FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 HYDERABAD
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MEN HIT THE FASHION RUNWAY
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MEN AW13 that took place from January 7 to 9 featured over 60 menswear and accessories designers such as Alexander McQueen, Tom Ford, Oliver Spencer, Margaret Howell, Burberry, Belstaff and Vivienne Westwood.
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HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER
WOMEN ROBBED
Three con artists posing as policemen, robbed three women and escaped with 15 tolas of gold ornaments.
REPORT ON P3
MILK PRICES SOAR, ILLEGALLY
BY THE ‘POLICE’ Milkmen in the City have now increased their price by `1 to `5 per litre and that too without government permission. Recent raids by the legal metrology department brought to light this malpractice.
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WHEN A DREAM COMES TRUE
Shweta Pandit is on cloud nine these days. Her latest single Dreamed A Dream is getting a great response on the Internet and she’s all set to make her debut as an actor in Bejoy Nambiar’s David.
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The disappearance of an airplane carrying Italian fashion mogul Vittorio Missoni at the Los Roques archipelago recently has brought the spotlight back onto mysteries. We take a look at some other sightings and events that have mystified people over the years.
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
city events
BIG HYPER SALE
HyperCITY, is having its Hyper Sale at all its stores across India. Customers can get discounts and deals across categories, including fresh produce, home & furniture, electronics, toys and apparels till January 31. In Hyderabad, the hypermarket it at Inorbit mall, Madhapur.
Weather for Hyderabad
Evening
Overnight
Morning
Afternoon
23°C
15°C
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30°C
Clear.
Clear.
Sunny.
Sunny with cloudy periods.
New Delhi Mumbai Max 17 Max 33 Min 7 Min 17 Clear skies.
Chennai Max 30 Min 22
Clear skies.
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Bangalore Max 32 Min 15
Clear skies.
Clear skies.
AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES choreographed by Mahesh L Munde, who has choreographed national and international performances. Where: Lalitha Kala Thoranam, Public gardens, Hyderabad When: January 27 6pm to 9:30pm Contact: 93965 55888
ART Visual Poetry Drawing and paintings by Siddhartha, Kappari Kishan & Shivanand Basavanthappa. Where: Shrishti Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills When: Up to January 15 Contact: (040) 2354 0023
MISCELLANEOUS Numaish Numaish is the 73rd All India Industrial Exhibition is an ongoing event in the City. Where: Exhibition Ground, Mukarramjahi Road, Nampally, When: Up to February 15, 4pm to 11pm Contact: (040) 2460 3015
Chai wallah art show There is an exhibition of paintings by Vijay Gille at the gallery on Chai wallah and other stories. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills When: Up to January 12 11:30am to 7pm Contact: www.iconart.in Code Red Countdown Code Red Countdown is an art collection revolving around ecology, by New York based artist Asher Jay. The theme is endangered wildlife. Where: Lalitha Kala Thoranam, Public gardens When: January 27 6pm to 9:30pm Contact: 93965 55888
DINING Foie Gras & Asparagus Taj Falaknuma Palace is offering foie gras & asparagus on the menu. Pan seared foie gras with mandarin oranges, dill brioche drizzled with truffle oil and pate de foie gras with asparagus cream mousse are some of the items on the menu. Where: Celeste,
FOR PEACE: The central Tibetan administration, along with Tibetans the world over, observe the year 2013 as the M ANIL KUMAR year of 'Solidarity with Tibet' at Indira park. Taj Falaknuma Palace When: Up to January 20 Contact: (040) 6629 8525
Contact: (040) 6682 4422
Makar Sankranti There’s an exquisite signature thali with sweets made of rice, jaggery, green gram and sesame on the occasion of Sankranti. Where: Dakshin, Begumpet When: January 14-15 Contact: (040) 2340 0132 Punjabi Food Festival There will be a bonfire and Punjabi delicacies like Murgh Tikka Anari, Gosht Ka Saag, Sarson Da Saag, Makki Da Roti and Doodhi Halwa will be served. Where: The Square, Hitec City When: Up to January 20
Commissioner & Spl Officer
Helpline GAS BOOKING IVRS NO HP 9666023456 Indane 9848824365 BSNL Complaints HMWS & SB Complaints
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POLICE CONTROL ROOM Hyderabad 27852435 Traffic Control Room 27852482 DCP Traffic 23234065, 23243499F Pollution Control Board 23887500 ELECTRICITY General Complaints Breakdown Section
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MUNICIPAL CORPORATION
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Gloria Jean’s coffee Gloria Jean’s, an international coffee chain, has introduced two new flavours for this season: Creamy Christmas Chocolate and Snowy Christmas Chiller. Customers get a chance to win exotic holidays in India and Thailand. Where: Lifestyle, first floor, Begumpet and Unit No.G 49 A, Inorbit Mall, When: Up to January 15 Contact: (040) 4221 9376
der for the same has been published by Alliance Française of Hyderabad. Where: Contact office for venues and dates When: January-March 9am to 6pm Contact: (040) 2770 0734
SHOWS
The Monsoon Oracle The Monsoon Oracle is a factual film based on ritualistic practices that take places in the country. It revolves around the rituals performed, predicting the arrival of monsoon. Where: NIFT, Madhapur When: January 25, Contact: (040) 2311 4537
Bonjour India festival The Bonjour India festival, a celebration of Indo-French cultural exchange, is being held for the second time in India. The cultural calen-
Tribute to Rajesh Khanna There will be dance performances on Rajesh Khanna’s songs to pay tribute to the superstar. The dance will be
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
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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
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AMBULANCES Apollo 23548888, 23607777 Kamineni 24022222 Medwin 23202902, 23204616 Smile Line Dental Hospital 23747979 Red Cross 27627973 Niloufer Hospital 23314095 Gandhi 23320332 AIRLINES
Dream Kitchen TTK Prestige has come up with its annual New Year’s promotion the “Super Saver Offer” with various deals and discounts on the entire range of Prestige products. Where: Prestige outlets When: Up to January 31 Contact: (040) 2330 6825 The Republic Ride The biggest corporate cycling event at Hyderabad is being organized by The Atlanta Foundation on republic day. The aim is to promote educational programs for underprivileged children. Where: Gachibowli Stadium When: January 26, 6:15am onwards Contact: atlantafoundation.org
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
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
City
YESTERDAY’S QUESTION
SHOULD MARTIAL ARTS LESSONS BE MANDATORY AT SCHOOLS? 92% 8%
YES (A) NO (B)
TODAY’S QUESTION
WILL THE KILLING OF THE TWO INDIAN SOLDIERS BY PAKISTANI TROOPS LEAD TO A KARGIL-LIKE SITUATION? A)
YES
B)
NO
To vote visit www.postnoon.com
CRIME
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Fake policemen con women Two men, posing as concerned cops, conned three women from different localities and escaped with 15 tolas of gold ornaments. The real police don’t seem to have any leads in the case.
Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com
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ight under the nose of the City police, two con artists tricked three women and escaped with 15 tolas of gold ornaments on Wednesday. Two men, as yet not traced, wore safari suits and assumed a demeanour befitting two senior police officers on duty. They held impressive mobile phones and notebooks to make people believe in them. Their first victim was a senior citizen, K Anusuyamma, a resident of Lalaguda. She was walking to the market when the duo stopped her and chided her for wearing gold while
beside her. “Where?” she asked and one of them began telling the tale of a loot attempt while the other made her remove her ornaments and wrapped it in a newspaper for her. She thanked god for sending two policemen as saviours, only to find to her horror later the two were indeed thugs. Next was at Marredpally. In a similar fashion, they posed as policemen posted to safeguard women travellers and looted gold from one J Srilaxmi. In all, the two scoundrels got away with 15 tolas. While the real police are looking with wideeyed wonder at the handiwork of the slick conmen, they have still no clue about the duo’s identity.
looting is going on right beside her. The two persuaded her to take off the gold, helped her wrap it in a newspaper they had in their possession and gave her the bundle. She thanked them profusely. While one was wrapping the gold, the other was telling horror tales of loot in broad daylight happening in the City. When she reached home, Anusuyamma found worthless waste in the newspaper. They scored six tolas. The duo struck next at RP Road. M Sujana, a resident of Malkajgiri, was confronted in a similar fashion, advised and at the same time scolded for wearing gold ornaments when loot attempts were happening just
OPENING MOVES
POLITICS
Sedition or no sedition, that’s the question Worried cops and public prosecutors are wondering how to prove the sedition charges leveled against MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi. POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com
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CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy launches the Mee Seva Electronic Board at N SHIVA KUMAR Secretariat on Friday.
nbeknown to the public, the police brass and prosecutors are tearing their hair in despair after they slapped a sedition charge against the hatemonger suspect and MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi (in pic). “Unlike hate speech, sedition charge is a serious crime that calls for capital punishment,” observed a senior police officer, looking worried at the development. Police plead that they got a statement from Owaisi to this effect during the questioning after his arrest. However, the statement alone is not sufficient to prove charges of sedition, officials point out. In law, sedition is an overt conduct, such as speech and organisation, which is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the
established order. “Sedition often includes subversion of a Constitution and incitement of discontent to lawful authority. It is waging a war against the
State. In this light, it would be a hard job for the prosecution to prove it,” opined a lawyer, who requested anonymity considering the sensitive nature of the case. It is learnt that a meeting of the higher officials were held
A meeting of higher officials was called after framing the sedition charge, to decide how to make the charge stick. soon after framing the sedition charge and pondered over the question on how to make the charge stick. It is still not clear how the police plan to make the charge work, though other sections of hate-speech charges are relatively easy for them to prove, sources said.
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city FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
CIVIC
LAST YEAR... HERE Losing ground
The shady underground
L
ast year we had reported how the City’s schools had no playgrounds for children to play in. Many rented spaces for games and PT. Basements have been converted into drill areas. The chief minister had warned that schools without playgrounds would lose recognition, and added that games and sports would be made a compulsory part of school curricula.
JANUARY 11, 2011
NUMEROLOGY
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The number of cases booked recently against milkmen from the City for increasing the price of milk without any instructions from the government.
Hyderabad has a cherished history of great civilisation. Dirty politics are causing a severe dent on its image. These two parties should serve the public in a secular manner. Abid Rasool Khan, politician
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THINGS WE LEARNT TODAY
The column that teaches everyone something new about the way the City functions.
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Political parties fret over increasing communalism. The BJP’s and the MIM’s hate-mongering and communal actions are harming the City and the country, feel leaders of other parties, who want stricter curbs on outfits that promote communalism.
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Hate-mongers get their due, eventually. After Owaisi was booked, the police are taking action against a ‘swami’ for making hate speeches. Pravin Togadia is next. Hatred will not be tolerated here anymore.
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S BALAKRISHNA
Roads are widened but shops refuse to keep cellars free for parking, driving customers’ vehicles on to the road. Corruption of civic officials is obvious here. Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com
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everal commercial complexes in the City continue to openly flout rules. On the one hand, roads are widened after displacing many and on the other, commercial establishments seem the direct beneficiaries of these widened roads. These establishments wantonly violate building rules which say cellar parking is mandatory. The cellars are also being converted to shops, forcing all vehicles coming to such places on to the road, leading to traffic congestion and accidents. For instance, not far away from the GHMC main office, are several commercial complexes where building cellars continue to do business. Being a posh locality, visitors usually come in
their cars. Lack of cellar parking at the commercial complexes force them to park on the road, which was widened recently. “At any given time, crossing the stretch from Liberty to Narayanaguda takes 15 minutes. Not because the road is narrow but people park their vehicles on the road,” said V Ramachandraiah, a resident of Himayatnagar. Another example is of Big Bazar at Ameerpet, the road outside which was widened recently. But the space created after the footpath was constructed has became a parking space for shops. Recently, the GHMC made news by sealing the South India Shopping Mall in Kukatpally, citing reasons of it flouting regulations. But within a few days, it was reopened, which smacked of greasing palms. “I raised the issue of South India Shopping Mall in
The GHMC commissioner decided to hold a demolition drive in the first week of every month, but nothing has materialised yet. the recently held standing committee meeting. I shall not keep quiet over this,” said a Congress corporator who could not digest the deviation. Apart from this, several other roads are packed in spite of widening, owing to lack of cellars for commercial establishments. Officials refute that there were new complexes with deviation, as the GHMC was closely monitoring them. “After the implementation of GO 86 and GO 168 came about four years ago, no commercial complex is
using cellars for shops,” said G Raghu, chief city planner. Even though GHMC commissioner MT Krishna Babu took a decision to hold a demolition drive in the first week of every month, it could not materialised. The excuse officials cite is lack of staff in the town planning wing, which tied the hands of the GHMC. Most of the employees currently working are engaged in other important works. According to the chief city planner, there was a proposal to form teams at the head office, apart from zonal offices. There will be two teams in the starting stage, each with a DEE (deputy executive engineer), ACP (assistant city planner) and vigilance department official. “The new squad will take up the issue of demolition shortly, with the approval of the commissioner,” said Raghu.
NEWS BRIEFS
Delhi gets a bad rap as ‘rape capital’ again. Don’t define a city by what occurs in it; Delhi is still a great place to live. It’s time we tackled the issue of rape, instead of blaming Delhi.
Coolie’s body found at Chintalkunta
School teacher goes missing
Nine-year-old drowns in Kushaiguda lake
Togadia in trouble for making hate speeches
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Milking you for all you’re worth. Unscrupulous milkmen have been charging more than MRP for milk, citing fuel prices for the hike.
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All men are equal, but some are more equal than others? Cops may claim to crack down on tinted car glass, but Owaisi sailed to court in dark seclusion.
man died under suspicious circumstances early on Friday. The man, identified only as Pantulu, was found dead at Chintalkunta of Vansthalipuram. The 45-year-old had injuries on his head and ear. Pantulu was from Warangal and he had been in the City for the past three years, working as a coolie and staying on the footpath.
school teacher, Arshiya Fatima, has been missing since Wednesday. A resident of Denanaik Nagar of Madhapur, she was working as a teacher for the past few years in a private school. She left home for school on Wednesday as usual, and has not returned since. Her brother, Muzaffer, lodged a plaint at Madhapur police station.
nine-year-old boy, K Srikanth, a resident of BJR Nagar Kapra, drowned in a lake in Kushaiguda accidentally on Wednesday. The victim, along with his friends, went to the lake for a swim, when he drowned. His body was fished out on Thursday. The Kushaiguda police has been registered a case and started investigation.
complaint of hatemongering has been filed with Charminar police against firebrand Hindu leader Pravin Togadia, police said. The case pertains to his incendiary speeches at Charminar last month with regard to the Bhagyalakshmi temple-Charminar issue. However, the police have sought legal action before registering a case.
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city FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
POLITICS
Rein in MIM, BJP, other parties say The recent political developments involving the MIM and BJP parties did not go down well with other major political parties and civil society organisations in the State. They allege that MIM and BJP resorted to the act to polarise the State. INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com
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he representatives of other political parties in the State feel that the end result of the political developments between MIM and BJP would only benefit the two parties. “Both the BJP and MIM are hardcore communal political parties. They always bother about consolidating their vote banks. The recent spat between the two political parties was also part of their agenda to consolidate their vote banks. These political parties never showed any concern towards public problems,” TDP senior leader Karanam Balaram told Postnoon. APCC general secretary Abid Rasool Khan said that the dirty politics of MIM and BJP are harmful for the country, particu-
larly for Hyderabad. “Hyderabad has a long and cherished history of great a civilisation. These dirty politics are causing a severe dent on its image. These two political parties should immediately stop this and serve the public in a secular manner,”
Khan said. He appealed to the people of the State not to get involved in the dirty politics of the communal parties and work together for the development of the State. “It is high time that all of us start looking towards living
POLITICS
Opposition parties electrify agitation arena POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com
T
he recent decision of the State government to hike electricity charges is turning into a big controversy as rival political parties are lapping up the issue and organising agitations of all sorts. The Opposition parties are competing to take up this issue to gain political mileage. While the main opposition Telugu Desam Party is leading the front by launching a blitzkrieg against the Congress-led State government, left parties like CPI, CPM and TRS too are not far behind, with many innovative stirs like candle-light dharna or gheraoing officers. A massive agitation programme organised by Telugu Desam in Karimnagar district two days ago turned violent and led to the arrest of TDP MLAs S Devaiah and Vijaya Ramana Rao. The arrest of these MLAs forced the Telugu Desam to call for district bandh in Karimnagar today. The bandh call of the TDP is expected to receive support from the public also. Commenting on the hike of electricity charges, TDP senior leader and former minister from Karimnagar district E Peddi Reddy demanded that the
State government immediately withdraw its decision, as it would derail the life of the masses. “People are already suffering from many problems like rise in the prices of essential commodities, shortage of power, and power surcharge. The new decision to hike electricity charges would only cripple their lives further. The State government should immediately withdraw its decision and look for alternatives to plug its losses.” Reddy warned that the party would continue its agitation till the State withdraws its decision. On the other hand, the left parties are planning to intensify their agitation in the next couple of days. “As a responsible political party, we will definitely raise this issue continuously and stand by the public,” a senior CPI leader said.
together in peace and harmony, and work for the development of the State,” he said. Khan requested the union government to derecognise these parties. CPM Leader J Ranga Reddy came down heavily on these two political parties and demanded
that the central government immediately ban these parties. He also said that there should be a mechanism to keep a check on political parties and their activities. “I feel that there is a strong need to keep a tab on the activities of communal political parties. It would help us in preventing these political parties from resorting to anti-societal activities,” he said. CPI Leader and MLA K Sambasiva Rao demanded that the authorities disqualify these people from contesting in elections if they resort to creating a communal rift in the society. India Against Corruption activist Abhishek Mawle alleged that the only agenda of these political parties is to stop development and progress in the society. “People of our country do not need such politicians and political parties," he said.
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T-AGITATION COMES IN HANDY FOR TRS The ongoing month-long agitation programmes of the TRS has come in handy for the party to raise the power hike issue and garner public support. The TRS leaders are fully cashing in on their agitation ito raise both the separate Telangana and the power hike issue.
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city FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
REPORTERS’ DIARY
All men are not equal
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nd here is the quiz. Why does the jailed firebrand MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi’s car have tinted glass (pictured above)? His black Scorpio has coloured glasses, while tinted window glasses or black tapes are banned. Whether it has come from the manufacturer, the common man does not know. What crosses his mind is that all are not equal before law. Some are born with special privileges, you know. (SS)
HIS JOURNEY FROM SARPANCH TO IAS The conferring of IAS on an additional commissioner recently by the government has made many wonder at the wayward workings of the government. The official, serving the GHMC with an important portfolio, is generally referred to as a “politician among the bureaucrats.” According to some, the current GHMC commissioner was, in fact, brought in by the influence and clout of the additional commissioner, when he was in Secretariat. Known to be close to late Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, the official had managed to forge a good rapport with other politicians as well after YSR’s sudden death. But conferring him with an IAS status has lead to hot discussions among employees and other officials. “Formerly a
sarpanch, the official has great skill in climbing ladders for sure,” sneered an official. (MN)
‘I TOLD YOU SO’
These days, TDP corporator of Mangalhat, T Raja Singh, goes around saying, “I told you so!” And, well, he can, for it was he who had warned the DGP and government of the “political conspiracy” of MIM, that wanted to field one dozen candidates for the next general elections. According to a written petition to the DGM on December 10, he pointed out how consistent hatespeeches by Owaisi and MIM leaders in the City and in Nizamabad are generating communal clashes and tension between the two communities. He said the ultimate aim is to consolidate Muslim votes. Raja
also pointed out how the assembly sat mute witness to the venomous spewings of Akbaruddin Owaisi, who challenged another community while debating the tribal sub-plan bill. When Varun Gandhi is being framed for hate speech where he only said the majority community is suffering in India, Owaisi went about talking naked communalism freely, which was what attracted VHP hardcore man Pravin Togadia to the City, he said. The corporator wanted immediate action before it is too late. Well, rest is history. (PK)
FLEECE MAN, FLEECE!
Slowly, more and more weight is being put on the common man, who silently bears the burden of taxes and rising prices. Look how avaricious traders and
transport operators of even the State-run APSRTC fleece the poor public by charging toll on the ticket (pictured below)! All this while the tolls were being paid by the transport operators. But when there is nobody to question these atrocious acts, why can’t they do it? Hey, jani, is there a government? (IA)
COMMUNAL DRAGONS ARE SCARED One good thing about the Owaisi case is that the vicious elements have received a legal jolt, as they now know their vile uttering is promptly recorded. After Akbaruddin Owaisi, it has been a procession of recordings of the communal speeches. A swami was booked and now someone has filed a petition against
VHP’s fire-spitting Pravin Togadia. Many religious leaders, who used abusive language with impunity to refer to the other community, are now plain scared. Endless trips to police stations and courts await them. Well, technology wins where government fails. (MS)
BACK TO SQUARE ONE
Traffic police propose, drivers dispose, is the situation in the City. They make new one-ways, new rules and put speed restrictions, and like the new broom sweeping it clean in the beginning, do a job of watching the scene for a few days before giving it all up. After witnessing the maddening speed of vehicles along the Tank Bund road, traffic police decided to restrict speed too 40 kmph. They stationed themselves in places and issued challans for a few days. They then left for more important assignments and what’s the result? Back to square one. Drivers, the most notorious of all in the City, took pleasure in zooming and vrooming, giving a start to pedestrians and slow-moving vehicles. The situation is such that fatal accidents are possible, especially at night. (pictured left). (PK) Contributed by Md Nizamuddin, Inkeshaf Ahmed, Mohd Subhan, Srinivas Setty and PK Surendran. Pic by S Balakrishna
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classifieds FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 CLASSIFIEDS HOME APPLIANCES
MRP VIOLATION
Met cracks down on suppliers Milk suppliers in the City were illegally charging their customers above the MRP. However, following complaints the metrology department cracked down.
M ANIL KUMAR
ANUBHA K SINGH anubha.k@postnoon.com
F HEALTH/ CLINIC
ruits, vegetables, medicines or other commodities are getting costlier by the day and hence staying healthy is proving to be an expensive affair. So up until now drinking a glass of milk everyday was the cheapest and best way to get your daily dose of nutrition. But thanks to milk suppliers, now even this basic and essential commodity is turning out to be very expensive. Milkmen in the City have now increased their price by `1 to `5 per litre and that too without prior government permission. Recent raids by the legal metrology department brought to light this malpractice. “We have been receiving several complaints by way of text messages and phone calls for the last few months. Callers complained of a sudden hike in prices of milk,” said K Bhasker, assistant controller, Metrology. The department raided several vendors and has booked more than 30 cases against milk vendors in the City for this hike in price without a legitimate order from authorities. “We have been swamped with complaints about this rise milk prices over the last two or three months. On an average we receive at least eight calls in a day. It is good that people are finally aware of their rights and what they can do about it,” he adds.
However, milk suppliers lay the blame on the rise in diesel prices for this price hike. “Everything is very expensive these days. If diesel prices are hiked it will automatically affect prices of other commodities as well. We need to pay extra for transporting the milk and the price of the product had to be increased,” said Sai Karthik, supplier, Charaka Dairy. “The suppliers are very smart. They have not increased the price
of the milk, but they are charging a higher rate in an illegal manner. Every six months they increase the price and attribute it to the increase in transport charges. but they need to understand that our salaries are not increased nor we are not getting a hike every six months. Thanks to my daughter who told me to complain to the metrology department. Initially, I was not sure if the department would pay any heed, but then I realised that I was
not the only one and there were many other people who had lodged complaints with the department about regularising the price of milk. The department is taking action against the suppliers,” said Pooja Mukesh Kumar, resident Hyderguda. The offenders were fined up to `5,000. The milk vendors from various dairies were charging customers more than what was printed as the MRP.
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City hosts Islamic conference N SHIVA KUMAR
POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com
W
ith the slogan ‘Islam, the only solution for all human problems and key to success here and hereafter,’ the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind is organising ‘Spring of Islam’ conference at Nizam college, Basheerbagh between January 11 to 13. The three-day conference will have separate sessions, including that of physically challenged, apart from academicians, advocates, journalists, social activists, doctors, businessmen and a session specially for non-Muslims. There are also sessions for children and women. Among the international delegates visiting the sessions will be Yvonne Ridley, senior journalist from London, Dr Aslam Abdullah from USA, Aijaz Zaka Sayed from UAE and Dr Zeenat Kausar from Malaysia.
In the symposium of journalists sessions on January 12, editors and senior journalists will be focusing on ‘how to formulate journalism as a representative of real problems.’ Swami Lakshmi Shankaracharya will take part in the symposium
‘the divine guidance – the perfect cure’ on January 13. In advocates sessions, Justice A M Ahmadi, former Chief Justice, Supreme Court will take part. In doctors’ session, a symposium on, ‘the situation of public health in
the City and the required role of medical practitioners’ will be held, where Dr Taha Mateen, president, Medical Services Society of India, Bangalore and Dr MA Majeed Khan, City’s renowned psychiatrist would be present. On the concluding day, Lal Jaan Pasha, vice president TDP, Mohammed Ali Shabbir, former minister and Mayor Majid Hussain will attend. A multi dimensional exhibition, will include entrepreneurship expo and career guidance expo. According to the organisers, man has tried various ‘isms’ but could not find lasting solution for problems like corruption and social problems, but there was always an alternative in the form of Islam. The Spring of Islam will provide an opportunity for people to understand how Islam presents alternative solution to present socio-political-economic crisis.
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city FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
URBAN TALES
Crimes against Delhi
We Indians need something or someone to blame for our shortcomings. Whether it’s the lack of civic sense, lack of respect for public property or lack of sense altogether, we need to pin it on something. These days, it’s our national capital that is facing the flak for an unspeakably awful crime. NIDHI BHUSHAN nishi.b@postnoon.com
Did you know?
1
Delhi is one of the 'greenest' cities in the world with a green cover of almost 20 per cent.
A
23-year-old woman gets brutally gang raped in a Delhi bus and after several days of fighting she dies, leaving behind a trail of tears and heads bowed in shame. For a moment, just a moment, I was ashamed of being a Dilliwala. ‘India’s rape capital’, ‘South Asia’s rape capital’, ‘Delhi men are hyena-like’, etc, etc — this is what the city I grew up in is known for now. It is something to be ashamed of, right? But, the truth is that I shouldn’t be — because that would mean that if the horrific incident were to happen elsewhere I wouldn’t care so much, it would mean that if the girl was raped in Hyderabad I had nothing to worry about and it would also mean that because the assault happened in the capital I should be scared to call it home. Even then I am ashamed, but not for being from Delhi, I am ashamed that I wasn’t in Delhi to raise my voice along with the others. This rape and the numerous others don’t define my city. The incident does not warrant an us-vs-them situation. It is not about whether it happened in Delhi or in India even. The crime was heinous and the culprits should not be shown any mercy. Period. Why do we need to term Delhi the rape capital? It is not just about eve teasers and rapists. The capital, like other metros in the country, has its pluses too. However, going by the image painted of Delhi these days, one would imagine that there is a beast waiting to
2 3 4 5 6
Qutub Minar in Delhi is the world's tallest brick minaret. Delhi has an International Toilet museum.
Khari Baoli, in Delhi, is the Asia's largest wholesale spice market. Delhi has a rail museum with steam-age behemoths.
unleash in all Delhi men. They just need the tiniest window and of course some alcohol to show their true colours. Nonsense. That’s not the Delhi I grew up in. The way the Pratibha rape and murder case of Bangalore doesn’t define the garden city, even this unfortunate incident shouldn’t define Delhi. It is much more than that. It is about its schools, colleges, the Parliament house, the Qutub Minar, the metro, the tricycles, pubs, restaurants, shopping places, chaat and I could go on. It is not the monster most of us imagine it to be. We need to
address the real problem which is safety and respect for women. I agree that statistically speaking Delhi is the rape capital of India, but then who keeps a record of all those unreported cases of sexual assault in small towns and villages in the country? Why are those cases not being addressed? Aren’t those victims ‘India’s daughters’? Aren’t they eligible for justice too? The debate is a
long and arduous one. It is also something that can go on forever without any conclusive outcome. The point is that the case, which is obviously not a first of its kind in India or the world, got the attention it rightly deserved because it happened in Delhi — the national capital. Would anybody take to the streets of Narnol if such an incident were to happen there? The answer is no. In fact, many of us would even ask where Narnol is? While we associate Delhi with rape, eve teasers and of course ‘hyena-like’ men, we need to tell ourselves that it was Delhiites — men and women — who took to the streets to demand justice. It was the Dilliwalas who stood united against the real monster — rape, not Delhi. FYI, Narnol is in Harayana.
The New Subzi Mandi, the wholesale market at Azadpur, Delhi, is Asia's largest fruit and vegetable market. Nearly 3,000 trucks bring in fruits and vegetables here daily for over 30,000 retail vendors.
7
The first experimental television telecast was attempted on Sept.15, 1959, at Delhi. The transmission was done with the help of a small transmitter in a makeshift studio.
8
Lotus Temple or Bahai Temple, one of the finest crafted structures in the world, is in Delhi.
9
The Delhi Transport Corporation operates the world's largest fleet of CNG powered buses.
10
Indira Gandhi International Airport is one of the largest airports in the world and the busiest airports in South Asia.
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The National Museum in New Delhi is one of the largest museums in India.
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
focus
TITANIC TOOK THE CAKE
The 1997 movie Titanic that catapulted Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet to superstardom bagged the highest number of Oscars — 11. Previously the 1959 film Ben Hur had bagged just as many Oscars. The Lord of the Rings — The Return of the King was the latest movie to bag 11 Oscars (in 2003).
OSCAR NOMINATIONS
It’s been an absolutely thrilling morning. I was awoken by (my publicist) telling me about our multiple nominations. It’s the best wake up call I’ve had in 14 years! I’m always surprised by recognition. I’m deeply grateful.
I am deeply honoured and frankly a little overwhelmed by all of the nominations. Everything about this movie was an uphill battle. And it was a very difficult movie to make, so I didn’t really get to celebrate when we finished. I felt more like Pi, lost and exhausted. Ang Lee, director, Life of Pi
It’s very exciting but all a bit surreal, and it hasn’t fully sunk in yet. This is a brilliant awards year that has been defined by an eclectic list of stories that have been told by incredibly talented and courageous filmmakers.
Steven Spielberg, director, Lincoln
Hugh Jackman, actor, Les Miserables
It’s thrilling. Argois a brilliant film in every way, brilliantly directed. It’s really the work of an old master, rather than a young director. It’s about important things. Alan Arkin, supporting actor
Lincoln tops Oscar nods with 12 MICHAEL THURSTON Agence France-Presse LOS ANGELES: Steven Spielberg’s taut political drama Lincoln won the Oscars election Thursday with 12 nominations for the Academy Awards, the climax of Hollywood’s annual prizes season. Taiwan-born Ang Lee’s visually stunning 3D adventure Life of Pi, based on the novel by Yann Martel, earned 11 nods from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, ahead of the Oscars ceremony on February 24. Silver Linings Playbook meanwhile became the first film since 1981 to win nominations in all four acting categories plus best film, best director and best writer, according to the Academy. And James Bond blockbuster Skyfall won a rare five nominations for the 007 franchise, albeit none in the major categories but including for Grammy-winning songstress Adele, shortlisted for best song for the theme tune. Spielberg, whose latest film recounts Abraham Lincoln’s scheming to secure votes in Congress to abolish slavery, said he was woken by his pub-
licist after the predawn announcement in Beverly Hills. “It’s the best wake up call I’ve had in 14 years! I’m always surprised by recognition... I’m deeply grateful," said the veteran director, as cited by the Hollywood Reporter. Lincoln star Daniel DayLewis was nominated for best actor, as expected, against Hugh Jackman in Les Miserables, Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings Playbook, Joaquin Phoenix for The Master and Denzel Washington for Flight. Best actress nominees are Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty, Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook, Emmanuelle Riva for Amour, Naomi Watts for The Impossible and Quvenzhane Wallis for Beasts of the Southern Wild. Both Lincoln and Life of Pi are nominated for the coveted best film prize, along with Silver Linings Playbook and the musical Les Miserables, which each earned eight nods, and Iran hostage drama Argo with seven. Amid the expected celebrations, there were some surprising snubs. While Argo and Osama bin Laden manhunt film Zero Dark Thirty were each nominated for best picture, Ben Affleck
and Kathryn Bigelow — widely seen as shoo-ins for best director — failed to secure nods in the category. The best supporting actor race features five Oscar winners, while in the best actress race, the oldest-ever nominee, 85-year-old Frenchwoman Riva, will face off against the youngest, nine-year-old Wallis. Beyond best film, Lincoln earned nods for best director for Spielberg and best supporting actor for Tommy Lee Jones as abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens. The film — about the 16th US president’s drive to abolish slavery during the American Civil War — had already
picked up most nods for the Golden Globes, competing in seven categories in the show this weekend. Its British-Irish star, DayLewis, will be vying to win a record third best actor Oscar, after winning the accolade in 1990 for My Left Foot and in 2008 for There Will Be Blood. Life of Pi, about an Indian boy cast adrift with a Bengal tiger, will be Lee’s third bid for Oscars glory after a 2001 nod for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and a best director 2006 win for Brokeback Mountain. “I am deeply honoured and frankly a little overwhelmed by all of the nominations," said Lee.
Silver Linings Playbook, a romantic comedy drama, has also drawn lots of Hollywood buzz, notably for Hangover star Cooper, but also for being a relatively lighthearted film in a field heavy on drama and history. Heartthrob Cooper woke up earlier than Spielberg. “I get up crazy early anyway, and I told myself, ‘OK, I’ll take my dog to the beach, and just see what happens. Whatever goes down.' So I watched with my mom and my dog. These things are once in a lifetime," he said. The best film race features nine films: Amour, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook and Zero Dark Thirty. Up for best supporting actor are Jones for Lincoln, Alan Arkin for Argo, Robert De Niro for Silver Linings Playbook, Philip Seymour Hoffman for The Master and Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained. Best supporting actress nominees are Sally Field for Lincoln, Amy Adams for The Master, Anne Hathaway for Les Miserables, Helen Hunt for The Sessions, and Jacki Weaver for Silver Linings Playbook.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
Business
INFOSYS POSTS `2,369 CRORE PROFIT
Infosys Ltd posted `2,369 crore net profit for the third quarter of this fiscal, registering a flat growth year-on-year. In a regulatory filing on Friday, the IT bellwether said consolidated income for the quarter under review increased 12 per cent YoY to `10,424 crore.
TWO-WHEELERS
Set for vroom boom
J
10
JAPAN UNVEILS $226 bn STIMULUS
apan's government unveiled a $226.5 billion stimulus package on Friday to breathe life into the world's third-largest economy, rebuild disaster-hit areas and beef up the military. PM Shinzo Abe said the package was designed to stir Japan's lumbering economy and create 600,000 new jobs as well as dragging the country out of chronic deflation that has haunted the world's third-largest economy for years.
Bikes that offer good mileage without compromising on power and features will have the edge.
PRUDHVI RAJU K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com
F
or any middle class commuter, a bike with decent mileage is always a choice. However, even with sizable middle class population in the country, the A segment (100cc) bikes has shown a degrowth over the years. Even rising fuel prices did not get customers to stick with this segment. “People are bored of these A segment bikes as there was no much upgradition in the range from the dominant player in the segment. There might be a change in colour or graphics but there is not much change as far as the fundamentals are concerned. “This segment’s share has fallen to 65 per cent of overall motorcycle market from 76 per cent in 2006. However, there is a section of people who are looking for more powerful A segment bikes without compromising on the mileage,” said K Srinivas, president, Bajaj Motorcycle Business. He further added, “However, there may be further degrowth in the A segment (100CC) in near future. The premium bikes(A3) in 100cc segment has been growing at 18 per cent now from 12 per cent in 2006. On the other hand, the growth of
Market share A segment (100cc) bikes: 65 per cent B segments (125cc) bikes: 20 per cent C segment (150cc) bikes: 15 per cent low-end commuter bikes (A1+A2) in 100 CC segment has fallen to 46 per cent from 52 per cent in 2006. Over time, there may be equal number of people who buy premium bikes to the number of people who buy value and deluxe bikes (A2+A3) in the 100cc segment,” Talking about market trends in the segment, he said, “there are two
K Srinivas at the launch of Discover 100T.
kinds of customers in this segment. There are people who want to upgrade to 125 cc for more power and features. Those kinds of customers already migrated to 125cc and has become major drivers for its growth. The others do not want to migrate to 125cc because of the mileage concerns but still wants to enjoy the power and features of 125cc. The launch of Discover 100T will target these kind of customers.” On industry, he said, “The growth of the motorcycle industry is linked to the growth of the economy. Although, the industry did not show growth this year but over time growth in GDP will drive the industry. Motorcycle has become a necessity here and the penetration is still low compared to population of the country. India is a matured market and people are buying a range of
S BALAKRISHNA
A1 (commuter range) market share: 32 per centMajor bikes in the segment: Platina, HF. A2 (value range) market share: 43 per centMajor bikes in the segment: Discover , Splendor A3 (deluxe range) market share: 25 per centMajor bikes in the segment: Passion, Dream Yuga, Discover 100T (new product) bikes with power and features.” When asked about aggressiveness of Honda in the market, he said, “They have grown well but they are not coming close to us. They do only half of our volumes.”
BSE 5,981.35 `54.49 5,209.05 DOLLAR`55.14 17,179.95DOLLAR NSEPOUND `86.60 `87.99 POUND BSE NSE GOLD`31,200 10g SILVER `58,800 1kg
24C
for
for
GOLD `29,500 10g SILVER `53,000 1kg for
for
98.90
33.65
Since our country is a union of states, we abide by its federal character and, therefore, are bound by the consensus on the issue, ANAND SHARMA, COMMERCE MINISTER
19,741.48 78.67
ANAND SHARMA, 12.70 COMMERCE MINISTER
11
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
nation
CROC NUMBERS UP AT BHITARKANIKA The crocodile population in Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha's Kendrapada district has gone up to 1,649, three more than last year's 1,646, a week-long census revealed Friday.
CROSS-BORDER RAID
LEGAL TANGLE
MP mantri, mayor in dock for dacoit praise GWALIOR: Madhya Pradesh High Court has issued notices to state Medical Education Minister Anoop Mishra, Gwalior Mayor Sameeksha Gupta and others in connection with a programme eulogising dacoits recently. The division bench of Justices SK Gangele and GD Saxena issued the notices on Wednesday on a contempt petition filed by an advocate Awdhesh Singh Bhadouria. Gwalior Municipal Corporation (GMC) had organised the Gwalior Carnival from December 15-31 last year during which a programme was organised on the theme of 'Dacoits of Chambal'. During the programme, the speakers reportedly spoke in praise of the dacoits and information about them was also displayed on posters and banners. Bhadouria had earlier filed a PIL in the High Court demanding that the programme will have an adverse affect on the new generation as it was organised to speak in praise the dacoits, following which the court directed the GMC to ensure that it was not done. However, despite the High Court's directive, the programme in which the state education minister, Gwalior Mayor and others took part eulogised dacoits. PTI
ECONOMY
Killed jawan's father wants ‘befitting reply’ Ceasefire violations cause of serious concern, says Antony. Enough soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir, no need to increase troop levels, says defence minister.
Demonstrators burn Pakistani national flags as they demonstrate against the alleged killing of two Indian soldiers by Pakistan in Kashmir, in Ahmedabad. AFP
BHOPAL: The distraught father of Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh, who was one of the soldiers killed in an attack by Pakistan Army across the LoC, wants that the neighbouring nation be given a "befitting reply" for the dastardly act. "The government should respond to the dastardly act by the enemy (Pakistan Army) in a befitting manner. That will be the real tribute to my martyred son," Lance Naik Sudharkar
Singh's father Sachchidanand Singh said after the cremation of his son yesterday. "Hamari iccha hai ki dushman ka datkar muqabla karke usko usi ki bhasha mein jawab dena chahiye," (we want that the enemy should be dealt with in a befitting manner)," Singh told PTI from Dadia village in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh. "Sudhakar was our strength and was supposed to
come to the village on February 15-16, but now everything is lost," Singh said. The 30-year-old deceased soldier, the youngest of the four siblings, had joined Army on April 7, 2002. He is survived by wife and four-monthold son Bhaskar. When asked whether he was satisfied with Government of India's response on the issue, Singh said the government has its own responsibilities but this situation "demands an equally befitting action." The martyred soldier's cousin Prem Singh said Sudhakar's father-in-law was also a retired Army man and despite losing his son-in-law, he wants his grandson to join the Army. Fully supporting the views of the grief-stricken father, Prof Kailash Tyagi, from government MVM college in Bhopal, who is also the Ph.D guide of former Army chief General V K Singh, said, "It is not advisable to remain defensive beyond a point as it will lead to cowardliness." PTI
NEWS BRIEFS 8 killed in bus-truck collision in Bengal
Vijayakant offers 1kg gold crown at temple
SC sets aside Karnataka Goa notifies guidelines Dy Lokayukta posting for casinos
EAST MIDNAPORE: Eight people were killed and 30 injured when a bus collided head-on with a truck at Heria here late Thursday, police said. According to police, five people died on the spot when the Digha-bound bus, which was coming from Howrah, collided with the truck. The injured were rushed to hospitals, where three more died.
SRIVILLIPUTHUR: DMDK leader and actor Vijayakant today offered a 1kg gold crown to the famous Sri Andal temple after offering worship on the occasion of "Koodarai Vellum Seer" (The day is considered auspicous as Goddess Sri Andal offers a sweet dish to Lord Vishnu.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today set aside the appointment of Justice (retd) Chandrashekaraiah as Upa Lokayukta of Karnataka on the ground that he was appointed by the government without consultation with the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court.
Pick
PANAJI: Goa government has notified anti-money laundering and financing of terrorism guidelines, 2013 which will keep a strict check on casinos operating in the state so that they do not indulge in illegal money transactions. Goa Home Ministry made it mandatory for them to know the identity of the customer and source of his money.
at the
Industrial output down by 0.1 per cent NEW DELHI: Dashing hopes of a rebound, the industrial output contracted to a four-month low of 0.1 per cent in November due to poor performance of manufacturing and mining sectors and decline in production of capital goods. The industrial output, as measured by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) dipped from a robust 8.3 per cent in October. The decline may prompt the Reserve Bank to consider rate cut in its quarterly review on January 29 to boost growth. The industrial output had grown by 6 per cent in November, 2011. Meanwhile, in July, 2012 it showed a contraction of 0.1 per cent. Factory output growth was 1 per cent in AprilNovember period this fiscal, down from 3.8 per cent in the same period in 2011-12, according to official data. PTI
None of you should pay heed to any slander. And don't indulge in slander either. Don't pay heed to misinformation campaigns. I will not tolerate any indiscipline.
airport,
Mamata Banerjee West Bengal CM
-
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
World
THAILAND TO DEPORT 400 ROHINGYAS AFTER RAID Around 400 Rohingya migrants discovered in a raid on a camp hidden in a remote rubber plantation in southern Thailand will be deported back to Myanmar, Thai police said Friday. The group, 378 men, 11 women and 12 children, were found in a makeshift shelter in the plantation
AUSTRALIAN FIRES
12
CELEBS GET TEA INVITATION
Chinese authorities handed warnings to several celebrities who voiced support for a newspaper at the centre of a censorship battle online, newspaper reports and social media posts said on Friday. Taiwanese singer Annie Yi, who works in mainland China, said on her social media account that she had been invited to "drink tea" with authorities, a common euphemism for being cautioned by authorities, the South China Morning Post reported. The warning came after Yi — who has more than six million followers on Sina Weibo. This photo taken on January 10 from Banksia Beach on Bribie Island, shows smoke from bushfires on the popular tourist island off the Queensland coast.
Now West Australia braces for cyclone SYDNEY: Western Australians were bracing Friday for a cyclone with residents warned to batten down for storms and destructive winds gusting up to 140 kilometres per hour. Cyclone Narelle was estimated to be 525 kilometres north of Exmouth and 505 kilometres north-west of Karratha near the Pilbara mining region and moving southwest at 13 kilometres per hour. "Although there is no immediate danger you need to start preparing for dangerous weather and keep up to date," the Western Australia department of fire and emergency services said in an alert. Images posted by Perth Weather Live showed a towering red dust storm over the ocean ahead of the cyclone. A huge wall of reddish cloud, topped off
with billowing white rose up from the ocean. Tug boat worker Brett Martin, who captured the fearsome pictures 25 nautical miles from the town of Onslow, reported conditions were glassy and flat before the storm hit late Wednesday. But when the wild weather arrived, the swell lifted to two metres, winds increased to 40 knots and visibility was reduced to 100 metres. Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Austen Watkins told the West Australian newspaper the stunning view was created as wind and rain caused the storm to dump the sand and dust it had ingested while passing Onslow. Cyclones are common in northern and western Australia during summer. AFP
AFP/GLENYS SIMPSON
Australians face trauma of returning to homes SYDNEY: Australians who fled for their lives from bushfires faced the trauma Friday of returning to see if they still had a home, as firefighters battled worsening conditions to douse some 100 blazes. After two days of cooler weather, heat and high winds returned to much of the country as fire crews tackled the infernos that have been burning for a week, 18 of them out of control in the most populous state of New South Wales. The southern island state of Tasmania has been hardest hit, with more than 100 homes razed, most in the fishing village of Dunalley which was cut off by the
fires, forcing some residents to make dramatic escapes by boat. The worst-affected areas have been in virtual lockdown since the fast-moving flames wreaked devastation a week ago, and townspeople are only now making the harrowing journey to inspect the damage. Many have no idea whether their houses are still standing and with smoke still billowing overhead, police warned fires remained active in the area as emergency crews worked to clear roads and restore electricity supplies. Counselling services were available as families come to terms with what they might find. AFP
NEWS BRIEFS Seven killed in China van blast
Nikki Haley's husband Associate of arms deploying to Afghanistan trafficker Bout arrested
Six dead in Philippines hotel inferno
BEIJING: At least seven people were killed and more than 20 injured Friday in an explosion in a van in China's Heilongjiang province, Xinhua reported. The van belonging to the Zhongxing Mineral Industry Company in Shuangyashan city exploded around 6.30 am in Lingdong, the Shuangyashan city government said.
WASHINGTON: Michael Haley, the husband of South Carolina's Indian American Governor Nikki Haley, is preparing for a year-long deployment in Afghanistan as part of a unit that will teach Afghan farmers to grow sustainable crops. He will undergo a month of training in Indiana before beginning his Afghanistan deployment.
MANILA: Foreigners are believed to be among six people who died on Friday when a fire razed a small hotel near a former US naval base, officials said. Based on the hotel's guest list, three American men, a South Korean man, and two women of unspecified nationalities had checked into the rooms where six bodies were later found.
WASHINGTON: The United States announced Thursday that Australian police have arrested an alleged associate of the notorious jailed international arms trafficker Viktor Bout. The US Drug Enforcement Administration said Richard Ammar Chichakli was arrested on Wednesday in Australia at the request of US authorities.
NUMEROLOGY
$2.5 bn
is the current accounts deficit for Japan in November as exports to China plummeted.
PAK BOMBINGS KILL 115 A string of bombings in Pakistan including a twin suicide attack on a snooker hall used by Shiite Muslims has left 115 people dead, in one of the nation's deadliest days in years. At least 82 people were killed and 121 wounded Thursday when two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a crowded snooker club. Earlier Thursday, a bomb detonated under a security forces' vehicle in a crowded part of Quetta, killing 11 people and wounding dozens more. And in a third incident, a bomb exploded at a gathering in Swat valley, killing 22 people.
For political ends, harming Japanese companies and individuals in China that contribute to the Chinese economy and society — I want to say it is wrong. Shinzo Abe Japan Prime Minister
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
Technology CES 2013
THAT’S INSANE! Auto aiming gun
T
his is some killer tech, only literally so. USbased TrackingPoint has come up with an auto-aiming rifle powered by Linux that can make hunting a tad boring, unless you’re a geek. At the show they had .300 Winchester Magnum with a 22-inch barrel up to a .338 Lapua Magnum with 27inch barrel all equipped with high-precision software to boot. Looking through the scope of these rifles might remind you of video games as it presents similar ambient information such as wind speed, distance, range, direction among others.
This year’s CES has thrown up a lot of quirky stuff while still giving technophiles their dose of product announcements.
13 THAT’S CREEPY Nokia is saying that they decrypt all encrypted information accessed by people through their devices. Of course they swear that they won’t access any of that sensitive information, but it is definitely a put off. The decryption is done by Xpress browser used in their Asha phones only and in the higher-end Lumia devices that run on Windows 8 according to the company. The confirmation-slash-denial comes after security researcher Gaurang Pandya, who works for Unisys Global Services in India, detailed on his personal blog how browser traffic from his Series 40 ‘Asha’ phone was getting routed via Nokia’s servers.
NOT COOL WATSON
PaperTab
W
ould you like to buy a tablet that’s as thin as paper and can be folded like one? You will be able to, very soon thanks to the efforts of researchers from Canada’s Queen’s University. It uses eInk display and one can interact with the device by folding the device at corners apart from using the regular swiping gestures. Unlike tablets, which switch between apps on a single display, multiple PaperTabs are designed to be used together. Each tab acts as a window for separate applications, but they still interact with each other.
Bone conduction earphones
T
his is the future of ear phones, at least that’s what Panasonic is saying. This wireless device pushes audio directly into your skull through small vibrations and lets you leave your ear open for ambient noise. The technology is still at an early stage, so the audio bandwidth is pretty limited. really high-frequency and lowfrequency ones might not be transmitted well enough. However we can hope that this issue will be fixed by the end of the year when the product will hit the stores.
Surface
M
icrosoft finally let people try out their Surface tablets that run on Intel processors. Unlike Surface RT that went on sale towards the end of 2012, this device runs a full-fledged version of Windows, which means you can install regular desktop apps along with the new Windows 8 Start menu ones. Those who tried it out said that the device was really fast and that the display was one of the best they have seen in the market to date.
What happens when you let a computer a supercomputer like Jeopordy champion Watson read through Urban Dictionary? Turns out the computer becomes sassy and at times straight out rude. So while terms like "LOL" and "cool story, bro" likely caused no issues for IBM scientist Eric Brown, Watson's vocabulary also extended into the vulgar, with Brown recalling a time when the computer responded to a query by saying "b*****it." Finally they removed all Urban Dictionary entries.
Wii-k sales Nintendo hasn’t launched their latest Wii U console in India, but in US the console is struggling. The sales of Wii U lags behinds that of the last generation Wii by thousands of units. In total, Nintendo has sold 890,000 Wii U consoles so far, a 19 per cent drop on the Wii's figure at the equivalent point in its lifecycle. It's also worth noting that the Wii suffered from considerable supply constraints upon its release in 2006, whereas the Wii U doesn't seem to be as difficult to find. That said, the Wii U's higher price has led to Nintendo making over $300 million since the launch, whereas the original Wii made $270 million.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
Comment You can live to be a hundred if you give up all the things that make you want to live to be a hundred. Woody Allen Actor
Where is India’s Lincoln? PK SURENDRAN surendran.pk@postnoon.com
I
t is true that Steven Spielberg is cine Midas. Whatever he touches turns to gold, but that alone does not explain why Abraham Lincoln, the mega history-thriller got away with 12 nominations. We must search for answer elsewhere. It is not the convincing acting of Daniel DayLewis and 11 others that turned the scale, while their histrionic skills contributed to the film’s acclaim much. Nor it was Steven’s uncanny ability to turn a straw into an object of precious art that explains the stupendous success of the film’s Oscar fiat. It has something to do with the American’s zeal for truth. They do not have holy cows in politics. The thrilling story of Lincoln’s pursuit of his goal and the guftagu attached to it make a hair-raising tale. Revert to India, the world’s biggest democracy with far more chequered and incredible history. Why could we not produce a single blockbuster like Lincoln? The problem with us is the socio-political chicanery. We have similar talents who could churn out films that held aloft the marks of rich art. But our social ethos and leaders have put a mask over everything. It is evident from the heavy grease-paints we put on each character and the silly group songs that jar on ear. Search for truth needs gumption — both social and political. One remembers how intolerant we are when one recalls the trauma of MO Mathai, long-time personal assistant to JL Nehru, who wrote an un-eulogising book on the first prime minister. He was physically beaten, threatened and his book banned. Same with Islamic history. Until we allow truth to prevail, can’t dream of making a thriller like Lincoln.
HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS
Jairam Ramesh, ever ready with his candid observations about society, has said leaders with anti-women views should go home. The Union minister is forgetting that, if implemented. Why don’t we start with Congress spokespersons who say 90 per cent rapes happen with consensus.
LESSONS IN ETIQUETTE
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TEACHING PARIS MANNERS SAMIR TOUNSI
feedback@postnoon.com
T
he “City of Light” may draw more tourists than most world capitals, but Paris less than sparkles to the legions of visitors shocked to find its residents can be rude, brusque and snobbish. The first glimpse many get of Paris, the Charles de Gaulle international airport was ranked the world’s worst on a CNN blog in 2011, which complained of a warren-like layout, grimy washrooms and above all “dismissive staff”. “Waiting for a connection here is like being in custody,” one traveller complained. Not only are Parisians contemptuous of travellers to their town, they also behave badly towards each other, so the reputation goes, and the city’s waiters treat patrons like dirt. A Japanese psychiatrist practising in Paris for three decades has even identified what he calls “a Paris syndrome” among compatriots new to a city synonymous in their minds with elegance and refinement. “They arrive with an image out of sync with reality,” said the doctor, who asked not to be named. “They never expected a ‘welcome’ that is so aggressive and indifferent. They experience fear and symptoms of anxiety.” The latest to join in on-
again-off-again attempts by the city to persuade locals to mind their manners, Paris’ public transport authorities, have launched a tongue-in-cheek poster campaign on the rail, bus and metro networks, featuring pushy animals. One shows a hen squawking into a mobile phone in a crowded bus, one a buffalo barging into a commuter train, another a messy warthog leaving snacks and trash on the next seat. “This is a very French problem,” said SNCF head Guillaume Pepy, who says the issue extends beyond the capital. He said the SNCF will recruit 100 “mediators” to remind passengers “that no, you do not smoke on trains; no, you do not put your feet up on the seat opposite you, and no, you do not destroy the fittings because they belong to the public.” An old French term, “incivility”, is increasingly heard in public speech as the euphemism for plain old inconsiderate behaviour. The worst, said bus driver Tarik Gouijjane, are passengers on the late-night buses. “Spitting and the finger up sign are common currency,” he said. “People openly drink alcohol, smoke joints and put their feet on the seats.” “I don’t know if these campaigns will have any effect but they’re definitely responding to a need,” said sociologist Dominique Picard, author of a 2007 book on manners and “savoir vivre”. Paris has not always such an image problem. “When good
Americans die, they go to Paris,” famously said Thomas Gold Appleton, a 19th-century Boston wit. Yet today, “everyone complains that these incivilities are on the rise. And in all social classes,” said sociologist Picard. French news weekly Marianne blamed Parisians’ perceived boorishness on stress. It said people were under more stress than in other parts of France, faced with longer commutes and working hours in a fast-paced and increasingly overcrowded city which with its suburbs is home to more than 11 million people. Figures released by the RATP bear this out. A study, it said, showed 97 percent of the dense crowd who use the bus
and metro daily had witnessed “incivilities” in the previous month, and a surprising 63 percent admitted having been “incivil” to fellow passengers. The RATP’s response was a campaign encouraging passengers to “exchange a kind smile while commuting”. Not all are down on Parisians, however. “For years I’ve been denying the French are rude. People simply don’t understand cultural differences,” said American blogger Karen Fawcett on her site Bonjour Paris. Traditionally in France, the slightest eye contact — be it in a lift, a shop or in public transport — draws a “good day” greeting. It is likewise a sacrosanct prefix before any enquiry, something about which tourists are not necessary aware. “Parisians tend to be like people who live and work in Manhattan and don’t necessarily make nice-nice to strangers,” Fawcett wrote. “It’s their responsibility to learn about French culture and mores, before making grand pronouncements that they’re not well treated as soon as they land on Gallic soil.” Others find their own way to encourage manners, like cafe owner Patrick Laubignant in the southwestern town of Marciac, which hosts a well-know jazz festival in the summer. This year, he imposed an “impolite” tax. The ubiquitous espresso, for which he charges 1.80 euros ($2.3), rises to two euros if customers forget to say “please”. AFP
EDITORIALS Bloodier days ahead in battles with Maoists Waste not, want not
D
iscovery of an explosive device inside the body of a trooper killed in Maoist attack should jolt the security apparatus to their senses. Booby-trapping dead bodies of fallen enemies is a method employed by several guerrilla movements across the world. Though the bomb did not go off due to its crude composition and was discovered, the worries are still far from over. It is only a matter of time before Maoists will come up with an IED that will explode according to a timer or via remote control. More than the bomb’s lethality, it is the damage to the troops’ morale that is going to hurt. Once security personnel starts worrying about these ‘body bombs’, they will naturally be cautious in rushing to help those who are alive but incapacitated. In the height of battles in jungles, where bloodied bodies are aplenty, and medical evacuations get only minute windows, it would be difficult to judge if there is bomb ticking inside an unconscious colleague. As the state is determined to wage a gritty battle to its logical conclusion, it is guaranteed that there will be a price to pay.
READERS’ VIEWS
H
alf of the food that is produced in the world does not make it to a plate, according to a Guardian report based on the findings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The causes behind this happening are various, but most importantly are the stringent implementation of sell-by dates, buy-one-get-one-free schemes and the wide-spread demand for food that looks good. There are millions in African nations and in refugee camps in wartorn regions desperate for a square meal. So next you hoard for a binge and let it go waste, think on your action.
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. Editor: Dean Williams
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
Music
GRAMMY GALA
Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Mumford & Sons are among the first performers confirmed for the 55th annual Grammy Awards next month. Bands Fun. and The Black Keys alongs with Jay-Z, Kanye West and Frank Ocean will hit the stage at the musical night, which takes place February 10, reports contactmusic.com.
DREAM SINGLES
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
When a dream comes true
The Deserters Rachel Zeffira's solo debut came out just before Christmas, but is more suited to the bleak chill of January: it's subdued, reflective and delicate as a light fall of snow. Her training as a soprano is so carefully suppressed that her crystal tone and perfect pronunciation seem more influenced by Broadcast's Trish Keenan than opera; mostly she sings in a whisper that, on her lucid cover of My Bloody Valentine's toHere Knows When, is barely discernible.
Shweta Pandit is on cloud nine these days. Her latest single I Dreamed A Dream is getting a great response on the Internet and she’s all set to make her debut as an actor in Bejoy Nambiar’s David. Postnoon gets talking to the powerhouse of talent who has earned a legion of fans through her voice.
HEMANTH KUMAR hemanth.k@postnoon.com
S
he was just four years old when she got the chance of a lifetime to work along with Ilayaraja. The year was 1992 and Shweta Pandit sang a song in Mani Ratnam’s Anjali. Cut to 2000, the year she turned 12. Out of 500 singers who had auditioned for the film, Yash Chopra chose her to sing five songs in the film. She holds the record for being the youngest playback singer and she hasn’t looked back since then. It was almost as if she was destined to sing and her work over the last decade is just a testimony to what she had been dreaming all her life. Born in a family of legendary singers, Shweta Pandit confesses that getting a chance
to sing in movies when she had decided to dedicate all her life to singing is the greatest gift from God. “I was fortunate that I learnt music from my grandfather Pandit Pratap Narayan and I was his last student. My grandfather suggested that I should tune myself to playback singing since my voice was more suited for it than classical music. That’s one of the reasons why Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle were such huge influences while I was growing up. Later, it was AR Rahman and Michael Jackson who had a big impact on me,” Shweta Pandit reveals. After films like Mohabattein, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, her next biggest break was Kotha Bangaru Lokam which earned her a Filmfare Award. “One of my biggest concerns is to get the pronunciation right
iTUNES Top 10 songs 1 I KNEW YOU WERE CHILD TROUBLE Swedish House Mafia Taylor Swift 6 DON'T STOP THE PARTY 2 LOCKED OUT OF HEAVEN Pitbull 7 HOME Bruno Mars Phillip Phillips
3 HO HEY 8 BEAUTY AND A BEAT
The Lumineers Justin Bieber
4 SURE BE COOL IF YOU DID 9 THE MOMENT I KNEW Blake Shelton Taylor Swift
5 DON'T YOU WORRY 10 TRY P!nk
DID YOU KNOW...
Bieber
I had the privilege of meeting Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathway when I was in US and they asked me whether I sing in English too. That was the genesis of this single. when I am singing in a language which I don’t know. I’m glad that my work has been appreciated in Telugu and Tamil. I consider MM Keeravani as one of my gurus and there’s so much to learn from him. Mickey J Meyer is a gifted musician and sometimes I wonder how he comes up with such catchy tunes all the time,” she adds. She recently unveiled couple
Top 10 albums 1 RED Taylor Swift
2 LES MISERABLES Les Miserables
3 TAKE ME HOME One Direction
4 UNORTHODOX JUKEBOX Bruno Mars
5 TROUBLE MAN
of singles including a cover for I Dreamed a Dream, a classic song from the musical Les Misérables. “I couldn’t be happier with the response for I Dreamed A Dream and surprisingly, the people who have appreciated the song the most are from France. I had the privilege of meeting Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway when I was in US and they asked me whether I sing in English too. That was the genesis of this single,” Shweta says. This year, she’ll soon be seen in Bejoy Nambiar’s David. She’s playing a small role in one of the stories in the film. Talking about David, Shweta says, “I didn’t know if I could pull it off, but Bejoy convinced me that I was perfect for the role.” So what next? “I would love to take up more roles and continue singing.”
Bollywood Top 10 Imagine Dragons
7 UNAPOLOGETIC Rihanna
8 BABEL Mumford & Sons
9. THE LUMINEERS The Lumineers
10. PITCH PERFECT Soundtrack
1. JEE LE ZARA
Student of the Year
7. MATRU KI BIJLEE KA 2. HOOKAH BAR MANDOLA Talaash
Khiladi 786 Matru ki Bijlee ka Mandola Dabangg 2 8. THE DISCO SONG 4.BALMA Student of the Year
3.FEVICOL SE
Khiladi 786
5 DAGABAAZ RE
T.I.
Dabangg 2
6 NIGHT VISIONS
6. ISHQ WALA LOVE
9. LONELY
Khiladi 786
10. VELE Student of the Year
will both host and perform on the show "Saturday Night Live" (SNL) for the first time on February 9. A source close to the 18-year-old confirmed he will present the comedy series and said that he is scheduled to do it next month to promote his "Believe Acoustic" album, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
TRENDING...
The soundtrack to the big screen adaption of Broadway musical Les Miserables topped the Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday, edging out British folk rockers Mumford & Sons. Les Miserables sold 92,000 albums in the week. It was the No. 2 album last week.
Pop diva Mariah Carey said she hired increased security following what she described as threats reportedly made against her by fellow 'American Idol' judge Nicki Minaj. Carey, 42, is one of three new judges to join the American Idol panel for the show's new season.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
spotlight
TAKE TIME OUT
Take your kids out to the Landmark kids festival, on till January 13. Landmark is hosting an exuberant kids festival. Winters can be more than just vacation time for kids; it's also a great opportunity for parents to spend more time participating in learning activities with their children.
ALL EARS
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S BALAKRISHNA
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A great honour The second Kalakriti award for Achievement and Excellence was awarded to cricketer VVS Laxman at Taj Banjara on Thursday. It was conferred as part of the ongoing annual Krishnakriti art and culture festival.
AFTERNOON TALK The members of the FICCI ladies organisation Hyderabad Chapter on Thursday participated in an interactive session with Governor ESL Narasimhan.The event was held at ITC Kakatiya.
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1 Latha Reddy 2 Ajitha Reddy
7 Pavani 8 Neetha, Sneha
3 Priyanka
9 Reeth
4 Deepthi 5 Reema Mallik
10 Shashi Nath and a
6 ESL Narasimhan &
wife Vimala (R)
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friend 11 Ritu Sahu, Samia
Alam Khan
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
health
PASSIVE SMOKING HEIGHTENS DEMENTIA RISK TOO Scientists from China, Britain and the US have unearthed a link between passive smoking and the worsening risk of dementia, based on a study involving nearly 6,000 people in five provinces of China. 'Second-hand' smoke is known to cause serious cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
SHED THE PHOBIA
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Keep the doctor away Phobias are many and often irrational. But what do you do when someone is terrified of doctors? Iatrophobia of White Coat Syndrome is a reality for many and worse still, it hinders with their health care. RANJANI RAJENDRA
ranjani.r@postnoon.com
R
emember how as a child you hated going for those periodical health checkups? Of course, now as an adult you’ve outgrown that fear of doctors and their bitter pills, but there are still several others who still quake in their boots when they have to go to a medical practitioner. For most of us the sterile environment or the fact that there may be some bad news in store is enough to make us anxious. But for those with Iatrophobia, this anxiety is replaced by sheer panic. For instance, according to an article on WebMD, when Dorothea Lack was a little girl, she hid under a doctor's desk to avoid a vaccination. Undaunted, the doctor crawled
under the desk and vaccinated her then and there. Lack said the incident provoked a fear of doctors that followed her into adulthood. "I didn't feel I could trust them," says Lack, PhD, now a psychologist who performs research on doctor-patient relations. Like most phobias, iatrophobia can stem from a past personal experience. However, the exact causes are not known. An individual’s experience with a particular doctor in childhood or an unpleasant experience at a medical centre like a hospital or clinic could be one of the reasons for iatrophobia. This phobia for doctors could lead to the individual turning down treatment options and could also cause panic attacks in them at the mention of the same. Most iatrophobes experience symptoms like a feeling of uncontrollable anxiety when they think about or are in the presence of doc-
ANEWS PP-LYBRIEFS YOURSELF
tors; feel the need to avoid doctors at all costs; cannot function normally due to the anxiety and are often aware that their fear is irrational but find it hard to control it. Typically, iatrophobia can be more difficult to treat than most other phobias due to the nature of the fear. Since iatrophobes fear anything related to medical practitioners or therapy, it is tougher to treat them. While consulting a doctor can temporarily weaken an iatrophobes condition, it is still important they seek help. Over time an untreated iatrophobe might end up avoiding critical medical care due to the fear. In some cases, doctors try to ease their patient’s condition by initially offering consults over the telephone. Once the patient is a little comfortable they can begin personal consults. As in most phobias doctors try and identify the cause of the fear and then work towards desensitising the patient.
HOUSECALL
To combat fear n In order to combat fear you should take a positive. One way to control a phobia is to ignore it. n Try researching more information about you phobia. Take some classes, such as biology or chemistry or nursing. They will help you learn about yourself, facts your doctor should know, and help you understand things the doctor may be telling. n Get to know your doctor and be open with them. Communication is key to gaining trust and understanding. n Do not switch doctors often, you want to stay with a doctor that you can be comfortable with and knows your history. n Be honest with yourself that you may need a shot or follow-up visit in order to feel better. When a friend has to go to the doctor’s office, ask to join them. It may make you more comfortable later. n Take something to the doctor’s office to keep your mind of the fear. A favourite book or magazine could help relax you. Source: www.iatrophobia.com
DID YOU KNOW?
PIONEERS
Similac Baby Journal
Meningitis
A sensitive nose
Alexander Fleming
You can track your baby's feeding, sleeping, diaper changes and growth in this convenient application. You can see tips and advice from the makers of Similac and other Moms and Dads like you. You can view graphs that show your baby's development over time and share this information with your paediatrician via email.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. There are two main types of meningitis: Viral meningitis (tends to appear in summer months and is generally much less severe) and Bacterial meningitis (tends to be more severe, with a serious risk of complications and death). Meningococcal septicaemia (when the bacteria get into the blood stream) is more life-threatening.
Your nose is not as sensitive as a dog's, but it can remember 50,000 different scents. While a bloodhound’s nose may be a million times more sensititve than a human’s, that doesn’t mean that the human sense of smell is useless. Humans can identify a wide variety of scents and many are strongly tied to memories.
Born in Scotland in 1881, Alexander Fleming served in World War I in the Royal Army Medical Corps, where he saw infected wounds take the lives of many soldiers. After the war, while thinking he had accidentally discovered a new enzyme in his lab, Fleming discovered antibiotics. In 1945, he was co-awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Fleming died in London in 1955.
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health FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
GLYCEMIC INDEX
‘Stay healthy, stay happy!’ DOCTOR’S CORNER Dr Divya T Sudarshan
Dear doc, happy new year! I am a bit overweight and also pre diabetic. Can you let me know what foods I can eat? Do I have to give up everything sweet? Happy new year to you too! And i am sure new year resolutions are all gung ho for now. Let’s keep them that way. Well begun is half done! If I start telling you all the stuff you can cannot eat, this will become a thesis paper. Instead, I will tell you what glycemic index is. Diabetics need to be aware of which foods enter the bloodstream rapidly and which foods enter the bloodstream at a slower rate. The reason is, the faster carbohydrates enter the bloodstream, the more blood sugar is raised. This triggers the release of insulin. Higher levels of insulin in the blood encourage the storage of fat. The way to do this is to eat foods that have a slow entry rate into the bloodstream. This is the role of glycemic index. It measures how fast a carbohydrate enters the bloodstream. The thumb rule is, low glycemic index= slow rise of sugar= less fattening! Have a look at the chart. You will realise that soybeans are an excellent food for a diabetic. It is the lowest food on the glycemic chart. In addition, it is high in protein. Diabetics need more protein than a non-diabetic does. Potatoes and all root vegetables have a high gly index and therefore are better avoided. Honey is as bad as sugar, so don’t kid yourself. Juices are also to be consumed carefully, as they cause sugars to shoot up. Fruits with fibre are excellent (but don’t go overboard!). Fructose has a GI of 20! For those who think whole wheat bread is better, well the myth is shot! It is just the same as white bread. Brown rice is
Table of Glycemic Index, Protein, Fat, & Carbohydrates Food
Glycemic Protein Fat Carbohy Index % % % drates
Bakery Goods Pastry Sponge cake Whole white bread Whole-grain rye bread
59 69 72 42
Dairy Products Ice cream Milk, skim Milk, whole Yogurt
36 32 34 36
5 4 4 3
11 <1 4 2
21 5 5 5
Fish Fish sticks
38
17
9
6
Fruit Apples, Golden Del. Bananas Cherries Orange juice Oranges Peaches Raisins
39 62 23 46 40 29 64
1
<1
1 1 1 2
<1 <1 <1 <1
10 12 8 77
Grains All-Bran Brown rice
51 66
1
1
25
Food
Glycemic Protein Fat Carbohy Index % % % drates
Cornflakes Oatmeal White rice 9
better than white rice. But the best food for diabetics is oats. In fact, it has more fibre than brown rice and a lower GI than cornflakes. The best news of all: Dairy has low a GI. So ice cream is alright! Just don’t go crazy on
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49
22
Whole Wheat Spaghetti Sweet corn Meat Sausages Nuts Peanuts Sugar Fructose Glucose Honey Maltose Vegetables Beets Carrots Peas frozen Potato, instant mashed Potato, sweet Potato, white Soybean Tomato soup
the sweet sauces. The bottom line is, when living with a medical condition, one has to be smart and intelligent about what to have. Mode-ration is the key to diet success. So follow the chart, keep your daily calorie
80 49 72
8 2 2
<1 1 1
85 10 24
42 59
3
1
19
26
49
21
28 13 20 100 87 110 64 92 51 80 48 70 15 38
100 100 <1
82 100
2 1 5 2 1 2 11 2
<1 <1 <1 3 <1 <1 6 2
10 10 12 14 19 13 11 13
intake to about 1,500 calories or less. (The writer is a gynaecologist and obstetrician at Happy Women Clinic. You can write in to her at happywomenclinic@gmail.com or call her on 9959729444)
BREAKTHROUGH
Drug to reverse deafness LONDON: Harvard scientists have developed a drug which they claim can cure permanent deafness by stimulating the inner ear. The drug, codenamed LY411575, works by triggering the regeneration of sensory hair cells. Until now it has not been possible to restore the cells once they have been lost due to factors such as loud noise exposure, infection and toxic drugs, the Daily Mail reported. This type of deafness, often suffered by rock musicians and DJs, is generally assumed to be irreversible. Scientists succeeded in partially restoring hearing to mice that had been deafened by loud noise and believe the research could lead to effective treatments for acute noiseinduced deafness in humans. The tiny sensory hairs in the cochlea are vital to hearing. Sound vibrations transferred from the eardrum shake the hairs, causing nerve messages to be fired to the brain. While birds and fish are capable of regenerating sound-sensing hair cells, mammals are not. The new approach involves reprogramming inner ear cells by inhibiting a protein called Notch. Previous laboratory research had shown that Notch signals help prevent stem cells in the cochlea transforming themselves into new sensory hair cells. The new drug suppresses Notch. “We show that hair cells can be regenerated from the surrounding cells in the cochlea,” lead researcher Dr Albert Edge, from Harvard Medical School in the US, said. “These cells, called supporting cells, transdifferentiate into hair cells after inhibition of the Notch signalling pathway, and the new hair cell generation results in a recovery of hearing in the region of the cochlea where the new hair cells appear.” The study was published in the journal Neuron. PTI
STUDY
Emotions interfere with weight loss
WASHINGTON: The findings of a survey in the US indicate that the inability to control emotions could throw weight loss programmes off kilter. In a survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Centre, more than 1,300 licensed psychologists were asked how they dealt with
clients’ weight and weight loss challenges. Psychologists cited the need to “understand and manage behaviours and emotions related to weight management” as essential in addressing weight loss, the journal Consumer Reports Magazine reports. “The good news is that
research and clinical experience have shown that in addition to behavioural approaches, cognitive behavioural therapy that targets emotional barriers helps people lose weight,”said Norman B Anderson, chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association (APA). Respondents cited “emo-
tional eating” as a barrier to weight loss, and included “maintaining a regular exercise schedule” and “making proper food choices in general” as key to shedding weight. Over 70 percent identified the benefits of cognitive therapy, problemsolving and mindfulness in weight loss. IANS
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
Entertainment CINE BYTES
`4.5 lakh worth suit used in Paisa
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ani’s upcoming film Paisa is currently under production and the talkie part is almost complete. Krishna Vamsi has directed the film. Nani has revealed that a Swarovski crystals studded suit worth `4.5 lakh is going to be used in the film. Catherine Tresa is playing the lead role in this political drama set in Hyderabad.
Samantha in V V Vinayak’s next?
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amantha has signed yet another Telugu film and if the latest buzz is to be believed, she’s going to play the lead role in VV Vinayak’s upcoming film. Incidentally, Bellamkonda Suresh is introducing his son Sai Srinivas as lead hero with this film.
Siddharth speaks to Sadhguru
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iddharth had the rare honour of interviewing Sadhguru. The event was held last night at Hitex and Samantha was also spotted at the event. Sadhguru is one of the most revered spiritual leaders in the country today and he has lectured all over the world.
FINALLY WE SEE IT
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ani Ratnam’s upcoming film Kadali is all set to storm into screens on February 1. For the first time ever, Mani Ratnam introduced the star cast of the film and that too in a huge event held yesterday morning at HICC, Novotel in Hyderabad. Gautham Karthik and Thulasi Nair have played the lead roles and Lakshmi Manchu, Arjun and Arvind Swami
KADALI’S
have played important roles. Arjun and Suhasini Mani Ratnam compered the event and they invited Karthik and Radha to introduce Gautham and Thulasi respectively. Talking about her daughter, Radha said, “Thulasi used to be a very naughty kid, but ever since she began acting, she has become a lot more disciplined.” In turn, Thulasi acknowledged that she hadn’t had a chance to watch her mother’s films since she was too young. “I
PROMO LAUNCH A GLITZY AFFAIR
am studying in Class X and I want to concentrate on my studies in future as well,” Thulasi said. On the other hand, Gautham said, “We live away from the limelight in Bangalore and one day, out of the blue, I got a call from Mani sir’s office to audition for the film. I had a great time shooting for the film.”AR Rahman enthralled the audience with his performance on the piano. The film’s official promo was formally launched.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
fashion
KATIE HOLMES TO SKIP NEW YORK FASHION WEEK?
KATIE HOLMES has fuelled speculation that her label, Holmes & Yang, will not show at New York Fashion Week next month, after the brand was absent from the capitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newly-released preliminary calendar. The actress designs the line with her stylist, Jeanne Yang.
MEN AW13 that took place from January 7 to 9 featured over 60 Menswear designers and accessories designers such as Alexander McQueen, Tom Ford, Oliver Spencer, Margaret Howell, Burberry, Belstaff and Vivienne Westwood.
NAOMI CAMPBELL ON DRESSING UP AS BOY GEORGE
NAOMI CAMPBELL first realised that she could be a model after dressing up as Boy George. The supermodel admitted that her love of Culture Club lead her to acknowledge that she “didn’t look too bad”.
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ondon’s fashion obsessives came out of winter hibernation early for the London Collections: Men AW13 shows. Number 10 Downing Street, the home of British Prime Ministers, held the official Launch Party for the London Collections: MEN AW13, which kicked off on January 7, 2013 in London, England. A-listers such as the dapper David Gandy, designer Tommy Hilfiger and musician Tinie Tempah attended the Launch Party at 10 Downing Street. London Collections: MEN AW13 that took place from January 7 to 9, featuring over 60 Menswear designers, in particular, 30 ready-to-wear and accessories designers such as Alexander McQueen, Tom Ford, Oliver Spencer, Margaret Howell, Burberry, Belstaff and Vivienne Westwood. A bit of Downton Abbey flair was evi-
dent during the E.Tautz Autumn/Winter 2013 Menswear fashion show at London Collections: MEN AW13, held at The Old Sorting Office on January 9, 2013 in London, England. Designer Patrick Grant has a decided fondness for retro chic on men in his E.Tautz Autumn/ Winter collection. Grant excels at his bold, double-breasted plaid coats and wellrendered suits with just the right touch of retro charm. While OrschelRead-London Collections Men AW 13 was a showcase that presented Orschel-Read’s own take on classic tailoring, with his ‘Hampstead’ flat-front classic tailored trousers making many appearances. His garments were, however, decorated with varying, unique prints, such as his jacquard-knit cardigan and rollneck vest in dark-red and spectrum-blue, entitled ‘James II’ and ‘Duke of Rothesay’; these being appreciative nods to his previous seasons’ more avant-garde approach to tailoring.
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Entertainment FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
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Entertainment FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
Chai Time
Play & Win
Please send in your filled-in entries to Postnoon, #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033. The winners will be announced on this page in Sunday’s edition.
KAKURO How to play kakuro Kakuro is a popular game similar to sudoku in some ways. But is also suitably different. The key question: ‘How do you play kakuro?’, well here are the rules of kakuro. The answer: The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers. However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column refer-
QUICK CROSSWORD enced by the number. Within each collection of cells — called a run — any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once.Let’s have an example to explain this concept more clearly: In the image above, which shows a section of a kakuro puzzle, you will see the numbers ‘26’ and ‘14’ in the top row. Look at the 14. This means that the total of the three cells underneath must sum to 14. Therefore 9, 4, 1 could be the answer, or perhaps 7, 4, 3 and so
on... So, how do you work out the actual combination? Well, this is done through elimination and cross-referencing. For instance, as you work out the answers for other kakuro clues, this will naturally limit the valid combinations, and hence the answer for this particular run. Note the second cell in row two — it contains two numbers, 30 and 11. The 30 refers to the vertical run underneath the number 30 and the 11 refers to the two cells to the right, horizontally, of the number 11.
Play & Win
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SUDOKU
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1 Shepherd’s stick 6 Behave badly 11 ___ Luis, Brazil 14 It’s in the eye of the beholder 15 Chess castles 16 Haw’s partner 17 Stopped the bleeding, in a way 20 Buyer, in legalese 21 Final figure 22 The Santa ___ winds 24 Maryland seafood specialties 27 Troubadour’s instrument 28 Catches some rays 31 Big creature in a zoo 33 Animal kept in the house 34 Sports complexes 36 Regional plants 38 Stepped up enforcement 42 ___ donna 43 Church ceremony 45 Fond du ___, Wisc 48 ‘The Greatest’ of boxing 49 ‘Gritty’ intro 50 Fitzgerald of jazz 52 Peruvian wool
source 56 Stinging insect 57 Part of a pirate ship 59 Office building owner, often 62 Became more aggressively strict 67 ‘To a Mouse’ or ‘To a Skylark’ 68 Turkish rank of honor, once 69 Concerto instrument 70 Some work without one 71 Just right 72 Japan’s capital
DOWN 1 Mineral spring site 2 Male sheep, in Britain 3 Concessions source 4 Shoot a movie, say 5 Acrobatic maneuver 6 Intense enthusiasm 7 Coconut oil source 8 Rocky hill 9 Luau music-maker 10 ‘Hey, you!’ 11 ‘Quit yakkin’!’ 12 Fill with fizz 13 Tasty egg dish 18 ‘That sort of thing’ 19 ‘Aero’ or ‘para’ finish 22 Counselors’ org
23 Pusher’s chaser 25 Minus locks 26 Wildlife trail 29 Word with ‘sack’ 30 Pelvic bones 32 Stu of old films 35 Mastery 36 Pharmaceutical overseer 37 ___-inflammatory 39 Running great Zatopek 40 Epidemic, eg 41 NBA legend Archibald or Thurmond 44 Drain-opener ingredient 45 Elementary particle 46 Refer indirectly (to) 47 Popular table wine 51 Raggedy ___ (doll) 53 Omega’s opposite 54 Gold or silver, eg 55 Fire proof? 58 De Gaulle’s one-time hat 60 Fall mo 61 Youngstown’s state 63 Mom’s partner 64 Wear and tear 65 ‘___ luck?’ 66 ___ close for comfort
Chai Time FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 Thiruvaikumar
STAR POWER for 12-1-2013
27
As per Hindu panchang thiruvaikumar@yahoo. co. in, 040-27177230 / 9177596118
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
New and innovative efforts will bear fruit. All undertaken work will get completed. Businessmen will sign contracts that were postponed. Be careful while driving. Employees might get new opportunities. Artists will sharpen their skills.
STRIP TEASE AGNES
Businessmen will undertake surprise changes for good. Chances of hurdles in ancestral property but will disappear soon. Pregnant women advised not to handle heavy items. Chances of losing good friends due in an emotional outburst.
Though the financial position look satisfactory, fresh hand loan may be required. Avoid bringing strangers home. Friendship circle is likely to expand. Marriage talks will advance towards finalisation. Employees likely to get transferred.
Avoid disputes and being emotional. Differences with blood relatives will go. Govt work will get completed favourably. Friendship of VIPs likely. Some will get honorary posts. Newlyweds can gear up to invite offspring. Financial inflow is satisfactory.
Speculation will bring decent profits. Money from expected source will come. Friends might create an embarrassing situations. Travel might irritate you. Spouse may face health problem; to be treated without delay. Businessmen will do well.
Businessmen will struggle hard to retain profits. Pregnant women advised not to take any medicines without a doctor's prescription. Avoid sharing family secrets with others. Pay govt taxes in time to avoid penal action and penalty.
Employees will be overburdened. Keep relatives at a save distance. A property issue might upset you. Keep a close watch on legal issues. As moon is favourable, you will manage wisely. High command will accept politicians’ demand.
Employees work with full involvement and complete all work to the satisfaction of superiors. Politicians to maintain a low profile. Avoid unwanted discussions. An amicable solution will be found to the litigation in ancestral property.
Businessmen can expect mindboggling profits. Dealing in shares will bring good returns. Peace will prevail in the family as separated blood relatives will get together. Help from paternal relatives likely. Expenses will increase.
TAROT READ
Sumaa Tekur
tarotreadhyd@gmail. com
ARIES:
GEMINI:
Six of Swords – Pay attention to all overseas connections. There may be something new in the offing. A trip abroad will open up opportunities for you.
LEO:
Knight of Cups – You’re feeling extremely emotional about something. You don’t know how to express yourself. Try maintaining a diary or jotting down thoughts.
LIBRA:
PEARLS BEFORE SWINE
Ace of Swords – You’re only thinking extremes. For you, it’s your way or the highway. Life is never that simple. Open up your mind and think of a middle path.
SAGITTARIUS:
Two of Wands – You’re frustrated at the thought that not much action is taking place and you’re just waiting for things to happen. Be patient.
TAURUS:
The Magician – Intuition is heightened. You feel something and you go with it; not how you have analysed it. This can be a good thing with the Magician.
CANCER:
Knight of Pentacles – Focus and determination are the hallmarks of your personality. They are heightened now with the need to meet a deadline.
VIRGO:
The Sun – You’re chirpy, cheerful and on the road to positive thinking. This cheer rubs off on those around you. Your health is very good. Maintain it.
SCORPIO:
Queen of Wands – This represents female intuition and the ability to create something new. You’re in control of your environment. How you use it is up to you.
CAPRICORN:
The Lovers – This is an important decision-making time. It has to do with partnerships, and about the path you will be choosing at the crossroads.
PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS
PISCES:
The Hermit – You need to be alone, and will perhaps also be forced to be alone no matter how you like it. It’s an important time to search for the truth.
NUMBER GAME
– You have creative ideas, and also the resources to put them to action. Don’t think in a linear fashion only. Open up your senses and think different.
SCRABBLE
AQUARIUS: King of Wands
POOCH CAFE
Friendship circle will expand. Tensions in a legal case will disappear and verdict will go in your favour. A powerful post for some likely. Businessmen will learn good tactics. A partner will rejoin you. Employees get help from colleagues.
for 12-1-2013
Page of Swords – You’re analysing problems too much from the head. There is a youthfulness, some call it carelessness, which is holding you back. Use your heart.
NON SEQUITUR
Artists will attract masses with their excellent performance in a new project. Businessmen will announce good schemes to attract more customers. Politicians will get close to their high command. Employees might face a cold war at office.
SUDUKO
Court verdicts will turn in your favour. Pregnant women to avoid long-distance journey. Father may develop a health problem; give proper treatment. As Mercury is not favourable, be in harmony with old friends; also, avoid confusion.
Boggle OAK ASH CEDAR SPRUCE CYPRESS Vol: 2, No 176 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
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Entertainment FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
THE BIG WINNER
'People's Choice Awards are a nice way to start the year' K
aty Perry has broken off work on her third studio album to attend the People's Choice Awards 2013. The singer took home a total of four awards from Wednesday night's ceremony in Los Angeles, including ‘Favourite Music Video’ for Part of Me, 'Favourite Female Artist', 'Favourite Pop Artist' and 'Favourite Music Fan Following' for the 'Katycats'. Perry said that the fan-voted accolades were "a very nice way to start off the new year". "I think if I had to pick one of the awards, ['Favourite Music Fan Following'] would be my favourite one because my fans support me so much," she said.
CINE BYTES
Swift should stay single, says The Wanted
“T
he Wanted has some advice for Taylor Swift after her apparent breakup with One Direction singer Harry Styles. "I think she should stay single for a bit," Jay McGuiness offered. And then, Nathan Sykes cracked, Swift can "write a whole album about [being single]." It sounds like Max George may actually fancy Ms. Swift a bit. "She's a very attractive girl," he said.
Sandra Bullock honoured at People's Choice Awards
S
andra Bullock took home big honours for her work in the Big Easy. The People's Choice Awards crowned the actress the favourite humanitarian for her career-spanning philanthropic efforts, including her dedication to New Orleans's Warren Easton Charter High School
Salma Hayek joins ranks of 30 Rock finale guests
“I
'm not at all being modest when I say I'm not doing anything compared to what they do on a daily basis," Bullock, 48, said. Salma Hayek and Jack Donaghy will meet again. Frida actress Hayek has signed on as a guest for the series finale of NBC's 30 Rock, a spokeswoman for the network told TheWrap. Hayek will reprise her role as Elisa Padriera, Donaghy's former fiancee, a character she played over six episodes in 2009.
sports
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
NBA
George lifts Pacers over Knicks
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA: The Indiana Pacers won the battle of the first-placed teams Thursday, beating the New York Knicks 81-76 behind a superb defence and 24 points and 11 rebounds from forward Paul George (dunking above). George also had six steals and five assists for the Pacers, who won their third consecutive National Basketball Association game. “We are improving every game,” George said. “Our defence is holding up. We may not score a lot of points but our offence is going to come around. Right now we are just grinding it out.” While George did a little bit of everything, Ian Mahinmi came off the bench to help out with the scoring. AFP
AUTO RALLY
Al-Attiyah slashes Peterhansel’s Dakar lead
CALAMA, CHILE: Qatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah (right) slashed 10-time champion Stephane Peterhansel’s Dakar Rally lead by over eight minutes on Thursday as the 2011 winner stormed to victory on the sixth stage. Al-Attiyah started the day at 9min 54sec behind defending champion Peterhansel, but finished just 1min 18sec off the overall lead, winning his third stage of this year’s event, a 438km special from Arica to Calama. The Qatari, in a Buggy, clocked 4hr 52min with Peterhansel, in a Mini, in second spot ahead of American NASCAR driver Robby Gordon, who was nearly 14 minutes behind al-Attiyah. South Africa’s Giniel de Villiers, driving a Toyota, was sixth to stay third overall, 42 minutes behind the leader. “We did a good job and I’m quite happy to be here, without any mistakes, the car working very well, the tyres were really
Two dead, seven injured in Dakar Rally collision
T
wo people were killed and seven others were injured in a head-on collision between a Dakar Rally support vehicle and a taxi near Peru’s border with Chile, race organisers said on Thursday. The incident happened at 9:30 pm local time on Wednesday (0330 GMT Thursday) 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) from the frontier, a
BRIEFS SBH Tornado whip FC Bangalore State Bank of Hyderabad routed FC Bangalore 7-0 in their final league match of the 38th Raje Memorial and late Sudhakar Rao Nail Silver Trophy All-India Football tournament at Yashwant Stadium, Pusad, Maharashtra on Thursday. Faisal Bin Osman and Mohammed scored a brace each for the winners. AR Naidu, Khaja Mohinuddin (substitute) and Joshwa (substitute) scored a goal each.
statement on the race website dakar.com said. One of two taxis hit the support vehicle head-on while a second cab overturned as its driver tried to avoid the collision. Two people in the first taxi, including the driver, were killed and seven people, four of them Peruvian were injured.
good,” said al-Attiyah. “We’ll just try to keep going like this and we try to keep close to Peter because maybe tomorrow the stage might not be for us, but okay, if we lose, we lose just a few minutes.” Al-Attiyah’s 17th career Dakar stage win was tempered, however, when it was revealed teammate Carlos Sainz, the 2010 champion, had been forced to retire. The Spaniard, who won the first two stages before falling badly off the pace, was forced out when the engine in his Buggy failed at the 179km mark. “I’ve had a lot of problems since the start of the rally, and today just took the biscuit,” said former world rally champion Sainz. “Something must have broken in the engine. It just happened all of a sudden. There wasn’t any temperature warning or anything. “Nasser is battling for victory,” he added.
MOIN UD DOWLA TROPHY Brilliant chess opportunity HYDERABAD: Brilliant Chess
Academy will conduct the 80th Brilliant Trophy Open Chess tournament on January 12 under the auspices of AP Chess Association at the Brilliant Grammar High School, Dilsukhnagar. The top 20 players in the open category will be awarded cash prizes. Special prizes will be given to top the two top players that emerge in under-6, -8, -10, 12 and -14 age groups of boys and girls, according to the academy. Entries will close by 1.00pm on Saturday. Further details can be had from J Subrahmanyam on 92473 99717.
South Zone Interstate Under-14 tournament Andhra beat Goa at Gymkhana Brief scores: Goa 127 in 65.4 overs (Tunish Sawkar 54, Surya Charan 5 for 24) Andhra 130 for no loss in 28.1 overs (T Vamshi Krishna 46no, Maheep Kumar 79no. TN score 251 Vs Kerala at RGICS Brief scores: Tamil Nadu 251 for 9 in 90 overs (U Mukilesh 83, G Viswanathan 80, Advaith Murali 3 for 53) Kerala 9 for 1 in 12 overs
WISH YOU GOOD LUCK
Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy takes the salute from the host team Hyderabad (R) at the inauguration ceremony of the National Women’s Hockey U-20 championship at the GMC Balayogi Stadium on Thursday.
Bhuvana Kalva of Andhra Pradesh, who defeated Tarranam Handa (Delhi) 6-4, 6-3, in action at the Secunderabad Club on Thursday in the Bheema Cements Secunderabad Club Open singles. N SHIVA KUMAR
sports
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Novak, Andy on collision course World number one Novak Djokovic and his US Open conqueror Andy Murray have been put in separate halves of the men's singles draw at the Australian Open, starting in Melbourne on Monday.
MELBOURNE: World number one Novak Djokovic and his US Open conqueror Andy Murray have been put in separate halves of the men's singles draw at the Australian Open, starting in Melbourne on Monday. In the official draw made Friday, Djokovic faces a potential semi-final against Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer, while 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer could face world number three Murray in the last four. Djokovic, bidding for a hattrick of Australian Open victories after downing Rafael Nadal in a titanic five-set final last year, will start his defence against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu in the first round. Second seed Federer, bidding for his fifth Australian title, begins his Melbourne campaign against Frenchman Benoit Paire, while Murray takes on Dutchman Robin Haase first up.
Women's singles draws
Men's singles draws
Victoria Azarenka (BLR x1) v Monica Niculescu (ROM)
Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) v PaulHenri Mathieu (FRA)
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x10) v Sabine Lisicki (GER)
Michael Russell (USA) v Tomas Berdych (CZE x5)
Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) v Sara Errani (ITA x7)
David Ferrer (ESP x4) v Olivier Rochus (BEL)
Serena Williams (USA x3) v Edina Gallovits-Hall (ROM)
Nicolas Almagro (ESP x10) v Qualifier
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) v Petra Kvitova (CZE x8)
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) v Janko Tipsarevic (SRB x8)
Li Na (CHN x6) v Sesil Karatantcheva (KAZ)
Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG x6) v Qualifier
Chang Kai-chen (TPE) v Samantha Stosur (AUS x9)
Robin Haase (NED) v Andy Murray (GBR x3)
Bojana Bobusic (AUS) v Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x4)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x7) v Michael Llodra (FRA)
Angelique Kerber (GER x5) v Elina Svitolina (UKR)
Albert Montanes (ESP) v Richard Gasquet (FRA x9)
Olga Puchkova (RUS) v Maria Sharapova (RUS x2) (Note: The draws are only of the top 10 seeds)
Defending Australia Open tennis champions Victoria Azarenka (L) and Novak Djokovic (R) arrive with their trophies by boat for the offical draw of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Friday. Players are arriving in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open. AFP/WILLIAM WEST
KOOYONG CLASSIC
Cypriot Baghdatis was left flat-footed on a windy day at the former home of the Australian Open as he went down to Juan del Potro with more than 20 unforced errors. MELBOURNE: Juan Martin del Potro crushed Marcos Baghdatis 6-4, 6-1 to reach the final of the Kooyong Classic Friday, where he will face home favourite Lleyton Hewitt. Cypriot Baghdatis, an Australian Open finalist in 2006, was left flat-footed on a windy day at the former home of the Australian Open as he went down with more than 20 unforced errors in his abbreviated appearance. Del Potro, the 2009 US Open winner who has twice reached
the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park, kept his mistakes to fewer than 10 in the rout at the tuneup event prior to Monday's start of the first major of the season. Once he got his big serve going and found his feet in the blowing, hot conditions, there was little hope for Baghdatis, who commands a huge fan base in multi-ethnic Melbourne. Del Potro dominated in the closing stages, winning eight of the last nine games as he unleashed his arsenal in the one-way second set. AFP
Monaco duo make history PARIS: Monaco’s Benjamin Balleret and Guillaume Couillard have gone into the tennis record books after playing out a 70point tiebreak. The pair made history at a $10,000 International Tennis Federation event, when they met in the final qualifying round. Balleret won the match 7-6 (36/34), 6-1 as Couillard eventually wilted. "Neither of us sensed the first set would last so long. We
were both really tight, because we know each other so well. We didn't want to lose it. When we switched ends during the tiebreak, with the score in the 20s and 30s, we were laughing," said Balleret. The longest tie-break on record, at a tour-level event, came in the 1985 Wimbledon doubles when Michael Mortensen and Jan Gunnarsson beat John Frawley and Victor Pecci 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (26/24). AFP
(Note: The draws are only of the top 10 seeds)
ATP AUCKLAND
Del Potro crushes Baghdati, in final
70-POINT TIEBREAK
Benoit Paire (FRA) v Roger Federer (SUI x2).
Ferrer to meet Kohlschreiber
AUCKLAND: Defending champion David Ferrer cruised into the final of the ATP Auckland tournament against an injured Gael Monfils on Friday, setting up a decider against in-form Philipp Kohlschreiber. Ferrer defeated Monfils 6-1, 6-2 after Monfils, making a comeback after a knee injury, suffered a hamstring strain in the semi-final of the warm-up for next week's Australian Open. Ferrer will meet Kohlschreiber in the final after the German downed Sam Querrey 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), giving him the chance to equal Australian Roy Emerson's record of four Auckland titles.
VOLVO GOLF CHAMPIONS
Thongchai leads in first round DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA: Former paratrooper Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand fired a sevenunder-par 65 on Thursday to take a three-shot first-round lead in the Volvo Golf Champions. South Africans Ernie Els and Louis Oosthuizen share second place in a tournament confined to 2012 European Tour winners and golfers with more tban 10 career triumphs on the circuit. Scots Scott Jamieson, Paul
Lawrie and Richie Ramsay were third on 69 with Jamie Donaldson of Wales, Dane Thomas Bjorn, Jeev Mikha Singh of India and Englishman Danny Willett. Irish pair Padraig Harrington and Shane Lowry shot a 70 each as did Robert Rock of England and Italian Francesco Molinari on a wet, windy day at the 6,111metre Durban Country Club in this Indian Ocean city.
Defending champion Branden Grace, the South African who won five times on the European Tour last season, opened with a three-over 75 to trail pacesetter Thongchai by 10 strokes. "I enjoyed the course which requires you to think a lot," said the 43-year-old Thai. "I used a driver only twice and found a three iron I put in my bag just before teeing off very useful." AFP
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
ENGLAND’S TOUR OF INDIA
PERKS FOR VICTORY
Pujara unlikely to play
Cheteshwar Pujara may have to wait a little more to make his ODI debut, Indian captain MS Dhoni indicated on Thursday. RAJKOT: Saurashtra middle-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara (in pic), who slammed his career’s second Ranji Trophy triple hundred on Thursday, may have to wait a little more to make his ODI debut, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni indicated on Thursday. “Well it (ODI debut) looks very unlikely as of now because we have to see the whole batting line-up the position he’s ideally suited for and all those things. As of now, it looks very unlikely,” said Dhoni on the eve of the first ODI against England at the SCA stadium here. “Let’s see what happens tomorrow. If somebody gets unfit, we’ll see...,” he added. Pujara, who notched up 352 this morning in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal match against Karnataka, has played nine Tests with distinction for the country and has scored three hundreds and a fifty in his fledgling international career. The 24-year-old cricketer has been included in the ODI squad for the first
Need to play out of skin: Cook
RAJKOT: Despite a dominant Test series over India a few weeks ago, England skipper Alastair Cook is wary of the hosts, saying the players of his “underdog” side will have to play out of their skins to repeat success in the ODI series, beginning here today. “Clearly we are the underdogs in this series but if you look through our side we have got a lot of firepower and world class players. For us to win this series, those world class players and everyone in our squad have to play out of skin,” said Cook ahead of the series-opener. The England skipper, who had led his team to a Test series triumph in India after 28 years at the end of 2012, said the team was lacking a bit in experience due to injuries to key members. PTI
time in place of Virender Sehwag. Instead of practicing with the rest of the Indian team, Pujara continued batting in the Ranji Trophy game after getting permission from the team management.
ANOTHER IPL STYLE TOURNEY
Pak launch T20 league KARACHI: PCB will hold its first International Super League T20 tournament from March 26 to April 7 this year but it is not clear whether any overseas players have agreed to participate in the event. PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf said the response so far from the players and their agents contacted has been very good. “We are hopeful that we will get a good turnout of overseas players for the Pakistan Super League,” he told the media at the logo unveiling ceremony of the league in Lahore. Also present were the former ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat and the captains of the Pakistan ODI and T20 squads — Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Ha-
feez — besides other top Board officials. Ashraf said Lorgat had been appointed advisor for the league and was also helping sign overseas players. Lorgat said it was a good step taken by Pakistan to launch its own league as T20 cricket clearly had a bright future in the country. “T20 cricket is getting popular by the day and every ICC member country has the right to host its own league. Pakistan has done hard work and I hope with foreign players’ participation the outside world will change its perceptions about the country,” Lorgat said. PCB is reportedly paying Lorgat a monthly retainer of USD 25,000 for his advisory job. PTI
“As of now everyone is fit. I don’t know if it will change by night, but everyone is fit now,” said Dhoni. Dhoni conceded that the lack of big opening partnerships has hurt the World Cup champions’ chances in ODIs off late.
Pak players hope for pay raise KARACHI: Busy celebrating the ODI series win against arch-foes India, Pakistani cricketers are hoping that the triumph would enhance their chances of getting a handsome pay raise this year. A source told PTI that the national selectors met in Lahore yesterday and handed over a preliminary list of candidates who should be considered for the new central contracts and retainers in 2013. “The selectors also held deliberations on the forthcoming tour to South Africa with the test squad expected to be announced first,” the source said. He said Pakistani players, after reaching the semis of the World Cup T20 and beating India in India, were very hopeful that they would get a pay raise. “The players have already conveyed their feelings to the PCB Chairman recently in India that the pay raise given to them in the last central contracts was not enough as it came after three years,” the source said. He pointed out that when the last central contracts were given, some of the senior players had refused to sign them as they felt the raise of 25 per cent in the monthly retainers and 10 per cent increase in match fees was not enough but had to back down after a stern stance taken by the Board. PTI
BADMINTON RANKINGS
Kashyap, Sindhu rise NEW DELHI: On a day when luck deserted Parupalli Kashyap (in pic) on the court, there was a good news awaiting him as the shuttler reached a career-best ranking of world number 11 in while P V Sindhu, also jumped two places to reach career-best ranking of world number 17, while Saina Nehwal retained her world number three status. Soon after Kashyap was knocked out of the Korea Open, came the news of his giant leap, which was like a “breath of fresh air” for the top Indian shuttler. Kashyap was leading 16-14 in the third game of the pre-quarterfinal when the strings of his racquet snapped, allowing his
opponent, world No. 9 Yun Hu of Hong Kong, to claw back and eventually win 16-21 21-13 21-17. Kashyap was heart-broken but the fact that he became only the third player after Prakash
Padukone and his mentor cum chief coach Pullela Gopichand to reach such a high in world badminton helped him to get over the loss and gear up for the Malaysia Super Series. PTI
SPORTS BRIEFS PCB cautions Umar after he reacts
KARACHI: Pakistan’s young batsman Umar Akmal has been cautioned against reacting to criticism by the country’s Cricket Board after he hit back at some former players who had questioned his commitment in the recent one-day series in India. Umar shot back at his critics after Pakistan’s former captains Rashid Latif, Moin Khan and some others said they were disappointed by the youngster’s attitude. Latif had also advised the national selectors to drop Umar from the team and send him back to domestic cricket until he improved his attitude and approach to the game. Umar got out at a critical time in the third and final one-day international against India in New Delhi last Sunday resulting in a narrow defeat for his team and leading to criticism about his failure to finish off the job. PTI
Misbah retained captain
KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to retain senior batsman Misbah-ul-Haq as captain for the Test and one-day series teams in the forthcoming tour of South Africa. The 38-year-old has drawn flak for his below-par performances in one-day cricket including the recent tour of India. The PCB had removed him as captain of the Twenty20 squad last year for being a slow scorer. But sources in the PCB told PTI that the national selectors were told by the Board that Misbah will continue as captain for both formats while Mohammad Hafeez has been retained as captain of the T20 squad. Pakistan leaves on January 20 for South Africa to play three Tests, five one-dayers and two T20 matches. PTI
Pak players’ visa applications received
ISLAMABAD: The Indian High Commission here today said that it had received the visa applications of the nine Pakistani players bound for the inaugural Hockey India League only today and will issue them visas “as quickly as possible”. “We have received the visa applications of the nine players today by courier. We are now working hard to get the visas issued to them by today,” an official of the High Commission said. A question mark cropped up over the participation of the Pakistan players in the league when none of the nine players contracted with four HIL franchisees arrived in the country till yesterday. According to media reports, the visas of the players could have been put on hold because of the alleged killing of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistani armed forces at the LOC on Tuesday. PTI
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
sports
TERRY BOOSTS CHELSEA WITH RETURN TO ACTION Chelsea captain John Terry returned to action after a two-month injury lay-off with a first-half run-out for the club’s Under-21 side on Thursday. The 32-year-old former England centre-back has not played for the European champions since a 1-1 draw with Liverpool on November 11.
PREMIER LEAGUE PREVIEW
Chelsea look at Stoke balm
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LA LIGA PREVIEW
The Londoners have looked formidable on the road, in stark contrast to the European champions’ form at home where successive defeats have severely dented their name. EVERTON EYE CL SPOT
IAN WINROW Agence France-Presse LONDON: Rafael Benitez might not normally relish a trip to face Stoke City but recent form suggests his Chelsea side’s best hope of reigniting their season lies away from Stamford Bridge. Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat by Swansea in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final provid-
ed a focus for the discontent that has been building up around the club over the past few months. Chelsea supporters greeted the loss with fresh condemnation of both interim manager Benitez, his fellow Spaniard and misfiring striker Fernando Torres (above), as well as slamming the clubs failure to offer a new contract to fans’ favourite Frank Lampard.
Everton host another of the Premier League’s surprise packages when Swansea head to Goodison Park on Saturday, with Leon Osman confident the Blues can maintain their challenge for a Champions League spot. The Welsh side will arrive in Liverpool still fresh from their 20 League Cup semi-final first leg victory at Chelsea. David Moyes’s Everton have built on a fine finish to last season by pushing for a place in the top four, with just one defeat in their last 10 matches in all competitions. They go into the clash with Swansea two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, although the European champions have a game in hand. Osman, 31, who won his first England cap in November’s 4-2 defeat in Sweden, celebrates a decade since his first Everton appearance this weekend.
Top10 ahead of the weekend’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points) Man Utd
21 17 1 3 54 28 52
Man City
21 13 6 2 41 19 45
Tottenham 21 12 3 6 39 27 39 Chelsea
20 11 5 4 39 19 38
Everton
21 9 9 3 35 26 36
Arsenal
20 9 7 4 40 22 34
West Brom 21 10 3 8 29 27 33 Liverpool
21 8 7 6 34 26 31
Swansea
21 7 8 6 31 26 29
Stoke
21 6 11 4 21 20 29
Saturday Fixtures (1500GMT unless stated) Aston Villa Vs Southampton, Everton Vs Swansea, Fulham Vs Wigan, Norwich Vs Newcastle, QPR Vs Tottenham (1245GMT), Reading Vs West Brom, Stoke Vs Chelsea, Sunderland Vs West Ham
Scholes still gets a kick out of Liverpool rivalry JULIAN GUYER Agence France-Presse LONDON: English football’s two most successful clubs meet again in the Premier League this weekend when Manchester United face northwest rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday. And for United great Paul Scholes
(right), no other fixture quite comes close even though it’s now 23 years since Liverpool were last crowned champions of England. In that time United have surpassed what was Liverpool’s national record of 18 championship titles,
although the Merseysiders still have the edge when it comes to the Champions League, having lifted the European Cup five times compared to the Old Trafford club’s three final victories. However, there is no denying the current domestic gap between the two clubs
with Premier League leaders United a huge 21 points in front of eighth-placed Liverpool heading into Sunday’s match. United’s closest pursuers are cross-town rivals Manchester City, the reigning English champions. City too are in action on Sunday but could be 10 points behind if United beat Liverpool.
BRIEFS Redknapp’s inside track worries Spurs at QPR
Clouds gather over Inter Milan’s title bid
Lyon sign Japan’s World Cup winner Ohno
LONDON: Andre Villas-Boas believes knowledge of Tottenham Hotspur’s key players gives Harry Redknapp an advantage in his first clash against his old club since leaving White Hart Lane. Redknapp twice finished in the top four of the Premier League during his threeand-a-half seasons at Spurs and the likes of Gareth Bale, Jermain Defoe and Aaron Lennon were key members of the team. But he will be looking to get the better of them in Saturday’s London derby at Loftus Road when his bottom of the table Queens Park Rangers team look for another win in their bid for Premier League survival. “It’s a big advantage,” he said.
ROME: Inter Milan will look to get their title hopes back on track against Pescara on Saturday, although the Serie A giants approach their first home match of the year facing major problems. Prior to the winter break Inter’s youthful but defiant coach Andrea Stramaccioni, 36, strode the touchline confidently as his South Americanflavoured side kept close tabs on champions and leaders Juventus. Since then, however, they have dropped to fifth place, nine points behind Juventus having taken just a single point from their last three games. With experienced Walter Samuel an injury doubt, Inter can ill afford another slip-up.
LYON, FRANCE: French club Lyon on Thursday signed Japan’s World Cup striker Shinobu Ohno and American midfielder Megan Rapinoe, two of the hottest properties in international women’s football. Ohno, 29, who played in Japan’s 2011 women’s World Cup winning side, penned a one and a half year deal with an option for another season. A veteran of 101 internationals, with 38 goals, Ohno joins Lyon from INAC Kobe, the reigning Japanese champions. Rapinoe, 27, who was nominated for the 2012 women’s player of the year award, has joined until the end of the season. Rapinoe has played 68 times for the US, scoring 19 times.
Messi keeps title talk off agenda MADRID: Barcelona may be nine points ahead of their nearest rivals, Atletico Madrid, but Lionel Messi (above), who this week won his fourth consecutive Ballon d’Or, is keeping his feet on the ground regarding the title race. The Argentinian is taking nothing for granted as Barca prepare to face one of the toughest trips in La Liga when they visit fourth-placed Malaga on Sunday. “I would have liked to have won more titles last year, my goal is always to keep getting better and not be content with what I have,” he said.
The league is still not resolved, Madrid have made up a similar lead to this before, we know that we can’t take anything as won and we must continue without errors. Lionel Messi Barcelona star forward