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DECEMBER 15, 2012 HYDERABAD

OWAISI BEHIND FIFA CAN’T VERIFY CLAIMS OVER MESSI RECORD

W PG 32

orld football’s governing body on Friday said that they were unable to check whether a claim that an African footballer and not Argentina star Lionel Messi was the record holder for the most goals scored in a year.

ON SATURDAY Congress leaders believe that YSRC’s preying on Congress corporators without provocation is an MIM-YSRC strategy to weaken Congress and retain mayoralty for another two years.

CONG DEFECTION?

REPORT ON PG 3

NOT THERE, NOT YET

hile ICBMs may guard us against nuclear-armed neighbours, there is little protection for the unborn girl child or women on the street.

PG 16&17

‘I’VE NEVER FELT LOVED IN MY LIFE’

e’s got Oscars. Accolades. International fame. But what Sean Penn says he lacks in his life is love. According to the twice divorced star, he has never had any real love when it came to his romantic life.

PG 25

32 PAGES

WORLD IN SHOCK AFTER US SCHOOL SHOOTING orld leaders expressed shock and horror after a gunman massacred 20 small children and six teachers Friday in the US state of Connecticut, in one of the worst school shootings in history.

PG 7

PAGE TWO SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

IN SEARCH OF WATER

Treasure Hunt Amar Chitra Katha is organising a treasure hunt for kids. Where: Landmark, KMC Retail Mall, Somajiguda When: December 15 2pm onwards Contact: (040) 6463 1577

Moplah Magic Moplan cuisine, form Kerala, will be served with Arabic and Samarkandi touches. It will be served for a week at Dakshin. Where: Dakshin, Begumpet When: December 10-16 Contact: (040) 2340 0132

Christmas brunch There is a Christmas Day Turkey Brunch at Marriott Hotel and Convention Center. European inspired Ginger Bread House will start from December 15. Where: Okra, Hyderabad Marriott Hotel and Convention Center When: December 25, 12:30pm to 4pm

Theatre festival The fourth annual Samahaara Hyderabad Theatre Festival is going on in the City, where artists will perform plays from various genres. Where: Nift Auditorium, Madhapur When: December 8-16, 7:30pm onwards Contact: info@samahaara.org

Ruhaniyat Ruhaniyat is a national film festival in its 12th consecutive year. It is a sufi and mystic music festival. It is known for its soulful songs. Where: Ravindra Bharathi, Saifabad When: December 16 6:30pm onwards

Christmas carols Christmas carols will be sung by Global Edge school till the end of December at The Lobby. Where: Novotel & HICC Complex, PO No 1101, Cyberabad Post Office, Near Hitech City When: December 3-31 Contact: (040) 6682 4422

Christmas hampers Taj Krishna is giving out the Luxury Santa Hamper and Deluxe Santa Hamper, which include Remy Martin Xo, Lagavulin 16, luxury canali tie, rose petal jam with cane sugar, Kalmata Olives, assorted Christmas chocolate and plum cake to name a few.

CINEMAS

Women walking from Hitec City to Kukatpally Road to collect water. Where: Taj Krishna, Hyderabad When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 6666 2323

Pièce Montée Alliance Française is screening a French film directed by Denys Granier-Deferre, starring Jérémie Renier, Jean-Pierre Marielle and Clémence Poésy. Where: Plot no.4, Road no.3, Banjara Hills, Aurora colony, Road adjacent to Q-Mart When: December 18 Contact: (040) 2355 4485/ 86

Photo competition Alliance Francaise, Hyderabad, is conducting a photo competition. The theme is Professions of the world. The winning entries will be sent to Paris. Where:hyderabad.afindia.org When: December 3-January 6

Music workshop There is a 3-day workshop on Hindustani classical music and ghazal singing by Ustad Rajkumar Rizvi Sutradhar and Naadbrahm. Where: 3-6-145/9/1/1, Himayatnagar When: December 12-14 6:30pm - 10pm Contact:77990 00792

Story Writing Contest

M ANIL KUMAR

Annapurna International School of Film and Media has launched the preliminary phase National Level Story writing Competition. The story writing competition is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Where: www.script2screen.in When: Before December 10

organizing IKAT Mela, exhibiting handloom linen, dress material and saris, among others. Where: State Gallery of fine Arts , Department of Culture, Kavuri Hills, Madhapur When: 13-16 December from 6pm to 9.30pm Contact: 92937 73970

Public speaking

Eclectic iridescence

There is a four-day workshop from December 13 to December 16 at Media Junction. The workshop is on effective public speaking. Where: Media Junction, Parthani Towers, , Golconda Cross Roads, Musheerabad When: 13-16 December 6pm to 9.30pm Contact: 98488 42471

An exhibition of Dhiren Shasmal’s art work, based on various themes and styles of painting. Where: Residence Inn, Amar Coop Soc.Lane, Opp. Madhapur PS, Kavuri Hills When: Upto December 19, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2311 3709

Chai-Pakora Run

The Great Hyderabad Adventure Club and the Society to Save Rocks are conducting Hyderabad Rockathon 2012, to spread awareness about preserving the rockscape of the City. It is a one day event which will include rock walk, rock photography, rappelling and quiz, among other activities. Where: University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli When: December 16 7.30am to 1pm Contact: 98850 39230

To spread the word about India Bike Week being held in Goa on 23 February 2013, a chai-pakora run will be organised in Hyderabad. Where: Secunderabad Parade Ground, War Memorial on Lamba Theatre Road, When: December 23 Contact: indiabikeweek.in/calendar

Handloom exhibition Pochampally Handloom Park is

Hyderabad Rockathon

Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally, 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills, 447677770, Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 08800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973

CITY SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

Wife commits suicide

RTE convention held

woman from Basheerabad area allegedly immolated herself, getting fed up with her husband’s waywardness. T Chandrakala married T laxman around 20 years ago. But the man had been having an extramarital affair with another woman and neglected his wife. Having nobody to rely on she is said to have taken this step, leaving a suicide note.

ne day convention on state level stock taking on implementation of Right to Education was held at Press Club, Basheerbagh, in the backdrop of AP proving lax in curbing child labour. The State has nearly 13.63 lakh children working in various fields and dropout rate too is high. The convention called for strict implementation of RTE Act.

T-stir affects exams

he bandh call given by pro-telangana activists and student unions demanding the release of CoChairperson of Telangana United Front Vimalakka led to postponement of 1st and 3rd semester exams of MSc, MCom and Engineering courses of Osmania Unversity. A university official confirmed the news and said the new schedule will be announced later.

Owaisi behind Cong defection?

Congress leaders believe that YSRC’s preying on Congress corporators without provocation is an MIM-YSRC strategy to weaken Congress and retain mayoralty for another two years. Md INKESHAF AHMED

ahmed.m@postnoon.com

he surprise exit of the Congress floor leader Kaleru Venkatesh in GHMC, purportedly to join YSRC, and reports that a dozen or so Congress and TDP corporators are to follow suit, is being viewed as an MIM-YSRC move to cut the Congress down to size so that Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen could retain may-

oralty and grow out of the City. “Yes, the MIM party is responsible for the defection of our party corporators to the rival camp. The MIM wants to spread its wings riding on the shoulders of the YSRC party,” Congress leader and MLC Peer Shabbir Ahmed said. Shabir saw nothing wrong in a party desiring to grow but said it should not be at the cost of the partner in power. The Congress leader recalled that MIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi had publicly expressed his displeasure towards CM Kiran Kumar Reddy, calling him a friend of the past

and YS Jagan Mohan Rao as a friend at present. “It shows where the wind is blowing.” Another Congress MLC R Padma Raju said, “I have been telling our party that the MIM wanted to expand its base out of Hyderabad. It is taking the help of YSR Congress party to achieve its prime objective.” Raju claimed the MIM ploy will not work as the Congress is a mature party that can’t be humiliated by a small regional party and that the minorities always trusted the Congress. Party leader and MLC V Bhoopal Reddy firmly believes

that MIM’s immediate purpose of encouraging defection in the Congress was to retain the mayoralty with it for another year. If the strength of the Congress is reduced from the 52 at present to 42, it would be equal to the MIM strength and thus could claim another year in office. Party general secretary and senior leader G Niranjan said he wants the Congress leadership to look inward for reasons rather than blindly blaming the MIM. “I think many of our party leaders have their own vested interests. It is because of this that corporators are leaving the

party. They get good offers from YSRC. Many of the YSR Congress leaders have approached our party leaders to impress upon them that the Congress was sinking.” “There is no need for our party to resort to such acts. I would like to ask the Congress party leaders if MIM carries more conviction with the Congress than their own leaders,” said former deputy mayor and senior MIM leader Jaffer Hussain Meraj. “At this rate, the Congress party will disappear from the GHMC. It is just the beginning.”

CITY SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

JNTU, where trouble is engineered

Repeated exam scams will scare away reputed corporate companies from campus interviews, and the losers will be the students, fear many. M ANIL KUMAR

THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME SUCH AN INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED. IN 2010, STUDENTS WERE CAUGHT TRYING TO TAMPER WITH ANSWER SHEETS TO CLEAR EXAMS.

RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA

rahul.r@postnoon.com

he recent scam exposed by the Task Force about engineering students indulging in malpractices during and after examinations will have a severe impact on several aspects of the professional study. While students from various colleges have got used to the waywardness of the University, many bemoan that the worthies heading the University forget the damage they cause to the future of the young engineers. For the record, this is not the first time that the state of engineering colleges in and around the City have come up in bad light. In 2010, several students were caught while trying to tamper and fix answer sheets from examinations in order to have subjects cleared off. Another year later, another police raid on a students hostel caught hold of several moles within the University’s administration itself that had allegedly made money by clearing and polishing academic records of students and their examination results. While this has proven to be a dangerous business venture, students from various colleges say that the Task Force has only scratched at the surface of what is potentially, the biggest scam in the education sector. Repeated misdeeds of the University are feared to have an immediate impact on the students. Reputed corporate entities may be reluctant to participate in the campus interviews which will be a loss to the aspirants.

“If you have money and no compunction in wrong-doing, everything can get managed. You can get people to write your exams, get them corrected, checked and rewarded according to your way if you know the right people at the right places,” says Shiva Shankar, a mechanical engineering student from one of JNTU-H’s many privately affiliated colleges. He says highly connected students, sons and daughters of big people can often get their names cleared despite a poor academic background. Lecturers too admit that

it is lucrative business. “But these people do not realise that after getting caught, they can very easily worm their way out of the mess but in the process they are wrecking what little prestige there is in this field of study. I am very sure that no reputed company will turn up for campus selections or placements in the colleges where these notorious students belonged to,” M Sai Vani, an associate professor. This at a time when most private colleges with no NBA or AICTE accreditations manage to

scrape a dozen or fewer students through placements. “Their pay scale is not that impressive, atleast not after you spend four years of time and money for a very meagre paying job. The scene is hit as it is and now we have these scams flying around everywhere,” says Prithvi Raju, a student from VJIT, near Gandipet. JNTU-H’s registrar Dr NV Ramana Rao remained unavailable and despite repeated attempts to reach him proved to be futile. People at the university say that the top brass are trying

to keep away from the press for a while until the hubbub settles down. Officials from the colleges where the students were caught too refused to speak fearing bad press. Parents too are alarmed at the rate and scale of desperation that students are resorting to, in order to clear their exams. Sujatha Reddy, mother of two engineering students from Vasavi Engineering College, says, “Why pursue a course when you cannot do it? Why not quit? Now that they have been caught, they have caused so much trouble not just for themselves, but for those who share their same academic field. There are better courses in science and math if engineering is not your cup of tea.” Keeping this in mind, heads of colleges have decided to take an interest in their students’ academics to wean them away from potential trouble. A principal of an engineering college admitted privately that he was giving tuitions and also counselling them about examinations after college hours. “They need to realise that if they fail once, they can always try until they pass. Supplementary examinations should be taken as a boon, as extra time to learn more about the subject and clear it.”

Forensic test on seized papers Mohd Subhan

mohd.s@postnoon.com

hile the heads of JNTU have announced a three-member committee to inquire into the shocking answer paper tampering, the Task Force that busted the racket is determined to put the seized papers to forensic examination. Academic circles and students alike believe the University inquiry is another

bid to mop the dirt and present a doctored report to hide the insiders. However, the additional DCP, Task Force, P Rameshaiah said the police will continue with the investigation and examine the 12 suspects now in jail. The 12 arrested for the scandal have been remanded to 14 days of judicial custody. The case pertains to a gang that had been making available blank answer papers to write in privacy the right answers before sneaking the

ACADEMIC CIRCLES AND STUDENTS ALIKE BELIEVE THE UNIVERSITY INQUIRY IS A BID TO MOP THE DIRT AND PRESENT A DOCTORED REPORT. HOWEVER, THE TASK FORCE WILL INVESTIGATE THE MATTER.

papers back into the University. Police are also trying to assess the number of students written the examinations and the number of students involved in the racket. Police officials insist that they would not like to see any innocent students being punished. “We have written to the University and the colleges concerned about the arrest of the 12 and recommended appropriate action against

them,” said inspector, Saidabad, A Srinivasulu. But many concerned parents and students are worried about the outcome of all this. They point out that examination rackets in engineering colleges had been happening in the past and if the authorities and the government wanted to end them, they could have done so. “What use is this police raid and what use is the internal probe?” wondered a parent.

CITY SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

SC verdict: A cure worse than the disease?

Students, parents and teachers are not happy with the Supreme Court’s verdict on Neet and Eamcet examinations. The lack of clarity on the basis of seat allotment adds to their woes. parents are also worried about the payment of fees. “We need to now pay exam fees for both NEET and Eamcet. The entrance fees for Eamcet is `250 whereas for NEET students need to pay `1,000. In addition, parents are worried about the health of their kids. “Eamcet itself is a

ANUBHA K. SINGH

anubha.k@postnoon.com

he Supreme Court’s order on National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2013 just made the situation for students in the State worse. If anything, it has led to more confusion and made the entrance tests to BE and medical courses tougher. “The SC decision has made our situation worse as we now need to prepare for both NEET and Eamcet and there is no declaration or order from the court as to which results seat allotments will be done on. We think the verdict is incomplete and the results cannot be released till the final judgement is announced,” said, Afreen Khan, a medical aspirant. Students in the State evidently are not happy with the Supreme Court’s decision. “Every year, majority of students prepare themselves for Eamcet to get medical seats in the State. If the seats are allocated as per NEET, they may not get good rankings or seats as students who have been preparing for NEET will score more than us,” said Richa Raj, a Narayana student and medical

“THERE IS NOT MUCH TIME LEFT FOR THE ENTRANCE TEST AND YET THERE IS NO CLEAR DECISION FROM THE AUTHORITIES ON THE BASIS ON WHICH SEATS WILL BE ALLOCATED.”

aspirant. It’s not just the students. Parents and teachers are also worried for the future of their children. “It’s high time the State understood the need of the students. There is not much time

LIGHTS ON

rants need extensive coaching if they want good ranking in NEET and now they need to study the CBSE syllabus along with the Eamcet syllabus,” said Mahesh Kokkula, private coaching tutor. Meanwhile, students and

Power solution I

Lights were on for nearly three hours during the day at the stretch from Jubilee Hills Checkpost to TDP Party office on Friday. SRINIVAS SETTY

left for the entrance test and yet there is no clear decision from the authorities on the basis on which seats will be allocated. The next hearing in Supreme Court is due on January 15. With recent court’s order the aspi-

n order to mitigate the power shortage problem to the maximum extent possible, the State Government has adopted a 3-pronged strategy for focusing on Energy Conservation and Energy Efficiency (EC&EE) programmes for the benefit of the State utilities as well as the public at large. To take up the most effective communication strategy, to implement foolproof methods such as ECB Code, and DSM measures, to realize considerable energy savings in different sectors ,to make energy auditing mandatory in all government establishments at the initial stage, Minnie Mathew, chief secretary, and chairperson of State Energy Conservation Mission released the energy conservation campaign posters, prepared by SECM, while launching the aggressive communication strategy, on the occasion of the

“World Energy Conservation Day.” She said that the aggressive communication strategy plays a pivotal role in taking the message of Energy Conservation & Energy Efficiency (EC&EE) measures to the door steps of each and every consumer. In this regard, the chief secretary has directed the heads of sub-groups to submit the reports and recommendations for notifying the ECB code and effective implementation of DSM measures, etc., at the earliest. On this occasion, Minnie Mathew appealed to all the electricity consumers to treat energy conservation as a social responsibility and to strictly adopt energy conservation measures in view of 10 units saved is equivalent to 12 units generated. She took and oath with other officials to conserve NSS energy.

stressful exam. Getting a good rank and a good college are really tough for medical students and now the burden of NEET will add more pressure on students,” said Laxmikanth Naryan, father of Keertika Rani, a medical aspirant. Prof Jaya Prakash Rao, chairman of the Andhra Pradesh state Council of Higher Education, said, “The Supreme Court decision is final and students in the State now need to prepare for both NEET and Eamcet. About the rankings and seat allocation, we need to wait till Supreme Court’s next order.”

Political hand in Abids tension? Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com

ension mounted in the Palace Heights complex in Abids today following demolition of a property wall by another party, which is said to have the backings of two prominent City politicians. Trouble began three days ago when a party who bought a property adjacent Triveni apartments in the complex pulled down the protection wall of the capacious parking lot belonging to the complex. Residents objected to the act and skirmishes followed. The complex

has three societies. Residents say their efforts to prevent wall demolition proved futile as the party allegedly had political backings and local police refused to step in. “Parking lot is our property. We have no objection with someone building their legitimate property. But parking lot wall belongs to the whole complex and its people,” said Firoz Ali, president of Triveni Yuven apartments. This morning the societies decided to rebuild the wall and tension grew. Attempts were made to foil the construction.

NATION SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

Govt favouring GMR: MLA

BJP legislator accused the ruling government of providing undue favours to the GMR group. Devji Patel alleged that Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation (CSIDC) was acquiring land for GMR Chhattisgarh Energy Ltd in gross violation of norms as no government agency could acquire land for a private party.

Pandya wife seeks justice

Docs left cloth in woman

s the widow of slain BJP leader Haren Pandya fights a ‘revenge’ battle seeking “justice” for her husband for whose murder she blames Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Elliis Bridge seat is witnessing a poll contest where Jagruti Pandya expects her emotional appeal to triumph over the cold logic that favours her saffron rival.

Liberal visa regime kicks off NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan Friday made operational a liberalised visa regime for more people-to-people contact as Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik struck a discordant note by equating terror attacks with the Babri Masjid demolition. The visa announcement was made after talks between Malik and Indian Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde shortly after the former began a threeday visit to India. But even while preaching peace with India, Malik made controversial remarks — first on Babri Masjid and then by being dismissive about Kargil martyr Saurabh Kalia’s death. He also questioned the Indian evi-

was not enough to stand scrutiny in a court. “Just a statement from (hanged Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Amir) Kasab is not enough. We have to follow the law of the land. And of course (satisfy) the court... There has been a lot of propaganda about Hafiz Saeed. But if India provided credible evidence, “I will order his arrest even before returning home. We have no love lost for Hafiz Saeed”. He later said that Pakistan had arrested seven people for the Mumbai attack and another 20 had been declared proclaimed offenders. “We will not leave any stone unturned. The day is not far away when

esidents of Vishwas Nagar in Ghaziabad held a protest outside a private hospital and accused its staff of leaving a cloth in woman’s abdomen during a surgery in June, police said. The family members said that despite the operation, her pain continued. Family members claimed that a 6-inch cloth came out of her body when she went to the toilet.

MIRROR IMAGE

Kashmiris ride a shikara in Dal lake in Srinagar on December 14. Most parts of the Kashmir Valley, including Srinagar, received fresh snowfall, however, the snowfall has led to closure of the 294-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the only road link between Kashmir and AFP PHOTO/ TAUSEEF MUSTAFA rest of the country.

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Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik during a meeting in New Delhi on Friday. PTI dence on Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed vis-a-vis the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. “Pakistan and India have to be friends,” Malik told reporters on his arrival, which was delayed by about four hours. “I come with a message of love and peace from the people of Pakistan.” He underlined that India and Pakistan had travelled a long distance since the Mumbai attack when their relations touched a new low. Malik said because of interactions between the leaders of India and Pakistan, the “journey to peace is progressing very well”, and gave credit to President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. “We are all here to take the peace process forward,” he added. But Malik remained adamant that the evidence provided by India thus far linking Saeed with the Mumbai attack

you will see convictions.” On terrorism, the Pakistani interior minister said his country was suffering from terror attacks too. “Terrorism is horrible... ask the people of Pakistan who are suffering at the hands of nonstate actors… (we should) forget the past and move forward,” he said, The new liberalised visa regime would make travel easier for some sections including the elderly, the young and those in business. It is expected to boost people-to-people contacts and trade. The visa agreement was signed by then Indian external affairs minister SM Krishna and Malik in Islamabad September 8. “When (Indians) enter Pakistan, they should feel they are coming to their own home,” Malik said. “Similar should be the case when people of Pakistan enter India.” Malik also invited the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit IANS Pakistan.

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WORLD SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

Chavez: ‘How are my people?’

Caracas pans Obama

enezuela warned remarks by US President Barack Obama describing the policies of ailing President Hugo Chavez as “authoritarian” could seriously harm bilateral relations. Caracas “strongly rejects the outrageous remarks by US President Barack Obama regarding President Hugo Chavez and Venezuela,” said Minister Ernesto Villegas.

Cops hunt for man over mosque scare

olice in California are looking for a man who reportedly walked into a California mosque saying he had a gun and threatened to kill everyone, a spokeswoman said Friday. The suspect is a white man in his thirties.

CLASSIFIEDS INTERIOR

Egypt referendum today

ugo Chavez’s first words after emerging from surgery were “How are my (Venezuelan) people?” according to officials, who proclaimed here Friday that the ailing leader is on the road to recovery. Venezuela’s Information Minister Ernesto Villegas told reporters that Chavez spoke with family members immediately after an operation to control bleeding after his cancer surgery earlier this week.

gyptians vote Saturday on a new constitution supported by the ruling Islamists but bitterly contested by a secular-leaning opposition that failed to scupper the referendum with mass protests. Polls open at 8 am (0600 GMT) in Cairo, Alexandria and eight other provinces and are scheduled to close at 7:00 pm in the first round.

It’s the same old sad story The community may seem unique to its residents and their tragedy unimaginable, but the scene that played out Friday has become all to common in the US.

Mariano Andrade

World in shock after US school shooting

Agence France-Presse

NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT: The scene was all too familiar. Stunned families clinging to one another for support after yet another massacre in yet another pleasant, leafy suburban American community. They came for news at the firehouse near the elementary school, just down the road from the Sandy Hook Elementary school, where a young man had burst into a class and gunned down 26 children and staff. A couple walked a way, shocked and tearful, too stunned to speak. Others nervously allowed their eight-year-olds to give confused accounts of the killings to the gathering army of television news teams. “It’s a unique community here. This is an unspeakable horror. There’s no words to describe what happened here,” said 52-year-old energy consultant Chuck Stofko, a father of three and neighbor to the school. But, while the community may seem unique to its residents and their tragedy unimaginable, the scene that played out Friday has become all to common in the United States. It wasn’t even the first mass shooting of the week. On Tuesday another “active shooter” killed two in an Arizona shopping mall. In August, a Wisconsin Sikh temple was targeted and six people died. In July, 12 Colorado cinema-goers were

Distraught parents leave the fire station after hearing news of their loved ones from officials December 14, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. AFP PHOTO / DON EMMERT

UNITED NATIONS: World leaders expressed shock and horror after a gunman massacred 20 small children and six teachers Friday in the US state of Connecticut, in one of the worst school shootings in history. UN chief Ban Ki-moon wrote to Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy to give his “deepest condolences at the shocking murders,” a statement said. “The targeting of children is heinous and unthinkable,” he added in condemning the “horrendous” crime. The head of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso spoke of his “deep shock and horror” upon hearing of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Gunman identified gunned down at a Batman premiere. But school shootings are perhaps a particular horror, and Friday’s slaughter will recall for many the 1999 killings at Columbine High School, Colorado, or the mass shooting in 2007 on the Virginia Tech college campus. This Friday a young man — reportedly a 20-year-old local — entered the school with at least two

handguns and entered a classroom where his own mother was teaching a group of under-tens. He opened fire. Doubtless Friday’s latest killings will renew calls for action — tighter gun control, increased school security, tougher laws — but in Newtown the parents who descended on the school struggled to explain their feelings.

US media identified the gunman, who was also killed, as Adam Lanza - not his brother Ryan as initially reported. There is also a dead adult believed to be the gunman’s mother - at a second crime scene near the school.

AFP

Shooting sets off gun law debate WASHINGTON: The deaths of 20 To advertise on this page, contact: 9866074747 For Secunderabad 9290204030 For H y d e r a b a d 9866663212

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children in a devastating shooting rampage at an elementary school in Connecticut on Friday once again reignited the debate over US gun laws that until now has yielded little change. After the latest massacre, at the Sandy Hook Elementary School, President Barack Obama appeared on television with tears in his eyes to make an emotional plea for “meaningful action” in the wake of the latest outrage. “As a country we have been through this too many times,”

Obama said, mentioning earlier shooting massacres, in Colorado, Oregon and Wisconsin. Earlier, though, White House spokesman Jay Carney declined to discuss the political fallout, telling reporters this was a day “to feel enormous sympathy for families that are affected.” But congressman Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat, immediately responded: “If now is not the time to have a serious discussion about gun control and the epidemic of gun violence plaguing our society, I don’t know when is.”

As a country we have been through this too many times Barack Obama was in tears when he made this statement.

“Yet another unstable person has gotten access to firearms and committed an unspeakable crime against innocent children. We cannot simply accept this as a routine product of modern American life,” he said. “I am challenging President Obama, the Congress, and the American public to act on our outrage and, finally, do something about this.” To change the laws, Obama needs Congress to act, and so far the Republican opposition has blocked all reforms. AFP

COMMENT SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

Nothing surprising

Kudos!

hrough out history, if we check, we will find we were a sort of hospitable and laid back people. Why else did we get visits from numerous plunderers and conquerors? There is nothing surprising about Pak’s treatment of Sarabjit and ours of the ISI agent. Suma Raj via email

ur cricketers must learn from their blind counterparts who won the T20 world cup beating archrival Pakistan. It takes more than talent to win at the highest level and despite these brave men being blind, they have it in ample amounts. A pity those who can see don’t. Vinay Sharma Gachibowli

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 4067 2222.

Zee story

here have always been doubts about the media acting in undesirable and corrupt ways. The Zee scandal is shocking because I was under the impression despite all, they would not resort to extortion. This must be thoroughly looked into and all those found guilty be punished. Raji Sreenivas Via email

EDITORIALS GUNS: ISN’T IT TIME the US did something? Parents in US may think twice from now on about sending their kids to school, which is turning out to be a place of horror and tragedy in recent times. The latest incident of school shooting at a primary school in the US state of Connecticut claimed 26 victims: 20 children and six teachers. The US and the world are in shock since the tragedy. President Barack Obama said, teary-eyed, ‘our hearts are broken today’. The degree of tragedy is accentuated by the fact the nation will still be in sorrow and shock despite it being Christmas season. For those who have lost their loved ones to the irrationality of the madman behind this, Christmas will be a time of sorrow and mourning for the rest of their lives. The most shocking aspect is that the mad gunman seemed to be unusually accurate when he went on rampage and almost all of the wounds inflicted were fatal. He may have some sad tale to tell, about how he was neglected by the society and so he decided to have revenge. Apart from the many incidents of gun violence in the US, this is the second in a week’s time. A few days ago a man entered a mall and opened fire, killing three and injuring two. And it’s not even a month since an NFL player Jovan Belcher shot his girlfriend and later himself after an argument with her. After the incident there were fiery debates about calls for stricter gun laws. Obama and his administration had reiterated that they would do all possible to keep guns away from criminals and unstable people. But the truth is that it has not been working. Obama’s presidency has been marred by many a shooting incident right from 2009. Perhaps this is the time he must push for stricter gun laws.The obstacles are great, the odds are high, but he must act.

Top five Pandit sutras Soul Curry SUMAA TEKUR

itar legend Pandit Ravi Shankar’s 92-year rich and fulfilling life is an inspiration for anyone wishing to get a few tips on navigating the tricky twists and turns that life often throws upon us. He aged gracefully, gave his last concert with an oxygen mask on, enjoyed life’s downs as well as the ups, and never shied away from hard work and perseverance. No doubt, he was chosen to receive the gift of talent. But by the way he chose to live life, Pandit Ravi Shankar created his own unique brand of spirituality. Here’s a pick of the top five life mantras that set him apart. Don’t take life, or yourself, so seriously: One of the reasons Pandit Ravi Shankar’s greatness only grew with time is because he never let success

get to his head. He once said: “People say that I’m great. Most of the time I don’t believe them.” He had grown beyond the trappings of instant success and material wealth. Life is about cracking a joke in the present moment, about smiling and making people smile. Even his concerts had an element of fun. Between renditions, he would often resort to humour to lighten the mood. Travel well, meet people, forge friendships: Almost all of Pandit Ravi Shankar’s education has been outside of the structure of formal learning. He spent two years in school in Banaras and then a year and half in Paris learning French. The rest of his education came from travelling, meeting people, learning about the world through them, experiencing life in the here and now. It was while travelling that he made some amazingly famous friendships that only further enhanced his position as a truly global musician. One must either read a lot or travel a lot to learn about life. Panditji did

NO DOUBT, HE WAS CHOSEN TO RECEIVE THE GIFT OF TALENT. BUT BY THE WAY HE CHOSE TO LIVE LIFE, PANDIT RAVI SHANKAR CREATED HIS OWN UNIQUE BRAND OF SPIRITUALITY. the latter well. Youth is a state of mind: Time and age showed on Pandit Ravi Shankar’s face. The wrinkles were testimony to his experience but his eyes belied his true age. His eyes expressed a youthful charm, a naughty smile and a curiosity to learn more and engage with youngsters to rediscover his own youth. He once said that he was lucky to have two young daughters. Through them, he saw the world in new, youthful light. Perseverance is precious: Tough times make us stronger. How a person manages stress is

a good indicator of his mental strength. Pandit Ravi Shankar, too, went through his share of turbulent times. It’s no secret that he experienced the toughest emotional time for 7-8 years with his daughter Norah Jones, who wanted to sever ties with him. During this time, he didn’t know where Norah was or how she was doing. He never gave up. He was patient and Norah eventually came around, he said. Follow your curiosity: Pandit Ravi Shankar would have stayed in the traditional realm of classical Indian music had it not been for his immense curiosity and hunger to experiment. He wanted to push the limits of his versatility and try different combinations. He wasn’t afraid to get out there and experiment but he always stayed true to his tradition. He tried new fusion, new sounds, new instruments and new collaborations, but was always rooted to Indian music and all that it gave him. He never strayed from his roots to ever corrupt the music form.

COMMENT SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

Mind your amygdala! Quirky-side-Up ARPITA BHAWAL

e live in an age of emotional intelligence where being cognizant of other people’s mental and emotional states is deemed essential in the corporate world. Great leaders are now being dissected with the knife of emotional intelligence so that we can learn how they did it — how did they speak the language of the weak, the proud, the maimed, the guilty and the hurt — and manage to win them over. In short, we can succeed only if we can control our own reactions and thoughts, and listen carefully for impulses, reactions, fears and doubts in the conversations we have with people. We have to put ourselves in the shoes of those we deal with every day and approach them from a place of empathy. Often, not many of us can actually be emotionally intelligent towards other people’s needs, worries, emotions and what not! We are too busy, too tired, too old, and shamefully even too proud to try and understand what is the big deal about putting yourself in that circle of another’s state of mind. I have, for example, brushed aside

Urban sketches VISWAPRASAD RAJU

many people whom I work with as too dumb and too boring, too unintelligent and too whiny when I haven’t been able to relate to what they were feeling or saying. And when you are in a place of work, what are you supposed to do? Hold hands, wipe tears and actually empathize with people who don’t want to put work first? I mean, what is the big deal about listening to people whine, anyway, right? Wrong! It is becoming very clear with each passing year

that the very reason emotions play an important part in our lives is because we are human. We need sympathy, empathy, relationships at the workplace, friendships and most important of all, for people to tell us “it is all right...I understand...don’t worry.” For those of us who can’t really control our impulses - emotional reactions - to situations, people and their problems, or even to workplace politics, we have to take a step back and say: Ahem! It is the amygdale that needs adjusting!

What does that mean? For biology geeks, it might be crystal clear perhaps so they can stop reading the article at this point. But the common man and woman really needs to know why this amygdala could really stir more trouble at times than good health. The amygdalae are a group of almond-shaped nuclei located deep within the medial temporal lobes of our brain. Research has shown that they possess the sole power of processing memory and emotional reactions. It forms and stores memories associated with emotional events. Buddhist monks, who do compassion meditation, are said to have modulated their amygdala along with their temporoparietal junction and insula during practice. Increased activity in the amygdala following compassion oriented meditation may contribute to social connectedness. This is because amygdala activity at the time of encoding information correlates with retention for that information. However, this correlation depends on the relative "emotional-ness" of the information. More emotionally-arousing information increases amygdala activity and that activity correlates with retention. Even our sexual orientation, aggression, alcoholism and binge drinking and anxiety relates to how our amygdala is behaving towards emotional information. Too complex? Not really. Just

IT IS BECOMING VERY

CLEAR WITH EACH PASSING YEAR THAT THE VERY REASON EMOTIONS PLAY AN IMPORTANT PART IN OUR LIVES IS BECAUSE WE ARE HUMAN. WE NEED SYMPATHY, EMPATHY, RELATIONSHIPS AT THE WORKPLACE, FRIENDSHIPS AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, FOR PEOPLE TO TELL US “IT IS ALL RIGHT... I UNDERSTAND... DON’T WORRY.” take a deep breath the next time you hit a low, and someone is hurling insults your way, pause. Know that your amygdala needs some time to adjust to the new information that is stoking an emotional response in you that makes you appear “emotionally unintelligent”! Just think of the US Navy seals — even they have to be taught to control their amygdala through intensive training so that they can control their emotional reactions to fearful and disturbing situations. So, pretend there is a mental switch that can teach you about emotional intelligence much faster than any book written in the world on that subject.

Global edits

Foodie III

The Guardian (UK)

IS IT INSANE TO IMAGINE

Unthinkable? Christmas cards to enjoy

A WORLD WHERE THE ONLY CARDS YOU OPENED AND READ CAME IN ENVELOPES, FROM REAL PEOPLE WHO KNEW YOU AND WROTE OUT THEIR NEWS BY HAND? WELL, YES, IT CLEARLY IS INSANE. BUT HOW MUCH BETTER SUCH A MAD WORLD WOULD BE.

s it wrong to imagine a better world where the only baby to appear on a politician's card is one lying in a manger rather than the sender's own, lying by implication about what a wonderful family they have? Is it insane to imagine a world where the only cards you opened and read came in envelopes, from real people who knew you and wrote out their news by hand? Well, yes, it clearly is insane. But how much better such a mad world would be. No one wants Christmas cards to be purely Christian. Few people want them even to be mainly Christian. They were always a celebration of the warm domestic pleasures of the midwinter solstice. Like the ox and ass in the stable they celebrate the triumph of animal warmth over a chilly and unwelcoming world outside. But now they just celebrate their senders, Christmas cards have become the purest form of vanity publishing. Whether they depict the discreet smirks of the Camerons or Milibands, or are instead wrapped

round the artless boasting of the less-famous fortunate, they are just advertising. Self-advertisement is bad, but worse is the naked commercial advertisement of the Christmas card from anyone who has managed to sell you anything at any time in the last decade. The card has become just another piece of the junk mail that keeps the post office going. At 60p for a first-class stamp, that will not last. They won't be missed. A world where the only Christmas letters we had were handwritten with care and thought is – sadly – unthinkable today.

BUSINESS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

Tata’s new steel shown to UK

US industrial production up

Ports to detect radiation

ritain's Prince Charles was shown a new kind of steel which could transform safety for soldiers battling the Taliban in Afganistan. Charles visited a factory in south Wales, where Super Bainite has been developed by the Ministry of Defence and Indian steelmaking giant Tata Steel. The antiballistic steel has a lattice form, which could be used to armour-plate tanks.

S industrial production increased by 1.1 per cent in November following a decline in October, indicating further economic recovery. The November increase in industrial production, an indicator of the output of factories, mines and utilities, followed a revised 0.7-per cent decline in October, Xinhua reported.

ndia's department of atomic energy (DAE) is planning to install radiation detection equipment at ports to monitor radioactivity in beach sand mineral consignments for detecting monazite contamination."The design of radiation detection equipment has been checked for its efficacy in monitoring the radioactivity in beach sand minerals," said SK Malhotra, DAE.

Find any requirement here

Two engineers in the City got together to create a vendor database online, which helps companies pick the lowest prices of front-end office commodities in the market with transparency. PRUDHVI RAJU K

prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

hen most of their classmates were queuing up at campus interviews in hopes of getting jobs with some top-notch companies, Sailesh Sigatapu and Aditya Reddy chose to give them a skip. While in their final year of engineering at Vasavi College of Engineering, the duo were driven by mere confidence and were sure that they could build a great business model and run it successfully. As a result, anyrequirement.com was born in February 2011. Reddy, who had already had experience in the field, brought his expertise to the website. “Before launching anyrequirement.com, I was COO of Aquafina’s Hyderabad franchisee. I knew the difficulties corporates face while procuring different front-end commodities for offices — be it a mineral water, cab services or office stationary. Besides, vendors can play around with prices and corporates are not always aware of the lowest benchmark price of any given product or service that they require. Even if they want to switch vendors finding them is not just hard, but also a long and complex process. That’s when we decided to build a vendor database and offer products to corporates at the lowest prices in the market with complete transparency,” he says. Anyrequirement.com requests for quotations on various products and services from prominent vendors in the City. All quotations are consolidated in one page and provided in a self-explained format containing details, pricing, product or service description and reviews. This does not necessarily bring transparency in the process, but it does reduce purchasing costs by providing a wider choice of vendors for the corporate to choose from. It also simplifies and quickens the vendor selection method. “Although there is a procurement team in businesses, it may

Aditya Reddy, co-founder Anyrequirement.com SRINIVAS SETTY

not be transparent and also may offer business to their close ones rather than the ones who are actually offering products and services at the lowest prices. There are even cases where these people get dummy quotes to get the business for the people they want. Leaving procurement to the discretion of the concerned department without transparency and trust may result in huge losses to the company,” Reddy says. But like with all businesses, the classmates faced some challenges. Talking about the difficulties they faced while building the business, he says, “We initially started with `25 lakh and the business absorbed `1.25 core investments. The idea was to convince vendors from different categories and bring them on board. We hired around 10 sales people for this purpose. However, these people simply registered companies by getting

information from various sources and not by actually meeting and convincing them. This delayed the whole launch

Fact file n Offering products and services-180 categories. n Corporate charges: `1 lakh per annum for premium service n `60,000 for normal service n Startups: `25,000 per annum n Schools: `30,000 per annum n Small scale enterprises: Event based subscription n Total vendors on board: 2,800 n Number of vendors got business through the company: Around 900

by about four months.” Some of the procurement managers who they met did not back the business idea as they thought it would put their jobs at stake. Some did not even use the website initially. The duo was also not sure if corporates would pay for the services they offer even when they saw the huge savings from the model. However, the ITSAP award for Best Start-up Under Software Product in 2012 gave a major boost to the business and brought it closer to the IT companies. Over time, the business got 30 paid corporates to avail its services. The business wants to expand its operations to Bangalore and Chennai by August 2013. The aim is to form clusters by bundling products and services and offer them at a low price in the City. Reddy explains, “For instance, the price of the prod-

uct depends on the volume of the order. If two companies are buying the same product, we will bundle these products and request for a single quote at a lower price, which will benefit both the companies.” Overtime, the business will have access to analytics on corporate purchases. It also wants to provide payment gateway through which it can pay the vendors at their required time and collect bills from corporates later. They hope to charge 1-2 per cent commission during this process which will bring in huge revenues to the company, and over time even with little margins, Reddy says. Anyrequirement.com broke even this year with the launch of its subscription model. The site aims at being a `100 crore company in terms of valuation and reach `60 crore revenues by the end of the 2013-2014 fiscal year.

FOCUS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

In a picture taken on September 26, Malaysian artist Haslin Ismail talks about his creative work and its market inside his studio in Kuala Lumpur. Art collectors and others in the industry attribute the recent movement in the country’s art scene to the sprouting of galleries -- there are now dozens in the capital Kuala Lumpur alone -- as well as the auction sale. AFP PHOTO / SAEED KHAN

Finding buyers, Malaysian art searches for a voice Julia Zappei Agence France-Presse

KUALA LUMPUR: Finishing art school, Haslin Ismail began as the typical struggling artist, selling just a few of his mixed media fantasy pieces for a few hundred dollars each over the ensuing five years. But in September, a buyer at one of a sudden spate of Malaysian art auctions spent 30,800 ringgit ($10,100) for a wallsized Haslin painting full of outlandish images including a large human foot without skin. “It’s still quite risky to become an artist... but actually there is positive development. It has changed a lot,” the soft-spoken 28-year-old said. Muslimmajority and affluent, Malaysia is known more for Islamic conservatism and a consumer culture embodied by its air-conditioned shopping malls than for the Bohemian pursuit of art. But a nascent art boom is under way as the industry seeks to replicate the huge recent success in such markets as China and Malaysia’s neighbour Indonesia. Art auctions were once unknown, but five major sales have been held in Malaysia this year, earning more than 13 mil-

lion ringgit, with domestic art fetching ever-higher prices. New galleries have sprouted with works depicting traditional village scenes, cautious commentary on modern society, or the wild imaginations of artists like Haslin. “Prices have been rising and it has positively affected some of the younger artists,” said Ray Langenbach, an artist and art professor at Tunku Abdul Rahman University, who added that high prices in more established markets were stirring interest in Malaysia. “It’s the least-tapped of the region’s markets.” For much of Malaysia’s recent history, an authoritarian government focused on economic development — making it one of Southeast Asia’s most affluent nations, while religious and political constraints stunted the arts and culture scene. But since strongman ruler Mahathir Mohamad retired in 2003, society is gradually relaxing, with more people expressing themselves via art and some collectors looking for edgier works. In May, a vast 1984 abstract of interwoven, multi-coloured lines by late painter Ibrahim Hussein sold for nearly 800,000 ringgit — a record high for a

Malaysian art work at auction. A painting by abstract artist Abdul Latiff Mohidin fetched 715,000 ringgit at an auction in early December, while another sold in October for 605,000 ringgit. Both sold well above their reserve prices. Buyers, meanwhile, also have snapped up paintings of ethnic Indian rubber tappers and portraits of Malay women in the country’s colourful batik

NEW GALLERIES HAVE SPROUTED WITH WORKS DEPICTING TRADITIONAL VILLAGE SCENES, COMMENTARY ON MODERN SOCIETY, OR WILD IMAGINATIONS OF ARTISTS. fabrics — expressions of Malaysia’s multi-cultural makeup. But there are doubts over how long the current interest will last. The former British colony has no deep-rooted art tradition, having developed as an agrarian society that drew large numbers of Chinese and Indian immigrants more concerned with economic survival than art and

Pick

leisure. Religious and social taboos in the country of 29 million people — more than 60 percent are Muslim ethnic Malays — have also been blamed for stifling more challenging art. “For the moment, it’s very, very hot,” said Linda Leoni, business manager of Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers, which staged Malayia’s first auction in 2010 and has held three this year. “Can we sustain the level? We have yet to see.” But Langenbach said more daring art is slowly emerging. “I think new artists are definitely coming up... A more political art has come out recently,” Langenbach said. He cited as one example of such art Poodien, or Shaifuddin Mamat, whose dark works suggest a disillusionment with politics and the modern world. But government support for art remains limited and lacks the “vision” to encourage more experimental themes and art forms, Langenbach said. Auctions and other public sales steer largely clear of what little edgy content there is, and collectors are mostly Malaysians, with broad international interest elusive. “For a serious collector, there is very little choice, really,”

at the

said Pakhruddin Sulaiman, a lawyer and art collector. Bayu Utomo Radjikin, one of the country’s most established figurative painters, is part of a collective formed in 1989 by five Malaysian artists that today aims to encourage emerging artists. Bayu said many younger artists who came of age under Mahathir were still struggling to find their voices, adding that art will not truly develop until more artists find ways around the taboos. “Malaysia is safe and comfortable, so that shows in their art, and we (Malaysians) are easy to satisfy,” he said. Haslin, a Muslim Malay, says the current interest nonetheless makes survival easier for new graduates, and he lets buyers find their own meaning in his art. “I am not interested in political events or stories,” he said in his small home studio, crammed with large canvases and the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings action figures that he collects. “But I think it’s good if the audience can relate it to political (issues) because that is the power of the paintings. It can influence the audience to think,” he said.

airport,

TECHNOLOGY SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK www.iwastesomuchtime.com he website name says it all, but it understates just how compelling the content is. Take this teddy bear poster, for example. There is tremendous talent and thought put into a seemingly-inane illustration.

MOBILE GAME REVIEW

APP OF THE WEEK

The game is Angry Birds by way of a platformer, with extra bottom burps thrown in for good measure. You need to use Cow’s rear-end expulsions to fire her from platform to platform, collecting items that can give you a boost or a brake along the way.

TOXIC COW 2

Fantastical

ots of buzz this week around Flexibits’ Fantastical, which is a smarter, whizzier version of the default iOS calendar app. It includes voice dictation, a DayTicker view of your daily schedule and support for iCloud.

BAG ‘EM NEED FOR SPEED: MOST WANTED

NT BALANARAYANAN

balanarayana.nt@postnoon.com

The holiday season is coming up and if you’re still wondering what game to gift, we might be able to help you out.

HALO 4

Platform: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 Price: `999-2,549+ Age rating: 3+

alo games are a must-have for Xbox 360 gamers and the latest addition stays true to this rule. It is the beginning of a new trilogy, so even gamers who are new to the series will be able to enjoy it. In this game, Master Chief is on a mission to extend the life of Cortana, the friendly AI that has completed its lifeterm. On the way, Chief encounters and has to fight hordes of alien species that were thought extinct.

ZOMBIU

I futuristic missions so if the gamer ends up killing himself, he will have to start the campaign all over again. Platform: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 Price: `3,299-3,899 Age rating: 18+

FIFA 13

f you are one of the few people in India who already own a Wii U, this game will keep you entertained for a while. The survival horror game puts you in the shoes of one of the few survivors of a global zombie apocalypse. If your character dies, you’ll need to continue the game as another character and if you end up spotting your old character, which is now a Zombie, you can kill it to reclaim your old possessions.

Platform: Xbox 360 Price: `3,299 Age rating: 16+

CALL

OF DUTY: BLACK OPS II he latest in the Call of Duty series offers more of the same old goodness — instant gratification. The game spans over two generations and half the game is set in the future when US is fighting a cold war with China. The game also introduces a concept of ‘permanent death’ in some of the

he cat and mouse version of NFS is back, promising better cars and tougher cops. The game feels more like Burnout with all the fun challenges scattered across the city. However, the style of driving leans towards a more physical style than the arcade format used in Burnout. Platform: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 Price: `1,499-2,799 Age rating: 7+

our expert. The cities are explorable like in the earlier games, but there will be fewer running around on rooftops. Platform: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 Price: `999-2,519 Age rating: 18+

DIABLO

III he original Diablo is one of the best action RPG ever made and Diablo III, that has been in the making for ages, lives up to the legacy. Blizzard ensured that the game looked good without compromising on any of the classic RPG elements

that made the original such a big hit.popular too. Platform: PC, Mac Price: `3,599 Age rating: 16+

FAR CRY 3

s always, Electronic Arts has released the next year’s FIFA a few months earlier and it is good, especially because you now play as India (after 11 years!). It continues to be the best football game in the market right now thanks to the quality of gameplay and the range of teams and countries included. So if you love football, this is a must buy.

T Platform: Wii U Price: $59 Age rating: 18+

ASSASSIN’S CREED III

fter killing hundreds of templars in Europe, the story now moves on to Colonial America and you play as a native American who is a park-

his open-world first person shooter is filled with unpredictable characters, actionpacked fights and a vast island to explore. You play as Jason Brody who is trying to get his friends back from slave traders who have set up base in the island.

Platform: PC, Xbox 360, PS3 Price: `999-2,799 Age rating: 16+

ANIMAL KINGDOM SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

PET NEWS Golden termites

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Hail the royal dog

ew experiments in West Australia reveal that termites “mine” and stockpile the precious metal while they’re collecting subterranean material for their nests. Scientists took samples from several termite nests.

Know your dog

hile royal watchers around the globe are still buzzing about the baby news from William and Kate, pet lovers have been thinking of the royal couple’s four-legged family member — Lupo, a black Cocker Spaniel puppy.

ntelligent, gentle and loyal, Samoyeds enjoy being with their families. Due to their working heritage, they may chase things, run and bark, so it’s best to channel that energy into some kind of job or activity.

CATS AND DOGS The Animal Care Clinic 040-2335 2474 Pet’s World Dog Clinic 98856 46259 Blue Cross of Hyderabad 040-3298 9858, 23544355/ 5523 Vet-N-Pet 040-6553 9535, 93463 05890 Bluplus Pet Clinic 040-2712 1739, 2716 2636 Sri Sai Pet Clinic

040-2779 7458, 9848645350 Claws & Paws 98662 82772 All Creatures Animals Clinic 040-2773 0885 BIRDS Govt Veterinary Hospital 040-2331 9656, 2753 5755 Bird Watcher’s Society 040-2355 6166 Friends of Birds9391048315 SNAKES Friends of Snakes 8374233366

The elite dog For many dog breeders, owners and fanciers, there is simply no other breed that captures the beauty, nobility or the magic of the Tibetan Mastiff breed. reddish brown is the most coveted colour, because the Chinese believe red is auspicious.

TREATED

THEIR VIGILANT NATURE MAKES THEM WANT TO EXPLORE EVERY ENVIRONMENT, SECURE IT SO THAT IT IS SAFE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR PEOPLE.

AS COMMODITIES

Out of every litter of six or nine puppies of purebred mastiffs, only one puppy usually becomes a sought-after physical specimen, depending on nutrition and condition, also increasing the price of the breed.

FEATURES

Living Conditions: The Tibetan Mastiff can live in an apartment life if they are very well exercised. They are not very active indoors. Characteristics: Tibetan Mastiffs are fast learners. However, they are strong-willed and sometimes extremely stubborn. Tibetan Mastiffs are not recommended for formal obedience competition, although they are quite capable of learning obedience. n

arlier in the year, a Chinese businessman paid $1.5 million for a Red Tibetan Mastiff named Big Splash, now regarded as the most expensive dog in the world. Tibetan Mastiffs are among the world’s oldest breed of dog and legend says that Genghis Khan had one. Queen Victoria, King George IV, and some other notables also supposedly owned the breed. Tibetan Mastiffs have become a go-to luxury good for the country’s moneyed elite. Mastiffs are prized in China for their lush coats and intelligence, but most importantly for their

size and ferocity, which deter thieves who kidnap dogs and sell them for their meat. Tibetan Mastiffs are no ordinary dogs. With their natural fierce appearance and loyalty, they came down from mountain pastures in the 1980s and their stock has been rising ever since. However, experts have warned that the species is facing danger of degradation even though their number increased greatly. In the past two years, Qinghai, where China’s largest saline lake is situated, has become the destination of choice for people looking for Tibetan

Mastiffs, according to the China Times. Compared to the mountainous terrain of Tibet, Qinghai is warmer and easier to get to. Li Yongfu, owner of a Tibetan Mastiff breeding farm in Bejing learnt shortly after entering into the business that the dogs had become a status symbol for China’s new rich, whose wealth is spreading beyond real estate and luxury cars. The lion-like animal is considered a symbol of fortune. A purebred can be brown, black or black with specks of brown on the nose, eyebrows and legs. But

Tibetan Mastiffs are territorial and are natural guardian dogs. Some Tibetan Mastiffs are more protective about guarding and watch dog work than others. Life Expectancy: About 15 or more years. Litter Size: An average of 5-12 puppies. Health problems: Prone to hip dysplasia, thyroid problems, skin conditions and ear infections. Also a genetic problem called Canine Inherited Demyelinative Neuropathy (CIDN), which is fatal.

THINGS n

TO KEEP IN MIND

Socialise your dog: Let your dog know you and your world, by taking pup about

n n

with you, and especially by training your dog. It’s a good idea to vary your daily walks with your new dog, if possible. Tibetan Mastiffs quickly “take possession” of everything that they commonly inhabit or visit. Their vigilant nature makes them want to explore every environment, secure it so that it is safe for themselves and their people, and prevent any other animal from encroaching. Young Tibetan Mastiffs need enough exercise to keep them lean and healthy, but not so much that their soft growing bones become overstressed and damaged. Adult Tibetan Mastiffs need more exercise to keep them in shape, but not in hot or humid weather for fear of overheating. Equip your car for a dog who will need to be confined every so often. The Tibetan Mastiff loves a cold climate and does not typically do well in extremely hot and humid conditions. This does not mean that he cannot live in warmer climates but it does mean that there should be air-conditioned facilities during the summer.

BOOKS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

SHORT READS Title: The Twelve Tribes of Hattie Author: Ayana Mathis Publisher: Knopf Hattie Shepherd flees to Philadelphia at 15 to create a better life; instead she marries a man who gives her no joy. She brings up her 12 children to survive in a harsh world, much like the one she had lived in.

Title: Threat Vector Author: Tom Clancy, Mark Greaney Publisher: Putnam Adult Tom Clancy is back with his latest nail-biter. Continuing the adventures of Jack Ryan Sr and his son, Jack Ryan Jr, Threat Vector is about the growing threat of China. Ryan Sr is back in the Oval Office and has to figure out a way to stop the menace.

Title: The Holy or The Broken Author: Alan Light Publisher: Atria Books Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen is one of the most covered and most performed songs in music history. Its soulful lyrics and soaring vocals make it an ideal anthem for human triumph. But the song got off to a very shaking start, taking years to become a hit.

Title: Because I Said So! Author: Ken Jennings Publisher: Scribner Parents across the world pass down bits of wisdom and strange instructions to their children, and most often, this advice comes from their parents, not from a scientific study. Ken Jennings takes the time to examine some of the time-tested advice and bust some of the myths.

The Afghan sojourn

The journey back is always difficult. No one knows that better than Suraya Sadeed who returns 'home'.

FLEME VARKEY fleme.v@postnoon.com

he founder of the charity Help the Afghan Children (HTAC), Suraya Sadeed chronicles her long, arduous journey from a penniless Afghan refugee to the US in 1982 to organiser of semblance and hope in her war-torn country. In 1993, she enjoyed a successful run, married to a man she loved, reaping the benefits of real estate and family life, until a personal tragedy forces her to look homewards. She begins to reflect on the terrible hardship endured by her fellow Afghans ravaged and tormented by the withdrawal of the Soviets, the infighting of the mujahideen, and the Taliban. With money raised within the Afghan community in the US, she headed into Afghanistan to administer the cash herself to the refugee camps. From here begins the actual journey, a bit-by-bit account how a woman through sheer tenacity and determination overcomes

Nidhi Bhushan nidhi.b@postnoon.com

racing the lives of two women — photographer Valentina Rosselli in Milan in the year 2012 and Belle, alter ego of Louise Brzezinska in 1929, Valentina is a long and arduous journey for a reader to finally find out what links the two women. Spanning over just about 450 pages, the book loses its sizzle by the 200th. While the author has clearly made an effort to keep the fire burning in her fifth novel, she fails because of the lack of context. Though as a reader, you expect to read a lot of sex and eroticism but there is something missing. Though the sex scenes are not all that badly written, it appears as though they are the only times Noelle Harrison (author’s real name) made any

all obstacles in her path to reach the heart of the matter. She started underground clinics, schools for girls and administered all the help she could despite the Taliban's draconian laws. The situations she is in she means to say by narrative are in no ways comparable to the plight of the Afghan people. The shock of coming home to a deserted, shelled out place with

misery written all over the people's faces is too much for her to bear as she breaks into tears, remembering her once beautiful homeland. As her adopted country starts bombing her birth country, divided allegiances lead her to pen some of the most affecting passages in the book. However, her information and understanding seem at times

Losing steam Evie Blake’s erotic fiction Valentina that details sexual encounters of two women in different times doesn’t climax all that well, though it begins with a promise to tingle one’s senses.

limited, but her pluck and courage has brought a lot of relief to war widows, drugged out militiamen, educate girls and lead the way. It also shows how less the world knows about the real Kabul or Afghan land, the trauma and the scars that refuse to go. The result of one thoughtless decision spawned only destruction. This memoir of Suraya's journey is hard-hitting, narrated in quite a conversational and unsentimental tone gets through to the reader. She also in passing imparts a very important lesson, when she says, "Alone the American soldiers will achieve nothing, the bullets and bombs will only sow a legacy of hatred and anger among the Afghan people... We must do much more to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people." Unfortunately, Suraya's work in Afghanistan has a long way to go. The poppy fields alluring though they may be still continue to ruin a lot of lives. She concludes by appraising her country's prospects for the future with a hard-won and salutary wisdom: "We can do so much more to defeat the blind prejudices of the hard-line Taliban with education than we

ever will achieve with military muscle alone.” Given all this, Forbidden Lessons is no page turner but what it does is make you reflect and want to know more.

effort. The other bits of the novel fall flat as there are hardly any interesting characters. The narrative is not only boring but lacks the texture of the sexy, bold and fearless aspect of female sexuality that the author so desperately wants to bring out. Blake plays on the one single thing that she feels ties all women together — curiosity. Even in her dedication, she writes that the book is dedicated to the

Valentina in all of us. I’m sorry, I’ve got no Valentina in me, the generalisation just doesn’t work. Even though Blake tries to make her protagonist interesting and someone at least women can relate to, it doesn’t work most of the time. In fact, the character of her lover seems more interesting that her own. And, he frankly is easier to relate to than this twisted unfeeling woman named Valentina. Even Blake’s other lead — Belle — is a tad more intriguing. Though better written than other erotic fictions, Valentina and the quest for love portrayed in it doesn’t tingle one’s senses. Even if it does initially, it’s not long before the fire dies down. While the book might work for those desperate enough, it is easier to read a 150word erotic article in a magazine instead for others.

Name Valentina Author Evie Blake Pages 460 Publisher Hachette India

Name Forbidden lessons in a Kabul Guesthouse Author Suraya Sadeed Pages 280 Publisher Hachette India

BOOKS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

Taking a closer look Reminiscent of many of Hanif Kureishi's novels, Farrukh Dhondy's London Company explores similar themes of rebellion and disenchantment.

Fact and fiction

A book is often judged by its ability to affect its readers. The Anza Deception does exactly that. Deepashri Varadharajan deepashri.v@postnoon.com

JYOTSNA NAMBIAR jyotsna.n@postnoon.com

istory is only as interesting as its chronicler makes it, and the story of Britain in the '60s, when narrated by young Asian immigrant, is anything but dull. Farrukh Dhondy looks back at those turbulent times of racism and rebellion in his fictionalised memoir, London Company. The book follows the actual trajectory of Dhondy's career as a rebel-rouser and protester closely, and he records, in his clear distinctive voice, the mood of immigrant London. Dhondy and his girlfriend, Natasha, both fresh graduates, move to London where they meet other Indian and Asian workers, and learn how deep-rooted racism is in the country. They get involved in race demonstrations, finally

joining the British Black Panthers, an organisation that fights for the rights of all nonwhite immigrants. Dhondy begins with an event that caused him to express displeasure at the path the movement was taking, causing him to

Name: London Company Author: Farrukh Dhondy Pages: 240 Publisher: Hachette India

become disillusioned with the fight. He smoothly transitions back to his optimistic beginnings. The novel moves at a frantic pace through its 240 pages; Dhondy sure seemed to have lived in interesting times. One is constantly reminded of the works of Hanif Kureishi, as the book is filled with the same sort of rebellious energy and disenchantment. However, London Company does justice to a subject that has been explored by many brilliant authors, and holds its own. Some parts of the book meander away from the plot; especially when the author heads to Trinidad. But it is still an entertaining and engrossing read, especially for Dhondy's deft treatment of complex characters who might have otherwise come across as unlikeable. Dhondy has a winner in the quick-paced slice of his youth, which also gives a glimpse into the events that transpired to make London the multicultural hub it is today.

work of fiction beautifully played out on solid facts. The most intriguing aspect of the novel is the depth of research and knowledge about politics, international relations, intelligence bureaus of India and its neighbours and working of the army, police, military and naval forces. It is also how each character is carefully built, from an undercover agent to people belonging to minority groups in foreign countries, facing constant ethnic tensions. It wouldn’t be wrong to call some of the analogies and dialogues made in the book as deliberate: A PM named Singh, who was a former finance minister wearing an “economist’s hat”, exclaiming “Pigs at the bloody trough. That’s what happens in coalition politics,” Sunaina Gopinath who is the “chairperson of Singh’s party and the power behind the throne,” crores of rupees lost in scams and a foreigner amusing over the “bureaucratic tangles India created for itself,” to mention a few. PR Gopinath has taken a prevailing political scenario, analysed international ties, understood the working of various departments and agencies and weaved a thrilling tale that diminishes the boundaries between fiction and reality. The prime ministers of India and Pakistan are pushing for détente. But there are people on both sides trying hard to prevent this. Gopinath has taken care to explain the role of US and China, their rela-

tionship with India and Pakistan, and what is at stake for each country. It is a thrilling tale of conspiracies, communism, casualties for a “greater good,” bureaucratic, political and underworld ties. You travel with the author from Mumbai to Pakistan to the Indo-China border, meet terrorists, agents and civilians along the way, wondering how one turned to the other, understand their problems and the lives they live, as you eagerly turn every page to know the climax of a potential missile attack being planned and the mindboggling network of people it involves. Plans backfire, distrust seeps in and the suspense builds. In his blog, the author writes, “My father is a retired senior Air Force officer, which made me a keen student of military history and geopolitics...” For those well versed in these subjects, it is an enjoyable read. For those who are not, it’s a great place to start.

Name: The Anza Deception Author: PR Ganapathy Pages: 373 Publisher: Hatchette India

WHAT’S SELLING Walden’s best-selling fiction

Walden’s best-selling non-fiction

New York Times’ best-selling fiction

n Fifty Shades Of Grey by EL James

n Bank for the Buck by Tamal Bandyopadhyay

n Cold Days by Jim Butcher

n Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel n One Hundred Names by Cecelia Ahern

n Tirupati A Guide to Life by Kota Neelima n Playing to Win by Saina Nehwal

n 31 by Upendra Namburi

n Eat Delete by Pooja Makhija

n Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi

n Freethinker's Prayer Book by Khushwant Singh

New York Times’ best-selling nonfiction n Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly

n The Black Box by Michael Connelly

n Thomas Jefferson by Jon Meacham

n Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich

n Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

n The Forgotten by David Baldacci

n No Easy Day by Mark Owen with Kevin Maurer

n The Racketeer by John Grisham

n America Again by Stephen Colbert

WOMEN SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

WEBSITES OF THE WEEK Radio Reddit You've heard of Reddit; now check out its musical cousin. Check out various genres in its streaming radio listening option and discover some great new tunes.

Devour: If you're a YouTube clip junkie, head to Devour for a more streamlined viewing experience. Devour picks the top 15 trending videos everyday, and the best thing is, it doesn't allow comments.

Design*Sponge: It's the home décor blog of the year. Design Sponge is filled with gorgeous pictures, helpful do-ityourself tips and funky products to make your house look beautiful.

The world’s her stage Debutante director Sangeeta Nambiar talks about her award-winning film, A Gran Plan, her book Barnabas and her future plans.

SUNORY DUTT

feedback@postnoon

t the 7th Annual Harlem International Film Festival held earlier in September this year, A Gran Plan, Sangeeta Nambiar’s first film, won her the Mira Nair Award for Rising Female Filmmaker. The drama set in Singapore explores the bond between a troubled young boy who meets an old lady (played by Farida Jalal, who won the best actress award at the festival) living her own share of problems. The film explores this sensitive relationship that develops over time. It intricately weaves a story that has the protagonists overcome boundaries of age, language and culture and reach out to each other to form a lasting friendship. Shares Sangeeta, “I had been doing plays for a while but last year I felt the need to paint a larger picture. An idea of two people, despite their age and backgrounds, coming together because of a shared sadness had been playing in my head for a bit and that is really what the movie is about — a 68-year-old Indian lady and a 10-year-old Caucasian boy”. So how did a newbie like Sangeeta manage to convince talented thespian Farida Jalal to star in her film? “She read the script and loved it! It was an eye opener working with her — like an acting school by herself. She’s not only a wonderful person but also an actress par excellence who hasn’t received her due share in India. She was my Plan A, B, C and so on. I have no idea what I would have done is she had turned me down!” Though “ecstatic, amazed and grateful” at having won the award, it’s ironic that despite A Gran Plan being feted by the international film community, Indian audiences will have to endure an indefinite wait before it makes its impact on home ground. “Distributors in India are strangely shying away from English films. I have no idea why!” says Sangeeta. Based in Singapore, Sangeeta runs Playacting Productions tapping into her vast experience in theatre, television and films. “I launched it in 2009 to give a voice to the many voices that were talking inside my head. Makes me sound like a nutter but that’s the creative realm for you!,” she says. Also a published author Sangeeta’s book Barnabas, was launched in August

this year. Set against the Indian freedom struggle, it’s about Bombay’s first private detective who, despite being an Indian, manages to solve the mystery surrounding an English woman’s death. She shares, “The idea came to me in 2009 and it was completely inspired by the many Agatha Christie books I used to devour back then.” Asked on whether she plans to bring it alive on screen, Sangeeta says, “I have no

Gran Plan will be shown at the Delhi International Film Fest on December 23. For more information on Sangeeta’s work visit www.playacting.net.

plans though it might work very well as a film given the era, the premise etc. I have a different genre in mind!” Author, director, producer. What next? “Director for sure. I love it!” Sangeeta’s currently working on scripting her next film, which is a comedy based in Bollywood. Going by her talent, no prizes for guessing who’ll have the last laugh once her next film’s out.

‘Phavycol se’ All About Eve

NIDHI BHUSHAN

recently published article on the web that talks about how boring and irritatingly diplomatic our Bollywood divas are got me thinking. Isn’t it ironic that on the one hand these so-called actresses portray strong-headed women in mainstream cinema while on the other they simply mouth what their publicists tell them to? The entire debate began when Aishwarya Rai, being the plastic doll she’s always been, looked, spoke and behaved like Simi Garewal during an interview with David Frost on Al Jazeera. Her response to every question was boring, in fact, that would be an understatement — it was just embarrassingly dull. While the male stars of tinsel town behave the exact opposite, the more outspoken they are the better, our divas continue to sound like convent-educated, politically-correct women. Whether it’s Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone or the more recent addition Anushka Sharma, they all sound bland. Instead of speaking their minds, they just choose to stay safe. But what are they scared of ? Even though it’s fair that they don’t want to reveal any ‘personal information’ before the media, they can at least make their chit-chats less painful. For instance, SRK or Salman Khan or other big male stars hardly reveal anything earth-cracking either, but they don’t get you to sleep. They show some character — sometimes funny, at times sarcastic and when we’re lucky even smart. So, why do our heroines act like clones of each other? Aren’t they the women of today too? Among female A-listers, the only hope we had was Kareena Kapoor. She started off with a devil-may-care attitude that was believable. Now, even that has been taken away from us. She too, has joined the other barbies in their quest for giving that perfect textbook answer. It feels like it’s only the Mallikas and the Vidyas of the industry who are willing to speak their minds today. Though none of us are looking to Bollywood heroines to ‘learn’ to stand up for what we believe in, I just hope they remove the ‘phavycol’ seal from their lips and SPEAK.

SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

Friday night fever 1

S BALAKRISHNA

Party peeps made a beeline to Liquids to let go and have a blast. Youngsters were seen dancing to the latest chartbusters all night. Spotted were Jennifer, Rachana and others. 2

A sparkly affair 3

Stone Life unveiled an exclusive collection of semi-precious stones and tiles at an evening of Wine and Cheese. The evening was organised in collaboration with Sula wines.

1 Bindu Reddy

5 Jyoti

2 Karthik, Utsav, Jennifer 3 Rachana, Yaseer

6 Sabina 7 Adnan, Pooja 8 Rashmi, Grishma

4 Bhavya

Education talk

Indian Business Conference Institute Pvt. Ltd, in partnership with Teach for India and India Foundation for Arts, hosted EDUTPRO INDIA - 2020, which was organised at The Ferns, Begumpet.

RELATIONSHIPS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

I AM ALL EARS

am 20-year-old boy. I am interested in doing a course in theatre in Delhi with the NSD and I know it involves a lot of stuggle and less monetary returns. How do I convince my parents of my decision? They want me to go do an MBA and all that jazz as they believe I am wasting my time.

Dear worried kid, I am sure even the biggest of theatre actors or for that matter the film stars themselves had to face a lot of opposition the moment they told their folks of their decision. From your parents’ point of view, they just want a sound and settled future for you. Theatre is a good passion, but theatre also involves a lot of study and learning. Getting a back-up plan is good thinking. Try getting like-minded seniors or teachers to talk to your folks.

ccording to a study, published online in The Quarterly Review of Biology, sex-specific epimarks, which normally do not pass between generations and are thus "erased," can lead to homosexuality when they escape erasure and are transmitted from father to daughter or mother to son. Source: Science Daily

Victim of the martyr complex? Putting another’s need before one’s own might be a little more complicated than being nice. Postnoon writes about how these ‘do-gooders’ actually gain from their ‘selfless’ deeds.

Nidhi Bhushan nidhi.b@postnoon.com

ife seemed to be normal for Suresh Shetty (name changed). He was considered one of the most selfless people in his circle of friends. He used to help those in an emergency, spend quality time advising his associates regarding their personal problems and would even provide monetary relief to those who he thought needed it. But there was one small problem. He wasn’t the same at home. He hardly spent any time with his wife or children, didn’t fulfil their desires and needs and wasn’t there when they needed him. So, even though he took pride in his martyr certificate socially, his personal life was a total failure. “People suffering from martyr complex take pleasure in sacrificing their needs for others. In other words, they believe that suffering for others makes them look good. In return, they desire some sort of honour and recognition,” says counselling psy-

chologist Dr Sucharita N. These people are prepared to take responsibility for others’ lives while they employ self-sacrifice and victimise their own lives to shrug off any onus of their actions. Because they are so used to giving up their needs, they remain unhappy and feel unsatisfied all the time. “Martyr complex generally develops in childhood,” says Dr Sucharita. Martyrs usually learn to play victims from a parent who assumed the same role. For instance, if a child sees his mother sacrificing her needs to fulfil those of an uncompromising husband, he or she believes that that’s what life is all about — living for others. And, because the mother had to give up what she wanted in her life, she tends to live it through her childrens’ lives. Hence, making the child’s desires secondary. “The complex is especially tricky in the Indian context as our country is a more community-oriented one as opposed to western countries which are more individualistic in their approach. In our culture, we

A way out

n Stop clinging on to your sufferings, it’s time to let go. Life isn’t a struggle if you don’t want it to be. n Recognise that you are sacrificing your needs for some sort of satisfaction. You are NOT doing it for others, it is only for yourself. n Identify the payoff. Try and objectively analyse what you benefit from your sufferings. Is it sympathy, attention or a sense of superiority to others because you have these burdens to bear? n Set boundaries, don’t say yes when you mean no because that leads to self betrayal. n Raise your self esteem and don’t fear change.

believe that those who live for others live a more fulfilled and happy life. There is a sense of grandeur in living for others,” says Dr Praveen Chintapanti, consultant psychiatrist at Tranquil Minds. Playing the victim’s role is also crucial to the complex as it saves them from any sort of criticism. “People suffering from martyr complex pretend to be victims. They believe they are sacrificing for others and are exceptional human beings for doing so. Also, their sufferings are directly linked to their egos, it makes them feel special and wanted,” adds Dr Chintapanti. “Bordering on masochism, they believe in a sense of punishing themselves for the greater good.” How much can this complex affect our relationships? “A person suffering from the martyr complex ends up evoking abusive patterns in others. For example, if a spouse does all household chores and whatever his or her partner asks them to do, he or she turns the partner into an exploitative person,” explains Dr Chintapanti. “All relationships should be

People suffering from martyr complex take pleasure in sacrificing their needs for others. They believe that suffering for others makes them look good. Dr Sucharita N Counselling Psychologist 50-50. When a person becomes the martyr, the other automatically becomes the dependent one. The equation then leads to a lot of unhappiness and unfulfillment,” adds Dr Sucharita. Bangalore-based psychiatrist Dr Murali Raj, who is head of the psychiatric department at Manipal Hospital in the city, says that the martyr complex is a type of altruism where a person is willing to sacrifice their every need for a higher good. “However, in relationships, especially romantic ones, an even exchange is a must.”

CINEMA SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

Dil Raju spends a bomb for Naayak

am Charan's upcoming film Naayak has been sold for a bomb in Nizam. If the latest buzz is to be believed, Dil Raju has bought the Nizam region's distribution rights for a whopping sum of `11 crores. This is being touted as a new record for a Telugu film so far in Nizam. Only a handful of films in the past have collected a share of more than `15 crores in Nizam. Incidentally, Ram Charan starrer Magadheera still holds the record for the biggest grosser ever in this region. Kajal and Amala Paul are playing the lead roles in the film. VV Vinayak is directing the film and Thaman has scored the music.

YVM is

sugar free romance Gautham Menon’s latest film Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu is a slice of life love story which spans over a period of more than eight years till a couple realises that they can’t live without each other.

HEMANTH KUMAR

hemanth.k@postnoon.com

autham Menon’s latest film Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu is a bittersweet love story without an ounce of fat. It’s about two people who are madly in love with each other, but they don’t realise it till they come of age. Gautham Menon handles the story with great poise and in the end Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu turns out to be a trip down the memory lane for us. Varun (Nani) and Nithya (Samantha) first meet at the age of eight, but before their friendship blooms, they get separated. Eight years later, they meet once again in school and it marks the beginning of a beautiful love story which goes through its share of ups and downs as they grow up. Four years later, they meet once again in college and sparks start flying. Right at this point in their lives, their future plans begin to

diverge. How they meet in the end forms the rest of the story. The film is filled with a series of brilliantly written scenes which have way too much resemblance to what most of us would have gone through in our lives. The script, written by Reshma Ghatala, delves into the psyche of what people go through

Movie: Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu Cast: Nani, Samantha Directed by: Gautham Menon Rating: when they are madly in love and the film captures the nuances of relationships extremely well. Both Nani and Samantha deliver top notch performances. The film depicts their love story in three stages of their lives and both the actors pull it off quite well. The film’s final act is heartwarming. When their on again off

again relationship seems to have hit a roadblock, both of them get restless when they meet in the end and express their true feelings for each other. The emotions are so real yet subtle that most of the conflicts between Varun and Nithya give a feelings of deja vu. Ilayaraja’s music renders a new layer to Gautham Menon’s storytelling. Songs form a major part of the film’s narration and the background score perfectly complements the emotions which these two characters go through. The cinematography is a tad disappointing compared to Gautham Menon’s earlier films. At the end of the day, Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu is a trademark Gautham Menon’s film. It’s incredible that he manages to narrate such simple stories based on relationships so effortlessly. The pace of narration is slow, but if you overlook that aspect, you’ll see what a fine film it is. It’s a must-watch if you are a sucker for romance.

SVSC’s shoot

to be wrapped up on Dec 21

he principal shooting of Seethamma Vaakitlo Sirimalle Chettu is going to be wrapped up on December 21. Mahesh Babu, Venkatesh, Samantha and Anjali are playing the lead roles. Srikanth Addala is directing the film and Dil Raju is producing it. Recently, the film was briefly shot in Pune and later this month, a song is going to be shot on Venkatesh and Anjali in Kerala. A 30 second song teaser of the film was recently unveiled

and the response has been pretty good so far. The film's post production is going on in full swing and already Mahesh Babu has begun dubbing his voice for the film. Mickey J Meyer has composed the music and the audio is likely to be launched on December 16. KV Guhan is the cinematographer. It’s the first multistarrer in years featuring such big stars and all eyes are on Venkatesh and Mahesh Babu who’ll be seen as siblings in the film.

CINEMA SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

SONAM'S friends go gaga over Farhan

MALAIKA is my sounding board

ctor-filmmaker Arbaaz Khan says his wife and co-producer Malaika Arora Khan has been his constant pillar of support throughout the making of Dabangg 2, which he directed. “She is my wife and she is the co-producer of the film. Right from the time I started making the film — from the subject of the film, to finalising the actors, where I will be shooting... I used to discuss everything with her,”Arbaaz said. “She was there as more of a sounding board. I wouldn't say she was creatively

ctress Sonam Kapoor might have a long list of fans for herself, but her friends are going gaga after her Bhaag Milkha Bhaag co-star Farhan Akhtar. Sonam, 27, is said to have received many calls from her friends, when she changed the picture on her Blackberry Messenger to that of Farhan. “After seeing Farhan as Milkha Singh, Sonam has been flooded with requests. All her friends have become fans of Farhan and they wanted to meet him,” a source said. Like a good friend, the actress introduced all of them to Farhan, who plays the role of athlete Milkha Singh in the movie. “At least 32 people came on the sets and met Farhan. He spent time with all of them,” said the source. Directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is a biopic IANS on Milkha Singh.

involved in the films, because that’s not her job, that is not her domain and that is not what I wanted her to do. She is my wife and she is as much as the producer as I am,” he added. Arbaaz says it is a natural progression for him to turn director. “It's a very natural progression in the film industry. People want to do different things. I always wanted to make a movie. It is just that there was an opportunity to be an actor early in my career, but I always at some stage wanted to make my movie, produce and direct a film and when the opportunity came to me, I had to avail it,” he said. Dabangg 2, releasing December 21, features Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha and Prakash Raj. IANS

SONAKSHI excited to taste

'Namak' with

SHAHID

ctress Sonakshi Sinha says viewers should look forward to a lot of dance in Namak, given Prabhudheva and Shahid Kapoor's association with it. “We are starting Namak in February. (I'm) looking forward to it and of course since we have Prabhudheva and Shahid in the film, there is going to be a lot of dance in the film,” said Sonakshi. “I am completely happy because I love dancing and it will be completely a masala film. I

don't think you can expect anything less from Prabhudheva,” she added. Sonakshi has had a brush with Prabhudheva's style of working in Rowdy Rathore, which did well at the box office. Sonakshi also did an item number with the actor-choreographer-filmmaker in OMG: Oh My God!. Ask if she is learning any new dance form for Namak, she said: “Not new kind of dance, but once we start shooting I am sure Prabhu will make up something new and make us do that.” IANS

CINEMA SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

e’s got Oscars. Accolades. International fame. But what Sean Penn says he lacks in his life is love. “There is no shame in my saying that we all want to be loved by someone. As I look back over my life in romance, I don’t feel I’ve ever had that,” the 52-year-old activist and actor, told Esquire for its January 2013 issue. “I have been the only one that was unaware of the fraud in a few of these circumstances blindly,” he says. Having been married — and divorced — twice, to Madonna and to Robin Wright, Penn says, “When you get divorced, all the truths that come out, you sit there and you go, “ ‘What the f--- was I doing? What was I doing believing that this person was invested in this way?’”

‘I’ve never felt loved in my life’

‘Big Bummer’ for Bieber J

ustin Bieber’s name was nowhere to be found when the nominations for the 2013 Grammy Awards were announced. And Bieber admitted in an interview on Ellen that not being nominated at all despite the critical and commercial success of his latest album, Believe, was definitely “a big bummer.” “I was looking forward to [possible Grammy noms], but I know it will happen one day,” says the platinum-selling heartthrob, who was up for Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album two years ago but lost out to jazz artist Esperanza Spalding and Lady Gaga, respectively.

MEGAN FOX opens up about painful childbirth F

riends With Kids star Megan Fox now has a kid of her own. But according to the brunette beauty, getting there wasn’t easy. Turns out, childbirth was quite the painful and difficult odyssey for Brian Austin Green’s missus, who delivered their first child, son Noah, on September 7. And she candidly recounted to us that journey to motherhood. It was pretty bad,” she exclusively told E! News at the Hollywood premiere of her new film This Is 40, saying that she didn’t expect the pain of childbirth to be so swift and intense. “I didn’t ease into the contractions—they just were a level 10 right away,” the 26-year-old added. “And I barely made it to the hospital in time to get the epidural before I started pushing. It all happened in less than four hours, which was pretty crazy.” Still, motherhood has clearly had a profound impact on the star, who says that having a child “softens me.”

CHAI TIME SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

SUDOKU

I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite.

Play & Win

voucher from VENKEY’S VEG Restaurant, Nampally

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

Play & Win

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

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Variety or type 4 Formed before delivery, as concrete 11 ‘The Outsiders’ foe 14 XY chromosome bearers 15 Hearing-wise 16 Tavern by a tube station 17 Spry 20 Strange person 21 Doggie rewards 22 Oakland gridder 23 Neither winning nor losing 25 Coffee source for a crowd 26 Add highlights to, at a salon 28 Kimono accessory 31 In the fashion of 32 Winning margin 34 How a suspect might try to act 37 It might break the camel’s back 40 Unlikely winner 43 Spike, as punch 47 UN worker protection gp 48 ‘___ volunteers?’ 49 Antietam soldier, for short 52 Bear, Cub or Bruin 53 Type of decree 55 Mine shaft borer 57 Like a lamb 61 English counties 62 Treacherous person 65 Housebroken animal 66 Coming down in flakes

67 Body of saltwater 68 ‘Lemon’ end 69 Some bagel seeds 70 0.0000001 joule DOWN 1 World banking org 2 Away from the wind 3 Wrestler’s ploy 4 Matched by twos 5 Become depleted of water 6 Word used in logic 7 Coral islet 8 ‘That was ___ of fun!’

9 Bit of slander 10 Whitewall, in Whitehall 11 Having depth 12 Beat on the Top 40 13 Network with an eye logo 18 Travel mug topper 19 Morsel for a horse 22 Be sorry about 24 Midnight to midnight 27 Sweepstakes submission 28 Expert swimmer of the weasel family 29 Prickly chestnut case

30 Certain S&L acct. 33 Yellowstone bugling beast 35 Hinny’s mother 36 Aid in punching holes 38 ‘Caught you!’

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

KAKURO

How to play kakuro

– GK Chesterton

39 He may be a junior 40 Gunga ___ 41 Trued a car’s wheels 42 Looking on the bright side 44 Pacify 45 More crude and vulgar 46 Really long geological time 50 It’s derived from natural gas 51 Stratton’s partner in manufacturing 54 ___-jet printer 56 Make a mistake 58 Trueheart of the comics 59 Toe the ___ (be obedient) 60 Nephew of Cain and Abel 61 Adjust with a wedge 62 Jacuzzi 63 Airline once controlled by Howard Hughes 64 Succumb to gravity

CHAI TIME SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

Aries

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

The Devil

Six of Swords

Seven of Cups

King of Wands

The Fool

Ace of Swords

ork – There may be some confusion when it comes to what’s expected of you. You may have misunderstood something. Romance – You and your partner need to set realistic expectations of each other. There are times when you feel it’s not working out. Health – You feel restless and anxious about not knowing what the future holds. You need some time to relax and de-stress. Meditate. Money – Finances have been your concern for some time now and they are sorted out quite well. Tarot message – Don’t stress about having it all right now and knowing everything there is know. There is joy in not knowing as well and you need to discover that joy.

ork – You have it in you to be a good boss with a heart. Your peers recognise the leader in you and urge you to aim higher. Romance – You may need to learn a few tricks to make a potential romance work in your favour. Being too idealistic may not work best. Health – You’re feeling cheerful and that is contributing a great deal to your health. You feel wonderful about the time and space you’re in now. Money – Finances are looking good. You have all the traits to secure yourself and be at a position of minimum risk at any time. Tarot message – You see life differently and it takes some unusual experiences for you to understand that there may be another world out there.

ork – You’re getting into an unfamiliar area at work. But this does not mean you won’t manage well enough. You’ll be just fine. Romance – Those committed with discover something new about their partners. Singles will find magic and romance in a seemingly unlikely partner. Health – Your enthusiasm and curiosity to learn the new will keep you occupied and interested in learning more. Money – A new job or assignment will give you opportunities to make more money. You discover new ways of keeping the bank balance healthy. Tarot message – Everything seems new and you’re on a sharp learning curve. This time is important for your own spiritual growth as well.

ork –You’re too tempted to take the unfamiliar road. If you don’t have the experience or knowledge, it’s best to stay away and stick to what you do best. Romance – The relationship may have reached a point of boredom where you can even predict what your partner is going to say next. Rekindle the love. Health – Health needs extra care. Stay away from anything that remotely suggests trouble for your health. Money – You may be tempted to move money around in unfamiliar investments and take bigger risks. It’s a not a good idea. Stay in familiar territory for now. Tarot message – This is the time to keep a low profile and not get too adventurous. It’s not the best time for risk taking.

ork – Overseas contacts will give you some great ideas and you’re off to start something on your own. It may be replicating an idea from a foreign country in your hometown. Romance – Distance makes the heart grow fonder. You realise that space may have actually been what was needed to make things better. Health – There is no need to worry about health. You’re in good shape. Just continue to watch the diet and eat healthy. Money – You may make some extra money from freelance assignments. It gives you the confidence to even consider going it alone. Tarot message – Spread your wings and discover for yourself that you can, indeed, fly. Explore the limits of your potential.

SUMAA TEKUR tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

Libra

Scorpio

Five of Wands

Ten of Wands

ork – Some sort of conflict is indicated. Someone in your office may be conspiring against you and you need to be aware of this before you make a choice. Romance – A third person may be butting in with his/her point of view of how you need to manage your relationship. Don’t tell this person off yet. He/she may have valuable advice. Health – Worrying is not helping your health. Look out for, and treat ulcers, sore throat, cold and minor, seasonal ailments. Money – Guard your money well and don’t make any unnecessary expenses that will upset your planning till now. Tarot message – Watch your back and guard against impulsive decisions that may prove costly later on.

ork – Delegate. Delegate. Delegate. This cannot be said enough times. You’re caught in an impossible situation only because you are taking on too much. Romance – You and your partner may need some time apart to think things through and review your relationship status. Take a break. Health – Worry, anxiety and fear of the unknown are getting to you. You’re restless, stressed out and experiencing sleepless nights. Money – Finances are stable and there isn’t much to worry about on the money front. Just watch out for the credit card expenses and make sure they’re not overshooting. Tarot message – You need to rest your mind and get rid of assumptions that may be crowding it.

Sagittarius Ace of Pentacles

ork –A promotion or raise may make you the envy of your office. But you have the charm to take your colleagues along with you. They secretly admire you. Romance – A new relationship is a strong possibility for singles looking for love. You may find someone interesting in the most unexpected of places. Health – Diet and exercise needs your constant attention. No point binge-eating or slacking on your diet programme. Money – Finances are looking fantastic. There’s every chance that a windfall further boosts your bank balance. Tarot message – You’re in a creative phase where the material and the creative come together beautifully. Make the most of this time.

Capricorn

Date 16-12-2012

Aquarius

Queen of Cups

King of Pentacles

ork – Your subordinates respect you for your experience and confidence in decision making. Romance – You come across as too cut and dried and totally out of touch with the romantic in you. How about living in a fairytale world, at least for some time? Health – Health is looking good. Just make sure to keep depression at bay. Undue anxiety and worry may be causing some stress on the body. Money – You have a singleminded focus on money, and want to secure yourself and your family financially before making any other decisions. Tarot message – You’re in a position of power and control. The way your life turns out from here will depend on how you use that power.

ork – You come across as too emotional and this may be a problem at the work place where you’re expected to show a higher EQ. Romance – This is a great time for romance. Wooing, candlelight dinners, long drives and chats late into the night make you rediscover the passion with a loved one. Health – Don’t get over-excited about anything. Take all new information coming your way with a pinch of salt. Exercise regularly. Money – Finances are looking fine because you have made your investments well and that’s how much you can do. Worry not about losing money. Tarot message – You make decisions based on how you feel and not so much on what you (or others) think.

ork – You’re on the right track and instinctively know what tack to use. This impresses clients and that, in turn, impresses your bosses. Romance – You tend to take an extreme position in relationships. You love him/her to bits or you decide it’s not worth it. Give a new relationship time and space. Health – Health needs attention. You may be down with viral or some seasonal bout of flu. But take preventive measures so it doesn’t escalate. Money – You’ve got it all planned out and you know where you’re headed. Finances will follow. You realise that it takes time. Tarot message – You have the knack to cut through the heart of the matter and see things with clarity.

Pisces The Star

ork – If you hate your job, or more specifically your boss, things will begin to look up. Either your boss leaves or you get another job. Romance – The committed will find deeper meaning in their partnership. Singles will change their expectations of love and marriage. Health – You discover a new treatment or an alternative solution to a chronic medical problem. Money – If money has been tight, don’t worry. You’ll find a new source of additional income that will ease the burden on your EMIs. Tarot message – There’s a silver lining to the cloud that has been threatening to take away your peace of mind. Don’t worry.

Vol: 2, No 149 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-40672222, Fax: 040-40672211

THE SATURDAY QUIZ SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

published? 4. Cannis Vulpes is the scientific name for which animal? 5. If something is somniferous what does it induce in humans? 6. If a person is Esotropic, they are what? 7. What is a female chimpanzee called?

IN THE NEWS

8. Selma and Patty are characters in which US television cartoon series? 9. Who played Giacinta ‘Jinx’ Johnson in the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day? 10. An abecedarian is a person who is learning what? 11. Entertainer Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou is bet-

ter known by what name? 12. Which bird traditionally inhabits the Tower of London? 13. In Indian cookery, what is gingili otherwise called? 14. What was the name of the British navy vessel, commanded by James Cook on his 1769 voyage?

IDENTIFY THESE ICONIC LANDMARKS

CURRENT AFFAIRS

1 2

Apple, on December 7, 2012 launched two new devices. Which are these two devices?

Answers

1. On a dating website, what does WLTM stand for? 2. The thistle is the national emblem of which European country? 3. Silence Dogwood was a pseudonym used by which Founding Father of the United States to get his satirical pieces of writing

1.Would Like to Meet 2.Scotland 3.Benjamin Franklin 4.Fox 5. Sleep 6. Cross-eyed 7. Empress 8.The Simpsons 9. Halle Berry 10 The Alphabet.11. George Michael 12 Ravens 13. Sesame 14. HMS Endeavour

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

TEST YOURSELF WHO PLAYED THESE CHARACTERS?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Cole Thornton of El Dorado

Software engineers as well as neuroscientists at University of Waterloo claimed that they have developed a closest model of the functioning human brain. What is it called?

Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber Selena Kyle in Batman Returns

Rocky Balboa in Rocky

Boeing, the US aircraft manufacturer claimed that a new missile was tested which can permanently blackout the electronics of the country without causing any harm to people. What is the name of this missile?

Jack Dawson in The Titanic Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs

Frankie Dunn in Million Dollar Baby

China held one of its largestever air force drill involving multitypes fighter planes, amid heightened tensions with Japan over territorial dispute. How many fighter planes were involved?

Frank Costello in The Departed Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible

1iPad mini and fourth generation iPad 2. Spaun 3. Champ 4.100

The voice of donkey in Shrek

Answers

Lara Croft in Tomb Raider

What does the term Satyameva Jayate on the national emblem mean?

with Santosh Ghule Which of these flowers is blooming?

Answer for 44 :

Deepika Kumari won Silver at the Recurve World Cup on September 23, 2012 in Tokyo. Recurve World Cup is related to which sports event?

PICTURE PUZZLE 45

WHO AM I? I am a former Indian cricketer, a left-arm spinner and have captained the Indian cricket team in 22 Test matches. Recently I criticised the BCCI, MS Dhoni and the ‘disgraceful’ condition of the Nagpur pitch.

Answer : Bishan Singh Bedi

Name the boxer and London Olympic bronze medalist who, on September 24, 2012 was named as the brand ambassador of super fight league.

Yes, they are all straight.

Answers: 1 Wailing Wall, Jerusalem 2.Sydney Opera House, Australia 3. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco 4White Cliffs of Dover

Which Indian has been appointed as the Chief Economist of the World Bank?

Answers:

1.John Waynae 2 Jim Carrey 3.Michelle Pfeiffer 4 Sylvester Stallone 5.Leonardo DiCaprio 6.Jodie Foster 7.Clint Eastwood 8Jack Nicholson 9. Tom Cruise 10. Eddie Murphy 11. Angelina Jolie

KNOW YOUR COUNTRY

1 Truth will triumph 2. Kaushik Basu 3. Mary Kom 4.Archery

Answers

CINEMA SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

Hugh Jackman gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

t's been quite the week for Hugh Jackman. As if nabbing both SAG and Golden Globe nominations for his work in Les Misérables wasn't enough, the Aussie actor also became the

AMBER HEARD

GETS THREE DAYS TO KILL

hough it boasts a high concept plot spawned by Luc Besson and co-writer Adi Hasak and McG seated in the director’s chair, action thriller Three Days To Kill has already scored Kevin Costner and Hailee Steinfeld. Amber Heard is the latest to join their ranks. Heard is set to play the woman who dangles the offer of the miracle drug in front of our hero. Last seen in The Rum Diary, she’ll next crop up in Robert Rodriguez action sequel Machete Kills (which should aptly prepare her for working from a Besson-penned script) and corporate thriller Paranoiaalongside Liam Hemsworth. Kill will star Costner as Ethan Runner, a Secret Service agent who is shocked to discover he’s dying. But then he’s tempted with the offer of a possibly wondrous drug that might just extend his life and give him more time with his daughter (Steinfeld).

latest recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. "It's kind of a surreal day," Jackman told E! News. "I'll probably always remember Thursday, December 13 and I

think I am either going straight from here to buy a lottery ticket or to a casino because it just feels like someone is looking down on me in a very nice way at this moment,” he says.

Supernatural fave to guest star on The Mentalist

huck is being resurrected… on The Mentalist! Rob Benedict, who recurred on CW’s Supernatural as author/prophet(possibly God) Chuck Shurley, has scored a guest spot on CBS’s The Mentalist. He will play Paul Friedman, an adjunct professor and PhD candidate who works in the same lab where a student was murdered. The episode, titled Red in Tooth and Claw, will air in mid-February on CBS.

SPORTS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I never saw Lance dopeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Bolt seals legend status

ance Armstrong's former doctor Michele Ferrari on Friday insisted he had never seen the disgraced seven-time Tour de France winner dope. Ferrari, who like the American has been banned for life by the US AntiDoping Agency (USADA), also said that he had virtually no relationship with the other cyclists who accused him of being at the centre of the scandal.

LeBron, US stars in shock

amaican sprint star Usain Bolt cemented his status as a true legend of track and field by claiming a second Olympic treble gold medal haul at the London Games. Bolt followed up his podium-topping in 2008 by becoming the first sprinter to defend both the 100m and 200m. He then led home the 4x100m relay team in a world record-breaking 36.84sec.

BA superstar LeBron James and several Major League Baseball stars were among those who expressed their shock and sorrow over a mass shooting on Friday by a gunman at a US elementary school. At least 27 people, including 18 children, were reportedly killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

China boys dominate action Syed Shoaib shoaib.s@postnoon.com

HYDERABAD: The big boys of table tennis got into the action on Saturday morning in the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium. The handful of spectators witnessed some attacking and fast-paced games of table tennis. In the first doubles quarterfinals event of the 10th World Junior Table Tennis Championships, Chia-Sheng Lee and TzuHsiang Hung of Taipei steamrolled Alessandro Baciocchi and Leonardo Mutti of Italy 4-0, winning 11-9, 12-10, 11-7, 11-6. The dominance of the Chinese players was obvious in the fact that two teams from China made it to the quarterfinals, won their respective games and will later play the semi-finals for a place in the final to be able to take a shot at the title. While Gaoyuan Lin and Chenhao Xu of China demolished Benedikt Duda and Frederick Jost of Germany 4-0, by winning 11-9, 11-2, 11-9, 11-4, Shengpeng Fan and Zhendong Fan had to sweat it out before getting the better of Woojin Jang and Jonnghoon Lim of Korea 4-2 winning a ding-dong battle 6-11, 11-6, 1210, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9. In a game that saw fortunes fluctuate continuously, Yuto Muramatsu and Asuka Sakai of Japan beat Enzo Angles and Antoine Harchard of France 9-11, 16-14, 611, 11-9, 10-12, 9-11. In a notable factor, all four teams that made it to the semi-final stage of the doubles event for boys are from far-eastern countries: China, Taipei and Japan.

League Cricket A 4-A11 division one-day HUCC 148 (Ateeq 30, Raghu 5/45) lost to Kakatiya 149/2 (Ramana 56 n.o., Ramu 67 n.o.). HCA Academy 330/2 (Mohd Taha Shaik 175 n.o., K. Ashish 49, Samhuith 72) bt Vijayanand 299 (Samrat 135, Kirthik 125, Taha 5/45). Superstars 278/5 (Vamshi 85, Vikas 80, Murali 50) bt XI Masters 92 (Chavanpaul 52 n.o.). Brother John of God U-14 Khammam 333/5 (Uday 66, Shyam 124 n.o.) bt New Royal High School 183/5 (Ravi Teja 82 n.o., Shyam 3/36) Geetanjali Devashala 60 lost to Takshila HS 61/1 Nalgonda 50 (Sadanand 4/16) lost to Mahboob C HS 51 for no loss. KBSE 99 (Vishnu 4/10) lost to Karthikya Concept School 103/1 Pallavi Model HS 115 (Sanjay 4/14) lost to Maha Boodhi Vidyalaya 116/5 (Sanjay Pradhan 35). Bhavans Ramakrishna Vidyalaya 220 (Santosh 60, Y. Sai Charan 52, Vishnu 42, Arun 3/46) bt St Joseph Grammer School 80 (Saicharan 6/2).

Animal Kingdom going to stud in Oz

Yuto Muramatsu and Asuka Sakai of Japan play Enzo Angles and Antoine Harchard of France in a quarterfinal match in the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium on Saturday. The Japanese duo won 9-11, 16-14, 611, 11-9, 10-12, 9-11. SRINIVAS SETTY

MIAMI: Animal Kingdom, the 2011 Kentucky Derby champion and runner-up to Wise Dan in last month's Breeders' Cup Mile, will begin his stud career in Australia after the 2013 racing season. The colt, trained by Graham Motion and owned by the Team Valor group led by Barry Irwin, is set to return to racing at the $300,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap in February and the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 31.

Windsor Manor, Noble Honour put up impressive run HYDERABAD: Windsor Manor, Noble Honour, Guiding Light, Ice Barrier, Combined Force, Promotion and Golconda King caught the eye with impressive runs when horses were exercised at the Malakpet racecourse in the City this morning. Sand track 800 metres Odalis (Ravinder Singh) 57, 600/42 Moved on the bit. Secret Burden (rb) 1-2, 600/46 Easy. Queens Necklace (Imran Khan) 57.5, 600/42 Moved well. Young Power (app) 59, 600/44 Easy. Rajkumari (Imran Khan) 57.5,

600/41.5 Speedy. Combined Force (app) 54, 600/40.5 Pleased. 2y. Graceland (Christopher) 2y. Globe Trotter (Pawar) 59, 600/43 They finished together. 2y. Promotion (Anil) Hamiolton (Dileep) 56, 600/42 They finished together. Khalis Gold (app) 2y. Any Given Day (M Mark) 59, 600/43 They moved together. Camacho Speed (rb) 1-0, 600/43.5 Easy. Wedding Gift (rb) 2y. Proud Image (Sai Vamshi) 59, 600/44 They finished together. 2y. Spirited (rb) 2y. Lily Marlene (rb) 1-3, 600/46 They moved freely. Splendid Act (app) Flower

Drum (rb) 58, 600/44 Latter pushed and finished level. Pacific Star (Joshi) 56, 600/42 Pleased. Over Shadow (Imran Khan) 1-2, 600/46 Easy. 2y. Golconda King (N Rawal) Fine Racer (Sai Kumar) 57, 600/43 Former finished a length in front. 2y. Magical Punch (S Nayak) 57, 600/42.5 Moved well. 2y. Ciel Blu (Kiran Naidu) 1-2.5, 600/47 Easy. Ice Mountain (Anil) 58, 600/44 Moved well. Commanding Heights (N Rawal) 59, 600/42.5 Moved well. Sand track 1000 metres

Guiding Light (rb) 1-13, 800/56.5, 600/41.5 Pleased. August Kranti (Harinder Singh) 2y. Ray Of Hope (Deep Shanker) 1-15, 800/10, 600/45 They moved together. 2y. Stamp Of Class (app) 1-17, 800/1-0, 600/45 Easy. Betty Prior (Alikhan) 2y. Jamie (K.Alam) 115, 800/56, 600/42.5 Lattter moved well and finished together. Spanish Conquest (app) 2y. Wow O Wow (Joshi) 1-13, 800/57, 600/42.5 They moved together. Windsor Manor (M Mark) 1-9, 800/54, 600/40 Impressed. Noble Honour (Kalam) Hard Kingdom (Ali Khan) 1-11, 800/55, 600/41

Former finished in front. 2y. Shear Luck (rb) 2y. Star Wings (rb) 1-17.5, 800/1-1.5, 600/45 They moved together. 2y. Golden Arrow (Joshi) Strategic Command (app) 1-15, 800/1-0, 600/43 Former finished well in front. Kohinoor Destiny (Ajit Kumar) 1-15, 800/59, 600/45 Easy. Sand track 1200 metres Handsome Hunk (Dileep) 2y. Ice Barrier (Anil) 1-30, 1000/1-11, 800/55, 600/41.5 They impressed. Sand Track 1600 Metres: Wining Tactics (Togrolu) 2-5, 1600/600 in 1-15 Urged.

SPORTS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

Kohli, Dhoni keep Eng at bay NAGPUR: Dec 15 (PTI) Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli batted resolutely to take India to 146/4 at lunch on the third day of the fourth and final cricket Test against England here today. Battling hard to resurrect the stuttering innings, the two overnight batsmen carried on in a sedate fashion against the England attack to remain unconquered in a lunch score of 146 for 4 in 73 overs, that left India 184 runs behind England's first innings total of 330. At the break, Kohli was not out on 46 -- his highest individual score of the series -- after a total stay of 170 minutes in

which he faced 155 balls and hit three fours. His captain was on a 103–ball 33 that included four fours and came in 155 minutes. The day began with the two batsmen, who tried their best to eschew all risks, facing innings wrecker-in-chief James Anderson and Monty Panesar. The first four of the morning was an edged for by Dhoni off Anderson, who had ripped out the stumps of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar in a sensational stint of fast bowling yesterday. Strangely, there was not a slip in sight to wait for the edges to Anderson who later gave way to Tim Bresnan after a four-over spell in which he conceded that

SCOREBOARD ENGLAND 1ST INNINGS INDIA 1ST INNINGS Gambhir c Prior b Anderson V Sehwag b Anderson CA Pujara c Bell b Swann SR Tendulkar b Anderson V Kohli notout MS Dhoni notout Total (4 wkts, 73 overs) Bowling O M R Anderson 13 3 31 TT Bresnan 16 3 37 MS Panesar 29 11 36 GP Swann 13 3 31 IJL Trott 1 0 2 JE Root 1 0 5

330 37 0 26 2 46 31 146 W 3 0 0 1 0 0

Hussey leads the way for Oz HOBART, AUSTRALIA: Sri Lanka were 21 without loss at tea in reply to Australia's 450 for five declared on the second day of the first Test at Hobart on Saturday. Dimuth Karunaratne was on 13 with Tillakaratne Dilshan not out eight. Earlier, Mike Hussey boosted Australia's first innings with another half-century after the loss of skipper Michael Clarke's wicket. Hussey's productive summer showed no sign of waning as the 37-year-old shared in a unbroken partnership with wicketkeeper Matthew Wade to push Australia's total to 450 after a rain-delayed start to the day's play. Hussey, who scored two centuries in the recent series against South Africa, became the fourth half-century maker of the Australian innings, off 114 balls. Following his 30th Test halfcentury, the reliable number six batsman has now amassed more than 780 runs for the calendar year. Wade had a life on 20 when he was dropped by fielding substitute Suraj Randiv at midwicket off Chanaka Welegedara nearing lunch. Clarke was out in the day's

centuries, along with his Test highest score of 329 not out against India in Sydney last AFP January.

SCOREBOARD

Australian batsman Mike Hussey leaps in the air as the ball hits the stumps on the first day of the first cricket Test match against Sri Lanka in Hobart on Saturday. AFP/WILLIAM

third over after a 50-minute rain delay when he edged Shaminda Eranga to Kumar Sangakkara low down at first slip. The Australian skipper's 74 off 145 balls took his tally to 1,432 runs this calendar year at 102.28 with a possibility of three more Test innings to come before year's end. It was a big wicket for Sri Lanka to remove Clarke. He had been on track for his fifth century of 2012, three of them double-

AUSTRALIA 1ST INNINGS (Overnight 299/4) D. Warner run out 57 Cowan c Eranga b Welegedara 4 P. Hughes b Welegedara 86 Watson c J’wardene b W’dara 30 Clarke c Sangakkara b Eranga 74 M. Hussey not out 115 M. Wade not out 68 Extras 16 Total (5 wkts declared) 450 Bowling O M R W Kulasekara 32 2 80 0 Welegedara 26 1 130 3 Eranga 25 9 90 1 Mathews 15 3 41 0 Dilshan 7 0 30 0 Herath 26 4 75 0 SRI LANKA 1ST INNINGS D. Karunaratne not out 13 T. Dilshan not out 8 Extras 0 Total (0 wkts) 21 Bowling O M R W Starc 4 0 15 0 Hilfenhaus 2 0 6 0 Lyon 1 1 0 1

four and three more runs. The sight of a new fast bowler into the attack galvanised Kohli a bit and he offdrove him superbly for his first boundary of the day to raise the team's 100 in the 52nd over. Kohli then crossed his previous best score in the series -- 20 made in the second innings of the third Test -- and then Dhoni square cut Swann, who replaced the frugal Panesar after the latter's six-over spell for two runs, to increase the rate of scoring. The fifth wicket duo also completed their half-century rebuilding stand in 106 minutes and 170 balls. The first hour produced just

27 runs in 17 overs and India were 217 runs adrift of the visitors' first innings total of 330. Panesar went to the end from where Bresnan and Anderson bowled, soon after the start of the second hour's play and thetwo batsmen got a few boundaries with square cuts off the spinners. Eager to get a breakthrough, England captain Alastair Cook brought the unimpressive Bresnan for Swann late in the session and then gave the ball to debutant Joe Root. The hosts added 59 runs in 32 overs in the session, and more importantly, did not lose a wicket while putting on 75 runs for the unfinished fifth wicket in 248 balls.

Lochte smashes 200m medley record ISTANBUL: Ryan Lochte shattered his own world record in winning the 200m individual medley at the world short course championships on Friday and celebrated by tossing his gold medal away. The 28-year-old New Yorker, an 11-time Olympic medallist, finished in 1 minute, 49.63 seconds en route to a fourth consecutive gold medal at Sinan Erdem Arena. His previous record had been 1:50.08 set in December, 2010, in Dubai. Japan's Daiya Seto clocked 1:52.80 to add the silver medal to the gold he won in the 400m individual medley, and Laszlo Cseh of Hungary won bronze in 1:52.89. It had already been a stellar meeting for Lochte after he had won gold in the 200m freestyle, 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays. But he stunned the crowd by handing his gold medal to a 10-year-old boy who had been patiently waiting for the American's autograph. "I give them all away. One of the main reasons for racing is because of my fans, so I always want to give something back," said Lochte, who now has 27 short course

medals including 18 gold. "If I took the medal it would end up in a sock drawer, if I give it to a fan they're going to treasure it. It will make their day or even their life." "To see that smile on that little face means everything to me." Lochte wasted no time in taking the lead on Friday and by the end of the butterfly stage he was already under world record time. He held his pace over the backstroke, then stretched his lead further in the breaststroke. By the time he turned for the freestyle leg he was well clear of his rivals and powered his way to the wall for his fourth gold medal of these championships and his 18th in world short-course champiAFP onship history.

‘Don't read much into India's struggle against Eng’ KARACHI: Gearing up for a short tour of India, Pakistan cricket coach Dav Whatmore has warned his team against reading too much into the arch-rivals' struggle in the ongoing home Test series against England. "We should not be complacent at all because of India's recent form against England. The fact is that the English team is playing professional and well

at the moment and India have a big challenge to square the series," Whatmore told reporters on the first day of a week-long conditioning camp set up in Lahore for the tour to India from December 22. India are currently fighting to save the series in the fourth and final Test after conceding a 2-1 lead to England.

"But I wouldn't read too much into it because the results of one Test series doesn't necessarily mean that India is a weak side as we all know how good they have been over many years," he said. The former Australian Test player also felt that off-spinner Saeed Ajmal would continue to be Pakistan's trump card even in the coming T20 and ODI series

against India. "Obviously we will select our playing eleven and bowling attack after seeing the conditions on the particular day of the match. But feel we've enough boys in the group to satisfy the requirements of any conditions," he said. Whatmore said Saeed would remain a threat for India even in their home conditions.

SPORTS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

greatest player ever in the game after he scored twice on Sunday to beat the 40-year-old record of Germany’s Gerd Mueller and take his tally to 86 for 2012. But claims emerged on Thursday that he may still in fact be well short of Zambia legend Chitalu, who netted 107 times — 49 in league matches for Kabwe Warriors and 58 in cup and internationals — between January 23 and December 10, 1972. A black and white photograph of a smiling Chitalu, dressed in a suit and holding a ball inscribed with “1972 Godfrey Chitalu 107 goals” has been widely circulated on the AFP Internet.

Wenger lucky to avoid sack: Wright LONDON: Arsenal legend Ian Wright claims Gunners manager Arsene Wenger is lucky to still have a job because any other boss would have been sacked for going so long without

success. Wright, one of the club’s all-time greats, has added his voice to the growing criticism of Wenger in the aftermath of Tuesday’s humiliating League Cup quarter-final defeat at Bradford.

Wenger, 63, has not delivered a trophy since the FA Cup in 2005 and the display against League Two minnows Bradford has only increased Wright’s belief that Wenger is losing his grip.

Philippe GRELARD

FORTALEZA, BRAZIL: President Dilma Rousseff travels Sunday to the northeastern city of Fortaleza to inaugurate the first Brazilian stadium readied for the 2014 World Cup, an arena built in part by using prison labour. With its 67,000-seat capacity, the renovated arena, ringed by metallic structures that look like sails floating in the wind, is one of six which will host next June’s Confederations Cup and the World Cup a year later. Other Brazilian host cities for the Confederations Cup are Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Salvador, Recife and Rio. Six other Brazilian cities: Cuiaba, Curitiba, Manaus, Natal, Porto Alegre and Sao Paulo will

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host World Cup games as well. Sunday, Rousseff will grace the inauguration of the Castelao (big castle) arena with her presence. A concert will follow. “The sea culture is very much present in the state of Ceara.It is the second destination in the world for kite-surfing fans after Spain,” said Ferruccio Feitosa, a state official.

BOSTON AUSTIN HELENA LANSING

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Claims have emerged that he may be well short of Zambia legend Chitalu’s 107.

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PARIS: World football’s governing body on Friday said that they were unable to check whether a claim that an African footballer and not Argentina star Lionel Messi was the record holder for the most goals scored in a calendar year. “Thanks for the questions about Godfrey Chitalu. Our official stats are limited to FIFA competitions, so we cannot verify this ‘record’,” FIFA’s communications department said on its Twitter account @fifamedia. “We keep records for all FIFA competitions,” it added. Barcelona forward Messi was hailed by many as the

World Cup arena to be inaugurated

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FIFA can’t verify claims over Messi record