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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012 HYDERABAD
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YILDIRAY CINAR
TANTRIS UP IN THE AIR... or down in the dumps? India may rate among the fastestgrowing aviation markets globally; yet, almost all its domestic players are in dire straits, poised precariously on the brink of collapse, starting with Kingfisher. Take a look. P16&17
SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE Unauthorised slaughtering of animals outside the five ‘closed’ slaughterhouses in the City is reaching menacing proportions giving rise to health hazards to people living in the neighbourhood. P6
OUTSHINE MANTRIS Mantra tantra and rituals have gripped political leaders as the crucial by-elections near; and it’s not just one party that has jumped onto this bandwagon. In the process, tantrics are raking in the moolah and the public gets... well, you know what! REPORT ON PG 5
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
Spirit of Twin Cities
REGAL SIGHT
Midnight Buffet
N SHIVA KUMAR
Midnight hunger pangs? Head to Best Western for it’s midnight buffet where you can enjoy Hyderabadi Dum Biryani and live dosa with chicken curry every night. Where: Best Western Jubilee Hills When: Ongoing, 10.30pm-2.30am Contact: 80083 00373
Crafts Mela Head to People’s Plaza where AP handicrafts development corporation is hosting a 10-days handicrafts bazaar. Where: People’s Plaza, Necklace Road When: Ongoing, 11am
Sakha Pandurang Smt Hemamalini Arni presents Anagha Nerulkar in a dance recital titles ”Sakha Pandurang”-Shades of Bhakti. Where: Ravindra Bharthi Saifabad When: February 23, 6.30pm Contact: (040) 2323 3672
A suitable lunch Syn presents three lunch offers to suit your needs. There is a lunch for those in a hurry, a lunch for the calorie conscious and a lunch for those who are planning a reunion with friends. Where: Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills When: Everyday, 12pm onwards Contact: (040) 6666 3939
Martini ‘n music Enjoy winter evenings with martinis and crooner Kelly. A perfect mix for a perfect evening! Where: Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills When: Every Evening Contact: (040) 6666 232
Guns and Roses Head to Hard Rock Cafe as the Dark Project pays tribute to Guns and Roses with a live electrifying tribute. Where: Hard Rock Cafe, Banjara Hills When: February 23, 8pm Contact: (040) 44767900
Acting workshop Samhaara- an acting and dancing workshop is being held. The workshop focusses on a variety of topics such as understanding the basics of stage acting, character analysis, stage and rehearsal terms, movement, stage geography etc. Where: The Actor’s studio, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 7pm to 9pm Contact: 98854 04784
CINEMAS
Cognac and Cigar The Seasons Bar opens up again as a Cigar and Cognac lounge with a wide selection of cognac, rare whiskies, single malts and cigars. Where: Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 7pm Contact: (040) 6666 2323
International pizza festival Pizza lovers this is the news for you! News Cafe is host to the International Pizza Festival. Where: News Cafe, Inorbit Mall, Hitech City When: Ongoing, 12.30pm Contact: (040) 6460 3341
Film festival
Where: The Westin, Madhapur When: Every day, 12pm onwards Contact: (040) 6767 6767
Ladies night DJ Kanna aka Kan-i is in the house at Bottles and Chimney as it presents Ladies night with an exclusive urban hip-hop test. Where: Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills When: February 23, 8pm Contact: (040) 27766464
City in pictures A pictorial essay depicting the city of Hyderabad between the years of 1975 and 2011 is on display. Where: Salarjung Museum When: Ongoing, 10am Contact: (040) 2457 6443
An international film festival is being held at the University of Hyderabad. This Thursday catch Russian film Ocrpoa (The Island) with english sub-titles. Where: University of Hyderabad Gachibowli When: February 23, 5pm Contact: (040) 2313 2425
Syndrella hour
Get my food-Pronto
Life Portrait
In a hurry? Head to Prego at Westin. It offers quick 45-minute lunch stop overs.
It’s Syndrella hour at Syn Grill and Bar.Drinks are on the house till midnight accompanied by the tunes of DJ Nitin. Where: Syn Asian Grill and Bar, Banjara Hills When: February 23,7pm Contact: (040) 66663939 Soni- A portrait from life is a live portrait workshop being held at Iconart Art Gallery. It features
life portrait and life sculpture demonstrations. The event is on till March 10. Where: Iconart Art Gallery, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: 9849968797
Conversations in time Kalakriti Art Gallery plays host to Ashok Mullick’s collection of paintings on canvas titled Conversations in time. Where: Kalakriti Art Gallery, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: (040) 66564466
Pakistani food fest Bidri at Hyderabad Marriott hotel is host to a Pakistani food festival Train from Pakistan”. Get a taste of various delicacies from Pakistan. Where: Hyderabad Marriott Tank Bund When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 2752 2999
Punjabi Mehfil A Punjabi food festival is on at Ohri’s Mehfil. Soak in the ambience along with great food. Where: Ohri’s Mehfil, SD Road When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 27703 200
Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet, Kompally, 61606060; Inox, Banjara Hills, 447677770, Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 08800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973
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Lions Club member Cops deny communal angle killed, body burnt CRIME Md Inkeshaf Ahmed ahmed.m@postnoon.com
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Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com
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senior member of Lions Club Golconda, V Chakrapani, aged 64, was found murdered and his body burnt in Sangareddy district near ITI on Wednesday. According to Sweety Schulamite, secretary of Lions Club Golconda, Chakrapani was residing in Hyderabad at Jubilee Hills Road No 13. On Wednesday his badly burnt body was found. Police established his identity with a visiting card on the spot. Sweety Schulamite told to Postnoon that Lion Chakrapani
was a very friendly person and did not have any known enemies. He came to the Club a day before his body was found. “We have no clue why this ghastly murder has taken place,” Sweety said. He and his wife Sharda, 60, were living alone as their children are in USA. His Son Santosh is single and the daughter is married. Medak SP PJ Victor said that Chakarpani was murdered with the help of a surgical knife. His throat was slit and the body was burnt near the ITI gate. So far the police have not found any clues but hope to crack the case in a few days, Victor said.
n a curious case of allegations of police hush up and police denial, the attack of a man by unidentified people on Tuesday night is turning social networking site Facebook red with rage. Md Abdul Mateen alias Asif, a resident of Chanchalguda was on Tuesday night attacked by four men and he approached the Meer Chowk police to lodge a complaint. ACP M Kistaiah is alleged to have told him not to press a communal angle. He was advised not to seek media and political assistance. Asif put the matter on facebook which resulted in an avalanche of reactions against the police attitude. But, many of the respondents seemed eager to portray it a communal incident. When Postnoon contacted the ACP Kistaiah he ridiculed the claim and said the case was registered and investigations are going on. He asked how he could advise the complainant not to register a case while it was already done. “It’s incorrect that I
advised him against a formal complaint. What are we here for?” “ The reports on facebook are baseless. If I had asked the victim not to make it an issue there would not have been any case. But we have registered a case and are investigating it,” he said. . Kistaiah also declined to give it a communal angle.” But Hyderbad based Majlis Bachao Tehreek leader and GHMC Azampura corporator Amjadullah Khan is sure it’s a communal incident. The basis for his stance is not clear. He also
alleged that the ACP had not only asked Asif to desist from raising any complaint but also kept him in custody instead of hunting the culprits. “The ACP is lying. He had asked the victim not to raise the issue and kept him in custody,” he said. Khan along with the victim met South Zone DCP Manish Kumar Sinha on Wednesday and requested him to initiate a detailed inquiry into the incident. Khan says it is the Hindu Vahini which was behind the attack. This, he says, is the 10th incident of attack by them.
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`20,000 crore worth treasure underneath Birla Mandir?
N SHIVA KUMAR
TREASURE Glenn John and Prakash Reddy feedback@postnoon.com
“W
e are exploring, not excavating,” clarified the State Archaeology department chief Chenna Reddy. He told the media on Wednesday that much speculations and misinformation have spread on the digging up of Vidyaranya school premises adjacent to the Birla Mandir for supposed treasure buried underneath. He clarified that the department was doing its duty and there was nothing to be afraid about it. “On February 17, nine informants including TB Raju (chief manager, personnel, Coal India Limited) approached me regarding the treasure. It seemed like a credible stance and we are exploring further,” Reddy said. The witnesses while working in the school premises found that there is a tunnel with a treasure, it is said.
A mason at work
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OTHER NEWS Student commits suicide after failure HYDERABAD: A degree student M Kiran had allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself on Wednesday at his home in RB Nagar under the Shamshabad police station limits. The 26-year-old Kiran is reported to have failed for the second year in a row. He is believed to have developed depression which led him to take the extreme step, sub inspector RGI police D Mahesh said. A case has been registered.
ACB cracks down on Excise officials
Chenna Reddy
Vidyaranya School
Geophysical, Magnetic radiation and GPRS tests were conducted. But as of now, nothing has been found, the archaeologist revealed. The difficulty is that the surroundings are full of structures and one has to be extra careful about the work. Reddy said the work will go on for another five days and allayed the fears of the people that it would harm nearby buildings. And, if no lead was detected, the work will be held in abeyance till the examinations are completed. Masons working at the site told Postnoon that they had seen a reflection of light in the tunnel. Raju believes it was indicative of a rusted door. This issue has become the talk of the town. Many people are anxious to know about the result. If there is any sort of treasure found, according to the 1878 Treasure Trove Act, the witnesses and also the person who owns the place will be given their share. Whether a treasure found or not shop owners around the place are making good business while residents are excited about the prospects of a treasure trove found right under their feet. “We are all watching,” said a resident nearby. “It’s exciting,” she said.
24166666R ENC 23225267 Engineering 23220418 MCH Tankbund 23225397 Emergency MCH Circle I&II 24525842 MCH Circle III 24736912 MCH Circle IV 23326975 MCH Circle V 23326976 MCH Circle VI MCH Complaints 1100 Head Office 23225397 IVRS CUM MANUAL ENQUIRY PHONE NUMBERS (TRAIN & RESERVATION) RAILWAYS Rail Nilayam 27833169, 27824216 Railway Information 131 Reservations 135 Recorded Information 1345 Enquiry (IVRS) 1331, 1332, 1333
GUNTUR: The Anti-Corruption Bureau sleuths launched a major crackdown on the houses of officials and staff of the Excise department. The ACB is conducting raids on the residences and other properties of former ACB CI Mallikarjuna Rao. The ACB officials are conducting searches on the premises of properties owned by Mallikarjuna Rao in Guntur, Hyderabad and other places. The ACB team led by joint director Sampath Kumar conducted raids on the houses of the Excise staff following a tip-off that one employee had 65 per cent of stake in a liquor syndicate. The ACB officials searched the houses of Seshagiri Rao, camp clerk of the deputy commissioner; Subba Rao and Sekhar, constables. The Bureau is seizing documents and also searching liquor shops.
Nimmagadda deposes before CBI HYDERABAD: Chairman of Maa TV Nimmagadda Prasad appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the disproportionate assets case filed against YS Jagan for the second consecutive day. Prasad was grilled by the CBI sleuths for seven hours on Wednesday. Prasad was said to have been asked about his investments in Jagan’s companies and if there was any quid pro quo arrangement between him and Jagan and if he got any favours from the government in lieu of the investments.
The site of digging
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AMBULANCES Apollo 23548888, 23607777 Kamineni 24022222 Medwin 23202902, 23204616 Smile Line Dental Hospital 23747979 Red Cross 27627973 Niloufer Hospital 23314095 Gandhi 23320332
AIRLINES Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings. For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec’bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999
UK Visa Office VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7 Beside Meridian School, Banjara Hills34. Working hours are from 8 AM to 1 PM And 2 PM to 3PM. MUSEUMS Salar Jung Museum AP State Museum Nizams Museum
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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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Tantris outshine Mantris
MLAs yet to catch up with modernity Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com
POLITICS
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U Srinivas srinivas.u@postnoon.com
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antrics are having a ball. Politicians and officials in the State are booking them with a frenzy for various homams and vaastu alterations. What spurred vaastu is the perceived success of the TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu in getting off the judicial hook on assets case recently. His followers are attributing this to the vaastu alterations he did in his office. Recently, the TRS Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao performed Chandi Yaga for achieving Telangana. His whole family and filmstar-MP Vijayashanti participated. This was done in view of boosting the prospects of TRS whose stocks have come down of late. KCR is also reported to have contacted vaastu experts to make changes in his office. And, this gains urgency in view of the recent announcement of the Joint Action Council decision to support the BJP, not the TS candidate in Mahboobnagar by-election. Now, any weapon has a counter weapon. Here comes the news that the Telangana-TDP leader Motkupalli Narasimhulu would soon be performing a Chandi Yaga for getting rid of KCR
What’s Chandi homam?
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handi or Shakti is a powerful deity She is the primordial energy. A Chandi Homa has to be performed by expert 9 priests with years of experience. The priests will perform the Chandi Homa by chanting the Slokas in the 13 chapters of Durga Saptashati which is then followed by performing the actual Homa with other rituals which includes 12 other poojas.
MLAs fight it out in assembly over zoo welfare As MIM MLA finds fault with the way animals in the zoo are looked after, Speaker immediately gets defensive
POLITICS
whom he has described as an evil force in Telangana movement. He said the Chandi Yaga was for saving Telangana from KCR. It is not politicians alone, the principal of the NIT at Warangal has also performed yagna to ward off evil spirits which were taking the lives of students in the guise of suicides. Since it was not proper to perform pooja inside the institute’s campus he performed at his house.
peaker Nadendla Manohar was successful for the first time on Thursday in taking up the question hour. The members had some difficulty using the mikes. They were pressing the buttons twice leading to the mikes getting switched off. Speaker had to caution the members in the House many a time that they had to touch or press only once to make the mikes work. Interestingly, most members were seen using the old methods with the question books. No one was using laptops for taking up the business in the House. The concept of the paperless Assembly is yet to catch up with members. It looks like the dream of paperless Assembly may not be realised as the members are not using the laptops or ipads. The circulation of papers, chits from the officials box cannot be avoided, even after the advent of technology. Some members felt that hardcopy should be there, even if laptops are used. The technology cannot replace the ageold systems, they said. Talking to Postnoon, some members of MIM said that it was a different ballgame altogether. It is not that convenient, they said. Only a few members are using laptops to follow the proceedings.
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IM Legislator Moazzam Khan on Thursday alleged that the feeding of animals in the zoo was not happening properly. Raising the issue during the question hour in the Assembly, he said even as the summer was setting in, sprinkling of water for the animals nor feeding was happening. He said that the government was more interested in opening enclosures, rather than the welfare of the animals. The Speaker, who is the chairman of the zoo committee, said that three cheetahs have been added recently. It has become the number one tourist destination, he said. K Harishwar Reddy wanted a committee to be appointed by the Speaker for taking care of the zoo. Speaker said that there was already a committee of MLAs looking into the issue. Minister for Forests, Satrucherla Vijayarama Raju said that all care was being taken to see that steps were taken for the welfare of the animals. TDP MLA G MuddukKrishnama
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` 349/6 Months
` 199/-
Naidu wanted the Tirumala zoo to be improved with the help of TTD funds. An animal safari and bird sanctuaries should also be developed, he suggested. The minister reassured that all care would be taken for the development of zoos in the State and also the health of the animals from time to time. He said that the help of TTD would also be taken for further development of the Tirupati zoo. See page 7 for more.
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Slaughterhouse Five: City drags feet on modernisation Fact File
CIVIC
D
uring the beginning of February the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation mayor Mohammad Majid Hussain on his visit to one of the slaughterhouses expressed anger at the engineers over the ongoing renovation works of slaughter houses. He inspected the renovation work of slaughter house at Ahmedpura. He said that the renovation work is not going as per expectations due to lack of supervision by officials.
Anubha K Singh anubha.k@postnoon.com
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RPF summons Kishan Reddy
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he RPF inspector, Secunderabad, has issued summons to G Kishan Reddy, asking him to appear before him today in connection with the Rail Roko organised at Moula Ali last year. The inspector warned Reddy that “failure to turn up shall render you liable for prosecution under section 174.”
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here are five ‘o@cial’ slaughterhouses in the twin cities in Ziaguda, Gowlipura, Ramnasthpura, Amberpet and Bhoiguda handling big and small animals. They used to slaughter about 500 large animals like buffaloes, oxen and cows, and 6,000 to 8,000 small animals like sheep and goats. The Ziaguda slaughterhouse, located in the catchment area of the Osmansagar, continues to be operational despite orders to shut down in 2003. However, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) o@cials claim, “The slaughterhouse is permanently closed and used only for selling goats and sheep.” However, many butchers operate in an unauthorised manner outside the slaughterhouse, occupying the space. “It’s di@cult to stop them, as they will oppose any such move. The problem can be resolved only once the slaughterhouses are reopened which will take another four to five months,” said Wilson, in-charge assistant veterinary o@cer, Central Zone, GHMC. Though municipal corporation o@cials maintain that frequent checks are being conducted, they admit that they are helpless in the issue. They cannot prevent the unauthorised slaughter. While the government had
Sheep being herded for slaughter at Ziaguda asked the butchers from these slaughterhouses to use the mechanised government abattoir at Chengicherla, the butchers have their own argument. “Going to Chengicherla is di@cult for us. It is a far off place. Whatever we save on the work will go in transport only. Our families and businesses have been here for long and we will continue our trade here,” said Hamid Shaikh, a butcher from Ziaguda. Meanwhile, KM Kiran Kumar, inspector, Kulsumpura, said, “We are not authorised to look into the issue that comes under GHMC. If
THE FACES OF HYDERABAD Mahesh, Valet, Jubilee Hills M ANIL KUMAR
Aishwarya Yerra A city is defined by the people who live and work in it. Here we take a look at the human threads that make up our urban tapestry
GHMC comes with a complaint or requires any help, we will surely look into the matter.” “Meat generated by such unauthorised slaughterhouses is always dangerous and poses health hazards as the animals are killed in filthy conditions and there is no veterinary doctor to cull out the old and diseased animals,” adds Dr Wilson. “We are left with no other alternative. The meat prices are affordable here, compared to any other retail meat shops. Non-vegetarian food is part of my daily meal,” said Md Abdul, a resident of Ziaguda.
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ahesh has come a long way from home in Nepal to find work in Hyderabad. Seven years back he found a job as a car valet and today he works at Beyond Coffee, an upmarket coffee shop in Jubilee Hills. When he was younger he worked as a steward in a restaurant but switched professions to be car valet. Question him about this change and he says that being a valet is very convenient as hotels provide meals so they don’t have to worry about food. He also says that driving interests him and a career in this field suits him well. The best part about his job? People visiting the coffee shop come in the swankiest cars and he gets to drive them even if it is for a short while. He says among the Audi’s, Mercedes, BMWs and rovers he gets to drive, the Jaguar is his favourite. But the tough part about his job is that he has to switch between cars with different engines and gear systems.
Shockingly, he also claims that many of the meat shop owners in the City buy meat from here only. There are many residents who also oppose the illegal slaughtering. Many residents in the vicinity said that after the abattoirs were shifted to the outskirts, butchers started the unauthorised slaughtering and the authorities concerned conveniently turned a blind eye. “With illegal and unhygienic slaughtering of animals, there is always a chance of animal diseases spreading to humans. At least after modernisation of the slaughterhouses, we expect that there will be no stench or mosquito infestation or choking of the drainage system due to animal waste being dumped into sewer lines,” said Hamid Ansari, a resident of Ziaguda. On most occasions, the remains of meat and body parts of animals are disposed into the Musi river, that flows adjacent to the locality.
Minister’s assurance on loans to ryots
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he minister for Revenue N Raghuveera Reddy has said the State government is keen on resolving the problem of distribution of loans to tenant farmers. He participated in a meeting on ‘loan eligibilities to the tenant farmer’ organised by the revenue department with higher o@cials, collectors, bankers and farmers association at NRID conference hall at Rajendranagar here. He said the government would amend the Land Tenancy Act to provide loans to every eligible farmers if necessary. Stating that allegations were leveled in the ‘Saagu Rythu Rakshna Hastam’ implementation, he said the State government has taken a decision in this regard. He has made it clear the government would provide loans to allied agriculture activities.
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N SHIVA KUMAR
When will we learn? Sudeshna Koka sudeshna.k@postnoon.com
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s soon as the youngest bear in Hyderabad zoo sees a visitor he comes close to the edge of the moat and sticks out his long pink tongue. Click click and indeed this is a Kodak moment. However the cute little animal is not doing this for paparazzi attention but for the food that the visitors offer him. This is the new habit that animals in the Hyderabad zoo have cultivated. Nehru Zoological Park, located near Mir Alam Tank is one of the three most visited destinations in Hyderabad. Currently, there are over 1300 creatures, including animals, birds and reptiles representing 140 species. And the family continues to grow as new animals are added. Recently, three cheetahs from the Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic were shifted to the Nehru zoological park. Despite having such a vast variety in the Hyderabad zoo, visitors are not aware of the rules and regulations of the zoo. Most often visitors are unaware of the consequences that their actions can lead to. Animal lovers will be in for a shock when they come to know that most of the visitors try feeding the animals and this is a great cause of concern. “A child was feeding an animal dark chocolate and I tried to stop her from doing so as this may lead to the animal getting food poisoned. I got into a big fight with the family because I tried to stop the child,” recalls Sri Kamalam, MBA student. Bananas, popcorn, cucumbers and biscuits are sold outside the zoo and visitors carry them in excess so that they can feed
WILDLIFE the animals. They do this just to have a close up shot of the animal. “Trying to prevent the visitors from feeding the animals is a challenge. We have been educating them but in the excitement of seeing the animals they throw food at the animals,” says Arun, zoo administrator. Plastic pollution is another big problem in the zoo. While the authorities are trying to maintain the area like a natural forest, the careless visitors litter the zoo with plastic bottles and food covers. The zoo authority has been doing their best to prevent visitors from entering the zoo with plastic packets. At the entrance there is a checking point and anyone who wants to carry plastic bottle inside has to pay `10 as deposit which would be returned when they leave the zoo. “We charged `5 as deposit money but no one took it seriously and would litter the zoo therefore we increased it to `10 now,” said Arun, protocol administrator. Visitors who come to the zoo lack awareness and often tend to throw these bottles on the animals to attract their attention. Most of these animals are housed in enclosures that have shelters resembling their natural habitats. Unfortunately these are filled with cola cans and plastic bottles. The number of visitors to the zoo has been increasing over the years. The year 2011-2012 recorded the highest footfall with 20.02 lakh visitors until February 8. These 1,300 animals have been forced to call this 380 acres of land their home sweet home. However, in their own home they are subject to all sorts of cruelty. The visitors say cheese and capture several Kodak moments for life, but what about the lives of the poor animals?
Focus
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
The story behind the news
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Bailouts, bribes and insider trading: A story of the East India Company Here’s what the world’s most successful business looked like 300 years ago June 1756, the Nawab, or regent, overwhelmed poorly prepared company forces and captured Calcutta, which the company had controlled since 1690. As a result, the company lost £2.25 million. But already, the company had been preparing a counteroffensive. Led by Robert Clive, a small but focused expedition was able to retake the city in February 1757. The victory proved decisive for the company’s fortunes, which rose 12 per cent when news of the victory reached London.
Rob Wile
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overnment bailouts. Rogue traders. Bought-off politicians. These are not only the headlines that have dominated since the Great Recession. They were also major developments in the history of what was for 274 years the world’s most successful multinational corporation: the East India Company. Author Nick Robins provides an excellent and exhaustive look at the legendary company in his book, The Corporation That Changed The World. Nearly 255 years ago this month, the Company recaptured Calcutta, a decisive development in securing the company’s — and Britain’s — dominance over Eastern trade routes. But all of its success came at a price, borne by the lives of millions of Indians caught up in the country’s profit machine, writes Robins. The company’s mark on Britain and the Asian subcontinent remains indelible. Here are some of the fascinating lessons we learned from Robins’s book.
The cost of doing business The Battle of Plassey would prove the high point of the company’s powers in the subcontinent. Yet it also triggered what might be called the company’s brutality era. It was during the drought and famine of 1769-1770 that the company’s actions provoked worldwide outrage. To keep prices from skyrocketing, company agents began hoarding grain and ramping up revenue collection. The result was scores dead from starvation. A recent history has pegged total casualties at 1.2 million. (Incidentally, the drought also indirectly caused the Boston Tea Party, when parliament caved to the company’s demands to offset falling revenues by removing the company’s export duties, undercutting American tea traders). The drought caused the company’s share price to crash, falling below 150 pounds. It struggled to pay its annual dividend and was sent into a decade-long spiral. In 1784, the company got the equivalent of a bailout that allowed it to continue bond auctions. The East India Company was thus the first corporation to pay a dividend out of debt.
Instant profits The English East India Company received its charter from Queen Elizabeth I on December 31, 1600. Though not the first chartered company in England (the Muscovy Company predated it by 45 years), it pioneered the concept of joint stock ownership as a way of raising the amount of capital needed for successful overseas trade, as well as managing the risk inherent in the enterprise. At first joint stocks were constructed for each voyage, but by 1657 the company was formalised as a “continuous unlimited investment taking place without reference to individual voyages”. In 1635, after a series of skirmishes, the company signed a treaty with Portugal giving it access to a large swatch of the coast of eastern India, including Madras (now Chennai). It added Bombay in 1668, a gift to Charles II from his Portuguese wife. By 1684, the company had imported 1.76 million pieces of Indian textiles, representing 83 per cent of its entire trade. As ever, the company’s share price was its “heart beat”, broadcasting its current and future prospects, Robins writes. By 1693, company shares were worth nearly £150.
New tactics The company’s founders, according to Robins, had been “a band of merchants”; there does not appear to have been a central figurehead lobbying for trading rights. Rather, the first chairman to make international headlines was Josiah Child, a career merchant who served as either a board member or governor for 17 years. It was Child’s idea to raise a proprietary army and navy to turn the company from a “parcel of mere trading merchants” into a “formidable martial government in India”. Child was also the first to open a line of
New product, new market
bribery with the crown. Upon his election as governor in 1681, he “awarded” Charles II 10,000 guineas to help smooth the company’s charter renewal. This sum would become an annual “gift” from the company for the next seven years. After the Glorious Revolution in 1689, Child gave the government a £1.2 million loan at zero interest to again secure an exclusive trading charter. Insider trading was also common. Overseas executives would write to agents at home to buy as much stock as possible to capitalise on favourable developments in the subcontinent. At one point the company set up what Robins describes as a “special purpose vehicle” to conduct side trades with local merchants. Still, by 1740
its stock price had reached £200, and it had supplanted the Dutch as the dominant mercantile force in the East. The company’s business model should sound familiar; keeping supply and production costs low while maximising the price of goods sold in England. It ended up outsourcing as much as it could, including manufacturing, shipping and retailing. The value it added was in the selection of goods and in keeping the supply chain humming.
A decisive victory Despite the company’s dominance, the rest of Europe had not yet given up. In particular, the French still commanded an important trading fortification near Calcutta. In
The company was eventually able to regain its footing by tacking to another commodity, opium; and a new market, China. Although the company was only allowed to trade through a single port at Canton, by 1828 the company was generating enough revenue from opium sales to cover the entire cost of purchasing Chinese tea. Robins adds that with one-tenth of British revenues derived from tea duties, “the entire imperial edifice” was by the 1830s resting “on a mountain of opium.”
End of an era The company’s demise was engineered by Britain itself, as factories in the north of England turned the country into an industrial powerhouse. Even the Church of England contributed to the company’s downfall by successfully lobbying for a bishopric in India; previously, the company had banned missionary activity there. The final legacy of the company is perhaps that in terms of 21st century purchasing power, Robins estimates the company contributed £40 billion to the British economy. For such a large sum, it exacted a fairly nasty price.
India‑View
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
India unveiled
Italian minister arrives, no breakthrough yet KOTTAYAM: With Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy talking tough and Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Steffan de Mistura holding his ground, a meeting between them here late on Wednesday failed to end the standoff on the issue of killing of two Indian fishermen at sea. Emerging from over an hourlong closed-door meeting, Chandy said that there was no point in discussing the matter as “it is a murder case. The case will go by its legal process only,” he said. Mitsura on the other hand maintained that the incident had taken place in international waters and sought immunity from prosecution for the two guards of the Italian oil taker who allegedly shot dead the two
Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Staffan De Mistura arrives for a meeting in New Delhi. AFP
Indian fishermen off Kollam coast. Chandy, however, said the “demand for defence protection could not be approved at this juncture”. Mitsura said that such an incident could take place with Indian military personnel in any part of the world, according to Chandy. The Chief Minister said the Italian side sought to raise the issue of compensation for the families of the victims. But Chandy said that the fishermen were killed in a “brutal manner” and “we did not discuss” the compensation issue. The Italian side wanted to meet the relatives of the fishermen but were told that the situation is “not right” for it, Chandy said. PTI
9
Polling for fifth phase of UP elections commences LUCKNOW: Polling for the fifth phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections covering 49 seats spread over 13 district, including Bundelkhand region, began here today. Fate of 829 candidates, including that of leader of opposition in the State Assembly Shivpal Singh Yadav, BJP leader Uma Bharati and former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh would be decided by more than 1.56 crore electorates. Polling for 49 seats in Firozabad, Kanshiram Nagar, Etah, Mainpuri, Etawah, Auraiya, Ramabainagar, Kanpur, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Hamirpur and Mahoba districts started at 7am amidst tight security, chief electoral officer Umesh Sinha said. He said that polling was being held at 17,267 polling stations at 11,745 centres. While 2,104 stations have
been identified as sensitive, 2,256 have been marked as hyper sensitive. To check any irregularity at polling stations 981 video cameras and 2,100 digital cameras have been installed, Sinha said. The fifth phase would cover assembly seats in backward Bundelkhand region, bastions of SP and former chief minister Kalyan Singh. In this phase, Shivpal Singh Yadav is seeking re-election from Jaswantnagar seat in Etawah district. Fate of firebrand leader Uma Bharati, who is making her debut in UP electoral politics, would be put to test from Charkhari seat in Mahoba district. Charisma and political strength of former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh would also be tested in this phase when elections would be held in his stronghold of Etah. PTI
Nine army troopers killed ‘Infighting responsible for killings’ in Kashmir avalanche SRINAGAR: Nine army troopers were killed in two avalanche tragedies in north Kashmir’s Bandipora and Ganderbal districts.” A massive avalanche struck the brigade headquarters of the army in Dawar village of Gurez subdivision of Bandipora district during the night,” Lt Col J S Brar, spokesperson of the army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps said. “So far, six bodies have been recovered from the avalanche debris. The toll is feared to rise as more troopers are believed to be under the avalanche,” he said. “In another similar incident,
three troopers of the army were killed in Sonamarg (Ganderbal) when another avalanche hit an army camp there,” he said. A third avalanche has destroyed over a dozen hutments in Ramwari area of Ganerbal district during the night but no loss of life occurred in the incident. The area is inhabited by nomadic goatherds during the summer as they take their flock of sheep and goats for grazing. Only last week, a major disaster was averted in Ganderbal district as a massive avalanche blocked the passage of water in the Sindh stream IANS
KOLKATA: Two Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) leaders, including a former legislator, were killed in a clash in West Bengal on Wednesday which the Left Front blamed on the ruling Trinamool Congress. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee linked the deaths to infighting within the CPM. Pradip Tah, who earlier represented Burdwan North in the assembly, and the party’s district committee member Kamal Gayen were lynched in the clash in Dewandighi in Burdwan district. “Two people were injured,” said Inspector General of Police Gangeshwar Singh. “There is a lot of tension in the area,” he said.
POLITICAL RHYTHM
Four people have been arrested, district police superintendent SH Mirza said. CPM State secretariat member Shyamal Chakraborty blamed the TMC for the killings. “The Trinamool men attacked a peaceful procession brought
Five robbers shot dead in Chennai CHENNAI: In a midnight gun
Member of Rajya Sabha and ICCR President Karan Singh sings his favourite songs during a function at Azad Bhavan in New Delhi on Wednesday.
out by our partymen in support of the February 28 All India strike called by various trade unions. The Trinamool men used lethal weapons and killed the two leaders,” he said. The Congress, an ally of the Trinamool, also urged Mamata Banerjee to take action. CPM State secretariat member Rabin Deb accused the Trinamoool ‘jungle raj’ in the state in the last eight months. Banerjee who is currently in New Delhi on an official visit said, “it is a result of internal clash,” State urban development minister Firhad Hakim claimed that the CPM workers had on Wednesday morning torn down flags of all other parties in the area. IANS
PTI
battle at a residential locality on Thursday, Tamil Nadu police shot dead five people suspected to be involved in two suburban bank branch robberies. “Five people are dead and two policemen were injured,” Chennai Police Commissioner JK Tripathy said. The dead have been identified as Vinodkumar, Vinaykumar, Harishkumar, Abheykumar and Chandrikhare. While Chandrikhare was from Bihar, the others were from West Bengal. They were in the age group of 30-35. Police said they got a call in the midnight that warned them of some suspicious characters in an apartment in Velachery. A police team immediately
went to the spot and asked the residents of that apartment -located on the ground floor -- to come out. However, the residents instead of coming out opened one of the windows and started shooting and injured two policemen. Police then surrounded the building and started shooting in self defence. The exchange of fire continued for an hour. Later, when police entered the apartment they found five people in a pool of blood. `10 lakh was recovered. The five people had been staying in a rented apartment, saying they were students in the city. The two injured policemen have been admitted to Royapettah Hospital. IANS
Around the World
10
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
Beyond Borders
Uproar as renowned journalists killed in Syria Two Western journalists and more than a dozen people were killed on Wednesday as Syrian forces pounded the rebel city of Homs, while calls mounted for a truce to allow in humanitarian aid.
Remi Ochlik: A passionate professional PARIS: French photojournalist Remi Ochlik, killed in Syria at the age of 28 on Wednesday, was a passionate professional who won praise for getting as “close as possible” to the story. In his short career, Ochlik covered fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2008, the 2010 presidential elections and cholera epidemic in Haiti and the 2011 Arab Spring revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Barely out of his teens and still a student, Ochlik set out for Haiti in February 2004 to cover the events surrounding the fall of president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, eventually earning a prize for young reporters. Ochlik was killed on Wednesday when a shell crashed into a makeshift media centre set up by antiregime militants in Homs, the flashpoint city in a yearlong conflict in Syria. His photos had appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Time magazine, Le Monde and others, and he won first prize in general news at the 2012 World Press Photo competition for his coverage of Libya. AFP
Colvin: Reporter who knew war too well
US-born journalist Marie Colvin and French Photo journalist Remi Ochlik. AFP LONDON: Marie Colvin, who was killed in Syria on Wednesday aged 56, was a renowned war reporter for Britain’s Sunday Times whose distinctive black eye-patch symbolised her bravery and commitment. Born in the United States but based in London for decades, her long career saw her cover some of the world’s bloodiest conflicts, while most recently
Syrian citizen journalist killed BEIRUT: A Syrian activist and citizen cameraman who has been documenting the regime’s assault on the city of Homs was killed in army shelling, a fellow activist said on Wednesday. Rami al-Sayyed, who provided live footage on the Internet from the besieged rebel-held district of Baba Amr, was killed late Tuesday when a rocket hit a car in which he was travelling, said Homs-based activist Hadi Abdullah. HA video posted on the Internet showed couple of medics trying desperately to save his life at a makeshift hospital.“Come on my friend! Wake up, so that you can go on filming,” a medic told the dying Sayyed. “He was targeted because he documented the crimes of Bashar al-Assad,” he said. AFP
she reported on the Arab Spring uprisings from Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. In her final powerful reports from the Syrian city of Homs, filed just hours before she died along with young freelance French photojournalist Remi Ochlik, she described a two-year-old boy dying of a shrapnel wound. “I watched a little baby die today. Absolutely horrific,” she told BBC television by telephone from Homs. “His little tummy just kept heaving until he died.” The Sunday Times, the paper she had worked for 25 years, put her final dispatch from the Babr Amr area of Homs outside its paywall. “It is a city of the cold and hungry, echoing to exploding shells and bursts of gunfire,” Colvin wrote in the piece, originally published on Sunday. “On the lips of everyone was the question: ‘Why have we been abandoned by the world?’” One of her most poignant comments from her last hours came on her Facebook page, where she responded to comments from colleagues wishing her well. “A nightmare here. Mx”, she wrote to one. Colvin’s determination to tell the stories of people caught in conflict had long led her deep into the heart of danger. The eye patch she wore was the result of a shrapnel wound she sustained from a grenade explosion covering the civil war in Sri Lanka in 2001, depriving her of sight in one eye. Born in Long Island, she majored in English at Yale University and her first job was as a night-shift police beat reporter for the United Press International news agency in New York City. She then did a two-year stint as Paris bureau chief for UPI before joining The Sunday Times as a Middle East correspondent in 1986. During her 25 years with the broadsheet she reported on almost every major conflict, from the Lebanese civil war to the first Gulf War, from Chechnya to East Timor. AFP
49 dead, many injured in Buenos Aires train crash BUENOS
Police and rescue workers surround a train that crashed at Once train station in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. AFP
AIRES: A packed commuter train slammed into a retaining wall at a railway terminus in Buenos Aires during rush hour on Wednesday, leaving at least 49 dead, 600 injured, and dozens trapped in the wreckage. “The train was full and the impact was tremendous,” a passenger identified only as Ezequiel told local television, adding that medics at the scene appeared overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster. Witnesses said the train’s brakes failed as it was arriving at the Once station on the western outskirts of Buenos Aires.
Passengers were hurled on top of each other and knocked to the floor of the train “in the blink of an eye,” some losing consciousness and others seriously injured, they said. “Unfortunately, we must report that there are 49 dead in the accident,” police spokesman Nestor Rodriguez told a news conference. Civil defence officials said at least 600 people were hurt in the crash. Argentina’s deadliest train tragedy was in 1970, an accident that killed 236 in northern Buenos Aires. AFP
GLOBE AT A GLANCE Australian foreign minister quits CANBERRA: Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd on Wednesday resigned, saying he no longer had the support of PM Julia Gillard. He announced his resignation in Washington. “I cannot continue to serve as foreign minister if I do not have the prime minister’s support,” he was quoted as saying.“I feel very uncomfortable doing this from Washington but I don’t feel I have a choice,” Rudd said.
Romney, Santorum in a make-or-break debate MESA: Struggling Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney locked horns with his surging rival Rick Santorum on Wednesday, in a crucial TV debate as the pair vie for frontrunner status. This is the last televised debate before two key polls next week and before the “Super Tuesday” on March 6.
Republican presidential candidates Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich participate in a debate in Mesa, Arizona. AFP
Man shoots woman, self at Wal-Mart centre WASHINGTON: A 40-year-old woman manager at a Wal-Mart distribution centre in Virginia was shot at by an employee who later killed himself when confronted by police Wednesday, officials said. The shooting took place at a facility in Dinwiddie county, Xinhua reported citing the local WRIC TV, which serves the Richmond-Petersburg area.
Mubarak verdict to be announced on June 2 CAIRO: The verdict in the hearing for former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and former interior minister Habib Adly — both accused of corruption and killing protesters will be announced June 2, a judge said.The trial began in August last year. Wednesday was the last day of hearing. Prosecutors have demanded death sentence for the former president.
Senegalese President and presidential candidate Abdoulaye Wade waves to his supporters during a rally in Dakar. AFP
18,123.39 21.86
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`49.25
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Matters of saving and spending
`77.20
POUND THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012 11
Drastic fall in agents, new premium Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com
HYDERABAD: Life insurance companies have infused a capital of `1,977 crore ($400 million) in last nine months ending December 31, 2011. The capital infusion has come at a time when industry is witnessing a drop in new business premium incomes due to revised regulatory architecture, according to the data released by Life insurance council. The total premium collected by the industry dropped by three per cent to `1,80,240 crore from `1, 86, 396 crore in the first three quarters of the current financial year. New business premium for the industry declined by 17 per cent, compared to the corresponding period last year, to `71,953 crore from `86, 698 crore. This trend is attributed to the ‘near disappearance’ of new individual pension policies. As per the provisional figures released by council, the total new premium collected under the individual pension category
nosedived to `1,008 crore, compared to `18,417 crore for the corresponding period in previous year and `19, 406 crore in 2009. The total number of individual pension policies sold has also come down to 0.11 million from 3.43 million. In terms of inclusive growth, the life insurance industry covered more than 97.76 lakh lives in social sector and sold 81.6 lakh policies in rural areas as on December 31, 2011. Total renewal premium for the three quarters under review registered a nine per cent of annual growth, compared to 2.72 growth in 2009 and ‘10. Non-linked renewal premium has grown by 14 per cent to `73,162 crore from `63,962 crore previous year. Linked renewal premium collection dropped marginally by one per cent to `35,070 crore from `35, 561 crore. “The infusion of capital to the tune of $ 400 million in the first nine months indicates that promoters, whether foreign or domestic, have a long term
appetite .Insurance has a long gestation period and companies show losses for first 10 to 15 years. Companies need to be supported by capital. Also given the current economic scenario where capital is scarce and foreign promoters want to stay invested in life insurance in India, we feel that the time is opportune for increasing the FDI limit in insurance to 49 per cent,’ said SB Mathur, secretarygeneral, Life insurance council. Investment in infrastructure by life insurers stood at `2,06,000 crore till December 31, 2011. The industry continues to focus on providing protection and has paid death benefits to the tune of `8,057 crore, compared to `7,436 crore in the previous year. Total numbers of individual agents at the end of the three quarters were 23.78 lakh, compared to 27.10 lakh the previous year. The percentage of new business premium collection from this traditional channel has decreased to 44 per cent during this period, compared to 55 per cent last year.
VIOLET KIRK n
Life insurance industry infuses `1,977 crore as capital in 9 months
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Lackluster pension segment drags down new premium of the industry
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Total no. of individual agents decreases by 3.31 lakh, new premium collection from agency channels takes a hit.
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Renewal premium grows at nine per cent
Obama proposes minimum Sensex fluctuates taxes on foreign earnings Lalit K Jha
Microsoft launches Explorer touch mouse HYDERABAD:
Microsoft launched the Explorer touch mouse in Indian markets on Wednesday. The product is compatible with both the Windows and Mac and has touch strip optimized for quick vertical and horizontal scrolling. Blue track technology helps the mouse work on any surface including wood, marble, granite and carpet. The Explorer touch mouse also has five customizable buttons (for everyday tasks like cut, copy, paste and open new window).The product is priced at `2,399 and has a battery life of up to 18 months, The 2.4GHz wireless technology mouse provides a wireless connection that allows users to work up to 4.5 metres away.
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has proposed to establish a new minimum tax on foreign earnings while repealing benefits for outsourcing jobs overseas and providing new incentives for bringing jobs back home. The proposed move would make it a bit tough for US multinationals to ship jobs overseas and will give incentives to those who bring operations back into the US. The Treasury Department said that the US business tax system does too little to encourage job creation and investment in the US and creates too many opportunities that encourage shifting production and profits overseas. In a statement, Obama said the current corporate tax system is outdated, unfair, and inefficient.”It provides tax breaks for moving jobs and profits overseas and hits companies that choose to stay in America with one of the highest tax rates in the world. It is unnecessarily complicated and forces America’s small businesses
to spend countless hours and dollars filing their taxes,” he said adding that this needs to change. He said the tax system should not give companies an incentive to locate production overseas or engage in accounting games to shift profits abroad, eroding the US tax base. “Introducing the principle of a minimum tax on foreign earn-
ings would help address these problems and discourage a global race to the bottom in tax rates,” it said. The Treasury yesterday released the President’s framework for reforming the US business tax system, which would enhance American competitiveness by simplifying the tax code and eliminating dozens of tax loopholes and subsidies, incentivising job creation and investment here at home and lowering the business rate while broadening the tax base. According to the framework, the President believes it must prevent companies from reaping the benefits of locating profits in low-tax countries, put the US on a more level playing field with its international competitors, and help end the race to the bottom in corporate tax rates. “Specifically, under the President’s proposal, income earned by subsidiaries of US corporations operating abroad must be subject to a minimum rate of tax. This would stop our tax system from generously rewarding companies for moving profits offshore,” it said. PTI
MUMBAI: The BSE benchmark index Sensex recovered by nearly 57 points in early trade on Thursday on selective buying by funds. The 30-share index, which had lost 283.36 points in Wednesday session, recovered by 56.79 points, or 0.31 per cent to 18,202.04 points. The wide-based National Stock Exchange Nifty index moved up by 12.80 points, or 0.23 per cent, to 5,518.15. Brokers said besides selective buying by funds, coveringup of pending short positions by speculators on the last session of current month expiry in the derivatives segment, helped stocks to trade in the positive zone. Stocks of IT and fast moving consumer goods sectors were in good demand, supporting the Sensex.
Rupee down 5 paise The rupee fell marginally by 5 paise to 49.27 against the US dollar on the Interbank Foreign Exchange market in early trade on Thursday, following increased demand for the American currency from importers. PTI
Comment
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
Fair, free and forthright
Editorials IN SYRIA, TIME IS fast running out
CASTING NOSTALGIA
A
s the global media reels from the death of journalists Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik in Homs, Syria, news is beginning to leak that Assad directly ordered a barrage on the media centre in the besieged city. This page has been calling for international intervention in Syria for some time now, but the US and UK, bruised and battered as they are, still keep boots of the strategy table. The onus is now increasingly on the Arab League to take the first (and we think ultimately necessary) step in dismantling the Syrian regime. But the moment is fast arriving when even Western powers will not be able to sit by and watch the massacre of civilians. With Iran, however, ramping up the jingoistic rhetoric, attention is being divided. While Iran is a threat, it has been so for a few years now. Iran still has a couple of years to go before it’s military nuclear aspirations need to be nipped. Syria is an issue right now. Israel may be cajoled into doing something, but that would only serve to ignite the region, alienate the League, and send Iran’s knuckle-draggers, who are in a minority, but powerful enough to push the agenda, into overdrive. Nato has to make a call. If there was one war that didn’t need full Security Council sanctions, it’s this one.
WHY WE LOVE British nonchalance
A
dele’s middle-finger salute at the Brits was met with opprobrium in the US, but the UK didn’t care. That stiff upper lip still rocks.
12
AD SENSE Srividya Raghavan
O
h yes, the idea of reckless youth is familiar to us. Didn’t we flock to the theatres to watch Jawani Diwani and tap our legs to Yeh jawani, hai diwani and think this is what youthful exuberance is all about? Today, they say — India has a young population. The CII website informs us that 42 per cent of the population is less than 20 years — meaning they were born after 1991. We grapple today with a youngisthan which perceives in 2012, almost no reflection of the life before mid-nineties. It seems as if future possibilities have nothing to do with the past. This is not the generation that thought ‘Mere paas ma hai’ as the ultimate argument against materialism. This is not the generation that grew up on Suraj ek, chanda ek and Hind desh ke niwasi and Hum honge kamiyab and Mile sur mere thumhara and Jahan daal daal par sone ki chidya and so on and so forth. There is however, a generation that remembers what it was to dream of plenty and aspire for the Sone ki chidya so often promised to us. CII data tells us 72 per cent of the population is less than 40 years old. There are those among us who knew and experienced scarcity in the pre-liberalisation era and have survived into an era where scarcity feels like a bad idea that doesn’t belong. The India before the mid-nineties isn’t an era we care to remember — or so we think. But then, did we just see the revival of Mile sur mere thumhara on national television? Didn’t Karan Johar try his hardest to remind us of Hum honge kamyab in My Name is Khan. What’s with the remakes of Sholay, Don, Agneepath? Seems as if reinterpreting classics is in. And what’s with the increasing use of old Bollywood songs in advertising? Is this catering to current tastes or is it the nostalgia of folks with greying and balding hair? On that note of nostalgia — remember the time, when as students, we didn’t have computers, projectors and the Internet and had to rely on our mental faculties to come up with creative ideas? We would participate in events like ADZAPP and its variants where we had to come up with ads for wacky stuff? We used whatever idea we could pick out of our own brains. Remember how we always found that the easiest way to engage the crowd was to use situational and popular filmy music of the
Scarce Postnoon
Flyover in limbo
The article on the dancer Shobana Narayan was really good. Her determination and commitment towards dance is really commendable. I was one of the spectators at the dance and I must say that it was a mesmerising performance. The audience were simply rooted to their seats. Also, the edition on the whole was a really good one. Your weekend editions are really coming out very well but only thing most of the people I know and including me find it difficult to get our hands onto a copy in the weekend. Sunita Singh Bowenpally
The news about the flyover in limbo was well covered. Very few people have even bothered to find out what construction was going on there. Since I pass by that route every day to go to work, I totally agree with the reporter. I have seen drunken men there and it seems like a taxi or auto stand. Do we pay taxes diligently only to see such laxity on the part of the officials? Houses close to the flyover there were demolished and often I have noticed people in those dilapidated houses. What if something were to happen to them? The police seriously needs to address this issue as well. Mayank Mahapatra Begumpet
There is however, a generation that remembers what it was to dream of plenty and aspire for the Sone ki chidya so often promised to us. CII data tells us 72 per cent of the population is less than 40 years old. There are those among us who knew and experienced scarcity in the pre-liberalisation era and have survived into an era where scarcity feels like a bad idea that doesn’t belong. The India before the mid-nineties isn’t an era we care to remember — or so we think. day? We just knew that it was the easiest way to engage the audience and get them to relate quickly! Even with the computers, projectors, sound systems and editing software, students do the same. And now, even professionals do the same. Here’s a sample: The Raymond ad with Aaj kal tere mere pyar ke charche showed a bunch of people, presumably friends, singing the familiar tune relevant to the situation. The Cadbury Dairy Milk Pehli Tarikh ad aimed to evoke a sense of nostalgia and feeling of celebration on the day your pocket feels full. A series of Coke ads last Diwali used Aaj ki raat, Jaata kahaan hai diwane and Tum jo mil gaye ho in remixed versions and meaningfully changed contexts. The TVS Scooty babilicious ads used Mud mud ke na dekh, Jaane dona, Jahan teri yeh nazar hai and Mentos melon ad used Yeh jawaani hai diwani to redefine attitudes. KitKat made a comic point about ‘having a break’ with animations and incongruent songs such as I love you from Mr India, Aao naa, gale lagao na. The Fortune oil ad rejuvenated the ‘ma’ sentimentality with SD Burman’s Meri duniya hai maa. These ads come, not from creative starved agencies, but the best of the lot — the likes of O&M, McCann and JWT. I am quite sure they have reasons to believe that using old popular music works. What works may not have so much to do with cost than effectiveness. Developing a jingle for a 30 second ad will perhaps cost less than the rights to popular music. The ‘needle-drop’ effect is known for its effectiveness — which is why it came into existence in the first place. Popular music can deliver richness in communication. It can sell
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
a lot more than attributes. It can fit the brand into the consumer’s life and give it context. It’s how a potential suitor serenades his object of affection — with popular romantic music. Attitude, humour, sentimentality, romance and more with old Bollywood music — now that’s a goldmine of expressions to choose from. We don’t need research to tell us this (it does, nevertheless), and our intuition will most certainly support this — music comprises a sign system that adds meaning to advertising. Consumers use music to create meanings from advertising. At the outset, consumers don’t know the brand but know the music. And they know what the music means literally, culturally and figuratively. In their heads, they transfer meaning from the music to the brand. Nostalgia and relevance can thus recreate meanings and aid in communicating the brand. Felt experiences cause cultural nostalgia and helps us remould what we know into current contexts, making the advertisement relevant. This makes us relevant because in some way, we connect what we already know with what’s going on now. Past is somehow connected to the present and future. When I ask my students to recall what Classical Conditioning is all about, the class invariably responds with a resounding silence. Then I usually follow it up with the name, Pavlov: the response is almost immediate and it is always – DOG – and I can almost see them visualising ‘salivating dogs’. Despite his indisputably important contribution to our understanding of ‘learning processes’, Pavlov is always, almost effortlessly associated with dogs. But then, it does prove something about the robustness of the theory he proposed based on his experiment with the dog, meat and bell: that if we paired two unlike objects repetitively enough, we might be able to elicit similar responses towards both. What does this mean for Bollywood music and advertising? It means that popular music can evoke meanings for a brand that the consumer didn’t know what to think of. It means that the 30 seconds is used more effectively in making audiences feel good about the ad and thereby the brand itself. It means that the ad can transfer complex cultural meanings more effectively, efficiently and aid in re-contextualising. So, do I buy the brands because they played music I like? No, of course not! That’s definitely not the reason I would care to admit. But sure, I do listen to them more, learn more about them and feel better about them than I would otherwise.
Comic relief
Leave life to God
I picked up Postnoon for the first time a few days ago and have found myself looking forward to reading the paper every day. I like your features pages, particularly the music, movies and TV pages. But what I really love to read in Postnoon is your centrefolds. Your story on Superheroes for instance was something I would never have expected to see in a newspaper. However, it’s the kind of story that I would love to read as there are lot of us comic book enthusiasts who find little to look forward to in the city. I really appreciate your efforts. Kalyam Ram Abids
I am a regular reader of Postnoon and really like your paper. Your story titled Blast from the past can blow us away was an extremely interesting read. There are a number of things in nature that we are still to understand and the fact that we keep playing with fire, despite having terrible examples from the past, seems to indicate the arrogance we have as human beings. The writer was extremely right in saying that nature had its own way of propagating and elimination species. Sneha S Himayatnagar
H‑Factor
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
Holistic view of mind, body and soul
Spice up your act Is work pressure driving a wedge in your relationship? It’s about time you examined your lifestyle, spotted areas that cause you stress and worked towards de-stressing yourself for a better sex life Things you can try
13
Celebrate your periods
n Pretend you just met:
Work to impress your partner. Buy new lingerie, work out and dress to kill. It works. n Be innovative: If you’ve not made out in a certain part of the house before then try doing it there. There’s always something exciting about trying out new places. If you’re adventurous enough then you could steal a few precious moments at a party or family do. n Fantasise: We all like to be wooed and pleasured a certain way. Make yourself be heard and let all your fantasies come true. n Indulge her: Women love being pampered and wooed. Treat her like a queen, romance her, buy her flowers, drop corny lines or light a few candles. It’ll definitely set the mood. n Be aggressive: Sometimes it’s best to just be aggressive. Calm can be boring. So don’t hold back and be as expressive as you can.
Ranjani Rajendra ranjani.r@postnoon.com
I
t’s been a terribly long week for you – you’ve been working 15 straight hours every day, juggling presentations, a moody boss, a slacking colleague, battling chaotic traffic – and when you arrive home on a Friday night, you let yourself into a home decorated with candles and an attractively dressed partner with your favourite bottle of wine. But all you want to do is hit the sack and sleep the weekend away. Sex is just not on your mind after all the stress you’ve been through, in fact, it’s one of the last things on your agenda these days. Every time your partner makes a move you look for ways to escape intimacy because you’re just too tired. How often have you faced a
situation like this? And how often have you had arguments about a lacklustre love life? Chances are the stress of your daily routine is beginning to affect your sex life. But it’s not just physical stress that plays a role in a lowered libido. Mental stress can affect your performance in bed. Dr F Rai, a sexologist at Dr Rai Clinic, says, “Stress is one of the main reasons for problems like erectile dysfunction and low sperm count. Besides, people who are stressed will not have the will or the stamina to get any exercise which adds to the problem. Aerobic and breathing exercises, yoga and meditation help relieve stress.” He goes on to add, “There are different types of stress that can affect a person. When it comes to mental stress it could be post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a nervous breakdown or depression. Physical stress can be caused by long hours of
work, irregular sleep patterns, poor diet and tight clothes.” Experts suggest that people who are stressed should avoid alcohol and junk food. “These days there are large number of youngsters who face problems in their sex lives and stress is the primary reason in most cases. I often see people are young as 22 or 30 come to me with such problems. These people usually have lifestyle problems like stress, irregular sleep patterns, sedentary lifestyles and irregular
Act smart n Wear loose undergarments
and avoid low waist pants. These usually hamper sperm production in men. n Eat a balanced and nutritious diet. n Go for a 45-minute walk every day. n Ensure you get your 8 hours of sleep.
eating habits,” explains Dr Rai. Another factor that works against couples is the lack of time. Long working hours and mismatched job schedules often lead to them meeting only over the weekends, which usually are spent fulfilling other social obligations. It is little wonder then that most relationships these days struggle to bridge a widening rift. Add to that a poor sex life and you have a recipe for disaster. Given the changing lifestyles, Dr Rai, suggests learning to cope with the stress. “Stress is a part and parcel of daily life. It’s important to strike a balance to be able to relax. Also counselling helps as well.” Simple things like replanning your schedule, dealing with work more efficiently and sometimes accepting that you cannot possibly deal with every thing under the sun can help you step back and relax. Most importantly, don’t carry work home.
Dr Divya T Sudarshan
How is menstrual blood used to harvest stem cells? It happens once in a while that there is a real revolutionary thought and then a discovery, which makes us wonder why no one else ever thought of it before. It happened with antibiotics, which allowed us to challenge infection and today it seems like stem cells will help us challenge injury. Injury can be any assault on any system from Alzheimer’s and spinal cord breaks to treating diabetes, blood disorders, healing bone deformities and creating new organs. So what are stem cells and where are they found? As the name suggests the root is in the ground but it is the stem that grows, branches and bears fruit. Thus a very apt name for something that can create so many new life giving structures. Stem cells come from two main sources — embryos or adult tissues. Embryonic stem cells can give rise to virtually any cell type in the body, but they are controversial because conventional procedures for obtaining them involve the destruction of an embryo. Adult stem cells, such as those found in bone marrow, do not pose the same ethical concerns, but they have limited powers and collecting them can require painful invasive procedures. Stem cells from the umbilical cord blood and tissue are very useful, but unfortunately, it is a one-time option and can only be preserved at the time of birth. Previously, there have been many instances when people have had a second child to use as a bone marrow donor for an ailing first child. (The column will be continued next week. The writer is a gynaecologist and obstetrician practising at Happy Women Clinic. You can write in to her at happywomenclinic@gmail.com)
H‑Factor
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
Holistic view of mind, body and soul
14
Open windows could help prevent infections LONDON: Air conditioning and the ultra-sterile environment in places like hospitals may actually contribute to infections, say experts. Friendly bacteria found outdoors could be recruited to fend off the potentially deadly microbes that cause hospital-acquired infections, according to Jack Gilbert of Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago and head of the Earth Microbiome Project, a global database of microbial species, The Independent reported on Monday. He said the idea is supported by a study showing that open windows influence the composition of microbial communities found on handles and surfaces, but did not increase the numbers of dangerous pathogens - the sort of antibiotic-resistant superbugs which infect patients. “Open windows let bacteria in from outside and you will either dilute out the pathogens, or you are not allowing the pathogens to establish themselves because there is too much competition for the nutrients and energy that the bacteria need to survive,” Gilbert told the American Association for the Advancement of Science. “There’s a good bacterial community living in hospitals and if you try to wipe out that good bacterial community with sterilisation agents and excessive antibiotic use, you actually lay waste to this green field of protective layer and these bad bacteria can just jump in and start causing hospital-borne infections.” Hospitals need to be clean but too much sterilisation may be counter-productive, which may explain why hospital infections can recur even under the most sterile circumstances, the newspaper quoted Gilbert as saying. IANS
MOTHER KNOWS BEST
Treat acidity at home A
fun night out, loads of gossip and great food later many of us suffer from a bad case of acidity. If popping pills isn’t your cup of tea than there are many options available to handle acidity. Simple and fast, some of the popular home remedies include:
Drink a glass of water with a pinch of asafoetida powder daily for a week.
Coconut Drinking tender coconut water every morning on an empty stomach is also a good remedy. As having coconut water every day has many health benefits, drinking coconut water every day is a great habit and can be inculcated into our diet.
Chewing 9-10 mint leaves of mint on an empty stomach in the morning is a very popular home remedy for treating acidity. Drinking warm water with a pinch of baking soda at one go is said to help overcome the problem.
A salad of cucumber and watermelon after every meal is also a great alternative. They help cool the digestive system and also treat acidity.
Asafoetida
Mint
Baking soda
Cucumber and watermelon
Basil leaves Basil leaves or Tulsi are also beneficial. Seven to eight leaves of Tulsi
should be eaten in the morning. If this is continued for one week it can tackle the problem permanently.
Ginger and coriander Ginger and coriander together can provide instant relief the problem of acidi-
ty. Take a piece of ginger and some coriander and chew them together. One should chew them till you completely swallow them.
Orange juice Drink a glass of orange juice with some cumin seeds that have been slightly roasted. Drink this for seven days continuously for relief.
Apple Cidar Vinegar A fast-acting remedy for acidity is add two-three teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water.
Yogurt If nothing is available, yogurt is a great option. It can be eaten at any time and is a simple and fast solution to the problem. Source: www.gonaturalremedies.com
Telly Tales
Small screen, big idea
Don’t pin your hopes on The River; ABC’s latest is no Lost
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
15
A damp squib
The River starts on Star World on March 3 at 9pm Padmini C padmini.c@postnoon.com
T
he River was one of the most anticipated series on television this year, coming as it does from the likes of Oren Peli and Michael Green, makers of Paranormal Activity and Heroes. The fact that it was backed by none other than Steven Spielberg himself added to the buzz. With its horroradventure theme, the series was touted as a worthy replacement for Lost. That was before anyone saw the pilot, that is. As tvseriesfinale.com reported, The River has been
Reality Bites Shiba Minai
R
oadies continues to be one of the most watched reality shows on television, especially among the youngsters. The last eight seasons have upped the entertainment quotient tremendously. Season 9 auditions are being aired
losing viewers with every subsequent episode and ranks 12th on the list of ABC scripted shows for this season with a D+ on its report card. If you have watched the show, you wouldn’t wonder why. The plot is fairly simple. Famed explorer, naturalist Dr Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood) has become a household name in the US as host of a travel show called The Undiscovered Country. Now Cole has gone missing in the Amazon, and after six months has been presumed dead. But his wife, Tess (Leslie Hope) is convinced otherwise and is determined to find him. So she
approaches her reluctant son, Lincoln (Joe Anderson) to go on a rescue mission to the Amazon, financed by the TV network, led by their ex-producer Clark Quietly (Paul Blackthorne). Enter Eloise Mumford as Lena (whose cameraman father has also gone missing with Cole), who just happens to know the whereabouts of Cole’s missing boat. Off to the Amazon they go, but things take a turn for the worse when the team find a lot more than they bargained for. The River fails to impress on any level. The lead characters, who usually make for the
main draw of any show, are flat and non-compelling. Lincoln, looks more suited to play a heroin addict than a hero. His mother Tess is so cloyingly irksome, you wish, she’d be the first to die in their Amazon adventure. Lena, the blonde bombshell is obviously there for one reason only — as Lincoln’s love interest. Clark Quietly, the villain on board, seems to be the show’s only saving grace. To give it credit, the suspense surrounding the supernatural mystery in the pilot is revealed by the end of the hour, allowing the audience closure. But that’s as much
good as can be said about the show. There are no genuine scares in the show. No imaginative thrills-a-minute. The found-footage camera work, not to mention the jerky camera motions gets annoying after a while. But that said, the show moves at a dizzying speed, not letting us feel the surprise or shock of the unravelling events. And, since the characters are less-than-likeable, you don’t much care what happens to them anyway. It will be no surprise, or loss, to anybody if The River goes dry after the seven episodes of the first season are through.
The deadly twins are back! currently and this they come with the tagline ‘Everything or nothing’. Roadies have become very popular because of the deadly twins — Raghu and Rajiv, who have been known to shout, scream, threaten, or go to any extent. While most people despise the twins, I personally think that their mean and vio-
lent demeanour is merely a facade. One thing that is surely impressive is the fact that they can judge a person’s personality by just spending 5-10 minutes. They have had more than 90 per cent accuracy, which by any standard is commendable! However, you can’t deny that they are biased, and tend to be softer towards women, which I
personally think is chivalrous, but sometimes I do feel bad for the boys. I have been following the auditions of Roadies season 9, and there has been a change; Raghu, Rajiv and Ranvijay have been quite mild compared to all the previous episodes and for some strange reason have been justifying every act of theirs, on the show. I suppose this is a
result of a realisation that they have been misunderstood or may be they feel they owe it to the audience. All said and done, Roadies continues to be entertaining as always, the auditions are great and I am looking forward to a great show, that will start in the next four-five weeks. Till then enjoy the auditions!
F‑Folio
Because you are what you wear
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
18
HERE TO STAY
Comfortable, airy and stylish, harem and zouave pants are still in vogue in Hyderabad and particularly popular with college-going students Darshani Nene feedback@postnoon.com
N
o matter what the fashion world is going gaga over, Hyderabadis have a really laid back fashion sense. Take a look at street fashion here and you will see that it is really colourful and vibrant. We're talking harem pants, zouave pants and other loose baggytrousers style. This trend of uber cool pants, if you may say so, is quite popular among the college-going crowd in the city. It’s an airy, comfortable piece of clothing and is a hit among collegegoing students. Tejaswi Madiwada, a mass communication student says, “They’re just so comfortable! Apart from adding a lot of colour to your ensemble, they give a nice edge to the whole look. They kill the heat, and look stylish as well!” Another student Ashna Mishra adds, “They are priced very reasonably and experimenting with different styles is fun, and they’re considered uber chic! Also, unlike jeans, which can get pretty restrictive, these pants are much more comfortable.“ But with this kind of a drape, which is loose only at the upper leg, potential fashion blunders are many. Short and stout girls though, should avoid these since they gather around the hips and add extra volume. Known to be versatile clothing, and a huge hit among the girls, it isn’t
finding many takers among men. Says Ashwini Kumar Betala, “I’m a little skeptical about such pants. It simply passes off for casual wear, and for college wear. According to me, they look plain silly. Instead with a little zing and with embellishments, you can even wear them for wedding celebrations or any grand occasion. I’d love to experiment with them! But such pants in college is a big no-no.”
Here are some tips to wear your harem pants better nSome fabrics will drape more elegantly than others. For example silks and certain metallic fabrics. nThough the ideal length is just above the ankles, you can experiment with the length and style to add a unique touch to the look. nAdd a statement piece around the neck and possibly some bangles. nIf you intend to go in for casual wear, throw in a pair of Kolhapuri chappals or flats. Also, throw in a sling bag, a loose t-shirt or a kurta and you’re ready. n Wear heels. This will give you the much needed height and it also gives your legs a slimmer look as the harem pants tend to billow. Flat shoes will deaden the harem pants’ look. nLook at yourself before you leave for the day. If you don't feel right in them from the first look in the mirror, chances are they will never look right. If you are a fuller-figured woman, be especially critical of the effect of these pants on your silhouette. prints look great! Team that with some bohemian accessories, and you’re good to go!
Spotlight
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
19
DEEPAK DESHPANDE
Karthi, Urmila & Geeta
IN THE GROOVE
T
here was a lot of hip-shaking and dancing at Kismet on Thursday as the crowd made the most of ladies night.
Priyanka & Mohit
Zara
Vinay & Nikita
Shruti
Lulu
Sandy & Sravanthi
Richa
Reshmi & Gauri
Sweety & Aman
We got the beat T emperatures at 10 Downing soared as Thursday night belonged to the party-loving crowd in the city.
Alicia
Dafferen & Miryana
Himanshi
Runzun
Bhagya & Abhinav
Magic Screen
T-activists disrupt Daruvu shooting
T
he shooting of Ravi Teja, Taapsee starrer Daruvu was stalled yesterday after T-activists created ruckus on the sets of the film. The incident occurred when a shot was being canned on Ravi Teja in Tarnaka, Hyderabad. All of a sudden, a group of T-activists stormed the set and damaged the shooting equipment and furniture. Although it’s not yet clear why Ravi Teja’s film was targeted, there’s a rumour that T-activists were unhappy with some dialogues in Ravi Teja’s Nippu. Soon after the incident, the shooting was called off and Ravi Teja left the shooting spot immediately. Shouryam Siva is directing this film and it’s touted to be a sociofantasy. Vijay Anthony is composing the music for this film.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
The glamour behind the glitz
Sunil, Isha Chawla
team up again T
he success of Poola Rangadu has given a new lease of life to Sunil and Isha Chawla’s career. Sunil has suddenly become hot property and the buzz is that producers are ready to pay as much as `3 crore to sign up Sunil in the lead role. The latest news is that Sunil and Isha Chawla are all set to pair up again for the Telugu remake of Tanu Weds Manu. The original film had Madhavan and Kangna Ranaut in lead roles and it was a surprise hit last year. NV Prasad and Paras Jain are going to produce the Telugu version under the Mega Supergood Films banner. Devi Prasad, who had earlier made Allari Naresh starrer Blade Babji, is going to direct the film. More details about the film will be announced soon.
20
T-TOWN TWEETIES
@sneha_ullal Had an amazing day full of family... shopping eating conversations... Bliss and blessed. Gn fellas.
@me_sushanth As much as I hated the man for the 2003 WC final, have to wish ODI farewell to a fighter, a leader and a legend... Ricky Ponting!
@shrutihaasan Time to zzzz solid work day up ahead!! Another super hot day. I dream of lime juice coconut water and polar bear hugs. Phew Its gonna be hot :/
@trishtrashers En Route Bangkok :) Looking forward 2 joining the Samaran team again...
@actressanjjanaa Hi, I’m @ singapore. Hear for d song shooting of “Sagar” one of my nxt @KannadaBO with prajwaldevraj :-) with d legendry Chinny Prakash master.
@RanaDaggubati
Ishq is ready for release N
ithin, Nithya Menen starrer Ishq is all set to release this Friday. The film was recently censored and it has been given a U/A certificate. Vikram K Kumar has directed the film and it’s being touted as an urban love story. Nithin has been going through an extremely lean patch over the past few years; however, he’s quite confident that this film will change the fortune for him. Anup Rubens and Aravind-Shankar have composed the music and acclaimed cinematographer PC Sreeram has cranked the camera. The timing of the release of Ishq couldn’t be more right as Mr Nokia starring Manoj has been postponed once again due to postproduction delays.
Done with day2 of song shoot in KL for #NaaIshtam. Temperature at all time high during shoot hours. DoP feels skin tones keep varying ;-))...
@actor_Nikhil Relaxed day.. Heard a couple of scripts... planning to kick back and watch a few action flicks at home :-)
@Actor_Siddharth Signed a new endorsement deal. Brand that’s very close to my childhood:) I will be their first ever brand ambassador. Excited! Details soon :)
Magic Screen
The glamour behind the glitz
This success means the world to me
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
Siddharth can’t stop raving about his new film Love Failure and not without reason. The response to the film has been quite encouraging so far and he believes there’s a lot more in store for him in the future Hemanth Kumar hemanth.k@postnoon.com
You must be on cloud nine following the response you got for Love Failure. Does success make a big difference to you? I am as proud of my hits as I am of my flops because the same amount of blood and sweat goes into both. However, Love Failure is unique as it’s my first home production. It was crucial that I get it right. This success means the world to me. You have always stated that you work hard for every film. How different was it working for Love Failure? It is one of those films where you didn’t have to try too hard to look the part in your role. Wasn’t it? I’m getting a bit tired of the assumption that effortless acting is easy. I take great pride in my craft. It’s not easy for a 32-year-old to play a college kid. It is not a coincidence that I look younger than ever in this film. It takes conviction to create that. I refuse to let someone call it easy just because it appears so. Love Failure was shot in 36 days. And you have been mentioning about a ‘new’ business model? Was keeping costs low and working days as low as possible one of your primary goals? The primary goal was to make a good film. In order for it to be commercially viable, we needed to identify our market, the target audience and crack the right budget. Then it was merely a question of executing a plan. Above all, we wanted a world-class product. What we have pulled off is nothing short of a miracle. The way Love Failure was shot and narrated must have been quite new for you too. The short film was fantastic, but what drove you to believe that this could be a good feature film? It’s an amazing script. The novelty and freshness of the short film was retained, but the biggest success was the creation of a brilliant full-length screenplay. It took a bunch of index people who believed in Balaji Mohan to see this conversion through. I was so bored of formula love stories that I felt that I deserved a change as much as the audience. A lot of people believe that your role in the film is sort of inspired from some incidents in your real life. Was it? Nothing in Love Failure is based on my own life, although I did tap into every failed relationship in my life to find this character. It made it easy for me to laugh at myself and to create a cute, confused teenager. Arun is a lot like Siddharth in his college days as a result. The first film as a producer was an experimental film. Can we expect you to make more such films? Or would you like to try out the usual commercial films? I have become a producer to make films that would otherwise not come to me. I can assure you that Etaki Entertainment will not make regular commercial cinema. Of course, the intent to make money exists. I’ll find ways of doing that through different genre films. Love Failure is going to be a critical and commercial success that will be discussed for years to come. That’s all that matters. Year 2012 looks extremely packed for you. Is there even time to breathe? I’m getting more and thankfully better work than ever before. Six releases await me in four languages. This is my most exciting year. I took five days off last year. That looks impossible this year. As long as I’m working on what I love, I’m not complaining.
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Magic Screen
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
The glamour behind the glitz
Mystery girl’s dare bare act for Hate Story poster A
mystery girl with her bare back exposed and a titillating setting of a gun and a tattoo — the poster of Vikram Bhatt’s Hate Story is bold and daring. The identity of the girl is so far being kept under wraps. The movie, directed by Vivek Agnihotri, features Nikhil Dwivedi, Paoli Dam and Gulshan Devaiya. Bengali actress Paoli is known to have done one of the boldest scenes in Bengali cinema in Chatrak. But it is not clear whether the girl in the picture is Paoli or not. However, if one goes by the first look of Hate Story alone, the audience can hope for a steamy affair by Bhatt this time. IANS
A
ctress Chitrangada Singh, who was earlier seen endorsing jewellery and tea brands, will now promote fitness as the brand ambassador of Puma. The 35-year-old will endorse the brand’s various product range along with their latest running and fitness campaign called Move Faas, which can be seen across Puma stores in India. “Fitness is gaining popularity in the country and Puma’s ‘Faastest Indian’ will take it to the people in the country in their unique, uber cool style,” Chitrangada said. Rajiv Mehta, managing director, Puma South Asia, said, “Running and Fitness is an important category for us and we’re really excited to have Chitrangada Singh as our brand ambassador for the range.” IANS
SOHA’S Sahib... look modelled on Sharmila’s Anupama
22
B-TOWN TWEETIES
@realprietyzinta Those who says Sachin should retire > keep your mouth shut nobody asking your judgment over Sachin #nocricketwithoutSACHIN.
@RGVzoomin “@Shravtweets: The heart always speaks the truths... it’s the mind which turns them into lies.”
@NeilNMukesh Watching a movie. The “ETERNAL SUNSHINE” must watch film. No matter what you cannot erase love !
@bipsluvurself Forum mall n Coupon mall both were packed with d lovely ppl of Bengaluru! Thank u all, for your love!
@imarshadwarsi
Chitrangada Singh to promote fitness now
An Actors enthusiasm is positive his insistence is negative; unfortunately it's not the intelligence but the success that calls the shots.
@FarOutAkhtar Spirit still reverberating from receiving Mr Milkha Singh’s 1960 Rome Olympic spikes... #lifesgreatmoments
T
he Sahib, Biwi aur Gangster sequel has got more interesting — Soha Ali Khan joins the cast as Irrfan Khan’s tormented wife. Her role would borrow quite a lot from Anupama, in which her mother, Sharmila Tagore, was seen as a suppressed daughter. But as Soha points out enigmatically, “Nothing and no one is ever how they seem. I’m very excited about the role.” “Soha has just been added to Sahib Bibi Aur Gangster 2. After the surprisingly positive response to Sahib Bibi Aur Gangster, we want the sequel to be less budget-challenged, more glossy and viewer-friendly,” said Tigmanshu Dhulia, who is directing the film. IANS
@AnupamPkher Travelling in a car at this time (7pm) from Connaught Place to Gurgaon gives you enough TIME to reflect on your past, present& future life. :)
@priyankachopra I luv small hill stations in India... will miss Darjeeling so much! Had such a good time with team Barfii n the city has shown us so much love!
Magic Screen
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
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Magic Screen
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
The glamour behind the glitz
Adele makes obscene gesture
A
n angry Adele gave the middle finger at the Brit Awards for music on Tuesday night in London, two weeks after rapper M.I.A. gave the same obscene gesture at the Super Bowl halftime show. It happened as Adele, 23, was picking up the best album award to go with her solo female honour and was giving her acceptance speech.
Brooke Mueller begins aggressive outpatient rehab I n December, Brooke Mueller decided to check herself into a rehab facility instead of doing outpatient treatment for substance abuse to stay out of the media spotlight. And now, it has been learnt that Charlie Sheen's ex has returned to Los Angeles. But she's not finished yet... Her rep Steve Honig said, "After successfully completing an intensive three-month drug and alcohol treatment programme, Brooke returned to Los Angeles and has immediately begun an aggressive outpatient programme that includes a sober companion. Brooke is feeling better than ever before, and is committed to continuing treatment for as long as necessary to maintain her total and complete sobriety." For the past year, the mother of two has been seeking treatment in Utah after being arrested in Aspen on suspicion of felony cocaine possession and booked on a misdemeanor third-degree assault charge in December.
Obama sings again
T
he president just couldn't say no: Mick Jagger held out a mic almost by way of command, and soon Barack Obama was belting out the blues with the best of them. The East Room of the White House was transformed into an intimate blues club on Tuesday night for a concert featuring blues all stars of the past, present and future — and the president himself. The surprise performance by Obama came at the end of the playlist when the blues ensemble was singing Sweet Home Chicago, the blues anthem of Obama's home town. Then Jagger handed over the mic, and Obama seemed compelled to comply. “Come on, baby don't you want to go,” the president sang out twice, handing off the mic to BB King momentarily, and then taking it back to tack on Sweet Home Chicago at the end.
"I am so proud to be British and to be flying the flag," she was saying when host James Cordon interrupted her to introduce ‘90s British pop band Blur. The crowd booed and Adele digitally expressed herself. The multiple-Grammy winner explained that she wasn't directing her scorn at the audience. "I flung the middle finger. That was for the suits at the Brit Awards, not my fans," she said.
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Magic Screen
The glamour behind the glitz
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
25
A celebration in black and white Drained of noise and colour, The Artist might just be moving pictures, but pictures are seldom as moving as these
I
t was the last film of 2011 and one of the most memorable ones so to say. It is a silent movie screened in black and white. The theme revolves around an often used storyline about movies. It centres on an established film star and a young actress in the late twenties and early thirties in Hollywood during the rise of the talkies. Shot in perfect imitation of grand movie-making style, The Artist begins with a premiere. The audience is taken to the site of the screening where the current flavour of the movies George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is screening his latest film. Valentin, and by extension Dujardin, is every inch the silent-movie icon: slick hair, meticulous eyebrows and a perfect jawline. Following the premiere, George is pictured with
Movie: The Artist Director: Michel Hazanavicius Cast: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, Uggie Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), a small-time actor who wins a small role in his next film, despite irking the cigar-chomping studio boss Al Zimmer (John Goodman). Then come the talkies, it is the undoing of Valentin and the rise of Miller. The audience is quite taken up by the voice of Miller and she finds favour with the lot while Valentin’s stars are on the decline. Now we get down to the finer details. The Artist is drunk on the history of cinema and art, it’s certainly a treat for culture buffs. French director Michel Hazanavicius makes clever use of both
LiLo: I’m only going up, up, up from here
L
indsay Lohan wants her fans to know she’s focused and she’s back. On Tuesday evening, the actress hit her Twitter page, responding to fans who sent her well wishes, including congratulating her on news that Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush first broke on Monday — she’s scored the role of Liz Taylor in the Lifetime TV movie Liz and Dick. “Thank You So Much!” she wrote back to one user who Tweeted, “Congrats Lindsay on SNL and the Liz role.” The actress was due in court on Wednesday for a progress report hearing, and she indicated she has been fulfilling her court ordered obligations.
Crowe to direct
S
a short film
tars such as Russell Crowe, Liev Schreiber and Toni Collette have agreed to become directors for a new Australian film project. The Hollywood actors will join a group of Aussie directors to create Sydney Unplugged, a series of short movies about the city of Sydney. Crowe and Schreiber have both agreed to direct a film each, while Collette and Without a Trace’s Anthony LaPaglia will both make their directorial debuts with the project initiated by Tropfest film festival creator John Polson. Polson said, “It’s no secret some hugely talented directors, actors and others either live here or are from here. It’s about time this talent got together to tell stories that showcase one of the world’s most beautiful cities. The people that have stepped up to take part in this project are beyond our wildest dreams.”
ROAD TO OSCARS
the ensuing silence and what few effects there are, notably in a nightmare-like situation wherein Valentin realises everything in his world (a whiskey glass, passing traffic, his faithful dog Uggie) is capable of emitting noise, save his own vocal cords. Both Dujardin and Bejo have done outstanding work to sustain the mood. On a deeper analysis, one can see traces of a general sense of nostalgia, it keeps bringing up memories of celluloid and its formation; as it gave way to the digital age characterised by technicolour and noise. The director reminds us that there might be elements of the past worth preserving, which speak louder than all the words uttered since. Skilful The Artist is and undeniably entertaining — proof that movies are still capable of innocence and joy.
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
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa
26
QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 "Arrivederci, ____" 5 Woody perennial plant 10 Penny-in-the-wishingwell sound 14 "Couldn't have said it better myself" 15 Monopoly purchase 16 Ninth Greek letter 17 Stern boss 19 Add weight 20 Force into servitude 21 Demonstrate clearly 23 "Able was I ___ I saw Elba" 24 Site for tying knots 26 "G'day, ___!'' 28 Postgrad deg. 29 More than hesitant 33 Takes more than one's share of 34 The big cheese 36 Abbr. in many snail mail addresses 37 Comparatively more comical 38 British container 39 Chief plotter 41 Distinct region 42 Montreal's railway 43 Trig function 44 Roll call response 45 Rockies resort 47 Sword conqueror? 48 Black Sea city 51 Heart part 55 Improvise musically 56 Oppressive boss 59 One of the Lower Lakes 60 Postal device 61 Put up on the wall 62 Bookworm, stereotypically 63 Powwow place 64 Vichy and Ems DOWN 1 Assign a "PG-13" or an "R" 2 Arabian Sea gulf 3 Officer's dining hall
4 Jewelry near the feet 5 Get rid of the Fu Manchu 6 Coil in the yard 7 Dirt-road feature 8 Put to work 9 Artist's cap, perhaps 10 Blast furnace product 11 Car-buyer's need, perhaps 12 Applying to the ears 13 French door piece 18 Stable mom 22 Reason for a decoration 24 Leave in the lurch 25 Noblewomen 26 Hollywood release 27 Representative for 30Down 28 Dennis of the comics, for one 30 All the stage is his world
31 Your of yore 32 Use a whetstone 33 What doctors are sworn not to do 34 Shade of color 35 Yonder lass 37 Dentist's directive 40 Comprehended 41 Pinnacles 44 Damsel's deliverer 46 Blue Ribbon beer maker 47 Blender setting 48 Brickmaking need 49 "Bet you can't," e.g. 50 Arab prince 51 Equal to the
SUDOKU
task 52 Fellow across the pond 53 ___ the Hyena ("Li'l Abner" character) 54 Work units 57 It clinks in drinks 58 Space between peaks PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
THOUGHT OF THE DAY A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends. – Baltasar Gracian
Chai Time STAR POWER
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR
As per Hindu panchang
FOR 24-2-2012
thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9177596118
TAURUS
GEMINI
Businessmen will see a boom trend. Bus‑ iness will march ahead on growth path. Expected money will come. You will wo‑ rk with well‑crafted plans to improve in‑ come. Politicians fulfill party wishes.
Politicians will be appreciated by the hi‑ gh command. Expected elevation will come through. Travel will bring benefits. Women need to take care of health. Bu‑ sinessmen implement new techniques.
Farmers need to put efforts with determina‑ tion in selling products. Businessmen shou‑ ld deal with products that can be sold with‑ out much difficulty. Avoid improving busi‑ ness by giving credit. Artists are appreciated.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Businessmen will have smooth financial tr‑ ansactions. They are also advised to keep their accounts to avoid govt penal action. You may have to spend for repair of vehi‑ cle. Politicians work hard and earn name.
Politicians are not in good books of the hi‑ gh command; hence they need to keep a low profile, perform and then take credit for sincere work. Avoid unwanted travel. Businessmen will manage tough times.
Politicians will get caught in controver‑ sies within the party. Also, they will face tough competition. They will be in the forefront to perform agitations. Farmers will see good profits; resources improve.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Farmers will see a bumper harvest. Tho‑ ugh there will be minor issues, they will be solved in no time. Politicians are to get good support even from outside the party; will be entrusted with new responsibilities.
Farmers' hard work will make double profits; old debts will get cleared. Busi‑ nessmen need to wander a lot. With good support from party workers, politiciansʼ ideas will be implemented.
Farmers will have a bumper harvest. This will improve their financial posi‑ tion and plans to hire new land will be actively considered. Politicians' stock is set to pile up and they grow higher.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Businessmen will see a profitable trend. They will appoint representatives for other areas and multiply their business. Politicians will be successful in their ef ‑ forts. They will work with determination.
Politicians will be appreciated by the high command for their well‑crafted populist schemes. Be cordial with party workers and improve your acceptabili‑ ty. Farmers will have a bumper harvest.
Farmers need to work hard without get‑ ting frustrated; will yield desired results. They will see changes in their lifestyle. Politicians will be in limelight as their efforts will yield desired results.
SUMAA TEKUR
FOR 24-2-2012
tarotreadhyd@gmail.com
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
Temperance – Youʼre on a short fuse and tend to snap very ea‑ sily. Exercise patience, especially when youʼ‑ re meeting clients or work associates. Your reputation is at stake.
Two of Wands – Thi‑ ngs may not go as planned today. But then, not every day can plans go perfect‑ ly. Keep a Plan B and work around delays and obstacles.
Ten of Cups – This is family time. You feel emotional about your family members and are in the mood to go the extra mile for them.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Queen of Wands – Youʼre happiest when youʼre surrounded by people you like. They shower you with attention and you love when the spot‑ light is on you.
Nine of Cups – This is a lucky phase and what you need and wish for is coming your way. Take Make sure you real‑ ly need what youʼre wishing for.
Ten of Swords – Are you having nightma‑ res about something from your past? It may be a fear or so‑ me worry about the future. Learn to relax and de‑stress.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
The Sun – Your cheer and happiness are infectious. People around you will draw this positive energy from you. Health is doing great. Donʼt worry about it.
Knight of Cups – Youʼre feeling sullen but may not be able to identify the cause. Make use of your emotions to under‑ stand yourself better. Donʼt hurt anyone.
Five of Swords – Avoid arguments and conflicts that donʼt really matter and wonʼt get you any‑ where. You might be feeling a little low today. Cheer up!
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
The Moon – You and your significant other are going through some ups and downs. But this difficult phase brings you closer together and your bond deepens.
Two of Swords – You need to make a strong decision about some‑ thing important. Ignoring the problem will not make it go away. Take a stand and go with it.
Ten of Wands – You‑ ʼre worrying too mu‑ ch about what you havenʼt done instead of just doing it. Focus on the action points rather than dwelling on amount of work.
For Better or for Worse Stone soup
SOLUTIONS
Boggle RIFLE PISTOL MUSKET REVOLVER
Number game
Suduko
Scrabble
Ink pen
COMICS
Fred Basset
ARIES
TAROT READ
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Vol: 1, No 221 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
Chai Time 1400 Naadi Aadajanme 1430 Pavitra 1500 Movie 1800 Kodala Kodala Koduku Pellama 1830 Vasantha Kokila 1900 Chinnari Pelli Kuturu 1930 Anna Chellelu 2000 Missamma 2030 Edureetha 2100 Challenge 2200 CID 2300 Challenge 0730 Maa Shakti 0800 Ayurvedam 0830 Chaganti Sanatana Dharmam 0900 Money Money 1000 Chinnari Pelli Kuturu
1400 Kannavaari Kalalu 1430 Maavichiguru 1500 Sumangali 1530 Movie 1800 Jai Shri Krishna 1830 Shraavani Subramaniam 1900 Mandhara 1930 Auto Bharthi 2000 Swathi 2030 Mogali Rekulu 2100 Aparanji 2130 Devatha 2200 Mamathala Kovela 2230 Nippu Special 2300 Gemini Vaarthalu 0800 Gemini Talkies 0830 Movie 1130 Aha Emi Ruchi 1200 Jeevitha Chakram 1230 Maa Inti Aada Paduchu 1300 Chittemmaa 1330 Gorintaku
1400 [V] Vignettes 1430 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1500 [V] Humse Hai Life 1530 [V] Trailers 1600 [V] Dare 2 Date 1700 [V] Zabardast Hits 1800 [V] Fresh Songs 1830 [V] Humse Hai Life 1900 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1930 [V] Humse Hai Life 2000 [V] Steal Ur Girlfriend 2100 [V] Vignettes 2130 [V] Trailers 2200 [V] Humse Hai Life 2330 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 2355 [V] Fresh Songs 0700 [V] Trailers 0730 [V] Zabardast Hits 0800 [V] Mind Blasting Mornings 1100 [V] Fresh Songs 1200 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance
‘[V] Humse Hai Life’ at 1930 Hrs on CHANNEL [V]
1300 News Now at 1 1330 News Now 1800 6 PM 1830 Live Report 1900 Primetime 1930 The Game 2000 News Now at 8 2030 Live Report 2100 The Newshour 2200 The Newshour - Plus 2230 E Now 2300 News Now at 11 0800 The Morning News 0900 News Now 1200 Live Report 1230 News Now
‘The Newshour’ at 2100 Hrs only on TIMES NOW
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
Telly sitcoms, news and movie listings
1400 Abhishekam 1430 Aadade Aadharam 1500 Antahpuram 1530 Aakasa Ganga 1600 Prema Mandiram 1630 Jagadeeswari 1700 Genes 1800 Devimahathyam 1830 Puttadi Bomma 1900 Kumkuma Rekha 1930 Manasu Mamata 2000 Chandra Mukhi 2030 Bharyamani 2100 Etv News 2130 Super 2245 Movie 0800 Subhamastu 0830 Jeevanajyothi 0900 Movie 1130 Abhiruchi 1230 Star Mahila
1400 Nagani 1430 Movie 1800 Meera 1830 Kalavari Kodallu 1900 Chinna Kodalu 1930 Pasupukunkuma 2000 Muddu Bidda 2030 Radha Kalyanam 2100 Kanyadanam 2130 Luckku Kickku 2230 Shree 2300 Bindass 2330 Latest Songs 0800 Subhamastu 0830 Bhakti Samacharam 0900 Sri Raghavendra Vybhavam 0930 Mahadevi 1000 Bindass 1030 Chittam Chittam Prayaschittam 1130 Jeevana Vignanam 1200 Mee Inti Vanta
‘Global Business Report’ at 1900 Hrs only on ET NOW 1400 The F And O Show 1430 Closing Trades 1530 Tomorrow's Trades 1600 Business Day 1730 Markets Tomorrow 1800 Rush Hour 1830 Starting Up 1900 Global Business Report 1930 Business Express 2000 Business First 2030 Markets Tomorrow 2100 Business Tonight 2200 Top 10 At 10 2230 Brand Equity 2300 Investor's Guide 0900 First Trades 1000 Hot Stocks 1100 Buy Now Sell Now - The Stock Game 1130 Buy Now Sell Now 1200 Market Sense 1300 Business Day 1330 Markets Now
‘Wildest India’ at 2000 Hrs on DISCOVERY CHANNEL 1400 Rampage 1600 One Man Army 1700 Discovery Showcase 1800 Wild Discovery 1900 Man Woman Wild 2000 Wildest India 2100 Breaking Point 2200 One Man Army 2300 The Survivors 1000 Equator 1100 Stephen Hawkings Special 1200 Masters Of Survival 1300 Wild Discovery
1440 Whacked Out Sports 1510 Wipeout 1605 Guinness World Records Smashed 1700 Supernatural 1800 Chuck 1900 Wipeout 2000 Supernatural 2100 Minute To Win It 2200 Fear Factor 2300 Guinness World Records Smashed 0730 Sky Teleshopping 0830 Infomercial/30 Min 0900 Sky Teleshopping 0930 Whacked Out Sports 1000 The Millionaire Matchmaker 1100 Minute To Win It 1200 Got To Dance 1250 The Voice 2
‘Minute To Win It’ at 2100 Hrs on AXN
‘B B G C’ at 2100 Hrs on IMAGINE 1400 Haar Jeet 1430 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 1500 Baba Aisa Varr Dhoondo 1600 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 1630 Baba Aisa Varr Dhoondo 1700 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 1730 Haar Jeet 1800 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto 1830 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 1900 Haar Jeet 1930 Gyaan Guru 2000 Dwarkadheesh - Bhagwan Shri Krishn 2030 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto 2100 Beendh Banuga Ghodi Chadhunga 2130 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 2200 Baba Aisa Varr Dhoondo 2230 Haar Jeet 2300 Gyaan Guru
1400 Parichay 1430 Balika Vadhu 1500 Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha 1530 Uttaran 1600 Phulwa 1630 Parichay 1700 Ring Ka King 1730 Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha 1800 Uttaran 1830 Balika Vadhu 1900 Hawan 1930 Sasural Simar Ka 2000 Balika Vadhu 2030 Veer Shivaji 2100 Phulwa 2130 Parichay - Nayee Zindagi Kay Sapno Ka 2200 Uttaran 2230 Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha 2300 Na Aana Is Des Laado
‘Sasural Simar Ka’ at 1930 Hrs on COLORS
‘Pavitra Rishta’ at 2100 Hrs on ZEE TV 1400 Hitler Didi 1430 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 1500 Afsar Bitiya 1530 Yahaaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 1600 Pavitra Rishta 1630 Dance India Dance 1800 Hitler Didi 1830 Punarvivah 1900 Afsar Bitiya 1930 Choti Bahu 2 2000 Hitler Didi 2030 Yahaaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 2100 Pavitra Rishta 2130 Ram Milaye Jodi 2200 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 2230 Punarvivah 2300 Afsar Bitiya
1400 Saas Bina Sasuraal 1430 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 1500 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 1530 Kyaa Hua Tera Vaada 1600 Crime Patrol - Dastak 1800 Saas Bina Sasuraal 1830 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 1900 Crime Patrol - Dastak 2000 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 2030 Dekha Ek Khwaab 2100 Saas Bina Sasuraal 2130 Parvarrish - Kuchh Khatti Kuchh Meethi 2200 Kyaa Hua Tera Vaada 2230 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 2300 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 2330 Crime Patrol - Dastak 0900 Parvarrish - Kuchh Khatti Kuchh Meethi 1000 CID 1200 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge
‘Dekha Ek Khwaab’ at 2030 Hrs on SONY
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‘Sajda Tere Pyaar Mein’ at 2200 Hrs on STAR PLUS 1400 Sajda Tere Pyaar Mein 1500 Navya 1530 Diya Aur Bati Hum 1600 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behnaa Hai 1630 Sasuraal Genda Phool 1700 Saath Nibhaana Saathiya 1730 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 1800 Navya 1830 Ruk Jana Nahin 1900 Saath Nibhaana Saathiya 1930 Sasuraal Genda Phool 2000 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 2030 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behnaa Hai 2100 Diya Aur Bati Hum 2130 Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai 2200 Sajda Tere Pyaar Mein 2230 Mann Ki Awaaz… Pratigya 2300 Maryaada ... Lekin Kab Tak?
MOVIES OF THE DAY AND OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
1312 Freddy Vs. Jason 1439 Inkheart 1635 Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix 1915 It's A Boy Girl Thing 2100 Get Smart 2305 The Midnight Meat Train 0820 Friends 0850 No Reservations 1045 Crocodile Dundee 1230 Ocean's Thirteen
1245 Tomorrow Never Dies 1515 Paranormal Activity 2 1710 She's Out Of My League 1910 Camel Spiders 2100 After The Sunset 2305 Clash Of The Titans 0840 Laws Of Attraction 1035 After The Sunset 1240 Camel Spiders
1400 May Wife And Kids 1430 Scrubs 1500 Rizzoli And Isles 1600 Rookie Blue 1700 May Wife And Kids 1730 Scrubs 1800 E News 1900 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 2000 My Wife And Kids 2030 America's Funniest Home Videos 2100 Rizzoli And Isles 2200 Rookie Blue 2300 My Wife And Kids 2330 Scrubs 0800 Rizzoli And Isles 0900 Rookie Blue 1000 My Wife And Kids 1030 America's Funniest Home Videos 1100 Rizzoli And Isles 1200 Rookie Blue 1330 America's Funniest Home Videos
‘My Wife And Kids’ at 2000 Hrs on ZEE CAFE
The Shield Storyline - As Kavanaugh closes in on him, Vic resorts to some extreme measures in order to find his best friend's killer. Claudette finds herself under the political microscope as a result of the San Marcos murders. ‘The Shield’ at 2200 Hrs on STAR WORLD
‘Two And A Half Men’ at 2000 Hrs on STAR WORLD 1400 Supernatural 1500 Charlie’s Angels 1600 The Big Bang Theory 1630 The Simpsons 1700 The Shield 1800 Supernatural 1900 Desperate Housewives 2000 Two And A Half Men 2030 The Simpsons 2100 Supernatural 2200 The Shield 2300 The Big Bang Theory 2330 Two And A Half Men 0700 The Shield 0800 Las Vegas 0900 Achievers' Club 1000 The Shield 1100 Desperate Housewives 1200 Two And A Half Men 1230 The Simpsons 1300 The Big Bang Theory 1330 Friends
Kyaa Hua Tera Vaada Storyline - Anushka will come for dinner in Pradeep‘s house where Mona will be super excited to meet her. Mona will be seen taking care of her husband’s boss in every way. ‘Kyaa Hua Tera Vaada’ at 2200 Hrs on SONY
1400 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1430 R. K. Laxman Ki Duniya 1500 Lapataganj 1530 F.I.R 1600 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1630 I Luv My India 1700 Gutur Gu 1730 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1900 R. K. Laxman Ki Duniya 1930 Lapataganj 2000 I Luv My India 2030 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 2100 Chidiyaghar 2130 R. K. Laxman Ki Duniya 2200 Lapataganj 2230 F.I.R 2300 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 2330 Chidiyaghar 0900 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1030 I Luv My India 1100 F.I.R
‘R. K. Laxman Ki Duniya’ at 2130 Hrs on SAB
‘Planet Bollywood News’ at 1900 Hrs on ZOOM 1400 Movie 1730 Star Bonanza 1800 Letz Go! 1900 Planet Bollywood News 1930 Link'D 2000 Tentalize 2030 Letz Go! 2100 Style Strip 2130 Link'D 2200 B - Tonite 2230 Link'D 2300 Bollywood Bonanza 0700 Fresh Mornings 0800 Red Carpet 0805 Fresh Mornings 1100 Zoom Box 1200 Garma Garam 1230 Telly Talk 1300 Planet Bollywood News 1330 Letz Go!
‘After The Sunset’ at 2100 Hrs on HBO
1430 Food Detectives 1500 Deconstructed 1530 Discovery Science Classics 1630 Rising - Rebuilding Ground Zero 1730 Showdown - Aircombat 1830 Best Of Discovery Science 1930 Paleoworld 2000 Megascience 2030 Sports Science 2130 Extreme Engineering 2230 Surviving The Cut 2330 Everything You Need To Know About 1030 Rising - Rebuilding Ground Zero 1130 Food Detectives 1200 Deconstructed 1230 Best Of Discovery Science 1330 Paleoworld
‘Extreme Engineering’ at 2130 Hrs on DISCOVERY SCIENCE
‘Dead Zone’ at 2300 Hrs on BIG CBS PRIME 1400 Frasier 1430 Jerry Springer 1530 Big Wheels 1600 Galileo Extreme 1700 Survivor 1800 Entertainment Tonight 1830 Galileo Extreme 1930 Frasier 2000 Entertainment Tonight 2030 Galileo Extreme 2100 Hawaii 5.0 2200 Jerry Springer 2300 Survivor 0700 Big Wheels 0730 Aspire 0800 Galileo Extreme 0900 Survivor 1000 Bellator 1100 Jerry Springer 1200 Big Wheels 1230 Entertainment Tonight 1300 Galileo Extreme
Playing Field
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
The games people play
Has his
time come? TENDULKAR HAS NOW GONE
11 TESTS AND NINE ONEDAY INTERNATIONALS (ODIS) WITHOUT A CENTURY SINCE MAKING 111 AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA IN THE WORLD CUP IN MARCH LAST YEAR.
Alonso says Ferrari not yet competitive enough ROME: Former world champion Fernando Alonso admitted Ferrari have work to do if they are to compete for the Formula One title this season following testing in Barcelona on Wednesday. Alonso was fourth fastest on the second day of testing, just behind current world champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull. Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg was the surprise pace-setter with Sauber’s Sergio Perez setting the second fastest time. “At the moment, we are not where we want to be, nor where
we want to be in Australia (for the season-opener on March 18), but I remain optimistic,” said Alonso. “We still have six days of testing and we will see how it goes. “It’s also hard to say how the others are doing: Red Bull is definitely very strong, as is normal in fact, given how they have gone over the past three years, but you can’t say that McLaren or Mercedes for example, who seem to be behind, are not strong themselves, maybe even more so than Red Bull.” AFP
Coach sorry for sex abuse WINNIPEG: Former junior ice hockey coach and convicted sex abuser Graham James apologized to his victims and the Canadian hockey community on Wednesday during a sentencing hearing. James will be sentenced on March 20 after pleading guilty last December to sexual assaults in the 1980s and 1990s on former National Hockey League star Theo Fleury and Todd Holt, another junior player. “For my behaviour, I am deeply sorry. I was wrong,” James said.
NEW DELHI: India’s cricket greats have begun talking about a topic that was considered unthinkable a year ago — Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement from the sport. Or, at least, the need for the record-breaking batsman to quit one-day cricket to prolong his Test career, like former Australian captain Ricky Ponting did this week. “Maybe his time has come,” former World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev said of the “Little Master” on the Headlines Today news channel. “Every player has his time. Age is not on his side as it was earlier.” Tendulkar, who turns 39 in April, is not only the world’s leading batsman in both the Test and one-day formats, but also the longest-serving international cricketer, having made his debut in 1989. Fans have been left on tenterhooks as Tendulkar, who has scored a record 51 Test and 48 one-day centuries, struggles to reach the unprecedented milestone of 100 international hundreds. Tendulkar has now gone 11 Tests and nine one-day internationals (ODIs) without a century since making 111 against South Africa in the World Cup in March last year. It is the longest gap for the prolific batsman without a three-figure knock, yet scores of 85, 91, 94 and 80 in the interim reflect his form. The immediate spark for talk of Tendulkar quitting is his indifferent run in the ongoing tri-series in Australia where he has managed just 90 runs in five games at an average of 18. Former captain Sourav Ganguly, who played alongside Tendulkar from 1992 to 2008, said his ex-teammate’s decision to pick and choose oneday matches was costing India dear. “Sachin has to ask himself whether it’s helping him as a one-day player or if it’s help-
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ing the Indian team,” Ganguly told Headlines Today. “If Sachin can’t get an answer to these questions, he has to go.” Tendulkar, who has played a record 458 one-day internationals, has turned out in just 18 ODI matches in the past two years, including nine in India’s triumphant World Cup campaign in February-April 2011. He still managed to record the first ever double-century in ODIs — 200 not out against South Africa in February 2010 — and was the star performer in India’s World Cup win with 482 runs, second only to Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan’s 500. “It affects everyone’s form if Tendulkar keeps coming in and going out of one-day tournaments,” Ganguly said. “I said after the World Cup that Sachin needed to look at his one-day career because he had achieved everything in oneday cricket.” Ganguly dismissed batting legend Sunil Gavaskar’s suggestion that the selectors should talk to Tendulkar about his one-day future. “They are not going to stand in front of Sachin Tendulkar and say ‘Listen little champ, you need to go’.” The Hindu newspaper urged former players to lay off Tendulkar, saying the decision to quit or not should be left to him. “A lot has been said — especially by former sportspersons who themselves stayed on well beyond their use-by date — about Tendulkar’s ODI career,” the paper wrote. “Whatever the intentions, these gems of seemingly timely advice are clearly uncalled for. Sachin has served the country with exceptional pride and genius for far too long and he deserves the right to choose his own time of departure.” Tendulkar has two games — against Australia on Sunday and Sri Lanka next Tuesday — and a possible best-of-threefinals if India qualify, to silence his critics. AFP
Ernie Els ousts Donald, Tiger scrapes through MARANA: Top-ranked defending champion Luke Donald was hammered by Ernie Els on Wednesday while Tiger Woods had a narrow first-round escape at the World Golf Championships Match Play Championship. South Africa’s Els dumped the Englishman 5-and-4, only the third time in event history the top seed has been ousted in the opening round. Els won five of seven holes from the eighth to close out the match on the 14th hole. “I was trying to just take it as a first round match,” Els said. AFP
Playing Field
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
The games people play
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Lin helps Knicks outfly Hawks
Jeremy Lin #17 of the New York Knicks shoots a three pointer against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday in New York City. AFP/CHRIS TROTMAN
NEW YORK: Jeremy Lin scored 17 points and added nine assists to spark the New York Knicks over Atlanta 99-82 on Wednesday, improving the team to 9-2 since the Asian-American star emerged from a reserve role. The 23-year-old point guard whose parents are from Taiwan had been cut by two other NBA clubs, but was given a chance when the Knicks lost two starters and produced record scoring and assist figures to ignite a struggling club. Steve Novak added 17 points for the Knicks while Landry Fields added 16 and Carmelo Anthony contributed 15 points as the Knicks improved to 17-17 entering a Thursday matchup at Miami against the NBA co-leading Heat. With J.R. Smith just signed after spending the early part of the season in China and Anthony back from an injury, the Knicks have started to come together, with Lin adding punch with timely passing as well as scoring. “We have a lot of offensive weapons now,” Lin said. “I don’t need to shoot as much with these guys coming back. We have J.R. and ‘Melo back. We’re going to move the ball and make the defenses pay.” Lin said he relishes the challenge presented by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. “They are so quick and athletic,” Lin said. “We need to make sure we try to get into the paint instead of just move the ball around the 3-point line. “We’re going to play hard. Definitely we’re flying everywhere. We’re playing hard. We’re going to go down there and try to keep doing the same things.”
Roddick falls before veteran Malisse
Petite Natalie has her sights set high
MEMPHIS: Belgian veteran Xavier Malisse upset US second seed Andy Roddick 7-6 (10/8), 7-5 on Wednesday to reach the second round of the $1.375 million ATP and WTA Memphis Open. Malisse fired 12 aces, twice as many as Roddick, to advance into a second-round matchup on Thursday against Germany’s Benjamin Becker, who eliminated Israel’s Dudi Sela 6-4, 6-1. South African seventh seed Kevin Anderson fired 19 aces in advancing 75, 6-3 over US qualifier Robby Ginepri in 75 minutes. Anderson, who next faces US wildcard Sam Querrey, could face US top seed John Isner in the semi-finals. On the women’s side, three seeded players were eliminated in second-round matches, leaving New Zealand’s fourth-seeded Marina Erakovic as the only seed in the quarterfinals. Italy’s Alberta Brianti ousted Kazak second seed Ksenia Pervak 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 while Ukranian Lesia Tsurenko outlasted Czech Lucie Hradecka 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).
TOKYO: Just 157 centimetres tall, Natalie Nakase has never let her size stand in the way of her big dreams on the basketball court. And now the 31-year-old American and first female head coach in Japan’s professional men’s league, has her sights set firmly on the NBA. If her dream comes true, it would be another breakthrough for women in sport as the National Basketball Association, the sport’s premier league based in North America, has never had a female head coach or assistant coach. There have only been some women in such positions in the NBA’s minor league. “I’m starting to realise that I have the responsibility of giving women hopefully a chance to see that they can do it too, even not in basketball,” the five foot two Nakase said. “It could be in a working field. Being a part of a programme in the NBA, reaching the highest level in your
THE 31-YEAR-OLD AMERICAN AND FIRST FEMALE HEAD COACH IN
JAPAN’S PROFESSIONAL MEN’S LEAGUE EYES AN NBA JOB. sport, I think, that’s definitely a goal of mine,” said the former point guard from the University of California at Los Angeles. Nakase has been piloting the Saitama Broncos of the Japanese league since November when she was promoted from assistant coach to replace Dean Murray when he was fired. Her life as a coach began in the women’s top league in Germany in 2008 after a knee injury cut short her playing career. A three-year captain at UCLA, she also played for two seasons for San Diego and San Jose in the now defunct National Women’s Basketball League.
Natalie Nakase.
Playing Field
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
The games people play
Basel shock Bayern BASEL: FC Basel boosted their chances of a place in the Champions League quarter-finals with a shock 1-0 win over Bayern Munich in the last 16 first-leg tie on Wednesday. Having beaten Manchester United 2-1 in Basel last December, the hosts pulled off another stunning victory when midfielder Valentin Stocker found the target in the 86th minute having been left unmarked by the Munich defence. “It was a very difficult game, Bayern made us run a lot,” admitted Basel goalkeeper Yann Sommer. “We have beaten two of the best teams in the world here now - Manchester United, from who we took four points in total, and Bayern which is unbelievable for a Swiss team. “But we are a good side and we believe in ourselves so I don’t think Bayern under-estimated us.” The defeat compounded Bayern’s flagging confidence ahead of the return leg on March 13 at their Allianz Arena, which also hosts the final on May 19. While Basel are flying high at the top of the Swiss league, Bayern have won just three of their seven games since Christmas and were held to a goalless draw at bottom side Freiburg last Saturday to leave them third in the Bundesliga. “It’s of course a very bitter defeat for us,” said Bayern’s Germany goalkeeper Manuel
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Bayern Munich chief puts lid on Ribery row with coach BASEL: Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness watched his German giants crash to a shock Champions League defeat at FC Basel on Wednesday and then lashed out over criticism of Franck Ribery. The French international was taken off by coach Jupp Heynckes with 20 minutes left in the 1-0 last 16 first leg defeat at the hands of the unheralded Swiss. But Ribery refused to shake the hand of the Bayern coach as he trudged off. “I don’t give a shit about that,” Hoeness fumed at a reporter. “Why ask about a handshake when there is
FC Basel’s players celebrate their team’s goal scored by midfielder Valentin Stocker with fans during their UEFA Champions League round of sixteen first leg football match against Bayern Munich at the St Jakob stadium in Basel. AFP/ FABRICE COFFRINI Neuer. “You can’t even say it wasn’t deserved, we didn’t play well and didn’t take our chances. We have to deal with this internally now and fix the problems quickly. Bayern president Uli Hoeness added: “It doesn’t make sense to look for reasons so soon after the game. But 1-0 means we still have
a good chance to get a result in the return leg.” Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes started with Toni Kroos in the central attacking midfielder position, flanked by France wing Franck Ribery and Dutch World Cup finalist Arjen Robben. It meant no place in the starting line-up for Thomas Mueller,
the top scorer at the last World Cup, while Germany striker Mario Gomez was the lone striker. Ribery tested Sommer twice early on, but the home side almost took the lead in the 15th minute when defender Aleksandar Dragovic forced goalkeeper Manuel Neuer into a reflex save. AFP
Ayew’s header downs Inter MARSEILLE: A dramatic 93rdminute header from Andre Ayew gave Marseille a 1-0 victory over luckless Inter Milan in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie here on Wednesday. Bidding to reach the last eight for the first time since they won the trophy in 1993, the hosts dominated possession but looked set for a night of frustration until Ayew’s decisive intervention in the game’s dying stages. Having been eliminated by Manchester United at the same stage of last season’s competition, Didier Deschamps’ side will now
Marseille’s forward Andre Ayew of (second from right) scores during the UEFA Champions League football match against Inter Milan at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille. AFP/BORIS HORVAT
travel to San Siro on March 13 with high hopes of reaching the quarter-finals. “It was a well-balanced match and Inter were superior to what I’ve seen in recent weeks, which I expected,” said the Marseille coach. “We showed desire and determination. There were few chances. It was good for us to score at the end, because it could have been a draw. “If we don’t concede in the return leg, we’ll go through, but that won’t be enough. We’ll try to score a goal, but in any case it will be a complicated match.”
Bayern Munich’s French midfielder Franck Ribery. AFP football to talk about? He was upset about being substituted, so what?” Heynckes took a calmer approach and said a 2-0 win back at Munich next month in the return leg would rescue the situation. “It’s an uncomfortable situation, but I have been in these situations before in my coaching career,” he said. AFP
Playing Field
The games people play
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
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Mancini has no probs with Tevez MANCHESTER: Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini said Wednesday he has “no problem” with Carlos Tevez and the striker could be considered for selection in “two or three weeks”. Argentina striker Tevez only recently returned to the Premier League leaders from more than three months of selfimposed exile, having fallen out with
Manchester City’s Bosnian forward Edin Dzeko (centre) scores the second goal past FC Porto’s Brazilian goalkeeper Helton (second from right). AFP/ANDREW YATES
City trounce Porto Manchester City eased into the last 16 of the Europa League with a 4-0 win. MANCHESTER: The presence of former manager Andre Villas-Boas at Eastlands failed to inspire holders Porto as Manchester City eased into the last 16 of the Europa League with a 4-0 second leg win on Wednesday. Goals from Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko, David Silva and David Pizarro — the last three in the space of nine minutes late in the second leg tie — ensured a comfortable evening for City, who won 6-1 on aggregate. The goal rush came against a Porto side who played the final 14 minutes with 10 men after the sending off of defender Rolando for a second yellow card. “We played a good game,” City manager Roberto Mancini told ESPN. “Maybe 4-0 was too much but it was important we went into the second stage,” added the Italian, looking to become the first City boss in 42 years to bring a major European trophy to the club. Premier League leaders City took just 19 seconds to extend their first leg advantage when Aguero grabbed the quickest goal in the Europa League this season. Argentinian defender Nicolas Otamendi lost the ball around the halfway line, and Nigel de Jong found Yaya Toure whose pass sent Aguero racing clear of the Porto backline. He took his chance brilliantly with a clinical finish into the bottom left-hand corner. Porto responded gamely as Joao Moutinho volleyed wide, Silvestre Varela headed at Joe Hart and defender Maicon ended a marauding right-wing run with a wayward centre across goal. But for all Porto’s possession, City looked far more dangerous and Silva’s well-weighted through ball after 16 min-
utes sent through Yaya Toure whose progress was well-blocked on the edge of the area by goalkeeper Helton. City again came close with Silva’s through ball forcing Helton to race from his area to try to intercept Aguero. The City forward skillfully rounded the goalkeeper but his shot from the edge of the area struck the Porto crossbar. Mancini’s team, were content to withstand the modest pressure from Porto and play on the counter-attack, with Aguero involved in a pacy break before the interval which ended with a pass to Yaya Toure. Despite terrible initial control, the City midfielder eventually managed to re-connect with Aguero only for the goalscorer to flash a poor shot wide. Hulk saw a fierce free-kick deflected behind and Rolando volleyed over from six yards at the resulting corner as every passing minute left Porto facing a bigger obstacle. After the restart, Lucho Gonzalez poked wide from 18 yards, Hulk’s low cross-shot was spilled by the diving Hart who was relieved to see the ball travel to safety and James Rodriguez had the ball in the net after 57 minutes only for his ‘goal’ to be ruled out for offside. City weathered that brief storm, however, and their second goal, in the 76th minute, put the outcome of the tie beyond all doubt. Aguero was the creator, holding the ball intelligently outside the Porto area and waiting for the overlapping run of substitute Dzeko who took the ball in his stride and finished expertly from 10 yards. Porto’s hopes of an unlikely recovery were hampered by the dismissal of Rolando who collected a second yellow card prior to the re-start for dissent. AFP
Mancini following his refusal to warmup during a Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich. It looked as if he was on his way out of Eastlands after angering Italian manager Mancini. But, while talking to ESPN, he said he called Tevez a week after Munich and said, “Carlos, apologise to everyone and it’s finished.”