Postnoon E-Paper for 26 January 2013 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

SNAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL

group of 20 youngsters are actively involved in rescuing snakes and releasing them into the wild. The NGO rescues reptiles from residential areas in the City and releases them into the wild.

MODERN ROMANCE: COMMITMENT COMPROMISE?

PG 13

en and women alike have stopped believing in the happily-ever-after phenomenon. Be it their reluctance to give up their freedom or the worry of being dumped, commitment phobia is cause for major concern among the youth today. Postnoon looks into what’s plaguing these youngsters. PG 20

WWW.POSTNOON.COM

WEATHER: CLEAR WITH CLOUDY PERIODS; 25°C

Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper

32 PAGES

JANUARY 26, 2013 HYDERABAD

FEW

TAKERS FOR

T-STRIKES? T-JAC leaders admit that T-agitations are receiving a lukewarm response in the City. They believe that T-agitations stutter due to the cosmopolitan nature of the City. REPORT ON PG 5

PGs 16&17

HAIL THE REPUBLIC

On Republic Day, Hyderabadis of all ages mounted their cycles at Gachibowli Stadium and kicked off Republic Ride, India’s biggest corporate cycling event. The waving flags, painted faces and enthusiastic participants made for a colourful start to January 26.

PAGE TWO SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

LITTLE JOYS OF LIFE

Rural Excerpts An exhibition of paintings and sculptures, of village depictions and life in rural areas, by Narsimlu Kandi. The preview is on January 19. Where: Alankritha art gallery When: Up to January 30, 11am to 7pm Contact: www.alankritha.in

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

Code Red Countdown Code Red Countdown is an art collection revolving around ecology, by New York based artist Asher Jay. The theme is endangered wildlife. Where: Lalitha Kala Thoranam, Public gardens When: January 27 6pm to 9:30pm Contact: 93965 55888

Hot Dog food festival ITC Kakatiya’s multi restaurant, Deccan Pavilion, is organising a hot dog festival. Hollywood hot dog, Philadelphia cheese steak dog, Garden Dog and Arizona rush are some of the items on the menu. Where: Deccan Pavilion, ITC Kakatiya When: January 18-27 Contact: (040) 4008 1816

Just For Women Special W-Lunch for Women on Wednesdays. The menu changes on a weekly basis. Where: Ohri’s Ruci & Idoni, Opp Rainbow Hospital, Banjara Hills When: Every Wednesday 1pm to 3:30pm Contact: (040) 6535 5018

Cafe Classics Month Truffles cafe pays tribute to some selective cafes and restaurants in India and the world. The cafe will be serving some of their special dishes. This weekend starts with Britannia restaurant & cafe located in Bombay, with delicious Parsi dishes. Where: Nautanki Galli, Madhapur Where: Truffles cafe Plot no. 376, Road no. 10, Jubilee Hills When: Up to February 10 Contact: (040) 2355 0105

Taramati Festival Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation and Banyan Tree Events are organising

CINEMAS

A discarded mattress is the source of hours of fun for these children. a music and dance festival. It is aimed at popularizing the heritage Taramati Baradhari. Where: Taramati Baradhari Cultural Complex, Abraham Bagh, Near Vasvi College When: January 26, 5:30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2352 0172

Tribute to Khanna There will be dance performances on Rajesh Khanna’s songs to pay tribute to the superstar. The dance will be choreographed by Mahesh L Munde, who has choreographed national and international performances. Where: Lalitha Kala Thoranam, Public gardens, Hyderabad When: January 27 6pm to 9:30pm Contact: 93965 55888

Fastrack discounts There is a discount on backpacks, totes, hobos, leatherette bags, among other things, in all Fastrack outlets in the City. Where: Fastrack outlets When: Up to February 17

Numaish Numaish is the 73rd All India Industrial Exhibition is an ongoing event in the City. Where: Exhibition Ground,

Mukarramjahi Road, Nampally When: Up to February 15, 4pm to 11pm Contact: (040) 2460 3015

Shoppers Stop sale Sale up to 51 per cent off on international and Indian brands across categories at Shoppers Stop, HomeStop and Mothercare outlets with Shoppers Stop. Where: Shoppers Stop outlets When: Ongoing Contact: www.shoppersstop.com

Kashmiri Food Festival Wazas, who are the Master Chefs of the Wazwan cuisine, are specially flown down from Kashmir to prepare a royal Kashmiri cuisine. Where: Ohri’s Jalvihar, Necklace Road, Hyderabad When: Up to January 27, 1pm onwards

Kailash Parbat Food Fest Kailash Parbat, a vegetarian multicuisine restaurant, is organising a Gujarati and Rajasthani food fest, which includes dishes like Ram Kichdi, Dhokla,Angoori Basundi, and Burfi Choorma. Where: Kailash Parbat, Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills. When: Up to February 3 Contact: (040) 2355 8857

M ANIL KUMAR

Buy Art It is an anniversary art show of affordable art by 30 artists. All artworks are priced between Rs1,000 to Rs10,000 Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills When: January 18-February 18 11:30am-7pm Contact: www.iconart.in

Big Hyper Sale HyperCITY, is having its Hyper Sale at all its stores across India. Customers can get discounts and deals across categories, including fresh produce, home & furniture, electronics, toys and apparels. Where: Inorbit mall, Madhapur When: Up to January 31

Republic Day Lunch A special lunch that celebrates the culinary diversity of India. The food includes Appam from Kerala, Lamb Vindaloo from Goa, Gatte ke Saag from Rajasthan, Dal Makhani from Punjab, Rasgulla from Bengal, Tikkas from Delhi, Gongura Chicken from Andhra Pradesh, among other things. Where: The Square, Madhapur, Hitec City, When: January 26 Contact: (040) 6682 4422

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, JANUARY 26, 2013

RTC conductor arrested

Woman harassed for dowry

he Gopalpuram police has arrested Jagdeeshwar Reddy, a conductor of Musheerabad and seized one scanner and cash from his possession. The accused was a resident of Lower Tank Bund and had allegedly cheated the APSRTC by selling fake bus tickets. The incident came to light when the regional enforcement squad officer inspected his bus.

Man commits suicide

24-year-old woman B Shweta was thrown out of her home by her husband Murli Mohan and his parents as she failed to give them more dowry. The couple had been married for a year and at the time of marriage her parents had given 10 tolas gold, Rs 2 lakh and other articles as dowry. But a few months into the marriage Mohan and his parents began harassing her for more dowry. Shweta has lodged a complaint with the womens police station at Begumpet.

22-year-old man B Praveen Kumar committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling in his home in Jeedimetla on Thursday. The deceased had been working with a private company and had been living in his sister’s house after his parents’ death. He took the extreme step when his sister was away visiting her in-laws. The reason for his action is unknown.

Lack of awareness causes cases to stagnate Consumer court takes a maximum of six months to resolve cases if all documents are submitted. However, lack of awareness leads to long drawn procedures. ALEENA ALICE

aleena.t@postnoon.com

However, with the number of cases increasing and some officials being lethargic, a lot of cases get stagnated,” says an advocate KP Vijay Kumar. Most of the people who want to apply to

very citizen has the right to go to the consumer court to appeal for his/her dissatisfaction against products and services. However, most of us have always been under the impression that it is better to deal with the problem rather than take it to the court for the fear of making rounds to the courts for month or even years maybe. Lack of awareness about how to reach the consumer court seems to be creating a misconception in the minds of people to claim their rights at the consumer court. According to legal advisors if any complaint is made at the consumer court anywhere in India the maximum it takes to solve the dispute is six months that is if all the documents are produced. “Filing a complaint at the consumer court is no rocket science. It is a very simple process and the dispute can be settled within six months.

the consumer court are under the impression that it is time consuming and will burn a hole in their pockets, “I recently had a major billing issue with a leading mobile phone operator. Despite complaining several

times to the operator my problem was not solved. Though I was very upset and wanted to take the matter to court, I felt that it would only add to my problem because I would have to spend time and money on the never ending legal procedures,” said Santosh, who runs a departmental store in Begumpet. “Having to spend time and money on courts is an inhibition people will have to let go,” says advocate C Aravind. All they have to do is approach the consumer forum and file a simple complaint. Or people can even file a complaint at the Civil Supply Department, which is at Erramanzil. They can approach the court officer and fill the application at the court. A case can be filed on any and every service or commodity that the customer is not satisfied with, by paying a minimum court fee. If the compensation is less than a lakh the client will have to pay `100 and if the compensation is up to `20 lakh then they will have to pay `500. If all the necessary documents are produced before the court on time, the dispute can be resolved within six months, says the advocate.

When Postnoon quizzed denizens what they thought about approaching consumer courts, this is what they had to say... One of the reasons I never think about going to consumer court is because of the worry of going through legal hassles and wasting a lot of time and money in the process. Not all of us are aware of how to approach a consumer forum, what costs it involves and the procedure. The government should take efforts to educate people on how to submit their problems to consumer courts.

Vikas Kokkalla, software engineer

It is not just about running around the courts that bothers us, but also lack of awareness from where to even start in the first place. From the point of having our matter heard and the dispute being resolved by the consumer forum, there is no real respite for a dissatisfied consumer. We just have to run around in circles. The government should consider this.

Sandeep Sambaraju, associate with a Multi National Company

In India, the problems of the consumer are never taken seriously. In other countries even for the smallest of things it is ensured that justice is rendered. Our laws should be made stricter. But most of all, the common man should be made aware of our laws. Today most of the people in the country are unaware of how to reach the consumer court and how to go about the procedure if the need arises.

Ayesha Tahair, private firm employee

I am aware that there are online fora where complaints can be registered but I am not sure if they are all genuine. I had posted my problem with a nationalised bank on an online consumer forum a few years ago but found no solution so far.

Sunny Sahay, manager at PSI Soft Pvt Ltd

Case booked against ‘journo’ Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com

case has been booked against a City-based journalist by the Central Crime Station (CCS) team in connection to the incidents of theft and violence in the Old City last year. The sleuths are investigating if the man who was the bridge between the gang responsible for temple thefts and the ‘receivers’ of the stolen arti-

ACCORDING TO CCS THE JOURNALIST “SUPPORTED” AND “GUIDED” THE RECEIVERS OF THE STOLEN WARES AND HELPED THEM ESCAPE FROM THE CITY.

cles, which later led to communal violence in the area, is a genuine journalist or not. The special team of the CCS has solved some of the cases of temple thefts in the Old City — such as the ones in the Mahankali Temple of Laldarwaza — and have made some arrests. But this has not led them to recover the stolen articles even though the offenders have confessed to the crime and revealed the names of the people to whom they sold the ornaments to. According to CCS sources this is because the journalist “supported” and “guided” the receivers of the stolen wares and helped them escape from the City. In a bid to catch the journalist, the police are now hunting for a ‘receiver’ named Mastaan, who is a gold merchant accused of buying stolen ornaments from the thieves involved in the temple thefts.

CITY SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Govt websites get wake-up call

Postnoon’s story on how government departments in the City and the State have decrepit or missing web services has spurred authorities into action. RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA

rahul.r@postnoon.com

he efforts of RTI activist S Mahinder Reddy, who had filed an RTI with all the collectorates in the State seeking details of expenditure and work done for their websites, has helped initiate the immediate work on various departmental websites. One among the 23 district collectorate websites mentioned under the RTI filed by Reddy was the Hyderabad district collectorate. Previously, the collectorate’s web services were absent from the internet. However, the combined efforts of Postnoon’s campaign (pictured right) on absent and decrepit websites of governmental bodies and the RTIs filed by Reddy have helped in revamping the Hyderabad’s district collectorate website.

Arogyasree updates its website.

SAAP’s website continues to be under construction.

Other changes also include the Hyderabad Traffic Police’s RTI section which has been revamped very recently. The GHMC has also proactively updated details of the many changes in officers and staff who have changed designations. According to Reddy, “My first area of focus was the district collectorate’s websites, which are really important as they present the face of development of any district. It has been 10 days since

I filed an RTI with the collectorate, and suddenly, pop comes the collectorate’s website, which was previously absent.” However, even the revamped version of the website is yet to be finished fully as some web links are dysfunctional and carry errors. While this is one of a kind success story, the flip side to it is that some departments have absolutely neglected their web services despite repeated media attention. One such department

‘Use your vote as a weapon’ The governor said voting will bridge the gap between governments and the general public.

overnor ESL Narasimhan has called upon the people to use their vote as a weapon and give correct judgment on the functioning of their governments. Speaking after inaugurating the National Voters Day at Ravindra Bharati here on Friday, the Governor said the youth of the country was angry with the governments and the reason for their anger was their belief that the rulers had forgotten the promises they made to the people. Stating that elections and voting right serve as weapons in the hands of the common man, Narasimhan said using these, youth can check the functioning of the governments. Lamenting that some were not using their voting right at all, the governor said this was creating a divide between the governments and the people of the country. Reminding the people that elections were scheduled for next year, the governor said people can express their anger

through their votes then. Indirectly referring to the delay in resolving the Telangana issue, the governor said that sometimes there will be a delay in the government’s decisions. He implored upon the people to understand that the delay was for their own good. Speaking on the occasion, chief secretary Minnie Mathew

said that the dispassionate election process was protecting the democracy of India, where different races and cultures exist together. Bhanwar Lal, chief electoral officer of the State said that the photo ID cards of voters will be distributed in police stations in the City today. People can make NSS use of it.

is SAAP, whose website’s state is much like the SAPP towers in Gachibowli — unused and forgotten. The Ranga Reddy District Court and the Lokayukta are also yet to wake up and register with the services offered by the National Informatics Centre. The AP Public Services Commission is yet to change details of recruitment and marks lists since 2011. Pictures of some of the websites can be seen above.

Cong leaders look for safer decks Congress leaders feel that the party is losing its footing in State politics with the Centre dilly-dallying on the T-issue.

he ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh seems to be steadily becoming a sinking ship as a solution to Telangana continues to remain elusive, and the frustrated and panic-stricken party leaders are getting ready to jump out of the ship. However, despite union minister and AICC General secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad dampening the spirits of separatists over the likely delay in taking a firm decision on Telangana statehood, there seems to be still a flicker of hope among the Congress leaders from the region that the issue would be resolved within the next 48 hours. There is no denying the fact that while Azad’s remark over the deadline on T has come as a rude shock to the Congress leaders from the region, it has definitely brought a big relief to the people in the Seemandhra region. However, leaders from both the regions are not leaving the matter to chance and

CONGRESS LEADERS IN THE STATE WORRY ABOUT THEIR POLITICAL CAREERS IN VIEW OF THE UNRESOLVED TELANGANA ISSUE. THEY STILL HOPE THAT THE ISSUE WOULD BE RESOLVED WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS. are continuing their efforts to mount pressure on the central leaders by staying put in the national capital to ensure that the State is either bifurcated or retains its status quo. It is pertinent to mention here that as the Congress High Command continued to dilly dally in taking a firm stand either to bifurcate the State or retain its present status. Congress leaders, especially from the Telangana region, have been hunting for safer decks to save their political NSS career.

CITY SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Few takers for T-strikes? Md INKESHAF AHMED

ahmed.m@postnoon.com

T-JAC leaders admit that T-agitations are receiving lukewarm response in the City. Postnoon talks to these leaders to find out why.

he struggle for a separate state for Telangana seems to be taking a serious turn following the backtracking of the union government on its deadline to solve the ongoing deadlock over the division of the State. The Telangana Joint Action Committee, the umbrella organisation consisting of all proTelangana groups, is gearing up to hold another round of agitations with the sole objective of mounting pressure on the central government. The T-JAC, which successfully held many massive agitations, including General Strike (Sakala Janula Samme), Million March and Telangana March in the last two years, has ambitious plans this time too. The T-JAC chairman has already announced an action plan to achieve a separate State. However, despite the success of many agitations of the proTelangana groups, the ongoing aggressive agitation still appears to receive lukewarm response in Hyderabad. The innumerable agitations held by the T-JAC since 2009 did not have much impact on the City. The bandh calls given by the Telangana groups hardly received thumping support from various sections like educational

One lakh employees sacrifice salaries

he Telangana agitation also led to huge monetary losses to the Telangana employees. More than one lakh Telangana employees have lost their salaries for resorting to 42-day long Sakala Janula Samme in 2011. Commenting on this, TNGO president Devi Prasad confirmed the news and said that they are least bothered about the salaries as this is for the sake of separate Telangana state. “The state government has not paid our salaries yet despite its promise. We are not worried about the salaries. Our only goal is to achieve Telangana state,” he said.

institutions, traders and businessmen. Postnoon tried to find out the reasons behind this. Here are the interesting facts revealed by T-JAC leaders. Reacting to the issue, TEmployees JAC’s chairman and former TNGO president K Swamy Goud (pictured), who

successfully led the 42-day Sakala Janula Samme of all Telangana employees in 2011, agreed that the ongoing separate Telangana agitation received lukewarm response from the residents of Hyderabad. He said the reason behind this is not that the people here do not want

Telangana, but it is because of their busy lifestyles. “Yes, the ongoing agitation of Telangana did not receive much reaction from the City. It is a place where people from all over the country come and live for varied reasons. The cosmopolitan nature, mixed culture and busy life of the peo-

ple do not allow them to come out on the streets and fight for a separate state. I can say that majority of the people of the City are in favour of Telangana. They expressed their support in varied forms to us,” he said in sn interview with Postnoon. Goud further reasoned that it is not possible for everybody to participate in the protests. “The other reason for the poor response is that you cannot expect seven million residents of the GHMC to come to the roads and fight for a separate Telangana state. Agitations are done by only a set of people and not by all the residents. You cannot expect a doctor, police officer or an engineer to leave his job and fight for this. It is impossible in any democracy.” Explaining the action plan of the T-JAC, Goud said that they are holding awareness programmes to sensitize the residents of Hyderabad on the ongoing agitations for a separate state. “Even the children of this generation do not know why the fight for the separate state is going on. All these children are busy pursuing their goals. We are trying to create awareness among them through our special programmes,” he said.

BJP gets a ‘communal image’? Bharatiya Janata Party, which had vociferously picked up the struggle for a separate Telangana state, appears to be distracted from its goal. N SHIVA KUMAR

Postnoon news feedback@psotnoon.com

he recent political developments in the State, especially the events that took place following an alleged hate speech by MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, led to this distraction. The saffron brigade not only turned to communal politics by launching a scathing attack on the MIM, but also played a key role in organising protest programmes till the MIM floor leader’s arrest. In the process, the BJP State unit lost its connection with its goal of fighting for a Telangana state. A senior leader of the party confirmed the news and felt that the party had committed a mistake by taking an aggressive stand in the Akbaruddin Owaisi issue and added that the act of the party would lead to its deterioration and loss of support base in the Telangana region. “We have committed a

strategic mistake by continuously raising the Akbar issue. We could have taken a middle ground on the issue. But we did not do so. This would definitely cost us dearly in Telangana region, where we could have

won the confidence of many sections, including minorities,” he said. According to this leader, the party’s continuous fight on the Telangana issue not only helped the party gain the confidence of

the people of Telangana, but also helped in strengthening it. Interestingly, the party also won Mahbubnagar assembly seat during the by- elections held last year, banking on the T-sentiment. “All sections of the society

voted for us during the Mahbubnagar assembly by-elections. We repeatedly told the public that we are not against any community. But our recent posture in the Akbar issue gave an impression that we are fighting for one community.” Many party leaders reportedly expressed their displeasure at the party’s top brass on the strategic mistake committed by them. Another party leader said the time has come for the party to come out of its communal image and work like a secular force. “Our party’s communal image had only cost us dearly in every election. We could not improve our tally during the last general elections. It is high time that the party came out of its communal image and projected itself as a secular outfit like Congress and other political parties,” he said. The party is seriously mulling over how to take forward its Telangana agitation after the recent turn of events.

NATION SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Mob attacks Meghalaya PS

mob attacked a police station in West Khasi Hills district headquarter, Nongstoin, today in retaliation to an alleged assault of a truck driver by a sub-inspector of police who was later suspended, officials said. The mob pelted stones at the police injuring a few of them, set a motorbike on fire and damaged two police patrol vehicles.

Tiger skin smugglers held

MLC booked for assault

factory owner, jeweller and share-broker were arrested in Delhi Friday for smuggling a tiger skin worth around `1 crore, police said. “Dinesh, Surjeet and Rajan, all in their late 30s, were arrested from Madhu Vihar in east Delhi Friday and the skin seized,” a senior police officer said. Police said that the raid after a tip-off.

Military might on display at parade

A kaleidoscopic view of the country’s rich heritage and military prowess were on display.

n MLC and four others were booked for allegedly beating up a forest official, police said. A case has been registered against MLC Umar Khan and four others for allegedly beating up the complainant VK Singh, a sub-divisional officer of the Forest Department, for not releasing a vehicle impounded by him, they said.

Use your guns to protect women: Khanna NEW DELHI: Gun owners should roam the streets at night and use their weapons to prevent crimes against women, Delhi’s lieutenant governor has said in the wake of the brutal gang rape and murder of a student in the capital, according to a report Saturday. Tejendra Khanna, who heads the national capital’s police department, on Friday urged gun-owning residents to put their weapons to “social service” and scare away potential molesters, reports said. “Gun owners with licences must roam lonely

TEJENDRA KHANNA URGED GUNOWNING RESIDENTS TO PUT THEIR WEAPONS TO “SOCIAL SERVICE”. spots like bus stands each night and if they spot someone harassing a woman, they should use their weapon to stop the crime,” the federal administrator said in a speech. “They can at least spend an hour or so every day with their friends in

public after nightfall,” Khanna said. The opposition BJP condemned Khanna’s remarks, saying “citizens should not be advised to take their law into their own hands in any situation”. The Geneva-based Small Arms Survey estimates India is home to 40 millionn civilian-owned firearms. Just 6.3 million arms are registered. Khanna’s remarks came as President Pranab Mukherjee in a speech said the December 16 attack “has left our hearts empty and our minds in turmoil.” AFP

TO SUBSCRIBE, CALL US ON 80082 00713

or SMS „Postnoon‰ to 56161 School children pose with painted flags on their faces as they prepare for Republic Day celebrations in Amritsar on January 25. AFP PHOTO/NARINDER NANU

NEW DELHI: A kaleidoscopic view of the country’s rich cultural heritage and military prowess were on display at the 64th Republic Day parade today on the 8-km stretch from Rajpath to Red Fort. An eager audience on both sides of the imposing Rajpath, the country’s ceremonial boulevard facing the seat of power Raisina Hills, braved the winter chill and cheered loudly as the parade went past them portraying the rich and diverse culture of the country. The icing on the cake was the 5,5005,800 km ballistic Agni-V missile mounted on a road mobile launcher which was paraded by the Defence Research & Development Organisation as the crowd lapped it up with loud cheer.

The impressive march-past was watched by Chief Guest, Bhutan king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Vice President Hamid Ansari, PM Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister AK Antony, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and top political and military brass. Police and other para-military forces turned Delhi into a virtual fortress for the Republic Day celebrations as helicopters scanned from air, snipers kept a hawk-eye vigil from rooftops and armed personnel at every nook and corner provided a ground-to-air security apparatus. Minutes before the parade began, Singh, Antony and chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force laid wreaths at ‘Amar PTI Jawan Jyoti’.

`1 kilo rice promised

Woman held for selling daughter

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Chief

JAIPUR: A woman has been arrested for

Minister Naveen Patnaik Saturday chose the Republic Day to announce his government’s decision to provide a kilo of rice for `1 to the poor from next month. Patnaik, who unfurled the tricolour in Cuttack, 26 km from here, said the scheme would provide food security to over 58 lakh families. “I don’t want any people of our state to die of hunger. A hunger free Odisha is my dream,” Patnaik said in his address. “From February, the state government has decided to provide rice at ` 1.”

allegedly selling her 11-year-old daughter for `6.5 lakh for which she even signed a stamp paper, police said. “Rajrani sold the girl to a man identified as Tarachand and a woman Santara, prima facie for prostitution, for `6.5 lakh. She even struck the deal on a stamp paper,” a police official said. The girl, however, escaped from where she was kept by the man in Kanjar Basti and hid under a table of a restaurant. Locals, who noticed her hiding, informed the police. The accused were arrested yesterday.

/095 Rs.1 9/: e c 4 r Pri Rs.5 Cove r Price: : 50% g e f n f i O l Sav Tota

A FRESH NEW POINT OF VIEW You can also call or email us at:

040 - 4067 2222 subscription@postnoon.com

WORLD SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

22 killed in Haiti mishap

wenty-two people were killed late Friday in a road accident in northern Haiti when a truck carrying pilgrims plunged into a ravine, hospital sources said. Another 30 people travelling in the truck had been injured, said a doctor at the hospital treating them. “We have counted 21 people dead at the site of the accident,” a source at the hospital said.

Unseen Diana pic auctioned

Margolyes becomes Aussie

ritish actor Miriam Margolyes, known for her work in the Harry Potter films, became an Australian citizen on Saturday, saying she felt that the rest of her life would be “joyous”. Margolyes was one of 100 people taking the pledge at a ceremony in Canberra and one of a record 17,059 from 145 countries to become citizens on Australia Day.

previously unseen press photo of a teenaged Princess Diana that a London tabloid deemed too hot to publish has sold for $18,306. The black-and-white image from the dawn of the 1980s shows Diana, possibly in a ski chalet, smiling at the camera as she lies in the lap of an unidentified man reading a book. The photo was taken before she became princess of Wales.

Egypt erupts, again

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has appealed for calm after seven people died in clashes between police and protesters on the second anniversary of the revolt that toppled Hosni Mubarak. CAIRO: Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has appealed for calm after seven people died in clashes between police and protesters on the second anniversary of the revolt that toppled Hosni Mubarak. As troops were deployed in the flashpoint city of Suez, Morsi, in a message posted on his Twitter account Friday, urged “citizens to adhere to the values of the revolution, express opinions freely and peacefully and renounce violence”. At least seven people died in Friday’s anti-government protests, according to the health ministry, six in Suez and one in Ismailiya, in the northeast, while 456 were injured in unrest across 12 provinces. The interior ministry said 95 of its officers had been injured. The Islamist president, of the Muslim Brotherhood, said police officers were among the dead and expressed his condolences “to all Egyptians” over the deaths of both police and protesters. The authorities would “pursue culprits of Friday’s violence and bring them to justice”, he added. Troops in armoured vehicles were deployed in Suez on Friday evening, taking up positions at the entry of the canal, outside the police headquarters and the governorate building. Earlier, doctors at Suez Hospital told AFP at least five people had been shot in the chest and stomach after fierce clashes broke out between protesters and police.

Egypt’s revolution 25 January 2011: Campaign of mass protests against Hosni Mubarak launched 11 February 2011: Mubarak steps down as president, handing over to the military November 2011-January 2012: Parliamentary elections held; Islamists emerge as winners 2 June 2012: Mubarak convicted over killing of protesters and given life sentence 17 June 2012: Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Morsi narrowly wins presidential election 15 December 2012: Constitution drafted by Islamist-led body approved in referendum 13 January 2013: Appeals court orders Mubarak retrial Courtesy: BBC After the sweeping changes of 2011, the Arab world’s most populous nation is struggling to find a balance between its elected leadership and opponents who accuse it of betraying the goals of the revolution. Egypt is also in the throes of an economic crisis as foreign investment and tourism revenues dwindle, the Egyptian pound stands at its lowest level against the dollar and a budget deficit shows no sign of recov-

MORSI’S OPPONENTS

ACCUSE THE COUNTRY’S FIRST FREELY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF FAILING TO REFORM POST-REVOLUTION EGYPT WHILE CONSOLIDATING POWER IN BROTHERHOOD HANDS.

ery. In the province of Ismailiya, which neighbours Suez, protesters stormed the governorate headquarters, setting fire to a room used by security services and looting furniture and equipment, an AFP reporter said. Demonstrators had earlier set fire to the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Ismailiya, the reporter said. Black smoke billowed from the windows of the apartment housing the movement’s Freedom

and Justice Party (FJP) offices. In the Mediterranean city of Damietta, protesters surrounded the governorate building and blocked traffic in the area, and in the Nile Delta city of Kafr elSheikh they stormed the courtyard of the building and clashed with police. In Cairo, police fired tear gas at protesters outside the presidential palace, where clashes between Morsi’s allies and foes in December killed several AFP people.

50 dead in prison Troops seize northern Russia backs riot in Venezuela Islamist towns in Mali ‘anti-gay’ bill CARACAS: At least 50 people were killed and 90 others wounded Friday in clashes between prison gangs and security guards at a prison in northwest Venezuela, a hospital director said. Television images showed National Guard troops surrounding the penitentiary as inmates in bloody clothes were taken out of the building. Behind the barriers, relatives of the prisoners, most of them women, waited for news of their loved ones, many of them in tears. Most of those injured at Uribana prison in Lara state suffered gunshot wounds, said the hospital official, Ruy Medina. He called the death toll “alarming,” saying it was based solely on bodies brought to the hospital.

BAMAKO: French and Malian troops have captured another northern town in their advance on the Islamist stronghold of Gao, as the insurgents bombed a key bridge to thwart a new front planned in the east. But as the French-led assault against the radical Islamists controlling northern Mali entered its third week, aid workers warned about the growing food crisis for civilians in the vast semi-arid zone. “At present, Malian and French soldiers are in Hombori,” said a teacher in the town, which lies 920 kilometres (575 miles) north of the capital Bamako and 200 kilometres west of Gao. On Friday however, the insurgents blew up a key bridge at Tassiga in Mali, which would have given African troops gathering in Niger to the south easy access to Gao.

MOSCOW: Russia’s parliament has given initial backing to a bill banning homosexual “propaganda” among children that could lead to gays being fined for demonstrating or kissing in public, a move condemned by the United States and rights groups. The 388-1 vote in the first of three readings Friday came hours after police detained more than 20 mostly young opponents who were staging a “kiss-in” protest outside the building of the State Duma lower house. The nationwide proposal is the latest in a rapid sequence of restrictive legislation voted through by parliament since President Vladimir Putin returned to power last year in the face of widescale protests.

COMMENT SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Kicks and more

Shocking

The ballboy completely deserves to be kicked and more if he lay on the ball and tried to delay the game. Chelsea’s Hazard cannot be blamed for what he did. He was surely trying to retrieve the ball and did not think much of causing harm to the boy in the heat of the moment. Sundeep via email

eople in my house received three aadhar cards each. We were really surprised when we kept getting one after the other. It is shocking to know 30 per cent of the people, who need the card to get subsidies, have not even received it. Kavya Madhav Gachibowli

EDITORIALS Readers’ views We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 4067 2222.

Late but nevertheless

t comes late, but better late than never. Rajesh Khanna has been awarded posthumously by Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Indian cinema. He has not been in the limelight the way his peers have been and so was ignored all these years. Priyanka Verma Gachibowli

EDITORIALS KHANNA’S SHOT in his foot "Gun owners with licences must roam lonely spots like bus stands each night and if they spot someone harassing a woman, they should use their weapon to stop the crime." This comes not from an angry citizen who is pushed to the brinks of his patience, but from Delhi's lieutenant governor, a responsible government official. Tejendra Khanna, who heads the national capital's police department, on Friday urged gun-owning residents to put their weapons to "social service" and scare away potential molesters, The Indian Express said. All right. What’s to be done with the cops then? Disband them? And let every man and woman who own a gun be allowed to man law and order? As it is, gun violence is rampant in the capital and in other northern states. And we know what such recklessness would take us to. We need not draw comparisons to the US, but if we are to follow what Mr Khanna has said, we can be sure we are not far away from such a situation. How hard it is to understand that if women are harassed and disrespected, it’s more than a law and order situation, that it’s cultural? We need not pursue barbarity to end another. The idea of people totting about bearing arms... where men draw it in a DID situation... let’s keep it for movie plots. That won’t work in real life. People like Mr Khanna need to get a reality check done and think, speak and act in a manner the befits their position. They might argue that they too are passionate about the cause, they too have a right to state their opinion, and they too are citizens first. However, when occupying key positions as the gentleman in this case is, it’s improper that he shoots his mouth off. Violence begets violence, if he did not know.

The art of apology Soul Curry SUMAA TEKUR

n 2010, when champion golfer Tiger Woods made a public apology about his troubled marital life and all the pain and hurt it caused his family, friends and professional associates, I thought it was very brave of Woods (though it was choreographed and scripted to the T). Most achievers in public life would have pushed themselves to the top aided by their narcissism and their ability to attract attention and keep it. For a man of his stature, it must be so difficult to face all those cameras and a billionplus people to say sorry. But he did it, and with that apology, he made a new beginning. Last Friday, when I sat to watch the first of the two-part interview of cycling great Lance Armstrong by American talk show host Oprah Winfrey, I didn’t get the same feeling. Armstrong’s admissions were

far from being even a half apology. He remained defiant through the interview and added conditions to any admission of wrongdoing. That itself defeats the purpose of an apology because the very first step in apologising is to acknowledge the pain and hurt you’ve caused another person. I’m not so sure Armstrong is yet fully aware of the extent to which his misdeeds have ruined trust, confidence, others’ sporting careers and relationships. It’s true that a person in public life finds it hard to apologise or even admit to have done anything wrong. While his fans and followers thought that an unconditional apology may set the tone for a fresh start, and waited to hear it during the interview, it ended up being an anti-climax. Maybe because his deeds had crossed all limits that an apology could repair to even a small extent. He may have survived cancer, fought the odds and won his daily battles. But by lying, cheating and bullying his asso-

HE MAY HAVE SURVIVED CANCER, FOUGHT THE ODDS AND WON HIS DAILY BATTLES. BUT BY LYING, CHEATING AND BULLYING HIS ASSOCIATES, HE HAS UNDONE THE RESPECT HE EARNED OVER THE YEARS. ciates, he has undone the respect he earned over the years. People apologise because they want to mend relationships. It’s true for both personal and public apologies. In public apologies, the stakes are higher because social trust would have suffered a great deal. In the case of Armstrong, it suffered the most considering that the Livestrong Foundation was based on Armstrong’s personality and his life principles. When that foundation crumbled, the damage was too huge.

It might be too early for a turnaround and for serious repairs considering how hurt people are. But, going by the interview, Armstrong didn’t seem like he was at that stage yet where he wanted to initiate those serious repairs in relationships. Many sportswriters who had idolised Armstrong over the years wrote that the interview and his so-called admission to doping and the so-called apology were an epic fail. The control freak in him simply wouldn’t allow him to surrender to a sincere apology. He expressed regret but the remorse in his tone and voice were missing. To say sorry the right way is not everyone’s cup of tea. I sincerely hope that Armstrong surrenders himself to the truth first before he can even begin to make amends to his life. When he surrenders to his truth, he will be in a better place to apologise and be sorry. All that his fans and the people he wronged want is not his apology, but for him to be sorry.

COMMENT SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

What a Car-nama! My World SHRADDHA JAHAGIRDAR-SAXENA

t is odd but true, but for me, the fact that I can drive around, steer my vehicle has given me a sense of power. A feeling of freedom. The fact that I can control where I am going as also the fact that I can get away from it all when I want to. So, for me my car has always been more than a vehicle that has got me from one point to another. Don’t get me wrong – the more is not its status symbol value proclaiming that I have arrived (metaphorically). For me the car has also often morphed into a ‘person’. Due to that hideously sentimental streak in the core of my personality, I have always developed a disproportionate affection for the car that we owned. As a child, my first memory of a gaadi was of a red herald. Tiny, it was but it was something my father drove around and I was dropped to school in it. I loved its colour, the way its doors opened and, of course, I loved the fact that it was named ‘Bulbul’. It was with us for years, probably till I was ten or so. And then one day, to suit our growing sizes it was decided to sell it and get a bigger car. And since my family knew how much I loved

Urban sketches VISWAPRASAD RAJU

it, I was not around when the tiny ‘fire engine’ vanished. I can still recall how when I returned from school in the evening I howled and threw a tantrum. In vain and one that the arrival of the new Fiat – Bandi – could not assuage. Years passed, I grew up; we had two Fiats. And then Dad’s official ambassador that with its little red light on top that was a big ego-stroker. Both my parents drove their vehicles and we enjoyed being driven around. Despite that and perhaps because of that even when I turned 18 I did not learn to drive. There was always the car, or the BEST and train services (not so crowded then).

SHE HAS SEEN UMPTEEN SCHOOL DROPS, PICNICS, ROUTINE DAYS AS I DROVE DOWN TO AND WITH THE OFFICE… PASSAGE OF YEARS, I HAD TO BID ADIEU TO HER. The lack of a license is something I regretted when my kids came along. By then, my home graduated to a Maruti – our first car after my marriage was bought soon after I learned that I was expecting my first child. And when it came to the choice of colour, there was no option: it was a red Maruti 800. She too was with us for

years. Almost 15. She was the first car I drove around when I learned driving a decade ago. And thanks to her size she was a pleasure to steer and commandeer in the busy roads of Mumbai. I did her a bit of damage when on a drive to Navi Mumbai, I got too close to the rear end of a bus. But did she complain? Not at all. She has seen umpteen school drops, picnics, routine days as I drove down to office…and with the passage of years, I had to bid adieu to her. This time, I clicked snaps – my kids stayed to see her go – and we all sighed deeply. Till her replacement – you guessed it right – a Maruti 800 again – entered my life on my birthday. Silver, this time, she came home seven years ago and is still with me. In an age where

the world and its aunt boast of their bigger, brighter and speedier vehicles, I cannot let myself let her go. She means too much to me – and I hope to my family. She was a gift to me from my father, one I cherish even though I know that I may not be able to keep her forever. She has been the one who has helped me hone my driving skills and instincts as I have zipped in and out of traffic almost like a maniac to get to my destination on time. She has seen several night drops as I have happily shuttled across the city dropping the kids’ friends home after their celebrations at our place. Although how five teenagers plus me (the driver) squeeze into her is a mystery I cannot solve. Today, Maruti 800 is no

longer the premium sought after vehicle it was at some point of history. Sadly, it is no longer being made. But, I cannot think of a substitute for her. So what if her battery died down thrice – all three times coincidentally after watching movies in theatres with my edit team? The third time was a little tension-ridden as all alone, I waited in central Mumbai for my mother’s driver to come and tow me back with his taxi. By the time we reached home it was post midnight. But sitting in that car – even at the witching hour – I felt safe. For she is small and comforting. Our sizes are so at odds with each other. I drive with my seat right up to the steering wheel for I need to see the front end of the car. And being the size she is, I can see her rear too quite easily without straining. Oddly enough, the act of driving and my vahanas have given me a sense of power. When I drive, I feel as if I am in control of my destiny. It is a weird sense of empowerment. But I have gained the confidence to drive out to Pune or beyond, without fear or worry. And those moments behind the wheel help me clear my mind, help me face life front on, when I reach where I have to. What next? Who knows? But definitely another one that is small and lovable. Without that my drive will not be complete. The writer is the Executive Editor of VERVE magazine.

Global edits

Journey

The Guardian (UK)

Unthinkable? Ballgirls only

one are the days when a ballboy's duty was to return the ball to the nearest player as quickly as possible. Innocent times indeed. Today, if the pitch is wet, they carry a towel to give the ball a quick wipe – for home-side consumption only. Otherwise keep the ball greasy and take your time getting it back. Roll it rather than throw it. It's called home advantage and it is today being exploited to the full. Charlie Morgan, the 17year-old son of a Swansea City director, who is already used to the good life (first class flights, Veuve Clicquot in the ice bucket, white Audi) took his dark art to new heights. Announcing his intentions in advance by tweeting that his final appearance would be #needed#for#timewasting, the piece of theatre he put on did not justify the Chelsea footballer's kick. But once delivered, Morgan writhed on the floor like a seasoned

BALLBOYS SHOULD BE JUDGED BY STANDARDS SIMILAR TO REFEREES. AND IF THEY CAN'T KEEP THEIR TESTOSTERONE LEVELS DOWN … pro. If Eden Hazard faces censure – and this case neither needs an FA inquiry nor the South Wales police – surely Morgan does as well. Ballboys should be judged by standards similar to referees and linesmen. If boys can not keep their testosterone levels down, why not just have ballgirls, whose example is better. Had the ballgirl in the FA Cup match in 1991 between second division Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool not returned the ball with such alacrity, the English champions may not have levelled the score. If you are happy with the status quo, let's make it more efficient. Along with a towel, each ballboy could be issued with a tube of Super Glue.

BUSINESS SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

ANA to cancel more flights

apan’s All Nippon Airways plans to cancel at least 379 flights in February due to the worldwide grounding of Boeing’s Dreamliner, local media reported on Saturday. The cancellations — 245 flights on domestic routes over 12 days from February 1 and 134 on international routes over 18 days — are expected to affect some 24,300 passengers.

Brigade group comes to City

Apple loses ‘valuable’ crown

rigade Group, a Banglore-based property development company, has launched Brigade at N0.7, a high end residential project in Banjara Hills in the City. The project will feature 55 well planned, spacious, premium 3 and 4 bedroom residences ranging from 3,350 sft to 3,510 sft. The property has amenities like clubhouse and swimming pool.

pple shares extended their losses Friday, ending a miserable week for the California tech giant as it surrendered its position as the world’s biggest company based on market value. Apple ended down 2.36 per cent at $439.88, giving it a market capitalisation of $413 billion, while oil giant ExxonMobil rose 0.36 per cent to $91.68 with a market cap of $418 bn.

Verification with a click

It is important to check the credentials of your employee. That is why Tarun Bangari and Ajit Gupta launched Jantakhoj, a website which helps you run a background check on employees. M ANIL KUMAR

K PRUDHVI RAJU

prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

o you want to check the credibility and background of your maid, driver, tenant or even your potential suitor? Now you can easily do so with Jantakhoj, which offers a range of verification options on people’s backgrounds — be it education, employment, address or even criminal records if any. The enterprise is a brainchild of Tarun Bangari (pictured) and Ajit Gupta and the company, which was launched in 2009, achieved a significant growth over the years. Tarun, who has come a long way, had previously worked with various MNCs and start-ups to get a holistic knowledge about

Revenue growth

361 per cent from FY 201011 to FY 2011-12

100 per cent from FY 2011-

12 to FY 2012-13 (expected) First break even in operations: November 2011 business. He even quit his highpaying job in USA to return to the country and eventually set up Jantakhoj. However, his stints with leading companies not only gave him enough experience and exposure to various markets but also helped him to find the right business partner and co-founder Ajit Gupta, who is also acting as an investor and mentor for Jantakhoj. Talking about the business idea, Tarun says, “It was in 2009 and there was no major website to run a background check on

people. There was not much one could do except run a search for that person’s name. So the idea was to create the first and largest people search engine in the country, offering people search and background verification services. “After doing a feasibility analysis on how to get data, we built the business model around it. The product pulls out data from various public domains such as telephone directories and makes it available to the user. Today, I can proudly say that data of 50 crore people (500 million records) is available though a search which is filtered through deep web results. Service was initially offered for free and later turned to subscriptions to generate revenues.” On building the business, he says, “We looked for people who can add value to the organisation by providing complimentary skills. A single individual cannot do everything by himself to build a organisation. He has his own limitations. We developed a core team that would take care of the engineering and verification services. However, it was only after eight months of hard work by seven engineers that we were able to develop the product. Eventually, Jantakhoj was launched in public domain in April 2010.” Talking about the importance of a business idea, Tarun says, “The importance and need for background checks is gaining ground with the rising cases of crime and abduction in the country. However, the identification check may not guarantee a worker not committing any crime. But it will definitely act as a deterrent before doing so. Employees are less likely to involve in a criminal activity, as they know that employers have

Pick

all the required information of employees.” Although, it built great products for people search and individual verification services, they did not generate significant revenues. The major chunk of revenues and success of the company came from employee background verification. “Around 90 per cent of the total revenues are generated from employee background verification by corporate clients. However, the revenues from this segment are cyclic and seasonal. Major hiring activities happen from February to June followed by low cycle from July to October. Activity picks up again towards year end,” he says. The company focuses on enhancing people search and individual verification products during these low months. It has also tied up with various bluecollar employee agencies like Babajob and Getdomestichelp to offer services. The nine-employee company is also motivating its employees by giving stock options, where in the employees eventually make money when the company reaches a payoff stage (acquisition). “If the company is successful, every employee will benefit by these stock options. Unfortunately, if it cannot make it to that stage, the equity has no meaning,” he explains. The company is concentrating on online marketing. It also has marketing offices in Banglore, Delhi-NCR to attract corporate clients. “Hyderabad job market took a hit due to the political crisis. Many companies, which are supposed to start operations here have shifted to other cities. We opted to move out and grab the market in other cities rather than wait for it to pick up here,” he says.

at the

airport,

FOCUS SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Syria online lovebirds in jihadist-led wedding

Yusef (R) and Ghada pose in a street after getting married in the Sukkari district of Aleppo, in northern Syria, on January 17. Ghada and Yusef met seven months ago via a Facebook page set up by activists against Syria’s President, and with all of embattled Aleppo’s courts closed because of violence, they had no choice but to seal their vows before a jihadist Al-Nusra Front commander. AFP PHOTO JM LOPEZ

Antonio Pampliega Agence France-Presse

ALEPPO, SYRIA: Yusef and Ghada met through Facebook, and with all of the courts in Syria’s war-ravaged second city of Aleppo closed, they had no choice but to exchange vows before a jihadist commander. “It was a very quick ceremony. We signed a paper, exchanged rings, and we were married. The commander (also a Muslim sheikh) was too busy to waste time on us reading verses from the Koran,” Yusef, 26, says with a laugh. The marriage between the rebel fighter, who also works as a fixer for foreign journalists, and his 33-year-old lover brought some respite to Aleppo’s the battered, opposition-held southwestern district of Sukkari. Celebrating the occasion, AK-47 assault rifles were fired into the air by the rebels who are fighting to oust the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

“Congratulations! May God bring you lots of children,” one of them cheers as the groom’s friends dances in circles around the newly weds. “We can’t let war dictate our lives. We don’t know when this war will finish. It could be a few months, or it might be five or 10 years. Do I have to wait till then to continue living?” says Yusef. Separated from her family by enemy lines, none of Ghada’s relatives were able to make it to the wedding, and it took her months to secure their blessing. “My father has always supported Assad, and when we first got together, I tried to hide the fact that Yusef was fighting for the (rebel) Free Syrian Army,” says Ghada, an English literature graduate. Ghada’s father eventually found a photograph showing Yusef wearing military clothing, and prohibited her from seeing or even speaking to him again.

But Yusef, who studied marketing at university, invited Ghada’s family to the rebelheld area he was living in. “I invited Ghada’s parents to show them that the rebels aren’t terrorists, as the regime wants them to think,” says Yusef.

GHADA AND YUSEF’S STORY IS RIFE WITH THE TWISTS OF THE CONFLICT, WHICH BROKE OUT IN 2011 WHEN THE REGIME LAUNCHED A BLOODY CRACKDOWN ON PEACEFUL PROTESTS. “They realised that life here is much better than in regime-held territory, despite the bombing of course.” Ghada and Yusef ’s story is rife with all the twists and turns of the conflict, which

broke out in March 2011 when the regime launched a bloody crackdown on peaceful democracy protests. They met online via one of hundreds of Facebook pages set up by Syrian activists opposed to the Assad regime. “Yusef and I started chatting because my Facebook profile picture was an image of a little cat. He likes cats,” says Ghada. Their love blossomed despite the division of Aleppo into pro- and anti-regime areas, says the rebel fighter. “We have only seen each other four times. She lives in a regime-held area of the city, and if I go there, I’ll be killed because I joined the rebels,” he says. “Most of the time, it’s too dangerous for her to come here, so we’ve spent the past seven months chatting online and on the phone.” Now, the young couple look forward to having at least two children together, though each

has a different feeling about what the future may hold, depending on the outcome of the conflict. “I want my children to help fight in the war, or to rebuild the country” should the conflict end, Yusef says with pride. But Ghada only dreams of peace. “I want the war to end as quickly as possible, so that we can start a real life together, side by side with my husband and our children.” With battles raging not too far away, the bride expressed fears the family might have to flee and join hundreds of thousands of others who have sought refuge abroad. “I don’t want to leave Syria. But I might eventually change my mind because I want to do what’s best for the family,” says Ghada. “But we’re still a long way away from all that. Deep down, what I want is to build a new country where our children can live happily.”

TECHNOLOGY SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

MOBILE GAME REVIEW

APP OF THE WEEK

Leep stands out because it is a hub of thousands of fascinating blogs and photo collections from around the world. See videos of trucks being lifted by the wind.See bizarre furniture and pet hairdos.

INOTIA 3

Buffer

his app is not only a huge time-saver, but it allows you to share socially without skipping a beat and annoying people at the same time with an overload of updates.

This game is much like many of the JRPGs from the late 80s and most of the 90s. The main quests are fairly linear and gameplay depends on finishing those quests, but there are many side quests also to allow for some level of free-play.

Gone but not forgotten Once a famous toy manufacturer, THQ also became a top game publisher, but late in 2012 it declared bankruptcy and this week sold of its most popular IPs in what has been described as a scrap sale. Here are the best games the company ever published and what will happen to them. SAINTS ROW

WARHAMMER 40,000

TA is the king of the hill of open-world free roaming games and Saints Row is the only one that has managed to captures the craziness and eccentricity of that style of gameplay to some extent. The fourth game in the series will be coming out later this year and Koch Media bought the rights for the game and the IP for $22.3 million.

WWE

he WWE series that includes RAW vs SMACKDOWN were definitely some of the best wrestling games ever made. They are fun to play and great fun with friends around. However there is no clarity on the future of the franchise. There are talks of Take2 taking over the series, but there has been no official confirmation from either party yet.

HOMEFRONT

n Homefront you could fight as US forces who are putting up a resistance against North Korean forces that have taken over USA. The plot was crazy, but it didn’t sell well, which led to Crytek of Crysis fame taking over the development work. Predictably the company came forward and bid for the rights at the auction. The sequel is expected to reach the shelves by 2014 and hopefully it’ll be better than the original.

METRO 2033

here are plenty of post-apocalyptic shooters out there, but this one is by far one of the darkest. It is also one of the most unforgiving and the sequel is expected to release this year. Koch Media bought the rights and the IP for $5.8 million at the auction.

RED FACTION

SERIES

his sci-fi shooter has a decent following, but always manages to disappoint when it comes to sales. May be that’s why there has not been any prominent bidders for the game yet. This cold response could also have something to do with the poor response and sales of Red Faction: Armageddon that released in 2011. All said, it’s a great IP and it would be terrible to see this game shelved.

DARKSIDERS

SERIES

his space-fantasy series, based on the table-top adventure game, has a huge following among PC gamers. The company was working on a sequel set to release later this year and now Sega has bought the rights for $26.6 million. Most of the games in the series are real-time strategy ones, but the last game adopted a third-person shooter take on the game.

his action-adventure game adopts a third-person perspective and has a great combat system. The game and its sequel received good ratings from critics, but failed to meet sales goals of the company. No definite buyer has come forward for the series, though a couple of companies have expressed their interest to take the IP forward.

ANIMAL KINGDOM SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

PET NEWS New lizard identified

Flying frog found

The lizard, found in Vietnam and named Calotes bachae, had long been thought to be another of the blue lizard species found in Myanmar and Thailand. A study revealed that the lizard belongs to a new species.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Know your dog

odi Rowley, an amphibian biologist at the Australian Museum, discovered a 9-centimeterlong creature is a relatively large new type of flying frog, a group known for its ability to “parachute” from tree to tree thanks to special aerodynamic adaptations.

he Sapsaree’s friendly outer appearance is matched by its innate patience and congeniality towards other animals and human beings. They are known to be playful in a group setting.

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

SNAKE, RATTLE AND

ROLL

Risking venomous bites, a group of 20 youngsters from the City are actively involved in rescuing snakes and releasing them into the wild. AMY ROSE THOMAS

amyrose.t@postnoon.com

andling snakes is no easy task. Shaikat Chakraborty knows it better than anyone else. After all, he is nursing himself after being bitten by a cobra two weeks ago. And this is not the first time he faced such a life-threatening situation. He has being bitten by snakes on numerous occasions during the last four years while trying to rescue them and release them into the wild. Twenty-four year old Shaikat Chakraborty is the Regional Director and one of the founding members of Snake Cell Andhra Pradesh, an NGO that works towards the conservation of reptiles. The NGO rescues reptiles from residential areas in the City, releases them into the wild and spreads awareness about venomous and non-venomous ones. Shaikat is not alone in this quest to help these creatures which are viewed by many as nothing but trouble. There are

more than 20 active members across the City of the same age group who when called rush to the spot to help these creatures. “There is no one who comes forward to help a snake. It is engrained in everyone’s minds that they are dangerous and when sighted should be killed. But this does not have to be the case. There are many non venomous snakes that do you no harm. We try to educate people on how to spot the differences

New recruits are given training for three months before they are sent on rescue operations. They are taught to handle non venomous snakes at the beginning before they handle venomous ones.

between venomous and non venomous snakes,” says Shaikat. New recruits are given training for three months before they are sent on rescue operations. They are taught to handle non venomous snakes at the beginning before they handle venomous ones. “The age-group of the volunteers in our team ranges from 23 to 25. We do not recruit those who are below the age of 20 for the operations. Apart from res-

cuing from residential areas, we are also involved in fostering them if found injured and also rehabilitate them before releasing into the wild,” he says. Another volunteer Sashikanth Kaja says that he became part of the organisation to know more about snakes and help them. “Snake Cell used to hold regular demonstrations on snakes at the zoo. After being part of the NGO, I was given training and taught how to handle venomous and non venomous ones. The training period went on for a long time and towards the end of it, I was called when the seniors went for rescue operations I used to tag along with them,” he says. He says he is recuperating and preparing himself to get back into the field once he gets well. What prompts him to brave the bites and get back to rescuing snakes? “Snake bites are common place in this field. Every one of the volunteers has been bitten at least once during the rescue operations. We are here because we share a certain love and passion for these reptiles. Moreover, there must be someone to help these voiceless creatures,” he says.

BOOKS SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

SHORT READS Title: Going Clear Author: Lawrence Wright Publisher: Knopf Renowned journalist Lawrence Wright examines the inner workings of the Church of Scientology, which has constantly been in the news for its controversial beliefs and its influential followers. Wright goes through the history, tenets, beliefs and influence of the religion.

Title: Private Berlin Author: James Patterson, Mark Sullivan Publisher: Little, Brown and Company Private Berlin is the world's most powerful investigative firm. And when one of their agents, Chris Schneider, disappears, it falls on Mattie Engel, another agent and Chris's ex-lover, to find him.

Title: Me Before You Author: Jojo Moyes Publisher: Pamela Dorman Louisa Clark is a small-town girl, who ends up taking a job looking after Will Traynor, who enjoyed travelling, extreme sports and beautiful women got paralysed. When Louisa finds out that Will wants to kill himself, she does everything to prove to him that life is worth living.

Title: The Last Runaway Author: Tracy Chevalier Publisher: Penguin Group Honor Bright, an English Quaker, has been miserable ever since she shifted to Ohio from London. But when she gets involved with the Underground Railroad, a network helping runaway slaves escape to freedom, she finds purpose and happiness.

The strength of a leader

This is the story of a woman who was born in ordinary circumstances, raised in a humble manner, trained to be a courtesan but with the spirit of a leader. RAJESH RAVINDRAN

rajesh.r@postnoon.com

his is the story of a king who despite being rich, wise and able in body, but it’s doubtful if he was in his head, was put to exile by those who came as traders and then became rulers. First they begged for permits to ply their wares, then they became allies and finally masters. This is the story of Awadh, that was arguably the richest at the time of the story, yet with a king who cowed down before the East India Company, and to forget his sorrows frolicked with his

“fairies” and forgot his people and his duty to them, which were used as an excuse by his supercilious masters to rob him of his land and title and put him in exile, was fated to be taken — those who took it did it on the pretext of giving the natives civilisation. This the story of a land where the aristocracy ate sweets with topping of crust of crushed rubies and never showed their worth in being born noble because majority of those called nobles either pandered to the enemy who were in numbers much much less than theirs or never could unite for that sensation of absolute nobility called freedom. To them, their land was dear and their life dearer, though it would have to be spent in servi-

tude to those not of this land. This is the story of a woman who was born in ordinary circumstances, raised in humble manner, trained to be a courtesan, but because she had a steady head, strong heart and could take off to surreal realms on wings of poetry and take those listening along with her, became one of the many wives of the aforementioned king who throughout the

Name In the City of Gold and Silver Author Kenizé Mourad Pages 436 Publisher Full Circle

tale proves he does not deserve this true fairy. Stories of the 1857 mutiny like In The City of Land and Gold about Begum Hazrat Mahal by Kenize Mourad will always evoke mixed emotions: sympathy for those who had to suffer then, animosity towards the British, and shame and indignation for the then royals, who could have driven them out by the sheer superiority in numbers they could muster and unity and planning. Mourad wrote this in French and the book reviewed is the translation. The translator could have done a better job, to be frank, and there are places in want of proof-reading and editing. This is a story that tells you why it takes a heavenly genius to edit.

Cricket bible devoted to India There was a time when the best in cricket, the world over, refused to come to India. Name All that has changed and how! Wisden India Syed Shoaib shoaib.s@postnoon.com

he Wisden Almanack, accepted as the most authoritative record of cricket around the world, has now come to ‘the richest cricketing

nation’ — even if only in the 150th year of its publication. Wherever the game is played, the name Wisden is synonymous with cricket itself: it is the most famous sports book in the world.

The book is referred to as ‘the cricketers’ bible’ and some regard it as infallible. As expected, the book is crammed with scorecards and statistics that some may find dry, but the book is also full of unique and fascinating

features. The articles, what with many authors contributing, have a wide range of subjects; some of them fine pieces of writing. The book is sure to be a pleasure read to any cricket lover.

Almanack 2013 Editor Suresh Menon Pages 750 Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing India Pvt Ltd

WHAT’S SELLING Landmark’s best in fiction

Walden’s best in non-fiction

New York Times’ best in fiction

New York Times’ best in non-fiction

n Immortals of Meluha by Amish Tripathi

n Jugaad Innovation by Radjou, Prabhu, Ahuja

n A memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

n Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

n Breakout Nations by Ruchir Sharma

n Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

n My share of the task by Stanley McChrystal

n Tirupati A Guide to Life by Kota Neelima

n Tenth of December by George Saunders

n No Easy Day by Mark Owen with Kevin Maurer

n Eat Delete by Pooja Makhija

n Kinsey and me by Sue Grafton

n Thomas Jefferson by Jon Meacham

n October Coup by Mohammed Hyder

n Collateral damage by Stuart Woods

n The World Until Yesterday by Jared Diamond

n The Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi n Secret of the Nagas by Amish n Love Stories that touched my heart by Ravinder Singh

BOOKS SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

The man who would be king

While Dalrymple’s narrative skill is considerable, it is the treasure trove of resources he uses to paint a picture as stark as it is mottled with human deficiency — both mental and emotional — that shimmers.

Remnants of an Army by Elizabeth Butler depicting William Brydon who was the sole Briton to complete the catastrophic retreat from Kabul.

DEAN WILLIAMS

dean@postnoon.com

ike the leaves of the forest when summer is green, That host with their banners at sunset were seen; Like the leaves of the forest when autumn hath blown, That host on the morrow lay wither'd and strown! Lord Byron, Destruction of Sennacherib Afghanistan: The name conjures images of towering snowcapped peaks, claustrophobic mountain passes, and a people with the will to resist invasions by armies who far outstrip them in technology and wealth. Even today that is Afghanistan, and it was thus, when in 1839 the East India Company, along with the British government, decided to thwart Russian and Persian attempts to expose the soft side of the Empire, with some good old-fashioned preemptive meddling. The decision would spark the Great Game, the saga of intrigue and covert violence that would be immortalised in Rudyard Kipling’s Kim. And it is in the Great Game that William Dalrymple

begins his monumental and riveting Return of a King. Dalrymple is a master of sub-continental tales during the Raj; his knowledge, pathos, and ability to evoke a visceral emotion in the reader without seeking it are testament to his LastWord status on the period. But Return of a King is more than just a collection of tales, it’s a journey of men into peril; a calamity of epically human proportions, spurred by our infallible ability to torture and deceive our kind, all the while plotting our own demise through indolence and timidity. Take Shah Shuja, the man who would be king of all Afghanistan, at least that’s what the Company and the Empire hoped. His love for his homeland is not in doubt, yet he struggles to unite his people under his standards, and refuses to admit that he is but a pawn on a chessboard that spans continents. Shuja’s quest to return to the Afghan throne is the driving force behind this snapshot of history and it is his eventual failure to keep the British bulldogs at bay that leads to catastrophe. Under William Elphinstone, Sir Alexander Burns and Sir Williams Hay Macnaghten, the British embarked on a fool’s errand to put Shuja back on the

Afghan throne and effectively keep the less pliable Dost Mohammad Khan in exile. The British were never the canniest strategists, but as political tacticians they were peerless, which makes the debacle of the First Anglo-Afghan War so stunning.

Title: Return of a King Author: William Dalrymple Pages: 578 Publisher: Bloomsbury

Dalrymple captures the lead up to war and its spiral into the complete destruction of Elphinstone’s army, at the hands of Abdullah Khan Achakzai and his warriors, is captured in all its bloody vibrancy. And while Dalrymple’s narrative skill is considerable, it is the treasure trove of resources he uses to paint a picture as stark as it is mottled with human deficiency — both mental and emotional — that shimmers. The British disregard of tribal politics in Afghanistan and lack of respect for its traditions and religion played a huge part in the uprising that was to leave London and Calcutta mired in the innards of its officers and sepoys. The gross political (not to mention outright betrayal of Shuja) and military incompetence of Elphinstone, Burnes, Macnaghten and Brigadier General John Shelton are a blight on the names of the brave soldiers and camp followers who died fighting with their backs to the wall as the British army retreated in disarray in the belly of winter, through the fatal passes, harangued by snipers and raiders. The aftermath of the defeat saw the British ‘Army of Retribution’ under Sir George Pollock head back to Kabul, but in their wake they left the debris of

vengeance, whether it was merited or not: A blood-soaked answer to a question they should never have asked in the first place. US General George S Patton wrote in the Cavalry Journal: “Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of the men who follow and of the man who leads that gains that victory.” In the soil of modern Afghanistan lie the molecular legacies of thousands of great men and leaders of all nationalities who gave up their lives for a cause that was often at odds with their core beliefs. Return of a King is a stirring account of politics at its nadir and serves as an ominous reminder that a foreign army in Afghanistan — be it the British, Nato or the Soviets — fights not just the weather and the terrain, but the will of a people that though often at ends with each other, will always unite against the intruder. As a tribal elder of Gandamak tells Dalrymple at the end of his book: “These are the last days of the Americans. Next it will be China.” Long after the Taliban have disappeared into the mists of time, the spirit of the Afghan people, regardless of tribe, will tower like the Hindu Kush, keeping its history safe and its spirit safer.

WOMEN SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

WEBSITES OF THE WEEK Chic CEO: A slick site for women with the entrepreneur bug. Advice covers everything from patents and copyrights to the pros and cons of buying a franchise, but a particular emphasis on tools.

Vintageous: Its name means exactly what you suspect: outrageous vintage and this site certainly lives up to its name! Each item includes a detailed description so you have a strong idea of what you’re buying.

Corporette: This website for all those fashion concious working women out there. A fashion and lifestyle blog for corporate women: lawyers, bankers, MBAs, consultants.

Molding young lives

She was just another regular woman. But when life threw some of its several challenges at her, she refused to be bogged down. Instead,Vijayalaks hmi Vemuri channeled her energy into making life better for several homeless young girls. RANJANI RAJENDRA

ranjani.r@postnoon.com

here can be no pain greater than the loss of a loved one. But to be able to overcome that and find a new mission in life is something very few people can do. The courage to take that pain and turn into something positive is not everybody’s cup of tea. But that is exactly what Vijayalakshmi Vemuri did. She channeled all her pain and depression into starting a home for homeless girls. She had a career in the administrative wing of Kamineni hospital that kept her busy apart from her husband, an IFS officer, and a young daughter. But tragedy struck in 1999 when her husband suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away. “My mother was my support system during my darkest hour. Besides, the government offered me a job with the Forest Department after my husband’s demise. However, I lost my mother in 2003 and that sent me into depression,” says Vijayalakshmi. Losing her mother as well hit Vijayalakshmi hard. But she realised that she could not

The final frontier All About Eve

JYOTSNA N

afford to let her pain get the better of her. That is when she decided to volunteer with NGOs in the City and do her bit for society. “But when I did look up a few NGOs I found that most of them worked with boys and there were very few facilities for girls. I was surprised. I drew up a few fliers and asked people to refer homeless and orphaned young girls to me. I wanted to take them under my wing, provide them a home and education,” says the 57-year-old. So in 2004 Vijayalakshmi started the Centre for Social Service (CSS) with five girls in her home. They lived with her in her house and through word-of-mouth publicity she got seven more girls by the end of the year. “Initially, we only had grown up girls and no young children. As the number of girls grew I approached a few friends for help. Nobody came forward. But an acquaintance Swarajyalakshmi, whom I had first met at my yoga class, was more than happy to help. Soon enough a few more women came forward to lend their support and work with us,” she says. As the number of girls in their care grew CSS rented a home to put them up in. However, skeptical house owners asked them to vacate soon after. “We acquired a property in Hayathnagar and construct-

ed a home for CSS,” says Vijayalakshmi, who until 2007 was working with the forest department and managing the home as well. “The period between 2004 and 2007 was the toughest for me as I had to juggle a career, CSS and look after my daughter as well. But she was extremely cooperative. Finally when my daughter got married in 2007 I resigned from my job and focused solely

WHILE THE GIRLS ARE

PURSUING THEIR EDUCATION, THE WOMEN ARE TRAINED IN SOFT SKILLS LIKE TAILORING AND CATERING SO THAT THEY CAN EARN THEIR LIVING. on CSS.” That was also the year when CSS began taking in very young children as well. “Our twins Shivani and Shravani were left at our doorstep by their grandfather after their parents died. The poor man had no choice as his other children refused to look after him if he had the girls along. Gradually we began taking in younger children. Today we have 80 girls in the home apart from 20 destitute women. While the girls are all pursuing their education, the

women are trained in soft skills like tailoring and catering so they can all earn their living. During the day the women look after the girls as well. It’s one big family,” she smiles. Providing education for the girls was another challenge Vijayalakshmi and her associates faced. “The standard of education at government schools was not good enough and private schools were very expensive. So we set up our own English-medium school in Hayathnagar that provides education for free. Currently we have 450 students here studying from nursery to class V,” she says, adding, that the entire operations of the home are run by the girls themselves. “The idea is to make them self-sufficient. So they shop for groceries, cook themselves and even handle the accounts. I’m always there to guide them. But they should not stop with just me. They should be able to carry on otherwise too. Despite the home in Hayathnagar, I have at least 15 girls living with me in my house at any point of time.” While some of the girls have gone on to do their engineering, there are some doing their CA. “There are also a few girls who’ve gotten married and are now well settled with children,” she beams.

fter they overcame their ridiculous prejudice against gays and lesbians serving in the military, the US will now allow women to fight on the front line. The decision is long overdue. While questioning whether women have the strength and stamina to survive in gruelling conditions sounds somewhat reasonable, the other reasons were purely chauvinistic — for instance, questioning whether the presence of women would hurt unit cohesion. Of course, because brave women who work hard to serve their country are more interested in sleeping around with their colleagues than doing their work. Sure. Now the policy might have changed, but how many years before men accept women fighting alongside them? In many fields, unfortunately, women have to work twice as hard as men to prove that they have the right to be where they are. Rumours about sexual favours always float around when a woman makes a meteoric rise through a company. In a mostly physical world like the army, where people are forced to work together in close quarters for long periods, rumours like this can be very damaging to a woman's psyche. Women in these conditions have two choices — deglam and become one of the boys, or retain femininity and brace for the snide remarks. There's nothing wrong with being a tomboy or a girly girl; the only thing is that women shouldn't be forced to change their behaviour to fit in. Men in high-testosterone work conditions also do this — few admit their vulnerabilities for fear of being labelled a sissy. Surely it is high time we judged people on the quality of their work rather than their personality. A sensitive soldier could display better judgement in the heat of battle; a very feminine CEO could lead her company extremely competently. Now that women are on the front lines, stop comparing them with men. They are all soldiers, and that's all that matters.

SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Glitz & glamour The cast of Balupu descended on the Marigold Hotel for the launch of the movieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teaser. Ravi Teja, Shruti Haasan, Anjali, Gopichand Malineni, Kona Venkat and Prasad V Potluri were present at the do.

A culinary journey Guests experienced the art of Thai cuisine at Thai Pavilion, Vivanta by Taj. Chef Rajeev Janveja and chef Benjamin Lalhmangaiha played perfect hosts for the night.

Whiskey in the jarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;o

Movie time

Fans of Saif Ali Khan and John Abraham came together for the premiere of movie Race 2 at PVR on Friday.

SRINIVAS SETTY

1 Komal

3 Priyanka, Ankit

2 Navdeep, Sonal

4 Shalini

Whiskey lovers were in for a treat at the Ballantines Whiskey Appreciation and Tastings session organised at Park Hyatt on Friday.

RELATIONSHIPS SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

I AM ALL EARS

am a 26-year-old man. I am about to be married soon. All my friends are well-settled in life, while I am just starting out. Even my fiancée earns more than me. All these were not an issue for me, but of late some relatives have started taunting me about it and I am having second thoughts.

n a joint research study conducted by the Department of Information Systems of the TU Darmstadt and the Institute of Information Systems of the HumboldtUniversität zu Berlin, Facebook members were surveyed regarding their feelings after using the platform. More than onethird of respondents reported predominantly negative feelings, such as frustration. www.sciencedaily.com

Dear worried kid, Well that is something to think about. This is one decision you must take before it is too late. Relatives will come and go and it is their habit to crib. If it’s relatives today, tomorrow it will be the rest of the world. However, what matters is what your fiancée thinks about it.Does she share the same opinion? It’s both of you who have to face the world together. Also there is no guarantee that you will not rise up in life. So take a chance.

? e s i m o r p m o c a t n e Is commitm Nidhi Bhushan & Deepashri V

feedback@postnoon.com

“M

y grandmother didn’t really have a choice. Her dad gave her an ultimatum,” said Kavya Vinod, 22, a resident of West Marredpally. “I don’t want to lose my independence. I want to do so many things. I have that option now. I want to enjoy and travel the world.” Commitment is on the cards, but definitely not now. Let’s go back a couple of generations. Our great grandmothers and grandmothers did not really have a choice. The previous generation, well, while many of them still did not have a choice, family obligations played a major role. But the generational leap after that, in terms of mind set and socio-economic changes, was huge. Today, there are so many avenues that are open to us, so many opportunities available, that we fear having another person in our lives would become a burden

to the other things we wish achieve in life. Many of us who are commitment phobic are so either because we fear losing our freedom, or ruining ore careers, or fear he/she may not be the one for us and we may realise that a bit too late, or simply because we haven’t grown up seeing happily married/committed couples, and it’s therefore etched in our minds that commitment, somehow, is the end of life, no matter how much you love that person. “Socio-economic changes in the past two decades have significantly influenced the growing phobia attached to commitment. While earlier people believed that they would have to make certain adjustments in their lives after committing to their romantic interest, today they feel they would need to compromise, which has a negative ring to it,” said Dr Vasuprada Kartic, consultant psychotherapist at Live Life Hospital. “In fact, the whole idea of give and take in a relationship has changed today. People worry more about what they would have to invest in a relationship rather than what they would receive from it.

Moreover, the cause for commitment phobia among men and women varies. While men find it hard to deal with the changing roles of women in a family, women today consider marriages to be an unnecessary exercise,” she said. Rakesh Singh (name changed), a young entrepreneur in Hyderabad, cannot imagine being committed again after bitter experiences in the past. “We need to have positive examples to look up to. The media is filled with news regarding failed marriages, break-ups and so on that people have stopped believing in a happily ever after. The society today needs examples of successes to start believing again,” said Dr Vijay

Nagaswami, a psychiatrist based in Chennai. The reasons differ for men and women. Kavya Vinod said while for her it’s a question of her independence, many find it hard to stay committed to one person for the rest of their lives. Men may fear the additional onus of having to support their partners, though that is definitely changing now. The change itself is becoming a source of fear. “While men find it hard to deal with the changing roles of women in a family, women today consider marriages to be an unnecessary exercise,” Dr Vasuprada said. “The only solution to commitment issues is learning to respect each others’ space. I believe one can survive without stepping on each other’s toes all the time,” she said.

Men and women alike have stopped believing in the happily-ever-after phenomenon. Be it their reluctance to give up their freedom or the worry of being dumped, commitment phobia is cause for major concern among the youth today. Postnoon looks into what’s plaguing these youngsters.

CINEMA SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

VISHWAROOPAM

is a gripping spy thriller Kamal Haasan’s Vishwaroopam is a solid action thriller set in the backdrop of terrorism. It leaves you gasping for more action, more drama and more depth. HEMANTH KUMAR

hemanth.k@postnoon.com

K Movie: Vishwaroopam Cast: Kamal Haasan, Rahul Bose, Pooja Kumar, Andrea Jeremiah, Sekhar Kapur Directed by: Kamal Haasan Rating:

Balup u’s first lo ok launch ed

he first look of Ravi Teja’s upcoming film Balupu has been launched on the eve of his birthday. Gopichand Malineni is directing the film and it also stars Shruti Haasan and Anjali in lead roles. Ravi Teja is sporting a mass look in this film which is reminiscent of his earlier films like Venky and Dubai Seenu and Gopichand Malineni is confident that the film will impress everyone. The film is set in Vizag and some part of the film has also been shot in Hyderabad. Shruti Haasan’s role reportedly as a lot of scope for comedy and Anjali will be seen as a medical student. Kona Venkat has written the script and SS Thaman has scored the music. Prasad V Potluri is producing the film.

amal Haasan makes a swashbuckling comeback with Vishwaroopam which is his first directorial venture in almost five years. A lot has changed over the years for Kamal Haasan in terms of the themes he has chosen for his films and with Vishwaroopam, he’s one step closer to making a truly global film. The movie is set in the backdrop of terrorism where a group of Al-Qaeda terrorists plan to blow up a bomb right in the middle of New York City and it all boils down to Vishwanath, played by Kamal Haasan, and his friends to stop the impending disaster. Vishwanath lives in New York City along with his wife Dr Nirupama (Pooja Kumar). Although Nirupama has no complaints about her husband, they are in a marriage of convenience and at one point she begins suspecting him. Vishwanath is a Kathak dance teacher and when a private detec-

tive, sent by Nirupama, begins following him, he uncovers a secret about Vishwanath which causes major repercussions and all hell breaks loose when Nirupama finds out that the real identity of Vishwanath and his friends is not what it seems to be. Meanwhile, Omar (Rahul Bose) comes to New York on a special mission and he’s shocked to know that Vishwanath is still alive. What’s the connection between the two? And how do Vishwanath and his friends stop Omar? That forms the rest of this gripping spy thriller. First things first, Vishwaroopam feels a tad incomplete since Kamal Haasan has decided to keep the major twists in the subplot for the sequel. We never truly understand what transpired between Omar and Vishwanath; however, there’s no denying that Kamal Haasan indeed has a great eye for detail. A majority of the film is set in Afghanistan and it gives an insight into the training camps of Al-Qaeda, the atrocities committed by the Taliban, the lives of women and children who are among the worst hit in the ongoing war, the poppy fields which are a major source of income for the ter-

rorists, the families that live in fear and most importantly, the American troops who are so blinded by the war and their hunt for Osama Bin Laden and other top AlQaeda leaders that they end up killing innocent civilians. Things like these are precisely what make Vishwaroopam so gripping despite its long runtime. Vishwaroopam is indeed Kamal Haasan’s tour de force. Almost everyone in the film including Kamal Haasan, Pooja, Andrea and Sekhar Kapur do exactly what they are expected to, but Rahul Bose is the icing on the cake with his menacing performance as Omar. Sanu Varghese’s cinematographer is stunning throughout the film and his work is among the best in recent years. The biggest achievement for Vishwaroopam is that for most part, it makes you forget that you are watching a Telugu (or a Tamil) film. So, has Kamal Haasan made a truly spectacular action film? The answer would be a thumping yes. Is it worth the hype? Yes. Is it a truly fulfilling experience? No. It leaves you gasping for more action, more drama and more depth.

D Ramanaidu

to be conferred with Padma Bhushan

ovie mogul D Ramanaidu is going to be conferred with the prestigious Padma Bhushan awards by the central government for his outstanding contribution to cinema. He has been producing films since 1963 and over the past five decades, he has produced films in nearly every major language in India. Veteran singer S Janaki, who was also conferred with Padma Bhushan, relinquished the honour. Bapu, Sridevi, Rajesh Khanna were also given Padma Awards.

CINEMA SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

WILL THE RACE END?

Welcome to another instalment of fast cars, grey characters, bootylicious babes and songs that describe every possible situation. In short, that’s Race 2 for you.

he story takes off from where it left off last time. That will be a blast (read bomb blast). Ranveer played by Saif Ali Khan and Sonia played by Bipasha Basu are enjoying their life. But not for too long as Sonia is killed under mysterious conditions. A furious Ranveer is now in revenge mode and is helped by Robert D’Costa (Anil Kapoor) who is now a refined club owner living a luxurious life with his fruits. Ameesha Patel plays Costa’s secretary here. Ranveer in his quest arrives in Turkey and picks up a fight with Armaan Malik played by John Abraham. Oh and Armaan’s sister is Eleena Deepika Padukone. So then begins a search for Armaan’s story. Everything in Race 2 is larger than life, stylish and suave. Expensive cars, running into billions of dollars, hot chicks and exotic locales— You name it and Race 2 has it!But winning at the box office is a new race all together.

Movie: Race 2 Cast: Saif Ali Khan, John Abraham, Anil Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Ameesh Patel, Jacqueline Fernandez, Chunky Pandey Director: Abbas Burmawalla, Mustan Burmawalla

Patriotic song turns 50

t is a song that is sung on every patriotic occasion, had moved India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, to tears and its strong morale-boosting words provided solace to a nation agonized by the defeat in the 1962 India-China war. Ae Mere Watan

Ke Logon (O people of my land), penned by National Poet Pradeep, was written shortly after the war and served to unite the masses who were seething with rage over the battering the Indian forces received. Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon, perhaps revered next only to the National Anthem (Jana Gana Mana) and Vande Mataram, as also Saare Jahan Se Aacha, was first rendered before a packed National Stadium in the capital on a cold January 27 evening, 50 years ago —by Lata Mangeshkar. The distinguished audience included president S Radhakrishnan, prime minister Nehru, cabinet ministers, virtually the entire film industry comprising stalwarts like Dilip Kumar and late actors Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar, singers Mohammed Rafi, Hemant Kumar and many more. A tribute to the war heroes and martyrs, the song enabled the young and the old to control and overcome the anger of defeat. Its popularity continues unabated after 50 years — and remains a "must play" at all major national celebrations and IANS events.

Big B wins India's Prime Icon title

mitabh Bachchan has won the title of India's Prime Icon. Big B was crowned Thursday by Big CBS Prime's show India's Prime Icon, where he was competing alongside actors Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, AR Rahman, and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, among others. Amitabh was felicitated by actresses Priyanka Chopra and Anushka Sharma. “Honoured and humbled that Priyanka Chopra and Anushka Sharma take time out to present me India's Prime Icon of 2012 at CBS/BigFm,” Amitabh tweeted after winning the title. "Prime Icon??!! Gosh that is far too far fetched for me ... and to have Sachin (Tendulkar), Lataji (Lata Mangeshkar), Aamir, SRK, Modi (Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi), Nitish (Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar)... as contenders,” he further posted. Also present at the event were director Sudhir Mishra, actress Neetu Chandra and Mr. Anand Chakravarthy, business head - BIG CBS.

IANS

CINEMA SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

JJ Abrams set to direct next 'Star Wars' film

J Abrams will direct the next Star Wars film for Disney, taking stewardship of one of Hollywood's most iconic and lucrative film franchises, an individual with knowledge of the production told TheWrap. Argo director Ben Affleck was also in contention, another individual with knowledge of the talks told TheWrap. Ever since Disney bought Lucasfilm last year and announced it would make new Star Wars films, fans, members of the media and industry executives have speculated about which director would take the job.

Sandra Bullock's

wax figure revealed in Las Vegas F

or the first time ever, Sandra Bullock got waxed. The Academy-Award winning actress's wax figure transformation was unveiled recently at the Venetian Casino and Resort, joining many other familiar faces at Madame Tussaud's in Las Vegas. But this one is just too eerie. It's seriously a dead ringer of the star, which makes you not want to look away for a second in case it actually moves and turns out to be Bullock herself. The statue is dressed to impress for a red carpet event, wearing an off-the-shoulder red dress with black pumps and her straight hair styled to one side. In other words, it looks amazing.

NATALIE PORTMAN

HEADED FOR PARIS

atalie Portman is preparing to pack up for Paris.That's because the Oscar winner's husband, Benjamin Millepied, has been named the new director of the Paris Opera Ballet. He will take over in September 2014. "I certainly knew about the position, but I also knew that there were candidates from within the company. I was surprised, but I felt very quickly that the artistic dialogue between us was an exciting one," Millepied told The New York Times while recalling the connection between him and StĂŠphane Lissner, who will become the Opera's artistic director in 2015. "After a while I did feel there was a really good chance I might get the position. Which made my head spin." Millepied noted that he will indeed be moving to Paris with Portman and the couple's son, Aleph, when his new gig starts. Portman and the French dancerchoreographer, who met on the set of Black Swan, welcomed their bundle of joy in June 2011. They later tied the knot in August 2012 in a Jewish ceremony in front of family and friends in the coastal California region of Big Sur.

CHAI TIME SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

SUDOKU

There is a great deal of difference between an eager man who wants to read a book and the tired man who wants a book to read.

Play & Win

voucher from VENKEY’S VEG Restaurant, Nampally

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 voucher from VENKEY’S VEG Restaurant, Nampally number 11.

Play & Win

Please send in your filled-in entries to Postnoon, #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033. The winners will be announced on this page in Sunday’s edition.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Hedgehog mascot of Sega 6 Indian melodies 11 Half a pendulum’s path? 14 Word of surrender 15 Luxurious country estate 16 ‘Jet’ or ‘time’ follower 17 Hardly exciting person 19 Combine numbers 20 Had one’s whey? 21 ___ la la (singing syllables) 22 Reason for overtime 23 Linens and things 27 Fine-tunes the sights 29 Aussie bird 30 Potatoes partner 32 Scuttlebutt 33 Lesage’s ‘___ Blas’ 34 Cookies in many a box lunch 36 Listerine rival 39 Noted name in jazz 41 Hello or goodbye, in one state 43 Last word in church 44 Gull-like birds 46 Poached 48 Kitchen-invading insect 49 ‘Clumsy me!’ 51 Sulu’s bridge position on the Enterprise 52 Indy entry 53 Brown-haired

guys 56 ‘Pale’ descriptor 58 Horse’s morsel 59 Author Hentoff 60 Animal often seen grazing with zebras 61 Org formerly led by Hoover 62 Pressing business? 68 ‘Jaws’ omen 69 Each and ___ one 70 ‘Delta Dawn’ singer Tucker 71 Kind of poem 72 Change the hue anew 73 Op-ed piece

DOWN

1 Underwater craft, briefly 2 Lennon’s bride 3 ATM maker bought by AT&T 4 24-book Greek epic 5 Venezuelan coin 6 Homes on wheels, in brief 7 Small British island 8 Overdone glamour 9 Bruce Wayne’s butler 10 Kenyan expeditions 11 Result of good middle management?

12 They’re half the diameter 13 Whimsical Nash 18 Biological groups 23 Sire 24 ‘J’Accuse’ author

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

KAKURO

How to play kakuro

– GK Chesterton

Zola 25 Rut 26 Scottish Highlanders 28 Predatory dolphin 31 Canine or molar 35 Acted the farrier 37 Type of ‘colony’ or ‘system’ 38 Way to get in 40 Author unknown (Abbr) 42 State without proof 45 Pinchpenny’s opposite 47 Flow out, as from a source 50 Die from lack of food 53 Show-biz word 54 Like a mad dog 55 Penned up, like pigs 57 Bluefins 63 Get misty-eyed 64 Old soap ingredient 65 Ninja pair? 66 Handwoven Scandinavian rug 67 Two cents’ worth

CHAI TIME SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Aries

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

Ace of Cups

The Wheel of Fortune

The Star

King of Cups

Ace of Wands

Six of Cups

ork – Time moves quickly. You get busy with daily tasks and you don’t quite soak in the ups and downs of work. Romance – Your partner’s mood swings get to you. Talk to your significant other and figure out a way to manage strong emotions. Health – Diet needs to be monitored very carefully. Be careful about overdoing it, too. Your skin and hair needs taking care of. Use special oils and natural herbs. Money – Finances are good. There is nothing to worry about. You have to, however, review your finance plan for next year before making any changes. Tarot message – Nothing ever stays the same. With situations, people and environment changing constantly, just accept it.

ork – You will do very well in creative jobs. You think out the box and some the craziest ideas hit you although you may have no idea how you thought of them. Romance – Matters of the heart will take up a lot of your attention. Young lovers dating or discovering a new relationship will be on a happy high. Health – Your emotional health is doing wonderfully well. Your body responds to this happiness and cheer. Money – New projects or assignments will bring in more money. You will also have the chance to moonlight for extra cash. Tarot message – This time stands for all things new. It can be a new relationship, job, ideas, entrepreneurship, etc.

ork –Use your intuition at work. Though the work may be monotonous or boring you can make it creative and interesting. Romance – This is an amazing time for romance. You and your partner discover a new closeness and bond well. Singles find love. Health – You feel good from within and this reflects on your health. You spread cheer and positive energy all around you. Money – You may get opportunities to make some extra money on the side through freelance or other moonlighting options. You have choices. Tarot message – Listen to your heart and go by what you feel. You’re in sync with the cosmos and things come to you naturally.

ork – You may be having difficulty managing coworkers from the opposite sex. You cannot be too harsh nor can you ignore sloppy work. Tough call. Romance – You’re in the process of letting go of the past to start something new. You will only move forward from here and grow emotionally. Health – Beware of sedentary lifestyle and not getting enough exercise. It can do more harm than you know. Money – Some form of loss is indicated. But there is nothing to get unduly worried about. You’ll make back your money. Tarot message – The trick is to stop worrying. There will be ups and downs. Keep the faith that the silver lining will take care of you.

ork – You have a boss with a heart and are able to discuss your problems openly. But don’t take him/her for granted. Romance – You think you’re in control of your emotions but you may not be. You feel the need to put on a mask for the outer world. Health – Watch your weight. Take up an exercise regimen that you can follow. Start slowly and work your way to a healthy body. Money – There is no dearth of money for any of your needs. Hire a trustworthy consultant to tell you what to do with your money. Tarot message – You fight this urge to be friendly with those around you when you’re naturally distant and aloof.

ork – Take help from a senior colleague to solve a problem related to a project. You’ll be surprised at how helpful colleagues can be. Romance – You’re in a beautiful phase when the beginnings of a love relationship are getting you excited about discovering your own passions. Health – Your health is good, only because you have maintained a good diet and are strict about your health. Watch out for minor illnesses like a cold or fever. Money – The bank balance is healthy and there is nothing to worry about. But do plan your investments for the next financial year. Tarot message – Your emotions are sensitive and intuition is heightened. You perceive the world around you differently.

SUMAA TEKUR tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

Libra

Scorpio

The High Priestess

Eight of Pentacles

ork – You will have to do the juggling act in order to manage all the work on your plate. The next time, just tell your boss how much you can deliver. Romance – You find stability and security in a relationship and despite being busy with other areas of your life, you’re able to make that connection with your partner. Health – There will be minor illnesses such as a sore throat or knee pain or a stomach upset. Take medication early on and don’t let it aggravate. Money – Finances are in very good shape. A windfall is expected. You get more returns from an investment than you had thought. Tarot message – Stability is important to you at this time.

ork – You have the answers to a difficult work problem. But don’t be pompous while sharing it with coworkers. Be humble. Romance – The woman ends up being a dominant partner in a relationship. Nothing wrong with that. She perhaps knows better what is happening. Health – Your mind is strong and is guiding you in the right direction. Meditation and de-stressing will make you connect with yourself better. Money – You play around with investments and the results are pretty much the same. Don’t worry too much about small amounts. Tarot message – Your intuition is heightened and you get in touch with your inner feminine side. You just know what to do and when.

Sagittarius The Sun

ork –You’re in an ideal situation with just the right kind of projects coming your way. You’re charging ahead with gay abandon and it does wonders to your self confidence. Romance – Singles will very soon find someone attractive and it may even be a strong commitment sooner than you know. Romance goes well. Health – Your good cheer and positive energy will spread to everyone around you. It will also have a positive impact on your health. Laugh a lot. Money – You have nothing to worry when it comes to finances. Whatever you need at any point will come to you. Tarot message – This is a great time for new beginnings. Your esteem and confidence levels are high.

Capricorn

Date 27-1-2013

Aquarius

The High Priest

King of Pentacles

ork – You are likely to be offered a position that will put you in the limelight. It will be a top managerial post that will also teach you valuable lessons. Romance – Deep down you’re a romantic at heart. But your way of expressing your emotions, though unconventional, may seem odd to your partner. Health – You feel good about following a regimen and being in shape. Your health improves; you have averted a larger health keen about getting your finances in order and making them work for you in the long term. Your practicality helps. Tarot message – Balance your practical, down-to-earth and sensible characteristics with some impulse, creativity and out of box thinking.

ork – Look at unusual places for answers to questions. If a coworker is being difficult, it’s best to leave him/her alone. It will settle down with time. Romance – You need space and want to be left alone to think about various other things. Explain to your significant other that you need some time out. Health – Some worry or tension is eating you up from within. Find a trusted friend to share your thoughts with. You’ll feel lighter. Money – You’ve saved up more than enough for a rainy day. You still have enough funds to play around with in the market. Tarot message – You’re in the process of making a strong connection with your innermost spiritual self.

Pisces Seven of Pentacles

ork – Don’t put your guard down at any point of time. Trust your coworkers only when you’re absolutely sure of them. Romance – Singles are likely to meet someone at a seminar, conference or workshop. Your intellectual interests match and you hit it off big time. Health – Keep depression at bay. If you’re feeling low about something, tackle it. Make yourself feel better instead of just going through the pain. Money – Finances are in good shape. You feel good about your stability and feel confident about making big life decisions. Tarot message – Keep your eyes and ears open. You need to find a way to stay stable and yet pursue your interests.

Vol: 2, No 190 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, JANUARY 26, 2013

world? 11. What is the title of The Rolling Stones debut album, released in 1964? 12. Which singer wrote the 2003 children’s book The English Roses? 13.In medicine, glossitis is an inflammation of which part of the body?

IDENTIFY THESE FAMOUS EX-WAGS

CURRENT AFFAIRS

The Supreme Court of India on January 21, 2013 banned the tourists to pass from Andaman Nicobar Trunk Road which passes through which tribe area?

TEST YOURSELF How much tech savvy are you?

What type of error is produced when a webpage is not found on a Web server?

3 4

The Indian Navy on January 21, 2013 commissioned its largest shore patrol vessel for the maritime surveillance around Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Name the vessel.

Which company developed the Chrome web browser?

Microsoft in the month of January 2013 announced plans to shut down which service? Name the Argentine footballer who won FIFA Ballond’Or Award on January 7, 2013 as a reward to his 91-goal in a year for Barcelona and Argentina, in the year 2012.

Which company developed the first version of DOS?

Which component should you upgrade in order to run more programmes at once?

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh's School of Biological Sciences in the second week of January 2013 discovered that the oldest known super predator of the world was the marine crocodile. What is the name of this oldest known super predator of the world?

What type of optical media has the highest storage capacity?

1 Jarawa 2. INS Sarayu 3.Microsoft Live Messenger 4. Lionel Messi 5. Tyrnat Swimmer

A person who gains unauthorised access to a computer system is called what?

with Santosh Ghule You have done a ‘good’ job if you pick the other word here.

Answer for 50 :

Which Indian cricketer on January 9, 2013 completed his 4,000 runs in One Day International cricket tournament. He became the first quickest from India and second at world level to accomplish this milestone?

PICTURE PUZZLE 51

Coyotes/wolves do not particularly howl at the moon. Four.

Answers:

Who is going to be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade for this year?

Answers: 1 Kim Kardashian 2 Eva Longoria 3.Cheryl Cole 4.Adrina Lima

1404 2 Google 3. 5,000,000 4. DOS 5.RAM 6 Blu-ray 7Hacker

Answers

KNOW YOUR COUNTRY The Delhi Court on January 22, 2013 sentenced two people to 10 years in prison for their alleged involvement in the Junior Basic Trained (JBT) teachers’ recruitment scam. Who are they?

How many bytes are in five megabytes?

WHO AM I?

I am a superstar in Bollywood. I have countless romantic films to my credit. I also own an IPL cricket team and now am the first Indian star to grace the cove of Forbes.

Answer : Shah Rukh Khan

IN THE NEWS

horse hair over Damacles, after swapping places with Dioysius? 8. What is the main metal in pewter? 9. Carnophobia is the irrational fear of which foodstuff? 10. Which is the largest landlocked country in the

Answers

Floss by George Eliot? 5. The ‘Duckworth-Lewis method’ is used in which sport? 6. In a painting, the point on the horizon, where parallel lines appear to converge, is called the ‘what’ point? 7. In Greek mythology, what was hanging by a single

1.Phoenix 2.Leonardo DiCaprio 3.Five 4.Doroclote Mill 5.Cricket 6.Vanishing 7Sword 8.Tin 9.Meat Dostoyevsky10 Kazakhstan 11 The Rolling Stones 12 Madonna 13.Tongue

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE 1. Which mythical bird is cyclically regenerated or reborn from its own ashes? 2. Who plays Dominick Cobb in the 2010 film Inception? 3. Which number is represented by five dots in Morse Code? 4. What is the name of the mill in the novel The Mill on the

1Om Prakash Chautala and his son Ajay Singh Chautala 2.Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck 3.Virat Kohli

Answers

SPORTS SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Korver’s barrage lifts Hawks

Kate is Wimbledon member

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Kyle Korver

Midcourt shot earns fan $75k

LONDON: The Duchess of

drained eight three-pointers to help the Atlanta Hawks erase a 27-point deficit en route to a 123-111 doubleovertime NBA victory over the Boston Celtics on Friday. The Celtics seemed to be on their way to snapping a fivegame skid, but couldn’t hold off the Hawks, when Korver scored 24 of his 27 points.

MIAMI: NBA fan Michael Drysch

Cambridge, Kate Middleton has accepted an honorary membership at Wimbledon. The Duchess, an ardent tennis fan, is already a Centre Court regular alongside husband Prince William or sister Pippa Middleton and will now be seen more often at the world-famous All England Tennis Club as a member.

drained a basket from midcourt Friday to win a $75,000 prize and an enthusiastic hug from Miami Heat superstar LeBron James. Drysch, a 50-year-old computer technician from Illinois, won a draw to try for the prize, with the shot also earning $75,000 from one of James’s sponsors for the Girls and Boys Clubs of America.

Manyatta fancies Derby Mallesh Narredu-trained Manyatta, who looked good in the morning trials, will be fancied in The Deccan Bookmakers Golconda Derby Stakes (Grade I), the feature attraction of Hyderabad Winter Races 2012–13 at the Malakpet racecourse. 1st Race: The Sikander-E-Aazam Cup (Div-II) (about) 1200 metres, Cat-III; A handicap for horses, 4-year-olds and upward, rated up to 50; 12-40pm 1 Onti Onti Onti 61 (N Rao) G Sai Vamshi 11 2 Exclusive 60.5 (D’Silva) JH Christopher 2 3 Airborne Magic 59 (A Sharma) C Henrique 4 4 Mr Glorious 58 (Hassan) AM Tograllu 1 5 Gold Medal 57 (Satheesh) Deep Shanker 12 6 Kohinoor Revanta 54 (Vatsalya) Ajit Kumar 8 7 Swift Arrow 51.5 (S’narayan) I Chisty 10 8 Bold Attack 50.5 (Prasad R) N Rawal 7 9 Guiding Spirit 50.5 (Kassam) Ravinder Singh 9 10 Exclusive Lady 50 (S Abbas) Ch K Chary 3 11 Sabareen Princess 50 (Z Shaikh) NS Parmar 5 12 Emerald Touch 49.5 (Hassan) J Vikas 6 Selections: 1 Exclusive 2 Mr Glorious 3 Gold Medal 2nd Race: The Eureka Forbes Youngsters Million (about) 1200 metres; Terms for Maiden horses, 3-year-olds only (Foaled In 2010); 1-15pm 1 Ein Ein Ein 55 (Sequeria) D K Ashish 2 Riverdale 55 (D’Silva) JH Christopher 3 Squanders Square 55 (PrasadR) N Rawal 4 Dancing In The Rain 53.5 (S Abbas) P Trevor 5 Lovely Angel 53.5 (Hassan) AM Tograllu 6 Par Excellence 53.5 (D’silva) NS Parmar 7 Queen Of The Stars 53.5 (D’Silva) Withdrawn 8 Wow O Wow 53.5 (Deshmukh) PS Chouhan Selections: 1 Wow O Wow 2 Lovely Angel 3 Riverdale

4 5 3 2 6 7 1

3rd Race: The Aristocrat Cup (about) 1600 metres, Cat-III; A handicap for horses, 4-year-olds and upward, rated up to 50; 1-50pm 1 Big Boss 61 (D’Silva) JH Christopher 9 2 Nano Pride 61 (Vatsalya) N Rawal 12 3 Yet Again 61 (Netto) A Imran Khan 6 4 Ice Mountain 60.5 (Satheesh) Deep Shanker 10 5 Okai Okai Okai 60.6 (Sequeria) P Trevor 1 6 Sheikhs Emperor 59.5 (Vatsalya) Harinder Singh 2 7 Golden Dash 58.5 (Vatsalya) Ajit Kumar 4 8 Sarvagnya 58.5 (A Sharma) C Henrique 3 9 Fortunate 58 (Prasad R) Dasraht Singh 5 10 Enigma 51 (Sequeria) A Sandesh 8 11 Regal Groom 49.5 (S’narayan) I Chisty 7 12 Allendale 49 (D’Silva) NS Parmar 12 Selections: 1 Yet Again 2 Regal Groom 3 Big Boss 4th Race: The Sikander-E-Aazam Cup (Div-I) (about) 1200 metres, Cat-III; A handicap for horses, 4-year-olds and upward, rated up to 50; 2-25pm 1 Golden Jewel 61 (Vatsalya) Ajit Kumar

2 Emerald Reef 60.6 (S’narayan) I Chisty 9 3 Montego Bay 60.5 (S’narayan) A Ramana 8 4 Our Mascot 59 (S Abbas) A Imran Khan 6 5 Rocking Racer 57 (Laxman S) A Sandesh 4 6 Camacho Speed 52 (Prasad R) N Rawal 11 7 Amrapal 51.5 (Netto) G Sai Vamshi 1 8 Ground Crew 51.5 (Satheesh) B Dileep 10 9 Chitrangada 51 (A Sharma) C Henrique 7 10 Grenada 50 (D’Silva) NS Parmar 12 11 Khabza 50 (Hassan) Ch K Chary 2 12 Silver Arnage 49.4 (Kassam) NitinSingh 5 Selections:1 Our Mascot 2 Rocking Racer 3 Emerald Reef

handicap for horses, 4-year-olds and upward; 4-15pm 1 Guiding Light 60.5 (N Rao) Dasrath Singh 4 2 Plenipotent 57.5 (Deshmukh) A Sandesh 10 3 Al Sarraah 55.5 (S Abbas) Kiran Naidu 9 4 Melody Queen 55 (Prasad R) S John 8 5 Genius Empress 54 (Fayaz) P Trevor 2 6 Blazing Asian 52.5 (S Abbas) Ch K Chary 3 7 Garcia Marquez 51.5 (D’Silva) NS Parmar 5 8 Da Xia 50 (Vatsalya) Ajit Kumar 1 9 Scubarioo 49.5 (D’Silva) G Sai Vamshi 6 10 Alberton Star 49 (Prasad R) N Rawal 7 Selections: 1 Plenipotent 2 Blazing Asian 3 Guiding Light

5th Race: The Squanderer Cup (about) 1200 metres, Cat-II; A handicap for horses, 5-year-olds and upward, rated up to 75; 3-00pm 1 Aphrodisiac 60.5 (S Abbas) A Imran Khan 12 2 Bloody Mary 60.5 (D’silva) JH Christopher 16 3 Dusty Lady 59.5 (Sequeria) P Trevor 6 4 Kings Cruise 59.5 (Netto) Dasrath Singh 4 5 Key Note 58.5 (Netto) S Sreekant 8 6 Fine Racer 57.5 (Prasad R) S John 5 7 Vijaysheel 57.5 (Deshmukh) P Venkat 9 8 Mr Khoashteep 57 (Hassan) AM Tograllu 3 9 Oru Oru Oru 57 (Sequeria) DK Ashish 18 10 Precisely That 56.5 (Srinivas R) PS Chouhan 14 11 Stylish Chieftan 56.5 (Laxman S) Harinder Singh 1 12 One One One 53 (N Rao) K Anil 10 13 Kohinoor Fighter 52.5 (Vatsalya) Ajit Kumar 15 14 Sporting Star 51 (Satheesh) Deep Shanker 13 15 Rose Queen 50.5 (Laxman S) C Henrique 11 16 Divine Ganges 49 (KV Srinivas) A Ramana 2 17 Krithiman 49 (A Sharma) Nitin Singh 7 18 Speed Striker 49 (S’narayan) NS Parmar 17 Selections: 1 Mr Khoashteep 2 Dusty Lady 3 Aphrodisiac

8th Race: The Deccan Bookmakers Golconda Derby Stakes (Grade I) (about) 2400 metres; Terms for horses 4-year-olds only (Foaled In 2009); 4-50pm 1 Angel Crown 57 (AA Ahmed) S John 6 2 Manyatta 57 (M Narredu) Daniel Grant 8 3 San Ramon 57 (D’Silva) JH Christopher 9 4 Shivalik Star 57 (S Narredu) DK Ashish 2 5 Storm Tracker 57 (PShroff) PTrevor 4 6 Tintinnabulation 57 (Deshmukh) PS Chouhan 1 7 Vijays Champ 57 (Deshmukh) A Sandesh 7 8 Chiron 55.5 (Hidayat K) YS Sreenath 10 9 Perfect 55.5 (D’Silva) NS Parmar 3 10 Ratham 55.5 (Dhariwal) C Alford 5 Selections: 1 Manyatta 2 Tintinnabulation 3 Chiron

6th Race: The Bhagyanagar Juvenile Million (about) 1400 metres, Terms; For Indian horses, 3-year-olds only (Foaled in 2010); 3-40pm 1 Fairy Emperor 55.5 (Hassan) S John 9 2 Dandelion 54 (Prasad R) N Rawal 3 3 Staying In The Best 54 (Prasad R) P Trevor 6 4 Symbol Of Victory 54 (A Sharma) C Henrique 8 5 Golden Arrow 52.5 (Srinivas R) PS Chouhan 1 6 Sherman Oaks 52.5 (D’Silva) JH Christopher 5 7 Proud Image 50 (N Rao) DK Ashish 2 8 Staminoizd 50 (KV Srinivas) A Ramana 7 9 Ice Barrier 48.5 (Satheesh) NS Parmar 4 Selections: 1 Golden Arrow 2 Sherman Oaks 3 Fairy Emperor 7th Race: The Secretariat Cup (about) 1400 metres, Cat-I; A

9th Race: The Deccan Prince Cup (about) 1400 metres, Cat-II; A handicap for horses, 4-year-olds and upward, rated up to 75; 5-30pm 1 Aerosmith 60 (Prasad R) S John 4 2 Ocean Side 59.5 (D’Silva) JH Christopher 10 3 Sheer Genius 56 (Sequeria) PS Chouhan 9 4 Vijays Best 55.5 (Deshmukh) AM Tograllu 13 5 Prince Of Arabia 55 (D’Silva) NS Parmar 1 6 Glorious View 53 (S’naryan) I Chisty 11 7 So Super 53 (S Abbas) Ch K Chary 2 8 Sweety Girl 53 (Hassan) M Mark 7 9 Hidden Power 51.5 (NRao) DK Ashish 8 10 Any Given Time 50.5 (Hassan) Khurshad Alam 12 11 Brahmani 50.5 (A Sharma) C Henrique 5 12 Racing Tycoon 50.5 (Laxman S) Deep Shanker 3 13.True Scholar 50.5 (Hassan) Dasrath Singh 6 Selections: 1 Aerosmith 2 Brahmani 3 Ocean Side

Days Best: Our Mascot n

Jackpot Race No: 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 n 1st Treble Race Nos: 1, 2 and 3 n 2nd Treble Race Nos: 4, 5 and 6 n 3rd Treble Race Nos: 7, 8 and 9 n Tanala pool will operate on all races where there are five or more starters. n No false rails.

Racing Ahead puts up an impressive gallop HYDERABAD: Racing Ahead, Vijayshaurya, Maths Professor, Equalizer and Vijaykeerti pleased when horses were exercised here at Malakpet this morning. Sand track 800 metres Ashwa Shakti (Joshi) 58, 600/41.5 Moved on the bit. Sincara (Imran Khan) 1-2, 600/46 Easy. Cannon Ten (N Rawal) 58, 600/42 Moved

well. Meri Merzi (Chary) 57, 600/41 Pleased. Valentine (app) 58, 600/44 Handy. Rustic Gal (Sreekant) 1-3, 600/47 Easy. Khalis Gold (rb) Aware (M Mark) 1-1, 600/45 Former finished a length in front. Equalizer (rb) Samita (Uday Kiran) 58, 600/41 They moved together. Askioz (rb) 58, 600/43 Moved well. Musk Melon (rb) Macintosh (M Mark)

1-3, 600/46.5 They moved freely. Play The Music (app) Laguna Beach (Joshi) 1-0, 600/44 They moved together. Sand track 1000 metres Whats Up (Harinder Singh) Ranjha (Deep Shanker) 1-17, 800/1-1, 600/46 They moved freely and finished together. Vijayshaurya (Joshi) 1-12, 800/56, 600/41 Pleased. Looking For

Love (Ramana) Golden Star (rb) 1-18.5, 800/1-2.5, 600/47.5 Former finished in front. Sand track 1200 metres Pavan (app) Maths Professor (Uday Kiran) 1-27, 1000/1-12, 800/57, 600/42.5 Former finished a length in front. Stolen Date (Imran Khan) Dauntless (rb) 1-31, 1000/1-14, 800/57.5, 600/42.5 They finished together. Vijay Keerti

(Ravinder Singh) 1-28.5, 1000/112.5, 800/57, 600/42 Moved well. Racing Ahead (Joshi) Aneres (Tograllu) 1-29, 1000/1-12, 800/56.5, 600/42.5 Latter started 4 lengths behind and finished together. Sand track 1400 metres Light Blue Sky (Chary) Golden Phantom (Imran Khan) 1-47.5, 1200/1-30.5, 1000/1-15.5, 800/59.5, 600/44.5 They moved together.

SPORTS SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

A fitting finale

Li Na will take on Victoria Azarenka as she attempts to win her second GS trophy at the Australian Open. MELBOURNE: China’s Li Na will take on world number one Victoria Azarenka as she attempts to win her second Grand Slam trophy in the Australian Open women’s final later on Saturday. Li, 30, has been in inspired form over the past fortnight, running through four seeds including Russia’s four-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova on the way to her second Melbourne final. In 2011, the Wuhan native made history on Rod Laver Arena as Asia’s first Grand Slam finalist, and later that year she went one step further to become the continent’s first and only major singles champion at the French Open. The feisty right-hander, rated as the world’s second-richest sportswoman by Forbes magazine, has not seriously challenged for a major title since but she is enjoying a renaissance

BUOYED BY HER WIN OVER SHARAPOVA IN LAST YEAR’S FINAL, AZARENKA PUT TOGETHER A 26-MATCH WINNING STREAK AT THE START OF THE SEASON. under her new coach Carlos Rodriguez. “Last time was more exciting, I was more nervous,” said Li, who stands to become the tournament’s oldest women’s champion. “It was my first time to be in a (Grand Slam) final. This time, I’m more calm. More cool, a little bit.” Standing in her way is Azarenka, 23, the tall Belarusian who is defending her only Grand Slam title to date, and will extend her nearly year-long stay at the top ranking with victory

over Li. Buoyed by her win over Sharapova in last year’s final, Azarenka put together a 26match winning streak at the start of the season and narrowly lost to Serena Williams in September’s gripping US Open decider. Azarenka has been an unmissable presence in Melbourne, partly because of her trademark shriek when she hits the ball and also because she has been accompanied by colourful LMFAO frontman Redfoo. But she courted controversy in her semi-final against teenager Sloane Stephens when she blew five match points and immediately went off for a medical timeout. When she returned, she broke Stephens to win the match. “It was a necessary thing for me to do,” Azarenka said of the timeout, which she took for rib

This photo combo shows Belarus’s Victoria Azarenka (L) and China’s Li Na (R) in action during the 2013 Australian Open in Melbourne. Li and Azarenka will compete for the women’s singles title on Saturday. AFP PHOTO and knee problems. “I just regret that I didn’t take it earlier, that it got to the point that it was pretty much impossible for me to breathe and to play.” Azarenka leads their head-tohead 5-4 but she has won their last four matches. The last time Li beat the Belarusian was at the 2011 French Open, when she won in the quarter-finals en route to

Murray floors Federer Andy Murray faced down his Grand Slam nemesis Roger Federer in an electrifying five-set thriller to reach the final. Robert Smith

MELBOURNE: Britain’s Andy Murray faced down his Grand Slam nemesis Roger Federer in an electrifying five-set thriller to reach the Australian Open final on Friday. The US Open champion finally ended his run of Grand Slam failures against the Swiss world number two, winning their semifinal 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 62 in exactly four hours. Murray is now into in his third Australian final and will play Novak Djokovic on Sunday, a rematch of the US Open decider when the Scot won his first Grand Slam title last September. Murray extended his record over Federer to 11-9, but it was his first victory over Federer in four Grand Slam matches. It will be Murray’s sixth Grand Slam final and he is the first Briton to reach three Australian Open finals.

Britain’s Andy Murray plays a return during his men’s singles semi-final against Switzerland’s Roger Federer on day twelve of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Friday. AFP/MARK KOLBE/POOL “It’s always tough against Roger and he’s at his best in the Grand Slams and when his back is against the wall, and (when) I was serving for the match at 6-5

he produced some great shots,” Murray said. “I kept fighting and he made a few loose shots early in the fifth set and I stuck AFP in.”

the trophy. “At least this year we didn’t meet,” Li said. “So this is a new start. Last year she was doing well all year. It is not easy. It is a tough match. I just have to enjoy the moment.” Cool conditions and possible showers are forecast for Melbourne on Saturday, with the final scheduled to get underway AFP at 7:30 pm (0830 GMT).

Errani, Vinci clinch doubles crown MELBOURNE: Top seeds Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci beat local favourites Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua Friday to win the Australian Open women’s doubles title. The world number one pairing from Italy raced through the first set in just under half-an-hour and were impeded in the second, but they broke three times in the final set to win their third major trophy 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. “It’s very hard to figure them out. They’re obviously the number one team in the world,” Dellacqua said. “They’re there for a reason. They play very good doubles, and a specific style of doubles.” In mixed doubles, the Australian pairing of Jarmila Gajdosova and Matthew Ebden reached the final when they beat Kazak-Uzbek duo Yaroslava Shvedova and Denis Istomin 7-5, 7-6 (7/5). They will play Czech team

Italy’s Roberta Vinci (L) and Sara Errani (R) pose with the winner’s trophy after their victory in the women’s doubles final of the Australian Open on Friday. AFP/MANAN VATSYAYANA

Lucie Hradecka and Frantisek Cermak, who bettered Czechoslovakia’s Kveta Peschke and Marcin Matkowski of Poland 3-6, 7-5, (10/7). In Saturday’s men’s doubles final, American twins Bob and Mike Bryan will play Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling for a record 13th Grand Slam AFP trophy.

Injured Venus out of US Fed Cup tie

Maria misses clash against Japan

Federer insists he’s still on the pace

NEW YORK: Venus Williams said on Friday that she

MOSCOW: Maria Sharapova has been left out of the

MELBOURNE: Roger Federer dismissed suggestio-

has pulled out of February’s US Fed Cup quarter-final tie against Italy and next week’s WTA Paris Open because of a back injury. Williams, ranked 26th, lost to reigning French Open champion Maria Sharapova last week in the third round of the Australian Open. She and sister Serena were ousted in the Australian Open women’s doubles quarter-finals. Just last week, Williams had said she was keen to play for the Americans in their tie at Rimini, Italy. AFP

Russian squad for the Fed Cup World Group clash against Japan on February 9-10. World number two Sharapova, fresh from making the Australian Open semi-finals, has played just three Fed Cup ties in her career, making her debut in 2008 to help satisfy Olympic Games qualification criteria. After playing again in 2011, she also featured in the quarter-final win over Spain in 2012 in the run-up to the London Games.

ns he was slipping off the pace at the top of men’s tennis after his five-set loss to Andy Murray in the Australian Open semis on Friday. Federer, the senior member of the ‘Big Four’, went down in a four-hour duel with Murray as he suffered his third straight semi-final defeat in Melbourne. But the world number two, who holds a record 17 Grand Slam titles, insisted “nothing has changed” in his match-ups against his younger rivals Djokovic, Nadal and Murray. AFP

SPORTS SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Armstrong lied to Oprah: Tygart

Travis Tygart said in an interview that Lance Armstrong failed to tell Oprah Winfrey the truth about several key points over doping. Rebecca Bryan

LOS ANGELES: Lance Armstrong lied in his confessional interview with Oprah Winfrey and the shamed cyclist has two weeks to finally come clean, the US anti-doping official who pursued him for years has said. Travis Tygart said in an excerpt of an interview with the CBS network that Armstrong failed to tell Winfrey the truth about several key points over doping — including a claim that he raced drug-free in his comeback in 2009 and 2010. Tygart, the USADA chief, said he has written to Armstrong to say that if he wants to lessen his lifetime sporting ban he must “cooperate fully and truthfully” by February 6, about drug-taking in the sport.

UCI wants ‘truth, reconciliation’ LONDON: Cycling’s world governing body accepted the need for a “truth and reconciliation” hearing following the Lance Armstrong doping scandal, in a shift from its previous position. UCI president Pat McQuaid said after a hearing of an independent commission set up to examine the Armstrong affair that it wanted to work with the WADA. “We want a truth and reconciliation commission with WADA,” he said, adding: “We cannot do it without them.” The independent commission meeting in London was forced to suspend its work until January 31 after it emerged the UCI had yet to submit a single document to the hearing. Commission chairman Philip Otton, a former judge in England’s Court of Appeal, said he was, “with considerable reluctance” suspending the hearing in the hope the adjournment would allow all those involved to reach agreement on an amnesty.

Lance commission halted, awaits UCI files LONDON: An independent commission set up by the International Cycling Union following the Lance Armstrong scandal was suspended Friday after it emerged it had yet to receive a document from the sport’s global governing body. “We have yet to receive any documents from the UCI,” an initial procedural hearing in London was told by Guy Morpuss, lawyer to the commission. Later, inquiry chairman Philip Otton, a former judge in England’s Court of Appeal, said he was, “with considerable reluctance” suspending the hearing until January 31.

LANCE DURING THE OPRAH INTERVIEW ADMITTED DOPING FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER YEARS OF VEHEMENT DENIALS It is not clear if cooperation from Armstrong, who was stripped of his Tour De France wins last year, could take the form of testimony before a truth and reconciliation commission. The International Cycling Union (UCI), which is under pressure from the World AntiDoping Agency and USADA, on Friday agreed that such a platform would benefit the drugdamaged sport after a series of devastating doping cases. Armstrong, a cancer survivor

who during the Oprah interview admitted doping for the first time after years of vehement denials, said he would be willing to testify before such a commission if he were invited. He also said that his record seven wins in the tour were fueled by performance enhancing drugs but insisted he was clean when he came out of retirement and raced in the Tour de France in 2009 and 2010. Tygart, however, in the CBS interview which will air in full on “60 Minutes” on Sunday, said the latter claim is “just contrary to the evidence”. According to Tygart, expert reports based on the variation of Armstrong’s blood values in 2009 and 2010 make it a “one to a million chance that it was due to something other than doping”.

Tiger seizes lead at Torrey Pines LA JOLLA: Tiger Woods fired a seven-under par 65 on Friday to surge through the field and take a two-stroke second-round lead at the $6.1 million PGA Farmers Insurance Open. Playing on the Torrey Pines layout where he has won this event six times and captured the most recent of his 14 major titles at the US Open in 2008, Woods had an eagle, six birdies and just one bogey on the North Course. Woods, who has struggled with injuries and whose form slumped after a sex scandal in 2009, opened with a four-under 68 on Thursday on the South Course and started the second round three shots off the pace. He teed off Friday on the back nine and began with four pars in a row before a birdie at the par-5 14th hole. He scored a birdie at the par-3 17th, an eagle at the par-5

Tiger Woods lines up a putt on the 13th green during the second round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines North Golf Course on Friday in La Jolla, California. AFP/JEFF GROSS

18th and then added birdies on the par-5 first and par-4 second holes, lifting himself into sole possession of the lead. Woods, now back at number two in the world rankings, birdied the par-4 seventh, took his lone bogey of the round at the par-4 eighth and finished his round with a birdie at the par-5 ninth to stand on 11under par 133. Billy Horschel carded a three-under 69 on the South Course to take second place on his own on 135. Two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton was among half a dozen players on 136. Compton had six birdies and an eagle in a seven-under 65 on the North Course. He was joined on eight-under by Casey Wittenberg (67), Canadian Brad Fritsch (67), Steve Marino (68), Jimmy Walker (69) and Josh AFP Teater (70).

Smith stars in Proteas win

Pakistan slip after good start

Mumbai start favourites in Ranji final

POTCHEFSTROOM, SOUTH AFRICA: Former cap-

EAST LONDON: The touring Pakistan suffered a col-

tain Graeme Smith hit a century to set up a consolation one-wicket win for South Africa in the third and final one-day international against New Zealand at Senwes Park on Friday. Smith made 116 — his 10th one-day century — but it needed a six off the last ball by all-rounder Ryan McLaren to enable South Africa to chase down a New Zealand total of 260 for nine. Smith was sixth man out when 32 were still needed off 26 balls. “I would like to have seen it through,” said Smith, who was caught at wide long-on off the offKane Williamson. “The shot was on but the execution wasn’t right.” Three more wickets fell as New Zealand applied the pressure. Dale Steyn was caught in the deep off James Franklin off the fifth ball of the final over but it brought McLaren back on strike. AFP

lapse after a century opening partnership on the opening day of their four-day match against a South African Invitation XI at Buffalo Park on Friday. The tourists were 178 for six at the close on a day shortened by rain and bad light. Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed put on 105 for the first wicket but the Pakistanis then lost six wickets for the addition of 40 runs. Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed and fast bowler Umar Gul added an unbeaten 33 for the seventh wicket. Hafeez made 55 off 95 deliveries with ten fours before he was dismissed by opening bowler Kyle Abbott. But the batsmen who followed were unable to take advantage of the good start in their only warm-up match before three Test matches against South Africa. AFP

MUMBAI: History and form make them the odds-on favourites but Mumbai are not taking things for granted ahead of the Ranji Trophy summit showdown with Saurashtra, who have upset many an apple cart en route to the final here. The sheer weight of having seniors like Sachin Tendulkar, captain Ajit Agarkar and Wasim Jaffer along with performers like Abhishek Nayar and Aditya Tare in their ranks tilts the scale heavily in favour of the 39-time champions. Saurashtra, who have advanced to the summit clash for the first time, are the underdogs in the five-day clash on a wicket that is believed to be loaded heavily in favour of the pace bowlers, at least initially. However the hosts, who have lost just four finals out of the 43 they had figured in, in the long history of the national championship, are not taking things for granted. PTI

SPORTS SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Hazard affair follows Chelsea Ian Winrow

LONDON: Chelsea will attempt to revive their season without Eden Hazard when they make the short journey across west London to third-tier Brentford in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday. Hazard was suspended after being dismissed during the Chelsea’s League Cup semi-final exit at Swansea on Wednesday when he appeared to kick-out at a ballboy and faces further action after the FA charged the Belgian midfielder with violent conduct. The incident overshadowed Chelsea’s failure to beat Michael Laudrup’s side and the build-up to their potentially testing clash at Griffin Park. A second successive defeat would leave the Europa League as the Blues’ only realistic chance of silverware this season and increase the pressure on interim manager Rafael

Benitez. And Hazard’s absence could hardly have come at a worse time with the deposed European champions’ stretched squad anxious to address the problems in front of goal that have stalled their efforts since the turn of the year. “It was disappointing

because we didn’t score against Swansea,” said Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech (above). “We knew that we had to score to have a chance to progress, but we didn’t and it is a pity. “Even when we played our game in hand in the league against Southamp-

Embattled Villa boss Lambert to stay put Paul Lambert (right) insisted on Saturday that he will not quit despite seeing his side suffer a second cup humiliation in four days against lower-ranked opposition. Premier League Villa were knocked out of the FA Cup by second-tier Millwall on Friday. The 2-1 fourth round shocker came hot on the heels of Tuesday’s League Cup semi-final loss at the hands of fourth division Bradford. “I’m not a quitter, I’ll keep going,”

Lambert told Sky Sports. “I thought we dominated the game and I don’t think we should have lost, at the very worst it should have been a replay. “I thought it was going to peter out to a replay. We’ll take the knock but you have to come back strongly.” Lambert has endured a torrid time since leaving Norwich to take charge at Villa Park in the closeseason. His team is hovering just above AFP the relegation zone.

Fulham borrows Frimpong fielder Emmanuel Frimpong (left) joined Fulham on Friday on loan until the end of the season. Ghana-born Frimpong has struggled to break into the

Boggle Number game

SOLUTIONS

Gunners’ first-team after suffering a number of serious injuries and he has joined Fulham in a bid to revitalise his career. The Cottagers revealed the move for the 21-year-old on their official Twitter feed, with Frimpong also acknowlAFP edging it.

CAB BUS VAN CAR JEEP TRUCK

Suduko

LONDON: Arsenal mid-

Tottenham’s Freund wary of Leeds threat Jason Mellor

LEEDS, UK: Steffen Freund has warned Tottenham Hotspur not to underestimate Championship side Leeds United when they travel to Elland Road for an FA Cup fourth round tie on Sunday. Spurs are bidding to book their place in the fifth round and go into the match on the back of an unbeaten eight-match run. Andre Villas-Boas’s side currently sit fourth in the Premier League and are hoping to secure Champions League football for next season. But Freund, who joined the club in July as part of Villas-Boas’s backroom staff, knows Leeds will be no pushovers.

Real keeper Casillas faces 12 weeks out MADRID: Real Madrid and

LONDON: Aston Villa boss

Scrabble

ton, instead of killing the game off (when 2-0 up) we played on and on and they managed to score two goals. “I think we need to be more efficient in front of goal because we are having chances. We have a lot of shots in the games but we need to score more goals than that. “In the last few games we haven’t killed the games off. Against Arsenal (in the 2-1 win last weekend) it was the same story. “We had to fight until the end of the game because we didn’t take our chances to kill off the game. We need to be more clinical in front of goal.” David Luiz will be missing from the game after suffering a recurrence of an ankle injury but captain John Terry is nearing a return to full fitness and could start. “It’s a massive game for them and they will be pushing, playing between long and short passes,” he said.

Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas (right) will be sidelined for eight to 12 weeks after undergoing surgery on his fractured left hand in Madrid on Friday. “The period of unavailability is between eight and 12 weeks,” doctor Miguel del Cerro said in a statement released by the La Liga club, adding that Casillas would be in a cast for approximately three weeks. The 31-year-old suffered the injury after teammate Alvaro Arbeloa acciden-

tally kicked his hand as he attempted a clearance during Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Valencia in the Spanish Cup. Casillas was subsequently replaced by reserve keeper Antonio Adan and will miss Madrid’s Champions League round of 16 tie with Manchester United as well as both legs of the Spanish cup semi-final against arch-rivals Barcelona. Later Friday, Madrid announced that they had signed Sevilla goalkeeper Diego Lopez on a four-and-a-half-year deal following the injury to Casillas.