Epaper 25 october 2013 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013 HYDERABAD

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WEATHER: RAIN; 22°C

HELLO EAR THLINGS

Sci-fi thriller Ender's Game that hit theatres this week featured an aggressive alien society, an insect-like race known as Formics trying to take over earth. Let's explore ten other alien species that visited mankind on the silver screen.

P16&17

HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER

It’s gonna rain cats and dogs for 2 more days

FLASH

City of Hyderabad must brave for another 48 hours for the angry rain gods to retreat, say weatherman. Heavy rains, following the destructive visit of the tropical cyclone Phailin, sows death and destruction across the State.

US SNOOPED ON 35 WORLD LEADERS

The latest revelations come amid a furore over allegations that the United States had tapped the mobile phone of German Chancellor Angela P9 Merkel.

WHAT’S ESL COOKING IN DELHI? Governor ESL Narasimhan going to the Home Minister SK Shinde’s residence with full official regalia yesterday has kicked up a storm. The TDP says it’s a violation of gubernatorial position and has dented the prestige of P4 the governor post.

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ADITYAKATRINA FINALISED FOR FITOOR

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

city events

SIZZLER WEEKEND SPECIAL

Nothing beats the weariness out of life than the combination of good food and a refreshing drink! Experience the best of two worlds at Truffles Café this weekend. Complement your culinary treat with exotic cocktails like Bombay bramble and a night in Bangkok. Now, this is some irresistible stuff to look forward

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

Overnight

23°C

Morning

Afternoon

23°C

27°C

A mix of cloud and sun with showers

20°C

Cloudy with a chance of showers

New Delhi Mumbai Max 35 Max 33 Min 21 Min 30 Sunny

Chennai Max 32 Min 27

Thundershowers

Bangalore Max 27 Min 19 Thundershowers

AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES WORKSHOP

Kerala Food Fest Here’s a chance for all the food lovers to relish the taste of some authentic dishes from Kerala at this Kerala Food Fest in Waterside Cafe. Indulge your taste buds in an extensive spread that includes delicacies. Where: Waterside Cafe Taj Banjara Hotel, Lobby Level, Road No. 1, Banjara Hills When:Until October 27 7pm to 11pm Contact: 7569028306

Imagery Vs Photography The workshop will teach the participants how they can become thinking photographers, how imagery and photographs can be treated as a science. Where: Fortune Select Manohar, Hotel, Begumpet Airport Exit Road, Begumpet When: October 25, 9am to 6pm Contact: (040) 39884422

PLAY

Sketching Workshop For Kids This workshop will be hosted by Faraaz Farshori, an artist known for creating impromptu sketches using a ball point pen.This artist will be sharing his knowledge and experience with the young enthusiasts who want to explore their creative skills on paper. Where:Lamakaan, Road No. 1, Lane Adjacent to C-Bay, Banjara Hills When: October 27, 11am - 12pm Contact: 9642731329, 9963107235 Zumba In The Circuit 60 Degree Fitness presents Zumba In The Circuit workshop for those who love to combine a bit of dance with their regular health regime. Where: 360 Degree Fitness, Croma Building, 2nd Floor, Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills When: Until October 31, 7pm to 8pm Contact: (040) 23456789

GAS BOOKING IVRS NO HP 9666023456 Indane 9848824365 BSNL Complaints HMWS & SB Complaints

198 155313

POLICE CONTROL ROOM Hyderabad 27852435 Traffic Control Room 27852482 DCP Traffic 23234065, 23243499F Pollution Control Board 23887500

155333 23431178 23431179

MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

Where: All Metro shoes outlet across the city When: Until October 31 Contact: 9391099710

EXHIBITION Fashion yatra Renowned fashion designers, best artisans across the country are presenting their designer sarees, dress materials, gold jewellery, imitation jewellery,hand bags and all types of lifestyle accessories at the exposition. Where: Shop No. 8-6-949/1/B , Kamma Sangam, Ameerpet When: Until October 27, 10am to 8:30pm Contact: (040) 23456789 Drenched In Color Ladies, it’s time to fall head over heals in love with Metro shoes’ newest collection, available in spectacularly vibrant hues.

Commissioner & Spl Officer

Helpline

ELECTRICITY General Complaints Breakdown Section

INAUGURATION: Ms. Sanjana Galrani with Mr Manohar Kamath, Shoppers Stop at Manjeera Mall, Kukatpally.

23262266 24166666R ENC 23225267 Engineering 23220418 MCH Tankbund 23225397 Emergency MCH Circle I&II 24525842 MCH Circle III 24736912 MCH Circle IV 23326975 MCH Circle V 23326976 MCH Circle VI MCH Complaints 1100 Head Office 23225397 IVRS CUM MANUAL ENQUIRY PHONE NUMBERS (TRAIN & RESERVATION) RAILWAYS Rail Nilayam 27833169, 27824216 Railway Information 131 Reservations 135 Recorded Information 1345 Enquiry (IVRS) 1331, 1332, 1333

DINING Sizzler Weekend Special Nothing beats the weariness out of life than the combination of good food and a refreshing drink! Experience the best of two worlds at Truffles Café this weekend. Complement your culinary treat with exotic cocktails like Bombay bramble and a night in Bangkok. Where: Truffles Cafe 376, Road No. 10, Jubilee Hills When: Until December 8, 12pm onwards Contact: 040-23550105

WATER SUPPLY Complaint Cell Sewerage Complaint Hyd. Water Supply HOSPITAL General Hospital, Sec-bad Niloufer Hospital, Red Hills NIMS, Director, Punjagutta Osmania General Hospital Railway Hospital, Lalaguda Apollo, Jubilee Hills Care Hospital, Banjara Hills Care Hospital, Nampally Care Hospital, Musheerabad Care Hospital, Sec-bad Kamineni Hospital, LB Nagar

155313 23307328 23313163

27505566 23314095 23390933 24600146 27001134 23607777 30418888 30417777 30419000 30416666 39879999

BLOOD BANKS Blood Bank,Narayanguda Chiranjeevi Blood Bank Blood Bank Mediton Goal Red Cross, Vidyanagar ADRM Blood Bank Mythri Charitable Trust NTR Memorial Trust Care Banjara Hills

Pinktober Go pink this October! The hot spot of music lovers, Hard Rock Cafe lends its support to the subject of breast cancer this month Where: Hard Rock Cafe, GVK One Mall, Road No. 1, Banjara Hills When: Until October 31, 12pm to 1.30am Contact: 7569016340

Kanthri Means Kanthri The play talks about how everyone is "kanthri" irrespective of where they come from. KMK takes us through 8 short stories of different scenarios. Where: Lamakaan, Adjacent To CBay, Opposite GVK One, Banjara Hills When: October 25, 7.30pm to 8.30pm Contact: 96427-31329

27567892 23559555 23226624 27633087 27035588 27550238 30799999 30418296 30417445

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

Little Blue Planet Commissioned by Jindal Steel Works foundation, this show titled 'The Little Blue Planet' aims at presenting the occurrence of rapid climate change. Where: Shilpakala Vedika Jubilee Enclave, Hitech City Road, Madhapur When: October 26, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 23112704

Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings. For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec-bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999 UK VISA OFFICE VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7

Beside Meridian School, Banjara Hills34. Working hours are from 8 AM to 1 PM And 2 PM to 3PM. MUSEUMS Salar Jung Museum AP State Museum Nizams Museum

24523211 232431300/7641 24521029

Readers’ views

We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or # Plot no.550-A1, 3rd floor, Road no-92, Jubilee hills, Hyderabad-500033 a call on a call on 2354 1412

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

news

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION 40% 60%

TODAY’S QUESTION

SHOULD THE US SHUTDOWN THE NSA?

ARE THE POLICE TO BLAME FOR SPATE IN RAPES? YES (A) NO (B)

YES

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

CRIME

MONEY SCAM

Bo’s appeal shot down

Fake note fraudster caught

A Chinese court on Friday rejected fallen politician Bo Xilai's appeal against his corruption conviction and confirmed his life sentence.

MOHD SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: It speaks a volume for our lax law and justice system. A man, known to police as conman, by name Syed Ghouse was arrested from Kalikhabar in

SÉBASTIEN BLANC feedback@postnoon.com

Chinese court on Friday rejected fallen politician Bo Xilai's appeal against his corruption conviction and confirmed his life sentence, as authorities looked to draw a line under a damaging scandal "The facts of the first instance verdict are clear, the evidence is reliable, sufficient, and the sentence is appropriate," the Shandong province high court said in its ruling, which it released to the media and posted on its website. "The court rules as follows: reject the appeal, uphold the original verdict. This verdict is the final ruling." Bo had presented 11 grounds for appeal, it said, including that his confessions in custody were "produced under pressure from officials handling the case, and as illegal evidence should be disregarded". Until 2012 Bo headed the southwestern megacity of Chongqing and was one of the highest-ranked politicians in the ruling Communist party, which tightly controls China's courts. State broadcaster CCTV showed Bo handcuffed in the court, wearing a black jacket and smiling as he was flanked by two towering policemen in white gloves. At the end of the hearing, which lasted less than an hour, they frogmarched the 64-yearold out of the courtroom, each gripping an arm and a shoulder. His elder son Li Wangzhi was present, along with other relatives, the images showed.

AROUND THE

CITY

Security was heavy around the courthouse in Jinan, the capital of Shandong in eastern China, with hundreds of police officers stationed every few metres around the building and the surrounding streets blocked off, with nearby shops closed. Bo was last month condemned to life imprisonment on charges of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power, after a spectacular downfall that exposed infighting within the Communist party ahead of a once in a decade transition of power. The courts have no further obligation to reconsider his case after the appeal, lawyers said, and Bo is unlikely to appear in public again. He was not present for the consideration of the appeal, which took place earlier this month in a "closed hearing", a lawyer with direct knowledge of

Fallen angel Until 2012 Bo headed the southwestern megacity of Chongqing and was one of the highestranked politicians in the ruling Communist party, which tightly controls China's courts.

the case told AFP. Friday's court decision "will be the final verdict. After that, the process is over", the lawyer said. According to Chinese law, Bo will not be able to lodge any further formal appeals, and while he can submit a "petition" to China's supreme court, it is not required to take further action. Analysts have said that the verdict against Bo was decided as a result of backroom bargaining between elite members of the Communist party -- some of whom are still thought to be allies of his.

"From the beginning, the verdict was not totally the court's decision... it's very likely that top leaders played a role," said He Weifang, a law professor at Peking University. Bo, whose father was one of Communist China's "Eight Immortals", its most prominent revolutionary leaders, was ousted last year after a lurid scandal that saw his wife convicted of the murder of a British businessman. Bo's trial in August revealed a lifestyle far in excess of what Communist Party officials on modest salaries should be able to afford, with evidence of bribes from rich businessmen, including a close associate who bought his family a villa in France. His defiance over the course of the hearings astonished a public unfamiliar with the open airing of top-level intrigue and was in stark contrast to previous Chinese political trials.

Darulshifa yesterday while he was waiting cheat a customer whose greed made him to accept fake currency at the ration of 1:3. Ghouse, a resident of Arsapally in Nizamabad was arrested before for cheating and dealing in fake notes but he is either let off lightly or get out on bail and indulge in the same crime for which he was arraigned. The Commissioner Task Force, Central zone arrested Ghouse on a tip off that he was waiting with a suitcase full of counterfeit notes to be handed over to the willing who out of greed agree to give him genuine notes to get three-fold. All notes are in 100, 500 note denominations. Interestingly, the man does not even provide spurious notes. He keeps original notes on top and on sides and the remaining bundles are all white papers cut at the currency size and coloured so that they would at one glance look like notes.

CITY BRIEFS TDP pans CM over inaction over crop loss

Venkaiah says Congress suffers from pessimism

Send a helicopter for rescue op: Chandrababu

NE monsoon vigorous over south coastal AP

Vijayasai gets court nod to visit Delhi

RS leader and Sircilla MLA K Tarakarama Rao said Telangana region suffered heavy crop loss due to continuous downpour. KTR said standing crop in thousands of acres was submerged in water and asked N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who responded spontaneously during Phailin typhoon, has not responded in similar manner keeping politics aside.

JP senior leader M Venkaiah Naidu has said AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s statements at Rajasthan election campaign proved that the Congress suffers from pessimism. Venkaiah Naidu alleged that the Congress was not in a position to digest the increasing popularity of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi day after day.

DP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu today urged the State government to send a helicopter to save passengers of an RTC bus which stranded in an overﬂowing rivulet in Prakasam district. Naidu said that an RTC bus was stuck up upstream in a rivulet near Yedurallapadu. Only eight persons came out safely while others are waiting for their rescue.

orth East monsoon has been vigorous over south coastal Andhra Pradesh and active over the Rayalaseema region, according to a weather bulletin. The well marked low pressure area over south coastal AP adjoining west central Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood now lies over coastal AP and adjoining areas of Telangana and Rayalaseema regions.

he special CBI court Thursday allowed the plea of V Vijay Sai Reddy, an accused in 'quid-pro-quo investments' case involving YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy's ﬁrms, seeking permission to go to Delhi. Vijay Sai Reddy, who was Jagan's auditor, is to appear before the Enforcement Directorate in Delhi in connection with the case.

News FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013 LAST YEAR... HERE

MORNING ROUTINE

Operation black film

ast year we had reported about Operation Black Film an awareness campaign undertaken by the traffic police about the Supreme Court Order that prohibits tinted films on vehicle glasses. Despite the awareness campaign only 10 to 15 per cent complied. On Oct 25, 2012 the traffic police had booked 3,411 cases against vehicle owners on this regard.

OCT 25, 2012

NUMEROLOGY

Sri Lankans who had attempted to illegally migrate by boat to seek asylum in Australia were sent back by the country pushing the number of those returned to nearly 1,400 since August 2012.

I started getting tonnes of emails from women pouring their heart out about how they were discriminated against. Some wanted to commit suicide because they couldn't be fair. Nandita Das, Actress

THINGS WE LEARNT TODAY

A photo taken on October 22, 2013 a man exercises in a park in Fuzhou, Fujian province. Fuzhou is the capital of China's south-eastern Fujian province. AFP PHOTO / Ed Jones

AP AFFAIRS

Guv lowers prestige of his office Narasimhan is mediating on behalf of YSRC and it is a shame on the august office of the Governor.

The column that teaches everyone something new about the way the City functions.

POSTNOON NEWS Postnoon News

The little victims of Australia’s bushﬁres Veterinarians are on standby as volunteer crews from animal rescue group hike out into bush areas in search of native creatures.

Intellectual isolation in South Korea For one month, South Korean teachers are kept in isolation under conditions that resemble house arrest. Their task is to compile the college entrance exam.

Dark is beautiful campaign Poster girl of the Dark is Beautiful campaign, Nandita Das, has called out India's obsession with fair skin — a prejudice that has driven women to the brink of suicide.

More casualties among African Union-UN Mission The deaths 4 peacekeepers from the African Union-UN Mission to the region bring to 18 the number killed over the past 12 months.

Speeding up Telangana formation Offering a fat package to Seemandhra is being considered to speed up Telangana formation.

e know what you are doing,’ says the TDP to the Governor ESL Narasimhan. Taking umbrage at the Governor’s meeting with the AICC secretary-general in-charge of AP Affairs Digvijay Singh, TDP leader Yanamala Ramakrishnudu wanted to know whether it was the duty of the Governor to go to minister’s residence and brief him about the situation in Andhra Pradesh. Yanamala, in a statement here today stated the Governor went round to meet Congress leaders at Delhi like an officer carrying files. “It is AROUND THE an affront to CITY Telugu people. How can the Governor decide the future of 8.47 crore people of the State, he asked. The TDP asked people of Andhra Pradesh not to pardon such behaviour and punish the Congress for flouting all norms and rules of the land. Congress never had shown any respect to the Constitutional propriety or rules of law, alleged the TDP leader. The party leaders said the people now believe that it was the Governor who was mediating between Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and Sonia Gandhi, the TDP leader said. While Digvijay Singh had said Jagan has Congress

DNA, the Governor has been giving appointments now and then to Jaganmohan Reddy, who was named as No. 1 accused in CBI cases.

DIWALI

US Congress to celebrate Diwali AROUND THE

WORLD

WASHINGTON: Thanks to the initiative of bipartisan Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans, US lawmakers are set to have their firstever Diwali reception to celebrate the Indian festival of lights. An invitation to lawmakers for the reception next Tuesday has gone out from old India friend and Democratic caucus co-chairman Joseph Crowley, according to the gossip blog of Roll Call, an influential publication focusing on Congressional affairs. "We're setting a major precedent that will hopefully last for years and decades to come," he wrote asking fellow lawmakers to share the mysteries of the "festival of lights." Crowley praised Tulsi Gabbard, first Hindu American lawmaker and Ami Bera, the lone Indian-American politician in the US House, for helping to plan the event and "stirring up interest amongst our members." "I think it is a testament to the growth of the Indian-American community," Crowley, who has participated in Diwali festivals in the Indo-American enclave of the Jackson Heights.

News FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

POLITICS

Centre to ‘sop up’ Seemandhra? Offering a fat package to Seemandhra and placating the business forces in the region are being considered to speed up Telangana formation. POSTNOON NEWS HYDERABAD: AICC President Sonia Gandhi meeting President Pranab Mukherjee in Rashtrapathi Nilayam this morning attained political importance, especially in the wake of the Centre trying to speed up the process of Telangana State formation. According to knowledgeable sources besides various issues and political concerns plaguing the country, the contentious issue of bifurcating Andhra Pradesh to pave way for the formation of a separate Telangana State was stated to have prominently figured during the discussions. It is pertinent to note here the presence of AP Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan in the national capital for the last two days on a special mission with regard to the Telangana affair. The Governor had met Sonia Gandhi and submitted a report on the political situation in the state and his assessment about the pros and cons with

regard to the decision to bifurcate the state. He had also called on the President later in the evening and apprised him of the current situation in the state also his assessment about the possible scenario after bifurcation. Efforts are being made to placate the top business and industrial forces of Seemandhra with huge projects to rebuild the new state. It is said that a fat re-construction package will be offered to Seemandhra to douse the ire against T. There is no denial of the fact that Narasimhan’s appraisal with regard to the Telangana formation and his advice in the matter would definitely be given due weightage by the central leaders. Even the President is expected to rely on the inputs provided by the Governor regarding the postbifurcation situation in the state. While even as the Governor was busy continuing his parleys with the central leaders including meeting Veerappa Moily on Thursday, the Seemandhra Congress leaders

The Seemandhra leaders stated that they would apprise the President about the unconstitutional methods being pursued by Congress.

including ministers have reached New Delhi to keep up t h e i r appointment with the President at 7 pm. Later the leaders are planning to meet AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh to continue their efforts to halt the Telangana process. The Seemandhra lead-

ers stated that they would apprise the President about the unconstitutional methods being pursued by the Congress leadership and the Centre in rushing through the process of dividing the state. Pointing out that the A n t o n y Committee was constituted at the behest of Sonia Gandhi to address the concerns and apprehensions of the people of Seemandhra following an unprecedented upsurge in the region, these leaders reminded that the committee had not visited the state to record the feelings of the people. As if this was not enough, the cabinet note on Telangana was prepared by the Home Ministry without getting the report from the Antony panel. All these aspects would be brought to the notice of the President to halt the T process. The Seemandhra leaders are also expected to bring to the notice of the President about Article 371 D to emphasize the need to prevent bifurcation of the state.

Informed sources pointed out that Pranab Mukherjee, who was also deeply involved in the Telangana issue as trouble shooter of the Congress Party in the past as Union Finance Minister, might weigh various options before him, including constitutional and legal positions, when the T resolution or Bill is sent to him for approval. Known for his straight forward and upright approach, the President might not blindly put his stamp of approval for the T Bill, these sources observed. Thus, against this backdrop Sonia Gandhi calling on Pranab Mukherjee has attained political importance especially with regard to the current exercise of carving out a new state of Telangana. According to informed sources Sonia Gandhi might put forth before the President her views regarding the imperative need to concede the demand for a Telangana State. However, how far her views would influence the President has to be seen.

ANIMATION

CITAND announces distribution With 650 animation companies and over 80,000 animation professionals in India, there’s a need for cutting-edge animation technology and training to keep up with demand.

H Y D E R A B A D – C I TA N D Multimedia, the Leading Multimedia and Animation Company based out of Hyderabad with Global presence announced that they now have a distribution agreement with Organic Motion in India. Through an exclusive distribution agreement, CITLAND will provide Organic Motion’s markerless motion capture technology to this fast-growing market. With 650 animation companies and over 80,000 animation professionals in India, there’s a need for cutting-edge animation technology and training to keep up with demand. Organic Motion developed OpenStage to be the first and only motion capture solution that allows animators to import not only motion capture data, but also virtual cameras and matching reference

videos into Autodesk Motion Builder, Maya and 3D Studio MAX. With reference videos setup as image planes, the

mocap skeleton can be easily viewed from multiple angles and lined up with the actor’s performance.

This makes it quick and easy for directors to pick takes, and for animators to layer on custom animation, all in less time and with less effort than ever before. “The partnership between CITAND Multimedia and Organic Motion will bring cost-effective animation solutions to India,” says CITAND principal Mahesh Sriram. “With Organic Motion’s markerless technology animators will be able to work efficiently and deliver high quality work within shorter timelines.” CITAND Multimedia will distribute all of Organic Motion’s animation products and solutions in India as well as provide a hands-on training program to ensure Indian animators get experience implementing Organic Motion in their workflow.

ANIMATION SOLUTIONS CITAND Multimedia provides cost-effective, timely animation solutions and training for global animation and multimedia projects. CITAND mission is to bring cutting-edge animation and multimedia technologies to India’s fast-growing animation market, said RAO PALLEPATI, head of CITAND Multimedia.”We provide animation technology distribution and hands-on workflow training in the latest motion capture software, including Markerless motion capture technologies from Organic Motion. Our goal is to help Indian animation.

News FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

OZ BUSHFIRES

FIREFIGHTERS ON TOP This picture taken on October 24, 2013 shows a firefighter getting ready to handle bushfire near Faulconbridge in the Blue Mountains. Firefighters in Australia took advantage of lighter winds on October 25 to get on top of a nine-day bushfire emergency as officials said the military could be liable for compensation after starting one of the worst blazes. AFP PHOTO / Saeed KHAN

MARTIN PARRY SYDNEY, October 25, 2013 (AFP) - Firefighters in Australia took advantage of lighter winds Friday to get on top of a nine-day bushfire emergency as officials said the military could be liable for compensation after starting one of the worst blazes. Thousands of largely volun-

teer firefighters have been battling infernos that have destroyed more than 200 homes, cost two lives, and razed more than 124,000 hectares (306,000 acres) across New South Wales state since last week. The damage bill so far is estimated at Aus$138 million (US$132 million), according to the Insurance Council of Australia,

with more than 1,000 claims made and many more expected over the coming days. Operations are now being wound back although 57 bush and grass fires continue to burn with 23 yet to be contained. No property was currently under threat and none of the fires was considered an "emergency", the highest danger level.

MUMBAI

Teen kills herself over parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Facebook ban HYDERABAD: A 17year-old has committed suicide in western India after a row with her parents who told her she had to stop using Facebook, police said Friday. College student Aishwarya Dahiwal was found hanging in her bedroom on Wednesday after an argument with her parents in Maharashtra state's Parbhani city, an investigating officer told AFP, declining to be named. "On Wednesday night, she had an argument with her parents who told her not to just use Facebook and her

AROUND THE

NATION

College student Aishwarya Dahiwal was found hanging in her bedroom on Wednesday after an argument with her parents in Parbhani city, police said. mobile all day for chatting," the officer from Nanal Peth police station

said. "They told her to focus on her studies. After the argument, she locked herself in her room and was found hanging later, with a suicide note nearby," he said. A note referring to the argument and Facebook is being examined by police. Experts say that there are almost always multiple causes for a suicide, including psychiatric illnesses, that may not have been recognised or treated. Internet use remains low across India but is growing quickly, expected to reach about 200 million online out of the 1.2 billion-strong population by the end of 2013. About three-quarters of India's high school students prefer Facebook over phone calls to communicate, according to a survey released in June by Tata Consultancy Services.

"Cooler temperatures today, however residents should remain vigilant," the New South Wales Rural Fire Service said on its Facebook page. A fire service spokeswoman added that crews were taking advantage of a drop in winds and temperatures to strengthen containment lines and continue aggressive backburning -- a tactic aimed at creating firebreaks to control the path of blazes. "Overnight it has been backburning on most of those fires and patrolling the containment lines, as well as mopping up," she said, with more than 800 firefighters and 72 aircraft still deployed. "With the cooler weather we want to strengthen those containment lines." One of the biggest and fiercest infernos still alight -- which at one point had a perimeter of more than 300 kilometres (185 miles) and has ripped through nearly 50,000 hectares (123,500 acres) of land around the Blue Mountain west of Sydney -- was started by the military. Defence chiefs apologised on

AROUND THE

WORLD

Thursday for the blaze which was sparked by exploding ordnance on a live firing range last week and New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell said he planned to meet with Prime Minister Tony Abbott soon to discuss potential liabilities. "Clearly at least seven or so homes were lost as a result of that fire," he told reporters. "We need to see what's going to be done... we need to settle the compensation issues." As firefighting efforts continued, the body of a pilot killed when his fixed wing waterbomber crashed in rugged terrain while tackling a blaze south of Sydney on Thursday was recovered. An ambulance officer was winched into the remote area where the crash happened and confirmed father-of-three David Black, 43, was dead. But fires and strong winds had prevented rescue crews from retrieving the body. AFP

News FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

REPORTER’S DIARY

TEARS OF DISTRESS

nion brought down the Morarji government. Onion gave tears to many politicians when it occasionally popped up with a red eye to take revenge on selfish rulers. But what is happening now? Wonder many. It is `90 a kg and successfully racing to the century mark. Barring the TDP boss Chandrababu Naidu whose cursory reference to price rise and onion gave a little relief to people, none of the other political parties thought it fit to condemn the government’s complacence on the issue. The most notable has been the silence of the communist parties which are supposed to be proletarian parties looking after the interests of the working class. What have they done to highlight the prohibitive prices

of onion that refuses to lower itself for the past four months? Could you blame on just failed crops or hoarding. Is it not the government job to ensure that whatever the reason, people should not be taken for a ride? Yet again, Reporter is asking too many questions and there is silence from the quarters that are supposed to answer them.

A PARK IN LOCK UP!

What does one do when one does not want to work? Put a lock at the gate and sleep, of course. The GHMC has done precisely that. The Corporation’s garden and park wing has put a big lock on the gates of the small but a romantic bamboo park along road number 36 Jubilee Hills. This is to prevent footloose and rough-necks making it their lodge, fine, one

Onion gave tears to many politicians in the past when it popped up with a red eye to take revenge on the selfish rulers. would appreciate the concern, but a park is also meant for the amusement of the citizens. It is the duty of the GHMC to keep it open at least during day so people could amble in and appreciate the old-world charm that we lost long ago to concrete and bricks.

SARKARI BABUS, THE LUCKY LOT

Ordinary citizens envy the government employees who can strike work or shirk work at will and yet get paid handsomely. The government

employees who struck work in the aftermath of T creation would not lose anything as they would get salary. This is despite the fact that the government could evoke the ESMA and deny them the salary for days they did not work. This is at a time millions of private employees are either not getting salary owing to recession or getting pink slip for lack of business. There is no godfather for them while sarkari babus have many patrons and godfathers. “I will marry off my daughter to a government official,” remarked a businessman in jest after he pondered over the issue of rewarding idleness. If it is sarkari treasury, who cares?

CITY STARES AT CONTAGIOUS DISEASES

Misery born of the incessant rains is borne by those living in low-lying areas and hutments. With no real efforts to prevent possible outbreak of contagious diseases, people who have no good living quarters and those floating population are in danger of contacting many rainrelated diseases, war medical circle. The strike of sanitation staff for a few days has worsened the situation. All this while the government and GHMC managers seem to have done little. The poor commissioner Krishna Babu who has been doing a commendable job was negotiating with sanitations workers’ contractors when he saw scrolling news on TV about his transfer! So much for the concerns of real issues. (Contributed by Srinivas Setty and P K Surendran)

News FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

WAR OF WORDS

‘Rahul quip most unfortunate’ Muslim clerics slammed Rahul Gandhi's statement that some Muslim youths from riots-ravaged Muzaffarnagar were in touch with Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI.

uslim clerics Friday slammed Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's statement that some Muslim youths from riots-ravaged Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh were in touch with Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI, and said these were "most unfortunate". Maulana Saif Abbas Naqvi, a prominent Shia cleric, said such statements not only painted the Muslim community in bad light but also strengthened the communal forces. He said these were a "grave insinuation" on millions of peace loving and patriotic Muslims in the country. He also alleged that instead of understanding the plight and pain of the riot victims, the Gandhi scion was playing politics with the communal riots and

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Maulana Saif Abbas Naqvi said such statements not only painted the Muslim community in bad light but also strengthened the communal forces. the victims. Shahar Qazi, Maulana Abul Irfan Miyan Farangi Mahali, said the statement of Rahul Gandhi was "most unfortunate" and demanded an immediate and unconditional apology from the Congress leader.

"It does not behove leaders of a national party like the Congress to give such cheap and hurtful statements against the Muslims... we are patriotic and would do anything for India" he said in a statement. Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, senior vice-president of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board, also said that anyone who casts aspersions on the integrity and loyalty of the minorities for the country was doing a great dis-service to the country and the Muslims. At an election rally in Indore Thursday, Rahul Gandhi had made a sensational claim that singed by the riots and killings in Muzaffarnagar district of the state, many Muslim youth were in touch with Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence).

CHINA-RUSSIA VISIT

Satisfied with results, says PM

NEW DELHI: Returning home Thursday after a five-day trip to Russia and China, where he inked a slew of agreements, including a key pact with Beijing to reduce tensions on the disputed border, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was "satisfied with the results" and the visits had "served their purpose". In his Russia visit, from Oct 2022, the prime minister attended the 14th India-Russia Annual Summit with President Vladimir Putin. He has described Russia as a "key strategic partner in many areas, including defence, energy and trade". The visit coincided with the Russian-built first reactor at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu getting connected to the electricity grid and producing 300 MW of power.

Beijing, both sides inked nine agreements, including a key border pact to restore peace and tranquillity on the border as Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang held talks. The Border Defence Cooperation Agreement, which was in the pipeline ever since the April-May standoff between their troops in Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, aims to reduce and tackle face-off situations on the over 4,000-km boundary. Both sides also inked a major agreement on sharing information on transborder rivers, which the prime minister described as an incremental progress. On Thursday, he gave a lecture at the Central Party School, a rare honour, and attended a luncheon banquet hosted by former Chinese premier Wen Jiabao.

PM gave a lecture at the Central Party School, a rare honour, and attended a luncheon banquet hosted by former Chinese premier Wen Jiabao. AROUND THE

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Both India and Russia also decided to enhance energy cooperation, and set up a joint study group to examine the possibility of directly transporting hydrocarbons to India through the land route from Russia. On the second leg of his tour in

NATION BRIEFS Three criminals killed in south Delhi shootout

he special cell of Delhi Police gunned down three inter-state criminals here in a shootout late Thursday night, a police ofﬁcer said. Neetu Dabodia, wanted in several cases of robberies, extortions and murders in Delhi and Haryana state, was shot dead along with his two other associates in a car near Grand Hyatt hotel in Vasant Kunj area.

Modi to address rally in Jhansi LUCKNOW: BJP's prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi will address a Vijay Shankhnaad rally Friday in Jhansi of the Bundelkhand region, which has been long considered a bastion of the SP and BSP. The rally, 313 km from here, is the second in Uttar Pradesh out of the proposed nine rallies by year end. It is aimed at not only inﬂuencing voters in the four parliamentary constituencies of the Bundelkhand region, but also in districts like Guna, Datia, Panna, Shivpuri, Teekamgarh and Chatarpur in Madhya Pradesh that go to polls next month.

BJP, Left doubt PM will appear before CBI

hortly after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was open to questioning by the CBI on the coal allocation issue, opposition parties expressed doubt over the statement. "We have serious apprehensions he may not appear before CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation)," BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

News FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

SPY GAMES

OVERHEARD...

US snooped on 35 leaders US spies eavesdropped on the phone conversations of 35 world leaders after White House and state wing officials gave them the numbers.

200 numbers

WASHINGTON: US spies eavesdropped on the phone conversations of 35 world leaders after White House, Pentagon and State Department officials gave them the numbers, The Guardian reported Thursday. A classified document provided by fugitive intelligence leaker Edward Snowden said the National Security Agency worked closely with the “customer” departments of the US government to secure the phone numbers of leading foreign politicians.

One unnamed US official handed over 200 numbers, including those of the world leaders who were immediately “tasked” for surveillance by the NSA, according to the document.

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One unnamed US official handed over 200 numbers, including those of the world leaders who were immediately “tasked” for surveillance by the NSA, according to the document. The latest revelations come

Routine

he NSA memo cited by The Guardian indicated that surveillance was not isolated and the agency routinely tracked the phone numbers of world leaders.

amid a furore over allegations that the United States had tapped the mobile phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and after revelations the NSA had monitored the Brazilian and Mexican leaders’ communications. The White House has refused to say whether it had

eavesdropped on Merkel in the past following an outcry in Germany. The NSA memo cited by The Guardian indicated that surveillance was not isolated and the agency routinely tracked the phone numbers of world leaders. The 2006 memo was circulat-

ed among staff in the agency’s Signals Intelligence Directorate under the heading “Customers Can Help SID Obtain Targetable Phone Numbers,” outlining how agents could mine contact information gathered by officials in other branches of government. “In one recent case,” the memo noted, “a US official provided NSA with 200 phone numbers to 35 world leaders. “Despite the fact that the majority is probably available via open source, the PCs (intelligence production centers) have noted 43 previously unknown phone numbers. These numbers plus several others have been tasked.” The memo acknowledged, however, that the eavesdropping had gleaned “little reportable intelligence.”

Ex-NSA chief pans Obama Olivia HAMPTON WASHINGTON: A former CIA and National Security Agency chief was overheard criticizing President Barack Obama’s administration Thursday in what he thought was an anonymous interview, which instead ended up on Twitter. Retired general Michael Hayden made the mistake of giving a series of interviews to reporters by phone “on background” while riding a train, in public. Unbeknownst to Hayden, he was sitting near Tom Matzzie, the former Washington director of the liberal, activist MoveOn.org Political Action Committee who immediately divulged the juiciest bits of the exchanges on Twitter. The NSA spying scandal, CIA AROUND THE

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secret prisons abroad and Obama’s smartphone were all topics of conversation. Word of Hayden’s comments came just hours after reports that the US government has spied on 35 world leaders. It also follows recent damaging revelations that the United States tapped German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone, triggering global outrage amid a widening NSA spying scandal.

France, Germany for new spy games rules BRUSSELS: France and Germany pushed Friday for Washington to agree rules for the spy game after damaging revelations the United States tapped German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone, the European Union said. Leaders “took note of the intention of France and Germany to seek bilateral talks with the US”, EU President Herman Van Rompuy told a press conference after a first day of summit talks wrapped up. Van Rompuy said other countries could join Berlin and Paris should they wish in seeking this trust-based “understanding” with the United States “before the end of the year” in the field of intelligence gathering. In a statement in the early hours, the leaders of the 28-state EU “underlined the close relationship between Europe and the USA and the value of that partnership”.

They “expressed their conviction that the partnership must be based on respect and trust, including as concerns the work and cooperation of secret services”. Britain has long-established intelligence ties with the United States but questioned on London’s role, Van Rompuy stressed that all leaders had agreed on the text. Britain “of course has a special relationship (with the United States) ... but they are completely on board with this text”, he added. Prime Minister David Cameron made no comment to waiting reporters neither on his way in nor on leaving the meeting. Merkel had arrived at the two-day talks saying: “Spying between friends, that’s just not done” after reports the US National Security Agency had eavesdropped her calls. “We need trust between part-

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and the digital economy but was quickly overtaken by the growing scandal which has embroiled US President Barack Obama in embarrassing exchanges with key allies — from France and Germany to Brazil and Mexico. More could follow after a fresh slew of damaging revelations, with Britain’s Guardian saying Washington had listened in on the phone conversations of 35 world leaders.

A CODE OF CONDUCT IS NEEDED

ners and such trust needs to be re-established,” she said. The summit was meant to discuss boosting employment

Hollande and Merkel called Obama earlier this week demanding clarification of claims the NSA had spied on millions of French phone calls and on the German leader personally. The French president said there had to be a code of conduct put in place, recalling that the EU had set up a special unit to review the issue after leaks by fugitive former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden ear-

lier this year. These experts have to “accelerate their work with our American allies”, Hollande said, because “this is a subject which is not going away”. “We need to get results,” he said, adding that in the end, Snowden’s revelations may prove useful. The new understanding the Europeans want also “applies to relations between European countries as well as to relations with the US”, he said. While intelligence gathering is a vital element in the fight against terrorism, there is “deep concern among European citizens”, he added. In Washington, White House spokesman Jay Carney refused to say whether Washington was at fault. “We are not going to comment publicly on every specified alleged intelligence activity,” Carney said, noting too that all nations spy on each other.

News FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

SUDAN

Blue helmets in the cross hairs The deaths this October of four more peacekeepers from the African Union-UN Mission to the region (UNAMID) bring to 18 the number killed over the past 12 months. IAN TIMBERLAKE feedback@postnoon.com KHARTOUM: Sent to keep the peace in a region where violence has worsened this year, Blue Helmets in Sudan’s Darfur find themselves increasingly under attack. The deaths this October of four more peacekeepers from the African Union-UN Mission to the region (UNAMID) bring to 18 the number killed over the past 12 months. That compares with seven in the previous year, according to an AFP tally. More than 50 UNAMID members have now been killed in hostile action during the sixyear-old mission. But as the body count climbs, the number of people brought to justice remains the same: Zero. “Every time they are being killed, even if there is an investigation, (there is) no final outcome, no nothing,” an African diplomat said, asking for anonymity. “Our main suspicion — now it has been proven — these attackers are governmentequipped militia.” United Nations sources confirm that nobody has ever been held accountable for killing a

UNAMID member, despite repeated UN calls for Sudan to swiftly investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice. “If we could find them, definitely we will bring them to court,” Sudan’s Information Minister Ahmed Bilal Osman told AFP. Investigations are underway, he said, adding “it is not possible” that militia close to the government have attacked UNAMID. After three peacekeepers were wounded in a July 3 ambush but managed to kill one of their attackers, UNAMID asked authorities to assist in a probe. They “are yet to do so,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a report released Wednesday. Bilal called the assaults criminal actions and said: “They want to take the cars.” Weapons being stolen Attackers are also stealing the peacekeepers’ weapons, the African diplomat alleged. One peacekeeper reported how, lying in blood after an ambush, “he saw them in Sudanese uniforms” collecting UNAMID guns, the diplomat said. Ban said in July that “armed

Now the cash-starved govt can no longer control its former Arab tribal allies, and violent competition for resources has intensified. AROUND THE

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men in military uniforms” had attacked a UNAMID base in Darfur’s Muhagiriya area, leaving one peacekeeper dead. Sudan’s Foreign Ministry condemned that attack and said it had no connection with government forces. In at least two ambushes over the past year the assailants were armed with anti-aircraft guns and rocket-propelled grenades, UNAMID has said. More than once, the “really professional” attackers have begun their assaults by eliminating the main gunner in the UNAMID patrol, the diplomat said. UNAMID is one of the world’s largest peacekeeping operations, with more than 18,000 troops and police. Violence against them has

intensified since October 2012 when four Nigerian troops died in an ambush in West Darfur state. Local sources at the time told AFP it was “strange” the attack happened near state-run checkpoints. On the same road a year later three Senegalese members of a UNAMID armed police unit were killed, during the most recent attack. The worst-ever assault on UNAMID happened in July when an ambush killed seven Tanzanian troops and a Sierra Leonean police adviser. Khartoum blamed rebels but committed itself to an “urgent investigation” after that case, one of seven armed attacks on the mission between July 1 and September 30. UNAMID increasingly became a target as unrest worsened in the far-west region. Inter-ethnic fighting — much of it Arab against Arab — has been the major source of violence this year in Darfur, where hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced and hundreds killed. Non-Arabs began a rebellion in Darfur 10 years ago. In response, government-backed Janjaweed militia shocked the world with atrocities against

civilians. The conflict led to international arrest warrants for Sudan’s President Omar alBashir, who is wanted for alleged war crimes. Now the cash-starved government can no longer control its former Arab tribal allies, and violent competition for resources has intensified, analysts say. Last week the African Union called on Khartoum “to demonstrate good faith by taking all necessary measures” to urgently identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of attacks on peacekeepers. A humanitarian source said it would be rare for Darfur’s main rebel groups to target UNAMID. He said “militia who are close to the GoS (Government of Sudan)” are suspected of some attacks, while a powerful criminal gang was believed responsible in at least one recent instance. Critics have accused UNAMID of not being aggressive enough in fulfilling its mandate to protect civilians. But the deaths over the past year — and the absence of justice — have prompted peacekeepers to defend themselves more forcefully, the diplomat said. “Now if there is an attack, fire for fire.”

News FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

ANIMAL RESCUE

Victims of Australia’s bushfires Veterinarians across the region, west of Sydney are on standby as volunteer crews from animal rescue group WIRES hike out into scorched bush areas in search of native creatures. VAMY COOPES feedback@postnoon.com SPRINGWOOD: As the Blue Mountains bushfire threat eases and hundreds of residents return to their homes a relief and rescue operation is just beginning for its smallest victims — Australia’s unique wildlife. Veterinarians across the region west of Sydney are on standby as volunteer crews from animal rescue group WIRES hike out into scorched bush areas in search of native creatures that have survived the flames. Residents whose own homes have been destroyed are putting aside their trauma to do everything they can for their animal neighbours, with WIRES describing the public response as ‘mindblowing’. Zoologist and WIRES volunteer Anna Felton is coordinating operations from the rapidresponse WIRES ambulance, a 50-animal capacity van stocked with painkillers, burns cream, pouches for orphaned baby animals and cotton sheets — the only safe way to pick up a burned animal without damaging its skin. Native birds such as cockatoos fled the mountains early, sensing imminent danger, but Felton said other animals, particularly AROUND THE

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ground and tree-dwelling marsupials such as wombats, wallabies and koalas, are “not as clued into that sort of thing and are more haphazard in their fleeing”. “So they’re the ones that are kind of hanging around here with really, really nasty injuries,” Felton expressed. There are typically few survivors from events like these — just 10 per cent of native animals were estimated to have survived the 2009 Black Saturday wildfires which killed 173 Australians in neighbouring Victoria state, with more than one million wildlife deaths. “If history is anything to go

on the number that survive is very, very low,” Felton said. Rescues have been steadily increasing since an inferno swept through the lower mountains last Thursday, razing more than 200 homes and vast tracts of bushland, with “possums and birds, a few sugar gliders and quite a few wallabies,” among the most recent reported casualties. “Most of them have pretty substantial burns at this point in time, and whilst we’ve been able to get a fair amount of them to vets and then out to our carers the overall outlook on what’s come in so far is not great to be honest,” she said. “The ones we’ve seen have pretty substantial injuries.” As well as responding to injury reports from its Sydney call centre — currently running at around 300 per day, including non-fire related incidents — Felton and other volunteers will trek into blackened wilderness areas searching for survivors. Apart from burns, typically

to the paws and face, many animals are also dehydrated and suffering internal smoke inhala-

Animals, particularly ground and treedwelling marsupials such as wombats, wallabies and koalas, are the ones with really nasty injuries. tion injuries. Once rescued, injured animals are taken to a local vet for triage and emergency care before being released into the custody of a trained WIRES volunteer carer, of which there are 2,000 across New South Wales state, for a period of six to 12 months. Each volunteer is trained in the care of a specific type of animal and rescued creatures of the same species will be housed together where possible to maintain their wild traits and self-sufficiency.

Pick

Orphans are “buddied” with another animal of the same species to teach them appropriate wild behaviours and with whom, when the time comes, they will be released back into the bush. It requires patience and dedi-

cation, with many rescued charges keeping nocturnal hours meaning carers coming home from their day jobs will wake every few hours to feed the animals and dress their wounds.

at the

Felton said the community response to the wildfires had been overwhelming, with huge donations of medical supplies and cash. Blue Mountains locals whose own homes came under threat from the fires were as concerned about putting bowls of water and seed out for their native neighbours as protecting their property, and Felton said they were “broken” to return and find familiar creatures missing. One woman whose parents lost their home drove 80 kilometres (49 miles) and spent an “exorbitant” sum stocking up on essentials for the WIRES van to “assist in her way with her grieving and emotions”. Even those who lost everything would dash from the ruins of their homes when they saw the WIRES van go by. “Their houses were gone and yet they’d come running to the van to say ‘Oh I saw a wallaby, it went that way’... and you sit there thinking oh my goodness. It’s mindblowing,” said Felton.

airport,

News FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

KNOWLEDGE CENTRAL

INTELLECTUAL ISOLATION For one month, hundreds of South Korean teachers are kept in complete isolation under conditions that resemble house arrest. Their sole task is to compile the annual college entrance exam. AROUND THE

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JUNG HA-WON feedback@postnoon.com SEOUL: Every October, hundreds of South Korean teachers and professors are sequestered -like jurors in a mafia trial -- in a secret, guarded compound: prisoners of their country's obsession with education. For one month, they are kept in complete isolation under conditions that resemble house arrest, with everything down to their food waste subject to rigorous examination. Their sole task is to compile the annual college entrance exam -- the importance of which in the minds of stressed-out students and their often equally stressedout parents is almost impossible to exaggerate. Success in the exam -- meaning a secured place in one of South Korea's elite universities -is seen as the key in a hyper-competitive society to everything from future careers to marriage prospects. "The stakes are simply too high... and that's why we have to eliminate any possibility of a leak," an official at the state-run Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE) said. Altogether, some 700 people are secluded away in an undis-

closed location every year to put the test-paper together. As well as the compilers, there is a sizeable support staff of domestic and medical personnel, whose main role is to ensure that the question writers have no reason to leave the compound. The process begins in midSeptember, when state education authorities handpick prominent college professors and school teachers in subjects from maths to English across the country. Participation is voluntary, and there is a financial incentive with the average compiler paid around $10,000 for their efforts. 'Security is paramount' But those who have taken part in previous years say the experience can be stressful and isolating, despite the feeling of camaraderie that develops among the "inmates." Nobody is allowed to leave the compound, which is ringed by fences, monitored by surveillance cameras and guarded by police and private security staff. All mobile phones are confiscated at the outset and there is no phone or Internet access in the building, meaning no contact with friends or family for the duration. "This is a test that determines the lives of 600,000 youngsters

every year and is closely watched by their parents, so all question makers understand that security is paramount," said Kwon Oryang, a professor at Seoul National University who headed the exam-setting committee in 2012.

The process begins in mid-September, when state education authorities handpick prominent professors and teachers across the country.

Kwon declined to discuss any details of the committee's work but stressed that all the teachers and professors had been aware of the "immense responsibility" on their shoulders. "The whole thing may look bizarre to those outside the country, but this is part of our culture that values education above all," Kwon said. Such is the level of secrecy that Kwon, as chair of the committee, is one of the few not bound by a mandatory confidentiality agreement that prohibits participants from ever revealing they helped compile the exam. Recent examples of preexamination skulduggery,

although not involving the college entrance test, suggest that the precautions are not wholly unjustified. Earlier this year, the US administrator of the SAT -- the most widely used test for applying to US colleges -scrapped the scheduled May 4 exams in South Korea after discovering questions were already circulating among some test-preparation schools in Seoul. The incident followed a similar scandal in 2007 when hundreds of South Korean students had their SAT scores annulled after it had emerged that a number had seen the questions in advance. In 2010, a teacher at a Seoul cram school was arrested for smuggling SAT questionnaires out of a test held in Thailand, and sending them to his pupils who were scheduled to take the same exam hours afterwards. A Seoul law school teacher was charged in May this year with helping applicants cheat on the TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication), using high-tech gear including micro cameras and earpieces. The KICE official who spoke had a special responsibility for security during the compilation period and declined to be identified due to the "importance and sensitivity" of the issue. According to the officials, nothing is let out of the question writers' residence lest any information, even a scribble on a paper slip should leak. The only exception is food waste, but even that is scoured by security officials before being disposed of. Tiny pieces of paper, or any "suspicious materials" found in the food waste are picked out and torched, the official said. General medical problems are dealt with in-house. Anyone who falls seriously ill is taken to a nearby hospital, but with an escort who will ensure there is no "unnecessary conversation" with doctors or nurses. Once the questions have been compiled, the exam proofs are sent to another secret, high-security location to be printed. The intense parental expectation and pressure is blamed for dozens of suicides, especially around the time of the exam.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

Business

GREENLAND HOPES Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, expects its mineral resources to boost the economy, which currently depends on fishing and Danish subsidies.

MINING

MUHURAT

Greenland lifts Uranium exploitation ban Greenland awarded Thursday its first big mining exploitation license, approving an iron extraction project by British company London Mining, and lifted a ban on exploiting uranium.

COPENHAGEN: Greenland awarded Thursday its first big mining exploitation license, approving an iron extraction project by British company London Mining, and lifted a ban on exploiting uranium. "This is indeed a historic moment for Greenland," Greenland's Industry and Minerals Minister Jens-Erik Kirkegaard said of the license. Kirkegaard called it "the largest commercial project to date in Greenland", and said the agreement would affect employment and state revenue in a very positive direction. London Mining said in a statement that the government of the island has granted them a 30-year license to exploit an iron deposit located 150 kilometres (95 miles) from the capital Nuuk, which should produce 15 million tonnes per year. Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, expects its mineral resources to boost the economy, which currently depends on fishing and Danish subsidies. Meanwhile, parliament revoked a ban that had existed since 1988 on exploiting uranium, by 16 votes to 12 with one abstention. During a speech in Iceland on October 12, Prime Minister Aleqa Hammond said Greenland had the potential to become one of the top 10, or even top five exporters of uranium in the world. The Social Democrats won the last general election in March on a promise to obtain revenues from foreign companies interested in the island's

The Bombay Stock Exchange announced a 75-minute special trading session, known as 'Muhurat' on Sunday Nov 3, on the occasion of Hindu festival Diwali, an ofďŹ cial said here Friday. The special session will begin 6.15 p.m. and end at 7.30 p.m., for equities, derivatives and SLB, in the presence of BSE Ltd chairman S. Ramadorai, and BSE Ltd managing director and CEO Ashishkumar Chauhan, a BSE spokesperson said. The brief trading session is conducted annually on Diwali day to pay obeisance to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, in a tradition which is over a century old.

NUMEROLOGY

35%

Shopping malls which are already suffering from large vacant space is expected to see a sharp decline of 35-40 per cent in footfalls in the ongoing festive season as economic slowdown, high interest and job uncertainties have dampened the shopping spirit this year, reveals an ASSOCHAM recent survey.

MS PROFIT DECLINES

resources. Isolation and weak infrastructure had kept investors away, despite Greenland's natural underground wealth, recently rendered more accessible thanks to global warming and the resulting ice retreat. The company plans to build the mining site in three years with up to 3,000 workers, the equivalent of more than five percent of Greenland's population

Mining deal

ondon Mining said in a statement that the government of the island has granted them a 30-year license to exploit an iron deposit located 150 kilometres (95 miles) from the capital Nuuk, which should produce 15 million tonnes per year.

of 56,000. The majority of these workers will most likely be Chinese, according to a London Mining statement from 2010 saying that "the involvement of Chinese groups is anticipated to deliver significant cost savings". The company estimates exploitation of the deposit will support 810 jobs, some 55 percent out of which could be Greenlandic.

GOLD`32270 10g SILVER `50110 1kg

24C

for

DOLLAR `61.74 POUND `100.04

China's urban registered unemployment rate dipped to 4.04 percent at the end of September, from 4.1 percent at the end of June this year, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) said Friday. A total of 10.66 million new jobs were created in urban areas in the ďŹ rst nine months ending September, Xinhua cited MOHRSS spokesman Yin Chengji as saying. The Chinese government had set this year's urban unemployment rate target at 4.6 percent.

THUS SPAKE This is indeed a historic moment for Greenland.

BSE NSE

JENS-ERIK KIRKEGAARD GREENLAND'S INDUSTRY AND MINERALS MINISTER

20,677.92 47.51

6,143.65 18.25

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

Comment

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS

The US must be the most paranoid nation in the world. As the world stands shocked at the revelations that they had been snooping on 35 world leaders, we wonder what are the reasons for such large-scale spying, unless they are doing something underhand.

UNFAIR INDIA

DARK IS BEAUTIFUL

RACHEL O’BRIEN Agence France-Presse

MUMBAI: Looking to find a husband, make friends, and get ahead at work? Then you need to have lighter skin. That’s the allpervasive message in India, and it’s something that one actress is fighting to overturn. The new poster girl of the “Dark is Beautiful” campaign, Nandita Das, has called out India’s obsession with fair skin — a prejudice she says has driven some young women to the brink of suicide. “Magazines, TV, cinema — everywhere being fair is synonymous with being beautiful,” Das told AFP. Described as having “dusky” skin as opposed to a fair complexion, the 43-year-old is well used to Indian preoccupations with colour, and not just in the film industry, where she has refused requests to lighten her skin for roles. “How can you be so confident despite being so dark?” is a question regularly asked of Das, who has preferred to star in unconventional, issue-based films but says she would struggle to get ahead in mainstream Bollywood movies. ‘Beauty beyond colour’ In May, Das became the face of the Dark is Beautiful campaign, launched in 2009 by activist group Women of Worth to celebrate “beauty beyond colour”. Her backing has helped to generate increasing debate in the media, but the response has underlined just how ingrained the preference is for fairer skin, which has long been associated with higher social classes and castes. “I started getting tonnes of emails from young women pouring their heart out about how they were discriminated against. Some wanted to commit suicide because they couldn’t be fair,” she said. Das found her own photograph had been lightened by a newspaper even for a feature on the campaign. When looking for a nanny, she was told one candidate was “good, but quite dark”. Amid such pressures to be pale, India’s whitening cream market swelled from $397 million in 2008 to $638 million over four years, according to market researchers at Euromonitor International.

Skin-lightening products accounted for 84 percent of the country’s facial moisturiser market last year, their report shows. The bias facing darkerskinned women was raised again in September when an Indian-origin woman, Nina Davuluri, won the “Miss America” contest in the United States. “Had she been in India, far from entering a beauty contest, it is more likely that Ms Davuluri would have grown up hearing mostly disparaging remarks

about the colour of her skin,” said an editorial in The Hindu newspaper. “She would have been — going by the storyline of most ‘fairness’ cream advertisements — a person with low self-esteem and few friends.”

VAGINAL WHITENING CREAM

Last year, a commercial for an “intimate wash” to whiten vaginas emerged, showing a young Indian woman who uses the product to successfully regain her

boyfriend’s attention. The advert was widely panned, but a glance through matrimonial websites and newspaper columns suggests that fair skin, at least on a woman’s face, remains key to attaining an Indian husband. Aspiring grooms often state in their adverts their preference for a fair bride, while nearly all women’s profiles describe their complexion as fair or so-called “wheatish”. Ekta Ghosh, a fashion design-

er in Mumbai who specialises in wedding wear, said the message that only fair is beautiful had been passed down to Indian girls for generations. “Parents, relatives, they all keep saying you should do something to lighten your skin tone,” she said. India’s mass market whitening pioneer was “Fair & Lovely”, launched in 1975 by Hindustan Unilever and now selling in a range of other countries where pale skin is desirable, across Africa and the Middle East as well as Asia. Indian consumer group Emami later came up with “Fair and Teen” for girls and “Fair and Handsome” for men. Promoted by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, the latest advert shows him tossing a tube of the cream from the red carpet to a young male fan. Dark is Beautiful has launched a petition against the “irresponsible” video and its message that “fair skin is a prerequisite for success”. So far more than 15,000 people have signed up in protest, but Khan has not responded. “You’re telling people they’re just not good enough,” said Das, who describes whitening cream adverts in general as “so regressive and derogatory”. Fairness cream producers suggest they help to boost users’ confidence, although both Emami and Hindustan Unilever declined to comment for this article. Not everyone, however, is convinced such creams are even effective. Receptionist Prachi Chawan, 28, said she had been using Fair & Lovely products for three years “out of habit”, but was yet to see noticeable results. “There have been no side effects but no change either,” she said. Das believes whitening cream developers did not create Indians’ colour bias and insecurities, but have “cashed in” on it, creating a “vicious circle”. While men’s fairness products are gaining ground, the actress says women and girls still face far more pressure over their skin tone, which she puts down to a general lack of respect and inequality. “Until we let women have the same space as men and treat them as human beings, all this will carry on.”

15 music Billie Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones team up FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

GOLDEN MELODIES

In one of the less likely collaborations in recent music history, Norah Jones and Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong have teamed up to record Foreverly, a track-for-track tribute to the Everly Brothers’ 1958 album, Songs Our Daddy Taught Us. The album features reinterpreted versions of traditional songs like Down in the Willow Garden and the oftencovered Barbara Allen.

n one of the less likely collaborations in recent music history, Norah Jones and Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong have teamed up to record Foreverly, a track-fortrack tribute to the Everly Brothers’ 1958 album, Songs Our Daddy Taught Us. The album features reinterpreted versions of traditional songs like Down in the Willow Garden and the often-covered Barbara Allen next to country classics like Karl Davis’ Kentucky. In a press release, Armstrong (a longtime Everly

Brothers fan) says the project originated after he discovered Songs Our Daddy Taught Us a couple years go. “I thought of Norah because she can sing anything, from rock to jazz to blues,” he says, “and I knew her harmonies would be amazing.” Jones was enthusiastic about the project, too, given her deep appreciation for the Everly Brothers and country music in general. The duo recorded the album in nine days at Manhattan studio the Magic Shop, working with engineer

Chris Dugan. Armstrong and Jones split vocal duties (along with guitar and piano), and were accompanied by fiddle player Charlie Burnham, bassist Tim Luntzel, drummer Dan Rieser and pedal-steel guitarist Johnny Lam. Armstrong and Jones told Stereogum that the process of making the album was similar to a “blind date.” “We sang together with Stevie Wonder and his band and a whole bunch of people, that’s how Norah and I first met,” Armstrong says. “Then, well, I

got into the Everly Brothers’ record a couple years ago, and I thought it was just beautiful. I was listening to it every morning for a while off and on. I thought it would be cool to remake the record because I thought it was sort of an obscure thing and more people should know about it, but I really wanted to do it with a woman singing because I thought it would take on a different meaning — maybe broaden the meaning a little bit — as compared to hearing the songs being sung by the two brothers. And so my wife said, ‘Why don’t

you get Norah Jones to do it?’ and I was like, ‘Well, I kinda know her.’ Well, I mean, we had Stevie Wonder in common. And so I called her and she said yes.” Armstrong acknowledged that singing vocal duo covers isn’t the sort of thing he usually does, but said that’s part of the appeal. “The average listener might be like, ‘Well, that’s not punk rock’ or whatever in regards to this record, but I like doing different things — it’s fun, it makes life more interesting,” he said. Source: Rolling Stone

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

spotlight

18 BASKING IN THE GLORY

Temple Run, a film scripted and directed by students of Oakridge International School, Bachupally has been shortlisted for the 18th International Children's Film Festival.

CAKE MIX

WHIPPING IT UP

Christmas cake mixing ceremony held at Synfresco, Taj Deccan was well-attended. Seen at the do were Asmita Marwa, Parvati Reddy, Mamta and others.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

health STUDY

Lead in paint compromises health of pregnant mothers The new study revealed that the consumption of paints that contain lead has surged in developing countries to the detriment of human and environmental health, Xinhua reported citing the study. NAIROBI: Widespread use of paint that is laden with lead and other toxins poses new health challenges to pregnant mothers and infants, said a study by the UN Environmental Program launched in Nairobi. "Lead pollution is an emerging environmental threat that demands urgent attention. Science is clear that lead paint impact negatively on the health of pregnant mothers and children," UNEP's Director of the Division of Early Warning Assessment (DEWA) Peter Gilruth told journalists during the launch of the report in Nairobi. The global construction sector continues to use paint that contains lead and other toxins despite the existence of a ban that was enforced by the League of Nations 90 years ago. Gilruth challenged governments, industry and environmental groups to re-energise efforts to achieve a lead free world. "We need to raise attention to environmental and health dangers posed by lead in paint. Legislation should be enforced to ensure lead is not applied in the manufacture of paints," said Gilruth. The UNEP study analysed enamel decorative paints from

nine countries to ascertain the level of lead and other toxic metals. The majority of the paints that were tested failed to meet the regulatory standards approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). Paints with extremely high levels of lead are readily available in many countries thanks to regulatory hiccups and low level of awareness. The UNEP report was categorical that countries grappling with lead pollution are yet to establish regulatory frameworks. Globally, 30 countries have already phased out the use of lead paint while others are finetuning their domestic laws and policies to achieve this goal. The Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead paint, which is co-led by WHO and the UNEP, has set a target of 70 countries by 2015. Exposure to lead has devastating health consequences on children including cognitive impairment and stunted growth. "Each year, according to WHO figures, childhood lead exposure contributes to an estimated 600,000 new cases of intellectual disabilities," Nick Nuttal, the UNEP spokesperson and director of communications, said. IANS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

Technology SPY GAMES

For heads of state, a iPhone or Blackberry can be a trap Amid growing outrage in Europe, the scandal spotlights how high-ranking officials use technology and, possibly, how reaching for a personal iPhone or Blackberry can expose their Achilles' heel.

PARIS: While heads of state have encrypted mobiles and other secure lines for work, many can't resist using regular smartphones for everyday life -making them susceptible to espionage. On Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called US President Obama demanding answers after reports Washington may have hacked her cell. The White House, refused to say whether Washington's agents had intercepted her communications in the past, and Obama was forced to promise they would not do so in the future. Amid growing outrage in Europe, the scandal spotlights how high-ranking officials use technology and, possibly, how reaching for a personal iPhone or Blackberry can expose their Achilles' heel. The Der Tagesspiegel daily, citing anonymous government sources, said Merkel's allegedly tapped cell phone wasn't the encrypted one she uses in her official role as chancellor. Rather, it claimed, it was the one she has as head of the country's CDU political party. Some German reports, however, claimed the gadget was the leader's "official" mobile, which is supposed to be highly secure. Several months ago, Germany's government stocked up on Blackberry Z10 models -priced at 2,500 euros each ($3,450 each) -- equipped with special security mechanisms. In France, high-ranking officials have encrypted Teorem cell phones exclusively built for the state by defense contractor Thales and which are believed to cost some 3,300 euros a piece. Approved by the ANSSI national security agency, they even allow the secure transfer of material deemed "top secret." Some officials also have access to a highly secure intranet and an inter-ministerial landline phone and fax network.

However, these systems are often seen as restrictive and slow by their users. On a Teorem phone, for example, it takes up to 30 seconds to place a call due to security codes -- and that can frustrate officials in an era of increasingly fast communications.

HANDS OFF GMAIL & GOOGLE

In an August 19 memo -- after leaks by former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden starting revealing the extent of American spying in Europe -- the French prime minister's office reminded ministries about the importance of securing data. Among other things, the memo specified that "the use of unapproved commercial smartphones must exclude the communication of sensitive information."

People who own encrypted cell phones, be they politicians, company heads, lawyers or even journalists, "have at least one iPhone or Blackberry" on top of it, Robert Avril, founder of the firm Cryptofrance, told AFP. Furthermore, it said, all sensitive information, even that which is non-classified in nature, must be sent from terminals equipped with security systems approved by ANSSI. People who own encrypted

cell phones, be they politicians, company heads, lawyers or even journalists, "have at least one iPhone or Blackberry" on top of it, Robert Avril, founder of the firm Cryptofrance, told AFP. The firm launched its first encrypted phones in 2008. Despite all the training sessions these individuals receive, once back home such individuals tell themselves that hacking only happens to others, he said. "We keep telling our clients not to have work-related conversations or send emails from their regular smartphones." Politicians are particularly tough to convince, said Herve Schauer of CLUSIF, a French non-profit that brings together information security professionals. "They have a really hard time understanding that they have to

use encrypted phones, they're unaware of the risks," he said. "They have several phones and are accustomed to using programs like Google or Gmail." According to several cybercrime experts, former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was particularly reluctant to using his Teorem and his successor Francois Hollande is said to have held onto his personal smartphone once he took the reins. On the other side of the Atlantic, Barack Obama won his battle with the Secret Service to hang on to his Blackberry within days of taking office, despite fears it was vulnerable to being hacked, and would give away his whereabouts. Some also worried anything he writes could eventually be fodder for congressional investigations.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

Entertainment NEW PAIRING

CINE BYTES

ditya Roy Kapur and Katrina Kaif will play the lead roles in Abhishek Kapoor’s next venture Fitoor and the love story is likely to go on the floors in the first half of 2014. “As a filmmaker, I have always invested in new and emerging talent and with his talent and personna, Aditya is right up there,” said Kapoor. He is known for making the successful movie Kai Po Che with newcomers like Sushant Singh Rajput, Amit Sadh and emerging talent Rajkumar Yadav. “Abhishek Kapoor was looking for a perfect cast for his timeless love story Fitoor and we’re glad that he has found them in Aditya and Katrina,” Rucha Pathak, senior creative director - studios, Disney UTV, said in a statement. The film is a screen adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations and will see Aditya playing ‘Pip’, who is the narrator as well as protagonist in the novel. Katrina will be seen as rich girl Estella. The pivotal role of ‘Miss Havisham’, Estella’s mother, is currently being cast and an announcement is expected in the coming weeks. IANS

Catfights no laughing matter for Priyanka

or many, talk about catfights on film sets makes great fodder for gossip, but for actress Priyanka Chopra. “It really upsets me how people reduce women’s stature in a movie that the focus only remains on how she fought with her female co-star,” Priyanka said Wednesday in response to a question about a catfight. IANS

‘It’d be terrific if Salman comes on board’

ilmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor says if Bollywood star Salman Khan will endorse his next film Lakshmi, it will be “terrific” for the cause highlighted in the movie. “That would be a dream scenario if he comes forward and endorses the film,” Kukunoor said. IANS

We may make Krrish 4: Rakesh Roshan

ADITYA-KATRINA finalised for Fitoor

rrish fans are waiting eagerly for Krrish 3 and they just might be in for a surprise. Veteran actor-turned-filmmaker Rakesh Roshan says if Krrish 3 does well he will be game for a fourth instalment of the movie. “If this does well, we may make Krrish 4. We have left a hook for it (in Krrish 3),” Roshan said. A sequel to Koi...Mil Gaya and Krrish, Krrish 3 stars Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut and Vivek Oberoi. IANS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

fashion

DAVID BECKHAM'S GLOBAL FACEBOOK FORUM

DAVID BECKHAM is collaborating with Facebook to take part in a global digital book signing and Q&A to launch his new photography book, David Beckham.From a London location on Wednesday October 30, Beckham will be providing fans at events in Hyderabad, New York and Sao Paulo with a digital signature using the latest technology.

ROYAL French fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier is putting up a show The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From Sidewalk to Catwalk at the Brooklyn Museum in New York. The exhibition, which features life-size mannequins with video-animated faces, displays Gaultier's haute couture garments. The show runs from October 25, 2013 to February 23, 2014.

JIL SANDER LEAVES HER BRAND FOR THE THIRD TIME

JIL SANDER is leaving her namesake brand again. It is the third time that she has departed the brand that bears her name, which this time she has said is for personal reasons. Sander returned to the house in February 2012 after eight years away, replacing Raf Simons as he departed for Christian Dior.

SALUTE

22&23

Entertainment FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

Chai Time

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” - Anne Frank

KAKURO

QUICK CROSSWORD

SUDOKU 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.

ACROSS

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

SCRIBBLING PAD

1 Take it easy 5 Supplicates 9 "Just the ___, ma'am" 14 Burn ointment 15 Field of study 16 "I'm with Stupid" symbol 17 Easily split mineral 18 Like pocketed pool balls 19 "The People's Princess" 20 Bookie's concern 23 Branch of Buddhism 24 Overused 25 Kind of pad 27 In a faint 30 Burial rite 33 Winter hazard 34 Clear of vermin 37 Winner at roulette, often 38 Tiresome routines 40 It's debatable 42 Competes, as for a title 43 Went out from the shore 45 Designer's concern 47 52 in old Rome 48 Brand of cracker 50 More than shouldn't 52 On the ocean 53 4-0 World Series win, e.g. 55 Gentle one? 57 Accountant's form 62 Thing you don't want to twist 64 "Cogito ___ sum" 65 "Be it___so humble ..." 66 Bargain for a burglar? 67 Solemnly swear 68 Bring exasperation 69 Kins' partners 70 William with a state named after him 71 Otherwise

DOWN

1 Miner's light source 2 Collection of miscellaneous things 3 Centers of great activity 4 Makeshift abode 5 Baby's bed 6 Blow, like Dante's Peak 7 Sci-fi or suspense, e.g. 8 "For Pete's ___!" 9 In one year and out the other? 10 Jackie's second husband 11 Patchwork work 12 Muscular condition 13 Ugly duckling, eventually 21 Beat a path 22 Celebrant's robe 26 Pope of the 10th century 27 Buenos ___ 28 One way to get into deep water 29 Hardly the life of the party 30 Of the ear 31 For ___ an emergency 32 Beatles tune "___ Is" 35 Hopped a freight 36 Breast-beating primate 39 Arranges a table 41 Do a joyful "The Price is Right" action 44 Some big engines 46 Feels awful about 49 Short snooze 51 Shape the world is in 53 Badminton opener 54 Child's four-wheeler 55 Catcher's protector 56 Planning to vote no 58 Bring in a harvest 59 Villain's work 60 Congers 61 Grove unit 63 ___-di-dah

Chai Time FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 26-10-2013

As per Hindu panchang thiruvaikumar@yahoo. co. in, 040-27177230 / 9177596118

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Hardship faced by the businessmen will be over and they will be in the path of prosperity. You will become very active by driving away the laziness in you. Trouble creators will become silent, seeing your performance.

STRIP TEASE AGNES

Businessmen will see a flourishing time. Competition will be met wisely and reduce considerably. A peaceful atmosphere will prevail at home. Comforts are likely to improve substantially and you will lead a luxurious life.

Those suffering from chronic disease will be all right now to a greater extent which will make them happy. Financial inflow will be very good which will put you in a comfortable position. Bitter experiences will never recur again.

Enemies will become inactive and you will gain upper hand. You might have to spend more towards performing good events at home. Financially a strong position is likely as money from all the expected sources will come by.

Misunderstanding existed with relatives and friends will disappear. Court verdict will go in your favour. Avoid anger and maintain a polite approach with all to achieve your goals successfully. Keep a watch on children’s activities.

Businessmen will feel cheerful and active as they are able to keep their competitors at bay. Health looks very fine. Plan to purchase a land or house might get delayed. You will fulfill the wishes of your spouse and children so that they feel cheerful.

Businessmen will have a profitable situation in the business but hard efforts and working with focus is a must. You will undertake the works with a crystal clear mind and with a determination. Wrong decisions will not repeat anymore.

Persons who were criticizing you all along will keep quiet now and try to follow your footsteps as there is a good turning point likely which will put you in limelight. Minor worries and laziness might upset you.

Delay existed in purchase of house or land will be over and the deal will materialize now. Employees will get a good relief from the troubles they have faced with burdensome responsibilities and by way of harassment from superiors.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail. com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

Five of Wands – Avoid getting into any conflict situation. You will be tempted to make your opinion known. But only express yourself if necessary.

LEO:

The Hermit – You need to be left alone to think and plan ahead. Tell loved ones and close friends you need time away and they will respect your need.

LIBRA:

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

Nine of Cups – Your every wish is about to come true. If something has been bothering you for a long time, a resolution is near. Keep a low profile today.

SAGITTARIUS:

The Star – There is a ray of hope that all will go well. A project will get the required push, and you make good progress, which increases your confidence.

TAURUS:

Ten of Cups – Spend time with family. Plan a weekend trip so you get quality time together. You need to switch off from office to achieve work-life balance.

CANCER:

Eight of Cups – Make a wish and then work towards making it come true. Nothing is impossible if you work hard and be prepared for an opportunity.

VIRGO:

Ace of Swords – You experience powerful emotions today. Do not get into taking extreme positions on any matter of importance.

SCORPIO:

Knight of Pentacles – Charge ahead with your goals and they will happen. You have the will power and luck to make things work in your favour.

CAPRICORN:

The Moon – Your mother may be driving you up the wall today. Or, she may need you to pay her attention about some home-related issue.

PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

Six of Swords – A surprise mail or message comes from your overseas contacts. You may get a job opportunity. But it may involve making many sacrifices.

NUMBER GAME

Pentacles – You are financially stable. This gives you the confidence to make some important decisions. You are able to rationalize with clarity.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: Nine of

POOCH CAFE

Financial position will improve and become stronger than before. Realtors will see a gainful time and earn good margin. Tensions and hurdles existed for the businessmen will reduce gradually and things will start going smoothly.

for 26-10-2013

Six of Wands – You keep busy with a number of commitments, prior appointments and deliveries both at work and at home. Take fewer coffee breaks today.

NON SEQUITUR

Debt problems will be under control. You will fulfill the wishes of your children at any cost and keep them cheerful. Give priority to important and essential works without neglecting them. Health of mother is to be taken care of.

SUDUKO

Your social status and influence is set to improve .Your bold and timely decisions will yield the best and desired results and will earn a good name for you. Friendship with VIPs is most likely which will yield good benefits in the future.

Boggle PAGE NOVEL COVER AUTHOR CHAPTER Vol: 3, No 93 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at # Plot no.550-A1,3rd floor, Road no-92, 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 040-23541412,

Entertainment FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013 CINE BYTES

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY

Gravity soars past $300m at worldwide box office

orthern Irish actor Jamie Dornan has been tapped to replace Charlie Hunnam as Christian Grey in the Universal and Focus adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey. The 31-year-old the performs in an Irish folk duo and has modeled for Calvin Klein, Christian Dior and Armani. His modeling experience may be useful, as the part will require him to act in explicitly sexual scenes. Dakota Johnson will co-star as Anastasia Steele, with Sam Taylor-Johnson on board to direct.

he box office steamroller that is Warner Bros.’ Gravity reached $300 million worldwide Wednesday, with domestic grosses outstanding at nearly $175 million. Internationally, the 3D B.O. phenom, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, reached $115.6 million from 51 territories. It is already this year’s 10th-highest grossing film.

Kim-Kanye plan Las Vegas wedding

apper Kanye West and his fiancee Kim Kardashian reportedly plan to get married in Las Vegas. “Kanye is a big Elvis fan and he thinks it would be fun to get married in a chapel. They want to have an Elvis impersonator singing Love me tender," dailystar.co.uk quoted a source as saying. IANS

People don't find Selena Gomez sexy!

inger-actress Selena Gomez says she is everyday told that she is not sexy and cool enough. "Every day I get told I'm not sexy enough or I'm not cool enough or if I did this or if I did that, I would have people who love me," quoted Gomez as saying at a press conference organised Wednesday.

JAMIE DORNAN PART OF FIFTY SHADES...

sports

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

CORPORATE OLYMPICS

Deloitte reign supreme HYDERABAD: The third edition of the Hyderabad Corporate Olympics Swimming event which took place on October 20 at the BV Gurumurthy Memorial Swimming Pool, saw AVN Ravinder of Deloitte clinch five gold medals while Deloitte bagged nine gold, five silver and five bronze medals in the Swimming. Meanwhile, ADP won five gold, nine silver and three bronze medals.

RESULTS: Freestyle 50m (Men): Gold: Dilip Viswanathan (ADP) 0:36:87, Silver: Kailash Yadav (Deloitte) 0:36:89, Bronze: Rakesh Khelani (ADP) 0:39:00 Freestyle 100m (Men): Gold: Ravinder AVN (Deloitte) 1:28:26, Silver: Rakesh Khelani (ADP) 1:28:59, Bronze: Kailash Yadav (Deloitte) 1:33:28 Freestyle 200m (Men): Gold: Rakesh Khelani (ADP) 3:59:73, Silver: Govind Gudur (ADP) 4:05:22, Bronze: M Praveen Kumar (Edelweiss) 5:08:82 Backstroke 50m (Men): Gold: Kailash Yadav (Deloitte) 0:48:43, Silver: Rakesh Khelani (ADP) 0:56:09, Bronze: Srinivas Adabala (Verizon) 0:59:52 Backstroke 100m (Men): Gold: Eshwar Chandra (Ivy Comptech) 2:10:84, Silver: Rakesh Khelani (ADP) 2:13:47, Bronze: Srinivas Adabala (Verizon) 2:21:48 Breaststroke 50m (Men): Gold: Ravinder AVN (Deloitte) 0:48:00, Silver: Rakesh Khelani (ADP) 0:53:10, Bronze: Dilip Viswanathan (ADP) 0:54:25 Butterfly 50m (Men): Gold: Ravinder AVN (Deloitte) 0:42:43, Silver: Rakesh Khelani (ADP) 1:02:23, Bronze: Mahesh Biradar (ADP) 1:12:03 Medlay 200m (Men): Gold: Ravinder AVN (Deloitte) 4:46:62, Silver: Govind Gudur (ADP) 6:03:61 Freestyle 50m (Women): Gold: Meenakshi Tanwar (ADP) 0:39:65, Silver: Poshita Kaushik (Deloitte) 0:51:63, Bronze: Aparna Harishchandrakar (Deloitte) 1:08:65 Freestyle 100m (Women): Gold: Poshita Kaushik (Deloitte) 2:05:68, Silver: Paridhika (Ivy Comptech) 3:10:78, Bronze: Susmita Deept (Deloitte) 3:52:31 Backstroke 50m (Women): Gold: Aparna Harishchandrakar (Deloitte) 1:06:19, Silver: Poshita Kaushik (Deloitte) 1:15:63, Bronze: Paridhika (Ivy Comptech) 2:28:68 Breaststroke 50m (Women): Gold: Meenakshi Tanwar (ADP) 0:56:67, Silver: Poshita Kaushik (Deloitte) 0:57:11, Bronze: Aparna Harishchandrakar (Deloitte) 1:02:41 Butterfly 50m (Women): Gold: Poshita Kaushik (Deloitte) 1:01:18, Silver Meenakshi Tanwar (ADP) 1:03:40, Bronze: Aparna Harishchandrakar (Deloitte) 1:12:90 Freestyle 4x50m Relay: Gold: ADP (Shahshank Sinha, Rakesh Khelani, Dilip Viswanathan, Meenakshi Tanwar) 2:55:16, Silver Deloitte (Kailash Yadav, Poshita Kaushik, Ravinder AVN, Aparna Harishchandrakar) 3:15:94 Medlay 4x50m Relay: Gold: Deloitte (Kailash Yadav, Poshita Kaushik, Ravinder AVN, Aparna Harishchandrakar) 3:42:68, Silver: ADP (Dilip Viswanathan, Rakesh Khelani, Meenakshi Tanwar, Mahesh Biradar) 3:56:01

INDIAN GP

Serious doubts over Indian GP future

GREATER NOIDA: The word from the Formula 1 paddock is out. Many in the carnival don’t see the sport returning to India in the near future unless the “bureaucratic and logistical” hassles are removed. The extreme reactions from the teams, drivers and other officials came Thursday, on a day when petitioner Amit Kumar moved a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court seeking to put Sunday’s race at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) on hold owing to pending entertainment tax dues. The event in its third year has been taken off the calendar in 2014, fuelling speculation about its future. “The people are nice, the circuit is praised by all but it is really tough to get to India. The paper work (for visa, customs etc) is a lot more than in any other country. It is too much of a hassle for teams,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told IANS in the BIC paddock. Most seem to agree that being in India is not a problem, reaching the country is. The time taken to obtain the Indian visa and paper work required for transporting the expensive equipment to the sub-continent has become a pain for teams. “It is a shame what is happening at the moment. The negatives seem to overpower the positives. Most teams don’t risk getting updates out of fear that they will not be cleared by the customs,” said Indian driver Karun Chandhok, who travels to F1 venues as a commentator and has driven for the now defunct HRT. Then getting a visa has not proved to be a smooth task for the visitors “I applied for my visa July 28, it was

GP goes ahead after challenge delay NEW DELHI: This weekend’s Indian Grand Prix was given the green light Friday after the Supreme Court delayed a hearing on a petition seeking the race’s cancellation over a tax dispute, legal sources said. “The hearing will now take place next week,” one of the lawyers involved with the case told AFP on condition of anonymity. “This means the race can go ahead.” A new date to hear the petition had yet to be set, said another source. The activist Amit Kumar, who filed the petition, has alleged that organisers have not paid entertainment taxes for the race held last year. AFP

issued on Sep 13 and I finally got it Oct 15. What was the Indian high commission doing for a month,” said GP Week editor Kate Walker, who missed the inaugural Indian Grand Prix in 2011 for not getting visa. Jaypee Group did a commendable job by building a $400 million circuit and getting the race to India, but are finding it tough to run the sport without government support. A lot of problems could be solved if the local government treats F1 as a sport and not entertainment. “It is a tragedy (no race in 2014). So much money has been money put into this fantastic facility. May be the Jaypee Group will use it for something else.” IANS

It’s all about Vettel No matter what the speculation is over the future of the Indian GP, all eyes are currently on Sebastian Vettel as he eyes his fourth consecutive championship title. SANDIP SIKDAR IANS GREATER NOIDA: On the eve of the Indian Grand Prix weekend, the talking point at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) is whether the race would indeed be back on the Formula One roster in 2015 after skipping the next year. Whatever be the speculation over the future of the race, the two men who matter -- Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and chief promoter Sameer Gaur of the Jaypee Sports International Limited (JPSI) -- have little doubt that the race would be back after the calendar gets tweaked, clubbing all the Asian races in a clip. In the same breath, the connoisseurs are also discussing the fate of the drivers and constructors championship in the third edition here Sunday. They all wager a bet on Sebastian Vettel getting on to the podium as champion for the fourth successive year and his team Red Bull retaining the constructors championship. Despite being awarded the ‘Best F1 Promoter’ for two consecutive years by the sports’ governing body, FIA, the Indian GP’s future is linked to political,

Vettel scorches to lap record

tax, customs, logistical and bureaucratic niggles. There is a sneaky suspicion that these issues have led to the Indian round being dropped in 2014 and will continue to fester even in 2015, raising doubts over its return. The government is also unbending. It doesn’t recognise F1 as a sport, forcing organisers to cough up tax and duties on various things connected with the race and, to make matters worse, the Uttar

GREATER NOIDA: Sebastian Vettel began his quest to seal a fourth successive Formula One title by scorching a new lap record in first free practice at the Indian Grand Prix on Friday. The 26-year-old, enjoying a 90point lead over his nearest challenger Fernando Alonso, only needs to finish in the top five in his Red Bull on Sunday to seal the title. Vettel showed ominous intent by lapping at 1min 26.68secs, surpassing his own record of 1:27.24 set at the inaugural race at the Buddh International Circuit in 2011. Vettel’s Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber was only narrowly slower as he came in second at 1:26.87. Pradesh government has imposed entertainment tax on tickets effective this year. There is another problem for the organisers to reclaim the race -- an increasingly congested calendar. To put all doubts to rest and force the race to return, the organisers must put up an impeccable show this weekend. IANS

sports

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

WTA CHAMPIONSHIPS

Serena in semis

Serena reached the WTA Championships semis by brushing aside Petra Kvitova 6-2 6-3 to complete a clean sweep. ISTANBUL: Serena Williams reached the WTA Championships semi-finals by brushing aside 2011 winner Petra Kvitova 6-2 6-3 on Thursday to complete a clean sweep of her group matches. The defending champion was relentlessly focussed against the former champion from the Czech Republic, hitting 27 winners and 11 immaculately delivered aces, taking her total for the season to a remarkable 468. “I feel pretty good — I was really aggressive tonight,” Williams said. “Petra was aggressive too, but I think my serve did really well. I’m just glad to still be alive in the tournament — I didn’t have any expectations coming here, I just wanted to come and enjoy myself, and that’s what I’ve done. “It just feels good to not be out of the tournament.” Against Kvitova, Williams was intense, poised, rhythmical, and completely blinkered to thoughts outside the court. She was 15-40 down in the first game when Kvitova’s early ball hitting gave a warning of what she might be capable of. From then on Williams surged into a higher gear. It was her third win in three days, which means she now has a day’s rest before seeking a place in the final with a match against the runner-up in the other group, which could be Jelena Jankovic, Li Na, or Victoria Azarenka. “I’m definitely going to watch the matches,” said the world number one. “And then just lollygag

US tennis player Serena Williams returns the ball to Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic on Thursday. AFP/OZAN KOSE

It was Serena Williams third win in three days, which means she now has a day’s rest before seeking a place in the final. around.” Azarenka has so far notably found it harder than Williams to remain mentally in good condition, and another was Agnieszka Radwanska, the thirdseeded Pole, who had little left to offer against Angelique Kerber of Germany and departed the tournament with three losses.

Kerber, the last player to qualify for the tournament, is not the first to leave it. Indeed she still has an outside chance of taking her wrongfooting angles and tenacious endeavour into the last four, but she would have to deliver a solid win over Kvitova to do it. Another with a wandering mind was Li Na, who had humorously admitted to having intrusive thoughts about her holiday, along the latest of her pantomime criticisms of her husband who apparently got to choose their destination. Li nevertheless moved to the brink of another significant first with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 win over Jelena Jankovic. AFP

SWISS INDOORS

Del Potro races past Baghdatis BASEL: Top seeded Juan Martin Del Potro moved closer to a successful defence of his title at the Swiss Indoors on Thursday by beating Marcos Baghdatis for a third time this season. Del Potro, who won 6-1, 6-2, will next face Paul-Henri Mathieu after the French player beat compatriot Michael Llodra 6-4, 6-3. Del Potro is fresh from a successful Asia tour, winning the Tokyo title and reaching the Shanghai Masters final against Novak Djokovic after beating Rafael Nadal. The Argentine, ranked fifth in the world, has not dropped a set so far in Basel, where he beat five-time champion Roger Federer for the title a year ago in the Swiss player’s hometown. Del Potro’s victory in 72 minutes was his 45th win of the season, leaving him with 11 quarterfinals or better from 16 events played. “The start was tough for me,” said the 2009 US Open winner, who broke his opponent twice in each set and took victory on a fourth match point. “I had a tough service game to start but then I gained confidence after I broke him for the first time. I served better than yesterday and generally played a better match. I led 5-0 in the first set but also had some easy mistakes. You have to be careful against a good player like him, he can come back at any time.” Del Potro put Baghdatis under pressure in the sixth game in which the Cypriot saved four break points to win his first game of the match for 1-5.

LPGA TAIWAN CHAMPIONSHIP

Suzann Pettersen leads by three TAIPEI: World number two Suzann Pettersen got her defence of the Sunrise LPGA Taiwan Championship off to a good start Thursday, firing a four-underpar 68 in swirling winds. The Norwegian finished three shots better than Irene Cho, Caroline Hedwall, Karine Icher and Alison Walshe who were tied in second after the first round of the $2 million event. “It was a tough day out there, conditions were not great,” Pettersen said, following her round at the Sunrise Golf & Country Club in northern Taoyuan county. “Four-under is a decent day. I felt like I put myself in a good position.”

The Norwegian finished three shots better than Cho, Hedwall, Icher and Walshe who were tied in second after the first round of the $2 million event. The 32-year-old has strung together nine top-10 finishes in her past 10 LPGA events, including back-to-back victories at the Safeway Classic and the Evian Championship. She is closing in on world number one Park In-Bee, who finished a disappointing 28th at last week’s KEB-HanaBank

Championship in South Korea and is not playing in Taiwan this week. Taiwanese star Tseng Yani, who was playing on the course where she grew up learning the game, recorded a disappointing four-over-par 76. “The winds came up and down and sometimes it was big and sometimes not as strong,” she said. “I struggled a little bit from a hundred yards in, and then I had four three-putts, well, I’m not really happy with the score, but I will keep trying.” The 24-year-old, who has won 15 career LPGA titles, was tied for 47th. AFP

sports

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

ASHES

England arrive Down Under England reached Perth for the five-Test tour barely two months after wrapping up a 3-0 home series win over Australia, and will once again look to capitalise on Oz's fragile batting. PERTH: England arrived Friday for a high stakes tour of Australia with Alastair Cook's team gunning for a fourth successive Ashes series win and Michael Clarke's men desperate to avoid another embarrassing loss. They touched down in Perth for the five-Test tour barely two months after wrapping up a 3-0 home series win over Australia, and they will once again look to capitalise on their opponent's fragile batting. Australia chopped and changed batsmen and their position in the order throughout the last campaign and they paid the price, with coach Darren Lehmann promising more stability this time round. England spinner Graeme Swann said on arrival that the team was "always confident". "If we play our good cricket, then it should be a great series.

FOR SACHIN #masterblaster honours

Australia had chopped and changed batsmen and their position in the order throughout the last campaign and they paid the price.

England test cricket captain Alastair Cook (C) arrives with teammates at Perth International Airport in Western Australia on Thursday for a high stakes tour of Australia with his team gunning for a fourth successive Ashes series win. AFP/GREG WOOD

Can't wait to get cracking," he said But Cook denied England will be complacent after being dominant against their archrivals for so long, particularly with an anticipated hostile reception expected from the home fans. "Complacency -- that's not a problem," he said before boarding the plane in London on Wednesday, minus star allrounder Kevin Pietersen who was granted compassionate

SOUTH AFRICA VS PAKISTAN

BRIEFS

Smith, de Villiers put SA on top SHAHID HASHMI Agence France-Presse

GREATER NOIDA: Formula One team Force India honoured retiring cricket superstar Sachin Tendulkar by displaying the Twitter hashtag #masterblaster on its cars at the Indian Grand Prix Friday. The message was prominently displayed on the noses of both Adrian Sutil and Paul Di Resta's cars as practice got under way at the Buddh International Circuit. "This is just a way to honour one of India's greatest cricketers and sportsmen," a team spokesman told AFP. "Sachin is a big F1 fan and would have loved to be here, but he is busy preparing for a first-class cricket match that starts soon." AFP

DUBAI: Graeme Smith smashed a double century and AB de Villiers hit a robust hundred to guide South Africa to an imperious position in the mustwin second Test against Pakistan in Dubai on Thursday. South African skipper made 227 not out for his fifth double ton while De Villiers -- dropped off the first delivery by wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal off paceman Mohammad Irfan -- was unbeaten on 157 for his 17th Test century. The duo plundered a hapless Pakistan attack to take South Africa to 460-4 at close on the second day, giving them a big 361-run lead with three full days to play to force a serieslevelling win. Pakistan won the first Test by seven wickets in Abu Dhabi last week. Smith and De Villiers have set an all time South African record for the fifth wicket in Tests with 326, beating the previous best of 267 set by Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince against the West Indies at Antigua in 2005. The experienced duo plundered Pakistan's spin-cum pace attack on Dubai stadium pitch

leave following the death of a friend. He is expected to join up with the 17-man squad on Sunday. "We have a chance to win four Ashes series in a row for the first time since 1890. Everyone is excited by that and is desperate to do that," added Cook. "Clearly, top-order runs in Australia are vitally important and we saw last time when we went there how big runs make a massive difference and set the game up." England get their tour underway against Western Australia on October 31 ahead of the first Test at the Gabba in Brisbane starting November 21. This is followed by Tests in Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. British bookmakers William Hill have England at 10/11 favourites for the series with Australia 13/8 and 9/2 the draw.

Rain delays Day five start DHAKA: Rain delayed the start of the fifth day's play in the second Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Friday. The play had been expected to start at 10:30 am (0430 GMT), an hour after the scheduled time, due to an overnight shower. However fresh drizzle forced the match officials to keep the pitch under cover, delaying the start further. Bangladesh were 269-3 overnight in the second innings, leading New Zealand by 114 runs. AFP

South African captain Graeme Smith celebrates a double century during Day two of the second Test against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday. AFP/MARWAN NAAMANI

Smith and De Villiers have set an all time South African record for the fifth wicket in Tests with 326, beating the previous best of 267. which gave little help to the bowlers who only managed to dismiss nightwatchman Dale Steyn (seven) in the first hour. Smith reached his fifth double hundred with a couple off

spinner Zulfiqar Babar towards mid-wicket, also completing 9,000 runs in 112 Tests. He is the 12th batsmen in all Test cricket to reach 9,000 and second behind team-mate Jacques Kallis who so far has 13,140 runs in 164 Tests. The South African captain, seeking to keep his team's unbeaten run away from home since losing to Sri Lanka in 2006, raised his arms to the applause of his team-mates. In all Smith has hit 16 boundaries off 367 deliveries of complete domination. AFP

Pybus handed Windies role ST. JOHN'S: Former Pakistan coach Richard Pybus was on Thursday named as director of cricket with the West Indies Cricket Board on a three-year deal. Pybus, 49, coached Pakistan from 1999 to 2003 and also led the Titans and Cobras to a total of nine titles in South Africa. "I am delighted and honoured to accept this key role in West Indies Cricket and to help build on the progress that has been made in recent years," said Englishman Pybus. AFP

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013

sports

WILSHERE WARNS ARSENAL WILL SHOW NO MERCY

Jack Wilshere is convinced Arsenal will bounce back when the Premier League leaders bid to cement their position at the top against managerless Crystal Palace on Saturday. Arsene Wenger’s team suffered their first defeat in 13 matches in all competitions on Tuesday.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

EUROPA LEAGUE

Arsenal keen to learn

The Gunners travel across London to face struggling Crystal Palace after Robert Lewandowski’s late winner secured Borussia Dortmund’s victory. LONDON: Per Mertesacker has warned Arsenal must learn from their midweek Champions League setback if the Premier League leaders are to sustain their impressive start to the domestic campaign. The Gunners travel across London to face struggling Crystal Palace on Saturday after Robert Lewandowski’s late winner secured Borussia Dortmund’s 2-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium. With second-bottom Palace without a manager following the departure of Ian Holloway, the odds are stacked heavily on Arsene Wenger’s side securing the win that will guarantee they maintain their place at the top of the table. Arsenal will be hoping to reproduce some of the thrilling forward play that illuminated their 4-1 home victory over Norwich City last weekend. But centre-back Mertesacker believes there is plenty of room for improvement. The Germany international said: “We know we are on a good run, but we know it needs more than just playing with full freedom and vision. “We need to defend first and then we can switch the rest on. You have seen what can happen after that.” Arsenal’s strength so far this

Tottenham defeat Sheriff

PARIS: Tottenham Hotspur closed in on a place in the Europa League knockout stages with a 2-0 win away to Moldovan champions Sheriff Tiraspol on Thursday. It was a hard-earned win for Andre Villas-Boas’ side, with Sheriff applying plenty of pressure, but ultimately the Premier League team’s class shone through.

It was a hardearned win for Andre Villas-Boas’ side, with Sheriff applying plenty of pressure.

Arsenal’s strength so far this season has been the form of their midfield playmakers following the arrival of Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid. season has been the form of their midfield playmakers following the arrival of Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid. Ozil had a quieter game than

usual against Dortmund but Mertesacker believes his Germany team-mate is already part of something special. “Tomas Rosicky came in and fitted into everything as well as Mesut Ozil or Jack Wilshere. When those three combined together, you could feel some magic in the air, a real chemistry.” Spain midfielder Santi Cazorla is confident Ozil’s influence upon Arsenal will continue to grow as the title race begins to take shape. “As the days go by we have a better association on the

pitch,” said Cazorla of club record-signing Ozil, who arrived at the north London side for £42.4 million from Real Madrid on transfer deadline day. “Mesut is a player of a different kind. He is a joy to watch and has a lot of talent. “Like (Zinedine) Zidane or Ronaldinho, he can be one of those players who marks an era.” Mathieu Flamini was rested midweek but the Frenchman’s expected return to the midfield should add more steel to Wenger’s side. AFP

Villas-Boas made wholesale changes to the team that had beaten Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday but the visitors needed just 12 minutes to open the scoring. On their first attack, captain for the night Jan Vertonghen headed home Christian Eriksen’s cross to settle Tottenham down in the tricky tie in Transnistria, a territory that claims independence from Moldova itself. A Sheriff side with a heavy African and Brazilian influence might have drawn level moments later but Vlad Chiriches made a stunning last-gasp clearance to stop Luvannor Henrique from scoring after rounding Hugo Lloris. AFP

BUNDESLIGA

Dortmund seek revenge in Ruhr derby BERLIN: Fresh from beating Arsenal away in the Champions League in midweek, Borussia Dortmund will be looking for a measure of revenge when they make the shorter trip to face Schalke in the Ruhr derby on Saturday. Dortmund earned widespread praise last season as they made it to the Champions League final, but their fans will not forget the fact that they lost both meetings with their neighbours from 30 kilometres along the road. A victory at the Veltins Arena would therefore allow Jurgen Klopp’s side to get one over on the Royal Blues as well as keep

the pressure on Bayern Munich, the leaders who come into the weekend a point clear of Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen. While Dortmund were beating Arsenal 2-1 in London, Schalke were also in Champions League action on Tuesday, although they were outclassed 30 at home by Chelsea. Jens Keller’s men have only lost once in their last six Bundesliga outings, with that a 4-0 home hammering by Bayern, but they have beaten Leverkusen at home this season and will be determined to repeat their 2-1 derby triumph of March, when Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored the

decisive goal in a 2-1 victory. “That was the shadow that lay over last season for us and we need to make amends,” said Klopp. For Schalke, Huntelaar is missing but Kevin-Prince Boateng will be available to face the side with whom he had a spell in the 2008-09 season. Upon signing for the Gelsenkirchen club, he was forced to retract earlier comments about Dortmund being his “favourite team”. The rivalry between the clubs is fierce, and the nature of it has not been lost on Schalke’s Japanese full-back Atsuto Uchida. AFP