Postnoon E-Paper for 13 May 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

CARRION CALLS, BUT VULTURES ARE NOWHERE TO BE SEEN

he presence of Diclofenac, a veterinary drug used to treat cattle, has wiped out vultures in the City. The residue of the drug present in cattle carcasses has poisoned the birds. The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology estimates that the number of vultures in Andhra Pradesh has dropped from 8,500 in 1997 to a mere handful. PG 4

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HAMILTON STRIPPED OF POLE POSITION

ewis Hamilton’s career suffered a new twist when he was stripped of pole for the Spanish Grand Prix because his team failed to give him enough fuel. PG 32 32 PAGES

ON SUNDAY

MAY 13, 2012 HYDERABAD

AN ODE TO A

MOTHER DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Karen Bhatia with her three children, Kiara, 9, Liam 6 and Kian, 2.

SPORT PREMIER LEAGUE GOES DOWN TO THE WIRE TODAY

anchester City will be bidding to be crowned champions of England for the first time in 44 years when they face relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers at Eastlands later today (Sunday). But with secondplaced champions Manchester United behind on goal difference alone, Roberto Mancini’s expensively-assembled City side will be aware any slip-ups could see Sir Alex Ferguson’s men, away to Sunderland, pip them at the post. PG 32

There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it. On Mother’s Day, four mums share with us what it means to be a mother. REPORT ON PG 5

CITY SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

SIMPLE JOYS OF CHILDHOOD

Library summer camp A library summer camp for parents and faculty of UG and PG students will be held from May 10 onwards. The camp will provide guidance for faculty and final year PG students for National/State lecturership and scholarship test(NET/APSET) for `3,650. Where: Hyderabad library services, Sagar View Complex When: May 10 - June 10, Contact: (040) 2322 2247, 94412 37751

SRINIVAS SETTY

The amazing summer shuttle A summer camp for children in the age group of 1-15 and for adults in Thai flowers, stocking flowers and marble painting is being held. Where: Plot-26, Gunrock Enclave, Secunderabad When: 11am-1pm, 11am-5pm Contact:98498 04416, 93921 05310

VLSI Training Vedic school of VLSI Design is offering training on "VLSI Design using VHDL",And it also offers B.tech mini projects for electronics,electrical and instrumentation students.. Where: Vedic school of VLSI Design, 10-3-9/B, Purfiza, Humayun Nagar, Masab Tank,Hyderabad-28 When: May 14 to June 14 10 am onwards Contact: 9618121212 040-66101005 www.vedic-vlsi.com

Painting exhibition An exhibition of paintings by Lalu Shaw is being held at Shrishti Art Gallery. Where: Shrishti Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills, Rd No 15 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2354 0023

Summer encounter Summer is a great time for food and fun. Head to Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills for Summer Sundae at Encounter. Where: Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: Every Sunday Contact: (040) 6666 1070

Metamorpherscense A painting exhibition titled Metamorphescense by Pranatu Khanna is being held at Iconart Gallery. The exhibition is on till May 19. Where: Muse Art Gallery, Tank Bund When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2752 2999

CINEMAS

Cricket frenzy Mocha and Mocha Express is hosting IPL specials with live screening of the match and various pizzas paying ode to the IPL teams and their spirits. Where: Mocha — Banjara Hills Inorbit Mall When: Ongoing, 4pm onwards Contact: (040) 2335 0144

European film festival A European Film Festival organised by A delegation of the European Union and the embassies of the EU Member States in India from May 10 to May 20. Where: Alliance Francaise, Banjara Hills, Rd No 3 When: May 10 onwards, 6pm onwards Contact: (040) 2355 4483

Children’s carnival SPAR along with popular cartoon fanchise presents a fun-filled childrens carnival titles Dholakpur@ SPAR. The carnival consists of plenty of games and prizes to be won. The event will be held at SPAR, Begumpet on May 12 and Banjara Hills on May 13. Where: Spar HypermarketBanjara Hills and Begumpet

When: May12 and 13, 11am onwards

Monday-Friday Contact: 83411 20303

Mothers Day surprise

Yoga Camp

Head to TGIF to give your mum an Mother’s day suprise. With every order on Mother’s day, TGIF is offering mothers a sweet suprise. Where: TGIF, Banjara Hills, Rd No 2 When: May 13 Contact: (040) 4015 1925

The third part of a series of sevenday yoga camp will be held by Yoga Healing Foundation in Yousufguda. The last part of this Yoga Camp is going to be held at Saroornagar from May 20. Where: Krishnakanth Park, Yousufguda When: May13 onwards, 5.15 am onwards Contact: 98489 92354

Grill festival Head to the grill festival to sample various grilled delicacies. Thats not all. Along with sampling some great food you can avail a 35 per cent off as it is the anniversary of the restaurant. Where: The Grill Room, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 6557 7722

Theatre workshop Samahaara is hosting special four week summer acting workshops. The workshops will be held for a duration of four weeks. The workshops are being held at three different places in the City. Where: Vidyaranya School, The Terrace, The Actor’s Studio When: May 14 onwards,

Food and cricket Great food and a great game of cricket makes for great news. Head to News Cafe to catch the IPL matches live and exclusive along with some great IPL special food. Where: News Cafe, Inorbit Mall, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 8pm onwards Contact: (040) 4010 1236

Solo exhibition Ramakanth’s Solo Painting Exhibition which deals with loneliness of a long distance runner. Where: Hyderabad Marriott, Tank Bund When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2752 2999

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

CITY SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

Diagnostic centre sealed

Love is in the air?

istrict medical and health officers raided a daignostic centre at Ramakrishna Nagar in Malkajgiri last night and seized records that revealed the Centre had been illegally operating and had been indulging in sex determination tests. DMHO Mohd Nazeeruddin said they were investigating if the Centre had genuine doctors working for it.

hief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy directed Chief Secretary Pankaj Dwivedi to conduct a detailed inquiry following reports of misuse of his official chopper. It is alleged that the chopper was taken out by a pilot to give his girlfriends an exciting aerial view of the City. The State had bought the helicopter for `60 crore a few years ago.

Man hangs himself

suspended accountant of a private school, Praveen Kumar, 36, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his home at Adarsh Nagar under Meerpet police station limits. The man, married with two kids, has reportedly been dejected after rendered jobless. The police has registered a case of unnatural death and has begun investigating.

Rough road to EAMCET

Students who took the test at Vignan Jyothi Coellge in Bachupally were caught unawares by the out-of-syllabus factor — a four-kilometre walk to the venue. And that was just the beginning

SUDESHNA KOKA

sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

hile the much sought after EAMCET examinations were largely incident-free, an unfortunate happening at the Vignana Jyothi College Bachupally centre has caused agony to the students and parents.

The road that leads to the college was under repair and this forced vehicles to stop at a few kilometers away and the worried students had to trudge the distance. In EAMCET even a few minutes’ delay could prove debilitating. “We left early as it’s far away from the City. However, this did not help as the road was under repair. Four kilometers from the college the road was blocked. Before such an important exam how can they lay roads and leave it all undone? Students had to

WHEN STUDENTS REACHED THE VENUE, SEATS WERE NOT ASSIGNED CORRECTLY. walk and run,” recalls Dr. Sanjog Mathur, a parent. After all these problems when students reached the place the seating arrangements were not assigned correctly. “The list was not clear we could vaguely read anything. The room

assigned was C 303 but no such room existed. It was very chaotic and students were running here and there helplessly.” Though the exam paper was comparatively easy, delay due to road condition ditched the students. “There was no one to guide us to tell us where to go. There we saw no signboards. We had to figure out things on our own,” complains Rani M, student. Parents and students of Bachupally centre must spend sleepless nights to know the results.

Official speak

“W

e have been cautioning students and parents on the need to come early for the exam. EAMCET passed off peacefully everywhere, but if the students of Bachupally Centre have complaints, they are welcome to approach us,” says convenor for EAMCET, Ramana Rao.

CITY SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

Carrion calls, but vultures are nowhere to be seen RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA

rahul.r@postnoon.com

he presence of Diclofenac, a veterinary drug used to treat cattle has wiped out vultures in the City. The residue of the drug present in cattle carcasses has poisoned the birds. The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology estimates that the number of vultures in Andhra Pradesh has dropped from 8,500 in 1997 to a mere handful. Among the many drastic environmental and social changes of our age, this is perhaps the most poignant. The disappearance of vultures and carrion birds from the City is not just an environmental problem, but a social one too. Their extinction, over the years, has resulted in quite a few social changes in Hyderabad’s Parsi community. The gentle community has adapted to the situation by embracing alternative means to dispose of their dead in the Dokhmas or Towers of Silence. Dokhmas are located in Parsigutta and Bhoiguda. Parsis feed their dead to the vultures. However, the extinction of vultures has forced the community to resort to alternative means such as solar heating and the usage of chemical solvents. In a bid to save the dying vultures and also redress the social troubles that their absence has caused, the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology aspired to artificially rear vultures bred through artificial insemination. S Shivaji, a senior scientist at the CCMB said, “There was a plan to breed vultures through artificial insemination in 2006. However, the delay in issuing

The Parsi community’s Tower of Silence at Parsigutta. The extinction of vultures has forced the community to resort to alternative means of disposing of their dead, such as solar heating and the usage of chemical solvents. N SHIVA KUMAR permissions and notification has stopped us from going ahead with the plan. The Nehru Zoo in the City has also set up a Vulture Breeding Center in the hope of breeding the birds. We are waiting for further initiatives now that all the permissions and notifications have come through.” The CCMB is among the first in the world to come up with a procedure of artificial insemination of carrion birds through

semen collection. The presence of diclofenac, a veterinary drug used to treat cattle, and hence present in their carcasses has wiped out the birds slowly but surely. Officials at the CCMB estimate that the number of the birds in Andhra Pradesh has dropped from 8,500 in 1997 to a handful now. Apart from the five captive birds in the Nehru Zoo, there are only four in the Adilabad and Srisailam forest dumps.

The Parsi community is reserved on this matter. Ashi Morawala, a medicine student, said, “With no birds feeding on the dead, we have resorted to solar heating and chemical treatment of the bodies in the towers. I guess, we have to move with the times and adapt to the situation. We are not, in any way, polluting the elements as written in the scriptures by burying the dead or cremating them.” There have been initiatives

in the past to save the Whiterumped vulture, the native species of the Indian subcontinent, but none ever saw the light of day. The plans to set up “vulture restaurants” where the birds would feed on diclofenacfree carcasses have also been suggested but none of them actually materialised. In a case of changing biodiversity effecting social changes, this one stands out as a dangerous indicator of what is to come.

The White-rumped vulture

A killer called Diclofenac?

his species was very common in India. Hugh Whistler noted for instance in his guide to the birds of India that it “is the commonest of all the vultures of India, and must be familiar to those who have visited the Towers of Silence in Bombay.” This species, as well as the Indian Vulture and Slenderbilled Vulture has suffered a 99 per cent population decrease in India and nearby countries since the early 1990s. It was shown between 2000-2007 annual decline rates in India averaged 43.9 per cent and ranged from 11-61 per cent in Punjab. Another hypothesis, apart from the one suggested in the accompanying article, is that they have been affected by avian malaria, as implicated in the extinctions of birds in the Hawaiian islands. It has also been suggested that rabies cases have increased in India due to the decline. SOURCE: POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS, JOURNAL OF THE BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY

se of diclofenac in animals has been reported to have led to a sharp decline in the vulture population in the Indian subcontinent, 95 per cent decline in 2003, 99.9 per cent decline as of 2008. The mechanism is, it is presumed, renal failure, a known side-effect of diclofenac. Vultures eat the carcasses of livestock that have been administered veterinary diclofenac, and are poisoned by the accumulated chemical. At a meeting of the National Wildlife Board in March 2005, the government announced that it intended to phase out the veterinary use of diclofenac. Meloxicam is a safer candidate to replace use of diclofenac. It is more expensive than diclofenac, but the price is coming down as more drug companies begin to manufacture it. SOURCE: NATURE, BBC

MOTHER’S DAY SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

AN ODE TO A

MOTHER INDIRA ATLURI

indira.a@postnoon.com Nikitha Reddy, Owner, Se la Vie, mother to Aadhya, 10

There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it. On Mother’s Day, four mums share with us what it means to be a mother

FONDEST MEMORIES

I have many fond memories with my daughter – a few funny, and a few emotional. But the best and the most special moment was when we walked the ramp together.

PLAN

FOR

MOTHER’S

DAY

I plan to pamper my mum and my daughter to a lovely spa treatment and an awesome Sunday brunch. And yes, not to forget the retail therapy!

Rachna Mehta, Director at Gymboree Play and Music, and mother to Moksh, 9, and Nirvaan, 7.

FONDEST MEMORIES

That would be our trip last summer to China & London, where we did a lot of sightseeing and visited theme parks together with the kids. The kids also had a great time in Singapore. In Hyderabad, I look forward to spending time with them over the weekend, especially on Sundays, where we go to the farm and have lots of fun.

PLAN

FOR

MOTHER’S

MOTHER’S DAY

DAY

I plan to spend time with both my boys in the morning and plan to make breakfast for me! They are just 7 and 8, so I don’t know what they will make for me, but they have left me strict instructions to come out of my room at 9am and not before that! I am excited to see what’s in store for me. In the afternoon we plan to go for their performance at Ravindra Bharati as they are doing a dance show with their summer funk group of Shaimak Dawar.

MOTHER’S DAY

MESSAGE

Most of us always take our mums for granted …. Even I did as a child. So my message would be kids, “Enjoy with your mums, she is not there just to do your chores. Play with her and make her laugh.”

Karen Bhatia, Nutritionist and Lifestyle Consultant, and mother to three children, Kiara, 9, Liam 6 and Kian, 2.

FONDEST MEMORIES

My fondest memories of my children are of our first road trip with them. We drove from Hyderabad to Kabini and had a fabulous week of relaxation and adventure. At the time they were aged 7, 4 and 11 months. It was delightful to see the joy on their faces every time they spotted an animal or when they rode an elephant and the icing on the cake was when we spotted a tiger in the wild.

PLAN

FOR

MOTHER’S

DAY

Mothers Day is not a special day on our calendar. My mother is my best friend and I call her on my way to work to just chat with her. I carry the same sentiment into my relationship with my children and I would think that if they chose to make me feel special just once a year, that would be sad. But now my daughter is going to be 9 and likes to have her own thoughts on most things, so I am not sure if she has something planned.

MOTHER’S DAY

MESSAGE

Mother’s are the only ones who are selfless and who give endless love. They stand by you in good and bad times. Nobody and no power can replace a mum.

A mother’s love is unconditional. As babies we are completely dependent on them and as we get older we tend to wean off our mothers in more ways than one. A mother will always protect and not judge. Every mother wants to be understood first. She does not always need to be loved back the way she loves, but she needs to know she is valued.

Shilpa Reddy, model, fitness expert and fashion designer, mother to Dheva, 21 months.

FONDEST MEMORIES

There are really so many I remember. But my fondest is the day Dheva said amma — he had been trying to say it right for a few days, and when he finally said it, he knew that he got it right. That big smile of pride on his face was priceless.

PLAN

FOR

MOTHER’S

DAY

For now I will be spending the day with him. He is a baby right now.

MOTHER’S DAY

MESSAGE

Motherhood is not just about having a child. It’s about discipline, about instilling values, being a role model and much more. Kids are very intelligent - they respect you when you respect them. It needn’t be taught- they just need loads and loads and loads of love.

NATION SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

SC dismisses NBA’s plea

20 intl flights cancelled

Deer’s newfound health

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has

SILIGURI: Forestry personnel

refused to re-examine its judgement and expunge adverse remarks made in it against Medha Patkar-led Narmada Bachao Andolan on the issue of land acquisition for Omkareshwar Dam project in MP. The apex court dismissed the review petitions filed by the NBA saying that the May 11 judgement “does not suffer from any mistake”.

shift a tranquilised wild spotted deer at the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirts of Siliguri on Saturday. The deer was found by officials on April 26 with injuries and was released after being administered the necessary treatment.

NEW DELHI: With Air India pilots not budging from their position, their agitation entered the sixth day today leading to cancellation of 20 international flights, causing inconvenience to the hundreds of passengers. “Pilots have not reported for work. We have had to cancel 20 flights from Delhi and Mumbai,” an Air India official said.

AFP/ DIPTENDU DUTTA

‘Sexual offences Bill regressive'

CNEW DELHI: The Centre's proposal for raising the age of consent for sex from 16 to 18 years would be "regressive" and "draconian" as it would remain a penal offence, a Delhi court has said. The court opined that keeping in view the change in social attitude and sensibilities, exceptions should be made while deciding the age of consent for sex as in rural parts of the country marriages are solemnised at an early age. Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau made the remarks, while referring to the conditions in western countries where there are adequate safeguards for protection against sexual offences.

"No doubt, there is an urgent need to protect children from sexual offences, harassment and pornography but at the same time it is necessary to ensure a close-in-age reprieve and a lenient view in case of close-inrelationship as adopted by various western countries where there is no exploitative coercive situation including impersonation, fraud, fear, threat and false promises. "In the absence of such a safeguard the proposed increase in the age of consent would become regressive and draconian as it tends to criminalise teenage/adolescent sex. The need is to correct this behaviour and not punish," the judge said. The court's observations

Indo-Pak hotline to fight terrorism

came while acquitting a youth of the charges of kidnapping and raping a 17-and-a-half-year-old girl, to whom he got married and is now having a child with. The court referred to the proposed special 2011 Bill for protection of children from sexual offences, which provides that that no person below the age of 18 will have the legal capability to give consent for any sexual activity and the bill makes sex under the age of 18, even if consensual as statutory rape. The court acquitted a Ghaziabad resident of kidnapping and raping a Delhi-based girl after considering that they were in love and she had eloped as their families were against PTI their relation.

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Line will connect home secretaries of the two nations NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan will soon set up a hotline between their home secretaries that will facilitate realtime information sharing on terrorist threats. More than a year after New Delhi and Islamabad agreed to set up the direct communication line connecting the two top bureaucrats, the technical parameters in this regard have been completed and Standard Operating Procedures formulated. “We are awaiting Pakistan’s consent to the SOPs and the moment we receive their response, we will go ahead with

setting up the hotline,” a senior home ministry official said. However, it is not clear whether the hotline will materialise before the IndiaPakistan home secretary level talks scheduled to be held in Islamabad on May 24-25. As of now, the hotline will be nonencrypted and it will be installed either at the first floor office of the Home Secretary in the North Block or in the Home Ministry control room, which functions 24x7. When the hotline will become operational, it will be considered as a major confidence building step between India and Pakistan. India and Pakistan had agreed to set up the hotline during the last home secretary-level talks held in New Delhi in March 2011 “to facilitate real time information sharing with respect to terrorist threats”. The Director-General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries already have a hotline. This hotline was helpful when an Indian Army’s Cheetah helicopter inadvertently landed in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir in October last year. The DGMOs of both countries activated the communication line which led to early release of the chopper and the men by Pakistan. New Delhi has hotlines with Beijing and Moscow which are non-encrypted. PTI

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WORLD SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

CLASSIFIEDS FABRICATION

7 killed in Japan fire

7 missing after collision

40 die in China rains

TOKYO: Seven people died after a fire swept through a Japanese hotel on Sunday morning, the local police and fire department said. “Seven people — three men and four women — are dead,” said a local police officer, giving no further details with identities yet to be confirmed. The seven were among 10 people taken to hospital after the fire, a fire department official said.

BUENOS AIRES: Seven people were missing Saturday after an Argentine cargo ship and a Paraguayan tug boat collided on the Parana River near the northeastern city of Zarate in Argentina, police said. “We will continue searching for the seven who went missing overnight because the weather conditions allow it,” said Sergio Gaetan, who is heading the search and rescue operation.

BEIJING: Forty people were killed when a brief but violent hailstorm and torrential rain swept through a mountainous region of northwest China, the local government said on Sunday. Eighteen others remained missing in Min county, a disasterprone area of Gansu province, while 87 had been sent to hospital, the county government said in a statement on its website.

Gulf Union on the anvil? Assad Abboud

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RIYADH: Gulf leaders at a meeting in Riyadh on Monday will discuss a Saudi proposal to develop their sixnation council into a union, likely to start with the kingdom and unrest-hit Bahrain, officials said. The Gulf Cooperation Council leaders “will discuss a form of union between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain,” said a top Gulf official, requesting anonymity. Bahrain’s state minister for information, Samira Rajab, revealed that a Saudi proposal to evolve the GCC into a union will be on the agenda of the Riyadh meeting, adding that the idea backed by Bahrain could start with two or three members. “This union could start with two or three” GCC members, she told AFP. Saudi King Abdullah proposed forming a GCC union last December at a summit of the group Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal has backed the proposal. “The threats of all kinds necessitate a serious move by the GCC countries to cross from the cooperation phase to a unity that is acceptable for all,” he said last month. Emirati analyst Abdulkhaliq Abdullah said the idea of a Gulf union was in the offing, expecting an announcement from the consultative summit “at least at a bilateral level.” But he warned that the six members were “not all enthusiastic about a union,” as they struggle to shape an economic integration which has proved elusive ever since

Member of the Free Syrian Army’s “Freedom for the River Assi Brigade” take part on an attack on Syrian regime forces on Saturday. AFP the GCC was founded. Saudi analyst Anwar Eshqi, who heads the Jeddah-based Middle East Centre for Strategic and Legal Studies, said the Saudi enthusiasm for a Gulf union was due to “pressure from Iran,” which is accused of meddling in Gulf affairs. The GCC was formed in 1981 when the Sunni-dominated monarchies aimed to bolster security after the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran and its war with Iraq. The tension between Shiite Iran and Saudi Arabia escalated last year after Saudi troops rolled into Bahrain to help quell protests led by the Sunni-

ruled state’s Shiite majority. Tensions mounted further with the deadly clampdown on the uprising in Syria, whose President Bashar al-Assad is a staunch ally of Tehran, while Riyadh and other Arab states in the Gulf have called for the fall of his regime. Tehran’s growing influence in Iraq since the withdrawal of US troops as well as its territorial dispute with the United Arab Emirates have also contributed to fuelling cross-Gulf animosity. “It is interesting to know if this union (between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia) is going to be economic,

political, or military,” said Salman Sheikh, director of the Brookings Doha Centre. “I wonder if this union is going to solve the problems of Bahrain,” he added, pointing out that the results of the Riyadh summit would “give an indication of the (regional) ambitions of Saudi Arabia.” Bahrain’s Shiite-led opposition has already warned that a union or federation with Saudi Arabia would have to be put to a referendum. Saudi Arabia is by far the largest Gulf country in terms of population, and size of territory and economy, but other GCC countries, mainly Qatar and the UAE, are unlikely to accept Saudi domination. Riyadh argues that evolving the GCC into a union has economic potential. Such a union would turn the oil-rich GCC into a “solid economic bloc,” said the Saudi foreign minister, as the combined economic output of the group hit $1,400 billion in 2011. But the GCC continues to face hurdles preventing the group from reaching goals set at its launch. Only four members — Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia -— have signed a monetary council agreement, and analysts said Gulf states still have a long way to go in their bid to launch a single currency initially slated for 2010. A customs union launched at the start of 2003 for a three-year transition period has been put off until 2015, as issues of revenues, dumping and protectionism repeatedly delay its full implementation. AFP

Raul backs gay rights: Daughter

15 killed in Syria even US drone kills 21 as UN presence grows Qaeda militants

HAVANA: Cuban President Raul Castro backs greater gay rights and ending discrimination against homosexuals, his daughter Mariela, a famed sexologist, said Saturday during a gay rights march in Havana. “He has done some advocacy work, speaking of the need to make progress in terms of rights based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” Mariela Castro told reporters. “The Cuban president... has been talking about this issue, but he has not made it public. It is surely part of his strategy,” she added, when asked if her father backed her campaign to legalize civil unions for gays and lesbians. “He himself has said that... we cannot make progress if we continue to live with these prejudices.” Mariela Castro runs Cuba’s National Center for Sex Education (CENESEX) and is an outspoken advocate for the rights of homosexuals and transsexuals in AFP Communist-ruled Cuba.

DAMASCUS: Violence in Syria cost at least 15 lives on Saturday as a UN force to oversee a truce neared half its planned strength, monitors said. In Idlib province, a stronghold near the Turkish border of rebels fighting President Bahar al-Assad’s regime, security force gunfire killed a man and a woman during a series of raids, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Another civilian and a child were killed in pre-dawn shelling in central Hama province, the Britain-based watchdog said, while a fifth was killed by sniper fire in the northeastern city of Deir Ezzor. Meanwhile, nine soldiers and an army deserter were killed in clashes between rebel groups and regime forces in Idlib province, according to the Observatory. For its part, state news agency SANA said authorities thwarted an infiltration attempt by an “armed terrorist group” from Turkey and entered the Idlib city of Jisr alAFP Shughur.

ADEN: At least 21 suspected Al Qaeda militants were killed when US drones fired missiles at two convoys and a hideout in Yemen, Xinhua reported. One drone fired rockets at a convoy of three pickup trucks travelling on a desert road in Hareeb area of Shabwa province. Seven militants were killed and all the three vehicles were destroyed. The Al Qaeda militants were reportedly planning to attend a meeting in the area. A US warplane attacked an Al Qaeda hideout in alAeen area of Shabwa, killing at least six militants. A security official in Marib province told Xinhua that another US drone hit a second Al Qaeda convoy in Husoon area, killing at least eight militants. Two vehicles were hit by the second drone in Husoon area, about one hour after the first unmanned aerial vehicle killed seven militants in Shabwa. AFP

COMMENT SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

Nurse needs proper rest

Congratulations Yerra!

he nurses’ job is such a critical one in the medical field. While the doctors diagnose the disease and initiate treatment, it is the nurse that ensures recovery with her round-the-clock vigil. As it is irregular sleep, we know, affects anybody’s performance. To deprive a nurse of enough rest it to put the very lives of patients at risk. Rachel PS Begumpet

alyan Sagar Yerra’s adventurous lifestyle and business venture is worth emulating. Success stories of his kind are not too many. To leave a well-paying job to answer a calling is commendable, to say the least. We are living in a wonderful era where things change instantly unlike in the past when businesses had to bid a long incubation time. Vamshi by Email

EDITORIALS Readers’ views We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 040-4067 2222.

Animal care tough chore

hile having pets is a wonderful experience for the affection they bestow on us, bringing them up correctly is a different cup of tea. Here we can’t afford to treat it like a hobby. Tending to animals is a very delicate affair, like my colleague who had two rabbits for pets realised a little late; for they fell ill and had to be abandoned. Ehsanuddin Riyaz Jubilee Hills TODOR RUSINOV

EDITORIALS JUDICIARY the only hope The Delhi High Court ruling that the Centre's Bill for raising the age of consent for sex from 16 to 18 is 'regressive and draconian' is praiseworthy. The court has rightly pointed out in its ruling that the Bill's provisions are not in tune with changing social attitude and sensibilities. Especially in cases where a 'minor' flees from family to tie the knot with his/ her lover, the families have used the age factor to press charges of abduction and rape — in some cases that have made headlines, as late as 10 years after the marriage. In a country where the lawmakers are vacillating on key social reforms fearing backlashes from caste- and religionbased interest groups, the judiciary has been forced to take up path-breaking decisions. It was the Delhi High Court again which decriminalised homosexual relation between consenting adults, taking away the legal stick which was used to persecute the LGBT community for decades now. The judiciary has once again proved that it remains the last resort of justice when everyone else who have been selected or elected to protect the people's (LGBT community included) interests develop cold feet.

SEXUALITY DRAWS battle lines Last night, Mitt Romney, laid down his marker on the right of gay people to get married... he came out adamantly against it. The November US elections should be based on the economy and job creation; now, however, it will be based on whether gays should be allowed to marry. They certainly should, but it really isn’t the hot button topic it’s going to become. Romney using this as the stick to beat Obama with will backfire.

Fishermen bait in goodwill hunting? From the Hip SYED SHOAIB

“A

ll human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. n Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. n Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law. n No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.” These are some of the resolutions under the universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations general assembly under the international bill of human rights over half a century ago; but sadly, even today, these have remained utopian dreams of a

few great men. For even though the “Member states have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms”, this is far from achieved. These resolutions are unabashedly flouted under different pretexts. The release of 26 fishermen held as prisoners for crossing over territorial waters as a show of goodwill by Pakistan last month, brings to the fore one such example. We may wonder at the wisdom of capturing and detaining innocent fishermen who have strayed in open oceans. It is not difficult to understand that these hapless souls, unable to manage life on land, ventured into the oceans to try their luck. How would a fisherman know where his country’s territory ends and the next one’s started, in an open, vast, blue ocean? Capturing innocent fishermen as political bargaining chips seems to be the ulterior political machinations of

crouching neighbours. It is reported that there are currently 450 Indian fishermen in Pakistani prisons and 150 of their Pakistani counterparts here; all accused of the same crime ‘crossing territorial waters’. If the border patrol can see them crossing, obviously they are in a position to warn them to return to their own limits. But instead, capturing them and detaining them seems more useful, to be used as gift packages when required during “shows of goodwill”, in line with the pirouetting of soldiers at the Wagah border. The poor fishermen have become involuntary ambassadors, carrying on their shoulders the burden of the peace process between the two neighbours. The regularity of these events triggers suspicion in the mind if this is a variation of a tribal ritual where enemy tribesmen who strayed alone are ambushed and captured to be traded for something in return. Both countries being member states of the United Nations, this blatant disregard for one of the most fundamental ideals of

this organisation is neither condemned nor, for that matter, even noticed. Smiles all around and pompous handshakes at having successfully wangled a concession from the other are made obvious. Citizens of both countries go home with the satisfaction that something has been achieved. The peace process is on. And while everybody pats each other’s back on the great progress, the plight of these fishermen, caught in the middle of ego wars of the two nations is sidelined. The fear and uncertainty of them going home to their families safe and the loss to them and their families due to detention of the breadwinner is trivialised before the greater good of the two countries — grist to the mill of political manoeuvrings. Whatever the reason, it boils down to a gross violation of “fundamental human rights, dignity and worth of the human person” endowed on each one of us and endorsed by the UN. The writer works for Postnoon.

BUSINESS SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

UK buget black hole sorted

ritain’s defence secretary said he had finally balanced his department’s books, in an interview out Sunday, following a week in which he made a U-turn on purchasing jets, to the annoyance of France. Philip Hammond said he will be able to announce this week that he has fixed the £38 billion so-called “black hole” in the ministry of defence budget.

Wen warns of instability

Stash report being studied

hinese Premier Wen Jiabao warned Sunday that Asia faced an “unstable and uncertain” situation as he sat down with leaders of Japan and South Korea for talks likely to focus on dealing with North Korea. A trilateral free trade pact was also expected to be near the top of the agenda during the day of talks in Beijing.

early 10 months after it was formed to examine ways to check the menace of black money, a committee under the chairmanship of Central Board of Direct Taxes chief has submitted its report to the finance ministry. The ministry, however, declined to share its details saying “action taken” on the basis of the report is to be laid in the Parliament.

Edgy Indian corporates seek spiritual solace Abhaya Srivastava

NEW DELHI: With the banks deaf to his pleas for more money for his ailing airline and foreign investors yet to materialise, Indian liquor baron Vijay Mallya has turned to divine forces for assistance. The “King of Good Times”, as the jet-setting billionaire is known in India, recently called in psychic guru Unnikrishna Panicker, who is said to be an expert at invoking the gods and seeking spiritual answers. Panicker, according to the Mumbai-based daily newspaper DNA, conducted an elaborate “Ashtamangalya Prashnam” ritual at Mallya’s mansion last month in Mumbai, aimed at conjuring up good luck. “With no signs of his troubles abating, the Kingfisher Airlines chairman was reportedly advised to conduct this ritual,” DNA said. Kingfisher has debts pegged at $1.2 billion and is threatened with bankruptcy. Its market share has plummeted, staff have gone unpaid and many travel agents have stopped taking bookings on its dwindling fleet of aircraft. But Mallya’s appeal to esoteric powers to help with his predicament is far from unusual in India, where free-market capitalism is often infused with mysticism and astrology. Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man, often talks about spirituality as a “tool to enhance productivity”. The reclusive billionaire is known to consult astrologers and decide upon an auspicious time for the launch of any new business, as was the case with the Reliance Fresh convenience stores that started operations in 2006. Kishore Biyani, a retail giant who pioneered supermarkets in the country, believes traditional Hindu mythology holds a number of management lessons for India Inc. Armed with this conviction, he appointed mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik as his group’s “chief belief officer”

whose job is to express “modern management ideas through symbolism and vocabulary of ancient mythology”. Pattanaik exhorts workers to draw parallels from fables recounted in ancient texts like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata “which explain management concepts much better” than other case studies. “Indian mythology says wealth must never be worshipped alone, she will cause strife,” he told AFP. “Our mythology goes hand in hand with corporate wisdom.” Pattanaik says businessmen consult spiritual leaders because they know “being the richest man does not make you the happiest man”.

MALLYA RECENTLY CALLED IN PSYCHIC GURU UNNIKRISHNA PANICKER, WHO IS SAID TO BE AN EXPERT AT INVOKING THE GODS AND SEEKING SPIRITUAL ANSWERS. In March, Infosys — the country’s second-largest IT company — invited high-profile yogi Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev for an interactive session in Mumbai. Sadhguru, who has twice addressed gatherings at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss town of Davos, talked

about moral dilemmas facing the business world and the need to thrash out acquisitions with love rather than force. “If I embrace you, you will become mine willingly and I will have the better use of you in every possible way,” said the guru, according to a video clip uploaded on YouTube. “If I conquer you I will still have you, but I have to sit on top of your head and make you do things and you will do everything possible to make my life miserable.” G Vijayam of the Atheist Center — an institution that promotes humanism and social change — was bemused by the calls on heavenly forces, especially Mallya’s attempt to use

them to seek business solutions. “By performing the ritual, Mallya was trying to convince people that his intention was good but the stars were not with him,” Vijayam told AFP. “He just wanted to take away everyone’s attention from the real problems plaguing his aviation business and gain sympathy of people. It is like bribing the gods and escaping from your responsibilities.” Mallya’s office did not return repeated calls asking for comment. Vijayam warns everyone to steer clear of “fake” gurus who treat spirituality as a commodity. “For them it is all about business and money. Profit is their god and their halo is a hoax,” he said. AFP

INTERVIEW SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

Sizzling success

A fast-emerging alternative to soft drinks. Soda hub, a now successful venture started with the aim of quenching people’s thirst economically. Nanda Srinivas, managing director of Soda hub shares his journey with us

Bhavneet Singh and Sneha Mashetty

feedback@postnoon.com

How did the idea for Soda Hub come about ? I’ve known Sitaramiah L, my partner in this business for the past 30 years, and the idea of Soda hub, was originally his. We started off in January 2011 by establishing a base of dealers across the state with a capital of `10 lakh. Now we have over 775 outlets across Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

What was the competition like in the market? As soon as people saw our idea had become a hit, many people came up and copied our idea. So immediately, we registered ourselves as a trademark and got the rights for our eco-friendly paper glasses. In our first summer we had about 40 competitors but now, there are only two left, and I am sure, they wouldn’t last after this summer. So we take this as a mark of success as all of them have shut down.

How did you start off? If anyone comes up with a new idea, it is discouraged. Same was the case with our idea. People criticised us for this move but we held on and implemented it. Our first outlet was set up in Narayanguda. After that it took us nearly three months to come up with our second outlet which was opened in Siddipet.

What were the challenges that you faced during these three months? These three month were very tough. We had hired a person to take care of our outlet and we used to just stand by as onlookers. We spoke to people who came to have the soda. We saw their reactions, understood their needs and finally came up with the taste that suited them. It was a tough climb but now, looks like it has paid off well!

compromised on the quality of our product. And most importantly, we gave the people something to drink at a very reasonable rate, and this I believe is the reason for our success.

What about rumours that it is unhygienic? They are just rumours. We use only mineral water in the soda, even the glasses we use are not plastic ones, they are made of paper. So there is no chance of it being unhealthy. After the rumour though, all our outlets were sealed by the government and the samples were collected. We remained shut for two days and the reports of the soda being hygienic came out. And we haven’t looked back since then.

How can something healthy be given in `5 ?

From a small capital of `10 lakh, what is the current turnover of the company? The current turnover of our company is around `18 crore and we are pretty much happy with it. We are looking forward to develop further.

What do you think is the reason for the success? I think that it is because of our approach to the market. Our motto was not to sell outlets, instead it was to create a brand which I believe we have successfully done here. We never

This is one question that everyone asks me. The total production cost of per glass which includes mineral water, paper glass, CO2 and the flavour comes up to `2.10. and thus we are able to give people quality at such low rates.

What are your future plans for the company? We do not believe in advertising. Our customers are more than enough to advertise our product. In fact, most of our publicity has been through word of mouth. We are planning to get into Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh. And we already have a few South African countries like Uganda approaching us and Thailand is also on the cards, so we will be looking to expand.

THE GOLDEN YEARS SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

The economy of ageing Have you ever thought who the playmates of your great grandchildren would be? Kids, of course, you’d say with a smirk. Hold your assumptions, it would in all probability be their grandparents. No kidding. There would not be enough kids around by then

P K SURENDRAN

pksurendran@gmail.com

ell, it is one sensational way of saying the world is increasingly growing grey, and it won’t be long when one-third of the population would be seniors, another one quarter - adults and mid-age and only one quarter will be children. The rich world’s population is already ageing fast and the poor world is only a few decades behind. The UN’s latest biennial population forecast shows the median age for all countries is due to rise from 29 now to 38 by 2050. At present just under 11% of the world’s 6.9 billion people are over 60. Taking the UN’s central forecast, by 2050 that share will have risen to 22% of 9 billion, and in the developed countries to 33%. Japan is already there. A new study by the global real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle says that compared to the overall population, which is growing at 1.8% per annum, the population of those who are age 60 and older is growing at 3.8%. Their number — which currently stands at 100 million — is expected to increase to 240 million by the year 2050. Further, with the rate of growth in the senior populations of developing nations projected to be double that of developed nations, India and China are expected to have almost 50% of the world’s 1.3 billion seniors by 2040. In the beginning of the last century, average life expectancy at birth for the

world as a whole was only around 30 years, and in rich countries under 50. The figures now are 67 and 78 respectively, and still rising. Raising age expectancy is not a bad news, nor is it a crisis but it calls for cataclysmic change in the socio-economic system. World will be different from what we are accustomed to so far. A second, and bigger, cause of the ageing of societies is that people everywhere are having far fewer children, so the younger age groups are much too small to counterbalance the growing number of older people. In the early 1970s women across the world were still, on average, having 4.3 children each. The current global average is 2.6, and in rich countries only 1.6. The UN predicts that by 2050 the global figure will have dropped to just two.

CONSEQUENCES

Shortage of labour force: As more people retire, and fewer younger ones take their place, the labour force will shrink, so output will drop unless productivity increases. Since the remaining workers will be older, they may actually be less productive. Financial market: Ageing will affect financial markets severely. Life cycle theory of Franco Modigliani’s and Richard Brumberg say people tend to spend more in their youth and old age and save more in their middle years. In fact, the market will have to win the seniors, not the young or the middle-aged. Things dear to the aged people will make advance; such as health, tourism, pilgrimage and sex industry. Pension: Dramatic rise in pension and other welfare care will result. Even today, the government of India, for

30 n

n n n

YEARS FROM NOW Advertisements will eagerly pitch their products to 50 plus because they are going to be the biggest spenders. More day-care for seniors. Amusement avenues for seniors will increase. Senior friendship circles and clubs will fill up newspapers and electronic media. More health clubs, beauty parlours for 50 plus Single parents. Single living to be vogue Public transport and public facilities to be senior-friendly.

instance, is spending additional `545 crore on pension due to enhanced life of pensioners. Whereas a pensioner died at the average age of 50-55 some 50 years ago, the average life has gone up 65-70 years. In countries where public pensions make up the bulk of retirement income, these will either swallow up a much larger share of the budget or they will have to become a lot less generous, which will meet political resistance (and remember that older people are much more inclined to vote than younger ones). According to “Selling to Seniors,” a monthly marketing report, people above 50 control 77 per cent of all financial assets in the United States, own almost 50 per cent of all credit cards, and account for more than 50 per cent of discretionary spending power — 2.5 times the average per capita. Poor in data, India does not offer a similar picture, but it’s a safe bet that what the rich countries do today, we follow tomorrow.

GOVERNMENT OUTLOOK

MUST CHANGE ITS

The whole public finance and employment policy ought to get overhauled. As of today a sizeable chunk of pensioners spend unproductive life though they are healthy enough to contribute. It’s because of the societal belief and consequent government policy that render the pensioners rudderless. Employment of seniors will have to get priority. Far from seeing this as a liability, the study promotes the potential that this group holds as a separate segment that marketers and service providers can target.

ART AND CULTURE SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

Wikimedia gets images

Cezanne painting found

he Walters Art Museum has donated more than 19,000 images of artworks, along with associated information to Wikimedia. Wikimedia Commons is a media file repository making available public domain and freely licensed educational content for unrestricted use. It acts as a common repository for various projects of the Wikimedia Foundation.

Art Basel opens in HK

olice from Serbia and Switzerland have recovered a Paul Cezanne masterpiece that was stolen from a Swiss museum in 2008 and captured four men as they were trying to sell it, officials said Thursday. The work was worth 100 million Swiss francs ($110 million, (euro) 84 million) when it was stolen by three masked gunmen who witnesses said spoke German.

Where Art G Thou?

SAMEENA KENAZ

feedback@postnoon.com

With other art forms becoming more glamorous; poetry seems to be fading into a rather eloquent memory

one are the days when poetry was seen as an art of high regard; it was perceived as a rare talent that not many had. Poetry wasn’t confined to romance; it spanned across and covered every aspect of life. To many, it was complicated and depressing, yet it managed to bring out words of praise everywhere. But how much has poetry progressed as an art form in the last few decades? We’ve seen people slowly opening up to the ideas of taking up painting, acting and dancing as a profession. Yet poetry remains on the backburner; also fading into oblivion as more and more of today’s generation seem to be inclined towards other kinds of art. And why not? In today’s world things like dancing and acting bring one to the fore front of the society and lead to fame. Whereas, poets have only been noted for their work after their deaths or never been noted at all! Annie Rebecca, a Mass Communication student says, “Poetry today has lost its value. Poets used to have this touch, they would play with words and it would all make sense! People today prefer to be less dramatic.” However, there are some that are enjoying the less dramatic poetry of today, ones that are written by peers and not by scholars. Vaijayanthi K, alumni of AIESEC, begs to differ, “I think modern poetry is more

nnette Schnholzer and Marc Spiegler, the directors of Art Basel, announced details of Art Basel’s future show in Hong Kong. Art Basel is an international art fair held each June. The first of this edition will take place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) from Thursday, May 23, to Sunday, May 26, 2013.

direct, no fancy language or coding. It conveys a message that everyone can understand.” Many seem to think that though poetry may not have retained its original form, it has evolved in the form of songs and still lives on as an art form. Pranay Rupani, lecturer at St. Francis College adds, “Poetry in its purest form might have lost its charm but songs and art still use poetry. But, more importance must be given to adaptation. Modern, urban poetry and poetry in songs which the purists are opposed to, hurts the chances of making it a popular medium.”

Between the age old odes and today’s catchy rhymes, we have lost poetry’s true essence We see more and more people modifying the original structure of what poetry used to be which can be seen as an evolution but the primary structure is something that seems to be dead and gone. Rachana, a student of Arts agrees, “The form of poetry has changed drastically, it has become more short and catchy but lacks good language.” Between the age old Odes and today’s catchy rhymes, we have lost poetry’s true essence. The new generation seems to lack the patience to understand the more complicated poetry of the past and feels the need to simplify it so that it may be appreciated by everyone which involves leaving behind the coding and heavy linguistic surge.

Avant Garde in Budapest This was art that went beyond just the visual. Meet The Eight

he Eight(Nyolcak) was an experimental art movement started by Hungarian painters, mostly active in Budapest from 1909-1918. These are not to be confused with American group of painters also known as The Eight who were later absorbed into the Ashcan school. The members of the group include Róbert Berény, Dezs Czigány, Béla Czóbel, Károly Kernstok, Ödön Márffy,

Dezs Orbán, Bertalan Pór, Lajos Tihanyi. They were primarily inspired by Matisse (revolutionary artist who helped define developments in plastic arts), fauvism and Cézanne’s art (a French artist and PostImpressionist). Their first exhibition opened on the 30th of December, 1909 at the Könyves Kálmán Salon (Budapest), under the title New Pictures.Their second exhibition was self titled ‘The Eight’ and it opened in

April in 1911 in the National Salon. The Eight as a group only had three exhibitions but their activity as a group was of much significance as it had an influence that went beyond just the visual arts. The exhibitions were usually accompanied by symposia and other very fine events that involved new Hungarian literature and contemporary music. One of the artists of the group, Ödön Márffy said, “It fills

ART FOR DUMMIES

me with happiness to know that my youth coincided with that memorable period in intellectual development, when not only in Europe but also in Hungary, those seeking new, better things in literature, music, painting, science, politics and social life were carried by vibrant, seething currents. It can’t have been by chance that Endre Ady broke in with his new songs at the time when Béla Bartók came with his new chords, when progressive intellectuals gathered round reviews like “Nyugat” (Occident) and “XX. Század” (20th century), when Nyolcak (the Eight), a group that sought new ways appeared (…)”

ENVIRONMENT SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

Knowing Smile

he head of a Buddha statue peeks above the dirt in Handan (map), China, where archaeologists have reportedly unearthed nearly 3,000 Buddha statues, which could be up to 1,500 years old.The discovery is believed to be the largest of its kind since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

Floods expected in Southeast Asia

limate change is predicted to cause more intense and frequent floods and droughts in Southeast Asia, threatening the world's rice bowl and millions of people who live there unless preventive actions are taken soon, scientists warn.

Biggest Crocodile found

he biggest known crocodile has been found—and the 27-foot-long (8.3-meter-long) predator likely swallowed early humans whole, a new study says. Fossils of the giant were unearthed in the Lake Turkana Basin in the 1960s and '70s and stored in the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi.

Can Green Energy solve the power crunch? As the world turns its back on nuclear power in the wake of Japan’s Fukushima disaster,, experts worry that green energy will not be able to pick up the slack Barry Neild

his week, as Japan suspends work at Hokkaido 3, its last operating nuclear reactor, many alarmed by last year’s Fukushima crisis will breathe a sigh of relief. But the shutdown renews concerns over whether green energy sources are capable of picking up the slack as Japan and other countries turn their backs on nuclear power. And if they are not, does this mean an end to hopes that renewable power will save the planet from catastrophe? In Japan, where 54 nuclear reactors are now lying idle, perhaps never to be revived, the huge shortfall in energy supply

Governments are failing to sufficiently invest in or encourage energy-efficient technology or introduce carbon capture and storage techniques to reduce emissions. IEA is being met by increasing the burden on traditional gas, coal and oil-fired power stations, many of which were previously restricted to part-time service. Japan isn’t the only country to turn its back on nuclear. In the wake of the Fukushima meltdown, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland all announced atomic shutdowns. Other countries, such as China and France,

have drastically scaled back plans for constructing new power plants. It is a reaction that has provoked concern among some green energy campaigners, but also raised the divisive issue of whether the nuclear industry, with its track record of environmental disasters at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, should be part of efforts to combat climate change. Opinion has certainly strengthened against nuclear in recent months. A poll last November found that just 22 per cent of people questioned worldwide agreed that nuclear power is relatively safe and that more nuclear power plants should be built. The same poll also showed that 71 per cent of people questioned in major energy-consuming countries such as the United States, Germany, France and the UK thought that renewable energy could replace coal and nuclear over the next two decades. Some energy experts agree such an outcome is feasible, while others dismiss it entirely, according to Antony Froggatt, energy policy consultant and senior research fellow at London’s Chatham House thinktank. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, for example, argues that close to 80 per cent of the world’s energy supply could be met by renewables by 2050 — a scenario that sees both nuclear and fossil fuel use sidelined. Another vision, presented by the International Energy Agency, sees nuclear as a crucial part of the solution because wind, solar, geothermal and hydroelectric power aren't yet developed enough to meet goals on reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

The IEA says governments are failing to sufficiently invest in or encourage energy-efficient technology or introduce carbon capture and storage techniques to reduce emissions. It says the economic crisis is partly to blame as subsidies and incentives have been cut amid austerity measures. Politicians, meanwhile, have condemned emissions targets for wreaking havoc with their already burdened economies. Britain’s finance minister, George Osborne, recently said green initiatives were “putting our country out of business.” There are, however, arguments on both sides of the nuclear debate that market forces, if

deployed properly, will offer a solution. Anti-nuclear campaigners, for instance, say that although there will be a short-term gain in fossil fuel consumption as countries like Germany take reactors offline, this will be offset as levies on pollution kick in, thus making renewable energy more economically attractive. Meanwhile, pro-nuclear organisations such as the IEA say that if worldwide subsidies are removed from fossil fuels and prices reflect both the negative and positive impacts of consumption, this will create a level playing field in which renewables and nuclear can compete. Germany, Froggatt said,

makes for an interesting case study. Having already deployed solar panels capable of generating a “staggering” 7 gigawatts of energy, its renewable sources now generate more energy than its dying nuclear sector. If all this seems to suggest that no one really knows to what extent we will be able to rely on renewable at the expense of nuclear power and fossil fuels, that’s probably because so far no one actually does know, says Froggatt. He added: “Many people have produced a scenario with a world running on 100 percent renewables, but you could come up with any percentage and there would be arguGLOBAL POST ments for it.”

FOOD SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

Myhrvold’s gets top Honour

athan Myhrvold’s cookbook, Modernist Cuisine won the beard awards.The win was a nod to the growing influence over food culture being wielded by the so-called molecular gastronomy movement. It also took home a second Beard award in the category of cooking from a professional point of view. Myhrvold’s work left many in the food world awe-struck.

Cheapest club sandwich

Tea to be our national drink

otels.com said it price-checked club sandwiches at more than 750 hotels in 26 cities in Asia, Europe, North America and South America to help travellers size up the affordability of different national capitals. Paris topped the list with $33.10 for the iconic chicken, bacon, egg, lettuce and mayonnaise sandwich while New Delhi was cheapest at $9.57.

ndia is to declare tea as its national drink to celebrate the life of a pioneering teaplanter who was hanged by British colonial rulers for taking part in the rebellion of 1857. Montek Singh Ahluwalia announced the decision while on a visit to Assam.The drink would beaccorded national drink status by April 17 next year to coincide with the 212th birth anniversary of first Assamese tea-planter Maniram Dewan. DEEPAK DESHPANDE

MICHELLE BERNSTEIN

Top Chef

Veggies

deligh

A’La Liberty is not only a treat for veggies but gives the city a new destination for fine dining

SANA MIRZA

sana.m@postnoon.com

heir tagline states, “If you love good food, you will love us”, and we may have to agree. In this day and age where a majority of individuals are turning vegan, there are not too many restaurants in the city that serve fresh, healthy and tasty produce. While one half of the population thrives on fast food, the other half feeds on anything that is easy on the pocket and filling at the same time. A’La Liberty, however, combines all these missing factors and treats its customers to some of the best in North Indian, Oriental, Italian and American vegetarian cuisine. Tastefully done and well-lit up, the chic ambience is in sync with what is being served. Keeping pace with theme, there is the option of A la carte as well as the buffet. We suggest

you opt for the buffet as there is a lot more you could sample and we strongly believe that you should sample everything at A’La Liberty. And what more, the buffet menu changes everyday and doesn’t repeat too often. The buffet was an elaborate spread of some of the best in vegetarian cuisine right from light, healthy soups and fresh salads, crispy spring rolls, soft veg manchurian, tangy chaat to flavourful masala paneer and vegetable pulao. A steamy bowl of soup is a great way to have your daily servings of veggies. The sweet corn soup was the perfect starter and the dahi

paapdi was the perfect mix of tangy and sweet. We could have easily made a complete meal out of the cheese filled vegetable spring rolls but then the smell of fresh naan stopped us midway in our gluttonous ordeal. Passing by the main course spread, we first stop at the masala paneer and load our plate with the soft butter naans as its choicest condiment. There was however no chewing involved when it came to the paneer which was fresh and extremely soft and literally crumbled in our mouth. The Zafrani Kofta curry consisted of stuffed dumplings in tradiMeal for two: `700 + taxes Buffet (Lunch and Dinner) `340 + taxes Address: # 1st & 2nd Floor, A.G. Heights, Banjara Hills, Road No. 12

tional Nawabi flavours in a creamy gravy. Since Indian cuisine is mainly prepared using the best of spices, the food tends to exuberate its own distinct flavour and aroma. A lot of times a dish may smell fantastic but fall flat in terms of taste. But the Vegetable Hyderabadi Dum Biryani was not only aromatic but tasted amazing too. It was obvious that this dish came from experts who could capture the delicate mix of flavours and nuances of Hyderabad’s dish of pride. The garden vegetables tossed together with selected spices inspired from the Nizam’s kitchens cooked with the best Basmati rice, topped with a touch of saffron served with raita and salan was a moment to cherish. The desserts were however nothing extravagant and consisted of a choice of ice-creams and Indian sweets. Its usually packed during lunch time because of the buffet so make sure to make a reservation if you plan on dropping by for lunch.

ichelle Bernstein began her career as a ballerina, but one chance taste of cooking at a nutrition course had her throw those ballet flats away in favour of her culinary love affair. The chef began to cook at award-winning restaurants in Miami Beach, including Tantra and Red Fish Grill. Delving into her Latina background, she brought elements like fresh fruits from the Caribbean into style. She is known for her personalised twists with seafood recipes including one of her favourites: loup de mar, a Mediterranean fish. Her trademark concoctions include delicacies like Shell Crabs Over Watermelon “Carpaccio” and her famous White Gazpacho with Marcona Almonds. In 2008, Bernstein won the prestigious James Beard Award For Best Chef: South. She has also received accolades from publications like Food And Wine and Gourmet while being honoured by Latina Magazine when she was voted into their “One of the 15 Top Latinas in the Nation” list. She has also appeared as a guest judge on Top Chef. Bernstein has opened her flagship restaurant, Michy’s, in Miami, Michelle’s, at Carysfort in Key Largo, and MB, in Cancun. A Miami native, the innovative culinaire has made a splash on the international scene with her distinctive style and vibrant personality.

FOOD SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

Falooda

t’s one of the best recipes that you can use in the Indian summer. It’s cold, delicious and affordable. According to us, the best Falooda is served by Bombay Kulfi and Falooda centre at Ameerpet. Though it serves Kulfi as well, but Falooda here is simply out of the world. It is a must have. This stall has sustained competition for five years now and remains the best. The Rose dry fruit falooda here demands a special mention. Priced at `35 this is one thing you would not want to miss.

Kulfi

Ice Gola

e have already listed falooda, so how can we leave out kulfi? Located close to Dimmy Pan Palace in Sindhi Colony is Delhi Famous Kulfi. People come here from all parts of the city just to have a taste of this delicacy. It has been around for over two years now and has made a good reputation for itself. Everything here is priced below `35. If you have had the Kulfi in Delhi, then this one would take you right back to Delhi.

he Indian version of the ice candy is another thing that you should have in summers. Dimmy Pan Palace in Sindhi Colony is the place that you should head to if you are looking to feast on some refreshing ice golas. Priced at `20, the ice gola here is the most popular in the city. It has various flavours but the ‘Kaala Khatta’ is the best according to us.

It’s summer time and the sun blaZes down. What better way than an ice cold treat to cool you down. Here are some delicacies that you should taste in Hyderabad this summer

Ice Cream

alk about Ice cream in Hyderabad, and you will be immediately told to go the historical Mozamjahi market to an outlet called Famous Ice Cream. This place has redefined the definition of ice cream to suit the Hyderabad palate. The place serves amazing fruit ice cream. The Chikoo ice cream is the speciality of this place. Located in the centre of the city it is easily accessible. The Chikoo Ice Cream is priced at `10.

Fruit Custard

ruits are very refreshing in summer, and they become even more tasty when they are added to Custard. Custard, though not a local delicacy, manages to make the mouths water. And the place that serves the best Custard in the city is Friend’s Corner in West Marredpally. Located on the border of AOC, this a very peaceful place in the evening. Friend’s Corner serves many other things, but the special fruit custard here is divine. It is very popular with the locals, and demands a visit in summmers.

Bhavneet Singh and Sneha Mashetty feedback@postnoon.com

Ice, Ice Baby!

Khoya Matar Meethi

Chef’s note: Careful ! There is less oil, but khoya makes it a rich dish.

A mildly spiced tasty preparation where khoya enriches the dish

Noor’s Kitchen NOOR JAFRI Ingredients 1. 2. 3. 4.

Matar - 200 gms Khoya - 100 gms Kasuri Meethi - 1 tbsp Tomato Puree - 3 tbsp

5. Kashmiri chilli powder - 1/2 tsp 6. Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp 7. Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp 8. Haldi - a pinch 9. Paste of - 1 medium sized onion, 1/2 an inch piece of ginger, and two to three green chillies. 10. Salt to taste 11. Oil - 2tbsps 12. Cashewnuts - 4 to 6

Procedure 1. Heat oil, and fry onion, ginger and chilli paste. Mix it well. 2. Add tomato puree and all the other masalas, matar and cook for a while, and add 3 to 4 tablespoons of water. Till the peas get tender. 3. Add salt and grated khoya, half a cup of water and cashewnut, simmer it till the oil separates, sprinkle kasuri meethi and switch off the gas.

Contact n n n n

Noor’s Kitchen www.noorkitchen.com Mobile:9441282318 Residence:91-4023356947

HISTORY SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

May 12

1881 - Tunisia, in North Africa became a French protectorate.

May 13

1981 - Pope John Paul II was shot and seriously wounded in St. Peter’s Square by Turkish assailant Mehmet Ali Agca.

May 13

1998 - India did a second round of nuclear tests, 2 days after the first. Within hours the US and Japan imposed tough economic sanctions.

May 14

1930 - Ellen Church became the first airline stewardess.

1998 - The final episode of the TV series “Seinfeld” aired after nine years on NBC.

May 19

May 16

1962 - Marilyn Monroe performed a sultry rendition of Happy Birthday for Prez John F. Kennedy at fundraiser at Madison Square Garden.

2000 - U.S. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was nominated to run for U.S. Senator in New York. She was the first U.S. first lady to run for public office.

May 17

May 18

1875 - The first Kentucky Derby was run at Louisville, KY.

1974 - India became the sixth nation to explode an atomic bomb.

May 18

1953 - The first woman to fly faster than the speed of sound, Jacqueline Cochran, piloted an F-86 Sabrejet over California at an average speed of 652.337 miles-per-hour.

May 15

May 17 1990 - Vincent Van Gogh’s “Portrait of Doctor Gachet” was sold for $82.5 million. The sale set a new world record at the time.

1939 - The first fashion to be shown on television was broadcast in New York from the Ritz-Carleton Hotel.

SPOTLIGHT SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

On a canvas of happiness

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Pranati Khannaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s debut solo exhibition Metamorphorescence opened to positive reviews at the Muse art gallery on Saturday DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Vinitha & Ricky Sofia, Aroshka, Nadiya and Pavitra

Utterly entranced Saturday night at Cuba libre saw DJ Rayel make the crowds a slave to his rhythm

Surya Prakash

DJ Andrew Rayel

Anchal

Artist Pranati Khanna

Krishnam & Sharon

Mayank & Megha

CINEMA SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

T-TOWN TWEETIES @LakshmiManchu

@taapsee

@trishtrashers

@snehaullalheart

+Live telecast moved to #ABN tune in at 7pm.. Gandharva Mahal revealing shortly. Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

@geethasinger thanq so much also fr d amazin song. 1 of d best of my career n d mst memorable 1 too.

Transiting in B’lore with my new buddy..Tink ill take him home..teehee.. http://t.co/r2ctRH8v

Dreamed of Sharukh Khan which is so weird coz I never dream abt actors.He helped me save some kittens & told me I shud try bollywood.

@actressanjjanaa

@tashu_02

@shrutihaasan

@Actor_Siddharth

I don belive in d concept of mothersday,v hav to respect,love n care for our parents everyday!not jus on a stupid made up day

Happy Mother’s day Mom....luv u a lot...m proud to be ur daughter :-). Also wishing happy Mothers day to all the fabulous mothers

Enjoying my day off !! Watched GS in Mumbai with my pals:) over ate and watched “new girl” :) simple.fun. Off to zzz

Approaching a day off after the longest time is like waiting to touch down after a rough flight...fasten your seat belts ...for relaxation:)

The more the merrier for T-town films

is on cloud nine

Shruti Haasan

awan Kalyan, Shruti Haasan starrer Gabbar Singh is turning out to be a juggernaut at the box office. While fans of Pawan Kalyan are more excited than ever before,Shruti Haasan is on cloud nine thanks to the success of the film. So far, none of her films in Telugu or Tamil have set the cash registers ringing at the box office. With Gabbar Singh wiping out the misconception about Shruti Haasan’s star image in the industry, it’s just a matter of time before she joins the big league of actresses who command a huge fan following. Meanwhile, Gabbar Singh has already begun shattering several records at the box office. In Nizam, the film collected around a share of close `2 crore and buzz is that the film collected a share of around `10 to `12 crore on day one alone.

ultistarrers are a rarity in the Telugu film industry, but that might be a thing of the past soon. Seethamma Vaakitlo Sirimalle Chettu and Gundello Godaari are two such films which have started a new trend in Tollywood. Now, another multistarrer titled Twist is soon in the offing. Sumanth, Varun Sandesh and Regina Cassandra are going to play lead roles in the film. Shashi Sudigala is going to direct the film and Pasha is co-producing the film along with Akansha Khanna and Nagarjuna Reddy under the Entertainment Studio banner. Gnanasekhar VS is the cinematographer and Shravan is the editor. “Twist is going to be an edge of the seat thriller. Two more well known actors are going to play important roles in the film. We’ll announce the rest of thedetails soon,” Pasha said.

Bellamkonda Suresh, Santosh Srinivas

patch up?

he much talked about tussle between Bellamkonda Suresh and Santosh Srinivas seems to have come to an end after the intervention of AP Director’s Association.Few days ago, Santosh Srinivas had lodged a complaint that Bellamkonda Suresh had threatened to kill him and also manhandled him after a heated argument. After listening to Bellamkonda Suresh’s version of the story, the Director’s Association found that the fault lies with both of them. As a result, the association reprimanded both of them and has asked them to come up with a solution. Sources say that Santosh Srinivas is not keen on going ahead with the project, which is being produced by Bellamkonda Suresh; however, the producer doesn’t seem to be in a mood to opt out since he has already invested a lot of money. Will the duo patch up and put their differences aside?

CINEMA SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

B-TOWN TWEETIES @AnupamPkher

@bipsluvurself

@RGVzoomin

@SrBachchan

My weekly column #AskAnupam. Please read and react. "You can find a way to overcome feeling.

Jst 1 day is nt enough 2 thnk n salute my Ma n al d mothers in d world! Motherhood is magical.

Does God alwas stay in the temple or sometimes does he go for a walk?

Asked my Father, what was so attractive in Hindi Cinema. Said -"you get poetic justice in 3 hours, many will not get in lifetime" !!

@realpreityzinta

@kjohar25

@FarOutAkhtar

@sonamakapoor

Happy Mothers day to my dearest mommy and to all the mommies out there in this world :-)

Katrina is not only a dear friend but also a supremely talented and hard working megastar!!!

In Goa with the entire Excel team! all play and no work this time... Whattefun!!

Watching even a disappointing film with the right company can make for many a memory. @sonamakapoor #darkshadows

Lootera

Bollywood celebs on mothers

pushed to March 29 release

ollywood actors Suniel Shetty and Arunoday Singh feel every day is Mother’s Day and it is important to express gratitude to your mum daily. Ahead of Mother’s Day Sunday, a few B-town celebrities spoke about the day: Suniel Shetty: For me all 365 days a year is Mother’s Day because she is the reason for everything that happens in your life. Love you Ma! Dia Mirza: Each day is incomplete without your mother. We all know that mother’s love is selfless, no one can equal what a mother does for her child. It’s the most beautiful form of love. Aditi Rao Hydari: My mother is the most important person in my life. Whatever she has taught me about life will always stay with me, and I am thankful to her for being the person she is. Arunoday Singh: Every day is Mother’s Day. If I call her up on one special day to say Happy Mother’s Day, she will get very angry with me for only calling on just one day. Yuvika Chaudhary: For every mother, her child always remains a child, however old you grow. Javed Ali (Singer): No one will live forever. Instead of missing her after she has gone, it is better to love and respect her while she is still with you. IANS

onakshi Sinha and Ranveer Singh starrer Lootera has again been postponed for a March end release next year due to the lead actor’s busy schedule. Lootera, a period romantic film is being directed by Vikramaditya Motwane of Udaan fame. The film, produced by Phantom Films and Balaji Motion Pictures, was earlier scheduled for a release this October, which was pushed to February 14 next year and now has been further pushed to March 29 next year. PTI

Neha Dhupia

is ‘very choosy’

ctor Neha Dhupia says she is very choosy, whether it is about picking a dress or signing a new film. “I am a very choosy kind of a person. Be it food, clothes, movies or work, I take my time and then decide upon what I need to do,” Neha said. The actor, who was in the capital for a Mother’s Day event

with mum in tow, says her mother is her biggest critic. But she doesn’t consult her before taking up any film role. “I discuss work with mum, but never take her advice before taking up a role because she does not know anything. But she understands that I am picky about things and that reflects in my work also.”

“At times, we have different opinions on certain matters where I don’t want to listen to her. But I try to at least listen to her point of view because she is my biggest critic,” she said. Neha, whose father is from the army, plans to take a time off from work and spend Mother’s Day IANS Sunday with her mum.

CINEMA SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

Emma Watson takes up pole H dancing arry Potter actress Emma Watson is learning pole dancing for her new movie The Bling Ring and also to keep herself fit. Watson, 22, enrolled in the dance class after it was recommended by her co-star to stay in shape, reported Sun online. “Like on all film sets, there is often so much time spent doing nothing. One of the other actresses on the set has been pole dancing as a sport for a while and Emma decided to give it a go as well. She is amazed with the results because it has toned up her body so well,” said a source. This is not a first-time experience for Watson, as she has earlier partied at a pole-dancing club with friends after the New York premiere of Harry Potter PTI and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Miley sports a pierced nose

e guess she’s just being Miley. While out and about on a “basic tee shopping spree” with boyfriend Liam Hemsworth in Studio City, Calif. Thursday, Miley Cyrus showed off quite the accessory: a small gold hoop in her nose. And while we can’t remember the 19year-old former Hannah Montana star putting the pierc-

ing on display in such a big way before, she did sport a tiny stud in the same place when she first had her nose pierced in 2009, according to the Daily Mail. This go-round, though, it appears the bigger the nose ring, the better. “Happiness,” Cyrus tweeted Friday, along with a pic of herself posing with her new rescue pup, Happy.

Julianne Moore to play mom in Carrie

creem Gems and MGM has found a mom and a pal for Carrie. Julianne Moore will portray the creepy mother in the studio’s remake of the 1976 picture that starred Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie, Deadline reports. Gabriella Wilde (The Three Musketeers) has also been cast as Sue Snell, while was originally played by Amy Irving. Chloe Moretz is taking over the title role in the remake. Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry) is directing the movie from a script by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Glee, Big Love).

CINEMA SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

D I S P L A YA

D S RATE ` 150 sq. cm

For Further Details Please Contact Abhinay 9989399972 Nandlal 9951467988 Ravi Chander 8106039919

CINEMA SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

Cannes gets classy at 65

Anne Chaon

PARIS: For its 65th anniversary bash, the Cannes filmfest will be wining and dining 700 of the film world’s elite at a black-tie dinner, but for decades the movie showcase on the Riviera was a pretty laidback affair. Cannes’ longtime chairman, the 81-year-old Gilles Jacob, first attended as a humble critic in 1964: “It was like a little colony,” he told AFP in the run-up to the May 16-27 event. “There was hardly any press, we all knew each other.” Right from the start, Cannes has been a magnet for glamour, a party place for jet-setters and stars from James Dean to Grace Kelly. These days, Cannes is a frenzy, with 700 police on hand as its population triples to 200,000, 90 films shown in the main competition and

Thor becomes a father

he 28-year-old Avengers star Chris Hemsworth and his Spanish actress wife, Elsa Pataky, recently celebrated the arrival of their first child together, a baby girl, in London, E! News reported. “Chris and I are delighted, very happy and excited,” 35-yearold Pataky told ¡Hola! magazine when the couple announced the news in January. “Having the person that you love by your side, and starting a family with them is the best thing that can happen to you in this life. You can’t ask for more.” The duo tied the knot in December 2010.

sidebars and 4,300 titles up for grabs at a giant film market. Hollywood royalty descends each spring on the Riviera, with this year’s crop including Nicole Kidman, Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain and Sean Penn to name but a few, their appearances chronicled by a swarm of 4,600 journalists. Stars with films in competition are ferried from breakfast photocall to press conference and back-to-back interviews, before the limo picks them up to whisk them to the ritual red carpet gala screening. But the stars are a vital part of the equation at Cannes, now firmly entrenched as the leading showcase for world cinema with entries from three dozen countries in this year’s lineup. “It’s thanks to them that we can afford to launch edgy directors,” Jacob said.

CINEMA SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

Bieber dedicates song to mother S

inger Justin Bieber’s has penned a song Turn to You for his mother Pattie Mallette. The singer said he graduated high school, just for her. “That was something my mom really wanted me to do, so I had to do it for her. I mean, this kind of lifestyle has given me a different perspective on life,” people.com quoted IANS him as saying.

Amy Winehouse’s blood painting sold P

ete Doherty is keeping Amy Winehouse’s memory alive through the sale of one quirky piece of artwork. The former Libertines singer auctioned off his artistic collaboration with the late singer on Friday, called Ladylike, a painting smeared with both of their blood that was expected to rake in $80,000-$129,000. So how much did the painting actually sell for? Over $45,000, according to NME. The auction was a follow-up to Doherty’s 10-day art exhibition, On Blood: A Portrait of the Artist, held at the Cob Gallery in London in February. IANS

Balfour guilty in Hudson family murder A

Chicago jury convicted Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson’s former brother-in-law on Friday of murdering her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew in what prosecutors described as an act of vengeance by a jilted husband. Hudson, who expressed her undisguised disdain for William Balfour when she took the witness stand and endured weeks of excruciating testimony about the 2008 killings, was overcome with emotion as the verdict was read. She bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes and streaming down her cheeks. She then looked at her sister, Julia Hudson, and smiled. The sisters left the courthouse without speaking to reporters but released a statement Friday night extending a prayer to the Balfour family, saying “we have all suffered terrible loss in this tragedy.”

CHAI TIME SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

SUNDAY CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Understands intuitively 6 Wearing something 10 Quilting square 15 High-speed positrons 20 Kind of congestion 21 Coliseum 22 Desensitise 23 Remove a renter 24 Jetsons' dog 25 Broadcast again 26 Pinkish shade 27 Whodunit or romance 28 Never (3 wds) 30 Fortune (2 wds) 32 Wide ties 33 Mortgages 35 Holm and Woosnam 36 Wet thoroughly 39 NASA destination 40 Homer-hitter Mel 41 Mandela's grp 42 What we have 46 911 responder 47 Susan — of ‘LA Law’ 48 Caution 51 Make an analogy 53 Drop — — line 54 Reply 56 Lampshade support 57 Raccoon-like mammal 59 Hollow 61 Agile 62 Daisy Mae, finally 63 Squirrel food 64 Bach opuses 65 Seat a jury 67 Flint or marble 68 Internet suffix 69 Phone call 72 IOU part 73 Slur 76 Come by 80 Make the most of 81 Wins at rummy 82 Country addr 83 Efficiently 85 Pilot a ferry 86 Large estates 88 Neatest 92 Estuary 93 Suits to — — 94 Maiden-name intro 95 Doesn't stay 96 Concocted 99 Fixed firmly 102 Poor-box coins 103 Utters a dismal cry 104 Fatty compound 108 Peeved 109 Film a movie 110 Ms McBeal 111 Ready for harvest 112 Autumn mo 113 Google rival 115 Luau strummers 116 Corral 117 Semi front 118 Skyrocket 120 Apply a jimmy 121 Coveted sports award 123 Harden, as plaster 124 Average grades 125 Uh-huh (2 wds) 127 Gray-barked tree 129 Venus' sister

131 Leaving hastily 135 At great cost 140 Engine knocks 141 Silt deposit 142 Pedro's friend 143 Ben Jonson dedicatee 144 Healing plants 145 Incite (2 wds) 146 Went steady 147 Tiny shrimp 148 Like fallen logs 149 Movers and shakers 150 Belgian river 151 Aquarium scavenger DOWN 1 Chew at 2 Foolhardy 3 Prefix for bone 4 Egyptian temple site 5 Spills over 6 Wave features 7 Thumbs through 8 Indigo dye 9 — Hall & John Oates 10 Kind of fence 11 Make sacred 12 Rotates 13 Rugged cliff 14 Finnish capital

15 Kicked off 16 All the same (2 wds) 17 Sardine holders 18 A phobia lead-in 19 Pipe handle 21 Fleet of ships 29 More slippery 31 Political campaign 34 Charged particle 36 Lick an envelope 37 Old Dodge model 38 Type of prof 41 River islets 43 Ballpark figures 44 Solar plexus, eg 45 Voices an opinion 47 View as 48 Aftermath 49 As — — (usually) 50 45 or 78 51 Potato pancake 52 Close at hand 55 Gee —! 56 Aboveboard 57 100 dollar bills (hyph) 58 Toe-stubber's cry 60 High NCO ranking 62 Bored response 64 Dough 66 Self-assured 67 Ceremonies

69 Kind of steer? 70 Olympics chant 71 Buddhist practice 74 Druid or shaman 75 Sharply 77 NYC dwelling 78 Percent ending 79 PBS ‘Science Guy’ 81 Voracious 84 Popular ballpoints 87 Formerly 89 Arctic dwelling 90 Major- — (steward) 91 Oar fulcrum 93 Mine exit 97 Leather punches 98 Pizzazz 99 Tito's real name 100 ‘Miami Vice’ cop 101 Choir member 102 Captain's shout 103 Wild ox of Tibet 105 Brownish-purple 106 Latin hymn word 107 Cotillion honorees 109 Destroyed documents 111 Apportions 114 Parroted 115 Checkout ID 116 Licorice liqueur

119 Gnats 121 Adviser 122 Human herbivores 123 ‘If I Had a Hammer’ composer 124 Grotto 126 Disrespectful 127 Hull's bottom 128 Exhilarating 129 Ill will

130 Pottery flaws 131 Meat in a can 132 About 2.2 lbs 133 1960s space chimp 134 Toy-block brand 136 Yuletide, for short 137 Charles Lamb 138 ‘Hi- —, Hi-Lo’ 139 Dixie pronoun PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

CHAI TIME SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

STAR POWER Date 14-5-2012

As per Hindu panchang

THIRUVAIKUMAR

thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9949870449

TAURUS

GEMINI

Expected money will come and you clear hand loans. You will understand about how to behave with others. Benefits through friends and relatives likely. You will enjoy a jolly trip with family.

Work burden is about to increase. There will be travel and tension as you are trying to help blood relatives. Support from in-laws will encourage and make you cheerful. You purchase land.

Health is fine. At the same time tension, travel and expenses will upset you. Sudden financial fortune not ruled out. Loan applied for purchase or construction of house will be sanctioned.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Long-term wishes get fulfilled. Friendship with persons of high esteem will materialise. Those in search of a new job will be favoured with good news. Some will undertake a pilgrimage.

Reduce your anger or else you will not be able to succeed any of the jobs undertaken. Deficit financial situation likely added to expenses. Avoid giving guarantee. You struggle hard at work

All old problems will get resolved. Sudden and unexpected fortune likely. Never be negligent in govt works Be careful as there are chances of differences with VIP friends; exercise caution.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Expenses and tensions will reduce. Financial position likely to improve. Differences with close friends will disappear. Never discuss old issues with relatives as fresh problems could come up.

New efforts will be successfully implemented. Works which were dragging since long will end now without any difficulty. Marriage held up all along will resume and end favourably.

Cold war and ego clashes between couples will come to a happy end. Delayed bank loan will get sanctioned now. You will clear some old debts. Some are likely to change their residence.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Be careful while driving as minor accident likely. Financial situation looks satisfactory. You look cheerful as meeting with old friends likely. Spouse might undergo a surgery, be prepared.

Sops from govt likely. Sudden trips need to be undertaken. Long-pending court issue will end with a verdict in your favour. You will complete major works by planning well in advance.

Your stock is set to pile up. You will get an honorary post. Political friends will extend help. Blood relatives will support you. Those planning to go abroad will get the visa without any delay.

ARIES

SUMAA TEKUR

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

TAURUS

GEMINI

The Wheel of Fortune – Bad times are giving way to better times. Without the ebb and flow of good and bad, life would be very uninteresting.

The Magician – Everything works wonderfully well today. If there are important pending jobs, try and finish them today as good luck is on your side.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Two of Swords – Balance is very important. By steering towards one side of an argument you are coming across as immature. Taking sides is not good.

Three of Pentacles – You are feeling volatile and want to be part of many groups and do many things. Relax. Organise your social calendar and do what happy.

Seven of Cups – Material possessions will take up your attention. Paying property tax, organising inheritance, etc, are all time consuming and you do it today.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

The High Priestess – intuition plays a very important role in the decisions you make today. You go with someone/something only because you feel strongly about it.

Queen of Cups – You may come across as too emotional and this is not a good thing, especially in an official setup. Learn to hide your true emotions.

Ten of Cups – Family life is in focus. You may be spending a lot of time with your family members and you’re actually enjoying it. Singles meet someone interesting.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Knight of Pentacles – You’re in the mood for adventure. You must absolutely give in. These opportunities are rare and you must discover your carefree side.

Judgement – A good review by seniors at the work place will make you feel relieved. Feedback is important to you. This is an opportunity to change game plan.

Page of Swords – Use your practicality and intellect to make career decisions. You may even have to go it alone, in an entrepreneurial venture to make ends meet.

King of Cups – Control and emotions are a lethal combination. Those around you may be trying hard to keep pace with your expectations.

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

Laws of Natural Universe

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

ARIES

TAROT READ Date 14-5-2012

aw of Mechanical Repair: After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will to itch or you want to pee. Laws of the Workshop: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner. Any small, extremely expensive part that is accidentally dropped, will disappear from view... forever. Law of probability: The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act. Law of the Telephone: When you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal.

Bath Theorem: When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings. Law of the Result: When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will. Theatre Rule: At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last. Law of Coffee: As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold. Murphy's Law of Lockers: If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.

Vol: 1, No 301 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

WACKY WORLD SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

Hair rising statement

The man who gave up on money

Pillow phone hugs you while you talk

America’s “smuttiest”

mer O’Toole, a 28-year-old English journalist has created an Internet buzz after she appeared on a morning show and revealed her hairy armpits and legs. The confident young woman said she hasn’t shaved in 18 months, since she decided to challenge the notion that women must shave their body hair in order to be happy and feel attractive.

en's Health magazine ranked the nation's 100 "smuttiest"cities. Not only did Orlando — home to Walt Disney World and SeaWorld — finish No. 1, but Florida headed the list of smuttiest states. "It seems that while tourists line up at a kid-friendly fantasy world, the locals prefer one in which Snow White and the dwarfs whistle while they... well, you know," it offered.

n 2001, Daniel Suelo, 51, left $30, his life savings in a phone booth and walked into the desert to start a new life, one that wasn’t based on the rules of modern capitalism. He gave up using money and began living in caves, foraging for wild berries and scavenging for roadkill raccoons and squirrels. Suelo became an inspiration for thousands of Americans affected by the economic crash and members of the Occupy movement

HAPPY FEET

AFP/ADE JOHNSON NETHERLANDS OUT - BELGIUM OUT

ugvie, the huggable robotic pillow-phone invented by Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro, of Osaka University, has a heartbeat and internal vibrators meant to make it seem more human-like as you put your arm around it imagining it’s the person hundreds of miles away. Hugvie is basically a robotic pillow with a human shape that acts as a port for your mobile phone. It’s got its own heartbeat and internal vibrators that react faster and stronger, depending on the tone of the conversation. It sounds like an interesting device, but a lot of people find it just a little bit creepy.

People participate in the National Flipper Race at the Dam square in Amsterdam on May 9, 2012.

A380 themed eatery offers airplane dining ambience

Woman treats dolls like babies

ecently opened in Chongqing, China, the A380 restaurant tries to replicate the interiors of the world’s largest passenger airliner, and comes complete with a crew of waitresses trained to talk and act like real stewardesses. The windows, adjustable seats, carpets, and even the cabin lighting have all been inspired by the A380, but luckily you’ll find more than the usual airplane food on the menu. The restaurant covers an area of 600 square meters and currently has 18 employees, including 9 flight attendants that act just like actual stewards and stewardesses.

arylin Mansfield, a plus-size model from Staten Island, has turned her home into a creepy nursery filled with over 300 dolls, including Barbies and Goth-like Krypt Kiddies. Marylin actually treats her plastic collectibles like real babies. ”I take them anywhere you would bring a real baby. I don’t do it for the shock value. I do it for myself because it makes me happy. I just loved when my kids were babies — and these babies stay babies forever. I buy them clothes. They never grow out of them and they never get dirty”, the tattooed platinum blonde said.

SUNDAY MAY 13, 2012

43 4S 1495

Chris Gayle (RCB)

6S 554

METRE

G APARNA SAI

The mood was very good in the dressing room tonight. We won a good match particularly on the efforts of our fast bowlers, who made a huge difference. Mike Hussey Chennai Super Kings

Chris Gayle (RC) 572 runs

Morne Morkel (DD) 21 wickets

Gilly to miss date with Chargers

ings XI Punjab Skipper and coach Adam Gilchrist on Saturday said, he won’t be available to play for his team’s match against Deccan Chargers in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at Mohali.”I am not playing tomorrow unfortunately. I was hoping to be all right, but that is not the case, so I will be missing the game tomorrow,” he said at the press conference. Gilchrist picked up a hamstring injury while running between the wickets during a match against Kolkata Knight Riders. ountryman David Hussey has taken over the team as stand-in skipper in his absence. Despite a poor run in the initial matches of IPL 5, Punjab have struck form and are still in contention for the playoffs spot.

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he Deccan Chargers seem to be marred by ill luck this season. Nothing has been going right for them — there have been instances when they posted scores of 180 plus but failed to defend them or would have dismissed the opponents for paltry totals but faltered in their run chase and their fielding has been way below par. But for their matches against Pune Warriors India, the Bulls have not had any success this season. The Chargers are set to take on Kings XI Punjab today in Mohali. This is their second encounter with them this season. The Kings defeated the Chargers on the first instance and would hope to repeat their annihilation act. While the

Chargers do not stand a chance of making it to the playoffs, they would not mind playing party spoilers to the Kings, in their bid to salvage their pride.

L 4 4 5 6 5 7 6 10 10

N/T PT 0 18 1 17 0 16 1 15 1 15 0 12 0 12 0 8 1 5

NRR +0.729 +0.431 -0.077 +0.223 -0.058 +0.184 -0.309 -0.348 -0.717

P-played; W-win; L-lost; N/T-no result/tie;NRR-net run rate; PT-points

HIGHEST SCORE

103*

AM Rahane (RR), Kevin Pietersen (DD)

BEST BOWLER

5-16

Ravindra Jadeja (CSK)

For Chargers, it’s about pride now

Punjab, on the other hand, would do all they can to topple the Bulls and improve their chances of making it to the

next round. Currently placed seventh on the points table, the Kings will have to put up a superb show,

not just to earn the two points but also to improve their run rate and their chances of qualifying.

SCORECARD DELHI DAREDEVILS

MUMBAI INDIANS VS

VS CHENNAI SUPER KINGS

KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS

Delhi Daredevils innings (20 overs)

Mumbai Indians innings (20 overs)

DA Warner c Ashwin b Hilfenhaus

HH Gibbs not out

V Sehwag* b Hilfenhaus

Tendulkar st †Bisla b Shakib Al Hasan

NV Ojha† c †Dhoni b Hilfenhaus

RG Sharma not out

Jayawardene c Hussey b Morkel

Extras

(lb 2, w 3)

Total

(1 wicket; 20 overs)

Y Nagar not out

IK Pathan not out

Extras (lb 3, w 5)

Total

(5 wickets; 20 overs)

114

Bowling

2 109

Y Venugopal Rao c Morkel b Ashwin

5 182

Shakib Al Hasan 4

W Econ 1

B Lee

0 11.00

SP Narine

JH Kallis

0 10.00

R Bhatia

0 10.25

6.75 7.0

Bowling

W Econ

BW Hilfenhaus

JA Morkel

3.75

DJ Bravo

5.50

Kolkata Knight Riders innings

SB Jakati

6.33

(target: 183 runs from 20 overs)

RA Jadeja

0 11.00

MS Bisla† c Patel b Ojha

G Gambhir* b Patel

6.75

4.25

Chennai Super Kings innings

W 9 8 8 7 7 6 6 4 2

DC VS KXI AT 8PM ON SET MAX

R Ashwin

P DD 13 KKR 13 MI 13 CSK 14 RCB 13 RR 13 KXIP 12 PW 14 DC 13

Ajinkya Rahane (RR)

Royals must win tonight

JH Kallis c Sharma b Smith

MK Tiwary lbw b Pollard

MEK Hussey c Jayawardene b Pathan

YK Pathan not out

M Vijay not out

DB Das not out

SK Raina not out

Extras

(lb 2, w 1, nb 1)

Total

(4 wickets; 20 overs)

(target: 115 runs from 20 overs)

Extras (w 1) Total

4 4 155

Bowling

M R

MM Patel

8.00

7.75

PP Ojha

8.66

8.00

SL Malinga

6.75

8.40

Harbhajan Singh 1

7.00

5.66

KA Pollard

7.25

7.50

DR Smith

8.00

(1 wicket; 15.2 overs)

115

Bowling

M R

M Morkel

UT Yadav

VR Aaron

3.2

van der Merwe

IK Pathan

Econ

Chennai Super Kings won by 9 wickets

Econ

Mumbai Indians won by 27 runs

ajasthan Royals meet up Pune Warriors today and matters have reached a stage where the winners of the first edition of the IPL must win today and the next two matches to get to the playoffs. If luck does not desert them, they should be able to do so, as tonight’s match should an easy affair and they are pitted against Deccan Chargers in one of the following must-win matches. For the Royals, the opening partnership of Ajinkya Rahane and Rahul Dravid has been extremely fruitful and with Brad Hodge there to see things to the end, there’s not much to worry. Shane Watson will be crucial in

PW VS RR AT 4PM ON SET MAX the matches from now, as it’s well known how his heroics can turn tables. He is a man who is capable of finding form on pitches where others struggle. The Warriors campaign is in shambles. They once had given the impression of being the dark horses of this edition, but the initial spunk seems to fizzled out. Now the question on everyone’s mind is will Sourav Ganguly be back to lead them? He sat out of the last match which saw the Warriors beaten by Challengers.

73 DAYS TO GO

SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

Robles stunned by Wilson

Steffen breathes a sigh of relief

PONCE, PUERTO RICO:

BERLIN: Olympic 50m and 100m freestyle champion Britta Steffen (left) admitted she was relieved to book her place at the London Games with victory in the 100m final at the German trials on Saturday. “It feels good that I have got the time I needed and confirmed the qualification," said the worldrecord holder, having swum 53.68sec in the final. The 28-year-old is the fourth fastest in the world this year having also clocked 53.65sec in the 4x100m relay on Thursday and proved she is back to her best after struggling at last year's world championships. “It's like breaking a barrier which I have now twice gone under and that gives you some reassurance," she added. “With that perfor-

Cuba's Dayron Robles, the reigning Olympic champion and world record-holder in the 110meter hurdles, finished fourth on Saturday in a track meet at Puerto Rico. American Ryan Wilson won the race in 13.424 seconds to lead a US podium sweep in the event with Jason Richardson second in 13.425, David Payne third in 13.45 and Robles fourth in 13.47, just ahead of Cuba's Orlando Ortega in 13.53. Robles, who was using the event as a tuneup for the London Olympics, set the current world record of 12.87 seconds in 2008 in Ostrava, Czech Republic. He is expected to compete in Diamond League events at Eugene, Oregon, and New York next month as well.

London braces for sonic boom LONDON: A long-range acoustic device that can be used as a sonic weapon is to be deployed at the London Olympic Games starting in July, Britain's defence ministry said Saturday. The US-built device can be used either as a powerful loudspeaker or to emit directional, pain-inducing sounds up to 150 decibels, a function that has been used against Somali pirates and for crowd control in Iraq. The ministry said the device was among a “broad range of assets” to be in place during the Games, and would be mainly used in loud-hailer mode to issue verbal warnings to any boats causing concern on the River Thames. Users of the most advanced model can “issue clear, authoritative verbal commands, followed with powerful deterrent tones to enhance response capabilities," projecting voices for up to 8,900 metres (5.7 miles), according to the website of LRAD Corporation, which makes the device. It forms part of a security operation that is also set to include six missile batteries, Britain's largest warship — the amphibious assault ship HMS Ocean — and Typhoon fighter jets. A security force of more than 40,000, backed by a huge intelligence operation, will guard venues, athletes and visitors.

It's like breaking a barrier which I have now twice gone under and that gives you some reassurance Britta Steffen

mance, you could get into the [Olympic] final, but to get a medal you need to manage to do a bit more." World 200m and 400m freestyle record-holder Paul Biedermann, Steffen's boyfriend, won Saturday's 400m final, to add to his victory in Friday's 200m final, and said he was happy with his time of 3min 47.98 sec.

“It was a very tough race, that was the first real competition this year," he said. “I hope that I can now improve from competition to competition. I've still got three months until the Olympics." Jan-Philip Glania swam the men's 200m backstrokein 1min 55.87sec, and Jenny Mensing impressed over the same distance.

Peng shocks Phelps in 200m

CHARLOTTE: China's Wu Peng used an impressive finishing kick to beat Michael Phelps in the 200-meter butterfly on Saturday at the Charlotte UltraSwim Grand Prix meet. Wu passed both Phelps and Sebastien Rousseau and touched the wall to win in a time of one minute, 56.69 sec-

onds. American Phelps finished second in 1:56.87 while South Africa's Rousseau was third in 1:57.54. Wu will be chasing his first Olympic medal in the 200 butterfly at the London Games. “I was satisfied with my performance," Wu said. “If I just get any medal in London,

I will be happy." “Everyone wants to beat Michael because Michael is the fastest swimmer in the world. But I really just want to be top three." Wu led Phelps at the first turn Saturday then fell behind both Rousseau and Phelps before finding another gear at the finish.

Wu broke Phelps' long winning streak in the 200 butterfly last year. Phelps took part in just two races at the Charlotte meet, also placing second in the 200 freestyle. Phelps plans to swim a meet in Texas before competing in the US Olympic trials next month at Omaha.

Iordache leads Romania BRUSSELS: A sparkling performance from 15-year-old Larisa Iordache (left) helped Romania depose defending champions Russia in the team event at the women's European championships on Saturday. Iordache starred on the floor to lead the 2008 champions to 176.288 points ahead of world runners-up Russia on 175.536. Italy claimed third place. “You can see the result. You have the experienced competitors, Olympic champions who came with all the experience and the younger ones who bring joy to the sport," said Romania coach Octavian Bellu. As well as the precocious talents of Iordache, Romania featured Catalina Ponor, a triple gold medallist from the 2004 Athens Olympics.

SPORTS SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

Rondo leads Celtics to victory BOSTON: Rajon Rondo posted his eighth career playoff triple-double as the Boston Celtics edged the Philadelphia 76ers 92-91 in game one of the Eastern Conference series on Saturday. Rondo had 13 points, 17 assists and 12 rebounds for the Celtics who had to overcome a 10-point fourth quarter deficit. Kevin Garnett finished with 29 points and 11 rebounds for Boston, who beat the Atlanta Hawks in six games to reach the second round for the fifth consecutive year. Andre Iguodala scored a teamhigh 19 points in the loss. Iguodala sunk a pair of lastsecond free throws Thursday to enable the 76ers to beat the top seeded Chicago Bulls in their first round series. The Sixers became just the fifth eight-seed in NBA history to oust the top seed by taking out the injury-riddled Bulls. The Bulls struggled on offence as they were forced to play without injured superstar Derrick Rose and starting centre Joakim Noah for most of the series. The Celtics also host game two on Monday night. During the regular season the Sixers won two of three over the Celtics with each team winning their home games. Philadelphia easily defeated Boston in the first meeting of the season at home on March 7 and cruised to another home victory a couple of weeks later. Boston rebounded at home by routing Philadelphia 103-79 on Easter.

Arcadius dies after race WASHINGTON: Eight-yearold bay gelding Arcadius died of a heart attack and aneurysm only moments after winning the $150,000 Iroquois Steeplechase horse race on Saturday, the Tennessean newspaper reported. Track vet Monty McInturff declared the death of the horse after the six-horse race, in which Arcadius edged Tax Ruling for the victory by overtaking him for the lead in the last three of 18 jumps. Tax Ruling was trying to become the first three-time winner in the 71-year history of the race.

Federer in final Scott Williams

MADRID: Roger Federer (right) put on a blue clay master class to move to within one win of a return to the world number two ranking as he hammered Janko Tipsarevic 6-2, 6-3 for a place in the Madrid Masters final. The Swiss, who owns a record 16 Grand Slam titles, will replace Rafael Nadal on Monday in the standings if he beats Tomas Berdych for the title. Federer was flawless on the same slick blue clay surface which had angered world number one Novak Djokovic and number two Nadal, both men vowing never to return if the surface does not change. “I’m focused on what I’m doing this week,” said Federer. “I’m trying to play well and get as far as I can. “I’ve been able to get on a roll. I’ve played better as the week went on under tough conditions, especially with some

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA: A tense Kevin

wind tonight. I’ve had a lot on the line before, it’s no different now.” Another title on Sunday would pull Federer level on the

all-time mark of 20 Masters trophies alongside Nadal. The record-setting Federer is into his 104th ATP final as he aims for a 74th trophy.

The French connection Tom Williams

PARIS: Underdogs or potential finalists? Dark horses or dead certs? Few teams competing at Euro 2012 are shrouded in as much uncertainty as Laurent Blanc’s (right) France. Les Bleus are unbeaten in 18 games but are only ranked 16th in the world, having fallen as low as 27th in September 2010. They are touted as contenders for the top prize in Poland and Ukraine, but were 12 minutes from the play-offs before a Samir Nasri penalty in their last qualifier at home to Bosnia-Herzegovina secured

Na grabs lead over Kuchar

their place at the tournament. “There will be a favourite — England — and behind them, the three teams all have realistic hopes of qualifying,” said Blanc after France were drawn alongside England, Sweden and

co-hosts Ukraine in Group D. The reason for France’s circumspection is the dark shadow cast by the events of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, which continues to linger over the squad. Results may be pursuing an upward curve, but there is still some way to go before the wounds heal completely and Blanc has repeatedly warned against the dangers of expectation. “The problem is that people have very short memories,” he said in February. “After the trauma of the 2010 World Cup, everyone said that we had to rediscover some humility.”

Na curled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to grab a one-stroke lead over Matt Kuchar after Saturday’s third round of the $9.5 million Players Championship. The 28-year-old American of Korean heritage, nagged by swing issues that saw him waggle and hesitate before hitting shots, fought through for a bogey-free four-under par 68 to stand on 12-under 204 after 54 holes at the US PGA event. “Because I change my balance there is a lot going on,” Na said. “It’s a tough situation. I’m working on it. I’m trying. It’s getting better little by little. Hopefully it will go away by the end of the year.” Rickie Fowler charged into third on 207 with a 66.

Rookie is fastest in Indy practice INDIANAPOLIS: US rookie Josef Newgarden drove the fastest lap on Saturday in the opening six-hour practice session for the 96th Indianapolis 500. Newgarden completed a lap around the 4km oval in 40.8627 seconds at 220.250 mph, .1035 of a second ahead of second-place JR Hildebrand, the American who crashed in the final turn while leading last year’s Indy 500, who reached 219.693. Pole qualifying will be staged next Saturday.

SPORTS SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012

Hamilton stripped of Pole position Pep signs off with a draw

Gordon Howard

BARCELONA: Lewis Hamilton’s spectacular but often controversial career suffered a new twist Saturday when he was stripped of pole for the Spanish Grand Prix because his McLaren team failed to give him enough fuel. As a result, Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado of Williams will start from pole position for the first time after being promoted from second on the grid while Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, will start from the back. The 27-year-old Briton was excluded from the

qualifying results because he did not return to the pits with his McLaren car after setting his fastest lap. Instead, he followed urgent orders transmitted by the team and stopped out on the track. He required assistance to return to the pits where a one litre fuel sample was to be taken. A stewards meeting later decided that this was in breach of the regulations and excluded Hamilton, dismissing his team’s argument that this had happened under circumstances of ‘force majeure’. “This is such a disappointment. Today’s qualifying session was

one of the best I’ve ever driven — the whole car was just rolling so smoothly, it felt fantastic,” said Hamilton. “On my slowingdown lap, my engineers told me to stop on the track. Later, to hear that I’d been excluded from qualifying, was extremely disappointing.”

Frantic end to EPL season Julian Guyer

Dermot Ledwith

MADRID: Ten-man Barcelona needed an injury-time goal to secure a 2-2 draw at Real Betis on Saturday in coach Pep Guardiola’s final La Liga game in charge. Sergi Busquets got an early goal for the Catalans before they had Dani Alves sent-off early in the second-half. Ruben Castro took full advantage of the numerical difference to score twice for Betis in the final 20 minutes, leaving Guardiola staring at defeat until Seydou Keita headed in an equaliser in the dying moments. The departing coach can look back with satisfaction on four seasons in which he has won 13 trophies including three leagues titles before Real Madrid triumphed this season. His final game will be on May 25 when his side take on Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Cup final. “I have no idea what memories I leave the league with. I hope they are good ones that last a long time,” said Guardiola. “But I don’t think the league will miss me too much, it was here before me and will continue after me.” Lionel Messi was unable to add to his 50 league goals.

Dortmund stuns Bayern in final Ryland James

BERLIN: Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund blasted Champions League finalists Bayern Munich 5-2 in Saturday’s German Cup final to claim the first domestic double in their 103-year history. Poland striker Robert Lewandowski netted a hat-trick in the rout which will dent Bayern’s confidence ahead of next Saturday’s Champions League final against Chelsea at Munich’s Allianz Arena. “We cannot complain. Our entire defensive play was a catastrophe,” admitted Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes. “We have to take the blame and we did not deserve to win. We still have a major goal in mind and I think we will have all recovered from the shock by the Champions League final. That will be a completely different game.” After winning the German league title by eight points from Bayern, Dortmund continued their domination with their fifth consecutive win against Munich.

LONDON: Manchester City will be bidding to be crowned champions of England for the first time in 44 years when they face relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers at Eastlands later Sunday. But with second-placed champions Manchester United behind on goal difference alone, Roberto Mancini’s expensively-assembled City side will be aware any slip-ups could see Sir Alex Ferguson’s men, away to Sunderland, pip them at the post. Meanwhile, places in the lucrative Champions League remain up for grabs, even if the Manchester duo have already snaffled the top two Premier League spots. Arsenal will guarantee themselves automatic qualification for the group phase if they win at West Brom, while Newcastle, away to Everton, will hope Tottenham stumble at home to Fulham

as they seek to leapfrog Harry Redknapp’s side into fourth place. But fourth spot, while usually securing a place in the preliminary round, won’t be good enough for Champions League football next term if Chelsea beat Bayern Munich in this season’s final. At the bottom, Wolves and Blackburn may have already been rele-

gated but the identity of the third team joining them in the second-tier Championship has still to be revealed. Bolton Wanderers will start Sunday in the drop zone. They must win at Stoke City and hope QPR are beaten by City if they are to avoid demotion. Should City beat QPR then, barring a stunning scoreline for United at Sunderland, that should see them to a first English title since 1968. Although none of Mancini’s men, nor indeed the Italian himself, have been associated with the club’s long history of self-inflicted wounds, the City manager understands why fans remain nervous. Nevertheless he was confident his team would not lose their nerve against a QPR side that have won away from home just three times this season. “I trust them 100 per cent,” said Mancini. “They know they have everything in their hands. They work hard, they fight every game for one year and in this championship that is very hard.”