Postnoon E-Paper for 26 March 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

HUNGER RULES BOX OFFICE

EXCLUSIVE

Action film The Hunger Games has taken $155m at the US box office in its opening weekend. It is the biggest-ever tally for a film that is not a sequel, and the third best opening of all time. Above it come last year's Harry Potter finale, which took $169.2m in its first weekend, and 2008's The Dark Knight, which made $158.4m. P13

RAGHU DIXIT, RAW AND LIVE IN THE CITY Campuses and music festivals across the country are swaying to the beat of this band. Their multi-city tour now brings them straight to the City and we couldn’t resist catching up with the man pulling all the strings. P7 Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012 HYDERABAD

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER After months of waiting, the Sky Lantern festival got underway on Sunday and so we went. And even though the event narrowly missed a Guinness record, it was a beautiful night.

WWW.POSTNOON.COM

WEATHER: CLEAR SKIES; 30°C

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A CRYING SHAME How Fighter, the St Bernard puppy was murdered by negligence and cruelty.

REPORT ON PG 6

KIM KARDASHIAN MAY PRESS CHARGES FOR FLOUR SHOWER P25

A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM A recent survey by the Art Newspaper has found the Musee du Louvre, Paris, to be the most visited museum. We list the others. P16&17

Page Two

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

Spirit of Twin Cities

EXAM TIME

Korean food festival

around the world — from Lebanese to Japanese. Where: The Square, Novotel, Madhapur When: Every Saturday, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 6682 4422

Want to sample some interesting Korean cuisine? Head to Westin at Raheja Mindspace which is hosting a Korean food festival. Where: Westin, Raheja Mindspace, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 12pm onwards Contact: (040) 3051 2844

Sacred Women On the occasion of Shrishti Art Gallery’s 10th anniversary an exhibition called Women — Sacred and the Temporal is being held. Where: Shrishti Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills, Rd No15 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2354 0023

Spanish food festival The Square plays host to a Spanish food festival. Taste a variety of delicacies such as tapas, chorizos and tortillas. The event is on till April 1. Where: The Square, Novotel, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 6.30pm Contact: (040) 6682 4422

Bengali food festival

Miniature traditions

A Bengali food festival is being held at Firdaus, Taj Krishna. Sample a variety of Bengali delicacies. Where: Firdaus, Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills, Rd No1 When: Ongoing, 11.30am onwards Contact: (040) 6666 2323

Miniature Traditions — An Artistic Endeavor, will be held at Alankritha Art Gallery. It’s an exhibition of miniature paintings by Mahaveer Swami. Where: Alankritha Art Gallery, Kavuri Hills, Madhapur When: March 24 - April 4, 11 am onwards Contact: (040) 2311 3709

Whiskey tasting festival News Cafe is the place to be as it holds the Unique whiskey tasting festival Where: News Cafe, Inorbit mall, Hitech City When: Ongoing, 11.30am onwards Contact: (040) 4010 1234

Kebab and grill festival Relish a feast of Kebabs and Grills as chefs from the Indian and continental kitchens take the challenge to serve you a myriad of Indian kebabs and western grills Where: Okra, Marriott Hotel and convention centre, Tank Bund When: Ongoing, 7pm Contact: (040) 2752 2568

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

Unique buffet Yellow Chilli is offering a lunch buffet which is truly different. The Buffet which costs `199 (Monday to-Friday) and `249 (Saturday and Sunday). The dinner buffet costs `299 and `349. Where: Yellow Chilli, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 2338 3838

Acting workshop Samahaara — an acting and dancing workshop is being held to help you hone your acting skills. The workshop focusses on a variety of theatre related topics such as understanding the basics of stage acting and character analysis, stage geography etc. Where: The Actor’s studio, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 7pm to 9pm Contact: 98854 04784

Wraps and rolls Rolls — boring did you say?

CINEMAS

Students waiting outside a centre for the Intermediate exams.

Head to Promenade at Ameerpet for a wide variety of rolls that will suit everyone’s taste, from the vegetarians to the non-vegetarians. Where: The Promenade, Ameerpet When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 6678 8888

Go Splash Splash lounge is the perfect leisure destination for you to unwind. During the evenings, there is also great music, martinis and aperitifs. Where: The Westin, Mindspace, Madhapur When: Monday - Friday,

Midnight Buffet M ANIL KUMAR

5pm - 10.30pm Weekends, 8am - 10.30pm Contact: (040) 6767 6828

Tradition and innovation An exhibition showcases 58 designs which are a combination of tradition and innovation. Where: Salarjung Museum, Afzal Gunj When: Ongoing, 10am onwards Contact: (040) 2452 3211

Asian barbeque The Square, Novotel, Madhapur plays host to an Asian barbeque. Sample grilled specialities from

Midnight hunger pangs? Head to Best Western for it’s midnight buffet where you can enjoy Hyderabadi dum biryani and live dosa with chicken curry every night. Where: Best Western Jubilee Hills When: Ongoing, 10.30pm-2.30am Contact: 80083 00373

Daiquiris And Margaritas Head to Seasons Bar for Daiquiris And Margaritas with flavoured cocktail recipes. Where: Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: Ongoing, 12 pm Contact: (040) 6666 2323

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

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Meet their demands, or else…

SRINIVAS SETTY

SERVICES Anubha K Singh anubha.k@postnoon.com

hey are women with a mission — they cut vegetables, clean dishes, sweep the floor and wash your clothes. For most Indian households, life without a maid is unimaginable. They’re so much a part of the daily machinery of the house, that if they take a day off, life is thrown out of gear. But if their demands aren’t met then you’re in for trouble — they’ll either grumble and make your life miserable or they’ll throw in the towel and refuse to let anybody else work for you. Or so seems to be the problem in the City. In fact, so notorious are their practices that they have been termed the Maid Mafia. The maids, who might otherwise ease your work load, might also become your worst enemies if you get on their wrong side, say City homemakers. “It’s been seven months since I shifted to Banjara Hills from Abids and so far I’ve had

eight maids working in my home. Every time I appoint a maid, she’ll work for a few days and soon find an excuse to quit, bringing me back to my maid hunt,” said Sunitha S, a resident of Banjara Hills Road No 14. Sunitha is not alone in her misery. Most of her neighbours face a similar problem. “It was after a few days that I was told that most of my neighbours faced a similar plight. The maids in our locality have their small groups where they form their own rules and regulations that their employer should abide by. If you don’t meet their demands they’ll simply refuse to work for you,” she adds. For working professionals maids are an essential and this mafiadom doesn’t work in their favour. “Everyone in my family is a working professional and we have little time for household chores. So we have hired a cook and a maid for cleaning the house and vessels. But it is not an easy task to get a maid and I have no choice but to bow down to her demands. Maids in our area have formed a group and they decide their own salaries and perks that we are forced to

agree to. If we don’t then we can forget about having any household help as they won’t allow anybody else to work too,” said Sadhana T, a school principal. Demands don’t just end at salaries and perks. Maids also want time off for various other things, complains Sadhana. “My maid wants a week off for Diwali, not less than two days for

Sankranti or Holi in addition to her own declared holidays. Even if she comes in late, leaves early on days I need to get some extra work done or I increase her a work load by a bit, there’ll be grumbling and rumbling. But while their tantrums are hard to tolerate, it is harder to manage without them,” she adds. However, maids claim that all this is done simply because they

have no labour laws for them. “We are the least paid in the City. We need to deal with low salaries despite our working hours. Add to that we don’t have any weekly offs and many of us work more than 12 hours every day. Nor are there are any perks for festivals,” defends Aruna Amma, who works as a cook and does household work in Banjara Hills.

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On Banjara Hills Road #1, ‘No Parking’ boards are killing businesses

M ANIL KUMAR

Osama Salman salman.o@postnoon.com

igh-end stores, malls and a whole lot more. That is what comprises Banjara Hills road No 1. But a lot of prospective customers avoid coming here for one reason: Lack of parking. While it is true that some of commercial complexes have provisions for a limited number of parking spaces with valet service, many don’t. This costs them valuable customers as most big-spenders invariably come in cars, say shop owners. There are an unbelievable 13 ‘No Parking’ boards just on the stretch from Andhra Bank at Nagarjuna Circle to the Puma showroom. In all, there are over 25 boards on the entire stretch. R-Wardrobe, a clothing store located under Punjagutta flyover has recorded a drop of 20 per cent in their sales over the past few months. They pin it on parking woes. “The traffic police have enhanced their watch on their stretch. They send traffic recovery vans every day and due to this, our customers can’t park their vehicles here. Unfort unately, we can’t provide parking, but we do ask our watchman to keep a tab on the movement of the traffic van,” said a salesman at R-Wardrobe, who wished not to be identified. Many florists who sit on the footpath near Nagarjuna Circle, are the ones worst hit. “The police don't even let the motorists stop for even a minute to pick stuff up. They scold us and our customers as well. How can we provide parking when we are street-vendors? The GHMC should do it. We lose out on valuable customers,” bemoaned G Narsimha, a florist. However, what can’t be

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POLICE CONTROL ROOM: Hyderabad 27852435 Traffic Control Room 27852482 DCP Traffic 23234065, 23243499F Pollution Control Board 23887500 ELECTRICITY: General Complaints Breakdown Section

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ignored is that there is a heavy flow of traffic and the road narrows under the Punjagutta flyover. If cars are parked on the side, this blocks traffic. This is a common sight every evening especially during peak-hour traffic and commuters have to bear with the unavailability of parking spaces. “I come here often and never have I been able to park my car and have peace-ofmind. What I don’t understand is why the GHMC hasn’t provided parking here. If the rule is such that parking has to be provided by the shops, why give them permission to be set up here?” questioned a visibly-irritated shopper, Sakina S. The GHMC doesn’t seem

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PARKING WOES

If the rule is such that parking has to be provided by the shops, why does the GHMC give them permission to be set up here?

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Sakina S, shopper

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bothered about the glaring problem either. When we contacted the GHMC corporator, Banjara Hills, B Bharathi, she asked us why we didn’t contact the traffic police instead. She later added, “We will bring up the problem of parking in my next meeting with the GHMC commissioner and sort out the problem soon.” The Banjara Hills Traffic Police Station’s inspector Sri Srikanth remained unavailable for comment. Meanwhile, motorists will have to bear with the lack of dedicated parking spaces on the lifeline of the ‘upmarket’ Banjara Hills. Ironic, some would say.

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

SHOUP’S THEORY OF PARKING Donald Curran Shoup is a professor at the University of California popularised the theory that an 85% occupancy rate of on-street parking spaces would be the most efficient use of public parking. When cars at any given destination occupy more than 85% of on-street parking spaces, then cars arriving at that destination are forced to circle the block for a few minutes in order to find an unoccupied parking space. This search time per car creates a surprisingly large amount of traffic congestion. Shoup calls the phenomenon “cruising for parking”.

AIRLINES Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings. For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec’bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999

UK Visa Office VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7 Beside Meridian School, Banjara Hills34. Working hours are from 8 AM to 1 PM And 2 PM to 3PM. MUSEUMS Salar Jung Museum AP State Museum Nizams Museum

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Readers’ views We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 4067 2222

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TDP ahead, Congress sulking,YSRC galloping POLITICS Md Inkeshaf Ahmed ahmed.m@postnoon.com

hough suffered a setback in the recent by-polls, the Opposition TDP is way ahead of the ruling Congress in preparing strategies for the ensuing by-elections in the 18 constituencies. It has already announced the names of candidates for some of the constituencies like Narsapur. The main objective behind announcing candidates is to avoid any confusion among the party cadre and undertake strategic campaigning to wrest the seat from opponents. Apart from this, the party has already initiated the process of appointing constituency-wise incharge to supervise overall election campaign and to devise strategies to outwit Congress and YSR Congress Party.

On the other hand, the Congress is yet to analyse the poll debacle and to decide on its candidates to be fielded from these constituencies. According to party sources, the party leadership in the State has decided to give tickets either to second-rung leaders from these constituencies or to field erstwhile leaders of PRP headed by Chiranjeevi. Internecine war is killing the Congress prospects. Speaking to Postnoon on Sunday from Kadapa district, APCC spokesperson N Tulasi Reddy said that the party would announce candi-

dates very soon and that this time the party will choose candidates based on his/her ability to win the elections! “Well, we are yet to begin the process. We will announce the names of party candidates very soon. The basic and the only criteria to select the candidates is his or her ability to win the elections for the party,” he said. Reddy further said the Congress would approach the people with its three Brhamastras — welfare programmes for women, interest free loans for farmers and more than one lakh jobs for the unem-

There’s no free lunch, bankers tell CM U Srinivas

srinivas.u@postnoon.com

DEBT-RIDDEN

NEWS BRIEFS Man with Aids kills wife, then self

ployed and students. On the other hand, YSR Congress party, with its thumping victory in Kovur, is raring to go into the by-election to retain all the seats vacated by its supporters. YSRC party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is on a whirlwind tour of Guntur district as part of his Odarpu Yatra, has already launched an attack on the Congress and the TDP. The Left parties are also gearing up to contest these elections. Both CPI and CPM are planning to discuss on the issue of contesting the elections in the first week of April. Speaking to Postnoon CPI MP Aziz Pasha confirmed the news that party is seriously considering fighting the ensuing elections and added that the state executive council of the party would take a final decision. The CPM which has considerable supporters in Anantapur district may field a candidate in the Anantapur seat.

man who had been suffering from AIDS for the last five years, knifed his wife to death before killing himself early on Monday morning. According to the police, Edukondalu, 45, believed that he had got AIDS from his wife Prabhavathi, 35. Inspector of Ghatkesar G Sreeramkumar said they have registered a case.

Speeding car kills one, injures another

55-year-old businessman Satpal Singh Chawla was killed and his wife Gurjeet injured when a speeding car hit their two-wheeler early on Monday at Balamrai. The couple was returning home after attending a function when the accident took place. The police have arrested the driver.

Chemical godown goes up in flames

fire broke out at a chemical godown at Jeedimetla early on Monday. According to the police, Raju and Deva had been operating it illegally in a residential area. The fire broke out due to a shot circuit. Fortunately, there were no casualties.

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he State-level Bankers Committee (SLBC) has informed Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and the minister for Agriculture, Kanna Laxmi Narayana, that the overdraft from the farming sector is ballooning. Members of the committee pointed out, in particular, that the mounting dues were the main obstacle to the smooth flow of credit to the sector. The CM demanded the scaling up of loans to the sector in the State. A senior official responsible for the

FINANCE recovery said, “Recovery of loans as per the terms of repayment has become essential under prudential norms, lest these accounts will become NonPerforming Assets (NPAs). Increasing the magnitude of overdrafts has compelled banks to take up recovery on a serious note.” He was responding to Postnoon’s queries about the complaint of banks’ tight-fisted approach. Kanna Laxminarayana said the agriculture department has decided to coordinate with the banks and farmers across the State to improve co-ordination for recovery and other issues. The commissioner of the agriculture department has also recommended the

Short term loans: Balance overdue is `18,733.59 crore and in real terms the NPA is `2,016.71 crore. Term loans: Balance overdue is `8,290.41 crore and the NPA in real terms is `2,482.52 crore. Total Agriculture sector: The total outstanding balance in overdue accounts is `27,202.26 crore and in real terms the NPA is `4,491.62 crore. constitution of a special team to recover agricultural advances and proposed dates when the recovery teams will visit. The banks have also been advised to submit complete and accurate data especially with regards to overdrafts and NPA so that the SLBC will take up the issue with the government for recovery of the same. Taking all this into consideration the Chief Minister suggested that banks have an SLBC meet in April so that there would be a detailed discussion on recoveries and also disbursement for the State.

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REAL ESTATE GACHIBOWLI TO VATTINAGULAPALLY ORR FACING HOUSING PLOTS FOR SALE. NEAR MICROSOFT, WIPRO, ICICI, INFOTECH, KOKAPET IT SEZ. CONTACT - 9989354333

Fighter’s last battle The tragic tale of Fighter the St Bernard puppy that suffered canine distemper owing to the negligence by his owners is a grim reminder of man’s cruelty to his pets once they develop an illness

Not meant to be bred here

COMPUTERS

St Bernard is a breed of very large working dogs from the Italian and Swiss Alps, originally bred for rescues. The average weight of the breed is between 64–120 kg. Their survival in Indian climatic summer is difficult as they belong to the Northern ice circle. People buy these breeds for their huge size and majestic look, more for vanity than utility. These pups can cost a whooping `30,000 to `50,000 in India which in itself qualify to be the rich people’s pet.

What does the story hold for you? Buy not an exotic breed from ill-reputed pet dealers. Vaccination is essential for all breeds of dogs. Contact a vet while buying a puppy. It would be safer to buy an ethnic variety that has immunity to local diseases and can survive the Indian summer. Once a puppy develops diseases like distemper it is better to euthanise it than allow it to suffer.

Nihar Parulekar feedback@postnoon.com

e was named ‘Fighter’ and he was indeed a fighter all right, and he lay fighting in a vet hospital with all the tubes and paraphernalia associated with a terminal patient for five days before finally giving up. Fighter was a St Bernard puppy sold to a rich family by a pet dealer in Hyderabad. Soon after bringing him home his owner realised that the puppy was sick, but he did not know what the problem was. It is not clear which veterinarian the owner contacted but last Sunday he rang up the Animal Rehabilitation and Protection Force (ARPF) and pleaded for help. The young activists of ARPF accepted the plea without hesitation. They collected the dog and took it to a multispeciality vet hospital where the doctor told them he was suffering from canine distemper, and was in a grave condi-

tion due to negligence by its owners. The doctor said he would try to help the dog come out of its perilous affliction and began treatment. The ARPF youth took turns in nursing the puppy like a

human baby. The initial response to treatment that involved injecting saline water was quite good. Fighter began to look around probably with a tinge of gratitude to those nursing

What’s canine distemper Symtoms The first signs of distemper appear six to nine days after exposure and in mild cases unnoticed. The fever spike is accompanied by loss of appetite, listlessness and watery discharge from eyes and nose. A few days later eye and nasal discharge become thick, yellow and sticky. The dog develops dry cough, vomiting and diarrhoea. Next the dog seems to get better but relapses. This often coincides with the end of course of antibiotics. Treatment Distemper once in terminal stage has no effective remedy, say some veterinarians. Antibiotics are used to prevent

secondary baterial infections. The outcome depends on how quickly you seek professional help, the virulence of distemper strain, age of the dog, whether he has been vaccinated and his ability to mount rapidly. Prevention Vaccination against distemper is almost 100 per cent protective. All puppies should be vaccinated by 8 weeks of age. Brood bitches should be given DHPP (distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, and parainfluenza combination) booster shot 2 to 4 weeks before breeding. One should buy an expensive puppy after a vet has examined it and declared free of diseases. Pet dealers are not to be trusted on this count.

him. “We all thought he turned the corner,” said an ARPF team member. But on Friday, his condition deteriorated and he breathed his last “due to cardiac arrest.” The real sad saga began after the puppy died. The ARPF activists who spent money from their own pocket to meet hospital expenses rang up the owner and told him what happened. The owner said something and hung up, refusing to entertain any further calls. The owner told ARPF that he had filed a police complaint against the pet owner who sold him a sick puppy. Unable to get the owner again, the ARPF arranged for the dog’s burial. Fighter was given a quiet burial and a requiem. But the attitude of the pet dealers in the City and the owners who care a damn about their pets once they develop an illness is heart wrenching and is an issue that needs to be addressed. (The writer is director ARPF, Hyderabad)

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Raghu Dixit, raw and live in the City Campuses and music festivals across the country are swaying to the beat of this band. Their multi-city tour now brings them straight to the City and we couldn’t resist catching up with the man pulling all the strings WWW.RAGHUDIXIT.COM

Padmini C padmini.c@postnoon.com

midst a deluge of wannabe cover bands, Raghu Dixit Project has come to be known as face of Indian folk fusion in the world. Not four months into the year and the band has already travelled over 40,000 miles across the country playing everywhere from Gulmarg to Goa. On the last leg of their panIndian tour, they will be playing in the City at Hard Rock Cafe this Thursday and again in a couple of days at the Sri Indu Engineering college, Hyderabad. Their schedule is so crazy, it’s exhaustive to look at, let alone, to live it. “When I was 19 or 20, I’d look at all these rockbands travelling across the continents and envy them. Now I realise it’s easier said than done. You are hopping from one flight to the next, one hotel to another, you eat what you get when you get the time and you get no sleep at all. So, it does take a toll on your health. However, those two hours on the stage are worth it all. We have been dreaming about all of this for years, so I can’t really complain,” says Raghu grinning. It's easy to forget that not too long ago this classically trained Bharatanayam dancer made his

living as a microbiologist in Belgium before his landlord discovered his music and sent it to a local radio station, who gave him a chance to go on air. Needless to say, there was no looking back. His debut album Antaragni became one of the biggest records in the country in 2008. But more importantly, his earthy music, with its unique combination of languages and blues and rock, has become a favourite among audiences across the

EXCLUSIVE world, especially in the UK. In fact, Raghu Dixit Project was a hit among audiences at WOMAD and Glastonbury. And, this year too, they have an European tour lined up, starting with an appearance on BBC

One’s Live on the Andrew Marr Show next month. “We have worked consciously, consistently and purposefully to be known internationally. The fact that our music appeals to everybody irrespective of region or race is a matter of pride for us. And for the first time, we will be collaborating with members of another band — Bellowhead, to perform a concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London for the Alchemy Festival. We will be tak-

ing Indian mythology across the oceans and telling the story of Hayavadana, a play by Girish Karnad through the 15-16 tracks we composed,” says Raghu, excitedly. But his favourite places to play are still the small towns in India where the junta responds with unadulterated joy to their music feels Raghu. Indeed, he bears his roots proudly. And the resurgence of folk fusion in the country, especially with the popularity of TV shows like Coke Studio and The Dewarists, not to mention, the internet have helped tremendously. “A lot more bands are now taking pride in where they come from and staying true to their music. The internet has played a big part in raising awareness and striking a chord with the audiences. It has all worked in our favour,” he says. It is obvious that folk is his one true love. “Besides exploring a lot of African folk, I can't stop listening to Ajay-Atul’s Natrang,” quips Raghu. But what is it about folk that interests him so? Instinct, he says. “Anyone who wants to sing can do folk. I haven’t learned music traditionally, neither has a farmer singing a song in a field. But we are singing because its innate and a basic instinct. That’s what folk is about.”

Plastic fumes threaten to strangulate City ENVIRONMENT Rahul Ramakrishna rahul.r@postnoon.com

he State government’s drive against the excessive use of plastic continues, though the 40 micron plastic bag rule is constantly flouted in the City. Hyderabad produces about 3,000 tonnes of plastic every day, and there is no word on whether this plastic is recycled or incinerated under controlled conditions. Hyderabad generates about 37,000 tonnes of solid waste every day and eight per cent of this is plastic and plastic products. Simple arithmetic shows that about 2,960 tonnes of plastic are being carried away to the City's dumps where they are either left to be burnt indiscriminately or used for landfills, unmindful of its effect on the environment. Prasanna Kumar, a senior scientist at the Pollution Control Board said, “A lot of the plastic generated in the City is High Density Polyethylene (HDP). Water bottles, carry bags, pipes, etc, are made of HDPE. The procedure involved in recycling it is to wash the

THE LONG AND PLASTIC ROAD Dr S Madhu of the Kerala Highway Research Institute, India has formulated a road surfacing with recycled plastic. Aggregate, bitumen (asphalt) with plastic that has been shredded and melted at a tem-

perature below 220 degrees Celsius to avoid pollution is said to be working well and it gives longevity to roads. This road surface thus made is claimed to be very durable and rainresistant.

plastic and clean it. After that, it is either incinerated under controlled conditions or recycled. This way the lifecycle of plastic decreases with each round of recycling.” Shockingly, the GHMC, that had last year pompously declared a ban on plastics, has not yet evolved a system to gauge the amount of polythene waste generated in the City. It relies on a system of tallying the number of vehicles employed in garbage disposal multiplied by the amount of waste that they can carry and arrive at a rough estimate of the waste generated in the City. Due to the cost factor involved in recycling the plastic, polythene continues to be dumped along with bio-degradeable wastes where it poses a great environmental hazard. The City’s dump yard at Jawahar Nagar has no government or municipality sponsored waste management systems that segregate between degradable and nondegradable wastes Samarth Reddy, an environmental activist says the effects of plastic contamination will slowly but surely pose new health problems. “When plastic is burnt indiscriminately, there is a great risk of carcinogenic afflictions and dioxin contamination of the environment with their toxic fumes.”

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N SHIVA KUMAR

A night to remember Padmini C and Sudeshna Koka

fter months of waiting, the Sky Lantern festival looked poised to happen on Sunday and so we went. From the moment we arrived, it was obvious that all was not in hand. Pockets of people were walking about aimlessly, looking up only at the sound of the occasional sound check and then returning to their idle pursuits. “All the original invitees have dropped out. So we are not sure what the line up is, really,” admitted a harried volunteer at the gate, while letting us in. Seeing as they are always saying about how good things come to those who wait, we waited. For three hours. Through a screechy welcome prayer song. Followed by a migraine-inducing death metal act that made all the children in the vicinity cry out in protest (in a family event, to which an old aunty would clap, we wonder why?). Then a much-toolong sand art show. And then a “flash mob” which went crazy on numbers like Ringa Ringa, Jai Ho and the much-dreaded soup song (which this writer insists must not be named). And then, an incomprehensible soliloquy by a Tollywood star (whose Jaguar got more attention than he did). We constantly kept re-checking with the volunteers if this was ‘the sky lantern’ event or we’d landed at the wrong venue. Just when the confusion was on the verge of degenerating into chaos, one horror compounded by the next, it happened — the lanterns came out. Everything was forgotten, the endless waiting and the mismanagement. The sheer beauty of seeing your lantern go up in the clear night sky had strangers smile at each other, friends embrace, grown men squeal children left enchanted by the magic of it all. Quite simply, it was one of those picture-perfect postcards that each of us will take away with us and cherish for a long, long time to come. Despite realising more than 15,000 lanterns the event failed to make it into the Guinness Book of World Record. However, they did manage to make it into the India book of records.

17,115.74 246.00

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Matters of saving and spending

POUND MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012 9

RIFFO

Infrastructure sector hit by government’s myopic vision Prudhvi Raju K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

he development of the country is directly proportional to the quality of its infrastructure: Either, a national highway to export farm goods to various parts of the country for a better price, or an uninterrupted power supply for the growth of a small-scale industry. It is not only the enabler of growth; construction in different areas is the largest economic activity in India after agriculture. Despite its importance, the industry is facing challenges due to various measures taken by the government. Ever-increasing interest rates — which is now at 12 per cent — is one of the major challenges. Debt servicing has decreased the profitability of companies. The order inflow has also come down for all sectors except roads due to heavy input costs, said Nithin Arun, research analyst, Angel Broking. Government policies are hindering growth of companies. It is taking nearly two years for land acquisition and another two years for approvals to setup a coalbased power project. Companies need to go through nearly 150 clearances before going into production. There is not enough debt for entrepreneurs, and the debt servicing is also exceptionally high, said Y Harish Chandra Prasad, Chairman, Malaxmi group. The growth of the Infrastructure industry simply is

not limited to itself, but will enable the growth of many other industries. The government has to be proactive in giving clearances keeping the growth of the country in mind. Ignoring infrastructure is one of the important reasons for the fall in the GDP to 6.9 per cent from a staggering growth of 8.4 per cent in the previous financial year. “It is high time we understand that the sustainable growth of the country mainly comes from the Infrastructure and Manufacturing industries,” he said. There is a need to scale up coal production according to the raising demands of the power sector industries. Most of the companies depend on imported coal for quality, and the input costs are skyrocketing with rising international costs, said Nithin. “Many of us expected an increase in import duty in the new budget on power generation equipment from China. This would have helped Indian boilerturbine-generator (BTG) industry to grow and to have a level playing field with Chinese competitors,” he said. However, the budget gave them a much needed breather. The infrastructure industry will continue facing a tough time for another six months. However, the future is promising with the Planning Commission recommending investment requirements of over `45 lakh crore ($1 trillion) during the 12th Plan for industry, out of which 50 per cent is expected from the private sector, he said.

Swatch may opt for Hydrogen cars GENEVA: The world’s biggest watch company Swatch is looking at building a car that runs on hydrogen and oxygen, its chief executive and chairman Nick Hayek said in an interview published Sunday. “We already have a test-car with a fuel cell,” Hayek told newspaper NZZ am Sonntag. “Liquid hydrogen and oxygen are used as fuel, producing very efficient combustion,” he said, adding that the management board of Belenos — the Swatch subsidiary building the vehicle — has already driven around on the prototype. “What we don’t know is whether it would be cost-efficient

The smart car Smart is an automotive branch of Daimler AG. Smart is a German manufacturer of microcars produced in Hambach, France, and Böblingen, Germany. Smart cars have been modified by Brabus of Germany, resulting in Brabus production models. to build,” said Hayek, the son of Swatch’s founder. The fuel-cell vehicle is not Swatch’s first attempt at building a green car. In 1997, it teamed up with Daimler-Benz to build the two-seater Smart but the watch firm later sold its shares to Daimler-Benz.

`81.32

NUMEROLOGY

244,437 requests for patents were filed in 2011 at the Munichbased European Patent Office, the body’s annual report showed.

THUS SPAKE “This is a unique opportunity to capitalise on the enormous potential of the Greater China market, where the penetration of low-cost carriers is less than five per cent,” Bruce Buchanan, chief executive, Jetstar

3 ONBOARD YAHOO! Yahoo! on Sunday announced the appointment of three independent board members as the struggling Internet firm moved to shake up its team and fend off a challenge from an activist hedge fund. But the hedge fund seeking to wrest control of the firm said it was disappointed with the move, and would press its case to shareholders. Yahoo! said the new board members were John Hayes, executive vice-president and chief marketing officer of American Express; Peter Liguori, former chief operating officer of Discovery Communications and former chairman and president of entertainment of Fox Broadcasting Network; and Thomas McInerney, the outgoing chief financial officer of IAC/InterActiveCorp.

INVEST IN INDIA Investment from South Korea is a “priority” for India, visiting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday said, adding that the government was taking “proactive” steps improve the business climate and move forward with the Posco mega steel plant project in Orissa. “The government is keen to move forward with the Posco project and there is some progress. I believe that India is a stable and profitable long-term investment opportunity,” he said.

India‑View

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

India unveiled

Changes in marriage law welcome SRINIVAS SETTY

Parmod Kumar

Court: Denying sex to spouse is cruelty

NEW DELHI: The government’s move to make divorce a quicker process has been largely welcomed as a long overdue step though some women activists and lawyers have voiced doubts over doing away with the sixmonth cooling off period. The common strain among the women was that law should move along with changing times and there should not be any mechanical import of Western ideas. “I welcome it. Divorce should be made easier and the laws should keep pace with the changing times,” Rekha Palli, a Supreme Court lawyer, told IANS. Welcoming the move to make divorce easier, lawyer Meenakshi Lekhi slammed the move to make ‘irretrievable breakdown of the marriage’ as ground of divorce. This would amount to giving the husband an excuse to walk out of the marriage for a much younger spouse, she said. The Union cabinet on Friday approved the Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill 2010 by which ‘irretrievable breakdown of the marriage’ is a ground for dissolving the marriage. Besides this, the cabinet also approved giving the divorced wife a share in husband’s property that he had acquired after marriage, and the adopted child getting same rights to property as are available to biological offspring of the couple. It also left the existing cooling off period of six months to the discretion of the court. “I think it is a welcome move. We have been demanding it for

NEW DELHI: A spouse who

long,” Ranjana Kumari of Centre for Social Research told. “Share in the marital property is a very welcome move because as it stands today when a wife walks out of difficult marriage she has nothing to start afresh. “But her share in marital property should have been specified and not left to the courts as it would mean more and more endless litigation,” Ranjana Kumari said. The cabinet under the approved amended bill has provided that the wife would have a right to wave a red flag in the event of the husband pressing for divorce on the grounds of ‘irretrievable breakdown of the mar-

riage’, but the same was not available to the husband in case the wife decides to seek dissolution of marriage on grounds of ‘irrevocable breakdown of marriage’. Welcoming the incorporation of ‘irretrievable breakdown of the marriage’ as ground for divorce, Ranjana Kumari says that doing away with the six-months cooling off period is not good. “A hold on period at times helps in cooling frayed tempers and the marriage is saved,” she says, adding that “after all in our society marriage is a sacred thing”. Giving the right to property to the adopted child at par with that

of a biological offspring is also a welcome step as under the present dispensation this equality of right is not there, she added. Apex court lawyer Aparna Bhat says the cabinet decision has not made things easier. “All that has been done is that irreconcilable difference has been added as another ground for divorce. “How has the entire process becomes easier,” asks Bhat, posing what would happen if a wife opposes the husband’s plea for divorce. Perhaps this (irreconcilable difference) may make divorce process easier for the women as husband cannot oppose it,” she said.

refuses to have sex with their partner is guilty of cruelty, the Delhi High Court has ruled in a case over a contested divorce. The court judge declared that denial of sex was justifiable grounds for divorce after a man said that his wife had refused to sleep with him on their wedding night and had only consented 10 to 15 times over a five-month period. “The testimony of the husband that the wife was never responsive and was like a dead wood when he had sexual intercourse with her remained unrebutted,” Justice Kailash Gambhir said in his verdict, PTI reported on Saturday. “It is evident that wilful denial of sexual intercourse without reasonable cause would amount to cruelty,” Gambhir said. The high court rejected an appeal by the woman against the divorce, which was granted by a lower court in 2001 after the couple had married in 1991. “Sex is the foundation of marriage and marriage without sex is an anathema,” Gambhir said. “Marriage without sex will be an insipid relation.” “There may be cases where one partner to the marriage may be over sexual and the other may not have the desire to the same level, but otherwise is fully potent,” he added. AFP

Bhagavad Gita can now be read in Polish Surender Bhutani

WARSAW: Even as Hindus fight a proposed ban on the Russian translation of the Bhagavad Gita, in Catholicdominated Poland the sacred scripture has for the first time been translated into the Polish language from its original Sanskrit text. The translation has been done by a Polish lady, who has done her PhD in Sanskrit. Though there is a translation of the Gita in Polish, it was translated from English in the beginning of the 20th century. The present translation has been done by Anna Racinska, who has spent almost a decade in Varanasi to master the nuances of Sanskrit. A late bloomer, Racinska is in her 60s and completed her doctorate from the Oriental Institute of

VISHNU

Warsaw University two years ago. Racinska, a mother of four grown-up children, took interest in Sanskrit on the prompting of her husband. Today in their home, all the children and parents speak Sanskrit fluently, and they converse normally in Sanskrit. It may seem odd to outsiders, but it is normal routine in their home. These days, the youngest sibling has adopted an Indian name, Yoganand, and he lives in Varanasi. He and his mother were learning Sanskrit together for many years. Another son, Phillip, is doing his doctorate in Sanskrit and has visited India more than 12 times. These children collect their own money to go to India and they give private lessons in Hindi and Sanskrit in Warsaw. Such is their commitment and passion for Sanskrit. “Her dedication and her labour of love have done won-

ders. It is a great achievement for Anna Racinska that she remained unknown for many years, and then all of a sudden she has obliged us in Poland with a great translation of a great book,” said Janusz Krzyzowski, president of the Indo-Polish Cultural Committee. “We really feel proud of Racinska’s monumental work. No doubt her selflessness is visible in the way she has fulfilled her longcherished wish at this stage of her life. But she deserves our praise and we feel proud of her achievement. We sincerely hope she will produce some more outstanding research books for the coming generations,” said Monika Kapila Mohta, Indian ambassador to Poland. The Bhagavad Gita, often called the ‘perennial philosophy’, is already available in over 50 languages.

India‑View

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

India unveiled

Gujarat to have first camel milk dairy soon

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat will soon get its first commercial dairy, for processing of camel milk into various products, in Kutch district following necessary provisions made by the state government in the 201213 budget. A proposal in this regard has been received by the government from the Kutch District Co-operative Milk Union or the Sarhad Dairy. A local union of camel breeders Kutch Unt Uchherak Maldhari Sangathan (KUUMS) has been formed to develop milk collection networks, while a Kutch-based NGO, Sahjeevan has been roped in to mobilise the camel breeders and spread awareness with regard to economic and nutritional importance of camel milk. Also, the Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) or Amul has agreed in principal for marketing of the camel milk which is high in nutrition and low in fat, a state government official said. “The government is planning to set up a dairy for commercial processing of camel milk, for which provision has been made in the 2012-13 budget,” Director of Animal Husbandry Dr AJ Kachhiapatel told PTI. He said that a proposal for setting up a milk processing unit of capacity of 2,000–2,500 litres has also been received from Sarhad Dairy.

An artisan from Gujarat’s remote Kutch region waits for customers at the Craftroots Festival 2012 at The Rajpath Club in Ahmedabad on Sunday. AFP

Concessions for J&K industries extended JAMMU: Tax concessions to the tune

This project has been taken up with two objectives — one to provide an alternative for income generation for the local community of cattle breeders or ‘maldharis’ and other to increase the use of camel milk which is high in nutritional properties, low in fat and easy to digest, Kachhiapatel said. “Camel has been used for transportation in Kutch region since ages. Earlier the Maldharis used to get good income from the sale of male

camels. But with the development in transportation means, sale of camels have decreased and so has their income,” he said. Hence to provide the Maldharis with alternative income, it has been planned to market camel milk, he added. “We have completed the ground work of mobilising the Maldharis and creating network through the KUUMS for daily collection of camel milk which is the basic requirement,”

Kachhiapatel said adding that 349 maldharis have already registered with KUUMS. According to Kachhiapatel, initially the milk will be processed at Sarhad dairy and packaging and marketing will be done by GCMMF. In the next stage the packaging will also be done at Sarhad dairy, he added. Team leader of NGO Sahjeevan, Ramesh Bhatti said that they have started making ice-cream from camel milk and were selling it though a vendor.

Police move from catching to coaching Rajnish Singh

NEW DELHI: Police’s role often doesn’t end with busting crime and jailing criminals. In a first of its kind initiative, Delhi Police has begun a coaching centre for students from economically weaker sections, particularly Muslims, to help them prepare for competitive examinations. The centre housed in the Jamia Nagar police station will provide free tutoring for competitive exams to students who cannot afford the high fees demanded by coaching centres. It is to start in May this year. “The motive behind opening of a coaching centre for the aspirants, especially Muslims, is to encourage them for competitive examinations,” Ajay Chaudhry, Additional Commissioner of Police, told

NATION AT A GLANCE

IANS. “We are trying to change their assumption that they cannot get government jobs,” he added. The police station already has a library-cum-counselling

centre for the aspirants which has been operational since Feb 22 and sees around 25-30 students every day. “We have been running a free-of-cost library in the premises in coordination with an NGO, Shikhar, which has been working for more than 12 years to provide better education, especially to the girls from weak minority sections,” said Chaudhry. He said the initiative was also an effort to promote trust and harmony between the police and residents of Jamia Nagar, which witnessed the 2008 Batla House shootout. On Sep 19, 2008, two alleged Indian Mujahideen members and a police officer were killed in a shootout at the Batla House. The suspected militants were said to have been involved in the Delhi serial bomb blasts on

Sep 13, 2008. It has been alleged that the shootout was a stage-managed affair. “The encounter has painted a wrong picture of the police among residents here (Jamia Nagar) and we want them to open up with us and not be scared of us,” said Chaudhry. According to Nadeem Akhtar, secretary of Shikhar, the aim is also to focus on school dropouts and girls. Meanwhile, Delhi Police have provided furniture for the library where the coaching centre is to be set up, while Shikhar would take care of the expenditure. “We’ll be hiring two to three teachers to help the students in cracking the SSC (Staff Selection Commission), banking and other entrance exams,” said Chaudhry.

of nearly `500 crore given to the industrial sector in Jammu and Kashmir have been extended by one year, state’s Minister for Industries and Commerce SS Slathia today (Monday) announced. “Centre has extended the existing tax concessions to the industry, under State Industrial Package, costing nearly 500 crore annually in J&K,” Slathia said. He called upon the youth to venture into the industrial sector to earn a dignified livelihood. “Entrepreneurs should avail the benefits of Central and State Industrial packages to become partners in the economic development of the self and state,” he said. He said the government is keen to promote the industrial sector, keeping in view its vast employment and economic generation potential.

Leopard strays into Nashik, attacks three NASHIK (MAHARASHTRA): Panic gripped the city as a leopard strayed into a thickly populated residential area from the adjacent jungles today (Monday) and attacked three people, including a minor girl, police said. According to Nashik police, a full-grown leopard entered the Ramwadi locality of the city around 6.30am and was sighted by some people going for their morning walks. Word about the big cat sighting spread like wildfire and people started running helter-skelter to safety as the leopard hunted for small prey like dogs or goats. But the scared animal pounced on three people, including a minor girl, as it attempted to escape.

Kalamandalam festival to be held in Delhi THRISSUR: With a view to expanding programmes and activities of Kerala Kalamandalam, sub-centres of the institution will be opened in important towns in the state, Culture minister KC Joseph has said. Speaking after distributing prizes to noted artistes for their outstanding performance at the Kalamandalam, now a Deemed University of Art and Culture, at Cheruthuruty last evening, he said a cultural festival would be held in New Delhi under the auspices of the Kalamandalam in August. He said UGC scales would be implemented for the faculty of the Kalamandalam. A sum of `10.75 crore had been earmarked for the overall development of the Kalamandalam.

Around the World

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

Beyond Borders

Spain’s pimps’ unique branding method P

olice in Spain arrested 22 people involved in two Madrid prostitution rings who have been using violence against the women and tattooing bar codes on their arms, the Associated Press reported. CNN said the bar code was branded into the wrist of a 19-year-old women who officers were able to free. The code was used as a certificate of “ownership” by one prostitution ring. Police said that

beneath the bar code was tattooed the amount of money she owed the ring, the equivalent of $2,650. Held hostage by a pimp, the woman had been beaten and whipped, and her head and eyebrows were shaven because she tried to flee. Spain’s Interior Ministry said Saturday that all those arrested were of Romanian nationality and had forced the women to hand over part of their

earnings. In the raid, police seized the equivalent of $185,388 in cash, illegal firearms, gold jewelery and five luxury cars. The gang was made up of two separate groups, which controlled prostitution along Madrid’s Monteria Street. Police said the women and underage girls were controlled at all times to ensure “money was taken off them immediately” and ring members

AFP PHOTO / HAZEM BARDE

Aids orphanage revives ghost town BUMBLE: Lost in the mountains of Swaziland, Bumble became a ghost town when the local asbestos mine closed, cutting off its lifeblood. But now the town is coming back, centred on an orphanage taking in children whose parents have often died of AIDS. Swaziland has the world’s highest rate of HIVE infection, with at least one in four adults carrying the virus. A crushing financial crisis has left the tiny monarchy struggling to pay for medicines and for orphans’ education. About 1,20,000 children have been orphaned in this landlocked nation in southern Africa, comprising more than 10 per cent of the total population. Those startling statistics inspired Canadian entrepreneur Volker Wagner to buy the entire town of Bumble in 2006, five years after it was abandoned, and entrust it to a Canadian evangelical ministry which actually runs the place.

They have created a private community, a sort of “Christian kolkhoz”, which is developing around the orphanage that now houses 303 children, aged from two weeks to 21 years. “At present financial projections, we believe that Bumble can be sustainable by 2020 with 1,000 children in our care,” said Andrew Le Roux, executive director Bumble Ministries Swaziland, which manages the project for Wagner. The idea is to make Bumble completely self-sufficient. Its leaders, mainly white South Africans, aim to train Swazis to take over the project. Bumble currently sells wood, milk, bread, honey, mineral water and souvenirs to outsiders. Those businesses employ several hundred people and the revenues fund 45 per cent of the town’s operations. The rest comes from private donations, mainly collected in Canada, which also fund new investments. A museum is in the works, along with a guesthouse for visitors and benefactors. AFP

referred to the women as “packages,” “suitcases,” or “bicycles.” The sex industry in Spain is legal but not regulated and takes advantage of poor women from Latin America, Africa and eastern Europe. Pimping, however, is a crime. In the coming weeks, Barcelona is due to introduce regional legislation banning prostitution on urban streets. GLYCOLATES

FACE OFF

A Palestinian protester confronts an Israeli soldier during a protest after Palestinians and peace activists were prevented by Israeli troops from reaching Palestinian lands in Beit Omar, on Saturday.

Hello! says salaam to Pakistan ISLAMABAD: The celebrity and lifestyle magazine Hello! is to launch its Pakistan edition next month with publishers promising to be “socially responsible” in a country troubled by Taliban insurgency. Hello! Pakistan will cover all areas of lifestyle, and entertainment from cuisine, culture and the arts to fashion, chief executive officer and publisher Zarah Samuella told a news conference. “The publisher and editors imagine their magazine to be a socially responsible and culturally aware family read,” she said. The magazine, published in more than 100 countries, is to be edited by Meshachs Amin, a graduate from Pakistan’s Punjab

A Pakistani reporter reads a statement of Hello! magazine during its launch ceremony in Islamabad on Saturday. AFP

University. “Hello! Pakistan focuses on combining the best of what the country has to offer along with exclusive international content,” she said in a statement. Consulting editor Waratah Khan said “The idea is not to celebrate the celebrity but to discover more” in Pakistan. He dismissed the impression that the magazine could have a problem with religious or radical groups. “We don’t want to encroach upon the rights of anybody. We have to remain within the parameters of Pakistan,” he said and added that freedom of expression is allowed under the country’s constitution. GLYCOLATES

Variety put up for sale

ariety, Hollywood’s most famous trade magazine is up for sale. The over 100-year-old magazine’s owner Reed Business Information, a subsidiary of Dutch-British conglomerate Reed Elsevier, said that it was getting rid of its print magazines in favour of increasing its data services industry. Variety has faced serious competition from free internet-based rivals like Hollywood Reporter, Deadline Hollywood and The Wrap, in recent years hollowing out its bottom line.

Around the World Hunger Games breaks box office records

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

Beyond Borders

Nuclear terrorism huge threat: Obama

AFP/ SAUL LOEB

SEOUL: US President Barack

ction film The Hunger Games has taken $155m (£97m) at the US box office in its opening weekend. It is the biggest-ever tally for a film that is not a sequel, and the third best opening of all time. Above it come last year's Harry Potter finale, which took $169.2m (£106.6m) in its first weekend, and 2008's The Dark Knight, which made $158.4m (£99.8m). Based on Suzanne Collins' novel, Hunger Games follows a teenage girl fighting to survive a life-and-death game show. It stars Jennifer Lawrence, who won an Oscar nomination for hard-hitting drama Winter's Bone in 2011. The film has been compared to the Twilight series, which was also based on a series of novels for young adults. However, its box office takings have eclipsed the vampire series, whose best opening weekend came in 2009, when Twilight: New Moon raked in $141m. Industry analyst Paul Degerabedian said the film's success marked "the birth of a franchise".

Obama warned on Monday that nuclear terrorism remained one of the world's biggest threats, as he called for greater urgency in safeguarding the world's atomic stockpiles. In a speech hours before the opening of a nuclear security summit in South Korea, Obama said major progress had been made over the past two years to make it harder for terrorists to get hold of material for atomic weapons. "But we're under no illusions. We know that nuclear material — enough for many weapons — is still being stored without adequate protection," he said. "We know that terrorists and criminal gangs are still trying to get their hands on it, as well as the radioactive material for a dirty bomb... the danger of nuclear terrorism remains one of the greatest threats to global security." Obama urged the leaders or top officials from 53 nations who had gathered in Seoul for the two-day summit to "keep at it", and take concrete actions to secure nuclear materials. Obama said he expected many nations to announce they had fulfilled pledges made at the inaugural nuclear summit in Washington two years ago, and for other countries to make new commitments on securing or removing material. "This is the serious and sustained global effort we need. This is an example of more nations bearing the res-

SANTIAGO: A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck central Chile on Sunday, prompting an evacuation of coastal areas for fear of a tsunami and causing scenes of panic in an area devastated by a massive quake two years ago. There were no immediate reports of deaths or significant damage. Students pose at the podium used by Obama after he spoke during a visit to Hankuk University, Seoul today. ponsibility and the costs of meeting global challenges," he said. The atomic programmes of North Korea and Iran were also set to be the focus of intense discussion on the sidelines of the summit, although they were not officially on the agenda of the two-day event. In North Asia, tensions have escalated in recent weeks after North Korea announced it would launch a long-range rocket in April, which the United States believes is intended to test a missile capable of delivering an atomic warhead. Obama again told North Korea on Monday to abandon its nuclear ambitions, warning its erratic and provocative behaviour would not be rewarded. "By now it should be clear, your provocations and pursuit of nuclear weapons have not achieved the security you seek, they have under-

mined it," he said. "And know this — there will be no more rewards for provocations. Those days are over. This is the choice before you. This is the decision you must make. The nuclear-armed North insists its rocket launch will merely put a peaceful satellite into orbit. Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak had presented a united front against North Korea during a news conference on Sunday. Obama warned Iran in his speech that time was running out to resolve the standoff over its nuclear programme through diplomacy. "There is time to solve this diplomatically... but time is short. Iran must act with the seriousness and sense of urgency that this moment demands," he said. AFP

Moon, and Cousteau was exploring the ocean. And that's what I grew up with, what I valued from my childhood."

Deep ambition

Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard. They spent about 20 minutes on the ocean floor but their landing kicked up silt, meaning their view was obscured. Before the dive, the Titanic

PARIS: The brother of an Islamist gunman whose murder spree shocked France was charged on Sunday with complicity in the attacks, as thousands of people across the country paid homage to the victims. Abdelkader Merah denied any involvement in the shootings of three French soldiers, three Jewish schoolchildren and a trainee rabbi in three attacks claimed by his younger brother Mohammed Merah, 23.

Evacuation in Chile after strong quake

Cameron finds his depth in Mariana H ollywood director James Cameron has returned to the surface after plunging nearly 11km down to the deepest place in the ocean, the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific. He made the solo descent in a submarine called "Deepsea Challenger", taking over two hours to reach the bottom. He spent more than three hours exploring the ocean floor, before a speedy ascent back to the surface. His craft was kitted out with cameras and lights so he could film the deep. This is only the second manned expedition to the ocean's deepest depths — the first took place in 1960. The earlier descent was made by US Navy Lt Don Walsh and

GLOBE AT A GLANCE Merah’s brother charged in shootings

director told the BBC, that making the descent was "the fulfilment of a dream". He said "I grew up on a steady diet of science fiction at a time when people were living a science fiction reality. "People were going to the

The Deepsea Challenger was made in Australia. Cameron spent the last few years working in secret with his team of engineers to design and build the craft, which weighs 11 tonnes and is more than 7m long. He describes it as a "vertical torpedo" that slices through the water allowing him a speedy descent. The tiny compartment that the filmmaker sits in is made from thick steel, which is able to resist the 1,000 atmosphere of pressure he will experience at full ocean depth.

Pope Benedict XVI wears a typical Mexican hat as he arrives to lead the holy mass celebration in Silao on Sunday. AFP

Japan down to one nuclear reactor TOKYO: Japan was left with only one working nuclear reactor after Tokyo Electric Power Co shuttered its final generator for scheduled safety checks. The utility's entire stock of 17 reactors are now idle, including three units that suffered a meltdown when the tsunami hit Fukushima, as Japan warily eyes a spike in electricity demand over the hot and humid summer.

Police arrest Philippine massacre suspect COTABATO: Philippine police said they had arrested a wanted member of a powerful Muslim clan blamed for the country's worst political massacre after he was injured in a blast. Ipeh Ampatuan, 27, was among 100 suspects at large for the massacre allegedly orchestrated by his grandfather in which 57 people were gunned down in Maguindanao in 2009.

Newly elected Senegalese President Macky Sall delivers his victory speech in Dakar on Sunday. AFP

Comment

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

Fair, free and forthright

Editorials AN ATOMIC TALE of two Koreas

he Korean peninsula is once again in the spotlight as the regime I, the North, always erratic and unpredictable, is threatening to test fire a missile. The North, dubious as ever, claims the rocket is purely for research purposes, but the threat of a new intercontinental delivery system for a nuclear warhead is apparent. Ahead of the Nuclear Security Summit, currently under way in Seoul, in the South, US President Barack Obama took a tough stance. But little can be done to muzzle the North without the full support of China, who would rather have a destabilised peninsula than a united one that can pose a serious economic threat to its own commercial goals. Also, a united Korea could well lean towards the US-Japan partnership, which means China’s ambitions for hegemony in the South China Sea, and the Pacific could be derailed. With Taiwan already in the thrall of the US, the last thing China wants is a strong opponent on its Eastern borders. Nuclear terrorism is a horrific scenario and Obama has rightly labelled it as one of the most urgent existential threats to world peace, but without applying serious pressure on China, and to a lesser extent, Russia, all this will remain rhetoric. The two Koreas are technically still at war, but if the South shoots down the North’s missile, that technicality could become a reality. But while the North Korean regime is arguably one of the most eccentric in the world, the most immediate nuclear threat remains Iran.

Why does a round pizza come in a square box? But... Seriously Ajay Hotchandani

unday morning I woke up, scratched myself and got a cup of coffee (I advise doing it in that order as trying to scratch oneself while holding a hot cup of coffee can be quite painful). Checking my email, I went through and deleted anything that looked like a forward. However, there wasn’t much email (people you need to start emailing me or else the following will continue) so I went ahead and read some of the forwards. A forward entitled Questions That Haunt Me caught my attention. The questions were some person’s attempt at trying to compose thought-provoking questions. However, since I had scratch all my thoughts out of me, all that was left was the desire to eat pancakes and take a nap. With the caffeine coursing through my veins, Elvis playing in the background and an itch that no longer required scratching I managed to come up with the following answers to someone’s ‘haunting questions’. Can you cry under water? Yes, you can cry underwater. As a matter of fact by the shear nature of the salinity of the water, osmosis will draw water from your tear ducts, so even if you don’t want to cry, you will; except for me because I traded in my tear ducts for a waffle maker and a set of stainless steel kitchen knives. Why does a round pizza come in a square box? The extra space is used to store little packets of cayenne pepper, dipping sauce and hopes and dreams. How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage? Actually, if you check the history books wheels were invented in the 1800s. However, there was a great Suitcase War of 1901 where by the Samsonite brothers had a falling out. One brother invented the front wheels, while the other had invented the back wheels. It was only after their death that their wives, in debt from all the handbags they bought, sold off the patent to pay the

Food for the reader

A few tips

I love food and anything to do with food, so obviously your pages on food are quite an enjoyable read. The lead story yesterday by Sana Mirza called The Taste of Patience was rather informative. I didn’t know there was such a technique as sous-vide. I would like to know where I could purchase the equipment though. The column by Noor Jafri is really good and after reading your paper is when I decided to take classes with her. Thank you for filling the paper with information worth reading.

As a regular reader of the paper, I would like to suggest that you should have more festivals that need to be covered for music page. There is not much information regarding these. There are so many things happening in the city as well as around India that needs coverage. Since, you are a new newspaper, I think it’s important that you need to make your presence felt in different parts of the country as well. Hope my suggestions helped.

Sania Ansari Banjara Hills

Hyder Hasan Mehdipatnam

baby oil made from? Babies... duh! What you think happens to all those diapers? The ‘diaper fairy’ comes, takes it away and recycles it into baby oil and ideas. If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons? Not only does morality come from morons, so do plastic knives and the ability to spit sideways. Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog’s face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him for a car ride, he sticks his head out of the window? Your attempt to blow in his face is actually incomplete. The stream of air is concentrated on one region of his face, often up his nose, which is rather annoying. However, out of a car window the entire face feels the same level of cool pleasure. If you don’t believe me have someone blow up your nose and see if you like it! Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting dead? TV remotes are like stubborn kids sometimes a little extra pressure does the trick. And the batteries are never really dead, they just take a break!

bills. It was purchased by a Chinese manufacturer and the rest is history. Why is it that people say they ‘slept like a baby’ when babies wake up... like every two hours? It doesn’t have to do with the amount of time, rather, no one is waking up the baby at random hours asking them for the TV remote, or the cell phone ringing nonstop asking a random movie question like “which is J LO’s best movie?”, ‘cause it’s a trick question, they all are because she can’t make a bad movie! If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing? Yes, the judge speaks a bit louder, that’s all. Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground? That is the definition of a tourist. It’s like... in Egypt they pay to ride camels, while the locals pay to ride in cars. It’s a world gone mad. Why do doctors leave the room while you change? They’re going to see you naked anyway. They go to the nurse’s station to talk about you and watch Oprah. If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is

TALK BACK Readers’ views We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 4067 2222

Good show folks

Working women woes

First of all, good job with the weekend editions. They come out absolutely superb, especially the centrespread that has been dedicated to children on Fridays. My children love to read the stories written by Mini Singh as well as make use of the activities on the side. It keeps them entertained. The art story in yesterday’s paper with Mr Srinivas made for an interesting read. I have been to Beyond Coffee and have always found the art displayed there quite fascinating.

I personally understand the woes of young women whose husbands are working in the IT sector. I myself have been married to an IT professional for the past 15 years and there have been times when I haven’t seen his face in over six months because our timings didn’t match. I used to work during the day and he used to work during the nights. We didn’t have family vacations until recently. The story felt like more of a personal experience.

Madhuri Gulati Secunderabad

Swathi Jain Himayatnagar

Campus

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

Avoid burnout, take a break Career decisions are never easy and should not be made in a hurry. Taking a year off to take that decision is worth that time Fleme Varkey fleme.v@postnoon.com

his summer Ankita Bajaj will be packing her bags and will be heading to the Himalayas. No, she is not going on a vacation. Ankita will be finishing with college and is going to take a year-long course, training to be a tourist guide at an institute in the hills. Surprised? Don’t be. Ankita is among the many students India who are taking a gap year off. While most universities encourage this phenomenon overseas believing that it allows a student to bring fresh perspective to class, this phenomenon is comparatively new in India and many parents and students are anxious about going forward with it. Here the concept of taking a gap from formal education to undertake non curricular activities is met with a lot of apprehension A student’s life today when compared to a few years ago will show a vast amount of difference. Now in addition to getting ahead in the rat race and excelling in extracurricular activities, expecting a student to make instant and proper career choices is a bit burdensome. This can either be attributed to involvement in academics or because parents have already

charted a future for their kids. Only a few, like 26-year-old Sreenidhi Shankaran and Vatsal Chintalapati dare deviate from the track. “I feel my decision to do something different after graduation was the best I made in my life,” says Sreenidhi , who spent a year teaching English in a school in China. “My experience in China exposed me to whole different world. The stint there helped me reassess my goals to a large extent. After my graduation, I felt completely washed out, I could not pinpoint what I was interested in doing. My parents were forcing me to take up law. But that was not my field of interest. I needed a break from the routine and this stint in China helped me get to where I am today,” shares Sreenidhi. She went on to take a degree in International Relations and is now working part of an organisation in Delhi that arranges and conducts cultural programmes in China. Vatsal Chintalapati says that he only took a year off so he could take a stand on what he wanted to do. “When I finished my 12th grade, I took up law coaching for a year then simultaneously I was also pursuing a diploma in Animation. I wrote the law exam but didn’t get through. So, I decided to head to Singapore and get a degree in animation,” he informs.

REASON TO GO FOR A GAP YEAR COURSE Taking a gap year is a good way of gaining more experience before going on to further study at university. n Even if getting a job seems a long way off, taking a gap year can also look good on your CV. Potential employers see that you have spent time broadening your horizons and learning new skills. n Introspect. A great time to chann

nelise into looking at what suits you best. It helps you overcome challenges and makes you independent and strong. n A structured, properly organised gap-year can mean students arriving at university refreshed and focused, and research shows they are much more likely to complete their chosen course than drop-out half-way through.

WHAT TO DO DURING A GAP YEAR

ou could do just about anything Just about anything! Volunteering and community service are the most popular. Some gappers chose to live and study abroad and teach English as a for-

eign language, or even learn a language themselves. Some choose to explore or travel in internationally, others work or intern in India or internationally. You could also learn a new skill or obtain a certification.

THINGS TO CONSIDER Costs involved and also be mindful of increasing debts in case you studied on a loan n Difficulties in getting back to focused and regimented university life n Focusing too much on fun and relaxation n In case you are going through n

an organisation, be careful to plan your strategy and travel in advance. Take their advice as to what will be best for you. The Internet provides you with a host of such projects for a gap year, do your research well before joining any one group

Were his parents opposed to him doing anything apart from engineering? “My parents were quite open-minded and went on to lend their support to whatever I wanted to do and at present I am working in a gaming company where my job profile includes game designing for phone.” Students being confused about their career choices is nothing new but what is disappointing is them taking decisions purely because they lack the courage to ‘waste a precious year of their life’. “ I do wish I had stood my ground and taken that gap year course in interior designing,” rues Abhishek Agarwal, who is working as a talent researcher in an MNC in Bangalore. “I was keen on taking a year off after pursuing my degree in human resource management, but due to family opposition I could not pursue it. Today I sit and help pave other’s careers while I am dissatisfied in mine,” says a wistful Abhishek. Although parents may not favour the normal course of things for the fear of causing damage to their children’s careers or them getting waylaid, Sutapa Mukherjee, a teacher in a reputed school in the city, sums it up for us,” It’s always better to wait than waste the rest of your life stuck in a boring job like an ox in a mill.”

H‑Factor

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Eat right this summer What to eat and what not to eat — is a question that comes to everyone's mind with the onset of summer which brings along with it many maladies Anishaa Kumar anishaa.k@postnoon.com

t’s that time of the year again when vendors line up City streets with yummy treats. There are mouth watering gol gappe, pudina pani, tender coconut, ice creams and the more healthier fruits and veggies all up for grabs. But with the amazing aromas, comes the issue of hygiene. For starters, vendors in India are not exactly popular for the quality of products they use, secondly the heat plays spoilsport too, causing food to rot faster. But considering the variety of yummy fruits upf or sale this season, summer shouldn't stop you from eating some great food. Dr Lata Sashi, nutritionist and diet expert, Nutrifit explains, “During summer, there is an increase in temperature because of which the bodys fluid requirement is much more, hence it is important to have food that hydrates the body. It is also important to eat food that helps the body regain nutrients. So seasonal fruits like watermelon and cucumber are a good option. Besides, cucumber also has electrolytes that are important for the body. Spicy and salty foods that leave you feeling thirsty should be avoided.” Dr Suneetha Sapur, a nutrition consultant, suggests eating seasonal fruits like watermelon, oranges, cantaloupes etc as nature provides everything that is

required in this season. Fresh fruits and vegetables are always considered a safe bet but certain precautions should be maintained. Dr Lata explains, “While it is advisable to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, hygiene should not be compromised upon. Due to the rise in temperature there are more chances of viral contamination. Those with a lower immunity level have chances of suffering from seasonal illnesses such as the flu.” Dr Suneetha adds, „It is best to eat food when it has been freshly cooked or it may spoil in the heat. Also one should be careful about the water they drink during the summers.” Doctors also advise avoiding the ice used by juice vendors at stalls, as they aren’t of the best quality.

The non-vegetarian myth “People believe that they should avoid non-vegetarian food in the summers, but that is a misconception. While it is true that non-vegetarian food is slightly more difficult to digest, it does not

Dr P Raghu Ram & Dr S Vyjayanthi

Reproductive procedures

cause problems. How it is cooked is what causes a problem. For instance, spicy and oily food can leave one feeling uncomfortable. But grilling the meat or cooking it in an oriental style is ideal since they require less oil and spices,” explains Dr Latha. „However, it is important to consume the food fresh,“ reiterates Dr Suneetha adding, „since proteins are more suspecitcle to bacterial growth if they are cut and left and this could result in infections.”

Water, the best choice

TAME THE SUN

Fertility and breast cancer

“To rehydrate, the best kind of food is fresh, filtered water. Juice can be taken but not as a replacement for water when you are thirsty. Energy drinks usually just provide a short term boost to your energy but are of no help when it comes to rehydration,” mentions Dr Lata.

Children and summers Summers are also the times when kids love to gorge on the cold drinks and ice creams. The question here is how much is too much? „While it is alright to have ice creams, beverages like pudina paani and tender coconut water are a better way to cool down the body as well as get some nourishment, says Dr Suneetha. According to Dr Latha, “ When it comes to children, cold drinks are not completely bad. Instead parents can give their children more frozen milk products like curd and shrikhand which are sweet, so the kids will like them. One could also make milkshakes, souffles and custards.” She adds that it's not easy to stop children from having food that is not good for them, the habit has to be inculcated.

The following procedures have limited availability and success, and many remain in the early stages of development. The specialist fertility unit will be able to advise the patient further on these issues n IVF: Commonly referred to as ‘test tube baby’, this procedure involves taking hormone drugs to stimulate the ovaries to produce enough eggs so that they can be harvested, fertilised (with sperm from a partner or donor) and stored as embryos. Fertilised embryos can be frozen and stored for up to 10 years. This procedure gives couples the opportunity to have their own biological child in the event of the lady going into premature menopause following chemotherapy. n Freezing eggs: This procedure is similar to IVF in that the ovaries are stimulated to produce eggs that are then frozen. They can then be thawed and fertilised (with sperm from a partner or donor) when one wants to get pregnant. However, this is a very delicate procedure and eggs are easily damaged in the freezing and thawing process. At the moment its availability varies across the country and may only be suitable for women under 35. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that one will get pregnant. n Freezing ovarian tissue: This technique is in the early stages of research. A small section of ovarian tissue is removed and frozen. This procedure involves an operation. It can be performed as a day case but must be done before chemotherapy treatment begins. The tissue can then be thawed at a later date and can either be re-implanted on to the ovary to start functioning and allow natural conception, or at a different site in the body so the process of IVF can take place. This procedure is not widely available and there have been no recorded live human births from it in women with breast cancer. (This column will continue next week. Dr Vyjayanthi is the HOD and consultant fertility specialist at KIMS Fertility Centre. Dr Raghu Ram is director and consultant oncoplastic breast surgeon at KIMS-Ushalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases)

H‑Factor

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Smog linked to behaviour problems in children Inner-city pregnant women who breathe in smog are more likely to have children with behavioural problems, a new study says Amy Silverstein

omen who breathe in smog while pregnant are more likely to give birth to children with behavioural problems, a new study says. The study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, found that children exposed to powerful airborne pollutants called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) while in the womb were more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression and attention problems. The study builds on previous research finding links between prenatal exposure to pollutants and health problems. However, this particular study is the first that specifically links behaviour problems in schoolage children to two types of PAH exposure, which are air concentrations and the levels of pollutants found in mothers' umbilical cord blood, US News & World Report said. “What I take away from this is neurodevelopment is really sensitive to stresses of various kinds,” Shanna H Swan, a reproductive endocrinologist at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, told ABC. The study follows mothers and children who live in urban areas. But researchers aren’t suggesting that all pregnant women move to the countryside. Instead, they say that governments needs to place stricter regulations on the businesses responsible for the pollution. “Pregnant women and their families can support local, state and federal legislation promoting improved overall indoor and outdoor air quality,” Dr Maida P Galvez, associate professor of preventive medicine and pediatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, told ABC. Swan added: “This is really a paper about social justice.” GLOBAL POST

Know your pregnancy stages S

o you’ve learnt you’re pregnant and are now being told about what to expect in each trimester. But what exactly are these trimesters and how do you know which one you are in? A normal pregnancy usually lasts 40 weeks, counting from the day of your last period, and is divided into three trimesters. We give you a low down on this. Read on

Weeks 1 to 12 are classified at the first trimester. This is when your body undergoes many changes. For instance, hormonal changes affect almost every organ in the body. In fact, these changes can trigger symptoms right from the first week of pregnancy. Your periods stopping is a clear sign that you are pregnant. Other changes may include, exhaustion, tender breasts, morning sickness, mood swings, cravings for certain foods, constipation, weight gain or loss, heartburn etc.

Second trimester

The Korean study found people who were over 60 years of age and had the highest body mass also had the lowest cognitive function new study from a Korean lab found that obesity in elderly people may reduce cognition, suggesting a connection between fat and brain function. The study, involving 250 people between the ages of 60 and 70, saw that those with higher body mass index scored more poorly on cognitive tests, according to BBC. Subjects were evaluated by BMI, which looks at the weight to height ratio and waist circumference. “Our findings have important public health implications. The prevention of obesity, particularly central obesity, might be important for the prevention

PREGNANCY SIMPLIFIED

First trimester

Being fat slows brain function, says study Alexander Besant

of cognitive decline or dementia," study author Dae Hyun Yoon, a researcher at Seoul National University Hospital Healthcare System in South Korea told BBC News. CBS reported that while the researchers found a link between obesity and brain function, there was no correlation found in people older than 70. The study, which was published in the British journal Age and Ageing. In another study in the journal Circulation, Israeli and American researchers found that women who are overweight before pregnancy increase their children’s risk of developing hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes. GLOBAL POST

Weeks 13 to 28 fall under the second trimester and for most women this phase of pregnancy is much easier than the first. For starters, morning sickness may recede, but this is when the abdomen begins to expand as the baby grows. Most women will find that they begin to ‘show’ from week 28 onwards. You may have the occasional body aches, stretch marks on the abdomen, breasts, thighs etc, patches of darker skin on the face etc. In case you notice any sudden swelling or if you gain a lot of weight very quickly, you should check with your doctor. This could be a sign of preeclampsia. The second trimester is also the time when you will feel your baby move!

Third trimester From week 29 to week 40 is the final stage. Some of the same discomforts felt in the second trimester may continue. Around this time you may also find that find it difficult to breathe (as the baby grows, it pushes against the diaphragm) or frequent trips to the bathroom(the baby may be pressing down on your bladder). These are signs of the baby growing normally. During this stage you may also find that you have tender breasts that may leak a watery premilk called colostrum, your belly button may stick out, you may have trouble sleeping, the baby may drop lower into your abdomen and occasional contractions, before the real deal. Near your due date, your cervix will become thinner and softer as your body prepares for childbirth. Source: www.medicinenet.com

Spotlight

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

Down the red carpet N SHIVA KUMAR

A multi-designer store, Red Carpet launched in Banjara Hills recently. The whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s who of fashion and Tollywood came together for a sparkling evening Asmita Marwa

Sophie Choudhary

Girish Malpani, Anju Poddar & Shruthi Malpani

Candice Pinto and Anchal Kumar

Sakshi Maheshwari

Uday Kiran

Fashion destination Once more, fashion took center stage, at the 1st anniversary celebrations of the Anahita store at Banjara hills.

N SHIVA KUMAR

Magic Screen

The glamour behind the glitz

The Serious Side of

enelia

30 movies, nine years in the industry, yet Genelia finds work fun. And she catches us off-guard with her serious side, a far cry from her onscreen image.

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

T-TOWN TWEETIES

@PriyaWajAnand ‘The Hunger Games’ Amused me to say the least... Makes me want to read the book... Fans satisfied by the film adaptation?

@shraddhadas43 Just saw 1 of my fav songs ‘mudhal mazhai’ from tamil film bheema, trisha-vikram film on tv... so beautifully shot!

Hemanth Kumar Hemanth.k@postnoon.com

he first thing that you notice while talking to Genelia is that she doesn’t sound like she does in films. In fact, her off screen persona is not even bubbly though her demeanour is quite pleasant. “I am a very mature person, but people get to see only the cute and bubbly side of me in films,” she confesses. Does she draw flak for her bubbly roles? “I don’t think so,” she says. “I believe that everything boils down to what the audience thinks. Sometimes, I go watch my own films in theatres and that’s where I find what works and what doesn’t. Otherwise, if I can bring a smile on people's faces, I guess I have done a good job.” 2011 has been a good year for Genelia with films like Force and Velayudham doing well at box-office and another Malayalam film Urumi getting rave reviews. This year, she scored another hit with Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya and there are three more Hindi films — It’s My Life, Rock The Shaadi and Bloody Paki in the pipeline. Her recent Telugu film Naa Ishtam had a decent opening at the box-office. Of late, she has been signing very few Telugu films — she says it wasn’t a conscious decision. “I am part of five film industries and at one point in time, I used to be the only actress who would give 85-90 days per film while most others would allot only 40 days to a film. After Bommarillu and Ready, I kept getting meaty roles from industries of various languages which also had good screen time,” she says. “Later, I realized that maybe people liked me not just because I had a pretty face, but for my roles. So, I decided to sign films which offered me good roles,” she reveals. People still talk about Bommarillu as if it were released yesterday. “You know… even after a film like Bommarillu, I had to prove myself again for Dhee and Ready. I realized that whether it’s success or failure, it’s just temporary. I have learnt to detach myself from a lot of things, else, it’s difficult to handle the pressure,” she says thoughtfully. Nine years... more than 30 films... yet Genelia insists work is fun. “It’s fun because I get exciting roles,” she smiles. Genelia recalls how excited she was when Bhaskar narrated the story of Orange and Prakash Tholeti approached her for Naa Ishtam last year. “Orange was a great story,” she says. “Maybe we didn’t portray what we wanted to properly. When Prakash approached me for Naa Ishtam, I liked his clarity of thought. The character that I play, Krishnaveni, captures the conflict that girls go through at the age of 22-23... when they start seeing life differently.” So, has marriage brought many changes in her life apart from the one in her surname? “Not at all,” she clarifies. “We decided that, even after marriage, we will never lose our friendship. I guess my priorities will change now. It could mean fewer films, but I will continue to take up good roles when I find them.”

@RGVzoomin “@raj_chindala: The only thing whch is really worse than being completley blind is to have an incredible sight bt wth absolutley no vision.”

@prakashraaj Many years back on this day a nurse yelled “its a boyyyyy” !!! Thanx for wishing me on my b'day. Its been fun being around. Cheersss.

@shrutihaasan Today is one of those days I won't forget :) its nice to smile from the heart.

@actressanjjanaa Who eva works or no on sundays my tweetus do, lol. Lov 2al of u hopin u al had a relaxed Sunday?? I’m in high spirits wid success of Narasimha.

@sundeepkishan My next in telugu is with LakshmiKanth Chenna (dir of Hyderbad Nawabs)... will be a pakka commercial entertainer with action... details soon :)

@geneliad R.I.P Monaji... Pure n Precious are truly d words 2describe... prayers 2the family.

Magic Screen

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Udaan actor returns to screen with Disco Valley R ajat Bharmecha, who won accolades for his performance as an abused son in Udaan, will team up with Naseeruddin Shah’s younger son Vivaan for a buddy flick called Disco Valley. Their third collaborator in the Fijian funfest is a pig! The film will have the usual three-buddies-on-roadtrip format in Fiji. And the specially trained pig in Disco Valley would not only share screen space with the two young actors, the animal would also be part of all the ‘masti’ that would unfold on screen. Confirming that a pig would be the third lead in Disco Valley, producer Siddharth Jain of I Rock said: “We are flying down a specially-trained pig from Australia to join the other two actors in the film in Fiji. The pig would be as central to the comedy as the human characters." Disco Valley will be directed by Sajit Warrier, who directed an unreleased thriller Fired in 2010 with Rahul Bose in the lead. - IANS

Amit Mehra in need of blessings

will discuss the Zanjeer remake script with Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar once it’s ready, says first-time producer Amit Mehra. Talks are on with Priyanka Chopra to play the female lead in the film to go on floors next month. “Yes, we have bought the rights of Zanjeer in January 2012. I am going to meet Javed Akhtar and Salim sir soon. I want their blessings before I start the film," Amit said. Amit is the son of Prakash Mehra, who had produced and directed the original Zanjeer. The action thriller’s screenplay and dialogues were co-written by Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan. At an event

in Patna, Javed Akhtar complained that the producers didn’t consult them before going ahead with the remake plans of Zanjeer and he also said that for any change in the original screenplay, the consent of the writer should be taken. When told about it, Amit said: “The film will be more or less the same as that of the original, but in a more modernised way. I will discuss the script with Salim sir and Javed Akhtar once it’s ready." Telugu actor Ram Charan has been finalised to step into Big B’s role, while Priyanka is being considered to reprise Jaya Bachchan’s role in the remake IANS

‘Sperm donation common, people ‘Sperm keep mum’ V

J-turned-actor Ayushmann Khurrana has chosen to be debut with Vicky Donor an uncoventional film on sperm donation, “This film will not only entertain you, it will enlighten you about sperm donation. It is very common in our country, but it’s just that people don’t talk about it," Ayushmann told IANS. “Sperm donation is a social cause, it doesn’t save life, it gives life, it is a completely different zone altogether. This film tackles the issue in a very mature way," he added. Actor John Abraham’s first production venture, “Vicky Donor” is directed by Shoojit Sircar. The film, releasing April 20, also features Yami Gautam. IANS

B-TOWN TWEETIES

@realpreityzinta Honest Question guys... No lying ! How many of you have ever given a bribe ? Even if it was for 5 Rupees ? I’m curious...

@TheShilpaShetty RIP Monaji,loved ure strength and eternally positive attitude. You will be missed. Condolences nd prayers to the Kapoor family:(

@rampalarjun @TrisaraResort a wonderful place with a very dapper GM Anthony, ty, look forward 2 spending some more towards end of the year. Love the shirts.

@kjohar25 Such an honour to work with Rishi Kapoor... his versatility is unreal... Rauf lala to his portrayal of Dean Yoginder Vasisht in SOTY... genius!

@NeilNMukesh Trust is d easiest thing in d world to lose & d hardest thing in d world to get back. To b trusted is a greater compliment den to b loved.

@imarshadwarsi Intense high energy court room drama, between @bomanirani, Saurabh Shukla n me, is going on on the set of JOLLY LLB...

@SrBachchan T 694 - Another compact evening with the family... all in town and together after long... so much strength and love within ...

@DuttaLara Me stayin home is doing wonders for the world economy (online shopping!) But not that great for my own!:-) . EVERYTHING is available on the net!

Magic Screen

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Magic Screen

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Kim may press charges for flour shower J

ust when she said she wasn’t going to press charges, Kim Kardashian may be having a change of heart. “I said earlier no I wasn’t," the reality star tells E! News about calling the cops on the woman who pelted her on the red carpet with a plastic bag of flour. "[But] I am just going to think about it, because I don’t want someone to think they can really get away with that." The incident occurred Thursday night at The London Hotel in West Hollywood. Kardashian, 31, quickly cleaned up and returned to launch her new fragrance, True Reflection. “I was laughing it off earlier and, you know, I think that is the only thing I knew how to do at the time," Kardashian also told E! “But I just think it is such a shame that someone like that … would ruin an event, or attempt to ruin an event, that was based around, not only my fragrance, but this organization, Dress For Success. I mean that’s what the event was about, [for] underprivileged women." As for how she managed to tidy up so fast and with “such poise", as her mother, Kris Jenner, posted, Kardashian said: “I have no idea. I didn’t think it was that bad until I saw the pictures today and was like, ‘Wow, there was so much powder on me,' or flour, or whatever it was!"

Smash to smack S how-tunes diehards hustling for a face-off between TV’s dueling musical series got a kiss-off instead when Smash’s Megan Hilty stepped onstage at GLAAD Media Awards in New York City to plant a big wet one on Glee’s Cory Monteith. Hilty and Monteith were

among a bevy of celebs— including John Stamos, Dakota Fanning, and Russell Simmons—who’ve rallied support for the gay community. About halfway through the show, Monteith—who cohosted the evening with fellow Glee alum Naya Rivera— opened the floor to a kissing

auction that put each of them up for grabs. As the winners were invited on stage, the audience roared with excitement when Hilty stepped up next to Monteith. And smack! The two locked lips amid deafening applause.

Kazakh shooting team ‘feted’ by Borat anthem A

pologies were made to the Kazakh delegation in Kuwait on Saturday after the theme song from “Borat” was played to mark the victory of the Kazakhstan shooting team. Maria Dmitrienko won a gold medal for Kazakhstan on Thursday at the Arab Shooting Championships in Kuwait, but during the award ceremony the public address system broadcast the spoof anthem from the 2006 movie by Sacha Baron Cohen instead. The athlete looked uncomfortable as the song played: “Kazakhstan, greatest country in the world... All other countries are run by little girls... Kazakhstan number one exporter of potassium... Other countries have inferior potassium. . ." Sources said the organisers had downloaded various countries’ national anthems from the Internet.

Chai Time

KAKURO

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

SCRIBBLING PAD

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Mai ___ (tropical drink) 4 Greek sandwich 8 ‘Little’ film mouse 14 What an ampersand means 15 Copier paper order 16 Dunce’s place 17 Three Greek letters 20 Companion of blood and tears 21 Burns up the telephone line 22 Santa’s perch 23 Like Fridays, in some offices 26 Weightlifting count, for short 27 Edit menu option 30 Neighbor of Libya 33 Formal accessory 34 ‘30 Rock’ star Fey 35 Jim Varney character 39 Three Greek Letters 42 Straight man? 43 Personal appearance 44 Negative conjunction 45 Like a bandsaw blade 47 Some snakes 48 Thousandths of an inch 51 Tarzan, eg 53 Santa ___, Calif 54 Wise threesome in Matthew 56 Milker’s perch 60 Four Greek Letters 64 Make certain of 65 Balm for your skin 66 Pub quaff 67 Oozed 68 ‘Once ___ a time ...’ 69 Cop from ‘The Simpsons’ DOWN 1 Small amounts 2 From square one 3 Not doing much of anything 4 Persona non ____ 5 Thus far 6 Cheerleader’s syllable 7 Four Greek Letters

8 Nonstriking worker 9 Attempt at a carnival booth 10 Paranormal showman Geller 11 Protractor measurement 12 Amend, as an atlas section 13 Rat catchers 18 Tex-Mex snack 19 Campfire oration 24 He may take liberties with women? 25 Radius partner 26 Rajah’s wife 27 Where Mexican Hat is 28 Where Moses floated 29 ‘Fire’ follower (Abbr) 31 Exchange for money 32 Nation south of the Caspian Sea 34 Allowance for weight

36 Long periods, geologically 37 Pull over 38 Spreads pitch on 40 Oil company with annual toy trucks 41 What unfriendly dogs do 46 Spread uncontrolled, as fire 47 Not a pro 48 Fabricates 49 Utterly absurd 50 Expire, as a subscription 52 Pale-faced 54 Full-grown filly 55 Between the sheets 57 Colourful stone

SUDOKU

58 Norway’s capital 59 ‘In ___ of flowers ...’ 61 Baby beagle 62 Place to yodel 63 Dove sound

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY Some people dream of success while others wake up and work hard at it. – Anonymous

Chai Time STAR POWER

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

As per Hindu panchang

FOR 27-3-2012

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

TAURUS

GEMINI

Enemies are active, be alert; identify them and face them with grit. Business‑ men need to maintain their cool as part‑ ners might create tension but donʼt wo‑ rry, as situation will be under control.

Not a ﬁnancially comfortable time. Be careful about assets at home as there are chances of theft or misplacement. Realtors and professionals will do well. Income will be on expected lines.

Decisions on important matters or new ventures can be contemplated. Those in love will get support. Proceed ahead so that the marriage too will be over. Employees have a favourable time.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

All work planned will take place suc‑ cessfully. Very important favourable news is on the cards. Mental tension might impact health, hence be patient and adopt a slow‑and‑steady approach.

You have to take a calculative approach in ﬁnances; there is need to play it safe, monitor and minimise expenses. Those with plans to start a new venture can go ahead. Religious thoughts prevalent.

Your luck favours you the most and all work undertaken gets completed with‑ out hurdles. Avoid unwanted disputes and arguments as you might get humi‑ liated. Financially, a better time likely.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Avoid speculative transactions. Be bold, swift and adaptive. Good events to take place at home. Your suggestions will be well received. Employed will get sup‑ port from superiors and a good name.

Things might not go the expected way but there may not be much to get dis‑ heartened about. Do a proper analysis of pros and cons before taking a deci‑ sion. Keep an eye on activities of kids.

Financially, a comfortable situation is seen. There might be obstacles in the growth path and you need to act with determination and march ahead. Unsol‑ ved issues might cause sleeplessness.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Financial help expected will come and give you relief. Motherʼs health may be a cause for concern. Good harmony will prevail in the family. People with chronic diseases will soon get relief.

Opportunities to knock at your door. Make use of the same to gain the most out of them. Employees can expect an elevation combined with pay hike. You will complete all work with perfection.

Chances of misunderstanding betwe‑ en couples. Avoid egoistic talk to make the relationship click. Open dis‑ cussion with friends and well‑wishers will make you comfortable.

SUMAA TEKUR

FOR 27-3-2012

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

King of Cups – Love is in the air. Your ro‑ mantic partner is wo‑ oing you with ﬂow‑ ers, candlelight din‑ ners and all things nice. Go with the ﬂow and have a good time.

Ace of Swords – You take an extreme sta‑ nd on a crucial issue. You declare that itʼs either your way or nothing. Explore other options and keen an open mind.

The Tower – Be pre‑ pared for change. You cannot avoid change from coming into your life and uproot‑ ing you. But you can keep an open mind‑ set to tackle it right.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Nine of Wands – The‑ reʼs some contradic‑ tion in the news com‑ ing your way. What you hear is not align‑ ing with what you see. Wait it out and donʼt believe anything.

The Hermit – You want to be left alone today. Youʼre work‑ ing on ﬁnding answers to a tricky problem and would rather be on your own.

The Hanged Man – Youʼre more aware and alive to your sur‑ roundings these days. Your expectations ha‑ ve also changed acco‑ rdingly. You wear yo‑ ur heart on sleeve.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

The Chariot – Donʼt be discouraged by othersʼ comments on your work. You have given you best and deserve to reward yourself for your efforts. Chin up!

King of Swords – Youʼre in charge of a team and are expect‑ ed to lead with conﬁ‑ dence and courage. Your seniors trust fully that you can deliver to expectation.

The Star – Not every‑ thing is lost. If some‑ thing hasnʼt gone your way, it doesnʼt mean that it wonʼt ever. Keep the faith and continue to work.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

Knight of Cups – Youʼre feeling emo‑ tional today. But make sure youʼre not tram‑ pling on someone elseʼs feelings because you are not able to see beyond yourself.

Knight of Swords – Youʼre in funster mode today ̶ seek‑ ing adventure and some wild fun. You look for laughter in the simplest of lifeʼs joys. Enjoy yourself!

Page of Wands – Good news about a young person in your family is going to surprise you. You discover that he/she has a rare talent whi‑ ch you want to hone.

SOLUTIONS

Boggle ANGOLA ALBANIA ARGENTINA AUSTRALIA

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

ARIES

TAROT READ

Vol: 1, No 253 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211

Chai Time 1400 Naadi Aadajanme 1430 Pavitra 1500 Movie 1800 Kodala Kodala Koduku Pellama 1830 Vasantha Kokila 1900 Chinnari Pelli Kuturu 1930 Anna Chellelu 2000 Missamma 2030 Edureetha 2100 Bhale Chancele 2200 CID 2300 Challenge 0730 Maa Gramadevatalu 0800 Ayurvedam 0830 Chaganti Sanatana Dharmam 0900 Challenge 1100 CID

1400 Kannavaari Kalalu 1430 Maavichiguru 1500 Sumangali 1530 Movie 1800 Jai Shri Krishna 1830 Shraavani Subramaniam 1900 Mandhara 1930 Auto Bharthi 2000 Swathi 2030 Mogali Rekulu 2100 Aparanji 2130 Devatha 2200 Mamathala Kovela 2230 Heartlo Battery 2300 Gemini Vaarthalu 0800 Gemini Talkies 0830 Movie 1130 Aha Emi Ruchi 1200 Jeevitha Chakram 1230 Maa Inti Aada Paduchu 1300 Chittemmaa 1330 Gorintaku

1430 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1500 [V] Humse Hai Life 1530 [V] Suvreen Guggal 1600 [V] Trailers 1625 [V] Fresh Songs 1630 [V] Zabardast Hits 1830 [V] Suvreen Guggal 1900 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1930 [V] Humse Hai Life 2000 [V] Suvreen Guggal 2030 [V] Nokia India Fest 2012 2130 [V] Trailers 2155 [V] Fresh Songs 2200 [V] Vignettes 2230 [V] Humse Hai Life 2300 [V] Suvreen Guggal 2330 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 0700 [V] Trailers 0730 [V] Zabardast Hits 0800 [V] Mind Blasting Mornings 1100 [V] Fresh Songs 1200 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance

‘[V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance’ at 1900 Hrs on CHANNEL [V]

1300 News Now At 1 1330 News Now 1800 6 Pm 1830 Live Report 1900 Primetime 1930 The Game 2000 News Now At 8 2030 Live Report 2100 The Newshour 2200 The Newshour - Plus 2230 E Now 2300 News Now At 11 0800 The Morning News 0900 News Now 1200 Live Report 1230 News Now

‘The Game’ at 1930 Hrs only on TIMES NOW

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

Telly sitcoms, news and movie listings

1400 Abhishekam 1430 Aadade Aadharam 1500 Antahpuram 1530 Aakasa Ganga 1600 Prema Mandiram 1630 Jagadeeswari 1700 Adurs 1800 Devimahathyam 1830 Puttadi Bomma 1900 Kumkuma Rekha 1930 Manasu Mamata 2000 Chandra Mukhi 2030 Bharyamani 2100 Etv News 2130 Paduta Teeyaga 2245 Movie 0800 Jeevana Jyothi 0830 Tollywood Time 0900 Movie 1130 Abhiruchi 1230 Star Mahila

1400 Nagani 1430 Movie 1800 Meera 1830 Kalavari Kodallu 1900 Chinna Kodalu 1930 Pasupu Kunkuma 2000 Muddu Bidda 2030 Radha Kalyanam 2100 Kanyadanam 2130 Comedy Club 2230 Shree 2300 Bindas 2330 Latest Songs 0800 Gopuram 0830 Bhakti Samacharam 0900 Sri Raghavendra Vybhavam 0930 Mahadevi 1000 Bindass 1030 Luckku Kickku 1130 Jeevana Vignanam 1200 Mee Inti Vanta

‘Business Tonight’ at 2100 Hrs only on ET NOW 1400 The F And O Show 1430 Closing Trades 1530 Tomorrow's Trades 1600 Business Day 1730 Markets Tomorrow 1800 Rush Hour 1900 Global Business Report 1930 Business Express 2000 Business First 2030 Markets Tomorrow 2100 Business Tonight 2200 Top 10 At 10 2230 Investor's Guide 2300 Zigwheels 0900 First Trades 1000 Hot Stocks 1100 Buy Now Sell Now - The Stock Game 1130 Buy Now Sell Now 1200 Market Sense 1300 Business Day 1330 Markets Now

1240 Movie - Iron Man 1515 The Rachel Zoe Project 1610 Wipeout 1700 Breaking The Magician's Code - Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed 1800 Chuck 1900 Most Daring 2000 Supernatural 2100 24 2200 Fear Factor 2300 Most Daring 1000 The Rachel Zoe Project 1100 Most Daring 1200 Wipeout 1255 Movie - Disturbia

‘Disturbia’ at 1255 Hrs on AXN

‘S S S – P’ at 2030 Hrs on IMAGINE 1400 Haar Jeet 1430 Jamuna Paar 1500 Baba Aiso Var Dhoondo 1600 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 1630 Jamuna Paar 1700 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 1730 Saware Sabke Sapne Preeto 1800 Jamuna Paar 1830 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 1900 Haar Jeet 1930 Gyaan Guru 2000 Dwarkadheesh - Bhagwan Shri Krishna 2030 Saware Sabke Sapne Preeto 2100 Jamuna Paar 2130 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 2200 Baba Aiso Var Dhoondo 2230 Haar Jeet 2300 Jamuna Paar

1400 Parichay 1430 Chal... Sheh Aur Maat 1500 Na Bole Tum... Na Maine Kuch Kaha 1530 Balika Vadhu 1630 Parichay 1700 Sasural Simar Ka 1730 Chal... Sheh Aur Maat 1800 Balika Vadhu 1830 Na Bole Tum... Na Maine Kuch Kaha 1900 Havan 1930 Sasural Simar Ka 2000 Balika Vadhu 2030 Veer Shivaji 2100 Chal... Sheh Aur Maat 2130 Parichay 2200 Uttaran 2230 Na Bole Tum... Na Maine Kuch Kaha 2300 Balika Vadhu

‘Sasural Simar Ka’ at 1930 Hrs on COLORS

‘Ram Milaye Jodi’ at 2130 Hrs on ZEE TV 1400 Hitler Didi 1430 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 1500 Afsar Bitiya 1530 Choti Bahu 1600 Pavitra Rishta 1630 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 1800 Hitler Didi 1830 Punar Vivaah 1900 Afsar Bitiya 1930 Choti Bahu 2000 Hitler Didi 2030 Yahan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 2100 Pavitra Rishta 2130 Ram Milaayi Jodi 2200 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 2230 Punar Vivaah 2300 Afsar Bitiya 2330 Hitler Didi

1400 Saas Bina Sasural 1430 Bade Achhe Lagte Hain 1500 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 1530 Crime Patrol - Dastak 1800 Saas Bina Sasural 1830 Bade Achhe Lagte Hain 1900 Crime Patrol - Dastak 1930 Shubh Vivah 2000 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 2030 Dekha Ek Khwaab 2100 Saas Bina Sasural 2130 Parvarish - Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi 2200 Kyaa Hua Tera Vaada 2230 Bade Achhe Lagte Hain 2300 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 2330 Crime Patrol - Dastak 0900 Kahani Comedy Circus Ki 1030 C.I.D 1200 Shubh Vivah 1230 Dekha Ek Khwaab

‘Parvarrish’ at 2130 Hrs on SONY

‘E H M M B H’ at 2030 Hrs on STAR PLUS 1400 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hain 1500 Navya 1600 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hain 1630 Sasural Genda Phool 1700 Saath Nibhana Saathiya 1730 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? 1800 Navya 1830 Ruk Jana Nahi 1900 Saath Nibhana Saathiya 1930 Sasural Genda Phool 2000 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? 2030 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hain 2100 Diya Aur Baati Hum 2130 Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai 2200 Sajda Tere Pyar Mein 2230 Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya 2300 Maryaada ... Lekin Kab Tak?

MOVIES OF THE DAY AND OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

1355 Wedding Crashers 1600 Poseidon 1800 Transformers - Revenge Of The Fallen 2100 Blade II 2305 Romeo Must Die 0810 Rush Hour 3 Tv Special 0830 Ocean's Thirteen 1050 Take The Lead 1305 Blade II

1420 Transporter 3 1630 Frozen 1825 The Bourne Identity 2100 The Mask 2315 The Last Airbender 0815 The Goods - Live Hard, Sell Hard 0955 The King Of Fighters 1155 The Mask 1410 The Bourne Identity

‘I Almost Got Away With It?’ at 1900 Hrs on DISCOVERY

1400 My Kitchen Rules 1500 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 1530 America's Funniest Home Videos 1600 Cougar Town 1630 My Wife And Kids 1700 Haven 1800 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 1900 Cougar Town 1930 My Wife And Kids 2000 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 2030 America's Funniest Home Videos 2100 My Kitchen Rules 2200 Haven 2300 Cougar Town 2330 My Wife And Kids 0900 America's Funniest Home Videos 1000 Cougar Town 1100 My Kitchen Rules

1400 Man Vs Wild 1500 Extreme Bodies 1600 The Survivors 1700 How Do They Do It? 1730 Feast India 1800 Wild Discovery 1900 I Almost Got Away With It? 2000 Food Detectives 2100 Stan Lee Superhumans 2200 Dual Survival 2300 Desire & Pleasure Decoded 1000 Speed Of Life 1100 Food Detectives 1130 Swamp Brothers

‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ at 2000 Hrs on ZEE CAFE

Yeh Rishta Kya Uttaran Kehlata Hai Storyline - Uttaran is ready Storyline - Akshara goes to the publishing house to sign the contract papers, leaving Naksh with Gayatri. On returning back, what does Gayatri say that hurts Akshara?

to take an 18 years leap. A special feature of this leap will be Tina Datta who for the first time will be seen in a double avatar; as Ichcha and also as her daughter, Meethi.

‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’ at 2130 Hrs on STAR PLUS

‘Uttaran’ at 2200 Hrs on COLORS

‘Dexter’ at 2200 Hrs on STAR WORLD 1400 Supernatural 1500 The River 1600 Joey 1630 The Simpsons 1700 Criminal Minds 1800 Supernatural 1900 Desperate Housewives 2000 Two And A Half Men 2030 The Simpsons 2100 Supernatural 2200 Dexter 2300 Joey 2330 Two And A Half Men 0700 Dexter 0800 Las Vegas 0900 Panam 1000 Dexter 1100 Desperate Housewives 1200 Two And A Half Men 1230 The Simpsons 1300 Joey 1330 Friends

1400 Chidiyaghar 1430 R. K. Laxman Ki Duniya 1500 Lapataganj 1530 F.I.R 1600 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1630 I Luv My India 1700 Gutur Gu 1730 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1800 Chidiyaghar 1930 Movers And Shakers 2000 I Luv My India 2030 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 2100 Chidiyaghar 2130 R. K. Laxman Ki Duniya 2200 Lapataganj 2230 Movers And Shakers 2300 F.I.R 2330 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1030 Gutur Gu 1100 F.I.R 1130 Chidiyaghar 1200 I Luv My India 1230 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah

‘I Luv My India’ at 2000 Hrs on SAB

‘The Mask’ at 2100 Hrs on HBO

1430 How It's Made 1500 Dean Of Invention 1530 Discovery Science Classics 1630 Ufo 1730 Frontline Battle Machines With Mike Brewer 1930 Junkyard Wars 2030 Heavy Metal Taskforce 2130 Sports Science 2230 Weapon Masters 2330 Industrial Revelations 1030 Ufo 1130 How It's Made 1200 Dean Of Invention 1330 Junkyard Wars

‘Mission Istanbul’ at 1230 Hrs on ZOOM 1230 Movie - Mission Istanbul 1600 Let'z Go! 1700 Business Of Bollywood 1730 Star Bonanza 1800 Let'z Go! 1900 Planet Bollywood 1930 Link'D 2000 Telly Talk 2030 Let'z Go! 2100 Style Strip 2130 Let'z Go! 2200 B - Tonite 2230 Business Of Bollywood 2300 Bollywood Bonanza 0700 Fresh Mornings 0800 Red Carpet 0805 Fresh Mornings 1100 Your Likes 1200 Planet Bollywood

‘Junkyard Wars’ at 1930 Hrs on DISCOVERY SCIENCE

‘Frasier’ at 1930 Hrs on BIG CBS PRIME 1400 Frasier 1430 Jerry Springer 1530 Aspire 1600 Galileo Extreme 1700 Survivor 1800 Entertainment Tonight 1830 Galileo Extreme 1930 Frasier 2000 Entertainment Tonight 2030 Galileo Extreme 2100 Hawaii 5.0 2200 Jerry Springer 2300 Survivor 0700 Big Wheels 0730 Aspire 0800 Galileo Extreme 0900 Survivor 1000 Bellator 1100 Jerry Springer 1200 Aspire 1230 Entertainment Tonight 1300 Galileo Extreme

Playing Field

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

The games people play

Fernandes for sale of F1 shares Tony Fernandes, the boss of Caterham and the entrepreneur of Malaysian Air Asia believes that the sale of F1 shares would improve the sport, accountability and transparency SEPANG, MALAYSIA: Caterham boss Tony Fernandes has thrown his support behind a sale of shares in Formula One and called for tighter cost controls to make the sport more affordable. The Malaysian AirAsia entrepreneur, who also owns English Premier League club Queen’s Park Rangers, told AFP that although there were few details about the rumoured share float, it could improve the sport. “As a businessman I think if public money can improve the sport, and accountability and transparency, then we should go for it,” Fernandes said in an interview at the Malaysian Grand Prix. “I saw some comments where the team bosses said they were against it. I think until we know more about it, it’s silly to be against it. Let’s hear about it in the open.” Speculation over a share sale has been intense since a detailed report emerged last weekend that the sport’s supremo Bernie Ecclestone was planning to float a stake in Formula One Management (FOM). Some team principals appear cool on the idea of buying shares. The story is circulating as Ecclestone negotiates a new “Concorde Agreement”, a secret deal dividing profits, with Formula One’s 12 racing outfits. “I think it’s good for the

“A lot of people don’t like it, but it’s a fact of life. What Sky has done for football in England was remarkable. So it’s important for the sport, if you ask me. “And I’m all in favour of the way things are moving. It’s a good time. Revenues are going to go up, I believe costs will go down. It’s important. This sport is too complicated.” Fernandes hit out at the “silly” and complicated technical innovations that beset Formula One and can cost millions of dollars to develop. This year, attention has focused on the air-channelling ‘F-duct’ rear wing introduced by Mercedes boss Ross Brawn, much to the consternation of rival Red Bull principal Christian Horner. Teams have also splashed out on introducing Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS), which provide a speed boost, and the Drag Reduction System (DRS) to help overtaking. And Red Bull’s title defence has been dented by a ban on “blown diffusers”, another ingenious innovation that channels exhaust fumes to raise downforce. “Today you’re asking about F-duct, Christian’s (Horner) got one view, Ross Brawn wants to look at engine mapping. Out there, who cares? They just want to see good racing,” Fernandes said. AFP

stakeholders to own part of (Formula One), without a doubt,” Fernandes said. “What is good for FOM is good for the teams. What is good for the teams is good for FOM. So I don’t have a problem with it going public. “I don’t know enough about it, (but) I think it would be good for the teams to be allowed to

AS A BUSINESSMAN I THINK PUBLIC MONEY CAN IMPROVE THE SPORT. I SAW SOME COMMENTS WHERE THE TEAM BOSSES SAID THEY WERE AGAINST IT. I THINK UNTIL WE KNOW MORE ABOUT IT, IT’S SILLY TO BE AGAINST IT. LET’S HEAR ABOUT IT IN THE OPEN. participate in the float. And I think it’s the way of the world.” Fernandes also expressed his admiration for the “remarkable job” building Formula One performed by Ecclestone, including this year’s switch from public TV to paid broadcaster Sky in the sport’s heartland, Britain. “I’ve only known Bernie for two or three years. The fact is he’s done a remarkable job for Formula One and I think in terms of Sky, that was good,” he said.

Darts icon Wilson dies at 62 LONDON, MARCH: Two-time former world darts champion Jocky Wilson has died at the age of 62. Scotsman Wilson, who won world titles in 1982 and 1989, had recently been suffering with the lung disorder chronic pulmonary obstructive disease. Fife police confirmed that Wilson died on Saturday at his home in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. “We are very saddened to hear of the death of former World Champion Jocky Wilson. Simply devastated. £RIPJocky,” read a statement on the official Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) Twitter page. Wilson turned professional in 1979 and enjoyed a stellar career through to his retirement in 1996. He reached at least the quarter-finals of every World

Championship between 1979 and 1991 and was a four-time British champion between 1981 and 1988 and a three-time Scottish Masters champion. Fellow stars from the world of darts paid tribute to Wilson. Two-time World Championship runner-up Bobby George wrote on his Twitter page: “Farewell John Thomas (Jocky) Wilson. We had some great times together will never forget you and your toothless grin! Great £darts £legend.” Current PDC star Wayne Mardle Tweeted: “Jocky Wilson the darting legend has passed away. What a character, I loved watching him play.” Speaking to the Sun on Sunday, 13-time world champion Phil Taylor said: “We owe Jocky so much. Jocky really was a true legend.” AFP

Hawks win thriller ATLANTA, GEORGIA: All-star guard Joe Johnson scored eight of his 37 points in the fourth period of overtime as the Atlanta Hawks overcame Utah 139-133 Sunday in the NBA’s longest game in nearly 15 years. Playing their third game in three days, the Hawks won their fourth consecutive and six of the last seven. It was the longest NBA game since Phoenix defeated Portland 140-139 on November 14, 1997. It also tied for the third-longest game in NBA history. Atlanta has a 30-20 record on the season and are half a game in front of Indiana for fifth place in the NBA Eastern Conference. Josh Smith finished with 22 points and Jeff Teague had 18 for the Hawks who needed a marathon effort to snap Utah’s six-game win streak. AFP

Playing Field WELLINGTON: New Zealand were all out for 275, avoiding the follow on target by one run, in reply to South Africa’s 474-9 declared on the fourth day of the final Test at the Basin Reserve on Monday. Martin Guptill made 59 for New Zealand while for South Africa Vernon Philander took six for 81. Earlier, at tea on the fourth day New Zealand were 231-4 in reply to South Africa’s 474-9 declared, needing a further 43 to avoid the follow on and losing captain Ross Taylor to an injury. The senior New Zealand batsman, who was hit on the hand by the first ball he faced from Dale Steyn, had reached 18 when he was struck on the left wrist by an express delivery from Morne Morkel soon after the lunch break. He attempted to play on but lasted one ball, which he nudged for a single, before walking off and was taken to a hospital to be Xrayed. New Zealand were on 160-3 and battling to reach 275 to make South Africa bat again when Dean Brownlie joined Kane Williamson and cautiously advanced in a 59run stand. But with diligence called for as they approached the tea break, Brownlie top-edged an attempted pull shot off Vernon Philander on the third delivery with the new ball and was caught at fine leg by Steyn for 29. Williamson, who came in immediately after lunch as Martin Guptill (59) had been dismissed in the last over before the break, was on 39 at the tea break with Daniel Vettori on six. New Zealand resumed the day at 65-0 and assisted by some poor fielding reached 86 before the South African quicks, in a hostile bowling attack from Steyn and Morkel started to make in-roads.

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

The games people play

NZ manage to avoid follow-on Scorecard

South Africa’s Vernon Philander (L) successfully appeals for a LBW decision on New Zealand’s Martin Guptill on the 4th day the third Test match on Monday. AFP/MARTY MELVILLE Daniel Flynn, in the unfamiliar role of opener and playing his first Test in two years, was first to fall on 45, nicking Philander’s fourth ball of the day through to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher. Brendon McCullum had two lives on his way to 31. He was

caught behind off Marchant de Lange, which the umpire ruled not out although replays showed he was gone, and he was also dropped at point by JP Duminy off Steyn. Duminy had earlier done wrong by Steyn when he spilled

South Africa first innings: 474/9(decl) New Zealand first innings: D Flynn cBoucher b Philander 45 M Guptill lbw b Philander 59 B McCullum c Boucher b Steyn 31 R Taylor retired hurt 18 KS Williamson c Boucher b Steyn 39 D Brownlie c Steyn b Philander 29 D Vettori c Rudolph b Philander 30 CFK van Wyk c sub b de Lange 7 DAJ Bracewell b Philander 0 MR Gillespie c de Villiers b Philander 10 CS Martin not out 2 Extras: (lb 2, w 2, nb 1) 5 Total: 275 Fall of wickets: 1-86 (Flynn), 2-136 (McCullum), 3-145 (Guptill), 3-160* (Taylor, retired not out), 4-219 (Brownlie), 5-242 (Williamson), 6-263 (Vettori), 7-263 (Bracewell), 8-263 (van Wyk), 9-275 (Gillespie). South Africa bolwing: D Steyn 238-41-2, V Philander 22-4-81-6 (1nb, 1w), M Morkel 20-6-54-0, M de Lange 21-1-74-1 (1w), JP Duminy 10-0-23-0 South Africa second innings: A Petersen not out 38 GC Smith not out 33 Extras: (w 2, nb 1) 3 Total: (without any loss) 74 New Zealand bowling: CS Martin 60-24-0, D Bracewell 4.5-0-28-0 (2w), M Gillespie 4-0-22-0 (1nb)

two edges from Guptill when fielding in the gully. Philander, who has been the most successful South African wicket-taker in the series, again headed the bowling figures with three for 62. AFP

Clarke may participate in the IPL SYDNEY: Australia captain Michael Clarke has confirmed he is in talks to join Indian Premier League franchise Pune Warriors, reports said Monday. Clarke told reporters before leaving Sunday to join the Australian team in the West Indies that his management was negotiating with Pune to play in the IPL. The Australia skipper stayed behind and missed the one-day series in the Caribbean to treat a hamstring injury. “That opportunity has been presented to my management company and I,” Clarke was quoted in newspapers Monday. “Right now they’re discussing it. We will continue to talk about that and make a decision in due course. “But my focus right now is to make sure I get back and play some good cricket for Australia.” Clarke has so far resisted the lure of playing in the rich competition but came close in 2009 before withdrawing from the IPL auction to focus on playing for Australia. Last week former India Test captain Sourav Ganguly, who is the Pune club skipper, confirmed that the franchise was poised to secure the services of Clarke in May. Clarke said he had come through an intense couple of weeks of physiotherapy in great shape and would be ready for the first Test against the West Indies in Barbados, starting on April 7. AFP

Injured Taylor out of final Test WELLINGTON: A broken bone in his left forearm has forced New Zealand captain Ross Taylor out of the final Test against South Africa as his team struggled for survival on Monday. New Zealand were all out for 275, avoiding the follow-on by just one run after South Africa made 474-9 declared in their first

innings. Taylor was on 18 when he was struck by a rising ball from Morne Morkel and rushed to hospital. “An x-ray confirmed that Ross Taylor has a fracture of the ulna bone of his left forearm,” New Zealand Cricket’s medical director Ian Murphy said. It was unclear how long

Taylor would be sidelined with Murphy saying the skipper would see an orthopaedic surgeon “to determine the best course of action and length of time out of the game”. Taylor is scheduled to play for the Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League starting next month, and New Zealand’s next

commitment after the South African series is a West Indies tour starting in late June. After he was hit, Taylor attempted to continue and hit the next delivery from Dale Steyn for a single before saying he could not carry on and being taken to hospital. AFP

Ross Taylor reacts after being hit on the wrist by the ball from Morne Morkel on Monday. AFP/MARTY MELVILLE

Playing Field

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

The games people play

Magpies beat West Brom 3-1 WEST

A general view of a match between Rafael Nadal of Spain and Radek Stepanek of The Czech Republic on Day 7 at Crandon Park Tennis Centre at the Sony Ericsson Open on Sunday in Key Biscayne, Florida. AFP/MIKE EHRMANN

Rafa too hot for Rafek MIAMI:

World number two Rafael Nadal cruised through to the last 16 at the ATP/WTA Miami Masters tournament, while fourth seeded Andy Murray advanced without even breaking a sweat on Sunday. Nadal continued his domination over Czech Radek Stepanek with a straight forward 6-2, 6-2 victory in a third round match on centre court. Murray reached the fourth round by not hitting a ball when Canadian Milos Raonic withdrew with a right ankle injury. Nadal, who is chasing his first Miami title, has now beaten Stepanek in all six contests dating back to their first meeting in 2004. “I am just happy to be in the fourth round winning two matches with positive feeling and with comfortable results,” Nadal said. “I will just try to keep doing well and try to keep improving a little bit the level.” Nadal finished with three aces, won 74 percent of his first-serve points and saved both break point

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus celebrates a point against Heather Watson of Great Britain during the Sony Ericsson Open.

chances he faced in the 86 minute match. Nadal advances to face Japan’s Kei Nishikori who breezed past Czech Lukas Rosol 6-4, 6-2 Sunday. “He’s a fantastic player and will be a very difficult match for me,” Nadal said of Nishikori. “He has big talent to hit the ball very early, to play very aggressive.” The 24-year-old Scot Murray will tackle French 13th seed Gilles Simon for a place in the quarterfinals of a tournament he won in 2009. Highly-regarded Canadian 26th seed Raonic had already been forced to pull out of the doubles on Saturday where he and South African partner Kevin Anderson had managed just three games against Michael Llodra and Nenad Zimonjic. The 21-year-old Raonic had been in a rich vein of form in 2012, winning titles in Chennai and San Jose and making the final in Memphis. At Indian Wells last week, he

was knocked out in the third round by eventual champion Roger Federer. “The doctor in Spain doesn’t think it’s anything big. It probably just needs a couple days of rest and, with treatment, it should be OK in a week,” said Raonic. “It’s frustrating, but you have to look at the big picture.” On the women’s side, American wild card Venus Williams struggled to defeat Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada 46, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) and top seed Victoria Azarenka powered past Heather Watson 6-0, 6-2 in third round matches on Sunday. Williams advances to face former world number one Ana Ivanovic who beat 20th seeded Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 7-6 (7/2). “I just kept coming back,” Williams said. “I tried not to let anything discourage me today. I kept thinking about how I really need this match and I need these points.” AFP

BROMWICH:

Newcastle United moved to within five points of a place in next season’s Champions League after a 3-1 win away to West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns on Sunday. The match was all but over as a contest at half-time as the Magpies established a 3-0 interval lead, with Papiss Cisse scoring twice either side of Hatem Ben Arfa’s strike. West Brom substitute Shane Long capitalised on a defensive mix-up to pull a goal back in the 52nd minute but that was as good as it got for the Baggies as they suffered a ninth home league defeat this term. Victory left Newcastle in sixth place in the Premier League and level on points with fifth-placed Chelsea, who have a superior goal difference. Both clubs are now just five points behind Tottenham Hotspur, currently occupying the fourth and final Champions League place on offer to English clubs, with eight games of the domestic league season remaining. “First half we played some really fantastic stuff,” Alan Pardew, the Newcastle manager, told the BBC after his side went eight points clear of seventh-placed Liverpool, their next opponents.

Newcastle’s Papiss Cisse celebrates scoring against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns. AFP/PAUL ELLIS

Playing Field

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

The games people play

Tiger ends title drought ORLANDO: Tiger Woods snapped the longest winless drought of his career with a dominating five-shot victory over Graeme McDowell at the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday. It marked the first PGA Tour victory for Woods in 30 months, ending a winless spell that coincided with the personal turmoil that followed a 2009 sex scandal. “It’s not like winning a major championship or anything,” Woods said. “But it certainly feels really good.” Woods drained a short par putt on the par-four 18 to complete his round of two-under 70 and post a 13-under 275 total at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge course. “It was just pure joy,” Woods said The 14-time major winner, wearing his Sunday red and black pants, celebrated his 72nd PGA Tour victory with a fist pump then the customary shaking of hands with runner-up McDowell, who finished at eight-under 280. “Today was unbelievable. The conditions were rough and those pins,” he said. “I don’t know what the average score was today, but it certainly wasn’t anywhere near par. “It was a very tough day. It was a day of attrition. There weren’t going to be a lot of birdie opportunities out there.” England’s Ian Poulter finished in third seven shots behind Woods, while South Africa’s Ernie Els was part of a group of seven golfers who tied for fourth at the $6 million event. Woods had been on a win drought since revelations of his secret sex life in November of 2009 left his reputation in tatters, put

Qatar to host Asian hockey tournament DUBAI: Qatar will host this year's Asian Champions Trophy featuring India, Pakistan, Malaysia, South Korea, China and Japan. The Asian Hockey Federation is yet to finalise the dates of the event but local authorities hinted it could be held in November-December this year. "This is a huge boost for Qatar and for the sport of hockey here," Qatar Hockey Federation (QHF) Secretary General Mohamed Nazer Abdul said. "With plenty of Asian expatriates in Qatar, you can expect a full house and if there is an India-Pakistan clash, the euphoria can cross all levels," he said. PTI

his marriage on the path to divorce and sent sponsors fleeing. Amid the uproar, Woods’ game suffered and his struggles continued in 2011 as he battled to cement swing changes despite injuries that limited his playing time. “I am thankful for a lot of people helping me out. You all know who you are. It has been tough,” Woods said. Host and golfing icon Palmer missed the end of his tournament after he was taken to the hospital with a blood pressure problem. It is the custom at this event for Palmer to greet players just off the edge of the 18th green as they finish their rounds but he couldn’t do that Sunday. He was also supposed to be part of the trophy presentation to Woods. “Nobody is overly concerned about the prognosis,” said Alaistair Johnston, vice chairman at IMG and Palmer’s longtime business manager. Woods did post a win in December, but that came in the limited-field Chevron World Challenge in southern California, an invitational tournament that he himself organises to provide funds for his charity foundation. Sunday’s official PGA Tour win was the largest margin on the Tour since Rory McIlroy won the 2011 US Open by eight shots. Now with the Masters just a couple of weeks off, Woods heads to Augusta where he will try to continue his march towards Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 majors. “I am excited no doubt,” Woods said. “It is always fun to play it. I am looking forward to the momentum I have built here and the things I have worked on with my game. It is all coming together at the right time.”

Tiger Woods holds the trophy after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on Sunday in Orlando, Florida. AFP/SAM GREENWOOD

TIGER FACTS Age: 36 Born: Cypress, California Residence: Orlando, Florida Height: 1.88m Weight: 80kg Family: Daughter Sam Alexis (2007), son Charlie Axel (2009), with ex-wife Elin Nordegren (married 2004-2010) Turned pro: 1996 Major titles: 14 (Masters 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005, US Open 2000, 2002 and 2008, British Open 2000, 2005, 2006, US PGA Championship 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007) USPGA Tour wins: 72 International wins: 11 Others: a13 Winner of the Ryder Cup with the United States in 1999 Player of the Year in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009