “We may do something big on the first day of the bio diversity meet too. It’s all a surprise but at the end we will make a huge impact and make sure student’s power is felt. We are going to lead the agitation and do anything that is required. If posh Cyberabad is being decorated for the Biodiversity meet, the mass Hyderabad is getting set to echo with Jai Telangana,” says Krishank.

POLITICS

Chalo Assembly on September 18 J

HEALTH / CLINIC

Around 300 to 500 students of OU TS JAC will sit on a day-long hunger strike demanding that the State write off the criminal cases against the students from Telangana.

oint Staff Council, APSWREIS and Member Service Associations have decided to boycott Teachers Day celebrations on September 11 and wear black badges while attending duties.They also decided to organise a Chalo Assembly on September 18 in protest against the State’s indifferent attitude. Joint staff council leader Dr A Madhusudan demanded that the State government fill 3,500 regular posts in residential schools and provide adequate infrastructure in 288 residential schools. He also demanded that the government extend Employees’ Health Care Fund to the employees of residential schools on par with State employees. He wanted the government to extend PRC-2010 to adhoc teachers and Class IV employees in residential schools, he added. Joint staff council leader Ravinder Reddy lamented that though they served a notice to the government on August 27, it failed to take steps to resolve their demands. He also warned that if the State government failed, they would boycott duties and lock the schools in the last week of September. NSS

city MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

TRANSPORT

Bleeding MMTS is railway's salute to you A highly placed railway official reveals the inside story of policy paralysis, grief and financial distress that plagues the MMTS project in Hyderabad. PADMINI COPPARAPU padmini.c@postnoon.com

veryone who knows anything about MMTS in the City has something to criticise the service. Irregular timings, not many trains, not enough parking at the stations etc. They expect it to be first-class service. It’s like going to a roadside cafe and complaining that the mineral water served is not chilled. They forget that getting mineral water is a bit unrealistic in such a situation. Forgive me if the analogy seems conceited, especially from a railway official, but consider these facts. More than 1.5 lakh people commute by MMTS in the City every day. We run over 122 services daily. It is a sizeable number, so you could be forgiven for thinking we must be doing okay. Our accounts will tell you a different story. Our daily revenue is just about `3.10 lakh. Can you guess what our expenses are? Just our logistics costs amount to approximately `38 lakh. This is not even counting the costs incurred for maintenance of station infrastructure, costs of the two drivers, guard, two ticket conductors, two railway protection force officers, ticketing personnel... and the 50 odd people that are behind the running of each train. Which means that every single day, by a conservative estimate, we incur a net loss of `35 lakh.

TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF

In the last eight to 10 years, everything from bus fares, auto fares to air fares have increased exponentially, but there has been no revision in train fares. The price of an MMTS ticket today is `2. The price of a platform ticket is `5. Needless to say, people who have realised

the tragic irony of the situation take blatant advantage. There are still some others who don’t even bother to shell out the two rupees, for the cheapest transport system in the country, and travel for free. What they don’t realise is that they are cutting off the very hand that’s feeding them.

Even with no dedicated tracks, the railways is doing its best to maintain timings, frequency, increase capacity of the trains, keep stations clean and provide better passenger amenities.

NO CHECKS IN PLACE

There are no checks. There is no fear of getting caught, our critics allege. During peak hours, there are checks. But truth be told, the situation is laughable. Ask our TCs to scout MMTS trains regularly and they will tell you how unfeasible the

proposition is. They have a `1 lakh fine-collection target they must meet every month and the riff-raff that travels ticketless along the MMTS routes can’t shell out the `250 fine. Left with no choice, the TCs force them to disembark at the next station. Sometimes, even that is not without consequence. Recently, on the Borabanda-Hafizpet route, some offenders retaliated by pelting stones at the TCs. They escaped by a hair’s breath. Some destroyed the Automatic Ticket Vending Machines at the stations. They misbehave with our ticketing staff. But who wants to know about these things?

NO INCREASE IN FARES

Anyway, back to the main point. Why not increase the fare? At least make them on par with platform tickets, you ask. Believe me when I say, it’s not for the lack of trying. Petition after petition has fallen on deaf ears. Everyone’s afraid to push on the issue. Who can blame them? The former railway minister himself was made to resign when he proposed a hike in fares, so what chance do we stand? Goods trains are our bread and butter, not MMTS. It’s a cancer patient that we are trying our best to help. Forget making a profit, it’s a miraculous day if we ever see it break even and recover our expenses. Yet despite everything, we are keeping 1.5 lakh commuters off the roads every day. Even with no dedicated tracks, we are doing our best to maintain timings, frequency, increase capacity of the trains, keep stations clean and provide better passenger amenities. All with no incentive and no hope of profit. A little appreciation would not hurt.

8&9 M ANIL KUMAR

Nothing like a local train The MMTS might be clean and cheap, but its users are just like commuters elsewhere. JYOTSNA NAMBIAR jyotsna.n@postnoon.com

n a slow Saturday afternoon, we ducked out of office to take a ride on the MMTS. After a lot of deliberation, we decided on Vidya Nagar as our starting point. The few people at the booking counter were clustered at one window, all calling out their destination. When our turn came, the woman at the counter brushed aside our `20 note and demanded change. At `2 for a ticket from Vidya Nagar to Secunderabad, it was easily the cheapest ride of my life. The empty platform reflected the sleepiness of a weekend afternoon. Those waiting had given up standing and were lounging on the benches. Ten minutes later, I started getting bored as well. Having lived in Mumbai and Chennai, this was the longest I have ever had to wait for a train without any announcements about delays. That’s when I realised what struck me most incongruous about the station —

not the cleanliness, not the lack of people, not the absence of trains. What was missing was the flat, droning voice making announcements! Unfortunately, what was not missing was another standard feature of stations across India — people crossing the tracks despite there being a perfectly good foot overbridge. The train, when it finally arrived, was understandably full, but with enough standing space. Despite that, there was a bunch of college students who, to show that they live on the edge, decided to hang out of the train. The compartment itself was a culture shock for my local train-hardened sensibilities. No graffiti, no flyers promising cures for piles, no ‘Vicky loves Pinky’ scrawled on walls. The coach was spotless. After a pleasant ride up and down the line, we decided to call it a day. The Hyderabad MMTS may be a lot cleaner, safer and cheaper mode of transport than elsewhere, but people and their idiotic actions seem universal.

PICK YOUR

Across Stores

ities Twin C

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

Business

DOMESTIC CAR, BIKE SALES DOWN Domestic passenger car sales declined by 18.56 per cent to 1,18,142 units in August 2012 compared to 1,45,066 units in the same month in 2011. Motorcycle sales in last month fell by 8.46 per cent to 7,66,127 units from 8,36,887 units for the same period.

INDUSTRY

SECOND STINT FOR MONTI?

Proving it’s got fibre With ever-growing scarcity of metals and wood, the domestic and industrial utility of fibreglass is bound to grow significantly.

PRUDHVI RAJU K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

ven during the tough economic times, the fibreglass industry continues to grow over 25 per cent every year. The material is increasingly used in different segments like automobiles, defence, pharmaceutical and domestic utility. Its properties like insulating to heat, electricity and sound are making it more adoptable in various new segments over time.

The material is increasingly used in segments like automobiles, defence, pharmaceutical and domestic utility. “Although, the industry started in 1972 in the state, the general public are not aware what fibreglass is even today. They mistake it is a glass as name suggests. It is a man-made material formed by treating the fibre that is derived from silica (rocks) with various chemicals and bonding agents. This can be

crafted in the desired shape according to utility,” said K Narayana Reddy, president, Fibreglass Industries Association of Andhra Pradesh. About the usage of the product in different segments, he said, “It is widely used in defence because of its robustness and strength. Almost 75 per cent material used in Agni V missile is made up of composite materials. Earlier, pharma industry used to face great difficulty with the corrosion of metal pipes. Today, the industry has adopted the fibreglass for various purposes ranging from pipes, storage vessels to tanks. As there is scarcity in the availability of wood and various metals, fibreglass has emerged as an alternative and even started catching attention of public for interior furniture like chairs and tables,” “We are trying to create awareness among the public by partnering with the ministry of MSME industries. We are forming an industrial cluster in Ibrahimpatnam in RR District, which will have a common facility centre, testing centre and a training a centre for the growth of the industry. “As of now, the industries

Promising figures Number of industries in the State

300

Number of industries in the City

100

Fibreglass production in 2004

1,000 tonnes

Fibreglass production in 2011-2012

56,000 tonnes are isolated and located in various places in the city. We requested the MSME ministry, government of India for a fund of `15 cores for developing the cluster and requested the state government to allocate land for the same. The respective ministries are considering the requests favourably to form the

first fibreglass cluster in the State,” said Reddy. On challenges, he said, “There is no adequate human resource for the industry. The work is hand crafted and artistic in nature and even if there is little variance, the product will be rejected and cannot be used for another purpose. “We are going to offer training to develop our own human resource in the newly formed cluster. We are also encouraging budding entrepreneurs to start their enterprise in the sector by conducting entrepreneurial development programmes in different parts of the state. The industry can be setup from `50,000 to `50 crore and the adequate support will be given by us.” With ever growing scarcity of metals and wood, the domestic and industrial utility is bound to grow significantly. The global per capita consumption of Fibreglass is 8kg. The developed countries like USA and Japan consume 25 kg and 30 kg respectively. However, it is around 1.5 kg in the country and less than 500g in the State. This shows the potential of the industry which can be tapped over time, he added.

ACQUISITIONS

Infosys to buy Lodestone for `1,932 cr more than 850 employees, including 750 experienced SAP consultants to the company, Infosys said in a statement. The acquisition will also add more than 200 clients across industries, including manufacturing, automotive and life sciences, to the Infosys pool of over

GOLD `32,325 10g SILVER `64,757 1kg for

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700 clients. “A key plank of our Infosys 3.0 strategy is to expand our C&SI. This acquisition fits perfectly into that strategy. Lodestone and Infosys share a culture of unwavering focus on nurturing and maintaining client trust,” Infosys CEO and managing director SD Shibulal said. Headquartered in Zurich, Lodestone advises international companies on strategy and process optimisation, and provides

17,756.10 6.45

business transformation solutions enabled by SAP's enterprise solutions. Post-acquisition, the combined consulting practice focussing on SAP programs will deliver revenues of more than $1 billion, the statement added. Infosys Consulting & Systems Integration business, today has more than 30,000 consultants across 10 industry verticals and accounts for 31 per cent of the company's revenue.

NSE

PTI

5,359.55 0.85

NUMEROLOGY

$26.7

China said Monday its trade surplus widened to $26.7 billion in August as exports rose and imports declined.

AIG STOCK SALE The US Treasury Department announced Sunday that it has launched a public offering of $18 billion of its common stock in AIG, the giant insurer bailed out by the US government. The Treasury will also grant a 30-day option to the offering's underwriters to purchase up to an additional $2.7 billion of AIG common stock to cover any overallotments. AIG intends to buy up to $5 billion of common stock Treasury sells at the initial public offering price in the sale, the Treasury said in a statement.

THUS SPAKE

Lodestone advises companies on strategy and process optimisation. NEW DELHI: Infosys Technologies today said it will acquire global management consultancy firm Lodestone Holding for an aggregate enterprise value of 330 million Swiss Francs (about `1,932 crore) in cash. The transaction is expected to close by the end of October 2012, subject to customary closing conditions. Upon completion, the acquisition of Lodestone will strengthen Infosys Consulting and Systems Integration capabilities, by bringing

Italian politicians and local media speculated Sunday about the possibility of Prime Minister Mario Monti leading the government of the debthit eurozone country for a second term. Monti heads a technocratic government that was installed after prime minister Silvio Berlusconi stepped down in November to rescue Italy from bankruptcy. His term ends in April next year. Pierferdinando Casini, the head of the small centrist party UDC, said Sunday that Monti should seek a second term. "For us, after Monti, there's Monti," Casini said. Other politicians and business leaders also support Monti staying on.

"Clearly when we get involved, we want to be involved in the design and monitoring of programmes. We don't particularly want to do monitoring without having participated actively in the design." CHRISTINE LAGARDE IMF CHIEF

DOLLAR`55.35 POUND `88.55

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

nation

FOUR WAGONS OF GOODS TRAIN DERAILS Four wagons of a goods train derailed in Bharatpur Railway Station Yard on the Mumbai–Delhi railway route, railway officials said today. However, railway traffic on the track was unaffected due to the derailment that took place yesterday.

WASHINGTON POST REPORT

UNWELCOME ELEVATION

Policemen remove a person during a clash in Jodhpur on Sunday.

ONLINE PETITION

Auction iron ore from Goa, CM told PANAJI: Iron ore generated from Goa’s 90 plus mines should be auctioned and extraction be brought down from over 50 million tonnes to 10 million tonnes, an online petition addressed to chief minister Manohar Parrikar demanded on Monday. The petition, seeking the protection of the state’s resources and nationalisation, went online on www.change.org Monday morning, a few days after the Justice MB Shah Commission alleged that there was a Rs.35,000 crore illegal mining scam in Goa. “These assets should be auctioned for limited periods to maximize value to the state, after geological data is collected by the state,” the online petition states. The petition was initiated by an online group Goa Speaks. It has demanded that all mines within five kilometres of wildlife sanctuaries be closed, as also those located close to the catchment area of the Selaulim dam, which provides water to nearly half of Goa’s population of 14 lakh. The petition has also sought a criminal enquiry into the theft of ore and an assurance from the CM. IANS

LK slams PMO ‘censorship’

PTI

NEW DELHI: Senior BJP leader LK Advani on Monday attacked the Prime Minister’s Office for what he called attempts to “crush” a foreign correspondent for criticising Manmohan Singh in an article. The BJP leader’s main target was the prime minister’s communications adviser Pankaj Pachauri, formerly a journalist with a leading Indian television channel. In a blog post Monday, Advani wrote that “stupidity” was a great crime in public life. He held that the episode involving the PMO and Washington Post correspondent Simon Denyer was “a high point of disservice”, coming from a man hired to serve the prime minister.

Joining ranks with other commentators who saw the PMO’s attempts to respond to the scathing criticism in the article a storm in a tea cup, Advani held that if the Washington Post instance was indeed an attempt to send “a stern signal” to Indian reporters, it had backfired.

NEWS BRIEFS Six killed, 20 missing as boat capsizes in Bihar PATNA: At least six people drowned and nearly 20 people were missing after an overcrowded boat capsized in the Sone river in Bihar’s Bhojpur district early Monday, police said. The ferry, which could seat only 14 but was carrying 40 people, capsized near Bhojpur district’s Khair village, about 70 km from here.

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Congress dawn-to-dusk shutdown hits life in Odisha BHUBANESWAR: Public transport was hit in Odisha on Monday and trains stranded as the Opposition Congress called for a dawn-to-dusk shutdown to protest police excesses on its workers during a rally, officials said. Public transport was badly affected. Trains were stranded at different stations as Congress workers squatted on railway tracks. In Bhubaneswar, workers of the Opposition party gathered near bus stands, railway stations and offices.

/095 Rs.1 9/: e c 4 r Pri Rs.5 Cove r Price: : 50% g e f n f i O l Sav Tota

Leopard attacks seven-year-old girl in wildlife sanctuary BAHRAICH: A seven-year-old girl was attacked by a leopard in a wildlife sanctuary. The incident took place in Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary. The attack left the girl seriously injured. It is being said that Kanti was attacked by the leopard which then dragged her to a nearby cane field. The incident took place when the girl had gone out with her mother in Jamuniha Karikot village, late last night, police said.

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nation MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

A false case that delayed India’s cryogenic project Nambi Narayanan was heading Isro’s cryogenic division, and in 1994 his life changed for the worse after he was arrested on espionage charges along with another Isro official and two Maldivian women. SANU GEORGE feedback@postnoon.com

n the early 1990s, S Nambi Narayanan was working to develop cryogenic technology when things went for a toss and he was arrested on false espionage charges, which according to him was an “international conspiracy” to delay the project. “The aim was to demoralise Isro and to delay the process (of making cryogenic engine) we were in at that time for at least two years, as this was worth billions of dollars in the commercial market,” Narayanan said here. He was heading the cryogenic division in 1991, and in 1994 his life changed for the worse after he was arrested on espionage charges along with another top official of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), two Maldivian women and a businessman. Narayanan, was busy working as project director for the development of cryogenic technology, for putting the country into an elite group of nations in the world, but thanks to an insensitive journalism, and misgivings of the Kerala Police,

everything went into disarray. Recalling on why all this happened and how he became a victim, Narayanan who is currently busy giving interviews to the media, most of which had come out with juicy and spicy stories soon after he was named an accused and arrested said that this was “an international conspiracy”. “While a few journalists reported properly, many out of ignorance went to the extend of writing that through this espionage case, the country’s space programme has been completely spoiled as we sold our findings to foreigners,” he said. “Incidentally the sad thing is that what they wrote that was sold, is still not developed in our country, even after many many years,” said Narayanan. As things stand as of now, Narayanan told IANS that his efforts of developing a cryogenic engine still continues but the country is yet to develop one capable for flight. “In 1996 after the case was dismissed I was given another assignment and I retired in 2001,” said Narayanan who is now busy in his battle seeking justice.

The first round of success came Friday when a division bench of the Kerala High Court upheld the order of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) ordering compensation

of `10 lakh to be paid to him. “See this is just the interim relief because in my main case, a civil suit of `10 lakh compensation was filed by me, which is being heard in a court here. What

came yesterday (Friday) is just the interim relief after I approached the NHRC and that itself took 11 years,” said the veteran space scientist. On why the Isro did not react to this case despite people like K. Kasturirangan (former head of Isro) knowing the truth, he told a TV channel that, “its my guess that may be they waited for the mess to clear up and also the Isro scientists does not have any political clout and when they finally realised, it was too late”. On the future, he said he has lost his professional career for ever and what happened Friday (at the court) was one more step forward for his fight for justice. “I am happy and proud of the judiciary. Its a war for justice and not for money. All the cases that I fought on this, I have won and I will win again also. My life has been shattered. See, I am not at fault and if I am , let me be taken to task, if not those who created this should be,” remarked Narayanan. And now all eyes are on the CM to see if the compensation would be paid by the state government or would it ask the officials who were responsible for it to pay up. IANS

BOEING 777 DRY-LEASE

Will AI be lucky third time? Air India had almost got into an agreement with Air Canada to lease these planes, but the deal fell through at the last minute due to the poor seat configuration

here seem to be no takers for the five Boeing 777s which the cashstrapped Air India is trying to dry-lease for 6-10 year period, apparently because of the poor seat configuration. “The airline has floated tenders to lease out these B 777200 LR (long range) aircraft as many as three times in the last nine months. But so far it has failed to clinch a deal due to the poor seat configuration,” Air India sources said. On September 3, AI invited bids for dry-leasing five Boeing 777s for the third time this year. Since January the airline has been desperately trying to do

away with these aircraft, following the decision to operate the 787 Dreamliners in their place. The first of the 27 Boeing Dreamliners, ordered in January 2006, landed only yesterday in Delhi. The national carri-

er had acquired the 777s as a part of its 67 aircraft order from Boeing over six years ago. At present, it has 20 777s of which eight are 777-200 LRs, while the rest are 777-300 ERs (extended range planes).

“The eight 777-200 LRs, of which Air India plans to lease out five, are 235-seaters against the industry practice of 290-300 seats. The idea behind this configuration was to operate them on ultra

l o n g haul routes like Chicago, New York, Toronto etc, on premium fares, but that did not materialise,”

the sources said. This forced the airline to deploy them on medium haul sectors such as Hong Kong, Shanghai

and London, rendering the aircraft operations economically unviable. “The aircraft, known as the Worldliner in the aviation par-

lance, or the one which can pair any two cities on the extremes, can fetch revenue only when operated on ultra-long routes,” the sources said. Air India decided to do away with these aircraft by leasing them as soon as it got a firm indication about the delivery of Dreamliners early this year. The first dry-lease tender was floated on January 2 this year. “Air India had almost got into an agreement with Air Canada to lease these planes, but the deal fell through at the last minute due to the poor seat configuration,” sources said. PTI

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

World

ROMNEY WILL RETAIN PARTS OF OBAMACARE Republican Mitt Romney said he would keep parts of President Barack Obama’s health care law, shifting his focus to independent voters as polls showed the president gained support after the Democratic convention.

IRAN NUKE PROGRAMME

VIENNA: Western countries will seek to turn the screw further on Iran at a meeting of UN atomic agency board of governors from Monday following the watchdog’s latest damning report on Tehran’s nuclear programme. With EU foreign ministers talking Saturday in Cyprus about more sanctions, Britain, France and Germany were leading the charge for a clear signal from the International Atomic Energy Agency gathering, diplomats said. “Iran has done anything but comply with its obligations,” one senior Western official based in Vienna said. “The board needs to speak very clearly and in a unified way.” However, Russia and China, seen as softer on Iran, were resisting a tough-talking resolution that might include a referral of Iran to the UN Security Council.

RON TAYLOR DIES

SINGING HIS OWN PRAISES

West looks to tighten the screw

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez holds an electric guitar during a campaign rally for his reelection in Charallave, Venezuela on Sunday. Presidential elections will take place next October 7 in Venezuela. AFP PHOTO/JUAN BARRETO

AFP

AFGHANISTAN

Taliban open to ceasefire talks with US, not Karzai LONDON: The Taliban are open to a general ceasefire as well as a political agreement which could lead to a US military presence in Afghanistan up until 2024, a new report by a British think-tank said Monday. But the insurgent group, led by Mullah Omar, will not negotiate with President Hamid Karzai or his administration, which it sees as corrupt and weak, the briefing paper by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) says. The report, entitled “Taliban Perspectives on Reconciliation”, presents interviews with four

The report

he report, entitled “Taliban Perspectives on Reconciliation”, presents interviews with four senior Taliban representatives about their approach to reconciliation. The paper claims to reveal an emerging, pragmatic consensus among the Taliban leadership, who are willing to take part in peace negotiations in exchange for political leverage after 2014.

senior Taliban representatives about their approach to reconciliation. The paper claims to reveal an emerging, pragmatic consensus among the Taliban leadership, who are willing to take part in peace negotiations in exchange for political leverage after 2014. NATO has about 130,000 soldiers fighting a decade-long insurgency by the Taliban, but they are due to pull out in 2014 and now work increasingly with the Afghans they are training to take over. The report says the Quetta

Shura Taliban, a council of Taliban leaders headed by Omar, will not accept the interpretation of the Afghan constitution in its current form since this would be akin to surrender. But Taliban representatives did welcome the prospect of a US military stabilisation force operating in Afghanistan up to 2024 out of the five primary military bases — Kandahar, Herat, Jalalabad, Mazar-e-Sharif and Kabul. However, this was only as long as the US presence contributed to Afghan security and did not constrain Afghan independence.

NEWS BRIEFS Alleged Hezbollah man held in Mexico

Obama escort dies in accident

Israel carries out four air raids in Gaza strip

Chileans remember victims of Pinochet

MEXICO CITY: An alleged member of the radical Islamic movement Hezbollah has been arrested in Mexico and handed over to US authorities, Mexican media reported Sunday. Reforma newspaper identiﬁed the detained man as Raﬁc Mohammad Labboun Allaboun, a US national, who was wanted by the US government.

WASHINGTON: A Florida police officer escorting President Barack Obama’s motorcade died Sunday after he was struck by a vehicle. Obama has been notified of the officer’s death, White House spokesman Jay Carney said. Bruce St. Laurent was working to shut down the Interstate 95 highway when a vehicle struck him.

GAZA CITY, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: Israel carried

SANTIAGO: Thousands of Chileans took to the streets Sunday in a march to remember those abducted and killed in the coup that brought Augusto Pinochet to power, almost 39 years after the turmoil. Police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd after some marchers threw rocks at government buildings.

out four air raids against the Gaza Strip early Monday, wounding a Palestinian child, witnesses and Palestinian medics said. The aircraft also targeted a police post in the El Tufah neighbourhood east of Gaza City and carried out two raids in the north of the territory.

An Australian shark expert who pioneered the underwater ﬁlming of marine animals and worked on the blockbuster ﬁlm “Jaws” has died in Sydney. Ron Taylor, who had myeloid leukaemia, died on Sunday aged 78, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said. With his wife Valerie, Ron Taylor was a pioneer of underwater cinematography, capturing images of a great white shark without the protection of a diving cage.

NUMEROLOGY

100

people has died in Iraq as insurgents unleashed an onslaught of bombings and shootings across the country which shows the growing instability in the country.

MISSION SYRIA UN and Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on Monday begins his Syria mission by meeting League officials and senior Egyptian leaders before heading to Damascus on his first official trip to the region. Brahimi, replacing former UN chief Kofi Annan who quit over divisions in the UN Security Council on the deadly violence that has gripped Syria for nearly 18 months, arrived in Cairo late on Sunday from New York via Paris. Annan stepped down as international efforts to end the conflict faltered.

“I have to set the course and the rhythm to combat joblessness, falling competitiveness and deficits. My mission is a recovery plan; the timeframe is two years.” Francois Hollande French President

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

Comment The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware. Henry Miller Author

Paralympics: In praise of heroes THE HUMAN CONDITION Dean Williams

nd so the Paralympics 2012 have ended and with it has come to a close one of the greatest canvasses of which human achievement. At Postnoon we covered it because we felt that it transcended sport; it rose above the petty politics of the ICCs and FIFAs of the world. It was the human spirit in all its glory on display. Those of us who have all our limbs intact and have full command of our intellectual, sensory and mental faculties can barley scratch the surface if we try to imagine what paralympians went through to reach that world sporting stage. It is a testament to grit, determination, and above all the strength to stand up to adverisyt; to stare it down and defeat it. Unlike the Olympics, the Paralympics is not so much about defeating an opponent as much as it is about rising above the obstacles of life. When Oscar Pistorius runs, he runs for his life. When Ellie Simmonds swims she swims the strokes of the free.The Paralympics put things in perspective for me; it taught me to review the adage: ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”. Because strength lies in more than sinew and bone, it lies in the heart. And the Paralympics were all about the hearts of heroes. The writer is editor, Postnoon

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS The creator of emoticons is unhappy with his creation. Porfessor Scott Fahlman, who first used the sideway smiley face in an email 30 years ago, thinks that they are “ugly and ruin the challenge of trying to come up with a clever way to express emotions using standard keyboard characters”. Some inventions are like that.

WE AS A NATION

AM I PATRIOT?

HARD TALK

Pk Surendran

fter two score and eight years of living as Indian I am still not sure if I am a patriot. If patriotism is saluting the flag, I do, and being an ex-soldier, know well how to do it, but if patriotism is singing jan-ganamana, I am not, for I find the salutation long-winding and lacklustre whereas the Vande Mataram is far more succinct and short, musical and meaningful. If patriotism is watching television during Indo-Pak cricket wearing a fun mask, again, I fail to qualify. I am talking about the patriotism born of a sense of belonging and a national pride. I am sure no right-thinking man can have a clear notion as to how exactly the one born in India should show his or her love for the country. What made me thinking in this vein was the Sunday's launch of ISRO's 100th space mission. We make astounding achievements in some quarters and appalling failures in others.

TREMENDOUS STRIDES We have moon mission and mars mission and we may soon have inter-stellar travels too. India has the largest constellation of remote sensing satellites in the world and is a major player in vending such data in the global market.

The ISRO has developed self-reliance in space tech. It launched 27 foreign satellites successfully (no mean task) and the Sunday mission would take the tally to 29. India began launching commercial rockets since 1999. In April this year India had developed the 'China Killer' 5000 km Agni V rocket. India thus became a member of the elite six-nation club that can deploy intercontinental ballistic missiles. The five other countries are the US, China, Russia, the UK and France. But in the process India spends some $38.6 billion on defence, more than quadruple of what is spent on health care for its citizens.

AND YET… I can't understand, like majority of the country's citizens, how do we make flashes of brilliance and achieve great feats amid bone-chilling corruption in public life and general inefficiency. While we are making long strides in science and technology, we are miserably lagging in rain forecast and natural calamities. Our weather bureau still ladles out shop-worn laughable phrases like 'likelyhood of scattered rains" and do not venture out to see the next day! How come we are still steeped in poverty? Our billionaires are growing at an amazing rate while people even in cities go panic-stricken at the first rumour that comes along. Despite our technology prowess we could not prevent the N-E exodus, nor could we persuade

people in Hyderabad's old city to ignore the atrocious claim that a divine baby was born. We produce the highest number of medical professionals who are unable to diagnose common cold. We have engineers who build world's engineering marvel — the Konkan Railway (salute E Sreedharan). And we also have contractors and engineers whose structures come down when someone coughs nearby. We have the most selfish political leaders. who would light a beedi when their beards are on fire. It is this curse that is dragging the country back. Look how our regional leaders look at every national issue from the communal, caste point of view. Can we claim that we live in the modern world considering the way we conduct our business?

TAILEND There is an apocryphal story of Hitler's Germany. When the Fuehrer was trying to make a strong nation infusing patriotism, he ordered that all public programmes, entertainment or serious, must begin and end with saluting the Nazi Germany. To ensure that citizens really follow the instructions, Adolf Hitler himself used to go around in disguise to check. Once when the signature song of patriotism was being sung, he prodded the next man and commented on his patriotism. "Not patriotism, I am afraid." Why afraid? You can slink through the rear door and nobody will know, suggested the Fuehrer. "Hush," said the man, "that devil (Hitler) may be around." This is some patriotism!

EDITORIALS Is speaking the truth sedition? The Golden summer ends

hey may gag one, but they cannot gag all. They may have been able to send Aseem Trivedi who faces charges of sedition, for his cartoons that apparently insult the national symbols, to jail for a week, but they cannot silence the call that the incident has sounded to us. What has he done after all? To state the true situation of this nation that is rife with corruption. We all know it... a visit to any government office to get a certificate is enough. There are officials as senior as ministers saying a little corruption on the part of government officials is all right if they have put in hard work. The man who said this roams free, while a man who spoke the truth through his work is persecuted and jailed. People like Trivedi are driven by conviction moulded by truth, else he would not have dared to depict the national emblem replacing the lions with wolves. Only truth gives such daring. Let us not forget certain people who were driven by the power of truth, broke rules, went to jail and won something priceless for us. It’s an affront to them if we fail to see, hear and speak the truth. Call Trivedi’s work seditious, but he was speaking the truth.

READERS’ VIEWS

nd so a golden Olympic British summer has ended. But what memories has it given us. The Games were extraordinary in many ways. Even the English who were rather unhappy about the state of affairs in their country were bucked up through the season. The Games truly are a celebration of the human spirit. As we await for the next, let’s strive to be faster, higher, stronger.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

campus

BECOME A BETTER YOU A personality development course for youngsters will be organised at Swamy Vivekananda Institute Of Human Excellence on September 15 and 16 from 9.30 am to 12 pm.

THE GREEN BATTALION

TECH WORKSHOP

Robo-O-Mania

All set for COP-11 While some college students are clueless about the COP-11 conference to be organised in the City, there are many others who are clued in and are raising awareness. AMY ROSE THOMAS amyrose.t@postnoon.com

one are the days when collegians just studied and had fun. Now, they are all about making a difference in the lives of the underprivileged and spreading awareness about the need for a cleaner environment. And now wi-

B-TOWN DEBUT

th Conference of Parties (COP11) to be held in Hyderabad in the second week of October, college students have been gearing up and spreading the message about climate change and the issues of biodiversity to the public. Regional coordinator of Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) Anil Kumar Mamidala feels that while there are many collegians who are aware about the conference and taking active participation in spreading awareness and also volunteering for the preparation of the event, there are others who are clueless about the event. He says, “A lot more awareness about the conference and biodiversity has to be spread to the collegians and the public. At the same time, there are a few college students who have taken it upon themselves to raise awareness about the issues.

There were circulars sent around to colleges for volunteer training sessions for COP-11 and more than 200 students from various colleges are volunteering for the event currently.”

After the performance, we went to the onlookers explaining to them the importance of biodiversity and the problems related to climate change. Two flash mobs were organized by students at GVK and HICC to raise awareness about the conference. According to Puneet Reddy, a student of Methodist College of Engineering and Technology, who also

choreographed the dance numbers, around 160 students from various colleges participated in the event. Puneet Reddy says, “We danced to Michael Jackson’s Black Or White, Tumhi Ho Bandhu and This Club Can’t Handle Me Right Now… After the performance, we divided into five groups and each team went up to onlookers to explain the importance of biodiversity and problems related to climate change. If we had randomly picked people and gone to talk to them, they would never have entertained us. But after the performance, they were willing to give us a few minutes.” Other events that students are taking part in as part of the conference include mock UN sessions where they discuss the environment issues and how they can be solved.

Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Barfi! is making all the right noises and everyone is gung ho about the music of the film. South sensation Ileana D’Cruz is making her B-town debut in the movie. How enthusiastic are youngsters about it?

Ileana can’t act

Not the Asin way

High expectations

I have seen some of her Telugu movies and I think she can’t act to save her face. It’s doubtful if she will make it big in B-town since there are many good looking actresses there. From the trailer of Barfi!, it is evident that the focus is on Ranbir and not on her.

The film industry is extremely volatile. And it’s very easy to be a one-film wonder. There are many from the South who made their debut in B-town and did not quite make it. Asin is one such example. Hope she won’t become another Asin.

I haven't seen any film of Ileana so far. But this definitely looks like a challenging role. I have a lot of expectations from Ileana as this is her first film in Bollywood. More than Priyanka Chopra, I would want to see Ileana’s performance.

Hannah Varghese, Jesus and Mary College

Ruchika Singh, CBIT

Rajarshee Mukherjee, CS Executive Module student

Robo-O-Mania 2.0: Workshop On "Autonomous Robotics" will be organised at Sree Nidhi Institute Of Science And Technology from September 23 to September 24. Topics like ethical hacking, Robotics, 3D animation and android functioning will be covered during the workshop.

COLLEGE OF THE WEEK

St Mary’s

The college in Yousufguda houses 1,800 students for both Intermediate and Degree courses. In a short period of three years, the Yousufguda college’s reputation grew, and it is now recognized as one of the top co-educational colleges in the City. The decade-old institution has churned out eminent sports persons like Sania Mirza and Ashwini Ponnappa.

TRENDING...

Girls in colleges today are belting it up and giving extra polish to their outfit. They are going for long shirts or dresses and pairing them with medium to thick belts, giving a fashionista feel to the outfit. You can team the long shirt with jeans while in college.

The bouffant is back. Who doesn’t want to look like Beyonce or Amy Winehouse? Youngsters are piling their hair up high to give their look an extra edge. The trend hit colleges months back and it looks like it is here to stay. Girls are opting for this look on special occasions like farewells.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

spotlight

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Put on your dancing shoes and get into retro mode with their foot tapping music. Head to Hard Rock Cafe for a rollicking night, starting at 9pm.

EMPOWERING WOMEN

ONE FOR THE ALBUM

A unit of Vanitha Vikas Educational Trust launched the Vanitha Hostel at Picket, Secunderabad. The hostel can house up to 100 women.The trust works for upliftment of women by helping them become suitably selfemployed.The hostel was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu governor K Rosaiah on Sunday.

Celebration time

BLING IT ON

The wedding ceremony of former minister Shabir Ali's daughter Shazia Parveen and AK Khan's son Mosin Khan was a lavish affair with family and friends making a beeline for the venue to take part in the festivities and bless the couple.

Manepally Jewellers launched their new "Kalayan Mandapam" collections which includes long harams, neck chokkers and long jhumkas, at the South Spin fashion show that was held at N convention on Sunday.

M ANIL KUMAR

1 Shazia Parveen 2 CM Kiran Kumar

Reddy and wife Radhika Reddy 3 Paritala Sunitha 4 Chandrababu Naidu 5 Mukesh 6 Governor Narasimhan 7 Bosta Satyanarayana 8 DGP Dinesh Reddy 9 Ponala Laxmaiah, Raghuveera Reddy 10 Suresh Reddy 11 Vinita Pittie 12 Jana Reddy 13 Akbar 14 VH. Ghulam Nabi Azad, D Srinivas 15 Chiranjeevi 16 Lagadapati Rajagopal 17 Roja, Lakshmi Parvathi 18 Nadendla Manohar, TG Venkatesh 19 T Subbarami Reddy and wife Indira 20 Mohan Babu, Vishnu

8 7

SWANKY, NEW SET

International Cars & Motors Ltd. (ICML), the group company of Sonalika launched its high-end, new version MUV in the City.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

health

DEVICE TO FREE DIABETICS FROM PINPRICKS? A non-invasive approach could free diabetics from the pain of several pinpricks. A tiny bio-sensor engineered by Fraunhofer Institute, Germany, is able to monitor glucose levels continuously using tissue fluids, such as in sweat or tears, which can be radioed to a mobile device.

FITNESS TALK

Health, fitness your right

Working women have the right to stay fit. Proper planning is the key, says Rujuta Diwekar. SRINIVAS SETTY

ANISHAA KUMAR

anishaa.k@postnoon.com

eena had always been one of the fittest girls in college. But once she got into the grind of a job, marriage and children, things changed. Her friends were shocked to see her. “What can I do? I have no time juggling family and work. I miss being the fit and healthy me but now it’s just not possible anymore,” was her excuse. Sounds familiar? This is probably every woman’s story. We all love to be fit and healthy. Unfortunately, in today’s day and age where women are now juggling personal and professional spheres, personal fitness and health somehow takes a backseat. Long working hours and irregular eating habits are the culprits. Ignoring one’s health needs is not uncommon. Diet con-

sultant to celebrities like Kareena Kapoor and author of Lose your weight not your mind and Women and the weight loss Tamasha Rujuta Diwekar says, “As a thumb rule, most women

APP-LY NYOURSELF EWS

gain around 5 kilos within a year of starting work. The problem is that they tend to ignore themselves and spend too much time managing everyone’s life except for theirs. Women need toplan for themselves.” Lunches for professionals are usually quick take-away items and in most situations do not follow a particular timing. Rujuta says, “Mid-meals are important. If a woman misses these then her metabolism rate will slow down due to which she will pile on kilos. The lower the nutrients, the lower the hormones. Working professionals can carry simple foods to fulfill their mid meal requirements such as fruits, yogurt, chana, nuts etc. Apart from the right food, exercise is equally important. But lack

HOUSECALL

Visible Body

Hepatitis A

Visible Body is a detailed, realistic 3D human anatomy learning tool. Users can access fully interactive 3D models of human body parts or the entire body. The application includes 2,400 anatomical structures, which includes all major organs.

Hepatitis A is viral infection of the liver. Unlike the other common forms of hepatitis it does not cause chronic liver disease. The hepatitis A virus is found mostly in the stools and blood of an infected person about 15 to 45 days before symptoms occur and during the ﬁrst week of illness. Symptoms will usually show up 2 to 6 weeks after being exposed to the virus. They are usually mild, but may last for up to several months, especially in adults.

of time is the common excuse. Rujuta says, “One should learn how to structure one’s exercise and invest at least three hours for exercise per week. Family support is also important. If the family can take out time and help the woman in some of her household duties, she will be able to take time out for herself.” Talking about fitness dos and don’ts Rujuta says, “One should eat local food and filtered oil, set aside time for exercise, avoid counting calories, avoid crash diets, eat ghee, avoid eating just salads and packaged food.” Usually when one thinks of Hyderabadi Haleem and biryani one would look at it as fattening and unhealthy food. However, they are complete meals by themselves, says Rujuta, as

DID YOU KNOW? Nail on middle finger grows fastest The fastest growing nail is on the middle finger. And the nail on the middle finger of your dominant hand will grow the fastest of all. Why is not entirely known, but nail growth is related to the length of the finger, with the longest fingers growing nails the fastest and shortest the slowest.

biryani has vegetables, meat, rice and yogurt. For many working professionals energy bars may prove to be a quick solution. Rujuta says that it depends on the type of bar one is eating. Protein bars are the best to go with as others are high in sugar and are of no real help.

Rujuta’s fitness dos and don’ts Dos n

Eat local food

Eat filtered oil (rich in Omega 3, 6 and 9)

Invest time in exercise

Eat ghee

Eat Hyderabadi biryani/haleem

Watch TV before you sleep

Crash diets/spot reduction

Don’t count calories

Eat only salad / packaged food

Don’ts

PIONEERS Emil Adolf von Behring Emil Adolf von Behring was a German physiologist who received the 1901 Nobel Prize, the ﬁrst one so awarded. He was a military doctor and then became Professor of Hygienics at the University of Marburg. Behring was the discoverer of diphtheria antitoxin and attained a great reputation for his contributions to the study of immunity. He won the Nobel Prize for developing a serum therapy against diphtheria.

health MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

BREAKTHROUGH

RESEARCH

Mums can help with dental hygiene

New devices warn of blackouts

Two new devices can now monitor recurrent blackouts. Blackouts are said to be the cause of death in 10 per cent cases and injuries in 30 per cent.

KOLKATA: Two new devices are now available to monitor recurrent blackouts, which can cause death in 10 per cent cases and injuries in 30 per cent, a senior cardiologist said here on Friday. “Blackouts, that result due to dysfunction of certain brain cells, are sudden and lead to brief loss of consciousness. They are not the same as having a fall or suddenly tripping over,” explained Suvro Banerjee, a senior consultant cardiologist of Apollo Gleneagles Hospital, said at a media conference here. The most common cause for blackouts is transient interruption of blood supply to the brain or syncope, which in turn is a result of abnormal heart rhythms. Blackouts lead to anxiety and depression, thereby affect-

The device has a huge advantage as it monitors and records the activity of the heart six minutes prior to a blackout. ing the quality of life. “To prevent blackouts it’s necessary to know the reason for syncope, and therefore monitoring heart rates becomes crucial,” Banerjee said. The prevalent syncope monitors are Holter monitors which monitor’s the subject’s electrocardiography (ECG) continuously. However, it needs the patient to be wired to a potable monitor and is uncomfortable for the patient to wear for more than a day or two. “To tackle this problem two

Growing pains My 12-year-old is very honest and tells me everything. However, for the last few weeks I’ve been finding things that don’t belong to her in her bag. Initially, she said that she’d borrowed them from a friend. Recently I found an expensive mobile phone. When I ask her she shrugs it off. I’m worried she’s stealing. Preteens and teens are prone to temper tantrums, mood swings

new devices, the External Loop Recorder (ELR) and the Internal Loop Recorder(ILR), are available,” said Banerjee. The ELR is a water-resistant microchip which can be pasted on the skin. It constantly monitors the ECG and sends the information to a distant heart station where the ECG is printed out. “The heart station is located in Pennysylvania, US, and in Mumbai in India. The ECG report can even be e-mailed instantaneously to the physician,” said Banerjee. It is best suited for patients with a regular history of blackouts as it can be used for two weeks at a stretch. “For infrequent events, say once in several months, we suggest the ILR, which is a microchip inserted within the skin under local anaesthetic

procedures,” said the cardiologist. It can be used for up to three years. The device has a huge advantage as it monitors and records the activity of the heart six minutes prior to the blackout event as well as a minute afterwards. “The patient is provided with an activator and when he or she feels the onset of symptoms, the patient can activate it,” said Banerjee about the device, which is the size of a pen drive. The ILR is priced at `60,000, according to the doctor.”It is cost effective as it prevents inappropriate therapy and related costs, and with growing awareness it will become common,” Banerjee said. The microchip is safe to implant and causes no reactions to the body. IANS

LONDON: Over a million children under five have at least two fillings because their mothers fail to make them brush their teeth, a British study has found. Researchers found almost a quarter of parents saying their little ones only cleaned their teeth once a day, with half saying they found the whole experience too stressful, Daily Mail reported. As a result, one in six admitted their child had at least three fillings and almost half of children under 12 have been told they have tooth decay. It was also found that visiting the dentist filling mums with as much dread as their kids — one in seven feel judged when the dentist has to give their child a filling and a quarter feel embarrassed about the state of their child’s mouth. The research also revealed one in 100 mothers having kids suffering from gum disease — traditionally an adult condition and the same amount have at least five fillings. According to leading dentist Tina Tanna, every mum knows how hard it is to get their kids to brush their teeth “but these results show how important this really is”. “Dental decay can lead to complications such as tooth loss so it’s key that kids learn to brush properly when they are young to prevent further issues as their adult teeth begin to grow,” Tanna added. IANS

Dr Diana Monteiro

TEACH THEM THAT IT’S NOT OKAY TO STEAL and risk-taking behaviour, which sometimes includes lying and stealing. While it is clearly wrong to steal and/or lie, kids of this age feel a strong need to fit in, which makes them more prone to engaging in impulsive behaviour. Children can get jealous of their friends possessions and may begin to lie or steal to feel better

about possessing the same. If you find that your child has been lying or stealing, it’s important to take corrective action. However, first, it’s important to note whether your child has been telling a few white lies which are quite normal as opposed to lying and stealing to fit in. If it is the latter, then it’s crucial that you act immediately. Instead of

excessively scolding your child, make it clear that walking away and not explaining is not okay. Explain that you would like to speak with her friends or also with her school teachers to find out where she is obtaining these objects. Tell her to return the objects immediately and clearly explain that it is not okay to steal. If they feel the need to have something expen-

sive, allow them to earn the same for chores at home or as a reward for doing well. Keep a watchful eye on them. Be an authoritative parent who expects high standards and gives warmth and support. The writer is a counselling psychologist at the Hyderabad Academy of Psychology. You can write to her at askdrdiana@gmail.com

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

Entertainment

SVSC’S TEAM IS IN TIRUVALLUR

Mahesh Babu, Venkatesh, Samantha and Anjali-starrer Seethamma Vaakitlo Sirimalle Chettu is currently being shot in Tiruvallur near Chennai. Srikanth Addala is directing the film.

COSTLIEST PROJECT IN NAGARJUNA’S CAREER

All set for Damarukam’s audio launch

CINE BYTES

he audio of Nagarjuna, Anushka-starrer Damarukam is going to be launched later today in Shilpakala Vedika, Hyderabad. Srinivas Reddy has directed this sociofantasy film and Venkat has produced the film under the RR Movie Makers banner. The film is reportedly the costliest project in Nagarjuna’s career so far and the visual effects in the film are making waves in the industry. A special song was recently shot with Nagarjuna and Charmee in Annapurna Studios and the post-production of this muchawaited film is in the final stage. It’s the third audio launch of the year for Devi Sri Prasad, who’s already on a roll with blockbusters like Gabbar Singh and Julayi to his credit. We hear that the album has 10 songs sung by 15 singers. The film is expected to hit screens in midOctober.

Avunu is based on a real incident

avi Babu’s upcoming ﬁlm Avunu is based on a real incident which happened to Yami Gautam last year. When she narrated the incident to Ravi Babu, the director was reportedly so scared of being alone that he checked out of the hotel immediately. Poorna is playing the lead role.

Charulatha to release on Sep 21

riyamani’s upcoming film Charulatha is all set to release in Telugu, Tamil and Kannada on September 21. Pon Kumaran has directed this horror film, which is a remake of a Thai film titled Alone. Priyamani is playing conjoined twins in the film. Geetha Arts is distributing the film across AP.

Baadshah’s team is back in Hyderabad

he entire team of NTR’s upcoming film Baadshah has landed in Hyderabad after wrapping up the shoot in Bangkok. Sreenu Vaitla is directing the film and Kajal Aggarwal is paired up with NTR in this action entertainer. Thaman has composed the music. The film’s shooting will kickstart soon in Hyderabad.

Entertainment MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012 Ask me about work, not affairs: Ranbir

ctor Ranbir Kapoor only wants to talk about his work, not his link-ups. The actor was furious when he was asked about link-ups with his co-actresses, and about his equation with Barfi! co-star Ileana D’Cruz. “See, my motive is to let my film talk. I don’t tell others to write about my affairs. In Barfi also, I have worked hard,” Ranbir said. IANS

I’m not ambitious, says Ayesha Takia

ctress Ayesha Takia, who is hosting the singing reality show Sur Kshetra, is in no mood to take up Bollywood roles. “I am unambitious,” says Ayesha, adding: “I don’t think I have that much time to give to a film.” IANS

Saif Ali Khan questioned in car import case

he Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned actor Saif Ali Khan in an eight-year-old case of importing a high-end car from Dubai, an official said. The official said Saif was called in for questioning and his statement on the mode of payment and the car’s subsequent transfer to India was recorded. IANS

NEW INNINGS

ndian Canadian porn star Sunny Leone, who made her Bollywood debut with Jism 2, says her husband Daniel Weber is also getting Hindi film offers. “My husband has been getting good proposals from this industry. There are few people who have approached him and want both of us together in a film,” Sunny told IANS. “He would love to be in a Bollywood movie and it’s just an idea, which he is considering and might take it forward. He is open to it. It will be fun to see both of us together,” she added. Weber, who used to be adult film star earlier, is currently managing Sunny’s company, Sun-Lust Productions in the US, which makes adult films. Sunny admits that she reads all the scripts offered

to her, but the final decision is taken collectively by her and her husband. “I read my scripts and meet the directors and producers. It would look weird if he reads the script and takes a call and I am not involved in it. Both of us take the decision whether to work in a film or not,” the 31year-old said. Sunny has also signed her second Bollywood film — Ekta Kapoor’s Ragini MMS 2. IANS

SUNNY LEONE'S

husband to enter Bollywood?

Entertainment MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

‘HAPPIEST WHEN DOING SOMETHING CREATIVE’

CINE BYTES

Emma Watson

wants to live her own life A

ctress Emma Watson says she does not want to only focus on acting as she wants the chance to pursue other things in her life. The 22-year-old, who is set to return to Brown University in the US in January to complete her degree, said she feels happiest when pursuing something creative but also wants the chance to live her own life, reported Contactmusic. “I’d like to be considered a good, versatile actress. I feel happiest when doing something creative — writing, painting, acting or dancing, so I think I’ll always complement acting with something else. If you act all the time, you’re spending your life living other people’s lives. “Really I’d quite like it if things calm down a bit and I think that will happen naturally,” she said. Watson, who shot to fame when she was cast as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series aged just nine, will next be seen in The Perks of Being a Wallflower and says she fell in love with the script as soon as she read it. “It’s not some wild break away from Harry Potter because I don’t really want to get away from Harry Potter, I’ve never seen it as a shackle.” PTI

Madonna ‘backs’ Obama

op diva Madonna unveiled a huge Barack Obama temporary tattoo on her back during her MDNA Tour at New York’s Yankee Stadium. Clad only in a back-baring undergarment and trousers, the 54-year-old turned her back on the audience to show off the new ink. Madonna was blasted by Russia's deputy prime minister after she supported Pussy Riot by scrawling their name on her back at her concert last month. PTI

My kids make me feel old, says Brad Pitt

ollywood superstar Brad Pitt says caring for his and Angelina Jolie’s six kids is tougher than acting in action movies. The couple raise six children together. “Does it ache? Sure. The knees have gone, the back is crunchy. Getting the kids ready for school is every bit as painful as anything I had to do in a ﬁlm," he said. PTI

Kristen comforted by soft toys gifted by Pattinson

wilight star Kristen Stewart is reportedly comforting herself with the soft toys that former boyfriend Robert Pattinson gave before her cheating scandal became public. “Kristen is latching on to all the things that she associates with Robert and now she can't be without her stuffed animals. Over the years, Robert bought Kristen plushies whenever he saw one he thought she would love. She has them scattered over her bed; they’re a reminder of how he cared for her,” a source said. PTI

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

Chai Time

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

Science is facts; just as houses are made of stones, so is science made of facts; but a pile of stones is not a house and a collection of facts is not necessarily science. Henri Poincare

KAKURO

QUICK CROSSWORD

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

ACROSS

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

SCRIBBLING PAD

1 With competence 5 Emotion in a Stephen King novel 11 Broadcast-regulating org 14 Bonny hillside 15 ‘Ain’t It ___’ (Fats Domino hit) 16 ___ carte (not prix fixe) 17 Gems associated with particular months 19 ‘___ voyage!’ 20 Render unnecessary 21 Under guardianship 23 ‘Coffee or ___?’ 24 ‘A friend in ___ is ...’ 26 Alternative to butter 27 A graph may reveal one 29 Bulletin board notice 32 Sullen 33 Prefix with ‘sphere’ or ‘friendly’ 35 Aura of doom 37 ‘Big Brown’ 38 Precious leek relatives? 41 ‘Chi’ lead-in 43 Agile deer 44 Hold the title to 45 ‘Edelweiss’ setting 47 It gets hammered 49 Robin of ‘Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous’ 53 Beat a hasty retreat 54 ‘Gone With the Wind’ plantation 56 Egyptian god of the air 57 Make stronger, as a building 61 It comes before Exodus 63 ‘2 Fast 2 Furious’ actress Mendes 64 Kind of rattlesnake or terrapin 66 Gumshoe, briefly 67 Implant deeply, as in soil 68 Digestive fluid 69 Craft 300 cubits long 70 Accessories 71 ‘Call of the Wild’ vehicle

DOWN

1 ‘What is on second’ speaker 2 Certain corrupter 3 Beetles-to-be 4 Abominable snowman 5 ‘Take a sip’ 6 Admire, and then some 7 Greek letter that looks like a ‘P’ 8 Asian princess 9 A sign of things to come 10 Breathing spell, eg 11 Terrific 12 Camera shot that gets all the details 13 Choirmasters 18 Human-powered rail transport 22 ‘The Twilight Zone’ creator Serling 25 Bank account increaser 28 Alumni newsletter word 30 Primate with an opposable thumb 31 Bit of this, bit of that 34 ‘Straight ___ the rocks?’ 36 Area prone to flooding 38 Place for a certain smoker’s collection 39 Pasture 40 22.5 deg. on the compass 41 Evening gown fabric, often 42 More than widespread 46 ‘On your mark, get ___, go!’ 48 Body of water in a Brooke Shields film 50 Attack 51 Ingredient of chewing gum 52 Prepared corn on the cob 55 ‘Monopoly’ payments 58 ‘It seemed like a good ___ at the time!’ 59 Locate or recover 60 Cloth measure 62 Abates 65 Bit of beef tongue?

Chai Time MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 11-9-2012

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

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Expected job will become certain for your son or daughter. With different and innovative steps, businessmen will achieve their goals. Dues will come if you put sincere effort. Court verdicts will go in your favour. Financial position looks strong .

Happy events to take place at home in a line. Those disturbed for not having a job will receive favourable news. Businessmen will receive many orders. Those in export/ import business will do well. Good efforts will fetch you maximum gains.

As focus is distracted work gets delayed. Avoid new efforts for the time being. A confused state of mind might slow you down in taking decisions. Employees will be happy as superior and colleagues will be co-operative.

QUICK CROSSWORD FRED BASSET

Marriage talks might hit a roadblock. Court issues are likely to get delayed. Wasteful expenses will stress you out as money will not come from expected sources in time. Avoid arguments at work as the superior and colleagues might turn against you.

Wasteful expenses seem inevitable but you need to take serious steps to reduce them; crisis otherwise. Though employees work hard and complete them in time, they will not be recognised. Staying cool and silent will be a better option.

Those trying to change their job will get a suitable alternative. Debt issues will be under good control. Employees might be favoured with promotion or hike. Couple will be cordial and more affectionate towards each other.

Those putting sincere efforts for an opportunity abroad will succeed. Those in financial irregularities will get a favourable verdict making them extremely happy. Strong financial position likely. Co-operation from spouse will cheer you.

Avoid fresh loans, which might become a headache in future. You need to plan with caution and execute work with perfection. Employees might face difficulties from superiors, which will upset them. Colleagues might misunderstand you.

You will complete all challenging tasks easily because of your abundant knowledge and experience. You will get a clear vision of future actions to be taken for which the base will be ready. Adequate finances. Employees are favoured.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

Four of Cups – You are tempted to do just the thing that you are not allowed to do. A ban on an act will make you more curious to follow that path.

LEO:

The Fool – Make a list of all the things that matter to you, and check if you current behaviour is doing justice to that list. You need to re-prioritise.

LIBRA:

STONE SOUP

Seven of Swords – Your search for something will take you to interesting places. You will be in a position to decide your next course of action based on experiences.

SAGITTARIUS:

Nine of Wands – There is something fishy going on around you that does not really concern you. Yet, you are taking it all too personally. Chill out!

TAURUS:

Wheel of Fortune – Be careful with your wallet and valuables when out in a crowded place. Do not leave anything unattended, and stay cautious at all times.

CANCER:

Temperance – You have a lot of conditions and reservations about the kind of people you hang out with and who you talk to. Do not be so picky.

VIRGO:

Four of Swords – Some important buying and selling is happening right now, and this will keep you really busy. But do take time to rest and relax, too.

SCORPIO:

Knight of Cups – You are climbing up the charts of popularity at your work place simply because you are able to think out the box and provide creative solutions.

CAPRICORN:

Five of Pentacles – You get valuable feedback from a person you just met. This person is a neutral party and does not lose by telling you the truth.

SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

The High Priestess – You are in a great position to make a wish and see it actually come true. You will be in an intuitive phase needing nurturing.

NUMBER GAME

– Your reaction to something will determine whether a situation will be blown out of proportion or handled well. Don’t react without knowing all.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: Ace of Wands

INK PEN

Do not worry over financial difficulties; situation is changing for better. Employees are likely to get a good hike with which their comforts will increase. Businessmen will have a very good demand in the market for their products.

for 11-9-2012

Page of Wands – You have misunderstood somebody, and this might cost you. Do not judge anyone without knowing the truth. Even if you do, you never know!

FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE

Persons awaiting marriage finalisation can be cheerful as it is on the cards. Minor misunderstanding likely between couple but will get resolved soon; but if you magnify the problem, then your peaceful atmosphere will get disturbed.

SUDUKO

As thoughts are diverted in various directions, you might be confused and also get emotional. Avoid anger and keep your cool. Those haunted by debts will get ways to clear them and relax. Some may shift to their own house.

Boggle SOCK SHOE BOOT SANDAL SNEAKER Vol: 2, No 55 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 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012 Naomi worried about reaction to Diana film

ing Kong star Naomi Watts says she is dreading the reaction to her portrayal of Princess Diana. “I am dreading the reaction amongst the pubic to my playing her. You know that people will complain that you don’t look enough like her all those things. It’s difficult to play someone who had such a deep impact.” IANS

WAKE-UP CALL

FATHER'S DEATH MADE PALTROW HEALTH CONSCIOUS

ctress Gwyneth Paltrow says she changed her lifestyle after she lost her father, film-maker Bruce Paltrow, to cancer a decade ago. “When my father was diagnosed with cancer, it really changed the way that I lived — it changed my whole lifestyle,” people.com quoted the 39-year-old Paltrow as saying. “I completely changed my diet, and I got very serious about exercising and about exposure to toxins. It really changed the way that I thought. I think I had more of a laissez-faire attitude about my health, and when he got cancer it was a real shock. ... It was sort of like the break of my adolescence,” she added. “This is my one life, and I need to invest in myself and my family and make sure that we can do what we can to stay healthy,” she said. IANS

I don’t plan for the future: George Michael

inger George Michael says he has no longer plans for the future following his battle with pneumonia. The singer said his brush with death has taught him to live in the moment more, reported Contactmusic. PTI

Timberlake may buy stake in basketball team

ctor-singer Justin Timberlake is reportedly planning to buy a small stake in his native Tennessee’s basketball team Memphis Grizzlies. According to reports, Timberlake is said to have agreed to become a shareholder to buy the NBA team, reports dailystar.co.uk. IANS

sports

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

BMW CHAMPIONSHIPS

McIlroy rallies to claim final crown

McIlroy fired a five-under par 67 to win the title, holding off an elite field to win a second straight event. INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA: Rory McIlroy fired a fiveunder par 67 on Sunday to win the BMW Championship, holding off an elite field to win a second straight title in the US PGA Tour's playoff series. McIlroy, who won the Deutsche Bank Championship last week by one stroke, finished with a 20-under par total of 268, two shots in front of Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood. After claiming the second major title of his career at the PGA Championship last month, the world number one nabbed his fourth US tour title of the season and the sixth of his career. England's Westwood carded a 3-under 69 at Crooked Stick, while Mickelson posted a 70 for 270. McIlroy had six birdies on the day, breaking out of a four-way tie for the lead with birdies at nine and 10. Two more birdies at 15 and 16 gave him enough of a cushion to make his bogey at 18 irrelevant. “I felt like I was a little bit more on my game last week, I scrambled really well yesterday to still give myself

a chance going into today, and I did some great work on the range last night, and drove the ball beautifully today," McIlroy said. “I set myself up to attack these pins." McIlroy became the first player since Tiger Woods in 2009 to win in successive weeks on the US tour and he joined Woods and Jack Nicklaus

as the only players to win at least six PGA Tour events before his 24th birthday. “I knew if I played to my ability that I would win events. I didn't think that everything would happen so quickly, but I'm just on a great run at the minute and trying to keep that going for as long as possible," McIlroy said. McIlroy hit all but one fairway in the final round, taking advantage of the rain-softened cour-se to attack the pins. AFP

Rory McIlroy poses with his trophies after winning the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick Golf Club on Sunday. LITTLE/GETTY IMAGES/AFP

PARALYMPIC GAMES

British press laud closing ceremony The press praised the closing ceremony wh ich ended over six weeks of sporting action. LONDON: Britain's press on Monday mostly lavished praise on the closing ceremony of the Paralympic Games, a show which brought the curtain down on more than six weeks of sporting action at London 2012. The Times went with the headline “From the Heart of London 2012" over a wraparound photograph of a heartshaped ring of flame that encircled flag-waving Paralympians inside the Olympic Stadium in east London. Simon Barnes of the upmarket Rupert Murdoch-owned paper described the three-hour ceremony as “a raucous blast” while top-selling tabloid The Sun splashed “We Loved It!" across their front page. The middle-market Daily Mirror went with “It's Been a Blast” over a picture of fireworks exploding into the night sky from the edges of the stadium. The paper said a global audience of one billion had watched the “breath-taking finale” that had featured British supergroup Coldplay performing “some of their most iconic songs, including Viva La Vida." The left-leaning Independent ran the headline “There is a flame that will never go out” beneath a different angle of the same heartshaped ring of fire. Reporter Cahal Milmo described a “spectacular show that mixed superstars Coldplay, Jay-Z and Rihanna with a baroque — at times darkly surreal — parade of fire-belching contraptions, mid-September

snowstorms and human fireflies." But tempering the enthusiasm came an acid-tongued appraisal of the night's musical offerings, with reviewer Nick Hasted describing Coldplay as having “no drama or charisma, a vacant version of British pop in the 21st century." The Guardian ran the frontpage headline “Goodbye to Britain's Golden Summer” beneath a startling image of a burning sculpture of a paganlooking 'sun king' which had featured in the ceremony.

The three-hour closing ceremony was described as “a raucous blast” while Sun splashed “We Loved It!" Journalist Jonathan Freedland described the show as “an extravaganza of fire and light that honoured the now familiar London 2012 formula combining the surreal and the spectacular." The Daily Mail went with the headline “A heartfelt farewell” over a different image of the heart-shaped ring, reporter David Jones praising the ceremony as a “wonderful, uplifting tribute” to the Paralympian athletes. The Daily Telegraph front page header was “The Summer of Love", again plastered over a vertical image of the flaming, heart-shaped ring. AFP

LPGA KINGSMILL CHAMPIONSHIP

Shin, Creamer locked in duel

Shin and Creamer were locked in a playoff duel when darkness halted play at the ninth hole of their sudden-death decider. WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA: Jiyai Shin and Paula Creamer were locked in a playoff duel when darkness halted play at the ninth hole of their sudden-death decider at the LPGA Kingsmill Championship on Sunday. The two were teeing it up for the ninth time at the 18th hole of the Kingsmill Resort's River Course when it was decided it was too dark to continue. Both had parred the hole eight times. “This is a hard birdie hole," said Creamer, who added she

wished officials had been able to change the pin for the playoff. The American had put her ball on the tee when play was stopped, and while she would like to have seen a result, she said it was too dark to play on. “I wanted to play, but when I teed it up back, there it was a nogo," Creamer said. Shin, a former world number one who like Creamer is seeking a first LPGA Tour title since 2010, said she'd never experienced anything like the marathon playoff.

“I know winning is always tough — but not this tough," Shin said. They were to return Monday morning to rejoin the battle at the par-four 16th. The playoff is the longest between two players in LPGA Tour history, breaking the record of seven holes set when Cristie Kerr beat Seol-An Jeon at the 2004 Takefuji Classic. Jo Ann Prentice won the 1972 Corpus Christi Open on the 10th hole of a playoff that involved three players. AFP

Jiyai Shin hits her tee shot during the final round of the Kingsmill Championship on Sunday. HUNTER MARTIN/GETTY IMAGES/AFP

sports

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

SOUTH AFRICA IN ENGLAND

Broad ponders net gains England captain Stuart Broad admits there is no point in demanding his players take part in extra practice sessions after their crushing T20 defeat to South Africa. MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM: England captain Stuart Broad (in pic) admits there is no point in demanding his players take part in extra practice sessions after their crushing Twenty20 defeat against South Africa. Broad’s side were beaten by seven wickets in Durham on Saturday and have litle time to recover before facing the South Africans again in the second game of the three-match T20 series in Manchester on Monday. With the end of a long, gruelling international campaign in sight, Broad doesn’t believes there is any extra value to be gained from putting his players through their paces in compulsory net sessions before the Old Trafford clash. Instead, he believes it could be just as valuable to have time to recharge mentally and physi-

Anderson slams Vaughan

ames Anderson has launched a scathing attack on the captaincy of Michael Vaughan, who led his country's successful bid to regain the Ashes in 2005. Vaughan was widely regarded as a fine leader after revitalising England in the run-up to their first Test series win over old rivals Australia in 18 years. But Anderson, who didn't feature in the 2005 Ashes after losing his place in the England team, claims Vaughan lacked the ability to talk to his players as individuals and left him feeling "alone and isolated" when he needed support. AFP

cally, especially since England will head off for the defence of their World Twenty20 crown less than 24 hours after Wednesday’s final T20 showdown with the Proteas in Birmingham. “It’s a tricky time of year,” Broad said. “You don’t want to be netting all the time, because we’ve had quite a long cricket season; you’ve got to actually manage your time well. “Whether going to the nets and doing certain things is the best thing to do, we’ll have a discussion about; or whether getting away and actually having a think about what we do (is better).” Broad knows England’s poor batting in their last two limitedovers matches, which both ended in defeat against South Africa, must improve. Ravi Bopara’s struggles have been most notable, but a succes-

League Cricket A2 AND 3 TWO DAYS LEAGUE MATCHES n

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Osmania 168 (Faheem 5/46, M. Radhakrishna 5/12) lost to SA Amberpet 171/2 (Praveeth 105 n.o.) Venus Cyber Tech 363 (Moyya Albert Bleaker 111, Ash Kumar 72) bt National 232. MCC 170/9 (Anuraag Haridas 81) drew with Budding Stars. Raju CC 127 lost to HBCC 128/1 (Rasheed Ahmed 102).

A 4 AND 11 ONE DAY LEAGUE MATCHES n

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Yadav Dairy 238 (Bharath Raj 52, Surya Abhinav 66, Rahul 5/18) bt XI Masters 141 (Bharath Raj 5/38). Hyd Wanderers 217 lost to Golconda 223/1 (Mohammed Mohsin 118 n.o.). Rushi Raj 190/9 lost to Apex CC 191/5 (Ajay 58). Manchester 214/7 (M Charan Teja 100) bt S Raymonds 192 (Rohit Kumar 70, T. Chandrashekar 5/36). Reliance 242 for 8 lost to St

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Patricks 243/7 (Sai Sandeep 74, Abhishek Singh 63 n.o.). Concorde 175/9 (Rajeshkar 55, Goutam M 57, Mahesh 5/24) bt Shanthi XI 139. Mayura 319/6 (Harish Yadav 56 n.o., Gopal Jha 78) bt Future Star 248 (Mahesh Yadav 77, Ashish Srivastav 5/26). MP Blues 326/7 (Swamy 69, T.P. Varun 73, Prabhu Kiran 81) bt Classic 95. Navajeevan Friends 53 (D Arvind 7/13) lost to Amberpet 54/1. Imperial 125 (Mohammed Ibrahim 8/26) lost to Young Masters 126/6. Satya CC 158 lost to HPS R 163/4 Southern Star 145 (Srinand 6/15) bt Cheerful Chums 59 (Aleemuddin 5/7). ML Jaisimha 191 (Shilpee 77) bt Chums XI 112 (Karthik 51, Sairam 5/27). AVCC 125/9 lost to Manikumar 126/6 Hyderabad District 242/9 (R. Shuchith 58 n.o.) bt Starlets 123. Walker Town 252/7 (Chanti 50, Ashok 53, Nuthan 94) lost to

England were beaten by seven wickets in Durham and have litle time to recover before facing the South Africans again in the second game. sion of his team-mates got out to poor shots, or poor judgement. Yet Board will leave it to individuals how best to turn things round. “The boys have hit a lot of balls this summer,” he said. “Maybe this was a mental switch-on, to someone batting through and taking responsibility. “Whether hitting more balls is a good option, we’ll have a look.” AFP

Sahaja claims chess crown n

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Green Turf 87 (Aminuddin 8/38) Vijaynagar 167 (Sridhar 55, Ramraj 5/35) lost to Sagar XI 169/8. Gunrock 164 (Samhith Reddy 5/28) bt HCA Academy 143 Sportive 146 (Sagar 5/40) lost to Azad 147/5 (Hussian 50). Red Hills 219/9 (Osman 53 n.o.) lost to Victory 106 (Osman 6 for 28). Shailmar 429/5 (Rohit Reddy 64 G. Ganesh 157, Jainag 106 n.o.) bt St Patricks 261/4 (R Madhavan 66, Sai Sandeep 61, Abhishek Singh 69 n.o.). RK Puram 152/9 (Syed Shakir 5/36) bt Agarwal 139 Bharath 213/6 (Varun Yadav 105) bt Universal 206 Elegant 136/7 tied with Bharatiya 136/4 (Siddharth 75 n.o.). Adams 116 (Mudussir 5/22) lost to MP Youngmen 117/6 Lal Bahadur 198 lost to All Saint High School 201/5 (Sanjay Yadav 102 n.o.). Greenlands 169/6 (Vikas 50, Sandeep Goud 53, M Abdul Quyyum 5/28) bt Noble 120.

h Sahaja Sri won the 76th Brilliant chess tournament title having claimed 5.5 points from 6 rounds. In final round she defeated P. Rama Krishna(4.5). Meanwhile, B. Harsha (5.5), who drew his final round with J Ramakrishna(5) was tied with Sahaja for first place. But due to a lesser tie break score Sahaja Sri was declared as the winner. Harsha was given the runner’s up title. In the junior category, P. Ajay Reddy of Narayna E Techno School, Dilsukhnagar won the title with 5 points from 6 rounds .

FINAL POSITIONS n

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Open Category: 1. Ch Sahajasri, 2. B. Harsha 3. J. Ramakrishna, 4. M.Y. Raju, 5. Prathyush, 6. Sandeep Naidu, 7. P. Ramakrishna, 8. M. Tulasikumar, 9. B. N. V. R. Ganesh, 10. V. Raghava Srivatsav Junior Category: P. Ajay Reddy Under 14 Boys: 1. Sai Arun, 2. Lekhraj Girls: 1.Pooja Anjali, 2. Swethasree Under 12 Boys: 1. Avikshit, 2.A. Prateek Girls: 1. Manusree, 2. Lakshmi Sravani Under 10 Boys: 1. M. Tarun, 2. S. Kousik Girls: 1. Anjana Satwika, 2. Ranjana Reddy Under 8 Boys: 1. Koushik, 2. H. Nikhil Girls: 1. N Harini Under 6 Boys : 1. Aryan Reddy, 2. Ritwik Rohan 3. Rishit Girls: 1. Rachita. Best Woman: K. Anvitha Best Veteran: 1. M Janakidevi, 2. Shamlal

sports

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

ACCOMPLISHING DISCIPLES

Outgoing Laxman hands mantle to upcoming Vihari

SRINIVAS SETTY

SYED SHOAIB shoaib.s@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: At an event organised on Sunday by the cricket academy that nurtured his talent facilitating his many achievements that did India proud, VVS Laxman, who recently retired from international cricket, handed over the responsibility of “keeping the national flag high and fluttering” to young “prodigy” GH Vihari. The prodigal aspect of Vihari was explained by K Sumanth, who played with the India representative for years at various levels. “He is technically very sound, consistent and can withstand pressure and that’s what separated him from us,” Sumanth said of Vihari. Versatile Tollywood actor Akkineni Nagarjuna, graced the occasion that felicitated Laxman and Vihari, one for being the cornerstone of Indian cricket’s turnabout, which led them to capturing the number one position in the world; and the other for providing hope for the future that the void that has been created with Laxman’s retirement, can eventually be filled. This hope is stoked from the fact that the 19-year-old has already got the World U–19 Cup under his belt as key member of the Indian team that won the trophy in Australia last month. Vihari, a right-handed batsman, who plays at the crucial number four position, played all matches in the tournament with responsibility and excelled. While congratulating Laxman for making Hyderabad proud, Nagarjuna cautioned Vihari’s well-wishers from burdening the lad with too much pressure. “Cricket in India is religion and too many expectations can lead to pressure. That should not happen to Vihari. Let him enjoy his game. One has to enjoy doing what one is doing; only then will that person do

Tollywood actor Akkineni Nagarjuna hands former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman a souvenir after draping him with a shawl at a felicitation ceremony organised by St John’s Cricket Coaching Foundation on Sunday at the academy premises in the city.

Produce of St John’s St John’s Cricket Coaching Foundation that has been nurturing cricketing talent in the city for over 25 years has a number of international, national and state players as proof of result of their dedication. While over 31 players have played domestic cricket, four went on to represent the country in the international arena. VVS Laxman, Neol David and MSK Prasad played for India, while Tarun Sai Nethula is a member of the New Zealand team.

Upcoming batsman GH Vihari being felicitated by the star.

Akkineni Amala seated on the dais at the event.

well,” he said. He said that he was happy to be among sportsmen even though he had to sacrifice an

early-morning shoot the following day, which he said in a lighter note, was sabotaged by the organisers of the event.

“Permission for the shoot that was scheduled on some city roads was withdrawn and that cannot be a mere coincidence

after I had told one gentleman sitting here to excuse me!” “But I don’t regret having come here one bit,” he added. His wife Akkineni Amala brought to the notice of the gathering the immense sacrifices made by the families of achievers. “Being a Cricket Mum because of my children who are both fans and players of the game, I understand the sacrifices that mums and the families make, so I thank them for those sacrifices,” she said. Highest run-getter for Hyderabad in Ranji matches, MV Sridhar also announced cash prizes of `3 lakh for coach R Sridhar and `5 lakh for Vihari from St John’s Cricket Coaching Foundation, a subsidiary of the Hyderabad Cricket Association.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

sports

ANDY SOUNDS BATTLE CRY AGAINST DJOKOVIC “I will give it everything,” Andy Murray said. “I will leave it all out there.” As a battle cry the Scot’s declaration ahead of his fifth grand slam final on Monday, his second in New York, his second against Novak Djokovic, rang with Caledonian grit.

US OPEN

Serena beats Azarenka for fourth US title JIM SLATER Agencie France-Presse NEW YORK: Serena Williams (right) captured her 15th Grand Slam title and fourth career US Open crown with a 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 victory Sunday over World No 1 Victoria Azarenka. In the first three-set final at the US Open since 1995, American fourth seed Williams joined her sister Venus and Steffi Graf as the only women to win Wimbledon, the Olympics and the US Open in the same year. Pushed to her limit for the only time in the Flushing Meadows fortnight, Williams was down a break twice in the third set but battled back to win after two hours and 18 minutes when Azarenka swatted a backhand long. “I honestly can’t believe I won,” Williams said. “I was preparing my runner-up speech. I’m so shocked. It’s remarkable.” Williams, who turns 31 on September 26, became the second-oldest US Open women’s champion in the Open era. Australian Margaret Court was one month past her 31st birthday when she won the 1973 title. Not since Martina Navratilova in 1987 had a woman won the US Open title past her 30th birthday. Taking home a top prize of $1.9 million, Williams won her 45th career title after finishing second to Australia’s Samantha Stosur in 2011 following a year of health problems that included blood clots on her lungs. Williams won prior US

Past 15 US Open women’s champions 2012 – Serena Williams (USA) 2011 – Samantha Stosur (AUS) 2010 – Kim Clijsters (BEL) 2009 – Kim Clijsters (BEL) 2008 – Serena Williams (USA) 2007 – Justine Henin (BEL) 2006 – Maria Sharapova (RUS) 2005 – Kim Clijsters (BEL) 2004 – Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 2003 – Justine HeninHardenne (BEL) 2002 – Serena Williams (USA) 2001 – Venus Williams (USA) 2000 – Venus Williams (USA) 1999 – Serena Williams (USA) 1998 – Lindsay Davenport (USA)

Open titles in 1999, 2002 and 2008 and added Grand Slam crowns at the 2002 French Open, the 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2010 Australian Opens and Wimbledon in 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010 and 2012. Olympic bronze medalist Azaranka, whose 1-9 record against Williams in prior matches included losses in this year’s Olympic and Wimbledon semifinals, won her first Grand Slam title at this year’s Australian Open. But no women’s top seed has won a US Open title since Justine Henin in 2007 and none has won a Grand Slam title since Serena Williams in 2010 at Wimbledon. “Serena deserves to win. She showed how true a champion she is,” Azarenka said. “I definitely gave it all today. Stepping

off this court I have no regrets.” Williams, in a third set at the US Open for the first time since 2006, exchanged early breaks with Azarenka in the final set. Azarenka, unbeaten in 12 prior three-set matches this year, broke Williams at love for a 4-3 lead, but was broken back when she served for the match in the 10th game, netting a forehand to pull Williams level at 5-5. The American held serve and then watched as Azarenka twice hit errant shots when she was a point from forcing the first third-set tie-breaker in a US Open women’s final since 1985. Williams then won on her first match-point chance. The 13-year gap between Williams winning her first Slam title at age 17 at the US Open and now marks the longest span between first and most recent titles in US Open history and for any Grand Slam in the Open era that began in 1968. No US Open women’s final had gone to a third set since Steffi Graf went the distance to defeat Monica Seles 7-6 (8/6), 06, 6-3 some 17 years ago. Williams stretched her match-win streak against World No. 1 players to five in a row, last losing to a rankings leader in 2007 when Justine Henin beat her, and 15 for her career, three shy of Navratilova’s all-time record. It was the fourth time Williams defeated a World No 1 in a Grand Slam final after Martina Hingis in the 1999 US Open, Venus Williams in 2002 Wimbledon and Lindsay Davenport in the 2005 Australian Open.

BRIEFS Open withstands weather woes

Serena hungers for more Slam magic

Djokovic ready to scrap ‘Super Saturday’

Final foes saw World Cup qualifier together

ours after a severe weather system that spawned two tornadoes ripped through New York and halted the US Open, Sunday morning spectators were treated to sun, a mild climate and only gentle breezes. No damage had been reported at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center from the Saturday night storm.

erena Williams has won back-toback Grand Slam titles for the ﬁrst time since she completed a “Serena Slam” and after major setbacks the past two years, she is talking about smashing some records. “Even though I’m 30, I feel so young and I’ve never felt as ﬁt and more excited and more hungry,” Williams said.

uper Saturday at the US Open cannot end fast enough to suit reigning champion Novak Djokovic, who railed against the idea on Sunday after booking a spot in Monday’s ﬁnal against Andy Murray. The idea was created by organisers in 1984 to showcase the penultimate day of the year’s ﬁnal Grand Slam event.

cotsman Andy Murray and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, who will play for the US Open title on Monday, watched together as their homelands battled to a goal-less draw in World Cup qualifying on Saturday. The rivals got together before British third seed Murray defeated Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (9/7).

‘Greatest ever’ Serena my blueprint, says Azarenka

DAVE JAMES Agencie France-Presse NEW YORK: Victoria Azarenka (above) hailed Serena Williams as the greatest player of all time on Sunday and vowed to learn from suffering a chastening 10th defeat in 11 meetings with the American veteran in the US Open final. “For me, she’s the greatest player of all time. She has taken the game to the next level,” said 23-year-old Azarenka, who was just 10 when Williams won her first US Open as a teenager in 1999. “But I have to be positive because I feel like these kind of matches, every time I play Serena, it really pushes me to be better, to improve, to move forward. I have to be thankful to her for that.” Azarenka has only beaten Williams once — in the 2009 Miami final — with seven of her defeats coming in the majors. Sunday’s match represented her fourth loss to Williams in 2012 alone. “She makes me all the time make sure that I’m taking my game, my personality, my physical aspect to the next level,” said Azarenka. “Having few of the players like that in the women’s tour is something priceless, something that you cannot take away. It’s the people who like Maria (Sharapova), like Petra (Kvitova) those kind of girls, they always push me to be better. “Today I was close. I’m going to have another opportunity to make something better. That’s what I’m looking for.”