Postnoon E-Paper for 17 April 2012

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Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012 HYDERABAD

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DISILLUSIONED Despite cushy job profiles, amiable environments and fat pay packets, youngsters today are jaded and disillusioned with their jobs. Postnoon takes a look at how working professionals deal with this at the workplace.

WEATHER: A MIX OF CLOUDY AND CLEAR SKIES; 34°C

32 PAGES

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YUVRAJ TAKES OFF WITH AP’S DREAM

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FOLLOWING THE TRAMP A toothbrush moustache, a bowler hat, baggy trousers and an iconic cane, these props can relate to one only man — Charlie Chaplin. Here’s taking a look at the King of Comedy, who would have celebrated his 122nd birthday yesterday. P16&17

Siddharth juggles between films and cricket

REPORT ON PG 4

FLASH P21

RBI SLASHES KEY RATES

ADARSH PANEL SPRINGS SHOCK

After a gap of three years, the Reserve Bank of India today slashed the short-term lending rate by 0.50 per cent to 8 per cent, a move that will reduce the cost of home, auto and corporate loans. The reduction has been prompted by deceleration in P9 growth and softening of inflation.

The inquiry committee’s report on the Adarsh Housing Society scam says that land on which the controversial building stands belongs to the Maharashtra government and not the army. The committee has also held that the Society was not reserved for war heroes and Kargil martyrs’ widows.


Page Two

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

Spirit of Twin Cities

JUVENILE LOAD

Taste of Bengal Nobo Borsho feast will be held at Verandah and Aish. Sample the best of East and West Bengal by The Park Kolkata’s chef. An a-lacarte menu is available at Verandah and an interesting Thaali at Aish. Where: The Park, Rajbhavan Road When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 2345 6789

N SHIVA KUMAR

Summer camp For children, summer implies freedom from studies and school, loads of games and fun filled summer camps. The Park is hosting a summer camp for children. Where: The Park, Somajiguda When: Ongoing, 7am onwards Contact: (040) 2345 6789

Show and tell Books n more presents Show and Tell, an activity to promote good expression and communication for 3-8 year olds. The activity aims to improve your child’s ability to communicate well. Where: Books n more, Sivaramkrishna Colony, Marredpally When: Ongoing, 5pm to 6pm Contact: 98859 56728

Photography workshop Treasure House is hosting a photography workshop for adults ( +18) from April18. Where: Treasure House, Jubilee Hills When: April 18 onwards 8.30am-10am Contact: (040) 2355 0118

Bangla Ranna Bangla Ranna, a bengali food festival is being held at Aditya Park. Get a taste of the Bengal’s interesting cuisine along with mocktails and cocktails. The food festival is on till April 21. Where: Aditya Park Hotel, Aditya Trade Centre, Ameerpet When: Ongoing, 6pm-11pm Contact: (040) 6678 8888

Go Splash Splash lounge is the perfect leisure destination for you to unwind. There is also great music, martinis and aperitifs. Where: The Westin, Mindspace, Madhapur When: Monday - Friday, 5pm - 10.30pm Weekends, 8am - 10.30pm Contact: (040) 6767 6828

IPL frenzy Mocha and Mocha Express is hosting IPL specials with live screening of the match and various pizzas. Where: Mocha — Banjara Hills Mocha Express — Inorbit Mall When: Ongoing, 4pm onwards Contact: (040) 23350144

Crepes and waffles Lover of waffles and crepes? Deli9 is offering a crepe and waffle festival. Taste a variety of waffles such as fruit waffle and the classic waffle or a variety of exotic crepes such as caramel apple. The festival is on from April 7-April 21. Where: Delhi 9, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: Ongoing, 8am to 8pm Contact: (040) 6550 666

Asian barbeque If your idea of a perfect evening is friends and great food, then head to The Square, Novotel, Madhapur plays host to an Asian barbeque. Sample grilled specialities from around the world. Where: The Square, Novotel, Madhapur When: Every Saturday, 7pm onwards

Punjabi delicacies

Contact: (040) 6682 4422

Mood for Mediterranean From April 13 to April 22, The Deccan Pavillion at ITC Kakatiya is offering a Mediterranean dishes. Lunch buffet is priced at `1,049, and dinner costs `1,149. Where: ITC Kakatiya, Begumpet When: Ongoing, 11am-7pm Contact: (040) 2340 0132

Goan food festival The Momo Cafe at Hyderabad Marriott and Convention Centre is hosting a Goan food festival. Where: Hyderabad Marriott and Convention Centre, Tank Bund When: Ongoing, 12.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2752 2999

Every Rupee counts Syn at Taj Deccan is offering inter-

CINEMAS

special mocktails, beverages and starters and various other delights. Where: Truffles Cafe, Jubilee Hills, Rd No 36 When: Ongoing, 8am onwards Contact: (040) 2355 0105

esting meal options. The concept behind Calorie for a Rupee is to enjoy a great meal priced according to it’s calorie count. Where: Syn - Asian Bar and Grill, Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: Ongoing, 12 pm to 3.30pm Contact: (040) 6666 3939

Water colours Iconart is hosting Aquarelle as a part of it’s Buy Art initiative. Paintings made from water colours are on display. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing, 11.30 am onwards Contact: 98499 6879

IPL special Truffles Cafe is offering a great way to catch the live telecast of IPL season 5. Head to Truffles Cafe for IPL

It’s Baisakhi, the festival of colours and vibrancy. Taj Krishna is hosting a Baisakhi special food festival which offers you a variety of Punjabi delicacies. So bring on this festive season with some great food and loads of smiles. Where: Firdaus, Taj Krishna, Rd No 1 When: Ongoing, 12pm onwards Contact: (040) 6666 2323

Dance with me Love to dance? A contemporary dance workshop by French dancer, Solenn. will be held on April 22, 28 and 29 . Where: Alliance Francaise, Marredpally When: April22, 28, 29 Contact: (040) 2770 0734

Pratibimb 2k12 A six day acting workshop by Sutradhaar is being held. Where: Sutradhar Casting Agency, Himayathnagar When: April 12 onwards, 9pm onwards Contact: 98480 52541

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

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TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

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It’s khaki terror during curfew Cops treating every man on the street as a suspect has caused a big divide between police and people

POLICE Rahul Ramakrishna and Sudeshna Koka feedback@postnoon.com

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olice brutality thrives in the City. In several separate incidents, the police department has allegedly roughed up people under the guise of imposing curfew after the recent communal riots. In one such case, the police are blamed for driving a young man to death, causing an uproar in the civilian community. On the night of April 10, Mansoor Babu Khan, along with his friends was enjoying a quiet cigarette and tea at Masab Tank. Out of nowhere, cop sirens flashed and Mansoor was surrounded by police who asked him to leave immediately, as the curfew was on. Mansoor, got into his car and was about to leave when he commented, “Don’t be rude we are leaving.” Upon hearing

this, the policemen reportedly assaulted him accusing him of disrespect to officers and having the nerve to smoke in front of a senior police officer. Apparently, DCP West Zone Stephen Ravindra too had manhandled Mansoor who was then taken into police custody at Humayun Nagar police station. At the station, Mansoor was treated inhumanly and he suffered many bruises on his hands. “When I spoke to the police officers at the station and told them about my background and upbringing, I was released at 3:30 am and was asked to report back at 6 am. The way the police treated me was absolutely inhuman and shameful. I was admitted to Care hospital as a medico legal case and was looked after by a team of doctors as I was injured,” said Mansoor, whose father is an influential builder in the City. Mansoor’s case is not a stray case of police brutality. Syed Faisal Mujeeb a 30-year-old resident of Asmangarh, was chased

by the Malakpet police. Mujeeb panicked and ran for safety during which he fell through a tin roof shed and died. Residents of the area have complained that the police department has been picking up innocent youth at night under the guise of enforc-

ing curfew. There are three petitions against the City police department in the State Human Rights Commission involving cases of unprovoked assaults. “It’s a sad reflection of the way our police department functions. The police ought to treat citizens

with respect and dignity. They need to become a lot more accountable. Their behaviour with Mansoor and Mujeeb is not acceptable. They have terrorised youth to a point where they absolutely fear the police today,” says Major SGM Quadri an activist and president of Help Hyderabad. Quadri has filed several petitions in the SHRC against the police for their heavy handed dealing over this issue. Post Mecca Masjid blasts; the police department has been allegedly filing false cases against Muslim youth and harassing them of harbouring communal sentiments. When questioned over this issue, DCP of West Zone Stephen Ravindra was unapologetic. “We took legal action against Mansoor Khan as he was violating the Section 144 imposed in the City,” he said. He remained tight-lipped on the issue regarding inhumane treatment meted out to Mansoor at the police station and said that their action was in accordance to the law.

50 bags of ganja seized

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CRIME Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com

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he Railway police, on a tipoff, intervened and seized 50 bags of ganja from four passengers travelling by Vishaka Express when the train reached Secunderabad station this morning. The four identified as Rajendra Goud, Balram Pradhan, Gangadhar Pradhan and Balu Sahu, all aged between 20 and 25 years admitted ganja is abundantly available in Ganjam district, Odisha, and it gets high prices in Gujarat. The foursome was taking the contraband stuff to Rajkot and Surat in Gujarat, said SP Railway Secunderabad M Kanta Rao. It is said that ganja smuggling from Odisha is a thriving industry. Several districts in Odisha have ganja cultivation, police say. In fact, ganja is so widely used that it has come to be consumed as commonly like a cigarette or beedi.

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1 killed, 2 hurt in road accident

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youth, Mohd Ilyas, died and his two friends sustained severe injuries when a speeding lorry hit them on Monday night at Attapur Road, pillar number 143, under the Rajender Nagar police station limits. The incident occurred when Ilyas and his friends Mohd Bin Basheer and Harigopal were riding back home on a

motorbike. However, when Ilyas was taking a U-turn at Attapur, a speeding lorry hit them. The impact of the collision was such that Ilyas died on the spot while his two friends sustained several injuries. The Rajender Nagar police have booked a case against the lorry driver.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

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Aviation University off to Amethi? Who can call the king naked? In this instance, the Congress-ruled AP is speechless as the University proposed at the Begumpet airport was silently hijacked by none other than the ‘Yuvraj’ Rahul Gandhi

EDUCATION U Srinivas srinivas.u@postnoon.com

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he proposed Aviation University, planned at the Begumpet Airport, by the Andhra Pradesh government, has been hijacked by the Congress general gecretary Rahul Gandhi Rahul is the MP from Amethi. And the Varsity may be gifted to his constituency. The news has now reached the AP State Secretariat and the all-knowing babus for once are flummoxed — Who will call the king naked, as one bureaucrat puts it. The government has been working on it since the YSR regime. Some babus have reportedly given commitments to private parties in this regard, it is learnt. The State government has spent crores for maintaining of the premises where the University was supposed to come

up. There are reports that the University would now be set up in Fursatgunj in Amethi, UP. The proposal from Hyderabad was not refused but, the State government has dropped hints that the varsity at the Begumpet airport may not be come a reality. Already some staff members are at the premises of Hyderabad’s old Begumpet airport along with the security staff for the upkeep of the premises. Some ground staff at the old airport told Postnoon that they were not aware of any proposals of the University. All they know is that the prime minister, president and other VIPs land here and take off. Ever since the international airport at Shamshabad, named Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) started functioning there were no commercial operations at the old airport. it was just confined to the VVIP movement only and sometimes the chief minister used it. The then chief minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy had proposed the setting up of an aviation uni-

LUKAS

versity at Begumpet. Because of YSR’s insistence, the State government, which is the owner of the land, did not force the ministry of civil aviation to vacate the abandoned airport premises. Aviation shows continue to be held from time to time the latest

being in 2012. Once the ministry sought a project report from the State government, the latter prepared a detailed report in which it said that Hyderabad was the best place to set up such an aviation University as it was located close to the aeronautical institutes in

Bangalore and Pune. The presence of the Tatas’ helicopter manufacturing unit at Shamshabad would be an added advantage, the report said. Even the union minister for civil aviation Ajith Singh mentioned about the aviation university during the aviation show held in Hyderabad. The vigilance commissioner and the then AP chief secretary SV Prasad went to Delhi and assured the Centre that the state government would work out for an ideal public-private partnership venture with an outlay of `5,000 crore for the proposed university. To keep the Begumpet airport premises neat and tidy, the government has to spend crores. The confusion has saddened many. Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy would have usually written a letter to the Centre urging them to reconsider its plea, but not in this case as it amounts to defying the high command and especially Rahul Gandhi, who is expected to be the future prime minister.

Brace up, professionals; GHMC will collect tax EDUCATION Md Inkeshaf Ahmed ahmed.m@postnoon.com

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aving been deprived of its rightful share of professional tax, the GHMC sought government permission to collect the professional tax by itself rather than waiting for the government commercial department to ladle out what it pleases. The decision if the government finally gives its order will make the GHMC richer by `250 crore. “We could do with a lot more,” smiled a civic official

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

when asked of the new move. It is said that the corporation has received a favourable response from Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. What made the GHMC take up this initiative is the government department’s big brother attitude where they collect professional taxes of which 95 per cent belonged to the local selfgovernment but gives just a portion and gobble up the remainder. Last year for instance, the GHMC was billed to get `250 crore but it got only `50 crore under the professional tax head. Speaking to Postnoon, the commercial tax officer of Malakpet

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division M Srinivas said that the decision of the State to transfer the collection rights of professional tax to GHMC would ease the department’s workload. “We are also awaiting the decision of the State government. Though we collect the professional tax, 95 per cent of its revenues have to be allocated to the civic body. This would create a lot of pressure on us as we are already burdened with other tax responsibilities,” Srinivas said. Bogged down with an overdraft of `450 crore the corporation is looking for more revenue. One of them is spotting more trade categories to be roped in.

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What’s coming up?

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HMC has grand plans once it is entrusted with the professional tax collection responsibility. The corporation is planning to target individual professionals: doctors, advocates, chartered accountants who manage to escape the professional tax net as they know the flexibility of law. One reason for this is that many of these independent professionals do not pay professional tax, which is mandatory. As per rules, these professionals have to pay `2,500 per annum towards

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

professional tax but since they come under self-employed category they often escape the clutches of taxman. The GHMC is expected to keep a close watch on them and wrest the due. “There is a strong need to enforce the law on independent doctors, lawyers and chartered accountants as they don’t pay the professional tax unlike employed professionals. Bringing in these people under the tax net would substantially increase professional tax income,” Srinivas agreed.

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

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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


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TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

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TDP will get zero seats in this bypoll, insists Botsa POLITICS Is all well with Congress? Yes, perfectly all right. What’s the agenda for the upcoming bypolls? How many seats will you win? Development and stability will be the main plank. Only Congress can give you a stable government. Corruption of other leaders will be exposed. Jagan’s corrupt practices will be the agenda of the campaigning. We will win a majority of the seats this time. Who is to be blamed for the frequent elections? People know very well why the by-elections are held every three months. We will explain to people who is causing this loss and creating trouble for the people and government. The separatists and anti-Congress elements

Jagan’s arrest imminent?

are responsible, you all know. What about Chandrababu’s argument that TDP developed the State? The TDP will end up in third place again and lose deposits. You will see it. Besides, Congress is not afraid of Naidu’s routine allegations in the name of corruption. What about the allegations in the liquor trade? The TDP MLAs are in the liquor business in Vijayanagaram. Naidu should check this before blaming the Congress. Let anyone prove I have a cent of land in my name. The TDP will not win a single seat in the bypolls . Who was behind Srinivas Reddy’s (police) transfer? I wonder why the Opposition is speaking about Srinivas Reddy’s transfer and why the leaders are not talking about the letter

addressed to the Excise DG by Excise inspector Ganesh, which was against Srinivas Reddy. Anyway, it was a promotion, why politicise the matter? What about the Supreme Court notices to the ministers ? The law will take its own course. Whoever it may be, will have to face punishment if they are corrupt. The late YSR was a Congress leader and worked under the direction og AICC chief Sonia Gandhi. Jagan was only an heir to his father’s assets and not a political heir. Kavitha is demanding an Ambedkar statue in the Assembly? The State government and the speaker have already decided on a statue in the Assembly. We are not against it. There is no need for her to agitate over this issue.

When will Congress grant Telangana? The high command is looking into the issue seriously. There will be a solution which will be agreeable to all three regions.

Botsa Satyanarayna, the PCC chief and CM aspirant, took a little time off to speak to U Srinivas

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he High Court on Monday directed the State government to reconsider the transfer order of inspector general of police Srinivas Reddy who was heading the ACB’s special team probing liquor syndicates. The court has also suggested that the team not be disturbed till the probe was over. Any transfer needs HC’s prior consent. Reddy was transferred on promotion as IG of Security for Coastal services. Meanwhile, TDP leader Shoba Hymavathi has also filed a writ in the court demanding the reinstatement of Srinivas Reddy.

CM’s wishlist KVP meets Ravi POLITICS Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

K Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

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he High Court has pushed the CBI to the wall in the matter of leaving free YSRC leader Jagan Mohan Reddy while the agency seems zealous in arraigning others. The uncomfortable poser came when the CBI sought the cancellation of bail of V Vijay Sai Reddy, personal auditor of Jagan Mohan’s companies. The court deferred the matter to Wednesday. When the CBI counsel said Vijay can influence witnesses and tamper with evidence, the HC questioned whether those outside the court had no capacity to tamper with the evidences. “Why are you showing discrimination? Arrest the other accused also,” the court ordered. Now, following the HC’s directions, the CBI is gearing to arrest Jagan, it is learnt.

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t the recent meeting on internal security held in Delhi, CM Kiran Kumar Reddy stated that maintaining public order and ensuring safety of the citizens is the foremost responsibility of the State. Towards this, he sought help from the government n To facilitate rapid movement of security forces on the inter-state borders, they have submitted a proposal to the government of India for developing a corridor of road network all along the inter-state border districts starting from Srikakulam to Adilabad with an estimated cost of about `2,400 crores. This proposal is pending for the approval with the Central government. n The long pending request for stationing of a troop car-

rier Helicopter at Visakhapatnam for facilitating swift air borne operations in Andhra-Orissa border may also be considered and approved immediately. n The expenditure on counter terrorism measures in the states may be brought under SRE funds, like in the case of Left Wing Extremism. Modernisation of police, security related expenditure, special development plan under LWE. The developmental, welfare and enforcement measures already in place in AP will help us to keep the problems of Left Wing Extremism and Terrorism under check. The State is open to implementing any other measures that can complement these steps.

VP Ramachandra Rao former advisor to the State government today met Union minister Vayalar Ravi who arrived here yesterday to interact with the ruling Congress MLAs and other party leaders to take stock of the situation amid concerns over the party’s sagging popularity in the State. KVP’s visit to Ravi has surprised many in the Congress circle as the former had been keeping a low profile all these days. There were rumours that Ravi was in Hyderabad to seek opinion on the change in the PCC chief and also the CM. Minister for Industries Geeta Reddy and AICC secretary P Sudhakar Reddy were some of the people who called on Ravi and appraised him about the goings on in the State. Ravi on the other hand said he had come to take stock of the prevailing situation in the party. He would interact with the MLAs and other party leaders as part of his mission to settle trivial matters within the party. Ravi is expected to submit a report on his understanding to the party high command. The Union Minister’s visit came in the wake of the trouble in

the Telangana issue and the reported growing strength of YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The sharp differences within the party have emerged as a matter of concern for the Congress high command as bypolls are due in 18 assembly and one Lok Sabha constituencies. On the other hand there is also talk among the Congress leaders that the earlier visits of in-charges Krishnamurthy and Ghulam Nabi Azad did not work here.


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TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

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CM is not able to woo ‘Reddys’, says Congress leader

‘Public transport almost safe’

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With a large percentage of women in the City using public transport on a daily basis, the question of safety is on everyone’s mind

ormer minister and senior Congress leader T Jeevan Reddy has said that there was no meaning in discussing whether YSR Congress party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was a ‘Reddy’ or not as original ‘Reddys’ were with the Congress. Speaking to the media on Monday, Jeevan Reddy alleged that the chief minister was not able to woo ‘Reddys’ being a Reddy himself. He also faulted Kiran Kumar Reddy for lamenting that he was not getting support from the Reddy community. Pointing out that cracks in the Congress party started with Kiran Kumar Reddy taking over as Chief Minister, Jeevan Reddy said that the Chief Minister’s speeches were demoralising the Party cadre, he added. Referring to the CM’s observation that the time of h’s assuming office was not auspicious and therefore elections were occurring every three months instead of five years and was not able to do anything for the people, Jeevan Reddy lashed out at the CM for stating that some people were agitating for division of the State. He alleged that the CM was talking about the Telangana issue without any knowledge. He also accused Kiran Kumar Reddy of being brain behind antiTelangana discussions in Seemandhra region. AGENCY

‘Choose a good muhuratam for by-elections’

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SR Congress Party leader Bajireddy Govardhan has advised CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy to choose a muhurtham before the by-elections. Apparently, Govardhan taunted Kiran Kumar Reddy for stating that the muhurtham was not auspicious when he was sworn in. Speaking at YSRC party central office on Monday, Bajireddy said the CM should know the reasons for the present condition of the Congress. He alleged that conspiracies against late YSR resulted in the present condition. Stating that late Dr YSR had toiled and brought back Congress government in the State, he said that the people were laughing at leaders, who introduced schemes by throwing YSR’s schemes in the dustbin. The people were eagerly waiting to throw out the government, he said. Stating that no body had asked about YSR’s caste when he formed the government in the State, he said that the same leaders were now asking his son Jagan Mohan Reddy’s caste. He warned the Congress leaders that the YSRC will not keep quiet if anyone asked Jagan’s caste. AGENCY

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

SAFETY Osama Salman salman.o@postnoon.com

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f the 55 lakh people who use public transport in the City, women comprise an estimated 45 per cent. This implies that around 22 lakh women use the various forms of transport — buses, MMTS trains, shared autorickshaws and metered autorickshaws. That is definitely, a significant number. One has often wondered, that with so many women using public transport, do they feel safe commuting from one end to another? Surprisingly, apart from a few, a large number of women said that they feel safe and haven’t had to face a situation which has threatened their safety. The APSRTC buses during peak hours are usually overcrowded. Mahe Jabeen Baig, a women’s rights activist, alleged that a few male passengers and conductors take advantage of this and intentionally move around in the bus trying to increase the proximity with women and touching them inappropriately. “This is a common sight in crowded buses. Women passengers complain about this to the conductors who warn the male passenger. But if the conductor is misbehaving to whom can women complain ? I myself have been a victim to this horrendous activity. Many a times, it is ignored, but other times, women, especially degree students, shout

at them,” said Mahe Jabeen. She recalled an incident where a young 22-year-old woman shouted at a male passenger and made sure he was removed from the bus. However, Amrita Varadarajan, a consultant in at IT firm who travels every day from LB Nagar to Hitech City and has been travelling by buses since the last 10 years says that she hasn’t had to face any such incident. “When you travel during peak hours, there is enough security for women as there are others around. Most of the time, the conductor and driver are cooperative. The only time where I have

ever genuinely felt ‘unsafe’ is when I travel post 10 in the night, especially when there are only a few passengers on board,” she said. Women have often complained about travelling in shared-autorickshaws also known as seven-seaters. The driver almost always tries to accommodate more than the limit of seven, and in turn asks passengers to squeeze to make space. For women, that can be very uncomfortable. There are many seven-seater autos plying between Kukatpally and Hitech City making them a preferred choice for women IT

ICONIC CITY Ananda Buddha Vihara, Mahindra Hills

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ow many times a day do we crib about the noise in the City or the hustle and bustle in our everyday life that makes us crave for at least a few moments of peace quite? Well, the serene Ananda Buddha Vihar in Mahindra Hills is the perfect solution. The Buddha Vihar which is located on top of a small hillock also offers a panoramic view of the City. One has to climb a steep flight of stairs to reach the main hall.

Aishwarya Yerra Hyderabad as a City has a lot to offer in terms of heritage and sights. We take a look at the various places that make this City so special

The hall is vast and has a high arched ceiling. A large golden Buddha statue along with the deeply conducive atmosphere makes one feel instantly at peace and invokes a meditative mood in them. The best time to visit Buddha Vihar is either early in the morning or in the evening. If one is lucky you can even catch a glimpse of the little monks staying on the premises.

employees. “These autos are fine, except that there are too many passengers onboard. I don’t think any woman would feel comfortable if a man is too close to her. The drivers fail to understand this. Having said this, I don’t recall being a part of or witnessing inappropriate behaviour,” said Aditi Asthana, an IT employee who travels between KPHB Colony and Hitech City. “Whenever I have used an autorickshaw to commute, apart from haggering with the fare, I haven’t faced any problem as yet. Since I haven’t encountered any autorickshaw driver who has behaved inappropriately with me, I really have nothing to complain about,” said Zoya Khan, a student who hires an auto-rickshaw to college every day from her home in Banjara Hills. Anwar Begum, a homemaker who resides in Falaknuma, uses the MMTS train to travel to Necklace Road station often. When asked if she feels safe, she quickly replied, “Yes, I do feel safe travelling in the MMTS trains. What I especially like is that there are separate compartments for women. There are even ‘womenonly’ trains running between Falaknuma and Lingampally. Women don’t really have reason to complain or to feel unsafe,” he pointed out. On the other hand, Sunita Gim, a student who commutes by train, said that women are more prone to thefts in MMTS. “Stealing a purse is easy. Such cases are reported now and then. It is quite disturbing. There is a need for more security,”she said. N SHIVA KUMAR


Hyper Local CLASSIFIEDS FABRICATION

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

7

‘RTE rules will create misfits’

M ANIL KUMAR

Sudeshna Koka sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

T CERTIFICATION

EDUCATION

he Supreme Court’s judgment last week making it mandatory for government, local and private schools to reserve 25 per cent of their seats for students from economically weaker sections has received mixed reactions from school managements across the City. This revolutionary move promising to bridge the educational divide, has not been welcomed with open arms by many. International schools, which are mushrooming in the City, are facing the heat and are not ready to accept the change. Shailaja Rao, principal and director of The Future Kids, says, “RTE is definitely required. Children from all sections should be educated. The act will take the nation forward. But it will also affect the social and psychological mindset of students. Even if a child from a poor family gets admission it will be difficult for them to handle the peer pressure resulting from the difference in economic status. Our students talk about play stations and holidays abroad. I wonder how these students will fit in.” She further suggests that every private school should adopt one government school. “There is a huge divide amongst government school students and private school students that needs to be blurred out. We are getting in touch with various managements and trying to fill this gap by adopting the government schools. Once they come to our standard we

are ready to take them in our school,” she said. Most school faculties are worried that the act will do anything but bridge the divide. They are of the opinion that inclusion of underprivileged students in their schools will have a negative effect on the school. “Education is every child’s birth right. This move is a very prestigious moment in our democracy and should have been done long back. However, we are a little apprehensive about the way parents will react to the letting their child study with these children,” Sneha Latha, vice principal, Global International School.

Another factor rankling school managements is the fact that the government reimbursement won’t even cover the basic tuition fees at their institutions. For a few, this is a burden as it will send their production costs soaring. “In our school we provide students with all the materials and facilities. This move will result in losses for us. The franchise charges royalty on each child, so it will affect us but then looking at the larger picture it’s a

great move,” says Mrinalini M, principal, Euro Kids School. Adilakshmi Chintalapati, principal, Oakridge School agrees, “We have the capacity to accommodate these children. This approach will demand more planning and we have to work on financial compensation.” Education activists are apprehensive about the functioning of the act. “There is no dearth of laws in the City but the functioning of the law is what we need to think about. It is a right to education and not right to charity, this needs to be kept in mind while implicating the law,” Major SGM Quadri, activist and president of Help Hyderabad.

Farmers give mango mela a miss Rising transportation costs and poor customer response keeps many ryots away N SHIVA KUMAR

EXHIBITION Anubha K Singh anubha.k@postnoon.com

I 99 DAYS TO GO P28

t’s that time of the year when everybody goes gaga over the king of fruits — mango. With the fruit already making its presence felt in City markets, and the rising demand for mangoes, the Department of Horticulture and the Economic Committee of Exhibition Society has organised a State-wide mango mela in the City. The ongoing exhibition, which is being organised for the second consecutive year, is being held at the Nampally Exhibition grounds till May 13. However, the turnout is poor this year, with most farmers and customers giving it a miss. Despite there being provision for 40 stalls in the ongoing exhibition, not more than 10 stalls are filled with stock, giving the mela a rather deserted look.

For the ryots it is lack of business that is keeping them away. According to them, they are not getting the required response from customers. The rising cost of transportation is not helping matters either. “Last year we got very good response. This year however, it is dull. Many customers are deterred by the prices of the ethy-

lene ripened mangoes, which are slightly expensive. Also these mangoes take two days to ripen. However, the current lot of mangoes that are available in the market the ones that are ripened with calcium carbide and these are not as expensive. Hence, these are preferred by customers,” said Krishna Kumar, a farmer from

Khamam district. “Many farmers have not displayed their stall this year as the cost of transportation is rising. Also it takes three days to reach Hyderabad, so once we deplete stocks it is difficult to replenish it,” he added. Customers too aren’t pleased with the current exhibition. “On the first day there was a board near the gate with the price of each variety written, but now it has been removed. This has led to confusion as each stall owner is selling the fruit at different prices. For instance, on day one Sinduri mango was sold for `35 a kilo, but now it is being sold at `60 a kilo,” said Rajlaxmi, a customer. The month-long mela had been divided into three phases, with each phase dedicated to different regions from the State. The main aim of the mela is to display and sell different varieties of non-carbide mangoes and to create awareness about the harmful effects of calcium carbide for ripening of fruits.


Hyper Local

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

8

M ANIL KUMAR

TAKING A REFRESHING BREAK City youngsters and children thronged Jalavihar and Lumbini Park to beat the summer heat.


17,248.12 97.17

5,257.80 31.60

BSE

NSE

Business

10g= `28,800

GOLD

1kg= `56,100

SILVER

`51.63

DOLLAR

Matters of saving and spending

From the school of success Prudhvi Raju K

Unnathi Stickers

Prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

Founded: 2002 Current employees: 13 Turnover 2010-2011: `60 lakh Turnover 2011-2012: `75 lakh Clientele: Granules India Natco Pharma Reserve Bank of India Mylan Laboratories Products: Self-adhesive stickers with printing, plain stickers, address labels and barcode stickers.

I

t is assumed that education and knowledge are prerequisites to start and operate any business. However, Padmavathi Uppala, founder of Unnathi Stickers, who has studied up to Class VIII proves that confidence, patience and hard work can overcome all odds. Talking about her business idea, she says “I got married while I was studying Class VIII in 1971. I always used to dream and study the feasibility of different businesses since childhood. It’s not just the operation but setting up a business was also a great challenge for me without knowledge on the subject area and education. It took me four years to venture in to business after going through different business ideas with Rama Devi, founder, Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of Andhra Pradesh. She had supported immensely all through my process. “After these many years of experience, I still approach her and ALEAP for solutions for different complex problems that we face in the business. I was confident that my business would be successful and never lost hope even after my business plans (project reports) were rejected many times by the

Padmavathi Uppala, founder of Unnathi Stickers. banks due to viability.” “The initial investment was around `50 lakh, which included `40 lakh loan from Andhra Pradesh State Finance Corporation (SFC). The finance company is also very generous in sanctioning a loan in just one week with showing 25 per cent of the machine cost as collateral security. I had generated `7.5 lakh from personal savings and also took funds as debt from friends and family. Stickers and printing business did not take off immediately as expected. The company had a turnover of `25,000 in the first year.” Talking about initial business

years, she says “Marketing became a big challenge without English skills. It took me a year to convince people and get the orders. However, the company marked `25 lakh in the next fiscal and got a break even around 2006.” “The confidence of the entrepreneurs is at stake with ever increasing bills to the government. The government is not providing quality infrastructure in proportion to the taxes they are collecting on the small scale industries. There was raise in the property tax, electricity, VAT, and there is also an addition of service tax from this financial year,” says Padmavathi.

The company operates at less than 10 per cent margins due to cut-throat competition in the industry. She adds, “These kinds of taxes and bill burden may give rise to false practices in accounting of small scale units. It becomes extremely difficult for any small scale industry to sustain in this environment. Companies have to do debt servicing at 15 per cent interest rate, paying salaries regularly and also withstand heavy competition. These ever increasing bills further worsening the situation.” However, she is not going to take the adversities lying low. She aims for a turnover of `1.5 crore this fiscal. “I have no other option left than to aim for higher turnover and increase profits in the ever shrinking margins environment,” she adds.

WB chief’s focus on RBI slashes key rates, region-based policy loans to become cheaper

LONDON: Market-based growth is a priority for every country, World Bank’s new president Jim Yong Kim has said. Kim told BBC that capitalist “market-based growth is a priority for every single country”. He described it as the best way to create jobs and pull people out of poverty. Kim, a Korean-American public health expert and Dartmouth University presi-

dent, will succeed outgoing president Robert Zoellick whose term expires at the end of June. Kim was favoured over Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who was supported by South Africa and other developing countries. A third candidate, former Colombian Minister of Finance Jose Antonio Ocampo, pulled out of the race Friday. Kim said his background as a physician would help him in his new role. “I am a physician. Physicians work on evidence, rather than working from a single ideology, rather than working from a particular political point-of-view,” Kim was quoted as saying. He said that he would consider the cultural and social peculiarities of various regions to ensure that the Bank’s schemes achieved the desired results.

MUMBAI: After a gap of three years, Reserve Bank Governor D Subbarao today slashed short term lending rate by 0.50 per cent to 8 per cent, a move that will reduce the cost of home, auto and corporate loans. The reduction in the repo rate at which RBI lends to banks, has been prompted by deceleration in growth and softening of inflation. The cut is aimed at spurring growth to 9 per cent levels, seen before the global financial crisis that began in 2008, Subbarao said while unveiling the annual credit policy here. “The reduction in the repo rate is based on an assessment of growth having slowed below its post-crisis trend rate, which, in turn, is contributing to the moderation in core inflation,” the Governor said. RBI has pegged the GDP growth rate for 2012-13 at 7.3 per cent. It is expected to be 6.9 per cent in 2011-12. After two consecutive cuts since January, the Governor, how-

ever, retained the cash reserve ratio at 4.75 per cent. Subbarao, however, ruled out further reduction in policy rate in the immediate future citing persistent upside risks to inflation and possible fiscal slippages driven by higher oil subsidies. It expects the inflation to be around 6.5 per cent by March 2013. “It must be emphasised that the deviation of growth from trend is modest. At the same time, upside risks to inflation persist. These considerations inherently limit the space for further reduction in policy rates,” he said. The decision is likely to prompt the banks to cut lending rates for home, auto and corporate loans, experts said. PTI

`81.96

POUND TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012 9 NUMEROLOGY

$2.9

billion

is the profit made by Citigroup, led by Indian American CEO Vikram Pandit, in India sales in the first quarter of 2012.

THUS SPAKE “Inflation is likely to remain sticky at about current level during the year with the probability of further significant moderation being small,” The Reserve Bank of India

TROUBLED WATERS Argentina said on Monday it would take over a 51 percent stake in the country’s biggest oil company, YPF, owned by Spain’s Repsol, provoking an angry response from Madrid. The move was announced to applause at a meeting between President Cristina Kirchner and her cabinet and Argentine governors, and came despite warnings from Madrid and EU officials.

OBAMA SNUBBED The US Senate on Monday rejected the White House-backed “Buffett Rule” aimed at raising tax rates on millionaires, a move both sides will use as campaign benchmarks ahead of the November election. President Barack Obama had spent much of the past week pushing the Paying A Fair Share Act, arguing it would help bring a level of fairness to the tax code.

GOOD NEWS Every developing country holds the potential to register fast economic growth boosted by sound policies and leveraging its comparative advantages, according to World Bank chief economist Justin Yifu Lin. “Every developing country has the potential to grow continuously at 8 percent or more for several decades, and to become a middleincome or even a highincome country in one or two generations, he said during a book launch.


India‑View

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TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

India unveiled

Manipur: An ignored Indian jewel IMPHAL: Promoted in official tourist brochures as the “jewel of India,” the tiny state of Manipur seems closer to an ignored family heirloom than a proudly coveted gem. “Backwards,” “marginalised,” “isolated,” “insurgency-wracked:” the adjectives that most frequently precede any mention of Manipur — for all its stunning natural beauty — are overwhelmingly negative. And for many Manipuris, the concept of being “of India” in any meaningful sense is one they find difficult to entertain. “Why should I care about India when India does not care about me,” says Jiangam Kamei, a 22-year-old history student in the state capital Imphal. Such expressions of alienation are common in a number of the “Seven Sisters” — the group of northeastern states encircled by five other countries and connected to the rest of India by a sliver of land that arches over Bangladesh. Their relative isolation is not just geographical, but also ethnic, linguistic, economic and political. “We look so different to start with,” said Kshetrimayum Onil, who works for a local human rights group in Manipur and also runs a youth network called ReachOut. “We are often mistaken for Chinese or Koreans because of our Mongol roots,” Onil said.

A vehicle carrying armed security personnel passes along a road on the outskirts of Imphal in Manipur. AFP/MANJUNATH KIRAN they are closer to home.” One striking example is the massive popularity in Manipur of Korean movies, soap operas and pop music, which have filled the vacuum caused by a separatistled boycott of Bollywood films. The scourge of separatism Separatist violence has been part of daily life in Manipur for decades, as it has been in most of the northeastern states that have spawned more than 100 militant

One of India’s smallest states with a population of just 2.7 million inhabitants, Manipur borders Myanmar and its people have always tended to look eastwards in their search for cultural links. “We are virtually cut off from mainland India,” said Shyam Singh, a history professor in Imphal. “Culturally and socially, we identify ourselves more with the countries of Southeast Asia as

groups whose demands range from autonomy to secession. Manipur was incorporated into the Indian Union on October 15, 1949, two years after the country won independence from British rule. According to political analyst Sharat Chandra, the enormous problems India faced after partition meant its leaders neglected remote states like Manipur which were never properly integrated into the socio-political mainstream. The central government’s “step-motherly treatment” fuelled separatist sentiment from the outset and rebel outfits sprang up “each vying for political supremacy and promising secession from India to its people,” Chandra said. “The government exists only in name here,” said Inder Laishram, who runs a shop in Imphal’s main Burma Bazaar, where heavily armed commandos are a constant presence. “The real power is in the hands of the army and the underground outfits. Both run the show with the power of the gun. We have nowhere to turn to,” the 35year-old said. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the myriad rebel groups are largely formed on tribal or ethnic lines with rival agendas that regularly erupt into bloody internecine disputes. AFP

When food is no longer just about taste NEW DELHI: A plate of food and wine on the table is no longer mere gastronomy. It is high art of flavour, colour, textures, concepts, cultures, science and politics — everything that contemporary art has been experimenting with for the last decade. Food in conceptual art seeks to connect the visual with the cerebral and the visceral, says Indonesian contemporary Julian Abraham, who is working on the concept of fermentation, wine, prohibition and faith with installations. His new work, “Karma Wine: Kapitan Biopunk”, a multimedia installation on display in the national capital recently, relates to the art and science of wine-making. A sculpture, resembling Abraham, responds to viewers’ repeated entreaties for wine over a microphone on the basis of sonic waves. Once the sound connection is made and the circuit established, the figure lowers its head and pours wine as benediction from its mouth into the devotee’s waiting cup.

Fluorescent food by Italian artist Alfonso Borrogain The installation is accompanied by texts “about the history of fermentation, its religious and scientific significance and analogies”. The wine is tamarind water fermented over two weeks by the artist. “I have used the concept of a religious rite wherein the wor-

shipper prays to the guru expecting a good life and probably a good afterlife. The wine is a salute while the viewers’ prayer is a rite,” Abraham told IANS. The artist began working with fermentation in 2010 after the Indonesian government increased

excise duty to check alcoholism. “But it did not work out that way — people tried to brew their own alcohol with methanol or wood alcohol... I wanted to explore its implications and outlooks across cultures,” Abraham said. The humble fortified biscuit designed to enhance nutrition level – is a subject of food aid politics in young artists Ruchika Negi and Amit Mahanti’s new video installation, “The Idea of The Biscuit” - featuring a biscuit advertisement and a man masticating food. “Our installation is a political take on food and the politics over fortified biscuit in the hunger market for food relief. Fortified (double baked) biscuits, first made in the 16th century, have found their way to markets as commodity for trading in the new capitalistic world. We play on the systemic idea of food, creating artificial hunger markets,” artist Ruchika Negi told IANS. Studies say fortified biscuits with iodine and iron have

improved the health of rural children in developing countries and sparked virulent politics over brand placements, pricing and policies. Performance and installation artist Shweta Bhattad uses food and performance to address issues of wastage. Her new multi-media performance art, “Three Course Meal and Dessert of Vomit”, paints a macabre portrait of gluttons drowning in their own “vomit”. Italian conceptual artist Alfonso Borrogain has been engaging with street food vendors in the capital with his concept of fluorescent food – lighting them up with phosporous or coloured phosphorescent lamps. “Food is my strategy. I like to place surprise articles inside them and give to people across diverse cultures,” Borrogain, who is in India for an artist’s residency programme, told IANS. The artist has been working with “Ostrich eggs and chicken egg” pinhole cameras — made of the egg shells — that photograph people as they eat eggs. IANS


India‑View 10 killed in Odisha accident SAMBALPUR (ODISHA): At least 10 people, including two women, were killed and eight others injured when a jeep collided with a truck in Odisha’s Sambalpur district, police said today. The jeep carrying 18 persons was returning to Belpahar and Kanika areas from Hirakud late last night when the mishap struck at Gurupali on Sambalpur-Rourkela State Highway No 10. While seven persons died on the spot, three others succumbed to injuries at hospital. Two of the injured were admitted to VSS Medical College Hospital at Burla and the rest given medical treatment at Rengali hospital. The victims belonged to four Muslim families of Belpahar area in Jharsuguda district and adjoining Kanika in Sundargarh district. They were way back home after a visit to Hirakud when the collision took place, police said. The truck was impounded while its driver fled. Road safety activists allege that the government is ignoring safety infrastructure like street lights and signs and this is increasing the deaths on road. PTI

11

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

India unveiled

Saffron surge in Delhi civic polls NEW DELHI: BJP was surging ahead in all the three municipal corporations of Delhi leaving the Congress behind as counting of votes progressed for the polls held two days ago. Of the 17 results declared by the State election commission so far, BJP has bagged 16 wards in all the three corporations while Congress has won one seat. As per the trends available, BJP is leading in 131 wardsout of the total 272 wards while Congress is ahead in 66 seats. Others, including BSP, is ahead 54 seats. In South Delhi Corporation, BJP has won or is leading in as many as 41 out of the 104 wards while Congress was ahead in 29 seats. Interestingly, others are leading in 32 seats. BJP has won or leading in 30 seats in East Delhi Corporation, which has 64 wards, while Congress is ahead in 11 seats. In North Delhi Corporation, which has 104 seats, BJP is ahead in 60 seats while Congress is ahead in 26 seats. The counting is taking place in 33 centres across the City. Polling was held on Sunday in which 55 per cent of the 1.15 crore voters exercised

NATION AT A GLANCE Angry Dhumal meets PM over Army remarks NEW DELHI/SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh CM Prem Kumar Dhumal on Monday took up his government’s row with the Army over possession of Annadale ground with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh even as Army chief Gen VK Singh said he would speak to the CM to resolve the issue. The Army ordered a probe into the controversial press release from its Western Command.

Probe ordered into factory collapse JALANDHAR: The Punjab government Monday evening ordered an inquiry into the collapse of the building of a blanket factory here late Sunday night which left two people dead and several others trapped under the debris. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal announced a compensation of `200,000 to the kin of the dead.

their franchise. The first result to be declared was that of Shahdara (SC)in East Corporation where BJP’s Balbir Singh defeated Congress’ Jagdish by a margin of 1,28 votes. Singh polled 6,809 votes while his nearest rival got 5,571 votes. BJP’s Subhash Arya, the Leader of undivided MCD House, trumped his rival from Congress Manmohan Singh Kochar. Delhi BJP chief Vijender Gupta’s wife Shobha has won in Rohini Central defeating her

Congress rival Dr Monica Puri. Stakes are high for both the national parties in themunicipal polls, considered as a semifinal ahead of the Assembly elections next year. In the 2007 polls to the undivided Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), BJP had bagged 36.17 per cent of the around 42.35 lakh votes polled while Congress got 29.17 per cent. BSP’s vote share was 9.87 per cent. BJP, which has 164 councillors in the undivided MCD against Congress’ 67 and BSP’s 17. PTI

Marines of Italian ship Enric Lexie being produced in a court in Kollam on Monday. The court extended their judicial remand by 14 days. PTI

India, US to discuss China, Myanmar today NEW DELHI: Against the backdrop of

Response cheers Pakistani designers NEW DELHI: They travelled from Pakistan to India with limited stock, and an aim to explore the fashion market. But designers from across the border, who participated in the Lifestyle Pakistan Expo here, packed up their bags with good business and fond memories of the nation. The four-day trade event proved to be a winner for the designers, capital’s fashionistas and food lovers as it wasn’t just clothes alone that sold well — the demand was equally high for authentic Pakistani food — nihari, biryani and tikkas, that were being served at stalls too. Designer Shezray Husain says she had a fulfilling experience in India. “India is the second largest market for us after Pakistan. I think the Indian consumer appeared to be equally satisfied with our product too,” Husain said. “My store witnessed thousands of consumers and we managed to sell over 300 pieces within the first two days. It was fantastic to be a part of India. I even received lot of queries from

wholesalers and multi-brand stores,” said Husain, who owns a brand named Ensemble. The Lifestyle Pakistan Expo was organised by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), in collaboration with India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) at Pragati Maidan here. The event witnessed over 100 Pakistani lifestyle companies showcasing their products and services. Top Pakistani brands — Gul Ahmed, AlKaram, Hub Leather, Khaadi, Chen One — and designers Sahar Atif, Deepak Perwani, Kamiar Rokni, Faiza

Samee, Maheen Khan and Rizwan Beyg exhibited a mix of salwar-suits, palazzos, kurtis and accessories. These were priced between `950 and `80,000, but that didn’t deter the crowds. The event wasn’t just about business, says Muhammad Iqbal of Bonanza Garment Industries Pvt Ltd. He feels it also sparked cultural exchange and a rare chance of interacting with locals. “The response has been overwhelming and the best part about this exhibition was that we got the chance to interact with Indians. I have never been here before as a representative of the company and as far as business

is concerned, it was outstanding,” Iqbal said. Honey Waqar, the couture queen of Pakistan, was here too. She was more than happy to provide her inputs to people interested in draping clothes the Pakistan way! “We came here to represent our country and the response to the show has been marvellous. People loved the stuff and they are coming to us and asking how they can carry it,” said Waqar. People came in hordes to pick ornate chikankari cloth, cotton lawn, embroidered chiffon saris, and lace palazzos. The stocks were sold out by the last day — so much so that Gul Ahmed’s stall had to arrange for merchandise from their Delhi distributors. “We were out of stock due to high demand on the second day itself. The response of the Indian public was very encouraging. We are very much satisfied with the business in the exhibition”, Shehnaz Basit Ikram, director marketing, Gul Ahmed, said. IANS

tensions in South China Sea and the recent defiant rocket launch by North Korea, India and the US on Tuesday will hold a dialogue on issues related to East Asia. Kurt Campbell, US assistant secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, will hold talks with Gautam Bambawale, joint secretary (East Asia) in the MEA.

HC rejects Jaya Jailtley’s plea to visit Fernandes NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has refused to grant visiting rights to Jaya Jaitley, close friend and political colleague of former defence minister George Fernandes, to meet the ailing minister in his house. The High Court’s order came on the application filed by Jaitley, claiming that she is a confidante of George Fernandes for more than 30 years.

Actors Abhay Deol and Esha Gupta during a press conference of their upcoming film Chakravyuh, based on Naxalite issues, in Bhopal. PTI


Around the World

12

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

Beyond Borders

Time to strip inhibitions HONG KONG: Sex experts are urging Hong Kongers to strip off their reputation as some the least active lovers in Asia to get more out of their sex lives and overcome challenges of privacy in a cramped city. “People say Hong Kongers have the least amount of sexual knowledge in the world. One of the reasons is they have no place to have sex,” said professor Emil Ng, associate director at the Family Institute of the University of Hong Kong. Financial pressure, careerdriven mentalities and limited space are seen as key drivers of a fertility rate that is one of the lowest in the world by some measures, with an average 1.04 births per woman according to the World Bank. Ng, who believes monogamy in general is “behind the times”, thinks another factor driving Hong Kong’s sexual timidity is sky-high property prices. Younger Hong Kong residents typically live at home deep into their 20s or 30s because they can’t afford to marry and move out earlier, meaning that many sleep in close proximity to their parents in cramped apartments. “Hong Kong is too crowded and lacks the privacy people need to have sex,” said Ng, who organised the fifth Hong Kong Sex Cultural Festival which took place last month. The festival, held jointly by the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Sex Education Association, aimed to promote more liberal views on sex in the socially conservative southern Chinese city. And in a sign that traditional

Shy Hong Kongers urged to have more sex

Chinese attitudes towards sex may be changing, a record number of visitors showed up at the recent 2012 China Adult-Care Expo of adult wares in China’s biggest city of Shanghai. This year’s expo — Asia’s largest trade fair for the adult industry — was the biggest in the event’s nine-year history, attracting thousands of visitors, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post reported.

— Under the covers — When it comes to going under the covers, Hong Kong couples are content with having sex less than twice a week, according to a 2011 survey published by City University’s Community College. More than half of the women questioned in the Hong Kong survey admitted feigning illness or tiredness to avoid sex when they were not in the mood. The study of nearly 1,000

adults aged 36 to 80 showed that men were satisfied with having sex an average of 1.9 times a week, while women were content with 1.6 times. This compares with the top rate of more than three times per week in Greece, more than twice in India and less than once per week in Japan, according to British condom manufacturer Durex, whose 2008 survey found Hong Kongers ranked third lowest in the world in sexual confidence. “Hong Kong is always near the bottom of the list in terms of sexual frequency in those Durex annual surveys. It may not be a very scientific research, but it still says a lot about Hong Kong,” said Ng. A similar Durex survey released last year also showed a decline in sexual activity in China. Thirty-nine percent of respondents said they were sexually inactive, a 15-percentage point increase from 2006. The problem is worse for heterosexual women than for men in Hong Kong due to cultural issues tied to status and wealth, and social expectations about the role of women, said Dr Petula Ho, a sexologist. Making matters worse for women, they vastly outnumber men in Hong Kong. There is less than one man for every 1.2 women between the ages of 20 and 39, according to official figures from last year. “Straight women in Hong Kong are in poverty in terms of sex. They have few sexual possibilities and options. Even if you’re a male truck driver, you can find a woman in rural China,” Ho said. AFP

Wanted: Tall, dark and ugly men A

Model Paulina Porizkova and singer Ric Ocasek. Happily married for 22 years.

ccording to a new study, beautiful women are better off marrying a husband a notch (or two or three) below them. Ladies, maybe you can hang onto Mr. Unsightly for a while longer. Your girlfriends can laugh all they want. Little do they know his looks — or the lack thereof — are his greatest asset. A new study, published in the February issue of the Journal of Family Psychology by researchers of the University of Tennessee, lead by James McNulty reveals that looks do in fact matter. They just don’t matter in the way you thought when gazing into George Clooney’s eyes on the screen, fantasizing about getting him to marry you. It turns out that couples in which the wife is better looking than her husband are more posi-

tive and supportive than other match-ups, And guess what they found? Wives and husbands behaved more positively when the woman was better looking. On the other hand, in couples with more attractive husbands, both partners were less supportive of one another. Wives apparently tend to mirror, in some ways, the level of support they get from husbands to study indicates. According to the study men who are more attractive than their partners would theoretically have access to partners who are more attractive than their current spouses, so they tend to be less committed to maintain the marriage. The good news is that it’s the other way around with uglier husbands, McNulty told LiveScience : The husband who’s less

physically attractive than his wife is getting something more than maybe he can expect to get...He’s getting something better than he’s providing at that level. So he’s going to work hard to maintain that relationship. Dan Ariely, a professor of behavioral economics at MIT’s Program in Media Arts and Sciences and Sloan School of Management, even put his two cents in. He thought the study the finding seemed “very reasonable,” although he wasn’t involved in the study. He told LiveScience: Men are very sensitive to women’s attractiveness. Women seem to be sensitive to men’s height and salary. Well, ladies, there is your recipe for a happy marriage. He needs to be tall, rich and — most importantly — ugly.

Not a genius: 11-year-old graduate student LOS ANGELES: Moshe Kai Cavalin insists he is not a “genius” — even though he earned an associate’s degree when he was 11, and is soon to graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), at 14. The young teenager, who has a Chinese mother and Brazilian father, says he began studying at the age of two and simply does not waste time — so calling him a genius doesn’t do justice to the effort. “‘Genius’ is just a word, it’s like an IQ, it’s a number that’s created by people that only classify with one point, and they ignore everything else that makes the individual,” he told AFP in the UCLA cafeteria. “I don’t like being called a genius and I don’t want to be a number... What I do is try to get wisdom through knowledge and I think practicing wisdom is much better than being a genius,” he added. That’s why Moshe Kai wrote “We Can Do” — first released in Mandarin in Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan, where it became a bestseller — and now in English — “to help parents encourage their children to reach for the stars.” “I reached a point that many people considered impossible for my age. (...) I reached as high as the Moon, but anybody who really tries can reach beyond the Milky Way,” he writes in the book. Born in Los Angeles, Moshe Kai was already doing simple math at the age of four, when his parents launched him on an intensive learning program including math, music, martial arts and reading. After he was turned down by a number of schools that feared he might distract other students, his mother Shu Chen Chien and father Joseph Cavalin decided to homeschool him. With television and videogames kept to a minimum, he came on in leaps and bounds, winning international martial arts contests, learning to scuba dive and enrolling in college at the age of eight. “I just took advantage of what I have. Everybody has some potential to be special, however you have to take advantage of that potential,” said Moshe Kai, who remembers all his birthday gifts and says his favorite movie is “Wall-E”. AFP


Around the World

13

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

Beyond Borders

Afghan war photo, NY cops’ spying story bag Pulitzers NEW YORK: Agence FrancePresse and the news websites Huffington Post and Politico each won their first Pulitzer Prizes on Monday as the prestigious journalism awards highlighted global issues and online reporting. The New York Times won two Pulitzers, and the committee notably did not make awards for editorial writing or fiction in a year which saw Web journalism mark further gains. AFP’s Massoud Hossaini won the award for breaking news photography “for his heartbreaking image of a girl crying in fear after a suicide bomber’s attack at a crowded shrine in Kabul,” the committee announced. His AFP photograph published December 7 shows young Tarana Akbari screaming after a suicide bomber detonated a bomb in a crowd at the Abul Fazel Shrine in Kabul on December 6. “When I could stand up, I saw that everybody was around me on the ground, really bloody. I was really, really scared,” said the girl, whose name means “melody,” and whose age has been given as either 10 or 12. Sig Gissler, the Pulitzer administrator, called the AFP picture “one single riveting photograph,” and “a picture you will long remember.” Hossaini, who is based in

Breivik to take stand in Norway trial

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nders Behring Breivik, accused of killing 77 people in bomb and gun attacks in Norway last July is due to take to the stand on the second day of his trial in Oslo. He has admitted carrying out a car bombing in the capital before attacking a youth camp organised by the governing Labour party on the island of Utoeya. However, he has pleaded not guilty to acts of terror and mass murder. He said he had acted to protect Norway from multi-culturalism and Islam. On Monday, prosecutors played harrowing recordings of the events and described the fate of each victim in detail. Throughout the evidence Breivik remained emotionless, although he broke down when the court played a 12-minute antiIslam video which he had posted online on the day of the carnage.

The picture that won AFP photographer Massoud Hossaini a Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography. AFP Kabul, said he was “so happy and excited” to win the prize that he was unable to sleep. “I’m humbled to be an Afghan who can be a voice for the painful life and moments which people have here,” he said. “I know that whoever sees this photo will think about the photographer but I hope they don’t forget the pain Afghanistan’s people have in their life.” The Pulitzers, which date back to 1917, began allowing

online-only publications to compete three years ago. David Wood of The Huffington Post won the national reporting prize “for his riveting exploration of the physical and emotional challenges” facing American soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, the committee said. Politico’s Matt Wuerker won the award for editorial cartooning, satirizing the partisan conflict that engulfed Washington in 2011.

The public service award went to The Philadelphia Inquirer “for its exploration of pervasive violence in the city’s schools,” according to the Pulitzer committee. The prize for breaking news went to the staff of the Tuscaloosa News for the Alabama paper’s coverage using real-time updates to help locate missing people after a deadly tornado, which forced the newspaper to publish at another site. The award for investigative reporting was shared by Matt Apuzzo, Adam Goldman, Eileen Sullivan and Chris Hawley of the Associated Press and Michael Berens and Ken Armstrong of The Seattle Times. The AP was recognized for reporting on the New York Police Department’s clandestine spying program that monitored daily life in Muslim communities. Pulitzers also went to Sara Ganim, one of the youngest-ever winners at 24, and members of The Patriot-News Staff in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for local reporting; Eli Sanders of the Washington state weekly The Stranger, for feature writing; Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune for commentary; Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe for criticism; and Craig Walker of The Denver Post for feature photography. AFP

Obama’s $53 million leaves Mitt on the mat US WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama basked in a $53 million monthly fundraising bonanza on Monday, but Republican Mitt Romney warned him to “start packing” and get ready to leave the White House. Two new polls meanwhile offered conflicting pictures of the emerging race to November’s general election — with one suggesting Romney had nosed ahead, while another showed Democratic incumbent Obama with a solid lead. Obama, who is rebuilding his national political machine to battle Romney, the all but certain Republican nominee, attracted 1,90,000 new donors in March and an average donation of 50 dollars in his $53 million total. Obama has now raised over $200 million for his reelection

US President Barack Obama bid and for the Democratic National Committee and up until the end of February, he had spent $75 million, much of it on his new grass roots infrastructure. Romney had raised nearly $75 million by the end of February, but has spent $66 million on his long Republican primary campaign, leaving him at a significant organiza-

tional disadvantage as the general election dawns. The Republican has not yet announced his haul for March, but accelerating the pace of fundraising and building a national organization to rival Obama’s are now priorities for his campaign. Romney took a new swipe at the president on Monday, as he tries to defy Obama campaign efforts to cast him in a negative light at this early stage of the general election joust. “Start packing,” Romney said with a chuckle in an interview with ABC News. “The president I’m sure — wants another four years. But the first years didn’t go so well,” Romney said, slamming Obama’s record on job creation and the gaping budget deficit and saying he guided America in the wrong direction. AFP

GLOBE AT A GLANCE UN toughens N Korea sanctions over launch UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council has ordered tightened sanctions on North Korea over its failed rocket launch and warned of new action if the isolated state stages a nuclear test. The 15-member council — including the North’s closest ally China and nucleararmed Pakistan — “strongly condemned” the launch in a statement that highlighted “grave security concerns” in Asia.

Aus troops to return early from Afghanistan SYDNEY: Australia will bring its troops home from Afghanistan a year earlier than planned with most soldiers withdrawn in 2013, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Tuesday. She will take her timetable for withdrawal to a NATO summit in Chicago next month. Gillard said some special forces could remain in Afghanistan.

Children dressed in the traditional Bavarian costumes dance for Pope Beneditct XVI on the occasion of his 85th birthday celebrations. AFP

Ruak elected as East Timor president DILI: Former guerrilla and defence chief Taur Matan Ruak has won East Timor’s run-off presidential vote, preliminary results showed on Tuesday. Ruak won 275,441 votes, or 61.23 per cent, while Francisco Guterres, known as “Lu Olo”, took 174,386, or 38.77 per cent, according to a count announced by the elections secretariat, which organised Monday’s polls.

Brazil prison riot ends, 131 hostages released RIO DE JANEIRO: A prison riot in Brazilian state of Sergipe ended on Monday after the inmates released all 141 hostages after lengthy negotiations, regional officials said. About 400 prisoners at the Advogado Jacinto Filho de Arcaju prison rioted on Sunday morning during visiting hours over complaints about mistreatment by guards and bad food.

An image grab shows an Israeli officer hitting a foreign peace activist with his rifle during a bicycle ride near Jericho. AFP


Comment

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

Fair, free and forthright

Editorials DELHI CIVIC POLLS a reminder to netas

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he pseudo homogenous country that ours is, what with a heavy ethical, linguistic and religious diversity to deal with, it is clan following that works, achievements can go take a stroll. Where a merry-go-around is part of every fair and musical chairs the most happening middle-class get-together event, turn of the opposition to replace the ruling party at the helm is not a surprising happening. Take any state in the country and this is the pattern that is most obvious. The resurgence of BJP in the state polls and the Delhi civic polls proves one thing — public doesn’t forgive and forget. Contempt in one election, admiration in the next for the same candidate, the same party is not uncommon to say the least. One needs to just exercise patience when in the opposition camp and wait it out to get the opportunity to start calling the shots. A strong opposition does wonders to a democracy for it keeps the ruling party on tenterhooks. What amuses one though is the conviction with which the voters turns the tide.

WHY WE LOVE... remakes

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e as a nation that loves our heritage would love to hang on to the past. Passing time brings with it welcome changes. A blend of the two is an ideal combination, and this is what we are treated to with remakes. Add to this the diversity element that comes with its geography and have we? A heady mix, eh!

Give Caesar his due but keep your share

MICHELLE MARIE

Hard Talk PK Surendran

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isten, I have made the greatest invention after fire. I discovered the single most important flaw of our country’s financial governance.

The other day I was struggling with my tax sheet, that obnoxious exercise you and I are made to undergo ever after birth. I found out that the whole tone of our tax policy is negative and designed to make each one of us a liar. Small wonder, we are still a ‘developing’ country 65 years after independence. I am sure, MG, our FoN, would have torn away the declaration of investment form if one were to be given to him to fill up! In every column, he is asked to cook up. First, let us begin at the beginning. If I am single, I am penalised, If I don’t take a home loan and try to build a thatch with my savings, I get screwed (don’t I know it’s mandatory to be a debtor?). If I eat out and help hotels, I am to be VATed heavily. If I remained healthy and did not claim medical, well, I am doomed. Who asked you to be healthy, man? barks a testy FM. If am not a physically handicapped, again, it’s my fault. I don’t get relief under that head either (there is no mention of tax relief for idiots; does one get a relief?). And, didn’t I take education loan for myself or my children? Damn, who can save you? Now, let us come to the generosity of the FM, the Taxman. We are to insure ourselves against death and accidents. Then you get relief. This is because we are constantly under threat of getting clobbered in a dark alley or run over on our mad roads. And, we’re to be a captive of the mother of all rackets, the provident fund (We are not to be trusted with our own money, you know). You need to fight an epic battle to get it out of PF as it acts as a blackhole where light is sucked in, not given out. The PF has an offspring worse than the parent— family pension fund, meant to take care of you after 58. Blast me if you ever get a response at 68.

Solve water crisis

Students must study

The state machinery needs to buckle up and solve the ever-increasing drinking water problem of the city the earliest. There is hardly any area in the city that is not affected by the miserable status today. And still there is nothing concrete being done about it. If the administration introspects properly and chalks out a game plan, there is no reason that we have to continue to spend most of our time, money and other resources bothering about this issue. We can concentrate on our careers instead, and achieve more when left with more time and lesser worries to bog us down.

Every time there is political upheaval in the city, students from Osmania University get sucked into the vortex of trouble. And invariably there is loss of precious study time for so many learners. The number of students involved in the actual activity is always very less but the consequences have to be borne by all the students of the university. This does not auger well for the future of the nation. Because since you reap what you sow, the kind of citizens that these grow up to be could be unacceptable. Divya Rani Ameerpet

Mujiba Taj Mehdipatnam

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Want more relief, FM asks? Be a patriot and invest in infra bond. In other words, you put your money and get it locked up for 6 years on a simple interest. Some scheme! Now, insult to injury. After they deduct everything (TDS), you are asked to file the returns! You take away my money and ask me to account for it? Audacity!

What should be done? The trouble with our tax laws is that it is all negative, not meant to encourage but to discourage. It could all be turned around to positive thus 1) Let the small family (1-2 kids) be given incentive in education/ job 2) Let the healthy be rewarded rather than punished 3) Let those taking care of their aged parents be given tax relaxation 4) Let those helping the downtrodden be given tax relief to the extent of help

TALK BACK 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

4) Let the singles be rewarded as we are procreating like crazy 5) Let the highest tax payer be honoured rather than despised as dirty rich Tailend: A colleague of mine, who is married with two kids, has never ever bothered to undertake the tax exercise in his 15 years of professional life. What he did was to leave it all to the accountant and get his Form 16 done by a CA firm. He knows nothing of the tax rigmarole. His gains? He’s healthy, as he does not burn his heart; spends his time for worthwhile matters rather than collecting false medical bills; spends no time scanning papers for new tax laws. Time thus saved, he uses for something we should all do; make a little money on the sly, not accounted for, and away from the baleful eye of the IT dept (Contact this writer for more intimate details).

Yummy food here Hyderabad is famous for the number of delectable dishes that are cooked and served here, be it in homes or restaurants. Of late your paper has been projecting different cuisines like Italian and Goan. This adds to the variety and caters to the varied population of this historic city. It adds to the hospitality quotient of our metropolitan culture, which has always been an aspect of our tradition. I would appreciate more coverage of South Indian food, especially vegetarian stuff. Also, I would like to know more about inexpensive food joints. Places that the more common man and students can have their fill... economically.

Vamsi Ramkumar Banjara Hills

The writer works for Postnoon.

&

CORRECTIONS CLARIFICATIONS

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n our food review on Sunday we misspelt the name of Park Hyatt's Italian restaurant. It's Tre Forni. The error is regretted.

It is Postnoon’s policy to correct errors swiftly and fairly


At the workplace

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

15 CAT-2

DISILLUSIONED Despite cushy job profiles, amiable environments and fat pay packets, youngsters today are jaded and disillusioned with their jobs. Postnoon takes a look at how working professionals deal with this hurdle at the workplace Indira Atluri indira.a@postnoon.com

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f lucrative jobs and plush lifestyles were all that the multinationals offered, it would perhaps have been an ideal worklife scenario. But things will not be the same when stress and even worse, a burnout phase comes into play. Thankfully, burnouts are not difficult to deal with. We talk to some professional who experienced the phase, and others, who give easy-fix solutions.

How do you identify the burnout phase? n

Lack of motivation to work or interact with colleagues

n

No enthusiasm whatsoever for feedback from the boss. And a feeling of being unwanted with the slightest hint of negative feedback

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Manifestation of physical illnesses such as frequent headaches, backaches, and pain in the neck and shoulder muscles

Reema Sahoo has been an employee in a multinational for

the last four years. She tells us, “I moved to Hyderabad from Mumbai because of the lucrative offer the company made. It was good during the training period, but with the actual responsibilities landing on my shoulders, my social life took a backseat. I felt like I spent most of my time in office. Before I realised, I became negative to everything around me. This definitely affected my psyche, and it didn’t take too long for me to realise that this was not what I wanted out of life. And I knew I had to do something about it.” Jayanthi Sriram, a psychologist based in Hyderabad believes that as much a problem it is made out to be, a burnout phase thankfully can easily be rectified. “There are clients who come to me with a feeling of being unwanted at work and at home. Simple activities such as taking yoga or meditation lessons go a long way in bringing out the positive energy of the individual.” She adds, “Make a colleague, your friend and confidante at your workplace to ease out these simple worries,” she advises. Siddharth Maheshwari is the director of a UK-based company, Datamonitor with an office in Hyderabad. He believes that while burnouts

How to keep motivated at work Change your mindset: As cliched as it sounds, think positive. Negativity only drains you out of energy, slows you down, downs your enthusiasm and blinds you to the reasons you work. Do whatever it takes including listening to music, taking scheduled breaks, find things that make you laugh etc. Have an action plan: Nothing is more demotivating than working haphazardly without having a clear vision. Once you do that, break down large complex projects into a series of manageable tasks that are interesting and achievable. Reward yourself: Once you have achieved your goals, make sure to take some time out to do something you enjoy and reward yourself.This will give you something to look forward to. Maintain a healthy work/life balance: The feeling that you are losing out on your life outside of work is one of the main reasons for burnout. So ensure that you designate some time to do things outside of work whether it be connecting with friends and family, exercising, reading, taking courses, shopping or other hobbies and activities that channel your creativity and energy.

maybe a truth, they can be thwarted by endorsing employee-friendly initiatives. He shares with us, “We endorse an aggressively people-friendly policy when it comes to keeping them gratified. Employee engagement activities such as quizzes, knowledge-sharing sessions, spot-bonuses and icebreaker sessions for new employees keep the employees engaged and happy. The point is to make them feel wanted

and appreciated for their good work. And it does work well in our company.” Jayanthi then adds, “Employee-friendly policies do go a long way to nurture a positive feeling and I do see these initiatives when I go for my guest lectures to various multinationals. Just take time to sort out your priorities and stick to what you finally decide — it goes a long way in making one’s perspective towards work positive.

It’s all in your cards Tarot card readers can tell your past, present and future. They can help you to deal with a situation and give you solace and solution. If your intuition is stronger than an ordinary person’s, you could consider becoming one books, take courses and even become certified. Courses are taught online and in classes through tarot organisations and through independent tarot teachers.

ODD JOBS Mini Singh

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n

Snapshot: A tarot card reader uses a set of cards to make predictions or offers insights to the client who is seeking advice or direction regarding his/her future. Typically, the pack consists of 78 cards divided into the Major Arcana (22 cards), and the Minor Arcana. Qualifications: To learn the art of tarot card reading, you can read

Job description: n

A typical tarot-reading session: Make sure the space where you conduct your tarot reading sessions is a comfortable, clean, peaceful room that offers complete privacy. After you have welcomed your client and made him/her feel comfortable, encourage your client to present their concern or question.

present, and future events. Generally, each position in the spread is assigned a number, and the cards are turned over in that sequence. Each position is also associated with an interpretation, which indicates what aspect of the question the card in that position is referring to.

Tarot card reader Use methods such as a brief prayer to clear your minds and focus your energies on the task at hand. To perform the reading, get your client to shuffle the cards and then lay them out in a spread. Then ask your client to pick out the cards. After observing the cards, their order and their direction, you will present your reading and interpretation to the client. Depending on the issue in question, your interpretations might include the client’s thoughts and desires or past,

Skills and traits: n

Confidentiality and trust: Your client trusts you completely and tells you things they might never tell anyone else. It is important that you are worthy of that trust and never discuss a client or his concerns with

n

n

n

anyone else. Impartiality: It is important that you are completely unprejudiced, non-judgemental, and impartial when dealing with a client. Intuition and psychic abilities: It helps if your intuition is stronger than the average person’s as this helps you to make better interpretations. Interpersonal skills: Considering the delicate nature of many queries, the client may hesitate to openly ask the questions on his/her mind. In such instances, observe the customer's body language and help your client to relax.




H‑Factor

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Exercise, attitude may influence hot flashes

Not so sweet Studies have proved that food which may not appear to posses any sugar may reveal surprising facts Anishaa Kumar anishaa.k@postnoon.com

“I

have a major sweet tooth, I love anything sweet. But I’m on a diet,” exclaimed Priya as she opened a carton of oats. What Priya does not realise is that these healthy foods which appear to not contain sugar have a secret. Studies have proven that certain savoury items actually contain more sugar than a cup of ice-cream. The list includes a variety of expected as well as surprising food items such as tomato sauce, oatmeal, dry fruits, protein bars, ice tea, yogurt, cereals, canned vegetables and soups, salad dressing. Yes, a variety of our favourite foods can actually contain hidden sugars. The question that may arise now is how can we control how much sugar we have if nearly everything contains sugar? Dr Charita Adikane, chief nutritionist, Apollo Hospital, Secunderabad says, “What is generally advised is a low-carb diet. As it is difficult to follow a low-carb diet, we should be cautious and avoid food with simple sugars in comparison to foods with complex sugars.”

How do I know? “It is difficult for a common person to judge food and it’s sugar content based on the components but the general

guideline is to check the amount of carbohydrates mentioned on the food labels. Another component is the fibre content. Snacks in general contain fibre. Another aspect which must be checked is the processed nature of the food. The more the food is processed, the more sugar it contains. Another common product is white flour (maida) pasta in comparison to whole grain (wheat) pasta. White flour pasta has a larger carb content than that made of whole grain,” mentions Dr Lata Sashi, consultant nutritionist and director Nutrifit.

Some foods with hidden sugar n n n n n n n n n

Oats Bread Sauce Salad dressing Protein bars Ice tea Yogurts Cereals Canned food

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How much is enough? Carbohydrates are important for your diet. Dr Charita mentions, “Nearly 60 to 70 per cent of your diet should contain carbohydrates, that would be around 250gms per day.” She explains that sugar content being more or less depends on the quantity of the food. Dr Lata adds, “We tend to unwittingly consume more sugar and carbohydrates than our body requires. The urban population has moved towards more convenience foods. We also tend to think that cutting down on rice and chapattis is a good way to control our sugar intake but in reality what happens is it is the other foods which we consume that may be adding on such as dry fruits.” Packed and processed food and juices usually use three main components for preservation sugar, salt or fat. Dr Lata says, “Although these natural foods do not contain any chemicals they may have these preservatives.”

Fruits have sugar, don’t they? Many a times we tend to hear people talking about the excess sugar content in fruits.

According to Dr Lata, “Although certain fruits such as banana, mango, chikoo, seedless grapes and custard apples should be eaten in moderation if we still compare one banana to a donut the calorie count is less and is also not as harmful as they contain fructose or other forms of complex sugars. Dry fruits and dates on the other hand are a concentrated source of sugar.” “Food labelling is an important aspect. While diabetics should avoid these kinds of foods, others need not stay away but eat in moderation,” says Dr Charitha. Control on consumption of such foods should start early as once the taste is acquired it is difficult to cut down on it. Dr Lata says, “These habits should be inculcated since childhood. One could take the tiffin boxes wherein schools usually may advise parents to send dry snacks which is usually the baked and processed food. We hardly see any parents and children looking towards fruits as a snack choice. Although they have hidden sugar content it is less harmful than baked and processed food.”

WASHINGTON: Attitude may influence how exercise affects menopausal women, says a new study. The research, identified two types of women — one experiences more hot flashes after physical activity, while the other experiences fewer. “The most consistent factor that seemed to differentiate the two groups was perceived control over hot flashes,” said Steriani Elavsky, assistant professor of kinesiology at the Penn State University, who led the study. “These women have ways of dealing with (hot flashes) and they believe they can control or cope with them in an effective way on a daily basis,” added Elavasky, the journal Maturitas reported. Women who experienced fewer hot flashes the day after participating in vigorous to moderate physical activity were more likely to be part of the group that felt they had control over their hot flashes, according to a university statement. Women who had more hot flashes following exercise were likely to be those who felt they had very few ways of coping with their hot flashes, said Elavsky and her colleagues. Elavsky suggested that cognitive behavioural therapy may help some women feel they have more control over their bodies and reactions to hot flashes. “It’s not enough anymore to do a study and look at overall impact of an exercise programme on symptoms. It’s very clear that we need to look at the different responses that women might have, and try to understand these individual differences more,” said Elavsky. IANS


H‑Factor

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

19

Tiny gene change affects brain size, IQ: scientists

GEL SOON TO PERK UP MALE FERTILITY Male fertility has been largely overlooked with most treatments aimed at women. But a new discovery found certain compounds can make the sperms swim better LONDON: Scientists have discovered chemical compounds that boost the swimming ability of sperm cells, opening the way for a new gel to help couples conceive naturally. Male fertility has been largely overlooked with most treatments requiring women to take medication or undergo expensive and invasive procedures. “Fertility treatments basically involve helping the sperm to reach the egg,” said Jackson Kirkman-Brown, senior lecturer in reproductive biology at the University of Birmingham and director of the Centre for Human Reproductive Science, Birmingham. “The majority of these involved in doing something quite invasive to the woman, often even though she may be perfectly healthy. If you can

“WE NOW HAVE SOME COMPOUNDS, THAT ARE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF TESTING, WHICH CAN MAKE MORE SPERM SWIM THROUGH CERVICAL MUCUS, WHICH MEANS YOU WOULD GET MORE SPERM INTO THE UTERUS. THIS SHOULD INCREASE FERTILITY.”

give the man's sperm a little more mobility, you could help fertility in a far less invasive way and it would be far cheaper,” he said. “We now have some compounds, that are in the early sta-

ges of testing, which can make more sperm swim through cervical mucus, which means you would get more sperm into the uterus. This should increase natural fertility,” added Kirkman-Brown, according to the Telegraph. Current fertility treatments such as IVF cost thousands of pounds while requiring the woman to take powerful medication and undergo invasive procedures to extract and implant eggs. Yet only a third of all fertility problems suffered by couples are due to women — the rest lie with the male partner or an unknown cause. There have also been some recent concerns that male infertility is increasing as studies have shown that up to a quarter of young men have poor quality semen. IANS

PARIS: An international team of scientists said on Sunday that the largest brain study of its kind had found a gene linked to intelligence, a small piece in the puzzle as to why some people are smarter than others. A variant of this gene “can tilt the scales in favour of a higher intelligence”, study leader Paul Thompson told AFP, stressing though that genetic blessings were not the only factor in brainpower. Searching for a genetic explanation for brain disease, the scientists stumbled upon a minute variant in a gene called HMGA2 among people who had larger brains and scored higher on standardised IQ tests. Thompson dubbed it “an intelligence gene” and said it was likely that many more such genes were yet to be discovered. The variant occurs on HMGA2 where there is just a single change in the permutation of the four letters of the genetic code. DNA, the blueprint for life, comprises four basic chemicals called A (for adenine), C (cytosine), T (thymine) and G (guanine), strung together in different combinations along a double helix. In this case, the researchers found that people with a double C and no T in a specific section of the HMGA2 gene had bigger brains on average. “It is a strange result, you wouldn't think that something as simple as one small change in the genetic code could explain differences in intelligence worldwide,” said Thompson, a neurologist at the University of California at Los Angeles. The discovery came in a study

of brain scans and DNA samples from more than 20,000 people from North America, Europe and Australia, of European ancestry. People who received two Cs from their parents, a quarter of the population, scored on average 1.3 points higher than the next group — half of the population with only one C in this section of the gene. The last quarter of people, with no Cs, scored another 1.3 points lower. “The effect is small,” said Thompson, but “would be noticeable on a (IQ) test... (it) may mean you get a couple more questions correct. “It wouldn’t be an enormous change. It would help our brain resist cognitive decline later.” It is generally accepted that genes, a good education and environmental factors combine to determine our intelligence. “If people wanted to change their genetic destiny they could either increase their exercise or improve their diet and education,” said Thompson. “Most other ways we know of improving brain function more than outweigh this gene.” He added there were ethical safeguards and laws in place to guard against the abuse of genetic information. The research, published in Nature Genetics, was conducted by more than 200 scientists from 100 institutions, working on a project called Enigma. John Williams, head of neuroscience and mental health at the Wellcome Trust, said the findings paved the way for further structural changes which occur in disorders such as dementia, autism. IANS


Spotlight

Allu Arjun

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

Kota Srinivas

Devi Sri Prasad

20

Gayatri

Pawan’s treat for fans Fans of Pawan Kalyan have finally something to cheer about. The audio launch of Gabbar Singh, a Pawan Kalyan-Shruti Haasan starrer film was held amidst a lot of fanfare at Shilpakala Vedika on Sunday evening. Spotted at the event were Chiranjeevi, Nagababu, Allu Arjun, Srinu Vaitla, Dil Raju, Shyam Prasad Reddy and Gemini Kiran among others.

Shruti Haasan, Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan

Gemini Kiran and Shyam Prasad Reddy

Chiranjeevi releasing the audio of Gabbar Singh

Brahmanandam and Abhimanyu Singh

Ali and Srinu Vaitla


Magic Screen

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Gujarat lures Telugu directors

T

We are united

T

he audio launch of Pawan Kalyan, Shruti Haasan starrer Gabbar Singh was a roaring success and much to the delight of the audience, Chiranjeevi, Nagababu and Pawan Kalyan shared the same stage after a long time. Putting an end to the rumours about differences in the family, Chiranjeevi said, “We have always been united and I request the media to not spin stories about Ram Charan Tej’s absence at the event. He’s busy shooting for Zanjeer in Mumbai and he has already wished the Gabbar Singh team. Coming back to Pawan Kalyan, he has acted in different types of movie and some of them may not have been successful. But Gabbar Singh is a 100 per cent mass entertainer that will entertain fans.” As the auditorium exploded with claps and whistles, Pawan Kalyan said, “I am confident that Gabbar Singh will be a good entertainer. Our team has worked really hard.” The highlight of the evening, apart from the presence of Chiranjeevi and Nagababu, was Devi Sri Prasad’s live performance. All the guests present at the event praised Devi Sri Prasad for giving another superhit album. Directed by Harish Shankar, the film has Pawan Kalyan, Shruti Haasan, Abhimanyu Singh and Ajay in lead roles. Ganesh Babu has produced the film.

here was a time when most outdoor shoots of Telugu films were held in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and then states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala attracted Telugu filmmakers in droves. In the past few years, another state is luring Telugu film industry — Gujarat. After a crucial scene in SS Rajamouli’s Magadheera, which was shot in salt marshes near Rann of Kutch, became a huge hit with the audience, the unexplored locales in Gujarat seem to have impressed handful of directors here. Last year, a song from Mahesh Babu, Samantha starrer Dookudu was shot near Kutch and recently, a major schedule of Pawan Kalyan starrer Gabbar Singh was shot in this state. Now, we hear that some scenes of Venkatesh, Mahesh Babu starrer Seethamma Vaakitlo Sirimalle Chettu are being shot in Ahmedabad. Mahesh Babu is currently in Ahmedabad to shoot for his introduction song in the film. After Rajamouli, Srinu Vaitla, Harish Shankar and Srikanth Addala we wonder who’s going to be the next Telugu filmmaker to follow suit.

SIDDHARTH juggles between films and cricket Siddharth is celebrating his 33rd birthday today. Of late, he’s busy with two things — cricket and films. He has been following the latest season of IPL quite seriously and he has been supporting Deccan Chargers since the beginning of IPL. On the other hand, films complete his daily routine. Now that the strike in Tamil film industry has come to and end, he’s gearing up to join Vetrimaran’s upcoming Tamil production. We hear that this will be Siddharth’s first action packed role and the story is set on a highway between Chennai and Bangalore. For the past few days, the actor had been shooting for Nandini Reddy’s untitled film. Samantha is playing the lead role in this film. If Siddharth’s look in his recent film Love Failure is anything to go by, he’s not growing old anytime soon. Happy Birthday Siddharth.

21

T-TOWN TWEETIES

@shrutihaasan There’s something totally awesome about wearing a lace dress and pearls being all lady like and then listening to Meshuggah on my I pod ;):p

@LakshmiManchu Woke up at 430am. Shooting till 2am for #GundelloGodari. #UKUP song shoot in Kerala w Brinda master. @HEROMANOJ1 is rocking it.

@richyricha Sumtimes,no matter how well u wish for someone and advise them for their own good, they’ll choose to be blinded till they learn on their own.

@shraddhadas43 I have such cute fans on twitter, ul make me smile and hav a good laugh everyday! Love ull! Nite

@HEROMANOJ1 In love with Kerala :) beautiful weather and trees :) took some super strong decisions towards happiness :) songs r coming out gr8:)

@sundeepkishan 1st choreographed fight sequence of my career.. #GundelloGodari is filled with a lot of firsts for me :) going home with a chipped tooth now.

@actressanjjanaa I want our country India also to be sorted in so many aspects like america... Missing family n all ur tweets :-)

@PriyaWajAnand Huuubbiiieee Buuurrrddaayyy Boss!!! @Actor_Siddharth


Magic Screen

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Mahie gets to do an item song in Zanjeer remake

22

B-TOWN TWEETIES

@priyankachopra In London town!!! Soo nice to be back in studio!!!! Down with the flu tho!! atchoooo! @RedOne_Official says we’re making history!!Say whaaa?

@kjohar25 So just discovered @nickadvani as in nikhil advani the first of our young Dharma brat pack is on twitter!! Welcome to the madness nikhil!!

I

tem songs have almost become a staple in Bollywood films, and Amit Mehra who is producing the remake of 1973 film Zanjeer too plans to cash in on the trend by including two item numbers, of which one will be featured on actress Mahie Gill. “We will definitely have item numbers in the film. In fact, we have decided to go with two item numbers,” Mehra said. “The songs are a part of the script and they will be situational. One item song will be featured on Mahie and for the other, we are yet to decide whom to cast,” he added. Mahie will also essay Bindu’s iconic ‘Mona Darling’ in the Zanjeer remake, to be directed by Apoorva Lakhia. The film will feature southern superstar Chiranjeevi’s son Ram Charan Teja and Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra in the lead. Presently we are shooting the scenes with the actors,” said Mehra. However, music being a crucial part of movies, Mehra is yet to decided who to trust with the musical score for the film. The shooting of the Zanjeer remake began on April 13 at Mumbai’s Film City. It is expected to release by May 2013. IANS

Akshay Kumar to remake malayalam film

A

ctor Akshay Kumar will be doing a Hindi remake of a Malayalam romcom directed by Priyadarshan. The idea of remaking The Arab, The Camel and P Madhavan Nair seems to have appeared to the actor while working on Prabhu Deva’s upcoming action drama Rowdy Rathore. In the past, Akshay’s buddies Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan had acted in Hindi remakes of Wanted (2009), Bodyguard (2011) and Singham (2011), respectively. The films became a huge hit at the box office. “I am making this Malayalam film of mine The Arab, The Camel and P Madhavan Nair in Hindi. That is the last film I did with Mohanlal. In the Hindi remake Akshay Kumar would feature in it and will also produce it,” Priyadarshan said.The Arab, The Camel, and P Madhavan Nair is a 2011 Malayalam romantic comedy directed by the award-wining director. “All I can say is that it’s a hilarious film. We have not thought of the title in Hindi,” Priyadarshan said. PTI

@ajaydevgn 2 days to go to finish #SOS ~ and then start whirlwind promotions for #Tezz . Just 10 days to go... the countdown begins.

@rampalarjun The heat gets intense and so do my dance moves on Chakravyuh sets, shaking it up with super fun Ganesh Acharya, Abhay D, and Esha Gupta.

@NeilNMukesh

Not all actors are paid well, says Raghubir B ollywood stars have always made news with their hefty remuneration but veteran actor Raghubir Yadav says not all are paid that great. Raghubir, who has been in the industry for more than two decades and has worked in hits like Peepli Live and Lagaan, said it is only the Khans and Kapoors that are paid well in this industry. “We are paid really less. The money we get is only enough to manage our day to day expenses. What will we get when everything is paid to the stars? And neither can we demand because what we want is a good role, so either we take the role or demand money... Asking for both doesn’t apply to us,” Raghubir says. The actor established himself as a character actor in films like Bandit Queen, Dil Se and Water. PTI

One of those days where u wanna sit and figure things. What path to take and what to walk away from.

@SrBachchan T 715 — In case all are giving me prophetic recognition, through all that I write... let it be known that they are the wisdom of Chanakya !!

@AnupamPkher Flu, nose blocked, chest congestion etc has become an accepted part of being in Mumbai. You need 15mins to have a 5min conversation.:)

@DuttaLara Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all the love and blessings! I had a super day and it was because of all of YOU!! Truly touched!


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Magic Screen

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Bond in Skyfall will be much softer: Daniel Craig H ollywood star Daniel Craig promises James Bond will be “much softer and nicer” in the upcoming film Skyfall. The 44-year-old actor said that in the 23rd movie, agent 007 will be much “softer” than the one he portrayed in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. “He’s much softer and nicer now. It’s just different... hopefully, it’s different again from that (Casino Royale). Instead of seeing Bond as a heroic man, Craig branded the flamboyant spy a “flawed charac-

ter.” “His attitude towards women and his attitude towards the world is very dubious, but I think that’s interesting, and I think if you throw him into a situation with really strong characters and you watch them battle it out, then I think it just makes for interesting watching,” Craig said. Skyfall will hit the screens in the US on November 9.

PTI

25

No trouble between me and Will: Jada W

ill Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett has rubbished reports suggesting her marriage with the Hollywood superstar is in trouble. The couple’s relationship has come under close scrutiny over the last few months, with rumours suggesting the stars are living separate lives. The duo have been married since 1997 and have three children together. “Every year, one celebrity couple is under the microscope. This year, unluckily, it’s us! I almost want to say that we should have been expecting it. Will and I know the truth. We’re waiting peacefully for the storm to blow over. These rumours are completely untrue. I travel a lot because of my work, just like Will does... But our lifestyle hasn’t changed. Before we had the kids, we were already far away from each other quite often because of separate projects. But we’ve always lived together,” Jada said. PTI

Jennifer Lopez to go on a world tour after American Idol

P

op diva Jennifer Lopez is reportedly going to launch her first-ever musical world tour later this year. The 42-year-old singer-actress, who is busy judging American Idol, will embark on more than 60 tour dates and kick it off in South America in June after the current season of the singing competition completes. “JLo (Jennifer Lopez) and her team have blocked out more than a month of their schedules, beginning May 4, to start intense rehearsals, each day, at a sound stage in the Los Angeles area,” a source said. “This will be a huge tour, complete with a lavish set, full band and team of dancers,” it added. Lopez recently released a new single Dance Again which reunites her with On the Floor rapper Pitbull and producer Red One.


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

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

26

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Jump on one foot 4 Deadens acoustically 9 ‘Hey, over here!’ 13 Biological eggs 14 Scrap a launch attempt 15 Averse 16 ‘Oh, well’ 18 Bluebird record, eg 19 South African pen for animals 20 Abu Dhabi bigwig (var) 22 Shoo-___ (sure things) 23 Whirling waters 25 Relaxation time in a lodge 27 Casino cube 28 Pig abode 30 Los ___ National Laboratory 31 Forensic science tool 33 Caviar 35 Small part of an hr 36 ‘You've got it backwards!’ 40 Bubble-blower's mouthful 41 Corn-eater's throwaway 42 His crown was stripped in 1967 44 Nigerian native 47 Alphabetical order? 49 Run-___ of ‘Walk This Way’ fame 51 Premeal drink 54 Large satellite of Jupiter 56 It's slung in some campaigns 57 Apia's locale 59 Springsteen's ‘Born ___’ 60 ‘My Fair Lady’ horse race 62 ‘Have a good trip!’ 64 Large quantities 65 Cow part 66 Acronym on some hospital charts 67 Nile serpents 68 Serpentine shapes 69 CIA forerunner DOWN

1 Pawned 2 Exaggerated 3 Rose Bowl's home 4 Major point on the Oregon Trail (with ‘The’) 5 Org. for attorneys 6 ‘Don't just sit there!’ 7 ___ donna 8 Awfully expensive 9 Capitol Hill fig 10 Enjoyment in cruelty 11 Drunk as a skunk 12 Postgraduate's project 15 Her songs lure Rhine boatmen 17 Mai ___ (rum-based beverage) 21 Easy to get rid of, as pencil marks 24 Connective tissues 26 Spinal vertebrae 29 Hither's partner

32 Indicate by signs 34 List-curtailing letters 37 Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso, for two 38 Actor/director Reiner 39 Cadillac model until 2002 43 Attacks as questionable 44 Big name in audio 45 Catalogued musical works 46 Baggage handler 48 One-on-one teachers 50 Ones who whip 52 Charge, as with feeling 53 Nutritionist's

SUDOKU

topics 55 Movie cowboy Rogers 58 ‘No ifs, ___ or buts!’ 61 Photo ___ (campaign activities) 63 Churchill sign

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY It matters not whether you win or lose; what matters is whether I win or lose. – Darrin Weinberg


Chai Time STAR POWER

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

As per Hindu panchang

FOR 18-4-2012

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

TAURUS

GEMINI

Suddenly you will involve in a lot of charity activities. Your approach will make things easy and work will com‑ plete fast. Parents will support you monetarily and mentally; be good.

Chance to go abroad for some. You will look more attractive, which will make things easier for you. Business‑ men can earn bumper profits. Try to adjust and co‑operate with mother.

Your children will make you happy and proud. Purchase of movable assets like jewels, white goods and dresses likely in a big way. Mother will receive good news which she was expecting since long.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

You will be tactful and act wise enough, which will make you successful. Your self‑confidence will make you act with a determination and attain success. Fi‑ nancially, a strong position likely.

Never be in a hurry to change your job. When time comes, automatically you will be getting a suitable opening. Avoid anger and getting emotional. Postpone plan to buy a two‑wheeler for now.

Your worries will get over and if you still feel like you are not relieved, itʼs your imagination and nothing else. Couples advised not to magnify petty issues because of their ego.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Employees will be happy and feel relaxed as they will put a stop to all tensions at workplace. Those in love need to weigh pros and cons before taking any major decision.

Friends and well‑wishers will help you with appropriate suggestions at right time. You will wonder about your own achievements. Encourage your kids if they start losing interest in key things.

Employees are advised to avoid working in a hurry at office. They will not move as fast as you are expecting them to. You should realise that all family mem‑ bers are contributing to family's growth.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Couples need to have an agreement that one will keep quiet when the other one expressess his/ her opinion, which alone will keep them happy. Children may express their wishes about marriage.

A happy atmosphere will prevail at home. Politicians and Artists will be in limelight. Both you and blood rela‑ tives will help each other mutually. Take care of mother's health.

Things will move faster than anytime before in your life. But be careful and planned in implementing work. Good deeds done will yield results now. Fami‑ ly runs well; good events happening.

SUMAA TEKUR

FOR 18-4-2012

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

The Magician – Use your intuition to gui‑ de you to the right decisions. Youʼre feel‑ ing great about this time and the positive attitude will take you a long way.

Three of Cups – Celebration time! Bring out the bubbly and celebrate your success. Itʼs impor‑ tant to do so to attract more positive energy into your life.

The Empress – This is the card of love, romance and fertility. Women looking to get pregnant have a good chance now. Those in love will have a great phase.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Nine of swords – Nightmares, restless sleep and anxiety are taking a toll on your health. Take time off and get away for a few days. Rejuvenate and refresh.

Ace of pentacles – You manage to com‑ bine creativity and practicality to impr‑ ove your life. Money making remains in focus as you believe it is the way forward.

Three of Swords – Some loss or disap‑ pointment is possible. Heartbreak is possi‑ ble. Something that you hoped for may not be panning out as you had planned.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Seven of Pentacles – You may need to pl‑ ay your cards close to your chest in ord‑ er to avoid any unto‑ ward incidents. Trust issues will come up. You canʼt avoid them.

The Hermit – If you go with the attitude that you will never find what youʼre look‑ ing for, you never will! A positive out‑ look takes you half‑ way to your goal.

Knight of Wands – You have the youth‑ ful energy and raw enthusiasm to try out the new. This is a lucky phase. Make the most of it and use your positivity.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

Six of Pentacles – Donʼt get into a cold war or a war of words with a peer or coworker. Youʼre tempted to prove your superiority. Now is not the right time.

King of Cups – Be careful of othersʼ feelings. You donʼt want to hurt anyone or do anything that will make them see you in bad light. Be sensitive.

The Tower – Expect the unexpected today. Delays and disappointments will make you feel rest‑ less. You canʼt han‑ dle it when things spiral out of control.

SOLUTIONS

Boggle FOX WOLF COYOTE JACKAL

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

ARIES

TAROT READ

27

Vol: 1, No. 275 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No. 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad–500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad–500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-40672222, Fax: 040-40672211


99 DAYS TO GO TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

28

Senegal name team for playoff

DOUBLE DELIGHT

DAKAR: Senegal on Monday named an 18-man squad for the play-off against Oman in Coventry, England on April 23 for a place in the football tournament at this year’s London Olympics. It is Senegal’s last chance of reaching the tournament, after they squandered an earlier opportunity by losing 2-0 to Egypt in the thirdplace play-off at the African Under23 Championship in December. Coach Karim Sega Diouf named only four domestically based players in his squad.

Wesley Korir of Kenya, men’s winner, and Sharon Cherop of Kenya, female winner, of the 116th Boston Marathon, pose for pictures in JIM ROGASH/GETTY IMAGES/AFP Boston, Massachusetts.

‘Olympics boost won’t save Britain from slump’ Experts say the greatest sporting festival cannot prevent the sharp slowdown The London LONDON: Olympics will give a short-term boost to Britain’s weak economy but economists predict the greatest sporting spectacle on Earth will fail to prevent a sharp slowdown this year. The government has invested a total of £9.3 billion ($14.8 billion, 11.2 billion euros) to stage the Games, more than four times the original estimate when London was named host city in 2005. “The Olympics is unlikely to prevent the UK’s economic recovery from slowing again later this year as a result of further fiscal austerity, a weakening labour market and renewed recession in the eurozone,” said Samuel Tombs, an analyst at Capital Economics research group. “Most of the Olympics’ boost to the economy has already been felt in the form of higher investment over the last five years,” he told AFP. “Meanwhile, spending on tickets, travel and merchandise

is likely to be offset by consumers cutting back on spending on other goods and services.” Britain has spent billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on building facilities such as the Olympic Stadium, an aquatics centre, velodrome and athletes’ village in Stratford, east London. The vast outlay comes as the country stands on the verge of recession as a result of ongoing state austerity measures and fallout from the stubborn sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone. British gross domestic product shrank 0.3 percent in the final three months of 2011 and another contraction in the first quarter of 2012 would place Britain back in recession, defined as two successive negative quarters. Hilary Walsh, an analyst at the Euromonitor International consultancy in London said the Games would have “a stimulating effect on London and the UK economy”.

“However, while the boost in tourism and consumer spending will be noticeable, it won’t be sufficient to lift us out of the current economic slowdown,” she said, warning: “It’s important to keep the Games in perspective.” While she forecast output would increase by 0.6 percent quarter-on-quarter between July and September 2012, the economic impact of playing host to one million visitors during the

BRITISH GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT SHRANK 0.3 PERCENT IN THE FINAL THREE MONTHS OF 2011 AND ANOTHER CONTRACTION IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2012 WOULD PLACE BRITAIN BACK IN RECESSION, DEFINED AS TWO SUCCESSIVE NEGATIVE QUARTERS.

Games would not be sustained. “The tourists will leave once the Games end and so too will the profits. The shot in the arm to infrastructure will be the main legacy of the Olympics and it will provide lasting returns for years to come for London, in particular the east of the capital,” she explained. Around one million tickets for the July 27-August 12 event were made available for applicants abroad, from a total of nine million. Britain’s Office for National Statistics has indicated that Olympic tickets sold last year would be incorporated into figures for the third quarter of 2012, or three months to September. IHS Global Insight economist Howard Archer agreed that the Games “will provide a limited overall boost to growth in the third quarter”. He added: “Sales of the tickets for the events are likely to add around 0.1 percentage point to growth.”

Senegal squad to face Oman: Ousmane Mane (Diambars FC), Issa Ndiaye (AS Douanes), Abdoulaye Ba (Academica Coimbra/POR), Saliou Cisse, Serigne Modou Kar (both Tromso/NOR), El Hadji Sady Gueye (Diambars FC), Pape Ndiaye Souare (Lille/FRA), Victor Demba Bindia (Sandefjord/NOR), Zargo Toure (Boulogne-sur-Mer/FRA), Souleymane Cisse (Diambars FC), Ibrahima K. Seck (Epinal/FRA), Stephane Badji (Sogndal/NOR), Pape Maly Diamanka (Rayo Vallecano/ESP), Abdoulaye Sane (Rennes/FRA), Moussa Konate (Maccabi Tel-Aviv/ISR), Ibrahima Balde (Osasuna/ESP), Kalidou Yero (Gil Vicente/POR), Sadio Mane (Metz/FRA)

IOC chief concerned about Ecuador International MOSCOW: Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge has written to Ecuador President Rafael Correa to express his concern about government interference in the country’s sporting affairs. The IOC chief’s letter follows a motion of condemnation against the Ecuadorian government adopted by the Olympic body and the Association of National Olympic Committees (ACNO) during their joint meeting in Moscow on Monday. Ecuador Olympic Committee president Danilo Carrera on Sunday voiced his concern that sporting federations in the South American country could be put under government supervision after top officials were sacked with the approval of the Sports Ministry while awaiting new elections.


29

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

METRE

S

6 186

Owais Shah (RR)

11 4S411

Ajinkya Rahane (RR)

35

HIGHEST SCORE

103

Ajinkya Rahane (RR)

BEST BOWLER

5-16

Ravindra Jadeja (CSK)

Chargers look for first win My bowlers did a fantastic job. The wicket had something to offer them. I feel the openers wouldn’t be effective against that kind of [spin] attack.

W

hen winners of the second edition of the IPL Deccan Chargers take on winners of the first, Rajasthan Royals, the former will be underdogs. Nothing has been going well for the Chargers. With the bat and with the ball, Kumar Sangakkara’s men have been struggling to find form. Dale Steyn is the exception. But Steyn’s workload is huge given that the rest of the bowlers are yet to click.

Virender Sehwag, DD Captain

DC VS RR AT 4 PM ON SET MAX

Ajinkya Rahane (RR) 260 runs

Munaf Patel (MI) 10 wickets

Bhajji blames shot selection

M

umbai Indians captain Harbhajan Singh attributed poor shot selection of his top order batsmen as the reason behind his team’s humiliating loss against Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League game here. Mumbai were shot out by Delhi for a mere 92 runs and the visitors overhauled the target with 31 balls to spare to register a seven-wicket win and Harbhajan laid the blame on the poor show by his top-order batsmen. “Yes, the score was low. There was some bad selection of shots. We lost lot of wickets in the first six overs to be 20-odd for two which was the main cause of not achieving whatever we wanted to on the score front. We lost the game in the first six overs,” said the 31year-old off-spinner.

P W L T PT NR DD 4 3 1 0 6 1.099 RR 5 3 2 0 6 0.738 PWI 4 3 1 0 6 0.491 MI 5 3 2 0 6 -0.088 KKR 5 2 3 0 4 0.217 CSK 5 2 3 0 4 -0.108 KXIP 4 2 2 0 4 -0.417 RCB 4 1 3 0 2 -1.05 DC 2 0 2 0 0 -1.95 P-played; W-win; L-lost; T-tie; NR-net run rate; PT-points

Deccan Chargers will require Dale Steyn to fire again when they take on Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur today.

The Rajasthan Royals are atop the points table with their latest victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Ajinkya Rahane’s superb form reassures them. He decimated the bowlers of the Challengers. The Chargers whose bowlers have not been up to the mark must beware of Rahane, for he ruthlessly puts away anything that seems to him substandard. It’s even more reassuring for the Royals that he had excellent support from Owais Shah in their last outing. Rahul Dravid seems to have filled in the void left by Shane Warne. He has been smart with his decisions. The Chargers seem to have their hands full.

SCORECARD MUMBAI INDIANS V DELHI DAREDEVILS Mumbai Indians innings Richard Levi b Nadeem 1 Davy Jacobs b Nadeem 0 Rohit Sharma c Taylor b Agarkar 29 Ambati Rayudu run out (Sehwag/Ojha) 4 Kieron Pollard c Taylor b Yadav 1 Dinesh Karthik c Pietersen b Yadav 3 Harbhajan Singh c Ojha b Morkel 33 Clint McKay c Yadav b Pathan 8 RP Singh b Morkel 0 Pragyan Ojha b Agarkar 3 Munaf Patel not out 1 Extras (lb 4, w 3, nb 2) 9 Total (all out; 19.2 overs) 92 Bowling O M R W Econ Irfan Pathan 4 1 12 1 3.00 Shahbaz Nadeem 4 0 16 2 4.00 Morne Morkel 4 1 22 2 5.50 Ajit Agarkar 3.2 0 27 2 8.10 Umesh Yadav 4 0 11 2 2.75

Delhi Daredevils (target: 93 runs from 20 overs) Naman Ojha c Harbhajan Singh b Singh 13 Virender Sehwag c Levi b Ojha 32 Kevin Pietersen c Jacobs b Singh 9 Mahela Jayawardene not out 17 Ross Taylor not out 11 Extras (lb 5, w 6) 11 Total (3 wickets; 14.5 overs) 93 Bowling O M R W Econ Munaf Patel 3 1 15 0 5.00 RP Singh 4 0 24 2 6.00 Clint McKay 3 0 24 0 8.00 Pragyan Ojha 4 0 19 1 4.75 Kieron Pollard 0.5 0 6 0 7.20 Delhi Daredevils won by 7 wickets

RCB vs PWI at 8pm on Set Max

Challengers hope to get lucky I n their last match Pune Warriors made the champs Chennai Super Kings bow to them. Today they will be looking to beat last year’s runnerups Royal Challengers Bangalore on the latter’s home turf. Pune Warriors will be oozing with confidence when they take the field. Though they lost a match against the Kings Punjab XI, whom they had beaten four days back, the Warriors’ victories were over teams that are seen as potential title winners in this edition: Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings; and pretty convincing victories too. And beating the champs after suffering

a defeat shows they have got spirit. Despite having the mighty Chris Gayle in their team, RCB have lost all their matches except one, and that they won without Gayle’s help. In the one that he became himself, they lost to the Super Kings. RCB’s flaw seems to be that despite getting good starts, their middle order fails to cash in on that. And adding to their woes is their weak bowling. Apart from Zaheer Khan, no one fared well in their last. They need to overhaul their game completely if they are to live up to the hopes of their fans. RR


Playing Field

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

The games people play

Oz on top thanks to Hussey, Pattinson PORT-OF-SPAIN: An 89 run partnership between Mike Hussey and James Pattinson ensured Australia remained in control at the end of the second day of the second Test against the West Indies on Monday. Hussey (73) and Pattinson (32) helped push the tourists, who are 1-0 up in the threematch series, to 311 all out as the West Indies finished the day on 49 for three, still trailing by 262 runs at Queen's Park Oval. But Kemar Roach insisted the West Indies were still very much in the match. "We're big boys. We're big men," said the seamer. "So we're a bit behind, but so it goes in cricket. We can come back. We will come back tomorrow and play cricket the way we want to play cricket." Hussey top-scored for Australia before falling to Narsingh Deonarine. Rain arrived shortly before lunch, just after Hussey had brought up his fifty, and Australia added 59 runs for the loss of one wicket before lunch to take the score to 267 for six. The showers became heavier and another 100 min-

Australia’s James Pattinson (R) appeals for lbw against West Indies’ Kieran Powell (L) during the second day of the second-of-three Test matches. He won the appeal. AFP utes were lost which will mean early starts for the remainder of the Test.

Hussey admitted the wicket was hard to bat on. "The odd one is spinning a

lot. The odd one is staying low. The odd one is bouncing a bit. So, again, you can't trust the conditions, you can't trust the pitch to go through with your shots," he said. After the extended break, the West Indian team appeared to be getting more and more frustrated as Hussey and Pattinson were batting with confidence although deliveries were still regularly passing the edge. "I think the times I got most angry with him was when he started to chase the ball and went for those big wild ones outside off stump," said Hussey of what it was like watching Pattinson battle at the other end. "But while he was playing nice and straight and not deviating from his line I was more than happy with the way he was playing. I thought he did a fantastic job." With the score on 297 the breakthrough finally came. It surprised everyone when Hussey didn't move his feet to a Deonarine delivery and simply slapped it to short extra cover where Kraigg Brathwaite held the chance. AFP

Fencing tourney starts today Postnoon news feedback@postnoon.com

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he second South Asian Fencing Championship is all set to kick start in the city from today. The event which has Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and India as the participating nations, will be held from April 17 to 19. Meanwhile, teams from Maldives and Myanmar would not be participating this year, while the arrival of the Pakistan side’s was delayed due to certain visa issues. Two teams will represent India. While India ‘A’ will have players who have performed well at the national level, India ‘B’ will have representation only from Andhra Pradesh.

The three-day tournament which is organised by the Fencing Association of India will be held at the Kotla Vijay Bhaskar Reddy Indoor Stadium under three categories – foil, sabre and epée. Thirty gold medals in team and individual events are up for grabs. In the first South Asian Fencing Championship which was held in Chennai, players from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka walked away with the top honours. In this year’s event, India would hope to outdo their opponents and win as many medals as possible and also make the best use of the opportunity next year when India play again host to the tournament for the third consecutive time. Meanwhile, it was learnt that there were no grants provided by the Ministry

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NATIONAL SPORT Sunday’s hat-trick in vain Football David Sunday's hattrick went

in vain as East Bengal rode on a late strike from Robin Singh to register a hard-fought 4-3 win over United Kerala in an I-League match at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan here today. With this win, East Bengal now have 44 points in their kitty from 23 matches, while the Kerala outfit had to remain in the relegation zone with 17 from 23 outings.

"I am stretched but not troubled.” Abhijeet Gupta,defending champion at the 14th Dubai International Chess Open after his game against Myazi Mehad of Egypt

Paes, Stepanek advance Leander Paes and his partner Radek Stepanek have advanced to the pre-quarterfinals of the ATP Monte Carlo Masters event along with India's Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna after getting byes in their respective first rounds. Paes and Stepanek have been seeded fifth while Bhupathi and Bopanna are seeded sixth for the elite clay court event.

Tennis

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medals were Indian women’s tally including a gold in the Under-25 category, at the 9th Asian Lawn Bowls Championship at Kuala Lumpur. Every female member of the Indian squad clinched a medal in their respective categories at the 12-nation event.

Aditya, Yasin set semis date snooker National snooker champion

Fencers practising at KVBR indoor stadium. SAI RAM REDDY of Sports Affairs. “The Ministry of Sports Affairs has not provided any grants but they have extended all other possible help,” said Arun Vij, secretary of Fencing Association of India and South Asian Fencing Association.

Aditya Mehta and two-time former Asian champion Yasin Merchant fashioned impressive wins to set up an interesting semifinal clash in the Bombay Gymkhana Strokes Snooker Invitational Open tournament here today. Merchant kicked off a rewarding day for the favourites with a clinical 4-2 win over India's number seven Manan Chandra of Bharat Petroleum, while Mehta halted India junior No 1 Laxman Rawat of Delhi with a 4-1 win.


Playing Field

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

The games people play

Can Blues bell Barça? LONDON: Chelsea believe they can stymie the jaw-dropping goalscoring exploits of Lionel Messi and pull off an unlikely upset against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals here Wednesday. Messi took his season's tally to an astonishing 63 goals in 52 games at the weekend with a double strike in Barcelona's win over Levante, leaving him just four shy of Gerd Muller's alltime single-season European record of 67. Another goal at Stamford Bridge would see the Argentinian set a new benchmark for goals in a single Champions League campaign, taking him past the record he currently shares with Jose Altafini, who scored 14 for AC Milan in 1962-63. Referring to Messi's ongoing scoring duel with Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said recently that the two players were "eating at a separate table to the rest." The challenge for Chelsea on Wednesday is finding a way to prevent Messi from treating the English club's ageing back four as an all-you-can-eat buffet. Yet Chelsea's elder statesmen — almost certainly featuring together in a Champions League campaign for the last time — are refusing to be cowed by Messi and Barcelona's reputation as one of the best teams of all time. "From the start of every game, it's 50-50," Chelsea veteran Frank Lampard said. "We are in the Champions League semi-final on merit. We can't show too much fear against them. We have to respect them but also take them on and play the way we play.”

WORLD SPORT Patrick Mendes gets 2-yr ban Weightlifting Patrick Mendes, a star

American weightlifter, was given a two-year ban by the US AntiDoping Agency (USADA) after testing positive for human growth horomones (HGH). USADA announced on Monday that Mendes, a 21-year-old super heavyweight from Las Vegas, tested positive in out-of-competition random testing samples taken on February 7 and 27. Mendes admitted using HGH and accepted the two-year competition ban.

"I'm scared because this is the start to an important season for me. Hopefully it will work well.” Rafael Nadal on the Monte Carlo Masters

Nicklaus for a gold medal The US House of Representatives has voted to award the US Congressional Gold Medal to golf legend Jack Nicklaus, the winner of a record 18 major championship titles. The 72-year-old American, whose last major title came at 46 when he won his record sixth Masters, was honoured for both his golf and humanitarian work. US Senate members will now vote upon the measure in order for Nicklaus.

Golf

FC Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (up) reacts after scoring with Barcelona's captain Carles Puyol during the Spanish league football match Levante UD vs Barcelona on April 14 at Ciutat de Valencia stadium. AFP PHOTO/ JOSE JORDAN

Bleak time for Asian football KUALA LUMPUR: Asian football is facing a potentially momentous week as powerful regional chief Mohamed bin Hammam appeals against a lifetime corruption ban in a case with wide significance. The hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, will be closely watched in Kuala Lumpur where the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has been under interim stewardship for nearly a year. Bin Hammam, 62, is fighting allegations that he tried to buy FIFA delegates' votes while campaigning to unseat the world body's long-standing president, Sepp Blatter, in a leadership election last year. Bin Hammam says the cash handouts were merely gifts, and he describes

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BIN HAMMAM, 62, IS FIGHTING ALLEGATIONS THAT HE TRIED TO BUY FIFA DELEGATES' VOTES WHILE CAMPAIGNING TO UNSEAT THE WORLD BODY'S LONGSTANDING PRESIDENT, SEPP BLATTER, IN A LEADERSHIP ELECTION LAST YEAR. the charges and his punishment by FIFA as politically motivated. The scandal earned him a life ban from football and was followed by the resignation of FIFA's controversial vice president and Caribbean soccer chief Jack Warner. A host of other officials

were punished over the bribery claims. The revelations also refocused attention on Qatar's successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup, in which bin Hammam played a key role, and sparked calls for reform of FIFA's governance structure. If bin Hammam wins his appeal, acting AFC president Zhang Jilong will step aside and the wealthy Qatari businessman will resume his leadership of the regional body, AFP understands. He will also want to return to FIFA's executive committee, a move that would inevitably cause tensions between the world body and its biggest confederation. If he loses, bin Hammam's football career is effectively over — and the AFC would face leadership elections either at an emergency congress or at its next scheduled gathering in May 2013.

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game hits, this is Joe DiMaggio record. One of the greatest hitters, players, and Yankees of all time set this unbelievable record in 1941 and it has stood untouched since then. No one has even come close to the tremendous feat. In 1954, DiMaggio married Marilyn Monroe and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame a year later.

Crown Prince hopes for win Formula One Crown Prince Salman

bin Hamad Al-Khalifa said on Monday he wants Bahrain to emerge the victor of its controversial Formula One Grand Prix which is to go ahead despite opposition protests."The prize is more important than a sporting event and it must not be used for political ends," he said."We must unify our efforts to make sure Bahrain is the big winner of this prize," he said, quoted by official news agency BNA after having inspected the Sakhir circuit, south of Manama.


Playing Field

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

The games people play

32

Wigan deal Gunners a blow Wenger Wigs out over time-wasting LONDON: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger accused Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi of 'disrespectful' time-wasting during his side's unexpected 2-1 win at the Emirates Stadium on Monday night. Wenger was often an animated figure on the touchline during the game as Al-Habsi repeatedly delayed goal-kicks. The Oman international was booked in the final minute by referee Andre Marriner but Wenger was convinced that should have occurred much earlier.

LONDON: Wigan Athletic added to last week's surprise victory over Premier League leaders Manchester United by beating third-place Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Monday night. Two early goals turned out to be enough for Roberto Martinez's side to pull off an even more unexpected success which significantly improves their chances of avoiding relegation. The Latics are now five points clear of third-bottom Bolton Wanderers, who have two games in hand, in a five-team tussle to avoid the drop. The result was a blow to

Arsene Wenger's Gunners' hopes of holding off the challenges of Tottenham and Newcastle and qualify for the Champions League in third place. Had they won they would have been eight points clear of both rivals, who now each have a game in hand with which to lessen a five-point gap. Wenger made one change from the side that had won 3-0 at Wolverhampton Wanderers last week, with Tomas Rosicky replacing Aaron Ramsey in midfield. Wigan were unable to call upon forward Shaun Maloney, whose goal had inflicted defeat upon United on the same night, so Jordi Gomez returned to the starting line-up.

THE RESULT WAS A BLOW TO ARSENE WENGER'S GUNNERS' HOPES OF HOLDING OFF THE CHALLENGES OF TOTTENHAM AND NEWCASTLE AND QUALIFY FOR THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IN THIRD PLACE.

Thomas Vermaelen fired an early Arsenal effort wide before Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi tipped Yossi Benayoun's header over after Bacary Sagan had picked out the Israeli in front of goal. The corner, in the seventh

minute, was easily cleared however - and Wigan scored on the counter attack. Franco Di Santo was the scorer after Gomez had put him one on one with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. The Pole got a touch to the Argentine's shot but the ball looped up and Di Santo was able to find the net before defenders could intervene. It took Wigan all of a minute and a half to make it 2-0, with Gomez the scorer this time. Victor Moses turned Sagna and delivered a cross from the left that James McArthur could not convert at the near post but Szczesny was unable to grab the ball and Gomez was there in a flash to poke home.

Mourinho for goal-line technology MUNICH: Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has backed the growing calls for the introduction of goal-line technology after a key mistake in Tottenham Hotspur's FA Cup semi-final thrashing by Chelsea. Referee Martin Atkinson controversially ruled an effort by Chelsea's Juan Mata crossed the goal-line in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final victory which put the Blues 2-0 ahead as they went onto record a 5-1 win over their London rivals. Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has led renewed calls for video technology to be introduced

after replays appeared to show Mata's second-half shot being blocked on the line. Both Manchester United striker Michael Owen and former Chelsea manager Ruud Gullitt made comments calling for the introduction of goal-line technology on their Twitter accounts. With Real to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final, first-leg, on Tuesday in Munich, Ex-Chelsea boss Mourinho has echoed the calls to introduce goal-line technology as soon as possible. "My thoughts about technology are the same as everyone

else," said the 49-year-old Mourinho at a press conference here. "I lost a Champions League semi-final with a goal that was not a goal, the ball didn't cross the line, so I defend the goal-line technology." Mourinho was referring to the controversial goal scored by Liverpool's Luis Garcia which put the Reds in the 2005 Champions League final at Chelsea's expense when they went onto beat AC Milan in a dramatic penalty shoot-out. The Spaniard's fourth-minute strike in the Anfield semi-final, second leg,

gave Liverpool a 1-0 win on aggregate following a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge, but the goal needed confirmation from the match officials. C o i n c i d e n t a l l y, Atkinson will be one of the assistant referees behind the goals at Munich's Allianz Arena with England's Howard Webb officiating the match, but Mourinho says he has no problem with that.

"I told the fourth official 'you know what - he will do it the whole game' because he did it after 10 minutes and with three minutes to go he gets a yellow card," the Frenchman said. "It's disrespectful, frankly, to people who pay big money to watch a game.�


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