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THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012 HYDERABAD

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N SHIVA KUMAR

BANDH

BAJA Barring a few incidents of protester-police clashes, the stir-wary City gave a thumbs down to the Bharat bandh. REPORT ON PG 4

qÜÉ=qáãÉâÉÉéÉêë As Big Ben turns 153 today, we look at some of the timekeepers which have weathered changes and ticked through time and history. P16&17

GDP GROWTH SLOWS TO 5.3%

India’s economic growth slumped to a threeyear low of 6.5 per cent in 2011-12, as compared to 8.4 per cent in the previous year, due to poor performance of the manufacturing and farm sectors, official data showed on Thursday. In the fourth quarter of the financial year ended March 31, 2012, the growth in gross domestic product (GDP) slumped to 5.3 per cent as compared to 7.8 per cent during the corre-

sponding quarter last year. Growth of eight core-sector industries slowed to 2.2 per cent in April 2012, as against 4.2 per cent in the same month last year. Core-industries’ growth dipped to 4.4 per cent in 2011-12, compared to 6.6 per cent in the previous fiscal. Analysts had forecast a growth of 6.1 per cent in the fourth quarter.

ATTACKED BY DOGS, DEER DIES Hyderabad sadly lacks a 24x7 emergency clinic for animals. The death last night of a deer that strayed into the City and was subsequently attacked by dogs highlights the dire need of P3 this facility.

Page Two

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

Spirit of Twin Cities

FINER DETAILS

Library summer camp

N SHIVA KUMAR

A library summer camp for parents and faculty of UG and PG students will be held from May 10 onwards. The camp will provide guidance for faculty and final year PG students for National/State lectureship and scholarship test(NET/APSET) for `3,650. Where: Hyderabad library services, Sagar View Complex When: May 10 - June 10, Contact: (040) 2322 2247, 94412 37751

Dance ballet A dance ballet by Sri Vyshnavi Arts will be held on May 31. Where: Sri Thyagaraja Gana Sabha, Chikkadpally When: May 31, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 27638 241

Calligraphic works Head to Truffles Cafe for the calligraphic works of Sri Parameshwar Raju in the exhibition titled Ramayanam. Where: Truffles Cafe, Jubilee Hills, Rd No 36 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2355 0105

Artistic exhibits On a look out for traditional prints and crafts? Head to an exhibitional of traditional handicrafts and artistic handlooms of Gujarat which has around 10 tribal craftsmen and 10 other artisans from Gujarat participating. Where: West Marredpally community grounds, Marredpally When: Ongoing, 10am onwards

Madhubani workshop The YMCA Secunderabad is hosting a madhubani painting workshop. The workshopis being fecilitated by an artist from Madhubani. Where: YMCA Secunderabad, West Marredpally When: June 18- June 29 Contact: 98490 07736, 99595 57183

Theatre workshop Samahaara is hosting special four week summer acting workshops. The workshops will be held for a duration of four weeks in three different parts of the City. Where: Vidyaranya School, The Terrace, The Actor’s Studio When: Ongoing ,

CINEMAS

Monday-Friday Contact: 83411 20303

A matter of perception Juxtaposed Perceptions, a solo painting exhibition by renowned artist Ninad Jagadish. Where: Muse Art Gallery, Lower Tank Bund When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 2752 2999

Summer camp Annapurna International School of Film and Media will be holding a Summer Camp program in filmmaking, acting and photography. The second batch is from May 28. Where: Annapurna School, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 4914 1234

Kids day out Oxford Bookstore is organising a unique fun-filled workshop ‘A kid’s Day Out’ for the children. The fiveday workshop will host exciting activities and competitions like baby show, painting, clay moulding and sudoku. Where: Oxford Bookstore, The Park, Somajiguda When: June 2- June 6, 11am onwards Contact: 91601 48444

Colonial Cousins live Colonial Cousins — the extremely

popular duo of Hariharan and Leslie Lewis will be performing live at Shilpa Kala Vedika to support Sparsh Hospice Care Centre. Where: Shilpa Kala Vedika, Madhapur When: June 3, 6.30pm onwards

Solo exhibition A solo painting and sculpture exhibition by Shantanu Roy is being held at the State Gallery of Fine Arts, Madhapur. The exhibition is on till May 31. Where: State Gallery of Fine Arts, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2311 3308

Budding entrepreneurs A unique management and entrepreneurial workshop for students of age group 11-17, at ISB Hyderabad from June 4 to June 9. The workshop is open for children in the age group of 11-17. Where: Indian School of Business, Gachibowli When: June 4-June 9, 9am onwards Contact: 98665 61690, 9052553320

Water colours A painting exhibition featuring new water colour works by Sunil Lohar called Narrations, Connotations and Interpretations is on display. Where: Kalakrithi Gallery,

Banjara Hills, Rd No10 When: Ongoing, 11.30am onwards Contact: (040) 6656 4466

Paradigm shift Mumbai-based fusion band PARADIGM which plays a combination of Indian classical music and contemporary progressive rock will be performing live on May 3. Where: Hard Rock Cafe, Banjara Hills, Rd No When: May 31, 9pm onwards Contact: (040) 6463 6375

Buy art Iconart Art Gallery as a part of its Buy Art initiative is hosting an exhibition featuring abstract art, sculptures and paintings. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing, 11.30am onwards Contact: 98499 68797

Rock music show Head to Novotel, Kondapur for a live rock music show by Peace Frog on May 31. Where: Novotel and HICC complex, Kondapur When: May 31, 8pm onwards Contact: (040) 6682 4422

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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THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Attacked by dogs, deer dies Hyderabad sadly lacks a 24x7 emergency clinic for pets. The death last night of a deer that strayed into the City and was subsequently attacked by dogs highlights the dire need of this facility

AMENITIES

DESPITE THE YOUNG MAN PLEADING WITH THE GUARD OUTSIDE THE BLUE CROSS CLINIC, HE REFUSED TO CALL A DOCTOR TO ATTEND TO THE EMERGENCY SITUATION LEADING TO THE DEER’S EVENTUAL DEATH

Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

hat happens if your pet develops a sudden illness or meets with an accident in the middle of the night and needs emergency care? It dies unattended, if it is in Hyderabad. In a sad saga that highlights the utter lack of emergency care for animals, a young deer, which strayed into the town near Seringampally area last night confronted a pack of street dogs that mauled the startled deer badly. Seeing the attack, the colony residents rushed to the spot, drove away the dogs and rescued the deer. But profusively bleeding, the deer was gasping for breath, said a resident of the colony. In the confusion as to what’s to be done, a young man volunteered to take it to the Blue Cross clinic.

He rushed the animal to the clinic. It was nearing midnight. He reached the Blue Cross and it was closed. The security man at the gate said the clinic will open only at 10am and its service was available

between 10am to 1pm. There was no emergency care and no doctor available, he was informed. Dejected, the man kept pleading with the security to inform the doctor but he refused. He then got in touch with the Doctor Dog clin-

ic at Jubilee Hills. The director and vet, Dr Muralidhar attended the call and he invited the man to bring the deer but he had to get a consent of an authorised NGO or the forest department if surgery was indicated because it is a wild animal. Dr Muralidhar in turn rang up the Animal Rehabilitation and Protection Front (ARPF) to rush and help. But shortly after the man again rang up Dr Muralidhar and said the animal was dead. “He sounded very sad,” recalled Dr Muralidhar. “He was

sobbing. It is heart-rending to realise that in spite of being ready to help, the precious life of an animal could not be saved,” the veterinarian told Postnoon. “It is atrocious that in this massive City we have no 24x7 facility to help the animals in need of medical attention,” remarked ARPF founder Nihar Parulekar who was rushing to help the deer when he was stopped mid-way with a call that the animal was no more. When contacted the Blue Cross this morning, the man who attended and identified as coordinator said the clinic timing was 10am to 1pm. “Thereafter the doctors attend surgery if there is one. We have no system to attend to emergencies at midnight.” The incident highlights the dire need of a round-the-clock emergency facility in the City to attend to the needs of pets and animals. “The sick can’t wait for clinic timings,” remarked a pet owner, Rajaram Patnakar who had heard of the deer’s sad end.

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THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Watch out for killer buses Rash and negligent driving by RTC bus drivers is the cause of a large number of accidents in the City but action is rarely taken against these high-handed men

Osama Salman salman.o@postnoon.com

hey zoom past traffic as if in a race where coming first is everything; they try to move ahead even in heavy traffic without keeping an inch of space between vehicles; they wear a ‘we-don’t-care attitude’ on the sleeve, and are out to reduce the population! Meet Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) buses. They are big, they are fast, and they are brutal! The number of accidents in 2011, up to November, was a staggering n How are accident rates calculated? This is done by dividing the number of accidents by one lakh kilometre operations 207. And this is just in the Greater Hyderabad Zone. The State figures are alarming. The accident rate of 2010 was 0.09 and this increased to 0.102 in 2011. On May 28, Ramkumar, 28, a civil engineer in a private firm, was hit by a speeding bus in Saifabad and died on the spot. Every now and then, there are similar reports of the negligence by APSRTC bus drivers. The passengers who use the buses don’t feel safe either. However, since it is the cheapest mode of travel, they have little choice. “The bus drivers sometimes drive like maniacs. They not only risk their lives, but also the lives of hundreds of others, especially the passengers. They have no regards for rules and somehow the traffic policemen don’t tell them anything either. This makes them feel as if they are above the rules. It is pathetic,” opined Amina Razvi, a home-

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City says nay to bandh, districts hit Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

TRANSPORT

Helpline

Accidents in Greater Hyderabad Zone Year 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011 (upto Nov)

Fatal 100 105 107 108 136 112 118 74

Major 72 56 71 69 88 69 87 67

maker residing in Punjagutta. Recalling an incident, Amina said, “I was driving in Begum Bazaar last month, and when the signal turned green, I went ahead when out of no where, an APSRTC bus banged into my car. The bonnet got damaged. This happened despite a police cop being present at the signal. The driver did not care to apologise and instead shouted at me.” As if driving fast and rash wasn’t bad enough, the bus drivers have a cold attitude

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towards the passengers. “They are insensitive. Neither do they stop properly at bus stops, nor do they drive safely. The bus is dangerous when it is crowded or when there is a traffic jam. I personally went and told many drivers to drive properly, but they shouted at me instead. They said, that I was the only one complaining and that if there was a problem I could get off and take another bus. What can the passengers do when they drivers have this callous attitude?” ques-

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tioned P Ramesh, a resident of Hakeempet who uses the public bus to commute in the City. “The APSRTC is busy implementing other schemes. They should instead concentrate on teaching the drivers basic safety rules, especially when it comes to driving. “They should be heavily punished if not up to the mark. They have the responsibility of the keeping the passengers safe, but that rarely happens,” said Ankitha Chauhan, an HR manager who uses the bus every day to commute to work. Ironically, officials at APSRTC claim that they have the lowest accident rate in the country. “We conduct safety workshops for the drivers and strictly instruct them to drive safely. The number of fatal accidents too have come down over the years as have major and minor accidents,” said Vijaylaxmi, deputy chief traffic manager (schedules), APSRTC.

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he opposition sponsored Bharat Bandh to protest the latest petrol hike had a partial impact in districts while it was largely ignored in Hyderabad. Barring a solitary incident of activists-police clash, life was normal. Tension mounted at RTC crossroads in Narayanguda when CPI activists tried to shut a wine shop at Chikkadpally. In the melee, glass panes of the shop were broken. Police intervened and beat up a women activist. She sustained minor injuries. Though life was normal in the City, exams were postponed. At Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station, some 50 activists of CPM including former MP P Madhu were arrested by the police when they tried to stop some buses. A rally at Narayanguda flyover by CPM led to a huge traffic jam. In the districts, life was thrown out of gear. Most APSRTC buses did not run in the districts till noon. The opposition parties held a rasta roko at bus depots in all district headquarters. Depots of Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, Karimnagar, Adilabad, Kurnool, Nizamabad, Prakasam East Godavari, Guntur and Nellore remained inactive. Many banks were cautious and kept their shutters half-down. Offices were working.

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

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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

New liquor policy to be ready in two days: Minister

econdary education minister K Parthasarathi, who is also in-charge of excise and prohibition, on Wednesday said that the new liquor policy would be finalised after due consultations and eliciting opinions from the people’s organisations. The Cabinet sub-committee appointed to study the policy met in the secretariat today and held discussions. Parthasarathi and Anam Ramnarayana Reddy attended the meeting while home minister Sabita Indra Reddy, civil supplies minister D Sridhar Babu and minister for endowments C Ramachandraiah abstained. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Parthasarathi said that they would submit a draft of the policy and modalities to the chief minister in two days. The cabinet sub-committee would once again meet before submitting its report, he added. He said that the sub-committee has received a number of complaints and suggestions for the policy. It would take time to study and consider their suggestions. NSS

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Promises, booze flow in this reserved constituency Inkeshaf Ahmed

Main players

ahmed.m@postnoon.com

Congress: Sumana Gantela YSR Congress Party: G. Babu Rao TDP: Chengala Venkat Rao

efection of the Congress MLA Golla Baburao to the YSRC camp has necessitated the by-election of this reserved constituency. As such Baburao believes that people would endorse his shift. After the initial flush where scores rushed with nomination papers, nine remain in the field for the reserved seat of Payakaraopet seat. They are: Kothapalli Lokanadham CPI(M), KNP Chakravarthy (BJP), Chengala Venkata Rao (TDP), Gantela Sumana (INC), Golla Babu Rao (YSRCP), Janga Rajendra Prasad, Gudabandi Babu Rao, Matha Suresh, Maarthi Lakshmana Murthy (all four independents). District collector Lav Agarwal said that 12 candidates had filed 29 nominations. He said that 24 zones, an equal number of routes and 231 polling stations were set up in the Payakaraopeta Ass-

Golla Baburao

ON THE

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Chengala Venkat Rao

CAMPAIGN

TRAIL

embly constituency. The authorities have identified 33 polling centres as troublesome. These include 12 hypersensitive, 19 sensitive and 11 critical centres. Some 1,079 cases have been

booked in the constituency including 343 on liquor distribution to induce voters. Superintendent of police (Visakhapatnam rural) G Srinivas said that a control room has been set up to receive complaints of poll code violations. Complainants can call on phone 08931-235670. He said that eight companies of police forces would be utilised for

conduct of the by-election and an additional three companies would be on standby. A total of 130 SIs, 20 CIs and five DSPs would monitor the security arrangements. Election observer Robin Choudhary, additional SP Tanveer Iqbal, incharge additional joint collector UGC Nageswara Rao and returning officer B Dayanidhi were present. The Congress is out to expose the ‘cheat’ who earned people’s votes in the name of Congress but defected midway for ‘obvious’ reasons. The TDP, on the other hand, is trying to wean away this seat saying both the Congress and the YSRC are two sides of the same coin and should show them the door.

7-hr power supply to ryots: CM With Jagan locked up, Kiran looks perky C Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

nperturbed by the arrest of his cabinet colleague M Venkararamana and gloomy reports from the campaign fields, the Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, has been attending to urgent office works with a renewed zeal. A look around the camp office and secretariat revealed that the CM has been attending to the pending works in a rapid pace with a new look of glow. Kiran held a series of review meetings in the past five days on crucial issues that required his intervention. The first among these issues is the progress of works of Krishna Drinking Water Supply Phase 3 project which is aimed at meeting the drinking water requirements of residents of GHMC. The chief minister, after holding a review meeting on the project with the officials of Hyderbad Metro Water Board, gave his approval to avail `1,670 crore loans from Hudco and set up a specific timeframe to complete the project. Sources said he has also proposed to give relief to people in sales tax of petrol. He has reportedly sought the consent of the election officials for it.

A review meeting of `14,000 crore Metro Rail Project too was held to monitor its progress and he asked the officials to complete the project before the deadline. All through these meetings, the CM looked firm and confident while interacting with officials and his cabinet colleagues, despite there being reports of many Congress MLAs leaving the party to join YSRC. According to party leaders, the reason for CM’s confidence is the free hand given by the party high command in governing the State. “He is trying to balance governance with party activities. But he needs a bit of luck to come out of this political mess,” PCC disciplinary committee president K. Satyanarayana Raju told Postnoon. Agriculture minister K Laxminarayana said, “Kiran was given the responsibility with the belief that he would set things in order in the State. He is here to meet the expectations of party president Sonia Gandhi,” he said.

Election campaign The chief minister is again in the electoral battlefield from today. He will be canvassing for party candidates in Vizag and Godavari districts, party sources said.

hief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy asked the discoms to see that sevenhour power supply to farmers is ensured under any circumstances. He asked them to look into the complaints being received in this regard. The CM today held a review meeting on the power sector with the chief secretary and others at the Secretariat. The CM also told the discoms to see that dedicated vehicles with GPS systems attached be used for replacement of failed distribution transformers without delay on receipt of complaints. He said that the GPS system will ensure replacement of failed transformers wherever they are at the earliest. He asked the discom officials to send him a monthly report on the replacement of failed distribution transformers. The chief minister has directed that by September 1, GPS attached vehicles should

be operational throughout the State for replacement of failed distribution transformers once the complaint is received. Small scale industries, spinning mills, rice mills, poultry, cold storage, government hospitals, drinking water, traction, seed processing and life saving drugs are exempted from power cuts. Major industries have 30 per cent power cuts as of now. NSS

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THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Problems plague public transport Tormented by the ever-rising fuel prices, the aam aadmi has decided to forgo the comforts of personal vehicles in favour of public transport. However, the State-run behemoths doesn’t seem to care N SHIVA KUMAR

TRANSPORT Anubha K Singh anubha.k@postnoon.com

ith the steep hike in petrol prices, the common man is looking for alternatives like opting for public transports. But nothing seems to be helping them. Many complain that the buses run by Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) are irregular and over-crowded while the Multi-Modal Transport Service (MMTS) trains aren’t well connected. For people like Binoy, marketing executive in a pharmaceutical company in the City, who needs to travel extensively around the City, it’s tough to manage the fuel expenses. “My company pays me only `800 as monthly fuel allowance, which is actually my weekly expense. If I plan to dump

my vehicle and take public transport, it’s next to impossible. While the APSRTC buses are already crowded, I don’t want to risk my life and the so-called MMTS does not connect to all major areas in the City. Hence I am forced to bear the fire of the fuel price,” he laments. “With a monthly salary of `15,000, the increased fuel price will only ruin my family’s monthly budget,” bewails Binoy Jacob. “When one uses public transport you are heavily dependent on them. You have to schedule yourself accordingly which is not possible always. As a working professional, this can hamper my job. This is something the government has failed to understand,” said Rita C, technical writer. Currently, the MMTS trains runs in two streams — Secunderabad to Falaknuma and Secunderabad to Hyderabad to Lingampally. “Secunderabad and Hitec City are the hub of passenger services for the City, where

MMTS services need to be improved. Seeing the constant rise in fuel prices and shortage of diesel in the city, it’s time that the government should plan some more and new routes for the common man. From the past one week, I am opting for carpooling as that’s the only alternative I am left with,” said Ajay Nayak, an MNC employee. However the officials have a different take on the issue “The new routes can only be started in the second phase which will take some more time. As of now we have a total of 121 services in two streams that are SecunderabadFalaknuma and SecunderabadHyderabad-Falaknuma. Nearly 1.05 lakh passengers travel daily on these routes” said, Shakeel Ahmed, South Central Railway spokesman. Many employees from areas like Madhapur, Hitec City and Gachibowli are now taking to carpooling as there is no alternative left for them.

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Qutub Shah Tombs

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yderabad, the City of smiles, of lights, of a thousand faces, offers a variety of attractions. One of them is Qutub Shahi Tombs. Qutub Shahi Tombs, of seven Qutub Shahi rulers, are among famous landmarks in Hyderabad. Located near Golconda fort, Qutub Shahi Tombs are known for the display of arches, domes, minarets and columns. The unique style of the tombs is a fine example of Indian and Persian architecture. Built with grey granite, the domes were originally overlaid with blue

and green tiles and decorated with exquisite ornamentation. The gorgeously lit-up tombs are a treat to the eyes at night. The area houses around 30 tombs of the rulers, courtiers, courtesans as well as saints. The haunting beauty and serenity is what makes these architectural wonders so special for Hyderabadis. The sprawling garden adds to the beauty of these tombs. Except on Friday, the tombs are open to visitors from 9.30am till 4.30pm. DEEPAK DESHPANDE

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Ravi Bhanshali 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

A FRESH NEW POINT OF VIEW You can also call or email us at:

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Not many know hockey, not cricket, is our national game. The City has just few grounds and little scope for the youths who love this game N SHIVA KUMAR

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e l a n g a n a Gangaputra Seva Sangham state president Pusa Balakishan Besta will go on 36hour hunger strike for ‘protection of water resources’ from 10am on June 2 to 4pm on June 3 at Indira Park, Dharna Chowk. Balakishan Besta said that the program was aimed at protecting ground water. NSS

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THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

s a part of the system of streamlining post matric Scholarship disbursal, the State government has released total amount of `1402.01 crores. This would cover the total verified demand of applications available with the State. This is the first time that all scholarship arrears up to 2011-12 has been released by May. It is expected that the disbursement of all the amount will be completed by June 30. NSS

“S

ince I was a child, hockey has always been my passion. Until high school, I practiced the sport. Unfortunately, I had to let go of my zeal thereafter as there was not much scope for it. In Hyderabad, we don’t get any support from the government or any associations, which is why all the best players in Indian hockey team are from the North, and none from AP,” recalls Aarti A, a senior women roller hockey captain, who has won several international championships, but yet hasn't had any remuneration. Just like Aarti, there are several others who want to play and make a career in hockey but the City has denied them a chance. Hyderabad lacks hockey playgrounds, the basic requirement to encourage the national game. “We do not have proper grounds and the ones that we have, ask for hefty fees. The government ought to take an initiative and help the association. We haven't conducted any tournaments for the lack of grounds. The schools which used to have hockey, now also do not coach students,” regrets T R Bhim Singh, joint secretary of Hyderabad Hockey.

A monument of neglect The hockey stadium in Begumpet was constructed in 1997 and the ground was open to all until 2009. But three years ago, the police academy began to look after it. No tournaments or leagues are hosted on the ground. The Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP), though on special

request does use the ground, but it doesn't serve as a permanent solution. “The ground was constructed for an international match. The ground has an astro turf. However, the life of the turf is now over and we need to construct a new one. The cost to construction would come up to `5 crore, but we do not have the funds. Hence we are making do with whatever we have. The ground is now used only for practice and a few select matches are held here. Apart from that, the ground is not fit,” said Ram Babu,

Who will give us the money to repair it? `5 crore is a big amount and the government does not help us nor does the media. For Indians, sport is synonymous with cricket. Ram Babu, DGP, AP police sports office DGP, AP police sports office. Ram Babu wondered, “Who will give us the money to repair it? `5 crore is a big amount and the government does not help us nor does the media. For Indians, sport is synonymous with cricket.” Everywhere one hears the complaint of how the government pampered cricket at the cost of other games. The Gymkhana ground, which can host hockey games, is in a pathetic state. Moreover, if any association wants to practice, they must pay huge amount

which not all associations can afford. “I coach in Gymkhana. The ground is bad for children to practice. It was built 40 years ago, and no follow-up has been done on it. Given the condition, it's difficult to coach and participate at the national level games. “Since four-and-a-half-years, not even one league match has been conducted in Hyderabad. I have been training students for that past six years. If, after one-and-a-half-year of practicing, no match is played, people will lose interest and give up. This is the reason why we have nobody from AP playing at national level,” says Kamesh D, a coach in SAAP. With Indian hockey team qualifying for the Olympics, it is ironic that the City has no proper ground for hockey players to practice and conduct matches. Internal politics among associations is also adding to the existing problems. “There are two teams, one is the Hockey India, and the other is Indian Hockey Federation. The former is a national team who plays internationally. However, due to the international clashes, those playing for both the teams are suspended. “Secondly, we don't have affordable grounds. The one at Gachibowli charges `4,100 per session and it is not in the City limits. That is why not many students don’t go,” says Kamesh. Schools in the City also do not have any good grounds. The ones that we used to have, are now are being used for playing cricket. The number of school teams have reduced from 15 to 5. “Even if we want students, they do not choose the sport. Not just students, even parents in the City also do not encourage the game. We decided to give it a miss,” says Aditya N, PT teacher, Daffodil School.

Hyper Local

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

N SHIVA KUMAR

THEY PLAY CHESS fk=qebfo=jfkaÛp=bvb Rahul Ramakrishna rahul.r@postnoon.com

eet Balraman. At the outset he may seem ordinary, a computer professional who loves teaching, a chess player and a conversationalist. The 42-yearold, P Balraman is blind and his love for chess is not hindered by the lack of eyesight. “I started playing 10-12 years ago with my father, who has been very instrumental in teaching me everything about chess,” he says.

In town for the Devnar School of Blind Chess National Championship, Balraman is one among many blind chess players from all over India, vying for the championship title. Balraman is well read and speaks perfect, flawless English. “Back then, cricket and game commentary were my only channels of learning. That apart, I learnt computers through an audio-guided software that allows me to teach other people who have not been blessed with eyesight,” he says.

How do the blind play chess? One might imagine it being a tough affair, but these people are at ease with the game. With specially designed chess boards made to easily represent pieces, they touch, feel and memorise the blacks and whites on the board. A Braille script denoting the moves, punched on paper, keeps track of the game. This, and a lot of practice and patience, is what it takes for them to play chess. The story does not end there. Most of them have followed the World Chess Championship like

fans of any other sport would do, despite their disability hindering them from watching it. “We listen to the moves made and visualise the entire board. Anand, now being the fifth world champion, played it really slow this time. In fact, I was sure of his victory over Gelfand at some points but surprisingly he had offered a draw,” says Balraman. Those among the favourite players of the blind include, Garry Kasparov, Mikhael Tahl, Karpov. Not everybody approves of Anand. Chintan, another blind

player, says, “He is wilting in his standard games. That apart, Anand should try to play as exceptionally as he does in the blitz, blindfold games.” They follow the sport like any other fan. With full of appropriate oohs and aahs, their disability does not deter them from plotting, strategising and wiping out pieces from the board, with the keenness and immaculate timing, like that of some of the best players. Do not give them sympathy, give them the opportunity to perform.

16,119.60 192.55

4,893.85 56.90

BSE

NSE

Business Qantas rules out stake sale

GOLD

1kg= `54,500

SILVER

`56.39

DOLLAR

Matters of saving and spending

SYDNEY: Qantas Airways chief Alan Joyce on Thursday dismissed reports that it was considering selling a stake to Dubai airline Emirates. “I don’t know where these stories have come from,” Joyce told reporters. “What I am seeing in the press is completely wrong.” His comments come after analysts at Deutsche Bank said the troubled carrier’s recent decision to split its loss-making international arm from its domestic operations could open the way for an Emirates investment. Deutsche Bank analyst Cameron McDonald said a direct investment in the lucrative domestic flights business could be on the cards, with a 30 percent stake estimated to be worth Aus$1.9 billion (US$1.84 billion). The Qantas Sale Act limits foreign ownership of the airline to 49 per cent. AFP

No work, no talk: HC tells AI pilots NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has directed Air India pilots to resume duties and restore normalcy before any matter pertaining to the IPG can be taken up. The Court was not inclined to hear the matter unless the IPG calls off the strike as they are not entitled to claim any training if they continue to be on strike. If the strike is called off even during the court’s vacation, liberty was given to the management to mention the matter for an early hearing.

DTH players place their bets on HD pie Prudhvi Raju K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

FRANCE:

French insurance group Axa stopped buying Italian and Spanish bonds several months ago but has not sold those it owned already, chief risk manager Jean-Christophe Menioux said on Wednesday. Financial market pressure on Italy and Spain has risen sharply as institutional investors worry about the state of

those countries’ balance sheets, with analysts debating the cost of possibly huge bail-outs. The interest rates that Rome and Madrid must offer to obtain longer-term loans on global equity markets have climbed above six percent and in the case of Spain, are close to a “tipping point” at which Greece and others had to seek international rescue packages. AFP

`87.41

POUND THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012 9 NUMEROLOGY

2,500 jobs will be cut by Japanese camera and medical equipment maker Olympus Corp in overseas factories.

THUS SPAKE

irect to Home service (DTH) has been sought after by customers with the offering of HD and interactive and value added services. With over 45 million households already subscribing to DTH services, the industry is set to grow further during the upcoming digitization phase, where consumers may opt for a shift from the analogue to the digital platform. The High Definition (HD) market is growing with the help of DTH services and vice-versa. All the major players are offering content on HD. The viewers are getting ready with HD televisions with the falling prices. A full HD 22 inch television costing less than `15,000, It is obvious that every television will have HD feature in near future. Though the customer is getting an HD TV at a reasonable price, he has to pay extra to avail HD channels. “Obviously with HD there is an extra expense involved. Initially the acceptability was slow and indulgence was experimental in nature from the consumers. But now, people have opened up to this phenomenon; we do have a significant percentage of viewers today who are willing to pay for experiencing supreme quality services. The difference in costs is also not much right now,” said spokesperson, Videocon D2H. DTH operators have an edge over cable operators with the quality of the content and number of HD channels. Most of the cable operators could not provide HD services to the customers. “HD will certainly prove to be one of the major product offerings that will garner huge interest especially amongst a certain section of

Axa no longer buying Italian, Spanish bonds PREIGNAC,

10g= `29,400

“We are going to invest `150 million in each year over the next three years continuously, which will modernise our factories at Batanagar as well as at Bangalore. These are all to upgrade our factories and machineries to improve productivity,” Rajeev Gopalkrishnan, managing director Bata India audience. It is going to be a USP that cable operators would not be able to match. As far as conversion of feed is concerned, we can certainly foresee this as a growing trend but in the end there would be a few genres which would be more sought after than the others keeping in mind the high costs involved with producing HD feed. Most major channels will eventually start providing a dual feed of HD and Standard definition (SD),” he said. DTH platforms are offering wide variety of services apart from just enjoying TV. Today the customer can easily afford an HD recorder, which can record hours of HD content enabling the viewer to rewind, record and pause Live TV. Airtel has launched a new interactive service, iEnglish to help

customer hone their English speaking skills within the comfort of their homes. “New technologies that you may see from DTH services are push video, advanced gaming and probably even internet surfing. A lot of R & D is happening related to all these features but it is very difficult to pinpoint as technology is evolving and sky is the limit. Currently Videocon d2h is offering Record, Pause, Rewind Live Television, Pay TV, Active Services and Movies on Demand plus it is the only DTH player to offer an exclusive active channel with 3-D feed. To attract customers to their services, some DTH operators showed channels which have a better quality than SD channels as a HD. Many customers fall prey for this and subscribed.

Moody’s downgrades 9 banks WASHINGTON: Moody’s downgraded the credit rating of nine Danish banks Wednesday, citing the impact of the rolling eurozone crisis on bank loan quality and on their fund-raising ability. The nine, along with the Finnish subsidiary of one of the banks, saw their ratings cut one to three notches, with one of them, DLR Kredit, pushed three steps down into the junk-bond realm at Ba1. “Danish financial institutions face sluggish domestic economic

growth, weakening real estate prices and higher levels of unemployment, as well as the risk of external shocks from the ongoing euro area debt crisis,” Moody’s said. All but DLR Kredit remained in the low end of investmentgrade ratings. The nine were Danske Bank, Jyske Bank, Sydbank, Spar Nord Bank, Ringkjobing Landbobank, Nykredit, Realkredit, DLR Kredit, and Danmarks Skibskredit.Also downgraded was Danske Bank’s Finnish arm Sampo Bank. AFP

POSTPONED High-end London-based jeweller Graff Diamonds said Thursday it has decided to delay its $1 billion initial public offering in Hong Kong next month due to “adverse market conditions”. The share sale, which would have been one of the biggest IPOs this year, is the latest deal to be pulled in the Asian financial hub in recent weeks amid concerns over the eurozone crisis which has hurt market sentiment.

DEFENCE The chief executive of Morgan Stanley on Wednesday defended his company’s lead role in the disastrous IPO of Facebook, which has lost investors billions of dollars. James Gorman told an internal staff meeting that the bank had worked “100 per cent within the rules” in heading the $16 billion stock issue, according to a person who was at the meeting. Gorman also condemned the “speculation of nefarious activity” that has surrounded the issue and drawn at least eight class action lawsuits against Facebook and its underwriters. The company’s share price has now sunk nearly 26 per cent.

India‑View

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

India unveiled

Debates to Singh no more NC Bipindra

NEW DELHI: Perhaps the most controversial tenure of any Indian Army chief ends Thursday when Gen VK Singh hangs up his boots after over 41 years of service. Much of his 26 months at the helm of a 1.13 million strong army were spent in publicly battling the civilian establishment and his own military rivals. But the end of his term marks the beginning of a long path towards recovery from the mess that the institution called the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Army) finds itself in. What began as a promising tenure on April Fools’ Day in 2010 with VK Singh making the right noises about “improving the internal health” of the army has now turned into unpleasant chapter that may be difficult to forget given the nature of the controversies — from a seemingly innocuous age row to the critical issue of defence preparedness. “Let him retire peacefully,” is what defence minister AK Antony is believed to have told some defence ministry officials,

upset over the latest controversy following VK Singh’s television interviews on his last weekend in office. VK Singh, otherwise a very popular man in the forces who commend him for his uprightness, had blamed some sections of the defence ministry for planting stories in the media to fix him. The wait for his retirement is

COOL, AIN’T I?

A child cools off at a fountain beside the India Gate monument in New Delhi. The temperature in the capital has been rising; it touched 45 degrees Celcius on Wednesday. AFP/ SAJJAD HUSSAIN

expected to be over on May 31 forenoon, when VK Singh hands over the reins of the world’s second largest standing army after China to Lt Gen Bikram Singh. VK Singh’s age row — whether he was born on May 10 in 1950 or 1951 — should have been a routine matter of little interest to anybody outside the establishment. But the issue

went up all the way to the Supreme Court, which put an end to the row by virtually upholding the defence ministry decision on 1950. Then came the bombshell of an allegation about retired lieutenant general Tejinder Singh offering a bribe of `14 crore to clear an order for what the army chief called “substandard” Tatra military trucks. The bribery storm, first reported in a newspaper, came when the budget session of parliament was in progress. And the nation saw an emotional Antony defending himself — he had been informed by the army chief in 2010 about the offer — forcing him to order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. Tejinder Singh has sued VK Singh and his aides from the army headquarters for defamation over a press release that named him. Muddying the waters further, there was another shocker of a report that VK Singh had authorised the bugging of Antony’s office and the country’s top leadership at the peak of his age row. Again, there was vehement denial from the defence ministry. IANS

MUMBAI: Top-notch Mumbai industrialist and director of Piramal Healthcare Ltd, Swati Piramal has been elected member of the Harvard Board of Overseers, a company statement said on Wednesday. The Harvard Board of Overseers is more than 350 years old and was created in the 17th century. It oversees all the Schools of Harvard, including health, business, design, arts and sciences, and has had an illustrious past. The 30-member Board of Overseers is all directly elected by alumni. President John F Kennedy served on the board in 1957. Piramal is now one of the five new Overseers elected to the board for a six-year term. She was the only international and Indian candidate nominated for contesting elections by the Harvard Alumni Association committee this year.

Indians continue to romance Ayn Rand NEW DELHI: Literary tastes in India, as anywhere, change with the times, but one writer has never gone out of vogue: Ayn Rand — the high priestess of free-market capitalism and unfettered individualism. A marginal, and often derided literary figure in many other countries, Rand is a perennial presence on Indian bestseller lists and regularly namechecked on the “favourite

author” list of influential Indians — from company CEOs to Bollywood stars. Until 2007, Indians conducted more Google searches for the Russian-American novelist than residents of any other country, and in recent years have ceded the top spot only to Americans. The popularity in India of Rand's seminal novels, Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, are hard to explain. AFP

Light of day soon for Night Safari LUCKNOW: An ambitious Night wildlife Safari project — the first in India — might see the light of the day sooner than later at Greater Noida adjoining Delhi. The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday gave the given the green signal to consider the start of the bid invitation process regarding the development of a wildlife night park. The wildlife safari would be developed through Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode. It would encompass outdoor natural setting for 40 per cent

Mumbaite elected Harvard Overseer

animals of the Indian sub-continent and 60 per cent animals from outside. The decision to speed up the project was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. The Greater Noida Authority would conduct the bidding process. The meeting was attended by acting Singapore High Commissioner Jonathan Tow. The proposed Night Safari with closed environment and controlled conditions will be the first in India and the second in Asia after Singapore. IANS

“It is a great honour to be elected as an Overseer to one of the most historic and prestigious boards in the world. The Overseer Board brings together a diverse set of people who are all aligned to take Harvard to greater heights of excellence,” Piramal said. Piramal was among the handful of Mumbai industrialists who had met US President Barack Obama during his trip to India in November 2010. Before that, Piramal also met Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “I believe that my international perspective and deep experience in creating effective change in large institutions will help Harvard graduates recognise their potential as destined leaders,” she added. Piramal has a medical degree from the University of Mumbai, a diploma in Industrial Medicine and a Masters in Public Health from Harvard University, United States of America. IANS

India‑View

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

India unveiled

‘We refused to sell N-power’ Gulshan Luthra

Commuters wait for a train at a Delhi metro station.

Commuters face difficulty in bandh NEW DELHI: The nationwide shutdown against the fuel price hike hit traffic in several parts of the city today (Thursday) with commuters facing a tough time getting to work with few autorickshaws and roads being blocked in some places. “Autos are not plying. After struggling for an hour, I managed to find one which demanded an exorbitant fare,” said Richa Srivastav, a commuter in central Delhi’s Mandir Marg. “I had to finally walk to the nearest metro station which was almost two kilometres away,” she added. With several autorickshaw unions joining the bandh, nearly 55,000 autos and 15,000 taxis are expected to stay off the road. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders threatened to block 100 intersections in the capital as part of the shutdown. BJP workers blocked roads in east Delhi as part of the nationwide shutdown. There were reports of some roads being blocked in north Delhi as well. The Delhi Traffic Police was also sending text messages to people as part of its ‘alerts’. “BJP workers have blocked the road under Akshardham flyover,” one message read.

BEST buses pelted with stones MUMBAI: BEST buses were pelted with stones in suburban Mulund and Dadar here as the Bharat Bandh called by the NDA to protest the petrol price hike began today. BJP activists staged noisy protests outside Borivali station, at SV Road in Kandivali and also in suburban Chembur. Local trains and buses were plying as usual in most parts of the city but the number of commuters was lower than normal.

NEW DELHI: India declined to sell nuclear technology to Iran, Iraq and Libya in the 1980s in spite of being offered “huge” sums of money, said a leading defence journal. According to a report in the current issue of India Strategic (www.indiastrategic.in), all the three countries offered “huge” sums in the early 1980s, but the then prime minister Indira Gandhi said a firm “No”. Surprisingly, then Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was most upset and when his persistent efforts yielded no response, he went to the extent of sending only a junior minister for her funeral. Iran asked for nuclear technology as well as a military training school for its officers somewhere in India, again offering substantial monetary compensation for both, but Indira Gandhi said India would not play its friends against one another. India had in fact been training Iraqi Air Force pilots, thanks to the commonality of the Soviet aircraft with the two countries. The defence cooperation had begun before the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war,

but Indian instructors, their number reaching 60 at one time, had no mandate except to continue the training programme in accordance with the relevant agreements. “India and Iraq had strong military ties in the form of training and at one time, there were about 60 Indian Air Force (IAF) officers imparting training to their Iraqi friends on Soviet-supplied aircraft, common to both the countries. One of the Indian instructors was also given the highest possible award by president Saddam Hussein,” India Strategic said. Iran and Iraq were then in the thick of their long, eightyear war, which cost each side heavy casualties and meant no victory for any side. Gandhi’s special envoy for the Gulf, Romesh Bhandari, in fact was then shuttling between the Iranian and Iraqi capitals of Teheran and Baghdad to forge peace. Iraq in fact was supposed to host the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in 1983, but as Iran was not willing to participate in it in Baghdad, the venue was moved to New Delhi at Bhandari’s suggestion. IANS

Train traffic hit hard in Odisha

persons were killed and two others injured in a collision between a car and a goods carrier at Nippani town in the district today. Eight persons died on the spot while two succumbed to injuries at a hospital, police said. The two injured have been hospitalised. The victims were on their way to Goa after a trip to the pilgrim town of Shirdi when the mishap occurred, police said.

Moves afoot to make cancer notifiable NEW DELHI: As the country observes ‘World No Tobacco Day’ today, moves to make cancer a notifiable disease are making progress with two states Kerala and Punjab agreeing to such a proposal. A meeting of various states will be held in the Health Ministry here next week to discuss the issue.

Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad (C), Haryana CM BS Hooda (R) and MP Deepender Hooda in a discussion in Jhajjar on Wednesday. PTI

Unclaimed bag triggers bomb scare at airport ated a bomb scare at the international airport here today before police found it contained only a laptop. Security personnel deployed at the airport went into a tizzy after the bag was noticed lying unclaimed and informed the airport police. Bomb squad and sniffer dogs were immediately pressed into service.

2 youths fall in well trying to save woman MIDNAPORE (WB): Two youths died

‘India becoming a designer baby factory’ Madhusree Chatterjee

a gift of love; it is being created with care to fit specifications furnished by parents in the age of surrogacy and in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), says award-winning writer Kishwar Desai. Desai’s new social thriller Origins of Love (Simon & Schuster) probes the world of surrogacy and designer babies. “India is becoming a baby factory. Last year over 25,000 babies were born out of IVF and surrogacy in India. Rich

BELGAUM (KARNATAKA): Ten

BANGALORE: An abandoned bag cre-

he movement of trains and commercial vehicles was hit in several parts of Odisha as the shutdown against the hike in petrol prices, called by various parties, including the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), came into effect. Protesters blocked roads and highways in several areas and disrupted traffic. Train services were also hit as protesters squatted on rail tracks at Cuttack.

NEW DELHI: Life is no longer

NATION AT A GLANCE 10 killed in Karnataka road mishap

people in the country can afford designer babies now,” Desai told IANS in an interview. “Earlier it was a form of colonisation, but now studies show the numbers are divided equally — 50 per cent of surrogate babies are born to rich Indian parents and 50 per cent to foreigners by Indian surrogates...,” said the writer, quoting figures from the research she undertook for writing her book and columns. Desai’s novel is a sequel to her first book — Witness by

Night — on female foeticide. The thread is Simran Singh, a feisty middle-aged social worker and a single mother from the first book, who carries the narrative forward. “I have taken my book beyond the new Bollywood movie, Vicky Donor, which is about sperm donation and shows it as a comfort zone. I wanted to explore the discomfort zone. The kids born of the same DNA (eggs) might carry an infected strain of it.” IANS

after falling into a well while trying to save a woman from slipping at Goaltore in West Midnapore district today. Prosenjit Maity and Ramanath Murmu, both aged around 30 years, saved Kalpana Maity, 23, from tripping, but themselves fell. Their bodies were later recovered from the well.

A Bengal tiger is sprayed with water by a zoo-keeper on a hot day at the Birsa Munda Zoological Park in Ranchi on Wednesday. AFP

Around the World

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

Beyond Borders

Who wants the gobbledygook? WASHINGTON: Why not say “change” rather than “effect modifications”, or “publish” rather than “promulgate”, or “pay” instead of “remunerate”? So say plain speaking advocates fighting to end “gobbledygook”. Winning such a battle “would benefit everyone,” said those gathered in Washington last week for a three-day conference aimed at banishing jargon from laws, application forms, public notices, and even user manuals for television sets. The event was organised in the US capital by “Clarity”, a worldwide group of lawyers, top managers and heads of government services who argue for the use of plain language in place of legalese. And it drew people from 20 countries, including Australia, France, Qatar, Estonia, and the Scandinavian nations. “How can you have a democracy when the citizen does not understand what the government

is saying,” said Annetta Cheek, board chair of the Center for Plain Language, at the event. “It’s becoming a more and more common perception in all sectors, that they have to be more inclusive in their communication.” The United States in 2010 adopted a law encouraging the simplification of administrative language. The Swedish government, meanwhile, employs five lawyers to write its laws in simple language, and Portugal has introduced similar measures. In France for example, legal guidance on victims’ rights is difficult to collate because there are so many documents and so many references that they are “obscure”, said Olivia Zarcate, a young legal specialist at the conference. The aim of plain English campaigners is to heighten awareness in government and business circles about the damaging effect that obscure, badly-worded lan-

guage has on the population.

Restore faith “In the last five years there’s been a big change,” said Cheek, a

REACHING OUT

Dead Japan woman in freezer from 10 years TOKYO: An 80year-old man was being questioned in Japan on Wednesday on suspicion of strangling his wife and keeping her body in the freezer for up to 10 years, police and media reports said. Masaichi Yamada, who runs a fish-processing company, was arrested in the northern Japan port of Kushiro early Tuesday when the frozen corpse — still fully clothed — was uncovered. “The suspect maliciously strangled the victim with a string-like object at their home and abandoned her body in the freezer at his

working place,” a spokesman for police in Hokkaido told AFP by telephone. It was not immediately known when the murder took place, the official said, adding the woman would have been 71 years old if she was alive today. Yamada reportedly confessed to the police he killed his wife during an argument at their home “sometime between 2002 and 2006” and carried the body by car to the factory. Police searched the factory after the dead woman’s brother said he had not been able to contact his sister for several years.

Branson invites politician naked kite surfing

former “plain language coordinator,” at the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which regulates and oversees civil aviation. But one cited example of gov-

ernment jargon showed that 36 words — including “calisthenics” (a form of gymnastics) — were used in a public health brochure to outline what people should do to lose weight. In a more sweeping suggestion, Cheek said the damaging effects of jargon had been seen in the global financial crisis in 2008, as waves of mortgage owners failed to understand what they were signing up to. “The world financial crisis would have been less damaging if people had understood what those long documents said,” Cheek said. “If they had understood that in five years their interest would go through the roof, that if they didn’t pay their credit card on time, their interest would go through the roof,” less harm would have been done. Joseph Kimble, a professor, said the stripping out of jargon, would benefit both the writers of documents as well as the people who read them. AFP

A victim of the Lapindo mud volcano takes part in a theatrical performance on a retaining dike in Sidoarjo, East Java on Wednesday. AFP

A sign of ‘Virgin’ cheekiness A

fter hearing Richard Branson’s invitation and the dress code, a Canadian politician suggests there’s a reason he called his company. The brash billionaire behind Virgin Atlantic airways said on his blog that he’s willing to take British Columbia Premier Christy Clark kite surfing. Attached to the post is a photo of him kite surfing with a young, naked woman on his back. “When in British Columbia a

few days ago, the delightful Premier Christy Clark accepted my invite to come for a kite surf ride on my back,” Branson writes. “One thing though — I forgot to tell her about the dress code! Well, here it is... The offer still stands Christy!” The premier shot back, saying, “if that’s his best pickup line then maybe there’s a reason he called his company Virgin,” Quebecor Media reported. “Obviously Branson’s brashness knows no limits. Or taste for

that matter,” Sara McIntyre, her spokesperson said. Branson met Clark last Thursday to promote Virgin Airways. During the announcement, Clark told him about kite surfing around Tofino on Vancouver Island, and offered to take him next time he was in BC. “When you meet with the CEO of a billion-dollar company, who wants to do business with your province, you get more respectful treatment than that,” she said.

Around the World Pope blames media for exaggerating

VATICAN CITY: A Vatican scandal involving leaked secret documents and the arrest of the pope’s butler has been exaggerated and misrepresented by the press, Pope Benedict said. “Totally frivolous conjecture has been amplified by means of communication that have gone far beyond the facts creating an image of the Holy See that doesn’t correspond to reality,” the pope said at his weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square. Last week, the pope’s butler, Paolo Gabriele, was arrested and is being interrogated at the Vatican after secret papers were found at his home. Gabriele’s arrest came two months after Benedict appointed a special commission to investigate the leaks, which included personal letters to the pontiff. IANS

India’s UN troops treat 15k animals NEW YORK: Indian peacekeepers have treated over 15,000 animals in conflicthit South Sudan since 2011, the head of its veterinary unit said. The veterinary unit of the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) Indian Battalion in Malakal town have treated over 15,000 animals free of charge since last year, said the unit’s head Lt Col Ravinder Yadav. “We have conducted training on public health for community animal health workers from various counties and students of the Upper Nile University,” a communique quoted Yadav as saying. Most of the animals that have been treated were cows, donkeys, sheep and goats. Yadav said there are plans to open a new facility for the treatment of small animals like cats, chickens and monkeys. IANS

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

Beyond Borders

Syria remains prime concern in talks WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama on Wednesday discussed the euro crisis and the need for an end to violence in Syria in a video conference with leaders of France, Germany and Italy. The White House said the consultations with French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti represented a follow up to the G8 summit Obama hosted earlier this month. “Leaders discussed recent developments in Syria and their shared perspectives on the importance of ending the violence of the government against its own people and the urgency of achieving a political transition,” a White House statement said At the G8 summit 10 days ago, hosted by Obama at his presidential retreat at Camp David, leaders agreed that debt-stricken Greece should stay in the eurozone and called for new growth policies to match the austerity straitjacket in Europe. The summit also agreed on the need for a “political transition” in Syria and for the end to violence that has claimed an estimated 13,000 lives. AFP

GLOBE AT A GLANCE NY allows headgear for Sikh transit employees NEW YORK: Muslim and Sikh employees of New York’s transit system will now be able to wear their religious headgear freely, without attaching a government agency logo to them, in a major legal victory after new uniform rules were imposed following the 9/11 attacks. The US Justice Department yesterday reached a settlement with the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) eight years after it had filed a complaint.

China detains hundreds in Tibet capital Lhasa BEIJING: Hundreds of people have

Protestors burn the bust of former late Syrian president Hafez al-Assad, father of current President Bashar al-Assad, during an anti-regime demonstration in Qusayr. AFP

Rebels give 48-hour deadline

US slaps sanctions on Syrian bank

WASHINGTON: The US imposed sanctions on the Syria International Islamic Bank (SIIB) for its role in helping other Syrian banks evade sanctions. The US Treasury Department accused the bank of acting for the Commercial Bank of Syria and providing services to its subsidiary, the Syrian Lebanese Commercial Bank, both of which were put under sanctions by Washington.

he rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) has given the government a 48-hour deadline to observe a UN ceasefire plan. The FSA’s Colonel Qassim Saadeddine said if there was no response by Friday lunchtime the FSA would consider itself “no longer bound by the.. peace plan”. The plan calls on government forces to withdraw to barracks.

Seattle shooter kills 4

SEATTLE: A gunman in Seattle shot five people Wednesday in a cafe, three fatally, before killing another woman and later turning the weapon on himself as officers closed in, police said. The suspect, identified by the Seattle Times as 40-year-old Ian Stawicki, was alive and receiving treatment at Harborview Medical Center, a clinic in the northwestern US city where his two surviving victims clung to life. Stawicki is believed to have entered Cafe Racer Espresso near the University of Seattle at around 11.00am local time (1800 GMT) and shot

five people with a pistol. Two men were confirmed dead at the scene, while a third victim, a woman, died later in hospital. His two remaining victims were in a critical condition, one undergoing surgery. Half-an-hour later, Stawicki is believed to have shot dead a woman downtown before fleeing in a black Mercedes-Benz SUV. An officer spotted the suspect at around 2300 GMT a mile-and-a-half away from the abandoned vehicle. When patrol cars approached Stawicki he put a gun to his head and fired one round, Deputy Police Chief Nick Metz said, according to the Seattle Times. “The man detectives believe to be the lone suspect in 4 murders in 2 locations shot himself in the head when approached by @SeattlePD,” read a tweet from the Seattle police department. The shootings, one of them in an upmarket university district, shocked a city that has now seen as many murders this year as it did in the whole of 2011. “We’ve had two tragic shootings today that have shaken this city. And it follows on the heels of multiple tragic episodes of gun violence that have occurred throughout the city,” Seattle mayor Mike McGinn told journalists. The motive for the shootings was not clear but the suspect’s brother told the Seattle Times he was mentally ill. AFP

been detained in Lhasa after two men set themselves on fire in the Tibetan regional capital on Sunday in protest against Chinese rule. Radio Free Asia said Chinese security forces had rounded up hundreds of residents and pilgrims in the wake of the immolations.

Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi (C) talks with delegates during the 21st World Economic Forum on East Asia in Bangkok today. AFP

Russian postal workers poisoned by toxic parcel MOSCOW: Police in Russia’s Siberia region are looking into reports that postal workers at a railway station were poisoned by a toxic parcel. The incident took place in the central Siberian city of Tomsk, the interior ministry said Wednesday. Police arrived at the scene and found a package emitting “a harsh smell”. A total of 17 people were evacuated and three were hospitalised.

FARC rebels release French reporter FLORENCIA: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced on Wednesday that French war correspondent Romeo Langlois had been released by FARC guerrillas after 33 days in captivity. After saying that he had been “treated very well by the guerrillas during these 33 days”, the reporter confirmed that he had never been “tied up”.

Six-year-old Lori Anne Madison during the third round of the 2012 Scripps National Spelling Bee competition in Maryland. AFP

Comment

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

Fair, free and forthright

Talk back Who are IPL champs? I don’t understand the fuss with Shah Rukh and his team! So what if they have won the IPL. It’s just a tournament. That is what tournaments are held for; to pick the best of the participating teams. And all tournaments are won by one or the other of the playing teams. This gentleman called Shah Rukh Khan goes around to every city showing off the trophy without the cricketers, not even one sometimes, who actually played and won it for him! This is outrageous. Stop this crap SRK! Just because you have a big fan following doesn’t mean that you can do anything and get away with it. Rukhsana Parveen Shrinagar Colony

Extend Jagan’s way I don’t believe this. Just read somewhere that Jagan has `700 crore of which he himself has no knowledge about. He says he never knew about it! This is insane! How much black money do these politicians have? And all of this is obviously the nation’s wealth, public money, unscrupulously accumulated by these crooks. To think that we keep cursing invaders of our country for plundering our wealth; a known enemy is any day better than the hidden one. I wish all of them are exposed some day and grilled like how Jagan is being done now and thrown into the gallows. Ehsanuddin Riyaz Nampally

Finish the flyover The government has become infamous for its blundering ways of handling issues of civic amenities. Be it cleaning of garbage or construction of roads, bridges and flyovers, its inept capabilities time and again bring hardship to the public. Take for instance the Kompally flyover. All the money I am sure must have been granted properly for this bridge. But when it comes to the implementation, it’s gone to the dogs. And from the money that is left out, we will just have this incomplete piece of concrete which is of no use! God save our nation! Joginder Nath Somajiguda

Govt work god’s work If we list the number of works delayed by the government and chart out the losses due to escalating prices, we can take of a year’s budget for the state. This is not a new thing and this is not the last time that we will have this. Enough is enough. Pinky Prem Film Nagar

Help! I’m drowning! But... Seriously Ajay Hotchandani

his might be one of the most controversial articles you will read this hour; or maybe this day (assuming you don’t read any other article). Certain aspects in life we take for granted, there is only one way of doing and that way is the way I’m doing it now. The thought of there being any other way is unheard of just because it defeats the entire purpose of the action’s existence. I believe it was in 2005, while visiting my cousin, that I noticed the unthinkable. While eating, he did something that was unthinkable. But then, he thought of it, so he did it. When you read this, your first thought will be, of course that is the right way to do it because it’s the only way you can do it. I am referring to the way you eat dal and rice. In this instance, I am talking about the soupy type of dal, the kind that is like water. All my life I’ve eaten it in the following manner: I take about ¾ a bowl of rice and then add just enough dal to wet the rice and maybe build up a small reservoir at the bottom. Then I saw what this guy did, crazy guy! He drowned the rice with the dal. The dal filled the bowl and the rice was nowhere to be seen. We both found it rather amusing that the other person was eating it the “wrong” way. Previously we never had gotten into the particulars of this. However, I decided to chat with him about this. “Why do you eat it like that? I asked. “Because it tastes better, plus, I don’t have to taste the rice,” he replied. He then told me something even crazier — serious; I’m not making this up. I don’t even know if I could repeat what he said without causing a riot, but it’s been 24 hours since someone has had something to riot about, so here we go. He told me that if he had ½ a bowl of dal and ½ a bowl of rice, he would add the rice to the dal! YES, he said that! What crazy things he talks? But wait, he gets even crazier. He says he only does that with his wife’s cooking; and that if he was eating, say, Thai curry at a restaurant, he would place less than normal amounts on the rice. Just writing about this is making me understand it less and less, because it just doesn’t make sense to drown the rice. If you wanted that, then you should have ordered soup with some rice. What he did is the same

Editorials

I have enclosed a picture of how it should be eaten. This method was approved by The National Council on Eating Indian Food – Department of Liquid Based Foods. as pouring milk into the cereal box and then eating it from the box... exactly my thoughts... CRAZY! Side note: I’m starting to get hungry. But the madness doesn’t stop there; he does the same with idli and sambar. He puts 2-3 in a bowl and then proceeds to drown them with sambar until they disappear. Once, they got lost in the bowl, he had to use GPS to locate them.

BANDHS WILL NOT HELP EASE THE BURDEN on aam admi

or a State that has been riddled with bandhs over the last couple of years (be it due to the Telangana agitation or Jagan’s arrest; we’ve really lost track), the All India Bandh is nothing but just another burden. Considering the bandh has been called to protest the petrol price hike, it does seem a bit ironic doesn’t it, since all we’re achieving with this is nothing but loss of another day’s pay? Besides, the thousands of crores that will be lost in terms of man hours due to the bandh will only add to the woes of our already sagging economies. Earlier, when the Opposition party called for a bandh, most people would rejoice at the ‘unofficial chutti’ that came as a respite in the midst of a hectic week. But today solutions are what we need and not random strikes and bandhs. A solution to this unprecedented rise in prices, thanks to out-of-the-blue petrol price hikes, and more accountability from our government would definitely be welcome. A hike in salaries that is at par with the skyrocketing inflation will help too…

I have enclosed a picture of how it should be eaten. This method was approved by The National Council on Eating Indian Food – Department of Liquid Based Foods. Let me finish telling you the crazy things I’ve endured. Some time back, something crazier happened — yes, even crazier than this crazy guy’s craziness. I was having lunch with my parents and my dad placed just a small amount dal on a mountain of rice. I’m starting to think this is hereditary (heterozygous dominant). So to all the people reading this, please email me at ajay@nachwi.com your personal method of eating it and what your parents’ methods are; I want to research this. Once I get the results, I shall publish it for you’ll to read. And if a riot starts and someone loses their rickshaw or house, please let me know so I can write about that too. (I really want waffles now).

WHY WE LOVE... VK Singh

hile the generals of Pakistan are always in the forefront, their Indian counterparts lead relatively noiseless tenures. Aggression in the chief of a country’s Army augurs well for the security of that country, certainly. Gen VK Singh has never been one to mince words when it came to the country’s security and his personal integrity. We appreciate his ability to standby his convictions.

Telly Tales

Small screen, big idea

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

Mentalist

he protagonist Patrick is a psychic consultant who uses his heightened observatory skills in deduction and in reading people's minds. He works for a fictional counterpart of the law called the California Bureau of Information. His driving force is apprehending the convict Red John who killed his wife and daughter. But in the process, he becomes an invaluable addition to the local law enforcement. As a part of the story he also uses his powers to track down Red John or his copycats to avenge his family’s slaughter. On the flipside his techniques manage to get on his law cohort's nerves.

Castle

Sherlock

ir Arthur Conan Doyle’s gift to the literary world is back but with a modern twist. Sherlock Holmes, the master detective and his friend Dr. John Watson help the Scotland Yard in some of their most troubling and intangible cases. Apart from these cases they are constantly on the lookout for trouble from the show’s antagonist James Moriaty. Sherlock’s methods of deduction and Watson’s relaxed intuitiveness make this show a great one to watch. Lookout for the show on BBC.

evolves around Richard Castle, a millionaire crime writer and Kate Beckett a detective with the NYPD whom he uses as an inspiration. The crimes that this duo solves together serves as word count for Richard's novel. One secret that Kate Beckett holds is the crime that Richard would love to solve — her mother's murder. Like every duo, one is the serious one and the other just thinks of a novel way of deducing the crime which usually turns out to be right.

`ofjfk^i=jfkap White Collar

eal Caffery the expert con man, forger and art connoisseur is caught after a three year chase by FBI agent Peter Burke. At the end of his jail term Neal proposes an offer that Peter can't refuse — to work with the FBI as a consultant and solve high end art crimes. His expert knowledge in the field of art and forging makes him an asset to the FBI, but on the other hand Peter is wary of Neal's intentions, so he has given him a GPS tracking anklet. The team's way of solving the crime and the ex-con's methods succeed in being a wholesome entertainer.

Observation skills, methods of deduction, a novel mind — these seem to be the ruling prerequisites for a consultant with the law enforcement. Not to mention, for a hit TV show. Here are a few notable ones Siddharth TSS feedback@postnoon.com

Then

Now

ome may say he is snobbish, others say he is highly cultured with a love of good food, good wine and the opera. His one big downfall is unexplained reasoning — he must discover a reason why someone did a particular thing due to his scientific mind. After Frasier and other sitcom roles, Grammer in 2009 once again tried to recapture his former sitcom glory on the short-lived series, Hank, playing a CEO who loses his job. Before long, however, Grammer bounced back with a new dramatic series, Boss. His portrayal of a devious politician won Grammer numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe.

Where are they now?

Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane

he character of Frasier Crane began life on the very successful US sitcom Cheers, created by Glen Charles, Les Charles and James Burrows. Set in and around the Cheers bar in Boston, the show followed the lives of the staff and regulars of Cheers. Frasier was

Frasier one of them. After the show ended, as a spin-off to Cheers, Frasier was started. In Frasier we find Frasier Crane, having moved back home to Seattle and found himself a job as a radio psychiatrist on KACL, before meeting his psychiatrist brother Niles and his ex-cop father Martin, who

ends up living with Frasier after the brothers decide he can't live alone anymore after falling again in the shower. Daphne Moon is then hired as Martin's physical therapist, while Roz Doyle, Frasier's radio producer, rounds out the core cast of the show.

David Hyde Pierce as Dr Niles Crane

rasier's younger brother, also a noted psychiatrist, with perhaps an even more cultured lifestyle, he is jealous of his brother's success via his radio show and so dismisses it as 'pop' psychology. In 2010, Pierce had his first starring film role as Warwick Wilson in the dark comedy/psychological thriller The Perfect Host.

Then

Now

Bones

s the title suggests, the series revolves around a team of medical experts who solve crimes and mysteries by examining the remains of the victims and deduce how the crime had been committed. Forensic analyst Dr Temperance 'Bones' Brennan and FBI agent Seeley Booth are the leads. Booth is the rustic, typical FBI agent who believes in brute force, while Bones is a serious workaholic but is not so sure when it comes to social skills. This combination has ruled television sets since 2005 and now it has been renewed for a new series.

John Mahoney as Martin Crane

Then

Now

rasier and Niles' father who now lives with Frasier after a combination of old age, being shot in the hip and a fall in the shower prompted Frasier to take him in. Martin's best friend is his dog, Eddie, who presence is another annoyance for Frasier. Martin is the real life antidote to the Crane boys' snobbish ways and often brings them back down to earth with a bite of a reality sandwich. In 2011, he had two guest appearances on the TV Land sitcom Hot In Cleveland, playing a waiter and a love interest for Betty White's character, Elka.

H‑Factor

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

With growing age a number of health problems come up. We talk to doctors and get the lowdown on what tests should be in your to do list once you cross 40

TESTING TIMES Anishaa Kumar anishaa.k@postnoon.com

t is important that we take caution and get a check-up done frequently in order to keep health problems under check. “Today, as people have started to grow health conscious, they are visiting hospitals themselves and requesting doctors to get a master health check-up done. These master health check-ups include all kinds of tests such as blood sugar, cholesterol, kidney function, ECG etc,” says Dr Aftab Ahmed, senior physician, Apollo Hospital, Secunderabad.

n Pap smear

Cervical cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer that effect women. It is the cancer of the cervix caused by both HPV-18 and HPV-16 strains of the Human Papillomaviruses. Dr Rupa Reddy, assistant professor, OBG department of a medical college, says, “One of the tests suggested for women above the age of 40 are pap smear tests. These tests must be done once every year for the first three years and after that once every three years.” The pap smear test can be done before a woman turns 40 too as all women who

are sexually active are at a risk of cervical cancer.

n Ultrasound

Ultrasound is one of the simplest medical test that can detect various ailments. According to Dr Rupa, “Women should get an ultrasound done perhaps once a year and once a few years to know about any possible health problems. It is not a specific test but a general one.” This ultrasound also helps detect problems like ovarian and uterine cancer. Males too should get an ultrasound done.

n Mammography

Another common and growing cause of cancer among woman is breast cancer that is caused in the tissues of the breast. A mammography helps detect breast cancer or identify the lump in the breast. Dr Rupa says, “Once a woman crosses 40 years of age, she should get a mammography done. This can be done once in three years.”

n Thyroid

Another common problem plaguing women is thyroid(both hyperthyroidism

and hypothyroidism). It is thus important that women get a thyroid function test done.

n Blood sugar

Testing for diabetes is one of the important tests that a person should undergo. According to Dr Sunil Kumar, consultant cardiologist, Apollo Hospital and president AP CSI, “Getting a test done for blood sugar levels is important especially if a person has a family history of diabetes. In case of family history of diabetes the test should be conducted once in six months. For others, a test needs to be conducted once a year.”

n Lipid Profile

“A lipid profile is a test which shows the good cholesterol, bad cholesterol and triglyceride level of a person. If a person is undergoing treatment for cholesterol, he should get the test done once every six months, otherwise once a year,” Dr Sunil says.

n BP check up

High BP is a growing problem in the company and should also be done. Dr Sunil mentions that a person should get

their blood pressure checked up once every six months.

n PSA test (Prostatespecific antigen)

Kegel’s can help a leaky bladder

Dr Sunil says, “Prostate cancer testing needs to be done for a person with increased age (once they cross the age of 50).” The PSA which stands for Prostatespecific antigen is a cornerstone for prostate cancer detection.

n Treadmill

If a person has a family history of heart disease, treadmill can also be conducted. This is to help find out how the heart reacts in a stressful situation,” says Dr Aftab. It is known as cardiac stress test. Keeping a check is important but Dr Ahmed mentions that the need for a particular test may depend on factors. If a person is living a sedentary lifestyle and obese than they are more at risk of certain health ailments. These tests may be able to detect an ailment that one may not even be aware one has. such as if they have chances of developing heart disease later in life, treatment can begin early and restrict the disease.

Dr Divya T Sudarshan

I recently had a baby and I find that I can’t control my bladder. This is embarrassing for me. Is there anything I can do? I think we need a little lesson on what causes incontinence (or a leaky bladder) in pregnancy and post delivery. The hormones that increase in pregnancy usually allow the muscles of the back and pelvic floor to stretch to allow the baby to come out. These muscles take a while to recover the tone and strength. Around 70 per cent patients retain bladder control, but in a few who had a difficult delivery the return to normalcy may be a challenge. The accidental leak of urine you’re experiencing, perhaps when you laugh, sneeze, cough or exercise, is called stress incontinence. Some tips for better healing are avoid straining too much, eat healthy and relax to regain strength, try to lose the pregnancy flab, drink adequate water, try a bladder training (where you consciously try and time when you go to the bathroom, and thus increase bladder control). You could also try Kegel’s or (pelvic floor exercises) this will eventually help most women regain bladder control.

How to do Kegel’s Breathe in and as you breathe out, pull up and in down below as though you are trying to stop yourself passing urine or passing wind. Try to hold the squeeze for up to 10 seconds while breathing normally. Relax and wait at least 10 seconds before trying the next exercise. Repeat the squeeze 10 times, three times a day. The wonderful thing about these exercises is you can do them while watching TV, cooking or working on the computer. Whenever! Most incontinence problems resolve in eight after delivery. If you are still not feeling better, do meet your doctor. (The writer is a gynaecologist and obstetrician practising at Happy Women Clinic. You can write in to her at happywomenclinic@gmail.com)

H‑Factor

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

QUITTERS LIVE LONGER WHEN IT COMES TO

LUNG CANCER I n India, tobacco snuffs a life every eight seconds. Snuff the habit as its better to be late than never. Dr Mohana Vamsy who is the chief surgical oncologist at Omega Hospitals says, “One of the most critical facts about lung cancer is that smoking is the major cause.” Dr Vamsy also says, “Lung cancer normally takes many years to develop.” Incidence tends to peak between the ages of 55 and 65. The changes in the lung however can begin almost as soon as a person is exposed to carcinogenic chemicals. If you stop smoking however, the risk of lung cancer decreases. There are many myths and questions that people have when it comes to quitting the habit of smoking. Why should we say no to tobacco? Dr Vamsy: Tobacco is the leading cause of cancer especially lung cancer. Damage to the lungs begins early in smokers, and cigarette smokers have a lower level of lung function than non-smokers. This continues to worsen as long as the person smokes. Cigarette smoking causes many lung diseases that can be nearly as bad as lung cancer. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are two types of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that can make it hard to breathe and can cause serious health problems — even death.” How many smokers are detected with cancer in a year? Dr Vamsy: Most cases of lung cancer deaths are caused by cigarette smoking, 90 per cent in men and 80 per cent in women. How can one stop smoking? Dr Vamsy: To stop smoking one has to resolve to quit smoking for his / her own good. Some handy tips to quit smoking are n The first few days, drink lots of water and fluids to help flush out the nicotine and other poisons

from your body. Remember that nicotine is as addictive as heroin and cocaine. n Remember that the urge to smoke only lasts a few minutes, and will then pass. The urges gradually become farther and farther apart as the days go by. n Do your very best to stay away from alcohol, sugar and coffee the first week or longer, as these tend to stimulate the desire for a cigarette. Take help and support from family and friends.

What is smokeless tobacco and why is it harmful? Dr Vamsy: Beedis, cigars, pipes, spit and snuff are types of smokeless

tobacco and they all cause cancers. There is no safe way to use tobacco. Will I gain weight if I stop smoking? Dr Vamsy: Initially, yes. Avoid fatty foods, as your metabolism will slow down a bit without the nicotine, and you may gain weight even if you eat the same amount as before quitting. So discipline about diet is extra important now. No one ever said acquiring new habits would be easy! How is passive smoking harmful? Dr Vamsy: Passive smoking (inhaling second hand smoke) happens when non-smokers breathe other people’s tobacco smoke. This includes mainstream smoke (smoke that is inhaled and then exhaled into the air by smokers) and side stream smoke (smoke that

comes directly from the burning tobacco in cigarettes). Envioronmental tobacco smoking (ETS) contains the same harmful chemicals as the smoke that smokers inhale. There is strong evidence that ETS causes serious damage to human health. Each year about 3,400 non-smoking adults die of lung cancer and about 46,000 die of heart disease as a result of breathing second hand smoke. It can also affect non-smokers by causing asthma and other respiratory problems, eye irritation, headaches, nausea, and dizziness. Children whose parents smoke are more likely to suffer from asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, ear infections, coughing, wheezing, and increased mucus production. Babies of parents who smoke have a greater chance of dying of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Can quitting really help a lifelong smoker? Dr Vamsy: Yes. It is never too late to quit using tobacco. The sooner smokers quit, the more they can reduce their chances of getting cancer and other diseases. Within minutes of smoking the last cigarette, the body begins to restore itself. Are there some benefits of quitting that I’ll notice right away? Dr Vamsy: Kicking the tobacco habit offers some rewards that you’ll notice right away and some that will show up more slowly over time. These benefits can improve your day-to-day life a lot. Food will taste better. Your sense of smell returns to normal. Your breath, hair, and clothes smell better. Your teeth and fingernails stop yellowing. Ordinary activities leave you less out of breath (for example, climbing a flight of stairs or doing light housework). Quitting also helps stop the damaging effects of tobacco on how you look, including premature wrinkling of your skin and gum disease.

For further queries contact: Dr Mohana Vamsy Ch, chief surgical oncologist, MS (Gen), DNB (Sur) MCh (Sur.Onco) FRCS (Edin) Diploma lap Surg (France) Cell: 9848011421

Email: Vamsy1964@gmail.com Omega Hospitals, Road 12, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad-34

F‑Folio

Because you are what you wear

Christian Dior

he French luxury couture house set up base at the Cannes Film Festival by having a ‘Dior suite’ (background) at the Majestic Hotel. Here Dior would dress up the invited celebrities before they arrived on the red carpet. Actress Diane Kruger wore a Christian Dior couture gown at the premiere of Thérèse Desqueyroux. French actress and face of Dior, Marion Cotillard (left) wore a black Dior gown and Nicole Kidman wore a check print dress during a press call.

Glamour gala ends The 65th Cannes Film festival 2012 closed on May 27 and brought with it new fashion stars to the red carpet. Here’s looking at the concluding red carpet fashion moments from this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The writer is a fashion blogger (www.lovestruckcow.blogspot.com) who attempts to bridge the gap between creator and consumer. As a fashion writer, she hopes to promote Indian fashion among Indians and on a global level too.

Surabhi Chauhan feedback@postnoon.com

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

20&21

2 3 4 5

Gold gowns

annes is one of the most glamorous red carpet events that make for some of the most memorable fashion moments of the year. This year, bold statements in gold gowns were noticed. Actress Jada Pinkett Smith wore a gold strapless Emillo Pucci dress for an event hosted by Armani. Mila Jovovich (below) wore a gold Prada gown for a party hosted by L’Oreal. Singer Kylie Minogue (above) also chose to wear a gold sequined gown at the premiere of Holy Motors.

India

ince the past few years, Indians have been making their presence felt at Cannes. Sonam Kapoor (above) and Aishwarya Rai (below) visit Cannes each year invited by L’Oreal as its ambassadors. Sonam tries to match the best on the red carpet donning international biggies like Alexander McQueen and Jean Paul Gaultier. Despite carrying some post-pregnancy weight Aishwarya walked the red carpet in some stunning creations by Elie Saab and Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla. Others who shone at the red carpet were : Kalki Koechlin – Sabyasachi sari Mehr Jessia & Arjun Rampal – Tarun Tahiliani

Kristen Stewart

wilight series actress Kristen Stewart attended the recently concluded Festival de Cannes for her film On the Road. Not known to put in the most effort while dressing up for red carpet events in the past, the actress wore some attention grabbing gowns and even day looks to make a positive impression. From a blood red Reem Acra gown to patterned trousers with a white tee and jacket look, she had it bang on. The actress had a lot of occasions to dress up as she accompanied her boyfriend Robert Pattinson who was attending the festival for his own film Cosmopolis.

Nicole Kidman

his actress is no novice to red carpets. Australian beauty Nicole Kidman attended this year’s Cannes for her film The Paperboy. Besides her award winning acting, she always makes it to the top of the best dressed fashionistas at any event. With her porcelain skin and perfectly done hair and make-up, she keeps all the key elements intact to deliver a near perfect red carpet look. Nicole wore age appropriate elegant dresses like the Lanvin draped one shouldered gown to the simple yet bold red dress for a press call.

Spotlight

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THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

Magic Screen

The glamour behind the glitz

Robert lost inspiration for Twilight role

ritish actor Robert Pattinson feels relieved to have wrapped filming on the Twilight movies, because he lost “inspiration” for his vampire role. The star gained millions of fans with his portrayal of Edward Cullen in the franchise, but as the release of the fifth and final movie of the series approaches, Pattinson admits he is glad to be leaving the teen tales behind. He tells Shortlist magazine, “Playing the same part for a while, you just run out of

ideas. I’m not trying to get away from it. You’re s**ewing yourself, you’re saying you think your work is s**t if you try and get away from it. And I never thought it was (s**t). “But I kind of got to the end of my inspiration. You get to the point where you’re like, ‘I don’t want to do a film for a teen audience anymore’.” The final movie, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II, is scheduled for release in November.

Vince Vaughn considers wine life

wingers star Vince Vaughn has become a reluctant wine expert after getting tipsy during a tasting trip to Napa Valley in California. The actor insists he’s no wine buff but he fell in love with Napa and bought cases of his favourite reds and whites — and now he has a surplus of booze. Vaughn says, “By the time you get to the third vineyard, I’m buying four

Kat Von D

sued over cat-killing fire

at Von D foolishly set her own house ablaze in 2010, killing her cat in the process — this according to a new lawsuit — and now, she’s being sued for nearly a million bucks in damages. State Farm Insurance filed the lawsuit against Kat in L.A. County Superior Court, claiming the 2010 fire that ripped through the reality star’s Hollywood Hills home was her own fault ... and she should foot the bill. According to the lawsuit, Kat foolishly placed several lit candles in the house — and the candles then set the house on fire (a fire that killed Kat’s feline friend named Valentine). It was no small blaze either — State Farm claims the fire caused $909,199 in damages. State Farm dutifully covered the bill — but now the insurance company is suing, demanding Kat pay it back for her own carelessness. Calls to Kat’s people were not returned.

cases, five cases. I wake up the next day, and I’m like, ‘Who bought six cases of this? Who could ever drink this?’ “It’s a beautiful place... (but) pretty soon you love all the wines... I don’t have a wine cellar; I’m not even a wine person, but I got caught up in the moment... At a certain point, I start going, ‘Maybe I’ll buy a couple of acres up here. Maybe I could make wine’.”

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

Magic Screen

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Gouravam

T-TOWN TWEETIES

is a perfect launch : Allu Sirish

@pnavdeep26 The power of a telugu mass hero is unimaginable... love d way fans go beserk when they see their hero!!! be it Pavan or Chiru or Balayya:-)

he stage is all set for Allu Sirish's onscreen debut. His debut film titled Gouravam was formally announced yesterday, on the eve of his birthday and it'll also mark his foray in Tamil cinema. The bilingual film is going to take off on June 18 in Mysore. Radha Mohan is going to direct the film and Prakash Raj is producing it under the Duet Movies banner. Yami Gautam, who was recently seen in Vicky Donor, is going to play the lead role opposite Allu Sirish. “Gouravam is a commercial script that has the power 2 engage & move the viewers. The perfect vehicle 2 launch me in Telugu & Tamil. I thank my Megastar Chiru, Bunny & family 4 giving me this platform. Owe it 2 them always! I know how valuable this opportunity is. So, I take nothing for granted. Been doing my homework & preparation. Hope to live upto whatever is expected of me. :) (sic)” Allu Sirish posted on Twitter. SS Thaman is going to compose the music and Preetha is the cinematographer.

@ramsayz I used 2 play chess 4my SCHOOL, #VishwanathanAnand was d champion back then... Now I play chess during breaks while@ WORK & hes still d Champ!

@tashu_02 Hello guys... I am recovering... Fever has gone n even cold is settling gradually nw... throat infection continues... so still on medication.

Nikhil, Swati team up for Swami Rara? N

ikhil and Swati are reportedly teaming up for a new film tentatively titled Swami Rara.Sudheer Varma is going to direct the film. In the past, he has worked on several films like Hyderabad Nawabs, Angrez, Yuvatha, Anjeneyulu and he was a chief associate for Nikhil's earlier film Veedu Theda. Swami Rara is touted to be a crime comedy on the lines of Delhi Belly, although there's no similarity between the two stories. More details about the film will be announced soon.

Chammak Challo is almost complete

@taapsee Thanq for all d compliments for d outfit. D man who needs appreciation for this is gaurang.

@actressanjjanaa Down wid fever,bac to my 2nd home of the season Udupi 2row for 2nd schedule of mahanadhi need to get bac to good health asap!

@sundeepkishan 1st tweet from my new phone..finally got my lazy self to go transfer data and activate it :p... Hope this 1 survives my rough handling :)

@RanaDaggubati Night shoots can get you really dis-oriented!! Sleeping at 4am waking up at noon, stunt rehearsal at 5pm shoot again from 8pm-2am. #KVJ

fter a string of off-beat films, National Award winning director Neelakanta is dabbling with a commercial film for the first time in his career. The film titled Chammak Challo has Varun Sandesh, Sanchita Padukone and Catherine in lead roles. Except for a song, the rest of the film has been completed. DS Rao has produced the film and Kiran Varanasi has composed the music. The film is all set to hit the screens later this summer.

@ssrajamouli Master needn’t give credit to anyone.but being a gentlemen he called me to invite to the party and said I was the reason for Rowdy Rathore.

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, MAY 31, 2012

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 ‘Hey, over here!’ hiss 5 Shipboard mop 9 Eel with sharp teeth 14 A famous Fitzgerald 15 Glass square 16 Took to one's feet 17 Grandstand level 18 Some grain inspections? 20 Blvd relative 21 ABBA's first hit 22 Do-overs 24 Expulsion from office 28 Tree nymph in Greek myth 29 Boat's pole 31 Words between ‘chicken’ and ‘king’ 32 Direct course 35 Eye flirtatiously 36 Bedtimes maneuvers from professional nannies? 38 Paint-can instruction 40 Succeed financially 41 Reunion group 42 Gets under the skin of 43 Donald Duck's girlfriend 47 Certifiable 49 Bridge supporter 51 Extremely flavorsome 54 Transgression of divine law 55 Satchels for opera singers? 58 Parts of a yard 59 Completely ridiculous 60 Some bucks 61 Lioness in ‘Born Free’ 62 Beats by a nose 63 Designer Klein 64 Tadpole cousins DOWN 1 Old explosive device 2 Thin wood fragment 3 Unable to keep one's eyes open 4 Road-crew supply 5 Deodorant type

6 Shows patience 7 ‘Accord’ add-on 8 Canned beverage 9 Indian elephant keeper 10 Black-and-white bites 11 One carried Sinbad to safety 12 Solicit a response 13 Word of assent 19 Opposite of a panoramic shot 21 Heron or egret 23 Auto repair cost 25 Merchandise attachments 26 Building wing 27 ‘Norma ___’ (Sally Field film) 29 ‘Amadeus’ director Forman 30 Formicary dwellers

33 Josephine, eg 34 Bird symbolising happiness 35 Creole veggies 36 Fish propellers 37 Gives up, as territory 38 Snowmobile part 39 Tenth anniversary material 42 Gets accustomed (to) 44 Reflexive pronoun 45 Most cunning 46 Busybodies 48 Isolated 49 Turnstile insert 50 Charlotte ___ (cream-

SUDOKU

filled dessert) 52 ‘Fame’ actress Irene 53 Desktop graphic 55 Dead heat 56 ‘This ___ up’ 57 Emulate Xanthippe 58 Consultant's charge PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you. – H Jackson Brown

Chai Time STAR POWER

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

As per Hindu panchang

FOR 1-6-2012

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

TAURUS

GEMINI

Joyful journey with family members likely. Happy events to take place at home. Chances of unexpected fortune likely. Those who married recently will be blessed with an offspring soon.

Your stock is set to pile up. All wishes will get fulfilled. A strong financial position is seen as income is expected to increase. You will be benefitted by associating with relatives and friends.

Expenses for happy events will go up. Your inﬂuence and value are set to increase. Expected good news will arrive and make you happy. You will show keen interest in learning things.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Mixed results await you. Though income is good, expenses will over‑ take; it might be because of an invest‑ ment which is inevitable and proﬁtable. Mother's health is a cause for concern.

You will be able to proceed as per plans and complete all work success‑ fully. Businessmen will make new investments and expand their horizon. Blood relatives and friends will help.

A favourable time for those planning to go abroad for higher studies. Be careful while driving as there is a chance of a minor accident. A blood relative might embarrass you.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Avoid getting into new ventures or ef ‑ forts. Dues will be collected as expect‑ ed. Couple will be cordial. Business‑ men will earn good proﬁts but reinvest them. Health needs to be taken care of.

Employees will be happy as they are subjected to transfer, elevation and pay hike. Those trying for a new job will get a favourable reply. Written‑off dues will come and surprise you.

Employees will be recognised well but health needs to be taken care of. Mo‑ ney inﬂow is satisfactory and is no chance of deﬁcit at any time. Brothers and sisters will be affectionate.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Work will get completed successfully at the end though there will be minor ob‑ stacles initially. You will make frequent visits to religious places and famous temples. Expected money will come.

Never interfere into other's personal issues. Be careful in govt‑related issues and always behave with a straightfor‑ ward mentality. Minor accidents likely, hence be careful while driving.

Employees will get the expected trans‑ fer. Ofﬁcial trips also will be frequent. Those trying for a job will by favored with one. Inﬂux of visitors likely. Heal‑ th of a close one is cause for concern.

SUMAA TEKUR

FOR 1-6-2012

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

The High Priestess – Youʼre panicking ab‑ out a thing that may or may not be impor‑ tant. Take each day as it comes; donʼt wo‑ rry over a thing tha‑ tʼs not happened yet.

Queen of Wands – Youʼre taking care to avoid a disaster, esp‑ ecially with somethi‑ ng thatʼs important. Good thing, except avoiding something can lead to trouble.

Ten of Cups – A wave of sympathy is likely to come your way. It may have to do with the way you have told your story. Deal with it in the most practical manner.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

King of Swords – Blocked communica‑ tion with a person is ruining your plans. You feel stuck and are not happy. Drop your ego and talk to this person openly.

Four of Pentacles – You feel tongue‑tied when you have to speak with your bosses and this is not good news for your growth in the company.

Eight of Pentacles – You meet someone who, strangely, has similar habits as yours. You thought you were weird but you now have company.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

The Fool – Feelings of desperation, panic and fury are going to overtake your thoughts today. They waver a lot and you feel out of control. Calm down.

The Emperor – You attain a feeling of wellbeing, thanks to all the measures you have taken so far in maintaining your mental health. Conti‑ nue to do the same.

The Hanged Man – You may be feeling uneasy with some nightmares taking away your sleep and peace of mind. Medi‑ tation should help. Youʼre stressed out.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Knight of Wands – Consider a proposal from all angles before you take a decision. Remember, though, that little is really in your own hands. Fate has a role to play.

Queen of Pentacles – As the leader of the pack, you shouldnʼt mind a few inconsis‑ tencies by your subor‑ dinates. Treat them well; they are less like‑ ly to repeat mistakes.

Four of Swords – You may need to rework your plans because nothing is going as per expectations. The delay is costing you dearly. Thereʼs little you can do about it.

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

SOLUTIONS

Boggle NEPAL HAITI CHILE INDIA JAPAN

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

ARIES

TAROT READ

Vol: 1, No 319 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211

Magic Screen

Asha to co-judge Indian Idol

CID show could soon be a film I

ndian television’s longest running detective show CID might soon be a film, says producer BP Singh, promising more action, a unique storyline and different styling with the same cast. “There will be a film on CID with the same cast, but one main villian will be from outside,” Singh said, adding that he was not sure about the time frame. Launched January 21, 1998, on Sony, CID has so far aired more than 615 cases in over 824 episodes. Shivaji Satam plays ACP Pradyuman, while Aditya Shrivastav, Dayanand Shetty, Dinesh Phadnis, Vivek V Mashru, Hrishikesh Pandey, Narendra Gupta and Shraddha Musale form the team. IANS

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Films done for money are a painful experience

rrfan Khan, who had his first solo hit in Bollywood with Pan Singh Tomar, says he is in no hurry to sign new films. “Big bucks can entice anyone but I don’t want to end up doing films just for monetary reasons. When you do a film for money, the cash flow does look good but the journey is really a painful experience. I would rather earn less than accept such films where I stay frustrated and irritated on the sets,” Irrfan said. “I would rather strive for a situation where I can do the kind of work I can do and earn money for the producers and myself. That’s my goal.” PTI

egendary singer Asha Bhosle will be one of the judges on the popular singing reality show Indian Idol which begins next month. There had been a lot of speculation over who would join existing judges of the sixth season of the show, Anu Malik, Salim Merchant and Sunidhi Chauhan. Now it has been confirmed that the 78-yearold playback singer would be the fourth judge for the new edition. “I am very happy to be part of this show. I really like this show as it provides platform for budding singers. It is a very big show,”Bhosle told reporters here. Reportedly, music maestro AR Rahman was approached for the show but due to unavoidable reasons he could not be part of the programme, which will be aired on Sony TV. Bhosle has graced various TV reality shows as a celebrity judge. For Indian Idol-6 she will be “super judge”. The veteran singer will not be part of the audition rounds and will join the three judges from the gala rounds. Seasons three and four of Indian Idol also had four judges. The show is scheduled to begin from June 1 and will be aired on every Friday and Saturday. PTI

B-TOWN TWEETIES

@sonakshisinha Just before Dabangg released we were about 4,000. Today, just before Rowdy Rathore releases we are 4,00,000!!! Thank you…

@ajaydevgn Just got back from a great day at work and to top it all of met Sachin Tendulkar on the sets as well. What a pleasure!

@udaychopra I dunno why but of late I’ve been referring to myself as Emperor Gargantuan Gargantulis #IGetStrangeLooks.

@Kailashkher Home coming, Mumbai Bharat, family, Concert at KOD, so much to Look forward bk home, Kailasa all around, can’t wait to see Kabir n family

@MadhuriDixit1 Didn’t want to spoil the surprise...I taught Kathak to my son’s class. Go on my website to have a look. //t.co/uPUGJ6jG on dance icon.

@NeilNMukesh Had a wonderful day shooting inSuva, fiji. Shot in a beautiful church. The last time I was in a church shooting was when I was an assistant.

@shreyaghoshal Experiencing a proud moment for my entire music fraternity. Thanks to @Javedakhtarjadu saab... He singlehandedly has fought for our cause.

@SrBachchan T 759 - HELP : Can someone tell me how to access Bol Bachchan song... I cannot find it anywhere and am getting anxious !!

55 DAYS TO GO THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

Joker says no to mixed doubles

WE ARE GAME FOR GAMES

PARIS: Novak Djokovic will not be tempted to form a Serbian mixed doubles dream team with fellow Grand Slam title winner Ana Ivanovic at the Olympics, claiming his schedule won’t allow it. “Most likely I won’t play mixed doubles in London because I already have singles and doubles. I think it will be too much,” said world number one Djokovic. “But I support it. Why not have mixed doubles as a discipline in tennis at the Olympic Games?” Unlike Djokovic, Serena Williams, sensationally knocked out of the French Open by Virginie Razzano on Tuesday, has her eye on the mixed doubles title at the Olympics.

Relief for Marta in dope probe Neymar #11 of Brazil is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal against the United States during an International friendly game at FedExField on May 30 in Landover, Maryland. The Brazilian playmaker also set up two more to help the five-time World Cup champions outplay the US 4-1 on Wednesday in an international football friendly. The Brazilians and the Americans used the match to study talent ahead of the London Olympics. AFP/ROB CARR/GETTY

Hurdles race ‘heats’ up W

orld champion Dai Greene and 400m hurdles rival Bershawn Jackson tried to bury the hatchet here on Wednesday after the Briton’s recent spat with his American opposition. Greene has upset his US rivals by calling 400m Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt a “liar, thief and cheat” while allegedly saying the Americans in his own event were “overrated” — something he claims was taken out of context. Two-time Olympic 400m hurdles champion Angelo Taylor responded by accusing Greene of “trash-talking” and saying he was too slow to win in London later this year. And Jackson said Greene had “cashed a cheque that he can’t cash” because of his winning time of 48.26sec in last year’s World Championship final in Daegu. It was not considered a particularly quick time for a World Championship final but then again, Jackson only finished

Dai Greene

Bershawn Jackson

sixth with Taylor seventh. But Jackson insists that the Americans are still the best. “Most athletes from America say the US Olympic trials are like the Olympics so I just want to get ready for my trials,” he said ahead of his meeting with Greene here on Thursday. “Greene’s a great competitor but first there’s our trials. The

same three never make the team. “Over the last four or five years it’s never been the same consistent three guys, there’s always a new guy. “For me the first objective is to make the team and after that I can hope to make my dream a reality. “No one runs to come sec-

ond or third, we’re all trying to achieve the same goal but the main thing is to make the team because without making the team you don’t have a shot at an Olympic medal at all.” And the man known as Batman because “I’ve got big ears and I fly when I run”, says the media have blown this spat out of proportion. “The media are making it more than it is, there’s no problem between me and David (Dai) Greene,” said Jackson. “He’s world champion, he was the better man and won that day, I take nothing away from him. “We’re two great competitors, we’re the best at our event, we do what we’re supposed to do and that’s put on a show for the crowd who pay to watch.” Greene concurred and was full of respect for his crossAtlantic rivals. “There’s a lot that goes on in newspapers but don’t believe all you read in newspapers,” he said. AFP

MADRID: Spanish police have dropped a doping investigation involving former steeplechase world champion Marta Dominguez due to a “lack of evidence,” police sources announced on Wednesday which means the 36-year-old will compete at this summer’s Olympics in London. Dominguez won world steeplechase gold in 2009.

Volleyball: The race gets tighter TOKYO: Eight men’s volleyball teams will fight it out for two of the remaining spots at the London Olympics in a round robin qualifying tournament starting in Japan Friday. The winning team — out of Australia, China, Iran, Japan, Puerto Rico, Serbia, South Korea and Venezuela — will book a place at the Games, along with the topplaced Asian side among the rest. Similar qualifying tournaments with four competitors apiece are also taking place in the Bulgarian and German capitals, Sofia and Berlin, from June 8-10 to decide who get the remaining two slots.

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

BEAUTY

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IRELAND Best EURO performance: final tournament 1988 Coach: Giovanni Trapattoni Leading scorer: all-time – Robbie Keane (53); current – Robbie Keane (53)

Most appearances: all-time – Shay Given (120); current – Shay Given (120) Association formed: 1921 Nickname: The Boys in Green

THE BEST IRELAND’S FIXTURES

EURO STATS

Sunday 10 June: Ireland v Croatia, 20.45CET, Poznan Thursday 14 June: Spain v Ireland, 20.45CET, Gdansk Monday 18 June: Italy v Ireland, 20.45CET, Poznan

MATCHES PLAYED Overall: P112 W45 D33 L34 F163 A130 Final tournament: P3 W1 D1 L1 F2 A2 Qualifying: P109 W44 D32 L33 F161 A128

On a wing and a prayer Making just their second appearance at a European Championship finals, Giovanni Trapattoni’s team will need to overcome former winners Spain and Italy to progress from Group C DUBLIN: Giovanni Trapattoni has

POSTNOON PREDICTION

warned the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2012 rivals that his side will relish their role as the tournament’s underdogs. Sharing the same stage as the all-star casts of Spain, Germany, France and the Netherlands will initially leave Trapattoni’s journeymen pushed firmly into the shadows when the tournament gets underway in Poland and the Ukraine on June 8. When they were drawn in a Group C including world and European champions Spain, as well as Italy and Croatia, it would have been understandable if Ireland prepared to travel to eastern Europe more in hope than expectation of stealing the spotlight. Bookmakers certainly expect little from the Irish, who have been installed as such heavy outsiders at 80-1 that, of the 16 teams competing, only Denmark are regarded as less likely winners. Trapattoni, however, takes a far more upbeat approach to his team’s first appearance at the European Championships since 1988 and their first at any major tournament since the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. Inspired by Denmark’s remarkable triumph at Euro 1992 when the team arrived as last-minute replacements for war-torn Yugoslavia and ended up taking home the trophy, Trapattoni is conIf Ireland can beat Croatia on June 10, then they just might take some momentum into the Spain match. Upset? Unlikely. But look for the boys in green to show plenty of heart.

vinced his players can confound the critics. In terms of star power there is no denying Ireland are very much a support act in a group featuring Spain’s Xavi and Andres Iniesta, Italian talents like Antonio Cassano and Daniele De Rossi and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric. Whatever their fate, Ireland’s progress to the finals is cause enough for celebration after such a long absence from major tournaments. Ireland open their campaign against Croatia in Poznan on June 10 before tackling Spain in Gdansk four days later. Their final group fixture is a potentially epic encounter with Trapattoni’s native Italy in Poznan on June 18. Realistically, Trapattoni’s men are likely to have to beat Croatia to stand a chance of qualifying.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND GROUP C At a glance When Giovanni Trapattoni took the reins in summer 2008, he assumed control of a side that had not graced a European Championship in two decades. Their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign had brought just four wins in 12 outings as Ireland finished well adrift of the Czech Republic and Germany; ‘Trap’ made an instant impression. He took Ireland to the brink of the 2010 World Cup. Victory over Estonia ensured there was no play-off woes.

PLAYER TO WATCH

The James McClean fairytale continues DUBLIN: Just six months ago James McClean was languishing in Sunderland’s reserve team but now the Republic of Ireland winger plans to cap a fairytale rise by stealing the spotlight at Euro 2012. McClean’s surprise call-up to Ireland’s Euro squad has given the 23-year-old an unexpected chance to share the same stage as stars like Xavi, Andrea Pirlo and Luka Modric and he has no intention of wasting the opportunity.

Although his only international experience to date remains his debut as a substitute against the Czech Republic in February, McClean has been ear-marked by Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni as a potential gamechanger after a superb second half of the season with Sunderland. McClean will have to compete with experienced campaigners like Damien Duff, Stephen Hunt and Aiden McGeady for a place in Trapattoni’s team but he has no doubts he can make an impact in group stage clashes against Spain, Croatia and Italy. “I’m in the squad and I’m delighted to be in the squad. But I’m not going to be here just to make up the numbers and leave it at that," he said. “We have the training camp and the friendlies coming up and I want to show him that I can leave my mark.”

Playing Field

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

The games people play

Manny packs something special for hungry Bradley LOS ANGELES: Filipino fight king Manny Pacquiao wants to deliver something special against Timothy Bradley on June 9, to erase the taste of his narrow victory over Juan Manuel Marquez in November. “It’s really important because, of course, everybody knows my last fight was very close,” Pacquiao said of the need if not for a knockout, at least for a fan-pleasing show. Pacquiao edged Marquez by majority decision on November 12, stretching his victory streak to 15 fights but leaving his Mexican foe shouting robbery. Adding more controversy to an already-heated rivalry, two judges handed Pacquiao the 12-round victory by margins of 116-112 and 115-113 while the third scored the fight a 114-114 draw. In Marquez, Pacquiao had been taking on a familiar opponent, having beaten the Mexican in 2004 and 2008. In Bradley, Pacquiao says he’ll be facing a younger, “hungry” fighter, who has said this high-profile bout for Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization welterweight belt is the start of a new phase in his career. “This is like my first fight all over again,” said Bradley, the WBO light welterweight cham-

pion who boasts a record of 28-0 with 12 knockouts. “In order to beat the champion you’ve got to take it to the champion,” Bradley said last week. “We

PACQUIAO, WHO DREW A THRONG OF MEDIA TO THE WILD CARD GYM IN HOLLYWOOD ON WEDNESDAY, PROMISED HE ISN’T UNDERESTIMATING THE 28-YEAR-OLD BRADLEY. “HE’S A HUNGRY FIGHTER,” PACQUIAO SAID.

are setting out to win this fight and not sit around and look pretty. I am going to take it to Pacquiao.” Roach said that could be just what’s needed to draw the best from Pacquiao. “I think the way Bradley is going to come forward and force a fight, we’re going to see a great Pacquiao,” Roach said. “Bradley’s a tough guy, very resilient. But being a tough guy doesn’t win fights.” Pacquiao, who drew a throng of media to the Wild Card gym in Hollywood on Wednesday,

VENUS FOLLOWS SERENA

US’ Venus Williams reacts after a point against Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska during their Women’s Singles 2nd round match of the French Open. Williams was beaten by Radwanska 62, 6-3 to complete a miserable 24 hours for the Williams family. Sister Serena had crashed out late on Tuesday. KENZO TRIBOUILLARD

promised he isn’t underestimating the 28-year-old Bradley. “He’s a hungry fighter,” Pacquiao said, although he made light of the age difference, saying that having built a record of 54-3-2 with 38 knockouts at the age of 33, he feels much younger. “I’m still thinking I am 25, 26 years old,” Pacquiao laughed. Trainer Freddie Roach said he’d been impressed with the intensity Pacquiao has brought to his preparation. Roach shook things up a bit by bringing in new sparring partners who didn’t know Pacquiao, weren’t friends and wouldn’t go easy on the champion. “It’s worked out real well,” Roach said Wednesday. “They’re aggressive, I think it’s helped.” On a different tack, however, Pacquiao was also joined in the United States by his wife and children, a further sign that the family troubles he said distracted him before his last bout were behind him. “Manny’s happy they’re here,” Roach said. “It’s great.” Roach admitted he had some concerns that Pacquiao’s new devotion to Bible study and spiritual matters might hinder him in the ring, with a newfound “compassion” somehow affecting his killer instinct.

Rory hopes to regain form MIAMI: Rory McIlroy, suddenly struggling with his US Open title defence looming, will try to get back on track this week at the US PGA Tour’s Memorial. Two straight missed cuts at prestigious events, the US tour’s Players Championship and the European Tour’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, have seen McIlroy surrender the world number one ranking. Things got so bad at Wentworth that the 23-yearold’s frustration spilled over with a tossed club. “When you’ve went on a run when you’ve hardly finished outside the top five, and then all of a sudden two missed cuts, it’s more of a shock than anything

else,” McIlroy said Wednesday as he prepared to tee off on Thursday in the $6.2 million Memorial, hosted by Jack Nicklaus at Muirfield Village. “Just a little bit surprising, and it’s something I haven’t really had to deal with in a while, and I just have to knuckle down and figure it out and get back to the way I was at the start of the year.” With the US Open, the second major championship of the year, due to tee off at the Olympic Club in San Francisco on June 14, the Memorial will give McIlroy a chance to test himself against some of the game’s best. World No. 1 Luke Donald of

England, Masters champion Bubba Watson, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are here, along with defending champion Steve Stricker. No matter how this week goes, McIlroy has scheduled himself to play the St. Jude Classic next week to give himself more golf before he defends the US Open title he won at Congressional last year. “I just feel like I need more rounds,” he said. “These twoday weeks aren’t really that good for me.” McIlroy admitted that he was still getting used the spotlight that has accompanied his rise to the top of golf. AFP

Playing Field

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

The games people play

Rodgers set to join Liverpool Andy Hunter

iverpool are on the brink of appointing Brendan Rodgers as their new manager after Swansea City’s chairman, Huw Jenkins, accepted he could not refuse the 39-yearold Northern Irishman the opportunity of a move to Anfield. Two weeks after sacking Kenny Dalglish for finishing eighth in the Premier League, Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, concluded the search for his replacement during talks with Rodgers in London. The former Watford and Reading manager agreed a threeyear contract with John W Henry and Tom Werner, Liverpool’s principal owner and chairman respec-

tively, before informing Swansea he wished to quit after a hugely successful two-year spell at the Liberty Stadium. All that stands in the way of Rodgers being confirmed as Liverpool manager is an agreement on a compensation package with Swansea. Under the terms of the three-and-a-half year contract that Rodgers signed in January, the Welsh club are entitled to around £5m. A predecessor at Swansea, Roberto Martínez, was also in the running to succeed Dalglish but despite interrupting a holiday to meet Henry in Miami last Thursday, he had no further contact with Liverpool after the weekend. Both Rodgers and Martínez

Ryder to give up New Zealand contract WELLINGTON: The international future of Jesse Ryder is in doubt after he chose not to seek a new contract with New Zealand Cricket to concentrate on personal health and fitness goals. NZC chief executive David White said the decision not to take up a contract for the 2012-2013 season was made by Ryder in consultation with his management and the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association. Ry-

der announced the decision on Wednesday when he met NZC officials as part of his annual player review. PTI

Heat beat Celtics in over-time win MIAMI: LeBron James scored 34 points and Dwyane Wade added 23 as Miami withstood a stellar performance by Boston’s Rajon Rondo to beat the Celtics 115-111 in over-time of the NBA Eastern Conference finals. With the victory, Heat took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series that will

send the winners into the NBA championship against either San Antonio or Oklahoma City. Rondo was spectacular, playing all 53 minutes and scoring 44 points with 10 assists and eight rebounds. But it was not enough against a Heat team that also got 22 points from Mario Chalmers.

Torres scores in Spain’s victory BERN, SWITZERLAND: Fernando Torres celebrated his return to the Spain team with a first half goal as the World and European Champions continued their preparation for Euro2012 with a 4-1 win over South Korea. Fresh from capturing the Champions League with Chelsea, Torres’ fortunes appear to be turning after what was generally a poor campaign where he scored just eleven goals and was

dropped from the Spain squad in February. Following an anxious wait he was included in the Spain squad which will travel to Poland next week.

made it known to Liverpool’s owners that they would be reluctant to work within the new management structure intended for Anfield. That proposal, with Louis van Gaal approached to be sporting director but inevitably wanting far-

reaching control at the club, is now in doubt. Liverpool’s successful pursuit of Rodgers, who initially rejected their offer of an interview as he had no wish to be on a lengthy list of candidates, was confirmed in a magnanimous statement from the Swansea chairman. Jenkins stated, “I was contacted by Liverpool last night and they expressed their wish to speak to Brendan. I had a discussion with Brendan to talk about their interest and his views on whether he wanted to speak to Liverpool. He expressed his wish with me to do that and he has spoken to Liverpool today. “Following on from discussions with Liverpool’s owners, Brendan has informed us that he

would like to take up their offer to manage Liverpool. At the moment we are currently in talks with the owners to agree compensation. We are trying to finalise that within the next 24 hours. Although we are very disappointed to lose such a talented, young British manager, we didn’t wish to stand in his way. As always at Swansea City, we want people working here who are fully committed to the task ahead. We wish Brendan every success in the future.” Gus Poyet, Ian Holloway and Alan Curbishley are among the early favourites to succeed Rodgers at Swansea and Jenkins added, “We will always remain good friends and we thank him for all his hard work and passion over the past two years,” Jenkins added.