Postnoon E-Paper for February 23rd 2013 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

DESCENT INTO DARKNESS

oung children in Meghalaya who should have been at school find themselves deep in the Earth’s bowels digging for coal. We bring you in pictures, life at the coal mines. PG 16&17

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Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper

FEBRUARY 23, 2013 HYDERABAD

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ON SATURDAY

The NIA and State police have reportedly uncovered CCTV footage of those suspected of carrying out the terror attacks on Thursday night. It is said that six shops near Konark Theatre were fitted with working CCTV cameras. The investigating agencies are currently examining the footage.

BREAKTHROUGH? REPORT ON PG 3

N SHIVA KUMAR

PAGE TWO SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

ANNUAL DAY CELEBRATIONS

Darpana Exhibition of paintings by Jayadevanna TS, an artist from Mysore, sponsored by Kanasa and Culture Department, Bangalore. Where: Rainbow Art Gallery, GMC Paryataka Bhavan Begumpet When: February 20-25

Terracotta jewellery Harini Rao presents H’earth Treasures of the Soil, an exhibition cum sale of hand crafted Terracotta Jewellery. Necklace sets, pendants, earrings, jhumkas, and anklets will be on display. Where: Trendz, Sri Sathya Sai Nigamam, Srinagar Colony When: February 21-23, 11am to 8pm Contact: 98853 13050

Return Of Innocence Sculptural paintings by Lester Paul will be on display. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills When: Up to March 2, 11.30am to 7pm Contact: www.iconart.in

Solo art show Display of works by Saraswathi L. Where: Muse, Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre When: Up to March 2

Music and dining Anish Sood will get the guests grooving with his signature numbers. TAPAS food will be served. Where: SKY Lounge, Hotel Avasa, Madhapur When: February 23, 8pm onwards Contact: (040) 6728 2828

Double the love Papa John’s offers heart shaped thin crust pizza for an entire month. It is available in all existent flavours and at no extra cost. Where: All Papa John’s outlets When: February

Korean Promotion Flavours of authentic family style Korean cuisine prepared by native chefs from Hyatt Regency Incheon. Where: Oriental Bar & Kitchen When: Lunch: 12.30pm onwards Dinner: 19.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 4949 1204

Samahaara workshop Samahaara is organising ‘Samahaara Weekend Theatre Workshops.’ Apart from acting, it includes outdoor theatre activities, readings, analysis and discussions.

CINEMAS

Nizam College students participate in a rangoli contest at Basheer Bagh. Where: Lamakaan, Off Road no. 1, Lane Adjacent to C-Bay Banjara Hills When: Weekends, Up to February 24 Contact: 96427 31329

The Landmark sale Landmark announces its sale of Up to 70 per cent off. Bestselling books starting at `49, 3 for 2 on the top 500 new releases are just some of the offers. Where: Landmark When: Up to February 25

Filmmaking workshop Alliance Francaise along with Yavanika Films is conducting a film appreciation course over two weekends and a filmmaking workshop over four weekends for adults. When: Weekends starting from February 23, 11am onwards Contact: 94901 00404

Articrafts Thejus.com, an e-commerce player in the traditional-handcrafted-artifacts is presents its range of artifacts in Hyderabad. Where: Sri Sathya Sai Nigamam, Srinagar Colony When: February 21-23 Contact: www.thejus.com

ead City’s down to #1 Syn at spot the Taj Deccan where a Korean feast of flavour awaits you. Korean cuisine is unfortunately the step child of Asian cuisine in Hyderabad, but Syn will change that view, charged with flavour and spicy enough to tantalise even the most spice-damaged Indian taste buds. The festival runs for dinners only till February 28, so be there to experience the Seoul of food (see what we did there!). You can read the full review by The Foodist this Sunday.

Evening of short plays The Samahaara Weekend Theatre Workshop will end with the participants performing five short plays. Where: Lamakaan, Off Road no. 1, Lane Adjacent to C-Bay Banjara Hills When: February 23, 7pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329

HWMF-Listening Post Listening to classical and jazz music recordings with visual aids, notes, question-answer sessions and

M ANIL KUMAR

discussion on the same. Where: Lamakaan, Off Road no. 1, Lane Adjacent to C-Bay Banjara Hills When: February 24, 4pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329

Music for charity Stray Train Trio's charity concert, composed by Krishna (vocal and guitar), Mark (bass) and Riccardo (percussion). It is an Indo-Italian collaboration. Where: Lamakaan, Off Road no. 1, Lane Adjacent to C-Bay Banjara Hills When: February 24, 7pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329

The Oath of Vayuputras There is a discount on the last book in the Shiva trilogy. Landmark is running a pre-booking offer. Where: Landmark When: Up to February 26

The First Cut A festival of short films and documentaries, where amateurs can showcase their talents. Where: St. Francis College for Women, Uma Nagar, Begumpet When: March 4, 10.30am onwards

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

CITY SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

‘Strengthen intelligence’

Mayor hears grievances

nion tourism minister K Chiranjeevi stressed the need to strengthen intelligence system in the country. Visiting the blast site near Dilsukhnagar on Friday, Chiranjeevi said the bombing incident could not be the cause of security failure, but there was a need to strengthen intelligence as such incidents could adversely affect the tourism sector.

ayor Majid Hussain will hear grievances and public petitions, including RTI applications filed within the greater Hyderabad municipal corporation (GHMC) zone from 3pm to 5pm today. The public meeting is set to take place at the central zone office where pending public grievances will also be looked into.

Birth certificates

eople above the age of 15 can register and take a their birth certificate, in a one-time opportunity offered by the State government. Principal secretary of the medical and health department, Ajay Sawhney, issued orders following representations from the GHMC that several senior citizens were seeking such an opportunity.

‘Stop chasing T-leaders’ Md INKESHAF AHMED

ahmed.m@postnoon.com

wo days after the deadly bomb blast that claimed 16 lives, there seems to be a clear absence of unity among the political parties of the State. The rival parties have turned their guns on the State government for its failure to prevent the twin bomb blasts. Except former bureaucrat Jayaprakash Narayan of Loksatta, and to some extent the MIM party, all other rival parties utilised the opportunity to corner the ruling dispensation with their sharp reactions. Leaders of TRS, CPM and YSR Congress publicly condemned the failure of the State government and its intelligence department in averting the incident. Speaking to Postnoon,

importance of those warnings, we could have avoided the blasts. The sheer failure of the State government led to this incident,” he said. YSR Congress leader Dr MV Mysura Reddy also blamed the government for the blasts. When Postnoon asked these leaders whether they are united in the State government’s fight against terrorism, these leaders said in unison that they are ready extend their cooperation to the State government in its fight against terrorism. On the other hand, the crucial stakeholder in Hyderabad, the MIM party, extended its full support to the ruling Congress party despite its political differences. “This is the time when all political parties individuals come together, extending their support to the efforts made by the state government in the aftermath of the bomb blast,” said MIM president and MP Asaduddin Owaisi.

TRS senior leader T Hareesh Rao said that the State government had shown interest in destroying the ongoing Telangana agitation, but not protecting the State from terrorist attacks. “The State government was always worried about how to kill the T-agitation and not on how to protect the State. If the State had shown the same kind of enthusiasm and interest in upholding law and order, the bomb blast could have been prevented,” he said. CPM floor leader Julakanti Ranga Reddy too alleged that the deadly bomb blast is the result of gross failure of the State government and added that the incident could have been avoided if the government had taken adequate measures immediately after the warnings. “It is evident from the facts that the State government did not pay heed to the warnings of the Central government and its agencies. If they had recognised the

‘15-year-olds can make bomb’ Rahul Ramakrishna rahul.r@postnoon.com

hen the National Investigative Agency found traces of ammonium nitrate and pentaerythritol trinitrate at the Dilsukhnagar bomb blast site, the chemist community was not surprised. Both the chemicals can be easily procured. Making a bomb is simple. A person with a basic knowledge of fuses, detonators and explosives can make an IED. In fact, some of the most common household items can be turned into potentially dangerous explosives.

EASE

OF ACCESS

The most common chemicals that can be turned into a crude bomb are domestic, daily use items. Our homes are awash with chemical explosives that can be put to destructive purposes. Even the compressor in your AC can be an explosive if one knew how to ignite the compressor oil. The chemical compounds found in Dilsukhnagar area had traces of ammonium nitrate and pentaerythritol trinitrate

(PETN), both of them common primary high explosives that could be detonated with a simple detonator. Nagasai, Reserve Inspector of the City Security Wing, which handles Bomb Disposals says, “PETN and ammonium nitrate can be distilled from fertilizers. But it is not a simple process and requires experience and a factory lab setup. The oil and explosive mixture need to be in the right ratio mixed at the right temperatures. Just because it is possible theoretically, does not mean one can sit in his kitchen and make bombs.”

‘BOMBS

FROM ANYTHING ’

Crude bombs, the potentially life threatening ones, can be made even by a 15-year-old studying chemistry, says a professor of chemistry department from Osmania University. “Nitrate compounds were used in the Dilsukhnagar bomb blast. One can make small bombs, but it is not easy to manufacture IED’s in your house. It is not just mixing chemicals simply and waiting for the explosion to happen. The trick is to know how to do them, as even the simplest of mistakes

Petrol bunks culprits

hile it may seem trivial, petrol and kerosene are the most commonly used to create bombs. Molotov cocktails as they are called, petrol bombs can be dangerous killers. It is appalling how petrol and kerosene are openly sold in the market, especially at bunks, into loose bottles or containers. “The practice of buying and allowing fuel to be transported in bottles and other containers should be discouraged. The legal metrology department should insist on heavy fines if any petrol bunk were found doing such things,” says a commuter at the Erramanzil petrol bunk.

can be counter productive, if not fatal,” says Yadagiri Swamy, professor of chemistry department, Osmania University.

The internet is the primary source of bomb making studies. One simple search engine can give a user over a million websites where graphic descriptions of bomb making are available. Some anarchist websites, in fact, promote how and where to use these bombs, complete with forecasts of the bomb’s intensity. So what does the City police do in order to regulate such potentially dangerous content from reaching the wrong hands? “Yes, we are aware of the fact that bombs can be made out of anything. Crude bombs like petrol bombs, rigged gas cylinders, pipe bombs made of gunpowder or firecracker ammunition can be easily made, but do not have the same impact as an IED. It is not as if one can read about performing an operation on the human body and then decide to do it. Simple as it may sound, bomb making is highly dangerous and difficult. The most difficult task is not procuring the explosives, but putting them together,” Nagasai says. But the fact that no such internet censorship or filtering exists in the city does not put our fears to ease.

Headway in Hyderabad blast case? Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com

IA and State police have reportedly stumbled upon some snaps of suspected characters in the venue of blasts (Anand Tiffin centre), Postnoon has learnt. It is said that six shops in the lane of Konark Theatre had CCTV. Of the six, two shops’ (one a medical shop and the other a cloth shop) footage reportedly shows two men coming ona bicycle, parking and leaving. It was the abandoned bicycles that carried explosives. Officials also seized some footage from the Dilsukhnagar traffic signal, where reflections of men resembling to those who came before the shops on bicycle. This apart, the police are interrogating a man in jail connected to IM. He was accused in the Odean theatre blast last year.

CITY SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

Black Thursday: Why was Dilsukhnagar targeted again? Was the market area the intended target? How safe do the residents

Why Dilsukhnagar? Postnoon broke the story that the Sai Baba temple could have been the intended target. Thursdays are considered auspicious and a huge crowd gathers there.

MOHD SUBHAN

mohd.s@postnoon.com

ith the focus shifting to the main target of the Thursday blasts, witnesses told Postnoon that they suspect that the Sai Baba Temple, located just 400 meters from the blast site at Dilsukhnagar, was the original target. Thursdays are considered auspicious for Sai Baba devotees, and like every week, there was a large crowd gathered at the temple. Among the devotees was City police commissioner Anurag Sharma, who was flanked by several policemen. “There was heavy police presence in the area, due to which the terrorists were not able to get near the temple. That is why the bombs must have been shifted to the marketplace, where they killed so many innocent people,” said Mohd Abdul Raheem, a resident of Dilsukhnagar. The attacks have evoked strong responses from residents. If the aim was to create a religious divide, then according to many, the terrorists failed miserably. Prem Gayani, a local busi-

nessman, like many others here, feels that the terrorists have no religion. “They are neither Hindu nor Muslim. They are just people who want to create panic and disturb the law and order situation. Nearly a decade ago a group of terrorists targeted Dilsukhnagar to try and create a communal divide; but we are aware of their tactics and will never let them divide us. We are all human beings and in Thursday’s blasts Muslims also lost their lives. Now is the time

Prior to the blasts, there was no friction between Hindus and Muslims. But since Thursday, I can see some communal differences cropping up. I have been here for 20 years and we have all lived peacefully. Now I am a little worried. This is harmful... Terror has no religion. Shaik Khaja, Businessman in Dilsukhnagar

BJP leaders Bandaru Dattatraya and Venkat reddy burn the effigy of terrorism M ANIL KUMAR at GPO, Abids.

for us to unite and we want to tell the terrorists that they have lost”. Gayani also criticised the government and administration because according to him, the lack of street lights at the busy bus stand, which is extremely

crowded during peak hours, helped the terrorists plant the bombs. Another businessman, Shaik Khaja, however has a different story to tell. This mobile phone dealer feels that the blasts have indeed created a kind of divide

Rapid action force and the bomb squad check the area near Charminar. M ANIL KUMAR

between the two communities. “Prior to the blasts there was no friction between Hindus and Muslims, but since Thursday, I can see some communal differences cropping up. I have been here for 20 years and we have all lived peacefully. But now I am a little worried. This is harmful for the residents. Of course, terror has no religion. Whoever is responsible must be publicly hanged,” said Khaja. Everyone’s worst nightmare came true when a suspected cylinder blast turned out to be much more. Ch Sai Kumar also feels that the main target was the Sai Baba Temple. According to him, policemen attached to the Malakpet Police Station took 15 minutes to respond. “After the blast there were three police constables in the area who were posted in the Malakpet Police Station outpost. But they took up to 15 minutes to swing into action. This was certainly a planned act of terror, the target of which was the Sai Baba Temple,” he said.

4&5

City won’t succumb of Dilsukhnagar feel? Will they continue to live in the area or will they relocate? Postnoon finds out.

‘Can’t keep running’

M ANIL KUMAR

The choice of place to execute the serial blasts seems well planned. The area is bustling with trade activity and is densely populated. But the residents say they won’t run away.

ALEENA ALICE

aleena.t@postnoon.com

wo days after the deadly serial blast, life here is limping to normalcy. Though the blast has definitely shaken and devastated the people of this area, the residents say they will not lose hope. “What happened on Thursday was painful and horrific. However, it’s high time we faced the situation, and let the people, who plotted this ghastly act, know that we will not succumb to the fear of such horrific activities. On Thursday, I was in the shop along with my father, who was at the cash counter. The impact of the blast was so much that my father fractured his hand. It was horrifying to see so many people lose their lives. Whatever happened is wrong and is only because of lack of proper security measures,” said Rakesh, who owns a mobile shop a few metres from the blast site. Another shop owner, who witnessed the blast along with his 6-year-old grandson, was present at the site to assess the damage and check if he could put up his shop again. “On Thursday, I came to my shop just 10 minutes before the blast took place. Every evening, I bring my grandson along. I got him along on that day as well. After the first blast, I immediately took my grandson and ran out. Else, we too would have been blown up. But the impact was so much that both my grandson and I were injured in the incident,” said P Ramakrishna, the bangle shop owner. When asked if he is considering relocating his shop, he said, “I have been earning my bread and butter through this shop for years. Even if I shift to another area, what is the guarantee the same incident will not take place there? The government should bear the responsibility for the damage and ensure

A bangle shop owner and his six-year-old grandson injured in the blasts

N SHIVA KUMAR

nothing like this happens in the future.” Residents living in Dilsukhnagar for more than 30 years say though this is the second time a bomb blast has occurred in the area, it does not give them a reason to run away. “My family and I have been living here for over 30 years. When we built this house in this area, it was very calm and peaceful. Due to the number of commercial establishments that mushroomed, Dilsukhnagar has become a mini trade centre. This gives the government and police officials even more reason to beef up security. The only reason this incident took place is because of the lack of policing. We find cops in the area, but only to collect money from twowheelers. Today it happened in Dilsukhnagar, tomorrow it can happen anywhere. For how long can we keep running like nomads from one area to another?” said P Satyanarayana Rao, an architect. Students who attend the many educational institutions in the area, feel threatened to go back to the bus stop. “To reach my college, I have to board the bus from that bus stop where the blast took place. Fearing that bus stops are the soft targets, I have not been going to college for the past two days. But how long can we avoid this and escape from the situation? The police should conduct thorough checks, contentiously, especially at bus stops,” says Sharadha, an intermediate student.

CITY SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

GHMC mourns colleague The Corporation and the mayor mourned the loss of Ramulu, a GHMC employee, who was killed in Thursday’s twin blasts. They have pledged half a day’s pay to help his family. Md NIZAMUDDIN

nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

ith the sudden death of one of their colleagues in the bomb blast, the GHMC workforce is shocked and the head office bore a deserted look on Friday. Not only MIM, but MBT, its adversary, does not want to politicise the issue of the bomb blast. There answer to questions, to the blast remain, “Let the agencies conduct an impartial investigation.” Amjed Ullah Khan, MBT corporator, hopes that the police identifies the true culprits. About the ex-gratia from the mayor, he said, “The mayor has the power to give it, so he will be doing it,” he says. “I have yet to return to my house,” he added. Mayor Mohammed Majid

Hussain, who visited all the hospitals on the night of the blast, felt the need to announce an exgratia of `1 lakh to the families of the deceased, including the GHMC employee. According to sources, the mayor visited various hospitals, including Osmania General Hospital and met the injured and the relatives of the deceased till 2am. On Friday morning, he visited the houses of the deceased, who live in the City and consoled them. He announced an ex-gratia to the families in person. According to officials, this is the first time that the GHMC has announced an ex-gratia for the victims of a bomb blast. He even visited the family of the deceased GHMC employee Ramulu, superintendent, UCD Wing, and consoled the bereaved family. He also announced `1 lakh ex-gratia and one junior assistant post to a members of his family. He directed GHMC

commissioner MT Krishna Babu to settle the process at the earliest, in order to give the promised benefits to the bereaved families. G Rajkumar, deputy mayor and MT Krishna Babu, also visited and consoled the bereaved family earlier. The mayor also visited the family of late Venkateshwar

‘Terror works only with local help’ PK Surendran pk.surendran@postnoon.com

here is often, if not always, a close link between words and deeds. The BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu’s reference in the Rajya Sabha to the Delhi police documents about the 2001 warning that some local elements attached to a political party had helped the Indian Mujahideen in conducting a recce in the City, has to be connected with the hate-speech cases that recently cropped up in Hyderabad. Hate-speeches are as serious as placing bombs in public places. It is reported that a hate-speech, played on CD, made a judicial official to wonder aloud if it was possible for a politician to talk like a terrorist. Any intelligence agency, and even common sense, agrees that no act of terrorism can happen without local help. “Why are you not inquiring who those local thugs are?” asked Naidu to Home Minister SK Shinde. “Because of your vote bank politics and appeasing some section of the community this terror is perpetuated on the innocent people of Hyderabad.” “I wonder why Hyderabad is subjected to frequent battering by terror,” said the BJP leader. “Here is a chief minister who says he had handed over to the police the intelligence alert received

Rao, senior assistant, veterinary department at Saidabad along with Singireddy Srinivas Reddy, the TDP floor leader. According to officials, Hussain also visited the families of Aijaz Ahmed in Prem Nagar, Amberpet along with Kaleru Venkatesh, former Congress leader and of Mohd Rafi in

Hafeez Baba Nagar at Chandrayangutta, both of whom were killed and consoled the families. Krishna Babu, while addressing a condolence meeting that had been arranged at the GHMC head office said that no religion or no belief accepts the killing of innocents for achieving their goals. He also informed that the GHMC will take all the necessary steps in order to help the bereaved families. All the employees of the GHMC assembled in front of the office and observed two minutes of silence for their colleague. The commissioner also informed that the employees of GHMC (the cadre of junior assistant to commissioner, including technical and non-technical) will contribute their half day basic salary (collection of which would be around `6.22 lakh) to help the bereaved family as a mark of solidarity.

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three days ago about a possible terror strike,” chuckled Naidu. He said the AP government had clearly brushed aside repeated intelligence warnings after Afzal Guru’s hanging. It was obvious that some terror module had attended a “condolence meeting” of Afzal Guru conducted across the border. Why do we need enemies if we have such friends?” he wondered.

CLEAR

ILLEGAL SETTLERS

It is a fact that India has a huge unspecified number of illegal migrants crawling across its porous borders. The flow continues. For instance, thousands of Burmese Muslims are given shelter by politicians of this City without even bothering to check their credentials. What is preventing terrorists from getting mixed up with these illegal migrants and getting a ration card or even an Aadhaar card? These very elements provide fodder to terror outfits cheaply. That the AP police had been found wanting on their sworn duty is beyond doubts. But political bosses must bear the blame for making the police anaemic. If, as Naidu said, the appeasement will not stop and a resolve is not made that terror will not be taken lightly, never mind which religion, India will continue to bleed and get stranded in the mire of stagnation.

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NATION SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

MH cops donate `15 crore

Another minor raped in Bhandara

Woman killed over dowry

aharashtra police personnel have decided to contribute about `15 crore for drought relief measures in the state, an official said. "Constables and sub-inspectors will donate their one day salary. Assistant police inspectors and above level officers will contribute their two days' salary towards drought relief," a police officer told PTI today.

lose on the heels of the rape and murder of three minor girls of a family in Bhandara, a 14-year- old girl was allegedly raped by a teacher on school premises in the district. Yadav Borkar, 46, a government school teacher, allegedly raped the girl at Golati village of Bhandara district two days ago, police said. After the complaint was filed today, Borkar was arrested. On February 14, three girls — sisters — aged 6, 9 and 11 years, went missing from Murwadi village of the district. Their bodies were found in a well two days later.

newly-married woman was today set afire allegedly by her husband over dowry demand in Nautanwa area here, police said. Anjali, 20, was married to Jeewan Vaish about two months ago. In his complaint Anjali's father has alleged that the girl was murdered for dowry and blamed the husband and in-laws for it, the police said.

PSLV countdown begins CHENNAI: The 59-hour countdown for the February 25 launch of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle to put into orbit seven satellites, including Indo-French spacecraft SARAL, commenced at 6.56am today at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in the spaceport of Sriharikota. The Launch Authorisation Board earlier cleared the launch

schedule for February 25 at 5.56pm from the first launch pad in Sriharikota, ISRO sources said. PSLV-C20, the 23rd PSLV Mission of ISRO, will put the 400 kg Indo-French satellite and six others into orbit. President Pranab Mukherjee is likely to witness the launch along with AP Chief Minister Kiran PTI Kumar Reddy. A simulated target is destroyed in a night exercise during the 'Iron Fist 2013' at Pokharan near Jaisalmer on Friday. PTI

CLASSIFIEDS HEALTH

SERVICES

SALON

Security tightened at Indo-Nepal border after blasts MAHRAJGANJ: In the wake of Hyderabad blasts, the Uttar Pradesh and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) have stepped up vigil along the Indo-Nepal border to prevent any untoward incidents. The security agencies have been asked to ascertain the identities of people before allowing them to cross over through the border, commandant SSB KS Bankothi said. The SSB deployed in the area that falls under the Mahrajganj district, have installed close circuit cameras on each and every route leading to Nepal, he said. These cameras have been put on SSB posts besides on the main roads. The dog squads trained in

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detecting narcotics and arms have also been deployed to check smuggling. After the deployment of dog squad there would be a lot of relief in checking the suspected people in the bordering area, Bankothi said. "All the border outposts have been kept on high alert. Patrolling in sensitive border areas has been increased to check anti-national elements," the official said. Apart from this, orders have been issued to other security agencies such as IndoNepal Border Police and Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) to be on the alert at the border. SSB in the district sharing border with Nepal, have been put on high alert, Bankothi

said. Intelligence units have also been asked to keep an eye on religious places along the border. Patrolling of public spots such as halls, hotels, rail and bus stations have also been intensified to ward off untoward incidents, Bankothi added. "We are taking all precautionary steps to maintain law and order" and hence possibilities of any repercussions to Hyderabad blasts were few, he said. Two powerful near simultaneous blasts had ripped through a crowded area close to a cluster of bus stands in Dilsukhnagar area of Hyderabad on Thursday in which 16 people were killed and 119 others injured. PTI

Snow shuts Jammu NH

Meghalaya voters defy shutdown

SRINAGAR: The Jammu-Srinagar National

SHILLONG: Ballotting was peaceful Saturday

Highway remained closed for the second day today even as fresh snowfall across Kashmir prompted authorities to issue an avalanche warning in higher reaches of the Valley. "The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway is closed for vehicular traffic due to continuous snowfall on either side of Jawahar tunnel in south Kashmir," a spokesman of the traffic department said. The snowfall in the Valley has affected normal life as electricity supply has been snapped while many roads in the rural areas have been blocked due to snow. An avalanche warning has been issued.

morning across Meghalaya as people came out to vote despite a shutdown called by an outlawed group. Over 1.5 million voters — about half the population of the state — are eligible to decide the fate of 345 candidates, including 25 women and 122 independents. The state will elect its 60member ninth assembly. The State Election Office said polling began at 7am and will be held till 4pm. Ballotting is taking place at 2,485 polling booths, out of which 842 have been termed hypersensitive. "Polling is picking up slowly and over 11 percent voters have cast their votes so far across the state," CEO Prashant Naik said.

COMMENT SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

EDITORIALS

CHALTA HAI won’t do Even negligence of asimple nature can cost us heavily. It has emerged that the Delhi police had alerted AP police about possible terror attacks by the Indian Mujahideen. The information has been proved concrete as is ascertained by Black Thursday though the only difference is the advisory warned about the time of attack as sometime in November. The information came from questioning two IM operatives who spilled the beans and said that upon instructions from top leaders of their outfit, recon was conducted at important centres in Hyderabad and one of the names they let slip was Dilsukhnagar. The State government says that they had acted on the warning issued from the Centre and had taken necessary measures in November, but let the guard down when nothing happened and when their traps netted nothing. But our sleuths ought to be cleverer than that. Here, terrorists seemed to have rightly guessed that Indian police would resume their complacent attitude once the period of alert passes and that has exactly happened. Those behind the blasts cleverly distracted the police, laid low and struck when the police and other security forces least expected. These are terrorists we are dealing with: they are no gentlemen that they strike at the time they named; their only focus is carrying out their mission and sending across the message. And they did. It’s a mighty task anticipating their plans and actions, but no effort must be spared. Because every time they strike and it is a success, they gain and we lose hope. That must not be. We can begin by being alert and dropping out ‘chalta hai’ attitude.

WHY WE LOVE... tough Tests In the morning session of the Test played between India and Australia, it was R Ashwin all the way. He foxed the batsmen with his suberb bowling and gave India the lead. As usual, we let it slip off our hands while Pup slowly and steadily steadied his ship. There cannot have been a better successor to Punter. Captaincy does not bog him down: in fact, he appears to enjoy being in a spot and getting out of it.

Playing the part Soul Curry SUMAA TEKUR

A close friend’s birthday party earlier this week was the cause of both excitement and dread. Excitement to the die-hard Bollywood fans amongst the invitees, and dread to those who were caught up in the more serious issues of life, including work and such like, who couldn’t indulge their desires. The Bollywood-themed costume party was an ode to the power of role play, especially for those who made the effort to find just the perfect costume and the right accessories to complete the look. There was Vidya Balan in Kahaani. She had a pillow tied to her belly under her printed dress. She carried a water bottle, and walked into the party with a suitcase on wheels. There were other Vidya Balans,

too, with Kanjeevaram and silk sarees. There was Babli from Bunty aur Babli. Her colourful kurti, baggy salwar, bangles and flowers in her hair, made her a conspicuous figure on the dance floor. There was Shilpa Shetty in her trademark animal print dress from the song, Churake Dil Mera, prancing around trees with another Bollywood hottie Akshay Kumar. All to say that the enthusiastic dressers outdid the others. There was loose creativity, high imagination and the opportunity to get social, even with people one had just met. The relaxed atmosphere, music and ambience helped the cause. But the theme served as a conversation starter, breaking the ice with the most reluctant guests. Role play is powerful in helping teams develop social skills in a non-intimidating, fun environment. There’s escape, enjoyment and relaxation all rolled into one. Role play gives one the opportunity to be someone else for those few hours and play out hi-

ROLE PLAY GIVES ONE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE SOMEONE ELSE FOR THOSE FEW HOURS AND PLAY OUT HIS/HER DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS. s/her dreams and aspirations. The hugely popular video game, Second Life, plays on this very concept of giving users an identity contrary to their own, so that they can experience being another character and doing all the things they cannot otherwise do. After all, the entire world’s a stage and we are but actors. Role play gives us an escape from the daily humdrum of life. It allows us the luxury of going beyond the personal boundaries we have set for ourselves and to be someone we cannot be everyday of our lives. We can ditch the comfort zone within which we operate, in order to explore a wilder, more fun side to ourselves. When

there’s too much control in the other areas of our lives at all times – controlling time, controlling relationships, controlling work, controlling daily tasks – role play allows us the freedom to get away from the clutches of control to explore another terrain. Becoming someone else for a short period of time gives us the opportunity to bend the rules and test out limits in how far we’re willing to go. It’s all about living in the moment and having a laugh at seriousness. But this fun side is only possible when there is a social exchange, when there is a communication with someone who understands the naughtiness of the role play. We do it for ourselves, at the end of the day – to indulge our desires and to express our sub-conscious motivations in a non-threatening way. Needless to say, the guests who made the effort to dress up in a costume had a lot of fun. But the observers had their share of laughs, too. For, without the observers, part of the humour would be lost.

COMMENT SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

Fear Over The City M ANIL KUMAR

My World SHRADDHA JAHAGIRDAR-SAXENA

VISWAPRASAD RAJU

Urban sketches

Journey

ears ago, when I was a rookie, quite green behind the ears, in my profession, one of my earliest pieces was titled Fear Over The City. This was, I remember, part of a multicity spotlight that focused on the issues of safety and tension, following killings and attacks in a few metros across India. I remember how I had travelled to Mumbai’s close neighbour Pune – a city where killings had occurred in quick succession -to speak to a few residents. A couple of days ago, news channels and then the papers reported the blasts in Hyderabad. We sat in the safety of our drawing rooms and watched in horror as the familiar images – but of a different kind and from a different place – played out on our small screens. Our minds screamed ‘Not again? Why?’ as we frantically tried to reach out to our friends and family in the city that is so well known for its cultural bent, cuisine and swift development. Along with that concern we felt the frustration and anger that these incidents do not seem to be ending! Years have rolled by, decades I can say without impunity, but has the degree of fear reduced from our lives? I can say without a shadow of doubt that it has

not. On the contrary, fear looms larger than ever in our lives even as we go about the humdrum business of our lives with stoic regularity. I am not referring here to the routine fears of being robbed, or getting involved in an accident. At one point when air disasters had grabbed headlines, those became a cause of fear amongst frequent travellers here. Those were looked upon as

one-offs compared to what is happening with almost clockwork regularity in our country and the world at large. As we were growing up, and I am referring to the seventies, the largest fear that loomed in our mind was getting through the war. I was a tiny kid then but I remember the windows of my house in the plush area of Breach Candy being plastered with brown paper to keep in the

lights at night. Of course, one could not expect to prevent aerial attacks by this minor ‘armour’ but why invite attention, was the logic. And when the siren used to go off, we would all dive under anything convenient in our room – be it a huge dining table or a double bed. The wars were open battles with what foreign nations and had a beginning middle and end

– if I can put it in simple language. But what about the blasts that are occurring with a seemingly random timeline. And no city seems to be spared either. New Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune…and more. And no one – whether you live in Mumbai or not – has forgotten 26/11 Cities and their residents no longer know what or when to expect a terror attack. Is that the way to live…or die? Today, as the nation’s ‘age’ is increasing – and here I am referring to is growing and our parents and grandparents are growing old and living in many cases alone – we worry, not that they will be felled by a natural cause but if they will be assaulted by an intruder who knows that they live alone and are soft targets for theft that could so easily and tragically spiral into murder! Such is what city life has become and such is what the economics of our times have driven individuals to do. I often wonder when all this will change. For the better. Will the future generations inherit a better world? While pondering on these lines, the words of the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore come to mind: “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high….. Let my country awake!” When will that happen? And where is that kind of world? The writer is a senior journalist, currently executive editor of Verve.

Global edits The Guardian (UK)

Unthinkable? Wimbledon in the desert

nly cultural stick-in-the-muds will have been surprised by the announcement that the 2014 Giro d’Italia – professional cycling’s annual tour of Italy – will start in Belfast. With next year’s Tour de France also rolling out in Yorkshire, the geographical ties that once bound sporting events to their traditional locations are being discarded in favour of lucrative marketing deals. It’s certainly one way to get on the sporting map, even if it’s not quite in the expected place. But why stop with cycling? If Ulster can oust Umbria in the Giro and Leeds can displace Lyon in the Tour, there is no reason why other previously location-specific events should be left behind in sport’s latest dash for cash. Bring the New York marathon to Newcastle, for example, the Hong Kong Sevens to Inverness, or the Isle of Man TT to the Isle of Dogs. The Paris-Dakar rally, which has already been forced to abandon its west African origins for South America on security grounds, could surely be tempted to another new

SHOULD WE CELEBRATE THE SEVERING OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL TIES THAT ONCE BOUND SPORTING EVENTS TO THEIR TRADITIONAL LOCATIONS?

home in a West Midlands industrial wasteland. Why not bring the Alaska Iditarod dog-sled contest to Dagenham, the Monaco grand prix to Merseyside, or the Kentucky Derby to Swansea? In an interconnected world, of course, we must transport some of our own traditional fixtures to distant shores too. Hold the Lord’s Test in Rio and boost Brazilian cricket, perhaps. And since football and golf have both sold up and moved to the Gulf already, why not the Wimbledon championships too?

BUSINESS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

Areas won’t be exempted: US

he US and Japan said Friday that talks on a Pacific-wide free trade pact would not make prior exemptions of sectors, despite Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s pledges in the last election. Abe, paying his first visit to Washington since his Liberal Democratic Party swept back to power, did not make any commitment on joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks.

Microsoft added to hacker hit list

Britain loses AAA rating

icrosoft joined Facebook and Apple on Friday on the list of US technology titans targeted in recent cyberattacks. “As reported by Facebook and Apple, Microsoft can confirm that we also recently experienced a similar security intrusion,” Trustworthy Computing team general manager Matt Thomlinson said in a blog post. There was no evidence customer data was stolen but an investigation into the attack was continuing, according to Thomlinson.

ating agency Moody’s cut Britain’s debt rating Friday by one notch from the top-grade AAA to Aa1, citing slow growth and a rising debt burden. Moody’s also cut its AAA rating for the country’s central bank, the Bank of England, by one step, also to Aa1. The British economy is constrained both by the turgid global economy, Moody’s said.

Brand Hyderabad suffers setback after blasts The City has been struggling to portray itself as a business hub. With power cuts and political disturbances already hurting its image, the blast has made prospective businesses more wary. PRUDHVI RAJU K

prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

yderabad, known around the world for its pharma and IT exports, is now struggling to retain its lost glory. With burgeoning issues like power cuts and political agitations, the State has already lost many external investment business opportunities. Many existing manufacturing businesses are shutting their units here and some are even looking to states like Gujarat for business and start-up opportunities. Adding to this, the recent twin blasts in Dilsukhnagar have come as a blow to the business community here. To

counter this, Andhra Pradesh — one of the highest tax earning states in the country — needs to beef up its security and investigative procedures by increasing spending on the safety and security of its citizens. Devendra Surana, president, FAPCCI, is concerned about the impact of the terror blasts on the business scenario. “These blasts will definitely have an impact on brand Hyderabad. The State is already suffering from serious power cuts and political uncertainty; adding the blasts to this equation has further raised security concerns for the public and businesses,” he said. According to him, Hyderabad may lose out to other south Indian cities if there is not much difference in other business offerings (such as

SURANA CAUTIONS THAT BUSINESS IN THE CITY WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO GET BACK ON TRACK IF IT IS FREE FROM POLITICAL OR SECURITY DISTURBANCES FOR AT LEAST SIX TO 12 MONTHS. infrastructure, human resource and other policy incentives) between the southern states. In such a situation, security may end up being the deciding factor. Echoing Surana’s sentiment is Ramesh Datla, chairman of CII National Committee of IP Owners. According to him, the

attacks will have an impact on the City in the short term. He stressed that security will have to be beefed up in the State if Hyderabad has any chance of salvaging its image. “The blasts will definitely affect brand Hyderabad for the next few months. These incidents are not just confined to the City but are happening across the country. The impact of the blasts on businesses may be less when compared to other issues like power crisis or political agitations, but the security of the citizens needs to be looked at very seriously,” said Datla. “The government should tighten its security measures and increase surveillance in crowed areas, which can act as a deterrent for such activity to an extent. It can also play a role in

identifying mischief mongers,” Datla said. Although the role of the government is primary in deterring further attacks, the public can also do its bit. Businesses in crowded places must install cameras both inside and outside their premises. Datla feels that awareness must be created among the workforce. He adds that the government should increase its spending on technology for surveillance and intelligence gathering to step up preventive measures. “Rather than concentrating on economic frauds, it is more important for the intelligence agencies to concentrate on terrorists’ moves. India is a vast country and one can find loopholes on the security front. Beefing up the intelligence and acting in advance is the only way to prevent such attacks,” said Surana. R Chalapathi Rao, vice president, AP Real Estate Developers Association (APREDA), is all for a proactive workforce. “The City can only recover from such issues with the support of locals. Hyderabad, which is known as the pharma capital of the country, should not turn into the terror capital. Some places in the Old City have become a safe haven for anti-national forces,” he said. Rao, however, warns that one should not look at this issue from a religious or community angle, but should treat it as a social evil. “Locals need to be cautious and crosscheck prospective tenants before offering flats for rent, irrespective of the rent amount they offer. Social consciousness and support from locals without political interference in police works and investigation are vital to build a safe City,” he added. Surana cautions that business environment in the City will only be able to get back on track if it is free from political or security disturbances for at least the next six to 12 months.

WORLD SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

Pentagon grounds F-35 fleet

he US military temporarily rounded its entire fleet of F-35 fighter jets — used in Air Force, the Navy and the Marines — as a precautionary measure after a routine inspection detected a crack on an engine blade. All F-35 flight operations have been suspended until the investigation is complete, the Pentagon said in a statement yesterday.

Pope to quit Twitter soon

Tear gas worth £1.7m

he pope’s official Twitter account, which has more than two million followers in nine languages, will close next week when Benedict XVI leaves office, Vatican Radio said Friday. After a high-profile launch on December 12 under the name @pontifex, the pontiff’s online musings quickly attracted over 1.5 million followers in English.

gypt spent the equivalent of £1.7m on 140,000 US-sourced teargas canisters last month, despite the Egyptian government nearing bankruptcy – and amid a wave of police brutality that 21 human rights groups this week labelled a return to Mubarak-era state repression. Egypt’s interior ministry made the emergency order at the end of January.

Liberated areas of Syria to have new government DAMASCUS: The opposition National Coalition said Friday it will form a government to run “liberated areas” of Syria, as monitors said more than 12 people were killed when buildings collapsed in a missile strike on the city of Aleppo. International peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, meanwhile, said a devastating bomb blast in Damascus on Thursday was a “war crime” which had left about 100 people dead. “We agreed to form a government to run the affairs of liberated areas,” Coalition spokesman Walid al-Bunni said after a meeting in Cairo, adding the opposition will meet on March 2 to decide on the composition of the government and choose its head. Coalition members said the meeting would be held in Istanbul, while Bunni said it was hoped the government would be based in rebel-held territory of northern Syria. The opposition umbrella group had been discussing a proposal by chairman Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib to hold direct talks with President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. But while saying that while

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on February 21, 2013 shows Syrians carrying an injured man after a powerful car bomb exploded near the headquarters of Syria’s ruling Baath party in the centre of Damascus. AFP peace negotiations could accommodate “honourable members of the Baath Party and the political apparatus”, the group insisted “Assad and the security and military command cannot not be part of any political solution.” Khatib had offered to talk to

regime officials without “blood on their hands” -- an initiative welcomed by the Arab League and the United States, as well as Iran and Russia, both close to the Damascus regime. On the violence in the northern city of Aleppo, Syrian

National Coalition to skip talks in protest

yria’s opposition National Coalition said it was pulling out of several international meetings to protest at the “international silence” despite the slaughter of civilians in the conflict. The announcement came after the coalition had said it would form a government to run “liberated areas” of Syria,

Kerry to discuss Syria

and as international condemnation mounted against Thursday’s devastating attacks in Damascus that left around 100 people dead. In further violence Friday, monitors said more than 12 people had been killed when buildings collapsed after a missile strike on the city of Aleppo.

merica’s top diplomat John Kerry will begin his first official trip as secretary of state on Sunday and when he stops in Rome, Kerry will concentrate on multilateral talks on the crisis in Syria, including with the leadership of the Syrian opposition coalition.

Pick

Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman said at least 14 people were killed and dozens wounded. The Britain-based Observatory said the number of victims was likely to rise further as many people were trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings in the eastern district of Tariq al-Bab. Elsewhere, eight civilians were killed in air strikes on Harasta just northeast of Damascus, and warplanes pounded the eastern Damascus district of Qaboon in a bid to push back rebel forces. In the southern province of Daraa, 10 people were killed by shelling that targeted the Grand Mosque in the town of Harak, the Observatory said.

at the

AFP

Mali: 65 Islamists killed GAO: Chad suffered the heaviest losses so far in the Frenchled campaign to drive Islamists from northern Mali after a battle in which it said 13 Chadian soldiers and 65 Islamist rebels were killed. News of the battle came after two suicide car bombers targeted ethnic Tuareg forces in the northern town of Tessalit, killing three people. A US official meanwhile confirmed that Washington had deployed several Predator drones to Niger to fly surveillance missions in support of French forces in Mali. The clash between Chadian forces and the Islamists took place Friday in the mountainous Ifoghas region of northern Mali, Chad’s military command announced.

Obama asks SC to change marriage law WASHINGTON: The Barack Obama administration on Friday formally asked the Supreme Court to strike down a 1996 law defining marriage exclusively as a union between a man and a woman. The request was contained in a legal brief filed to the US high court, whose nine justices plan next month to review whether or not to repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). According to the filing, the law “violates the fundamental constitutional guarantee of equal protection” before the law stipulated by the US Constitution. DOMA “denies to tens of thousands of same-sex couples who are legally married under state law federal benefits”.

airport,

TECHNOLOGY SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

APP OF THE WEEK

www.wherecoolthingshappen.com his photo blog is dedicated to inspiring news in art, travel, lifestyle, gadgetry, and most anything in life that will give you a 'WOW' feeling. The photographs here cover the entire spectrum of human experience.

Walking Dead

DRIVECLUB f you’re a racing fan you’ve more than Gran Turismo to look forward to. Drive Club puts you in the helmet of a racer and calls itself a highly social racing game. The game looks really good and according to the developers the details are 100 per cent accurate with real models available in the market. The game’s focus will be in creating driving clubs and racing around the world as a team. If the looks doesn’t excite you, you might be interested to know that you can control the vehicle by turning the controller like a wheel.

his is an open-world puzzle game from the developers of Braid. In the game you’re stuck in an island and you’ll need to solve various puzzles across the island to figure a way out. The game is currently being developed only for PS4, but they’ll make PC and iOS versions later on. The game is expected to make use to motion tracking features in the new DualShock 4 controller and has a very arcady look to it. This game has the potential to become popular among casual gamers since it’ll be one of the few casual games available at launch.

ff the back of the award-winning gaming serial comes this unrelated but effective shooter that redraws Cannon Fodder with zombies.

There's a lot to like about Midnight Bowling 3, and plenty of content too. There are extra balls and other accessories to unlock, and enough levels in the campaign mode to waste a good few hours on. However, it is not perfect.

IT’S RAINING POLYGONS!

THE WITNESS

MOBILEGAME REVIEW MIDNIGHT BOWLING 3

Sony launched their upcoming PlayStation 4 console earlier this week; now let us take a look at the top upcoming games for the device. DEEP DOWN

e don’t know much about this game from Capcom yet, even the name is a temporary one. The game, a dungeon crawler, uses a new engine called Panta Rhei. In the trailer they demoed during the PS4 launch, they showed a small battle between a group of soldiers and a fire breathing dragon. It is not even clear if this will be an RPG or an action-fighter.

KILLZONE: SHADOW FALL

illzone is to PlayStation, what Gears of War is for Xbox. For a change this KIllzone game won’t be covered in shades of brown, there’s plenty of blue to boot going by the trailer. The game features the Vektan and Helghast factions living in a large city that is divided by a security wall. The Helghast are fighting for their right to exist, while the Vektans are fighting for survival. The game looks good, but not a whole lot than what is available for PS3. One big upgrade is the draw distance, but it needs to be seen if this game will push the console to the limits.

WATCH DOGS

his is one game that received the most attention during the launch. In the game, you play as a highly skilled hacker who tries to protect crime in a city. In the game, every machine in the city is controlled via a centralised supercomputer which also holds details on every person in the city. As a hacker you can tap into this database, thus giving you an insight into people’s plans and also an advantage in fights. The game is being developed by Ubisoft and may make its move to other next-generation consoles as well.

ANIMAL KINGDOM SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

PET NEWS Microchipping

Style for paws

o longer in the UK will owners have to think about microchipping their pets, the decision is going to be made for them, by law. UK Parliament has joined with Kennel Club and the Microchipping Alliance to propagate its benefits.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Know your dog

he Tumblr sensation, Menswear dog, is giving even twolegged fashionistas a run for their money. The dog has been seen sporting styles ranging from office wear to spring resort. Menswear Dog is a 3-year-old shiba inu living in NYC with a panache for all things style.

he white English Bulldog is a family and livestock protection dog. Controller and retriever of the roughest livestock, even in wetlands. Suffices as an all around hunter from treeing squirrels to hunting bears.

CATS AND DOGS The Animal Care Clinic 040-2335 2474 Pet’s World Dog Clinic 98856 46259 Blue Cross of Hyderabad 040-3298 9858, 23544355/ 5523 Vet-N-Pet 040-6553 9535, 93463 05890 Bluplus Pet Clinic 040-2712 1739, 2716 2636 Sri Sai Pet Clinic

040-2779 7458, 9848645350 Claws & Paws 98662 82772 All Creatures Animals Clinic 040-2773 0885 BIRDS Govt Veterinary Hospital 040-2331 9656, 2753 5755 Bird Watcher’s Society 040-2355 6166 Friends of Birds9391048315 SNAKES Friends of Snakes 8374233366

LASSIE, COME HOME! Once away from the protection of their homes, pets invariably mix with a large number of stray animals, get killed, beaten up or on rare occasions, adopted by other families. Microchipping increases the chances of getting your pets back.

AMY ROSE THOMAS

amyrose.t@postnoon.com

ow would you feel when your friend goes missing? Add to that your best friend is clueless on how to get back home. You will be devastated, to say the least. Pets going missing from homes is a common phenomenon in Indian homes. Unlike in the West, it is a given that in India, there is very little possibility of your pet returning, regardless of the number of posters

you put up and shelter homes you search. Once away from the protection of home, these animals are bound to mix with a large number of stray animals, get killed, beaten up, or on rare occasions, get adopted by other families. Microchipping is a way in which you can increase the

chances of getting back your pet. A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice. It consists of a tiny computer chip housed in a type of glass made to be compatible with living tissue. The microchip is implanted between the dog’s shoulder blades under the skin with a needle and special syringe. “Many a time, collars and tags become damaged or fall off, so it is important for the safety of the pet to have a microchip implanted in it. Since dogs of the same breed look the same, it is difficult for an outsider to identify the pet and thus help it. Each microchip has a code, so when your pet gets lost, you can give the code along with the picture. This increases the chances of the pet being reunited with the family”

ONE CANNOT TRACE A PET THAT HAS BEEN MICROCHIPPED. A BAR READER IS NEEDED TO READ THE CODE SO THAT THE PET CAN BE REUNITED WITH ITS OWNER.

the pet to its owner. However, there are not many in the City who possess a bar reader. In my opinion, pet owners should take it upon themselves to get their pets microchipped and the municipality should get a bar reading system in place so that those pets that go missing can get back to their homes,” the vet says.

Things to keep in mind Dr Lakshmi Srinivasan says. She breaks the common myth that microchips work like a GPS system. “It is a popular belief that once you have a microchip implanted on your pet, you can track your pet. But this is not the case; one cannot trace your pet because of the chip. It helps only with a bar reader so that one can read the code and relate

n Microchips are designed to last for the life of a dog. They do not need to be charged or replaced. n Some microchips have been known to migrate from the area between the shoulder blades, but the instructions for scanning emphasise the need to scan the dog’s entire body. n A microchipped dog can be easily identified if found by a shelter or veterinary office in possession of a scanner. However, some shelters and veterinary offices do not have scanners. n Depending on the brand of microchip and the year it was implanted, even so-called universal scanners may not be able to detect the microchip. n Microchip manufacturers, veterinarians and animal shelters have been working on solutions to solve the imperfections, and technology continues to improve over time.

BOOKS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

SHORT READS Title: The Dinner Author: Herman Koch Publisher: Hogarth The darkly suspenseful, highly controversial tale of two families struggling to make the hardest decision of their lives — all over the course of one meal. Each couple has a fifteen-year-old son. The two boys are united by their accountability for a single horrific act.

Title: The Soundtrack of my life Author: Clive Davis Publisher: Simon & Schuster Clive Davis shares a personal, candid look into his remarkable life and the last fifty years of popular music as only a true insider can. His wealth of experience offers valuable insight into the evolution of the music business over the past halfcentury and into the future.

Title: A week in winter Author: Maeve Binchy Publisher: Knopf When Chicky Starr decides to take an old, decaying mansion set high on the cliffs near a town in Ireland and turn it into a restful place for a holiday by the sea, everyone thinks she is crazy. But soon this holiday inn becomes a haven for an unlikely cast of characters.

Title: Safe Haven Author: Nicholas Sparks Publisher: Grand Central Publishing When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town, several questions are raised about her past. Despite her attempts to avoid forming personal ties, she finds herself drawn into two reluctant relationships:

The curious case of Mr Jacob History says Alexander Malcolm Jacob was the man behind the botched sale of the Imperial, a diamond bigger than the Koh-i-noor, to the Nizam of Hyderabad. But was he just that, or was there more to this man than meets the eye? RAJESH RAVINDRAN

rajesh.r@postnoon.com

ndeed, he’s mysterious; more than mysterious, curious. What else can be said of a man who of Italian decent, born in Syria, sold as slave when a boy, sailed to Bombay, and in a decade and a bit, became mayhaps the greatest gem trader in British India, only to fall from grace and wealth in the end trying to strike the deal of his life? The story of Alexander Malcolm Jacob, as the author of the book, John Zubrzycki, says, is something more that fiction cannot match in romance and adventure. Even more intriguing would become Mr Jacob, when one learns that he was one of India’s chief practitioners of the occult then. Zubrzycki lists quotes of those who lived then and were known for possessing mysterious powers, attesting Jacob’s wonderful capabilities as a magician; one of the tricks mentioned in the book is borrowing a cane from his guests and making it shoot roots and bear

grapes, which would be passed around for them to taste who would be stunned to learn that the grapes are real grapes. Robert D’Onston, who was suspected to be Jack The Ripper, was one among those who witnessed the cane trick. D’Onston, an avowed student of the occult, had met Jacob in Shimla, which was where the latter resided and did business, and saw and experienced first hand what Jacob was capable of. The jeweller pinned him onto the wall with one of his damascened spears from Persia. No blood was spilt, there was not the slightest signs of a wound, yet D’Onston would swear he felt the blade pass through him. It must be said Jacob enjoyed his mysterious aura and he never minded much to clarify

whatever notions people had about him. His chief concern was his business, and Zubrzycki writes

that Jacob’s shop was the place for gems and other curiosities in those times and his clientele included rajahs of the princely states and viceroys. From that shop of curiosities Jacob operated a network of spies, too. In fact, he was the inspiration for Lurgan Sahib in Rudyard Kipling’s Kim. By the dusk of the 19th century, Britain and Russia were playing hard for supremacy in Central Asia; Zubyrski writes that the British were able to take the Ali Masjid fort in Khyber Pass en route their march to Afghanistan; Jacob is said to have supplied information about the force manning the fort. A fall follows a rise. Jacob’s rise was meteoric, but the adjective would be more apt to describe his fall. Jacob thought if he could sell the Imperial Diamond, bigger in size than the Koh-i-noor, to the then

It’s better to be a rule breaker Playing hard to get is what the authors claim to have taught generations of women with their previous book. This one proves to be too hard to be read.

Fleme Varkey fleme.v @postnoon.com

imes have changed and so have the rules. Which means the way the game is played has changed. Interestingly here, the game is none other than dating. Elle Fein and Sherrie Schneider claim to have rescued many men and women from being dumped, from losing out on a lover, from topping the dating game, etc. with their first book titled The Rules and now, with their second book, The New Rules, they are offering a ray of hope to the digital generation. Moving ahead with the times,

Name The New Rules Author Elle Fein and Sherrie Schneider Pages 242 Publisher Hachette India the writers have realised that old fashioned letters and courting have lost their charm, so the young minds must be educated on the use of digital space. Want the formula for being desirable and mysterious in text messages, on Facebook, and via Skype? Unsure why guys aren’t asking you out? Tired of booty

gem-crazy Nizam of Hyderabad — the largest and richest princely state — Mahboob Ali Khan, he would not have to work ever from the following day. That was his undoing. That was when the relatively newborn Imperial became manhoos, meaning unlucky, for the mysterious Mr Jacob.

Name The Mysterious Mr Jacob Author John Zubrzycki Pages 322 Publisher Random House India calls and casual relationships that go nowhere? Sick of being single? Then you need The Rules! The above is a small excerpt from the book which screams — ‘for all losers and people who need manuals and guides to tell them where their toes are’. With chapters headlined ‘Look like a creature unlike any other’, ‘Don’t talk or text a guy first’, ‘Don’t write to guys first, ignore winks and other rules for online dating’, one can be pretty sure the authors are selling the tried and tested formula only in a new package, added with a warning not to sample products other than their own. In short, if you go by these rules, be sure life will be one hell of a chore. Avoid this book at best, but if you do happen to read, get a good laugh.

BOOKS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

INDIA FOR DUMMIES Vikas Swarup's latest novel covers everything from khap panchayats to anti-corruption crusaders — offering an unwanted crash course in what makes headlines in India.

JYOTSNA NAMBIAR

jyotsna.n@postnoon.com

he Accidental Apprentice is more of a movie script than a novel; that too one crafted specially for Western audiences curious about India. Vikas Swarup shot to fame when his book, Q&A, was made into Hollywood blockbuster Slumdog Millionaire. Q&A was a potboiler with all the ingredients for a masala film — an underdog hero, poverty, gangsters and family drama against the backdrop of vibrant India.

Swarup colours within the same lines in his new novel. After all, why fix the formula if it ain't broke? The protagonist, Sapna Sinha, is forced to give up her dreams and take up a irksome job selling electronics when she becomes the sole breadwinner in her family. With a vain sister and an all-suffering sick mother, Sapna can't depend on anyone else to put food on the table. Enter mysterious billionaire Vinay Mohan Acharya. The businessman offers Sapna an opportunity to become the CEO of his company, but only if she passes seven tests which “will come from the textbook of life”. Sapna initially refuses his offer, rightly thinking that Acharya is a bored, twisted rich old man,

Name The Accidental Apprentice Author Vikas Swarup Pages 436 Published by Simon & Schuster India

but is forced to accept due to poverty. What follows is a rollercoaster ride into what made headlines in India in recent years. From khap panchayats to the illegal kidney trade to anti-corruption crusaders, the book provides an unwanted recap of what's wrong with the country. Taking on the system is a characteristic we usually love in lead characters; what makes it unbelievable is how easily she seems to solve so many problems that the country faces in the span of one chapter. She is probably also the only person who has seen prompt police action taken after filing an RTI application. Despite being such a superwoman, you can't really bring yourself to root for the protago-

nist. She constantly feels guilty for everything; but she has no flaws to make her a believable character. Every cliché in the book about Indian families is used — the ailing mother, the strict father, the carefree sister whose life ends tragically, another who thinks only about herself and the responsible daughter who takes care of everyone. Several of the peripheral characters in the novel are thinly veiled versions of celebrities; anyone in India will be able to pick out Salman Khan and Anna Hazare from this line-up of characters. With Swarup's previous novel, Six Suspects, also being turned into a film, we suggest you just wait for the movie on this one as well.

WHAT’S SELLING Walden’s best in fiction

Landmark’s best in non-fiction

New York Times’ best in fiction

New York Times’ best in non-fiction

n Racketeer by John Grisham

n What young India wants by Chetan Bhagat

n Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

n My beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor

n Secret Of The Nagas by Amish Tripati n Accidental Apprentice by Vikas Swarup n 31 by Upendra Namburi n Fifty Shades Of Grey by E L James

n The Day I stopped drinking milk by Sudha Murty n Turning Point by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam n Dongri to Dubai:Six decades of the Mumbai mafia by Hussain Zaidi n The Sanjay Story by Vinod Mehta

n Tenth of December by George Saunders n A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson n Touch and Go by Lisa Gardner n Private Berlin by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan

n American Sniper by Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice n Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard n The Future by Al Gore n Going Clear by Lawrence Wright

WOMEN SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

WEBSITES OF THE WEEK iVillage: One of the Web’s largest communities for women, featuring lifestyle stories and tips and a ton of active message boards. Ladies have to check out this website.

Ladies Who Launch: An active and engaging site for female entrepreneurs that provides a resources for starting, building and running a business.

Jezebel: Owned by Gawker Media, a must-visit blog about celebrity, sex and fashion that bites into the media’s representation of women and critiques gender in pop culture.

A lifetime of learning A storyteller and a brilliant performer—when dancer Savitha Sastry is on stage you are spellbound. She speaks to Postnoon on her life dedicated to dance. SRINIVAS SETTY

productions such as Music Within, Soul Cages, and now Yudh, aim at offering intelligent and contemporary stories not rooted in religion or mythology. The production values rival that of Broadway and yet it is firmly rooted in Bharatanatyam. This is how we are introducing this classical art form to the current generation.

KANCHAN AGARWAL

kanchan.a@postnoon.com n What made you take up Bharatanatyam? I do not even remember when I developed an interest in dance. At the age of five years, I remember paying 25 paise coins to our domestic help, Kalyani to pretend to be a Bollywood dance sequence and be my hero! My family resided in King's Circle right across Shanmukananda Hall, the centre of south Indian classical dance and theatre in Mumbai. This gave me convenient access to shows by the greatest talents of that time. As a young child, I could wander off unobstructed to the green rooms and gawk at dancers like Sanjukta Panigrahi, Padma Subramaniam, Hema Malini, Vyjayanthimala, and many others. Needless to say it created a deep and lasting impression sparking off a lifelong love affair.

n What are the major sources of influence and inspiration ? Cinema has been a major influence on my productions in the sense that it manages to engage with the audience at a level where they cannot take their eyes off the screen for hours at an end! There are countless examples of films that are talked about several decades after they are released. I cannot think of any classical performance that manages to do that.

THERE ARE COUNTLESS EXAMPLES OF FILMS THAT ARE TALKED ABOUT SEVERAL DECADES AFTER THEY ARE RELEASED. I CANNOT THINK OF ANY CLASSICAL PERFORMANCE THAT MANAGES TO DO THAT.

n Have you learnt any other form of dance? Bharatanatyam takes up all my time and energy. It requires a lifetime of learning. And therefore I have not had the time or inclination to learn any other dance form. n Is Bharatanatyam an expression of self or only a medium to convey a message or a higher learning? Not just Bharatanatyam, any dance form should be the expression of an engaging story or an intelligent subject matter. Unfortunately it has been propagated as a means of expressing oneself rather than a story. And I say unfortunate because it has become an exercise in egoism. However, parts of a dancer's personality do colour the theme they portray; as long as it does not become larger than the theme itself, it would be acceptable. n What are the challenges you face today as a

Bharatanatyam dancer? The challenge has been twofold. One was communicating to the Bharatanatyam cliche which probably consists of a minuscule percentage of the population that, a change is necessary, and my method could be effective in re-igniting interest in Bharatanatyam. The other side of the challenge was to show to the world at

large that Bharatanatyam shows can be as interesting as other popular mainstream forms and was not just a beautiful classical tradition to be revered, but rarely attended. n If you had to introduce this dance form to today's generation, how would you do it? Our forays into dance theatre

n Your show Yudh brought forth the difference between good and bad. The message being quite old, how do you think your work is showing it in a new way? Good versus bad is as old as humankind. It is how we rewrote the entire concept that makes it interesting. We discover that the lines between right and wrong depend on who is looking. Yudh is not Ramayana, with lines clearly drawn out to define the good and bad. This is a contemporary story where definitions of good and bad change between each protagonist. The treatment is novel.

Cooking genome X All About Eve

DEEPASHRI V

e’ve all heard of grandmother’s recipes. Has anyone ever talked about grandfather’s recipes? While growing up I formed an impression that it is insinuated that the wife or the daughter cooks. I thought it is something that comes naturally to women, something that they are genetically bound to enjoy; a sense of duty they are born with. So I grew up waiting for nature to intervene in my case too. That somehow never happened. I grew up to be one of those women who feel the mental fatigue for a week if they cooked for a day (seen a huge disqualification with prying relatives who can’t wait to get you married off). Some of the best cooks in the world today are men. But things are very different in an average Indian household; at least they were, till a generation or two before. I have guy friends who enjoy cooking. I have also seen men who think it embarrassing for neighbours to find out he is working in the kitchen. I attribute my lack of interest to what I have been seeing since I was a child. In many families, it’s not just any food that can appease your hunger. The demands are very specific: same dish shouldn’t repeat, food shouldn’t be carried over, a royal full course meal, and at the end of which you start making plans for the next meal. And it was understood that the women in the house would cook. Some took on the role without questioning, and some cribbed, but still fulfilled their “duties.” An aversion to this led to my cook-o-mania, and subsequent suffering when I had to stay alone. Cooking is a fundamental thing all of us need to know. But no one should be forced into it like a ceremony, like it were a duty you inherited by being born a girl. The way to a man’s heart it through is stomach? Give it a rest already.

SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013 S BALAKRISHNA 1

Lovin’ the club Friday night is the one night worth waiting for. It’s time to hit the dance floor and let the spirits flow. And that’s what these youngsters did at Kismet on Friday. 5

Beauty destination Tollywood actress Nikitha Narayan along with actress Aksha launched the 22nd franchise of Naturals Family Salon and Spa at Lingampally on Friday.

1 Sanjanna 2 Tina

5 Alankrutha,

7 Priyanka

3 Tejeshwini 4 Sadana

Tamanna 6 Alisha, Vidya

8 Bharathi 9 Ali

S BALAKRISHNA

A dose of glamour Making its debut

Singapore-based designer Ritu Pande, who just finished showing her collection at the Wills Fashion Week is now displaying her designs at Coffee Affaire, Banjara Hills. The collection consists of anarkalis, dresses, saris and evening wear as well.

Tiger Airways made its presence known in the industry by inking a corporate fare distribution agreement with Via.com. They also launched attractive deals for the corporates in India. The event was held at Hotel Radisson Blu on Friday.

RELATIONSHIPS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

I AM ALL EARS

am 27. I am attracted to a married woman of 30 and I think she has some feelings for me as well. Her mannerisms around me are completely different and I feel she is giving me hints. I want to tell her how I feel. However, I am scared if I am reading too much into it. What should I do?

Dear scared kid, You must have heard of the commandment ‘do not covet your neighbour’s wife or goods’. Well, if you are going to go ahead with this relationship then be prepared for a lot of backlash from society, family, colleagues and maybe even from her. Having feelings for a married man or woman is still considered a taboo and you will be considered a home wrecker. When there are plenty of single girls out there, you should be looking out.

hy do straight women and gay men form close relationships with one another? A new psychology study from The University of Texas at Austin suggests the glue that cements these unique relationships is honest, unbiased relationship advice.The study is the first to provide empirical evidence that the emotional closeness shared is rooted in the absence of deceptive mating motivations.

What’s love got to do with it? NIDHI BHUSHAN

nidhi.b@postnoon.com

alling in love, according to many, is the most beautiful thing that can happen to a person. Whether it’s the chase or finally the catch, the excitement of the emotion cannot be paralleled. After all, love is what makes the world go round. But what happens when the same feeling turns sour? The person we wanted to spend the rest of our lives with becomes difficult to even have around? The things we once did for him or her suddenly seem burdensome and mechanical? A classic case of obligation replacing love is what sets in. Not that it is what all romantic relationships are doomed to become ultimately, obligations tend to cloud around a significant number of once-upon-a-time fairytalelike romances. “It’s not uncommon. Especially among the IT crowd where people get together to fulfill

necessities and define their involvements. Most of them soon realise that this was not their idea of love, but it becomes difficult and at times impossible to come out of,” says Dr Praveen Chintapanti, consultant psychiatrist at Tranquil Minds. “Family and societal pressure only adds to more obligations, especially if the couple has children. People tend to keep their child’s interest before their own.” Apart from family and societal pressures, couples tend to stick to each other even if they cannot stand one another merely out of habit. “I know of a couple, well settled professionally, who have been married for years. Despite living under the same roof, they hardly communicate with each other. There is no love between the two but they stay with one another because they are used to living that way,” shares Dr Chintapanti. “While it is easy for obligations to replace love in relationships, the reverse is not all that far-fetched. With some work and couple’s therapy, people can bring back the lost flame. We usually make them

reminisce why they came together in the first place, what made them love each other, etc. I’ve come across many people who might like a particular aspect of someone’s personality initially and get irritated about the same thing later. For example, man A falls in love with woman B

When words like owe, expect, or right creep into a relationship, there is something to worry about — the feeling of love getting replaced by obligation. We find out if one can reignite the fire or resign to this being the end.

APART FROM FAMILY AND SOCIETAL PRESSURES, COUPLES TEND TO STICK TO EACH OTHER EVEN IF THEY CANNOT STAND ONE ANOTHER MERELY OUT OF HABIT. because of her outgoing and outspoken nature but finds the same characteristics intolerable post marriage.” While the ghost of obligations is something to worry about, not many people seek help for the same. “Couples should seek timely professional help to keep their relationships from falling apart,” adds Dr Chintapanti. “Moreover,

quality time with each other is integral for love to stay afloat. Even couples with children should make time for each other. Enrolling in joint activities can be a good idea for example.” Love has many definitions — it is supposed to be unconditional, it is a deep concept, you love someone for who he or she is and not for something you can mould them into, etc. Unfortunately, the fence that separates this beautiful notion isn’t far from obligations. “A relationship means you have to slowly understand and accept a person for who he or she is. You have to learn to love the package that comes with the person. I’ve seen many people stay with their ‘loved’ one because they felt obligated. Whether it was sympathy or staying together for the sake of children, they were tied to one another out of obligation,” says consultant psychotherapist at Live Life Hospital Dr Vasuprada Kartic. “In fact, I’ve come across a number of people where they stayed together for 10-15 years for the sake of their children even when they both actually wanted out.”

CINEMA SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

Jabardasth is limited fun

Jabardasth, despite its promising premise, fails to live up to the expectations.

finds out that he stole her idea, the two decide to team up and their alliance changes their fate HEMANTH KUMAR completely. The rest of the story is about how their hemanth.k@postnoon.com relationship evolves over a period of time. abardasth starring Siddharth, in his first Siddharth and mass comedy role, looks terSamantha is the ribly out of place. Perhaps kind of film which it’s the hangover of the roles makes you wonder he has done in the past which why you hadn’t come doesn’t let us relate him to the charprepared to witness acter he plays in the film. Samantha is reel after reel of extremely good in the scene where she slapstick humour. scares away a prospective groom, but But that’s not soon, her characterisation is drastically the primary changed. The flamboyance which was so issue which gratifying in the beginning makes way prevents us for a mellowed performance towards from the latter half of the film. immersing The biggest surprise of the ourselves into film, however, is Nithya Menen. the farce that the She plays an important role in actors the film and break into Movie: Jabardasth she pulls off right at the her role Cast: : Siddharth, beginning. which such Samantha, Nithya Menen The fact that grace that the film is you wish Directed by: eerily similar her screen BV Nandini Reddy to Band Baaja time had Rating: Baarat is the been a little longer. biggest dampener of them After a promising debut all. Even if you shun away that notion from your mind, with Ala there’s not much to cheer Modalaindi, about in the film either. In director the end, the onus falls upon Nandini Reddy the lead cast to save the film has tried to experifrom being a complete farce ment with goofball and quite surprisingly, it’s not comedy. While the lead pair which comes to her intent to infuse comethe rescue. dy into nearly every scene is Siddharth stars as Byrraju, evident, not everything works in who keeps losing money the despite trying his hand in diffilm. Some of the film’s finest moments are ferent businesses. He is always scenes where there’s no comedy and thankfully, being chased by people who both Samantha and Nithya Menen pull off lent him money and is usually such scenes throughout the film. At a in a pickle. He then steals an run time of just over two and half hours, idea from Shreya (Samantha) Jabardasth ends up being quite a tiresome ride. who wants to become a wedIt’s limited fun and does very little justice to the ding planner. When Shreya original story.

Varun Sandesh signs a new film V arun Sandesh seems to be in no mood of slowing down these days. He hasn’t had a big hit in a long time, but it has been raining offers for him. We hear that he has signed a new film titled Ee Varsham Sakshiga. Hari Priya is going to play the lead role. Ramana Mogili is going to direct the film and it’s going to be produced by B. Obul Subba Reddy and Srinivas Chavakula under Rahul movie makers' banner. The film is said to be a romantic and family enter-

tainer. Anil Gopi Reddy is going to score the music. The film will be launched on February 27. Incidentally, Varun Sandesh and Hari Priya will soon be seen in Abbai Class Ammai Mass. Apart from these two films, Varun Sandesh will soon be seen in as many as four other films including Saradaga Ammayilatho, Priyathama Neevachata Kushalama, Nuvvala Nenila and D for Dopidi in the next few months.

Stepping it up

aiyami Kher is pinning high hopes on her debut film Rey which will hit the screens later this year. Directed by YVS Chowdhary, the film stars Sai Dharam Tej and Saiyami Kher in lead roles and Shraddha Das is playing the role of a pop star. The film’s biggest highlight is reportedly its songs and dance sequences which have been choreographed by Raju Sundaram and Brinda. “I am really lucky to have worked with such big dance choreographers like Raju Sundaram and Brinda in my debut film. Since the story is primarily set in US and Caribbean, there’s a lot of hip hop and free style dancing and both the choreographers have brought in their own style to compose the dance moves,” Saiyami Kher says. The film has been under production for more than a year now which has given the entire team ample time to bond a lot on the sets. “We are having a blast on the sets of the film. We are a gang of six people including Sai Dharam Tej and me, and all of us have got along so well that we keep playing cricket on the sets during breaks or end up doing silly stuff just for kicks,” she reveals. The film is nearing completion and one more song will be shot in March.

CULINARY SPECIAL SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

Authentically Korean It’s a cuisine that is not available easily, also one about which several misconceptions exist. Break the barriers, show some pluck, and go Korean. SRINIVAS SETTY

though he feels the curry in Korea is far less spicy. He also favours American, Italian, Chinese and sushi. But cilantro is a big no-no for him. For Paul, however, Italian food remains his first choice. “I like noodles (Ramen) a lot and since pasta bears a slight resemblance to it, I kind of find myself liking it.” We also inquired as to what visitors to the Oriental Bar and Kitchen should have as part of the Korean food festival. So the Chef recommends, beef bulgogi salad with mustard sauce dressing, tofu salad with chili soy sauce dressing, Korean pancake, kimchi jeon (beef and kimchi). Soup, which is also an essential part of their meal, finds its place on the menu at Hyatt. Chef Lee suggests patrons have Samgyetang (chicken soup), which is primarily made from a whole young chicken and Korean ginseng. It is traditionally served in the summer for its supposed nutritional value from the whole chicken, ginseng, garlic, chestnuts and jujubes. It will protect you from illness and give you strength during the hot summer months. Beef is another delicacy Lee recommends, and swears by. Beef bulgogi is extremely popular back home, he avers.

Chefs Paul and JJ Lee. The duo will busy the whole of this week making the Korean food festival at Park Hyatt a success.

FLEME VARKEY

fleme.v@postnoon.com

o get a taste of Korean food, one does not have to go far. Park Hyatt, Banjara Hills, is holding for its patrons, a nine-day long Korean food festival, the best part of which is that they have brought in specialists from the Hyatt Regency Incheon to do the job, making it every bit authentic. For Koreans, food is not just meant for eating. It pervades many aspects of their lives. It is related to good food, taste and even medicine. The interesting part of the meal is that there are many side dishes as well, it is served in small portions and does not follow a set course as others do. All is brought together to the table. Although it shares ingredients and certain aspects with China and Japan, it's a food culture that has its own flavours, spices, ingredients and techniques. Chefs JJ Lee and Paul, both Koreans, will be working to cook up a storm for this food festival. Though conversation was a chal-

lenge, since it dealt with food, the chefs were more elaborate than ever, giving us a ‘taste’ of Korean food and culture. Chef Lee has been cooking for close to 14 years now. It was his mum's cooking that inspired him to take up cooking as a profession. From watching his mum cook to now watching his guests enjoying a meal, Lee seems only too happy with his career choice. For Lee, cooking is an art. The use of colours in Korean food is what makes us make this claim.

"Korean food takes a long time to prepare and requires a lot of hands, but the beauty is in the presentation. We use five colours primarily: black, white, red, green and yellow. These colours create a harmony; looks good and tastes good. The presentation and garnishing are very important,” says Kim; meaning food with sensuous appeal. Some of the elemental ingredients in Korean cooking, as he informs us, are: soya sauce; bean sauce, chilli paste — basically

used to ferment food; sesame oil, chilli pepper paste; soyabean paste; garlic; ginger; and leeks. Kimchi is something that the Koreans proudly call their own. One can't imagine Korean dishes, especially kimchi, without the above mentioned essential ingredients. However, Koreans were pickling vegetables long before spicy peppers and garlic reached its shores. But do not mistake their food to be only spicy. The best part about this festival here is that the individual diner gets to talk to the chefs and decide how spicy they would like their meal. On taking a look at the menu, one will find that it is predominantly non-vegetarian and beef and pork are the signature dishes, with poultry and seafood coming a close second. But that does not mean that Korean cuisine is all brawn and no green. Vegetables and leafy greens are used to wrap rice, meats and seafood. In vegetarian food, Lee explains, “We call it Buddha or temple food, it’s made without spice, or the five colours. It’s just salt for seasoning.” This is both the chefs’ maiden visit to India and Chef Lee, who has had a taste of India, says his favourites are garlic naan, tandoori naan and curry,

Korean food festival Place: Park Hyatt Time: 12.30pm-3.30 lunch and dinner 7.30pm onwards Date: February 22- March 2 While the conversation is still on meat, we asked the chefs about the consumption of dog meat in Korea. While Chef Paul said he does not favour the preparation too much, Chef Lee shared an interesting story behind its consumption. Some Koreans believe it is best had in summer, as it helps restore the strength lost. Another story is that some people say a person with a broken bone heals faster when he eats dog meat.

CINEMA SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

LINCOLN SOARS

Lincoln, directed by Steven Spielberg, focuses on Abraham Lincoln’s efforts to abolish slavery amidst the Civil War and the politics behind the scenes to get the 13th Amendment passed in the Senate. Hemanth Kumar

hemanth.k@postnoon.com

braham Lincoln is tired of hearing people telling him that he must choose between ending the war and getting the 13th Amendment passed. He’s tired of people telling him that ending slavery will pose so many problems that they can’t handle four million slaves who are set free in an instant. More than anything else, he’s tired people who keep pulling him away from what he wants to achieve. At that moment, he slams his hand on the table, to drive home his point and says, “I can't listen to this anymore. I can't accomplish a goddamn thing of any worth until we cure ourselves of slavery and end this pestilential war! I wonder if any of you or anyone else knows it. I know! I need this! This amendment is that cure!” That is possibly the best scene in the film which encompasses the enormous pressure which Lincoln had been enduring to get the 13th Amendment passed and his own disappointment that he hasn’t been able to exercise his powers despite being the most powerful man in the US. It’s been 148 years since this incident occurred in the White House, yet the impact it creates is enormous. Slavery was one of the darkest chapters in human history and when a director like Steven Spielberg makes a film on

one of the most beloved American Presidents, there’s nothing about the film which doesn’t impress. Lincoln is a remarkable film which boasts of towering performances by Daniel Day Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairn and Sally Field among others. Lewis looks so much like the Lincoln that we

PASSING THE AMENDMENT BECOMES THE PARAMOUNT GOAL AND THE FILM REVEALS BEHIND-THE-SCENE POLITICS WHICH LINCOLN’S AIDES HAD TO INDULGE IN TO WIN. have known through pictures that he looks like he was born to play the titular role. He steps into the shoes of Lincoln so well that you could easily be deceived into believing that you are watching the actual footage of Abraham Lincoln sauntering in the halls of White House. The film opens with a scene from the Civil War where soldiers from the Union and Confederacy are mercilessly killing each other. It has already been four years since the Civil War began and Lincoln gets desperate to pass the Amendment in the senate which would put an end to slavery. His associates

don’t understand the urgency with which Lincoln pushes the bill but the President makes it quite clear that the war will come to an end only when slavery is abolished because that was the primary reason why the civil war was being fought. The film charts the extra-ordinary efforts put by Lincoln’s trusted aides to win 20 votes from the Democrats which were absolutely necessary to pass the amendment. While Lincoln remains the driving force behind the amendment, it is Thaddeus Stevens (Tommy Lee Jones) who leads the charge from the front on behalf of the Republicans. Despite his reputation for sudden outbursts against Democrats, he holds his nerves during a crucial discussion and convinces the Democrats that he’s rooting for equality for all before the law. Passing the amendment becomes the paramount goal and the film reveals behind-the-scene politics which Lincoln’s aides had to indulge in to win the crucial votes from the Democrats. In the end, it is Lincoln’s words of wisdom which change the hearts of a handful of the opponents. “Abolishing slavery by constitutional provisions settles the fate for all coming time. Not only of the millions now in

bondage, but of unborn millions to come,” he says. On the other hand, for a film which is based on the abolition of slavery there’s almost no depiction of how slaves were treated back then. Since the film concentrates only on a small aspect of Lincoln’s life, there are several unanswered questions especially those related to the relationship which he shares with his wife Mary Todd Lincoln and his sons. Spielberg’s fascination for war has taken a whole new dimension this time. With Lincoln, he has proved that when it comes to narrating a story which has to touch your hearts, there are very few who can match him. More than him, the film belongs to Lewis.

CHAI TIME SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

SUDOKU

THOUGHT OF THE DAY Part of the inhumanity of the computer is that, once it is competently programmed and working smoothly, it is completely honest. – Isaac Asimov

KAKURO

How to play kakuro

SCRIBBLING PAD

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.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Provoked (with ‘on’) 6 Pale purple 11 Photo ___ (journalists’ desires) 14 Garden statue 15 ‘___ man with seven wives’ 16 Decaf dispenser at a diner 17 Like Maryland crabs in the winter 19 Foot part 20 Bully’s weapons 21 A layer with a hole 23 Alternatives 26 Pot, in the past 27 Blind slat 28 Sorrowful sound 30 Pre-deal chip 31 Not good places to get your kicks 32 ___ and cry (public clamour) 35 Post-prenup statement 36 Unconscious 38 Pull the plug on 39 Part of Great Britain’s defence 40 Cockamamie 41 Deep draft of liquor 42 Barely worth bringing up 44 Annul, as a judgment 46 Peyton Manning is one 48 All-night flights 49 From around here 50 Ozzy Osbourne’s wife 52 ‘Shoot!’ 53 Gasping 58 A’s distant cousin 59 Coined word? 60 ‘Sesame Street’ character 61 Wintertime in DC 62 Uses camouflage 63 Winona of ‘Edward Scissorhands’ DOWN 1 ___ trip (self-indulgent

activity) 2 Serengeti antelope 3 Acquired or understood 4 Expressive of feelings 5 Spoil the surface of 6 Property restrictions 7 ‘And while ___ it ...’ 8 Subtracting 9 ___ Z (completely) 10 Paddling advocate 11 Safe from approaching danger 12 Lying facedown 13 Lip-curling look 18 One who says, ‘See you in court!’ 22 Road to enlightenment, for some 23 Mrs Cliff Huxtable 24 Civic organisation? 25 Like some expenses 26 Indian royal

28 Fake 48 Some are inflatable 29 Limb’s partner 50 Poker game 31 Name on the marquee 51 Coil in a garden 33 Call to the workers of 54 Controversial mentalist the world Geller 34 Does some lawn work 55 Clause connector 36 Waterproof fabric 56 Reason for OT 37 Golden Rule word 57 That lady’s pronoun 41 Stage PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER background 43 The Santa ___ winds 44 ‘Walk’ or ‘crawl’ or ‘sink’ or ‘swim’ 45 Infatuated one 46 Job for firemen 47 American Beauties

CHAI TIME SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

Aries

Gemini

Taurus

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

Six of Cups

Three of Pentacles

Temperance

King of Wands

Nine of Cups

Five of Pentacles

ork – You may be up for a promotion or a well-deserved salary hike. You are well appreciated by colleagues and seniors. Romance – You reach a new level of intimacy with your loved one. You want to take your relationship to the next level. Health – A medical test may be needed to get rid of a niggling health problem. Do not put it off. You’re only postponing the problem. Money – You get what you deserve. Your hard work and effort are ultimately paying off. You feel like you made the right decisions. Tarot message – You have laid a solid foundation – with good training and hard work – for a life that’s above average.

ork – You will be expected to maintain a steady flow and attain stability in your work. Be patient but don’t stop working. Romance – You have to wait for the right partner to come your way. If you’re committed, you need time to settle down in this relationship. Health – The wait for your medical test results is eating you up from within. Keep busy and take your mind away from it. Money – You might need to negotiate for a better deal. You have waited long enough and may need to act now. Act smart, not aggressive. Tarot message – You need to attain harmony with the different aspects of your life. You’re tilted too much in favour of just one or two aspects.

ork – Though this is a creative time, you’re shattered by the lack of control to make stronger decisions. You’re following orders and you’re unhappy. Romance – You discover a deep love for your spouse. It’s often about knowing when to be with each other and when to give the other space. Health – Some minor ailments need attention and by ignoring them you’re only postponing the problem. Take care of yourself better. Money – Finances are in great shape. You get paid for what you love doing and one couldn’t ask for more. Tarot message – Your karmic journey has brought you at a strange crossroads when you need to make important decisions, even at the cost of them making you unhappy.

ork – A dream project that had been delayed moves ahead in a steady, although unexpected, manner. Your dream is fulfilled and you get more out of it than you expected. Romance – A chance encounter brings to your life the person of your dreams. There is sexual passion. You also experience strange synchronicity. Health – You’re experiencing great health. Your inner contentment infuses energy to your physical body and you feel positive about everything. Money – Some kind of financial gain is indicated in the most unexpected and strange ways. Don’t look out for it. It will come when it has to. Tarot message – The power of will is at work. You make a wish and trust that you will get it.

ork –Your memory plays a crucial role in how a certain job turns out. You will have to rely heavily on what you remember for a project to take off. Romance – You are likely to bump into an old flame. Old memories are stirred, and you want to be left alone with your thoughts. Health – A recurring health problem, like a migraine or a sore throat, is back to slow you down. Take rest and drink lots of healthy fluids. Money – Smart investments you made at the beginning of your career or your first job may need reviewing. They may no longer be serving your purpose. Tarot message – You need to stay stable in the ebb and flow of life. Don’t get perturbed by events or people.

SUMAA TEKUR tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

Libra Judgement

Five of Cups

ork – There are going to be delays and obstacles to your work. Be patient and make room for ups and downs. Romance – A heartbreak or a divorce has left you feeling down and out. It’s not the end of the world. Get up and move on. Health – You harbor resentments, guilt feelings and anger for a very long time. These negative feelings have an impact on your body. Money – You wish you had someone reliable to handle your money and financial problems. Outsourcing to an outsider is not good, though. Tarot message – You’re feeling stuck and unable to express yourself well. There’s a void and emptiness that’s eating you up from within. Talk it out.

ork – These are testing times. Your seniors will be watching your moves closely. Your past efforts will pay off now (if you’ve actually worked hard, that is). Romance – You and your partner need to sit down and realign your priorities and commitments with each other. Keep cool! Health – Seek expert medical advice and make the necessary changes in your daily routine so you can keep away any potential complications. Money – You get the opportunity to make some extra money on the side. Plan your time well before you commit to anything. Tarot message – Put to use all the practical lessons that have been handed to you. Wake up and realise your true potential.

Sagittarius

Scorpio

Knight of Pentacles

ork –Your hard work and effort don’t go unnoticed. You’re in line for a promotion. Some prestigious projects will come your way. Romance – You need to pay more attention to your significant other. He/she may be feeling left out and needs more of your time. Health – Get an instructor at the gym so that your diet and exercise routine are more streamlined. All your work should be results oriented. Money – Finances are in good shape. You have set realistic goals and are working towards them wonderfully well. Keep at it. Tarot message – There’s a spring in your step today and you wonder where you got this renewed energy from. Make use of this energy to reach goals faster.

Capricorn

Date 24-2-2013

Aquarius

Six of Pentacles

Three of Swords

ork – The difficult times – with tough bosses, uncooperative colleagues and heavy work load – are almost over. Be prepared for better days at work. Romance – Singles are likely to meet someone through a support group or someone who works in the field of health. You’re opposites and you’re attracted to each other. Health – The ailments you’ve had before are making a comeback. Try a different treatment this time. Money – You get rid of your debts or are able to repay a large chunk of your loan amount. You feel more in control of your finances. Tarot message – Be honest with yourself and your abilities and expectations. This will help you break out of the negative cycle.

ork – Your colleagues or business partners may not fully agree with you on certain points in an important contract. Don’t lose heart. Romance – The time is not great. You have to work harder on your relationship to keep it afloat. You’re attracted to having short-term flings. Health – Worry and anxiety are causing problems and this is showing on your physical health. Don’t let the tension get to you. Money – You may have forgotten about some important investments you made a few years ago. Review your investment portfolio again. Tarot message – You need inspiration and guidance to start over. You’re tired and frustrated. Renew and refresh your life.

ork – Your expectations were too high. You were unable to meet them not because you were not capable but because luck wasn’t on your side. Romance – Things haven’t worked out. Cut your losses and move on. Don’t fret over the small things while separating. Health – You’re feeling depressed and it’s showing on your physical health. Talk it out with a friend or even with a professional. Money – If your money’s not growing, take it out and put it elsewhere. Hire a good financial consultant and study your options. Tarot message – This is a time of spiritual growth. You need to go through this time to be able to manage better in the future.

Pisces Three of Wands

ork – Team work is important. It will help you see your job in new light. Lend a patient ear to your coworkers and consider their ideas, too. Romance – Put your best foot forward at a party. You’re likely to meet someone interesting. The attraction is immediate. Health – You feel energetic. Your blood pressure is in control and your diet also is showing the expected results. Money – You start making profits from a creative venture, which you didn’t expect will be so successful. Your investments have been wise. Tarot message – Dream. Plan. Then make it happen. You’ve been on a lucky phase where things click and everything goes right.

Vol: 2, No 218 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

THE SATURDAY QUIZ SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

IN THE NEWS

attack? 8. What is the name of the gallery from which members of the public can watch proceedings in the British House of Commons? 9. What type of creature is a francolin? 10. In humans, esotropia affects which part of the

body? 11. In the 1940 Disney film Pinocchio, what is the name of Geppetto’s cat? 12. Spider, Jaw and Kiss are all terms used in which sport? 13.Used in gaming, what are ‘Devil’s bones’? 14. A barista makes and serves what?

Answers

5. The Olmec and Mayan are two of the earliest recorded civilisations of which modern-day country? 6. What is a castrated male chicken called? 7. In the game of chess, which term is used to describe the position where a King cannot escape from an

1.Amphibians 2.New York 3.A restaurant 4.Kawasaki 5.Mexico 6.Capon 7Checkmate 8 Strangers Gallery 9 Bird. 10 Eyes 11 Figaro 12 Snooker 13. Dice 14. Coffee

TEST YOURSELF

SIGHTSEEING IN ASIA

CURRENT AFFAIRS 1

Cait Reilly, a university graduate, won her claim that requiring her to work for free breached laws banning slavery. Which company did she have to work for?

Tennis

Basketball

Rugby

The world of sport was in shock after Oscar Pistorious, the South African paralympian, was charged with the murder of his girlfriend. In which event did he win gold at the London Paralympic Games last year?

Cricket

Volleyball Ice Hockey

Baseball

John Galliano, the fashion designer, has upset a religious group for his choice of attire. What did people claim he was dressed as?

1 Benedict XVI 2. Mustique 3. 400 4 Countryfile . 5.Hasidic Jew

You may have to stand on your head to count the number of giraffes here!

WHO AM I? I am the detective who testified against paralympian Oscar Pistorious, but the Court also found that I was tried for attempted murder myself. Who am I?

Answer : Detective Hilton

with Santosh Ghule

Two deer and seven birds.

Answer for 54 :

Which Indian Bollywood actress was appointed as International Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nation programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)?

Answers: Mazar-e-Quaid, Karachi 2. Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, Taipei 4.Borbudur Temple, Indonesia 4. The Esplanade, Singapore

PICTURE PUZZLE 55

Botha

Answers The Ministry of Home Affairs on January 2, 2013 ordered foreign tourists not to indulge in the journalistic activities on a particular type of visas available with them. Name the type of visa on which the order was issued?

Hockey

Football

KNOW YOUR COUNTRY

Bowling

Answers:

4 5

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Golf

An Italian magazine, Chi, has controversially printed pictures of the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge in a bikini. Where was the Duchess holidaying at that time?

The Prince of Wales is to guest edit a BBC programme next month to help it celebrate the programme's 25th anniversary. Name it?

Where did these sports originate?

1Scotland 2 England 3. Massachusetts 4.England 5.England 6. United States 7. Canada 8. Germany 9.England, America 10 Northern Europe 11. China

1. Batrachophobia is an irrational fear of which type of creatures? 2. Which US city was previously called New Amsterdam? 3. In the US, where would a busboy work? 4. Which motorcycle company introduced the Jet Ski in 1972?

1Tourists Visa 2. Katrina Kaif

Answers

SPORTS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

Paintsil held after stabbing

Rana set for 3rd title

Sex motels to house fans

ACCRA: Former Fulham, West Ham

BIKANER: Team Maruti's Suresh Rana

RIO DE JANEIRO: A shortage of

and Leicester City defender John Paintsil was being held by police in Ghana on Friday after his wife was stabbed. An Accra police spokesman told AFP they were called to a domestic incident in a suburb of the capital and Paintsil was arrested for allegedly chasing his wife into the garden of a neighbour and stabbing her.

was today headed towards his third title as he enjoyed a comfortable lead over other drivers at the end of the fourth leg in the 11th Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm here today. Rana started the day with over 15 minutes lead and extended his good run in the rally showing great perseverance on a 142km return leg from Jaisalmer.

hotel rooms has led Rio authorities to invest millions of dollars to convert raunchy motels to accommodate the legions of tourists expected for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 summer Olympics. Shalimar, located in the upscale beach district of Leblon, is one of 60 such "sex" motels undergoing a facelift.

Donald, Oosthuizen out in Match Play upsets

A day after the exit of world No 1 McIlroy and No 2 Woods, seeds continued to tumble.

MARANA, ARIZONA: Luke Donald (left) and Louis Oosthuizen followed Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods out of the World Golf Championships Match Play Championship on Friday with second-round defeats. American Scott Piercy thumped England’s world number three Donald 7 and 6, taking the lead at the first hole where Donald opened with a double bogey. Piercy won the next two holes with a birdie followed by another bogey from Donald, and went 4-up at the fifth when he holed out from more than 200 yards away for an eagle. He sealed the match with one last birdie,

A1 & A2 One-day knockout tourney

FINALS

SBH 246 for 9 in 50 overs (T Suman 116, B Sumanth 38) bt Deccan Chronicle 127 all out in 39.1 overs (Nimeesh Reddy 55, Indershekar Reddy 3 for 14, Akash Bhandari 3 for 25) Kishan Prasad HCA One-

day Knockout tournament Apex CC 220 for 6 (Syed Anwer Ali 62, Syed Pasha Ali 30) bt Chums XI 200 for 9 (Shubankar 70, A Azeem 3 for 30) Noble CC 117 (Arun 3 for 26) lost to Vijaynagar 118 for 3 (P Arun Kumar 33no)

State hosts National Ranking Archery today HYDERABAD: The Archery Association of India (AAI) will conduct four, National Ranking Archery tournaments (NRAT) through its member Associations, during 2013. These Tournaments would be followed by a Final at the end of the year to crown the champion of the year. Each

of the NRAT will also be the basis for selection of the Indian team for the immediately following international competition. About 80 archers will be seen in action. Andhra Pradesh archers include Asiaha Sanam, Jignas, Ritul Chaterjee and Jyoti Surekha.

sinking a four-footer to close it out at 12. His victory over the 2011 winner of this World Golf Championships event was the most lopsided result of the week so far. “I played well, and he was off a little bit,” Piercy said. “That’s why it looked so one-sided.” Donald, who characterized his game as “just very average,” was the top seed in his quarter and third seed overall in the 64-man field behind world number one McIlroy and number two Woods, who both fell in the snow-delayed first round on Thursday. Fourth overall seed Oosthuizen, a former Masters champion from South Africa, joined the exodus of bracket leaders as he was beaten 3 and 2 by American Robert Garrigus. England’s Justin Rose, the overall fifth seed, was also on his way home,

falling 4 and 2 to Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts. It marked the third time in the last five years that the top four seeds failed to make it past the second round. By the end of the day, reigning Masters champion Bubba Watson was the only one of the tournament’s top 10 seeds remaining -and only after battling to a victory over Jim Furyk at the 22nd hole. “This game... it’s a tossup,” Watson said. “You can’t really judge who’s going to win, or bet who’s going to win. It really means nothing.” Ireland’s Shane Lowry showed no letdown after his triumph over McIlroy, advancing with a convincing 6 and 5 victory over Sweden’s Carl Petterson. He’s the first 64th seed to reach the third round in the 15-year history of the AFP event.

Bundrage hopes to defend title

DETROIT, MICHIGAN: Ishe

Smith heads into hostile territory on Saturday when he challenges Cornelius Bundrage (above) for the International Boxing Federation light middleweight belt in the champion’s hometown. But Smith, promoted by unbeaten welterweight Floyd Mayweather, says fight fans in Detroit won’t be able to help Bundrage when they step between the ropes. “This isn’t football. This isn’t basketball. You can’t yell at the quarterback so he can’t have his cadence. You can’t wave stuff in the crowd so you can’t shoot free throws,” Smith said. “You’ve got to get in there and you’ve got to fight, and I’ve got to fight. “It’s two warriors going at it. And one thing about it -- he’s going to get touched.” Smith has vowed to become the first fighter from the boxing haven of Las Vegas to win a world title.

Twitter abuzz with Kenny win MINSK: Britain’s Olympic sprint champion Jason Kenny (right) won the keirin gold medal at the world track cycling championships on Friday, a victory which sent girlfriend Laura Trott, also a title winner, into a Twitter frenzy. Kenny beat German favourite Maximilian Levy, the 2009 world champion who had lost out to another British rider, double Olympic champion Chris Hoy, last year. Dutch rider Matthijs Buchli claimed bronze. Trott, Kenny’s girlfriend and a gold medallist in the women’s team pursuit on Thursday, praised her man on Twitter. “Arghhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!! Happiest girlfriend in the world!!!! @JasonKenny107 #lovehim x,” she tweeted. Kenny, 24, reached the final the hard way, through the repechage in the first round before earning a place in the final.

Britain’s Yates takes points gold

ritain’s Simon Yates clinched gold in the men’s points race at the world track cycling championships on Friday, beating Spain’s Eloy Teruel by a point. The 20-year-old Briton had been a point behind the

Spaniard before the final sprint, but a third-place finish in the deciding showdown allowed him to snatch gold. Bronze went to Russia’s Kiril Sveshnikov, who was second in the last sprint. AFP

SPORTS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

Kvitova beats Wozniacki Petra Kvitova has beaten three top 12 opponents in a row for a final assault of the Dubai Open title. Richard Eaton

DUBAI: Former Wimbledon

Tomic squanders 5 match points in Tsonga defeat MARSEILLE: Australia’s Bernard Tomic squandered five match points as he suffered a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (12/10) defeat to French third seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (above) in the Marseille Open quarter-finals. Tsonga will be playing his first semi-final of 2013 when he meets French compatriot Gilles Simon for a place in the final. Simon beat second-seeded Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro, last weekend’s Rotterdam champion, who needed treatment on a thigh injury, 6-4, 6-3 in his quarter-final. “I felt I was playing better than him, but there were some holes in my game,” said Tsonga after his match against 20-yearold Tomic, the world number 46. “I am happy to get through because it was very, very tense,” he added.

champion Petra Kvitova (right), showing her best form for more than a year, beat her second champion in a row to reach the Dubai Open final here on Friday. Kvitova, who ended the title defence of Agnieszka Radwanska on Thursday, beat the 2011 titleholder Caroline Wozniacki, breaking serve in the opening game and rarely looking back in a 6-3, 6-4 win. In her first final in six months, she now meets fifth seed Sara Errani of Italy who beat her best friend Roberta Vihnci 6-3, 6-3. The Czech’s win over the Dane was full of characteristically fierce ground strokes, struck flat and hard to read, as well as a rising buoyancy which has not been evident over the past year. Asked for an explanation, she said: “I’m trying to be stronger in my legs and to have like stronger muscles, so I can be more quicker and stay quite low for the fast shots. “That’s something I didn’t like doing in the past. But I’m still thinking about the bad

US seeks ‘tens of millions’ from tainted Armstrong WASHINGTON: Seeking “tens of millions of dollars” paid to Lance Armstrong for “years of broken promises,” the US government joined a lawsuit Friday alleging the doping cyclist defrauded former sponsor US Postal Service. “Lance Armstrong and his cycling team took more than $30 million from the US Postal Service based on their contractual promise to play fair and abide by the rules -- including the rules against doping,” said Ronald Machen, US Attorney for the District of Columbia.

US GOVERNMENT JOINS SUIT AFTER TALKS FAIL The US government joined a lawsuit on Friday alleging doping-disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong defrauded former sponsor US Postal Service. The government filing in federal court to join a lawsuit filed by Floyd Landis, himself an admitted dope cheat who lost the 2006 Tour de France crown because of doping, came after Armstrong and US lawyers

Nishikori upsets Cilic to reach Memphis semis MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE:

position I had before, and I’m trying to have the good position - that’s why I’m, like, quite confused.” Nevertheless there was definite improvement in her movement, which helped her break Wozniacki’s serve in the opening game, to keep up a fierce attack, and hold right through to the penultimate game of the first set when she broke Wozniacki again. Wozniacki often moved superbly, but in the second set she also tried to serve harder, play faster, and generate more

pressure of her own. This helped her break for 3-2, and save break points in the eighth game. In between these two moments of resistance however Kvitova’s attack was still too forceful, and she broke back for 3-3, and then broke again to win the match. There was a frustrating end for Wozniacki, whose final shot, a backhand drive, was questionably called out but she could do nothing about it because she had used up all her challenges.

5 classic League Cup finals With Bradford and Swansea meeting in the Cup final on Sunday, we take a look back at 5 of the competition’s most memorable finals. Steve Griffiths

Wembley date for odd couple

LIVERPOOL 2 CARDIFF 2; L’POOL WON 3-2 ON PENALTIES, 2012

Kenny Dalglish ended Liverpool’s six-year trophy drought in the most dramatic fashion as the Reds survived a nerve-shredding penalty shootout against their Championship opponents. could not reach a deal over damages issues. “Lance and his representatives worked constructively over these last weeks with federal lawyers to resolve this case fairly, but those talks failed because we disagree about whether the Postal Service was damaged,” Armstrong attorney Robert Luskin said in a statement. Landis, a former Armstrong teammate on the now-defunct US Postal team, filed a lawsuit against Armstrong claiming that Armstrong defrauded taxpayers and the government by saying he was not taking performanceenhancing drugs as he won seven Tour de France titles. AFP

Fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori (above) of Japan cruised past top-seeded Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-2 on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the US National Indoor Tennis Championships. Croatia’s Cilic had saved three match points in his previous match against Igor Sijsling, but couldn’t find the answer against Nishikori, who had just four aces compared to a dozen for Cilic but won 69 percent of points on his serve. “I was dominating with my serve,” said the 23-year-old Nishikori, who also reached the semi-finals in Brisbane in January but retired from that match against Andy Murray with a knee injury. Since then, he has reached the fourth round of the AFP Australian Open.

Tom Williams

LONDON: Swansea City

CHELSEA 3 LIVERPOOL 2, 2005

Jose Mourinho lifted his first silverware as Chelsea manager after a pulsating clash that sparked a long-running feud between the two clubs. SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 1 MANCHESTER UNITED 0, 1991

United were on the receiving end of a Wembley giant-killing as second-tier Sheffield Wednesday got revenge on behalf of their former United manager Ron Atkinson. LUTON 3 ARSENAL 2, 1988

Luton won the first major honour in club history thanks to a sensational late fightback against holders Arsenal.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST 3 SOUTHAMPTON 2, 1979

Garry Birtles scored twice as Brian Clough’s Forest retained the trophy with a thrilling victory at Wembley.

and fourth-tier giant-killers Bradford City are both chasing history in one of the most unlikely English League Cup final contests in it's 52-year history. Leon Britton (left) is one of only three survivors from that game against Hull in the current Swansea squad and he admits he still has trouble believing what has happened. "If someone had said to you then that we would be in the Premier League and a major cup final, you would have thought they had landed from the moon," he said.

SPORTS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

Oz put up healthy score SCOREBOARD Australia 1st innings from 126/2 DA Warner lbw b Ashwin SR Watson lbw b Ashwin MJ Clarke c Kumar b Jadeja MS Wade lbw b Ashwin MC Henriques lbw b Ashwin MA Starc b Jadeja PM Siddle cSehwag b H Singh JL Pattinson not out NM Lyon c Kohli b Ashwin Extras ((b 1, lb 7) Total (all out, 133overs) Bowling O M R W B Kumar 13 1 52 0 I Sharma 17 3 59 0 H Singh 25 2 87 1 R Ashwin 42 12 103 7 RA Jadeja 36 10 71 2

G APARNA SAI

from Chennai CHENNAI: Australia were dismissed for 380 during the morning session on day two of the first Test match against India at the MA Chidambaram stadium here today. Riding high on skipper Michael Clarke’s century, Australia added 64 runs to their overnight score of 316 for seven. Australia began the session on a smooth note making steady progress. At one point it seemed like the batsmen – Clarke and night watchman Peter Siddle – would continue batting until lunch. The lacklustre bowling on the part of the Indians, proved beneficial for the Australians. Adding to India’s woes, Clarke was dropped by Cheteshwar Pujara off Harbhajan Singh’s bowling when on 128, denying the bowler off his first wicket in his 100th Test. Local lad, Ravichandran Ashwin,

Anderson. Finn at one stage had the remarkable figures of three for 10 off eight overs before McCullum distorted the statistics with two fours and a six in an over that cost the England quick 17 runs. When McCullum came to the crease, New Zealand were in serious trouble at 64 for four after 23 overs on a ground renowned for its flat track and short boundaries.

ST GEORGE’S, GRENADA: Johnson

Charles (right) blazed a second consecutive century and Darren Bravo made a maiden limited overs ton as the West Indies routed Zimbabwe by 156 runs to win the first oneday international on Friday. Man of the match Charles hammered 130 and Bravo finished on an even, unbeaten 100 to lead the home side to an imposing 337 for four after being put in by Zimbabwe skipper Brendan Taylor. While there was nothing like the capacity crowd that would have been hoped for on a day declared a national holiday by the newly-elected government of the island, the fans who turned up on a sunny Caribbean day stayed in a celebratory mood throughout. The visitors were limited to just 181 for nine in reply, home spinner Sunil Narine leading the bowling effort with three for 28. Just the sixth West Indian to compile consecutive one-day centuries, Charles, who closed off the series in Australia less than two weeks ago with a maiden hundred, picked up from where he left off, his innings occupying 113 deliveries and decorated with 12 fours and four sixes. He gave the home side the ideal start in an opening partnership of 168 with Kieran Powell, who contributed 79 before falling to medium-fast bowler Chris Mpofu in the 29th over. “I like to play my strokes, but my role is

SOLUTIONS

BRIEF SCORES West Indies 337 for 4 wkts J Charles 130, K Powell 79, Darren Bravo 100 (Mpofu 2/83) Zimbabwe 181 for 9 wkts M Waller 51, C Ervine 41(Narine 3/28, Dwayne Bravo 2/30, Russell 2/24) to give the team a good start,” said Charles. “I must also acknowledge Powell’s role in helping us to hit our targets at the start and setting it up for the others to follow.” After a comparatively slow start, Bravo got into his stride by the time he reached the 40s, accelerating following the disAFP missal of the opening batsman.

Boggle

MAY JUNE JULY APRIL JANUARY

Suduko

BRIEF SCORES New Zealand 185 allout in 43.5 overs B McCullum 79, R Taylor 28, G Elliott 24 (Finn 3/27, Broad 2/38, Swann 2/49)

Charles, Bravo lead WI to Zimbabwe rout

Number game

AUCKLAND: Devastating bowling from Steven Finn put England firmly in command of the third and deciding one-day international against New Zealand, who crumbled to be all out for 185 at Eden Park on Saturday. New Zealand were again forced to rely on the brutal batting power of captain Brendon McCullum (above) who cracked 79 from 68 balls to give some respectability to an innings that ended 37 balls short of their 50 overs. It is the second match in succession New Zealand have been sent into bat first and were unable to bat out their innings, after being set firmly on the back foot by Finn and his new-ball partner James

who shone with the ball after claiming six wickets yesterday, failed to create a similar impact early in the morning. But the tide soon changed in the favour of the Indians. During the 120th over, Clarke tried to hit a lofted shot off Ravindra Jadeja only to find him-

Scrabble

Eng restrict Kiwis to 185

59 28 130 12 68 3 19 15 3 8 380

self caught by Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, bringing an end to the eighth wicket partnership with Siddle. After Clarke’s dismissal, Harbhajan claimed his first wicket of the match when he had Siddle caught at the slips by Virender Sehwag. But the Indian’s struggled to dismiss the tenth batsman. After many appeals being turned down, it was Ashwin who managed to get the break through. Nathan Lyon edged a ball from the bowler to be caught brilliantly by Virat Kohli. Earlier, on Friday, Ashwin ripped through the batting order of Australia. He claimed the first six wickets that fell to finally end with figures of seven for 103 by the end of the first innings. It looked like he was going to do another Anil Kumble (claiming all the ten wickets in one innings) until Jadeja spoilt the show by claiming the seventh wicket of the innings. Meanwhile, on Friday, Harbhajan Singh was felicitated by the BCCI chairman N Srinivasan for having played 100 Test matches.