Ergo April 7

A BYTE OF LIFE

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

02 SLOWDOWN BLUES Employees now prefer public transport FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 3

10 PRIYANKA CHO PRA on the raining awards

No. 65

A chat with the GEN NEXT MP All of 27 years, Agatha Sangma is the youngest MP of the 14th Lok Sabha and also the Generation Next face of the North East. Ayon Sengupta caught up with the rising political star over telephone, after repeated attempts and nearly giving up on the interview.

PHOTO: R. V. MOORTHY

» PAGE 07

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Mind and body Ronit Aizenberg, founder of the Center of Yoga Advancing in Israel, will be conducting a yoga workshop for parents and children. This workshop promises to create better understanding between the parent and child, work on stretching, building muscle strength and balance posture and bond better. The workshop will be held on April 11 at Vanilla Children Place. For details call 44 45534145 / 146.

Bonding over cricket

It is tough times for bus operators, too. FILE PHOTO: S. S. KUMAR

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he fifth edition of the HDFC Standard Life Cup 2009 concluded recently, with Precision Infomatic beating TCS eServe in a nail-biting finish. Over 64 teams participated in the event, with participants from Nokia, Verizon, Accenture, HP, Ajuba Solutions, Renault Nissan, Toyota, Ford Technologies, Schenider and Inautix showing their skills in game of cricket. The finals were an edge of the seat thriller with Precision Infomatic scoring the last 4 runs with just 2 wickets to spare. The low total of 67 all out in 15.2 overs made by TCS eServe was defended with Precision at 23 for 5. But a good partnership between Karthik and Harish helped Precision to chase the runs successfully. Samuel Mathew, Zonal Manager Marketing, HDFC Standard Life Insurance, Ravi Chikkan, Zonal Operations Manager and Dilip, Director, Gifts N Awards gave away the prizes to the winners.

The winners: Precision Informatic

Not a joy ride anymore Companies are increasing bus fares and reducing the number of buses in the process LIFFY THOMAS [email protected]

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all it cost-cutting or a way for employees to show their displeasure with the management, most IT professionals are increasingly switching over to public modes of transport to commute. The headcount of those travelling in company buses that ferried employees to and from the workplace is dwindling, along with the number of buses plying. Reason: the increasing bus fares have blown a hole in many of the employees’ pockets and a way to show the dissent is to stop commuting on them. TCS, for example, has increased its fares from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 2,500 (for those residing beyond 20 kms). “We cannot protest much now when they are downsizing staff, so we decided to discourage the system by taking public transport,” says Balaji S. (name changed), who shuttles

between Perumbur and Siruseri. Many of his colleagues have shown their protest by either taking the MRTS or car pooling to work. Employees say the increase was unwarranted at this point of time, as the fuel prices have also been rolled back. Equally grim seems to be the scenario for bus operators whose major business comes from these companies. Parveen Travels plies around 600 buses to 12 IT companies in the city, but the slowdown has meant a big blow to its business as well. “Around 120 of our buses are without any service. Companies are also thinking twice about signing the three-year agreement they sign with bus operators,” says A. Afzal, managing director, Parveen Travels. To further cut the operational cost, companies are decreasing the number of shifts or reducing the said number of buses that was generally required for a centre.

HCL Technologies, on the other hand, claims that they haven’t hiked bus fares but instead increased their occupancy. “Previously, if a bus had 60 per cent occupancy, we have now increased it to 80 per cent. So if occupancy increases the number of buses can be decreased, thus cutting cost in the process,” says a senior official from the company. Infosys Technologies also hasn’t increased bus fares but has reduced at least half-a-dozen of its buses. Whether these measures are being taken due to recession or if they are a means to drastically cut down on company buses needs to be seen, say professionals. Apparently, the government has offered to provide dedicated bus service for IT companies on the OMR stretch, which is high in service and cheap in cost, but companies seem to be having mixed feeling about it. ■

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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Go IPL

DEEPA VENKATRAMAN

Matches and Sightseeing

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SOTC is the official tour partner of the IPL-2009. The SOTC offers a package of Rs 60,000 comprising—travel and match tickets, daily breakfast at 3 nights 4 day stay at a 3 star hotel with daily break fast. They also assure proper and close view of all 8 teams playing in 4 matches. With sight seeing also part of the deal, unwind yourself at Johannesburg and Durban. However Kashmira Commissariat, head outbound

ountdown has begun for the Indian Premier League and if you haven’t made any arrangements to make it to South Africa yet, there is no need to frown. There are many packages to choose from which offers – airfare tickets, match tickets, accommodation. All you need is your pockets full and your bags packed and you can watch and cheer your favourite teams.

Man bites constable’s hand, held ERGO CORRESPONDENT

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23-year-old man bit the hand of a woman police constable who chased him after he forcibly hugged and kissed a young woman near Marina beach on Sunday. The man was caught soon and sent to prison. Marina police said the accused, identified as P. Sasi Kumar of Ayodhya Nagar in Triplicane had misbehaved with an 18-year-old college student while she was walking on the pavement near Vivekanada House. Lady

Constable Chitra, attached to the 10th battalion, who was posted nearby, witnessed the incident and attempted to catch Sasi Kumar. In a quest to escape, the accused bit Chitra’s left arm and ran away. Charles, Sub Inspector of Police, Marina and party who was on patrol nearby, nabbed Sasi Kumar a while later. He was produced in a city court, remanded to custody and sent to Puzhal Prison on Monday, police said. Chitra was hospitalised soon after the incident. ■

Treat yourself to IPL and South Africa at one go

division Kuoni India says, “We can also tailor make packages according to the client’s requirements.”

Matches with luxurious stay Thomas Cook has tied up with Kingfisher Airlines which is the official airline for the IPL has packages for three nights and four day stay at 3 star and 4 star hotels for Rs 43,900 and 59,900 respectively. This package which includes air fare, transfers, accommodation, daily breakfast,

travel insurance, visa and match tickets is ideal for those who just wish to see the matches and have the most luxurious stay at one of the finest hotels at the cities as per the client’s choice. Nalini Gupta, President and head of Marketing says, “We are expecting to see good response by this weekend.”

Twin trips If you wish to make a trip per person on a twin sharing basis, Go World Holidays has some

Budgeted accommodation For all those who are planning to arrange your trip to the IPL on your own, here is a budgeted accommodation at Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. Quickly, become a member of the Youth Hostel Association of India and can avail hostel accommodation comprising single room, double/twin room, 3 bed private room and 6 + bed private room or a very reasonable price. While each bed in the dormitory is from Rs 550, the room with one cot varies betwen Rs 1000 to Rs 1500 and the bed room with two cots ranges from Rs 1300 to Rs 2000. For further details log on to www.hihostels.com

packages for 3 nights and 4 days at Cape Town and Port Elizabeth from 18th to 20th April starting with about Rs 59,500 from April. Their other package is for about Rs.62,500, per person twin sharing basis for 4 Nights and 5 Days in deluxe hotels – at Pretoria from 21st to 22nd April and the following two nights at Johannesburg. The icing on the cake is half day sightseeing at Cape Town and Port Blair, Pretoria and Johannesburg . Ram Sridhar, CEO of the companies says, “Our package includes air fare, airport-hotel vice versa transfers, match tickets, hotel stay and we can help in getting our client the visa. We are also planning a 7-day package that would be around Rs 72,000.” ■

Monkey business

쒀 Wide-eyed young visitors at the Marina meet a monkey and its master. PHOTO : R. RAVINDRAN

04 KALEIDOSCOPE

Seal the security leak: Install new Flash player now Internet users are advised to download the latest version of the Flash player to protect their computer from hacker attacks. The software is available free of charge at http://get.adobe.com/de/ flashplayer.

ERGO Tuesday, April 7, 2009

INQ to put Facebook status updates on phone screens

F The latest Flash version is now required to display the content on many web sites, says the German Federal Agency for Security in Information Technology (BSI) in Bonn. Earlier versions suffer from a security hole that could allow hackers to gain control of external computers. All versions of the Flash player up to and including 10.0.12.36 are affected, as well as Linux versions up to and including 10.0.15.3. DPA

or chronic Facebook addicts, help is at hand. INQ Mobile, the handset arm of Hutchison Whampoa, promises to deliver status update messages from the popular social network site right to its phones’ home screens. Jeff Taylor, co-founder and strategy director of the nascent phone maker, said the feature would let INQ phone users communicate more easily with their Facebook friends after the software upgrade, available in coming weeks. Legions of Facebook members constantly post status updates as a way to connect with large groups of people on the popular online hangout. Now, an INQ phone user will be able to read updates quickly, and can simply click on the update to send a direct message to the Facebook member who posted it. INQ hopes that if consumers can use their phones to communicate more easily on popular Web sites, they will be more likely to spend on mobile data services,

Taylor said in an interview at the CTIA annual wireless showcase in Las Vegas. “The phone is just screaming at you - use me more,” he said. INQ, which started offering its INQ 1 phone in December, currently sells its product only through Hutchison’s 3 wireless service provider arms in the UK, Ireland, Hong Kong and Austra-

lia. It hopes services like Facebook updates will help it win supply deals with other operators this year. “We’re talking on every continent to tier one and tier two operators,” Taylor said adding that INQ is “having some really good conversations” with the biggest U.S. operators. ■ Reuters

Free burning programs usually do the trick Experts say there’s no need to spend a lot of money on expensive programmes for burning CDs and DVDs given the wide range of free disc-burning software available on the market. According to PC Professionell, a Munich-based magazine, there are plenty of free programmes available such as BurnAware, which is compatible with Microsoft’s Windows 7 system and can also burn Blu-Ray discs. It can also create ready-to-boot software and allows you to add data to already copied media. Another free programme with similar features is CDBurner XP. DPA

T-Mobile gadgets to sport Android W

ireless carrier T-Mobile is planning an aggressive push into the home with a variety of communication devices that will use Google’s new Android operating software, the New York Times said. According to the paper, confidential documents obtained from a company partner indicate that T-Mobile plans to sell a home phone early next year and a tablet computer

soon after, both running Android. A T-Mobile spokesman, Peter Dobrow declined to discuss any future company products but confirmed plans for several devices based on Android, the paper said. The Android operating system, already run on a T-Mobile cell phone, handles basic functions for mobile devices and competes with operating systems made by Apple, Microsoft, Nokia and others. ■ Reuters

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Viruses could power cars U.S. experts are using viruses to help build batteries that could one day power cars and electronic devices. A team from MIT believes the speed and relatively cheap cost of manufacturing virus batteries could prove attractive to industry. The batteries, made with a virus called common bacteriophage which infects bacteria and is harmless to humans, have the same energy capacity and power performance as rechargeable batteries used to power plug-in hybrid cars. Professor Angela Belcher, who led the research team, said: “Our material is powerful enough to be able to be used in a car battery. The advantage of using genetics is that things can be made better and better. You are not stuck with a particular material; you have selection and evolution on your side because it can be genetically engineered.” Wenn

German YouTube faces the music Music has been pulled off the German version of video-sharing website YouTube due to a payment row with royalty collections organisation Gema. Gema previously demanded 16 cents (EUR 12 cents) for every played video but negotiations broke down. Gema, which represents 60,000 German composers, songwriters and music publishers, said that it offered YouTube 1 cent per stream in exchange for data on the most watched videos. However, YouTube refused to provide that data. YouTube had a similar dispute with U.K. royalty organisation the Performing Rights Society royalty last month. Wenn

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06 VILLAGE

ERGO Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Driven to protest A British man faces arrest after protesting a lack of pavements by following his ten-year-old son Archie to school by driving slowly behind him in his car.

Hilton to marry Doug Reinhart After constantly denying engagement rumours, hotel heiress Paris Hilton finally opened up about her future plans with boyfriend Doug Reinhart saying, “He’s going to be my husband”. The 27-year-old socialite has been dating the actor for some months and it seems that the couple are ready to tie the knot, E!Online reported. “We’re best friends. We’ve known each other over the past year. I was in a relationship before and we reconnected. I’m really happy to be in love. He’s going to be my husband,” said Hilton. PTI

Osama can easily pass off as Winona Ryder in UK airport scanners A leaked British Government memo has revealed that airport scanners in the country have been recalibrated to such an ‘unacceptable’ level, that they can’t differentiate between Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and Hollywood actress Winona Ryder. The faces shown on the scanner have only a 30 per cent likeness to photographs appearing on a passenger’s passport, reports The Telegraph. The machines, undergoing trials at Manchester airport, have apparently been questioning so many passengers’ identities that they were creating huge queues. “Update on the calibration – the facial recognition booths are letting passengers through at 30 percent. Changes appear to have been made without any explanation [or] giving anyone a reason for the machines [creating] what is in effect a 70 percent error rate,” the paper quoted an official, as saying.

Lipstick can help save elderly women’s lives They add colour to your face, give teeth an extra reason to sparkle, and now researchers are adding one more benefit under lipsticks’ belt the ’god-sent’ cosmetic item can save the lives of elderly women. Boffins claim that the process of using lippy and mascara enhances balance and co-ordination by acting as a type of stretching, The Sun reported. While analysing the impact of make-up on self-esteem, scientists at the University of St Etienne, France, discovered that cosmetics had a more powerful effect on health. Dr Patricia Pineau, who led the study, said: “These women stood up straight and suffered fewer falls. They held themselves differently to those who did not wear makeup.” ANI

Polio victim ticks off 60 years in iron lung An Australian polio victim confined to a Melbourne hospital and an ‘iron lung’ respirator for the past six decades completed her 82 birthday on Sunday. June Middleton, who entered the Guinness Book of Records three years ago as the person who had spent the longest time in an iron lung, had 160 well-wishers around her bedside. Middleton reportedly still takes pleasure in visiting St Kilda beach, where she swam as a child. She travels there in a special van.

ANI

DPA

Sarkozy schools Obama in French kiss

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French student who gave a kiss to Barack Obama when he greeted an enraptured crowd said the initially reluctant US President had to be encouraged to accept the gesture by his host Nicolas Sarkozy. Cecilia Dervogne, a student at the University of Strasbourg, was among a noisy crowd of well-wishers who greeted Obama and his wife Michelle when they arrived in the eastern French city for a summit of NATO leaders. As they approached the crowd to shake hands, Dervogne called out and asked for a kiss, but Obama had to be encouraged by the French President before submitting. “I said in slightly hesitating English... ’A kiss for me?’” Dervogne told i-tele television. “He showed me his body-

guards, who were surveying everything. I think there was a security gap we were supposed to keep to,” she said. “And there was Sarkozy who re-insisted and said: ’What, you’re not going to give her a kiss?’ so he offered his cheek timidly and I gave him a kiss.” Obama is wildly popular in France, but he appeared slightly at sea with the complicated customs regarding the ‘bise,’ the kiss on the cheeks often given as a greeting even between relative strangers. Just before his encounter with Dervogne, Obama did not offer the ‘bise’ to Sarkozy’s wife Carla, preferring to shake hands formally. The French President exchanged the traditional kiss on each cheek with Michelle Obama. ■ Reuters

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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

“It has been a great journey so far” Ayon Sengupta in conversation with the youngest MP of the 14th Lok Sabha Agatha Sangma

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“Family rule is capable of changing the fortune of a family only. Nationalism is capable of bringing a change and improving the conditions of poor” Narendra Modi

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he “baby of the house” gets taken out to coffee by the likes of L.K. Advani and other stalwarts of the Parliament. She also lives in mortal fear of having said something untoward or incendiary during her countless election rallies in the past few days. “We all do mistakes and regret later. I am very tired, campaigning rigorously for the past 10 days but still I have to give an interview today. I am saying a lot of things which I shouldn’t be and inevitably I will wake up tomorrow morning and cry out ‘Oh! My god. What I have done’,” NCP candidate Agatha Sangma says, with a tinge of mischief as she finally makes some time to call us back one early morning. Our repeated efforts to reach her earlier throughout the week had fall flat, and we had almost given up all hopes to catch the youngest member of the 14th Lok Sabha. Her brief stint at the Lok Sabha has been a memorable one and Agatha says: “The whole process of campaigning for the last election and even this time round is like extended socialising for me. My constituency has a very intimate feel, giving you the chance for more one-on-one interaction with the people. It has been a great journey for me so far.”

Her first day at office is still imprinted on her memory and Agatha recalls: “Wearing our traditional dress, dakmanda, I took my oath in Hindi. It was my own way of silently supporting Indian integration. And the whole house thumped in applause. My dad was present in the gallery and later he told me that he had never seen such a scene in the parliament and it was the proudest day of his life. The remark made me grow a few inches taller.”

Agatha’s gesture takes a greater dimension as the 27-year-old environmental lawyer is well aware of the friction between the Indian state and its NorthEastern subsidiaries. “”It’s very obvious for the people of my region to feel alienated because of both physical and cultural differences. The North-East is also economically far behind the rest of the country and that adds to the resentment,” she says. “There should be a wholehearted capacity building pro-

gramme to uplift the economy in the region. That will solve a lot of these problems including insurgency. We have been ignored enough.” Educated, intelligent like many other young politicians in the fray, Agatha has set herself certain goals. “Vision is a very big word and I can’t describe in a sentence. But I want India to follow a path of sustainable development. Countries like the U.S. have exploited the nature to the hilt to fulfil short term goals. We shouldn’t fall prey to that,” she says about her broader vision for the country. “We should concentrate on renewable energy and try building small-scale industries based on community development. It’s a competitive world but I don’t think India should opt for mass based production system like China.” Laying stress on education, she adds: “Education does and should play a big role in everybody’s life. And politicians are no different. Leaders should have a wholesome knowledge of national, international and local issues.” Agatha has won over a few friends in her short stint and wants to hit back to Delhi soon to continue her work. “I attended only 20 days of the Assembly and didn’t get many opportunities to interact with other members. But I have developed a close bond with the likes of Milind Deora, Dipendra Hooda and also Suresh Prabhu. Suresh has immense knowledge about renewable energy and environmental issues and that common ground sort of helped us to forge good understanding,” she says. “I hope to renew these rapports once I go back and build more bridges. I have always been called the kid of the House and thankfully everybody gave me that extra concession and kept me out of all the so-called dirty politics. I had a very pleasant experience and that makes me more hungry to go back there and make a difference this time round.” ■

08 SPORT

ERGO Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Ronaldo may move to Madrid Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo will finally be on his way to Real Madrid as Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is set to snatch French ace Franck Ribery from Barcelona this summer. According to a report in the News of the World, the Spanish giants believe Manchester United have already done the deal with Bayern Munich.However, according to sources at the Nou Camp, Ribery is heading for Old Trafford, suggesting that Manchester United is well prepared to face the game without Ronaldo for life.

SRK takes on Gavaskar Kolkata Knight Riders’ owner Shah Rukh Khan slammed former Indian cricket captain Sunil Gavaskar for criticising John Buchanan. Buchanan, who is the manager of Kolkata Knight Riders, had suggested the four captain theory for the second season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). “I have great respect for Gavaskar. I have grown up enjoying his performance. I respect him too much. I would like to say that please give the multiplecaptain theory a breathing space to try now. If we fail we can always go back to the traditional way,” Khan said. Gavaskar had recently criticised Buchanan’s theory saying too much importance is being accorded to the Australian, who is a failed first-class cricketer and is only trying to get lucrative jobs for his Queensland pals. Shah Rukh also expressed hope that his team would perform much better than last year. “All our players like Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Sourav Ganguly, Brad Hodge, Ajantha Mendis, Ishant Sharma, Mashrafe Mortaza are available,” he added. ANI

Twilight racing under review Malaysian PM Najib Razak has waded into the debate about twilight Formula One racing, saying the 5 pm start time at the chaotic Malaysian Grand Prix needs to be reviewed. Sunday’s race, won by Britain’s Jenson Button, was called off after 32 of the 56 laps when a huge storm flooded the track and reduced visibility to dangerous levels. While the race proved dramatic it was ultimately a washout, short-changing fans at the circuit. Razak, at his first race as president said there must be a review. “We accept the result. But in future we will need to set a more suitable time - maybe earlier,” he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times. The Australian Grand Prix the week before was also pushed back to 5pm, with drivers complaining there about the dwindling light causing problems. SIC chairman Mokhzani Mahathir said he was in talks with the FOM’s Bernie Ecclestone and the International Automobile Federation (FIA). “The decision to have it at 5 pm was not mine. I had a chat with the FIA with regard to safety, and FOM about the issue of viewership in the other parts of the world,” he told reporters. “The major factors for this review are the weather and lighting issues. We will review it. As to what time we will start next year, we do not know yet, but we will review the timing for next year’s race.” AFP

Kiwis bank on rain

India on verge of series v

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ndia were on the brink of their first series win in New Zealand since 1968 after the hosts lost four wickets still needing 450 runs for victory in the third Test in Wellington. New Zealand were struggling at 167 for four when bad light stopped play almost an hour early on the fourth day, after being set a massive target of 617 to win the final Test. New Zealand’s remaining batsmen face the imposing task of trying to survive the final day, with forecast rain their best chance of salvaging a draw. Brendon McCullum admitted his team was eyeing the rain forecast for Tuesday, but was ready to

attempt to fight for a draw. “I guess you can’t pray for rain or expect rain to get you out of a sticky situation,” he said. “We got a partnership formed late this afternoon, hopefully with a couple of batters to come we can still try and get out of this.” Yuvraj Singh conceded India had both the weather and a slowing pitch to contend with in seeking their second win of the series. “The wicket has become a little slow, so if a batsman gets set he can get runs. You’ve got to work hard to get those last six wickets.” The New Zealand second innings threatened to fall apart after lunch, until Ross Taylor offered some strong resistance,

continuing to play his shots on the way to an unbeaten on 69 at stumps. All-rounder James Franklin was not out on 26 as the pair put on 83 runs for the fifth wicket to avoid an embarrassing rout after New Zealand had slumped to 84 for four. Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh, cut a swathe through New Zealand’s top order in the early afternoon, taking two for 50 and two for 35 respectively. Earlier on Monday, India declared at 434 for seven in its second innings to ensure a massive lead. India resumed at 349 for five on Monday and added another 85 runs, with Dhoni ending unbeaten on 56 before he declared 75 minutes into the morning session. Yuvraj also helped pile on the misery for New Zealand, scoring a quick 40, including three consecutive fours and a six off one Iain O’Brien over. Chris Martin had the best return for the New Zealand bowlers, finishing with three for 70 from 22 overs. In reply, New Zealand lost their first wicket before lunch with opener Tim McIntosh becoming pace bowler Khan’s sixth victim for the match. McIntosh also became Rahul Dravid’s world record 182nd catching victim after the batsman edged

Zaheer Khan points towards a cloud as teammate Harbhajan Singh and Dhoni look on during the fourth day of the final Test against New Zealand in Wellington. AFP PHOTO/DIBYANGSHU SARKAR

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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

‘‘ n gods

We couldn’t work out their strategy after tea yesterday (Sunday) or this morning (Monday). Possibly they were trying to prise a wicket out of us, or were trying to lull us into some false sense of security. Maybe that was their plan. I guess that is not the plan we thought they would come out with after tea yesterday (Sunday). But I guess when you are in front of the game, you can always play with different kinds of game plans. Brendon McCullum on India’s delayed declaration in the 2nd innings

Murray masters Djokovic

victory Khan into to the slips in the 11th over. Dravid eclipsed the record for Test catches by a fielder, previously held by Australia’s Mark Waugh. Daniel Flynn also fell to Khan in the eighth over after lunch, getting an inside edge on a ball seaming into him, which then cannoned into his pad and on to the stumps. Harbhajan trapped opener Martin Guptill lbw for 49.Jesse Ryder suffered his second failure of the match edging the off-spinner to Dravid for a duck. ■ AFP

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ritain’s Andy Murray beat Serbia’s Novak Djokovic 6-2, 7-5 to win the Miami Masters and clinch his third title of the year. The world number four wrapped up victory after reeling off the last five games of the second set having seen Djokovic, the world number three, throw away his chance to level the final. The Serbian had served for the second set leading 5-3, but a fifth double fault disrupted his fightback and his game quickly fell apart. The 21-year-old Scot dominated Djokovic for most of the match as the Serbian fell prey to a total of 43 unforced errors. “If you look at the next game or so, he started rushing me,” Murray said. “He started coming forward more, and he hadn’t been doing that. “He went for broke a little bit and tried to shorten the points. He hit the ball well. I struggled a little bit, but it wasn’t just because of the timeout he took.” Djokovic broke Murray twice to win four games in a row, then the Scot won a marathon game to hold for 2-4 and regained the momentum. “The majority of players now play so well from the baseline and both sides, that if you can use some slice and drop shots, some high balls and stuff, it just takes them out of their comfort zone,” Murray said. “It’s my way of dictating how the match is getting played. A lot of people might not necessarily think my game looks the most aggressive or offensive, but very few times will I not have the points played how I like them to be played.” Murray said he also believed he had benefited from his improved fitness. He has an apartment in the area and did pre-season fitness training here. “I think mentally it makes a difference,” he said. “Even if you’re struggling, you know your opponent is going to be feeling the same. Whereas before, sometimes you could get tired and look over at the other side and the opponent seems fine.” “A match like today - it was hot out there. A few long rallies and I would be a little bit out of breath. I could look down the court and see him struggling, as well.” Murray, the first British finalist here for 25 years, took victory when Djokovic went long with a lame volley after an hour and 42 minutes on court. The 21-year-old Scotsman, who had raced through the first set with two breaks taking him to 4-0 lead, has now won three Masters titles. He was the champion in Cincinnati and Madrid in 2008. ■ AFP

Clinches Miami title in style

10 FLICK

ERGO Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Posh wants to shed ‘miserable’ tag Victoria Beckham has had too much of her image as pouting Posh, and she now wants to get rid of her “miserable” tag, so that her fashion label doesn’t get affected. “Everyone thinks that I’m a miserable b***h who goes shopping every day,” the former Spice Girls star was quoted her as telling a New York fashion magazine.

Here’s to an award-filled 2009 I

t’s not even halfway down the year, but Priyanka Chopra already has reasons enough to say 2009 has been “fantastic” for her. The star has already walked away with seven awards including an international honour. “It’s been a fantastic start to 2009. Awards mean a lot to me. After you work so hard, the award validates your work. So every award has a very special place in my heart and gives me a huge sense of achievement and encouragement,” says Priyanka. Priyanka, who scorched the screen with distinct roles in films like Fashion and Dostana, was bestowed the Nielsen Box Office Award for outstanding contribution to Asian cinema at the Third Annual Asian Film Awards held in Hong Kong last month. She says the award is an encouragement for her to perform better. “I have only been in the Indian film industry for about five years now and so it was a huge surprise and an honour to have been conferred the award. This is my first international award and is definitely an encouragement for me as an actor to perform better. It was a proud moment for me to represent India at the Asian Film Awards,” she says. The 26-year-old actress, who won the Miss World title in 2000, also walked away with the Filmfare best actress award for her performance

Priyanka Chopra has seven in kitty already. More to follow

as a supermodel in Madhur Bhandarkar’s Fashion. For the same film, Priyanka also bagged the best actress award at the STAR Screen Awards, Lions Club Gold Awards as well as the Stardust Awards. “I feel privileged to have been given the chance to essay a complex character like Meghna Mathur in Fashion and I’m truly overwhelmed by the appreciation I have received.” And Priyanka can expect some more prizes with the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards approaching soon. Till then, she is I have only been in busy working hard for her the Indian film forthcoming industry for about films – Ashutosh Gowariker’s five years now and What’s Your so it was a huge Raashee? opposite Harman S. Basurprise and an weja and Vishal Bharadwaj’s Kaminay honour... alongside Shahid Kapur. ■ IANS

Farah almost gives Kylie the blues

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Robbie’ lays down ‘condition’ for Take That reunion

ylie Minogue reportedly had a firsthand experience with Farah Khan’s infamous temper after she was shouted at during the choreography for Blue. The Aussie singer, in a stunning silver mini dress with sequins, was allegedly told off by the choreographer while she shot with Akshay Kumar and 100 extras to the tunes of her song recorded with Sonu Nigam. “Kylie, I want to see those tassels move now!” the Daily Telegraph quoted Farah as shouting. The stunning superstar, wrapped in the Manish Malhotra creation, just nodded her humble head in return, according to reports. A sequence allegedly sees Kylie tossed up in the air by a dancer before she runs off the stage. ■

Robbie Williams will rejoin Take That on one condition – if rest of the members of the band agree to dress up in embarrassing kinky stage outfits, according to sources. The group built up a huge fan following in their early days, playing gay clubs across Britain. One of the main highlights of their act was the S&M-style leather stage costumes that sent camp male fans wild. Now, friends have said that Williams has suggested bringing back the outfits one last time when he rejoins the band later this year. “They have often laughed about those old embarrassing outfits and how awful they were to wear,” the Daily Star quoted an insider, as saying. “But it looks like Robbie and the rest of the guys might dust them off for one last time just to give their fans a thrill. They have all got a great sense of fun so, if they can still squeeze into them, they’ll play along,” the insider added. ■

ANI

ANI

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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Born wearing high heels Pop singer Jessica Simpson has revealed that she loves to wear high heels. The 28-yearold singer believes that she was born wearing high heels, reports the China Daily. “My mom has great legs - they are hereditary,” she said.

T

om Cruise is planning a remake of the 1969 classic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, starring himself and close pal John Travolta. An associate has revealed that Cruise got the blessing of Paul Newman just months before the actor died of lung cancer last September. Cruise (46) wants to cast himself as Sundance, played by Robert Redford in the original, while Travolta (55) will follow in Newman’s footsteps as Cassidy. The film about two lovable Wild West bank robbers charmed a generation and garnered four Oscars. Cruise intends to produce the remake through United Artists, the “golden era” studio he jointly owns after helping resurrect it as an MGM subsidiary in 2006. A senior executive said that Cruise is in talks with screenwriters capable of recapturing the essence of the original. “It has been a pet project of his that has been on the back-burner for years. But now he’s ready to go, and will most likely happily eschew the enormous salary that he normally commands,” the Daily Express quoted the executive as saying. A source said: “Butch and Sundance is a labour of love for Tom. He was eight years old when he saw the original and it made an impression that has stayed with him all his life. He can’t wait to get to work.” Travolta is also said to be keen to start shooting, despite still mourning his 16-year-old son Jett, who died in the Bahamas in January. ■

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, again

Cine City

Karunas back as hero After the success of Dindigul Sarathi, comedian Karunas is donning the lead role again. The story, screenplay and direction of the movie, tentatively titled Ambasamudram, are handled by Ramnath, who has been writing the comedy track of Karunas for quite a while. The music is by Karunas himself and this is the second film in which Karunas turns composer after the Raghava Lawrence starrer Rajathi Raja.

ANI

Sallapam to be remade in Tamil Sallapam, the super hit Malayalam movie that catapulted actors Dileep and Manju Warrier to stardom, is being remade in Tamil as Rayilu. Actor Ranjith and Anglo-Indian actress Caroline will play the lead roles in the movie, to be directed by Ranjith himself. The shooting of Rayilu, to be produced with a medium budget, is on.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

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ERGO Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Monday’s query: You are shuttling between meetings and a line of assignments to meet, with no time even for a break. How would you control your hunger pangs? My first appointment is to the nearest non-veg hotel, then only others bcoz energy is very important. Hashim Allsec

By chewing gums and drinking water Ramanan Chandramohan RRD

I can’t control my hunger in any way. But I express it by scolding others severely if anybody comes to talk with me Manoj, TCS

By seeing my girlfriend’s photo

Karthik Panneerselvam from UST Global, ASV Suntech Park, Thoraipakkam has nominated his friends Balamurugan, Mahindran and Nirmal as Partners in Crime.

Palanivel Elayaperumal from Tata Consultancy Services has nominated his team members as Partners in Crime. This picture was clicked during their Kutralam trip.

Kausik Srinivasan CSS

Ask my friends to get some snacks for me, keep it at my desk and eat whenever I feel hunger Sureshkumar, Ilango TCS (PPS Team)

A quick meditation amidst shuttling to keep off stress and two cups of butter milk or sweet lassi can work great wonders. Deepak Vasudevan Verizon

Ergo pick: I will just bite my nails Srikanth Technip

Today’s query: One good reason why you will take home the Nano!

Bharath from Sify Technologies has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This picture was taken just before the capture of jamal pandi jaggaya at Paint Ball in Kotivakkam.

13

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Murugan from WIPRO has nominated Narayanan, process trainer, as his office angel. He is always with a bright smile. He is a great trainer (SME) and superb friend who can be approached any time, for any issue.

■ Hello Amala, Happy Birthday to you. May all your dreams come true. Wishes from Kalai, Thenmozhi Anni, Agila, Kavitha, Jaisree, Juliet, Razia, Durga First Source Solutions

■ Dear Freeda, Frail’s my little girl in her looks Rip open her heart, god, she’s oaks. Eagerly reach her to relate, so fast Exit and that’s what you want the last. Dwell encharmed, the days, in her And she’ll be in my books forever. Happy birthday! God bless you!! Your Friend, HCL Technologies BPO

Art featured in this column will receive gift coupons from Fruit Shop on Greams Road. Send in your addresses so that we can post the coupons.

This sketch is by Karthikeyan Nallathambi of Inautix Technologies. Arul sent us this picture on his behalf. It also happens to be Karthikeyan’s birthday. Happy Birthday!

■ Dear Anand, In this changing world, it’s nice to know that one thing is forever... you’ll always be our brother! Happy Birthday!! Love, Deepa, Rohini, Jananee, Cognizant

■ Dear Saravanakumar, Many more happy returns of the day. May all your wishes come true. Have a joyful years ahead. Vijay,Vishnu, Suresh, Dinesh, Prem, Anitha & Susi, Wipro

■ Dear ramyyyyyyy, Wish u a very Happy Birthday. Have a rocking life and a great year ahead ……J Cheers!!! Friends-Group

1. Ennathan boomi suriyana suthi suthi vanthaalum, Boomiku suriyan PICK UP aagathu By NASAvil verkadalai virpor sangam 2. Aval paarvaikku artham therintha yennaku pesiya vaarthaikku artham thereyavillai.. Kaaranam Aval pesiyathu ENGLISH-il Payapulla Moochu vidaama pesara pa.. Yokesh B HCL

■ To our Birthday baby Priyaa Parthasarathy, May your spirits keep the freedom of a butterfly in spring, and may your heart be filled always with the joys of simple things. May your essence claim the freshness of the new laid morning

dew. All of this... and more... is our birthday wish for you. Wishing you a happy and prosperous birthday Best wishes, Prem, Archana, Rupa, Prabhu, Jayanti, Sujata, Deepa and all...ur loving friends Hewlett-Packard

Belated messages ■ Dear Sugan V wish u a Happy Birthday. Hope it brings you Success without delay Diamonds of joy to stay Sufficient time to pray Fondest of friendships to obey New dresses to wear Cheerful news to hear Powerful decisions to swear Good friends to bear Best wishes from here Wipro Technologies

■ Dear Nisha, Many more happy returns of the day. Let your life spring with happiness and sparkle with joy. Have a great day padips, Friends, R1 :-)

■ Dear Tirumalavathi, Birthday may come and go, But this is the 1st one in our company, Here is wishing you a very happy B’day and a great year ahead Have lots of fun in our company. Best Wishes From DCMS TEAM, FSS

■ Dear Manoj May this bday be just the beginning of a year filled with happy memories, wonderful moments and shining dreams. Lots of Lov Team Americhoice & Ur buddies Siv and Shukla CTS

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Two more mouths to feed A Chinese farmer was stunned when his sow gave birth to a piglet with three eyes and two mouths.

sudoku

At Venkat’s home when his kittens were a month old. Venkat works with HCL. Hobbies: Coin collection

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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Word’s worth “Qualtagh” (kwahl-tuhkh) the first person you meet after leaving your house on some special occasion. Also, the first person entering a house on New Year’s Day (Often called a first-foot). The new year’s qualtagh, for luck, is supposed to be a dark-haired man. A redheaded or female qualtagh is unlucky. Other things to bring luck to the house on New Year’s Day include serving black-eyed peas, having the qualtagh bring shortbread and whiskey (sounds fine for any day of the year), and sweeping all the garbage in the house out through the front door before midnight on New Year’s Eve (so that any of the misfortune of the past year is gone, not to return).

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 You may remain practical, calculative and analytical at workplace today. This can help you in handling the routine work. In love life, you may be less emotional and more pragmatic so your lover may find it very strange.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Ganesha finds you very decisive and confident today. You will be able to judge things well in advance which will help you quicken up routine office-work. Lovers may remain practical in their approach towards matters related to heart.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Domestic requirements and demands may rule your mind today. Being logical and practical by nature, you will be able to handle these things well along with your routine office work. Ganesha suggests you not to get into conflicts with superiors.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 You may be in a mood to do research and development today. Your mind would be so active that you will not be able to think about anything else then work. You would not be able to pay due attention to love life.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 You may be very verbal while at work so Ganesha finds you giving suggestions to everyone around you. Ensure that you are not hurt if your suggestions are not accepted by others with due grace.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

You may wish to establish proper work routine and schedule in order to perform better at workplace. Another reason for this is, you may want to devote equal time to your life partner too. You may be very judgemental and precise while at work.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Ganesha finds you investing time behind problem solving at workplace today. Your capacity to solve everything is generally good being a Libran but today you may feel frustrated as you may not be able to find solutions of some burning issues.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Your colleagues will be favourably disposed today so it will help you finish off routine office work very fast. Support from superiors may also encourage you to take a call on something which was pending since long.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 You will be less enthusiastic and more pragmatic in your approach towards work and related matters. Main reason behind this is, you now exactly know that some pending activities need to be given high priority. Your love life may remain demanding

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 Although you may depend a great deal on luck factor, today you will be in a mood to give due importance to other people’s opinions. Ganesha finds you calling for or attending important meetings, which may be for future development.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 It is best day to have a look at past and finish off pending social and official work. At office, you may interact with others in order to find solution to some long-pending issues. Love life may remain almost uneventful today, feels Ganesha.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 You may find yourself agreeing to what others feel and believe, be it home or office. As you are very emotional by nature, if someone tries to point out your mistakes, you may feel hurt but Ganesha suggests you not to feel offended. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Singer Fergie performs on day 3 of The Big Dance free concert on Sunday in Detroit, Michigan. PHOTO: BILL PUGLIANO/GETTY IMAGES/AFP

Gabriel Garcia Marquez denies he has stopped writing Nobel literature laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez has denied reports that he had stopped writing, Colombia’s El Tiempo newspaper reported on Sunday. The newspaper asked the author of One Hundred Years of Solitude if it was true that he would not write again, as his literary agent, Carmen Balcells, had recently told the Chilean daily La Tercera. “Not only is it not true, but the only true thing is that I do nothing else but write,” Garcia Marquez told El Tiempo by telephone from his home in Mexico, responding to the first of two questions he agreed to answer. In response to a question about whether he “will publish more books”, the author said “his trade is not to publish, but to write”. “I will know when the cakes I am baking are ready to eat,” Garcia Marquez said. The 82-year-old writer has not published a book since 2004, when ‘Memoria de mis putas tristes’(Memories of My Melancholy Whores) came out. IANS

Sri Lankan cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara (L) hugs Pakistan bus driver Mohammad Khalil during a felicitation ceremony at The Sri Lankan Cricket office in Colombo on Monday. Sri Lanka has rewarded Khalil $21,800 for his role in protecting the island’s cricket team during last month’s gun and grenade attack in Lahore. AFP PHOTO/LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI