Postnoon E-Paper for 16 May 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012 HYDERABAD

WWW.POSTNOON.COM

WEATHER: MOSTLY CLEAR. WINDY AT TIMES; 36°C

32 PAGES

IT’S UTTER CHAOS! N SHIVA KUMAR

Chaos, pleas and curses filled the air at Vidya Bhavan today. Thousands of students, denied hall tickets for their inter-supplementary examinations today, were taken into preventive custody after they protested. REPORT ON PG 8

THE AGE OF THE CHIEF MINISTER Hillary Clinton chose to meet Mamata Banerjee first, before meeting the PM during her trip to India. Has the power tilted in favour of the states from the Centre? P116&17

Pot-smoking may ease MS Researchers found that 50 per cent of MS patients given marijuana reported a decrease in pain. P19

gÉëëáÅ~=_áÉä=ÖÉíë romantic Jessica Biel is in negotiations to play the lead in My Owner’s Wedding, a zany-sounding rom-com about “two eligible young women”. P25

Page Two

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Spirit of Twin Cities

FRAME THE MOMENT

Library summer camp

M ANIL KUMAR

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

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

Blood song Blood Song, a radical adaptation of Federico Garcia Lorca's "Blood Wedding", directed by the internationally acclaimed David Zinder will be showcased on May 26 and 27 at the Nift auditorium. Where: Nift auditorium, Madhapur When: May 26 and 27, 7.30pm onwards Contact: 98852 88982

The awakening A painting exhibition titled Buddha — The awakening will be held at Iconart gallery. The exhibition which was inaugurated on the occasion of Buddha Purnima on May 6 will be on display . Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No12 When: May 7 onwards, 11.30 am onwards Contact: 98499 68797

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

Etching prints A group exhibition of etching prints by various talented artists is being held. Where: Gallery Space, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 6554 1836

CINEMAS

Picture perfect A 7-day photography workshop for children with the aim to introduce them to the basics of photography is being held at Treasure House. The workshop is open for children in the age group of 12-18 years. Where: Treasure House, Jubilee Hills, Rd No 36 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2355 0118

Time to think This — a thought provoking comedy by Sharanya Ramprakash deals with four modern thirty-year-olds. The play will be staged on May 19. Where: Nift campus, Madhapur When: May19, 7.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2311 4537

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

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

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

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

European film festival A European Film Festival organised

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

Theatre workshop Samahaara is hosting special four week summer acting workshops. The workshops will be held for a duration of four weeks. The workshops are being held at three different places in the City. Where: Vidyaranya School, The Terrace, The Actor’s Studio When: May 14 onwards, Monday-Friday Contact: 83411 20303

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

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

Hyper Local

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Double murder at dawn Two men were found murdered by an unknown assassin outside their home this morning

CRIME Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com

double murder rocked Bandamedapally village in Ranga Reddy district this morning. B Fakeerappa, 55, and B Krishna, 40, both cousins, were found brutally murdered outside their home. Additional superintendent of police Ranga Reddy S Satyanarayana said the murders seem to be the handiwork of more than one man and had its genesis in an alleged illicit relation Krishna’s wife Narsamma had with a man in the village. Both victims belonged to the scheduled caste community. Both worked as labourers. Yesterday, there was a function at Krishna’s home to celebrate the marriage of his daughter Bujji. After the function, both men were sleeping outside their home where they were found hacked to death in the morning. DSP Yallal G Uday Kumar and his team that reached the spot surmised from the circumstantial evidences that at least a gang of 3-4 people were involved in the murder. Limbs and necks were found severed with a sharp weapon, police said. As the news of the

CRIME BRIEFS Decomposed body of youth found

badly decomposed body of a youth aged about 25 years was found in a nallah in Kontlur village under the Hayathnagar police station last night. The man was clad in blue jeans and blue shirt and bore injury marks. Initial investigations revealed that the man was murdered and thrown into the nallah.

Guards steal cash from cinema

wo security guards of Cinemax theatre, have allegedly decamped with `4 lakh. The guards, Sunny and Ali, hailing from Assam, were engaged from a security agency three months ago. Last night, the two on duty broke in and took away the cash, Banjara Hills police said.

House burgled in Banjara Hills brutal assassination spread, the whole village was agog and gathered at the scene. Police gathered that Narsamma had an affair with a man of the village. Krishna had caught them red-handed. Thereafter the village panchayat was held and the man was made to swear to keep away from her.

However, there had been quarrels between the man and the cousins, it is said. Many suspect that Narsamma’s paramour is behind the murder. However, it was too early to make a stance, police pleaded. A special team has been formed to nab the culprits.

ash worth `60,000 and five tolas of gold were found stolen from a house at Syednagar under Banjara Hills police station. The house owner and his family members were attending a marriage function when burglars broke in and stole the valuables and cash.

Hyper Local

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Hi-tech state’s low-tech secretariat The State secretariat is the poorest when it comes to security and CCTV cameras revealed a report M ANIL KUMAR

SECRETARIAT U Srinivas srinivas.u@postnoon.com

ourth largest state in area and fifth in population, Andhra Pradesh, is probably the poorest in techsurveillance for secretariat security. The State has just six surveillance cameras to cover the massive blocks where thousands work whereas smaller states have 100-150 cameras installed, report of the high-level committee sent to others states to study their security arrangements, said. One camera for the main gate and four-wheelers’ entry, the other for the two-wheelers and public entry , two cameras for the entry of VIPs at the C block , one for the view in front of the C block; all this despite missing files, burglary and agitators gatecrashing in the recent past. Besides files, vehicles had been stolen. Even an ex- minister (Shanker Rao) formally lodged a complaint that he lost files from

his chambers. Earlier home minister Sabitha Indra Reddy had proposed covering all the chambers in the secretariat with closed circuit cameras but work is yet to begin. The chief security officer (CSO) has a monitor where he

has gets feed from six cameras which everybody says is highly inadequate. While the C block has two entries, one for the VIPs and the other for the general public, the entrance has no camera fixed.

Similarly the ‘out gate’ at the main entrance also has no cameras installed. The canteen is one area where all kinds of people meet. This area also has no camera surveillance. The vehicle parking areas are also not cov-

ered by the cameras. “When compared to other states we have the least security infrastructure,” agreed Madhava Rao, chief security officer. “We need at least 150 cameras.” “There is no proper first-aid facility in any of the blocks. If anything untoward happens, we have to call a 108 or any other ambulance. When a security man shot himself in the secretariat premises he was moved to Apollo in an ambulance,” observed a security man. There is, however, firefighting equipment in all the blocks, but one is unsure if they work. Narendar, one of the union leaders regretted that in a state which is the second biggest IT hub in the country, the secretariat is open to plunder. Those guarding at the entrance said amusedly. Leave alone the security, for shade, the CSO had to plead with the Andhra Bank for aid and the bank sponsored some tents at the main entrance for the scorching summer. On the whole, the centre of governance lives several decades behind.

Chiranjeevi meets Ravi to discuss IT raids ? POLITICS

ongress MP Chiranjeevi met Union minister Vayilar Ravi on Tuesday and held discussions with him for over 10 minutes. It is said that income tax raids on Chiranjeevi’s son-in-law’s house figured in their discussions, apart from the ongoing by-election campaign in the state. YSR Congress leader Gone Prakasha Rao has said that none of the family members of Congress Rajya Sabha member Chiranjeevi were paying income tax for the crores of rupees they

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

198 155313

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

155333 23431178 23431179 MUNICIPAL CORPORATION: Commissioner & Spl Officer 23262266

laws of Chiranjeevi’s daughter. Ravi who has been taking active part in the State Congress affairs at the behest of the party chief Sonia Gandhi, will be arriving at Hyderabad on Wednesday. He is scheduled to hold a review meeting with the top leaders of the state on the preparedness of the party for the by-elections to 18 Assembly and one Lok Sabha seats scheduled for June 12. Ravi would participate in Congress campaign for 3 days. Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana and other top leaders would take part in the campaign along with Ravi. According to initial informa-

were taking as their remuneration for acting in films. Talking to the media here on Tuesday, he said that if Chiranjeevi has guts he should come for an open discussion on his tax evasion. He has alleged that Chiranjeevi has evaded hundreds of crores of rupees of tax for the shady businesses he has been leading. He has questioned the actor why he was paying tax in Chennai while he was living in Hyderabad. He has asked Chiranjeevi to explain how it was okay to do business in AP and pay taxes in Tamil Nadu. He has also demanded an explanation on the `36 crore found in the house of the in-

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

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

LB Nagar 155313 23307328 23313163 27505566 23314095 23390933 24600146 27001134 23607777 30418888 30417777 30419000 30416666

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

39879999 27567892 23559555 23226624 27633087 27035588 27550238 30799999 30418296 30417445

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

tion, Ravi would campaign in Allagadda (Kurnool district) on May17, in Anantapur on May 18 and in Guntur on May 19. Ravi is also expected to interact with the local people and party leaders during his visits to these constituencies. He would also guide the local leadership with strategies to win the elections. Meanwhile, PCC chief Botsa told the media at Hyderabad that the PCC had invited Ravi to visit AP and campaign for the party. It may be recalled that Ravi was recently deputed to AP to study the state of affairs by the party chief and he had submitted a report to Sonia Gandhi. AGENCY

AIRLINES Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings. For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec’bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999

UK Visa Office VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7 Beside Meridian School, Banjara Hills34. Working hours are from 8 AM to 1 PM And 2 PM to 3PM. MUSEUMS Salar Jung Museum AP State Museum Nizams Museum

24523211 232431300/7641 24521029

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

Hyper Local

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

TJAC won’t wag its tail for TRS The Lotus is now straining for a Mahbubnagar encore in Parakal and hope to piggyback the TJAC to success U Srinivas srinivas.u@postnoon.com

ike the Lucknowi Nawabs, known for their courtesy, used to tell visitors, “Pahle Aap,” the two main contestants for Parkala Assembly seats — TRS and BJP — have been waiting for each other to make the first move in announcing the candidate so that one can measure up the candidate and come out with appropriate checkmate. Finally, tired of waiting, the TRS senior leader Nayani Narsimha Reddy after day-long deliberations with the TJAC announced late in the night that the TRS would announce its candidate on Wednesday. With this it became clear that there was not going to be any tieup with the BJP as the TJAC desired. Ever since the local TJAC’s overt support to the BJP in the Mahbubnagar Assembly con-

stituency, the TRS and its social arm had been at loggerheads on the issue. Smitten with anguish for not having a common candidate, the JAC is said to have decided not to support any political party henceforth but fight for a separate Telangana State. Prof Kodandaram will continue to head the TJAC. On the other hand, the BJP senior leader Bandaru Dattatreya lashed out at TRS Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao for his dictatorial ways, and said if T-state is given Rao would gladly merge with the Congress. “So don’t trust him,” is the message. Senior BJP leader Narendra A, told Postnoon that the NDA government during its tenure would have granted Telangana but for the TDP’s opposition. With both the TRS and the BJP deciding and determined to contest the Parakala by-election, the TJAC is as yet unsure on

THE TJAC IS SAID TO HAVE DECIDED NOT TO SUPPORT ANY POLITICAL PARTY HENCEFORTH BUT FIGHT FOR A SEPARATE TELANGANA STATE BY ITSELF. PROF KODANDARAM WILL CONTINUE TO HEAD THE TJAC.

whom it should support. The TJAC leaders held talks with the leaders of both the parties, but could not resolve the issue. One of the TJAC leaders said that there was no further hope for a common candidate at this juncture. But the TJAC last night has decided that they must make another attempt with BJP and TRS for the common candidate. TJAC co-chairman Mallepalli Lakshmiah said that they have

not decided on if they should support TRS or BJP in Parakla. “It would be wise to contest on a common platform rather than contesting individually,” said Lakshmiah. TNGOs leader Srinivas Goud too said that they are yet to decide over the support whom to support. “We’re going to Parkala and will sit with the local employees and workers union and then decide about the future course of action.” The TRS leaders are of the opinion that Parakala was its stronghold and it had cadres in all the villages. The BJP leaders said that the party had won the seat five times earlier, and they are very strong and hence they must contest. With differences between the TRS, BJP and TJAC the vote-bank in favour of separate Telangana splits, ultimately benefiting Konda Surekha the YSRC candidate.

AP police on toes as Maoists Keep a check on microfinance institutions try to regain foothold in state T

ndhra Pradesh police are on toes about the movements of Maoists, who are reportedly trying to regain foothold in the state, particularly in some districts of north Telangana. The Maoists are allegedly trying to regain their lost control and making their presence felt through violent actions like damaging communication network and roads. According to reports, the ultras have also started recruiting cadres in north Telangana districts. However, police say that Maoists would not be spared if they resorted to violence. “Stern action would be taken against Maoists, if they indulged in any kind of violence,” a senior police officer said. In the recent past, there have been a number of incidents, which indicated that Naxalites are trying to re-establish themselves in the region. Incidents like killing a head constable, exchange of fire in Visakhapatnam district, police seizure of `50 lakh cash from Maoist couriers, a ‘Praja Court’ (meeting of villagers) conducted recently by the ultras at a remote village in Karimnagar district and causing injuries to one local Congress leader by opening fire, has put the police on alert. “A group of 30-40 armed Maoists conducted ‘Praja Court’ (meeting of villagers) at Mukunor village of Mahadevpur mandal of Karimnagar district, close to the border of Chhattisgarh state, which was once considered a stronghold of Naxalites,” Karimangar district Superintendent of

THE MAOISTS ARE ALLEGEDLY TRYING TO REGAIN THEIR LOST CONTROL AND ARE MAKING THEIR PRESENCE FELT THROUGH VIOLENT ACTIONS LIKE DAMAGING COMMUNICATION NETWORK AND ROADS. ACCORDING TO REPORTS, THE ULTRAS HAVE ALSO STARTED RECRUITING CADRES IN NORTH TELANGANA DISTRICTS

Police (SP) V Ravinder said. Following this incident, security forces have been put on alert and they are keeping a strict vigil on Chhattisgarh-Andhra Pradesh border. “We will curb all kinds of Maoist activities as per the law,” the SP said adding that besides intensifying combing operations, police network would be strengthened. Maoists had held the villagers’ meeting to threaten them after branding two local Congress leaders accusing them of being police informers last week. They dragged out G Chinnanna and his elder brother Venkatswamy. They beat the duo in front of the villagers with sticks and threatened them to resign from the Congress party. When Venkatswamy tried to escape, the Maoists opened fire at him causing a bullet injury in his stomach. PTI

DP senior leader Motkupalli Narasimhulu has asked the Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy to order an investigation into the working of all the microfinance institutions and the irregularities being committed by them. In a letter to the CM, he said SKS Micro Finance company has closed its shutters, on the plea that it was suffering losses, leaving 1,200 jobless. Stating that most of the employees belong to the poor and weaker sections, he said it was improper on the part of the company to render them jobless all of a sudden. He said it was sad that some of the employees had even

resorted to ending their lives. Stating that most of the micro finance companies in the State were initially launched by some NGOs with service motto, Motkupalli explained that these were later acquired by corporate organisations, who started exploiting the poor. He said

some of the top brass of these companies made these companies incur huge losses by taking crores of rupees as salaries and allowances. Having caused losses, these people were now downing their shutters and leaving people unemployed. The TDP legislator has asked the CM to order an investigation into the working of SKS and other micro finance companies to check their irregularities and protect the lives of the poor. He said most of the funds of these companies were provided by nationalised banks as loans, there was need for the government to protect the interests of the people.

Hyper Local

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Balancing progress and history Bolarum is known among Hyderabadis for being a growing suburb with an old-world charm. Even today the various buildings and monuments reflect its historical past SRINIVAS SETTY

Sudeshna Koka Sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

olarum is one of the oldest suburbs in Secunderabad which is known to every Hyderabadi, primarily because of the Rashtrapati Nilayam. This place is magnificent and is no less that the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. This serves as the house/office of the president during his/her yearly sojourn to the south of India. During the President’s southern sojourn, it converts into his office. However, what is not known to many is that the Rashtrapati Nilayam is open to public after the visit of the president for a short period of time. Bolarum is home not just to the president but is also the birth place for several other developments in Hyderabad like education and industrialisation. Through ‘Destination Secunderabad’ we take a quick glance at the forgotten areas of Bolarum, Lothkunta and Alwal.

Even before popular places like Paradise and Secunderabad could develop, these places were well established and developed. In fact, history states that education and several religious establishments were first started here and later diffused to other parts of the City. Over the years nothing has

TDP opposes proposed new excise policy on liquor TDP leader questions government inaction against those involved in the liquor scam

POLITICS

he TDP has opposed the proposed new excise policy of the government to sanction liquor shops in proportionate to the population of an area. Talking to the media here on Tuesday, party leader Shobha Hymavati has said that while the TDP government has proposed to set up one primary school for ever 1 kilometre, a high school for every 5 km, one college for every mandal and other amenities like drinking water and roads, it was unfortunate that the present government was trying to increase the

number of liquor shops and encourage the drinking habit. She said the Congress party had conveniently forgotten its poll promise of introducing prohibition in a phased manner and instead started increasing flow of liquor and encouraging the liquor syndicates. Now it was atrocious that the government was trying to provide liquor shops on the basis of population, instead of thinking about provision of basic amenities to the people. She has questioned why the government has not taken any action against the PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana and the excise minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana despite knowing that they were involved in the liquor scam and had relations with the mafia. She has criticised the government for transferring honest officers instead of taking action against the politicians involved in the liquor scam. She said the Congress leaders were only trying to safeguard their positions and not bothered about controlling the liquor mafia. She said this has resulted in a largescale flow of liquor and increased attacks on women. She has demanded that the government implemented its poll promise of introducing prohibition in a phased manner. AGENCY

changed in these areas. Perhaps if Elizabeth II, who would visited Holy Trinity Church, Bolarum to attended a service in this church on her wedding anniversary during her visit to India in the 1980s, comes now she wouldn’t be surprised as nothing much has changed since then. There have been developments, but without destroying existing structures. “It’s a very calm and a peaceful place to stay. Not just the serine ambience but also the civic amenities are in place and there is not complaint whatsoever,” says Usha Rani, board member Green Fields Colony, Alwal. Few colonies come under the army authority, which is both a boon and a bane. The roads and infrastructure are in place but there are clear distinctions and special privileges to army personnel. For example, the Alwal Rythu Bazaar which is one of the oldest and popular bazaars, has less than half-a-kilometer parking place for civilians and more than

2 km for army families. “When we go grocery shopping, parking is a big problem. Despite the open empty land, which is reserved only for army families being empty, we are not allowed to park there. We park across the road or some where far off,” says Anjana, a housewife, Bolarum. A popular proverb says that not all good things come for free. This holds true for these areas. With serene, green and dense landscapes also come snakes, insects and animals. “Snakes have become a common phenomena. These days our new guest is a family of monkeys. These monkeys come home and eat most of our cooked food. They eat fruits and junk,” laughs Aishwarya Subramanian, a Deloitte employee. The other problem in this area is drug peddling. Lothkunta is one area where many people are involved in this. Students come from Banjara Hills and Hitech City to buy drugs.

Subscribe Today!

1 Year

` 349/-

Subscription Offer

6 Months Hyderabad’s first afternoon newspaper

040 - 4067 2222 subscription@postnoon.com

` 199/-

Hyper Local CLASSIFIEDS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

AUTOMOBILES

FABRICATION

Canine care simplified

AUTHORIZED DEALERS FOR MUSIC SYSTEMS (HEAD UNITS, SPEAKERS, AMPLIFIERS, SUB-WOOFERS)

Sukriti Sen and Pruthvi Ramesh

CENTRAL LOCKING CUSTOM SEAT COVERS (ART LEATHER PVC-PU COATED) SUN CONTROL FILM CRASH GUARDS, BULL BARS, FOOT STEPS, REAR GUARDS MATTING, AUXILIARY LIGHTS, HORNS,CAR INTERIOR CLEANERS, etc

WHIZZ CAR ACCESSORIES S.No. IVA, 3A, Bharani Complex, Minister Road, Secunderabad - 500 003 Ph. 040 - 66326969, Cell: 9246206969

Puppy Care

HEALTH

ELECTRONICS

Millennium Dental Clinic, film nagar main road, opp: cafe melange, jubilee hills, HydPh: 040-31000889

REAL ESTATE 100 Acres farm land@ Warangal Highway in Bhongir, 20 Fruit Plants & Resort Membership for more details Contact: Sri Hema 7386064709

SEMINAR To Get Guidance and free solutions for all your problems connect with angels. To join this new world of meditation attend angel therapy workshop. For registration: 9393858950 www.turya.co.in

MUNICIPAL APPROVAL

hile a dog doesn’t need as much care as a small child, he/she does need attention and regular care to keep him/her happy and healthy. We list out a few essentials you need to keep in mind. Being aware of how to take care of a puppy requires a bit of a different approach than knowing how to take care of a dog. Puppies require special attention, since they are still in their ‘learning’ stage. “Encourage your puppy to interact with the world around them. Socialisation is a very important part of how to train a puppy, since it sets the foundation for future dog training. Most well-socialised puppies will be much easier to care for. It’s also important that you feed your puppy a special puppy-food diet for at least the first year. Growing puppies have different nutritional needs than adult dogs, and need to be fed accordingly. Just like knowing how to take care of a dog, knowing how to take care of a puppy is important,” says Dr Abhishek Kalundia, a veterinarian.

Feeding Knowing how to take care of a dog involves proper attention to their diet. Though it may be tempting to purchase a low-

quality dog food formula that is inexpensive, this can affect a dog’s health. Understanding how to take care of a dog means accepting the responsibilities associated with proper dog care. It’s recommended that one should feed their dog a high-quality, nutrient-rich formula that is balanced to ensure proper digestion. “It’s also best to avoid dog food that contains preservatives, colours or chemical flavouring,” he adds.

Training Part of knowing how to take care of a dog involves knowing how to train a dog. Proper dog training should ideally be started as soon as one brings a dog into their home. Understanding how to take care of a dog involves being sensitive to how quickly a dog can learn new commands. Different breeds of dogs have different levels of intelligence. The best way to be aware of

how to take care of a dog in relation to training involves a lot of patience. Potty training in particular can be difficult.

Exercise Knowing how to take care of a dog also involves an adequate level of exercise. Each year, thousands of dogs experience obesity-related health problems. “If one truly cares about how to take care of their dog, it’s important that they incorporate exercise into their dog’s daily routine. Exercise can be a brisk 30 minute walk, or an extended session of playtime,” says Dr Santosh Giri, veterinarian.

Grooming Another essential part of knowing how to take care of a dog involves attention to the dog’s grooming. Most dogs will need to be groomed at least twice a week, though some long-haired dogs may require more frequent groom-

The master of change Rahul Ramakrishna rahul.r@postnoon.com

ucked away in a corner of Moazzam Jahi Market, Sultanuddin has been changing money, from cash to change, for over 20 years. As a professional, Sultan’s afternoons are occupied in doling out change in coins for notes, for a meagre cut. Grocers, petty businessmen, bookies and even the occasional fakir, all of them avail Sultan’s services. Surrounded on all sides by ice cream stores, Sultan reminisces, “I have been in this business for more than 20 years. My business is to collect change from the RBI and dole it out to people here for a small cut.” Sultan’s “Old and Cut Notes, Cash Exchange” are availed by the

public more than the RBI. “The issue here is,” he says, “the RBI has set a limit of only `500 per person. Initially change would be issued directly to the public but now, the corporations have occupied the middle position and charge unreasonable rates.” Sultan is accompanied by his son, Ilyasuddin. One among many tricks of Sultan’s trade is to post a few dozen people in the RBI who collect change worth over `20,000. This change is then exchanged for notes with a minimum cut of `15. “I only serve people through this trade. I break even every day, despite the `15 cut.” Apart from changing currency, Sultanuddin’s shop in the Moazzam Jahi Market is famous for its rare currency collection. Sultan pours

out piles of antique coins dating from the Mughal era to the erstwhile Nizam nawabs and more. His knowledge of coins includes the make and shape of the coin, complete with interpreting the inscriptions on the coins. “The Nizam’s coins were mostly copper. The Indian government initially stuck to copper, but eventually switched to silver in the early 50’s and gradually took to chrome and steel,” he says. Some of his coins have fetched as much as `17,000. The starting rate of any pre-independence Nizam or British Raj currency, either note or coin, is a minimum of `500. “Not just coin collectors, even students fancy collecting coins,” he says. In Sultanuddin’s corner of the market, there is more history than there is in the entire market yard.

ing. One must be sure to check their eyes, ears, teeth and nails. In some cases, early identification of a health problem can save a dog from a serious medical condition.

Veterinary Care Proper veterinary care is extremely important when understanding how to take care of a dog. It’s best if one brings their dog in for veterinary checkups at least once a month. Vaccinations are very important. Dogs suffer from viral and bacterial infections. Antibiotics are used to cure bacterial infections while vaccines prevent viral infections. “It is mandatory to vaccinate your dog once every year,” adds Dr Santosh. Along with 7 in one, DHPPi/L and Anti-rabies, three primary and boosters are vaccinated into the new born puppy. Deworming a dog once in three months is mandatory. M ANIL KUMAR

Hyper Local

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Chaos reign as thousands of Inter students don’t get hall tickets Chaos, pleas and curses filled the air at Vidya Bhavan today. Thousands of students, denied hall tickets for their inter-supplementary examinations, were taken into preventive custody after they protested N SHIVA KUMAR

Inkeshaf Ahmed and U Srinivas feedback@postnoon.com

alk about adding insult to injury. Inter second year students who paid their exam fee online well in time for the physics supplementary exam scheduled to be conducted today were not only denied hall tickets, but were taken into preventive custody on the Vidya Bhavan premises where they were holding a protest. Worried students and anguished parents began to gather at Bhavan seeking an immediate solution to their problem as time was running out. But as the day wore on there appeared to be no solution. Minister for higher education K Parthasarathy, however, rather than addressing the students’ concerns, held a media conference in Vijayawada denying allegations that he purchased land illegally. M Monika Rao, a student who was virtually in tears told Postnoon that she had completed all formalities and paid the fee well in advance. “For the last three days I have been running between the college and the

Bhavan. Board officials are not heeding to our pleas. What can we do?” Tahura Aneesh, another student who was biting her nails in worry not knowing what to do, said she had applied on April 30. “Two weeks have passed but there has been no information on my hall ticket. Board officials did not respond.” By 11am, as the number of protesting students swelled, Board officials asked the police to clear the students from the premises. The police then hustled the students into waiting vans and took them away. But after they were cleared, more students arrived. On the other hand, secretary, Board of Intermediate Exam (BIE), M Subrahmanyam, told Postnoon that adequate time was given to the students to submit their applications. He blamed college managements for not submitting applications via the Web on time. It is estimated that more than 20,000 students were unable to write their exam today. In the mean time, some students who had approached the High Court got hall tickets on the HC’s stipulation, it is learnt.

16,035.21 291.55

4855.95 86.85

BSE

NSE

Business

10g= `28,200

GOLD

1kg= `52,500

SILVER

`54.20

DOLLAR

Matters of saving and spending

POUND WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012 9

Builders face harsh realty Prudhvi Raju K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

New CGM for SBH J

yoti Ghosh, General Manager Stressed Asset Management G r o u p (SAMG) and G r o u p Executive (Corporate Banking) has been appointed as Chief General Manager of State Bank of Hyderabad with immediate effect. Jyoti Ghosh joined State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur as probationary officer in 1978. He is posted to State Bank of Indore as General Manager (operations) in 2009, after serving at various important positions in his parent bank and in other associate banks. As State Bank of Indore merged into SBI, he is posted to SBH as General Manager (SAMG) and Gr. Executive (Corporate Banking). Sudhir Garg will continue to be Chief General Manager in charge of corporate Loans and treasury of the bank.

FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY

eal estate industry is facing a tough time with the construction getting slowed down to a standstill in the City with sand prices reaching sky high. This has affected the sales of allied industries like iron and cement which are dependent on the construction activity. However, the demand for manufactured sand (robo sand) is on rise as an alternative but still need to find acceptance among some buyers of the property. Even, some customers are not happy with the usage of manufactured sand as an alternative source. However, the industry perception is that river sand should be at least used in plastering, whereas the manufactured sand can be used in all other type of construction activities, said R Chalapathi Rao, vice-president, AP Real Estate Developers Association (APREDA). “The government should have given us some breathing time to get us accustomed to the use of alternate sources. Even, the State does not have enough capacities for manufacturing sand, which should be built. Is it

fair to stop complete sand quarrying due to mistakes of some people? The daily wage labours are facing difficulty in finding work,” said Rao. Talking about other measures that could have been taken by the government, he said that measures should be put in place to stop the exploitation of river beds. The government can monitor the sand mining process with the help of NGOs and enable serious inspection at various levels in

the processes. There should be serious punishment for violations. If that does not work, the essential sand quarrying should be put in the hands of government agencies for some time till the industry get accustomed to other options. Builders are in a loss situation either ways. If they have to continue with the construction they have to incur costs which are almost three times more than the actual costs.

(Sand price:`1500-2000 per tonne now as against `600-700 tone earlier). If they want to hold and cease the activity, they have to do regular debt servicing with the projects getting delayed, said Rao. If the property is sold out and the delivery date is approaching, the builder has no option than to buy the sand at an expensive price and continue the construction. If the builder feels that there is not much of a demand for the property, he chose rather wait and watch to get the things settled. Most of the builders are going with Ready-Mixed Concrete (RMC) in where there is no need to buy metal and sand separately. The price of the iron has come down in recent days with the fall of sales due to decrease in construction activity, he added. The government has assured to sort out the sand issues within a week by bringing in a new system. As already five days passed by, the industry is eagerly looking at the steps taken by the government to the solve issue. If things don’t get sorted out at the earliest the industry will have another blow at a time when things are getting back on track.

GM to pull ads from Facebook NEW YORK: General Motors confirmed that it is pulling its advertising from Facebook because it determined paid ads had little impact on consumers. GM had been spending about $10 million on paid advertising and $30 million on unpaid marketing on Facebook. “We are reassessing our Facebook advertising, but we remain committed to very aggressive social media strategies and will continue to push content on Facebook through our product and brand Facebook pages,” GM spokesman Patrick

Morrissey told AFP. The news comes at a bad time for Facebook, which is expected to launch an initial public stock offering on Friday valuing the social networking site at around $100 billion.

GM’s pullback comes as other marketers are questioning the value of paid ads on Facebook despite the vast amounts of time huge numbers of consumers spend on the site. The US auto giant is the third largest advertiser in the United States with expenditures of $1.8 billion in 2011, according to Kantar Media. It will continue to expand its use of unpaid marketing such as the creation and management of content on the Facebook pages of its brands and cars, according to Morrissey. AFP

US panel urges nod for HIV test kit WASHINGTON: A panel of experts on Tuesday urged US regulators to allow an over-thecounter version of a test that could allow people to test themselves at home for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The Blood Products Advisory Committee voted unanimously, 17-0, that the

OraQuick In-Home Test was safe and effective and that any benefits outweighed the potential risks of use. It requires a swab around the outer gum area and uses oral fluid to test for HIV, which is not the same as saliva. Results come back in about 20 minutes, but should be con-

firmed by a blood test which is considered more accurate. Close to 5,700 people took the in-home test according to company data presented to the advisory panel. Of those, 114 people received positive tests, and 106 were confirmed to be true positives, meaning the test had a 93 per cent accuracy rate.

`86.51

NUMEROLOGY

87,377 commercial vehicles were sold globally by Tata motors group in April 2012.

THUS SPAKE “It is important for the railways to review all capital works in progress and take expeditious decision with regard to closure of projects especially unremunerative lines, where there is road connectivity and where the progress with the projects is no longer as valid. There is a need to focus more on viable projects,” Comptroller and Auditor General

WB LOAN The World Bank on Tuesday announced it was ready to provide Indonesia with a $2 billion loan, a backstop against a potential debt crisis in one of Asia’s fastest growing economies.The World Bank said the loan, requested by the Indonesian government, would be held as a contingency against “possible future shocks and volatility.”

JOB CUTS Germany’s T-Mobile, the fourth-largest wireless telecommunications company in the United States, said on Tuesday it would cut 900 jobs as part of a companywide restructuring. “These changes resulted in a restructuring of key functions and departments across the company including the elimination of some positions and the outsourcing of others,” a T-Mobile spokesman said. T-Mobile is the US wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom, which struck a deal last year to sell the firm to AT&T for $39 billion.

India‑View

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

India unveiled

Four years of whodunnit

7 arrested for leaking exam paper

Rajnish Singh

NEW DELHI: A manager in FCI,

NEW DELHI: On May 16, the

an MTech, a future inspector in Narcotics Bureau, a central government employee, two teachers and a civil service aspirant — this would read an impressive CV for a group of seven youths. But their efforts to pull out a fraud on thousands of aspirants fell flat this Sunday when they were trapped by police here after they allegedly leaked question papers for the examinations to select 1,943 Social Security Assistants in Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). They were allegedly supplying the answers to a select few who had paid the gang between `3.5 lakh and `7 lakh through mobile phones. A Social Security Assistant is required to maintain accounts, work on settlement of claims, prepare cash books and reports PTI

double murder of teenager Aarushi Talwar and domestic help Hemraj that shocked India will be four years old. But the question — whodunit — is still as much of a mystery, with the first hearing in the trial held just last week in a court in Ghaziabad. There have been twists and turns aplenty, with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) accusing Aarushi’s dentist couple parents Rajesh and Nupur Talwar only in February 2011, the first formal order in the case. The circumstantial evidence against them was that they were the only people present at the crime scene. Aarushi, 14, was found with her throat slit at her home at Jalvayu Vihar in Noida on the outskirts of the capital May 16, 2008. The body of her family’s domestic help Hemraj,

who was initially suspected for the crime, was found the next day on the terrace of the house. CBI investigators, who took over from Noida police, claimed that 90 per cent of the evidence had been destroyed. Though there was a whiskey bottle in Rajesh Talwar’s room

LAND OF LOVELY LANDSCAPES

A train approaches the picturesque Srinagar Railway Station on Tuesday. The number of tourists has PTI steadily been increasing here this summer.

and two bottles in Hemraj’s room on the terrace, the fingerprints could not be matched. “Apart from not capturing the finger prints on whiskey bottles in Hemraj’s room, police allowed the media to freely roam around the crime scene rather than restricting access to the flat,” a source in CBI told IANS. In addition, police allowed doctors not specifically trained in forensic pathology to conduct the autopsies of Hemraj and Aarushi, he said. While it is established procedure to lift fingerprints from the skin of victims, doctors entrusted with the autopsies neglected to call forensic scientists for the job, the sources said. Experts at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have raised questions over one entry in Arushi’s postmortem report in which whitish discharge was mentioned from the vagina but not investigated.

Timeline of Aarushi Talwar-Hemraj killings n May 16, 2008: Aarushi Talwar, the daughter of dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar found dead with her throat slit in her bedroom in Noida. n May 17: Body of Hemraj, Talwars’ servant, found on the terrace of their house. n May 21: Police say murder by ‘doctor or butcher’. n May 23: Aarushi’s father Rajesh Talwar arrested for double murder. n May 31: CBI takes over. n September 2009: Hyderabad-based Central Forensic Science Laboratory files a report stating that most of the physical evidence taken from the crime scene and Aarushi’s vaginal sample were tampered with.

Dabba project to let tourists taste local food NEW DELHI: The flavour of India captured through its food is the next big idea in tourism, with the local Indian dabba going glam, under a project that seeks to showcase the variety in the country’s cuisine as well as attract tourists. The ‘Incredible Tiffin’ project by the Cuisine India Society launched here recently provides a tiffin packaged with local food for people outside the country, to help them get an idea of the choices of food available in India. The project is part of the Tourism Ministry’s popular ‘Incredible India’ campaign that was launched initially to attract more foreign tourists and has now successfully established India as a

high-end tourist destination. “Food has much more pleasure, joy and happiness attached to it rather than any other art form. Indian cuisine reflects spirit of India. When we have such wide varieties of exquisite cuisines to offer then why not let our tourists nurture a lifelong passion for Indian food,” says Anil Rajput, Senior VicePresident, ITC Maurya which hosted the project launch inaugurated by Tourism minster, Subodh Kant Sahay here. “We got food experts like Manisha Bhasin, Pushpesh Pant, Narendra Bhui and Gautam Anand who have done a wonderful job in providing a package ‘tiffin’,” said Rajput. PTI

32 tigers dead over last four months: Govt NEW DELHI: Notwithstanding efforts by the government to conserve tigers, as many as 32 big cats have died in the country in the last four months, even as the latest official data showed an increasing trend in the national animals population estimates. Expressing concern over the endangered status of the tiger all over the world, Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan today said as many as 32 tigers

have died this year out of which 18 were natural deaths. “A total of 32 tigers have died this year. 18 were natural deaths and we are constantly looking into the reasons for it,” Natarajan told reporters on the sidelines of First Stocktaking Meeting of Global Tiger Recovery Programs (GTRP). She was asked about the number of national animals which died or were killed by poachers this year.

Meanwhile, in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, the Minister informed a total of 14 tigers were poached till May 2012. “Poaching is one of the reasons. Other reasons such as man-animal conflict, we are already addressing those issues,” she told reporters. Informing the House on the increasing trend of tiger population, she said, “The tiger population has shown an increasing

trend with a population estimate of 1706, as compared to the last country level estimation in 2006, with an estimate of 1411.” Delivering her key note address in the first stocktaking meeting of GRTP, Natarajan also spoke about the new forest reserves being established by the government to ensure a safe habitat for the tiger. “We are in the process of establishing more tiger reserves,” she said. PTI

India‑View

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

India unveiled

CBI raids Yeddy, kin’s homes

NATION AT A GLANCE

BANGALORE: Swinging into action a day after filing an FIR against former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa in connection with illegal mining, CBI officials today conducted simultaneous raids at the senior BJP leader’s residences here and in some other places in the state. A joint team of CBI officials from Hyderabad and Bangalore also raided residences of Yeddyurappa’s sons BY Raghavendra, MP, and B Y Vijayendra as also his son-in-law RN Sohan Kumar here and their home district Shimoga, police sources said. A nine-member team headed by Inspector General of CBI Lakshminarayana commenced the raids at Yeddyurappa’s resi-

AHMEDABAD: Actor Ajay Dev-

loyalists gunning for a change of leadership of DV Sadananda Gowda with nine ministers and many MLAs submitting their resignations to him. After aggressive postures that pushed the BJP’s first ever government in the south to the brink, Yeddyurappa on Monday said he had decided to quit the party but was putting it off heeding the advise of party seniors. Yeddyurappa, who was forced to quit last year after the Lokayukta report indictment on illegal mining, is also battling a spate of cases for alleged irregularities in land de-notification. Police sources said raids were also being conducted in the offices of two mining firms in Bellary.

dences in Dollars Colony and Race Course Road here besides a firm owned by one of his sons, the sources told PTI. The raids come in the wake of the CBI registering a case against Yeddyurappa and others in line with the May 11 Supreme Court directive ordering a probe by the central agency into alleged undue favours shown by him to firms involved in illegal mining in lieu of donations to a charitable trust run by his kin when he was the chief minister. The raids began at 6.15am and would continue throughout the day, sources said. The CBI action comes at a time when Yeddyurappa is facing the heat of internal turmoil in the BJP triggered by a revolt by his

PRETTY LASS

Peace restored in Junglemahal: Mamata KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who will complete a year in office on May 20, has claimed that her government has been able to restore peace in Junglemahal with not a single death reported so far this year. Citing statistics, the chief minister told PTI that in 2010-11 when the Left Front government was still in power in the state, 139 civilians and 35 security personnel were killed in Junglemahal which comprises West Midnapur, Purulia and

Bankura districts. “We have been able to restore peace in Junglemahal. There were only 12 civilian and two security personnel casualties after we came to power, with no death reported since January this year till date,” the Trinamool Congress supremo said. “We have brought all tribal families under the BPL category enabling them to avail of the Rs two per kg rice scheme while 10,700 youths were being recruited in police,” she said.

Devgn meets Modi, discusses solar plan gn today met Gujarat CM Narendra Modi and showed keenness to enhance participation in the solar power generation projects in the state, sources said. After setting up a 25MW solar plant in Gujarat’s solar park, the actor evinced interest to partner in the state’s canal-based solar power generation project.

3 naxalites held after encounter SASARAM: Three naxalites were arrested today after the encounter with police in Kaimur hill area in Bihar’s Rohtas district, a senior police officer said. Acting on a tip-off, a police raided the forest area in Kaimur. After an encounter, police arrested the three naxalites.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee distributes ‘Patta’ (land deed) to poor people in Kolkata on Tuesday. PTI

30 jawans fall sick during training ALLAHABAD: At least 30 CRPF

US slaps sanctions against Chhota Shakeel, Memon

Miss India 2012, Vanya Mishra poses with a bouquet after cutting the ribbon at a launch event in Amritsar on AFP/ NARINDER NANU Wednesday.

WASHINGTON: The United States today slapped sanctions against underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s two top aides — Chhota Shakeel and Tiger Memon — for their role in drug trafficking in the region. The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Chhota Shakeel and Ibrahim ‘Tiger’ Memon as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

(Kingpin Act) for their roles as part of a criminal organisation run by Dawood Ibrahim known as ‘D Company’. Dawood was named as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in October 2003, and in June 2006, he was named as a Significant Foreign Narcotics Trafficker. Also in June 2006, the Dawood Organisation was named as a Significant Foreign Narcotics Trafficker. PTI

‘Pitroda has drawn up projects to change Kerala’ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Noted innovator, tech evangelist and policymaker Sam Pitroda has drawn up some 10 major projects for Kerala’s resurgence that promise to change the face of the state, says Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. “We are confident that given Pitroda’s acumen in projects that he will present, this is certainly going to change the face of the state in the near future,” Chandy, currently in Mumbai to promote investments to the state through an “Emerging Kerala” campaign, told IANS. The chief minister said Pitroda, who is also

advisor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on public information, infrastructure and innovation, will formally present these projects here May 28. In January, Pitroda was invited by the Kerala government for a brainstorming session with Chandy and his cabinet colleagues. After that he had promised to be back in 90 days with a slew of proposals to drive Kerala. According to Chandy, the projects would include a coastal waterway, building a fullfledged knowledge city, strengthening of the vocational educations using information technology and a new health insurance scheme.

recruits have been admitted to a private hospital here after they fell ill while undergoing training in hilly and forest regions along the Uttar Pradesh-Madhya Pradesh border, official sources said today. The jawans had been taken to the wild terrain in districts of Mirzapur.

UP ryots seek Big B’s help over debts LUCKNOW: Days after Amitabh Bachchan helped clear debts of 90 farmers in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, those in UP’s Bundelkhand area have written to the Bollywood star in the hope that he would do the same for them. The Bundelkhand Kisan Sangharsh Samiti has also reminded the star he hails from UP.

President Pratibha Patil and Defence minister AK Antony look on as Kerala CM Oommen Chandy lights a lamp in New Delhi on Tuesday. PTI

Around the World

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Beyond Borders

EARLIEST WALL ART FOUND French engravings of female genitalia ‘oldest in the world’

nthropologists believe they have determined that a block of limestone found in southwestern France engraved with depictions of animals and female genitalia is the earliest wall art known to man. According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the etchings on a huge block of limestone found at the famous Abri Castanet site date back over 37,000 years. “When I saw the image my response was ‘Oh my god, a vulva,” New York University anthropology professor Randall White, the paper’s lead author is

reported as saying by NewsCore. The 1.5 metric ton ceiling piece was first discovered in 2007, and was meant to decorate a shelter for early Aurignacian reindeer hunters, AFP says. “This art appears to be slightly older than the famous paintings from the Grotte Chauvet in southeastern France,” White said. The Grotte Chauvet paintings were also more remote and difficult to access, and are considered “more sophisticated”. Science Now explains that the Grotte Chauvet paintings were of lions, rhinos, and other animals. They were discovered in 1994 and had until now “stood out as the

oldest known cave art”. Researchers using advanced radiocarbon dating techniques believe the etchings could be up to 37,000 years old, according to The Epoch Times, while scientists believe the Chauvet painting were created between 30,000 and 32,000 years ago. Science Daily says the discovery, combined with similar ones in nearby parts of Germany and Italy has raised new questions about Aurignacian culture and the “evolutionary and adaptive significance of art and other forms of graphic representation in the lives of modern human populations.” GLOBALPOST

REVEALING MONROE

Happy 250th birthday, sandwich! British town of Sandwich marks 250 years since the invention of its culinary namesake

Workers set up a giant official poster of the 65th Cannes’ film festival featuring late Marilyn Monroe on the facade of the Festivals’ palace in Cannes, southeastern France. SAFP/ VALERY HACHE

Fruits of patience

British town has marked 250 years since the sandwich was invented by its fourth Earl, John Montagu. According to the Independent newspaper, the first written record of the sandwich dates back to 1762, and the story goes that Montagu asked for beef to be served between bread because he was reluctant to interrupt a long game of cards. This weekend, the town of Sandwich in east Kent hosted the Sandwich Celebration Festival to mark that moment and attracted enthusiasts from the US, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, France and Russia, the Business Standard reports. The BBC says that the town

hosted sandwich-making competitions and reenactments of Montagu asking for the snack as part of the festival, while the 11 Earl of Sandwich was holding a lunch in honour of his namesake. “The sandwich is a global food and Sandwich, our town, is just a little town full of medieval buildings. It’s bizarre that such an important food item should be named after us,” the festival organiser Mandy Wilkins is quoted as saying. However, AFP says historians are skeptical of the claim that the earl invented the sandwich, with many believing that similar bread-based snacks were being consumed well before the 18th century.

Janitor graduates from the Ivy League school after 12 years

ac Filipaj, 52, a refugee from war-torn Yugoslavia, eked out a living as a janitor at Columbia University while studying at the Ivy Leagues school for 12 years. Filipaj took a break from mopping floors, cleaning toilets and taking out the trash at student union building Lerner Hall on Sunday to attend his graduation ceremony, where he received his bachelor’s degree in classics with honours. His favourite subject? The Roman philosopher and statesman Seneca. “I love Seneca’s letters because they’re written in the spirit in which I was educated in my family: not to look for fame and fortune, but to have a simple, honest, honourable life,” Filipaj told the AP. Filipaj came to the United States from Yugoslavia in 1992, leaving behind his parents and siblings on a family farm in Montenegro, reported ABC News. When he arrived in New York he spoke very little English and settled down in the Bronx, where he started taking English classes at Theodore Roosevelt High School. He worked at Columbia for

Gac Filipaj who took 12 years to graduate is pictured on his convocation day. six years while learning English before he was proficient enough to enroll in classes part-time, using the university’s tuition exemption for employees. The Ivy League-educated janitor would take classes during the morning and then work as a “heavy cleaner” from 2.30pm to 11pm. He would then open his books, sometimes reading in ancient Latin and Greek, and pulling all-nighters to finish a paper or study before a big exam. Filipaj now wants to take a semester off to continue working and then plans to start studying again, probably at Columbia where he can still get the tuition exemption. GLOBALPOST

Around the World

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Beyond Borders

Nato meet to figure out smooth Afghan exit plan The journey so far of the biggest defence alliance BRUSSELS: Founded in the early days of the Cold War, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has grown into a collective defence group of 28 nations from North America and Europe. The United States, Canada and 10 European allies signed a treaty in Washington on April 4, 1949, creating an enduring military alliance based on solidarity against threats from the Soviet Union. The first European nations to team up with North America were Britain, Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, the Netherlands and Portugal. Over the subsequent years, 16 more nations joined the club as the fall of the Iron Curtain brought former Soviet satellites into the transatlantic family.

n AFGHANISTAN US President Barack Obama and fellow NATO leaders will fine-tune plans to hand security control to Afghan troops and withdraw 130,000 combat troops from Afghanistan by late 2014. The 28-nation alliance will also debate post2014 support, which is expected to focus on continuing to provide training to Afghan security forces. n MISSILE SHIELD Nato will declare the start of an “interim capability” of a

Laurent Thomet

BRUSSELS: After a decade in Afghanistan, Nato leaders gather for a key summit Sunday hoping for a show of unity in the final two years of combat — even though allies are eager to bring troops home. US President Barack Obama hosts two days of talks in Chicago, with the allies hoping to demonstrate a renewed commitment to Afghanistan as protesters threaten to flood the streets to denounce a war which has killed thousands of troops and civilians. Obama and his fellow leaders will take other key decisions for Nato’s future, activating the first part of a missile shield for Europe and announcing a slew of military cooperation projects to cope with mounting austerity. Afghanistan, however, will be the centrepiece of a summit billed as the biggest in Nato’s history, with some 60 nations and international organisa-

n SMART DEFENCE The summit will be the

Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes dead at 83

MEXICO CITY: Carlos Fuentes, who died on Tuesday aged 83, was one of the Spanish-speaking world’s best known writers, famous for his prolific output and his use of experimental language.

President Felipe Calderon announced the writer’s death in a message on his Twitter account. The National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature confirmed he had died in a Mexico City hospital. The author’s doctor Arturo Ballesteros told reporters that Fuentes had died after suffering a massive hemorrhage in his digestive tract in the home in the early hours of Tuesday. On Wednesday, a tribute to Fuentes will be held at the Palacio Nacional de Bellas Artes in the capital, with his casket on display, the institute said.

TAIPEI: President Ma Ying-jeou has been fined Tw$500,000 ($17,000) by electoral authorities for urging his Facebook followers on polling day to vote for him, the Central Election Commission said. Taiwanese election law forbids any form of campaigning on voting day. Ma won a comfortable re-election victory on January 14. He is due to be inaugurated for his second and last four-year term on Sunday.

Woman jumps off Tower of Pisa to her death ROME: A 40-year-old Italian woman ended her life by jumping from the Leaning Tower of Pisa in front of horrified tourists. The tower was temporarily closed after the woman jumped from the fourth-level of the 1,000-year-old monument Monday evening. The reason for the Rome native’s suicide was not known. tions invited, including Afghan President Hamid Karzai. “I look forward to meeting with President Karzai and my fellow leaders in Chicago to discuss these critical steps that will strengthen Afghan sovereignty while responsibly winding down the war,” Obama said on Sunday. The US president said world leaders would discuss how to “effectively advance”

TOP ISSUES US-led missile shield to protect Europeans from the threat of ballistic missiles from foes such as Iran. The announcement will mean that US warships armed with missile interceptors and an earlywarning radar system in Turkey will come under command and control of a Nato base in Ramstein, Germany.

GLOBE AT A GLANCE Taiwan president fined for Facebook campaign

launching pad for Nato’s “Smart Defence” initiative, a push to encourage joint military projects in order to make up for dwindling budgets at a time of austerity across the alliance. Between 20 and 25 projects will be announced in Chicago, ranging from training helicopter pilots to the joint management of munitions. The US, Nato’s chief contributor, has been pressing allies to pull their own weight,

the transition process, but the strategy faces growing public impatience as well as French plans to speed up its own withdrawal. Meanwhile, Australia pledged on Wednesday to contribute $300 million to Afghanistan in the years following the withdrawal of foreign troops to assist local forces with the transition. AFP but the debt crisis is making it even more hard for them to invest in new weapons. n PARTNERSHIPS NATO wants to strengthen its partnerships around the world, drawing from the success of its cooperation with Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan in the air campaign in Libya last year. The leaders of the 22 nations participating in the Nato-led mission in Afghanistan were invited to the summit.

Romney gets closer to ticket W A S H I N G T O N : Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney won primary ballots in Oregon and Nebraska on Tuesday, partial results showed, moving him a step closer to winning his party’s formal White House nomination. Romney won 73 per cent of the vote in Oregon against 12.2 per cent for Ron Paul, who suspended active campaigning this week, and 5.7 per cent for Newt Gingrich, according to results from nearly two thirds of precincts. In Nebraska the former Massachusetts governor had some 70.9 per cent of votes compared to 9.9 percent for

Paul and 5.2 per cent for former House Speaker Gingrich, according to nearly complete results. Even if he won all of Oregon’s 25 delegates and Nebraska’s 32 — from a nonbinding poll — he would not be able to reach the 1,144 needed to clinch the Republican nomination. Before Tuesday’s two latest primaries — which have become mostly academic since the other main candidates dropped out of the race — Romney had 963 delegates, 181 short of the winning tally, CBS reported. Earlier Tuesday Romney won the backing of former president George W. Bush.

Barack Obama places a flower in the memorial wreath at the National Peace Officers Memorial Service on Capitol Hill. PTI

Algerian women claw their way into Assembly ALGIERS: Algeria’s legislative election saw women take almost a third of the seats, making the national assembly the most gender-balanced in the region but activists say the battle is far from won. At least 145 of the new, enlarged national assembly’s 462 seats will be occupied by women, up from a seven percent representation in the outgoing house.

US cuts flights of F-22 jets over safety worries WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has ordered the Air Force to restrict flights of its most advanced fighter jet, the F-22, after some pilots complained of dizzy spells and blackouts, officials said Tuesday. Since 2008, officials say at least a dozen F-22 pilots have reported suffering a lack of oxygen but engineers have yet to figure out how to fix the problem.

An Indonesian military officer shows the blackbox of the Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 that crashed in West Java last week.

Comment

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Fair, free and forthright

Talk back Water for schools Government schools are institutions with no funds. They function on very meagre resources provided by the government. In fact the government just about manages to keep them running. But the fact remains that these institutions do yeoman’s service to the society, and this aspect cannot be ignored. I think is best to annul their arrears and provide government schools with free drinking water. It is after all not such a big deal. Let the government increase charges of water to corporate companies in order to be able to meet this subsidy to a deserving few. Sahsini Indira Saifabad

Good at a cost Whether for good or for bad, many parts of Secunderabad have managed to retain some glory of the past. But any good comes at a cost. Nothing comes for free in this ruthless world. It is a good sign because civic problems normally associated with too much growth, especially of the unplanned kind, are not present here. But the flipside is that the value of real estate has not gone up as it has in its twin city, Hyderabad. This results in big players not showing interest in projects in these areas resulting in limited growth of the area. There has been tremendous growth in all big cities of the country over the last two decades. We don’t see this kind of growth here. Mushtaq Ahmed Safilguda

Equal opportunity The plan of the state government to convert social welfare hostels into residential schools is a positive one. Giving importance to educating children is the right thing to do. The progress of the state and subsequently the nation lies with the children. Educated population augers well for the country. While social welfare hostels mostly are hubs of money-making rackets, residential schools would cater to the many homeless children and give them an equal opportunity to live a good life. But the crux of the matter, like always, lies in the proper implementation of this programme. Srinath T Nampally

BJP must survive the battle within Fusillade Arun Koshy Philip

he second innings of UPA has been nothing short of tumultuous, marred by massive scams in every sector from rural job schemes to military purchases. When allies themselves are eyeing the jugular of the Centre, relief comes from an unexpected quarters — a divided BJP that is struggling to keep its house in order. The saffron party, which in the late ‘90s emerged as a credible alternative to the Congress that had ruled the country from Independence with the exception of a few years, is now forced to spend more attention in keeping the organisation intact than serving the role of an effective opposition. The recent Assembly elections handed a couple of emphatic victories to the party. However, it was more the corruption and antiincumbency factor that helped it in Goa, and in Punjab it was the bigger ally Shiromani Akali Dal that led the charge. Though it managed to slightly better its performance in Uttar Pradesh, it still to an unenviable third position; inconsequential but definitely better than the Congress which was decimated. Elsewhere in the country, nothing is working for the party. In Rajasthan, the party constantly faces revolt from senior leader and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje. In the latest episode, the party had to despatch its fire fighters to prevent the royal from walking out of the party with a substantial number of followers and MLAs. The party’s national leadership has been having sleepless nights ever since it forced BS Yeddyurappa, who led the party to its first government in the south, to quit as chief minister owing to graft cases against him. BSY agreed to quit on condition that his pick Sadanada Gowda was made the CM. However, the Lingayat strongman changed his mind soon and wanted to be reinstated — a demand the party leadership couldn’t concede to as it required a moral high ground to battle the Congress government at the Centre. Ever since, it has been a war of nerves and

Editorials

words in Karnataka. BSY keeps threatening to quit from the party and form his own organisation and the leadership keeps shuttling between Delhi and Bangalore with varying combinations of carrots and sticks as the situation demands. The Reddy brothers and their associate Sriramulu, who fell foul with the party after their role in illegal mining scam put the party on the defensive, have made a powerful comeback. The brothers proved their name is bigger than the party in Bellary by defeating the official BJP candidate in the bypolls. As the foursome threatened a split, a shocked leadership had to placate them. However, what is happening in Karnataka is nothing compared to the challenge that is to emerge from Gujarat — the showcase state for the party. Ever since RSS nominee Nitin Gadkari took the helm, Gujarat Chief Minister and a top prime minister candidate Narendra Modi hasn’t been the most co-operative. The bachelor swayam sevak CM is not

happy with the way Gadkari is leading the party and has attacked his strategies in his meetings with the leadership. Gadkari’s response has been to play down the importance of Modi in the bigger picture. The most recent example of the duo’s spat spilling out into public view was during the Assembly elections when Modi refused to campaign for the party in UP — and Gadkari entrusted the job to Modi’s arch rival Sanjay Joshi. The chill has continued ever since. With the party’s national executive meeting barely a month away, Modi has maintained a deafening silence on his attendance. A second term for Gadkari being the main agenda of the conclave, the former’s absence will be a thinly veiled banner of revolt. No doubt the BJP generals are fully capable of leading the assault on Congress; the question is whether they can survive the civil strife within the party. The writer works for Postnoon.

AL-JAZEERA SHOWS QUALITY JOURNALISM is not a Western preserve

he Eurozone crisis is swiftly going from farcical to downright catastrophic. As Greece prepares to go to the polls again Merkel and Hollande attempt to hammer through their differences and wrap the crumbling union in a protective covering that is temporary at best. It is estimated, some say apocryphally, that nearly 28 billion Euros lies in Greek mattresses as faith in Greek banks plummets. If we have learnt anything from the Argentine crisis of 19992002 it is that money in a bank is as good as gone when countries spiral into economic free fall. Greece’s continued participation in the Euro project can only damage both Greece and Europe in the long run. Rumours that Greece has already started printing the drachma in secret have gained credence over the last few months. Germany and France must make a tough decision: Should they allow Greece leave the Euro, and if they do what precedent will that set for Spain and Portugal who are following Greece into the abyss? These are tough times for Europe, the decision it makes, however, will affect the world.

OVER-THE-COUNTER HIV Tests a boon

he US push to make overthe-counter HIV tests available is a historic step in the fight against HIV/Aids. Many fear getting tests done in hospitals due to social stigmas and privacy issues. The new kits will allow people to test themselves in the privacy of their homes, thus reducing the chance of the disease spreading.

Cinema Paradiso Swingers

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE…

Year: 1996 Director: Doug Liman Cast: John Favreau, Vince Vaughan Plot: This is a story about Mike, a guy who left his girl in New York when he came to LA to be a star. It’s been six months since his girlfriend left him and he’s not doing so good. So, his pal and some other friends try and get him back in the social scene and forget about his six-year relationship.

As the third instalment of the Men in Black franchise gets set to storm cinemas across the world, all the focus will be on whether Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones can recreate the hilarious back-and-forth that made them such fun. And if they’re looking for inspiration then they should watch these five hilarious buddy flicks

48 Hrs. Year: 1982 Director: Richard Donner Cast: Nick Nolte, Eddie Murphy Plot: Oddball cop and tough guy, Jack Cates is the only survivor of a cop shooting and in hunting down the murderer collects Reggie Hammond from jail for 48 hours. Hammond is oddly motivated to help. The killer is searching for his stash of cash. Cates and Hammond who have the Blackwhite, cop-crook thing to work out make surprisingly good partners as they navigate through the city looking for their suspect.

Lethal Weapon Year: 1987 Director: Richard Donner Cast: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover Plot: A veteran cop, Murtough, is partnered with a young homicidal cop, Riggs. Both have one thing in common, they hate working in pairs. Now they must learn to work with one another to stop a gang of drug smugglers.

Some Like It Hot Year: 1959 Director: Billy Wilder Cast: Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon When two musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all female band disguised as women, but further complications set in.

Year: 1993 Director: Donald Petrie Cast: Walter Matthau, Jack Lemon

Plot: John and Max are elderly men living next door to each other. They’re continuously arguing and insulting each other, and have been this way for over 50 years. One day, Ariel, moves into the street. Both men are attracted to her, and their rivalry steps up a gear.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

Who gets the upperhand?

ased on Steve Harvey’s best-selling book, Think Like a Man follows four interconnected and diverse men whose love lives are shaken up after the ladies they are pursuing buy Harvey’s book and start taking his advice to heart. When the band of brothers realise they

have been betrayed by one of their own, they conspire using the book’s insider information to turn the tables and teach the women a lesson of their own.

Movie: Think like a man Director: Tim Story Cast: Chris Brown, Gabrielle Union and Kevin Hart

H‑Factor

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

If that painful skin rash is accompanied by body aches, fever and a headache, then this may be because of shingles

Angioplasty can reduce heart damage

Dr Sunil Kapoor

Care can spare you the scar Anishaa Kumar anishaa.k@postnoon.com

t’s yet another hectic day when you suddenly develop pain followed by an outbreak of a skin rash. It’s time to visit your doctor as this could be a case of shingles. Dr Sunitha Shekhar Reddy, dermatologist at ADI clinics says, “Shingles is the common name given to herpes zoster that is caused due to the chicken pox virus.” Dr Aftab Ahmed, senior physician, Apollo Hospital, Secunderabad says it is basically a viral infection. “Shingles can occur in any part of the body and to any one. It can only occur if a person has had chicken pox earlier. It is triggered by low immunity. This low immunity activates the chicken pox virus which is still present in the nervous system. Shingles can also be caused due to deficiencies or diabetes so if a middle aged person approaches us with these symptoms we also get them checked for these ailments,” says Dr Sunitha. Dr Aftab mentions, “Shingles usually occurs in those who are middle-aged (they have a low immunity) or if they are suffering from or are taking treat-

ments for ailments like cancer and HIV. People who have just undergone a transplant are also at risk. It rarely occurs in people who are young. As long as your immunity is good there should be no problem.”

Symptoms A characteristic of shingles that can differentiate it from any other rash is the immense pain that precedes the rash and these rashes occur only on one side of the body unlike regular rashes, which may occur anywhere. “The symptoms for shingles start with a crawling sensation or sometimes an ant biting sensation. It also looks at times like an insect bite so people mistake it for the same and apply regular medication. Once the pain erupts or the crawling sensation gets intolerable, bubbles start forming which look like chicken pox,” says Dr Sunitha. Dr Aftab mentions that this pain may continue even during or after the rash has subsided. This pain occurs as shingles involves the nerve. Some of the other symptoms of shingles could include abdominal pain, chills, hearing loss.

Treatment Dr Sunitha mentions that once the treatment is started it usual-

ly clears off within a few days. According to Dr Ahmed, “If shingles is identified earlier, treatment can be provided in the form of anti-viral drugs which help reduce the severity and duration of the problem. If the person is suffering from pain, a pain relief medication can be prescribed. Some people also suffer from a burning and itching sensation. In such a case, the patient is provided with some kind of soothing applicant like calamine.” Whenever it comes to skin ailments we tend to be concerned about it leaving behind a rash or a permanent mark. According to Dr Sunitha, “Shingles can leave a scar only if it is not treated on time and not treated properly. It could prove dangerous if not treated on time. For example if it occurs on the face then there are chances of the cornea getting effected, which may in extreme cases result in loss of vision.” The ailment usually cannot be ignored. It depends on the case whether is mild or severe. If it is mild, then they may ignore it but if it is severe with the person suffering from excessive pain than it is important that the problem is tackled as soon as possible. Dr Ahmed says that in some cases the shingles may

clear within a few days but may still cause pigmentation in the affected area. He also adds, “Certain people may suffer from pain for days or months after the scar has gone. This is what is termed as post herpetic neuralgia. The patient has to then be treated for this. It could be a troublesome problem.”

Recurrence Once a person suffers from shingles it rarely recurs — it happens in most of the cases once in a lifetime.” It is not so common. It is not necessary that every person who suffers from chicken pox in the past will get infected with shingles,” says Dr Sunitha.

Precautions According to Dr Ahmed, “A person who has had chicken pox in the past or has received a chicken pox vaccine during childhood will not develop shingles from another person suffering from the same. On the other hand, a person who has never taken a vaccine and has never had chicken pox has more chances. Shingles can be contagious as the rash has secretions containing the virus. Shingles cannot be transferred through the air. It can happen only if there is contact.”

What is an angioplasty? Angioplasty is a way to open a blocked coronary artery and restore blood flow to your heart. It can also help prevent heart problems by widening an artery that has been narrowed by plaque. Plaque is a fatty build up that can block your arteries. Your doctor may call it percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Having angioplasty during or soon after a heart attack can help prevent further damage to your heart. It also decreases your chance of dying from a heart attack or having other problems, such as heart failure.

How it is done Before angioplasty, the doctor will do a test called cardiac catheterisation (or coronary angiography). For this test, a tiny tube called a catheter is threaded through an artery in your arm or groin and up into your heart. A dye is then sent through the catheter. The dye makes your coronary arteries show up on a screen so the doctor can see if they are blocked. If an artery is blocked, your doctor will do an angioplasty. During angioplasty, the doctor threads a catheter into the blocked artery. At the end of the catheter is a tiny balloon. The doctor inflates the balloon inside the artery to open the blocked area. The doctor may put a stent in your artery during angioplasty. A stent is a small tube that expands against the walls of the artery. This can keep small pieces of plaque from breaking off and causing a heart attack. It can also keep the artery from closing again (restenosis). The doctor may use a type of stent called a drug-eluting stent. These stents are coated with medicines that keep cells from growing around the stent. This helps keep the artery open. Angioplasty doesn’t require a large cut (incision). You’ll take medicine to help you relax, but you’ll be awake during the procedure. (The writer is a senior consultant cardiologist practicing at Care Hospital, Hyderabad)

H‑Factor

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Pot smoking may ease symptoms of multiple sclerosis Alexander Besant

arijuana may ease the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study says. Smoking pot can relieve muscle tightness, contractions, pain and other disabling symptoms related to the advance multiple sclerosis in patients. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine studied 30 patients with those who were given marijuana had a 50 per cent decrease in pain, reported the Toronto Star. Those given marijuana also

had a decrease in spasticity or contractions related to MS. “We found that smoked cannabis was superior to placebo in reducing symptoms and pain in patients with treatment-resistant spasticity, or excessive muscle contractions,” said Jody Corey-Bloom, director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at UC San Diego, reported Science Daily. Reuters reported that it is possible the cannibinoid, found in both marijuana and naturally produced by the human body, helps regulate muscle spasticity, translating

HOUSECALL lcoholic hepatitis is hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) due to excessive intake of alcohol. It is usually found in association with hepatosteatosis, an early stage of alcoholic liver disease, and may contribute to the progression of fibrosis, leading to cirrhosis. Symptoms are jaundice, ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity), fatigue and hepatic encephalopathy (brain dysfunction due to liver failure). Mild cases are self-limiting, but severe cases have a high risk of death. Severe cases may be treated with glucocorticoids. So the next time you plan a weekend of binge drinking, keep the consequences in mind.

RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE STUDIED 30 PATIENTS WITH THOSE WHO WERE GIVEN MARIJUANA HAD A 50 PER CENT DECREASE IN PAIN. THOSE WHO WERE GIVEN MARIJUANA ALSO HAD A DECREASE IN SPASTICITY OR CONTRACTIONS RELATED TO MS.

GLOBAL POST

APP-LY YOURSELF

Alcoholic Hepatitis

into less contractions. Patients who used the drug also experienced dizziness and feelings of “being high.” Multiple scleroris is a chronic disease that destroys the protective coating around the nerves causing pain, and a deterioration of motor skills. Approximately 400,000 people in the United States have the disease. The study is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

f you’re worried about pregnancy and keeping track of your to-dos, this is the app for you. Easy to use with a colourful design, Baby Bump includes weekly updates on your baby’s development, graphical weight charts, and a pregnancy forum, where you can compare notes with fellow expectant parents. The forum is useful if you don’t have a lot of pregnant friends. You can also track your weight and waist changes and chart the progress of your pregnancy, educate yourself with week-byweek information about your body changes and your baby’s development, keep a pregnancy journal, manage your baby bump photos and share your pictures and charts.

Fat turns into flab 3 hours after big meal LONDON: An average person can virtually add two to three teaspoons of fat to his or her waistline in a matter of hours after eating. Fat from meals eaten later in the day is more likely to be stored around the middle. The finding that it is possible to ‘become fat’ within three hours contradicts the widely-held belief that weight gain is gradual. It had been thought that fat from food was transported from the gut into the blood, where it could be used by the muscles as needed. Any excess was thought to be slowly removed and stored in the fatty tissue around the waist, hips and legs. However, the Oxford University research suggests a more complex and rapid process, the Daily Mail reports. In the experiments, volunteers ate fat. This was found to take around an hour to be broken down in the gut and then enter the bloodstream as tiny droplets. The droplets are then whisked around the body, but not for long before they are ‘caught’ and stored. “The process is fast,” said Fredrik Karpe, professor of metabolic medicine at Oxford. “The cells in the adipose tissue around the waist catch the fat droplets as the blood carries them and incorporates them into the cells for storage.” Only a small amount of the fat found in breakfast takes this route. By dinner, the amount rises to half. This is due to hormonal changes which make it easier for the stores in the waist to trap fat droplets. In a dinner with 0 grams of fat, two to three teaspoons will gather around the waist. The good news is the storage system is temporary, with the fat deposited quickly drawn on, or mobilised, to feed our muscles. But when we overeat, it is a different story, Karpe warns. “If you eat too much, you don’t get into this phase of starting to mobilise it,” he said. ‘There will just be constant accumulation and you will start to put on weight,” concluded Karpe. IANS

DID YOU KNOW?

Baby Bump Pregnancy Pro

Exercise boosts brain power

ot only does exercise improve your body, it helps your mental function as well. Exercise increases energy levels and increases serotonin in the brain, which leads to improved mental clarity. All that makes for a more productive day. Studies have shown that those who are active and who exercise are more productive at work. Improved productivity not only makes you a better worker, it makes things better for everyone else too. Next time you want to come up with a great presentation or snag that deal, then hit the gym.

Spotlight

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

If you get off early from work and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know where to go. Then maybe a visit to Cuba Libre will solve your problems. Enjoy the music and the food here just like these youngsters did on Tuesday.

On the floor

Sanjay & Roshni

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Ramakanth & Sindura

Khushi & Kaushik

Roopesh & Meghna

Call of the night

Pragathi

Poonam & Nisha

Erica

Nisha

Firangi Paani is where the fun begins. The call of the dance floor is hard to resist. These party-goers were spotted enjoying themselves at the pub on Tuesday. M ANIL KUMAR

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

One for the fans

A devotional performance

Deccan Chargers player Kumar Sangakkara at Manthan, a forum for discourse organised by Vidyaranya School on Tuesday.

Dr G Padmaja Reddy from Pranav Institute of Kuchupudi dance presented a ballet with her 70 disciples. The ballet was held at Ravindra Bharathi.

Magic Screen

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Taapsee gets a big break in Tamil

aapsee is on a song these days. This year she’ll be seen in Daruvu, Gundello Godaari and Shadow, apart from Chashme Baddoor and now we hear that she has got a big break in Tamil. Taapsee is going to join the cast of Ajith’s upcoming film to be directed by Vishnuvardhan. Nayanthara and Arya are also playing the lead roles in the film and Taapsee is going to pair up with Arya in this action entertainer. AM Ratnam is going to produce the film. “Time to brush up my tamil skills. Sorry for making all my beloved tamilians wait, but I told u its gonna b somethng worth it n big. Hav taken up my next tamil project,opposite arya in vishnu sir’s movie which also stars ajith sir n nayanthara. Sowasn’t d wait worth it? (sic)” Taapsee posted on Twitter.

Endhukante Premanta is Ram’s dream project R

am is pinning a lot of hopes on Endhukante Premanta and it was evident when he spoke at a press conference which was held yesterday on the eve of his birthday. “Endhukante Premanta is my first bilingual film and I always keep telling my uncle, Sravanthi Ravi Kishore that he has produced my dream film. The plot is different and whatever we do within the confines of the story, it’s turning out to be quite fresh,” Ram said. He praised A Karunakaran saying, “It’s quite common in the film industry that you end up being disappointed after working with someone whom you have looked up to for several years. But after working with Karunakaran I realised that I knew very little about him. It’s been my honour to work with an extremely talented director like him. We have tried our best to make a good film and I am sure it is going to impress the audience as well.”

I am not getting married: Allu Sirish A

llu Sirish, younger brother of Allu Arjun, had a field day clarifying that he was not getting married anytime soon. Rumours were rife that he was going to tie the knot with a prominent businessman’s daugh-

ter, who hails from the city and a section of the media reported that. Sources close to Sirish were taken aback with these rumours since he had already announced that he would be making his debut in films soon. “I have no marriage plans for next 3-4yrs. Pls spare me. The girl is a family friend & more like a sister. How can I marry her? Earlier too I was wrongly linked. Doesnt affect me, but think abt the girl & family. So media folks, such sensitive things - pl crosschk. (sic)” Sirish tweeted responding to the media reports. After a brief stint in the publishing industry, Sirish is gearing up to make his acting debut in Radhamohan’s Gowravam. The cast and crew of this film is being finalised and the film is expected to go on floors later this year.

T-TOWN TWEETIES

@Actor_Siddharth “Gabbar Singh” is becoming legend with each show! Figures that can make your head spin like a top! Star power of the Power Star! Period!

@ramsayz Lovely day...one of those days I feel glad dat I came to twitter... pls consider this a personal thank u to each one of u...Love ya all!

@me_sushanth So many films to catch up on... Top of the list is Gabbar Singh! He’s everywhere. Avengers, Vicky donor, Ishaqzaade n more coming. Marathon.

@HEROMANOJ1 Good morning guyss:)) last 5 days of #UKUP shoot:)) I lost count of people I killed in UKUP movie fights :)) lol:)

@taapsee Just saw Ishqzaade! What an amazing movie! Everythng seemed so real n believable. Terrific job by actors n technicians! Really touched

@actressanjjanaa “Mahanadi”is by far d most responsible strong character im playing in my career post gandahendathi,very thrilled!

@sundeepkishan Just read that child actor Taruni Sachdev (rasna, paa) passed away in an AirCrash yest, really unfortunate & saddening... was such a talented kid

@richyricha There will always b sum1 who can read u like the back of a book,and knows wat ur thinking without having to say a word. Can be gud AND bad!

Magic Screen

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Paa actor dead in Nepal plane crash

B-TOWN TWEETIES

@NeilNMukesh Beginning the day with a big smile ! Its sonal’s birthday :) :) :). Here is wishing her all the happiness in the world. @sonalchauhan7 !

@realpreityzinta

he was the cute girl in many commercials. Say Rasna and the face that comes to mind is of Taruni Sachdev. More recently she played the role of Amitabh Bachchan’s classmate in Paa. The 14-year-old is feared to be one among the casualities of the Nepal plane crash that happened on Monday morning. She was on her way from Pokhara to Jomsom along with her mother Geeta, when the plane crashed. Taruni had worked in two Malayalam films – Vellinakshatram (2004) and Sathyam (2004). She had also appeared on Shahrukh Khan’s quiz show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? A shocked Amitabh Bachchan tweeted, “Just reading that Tarini Sachdev the girl child artist in Paa, has perished in Nepal plane crash .. please God may this not be true.”Please do not say that this is true …I am so shaken ... she was the most bright and beautiful little girl … .”. Prithviraj who has worked with her in Sathyam also tweeted, “RIP dear.”

@MadhuriDixit1 Hi guys! Thank you for all the wonderful birthday wishes and for making this day so special!! Here is to making every day great!! Love M

@AnupamPkher Book launch in Singapore was super success. Thank you Singapore for your love and warmth. Jai Ho.:)

@GulPanag

Katrina praises Aamir’s work

Finally got me a bike in #Punjab:) Thank you @royalenfield. Borrowed a helmet. That says ManEater:p All set now!

ctress Katrina Kaif is all praise for her Dhoom 3 co-actor Aamir Khan’s TV show Satyamev Jayate and says that given a chance she too will attempt a show on small screen provided she can add value to it. In the first two episodes, Aamir touched upon things like female foeticide and child sex abuse, receiving a roaring response from the audience. “I did not get to see the show...unfortunately I was working. But lot of my friends have seen it and lot of them have tweeted also about the show… saying it is one of the best TV shows in recent times. I have heard about the topics that he has shown..it is amazing. Whatever he does is of high quality and he has lived up to expectations,” Katrina told reporters. PTI

I’d lie if I’d say I’m not disappointed # DD was better than #kXIP today ! Boyz needs 2 pull up their socks as Dharamshala becomes crucial !

@bomanirani Truth be told, I was not an angry child nor is that ‘attitude’ — it is the sun in my eyes!

@RGVzoomin

New look for IIFA revealed

he International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) on Tuesday revealed a complete new look for the IIFA Awards being held in Singapore, this June. Shahid Kapoor will host the prestigious Awards presentation ceremony and superstarchoreographer, Prabhu Deva will choreograph the spectacular that enjoys a phenomenal viewership of almost 800 million over more than a 100 countries. As we get closer to the

13th IIFA Awards, the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) also announced a stellar list of performers, promising to leave audiences mesmerised in the Lion City of Singapore. The A-list performers line-up of Sonakshi Sinha, Shahid Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Prabhu Deva were unveiled on Tuesday in Mumbai, as the actors graced a media gathering to announce the Videocon IIFA Weekend.

“@pranavreddy4RGV: A great contribution TV has made to families is that the members can avoid looking at each other.”

@shreyaghoshal Happy birthday @DaSoothsayer May you have the most awesome year ahead.

Magic Screen

D I S P L A YA

D S RATE ` 150 sq. cm

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

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Magic Screen Jessica Simpson strikes maternity wear deal

The glamour behind the glitz

inger Jessica Simpson has signed a deal with a maternity wear range shortly after giving birth to her first child, Maxwell Drew. The 31-year-old singer-actress gave birth to her daughter with fiance Eric Johnson on May 1 and her company Jessica Simpson Collection has collaborated with Destination Maternity to design and distribute garments branded with the blonde beauty’s name, reported Contactmusic. PTI

Kristen Stewart wants to play evil

ctress Kristen Stewart wants to get rid of her Bella Swan persona from the Twilight Saga film series. After portraying a warrior in Snow White and the Huntsman and playing a seductress in On the Road, the 22-year-old actress said that she wants to tackle an even darker role by starring as suicidal girl Peyton Loftis in her upcoming movie, reported Aceshowbiz. “I want to play Peyton more than anything I can possibly taste or touch in my life. I want to play her so bad,” Stewart said. The film is a big screen adaptation of the novel

Lie Down in Darkness. Loftis is a psychologically vulnerable young lady who falls for her own father. “She’s in love with him. I mean, I think she’s in love with him. It’s not his fault,” Stewart added.The actress also thinks Colin Firth would be perfect to play her father’s role. Stewart also has her eyes on another dark character. The star said she wants to play murderous Cathy Ames from the book East of Eden. “She is a troubled character who leaves her children to operate a brothel. She’s a psychopathic, evil! I haven’t done that yet.” PTI

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Magic Screen

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Josh Hutcherson

STEPS OUT AFTER NOSE JOB

e's survived a spear in the leg in The Hunger Games – and it looks like Josh Hutcherson isn't letting his recent real-life surgery keep him down either. The bandage-sporting teen star stepped out Monday in Beverly Hills, reportedly to visit his doctor, after undergoing a procedure on his nose recently. "Just had surgery to fix my broken nose," the actor Tweeted on May 9. But luckily he found some entertainment as he convalesced – Tweeting at Jennifer Love Hewitt about enjoying her Lifetime television show.

Jessica Biel

STARS IN A ROM-COM J

essica Biel is in negotiations to play one of two female leads in My Owner's Wedding, a zany-sounding rom-com about "two eligible young women, the man both of them want, and his dog," Deadline writes, adding that "the latter will go to any length to make sure his owner ends up with the right girl." Questions: Will Uggie un-retire for this, and will he choose Biel or the other lady, and who is the other lady, actually?

Lady Gaga wears another meat dress? L

ady Gaga shocked audiences (and vegetarians) when she donned a dress made of raw meat to the 2010 MTV Music Awards. The pop star, who's been known to recycle her style, wore a new (or should we say fresh) meat dress while performing in Tokyo over the weekend. Famed photographer Terry Richardson captured Gaga in action on stage, performing on a set designed to resemble a meat locker. Gaga's newest meat dress is far more structured, featuring a sweetheart neckline and skirt. Given its tailored look and the fact that she's actu-

ally performing in it (as opposed to just accepting an award), it's probably not made of raw meat — just fabric treated to look like it. Still, the concept of a meat dress may be appalling to some.

Chai Time

KAKURO

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

SCRIBBLING PAD

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Wheelchair access 5 Arabian cargo boats 10 Yodeler's rejoinder 14 From whence some worship 15 Comaneci of gymnastics 16 Comforting reply to ‘When?’ 17 Stunned 19 Voluminous volume 20 Longtime Susan Lucci daytime role 21 ‘My Friend ___’ (Martin-Lewis film) 22 ___ out a living 23 Stonewashed pants 25 American of Japanese ancestry 27 Brief time periods, briefly 29 Change, as the Constitution 32 Ascended 35 Empty bags 39 Christmas carol emotion 40 Kennel sound 41 Sense of completeness 42 Solicit responses 43 Munched or lunched 44 Colorless animal 45 ‘Desperate Housewives’ role 46 Ram bouillets 48 1970s Tony Musante cop show 50 Alternative to a QWERTY keyboard 54 Margarita option 58 Jessica of Hollywood 60 Teen trial 62 Jason's wife, in myth 63 Ear-piercing 64 Battle fatigue 66 Starlet's dream 67 Make fun of 68 ‘Dies ___’ (Latin hymn) 69 Items on a concert stage 70 Tacked on 71 Cousin of a gull DOWN 1 Spread like wildfire 2 Blazing

3 Expert (var) 4 Right on the money 5 Forensic science tool 6 Visitor to Mecca 7 Aerosol targets 8 ‘The Flintstones’ character 9 ‘Paradise Lost’ villain 10 Regard highly 11 Stereotypical hiding place 12 Range dwelling? 13 Dollar bills 18 Invitation list entry 24 Regatta racer 26 Sushi bar beverage 28 High-hat 30 Proboscis 31 Dick Van ___ of ‘Mary Poppins’ 32 Scandinavian rugs 33 Boy Scout recitation 34 Parking lot feature

36 Tire pressure letters 37 Bee, to Andy Taylor 38 Emulate Bing Crosby 41 Crime bigwig or guitar attachment 45 Single, in Fenway Park 47 Dodges 49 Dads' counterparts 51 Dreadlocked Jamaican, for short 52 Felt the effects of overexertion 53 Bread machine cycle 55 Be wild about 56 Former Renault

SUDOKU

model 57 Already spoken for 58 ___ Romeo (foreign car) 59 Rich soil 61 ‘What ___ can I say?’ 65 Acted as a guide PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY The two most beautiful words in the English language are 'cheque enclosed'. – Dorothy Parker

Chai Time STAR POWER

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

As per Hindu panchang

FOR 17-5-2012

thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9177596118

TAURUS

GEMINI

Likely to face indirect opposition; be careful. Debt issues might upset you, but handle them carefully. Good news is on the cards; it will cheer you. Artists likely to get good opportunities.

Politicians might remain in a confused state of mind. Expenses towards vehi‑ cle repair will upset you. Women will maintain family with shrewd actions. Close friends will prove beneﬁcial.

Though artists will get good opportu‑ nities, exercise caution while signing agreements. Working women need to be very careful. Relatives will extend help only to some extent.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Children will make you proud and happy. Good news will come through the post. Artists will face stiff opposi‑ tion from their co‑artists itself. If they try on their own, success is sure.

Students will shine well. Businessmen will see their income match their efforts. Plans by politicians will be received well by all. Their influence will keep growing by the day.

Financial position will be satisfactory. Avoid investment in purchase of non‑ movable assets for the time being. Artists will get opportunities which will improve their ﬁnancial position.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Businessmen face no problems; the going will be good and proﬁts are like‑ ly to grow. You might be beneﬁtted through your sisters. Relatives might spell trouble for you; be careful.

Those married recently will be blessed with an offspring. A happy atmosph‑ ere will prevail in the family. Some will buy new vehicles by exchanging old ones. Boom time for garment traders.

Some important missing documents will be retrieved today. Some have a bright chance to change their residen‑ ce or vehicle. Artists in the ﬁeld of da‑ nce and voice will get recognition.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Postpone the issue of property sharing for the time being. Artists will get good opportunities through their hard and unrelenting work. Chances abroad also not ruled out. Health problem likely.

Employees are favoured with elevation and pay hike. Avoid or postpone plan‑ ned new efforts. Due share of ances‑ tral property will come. Avoid night journey. Businessmen have less proﬁts.

Blood relatives might create some trouble. Working women are advised to be careful about safety of their money. Recently married ones can get ready to welcome their offspring.

SUMAA TEKUR

FOR 17-5-2012

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

The Empress – There may be minor irrita‑ nts in a relationship. But itʼs important yo‑ u deal with them co‑ mpletely before mo‑ ving on. Ignoring wo‑ nʼt make them go.

Termperance – Sud‑ den changes in the process of an impor‑ tant project has you worried. You begin to imagine all things that could go wrong. Stop doing that!

Two of Cups – Partnerships are in focus. Two minds are better than one. Be open to sharing your ideas and collaborat‑ ing and learning as you go along.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Seven of Swords – Be careful of injuries while working out. Always follow your trainerʼs instructions and donʼt do anything that will push your body too much.

Knight of Swords – Focus on your diet. It will solve all heal‑ th problems, at least for the time being. Youʼre tempted to go to extremes and take medication.

Eight of Swords – A friendship turning sour will leave you in quite a shock. You may not have expect‑ ed this from this par‑ ticularly close friend. Donʼt worry about it.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Two of Pentacles – Balance is the name of the game. Work‑ ing mothers, espe‑ cially, have a tough time with this. Go easy on yourself. Yo‑ uʼre not a machine.

The Lovers – Decision time is here and you are at a crossroads. You want to take the best option available. Trouble is, you donʼt know what that is.

Four of Cups – A job offer is likely to take you by surprise. It wi‑ ll be in a ﬁeld youʼre not too familiar with. Donʼt doubt your abil‑ ities. Just plunge in and get going.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Eight of Wands – Good luck favours those who are pre‑ pared. They can then convert this opportu‑ nity to something wonderful. This is such a lucky phase.

Justice – You cannot always control what happens to other people, although you may be their respon‑ sibility, in the techni‑ cal sense. But no one can be responsible.

Seven of Pentacles – Money will follow you if youʼre willing to do the different. Open your mind to new possibilities and donʼt be intimidated by the unfamiliar.

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

SOLUTIONS

Boggle GOLF RUGBY HOCKEY BOXING

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

ARIES

TAROT READ

Vol: 1, No 304 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211

Playing Field

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

The games people play

Murray’s B’day was a tough day Scott Williams

ROME: Britain’s world number four Andy Murray celebrated his 25th birthday here on Tuesday with a hard fought 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 victory over veteran Argentinian David Nalbandian to reach the third round of the Rome Masters. The day session match which ended well into the intended start of night play for top-seeded holder Novak Djokovic, was a struggle for survival on the clay between the pair, with Murray recovering from a break down in the third. Murray, seeded four and a semifinalist here last year, frequently hung his head to catch his breath after monster points and could be seen gripping at his lower back at the end of rallies. It took 2 hrs, 37 min for the Scot to

prevail, managing 29 winners and converting eight of his 18 break point chances - and he barely looked as if he had the energy to eat a slice of the birthday cake that was brought onto court. The match was the first for the pair on clay and left 2004 finalist Nalbandian disappointed after Murray edged a torrid final set to advance on his first match point. Murray, who stands 5-2 in their head to head series, won his first match since losing in the quarter-finals in Barcelona to Milos Raonic and then skipping last week’s Madrid event with back pain. “I’m very happy to win, considering how the last few weeks have gone,” said Murray. “When you haven’t hit that much,

it’s not so comfortable. Hopefully I can go on from here.” Djokovic didn’t seem at all disturbed by the delay and breezed through to the third round with a 6-3, 63 masterclass dished out to young Australian Bernard Tomic. Madrid champion Roger Federer will take to the court on Wednesday to open against Argentine Carlos Berlocq. The world number two had been unsure of his physical status and had waited until the last minute to decide if he could compete this week with only days to go before the French Open gets underway on May 27. Rome is one of the few big events the Swiss has not won after losing two finals.

Pacers freeze out the Heat MIAMI: David West scored 16 points and George Hill had 15 as the Indiana Pacers defeated the Miami Heat 78-75 Tuesday to even their Eastern Conference second round series at one game each. Hill also nailed a key free throw with 14.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter to give the Pacers a 78-75 lead. Earlier Roy Hibbert made one of his two free throws with 32 seconds left to put the Pacers up 77-75. Players stepped up for the Pacers when it counted the most but West wasn’t reading too much into their first win in the bestof-seven series. “We can’t celebrate over this,” West said. “We didn’t want to win just one game. We want to win the series.” LeBron James finished with 28 points and Dwyane Wade scored 24 for the shorthanded Heat, who shot just 34.6 percent from the floor. Wade had a chance to tie the game with 16 seconds left after Hibbert made one of his free throws but Wade spun around Hill to the left and

missed on the layup attempt. “We maintained our composure and got them off some of the things they like to do,” West said of the Heat. A three-point try from Miami’s Mario Chalmers bounced off the rim at the buzzer as the Heat saw their playoff win streak at home against Eastern Conference opponents snapped at 13. The second-seeded Heat defeated the Knicks in five games to advance to the second round. The Heat captured the opener on Sunday with a 95-86 win, but lost star forward Chris Bosh to a lower abdominal strain. Miami will likely not have Bosh back for the rest of the Eastern Conference series. Game three of the series will be in Indianapolis on Thursday. West said the Pacers need to come out strong in the opening quarter Thursday and play the same way down the stretch in order to win at home. “We are going to remain aggressive, play team ball and put pressure on them to beat us,” he said.

Open in January, has made a speedier recovery than expected from the operation in February and has been training well on clay. His reward is one of Tennis Australia’s two wildcards to Roland Garros, with 16-year-old Ashleigh Barty, the 2011

Julian Guyer

LONDON: West Indies face

Hewitt gets Wild Card into French Open SYDNEY: Two-time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt, who is battling back from foot surgery, was Wednesday handed a wildcard into the main draw of this month’s French Open. The 31-year-old, who reached the fourth round of the Australian

Windies gear up for Test of nerves

Wimbledon junior champion, getting the other. “I’m looking forward to playing the French Open especially after missing it last year due to injury,” Hewitt said. Hewitt was not expected to be back until the grass court season

but returns for his 12th campaign in Paris. “It’s great to see Lleyton back from injury and we are very pleased to be able to reward his efforts with this wildcard,” Tennis Australia chief Craig Tiley said in a statement.

England in the first of a three-Test series at Lord’s here on Thursday with the tourists’ batting likely to determine the course of the match. Should conditions prove as seam friendly as they have for much of the early part of the English season, West Indies’ top order could struggle to provide the kind of platform that will help improve on a record of just two wins in 30 Tests since beating England in Jamaica in 2009. Kieran Powell made his second first-class hundred in West Indies’ 10-wicket defeat by the England Lions at Northampton last week, a match where number four Darren Bravo made two fifties. However, Powell’s opening partner Adrian Barath and Kirk Edwards managed just 26 runs between them at Northampton, having only compiled 16 and eight respectively in the near washout against Sussex at Hove. Much could depend on world number one batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who has performed many a rescue mission for the West Indies during a career that last month saw him become only the 10th batsman to score 10,000 Test runs. However, the 37-year-old Guyanese left-hander generally prefers to bat no higher than five in the order. The problem with that, from the West Indies’ point of view, is that too often Chanderpaul comes in with the team already in trouble. For example, during West Indies’ most recent Test — a 75run defeat by Australia in Dominica last month — Chanderpaul came in at 73 for three and 45 for three. There has been talk of promoting Chanderpaul up the order but it appears he is set to stay put — at least for the time being.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

6 606

METRE

Chris Gayle (RCB)

44 4S 1651

Ajinkya Rahane (RR)

HIGHEST SCORE

109*

Rohit Sharma (MI)

BEST BOWLER

4-13

Ajit Chandila (RR)

MI, KKR in crucial clash I don't think we are short of firepower. We fought the game well. Delhi are a talented team. But we have shown that we fight till the end and can still chase the finals

Rajesh Ravindran rajesh.r@postnoon.com

o, who will qualify as second-placed to the next round? That is the question as Mumbai Indians play hosts to Kolkata Knight Riders at Wankade Stadium today. Mumbai Indians have a slender lead of just one point with the Knights breathing down their necks. Recent matches signal that Mumbai has the upper hand. Unlike KKR, which is completely dependent on skipper Gautam Gambhir who has been phenomenal in this series, Mumbai Indians had someone among their ranks rise and come to their res-

David Hussey KXIP Captain

Chris Gayle (RCB) 578 runs

Morne Morkel (DD) 21 wickets

Don’t doubt player’s integrity R

efusing to be drawn into the furore surrounding a TV sting operation which claims to have exposed corruption in the IPL, KXIP skipper, David Hussey, said he would be "very disappointed" if the media puts a question mark on the integrity of his players. "Everyone in my team, everyone in KXIP as a brand plays with utmost integrity and if any print or TV media tries to write differently or say something differently about my team, then I will be very disappointed. I can't really comment on the sting," said Hussey. Five uncapped Indian players were suspended with immediate effect pending an inquiry as the BCCI cracked the whip in the wake of the TV sting operation. PTI

DD MI KKR CSK RCB RR KXIP PWI DC

P 14 14 14 15 14 14 14 15 14

W 10 9 8 8 7 7 7 4 2

L 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 11 11

N/T 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1

KKR VS MI AT 8 PM ON SET MAX

WALLOPED

SCORECARD KINGS XI PUNJAB VS DELHI DAREDEVILS Kings XI Punjab innings Mandeep Singh c Sehwag b Aaron 21 SE Marsh c Ojha b Aaron 13 N Saini† c Sehwag b Yadav 15 DJ Hussey not out 40 DA Miller run out (Negi) 4 Azhar Mahmood c Pathan b Yadav 9 Gurkeerat Singh st †Ojha b Negi 8 PP Chawla c †Ojha b Yadav 10 P Kumar run out (Aaron) 8 P Awana not out 4 Extras (lb 3, w 1) 4 Total (8 wickets; 20 overs) 136 Bowling O M R W Econ IK Pathan 4 0 24 0 6.00 Y Venugopal Rao 1 0 13 0 13.00 M Morkel 4 0 32 0 8.00 VR Aaron 4 0 19 2 4.75 P Negi 3 0 24 1 8.00 UT Yadav 4 0 21 3 5.25

Delhi Daredevils innings (target: 137runs from 20 overs) Warner c Azhar Mahmood b Kumar

V Sehwag b Awana

Y Venugopal Rao c Saini b Awana DPMD Jayawardene not out

7 56

LRPL Taylor c Saini b Awana

NV Ojha c Mandeep Singh b Chawla

IK Pathan not out

Extras (lb 1, w 1)

Total (5 wickets; 19 overs)

140

Bowling

W Econ

P Kumar

Azhar Mahmood 4

8.50

P Awana

5.50

PP Chawla Harmeet Singh

4 3

1 0

33 22

1 0

8.25 7.33

7.00

Delhi Daredevils won by 5 wickets

PT NRR 20 0.715 18 -0.056 17 0.390 17 0.214 15 -0.072 14 0.335 14 -0.293 8 -0.477 5 -0.680

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

cue, at least in their last two matches. In the first one they run riot riding on some superior batting performances of Rohit Sharma and Hershelle Gibbs against the Kinghts from Kolkata. In their last match, matters were so dismal that they were tottering at 51 for five against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Recovering from such a situation seemed nearly impossible, but Ambati Rayadu and Kevin Pollard chased down that and won the match. Today’s match is crucial as both teams would want to avoid the eliminator and make it to the final without any unpleasantness.

Delhi Daredevils’ Mahela Jayawardene (L) and Ifran Pathan celebrate the wicket of KXIP’s Gurkeerat Singh during their IPL match in Delhi on Tuesday. AFP/RAVEENDRAN

Kings XI Punjab’s Azhar Mahmood plays a shot against Delhi Daredevils during their IPL match at the Ferozshah Kotla grounds AFP/RAVEENDRAN in New Delhi on Tuesday.

70 DAYS TO GO WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

US wary of China, Russia ahead of Games Rebecca Bryan

DALLAS: US Olympic officials expect China and Russia to be America’s biggest rivals in the London Games medals race, but a bevy of medal hopefuls introduced this week aim to put the US atop the table. Alan Ashley, the US Olympic Committee’s chief of sport performance, declined to predict a medals tally, but vowed the United States would be at -- or near -- the top. “I can’t tell you where the number is going to end up, but I can say the athletes are preparing to compete at the highest level,” Ashley said in opening remarks at the the USOC’s pre-London media summit, a four-day get-together featuring Olympic bound competitors and Olympic hopefuls in sports ranging from archery to wrestling. “We’re going into this to be the best-prepared team we possibly can be. We want to go in and win the medal count, that’s our objective. What the number is, I honestly can’t tell you.” Four years ago in Beijing, the

Ryan Lochte. United States won the most total medals with 110. Hosts China won 100, but led the gold rush with 51 golds to the United States’ 36. Russia were third in both categories, with 23 golds and 72 medals overall. USOC chairman Larry Probst said he had “chastised” London organising committee chief

Sebastian Coe after Coe predicted China would top the table in 2012. “Hopefully, we can prove him wrong,” Probst said. Certainly, the more than 100 sportsmen and women who attended the summit, which concluded on Tuesday, hope so. They included swimming superstar Michael Phelps — whose 14 Olympic gold medals

include an unprecedented eight in one Games in Beijing — and wideeyed hopefuls still seeking to gain a first Olympic berth. Since Beijing, American Ryan Lochte has emerged a dominant force in swimming, setting the stage for some intriguing match-ups between him and Phelps in London.

Bringing peace through taekwondo Joris Fioriti

KABUL: The taekwondo star who became Afghanistan’s first ever Olympic medallist at the Beijing Games in 2008 wants to repeat the feat in London -- in the hope of bringing peace to his troubled homeland. Rohullah Nikpa’s story is something of a fairytale in a warravaged country with few happy endings. As a 10-year-old obsessed with Bruce Lee and martial arts movies, he followed his brother to the taekwondo club while civil war raged in Afghanistan. “I was crazy about taekwondo from the day I started it. I remember the first day I arrived at the

club to practise, I was already able to do it well. I already had the mentality of being determined to reach the top,” he said. Now 25, he was 14 when the Taliban regime fell at the end of

2001 and began training in Kabul in earnest while a bloody insurgency against the government and its NATO allies raged throughout the country. Nikpa overcame tremendous

problems, not least financial, to qualify for Beijing, where he claimed a life-changing bronze in the under-58 kilogram division. Four years later, the moment is still fresh in his memory. “I was so happy because throughout the history of my country Afghanistan, no one has ever won an Olympic medal before. I was so happy that I cried right there in the arena,” he said. “It’s something priceless for our country. With this medal, I can help bring peace to our country. It shows that our people must walk away from all this war and conflict, and look towards the future generation and use sports to help lift our country up.”

Robles set for US debut NEW YORK: Cuba’s Dayron Robles, the reigning Olympic champion and world record-holder in the 110metre hurdles, will make his first appearance in America when he runs in the Adidas Grand Prix race on June 9. Organizers said Tuesday that the 25-year-old Robles will join Americans Jason Richardson and David Oliver at Icahn Stadium in New York, giving the event the top three hurdlers in the world from last year. Oliver is the 2008 Olympic bronze medallist and Richardson is the reigning world champion. The three will be trying to break the meet record of 12.92 set by China’s Liu Xiang in 2007.

Oz boxer Elmir banned SYDNEY: Australian national women’s boxing champion Bianca Elmir, a top Olympic medal prospect, has been banned from competition after failing a doping test, reports said Wednesday. Her manager Alex Belperio told ABC radio that Elmir tested positive for a banned diuretic during the Australian titles earlier this year where she won the 51kg division. He said she had swelling in her ankles after a long plane trip from Ireland to Australia and “took (the diuretic) just to try and decrease that ahead of competition, ahead of the nationals that were in Hobart”. “We were told that a ban had been put against her not long ago,” he said, without revealing how long it was. Diuretics help rid the body of excess fluids and although banned by the International Olympic Committee have been used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement and in the case of boxing, for weight maintenance. AFP

Playing Field

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

The games people play

Di Matteo braces for his tryst with history Rob Woollard

LONDON: Roberto Di Matteo is bracing for the toughest managerial challenge of his career as he attempts to lead an injury and suspension-hit Chelsea to Champions League glory over Bayern Munich. Just 10 weeks after taking over at Stamford Bridge following the sacking of Andre VillasBoas, Di Matteo has already overseen a string of notable performances including an unforgettable semi-final win over Barcelona. But the Italian believes that orchestrating a win over Bayern on their home ground on Saturday would represent his greatest triumph as he attempts to pull together a Chelsea side decimated by injuries and suspensions. Chelsea will be without suspended captain John Terry and fullback Branislav Ivanovic as well as inspirational midfielder Ramires and Raul Meireles. Di Matteo is also sweating on the fitness of defenders Gary Cahill and David Luiz along with midfielder Florent Malouda. Given the circumstances, Di

1909 FA Cup programme sold for £23K LONDON: A match programme for the 1909 FA Cup final between Manchester United and Bristol City fetched a worldrecord price of £23,500 ($37,600) at a public auction on Tuesday. It beat the previous record of £21,850 ($35,000) paid in 2006 for a programme from the 1889 FA Cup final. “The 1909 FA Cup Final between Manchester United and Bristol City was Manchester United’s first ever appearance in an FA Cup final and Bristol City’s only ever appearance in an FA Cup final,” said auctioneer Graham Budd.

Matteo agreed he faced the most challenging tactical assignment of his career. “With all the problems that we have it’s certainly causing me a headache,” the 41-year-old said. Despite overseeing a rebound in Chelsea’s fortunes, which included an FA Cup victory as well as their passage to the Champions League final, Di Matteo has yet to be given any

assurances about his long-term future at Chelsea. Chelsea say no decision on a long-term successor to VillasBoas will be taken until the season has ended, and Di Matteo insists he is happy to wait. “I’m very relaxed about it,” Di Matteo said. “I just have a big drive and a big motivation to do something extraordinary for this club and that’s all I want to do. And what-

ever comes afterwards -- well, there’s always a reason for things that happen.” He also brushes off suggestions that failure to land the top job would be a bitter pill to swallow if Chelsea were successful on Saturday. “I’d be absolutely delighted to win the Champions League trophy for this club and I’d be very happy for the players,” he said.

Obama ribs Becks’ ad WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama ribbed aging football icon David Beckham over his underwear line Tuesday, as he celebrated Los Angeles Galaxy’s Major League Soccer title at the White House. Obama also paid tribute to the toughness of the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star after he battled through the championship season last year with a stress fracture of the spine and an injured hamstring. “He is tough. It is a rare man who can be that tough on the field and also have his own line of underwear. David Beckham is that man,” Obama joked. Beckham, 37, caused a stir earlier this year when he modeled his line of “Bodywear” underwear by H&M during an advertisement shown during the NFL Super Bowl championship game. The President also quipped that Beckham was much older than some of his young teammates. “We are getting old, David, although you are holding up better than me.” Beckham was joined at the ceremony by teammates, including Landon Donovan, the US national team star, and Republic of Ireland skipper Robbie Keane.

Fifa fears stadiums in Brazil won’t be ready SAO PAULO: Football’s world governing body FIFA believes that six of 12 Brazilian stadiums that are to host the 2014 World Cup may not be ready in time, the daily Folha de Sao Paulo reported on Tuesday. The paper cited a study by a FIFA consultant on the stadium construction or renovation program pointing to various degrees “of risk” for arenas in Manaus, Cuiaba, Porto Alegre, Curitiba and Sao Paulo. But the biggest concern is for the stadium in the northeastern city of Natal because of a “tight schedule” that left no “margin for problems”, it added. Manaus and Cuiaba have

“medium risk” while Curitiba and Porto Alegre have “low risk”, with a greater chance of being ready in time. The report indicated that two years before the World Cup gets underway, work on the 12 stadiums have progressed on average by 34.4 percent. “The outlook for the 2013 Confederations Cup is even more critical. FIFA reports delays in three of the four venues for the competition,” Folha said. In a statement, FIFA however said the document cited by Folha was an internal monitoring report developed at the end of April for stadium experts. AFP

Playing Field

The games people play

Rio gets the chop as Terry spectre looms

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Gourcuff, Mapou get the nod Euro 2012

LONDON: Rio Ferdinand’s broken rela-

PARIS: France coach Laurent

tionship with John Terry may have ended his England career after Roy Hodgson decided to sacrifice the Manchester United defender from his Euro 2012 plans, the Guardian reported. It’s report said Hodgson contacted Ferdinand on Tuesday to inform him that he would not be including him in his squad for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine next month. The England manager then travelled to Chelsea’s training ground where he met Terry for the first time since taking the job and spoke at length to him and the club’s other England internationals about his plans for the competition. Hodgson also rang Peter Crouch, the Stoke City striker, and perhaps most surprisingly Micah Richards, the Manchester City right-back, to let them know that they were also being left out. Hodgson, reported the newspaper, who has also cancelled a training camp in Spain next week, is acutely aware of the bad feeling that exists since Terry was accused of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, Rio’s younger brother, during Chelsea’s match at Queens Park Rangers in October. Terry denies the charge but Hodgson’s inquiries say that the case has already caused divisions in the England squad. Meanwhile, Steven Gerrard, the first senior England player Hodgson contacted after becoming manager, is favourite to be made captain.

Blanc named Yoann Gourcuff in his preliminary 26-man squad for Euro 2012 on Tuesday, while there was a surprise first call-up for Montpellier defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa. Gourcuff, 25, had been in danger of missing out, having made only 13 league appearances for Lyon this season due to injury, and received the last of his 28 caps in March 2011. “On club form, his record is indefensible, as he’s hardly played and when he has played, he’s not performed well, but for France, his record is not that bad,” explained Blanc, who won the Ligue 1 title with Gourcuff at Bordeaux in 2009. “He’s definitely benefited from the circumstances: during

Poland plays down fears of hooliganism WARSAW: Polish authorities on Tuesday played down fears of trouble when the Euro 2012 host nation meets Russia next month in what looks set to be the most politically charged match of the tournament. Interior Minister Jacek Cichocki said that Polish police were working with their Russian counterparts to head off hooliganism, just as they were liaising with the forces of other nations taking part. “We’re aware of the talk that’s doing the rounds on the Internet, but it hasn’t been confirmed via our professional contacts. And if it is confirmed, we’ll be cooperating with Russia to ensure these people don’t get here,” he told reporters. Russia and Poland have been drawn in Euro 2012 Group A — which also features the Czech Republic and Greece — and meet in Warsaw on June 12. Besides the Polish capital, where both Russia and Poland will have their base camps, the other Group A matches will be in Wroclaw. With both Poland and Russia home to a violent hooligan hardcore, and sharing centuries of bad blood, Polish media have seized on a report in Russian weekly Ogonyok that the visitors planned to cause trouble. It said fans from Zenit Saint Petersburg and Spartak Moscow — known for their hardcore element — aimed to smuggle an arsenal of flares and other banned items into the stadiums.

his long absence, no-one has imposed themselves in his area of the pitch.” Yanga-Mbiwa, who celebrated his 23rd birthday on Tuesday, took the place of Tottenham Hotspur centreback Younes Kaboul, who was forced to drop out of the squad due to a patellar tendon injury. “Younes is out of the Euro,” Blanc announced on Eurosport. “He has a fairly significant injury to his knee, the patellar tendon, that’s been troubling him for quite a while.” Blanc had previously unveiled a 12-man list of players playing overseas on May 9. Yanga-Mbiwa’s inclusion came at the expense of Mamadou Sakho, who lost his place in the Paris SaintGermain starting line-up following the arrival of Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti in December.

Del Bosque aims for great Schoen double MADRID: Spain’s Vicente Del Bosque is looking to follow in the footsteps of West Germany’s Helmut Schoen next month and become only the second coach to win both the World Cup and the European Championship. Now aged 61, Del Bosque has long been one of the most respected figures in the Spanish game and is now officially the 1st Marquis of Del Bosque, a title given to him by King Juan Carlos last year in recognition of his achievements in leading La Roja to World Cup glory in South Africa. It might look like an easy job coaching this supremely-talented generation of Spain players but when Del Bosque was appointed in

2008, his task appeared in some ways impossible. He was a free agent when the Spanish federation (RFEF) turned to him to succeed Luis Aragones, the veteran who led Spain to victory at Euro 2008 — their first major tournament triumph since winning the European Championship on home soil in 1964. Del Bosque could only be considered a successful appointment if he could win the World Cup, but the move worked out perfectly. He inherited a specific playing style — the “tiki-taka” (short passing, movement and keeping possession) used to great effect by Barcelona — and a group of fabulous players.