FLASH
FUEL TO FIRE
TD SUSPENDS MYSOORA
On the third anniversary of UPA II, our government bestowed on the aam aadmi an unforgettable gift — higher petrol prices for the fifteenth time since they came to power. Here are some snapshots of the status from around the world. P16&17
TDP suspended senior leader Mysoora Reddy after he had breakfast with YSRC chief Jagan Mohan Reddy this morning. Mysoora told media he would do anything for Jagan: ”I will reveal the conspiracy against Jagan at the right time,” he said.
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Hyperactive police, eager intelligence staff and the chief minister watching the drama unfold on television marked the much-awaited appearance of YSRC chief Jagan Mohan Reddy before the CBI today. All roads leading to Raj Bhavan Road were closed to traffic.
JAGAN’S DAY OUT REPORT ON PG 3
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FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
Spirit of Twin Cities
PEACEFUL EXISTENCE
Library summer camp
SRINIVAS SETTY
A library summer camp for parents and faculty of UG and PG students will be held from May 10 onwards. The camp will provide guidance for faculty and final year PG students for National/State lectureship and scholarship test(NET/APSET) for `3,650. Where: Hyderabad library services, Sagar View Complex When: May 10 - June 10, Contact: (040) 2322 2247, 94412 37751
Theatre workshop Samahaara is hosting special four week summer acting workshops. The workshops will be held for a duration of four weeks. The workshops are being held at three different places. Where: Vidyaranya School, The Terrace, The Actor’s Studio When: Ongoing , Monday-Friday Contact: 83411 20303
Numerology Logically numerological, numerologically logical. Everything of you, based on DOB. For appointments call Appaaji, numerologist. Contact: 95734 11255
Musical treat
Catch the German film Head-On (Gegen Die Wand) which is being screened at Goethe Zentrum Zentrum. Where: Goethe Zentrum, Banjara Hills, Rd No 3 When: May 25, 6pm onwards Contact: (040) 2335 0040
Blood song Blood Song, a radical adaptation of Federico Garcia Lorca’s "Blood Wedding"will be showcased on May 26 and 27 at the Nift auditorium. Where: Nift auditorium, Madhapur When: May 26 and 27, 7.30pm onwards Contact: 98852 88982
CINEMAS
Great food and a great game of cricket makes for great news. Head to News Cafe to catch the IPL matches with some great IPL inspired food. Where: News Cafe, Inorbit Mall, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 8pm onwards Contact: (040) 4010 1236 The last part of a series of sevenday yoga camps will be held by Yoga Healing Foundation at Saroornagar Indoor Stadium. Where: Indoor stadium lawns, Saroornagar When: Ongoing, 5.15 am onwards Contact: 994820 8556
A summer camp for children in the age group of 1-15 and for adults in Thai flowers, stocking flowers and marble painting is being held. Where: Plot-26, Gunrock Enclave, Secunderabad When: 11am-1pm, 11am-5pm Contact:98498 04416, 93921 05310
German film
Food and cricket
Yoga Camp
The amazing summer shuttle
Ashwin Mani Sharma and Ash Roy from Jalebee Cartel will be performing at the Kingfisher ULTRA SOULFLYP. Jalebee Cartel is known for electronic dance music. Where: Bottles & Chimneys, Prakash Nagar, Begumpet When: May 26, 9pm onwards
When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 4914 1234
Solo exhibition A matter of perception Juxtaposed Perceptions, a solo painting exhibition by renowned artist Ninad Jagadish. Where: Muse Art Gallery, Lower Tank Bund When: Ongoing, May 25 Contact: (040) 2752 2999
Buy art Iconart Art Gallery as a part of it’s Buy Art initiative is hosting an exhibition featuring abstract art, sculptures and paintings. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing, 11.30 am onwards Contact: 98499 68797
Metamorphosis This workshop aims to help child gain confidence so as to participate in a group , perform on stage through it’s fun-filled play methodology.
Where: Treasure House, Jubilee Hills, Rd No 36 When: Ongoing, 2.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2355 0118
Ramakanth’s Solo Painting Exhibition which deals with the loneliness of a long distance runner is being displayed . Where: Hyderabad Marriott, Tank Bund When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2752 2999
Painting exhibition
Mexican brunch
An exhibition of paintings by Lalu Shaw is being held at Shrishti Art Gallery. Where: Shrishti Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills, Rd No 15 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2354 0023
Summer camp Annapurna International School of Film and Media will be holding a Summer Camp program in filmmaking, acting and photography. The first batch is from May 21.The second batch is from May 28. Where: Annapurna School, Banjara Hills
La Cantina, at Novotel presents Sunday brunch, an interesting mexican spread, every Sunday. Where: La Cantina, Novotel, Madhapur When: Every Sunday, 12pm onwards Contact: (040) 6682 4422
Water colours A painting exhibition featuring new water colour works by Sunil Lohar called Narrations, Connotations and Interpretations is on display Where: Kalakrithi Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No10 When: Ongoing, 11.30 am onwards Contact: (040) 6656 4466
Big Cinemas, Ameerpet: 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills: 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally: 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills: 44767777; Prasads, Tank Bund Rd: 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta:8800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur: 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad: 27844973
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY N SHIVA KUMAR, M ANIL KUMAR AND SRINIVAS SETTY
Jagan drama brings City to a halt Rahul R and Inkeshaf A feedback@postnoon.com
Y
SRC chief Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tryst with CBI began today from his Lotus Pond residence in Jubilee Hills, around 10.15am. He came out and got into his SUV with close associate A Nani, Eluru MLA, and two bodyguards. But all the police rings could not prevent some 20 Jagan-supporters who clambered on to the vehicle. Some were hanging by the side and some sat atop. Jagan got down at Panjagutta crossroads and garlanded his father YSR’s statue before proceeding to the Dilkhusha Guest House on Raj Bhavan Road where the CBI officials were waiting. He reached there in 20 minutes as the roads — both Panjagutta and Raj Bhavan — and all the alleys were closed to traffic. A large crowd had followed Jagan’s vehicle and people thronged along the way to the guest house. The police allowed only a skeleton presence of the media in the guest house vicinity and kept out the rest. Jagan-backers were seen having heated exchanges with policemen. The whole stretch of Raj Bhavan Road was dotted with Rapid Action Force and armed police. The police snuffed out all normal life on this road by forcing closure of all shops. Traffic along the arterial Panjagutta Road had been thinned out by late morning, anticipating trouble. Everywhere policemen with or without carbines were keeping vigil. Meanwhile, reports said TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, who is campaigning at Guntur was keeping track of developments here via mobile phone. YSRC leaders B Govardhan and K Ramakrishna said the vendetta politics of the Congress and TDP would not affect the fortunes of their party. Most Congress and TRS leaders watched the Jagan show on TV. Meanwhile, irate Jagan-supporters damaged an APSRTC bus in Vansasthalipuram NGO’s colony.
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SSC debacle – who is responsible? This year too City schools have recorded the lowest pass percentage in comparison to the rest of the State. While teachers blame students’ lack of interest, parents hold the T-agitations responsible
EDUCATION Sudeshna Koka Sudeshna.k@postnoon.com
A
fter education minister K Parthasarathi finished his bypoll election campaign, which was much more important for him that the scheduled SSC results date, he declared the results last morning after keeping students and parents anxious for one whole day. Nearly 12,74,047 regular and private candidates appeared for the examinations held on March 2012. Of this 10,49,689 were regular students and 2,24,358 were private candidates. The State pass percentage for regular can-
In villages and small districts they focus on studies only. This is not the case here; we have so many extra circular activities.We cannot compare them with City students. Indira Srinivas, principal, Gowtham Model School didates is 87.84, of which the girls’ pass percentage is 88.76 and boys’ is 86.97. However, what’s more surprising is that this year too the State capital has managed to come last with just 76.94 pass percentage. This is not a new phenomenon, for five years Hyderabad has the least pass percentage in the State. If we thought that this is due
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to the ‘T’ agitation then guess we have got it all wrong. Karimnagar, which is in Telengana region, scored highest pass percentage of 93.38. Hence, it clearly states that it is not the Telengana agitation that caused 60,328 students to fail in Hyderabad. “It’s nothing new. This has been happening for the last five to six years. Hyderabad always comes last. This is happening because of students’ attitude. These days even if teachers give their best students are not receiving it well. They are living in an unreal world where Play station and Facebook is more important that history and geography. “No student is weak or dull. In fact, it takes a lot of hard work to fail in State board exam. If students have not fared well in Hyderabad then it’s only because of the lifestyle in the City and the false show-off world where studying is not a criteria,” says Gauri Naidu, private School teacher. Fifteen schools secured a zero pass percentage this year of which 12 were private schools On a contrary note, Indira Srinivas, principal of Gowtham Model School, believes that as Hyderabad is a metropolitan City students have several other activities and these are equally important as studies. “In villages and other districts they studying is the only activity. This is not the case in Hyderabad; we have so many extra circular activities, so we cannot compare them with Hyderabad students. Hyderabad students are street smart and that is what counts in this day and age,” she said. Stress and peer pressure is also a common factor in City students and has caused this downfall. “We do the best that we can, but the atmosphere also matters. These days most parents send their child to special tuition classes and this is the cause of all problems. They are stressed out
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and last minute they forget every thing,” says Surekha Pandurangan, principal, Keyes Girls High School. Most government school teachers were on the 45-day ‘sakala jana samme’ strike. Despite that government schools have done well. As compared to last year, the Zilla Parishad schools have seen an increase of almost double in the number of
students passing the Class X examinations this year. The government school pass percentage in the City has increased from 56 per cent to 86 per cent in the last five years. “Undoubtedly, we were shut for a long span of time but then for 16 constitutive Sundays we took extra classes. Not just that, since day one government school teachers have been giving extra
Grading system leaves student puzzled
T
his is the first time that the SSC Board announced the results in grading system and grade point average (GPA) instead of the usual marks. Students have not received the grades system with open arms. Most of the students who were unable to judge their individual performance were disappointed. “Parents are very happy as competition won’t exist but students are disappointed. Last year they gave both grades and marks but this year it’s only marks so stu-
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dents are puzzled as they are not able to judge themselves.” says Indira Srinivas, principal of Gowtham Model School “First they have made it grade system and in that also there are B1, B2 and B3, C1 and C2 this is nothing but confusion. Below 300 marks it is said to be D grade. Now we don’t really know whether the student has passes or failed and whether they need to prepare for supplementary or not,” says KR Yadav, an angry parent.
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importance to Class X students. Secondly, government school teachers are highly qualified as compared to the new corporate schools where any one can teach. Government school teachers this year have taken special interest and this truly shows in the results” says Padamaja W, teacher, Centenary Baptist Church School. Government school teachers are on cloud nine as all their efforts of taking extra classes and Sunday classes have yielded good results this year too. However, parent associations blame the agitation as the cause of poor pass percentage of students. “Government school teachers were a part of the strike but they all got back to the routine schedule. Private school student’s attitude changed after the agitation. They took everything for granted. It’s the political instability that has resulted in their failure to perform well in board exams,” complains SS Liaquat, president, Greater Hyderabad School Association.
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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Nellore fight: TDP eyes spoils PK Surendran surendran.pk@postnoon.com
N
ellore is sizzling with 4647 ºC and the political heat is reaching the boiling point. This Parliamentary constituency that stood with the Congress will see a different ballgame this time. If the YSRC fight with Congress comes to a flashpoint before the poll, it will set Penna river on fire. The Congress MP from Nellore
M Rajamohan Reddy
T Subbirami Reddy
ON THE
Nellore Players
CAMPAIGN
TRAIL
M Rajamohan Reddy’s quitting in support of the YSRC leader Jagan Mohan Reddy has created the vacancy in this southern parliamentary seat. All the hard work by the TDP and the preparatory grounds laid by the Congress are under threat of being washed away in the possible ‘sympathy wave’ the YSR party
Congress TDP YSRC might garner in the aftermath of cases, raids and arrest-threat of the rebel, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The greatest fear of the Congress and the TDP is that in the event of Jagan’s incarceration the rein will be taken over by the Queen Bee, Vijayalakshmi, widow of YSR. “She will not able to control
Subbirami Reddy V Venugopal Reddy M Rajamohan Reddy the party in an effective way for long but she can surely generate a lot of sobs, which often plays a pivotal role in Indian elections,” remarked Ch Vidyasagar Rao, senior BJP leader. But the TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu can’t understand how a sympathy wave is
Ride a cycle, it’s your symbol, saves petrol: Mayor to TDP members stalled the proceedings demanding the mayor for a resolution on petrol price hike. Holding placards and denouncing the State government for high sales tax on petrol. The TDP members made a ruckus that forced the mayor to adjourn the meeting for five minutes.
generated for a “corrupt personality” (Jagan). But, he reasoned, the fight against corruption will have to be invariably a fight against the Congress and it is unfair blaming YSR or Jagan alone. “What were they (Congress) doing all these months?” he asked in anger and chagrin about the swift closing in on Jagan now. Naidu’s aide whispers that the voss is clearly worried at the possible sympathy votes Jagan party will reap now. “The problem with sentimental vote is,” he dropped his voice, “is that reason takes a back seat.” Nobody said a truer word, one agrees. But the TDP candidate Vanteru Venugopala Reddy, who lost in 2009, tries to point out the bright side to his boss. “The vote-split between the YSR Congress and the ruling Congress will save us. A new voting pattern will emerge this time where I stand more chances than the other candidates,” Reddy smiles. The TDP camp’s positive equation is that the 5 lakh plus
votes will be split between the Congress and the YSRC. The benefit of a split vote is always to the third player, he reasoned. Reddy had got 3.75 lakh votes in 2009 as against 4.25 lakh votes polled by Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy (then in ruling Congress) and 1.38 lakh votes polled by Jana Ramachandraiah Goud of the erstwhile Praja Rajyam. In the nearby war-camp the Congress is gearing up to dazzle the sympathy with glamour. The Congress asks TDP not to live in a fool’s paradise because the split in vote will be made up by the PRP votes. Meanwhile, the celluloid king Chiranjeevi’s fan clubs are working in favour of the Congress. Assuming a sparring motion, the Congress MLA Anam Vivekananda Reddy says, “We will expose the true colours of Jagan Mohan Reddy to the people. We would like to explain the welfare programmes being implemented by the State government effectively to the electorate.” Well, good luck to you is what all an observer can say to Reddy.
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Pandemonium prevails
GHMC Inkeshaf Ahmed ahmed.m@postnoon.com
T
he general body meeting of GHMC was yesterday adjourned sine die by Mayor Majid Hussain without completing its remaining agenda. The Mayor, who initially convened the meeting on May 19 this month, had adjourned for want of quorum to May 24 as the listed agenda of the meeting could not be completed. Out of a total 17 topics listed for discussion, only six could be taken up during the six hour meeting. The resolutions taken included dismantling illegal hoarding, streamlining street-lighting system, and setting up women community centres. At the beginning the Opposition TDP
Not content with slogans, the Telugu Desam Party members rushed to mayor's podium demanding the mayor to pass the resolution to reduce sales tax imposed by State government on petrol. TDP floor leader S Srinivas Reddy said that the State imposed `27.50 sales tax on petrol. He asked the mayor to pass a resolution demanding the government to reduce sales tax. He wanted it reduced by half to give relief to the people The Mayor declined the request saying that the petrol price did not come under the corporation.
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Mayor, commissioner fume The attitude of corporators on various issues also angered the mayor and commissioner MT Krishna Babu during the meeting. Reacting on the raising of petrol price issue by TDP corporators, the mayor had repeatedly told them not to raise the hike issue as it is not the responsibility of the corporation. Expressing his anger, the mayor smilingly asked the TDP members to ride bicycles as it is their party's symbol. The discussion on street lighting issue also angered the mayor. This time around, the commissioner also joined him as there was lot of din in the hall.
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FABRICATION
Secunderabad — A foodie’s delight Apart from being a great place for shopping and an ideal residential locality, Secunderabad also has a lot to offer when it comes to food — from Irani chai at Blue Sea to biryani at Paradise Bhavneet Singh and Sneha Mashetty feedback@postnoon.com
I Exam dates announced
M
inister for secondary education K Parthasarathi has said that the supplementary examinations will be held from June 20 to July 3 between 9.30am to 12pm. The last date of remittance of examination fee by the candidates to heads of schools is June 11. Subject performance statements will be given to all the within 10 days. The extraction of failed candidates of examination will be dispatched to the schools by June 1. The candidates, who desire to get their marks recount should remit `500 per subject within 15 days. Applications for re-verification and copies will be accepted 15 days from date of results. Revised certificates will be issued for change of grades. AGENCY
t’s not just Famous ice-cream and Shadab biryani that rule the roost among Hyderabad’s culinary delights. The other twin, Secunderabad, too has its share of equally good food joints. Here’s a list of the must visit food joints in Secunderabad. The list begins with Paradise hotel. Biryani and Paradise are like synonyms. This restaurant has been around for over a few decades. The ever growing number of non-Hyderabadi visitors who ask specifically for this eatery bears witness to its popularity outside the city. This place also has a seating capacity of about 600 which makes it one of the biggest hotels in India. Next on the list is another
biryani joint adjacent to the Clock Tower. Garden Restaurant serves mouth-watering biryani and has a wide array of non vegetarian dishes. Right from the butter chicken to the mutton kheema, everything tastes fantastic. If you want to try quality Chinese food, then Nanking is where you should head. This restaurant serves Chinese cuisine in mild authentic flavours.
We are a nation of tea lovers. If you are a fan of tea, Alpha Hotel that serves delicious tea priced at `6 and is a must visit. Apart from tea, Alpha serves some tasty non-vegetarian dishes such as chicken do pyaza at reasonable rates. Another Chai specialist has given Alpha a tough competition in the same area. While Alpha Serves authentic Hyderabadi tea, Blue Sea is famous for its Irani chai. The tea here is creamy and the Osmania biscuits make it taste even better. A non-stop run of over 60 years tells its tales of success. Apart from Paradise, there is another good biryani joint in Trimulgherry. Hotel Biryani Darbar serves delicious biryani at moderate prices. The best thing about this eatery is that it has a double masala biryani for all the spice lovers. The
restaurant, though not very old, has gained a solid reputation among the locals and demands a visit when one is in Trimulgherry.
ICONIC CITY Jagdish market, Abids
L
ooking for a new cell phone? or for a nice hard cover for it? Even if you just want to know what is the latest fashion for the cell phones in the City then Jagdish Market is the place for you. Located in Abids, this market is exclusively for cell phones. From phone pouches, to accessories, hard covers to a new phone, you find everything here.
Bhavneet Singh Hyderabad as a City has a lot to offer in terms of heritage and sights. We take a look at the various places that make this City so special
Shopping here is not as easy as it sounds. You need to be well aware of the market trends, and most importantly, you should be be a master at the art of bargaining. The Ramachander Juice Centre in this area demands a special mention as it serves refreshing fruit juice. Apart from the mobile phones, you also find imported electronics here.
M ANIL KUMAR
Property Special
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
7
Buyers flock to gated communities as tranquillity becomes new mantra Residents are increasingly looking at quiet, open and pollution-free areas in which to buy property. As people’s desire to be part of a community grows, gated communities are becoming popular with buyers Prudhvi Raju K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com
The residential properties evolve and grow along with the employment generated in the proximity of an area. The growth of IT sector has pushed the growth of residential areas especially in areas like Madhapur, Gachibowli, Hitec City, Kondapur, Kukatpally and Tolichowki. There is a growth and demand along the corridor of Hitec City towards airport with flats ranging above `35 lakh, said
Key factors for choosing a house n Proximity to office n Infrastructure: Malls, hospitals, supermarkets and schools n Connectivity with city: Bus stop, railway connectivity and Metro n Social circle n Environment: Greenery and less pollution n Underground water, drinking water supply PV Ravindra Kumar, CEO, Vasathi Housing. Residents are increasingly looking at peaceful, open and pollution-free areas for buying property. Especially, the gated communities brought value addition to the buyers in these areas. People are increasingly looking to be part of the society of the community. Play area for children, club facilities and gym have become an added attraction. As there was ample land available, the builders developed huge gated communities in and around areas of Hitec City. In certain gated communities, only 25 per cent of the land has been used for construction and the rest has been left out for greenery. Customers prefer these locations as they are pollution-free, spacious and near to the IT hub. The fact that most occupants are
Location Banjara Hills Begumpet Kondapur Tellapur Kukatpally Miyapur
Rent per month for a 1,000 sq ft 2BHK flat `13,000-20,000 `10,000-15,000 `10,000-15,000 `8,000-12,000 `7,000-10,000 `5,000-6,000
on the same social strata adds to the comfort levels of the residents. Not only the IT crowd, but the NRIs too prefer such gated communities as they have similar facilities to their residences abroad, said N Jaiveer Reddy, president, CREDAI. The first deciding factor for a buyer is the distance from his residence to office and then comes proximity to social infrastructure like schools, hospitals, transporta-
Price of the property per sqft `5,500-10,000 `3,500-4,000 `2,800-4,500 `2,200-2,800 `3,300-3,500 `1,800-3,300 (Source: JLL)
tion hubs and malls. The price and amenities offered by the developer are also important factors choosing one over another, said V Tirupathi Reddy, senior manager (sales), Ramkay Estates and Farms. Infrastructure also plays a major role in choosing a property. Inorbit mall, the largest mall in South India, has become a recreational, shopping and entertainment hub for the people in and around the area of Hitec City. After
n Preferred areas for middle class buyer: Miyapur, Nallagandla, Nanakramguda, Hafeezpet, Madinaguda, Narsingi and Bachupally n Preferred areas for upper middle class and HNIs: Gachibowli, Madhapur, Kondapur, Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, Nallagandla, Miyapur. n Average cost: `2500/ per sft to `6000/- per sft a busy day or especially during weekends, people go there to unwind. Even in places like Kukatpally, which is around 6 km from Hitec City, hypermarkets such as Metro and More have come up and there is also development of new malls, said Jaiveer Reddy.
Even though, there is demand in Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills, Madhura Nagar, Srinagar Colony, Himayath Nagar, there is hardly space left to develop a gated community. These markets have become matured and no new major development taking place. However, buyers are little cynical about places like Himayath Nagar due to traffic and congestion, even though located in the centre of the city, he said. Miyapur, Nanakramguda and Narisngi are emerging markets. Miyapur is sought after by buyers because of the new bus depot and metro plans by the government, which will change the real-estate scenario in the neighbourhood and its connectivity. Nanakramguda and Narsingi are also emerging because of the proximity to IT hub and the airport, added Ravindra Kumar.
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Rupee fall will hit you and me Money Matters Nupur Pavan Bang
I
ran into my recently married cousin and his wife at a family function yesterday. I asked him, “Abhi, you were supposed to be on a honeymoon in California at this time! What are you doing here?” Abhi: I had booked my trip with a travel agent six months back, as soon as Priya and I got engaged. The travel agent had told me that the trip would cost me a total of around `2,00,000. Now he is asking me to pay him `2,30,000. So I fought with him and cancelled the trip. Nicky: Oh oh! The exchange rate has spoiled your honeymoon! Abhi: No, it’s the travel agent. He is a cheat. Nicky: No Abhi. It’s not his fault. His costs have gone up by more than 20 per cent in the last one year. For the same facilities, same hotel, same cab, same restaurant, same entry tickets, his cost in Indian rupees is much higher now due to the falling rupee. Nicky: See when you booked your trip, exchange rate was around `51 per dollar. It means that for every $100, the travel
US imposes dumping duty on Indian firm WASHINGTON: The US government hit a major Indian steel pipe exporter with anti-dumping duties of more than 48 per cent, in a move that follows nearly 300 per cent anti-subsidy duties on Indian pipe set in March. The commerce department set the duties on circular welded carbon-quality steel welded pipe from Zenith Birla, including it with companies already hit with anti-dumping duties. The pipe covered in the ruling is used for handling water and other liquids and gases under low pressures in plumbing, heating and cooling systems, and other uses. The commerce department said it affects exports from the four countries that reached nearly $200 million last year. India has been a major target of subsidy and dumping accusations by US producers. AFP
agent had to shell out `5,100/Now, the exchange rate is `56.3 per dollar. So for the same payment of $100, the travel agent needs `5,630. Abhi: I blasted the poor agent for no fault of his. I must go back and apologise. But why is this happening? Why is the value of rupee falling? Nicky: There are multiple reasons. Our government attributes it to the crisis in the Eurozone. Greece, Spain, Portugal, are all in bad shape. This is causing uncer-
tainty in the Eurozone and hence the Euro. Investors and traders are selling the Euro and buying dollar. Increased demand for dollar is making it more valuable. So it is appreciating against most other currencies. However, Indian rupee has been most badly affected when compared to other currencies like the Indonesian Rupiah or the Ringgit or Won. This is due to the weakening fundamentals of our own economy. Our GDP growth rate has slowed down,
inflation is high and fiscal deficit is enormous. On top of that, the political will to take corrective measures is lacking. The allies need to be placated at every step, preventing any meaningful action. Abhi: But why doesn’t the RBI do something about the exchange rate? If they supply dollars in the market, the rupee should stop depreciating right? And I have heard that the Indian government has huge reserves of foreign currency. Nicky: You are right. If dollars are supplied to the market, the rupee slide should stop. But how much can the RBI supply that is the question. We have a reasonable reserve right now. But we should not forget that our oil and gold imports are also very high, which are both paid in dollars. Also, till the confidence in the economy is not restored, foreign institutional investors will keep fleeing the country with their money. New investors will not come into the country to invest. Abhi: The country is going through all this, and I was upset about my honeymoon! The author is a senior researcher at Centre for Investment, ISB
Facebook bets on mobile app SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook released a “camera” application on Thursday that lets people take Instagram-style pictures that can be shared with iPhones. The stand-alone application synchs to the leading social network, letting friends consult one another’s photos. The new mobile app “makes using Facebook photos faster and easier,” according to product manager Dirk Stoop. “You’ll see a feed of great photos from the people you care about,” Stoop said in a Facebook post. “You can swipe to see more of any album or tap to enlarge an individual photo.” The mini-program also let people share pictures simultaneously instead of having to post them one at a time to the social network. Facebook Camera was due to be available at Apple’s online App Store late on Thursday. The Menlo Park, Californiabased social network made a billion-dollar deal in April to buy the startup behind wildly popular smartphone photo sharing
application Instagram. The big ticket purchase was seen by some as a move by Facebook to strengthen defences against Google and blazingly hot newcomer Pinterest. An Instagram application tuned to Apple’s iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch devices has been downloaded more than 30 million times since the first version
`87.41
was released in late 2010 by the San Francisco startup. A version of the application tailored for smartphones powered by Google-backed Android software racked up more than a million users in the 24 hours after its recent release. Word of Facebook Camera came in the aftermath of an initial public offering of stock that made insiders and investors rich but left small buyers feel abused. Lack of a clear strategy for making money from users who connect to the social network using smartphones or tablet computers was considered to be among the reasons Facebook stock sank below its opening price of $38 per share. Facebook stock reversed its losing trend on Thursday, inching up to $33.03 a share from $31.99 a day earlier after the close of trading. More than a half-dozen law firms said that they were launching class action suits against the networking giant and its underwriters. AFP
POUND FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012 8 NUMEROLOGY
$40
billion
is the proposed investment in green energy Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs is planning over the next 10 years .
THUS SPAKE “You can’t do that through austerity alone, there are many other ways. You can have more monetary activism from the European Central Bank, you can have transfers of money ... or you could mutualise debt in the long run,” Nick Clegg British Dy PM
STAKE CUT US banking giant Citigroup plans to cut its investment in Turkey’s Akbank by half by selling a 10.1 per cent stake, a person close to the situation said. Citigroup, thirdlargest US bank by assets, acquired a 20 per cent holding in the Turkish bank in January 2007 for $3.1 billion. In a regulatory filing in late March, Citi reported that it plans to reduce its ownership in Akbank to below 10 percent. Citi reported to the Securities and Exchange Commission bank that it had taken a $1.2 billion pre-tax charge in the first quarter of 2012 to reflect its losses related to Akbank.
RED CARPET Australia plans to roll out the red carpet for wealthy businesspeople by establishing a visa category offering a pathway to residency if they invest at least $4.9 million. Immigration minister Chris Bowen said it was important to attract people prepared to make a significant investment in creating jobs and economic growth. The visas would be issued to people who invest the money in either state and territory bonds, Security Investment Commission regulated managed funds or directly into companies.
India‑View
10
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
India unveiled
Satyameva Jayate inspires sarpanch to act against female foeticide JAIPUR: Aamir Khan's highly acclaimed Satyameva Jayate has inspired a sarpanch in a Rajasthan village to register police cases against women and families who go for tests to detect and abort the girl child. "Illegal sex determination is rampant in the Shekhawati region (Jhunjhunu, Churu and Sikar districts)," sarpanch Randheer Singh of Budania village told IANS. The village, some 200km from here, is home to some 5,000 people. Randheer Singh said a sixmember committee had been formed to keep a tab on pregnant women. "After watching Aamir Khan's TV show
Assam plans to add food supplement for high school girls NEW DELHI: Guwahati: Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Thursday said the government was considering providing some food supplement to high school girls before administering them iron and folic acid tablets — a day after some girls fell sick after the exercise. On Wednesday, some girl students in Sonitpur district complained of vomiting, dizziness and stomach-ache after they were administered the tablets in their schools. Sarma, however, said there was nothing serious about Wednesday's incident and it might happen if doses were taken empty stomach. "Our pre-
liminary inquiry suggested that most of the girls who fell sick yesterday had the tablets empty stomach. This resulted in sickness. Due to the poverty level, particularly in rural areas, it is difficult to ascertain who comes to the school empty stomach." He said the government is now planning to upgrade the scheme by adding some food supplement to it. "We are thinking of upgrading the scheme by giving the girls something to eat before the tablets are given. This will help to continue the scheme, which is very important for the young girls in preventing anaemia." Students of Class 9 and 10 are
given iron and folic acid tablets under a National Rural Health Mission scheme since 2007. The scheme was started after a survey found that 69 per cent of girls in the state are anaemic. "Iron deficiency among the women is one of the factors for high maternal mortality rate (MMR) in Assam. The scheme to administer iron and folic acid tablets to the young girls in Assam is very important," he said and ruled out any discontinuation of the scheme. "However, we have asked the department of medicines of the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital to test the tablets used yesterday," he added. IANS
Patnaik cancels lecture at Sussex Odisha Chief LONDON: Minister Naveen Patnaik has cancelled a seminar he was scheduled to deliver at the Sussex University on Monday amid claims by rights groups that he changed his programme fearing demonstrations against him. Patnaik, who is on his first foreign trip after becoming chief minister in 2000, was scheduled to give a lecture on development issues in the state
at the Brighton-based Institute of Development Studies (IDS). A spokesperson for IDS told PTI, "The seminar has been cancelled due to the chief minister changing his schedule. On development issues, it was due to be titled, 'Reforms and Achievements in Odisha,' and would have been open to IDS staff, students and the public. Several Indian students, civil servants and activists have studied and conducted
research at IDS, which is part of the University of Sussex and is known for research into Indian development issues. The reason for the cancellation was not known, but London-based human rights organisations alleged that his schedule was changed after learning that the event would be attended by activists and students protesting against alleged violation of tribal rights in Odisha. PTI
Satyameva Jayate on female foeticide, I felt that awareness in Rajasthan is not enough," he said. "Checking female foeticide at the village level is necessary to save girl children." He said that auxiliary nurses and midwives know about almost every pregnant woman in villages. "If a woman is found involved in illegal sex determination and abortion of a girl child, an FIR (First Information Report) will be filed against her with the police," Singh said. "If she is forced to abort by her in-laws, similar action will be taken against them also," he said.
According to the 2011 census, Rajasthan has 883 girls in the 0-6 age group for every 1,000 boys. The child sex ratio in 2001 was 909. The Rajasthan government has taken several measures to end illegal sex determination tests. It has hiked the amount of money given to people who complain about errant ultrasound clinics. Aamir Khan, in his programme telecast May 6 that drew record audiences countrywide, highlighted a sting operation done seven years ago by two journalists to expose growing female foeticide in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. IANS
Kolkata joins the slutwalk movement KOLKATA:
The eastern metropolis resonated with slogans of "Jaa porechi, besh korechi (I don't care what people think of my dressing sense)" as over a hundred women, men and children, including foreign nationals, took to the streets as part of the Kolkata Slutwalk to protest against any form of sexual harassment. Eschewing any particular dress code, a procession of about 150 people — school and college students, teachers, office goers, slum dwellers and social workers from the US — artistically covered in body-art and donning a variety of dresses from saris to shorts, began the march from Jadavpur University in the evening amidst slogan shouting. What started in the city as a virtual movement on Facebook by a first year MA student, Sulakshana Biswas, became a reality when eight like-minded youngsters got together and pooled in their resources and started distributing pamphlets and spreading the word. Explaining her agenda, Biswas said, "Sexual harassment has got nothing to do with the clothes one wears or with gender. We are also against victim blaming". One of the organisers, Shreya Sen from Tata Institute of Social Sciences at Mumbai, explained,
Sexual harassment has got nothing to do with the clothes one wears or with gender. We are also against victim blaming. Sulakshana Biswas MA student "SLUT is expressing oneself verbally, physically, sexually. We intend to use our bodies as canvasses, and distribute pamphlets on the way to the citizens, and express ourselves through slogans. Since it is gender inclusive, there will be members from the transgender community as well". The walk saw lots of men who have been victims of sexual harassment in the city. Soumek Chowdhry, one of the victims, an aspiring actor and Salsa dancer, said, "This is one small step, hopefully it will make an impact,if not an immediate change". "Statistically Kolkata ranks second after Delhi in sex crimes. Kolkata needs awareness", said Priyardishini, an Mphil student at the Jadavpur University. IANS
India‑View
11
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
India unveiled
Yeddy bats for Modi as PM
NATION AT A GLANCE Army mountaineering team summits Everest
Compares Gujarat chief minister to Atal Behari Vajpayee and LK Advani
NEW DELHI: An Indian Army moun-
BANGALORE: Showering encomiums on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for good governance, Karnataka BJP strongman BS Yeddyurappa today said the ongoing party national executive at Mumbai should deliberate on promoting him as prime ministerial candidate, among other issues. “The national executive should deliberate on the issues rocking Karnataka, Gujarat and Rajasthan and promote Modi as prime ministerial candidate,” he told reporters here. “According to a survey, Modi is the most popular leader of the country and the party must think on these lines and take decisions,” said Yeddyurapa, who had recently pushed the first BJP government in the South into a crisis of survival. “Modi is popular because he has done great work in Gujarat and made the state number one in the country,” he said.
The Lingayat strongman, however, said Modi could not be compared to former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and veteran BJP leader LK Advani.
He declined to comment on the resignation of Modi’s bête noire Sanjay Joshi from the BJP National Executive. Yeddyurappa, who is sulk-
ing over the party central leadership for ‘sidelining’ him, said he could not attend the National Executive due to pending court cases, but would go tomorrow if possible. “I could not attend the BJP National Executive meet due to some cases filed against me in Lokayukta court. If possible I will go tomorrow,” He had earlier made it clear he would not attend the BJP meet. Incidentally, he has not missed a single BJP executive meeting in the last two decades. Yeddyurappa had triggered the recent crisis with nine ministers loyal to him submitting their resignations, insisting on change of leadership of Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda amid speculation that he might split the party. He,however, said he had decided to quit the party but deferred his decision. PTI
On his way to attend meet in Mumbai
BJP extends Gadkari’s term as chief
BANGALORE: Another
MUMBAI: The BJP on
patch up is on the cards for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa stating on Friday that he would be going to Mumbai where the national executive of the party is meeting. Yeddyurappa told reporters here that he was going to Mumbai to congratulate party president Nitin Gadkari, who will be getting a second term on his post. “I am going to congratulate Gadkariji, he is getting another term as president,” Yeddyurappa told reporters. “He has stood with me like a stone in every situation, so I
must go and meet him,” he said. The Lingayat leader, however, also aired his displeasure to party leader Ananth Kumar, and said he would work in the state to make BJP stronger. “I will brief the party about the developments of last few days, and I will work in the state to make the party stronger,” Yeddyurappa said. Yeddyurappa has been upset with the party leadership after he was removed from the chief minister’s post following graft charges. He has been at loggerheads with his hand-picked successor Sadanand Gowda, whose ouster he is now demanding. IANS
Thursday passed an amendment to its constitution which will now enable party president Nitin Gadkari’s term to be extended by another three years. The amendment was brought by former party president Rajnath Singh, and seconded by another former president M Venkaiah Naidu. Announcing the amendment, party’s general secretary JP Nadda said it will also enable extending the tenure of district and state presidents of the party. “Earlier, a president could have only one term of three years at a time. Now a president
can have two consecutive terms of three years at one stretch,” he said. Nadda added that the amendment was passed “unanimously” by voice vote. No discussion was held on the amendment. Asked if Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi or any other member expressed an opinion otherwise, Nadda said “all members act objectively in such issues”. Gadkari, who enjoys the backing of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), became the party president in 2009. His term was to expire in November this year. IANS
Punjab’s elite-60 under HC lens Jaideep Sarin
CHANDIGARH: The makers and custodians of policy and rules in Punjab have also turned out to be the biggest violators. The greed of acquiring prime land in the periphery of Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, has brought powerful politicians, police officers, bureaucrats and influential people under the scanner of the Punjab and Haryana High Court here. Virtually hearing the case on a day-to-day basis, the high court has set up a two-man judicial tribunal to look into irregularities and violations
committed by Punjab’s powerful elite in grabbing prime land in Punjab in the vicinity of Chandigarh’s VIP areas. The land, said to be worth several millions of rupees in the mar-
The list includes Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and police chief Sumedh Singh Saini.
ket, is in the Kansal and Nayagaon village area north of Chandigarh. The area falls in Punjab’s territory. The list of what is known as the elite-60 includes the likes of Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, his son and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, police chief Sumedh Singh Saini, serving and retired top bureaucrats and police officers and other influential people. The list includes two former police chiefs and a chief secretary. The High Court wants a thorough investigation into the misuse of power by the elite-60 in getting ‘shamlata’ (public land) converted into private land and
then getting it transferred in their or in benami names. The High Court has already pointed out that the “land grabbings” had been done by the influential lot by “fudging the land records”. The judicial tribunal will be headed by former Supreme Court judge Kuldeep Singh and will be assisted by a senior judicial officer, the High Court has stated. A high court bench consisting of Acting Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Alok Singh rejected the plea of Punjab Advocate General Ashok Aggarwal that the Punjab government was already probing the land purchases made by influential people. IANS
taineering team, including four lady officers, today successfully scaled the Mount Everest. “One male officer along with four women officers, three NCOs successfully summited the Everest in the morning. One of the officers reached the summit without using oxygen cylinders,” Army officials said here. The expedition was carried out through South (Nepal).
Maoist leader arrested in Uttar Pradesh LUCKNOW: A Maoist leader, carrying a cash reward of `300,000 on his head, was arrested from a forest in UP’s Sonebhadra district, police said today (Friday). The police along with the Central Reserve Police Force on Thursday arrested Munna Vishwakarma, a self-styled zonal commander of the banned organisation.
Police lathicharge activists of political party KMSS in Guwahati on Thursday for blocking a highway in support of Akhil Gogoi. PTI
One killed, four injured in wild buffalo attack RANGIYA (ASSAM): One person was killed and four others injured today in an attack by wild buffaloes in Assam’s Kamrup (Rural) district, official sources said. A group of wild buffaloes which came after crossing the Brahmaputra river began to attack people when locals began to chase them at Rajaduar area in North Guwahati.
7 child labourers saved from milk plant JAIPUR: At least seven child labourers, all aged below 14 years, were rescued from a government-run milk production plant here on Thursday, police said adding that plant authorities made several others to escape. Police and some representatives of an NGO raided the Bajaj Nagar-situated plant of Jaipur Dairy which produces milk brand, ‘Saras’, that is widely consumed in Jaipur.
Greenpeace activists, dressed as Orangutans, staging a demonstration outside a KFC outlet in New Delhi on Thursday. PTI
Around the World
12
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
Beyond Borders
Bhutan takes a dose of Gross Literary Happiness AFP/GILES HEWITT
Bhutan’s Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangchuck reads extracts from her book Treasures of the Thunder Dragon: A Portrait of Bhutan. THIMPU: South Asia’s love of literature festivals has spread to the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, which features in many an exotic travelogue but is pretty much a blank space on the global literary map. The Mountain Echoes Festival held this week in the Bhutanese capital Thimpu is part of a growing South Asian circuit that currently comprises thriving literary festivals in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The Thimpu event, which was first held in 2010, is by far the smallest, drawing daily crowds of just 300 or so to its community
centre venue, to listen to 70 speakers and authors from the region and beyond. In the festival line-up, India’s presence dominated, reflecting its literary powerhouse reputation in the region. Contemporary Bhutanese literary voices in what is still one of the world’s most insular nations are few and far between. Sandwiched between India and China and with a population of 7,00,000, Bhutan is famously known for inventing “Gross National Happiness” — a development philosophy that sees the government measure the mental
MONKEY BUSINESS
well-being of citizens, not their material wealth. Historically, Bhutanese literature has been largely associated with revered religious scriptures written in the script of the national language Dzongkha and a rich but largely oral tradition of folk tales. “To a large extent, our literature has remained cloistered within the monastery fortress," Karma Phuntsho, a Bhutanese scholar and research associate at Britain’s Cambridge University, said. The “Land of the Thunder Dragon", as Bhutan is also sometimes known, had no roads or currency until the 1960s and allowed television only in 1999 in a bid to shield itself from foreign influences. But since the 1960s, English has been the medium of education in Bhutanese schools, and is the language of choice for the members of the country’s fledgling contemporary literary scene. “We’re finding our voice in the English language, and in so doing we make our experience of Bhutan more accessible,” said Karma Singye Dorji, a popular writer whose 2009 collection of stories and essays Dreaming of Prayer Flags was published abroad to critical acclaim. “In English, we can open a window on Bhutan to the world,” he said. AFP
J
AFP/ VANDERLEI ALMEIDA
Unabomber updates his Harvard classmates in latest alumni directory
T
he Unabomber, also known as Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski, is currently serving eight life sentences for killing three people and injuring 23 others with a series of mail bombs. But that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t want his old classmates to know what he’s up to, the Boston Globe reported. Kaczynski, who graduated from Harvard in 1962, submitted an eerie entry to the Ivy League school’s latest alumni directory, listing his occupation as “Prisoner,” and his home address as “No. 04475-046, US Penitentiary— Max, PO Box 8500, Florence, CO 8126-8500," according to the Globe. As for his awards, the Unabomber boasts about his “eight life sentences, issued by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, 1998," ABC News reported. Fellow Harvard alum and venture capitalist Alex Taussig tweeted the page, calling it “morbidly amusing". The infamous US terrorist is often referred to as “a genius-turned madman," the Daily Mail reported. He attended Harvard at age 16 and went on to earn his PhD in mathematics from the
University of Michigan. “Kaczynski is a con artist," Susan Mosser, the widow of Thomas Mosser, an ad executive who was killed in 1994 when one of the Unabomber’s packages exploded in their New Jersey home, told the Globe. “He’s a serial killer, he’s a murderer. Everything is a game for him to push people’s buttons.” Kaczynski’s Harvard class of 1962 is convening in Cambridge this week for its 50-year reunion, according to ABC News. GLOBALPOST
Tokyo Skytree opens to public apan’s Tokyo Skytree, a structure twice as tall as the Eiffel Tower, was opened to the public on Tuesday. Tens of thousands of people lined up in the rain to be among the first people to get a view of the Japanese capital from the 2,080foot (634-meter) structure, now officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest tower, according to CNN.
Rio’s zoo veterinarian Alex Spadetti plays with ‘Lequinho', a twomonth-old ‘green monkey’ (Cercopithecus pygerythrus), a species originary from South Africa, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Wednesday. Lequinho, whose mother died upon giving birth, is being taken care of by a team of veterinarians and biologists.
Blast from the past
Japan is hoping the tower will boost international visitor numbers in the wake of the devastating earthquake and tsunami, and resulting nuclear crisis last year. However, the 143 billion yen ($1.8 billion) development also serves as a replacement for the 1,092.5-foot-tall Tokyo Tower — a symbol of Japan’s capital rapid post-war growth — as the broadcast hub.
The tower’s operator said it was equipped with state-of-art technology to counter the earth tremors. Tokyo Skytree is the world’s second tallest structure, after Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, which stands at 2,717 feet tall. In Guinness tower category, the Skytree’s closest height competitor is the Canton Tower in China, which is 1,968.5 feet tall. GLOBALPOST
Around the World
13
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
Beyond Borders
Vatican Bank head ousted as Holy See fights scandal VATICAN CITY: The Vatican Bank ousted its president on Thursday after he failed to clean up the image of an institution that has come to symbolise the opacity and scandal gripping the Holy See’s administration. Ettore Gotti Tedeschi was forced to resign “for failing to carry out duties of primary importance,” the Holy See said in a statement. The president was ousted in the wake of a series of financial scandals as the Vatican tries to clean up its image and put a stop to a leak of documents. “The board passed a unanimous no-confidence vote against the president... and believes the action is important to maintain the vitality” of the bank, the Vatican said, as internal divisions over transparency came to a head. Gotti Tedeschi, an expert on financial ethics, was put in charge of the bank — also known as the Institute for Religious Works (IOR) — in 2009, in an effort on the part of the Vatican to rid the institution of scandal. Moneyval, the Council of Europe’s experts on anti-money laundering, is due to rule at the beginning of July on the whether the Holy See has managed to clean up its act and meet international monetary standards. But the former head of Spanish bank Santander’s Italian operations tasked with bringing transparency to the bank came under suspicion in 2010 when he was investigated as part of an
7 injured as US nuke sub catches fire WASHINGTON: At least seven people were wounded after a fire broke out overnight on a US Navy’s nuclear-powered submarine, the Navy said on Thursday. The submarine is docked at a shipyard in Maine state, northeast of the US. The fire broke out shortly before 6 pm. Wednesday on the USS Miami, an attack submarine, Xinhua quoted Rear Admiral Rick Breckenridge, commander of Submarine Group-2, in a statement. The injured included three Portsmouth Naval Shipyard firefighters, two crew members and two civilian firefighters providing support. All have been released after medical treatment. IANS
inquiry by magistrates into money-laundering. Gotti Tedeschi, 67, was accused of violating laws set up in 2007 that tightened rules on disclosure of financial operations to the Italian central bank in a bid to stamp out money laundering. He was more recent-
ly also suspected of leaking documents and accused in some quarters of serving his own interests. The board said it would seek a president who could “help the institute establish efficient and extensive relations between it and the financial community based on mutual respect of accepted international banking standards.” For now, Deputy President Ronaldo Hermann Schmitz will take over the reigns. Gotti Tedeschi’s exit comes at a tense time for the Vatican, which has had to deal over the past months with a series of leaks of sensitive documents and accusations of corruption and fraud splashed over the Italian press. In the wake of the 2010 scandal — which saw an Italian court temporarily seize $33 million from the IOR — Pope Benedict XVI created a new
financial authority to “prevent and oppose illegal financial activity.” The aim was to get the Vatican on to the “white list” of financially virtuous countries, but internal tensions sprang up after the Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone pushed for the new transparency law to be watered down. It is not the first time that the IOR, which administers accounts held by religious orders, cardinals, bishops, priests and nuns, has made the headlines. In 1982 IOR was caught up in one of Italy’s biggest fraud cases when Milan’s Banco Ambrosiano — of which it was the main shareholder — collapsed. Banco Ambrosiano’s chairman Roberto Calvi, known as “God’s Banker” because of his ties with the Vatican, was found hanging from a London bridge. AFP
GLOBE AT A GLANCE Scuffle in Ukrainian House over Russian KIEV: Ahead of the consideration of a Bill aimed to expand the Russian language’s usage in the country, the Ukrainian parliament witnessed a brawl on Thursday. Prior to the beginning of the voting, Opposition deputies burst into the building of the parliament and instigated a scuffle with members of the pro-presidential Party of Regions. Speaker Volodymir Litvin announced the end of the meeting.
500 held Asia-wide over Chinese telecom scam BEIJING: Nearly 500 people were seized by police across Asia over an $11.5-million telecom scam targeting people in China, state media said on Thursday. Most of the 482 people held were from China and Taiwan. They were arrested there and in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Fiji, the news agency said.
Kuwait’s finance minister quits after 11-hour grilling KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait’s finance minister Mustafa alShamali resigned on Thursday following a marathon grilling in which Opposition MPs accused him of wide-ranging financial irregularities. “I submit my resignation from my post,” declared the 69-year-old minister after an address in Parliament following the 11-hour questioning. Ten opposition MPs still filed a no-confidence motion against the minister which will not count if the oil-rich Gulf state’s ruler
officially accepts the resignation. If the emir does not accept the resignation, voting on the motion will take place on June 3. Shamali, who has been
finance minister in the oil-rich emirate since 2007, categorically denied the accusations against him and insisted that he worked to his best to serve his nation. He is the first minister to quit the new Kuwaiti cabinet formed just over three months following snap polls in which the Islamistled opposition scored a comprehensive victory. The MPs who grilled Shamali accused him of being responsible for wide-ranging violations that are estimated to have cost billions of dollars.
‘Musharraf killed my mother’ WASHINGTON: The then Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf was responsible for the murder of his mother and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, her son and Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said. “He (Musharraf ) murdered my mother (Benazir Bhutto)... I hold him responsible for the murder of my mother,” Bilawal Bhutto told the CNN in an interview. When asked why he was saying so, he said “because he (Musharraf) was aware of the threats. He himself had threatened her in the past. He said your security is directly linked to our relationship and our cooperation.” “When he imposed emer-
gency and it was clear that he was pulling the wool over our eyes, he was not interested in returning democracy to Pakistan and my mother started to speak out more against him, the security decreased,” said Bilawal, who is currently on a US visit.
The son of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said he plans to play a larger role in next election and join politics “I am chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party. I didn’t campaigned in last election. I went to university. I don’t feel like at the moment I have the mandate to take a particularly active role. I look forward to campaigning in the next election and playing a larger role then,” he said. “I would like to help my people in anyway I can. It’s difficult times in Pakistan and we all have to help,” Bhutto said when asked would he someday like to be the leader of his country. Responding to a question on his safety in Pakistan, he said, he was not worried. PTI
US President Barack Obama greets supporters during a campaign event in Iowa on Thursday. AFP
9/11 case: Lawyers want Obama, Bush to testify WASHINGTON: Lawyers for accused plotters of the September 11 attacks want President Barack Obama and his predecessor George W Bush to testify at a military tribunal for “inflammatory statements” they argue have tainted proceedings. The attorneys also requested testimony from six other officials, including Vice President Joe Biden.
Controversial Reagan blood auction scrapped LONDON: An auction house announced on Thursday it had withdrawn from sale a vial said to contain blood taken from late US president Ronald Reagan after he was shot in 1981. PFC Auctions, based on the Channel Island of Guernsey, said the owner had agreed to donate the item to the California-based Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation.
Students perform during a protest against tuition fee increases on Thursday in Montreal. AFP
Comment
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
Fair, free and forthright
Talk back Falling edu standards While the secondary school certificate (SSC) results have improved overall, one fact that stands out is that children in districts seem to fare better than those in cities. There seems to be a link between methodologies adopted in different places and the final outcome. One would think that a city is better equipped in these aspects, and would, hence, do a better job. Either that or the students themselves are more distracted in cities, maybe because of spending more time travelling on congested city roads. Whatever the reason, it should be sorted out. Jagdish Dipu Somajiguda
You get if you give Film stars turn to politics in their greying days because they are used to the limelight and find it difficult to stay away from it. Even though they start off in real earnest to want to do something for people who have idolised them and given them so very much, somewhere down the road they seem to lose their focus. They end up becoming like any other ordinary politician, looking at their personal gains and ignoring the plight of those who brought them till here. Hope this is not what happens to Chiranjeevi when he goes back to people. E Ravi Gachibowlia
Curb gas theft Why this nuisance of domestic liquid petroleum gas being used for commercial purposes cannot be stopped beats me. The government supplies LPG to households at a subsidised rate to minimise the burden of families that are not very well to do. On the other hand, commercial ventures like autorickshaws, taxies and restaurants have their margins without adding to the profits through these wrong methods. It is the common man that has to bear the brunt either ways. And the government remains a mute spectator through all this. Sarojamma Krishna Nagar
Entertain children Apropos ‘Old skool’, I fully agree that entertainment for children is no longer what it used to be. I remember even till a few years back, we would have a movie for children releasing during summer holidays. The result of this is that children are growing up sooner since they are forced to behave like adults, and this depriving them of their most important childhood. Fathima Parvin Mehdipatnam
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. Editor: Dean Williams
14
Fishery design merits no compliment The Anonymous Alien
B
ack in 2008, the Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launched its first lunar probe, Chandrayaan-1. Its future plans include manned space flights, more trips to the moon and interplanetary probes. The cost of all this is in the billions. Spending billions for space exploration in a developing country with 500 million people who still don’t have electricity, some 400 million who still don’t have toilets, and some 26 million children who are malnourished is certainly questionable. Still, I can see the benefits to India from space exploration, including increased national pride, stronger international standing, development of new technologies that can flow into the private sector and spur new industries and maybe even improved defence technologies. Are the benefits of space exploration justifiable in a country with so many dire problems? Probably not, but at least it’s debatable. Which brings me to the fish. The biggest fish in the world, from what I’ve seen. Specifically, I’m talking about the giant fish/ structure/ building/ whatever-you-call-it that you cannot miss seeing when driving from Hyderabad to the airport. The fish/ structure/ building/ whateveryou-call-it angers me, and I want it to anger you too. From what I have learned, the building is supposed to be a ‘fishery’, and it was built with government funds. Now, let’s break this down. At some point, some person in the government decided that the government should invest in fishery infrastructure. Why the government would make this choice, instead of leaving this to the private sector, is beyond me. But nevertheless, someone decided that despite the millions in India living without electricity and toilets and food, the best allocation of India government rupees would be a brand new fishery here in Hyderabad. Okay, it seems like a questionable call, to spend government rupees this way, but maybe, like the India space programme, it can
Editorials
be partly justified as something that will help create new jobs and new businesses. Doubtful, but at least open to a logical debate. And that would all be well and good, except the government didn’t stop there. Some official — perhaps the same insightful person who decided the fishery was needed — also decided that the fishery should look like a fish. A really gigantic fish. With fins and eyes and a tail. Now, I have to assume that designing and building a fishery that looks like a giant fish costs millions of rupees more than building a fishery that looks like... well, a building, not a fish. I mean, just one of those giant eyes had to add quite a few rupees to the budget. And that is completely unacceptable. Think of it this way. Let’s say the India gov-
REALISTIC DECISIONS MUST TAKE priority over ally-appeasement
ven before the public absorbed the shock `8-hike in petrol price, the government has hinted at a roll back by the month end. The Centre painted itself into a corner as even the UPA allies were outraged by the massive hike. The volt-face shows the pathetic state of decision making. If the price hike is inevitable to prevent the rupee's value from sliding further against the dollar, the government must show the guts to back its unpopular decision — even in the face of high-decibel tirades from the allies and Opposition. The country's diminishing economic sheen is also due to the fact that the government is not able to push through key market reforms due to coalition compulsions. The unrealistic pricing might be popular, but will harm the economic interests of the country in the long run. If a government proves itself as weak and indecisive, it is only natural that investors will be hesitant to pour money into the market. Considering that hardliners are taking control in the main Opposition BJP, the government needs to buck up before it's too late.
E
ernment decided to launch a spaceship, to go to Mars. A questionable call, for reasons already mentioned. Then let’s say, instead of using a conventional, relatively cost-effective, tried and true rocket ship that looks — as all rockets look — like a giant pencil, the government instead decided to spend crores and crores more to make it look like, I don’t know, the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars, or the Enterprise from Star Trek. It would be cool, it would be amazing, and I’m sure all the Indians without electricity and toilets and adequate food would be most impressed. But I wouldn’t be. I would be angry. And I think you should be angry too. A foreigner’s observations on living, working, surviving and thriving in India.
US, PAKISTAN: THE Tipping Point is near
T
he battle between US and Pakistan is swiftly building up a head of steam. The imprisonment of Shakil Afridi is just one more nail in a coffin that is so old, the wood is beginning to turn to dust. Surely as the US begins its Afghan drawdown it will also begin to distance itself from Pakistan, that grows increasingly unstable; politcally and socially. The threatened cut in US aid is only the first blow in the bloody battle to come.
Rhythm Nation
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
15
Making musicians Siddharth TSS feedback@postnoon.com
David Chase of Symphony Academy tells us there is no wanting for students who want to master music
A
s one enters the Symphony Academy of Music in Trimulgherry the first thing that hits you is the arsenal of instruments all around the
iTUNES Top 10
room. Guitars hanging over the shelf, students honing their skills at chords or on the keyboards. David Chase an energetic and passionate music teacher comments on the enthusiasm of the people in the city who want to learn music. “Every student who comes to the institute aspires of being a musician, they usually idolise Jimi Hendrix and want to play like him,” he says. “But unfortunately everyone has to start from a beginners level, that is when they actually learn and lament about the hard work and the commitment which goes into learning music. To each there is his own learning pace, some pick up two months in to the course some a bit further ahead but once they are confident of their skills they are free to play any song of their choice or
and then progress to playing rhymes after which we introduce the chords to them.” On asking him about the most preferred genre of music he tells us, “Students like listening to Linkin Park, Eagles and other such bands. Everyone who wants to learn music has this certain apprehension of playing like their idols but music is very extensive as it takes time and patience.” Students mostly prefer learning the guitar and the keyboard. Even the parents don't mind the children learning these instruments as they are quite affordable and can be practiced at home without any hassles, informs David. And their most preferred song has to be Hotel California.
Bollywood Top 10 songs
Top 10 albums
Monáe)
Adele Fun.
Rowdy Rathore
Tuskegee
Wild Ones (feat. Sia)
Naine Re Lionel Richie
Flo Rida Justin Bieber Scream Usher Back In Time (From "Men In Black III") Pitbull What Makes You Beautiful One Direction Brokenhearted Karmin Where Have You Been Rihanna
Dangerous Ishq
NOW 42
Boyfriend
Call Me Maybe Carly Rae Jepsen Somebody That I Used to Know (feat. Kimbra) Gotye We Are Young (feat. Janelle
even compose a few tunes of their own,” he adds. This institute which has over 500 students from all over the twin cities caters not only to guitar and keyboard enthusiasts but also the drums and rhythm pads are taught to the students by means of an extensive eightgrade syllabus. The director says, “By the time the students hit the fourth grade they can start listening to songs and play music on their own. To help gauge their progress we have exams and jam sessions too. Students are initially taught the chords
Blown Away Carrie Underwood 21
Various Artists ...Little Broken Hearts Norah Jones Neck Of The Woods Silversun Pickups Up All Night One Direction Blunderbuss Jack White This Is How I Feel Tank Tailgates & Tanlines Luke Bryan
Pani da Rang Vicky Donor Morcha
Pareshaan Ishaqzaade Dhadhang Dhang
Shanghai Chamak Chalo Chel Chameli Rowdy Rathore Chokra Jawan Ishaqzaade Humse Pyaar kar le Tu Teri Meri Kahaani Mar Jaiyan Vicky Donor Jabse Mere Dil ko Uff Teri Meri Kahaani
H‑Factor
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
Holistic view of mind, body and soul
A prescription for pride or care? Yamuna Kona feedback@postnoon.com
“I
’m not crazy, but there’s something wrong with me!” I wanted to throw a tantrum, but I was physically and mentally exhausted. I was desperate for an answer. Why was I suddenly flaring up with hives and skin rashes, when I’d never experienced any type of allergy besides normal sneezes? I wasn’t my usual, energetic self, ever since I had strep last January. I put off concentrating on the symptoms, because I didn’t have time to, and it was bearable. At first, my body’s constant cries for relaxation were easy to ignore. Then coworkers noticed my constant irritability. And when the demands at the office became overwhelming, I spiraled to emotional breakdowns. I was only convinced to see a doctor when every waking moment was fixated on feeling well. Before thoroughly examining me, my primary care doctor established the hives were suddenly appearing due to my hectic schedule and commitments, and suggested I meditate and continue my thyroid medication as prescribed. (Two years ago I was diagnosed by another doctor with hypothyroidism.)
She mentioned an allergist would require extensive testing, and she decided my crammed schedule wouldn’t afford me the time. I left the exam room even more confused and annoyed with my inexplicable, sluggish demeanour. Yes, my lifestyle was draining, but not depressive. I was overworked and had the same anxieties as many married women do — nothing out of the ordinary. Two days later, the hives appeared again. Obsessed with finding the truth, and disregarded by own physician, I consulted another doctor — a dear friend of 30 years, an internist for eight years. I phoned my friend and emailed her pictures of the hives. After reviewing the photographs, she asked me a few questions, and concluded it was a body yeast infection skin rash. “Antibiotics usually cause body yeast infection rashes, and you took antibiotics for strep. Tomorrow, after you show your doctor these photos, I’m sure she’ll prescribe you an antifungal cream.” The next morning, my doctor examined me for only a moment, before concluding there weren’t any signs of a yeast infection skin rash, and was quick to judge that I wasn’t getting enough sleep. She prescribed a ‘soothing cream’ and
explained that all thyroid patients have skin sensitivity. I’m glad I confided in my friend/second opinion doctor before dropping off my prescriptions at the pharmacy. I discovered my primary care doctor actually prescribed yeast infection treatments! The yeast infection skin rash cleared up, but the hives weren’t controlled. My friend suggested I see an allergist. Even though I wasn’t convinced to see an allergist, I followed some of my friend’s suggestions: I changed my diet, kept a daily journal of everything I ate. But I still broke out in hives. I began to experience severe sensitivity issues from any clothing to a strand of hair on my skin. I finally made an appointment to see an allergist. After reviewing new blood test reports, Dr Agnieszka Matczuk, Connecticut-based allergist and board certified immunologist, said, “The hypothyroidism has developed into hashimoto’s thyroiditis. This is an auto immune deficiency, in which your immune system is attacking your own gland, and is releasing too much histamine. These chronic hives stem from an underactive thyroid, and the levels are very low.” Dr Matczuk also said I should’ve been prescribed a higher dosage of thyroid medication from the beginning.
Also, my vitamin D levels were extremely low. Dr Matczuk confirmed low thyroid levels and allergydecongestion antihistamine pills cause heart palpitations when thyroid levels are off. This wake-up call forced a lifestyle change for me. For the remainder of the year, I consistently took the proper dosage of thyroid hormone pill, plus an antihistamine tablet once a day. I incorporated a daily multivitamin and a B-complex vitamin to increase energy and to build resistance. I had added to my diet more fresh veggies, fish and low fat yogurt, and removed all additives, like unnatural sweeteners, low fat cooking sprays, and diet beverages. But this was a treatment that I discussed with my doctor and a plan that worked best for me; it may not be for everyone. Today, after sticking to a rigid diet, filled with proteins, veggies and fresh mosombee juice, plus a daily exercise routine my hives are a thing of the past! And I don’t even need to take an antihistamine tablet either. Fatigue no longer hits me like a wrecking ball, as long as I remember to take my thyroid pill at the same time every day. And what’s incredible is that my thyroid dosage has also decreased significantly. Now staying focused has become easier. I sleep better now and am not irritable either.
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The endless search for motivation Gym Diaries Sudeshna Koka
A
fter four to six weeks of regular (well not 100 per cent regular) workout I took a long break for five days and this is when all the problems of lethargy and boredom crept in. The five days that I did not workout I keep cribbing and crying “ohh I am not gymming I should walk more and eat less.” Those five days were better than what was to follow. Day six was when I was officially supposed to resume gymming but I just could not get myself to do so. A million excuses later my break extended to another 13 days. Soon my colleagues and even my parents started to lecture me on how I need to get back to the gym. My parents even threatened to stop giving me food if I didn’t go. Finally I hit the gym again. Returning to the gym was easier said than done. The following week was the most difficult week of my life. My comedy of errors made it quite an ‘enjoyable’ one for my instructor. Those two weeks of ‘relaxation’ had totally confused me. My instructors were asking me to do one exercise but I ended up doing the exact opposite. It was extremely embarrassing. During one of my temporary lapse of memory moments, my instructor suddenly started laughing. I didn’t realise what happened till my friend came and pointed out my error. Ouch! That was so embarrassing. After struggling and stretching I got back to the drill of hitting the gym each day. There are still a few days when I am too tired to push myself, but there are others when even if I am in another corner of the City I’ll make it a point to go to the gym. So all of a sudden it’s become a mood-based workout. Some days I look forward to it and on other days even half an hour at the gym seems like eternity. But at the end I realised that it’s the company and motivation that determines my determination. The days my friend R isn’t there, it’s a “Phew! Why am I so fat? Why do I have to sweat it out?” And when she is around it’s just too much fun. When I head home to see my mother make health food from downloaded recipes it only strengthens my resolve to shed the flab and get into great shape. (The writer is determined to fight the flab. Readers can inspire her at sudeshna.k@postnoon.com)
H‑Factor
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
Holistic view of mind, body and soul
19
Heart tissue cells from skin cells? The discovery is an important advance in the treatment of tissue damaged by heart disease. Talia Ralph
I
sraeli scientists have found a way to transform skin cells into healthy heart tissue cells, an important advance in the fight against heart disease, Reuters reported. A team from Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel took skin cells from two men with heart failure and mixed them with a cocktail of genes and chemicals in the lab, BBC News reported. The method is a recently discovered approach to tissue creation called human-induced pluripotent stem cells, or hiPSCs, an alternative to the use of embryonic stem cells, Agence France Presse reported. The scientists then transposed the cells into rats, which grafted themselves to the rat's cardiac tissue, CBS News reported. The scientist's findings were published in the current issue of European Heart Journal. “What is new and exciting about our research is that we have shown that it’s possible to take skin cells from an elderly patient with advanced heart failure and end up with his own beating cells in a laboratory dish that are healthy and young — the equivalent to the stage of his heart cells when he was just born,” the study’s author Professor Lior Gepstein, professor of cardiology and physiology at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, said in a news release. However, Gepstein acknowledged that more research needs to be done in order to deter-
mine the number of cells needed to make heart tissue for humans that will graft properly and regenerate into a stronger heart, according to CBS News. Gepstein assumes it will take “five to ten years” before the team starts doing clinical trials
on humans. “There is still a lot of work that must be done before these regeneration procedures can be used in patients with heart failure,” Dr Lawrence Phillips, assistant professor of medicine and a cardiologist at NYU
Supplements linked to liver damage: Study Alexander Besant
A
new study has linked liver damage with dietary and bodybuilding supplements. A review of national health data found that approximately 18 per cent of liver injuries in the United States are caused by various forms of supplements mostly for weight-loss and increasing muscle mass. The new data has officials concerned about the use of such over-the-counter products. “The number of cases in our network has increased over the years,” said Jose Serrano of the National
Institutes of Health, according to WebMd. “There were no deaths, but 7 per cent of patients needed a liver transplant. These are not trivial consequences.” The review linked bodybuilding to 34 per cent of liver
problems with weight-loss supplements linked to 26 percent of the 93 cases examined, reported WebMd. The study does not claim to make causal relations between liver damage and the use of the supplements but
Langone Medical Center, told CBS News. “However, the successes seen in this study — as well as others recently published — show that we are clearly making progress.” Roughly 5.8 million Americans have heart failure,
A review of national health data found that approximately 18 per cent of liver injuries are caused by various forms of supplements urges further research on the link between them. HealthDay reported that up to 40 percent of people in the United States use related supplements.The study may provide further impetus to regulate a largely unregulated industry. GLOBAL POST
according to the Centers for Disease Control, with 6,70,000 new cases diagnosed each year. There is currently no treatment that can reverse damage caused by a heart attack, Dr. Phillips told CBS. IANS
F‑Folio
Because you are what you wear
Fashion at Surabhi Chauhan feedback@postnoon.com
The writer is a fashion blogger (www.lovestruckcow.blogspot.com) who attempts to bridge the gap between creator and consumer. As a fashion writer, she hopes to promote Indian fashion among Indians and on a global level too.
The new retail trend seems to be the online shopping sites selling fashion accessories and even garments to an audience spread nationwide. You could be living in Bhopal or Hyderabad or New Delhi and have access to the same selection of merchandise only with a few mouse clicks. Here is a look at a few e-tail websites in India to help you decide which fulfills your needs better
Shopnineteen.com Thumbs Up: Shopnineteen.com offers fashion apparel and accessories for young women. They play with the number 19 and highlight 19 ‘most wished trendiest items’ to help the customers know what is in fashion at the moment. This kind of editorial content to an online sales websites makes shopping for its target customer easier. They also have a blog section which talks about the current culture, fashion and trends. The footwear collection is a great addition to the mix. Thumbs Down: This is a great one-stop site for young girls (around the age of 19) to purchase fashion items that are part of a popular culture at the moment. Customers in their late 20s and beyond may find the language of the website bit too young and this could prevent them from making a purchase. WEBLINK: WWW.SHOPNINETEEN.COM/
Ishita Swarup, CEO and Co-founder of 99labels.com
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
20&21
your Fingertips www.simplysizzl.in
FreeCultr Thumbs Up: Launched in December 2011, this e-tail site is hard to avoid when considering fashion online retail choices and has done a tremendous promotional activity online. On offer are basic wear for men and women of all age groups. The product range will appeal to an urban audience looking to purchase western wear that could be worn at home or outside if paired with existing wardrobe items. Thumbs Down: The basic t-shirts and denims are a clear winner. Instead of expanding to cater to a new customer demand of ‘graphic/slogan’ garments, the website could expand their styles, cuts and fits of basic wear by offering more options to the existing customer base. A wider option of denim fits for both men and women will make sure their target audience keep coming back to them to fulfill their basic wear needs. WEBLINK: WWW.FREECULTR.COM
Thumbs Up: This fashion website has distinguished their products into three simple categories – ‘Clothing’, ‘jewellery’ and ‘accessories’. Making shopping easier is their feature of narrowing down the product search by selection of a particular designer, or/and price range, or/and style (sleeves or sleeveless) and even materials. This site is good for women looking for a quick purchase of a particular fashion item be it a woollen wrap, shrug or an anaarkali. Another plus point is that they deliver in over 200 countries and have free shipping within India. They also have sales where the price is marked down to 30 – 60% at times. Thumbs Down: While they have a good selection of indo-western and ethnic wear in garments and jewellery, the selection of accessories is very limited and seems to be there for the sake of creating a miscellaneous category. From a JLo perfume bottle to a Benetton wallet, the selection could be more refined or could be retitled as ‘Gifts’ section instead of accessories. WEBLINK: WWW.SIMPLYSIZZL.IN
Zivame.com Thumbs Up: One thing women and men feel shy to shop for is lingerie. So an online site selling lingerie that delivers to your doorstep should be an easy win. Zivame caters to the Indian woman and offers hand-picked lingerie from the most sought after brands like Amante, Bw!tch, Hollywood Fashion Secrets, Enamor, Jockey, Hanes, Lovable and Triumph. From daily wear lingerie to shapewear (tummy tucker and bodysuits), there is a wide variety in offer here. Thumbs Down: Zivame.com though promises to be an Indian website catering to Indian women’s body shapes and sizes surprisingly only has images of foreign models. Though the Brazilian body shape may be coveted world over, to win the Indian customer’s trust, the website could improve by highlighting their products shot on local faces and body shapes. WEBLINK: WWW.ZIVAME.COM
99labels.com Thumbs Up: Introducing the concept of event-based online sales for a limited time period, 99labels boasts of selling fashion garments, accessories, jewellery, lifestyle products, furniture at members-only prices that are upto 90% off on the label prices. Brands like Diesel, Pierre Cardin, Calvin Klein, Gucci, Versace, Ritu Kumar, Tarun Tahiliani can be purchased from this website. Thumbs Down: It is a member’s only purchase site where items can be viewed only by their members. There are three ways one can become a member—be invited by 99labels, be referred by an existing member, or adding oneself to the member wait list. Though the registration is free of charge, creating this exclusive ‘members only’ log-in to see the product range may turn off the customers who are looking for a quick one-time purchase. WEBLINK: WWW.99LABELS.COM
Sher Singh Thumbs Up: A personal favourite, the Sher Singh website is a sign of class and originality when it comes to creating and selling an Indian modern fashion brand. The products are unique only to the website as the sale items are designed and manufactured in-house. The brand started small by selling a capsule collection of polo shirts with an embroidered logo of the Sher Singh crest. The pricing and quality is considerably better than international branded polo shirts, which are so loved by the urban Indian crowd. A winning addition is the kids collection, which has adorable uni-sex cricket polo shirts in many colours. Thumbs Down: The selection is limited to garments with a recent addition of jewellery for women. Though not a negative, this selection could expand over time and provide its customers a one-stop site to purchase a collection that resonates the much-appreciated Sher Singh quality. At the same time, a mass expansion of product range that does not match their sensibility could be a disconnect. WEBLINK: WWW.SHERSINGH.COM
Spotlight DEEPAK DESHPANDE
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
22
The weekend began on a high note for the party people who gathered at Cuba Libre on Thursday night. DJ Ashley made sure there were no complaints as he took over the console and belted out some great dance numbers.
Charged up
DEEPAK DESHPANDE
Eena
Anushka
Vinni & Srikanth
Riay & Bahar
Farzeen & Asish
Micheal & Anjali
Gemma & DJ Ashley
Beautifully styled
L’Oréal Professional, on Thursday, organised a ‘Look and Learn’ session in Hyderabad to showcase The Royal Wedding Collection 2012.
Shilpa
Erica
Zara
DEEPAK DESHPANDE
Drive in style The Australian Trade Commission along with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Hyderabad on Thursday organised an Australian Wine Experience Session ‘Savour the Flavour’ and a preview of the Rolls-Royce Ghost Extended Wheelbase at Taj Krishna.
Yashoda & Anubhuti
Jwala Gutta
Michael Carter, Venakatesh & a friend
Magic Screen
D I S P L A YA
D S RATE ` 150 sq. cm
For Further Details Please Contact Abhinay 9989399972 Nandlal 9951467988 Ravi Chander 8106039919
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
23
Magic Screen
The glamour behind the glitz
K-Stew 'wanted' to go topless F
ans will see a whoooole lot more of Kristen Stewart than ever before in her upcoming film, On the Road, and she wants everyone to know that she's perfectly fine with letting it all hang out. That's right, the 22-year-old told the panel gathered at a Cannes Film Festival press conference that she had no qualms about appearing topless—in fact, she says she "wanted to do it." "I love pushing myself. I love scaring myself. I've always wanted to get as close to an experience as I could," she explained of playing her randy character Marylou. "I'm usually self-conscious about running around town with my face hanging out, but I got to live more in those four weeks than I ever usually do in my life." Joining K-Stew in her raciest role yet are actors Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley, Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst. The feature-film adaptation of Jack Kerouac's 1957 classic novel marks the very first time On the Road has ever hit the big screen — fifty-five years after its initial publication.
Heidi Klum debuts in racy music video
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f Heidi Klum is trying to make Seal jealous in the wake of their split, she's doing a bang-up job. First, she posed nude in Allure's May issue. Now, the newly single supermodel has debuted a rather risqué music video for Hunger Magazine in which she also leaves little to the imagination. Klum, 38,
gyrates on a pole while wearing a leather harness in the video for Turn Up The Night. (Klum's foray into music videos is a one-off, reports the UK's Telegraph.) And if the wardrobe weren't racy enough, her lyrics underscore the sexiness. Among them: "I'm begging on my knees just take me." Your move, Seal.
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
24
Magic Screen
The glamour behind the glitz
In conversation with Postnoon, Taapsee reveals about the choices she has made in her career and why life has not changed despite her successes
No coding to acting
Hemanth Kumar hemanth.k@postnoon.com
S
he’s the sexiest geek in tinsel town, yet she hates the fact that she’s categorised as a glam doll in films. Her charm lies in her exuberance and she blows us away as we sit down to have a conversation about her career so far and life off screen. Leave aside her innate beauty, what we find so striking about Taapsee is her no-nonsense approach as she talks about films, choices, relationships and how difficult it is to be an actress. There’s nothing like a no holds barred conversation. It’s been two years since she began acting and thank god, she didn’t end up as a software engineer. “Acting is even more difficult. Unlike coding, there’s a lot more to learn everyday and you have to be really nice to everyone around you no matter whether you love or hate them,” she says. Does it get irritating? “Yeah, it does. Actors get irritated after a point with their lives because they have had enough in their lives,” she says with a smile. We ask her if it bothers her that she wasn’t the first choice for some of the films she had done? “It really doesn’t matter because people will only remember who actually did the role rather than who the first choice was,” she replies, adding, “ I hate the fact that everyone is a critic now. I have done a variety of roles in the past two years, but people still categorise me as a glamorous and bubbly girl.” Her previous film, Mogudu failed to click at the box office, but Taapsee has no qualms about it. “It transformed me as an artist and it actually showed me what I was capable of doing. It’s very surprising, to this day, that the film didn’t work at the box office,” she recalls. Has anything changed in the past couple of years in her life? “I am not a party person,
so I don’t have many friends in the industry. Back at home, nothing has changed. My friends still make me wait for hours, I still have to take an appointment to meet them and I still get a fixed pocket money every month from my parents,” she laughs. We ask her about her biggest fear when she faces the camera? “Initially, my biggest fear was forgetting my lines because I acted with great actors like Mohan Babu and Dhanush. But now I have gotten over it. In fact, I get a different kind of high when I have to perform in front of a huge crowd,” Taapsee reveals. This year she has quite a few films in her credit including Daruvu, Gundello Godaari, Shadow, Chashme Baddoor and an upcoming Tamil film starring Ajith and Arya. Talking about her choices so far, she says, “I have to strike a balance between doing films which will help me build my market and those which will satisfy me as an artiste. I am at a stage where I have to do a film with a big hero or a big director regardless of how my characterisation is, for better visibility in the masses and I will continue doing films keeping my interests in mind.” You can talk about just anything under the sun with Taapsee, but is there anything which she doesn’t want journalists to ask her? “Hmmm...I hope journalists don’t ask me whether I am in a relationship or not, when I am in a relationship. I don’t know if I will be comfortable enough to talk about such issues. For now, I am happy being single,” she signs off. We will leave it to you to read between the lines.
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
25
T-TOWN TWEETIES
@shraddhadas43 Its raining in Kerala! cin d 1st rains of the season from my hotel room window! Its d season I dislike the most, bt gonna try enjoyn it ds time.
@tashu_02 I ws busy doin arrangements for 1 of my closest frnd's b’day... its a surprise party dat v planned for him tonite... n all is going grt so far!
@snehaullalheart Waiting fr June. Bn away frm Camera way too long. Bt no regrets since I had 2 tk care of my Jessy n Backache. #Myth ri#Action#Newvideo
@sundeepkishan Been lucky 2 work with superb talents like Mickey J, @mhshshnkr, Sachin & @JIGARSARAIYA, Sunil... Now Ilaiyaraja Sir is the dream come true :)
@RanaDaggubati HEAT!! 44 degrees, action on the highway hills, Vijayan master:: lethal combination!!
@shrutihaasan It’s not a crazy colour just a basic brown :) I left the pink and blue behind in my college days lol never going back to rainbow head lol.
@LakshmiManchu So @taapsee got in my car & closed the door... With half her hair outside. Lol hahahaha rofl. It was quite a sight. Ask her tweeples. Lol
@pnavdeep26 Straightup an hour flight... the feelin of an i dividual free flight... nothin can beat that... ! #adrenalineadventuresports :-)
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
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa
26
QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Type of weapon in a Gibson film title 7 Red-coated cheese 11 Chimney output 14 ‘Where are you?’ response, sometimes 15 Little suckers 16 Presidential term limit number 17 Cone on the plains 18 Wayside taverns 19 Maze expert 20 Dawdle 23 One of Chekhov's three sisters 26 Had something 27 Hard downpour 28 Sharply sarcastic, as wit 31 Puerto ___ 34 Cooperation roadblock 35 Southeast Asian nation 37 ‘The Executioner's Song’ author (with 64-Across) 41 Take forever, seemingly 44 Respiratory disorder 45 Midge or punkie 46 Crime centre? 47 Food item served in a basket 49 Murder mystery poison 51 Behold amorously 54 Dijon thirst-quencher 56 Greek peak 57 What ‘sure and steady’ yields 62 Bunk bed 63 Turner of Hollywood 64 See 37-Across 68 Word with ‘nouveau’ or ‘deco’ 69 Soldier's assignment 70 Pay no mind to 71 Bread or booze type 72 White, in chess 73 Tattered DOWN 1 On, as a kerosene lamp 2 Houston-to-Raleigh dir 3 Not just ‘a’ 4 Quintet plus two 5 Length times width
6 Vichyssoise veggie 7 ‘Silas Marner’ author George 8 Many a campaign fundraiser 9 Teen affliction 10 Military meal 11 Entrance courts 12 Eastern guru 13 Place to stay on vacation 21 ___ the run (dine hastily) 22 Village of yore 23 Last Greek letter 24 Bits of business-card art 25 Old four-pence coin 29 Mission in San Antonio 30 Twangy, as a voice 32 Dental filling 33 ___ Mesa, Calif 36 Succumb to gravity
38 Homer hero of '61 39 Some are fatty 40 Site of Hercules' first labour 42 Heaved, as a football 43 Acquire, as debts 48 Chairman Brezhnev 50 Snooping (around) 51 ‘Sesame Street’ grouch 52 ‘Mine eyes have seen the ___ ...’ 53 Lenya of ‘The Threepenny Opera’ 55 Marble 58 Addition word 59 Punjabi queen
SUDOKU
60 Eastern potentate 61 Tale spanning centuries 65 Ship's record 66 Before, once 67 Snow White's sister Rose ___ PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
THOUGHT OF THE DAY There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full. – Henry Kissinger
Chai Time STAR POWER
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR
As per Hindu panchang
FOR 26-5-2012
thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9177596118
TAURUS
GEMINI
Hurdles in the way of performing good events will disappear. Businessmen also faced minor problems so far; they will disappear and good activity will pick up. Problems in property will be resolved.
A peaceful atmosphere will prevail at home. But to maintain the same situa‑ tion, it is necessary for you to be flexi‑ ble and adjust with all family members. Never hurt feelings of children.
Give proper value to the suggestion of your spouse, so that he/ she will be ha‑ ppy. Parentsʼ health need to be taken care of. Businessmen are advised to postpone signing of new agreements.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Never sign commercial documents with‑ out reading them properly and through‑ out. Any health problem that you face needs to be well taken care of. Chances of hyper tension and allergy likely.
Govt officials will be rewarded well for their achievements and they get good all‑round support. Be in harmony with the family members to avoid any sort of confusion arising at home.
Avoid spending luxuriously. Whatever business you are in, you will get a st‑ eady business and good profit. Even business done in partnership will flo‑ urish but handle all work directly.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Avoid bringing in a third person to settle problems between you. To be happy at home, give due respect to your spouse's words. Hurdles to per‑ form good events will now be over.
Marriage talks will end successfully. Those married who married recently will be blessed with an offspring soon. Family members will look cheerful as problems have come to an end.
Expenses are likely to go up as good events are to take place continously. Business will pick up speed and ex‑ pected profits will be yours. Business‑ men must avoid enmity with staff.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
By adjusting with family members, you will be able to avoid unwanted confu‑ sion. Don't be harsh with spouse and children. You might start receiving income through ancestral property.
You will get support of friends, rela‑ tives and well wishers. Those who are planning to start a new business ven‑ ture can go ahead as time is ripe for that. Income is expected to improve.
Some might be forced to resign their job, but they will join a new one soon. Financially situation is not so good which might upset you. Businessmen may not get support from partners.
SUMAA TEKUR
FOR 26-5-2012
tarotreadhyd@gmail.com
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
Eight of Cups – A pe‑ rsonal motive may be behind someone ask‑ ing you to sign up for something. Do it only if youʼre completely convinced and not because of force.
Taurus – The Tower – Delays cause frus‑ tration but thereʼs lit‑ tle in your control. Go with the flow and do things as theyʼre done. Keep a check on your anger.
Ace of Wands – You may get caught in the middle of a fight wit‑ hout being really inv‑ olved in it: your only crime is that youʼre at the wrong place at the wrong time.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
The Moon – Beware of getting into a financial scheme with help from someone. You need to check documents care‑ fully before signing, and also do a thorou‑ gh background check.
Nine of Wands – Eat‑ ing too much to deal with stress? You sure have a problem and need to deal with it correctly. Consult a therapist for ways to reduce the stress.
Death – Take steps to stabilise your rela‑ tionships and career. Changes are on the way and it may thr‑ eaten to throw everything off gear. Keep a cool head.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Ten of Pentacles – You have become as‑ pirational and desire to indulge in pleasur‑ es that were previou‑ sly restricted only to the super‑rich. Enjoy the experiences.
Judgement – You dis‑ cover the joy in sim‑ ple pleasures of life. It could be in a sco‑ op of ice cream or in getting wet in the rain. It wonʼt hurt to be a little impulsive.
Page of Wands – Aus‑ terity steps are need‑ ed now to see your‑ self and your family through these tough financial times. Donʼt take chances and pro‑ tect your savings.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Ten of Wands – You need to perform your best under testing tim‑ es to breach the limits of your potential and reach the next level. Bosses are not sur‑ prised by your work.
Nine of Swords – The‑ se are difficult times for you with things not really going your way no matter how much you plan. You only consolation is a frie‑ ndʼs continued support.
Seven of Swords – Be prepared to get back into the game with a bang. You will utilise your skills in a prof‑ itable way to make a good re‑entry into the chosen career.
For Better or for Worse Stone soup
SOLUTIONS
Boggle RAT MOUSE GERBIL BEAVER HAMSTER
Number game
Suduko
Scrabble
Ink pen
COMICS
Fred Basset
ARIES
TAROT READ
27
Vol: 1, No 313 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
Magic Screen
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
The glamour behind the glitz
28
B-TOWN TWEETIES
@singer_shaan Last night we partied till 3am at Home.. The Whole #JJWS GANG!! Great Fun!! The only sober pic i could share:))...
@shahidkapoor
W
Third Queer Film Festival at Mumbai Saif, Deepika are a safe bet A
fter their chemistry clicked with the audience in Love Aaj Kal and Aarakshan actors Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone were cast together for the third time in Cocktail as the makers felt that their pairing was “safe”. “In a way to have Saif and Deepika was a safe bet. Deepika has grown as an actor and Saif is amazing in this genre. People love to see him this way. After Love Aaj Kal, people like to see Saif and Deepika on screen,” producer Dinesh Vijan said. The Homi Adajania-directed romantic comedy stars Saif, Deepika and debutante Diana Penty besides Dimple Kapadia and Boman Irani. PTI
ith no major homophobia expressed by the police or state secretariat officials and no tantrums from ultraright wing gay-bashing groups on the horizon, India’s only queer film festival Kashish seems to have just had an uneventful start in Mumbai. Organisers of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) festival Kashish 2012 claim that if protests do at all happen at the film festival site, then they would reserve seats for the protestors so that they “understood” what queer is all about. “This year we required further permissions from the Mantralaya (Maharashtra government’s state secretariat) as well as local police and we have not encountered any major homophobia,” Pallav Patankar, one of the festival directors. “Many government agencies are curious about the film festival, then amused when they understand what queer means and then very accepting and happy that we are doing it with the complete knowledge of the government machinery,” he added. Scheduled to be held during May 23-27, the third edition of Kashish 2012, promises to screen 125 films, programmed in a manner where queer characters and queer stories are part of a larger narrative, which the organisers hope appeals to a wide cross section of audience.
Akshay delibrately moved out of action A
kshay Kumar, who is back to action with Rowdy Rathore after a gap of seven years, says he left the genre because audience had started liking him in comic roles. Even when he was not in action, Akshay was receiving offers. Akshay decided to return the genre only after people started appreciating it again. “I had got many offers in between...but I deliberately left it. It took seven years for me to come back to action because I wanted to take break from that. I did action films for say about 1415 years. I know it was a big break. It is not because of any film that attracted me that I am doing action again. It has nothing to do with the trend as well,” Akshay said in an interview. “Audience like comedy films
so I did that. We are like products whatever audience like we get that for them. Audience like when Shah Rukh is romancing so he is doing it. Now they want to see action, so I am doing this,” he said. Back in 1990s, Akshay Kumar began his acting career with action films like Khiladi, Waqt Humara Hai, Mohra, Suhaag, Elaan and Khiladiyo Ka Khiladi. He took a break to star in rom-coms like Dhadkan, Hera Pheri, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Garam Masala, Hey Babyy, Welcome, Singh is Kinng, Housefull, and Waqt respectively. PTI
Perspective can never change reality ...... What is just is TRUTH cannot b questioned n deep down we all know when we r true n when we r not
@deepikapadukone How many of you are secretly trying out the #BANDHU step in front of a mirror!!?? Say...say...I AM for sure!!!
@kalkikanmani Aaj kal lagta hai airports and hotels are my home and my home is just a transit stop!
@AnupamPkher “Feeling good about govt is like looking on the bright side of any catastrophe. When you quit looking on the brightside, the catastrophe is still there.”
@bipsluvurself Rehearsing fr d new BB Loveyourself Routine called ‘Unleash’!Pix of me n my team relaxing in between rehearsals!
@NeilNMukesh Horror is one genre I’ve always loved and wanted to do. Never heard the script of a classy horror until I was offered #3Gthemovie !
@realpreityzinta If any 1 genuinely knows of any little girls that can play mini me (my younger role) pls send photos 2 ishqinparis.casting@gmail.co m. Thanx.
61 DAYS TO GO
29
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
Turkey bidding for one event only: Rogge
RICE TO SPEARHEAD AUSSIE SWIM TEAM
SYDNEY: Triple Olympic gold medallist Stephanie Rice will spearhead an Australian contingent at the Santa Clara International Grand Prix in California next week ahead of the London Olympics, Swimming Australia said Friday. Rice along with breaststroke champion Leisel Jones and Beijing Olympic medallists Hayden Stoeckel, Libby Trickett and Jessicah Schipper will be among a 25-strong Australian team competing in the four-day meet, starting on May 31. Swimming Australia head coach Leigh Nugent said the Santa Clara meet was an ideal
RICE ALONG WITH LEISEL JONES AND OLYMPIC MEDALLISTS HAYDEN STOECKEL, LIBBY TRICKETT AND JESSICAH SCHIPPER WILL BE AMONG A 25-MEMBER STRONG AUSTRALIAN TEAM
opportunity for Australian team members to gain valuable racing preparation ahead of the London Games in late July. “This meet has always been well attended by Australian swimmers and with (the state of) Queensland sending some 20
QUEBEC CITY: Olympics chief Jacques Rogge on Thursday declared that Turkey is officially bidding for the right to host just one major sporting event in 2020 — and it is the Olympics. The country’s largest metropolis Istanbul has in fact sought to host both the Olympics and European Football Championship in the same year, but Rogge told a press conference that only the Olympic bid is backed by the government. “We know that there is a bid from the Turkish football federation to stage the 2020 European championships. This bid is not yet accepted by UEFA and this bid does not have today the financial guarantees of the government,” Rogge explained. swimmers alone, 16 of whom will be heading to London, this is a very important part of the preparation,” Nugent said. “To be able to race the top US swimmers as they finalise their own preparations is important, and our coaches will have pencilled this meet into their plans from a long way back.” Among the match-ups expected in California, Beijing Olympic 100m breaststroke champion Jones is likely to come up against Jessica Hardy and possibly Rebecca Soni, while Nick D’Arcy could also get the chance to race Michael Phelps again over the 200m butterfly.
Chambers gets support... from Ben Johnson LONDON:
Canada’s Ben Johnson on Thursday slammed critics of Britain’s Dwain Chambers, who was banned in 2003 after failing a drugs test, saying the sprinter deserved his place at the London Olympics. Johnson, who was stripped of his 100 metre gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics after testing positive for steroids, said other athletes should look at themselves before casting judgment. “People shouldn’t be pointing fingers, they should be worrying
if they pass the test,” Johnson told ITV News. “Many people who pointed fingers at me tested positive later on. “He deserves a second chance,” added the former athlete. “There are many people who’ve done bad things in the world but we don’t know.” Chambers was last week cleared for the London Olympics after the British Olympic Association officially rescinded its lifetime ban for athletes found guilty of doping offences. The formality followed the
Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling which declared the BOA’s controversial bye-law to be in direct contravention of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code. Johnson said he would not be watching the London Games and hit out at British athletes who said Chambers should not be allowed to race. “Who are they to decide whether he competes or not?”, he asked. “You don’t see those guys 24/7, what they do in the middle of the night.”
“When we decided to grant permission to Istanbul... to go to candidate phase (to host the 2020 Olympics), we based ourselves on the actual situation where in Turkey there is only one official bid, which is the Olympic bid,” he said. On Wednesday, Istanbul as well as Tokyo and Madrid made the first cut among bidders to host the 2020 Olympics, as the International Olympic Committee announced that Baku and Doha were dropped from the running. Many believe that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a former footballer, favors hosting the UEFA competition over the Olympics. But the head of Istanbul’s bid Hasan Arat insisted: “Our priority is the Olympics.”
Power shortage could hurt Japan’s chances
US did not scuttle Doha bid: IOC president
QUEBEC CITY:
QUEBEC CITY: IOC president Jacques Rogge on Thursday dismissed backroom accusations that US broadcasters had scuttled Doha’s bid for the right to host the Olympic Games over a proposed scheduling change. “There is absolutely no issue with broadcasters interfering in the decisions of the IOC,” Rogge said a day after Doha was cut from the running to host the 2020 Games. Doha had been granted an exception to possibly host the Games in October and November, when temperatures in there are not as hot, instead of the usual July and August. But the IOC Working Group in a report on its bid noted that broadcasters were concerned the change would mean a smaller television audience tuning in to watch.
International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said on Thursday that Japan’s wavering power supply is a concern for hosting the 2020 Games. “We know that the disaster of Fukushima has had an effect on the power supply, because nuclear power has been shut down and so in times of peak consumption there might be a shortage of power. The IOC will follow the evolution and we trust the Japanese will find a solution for that,” Rogge said. Japan used to draw about one-third of its electricity from atomic power, but last year’s tsunami-sparked meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi plant has generated anti-nuclear sentiment among a wary public.
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
BEAUTY
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NETHERLANDS Best EURO performance: winners 1988 Coach: Bert van Marwijk Leading scorer: all-time – Patrick Kluivert (40); current – Ruud van Nistelrooy (35)
THE BEST
&
Most appearances: all-time – Edwin van der Sar (130); current – Rafael van der Vaart (93) Association formed: 1889 Nickname: Oranje
NETHERLAND’S FIXTURES
EURO STATS
Saturday 9 June: Ned v Denmark, 18.00CET, Kharkiv Wednesday 13 June: Ned v Germany, 20.45CET, Kharkiv Sunday 17 June: Portugal v Ned, 20.45CET, Kharkiv
MATCHES PLAYED Overall: P131 W84 D22 L25 F288 A103 Final tournament: P32 W17 D8 L7 F55 A32 Qualifying: P99 W67 D14 L18 F233 A71
Like clockwork, Oranje Top scorers in qualifying with 37 goals, the Netherlands are in good shape to add to their 1988 European success having been denied by Spain in the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup THE HAGUE: World football’s perenni-
POSTNOON PREDICTION
al bridesmaids, the Netherlands, will be hoping that Euro 2012 is the tournament at which they end their 24-year wait for a major title. Making the latter stages of tournaments has never been a problem for the nation that has given the world Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Dennis Bergkamp and Total Football. Beaten World Cup finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, they have reached the semi-finals at the European Championship three times since they last lifted the trophy in 1988, only to fall before the final on each occasion. The Dutch side that competed at Euro 2008 were the sensation of the group phase, beating Italy (3-0) and France (4-1) in scintillating fashion, but they went out timidly to Russia in the last eight. In a bid to address the country’s traditional football failings, coach Bert van Marwijk turned the team that went to the 2010 World Cup into a more dogged and pragmatic outfit. Nobody could accuse the Netherlands of being boring on the road to Poland and the Ukraine. With 37 goals in 10 matches they were the top scorers in qualifying, while their 11-0 annihilation of San Marino last September was the biggest victory in the country’s history. The oranje are always among the favourites to win this tournament, and this year is no different. If van Persie and Huntelaar click with Robben and Sneijder they are unstoppable.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar topped the scoring charts in qualifying with 12 goals and he has also been in sensational form for club side Schalke, plundering 29 goals to win Kicker magazine’s award for the Bundesliga’s top marksman. Robin van Persie played second-fiddle to Huntelaar in qualifying but over the past 18 months he has belatedly emerged as one of the world’s top strikers, netting 30 goals for Arsenal this season and being crowned the PFA Players’ Player of the Year. With Robben fit and firing for Bayern Munich, van Marwijk has plenty of options in attack but Wesley Sneijder — talisman of the World Cup campaign —has endured an injury-plagued season for Inter Milan, making just 16 league starts.
30
NETHERLANDS GROUP B At a glance Still with only the 1988 UEFA European Championship to show for over four decades near the summit of world football, there are signs that the Oranje are ready for more silverware. For a while it looked like coming at Euro 2008, before Russia sent the Netherlands home in the quarter-finals. Having stormed through qualifying, only dropping points in their final game when already through, anticipation will be higher in 2012.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Van der Wiel to put his defensive skills on display THE HAGUE: Ever-present during the Netherlands’ near-perfect Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, Gregory van der Wiel is establishing a reputation as one of the most exciting rightbacks in football. Very much a modern full-back, the athletic 24-year-old has been a first-team regular at Ajax for the past four seasons. Despite his relatively young age, he already has major international tournament experience, having been a starting member of the Dutch side that reached the final at the last World Cup in South Africa, where they lost to Spain. He did not exactly sparkle at the World Cup but his consistent performances proved that he was capable of acquitting himself at the highest level and he played every minute of the N e t h e r l a n d s’ nine wins and one defeat in qualifying. Given the paucity of superstar right-backs in the game at the moment, van der Wiel will be mindful that his performances at Euro 2012 could open the door to a move to one of the biggest clubs in the game. He has previously described the English Premier League as a “perfect” destination, and says he bases his game on that of the archetypal 21st-century right-back, Barcelona’s Dani Alves. All van der Wiel need worry about, then, is keeping fit, keeping on top of the opposition wingers at Euro 2012, and hoping that Europe’s glamour clubs are sitting up and paying attention.
Playing Field
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
The games people play
Pep signs off with a hint of bitterness
MADRID: Pep Guardiola brings the
curtain down on his Barcelona reign on Friday, admitting that he is still bitter over his failure to take the Spanish giants to the Champions League final. Guardiola, who has coached Barca for four years, will take charge of his team for the last time in Friday’s King’s Cup final against Athletic Bilbao before being replaced by his assistant Tito Vilanova. Guardiola led Barcelona to three Spanish leagues, two Champions Leagues, two FIFA Club World Cups, two UEFA Supercups, three Spanish Supercups and, so far, one Spanish King’s Cup during his spell. But his team were knocked out of this season’s Champions League in the semi-finals by Chelsea, who went on to defeat Bayern Munich in last Saturday’s final. “My only regret is not getting to Munich this year. Even today, I still feel bitter over that,” said Guardiola on Thursday. “But I want to also congratulate Chelsea. I believe that they have a generation of footballers who deserve this title.” Guardiola also took the opportuni-
ty to dismiss rumours that he had been against the appointment of Vilanova as his successor. “In November, we had dinner with (Andoni) Zubizarreta (the club’s sporting director) during which I was asked what I thought of Tito if I decided to
leave,” said Guardiola. “I told him that it was a very good idea. On the day of the Chelsea game, it was me who went to see Tito and I said to him: ‘I believe your time has come’. “We have known each other since we were 13”
31
Laszlo makes Hungarian history DEBRECEN, HUNGARY: Laszlo Cseh became the first Hungarian swimmer to win 10 career European Championship gold medals on Thursday as the host nation raced away with four of the day’s seven titles. Israel also grabbed a little bit of history when Jonatan Kopelev, in the 50m backstroke, claimed a first European gold for his country. Cseh, a medley specialist, took gold in the 200m butterfly in a time of 1min 54.95sec with compatriot Bence Biczo taking second place in 1:55.85. The win was a perfect morale boost for the 26-year-old Cseh — an Olympic silver medallist in 2008 over the distance — two months out from the London Games. Cesh, usually reserved, burst into tears at the medal ceremony as he won his second title of the week, having captured the 200m medley on Wednesday. He can win a third on Sunday when he goes in the 400m medley. Hungary now have nine titles from the four days of competition.
Dufner has upper hand Champion of Champions ring for Wheldon’s widow Susie INDIANAPOLIS: Wheldon was presented on Thursday with the “Champion of Champions” ring that her late husband, Dan, earned for his 2011 Indianapolis 500 triumph. “I just want to take a moment to thank everybody for the outpouring of love and support over
the past months for me and my family, everyone from around the world. It has been so comforting to have the support of so many during such a difficult time.” Wheldon died on October 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a 15-car crash that catapulted his car into the air and into a fence.
FT. WORTH, TEXAS: Jason Dufner continues to have the hot hand on the USPGA Tour, firing a five-under par 65 Thursday to lie one shot behind leader Zach Johnson after the first round of the Colonial. “A fantastic way to start,” Dufner said. “You have some questions after a win last week, how are you going to respond to that? I came out really quick today and got some birdies.” Former winner Johnson grabbed the first-round lead with a six-under 64. “Today was great,” Johnson said of his 13th consecutive round in the 60s at this event. “I got off to a good start. I just hit quality shots. I didn’t put myself ever in a position that was too worrisome. “The times when I was maybe just in the rough and I had to get myself up and down, I
managed to do that. “I gave myself a lot of opportunities. I made some long putts, but I missed some shorter ones, so it probably evened out in the end.” Dufner won his first PGA title on April 29 at New Orleans, got married the next weekend
and joined Hunter Mahan as 2012’s only repeat winners by taking the title last week at the Byron Nelson Championship in nearby Irving. Dufner was in a group at five-under along with fellow Americans Harris English, Tom Gillis and Kyle Reifers.
Playing Field
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
The games people play
32
Clash for the final berth G Aparna Sai feedback@postnoon.com
A
callous approach on the part of Delhi Daredevils saw them lose to Kolkata Knight Riders in the first qualifier. The season's table toppers were expected to cruise through to the finals but the Knights held the reins and steered their way to victory. The Daredevils will now have to get their act together to escape getting eliminated when they meet defending champions, Chennai Super Kings, in the second qualifier today. Chennai thrashed Mumbai Indians by 38 runs to inch closer
to the final. Skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who remained dormant for a major part of the season, struck a well deserved half century. He, in the company of teammate, Dwayne Bravo, saw Chennai post a formidable total. Michael Hussey and Badrinath, rescued the Super Kings who were staggering at 1 for the loss of two wickets. The
DD VS CSK AT 8 PM ON SET MAX bowlers then came to the party and tormented the Mumbai batsmen, steering the team to a well deserved victory. If Chennai are able to maintain this form, then Delhi would have little chance of getting past the Super Kings.
France looking for the next Noah Allan Kelly
PARIS: French hopes of finally celebrating another male champion at Roland Garros have taken another big hit with the news that Gael Monfils is out due to injury. Already optimism was not high on the home front that someone could step forward
FRENCH OPEN MAY 28 - JUNE 10 and play the tournament of his life, as Yannick Noah did 29 years ago, to win the tournament. Noah's watershed win brought an end to 37 years without a Frenchman holding aloft the Coupe des Mousquetaires (Marcel Bernard won in 1946) and
Pastor hopes to do it again MONTE CARLO: Two weeks after a stunning victory at the Spanish Grand Prix, Pastor Maldonado is set to do it again. The Venezuelan, who claimed his and his country’s maiden F1 victory in Barcelona, was fifth fastest in opening practice for this weekend's Monaco GP. And that, he said, buoyed his hopes that he can reproduce the form in Spain. “The car is feeling good this year and looks competitive in the running we have done today — so we're happy. It's a shame we didn't get to run as much during the afternoon, as we would have liked to have gathered a bit more data on the tyres, but we still have qualifying on Saturday.”
with Noah still in his prime, and the likes of Henri Leconte and Guy Forget coming through, the future looked bright. But apart from Leconte's run into the final in 1988, when he dismally lost in straight sets to Mats Wilander and was roundly jeered by the French fans, it has been a dismal picture. Still, with a new generation of talented French players emerging a few years back, hopes were revived that a home win would soon be achieved. That has turned out not to be the case. Firstly there was the emergence of Rafael Nadal, widely seen as the greatest claycourt player of all time. The Spaniard has won the French Open a record-equalling six times since 2005 and the one
year he did not, in 2009, it was Roger Federer who stepped forward to take the title. Now, with world number one Novak Djokovic also more than
capable of winning the only Grand Slam event to be played on clay, the chances of others prevailing are slim. Monfils did make it through to the semi-finals in 2008, when he gave Federer a good run for his money, but repeated injuries since then have limited his progress. Top French hope this year will be world number five JoWilfried Tsonga, but clay has never been his favourite surface and his comments in Rome last week sounded defeatist. “To be able to win at Roland Garros, first of all you have to have won a Masters Series tournament on this surface," he told the French press. For the moment we (French players) are incapable of winning a Masters Series on any surface.”
But as it has been seen through out the tournament, Delhi has always risen every time they faced defeat. They will not take the loss against the Knights lightly and will look to seal their berth in the final. Morne Morkel, may certainly not posses the batting skills of brother and Chennai player, Albie Morkel, but if he has a good day with the ball, then the opponents could fall well behind posting a decent score on the board. Delhi have a strong batting line-up which includes the likes of captain, Virender Sehwag, Mahela Jayawardene and Ross Taylor to name a few. It is certainly going to be an exciting clash what with the table-toppers and defending champions vying for that top-slot.