Postnoon E-Paper for 04 March 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

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OLIVIA WILDE: I WAS TOO SEXY FOR LOVELACE Olivia Wilde has claimed that she turned down the chance to star in Lovelace because she felt too sexy for the film. PG 22

N SHIVA KUMAR

Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper

MARCH 4, 2012 HYDERABAD

32 PAGES

ON SUNDAY A week after the collapse of a building in Monda Market, the families of those who died have watched their dreams fade. REPORT ON PG 4

DREAMS COLLAPSE

MORNING GLORIES The City is full of great places to breakfast. We bring you the best of the best. PG 14

CITY SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

SOARING HOPES The untouched

Acting workshop Samahaara- an acting and dancing workshop is being held. The workshop focusses on a variety of topics such as understanding the basics of stage acting, character analysis, stage and rehearsal terms, movement and stage geography. Where: The Actor’s studio, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 7pm to 9pm Contact: 98854 04784

Hindi & English Play The Untouched: Sutradhar which has been directed by Prof Bhaskar Shewalkar portrays the two polarities in its two completely different characters. Where: Nift auditorium Madhapur When: March 4, 8.30pm Contact: (040) 2311 0841

Richa Sharma live

Silk Utsav

Catch the effervescent Bollywood singer Richa Sharma perform live at Shilpakala Vedika. Through her live performance she will pay tribute to the talented female singers that the Hindi movie Industry has had through the ages. Where: Shilpakala Vedika Madhapur When: March 4, 7pm Contact: (040) 2311 2704

Madhya Pradesh Khadi & Village Industries Board, Bhopal is hosting an MP Silk Utsav.Head to the exhibition for a variety of exotic & colourful bagh Khadi sarees, Maheshwari sarees, cotton and poly khadi dress material along with quality products made by SHG’s such as spices, pickles. Where: Institute of Engineers, Khairtabad When: Ongoing, 10am Contact: (040) 2339 4969

Musical concert AnandaPriya Foundation for Arts and Learning present a Concert Lecture on Hindustani and Carnatic Melodic Structures by Shri Sriram Parasuram. The event will be held at the Amphi Theatre, Road No 8, Banjara Hills on March 5. Where: The Amphi Theatre, Saptaprni, Banjara Hills When: March 5, 7pm

Through her eyes Iconart Art Gallery plays host to ‘Through her eyes’- an art exhibition by Priyanka Poogalia. The exhibition is on till March 4. Where: Iconart, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 11.30am Contact: 98499 68797

Art from the heart

Basically Hyderabadi

Muse Art Gallery presents a charity art show by Anjum Mohammadi (Karachi) for Soul. Where: Muse Gallery, Tank Bund When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: (040) 2752 2999

An art exhibition titled Basically Hyderabadi by artist Syed Rayees Ahmed is on at Arts Heaven, Red Hills. Where: Arts Heaven, Red Hills When: Ongoing, 11.30am

Kalahastu Kalmkari An exhibition of Kalamkari works is on at the Malkha shop in Humayun Nagar. Where: Malkha marketing trust, Humayun Nagar When: Ongoing, 11 am onwards Contact: (040) 2332 5548

Midnight Buffet Midnight hunger pangs? Head to Best Western for it’s midnight buffet where you can enjoy Hyderabadi dum biryani and live dosa with chicken curry every night. Where: Best Western Jubilee Hills When: Ongoing, 10.30pm-2.30am Contact: 80083 00373

Voice and Ventriloquy Gallery Space presents Voice and Ventriloquy- a solo show by Subroto Chowdhury . The exhibition is on till March 10.

CINEMAS

Youngsters release sky lanterns at the Buddha Statue in Tankbund on Saturday as a curtain-raiser to the March 11 world record attempt of releasing 30,000 sky laterns together. DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Timeless thoughts A group exhibition of paintings and sculpture by 39 artist from India and abroad is on at Iconart. Where: State Gallery of Fine Arts, Kavuri Hills When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: (040) 23113 308

Where: Gallery Space, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 11am to 7pm Contact: (040) 6554 1836

Weekends, 8am-10.30pm Contact: (040) 6767 6828

Chowrasta Catch the painting exhibition Chowrasta featuring artistes such as Natraj S, Thirumala M Thirupathi, Srinivas Mouni and Subodh Singh. Where: Shrishti Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: (040) 2354 0023

An exhibition featuring artistes such as Konduru Nageshwar Rao, Narendranath Palala, T Nageswara Rao and Rajeshwar Nyalapali will be displayed at Inspire Art Gallery. Where: Inspire Art Gallery Hyderguda When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: (040) 3062 844

Go Splash

Momo Cafe

Conversations in time

Momo Café at the Marriot presents a new A-La-Carte Menu with delicacies such as Thai,Classic Western, Oriental and South Indian. Where: Hyderabad Marriot, Tank Bund When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 2752 2999

Kalakriti Art Gallery plays host to Ashok Mullick’s collection of paintings on canvas titled Conversations in Time. Where: Kalakriti Art Gallery, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: (040) 66564466

Splash lounge is the perfect leisure destination for you to unwind at the poolside. During the evenings, the atmosphere gets romantic with great music, martinis and aperitifs. Where: The Westin, Madhapur When: Monday-Friday, 5pm-10.30pm

Painting exhibition

Weaves Weaves — A Cotton and Silk spectrum is being held. Where: Imperial Gardens, Secunderabad When: Ongoing, 11am to 9 pm Contact: (040) 30522000

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 SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

Labourer found murdered

Snooker parlours raided

45-year-old man, Ramulu, was found murdered in Chandrayangutta on Friday. According to police, the victim lived in Bundlaguda. He was a labourer from Mahboobnagar district. Preliminary investigation revealed that he was attacked by some unidentified people when he went to answer a call of nature and bled to death.

Man found murdered

he East Zone Task Force raided snooker parlours being run illegally and arrested two persons. One Mohd Shafiullah Khan and Bankat Lal were said to have been running snooker parlours in Chaderghat, Kachiguda and Barkatpura areas. The east zone team raided the parlours and arrested them.

n unidentified man was found murdered in the Hayath Nagar locality in City outskirts, on Saturday night. Victim's body was found in a pool of blood at Mattuguda village under Hayath Nagar police station limits. He was aged around 40 and was clad in a cream shirt and grey pants. The body has been moved to Osmania Hospital for autopsy.

CBI scare shackles Jagan? A SAYE SEKHAR

saye@postnoon.com

hy has YS Jagan Mohan Reddy ‘postponed’ his campaign to Kovur? Sources ‘very close’ to Jagan told Postnoon that there was ‘some tip-off ’ that a Central Bureau of Investigation team may ‘meet’ him. It was not known whether the CBI’s proposed meet was to arrest him in the disproportionate arrests case or questioning.

The CBI has not questioned YS Jagan in the case at least once, though the CBI arrested vice-chairman of Jagathi Publications Vijaya Sai Reddy, who was named as the second accused. Official spokesperson of YSR Congress Ambati Rambabu scotched it off as a rumour, though. Asked as to why Jagan postponed his scheduled visit to Kovur, Rambabu said: “His two daughters wanted him to stay home on Sunday, as he has always been on tours. They insisted that Jagan should oblige them. So, the Kovur campaign tour was put off just by one day. A decision to put off the journey

Anything but Maithri, this Mohd Subhan

mohd.s@postnoon.com

he recent suicide by a young man, Aqueel, at Nasheeman Nagar under Moghalpura police station limits brings into sharp focus the perilous role of the Maithri committees formed for policepublic cooperation to stem crime in the City. Aqueel, a student aged 22, was branded a rowdy sheeter in a petty case on advice of some Maithri members. In his three-page suicide note, Aqueel wrote the police of Bhawani Nagar tortured him and his life seemed ruined. Despite complaints to higher authorities nothing was done so he was resorting to the only and ultimate step— killing himself. No policeman was made answerable to his death speaks volumes of the shady set up, sources pointed out. The well-meaning Maithri committee was formed some 10 years ago under

Hindsight

ormer commissioner of police (Hyderabad) RP Singh who had created the Maithri committees with a genuine intention of giving the young a representation in the police-public cooperation to tame the crime told Postnoon today that he did what he thought was a good action. He is not in the know of things today and would not comment on the issue.

the guidance of the then police commissioner RP Singh. Till then the State had a system of ‘peace committees’ in every locality to help the police maintain law and order, especially in communal flareup. It was found that most members of the committees were senior citizens and had no youth representation. It was to fill the gap that the Maithri committees with young elements of each locality were formed. It worked well for a while but dark elements intruded into it, honest police officers rues. Information gathered by Postnoon revealed that each police station has 2030 informants going by the name Maithri committee. “It works well for the corrupt police too. But in the bargain the common man gets crushed,” said a source close to police higher-up. The South Zone has the highest number of informants (900), followed by West Zone (600) and East Zone 300. Central and North Zones have much less. The situation is such that even gang wars break out between informants. Two years ago, Moozam, an informant in the Aghapura area, was murdered by the rival gang. Police officials who do not subscribe to this set up say the so called Maithri gangs are formed of people who play double game with police and criminals. They work both ways and earn money. However, ACP Santhosh Nagar S Sai Krishna however denies such links. He says police verify information before acting.

was taken on Saturday evening itself. “A section of media, which has been indulging in vilification campaign against Jagan, has also been frequently talking about his arrest only to create confusion and panic among the party cadres. People will understand all this. From tomorrow, Jagan will campaign in Kovur for three days in the round one.” Chairman of Sevadal of YSRCP Kotimreddy Vinay Reddy said that over 3,000 people in a large number of vehicles , indeed, descended on Lotus Pond residence of Jagan since midnight, as there was some speculation about his arrest. He, however, sought to know

as to why should Jagan be arrested at all. He asserted that the YSRCP’s majority in Kovur would scale up to 1 lakh from the expected 40-50,000 in the event of any ‘such mistake’ by the ruling party and the investigating agency. It was only when Jagan himself came out of his house and greeted all party activists and clarified that there was nothing to worry about, did the activists leave the place in the morning, said Vinay Reddy. However, Jagan’s uncle YV Subba Reddy, several ‘ousted’ MLAs and party leaders too descended on Jagan’s residence and were around for a long time.

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CITY SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

Monda collapse crushed this family’s dreams Md INKESHAF AHMED

ahmed.m@postnoon.com

ndira Naganath, 38, stopped believing in divine powers and natural justice on Sunday last when her husband Mekala Naganath, 45, a vendor of trinkets at the busy Monda Market, got crushed under the collapsed columns of Punjabi hotel building and later died. “He was sick, with an incurable spinal cord problem,” she recalled, “but he had never taken a day off from his trade, not even on festivals. His life’s dream was a shelter of our own. On the fateful day he was unwell but defied pain and went to work. The next I heard was that he was taken to hospital. The mobile phone that brought the bad news fell from my hands. I ran to the Gandhi hospital where he was taken to. There to my relief saw him alive and looking at me hopefully. I thought he would get well but soon he closed his eyes and never opened them again.” Indira could not continue

THOUGH NAGANATH’S DAILY EARNING AVERAGED ONLY `100-120, HE SET APART ENOUGH TO GIVE THE THREE KIDS EDUCATION.

more as words chocked in her throat. Naganath was indeed alive for a few hours more but he could not regain consciousness. Naganath-Indira couple has three sons: M Jagadish, 18, M Ramu, 15, and M Naveen, 13. All the three are in school and she did not know how to pull on in life. They live in a rented house that cost the family `2,000 a month. “He loved his sons and always talked of the day when we will move into our own home.” Though Naganath’s daily earning averaged only `100-120, he set apart enough to give the three kids education. He wanted each one to be a graduate and earn a respectable job. But, among them, Jagdish is a school dropout and works in a call centre but the other two are studying. “My husband spent `1,000 a month for the children’s education. He would manage it with some savings and borrowings. But now…,” she did not know what to do. Even if the compensation comes it would be no more than `1.50 lakh. What will the family do with that? ‘Doctors killed my brother-in-law’ According to Raghunath,

N SHIVA KUMAR

brother-in-law of Naganath, who also sells fancy items for a living in Kukatpally, Naganath died due to the negligence of senior doctors at Gandhi Hospital. “I took him (Naganath) to emergency ward of Gandhi Hospital immediately after accident. But no senior doctor was there to treat him. Only some junior doctors who were on duty attended

to him. This has resulted in his death. A senior doctor came to the ward only after he was declared dead. Had the senior doctors been there we could have saved his life,” Raghunath told Postnoon. After fighting for life for more than 9 hours at Gandhi Hospital, Naganath breathed his last at 12.45am on February 26.

3 accused at large, cops clueless After being told to report to the Mayor’s office on Saturday to receive compensation, officials later reverted to the victims’ families and asked them to come another day as the papers were not ready. Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

ven six days after the Monda Market building collapse, which led to the death of four persons, three of the accused in the case are still absconding. The police could only manage to arrest two persons and send them to judicial remand. But they got almost immediately out on bail. Mahankali Division ACP GP Vasu Sena told Postnoon the police have booked cases against five accused under the relevant sections of IPC. Three are still at large. People close to the tragedy site said they could not believe why the police are unable to trace the absconders as they are all residents of Hyderabad. On the other hand, the families of the victims, who lost their lives in the incident, are

yet to receive the compensation announced by respective authorities including GHMC and Hyderabad District Collector Natarajan Gulzar. GHMC North Zone commissioner S Harikrishna said that he had deputed one officer from town planning department to ensure timely receipt of the compensation. As part of the compensation package, GHMC Mayor is giving away `1 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed from his quota. District administration had announced that it would give `50,000 under Apadpandu scheme. Postnoon learnt that the injured and the relatives of the deceased were summoned to the office of the Mayor on Saturday, but was postponed over some pending paperwork. They will also be assured of further assistance for medical expenses.

SCIENCE SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

A bright Apocalypse? Earth has a 12 per cent chance of experiencing a solar flare so epic that it would knock out most modern technology Stacey Leasca

etter get all your texting, emailing, Facebooking and Tweeting in now, because if the sun has its way, within the next decade technology may become obsolete. According to the International Journal of Research and Applications, there is a one in eight chance the earth will experience a massive solar storm within the next decade. Pete Riley, a senior space scientist at Predictive Science in San Diego, California, published the one in eight estimate in Space Weather. Even he was surprised at the likelihood of the event, he told Wired Magazine. “Even if it’s off by a factor of two, that’s a much

larger number than I thought,” he said. The sun goes through a cycle every 11 years, with waves of increased and decreased activity. Solar flares are sometimes associated with events called coronal mass ejections (CMEs), explosions in which billions of charged particles are blasted into space at high speed. The last major solar flare event took place 150 years ago on September 1, 1859, and is known as the Carrington Event. The New York Times described the event as, “The Brilliant Display on Sunday Night. The present generation have listened with wonder and admiration to the stories their fathers and mothers have told them of auroras and meteors. They have opened their ears

and mouths and eyes as they heard of stars falling from the heavens like rain, of the sky at night becoming red as with blood, and in the day time of its being so darkened that stars were visible. Few have had the opportunities of witnessing these sublime displays; but on Sunday night the heavens were arrayed in a drapery more gorgeous than they have been for years…Such was the aurora, as thousands witnessed it from housetops and from pavements. Many imagined they heard rushing sounds as if Aeolus had let loose winds.” While the sight may have been beautiful, it destroyed communication at the time, with reports of telegraph wires bursting into flames. Now imagine this happening in 2012.

Earth Island Journal cites a National Academy of Sciences report which estimates a “century-class” solar storm could cause 20 times the damage as Hurricane Katrina while “full recovery could take four to ten years.” A 2008 National Research Council report said, “A longerterm outage would likely include, for example, disruption of the transportation, communication, banking, and finance systems, and government services; the breakdown of the distribution of potable water owing to pump failure; and the loss of perishable foods and medications because of lack of refrigeration.” However, the Earth Island article notes a much scarier reality than losing access to the Internet.

“A 2011 Oak Ridge National Laboratory report warned of a 33 per cent likelihood that a solar flare could lead to ‘longterm power loss’ over a nuclear reactor’s life. With 440 nuclear power plants in 30 countries, and 250 research reactors, there are nearly 700 potential Fukushimas waiting to be unleashed.” Nasa has proposed a “Solar Shield” project that would protect the United States power grid, which would include reinforcing power stations and stockpiling replacement parts at a cost of around $1 billion dollars. The US House of Representatives passed the bill necessary to move forward with the proposed project, however Senate has failed to act on Solar Shield Bill H.R.668. XERO SAMA

WHAT IS A SOLAR STORM? A solar storm is an event in which activity on the sun interferes with the Earth's magnetic field. Because the sun is so far away, many people believe that solar storms are not capable of causing very much damage, but they can in fact be quite devastating. Solar storms occur as a result of events such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections. These events generate a socalled “solar wind,” a gust of charged particles which can slam into the Earth's magnetic field in hours if the solar wind happens to be traveling in the direction of Earth. The collision can generate quite a light show as a geomagnetic storm erupts, and the storm can last for several days under the right conditions. The most severe solar storm in recorded history occurred in 1859. Known as the Carrington Event, this solar storm caused electromagnetic disruptions all over the world, including auroras over the equator and interruption of scientific devices which relied on the Earth's magnetic field to function properly.

NATION SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

CLASSIFIEDS FABRICATION

Singapore ship suspect

Miners seek relief

SC warns Talwars

MUMBAI: The Indian authorities

MUMBAI: The harried iron ore

suspect that a Singapore-flagged ship may have been responsible for the collision with a boat in the Arabian Sea off Kerala March 1 that killed two Indian fishermen, a top maritime authority has said. The ship, MV Prabhu Daya, is suspected to be involved in the high seas incident.

industry, which has been hit by Supreme Court clampdown following rampant illegal mining, hopes to get some respite in the form of duty rationalisation in exports along with freight charges in the upcoming Budget, industry players have said.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has warned dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar from indulging in “irresponsible insinuations” on court proceedings relating to the sensational murders of their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj. Aarushi, 14, was found dead May 15-16, 2008.

Govt to up SC scholarship cover REAL ESTATE GACHIBOWLI TO VATTINAGULAPALLY ORR FACING HOUSING PLOTS FOR SALE. NEAR MICROSOFT, WIPRO, ICICI, INFOTECH, KOKAPET IT SEZ. CONTACT - 9989354333

NEW DELHI: Buoyed by the success

PMO to hold meetings on power NEW DELHI: Taking forward its recent initiatives to address the power sector woes, the Prime Minister’s Office is likely to hold meetings with officials from Power, Coal and Petroleum Ministries this week to discuss issues related to thermal and gas-based projects. Principal Secretary Chatterjee is likely to hold the meets.

of the post-matric scholarship schemes for Scheduled Caste (SC) students, the government is all set to increase its coverage for 48 lakh school children by end of this fiscal and has exceeded its budget for the purpose by more than `100 crore. The Post-Matric Scholarship scheme was introduced by the government to provide financial assistance to SC students studying at post matriculation or post-secondary stages to enable them to complete their education. “It is a flagship program of the Ministry to ensure education foundation for the SC students in Post Matric level. We are taking further steps to increase its coverage in all the states,” Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Mukul

Wasnik told PTI here. “Government had sanctioned `2,200 crore for the programme but with some of the state governments showing keen interest for the schemes, we have already spent `2,303 crore and some more funds will be disbursed by the end of this month,” Wasnik said. While 15 per cent of the beneficiary students under the scheme are hostelers, girls constitute a robust 37 per cent of the overall coverage. With maximum funds of `643 crore, Andhra Pradesh has topped the list of the states which have implemented the program followed by Uttar Pradesh (`505 crore) and Maharashtra (`316 crore). Last year, the Ministry had released funds worth `2097 crore. “Our biggest success has been in roping in the banks and post offices for timely and regular disbursement of the scholarship money,” Wasnik said, adding 14 states have confirmed 100 per cent disbursement of the scholarship money through bank accounts and post offices. Compared to the 10th Plan, the total number of students who were covered under the scheme were `26.43 lakh while the expenditure incurred by the government was `927 crore. To ensure wider student coverage in those states which have lagged behind, he said the Ministry is in regular touch with them to ensure better PTI implementation of the scheme.

Odourless toilets soon in railways NEW DELHI: Passengers travelling in long-distance trains will soon get respite from the stench of toilets with Railways set to replace them with ‘odourless’ bio-toilets. With a view to provide more hygienic conditions, Railways is firming up a green initiative to produce 2,500 biotoilets in the upcoming fiscal. Unlike traditional toilets in trains where the waste is discharged on tracks, the new system will treat the same inside a tank with the help of a bacteria, which will convert it into harmless gas and water. Two expert panels appointed by Railways to suggest ways for upgradation of rail

infrastructure and safety measures, have strongly recommended introducing ‘green toilets’ in trains. Manufacturing of bio-toilets is likely to be mentioned in the Rail Budget 2012-13 as part of the green initiatives being undertaken by the nation’s largest transporter to improve cleanliness. This will not only improve the environment but also help in preventing corrosion of rail tracks, a senior Railway Ministry official said. Estimated to cost about `1 lakh per bio-toilet, these new age toilets will be manufactured at Kapurthala coach factory and fitted PTI in long-route trains.

Over 80% students are humiliated: Study NEW DELHI: Over 80 per cent of students in schools across the country are humiliated by teachers who tell them that they are not capable of learning, a study conducted by national child rights body has said. Even the ‘cruel practice’ of giving electric shocks finds a mention in the yet-to-be released study on the practice of corporal punishment brought out by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). According to the survey conducted in 2009-10 year, only nine out of 6,632 students in seven states who were surveyed denied that they received any kind of

punishment in schools. NCPCR defines corporal punishment as physical punishment, mental harassment and discrimination of children causing both physical and mental harassment. The survey was conducted to study the scale and magnitude of corporal punishment in everyday experiences of India’s children, types of violent punishment prevailing in Indian schools and analyse by age the prevalence of different types of punishments among school children. “99.86 per cent of children reported experiencing one or the other kind of punishment. As many

as 81.2 per cent of children were subject to outward rejection by being told that they are not capable of learning,” it said. Getting beaten by a cane, being slapped on the cheeks, being hit on the back and ears and getting boxed are the other four major punishments, it said. “These four punishments do not lag behind much in terms of their occurrence. Out of the total, 75 per cent reported that they had been hit by a cane and 69 per cent had been slapped on their cheeks,” the survey said. A senior NCPCR official said they will be coming up with ‘Guidelines for Eliminating

Corporal Punishment in Schools’ on Monday. The guidelines include measures for affirmative action in schools towards positive development and positive engagement with children. It will also discuss creating

an environment conducive to learning and for mechanisms and processes to give children a voice and engage in the process of creating a positive environment as well as for accountability and multi-sectorial responsiPTI bility.

WORLD SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

China hikes defence funds LONDON: China’s defence spending will record a double-digit increase of 11.2 per cent, taking the budget to $106.4 billion this year compared to $92 billion in 2011, a government spokesman announced today. Compared to China’s last year’s budget of $92 billion, the neighbouring India’s defence spending amounted to $36.28 billion.

6 die in Poland train smash

Russian prez poll begins MOSCOW: Russians started voting on

WARSAW: At least six people were

Sunday to elect the country’s president. Five candidates — Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party head Vladimir Zhirinovsky, A Just Russia Party leader Sergei Mironov and the only independent, billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov — vie for the Russian presidency.

killed and nearly 50 injured in southern Poland after two trains had a head-on collision Saturday, said local officials. Two express trains, one of which was on the wrong track, collided head-on, said a senior railway official. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was on his way to the site of the crash, along with three other cabinet ministers.

US twisters claim 32 lives CHICAGO: Tornadoes spawned by a powerful storm system swept across the Midwest and Southeast US, wiping out two small towns and killing at least 32 people. In Indiana, 15 people were killed. The entire town of Marysville was destroyed, and nearby Henryville also suffered extreme damage, Xinhua reported. In Kentucky, the storms claimed 13 lives and inflicted extensive property damage. Three more died in Ohio, and one in Alabama. Storm warnings were being issued across the Midwest and the Southeast, with schools, government offices and businesses shutting down ahead of the storms. There was “extensive damage” to the Henryville JuniorSenior High School in the Clark County, Indiana, according to Maj. Chuck Adams of the county sheriff ’s department. The school building’s roof was torn off, with parts of the walls knocked down and windows blown out. Students who remained at the school when the disaster struck suffered only minor injuries such as cuts and bruises. The death toll could rise as the search for survivors continue, the CNN said. The twisters splintered homes, damaged a prison and tossed around vehicles across the Midwest and South regions, officials said. Saturday started with large swaths of the South still battered by heavy rain and parts of western Florida, southern Georgia and southern Alabama remaining under tornado watch. National Weather Service

Josh Cox, who lost his home after it was destroyed by a tornado, stays warm as he sits next to a wood stove, talks with Angela Crawford on Saturday in Chelsea, Indiana. Severe weather and tornados have swept across the US causing heavy damage and multiple deaths. AFP/JOE RAEDLE meteorologist John Gordon said they had about “half-a-dozen reports of tornadoes on the ground” as well as reports about “significant damage”. He warned that the worst might come. The storm system has also

buffeted the south, hitting Alabama and Tennessee with apparent tornadoes that left houses shattered and businesses damaged. Properties suffered extensive damage, with lots of trees torn

down, and a definite path of damage was left by the tornadoes. Residents were assessing damage to a high school, a prison and other locales. Authorities in Alabama and Tennessee confirmed dozens of

weather-related injuries, but no deaths. The first tornado outbreak of the week began Tuesday night and left 13 dead across Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee, and battered parts of IANS Kentucky as well.

Euthanasia squad on wheels

Romney surges ahead in Washington race

Reiki sessions to calm pooches!

LONDON: A controversial mobile euthanasia programme has been launched in the Netherlands, sending specialised teams door-to-door to help patients end their lives, The Independent reported. The project, which has provoked sharp criticism from doctors, is the brainchild of the Dutch largelydonor-funded pro-mercy killing group Right to Die NL. It follows the government’s 2002 decision to legalise euthanasia, making the Netherlands the first country in the world to do so. Right to Die said it had received 70 calls from potential assisted suicide patients since the scheme was announced in early February. It said that its six teams expected to receive around 1,000 requests IANS each year.

SEATTLE: Mitt Romney picked up another victory in

LONDON: A firm is offering Reiki sessions for dogs. It’s a form of healing normally reserved for more spiritual people, Daily Mail reported on Saturday. Businessman Angel Moore helps pampered pooches find inner peace through spiritual healing sessions at his dog-grooming salon in Clayton, Manchester. Moore launched his service of providing the Buddhist healing practice for dogs in 2009 after winning a grant from the New East Manchester regeneration programme. Now Moore has launched a new dog lifestyle store in south Manchester, offering everything from natural shampoos to sessions of Reiki — the art of “palm healing” devised by a Buddhist monk in Japan, the Mail added.

the race for the Republican presidential nomination Saturday, with US media projecting him as the winner of a contest in the northwestern state of Washington. CNN, ABC and CBS News projected Romney the winner of the contest, over former senator Rick Santorum and Texas congressman Ron Paul, who were neck and neck for second place. With slightly less than half the votes counted, Romney was ahead with 37 percent, Santorum and Paul were in a virtual tie at 24 percent, and former House speaker Newt Gingrich won 11 percent, Kirby Wilbur, the state’s Republican party chairman, said. AFP

COMMENT SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

An inspiring story

The Changemaker

ikram Vuppala is living a dream of doing what he truly believes in. Not many people know about the severe dearth of organs which are necessary for organ transplants and kidney care centres that Vikram has started will save thousands of lives every year. Majeedulla Khan Shanti Nagar

he story of Pradeep Kumar Nath is quite inspiring to several pet lovers like me. Not only has he fought against the cruelty to animals but also he has put everything he preaches to practice. It’s sad that most of us don’t understand animals and end up treating them badly due to fear. Kiran Kumar Gachibowli

CHINA’S DEFENCE budget a worry

WHY WE LOVE... Robin van Persie Over the last few months, Arsenal has been buffeted by a string of losses. The manager Arsene Wenger has borne the brunt of the criticism, but the team too has had its fair share of morale-bashing moments. But through it all one man has carried the team on his shoulders, shepherding them on the comeback trail. He’s Robin van Persie, and after yesterday’s astonishing performance, he’s got our vote for footballer of the year. We hope Robin stays with Arsenal, but if he chooses to leave, then any club would be happy to have him.

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 040-4067 2222.

Motivational articles

have been reading your paper from sometime now and I really like Faces of Hyderabad that you do. It’s an interesting read and good to see that it’s not only the stars and politicians who raid the papers. Good job. I would like to see more of these people being covered. Sri Vidya Begumpet

For better, or for worse?

EDITORIALS

China has matched its double-digit growth with an 11.2 per cent hike in its defence budget, raising it from $92 billion in 2011 to $06.4 billion this year. India's defence spending for 2011 was about $36.28 billion. The massive increase in China’s defence spending is a matter of concern as more money will be pumped into bolstering its capabilities on the Sino-Indian border and augmenting its navy’s blue water capabilities. Chinese military presence in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) has been on the rise in the last few years and the Middle Kingdom has been sabre rattling over Indian oil exploration plans in South China Sea, off Vietnam coast. Recently, China signed an agreement with Seychelles for using a port there for resupplying its warships. Chinese involvement in Sri Lanka too has gone up exponentially in the recent years. Though the Chinese leaders keep repeating its commitment to world peace and regional stability, its repeated needling of India on Arunachal Pradesh leaves little under doubt over its real stand. The dragon shouldn’t take us by surprise.

EDITORIALS

Quirky-side-Up ARPITA BHAWAL

s there no way one can find an ideal life partner these days by being simply themselves? Irrespective of the mushrooming matrimonial sites, singlehood, like motherhood or fatherhood, seems to be eluding the upwardly mobile men and women. We may have become too educated for our own good, because it has changed the rules of the game. It is no longer about a steady income (contributed by the man) and multi-tasking abilities (expected from the woman). Marriage by the rules of our forefathers is now extinct. Men are seeking women ten years older than themselves, and women are looking for men who have more than incomes. Strangely, during the search process, women come out looking stranger than fiction, because they dare to be honest about their goals and dreams. The fastest way to lose a prospective groom online is to tell him the true story. Perhaps women need to focus only on their culinary skills in the brief description of themselves that matrimonial sites encourage. Men on the other hand, downplay their affluence to test the women. “Ah, let us see if she’s after my money or she really likes me!” Imagine going through your whole life without finding that special someone — and then naively believing that ‘The One’ like Keanu Reeves in The Matrix (my favourite, really) is tucked in somewhere between the pages of a matrimonial site! Imagine believing that every word said and exchanged online with a complete stranger is all true, without even having conversed or met the person in question. Also, while surfing through the ocean of so-called ‘great catches’ you are likely to find profiles of men blatantly claiming they are “separated”

or “in the process of divorce”… which means… what? Are they emotionally available for another marriage when they haven’t even finished the first one? Well, your guess is as good as anyone else’s on the planet! So, where does that leave the quest for that elusive soul mate via the tantalising world of matrimonial sites? Increasingly, statistics displayed on matrimonial sites alarm prospects of either gender when it screams, “More than 10,000 new people register every day”. If only choosing a partner online could be as easy as shopping for a dress or an accessory on an online store where everything was clearly mandated: SX, S, M, L, XL? Black, red, green, white? Agreed — that is wild thought and possibly not practi-

cal, but it is certainly not wilder than what happened to a friend of mine (let’s call her Gina). Some years ago, Gina wanted to marry an AmericanIndian citizen (let’s call him Robert), whom she had met on one of the matrimonial websites. The romance progressed well for several months — declarations of love and parcels between continents were exchanged. Then Gina went to California on a paid holiday by Robert to meet with his family. Imagine her horror when Robert suggested she join the ‘family bath’ on the second day of her visit. A bit perplexed, Gina asked what he meant. Robert explained (without batting an eyelid) that his family members bathed together every day in a common bathroom ever

since he could remember. Needless to say, Gina fled back to Mumbai. Where does this leave the hopeful, unwed millions then? Well, right at the beginning. Online or offline, the basis of an intended life-long relationship cannot be intrigue or politeness. The sooner the real truth is revealed, the better it is for both parties because the seekers do not have the time to assess and romance for years before they marry. Online technology could be used to speed up the process, but it can’t replace the ‘right to information’. So, don’t give up yet. The key to finding your soul mate, irrespective of the mode of search, is awfully simple: Just keep it honest. (The writer is a communication specialist)

BUSINESS SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

Budget tip

40 bank accounts of KFA frozen

States seek hike in CST

he exercise of balancing the revenue and expenditure is called budget. When the expenditure is more than the revenue, it results in a fiscal deficit. To make up for that, the government finances the deficit by issuing bonds in the market. This is also called government borrowings.

risis at Kingfisher Airlines escalated further with the Service Tax department here freezing as many as 40 bank accounts of the already crippled airline for nonpayment of dues to the tune of `40 crore. "We froze 40 bank accounts of Kingfisher Airlines. They failed to meet the February 29 deadline to make the payments. The airline owes `40 crore to the department," said Service Tax Commissioner SK Solanki.

he States have asked the Centre to either compensate them adequately for their revenue loss due to reduction in the Central Sales Tax or increase the levy to earlier rate of 4 per cent. Finance ministers of different states finalised a negative list of 35 services which would not be taxed under proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.

Kayyila glass (u)… no mama… only English Sunday Soup A SAYE SEKHAR

hy this kolaveri… kolaveri… kolaveri… daa… (For, ‘di’ refers to females, and I am addressing men individually in this column)? Having waited for too long, now the Congress doesn’t want to postpone it any longer. You may ask, postpone what? The answer is that billion-dollar ‘it’, the inevitable. The Congress, all the while in the recent past, enjoyed the ‘sweet pain’, if it can be called so, of getting embroiled in controversies in the State. The party which always saw only political upsides during YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s regime found itself in the lurch soon after snapping connections with his son — the impudent YS Jaganmohan Reddy — who vehemently but unsuccessfully fought for becoming the chief minister. Someone is surely donning the role of the mythological ‘Shakuni’ in the Congress camp to dampen the party’s prospects. That dangerous advice is guiding the Congress to make a calculated wrong step, at times irrevocable too. That the Congress’ political legerdemain disappeared in thin air when it comes to handling the contentious Telangana issue is all too well-known. The outré demonstrated by leaders of different genres within the Congress embarrassed the party at every stage — recall the spate of Telangana agitations that rocked the State in the last two years. If someone perceives that all that has subsided because of the political dexterity demonstrated by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, they are mistaken. It is under his aegis that the Government lost a minister Jupalli Krishna Rao and an

MLA T Rajaiah to the vociferous Telangana Rashtra Samithi. How much of the claims of Chandrababu Naidu and TDP leaders Yerrabelli Dayakar Rao and Mothkupalli Narsimhulu is hype or truth will be exposed by the electorate in Telangana. An ardent supporter of Chandrababu Naidu for decades, Nagam Jaradhana Reddy turned a bitter critic. Reddy is fighting the Nagarkurnool seat he vacated himself with the support of the TRS. The TDP fielded his namesake, another Janardhan Reddy, with a view of confusing the voters. But the people are hardly gullible to be conned by similarity in names of the contestants. Gampa Govardhan, who will be seeking a re-election from the Kamareddi constituency in Nizamabad district, too pulled out fr-

om the TDP and switched to the TRS. So did Jogu Ramanna of Adilabad Assembly constituency. This clearly impales the fact that Chandrababu Naidu lost his stranglehold on his own party. He has been appealing to people that they should defeat those who caused the byelections. If Nallapureddi Prasannakumar Reddi too went adrift from the Telugu Desam to swear his loyalty to YS Jaganmohan Reddy, one would surely doubt Naidu’s leadership abilities. Also recall the switching of sides by Pocharam Srinivas Reddy of the TDP who was re-elected in a byelection on behalf of the TRS as recently as three months ago. Chandrababu Naidu’s highdecibel amplifiers have apparently conked. The Telugu Desam’s soap opera continues, though, even in Telangana.

The Congress, on its part, has hardly any time to introspect or rework its strategies to fight elections being held on sensitive planks. The party wants to showcase its new poster boy Chiranjeevi even in the Telangana region where he can hardly cut ice with the electorate. Instead it could have forestalled any embarrassment to the actor who is yet to turn into a politician, though he is claiming to be one. The venerated position he enjoyed among millions of his fans as long as he donned the grease paint has now dried up. It won’t be premature to say that Congress’s chances of losing almost all constituencies are brighter, especially because it lacks a leader who can tell the people with guts of iron and steel that “It is my responsibility whether we win or lose.”

When it comes to YS Jagan, he is surely caught in a tricky situation. His claim that he stuck to his word that he would not field candidates in constituencies vacated for the Telangana cause is not seen as a great sacrifice. It is surely a mere opportunism enveloped with ‘endowment’. The bitter experience of Jagan when he embarked on a tour of Mahabubabad in Warangal district and the ‘hasty retreat’ he had beaten is still fresh in the memories of the people of the State. For now, he has no foothold in Telangana and he is investing all his energies only in Kovur. However, be it election or byelection, what goes on is ‘handla glass(u)…’ It will be party time to many electors. The writer works for Postnoon

INTERVIEW SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

Waging a relentless war Andhra Pradesh is infamous for topping the list of crimes against women and the trend doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon. But, the winners of the Naveena Mahila Awards stand as a ray of hope for millions of others

HEMANTH KUMAR

hemanth.k@postnoon.com

ndhra Pradesh state government's initiatives to empower women may have changed lives for few women, but the statistics of the overall well-being of women present an extremely grim situation. According to a report by the National Crime Records Bureau, Andhra Pradesh has registered the highest number of cases of crimes against women for the past three years. Right from dowry harassment to rape, there's no end to the atrocities which thousands of women have

been facing in the state. There have been several initiatives to talk about issues related to women and Naveena is one such initiative which highlights issues and stories related to women. This year, several women from rural areas were given the Naveena Mahila Awards for inspiring others with their relentless battle for survival and dignity. TV9 CEO Ravi Prakash and prominent social activist, actor Nandita Das presented the awards to the winners at a ceremony held on March 3 in Hyderabad. There's no denying that we live in a male-dominant society and till date women in most areas are discouraged from speaking openly against the atrocities at home or in their

community. However, women like Aningi Jyoti have a different story to tell. She was given the Naveena Mahila Award for the courage she had shown in fighting against a powerful company from setting up a thermal power plant in Sompeta Mandal, Srikakulam. We ask her if she has received any support from the government or other political parties in the ongoing battle. “The government has taken the company's side and they aren't hearing us at all. Several politicians have been meeting us and promising to help us, but I don't see any concrete steps being taken by them. However, activists like Medha Patkar, Rajendra Singh, Swamy Agnivesh and Late Rajgopal have been very supportive,”

Jyoti replies. Back in 2007, she was part of a committee which organised a rally against the government's decision to set up a coastal corridor. “We will definitely lose our livelihood and natural resources if a thermal power plant is set up in the area, but contractors tried luring the farmers promising them jobs and money if they sell their lands. At one point of time, they almost succeeded in dividing us into factions,” she recalls. The situation had turned so bad that even the district collector's office, Mandal revenue officers and police were not even ready to listen to their pleas. So how did they manage to convince everyone about why a power plant shouldn't be set up in the region? “It happened over

Other Naveena Mahila Awardees INSPIRATION – SEETA M AHALAXMI A schoolteacher from a small village in Vizag district, she established 23 body donor associations across the state and spread awareness about organ donation.

DIFFERENTLY ABLED – M ADHAVI LATA

A bank employee from Khammam district, she suffered lower body paralysis at the age of 37. For the past few years, she has been spreading awareness about hydrotherapy among physically challenged people.

FIGHT

FOR

ONE'S OWN RIGHTS –

A fisher woman from a village in Vizag, she fought against the encroachments of mechanised boats into their fishing zones.

SURAADA DEVI

A Yanadi woman from Prakasam district, she fought against dominant groups in her village and got back lands that belonged to Yanadis.

FIGHT FOR ONE'S OWN RIGHTS – CHENCHU WOMEN

C AMPAIGN FOR NUTRITION A MONG CHILDREN – AKSHAYAPATRA PRO-

Katraju Salamma and her friends fought for their rights over a water tank in Mahabubnagar district. False cases were filed against women and they were even harassed by police, yet they have been fighting relentlessly.

FIGHT AGAINST SOCIAL EVIL – KATHI BUJJAMMA

JECT

AP Mahila Samatha Society came up with a unique campaign in a village in Nalgonda district to address the issue of malnutrition among students. The project was named as Akshayapatra and the entire community came forward to provide nutritious food in the students' mid-day meal.

a period of time. We had interviewed several people near Simhadri Power Plant where the pollution had taken a heavy toll on their health. All of them said the same thing, 'Please don't make the same mistake that we made.' Even they had been through the same struggle that we are going through today,” she replies. The struggle to save their land is still going on. Aningi Jyoti and her colleagues are hopeful that they'll win the battle. “We got a stay from the court on the allotment of the land to the thermal power project and we consider this as our first step to victory. We'll not stop till we win because our lives, crops, plantations and natural resources are at stake,” Jyoti says.

WEEK IN PICTURES SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

AFP

CHINA, SHANGHAI: A woman rides her tricycle loaded with polystyrene boxes on a street in Shanghai on February 29, 2012. China could face an economic crisis in the next 20 years if it does not quickly overhaul its development model, World Bank and Chinese government researchers warned recently.

FRANCE, PARIS: Models pre-

CHINA, BEIJING: Chinese

sent creations by Indian designer Manish Arora during the Fall/Winter 2012-2013 ready-towear collection show, on March 1, 2012 in Paris.

paramilitary police, wearing their hats up side down, undergo a drill to prepare for the upcoming National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing on February 28, 2012.

THE QUEEN AND I From the world of politics to the world of fashion, we present the past week in pictures UNITED KINGDOM, LONDON: Britain's Queen Elizabeth II opens the newly re-furbished Somerset House East Wing, King's College, London on February 29, 2012. Queen Elizabeth II will start next week her diamond jubilee tour of Britain which will criss-cross the kingdom over five months. The tour, to mark the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne, will start with a visit to the central English city of Leicester on March 8 and end in Hampshire, southeast England, on July 25.

MYANMAR, BAGAN: Hot air balloons carrying tourists rise above the pagodas at dawn in Myanmar's northern ancient town of Bagan on February 26, 2012.

US, NEW YORK: The Out NYC, officially opened on March 1, 2012. The urban resort in Hells Kitchen on 42nd Street will be the first hotel and entertainment complex targeted specifically at attracting the LGBT tourist and local community

ART AND CULTURE SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

Bond at the Barbican

Titian secured for £25m

LONDON: In the 2008 James Bond film

Quantum of Solace, MI6 is depicted as operating from London's Barbican Centre. In July, the spy will be making a return, but this time for an exhibition to celebrate the film franchise's 50th anniversary. Designing 007: 50 Years of Bond Style promises to showcase five decades of gadgets, sets, costumes and cars.

A Manet at Oxford

LONDON: Titian's masterpiece Diana

OXFORD: It has not been seen in public for 29 years, but Manet's Portrait of Mademoiselle Claus went on display at the Ashmolean museum in Oxford, launching a campaign to save it for the nation. The unfinished 1868 painting depicts a young violinist, Fanny Claus, sitting pensively on a balcony. It was a preparatory study for the Le Balcon, which hangs in the Musée d'Orsay.

and Callisto has been secured for Britain after the National Gallery stumped up £25m from its reserves and the painting's owner dropped the asking price by £5m, it has been announced in London. It now joins its pair, Diana and Actaeon, in the shared ownership of the National Gallery and the National Galleries of Scotland.

The song of Saigon Characterised by broad, dramatic strokes, strong colours, bold contrasts and vivid imagery, Vietnamese art is a sight to behold PADMINI C

padmini.c@postnoon.com

he lobby of Westin at Mindspace makes for a rather striking picture at the moment. Walk in through the glass doors and easels of all sizes await, each carrying a canvas that lures you into looking and then seducing you into staying rooted to the spot. If one canvas is of a Sapa girl in repose, another is of saffron and crimson-clad monks on a pilgrimage, yet another of a vivid landscape depicting everyday life in a

Vietnamese province. The showcase, a collaboration between Asian Art House and Westin Mindspace is titled the Celebration of Colours. And, so it is. This is no classic English impressionism with muted water colours and subtle brushstrokes. No, this is quite something else. Each oil painting is a riot of unapologetic colour, texture and style. Every one of them containing a raw beauty like you have almost forgotten existed, a sense of serenity and peace, and a love for nature that’s simply elemental. Most of the art on display is from selected promising artists. There's Phan Thu Trang, with her dynamic strokes and heavily textured backgrounds who effortlessly captures the rhythm of quiet people going about their

I first developed an interest in Vietnamese art when I was living in Singapore. Everyone seemed to love the paintings I took home. So I decided to bring them to India. Our showcase was received very well in Kolkata, so we are hoping for the same here. Rajika Mitra, Director, Asian Art House everyday lives in a state of harmony. It’s no wonder she's fast gaining popularity as one of the most talented artists in Vietnam today. That’s not to take away from Minh Hai, who brings his

love for simple village life to canvas, with strong colours, skillful play of shadow and bold textural surfaces defining his landscapes. Then there is Nguyen Cuong, Tran Quang Tru and Tran Duc

Viet whose astonishing depictions of monks, enhanced by their use of varied hues of reds and oranges, lends their paintings a surreal and an almost mystical quality. Their paintings promise a transcendental experience. Equally amazing are some of the other artists here. But, no matter what their themes or their motifs are, what appears to be common between all the artists showcased here is their immense talent, stunning originality, richness of imagination and heartbreaking humility. That these brilliant works of art are extremely affordable is proof enough of ithat.

Celebration of Colours n n

Westin, Mindspace Till March 6, 2012

DESIGN SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

Brunel goes online

Minesweeping Cape Town

INTERNET: Drawings by Isambard

X marks the spot for Tesla

CAPE TOWN: Afghan designer

Kingdom Brunel, blueprints by Robert Stephenson and designs by Joseph Locke, William Henry Barlow and other engineering giants of the 19th-century railway boom will go on permanent display for the first time in a new online archive. Giant projects covered in the archive include the Forth and Tay bridges and Brunel's Box Tunnel.

LOS ANGELES: Tesla Motors has shown

Massoud Hassani's landmine decommissioning device — called the Mine Sweeper — was one of thousands of extraordinary creations showcased at the Design Indaba, which started in Cape Town on Wednesday. Creative types from around the world gathered at the city's Cape Town International Convention Centre.

off a prototype of its Model X, a battery-powered SUV that represents the company's bet that consumers will buy a range of electric vehicles spun from a common platform. The Model X, which features what the company calls "falcon-wing" doors and faster acceleration than a Porsche 911 will start production late 2013.

Building a winner

The 2012 Laureate

For the first time since its inception, a Chinese architect has been awarded the Pritzker prize. We tell you all you need to know about architecture’s Nobel Prize

f there had to be an equivalent of the Nobel Prize in Architecture, it has to be the Pritzker. Inspired by breathtaking architectural marvels in their home city of Chicago, the birthplace of the skyscraper, the Pritzker family (of the Hyatt Hotels empire) wanted to found a prize that would celebrate great architecture and reward deserving laureates. So Jay A. Pritzker and his wife, Cindy, did in 1979, with a purpose ‘to honour a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision, and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture’. In the following 33 years , the jury comprising of recognised professionals in their own fields of architecture, business, education, publishing, and culture have gone on to choose one laureate every year whom they have awarded the prize. Much like the Nobel Prize, the Pritzker too includes a $100,000 grant, a citation cer-

tificate, and a bronze medallion. While the committee claims that the prize is awarded irrespective of nationality, race, creed, or ideology, this is the first time since its inception that it has been awarded to an architect from China. The jury explained, “The fact that an architect from China has been selected by the jury, represents a significant step in acknowledging the role that China will play in the development of architectural ideals.” The 2012 Laureate will be felicitated officially in a ceremony in Beijing later this year, in May. And we have no doubt the world will be watching.

Compiled by Padmini C

Past Laureates

Wang Shu’s Designs: (From T-B) Five Scattered Houses, Ningbo, Ningbo Tengtou Pavilion, China Academy of Art, Phase I, Ningbo History Museum

Philip Johnson Luis Barragan James Stirling Zaha Hadid Glenn Murcutt Thom Mayne Eduardo Souto de Moura

Wang Shu ,48, Hangzhou

ang Shu is professor and head of the Architecture School at China Academy of Art, Hangzhou and head of the Amateur Architecture Studio which he founded with his wife in 1997. The Library of Wenzheng College at Suzhou University, Xiangshan Campus of the China Academy of Art, vertical courtyard apartments that comprise six 26-storey towers in Hangzhou, Ceramic House in Jinhua and Ningbo History Museum are some of the designs that won Wang Shu a number of accolades and universal acclaim. The jury citation read that Wang Shu 's architecture is “timeless, deeply rooted in its context and yet universal. His buildings have a very rare attribute—a commanding and even, at times, monumental presence, while functioning superbly and creating a calm environment for life and daily activities. The 2012 Pritzker Architecture Prize is given to Wang Shu for the exceptional nature and quality of his executed work, and also for his ongoing commitment to pursuing an uncompromising, responsible architecture arising from a sense of specific culture and place.”

FOOD SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

Citrus reduces stroke risk

Taurine may be good for you

Memory and Omega-3

NEW YORK: A compound in citrus fruits

NEW YORK: A nutrient, taurine,

WASHINGTON: A diet lacking in

may reduce your stroke risk, according to research reported in Stroke. Eating higher amounts of a compound in citrus fruits, especially oranges and grapefruit, may lower ischemic stroke risk. Women who ate high amounts of the compound had a 19 per cent lower risk of ischemic stroke than women who consumed the least amount.

found in the dark meat of poultry may provide protection against coronary heart disease (CHD) in women with high cholesterol, according to a study by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center. The study, published online in the European Journal of Nutrition, evaluated the effects of taurine on CHD.

omega-3 fatty acids, nutrients commonly found in fish, may cause your brain to age faster and lose some of its memory and thinking abilities, according to a study published in Neurology. Omega-3 fatty acids include the nutrients called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

Breakfast of champions They say one should eat like a king and since we are in a kingly city why not adhere to this adage. We bring to you some of the best places to breakfast in the city N SHIVA KUMAR

SHIBA MINAI

shiba.m@postnoon.com Breakfast Buffet

ave you ever woken up thinking, you want to have scrambled eggs, toast, dosa and dessert, but can’t decide what to choose from? Then the Mariott’s buffet is the place for you. It has everything you could ask for in a breakfast and more. The buffet consists of a wide variety of items. Don’t forget to try their live egg counter, the salad counter and try not to miss the waffles. Also make sure to have a great appetite.

Khichdi Kheema

Irani Chai and Osmania biscuit

Idlis and Dosas

“E

t’s a dish well-known in North India but here in the city, it gets a Hyderabadi twist to it. Pulses and rice cooked together make the khichdi. This along with kheema (minced meat) and khatta (tangy gravy) make the perfect and healthy combination. One of the best places for this is Iqbal in Purani Haveli. A plateful will cost you `25. In case you want to try out the Khichdi Kheema in goat meat then Lamakaan (Banjara Hills) is another place where it is available and it will cost you between `60 – 80.

k Irani chai de

re, do Osmania biscuit aur ek fine biscuit” this is the typical cry that greets you at Niloufer Café in Red Hills. You will see a boy run to the kitchen, pour a decoction, and sweetened milk into the cup, pick out fresh biscuits and you will find in front of you the best chai you can ever taste. The café also offers other snack options to with the tea like the Osmania biscuits ( `1.50 each),tie biscuits ( `3 each) and fine biscuits (`7) and samosas.

teamed idlis and dosas make for a very healthy breakfast to begin with. Since this is the south, you will find idlis and dosas vendors in every nook and cranny of the city. We would suggest you try out Poorna in Yousufguda.They have a variety of idlis and dosas, but the highlight of their sparse menu is the famous Guntur idli — the steaming hot idli soaked in ghee with podi (powdered groundnut mixture) sprinkled over it will make you go mmm... So you know where to take your family this weekend.

Nawabi Breakfast - Nahari Paya

ihari Paya is a stew that is cooked for over 12 hours and the result is not just a nutritious and healthy broth but also delicious to taste. The best place for Nahari in the city is Café Yusufia (its sign board reads Special Haleem, Special Biryani) in Mangalhat, right opposite the police station. Nahari is served from as early as 3 am and continues till 5 am or 6 am. The shop has been here for the past 70 years. A bowlful of Nahari Shorba costs only `5, however if you want the paya or the zabaan (goat’s tongue), it will cost you `50 each.

FOOD SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

From Lukhmi to Vada Pao, Sulemani chai to Santra Beer, there’s little you won’t find in Taj Banjara’s charming new restaurant — The Chai Shop

Not too cumbersome to make, nor too heavy on your waistline, this is a delicious dish you must try.

Khada Masala Gosht Noor's Kitchen NOOR JAFRI Ingredients

Over a cup of chai SNEHA SUNDER

feedback@postnoon.com

wo friends meet over a cup of cutting chai, stuffed mirchi, osmania biscuits and samosa. Bickering about their jobs, discussing the latest movies, books, news and views, the sentiment is the same, the setting is different. I am not going to reveal where we are just yet. Classic Hindi numbers play in the background and framed pictures of stars from the 80’s adorn the walls, instantly striking a chord. Thoughtful little touches like a signboard with rules, jars of sweets, biscuits stacked up against the wall and a jukebox add to the ambience. It has the familiar look of the café down the road, but just that we are at the ‘Chai Shop’, the charming new

Tired of eating the same old plain and masala dosa? Try Scoops which uses innovative names and recipes to make dosas more interesting

restaurant at Taj Banjara. I look at the exhaustive yet simple menu in front of me and instantly that it delivers on the authentic fare it promises. The menu boasts of the regulars like ‘Tootak, Kheeme ke Garlay, Irani Haleem, Lukmi, Paya and then some, with Tala Hua Gosht, Vada Pao, Khazane Chowk ke kulche on the list. And of course, there’s a selection of teas like Sulemani, Khade chamach ki chai, etc. So you can tell a lot of thought went into recreating the Irani café experience for the laid-back and casual Hyderabadi who loves his chai, kheema, pao and biskut. Executive chef Sumeet Sood and GM of Chai Shop Amit Malhotra prove us right. They say that it took them months of trials, additions and deletions to arrive upon the perfect menu. Right. So, now, it’s time for tasting. Once the tea is dunked and the biskut eaten, with the diet plan no where in

Name: Chai Shop Place: Taj Banjara Time: 12:30 am till 10 pm Price for two: `500 sight, we plunge into ordering some ‘Pender GhastRoad ka Vada Pao’, ‘Roti ki Boti’ and ‘Mirchi @ Chai Shop’ along with intriguing beer concoctions Chatpata Beer, Chai Beer, Aam Beer and the Santra Beer. It is in the first bite/first sip, when the explosion of

flavours hit your senses, you know justice has been done. There is no other way to describe the luscious little pieces of spiced boti on crusted roti, the perfectly-toasted vada pao. And oh, you cannot miss the stuffed mirchi (with the chef ’s own twist) which makes for a delightful snack . The not-too-hot chilli chutney and the mint chutney are perfect accompaniments. Also, chai shop ensures that the vegetarians aren’t going home hungry. If anything they can choose from delectable fare including Khazane chowk ke bheege chole kulche’, milani subzi, Aloo Lukmi, Subz Tootak among others. Chai Shop takes the best of the old, throws in a few new twists and makes a feast of it. And at that, at pocketfriendly prices. We highly recommend. The writer is a PR professional who routinely travels to different countries just to eat.

Dosas, filmy style MARYAM SULTANA

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ver eaten a dosa called Dabangg or Tantanatan? Well, if you haven’t, then you must head to Scoops at Siddiamber Bazaar. For almost 20 years this place has been catering to almost 400500 customers per day. Though it’s very popular

among locals the place hasn’t undergone any expansion. This place is not just famous for its interesting dosas but also for its idlis and sandwiches. “We have items on the menu, based on the current issue or news in the country. We had Dabangg Dosa, when Dabangg had released, during Telangana agitation, we served Telangana Dosa, almost 15 years back when the movie Judwaa had released we started serving Tantanatan Dosa, which is continuing till date,” says Shah.

This place is unbelievably cheap, the most expensive item on the menu here is for `38. “We’ve been coming here for almost 10 years now, the dosas here are out of this world. They’re different, and our favourite is Hyderabadi Pearl Dosa,” says Nisha Pandey, a regular customer at this place. Name: Scoops Place: Siddiamber Bazaar Price: `45 per person Time: 1 pm – 11 pm Must have: Hyderabadi Pearl Dosa

1 Meat or chicken - medium sized curry pieces 600 gms 2 Whole dry red chillies 4 to 6 3 Chopped ginger garlic- 1 tsp each. 4 Black cardamom - 2 to 3 whole 5 Green cardamom - 4 to 6 whole 6 Cloves - 5 to 6 whole 7 Black pepper corns - 1 tsp 8 Curds - 200 gms 9 Salt to taste 10 Onions - 900 gms to 1 kg 11 Oil - 60 to 80 ml

Procedure 1 Heat the oil, and deep fry about 100 gms of onions thinly sliced till brown. 2 Add the mutton or chicken pieces to the fried onions. 3 Add chopped ginger garlic and fry the mutton for a while. 4 Add rest of the onions cut into big sized pieces, and all the other ingredients 5 Cover and cook it on a slow flame/fire till the meat and all the masalas are soft and tender. 6 Open the vessel and slowly mix and dry the moisture as the dish cooks in the water released from the meat. 7 Add curds and onions,till it gains a smooth golden colour consistency. 8 Serve hot, with rice or roti. Chef’s Note -:It’s a non-greasy and mildly spiced dish easy to digest and not with heavy calories.

Contact n Noor’s Kitchen n Mobile - 91-9441282318 n Residence - 91-40-23356947

HISTORY SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

March 4 1789 - First US President elected George Washington was unanimously elected as the first president of the United States.

March 8

March 4

1985 - End of the Dukes of Hazzard The Dukes of Hazzard ended its 61/2 year run on CBS television.

1976 - Earthquake in Guatemala An earthquake hit Guatemala and Honduras killing more than 22,000 people.

March 5 1953 - Peter Pan debuts Walt Disney’s film Peter Pan opened at the Roxy Theatre in New York City.

March 9 1960 - First Hollywood Walk of Fame star The first star was placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star was for Joanne Woodward.

March 6 1932 - First dog sled Olympic race Dog sled racing happened for the first time as an Olympic competition.

March 5

2001 - The big divorce Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman announced their divorce

March 7

1999 - King of Jordan dies. King Hussein of Jordan died. His son was sworn in as king four hours after the announcement of his death.

1999 - Lewinsky scandal Excerpts of former White House intern Monica Lewinsky's videotaped testimony were shown at President Clinton's impeachment trial.

March 7 1985 - Annual Sports Illustrated issue Sports Illustrated released its annual swimsuit edition. It was the largest regular edition in the magazine’s history at 218 pages.

March 10 1840 - Royal marriage Britain's Queen Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe CoburgGotha.

March 8 1952 - Elizabeth becomes a queen Queen Elizabeth II ascended Britain’s throne. Her father, George VI, had died on February 6.

March 10 1959 - Tibet uprising Tibetans rally together in revolt, surrounding the summer palace of the Dalai Lama in defiance of the Chinese occupation troops.

SPOTLIGHT SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

Anisha and Swetha

Akhilesh, Iman, Jaswant, Keerthi, and Shravanthi

Parul and Manu DJ Michael

Spin City unleashed Hyderabad knows how to throw a party, and of course, enjoy one. So when Rockwell presented Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s My Time at Cube Libre, the call to gyrating arms was answered by one and all.

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Divya, Nidhi, and Vinisha

Umar and Meghna

Hassan and Disha

CINEMA SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

T-TOWN TWEETIES @shraddhadas43

@taapsee

@ssrajamouli

@Isumanth

@taapsee thank u so much tapsuuu!! My fav actress and co-star!! Love!! N lotssss of hugs!! Muah!!

Wishin my hot n sexy coactress @shraddhadas43 a fantabulous birthday!hope u conquer gr8er heights dis yr wid ur coming projects!love

Took an early morning walk/trek across Secret lake.ended with pooris and potato curry at home.Kids were excited...:)

Here’s to RVP killing Liverpool at Anfield. #Arsenal must hold on to him at any cost

@Actor_Siddharth

@_Hansika

@ramsayz

@actressanjjanaa

When I see happiness in my parents’ eyes, I see god...

well flattered to an extend that i have no words to explain , wana thank all my fans for voting for me n making this possible for me

#ENDHUKANTEPREMANTA new pics are out and Fab response already!! Thank u so much ppl!

So wat are the weekend plans you all hav ppl ?? ☺ how r u al gona make it entertaining

Srinu makes a cameo appearance

ce director Srinu Vaitla has made a cameo appearance in an upcoming film titled Poga. Shankar Marthand is directing this film and Anand Ranga is producing it. This is the third time after Rainbow and Param Veera Chakra that Srinu Vaitla has made a cameo in the film. While the film’s storyline has been kept under wraps, we hear that Poga is going to be a full-fledged thriller starring Ranadhir, Bindu Madhavi. Soumya is playing the role of a film actor in Poga. Mahesh Shankar is composing the music and Jayanan Vincent is the cinematographer. On the other hand, Srinu Vaitla is gearing upto begin the principal shooting of NTR-Kajal’s film which is likely to be titled as Badshaah and sources say that this film might go on floors later this month.

Anushka plays a double role A

nushka is all set to play a double role in Selvaraghavan’s upcoming bilingual film Irandam Ulagam. She’ll be seen as a soft spoken housewife and as a tribal woman in this film. The latest buzz is that Anushka is undergoing martial arts training as her role as a tribal woman requires her to do several action sequences. A martial arts expert from Jakarta is teaching her the techniques. Few years ago, she had undergone similar training for Meher Ramesh’s Billa. Arya is her co-star in this film and the film will release in both Telugu and Tamil later this year. Apart from this film, she’ll also be seen in Vikram’s Thandavam, Karthi’s Alex Pandian and Nagarjuna starrer Damarukam.

Siddharth to opt out of a film?

iddharth may have got plenty of reasons to celebrate the success of Love Failure, but his schedule for rest of the year seems to be taking a heavy toll on his future projects. According to the grapevine, Siddharth has reportedly decided to opt out of one of his projects titled Sukumarudu. Ashok (Pilla Zamindar fame) was supposed to direct the film, but Siddharth had to opt out of the project citing lack of dates. He is going to juggle between two huge projects in the next few months, out of which Nandini Reddy’s upcoming film will go on floors in the second week of March. He’ll also start shooting for an action film in Tamil which will be produced by Vetri Maaran. Meanwhile, Siddharth could not resist of joy of hearing great things about Love Failure from stalwarts like S S Rajamouli and Mahesh Babu. Yesterday, Mahesh Babu tweeted, “love failure is 1of the most innovative films i saw in recent times..congrats to sidharth n d entire team for pulling it off..(sic)” Now, that’s what we call as camaraderie between two contemporaries.

CINEMA SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

B-TOWN TWEETIES @AnupamPkher

@NeilNMukesh

@RGVzoomin

@SrBachchan

How to cope with the loss of a loved one. My weekly column. Please read and react.:) bit.ly/wNqsV4

Man I'm soooooo hungry !! Don't know what to make but. :(

The difference between a knife and a woman's argument is that a knife will always have a point

T 672 - Still consuming the intoxication of the film " Paan Singh Tomar "

@sonamakapoor

@iamsrk

@juniorbachchan

@DuttaLara

RT @suku06: You are always going to get exactly what you deserve. Specially if you screw around with people who have done u no harm

Want to say can v just be,u and me. No asking for info,no expectations, no judgements no clarifications just unconditional freedom

Well done on the big 50!@Maheshbhupathi CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! Great win.

Big Big Congratulations to @Maheshbhupathi and @rohanbopanna for a fantastic win at the Dubai Open!!! My husbands 50th

Tough to be #1 father, husband: Govinda

e earned the tag of the No 1 actor after a string of films like Coolie No 1, Hero No 1, Aunty No 1 and Anari No 1, but Govinda says it's hard to be numero uno when it comes to being a father or a husband. "In real life, I think you have to remain yourself as a father, husband and that's too much to balance. It is very difficult to remain No 1 as a good husband and father in real life. There is more hard work in that," Govinda said. The 48-year-old married Sunita in 1987, and has two childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; Narmada and Yashvardan. "Professionally, you just work. But on a personal level, you are emotionally attached to everything. Being a successful son is a huge challenge. I thank God, who gave me the opportunity to experience it," said the actor, who has dedicated over 25 years of his life to Bollywood. IANS

9 Eleven director wins award

ndian-American filmmaker Manan Singh Katohora has won the "2012 Rising Star Award" for his feature film 9 Eleven at the Canada International Film Festival. Held in Vancouver, British Columbia, the festival brings the very best of World Cinema from over 90 countries around the world. It is dedicated to the creation of opportunities for the artistic interaction and exchange among independent filmmakers and the film-going community. Written and directed by Katohora, 9 Eleven portrays the life of 10 people who IANS belong to different walks of life.

Censor objects to profanity in Dhuliaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s film

he censors displayed unprecedented liberality by passing an inherently violent story like Paan Singh Tomar with a 'UA' certification, which allows it to be a suitable watch under parental guidance. But it wasn't easy for director Tigmanshu Dhulia to get a clearance without toning down the language in the movie. "Though the film is set in the Indian heartland and the characters speak a rough raw earthy bhasha, they don't use expletives as such. There is only one character played by veteran actor Rajendra Gupta, whose colourful language had the censorboard running for the scissors and gunning for the gaalis (abuses)," said a source close to the project. Dhulia apparently had to fight tooth and nail to prove that cleaning-out the character's language would be tantamount to emasculating him. He had to wage a long battle, but he had to finally expunge the expletives from the IANS film, starring Irrfan Khan.

CINEMA SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

Gyllenhaal’s film to release in Sept J

ake Gyllenhaal’s new movie End of Watch is to be released on September 28 in the US. Open Road films has announced the opening date for the police drama starring the actor and Michael Pena as two officers guarding the South Central Los Angeles

Nicole Kidman to star with Colin Firth

area. David Ayer has written and directed the film, told through the handheld cameras of officers and gang members, and through CCTV. The motion picture also stars Twilight’s Anna Kendrick, Frank Grillo and Ugly Betty’s America Ferrera.

Olivia Wilde:

I was too sexy for Lovelace O

livia Wilde has claimed that she turned down the chance to star in Lovelace because she felt too sexy for the film. The In Time actress gave her backing to Amanda Seyfried’s casting as Linda Lovelace, describing her as “innocent” enough to portray the porn icon turned activist. “I pulled out of the Linda Lovelace biopic,” Wilde confirmed to GQ. “I decided that it should go to someone who is not already sexualised by the public, Linda Lovelace was an innocent. “Amanda will do an amazing job. I would like to play roles that are in no way sexualised.” Lovelace wrapped at the beginning of February and a poster based on her film Deep Throat was later unveiled, with Seyfried replicating the adult film star’s pose.

icole Kidman is to star as Colin Firth’s wife in The Railway Man. The Australian actress will take over the role from Rachel Weisz, who was forced to drop out to film additional scenes for The Bourne Legacy and Oz: The Great and Powerful. Kidman will play a woman who helps her husband try to overcome nightmares caused by his terrible experiences during World War II. According to the Daily Mail, the actor was persuaded to act in the film by Firth and producer Andy Paterson. The film is based on the true story of Eric Lomax, a second lieutenant in the Royal Corps of Signals who was captured by Japanese forces.

CINEMA SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

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For Further Details Please Contact Abhinay 9989399972 Nandlal 9951467988 Ravi Chander 8106039919

CINEMA SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

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CINEMA SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

CHAI TIME SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

SUNDAY CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Wallpaper, etc 6 Lipstick shades 10 Affectations 15 Downpour 20 Priest's vestment 21 Burglar or arsonist 22 Chopin opus 23 Go along with 24 Rockies range 25 Gaucho's rope 26 Dry white wine 27 Yemeni neighbour 28 Wage earner 30 Like marble 32 Kind of threat 33 Hideouts 35 Type of wolf 36 Naive one 39 Antiquity 40 Qt. parts 41 Storage unit 42 Quad building 46 Club for GIs 47 Globetrotter Nellie — 48 Occupation 51 Tire surface 53 Grande or Bravo 54 Whispered loudly 56 Contributed 57 Poet's adverb 59 Royal decree 61 Sri — 62 — Lee Curtis 63 Kitchen staple, at one time 64 Urban — 65 Cancun's peninsula 67 Get smart with 68 Baseball stat 69 S&L conveniences 72 The Plastic — Band 73 Rustled 76 Dark times 80 LIII doubled 81 10-4 buddy 82 Sort 83 Reasoner's word 85 Right to decide 86 Place of refuge 88 Wood finish 92 — — few rounds 93 Route for Ben-Hur 94 Rx writers org 95 Sets a price 96 Ushers in 99 Flat-topped hills 102 Whitewash component 103 Snooped around 104 Non-Polynesian 108 Minimum 109 Double agents 110 Exclamation of fright 111 Western persona 112 Yellowstone sight 113 Ladder rungs 115 Forget the roast 116 Violinist's need 117 Language suffix 118 Bug repellent 120 Flamenco shout 121 Taro product 123 One of Knute's successors 124 Whiskey grains 125 Freight-car hopper 127 Common Market bucks

129 Inhabitants 131 Like backpackers' meals (hyph) 135 Ready for use 140 Dogie stopper 141 Grenoble's river 142 Fragrant shrub 143 Cloves or nutmeg 144 From the top 145 Andrew Lloyd Webber musical 146 Some canine 147 Rents out money 148 Semblance 149 Ribbon holder 150 — fixe 151 Pass legislation DOWN 1 Slap on hastily 2 Bahrain VIP 3 Movie 4 Pianist's span 5 ‘Hard Cash’ author 6 — in (curbed) 7 Veldt antelope 8 Lavish attention 9 Traffic tie-up 10 Allow 11 The ‘al’ in ‘et al’ 12 Satisfies 13 Ferber or Millay

14 More proper 15 No longer woolly 16 Drew water 17 Memsahib's nanny 18 Cager — Kukoc 19 Ambler or Clapton 21 Ruffled 29 Handle with ease 31 Wife of ‘The Tramp’ 34 Do a takeoff 36 Tortoiseshell inlay 37 Colossal continent 38 Warrant off 41 Headless nail 43 Not a repro 44 Mellow-toned 45 Feminist Lucretia — 47 Swain 48 Sand mandala builder 49 Columnist Molly — 50 Born as 51 Laconic 52 Border town (2 wds.) 55 The — the limit! 56 Croc cousins 57 ‘Seward's Folly’ 58 ‘Candy is dandy’ poet 60 Short slant 62 Christie's Miss Marple 64 Kind of tiger 66 They lead charmed lives

67 Thresholds 69 Fritz's sigh 70 Rural elec provider 71 Cosmonaut's station 74 John — Booth 75 Longitude unit 77 FDR veep 78 – kwon do 79 Leb neighbour 81 Unusual sightings 84 Pothole locale 87 Cave dwellers 89 Grabs a cab 90 Salinger girl 91 Company of singers 93 What ‘vidi’ means (2 wds) 97 Sports channel 98 Indian Ocean vessel 99 Ran in the wash 100 Zaire river 101 Winnings 102 Unhurried gait 103 Manhattan sch 105 Submit 106 Elude 107 Scrutinises 109 Tunes 111 Bring close together 114 Hamlet option (2 wds) 115 Profile

116 Introduce, as a topic 119 Dissertation 121 — Rico 122 Trying experience 123 Make bubbly 124 End a shutdown 126 UV blocker 127 MacDonald's refrain 128 Sir Georg — 129 1902 eruption

130 Cotton threa 131 Emblem 132 Pasta-sauce brand 133 Mr Morales 134 Party-thrower's plea 136 Like the Piper 137 Ricci or Foch 138 Aussie rock band 139 In case PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

CHAI TIME SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

STAR POWER Date 5-3-2012

As per Hindu panchang

THIRUVAIKUMAR

thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9949870449

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

Chances of misunderstanding with younger brother or sister. You may not accept their opinions wholeheartedly. Children may face minor obstacles in growth. Fortunes likely for some.

Health problem and indirect enemies likely. Be careful and take good care of health. Some might think of changing their lawyer who is dealing court cases. However, confusions will disappear.

Ups and downs will be frequent. Financial strength is good and your savings too will improve. Pregnant women need to be careful. Avoid travelling alone. Debts will be under control.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Self-confidence will increase and your determination will be crystal clear. Financially, a very good and fortune time is seen. Your skills will be exposed, which will earn appreciation from all.

You will be very cheerful. Blood relatives may not co-operate. Apprehensions and inferiority complex might surface, but never allow them a place. Some might undertake pilgrimage.

You are caught in a dilemmatic situation. Hence you need to maintain cool and patience while dealing with such issues. Couples' relationship may be in for a big jolt; some might even split.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Employees will get good support from colleagues and they achieve whatever they had planned. Litigation problems might flare up in ancestral property issue. Blood relatives will support you.

Chances of facing a critical situation. You might not be in a position to differentiate between good and bad perons. Postpone new venture plans. Financial struggle likely; struggle hard overcome.

Happy events to take place at home. Though there will be tensions and obstacle, you will march forward by managing them very well. Friendship with a new person proves beneficial.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

All plans will be successful, though there were hurdles. Businessmen will get good profits. Some have bright chances to buy a house or land. Disturbances by maternal relatives likely.

Very good changes in life to take place, which will keep you happy. Govt officials might get promotion. Expenses through father's relatives might bother you. Students need to concentrate.

Your individual skills will get sharpened and yield good results. All will praise you. Minor confusion will surface frequently in the family, but will get resolved soon. Income and savings, will improve.

TAROT READ Date 5-3-2012

SUMAA TEKUR

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

Ten of Pentacles – Your focus is on stabilising your finances. The other areas of your life support this intent. This is a good time to invest in real estate.

Nine of Pentacles – You like to be left alone with your hobbies. You’re not interested in socialising yet. Explain this to friends and family.

Knight of Swords – You’re charging ahead with new ideas, and this is coming from the intellect, and not from your emotions. Good day to try some painting.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Five of Wands – Avoid conflict and confrontation at all costs – even if you want to explain yourself. Move away from a situations that cause friction.

The Fool – You’re in the mood to do the new today. Jump in! Try a new restaurant with different cuisine or a new dressing style you wanted to experiment with.

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Four of Swords – There is stability in the familiar and in the daily routine. You are enjoying this time, and do not want to make any changes to your situation.

Page of Swords – You have a big task ahead of you. There will be several obstacles and you need to figure out a way to overcome those.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Three of Cups – Celebration time! What you’ve worked towards is paying off handsomely. Performance reviews show great results and you’re on for a promotion.

Seven of Pentacles – Upgrade your skills and try something new. You need to open up new avenues on the work front or you are likely to get stuck in a rut.

Four of Cups – Job offers will come your way. You have a choice but need to think things through carefully before you make a commitment.

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

The Chariot – Travel is on the cards. You will meet new and interesting people while travelling. The change of place will inspire you to creative ideas.

Yep, it's a true lawyer...

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

LIBRA

Six of Pentacles – Take advice from a senior or someone with experience at the work place. You need to direct your energy in the right way.

local charity office realised that it had never received a donation from the town's most successful lawyer. The person in charge of contributions called him to persuade him to contribute. "Our research shows that out of a yearly income of at least $500,000, you give not a penny to charity. Wouldn't you like to give back to the community in some way?" The lawyer mulled this over for a moment and replied, "First, did your research also show that my mother is dying after a long illness, and has medical

bills that are several times her annual income?" Embarrassed, the rep mumbled, "Um... no." "–or that my brother, a disabled veteran, is blind and confined to a wheelchair?" "–or that my sister's husband died in a traffic accident," the lawyer's voice rising in indignation, "leaving her penniless with three children?!" The humiliated rep, completely beaten, said, "I had no idea..." On a roll, the lawyer cut him off once again, "–and if I don't give them a penny, why should I give any to you?!?"

Vol: 1, No 231 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 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211

WACKY WORLD SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

Actual tweeting!

he Silbo Gomero language sounds as sweet as the tweeting of nightingales. Silbo Gomero is the name given to the language of whistles spoken on the small island of La Gomera, off the coast of Morocco. It is structured in such a way that the islanders are able to mimic the spoken language of the region—Castilian Spanish — through whistles.

That is a prickly portrait

iPhone photography courses

Shoes made from real hooves

f a filmmaker could shoot an entire movie on a smartphone, a photography course on iPhone doesn’t really seem like a bad idea. It’s actually pretty neat that two colleges in London are planning to offer a course that’s dedicated to the ever-popular iPhone. According to the course tutor, all you need to attend the course is a passion for photography, a creative mind and, of course, an iPhone. The course fee is £115.

ade by German designer Iris Shieferstein, the footwear is actually created from the body parts of dead animals. She uses horse hooves and skin, snake skin and even whole dead birds as decorations. She agrees her creations aren’t exactly as comfortable as trainers, but she still wears them around the house. The designer says that her footwear is mainly meant for ‘aesthetic pleasure’.

TALK ABOUT FACES

AFP

orld renowned artist Rob Surette has recently completed a mind-blowing portrait of Jesus Christ made out of 24,790 coloured push pins. The amazing work of art measures 5.5 feet x 4 feet, and took the artist six months to finish. Rob Surette has been fascinated by pointillism ever since he discovered the art of Georges Seurat, who invented the dot painting technique during the late 1800s. He became a master of it himself and now creates incredible works of art that always has viewers asking how he achieves such elaborate visual illusions.

Make-up artists Andreas Polich (L) and Bernd Uwe Staatz (R) transform the head of tenor singer Florian Simson into a carp during a press conference for the "make-up artist design show 2012" trade fair on Friday in Duesseldorf, western Germany. Organisers of the fair running from March 10 to 11, expect visitors to gather information on new products and techniques, to learn from renowned experts and to meet colleagues.

The secret life of ants

his is the touching story of a man who found comfort in studying and immortalising hardworking ants performing their daily routines. Andrey Pavlov wasn’t particularly interested in macro photography until seven years ago, when a spinal injury caused him to remain immobilised. That’s when he fell under the charm of these amazing earthlings called ants. He started reading books about them and their behaviour. So he made it a hobby to observe and take photos of these incredible insects.

Pet buffalo is best man

eople who renew their wedding vows will generally go to any lengths to get everything right the second time around. So this man from Quinlan, Texas, thought things through and realised that no one could make a better best man than Wildthing, his pet buffalo. A picture of the ceremony shows Ronald Bridges and his wife Sherron posing along with the towering Wildthing.

Catch your cat!

f you’ve ever dreamed of living in New York, here’s one more reason for you to move there – Jordana Serebrenik. She is the founder, owner and sole worker of Catch Your Cat, which pretty much sums up what she does. This 45-year-old woman will come to your home, catch your cat and will do with it anything you want her to. For about $80, she will make sure the cat is in the box in no time at all. She uses the punch-line “Can’t get Fluffy into a carrier?”

SPORTS SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

Matosevic in Delray finals

Zlatan scores hat-trick

Bhupathi wins 50th title

latan Ibrahimovic marked his return from a three-match ban with a first-half hat-trick as champions AC Milan routed Palermo 4-0 on Saturday, while Juventus suffered a setback when they were held 1-1 by Chievo. The win allowed Milan to open a three-point lead over undefeated Juventus, who still have a game in hand but are handicapped by a vastly inferior goal difference. “We played an important game well and must now keep going like this."

ahesh Bhupathi claimed his 50th doubles title on Saturday when he and compatriot Rohan Bopanna clinched a 6-4, 3-6, 10-5 win over Poland’s Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski in the Dubai Open final. Bhupathi and Bopanna joined forces full-time at the beginning of the season, with their eyes firmly set on the London Olympics. “It’s amazing," said Bhupathi, reflecting on the strong expat crowd support.

AFP/PATRIK STOLLARZ

ustralian qualifier Marinko Matosevic reached the finals of the ATP’s Delray Beach International on Saturday with a 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (9/7) victory over Israel’s Dudi Sela. The 26-year-old Matosevic, ranked 173rd in the world, was appearing in his first career ATP tour semi-final and became the first qualifier to reach the final at Delray Beach since Evgeny Korolev won the title in 2009. Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen won the title in Sydney in January as a qualifier.

Wlad crushes the French pretender BERLIN: Undisputed world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko claimed the 50th knockout and 57th victory of his career when he ended hapless Frenchman Jean-Marc Mormeck’s hopes in the fourth round on Saturday. Klitschko, 35, defended his IBF, IBO, WBO and WBA titles against Mormeck, who stepped up from cruiserweight just over two years ago, in Dusseldorf and made good on his promise to knock the Frenchman out. “I’m delighted to get the 50th knock-out of my career, I promised and I delivered," said Klitschko, who had a 17cm height advantage over the Frenchman. His elder brother Vitali, who was in his corner, confirmed he will defend his WBC title against Britain’s ex-WBA champion David

Haye this summer, but did not give a date or location. Mormeck, who turns 40 in June, was lucky to finish the second round after Klitschko put him on the canvas with 80 seconds left in the round with a firm right to the chin and then pinned him in a corner with a rapid combination. The challenger was offering only token resistance and made a mockery of his pre-fight promises to smash Klitschko’s “glass jaw” which was as ineffective as the handful of punches he threw in the opening rounds. The pair both ended on the canvas in the third after a slip, but it was all over in the fourth when a swift combination from the champion saw the Frenchman drop his guard and a final head shot left Mormeck on the canvas.

Puerto Rico referee Luis Pabon stepped in quickly to count out the fight at one minute and 12 seconds as the Frenchman lost his fourth fight in the heavyweight division. The pair were scheduled to meet last December, but kidney stones forced Klitschko to postpone the original fight and the ease of the champion’s win will have done little answer the critics who said he had picked an easy fight. After the fight, Mormeck explained his lack of urgency because of a cold he suffered in the build-up. “He knocked me out, yeah, ok, but he’s hard to box because he is so tall and the referee should have stepped in more as he kept pushing me down, so I am quite frustrated," said the Frenchman. AFP

Rory chases down #1 PALM BEACH GARDENS: Rory McIlroy moved within one round of seizing golf ’s number one world ranking on Saturday as he claimed a two-shot lead at the US PGA Tour’s Honda Classic. The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland, who can supplant England’s Luke Donald atop the rankings with a victory, capped a four-under 66 on the par-70 PGA National course with a birdie from a bunker at the par-five 18th and had a 54-hole total of 11-under 199. He was two strokes in front of Americans Harris English and Tom Gillis, with reigning PGA Champion Keegan Bradley, England’s Justin Rose and Brian Harman a further shot back. McIlroy joined Gillis atop the leaderboard on 10under with a birdie at the par-three 15th, where he landed his approach five feet from the pin. Gillis then bogeyed 15, leaving McIlroy alone at the top. US Open champion McIlroy then extended his lead with his closing birdie. McIlroy also made two important pars, nearly holing out from a bunker on 13 and sinking a tricky eightfooter at 14. “They were two crucial holes today," he said. Gillis posted a 69 and English, a 22-year-old rookie, posted a 66 to join him on 201. Bradley carded a 68 and Rose a 71 for 203, while Harman followed up his second-round 61 with a 69. Former world number one Tiger Woods carded a one-under 69 and was nine off the pace. It’s the second straight week McIlroy has had a chance to reach the top of the rankings. He could have done it last week at the World Golf Championships Match Play Championship but fell in the final to Hunter Mahan. “It’s nice to have the lead going into tomorrow," he said. “I have to try to focus on what I’ve been trying to do all week, which is hit fairways and hit greens and stay in the present, and not think about everything that could happen. I’ve just got to go out there and try to put a good number on the board." MIKE EHRMANN/GETTY IMAGES/AFP

SPORTS SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

India leaves it too late, and to fate The constant cross-talk and the stupid rotation policy clearly demonstrated that India were not interested in winning in the first place Twelfth Man BABU KALIANPUR

ate dealt a swift blow in the backside for the Indian cricket team in the Commonwealth Bank Series despite a magnificent performance in the final qualifying match against Sri Lanka. As usual, India left it too late to turn on the magic which the team possesses. For the first time, they rose above petty politics and did what they were capable of doing. But the story of the tour of Down Under ended as it started – disastrously. In retrospective, one performance cannot make up for the indifferent and inconsistent displays throughout the series. The constant cross-talk and the stupid rotation policy clearly demonstrated that India were not interested in winning in the first place. All the talk about preparing for the World Cup in 2015 did not wash. The fact that the selectors chose Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir for the Asia Cup in itself proves that there is no weight to that argument. The resting of Virendra Sehwag and Zaheer Khan has also started another controversy. Why can’t the selectors spell out clearly what their plans are and why certain players are being left out? Sehwag’s claim that he has a back problem could have been clearly mentioned. Or else the selectors should have told Sehwag to just shut up. All this is ruining the good work done by the team early last year. India have only managed to salvage some credibility by their superb victory over Sri Lanka. The batting of the top order set it up nicely for Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina to

AFP/WILLIAM WEST

turn the screws on Sri Lanka in style. This was one of India’s best performances in one-day cricket. The number of glorious strokes which were unveiled was pure joy to watch. Earlier in the tournament, India stuttered more often than not and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had to guide them to safety. India will now have to ride on the new high in the Asia Cup to win back some respect in one-day cricket. There is every chance that Sri Lanka may go on to win the Commonwealth Bank Series. After a disastrous year or so in all forms of the game, Sri Lanka have bounced back under their new captain Mahela Jayawardene. Though they started the tournament badly, Sri Lanka picked themselves up and began to gel as a team. The best part of their campaign was they came out of the India nightmare and beat Australia to make the finals. Jayawardene must get credit for using Lasith Malinga effectively despite the bowler getting one of the worst hammerings of his life by Kohli. Australia have been injury hit throughout the series with their captain Michael Clarke missing crucial matches. Australia’s worry will be the openers as David Warner has not been in the best of form. If Shane Watson moves up to his familiar spot, then it will certainly help Australia. The bowling will present more headaches as Brett Lee is fit but where to fit him in will be the problem. It is indeed sad that India will not be there today at Brisbane for the first of the best-of-three finals. In the cold light of the day, India were potentially the best of the three teams in the tournament. But you can’t expect a rudderless ship to find the right direction.

Herath to sit out Asia Cup COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s cricket selectors on Saturday left out left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for the upcoming fournation Asia Cup tournament in Bangladesh. Herath, part of the Sri Lankan squad for the ongoing triangular one-day series in Australia, was replaced by legspinner Seekkuge Prasanna, who played his last one-day international in November. The 14-man squad will be led by Mahela Jayawardene, with all-rounder Angelo Mathews as his deputy. Sri Lanka will join defending champions India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in the 50-overs-a-side tournament, to be played at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Dhaka from March 11 to 22. Sri Lanka, who meet India in their opening match on March 13, also recalled fit-again fast bowler Suranga Lakmal who played his last one-dayer against Pakistan in November. Pacemen Dhammika Prasad and Chanaka Welegedara, currently in Australia, also failed to

SRI LANKA WILL JOIN DEFENDING CHAMPIONS

INDIA, PAKISTAN AND BANGLADESH IN THE 50OVERS-A-SIDE TOURNAMENT, TO BE PLAYED AT THE SHER-E-BANGLA STADIUM IN DHAKA FROM MARCH 11-22. find a place in the Asia Cup squad. Sri Lanka will clash with Australia in the first of best-ofthree finals in Brisbane on Sunday. World Cup winners India, the third team, were knocked out of the competition following Sri Lanka’s victory over Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday. Sri Lanka squad: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Angelo Mathews (vice-capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thirimanne, Thisara Perera, Farveez Maharoof, Sachithra Senanayake, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Seekkuge Prasanna, Suranga Lakmal.

SPORTS SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

Wenger wants Robin to stay on AFP/PAUL ELLIS

Neil Johnston

LIVERPOOL: Arsene Wenger promised to do “everything possible” to keep Robin van Persie at Arsenal after the Netherlands striker struck a double blow to Liverpool’s Champions League hopes. Van Persie scored twice — including a brilliant stoppage time winner — as Arsenal came from behind for the third successive league game to defeat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield. The Gunners captain now has 31 goals in all competitions but speculation continues about his future with the London club. Van Persie has just over a year left on his contract but has so far delayed talks about extending his stay. But Wenger insists Arsenal will do what they can to ensure their lethal marksman stays. “We will do everything possible to keep him,” said Wenger after the Dutchman inspired Arsenal’s fourth-straight league win. “I can’t say much more than that. “He’s up there with the best players in the world. I’m very proud of him. He was very timid when he first arrived at the club and to see how far he has come

is very pleasing.” Arsenal face mission impossible on Tuesday when they attempt to overturn a 4-0 first leg deficit against AC Milan in the last 16 of the Champions League. But Wenger will think anything is possible with Van Persie in the team. His volleyed winner at Anfield was pure quality and left Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish singing his praises. “He is a terrific player,” said Dalglish after Liverpool fell 10 points behind fourthplaced Arsenal with 12 games remaining. Meanwhile, Wenger is facing problems ahead of AC Milan’s visit to the Emirates. Midfielder Mikel Arteta went to hospital after being carried off on a stretcher after colliding with Jordan Henderson. In addition, Abou Diaby and Yossi Benayoun both suffered hamstring injuries and are serious doubts for Tuesday. “I don’t know who is going to be available,” added Wenger. “May be I will play six strikers because we need to score lots of goals!” Liverpool’s first home defeat of the season left Dalglish deflated. AFP/ANDREW YATES

For Mancini, it’s magic number 10 Graham Chase

MANCHESTER: Roberto Mancini has set his Manchester City side a target of 10 more victories to secure a first league title in 44 years. City moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League table with a 2-0 win over Bolton, hours before Manchester United travel to Tottenham on Sunday. City host United in the third last game of the season and after their trip to White Hart Lane, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side face

West Brom, Wolves, Fulham, Blackburn, QPR, Wigan, Aston Villa and Everton. City will come up against Swansea, Chelsea, Stoke, Sunderland, Arsenal, West Brom, Norwich and Wolves before that potentially-decisive game. Going into the weekend, Mancini claimed that United will pick up 11 wins and that all that City have to do is match that. After the victory over Bolton, he said: “This was

important because we have taken three points and we need to keep winning because Manchester United is a very good team. “If we could win the next ten games, we would win the title. We just need to keep playing the way we are and we will have a very good chance.” Mancini used a second string side against relegation-threatened Bolton, sticking with Mario Balotelli despite the prospect of the Italian receiving a fine of two weeks wages for a trip to a

Liverpool strip club in the early hours of Friday morning. David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Aleksander Kolarov were among those left on the bench and Mancini is happy with the way his squad is shaping up despite Pablo Zabaleta limping off with a hamstring injury, a problem that is also bothering Micah Richards. He added: “We rested one or two players and I left Silva, Aguero, Kolarov because we had everybody fit except Micah, who was injured.

“Pablo Zabaleta had a problem and had to come off as well so now we have two injured right-backs which is a problem, but we will see how things go next week.” City coasted to an 18th consecutive Premier League home win thanks to a Gretar Steinsson own-goal and Balotelli’s second half effort at the Etihad Stadium. Bolton are two points from safety but have a run of games against teams that are around them.

SPORTS SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

AVB down but not out... yet AFP/IAN KINGTON

Brendan McLoughlin

BIRMINGHAM: Andre Villas-Boas admits he is under increasing pressure following Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion, but the beleaguered boss remains determined to save his job. Gareth McAuley’s late goal condemned Chelsea to a shock loss at The Hawthorns on Saturday to leave Villas-Boas’ Blues future hanging by a slender thread. The west London club have won just one of their last seven matches and only three from their last 12 in the Premier League — leaving them three points adrift of fourth-placed Arsenal in the race for the final Champions League spot. Rumours are already circulating that former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is being lined up to replace Villas-Boas and the ex-Porto chief conceded his future at Stamford Bridge was far from certain. “Will this result increase pressure on me? You have to agree with it," Villas-Boas said. “We are in the same position, fifth, but we are now three points behind Arsenal. It is a big, big disappointment. Every defeat Chelsea suffers piles more pressure on any manager. “Today is acceptable that pressure piles on a bit more. We have responsibilities to the fans and the club and we did not perform.” Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has failed to come out and publicly give his backing to Villas-Boas, fuelling speculation the Portuguese could be the latest Blues manager to be sacked. But Villas-Boas isn’t worried about the lack of support and he said: “It is not normal for the owner to come and back us when things go like this. “At the moment we just have to get on with our job and everyone must do better, players and manager for sure on that one. “We have to improve and there is no need for the owner to back us after such a poor display." Villas-Boas insists he remains the man to lead Chelsea forward, adding: “If I didn’t believe that I wasn’t then I would not have come." But he was less than impressed with the display of his players, conceding the best side won at The Hawthorns. “Full credit to West Brom for playing a magnificent game. We just weren’t good enough on the day," he said. “They won every first ball, every second ball. They were far

AFP/LLUIS GENE

Xavi, Keita keep Barça in the hunt

Dermot Ledwith

MADRID: Seydou Keita and Xavi Hernandez came to the rescue to give 10-man Barcelona a crucial 3-1 victory over Sporting Gijon on Saturday which cut the gap on leaders Real Madrid to seven points. Mali international Keita popped up to curl in a leftfooted shot from the edge of the area with 12 minutes remaining, before Xavi finished Sporting with two minutes left. Earlier Andres Iniesta had opened the scoring for Barca before David Barral took advantage of a Gerard Pique red card to bring the Asturian side back into the game.

Jose maintains silence on future MADRID: Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho on Saturday refused to be drawn into discussion on his future at the club after he was spotted visiting London in midweek. The lightning trip last Tuesday fuelled speculation that the Portuguese coach is ready to accept a role in England at the end of this season, but speaking ahead of his side’s match with Espanyol on Sunday Mourinho was blunt. “It’s not my problem," he said, referring to the speculation. “I don’t have to explain my private life to anyone. When anyone from the club leaves the city, out of courtesy we inform the club. I left on my last day off and I told the chairman and the chief executive, I don’t have to ask the permission of the press or anyone else," he said. He was, however, happy to discuss the future of Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain, linked to a summer move to both Manchester City and Chelsea in recent weeks. “Higuain is one of the best strikers in the world and only a stupid manager would want him to leave the club, he is very special for me and I have no intention of allowing him to go," he said. superior than us. It was a big, big disappointment. “Everybody must do better players, staff and manager, for sure." Baggies head coach Roy Hodgson was thrilled with his team’s display as they recorded a

third successive victory and moved up to ninth position. “We did play very well. As a team, we can feel very proud of our performance. In my opinion, it wasn’t a poor performance from Chelsea, it was a good one from us," he said.

Barcelona were without Lionel Messi who was serving his first ever suspension for a fifth yellow card. Real Madrid can restore their imposing 10-point advantage at La Liga summit when they face Espanyol on Sunday. Despite the win, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola admitted that his hopes of clinging onto the title were fading. “I honestly feel we have very little chance of catching Madrid, the gap is too much, but we’ve won 13 out of a possible 16 competitions and we’ll continue to fight," he said. “It is not the fault of referees that we are not first, the main reason is we have failed."