Postnoon E-Paper for 18 April 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

6 BODIES FOUND IN LAKE

HIPPIE HIPPIE SHAKE

Residents of Saroornagar were jolted this morning by the report that six bodies, three adult women and three children, were found floating in the lake. The bodies had begun to decompose and initial reports state that their deaths took place three days ago. P3

The ‘60s is famously defined by the hippie culture that invaded the world though music and for fighting the good fight. But it is also remembered as the decade of LSD. The drug was an integral part of the flower power generation. We take you on a psychedelic journey through kaleidoscope eyes. P16&17

Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012 HYDERABAD

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MURDER OR SUICIDE?

WEATHER: A MIX OF CLOUDY AND CLEAR SKIES; 35°C

The death of a young policeman on duty at the in-charge police commissioner’s residential premises early this morning is being passed off as a suicide, but his family alleges foul play. REPORT ON PG 3

32 PAGES

A BLOCKBUSTER SUMMER AHEAD This summer, movie buffs are gearing up for what could be one of the best line-ups of big budget films in recent years. It’s not just Hollywood, the Telugu film industry too has plenty to offer for the audience. We find out more.

P15

IT’S THE SEASON TO CHILL

WHAT’S TAKING SO LONG? According to a recent study, women these days P18

take longer to give birth than 50 years ago. City doctors let us in on what this delay is all about.

No matter how old you are, there is never a reason or a particular time to relax and enjoy a cool creamy treat. Come summers, ice creams are the flavour of the season with people heading to parlours all over the City. P8

Page Two

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

Spirit of Twin Cities

BBQ time Want to have a unique barbeque experience?Head to Aqua in Somajiguda for a special Brazilian barbeque fest. Where: Aqua, Somajiguda When: April 18, 7.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2345 6789

Contact: (040) 23350144

REFLECTIVE HISTORY M ANIL KUMAR

A matter of choice An art exhibition titled The Choices we make and other works by Ramakanth. Where: Muse Art Gallery, Hotel Marriot, Tank Bund When: Ongoing Contact: 939644 4424

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

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, Marredpally When: Ongoing, 5pm to 6pm Contact: 98859 56728

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

Bangla Ranna

Water colours

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

Iconart is hosting Aquarelle- water colour paintings as a part of it’s Buy Art initiative. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing, 11.30 am onwards Contact: 98499 6879

Summer camp

Punjabi delicacies

Pratibimb 2k12 A six day acting workshop by Sutradhaar is being held.The acting workshop will be on till April 18. Where: Sutradhar Casting Agency, Himayathnagar When: April 12 onwards, 9pm onwards Contact: 98480 52541

Go Splash Splash lounge is the perfect

CINEMAS

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

Show and tell

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 with your friends and loved ones. Where: Firdaus, Taj Krishna, Rd No 1 When: Ongoing, 12pm onwards Contact: (040) 6666 2323

Mood for Mediterranean

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

Every Rupee counts Syn at Taj Deccan is offering interesting 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

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. 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

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

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

Photography workshop Treasure House is hosting a photography workshop for adults ( +18) from April18 to April 21. Where: Treasure House, Jubilee Hills When: April 18 onwards 8.30am-10am Contact: (040) 2355 0118

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

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

Hyper Local

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Lesson 1: Don’t Did Nayeem commit suicide or was he killed? drink and drive The death of a young policeman on duty at the incharge police commissioner’s residential premises early this morning is passed off as suicide but his family alleges foul play

CRIME Mohd subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com

n a chilling incident that smacks of foul play, a young police constable of Greyhounds wing on duty at the in-charge police commissioner Anurag Sharma’s residence, was found dead with a bullet in his chest early in the morning today. Mohd Abdul Nayeem, 29, (buckle No 1109) was on sentry duty and his death, preliminarily described as ‘suicide,’ happened at the fag end of his duty time. A single fire shot that pierced his heart roused other policemen in the vicinity and they rushed to see him lying dead in uniform with his AK 47 lying by the side. Blood was oozing from his mouth. Family members, his brother and mother have alleged that he was murdered as he had no reason to commit suicide. His marriage was to take place in six months with his uncle’s daughter and he had also built a new

N SHIVA KUMAR

Anand’s boys are imparting lessons on the need to keep your sanity while driving, for your own good. The initiative is appreciated

POLICE Sudeshna Koka sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

P Family members outside the hospital home. Nayeem’s brother Mohd Abdul Raoof, who is a constable in AP Special battalion, said his brother was happy and had dinner with the family on Monday. In fact, his engagement was slated for next Sunday. Mohd Abdul Nayeem hails from Lingala of Mahbubnagar district and he was appointed in 2002 as police constable and he was part of the anti-Naxal Grayhounds wing. He lived at Suleman Nagar of Rajander Nagar area with his widowed mother Rasheeda Begum. His father M A Raheem, who was also a policeman, had died long back. Nayeem was residing in Gray hounds quarters at Gandipet area. He had his last supper with mother on Sunday night and

Mohd Abdul Nayeem

they discussed the coming marriage. His mother described his son as cheerful. Nayeem was paired with Suman and Satyakrishna, on the shift and the two colleagues said they heard of the gun shot and came running but it was too late. Inspector of Saifabad V Umendar said it appeared like a suicide but investigation had been launched. The victim’s uncle Nooruddin told Postnoon that his nephew was killed, as the boy was happy and about to begin his married life. The police are examining the calls he made and received on his mobile phone. It is said that the last call he attended was from one Jani of Lingala Mahbubnagar district, Another relative of victim Moizuddin said, “We received information at around 7am on Wednesday. Some policemen came home and informed us that Nayeem had committed suicide. When we reached the spot we found that the suicide was not true and all evidences showed murder. Nayeem is the youngest of three children.

arty-goers, be careful on weekends. If caught for drunk driving, you not only end up paying a fine but will also have to attend a day-long counseling session by the police. For the first time in India, the Hyderabad Traffic Police has taken an initiative to counsel the drunk drivers at the Traffic Training Institutes located at Goshamahal and Begumpet. The first session was conducted last week for 107 violators. Senior police officers addressed the group on the ill-effects and consequences of drunk driving by showing them short films, videos, on accidents. “Every two hours our team catches a minimum 20 drunk drivers. Therefore, to create a sense of fear and educate them on the evils of drunk driving we started this initiative. The violators appreciated the counseling sessions and they promised to follow rules,” says CV Anand, additional commissioner, traffic

9-year-old girl raped Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

Class II student (9) was raped by unidentified youth on Tuesday evening at Chinnakamela under Thrimulgherry police station limits. The girl was returning

Horror in lake, 6 floating bodies found CRIME Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

esidents of Saroornagar had a jolt in the morning with the horror report going around that six bodies, three adult women and three girls, were floating in the lake. The police and fire brigade reached the spot and found all of them in one spot, and not scattered. The bodies had begun to decompose and it has been sur-

police. Since the last five months regular sessions have been conducted. Project manager Krishnaya K said that this is a better way as it kills the problem from the root. “We are showing them live accident footages from CCTV cameras. We have sessions in all the 24 RTC depots. Youngsters below 18 years are being counseled with their parents.” “I was caught without my learning license. I attended the session and my perception has changed,” says Ayush Shah, a student who attended a session.

mised that the death had taken place at least three days ago as the bodies take more than 48 hours to float. “All the three women are of the 30-35 years of age. The three children are aged between 6 and10 years age,” said subinspector S Ramesh of Saroornagar police station. It was some morning walkers who first saw the bodies afloat in the lake and they informed the police. Soon word spread and hundreds of residents gathered. The bodies have been shifted to Osmania Hospital for post mortem and identification.

home from a provision shop when a youth of around 20 years enticed her with sweets and took her to the bushes and raped her. The girl, bleeding and crying, went home and told the parents who lodged a complaint with the Tirumalgherry police.

Hyper Local

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Petrol pumps to strike from Monday Dealers say the rise in petrol prices are absorbed by oil companies and the government, leaving little in terms of profits for dealers who invest a lot in setting up fuel stations FILE PHOTO

Telangana agitations where petrol pumps were also shut. Nobody can commute without fuel and life will virtually come to a standstill,” he said.

STRIKE Osama Salman salman.o@postnoon.com

ill your vehicle’s tank with as much fuel as you can, and fast. Petrol pumps across the City are going to be shut indefinitely from April 23 to press for higher dealer margin and also as a protest against the ministry’s failure to implement the recommendations by a government panel set up to address their grievances. The Federation of All India Petroleum Traders (FAIPT), representing 40,000 petroleum dealers across India, has called for an indefinite closure of petrol pumps from Monday. The federation alleges that this is because of government inaction on their long pending demand to change the formula of petroleum dealer’s commission/ margin from fixed margin/ commission from 5 per cent of product invoice value. A strike had been previously called in September 2010, but the then minister for petroleum and natural gases (MoPNG), Murali Deora, and petroleum ministry officials averted the agitation and signed a written agreement, constituting a committee headed by joint secretary of MoPNG, Apoorva Chandra, with the director of marketing of all three oil companies to look into the demands within three months. “Even after 18 months, the ministry hasn’t implemented their own committee recommendation fully and increased 27 paise for petrol and 15 paise for diesel per litre instead of the original committee recommendation of 39 paise for petrol and 17 paise for diesel. Our demand for a 5 per cent commission on the invoice value has been turned down,” said Ajay Bansal, general secretary, FAIPT. What is noteworthy is that the

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Will the price of fuel increase?

price of petrol has increased by `22 and diesel by `9 in the last two years. The federation alleges that the margin has remained the same for petroleum dealers. Currently petroleum dealers are getting `1.44 per litre for petrol and 87 paise for diesel. “Neighbouring countries are getting a much better commission on percentage basis like Nepal where dealers are getting 4 per cent, Pakistani dealers get 4 per cent and Sri Lankan dealers are making a whopping 5 per cent,” said Bansal and further added that if the ministry does not address the issues of petroleum dealers, the strike will continue indefinitely. Mohammed Ilyas, who owns a petrol pump in Tolichowki, said that the strike has been in the off-

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strike had been announced in 2010, which had been averted by the petroleum ministry. They had promised to look into the traders’ demands within three months. But now 18 months later, traders are still waiting for the ministry to implement its own committee recommendation fully.

ing for a long time. “It is becoming hard for us to sustain as we have to keep in mind the fuel that evaporates. The margin for us is minimal and as we have to follow guidelines laid by the government in terms of wages, what we pocket is barely anything. We serve customers 24/7 and our issues should be considered

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rather than being ignored which the government is conveniently doing,” he said. “This will affect everyone, from the common man to the higher-ups in the government. Maybe after this strike, they will give in to our demands. We aren’t asking for something extraordinary, just a marginal increase in percentage. The government will have to bow down with the level that the strike is scheduled for,” said Gopalakrishna R, a petrol pump manager in Barkas. On the other hand, vehicle owners like Keshav Agarwal, fear that the strike will bring everything to a halt. “Unless the issues are sorted out between the petroleum traders and the government, everything will slow down as seen during the

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The one question troubling consumers at the moment is, if the price of fuel will increase once the government gives in to the traders’ demands? Ajay Bansal, general secretary of FAIPT, said, “Yes, the retail price of fuel will increase. Currently we are getting a commission of `1.44 for petrol and `0.87 for diesel. Since we are asking for 5 per cent commission on the invoice value, at the current rate of petrol and diesel, our commission will increase to about `3.5 for petrol and `2.25 for diesel.” This will most likely increase petrol prices roughly by `2.5 and diesel by `1.5, which will be passed on to the customers, estimates Bansal. He believes the government must bear the rise, and not the customers. “The taxation of the government is as much as 50 per cent on fuel. They are making huge profits on this. They must not pass it on to the customers,” he said.

FAIPT’s demands 1. Implementation of committee report on dealer’s commission of joint secretary MoPNG with directors of marketing of all three oil companies immediately. 2. Stop mushrooming of new Ros 3. Discuss MDG

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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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Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Ravi replacing Azad?

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

Congress building a ‘Cross’ for Jagan Congress launches whisper campaign in YSRC strongholds in an attempt to alienate a particular caste from Jagan Mohan Reddy

POLITICS U Srinivas

POLITICS Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

s diplomatically as he could, Union Minister, Vayalar Ravi, who is here to hammer in a sense of unity in the warring Congress groups, let it known publicly that he was not replacing Ghulam Nabi Azad as in-charge AP affairs. But buzz is strong in Gandhi Bhavan that he would take over the position if the forthcoming by-elections proved fairly favourable to the party. “I’m not here to replace Azad or Krishnamurthy,” he said . “I am

an emissary of the high command to see how the Congress could be re-activated from the grassroots.” All groups are busy meeting Ravi and flooding him with solicited and unsolicited information and ‘advices.’ “We expressed our views on what is happening here. We told Ravi that SCs, STs, BCs and minorities should get importance for Congress to return to power in 2014 assembly elections,said Kondru Murali Mohan. Deputy chief Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha did not give any insight to the media over his discussion with Ravi. Botsa men have had talks with Ravi. He is keen to meet some leaders from the YSRC too, it is learnt.

srinivas.u@postnoon.com

he Congress leaders are learnt to have worked out a scheme to ensure that the Reddy votes are no longer available to the YSR Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy. This strategy is to be implemented immediately. There is a whisper campaign across the State, especially in Seemandhra, that the YSRC Chief cannot be considered a Reddy as he believes in Christianity. The Congress leaders suggested to the Reddy leaders that Jagan not being from the community should be made public. It was found from the Kovur

constituency that Prasanna Kumar Reddy, the YSRC candidate won the election as the Reddys were behind him.The sizeable victory margin was possible as a Reddy representative rather than Jagan’s candidate. Taking this as a cue some senior Congress leaders want to deprive him the double benefit. “YSR did not belong to any particular caste. He is above caste and creed. Before defaming Jagan the Congress leaders should know the caste and religion of their leaders,” retorted senior YSRC leader Bajireddy Goverdhan Reddy. He said that the Congress was unable to face the popularity of Jagan and now they want to use the caste card. This will make Jagan more popular and they will win all 18 seats and one parliament seat, he said.

Hyper Local ‘Benamis face threats from culprits’

CB Director General Bhupati Babu has said that benamis running liquor shops were facing threats from the real culprits in the liquor scam. Talking to the media on Tuesday, he said that local elders should offer counseling to the benamis so that they shed fear and divulge facts to the ACB. He said that ACB has filed six cases on the auction of liquor shops in Kadapa, Kurnool, Chittoor, Nellore, East Godavari and Srikakulam districts. Of the 365 liquor shops in East Godavari, 33 were owned by white ration card holders and 43 liquor shops by persons of other districts, he added. In Nellore district, of the 348 liquor shops, 151 shops were recorded to be owned by white ration card holders and 28 liquor shops were owned by people from other districts. In Chittoor district, of the 458 liquor shops, 192 were owned by white ration card holders and 64 by persons of other States. In Kadapa, of the 269 liquor shops, 175 were owned by white ration card holders and 15 by people of other states. AGENCIES

Lok Satta Party names candidates

he Lok Satta Party today announced that Mr Maddipatla Siddaiah Naidu, a former defense employee, will contest the by-election from Tirupati and Dr Kondeti Kondaiah from Anantapur. Announcing this at a media conference, Lok Satta Party leaders Katari Srinivasa Rao, V Laxman Balaji and P Bhaskara Rao criticised the Chief Minister for allocating public resources to boost Congress party prospects in the by-elections. The State funding the Congress election campaign is blatant abuse of power, they added. Adding insult to injury, the Government is nominating party workers to execute works without tenders. The Lok Satta leaders appealed to the electorate to ponder whether they should vote for parties which instead of addressing people’s problems in legislatures sought to disrupt them. By voting for the Lok Satta, people should demonstrate they are thirsting for a change in political culture, they said. AGENCIES

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

We’re safe, say women drivers Women drivers in the City, contrary to belief, feel safe while driving alone in the night

SAFETY Osama Salman salman.o@postnoon.com

he roads of Hyderabad are infamous for being dangerous as night falls. The people drive fast, and the crime rate is the highest in the dark. In this scenario, when a woman drives a car or rides a bike in the night, it is said that danger is close by. At least, this is what most people believe. But when you ask women how safe they feel driving or riding in the night, the answer is quite the opposite. “I haven’t felt unsafe while driving in the night. That doesn’t mean that women don’t need to take precautions. It is better to be safe than to be sorry. While I have encountered minor incidents of men following me, I make it a point to slow down and let them pass. Hyderabad is a lot safer for women drivers especially in the night when compared to Delhi,” Rachna recalled driving her two-wheeler an entire night and coming home safe. “This shows that Hyderabad is relatively safe for women drivers,” she added. Sameena Kanaz, a student residing on Road Number 12, Banjara Hills, agrees, “I’ve never had a problem driving late in the night. Yes people drive fast and rash, but if you keep your ground, it isn’t as bad. The policemen let go of women easily and even though I drive late at night, I definitely feel safe. Driving in Old City in the night is better as there are people on the streets all through the night. Banjara Hills,

on the other hand, gets deserted. It can get creepy,” she pointed out. Kiran Mayee Mortha, an analyst for an IT firm, has faced many an instances where men have followed her in the night especially when she is driving alone. Recalling an incident, she said, “When I was driving in the night near Tolichowki with a friend who reclined his seat, the people outside thought I was driving alone. A few men on bikes

followed me until my friend got back up again. This is when they stopped. It was a scary situation,” Kiran says driving alone especially in the nigh in Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills and Hitech City isn’t a problem as women driving around these areas is common. “In Tolichowki, Mehdipatnam and surrounding areas, it isn’t safe. The motorists disturb you and grab attention. This is when I don’t feel safe at all,” she said. Driving late in the night is safe, driving late in the night

ICONIC CITY Inorbit Mall, Madhapur

t would be severely undermining if one thought Hyderabad was just a cultural city, famous for only Charminar and old markets like Begum Bazaar. Since the advent of Hitech City and techie culture in Hyderabad, the City has developed by leaps and bounds. Various malls have proven that Hyderabad can be top of the game even in the urban sphere. Located in Madhapur, Inorbit has more than 40 stores selling a variety of interna-

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

tional and local brands. Top brands like Mango, Hidesign, Marks & Spencer and Shoppers Stop have stores here. On the ground floor is the huge HyperCity where you shop for everything from groceries to electronics to alcohol. The mall also has an entire floor dedicated to games and also a food court with cuisines from around the world. A unique attraction is Dialogue in the Dark which allows you to experience life from a visually challenged persons perspective.

alone is risky, said Roshna Ahmed. “Compared to Mumbai, Hyderabad really needs to mature and come to terms that women can drive. Unfortunately, men can’t stand women driving. I have driven many a times late in the night, but never alone as I don’t want to invite trouble. Having said that, women should travel on main roads and avoid going through the by-lanes. They must also keep a vigil and avoid getting into trouble,” opined Roshna.

Hyper Local CLASSIFIEDS FABRICATION

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

‘RTE, the easy way out’ Sudeshna Koka sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

CERTIFICATION

EDUCATION

ny law passed in the country makes headlines and becomes the talk of the town. The recent Right to Education act too has received a mix bag of reactions from society, especially parents. While some parents are happy about the implementation of the act, others are sceptical and claim that it is nothing but vote bank politics. For the most part, many parents are worried that this move will affect their children’s academic standards and psychology. “Right to education is a good idea but once it is implemented there will be problems. Private schools will have to fund the education for underprivileged students and this could be a burden on them. The quality is also likely to suffer. Schools might spend less on infrastructure and technology. Besides, private schools are here to run a business and they will want to continue earning profits. But for the sake of the 25 per cent underprivileged students, the remaining 75 per cent should not suffer. The government should take private schools and parents into confidence before declaring these acts,” said Dr V Sujit Kumar, a parent. If there’s one grouse most parents have, it is that the Act has been announced without proper discussions or long-term planning. “Why

can’t we teach the downtrodden students to work hard and stand on their own feet? Why are we giving them an easy option and by doing this they won’t even respect what they get as it comes for free of cost,” said Usha K, a parent. Ameena S Razvi, a parent of two children strongly supports the act but feels that there should be a separate section for them. “These stu-

dents will develop an inferiority complex and the others will develop a superiority feeling. To avoid the clash it’s a good idea to keep the under privileged students in another section,” she said. In stark contrast are those parents who struggle to earn two square meals a day, let alone be able to afford their kids to school. When Postnoon spoke to a few such parents, most of them had no idea about right to education. “Both my children go to a government school and I have no complaints with the school. They give them free food and books and all the

Maha Mela lacks novelty N SHIVA KUMAR

EXHIBITION

children in our community study there. I will continue sending my children there,” said Deepa Rani, a daily wage worker. Most parents are apprehensive about the way their children will be treated in the new school. “All this is a trick by the government. Admission in a good private school is on the basis of a lucky draw. I do not wish to give my son false hope. My son will be very happy to go to a big school but this will call for unknown trouble and tensions in the family,” said Yerra Anna, a watchman. The Andhra Pradesh parent associations are also not happy with the right to education act, especially with the right to enrolment. “The government wants to universalise education through RTE. But they have failed to make any provisions for children aged between three and six years of age. It is during these years that children develop the maximum and how can they neglect this age group all together. It is between the ages of three and six that a child’s basics are formed and not including them in the act will only defy the purpose,” said S Govindarajulu, coconvenor AP Parents Associations Coordination Committee. “The act needs proper planning and a substantial budget, none of which are in place as yet. The basic funding will come from sarva shiksha abhiyan but to my knowledge that itself is a correct body. Better planning is a must,” he added.

Hyderabad student chosen for NASA visit

Anubha K Singh anubha.k@postnoon.com

99 DAYS TO GO

his mela is what housewives have been waiting for. You can shop for everything from a rolling pin to a carving knife here. Maha Utsav Mela is back in Hyderabad for the eighth consecutive year. The 40 day exhibitioncum-fair has more than 250 stalls offering a huge variety of consumer products and various entertainment options too. But those who have been frequenting the fair over the years are a bit disappointed. They are heard saying that the same fare is lade out every year. No novelty is seen. “I come here every year with my mother as she is fond of shopping in Maha Mela. There should be some change in the theme every year, it’s the same variety of consumer article and same toys and entertainment,” said Ramakanth Reddy, a visitor at the exhibition. “True, be it Numaish, Utsav Mela or the handicraft mela, there is no attempt to bring in a sense of

novelty,” said Shilpa Agarwal who came along with her kids to the mela. Like every year this year too craftsmen from Kerala, Karnataka, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and the NorthEastern states are participating in the exhibition. In addition to the regular stalls like readymade garments, toys, handlooms and textiles, real estate, cosmetics the exhibition also boasts of amusement rides like Ferris wheel, rollercoaster, columbus, mini-trains

and the famous pendulum rides. But novelty or not, Hyderabadis love shopping and people are thronging the mela thanks to attractive discounts and reasonable price of the products. It is only in this kind of mela can one can go around and find what one needs which is not true of departmental stores that offer limited choices and charge exorbitantly, visitors point out. The entry ticket is `10 per head and the exhibition is open from 4pm to 10pm.

mgoh Auknoor, an IIT aspirant from FIITJEE makes Hyderabad proud as he is the only one chosen from the City to visit the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) later this month. In all, 20 students are selected from all over India to visit NASA every year. The students as part of their 13-day trip learn about NASA’s diverse missions of research, exploration, and discovery. This year the trip will be from April 30 to May 13. “I am proud of my son as he is the only one to have been selected from Hyderabad. It’s a proud moment for every Hyderabadi,” said Dr Auknoor Goutam, Amogh’s father.

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uyers are increasingly looking for a completed property rather than the one in the development as some of the projects getting late due to various issues in the City. There is also a trend towards buying flats in gated communities where developer needs more permissions, compared to standalone apartments. Gated community project requires at least 13 permissions. It is important to have all the permissions in hand before launching the project. Earlier, some developers used to start the project, thinking permissions will come in the process of development. Permissions cannot be taken for granted any more. It is taking almost 15 months to get all the permissions in the hand for the developer, said PV Ravindra Kumar, CEO, Vasathi Housing. Insufficient labour is also one

Apple, Samsung chiefs to meet on patent disputes SAN

FRANCISCO: The chiefs of iPhone-maker Apple and smartphone giant Samsung have agreed to meet in the coming months to try to resolve patent disputes before the matters go to trial, legal filings showed. At the behest of a San Francisco federal court, Apple boss Tim Cook and Samsung chief Gee-Sung Choi will take part in settlement talks presided over by a judge, according to filings posted online at Foss Patents blog. "The parties have indicated they are willing to participate in a Magistrate Judge Settlement Conference," San Francisco district court Judge Lucy Koh

said, according to a copy of a legal order posted on the blog. "Therefore, the parties are hereby referred to an MJSC with Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero with a 90-day deadline." Koh is presiding over two patent lawsuits pitting the companies against one another and wants them to resolve their differences before looming trials, the first of which is slated to begin in July. Apple and Samsung, a leading maker of smartphones and tablets using Google-backed Android mobile software, are fighting patent battles in more than half a dozen countries. AFP

NEW DELHI: IT services firm HCL

Citi shareholders reject pay hike

Technologies on Wednesday posted a 28.7 per cent increase in net profit at `602.5 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2012. The company had posted a net profit of `468.2 crore in the JanuaryMarch quarter of the last fiscal (2010-11), HCLTechnologies said in a statement. The company's revenues for the reported quarter were up 26 per cent at `5,215.6 crore from `4,138.2 crore in Q3 of FY11. The company has announced an interim dividend of `2 per equity share of the face value of `2 each. During the quarter, HCL Technologies added 1,394 people (gross), taking the total headcount to 82,464 on March 31,2012.

WASHINGTON: Showing frustration with large payouts to Wall Street executives, Citigroup's shareholders have voted against the bank's proposal on top level compensations, which included a $15 million package for its India-born CEO Vikram Pandit. The vote came at Citi's annual shareholder meeting held in Dallas on Tuesday. While the vote is not binding, it is the first time that investors at one of America's largest banks have voted against a board’s compensation plan, the New York Times said. PTI

HCL net up 28%

of the main reasons for the delay of the properties. There are few instances in the City, where legal issues were also responsible for the project delay, he added. “One can’t generalise projects getting delayed with legal issues and such issues may pop up in any industry. It is just not specific to real estate. Developer doesn’t want to buy a property that has legal issues. The investments that have gone through are huge and all of it would be at stake if something goes wrong,” said Rama Krishna Rao, vice president, CREDAI. As there is increasing interest in the buyers for the completed flats, the developers need spend from their pockets rather than depending on buyers’ money. Many completed gated community projects with good facilities were sold out in less than six months. Customers are also ready to pay 25 per cent more for these than those under development, said Ravindra Kumar.

“Labour problem is very huge. Real estate development activities are highly labour intensive. It is not an industrial product where one can have assembly line production. The only way to solve this issue to bring in technology but unfortunately customer is not ready to bear the costs for it. He doesn’t bother how we built rather see at what price he gets the property. Over time, certain extent can be mechanised but some of it need to done manually with labour,” said Rao. It is always a good to buy a flat in the development stage where there is huge choice. The customer can also get a property at a cheaper price than the completed one. Undoubtedly, there will also be huge demand of the property in the second half of 2013 and 2014 as the developers who went for the sanctions is extremely low in last 15 months. The demand may further push up the property prices in that time, he added.

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India‑View

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

India unveiled

HEALTH WORKER SERVING in Maoist heartland awarded

Madhulika Sonkar

JAIPUR: The frail and seemingly calm Udasi Sahu manages to conceal the excitement of her first plane journey. But the 42-year-old health worker can’t conceal the thrill of her job — trying to change the face of maternal health in conflict-torn districts of Odisha. Spanning a journey across the boondocks of north Odisha’s landlocked Keonjhar district, Sahu’s 16 years of unflinching passion to work for womenfolk in the Maoist heartland has landed her the national award as one of the best auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) in India. “I always wanted to do this... Almost two decades ago, right after my marriage, I told my husband about my wish to work for village women who were not aware and never cared to think of their own health,” Sahu, a class IX dropout, said in Odiya as her colleague translated it into English. She travelled by an aeroplane for the first time to receive this award. A well-known face in the district, not even once has she thought of leaving her job or village due to harsh circumstances, thanks to her husband’s support. Udasi conducts 50 to 60 deliveries a month while she maintains the track record of zero maternal mortality rate in Childa sub-centre over the last five years.

Bloggers are latest brand ambassadors NEW DELHI: A friend asks you to try a product she vouches for. Chances are you will go ahead and buy it the next time you see it on the store shelf. It’s all about credibility — a factor that’s making brands turn to a new medium, blogging, to market their products. Based on a different branding mantra that entails not just connecting to the audience but interacting with them as well, big and small brands are now turning to social interactive tools, like blogging, to advertise and market their products. Like Neeraj Goyal, a senior marketing manager of a consumer producer says, “Bloggers have a loyal following and tapping into that base through readership is a good way to create word of mouth and conversation around the brand and its core idea.”

“The villages we work in have been facing constant conflict. There have been several indirect attacks from time to time around the sub-centre where our staff gets injured, but that does not mean we will leave women and children unattended,” Sahu says. In the rural healthcare system, an ANM is the key field level functionary who interacts directly with

the community and has been the central focus of all the reproductive child health programmes. The ANM mans the sub-centre — the first contact point between the primary health care system and the community. Sahu was awarded here at a two-day national consultation on safe motherhood April 11-12. The nominations received from 10

high-focus states were judged by a team led by the ministry of health and family welfare in collaboration with White Ribbon Alliance and other experts on board. “Udasi has professionally handled many emergency and complicated cases on life-saving childbirths,” Aparajita Gogoi, national coordinator, White Ribbon Alliance India, told IANS.

A mother of two, Sahu has seen it all — being a birth attendant in villages amid confrontation between Maoists and security forces, helping women make an informed choice on family planning, immunisation of babies, nutrition programmes or running a health sub-centre all by herself. In forest fringe villages where institutional delivery was a distant dream, Sahu managed to take hospital care to the doorstep, even if she was called at midnight by any family. Considered to be the pulse of the government’s National Rural Health Mission, around 800,000 Accredited Social Health Activists and ANMs form the ground force of delivering health services in rural parts of the country. With nearly 150,000 sub-centres across India, the number of ANMs at sub-centres and primary health centres increased from 130,000 in 2005 to 190,000 in 2009. In spite of the increase, the National Family Health Survey (2006) puts the picture clear on lack of skilled birth attendance: only 52 per cent of women receive three antenatal contacts and 42 per cent receive any postnatal care. There are districts with just one ANM per 500 population. Unlike the ASHAs who receive a performance-based incentive, the ANMs are given a monthly pay.

Picturesque city to get a joggers’ park SRINAGAR: Musical fountains, a modern gymnasium, jogging tracks, lawn tennis and basket ball courts, multi-cuisine continental restaurant, library and a swimming pool — the scenic Srinagar city is all set to get its first multi-facility joggers’ park. The sprawling sports centre in Raj Bagh on the banks of the famed Jhelum river, the Srinagar joggers’ park is a dream come true for much of its 1.3 million population. Located just two kilometres away from city centre Lal Chowk, the sports centre is the first of its kind with all modern facilities for the health-conscious and sportsloving residents of the city. It is the brainchild of Minister of State for Tourism Nasir Aslam Wani who says the park will provide facilities to the hundreds of locals who are seen in the mornings and evenings jogging and brisk walking in the city along busy roads. With no specific facil-

ity for such physical activity, city joggers have so far been using city roads which are fast becoming overcrowded due to heavy traffic. “One had no option so far. You either get up with the first light to do your bit of physical activity or decide to do so very late in the

evenings,” said Khwaja Nisar Hussain, a retired chief engineer. “Roads are overcrowded and the confusion ruling these roads is hazardous especially for brisk walkers and joggers. The right answer to all this would naturally be a safe and exclusive joggers’

park. The park was long overdue. Never mind, better late than never.” According to studies, the lifestyle of locals is fast becoming sedentary here that has resulted in health problems like obesity, hypertension and diabetes. IANS

India‑View

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

India unveiled

Odisha kneels to Naxals, cedes more

CBI swoops down on Tatra suspects

BHUBANESWAR: With the hostage crisis worsening and a day to go before the deadline set by the Maoists lapses, Odisha on Tuesday offered to withdraw cases against people named by the rebels in exchange for the release of state legislator Jhina Hikaka. The announcement from the government came hours after a rebel leader gave an ult i matum to the state to clarify its position by Tuesday. Aruna, a rebel leader in an audio message aired by local television channels earlier in the day, said the government should make concrete announcement on the steps it had taken regarding the release of the prisoners. Rejecting the earlier announcement by the state that the prisoners have to apply for bail through their lawyers, the rebel leader said the government should take the responsibility of processing the bail applications as they (prisoners) have been framed in false cases. She also said they will release the hostage by 5pm on Wednesday if the government gives specific assurance. While the Maoists want the government to free 29 prisoners in exchange for the release of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) lawmaker, the government has said it will release only 25. The Maoists have sought the release mostly of the Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh. IANS

NEW DELHI: The CBI today carried out searches at three locations in Noida and the national capital in connection with its probe into alleged irregularities in the procurement and supply of Tatra allterrain vehicles to the army. Three teams of the agency officials reached residences of two retired army officials and an official of Vectra today (Wednesday) and took into their possession some crucial documents related to the deal, the CBI sources said. The CBI has again called BEML Chairman VRS Natarajan and Vectra Chairman Ravinder Rishi for questioning today, they said. Both were questioned yesterday too. The agency has registered a case naming Rishi and unnamed officials of the defence ministry, the army and BEML on March 30 for alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating and also under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Days after a Jadavpur University professor was beaten for circulating ‘defamatory’ cartoons of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a retired scientist and his daughter on Tuesday alleged they were assaulted and molested. Police said they were investigating. The duo also accused police of colluding with the assailants.

Southern spice fizzles NEW DELHI: Except for one, all South Indian candidates had to bite the dust in the Delhi municipal polls while a prominent Bengali candidate from BJP also lost the race. In the municipal elections, BJP had fielded two south Indians — one each from Tamil Nadu and Kerala, out of its 272 candidates while Congress has fielded only one. Except for M Nagarajan of BJP, none of them managed to secure victory in the polls. Nagarajan, who is from Tamil Nadu, won the Pushp Vihar seat defeating Congress’ Rakesh by a margin of 1,673 votes. In Nangal Raya, Congress’ Uma Naidu, 43, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, lost to

BJP’s Radhika Setia by a margin of 1,630 votes. Naidu polled 8,798 votes while her rival got 10,428. Naidu, who is a post graduate in English, is the richest among the south Indian candidates owning property worth `1.75 crore, including immovable property of ` 1.48 crore. BJP’s Keralite candidate Prasannan Pillai lost the municipal polls for the second consecutive time from Gharoli this time. Mayur Vihar which has a large chunk of Malayalee voters falls in this ward. Pillai was not even the runner up in the ward where the Congress won while BSP came second. PTI

MEERUT (UTTAR PRADESH): Rioting broke out at the district jail here on Wednesday with prisoners pelting stones at policemen and jail staff and forces resorting to gunfire, injuring two people, officials said. The exact reason behind the violence was yet to be ascertained. The mob frenzy saw prisoners burning furniture and other government property in the Meerut jail.

Signal cabin fire hits railway services MUMBAI: Millions of commuters on the Central Railway faced a harrowing time on Wednesday as local trains ran late by around 40 minutes following a fire in a signal cabin, a spokesperson said. The fire gutted a signal cabin at Kurla station, affecting the electric and signal cabling network. The agency is probing alleged irregularities in assigning of supply from Czechoslovakiabased Tatra, with which the agreement was originally signed in 1986, to the Tatra-Sipox UK owned by Rishi in 1997 showing it as an original equipment manufacturer and the fully-owned subsidiary of Czech company, which was against the provisions of Defence Procurement Proce-

dure, the sources said. “In continuation of the aforesaid conspiracy to cause undue benefit to the UK-based company, the unknown officials of the Defence PSU allowed change of currency from US Dollar to Euro and further by not levying the Liquidated damages, thereby causing further loss of `13.27 crores,” the CBI spokesperson had said. PTI

Scientist: My daughter was stripped naked KOLKATA:

NATION AT A GLANCE Gunfire in Meerut jail as cops, inmates clash

Aparesh Bhattacharya, 60, and his daughter, residents of Baruipur in South 24 Parganas — 40km from Kolkata, alleged that on Sunday afternoon, about 30 youth from a nearby club broke into their rented apartment, thrashed them and allegedly stripped her naked. “They broke open the door and started beating me and my father. They caught hold of us by the hair, dragged and threw

us on the road. They stripped me naked and would have raped me if not for our maid who took me to a distance and gave a skirt and a top to wear,” said the daughter. “At 3pm when police came we were sitting on the road in a bleeding condition without any medical attention, money or security. They neither took a complaint nor they took us to a hospital,” she added. IANS

Will Gandhi Bhawan in Kolkata go on the block? KOLKATA:

Haidari Manzil better known as Gandhi Bhawan in Beliaghata here, where Mahatma Gandhi fasted during the communal riots in 1947 might go under the hammer if a bank to which the property is mortgaged for over 50 years has its way. The plot which includes the Gandhi Maidan and adjoining Gandhi Bhawan was mortgaged by the then owner Samarendra Kumar Ghosh to the United Bank of India 50 years ago. The loan remained unpaid even after his death and UBI attached the maidan, for which the loan was taken. The bank placed newspaper advertisements last December inviting bidders for the plot.

UBI’s chief manager (Communication) Neeraj Verma when contacted declined comment on the bank’s decision. The West Bengal Heritage Commission and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation have, however, decided to oppose the auction. PTI

President Pratibha Patil presents Kirti Chakra to captain Ashutosh Kumar at the Defence Investiture ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on Tuesday. PTI

Now JNU students call for beef and pork NEW DELHI: After Osmania University held a beef fest on its campus a couple of days ago, students of Jawaharlal Nehru University planned a similar festival. It was called off though after opposition by Dalit students over the possible fallout of such an event. Another group ‘Students against beef and pork’ has also been formed.

Drunk youths attempt rape on minor in car GHAZIABAD: Two youths in an inebriated condition today tried to rape an eight-year-old rag picker who was collecting empty bottles outside a liquor shop, police said. The youths, who were in a car, called the girl under the pretext of giving her empty bottles. When she came near the vehicle, they dragged her inside and attempted to rape her.

BJP workers celebrate their party’s win in the MCD elections at the BJP office, in New Delhi on Tuesday. PTI

Around the World

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

Beyond Borders

Brazilian baba to the rescue ‘John of God’: the Brazil medium said to cure thousands ABADIANIA: Every week using

This Harry Potter had to be saved SÃO PAULO: A car hung from the second-story wall of a São Paulo home on Sunday after its 25-year-old driver lost control at the wheel, crossing a stream and “flying” into the building, where it got stuck, reported national newspaper Folha. The driver, who hasn’t been named, managed to escape the accident with only bruises, although he did have to be rescued from the car by firefighters, who lowered him to the ground with a rope. Witnesses said the driver went down the street, crossed the stream and only stopped when he hit the wall of the house. Eight people were in the house at the time, five of which were children. No one was hurt. GLOBALPOST

mainly his hands but also armed with scissors, a knife and scalpel, Joao Teixeira de Faria, a self-styled Brazilian medium and “psychic surgeon,” treats thousands of sick people. Among the thousands who claim to have been cured by the healer known as “John of God” is Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the popular Brazilian ex-president, now said to be in remission from larynx cancer. “I am going to cure you,” de Faria told one young woman during a session in the small town of Abadiania in the central state of Goias. After going into a trance, he stuck a four-centimeter (nearly two-inch) needle into the sole of her feet. “Don’t look, it’s going to hurt,” he warned her as he thrust the needle in several times. The young woman apparently felt nothing and when it was over, the nearly illiterate faith healer flashed a big smile. His patient, visibly moved, extolled that she had just been cured from a chronic illness which doctors could not treat. Born on June 24, 1942, de Faria is an adept of spiritism, a religious doctrine based on the belief in the survival of a spirit after death. “John of God” says he communicates with spirits when he goes into a trance. He diagnoses diseases, prescribes medication and conducts surgeries, either with his hands, or with kitchen knives,

Brazilian medium Joao de Deus (John of God) (R) sees a patient, at his “Casa de Dom Inacio de Loyola” in Abadiania. AFP/PEDRO LADEIRA scalpels or scissors. “Since the age of eight, God has given me this energy. I don’t heal. God heals,” the spiritual healer told AFP during a brief respite. He receives about 1,000 people a day, three times a week and more than half of them are foreigners. The ritual is always the same: the faith healer sits in a big armchair, his feet on a cushion. In front of him and in adjacent rooms, several hundred followers

and so-called mediums meditate to form an energy circle. One by one, the patients then parade before de Faria who treats them, gives them instructions or calls them to come back for a surgery or treatment, often in less than a minute.

— Miracle man or charlatan? — Some, particularly in the medical establishment, are wondering whether de Faria is a miracle man

or a charlatan. “We have a major dilemma in Brazil. The constitution guarantees freedom of faith, which makes it difficult to take any actions against illegally practicing medicine or charlatanism,” Emmanuel Fortes, audit director of the Brazilian Federal Council of Medicine, told AFP. He stressed the council warns people against “inconsistencies in some practices, as well as those which do not offer any guarantees.” AFP

Japan’s pat-a-cat cafes under activists’ fire TOKYO: For the young women whiling away their evenings with a cappuccino in hand and a cat on their lap, Tokyo’s ‘neko cafe’ are the ideal place to unwind and soothe their stresses. “After a long day at work, I just want to stroke cats and relax,” said saleswoman Akiko Harada. “I love cats, but I can’t have one at home because I live in a small apartment. I started coming here because I really missed having fun with cats and touching them.” For Harada and others like her, the “neko cafes” of the Japanese capital are a harmless institution where customers pay a premium for their coffee in exchange for the chance to pet the cats that stroll among them. But for animal rights activists, these cafes are exploitative places where animals are subjected to unnatural stress. They welcome a new ordinance, coming into force later this year, that will ban the display of

Japanese youths feed cats at a ‘cat cafe’ or ‘neko cafe’in Tokyo. AFP/TORU YAMANAKA

animals after 8pm. The rules were drawn up by the environment ministry after it received more than 1,55,000 requests for action from the public — an unusually high number in politically ambivalent Japan.

The law is primarily aimed at the pet shops in Tokyo’s entertainment districts that regularly raise the eyebrows of Western visitors with their brightly-lit windows displaying dogs and cats in cramped glass tanks late into the night.

But cat cafe manager Shinji Yoshida says he will also be snared by the law and will have to close in the evenings — his busiest time. Yoshida’s cat cafe in Ikebukuro, a busy commercial and commuter hub in Tokyo, keeps 13 cats in a carpeted room where they have the freedom to jump around and climb all over the large fake tree. “It is a huge blow to us cat cafes, and it’s nothing to do with protecting cats’ health,” said Yoshida, 32. “As you see, cats can walk and play freely. I ask customers not to touch them if they are sleeping. At night, we dim the room light,” he said. “And cats can rest during daylight.” He says about 80 per cent of his customers are salaried workers who drop in for a welcome change from the daily grind of work and long commutes. “If I close this cafe at 8pm, I’ll see red ink,” he said. Yoshida’s customers definitely

want the cafe to be allowed to stay open. Office worker Ayako Kanzaki, 22, began visiting cat cafes three years ago because she loves cats but her apartment is too small to keep one. “I like to do things at my own pace, and I must say I am not a very social person. So I come here alone, because I want to focus on the cats,” she said. “During the day, cats are mostly sleeping, and if they are awake, they often don’t pay attention to the people. In the evening they are very lively, it’s more enjoyable.” Animal welfare campaigner Chizuko Yamaguchi says the sheer number of customers in cat cafes can make life difficult for the animals. Fusako Nogami, head of animal rights group ALIVE, said the rule change banning the display of animals in the evening was a good thing, but acknowledges the cat cafes are not the target. AFP

Around the World

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

Beyond Borders

UN continues jaw-jaw, as fighting rages in Syria AFP

DAMASCUS: UN observers have acknowledged that they face a tough task to firm up a ceasefire in Syria, as seven civilians were killed on Tuesday in the latest violence on the sixth day of a tenuous truce. Colonel Ahmed Himmiche, the Moroccan heading an advance team of six members preparing for the deployment of a 30-person mission, said on Tuesday that the observers would move forward one step at a time. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States was still “hoping for the best” but was discussing with other powers what to do in the event the peace plan collapses. She is expected to attend international talks on Syria being hastily arranged by France for Thursday. Clinton’s Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, pointed the finger at the opposition — 11 of 35 people killed in violence on Monday were soldiers — and called on its foreign supporters to press the rebels to honour the hard-won truce. Four of the seven dead on Tuesday were killed in regime shelling of Idlib, a northwestern province close to the Turkish border, where there is a strong

Tantrum throwing 6-year-old handcuffed MIAMI: Police in US state of Georgia on Tuesday defended their decision to use handcuffs to restrain a six-year-old girl who threw a tantrum at school. Police in the town of Milledgeville were called to Creekside Elementary on Friday “to assist with an unruly juvenile who had damaged other students’ property, school property and had injured the principal,” interim police chief Dray Swicord said in a statement. “The officer noticed all the damage, placed the student in handcuffs for the student’s safety as well as others,” the statement read. When police and school officials were unable to contact the child’s parents, “the officer transported the student, handcuffed, to the police station.” However, contrary to early reports, police said the handcuffs were removed when they reached the station.

Image grab of Moroccan advance team leader Colonel Ahmed Himmiche, one of a UN monitors team who arrived in Syria. presence of rebel fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Shelling killed three more and wounded dozens at Basr alHarir in southern Daraa province, cradle of the 13-month-old uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the British-based watchdog said. The rebel districts of Khaldiyeh and Bayyada in the flashpoint central city of Homs also came under renewed shelling, it added. The opposition Syrian

National Council accused the regime of “flagrant violations of the ceasefire” and called on the UN observers to “travel to Idlib and Homs immediately to see first-hand the massacres which the regime is carrying out and has not stopped carrying out.” UN diplomats said Syria was holding up an accord with the advance party of ceasefire monitors which threatens approval for the full planned mission of around 250 people. Negotiations have become deadlocked on a memorandum

of understanding which would allow the eight UN monitors currently in Syria to operate across the country, diplomats said. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Syria to give the unarmed military observers free access across the country where the world body says well over 9,000 people have been killed in the past 13 months of conflict. UN and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, who brokered the peace plan, travelled to Qatar for a ministerial meeting of the Arab League on the crisis on Tuesday, his spokesman said. Qatar has taken a hawkish stance in favour of the year-old rebellion against president Assad. Clinton, speaking in Brazil, called on Damascus to honour Annan’s plan in full, not just the promised ceasefire. Complying with the plan also means allowing peaceful demonstrations, releasing political prisoners and allowing a peaceful political transition to begin, Clinton added. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said “stronger sanctions” against Damascus must be adopted to “pressure the Syrian regime” and erode its resources. AFP

Buffett set for big battle B

illionaire investor Warren Buffett has said in a letter to shareholders that he has been diagnosed with stage one prostate cancer. The Berkshire Hathaway boss said the cancer, detected in a routine test, was “not remotely life threatening”. Buffett, 81, said he would begin a two-month course of daily radiation treatment from mid-July. He was diagnosed on 11 April and has since undergone a CAT scan, bone scan and MRI, he said. According to the National Cancer Institute, a federal agency, the five-year survival rate for US prostate cancers found at an early, localised stage is nearly 100%. It is the most common cancer in men, with more than 2,41,000 new cases expected in the US this year. In his letter, Buffett said he felt “great - as if I were in my normal excellent health - and

File photo of Warren Buffett my energy level is 100 percent”. “I will let shareholders know immediately should my health situation change,” he added. “Eventually, of course, it will. But I believe that day is a long way off.”

Successor picked In February, Buffett told shareholders that Berkshire

Hathaway’s board had already chosen someone to succeed him as chief executive - but not yet - and that there were two back-up candidates. The tycoon says the unnamed chosen successor and back-ups have not been told they are in line to take over the company. Buffett has previously said his son Howard, a member of Berkshire’s board, would make an ideal chairman. With his personal wealth estimated at $44bn (£27bn), Warren Buffett is listed by Forbes magazine as the world’s third richest person. His name has been in the headlines this week in Washington, where lawmakers have been considering the Buffett Rule, a proposal by President Barack Obama to increase taxes on the wealthy. It was inspired by Buffett’s assertion that his secretary should not be paying a higher rate of tax than he does. AFP

GLOBE AT A GLANCE Aus ex-FM calls Karzai ‘disappointment’ SYDNEY: Australia’s longest-serving foreign minister declared that Hamid Karzai had been an “enormous disappointment” as Afghan president, describing him as weak and misleading. Alexander Downer, who was foreign minister when Canberra committed troops to the decadelong conflict in Afghanistan, said Western powers had “solidly backed” Karzai’s ascension but he had let them down.

North Korea vows retaliation over rocket SEOUL: N Korea has warned of retaliation after the US scrapped food aid over its rocket launch, raising fears of a new nuclear test, as China reportedly suspended a refugee deal with it. North broke off a bilateral agreement to halt testing of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles after US suspended much-needed food aid.

Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan is welcomed in his village Arraba. He was released after being detained in an Israeli jail without a trial. AFP

Ambassadors’ wives launch Syria protests UNITED NATIONS: Thousands have backed a video appeal to Syria’s first lady to speak out against violence, made by the wives of the British and German ambassadors to the UN. In the video, Sheila Lyall Grant and Huberta von Voss-Wittig implore Asma al-Assad to speak out against the deadly crackdown instigated by her husband President Bashar al-Assad.

More army suspects in Secret Service scandal WASHINGTON: At least 10 American troops could be implicated in a widening sex scandal involving a US Secret Service team preparing for a presidential visit to Colombia. The list of military suspects now included five Army special forces members, two members of a Navy explosives ordnance disposal unit, two Marine dog handlers and one Air Force member.

Kuwaiti firemen try to contain a massive fire in a dump of more than five million used tyres in Kuwait city on Tuesday. AFP

Comment

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

Fair, free and forthright

Editorials AGNI V NOT ENOUGH to scare China

ith India set to test fire Agni V inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) in a few hours, defence analysts are going gung ho about the capability to strike all of China. It is being touted as the ultimate deterrent against China which has arrayed close to 1,000 missiles against civilian and military targets in India. As a nation we tend to go on the overdrive when blowing our own trumpet, and the hype over the new missile is no different. People’s Liberation Army outnumbers Indian troops in the ratio 1:3 along the frontier and has an excellent network of all-weather roads, helipads and runways for meeting logistical requirements. While the Agni V will take at least five years to be inducted into service, China already has several types of nuclear-tipped ICBMs that can hit any part of India. Unless the military capability of our country receives a major overhaul in terms of manpower, infrastructure and high-end equipment, the much publicised missile programme will remain a paper tiger in front of the formidable enemy.

WHY WE LOVE Warren Buffett

he news that Warren Buffet has been diagnosed with prostate cancer has shaken the world. But in his inimitable style, Buffett has not been cowed. For the layman Buffett has been a philanthropist par excellence, and one hopes that his generosity will be rewarded with a full recovery.

NCTC split will cripple counter-terror ops Fusillade Arun Koshy Philip

‘U

nited to protect’ is the motto of the National Counterterrorism Center of the United States which was formed in 2003 to co-ordinate national and international counter-terrorism efforts of the country in the wake of 9/11. However, ‘united’ would be an oxymoron if used in the motto for its Indian counterpart of the same name — thanks to the states which put their ‘autonomy’ before a threat that does not discriminate between the Union or states. The contention of the states is that a Central body that operates independently and to which all official machinery of the states have to extend co-operation is an infringement on their longstanding monopoly on the ‘law and order’ segment. In their rush to preserve their autonomy, the states are forgetting that trying to put terrorism under law and order is like trying to control a tyrannosaurus rex with a dog leash. Whether the ever-politically-correct intelligentsia of the country agrees to call them terrorists or not, we are faced with dozens of forms of terrorism across the country. From the Maoists who have killed thousands of civilians and security personnel to religious/ cultural fundamentalists who kill, maim and strip people of their dignity, the population is being subject to terrorism that takes away the Constitution-guaranteed rights of the citizens. Over the years, the states have shown a continuing trend of forgetting the bigger picture of national security and giving in to populism — usually based on vote-bank politics. Though the activists who campaign against death penalty may differ, the sheer lack of political cojones to execute terrorists who have been convicted of role in plots to assassinate national/ state leaders and facilitating attack on Parliament may die of old age if the present indecisiveness continues. If it is coalition concerns from the south that extends life for some, it’s minority vote

Vigil is the price

My beautiful city

I totally agree with the article as I myself have been a victim of this disaster. Summers taunt my sleep with inadequate water supply and unfixed timings. If I want to sleep, either there is a power cut or water being supplied at abnormal times. Added to, this the MMTS board keep digging the roads without any proper plan, which add to the miseries of water shortage. Never knew water can sometimes appear more precious than gold. When will we get over these problems to procure a thing as basic as water so that life in this city becomes bearable?

Iconic city is one of my favourite columns in the paper. It makes Hyderabadi's stop and look at the beautiful city that they are in. It also makes you go back to all those places that you visited as a child and have completely ignored after the complications of work come into our lives. If there were also an account of how the places have been modified and renovated, then they definitely make for a summer visit along with children and family. It would also be nice if a budget card is given along with every place.

Natasha Rathore Shankar Mutt

Chaitanya Muthuswami Yousufguda

bank that proves the saviour for another, a third is being kept alive owing to resurgence in his community’s new-found belief in his innocence. One way or the other, regional sentiments have proven detrimental to sending out a clear message on perpetrators of terrorism. Despite national counter-terror and investigation agencies unearthing evidence of Hidutva outfits in terror attacks, the political leaders are too scared to call it ‘saffron terror’ for fear of alienating their vote bank. The lack of spine to call a spade a spade is an inherent disgusting feature of our leaders who are more concerned about attaining and sustaining power than national interests. After the 26/11 attacks the country’s security apparatus went into an overhaul, especially the coastal security. In a recently-held security drill to test the preparedness of the system, three ‘terrorist teams’ managed to evade all the preventive mechanisms and reach their ‘targets’. This clearly shows that we have miles to go before claiming to have a

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

foolproof system in place. One major reason for the limited success of counter-terror measures is the time lost in the maze of procedures and clearances. When more parties are involved in intelligence sharing, the likelihood of leaks and failed operations too increase. For example, Maoists have deeply penetrated several states’ administrative cadre and police forces. If information on planned operations is shared with the administration in advance, the result would be jeopardising the mission with the inevitable result of massive loss of life for the security forces. Across the world, the security interests of the country are given priority over the autonomy of the federating units and it should be no different in the case of India too. The current rebellion of dissenting chief ministers is like limbs seeking a consultative process on action when someone’s about to smash the head.

The writer works for Postnoon.

Sinking feel of subject

Alternative careers

It’s a well-known thing that very few people opt for rare courses like ocean studies in our state and there are very few institutes who offer such courses and like a cherry on the cake the recently experienced tsunami has washed out any hope in the development in ocean studies in our state. With my daughter doing her ocean studies right now I am worried regarding the scope ocean studies would provide in the future. If my worries are un-confounded please ignore this request otherwise do help me.

The article on alternative careers that students of engineering are taking up is enlightening for those who are tired of engineering and are just out of college for it gives them something else to look forward to. But if there is a continuation of it with probable professional courses that they can take up post graduation, then it would be informative as well. If some surveys and statistics are provided then there can also be a study on why this trend is setting in and what we as a community have to do to retain engineerings. Ramanathan East Marredpally

Rajyalaxmi Ameerpet

Cinema Paradiso

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

A blockbuster summer ahead This summer, movie buffs are gearing up for what could be one of the best line-ups of big budget films in recent years. It’s not just Hollywood, even the Telugu film industry has plenty to offer for the audience. We find out more Hemanth Kumar

Must-watch

hemanth.k@postnoon.com

English The Dark Knight Rises Avengers Prometheus

elieve it not, the summer of 2012 will easily go down in history as one of the best ever seasons at cinemas. From Avengers to The Dark Knight Rises, there’s no dearth of explosive action films this summer. Last year three English films — Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2, Transformers : Dark Side of the Moon and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides crossed the $ 1 billion mark in box-office receipts, despite not crossing $400 million mark in the US. 2012 has already begun on a positive note for Hollywood with films like Hunger Games and The Lorax raking in the moolah and there’s no denying that the best is yet to come. Avengers will set the ball rolling for the summer season in Hollywood. The film brings together some of the biggest comic heroes like Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawk Eye from Marvel’s stable, making it one of the most anticipated films, especially for comic book fans. Apart from Avengers, two more films — Battleship and Men in Black III

Telugu Dhammu Gabbar Singh Eega Endhukante Premanta Tamil Billa 2 Maatran Thuppaki Hindi Rowdy Rathore Shanghai are going to hit the screens in the US in May. On June 8, Ridley Scott’s Prometheus is expected to take the box-office by storm if the buzz is anything to go by. Touted to be a prequel of Alien, the film has an impressive star cast which includes names like Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron. Andrew Garfield starrer The Amazing Spiderman will fly into the screens on July 3 and analysts are already betting big on this film to reboot the franchise. The buzz surrounding Avengers, Amazing Spiderman

and even Prometheus put together slightly pales in comparison to Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises which will release July 20. It’s the third and final installment of the Batman series and Nolan has already announced that he’ll not direct anymore films in the Batman franchise. The Dark Knight was nothing short of an epic and the final installment is expected to be even better. Apart from these films, there are few other films like Bourne Legacy, Total Recall, Dictator, Snow

White and The Huntsman, Ice Age 3 and Madagascar 4 which are expected to rake in a large share of the profit. It’s not just Hollywood, the summer of 2012 is expected to be explosive for Telugu movie buffs. The Telugu film industry has a solid line up of mass entertainers like Dhammu and Gabbar Singh up for release this summer. According to a recent survey, Dhammu, Gabbar Singh, Eega, Endhukante Premanta and Julaayi are some of the most awaited Telugu films this summer.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

The walk to the aisle

he director and writer/star of Forgetting Sarah Marshall reteam for the irreverent comedy The Five-Year Engagement. Beginning where most romantic comedies end, the new film from director Nicholas Stoller, producer Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, The 40-

Year-Old Virgin) and Rodney Movie: The Five-Year Rothman (Get Him to the Greek) Engagement looks at what happens when an Director: Nicholas Stoller engaged couple, Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, keep getting tripped up Cast: Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Chris Pratt, Alison Brie, on the long walk down the aisle. Rhys Ifans The film was written by Segel and Stoller.

“I have been tripping on Devi Sri Prasad’s music in Gabbar Singh and I can’t wait to watch how the songs have been picturised. Moreover, Harish Shankar is fabulous in terms of writing dialogues. Apart from Gabbar Singh, I am also waiting to watch Ravi Teja’s Daruvu,” says Vrinda Prasad, summarising what most Hyderabadis feel. Filmmaker Suman Pathuri says, “I am eagerly waiting to watch SS Rajamouli’s Eega. The concept is interesting and I am sure it’s going to be a visual spectacle.” Ever since the first look of Ram, Tamannaah starrer Endhukante Premanta was unveiled, it has raised a lot of interest among the audience. “Karunakaran, the director of Endhukante Premanta, always brings the best out of the actors and Ram and Tamannaah make a good onscreen couple,” says Sai Pavan, a movie enthusiast. In Tamil, there’s Billa 2, Maatran and Vishwaroopam lined up for release this year and Akshay Kumar starrer Rowdy Rathore might turn out to be a Bollywood blockbuster. It’s going to be mayhem at the box-office with films eating into each other’s revenues, but as long as the audience gets to see mindblowing films, we ain’t complaining.

H‑Factor

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

WHAT’S TAKING SO LONG? According to a recent study, women these days take longer to give birth when compared to 50 years back. We check with doctors on what this delay is all about Ranjani Rajendra ranjani.r@postnoon.com

ou’ve been in labour for over a day and could almost swear that your mother didn’t have to endure as much pain as you have had to. And if you’re convinced that you’ve taken much longer than your mum during labour, you could probably be right. According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, women do take longer to give birth these days than they did 50 years back. The study compares data from thousands of women in the late 1950s, mid 1960s and nearly 100,000 women between 2002 and 2008. According to Dr Katherine Laughon, lead

author of the study, although they can’t fully explain why women take longer to give birth these days, they find that the usage of epidurals have increased and this may be tied to the delay in birthing. As per a 2002 bulletin by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, epidurals have been shown to lengthen labour times. They can prolong labour by 40 to 90 minutes, while a 2001 study put the average at closer to 25 minutes. Dr Rupa Reddy, a gynaecologist and obstetrician, agrees that epidural could delay birthing. “This could happen because with an epidural the mother feels no or less pain during labour. As a result, even if she is completely dilated she may not physically push the baby out, which is important. In such cases, doctors use tools to pull out the baby to avoid any complications,” she says.

However, Dr Sujatha K, consultant gynaecologist at Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, claims that epidural has nothing to do with prolonged labour times. “Epidural and other analgesics merely relieve the pain experiences during labour. It has nothing to do with prolonging the time a woman is in labour. However, extended labours could be tied to the sedentary lifestyles that most women seem to be leading these days,” she says. According to Dr Sujatha, the fact that earlier women didn’t take as long to give birth could be because they led more active lives. “These days most of us lead sedentary lifestyles with little or no exercise. We spend our days sitting at office desks and eating unhealthy food. This is why we advise women to indulge in moderate exercise during pregnancy to facilitate a hasslefree pregnancy and a smooth labour. Also age

could play a factor in prolonging labour times these days. The older the woman, the more stress she could be under, hence the extended labour time,” she explains. Dr Rupa firmly believes that walking during the ninth month of pregnancy can definitely aid easier birthing. “We ask women to walk around as much as they can during the last trimester as this can help them descend into labour more easily. Walking during this stage of pregnancy can help the baby’s head descend sooner and also helps stretch the mouth of the uterus. This way there is no need to induce labour in these women,” she explains. So if you want to ensure a smooth and hassle-free delivery, we suggest incorporating an exercise routine during your pregnancy — under supervision of course. Besides, it will also help you stay in shape through your pregnancy.

Chew on aspirin during a heart attack

Dr Sunil Kapoor

How is myocardial infarction treated? Treatment for myocardial infarction focuses on three goals — treating the myocardial infarction by interrupting the clotting process and opening blocked coronary arteries, managing any complications and treating the underlying coronary artery disease (CAD). Treating MI The most important factor in treating an MI is time. A myocardial infarction is a medical emergency. Delay in treatment can result in permanent heart damage and death. It is essential that trained medical personnel and ambulance equipment are available to assist the patient. Interrupting the clotting process Since most MIs occur when clotting factors accumulate at the site of a ruptured plaque, medicines are needed to stop the accumulation. Patients who begin to experience the symptoms of a myocardial infarction should immediately chew an aspirin, which blocks clotting factors in the blood. Chewing aspirin accelerates the body’s process of absorbing the aspirin. Once the patient is at the hospital, other medicines to block the body’s clotting process may be administered. Opening blocked arteries Opening blocked coronary arteries to restore blood flow to the heart as soon as possible can prevent or limit damage to the heart muscle. To open blocks, physicians can either use a medicine to dissolve the clot or use a procedure called coronary angioplasty. In coronary angioplasty, a balloon-tipped catheter is inserted into a blood vessel in the arm or groin and is advanced through blood vessels and into the heart. Often a stent, is placed in the artery to keep it open. The stent remains permanently in the artery, and the balloon is removed. (This column will continue next week. The writer is a senior consultant cardiologist at Care Hospital)

H‑Factor

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Cancer treatment can minimise impotence

new treatment for prostate cancer can rid the disease in nine out of 10 men without debilitating side effects, a study has found. The treatment, which uses “high-intensity focused ultrasound” (HIFU) to heat only the tumour, means men can also be treated without an overnight stay in hospital, according to Britain’s Daily Telegraph. The 41-patient study published in the journal Lancet Oncology also suggested that targeted ultrasound treatment could reduce the risk of impotence and incontinence. Standard treatment with surgery or radiotherapy, which involves treating the whole prostate gland, can harm surrounding tissue, leading to these conditions. The paper cites experts as saying the results are “very encouraging” and a “paradigm” shift in treatment of the disease that affects tens of thousands of men. According to the Centers for

Is premature hair loss driving you up the wall? r

Most of us would certainly agree that hair is the crowning glory and an asset that enhances a person’s appearance. Dr Rubin Those who have it take pride in it as well. To most of us, hair fall is a scary event and none of us wants to encounter one. But not all of us are fortunate enough as each of us do lose hair much before time. This creates a sense of incompleteness and people who face this problem often opt for hair transplant. Here are some important tips to find the right hair transplant surgeon. n Who is the surgeon? Is he well trained and experienced in hair transplantation? n Team of hair therapists: This is the team that actually slices the hair and prepares it for implant for the surgeon. Check if they are well trained. If yes, where have they been trained and what level of expertise have

they developed? Does the surgeon take a holistic approach to hair restoration? Your surgeon should help you evaluate all your options, surgical and non surgical before recommending transplant? Does the centre that you are walking into have this facility? n Have they made the investment in time and resources to do large sessions of micro follicular unit hair transplantation? Doing outstanding work requires a dedicated staff that is trained to use high-powered magnification with the capability of producing carefully trimmed grafts per surgical session. n Choose a hair restoration clinic that is patient focused rather than commercially focused. Some clinics emphasise on revenue, speed and volume rather than dedicating the time and individual care required to produce optimal results. n Is hair restoration the primary focus of their practice? Outstanding results requires a surgeon and a full staff who perform hair restoration surgery on a regular basis. Doing hair n

restoration as a sideline, along with other surgical procedures, may hinder their ability to do large sessions of highly refined follicular unit transplantation. n Check the surgeon’s track record and how many patients he has successfully done a transplant on? Like any field, experience over time is critical to acquiring the skill and judgement required to produce excellent results. n Do the operation theatres have LED lights, as these prevent additional heating. Also are they well equipped with technology. If you are satisfied with all the above, then you have a bright hairy future ahead. Oliva is the only centre in Andhra Pradesh which fits into all the above requisites. You can also reach out to Oliva Hair Transplant and Cosmetic surgery center. For more details consult Dr Rubin Gondane. Call now 040 44757575.

(An advertising initiative)

Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), doctors will diagnose 241,740 new cases of prostate cancer in the US in 2012. Additionally, the disease is expected to claim more than 28,000 lives this year. According to the BBC, doctors at University College Hospital in London carried out the first trial using HIFU, aimed at small patches of cancer cells on the prostate. A probe placed close to the prostate emitted sound waves that heated the targeted cells to 176 degree Fahrenheit (80 degrees Celsius), while causing minimal damage to surrounding nerves and muscles. According to Hashim Ahmed, the urological surgeon who led the study, says the results, 12 months after treatment, are very encouraging. Hashim Ahmed, a urological surgeon at the trust who led the study, said, “We’ve shown in this study that focal therapy — by targeting the individual areas of cancer — can avoid the collateral damage. We’ve shown that

nine in 10 men had no impotence and none of the men in the study had incontinence of urine.” However, he said, while the results were very encouraging, “We need to remember that this treatment was given to fewer than 50 men, without follow-up over a sustained period of time.” The findings needed to be repeated in larger studies, he said. The news comes days after actor Ryan O’Neal, 70, confirmed that he had been diagnosed with stage 2 prostate cancer, correcting reports that he was suffering from stage 4 cancer. O’Neal, whose partner Farrah Fawcett died of anal cancer in 2009. In a statement released to People Magazine, he said that while he was “shocked and stunned by the news,” he had reason to feel fortunate. “It was detected early, and according to my extraordinary team of doctors, the prognosis is positive for a full recovery,” he says in the statement.

Spotlight

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

The temperature at Cuba Libre on Tuesday afternoon, was a few degrees higher than outside. No, it’s not because the pub’s air conditioners were not working, it was because of star presence there. Karan Singh Grover aka Dr Armaan of Dil Mil Gaye fame was spotted at Cuba Libre. While the girls were swooning over the handsome hunk. DJ Jay made sure that the music too worked its magic in the house.

Summer Jam

Karan with fan Anamika

Mehek & Akansha

Dinesh & Ankitha

Akansha(L), Soundarya(second right) & Raashika DEEPAK DESHPANDE

THE HANDWOVEN SUMMER KHAZANA

Taj Khazana Lifestyle has organised an exhibition of handwoven saris at Taj Krishna. The speciality of the saris on display is that they all come from the Mecca for saris, Varanasi. Seen here is the designer Jay Ramrakhiyani.

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Priya

Rubina & Ishrat DEEPAK DESHPANDE

SKINTILLATING

A model presented Keraskin’s new product Blanc Morphose at Mane Salon at Banjara Hills, Road no. 2 on Tuesday.

SHADES OF SUMMER AT NEERU’S

Models presented Neeru’s summer collection 2012 at the Neeru’s store in Dilsukhnagar on Tuesday .

Magic Screen

The glamour behind the glitz

Thaman plans to approach Akon C

UKUPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team heads to Kerala B

alakrishna, Manchu Manoj and Deeksha Seth starrer Uu Kodathara Ulikki Padathara is in last stages of shooting. Recently, the film's climax sequence was shot in Hyderabad and now the film unit is in Kerala to shoot few songs. Sharing the details, Manchu Manoj tweeted, "In love with Kerala :) beautiful weather and trees :) took some super strong decisions towards happiness :) songs r coming out gr8:) (sic)." Sekhar Raja is directing the film and Lakshmi Manchu is producing it. Balakrishna is playing a full length role in the film and the buzz is that he'll be seen as a ghost in the film. Except for couple of stills, Lakshmi Manchu has been keeping the film's USP under wraps. We hear that one of the sets errected for this film is the largest ever in the history of Telugu cinema and Lakshmi Manchu reportedly spent more than `6 crore on this set alone. Bobo Sashi is composing the music. The film is slated for release later this summer.

NTR, Puri Jagannadh's

all it a publicity stunt or a genuine attempt to offer something new to the audience, of late, music directors here are approaching international singers to sing in their films. Singers like Snoop Dogg, Kylie Minogue, Tata Young and Akon were few such singers who made waves in Bollywood. In fact, Akon's rendition of Chammak Challo in SRK's Ra.One became so popular that several filmmakers in South were keen on roping him to sing in their films. Now, Thaman is harbouring similar thoughts. He's got plenty of projects including NTR's Baadshah, Ram Charan, V V Vinayak's film, SiddharthSamantha's film and an Allu Arjun- Vasu Varma film. Apparently, Thaman is keen on collaborating with Akon for one his upcoming projects. "And planning to make akon sing in one this albums will update U once it's done 1 thing I promise it's gonna rock. The recording of the song will mostly happen in July excited (sic)," Thaman posted on Twitter.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

T-TOWN TWEETIES

@sundeepkishan Wrapped at 3am & off to shoot again now... excited about todays scenes... everything come 2nd to family & cinema #lovemyjob #GundelloGodari :)

@tashu_02 Reaching Solapur soon... gosh its a very bad highway... people are driving like crazy... phew... But hav been driving nearly frm 10 hrs nw ;-)

@actor_Nikhil Two more days to go for DISCO :-) super happy to get a solo release at last ;-)

@shrutihaasan Epic girl night has happened talking and laughs and the Girly chit chats :)

@actor_nithiin In love with GS songs... especially gunnulanti kannulunna junnu laanti pilla!! Cant wait to watch powerstar dance for tis song!!

film to be titled Ramu ?

@RanaDaggubati

Today am fully strapped and did my first session of light weight training!! Feels awesome! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;M BACK!

arlier this year, Puri Jagannadh announced a new film with NTR in lead role. The film is expected to go on floors in August after Puri Jagannadh completes shooting Pawan Kalyan, Tamannaah starrer Cameraman Ganga Tho Rambabu. The latest buzz is that Puri Jagannadh is considering the title Ramu for this film; however, it hasn't been confirmed yet. The entire film is going to be shot in the US. Ganesh Babu is going to produce the film. Puri Jagannadh and NTR are teaming up after eight years and the buzz is that this is going to be a thorough action entertainer. Meanwhile, NTR's upcoming film Dhammu is going to hit the screens on April 27 and he'll begin shooting for Srinu Vaitla's Baadshah in Italy.

@RGVzoomin The live lobsters in its kitchen must have been very happy when the titanic sank

@LakshmiManchu Feeling my angels around me... Holding me. Feel their love do deeply. Ahhhhaaa

Magic Screen

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

B-TOWN TWEETIES

‘No marriage plans right now’

@AnupamPkher By seeing the seed of failure in every success, we remain humble. By seeing the seed of success in every failure we remain hopeful.:)

@rampalarjun Finished the song good fun, now the actors vs dancers cricket match. Of course under lights. This heat is crazy.

ctor Kunal Khemmu and his girlfriend Soha Ali Khan have rubbished reports that they are set to tie the knot by November this year. The wedding plans are yet to be put in place, says the couple."None of them (reports) are true as of now... As and when we discuss it among ourselves, we will share it with everybody. But not as of now," said Kunal. Asked if they will pip Soha's brother Saif Ali Khan and actor Kareena Kapoor to the wedding post, Kunal said: "It's not like we are ahead of someone or behind. There is no hurry that if they are getting married, we should also do it."Soha added: "It's not a race! Whenever it is the right time, we will talk." IANS

Bollywood is professional, but sans soul: Annu

nnu Kapoor, who has dedicated over three decades of his life to showbiz, feels the Hindi film industry has become more professional over time, but feels it now lacks the soul of filmmaking. "The society has witnessed tremendous change over the years. As a result, the art of filmmaking has also changed. It has become more professional. Such professionalism was not there earlier. People have become more technically advanced," says Annu.The 56-year-old feels that content is bold and the viewers are over-exposed now."The films made earlier didn't have songs like D.K. Bose. The songs lack melodies. The words earlier were so simple and elegant, that is missing now," said the actor. IANS

@sonakshisinha Bye bye Patiala! Changey stay naal thank you ji! And even bigger thank u to my #SoS team for making it a funnnnn schedule full of masti! Miltey hai break ke baad!

@NeilNMukesh I’m nt single,n I’m not taken. I’m simply on reserve for the one who deserves my heart. Cause they say good things take time.:)

@akshaykumar The pleasure is all mine @AnupamPkher, to work with such a polished actor. Hoping some of it would rub off on me.

John my god-brother in Bollywood: Ayushmann Khurrana

@imarshadwarsi Hello everybody... Just want to clarify to my lovely tweepies that my Birthday is on the 19th of April... Love u all GN n GB...

ctor Ayushmann Khurrana has no god-father in Bollywood, but he seems to have found a "god-brother" in John Abraham, who has produced his debut film Vicky Donor."John is my god-brother in this industry. He can't be my god-father, he is too young," says Ayushmann. "He is like a buddy. Both of us don't have anybody in the industry. It feels great that I am starting my Bollywood career with John's home production," he added. The veejayturned-actor says John played his part as the film's producer very well, and refrained from interfering

@SrBachchan T 716 - Goodness !! What a day at IPL cricket... both games nail biting finish on the last ball... this IPL is something else this year !! in creative decisions."John never took any creative calls. It was the director (Shoojit Sircar), who was in charge of the creative department. There were no interferences from John's end. He used to guide me and tell me how to project myself as an actor in the industry," said Ayushmann. IANS

@udaychopra Met with my crazily overworked friend @priyankachopra in London, if anyone in this world needs a holiday it’s her!!!

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The glamour behind the glitz

Demi Moore

returns to twitter D

emi Moore has made a return to her Twitter account for the first time since entering rehab. The 49-year-old actress was taken to hospital in January following a seizure at her Los Angeles home, with a friend telling 911 operators that Moore had “smoked something” and was having difficulty breathing. As a result, Moore was forced to drop out of a cameo role as Gloria Steinem in the upcoming drama Lovelace, starring Amanda Seyfried as controversial porn star Linda Lovelace. Moore reactivated her Twitter account @mrskutcher on Sunday (April 15) with a photo of herself lying on a bed, as well as the message, “Testing...” The actress’s next film will be LOL, in which she plays the mother of Miley Cyrus’s character. The movie is due for release in cinemas on May 4 in the US and June 1 in the UK.

Mark Ruffalo joins Carell, Tatum in Foxcatcher

hile Mark Ruffalo will soon be seen smashing through buildings and fighting off Loki’s armies as The Hulk in Marvel’s upcoming superhero blockbuster The Avengers, the actor has just signed on to play a real-life bruiser in an upcoming true-crime drama from Moneyball director Bennett Miller. Titled Foxcatcher, the film will depict the tragic friendship that developed between John du Pont (Steve Carell), heir to the Du Pont chemical fortune, and freestyle wrestler Dave Schultz (Ruffalo), who won an Olympic gold medal in 1984. The title of the film comes from du Pont’s Team Foxcatcher, a training facility for amateur wrestlers the multimillionaire had built on the grounds of his Pennsylvania estate in the late 1980s.

Keane releases '70s horror movieinspired video

Disabled woman sues Depp and his security

ot every woman wants Johnny Depp to tear her clothes off. In a lawsuit filed on Monday, the Pirates of the Caribbean heartthrob has been accused of directing his security detail to forcibly remove a disabled woman from her VIP seat in Depp’s vicinity at an Iggy and the Stooges concert. She claims she was moved so roughly that her clothes were “dishevelled” and her shoes came off, and another time so that her pants came down, “exposing her buttocks” to other concertgoers. The Bully-championing star’s camp hasn’t yet responded to a request for comment. The woman, identified solely as Jane Doe in court documents obtained by E! News, claims that, before anyone laid a hand on her, Depp’s guards tried to prevent her from returning to her seat and relented only when she explained she had left her cane with her husband and could not use a different entrance.

eane’s new video for their latest single Disconnected looks like it could have been a deleted scene from 1979’s Amityville Horror. Inspired by ‘70s horror classics, the video was filmed in an actual haunted house in Barcelona, Spain. The visuals for Disconnected, the second single off the British band’s latest album Strangeland, were co-directed by Spanish directors Juan Antonio Bayona and Sergio G Sanchez. Bayona and Sanchez both worked together on 2007 horror movie The Orphanage. Fans of Keane may notice that the band’s new material is geared heavily toward the poprock sound of their last album Perfect Symmetry, but the band has said that there will be elements from their first two studio albums on Strangeland.

Chai Time

KAKURO

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

SCRIBBLING PAD

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Does in a dragon 6 Destiny 10 Junk email 14 Like many a longhorn 15 Enthusiastic liveliness 16 ‘Three cheers’ recipient 17 Ekberg of ‘La Dolce Vita’ 18 Hanging on every word 19 Snake eyes 20 One who's looking to score 22 Grade 23 Activate, as an alarm clock 24 Nursery noisemakers 26 ‘Magnum, PI’ star Selleck 29 ‘My pleasure!’ 32 ‘To ___ it mildly ...’ 33 Balm for your skin 35 Pro ___ (one way to divide things) 37 Requires 41 Give a stern talking-to 44 Not just once in a while 45 ‘Buona ___’ (Italian greeting) 46 Mickey and Minnie 47 Eight fluid ounces 49 Prospector's bonanza 51 Black-and-white driver 52 Floating wreckage 56 ‘And so forth’ 58 One not telling the truth 59 Fight fiercely 65 Aware of 66 Viva voce 67 Sans cordiality 68 Not a spring chicken 69 Prefix meaning ‘half’ 70 Autumn apple drink 71 Barreled along 72 ‘Before I forget ...’ 73 Toast serving DOWN 1 Rough guess 2 Buchner's ‘Leonce and ___’ 3 X or Y, on a graph 4 Eastwood's ‘Rawhide’

role: Rowdy ___ 5 Some drums 6 Flowerless plant 7 Sitcom legend Alda 8 Come to a point 9 Catch in a sting 10 Covering a brief period of time 11 Kind of code or colony 12 Craggy ridge 13 Charlton Heston role 21 About-face, in the street 25 Albacore 26 Mexican sandwich 27 Any of several Norwegian kings 28 Birds and snakes do it 30 Vermin 31 Merman or Kennedy 34 Item of current technology? 36 Prefix with ‘space’ or

‘nautical’ 38 Large-scale work 39 Art ___ (retro style) 40 Part of assembly instructions 42 Burden or responsibility 43 Middie opponent 48 Eastern shrine 50 Wrong-andright field 52 Parade vehicle 53 Special vocabulary 54 Western, in slang 55 A mushroom 57 The ‘C’ in CS Forester 60 Highland headgear 61 A little of

SUDOKU

this, a little of that 62 Longish coat 63 Guinness of ‘The Lavender Hill Mob’ 64 Phoenician trading centre of old PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY Change is an easy panacea. It takes character to stay in one place and be happy there. – Elizabeth Clarke Dunn

Chai Time STAR POWER

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

As per Hindu panchang

FOR 19-4-2012

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

TAURUS

GEMINI

You will get closer with VIP friends. Some have bright chance to buy proper‑ ty. You will keep away culprits who had taken you for a ride. Portion of old debt will be cleared. Friends will increase.

All work undertaken will get complet‑ ed successfully. Family will be in a cheerful mood. Held up construction work will resume and progress well. Your will do well amongst friends.

Those who opposed you will now become favourable. You will solve old problems by approaching them in a dif‑ ferent way. You will get your due share of ancestral property by demanding it.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Your major plans will get executed suc‑ cessfully and yield expected results. Politicians will be in limelight and their inﬂuence is set to increase. Some are favoured with a foreign trip.

With your tactful approach you will complete undertaken tasks successfully. Unexpected fortune likely. Renovation of ancestral property will be over. Son will climb down from stubborn stance.

Financially a comfortable position likely. Debts will be under control. You plan to expand the house and initiate efforts. Be alert in govt‑related issues. Busines‑ smen not to entrust imp work to others.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Work that has been dragging since long will get completed now. Expected money will come. Couples will become more affectionate towards each other. Some will pay advance for buying an asset.

Your courage and self‑conﬁdence are set to increase. Govt sops will come through. Businessmen will add new cus‑ tomers. Politicians will make friends. Consult family before taking decisions.

Your mind will become clear. Help will come from expected sources. You plan to clear the old debts and adopt a dif‑ ferent way to ensure the same. Blood relatives will share important secrets.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Sudden ﬁnancial fortune likely. Marria‑ ge talk will end favourably. Bank loan gets sanctioned for purchase or con‑ struction of a house. Expected friends and relatives will come visiting you.

You will succeed in challenges unde‑ rtaken. Govt issues end favourably. You will take important decisions with a clearcut mind. An old court case will end in your favour.

You will get all work done successfully with your nice approach. Children will understand you very well. To save one asset, you might have to sell another. Businessmen will get new customers.

SUMAA TEKUR

FOR 19-4-2012

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

The Fool – Youʼre be‑ ing a bit immature in managing a thing im‑ portant, be it relatio‑ nships or job. Youʼre refusing to see circu‑ mstances around and respond accordingly.

Judgement – An international trip is possible in the next few weeks. Donʼt get your hopes up too high. It may be a short trip with little down time.

The Sun – Youʼre bright and cheerful and this happy dispo‑ sition wins you many friends. People even come to you for advice because you seem so practical.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Justice – What is due to you will deﬁ‑ nitely come your way. You need to be patient. Think of all the wonderful people around you willing to help.

Page of Swords – You need to demand for the resources in order to be able to do full justice to your work. Ask for a bigger team or a larger budget.

The Moon – Mood swings can make you irritable to oth‑ ers. Avoid being part of large or small groups, if you can. Stay by yourself and spend time alone.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Ten of Wands – Yo‑ uʼre reached the end of a phase of your li‑ fe. Though it has be‑ en fruitful, youʼre fe‑ eling exhausted and need a break before you take up the next.

Eight of Swords – You feel restless and on the edge. You havenʼt been sleep‑ ing well and itʼs showing on your health. Take time off and rest well.

Three of Wands – Your ideas may seem a bit far‑fetched to your coworkers. But you can convince them that whacky ideas do work, at times.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Seven of Swords – Thereʼs some secrecy and conspiracy involved in a project. Youʼre not being told the entire truth and that is hindering your ability to judge.

Temperance – Be patient about your work situation. Thi‑ ngs will improve soon. Youʼre getting anxious about the sacriﬁces youʼve made in order to get here.

Ace of Swords – Believe in yourself and your ideas. Faith takes you half the way to your destina‑ tion. You can go the other half way with hard work.

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

SOLUTIONS

Boggle FUMBLE HELMET JERSEY PLAYER

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

ARIES

TAROT READ

Vol: 1, No 276 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211

98 DAYS TO GO WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

Stevenson confident of fitness LONDON: Taekwondo world champion Sarah Stevenson said on Tuesday that she expects to recover from a knee injury in time to fight for the gold medal at the Olympic Games. Stevenson has long been tipped as one of Britain’s best hopes for a gold on home soil at London 2012, a status she underlined by winning the world title in Korea, taekwondo’s birthplace, last year. But the 29-year-old from Doncaster, northern England — a bronze medallist in Beijing four years ago — underwent surgery in February to repair cruciate ligament damage suffered at a training camp in Mexico. Stevenson, whose world title success was all the more creditable as it came while both her parents were suffering from cancer that would ultimately claim both their lives, is now set to miss the upcoming European Championships in Manchester. “It has been pretty intense rehab since [the operation], but I am doing really well now, nearly back training so all is going well. I just have to keep going a bit longer,” Stevenson told BBC Sport. “Winning the world championships last year kind of took the pressure off a bit, but obviously I want to win Olympic gold, which would finish off my collection of medals. My parents were suffering with cancer when I was in Korea, and it was awful to leave them, but they wanted me to go.”

Oz eye top-five finish SYDNEY: Australia’s Olympic team chief on Wednesday said that he was confident of a top-five finish in London despite a renewed threat from the hosts, Japan, Germany and France. With 98 days to go till the showpiece event, Australia know they face a battle to claim a place among the world’s elite Olympic nations with the country set to send its smallest Games team in 20 years. Around 400 athletes are expected to make the trip after the “Olyroos” failed to qualify for the football tournament for the first time since 1984. The women’s team also missed out. But chef-de-mission Nick Green said they will not go down without a fight. “We know we are in for a tough tussle to claim a revered top-five spot with hosts and long-time rivals Britain, the strong European contingent headed by Germany and France, and the ever-present Japanese,” said Green. “But we know, as Aussies, we will never go down without a fight. Our athletes have to continue pushing in these final days to give themselves the best chances of Olympic glory and ensure that we will hear Advance Australia Fair playing throughout the London venues.” Australia collected 14 golds at the last Games in Beijing and 46 medals overall, behind powerhouses China and the United States, as well

African swimmer Cameron van der Burgh (right) clinched a place at the 2012 London Olympics by winning the 100 metres breaststroke at the national championships Tuesday. Considered the best South African hope for a swimming medal at the Games, Van der Burgh triumphed at the Kings Park pool in 59.90 seconds, just under a second inside the qualifying mark. “It is just pure emotion that I feel right now,” said Van der Burgh. “I have not been competing a lot over the past few months with most of my efforts going into training.”

Yego keeps Kenya’s javelin dreams alive NAIROBI: Javelin thrower Julius Yego did his best to upstage Kenya’s top Olympic 10,000 metres hopefuls on Tuesday when he met the qualification standard to represent his country at the London Games. Yego threw a national record of 79.95m to clear the Olympic B-Standard of 79.50m and the policeman, who once said he watched YouTube videos of his rivals as his country has no traditional strength in the sport, was delighted with his achievement.

Veteran swimmer, Sludnov shows way MOSCOW: Veteran three-time world champion Roman Sludnov led the way at the Russian national swimming championships here on Tuesday by finishing first in the men’s 50m breaststroke on Tuesday. The 32-year-old, winner of a bronze in the 100m breaststroke at the 2000 Syndey Olympics, clocking 27.80sec to finish ahead of Kirill Strelnikov (28.01) and Anton Lobanov (28.10). In the championships which also double as Olympic qualifiers, Yegor Degtyarev booked his ticket to the London Games by winning the men’s 400m freestyle. Australia's Beijing 2008 Olympic diving silver medallist Melissa Wu talks to the Boxing Kangaroo as the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) in Sydney AFP/WILLIAM WEST as Russia and Britain. In London they will again be relying on their swimmers to bolster the medal tally with swimming head coach Leigh Nugent targeting at least a dozen medals from their 44strong squad led by 100m freestyle world champion James Magnussen. But the team is without the experience of Ian Thorpe and

Michael Klim, who missed selection, and is undergoing a major transition. “The US are the big challenge, they have dominated swimming for 100 years,” Nugent said after the recent trials. “There are other players who are making it tougher for us to stay in that number two position. The big movers are China and France.”

Van der Bergh clinches place in pool DURBAN: Leading South

GAMES IN BRIEF

Chad le Clos and Kathryn Meaklim, considered long shots for medals at the July 27August 12 Games in the English capital, also secured passports to the quadrennial multi-sport showpiece. Le Clos won the 400 metres individual medley in 4:13.86 from Riaan Schoeman, who also dipped under the Olympics qualifying mark with 4:15.60 in this Indian Ocean city. “This is huge for me,” said Le Clos, “because it is the Olympic Games we are talking about. After starting the race so fast I wondered whether I would make it. Thankfully, I hung on to swim inside the time.”

Schoeman was equally jubilant: “This takes a lot of pressure off me for the rest of the week. I have three races to go, but this was the main one. I’m really thrilled to have made it.” Meaklim won the women’s 400 metre individual medley in 4:37.70 — more than four seconds inside the qualifying mark — and admitted to being relieved after her success. “Coming into the gala there is always pressure because you know this is it — you have to do it here and now. I am so, so happy to have secured a place at the Games.” No South African swimmer won a medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Eliud Kipchoge to take on 10000m NAIROBI: Former world 5000m champion Eliud Kipchoge has moved up to the 10000 metres in his search for a place in the Kenyan team for the Olympic Games in London. Kipchoge, who also won an Olympic 5000m silver medal in Beijing four years ago, finished second in the pre-Olympic trial race held in Nairobi on Tuesday to select 15 runners for the final trial in the United States in June.

Isinbayeva eyes gold, then retirement PARIS: Russian pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva has said that she will retire in two years but in the meantime is eyeing a third consecutive Olympics gold medal at the London Games. “For me, I decided that another two years and then I will retire. Training becomes difficult, hard, and of course, every year the body is getting old and it becomes harder and harder to prepare for the competition,” she said in an interview. “I enjoy competition more than training. When I’m on the track, I always think, ‘oh my goodness it’s so easy’. Why can’t it be all the time the same? But once I get off the podium, I was like, ‘oh, I’m too tired for the training’.” Isinbayeva, 29, told the Laureus sports foundation that she is confident going into the Games in the British capital and insisted that she only had herself to beat.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

METRE

6 221

Chris Gayle (RR)

13 4S485

Ajinkya Rahane (RR)

HIGHEST SCORE

103

Ajinkya Rahane (RR)

BEST BOWLER

5-16

Ravindra Jadeja (CSK)

Knights set for Kingly joust I thought 183 was a good total, but the last over was a bit expensive. The scoop over short fine by AB was a brilliant shot. Still I would say that we’re playing well. Chirs Gayle RCB player

Ajinkya Rahane (RR) 304 runs

Munaf Patel (MI) 10 wickets

‘Rahane is a supertalent’ I

mpressed by Ajinkya Rahane’s range of shots, Rajasthan Royals’ Australian import Brad Hodge today called the Indian youngster a “super talent”. “He is batting superbly and has hunger for runs. He reminds me of my own younger days. His shots are majestic and I enjoying him bat. To my eyes he can be a super talent,” Hodge said after guiding his team to a five-wicket win over Deccan Chargers in the IPL here on Tuesday. Hodge’s 21-ball 48 earned him the Man-of-the-Match award. “It was a tough outing for us and dangerous too. We played a night game in Bangalore and landed here, had little rest and out to play a day game. It was demanding physically and mentally tough for us.”

P W L T PT NR RR 6 4 2 0 8 0.646 DD 4 3 1 0 6 1.099 PW 5 3 2 0 6 0.342 MI 5 3 2 0 6 -0.08 KKR 5 2 3 0 4 0.217 CSK 5 2 3 0 4 -0.10 KXIP 4 2 2 0 4 -0.41 RCB 5 2 3 0 4 -0.80 DC 3 0 3 0 0 -1.366 P-played; W-win; L-lost; T-tie; NR-net run rate; PT-points

G Aparna Sai feedback@postnoon.com

ings XI Punjab take on Kolkata Knight Riders when the two teams clash once again today in Mohali. In their previous encounter, the Knights failed to chase down KXIP’s total of 132. Although touted as the stronger of the two teams, yet KKR are yet to perform to the best of their abilities and produce the expected results. Shah Rukh Khan is certainly not a very happy man. While his team boasts of the likes of skipper Gautam Gambhir, Yusuf Pathan, Jacques Kallis, Rajat Bhatia and Brendon McCulum to name a few yet these players have not risen to the occasion on more instances than one. Gambhir will have to lead from the front and get his team back to their winning ways like in the previous edition of the tournament. Meanwhile, Sunil Narine

Kolkata Knight Riders Ryan ten Doeschate dives to attempt a run out during the IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab at The Eden Gardens in Kolkata on April 15. AFP/DIBYANGSHU SARKAR would consider himself unlucky as his five for 19 could not help his team in their required cause. The Knights have won just two of their five matches. If they lose this tie against the Kings, then they would certainly find themselves slipping a few positions in the points table. Meanwhile KXIP, going by their present form, are on a high

Royal Challengers Bangalore won by 6 wicKs

winning their previous two games. In case they emerge victorious, they can easily climb up a few notches on the points table and be placed at atleast the fifth position. Led by skipper Adam Gilchrist, the Kings have an

attack which the Kolkata Knight Riders would be wary off. Piyush Chawla who scalped three for 18 in the previous match can once again play party spoiler for the Knights. He can find support in team mates Dimitri Mascarenhas, Praveen Kumar and Harmeet Singh who have shone in the past couple of matches.

NOT TRULY BLUE?

SCORECARD PUNE WARRIORS V ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE Pune Warriors innings (20 overs) RV Uthappa† c Patel b Vettori 69 JD Ryder c Agarwal b Patel 34 SC Ganguly* c Agarwal b Vinay Kumar 6 MN Samuels run out(†de Villiers) 34 SPD Smith run out (†de Villiers/Vinay) 16 AD Mathews c Kohli b Vinay Kumar 10 M Manhas not out 6 B Kumar not out 0 Total (6 wickets; 20 overs) 182 Bowling O M R W Econ Z Khan 4 0 34 0 8.50 TM Dilshan 2 0 24 0 12.00 Vinay Kumar 4 0 34 2 8.50 HV Patel 4 0 29 1 7.25 DL Vettori 4 0 34 1 8.50 KP Appanna 2 0 23 0 11.50 Royal Challengers Bangalore innings (target: 183 runs from 20 overs) TM Dilshan c †Uthappa b Dinda 4 CH Gayle b Nehra 81 MA Agarwal c Manhas b Samuels 9 V Kohli c Sharma b Mathews 16 SS Tiwary not out 36 AB de Villiers† not out 33 Total (4 wickets; 20 overs) 186 Bowling O M R W Econ AB Dinda 4 0 28 1 7.00 A Nehra 4 0 54 1 13.50 B Kumar 4 0 27 0 6.75 MN Samuels 2 0 5 1 2.50 AD Mathews 4 0 35 1 8.75 R Sharma 2 0 35 0 17.50

KXIP VS KKR AT 8 PM ON SET MAX

DECCAN CHARGERS V RAJASTHAN ROYALS Deccan Chargers innings (20 overs) KC Sangakkara*† c †Yagnik b Hodge 44 S Dhawan c Hodge b Trivedi

DT Christian not out

JP Duminy not out

Extras (lb 2, w 11)

Total (2 wickets; 20 overs) 196 Bowling O M R W Econ Pankaj Singh 3 0 37 0 12.33 A Singh 4 0 55 0 13.75 J Botha 4 0 29 0 7.25 SK Trivedi 4 0 27 1 6.75 GB Hogg 4 0 33 0 8.25 BJ Hodge 1 0 13 1 13.00 Rajasthan Royals innings (target: 196 runs from 20 overs) R Dravid* b Christian

AM Rahane c Christian b A Mishra

AL Menaria c Duminy b A Mishra

A Shah c Jhunjhunwala b A Mishra

BJ Hodge not out

J Botha c T Mishra b Anand Rajan

DH Yagnik† not out

Extras (w 5, nb 1) Total (5 wickets; 19.4 Bowling O M JAnkit Sharma 4 0 DW Steyn 3.4 0 DT Christian 4 0 Anand Rajan 4 0 A Mishra 4 0

6 overs) R W 33 0 44 0 43 1 45 1 32 3

197 Econ 8.25 12.00 10.75 11.25 8.00

Rajasthan Royals won by 5 wicks

Sania Mirza with her husband Shoaib Malik before the start of IPL 5 match between RCB and Pune Warriors at Chinnaswamy PTI stadium in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Playing Field

Vishwata made her first cut at four. Now 19, she is ranked fourth in India

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

The games people play

TOUCHÉ!

ids are taught to play different games or either sent to summer camps to hone their talents but not many persuade it at times even letting go of the opportunity of becoming players of international standards. But fortunately this is not always the situation. Vishwata Kumar is one such exception. Having begun fencing at the tender age of four, Vishwata climbed her way to the top to now be ranked fourth in the country. The 19-year-old teenager, who is currently representing the country at the Second South Asian Fencing Championship has represented the country on earlier instances too. She participated in the Juniors International Championship in 2008 and also was a part of the Indian side which won the silver medal in the Foil team event in the first South Asian Fencing Championship in 2011 in Chennai. This second year B.Com Computers student dedicates a good amount of time to her game and studies everyday. “After attending college, I practise fencing every evening and then get back to my books,” says Vishwata. While her coaches and parents are proud of her laurels, the biggest hurdle with respect to her game is the lack of sponsors. “The equipment is extremely costly and we cannot afford buying it all the time. The lack of sponsors does makes things a little difficult as huge amounts have to spent from our own pockets,” she says. Her mother, Vijaylaxmi, voices the same concerns. “Because of the high costs, I haven’t been able to buy her a kit yet. I have been thinking about it since a long time but am yet to purchase one.” Unlike what happens in most Indian families, Vishwata has been lucky to be allowed to follow her heart and persuade her game. “We never stopped her from playing. Even our relatives have always encouraged her. The Physical Director at the college has been extremely supportive too,” says her mother. With many dreams in her eyes and hopes in her heart, this teenager hopes to leave her mark in the field of fencing.

NATIONAL SPORT Spirited Kore draws Wely Grandmaster norm holder Akshayraj Kore showed character as he held second seed Grandmaster Loek Van Wely of Holland to a draw in the second round of the 14th Dubai International Chess Open here. It was a big scene at the start as Van Wely and Ivan Sokolov failed to turn up on time and Kore and Tania Sachdev were awarded walkover by the arbiter. Kore’s plea that he wanted to play was denied, but allowed later.

Chess

“

"The car was solid and quite responsive compared to some of the issues we had in Alabama. Things really felt right for a good weekend.”

Arman Ibrahim, Indian driver Kothari shocks Chawla Snooker Underdog Sourav Kothari of

ONGC shocked India No 2 Kamal Chawla 5-4 in an absorbing contest to storm into the final of the Bombay Gymkhana Strokes Snooker Invitational Open Tournament today. Kothari won the five-hour marathon best-of-nine frames semi-final 69-60 53-22 55-64 39-63 55-77 5720 61-29 21-65 65-36. He will play the winner the other semi-final between India No 1 Aditya Mehta and Yasin Merchant.

Lyon’s spin spell foxes Windies PORT OF SPAIN: A spell of five for sixteen by Australian offspinner Nathan Lyon put Australia in charge at Queen’s Park Oval at the end of the third day of the second Test in the West Indies on Tuesday. It was the first time that Lyon had taken five wickets in an innings since his debut Test in Sri Lanka. “I’m over the moon, even though I didn’t run around like I did in Galle,” Lyon said. “Still over the moon and really happy with the way things panned out but, saying that, we’ve still got a lot of work to do to win this Test match.” West Indies finished the day

at 252 for nine, still trailing by 59 runs, having, at one point, looked as though they would have a lead after a sterling fifth partnership work from Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Narsingh Deonarine roused home hope before tea. But Lyon gave Australia a good chance of wrapping up the three-match series after they won the first Test in Barbados. The Decision Review System (DRS) caused controversy before a ball had even been bowled. There were 5.3 overs still to be sent down from the previous day following rain on Monday, with the West Indies due to resume on 49-3.

OMM

underprivileged children participated in a mini-games event, organised by Magic Bus, an NGO, in association with British High Commission, to mark the closing of the "Sport is great" fest. The festival was organised jointly with the Abhinav Bindra Foundation and VisitBritain.

Pune hopes to bounce back Football Pune FC are hoping to put up

a better show against defending champions Salgaocar SC in their last home game in the I-League, at the Shiv Chhatrapti Sports Complex here today. Having lost considerable ground on the league table, Pune FC, currently fifth with 43 points, are keen to bounce back. "The aim is to bounce back and end the season on a high,” Pune FC coach Derrick Pereira. “I guess getting the job done first will automatically determine the rest."

Playing Field

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

The games people play

Di Matteo calls for ‘perfect’ Chelsea

PARIS: Athletic Bilbao are looking to continue their remarkable continental campaign and set up an allSpanish Europa League final as they prepare to take on Sporting Lisbon in the semifinal first leg on Thursday. Marcelo Bielsa’s side have already beaten Paris SaintGermain, Manchester United and Schalke 04 this season and the brand of football

Manning to draw first blood NFL Peyton Manning will make his

debut for the Denver Broncos on the first Sunday of the 2012 National Football League season in a nationally telecast game against Pittsburgh, the NFL announced on Tuesday. The complete 2012 season schedule was revealed on Tuesday, with the previously announced opener being on September 5 with the reigning Super Bowl champion New York Giants playing host to the Dallas Cowboys.

“

“The goal is Paris, that’s what we are working on now.”

Andy Murray, in reference the French Open. Murray beat Serb Victor Troicki 6-0, 6-3 in the round 3 of Monte Carlo Masters

Reading back in EPL Reading returned to the

Football English Premier League

Pep dismisses a ‘fantasy’ LONDON: Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola said on Tuesday that talk of him leaving the European champions for Chelsea was “fantasy”. Guardiola has been reported to be the number one target for Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. But not even the suggestion of a $15.9 million-a-year contract appeared enough to sway the 41-year-old. Speaking at Stamford Bridge, Guardiola downplayed all talk of a move, even though he has yet to sign a new contract with the Spanish giants. “It is fantasy, it’s hypothetical,” he said.

pressing game. “There’s no way you can be passive against them, whether you push or defend deep. We’ll have a game plan to attack them and it’s important to have a sense of urgency in your defenders. “If you give Xavi and Iniesta time they’ll hurt you. We have to pressure them in all areas of the pitch.” Unlike Barcelona, Chelsea have never won the Champions League or its predecessor, the European Cup, although they were beaten in a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out by Premier League rivals Manchester United in the 2008 final in Moscow. “It’s disappointing to have reached so many semis and a final and not won it,” said Lampard.

Athletic Bilbao look for all-Spanish affair Andy Scott

WORLD SPORT

AFP/LLUIS GENE

LONDON: Roberto Di Matteo (right) believes Chelsea will need to play two “perfect” games to beat Barcelona in their Champions League semi-final. Former Blues midfielder Di Matteo has sparked a Chelsea revival since being appointed interim manager six weeks ago after the London club sacked Andre Villas-Boas and last weekend he oversaw a 5-1 FA Cup semi-final victory over capital rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley. But the 41-year-old predicted Chelsea would have to raise their game still further against reigning European champions Barcelona, already regarded as one of the best club sides of all-time. The first leg of their semi-final takes place at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday and Di Matteo said: “It’s fair to say we need two perfect games. “But I think, also, that the fact we’ve been performing very well in the last six weeks gives us the belief we can produce two perfect games in this match. “It’s the biggest challenge for any manager to play against the best team in the world, but for every player as well, to be able to compare themselves against one of the top teams in the world.” Meanwhile, Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard said it was vital the Blues maintained their discipline, as all three of Chelsea’s defeats in 10 matches against Barcelona since 2000 have come when they have had a player sent off. “Discipline is a huge fact at this level,” said Lampard. “To play a man down against Barcelona is very tough. “We have to tackle and close space, but we’ve got a good discipline in our team. Keeping 11 on the pitch is crucial. “I think it’s imperative to play a

favoured by the Argentine since his arrival at San Mames last summer has won admirers across Europe. Now they are seen as favourites to beat Sporting and qualify for their first continental final since losing to Juventus in the UEFA Cup showpiece in 1977. “We have plenty of experience of playing in difficult games, we have two World Cup-winners in our squad (Fernando Llorente and Javi

Martinez), and we play in what is probably the best league in the world,” said young midfielder Ander Iturraspe, one of those who have flourished under Bielsa’s tutelage. “But Sporting are a compact side with good attacking players and that counts for something. “We are one of four teams left in the competition. We all have a chance of winning and it is hard to predict what

will happen. But we will give our all to try and go all the way.” The first leg will be played at Sporting’s Jose Alvalade stadium, where Athletic will have the backing of 3,000 travelling fans. However, Sporting boast a fearsome home record and will be looking for an eighth consecutive European win in front of their own fans on Thursday to set themselves up for next week’s return leg.

after securing automatic promotion with a 1-0 win at home to Nottingham Forest. Mikele Leigertwood volleyed in an Ian Harte free-kick nine minutes from time for the only goal of the game at the Madejski Stadium. With only the top two sides guaranteed promotion, victory gave Championship leaders Reading an unbeatable eight point lead over third-placed West Ham.

ANKTã

is the prizemoney of the LPGA Lotte Championship. South Korea’s Sun Young Yoo, fresh off capturing her first major title earlier this month, returns to the course starting Wednesday here at Kapolei, Hawaii.The 72hole event with a Saturday finish features a field of 144 chasing a top prize of $255,000 at Oahu’s Ko Olina Golf Club.

Spurs rout Lakers Tony Parker scored 29 points and added 13 assists to spark San Antonio past the Los Angeles Lakers 112-91 on Tuesday, lifting the Spurs to the best record in the NBA’s Western Conference. Tim Duncan contributed 19 points while Argentina’s Manu Ginobili added 15 as the Spurs won for the 18th time in their past 21 games, improving to 44-16 to edge past Oklahoma City, 44-17, for the top spot in the West. Only the Chicago Bulls, with an NBA-best 46-15 record, have a better mark than the Spurs.

NBA

Playing Field

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012

The games people play

Late Gomez winner boosts Bayern chances Ryland James

MUNICH: Bayern Munich are on course to reach next month’s Champions League final at their Allianz Arena home after Mario Gomez (right) hit a late winner to earn a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in Tuesday’s semi-final first leg. After France winger Franck Ribery gave Bayern an early lead, Real’s Mesut Oezil equalised before Germany striker Gomez hit the 90th-minute winner ahead of next Wednesday’s return leg at Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium. “We knew Real are capable of scoring lots of goals and it’s a pity we conceded one,” said Bayern’s goal-scorer Ribery. “We’ll have some chances in the return leg and we have to make the most of them.” Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes was delighted with his team’s performance as they fought until the end. “All in all, we deserved to win,” said the Bayern coach. “Madrid started well, but we took command and played very cleverly. “I had said we would play with passion for 90 minutes and the

Jose clings on to hope

BAYERN ARE NOW IN POLE POSITION TO RETURN TO

MUNICH FOR THIS YEAR’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL ON MAY 19, WHEN THEY WILL FACE EITHER HOLDERS

BARCELONA OR CHELSEA, WHO MEET IN THE FIRST LEG OF THEIR SEMI-FINAL ON WEDNESDAY.

players did just that. “A great compliment to my team, they ran very hard and played a great game. They gave everything.” But Real coach Jose Mourinho is backing his team to turn things around in the second leg in Madrid. “We have the second leg to come and it’s not like we have to make a historical comeback, what we have to do is very achievable,” said the ex-Chelsea boss. “If we win at home, we are there. “I am optimistic we can return here to play the final. “It’s the first defeat in this Champions League for us but it’s not one that leaves me with negative feelings.” The Bavarians preserved their remarkable record of having never lost at home to Madrid, with nine wins and a draw in their 10 meetings in Munich since 1976.

“It’s a pity that we conceded a goal at the end as until then we had defended well, but it’s over now,” said Real captain Iker Casillas. “We also managed to score which is obviously very important. “We both had chances and we have to score at home in the second leg now, simple as that.” Bayern are now in pole position to return to Munich for this year’s Champions League final on May 19, when they will face either holders Barcelona or Chelsea, who meet in the first leg of their semi-final on Wednesday. After Ribery had seen a penalty appeal turned down, he then fired past Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas from close range on 17 minute after Madrid failed to deal with a Kroos corner and the ball fell kindly to the Frenchman. The goal injected some confidence into the Bayern attack as

midfielders Kroos and Luiz Gustavo got the better of their Real opponents, while Bastian Schweinsteiger forced Casillas into a diving save. Bayern picked up two first-half bookings, with both defender Holger Badstuber and Robben earning cautions, but neither will miss the second leg. The visitors got back on level terms just seven minutes into the second half. Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer managed to save Ronaldo’s shot, but when Benzema fired the ball back across goal, the Portugal star teed up Oezil for a simple tapin as Neuer watched on helplessly. Having squandered several chances and had a penalty appeal turned down, Gomez finally found the net in the 90th minute after Bayern captain Philipp Lahm squared for the German star to bundle the ball home from close range.

MUNICH: Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho (above) has insisted the Spanish giants can turn things around in the return leg despite losing 2-1 at Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final. “It’s not a bad result, it just means we have to win at home and turn it around. “It wouldn’t be the biggest turn around in history, I still think the team can do it, the fans will be behind us, just like the fans helped Bayern. “We will prepare after Saturday’s game and the team will be ready. “Real always plays to win and I would have liked to have won today.” Mourinho said English referee Howard Webb had made a mistake in awarding Bayern’s opening goal as replays showed Ribery fired home with a Bayern player offside, but he refused to criticise the official. “We had the feeling that one team could get through with a lucky punch and they made it,” said Mourinho. “Their first goal was offside, that is clear. “I accept the referee’s decision, but he shouldn’t have given the goal.” Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes was delighted with his team’s performance as they preserved their remarkable record of having never lost at home to Madrid, with nine wins and a draw in their 10 meetings in Munich since 1976. “We deserved to win, it was a hard bit of work,” said the 66-year-old. “I had said we would play with passion for 90 minutes and the players did just that, they gave their all. “I must pay a great compliment to my team, they ran very hard and played a great game.” Heynckes also singled out match-winner Gomez for his tireless display. “He worked hard for the 90 minutes and won back several balls we had lost and he deserved to get the winner,” said Heynckes.