Postnoon E-Paper for March 30th 2013 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

‘COMING OUT MEANT I HAD TO LEAVE FOOTBALL’

ormer Leeds winger Robbie Rogers admits the macho culture of football makes it impossible for gay players to stay in the sport once they have revealed their homosexuality. Rogers recently became only the second British-based footballer after Justin Fashanu to admit he was gay, but the US national waited until quitting Leeds before going public with the news. PG 32

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Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper

MARCH 30, 2013 HYDERABAD

32 PAGES

ON SATURDAY

Sources say the indifference on the part of some public prosecutors, who don’t provide evidence in court despite collecting it, is leading to wrong judgments. N SHIVA KUMAR

PUBLIC PROSECUTORS IN THE DOCK AS VICTIMS CRY FOUL REPORT ON PG 4

PAGE TWO SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

EASTER BRUNCH

Grand Easter brunch The chefs at Avasa have devised a special menu. The brunch will not only have a great choice of food, but also loads of entertainment activities. Where: Pi, Avasa Hotel, Madhapur When: March 31, noon onwards Contact: (040) 6728 2828

Easter goodies Hot cross buns and Easter chocolates are part of the special Easter menu. Where: Le cafe, Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre, Near Hitec City, Hitex Road When: March 25-31 Contact: (040) 6682 4422

Easter brunch The multi-cuisine buffet includes western barbecue, oriental and Hyderabadi specialties, soft beverages and live stations. There are exciting activities for children like egg painting, face painting and treasure hunt. Where: Celeste, Taj Falaknuma Palace When: March 31, 12.30pm to 3.30pm Contact: (040) 6629 8585

Junior gourmet event This unique workshop will be conducted by executive chef Mandaar Sukhtankar. Children get a chance to learn to make their own Easter eggs along with other Easter goodies and get an opportunity to display the same in the Easter Special Brunch on Sunday. A special treasure hunt will also be organised. Where: The Park, Raj Bhavan Road, Somajiguda When: March 30-31

City gears up for Easter with restaurants offering special menus and loads of other activities. Contact: (040) 2345 6789

Easter Brunch at The Square The menu includes including beef wellington, mushroom pie, Easter eggs, hot cross buns and more. There will also be games and entertainment for the entire family. Where: The Square, Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre When: March 31, noon onwards Contact: (040) 6682 4422

Easter weekend special Hot cross buns, chocolate Easter eggs, curry Jamaican goat with flat bread and chocolate gateau and Easter special dessert are some of the items on the menu. Where: Truffles Cafe, Road no 10, Jubilee Hills When: Up to March 31, 8am to 11pm Contact: (040) 2355 0105

Easter Brunch at Park Hyatt There is a special menu for Easter. Children below 12 years can enjoy complementary brunch. Where: Park Hyatt Hyderabad, Tre-Forni Bar & Kitchen When: March 31 Contact: (040) 4949 1222

CINEMAS

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Easter! There is a special Easter brunch. Where: Seasonal Tastes, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace, Raheja IT Park, Hitec city, Madhapur When: March 31, noon to 4pm Contact: (040) 6767 6888

Okra. Specially crafted Easter hampers are available at The Hyderabad Baking Company. Where: Okra, Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre When: March 31, 12.30pm to 3.30pm Contact: (040) 2752 2567

Easter Sunday brunch There is a special brunch, accompanied by live performance by Lokhi and Reube. Where: Via Milano, 1259/1/A, 4th Floor, Road No 36 , Jubilee Hills When: March 31, noon to 4pm Contact: (040) 6455 5544

Easter Escape This special offer includes welcome amenities upon arrival, brunch at The Dining Room or Oriental Bar & Kitchen and Park View room on double occupancy. Where: Park Hyatt Hyderabad, Road No 2, Banjara Hills When: March 31 Contact: (040) 4949 1234

Double Easter treat There is an exquisite seafood barbecue, along with Easter classics at

Ista Easter special A traditional Sunday roast lamb with mint gravy, honey glazed turkey with gravy, scotch eggs and shepherd pie are some of the Easter specialties. Where: Ista, Plot no 7, IT Park, Nanakramguda, Gachibowli When: March 31 Contact: (040) 4450 8888

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, MARCH 30, 2013

TDP MLAs moved to hospital

No holiday for sub-registrars

itizens made a beeline for subregistrar offices in the City on Good Friday, despite it being a public holiday. Scores of residents who purchased properties fought to get their turn. The announcement of the State government to revise the existing tariff of registration of properties from April 1 led to this huge turnout at the sub-registrar offices.

he City police sprang into action early on Saturday and forcibly shifted TDP MLAs who are on an indefinite hunger strike to NIMS Hospital. The move comes following reports of deterioration of the health condition of many MLAs. The police took permission from Speaker N Manohar. A total of 29 TDP leaders were shifted to the hospital.

M ANIL KUMAR

APSRTC exam on April 7

he written examination for the post of security sub-inspector in State-owned AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) will be held on April 7. The authorities of the corporation stated as much in an official press release. The authorities have requested the candidates to download hall tickets from the corporation's website.

Advocate arrested for attempt to murder wife

He suspected his wife of cheating on him and to teach her a lesson, hired two men to attack her. Shahalibanda near Pather Ki Dargah in Old City. Manjula works as a senior administrative assistant in a company. Recently, Chary began to suspect that Manjula was being unfaithful to him and started picking fights with her. The differences started mainly because Manjula would come home late from work. Some locals also complained to her husband about her lifestyle, which he considered as an insult to him. He told her to stop her activities but she refused. Chary decided to teach her a lesson and planned an attack with the help of two hired men. In his confession to the police, Chary said that he hired two criminals and agreed to pay them `50,000. He paid them a portion of the amount, promising to hand over the rest after

Mohd SUBHAN

mohd.s@postnoon.com

n advocate working at the criminal court in Nampally was found guilty of attempting to murder his wife over a family matter. A police team from Shahalibanda arrested the accused, VM Chary, along with two hired killers. Inspector S Maheshwar said the team also seized weapons and knives that were used in the attack on T Manjula, Chary’s wife. According to the police, Chary and Manjula were married over 10 years ago. The couple has a son and a daughter. They live in

22-year-old student alleges custodial torture

the work was done. On March 26, Manjula left home for work as usual. She was waiting for an autorickshaw when two youngsters rode up on a bike and stabbed her in broad daylight. They fled the scene soon after. An injured Manjula was shifted to Apollo Hospital in DRDO. The Shahalibanda police booked a case and recorded her statement, in which she said that she was having differences with her husband. The police started their investigation and detained Chary, who confessed. On his confession, the police also arrested the two men who were involved in the attack. They seized the knives and bike used in the crime. Manjula is undergoing treatment and her condition is stable, said inspector S Maheshwar.

PULLING CROWDS

He was beaten up by the cops after his employer said he threatened to kill him. Postnoon News

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degree student was allegedly beaten up by the Chandrayangutta police while in custody. The victim, Mohammed Ahmed Mohiuddin Zaid, 22, suffered fractures in both hands. He was later shifted to a private hospital for treatment, said Zaid’s father, Mohammed Iqbal. The 22-year-old is a secondyear student at a degree college and lives at Bandlaguda. He also holds a part-time job in a private school in the area. He took up the job to help pay his college fees. However, in the past few months, the school principal had not paid him his salary. When he demanded his salary, the principal refused to pay. The principal then allegedly lodged a false complaint, stating that Zaid was

MOHAMMED ZAID, 22, WAS THROWN INTO CUSTODY FOR A FEW HOURS, AND ALLEGEDLY BEATEN BRUTALLY BEFORE BEING RELEASED. threatening to kill him. The police booked a case against Zaid and picked him up on Thursday. He was thrown into custody for a few hours, and was allegedly beaten brutally before being released. Zaid’s father said that he would complain to the DCP (south zone) about the police behaviour. After the incident, hundreds of locals gathered and protested against police atrocities. They demanded the immediate arrest of the policemen who beat up Zaid and asked that a case be booked against them.

Hundreds turned up to hear the chief minister speak in Medak district on Friday.

CITY SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

‘Hand in glove with accused’ Sources say the indifference on the part of some public prosecutors, who don’t provide evidence in court despite collecting it, is leading to wrong judgments.

N SHIVA KUMAR

ALEENA ALICE

aleena.t@postnoon.com

hen a layman, who knows nothing about the law, approaches the court to seek justice, he expects the court to be fair in its judgement. However, unfortunately, we live in a country where justice is either delayed or denied. In the Indian judiciary, the role of the public prosecutors, who are appointed by the State government, is to assist the court in the administration of justice. However, according to some senior advocates, the negligence or indifference on the part of a few public prosecutors is leading to wrong judgment being directed by the court. “Their job is to assist the court by placing before the court all the relevant material that serves as evidence. However, most of the public prosecutors, who play an important role, especially in criminal cases, allegedly have been hand in glove with the accused, which eventually results in dilution of the cases,” says senior advocate Gopal Krishna Kalanidhi. One such victim, Mohan Kumar, who feels that the apathy of the public prosecutor delayed justice to his family, says, “My brother-in-law, who was working for a private firm in Hitec City, met with an accident on February 20, 2010. It was a hit-and-run case and the lorry driver and the owner were the accused. My sister filed a petition in court and contested the case by engaging a private advocate. However, the magistrate did not grant permission for an advocate and said that the public prosecutor would argue on her behalf. At the time when the argument took place, the then sub-inspector, who has now been transferred to the CID, had taken all the details from the spot. As long as the case was in the court, neither the lorry driver nor the owner were produced for the hearing. However, when the judgement was in the final stage, the officials did not produce any evidence that was collected at the time of the accident before the court. Even the head constable who shifted the body to the government hospital did an about face and said he was not present at the time of the accident. The public prosecutor did nothing on his part either. So the judgement given by the court a few weeks ago stated that it was a self accident and the lorry driver and owner have been acquitted. Because of this judgment, even the insurance company is refusing to give the insurance amount. Justice was denied to my sister and her three-year-old daughter.” In another case, Garipalle Rajesham, 75, a man who was kid-

Mohan Kumar’s brother-in-law was injured in a hit-and-run case. He says he lost the case as the public prosecutor did nothing on his part.

SEVERAL VICTIMS HAVE APPROACHED THE DIRECTORATE OF PROSECUTION STATING THAT THE NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF THE PUBLIC PROSECUTORS HAS LED TO WRONG JUDGEMENTS. napped by his own relatives a few years ago over a property dispute, has a similar story to tell. “A few years ago, I was kidnapped by a relative along with 13 of his associates. They took me to a far-off location and beat me up. Later, a complaint was filed at the Uppal police station. The police however arrested only nine (people involved) and the rest went scot-free. At the time of the judgement, no evidence, including the medical report stating that I was injured, was produced in court. Nor did the public prosecutor, who was supposed to examine the prime evidence, do his job. Now the nine who were arrested also are acquitted,” he says. Ever since the office of the directorate of public prosecution was set up at the Secretariat, the State government has made it

mandatory for an officer to visit the court premises and check if the public prosecutor is playing his role efficiently. However, this has not been taking place. “I myself have made several written appeals asking for an officer from the directorate to be present and keep a check on the public prosecutors. However, so far no action has been taken,” says advocate Kalanidhi. Meanwhile, the joint director at the directorate of prosecution, S Manik Rao, not denying that there are a few public prosecutors who succumb to corruption, said, “We have received several cases in the past where the victims had approached us stating that the negligence on the part of the prosecutor has led to wrong judgement. In such cases, the public prosecutor of that particular case is asked to send a remark, an inquiry is made and the director takes action accordingly. In cases where the hearing is still going on and the judgment is yet to be made, if the victim is not happy with the public prosecutor and approaches us, we change the public prosecutor for that case. There have been instances when the public prosecutors have been terminated from their service completely.”

CITY SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

Buoyed by budget, Abid hopes to rope in minorities A section of the Congress leaders had proposed an innovative Micro Finance Scheme to reach out to the impoverished minority community people, who never miss the chance to cast their votes in the elections. The scheme will provide funds to the needy. Md Inkeshaf Ahmed ahmed.m@postnoon.com

uoyed by the huge budgetary allocations made to the Minority Welfare department in this year's annual budget by their government, the ruling Congress party leaders are coming up innovative plans to woo minorities, especially from the poor sections of the society. A section of the Congress leaders had proposed an innovative Micro Finance Scheme to reach out to these poor minority community people, who never miss to vote in elections. The micro finance scheme being proposed by the Congress leaders aims at providing small amounts of loans from `5,000 to `10,000 to needy people, especially hawkers and vendors, who earn their living by selling edible items, trin-

kets and fruits. “We are strongly pitching for the introduction of this scheme as there is a strong need to reach out to the poor and marginal sec-

tions of minorities, who constitute a large chunk of minority population. These sections take loans at huge interests and are harassed for non-payment of

their loans. This can only be stopped if the government launched an exclusive microfinance scheme for these sections," Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) general secretary Abid Rasool Khan told Postnoon. A delegation of Congress party leaders and intellectuals led by Abid Rasool Khan submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy recently and requested him to launch the micro-finance scheme immediately. According to Khan, the chief minister requested all the minority leaders to form an intellectual group to come up with innovative schemes and advice the government to implement such schemes. Khan said that the State government is seriously mulling launching the scheme very soon

Beyond religion Postnoon News

role in helping the society to heal the victims and put up a brave fight against such evils. The Namazis (worshippers), who attend these sermons are an enlightened lot. “I am a regular Namazi here. I find these sermons to be extremely valuable to the diverse sections who come to pray here. The uneducated as well as the educated elite are immensely benefitting from these sermons. I personally have gained a lot of religious knowledge which helps me put these ghastly incidents in the right perspective. This is the best way to integrate the Muslims into the mainstream issues,” a budding law student Syed Fasahath Ali said.

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picturesque, pristine mosque atop a hill near Kasu Brahmananda Reddy (KBR) National Park in Jubilee Hills is setting an example by raising issues of national importance like the Delhi Gang Rape incident and the Dilsukhnagar twin bomb blast case. The mosque we are talking about is the Chiran Palace Mosque, a place where over a thousand faithfuls congregate and offer prayers every Friday among whom are many prominent faces of Hyderabad. The sermons given by Khateeb (sermon giver) Mufti Sadiq Mohiuddin are a good blend of religious teachings of Islam with the current issues that affect everybody. The sermons are primarily aimed at creating awareness among the Muslims and spreading the true message of Islam, which embodies peace, humanity, universal brotherhood and forbids hate, terrorism and all kinds of crimes against women. In the last four Juma (Friday) Prayers of the mosque, the sermons revolved around

condemnation of the ghastly Dilsukhnagar twin bomb blasts that claimed 17 lives, the Delhi rape case and the recent Supreme Court judgement on the 1993 Bombay blasts case that claimed 257 lives. Speaking to Postnoon on the sermons delivered at the mosque, sermon giver Mufti Sadiq said that it had become a paramount responsibility in the context of occurrence of many outrageous incidents like rapes and bomb blasts in recent times for mosques to play a crucial

UNIQUE PARDON APPEAL

The thrust of this week’s sermon was on humanity and universal brotherhood. Taking a cue out of the sermon, the Namazis, who were over a thousand in number, made strong appeal to the constitutional authorities to immediately grant pardon to the 71-yearold ailing widow Zaibunnisa Qazi,who has been convicted with five year rigorous sentence for a crime similar to that of Sanjay Dutt’s.

under the aegis of AP State Minority Finance Corporation. He requested the authorities to set up minorities finance corporation's branches in all slum areas to reach out to the targeted group. He also requested the authorities to ensure that the scheme had minimum level of paper work to avoid any inconvenience to its beneficiaries as most of these beneficiaries belong to illiterate and semi-literate categories. Commenting on the guidelines required to be framed for launching the scheme, Khan said that the UPA government’s revolutionary innovation Aadhaar card can be used to place a check on malpractices in the scheme. Senior Congress leader and former MLC Sultan Ahmed said that the micro-finance scheme would revolutionise the lives of the poor minority community people.

Kavitha, Vaisali to cross swords?

t appears like Jangaon in Warangal district will be the battle ground for the women of two prominent political families – Kavita, daughter of the TRS chief KCR and Vaisali, daughterin-law of IT minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah. While Ponnala Lakshmaiah scraped through the election miraculously, his main opponent, who lost by a slender margin, went to court and the case was pending. Besides, Ponnala has been facing several headaches, including CBI cases on Jagan’s properties and the Telangana problem. As Warangal is the hotbed of the separatist movement, Ponnala does not intend to contest next elections. However, Ponnala’s daughter-in-law Vaisali is aspiring to contest from there. It is said if Ponnala opts out of the race, Vaisali will surely get the ticket. According to sources, Kavita, who is eager to enter the Assembly, set her eyes on the Jangaon seat because of the strong Telangana sentiment there. Though the constituency in-charge of Jangaon is also

expecting the seat, it is said KCR will convince him to stay away. Under the circumstances, Jangaon is becoming an interesting constituency. Despite Kavita being overconfident, political observers feel that Ponnala’s daughter-in-law can not be ruled out. She has already started the necessary ground work, either for Ponnala or for herself. If these two women are fielded, other parties also might be forced to field women candidates, say observers. However, Kommuri Pratap Reddy, who lost in the last election, is now in the YSRC and may be given party ticket. Congress, TDP and YSRC have a strong base in the NSS constituency.

NATION SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

Raids on for BSP neta killers

Modi talks policy with Gingrich

Nanhe kin approach CBI

elhi Police Friday raided more than 15 places in the national capital and adjoining areas to track down the men who gunned down BSP leader and business tycoon Deepak Bhardwaj. Police sources said they know the identity of the men who shot dead the Bahujan Samaj Party leader in his south Delhi farmhouse Tuesday.

arendra Modi today interacted with former US House Speaker Newton Leroy Gingrich through video-conferencing. "He (Gingrich) talked about his pro-growth policies and what we can learn from his (Modi's) successes here and perhaps replicate and implement in the US," Aaron Schock, a Republican member of the House of Representatives, told reporters here.

ore trouble comes the way of former UP minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya in the triple murder case at Balipur. The family of gram pradhan Nanhe Yadav has complained to the CBI of threats from the former minister and his men. They said that they feared the "political connections" of the former minister.

Former Odisha minister, wife held in dowry case

Shaky time for UPA NEW DELHI: The Congress heaved a sigh of relief after Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mulayam Singh Yadav said Friday that he won't withdraw support to the Congress-led UPA government for now. But the heat was on the Congress with estranged ally Trinamool Congress demanding the immediate resignation of the "minority" United Progressive Alliance government. Even as he gave a fresh breather to the Congress, Mulayam Singh predicted an early Lok Sabha election — in November this year — and claimed that a Third Front government would then take office in New Delhi. The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said early general elections were inevitable given the political uncertainty ever since the DMK quit the UPA over the Sri Lanka issue. After earlier remarks that signalled that he may ditch the UPA, which the SP backs from the outside, Mulayam Singh insisted Friday that the Congress was still a friend. "There is no strained relationship with the Congress. There is no talk of

withdrawal of support (to the UPA) even within our party," Yadav told CNN-IBN news channel. "Elections will happen this year itself, maybe in November," he added. Mulayam Singh's placatory statement came after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Thursday that the UPA could be unstable post the DMK's exit but added that his government would last a full five years. In Kolkata, the Trinamool hit out at the Congress. "For six months Trinamool has been clearly stating that the UPA is a minority government and has no moral right to continue," general secretary Mukul Roy said. "We want the government to resign immediately." The BJP gloated over the developments. "The government will not last its full term and mid-term elections seem inevitable," BJP leader Balbir Punj said. "Irrespective of what Manmohan Singh says, there is an atmosphere of instability around the government." But BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad ruled out the chances of a Third Front forming a government after the next parliamentary IANS election.

Lightning kills 9 ‘Law will in Uttar Pradesh prevail’ LUCKNOW: Even as pleasant weather in the last two days brought some respite for residents of Uttar Pradesh, lightning which accompanied the rains killed at least nine people in different parts of the state till late Friday, officials said. Officials told IANS that of the nine killed, one was a woman. Nine others have been seriously injured in the lightning strikes. The deaths occured in Chandauli (3), Ghazipur (2), Sambhal (1) and Meerut (3). Three people were seriously injured.

NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Friday said the government might appeal to the Supreme Court if the special court set up to try the Italian marines facing trial for killing two Indian fishermen rejects Indian jurisdiction in the matter. In an interview with Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN's Devil's Advocate programme, he said: "Do we have a choice but to accept what the court decides," and added that they might appeal to the apex court.

BHUBANESHWAR: Police Saturday arrested former Odisha law minister Raghunath Mohanty and his wife Pritilata for allegedly torturing their daughter-in-law for dowry, an official said. The couple was arrested from Kolkata nearly a fortnight after their 28-year-old son Raja Shree Mohanty was arrested March 17, in the same case. According to Additional Director General of Police B.K. Sharma, the Mohanty couple had hired an apartment in Kolkata and remained in hiding there. "They were arrested around 3.30 a.m. today (Saturday). They are being brought to the state and would be presented before a court in Balasore," the official said. Sixty-four-yearold Raghunath Mohanty, five-time legislator from Basta constituency in Balasore district, had remained incommunicado ever since he resigned from the state cabinet on March 15, a day after his daughter-in-law accused him

THE COUPLE WAS ARRESTED FROM KOLKATA NEARLY A FORTNIGHT AFTER THEIR SON RAJA SHREE MOHANTY WAS ARRESTED MARCH 17, IN THE SAME CASE. of torturing her for dowry. Mohanty was holding the portfolios of urban development, law, and information technology. In her complaint at the police station in the district headquarters town of Balasore, about 220 km from here, the victim, Barsa Swony Choudhury, who holds a Bachelor of Technology (B-Tech) degree, March 17 alleged she was tortured by her husband Raja Shree, both physically and mentally, ever since she married to him in June 2012.

WORLD SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

Mandela in ‘good spirits’

28 dead in mine blast

gas blast in a northeast China coal mine killed 28 people, authorities said Saturday, according to state media, the latest incident to damage the industry's notoriously poor safety record. Thirteen others were rescued after the accident at Babao Coal Mine in the city of Baishan in Jilin province, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Myanmar toll hits 43

elson Mandela is "in good spirits" and making progress as he spends a third night in hospital for a lung infection, South Africa's government said, seeking to soothe fears over the anti-apartheid hero. Messages of concern for the ailing 94year-old, one of the towering figures of modern history, have poured in since he was admitted to hospital.

he death toll from recent communal violence in central Myanmar has risen to 43 with more than 1,300 homes and other buildings destroyed, state media reported. Sixtyeight people have been arrested in connection with the Buddhist-Muslim unrest, which has left 11,376 people homeless, the New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported.

‘State of war’

North Korea declares a ‘state of war’ against South Korea, a move that could brink one of the most volatile regions in the world to the brink of catastrophe.

Giles Hewitt Agence France-Presse

SEOUL: North Korea on Saturday declared it had entered into a "state of war" with South Korea and warned Seoul and Washington that any provocation would swiftly escalate into an all-out nuclear conflict. The United States said it took the announcement "seriously", even though it followed a familiar pattern, while South Korea largely dismissed it as an old threat dressed in new clothing. It was the latest in a string of

dire-sounding pronouncements from Pyongyang that have been matched by tough warnings from Seoul and Washington, fuelling international concern that the situation might spiral out of control. "As of now, inter-Korea relations enter a state of war and all matters between the two Koreas will be handled according to wartime protocol," the North said in a government statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency. "The long-standing situation of the Korean peninsula being

neither at peace nor at war is finally over," the statement said, adding that any US or South Korean provocation would trigger a "full-scale conflict and a nuclear war". The two Koreas have technically remained at war for the past six decades because the 1950-53 Korean War concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. The North had announced earlier this month that it was ripping up the armistice and other bilateral peace pacts signed with Seoul in protest

against South Korea-US joint military exercises. Voiding the ceasefire theoretically opened the way to a resumption of hostilities, although the armistice was approved by the UN General Assembly, and both the UN and South Korea repudiated the North's unilateral withdrawal. The White House labelled the latest statement from Pyongyang as "unconstructive" and, while taking it "seriously", sought to place the immediate threat level in context. "North Korea has a long history of bellicose rhetoric and threats and today's announcement follows that familiar pattern," said National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden. In Seoul, the Unification Ministry insisted the war threat was "not really new" and the Defence Ministry added that no notable troop movement had been observed along the border. Most observers still believe this will remain a verbal rather than a physical battle. "The North Koreans in recent weeks have turned rhetoric into performance art," said Gordon Flake, a Korea specialist and executive director of the Mansfield Foundation in Washington. "When they have already declared the armistice null and void, I do not think a declaration of war breaks new ground," Flake said. But he added that the situation had now become so volatile

that any slight miscalculation carried the potential for rapid escalation. Both China and Russia called for calm Friday, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov voicing particular concern. "We can simply see the situation getting out of control, it would spiral down into a vicious circle," Lavrov told reporters at a news conference. His warning came after North Korean leader Kim JongUn ordered missile units to pre-

THE TWO KOREAS HAVE TECHNICALLY REMAINED AT WAR FOR THE PAST SIX DECADES BECAUSE THE 1950-53 KOREAN WAR CONCLUDED WITH AN ARMISTICE RATHER THAN A PEACE TREATY. pare to strike US mainland and military bases, so as to "settle accounts" after US stealth bombers flew over South Korea. The high-stakes standoff has its roots in North Korea's successful long-range rocket launch in December and the third nuclear test it carried out in February. Both events drew UN sanctions that incensed Pyongyang, which then switched the focus of its anger to the annual joint South Korea-US military drills.

Guns handout draws fire

Xi signs multi-million dollar deals in Congo

In Italy no solution in sight

LOS ANGELES: A local businessman defended

BRAZZAVILLE: China's new President Xi Jinping on Friday signed deals worth several million dollars with his Congolese counterpart in sectors as varied as banking and infrastructure, on the final leg of his threenation Africa tour. His visit to Tanzania, South Africa and now the Republic of the Congo underscores Beijing's growing presence in the resource-rich continent. Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan were greeted by President Denis Sassou Nguesso on their arrival in the capital Brazzaville Friday, as well as several thousand Congolese wearing T-shirts emblazoned with images of the two leaders, dancing under a blazing sun. Xi said that he hoped to "deepen mutual understanding and friendship (with the Congo) and lift bilateral ties.”

ROME: Italy remained in political limbo on Friday

Friday a plan to hand out free guns to people in crimehit parts of Tucson, where US lawmaker Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head in a 2011 massacre. As local politicians slammed the plan, former mayoral candidate Shaun McClusky told AFP that arming over 30 local people had nothing to do with the Giffords shooting, which revived America's perennial gun control debate. "I think what happened to Ms Giffords was a horrific incident. But her incident and citizens protecting themselves in their homes are completely unrelated," he said. "This is about individuals, single parents protecting their families," added McClusky, who said he hopes to give guns to 36 individuals.

AFP

after talks to break a deadlock created by inconclusive polls ended with no solution in sight, leaving the make-up of the future government of the eurozone's third largest economy in the hands of the president. After a day-long round of consultations with President Giorgio Napolitano, the country's parties appeared to be as far as ever from resolving a stalemate left after the centre-left won the February ballot by a whisker but failed to secure a key majority in the senate. "The president will take some time for reflection," said spokesman Pasquale Cascella, adding that there would be no further announcements on Friday.

COMMENT SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

EDITORIALS

Talk to your plants

BRACING FOR THE water war There is no respite from the searing summer sun and to make matters worse authorities warn of acute drinking water shortage. Already, power cuts are the norm these days: it need not be told how internal would life be without regular supply of drinking water. Our experiences of similar times in the past have not been pleasant. Along with water shortage, bottling and selling of impure water would be rampant, which among others have triggered outbreaks of water-borne diseases like cholera and diarrhoea. However, it is senseless to be told that we cope with the situation. The need of the hour is practical and innovative solutions. Since we can only but pray and hope that the rain gods bless us in abundance, we have to look for alternate methods. Water preservation must be top on the priority list of the government. Awareness drives should be conducted to educate people about the importance of conserving water. Also, if the rain gods bless us, then we must be prepared to store up the excess for parched times and not let it go down the drain. This is the time that men of science should rally around. If the scientific community could come up with easy and affordable appliances to treat impure water to make it potable, to an extent we may be able to see ourselves through this dry period. Let us not delay in acting on this. Wars have been fought for gold, diamonds, land, minerals. If the current situation persist, it’s not long before we begin to wage war for water.

WHY WE LOVE... North Korea Though it does nothing constructive, we must commend this wonderful nation for giving us something to divert our attention from issues that matter. Missile tests, nuclear blasts, the continual fusillade of vitriol against its enemies and its manual of hairstyles for its citizens, North Korea’s contribution to the world has been immense. Perhaps Kim Jong-un is bored, hence the latest development that he may go to war with South Korea. But need he pursue such catastrophic endeavours? Perhaps Kim could join a gym?

Soul Curry SUMAA TEKUR

grew up in a spacious old bungalow in a part of old Bangalore that was known for its greenery and quaint charm. The front courtyard of my house had a few trees, one of which was the parijata tree or the coral tree. During season, which extends from August to December, parijata flowers filled the tree adding to the beauty of the surroundings. The parijata flower is small and has a flaming red stalk, holding on to which are five shapely white petals. The tree has Hindu mythology significance, too. It’s believed that Lord Krishna brought this tree to earth. Both his wives Satyabhama and Rukmini wanted the tree. So Krishna planted the tree in Satyabhama’s courtyard in such a way that the flowers, when they bloomed, fell

in Rukmini’s courtyard. Parijata flowers bloom only at night and drop from the tree when the first rays of sunlight hit them. Yet, this is the only flower that Hindus consider sacred to offer to the Gods, even when picked up from the ground. The puja room at my home was filled with parijata flowers on most days. But, one year, for a few months during the tree’s peak season, it stopped blooming. We wondered what could be done to have the flowers bloom again. A maternal uncle visited us and commented on how wonderfully the tree had grown. My mother told him that it’s of no use because there are no flowers. My uncle stood in front of the tree and yelled at it for five minutes, nonstop! He spoke to the tree as if it were a person and he was reprimanding it for not completing a task as promised. We joked about my uncle’s behavior that night at the dinner table and forgot about it. A week later, my mother walked into the courtyard in the morning to find the ground

TALKING TO PLANTS IS SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THEIR GROWTH. IT’S SAID THAT IT DOESN’T MATTER WHETHER THE PLANTS ARE SPOKEN TO GENTLY OR IN A HARSH MANNER AS LONG AS THEY’RE SPOKEN TO. filled with parijata flowers. Talking to plants is scientifically proven to improve the quality of their growth. It’s said that it doesn’t matter whether the plants are spoken to gently or in a harsh manner as long as they’re spoken to. Perhaps the parijata tree felt ignored? When we narrated this story to a gathering of uncles and aunts, most of them in their sixties and older, they didn’t seem at all surprised. An aunt said that in the village where she grew up, she along

with her siblings, walked around the garden every morning talking to the plants. In the Indian faith, she said that by scolding the parijata tree, my uncle may have removed an evil eye that prevented it from blooming to its full glory. A TV episode of MythBusters once aired an experiment on this very phenomenon. They had three sets of plants in three different, controlled environments. They played soulful, rhythmic music to the first set of plants; a recording of swear words and shouting and yelling to the second set of plants. The third set was left to themselves to grow with no sounds or intervention. The first two sets grew equally well, and better than the third set. This proved that talking to plants, nicely or not, does help them grow better. Why, Prince Charles admits to talking to his plants! My uncle may not have had a science project to back his behavior then. But his native intelligence sure did the trick. And a beautiful one at that!

COMMENT SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

How Sesame Street tones down for Afghanistan The Inside Story PENNY MacRAE

ndian and Afghan producers of children's TV favourite "Sesame Street" are brainstorming in a New Delhi office, swapping tips on how to make Big Bird and his fluffy pals palatable to local viewers. As the show makes India a satellite hub for production and training, it is a chance for the Afghan producers to tap into their Indian peers' six years of experience in balancing sensitivities in their own culturally and religiously diverse nation. In doing so, the Afghans are working out how to avoid upsetting their own audiences in their quest to teach reading, writing and arithmetic in a conflict-torn country where only 50 percent of children attend school. "This is all the education they're getting," says Sayed Farhad Hashimi of the other half. Hashimi is an advisor to the Afghan show that launched in 2011 and is now heading into its second season as "Bagch-eSimsim" (Sesame Garden). Hashimi notes that in his rel-

Urban sketches VISWAPRASAD RAJU

igiously conservative, warring country, the programme treads a fine line, and is unique as a show for young children there. "Parents control the television and they're going to turn it off if they don't like what they see," he explains over cups of green tea in mugs emblazoned with "Sesame Street" puppets. "We don't want that to happen. We want it to be received well — in fact it's vital," he says, adding that the programme consults with the government and parents about content. "In most places, schools aren't open, so we're reaching out to high-need areas." "Sesame Street", which airs in countries from Pakistan to Tanzania to Turkey, insists its co-productions are not done to create positive attitudes toward the United States but to "foster positive attitudes" in children about themselves. "The goal is to reach all children at the same time as accommodating local sensibilities," explains Ira Joshi, an education director of the Indian version of the highly popular US show, as the Afghans nod strongly in agreement.

GENDER

EQUITY

On this afternoon, ideas fly thick

often severely curtailed. "The boy's participation puts the gender part of it across," says Lilith Dollard, content specialist for the US Sesame Street, which has become a global entertainment powerhouse since its 1969 launch. "Gender equity is a cross-cutting theme for all we do," says Dollard.

ACCEPTANCE

and fast as the Afghans and the Indians, along with producers from the US parent show, work on a plot showing a seven-yearold girl learning Afghanistan's vigorous Attan national dance. "We can get her to practise with her little brother," suggests Mina Sharif, the bubbly Canadian-Afghan producer of the Afghan show, which is funded by the US Department of State and broadcast four afternoons a week. "We'll get the whole family involved — everybody will be

clapping — even the grandfather," Sharif tells the session. In the initial season, Afghan script writers feared parents might frown on encouraging children to dance — such activity is often seen as sexual in Afghanistan — so they got them to "exercise" instead. ut these writers figure they've found a way round by getting all the family to participate while the brother partnering his sister will send a message of "gender equity" in a country where girls rights are

OF DIVERSITY

Gender equality is also an important buzzword for programme makers in India where girls are often undervalued, which results in them getting less food, medical attention and schooling than boys. Promoting acceptance of diversity is another priority, with the Afghans introducing children in different provinces to each other and the Indian programme-makers doing the same. "In India, we show a slice of a child's life" in different parts of the country. "We show what these kids have in common," says Joshi. Both the Afghan and Indian programmes promote education with puppets wearing school uniforms to express the importance of education for both boys and girls. AFP

Global edits

At the park

The Independent (UK)

E-cigarettes should not be stubbed out

nything that mitigates the egregious risks of cigarettes must, surely, be welcomed. After all, nearly six million people die every year as a consequence of smoking, according to the World Health Organisation, and even that astronomical number does not take into account the deleterious effect on those breathing the noxious fumes of others’ habits. E-cigarettes seem the perfect solution: delivering nicotine addicts a craving-busting kick of vapour, while saving their lungs – and their surroundings – from the smoke, tar and carcinogens of tobacco. Unsurprisingly, many health campaigners smile on ecigarettes. Now, however, updated EU regulations governing tobacco products could ban the sale of anything with a nicotine concentration of more than 4mg per ml unless it is officially authorised as “medicinal”. Stop-smoking aids such as patches fall within existing rules so would be unaffected. E-cigarettes, though, would be caught out. If the measures are agreed,

they will need to pass through the long and prohibitively expensive process by which new drugs are certified, putting a question mark over their commercial future. Anti-smoking groups are increasingly concerned – and rightly so. Considered in isolation, there is a case for restricting the availability of nicotine. It is, indeed, a highly addictive substance – albeit one that causes little immediate harm without the leaves that contain it. But e-cigarettes do not exist in isolation. They exist as a substitute for the real – highly toxic – thing. That is not to say there should be no regulations at all. Sales of ecigarettes should be restricted and their advertising carefully controlled. There is also a need for more research into the effects of nicotine without the tobacco and the effects of its vapour on human lungs. But to write new rules curtailing the spread of e-cigarettes is to give an undeserved fillip to the cancer-causing alternative and the big companies that make and market them. The judgement to be made by EU policymakers must focus on the balance of harm. And on that basis, there is no contest. Ecigarettes are to be encouraged, not regulated out of existence.

BUSINESS SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

Dell supports Dell

Cyprus looks to relax a bit

ypriots hoped for further relaxation of the first capital controls in the eurozone Saturday after authorities on the bailed-out island dropped domestic restrictions on credit card payments. The central bank said it would make daily efforts to relax the restrictions it has imposed to avert a bank run, after lifting its 5,000euro ceiling on domestic credit.

Rust could be energy key!

he special committee set up by Dell to explore a sale of the computer giant renewed its backing for the buyout led by founder Michael Dell but said it would continue talks on alternate bids. The panel, which now faces an apparent bidding war, said the offers from billionaire Carl Icahn and investment fund Blackstone Group had not yet been finalised.

anadian researchers have developed a method which may ultimately enable excess energy created by wind turbines and solar panels to be stored for later use. Two researchers at the University of Calgary report that they have invented a relatively inexpensive way of using rust to act as a catalyst for capturing energy through the electrolysis of water.

Styling the web, for free Voonik offers free styling help to all the fashion-challenged denizens of the Internet. But for founders Sujayath Ali and Navaneeth Krishnan J the big idea was to break out on their own.

PRUDHVI RAJU K

prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

ost of us may find it difficult to find the right clothes to fit us. Often, we ask friends to help us and spend a lot of time in trial rooms. Although many of us want to seek professional guidance we are put-off by the price tags attached to such services. So how about a personal stylist who listens to your needs and suggests the clothes that are not just trendy but also suit you... all for free. Voonik.com, the brainchild of Sujayath Ali and Navaneeth Krishnan J, is doing exactly that. Sujayath and Navaneeth were classmates during a computer-engineering course. They had similar mindsets and entrepreneurial spirits, but parted ways after graduation to work with global multinational com-

panies. Even after a few years’ corporate experience, their entrepreneurial spirit was just as alive. Facebook helped them reconnect and incubate Voonik. On their entrepreneurial journey, Sujayath says, “I always had a desire to have my own business but never thought it would become a reality. Being from a family of government employees starting an enterprise has always been a distant dream. However, my experience with Amazon India changed this. Most of the original employees of Amazon India are now entrepreneurs. This gave me the reason and courage to break the family tradition and start my own venture.” An enterprise is not born with just resources and infrastructure, it also takes courage and passion. It was not easy for this duo to quit their senior-level positions and start Voonik: “It was a difficult decision from a financial perspective but an easy decision from the career point of view. Everyone, including senior employees from top companies,

THE

FACTS Initial investment: `6-7 lakh Employees: 8 Stylists: 5 Started: March 2013 Operational breakeven: 1 year from inception dream of having their own venture, but very few have the courage to take it forward. I got many congratulatory messages when I quit my position and had very senior people telling me how they wished they could do the same. “Quitting my job was seen as a bigger achievement in my circle than getting an MBA from ISB or working at top firms like Amazon. But the even bigger decision was leaving the US and returning to India. Thankfully my wife supported me,” Sujayath says. Talking about the business idea, he says, “I was frustrated that my wife never liked my choice of clothes. To solve this

issue, I moved to premium brands, tried trendy clothes, followed celebrities’ styles, but nothing worked. It is not just my problem, but also a problem faced by of us. Most people don't know how to pick the right clothes that suit them. Pairing clothes or choosing outfits for different occasions is never an easy process. Current apparel websites worsen this by encouraging the users to pick clothing based on price and colour.” The company promises a personal clothing stylist to everybody, all online and completely free. “The stylists will hand-pick the best clothes according to a customer’s body type and style preference. We will provide an effortless way to pick the right clothes, pair them appropriately, and dress right for any occasion. By doing so, we will be negating the confidence inequality that we see in India between fashionistas [sic] and the common man. Our ultimate objective is to take fashion to the masses using technology,” he says. On value addition, he says,

“Every Indian e-commerce company is focused on price, selection, and convenience. We are focused on different pillars — curation, quality (of product, platform, service, curation) and rich user experience. We think of ourselves as more of a consumer web company than an ecommerce company.” The company works on affiliate models with different apparel e-commerce companies and earns a commission on every sale. It also doesn’t involve insourcing, inventory and logistics but concentrates on giving the right choice of clothes to customers. Talking about reaching potential customers, he says, “We are focused on growth hacking instead of traditional marketing. We have seen early evidence that free marketing and leveraging social media is much effective than paid search campaigns. Startups either die because they do not spend anything or by spending a lot. Frugality is spending right and that is what we intended to do.”

FOCUS SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013 Daniel Rook

reminded her friend after a near miss. The main goal of most of the trainees is not to become a boxing champion but to lose weight, said instructor Phirop Chuaikaitum, better known as Ajarn (Master) Dang. “They run for a long time, stretching, punching in the air for a long time — that makes it easy to lose weight,” he said. “But we don’t make it hard because they will get hurt. We do it slowly but non-stop for twoand-a-half hours. They only have a three-minute break.” There is no slacking off, even for royalty. “There was one guy who was a prince from Dubai,” Phirop said. “He came for the beginner class. I hit him with a stick and he told me that he was from a royal family. Whether you’re a construc-

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n a sweltering training camp on a tropical Thai island, sweaty tourists wearing oversized gloves and baggy shorts slam their fists, knees, elbows and feet into a row of heavy bags. Welcome to the latest craze in extreme fitness — Muay Thai boxing. With worries growing about the world’s bulging waistlines, many foreigners are flocking to Thailand to spend their holidays not on the beach, but following a punishing regime of training in Muay Thai and other martial arts. Some are going to even more extreme lengths, quitting their jobs to spend weeks or months training in an effort to win their long battles with obesity or hone their skills in the hope of becoming professional fighters. Jordan Henderson, 26, left behind his London lifestyle of long work days, parties and overeating after the doctors warned him that he faced looming heart problems due to his weight of nearly 184 kilograms. After one month at a training camp in Phuket off Thailand’s southern Andaman Coast, he had already shed about 20 kilos. “You’re in an environment where it’s hot all the time, surrounded by people doing fitness,” he said after an early morning workout. “It’s about taking yourself out of the box that you live in and just focusing on one thing, and that’s to train and lose weight.” The first few days were far from easy. “It was horrible — the heat and the training, the aches you get and the dramatic diet change,” Henderson said. “I’ve gone from eating whatever I liked to grilled chicken, steamed vegetables and brown rice — hungry for weeks,” Henderson added. But despite the gruelling regime, he never considered packing his bags and leaving early.

THE ART LIMBS

EIGHT

Thailand is home to a flourishing Muay Thai training industry welcoming thousands of guests every year, thanks in part to the popularity of mixed martial arts (MMA) which combines striking and grappling techniques. “Mixed martial arts is the fastest growing sport in the world and Muay Thai is an integral part of that,” said Will Elliot, director of Tiger Muay Thai, one of more than a dozen such training camps in Phuket. “It’s definitely extreme to travel halfway across the world,” said Elliot, whose camp welcomes hundreds of guests each month pay-

FOREIGNERS ARE

Tourists fight the flab at Thai boxing camps

FLOCKING TO THAILAND TO TO FOLLOW A PUNISHING REGIME OF TRAINING IN MUAY THAI AND OTHER MARTIAL ARTS. tion worker or member of a royal family, when you come for boxing training you are all equal.” As the session neared an end, sweat dripped from the students’ foreheads and they grimaced with pain. And the knock-out blow — 100 push-ups to finish, for those with the energy left. “It does hurt. You’re sore everywhere. Sometimes it’s tough to walk,” Henderson said. “You’re dripping in sweat but once you get back, have a shower, a swim in the pool — you can’t buy AFP that feeling.”

Hundreds sweat it out at camps that charge up to $100 per week for group training. ing up to about $100 per week for group training. “But we’re in the tropics. It’s hot. We’re in Thailand, the birthplace of Muay Thai, so it’s about immersion,” he said. Muay Thai, Thailand’s national sport, is known as the “Art of Eight Limbs” because it combines punches, kicks, elbows and knee strikes. Anyone thinking about signing up should be prepared for the challenge. “It’s very physically intensive. At the end of a workout you’re going to be exhausted. So if you can maintain that twice a day in combination with a diet, your fitness is going to increase rapidly,” Elliot said. It worked for James Mason, 29, a former used car salesman from Britain who weighed 200 kilos when he arrived in Thailand a year and a half ago, but has since lost more than 100 kilos. “The doctor told me that if I didn’t do something drastic to change my life in five years’ time I would be dead,” he said. “When I first got here I couldn’t walk 200 metres without my back hurting. I had to sit down and take a breath.

I’d be dripping with sweat because of the heat and the humidity.” Three months into his training in Thailand he caught a flesh-eating bacteria and required three operations, narrowly avoiding having his leg amputated. But he recovered and returned to his regime, and recently completed a 900kilometre charity bike ride from Phuket to Bangkok.

YOU’RE

PICK YOUR

MEANT TO DUCK !

At the Tiger camp, about 20 students from countries including Australia, Britain, Egypt and Russia sweated their way through a recent beginners’ class under the close watch of muscular former Thai professionals. “One, two, duck, body punch,” shouted one of the instructors as the students, of varying levels of fitness, practised their moves. After warm-up exercises involving jogging, stretching, star jumps and shadow boxing, the students paired up to spar, punching the air within a whisker of their opponents’ ears. “You’re meant to duck!” one girl

Across Stores

ities Twin C

TECHNOLOGY SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK www.makeuseof.com tech blog that even laymen can understand. While early adopters delved into the tiniest details about Web technologies, most Web surfers only want the highlights of the latest developments.

MOBILE GAME REVIEW

APP OF THE WEEK

FETCH

NetNewsWire

f you subscribe to RSS feeds,this is an absolute must-have for gathering all your RSS feeds in one place, easily accessible, readable, and searchable. The links to NewsGator keep everything together.

Big Fish Studios is proud to present Fetch, an adventure tale that will warm your heart. Fetch captures the timeless emotion of puppy love and takes you on a journey through dark tunnels and sandy shores to save your best friend.

WINDS OF CHANGE NT BALANARAYAN

balanarayan.nt@postnoon.com

opularity of smartphones has had a big impact on gaming and the industry is evolving to include more and more features traditionally associated with mobile games in good ol’ AAA games. The biggest change that gamers have noticed is the aggressive push for social elements in gaming. Having neighbours made sense in Farmville, after all it was an online game, but when Maxis pushed for an always connected approach in Simcity, all hell broke loose. Gamers claimed it was an aggressive DRM, the developer claimed that it was a new gameplay mechanic and both parties agreed to disagree. The controversy clarified one thing though; always online was here to stay and, for a change, unlike most DRMs, it added some value to it. Look at games such as Wordament from Microsoft for example. This mobile game available for Windows 8 and iOS devices lets you play against thousands world over. In the

game you’re asked to make more words from a grid of letters than others in a couple of minutes. It is challenging and wouldn’t be half the fun without the presence of the other players from around the world. It is more fun than a traditional multiplayer game as you’re not competing with 15 others who are in the same lobby, instead you’re up against everyone who is playing the game at that moment. It’s not possible to play the game offline at all and that is going to be the norm with games now. When one talks about MMO, one thinks of World of Warcraft or EVE Online, but that image is changing and fast! The shift started in mobile games and the developers soon noticed that the inclusion of social features made gamers play it more often and also that has brought down piracy drastically. Piracy is a big problem for gaming companies, especially because they spend millions. They feel that these social features will make gamers want to buy the real deal — after all, pirated games can be easily spotted and blocked off if they’re connected to game servers. However, a large number of gamers, especially in countries like ours, do not have access to a stable Internet connection and they fear that this

Games come packed with social features now and everyone wants a piece of the pie, gaming as we know it is changing and fast

trend will make it difficult to play games at all. It is not just Simcity, there are more games in the works that adopt the concept of social first in gaming. Look at Warface, a multiplayer shooter being developed by Crytek, the same folks who brought us the Crysis series, it embraces social to such an extent that they have created a new social network around it called GFACE. The company is expected to roll out other games that will tap into the same social

network. The key difference and the MMOs from the ‘90s is that no one is calling these games Massively Multiplayer games. Instead they are sticking to calling it ‘social’. EA had earlier used a similar mechanism as Microsoft did in Wordament in their NFS franchise. Apart from racing against gamers around the world, you were also challenged to beat the timings set by your friends in the main storyline mode. The lines had started blurring there and now the company is expected to push this further. It’s not just EA that is following this trend, look at its biggest rival Activision, even they are in a hurry to push social into gaming. Bungie, the company that made the Halo series is working on a new title called Destiny that will be published by Activision. Much like Warface, the game gently nudges you to play with other thousands of other gamers instead of trudging around a pretty world all alone. Gamers are not completely averse to ‘social’ as proved by the success of many mobile games, but they are angry that this is being treated more as a DRM than as an addition to the gameplay. War Z, a mod of Arma does a good job and makes it reasonable for gamers to remain

online all the time. Another example would be Minecraft, which again gives a good reason for gamers to remain online. The problem gamers have with such social games are the same ones they had with MMOs. What happens when a developer falls belly up or decides to shut down the server when number of active gamers fall? How will anyone play these games then? What happens to the money they spent on these games? Will the developer make it possible for anyone to start a gamer server? These questions are not answered by any of the developers right now and all of them are sitting with their fingers crossed hoping this trend will stick. Social first games have become common place in PC over the past few years and it may soon make its way to consoles as well with talks of Microsoft making the next Xbox an always connected device. The rising popularity of these social games which are nothing but MMOs with a fresh coat of paint brings up the question about the fate of those old MMOs like World of Warcraft. Will they rebrand themselves and ditch the MMO name for good or will such a tagging become redundant as connectivity becomes a basic ingredient of all games?

ANIMAL KINGDOM SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

PET NEWS Cat Nav

wners can keep tabs on where their pets are wandering off to with a new tracking device for animals dubbed 'Cat Nav', which monitors their every move and maps it on Google.

AMY ROSE THOMAS

amyrose.t@postnoon.com

t is one in the morning and you witness a dog being run over by a rash driver. You are in a dilemma about how to save the dog with animal hospitals being closed at that hour. Volunteers at Hyd Pet Adoption are your go-to guys who are available any time of the day and would be at your beck and call if they hear of any animal in danger. Started by a group of animal lovers on Facebook, the group's strength rose from 100 to 950 within a short span of six months. With more than four rescue calls each day, Hyd Pet Adoption members are a busy lot. Satish Reddy, one of the founding members of the group, says, “What us 950 members have in common is the love we have for animals. We were all part of other animal NGOs in the city and we used to meet up every two weeks to discuss the safety of street animals. Later, we decided to form our own group. The speciality of the group is that we do not have any hierarchy system that we follow.” According to Satish, the biggest enemies of street animals are humans since they tend to vent their frustration on street animals. “We rescued a puppy few days back who had a plastic rope tied to its left leg. It was limping and its hind leg was swollen. We took it to Animal Care Clinic and according to the doctor, its leg might need

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Payback time

Easter eggs for BO

evo, the 80s band perhaps best known for the anthem Whip It, has recorded a new single all about the now infamous Romney dog on roof incident. The single is titled Don't Roof Rack Me Bro.

to be amputated. Some people get sadistic pleasure from hurting street animals and without any respect for their lives, they tend to put them in danger,” Satish says. Apart from rescuing animals, Hyd Pet Adoption is also involved with setting up a crematorium for animals and a park where pets can be taken. “Currently, there is no crematorium for animals in the limits of the city. If an animal dies, it needs to be taken to a place further away from Gachibowli. We are planning to set up a cremation ground for animals in the city. Moreover, there is no park in the city where animals can be taken to. While going on walks, owners have to tie their animals outside the park before entering. We will be closely working with the GHMC in the coming months to figure out a possible solution to these problems,” Satish Reddy says. Hyd Pet Adoption also works with families that get pedigree dogs in a bid to show off and tie them up the whole day. “I have seen many families that end up torturing dogs by tying them up the whole day and not even taking them out for a walk. We counsel these families and if they cannot squeeze out enough time for their pets, our volunteers spend time with these animals,” he says. Since the group's inception, they have found homes for 24 stray dogs through an adoption drive that had more than 250 people turning up. The group also works with People for Animals and Blue Cross.

he First Dog, Bo, was filmed looking for colourful Easter eggs on the South Lawn in preparation for the White House Easter Egg Roll. The eggs he sniffed out are the official souvenir eggs that come in four colours.

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

Call for help

Volunteers at Hyd Pet Adoption, a group on Facebook with a strength of 950, are at your beck and call if they hear of any animal in danger.

BOOKS SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

SHORT READS Title: Mirror Image Author: Sandra Brown Publisher: Grand Central Publishing After a devastating plane crash, hospitalised Avery Daniels is misidentified as Carole Rutledge, the wife of Senatorial candidate Tate Rutledge. Due to severe trauma and injury, Avery is unable to communicate who she really is.

NT Balanarayan balanarayan.nt@postnoon.com

nternet has changed the world in the past 20 years; it has made communication more efficient, made it easier for people to buy and sell things, reduced distances and broken through walls of information monopoly. However, the biggest domain it has revolutionised is the field of data collection. This book by Viktor MayerSchonberger and Kenneth Cukier takes a crack at opening the eyes of the world to the drastically evolving world of statistics and information. In the initial chapters, the authors present the pains involved with collection of data in the pre-Internet era, the unreliability of the information gathered, the time it took and the various models that were followed to get results, and then tells you how the evolution of technology changed the way data was perceived, collected and used, all with the efficiency and enthusiasm of a salesman — and yes, it is a very convincing pitch. Though computers did make it easier for people to source and accumulate data, the biggest change the field saw was when people started thinking of ways in which this information can be analysed and trends spotted to change the way we do things. The book presents several examples of industries and institutions that had an OMG moment after looking at the analysis of petabytes of data they had raked up and how it changed the world we live in. This is a trend you’ll find throughout the book in between the various topics and aspects of data the book keeps throwing up. These anecdotes list the troubles faced by people working on this data, how they overcame them and the

Title: Calculated in death Author: JD Robb Publisher: Putnam Adult On Manhattan's Upper East Side a woman lies dead at the bottom of the stairs, stripped of all her valuables. Most cops might call it a mugging gone wrong, but Lieutenant Eve Dallas knows better. Eve immerses herself in her husband Roarke's world to figure out the killer.

Title: Buried Author: Kendra Elliot Publisher: Montlake Romance Reporter Michael Brody is used to getting answers. The one that’s eluded him, though, for 20 years is learning what happened to his brother Daniel the day his school bus disappeared. Michael calls upon the sole survivor of the tragedy, Chris Jacobs, to find out more.

Title: Damascus Countdown Author: Joel C Rosenberg Publisher: Tyndale House All eyes are on the Middle East. Israel has successfully launched a first strike on Iran, causing The Twelfth Imam to order a full-scale retaliation. US President William Jackson then threatens to support a UN Security Council resolution condemning the Jewish State.

Numbers don’t lie We are living in the era of the geek and if you need evidence, this book is all you need.

Name Big Data Author Viktor Mayer-Schonberger, Kenneth Cukier Pages 197 Publisher Hachette India

revolution it brought in at the end. Though the book goes gaga over the capability of piling up huge volumes of data and deriving results, it does present a very stark picture later on in the book. The problem with any information is that it can be used for good

or for bad, all depending on a person's intention. This does pose a risk to all of us who unintentionally feed data monsters on the Internet and this same information could come back to hurt you later on, depending on how it’s used. The best example of this, though not mentioned in the

book, would be the efficiency of China’s censorship system. It takes an average of eight minutes before the censors spot something they feel is “illegal” online and that statement, video or photo is wiped off within the next 20 minutes. It is the efficiency of data collection that lets them do this. It

also points out the issues with incorrect data that can cause problems a plenty, like in the case of no-fly lists in the US. Despite having access to volumes of data, we humans tend to concentrate on very few elements of it, which leads to various problems for all concerned and this is one angle that big data hasn’t been able to solve yet. The authors do a great job of explaining all the fundamentals, the risks and show us a bit of the future through this wellwritten book that both geeks and regular people will be able to enjoy. The language used is very simple and devoid of computeror statistic-related jargons making the whole book less intimidating.

WHAT’S SELLING Walden’s best in fiction

Walden’s best in non-fiction

New York Times’ best in fiction

New York Times’ best in non-fiction

n Secret Of The Nagas by Amish Tripati

n Our Moon Has Blood Clots by Rahul Pandita

n The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

n Lean in by Sheryl Sandberg with Nell Scovell

n 31 by Upendra Namburi

n Wisdom Of Ants by Shankar Jaganathan

n Life Of Pi by Yann Martel

n Leadership 2.0 by T Bradberry & J Greaves

n Memory Of Light by Robert Jordan n Love Stories That Touched My Heart by Ravinder Singh

n Patriots & Partisans by Ramachandra Guha n Miracles Happen by Dr Brian Weiss

n Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn n Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson n A week in winter by Maeve Binchy n Breaking Point by C J Box

n Sum it up by Pat Summitt with Sally Jenkins n Until I say Goodbye by Susan Spencer-Wendel with Bret Witter n Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard n Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss

BOOKS SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

Building a new world

AMYTH VENKATRAMAIAH

Three years after his first book Moonward, graphic novelist Appupen — masquerading as George Mathen — brings us stories from the strange land of Halahala yet again. He tells us about his new book.

ELIZABETH SOUMYA

elizabeth.s@postnoon.com When did you think of Halahala and why does it seem brighter and happier in your second book? Halahala was a big idea in my head. I thought of the name Halahala only four years after I had the idea in my mind. The idea was to build this other world that would keep my mind occupied. After Moonward, I realised everyone had this grey and dark image of Halahala. That image was really for that particular story. Halahala has different facets to it. To show this became important and urgent for me. I worked on 10 short stories and eight of these worked very well as silent, so I tried to make it a silent collection. Five of these stories — each set in a different place and different time — are part of this book (Legends of Halahala), so you get random snapshots of Halahala. Moonward was about how things went bad. While grim things were happening in Moonward, there was another place nearby that was happier. But even in this book, though these funny frivolous things are happening, there is danger looming in the background. All the five stories in this book are love stories. The fourth story 16917P's Masterpiece — the darkest of the five stories — is also about love; but this time about a person's love of himself. As I work, things keep getting added to this world. By the end of my first book, I had a fair idea about what this new world looks like. Right now stories are coming from two main cities. I know where water is, where the mountains are and that's all. There's still a lot of vacant area in this imaginary world. What else are you working on at the moment? I have enough work for four more years. I finished LoH in June 2012 and after that it has been with the publishers. Since then, I have been working on my next book Aspyrus. It's more experimental and not as straightforward as this one. Then there's another volume of Legends of Halahala with five stories. It couldn't be included with the present collection as the cost of printing would have really gone up. I will also soon work on another book with comic artist Rahul Chacko. How have you changed in these last few years as a graphic novelist? What has changed is the way I look at my work. After Moonward was published I started taking myself seriously as a comic creator. More people know about my work now and I've been commissioned a lot more stories. The second deal was easier to get as well. I have become a lot more confident as a comic artist and experiment a lot more with the art form now. It's not about getting published; it's about pushing the level of what

you are doing and to come up with something unique in terms of story and skill. My drawing has to improve a lot as some of the ideas that need to be implemented demand a higher level of skill. The more work I do, the better my skill gets and I can see this in the pages I make. Earlier, I was preoccupied with communicating the idea; then I was worried about the style or composition of how the drawings look as a whole. Then one looks into composing each frame nicely. So there are many levels to get finer on. I haven’t looked much into typography, which is something I need to work on once I get to text heavy stories. How did you end up as a graphic novelist? Work has to be something that occupies my mind. I can't run out of ideas and leave it. I have tried and left several professions like advertising, tattooing and event management. I also tried doing art direction in Bollywood, but it was only mural painting that was keeping me active. I had a passion to tell stories and was making my novel anyway. I put up 45 pages of it online and Blaft Publishers saw it and approached me. These were small indicators to tell me that I could take this path seriously. But I didn't really study art formally. I did doodle as a kid. I remember sitting under the table and making album covers for recorded cassettes that looked exactly like the original. I remember recreating Metallica's Black album, a Beatles cover, Black Sabbath's Forbidden etc. What are your inspirations at the moment? I keep reading and exposing myself to different types of stories and works; take in what I like and finetune my skills. I really like wood-cut artist Lynd Ward. His works are from the time of the great depression in America and according to me it is silent storytelling at its best. He just observes the depression and puts his thoughts in the form of stories. I also really like the work of manga artists. Their stories are complex and detailed. Osama Tezuku's work even before the Buddha series is extensive and has much detail. Then I like Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira.

WOMEN SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

WEBSITES OF THE WEEK GirlGreeks.org: It was founded in 1998 when being a female geek was still questionable as an asset. Times have changed and this website is an intelligent tribute to that.

BlogHer: With 23 million unique visitors per month, BlogHer.com is a powerhouse for women bloggers and social media networking. Here you can find lively conversation with information savvy writers and readers.

Seniorwomen. com: It celebrates the wisdom of aging women though the site has visitors ranging in age from their 30s to their 80s. The writing here is international in flavour and they specialise in art and book reviews.

Changing the face of TECHNOLOGY

Gayatri Buragohain, founder and executive director of Feminist Approach to Technology (FAT), feels that the scarcity of women in scientific fields is not because of lack of ability, but because of the multiple burdens of being a woman. JYOTSNA NAMBIAR

jyotsna.n@postnoon.com

“G

irls are told from a young age — your brother will be an engineer and you will become a doctor. In advertisements, successful women are shown as teachers and lawyers. Rarely are they scientists or electricians. This sort of subconscious language gives women the signal that this is the way their life should be.” This is what Gayatri Buragohain, founder and executive director of Feminist Approach to Technology (FAT), has to say about women opting not to work in scientific fields. She should know. Gayatri has spent the last six years working with underprivileged girls and women in New Delhi, training and encouraging them to take up science and technology as a career. An electronics and telecommunications engineer from Assam, Gayatri initially came

to Delhi to get a job. Once she started working with a nonprofit organisation, she realised that she wanted to work for women's rights. “I was always a feminist, but I did not know how to articulate my views. I couldn't find one organisation that worked specifically to bridge the gap between women and technology. So I figured I would have to start my own.” This was in 2007. Now, FAT runs a Tech Centre in Delhi, works in the community to promote science and technology, and examines how girl students perform in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects. “When we started, we had huge plans. I think we have become more realistic with time. Now we focus only on working with underprivileged adolescents and young women,” she says. It has not been an easy journey. A lot of parents were opposed to the idea of educating their daughters; many of

the girls were just told to get married. “A lot of parents resented us — they would ask, who are you to tell us how to raise our daughter? After all, parents do want their children to do well. They just aren't sure whether the girl will have a good life if she is educated and independent. For most, they take the shortcut of getting the girl married. They think, at least she is with someone and is being taken care of,” Gayatri explains. But after a couple of success stories, the community has started to accept them, she adds. “Now, if there are any issues — if a wife is being beaten or someone's daughter is being harassed — they call us. That level of trust has taken years to attain.” While the IT boom encouraged many women to join the sector, the number of women working in technical fields is still low, she says. The sector was considered good for women because it offered 'sitting jobs',

a good salary, and a safe work environment. However, the picture isn't as rosy as it seems. “In the first year, 40-45 per cent girls are recruited. In the next three years, only 35 per cent remain. In a large organisation, the average number of women is 27-30 per cent. Most are in entry or mid-level jobs. Only three per cent hold Tier-I jobs,” Gayatri says. The reason? Marriage, children, added responsibilities, family pressure — or as Gayatri puts it, “the multiple burdens of being a woman”. “The restrictions that society puts on a woman's mobility also restricts her options. Also, technology is a field where you need to have constant growth. So even if a woman takes a break for a year or two, her knowledge is outdated and she cannot resume at the same position,” she explains. With its Tech Centre in Delhi and series of workshops, FAT hopes to change the face of technology to a more inclusive, accepting sector. The process might take time, but it is a much needed change and the volunteers at FAT are at the forefront of the new revolution in science.

Losing her eggs All About Eve

FLEME VARKEY

airytales are usually read to kids and end happily ever after. Well, changing these happily ever-afters, a group of students are using fairytales to warn adults of the ticking biological clock. They are using it to encourage dating and newlymarried couples to have kids early on their lives. Their six-month campaign, called The Singaporean Fairytale, is one of five projects that has benefited from Project Superglue, a pilot grant scheme launched by National Family Council in Singapore. With all the modernity and all the cleanliness, this is where the country loses the ball. Why can’t people just let fairytales be? Adults should find stories for themselves and not steal from the innocent stories for kids. The campaign offers reimagined versions of stories of Snow White, Rapunzel and Cinderella who instead of minding their long hair or glass shoes or the seven dwarfs are busy doling out advice on fertility, baby-making, flirting and motherhood. A verse on Snow-White suggests that she is the richest woman because she gets the love of her seven children who kiss her every day. Implying that a mother is rich whereas a woman with no children is poor as she is bereft of the joy of childbearing. I am sure many women believe that only once they become a mum, their life is complete as till then they lacked something. I just see this as another way of making women do something only so that they fill society’s stereotypical requisitions. A woman who wishes not to have a child is complete, happy and fulfilled, emotional satisfaction included. So stop making women feel bad for not going the baby way. Leave at least one facet of her life undictated. I leave you with an example: The Golden Goose was prized for her eggs / That shone light in brilliant gold / But there soon came a time she could make them no more / For her egg-making device was rusty and old.

SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

S BALAKRISHNA

Packing fun and dance into one, the ITC Kakatiya Ladies Club organised an evening of Zumba for its members on Friday. 7

1 Smita

6 Vibha

2 Poornima,

7 Radhika

Sanshaya 3 Reena 4 Sharmila,

Prachi 5 Manisha

Everyday heroes

The Secunderabad metropolitan ladies circle 49 and Tease, Vivanta by Taj, held a function to honour 10 women of substance who have contributed to and made a difference to society in their chosen field. Filmmaker Nandini Reddy, was the chief guest at the event titled Unsung Heroes. S BALAKRISHNA

8 Sonia,

Harsha 9 Sujata,

Savita

RELATIONSHIPS SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

I AM ALL EARS

am 23. I have been in a relationship for the past two years. My boyfriend is elder to me by six years and has a bit of a temper. Our parents know about us and we are planning to get married, but I am scared of his temper. I am in two minds and often think I am making a mistake. Please help.

Caution: Work in progress!

While relationships at work are easy to get into, a break-up with a colleague/ partner mostly always ends in disaster. Postnoon finds out the challenges people face while working with their exes.

NIDHI BHUSHAN

nidhi.b@postnoon.com

e are bound to develop relationships when thrown into a pool full of those like us, being the social animals that we are, be it in school, college or at the workplace. However, dealing with break-ups in school and college is much easier than handling ones at the workplace. For starters, at work, we don’t have the excuse of being immature. The thing about relationships at the workplace is that they are very easy to get into. Bonding with a colleague who shares common interests is, by far, the easiest way to spark something. And, spending the greater part of a working day with that special colleague only adds to the vulnerability of getting into a relationship. And, we are not talking about mere flings and hook-ups here. Another thing about a romantic involvement at work is you are not given that much needed space to move on com-

eens today are involved in intimate relationships at a much younger age and often have different definitions of what is acceptable behaviour in a relationship. Violence is something that is all too common and according to researchers at Iowa State it is a reflection of the relationships teens have with their parents or their parent's partner.The research focused on psychological violence instead of physical.

Dear scared kid, emper can be a bit of a problem in relationships. Often because of flared tempers one or the other person tends to get hurt. And since now you are planning on cementing your love, it becomes all the more important that he know how you feel. Fear has no place in a bond of love. If it’s fear that’s keeping you with him, then the future might be a bit rocky for you.

pletely. You don’t get that six months (minimum time period) apart to introspect! Going to work the day after a bitter break up might take much more than just a strong will. “We started off as being friends/ colleagues but things turned for the ugly when we took our relationship to the next step — we started dating,” recalls Shruti Chopra*, who was in a relationship with her married colleague. “I was aware that he was married and thought that would be enough to keep me from getting into anything messy. But I was wrong. We

dated for almost a month before I realised that I’m better than being a home wrecker. I called off the relationship and thought we could just switch to being friends at work once more. Again, I was wrong. I couldn’t work well around him as I had also told a couple of other colleagues about our month-long stint. Things got out of hand when people started talking about me, judging me with respect to this and a number of my friends mocked at me constantly. I felt singled out as I was the only one being blamed for

everything. I had to put up with this for almost three months before I found another job and moved on.” Given that you’re two adults who mutually got into something, one might assume at first that any unforeseen scenarios would be dealt with in a mature way. However, no matter what the reason behind the break up is, it usually doesn’t lead to anything mature. “I know of a couple who broke up and continued to work together. They conducted themselves pretty well post their fall out. It helped that they

Ways to work around it n Talk to your ex: Try and thrash underlying issues by having a dialogue with your ex. Help him or her understand that you want to put the past behind you and are looking forward to working with him or her as a cordial workmate. n Give each other space: It’s natural to expect to see much lesser of each other after a break up. But, with workmates involved

romantically, that’s impossible. It’s the little things that matter for them. For instance, don’t go to the water cooler if you see your ex standing there – give him or her that space. n Have some self-respect: Stay calm even if your ex tries to bring up personal issues at the workplace. Don’t stoop to his or her level of involving other colleagues in your person-

al tiff. n Stay away from sensitive issues: Act like a co-worker and only a co-worker around your ex. Don’t bring up the past – even happy times with each other. n Don’t start flirting with others: Respect your ex too. Even if you’ve moved on, try not to rub it on your ex’s face at work. It’s the decent thing to do.

worked in different teams, so the interaction was relatively low — they just had to deal with working in the same company. However, it all came crashing down during an office party when the girl got drunk and started hurling abuses at her ex. It was embarrassing for her and her friends and things got really awkward at work from then on. It’s been around four months since the incident,” says Nitika Dayal. The Human Resource policy with regard to employees in a relationship differs from company to company. “One can’t obviously foresee a relationship that might form at the workplace. However, some companies avoid hiring employees who are married to each other,” says Aakanksha Gupta, a former HR Manager. “I had a colleague who kept her relationship discreet. I knew of it only because she was a good friend. She and her partner broke up and had a tough time working together post that. Because they were in the same team, the break up interfered with their work and it reflected badly in their appraisals too. Eventually, my friend left for another company.”

21 GREEKUVEERUDU’S Vettai’s remake audio launch on April 3 titled ‘Thadaka’? CINEMA

SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

aga Chaitanya will soon be seen in the Telugu remake of Lingusamy’s superhit Tamil film Vettai. Naga Chaitanya and Sunil will be reprising Arya and Madhavan’s roles respectively as siblings and Tamannaah and Andrea Jeremiah are the lead actresses in this action entertainer. As per the latest buzz in the industry, the film might be titled Thadaka. Initially, couple of other names like Bhale Thammudu and Chinnodu Peddhodu were doing rounds as probable titles, but the makers seem to have zeroed upon Thadaka. In fact, Tamannaah had mentioned the name in a recent interview. Kishore Kumar, who had earlier made Koncham Ishtam Koncham Kahstam, has directed the film, which is being produced by Bellamkonda Suresh. Incidentally, this is the second film in which Naga Chaitanya and Tamannaah have teamed up. The duo had previously acted in Sukumar’s 100% Love in 2011. Thadaka is likely to hit the screens later this summer.

agarjuna, Nayanthara starrer Greekuveerudu is gearing up for its big release in April and we hear that the film’s audio will finally hit the stands on April 3. Initially, the audio was to launch in the third week of March; however, the makers had been deliberating upon an appropriate venue to hold the audio launch. After considering quite a few options, producer D Sivaprasad Reddy has decided to organise the audio launch at Shilpa Kala Vedika in Hyderabad. Dasarath has directed the film and the film’s promotions have already begun. Meera Chopra has played an important role in this film. Nagarjuna is playing the role of an event manager who comes to India for the first time and how Nayanthara changes his life forms the key element of this love story. The film is currently in post production stage. Nagarjuna’s new look has pretty much become the talk of the town and he’s looking more dashing than ever in this film.

Bungle in the Jungle

Aravind 2 is a slasher film where no one is spared, including those who are watching the killing spree with a blind hope that it’ll get interesting.

Movie: Aravind 2 Cast: Sree, Kamal Kamaraju, Srinivas Avasarala, Adonika, Madhavi Latha Directed by: Shekkhar Suri Rating:

HEMANTH KUMAR

hemanth.k@postnoon.com

ravind 2 follows a theme quite similar to slasher films like Friday the 13th, where the objective of the antagonist is to kill as many people as he can and do so in the most gruesome manner. Shekkhar Suri equips the serial killer in Aravind 2 with a mask and a machete and the entire script of this unapologetically pointless film boils down to one word – KILL! Unlike most Hollywood slasher films which have a run time of close to 100 minutes, Shekkhar Suri’s biggest fallacy for a film of this genre turns out to be its runtime. It’s nearly 150 minutes long and the entire narration is so tedious that it makes you wonder if it’s at least an hour too long since all there is to this film is killing and more killing. Aravind (Sree) is jailed after he’s accused of killing his friends, but he maintains his stance that he’s innocent. When he’s released on bail, he’s chased by the henchman of the local mayor in Goa who believes that Aravind has killed his son. On the other hand, a film unit from Hyderabad flies to Goa for a shooting schedule and when one of the actors fails to turn up, the

directors decide to cast Aravind in the film. The entire gang heads to the Dandeli forest to shoot the rest of the film but little do they know that a serial killer is at large in the forest and that their days are numbered. Serial killers rarely have a motive behind why they kill people and the only aspect which gets the story going is the drama, featuring the rest of the characters, which must unfold at breakneck speed. Shekkhar Suri spends nearly 45 minutes in trying to set a foundation for the story and why the characters head to the forest and this is where he loses the plot. The acting isn’t great either and there’s hardly a connection between the characters which would have made us empathise with their state later on. The narration does get interesting with the arrival of the machete wielding serial killer, but there are way too many characters in the film and watching them being killed is tiresome. The silver lining of this film is its cinematography and sound design. Both these aspects manage to infuse some life into this film which has nothing much to offer. If watching a serial killer go berserk is your cup of tea, Aravind 2 does deliver all the frills, but would it be too much to expect a better script from a film like this? Perhaps, yes.

CINEMA SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013 Movie: Himmatwala Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tamannaah Directed by: Sajjid Khan

This Friday’s big release Himmatwala promises loads of fun, action and drama in the flavour of the ‘80s recreated by Sajid Khan.

Bringing back the ‘80s magic More ‘Borders’ for Dutta

ovie Moghul JP Dutta, whose last directorial venture was 2006 release Umrao Jaan, is all set to direct three back-to-back war films, all biopics on Param Vir Chakra winning war heroes. The first war epic Border 2 will be set in the 1962 India-China war and would tell the story of Subedar Joginder Singh Sahnan who led a platoon against the Chinese aggressors. Next will be Border 3, to be located in the 1965 India-Pak war and would focus on the valorous efforts of Abdul Hamid who went down fighting the enemy soldiers. Then there is Border 4, which would focus on SecondLieutenant Arun Khetarpal, who died fighting during the 1971 Bangladesh war. Dutta, who has just returned from an extensive recce of the border areas where the three films would be shot, says he was moved by the courage shown by the three soldiers. “I wanted to make war films on the three major battles that India fought in 1962, 1965 and 1971. But I wanted to root these wars in specific heroes’ lives. I chose the three Param Vir Chakra winners - each from the three wars.” The casting of the three heroes is on. “During my recce I was amazed at how well Border is remembered. Soldiers and civilians wanted to know if I had more to say on the war front,” said Dutta, whose 1997 war epic was a blockbuster. IANS

solo release, the film is a modern version of the 1983 release Himmatwala, which struck gold at the box office, thanks to Jeetendra and Sridevi’s performances and K Raghavendra Rao’s entertaining screenplay and superb direction. Himmatwala revolves around the story of a poor and wronged woman’s son, who returns from the big city to avenge his father. While Devgn will be seen in Jeetendra’s role, Southern siren Tamannaah will be reprising Sridevi’s role in the remake. Director Sajid Khan apparently went on to say that he did not want even half a star for his movie. Well, if the director is making such a declaration, it’s safe to say that either he is fully confident that his movie will not be at the mercy of stars or that it is going to be a complete failure at the box office. Himmatwala new has much more meat and masala in terms of annoying dances, fights with tigers and a village election. Extra care has been taken of the lead actors’ introductory shots in the film. In any case, Ajay Devgn is known for making grand entries on the silver screen. Sajid has already created for himself an undisputable reputation following the humongous success of his films from Hey Babby to Housefull 2. Sajid, who has always worked fondly with Akshay Kumar, much to the surprise of others signed Ajay Devgn for the lead role in Himmatwala. The film’s heroine Tamannaah is making her debut in Bollywood with this film, following close on the footsteps of Kajal Agarwal who had her first with Singham opposite Ajay Devgn himself. Paresh Rawal, Mahesh Manjrekar and Ahdyaan Suman play supporting roles in the film. What’s left to see is how the film fares at the box office, since there is no mentionable competition too this week.

An ode to unsung heroes

o film can be successful without the support of technicians, say director Karan Johar and actress Chitrangada Singh, who are excited to host a segment at TOIFA that would recognise the best talents working behind the camera. “I am really excited… Being a producer and director, I have seen the effort and hard work that goes behind the screens. None of the films we make would be half as successful without the technical teams burning the midnight oil,” KJo said. The three-day award function will start in April in Vancouver, Canada and Karan-Chitrangada will host the Technical Awards and Fashion Gala on April 5. “It is important to recognise the unsung heroes,” said Karan. Chitrangada said: “I am looking forward to host the technical awards, which shall honour the teams that work tirelessly to make our films work and are the backbone of the film industry... I am sure it’s going to be a rocking event.”

IANS

CINEMA SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

Kingsley went bonkers for 'Iron Man 3' role

ritish actor Ben Kingsley says that director Shane Black allowed him to go a bit bonkers to play The Mandarin in Iron Man 3. The Oscar-winner is one of the new faces in the cast of the third installment of the Iron Man franchise. He will be one of the villains of the film. Kingsley hints that his character is unpredictable. “He's a pastiche of antiAmerican iconography. It's there to confuse. You don't know what is coming next,” femalefirst.co.uk

quoted Kingsley as saying. “Shane Black allowed me to push the boundaries of the role so that I'm allowed to go a bit bonkers,” he added. The Mandarin is set to wreck havoc on Tony Stark's personal life as he faces his biggest challenge to date. Robert Downey Jr is back in the title role while Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall and James Badge Dale are the other new faces to watch out for. Iron Man 3 is set to release next month. IANS

Spectacular action, but crowded cast

‘GI Joe: Retaliation’ is designed for kids and those who want to relive their childhood. It’s a spectacular fantasy action flick comprising huge set pieces and big explosions. But, it’s just another chauvinistic film of the US' perception of itself as the world’s police. Troy Ribeiro feedback@postnoon.com

or the uninitiated, GI Joe is a term used for Ground Infantry Soldier. Apparently, Vietnamese prostitutes coined the term for the American soldiers, for they seemed invincible. GI Joe: Retaliation is supposed to take off from where the previous franchise GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra left in 2009. In the film, Cobra's master of disguise Zartan (Jonathan Pryce) poses as the President of America and plans to rescue Cobra Commander from jail, integrate his troops into the US army, and convince the world leaders to agree to a nuclear disarmament plan so that the Cobras could eventually rule them. Meanwhile, the Joes now headed by Duke (Channing Tatum) and his second-in com-

mand Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson) along with the rest of the Joes are on their way to the US after a successful mission in Korea. En-route in Pakistan they are ambushed and left to die and are termed traitors by none other than their president. The GI Joes swear to retaliate. Speed is the name of the game. Roadblock and his subordinates Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki), Flint (DJ Cotrona), Mouse (Joseph Mazzello) are eventually stranded. They along with the help of Col. Joe Colton (Bruce Willis) track down the threat and stop Cobra Commander from completing his quest for world domination. In totality, the action scenes in GI Joe: Retaliation are fun and exciting. Director Jon Chu brings his own experience as a choreographer into the actionpacked film. The sequence that stands out

is the mountainside dialoguefree fight between Snake Eyes (Ray Park), Jinx (Elodie Young), and a horde of Red Ninjas swinging on ropes on the high Himalayan altitudes. The thrilling sequence with a very little of computer generated images surely raises the bar on outrageously daring screen

Movie: GI Joe: Retaliation Cast: Bruce Willis, Dwayne Johnson, RZA, DJ Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, Ray Stevenson, Channing Tatum, Joseph Mazzello, and Elodie Yung Directed by: Jon M. Chu Rating:

fighting and feels aptly breathtaking. The actors dish out a decent fare within their given framework. Dwayne Johnson gets more screen time compared to the rest. The action is energetic and graceful. The production quality and cinematography is impressive. The editing is smooth and the 3D effects are electrifying. Unfortunately, the action film is too loaded with an all-star action cast, code names and GI Joe and Cobra terminology thus making it difficult to follow to the story line. New characters pop up at every given opportunity and the outcome is an irreparable mess of personalities squeezed into an already complicated story. And at times, logic takes a back seat. Watch it if you are GI Joe fan or have nothing else better to IANS do.

Clooney shoots WWII film S

pring came to still-frosty Berlin this week courtesy of George Clooney, who had ice cleared from sidewalks and added green trees to the landscape for the filming of The Monuments Men, set in the waning days of World War II. The film is inspired by the true story of a US military unit comprising seven museum directors, curators and art historians sent into Germany with the mission of rescuing art works plundered by the Nazis. Clooney, who is both acting and directing, put together a cast that includes Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville and John Goodman. Shooting got under way two weeks ago in Berlin and nearby Potsdam, starting with interior scenes. IANS

CHAI TIME SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

SUDOKU

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing. – Theodore Roosevelt

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 Pale purple shade 6 Stuffing seasoning 10 Ellington’s famous train 14 Worship 15 Ski conveyance 16 Joins in wordlessly 17 Condescend 18 ___ mater 19 Roadie load 20 Millionaire’s address? 22 Basketball great Archibald 23 Garland of greeting 24 Tuft of hair on the head 26 Money from ticket sales 29 Tempo 32 Court hearings 33 Sawbones’ gp. 34 Vaulted church recess 35 Logical start? 36 Life is full of them 42 Refuel one’s body 43 Like a fashionable arrival 44 Prefix with “classical” 45 Bank vault installation 48 Ill-mannered type 49 Safe or out, say 50 Group in “The Godfather” 52 Big grin stopping point? 54 Town, informally 55 Average Joes 61 Clinton’s Folly canal 62 Of 52-Across 63 Cockamamie 64 Wedding fling? 65 Go back to square one 66 Examine again, as a patient 67 There are way more than seven 68 Genesis garden 69 Steel city of Germany DOWN 1 Stow, as cargo 2 Brainstorming session

result 3 One of the Flagstons, in comics 4 Colorful sock 5 Perfume with smoke 6 Christmas tree topper 7 Skilled 8 Reproductive cell 9 A Muse 10 Award winner’s words 11 Full of compassion 12 Caveat ___ (let the buyer beware) 13 Balance sheet item 21 Shoulder cape with hanging ends 25 Speaker’s asset 26 Kind of mask 27 Parisian pal 28 Scottish topper 30 Snake that killed a queen 31 It has four strings

34 Texas Revolution bat49 Old hags tle site 51 Germ cell or the like 35 “___ down the hatch53 Belching flames, e.g. es!” 56 White House staffer 37 Closest points in orbits 57 Revered image 38 ___ Claire, Wis. 58 Lad’s sweetheart 39 Ribonucleic acid, for 59 Joint with a cap short 60 Spotted in society 40 Bumping into PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER one could provide a shock 41 Note to follow fa 45 Orange-yellow shades 46 Metcalf of “Roseanne” 47 “Gorillas in the Mist” setting 48 Sang cheerfully

CHAI TIME SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

Aries

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

Justice

Nine of Wands

The High Priestess

Queen of Cups

The Devil

The Chariot

ork – You’re too preoccupied, perhaps not with work but with the other aspects like gossip, who earns more, and where you’re headed. Romance – Your romantic relationship seems to have reached a dead-end. It seems as though it can go no further from here and you have nothing to gain from being in it. Health – Watch the weight. Put the brakes on your tendency to over-eat. Be mindful of every morsel you eat, and diet right. Money – The bank balance needs some attention. Have you accounted for all your investments while filing your tax returns? Check again. Tarot message – You’re at the threshold of success and only a positive attitude is needed to make it happen.

ork – You are very competent in your work and your bosses have noticed this and want to make use of your talent. Keep an open outlook to new options. Romance – Your partner and you may not agree on many issues but it’s not necessary that you do. Are the disagreements so bad that it has become difficult to be with each other at all? Health – Mental tension and stress can be tackled if you make up your mind. The first step is to strictly ensure worklife balance. Money – Finances are in good shape. The extra cash you make out of freelance assignments will do you a world of good. Tarot message – Use intuition to guide you into sensible decisions.

ork – There’s only that much you can control. Accept what you can control and what you cannot. Walking around with a big brother attitude does not help. Romance – Your emotions are volatile. Refrain from making any decisions purely based on how you feel. It may not serve the purpose well. Health – Protect against the changing weather. Dress right and eat healthy. Wash your hands regularly. Take basic precautions to avoid illnesses. Money – There are times when you feel you should be earning more for you talent. For that, you would have to sacrifice your career options. Tarot message – The heart is currently ruling over your head.

ork –Take the opinion of seniors with experience so you get work done well and quickly. Don’t let ego come in the way of taking help. Romance – Give each other a lot of space. Getting too close to each other may rob you of your independence. Health – Take a second opinion if you’re not convinced with the results of a medical test. Pay attention to seemingly minor, niggling problems. Money – The EMIs have to be paid and you need to work out a good plan to ensure there is enough buffer to support all your expenses. Tarot message – The start of the new year is an opportunity to look within and make changes to improve your life.

ork – Work will be a struggle. Your family is concerned about how you will manage. Hard work is the only answer. Romance – Show some concern to your partner and make sure to enquire about him/her regularly. Otherwise they may feel left out. Health – Get a second opinion from a doc who deals with alternative medicine. Sometimes, a good detox is all that the body needs. Money – Don’t be tempted to shop for things you don’t need. Practice the mindful spending mentality. It’s an attitude that grows on you with time. Tarot message – Be watchful at all times and learn to say no to the things you don’t really need in your life.

SUMAA TEKUR tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

Libra

Scorpio

The Emperor

Queen of Swords

ork – You don’t like change at this point and you’re deflecting any suggestions made to bring about changes to your work profile or team. Keep an open mind. Romance – This is providing the stability factor. All other parts of your life are volatile but this relationship is keeping you going against the odds. Health – Laugh a lot, keep your mind fresh and active. Your body will also feel better. Do puzzles and mind games to stay engaged. Money – The bank balance is looking good. You don’t feel the need to make any changes yet to the financial portfolio. There’s no pressure to. Tarot message – Reflect on your life and achievements and visualize where you want it go from here.

ork – Though you prefer to work alone rather than in a group, it will likely make you feel left out in the office. You may also not get the best ideas together. Romance – Singles will want to get into a romantic relationship but will find it tough to find a suitable partner. Are your expectations too high? Health – Get into social networking, not just of the online variety. Develop a hobby, meet new people and get into a social group. Money – Finances are looking fantastic. You’ve done with your money what a smart person would. Tarot message – You may not feel the pinch of loneliness now but in a few years you wish you had company.

Sagittarius Two of Cups

ork –There will be ups and downs in business partnerships and there’s little you can do to avoid it. Try to maintain and mature and healthy relationship with your partner. Romance – Marriage is on the cards for singles. Those already committed, will be deepening their commitment through better understanding of each other. Health – Don’t get too lonely. Be with people whose company you enjoy. The cheer, joking around or just hanging around with each other will make you feel better. Money – A hobby or some extra work is likely to bring in some extra cash. Tarot message – Two minds are better than one.

Capricorn

Date 31-3-2013

Aquarius

Judgement

Eight of Cups

ork – Be careful to check all the work given to you carefully before passing them on to your boss. There may be some oversight. Romance – A romantic relationship may not be the biggest achievement in your life – you don’t look at a relationship as an absolute necessity. Health – However difficult it is in the chilly mornings, do make it a point to wake up and go on those walks. Money – Review your investments and move your money around confidently so it gives you better returns. Don’t be afraid to take some risks. Tarot message – Time to take matters into your own hands. You need to take charge and make things happen.

ork – If you make mistakes, be quick to also make corrections. Your bosses don’t expect you not to make mistakes at all. But how you amend them is what matters. Romance – Take a weekend break with a loved one. Go on a long drive and work out a way to rekindle the passion and get back the reason why you two are together. Health – You need a change of scene. Travel some place new and come back refreshed. Mental relaxation is a must. Money – Keep a check on the expenses. Be in touch with your bank about any discrepancies you may notice. Tarot message – Be vigilant and prioritise your time to the right causes.

ork – You feel like you’ve been there, done that. This feeling of déjà vu may be because you’re not getting any exciting new work. Romance – Though the relationship is a perfect match in the eyes of society, it may be giving you little in terms of emotional satisfaction. Health – Add lots of fruits and veggies to your diet. Watch out for the samosas with excessive oil. Eat right and you get healthy. Money – Be mindful of over-spending in the holidays. Keep track of all your bills and manage them correctly. Tarot message – You may be feeling like you’re missing something. You feel an emotional void. Don’t be in a hurry to fill it.

Pisces Five of Swords

ork – Avoid getting into the bad books of your bosses. Don’t rub them the wrong way by trying to argue without adequate information. Romance – Arguments, debates and disagreements will always be there in any relationship. It’s how you fight them out and reach a settlement is what determines the health of a partnership. Health – Focus on hygiene. Wash your hands regularly and take measures to keep away the winter bug. Money – Intellectual work brings in the money. This may not be the best time for creative ideas. Even if mundane, continue to do the daily jobs. Tarot message – Life is really all about surviving the mundane.

Vol: 2, No 253 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, MARCH 30, 2013

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

IN THE NEWS

A Clockwork Orange? 11. When was celebrity British chef Jamie Oliver born? 12. How many white pieces are there in a game of chess? 13. U2 was found in which year? 14. How many points are required to determine a straight line? 15. Which cartoon figure has a

star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? 16. How many times has Philiphines won at the Ms Universe beauty contest? 17. Who roamed around Sherwood forest with his merry men? 18. What is the primary ingredient in ketchup?

Answers

6. Which discipline did Sir Alexander Fleming specialise in? 7. Who is the highest paid Latina actress today? 8. Which country won the FIFA world cup five times? 9. Where are the red blood cells produced in a human body? 10. Who directed and produced

1. Bethlehem 2. Crocodile 3. 28 4. Exploring cultural phenomena 5. Paris 6. Medicine 7. Jennifer Lopez 8. Brazil 9. Bone marrow 10. Stanley Kubrick 11. 1975 12. Sixteen 13. 1976 14. Two 15. Bugs Bunny 16. two 17. Robin Hood 18. Tomatoes

1. According to the Bible, where was Jesus born? 2. Which animal appears on the Lacoste logo? 3. How many years did Robinson Crusoe live on the deserted island? 4. What is ethnography? 5. Notre Dame cathedral can be found in which city?

TEST YOURSELF

IDENTIFY THESE ANIMAL LOGOS

CURRENT AFFAIRS 1

1 2

President Barack Obama chose a woman to lead the Secret Service. She will be the first woman to head the agency. Who is she? Which two members of BRICS have come upon an agreement to trade in their own currencies the equivalent of up to $30 billion. Which are the countries?

What are their greatest fears?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Woody Allen George Washington Richard Nixon

Alfred Hitchcock

3 4

Which telephone company was accused by a Chinese firm of copying software ?

Natalie Wood

Which country’s foreign minister resigned protesting the government’s U-turn to send back to India two marines accused of killing Indian fishermen?

Uma Thurman

Robert De Niro

Who plays the lead in YRF Entertainment's Hollywood production Grace of Monaco?

PICTURE PUZZLE 60 with Santosh Ghule Find the alphabets in the picture?

Answer for 59:

Which state's chief minister has lashed out at centre's ministers over the alleged arrest of Hizbul militant Liyaqat Ali Shah?

Eleven pairs of women’s legs and 12 pairs of men’s legs.

Which CM barred Lankan players from playing in the state?

Answers: 1. Twitter 2. Swarovski 3. Jaguar 4. Batman

2 3

WHO AM I? I am a bollywood actor who was convicted by the Supreme Court of India for the illegal possession of arms relating to the 1993 Mumbai blasts case and havebeen sentenced five years prison.

Answer : Sanjay Dutt

Answers

Answers:

1. Julia Pierson 2. China and Brazil 3. Apple 4. Italian foreign minister Giulio Terzi 5. Indian

KNOW YOUR COUNTRY AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal is on an indefinite fast protesting against what?

Tom Cruise

1.Cancer (Carcinophobia), insects, sunshine, dogs, deer, bright colours, children, heights, small rooms and crowds 2.Taphephobia (fear of being buried alive) 3. Nosocomephobia (fear of hospitals) 4. Ovophobia (fear of eggs) 5. Hydrophobia (Fear of Water) 6. Ailurophobia (Fear of Cats) 7.Claustrophobic - can’t handle being in enclosed spaces. 8. Fear of going bald. 9. Dentophobe – fear of dentists

Some famous cow breeds of the Americas, including the iconic Texas Longhorn, have been found recently to have descended from which country's cows ?

Napoleon Bonaparte

1. "inflated" power bills 2. Jayalalithaa 3. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah 4. Nicole Kidman

Answers

SPORTS SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

Gala dedicated to Mennea

Dufner sparks Twitter trend

ason Dufner's laid-back lounging at a charity center visit sparked a Twitter trend on Friday as his fellow pros — and a host of others — posted pictures of themselves "Dufnering". "What can I say, I was tired, my back hurt from sitting on the floor, and we were talking about relaxation and focusing," Dufner tweeted after a picture of him lolling on the floor went viral.

orld athletics chiefs will dedicate the Golden Gala meet in Rome this June, when sprint star Usain Bolt will compete, to Italian great Pietro Mennea, according to the IAAF on Thursday. Mennea, the gold medal winner in the 200m at the 1980 Moscow Olympics who held the world record in the event for 17 years, died in a Rome hospital last week.

Charr calls out Haye

ormer world heavyweight challenger Manuel Charr has vowed to donate half his purse to the Syrian peace process if loud-mouthed Brit David Haye will face him in the ring. Known as the 'Diamond Boy', Charr has not forgotten his origins and wants to do something to ease the suffering in the land of his ancestors.

Vettel move stirs up debate

Vettel’s ill-planned decision, taken in the heat of the moment, to ignore his Red Bull team’s order to stay second behind Mark Webber in the Malaysian GP has stirred up the debate about the sport’s true identity. Tim Collings

Webber and, reportedly, shaking his hand during the team’s traditional de-brief following the race at Sepang? Does it matter that Webber has, allegedly, accepted the apology and moved on, in the process confirming he will stay with Red Bull and race again as Vettel’s team-mate in the Chinese Grand Prix on April 14? Does it matter that Bernie Ecclestone, the sport’s ancient commercial ring-master, ensured that his predictable comments of approval for Vettel’s aggression were widely aired? Ultimately, in each case, no, it does not matter. The well-used excuses trotted out this week by the Red Bull team chief Christian Horner, referring to the competitive instincts of racing drivers,

LONDON: The 2013 Formula One season may be only two races old, but it has already conjured up a new ‘team orders’ controversy that has divided opinion and prompted tragic memories. Sebastian Vettel’s illplanned decision, taken in the heat of the moment, to ignore his Red Bull team’s order to stay second behind Mark Webber in last Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix has stirred up the eternal debate about the sport’s true identity - is it racing between teams or individual drivers? Does it matter that German Vettel, 25, has visited Milton Keynes and apologised to team members after saying sorry to

Heat rebound, sting Hornets NEW ORLEANS: The Miami Heat rebounded from the end of their 27-game winning streak by clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a 108-89 win over the New Orleans Hornets on Friday. LeBron James nailed seven three pointers en route to a 36point effort for the Heat who saw the second-longest win streak in National Basketball Association history halted with a defeat to Chicago earlier this week. Dwyane Wade finished with 17 points and nine assists and Norris Cole and Chris Bosh scored 12 and 10 points respectively for the reigning NBA champions who improved to 5715 atop the Eastern Conference standings. Ryan Anderson scored 20 points for the Hornets, who fell to 3-3 on a seven-game homestand. Eric Gordon had 17 points, Brian Roberts scored 13 points and Anthony Davis chipped in 11 points and four steals for the Hornets who has won six in a row at home against Miami. Miami lost 101-97 on

JT paralysed but positive DUBLIN: Irish jockey JT

Udonis Haslem #40 of the Miami Heat puts up a shot against the New Orleans Hornets on Friday. AFP/NBAE LAYNE MURDOCH JR.

Wednesday, falling just six wins short of tying the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers record-setting mark. The Heat, who were without guard Mario Chalmers, started the second quarter on a 17-5 AFP surge.

LEAGUE CRICKET DIVISION ONE DAY KNOCKOUT

Charminar CC 211(Anwar 57, Irfan Ullah Khan 51, Akarsh 3/41) bt Mega City 186 (Anuroop Reddy 58, Nikhil Yadav 42, MD Mujeeb 3/23).

deserve little time. It is his job to control his drivers. In an interview with Sky Sports News broadcast on Thursday, Horner revealed: “He’s (Vettel) said he can’t turn back the clock but he’s accepted what he did was wrong. “He’s apologised to the team and to every single member of staff for his actions, because he recognises the team is vitally important and being part of the team is a crucial aspect to being able to challenge for those championships.” There was no mention of disciplinary action and no suggestion, as former F1 driver John Watson had suggested this week, that Vettel should be banned. AFP

McNamara is in a “very positive frame of mind” despite his horror fall at Cheltenham this month which resulted in paralysis, Irish racing’s chief medical officer reported on Friday. The 37-year-old leading amateur is recovering after neck surgery at a hospital in Bristol where he has been treated since the fall on March 15. A statement issued jointly by Adrian McGoldrick, the Irish Turf Club’s senior medical officer, and Lisa Hancock, head of the Injured Jockeys Fund on behalf of the McNamara family read: “JT McNamara remains in the Frenchay Hospital, Bristol. “Whilst he suffered a serious neck injury resulting in

THE LEADING AMATEUR IS RECOVERING AFTER NECK SURGERY AT A HOSPITAL WHERE HE HAS BEEN TREATED SINCE THE FALL.

paralysis, he has made progress in the last week and is in a very positive frame of mind.” The statement continued: “He is greatly appreciative of the many messages, cards and letters received and also wishes to thank the Frenchay Hospital who are looking after him so well.” McNamara, one of Ireland’s leading amateur riders with four career wins at the Cheltenham Festival, fractured C3 and C4 vertebrae following his fall from Galaxy Rock in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup. In due course he is expected to be transferred to the National Spinal Unit at Dublin’s Mater Hospital to continue his AFP rehabilitation.

Webber stopped in tracks by a koala BERLIN: Days after his bid for victory in the Malysian GP was thwarted by gung-ho teammate Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber has found himself halted again, but this time by a koala. “Stopped in my tracks. He’s on a mission the little fella,” Webber posted on his official twitter feed, alongside a photo

he took himself of the marsupial crossing the road in front of him. The message provoked some ironic responses from Webber’s fans — still smarting after last Sunday’s incident at the Malaysian Grand Prix when Vettel blatantly defied team orders and overtook his teammate to snatch a controversial win.

“Good man, Vettel would have hit the other pedal (by mistake of course),” wrote one Webber supporter. Another commented: “At least he didn’t pass you” Webber has returned to his native Australia to cool off after the Sepang storm with Vettel ahead of next month’s Chinese Grand Prix.

SPORTS SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

Andy, David in title clash Andy Murray and third seed David Ferrer will meet in the final of the Miami Masters after both rallied from opening set losses to win their semifinal matches. MIAMI: Former winner Andy Murray and third seed David Ferrer will meet in the final of the Miami Masters after both rallied from opening set losses Friday to win their semi-finals in three sets. Last year’s runner-up Murray lost the opening set in a tiebreaker before beating Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-7 (3/7), 6-1, 6-2 while Spaniard Ferrer ended German veteran Tommy Haas’s giant-killing run 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. “I could have made it easier on myself," Murray said. “I could have played a better game when I was serving for the first set, but I didn’t. I responded well and obviously he struggled in the third set with his movement. I just had to take care of my own side of the net. I did a good job of that." Murray, the 2009 champion,

dropped his first set of the tournament by losing the opening-set tiebreak to eighth seed Gasquet, but quickly made amends and dominated the final two sets to reach his third Miami final. Murray, who is the lone British champion in the history of the Miami event, has beaten Ferrer in six out of 11 career matches, winning five of the last seven. Ferrer has only beaten Murray once on a non-clay surface and that was at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in 2011. “It is going to be a tough match. He is an unbelievable competitor," Murray said. “We train a lot together so we know each other’s games well so there should be a lot of long rallies." The 26-year-old Scot clinched the win when a frustrated Gasquet

hammered a return of serve on his forehand into the bottom of the net on the first of two match points. Murray finished with six aces and won 75 percent of his firstserve points in a centre court match that ended just one minute shy of being two hours long. Murray started slowly, struggling with his serve at times as he double faulted five times in the match, including three times in the opening set. Gasquet, who has won twice already this year but was hampered by a right foot problem in this one, was trying to become the first Frenchman to capture the Miami title. Murray later said he was pleased at his recovery after the disappointment of AFP losing the first set.

McIlroy cuts it close at Houston, Steve in lead

HOUSTON, TEXAS: Rory McIlroy didn’t improve his chances of regaining the world No. 1 ranking, but he held up under pressure on Friday to guarantee himself two more rounds at the US PGA Tour Houston Open. Steve Wheatcroft, who booked his place in the field in a Monday qualifier, topped the leaderboard with a secondstraight 67 for 10-under par 134. Wheatcroft had five birdies without a bogey and had a oneshot lead over Jason Kokrak and overnight leader DA Points. Points had one birdie in his one-under 71 while Kokrak countered his double-bogey six at the 17th with five birdies in a 69. It was a further two strokes back to England’s Brian Davis (70) and American Stewart Cink

Siem stays in charge at Agadir AGADIR: Germany’s Marcel Siem stayed on course for a last-gasp place at the Masters when he retained his lead at the Trophee Hassan on Friday, a second round 68 following his opening 64. Siem, on 12-under at the halfway stage, is three shots ahead of Finland’s Mikko Ilonen and England’s David Horsey. Siem needs to win the tournament to stand any chance of climbing into the world top 50 and earning a debut Masters appearance AFP in Augusta next month.

Steve Wheatcroft plays his second shot on the eighth hole during the second round of the Shell Houston Open on Friday. AFP/SCOTT HALLERAN (66) on 137. Although he was well down the leaderboard, McIlroy was squarely in the spotlight.

His two-under 70 included three birdies and a bogey and left him on one-under 143 for the tournament, making the cut

with no room to spare. “As I said, no one likes missing cuts," McIlroy said after his morning round, when he still thought Houston would mark his last start before the Masters. Later in the day, the PGA Tour said McIlroy had committed to play next week’s Texas Open in San Antonio, giving him one more tuneup for the year’s first major. Through Friday he had played just 10 competitive rounds in 2013 and seen Tiger Woods supplant him atop the world rankings. McIlroy, whose opening 73 on Thursday had put him in danger of an early exit, teed off on 10 and picked up back-to-back birdies at the 15th and 16th. After a bogey at the second, he got up-and-down for a birdie AFP on the par-five eighth.

Berdych out of Davis Cup PRAGUE: Tomas Berdych will miss holders the Czech Republic’s Davis Cup quarter-final against Kazakhstan next weekend with an injured shoulder. Berdych announced his decision to skip the April 5-7 tie in Astana on Friday, the day after his 6-3, 6-3 quarter-final loss to France’s Richard Gasquet at the Miami Masters. “I woke up this morning and I quickly felt a deep pain in my shoulder. It was clear

that I wouldn’t be able to play next week in Kazakhstan," he wrote on the Czech Republic Davis Cup team’s Facebook page. The Gasquet match had been “the last straw” said Berdych who has suffered from the same problem on and off in the past. With Berdych out of the equation, the Czech Republic will be represented by Radek Stepanek, the world number 43 who underwent cervical disc surgery in January,

Lukas Rosol (No.64), Jan Hajek (98) and Ivo Minar (245). In February the Czechs, with Berdych but without Stepanek, beat Switzerland 31 in Geneva in the first round of their title defence. Last November, Berdych and Stepanek led the Czech Republic to their first Davis Cup trophy since the country became independent in 1993, beating five-time champions AFP Spain 3-2 in Prague.

David Ferrer celebrates match point against Tommy Haas during the semifinals of the Miami Masters on Friday. AFP/MATTHEW STOCKMAN

Stuttgart to shift from clay to grass PARIS: Stuttgart’s ATP claycourt tournament will become a grasscourt event from 2015 with organisers promoting it as a key Wimbledon warm-up. The tournament’s request to move to grass and take place the week following the French Open was approved by the ATP Board of Directors at its recent meeting in Miami. With Wimbledon taking place a week later in the calendar from 2015, a three-week gap will be incorporated in the calendar in between Roland Garros and the season’s third Grand Slam event, meaning an additional week of tournaments. “The ATP is pleased to confirm that the request by the MercedesCup in Stuttgart to move to a grass court event in the week after Roland Garros from 2015 has been approved by the ATP Board of Directors," said ATP president Brad Drewett. “The MercedesCup in Stuttgart presented an extremely thorough application and we have full confidence that they will deliver a high-level ATP grass court event in the lead up to Wimbledon. “As part of our process in setting the 2015 ATP World Tour calendar, we continue to review other options for the three-week period between Roland Garros and Wimbledon in 2015." The new-look Stuttgart event will join Queen’s Club, Halle, Eastbourne, ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Newport as ATP World Tour grass court tournaments. At the moment, the Stuttgart tournament is played on clay, the AFP week after Wimbledon.

SPORTS SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

Daredevils’ way of inspiring players NEW DELHI: In a bid to motivate the players, the Delhi Daredevils management has decided to create a ‘Wall of Fame’ aimed at inspiring Virender Sehwag and Co during the gruelling 55-day Indian Premier League. In the team hotel, there is a designated ‘Team Room', which has huge posters carrying some famous lines quoted by American basketball legend Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali to inspire the players before the home games. For example, in one of the walls, there is Jordan’s quote, “Talent win games, but teamwork, intelligence, wins championship." Hemant Dua, the marketing head of Delhi Daredevils, told PTI, “This is our way of trying to motivate the players before a big game. They would assemble in this room before a match and from there would leave for the ground." The two stand-out quotes that have been used are that of Ali and another former NBA defender Bobby Jones. “I hated every minute of training But I said ‘Don’t Quit'. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as champion," the famous Ali quote screams from one of the walls. However, one quotable quote that is difficult to get out of the head, is the one AFP from Jones.

Hope Dhawan is back soon: Tom Moody HYDERABAD: Sunrisers Hyderabad, the new IPL outfit, have suffered a blow ahead of the tournament with star player Shikhar Dhawan being ruled out due to injury for at least their opening tie against Pune Warriors, to be held on April 5. “Shikhar Dhawan at this stage will not be available for the first game. We are obviously working closely with the BCCI and the medical team with regard to his progress," Sunrisers coach Tom Moody told reporters here on Friday. “We are hoping that within a couple of weeks he will beavailable to join the team," he added. Dhawan, who scored fastest ever century on debut in the recently-concluded Test series against Australia, had sustained an injury during the series. Asked how many matches Dhawan is likely to miss, Moody replied: “We don’t know as yet. We are hoping that he is going to have a speedy recovery." Stating that the team has a good mix of youth and experience, the coach said that the efforts are being made to improve the bonding among them. “It (preparation for the IPL) has been going on well. Our first official training session will be this [yesterday] afternoon. We have had a number of meetings with players. Myself, Waqar (Younis), who is the bowling coach and our assist coach...we spent a lot of time on a individual basis," he said. “For us obviously it is new. Lot of new faces we need to get

Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling coach and team coach, Tom Moody, interact with the media during a press conference in Hyderabad on Friday. familiar with. So we spent a good time getting to know the players. We had a good team evening, a good bounding session, which we will continue to do over the next week also. “Lot of international players are scheduled to come in the next few days. We are obviously excited," Moody added. Regarding the Sri Lankan players in the team — Kumar Sangakkara and Thisara Perera — who would not be able to play in Chennai, Moody said the issue will be dealt by the officials. “We will let the officials deal with the delicate situation. Both the players (Sangakkara and

Perera) are coming and I am sure the officials will sort out the situation in Chennai," he said. Meanwhile, Waqar Younis, who is the bowling coach of Sunrisers, said it is going to be a big challenge for him. “It is very exciting for me and also a big challenge. I am appearing in IPL for the first time, hopefully, with Tom and me, Dale Steyn, Ishant Sharma and a lot of other players , we make a good unit and try to do well," he said. Waqar insisted that he would not be doing anything with seasoned players like Dale Steyn and Ishant Sharma but take care of the younger ones.

Glad to be a part of the team: Waqar HYDERABAD: Former Pakistani captian and Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowling coach, Waqar Younis, has said that he was glad to be a part of the IPL team. Waqar had words of praise for the players. “It is a pleasure working with all the players, Dale Steyn, Ishant Sharma and the others. Hopefully with Tom Moody, Laxam and Kris Srikkant, we make a good team,” he said.

Ryder comes out of coma

Peter Clinton (Wellington Cricket), detective senior sergeant Brian Archer and Heath Mills (NZ Cricket Player’s Association) attend a press conference IAIN MCGREGOR/FAIRFAX NZ about the assault on Ryder.

WELLINGTON: New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder emerged from an induced coma Saturday, but faced “a big battle” ahead as he recovered from a vicious assault, his manager Aaron Klee said. Ryder required medical assistance to keep breathing when he was rushed to hospital in a critical condition early Thursday morning. He suffered serious head and

lung injuries after being attacked as he left a bar in the South Island city of Christchurch. Two men have been charged with assault and police said they were not looking for anyone else, although witnesses said up to four people were involved in what they believed was an unprovoked attack. “Jesse’s condition has improved to the extent that he is now out of the induced coma

and off the ventilator. Jesse is awake and talking to us," Klee said. “Naturally we are thrilled with this progress. This is only the start of the recovery process for Jesse and there is still a big battle ahead to full health, but the progress is positive." Witnesses said Ryder was left “shaking, vomiting and covered in blood” after he was repeatedly punched and kicked. Klee said Ryder had no recollection of the attack. “He remembers getting a duck ... not much after that," he said, referring to Ryder’s dismissal during his Wellington side’s season-ending loss earlier in the day to Canterbury in a limited overs match. Ryder’s mother and girlfriend, who were at his bedside when he woke up, have described it as a “heinous crime". Detective Senior Sergeant Brian Archer said police had watched closed-circuit television footage of the incident and had a “reasonably clear picture of AFP what has taken place".

Ryder was left shaking and bleeding in the carpark outside this McDonald’s after he was attacked on Thursday. STACY SQUIRES/FAIRFAX NZ

Two charged over attack

WELLINGTON: olice say

they have charged two men and are not seeking anyone else over an attack on New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder, who gave a thumbs up to family members in the hospital as his condition improves. Detective Senior Sergeant Brian Archer of Christchurch Police said a

20-year-old man and a 37year-old relative will appear in the Christchurch District Court on Thursday on assault charges. Ryder’s manager, Aaron Klee, said medical staff at Christchurch Hospital were slowly bringing Ryder out of the induced coma he was placed in after suffering severe head injuries. PTI

SPORTS SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

Rodgers calm over Suarez affair With Liverpool unlikely to qualify for next season’s Champions League, many reports have claimed Suarez will be targeted by big-spending clubs.

Inter look to double over Juve MILAN: Inter Milan coach Andrea Stramaccioni said Friday the Nerazzurri are hoping to do the double over Serie A leaders Juventus this weekend, with confidence high despite patchy form in recent months. Stramaccioni pulled off a tactical masterstroke to win the first ‘Derby d’Italia’ of the season in early November when his side was firing on all cylinders. A few months on, a less consistent Inter side, which also welcomed the late return of several south American stars from international duty, will travel to Turin hoping to make it two from two. Stramaccioni recognises Juve’s dominance this season but with both sides needing to win to keep their respective ambitions afloat, he, and Juve counterpart Antonio Conte, expects a wide open game. “Results show they’re the best team in the league this season. But we want to show what we’re about and this match is the perfect chance to do so,” the 37-year-old coach told inter.it. “It will be an open game and could go either way. We’ll approach it like we did in the reverse fixture, perhaps with a slightly different system, but we’ll give it a good go. “We’re going out to win the match and I’m sure we’ll put in a good performance. Some experts claim we have little chance of winning it so we’ll try and use this as extra motivation.” Juve hold a nine-point lead over Napoli and are 11 points ahead of AC Milan, who travel to Chievo in the hope of boosting their bid to jump up to second.

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reports have claimed Suarez will be targeted by big-spending Paris Saint Germain, Juventus and Manchester City. And ahead of World Cup qualifiers last week the 26-yearold gave an interview in his homeland which fuelled the speculation as he suggested he would listen to offers from

Champions League teams. Losing Suarez, Liverpool’s most influential performer this season with 29 goals in all competitions, would be a major blow. But Rodgers claims there is no need for Reds fans to fear the departure of their talisman. “I haven’t spoken to Luis yet. He was back late yesterday and

we just ran the medical team over him and he trained this morning,” he said. “All I am aware of is we have an outstanding player who has given everything for the club and he is very happy here. “Every time he goes away, there is always something. I always say to players I have a

simple rule: when you are with Liverpool just talk about Liverpool and when you are away with your international team concentrate on your international team so there is no drama. “So what he says when he is with Uruguay is of no great relevance to Liverpool.”

‘Coming out meant I had to leave football’ Robbie Rogers recently became only the second British-based footballer after Justin Fashanu to admit he was gay. LONDON: Former Leeds winger Robbie Rogers admits the macho culture of football makes it impossible for gay players to stay in the sport once they have revealed their homosexuality. Rogers recently became only the second Britishbased footballer after Justin Fashanu to admit he was gay, but the United States international waited until quitting Championship club Leeds before going public with the news. The 25-yearold’s contract with Leeds was cancelled by mutual consent in January and a few weeks later Rogers posted a message on his personal website announcing he was gay and had stepped away from football while he considered if he still had a future in the game. In his first interview since his revelation, Rogers claims the sometimes vicious banter between team-mates would make a football changing room a hard place for a gay player to be. “In football it’s obviously impossible to come out because no one has done it. No one. It’s crazy and sad. I thought: ‘Why don’t I step away and deal with this and my family and be

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happy?'" Rogers told The Guardian on Friday. “Football is an amazing sport. But it is also a brutal sport that picks people up and slams them on their heads. Adding the gay aspect doesn’t make a great cocktail. “Imagine going to training every day and being in that spotlight? It’s been a bit of a circus anyway, but that would have been crazy. And you wouldn’t have much control because clubs are pushing you in different directions. “I was just fearful. I was very fearful how my team-mates were going to react. Was it going to change them? Even though I’d still be the same person would it change the way they acted

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towards me, when we were in the dressing room or the bus?” Rogers, who also played for Dutch side Heerenveen, American outfit Columbus Crew and had a loan spell at League One club Stevenage, had heard numerous homophobic jokes and jibes from team-mates unaware he was gay. That knowledge made it difficult for the Californian to let the world know his sexuality while he was still playing. “There were different emotions [when he heard homophobic comments]. Sometimes I would feel bad for them. Sometimes I would laugh because it was kinda funny. And, sometimes, it got malicious,” Rogers said. “That was when I would get

this awful feeling in my stomach. I would turn my head and try to chat about other things. They often don’t mean what they say. “It’s that pack mentality, they’re trying to get a laugh, they’re trying to be the top guy. But it’s brutal. It’s like high school again, on steroids. “I don’t think I would have been able to go training the next day. That would be so scary. The guys might have said, ‘That’s great, Robbie.’ Maybe. “But because no one’s done it and because of the things I’ve heard in the dressing room I just thought: ‘I need to get away from this, make my announcement, find peace, go from there.’ So I can never imagine announcing that at Leeds.” Although Rogers is happy with the reaction to his sexuality, he is unsure if he wants to resume his playing career. “Football will always be part of me. I don’t know if I’m done playing yet,” he said. “I miss it and think about it a lot. But I’m so happy now I don’t want to mess with that.”

Moyes mum over future LONDON: Everton man-

Suduko

Brendan Rodgers on Friday insisted he has no intention of panicking over Luis Suarez’s future after the Uruguay striker hinted he would consider an offer from a more successful club. With Liverpool unlikely to qualify for next season’s Champions League, many

Number game

LONDON: Liverpool manager

ager David Moyes insists he has no intention of letting the speculation over his future become a distraction to the Premier League club’s bid to secure European football.

Moyes has been in charge at Goodison Park for the past 11 years and with his contract due to expire at the end of the season there has been renewed talk that the Scot is ready to leave for a new

challenge. The former Preston boss has been in talks with Everton chairman Bill Kenwright for much of the season in an attempt to iron out his future.