Postnoon E-Paper for 29 March 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 HYDERABAD

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BAD BOYS OF BOLLYWOOD Bollywood heroes have always led the brat pack, running in with the law.

Ranjith was abandoned by his uncle and aunt. Until the Ramgopalpet police came to his rescue.

P16&17 N SHIVA KUMAR

REPORT ON PG 6

CAG DROPS A BOMB The CAG report 2010-11 being tabled in the Assembly today brings out a startling fact that district collectors failed to collect `2,995 crore from the sale of government land for various projects between 2004–11. The CAG report also throws light on scores of omissions and commissions of the past government.

MISSES THE MARK Missing is just another action drama on television that would be better suited to the big screen. P15

32 PAGES

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POLICE PLAYS GUARDIAN ANGEL

FLASH

WEATHER: CLEAR SKIES: 32°C

Page Two

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

Spirit of Twin Cities

ALL CLOGGED UP

Dramaybaaz

SRINIVAS SETTY

Dramaybaaz — a theatre fest for solo performances is underway. The finals will be held on March28 - 29. Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: March 28 and 29 Contact: 83411 20303

Raghu Dixit live Raghu Dixit live only at Hard Rock Cafe. His music is a combination of a variety of genres. Where: IHard Rock Cafe, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: March 29, 9pm onwards Contact: (040) 4476 7900

Miniature traditions 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

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

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

Wraps and rolls Rolls — boring did you say? Head to Promenade at Ameerpet for a wide variety of rolls that will suit everyone’s taste. Where: The Promenade, Ameerpet When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 6678 8888

Go Splash Splash lounge is the perfect leisure destination for you to unwind. There is also great music, martinis and aperitifs. Where: The Westin, Mindspace, Madhapur When: Monday - Friday, 5pm - 10.30pm Weekends,

CINEMAS

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

Bengali food festival 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

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

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

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

Acting workshop Samahaara — an acting and dancing workshop is being held to help you hone your acting skills. The workshop focusses on theatre related topics.

Where: The Actor’s studio, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 7pm to 9pm Contact: 98854 04784

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

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

New conceptualist Catch an exhibition of paintings by Sujatha Basu at Muse Art Gallery Where: IMuse Art Gallery, Tank Bund When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2752 2999

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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Two jealous men kill Suspended cop their common friend! dies in accident Postnoon News

Upset that their friend had secured a job and was not spending time with them, Venu and Santosh smashed his head with a boulder

CRIME Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com

t sounds incredulous but true as police vouch safe. A young man was killed by his two friends because he was not able to spend as much time with them as compared to earlier. S Kishan, 26, a resident of IDA Uppal Laxminarayana colony, is alleged to have been killed when he was sleeping by his buddies, Venu and Santosh, after a round of drinks and a bout of quarrel. The police gathered that the three were bosom friends and all the three were unemployed. Recently, Kishan managed to get a job as a driver with a good firm. But his work did not leave him with enough time to spend with his friends. However, Venu and Santosh believed that this was a tactic by Kishan to drift away from them. On Tuesday night, the three met once again and had dinner and drinks. The discussion veered to the issue of

Kishan’s attitude. He probably pleaded with them, but the friends did not agree. According to reports, the duo had told Santosh that he should get them jobs as well. Finally the three parted on bad terms. It is surmised that the duo, who had been in drunken condition, later decided to do away with their friend. They went to his home in the wee hours and found

him sleeping in the verandah. Venu and Santosh grabbed a boulder and hit Kishan on the head several times before fleeing from the scene. Sub-inspector Uppal, M Gopal said that the police are trying to trace the accused. Venu is said to be a vagabond but Santosh used to be an auto-driver. He lost job for unclear reasons, it is said.

‘Police threatening us,’ claim Bajrang Dal activists RELIGION Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

ith Hanuman Jayanthi round the corner, both Bajrang Dal activists and the police are busy with preparations. The biggest festival for Hanuman bhakts will be celebrated on April 6 this year. However, after the 2010 riots, the police have become extra cautious and have made special arrangements to maintain peace and harmony in the City. “We are taking out a rally from Gowliguda, Ram Mandir to Tadbund, Anjaneya temple. We have been preparing for this for a long time and we are expecting more than 1 lakh people to join us in the rally. However, we are facing severe harassment from the police. They have called most of our men who were arrested last year and asked them not to participate or be anywhere near the celebrations,” says Vinod B, City president, Bajrang Dal. In the 2010 there were communal riots in the City around the same time. To avoid repeating the past, the police department is taking special precautions. However, Bajrang Dal activists say that their men and

IN 2010 THERE WERE COMMUNAL RIOTS IN THE CITY AROUND THE SAME TIME. TO AVOID REPEATING THE PAST, THE POLICE IS TAKING SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS. HOWEVER, BAJRANG DAL ACTIVISTS SAY THAT THEIR MEN AND FAMILIES ARE RECEIVING THREATENING CALLS FROM THE POLICE.

families are receiving threatening calls from the police. Even pandits and poojaris are not being spared, according to them. “We have just one festival and doing something like this is extremely cruel. Moreover, they are not giving permission for new temples to host any Hanuman Jayanthi celebrations,” says Vinod. However, the police deny these allegations. Denying all these claims station inspector N V Narayan Reddy told Postnoon, “Organisations who have taken due permission will be allowed to participate in the rally. However, we are going to be alert and keep an eye on the celebrations. We will be forced to take drastic steps in case of any suspicious activity.”

feedback@postnoon.com

Prabhakar Reddy, a constable, who had been suspended after being charged with rape, died and his friend Murli sustained injuries in a road mishap in Medipally last night. The two were going home after purchasing a new two-wheeler when the accident took place at a road divider. According to Medipally police, G Prabhakar reddy, 28 , of Bouduppal area was appointed as a police constable in 2007, and since been posted at the Tukaramgate police station as a constable (pc number 8035). He was suspended recently on the charge of raping a girl.

On Tuesday he along with his friend Murli purchased a new bike from Ghatkaser and left for home in Medipally. The vehicle hit a divider and skidded. Both, severely injured, were shifted to a nearby hospital where Prabhakar was declared dead.

Mother kills herself Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

Radha, 45, a resident of Sri Sai Nagar allegedly committed suicide after her only daughter, Madhavi, married a man she loved against the wishes of her

mother. According to reports, Radha was upset after her daughter’s indiscretion. She was reportedly suffering from depression and set herself ablaze on Wednesday. The police have registered a case and investigations are on.

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Taking a U-turn to death Bikers taking unlawful U-turns on flyovers prove dangerous not only to themselves but to others as well. Cops wonder at the insensitivity of road users who take such risks

Osama Salman salman.o@postnoon.com

bout eight months ago a family of three riding a bike on the Hi-tech City flyover was taking a U turn, which is not allowed. A speeding van coming from the opposite direction rammed into them and all the three died on the spot. This is just one of the many cases where two and threewheeler drivers have put themselves and others at great risk by taking a U-turn on a flyover. When it comes to using flyovers, motorists apparently find more than one reason for its use. Yes, it connects two areas faster and there are no traffic signals to limit the flow. But taking a U-turn or overtaking can be dangerous not only to oneself but to others as well. Most of the flyovers in the City don’t have a divider running along the stretch to divide the two-way traffic. But even if they do, the divider ends midway on either side giving an opportunity to the motorists to make a quick u-turn. This leaves them at great risk of being hit by fast approaching oncoming vehicles, especially in the night, when low visibility is further dimmed by mindless use of high beam and blinding headlights. Many of the flyovers where the divider ends abruptly, there is a board that warns against making a U-turn. Yet being well aware of the legal risk, commuters still do so. Many a time, even when there is a traffic policeman standing at the junction, bikers take the turn. Often, policemen on duty wink at this. “How long can we go on preventing people from suicide?” a traffic constable won-

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GHMC goes on publicity overdrive Md Inkeshaf Ahmed ahmed.m@postnoon.com

TRAFFIC

Helpline

dered. “I have witnessed this tendency to take short-cuts several times, especially on the Begumpet flyover. There is almost always a traffic police officer on duty, even when he sees an autorickshaw driver or bike rider taking a U-turn on a flyover, he ignores them. Sometimes, he even smiles probably in helplessness,” pointed out Syed Anwar, a regular user of the flyover. During peak hours and other times, with no divider to discipline the traffic, motorists overtake other vehicles and move onto the other lane blocking the traffic. This results in gridlocks which can take a while to clear. Says Srinivas Naveen, a businessman living in Marredpally, said, “The vehicles, especially cars and

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buses, overtake from the right, and sometimes from the left side, and block the traffic. Nobody follows the lane-system here and neither do they know the importance it carries.” Srinivas says that the Paradise flyover in Secunderabad has a divider throughout the flyover and this restrains the traffic from being unruly, and is one of the few ‘ideal’ flyovers. Additional commissioner of police (traffic) CV Anand, agreed to this situation prevailing on the roads. “The vehicles on the flyover never follow the lane system and overtake and go on the wrong side of the road. This has resulted in many accidents. They also take U-turns wherever they find space. About a year ago, we

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laid cement blocks on the Masab Tank flyover as an experiment as this is where maximum cases were recorded. We noticed that the accidents rates fell and the traffic became regulated,” he said. Anand said that the cement blocks have been laid on the Basheerbagh and Himayat Nagar flyover as well and will be implemented on all the flyovers soon. What many motorists don’t notice, consciously or unconsciously, is that instead of taking a U-turn on the flyover, they can go under it and take a legal and safer U-turn. Almost all flyovers have a U-turn underneath. While this may mean going about 300 metres extra, it is better than risking your life and that of others around you.

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reater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) stepped up its drive to increase property tax collections during the ongoing financial year. The civic body, which has already grossed over `530 crore tax collection, is targetting to add another `50 crore to its kitty by month end. As part of its plans, the officials of the finance wing of the corporation have launched blitzkrieg publicity drive to appeal to property owners to pay their dues before the end of this month. The officials are putting up scrollers on news channels as part of their publicity drive. The finance wing has already spent around `2 lakh for the publicity. Speaking to Postnoon, chief valuation officer of Finance wing, S Pankaja said that they have undertaken the drive to bring in more number of property owners under the tax net apart from creating awareness about their duty to pay property tax. Apart from this, the corporation is also trying to attract tax payers through a lucky draw scheme, which involves cash awards. These cash awards include bumper prize, first, second, third and consolation prizes with a total of worth of `20 lakh. While the bumper prize carry `1 lakh cash award, the first, second and third prizes carry a cash award of `50,000, `25,000 and `10,000 respectively.

SOP for tax payers On the other hand, the State government issued orders recently waiving off the cess being imposed since the last few years on property tax. This has come as a boon for many property holders who accumulated huge arrears. As a result of this, scores of tax payers flooded various circle offices of the corporation to pay their dues. This move led to a record collection of `35 crore on March 26 this month.

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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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Will Jagan become an inmate of Chanchalguda? If the CBI files its charge-sheet against Jagan Mohan Reddy on April 2, the question on everyone’s mind is, will he be arrested? POLITICS U Srinivas srinivas.u@postnoon.com

pril 2 is the D day—a turning point in the State politics when it will be known if YSR’s heir and MP Jagan Mohan Reddy will be arrested or given a reprieve. April 2 is the day the CBI is scheduled for filing its chargesheet against Jagan in the disproportionate assets case. The CBI joint director dashing to Delhi is construed as a move to decide on the fate of the YSR Congress leader who threatens to upset the Congress applecart in the State. And, this the Congress can never allow as it draws its parliamentary muscle mainly from Andhra Pradesh. Expectedly, the CBI is tightlipped. But indications from insiders say the CBI is building up a strong case against him in case. But by all evidences available it is going to be a political action, not a legal option. Legal option is only a smokescreen to

JAGAN’S HOPES HINGE ON THE FACT THAT HE HAS GIVEN ENOUGH INDICATIONS TO THE CONGRESS THAT HE WOULD SUPPORT UPA RATHER THAN THE BJP IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

GO DESI

‘Desi Cow Utsav’ a three days first of its kind unique event organised jointly by Dr BRKR Govt. Ayurvedic College and Charaka Dairy is being held at People’s N SHIVA KUMAR Plaza, Necklace Road.

justify the political action. Jagan, now in Odarpu yatra gives out no indication of an impending arrest. He knows he has too many cards up in his sleeve that can scare many Congress leaders and some in Opposition, Jagan camp followers say. What worries the Jagan camp which is not evident publicly is the lack of a trusted second-in-

command if he goes in. But, this nobody dares to take up openly for fear of retribution by the leader. They say his mother Vijayamma, MLA will take care of the party. But, many are not sure if it would be all right even after it is pointed out that the second MLA Prasanna Kumar Reddy can now be of help to the mom. Jagan’s hopes hinge on the fact that he has given enough indications to the Congress that he would support UPA rather than the BJP in case of emergency. “This would deter the Congress from taking extreme steps like arresting and arraigning him,” says a party loyalist. His legal team is contemplating moving the court seeking anticipatory bail. However, they are treading very carefully on the issue since at no point they want to antagonise the investigating agency. There are a host of other cases pertaining to disproportionate assets that are under the scanner of the CBI and he will face many more difficult situations in the days to come lt situations in the days to come.

T MLAs, MPs moot Telangana, Congress Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

he statement of Union Minister Chidambaram that there existed no unanimity among the political parties over Telangana has made all the difference. The Telangana MLAs and MPs are contemplating to come up with Telangana Congress for the revival of the Telangana agitation. This is considered the reason for a sudden revival of the T-stir. Parliament member Ponnam Prabhakar apart from K Kesava Rao said they will go to any extent to achieve Telangana as they now know for sure that the Congress would not be giving Telangana. The UPA government’s indifference towards the separate statehood demand and the suicides by youth have generated a lot of heat in the region. Etala Rajender, TRS floor leader in the Assembly said that it is because of the TRS that the T-sentiment was surviving and is confident that Telangana will be achieved this time. The newly-elected TRS, BJP and independent MLAs began their fresh innings in the Assembly by protesting the Centre’s delaying tactics and expressed their anguish over the suicides for the T-cause. The results of the bypolls to the seven Assembly segments proved that pro-Telangana sentiments were high. Speaker Nadendla Manohar has appealed on behalf of all the political parties to the public to stop suicides for Telangana. The MLAs demanded for a resolution on Telangana again.

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Cops play saviour to abandoned child

Ranjith’s life reads like a Bollywood script. The boy was thrown out of his house by his foster parents. Torture and misery hardened him till cops rescued him. He now stays at the Ramgopalpet police station N SHIVA KUMAR

S PECIAL Rahul Ramakrishna rahul.r@postnoon.com

COMPUTERS

or 11-year-old Ranjith, the world is suddenly a strange, hostile place. A resident of Her village in Maharashtra, the orphaned Ranjith was brought to Hyderabad by his caretakers — his uncle and aunt, Daya Sagar and Sunitha — and was abandoned on the Necklace Road on Monday. Left alone in a strange city where he didn’t even know the local language, he was roaming the streets when someone took pity on him and informed the Ramgopalpet police who took him to the station and gave the hungry child some food. Like a movie script Ranjith’s life reads tragic. He lost his parents when he was three. Except their names, Ram Surya Vamshi and Mahadevi, he does not recall much. He is also not sure how they died. But his uncle and aunt took up the responsibility. But the boy says he was doing domestic work for the foster parents. Daya Sagar was not a kind father figure. According to Ranjith, Daya Sagar forced him out of his school when he was in class III, and put him to work. Ranjith was given the harshest treatment and his arms stand tes-

timony to some of the severe punishments he has endured. Daya Sagar’s two children however, were put into school, right after Ranjith’s initiation into domestic work. On Monday his uncle and aunt took Ranjith along with them and travelled to Hyderabad saying that they were going to Tirupathi. But once they reached Hyderabad, they left the boy in a street corner on Necklace Road and vanished. A Good Samaritan felt the boy would fall into trouble and informed the police. Raja Rao, inspector of Ramgopalpet police station, Secunderabad said, “For a 11-year- old, Ranjith is very brave. He has no qualms about

his present state. He eats what we provide and sleeps in the station at night with the rest of the guards. He is not disturbed by the happenings at the station.” About the fate of the child and what they plan to do with him, Raja Rao said, “We have started investigating the issue, particularly we are trying to locate if there really is a village called Her in Maharashtra. Since he speaks little Hindi and no one speaks Marathi here, we are trying to communicate with him, as we cannot blindly base our investigation on a 11-year-old’s description of his village. We are pursuing the matter, but till then Ranjith will be safe with us in the police station.”

ICONIC CITY Shadab, Old City

erhaps one of the most iconic eateries in the City, Shadab restaurant has been famous for its scrumptious biryani. For generations people from across the globe head to this tiny eatery to taste what they call an ‘experience’ in itself. A trip to Hyderabad is incomplete without a visit to Shadab. But what many people don’t know is that there is more to this award winning restaurant than its biryani. It also serves amazing nahari, a soup made with the tongue and feet of a goat, bheja fry

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

(brain fry), chicken gaurani (chicken curry with lots of cashew nuts) and talaa hua gosht. And your meal here would not be complete without a generous serving of qubani ka meetha (made out of stewed apricots). The other sweet attraction is lassi faluda dessert made of sabgaa, semiyaan and ice cream. What many people don’t know is that it’s a safe place for women to dine in as well as there is a an ac section inside. So head to Old City for some authentic Nawabi treats and pamper your taste buds.

YSRC man sworn in as MLA today U Srinivas srinivas.u@postnoon.com

SR Congress leader from Kovur, Nallapureddy Prasanna Kumar Reddy, was administered the oath of secrecy as an MLA by the speaker Nadendla Manohar this morning in the Assembly. Today being the last day of the Budget session, Prasanna Kumar Reddy took his oath as an MLA. The speaker adjourned all the adjournment motions moved by the members of the opposition. The TRS as usual moved an adjournment motion on a resolution on Telangana. The speaker rejected all the motions and adjourned the House for 15 minutes. He later suggested that all the floor leaders come to his chamber for a meeting. While some leaders went to the speaker’s chamber, other MLAs staged a dharna in the House itself. TRS MLAs under the leadership of Jupally Krishna Rao staged a dharna in front of the chambers of Sudershan Reddy in the Assembly premises and demanded that water be released from RDS scheme. They told the minister for major irrigation Sudershan Reddy that the water must be released at the earliest. The TRS leaders alleged that the CM was encouraging anti Telangana people. The TRS leaders alleged that Kiran Kumar Reddy was for a united Andhra and that people have trounced him in the bypolls. Leader of the opposition Chandrababu Naidu was not in the House as he was offering tributes at NTR Ghat as the TDP celebrated its 30th anniversary celebrations. N SHIVA KUMAR

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Illegal borewells dry out groundwater WATER SCAM Rahul Ramakrishna rahul.r@postnoon.com

ilaknagar is a quiet residential area that enjoys a decent supply of ground water. In contrast to this peaceful image is the presence of water tankers that keep coming and going at regular intervals. Gooduru Laxmareddy, who has apparently employed these water tankers, pumps groundwater through a deep borewell he got built on his plot sometime in the recent past. L Sudha Rani (name changed), a resident of the locality says, “This has been happening for the past eight years. Every day around 35 to 50 water tankers ply on this road and take away water meant for private use. This illegal commercial practice is giving us a headache as the water tankers start playing on this road from as early as four in the morning. Although a number of complaints have been filed, there has been no action against the person responsible for this.” Gooduru Laxmareddy, a retired

The borewell in Gooduru Laxmareddy’s plot which is being used by water tankers.

What the Tahsildar says

aja Bose, Tahsildar of Amberpet said, “We have identified about 6 borewells that are being exploited for commercial motives. Out of them two have been seized and sealed and the four borewells have been issued notices. Also, two more bore-wells along the banks of the Musi River have been seized. We have covered the bore-

wells and shut them down completely and all that cost has been borne by those involved. We are yet to take action on the above mentioned four bore-wells and I will personally look into this matter. Having been on leave for the past two days, it has escaped my notice. However, strict action will ensue henceforth.”

SRINIVAS SETTY

professor at Osmania University, is allegedly the mastermind of these operations. Neighbours whisper that he is related to a State minister. It is with this political support that he is operating with impunity, they say. Reality check reveals that he has got dug the bore-well in a prime location over the groundwater table, which ensures a copious flow of water. Little surprise it yields scores of tank-full of water. It is powered by a 4hp motor. Nobody keeps a tap on the

amount of water drawn out and sold. If each tanker can carry its stipulated 5,000 litres of water and tankers make 40 trips the simple calculation to at least two lakh litres a day. And, it comes to `18,000 a day. And, how he got the power connections for this work also remains a mystery which only the electricity officer can unravel. Sudha Rani and others say that Laxmareddy and his family had procured ground water survey tables from the GSI to zero in on the finest location for the bore-well thereby ensuring that their water supply is endless, while it lasts. When Postnoon tried to get in touch with Laxmareddy, he was unavailable for comment. He is an elusive man who never gets in touch directly with his customers. Asking the water tanker operators or their managements also failed to throw light on this issue. Previously, when several residents complained about their bores going dry and lodged this issue with Laxmareddy, he is said to have issued veiled threats. (With inputs from Md Inkeshaf Ahmed)

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THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

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Tale of the printed page Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do without your daily dose of news? Postnoon takes a look at the journey of the printed matter right upto your doorstep.

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1kg= `56,800

Matters of saving and spending

GRAPHIC: MOHAMMED A. MUSTAFA

Companies are gradually migrating to cloud applications that facilitate easier access and also bring down the overall costs when compared to applications on premise servers

POUND THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 9

Ratnadeep Super Market Pvt Ltd has bagged the Coca Cola Golden Spoon Award in the category of most Admired Independent Regional Food and Grocery Retailer in India for the year 2012. The award was recieved by Sandeep Agarwal, MD, and Manish Bhartiya, director.

FB set for stock market debut in May SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook will make its stock market debut in May with a record-setting initial public offering of shares, according to a report Wednesday in the Wall Street Journal. The world’s leading online social network has stopped selling shares on the secondary market in order to get a precise count of investors, the Journal said, citing unnamed sources.

Facebook on Tuesday modified its filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to warn potential investors that a patent lawsuit against the company by Internet pioneer Yahoo! could deliver a significant blow to its business. “If an unfavourable outcome were to occur in this litigation, the impact could be material to our business, financial condition, or results of operations,” said Facebook spokesperson.

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Prudhvi.k@postnoon.com Prudhvi Raju K

here is a lot of buzz in the industry about the usage of cloud based applications. A recent study conducted by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) says the usage of applications on a cloud by companies will be almost double in Asia Pacific and could reach 52 per cent by 2014. However, there any many challenges in the way forward. Even though, the trend is towards cloud applications, there are a lot of complex and large database applications with huge volumes and large transactions that cannot be put on the cloud. These kinds of complex applications need a lot of processing requirements with the back-end infrastructure and the bandwidth speeds, which are not yet available in India. Nevertheless, companies are considering cloud to put simple applications where the processing requirements are low, said L Suresh, CEO, Identis Tech Solutions. He added, “One of the important reasons, companies are moving to the cloud is that they don’t need to worry about building and maintaining infrastructure. This will bring significant cuts in cost in terms of human resource and building infrastructure.” According to the study, this shift to cloud applications has reduced IT companies’ costs by nearly 31 per cent in the US and 28 per cent in Europe. While cloud might have reduced costs, security remains a major concern.

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“These services are hosted somewhere on the internet making it less secure. It will take some time for these issues to be resolved and for us to gain confidence in it. The shift towards cloud applications will increase if everybody thinks the applications that are hosted somewhere else are safe,” said Suresh. It’s not just companies that are shifting their database on to the cloud, even software (application) developing companies are now offering their services (SaaS) on the cloud. The trend is picking up in the domain as well. Companies can save on infrastructure when they access (subscription) the application from a cloud. They don’t need to buy a server or the other related hardware worth lakhs of rupees to run the application. It also provides a wide variety of payment options to small companies (customers) like pay per use, subscription per month or year. The software development companies are putting simple applications like pay roll management, accounting, fixed asset management and other ERP services, said Ramesh Loganathan, VP (Products) and center head, Progress Software, Hyderabad. Cloud applications have become a means for survival for software development companies. It may not necessarily bring new revenues, but it is a necessity to be on cloud (SaaS) to move along with the trend, he said.

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India‑View

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

India unveiled

IB asked to inquire into info leak VK Singh says source of leakage of his letter to the PM should be found and dealt with ruthlessly NEW

DELHI: While the Intelligence Bureau has been asked to inquire into leakage of the Army chief's letter to the prime minister, according to Defence sources, Army chief VK Singh says source of leakage of his letter to prime minister should be found and dealt with ruthlessly. These were current developments to Minister of State for Defence saying on Wednesday that there are gaps in the capabilities of armed forces and efforts are on to bridge these quickly, following reports of General

VK Singh writing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the shortage of weapons and ammunition. Reacting to VK Singh’s letter, Raju said the defence ministry has utilised the entire budget allocated to it in the last three years. “In the last three years we have utilised the entire capital budget and there was no surrender of budget. Nevertheless, there are gaps in capabilities which we are trying to bridge as quickly as possible,” Raju told

reporters. The army chief March 12 wrote to the prime minister, stating the country’s security might be at risk owing to the fact that tanks are running out of ammunition, air defence is going obsolete and the infantry is operating without critical weapons. He appealed for suitable directions to enhance the preparedness of the army. “We are fine-tuning the procurement process and speeding up the process and I think the government also has been very responsive to the needs of the capabilities of armed forces

and we will see greater progress in the times to come,” Raju said. “We have been framing new rules and policy to minimise all these things (irregularities in procurement) and in case of purchases over `100 crore, we have asked vendors to sign an integrity pact,” he said. “We are changing policy wherever possible to such things because every time

any irregularity is pointed out and a cancellation happens it results in us buying the same equipment at much bigger price in a point later in time, which also affects our preparedness,” he added. IANS

Tea-makers worry over lacklustre exports Mithun Dasgupta

KOLKATA: Indian tea exporters see little chance of a rise in the export of the brew in 2012 compared to last year, with the continuing Iran payment crisis and deficient rainfall in India’s northeast likely to hit production. As a result, the surplus available for trading in foreign markets could be low. Some leading exporters of India, the world’s second largest tea producer, even fear that the total tea export might fall as a lot of producers of the brew from southern India have recently shifted to (crush-tear-and-curl process) CTC tea from orthodox (another manufacturing process that gives good flavour and aroma). This has followed a sharp fall in the export of the Orthodox variety due to the payment crisis in Iran and the political turmoil in Middle Eastern and North African countries like Libya, Syria and Egypt. Iran is a major consumer of high quality orthodox tea from India and imports nearly 15 million kg every year, but India’s tea exports to the country declined

to about 11 million kg in 2011 as sanctions imposed by the US made settling of trade payments tougher. “As the Iran payment crisis still persists, there is less scope for export this year. I think the total tea export from the country would be hovering between 185 million kg to 190 million kg in 2012,” Kamal Baheti, director of

the world’s largest tea producer McLeod Russel, told IANS. According to Tea Board of India data, the country’s total export of the brew stood at 186.73 million kg (estimated) during 2011 as against 222.02 million kg during 2010. The sharp fall in exports to the tune of 35.3 million kg last year was despite a rise in the total output to 988.33 million

kg (estimated) in 2011 from 966.40 million kg in 2010. Exporters say despite the government’s attempt to implement a full-fledged rupee payment mechanism with Iran, the problem persists. According to the arrangement, Iranian oil companies would deposit their rupee earnings in India’s UCO Bank, which

will be used to pay Indian exporters to Iran after their papers are vetted by Bank Parisan of that country. “But it is not happening currently. The payment crisis is yet to get resolved and political turmoil in Gulf countries, especially Syria and Libya, is still lingering,” said Sangeeta Kichlu, vicepresident of Jay Shree Tea and Industries, a BK Birla Group company. Kichlu said it was a ‘very critical’ period for the Indian tea industry. “The present time is very critical for the Indian tea industry. Due to deficient rainfall, the productions are very down in Assam and Darjeeling. So, north India’s orthodox tea production is likely to be down,” she said. Assam, where around 800 tea gardens exist, accounts for 51 percent of India’s annual output of the brew. Kichlu, also Calcutta Tea Traders Association chairperson, said a lot of tea makers of southern India, who were earlier producing orthodox tea, have now shifted to CTC tea production following a shrink in the export market last year.

India‑View

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

India unveiled

Commuters stranded due to glitch in Metro NEW DELHI: Thousands of commuters were stranded at various Metro stations in the national capital during the morning rush hours today after trains were delayed due to a technical problem. Commuters in the city were a harassed lot as they were already reeling under the traffic restrictions for the BRICS Summit. Trains on the busy Line 3 that connects Noida and Ghaziabad with Dwarka were delayed since 8.30 in the morning after they were run at a restricted speed between two stations due to the technical problem. The problem, which was spotted at around 8.30 AM, was yet to be rectified till late in the morning, causing severe incon-

venience to office-goers and others who had to search for other modes of transport to reach their destinations. Traffic restrictions on roads

REVERBERATION OF REVERENCE

A mass music artists’ performance organised by the Art of Living Foundation in Bangalore on Wednesday had 1,110 veena artists perform during the Sahasra Veena Jhenkara. PTI

in the city due to the BRICS Summit prompted many to take the Metro, but the decision did not pay much dividends for them.

Trains were run at a restricted speed between Pragati Maidan and Mandi House stations which led to bunching of trains on the corridor during the morning hours. During the peak hours, trains are run at a frequency of three minutes on this corridor. Sarangi, a software professional who lives in Janakpuri, had to wait for a train for over 20 minutes. “When the Metro came, it was very crowded. But I managed to get into it but it was not moving fast. I had to get down at Kirti Nagar Station and take an auto to reach Connaught Place,” he said. He was not alone as several passengers from the satellite city of Ghaziabad also waited for Metro to reach their offices on time. PTI

Information commissioner writes to PM on move to change RTI Act NEW DELHI: Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh opposing the proposed move to exempt nuclear regulatory bodies from the ambit of the Right To Information Act. In his letter to the PM, Gandhi opposed the proposals in the Nuclear Safety Regulation Act (NSRA) relating to introduction of new exemption clause in the RTI Act which will prohibit disclosure of nuclear energy and radiation issues under the transparency law.

He also opposed the proposed changes in the law which would keep the proposed regulatory bodies of nuclear energy in the country in the list of bodies exempted from the RTI Act. “...the existing provisions under section 8 are more than adequate for protecting sensitive information about nuclear energy facilities,” he said in the letter. Gandhi said the NSRA Bill seeks to vest an enormous discretion in the hands of such bodies to withhold people’s access to information. PTI

IITian trio streamline transportation Shudip Talukdar

NEW DELHI: Mumbai-based entrepreneur Vikas Parashar wanted to rush a consignment of consumer goods to Ludhiana, necessitated by heavy demand. But he also feared cancellation of the order if it failed to materialise on time. His trusted transporter could not be of much help as all his 14 heavy and light vehicles were already booked indefinitely by a big industrial house. Parashar avoided other operators because of past experiences. Finally, he approached IRTEX — the Indian Road Transporta-

tion Exchange — which processed Parashar’s request promptly, located a mediumsized truck and had his goods moving within a few hours. IRTEX, the brainchild of three Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Bombay batch-mates, is said to be the country’s single biggest platform to sort out all shipment problems, involving manufacturers and fleet operators, in a highly efficient and costeffective way. It has facilitated 10,000 transactions in over a year, involving industrial and fast-moving consumer goods. Set up in June 2009 by IITans Ankur Tripathi, Nitin Gupta and

Saurabh Gupta, it could be put into operation only in December 2010. The trio worked tirelessly to root out inefficiency in the sector and optimise movement of goods. “IRTEX is moving the road transport industry online by using technology that automates the sourcing of trucks, shipment execution and processing of payment between carriers and shippers,” Tripathi, managing director of IRTEX, told IANS from Mumbai. “A growing road transport industry, made up of national, regional and local truck operators, suffers from low occupancy. We saw an opportunity to

induct technology to improve the occupancy levels, from current 60 per cent to 80 per cent,” he said. By helping truck operators manage their daily operations, IRTEX helps improve fleet utilisation. The cascading effect spells increased revenues and naturally, profits. Services include tracking with the help of manual and GPS systems and authentication of vehicles by vetting of documents, before any transaction. IRTEX has started operations in Delhi and plans to expand to three more locations in the eastern and southern parts of the country this year.

NATION AT A GLANCE Lokayukta police unearth unaccounted assets worth `7cr CHHINDWARA: Lokayukta Police today conducted raids at the premises of a superintendent engineer of Eastern Region Power Distribution Company and claimed to have unearthed properties worth more than `7 crore. Acting on a tip-off, the Lokayukta Police raided the residences of superintendent engineer KL Verma at Chhindwara, Chhattarpur and Bhopal and recovered huge amount of property “disproportionate” to his known sources of income, Lokayukta sources said. The initial valuation of recovered assets — 250gm of gold, three four-wheelers, NSC, fixed deposits demat account and a private supplier firm — is about `7 crore.

Cong committed to stability in J&K JAMMU: The Congress today strongly batted for the Omar Abdullah-led coalition government’s policies in Jammu and Kashmir and said the party is committed to ensuring political stability and normalcy in the state. “Congress is working strongly for normalcy and political stability in Jammu and Kashmir. The party will not compromise on the issue at all,” party chief whip GA Mir said in the Legislative Assembly.

Emotional Tibetan exiles cry as they leave the Lady Hardinge Hospital mortuary, where the body of Jamphel Yeshi was returned to members of the exile community to be transported to Dharamsala, in New Delhi on Thursday. AFP/ TENGKU BAHAR

Only some women want to travel alone KOLKATA: Only 11 per cent Indian women are comfortable travelling alone within the country as opposed to 18 per cent women who are more at ease travelling abroad. “Indian women are ready to head out by themselves on a holiday, with 64 per cent willing to travel alone on leisure,” according to data released by a leading tour and travel planning website. “A disheartening trend is that only 11 per cent women are comfortable travelling alone within India as opposed to 18 per cent more comfortable travelling internationally,” it said.

Around the World

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

Beyond Borders

Slugging for smiles Suzuki, baseball bring smiles to Japan on Opening Day

B Jordan Powers and James Hooker

To sir, with love... but not too much A

California lawmaker has introduced legislation that would make it a felony for a teacher at a public K-12 school to have a romantic relationship with a student at the same school, no matter how old the student is, MSNBC reported. Currently in California, it’s only a crime if a teacher romances a student who is under 18 years old. Bill 1861, introduced by Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen, a Republican from Modesto, would also take away the pension of any teacher convicted of a work-related felony, MSNBC reported. “It is an outrage that a high school teacher would engage in a romantic relationship with a student,” Olsen said in a statement today. “We need to do everything we can to deter this behaviour, and to ensure schools are a safe

and secure learning environment for our children.” A teacher at Enochs High School in Olsen’s district resigned his job last month after it became known he was dating a student at the school, the Boston Herald reported. James Hooker, 41, left is wife, and he and senior Jordan Powers, 18, are now living together. Powers’ mother, Tammie Powers, joined Olsen at a press conference in Sacramento today to announce the legislation. “I believe this bill will serve as a deterrent, as a preventative measure,” said Tammie Powers, said at the press conference. “As parents, we send our children to school with the expectation that they’re going to be safe, they’re going to receive a good education. Not that they’re going to be pursued.”

aseball might seem trivial compared to the devastation of last year’s earthquake and tsunami that leveled Japan’s coastline. The chance to forget is why baseball matters so much this week, however. Ichiro Suzuki and his Seattle Mariners open the Major League Baseball season today in Tokyo against the Oakland A’s. It’s the fourth time MLB has asked teams to play in Japan, and never has the stage been so dramatic. On Tuesday, the teams held a baseball clinic for about 100 kids in Ishinomaki, where 5,000 people died on March 11, 2011, after a wall of water slammed the coastal city of 1,64,000. “It’s important for the kids and for this area,” resident Shoshin Kometani told The Seattle Times. “As you can see the faces on these kids, they’re smiling and they’re happy. ... And that’s really important.” MLB and the players’ union donated $5,00,000 to refurbish the city’s baseball stadium, which was used as a staging area during earthquake relief efforts. As well as repairing the damage, the money will pay for artificial turf so the stadium can be used all year. “It’s hard to imagine devastation of this size,” A’s president Mike Crowley told the San Francisco Chronicle. “Losing

Seattle Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma greets fans in Ishinomaki, Japan, on Tuesday. 5,000 people in one town, we can’t fathom that. To see what these folks went through a year later is staggering.” Baseball’s modest efforts this week are doubled when you consider Seattle boasts 3 very popular Japanese players on the roster. Ichiro Suzuki is a future Hall of Famer who has played in the US for more than a decade. His image is omnipresent in Japan this week, and his every move is followed by media there. More than 40,000 fans bought tickets to watch Seattle play an exhibition game against a Japanese team earlier this week, cheering voraciously when Ichiro came up to bat. “I felt a lot of tension so that

was quite a moment,” Suzuki told USA Today after managing 1 hit in 4 at-bats. “It didn’t feel like an exhibition game and there was a different atmosphere.” The other Japanese-born Mariners are Munenori Kawasaki, an eight-time all-star in Japan before joining Seattle, and pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma. Iwakuma played baseball in the Ishinomaki area before opting for the States, and said he wants to ensure the world knows what Japan endured a year ago. “It’s going to be very helpful to see them, to say hello,’’ Iwakuma told The Seattle Times before the clinic. “It’s been a year after and they still need help.” GLOBALPOST

‘Tank’ard size fun for tourists in NZ CHRISTCHURCH: In a country regarded as the adrenalinepumped home of adventure sports, one New Zealand company is offering frustrated drivers the chance to squash a car with a Centurion tank. Tanks for Everything in Christchurch has a fleet of eight tanks, armoured personnel carriers and Jeeps, the largest of which can easily crush a family sedan pancake-flat in a crescendo of squealing metal and shattering glass. “I think it maybe releases repressed frustration, to go and crush something with a tank,” owner Jonathan Lahy-Neary said. “If you’ve had a bad day, it’s a pretty good stress reliever.” The pride of the operation is Maximus, a British-made Centurion battle tank, weighing 52 tonnes and powered by a V-12 Rolls Royce engine, which saw service with Australian forces in Vietnam in the early 1970s. There’s also a Soviet-era T-55,

The pride of the operation in Christchurch is ‘Maximus,’ a Britainmade Centurion battle tank. AFP/MARTY MELVILLE an incongruous sight in New Zealand’s rolling green hills, which Tanks or Everything’s Matthew Sandland said was surprisingly easy to purchase from an arms dealer in Hungary. “The Iraqis had these, the Afghans had these,” he said. “The dealers had over 100 and they sell

them as fully functional battle tanks. We had to pay to have the gun deactivated to bring it to New Zealand. “So basically anyone could have bought themselves a fully-functional battle tank if they wanted to.” It is the latest artillery round in the battle for the adrenaline

dollar in New Zealand’s NZ$3 billion ($2.5 billion) adventure tourism industry. The island nation has marketed itself as a spiritual home for the whiteknuckled traveller with rafting, bungee jumping, heli-skiing or “zorbing” — rolling downhill in an inflatable sphere resembling a giant hamster ball. “New Zealand is arguably the dominant adrenaline tourism destination,” said Neil Carr, associate professor of Otago University’s tourism school. “Part of this undoubtedly relates to the physical landscape of the country” along with savvy marketing, he noted. Lahy-Neary admits that when it comes to his tanks, “it tends to appeal to blokes more,” but said customers range from teenagers to 80-year-olds celebrating their birthdays. Rugby All Blacks Piri Weepu and Conrad Smith, as well as visiting members of US rock band Smashing Pumpkins have all had a drive.

Canadian tourist Michael Noel fulfilled a lifelong ambition by flattening one of Lahy-Neary’s cars, sourced from local junkyards, in the Centurion, describing it as “quite an experience”. “(It) took a little getting used to the gears and so on, but once you get used to it, it’s an awesome ride,” he said. Playing with what could be the ultimate boys’ toy does not come cheap, with a 15 minute drive costing NZ$450 ($365) and an extra NZ$395 to crush a car. Lahy-Neary, who has been fascinated with tanks since he was a child in Britain, said importing the beasts into New Zealand was harder than purchasing them, with police and customs officials unsure how to deal with his request. “Everyone was a bit gobsmacked because they’d never been asked the question before,” he said, detailing the mountain of paperwork he had to negotiate to obtain the necessary licences and permits. AFP

Around the World

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

Beyond Borders

DSK sees way out in immunity NEW YORK: Lawyers for Dominique Strauss-Kahn told a US court on Wednesday that a maid’s lawsuit alleging sexual assault should be thrown out because the French politician had diplomatic immunity at the time. Judge Douglas McKeon said he would rule quickly following a 90-minute hearing in a Bronx courthouse where a StraussKahn attorney argued that the disgraced former head of the IMF had “the same kind of diplomatic immunity that other high-ranking officials and diplomats enjoy.” The civil suit, seeking unspecified damages, “must be dismissed,” attorney Amit Mehta said in New York state court. A lawyer for Nafissatou Diallo, the Manhattan hotel maid whose accusation of sexu-

Attorneys for Dominique Strauss-Kahn present their case in at New York State Supreme Court in Bronx. AFP al assault triggered the spectacular downfall of a man tapped to be the next French president, ridiculed the notion of dismissal. Douglas Wigdor said Strauss-Kahn “brutally sexually

assaulted Ms Diallo” on May 14 last year and now wished to use the immunity argument to “deny Ms Diallo’s right to a trial in this case and delay these proceedings.” Strauss-Kahn, who was

managing director of the International Monetary Fund at the time, admits consensual sex took place with Diallo in his luxury Sofitel suite, but denies assault. New York prosecutors initially charged him, but then dismissed the case because of concerns over the maid’s credibility. Strauss-Kahn had some level of immunity. However, a key sticking point appears to be whether that only extended to him in his official duties. McKeon, who spent most of the hearing in a rigorous probe of Mehta’s arguments, at one point referred to the hotel incident and asked drily “You’re not contending that he was in the furtherance of the (IMF) business?” The judge did not rule in court, but promised “to expeditiously issue a decision.” AFP

GLOBE AT A GLANCE Syria accused of ignoring peace plan DAMASCUS: The United States accused Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad of failing to respect a UN-Arab League peace plan as Syrian forces continued their assault on rebel bastions on Wednesday. And as UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged Assad to implement the plan, UN rights chief Navi Pillay told that enough evidence had been gathered to bring human rights charges against Assad.

Three dead as storm hits central Philippines MANILA: Three people drowned and one other person was missing in the central Philippines after a storm swept though the region bringing heavy rain and rough seas. A fisherman died off Catanduanes island while a woman and her six-year-old son drowned while trying to cross a swollen river near Sipocot.

WHEN BENEDICT MET FIDEL

Shawn Tyson jailed for life

Youngsters protest during a national strike in Madrid. Unions have called for a national strike to protest for the labour reforms. AFP

Japan executes first prisoners since 2010

hawn Tyson has been jailed for life after being found guilty of the first degree murder of two British tourists in Florida. James Cooper, 25, and James Kouzaris, 24, were shot in Sarasota. The pair were killed after drunkenly wandering into the Newtown area in the early hours of 16 April 2011. The court heard Shawn Tyson, 17, killed them after trying to rob them. Tyson, who was tried as an adult despite being 16 at the time of the shooting, was given two life sentences without the eligibility of parole at Sarasota County Court.

TOKYO: Japan on Thursday hanged three death-row inmates in its first executions since 2010, reigniting the debate over capital punishment in one of the world’s richest countries. Today, three executions were carried out,” justice minister Toshio Ogawa told reporters. “I have carried out my duty as a justice minister as stipulated by law,” he said.

Pope Benedict XVI with Cuban leader Fidel Castro during a meeting on Thursday in Havana. The Pope met with Cuba’s revolutionary icon Fidel Castro on Wednesday, the last day of a trip AFP to bolster the Roman Catholic church’s relationship with the Cuba.

Bezos to raise Apollo 11 engines A

mazon founder Jeff Bezos says he has located the long-submerged F-1 engines that blasted the Apollo 11 Moon mission into space. In a blog post, Bezos said the five engines were found using advanced sonar scanning some 14,000ft (4,300m) below the Atlantic Ocean’s surface. Bezos, a billionaire bookseller and space-flight enthusiast, said he was making plans to raise one or more. Apollo 11 carried astronauts on the first Moon landing mission in 1969.

Apollo 11 launch. The F-1 engines were used on the giant Saturn V rocket that carried the Apollo landing mod-

ule out of the Earth’s atmosphere and towards the Moon. They burned for just a few minutes before separating from the second stage module and falling to Earth somewhere in the Atlantic. Bezos’ announcement comes days after film director James Cameron succeeded in his own deep-sea expedition, reaching the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest point on the planet. Although some F-1 engines remain, those from Apollo 11 do not. Announcing the discovery

on his Bezos Expeditions website, Bezos described the F-1 as a “modern wonder” that boasted 32 million horsepower and burned 2,720kg of rocket-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen every second. “I was five years old when I watched Apollo 11 unfold on television, and without any doubt it was a big contributor to my passions for science, engineering, and exploration,” he wrote, confirming that his team had located the engines but without hinting where they might be.

Gay man’s murder prompts outrage SANTIAGO: The fatal beating of a gay Chilean man, allegedly by four neo-Nazis, has prompted outrage in Chile, where the National Congress is considering a law banning a variety of discriminatory behaviours. Prosecutors say they plan to press murder charges against the four suspects in the savage March 3 beating of 24-year-old Daniel Zamudio, who died on Tuesday.

Artificially dyed Chicks are sold at a street market in Beirut on Wednesday to celebrate the occasion of Easter. AFP

Comment

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

Fair, free and forthright

Editorials CASES LIKE FIGHTER are far too many

he tragic story of Fighter, the St Bernard puppy that died recently due to complications arising from Canine Distemper has once again shown that although we in India like to consider ourselves animal lovers, we are clueless about what it takes to truly own and care for a pet. Being a pet owner does not stop at buying a puppy, or a kitten, and then asking your house maid to walk it and look after it. A pet is a member of your family and deserves the same care and attention as a child would. A dog’s love is unconditional and while they may be infuriating at times, so can kids. For too long certain breeds of dogs, like St Bernards, Huskies, and German Shepherds have become status symbols. People who buy them have no idea about what goes into taking care of them. And when they find that the work required is a lot more than they bargained for, they either dump the dog by the side of the road, or neglect it to the point where it either becomes aggressive or simply dies. The so called ‘breeders’ in this country are the biggest ‘criminals’. They run puppy farms, which is a sweeter name for a concentration camp for canines. The law must not only imprison these people but also name and shame those who buy dogs from them. Even our vets loath to take the lead when it comes to educating people about dogs. Neutering and spaying is a must, but few vets stress this point when owners bring in their dogs. Cases like Fighter are far more common than we can imagine. Unfortunately the only species that can rectify this is human, and therein lies the rub.

LulzSec sets sail again, with new sirs at the helm Web Wizard Jeb Boone

or the first time since disbanding in 2011, a new version of the hacker group known as LulzSec has launched fresh attacks.It seems the Lulz Boat has set sail again. LulzSec Reborn claimed responsibility for its second hack since the retirement of the original LulzSec hacker collective last July. In what, at this point, appears to be multiple hacks taking place back to back, LulzSec Reborn gained access to servers belonging to dating website MilitarySingles.com, an online dating service catering to American soldiers. LulzSec announced the hacks in a post on pastebin.com, which was tweeted by the group’s new Twitter account, LulzboatR. The pastebin statement claimed that 170,837 accounts were stolen from MilitarySingles.com and dumped. Among these accounts were emails hosted by domains belonging to Microsoft, the US Army and the US Navy. “And so it started... http://pastebin.com/ JRY3cA5T @ODigiturk,” tweeted LulzSec Reborn on Sunday evening. ESingles Inc, the parent company of MilitarySingles.com, released a statement shortly after LulzSec Reborn claimed responsibility, saying there was no actual evidence to suggest a breach had taken place. “We at ESingles Inc. are aware of the claim that someone has hacked MilitarySingles.com and are currently investigating the situation. At this time there is no actual evidence that MilitarySingles.com was hacked and it is possible that the tweet from Operation Digiturk is simply a false claim,” read the statement, which was posted to databreaches.net. LulzSec Reborn responded by tweeting a link to MilitarySingles.com, now emblazoned with the Nyan Cat, the Sir, and the harrowing, “All your base are belong to LulzSec,” all with the collective’s LulzBoat theme song playing in the background. As of Tuesday afternoon, the LulzSec logo had not been removed from the MilitarySingles.com domain. Less than 24 hours after the first attack, the same Twitter account announced that

Deja vu

Buck up heroes

Your story on taxpayers’ money being wasted by MLAs reminds me of what has been going on in our state for the past three years. The MLAs continue to waste time in the assembly by indulging in petty arguments or bringing the proceedings to a standstill instead of discussing important issues. The fact that `2 lakh is being wasted every minute is proof enough about how the MLAs don’t care about making judicious use of this time to come up with solutions on several issues ranging from power to agriculture. The quality of every single aspect of our life is reduced because of their non-performance Ram Babu on all fronts. Marredpally

I first picked up an edition of Postnoon at Inorbit in Hitech City and was pleasantly surprised to find Hyderabad’s own. It is heartening to see a local paper that has space for everything from city news to movies to children’s articles and opinion pieces. The layout too is convenient and high on usability. Then I picked up a copy yesterday and was intrigued by an article about Hollywood’s heroes. The writer posed the question where are our heroes? Which I think is extremely relevant to the coverage given to celebrities today.

Nischal Sahay MLA Colony

LulzSec Reborn had struck again, targeting global information and communications technology company CSS Corp, dumping the main domains entire database. LulzSez again announced the attack on pastebin.com. “http://csscorp.com/ — Global Information & Communication Technology Service Hacked teh sailin continues!” tweeted LulzSec Reborn, claiming responsibility for the breach and well as ‘teh sailin’ of the LulzBoat. The hackers behind the resurrection of LulzSec remain anonymous and the original Twitter account first used by LulzSec, @LulzSec, remains dormant and has not been active since July 27, 2011. A number of LulzSec’s original members have been arrested and detained since they disbanded last July. Earlier this month, the group’s former de facto leader, Sabu, made headlines when the FBI revealed he had struck a plea deal and was acting as an informant. It appeared to be a fatal blow to the once-feared hacker collective. Softpedia, however, is reporting that it has spoken to several hackers who claim to have taken part in the recent attacks. Those hackers told Softpedia that LulzSec Reborn is the new incarnation of the old collective. “We are not the old LulzSec. The idea is to

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

continue what some have started and never managed to finish. At the same time we want to avenge the ones that were arrested,” one of the hackers told Softpedia. With the LulzSec brand being taken over by new blood, LulzSec Reborn promises to remain true to the original spirit of the old LulzSec. “We did it just to have fun. All the hacks will be done for a reason, but also for fun. LulzSec style,” one of the hackers told Softpedia. LulzSec Reborn tweeted the article written by Softpedia, giving confirmation to the author’s claim of having spoken to hackers who were involved in the current operations. The structure of LulzSec has been characteristically smaller and more focused than the leaderless Anonymous hacker collective. A larger and more amorphous body of individuals, Anonymous hackers share only a common ethos and rarely operate as a team. During their 50-day hacking spree during the summer of 2011, the group took credit for attacks on sites belonging to Sony, PBS.org, the US Senate, CIA, Arizona sheriffs and many others before announcing that the LulzBoat was headed for port. But, apparently, it didn’t head to the dry dock. Jeb Boone is a GlobalPost correspondent and blogger at The Grid

Good doing some bad

To delay is to deny

I am a regular reader of Postnoon, especially of the features sections. I particularly liked your Knowledge Central section and so I encourage my kids to read it every day. However, your story titled League of Micronations has raised a commotion in my household. Both my kids have now decided that their bedrooms will be independent nations and they are the rulers of these kingdoms. They even have their own flags, one is a pirate-skull and bones and is called The Piratistan and another is called Mango Nation. But keep up the good work. Pranjal Kahiki Red Hills

Sekhar Babu’s ongoing battle with APPSC reveals the negligence of the commission and it’s surprising that APPSC doesn’t want to provide Sekhar Babu the photocopy of his answer sheet. In all probability, APPSC has misplaced or maybe even lost the answer sheet. Instead of accepting its fault, APPSC has even locked horns with the Information Commission. I hope they end up paying a heavy price for their arrogance. On the other hand, I hope Sekhar Babu’s plea in Supreme Court falls into the right ears. Anita Kumari Mehdipatnam

Telly Tales

Small screen, big idea

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

MISSES THE MARK

Missing is just another action drama on television that would be better suited to the big screen Padmini C padmini.c@postnoon.com

issing starts out with a bang. No, we mean, quite literally. In the opening scene, Becca (Ashley Judd) is on the phone with her husband Paul Winstone (Sean Bean) and their son Michael who are away in Rome. They appear for all the world to be just an ordinary happy family. Michael is excitedly telling his mother about their trip, as he runs back into the hotel to fetch his forgotten football. Meanwhile, Paul stars the car and boom, it explodes into a thousand fragments. Cut to 10 years later. The tragedy seems to have brought Michael and Becca closer. Even though he is grown up, it’s obvious she still plays mother hen . Things seem to be going fine until Michael decides to go

to college in Rome. Not a few weeks later (and surprise, surprise) Michael goes missing. And is suspected to have been abducted. Becca flies to Rome to investigate. Almost immediately, she is killing secret-service agents, picking locks, hacking into private security camera feed, dashing through the streets of Paris and Rome, surviving gunshot wounds, meeting with old ‘’contacts”, cutting deals with CIA – essentially everything that makes us wonder what kind of a supermum this is. Amid high-speed chases, explosions, gunfights, bouts of hand-to-hand combat and narrow escapes, we find out, she’s (groan) ex-CIA (as was her husband Paul). The kidnapping makes it obvious someone has a score to settle. But she’s hardly cowering. As she declares, Becca will go to the

ends of the universe to save her child. As she intends to. Missing, a la Taken, would perhaps work far more effectively as a movie. After all, how many episodes of chasing and getting away can one watch, without losing patience? The plot is fastmoving but if it’s gripping or original enough is questionable. The setting is that Ashley Judd (her first TV show after Sisters) seems to be in fit condition, there’s no doubt. But her face seems immobile and utterly expressionless. And considering that is the face that will be occupying most of the screen time, does pose something of a challenge. If you are okay in settling for an ordinary action drama, you might like Missing. Those expecting more, can give this one a miss. The Missing series is available online

Ashley Judd Date of birth- 19 April 1968, Granada Hills, California, USA Spouse - Dario Franchitti Did you know...? n Her nickname is Sweet Pea n Was named one of “The 50 Most Beautful People In The World” by People Magazine. (1996, 2000 & 2002)

n She attended 12 schools in 13 years before college n Mother and sister are country singers Naomi Judd & Wynonna Judd. n Her mother, Naomi Judd, has publicly objected to many of Ashley’s movies because they contain either profanity, nudity, sex, or violence. n Named one of the “25 Most

Intriguing People” by People magazine. (1999) n A self-proclaimed feminist n She is an etymologist n Bakes chocolate chip cookies as a means to relieve stress. n Is an enthusiast of the ‘cockapoo’ breed of dog (cross-bred cocker spaniels and poodles). Has a dog named ‘Buttermilk’ and a tabby named ‘Buttercup’.

Looking back in wonder G

rowing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you’re in diapers, the next day you’re gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a place, a town, a house, like a lot of houses. A yard like a lot of other yards. On a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is, after all these years, I still look back...with wonder. These were the closing lines

The Wonder Years of a much loved television series called The Wonder Years. The hit comedy starred Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold, a boy going through the rites of passage on his way to adulthood. The show had a successful six year run. Today we look at where the main characters of this show are:

Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) THEN: Kevin Arnold recalls growing up during the 60s; the turbulent social times make the transition from child to adult unusually interesting. He remained on the show until it ended in 1993.

NOW: The beloved child star has matured into a diligent director with a keen comedic sense. His directing chops have recently been busy masticating over current comedy hits like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Happy Endings, and 2 Broke Girls.

Winnie Cooper (Danica McKellar) THEN: In an episode entitled The Accident and in the final episode, it is stated that every important event in Kevin’s life somehow involves Winnie. The couple separate for further studies but continue to stay in touch for eight years. Despite the long romance, by the time Winnie

returns to the US in 1982 Kevin is married to someone. NOW: McKellar is the author of The New York Times bestselling book Math Doesn’t Suck: How to Survive Middle-School Math without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail, that encourages girls in middle school to enjoy and succeed at mathematics.

Paul Pfeiffer (Josh Saviano) THEN: Kevin’s lifelong best friend, intelligent and an excellent student. In the final episode it is revealed that he went to Harvard for college. NOW: He is currently a Senior Counsel with Morrison Cohen LLP. He is in the Corporate Department and Intellectual Property Group where he works on issues related to mergers and acquisition and intellectual property.

H‑Factor

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Breathe in the freshness Legionnaires’ disease though not very common, highlights the importance of maintaining your air conditioners to prevent infections Anishaa Kumar

not many cases have been seen as it cannot specifically identified.

Delhi. The test is conducted by means of urine sampling.”

Symptoms

Legionnaires disease can usually be treated with the help of macrolide drugs (a group of drugs). Dr Pradyut Waghray explains, “It can be treated with the help of macrolide drugs such as erithromycin and will be cured within a few days. There have been a few cases that I have seen but the patients have recovered.” Immunity is the key to the affect of and recovery from any disease. Dr Pradyut explains, “In case of people with diabetes there are chances of respiratory problems. People with a weak immune systems and illnesses such as AIDS and diabeties are more prone to the illness. It is said to be more rampant in young people and elderly people.” Take a simple precaution of maintaining your cooling appliances and enjoy those lazy summer afternoons.

anishaa.k@postnoon.com

ow we love those lazy summer afternoons. With the scorching heat, we all are tempted to reach out to an air conditioner or air cooler to provide relief. But just installing these appliances is not enough. It is important to maintain them and clean them properly before you use it to prevent any kind of infections. According to Dr SV Praveen, consultant pulmonologist, at Care Hospital, “Air conditioners and coolers should not be used without properly cleaning the filters. It can cause various chest related ailments such as infections and pneumonia.” While these are common ailments, a not-so-common ailment known as Legionnaires’ disease also may occur.

TAME THE SUN Legionnaires’ disease got it’s name after many people fell ill and died at a conference of legions in Philadelphia due to a virus in the air conditioning’s filter. “Legionnaire’ disease occurs due to a bacteria known as Legionella pneumophillia which is an atypical bacteria. This implies that it does not behave like a normal bacteria,” explains Dr Pradyut Waghray, managing director, Kunal Institute of Medical Sciences and senior pulmonologist, Apollo Hospital. Dr Praveen clarifies that although it has occurred it is not very common in India and

Dr Pradyut explains, “Legionnaires’ disease has the regular symptoms of any viral illness such as dry cough and difficulty in breathing. But what differentiates it from a regular viral infection is that it may cause severe and unexplained dry cough, muscle pain, crepilations (the clicking, rattling, or crackling noises that may be made by one or both lungs during inhalation), abnormal liver function, low sodium and signs of bronchial pneumonia.” To diagnose these symptoms tests such as X-rays, blood tests and liver function tests may be conducted. He adds, “As it is caused due to an atypical bacteria it is difficult to diagnose the disease. A test known as Legionella Pneumophillia Assay kit is available in foreign countries but is now available in India in some big hospitals in

Treatment

Ageing can also cause prolapse

Dr Divya T Sudershan

What is uterine prolapse? This is the commonest form of prolapse and involves the sliding down of the uterus, either partially or completely outside the pelvis. Pregnancy and trauma during childbirth and instrumental delivery/ tears, are the main causes of muscle weakness leading to uterine prolapse. Loss of muscle tone associated with aging and reduced amounts of circulating oestrogen after menopause also may contribute to it. In rare cases, the prolapse may be caused by a tumour. The usual symptoms are, sensation of heaviness or pulling in your pelvis, tissue protruding from your vagina, urinary difficulties, low back pain, sexual concerns, such as sensing looseness in the tone of your vaginal tissue. Usually the symptoms worsen as the day goes on, due to the gravitational effect. The big question is when do you go to a doctor? Normally a prolapse will be treated only when the patient comes with discomfort and symptoms like bleeding. Doctors will usually evaluate you by examining your pelvis, asking you to strain or cough. Usually an ultrasound and in rare cases an MRI may be needed to ascertain degree of proplapse. Not every proplapse needs to be operated. In the early stages conservative treatment is tried by advising weight loss, vaginal exercises, pessaries (silicone rings to support the uterus). In menopausal women hormonal creams may be advised and life style changes and if the prolapse is of a greater degree and interfering with daily activities then surgery may be advised either for removing the uterus and supporting the tissue, or suspension of the vaginal vault. Modern medicine and surgery have easy and long lasting solutions for problems like these. All you have to do is ask a doctor you trust, and follow through with their advise. (The writer is a gynaecologist and obstetrician at Happy Women Clinic. You can write in to her at happywomenclinic@gmail.com)

H‑Factor

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Popcorn packs more antioxidants than fruit Popcorn, which was already known to be a source of fiber, has higher levels of antioxidants than some fruit and vegetables, according to a new study

MOTHER KNOWS BEST

Relief from ear ache

Alexander Besant

opcorn may be the next superfood. Researchers at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania found that popcorn contained more healthy antioxidants than some fruit and vegetables, while being high in fiber and low in calories, reported Postmedia News. In sum, the “perfect snack food” — that is, if it is not doused with butter, oil or salt. “Based on fiber, whole grains, and antioxidant levels, popcorn is the king of snack foods,” said Joe Vinson, a professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton, according to WebMD. The study found that popcorn contains up to 300 milligrams of polyphenols, an antioxidant that is known to fight cancer and help to lower cholesterol. Popcorn, which is a 100 per cent whole grain, is also high in fiber. The study said that the high levels of antioxidants were due to the lack of water in each kernel, which tends to dilute the antioxidants found in fruit and vegetables. The study tested microwave popcorn and oven popped, finding that both packed high levels of antioxidants. “Those hulls deserve more respect,” said Vinson, according to Fox News. “They are nutritional gold nuggets.” Researchers did caution about eating popcorn at the expense of fruit and vegetables. According to the Times of India, Vinson said, “Popcorn cannot replace fresh fruit and vegetables in a healthy diet. Fruit and vegetables contain vitamins and other nutrients that are critical for good health, but are missing from popcorn.” GLOBAL POST

ar ache is a very common problem and is said to occur frequently with children. There are several home remedies to tackle ear ache. n Take a spoonful of sesame oil and add half a clove of garlic to it. Head it till it becomes slightly warm. Lie down and slowly pour four drops of the mixture in one ear. After 10 minutes, turn around and pour it into the second ear. n Add some leaves of a castor plant to warm sesame oil. Then dab this oil mixture around the ears. It is said to provide relief from ear ache. n Oil of ajwain is also said to be excellent for an ear problem. Take the oil and mix it with three times the quantity of sesame oil. Warm this mixture for some time and then put a few drops of the mixture in each ear. Another home remedy with ajwain is using ajwain seeds . Take half a teaspoon of ajwain seeds and mix it with 30ml of milk. After some time filter the milk and put four drops in each ear. n Grind leaves of Tulsi into a paste and then heat it. After the paste cools down put four to five drops of the oil in the ears. n The juice of tender leaves of a mango and make it slightly warm. A few drops of this juice can be put in the ear to provide relief. n Chop radish into tiny pieces and put those pieces in mustard oil and heat the mixture. When the mixture cools down, put a few drops in ears. n For those who suffer from ear ache during swimming, a simple home remedy is available. Put two drops of mineral oil in each ear before going for a swim. It is said to ensure that the pressure differences in water do not cause pain. Source: www.natural-homeremedies.org

Weight-loss surgery could cure diabetes, says research Priyanka Boghani

ew research shows that weight-loss surgery can reverse and possibly even cure diabetes. Two studies, presented on Monday in Chicago, showed that surgery helped patients much more than medica-

tion alone. The studies, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, compared the results of bariatric surgery, which reduces the size of the stomach, to medication alone, in cases of patients with Type 2 diabetes. Patients suffering from Type 2 diabetes cannot make enough insulin or effectively

use what they do have. Dr Francesco Rubino, a senior author of the study, said, “It’s an unprecedented effect that we’ve never seen in diabetes before. Remission hasn’t even been a word in the textbooks about diabetes.” According to the findings, the surgery can lower blood sugar lev-

els in diabetics, even before the weight loss begins. It also limits the amount of food a person can eat, making it easier to lose weight. The authors of the study enrolled obese patients suffering from diabetes to undergo either surgery or drug therapy and found that 75 per cent of the patients

who had undergone surgery showed no evidence of diabetes and were able to get off their medications, according to ABC News. The improvement started just 15 days after the surgery, while in the drug treatment group no one was free of diabetes. GLOBAL POST

F‑Folio

Because you are what you wear

Surabhi Chauhan feedback@postnoon.com

The red carpet is the event which leads upto any award function and a great appearance by an actor could translate into a wider fan base, success for the team of stylists who put the look together, and a sudden surge in sales for the dress and accessories designers. We look at some of the most memorable red carpet appearances from the award season 2012

Red carpet T

2. Natalie Portman

he Black Swan actor looked every bit glamorous at the 2012 Golden Globe awards in a strapless pink gown. The bright tone was what held our attention. The dress had a simple silhouette with a side drape of the fabric and a hint of red on the neckline. She paired the dress with Harry Winston diamond earrings and bracelets. She looked like an updated version of Audrey Hepburn in this Lanvin custom made fuchsia dress.

3. Rooney Mara

he rising star Rooney Mara’s name topped almost every designer’s list who they’d wish to dress for the red carpet. At every public appearance, she wore dresses which were not only overtly feminine but added elegance at the same time. For the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo New York premiere she wore NIFT Delhi graduate and New York-based designer Prabal Gurung’s short black dress. The dress highlighted her fit frame and the sheer fabric added softness to the entire black look. She kept the accessories to a minimal and matched the dress with Christian Louboutin black strapped heels.

4. Gwyneth Paltrow

ith mixed reviews from fashion critics, Gwyneth managed to shake things up during the 2012 Oscar awards by wearing a bold white Tom Ford gown with a matching cape. The look was minimal, striking and luxurious. The actor matched the outfit with a diamond cuff and ring. Designer Tom Ford doesn’t design for the faint hearted, and Gwyneth proved just that with this red carpet appearance.

1 2 3 4 5

1. Charlize Theron

his actor is a usual winner on the red carpet. Her choices seem more inclined towards classics and muted colours for gowns. For the 69th annual Golden Globe awards, she managed to make heads turn by choosing a nude-toned Christian Dior gown. She wore accessories of the same colour and added some sparkling diamond jewellery to make the look even more elegant. Instead of pairing it with a necklace, she kept the look young by wearing an encrusted head band over her side swept up hair.

5. Penelope Cruz

he Spanish beauty channelled the Hollywood golden era diva look with her dramatic sweeping Armani Prive gown at the Oscars this year. The icy-blue gown with off- shoulder straps was coordinated with Chopard diamond necklace and earrings she wore to the event. Her hair was also given a retro look with defined soft curls giving an appearance of a bob cut.

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

hits for 2012

6 7 8 9 10

20&21

The writer is a fashion blogger (www.lovestruckcow.blogspo t.com) who attempts to bridge the gap between creator and consumer. As a fashion writer, she hopes to promote Indian fashion among Indians and on a global level too.

6. Michelle Williams

he actor who was nominated for her portrayal of Marlyn Monroe wore a Louis Vuitton gown for the Oscar Awards 2012. This dress looked great on her small frame. The ruffles added volume to her silhouette and the clean strapless neckline showcased her toned shoulders. The orange colour especially suited her pixie like blonde haircut and fair skin tone in a refreshing manner.

7. Angelina Jolie

iss Jolie-Pitt reflects her personality very well with the fashion choices she makes on the red carpet. A fan of classic black, Jolie chose a minimal white and red gown for the Golden Globes this year. This Atelier Versace gown looked stunning on the actress which she paired with white peep-toe Versace heels and solitaire diamond earrings. She completed her look with a red Louboutin clutch in one arm and holding hands with partner Brad Pitt on the other.

8. Salma Hayek

ver since her marriage with Francois Henri Pinault – owner of one of the world’s biggest fashion company PPR, Salma Hayek has been a permanent fixture on the red carpet’s most fashionable list. At the Golden Globe awards, the actor wore a custom designed Gucci beaded dress. Highlighting her best features, the gown had a geometric pattern on the bustier and a black cascading skirt. She left her hair open and wore golden art deco inspired dangling earrings. This dress made the actor look extremely beautiful and stylish, just as a woman whose husband owns the fashion house that designed the dress should look like.

9 7

9. Sofia Vergara

ctor Sofia Vergara’s curvaceous frame is a designer’s delight. She wore a pink Marchesa gown which was simple and highlighted her best features. The pink tone suited her caramel tone very well and the hair was simply tied in a ponytail to give an effortlessly stunning look at the SAG awards red carpet.

10. Emma Stone

he bubbly vivacious actor leaves a memorable red carpet impression every time. Her appearance at the SAG Awards was one to look at as the actor chose to wear the predictable black. But the outfit was far from boring because of its unexpected detailing. The lace bustier and short hemline of this Alexander McQueen number was a refreshing change from the cascading gowns usually seen on the carpet. She carried a McQueen jewelled clutch and her peep-toe heels with detailed work clearly stood out when worn with this dress.

Spotlight

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 DEEPAK DESHPANDE

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Chargers flying high with Emirates Dubai-based Emirates will now sponsor Hyderabad's Deccan Chargers for the fifth season of the IPL which begins on April 4. Emirates were earlier sponsoring Kings XI Punjab. N SHIVA KUMAR Manoj, Christina & Ryan

Ready to party Kismet is the place to be on a Wednesday night as all the party animals in the city made a beeline for this happening pub. It was ladies night at Kismet and the crowd was just raring to party the night away.

Comfort for your home Miss India finalist and supermodel Alish Pekha (C) at the curtain raiser of Overseas Gallery, a furniture mall on Road No. 3, Banjara Hills on Wednesday DEEPAK DESHPANDE

The lucky three GRT jewellery slogan competition winners Moosa Khan, SV Rao and R Krupa pose with their prize. Each have won a scooty . N SHIVA KUMAR

Nikitha

Jocelyn, Ligia & Kari

Varsha

Payal & Tina

Abhijit & Manmit

Bhargav & Sandy

Neharika

Sonia

Dr SR Peri, Dr N Subrahmanyam & Dr KS Konappa

For good health Dr N Subrahmanyam , chairman launched the website of Srikon Healthcare Services Pvt. Ltd. at Hotel Fortune Park Vallabha in Banjara Hills on Wednesday.

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Magic Screen

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Dhoom:3’ starts shooting in May

ash Raj Films has confirmed that Dhoom:3 will begin shooting in May. The production house issued an official statement denying media reports that the project had been shelved. “It is unfortunate that without checking, a leading morning broadsheet irresponsibly declared that the shooting of Dhoom:3 had been indefinitely postponed and that it would be shot after Aamir Khan completes certain other future commitments. This is absolutely baseless,” said the press statement. “Dhoom:3 starts shooting in May 2012 and Aamir Khan joins the schedule in June as per plan.” The Aditya Chopra production also stars Katrina Kaif, Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra.

Songs from big films get noticed: Shaan

Kailash Kher aims to inspire young fans K S

haan says he sings regularly for films but rues that only songs that are part of big budget films get noticed. “I am very eager to sing for everyone...but then the filmmakers have got to call me. I have been singing quite a few good songs, and hopefully they will release soon,” Shaan said. “It’s only big film songs people really notice these days. Otherwise every Friday with a film release, there are new songs. So songs do come in, but unless it’s a megabudget film, people hardly notice,” he added. IANS

ailash Kher has said that he hopes his music serves as an inspiration to young fans. The Indian singer spoke about the importance of the demographic, as he embarks on the UK dates of his first ever world tour. “In our eight years, we have done 800 concerts across the globe and more than 400 have been in colleges. Our music is an inspiration for the youth,” said Kher. “Our music is not

just entertainment but it also has a few lessons, like love and respect. It conveys our values and roots to the youth and that is why we are so popular among them.” The 38-year-old Indian Idol judge said that he hoped to reach out to young British born Asians, plus the estimated 43,000 Indian and more Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan students currently residing in the UK.

Chai Time

KAKURO

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

SCRIBBLING PAD

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Wooden poles with blades 5 Trig ratio 10 Resort amenities 14 Lincoln and Vigoda 15 Santa ___ Park (California track) 16 ‘60 Minutes’ sound effect 17 Fish’s place to relax at home? 19 Interlaken river 20 More impertinent 21 Unsurprising 23 Makes even or level 26 Car company that made the Metro 27 ‘... card-carrying member of the ___’ 30 Himalayan country 32 Prof’s aides 35 Light a fire under 37 One not re-elected 39 Flanders and Devine 40 Took care of, as a business 42 Support withholder 43 One of the 12 tribes of Israel 45 Stay behind 47 End of the Three Musketeers’ motto 48 10-digit book IDs 50 He loved Lucy 51 Recreational wheels, for short 53 1952 and ‘56 candidate Stevenson 55 ‘As I was saying ...’ 58 Bows 63 Crystal-ball user, supposedly 64 Enthusiastic fish? 67 Bounding critter 68 Young elongated fish 69 Suffix with ‘million’ 70 ‘So what ___ is new?’ 71 Be lovesick 72 ‘Say no more!’ DOWN 1 Bumbling fellows 2 Start of a magician’s incantation 3 Cars introduced in 1905 4 Nine-digit IDs 5 Bank job, eg

6 Narrowest winning margin in baseball 7 Arthur Conan Doyle’s title 8 Timesaving abbr 9 Sammy who co-wrote ‘High Hopes’ 10 Member of a very large union 11 Ivory-tickling fish? 12 Home lot size, perhaps 13 Slant 18 ___ Andronicus (Shakespeare’s mad general) 22 Stare at impolitely 24 Fishy omen? 25 Brief quarrel 27 ‘He’s ___ nowhere man ...’ 28 Poker fish? 29 Barfly 31 Valentine’s Day cherub 33 It follows the first curtain 34 Dermatologist’s concern

35 ‘The King and I’ heroine 36 Those, in Madrid 38 ‘The Hunchback of Notre ___’ 41 Jessica of Hollywood 44 Watch-TV-when-youwant gadget 46 Pronouncement 49 Christian or Helen of Hollywood 52 Babe Ruth’s number 54 Nut that gets squirreled away 55 Tennis legend Arthur 56 Actress Patricia of ‘Hud’ 57 Part of Miss Muffet’s meal 59 Big Band and Gaslight

SUDOKU

60 ___-yourself kit 61 Continental dollar 62 Big first for a baby 65 ‘Bravo, bullfighter!’ 66 Agcy that built many dams

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born. – Ronald Reagan

Chai Time STAR POWER

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

As per Hindu panchang

FOR 30-3-2012

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

TAURUS

GEMINI

Businessmen will get good co‑operation from the staff and partners. Employees are advised not to expect more from superiors. Some might feel inferiority complex, disappointed and tensions.

Employees might face tension due to superior's treatment. Businessmen will sell their produce with an innovative method and earn good proﬁt. An old incident will rewind in your mind.

You will visit relatives whom you have been wanting to meet since long, and feel happy. Those trying for a fresh career opening will receive a favour‑ able news. Travel will bring beneﬁts.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Post pone taking any important decisi‑ on or applying for a loan. Relatives will visit you on their own and appre‑ ciate your approach. Businessmen are fortune as proﬁts are set to soar.

Unexpected fortune likely. Your vehicle might trouble you; get it rectiﬁed with‑ out delay to avoid major expense later. Employees will show their abilities in work and get proper recognition.

You have to wander a lot for getting certain work done for your blood rela‑ tive. Avoid anger and getting irritated. Employees advised not to get too close with colleagues. Relatives expect a lot.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Businessmen will learn important tac‑ tics that will help them in the long run. Employees will get closer to their supe‑ riors. Avoid decision making; postpone such situations for a couple of days.

Businessmen will not face any hurdles. Employees will be able to identify sabo‑ tage culprits and win them over. Negli‑ gence in govt work will cost you dear. Fear in mind should be driven away.

Need to adopt slow‑and‑steady policy. Businessmen will plan to market new items that are in demand. Some have bright chances to go abroad. Govt work will end well. Employees will be happy.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Be alert and stubborn while dealing with issues related to property. Misunder‑ standing likely with blood relatives; avoid such a situation. Businessmen will adopt innovative techniques effectively.

Avoid making new friends without pro‑ per information about them. Also avoid bringing them home as confusion at home possible. Businessmen are to be satisﬁed with only meagre proﬁts.

Misunderstanding with spouse likely. You will manage losses faced in busi‑ ness, with your experienced approach. Employees get recognised. Friendship with persons of high esteem likely.

SUMAA TEKUR

FOR 30-3-2012

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

The Magician – Good day to undertake important projects. You experience the power of telepathy and are able to con‑ nect at a deeper level with a loved one.

The Wheel of For‑ tune – Nothing ever stays the same. You need to realise and appreciate the fact that bad times will eventually give way to good times.

Seven of Swords – Yo‑ u will be asked to me‑ diate a conﬂict situa‑ tion between two groups that are equal‑ ly important to you. There are no easy ways to manage this.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Page of Swords – There are clouds of confusion around you but you are able to see things clearly, for what they are. Trust your instincts and continue doing what feels right.

The World – Donʼt allow irrational fear to come in the way of your dreams. Conquer those fears and go ahead into the future with con‑ ﬁdence.

Two of Pentacles – You suddenly ﬁnd yourself in the mid‑ dle of too many jobs. You will be expected to manage them all well since they are all important.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

King of Pentacles – You gain through professional contacts. An unexpected pat on the back comes from a senior in your industry, which spurs you on to do well.

Six of Wands – You get some important news from overseas contacts. It could either be a job oppo‑ rtunity or something that will enhance your personal life.

Seven of Pentacles – Juniors at work seek your advice on important issues. Your skills are put to the test at work. Concentrate and give it to your best.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

Ace of Wands – You are in a fertile period – both with your body and in your imagination. Great time for creative pro‑ fessionals. Some good ideas click.

Ace of Cups – Creative ideas come to your mind, and you are energized to put them to action right away. Go with the flow. You get the desired results.

Ten of Cups – Youʼre in a happy family place. Thereʼs a pre‑ dictability to the routine and you derive a lot of plea‑ sure from that. Buy gifts for loved ones.

SOLUTIONS

Boggle MOOSE HYENA TIGER HORSE ZEBRA

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

ARIES

TAROT READ

Vol: 1, No 256 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211

Chai Time 1400 Naadi Aadajanme 1430 Pavitra 1500 Movie 1800 Kodala Kodala Koduku Pellama 1830 Vasantha Kokila 1900 Chinnari Pelli Kuturu 1930 Anna Chellelu 2000 Missamma 2030 Edureetha 2100 Challenge 2200 CID 2300 Challenge 0730 Maa Shakti 0800 Ayurvedam 0830 Chaganti Sanatana Dharmam 0900 Money Money 1000 Chinnari Pelli Kuturu

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

1430 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1500 [V] Humse Hai Life 1530 [V] Suvreen Guggal 1600 [V] Trailers 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] Gumrah 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] Suvreen Guggal’ at 1830 Hrs on CHANNEL [V]

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

‘The Newshour’ at 2100 Hrs only on TIMES NOW

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

Telly sitcoms, news and movie listings

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

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

‘Global Business Report’ at 1900 Hrs only on ET NOW 1400 The F And O Show 1430 Closing Trades 1530 Tomorrow's Trades 1600 Business Day 1730 Markets Tomorrow 1800 Rush Hour 1830 Starting Up 1900 Global Business Report 1930 Business Express 2000 Business First 2030 Markets Tomorrow 2100 Business Tonight 2200 Top 10 At 10 2230 Brand Equity 2300 Investor's Guide 0900 First Trades 1000 Hot Stocks 1100 Buy Now Sell Now - The Stock Game 1130 Buy Now Sell Now 1200 Market Sense 1300 Business Day 1330 Markets Now

‘Dual Survival’ at 2200 Hrs on DISCOVERY CHANNEL 1400 Man Vs Wild 1500 Machines Of Malice 1600 The Survivors 1700 Man Vs Wild 1900 I Almost Got Away With It? 2000 Wild China 2100 Breaking Point 2200 Dual Survival 2300 Desire & Pleasure Decoded 1000 Stan Lee Superhumans 1100 Food Detectives 1130 Swamp Brothers 1200 Dual Survival

1440 Whacked Out Sports 1510 Movie - Face Off 1605 Wipeout 1700 Supernatural 1800 Chuck 1900 Most Daring 2000 Supernatural 2100 24 2200 Fear Factor 2300 Most Daring 0830 Infomercial/30 Min 0900 Sky Teleshopping 0930 Whacked Out Sports 1000 Movie - Face Off 1100 Most Daring 1200 Wipeout 1250 The Voice 2

‘24’ at 2100 Hrs on AXN

‘B B G C’ at 2100 Hrs on IMAGINE 1400 Haar Jeet 1500 Baba Aiso Var Dhoondo 1530 Saware Sabke Sapne - Preeto 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 1600 Veer Shivaji 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 - Nayee Zindagi Kay Sapno Ka 2200 Uttaran 2230 Na Bole Tum... Na Maine Kuch Kaha 2300 Balika Vadhu

‘Uttaran’ at 2200 Hrs on COLORS

‘Punarvivah’ at 2230 Hrs on ZEE TV 1400 Hitler Didi 1430 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 1500 Afsar Bitiya 1530 Choti Bahu 1600 Pavitra Rishta 1630 Dance India Dance 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 Sasuraal 1430 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 1500 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 1530 Crime Patrol - 2 1700 Crime Patrol - Dastak 1800 Saas Bina Sasuraal 1830 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 1900 Crime Patrol - Dastak 1930 Shubh Vivah 2000 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 2030 Dekha Ek Khwaab 2100 Saas Bina Sasuraal 2130 Parvarrish - Kuchh Khatti Kuchh Meethi 2200 Kyaa Hua Tera Vaada 2230 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 2300 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 2330 Crime Patrol - Dastak 0900 CID 1200 Shubh Vivah 1230 Dekha Ek Khwaab 1300 Kyaa Hua Tera Vaada

‘Kyaa Hua Tera Vaada’ at 2200 Hrs on SONY

‘Sajda Tere Pyaar Mein’ at 2200 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

1330 Cradle 2 The Grave 1525 Blade II 1725 The Lord Of The Rings - The Fellowship Of The Ring 2100 300 2310 Poseidon 0740 Friends 0810 One Missed Call 0950 Antz 1245 Mars Attacks! 1450 300

1410 Final Destination 2 1600 Rocky II 1835 Lethal Weapon 3 2100 Clash Of The Titans 2320 Rocky III 0800 Legend Of The Fist - The Return Of Chen Zhen 1015 Problem Child 2 1210 Buried

Supernatural Storyline - Sam and Dean investigate when a small town's wishing well actually starts to grant the people's wishes. ‘Supernatural’ at 2100 Hrs on STAR WORLD

Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai Storyline - How will Gayatri react when she reads Akshara’s diary? ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’ at 2130 Hrs on STAR PLUS

‘Clash Of The Titans’ at 2100 Hrs on HBO

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

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

‘Unforgettable’ at 2200 Hrs on STAR WORLD 1400 Supernatural 1500 Missing 1600 Joey 1630 The Simpsons 1700 Castle 1800 Supernatural 1900 Desperate Housewives 2000 Two And A Half Men 2030 The Simpsons 2100 Supernatural 2200 Unforgettable 2300 Joey 2330 Two And A Half Men 0700 Unforgettable 0800 Las Vegas 0900 Touch 1000 Unforgettable 1100 Desperate Housewives 1200 Two And A Half Men 1230 The Simpsons 1300 The Big Bang Theory 1330 Friends

1400 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1430 R. K. Laxman Ki Duniya 1500 Lapataganj - Sharad Joshi Ki Kahaniyon Ka Pata 1530 F.I.R 1600 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1630 I Luv My India 1700 Gutur Gu 1730 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1900 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

‘R. K. Laxman Ki Duniya’ at 2130 Hrs on SAB

‘Dev D’ at 1230 Hrs on ZOOM

1430 Life On The Line 1500 Deconstructed 1530 Discovery Science Classics 1630 Rising - Rebuilding Ground Zero 1730 Showdown - Aircombat 1930 Paleoworld 2000 Megascience 2030 Heavy Metal Taskforce 2130 Extreme Engineering 2230 Modern Sniper 2330 Industrial Revelations 1030 Rising - Rebuilding Ground Zero 1130 Life On The Line 1200 Deconstructed 1330 Paleoworld

1230 Movie - Dev D 1600 Let'z Go! 1700 Zabar 10 1730 Star Bonanza 1800 Let'z Go! 1900 Planet Bollywood 1930 Link'D 2000 Tentalize 2030 Let'z Go! 2100 Zooming With Omar 2130 Link'D 2200 B - Tonite 2230 Link'D 2300 Bollywood Bonanza 0700 Fresh Mornings 0800 Red Carpet 0805 Fresh Mornings 1100 Your Likes 1200 Planet Bollywood 1230 Movie

‘Extreme Engineering’ at 2130 Hrs on DISCOVERY SCIENCE

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

Playing Field

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

The games people play

Rafa to take on Murry in semis Rafael Nadal set up a mouthwatering semi-final clash with Andy Murray at the ATP/WTA Miami tournament, coming through a tough battle with French sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France during Day 10 of the Sony Ericcson Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on Wednesday in Key Biscayne, Florida. AFP/ GETTY IMAGES/ MIKE EHRMANN

he Spanish world number two, chasing his first tournament win of the season, needed almost three hours to defeat Tsonga 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in a quarter-final night match. Nadal struggled at times on his

serve, failing to land a single ace, but he managed to save eight of 10 break point opportunities. He served for the match at 5-4 in the second set but Tsonga dug deep, winning three straight games to force a decider.

Nadal, 25, who has reached the final in Miami three times, broke the Frenchman in the ninth game of the third to lead 5-4 and survived two break points in the final game to progress to the semifinals.

Earlier, 2009 champion Murray, chasing his second title of the season after a win in Brisbane, rallied to beat Serb ninth seed Janko Tipsarevic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. The Scottish fourth seed lost his opener at Indian Wells earlier

this month and he looked as if he could be headed for another early exit when he lost six games in a row. “I felt like in the first set I was trying to do too much with the ball and therefore making more mistakes than I needed to or that I normally do,” the 24-year-old said. Murray called for the doctor in the first set when he was ahead 32, saying he had an upset stomach and he might have been suffering from indigestion. “I don’t know if I drunk too much beforehand and kind of over-hydrated,” he said. “Each time I took a sip I wanted to burp. “I took two tablets (from the doctor). He said it was to settle my stomach down. Basically the last two sets I hardly drunk anything.” Tipsarevic fell behind 2-4 before winning six straight games — four to win the first set and two more for a 2-0 lead in the second. But Murray rallied to win the second set and converted a lone service break in the final set to take the match in two hours 39 minutes. “You can take chances but you have to wait for the right ball to move on. I was rushing and trying to end points quickly and in today’s game it is pretty much impossible to win playing that way,” Murray said. “Today’s match was really important for me to get through after being a break down a few times in the second set,” Murray said. “It is good to be in the semifinals and hopefully I can rest, recover and play well on Friday.” Tipsarevic fired seven aces but won just 32 per cent of his secondserve points.

Bartoli ends Azarenka’s winning streak Azarenka’s 26-match winning streak was ended by Marion Bartoli, who stunned her in the q/f of the ATP/WTA Miami hardcourt event

zarenka’s season-long unbeaten run had earned her four titles, including her first Grand Slam at the Australian Open, which propelled her to world number one. The 22-year-old from Belarus also won in Sydney, Doha and Indian Wells. It was the longest winning streak on the WTA Tour since Martina Hingis won 37 consecutive matches in 1997. “I feel disappointed, sure,” Azarenka said. “Who wouldn’t be after the loss?

“But what I’ve done in the last couple of months, I have to be really proud of myself. I could have maybe played better today, that’s for sure, but I gave it all I had. “Physically I was just not able to do anything today. It was just not possible.” Defending champion Azarenka fell behind early in the match against her French opponent and was unable to turn it around as she had in her fourth-round match two days ago. Down a set and behind 5-2 against 16th seeded Dominika

Cibulkova, she had rallied to win in three sets, 1-6, 7-6 (9/7), 7-5, but could not engineer a similar comeback against Bartoli. “Everybody wanted to be the first one to beat me,” Azarenka said. “I think it’s pretty normal. When I was going to play against the number one player in the world I also tried to do the same. “Two days ago I could turn it around and today I couldn’t. But it’s not gonna stop me from working hard and keep going the same way.”

Marion Bartoli of France (L) shakes hands with Victoria Azarenka of Belaraus after her victory.

Playing Field

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

The games people play

Knicks beat Magic thanks to Carmelo NEW YORK: The shorthanded New York Knicks won their eighth game in the last nine Wednesday by overpowering the Orlando Magic 108-86 behind a 25-point performance from Carmelo Anthony. Anthony, who also had six assists and five rebounds, took charge of the Knicks’ offense with Jeremy Lin and Amare Stoudemire both sitting out with injuries. Anthony was playing hurt as he had to battle through a groin problem Wednesday. Iman Shumpert finished with 25 points while Steve Novak and J.R. Smith had 16 and 12, respectively, off the bench for New York. The win gives the Knicks a

sweep of their three game homestand and it was their eighth win in the last nine. The Knicks went on a 12-0 run in the second quarter and on a 21-0 run in the third quarter to take command of the contest. Guard Baron Davis started in place of point guard Lin and finished with 11 points. Lin is out with a sore knee while forward Stoudemire is receiving treatment for a bulging disk in his lower back. With their victory, the Knicks improved to 8-1 under interim coach Mike Woodson. Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard combined for 29 points for Orlando, who lost for the first time in four games.

Results and standings

Model Kate Upton attends the game between the New York Knicks and the Orlando Magic.

PHILADELPHIA MEMPHIS MILWAUKEE DALLAS SAN ANTONIO OKLAHOMA CITY LA LAKERS

103, 93, 108, 90, 107, 109, 104,

CLEVELAND MINNESOTA ATLANTA HOUSTON PHOENIX PORTLAND GOLDEN STATE

85 86 101 81 100 95 101

Iman Shumpert of the New York Knicks dunks the ball against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden. AFP/CHRIS TROTMAN

India in SA for T20 date at Wanderers JOHANNESBURG: India and South Africa meet in a one-off Twenty20 international at the Wanderers Stadium on Friday with India coach Duncan Fletcher insisting the long round trip will be worthwhile. India arrived in Johannesburg Wednesday with a near full strength T20 squad, with batsman Virender Sehwag and pace bowler Zaheer Khan the only key players being rested. Superstar Sachin Tendulkar, reportedly receiving medical treatment in London, is not a regular T20 international player. South Africa, by contrast,

have picked only eight of the squad which won a T20 series in New Zealand last month, resting all their Test players with the exception of Jacques Kallis, who will be the recipient of a special tribute at the match. Cricket South Africa (CSA) will contribute to the Jacques Kallis Foundation, which provides scholarships for talented cricketers from under-privileged areas to attend leading cricket schools. Kallis said he would, in turn, assist the Yuvraj Singh Foundation. India player Singh is being treated for cancer. Kallis’

father died of cancer in 2003. The South African squad includes three uncapped players and will be captained by off-spinner Johan Botha in the absence of the regular captain AB de Villiers and vice-captain Hashim Amla, who both played in the Test series in New Zealand. India, though, will be led as usual by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Fletcher said the Indian team contained a significant number of young players. “We’ve been trying to develop a young one-day squad and Twenty20 squad,” he said. “These blokes have played well

on the subcontinent and any game they play out of it must be very good from an experience point of view.” The announcement of the match was made as recently as March 5. It was one of the last acts of Gerald Majola before he was suspended as CSA chief executive following a judicial report on undeclared bonuses paid to him. The game comes at the end of a long international season for both teams and only five days before the start of the Indian Premier League, which will feature most of the players involved this Friday.

Squads South Africa: Johan Botha (capt), Farhaan Behardien, Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram, Jacques Kallis, Richard Levi, Albie Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Morne van Wyk (wk), Dane Vilas (wk). India: MS Dhoni (capt, wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ashok Dinda, Gautam Gambhir, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina, Rahul Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Robin Uthappa.

Playing Field

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

The games people play

Roaring Tseng raring to go

File photo of a women’s surf team in action.

Tragedy strikes Oz surf tourney again

RANCHO MIRAGE: Last year a near-miss in the Kraft Nabisco Championship proved potent fuel for Taiwan’s Yani Tseng, the world number one who starts as overwhelming favourite in the first women’s major of the year. Tseng, the 2010 champion at Mission Hills, settled for a runner-up finish last year behind American Stacy Lewis. She said that the defeat — in which Lewis overtook her — helped motivate her in a 2011 season that eventually included 12 global titles — seven of them on the LPGA tour and two of them at majors. “That experience gave me lots of things that improved myself, last year through this year,” she said. “I know my emotional control wasn’t very good. I was very stressed after I missed a putt, after I made a bad shot.

“But after that tournament, I had a little meeting with my team, my trainer, to see how much I can improve on the tournament, and I did after that. I learned how can I win in a tournament when I was leading on Sunday or when I was behind on Sunday, and I know how to play golf better on Sunday instead of just playing Sunday like the first day of a tournament.” The lessons have clearly stuck. Tseng has won six of the last 12 events she entered — including three LPGA tour wins. “Right now Yani doesn’t have as much competition as maybe she even wants, so we all need to practice a little bit harder and we need to go out there and challenge her more often because right now she’s beating us pretty badly,” said American Morgan Pressel.

A second competitor in three years has died at the same beach during the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships, sparking allegations on Thursday that organisers ignored safety recommendations

atthew Barclay, 14, disappeared when he came off his board on Wednesday during an under-15s competition at Kurrawa beach on the Gold Coast. His body was found Thursday after a massive search but the cause of death has not yet been announced. Barclay’s death comes after teenager Saxon Bird drowned in treacherous conditions during the same carnival at the same beach in 2010, and is the third casualty at the event since 1996. Lawyer Chris Branson, who represented Bird’s family at an inquest into his death, said it was clear governing body Surf Life Saving Australia had failed again, calling Barclay’s death “a scandal of monumental proportions”. “They’ve learnt nothing from Saxon Bird’s death, they’ve learnt

nothing from Robert Gatenby’s death, and the essential feature is that it should not be held here at Kurrawa at all — ever, ever, ever,” he told ABC radio. He claimed commercial reasons were behind the event being held again at a beach which offers good facilities and accommodation, but where a life had already been lost. “There’s about Aus$15 million worth of sponsorship for these championships... and unfortunately there’s a bureaucracy of people that run this carnival now, who essentially are not competitors at an elite level.” A key recommendation from the coronial inquest that followed Bird’s death was for Surf Life Saving Australia to select a suitable flotation vest for competitors, but this has not yet been implemented. The organisation’s

chief executive Brett Williamson said they did all they could to ensure competitor safety “Certainly the information that we were looking at on a regular ongoing basis was that surf conditions were not large,” he told reporters, though he conceded the floatation device had yet to be selected. “One of the recommendations from the coronial inquiry last year was for Surf Life Saving to continue to work with designers of safety vest flotation devices. “That has been going and underway and it’s just too early to stipulate a particular brand or type.” The annual championship, the largest event of its type in the world, attracts some 10,000 surf lifesavers competing in a range of disciplines in the water and on the sand. MP/AJC/SLS

Thorpe said he planned to continue.

Thorpe set for hard training SYDNEY: Ian Thorpe has returned to the pool and said today (Thursday) he was looking for a heavy block of training laps as he contemplates his next competition. The five-time Olympic gold medallist missed out on place at a third Olympic Games in London after failing to qualify in the 100-metre and 200-metre freestyle at last

week’s selection trials in Adelaide. Thorpe, 29, said he planned to continue swimming and has returned to the pool ahead of increased training. “I’m still disappointed but once the competition was over I found the resolve to continue doing what I’m doing and I’m as motivated as what I was before,” Thorpe said. AFP

Playing Field

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

The games people play

Calm AC Milan hold Barca to draw AC Milan and holders Barcelona played out a tight and nervy 0-0 draw at the San Siro on Wednesday to leave their Champions League quarter-final finely balanced ahead of next week’s second leg at the Camp Nou.

hances were at a premium as the two sides adopted a largely safetyfirst policy to ensure they would go into the return match with everything still to play for. Barcelona enjoyed their usual two-thirds majority of possession but Milan played in a controlled and calm manner, and even created the best chances on the counter-attack. There were times during the first period in which they looked capable of repeating Inter Milan’s famous 3-1 semi-final, home leg victory over Barca in the same stadium two years ago. But by the second half Milan’s attacking threat had all but dried up and Barca seemed unable or unwilling to commit enough men forward to break down their stubborn hosts. Instead a close second leg awaits in Spain next Tuesday where Milan will feel confident that progress could hinge on the scoring of an away goal, which Barca failed to do here. Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said he felt more confident of progression now that his side had kept a clean sheet at home. “In the next match we can get two results from three (a win and a draw) so in respect to (before) tonight we have a slightly bigger chance (of progressing), notwithstanding the fact that Barca are the best team in the world,” he said. “In some moments we played well, although in others we were too defensive.” Barca coach Pep Guardiola said Milan’s high spirits were a compliment to his team. “I admire their faith and self

Another nice move seemed to come unstuck when Alexis Sanchez played a silly flick but Luca Antonini was sleeping and Xavi punced to shoot, but Milan blocked it. Sanchez burst beyond the Milan defence but Antonini doggedly stuck to the task, chased him down and blocked the Chilean’s shot. Chances were few and far between but Messi was handed a free-kick opportunity from 25 yards after Alessandro Nesta unceremoniously hacked him down, but the Argentine magician curled his effort over. From a corner Barca captain Carles Puyol darted onto Xavi’s ball but his glancing header bounced just beyond the far upright. The best chance of the match came in the final minutes as Djamel Mesbah slipped allowing Messi a clear sight of goal but Abbiati made a full length stop before Antonini blocked Tello’s follow-up. AFP

AC Milan’s goalkeeper Chistian Abbiati (L) is exultant after Barcelona’s Lionel Messi was ruled off side when he was attempting score in their Champions League quarter-finals first leg football match on Sunday at San Siro stadium in Milan. AFP/ALBERTO LINGRIA belief but it was always like this with the Milan of (Arrigo) Sacchi and (Fabio) Capello so they’re happy with this 0-0,” he said. “It’s a great eulogy for us and what we’ve done in the past that they’re happy. “They know that if they score, we need to score two and if they score two then we need three. “But we’re used to playing to win, we know it will be difficult.” Milan almost got off to a dream start following a Barcelona

mistake but Kevin-Prince Boateng hestitated a moment too long, allowing Gerard Pique to block his shot. The ball spooned up and Zlatan Ibrahimovic teed up Robinho but he skied his finish. Barcelona had plenty of possession but Milan were playing intelligently, sitting back and waiting as Barca knocked the ball around while pressing hard when the Catalans were short in numbers around the ball.

Bayern sink Marseille MARSEILLE: Bayern Munich took control of their Champions League quarterfinal against Marseille with a 2-0 win at Stade Velodrome on Wednesday that condemned OM to an eighth defeat in nine matches. With Steve Mandanda suspended,

Bayern Munich’s striker Mario Gomez (L) celebrates after scoring a goal against Marseille in Marseille. AFP

Marseille coach Didier Deschamps chose to field third-choice goalkeeper Elinton Andrade but the move backfired in the 44th minute when the Brazilian allowed Mario Gomez’s shot to slip beneath him. The 32-year-old was making his first appearance since January 2011 and he was beaten again by Arjen Robben in the 69th minute as Bayern took a commanding grip on the tie ahead of next Tuesday’s return leg. “We realised our objective by winning here without conceding any goals,” said Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes. “Marseille play emotional football, so it was very important for us to get this result tonight.” It was a sixth consecutive success for Heynckes’ side, whose thoughts may already be turning to a likely semi-final showdown with Real Madrid for the right to reach the May 19 final at their own Allianz Arena stadium.

The hosts created the next chance as Clarence Seedorf played in Ibrahimovic, who took a touch and tried to slip the ball past Victor Valdes but the goalkeeper got down well to save. Barcelona were struggling to get in behind Milan’s disciplined backline but after one slick passing move Xavi played a one-two with Lionel Messi only for Christian Abbiati to save low to his right.

AC MILAN’S TALISMAN: AC Milan’s president Silvio Berlusconi (C) is greeted by Milan’s sporting director Adriano Galliani (L) before the start of the match.