WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012 HYDERABAD
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WEATHER: MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES; 19°C
HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER
WHO WILL REPLACE
MINNIE?
With the designated successor to Chief Secretary Minnie Mathew, who will retire next month, mired in Vanpic controversy, the government is in a fix.
WE BID ADIEU
To all those who have moved on, leaving a gap which few could fill. They were entertainers, musicians, politicians, entrepreneurs, pioneers and stars, who made a lot of difference. We look at the legends whom 2012 took away from us.
P16&17
REPORT ON P5 E-GAS BOOKING IRKS CITIZENS
While online gas booking obviates black dealings, seniors and those who have no computer at home find it difficult.
P7
TRAIN TRIBUTE
China today started service on the world's longest high-speed rail route, the latest milestone in the country's rapid and — sometimes troubled — super fast rail network.
P12
32 PAGES
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
city events
COURT MARTIAL
Court martial is a play written by Swadesh Deepak, a popular India playwright and novelist, that was published in 1991. The play is directed by Nagaraju Pejjai. It will be performed at the NIFT campus in Madhapur on December 30 from 7:30pm.
Weather for Hyderabad
Evening
Overnight
Morning
Afternoon
19°C
12°C
18°C
27°C
Mostly clear.
Clear with cloudy periods.
Sunny with cloudy periods.
Sunny with cloudy periods.
New Delhi Mumbai Max 20 Max 32 Min 8 Min 21 Sunny, clear skies.
Sunny, clear skies.
Chennai Max 29 Min 25
Bangalore Max 28 Min 17
Chances of thunder storms.
Mix of sun and cloud.
AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES 7pm to 9pm Contact: (040) 2324 9045
DINING Christmas lunch There is a special three course Christmas meal, which includes olive and parmesan in light citrus dressing, plum cake with vanilla ice-cream, three bean salad and Turkey platter. Where: Hard Rock Café Banjara Hills When: Up to December 30 from 12pm to 3pm Contact: (040) 6463 6375
A-Bong Live A-Bong is a group of music enthusiast Bengalis from Hyderabad have formed a band and will be performing live. Where: La Makaan, Lane Adjacent To C-Bay , Banjara Hills. When: January 6 5pm onwards Contact: 93965 55888
MISCELLANEOUS
X’mas, New Year treat Barbeque Nation is converted into a Christmas village to resemble the birthplace of Jesus. An exotic variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes will be served. Where: Barbeque Nation, Banjara Hills & Jubilee Hills When: December 21-January 1 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 6456 6693 (040) 6429 2237 ON A JOY RIDE: A boy rides a bicycle near Ravindra Bharathi road.
ART Inertia Photography Photography exhibition on India by Lona Lohan till December 31. Where: Rajiv Gandhi Airport, Shamshabad When: Up to December 31 11am to 7pm Contact: (040) 6625 0000 Art exhibition Artist M Narayan’s work is on display.
Narayan graduated from the Ken School of Art. He started work in 1991. He has participated in over 30 solo exhibitions and several group art shows. He is known for his rural depictions. Where: Shrishti Art Gallery, Road no. 15, Jubilee Hills When: Up to January 2 Contact: (040) 2354 0023 Chai wallah art show This is an upcoming exhibition at Iconart gallery.There is an exhibition of paintings by Vijay Gille at thegallery on Chai wallah and other stories. The preview is on December 27 at 6.30pm. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills When: Up to January 12 11.30am to 7pm Contact: www.iconart.in
Commissioner & Spl Officer
Helpline GAS BOOKING IVRS NO HP 9666023456 Indane 9848824365 BSNL Complaints HMWS & SB Complaints
198 155313
POLICE CONTROL ROOM Hyderabad 27852435 Traffic Control Room 27852482 DCP Traffic 23234065, 23243499F Pollution Control Board 23887500 ELECTRICITY General Complaints Breakdown Section
Photo competition Alliance Francaise, Hyderabad, is conducting a photo competition. The theme for the contest is Professions of the world. The winning entries will be sent to Paris. Where: http://hyderabad.afindia.org When: December 3 to January 6
155333 23431178 23431179
MUNICIPAL CORPORATION
23262266 24166666R ENC 23225267 Engineering 23220418 MCH Tankbund 23225397 Emergency MCH Circle I&II 24525842 MCH Circle III 24736912 MCH Circle IV 23326975 MCH Circle V 23326976 MCH Circle VI MCH Complaints 1100 Head Office 23225397 IVRS CUM MANUAL ENQUIRY PHONE NUMBERS (TRAIN & RESERVATION) RAILWAYS Rail Nilayam 27833169, 27824216 Railway Information 131 Reservations 135 Recorded Information 1345 Enquiry (IVRS) 1331, 1332, 1333
Bulls art exhibition A group exhibition by Avijit Roy, HR Das, Laxman Aelay, Nagesh Goud and Sreekanth Kurva on the animal bull, its nature, characteristics and what it represents.. Where: Aalankritha Art Gallery When: Up to January 2 11am to 7pm Contact: www.alankritha.in
SHOWS Christmas carols Christmas carols will be sung by Global Edge school till the end of December at The Lobby as part of Christmas celebrations. Where: Novotel & HICC Complex, PO Bag No 1101, Cyberabad Post Office, Near Hitec City, Hyderabad. When: December 3-31
WATER SUPPLY Complaint Cell Sewerage Complaint Hyd. Water Supply HOSPITAL General Hospital, Sec-bad Niloufer Hospital, Red Hills NIMS, Director, Punjagutta Osmania General Hospital Railway Hospital, Lalaguda Apollo, Jubilee Hills Care Hospital, Banjara Hills Care Hospital, Nampally Care Hospital, Musheerabad Care Hospital, Sec-bad Kamineni Hospital, LB Nagar
155313 23307328 23313163
27505566 23314095 23390933 24600146 27001134 23607777 30418888 30417777 30419000 30416666 39879999
BLOOD BANKS Blood Bank,Narayanguda Chiranjeevi Blood Bank Blood Bank Mediton Goal Red Cross, Vidyanagar ADRM Blood Bank Mythri Charitable Trust NTR Memorial Trust Care Banjara Hills
N SHIVA KUMAR
Contact: (040) 6682 4422 Concert for a Cause Apna watan, MS Foundation & Hyderapals are presenting Sounds from England. The money collected will go to the MS school for underprivileged children. The passes are available at Goethe-Zentrum. Where: Vidyaranya High School When: January 5, 6pm onwards Contact: (040) 2335 0473 Alexander Jaya Prakash Reddy is performing a 100 minute solo. He plays a retired army officer who wants to help people with their problems by starting a helpline. Where: Ravindra Bharathi, Public Gardens, Nampally, H-01, Abids When: January 6,
27567892 23559555 23226624 27633087 27035588 27550238 30799999 30418296 30417445
AMBULANCES Apollo 23548888, 23607777 Kamineni 24022222 Medwin 23202902, 23204616 Smile Line Dental Hospital 23747979 Red Cross 27627973 Niloufer Hospital 23314095 Gandhi 23320332 AIRLINES
Pochampally IKAT mela Pochampally Handloom Park is organising IKAT Mela, exhibiting handloom products like hand made bed and home linen, dress materials, home textiles, stoles , table mats, covers, scarves, sarees, and dupattas, among others. Where: The National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) Exhibition Center Radhika Theater Road, Kamalanagar, Kushaiguda When: December 21 to 31 from 10am to 9:30pm Contact: 95429 76567
Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings. For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec-bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999 UK VISA OFFICE VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7
Beside Meridian School, Banjara Hills34. Working hours are from 8 AM to 1 PM And 2 PM to 3PM. MUSEUMS Salar Jung Museum AP State Museum Nizams Museum
24523211 232431300/7641 24521029
Readers’ views
We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 4067 2222
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
City
YESTERDAY’S QUESTION
DO YOU AGREE WITH BOTSA’S STATEMENT ON WOMEN? 13% 87%
YES (A) NO (B)
TODAY’S QUESTION
SHOULD RAPE AND MOLESTATION CASES BE PUT ON THE FAST TRACK IN COURTS? A)
YES
B)
NO
To vote visit www.postnoon.com
CRIME
Chain snatching on the rise Of late, chain snatching incidents in the City have been on the rise and more so in the Vanasthalipuram area. POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com
W
hile the director-general of police Dinesh Reddy declared the State very safe for women in the wake of nation-wide concern on women’s safety in the aftermath of Delhi rape, women continued to be robbed on the City roads with alarming regularity. Only recently nine women were robbed of their gold ornaments at different places in the twin cities in a matter of a few hours. Under the Cyberabad commissionerate limits alone, bike-borne gangs looted 26
tolas of gold jewellery from women in a single day. According to the details, K Radha Rani, 50, of Vidyanagar was robbed on the Barkathpura road on Tuesday night. Just a few minutes after this one Laxmi B, a resident of Koti, was looted of her gold. Three similar incidents were reported from NGO colony of Vanasthalipuram, and two from Kukatpally, one each from Nizampet, Saroornagar, Pattancheru. A serial snatching in Vanasthalipuram created a flutter and anxiety among people.
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LAW AND ORDER 15 new police stations for City proposed POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com
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aw enforcement in the City is all set to get stricter, with the police deciding to set up several new police stations. The police headquarters has sent a proposal for setting up 15 new police stations in the City. Of them four will be women police stations and two traffic police stations. Women police stations: Malkajgiri, Balanagar, Madhapur and Shamshabad. Law and order police stations: Alkapuri, Bandlaguda, Gachibowli, Moula Ali, Nizampet, Jawahar Nagar, A b d u l l a p u r m e t , Himayathsagar and Jagathgirigutta. Traffic police stations: Miyapur and Medchal.
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city WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012 LAST YEAR... HERE A never ending wait
L
ast year we had reported how auto drivers were forced to wait for long hours in serpentine queues outside the RTA just to obtain their permits. This endless wait had led to frayed tempers and eventually scuffles. While officials had quickly stepped in at the time and smoothened ruffled feathers, the situation is still more or less the same at any RTA office.
DECEMBER 26, 2011
NUMEROLOGY
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new police stations are likely to be set up across the City in a bid to tighten security. Of these four will be women police stations and two will be traffic police stations.
The new system will be more efficacious. There will be lesser chance of budgetary woes and mismanagement. Any modifications, deletions could be possible. Anam Narayana Reddy See page 6
THINGS WE 5LEARNT TODAY The column that teaches everyone something new about the way the City functions.
1
Planning to walk in Vanasthalipuram? Don’t. Or at least don’t wear any ornaments even if you do. For the area is fast earning the notorious reputation of becoming a hot-spot for chain snatchers.
2
Cong dragging its feet when it comes to civic politics. It’s been a month since the Congress floor leader resigned from his post. But it is only now that the party has begun working on finding a replacement.
3
CIVIC
Attack to hurt not to kill, Danam tells corporators Congress has started to grapple with its civic political woes where its partner MIM does sparring motion and on the other YSRC luring them. Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com
A
fter dilly-dallying for a month on the shocking resignation of civic Congress floor leader Kaleru Venkatesh (inset) who promptly joined the YSRC, the Congress leadership has swung into action. Danam Nagender (extreme right), minister for labour, is designated to deal with the issue of finding a replacement for Kaleru and also to prevent more outflows of Congress corporators. Nagender held his first meeting with the corporators at his residence. The meeting was essentially to raise the drooping spirits of corporators after their floor leader left them in a tizzy. It is learnt that after the moraleboosting talks, the meeting discussed about the possible successor to Kaleru. The party is learnt to have discussed how to tame MIM, its estranged partner, which has been keeping the general body meeting pending for quite some time. Party corporators are said to have complained about MIM’s boorish behaviour and its mayor who cares not for the views of the partner in power. According to one of the members, Danam, had sought a list of probable candidates for the post of floor leader and decision will be taken within a couple of days. The minister had earlier spoken with the commissioner MT Krishnababu and the party should hand over a notice demanding a general body meeting soon. It is said that although Congress was unhappy with the MIM over public issues it does not want to spoil
Sources said Danam had sought a list of probable candidates for the post of floor leader and a decision will be taken within a couple of days. the relationship. “We were told to tackle MIM for public interest. But not overdo it and sever the rapport,” said a member. What follows would be the decision by a few fence sitters to jump into the YSRC, with the hope of getting a better position. “The floor leader post goes only to one person how can everyone expect it?” asked deputy mayor, G Raj Kumar. The contenders for floor leader position included Ale Jeetendra (Gowlipura), Prabhakar Reddy, (Bagh Lingampally), Gnaneshwar Goud (Bagh Amberpet), Jagadeeshwar (Hafeezpet), Mohammed Wajid Hussain (Bholakpur), B Bharati (Banjara Hills), B Subhashini (Gaddiannaram), R Kalpana Yadav (Ramnagar).
Tainted Samuel puts government in a quandary. With chief secretary Minnie Mathey’s term coming to an end, the CCLA is scheduled to take on the role. However, he is being questioned in the Vanpic case.
Balayya forbidden to `1,000 fine to be attend Modi swearing in imposed for tinted films
Biker dies on Christmas eve
Prisoner dies under suspicious circumstances
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IVRS system not working for most consumers. Consumers would rather revert to tele-booking for gas cylinders than deal with the IVRS system.
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Not such a good morning for an APPSC member. APPSC member Ripunjaya Reddy was in for a rude shock when the ACB raided his residence today.
NEWS BRIEFS ctor-politician N Balakrishna has dropped his plan to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi after party president N Chandrababu Naidu advised him against it. Modi, who is set to take oath as Gujarat chief minister for the third time on Wednesday, had personally invited Balakrishna for the swearing-in ceremony.
T
hose who failed to remove the black film from their car windows will be forced to cough up a whopping `1,000 as penalty starting from December 28. According to the traffic police nearly 95 per cent of vehicle owners had already complied with the new rule and removed the films. A total of 51,753 cases were registered by the cops.
Prabhakar, 31, a resident of Rampally village died in a road mishap on Tuesday on the City outskirts on Monday night. Prabhakar was returning home on his bike after attending the midnight mass in church on the eve of Christmas when he fell down from the bike and he received head injury. He died on the spot.
n under trial prisoner of the Charlapally prison, P Chander, was died under suspicious circumstances in the prison on Tuesday. The 35-year-old prisoner, a resident of Chilkanagar in Uppal, was charged with theft. He is said to have complained of chest pain on Tuesday and was rushed to the hospital. But he died on the way.
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city WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
POLITICS
Who will replace Minnie?
While the State government has plenty of choices to replace Minnie Mathew as the chief secretary of the State, finding the right candidate is proving difficult. INKEHSHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com
T
he State government seems to be in a fix as the tenure of present Chief Secretary Minnie Mathew (pictured extreme right) is coming to an end next month. Though the hunt for a new head of State administration is yet to begin, there is likely to be a stiff competition among senior IAS officers. Conventionally, the chief commissioner of land administration (CCLA) is elevated to the post of chief secretary whenever there is a vacancy. Even the present CS Minnie Mathew was working as CCLA when she was promoted as the chief secretary of State. But this time around, the State government is facing a tricky situation as the present CCLA M Samuel (pictured above), a 1978 batch IAS officer, is facing a CBI inquiry in the Vanpic land allotment case. Despite the fact that Samuel commands lot of respect among the State IAS officers’ fraternity
and majority of the IAS officers will extend their support to the CCLA, he will not be given the top post due to the CBI case. If we look at the history of the State, no IAS officer accused in a legal case has been given the top post since its formation. According to the seniority list, the State government had a possible candidate in the senior most IAS officer J Satyanarayana, a 1977 batch IAS officer. But he is unlikely to get the opportunity as he opted for central government services. J Satyanarayana stands ahead of the list of bureaucrats vying for the CS post. He was working as the spe-
MOVIE OF THE WEEK
Majlis leaders to skip all-party meet
cial chief secretary in CM Kiran’s team before calling it quits in favour of services to the Centre. Due to this, Satyanarayana seems to have lost the opportunity of becoming the top bureaucrat of the State. On the other hand, there appears to be fierce competition among the 1979 batch IAS officers. The list of names includes IV Subba Rao, PK Mohanthy and IYR Krishna Rao. While Subba Rao is posted in the United Nations, Krishna Rao is working as the special chief secretary of the marketing department. PK Mohanthy is currently on deputation to central government. While both Subba Rao and Krishna Rao belong to the State, Mohanthy is from a different state. There is a proposal within the state government to extend Mathew’s tenure for a period of three months. Mathew is the second woman IAS officer from Kerala to occupy the prestigious post in the AP government. Earlier, Sathi Nair, also a Keralite, occupied the post for the first time during the Telugu Desam Party rule.
NEEDS OF INDUSTRIES A Classified Display Feature
Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com
T
he decision whether or not to attend the all-party meet will be announced by Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen tomorrow. The all-party meeting convened by the Centre to discuss the Telangana issue is unlikely to be attended by the party chief. Neither MIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi nor assembly floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi is billed to attend it. Two middle-rung leaders may be nominated if the party decides to attend the meet. A meeting would be held tonight to decide who would attend the allparty meet from MIM. According to sources, MLA Syed Ahmed Pasha Quadri and MLC Syed Amin Jafferi are the likely nominees for the meeting. MIM had consistently opposed the formation of a separate Telangana state and Hyderabad’s inclusion in it. The party is likely to reiterate its objection.
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city WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
FINANCE
New budgetary procedure The State government has opted for a vote-on-account budget procedure from next year with the aim of including public representatives in governance. INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com
Based on the recommendations of the standing committees, the State government would make necessary changes to the budgetary allocations.
T
his New Year will see a new method of annual budget presentation in the assembly. Adopting the parliament style, the State government has decided to opt for vote-on-account budget for the first quarter of the next fiscal (2013-14). The decision of the State government comes in the wake of the speaker appointing standing committees for perusing budget proposals before a full fledged budget is presented. Confirming this, Anam Narayana Reddy, the State finance minister, said the new system would be more efficacious. Reddy said the government had opted for vote-on-account budget because it allows standing committees to undertake indepth analysis of budgetary allo-
fledged annual budget. Nadendla Manohar (pictured), AP assembly speaker, had introduced the concept of standing committees with the main objective of making all public representatives a part of governance. cations pertaining to 40 departments of the State. “There will be lesser chance of budgetary woes and mismanagement. Any modifications, additions, deletions could be possible.”
He further added that based on the recommendations of the standing committees, the State government would make necessary changes to the budgetary allocations and introduce a full-
MATH CORNER
PLAN OF ACTION
According to the new method, the budget session of the State government will begin on March 11 with an address by Governor ESL Narasimhan. On March 15, the State Finance Minister A
Naryanaa Reddy will present the annual budget in the house. After the presentation, he will request the members of the house to approve the vote-onaccount for the first quarter of the next fiscal, beginning from April 1, 2013. After allowing a week-long discussion on the budgetary allocations, the house is expected to approve the voteon-account on March 28. After the approval, the 10 standing committees will be given an opportunity for a month long period to discuss, debate and suggest changes to the budgetary allocations. In the last week of April, the house will again meet to undertake another round of discussion on the modifications suggested by the standing committee members. The full fledged annual budget of the state will be approved in the month of May after a thorough discussion in the house.
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5
The Narayana E-Techno school at Narayanaguda celebrated the 126th birth anniversary of the famous mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan on Saturday. A large number of students participated in the competition held as part of the mathematical science exhibition. E-Techno dean Hidayatullah, program-in-charge IN Sharma and principal K Suneetha attended the exhibition. Awards were later presented to the best performers.
/095 Rs.1 9/: e c i 4 r Pr Rs.5 Cove r Price: : 50% g e f n f i O l Sav Tota
Balayya donates `1 lakh
P
opular actor and TDP leader Nandamuri Balakrishna has donated Rs 1 lakh to his ardent fan of Produttor town Rabba Srinivasulu for kidney transplantation operation. According to a pressnote from NTR Bhavan, Rabba Srinivasulu’s condition turned critical due to failure of his kidneys necessitating kidney transplantation operation. The patient has two daughters and was economically poor. When urologists said kidney transplan-
tation was inevitable to save his life and it would cost ` five lakh for the surgical operation, the patient’s family narrated their tale of woe to the Kadapa district Balakrishna Fans Association president Pothuganti Peeraiah. Peeraiah brought Rabba Srinivasulu’s critical condition to the notice of Balakrishna, who immediately asked him to bring the tormented family to Hyderabad and handed over `1 lakh on behalf of nandamurifans.com. NSS
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classifieds WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
CIVIC
While online gas booking obviates black dealings, seniors and those who have no computer at home find it difficult. CLASSIFIEDS HEALTH/ CLINIC
E-gas booking irks citizens N SHIVA KUMAR
ANUBHA K SINGH anubha.k@postnoon.com
Those who are net-savvy face problems of connectivity or slow internet and the inconvenience of too many commands to observe.
T
he recently introduced 24x7 Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) based refill booking system by many gas companies has very few takers in the City. Most housewives, senior citizens and those who do not have computers at home still want to book gas over the phone. And those who are net-savvy face problems of connectivity or slow internet and the inconvenience of too many commands to observe. They find it all a tedious process, which earlier used to be done with a simple telephone call. It’s not just the foreign accent or confusing commands; customers are also unhappy about the extra amount on their monthly phone bill. “The IVRS system has increased our monthly bills. The call takes so long to complete and many a times, because of the disconnection of lines in the middle, we need to call again. Ultimately, it costs more. As a result, the IVRS system is more profitable for the telecom industry rather than for the common public,” said Ajay Nayak, a software developer. “The IVRS booking is bothersome. The process is too lengthy and the time between the commands is very short, so many a times, the call gets disconnected if I don’t do it fast. In addition to this, the voice recordings in the system in English with a foreign accent is really confusing. Before I complete a function, the line gets disconnected because of it,” said Rita
Choudhary, an MNC employee. The problem is more acute for senior citizens and housewives. “I am 65. I stay with my wife as my children are settled in the US. I used to book gas on phone but now, the online system makes me dependent on my young neighbours. It
does not sound nice to seek their help every time,” said Brijmohan Singh, a resident of Hyderguda. “I think the online system may help prevent malpractices, but the customers’ convenience is also a factor,” he said. But gas companies say these
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POLITICS
Naidu slams Botsa
T
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are initial problems. Once citizens get used to it, they will realise how good it is to prevent black dealings in cylinders. “The IVRS system is turning out to be a good step. Whenever a customer books his refill, an SMS is sent on his registered mobile number with the confirmation of the booking, the order number, date and time. Once the refill is dispatched, another SMS will follow, informing the customer that the cylinder has been dispatched. This helps the consumers to promptly find out in case the refill is diverted by an unscrupulous dealer or delivery boy. Regarding the problems in booking online, everyone needs to accept the change as the IVRS system is introduced for the benefit of customers and it allows hassle-free booking of cylinders,” said Kiran Reddy, a dealer of HP gas in the City. However, many customers feel that the companies should have conducted a survey before implementing such schemes because not many people are happy and comfortable in booking cylinders through IVRS system. Or else, companies should have reinstated the old system along with the new one.
The ACB today conducted searches at the residence of APPSC member Ripunjaya Reddy, at Venkatagiri in Yousufguda, in connection with disproportionate assets. They found huge amounts of cash and gold jewellery, besides documents PHOTO BY S BALAKRISHNA pertaining to properties. ACB also raided the house of Suryudu, a former assistant of YSR Reddy.
DP chief N Chandrababu Naidu lambasted PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana for making “shameless” remarks about the Delhi gang rape incident. Botsa held the victim guilty of roaming at midnight. Naidu asked Botsa whether he would have spoken that way if a family member of his was in that situation. Naidu was addressing a meeting at Regadimaddikunta under Sultanabad mandal. Naidu also faulted Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde for comparing the students agitating in Delhi over the gang rape to extremists. Stating that the gang rape made everyone bow his or her head in shame, Naidu demanded that the criminals be hanged till death. NSS
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city WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
URBAN LIFE
SHIFT, HO, HYDERABAD!
The City must get ready to play a global mega-city role by 2030 and it is well advised to give up its laid-back approach. FOR REPRESENTATION ONLY
Opportunities of India’s urbanisation by 2030
91mn
urban households will be middle class, up from 22 million today.
68
big cities will have 1 million plus population, up from 42 today.
70%
of net new employment will be generated in cities.
270mn
people will be the net increase in working age population.
590mn people will live in cities.
Source: McKinsey Global Institute, 2010 study
POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com
H
yderabad, among the six metro cities of India today, will have to vie with 12 times more cities by 2030 and it is well advised to make a paradigm shift without delay. For this, the urban planners and city fathers will have to work overtime if they honestly want a city of class, world reports indicate. Hyderabad is likely to support three times the present population by 2030. So massive infrastructure development is called for. A McKinsey Global Institute study has made it clear that India will move to urban living
by 2030. This curiously will bury the stance of Gandhi that India lives in villages. Urbanised India will be a far cry from what the Mahatma had visualised. So, it is well advised to move ahead now with a plan. By harnessing an innovative mix of tools and approaches, governments can strengthen the economies of urban areas and improve their overall livability, points out Worldwatch Institute’s ‘State of the World 2012: Moving Toward Sustainable Prosperity’ report. Today, nearly 1 billion of the world’s poor live in urban areas that are dangerously overcrowded and lack adequate access to basic sanitation and clean water, with wide-ranging
CITY SERVICES n Education n Energy n Finance n Recreation n Fire n Emergency response n Governance n Health n Safety n Solid waste n Transportation n Urban planning n Waste water
QUALITY OF LIFE n Civic engagement n Culture n Economy n Environment n Shelter n Social equity n Technology and innovation
health and environmental impacts. But even in wealthier countries, governments face serious challenges in making
their cities more inclusive, sustainable, and liveable.
DON’T SNEER AT SLUMS, IMPROVE THEM In 2010, informal urban settlements, known more commonly as ‘slums’, housed approximately one-third of the urban population of developing countries. “Slum populations are often viewed as an eyesore, but few realize that the urban poor are at the core of a city’s economy, accounting for a large share of employment and performing essential functions for the city,” said Eric Belsky, managing director of Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies and State of the World 2012 con-
tributing author. “With deliberate spatial planning, we can mitigate the environmental and health risks of slum dwellers, as well as harness their potential to contribute to economic growth and move out of poverty.” Create a national indicator database. As effective indicators are identified, they should be assessed and this should culminate in a national monitoring system. There are 14 urban service indicators and seven quality of life indicators that decide the city life. Hyderabad, by all indications, lags far behind the world’s best cities but much of them are solvable if moved with a honest will, experts point out. (Compiled by PK Surendran)
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
focus
UNEMPLOYMENT AT 17.3 PER CENT
In Bamako, unemployment has shot up to 17.3 per cent of the workforce, according to data from the national statistics institute Instat. The service sector has contracted by 8.8 per cent this year, Instat data shows, making it the hardest hit part of the economy.
A NATION TORN
Mali: North chokes South
The occupation of north Mali by Islamists has hammered the economy in Bamako, the southern capital, where foreigners are pulling out and unemployment and prices are climbing higher. BAMAKO: “The Malian economy is going through a tough time. Already struggling because of a poor harvest in 2011-2012, it has suffered considerably because of the coup of March 2012 and its fallout,” the International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted after a mission to the North African country last month. Islamic militants have controlled most of Mali’s northern desert regions since the overthrow of former president Amadou Toumani Toure on March 22, and plans are afoot for an international force to intervene there sometime next year. “The occupation of the North seriously disrupted agricultural production and trade relations. The deteriorating security situation prompted a sharp reduction of travel to Mali,” the IMF noted. “This hit hard the commerce, hotel and restaurant sectors,” it added. The Fund expects Mali’s economy to contract by 1.5 percent this year, and US President Barack Obama has stripped the country of trade privileges conferred by the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) programme, citing backtracking from democratic reforms. In Bamako, unemployment has shot up to 17.3 percent of the workforce, according to data from the national statistics institute Instat. The service sector has contracted by 8.8 percent this year, Instat data shows, making it the hardest hit part of the economy, with waves of layoffs in hotels a stark sign of slumping business and tourist activity. “Employers have run out of ways to maintain jobs such as having staff take time off and resorting to technical or temporary unemployment,” said Salif Bagayoko, head of the local labour inspection office. Women looking for domestic work swarm the Apaf association for family aid, and have lowered their salary targets even as the rising cost of living hits low-income households. “We have been operating at a loss” The cost of fuels, cooking gas and other essential products have doubled in some cases.
People work on December 19, 2012 at the Batex.Ci textile company factory in Bamako. The unprecedented crisis since nearly a year in Mali, whose northern region is occupied by armed Islamists, has enormous economic and social impact, especially in the capital Bamako, partly deserted by foreigners where AFP PHOTO / HABIBOU KOUYATE unemployment increases and prices soar.
THE BEGINNING
S
ince January 17, 2012, several insurgent groups have been fighting a campaign against the Malian government for independence or greater autonomy for northern Mali (an area known as Azawad). The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), an organization fighting to make Azawad an independent homeland for the Tuareg people, had taken control of the region by
April. The MNLA were initially backed by the Islamist group Ansar Dine. However, after the Malian military were driven from Azawad, Ansar Dine began imposing strict Sharia law. Since then, the MNLA has been fighting against Ansar Dine and another Islamist group called the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), a splinter group of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
Some domestic workers used to be employed by foreign aid staff for the modest sum of 80,000 CFA, or 122 euros ($160) per month. Now, “even 35,000 CFA would be acceptable,” acknowledged Aissa Camara, a 42-yearold widow who lost her job in February. Mali’s national carrier Air Mali has suspended its activities for nine months owing to the crisis. The airline has asked the government for more funds, “but the state has problems too,” Air Mali finance director Souleymane Sylla said on Monday. “Shareholders were not ready to inject fresh funds and want to give themselves some time to have better outlook regarding to the country’s future.” Sylla said Air Mali “had forecast a balanced result for 2013, but the coup d’etat changed everything,” and added that 66 employees had lost their jobs. On the industrial front, 20 percent of factories in Bamako have closed while 60 percent
have resorted to technical unemployment measures. “Since March, we have been operating at a loss,” said Alioune Badara Diawara, deputy managing director of Batex-ci, a textile plant. “We have orders, thanks to neighbouring countries. But cotton, our raw material, has not been delivered for two months, the company that makes it is at the end of its rope,” he added. Cotton is one of the main industries in mainly agricultural Mali, which also has some gold mines. Before the crisis, tourism was also one of the main drivers. “We are the real victims,” says Gaoussou Kantako, an artisan jeweller since 1993 at the N’Golonina market in Bamako. “One can spend three, four days without seeing a customer.” According to him, some 120 of his artisan colleagues, or about half, have left the market over the past few months. “Some artisans are discouraged, they either stay home or they’ve left to go work in the gold mines.” AFP
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
Business
RUSSIA UNVEILS $25 BN OIL LINK TO PACIFIC Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday unveiled the final extension of a new $25 billion oil pipeline to the Pacific that underscores the energy power's gradual shift away from stagnant European markets.
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Samsung sues Ericsson S
2012 REALTY
Fringes to the fore
outh Korea's Samsung Electronics said Wednesday it had filed a complaint to seek a US import ban on some Ericsson products in an escalating patent battle with the Swedish mobile giant. Samsung took the action Friday with the US International Trade Commission, seeking a ban on imports and sales of Ericsson's products over alleged infringements of Samsung's wireless and equipment patents. AFP
As transport infrastructure is set for a massive growth, the outskirts will emerge as choice centres of real estate growth.
CHALLENGES Political uncertainty Increasing input costs Debt servicing Supply is more than demand
PRUDHVI RAJU K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com
“T
he real estate industry in 2012 is marginally better as compared to previous year. There is slight increase in flat sales or in the number of new projects that are coming up. In location terms, central business district is doing much better compared to outskirts due to scarcity of land and less of upcoming projects. However, the political uncertainty is constraining the growth. Residents only look for congenial and harmonious atmosphere. Any buyer would choose to wait or postpone his buying decision when he is getting affected with bandhs,” says KL Narayana, chairman and MD, Trendset Builders. Explaining about the effects of political uncertainty, he says, “This
KL Narayana, CMD, Trendset Builders
has ripple effects on the industry. For instance, it has created imbalance in the demand and supply ratio. Earlier, buyers postponed their buy-
ing decisions during the political turmoil this resulted in not clearing the old inventory leading to more supply than demand. If this political uncertainty continues, there will not be much progress in the industry.” When asked about challenges, he says, “The rising costs of raw materials and debt servicing is increasing the cost of the project. For instance, the customer is ready to pay extra if he likes the project and when it nears completion. However, it is difficult for any developer to withstand and do the debt service till the completion of project,” “Any clarity in political situation in 2013 will help the industry. The infrastructure is being improved with Outer Ring Road and Metro. In future, buyers won’t mind residing in outskirts. With this new transport system, they can travel to the City in less time without any pollution. The ORR also brought access and transport system to many new locations. With ample amount of land available in the outskirts with the transport connectivity, the housing remains to be affordable in the future,” he envisioned.
‘Quality is the biggest asset’
T
rendset Winz in Nanakramguda has bagged the CNBC AWAAZ Real Estate Award 2012 for Mid-Segment Residential category (completed project) in the City. On winning the award, Narayana says, “We have a passion for constructing quality projects and this award gives us more enthusiasm to construct such projects.” About the importance of quality, he says, “It is difficult for the customer to identify a quality
product by looking at the brochure or a newspaper ad. Frankly, the visuals in the brochure don’t match with the site for most of the projects. However, customers started recognising the project and booking it with the credibility of the developer, which is built over the years. For instance, I have constructed almost 15 projects but never put a brochure or any advertisement in the newspaper or TV. It is the customer’s word of
mouth that acted as a marketing tool in the sales..” He adds, “Reputation and credibility cannot be bought. It can only be built. It is important for any developer to strive for quality with passion. Sales, reputation and credibility will follow. For instance, I tell my workers, ‘for us a single flat is one among 200 flats that we are developing. For a buyer, it may be the only flat that he buys in a lifetime with all his savings.’”
BSE 5,865.60 `55.14 5,209.05 DOLLAR`55.14 17,179.95DOLLAR NSEPOUND `86.60 `88.67 POUND BSE NSE GOLD`31,200 10g SILVER `58,100 1kg
24C
for
for
GOLD `29,500 10g SILVER `53,000 1kg for
for
98.90
33.65
Since our country is a union of states, we abide by its federal character and, therefore, are bound by the consensus on the issue, ANAND SHARMA, COMMERCE MINISTER
19,296.59 41.50
ANAND SHARMA, 9.85 COMMERCE MINISTER
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
nation GUJARAT
Narendra Modi sworn in as CM
SAD DISOWNS WAYWARD YOUTH LEADERS
Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday disowned their three youth leaders accused of assaulting a senior police officer and his NRI friend at a nightclub in Ludhiana. Assistant Inspector General (AIG) SS Mand was assaulted at the nightclub in Ludhiana.
HALL OF SHAME
Rights panel to probe molestation victim death
INCONSOLABLE
AHMEDABAD: Narendra Modi on Wednesday took oath as Gujarat's chief minister for the fourth time after leading the BJP to a sweeping win in assembly elections. Governor Kamla Beniwal administered the oath of office and secrecy to the BJP leader. Among those present were BJP leaders Nitin Gadkari and Sushma Swaraj, Chief Ministers J Jayalalithaa of Tamil Nadu and Parkash Singh Badal of Punjab, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray.
Jawan killed in cross-border firing JAMMU: An Army jawan was killed in firing from across the IndoPak border in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. "There was firing from across the border at a forward post in Mankote belt in Poonch district late last night," a defence spokesman said today. In the firing, an Army jawan was critically wounded and later died in hospital, he said, adding that it was not known whether the shots were fired by Pakistani troops or militants. The jawan has been identified as Sepoy Rakesh Kumar. PTI
Explosives seized from car,1 arrested KANNUR (KERALA): Explosives and detonators were seized from a car at a checkpost at Kiliyanthara in the district by Excise Department officials and one person was taken into custody in this connection, police said today. As much as 40 kg of ammonium nitrate and 1,000 detonators were confiscated from the car while checking vehicles by the officials last night. Sreejith, who was in the car, had been taken into custody. The car was coming from Karnataka and was on its way to Kalpetta in Kerala, they said. PTI
Relatives of policeman Subash Tomar mourn during his funeral in New Delhi on Tuesday. The Home Ministry today announced an ex-gratia of `10 lakh to the next of kin of Tomar. An ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh will be given to the family of Tomar in addition to the financial and other relief announced by the Delhi Police, a Home Ministry spokesperson said. The 47-year-old constable, who was injured during violent protests at India Gate
on Sunday, died yesterday after battling for life in a city hospital. The exact cause of death will be known only after the post mortem results are out. Tomar was posted in Karawal Nagar area and was called for maintaining law and order at India Gate area during the weekend protests over the gangrape of a 23-year-old girl. Eight persons have been arrested in connection with the incident PTI
Woman gang-raped in TN, 10 arrested Gang attacked relative before pouncing on the victim. VIRUDHACHALAM (TN): A 20-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped by 10 persons on the banks of Manimuktha river near here, police said today. Ten person were arrested in connection with the inci-
Pick
dent yesterday, police said. The woman, hailing from Gurumangalam village near here in Cuddalore district, was speaking to her relative on the banks of the river when the gang members pounced on them. The gang
attacked the women's relative when he tried to protect her and later raped her, police said. Based on the women's complaint, police registered a case and admitted her to Mundiampakkam Medical College hospital. PTI
at the
BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha human rights panel will investigate the death of a 24-year-old woman here Sep 20, five days after she was allegedly attacked and molested by a group of goons, an activist said Wednesday. Human rights activist Akhanda said he had filed a petition before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking a probe into the case and a compensation of Rs.5 lakh to the victim's family. The NHRC has transferred the case to the Odisha State Human Rights Commission and directed it to look into the incident, Akhanda told IANS. The activist said that Diptimayee Murmu, a native of Mayurbhanj district, was sexually assaulted by four goons on the outskirt of state capital Bhubaneswar Sep 15. She had come to the city for a job interview. Murmu and her friend tried to escape from the goons on a motorcycle but could not succeed. Murmu was seriously injured after she fell from the motorcycle. Five days later, she died of injuries in a private hospital here, Akhanda said. A police official said two people have been arrested in connection with the case and efforts are on to nab the remaining culprits.
airport,
IANS
-
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
World
RUSSIA TO DEPLOY NEW SU-34 BOMBERS Russia has said it will deploy five Su-34 frontline bombers in an air base near Voronezh city, Xinhua reported. Su-34 bomber is a warplane of a four-plus generation, with the operational range of 4,000 km and a maximum speed of 1,900 km per hour.
NEW YORK KILLER
Killing people was his pastime NEW YORK: A convicted felon who committed suicide after shooting dead two firefighters he lured into an inferno wrote in a note that killing people was his favorite pastime, police said Tuesday. Authorities also said they found human remains in the charred skeleton of his house that likely belonged to the gunman’s sister, who lived with him. “I still have to get ready to see how much of the neighborhood I can burn down and do what I like doing best — killing
people,” read part of the note discovered in the wake of Monday’s shooting in the upstate New York town of Webster, Police Chief Gerald Pickering told reporters. He said the typewritten note by 62-year-old William Spengler was two or three pages long, but would not be released at this time. Investigators suspect the victim found in what was left in the house is Cheryl Spengler, 67. She had not been seen since Monday. The brother and sister were said to not get along.
Pickering was unable to confirm whether Cheryl Spengler had died in the fire or if she was killed beforehand. A medical examiner is working on identifying the remains. After setting his home and car ablaze, Spengler took up a sniper position, waiting for firefighters to arrive. He was armed with three weapons and an “arsenal” of ammunition, according to Pickering. He had a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver, a Mossberg 12-gauge pump action shotgun and a .223 Bushmaster rifle. AFP
TRAIN TRIBUTE
12
KALASHNIKOV ILL
Mikhail Kalashnikov, the inventor of AK-47 assault rifle, has been hospitalised, his assistant Nikolai Shklyaev said Tuesday. Shklyaev said the 93-year-old Kalashnikov complained to him about his health before being taken to hospital last week. “He was in intensive care last Thursday,” he said, adding that he had no information about the present condition of the legendary inventor.
NUMEROLOGY
123
people have died in the last 10 days due to the bitter cold climate in Russia. Temperatures have plunged as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Moscow region and minus 60 degrees Celsius (minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit) in Eastern Siberia.
EGYPT EC OKAYS CHARTER
C
hina started service Wednesday on the world’s longest high-speed rail route, the latest milestone in the country’s rapid and — sometimes troubled — super fast rail network. The opening of the new 2,298-kilometre (1,425-mile) line between Beijing and Guangzhou means passengers will be whisked from the capital to the southern commercial hub in just eight hours, compared with the 22 hours previously required.China Central Television broadcast the departure of the first train live from Beijing West Railway Station. It also carried live reports from inside showing passengers toting cameras to apparently snap commemorative photos. Trains will travel at an average speed of 300 kilometres per hour over the line, which includes 35 stops in major cities such as Zhengzhou, Wuhan on the Yangtze River and Changsha. AFP
NEWS BRIEFS 27 die in Kazakhstan military plane crash
Five killed in Ukraine chopper crash
Banana speed eater hospitalised in Ukraine
Teens kill mum’s Beau for trying to rape sister
ASTANA: Twenty-seven people died in Kazakhstan Tuesday when a military plane in which they were travelling crashed, Xinhua reported. The plane crashed near Shymkent region. The aircraft disappeared from the radar screen at 1300 GMT en route to Shymkent from Astana. The plane caught fire after the crash.
KIEV: Five people were killed after a military helicopter crashed Tuesday in Ukraine’s Kirovograd region, about 300 km from the capital city, Xinhua reported. The MI-8 helicopter crashed at around 4pm shortly after taking off. It was carrying five people, including three crew members and two workers. All of them died on the spot.
MOSCOW: A girl in Ukraine had to be rushed to the hospital after she tried gobbling some bananas against the clock during a speed eating contest. The incident occurred when the 19-year-old resident of the Ukrainian town of Grebenka braved the banana speed eating contest held by a local cafe in Poltava region.
MONTEVIDEO : Two Uruguayan teenagers beat and stabbed to death their mother’s 33year-old boyfriend when he tried to rape their sister, police said. The incident took place over the weekend in Toledo, a city in Canelones province, the second most-important in Uruguay and some 25 km from Montevideo.
Egypt’s electoral commission confirmed on Tuesday that a controversial, Islamist-backed constitution was passed by 64 per cent of voters, rejecting opposition allegations of polling fraud. Those official results tallied with figures given by President Mohamed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood immediately after the last round of polling over the weekend in the two-stage referendum. Turnout, however, was barely 33 per cent. “There is no loser in this referendum result. This constitution will be for all of us,” Prime Minister Hisham Qandil said.
First and foremost we must stop Iran’s nuclear programme, and the time for that is slipping away. That is my first mission as prime minister. Benjamin Netanyahu Israeli Prime Minister to voters
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
Technology GREEN RIDE
LOCKED AND LOADED
RED FERRARI goes ‘green’ LJUBOMIR MILASIN MARANELLO: Italy’s red racing giant Ferrari wants to go green, cutting emissions without sacrificing horsepower and working on a new hybrid model set to thrill pro-environment speed junkies. “We’re working on reducing energy consumption without forgetting that the symbol of Ferrari is performance,” Matteo Lanzavecchia, head of development, told AFP at the luxury car-maker’s historic factory in Maranello, a small town in the Emilia Romagna region. “We’ve also managed to up horsepower to 100 while still reducing CO2 emissions by 30 percent,” he said. The sleek “California 30”, one of the brand’s most soughtafter models with a price tag of 180,000 euros ($239,000), has been vamped up with the new technology — extra horsepower but weighing 30 kilogrammes (66 pounds) less than the previous version. “We’re going all out, not just using the lightest materials but making adjustments across the board. We have improved the brake system to reduce friction and the fan to reduce energy
consumption,” Lanzavecchia said. And the green drive does not stop there: among the towering steel machines on the Maranello factory floor trees have been planted to control the air’s humidity levels. The most recent buildings have also been built with vast glass bays to allow more light in and slash electricity consumption. The hybrid car — set to hit
SIMPLY REMARKABLE
The first Ferrari road car was the 1947 125 Sport, powered by a 1.5 L V12 engine. In 1950 Ferrari fielded his racing cars in Monaco on the occasion of the first edition of the Formula 1 World Championship. Froilan Gonzalez won the first Grand Prix for Ferrari in 1951, and Alberto Ascari secured Ferrari’s first World title in 1952, a task he would repeat the following season.
The sleek “California 30”, one of the brand’s most sought-after models with a price tag of 180,000 euros ($239,000), has been vamped up with the new technology — extra horsepower but weighing 30 kilograms (66 pounds) less than the previous nesia, version.
salesrooms in the next few months — aims to lure customers not only with its green credentials but also the promise of an off-piste taste of a Formula One experience. It will have the Kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) used in the famous racer — which recovers energy during braking and stores it for future use — “to reduce consumption but also capture the thrill of driving a Ferrari,” Lanzavecchia said. The luxury brand has managed to avoid fallout from the economic crisis which hit the standard automobile industry. Last year 7,200 Ferraris were sold around the world, up 10 percent from 2010, and the company’s turnover this year has shot up over the two billion euro level for the first time in its history. As well as focusing on emerging markets, the brand has been tempting clients with “personal stylist” services and gadgets to gussy up the inside of gleaming new Ferraris. “There are opportunities all over the world. Of course, we are more prudent about some markets such as Europe, but there are others where the economy is growing — China, Indo-
Malaysia or the United States,” commercial director Enrico Galliera said. For a small fee — up to half the cost of the vehicle — customers can personalise the car’s interior with cashmere, peccary or teak and choose their favourite model of seats, seatbelt, hi-fi system and touchscreen. “We have personal designers who help the client choose and give him advice,” Nicola Boari, head of the personal shopper system, said in the factory’s workshop. Nearby, women in red overalls cut out metres of fabric for the cars’ interiors, tailoring them specially for each new owner. Anything goes — as long as it stays within the limits of good taste and conforms to Ferrari’s glossy and seductive “Italian style.” “We would never let a Ferrari leave our factory with crocodile-leather seats or our trademark horse symbol done in diamonds,” one of the stylists said. The extras may cost, but that does not seem to put eager customers off — around 98 per cent of them choose to jazz up their brand new racers.
Nintendo is not doing very well in the gaming market right now, but that isn’t stopping them from region locking their latest console and controllers. This issue is a problem for gamers in India who were planning to import the console from regions where it has already been launched. Region locking has been a standard practise in the gaming industry for the past 20 years and only Sony’s PlayStation has managed to shake off this trend to date. Going by the past track record Nintedo’s Wii U console may not be launched in India for another three months. So if you plan to import your console also be ready to import all your games.
NO MORE NASTY If you’re tired of reading those nasty comments on Youtube, there is a nice little browser extension that can help you out. Yuletube, replaces all nasty remarks with something nice. Since it’s holiday season in the west, these comments are generally Christmas or New Year greetings — anything better than remarks about genitals! If you want to install this add-on head over to http://yuletu.be/ and follow the instructions. Of course, if you are tired of the nice little fake world this plugin creates you can always uninstall it.
Down and up All those who sat around TV hoping to watch a movie on Netflix were up for disappointment as the service went down. Netflix wasn’t alone in this as online game distributor Steam also suffered an outage. This meant gamers couldn’t use any of the games they bought via the service. The only way they couldn’t have played it through the outage was if they made the games available offline before the servers went down. Netflix blamed the outage on issues with Amazon’s elastic cloud backend. It is not yet clear if the Steam issue was related to the ones listed by Amazon.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
Comment
LAW AND ORDER
I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
T
he Syrian vice president's criticism of leader Bashar al-Assad has highlighted the cracks in the regime's highest ranks, pitting supporters of compromise against the president's hardline inner circle. Assad's closest aides believe the regime should keep fighting and that they can still win a war against rebels which has left more than 44,000 dead in almost two years. "Power has become increasingly concentrated in the hands of just a few people in Assad's clan, which has grown autistic and seems to have chosen to just keep going," Paris-based expert Karim Bitar told AFP. Assad's circle includes his brother Maher, 44, who heads the army's elite Fourth Division and his wife Asma, an analyst told AFP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. The group also includes Assad's notorious businessmen uncle Mohammed Makhluf, 80, cousin Rami Makhluf, 43, and Damascus security chief, Hazem Makhluf, 41. Like Assad, all are members of the minority Alawite community, except his wife, who is a Sunni Muslim. Presidential affairs minister since 2009, Mansur Azzam, 52, and former Al-Jazeera journalist Luna al-Shibl are also close to Assad. Both are members of the Druze community. Alawite Hussam Sukkar, a security advisor to the president, is also key, as are two Sunni veterans: National Security director Ali Mamluk and Political Security chief Rostom Ghazali. "This is the group that takes the decisions," the analyst said. AFP
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WHEN STATE FAILS, VIGILANTE RISES FUSILLADE
Maya Angelou Poet
Assad inner circle takes hard line
HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS They said it was excruiciatingly too long for a movie about hobbits. But seems like not even Tom Cruise’s Jack Reacher could make an impact as the Hobbit convincingly sweeps the pre-Christmas box office in the US.
Arun Koshy Philip
Law and order exists for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress. Martin Luther King Jr.
M
uch has been the public outrage across the country in general, and the national capital in particular, after the Delhi bus rape incident. The focus has mostly been on safety of women and the flaws in the system that is supposed to protect them. However, little has been said about the rising danger of vigilante justice — which will find many takers as the ‘system’ continues to fail them. One such example is an incident that took place in Jharkhand recently when a village meticulously planned and executed the lynching of five men who were constantly molesting women in the locality. After the murders, a mob went to the local police station to take responsibility. While this can be considered as an isolated incident, one cannot ignore the rising public discontent when the justice delivery system fails
their expectations. There are tens of thousands of cases every year when people are forced to suffer heavy-handed measures of the state that is supposed to protect them from oppressors. Many ‘development’ projects that are launched with fanfare involve land acquisitions and rarely is this done ensuring adequate compensation to the landowners. Since many contracts are ‘won’ by benamis of politicians, their methods of coaxing the landowners through threat of violence and, of course, real violence, are invisible to the guardians of law. Considering there is little difference between the treatment meted out to them by the goons and the police, it is only natural that organisations such as the Maoists are never short of fresh blood. While the salaried class is squeezed dry through every possible tax and surcharges, the corrupt officials and politicians are having a field day. The ragsto-riches success story of the Indian political class who turn rupee billionaires after spending barely a decade in modestlypaid public offices should put financial moghuls to shame. The Central government cites constraints of international agreements and refuses to divulge the names of those who have bled the country white and stashed their illicit wealth
abroad. So, while a clerk caught taking a `500-bribe loses his job and spends time in jail, those who siphoned off enough money to feed an entire generation continue to rub shoulders with national leaders and star as outspoken stalwarts of industry. Even in cases communal violence, response of the state machinery has always been late and on many occasions — complicit. The best example would be 2002 Gujarat riots. While small-fry and thugs have been convicted, the masterminds of the mass murders — executed with meticulous planning and clinical precision — remain untouched. When caste kangaroo courts make a mockery of judiciary and police and contin-
ue their reign of unfettered bloodshed, the victims have nowhere to run. With all institutional mechanism failing to provide justice or protect from injustice and oppression, majority of our population (without the ‘protection’ of a politician or a criminal – now don’t ask me what’s the difference) has been rendered helpless, hopeless, powerless and cornered. Great minds have made observations such ‘man is a political animal’ and ‘man is a social animal’ — basically an animal with many intellectual facets. And guess what happens when an animal is cornered without any possibility of escape...
EDITORIALS This problem is cultural and psychological
T
he rising incidence of rape across the country despite a surcharged and riotous atmosphere following the horrific Delhi bus rape case shows that the issue must not be approached as a failure of maintaining law and order. Since the unfortunate incident, at least a score of rapes were reported, and what’s tragic is that most of the victims were minors, some as young as four or five. Teens working as maidservants were abused by their masters, uncles took advantage of their nieces and migrant workers attacked little girls when parents were away at work. There have been cases where even septuagenarians were not spared. One particular case that comes to the mind is of a homeless woman of this age group who had been sheltering on the street being raped. It seems age is no bar when potential rapists prowl about looking for prey. Therefore, as much as this becomes a tough one for the
READERS’ VIEWS
cops, we must not overlook the psychological aspect. If we do we will never get to the root of this curse. Part of this is cultural. This has been and is, for a long, long time, a society where women were seen as something to tend to the needs of men: every need of men. Dowry, wealth given to the bridegroom at the time of marriage which is actually meant for the welfare of the bride, is seen as some sort of payment from the girl’s folks for taking over a huge burden from their shoulders. And in homes where little boys who have male chauvinist pigs for fathers get the proper training at a very young age how to treat his woman when he becomes of age. He learns that a woman’s purpose is to give into a man... in every way. Is it any wonder that such men see not women as women, but conquests that bring him pleasure?
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
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
Cinema
MIDLER OFFENDED OVER GRANNY ROLE
Singer-actress Bette Midler was offended when she was first offered the role of a grandmother in comedy show "Parental Guidance". But she took it up later. "I was up for playing a fun grandma... Grandparents are not quite the same as they used to be. People are fighting tooth and nail to stay fit," she says.
RING IN THE NEW YEAR
THE ULTIMATE
Movie Marathons
MOVIE OF THE WEEK
Les Misérables
Set against the backdrop of 19thcentury France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption-a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Jackman plays exprisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine's (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever. In December 2012, the world's longest-running musical brings its power to the big screen in Tom Hooper's sweeping and spectacular interpretation of Victor Hugo's epic tale.
DID YOU KNOW...
If you haven’t made plans yet about what you are going to do on New Year’s Eve or have decided to stay at home and watch a movie, here’s a list of movie marathons which will keep you hooked throughout the night and beyond. HEMANTH KUMAR Hemanth.k@postnoon.com
GODFATHER
T
he Godfather trilogy, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is unarguably one of the greatest depictions of mafia in cinematic history. The total run time of this trilogy is nearly 9 hours, which is more than enough time to get you to imitate Marlon Brando’s iconic performance as Vito Corleone in the first part. The third part of the trilogy is disappointing compared to the other two, but it has Al Pacino. Period.
RAMBO
S
ylvester Stallone starrer Rambo series consists of six films starting from First Blood, which released back in 1982, to Rambo, a 2008 film. Stallone stars as a Vietnam War veteran who end up fighting in dangerous grounds ranging from a small town named Hope, Washington state to the jungles of Myanmar.
LORD OF THE RINGS
L
OTR ranks high on our list of greatest movie marathons and it’s a must watch if you are a big fan of fantasy. The extended edition of each film in the trilogy is more than three hours long, but it’s one of the few films which we never get tired of watching. The breathtaking sight of Middle Earth, wars between Orcs and an army led by Aragorn and Frodo’s journey to Mordor is beyond epic.
in a tower on Christmas Eve. That was the plot of Die Hard which released in 1988. Since then, the stakes of this series have gone high and in the subsequent films of the series Bruce Willis is amidst similar hostage situations in an airport, a departmental store and in Life Free or Die Hard, Bruce Willis fights against a gang of cyber terrorists who plan to hack computers of the FBI.
JAMES BOND
ROCKY
2
3 films. Gorgeous Divas. Gadgets. Megalomaniacs who want to conquer the world. Cars. Guns. Nuclear Missiles. Death defying stunts. A mission to space. Cold War. Casinos. Beaches. Diamonds. Vodka. Sex. A globetrotting secret agent and one man who personifies panache. James Bond. This franchise has got everything which you expect from movies and a lot more.
DIE HARD
B
ruce Willis stars as John McClane, an NYPD detective, who must fight against terrorists single-handedly as the latter threatens to kill hostages
S
ylvester Stallone starrer Rocky is the ultimate underdog story who fought against all odds in the boxing ring. Rocky’s success spawned five more sequels in the past three decades. Except for the sixth instalment Rocky Balbao, which stars an aging boxer who wants to get back to the ring one last time, the other five parts have the ace boxer taking on stronger opponents. It’s inspiring to say the least and just what you need to start a new year on a high note.
TERMINATOR
J
ames Cameron’s Terminator starring Arnold
Schwarzenegger is a classic scifi film about The Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamilton. The first part was released in 1984, but it was in 1991 that James Cameron took the series to a whole new level with groundbreaking special effects in Terminator 2 : Judgment Day. Two more films from the series which released in 2003 and 2009 were directed by Jonathan Mostow and McG respectively.
The Hobbit
covers the span of a singular 310 page book. Yet The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is but the first film of another trilogy, and a nearly three hour film at that. Peter Jackson relied heavily on the 125 pages of appendices Tolkien developed over the years that greatly expand and complicate the world of Middle Earth, which he included at the end of The Return of the King.
TRENDING...
STAR WARS
A
nyone who grew up watching Star Wars saga from the late 70s will be forever indebted to George Lucas. The film opens with the phrase “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...." and the rest is history. No other film has had such a huge impact on pop culture as much as Star Wars has and the characters which inhibit the Star Wars Universe each have a legion of their own fans. The series has six parts and an animated prequel titled Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Buckle up your seat belts for a roller coaster ride of a lifetime.
Miley Cyrus took a huge doll for a ride, which she received as Christmas present. The 20-yearold seated the doll in the passenger's seat of her car, and shared the picture on Twitter, reports thesun.co.uk "Does this count for the carpool lane? Such a nice X-mas gift," Cyrus posted. It was a naked doll, with winking eyes and both her thumbs up.
Anne Hathaway has offered tips on hosting the Oscars to next year's firsttime helmer Seth MacFarlane. Hathaway co-hosted the 2011 Academy Awards with James Franco, but their presentation of the ceremony was roundly criticised in the press. MacFarlane reacted positively to her tips when reached for comment.
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
spotlight
THRILLERS ARE HERE
Head to Hard Rock Cafe where The Thrillers will be paying a rocking tribute to Michael Jackson. The gig will be on from 9 pm.
S BALAKRISHNA
FASHION FORWARD 1
2
STRAIGHT FROM THE
3
RAMP
The day four of Blenders Pride Hyderabad International Fashion Week concluded in style with Rana Daggubati, Yami Gautam and Simran Karu Mundi gracing the ramp. 4
5
6
7
8
9
1 Manisha, Sheetal 2 Nidhi, Vandana 3 Aparna, Veni 4 Ajitha Reddy 5 Prerana, Abhiram 6 Rahul, Anita 7 Rekha, Harsha 8 Sharon 9 Shruti, Sindhu
Corrigendum: In the December 25, 2012 edition, the photographs on Pg 18 (High On Style) were wrongly attributed to a former employee, Deepak Deshpande. The photographer was S Balakrishna, our staff photographer. The error is regretted.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
health
EARLY LANGUAGE SKILLS HELP KIDS MANAGE ANGER BETTER The ability to use words as a toddler may affect the way kids manage their anger later in life, a new study has found. Children with good language skills at age 2 expressed less anger during frustrating situations at age 4 than those with less advanced language skills, researchers said.
CHILDREN’S HEALTH
19
SCARE AT THE DAYCARE You might think that your child is safe at that daycare centre. But even the cleanest and most well maintained centres can pose a few health risks. It is up to the parents to exercise caution say experts.
Infections to beware of
RANJANI RAJENDRA
ranjani.r@postnoon.com
Y
our little one has once again been assailed by the sniffles and a horrible sore throat and you can’t help but wonder why. After all you take the utmost care to keep your child warm and germ free, yet this is the fifth time the sniffles are back. Of course as a parent, it is also a cause for concern for you and try as you might you cannot pinpoint the cause. Might we suggest taking a look at the daycare centre you’re dropping your child off at every morning. According to research and popular notion, daycare centres and schools are notorious for being ‘germ factories’. Upper respiratory ailments and an upset stomach are the norm and it is common to see children going to daycare centres and preschool being ill very often. Given today’s scenario of nuclear families with both parents working, it is inevitable for the child to spend the better part of the day at a creche in the company of other children. And no matter how carefully you pick out that daycare centre and the hygiene standards maintained by the staff, infections are part and parcel of the child’s life. “We see a lot of children who go to daycare centres fall ill with upper respiratory tract ailments like cold and cough. Stomach infections leading to loose motions is also not rare. In fact, it is quite common for a child going to a daycare centre to fall ill at least six to eight times in the
Diarrhoea and gastroenteritis are common at day care centres. The infection is spread easily from child to child or from caregiver to child. It is common among children, because they have a tendency not to wash
ANEWS PP-LYBRIEFS YOURSELF P90X The workout programme that revolutionised home fitness now has a companion app that lets you use it on your iPhone, so you can get even more amazing results and work out anywhere. Keep track of your sets, reps, and weights, view your progress and share your results. With interactive features, you'll stay motivated.
their hands after using the toilet. n Children who are attending day care may also get giardia, which is caused by a parasite. This infection causes diarrhoea, stomach cramps, and gas. n Ear infections, colds, coughs,
sore throats, and runny noses are common in all children, especially in the day care setting. n Head lice and scabies are other common health problems that occur in day care centres.
first year of going to daycare,” explains Dr Kashi Vishwanath, consultant paediatrician at Apollo Hospital, Secunderabad. According to Dr Vishwanath, this primarily happens because the chidlren might be in the company of a peer with the same health ailment and it is very easy for these diseases to spread. “Parents are usually puzzled that their child is falling sick so often. We suggest administering the flu vaccine to protect the child against respiratory ailments and also swine flu,” he says. “It is important for the daycare staff to maintain proper hygiene as children are more susceptible to infections. They should ensure that they and the child wash hands after using the washroom. The centre should regulate the temperature in the premises. The ACs should be set between 23 to 25 degree celsius. The premises should have good ventilation and parents should avoid sending kids to the daycare when they are ill in order to contain the infection.”
Inform the staff about n How to give medicines for conditions such as asthma n How to avoid allergy and asthma triggers n How to take care of different skin conditions n How to recognise when a chronic medical problem is getting worse n Activities that may not be safe for the child n How to contact your child's health care provider Source: www.nlm.nih.gov
HOUSECALL
DID YOU KNOW?
Lymphogranuloma venereum
Rats are the most dangerous
Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) is a chronic (long-term) infection of the lymphatic system caused by three different types of the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. The bacteria spread through sexual contact. The infection is not caused by the same bacteria that cause genital chlamydia. LGV is more common in Central and South America.
The rat and the mouse are far more dangerous to humans than any other animals. They carry at least 20 pathogens that cause different diseases. It is estimated that they have caused the deaths of more people in the last thousand years than all wars in the world put together.
PIONEERS Paul Devroey Paul Devroey is a Belgian researcher and professor specialised in human fertility. Together with André Van Steirteghem and other colleagues from the Centre he developed the Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) technique, in which a single sperm is injected into an egg-cell. This technique is particularly useful in cases where infertility is caused by poor sperm production, thus solving most problems of male infertility.
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health WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
RESEARCH
STUDY
Scientists map brain
Researchers mapped the brain to see how we make sense of what we see. A clearer understanding of this can help with the diagnosis and treatment of brain disorders. WASHINGTON: How do we make sense of the thousands of images flooding our retinas daily? Scientists have found that the brain is wired to make sense out of all the categories of objects and actions that we see. University of California, Berkeley (UCB) researchers have created the first interactive map of how the brain organises these groupings. "Our methods open a door that will quickly lead to a more complete and detailed under-
standing of how the brain is organised. Already, our online brain viewer appears to provide the most detailed look ever at the visual function and organisation of a single human brain," said Alexander Huth, doctoral student in neuroscience at the UCB, who led the study. A clearer understanding of how the brain organises visual input can help with the medical diagnosis and treatment of brain disorders. These findings may also be used to create brain-
machine interfaces, particularly for facial and other image recognition systems, according to an UCB statement. "Our discovery suggests that brain scans could soon be used to label an image that someone is seeing, and may also help teach computers how to better recognise images," said Huth, who has produced a video and interactive website to explain the science of what the researchers found. It has long been thought that
each category of object or action humans see — people, animals, vehicles, household appliances and movements — is represented in a separate region of the visual cortex. In this latest study, the researchers found that these categories are actually represented in highly organised, overlapping maps that cover as much as 20 percent of the brain, including the somatosensory and frontal cortices. IANS
Faulty genes precipitate bowel cancer risk LONDON: Faulty genes precipitate bowel cancer risk in families which have a history of this condition, according to a British study. Researchers from Oxford University and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, found everyone who had a faulty gene 'POLE' or 'POLD1' developed bowel cancer or had a precancerous growth in the bowel. The researchers then further looked at 4,000 people with bowel cancer and 6,700 healthy people, the journal Nature Genetics reports. Neither of the faults were found in people without bowel cancer, while 12 people with the POLE gene were found in the bowel cancer group and a person had a POLD1 gene fault, according to the Telegraph. POLE and POLD1 are involved in scanning and repairing damage to DNA, removing incorrect sequences from the DNA chain. Without them, affected individuals build up damage in their DNA which can cause bowel cancer.
The POLD1 fault was also found to increase the risk of getting womb cancer and possibly brain tumours.
BREAKTHROUGH Now, an eye test to reveal extent of Multiple Sclerosis LONDON: Scientists have developed a new simple eye test that may offer a fast and easy way to monitor patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scan measures the thickness of the lining at the back of the eye — the retina. It takes a few minutes
per eye and can be performed in a doctor's surgery. Multiple sclerosis is an illness that affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord causing problems with muscle movement, balance and vision. A trial involving 164 people found those with thinning of their retina had earlier
and more active MS. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine tracked the patients' disease progression over a two-year period. In MS, the protective sheath or layer around nerves, called myelin, comes under attack which, in turn, leaves
the nerves open to damaged. Researchers found that brain scans can reveal inflammation and scarring, but it is not clear how early these changes might occur in the disease and whether they accurately reflect ongoing damage. PTI
The POLD1 fault was also found to increase the risk of getting womb cancer and possibly brain tumours with seven people in the study being diagnosed with womb cancer and one developing two brain tumours. Richard Houlston, professor from The Institute of Cancer Research said: "Uncovering gene faults like these two is extremely important, as inherited susceptibility plays a role in the development of about a third of all the cases of Colorectal Cancer." "This is one of the most important discoveries in bowel cancer genetics. It should allow us to manage families affected by inherited bowel cancer much more effectively, and it offers new clues for the prevention or treatment of all forms of the disease," Houlston concluded. IANS
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
Entertainment ROLE CLOSE TO HEART
Ko Antey Koti will always be a special film for me:
PRIYA ANAND P
riya Anand's excitement about her upcoming film Ko Antey Koti is palpable and she says that it'll always be a special film for her. “I can relate so much to the character I am playing in the film. We shot for quite a few days in and around Rajahmundry. If I was born in a place like Rajahmundry, I would have been exactly like Sathya, the character I play in this film,” she says. Ask her about her equation with the film's lead actor and producer, Sharvanand, she says, “We met at Allu Arjun's sangeet and few days later, he called up to see if I would be interested to play the lead role in the film. Honestly, it was totally out of the blue, but it was a role I couldn't turn down. All of us got along very well throughout the film's shooting.” Couple of years ago, she had spent quite a lot of time shooting in Rajahmundry during the production of Rama Rama Krishna Krishna. No wonder, she seems to have fallen in love with the place. “I know the roads so well that my team is totally at loss of words when I give them directions while travelling. Sometimes, I wouldn't even change the costumes and head directly to the theatre in half sarees to watch a film. I like the place so much that now I don't even think twice before going back to Rajahmundry,” she confesses. Ko Antey Koti will be her first Telugu film since Jayendra's 180 and the film also stars Srihari in an important role. Anish Kuruvilla has directed the film and Shakti Kanth has composed the music. The film is slated for release on December 28.
If I was born in a place like Rajahmundry, I would have been exactly like the character I play in Ko Antey Koti. Priya Anand Actress
CINE BYTES Eega flies high on TV
S
S Rajamouli's recent blockbuster Eega has become the third-most watched film upon its premiere on MAA TV. Incidentally, SS Rajamouli's Magadheera still holds the record for registering the highest TRP on the same channel and it's followed by Robo. Eega registered an exceptional TRP of 18, which is really good considering that the film had no big stars.
Vetaadu Ventadu postponed again?
Kadal to release on Feb 1
M
ani Rathnam's upcoming film Kadal is expected to hit the screens on February 1. Gautham Karthik and Thulasi Nair have played the lead roles in this romantic film which is set in a fishing village in coastal Tamil Nadu. AR Rahman has scored the music.
V
ishal, Trisha starrer Vetaadu Ventadu, the Telugu version of Samar, has reportedly been postponed to Sankranthi. The film was supposed to release this weekend; however, the lack of theatres in both Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh seems to be reason behind this latest development.
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Entertainment WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
PRAISE FOR THE SUPERSTAR
A
ctress Deepika Padukone considers herself lucky for getting a chance to work with superstar Rajinikanth in Kochadaiyaan. She says she hasn’t seen a more humble and passionate person than him. “I’ve finished shooting with Rajinikanth. Different people praise him in different ways.
But I feel one will truly realise what he is only if you meet him. He is extremely humble and passionate about his work. I’ve never seen a person as passionate as him about work,” Deepika told IANS. “I definitely consider myself lucky to get an opportunity to work with him,” she added. Kochadaiyaan, a Tamil
CINE BYTES period film, is currently in its post-production stage. It is directed by Rajinikanth’s daughter Soundarya. As of now, Deepika says she has no new southern project on mind at least for the next six months, but she believes “actresses have enough scope to prove themselves down south”.
RAJINIKANTH
VERY HUMBLE, PASSIONATE, SAYS DEEPIKA
The actress says her journey in showbiz has been great so far. “Sometimes I feel it was like a dream come true but I have really worked hard to be where I am today. I am happy with the kind of films that are lined up for me,” said the 26year-old, who made her Bollywood debut with Om Shanti Om in 2007. IANS
I’m here to play long innings: Leander
T
ennis player Leander Paes, who makes his Bollywood debut as an actor with Rajdhani Express, says he is here to play a long innings. “India is ready for multi-talented people. I believe that, as an individual, my passion for being an actor, my passion for films, goes very deep. I am not here to do just one or two movies, I am here for the long run,” the 39-year-old said. IANS
Shahid visits Sholay shooting location
A
ctor Shahid Kapoor did not miss out on the chance to visit Ramgarh in Karnataka, where cult film Sholay was shot. The 31year-old was in Mysore recently to shoot for his upcoming project Phata Poster Nikla Hero. The young actor took time off after the shooting and visited the spot. He managed to wrap up the trip in eight hours’ time. IANS
Shabina Khan to remake Tamil movie
A
fter successfully co-producing her first film Rowdy Rathore, which entered the `100 crore club, designer Shabina Khan has now bought the rights of Tamil hit Ramana to remake it in Hindi with Akshay Kumar as the lead. Khan told IANS: “I have bought the rights of Tamil film Ramana. I will remake it in Hindi. It’s a beautiful film and I believe the audience will enjoy watching the film in Hindi.” IANS
Entertainment WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
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Entertainment WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
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Entertainment WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
RAKING IN THE MOOLAH
DOWNEY TOPS THE LIST
Forbes named the Top Grossing Actors of 2012, based on the global box-office take of their films. Robert Downey Jr. takes the top spot; Forbes credits the worldwide success of The Avengers ($1.5 billion) to his “charm and humour” while noting that he’ll be walking away with more money than his co-superheroes. As to be expected, the rest of the top ten includes other superheroes — from Christian Bale’s
Batman to Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man — vampires (the stars of Twilight), Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games, Will Smith’s return to Men in Black and Britain’s Bond, James Bond. The most earth-bound entry on the list is #10 — Mark Wahlberg for Ted and Contraband. Of those on the Forbes list, only one of these stars can also expect an Oscar nomination this year: Lawrence.
CINE BYTES Ford offers food to homeless on Christmas
A
ctor Harrison Ford has offered to serve food to the needy with Los Angeles Mission on Christmas Eve. The 70-year-old actor will hand out food and other necessities to thousands of homeless people as part of the annual Christmas event. The Mission has also received donations of gifts and toys.
Damon to celebrate Christmas twice
A
ctor Matt Damon will celebrate Christmas twice with his family as he is an American and wife Luciana Barroso is Latino. The couple will follow both the traditions of opening Christmas gifts at midnight and morning.
Lionel gifts himself seven Mercedes cars
S
inger Lionel Richie has gifted himself seven Mercedes cars for Christmas. “I decided to buy myself a Mercedes - or two! In blue jeans and T-shirt, I walked into a dealership and said, ‘I’ll buy seven Mercedes.’ Staring, the guy asked, ‘Son, you got some proof?’,” nypost.com quoted Richie as saying. IANS
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
Chai Time
Play & Win
Please send in your filled-in entries to Postnoon, #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033. The winners will be announced on this page in Sunday’s edition.
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 refer-
QUICK CROSSWORD enced 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.
Play & Win
voucher from VENKEY’S VEG Restaurant, Nampally
ACROSS
SCRIBBLING PAD
Play & Win voucher from VENKEY’S VEG Restaurant, Nampally
SUDOKU
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
26
Play & Win voucher from VENKEY’S VEG Restaurant, Nampally
1 Get a point across? 5 Thrilled or tickled 9 California’s San ___ Bay 14 ‘___-Team’ (Mr T’s old squad) 15 Letterhead graphic 16 How the euphoric walk 17 A club for Tiger Woods 18 Slaughter in Cooperstown 19 Gothic arch 20 Marathoner’s wear 23 Start for Paulo or Vicente 24 Ocean eagles 25 Greenish blues 27 Introduction to ‘structure’ 30 It’s bought in bolts 32 Roman septet 33 Under 21 36 Communist leader ___ En-lai 39 ___ Romeo 41 Planet with the most circular orbit 42 Fictional Brinker 43 Pulls in 44 What sots drink to 46 Hotel amenity 47 Full-blooded 49 Held the title to
51 Alaska was his ‘folly’ 53 Gull-like bird 55 Contemptuous laugh 56 It can give a child a lift 62 County of Colorado and New Mexico 64 Love handles, essentially 65 ‘Keep quiet!’ 66 Bend ___ (listen attentively) 67 ‘My kingdom ___ horse!’ 68 Niagara River source 69 Kicks back 70 Romanian’s neighbour 71 Act like a nomad
DOWN 1 Work on a batter 2 No ___ Traffic 3 Mind-bogglingly long time (var) 4 Record-breaking, as a year 5 Filmdom’s Close 6 Pines (for) 7 With great expectations 8 Two aspirins, for instance 9 Less well-off 10 Chang’s twin 11 Linked flower
garland 12 Ardent competitor 13 Snack sensations since 1912 21 Present-day Persia 22 Convent leader 26 Rolling in the dough 27 Tennis great Lendl 28 River the Aswan Dam dams 29 Unnecessary person, on a double date 30 Decorative or ornamented 31 Malaria symptom 34 Fail at moderation 35 Bakery call 37 Less than occasionally 38 Like flea market items 40 On open waters 45 Mouth-puckering 48 Shaded spots 50 Leak preventer 51 Sandbank 52 ‘Jack Sprat could ___ ·’ 53 Bart or Ringo 54 Skewered dish 57 Whacks 58 Liqueur flavoring 59 Continental coin 60 Europe neighbor 61 Those folks 63 ‘Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo___’
Chai Time WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012 Thiruvaikumar
STAR POWER for 27-12-2012
27
As per Hindu panchang thiruvaikumar@yahoo. co. in, 040-27177230 / 9177596118
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Enemies too become friends. House plan will get approval. Children will make you proud. Written -dues will get collected. Real-estate deals will bring gains. Avoid standing guarantee for anyone. Businessmen will change most of their staff.
STRIP TEASE AGNES
New plans will get successfully implemented. Friendship with VIPs on the cards. Ancestral property will come. Family members will show more affection towards you. You will buy valuable household items. Debt problems will dissappear.
Bold decisions will yield desired results. VIPs will come of help. You will fulfill wishes of spouse and children. Children will realise their opportunity and act wisely. Friends and relatives from abroad will extend help. Employees get recognised.
Planetary position is suitable to complete all undertaken work without hurdles. Work held up half way will resume and end without further problems. Home will be in a happy atmosphere as good events take place. Children will understand you.
Long-term wishes get fulfilled. Persons in powerful position will get introduced, which will be beneficial in the future. You will start construction of your house. Marriage will be finalised and to take place soon. Businessmen make changes.
Help from VIP friends makes work get completed easier. You will discuss future plans with children and spouse and take decisions accordingly. Friends and relatives share with you responsibilities. Be careful as unexpected blame likely.
You will act shrewdly to get all work done. You will change residence to your new house or another rented one. Chances of minor issues at home but will be resolved soon. Dues may not get colleted as per expectations.
Your name and fame are set to increase. Introduction with VIPs likely. Some will pay advance to purchase new assets. Women will purchase jewels of their choice. House expansion with minor renovation likely. Avoid anger and stay patient.
You will be bold and solve any type of problem. Before taking major decisions consult family members and wellwishers. Sudden journey likely. Businessmen will add more customers to their list. Employees are advised to guard secrets.
TAROT READ
Sumaa Tekur
tarotreadhyd@gmail. com
ARIES:
GEMINI:
Ten of Wands – You may be taking on more work than you can handle. Ease the pressure and find ways to communicate this with your boss.
LEO:
Seven of Cups –You’re discovering a new material urge within you, and it’s somehow not surprising you given your spiritual bent of mind.
LIBRA:
PEARLS BEFORE SWINE
Seven of Pentacles – You may need to play your cards close to your chest to avoid any untoward incident. Trust issues will come up. You cannot avoid them.
SAGITTARIUS:
The Empress – Love is in the air. You hit the right note with a person from the opposite sex and you find a soulmate in him/her.
TAURUS:
Ace of Pentacles – Money’s looking good. You’ve met all your targets and you’re able to plan your finances really well. You’re well within the goal.
CANCER:
The Star – Though there have been many ups and downs on the personal and work fronts, they’ve all been for a reason. It’s all working out in your favour.
VIRGO:
Five of Wands – There’s conspiracy and secrecy around you. You’re not being given the full information and this may be for your own good. Be patient.
SCORPIO:
Page of Swords – You’re young and impetuous. But you’re also able to cut through the heart of the matter to get to the root of what needs attention.
CAPRICORN:
Two of Swords – You have to do the juggling act and it might seem overwhelming at the moment. Take a deep breath and work to a plan. You can manage well.
PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS
PISCES:
The World – The fear of flying or some kind of apprehension is stopping you from making a strong decision and leaping forward, although it’s good for you.
NUMBER GAME
tacles – You’re in the mood to discover and explore opportunities that seem far-fetched. The adventurous part of you is itching to jump in.
SCRABBLE
AQUARIUS: Page of Pen-
POOCH CAFE
Work will get done in stipulated time and as per plan. Friendship with ruling politicians likely. New responsibilities will be entrusted to you. Children will show remarkable progress in studies. Couples will be more affectionate.
for 27-12-2012
The Magician – Use intuition to guide you to take the right decision. You may feel inadequate, though, when it comes to the lack of logic to support your ideas.
NON SEQUITUR
You support and help children develop their artistic skills. Send them for training courses and make them feel happy. Employees get support of superiors though there were sabotage actions from colleagues. Businessmen will collect their dues.
SUDUKO
You will be successful in all undertaken tasks with a determination. Bright chance to buy a house or vehicle of your choice. Expected money will come. Children will be happy as you fulfill their wishes. Govt work will end favourably.
Boggle RED TAN PINK BLACK PURPLE Vol: 2, No 160 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
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Entertainment WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
FOOTBALL FANS
JOLIE AND PITT A 'SPEND HUNDREDS' ON LIVERPOOL FC MERCHANDISE
ngelina Jolie and Brad Pitt reportedly recently visited the Liverpool football memorabilia shop. Jolie and Pitt were apparently shopping for their brood of six children when they spent hundreds of pounds at the club shop, buying shirts, mugs, tracksuits and caps. A source told The Sun: “They rang the club shop and spent hundreds. Son Maddox is a big fan and his favourite player is Steven Gerrard.” Jolie, 36, is known as a Liverpool supporter, and her son Maddox, 11, has also been known to sport a red jersey. Both mother and son spent time filming in the Merseyside area in 2002. The Hollywood stars are spending the festive period in the US, having spent a large proportion of 2012 living in Surrey.
CINE BYTES Beckham and family head to Maldives
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ootballer David Beckham has taken his family for an expensive holiday to Maldives. The Beckham family, which includes sons Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and daughter Harper, have reportedly spent 250,000 pounds on their vacation, which includes the luxury Reethi Rah resort for 11 nights.
Midnight’s Children to release on February 1
Emma ‘to set wedding date in new year’
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pice Girls singer Emma Bunton will reportedly announce her wedding date in the new year. Bunton and her fiancé Jade Jones are allegedly planning a spring wedding, according to the Daily Star. Bunton and Jones confirmed their engagement after 11 years together back in January 2011.
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eepa Mehta’s ambitious project Midnight's Children — the big screen adaptation of Salman Rushdie’s Booker Prize-winning novel — is set to hit Indian screens on February 1. PVR Pictures is releasing the film here. “Distributing Midnight's Children is a big honour,” said Kamal Gianchandani, president, PVR Pictures. IANS
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Entertainment WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
INTRUDER ALERT
RIHANNA'S STALKER GETS TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
CINE BYTES
Carmen Electra was fond of bad boys
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ctress Carmen Electra said she was attracted to “bad boys” when she was a teenager. Electra says she now feels “foolish” for believing guys had to be tough, reports thesun.co.uk. “I had been brought up with macho guys. All my four older brothers were karate black belts. A lot of guys do not want to show they are vulnerable because they regard it as weakness,” she said.
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inger Rihanna might have been in trouble if her security had not acted at the right time after a stalker reportedly broke into her property. The 24-year-old singer was near the pool in her home in Barbados, where she is currently on holiday, when the stranger walked inside. “The guy got to within about 10 to 12ft of where Rihanna was sitting before he was apprehended by security. He looked fairly harmless but it was a little too close for comfort,” thesun.co.uk quoted a source as saying. The man is said to have travelled to the Caribbean island specifically to try to meet the star. Wearing just shorts, he had reached the 10-bedroom villa by swimming to a beach at the back. The man was arrested, quizzed and discharged later. IANS
The guy got to within about 10 to 12ft of where Rihanna was sitting before he was apprehended. He looked fairly harmless but it was a little close for comfort. Source close to Rihanna
Lohan annoyed with producers
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ctress Lindsay Lohan, who features in Scary Movie 5, is apparently annoyed with the producers for inserting a joke about her probation in the movie. The movie’s new clip that released Friday shows the troubled 26year-old actress screaming in horror while watching a fake news clip of her probation being revoked.
Aretha Franklin begins work on new album
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inger Aretha Franklin has begun working on a new album with producer Babyface, which she hopes will get ready by February next year. The legendary soul singer is working on an LP with songwriter-and-producer Babyface, who has previously worked with Madonna, and Michael Jackson. The 70-year-old singer will start work in “10 to 12 days”, reports contactmusic.com. IANS
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
ABU DHABI EXHIBITION TOURNAMENT
SNIPPETS
Stomach virus rules out Nadal Nadal — who hasn't played since his shock second round exit at Wimbledon in June — was due to play in a exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi this week. MADRID: Former men's tennis world number one Rafael Nadal's (in pic) long-awaited return after an agonising sixmonth knee injury battle has been put off because of a stomach infection he revealed on his Twitter and Facebook sites on Tuesday. The 26-year-old Spaniard who hasn't played since his shock second round exit to 100th-ranked Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon in June - had been due to play in a six player exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi this week ahead of his return to the ATP circuit at Doha from December 31. He was due to join world number one Novak Djokovic and US Open champion Andy Murray among others at the three day event. "I am really sorry but I cannot compete this year in Abu Dhabi," wrote the seven-time French Open champion and presently ranked number four in the world. Everything was ready and I was really eager to return to competition, but the doctors have forbidden me to participate in Abu Dhabi
ASIAN CHAMPIONS CUP
India to test juniors against Malaysia
DOHA: Already assured of a place in the summit clash, India would look to test their reserves when they take on Malaysia in their final round robin match of the second Asian Champions Trophy here today. While India have already sealed their place in the final of the tournament after winning all their four matches, Malaysia have just seven points from four outings and need to win against India tomorrow, and then count on other results. India's chief coach Michael Nobbs plans to rest Sardar Singh and provide exposure to all junior players tomorrow. "Sardar is already over-worked, he needs some rest, and tomorrow is the right time for this," Nobbs said. PTI
because of a viral infection of the stomach which has provoked a fever." Nadal has been plagued by knee injuries throughout his career. But earlier this week he shrugged off any fears that despite falling to number four in the world rankings, he is no longer a threat to Djokovic, Murray and world number two Roger Federer. "I haven't forgotten how to play. I have played over 600 ATP matches and I have spent two years without playing. My feeling is good. I won Roland Garros and those emotions are still me," he said. "The doctors say the knee is fine and that is great news for me. I still feel something, it's not perfect." Nadal insisted he is not bitter over his recent experiences. "I have accepted it as normal, as part of my career, part of my job. It's another challenge," he told marca.com. "All I can do is try. But people have to realise that when you're so many months without competing you need time to progress." AFP
Chaitanya named under-19 team’s captain HYDERABAD: P.S. Chaitanya Reddy has been named as the captain of the Hyderabad under-19 side which is set to play against Himachal Pradesh in the Cooch Behar Trophy from December 29 to January 1. The Squad: P.S. Chaitanya Reddy (capt.), C.V. Milind, Tanmay Agarwal, B. Anirudh, G. Rahul Singh, K.S.K. Chaitanya, Rajat Ramesh, C. Shravan Kumar, J. Mallikarjun, Tanay Thyagarajan, P. Maneesh, Mir Jaweed Ali, Arun Deva, B. Chandrasekhar, Roshan Raghuram, Maazuddin.
Akshath to lead city side against Rajasthan HYDERABAD: Akshath Reddy will lead the Hyderabad Ranji Trophy side which takes on Rajasthan from December 29 to January 1 in Jaipur. The Squad: P. Akshath Reddy (capt.), B. Sandeep (v.c.), G,H, Vihari, K. Sumanth, A. Ashish Reddy, Parth Jhala, V.E. Sundeep Rajan, Anwar Ahmed Khan, Akash Bhandari, Mehdi Hasan, Benjamin Thomas, Sarvesh Kumar, M.P. Arjun, Amol Shinde, Habeeb Ahmed.
LEAGUE CRICKET COOCH BEHAR TROPHY
Day 4 Karnataka 629/5 decl. drew with Hyderabad 316 and 309/5 (following on) (Tanmay Agarwal 88, P.S. Chaitanya Reddy 72, G. Rahul Singh 83).
HYDERABAD TRACK WORK
Racing Queen, Winjoy excel HYDERABAD: Racing Queen, Winjoy, Baazigar, Staminoid, Lucy Diamond and Da Xia impressed when the horses were exercised here this morning. Sand Track 800 Metres: White Wind (rb) Hard Hit (rb) 1-1, 600/46 Former finished in fornt. Rocking Racer (Deep Shanker) 59, 600/44 Moved freely. Over Taker (rb) Splendid Knock (rb) 1-3, 600/46 They moved freely. Maid For Love (rb) 57, 600/43 Urged. Star Prospect (Sai Kumar) 1-0, 600/44 Easy. Days Of Thunder (N.Rawal) 58, 600/44 Moved on the bit. Shadow In The Mist (app) 59, 600/44 Easy. Caladium (rb) 11, 600/45 moved freely. Pluto Queen (M.Mark) 57, 600/43 Moved well. Anares (Joshi) 59, 600/43 Moved freely. Da Xia (Ajit Kumar) 56, 600/43 Pleased. Fairy Emperor (M.Mark) 1-3, 600/47 Easy. Sand Track 1000 Metres: Komo Komo Komo (M.Mark) 1-13, 800/57.5, 600/43 Moved well. Staminoizd (rb) Lucy Diamond (Ramana) 1-11,
800/55.5, 600/42 They finished together. Sand Track 1200 Metres: Kansas City Mac (Ajit Kumar) 1-26.5, 1000/1-11.5, 80056.5, 600/42.5 Pleased. Winning Tactics (Togrolu) 1-34, 1200/400 in 58 Eased. Winter Outer Race Grass 1000 Metres: Maths Professor (Chary) Meri Merzi (app) 1-14, 800/56.5, 600/40 They finished together. 2y.Princely Heir/Equal Right (app) 1-11, 800/54, 600/39.5 Moved well. Winter Outer Race Grass 1200 Metres: Baazigar (Imran Khan) Westminister (Ajit Kumar) 120, 1000/1-4, 800/50, 600/37.5 Former finished 2 lengths in front. Winter Outer Race Grass 1600 Metres: Racing Queen (Togrolu) Winjoy (Joshi) 1-47.5, 1400/132, 1200/1-18, 1000/1-5, 800/51, 600/38 They Impressed. Gate Practice 1200 Metres (Winter Race Grass) Handsome Hawk (app)
Royal Bird (Dileep) Amicable Advisory (Deep Shanker) 1-16, 1000/1-2, 800/51, 600/40 Handsome Hawk slowly off. Sun Strikes (M.Mark) Globe Trotter (Kuldeep Singh) Graceland (S.Nayak) 2y.Danehll Star /Lenavi (rb) 120, 1000/1-5, 800/53, 600/40 They jumped out well and finished in that order. Nano Splendor (app) Amazing Power (M.Mark) 1-23, 1000/18, 800/55.5, 600/43.5 They took a level jump. Metaforce (Kiran Naidu) Light Blue Sky (Chary) Dancing In The Rain (Imran Khan) 1-17.5, 1000/1-4, 800/50.5, 600/40 They jumped out well and first two were level and finished well in front of last named. Robust (P Venkat) Shimmering Ice (Anil) Paying Guest (Dileep) 1-17, 1000/1-3, 80051.5, 600/39 They jumped out well and Robust finished well in front. Airborne Magic (Nitin Singh) Supreme Secret (Sai Kumar) 119, 1000/1-5, 800/53, 600/40 They jumped out well. August Kranti (app) Tejaswini (Joshi) Flames Of Forest (Harinder
Singh) Natalia (Deep Shanker) 1-18.5, 1000/14.5, 800/54.5, 600/40 They jumped out well. Aware (M.Mark) Mr.Glorious (Togrolu) Squanders Square (Sai Kumar) Home Town Hero (N.Rawal) 123.5, 1000/1-9, 800/53, 600/43.5 Mr.Glroious slowly off and finished in the above order. Toli Toli Toli (Anil) Merry Maid (Nitin Singh) Classic Crown (app) Flip Side (Dileep) 1-19, 1000/1-4, 800/52, 600/40 They jumped out well. Rise Of Emerald (Ajit Kumar) Alastor (P.Venkat) Alankrita (Chary) Royal Craft (Alikhan) 1-17, 1000/1-3, 800/52, 600/39.5 They jumped out well and finished in the same order. Big Move (Togrolu) Kings Cruise (Imran Khan) 1-20, 1000/1-5, 800/51.5, 600/38 They took a level jump and finished together. Rosemead (Kuldeep Singh) Riverdale (S.Nayak) 2y.Multidimensional/Cacopho ny (rb) Queen Of The Star (M.Mark) 1-20, 1000/1-5, 800/53, 600/41 They jumped out well.
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
PAKISTAN’S TOUR OF INDIA
Eid revelry on Christmas SYED SHOAIB
shoaib.s@postnoon.com
BANGALORE: India played the perfect host in the first match of a home series against arch rival Pakistan in five years, handing the guests as they did, a 5-wicket victory in the first Twenty20 match at the Chinnaswamy stadium here on Tuesday. The sea of fans that gathered at the stadium braving the winter cold and elaborate security measures had little to cheer over throughout the match. The hosts huffed and puffed to 133 in their allotted 20 overs when asked to bat first. The first six overs of the game saw grit win over aggression with India going on to make 37 runs at a healthy average of 6.2. While seven-footer Mohammed Irfan charged down the wicket in full steam, and continued almost up to the striker in an exaggerated follow-through, openers Gautam Gambhir and Ajinkya Rahane put their heads down in a show of determination. When Umer Gul replaced Irfan a lot was expected of the experienced bowler but Rahane lifted his first delivery over mid-off for a four. The hitherto edgy Gambir joined in the party to loft the fifth ball over midwicket for a six, giving India an upper hand in the context at that stage. In the next over Rahane effortlessly lifted Saeed Ajmal over long off for another six and the hosts were galloping
India’s Ishant Sharma and Pakistan’s Kamran Akmal get into a verbal dual during the first T20 match between India and Pakistan in bangaSRINIVAS SETTY lore on Tuesday.
along seemingly towards a big score, having scored 58 runs of 8 overs at an average of over seven. A misfield from Nasir Jamshed further inspired the Indian pair, for runs flowed even more freely after that. Ten runs were taken off Shahid Afridi's first over. The more aggressive of the two, Rahane was the first to go after he pulled one over midoff but it did not carry as he moved away from the ball instead of going into it. Virat Kohli, who plays for the local Royal Challengers in the Indian Premier League, got a rousing welcome form the blue crowd. A needless second run of a flick from Gambhir caught the opener short of this ground even as he dived. Enter Yuvraj Singh to a thunderous applause and he straightaway gets into the act, hoisting the first delivery he faced 91m into the stands over
midwicket and the crowd goes into raptures. India were well on their way to a score of 150 runs or thereabouts, getting to 100 as they did in the 14th over. Irfan finally out-stared a batsman: the aggressive Kohli playing and missing once too often, edged one to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal. Captain MS Dhoni got out to the faintest of nicks, the ball whistling past the off stump dislodging a bail in the process. It took the third umpire more than one replay to make the decision of declaring Dhoni out, bowled. When Suresh Raina was bowled by Ajmal for 10, a gloom set in. Three wickets in quick succession dampened the high spirits of the partisan crowd and when Shoaib Malik ran out Rohit Sharma with a direct throw from gully, 150 looked like a distant dream. The all-important 18th over went the Pakistan way: Umer
Gul all but wiping out the tail. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the second Indian to take three wickets on debut after Pragyan Ojha in June 2009, bowled with the enthusiasm of a newcomer, but did not get enough support from the other end. His third wicket was nothing short of a bowler’s dream: the ball kept swinging and seeming like a guided missile till it crashed into its target, the middle stump of a hapless Umer Akmal. The crowd, which had come to watch only one result, an Indian win, was back on its feet and the Pakistan dugout went somber. At 12 for three, Pakistan certainly were losing the plot. The calm and composed Shoaib Malik and a responsible innings from captain Mohammed Hafeez changed all that. The two put together 106 runs in just 86 balls for the fourth wicket and all but took the game away from India. The first century partnership for Pakistan against India in T20s was built cautiously and when confidence was restored a flurry of boundaries ensured the match was under their control. The wicket of Hafeez who fell to Ishant Sharma as he cut him down the throat of the third man raised some hopes, but a brilliant catch by Ravindra Jadeja was negated because of the height at which it was bowled. With 10 runs needed of the last over, the match had come to a fitting climax. 1st ball: one run, leg bye. 2nd ball: 2 runs, as the ball is played to deep midwicket. 3rd ball: 1 run. 4th ball: sixer by Malik.
Brief Scores:
India 133/9 (Gautam Gambhir 42, Ajinkya Rahane 42, Umar Gul 3/21, Saeed Ajmal 2/25) lost to Pakistan 134/5 (Mohammad Hafeez 61, Shoaib Malik 57 n.o., Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3/9).
Captains play down Ishant Akmal on-field face-off
BANGALORE: Playing down the faceoff between Indian pacer Ishant Sharma and Pakistan batsman Kamran Akmal in the first T20 here, captains of both the sides said it was a minor argument which ended with an exchange of smiles between the two. A heated argument erupted between the two and umpires had to step in to separate them and continue with the thrilling game which Pakistan won by five wickets. The two got into an argument when Akmal was declared not out after he was caught off a no ball by Ishant, and was beaten on the next ball. Soon both angry players exchanged few angry words and wagged fingers at each other. Finally, the umpires and Indian players intervened and separated both of them. "It happened because of some misunderstanding between the two. The bowler said something else and the batsman understood something else.” Dhoni said.
Spectator dies after match BANGALORE: A 47-year-old cricket fan died late Tuesday following a heart attack while watching the India-Pakistan T20 match at the Chinnaswamy stadium here, a senior police official said. "Kamal Jain, who was watching the match from stands, felt uneasy during the 18th over when Pakistan was batting. Though he was rushed to the nearby Mallya hospital by ambulance, he died after admission," Deputy Commissioner of Police Ravi Kante Gowda said. Jain, who originally hails from Odisha, was working in a private firm in Bangalore. As Jain complained of breathing trouble, his family members, who were also present in the stands, carried him out of the stadium and rushed to the hospital, less than 1km from the venue. IANS
SRI LANKA’S TOUR OF AUSTRALIA
Sanga reaches 10,000 runs
Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara (L) is congratulated by teammate Thilan Samaraweera (R) after passing 10,000 Test runs on Wednesday. AFP/WILLIAM WEST
MELBOURNE: Kumar Sangakkara joined the 10,000 runs club and Mitchell Johnson claimed his 200th Test wicket as Australia rolled Sri Lanka for just 156 in their first innings at the second Melbourne Test on Wednesday. Sangakkara stood out with his top score of 58 as wickets tumbled around him, the tourists abjectly surrendering in 43.4 overs after winning the toss at tea in the Boxing Day Test. The only bright spot
for Sri Lanka was Sangakkara's 195-minute knock which was brought to an end with a stunning running catch by wicketkeeper Matthew Wade at eight wickets down. In the process Sangakkara was the equal-fastest to the 10,000 milestone, reaching it in his 195th Test innings, the same as Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara. Sangakkara unfurled a glorious cover drive boundary off Johnson in the final over before lunch to bring up
the milestone in his 115th Test match. But the elegant lefthander was out to a magnificent running catch behind the wicket by wicketkeeper Wade, who scampered 30 metres before flinging himself to take a diving catch and deliver Johnson his 200th wicket in his 49th Test. Johnson, recalled to the Australian side after being left out of the Hobart Test opener, claimed four for 63 off 14 overs to finish off the sorry Sri Lankans. AFP
Scorecard
Sri Lanka 1st Innings D. Karunaratne c Wade b Bird 5 T. Dilshan b Johnson 11 K. Sangakkara c Wade b Johnson 58 M. Jayawardene c Wade b Siddle 3 T. Samaraweera c Warner b Bird 10 A. Mathews c Hussey b Siddle 15 P. Jayawardene c Hughes b Johnson 24 D. Prasad c Wade b Johnson 0 R. Herath c Hussey b Lyon 14 S. Eranga not out 4 C. Welegedara c Hussey b Lyon 0 Extras (lb5, nb7) 12 Total (all out, 43.4 overs) 156 Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-19, 3-37, 4-79, 5-99, 6-134, 7-134, 8-147, 9-156 Bowling: Johnson 14-2-63-4 , Bird 135-32-2, Siddle 8-1-30-2 , Watson 3-23-0, Lyon 5.4-0-23-2
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
sports
ROBIN MISSING PIECE IN FERGIE’S TITLE JIGSAW Alex Ferguson has hailed Robin van Persie as the missing piece in Manchester United’s title jigsaw as the Premier League leaders bid to extend their lead at the top against Newcastle when they clash with them on Wednesday.
PREMIER LEAGUE
We’ve got to dig deep: Nelsen LONDON: QPR can boost their bid to stave off relegation by “sneaking” a couple of wins over the congested Christmas holiday programme, captain Ryan Nelsen said on Tuesday. Harry Redknapp’s side are six points from safety, ahead of home games against West Brom and Liverpool and an away match with Chelsea. Nelsen believes the busy schedule can work in their favour. He told Sky Sports News: “We’ve got to start producing some points, hopefully starting tomorrow (Wednesday, against West Brom). “We’ve been almost there in
a lot of games but it’s not good enough — we need some 90minute performances. We’ve got to dig deep and play every game like it’s our last and claw our way back. Over Christmas you can sneak wins because the games come thick and fast.” Redknapp believes keeping the west London side in the top flight would rank as one of his biggest achievements in the game and Nelsen thinks the 65year-old is the man for the job. “If anyone can help you it’s him. The players have the motivation but he’s already made an impact through his man-management.” AFP
Anichebe return perfect timing, says Moyes
Pardew buoyed up for United trip NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND: Newcastle manager Alan Pardew said on Tuesday the away trip to English Premier League leaders Manchester United on Wednesday was less daunting now the Magpies had ended a poor run of results. Newcastle’s 1-0 win over QPR last Saturday was only their second win in their last eight Premier League games which had dragged them close to the relegation zone — a far cry from last season when they did well enough to qualify for the Europa League. However, Pardew said regardless of only scoring one goal against QPR the fact they had won
was far more significant especially as they are now entering a sequence of tough games starting at Old Trafford where they have not won since February 1972. Newcastle have another away game at unpredictable Arsenal and then are at home to highflying Everton on January 1 and lying 14th in the table, they are in desperate need of taking something from those games. “When you looked at the programme at the start, you could see that this was a tough run for us, and it’s even tougher now with the results we have had and the injuries we have sustained,” said Pardew.
Paul urges players to forget past BIRMINGHAM, UK: Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert on Tuesday told his players to put behind them the humiliating 80 defeat by Chelsea last Sunday and focus on getting a good result against Spurs on Wednesday. The former Scotland international midfielder - who moved from Norwich to take over at Villa last summer - said he had experienced such
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back and it’s about how we react. You can’t dwell on it and start feeling sorry sorry for yourselves. “As a footballer, if you start feeling sorry for yourselves, there is only one place you are going to go. “It is important that we try and bounce back very quickly. We just never turned up on Sunday and that is the harsh reality of football.” AFP
moments in his playing career and the important thing was to move on quickly from them. “It can happen. I’ve been on the end of it before and I’m pretty sure some of their lads would have been on the end of heavy defeats,” said the 43-year-old, who as a player won the 1997 Champions League with German side Borussia Dortmund. “But you have to bounce
BRIEFS Owen looks to end Liverpool jinx
Racist fans shame Russia ahead of WC
Bosingwa’s QPR future in balance: Redknapp
Big money, but is China worth it?
LONDON: Michael Owen made his name at English Premier League’s Liverpool but since he left he has never managed to score against them and is aiming to set that right when his team Stoke host them on Wednesday. Owen looks set to play after recovering from a hamstring injury which has kept him out of action since the end of October.
MOSCOW: Racist behaviour by fans in Russia is damaging the country’s attempts to seek international respect for the increasingly big money domestic game ahead of its hosting of the 2018 World Cup. A supporters’ group for Russian champions Zenit Saint Petersburg provoked outrage by publicly urging the club not to sign any black players.
LONDON: Jose Bosingwa’s future at EPL strugglers QPR remained in the balance on Tuesday after the club’s manager Harry Redknapp refused to say whether he would play for the side again. Bosingwa has attracted Redknapp’s and the fans ire since he refused to sit on the substitute’s bench for the Premier League game with Fulham.
SHANGHAI: If Frank Lampard is to swap Chelsea for China, he might do well to first consider the colourful experiences of his former team-mates Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba. Pay disputes, off-pitch rows and an alien culture have seen many of the foreign stars to have joined the Chinese League beating down the door to get out again.
LONDON: Everton’s Nigerian striker Victor Anichebe has returned to first team action at just the right time club manager David Moyes said on Tuesday. The 24-year-old showed little sign of lacking match fitness as he returned to the side and scored in last Saturday’s 2-1 English Premier League victory over West Ham leaving them fifth in the table. Moyes, who has gained many admirers over the years for keeping Everton competitive by spending wisely the little money he has been allocated, is especially pleased Anichebe has returned now as the impressive Kevin Mirallas is struggling with a hamstring problem. Anichebe may well lead the line against third from bottom Wigan on Wednesday. “Victor has played very well. He is an important player for us and a lot of people under-estimate what he can do for us,” said the 49-year-old Scot. AFP
Benitez not ruling out winning the title LONDON: Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez said on Tuesday he hadn’t given up hope of overhauling Manchester United’s 11 point lead in the English Premier League and winning the title. The 52-year-old Spaniard who has struggled to win over the fans since he replaced Champions League winning manager Roberto di Matteo on November 21 - have won five of their last six games in all competitions and scored 13 goals in their last two. Benitez, whose side play Norwich away on Wednesday coming in on the back of an astonishing 8-0 humbling of Aston Villa on Sunday, said he would not accept defeat in the title race for a while yet. “We will see after two or three more games,” said Benitez.You could see the team had confidence in themselves, they believed, and that was there to the end. They had good movements, created chances. Now we have to sustain this run and it will be easier for me to say we can compete.” AFP