NET TEACHER COMES HANDY FOR STUDENTS
That boundless realm called internet or new media has saved hundreds of City students when the Telangana stir hit the education for 45 long days. Many, exploring ways to beat the situation took refuge in the Net teaching which has many advantages over the traditional chalk-andblackboard teaching. P4
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ZAHEER GIVES UPPER HAND Zaheer Khan produced a couple of supreme spells, while Tillakaratne Dilshan showed promised before throwing it away, and honours were tilting in India's favour.
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CM EMBARRASSED
Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy couldn’t have had a more embarrassing day than this when a colleague — Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao — was tainted in liquor syndicates case, and another — Health Minister DL Ravindra Reddy — turned impudent, called on APCC president and may quit anytime
MADAME TERRIBLE IN POLICE NET
She’s known as the lady boss among her customers who take a day-long loan of cash for exorbitant rates of interest REPORT ON PG 3
3 KARNATAKA MANTRIS FLASH QUIT OVER PORN SANTO SWEEPS COLORADO Bowing to the directives of the party central leadership, three BJP ministers in Karnataka on Wednesday resigned after they were engulfed in a row over watching sleazy clippings during the Assembly proceedings. The governor P9 accepted their resignations
Rick Santorum, the Christian conservative presidential candidate hopeful has won the Colorado caucuses. This is a hat-trick for him after earlier winning Missouri’s primary and the Minnesota caucuses. This has helped him reclaim a position in the Republican presidential race.
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
Spirit of Twin Cities
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Shoot at sight HOBBIES Anubha K Singh anubha.k@postnoon.com
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he sight of a picturesque scenery, an impressive outfit or a pathetic lifestyle makes a shutterbug fiddle with his camera. The discerning eye of a lensman always yearns for a detail that a naked eye cannot catch. Hyderabad is a city of connoisseurs of art, cinema and photography. There is a growing fascination with the camera for the young and to zoom in the lenses on honing the skills, the Twin Cities Photography Club is a perfect place. Twin Cities Photography
Club was established in June 2011. It’s not even been a year since its inception and the club already boasts of more than 400 members. “I was always passionate about photography. I started this club as I wanted to explore photography. Then came the thought that there might be many like me who want to explore his or her talent and then came the idea of the Twin Cities Photography Club,” said founder Rajiv Sharma, a retired Colonel from the Army . The club gives wings to your passion of shooting. It is a meeting place for amateur photographers to discuss everything related to photography and facilitates sharpening of photography skills. The club provides opportunities to go on planned shoots on a wide range
of subjects. It hosts regular meets — thrice a month — for enthusiasts to ideate and identify subjects. From beginners to professionals, everybody is welcome. There is no restriction on the equipment used either. The equipment is also shared between members sometimes. Members post their experiences and reviews on the club’s website. So be it landscapes or seascapes, sunrise or sunset, wildlife or city life, people or objects, jungles or deserts, birds or insects, flowers, buildings, monuments or even the trees and boulders around, you can shoot anything. The Objectives of the club are n Provide a platform for photography enthusiasts to network with like-minded people
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Provide opportunities to shoot a wide range of subjects n Enhance knowledge through sessions with seasoned photographers and professionals n Provide resources on various photography equipment and accessories n Assist members in participating in various photography competitions around the world
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Help members showcase their talent through exhibitions The club members cover cultural events, nature walks and have events like ‘the City at Night’. Besides shoots, a new member can look forward to workshops for beginners. The club has helped its members participate in various photography competitions.
Around the city: Your guide to the Twin Cities
City in pictures
PIC: A SUDHEER REDDY
Musical tribute My Theatre cafe is organising a tribute to legendary late Ghazal singer Jagjit Singh on the occasion of his birth anniversary. Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills When: February 8, 7.30pm Contact: 9642731329
CINEMAS
An art exhibition by Srinivas Reddy titled Fragile City is being held at Iconart. Where: Iconart, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: 9849968797
Cognac and Cigar
International pizza festival
Syn presents three lunch offers to suit your needs. There is a lunch for those in a hurry, a lunch for the calorie conscious and a lunch for those who are planning a reunion with pals.
Fragile City
Cupcake lovers head to Deli 9 for the cupcake festival. You can select from a variety of cupcakes such as chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter, coffee, orange. Where: Deli9, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 65506662
An International photography exhibition y titled Urban Decay is being held at Ravi Art Studio. It portrays the negative influence of urbanisation on nature. Where: Ravi Studios, Somajiguda When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 23392471
A suitable lunch
Nautanki Galli offers its expansive lunch buffet. Where: Nautanki Galli, Madhapur When: Everyday, 12:30 pm onwards Contact: 7893010000
Cupcake delight
Urban Decay
Pizza lovers this is the news for you! News Cafe is host to the International Pizza Festival. Where: News Cafe, Inorbit Mall, Hitech City When: Ongoing, 12.30pm Contact: (040) 64603341
Lunch specials
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
A pictoral essay depicting the city of Hyderabad between the years of 1975 and 2011 is on display at Salarjung Museum. Where: Ravi Studios, Somajiguda When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 23392471
Where: Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills When: Everyday, 12pm onwards Contact: (040) 66663939
Numaish A childhood favourite of every Hyderabadi, The All India Industrial Exhibition is on. Where: Exhibition Grounds, Nampally When: Ongoing
Valentines groove A workshop on salsa and theme dancing is being held by Promod Sanghi. Where: Park hotel Somajiguda When: Ongoing
Martini ‘n music Enjoy winter evenings with martinis and crooner Kelly. Where: Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills When: Every Evening Contact: (040) 66662323
The Seasons Bar opens up again as a Cigar and Cognac lounge with a wide selection of cognac, rare whiskies, single malts and cigars. Where: Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 7pm Contact: (040) 66662323
Get my food-Pronto! For those looking for great food but don’t have the time for a leisurely meal head to Prego at the Westin for a quick 45-min Where: Prego, Westin , Madhapur When: Ongoing, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 64566692
Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally, 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills, 447677770, Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 08800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973
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Madame Terrible in cop net CRIME Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com
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he’s is known as Madame Terrible among her customers who take a day-long loan of cash at exorbitant rates. The interest she charges is usually double — `100 lent and `200 sought by evening, say police. Farzana Begum of Ramnathpur in the Old City is the lone woman money lender arrested under the outdated Telangana Money Lenders Act since the crackdown began on January 19 under the command of the South Zone DCP Manish Kumar Sinha. The total arrests against illegal money lenders and chit funds stand at 51. According to the ACP Charminar, M Rammohan Rao, the 48-year-old Farzana Begum has been in the business for the last 8 to 10 years. She also runs a chit fund that changes its name and location every six months. What the police gathered from the suffering public is that she’s ruthless as far as recovery of loan is concerned. If a borrower,
who is usually known to her, fails to repay the loan amount by evening he has to cough up double the sum the next day. And, woe to those who can’t repay the sum the next day too. They will get a shower of harangue that is often abusive and threatening. Police said her husband helps in the business. In fact, the
Total arrests Woman lender Big lenders
51 1 12
scheme seems to be to collect public money under the name of Chit funds and then lend the same money at high rates of interest. Thus, the ‘smart operator that she is’ she has learnt to
use others’ money to reap profits. No investment but all returns! Police say none of the money lenders arraigned has a trade license. But, the practice is so prevalent and borrowers so many that the business goes on unhindered. It’s only when things end in violence some notice is taken.
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CRIME BRIEF
Hasan Ali’s bail opposed T
he Central Crime Station (CCS) police on Tuesday opposed anticipatory bail to Pune-based stud farm owner Hasan Ali Khan. The police pleaded that he deliberately gave false information while getting his passport. In a counter-petition filed before a Nampally court, the police submitted that Khan filed the anticipatory bail plea to avoid being produced before court. “Hasan Ali made a fresh application for passport on September 30, 2000 giving his Banjara Hills address and naming first wife Mehboobunnisa Begum as his spouse, though he had divorced her on February 25, 1999 and shifted to Pune,’’ the prosecution submitted. The police told the court that a case had been registered against Khan under IPC Sections 177 (furnishing false information) and 420 (cheating), and Section 12 (1) (B) of Passport Act, on court’s direction after Regional Passport Officer K Srikar Reddy made the complaint.
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Why the Net teacher?
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ome of the advantages of the Net tuitions are that they are like a third eye. The internet is open 24x7 and a good, established tuition portal has panels of faculty available most of the time. This is an improvement over the 9 to 5 regime of schools. Then there is the virtual classroom and individual attention.
Students turn to Net Teacher EDUCATION Sudeshna Koka sudeshna.k@postnoon.com
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hat boundless realm called internet or new media saved hundreds of City students when the Telangana stir disrupted education for 45 long days. Many, exploring ways to beat the situation, took refuge in the Net teaching which has many advantages over the traditional chalkand-blackboard teaching. “I knew about online tuitions but never used it. This year I decided to join my daughter in online tuitions. It’s very convenient and affordable. Regardless of what is happening in the State her boards are not getting affected,” says Sunitha K, a parent. E-tuitions work on a virtual classroom situation with the added advantage of individual needs and attention. “It’s a one-on-one interactive tuition in which the student and the teacher use the white board, instant messaging and voice calls,” says a tuition website. The areas they are popular for are mathematics, science and English. “I have been teaching online since 2007. It was in the British Council that I saw people using Internet to get educated. Ever
Helpline GAS BOOKING IVRS NO: HP 9666023456 Indane 9848824365 BSNL Complaints HMWS & SB Complaints
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since, I developed a passion in this field,” says Radha Nithi, an English faculty for Higher Grades at etuitions. E-tuitions are famous all over the globe. In terms of space and content, India is one of the largest providers of e-tuitions and many of them are from Hyderabad. “It’s an easy way to earn extra money. I work in a software company and this is just a way to help youth. I also earn some extra money out of it,” says Sarag Ingalwat, software professional. A few schools are using internet as a medium to communicate with their students. Teachers post notes and test papers online. “We have a website and on that we post all our notes. It’s an easy way and by doing this even parents are well informed,” says Nune Lilly Elizabeth, principal, Narayana techno schools. But there is the other side too. Some schools are still closed to the new media and consider it an upstart. They tell their students to keep away of the internet. “We are not yet open to this method of teaching. We are telling our students not to use the internet until after exams. By sending online notes we will be contradicting ourselves,” says J Sujatha, principal, the Secunderabad Public School. Despite this reservation the
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internet tuition seems set to grow. Board exam takers are using this the most to study. Websites like http://www.collegeboard.com provides the previous year’s model test and special tests. “I have all-in-one and other materials from where I can study but this is just a change and a new way to get to know all important questions. It’s fun and I also get to interact with other students,” says Manavi Khansal, Pallavi Model School student. Even social networking sites are acting as a source for study material. Higher sections of students are using various online groups and websites like pagalguy.com for group studies. These websites work best for competitive exams. “I m preparing for MBA exams and these websites are a great source. We discuss topics and this is the best way to remember current affairs,” says Ragini C, a B.Tech student. For competitive exams there are several websites to take mock tests and exchange notes. The fee for these classes are also affordable. For school-level coaching the fee ranges from `85 per hour to `200 per hour. For classes XI and XII the fees depend on the subjects the students choose. For math and science its starts from `200 per hour and for languages it’s higher.
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“I got 93 percentile in CAT and this was possible only due to the online study group. I could study better with the help of this group. We made a time table and studied accordingly.”
“My daughter used e-tuitions to get coached for the International English Language testing System (IELTS). Sitting at home, she got her tuitions and took a lot of tests.”
Raghuveer Nichala, B.Tech graduate
Nithi N, a parent
“I did not clear ZAT and SNAP this year. Post the exams I realised that online groups like OMET and pagalguy.com teach easy and simple methods to clear these exams. I have my last year’s notes and this year I won’t waste time in coaching classes and instead spend time on online coaching websites.” Anitha O, an MBA aspirant
Prices depend on subjects and classes n n
For school coaching it starts from `85 per hour and go up to `200. For class XI and XII the fees depend on the subjects. For maths and science its starts with `200 per hour and for languages it’s higher.
Few popular websites E tuitions Growing stars E tuitions.org etuition4u.com outsourcingresearchwriting.com, vienova.com, projectsatschool.com http://www.manabadi.co.in/institute/DownLoadBQP.as px?SysId=3&ClsId=4&QPT=M http://www.collegeboard.com/testing/ http://school.classontheweb.com/apboard/board -exam-preparation.html http://toptrigger.com/ 39879999 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 Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings. For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec’bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999
UK Visa Office VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7 Beside Meridian School, Banjara Hills34. Working hours are from 8 AM to 1 PM And 2 PM to 3PM. MUSEUMS Salar Jung Museum AP State Museum Nizams Museum
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Readers’ views We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 4067 2222
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DL to quit? T
he pruning of medical and health department and division of the same between two Cabinet ministers caused a furore and Health Minister DL Ravindra Reddy launched a diatribe against Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy over the issue. He met APCC president Botsa Satyanarayana and explained his stand. Grapevine has it that Ravindra Reddy is likely to send in his resignation to the Governor. Asserting that he always did justice to any portfolio that was entrusted to him, he went hammer and tongs against the CM saying he would expose the nexus between Kiran Kumar Reddy and YS Jagan. Spilling the beans on the 108 emergency ambulance issue is another issue that widened the chasm between the minister and the CM. While DL is perceiving his utterances as ‘forthright and straightforward’, the Congress circles are irked by his approach. The APCC president is likely to ‘convince’ him not to precipitate the matter. In fact, Ravindra Reddy claimed that he
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elugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu has reached Visakhapatnam this morning to participate in the “Yuvatharangam” program. Naidu will garland the Ambedkar Statue and then proceed to Sarada Gardens in a bike rally where the youth programme is being organised. It’s an effort to enlist young voters.
Jatara begins today
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edaram is all set to witness Sammakka Saralamma Jatara from today. District collector Rahul Bojja and SP Rajeshkumar are overseeing the arrangements here. The priests will place the deities this night on the pedestals. The State Government has made all the arrangements for the devotees who would come in large numbers to participate in the pooja program. Heavy security was deployed to see that there would be no and law order problem.
Eamcet 2012 notification on Feb 9
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he Eamcet 2012 Notification will be released on February 9. The notification will be published on 10th in the newspapers according to the Government. Students can apply from February 12 online.
GRAFT
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Postnoon News
was made a scapegoat in the Kadapa byelection and asserted that he would not take up the responsibility to work for the Congress candidates in the byelections. Ravindra Reddy, who had the portfolio of medical and health ministry, has been stripped of medical education, 104 and 108 Services portfolios after the Cabinet expansion. Now he is left with portfolios of APVVP, Arogyasri, Family Welfare and Medical Infrastructure. Ravindra Reddy said he would “never resort to sycophancy to get the portfolios of his choice.” Stating that his burden has come down with the pruning of his portfolios, he said that he would try to perform better and excel in the job assigned to him. He was happy that youth were inducted into the Cabinet.
inister for excise and prohibition Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao called on Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy around 11am and explained his stand on the allegations that he was paid a bribe of `10 lakh by liquor syndicate. He claimed that he was innocent. Anti-Corruption Bureau officials have filed a remand report of Venkataramana Nunna, who was arrested a week ago, before the court of the special judge for ACB cases at Hyderabad in which it was mentioned that Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao had received `10 lakh from liquor syndicate. It may be recalled that the Minister stated the government was ready to order a probe into liquor scam in the wake of alleged nexus between different stakeholders. Mopidevi Venkataramana said that the government was ready to initiate action on those ministers, if found involved in receiving the bribes from liquor syndicate. “I am ready to face any kind of probe against me in this connection,” the
Minister asserted. “He said once ACB submits its report, the government would initiate action against those who are guilty in the scam. He could not anticipate that his name would figure in the ACB list with all prominence. He said the ACB was doing its duty and not targeting anyone in this regard. A resident of Khammam, Venkataramana, 44, has stakes in 29 wine shops and is involved with 10 liquor syndicates besides having influence over 80 wine shops in Khammam and Warangal districts. In their remand report, seeking the custody of Venkataramana on February 3, officials of the ACB Warangal Range which includes Warangal and Khammam had stated that the licence to run these liquor shops was obtained in July 2010 for the period between July 2010 and June 2012. According to the statement recorded by the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s Warangal wing, Venkataramana had told the ACB officials that he had paid `10 lakh to excise minister Venkataramana Rao at the ministers’ quarters at Banjara Hills in the presence of one Babji, owner of Chandra Wines, Khammam, and Rajababu alias Raja, who is said to be a classmate of the minister.
State awaits date with e-budget U Srinivas
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ndhra Pradesh Assembly is agog with the preparations to present country’s first ‘digital budget.’ And, indications are that the 2012-13 budget would be a soft one in view of a string of by-elections in the cards. But, hints that possible off-budget hike in taxes might show up after the elections have been aired in the ministerial circuits. Minister for finance Anam Ramnarayan Reddy said all departments had sent their details online this time. A website, aplegislature.org would be ready by February 15 while the Budget is all set to be presented on February 17. It would facilitate webcast of the Assembly proceedings. Overall it will be a welfare and development budget he stated. The Assembly has a dedicated server and provides seamless Internet access to members with Wifi. Meanwhile, all the members of the Assembly have been given laptops with software that helps them focus on development issues pertaining to their respective constituencies. “For the first time assets and liabilities of the members would be put online,” Speaker Nadendla Manohar said. He said Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy’s suggestions have been incorporated into the Budget proposals, Anam hinted that the irrigation sector would get priority in allocation. The government is adopting online payment of bills to put a check on irregularities at lower levels. The government was according priority to welfare and developmental programmes, the minister said.
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Mopidevi cries foul Postnoon News
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ewly inducted minister Uttam Kumar Reddy has found fault with the TRS and other Telangana protagonists for criticizing him for joining the cabinet. Talking to the media on Tuesday, he has reminded that the same leaders that had earlier found fault with the government for not giving due representation to Telangana region, when the former PRP MLAs were inducted in the cabinet.
lanning to open a new business in Hyderabad? Go, ahead but get a trade license from GHMC, or else you will end up paying hefty fine. After a long gap, the cashstrapped GHMC has launched a drive to snare all trades in its license net and augment its chest. The Corporation has already identified 40,000 new traders who do business in the City but do not have a trade license. There are in all 1.20 lakh license holders, but to the chagrin of the GHMC, it has been found that 50 percent of them are defaulters. But, besides recovering the dues, the Corporation is planning to expand the list by adding 40,000 new traders in its limits. "Our drive is yielding good results. We are happy with it. Our intention is to issue licenses to newly identified trade holders and bring them in the tax net," GHMC Joint Commissioner (Health & Sanitation) Samrat Ashok told Postnoon. The officials’ first priority is to identify defaulters. Some of them may have become defunct but most of them are simply shirking, they believe. They have not applied for renewal of license. So far, they have identified 1800 defaulters and issued notices to them. The penalty for default is an additional 50 per cent of the license fee. The corporation had also warned these defaulters of prosecution if they fail to renew their licences by
What is a Trade License? Trade License is a certificate/document which grants you permission to carry on the particular trade or business for which it is issued. It does not confer ownership of property or permission for any other activity than for which it is issued. What are the different categories of trade licenses? n All eateries like hotels, restaurants , refreshments, sale of coffee and tea, lodging houses, bakeries, sweet the end of March this year. “We will not tolerate anybody who would miss the final opportunity. They should renew their licenses by the end of March this year. If they fail in doing so, we will prosecute them," Samrat Ashok said. He further said that the steps launched by them are helping them in achieving the revenue target set for this fiscal. " We initially
meat stall, sale of mutton, beef, fish , pork and chicken and provision stores. n All trades which use motive power to run and to manufacture like, industries, factories, workshops, power looms, flour mills etc. n Trades like, charcoal depot , sale of firewood, timber wood, dry clean shops, dhobi shops, beauty parlour, barbershop, sale of edible oil, storage of ammunitions,breweries, manufacturing of camphor and candle
set up a target of `30 crore this year. We’ve already achieved `19 crore so far. We are expecting to earn another `6 crore by the end of this fiscal year. If we cross this mark, it will be a great booster for us," Samrat told Postnoon. Interestingly, the wing has received a target `30 crore for the next fiscal (2012-13) as well in the recently approved budget estimates.
THE FACES OF HYDERABAD Narayan Singh, Postman
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abutar ja ja ja! This famous song from Maine Pyar Kiya might originally be for a pigeon, which delivers love letters, but away from reel-life and into real-life, your friendly neighbourhood postman delivers letters when you receive mail. Meet Narayan Singh, a postman from Jubilee Hills who has been in service since 32 years — 13 years in a temporary post and 19 years as a permanent postman. He cycles a total of 12 kilometres everyday covering about 600 homes to
It’s a day to express your love, but what if you’re cash strapped? Shiba Minai
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Md Inkeshaf Ahmed
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Date without budget woes
shiba.m@postnoon.com
CIVIC
Uttam chides T activists
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Osama Salman A city is defined by the people who live and work in it. Here we take a look at the human threads that make up our urban tapestry
deliver letters, all with a smile of course. He knows everyone in the area. In a world of computerization where everything is now sent by email, Narayan doesn’t feel his job is threatened. He says that not everything can be sent virtually and letters have “emotions that emails don’t”. He has three children, one of whom is an MBA student. He has a year to retire and says that if his son doesn’t find a job, he will take up the post of a security guard somewhere. Spirit of the city? Absolutely!
PIC: OSAMA SALMAN
f you want a budget date, then this is what we suggest. Lets say your budget is `1000, then you could start your day with a 'meet at a park'. To avoid prying eyes, Vengal Rao Park or KBR or Durgam Cheruvu are better options. All you have to spend is `10 per head on the entry ticket. You can carry a large packet of chips and soft drinks or other snacks, which will not cost you more than `100 on the whole. Use this time to chat up with your date and to spend ‘quality time’ with each other. Don’t forget this is also the time where you can get as cheesy as possible, and it will be allowed! Going to a place like Gandipet will also be a great idea.
6 DAYS TO GO After spending may be an hour or two there, you can head to a theatre to catch a romantic flick, so that's another `300. Remember the key here is 'budget' so don’t end up spending a major chunk of your money on recliner seats. (Unless, of course you both want to cosy up and it’s alright to give the snacks a pass!) You can spend another `200 – `300 on some munchies. And if you have not bought a gift yet, you could but her a large chocolate bar worth `100 and you still have about `80 remaining which you can use to buy heart shaped balloons which do not cost more than `20 or a small bouquet worth `40 or 50. Another alternative is to go to the evergreen dating spot — Numaish, where you can walk around and browse shops. `1000 is a lot to pick up a lot of small gifts and if you are a guy, then girls love shopping and your company along with shopping is a great combination. Alternatively, you can bake a cake at home and buy some candles and this will not cost more than `1000. There is nothing more romantic than personally done up arrangements. You could also carry the home made Valentine day goodies to the park as well. So budget or no budget, celebrate love with love!
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Health, ailment coexist in markets PIC: N SHIVA KUMAR
customer in the market. Traders have taken up this issue with the civic administration on several occasions, but the hygiene condition in the market continues to remain poor. The market generates huge volumes of garbage every day and there is no effective mechanism for regular collection of waste. “Sometimes the garbage remains
uncleared for more than three days,” vendors point out. Alexander M, estate officer at the market, however, denied the allegations and claimed that they cleared the garbage on a daily basis. He also said that they would streamline the cleaning operations further. “Sanitation of the area has become deplorable. The smell of rotten fruits and vegetables becomes intolerable. It’s an everyday affair. Especially on weekends the situation is even worse, you can’t even think of stepping into the market. Huge mounds of rotten produce remain scattered for days together in front of the market and its surroundings,” said Vishvewasara Rao, a resident of SR Nagar. The Erragadda, Mehdipatnam, Kukatpally, Vanasthalipuram rythu bazaars attract maximum visitors on any given day. These markets generate more than 300 to 400 tonnes of vegetables every day and a large number of people are involved in the trade. Hundreds of residents and retailers from various parts of the district throng the market every day to purchase vegetables and fruits.
“Avartan has inspired me tremendously and in the future, I would like to be an engineer-cum-theatre artiste,” he says. What makes Avartan a winner with most students is that it produces multilingual plays. “On stage, we are given the opportunity to deliver dialogues in whichever language we are proficient,” says Princy, a student of linguistics from Kerala. She also thinks that the club helps beginners, like her, in theatre
production. “Though I didn’t have any previous experience, they encouraged me to do an important role in the previous play. Now I am confident enough to stretch my abilities,” she says. Avartan conducts workshops in every semester and train students in various techniques of theatre. So far, more than 10 plays have been staged in the campus. Some of the plays also have been staged at other universities in Goa and Chhattisgarh.
CIVIC Anubha K Singh anubha.k@postnoon.com
B
uzzing flies over despicable vegetable stalls and the dirty surroundings speak volumes of the performance of authorities concerned at the vegetable markets in the City. Believe it or not, the main vegetables and fruit markets in many parts of the City remain immersed in knee-deep garbage and are over powered by the stench of rotting produce all year round, while thousands of people wade through the slush in the markets for their daily purchases. Vegetable vendors at Model Rythu Bazaar described their miseries and state of helplessness when they were asked about the situation around them. They poured out their woes against the officials and the market committees for their insensitivity towards the unhygienic conditions that engulfed the vegetable markets. More than five to six complaints are being registered in each Rythu Bazar pertaining to sanita-
tion and absence of proper storage facilities. Be it the Erragadda, Monda, Mehdipatnam, Kukatpally or Vanasthalipuram rythu bazaars, the scene is similar. “We are left with no alternative. This is the closest rythu bazaar to my place and I can’t afford to buy fruits from supermarkets. On weekends, the condition of the market is horrible.
There is no place to walk, as mounds of garbage remain uncleared,” said Laxmikanth, a resident of Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar. “The market is in a pathetic condition and stinks badly. I wonder if they even clean the place. With the piling up of waste, come flies and stench, making it difficult for customers to shop freely in the market,” said Ranjani Amma, a
For the sake of theatre THEATRE KK Abdul Rahoof
F
or a long time the Sarojini Naidu School in the University of Hyderabad lay abandoned. But of late the place is abuzz with activity, loud dialogues and music on almost any given evening. Ever since the place was taken over by Avartan, a theatre group comprising of students from across academic disciplines, the school has been the hub of all workshops and rehearsals for upcoming theatre performances. Avartan, an independent theatre club of UoH, aims to spread awareness about theatre and its possibilities among students. With objectives like personality development, performing skills and
understanding the applied theatre, the club was found in 2007 under the supervision of few faculties from the University Theatre Arts department. “Though our university provides theatre as an academic subject, it has limitations to accommodate more people. The idea of an independent theatre group came to my mind after I decided to train more people in the performing arts,” says Satyabrata Rout, the founder of Avartan and associate professor of University Theatre Arts department. “The club primarily seeks to empower students from different communities. It comprises of students from various cultures, communities and academic backgrounds and allows them to share their performing abilities,” he adds. The participatory nature of
the club is widely recognised on the campus. According to the members, Avartan has an inclusive platform for them to express and improve their skills. “Since my school days, I was attracted to theatre, and I used to take part in different plays back home. After joining UoH, Avartan became my platform to spruce up my acting abilities,” says Krishnasoni, a Hindi PhD student from Bihar. “Now, being with this group, I am getting the opportunity to write and direct plays,” adds Krishna, secretary of the club. For some students, the group has been an important part in their campus life, which helped them to network with people. “Avartan workshops helped me get along with students from different academic backgrounds, and it also taught me team spirit,” says Shikha Sharma, an MA Linguistic student. “In future, even after my university life, I would love to take part in theatre plays, if given a chance,” she grins. Tarun Dhariwal, a student of M.Tech Artificial Intelligence, finds Avartan analyses important social issues through its plays. “I like to entertain people for different social causes. Undoubtedly this club has been encouraging my interests,” he says. Though Tarun is going to take up a job as an engineer he doesn’t want to discontinue his experiments with theatre.
Focus
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
The story behind the news
8
If you love your country and want to wear your heart on your sleeve, the National Cadet Corps is the best option for you. It is one tradition that still continues to inspire youngsters to rise to challenges and explore new facets. Here’s taking a look at the glorious tradition of NCC
GENESIS OF LEADERSHIP By Maryam Sultana and Darshani Nene
“I
“N
CC has helped me work on my personality, made me disciplined and helped me realise my dream. During the All India Vayu Sainik Camp, I met people from different states and learnt about our diverse cultures. And through these interactions, I’ve learnt to adapt according to the situation. I was The All India Best Flyer in 2009, I got a chance to perform aerobatics at the PM’s rally. I was given a guest-like treatment at the Republic Day Camp. The feeling of interacting with the prime minister along with officers is just beyond words. And even as a Cadet Senior Under Officer, which is the highest rank given to a cadet, I learnt a lot about team-playing and management. NCC brings out the leader in you. It has taught me a lot about myself. It was a great journey of self-exploration. “ Ashrita Parvataneni, Ex-cadet, Air Wing All India Best Flyer 2009
Advantages of being an NCC cadet nQualities like leadership, team spirit and discipline are developed.
“N
CC — I could trade anything for a few moments of it back in my life. It is one of the best phases of my life. It has taught me to love the country like a soldier does. The immense pride that one feels while performing at the Republic Day Parade at Delhi must surely be one-of-a-kind and the training that goes behind it is worth it. There’s a difference between saying and doing things, and at NCC, we believe in doing them because what you do remains with you forever. NCC taught me lessons that cannot be learnt in the four walls of a classroom and are integral for a good personality that includes confidence, boldness, discipline, ability to overcome any problem with a belief in yourself, winning with pride, losing with dignity, and courage to face almost any situation. It’s sad that people don’t have a good opinion about NCC anymore. I consider myself lucky to have been part of this great youth organisation of India. I think each and every student should join the NCC and learn the importance of unity and discipline” Radhika Sawrikar, Ex-NCC cadet, Army Wing
nNCC camps bring together people from different parts of the country and diverse backgrounds promoting national integration.
tion with minimum `B` grade in the `C` certificate examination are eligible for short service commission (NCC special entry scheme) without qualifying the Common Defence Services written examination. They face a direct SSB interview.
“N
nGet acquainted with the life in the Armed Forces.
nGet easy opportunities to participate in activities like Microlite flying, mountaineering and scuba diving.
nSelected cadets are sent abroad in youth exchange programmes every year.
n32 seats are reserved per course in the Indian
Military Academy for cadets who have passed.
nNCC `C` certificate examination: NCC cadets
having 50 per cent aggregate marks in gradua-
TIME LINE 15 July, 1948 — National Cadet Corps was formed, originating from the ‘University Corps’ formed by the British. 1949 — Girls division added. 1950 — NCC Air Wing created.
comes into existence. Curriculum was extended to include community development/ social service activities as a part of the NCC syllabus. 1963 — Following the Chinese invasion, NCC made compulsory. 1968 — NCC made voluntary again.
1952 — Naval Wing of NCC
have always wanted to join the defence. Always. And with NCC the best part is that you are directly taken to the interview round of the Service Selection Board provided you have a ‘C’ certificate in NCC. But the certificate isn’t the be-all and end-all of being a part of NCC. If you join NCC, taking it seriously will only benefit you. I was in the Naval wing as a cadet. I learnt sailing, scuba diving, visited different warships, and was also taken on an adventure trip where we sailed in the Godavari river. And I did all this just being an NCC cadet. How amazing is that! Moreover, thanks to NCC, I secured an admission in one of the top engineering colleges in Hyderabad. There are reservations for NCC cadets in government jobs, especially in the Army, which I’ll soon be making use of. If you want to make a career in the defence, NCC is the thing you have to do!” Shailender Singh, student, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Technology
1965–1971 — Indo-Pakistan war takes place. Cadets taken as second line of defence. 1971–now — Syllabus was revised again. Now lays greater stress on developing quality leadership and officer-like qualities and greater importance being given to social service and youth management over military training.
CC is like a semidefence experience. You get to almost live like officers. As an NCC cadet, you are a civilian, but not a civilian when you don the uniform. Before I joined the NCC, I was this really fat kid with not much of an aim in life. Then I joined NCC. I wanted to do the best that NCC offered and took up training for the Republic Day parade. Every day I used to run 30 rounds of the field. That followed by rigorous drill training, then there were dance practices, music rehearsals and culturals. It was difficult, but then these things don’t come easy. After all this training for six months, we put up our show on Rajpath for the Republic Day parade. And I can proudly say that I won the PM’s Rally medal, the Best Cadet award for all-round performance, and medals in group singing and group dancing. What I’m trying to say here is that the opportunities that NCC provides you with are simply superb. How you make use of your opportunities is up to you. The kind of confidence you build and the identity you create in NCC is great!” Sandeep Raj Akkera, ex NCC cadet
FAMOUS NCC ALUMNI
Kiran Bedi First woman IPS officer.
Sushma Swaraj First woman chief minister of Delhi and a prominent politician.
Captain Vikram Batra An officer of the Indian Army, posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, for his bravery during the 1999 Kargil War in Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
India‑View
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
India unveiled
9
Porn mantris bolt for door before the boot BANGALORE: Bowing to the directives of the party central leadership, three BJP ministers in Karnataka on Wednesday resigned after they were engulfed in a row over watching sleazy clippings during the Assembly proceedings. Governor HR Bhardwaj accepted the resignations, which were forwarded to him by the chief minister. A day after the incident caused huge embarrassment to the BJP government, all the three tainted ministers were summoned to the party office and were asked to submit their resignation after a meeting of the senior leaders presided over by Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda. Minister for cooperation Laxman Savadi, minister for women and child development CC Patil and minister for ports and science and technology Krishna Palemar announced after a meeting with top leaders that they have decided to quit. “We don’t want the party and the government to face further embarrassment. All of us have decided to resign from the ministry”, Savadi told reporters
Hooch kills 13 in Orissa
Laxman Savadi outside the BJP office. Savadi and Patil demanded that the Speaker of the State Assembly KG Bopaiah institute a probe into the issue of watching the porn video footage and expressed confidence that “they would come clean from the allegations”. Palemar, another minister, who had to pay a price for allegedly providing the blue film clippings to Savadi said he was contemplating legal course over the issue. Savadi and Patil were caught on camera yesterday while they were allegedly viewing the porno
video footage inside the State Assembly, an incident that battered the image of the Sadananda Gowda government and the BJP, evoking widespread condemnation across the State. Under the directions of BJP national president Nitin Gadkari, Gowda on Wednesday held a meeting with the State unit Party President KS Eswarappa, former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, senior ministers Jagadish Shettar and Govind Karjol in the party office and decided to ask the three ministers to quit. Savadi and Patil said they would submit their resignation to Gowda and request him to accept it. Savadi and Patil, who had to demit the ministry under cloud, blamed the media for blowing the incident out of proportion. The Opposition parties have seized the opportunity to fire salvos at the chief minister and asked the BJP’s national leadership to seek his resignation. The incident is a blow for Yeddyurappa as the ministers who have been forced to quit are considered his confidants. PTI
FAMILY NOTES
BHUBANESWAR: Thirteen people died and at least 25 were battling for life after consuming spurious liquor in Odisha’s Cuttack district, police said on Wednesday. The victims fell ill after consuming moonshine they had bought from a man at Tukuliapada village Monday. Baidhar Bhoi, the brew seller, too died on Tuesday morning. “The toll stood at 13,” deputy commissioner of police S.Praveen Kumar said. At least 25 people were taken to hospitals where some were in a critical condition, he said. Excise commissioner Sudarsana Nayak said the victims consumed an ayurvedic formulation which contained high percentage of alcohol. The district headquarters town of Cuttack is 26 km from state capital Bhubaneswar. IANS
Pandit Ravi Shankar and daughter Anoushka Shankar perform in PTI Bangalore during the Premanjali Festival.
26 killed in UP mini-bus road accident AGRA: At least 26 people from a marriage party were killed on Tuesday evening when an overloaded mini-bus collided head-on with a speeding truck in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri district, police said on Wednesday. The driver of the mini-bus also died and more than a dozen others
were injured. Police have so far identified 23 bodies. The seriously injured have been taken to Agra’s SN Medical College Hospital. Police in Mainpuri said the mini-bus was heading towards Etah district'’ Nagla Bihari, where the family were to participate in the engage-
ment ceremony of Balbir Singh Yadav’s daughter. The mini-bus belonged to a primary school. Chief development officer Satish Kumar and sub divisional magistrate Jai Shankar Dubey have reached the accident site to supervise rescue operations. IANS
Polling officers check electronic voting machines in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. AFP
UP polls begin LUCKNOW: Polling began today on a moderate to brisk note amid tight security for the first phase of the high-voltage Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections that will decide the fate of two ministers, 31 MLAs and 15 former ministers. The polling started at 7am for 55 seats spread over 10 districts — Sitapur, Barabanki, Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Gonda, Siddharth Nagar and Basti amidst tight security arrangements, Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha
said. More than 1.70 lakh electorates are expected to seal the fate of 862 candidates. Maximum 26 candidates are in fray for Barabanki seat, whereas Mehmoodabad has minimum number of eight candidates. Stakes are high for ruling BSP, Congress, SP and the BJP in the no holds barred fight for the 403 Assembly seats. Today’s polling would decide the future of many ministers and it would be a litmus test for the Congress leaders. PTI
Meri nazar se tum dekho toh… Song: Chak Dhoom DhoomChakdhoom dhoom chakdhoom dhoom (3) Movie: Dil To Pagal Hai Ghode jaisi chaal haathi jaisi dum O saawan raja kahaan se aaye tum Ghode jaisi chaal haathi jaisi dum O saawan raja kahaan se aaye tum SRK tweeted, “My friend msged me..UP elections remind him of Dil to Paagal Hai. Rahul is after Maya...even the song haathi jaisi soondh...chak dhum dhum..(sic).” For those who are still whacking their brains, here’s an explanation. Shah Rukh Khan played Rahul while Madhuri Dixit played Maya in the film ‘Dil Toh Pagal Hai’. Rahul kept following Maya in the film and in real Rahul Gandhi is chasing Mayawati in the election. A song titled ‘Ghode jaisi chaal haathi jaisi dum’ also featured in the film and look at the coincidence. Mayawati’s paty’s symbol is an elephant and Rahul is galloping like a pony. Would the elephant crush the rest or crumble under its own weight is only a conjecture of time. All of a sudden, the trappings of a family drama of a typical Hindi movie seem to have got onto the election celluloid in UP. A mom, a son, a daughter, and a son-in-law are the lead characters on the Congress side. The melodramatic female lead is dominating the picture on the Bahujan
Samaj Party, with statuettes of tuskers blushing behind the ‘ghoonghats’ at the instance of the Election Commission, the purohits, for the episode. There is a ‘son rise’ cycling ahead his way – Mulayam Singh Yadav’s son Akhilesh Yadav. The first family of the Congress wants to maintain equal distance with all, so that it can hug the powerful after the results are announced. And then, there is a huge flock from the BJP which also fielded fathers and their wards in the fray, anticipating the celestial blessings of their trusted trump card. But pollsters don’t see Maya memsaab repeating her magic. Mulayam Singh’s SP is likely to get maximum seats. If Mayawati and Congress can together forge an alliance after the results, then again they can tell each other Dil ToH Pagal Hai.And, Rahul and Maya would sing Bholi si soorat aankhon mein masti door khadi sharmaaye Ay hay Ek jhalak dikhlaaye kabhi kabhi aanchal mein chhup jaaye Ay hay Meri nazar se tum dekho to yaar nazar vo aaye The two sides would flirt, blush, play hide and seek and tell each other behold with my view point, and you would see the yaar (in this case, power). A Saye Sekhar
Around the World
10
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
Beyond Borders
Al-Assad to declare date for Constitution referendum
Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad talking to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the presidential palace in Damascus. AFP
Senators warn of ‘disastrous’ rupture in ties
MOSCOW: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will declare a date in the near future for a referendum on a new constitution for his country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said following talks with the Syrian leader in Damascus. “President Assad said that in the next few days, he will meet with a commission which has prepared a new constitution project. This work is complete, now a time will be announced for the referendum for this document which is so important to Syria,” Lavrov said on Tuesday. Al-Assad is ready for dialogue with all political forces in the country, and also ready to make talks happen, Lavrov said. “It’s clear that effort to stop use of force must coincide with a declaration of dialogue between all political forces. Today (Tuesday) we have received confirmation of the Syrian President’s readi-
‘Hope to find quake survivors dim’
WASHINGTON: Leading US senators on Tuesday warned Egypt that the risk of a disastrous rupture in ties had rarely been greater amid an escalating row over the planned trial of US prodemocracy activists. Republican senators John McCain and Kelly Ayotte, AND independent Joe Lieberman, also warned that support for Egypt including continued financial assistance is in jeopardy. “The current crisis with the Egyptian government has escalated to such a level that it now threatens our long-standing partnership,” the senators wrote in a joint statement. AFP
ness to work toward this task,” he added. Lavrov’s visit, together with Russian Foreign Intelligence Service chief Mikhail Fradkov, came three days after Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning the violent crackdown in Syria. Lavrov had not previously revealed the purpose of his mission, telling a news conference in Moscow on Monday that it would be “unveiled only to the addressee”. Ahead of the visit, he said the UN Security Council was too hasty in bringing the resolution to a vote and described Western condemnation of Moscow’s veto as hysterical. Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the Russian and Chinese vetoes as a fiasco and said his country was preparing a new initiative. IANS
Residents carrying their belongings across a damaged road in Negros Oriental province, central Philippines. AFP GUIHULNGAN: Thousands of soldiers in the quake-hit Philippines on Tuesday scoured villages buried under landslides, but authorities said hopes of
finding people alive were dim. Two days after a 6.7 magnitude quake flattened homes, destroyed bridges and triggered deadly landslides in the central
island of Negros, rescuers had yet to find anyone alive among at least 92 people reported missing. The other missing people were reported in the nearby farming town of La Libertad, where a cluster of hillside homes were also crushed by a landslide, according to Negros Oriental province governor Roel Degamo. “We are in a state of shock, and all we can do now is to pray,” Degamo said. He said soldiers and rescuers raced against time Tuesday to find a young woman who had sent a mobile phone text message to her relatives that she was pinned down, but alive. “She was found dead and still clutching her cell phone,” Degamo said, declining to give further details about the victim in deference to her grieving family. AFP
Brazil files suits against Twitter on police traps BRASILIA: The Brazilian government has filed a lawsuit against Twitter and its users in a bid to stop publication of messages alerting drivers to police speed traps and drunkdriving checkpoints. The suit was filed in a federal court in the central-west state of Goias. Brazil has asked for the “immediate suspension of all accounts that give information about the location of police radar,” the office of
the Attorney General of the Union, who defence the state’s interest, said in a statement.
The government also wants “the definitive closure of accounts revealing the date, time and place of police checkpoints,” the
statement said. Several Brazilian states have adopted strict zero-tolerance laws to tackle drunk-driving. Drivers are increasingly using social media sites such as Twitter to alert others to the location of police checkpoints. The attorney general’s office said such a move constituted “a direct blow to human life and security” of Brazil’s citizens. About 55,000 people die in the country
each year in road accidents. News of the lawsuit raged on Twitter, with some applauding the government’s move and others criticizing it, noting that driver tweets also helped others avoid accidents and traffic bottlenecks, CBN radio reported. San Francisco-based Twitter announced last month that it could block tweets on a countryby-country basis if legally required to do so. AFP
GLOBE AT A GLANCE Argentina to complain to UN over Falklands BUENOS AIRES: Argentina’s President Cristina Kirchner on Tuesday slammed Britain for its “militarisation” of their conflict over the Falklands, saying that she would lodge a formal complaint with the United Nations. “We will present a complaint to the Security Council and the UN General Assembly, as it poses a grave danger to international security,” she said.
10 killed in US drone strike in NW Pakistan MIRANSHAH: A US drone attack targeting a militant compound killed 10 insurgents in a troubled Pakistani tribal region on Wednesday, security officials said. Two missiles hit the compound located in Tappi, near the Afghan border. The dead included some foreign militants from Central Asia, said a security officer.
Rubble is removed from a 14storey building that collapsed in Sao Bernardo do Campo in Brazil on Tuesday. AFP
Russian Lower House passes castration Bill RUSSIA: A bill toughening penalties for paedophiles, including life sentences and chemical castration, has been passed by Russia’s Lower House of parliament, the State Duma. Under the Bill, child sexual abusers are not eligible for parole and repeat offenders will face life sentences. The Bill is yet to be approved by the Upper House of the Parliament.
TV anchor is the new president of Maldives MALDIVES: Mohammad Waheed Hassan, who was sworn in the President on Tuesday after Mohamed Nasheed quit following street protests, is an educationist who has served in the UN and is the country’s first TV anchor. He is also the first doctorate in Maldives. He worked in a variety of places, including tutoring young children, says his website.
Left Front party’s candidate for 2012 French presidential election, Jean-Luc Melenchon, waves at the end of a meeting. AFP
17,766.56 144.41
5,381.35 46.20
BSE
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Business
10g= `28,700
1kg= `57,500
GOLD
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Matters of saving and spending
Bharti Airtel Q3 net slides by 22 pc Postnoon News
NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel, India’s top mobile phone operator, said on Wednesday its quarterly profit slid by a bigger-than-expected 22 per cent on an annual basis, hit by interest and tax charges. The company said in a statement that net profit slid to ` 1,010 crore in the three months to December compared with Rs. 1,303 crore in the same period a year earlier. The figures were far below forecasts by analysts who had expected Bharti to post profits of around `1,360 crore. Bharti shares fell more than four per cent to `362.55 after the earnings announcement. Revenue climbed more than 17 per cent to `1,847.70, it said. But Bharti added that performance fell across the board with total costs rising and revenues per user falling. Tax costs leapt 66 per cent in the quarter from a year earlier, while interest on its debt also undermined the results. Bharti’s $10.7-billion debtfunded purchase of the African mobile operations of Kuwait’s Zain and its $3.2-billion acquisition of 3G spectrum to offer faster tele-
Sunil Bharti Mittal, CMD Bharti Airtel Limited
com services have laden the company with high interest payments. The purchase of Zain’s operations in 2010 made Bharti the fifthlargest mobile operator globally with 237 million subscribers across 19 countries, with 173 million customers in India. In a statement, Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman and managing
SBH to adopt students
director, Bharti Airtel Limited, said: “I am pleased that investments in branding and networks continue to be our focus in India, as we enhance customer experience for voice quality and cater to the ever increasing demand for data. These investments are resulting in healthy growth of Mobile revenues.”
`49.06
DOLLAR
POUND WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012 11
Yahoo! shakes up board SAN FRANCISCO: Yahoo! on Tuesday announced a boardroom shakeup to breath fresh life into a pioneering Internet firm that has been struggling to re-invent itself and appease disappointed investors. Yahoo! chairman Roy Bostock announced that he will step down from the board along with three other longtime directors, clearing an old guard from the path of new chief executive Scott Thompson. Yahoo! has been struggling to transform itself from a stalled Internet search engine to a "premier digital media company" since being eclipsed by online powerhouse Google. The boardroom house cleaning comes scant weeks after Jerry Yang, who co-founded Yahoo! nearly 17 years ago and had an ill-fated stint as chief executive, resigned from all of his positions with the California-based firm. Yang, 43, one of the original dotcom billionaires, had been on the boards of Yahoo!, Yahoo! Japan and Alibaba Group
Postnoon News
HYDERABAD: The ninth edition of BioAsia, the annual global biotech business forum, is set to start from February 9, 2012 in the City. More than 250 companies have confirmed their par-
HYDERABAD: State Bank of Hyderabad has launched SBH Vidya to provide assistance for underprivileged, physically or mentally challenged students to meet their educational, medical and personal needs. All the 1,410 branches of SBH will adopt a student each studying between 6th to 10th standard, based on the recommendations by school management committee. The branch will
extend `5,000 for the student during the year ending March 2012 and will continue the support every year till the student completes10th standard. The branch will adopt new students every year under this scheme. State Bank of Hyderabad is launching the scheme throughout the country under corporate social responsibility and has made arrangements at all the branches to implement the scheme for the benefit of poor and needy students.
Holding Ltd. Yang served as chief executive of Yahoo! from June 2007 to January 2009, during which time he and Bostock notably turned down a $47 billion takeover bid from Microsoft, earning the ire of many shareholders. Bostock and Yang have been the targets of stockholder anger as Yahoo!'s stock price sank to about half of what it was when company leaders snubbed Microsoft's generous buyout bid.
ticipation, according to the organisers, Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (FABA). BioAsia 2102 will have participants from 35 countries including Sri Lanka, Korea, Iran, Germany, Belgium, Pennsylvania, among others.
Nigeria business savvy I
Postnoon News
Roy Bostock, Yahoo! chairman
BioAsia to begin tomorrow
Postnoon News
M. Bhagavantha Rao, MD, SBH, is seen handing over the assistance at Govt. Girls High School, Kingsway.
`78.03
ndian system and policy for establishing and running oil manufacturing business is very complicated. There is a lot of redtapism and the start-up ventures may get held up for years together to secure approvals and they never know whether they would get the approvals at all. However, the Nigerian system is business-friendly even though there are a few complications. It has attractive terms and conditions for businesses in terms of royalties paid to the government, according to Syed M. H. Abedi, cofounder, Gulf of Guinea Energy (GOGE). Abedi is a non-resident Indian based out of the UK. He is a serial entrepreneur contributing to the Nigerian oil production industry with the establishment of two oil and gas exploration and production companies. Talking about Nigerian busi-
Syed M. H. Abedi, co-founder GOGE ness environment, he said the money generated through the sale of resources to foreign companies did not boil down to the poor. The ruling class is holding the money and investing in developed countries like the UK and USA. It is very important to run a company with trust and confi-
dence of the local people. GOGE is supporting Irish Christian voluntary group in giving services to the poor people. The group is building up basic industry in Nigeria. Frontier oil, a Nigerian company has 50 per cent share in GOGE. Two Nigerian companies, Frontier oil and Niger delta hold 50 per cent share in the Bonavista Energy. The GOGE has employed 150 people and would start the oil production in the last quarter of the year. It has already found 35tcf of gas and 150mbbl of oil. The company is also looking for a partner to invest around 500 million dollars. Bonavista Energy Ltd, founded in 2010 is applying for concessions and regulations, he said. Abedi holds 50 per cent share in the Zawiyah Associates, a consultancy firm for oil production firms. It employs 16 people and has turnover of GBP 2 million and has net profits of GBP 1 million.
Comment
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
Fair, free and forthright
Editorials WHY HOUSE DRAWS contempt
P
arliament or State legislatures take umbrage when someone makes remarks that puts its dignity under a cloud. However, incidents like those of yesterday when two Karnataka ministers were caught on camera watching porn clips on their mobile phones bolster the case of those who express their contempt for people’s representatives. Considering the fact that a substantial section of all legislatures, Central and State, have criminal cases against them, it is no surprise that there is widespread ill-will against legislature. The Karnataka mantris might have spared further embarrassment to the chief minister but have definitely shamed the entire lawmaker fraternity. The public, has the right to call a spade a spade as they elected these ‘representatives’.
WHY LOVE... Cameron
B
ritish Prime Minister David Cameron has decided to continue the government’s aid to India despite protests from the Conservatives that the South Asian economic power doesn’t need doles. Cameron has correctly said that the British aid is not to the Indian government but is directed at funding activities that would help alleviate the sufferings of millions of Indians who are not beneficiaries of India’s economic growth. Good news for India, former colony and currently Commonwealth member, at a time when the Queen is celebrating 60 years of coronation.
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We are not a nation of human guinea pigs Fusillade Arun Koshy Philip
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n a country of 120 crore people, where lakhs are born and almost the same number die every day, life comes pretty cheap — as shown by the unabashed continual of human drug trials sans conformation to ethical norms. The recent expose by Lancet on unethical human trials that took place in a Madhya Pradesh government hospital shows the extent to which pharma companies have been able to sabotage the very system that should ensure good practices. For pharma companies who want to conduct human trials, India offers several advantages such as low operational costs, large number of high-end private hospitals, English-speaking doctors and technicians and most importantly — a massive supply of diverse, impoverished people who can be used as human guinea pigs. Getting information on medical records itself is difficult and involves a maze of rules, procedures and not the least, miles of red tape. Well… there is more bad news. Only a small segment of the human trials take place in government hospitals, the rest take place in private clinics — which are not obliged to provide any information under the Right to Information Act. Figures provided by the Lancet speak for themselves — up from about 50 human trials cleared in 2003, there have been 1,852 projects registered with the Clinical Trial Registry India (CTRI) in mid-2011. Ironically, this registry was set up only in 2007. An even more shocking aspect is that the Madhya Pradesh government had banned all human drug trials in the State as recently as 2010 and the ban is still in force. The aberration that has been exposed in Madhya Pradesh is just the tip of the iceberg. Drug companies of repute, both national and international, use clinical research organisations (CROs) to do the dirty work for them. The CROs, in turn, use services of dubious characters as agents to
Powerful women
Faces of our city
I had seen the Iron Lady movie and was impressed with Meryl Streep’s acting in the movie — commendable really. And today when I saw the story on powerful women, I was more than happy to read about them. Much as I would agree with all, I don’t think that Queen Victoria is really the deserving one. It was not like she made any great reforms to England during her times — she was more driven by a royal family history. Having said that, it was informative and interesting. Please do come up with more such lists — it’s an economical way to improve my world knowledge! Madhurima Vinayak Old Bowenpally
I’m glad that Faces of Hyderabad is back. Columns like these give us a much-needed insight into the people that the media tends to ignore. Like Bangari the housemaid, there are those all across the city who struggle to eke out a living. That does not make them any less important to a city’s journey. As a matter of fact, these are the people who inspire us more than the designer-sporting big shots. Kudos on representing the true faces of Hyderabad. Sadiq Rahman Mehdipatnam
Shocking Statistics Human trials 73 Subjects 3,300 Number of children/minors among subjects 1,833 Adverse effects 81 (18 children) Deaths Unconfirmed by govt as related to trials Compensation to affected Nil Indicted doctors 12 Fine on doctors `5000 each Pharma pay cheque to doctors `5.1 crore recruit the subjects (read victims). Informed consent, which is mandatory, remains a farce as the subjects are usually illiterate or barely-literate and cannot read the elaborate forms (usually in English) that they sign. They are also equally unaware of the nature of the drug that is going to be tested on them and the possible side effects.
TALK BACK Readers’ views We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 4067 2222
And even when the side effects surface at a later point of time, these people rarely have the means to get treatment or a collective mechanism to seek compensation. The most preferred human guinea pigs are tribals, most of whom are neither organised nor literate. “The CRO industry generated $485 million in revenue in 2010—11 and has been growing about 12 per each year. The number of CROs grew from a handful before 2005 to more than 150 today. However, there is no government registry for CROs in India,” points out another reference in the Lancet report. The worst part about the whole human drug trial episode is that the doctors, who have sworn to protect life and uphold medical ethics, are the facilitators for these unethical practices. It has been only been seven decades since the notorious human experiments of Nazi doctors on inmates of concentration camps. We might be a democracy, but with laxity on regulations, we swing dangerously close.
IAS officials target CBI
Failed murder bid
Mr K Narayana must be condemned for his utterances against Ms Y Srilakshmi unequivocally and in fact be hauled up for misconduct in public in an appropriate court. He should know that she has better brains than him and that is what counts for being an administrator. While it is true that corruption is institutionalised by Administrators , there is every chance that you will find more honest people in the lot coming out of All India Services than local recruits, who progress in their careers through Political support. The local recruits are more vulnerable to pressures and temptations that come their way. Prahlad Reddy Ameerpet
I read your crime story about how the woman and her lover were caught trying to kill her husband. I felt more sad than angry because it clearly isn’t anyone’s fault. The family became a victim of circumstances. The husband did not get the help he needed and so he resorted to violence and alcohol and the wife fed up because of this, left him. I hope the trial isn’t long and enduring as it may further affect the children. The story did not mention anything about the kids. Are they ok? Ratika K Adarsh Nagar
H‑Factor
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
Holistic view of mind, body and soul
SWEAT IT OUT Ranjani Rajendra ranjani.r@postnoon.com
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hat’s our first reaction when someone who’s been sweating gets onto the bus or train compartment? Move away from them and cover our noses to guard against body odour. Typical isn’t it? But did you know that sweating is actually a good thing? It flushes out toxins from your body, regulates the body temperature, gives you radiant looking skin and improves your overall health. Surprised? Don’t be. If you’re thinking sweat invariably spells body odour then it couldn’t be further from the truth. While sweating doesn’t cause any odour whatsoever, it is the bacteria trapped in the body hair (for instance in the underarms) that cause the odour. So instead of loading up on all those antiperspirants you might want to consider stocking up on some hair removal creams to eradicate the odour and deodorants to mask any remaining odour.
Sweat is good “The more you sweat the more toxins your body is flushing out, leaving you with a healthier body and skin,” says Dr Shahina Shafiq, dermatologist at Max Polyclinic. “It also helps regulate the body temperature. It’s a great way to detox your pores for better looking skin. It is a normal phenomenon and there is no need to stress over it,” she adds. In a way it is strange that one would dismiss sweating as disgusting. Almost all gyms and spas offer sauna sessions that people pay big money to use in order to
detox, clear their skin and of course lose a few kilos. But when it comes to working up a sweat they turn up their noses. After all the more you sweat, the more calories you’ve burnt — which a good thing. “Sweating is also a great way to maintain the electrolyte balance in the body. You may find that you sweat more in the summers, when you’re stressed, have health conditions like thyroid, have been exercising or due to neurological problems which manifest as sweaty palms or feet. People also assume that sweat gives rise to rashes. It might aggravate existing skin conditions like eczema or prickly heat because these conditions block the skin pores,” says Dr Radha Shah, dermatologist at Apollo Hospital.
Banish the odour While sweating is a healthy phenomenon we don’t advocate going around with sweaty armpits or a foul body odour. For starters, you could maintain good personal hygiene by keeping your armpits hair-free. “Choose sprays that do no have antiperspirants as these inhibit sweating,” says Dr Shahina. Cream-based products can block your pores, creating complications like break outs. So try to use water-based \products. “Deodorant sticks or roll-ons are better options when it comes to masking body odour. Bathing twice daily and using talcum powders can also help,” says Dr Radha. So the next time you’ve worked up a good sweat, don’t fret. You’re just going to be left with a glowing complexion and a slightly lower body weight. Oh and do remember to drink around 8-10 glasses of water everyday to keep your body hydrated.
Working up a good sweat can work in your favour — not of the stinky type though
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Hypertension can affect the heart
Dr Sunil Kapoor
What is Hypertension? High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a serious condition that can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and other health problems. “Blood pressure” is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood. If this pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage the body in many ways. Blood pressure numbers include systolic and diastolic pressures. Systolic blood pressure is the pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood. Diastolic blood pressure is the pressure when the heart is at rest between beats. All blood pressure levels above 120/80 mmHg increase your risk for the health problems related to HBP. A blood pressure level of 140/90 mmHg or higher is considered HBP for most adults. If you have diabetes or chronic kidney disease, a blood pressure of 130/80 mmHg or higher is considered HBP. Blood pressure tends to rise with age. Certain medical problems and medicines may cause blood pressure to rise. In some women, blood pressure can go up if they use birth control pills, become pregnant, or take hormone replacement therapy. Children younger than 10 years who have HBP often have another condition that’s causing it (such as kidney disease). Treating the underlying condition may resolve HBP. What are the symptoms? HBP itself usually has no symptoms. Rarely, headaches may occur. Some people only learn that they have HBP after it causes health problems, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, or kidney failure. Your doctor will diagnose HBP using the results of a blood pressure test. This test is easy and painless. It may be done several times to make sure the results are correct.
(The writer is a senior consultant cardiologist at Care Hospitals, Hyderabad)
H‑Factor
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
Holistic view of mind, body and soul
BANISH CLOTS WITH A STENT tomatic bleeding in or around the brain in 61 percent of patients. Its use also led to better survival three months after a stroke. There was a 17.2 per cent mortality rate with the new device, compared to the older 38.2 per cent. These findings were presented on February 3 by Saver at the American Stroke Association’s 2012 international conference in New Orleans.
Named SOLITAIRE, it has a self-expanding, stent-like design and, once inserted into a clot using a thin catheter tube, it compresses and traps the clot. The clot is then removed by withdrawing the device, thus reopening the blocked blood vessel. “This new device heralds a new era in acute stroke care,” said lead study author Jeffrey L Saver, professor of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles. “We are going from our first generation of clot-removing procedures, which were only moderately good in reopening target arteries, to now having a highly effective tool. This really is a game-changing result,” added Saver, according to a university statement. The standard Food and Drug Administration-approved mechanical device — a corkscrew-type clot remover — is called the MERCI Retriever. About 87 per cent of all strokes are caused by clots blocking a blood vessel supplying the brain. In the first US clinical trial, SOLITAIRE opened blocked vessels without causing symp-
Smoking may erode your problem solving capacity LONDON: Smoking may be a risk factor for dementia among the elderly that erodes their problemsolving capacity and self-control and makes them see things which are not there. Severine Sabia, University College London and colleagues based their findings on the Whitehall II cohort study, involving British Civil Service employees. They examined the link between smoking and cognitive decline in the transition from midlife to old age. They obtained data from 5,099 men and 2,137 women with average age of 56 years at the first cognitive assessment, the Archives of General Psychiatry reports. The authors note their analysis presents four key findings. They suggest smoking in men is tied to more rapid cognitive decline and that men who continued to smoke over the follow-up experienced greater decline in all cognitive tests, according to a University College statement. Men who quit smoking in the 10 years preceding the first cognitive measure were still at risk of greater cognitive decline, especially in executive function (an umbrella term for various complex cognitive processes involved in achieving a particular goal). However, long-term ex-smokers did not show faster cognitive decline. “Finally, our results show that the association between smoking and cognition, particularly at older ages, is likely to be underestimated owing to higher risk of death and dropout among smokers,” the authors comment.
WASHINGTON: An experimental stent-like device removed blood clots in stroke patients more effectively than standard mechanical treatment, a study reveals.
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Stay fit, stay sharp N
o matter how hard you’ve been trying to wrap up that all-important presentation or study for an upcoming exam, you just can’t seem to put your mind to it. You’re constantly distracted even though you are locked up in your room with no disturbance. This lack of concentration is driving you up the wall. Read on for tips to improve your ability to focus. n Stop multi-tasking: You’ll find that focussing on a task is always much easier when you’re not trying to do 10 other things at the same time.
GREY MATTERS Learn to prioritise and tackle tasks one at a time. If you’re mind is on other things you will be distracted. n Control your thoughts: Clutter never helps, not even if it’s in the mind. Rid your mind of other issues that might not require your immediate attention. For instance, if you’re going to be day dreaming about an upcoming date, it is not going to help you deal with professional/academic matters. n Practice is the key: The more you practice focussing on the ‘important’ task, the easier it will get for you to concentrate each time you sit down to work on something. There
are certain exercises that you can try to improve concentration. n Meditate: When you meditate you automatically improve your concentration, simply because during meditation you rid your mind of other distractions and focus on your breathing. It’s quite an effective tool. n Take a break: If you’ve been working non-stop for over 12 hours or so, it is but natural that your mind refuses to focus. Take break, do some breathing exercises, talk to a friend, listen to some of your favourite music and then get back refreshed. Or if taking a break is not possible then just switch to doing some other task before you get back to what you were doing earlier. SOURCE: www.lifehack.org
Cinema Paradiso
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
Hemanth Kumar Hemanth.k@postnoon.com
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Michael R Roskam’s Bullhead (Rundskop), a Belgian film in contention for Best Foreign Film at Oscars, is a brutal film with a splendid performance from Matthias Schoenarts ROAD TO OSCARS
G N I D T RA E
MOVIE OF THE WEEK
IN THE SAFE HOUSE
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scar winner Denzel Washington (R) and Ryan Reynolds star in the actionthriller Safe House. Washington plays the most dangerous renegade from the CIA, who comes back onto the grid after a decade on the run. When the South African safe house he's remanded to is attacked by mer-
sidering that Michael R Roskam pitches his story right in the centre of hormone mafia. The analogy that Micheal draws between lives of cattle and Jacky is obvious. His loneliness is all the more so due to his continuous dependence on growth hormone doses. It is a scary depiction of one man’s inner conflict to move on with his life. Among other actors, Jeroen Perceval (Diederik) stands out. His character demands him to repent for Jacky’s fate and carry the burden in his heart until the very end. Although, the film is a crime drama, most part of the film revolves around Jacky Vanmarsenille’s emotional insecurity. Matthias Schoenarts shows great vulnerability and frustration while portraying his role as Jacky. It is quite hard not to empathise with him and he delivers a knock-out performance as a man struggling with his masculinity and running away from his past. Kudos to Michael R Roskam for writing such a brilliant character. In almost every scene, Michael makes sure that the characters portray emotional baggage of their past. It does make the film bleak and even when the lives of Jacky and Diederik spiral down a rabbit’s hole, Michael is in complete control of what he is trying to convey: That crap happens in our lives and there’s nothing much we can do about it. Bullhead is a remarkable film and it’s unlikely that you’ll forget Matthias Schoenarts panting for breath long after watching it. Two thumbs up.
cenaries, a rookie operative (Reynolds) escapes with him. Now, the unlikely allies Movie: Safe House must stay alive Director: Daniel Espinosa long enough to Cast: Denzel Washington, Ryan uncover who Reynolds, Robert Patrick wants them dead. Watch this adventure-action thriller to know more.
MA
AR
ullhead (Rundskop) is a film about loss of innocence and one man’s struggle to come to terms with a tragedy. Directed by Michael R Roskam, Bullhead is a brutal film filled with cattle, hormones and a stunning performance by Matthias Schoenarts. The fact that the actor had put on 60lb for his role is proof enough of the transformation he had gone through to step into the shoes of his character Jacky Vanmarsenille. Some scars never heal, no matter what happens in your life. As a voice-over enlightens, ‘Sometimes things happen in life that turn everyone silent, but out of the blue it is all back. Whatever you do, and whatever you think, one thing you can be sure of: you are always f*****.’ Terrible things happen in the film right from the beginning. A mafia gang kills a federal police officer investigating illegal usage of growth hormones on cattle. Jacky Vanmarsenille and his uncle end up discussing a business proposal with this mafia gang. On the other hand, Jacky has to confront his dark past when he meets his childhood friend Diederik before all hell breaks loose. The first thing that strikes you in the film is Jacky having to inject hormones and pop in pills to keep his testosterone levels stable. It is a striking visual con-
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F‑Folio
Because you are what you wear
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
RIGHT, NOT BRIGHT
More often than not, when there is an overwhelming desire to get a makeover, the hair becomes the first target. Whether you decide not to age gracefully anymore, or are just seeking a change, here are a few tips on hair colouring men should keep in mind
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Postnoon News
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his is one topic no man will want to go public with. Battling with hair issues is usually presumed as a sign of old age and the first thing used to cover ageing, or grey hair is colouring. Market research has stated that every third hair colouring kit is sold directly to a man. Men have several hair colouring choices. They can hide the first grey hair, can spruce up their natural hair colour or try out a different shade. But many do not understand the importance of getting it right, be they old ageing men or young boys looking for a style change. Ali Hirani is a hair stylist with Ashton Pierra Salon in Hyderabad. He advises, “For the older men who have complete grey hair, it makes perfect sense to go for a 50 per cent natural colour. The salt and pepper look is always better than going for complete colouring.” Going for complete colouring is indicative of insecurity. Altering from what is natural, to an acceptable extent is cool but not when overdone! While going in for any hair colour, men with grey hair should insist on getting a patch test done. Hairstylists know better where to do, and how to do a colour test, so even if it does not look good, it is not visible. One shade darker or lighter is fine, but for those who think going back to black is a sure-shot way to being young again, mark our words — you are only scaring away the already scarcely available prospects! Asang Imsong is a senior hairstylist with Juice Salon in the city. She tells us, “There are some colours that give a natural shine when used on grey hair, and some of those are visibly unreal. Salons are the best place to find out what looks good on a particular type of hair. Youngsters today go for shocking colours, or highlight sections of the hair with blonde or other funky colours. It does look good on them, but for men with grey hair, it requires more observation and thought before going for colouring.” Grey hair is coarser than normal hair. And the way it takes colour varies from individual to individual. And obviously, coloured hair requires more care than usual. Colour protection shampoos may be available over the counter, but it is best to seek advice from hair stylists as the quality of products sold over the counter vary drastically from the ones that experts recommend. So go for hair colour by all means, but remember to keep it natural.
Spotlight
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
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PIC: N SHIVA KUMAR
The Nizam’s choice
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Shubi
Shalini
Beena & Namitha
he Chowmahalla Palace on Tuesday was the venue for a celebration of a different kind. The occasion was the celebration of the centenary of the sixth Nizam’s Rolls Royce Silver Ghost car. Present on the occasion were Princess Esra Jah and her son Azam Jah.
Suman
JUST CHILLIN’ PIC: A.SUDHEER REDDY
Princess Esra Jah and her son Azam Jah
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he women in the City sure know how to live it up. On Tuesday, the Elite Divas Club organised a party at the Hard Rock cafe.
Rekha Malpani
A bridal affair PIC: A.SUDHEER REDDY
JUGALBANDI TIME
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isitors at a wedding exhibitioncum-sale, organised by Parinaya, at the Satyasai Nigamagamam, Srinagar Colony. Actress Esha inaugurated the exhibition. The sale will be on till tomorrow.
RHN events release a poster at the Somajiguda Press Club on Tuesday regarding ‘Remember Shakti " The Energy " live concert’ to be held at the Chowmahalla Palace on February 10 at 8pm. Seen in the picture are (L-R) : Shalini, Chandra Shekhar, PIC: A.SUDHEER REDDY Reshma Hussain and Mukesh Agrawal.
Magic Screen
A still from Ishq. Hemanth Kumar hemanth.k@postnoon.com
T
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
The glamour behind the glitz
he concept of two music directors working in tandem is a passé in South Indian cinema. In the past, apart from Viswanthan-Ramamurthy and Raj-Koti, there were very few instances where two musicians have collaborated to compose music, although the trend is still going strong in Bollywood. The moment you mention this, Aravind Murali and Jai Shankar, the Chennai-based music director duo brush it off saying, “It’s really no big deal you know. What really matters is that we are always in sync with each other.” They recently composed a couple of songs — Edho Edho and Sutiga Choodaku for the Nithin, Nithya Menen starrer Ishq, which has caught the attention of music aficionados. Aravind graduated with a dual degree in Physics and has a Masters in Management Science from BITS-Pilani back in 1997 and through some friends he met Jai Shankar, who was about to complete a degree in Statistics from Madras Christian College. Soon they began composing jingles for several leading brands in Chennai and of late they have been working with ad agencies like JWT and McCann Erickson. So are there any specific rules between themselves? “Oh no! There are no set rules as to what we should be doing while working together. We help each other out in composing music, programming or even networking with people in the industry,” Jai Shankar says. Ishq, directed by Vikram K Kumar, is the first Telugu project in their 15-year-old career; however, most of us have already heard one of most famous jingle the duo had composed recently — Whistle
We want to create timeless music Aravind-Shankar, the music director duo, talk about composing music for jingles and their Tollywood debut film Ishq
Aravind Murali & Jai Shankar
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Whistle podu — anthem for Chennai Super Kings. Podu for Chennai Super Kings. “The funny thing is, everyone would have listened to Whistle Podu without knowing who composed it,” Aravind Murali quips. This isn’t the first time the duo has collaborated with Vikram Kumar. Back in 1997, they had composed music for Vikram’s short film Silent Scream, which went on to win a National Award. So far they have only worked on four films. Why is that? “In 2001, we composed music for Lenin’s Ooruku Nooruper, which even won a couple of National Awards. In 2002, we had composed a song Yamini Yamini, for a film titled Hey! Nee Romba Azhaga Irukke, which was a rage in those days. People in Chennai still remember the song, but the film didn’t click at the box-office. None of the films we had composed music for clicked, although people liked our songs and in the process we deviated from our main track of composing jingles. So, we decided to only compose music for films that excite us,” Aravind replies. If the first look of Ishq is anything to go by, it looks like their decision to be choosy about their projects will reap rich dividends. “Everyone is talking about how good the film looks. We saw the rushes recently and it’s going to be splendid,” Jai Shankar adds. Both the songs the duo had composed in Ishq have stood out in terms of melody. Ask them about what sort of music they love composing and pat comes the reply, “In Ishq, we have tried to compose music, which doesn’t necessarily follow the current trend. We want to compose timeless music and we would love to work with directors who are looking for something beyond what contemporary music directors are doing.”
Magic Screen
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
The glamour behind the glitz
Deepika Padukone joins Kochadaiyaan cast
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T-TOWN TWEETIES
@shrutihaasan
D
eepika Padukone has pipped Katrina Kaif to play the lead role in Rajinikanth’s upcoming film Kochadaiyaan. Last year, Deepika was supposed to play the lead role in KS Ravikumar’s Rana; however, the film was postponed indefinitely due to Rajinikanth’s sudden illness. Ever since the news broke out about Kochadaiyaan, several big actors like Vidya Balan and Asin were approached for the lead role opposite Rajinikanth and in fact Katrina Kaif was touted to be the frontrunner for this role. However, Soundarya R Ashwin, the director of the film, has confirmed that Deepika Padukone will play the lead role. “Guys. Deepika Padukone confirmed to play appas pair in Kochadaiyaan :) great to have you back with us Deepika Padukone:):) big hug!” (sic) Soundarya confirmed the news on Twitter. AR Rahman is composing the music and KS Ravikumar has penned the story. Kochadaiyaan is touted to be India’s first performance capture photorealistic film and a technical team from Los Angeles and UK is going to work on the film.
Good morning tweeps!!early start for moi!heading back to hyderabad for the shoot of gabbar singh :) busy days ahead
@shraddhadas43 Sometimes what you want isn’t always what you get, but in the end what you get is so much better than what you wanted...
@LakshmiManchu Eka Veera platinum disc function was great. Wishing my hero aadhi and the entire team allll the best for the release. #aravaan in Tamil.
S Janaki
hospitalised V
eteran singer S Janaki was hospitalised yesterday in Tirupati after she accidentally slipped in her hotel room’s bathroom. She was in the city for a felicitation ceremony. She was later admitted to SVIMS Hospital in Tirupati. Speaking to the media outside the hospital, her son Murali Krishna said that his mother was recovering well. “Doctors told me that there is nothing to worry. We are hoping that she becomes normal soon,” he told the media. However, there are conflicting reports circulating in a section of the media that preliminary reports indicate that Janaki has a blood clot in her brain and suffered injuries in her spine. The singer, who is 73 now, is one of the most prominent singers in South India and has been singing for more than five decades.
@ramsayz 10days...4days in swiss+6days hyd+5sets+over 200junior artists+over 40dancers 4m bombay,etc...shot in 2000 frames per second = 1song in #EP ;)
@richyricha Running arnd w 7yr old Asmee in the hills,escaping frm villains in Kurnool 4 my #bengalifilm climax.
@sundeepkishan
Brad Pitt’s trainer for Mahesh Babu
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ahesh Babu has a special treat in store for his legion of fans in his upcoming film to be directed by Sukumar. A little bird tells us that for the first time in his career, Mahesh Babu is going topless for one of the scenes in the film. What’s all the more interesting is that the actor has decided to sport a lean and toned look in the film. For this, the makers have reportedly hired Gregory JoujonRoche, who was the personal trainer for Brad Pitt during the making of Fight Club. Greg, who’s being paid a bomb, will work with Mahesh for almost four months to get the superstar in perfect shape before the film’s shooting goes on full throttle. Gopichand, Anil Sunkara and Ram Achanta are producing the film under the 14 Reels Entertainment banner.
Reshot the rafting sequence 2day as the main cam went out f focus the last time... Regina took the risk & did the stunt herself, Bravo Cassu.
@trishtrashers It never ceases to SHOCK me everytime I hear about an animal abuse story. sssssSO ANGRY !!! Uneducated heartless people !!!
@tashu_02 Its surprising to witness rains in winter season but yesss its raining rite now in #kanpur... its a lovely weather here !!
Magic Screen
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
The glamour behind the glitz
Barfee shoot
delayed due to Ileana
I
leana D’Cruz’s food poisoning has caused another delay in the shooting schedule for Barfee. The actress flew home to Hyderabad from the Mumbai-based production in order to recuperate. A source told a national newspaper, “A set was erected, but since she cancelled the last two days of the schedule, it had to be dismantled since we didn’t have further permission at the venue. Once Ileana is fine, she will inform us and we will build it again. Fortunately, it wasn’t a very costly set, so we haven’t been set back by a huge sum.” D’Cruz’s spokesperson confirmed the news saying, “Yes, Ileana has been down with [a] stomach infection, so she had to cancel the shoot for Barfee. In fact, her ill heath has affected other projects too. “She is in Hyderabad right now, but couldn’t shoot for Trivirkam, Allu Arjun’s (Telugu) film on the first day of its shoot.” Barfee, which also stars Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, has been dogged by hold-ups. In May, it was reported that D’Cruz and Chopra had fallen out over the size of their respective roles in the project.
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B-TOWN TWEETIES
@RGVzoomin Knowing that money is the root cause of all evil if people still run after money it proves that people are even more evil than money.
@TheShilpaShetty My simple religion. Thr is no need 4 temples or complicatd philosphy.R own brain nd heart is our temple.The philosphy is kindness. DalaiLama
@rampalarjun Going to bed now repaired my cycle which had been totally ignored,still work to do on it,anyway cycling tom morning early need to rest up.
@reddysameera Hearing about @yuvsingh09 situation, just crazy how life can flip so fast. We take so much for granted running the rat race! Time to wake up!
@imarshadwarsi
I may try my luck with Amy yet again: Prateik
P
rateik is all set to spend his Valentine’s Day with his costar Amy Jackson to promote his forthcoming film Ek Deewana Tha, which will see the young actor in a romantic hero’s role for the first time, and is also planning to try his
luck with his co-star yet again. “I think the only plan that has been given to me is to promote my film. So, I am working but I am lucky, I am working with a pretty girl,” Prateik said and added, “Yes, since we are together on Valentine’s Day, maybe I can try my luck once again.” There has been speculation about Prateik and Amy’s off-screen relationship but the former said, “We are extremely close and fond of each other but we are not in a relationship.” Written and directed by Gautham Menon, the film Ek Deewana Tha is a Hindi remake of the filmmaker’s Tamil movie Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa. The film is scheduled for a February 17 release. The two first met on the sets of Ek Deewana Tha and it was Amy who broke the ice in their first meeting. “My first meeting was awkward. I am a shy guy. I take time to open up. She is so talkative and she broke the ice,” he revealed. IANS
Gd mrng ppl of the wrld... Today we have lots of work to finish in very little time, it’s gonna be a hyperactive day.
Not a perfect mum yet: Kiran
F
ilmmaker Kiran Rao, who became a mother to son Azaad last year in December, says she is not a perfect mother yet but is enjoying motherhood. “I don’t think I am perfect, but I certainly try and it’s such a joy. I think every mother does what is best for her child because it’s such a joy and a daily learning experience. So, I am enjoying it thoroughly. I don’t think I could have asked for more,” the 38-year-old said at the launch of painter Sangeeta Gupta’s exhibition. Kiran made her directorial debut with Dhobi Ghat last year and the film won a lot of critical acclaim. Talking about her professional ventures, Kiran said she is keen to open an art-house cinema where film lovers can enjoy off-beat movies. “It’s a dream of mine. I have always wanted to have a cultural centre where people can sort of have a community of artists and like-minded people sharing their work. Basically, I have always wanted to have an art-house cinema. A cinema where we can show films that are not necessarily the current offerings on circuit and films that are not commercial,” said Kiran. IANS
@SrBachchan T 647 - Spent hours with Vinod Chopra and his new film ‘Ferrari ki Sawaari’ - fresh thought simple rendering, lovable film ...
@iamsrk Getting fever I think...they say its in the air..which sounds kinda wrong...its in me I feel not in the air...Damn!!!
@kjohar25 AGNEEPATH crosses the century mark...EMAET releasing in 3 days and am on the sets of SOTY!!! Life is a treadmill and am loving it!!!!!
Magic Screen
D I S P L A YA
D S RATE ` 150 sq. cm
For Further Details Please Contact Abhinay 9989399972 Nandlal 9951467988 Ravi Chander 8106039919
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
23
Magic Screen
The glamour behind the glitz
Crowe praises Hasselhoff for entertaining ill kids
A
but also made them laugh by running in slow motion, singing and having pictures taken with them. “Being in hospital can be tedious so it was great seeing Hasselhoff putting a smile on kids’ faces and being an inspiration,” said a mother of three-year-old patient Holly Collins. IANS
ctor Russell Crowe has thanked former Baywatch star David Hasselhoff for taking time out of his busy schedule to visit a children’s hospital in Sydney. According to contactmusic.com, Hasselhoff not only danced for the young patients at the Sydney Children’s Hospital
Lagerfeld calls Adele ‘a li0ttle too fat’
K
arl Lagerfeld has labelled Adele “a little too fat”, but praised her voice and “beautiful face” while guest editing a newspaper. When asked for his thoughts about Lana Del Rey, the head of legendary fashion house Chanel said that while he has no problem with the Video Games singer, there are several other female artists he prefers to listen to. “I prefer Adele and Florence Welch [to Del Rey]. But as a modern singer, she is not bad,” Lagerfeld explained to Metro New York during his stint as guest editor of the publication. “The thing at the moment is Adele. She is a little too fat, but she has a beautiful face and a divine voice. Lana del Rey is not bad at all. She looks very much like a moderntime singer. In her photos she is beautiful. Is she a construct with all her implants? She’s not alone with implants.”
Milla Jovovich to host Academy’s Sci-Tech Awards
T
he Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that Resident Evil star Milla Jovovich will light up Oscar’s technical night when she hosts the Scientific and Technical Awards on Saturday on February 11. The event will take place at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and Jovovich will present 10 awards to 30 individual winners that evening. Portions of the Sci-Tech Awards will be included in the broadcast of the 84th Academy Awards on February 26 on ABC. Jovovich is best known for her role as Alice in the long-running
action franchise Resident Evil, but her credits also include The Fifth Element, Stone, Zoolander, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, He Got Game and A Perfect Getaway. She recently appeared in the indie Dirty Girl and in her husband’s reboot of The Three Musketeers. Previous Sci-Tech Awards hosts have included Marisa Tomei, Elizabeth Banks, Jessica Alba, Scarlett Johansson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jennifer Garner, Charlize Theron, Rachel McAdams and Salma Hayek among others.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
24
Magic Screen
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
The glamour behind the glitz
25
Coolidge was inspired by own help for 2 Broke Girls role T
his week, viewers got their second look at Jennifer Coolidge’s Sophie Kerchinsky on 2 Broke Girls. The glamorous Polish house cleaner may seem like an odd personality, but it’s not as out-
J
ohnny Depp has reportedly split from long-time girlfriend Vanessa Paradis as she was “absolutely convinced” the actor had slept with Angelina Jolie. Paradis believes Depp cheated on her with Jolie during the making of The Tourist, and that was what tore their 14-year-relationship apart, reports contactmusic.com. “It’s no coincidence that things began to unravel for Johnny and Vanessa when he started working with Angelina on The Tourist last February,” said a source. “Vanessa was absolutely convinced that Johnny slept with Angelina, and her jealousy and suspicions ended up destroying them. Vanessa was against Johnny working with Angelina in the first place. Angelina drove a wedge between them,” the source added. IANS
Depp, Paradis split because of Jolie
landish and fanciful as one might imagine. Coolidge talked about the character on The Talk, revealing that she was basing her portrayal on her own cleaning lady from her time in New York
recently. Like Sophie, Coolidge’s cleaning lady was a Polish woman who’s glamour and style seemed a sharp contrast to her profession. She had diamonds and always had her hair done and make-up on. The crazy
thing is to think that Coolidge hadn’t said anything about this character to Girls co-creator Michael Patrick King. He came up with the idea of her as a Polish cleaning lady based on a different role she’d done.
Rathbone and partner expecting a baby T
here’s a Twilight baby on the way, and we’re not talking about Edward and Bella’s kid. Twilight Saga actor Jackson Rathbone, 27, and his girlfriend, Sheila Hafsadi, are expecting a baby, the actor’s rep confirmed to Us Weekly. Hafsadi, a burlesque dancer, is five months pregnant, according to Us. The couple reportedly met while Rathbone was touring with his band, 100 Monkeys. This will be the first baby for the actor, who will return to the big screen in the final installment of The Twilight Saga in November.
Chai Time
KAKURO
How to Play Kakuro Kakuro is a popular game similar to sudoku in some ways. But is also suitably different. The key question: “How do you play Kakuro?”, well here are the rules of kakuro. The answer: The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers. However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number. Within each collection of cells - called a run - any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once. Let’s have an example to explain this concept more clearly: In the image above, which shows a section of a kakuro puzzle, you will see the numbers ‘26’ and ‘14’ in the top row. Look at the 14. This means that the total of the three cells underneath must sum to 14. Therefore 9, 4, 1 could be the answer, or perhaps 7, 4, 3 and so on... So, how do you work out the actual combination? Well, this is done through elimination and cross-referencing. For instance, as you work out the answers for other kakuro clues, this will naturally limit the valid combinations, and hence the answer for this particular run. Note the second cell in row two - it contains two numbers, 30 and 11. The 30 refers to the vertical run underneath the number 30 and the 11 refers to the two cells to the right, horizontally, of the number 11.
SCRIBBLING PAD
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa
26
QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 A freelancer may work on it 5 Snack of Spain 9 Accumulate, as a bill 14 Volcanic flow 15 At the center of 16 Growing out 17 Monkeys’ uncles? 18 Hoarfrost 19 Metal to be recycled 20 City southwest of Los Angeles 23 Nursery school item 24 Salesperson, for short 25 Elongated pastry 28 Fireplace fuel 30 Maxim 33 Daily Planet reporter Kent 34 Amateur 35 Song sung singly 36 Slatted seat 39 Greek god of war 40 Different roles, metaphorically 41 Cat’s nine 42 Years in a decade 43 Unflattering revelations 44 Mixer ingredient 45 Component of bronze 46 Desirable soil 47 Dessert choice 54 Perry’s girl Friday 55 Esfahan’s land 56 “___ La Douce” 57 Basketry twig 58 Fix some potholes 59 In the neighborhood 60 Attack in force 61 Tea-leaves reader 62 Exercise establishments DOWN 1 Shut violently 2 One of the Three Bears 3 Neck-and-neck 4 Bank offerings 5 ___ sauce (seafood
condiment) 6 Cordial disposition 7 ___ cotton (fine fabric) 8 Arabian Peninsula port 9 Start a new lawn 10 Open a medicine bottle 11 Pusher buster 12 2002 Winter Games setting 13 Energy 21 Equally 22 Bucolic babbler 25 Acclamation 26 Publisher Boothe Luce 27 Burdened 28 Earp of the Old West 29 Grampuses 30 White table wine 31 Man from Mars 32 Bottom-of-the-barrel
34 Bunny slope lift 35 Doing a certain dance move 37 Major European river 38 Defibrillator operator’s call 43 Remove weaponry from 44 Where Hollywood meets Vine? 45 Tenth U.S. president 46 Service break? 47 Met basso 48 A little of this, a little of that 49 Bites, like a puppy 50 Dundee hill-
SUDOKU
side 51 Zebras, to lions 52 Islamic leader 53 Prominent features for Spock 54 Two, in Cancun PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
THOUGHT OF THE DAY When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become president. Now I’m beginning to believe it. – Clarence Darrow
Chai Time STAR POWER
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot
Date 9-2-2012
THIRUVAIKUMAR
As per Hindu panchang
thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9177596118
TAURUS
GEMINI
You will be successful in all tasks under‑ taken with a determination. Bright chan‑ ce to buy a house or vehicle of your ch‑ oice. Expected money will come. Kids will be happy as you fulfill their wishes.
New plans will get successfully imple‑ mented. Friendship of VIPs on the cards. You will get ancestral property. Family members will show more affec‑ tion. You will buy household items.
Planetary positions suitable to complete the work undertaken without hurdles. Jobs held up will resume and end without any further problems. Home will be in a happy atmo‑ sphere as good events to take place.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Help from VIP friends make work get com‑ pleted. You will discuss regarding future plans with children and spouse and take decisions accordingly. Friends and relatives help you in completing responsibilities.
Your name and fame are set to increase. In‑ troduction to VIPs likely. Some will pay ad‑ vance to purchase new assets. Women will purchase jewels of different design. House expansion with minor renovation possible.
You will support and help children devel‑ op artistic skills. Send them for training courses and make them happy. Employ‑ ees will get support of superiors though there were lot of sabotage actions earlier.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Enemies too become friends. House plan will get approval. Children will make you proud. Written off dues will get collect‑ ed. Real‑estate deals will bring gains. Avoid giving guarantee for anyone.
Your bold decisions will yield desired resu‑ lts. VIPs will be of great help. You will ful‑ fill wishes of spouse and kids. Kids will re‑ alise their opportunity and act wisely. Fri‑ ends and relatives from abroad will help.
Your long‑term wishes get fulfilled. Persons with powerful position will get introduced, which will be benefi‑ cial in future. You will start construc‑ tion of your own house.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
You will act shrewdly to get work compl‑ eted. You will change residence to a new house or a rented one. Chances of minor issues appear at home but will be resol‑ ved soon. Dues may not get collected.
You will be bold enough to meet any ty‑ pe of problem. Before taking major dec‑ isions, consult family members and well wishers. Sudden journey or wanderings likely. Businessmen will add customers.
Work will get completed in stipulated time and as per plan. Friendship with rul‑ ing politicians likely. New responsibilities will be entrusted to you. Children will show remarkable progress in studies.
SUMAA TEKUR
tarotreadhyd@gmail.com
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
Eight of Swords – You may not be sleeping very well. Are you anxious or depressed? Find out the cause and work towards reme‑ dying it.
Page of Wands – Th‑ ere is a creative stre‑ ak in you, which ne‑ eds to find the right outlet. Try experime‑ nting unfamiliar art forms to allow your creativity to blossom.
Five of Pentacles – Some form of loss is indicated. There is no avoiding this. The best way to deal with it is to accept it fully and move on.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
The Star – There are clouds of confusion around you, but there is also a ray of hope. You need to find the strength to identify the silver lining.
Six of Cups – Mem‑ ories from the rece‑ nt past are demand‑ ing your attention. Avoid getting too emotional about wh‑ at you cannot chan‑ ge. Take it lightly.
Ace of Wands – Youʼre at your cre‑ ative best. Good ideas come to you from as if out of the blue. Think of ways to use these ideas well.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Five of Cups – Some form of loss is indi‑ cated. Do not cry over spilt milk. Whatʼs over is over. Move on with whatʼs left and look ahead positively.
Page of Pentacles – Ensure that youʼre doing enough to lea‑ rn along the way. Ap‑ proaching any situa‑ tion with the attitude that you know it all is going to harm you.
Knight of Pentacles – Youʼre determined a‑ nd focused. But donʼt stress yourself out so much that you lose sight of your goal itself. Watch your diet. Donʼt stress‑eat.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Six of Swords – An overseas trip is in the offing. You may be attending a confer‑ ence overseas, where youʼll meet interest‑ ing people. A roman‑ ce may also work.
The Magician – Use your intuition to get things done. Your solu‑ tions may not be for‑ mulaic but they get you where you want to be. Trust carefully.
Page of Swords – Yo‑ uʼre young, adventu‑ rous and have that st‑ reak of doing the new. There is a strong intellectual side that is holding you from being too impulsive.
For Better or for Worse Stone soup
SOLUTIONS
Boggle WOLF LION GOAT MULE MOLE PUMA
Number game
Suduko
Scrabble
Ink pen
COMICS
Fred Basset
ARIES
TAROT READ
27
Vol: 1, No. 206 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No. 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad–500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad–500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-40672222, Fax: 040-40672211
Chai Time 1400 Naadi Aadajanme 1430 Pavitra 1500 Movie 1800 Sri Shanidevuni Mahimalu 1830 Vasantha Kokila 1900 Chinnari Pelli Kuturu 1930 Anna Chellelu 2000 Missamma 2030 Edureetha 2100 Challenge 2200 CID 2300 Challenge 0700 Silver Screen 0730 Just For Fun 0800 Ayurvedam 0830 Chaganti Arunachala Mahatyam 0900 Bhale Chancele
1400 Kannavaari Kalalu 1430 Maavichiguru 1500 Sumangali 1530 Movie 1800 Jai Shri Krishna 1830 Shraavani Subramaniam 1900 Mandhara 1930 Auto Bharthi 2000 No. 23, Mahalakshmi Nivasam 2030 Mogali Rekulu 2100 Aparanji 2130 Devatha 2200 Mamathala Kovela 2230 Anveshana 2300 Gemini Vaarthalu 0800 Gemini Talkies 0830 Movie 1130 Aha Emi Ruchi 1200 Jeevitha Chakram 1230 Maa Inti Aada Paduchu 1300 Chittemmaa 1330 Gorintaku
1400 [V] Vignettes 1430 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1500 [V] Humse Hai Life 1530 [V] Trailers 1600 Love Kiya To Darna Kya 1700 [V] Zabardast Hits 1800 [V] Fresh Songs 1830 [V] Humse Hai Life 1900 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1930 [V] Humse Hai Life 2000 [V] My Big Decision 2100 [V] Vignettes 2130 [V] Trailers 2200 [V] Steal Ur Girlfriend 2300 [V] Humse Hai Life 2330 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 0700 [V] Trailers 0730 [V] Zabardast Hits 0800 [V] Mind Blasting Mornings 1100 [V] Fresh Songs 1200 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance
‘[V] Humse Hai Life’ at 1930 Hrs on CHANNEL [V]
1300 News Now At1 1330 News Now 1800 6 Pm 1830 Live Report 1900 Primetime 1930 The Game 2000 News Now At 8 2030 Live Report 2100 The Newshour 2200 The Newshour - Plus 2230 E Now 2300 News Now At 11 0800 The Morning News 0900 News Now 1200 Live Report 1230 News Now
‘The Game’ at 1930 Hrs only on TIMES NOW
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
Telly sitcoms, news and movie listings
1400 Abhishekam 1430 Aadade Aadharam 1500 Antahpuram 1530 Aakasa Ganga 1600 Prema Mandiram 1630 Jagadeeswari 1700 Wow 1800 Devimahathyam 1830 Puttadi Bomma 1900 Kumkuma Rekha 1930 Manasu Mamata 2000 Chandra Mukhi 2030 Bharyamani 2100 Etv News 2130 Adurs 2245 Movie 0800 Subhamastu 0830 Jeevana Jyothi 0900 Movie 1130 Abhiruchi 1230 Star Mahila
1400 Ardhangi 1430 Movie 1800 Veera Naari Jhansi Laxmi Bhai 1830 Kalavari Kodallu 1900 Chinna Kodalu 1930 Pasupukunkuma 2000 Muddu Bidda 2030 Radha Kalyanam 2100 Kanyadanam 2130 Luckku Kickku 2230 Shree 2300 Bindas 2330 Latest Songs 0800 Gopuram 0830 Bhakti Samacharam 0900 Sri Raghavendra Vybhavam 0930 Ayurveda Jeevana Vignanam 1000 Bindass 1200 Mee Inti Vanta
‘Business Tonight’ at 2100 Hrs only on ET NOW 1400 The F And O Show 1430 Closing Trades 1530 Tomorrow's Trades 1600 Business Day 1730 Markets Tomorrow 1800 Rush Hour 1830 Brand Equity Special 1900 Global Business Report 1930 Business Express 2000 Business First 2030 Markets Tomorrow 2100 Business Tonight 2200 Top 10 At10 2230 Leaders Of Tomorrow 2300 Starting Up 0900 First Trades 1000 Hot Stocks 1100 Buy Now Sell Now - The Stock Game 1130 Buy Now Sell Now 1200 Market Sense 1300 Business Day 1330 Markets Now
1250 Movie - Timeline 1510 Breaking The Magician's Code - Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed 1605 The Real Housewives Of New York City 1700 Got To Dance 1800 Guinness World Records Smashed 1900 Wipeout 2000 The Challenger Muaythai 2100 Minute To Win It 2200 Fear Factor 2300 Guinness World Records Smashed 0900 Sky Teleshopping 0930 Criss Angel Mindfreak 1000 The Challenger Muaythai 1100 Minute To Win It 1200 Got To Dance
‘Timeline’ at 1250 Hrs on AXN
1400 Haar Jeet 1500 Baba Aiso Var Dhoondo 1600 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 1700 Saware Sabke Sapne Preeto 1730 Haar Jeet 1800 Beendh Banunga Ghodi Chadhunga 1830 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 1900 Haar Jeet 1930 Gyaan Guru 2000 Dwarkadheesh - Bhagwan Shri Krishna 2030 Saware Sabke Sapne Preeto 2100 Beendh Banunga Ghodi Chadhunga 2130 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 2200 Baba Aiso Var Dhoondo 2230 Haar Jeet 2300 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb
‘Phulwa’ at 2100 Hrs on COLORS
‘Afsar Bitiya’ at 1900 Hrs on ZEE TV 1400 Hitler Didi 1430 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 1500 Afsar Bitiya 1530 Yahaaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 1600 Pavitra Rishta 1630 Dance India Dance 1800 Hitler Didi 1830 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 1900 Afsar Bitiya 1930 Choti Bahu 2 2000 Hitler Didi 2030 Yahaaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 2100 Pavitra Rishta 2130 Ram Milayi Jodi 2200 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 2230 Bhagonwali 2300 Afsar Bitiya
1400 Saas Bina Sasuraal 1430 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 1500 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 1530 Kyaa Hua Tera Vaada 1600 CID 1800 Saas Bina Sasuraal 1830 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 1900 Crime Patrol - Dastak 2000 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 2030 Dekha Ek Khwaab 2100 Saas Bina Sasural 2130 Parvarrish - Kuchh Khatti Kuchh Meethi 2200 Kyaa Hua Tera Vaada 2230 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 2300 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 2330 Crime Patrol - Dastak 0900 Adaalat 1000 CID 1200 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 1230 Dekha Ek Khwaab
‘Parvarrish’ at 2130 Hrs on SONY
‘I P K K N D’ at 2000 Hrs on STAR PLUS 1400 Sapnon Se Bharey Naina 1500 Navya 1530 Diya Aur Bati Hum 1600 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behnaa Hai 1630 Sasuraal Genda Phool 1700 Saath Nibhaana Saathiya 1730 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 1800 Mann Ki Awaaz… Pratigya 1830 Ruk Jana Nahin 1900 Saath Nibhaana Saathiya 1930 Sasuraal Genda Phool 2000 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 2030 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behnaa Hai 2100 Diya Aur Bati Hum 2130 Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai 2200 Navya 2230 Mann Ki Awaaz… Pratigya 2300 Maryaada ... Lekin Kab Tak?
MOVIES OF THE DAY AND OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
1344 The Invasion 1535 Swordfish 1730 The Cave 1925 Tactical Force 2100 The Lord Of The Rings - The Return Of The King 0813 Friends 0843 Fire Down Below 1039 Sphere 1309 Dumb And Dumber
1345 The Blind Side 1630 Cop Out 1845 Baseketball 2100 Kick-Ass 2325 Enter The Dragon 0835 Dear God 1105 Kick-Ass 1330 Baseketball
1400 Outsourced 1430 Scrubs 1500 In Plain Sight 1600 Parenthood 1700 Outsourced 1730 Scrubs 1800 E News 1900 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 2000 Outsourced 2030 America's Funniest Home Videos 2100 In Plain Sight 2200 Parenthood 2300 Outsourced 2330 Scrubs 0800 In Plain Sight 0900 Parenthood 1000 Outsourced 1030 America's Funniest Home Videos 1100 In Plain Sight 1200 Parenthood
‘One Man Army’ at 2200 Hrs on DISCOVERY 1400 Time Warp 1600 Swords 1700 Man Woman Wild 1800 Wild Discovery 1900 Man Woman Wild 2000 Belly Of The Beast 2100 Equator 2200 One Man Army 2300 The Survivors 1000 Belly Of The Beast 1100 Man Woman Wild 1200 Get Out Alive 1300 Wild Discovery
‘Baba Aisa Varr Dhoondo’ at 2200 Hrs on IMAGINE
1400 Parichay 1430 Balika Vadhu 1500 Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha 1530 Uttaran 1600 Phulwa 1630 Parichay 1700 Sasural Simar Ka 1730 Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha 1800 Uttaran 1830 Balika Vadhu 1900 Hawan 1930 Sasural Simar Ka 2000 Balika Vadhu 2030 Veer Shivaji 2100 Phulwa 2130 Parichay 2200 Uttaran 2230 Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha 2300 Na Aana Is Des Laado 2330 Balika Vadhu
28
‘Parenthood’ at 2200 Hrs on ZEE CAFE
Dekha Ek Khwaab
NBTNMKK
Storyline - Tonight Monia will be very happy to see Aakash coming out from the police station on Television. But Giriraj and Udaybeer will be seen in a very bad mood.
Storyline - Mohan gets a chance to speak to Megha and she responds by saying that after few days of Amar's death some men had come and taken all the papers related to the project.
‘Dekha Ek Khwaab’ at 2030 Hrs on STAR PLUS
‘Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha’ at 2230 Hrs on COLORS
‘The Big Bang Theory’ at 2300 Hrs on STAR WORLD 1400 Supernatural 1500 Combat Hospital 1600 The Big Bang Theory 1630 The Simpsons 1700 The Shield 1800 Supernatural 1900 Desperate Housewives 2000 Two And A Half Men 2030 The Simpsons 2100 Supernatural 2200 The Shield 2300 The Big Bang Theory 2330 Two And A Half Men 0700 The Shield 0800 Las Vegas 0900 Charlie's Angels 1000 The Shield 1100 Desperate Housewives 1200 Two And A Half Men 1230 The Simpsons 1300 The Big Bang Theory 1330 Friends
1400 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1500 Lapataganj 1530 F.I.R. 1600 Chidiya Ghar 1630 Gutur Gu 1700 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1830 R. K. Laxman Ki Duniya 1900 Chidiya Ghar 1930 Lapataganj 2000 Chintu Chinky Aur Ek Badi Si Love Story 2030 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 2100 Chidiya Ghar 2130 R. K. Laxman Ki Duniya 2200 Lapataganj 2230 F.I.R. 2300 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 2330 Chidiya Ghar 0800 Teleshopping 0830 Religious Programmes 0900 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah
‘Chintu Chinky Aur Ek Badi Si Love Story’ at 2000 Hrs on SAB
‘Chance Pe Dance’ at 1400 Hrs on ZOOM 1400 Movie - Chance Pe Dance 1730 Star Bonanza 1800 Letz Go! 1900 Planet Bollywood News 1930 Link'D 2000 Zabar 10 2030 Letz Go! 2130 Link'D 2200 B - Tonite 2230 Style Strip 2300 Bollywood Bonanza 0700 Fresh Mornings 0800 Red Carpet 0805 Fresh Mornings 1100 Zoom Box 1200 Garma Garam 1300 Planet Bollywood News 1330 Zabar 10
‘Kick-Ass’ at 2100 Hrs on HBO
1400 Oddities 1430 Mythbusters 1530 Discovery Science Classics 1630 Sci Fi Science 1700 One Step Beyond 1730 Future Weapons 1830 Best Of Discovery Science 1930 How Do They Do It? 2030 Sports Science 2130 Food Detectives 2200 Deconstructed 2230 Showdown - Aircombat 2330 Industrial Revelations 1030 Sci Fi Science 1100 One Step Beyond 1130 Mythbusters 1230 Best Of Discovery Science 1330 How Do They Do It?
‘Food Detectives’ at 2130 Hrs on DISCOVERY SCIENCE
‘The Defenders’ at 2300 Hrs on BIG CBS PRIME 1430 Jerry Springer 1530 Aspire 1600 Bellator 1700 Survivor 1800 Entertainment Tonight 1830 Galileo Extreme 1930 Frasier 2000 Entertainment Tonight 2030 Galileo Extreme 2100 Survivor 2200 Jerry Springer 2300 Dead Zone 0700 Big Wheels 0730 Aspire 0800 Galileo Extreme 0900 Survivor 1000 Bellator 1100 Jerry Springer 1200 Aspire 1230 Entertainment Tonight 1300 Galileo Extreme 1330 Dead Zone
Playing Field
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
The games people play
29
Giants get hero’s welcome in NY after Super win Mariano Andrade
Fans wait for the Giants as they make their way up Broadway on Tuesday in New York. The Giants are NFL’s 2012 Super Bowl Champions. AFP PHOTO / DON EMMERT
NEW YORK: The Super Bowl champion New York Giants got a hero’s welcome on Tuesday with a ticker tape parade with tens of thousands of fans turning out to show their appreciation for the American football team. The team rode in open trucks down Broadway’s “Canyon of Heroes” under bright sunshine as New Yorkers screamed their approval and tossed confetti to celebrate the 21-17 victory in Sunday’s championship game over the New England Patriots. After the nearly four-hour parade, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg presented the players with the key to the city in a ceremony in front of City Hall to the players, who had traded their football uniforms for street clothes. “I’m declaring the Big Apple, the Big Blue Apple!” Bloomberg said, referring to the team’s nickname. Bloomberg said of the Giants, “They believe in each other and you believe in them.” Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning, the game’s most valuable player, got some of the loudest applause as he addressed the crowd. “Thanks to all our fans, all our supporters, everybody out there who believed in us, who believed in this team. We never lost faith in ourselves,” Manning said. “Congratulations to all of you!” Coach Tom Coughlin told the crowd, “This is the greatest city in the world and it’s wonderful that we returned the Vince Lombardi trophy to exactly where it belongs,
Two million saw Super live stream WASHINGTON: More than two million US viewers watched the first-ever live stream of the Super Bowl over the Internet, the NBC television network said on Tuesday. The live stream of the New York Giant’s 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots drew 2.1 million viewers, “making it the most-watched, single-game sports event ever online,” the network said in a statement. The Super Bowl was streamed live on NBCSports.com and NFL.com, the website of the National Football League. It was also available to mobile or tablet users with an NFL Mobile application. “The Super Bowl XLVI live stream exceeded our expectations in every way,” Kevin Monaghan, managing director for digital media at the NBC Sports Group, said in a statement. “The record traffic that grew throughout the event, as well as the record high engagement numbers, underscores the complementary aspect of digital as an enhancement to our exceptional
right here in New York.” Many of the fans were dressed in Giant blue, and some painted their faces blue. Many carried signs saying “Thank You!” and “Congrats Big Blue!” “They deserve it. We have a team which we can be proud,” said Rafael Hernandez, a 21-year-old Mexican-American who asked for him off from his job in a catering business to attend the parade. More than 200 black granite strips are embedded in the sidewalks along the Canyon of Heroes with the names of those honoured in past ticker-tape parades. The last parade honoured the New York Yankees club after their victory in baseball’s World Series. Following the New York ceremony, the Giants boarded buses and returned to their MetLife stadium across the river in New Jersey, where the team was honoured by fans along with Governor Chris Christie. In Washington, the White House said in a statement that President Barack Obama called coach Coughlin “to congratulate him and the rest of the team on their recent Super Bowl victory.” “The president said that the team’s victory was a testament to coach Coughlin’s leadership and that his team came across with true grit and determination,” the statement said, adding that Obama told Coughlin “that he looks forward to shaking his hand and congratulating the team in person when they visit the White House.”
NFL: Ricky Williams says goodbye again LOS ANGELES: Running back
television coverage,” he said. Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s senior vice president for media strategy and development, said the live stream “was a tremendous success in its first year. “We will continue to look for more ways to reach our fans,” Schroeder said. Super Bowl 46 drew a record 111.3 million television viewers in the United States, edging out last year’s game, according to the Nielsen Company. AFP
The record traffic that grew throughout the event, as well as the record high engagement numbers, underscores the complementary aspect of digital enhancement.
Ricky Williams is again saying goodbye to the NFL, after a prolific career in which he rushed for 10,009 yards and 66 touchdowns. “The NFL has been an amazing page in this chapter of my life,” Williams said in a statement posted on the Ravens’ website and on the site of the University of Texas where he once starred. “I pray that all successive adventures offer me the same potential for growth, success and most importantly, fun.” Williams, whose career stats also include 342 pass receptions for 2,606 yards and eight touchdowns, has retired before. He first retired in 2004, but returned to the Miami Dolphins for the 2005 season. He later said in a television interview that he retired to avoid the embarrassment of seeing a failed drug test made public. But Williams was suspended for all of the 2006 NFL season after another failed test for marijuana.
He spent the season playing in the Canadian Football League before returning to the Dolphins in 2007. Just a fortnight ago Williams had said he expected to return to the Ravens for the final year of his two-year contract. Instead he departs as one of 26 players in NFL history to top 10,000 career rushing yards. AFP
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Young guns to the fore Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh entered the final of the inaugural junior National hockey championship (under-20), organised by the Hyderabad Hockey Association under the sponsorship of the Indian Hockey Federation, here on Tuesday.
Mumbai celebrate victory over Karnataka.
Uter Pradesh beat a strong Punjab side (in red).
Karnataka and Mumbai as they battle it out.
Raikkonen shakes off cobwebs Times and laps: Lotus Renault’s Kimi Raikkonen of Finland drives during a training session at the Jerez racetrack, on Tuesday, in Jerez. AFP
JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA: Finland’s 2007 Formula One world champion Kimi Raikkonen set the fastest time in his Lotus-Renault during pre-season testing here on Tuesday. The 32-year-old Raikkonen — winner of 18 grands prix — is putting this year’s model through its paces as he returns to Formula
One after two years away. Raikkonen won his 2007 crown with Ferrari before switching to the World Rally Championship in 2009 followed by a spell in Nascar racing. “I did exactly as the team predicted, well almost everything,” said the driver known as the ‘Iceman’. “We tried different things,
checked others, and that is normal on the first day of testing in a new car. “My first impressions are really good and I am very happy with the manner in which I drove. “There are areas where we can still improve the car, but I’m not worried. “After three weeks of testing,
1. Kimi Raikkonen 2. Paul di Resta 3. Nico Rosberg 4. Mark Webber 5. Daniel Ricciardo 6. Michael Schumacher 7. Kamui Kobayashi 8. Jenson Button 9. Felipe Massa 10. Heikki Kovalainen 11. Pastor Maldonado 12. Pedro de la Rosa
(FIN/Lotus–Renault) 1min 19.670sec 75 laps (GBR/Force India–Mercedes) 1:19.772 101 (GER/Mercedes) 1:20.219 56 (AUS/Red Bull–Renault) 1:20.496 54 (AUS/Toro Rosso–Ferrari) 1:20.694 57 (GER/Mercedes) 1:20.794 42 (JPN/Sauber–Ferrari) 1:21.353 106 (GBR/McLaren–Mercedes) 1:21.530 62 (BRA/Ferrari) 1:22.815 69 (FIN/Caterham–Renault) 1:23.178 28 (VEN/Williams–Renault) 1:23.371 25 (ESP/HRT–Cosworth) 1:23.676 44 AFP
we will see much more clearly how things will be when the season begins. “I feel good in the car and I’ve experienced far less successful first days of testing, in other cars, during my career.” Double world champion Sebastian Vettel of Germany arrives here on Friday to test the
RB8, with his Australian teammate Mark Webber, who is testing the car earlier in the week, clocked the fourth fastest time for Red BullRenault on Tuesday. Testing runs until Friday with further sessions at Barcelona from February 21-24 and March 1-4, before the GP opener in Melbourne, Australia on March 18.
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Golf: No pain, no gain for Tiger Woods Greg Heakes
PEBBLE BEACH: When Tiger Woods was starting out on the PGA Tour he thought playing hurt was just part of what it took to become a successful golfer. “I think when we are younger we feel more bullet proof, or invulnerable, because we heal so much faster,” Woods said on Tuesday. The 36-year-old Woods says he now understands the difference between rehabilitating an injury properly and rushing back to competition. On top that he has had to learn to balance his rehab with a strict training regimen that has helped propel him to 14 major championships. “The more we age, the more time we need to heal,” Woods said. “I understand training way better now than I did before. Wearing myself out for no reason at all, which we all did when we were younger. I have to train smarter, practice smarter. “I have proven to myself I can play hurt as well as injured. But that is a double-edged sword because I can go out there and play like I did at the 2008 (US) Open and not feel my best and still win a golf tournament.” “So where is the line of demarcation between injury and pain? That is what I have always struggled with in the past because I don’t know where the line is, because I can be successful either way.” Woods makes his 2012 US PGA Tour debut starting Thursday at the Pebble Beach
National Pro-Am which is also the same venue where he posted one of his most dominant major championship wins at the 2000 US Open. It is also his first appearance at Pebble Beach since tying for 12th in 2002. “My body’s feeling explosive again and consequently I am hitting the ball further,” said Woods, who shared third place two weeks ago in his only other start of the year in Abu Dhabi. “I haven’t played (Pebble Beach) and it has been scheduling. This time it fits perfectly into my schedule.” Pebble Beach was not only the site of his crushing 15-stroke US Open victory but also where rallied from a seven-shot deficit that same year to win the ProAm tournament. Former world No. 1 Woods has won once and finished third twice in his last three tournaments as he looks to recapture the form that made him the most dominant PGA Tour player over the last 10 years. That was before a 2009 sex scandal and injuries to his neck and knee that left his personal life and golf game in shambles. His only victory since came in December the post-season World Challenge event he hosts for the benefit of his charitable foundation. Now he’s looking to build on that with a “W” in an official tour event. Woods says he continues to improve and cement the swing changes he has worked to implement with coach Sean Foley. “I played well in Abu Dhabi,” Woods said.
Sri Lanka win toss and bat in ODI PERTH: Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene won the toss and chose to bat against India in the second tri one-day series at the WACA on Wednesday. India made two changes to the team beaten by Australia in Melbourne on Sunday, resting opener Gautam Gambhir, who was replaced by Virender Sehwag. Injured spinner Rahul Sharma was replaced by paceman
Zaheer Khan. Sachin Tendulkar was tipped to be rested, but will again be searching for his elusive 100th international century. India named Manoj Tiwary 12th man, while Sachithra Senanayake will carry the drinks for Sri Lanka. Teams: India — Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Suresh
Raina, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni (capt), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin, Ranganath Vinay Kumar, Praveen Kumar, Zaheer Khan Sri Lanka — Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Dhammika Prasad, Lahiru Thirimanne AFP
Kenya’s Makau eyes historic double NAIROBI: Kenya’s marathon world record holder Patrick Makau said on Tuesday he would be going for an historic double victory in April’s London marathon and the Olympic Games in the same city three months later. Makau, set a new world mark of 2hr 3min 38sec in winning the Berlin marathon last September. He also heads the provisional list of five Olympic probables named last month for the 2012 Olympics, of which the final three
will be picked after the London marathon. “I am ready to run the London marathon in April and also in the Olympics,” said Makau, who will begin his preparations in a half-marathon in Nairobi on February 19. The race is being organised by Athletics Kenya and former world marathon record holder Paul Tergat as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of the Nairobi-based United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). AFP
Kenya’s Patrick Makau speaks to the media in Nairobi on Tuesday. AFP PHOTO/ S MAINA
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Mali out to defy history against Drogba and co
Ghana’s national football team player Andre Ayew takes part in a training session on Tuesday, in Bata, a day ahead of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations semi-final football match between Zambia and Ghana. AFP
Only title will make Ghana great: Ayew Yann Bernal
BATA: Ghana need to win the Africa Cup of Nations to confirm their status as one of the continent’s top sides, Black Stars midfielder Andre Ayew said here on Tuesday. “At the World Cup, we missed the semi-finals on a penalty. At the last Nations Cup we made it to the final. We’ve proved that we’re a good side, but to be a great side we need a trophy,” the Marseille man said on the eve of Wednesday’s semi-final here with Zambia. He added, “We’re programmed to win the Cup. Being in the semi-
final is good but we’re not euphoric. The last four isn’t enough for us. “We’ve carried the tag of favourites for each of our matches here, and it’ll be the same against Zambia. But if Ghana does what needs to be done there won’t be a problem. “In this type of game there won’t be many chances, perhaps two or three, and we have to know how to go for them when they arise. It will all come down to details.” He described Zambia as a very good side, who can cause trouble for any rival, and who
play quick up front. “They’ve progressed a lot since the last Nations Cup,” he added. “It’s a team that people under estimate greatly, everyone’s talking about Ghana and Ivory Coast, but Zambia and Mali are in the last four because they deserve to be. “We haven’t had as much time to recover (from the quarterfinals) as they have, but mental strength will decide the outcome.” Black Stars coach Goran Stevanovic also commented on the fact that Zambia, who beat Sudan on Saturday, will be fresher than Ghana, taken to extra time by Tunisia on Sunday.
Russian football players asked to fix matches: Report
MOSCOW: At least one in 10 football players in Russia, which would host the world cup in 2018, has been approached at some point of time to fix a match, the FIFPro international players’ association has said. The statistics was released as part of FIFPro’s ‘Black Book’, a report into football
problems based on an anonymous survey of over 3,000 players in Eastern and Central Europe. Of 177 players in Russia who answered, 10.2 per cent said they had been approached to consider match-fixing, FIFPro said. Russia was placed fourth in the list of 12 countries surveyed, behind only Kazakhstan, Greece and Bulgaria. In total, 43.2 per cent of players in Russia said they were aware of match-fixing, ranking Russia behind only the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan and Greece, FIFPro said. Russia reported low levels of bullying and violence against players compared to other countries, according to the report. The Russian Coaches and Footballers’ Trade Union was quoted as saying that many players were afraid to speak out. IANS
Ivory Coast head coach Francois Zahoui looks at his players during a training session on Tuesday at the stade de l’Amitie, in Libreville, on the eve of the African Cup of Nations (CAN 2012) semi-final football match against Mali. AFP Nick Reeves
LIBREVILLE: Mali will have to defy history if they are to overcome the mighty Ivory Coast in Wednesday’s Africa Cup of Nations semi-final. The Ivorians have met Mali 21 times, winning 14 with the Eagles emerging victorious just the once, in a friendly back in 1995. Twice their paths have crossed in the Nations Cup, with the Elephants prevailing 30 in the first round in Ghana in 2008 and 3-1 in the quarterfinals in 1994. Yet Mali’s Seydou Keita, following the Henry Ford approach about history being ‘bunk’, dismissed the significance of the lopsided statistics, the Barcelona star saying: “The past? In football the past doesn’t count for anything.” Keita’s return to the national team after a 20 month hiatus has proved instrumental in
Mali’s progress at the 2012 Cup. He converted the decisive spot kick in Mali’s 5-4 penalty shoot out defeat of co-hosts Gabon in Sunday’s quarter-final which had ended 1-1 after extra time. The 32-year-old veteran, reflecting on the Eagles’ presence in the last four, commented: “We deserve our qualification. Everything isn’t perfect, we’re not Barcelona nor Brazil but we’re in the semi-finals and we’ll play to our strengths. “We have nothing to lose.” Mali, after escaping from the first round as group runners-up to Ghana, know only too well they will have to raise their game to a higher level to topple the competition favourites. Didier Drogba and company left their plush Equatorial Guinea base in Malabo to fly to the Gabonese capital Libreville on Sunday with a perfect four wins out of four.