Postnoon E-Paper for 24 February 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012 HYDERABAD

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PISTOL PATEL STUMPS LAW

IS BRITNEY SPEARS JOINING THE X FACTOR ?

In a case that could have repercussions in the realm of public safety, local police decided not to press a criminal charge against Sriramulu Patel. This has triggered a controversy: Even while the commissioner says a case is mandatory, a criminal lawyer has called the police decision ridiculous.

First Janet, now Britney? Less than a week after Janet Jackson sparked speculation that she may be joining The X Factor as a judge, Britney Spears is now the subject of casting buzz. P25

REPORT ON PG 3

PANDEMONIUM P6

ZOO GEARS FOR SUMMER Officials at the zoo have come up with unique arrangements to ensure that the animals are able to survive and enjoy the sizzling summer.

Don’t you just love Percy Jackson, the demigod, and his larger-than-life adventures? Well, do you know where author, Rick Riordan drew his inspiration from? As a kid, he was fascinated by Greek and Norse mythology. He later went on to incorporate these gods into his stories. Not many of us know about these amazing gods. So, here’s your guide to the gods...

P16&17

Page Two

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Spirit of Twin Cities

BEFORE SUNSET

Film screening

N SHIVA KUMAR

French movie Dernier Etage Gauche Gauche, directed by Angelo Cianci in the year 2010 will be screened at Prasad’s Preview Theatre. Where: Prasad’s Preview Theatre, Banjara Hills When: February 24, 6.30pm

Chowrasta Catch a preview of the painting exhibition Chowrasta featuring artistes such as Natraj S, Thirumala M Thirupathi, Srinivas Mouni and Subodh Singh. Where: Shrishti Art Gallery, Necklace Road When: February 24, 6.30pm Contact: (040) 2354 0023

A suitable lunch Syn presents three offers to suit your needs. There is a lunch for those in a hurry, a lunch for the calorie conscious and a lunch for those who are planninga fun-filled and food-filled reunion with pals. Where: Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills When: Everyday, 12pm onwards Contact: (040) 6666 3939

Martini ‘n music Retro music, food, drinks and great conversations? Head to Hard Rock cafe to rock to the retro tunes of DJ Zam. Where: Hard Rock Cafe, Banjara Hills When: February 24, 8pm Contact: (040) 4476 7900

City in pictures A pictorial essay depicting the city of Hyderabad between the years of 1975 and 2011 is on display at Salarjung Museum. Where: Salarjung Museum When: Ongoing, 10am Contact: (040) 2457 6443

Cognac and Cigar The Seasons Bar opens up again as a Cigar and Cognac lounge with a wide selection of cognac, rare whiskies, single malts and cigars. Where: Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 7pm Contact: (040) 6666 2323

International pizza festival Pizza lovers this is the news for you! News Cafe is host to the International Pizza Festival. Get to sample pizza’s from around the world. Where: News Cafe, Inorbit Mall, Hitech City When: Ongoing, 12.30pm Contact: (040) 6460 334

CINEMAS

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

the basics of stage acting, character analysis, stage and rehearsal terms, movement, stage geography etc. Where: The Actor’s studio, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 7pm to 9pm Contact: 98854 04784

Life Portrait

Where: Hyderabad Marriott Tank Bund When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 2752 2999

Paper planes Flying paper planes has been a childhood memory we all cherish. Get set to revisit this as Red Bull presents a paper plane contest. Where: CBIT, Gandipet When: February 24, 4pm Contact: (040) 24193280

A Punjabi food festival is on at Ohri’s Mehfil. Soak in the ambience along with great food. Where: Ohri’s Mehfil, SD Road When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 27703 200

Soni- A portrait from life is a live portrait workshop being held at Iconart Art Gallery. It features life portrait and life sculpture demonstrations. The event is on till March 10. Where: Iconart Art Gallery, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: 98499 68797

Go Bollywood

Conversations in time

Ghazal nights

Bollywood in your blood? Head to 10 Lounge and Night Club for Total Bollywood dhamaal. Where: 10 Lounge and Bar, Secunderabad When: Friday 24, 8pm Contact: (040) 40041010

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

Get my food-Pronto

Acting workshop

Pakistani food fest

Punjabi Mehfil

Samahaara- an acting and dancing workshop is being held. The workshop focusses on a variety of topics such as understanding

Bidri at Hyderabad Marriott hotel is host to a Pakistani food festivalTrain from Pakistan. Get a taste of various delicacies from Pakistan.

Pre-party fun Shamrock presents Eristoff Invasion Festival pre-party with Nucleya. Where: Shamrock, Hitech City When: February 24, 8pm Contact: (040) 2355 8837 Novotel Shamshabad presents Ghazal Nights. Enjoy a relaxing dinner with soothing ghazals. Where: Novotel, Shamshabad When: February 24, 8pm Contact: (040) 6625 0000 In a hurry? Head to Prego at Westin. It offers quick 45-minute lunch stop overs. Where: The Westin, Madhapur When: Every day, 12pm onwards Contact: (040) 6767 6767

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

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Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

CRIME BRIEFS Barber found murdered in Gautam Nagar

PISTOL PATEL ESCAPES LAW CRIME Mohd Subhan and Md Inkeshaf Ahmed feedback@postnoon.com

riramulu Patel, 75, who shot with his licensed pistol at Tirupataiah, 40, who allegedly tried to intrude into his home last month, faces no charges. Tirupataiah, the intended burglar, on the other hand, suffered two bullet injuries (one on the groin), and is in prison after having being booked under IPC 457 and 511 for “trespassing with the intention of committing a crime.” The incident has brought to focus the reigning confusion among police officers and the inscrutability of the law that deals with such situations. It happened on January 12 at Patel Nagar area in Lalitbagh under Chatrinaka police station limits. Around 1.30 am somebody tried to get into Patel’s home. On hearing his dog incessantly barking, Patel came outside and espied someone lurking near the verandah. He was alone at home and as a precautionary measure he took with him his pistol before opening the door. As he opened it someone tried to hit him and enter the house. Patel instantly fired two rounds, the man fell and the police was informed. Later, identified as Tirupataiah, the prospective burglar was shifted to Gandhi hospital where he underwent a surgery for the two bullets stuck in his body. He was discharged after a fortnight and was taken into custody. A sub inspector of the Chatrinaka police station said no case had been pressed against the senior citizen on the directive of the deputy commissioner of police. Whena sked why he escaped any charges, a police officer asked, “Why do we issue firearms? For self defense, isn’t it? This is a genuine case and we found after investigation that it was a legitimate use of the weapon.”

Cops wrong? Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, Cyberabad Commissioner of Police disagrees with the

The police are not judges. They should file a case and should also take it to trial. At the same time, the police will have discretionary powers as per the IPC to deal with such cases. P Sri Raghuram, senior advocate, High Court police who decides not to press a criminal charge against the person who uses a firearm, licensed or not. “In such firing cases, filing of a case is mandatory. We generally file a case under section 100 of the IPC which relates to the right of private defense. These sections are part of chapter-4 of Indian Penal Code which deals with general exceptions. Once we file the case, we may not arrest the accused nor file a charge sheet. Based on the merits in the case and circumstances, the case will be closed with the help of Right of Private defense. This section is meant for all including the police who take part in maoist encounters,” he says. The commissioner had also informed Postnoon that these sections under general exceptions chapter of IPC will come in handy for police officials in dealing with such cases. He also cited examples of incidents like firing against thieves and rapists. In the past, many police commissioners like B Prasada Rao, who is now working as APSRTC managing director, called upon residents of Hyderabad to resort to any act for their self defense. But, what’s strange is that in Sri Ramulu Patel’s case, the police did not file any case against him and he is only being treated as a complainant.

nknown assailants murdered a 40-yearold man at Gautam Nagar, under the Malkajgiri police limits on Thursday. Y Mahender, who owns a barber shop, was found in a pool of blood after he was attacked with a boulder by unknown people. Mahender who has a barber shop near Tukaram Gate in Secunderabad had closed business for the day on Thursday and started for home. However, he never made it home. His body was found on Friday morning. The police found one Yadgiri’s cell phone number on the victim and it was later found that the former was the victim’s cousin who came forth to identify the body. The police say Mahender was murdered using a boulder and the assailants were yet to be identified. ACP Malkajgiiri, Radha Krishna said, a murder case had been booked and investigations were on. The reason for the crime was to be established.

Realtor goes missing, family suspects foul play

realtor Madhukar Reddy went missingunder suspicious circumstances from his house in Vanasthalipuram. According to a complaint filed by his wife, Sunanda, Madhukar has been kidnapped by unknown people for a huge ransom. Sunanda lodged a complaint with the Vanasthalipuram police on February 22. According to her, Madhukar had gone out for some work and never returned. She eventually received a call from a public telephone booth, but she was unable to take the call as she was busy elsewhere. When she tried calling back she was informed that the call had been made from a phone booth, which led her to suspect kidnapping. Inspector Vanasthalipuram B Ravinder Reddy however, said that Madhukar was only missing and had not been kidnapped. Madhukar belongs to Sheriguda of Ibrahimpatnam and he had moved to the City a few years back.

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Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Servants of God? Devdasis have been present for centuries, however the law dismissed the tradition and made it illegal. But has it really been abolished? Shiba Minai shiba.m@postnoon.com

‘I have now moved on’ CRIME Sudeshna Koka sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

“J

ust like the moon has its own landscape I have my own emotional landscape. I also have a spot just like the moon but the fact is I have moved on and now I am here to give light no matter how many dark scars I have seen,” says Shyamala Devi, who recently acted in a social film Veerangam. Shyamala Devi played the character of a Jogini, which is her real life character as well. From a newsmaker she became an anchor and now a film actor. The social activist now runs an NGO. Playing the real you in the film how has the experience been? I was dedicated to God when I was very young. However coming from a modern background I have not been subjected to sexual harassment. Yet in public meetings and during Bonalu festivals people come touch me, I know what the pain of being a Jogini is. I have interacted with young girls who were forced to hence I understand their pain. Playing the real life Jogini was not difficult and am

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happy to have made a difference. Is the Devadasi or dedication to God tradition still prevalent? Dedication to God (she smirks and laughs) wish it was so! These women’s lives are destroyed because of superstitious beliefs that marrying a woman to a deity will appease that God, while it actually happens under the pressure of village heads who use these women sexually. Today it is just a medium to force young girls into brothels. How difficult was it for you to set up your own NGO ? I was very passionate about stopping the flesh trade. and determined to start an NGO. The journey was difficult; I did not get any support from the government or any private party. When I went to the Human Right Commission I was shown the door. The officers told me that I was a fool and should shut up. Later, a girl from Mahaboobnagar was rescued and is now working as a nurse in the same rehabilitation centre where she was treated. This gave me confidence to launch ‘Saha Jogini Welfare Association’. As part of Sahaya, I’ve come across many lives destroyed by this. I asked an old jogini if the father of her chil-

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dren supports them. She replied that she had been exploited by so many that she had no idea who the father was. In my NGO we give the children of devadasis more importance. We need to protect and save them. Are the Cops and big wigs also a part of this system? Yes, totally. In village the police know everything but they file no charges against the big men who exploit young women. Why has it taken so long for cinema to focus on this issue? Entertainment. Cinema wants entertainment not serious issues. Often we see Jogini going back into prostitution for easy money? How can this be stopped? This is the main problem which needs to be addressed. We rescue the girls, give them counseling and money. But most often they are infected with HIV and are so weak that they cannot do manual work. Joginis should believe in themselves and come to the city see how the world outside is. It’s not very difficult to earn money. Life is not all about money it’s the pride and this they should understand. Only then can revolution take place else even 50 years later this system will still be practiced.

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hen Mangala Amma turned 13, the whole village celebrated. She felt nothing less than a celebrity what with all the fussing and pampering. Her reaching puberty spelt salvation for the entire village. She was taken to a temple on the outskirts of Andhra Pradesh where a teeka ceremony was performed and she was asked to abide by the word of God. Up until then Mangala had been enjoying all the attention, but little did she realise that she was on the path to become a Devadasi or servant of God. The Devadasi system was introduced in our country centuries ago. According to this practice, a pre-pubertal girl is married off to God or the local deity. As per tradition she cannot marry any other mortal because she is already married to the temple. While earlier these women were responsible for conducting various rituals and enjoyed a high position in the society, it gradually turned into something more deplorable. Devadasis are supposed to render their services (sexual and otherwise) to God’smen. And despite the practice being outlawed in India it continues to prevail in many South Indian states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Even today, devadasis are inducted with great pomp and honour and their primary job is to keep the pandits and visitors satisfied – all for free. But for people like Mangala Amma, this is no less than a nightmare. “I had no idea what I was in for. After my teeka ceremony, three women came to verify if I was indeed a virgin before declaring my ‘holy’ sacrifice.” She tries hard to push back her tears, and in a choked

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voice continues, “I was trained in Kuchipudi and I was to entertain men in public and private – with and without clothes.” Today she is 32 years old, is an AIDS patient and has two children – a daughter and a son – whom she has not met ever since they were born. “There is not a single day that passes by when I don’t think about them. I wish them a happy life and I hope my daughter or no other woman is ever trapped in this kind of work, ever.” Despite being unhappy in their situation it is not an easy task to rescue them. Kim Cuban, who runs an NGO for devadasis in Khammam district, says, “We have rescued over 130 devadasis in the last three years. Most of them don’t want to be rescued as they are made to believe that their services are for the greater good.” She goes on to add, “Most of these women are picked for their physical appearance. They aren’t just used for sexual favours but also as unpaid labour. They are never paid and are given only one or two meals a day. They are not allowed to have babies and if by chance they do have any, they are forced to abandon them. They are also sworn to secrecy because this practice is illegal. They are threatened that they will be going to hell and they will be burnt alive if they ever disclose their practice to anyone.” Law enforcement authorities choose to turn a blind eye to these women’s predicaments. When Postnoon tried to get in touch with the police to enquire about this notorious practice they remained noncommital. God, sex, slavery and suffering are definitely not what you’d expect to hear in one breath. But the reality continues to loom large. Will this ever end? May be, may be not.

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

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Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Secretariat lies deserted POLITICS U Srinivas srinivas.u@postnoon.com

he State Secretariat wore a deserted look for the last one week as the Budget session of the Assembly is going on. With most of the top officials, ministers and even Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy keeping themselves away from the Secretariat in order to attend the Assembly session, administration has come to a standstill, at least in the secretariat. Some other officers are shuttling seen doing up and down to the Assembly and the secretariat. Most of the police force is deployed at the Assembly and the Legislative Council for keeping a Hawk's eye around the

Public Gardens. Cronies and followers of MLAs, ministers and others are camping in the City and they are making rounds to the Assembly on one pretext or the other. Most

of this crowd used to throng the Secretariat for seeking favours. The MLA quarters is also brimming with activity these days. This is seasonal annually until the end of the Budget session.

The Chief Minister is reviewing things from the Assembly. But he is also busy at the camp office in Begumpet with the upcoming by-elections. Housing minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy had to cancel his review meeting at the housing corporation office due to the Assembly session where the Chief Minister was answering the House on the housing department. The Assembly session is naturally resulting in piling up of files in various departments. The Telangana ministers holding key portfolios including major irrigation, panchayat raj, major industries, civil supplies, information and public relations, minor irrigation, home, textiles are busy with the by-elections. Interestingly, two ministers from City Danam Nagender and Mukesh Goud are also busy looking after the electioneering activity.

Digging a grave for education? TREASURE Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

any say it is a wild goose chase, while others swear that the excavation will lead to something big. The denouement of the ‘treasure hunt’ soap opera at Vidyaranya High School in Saifabad is that students are at a loss, academically and emotionally. Amid confusion, frayed tempers and heated debates about the possibility of discovering hidden jewels, the archaeology department has embarked on digging sans proper direction, precision in mapping and proof of concept. At least, that is the general feeling as of now. The excavation is no silent

affair and with the ICSE exams round the corner, students are complaining about the high decibel levels emanating from the excavation site and the chaos in the school. For no fault of the management, the teachers or the students, the mostsought-after school in the twin cities has become the cynosure of all eyes. “It is hard to concentrate in the class. It isn’t just the noise, but the curiosity that is distracting us,” says a class 8 student. “The media persons and government officers are coming in large numbers. It is chaotic, to say the least,” she added. On the other hand, students are unhappy that the playground is being dug up. “Our school is famous for this space to play and now the ground is destroyed. It is heart-wrenching to see this,” says another ninth

class student. Teachers are finding it difficult to reach the school due to the increased traffic. “Usually, it takes 20 minutes but now it is taking about 40 minutes. More than the traffic, the din on the premises is annoying,” said a teacher. “We are finding it really disturbing to take classes. Not only do we have to bear with the sounds, but even the labourers

Steps to issue Aadhar cards assured AADHAR Postnoon News

inister for civil supplies D Sridhar Babu on Friday assured members in the Assembly, during the question hour that all steps were being taken to ensure that Aadhar cards were given to them. He agreed with the members that there were some prob-

lems in some centres and they were being sorted out. Leaders, from across various parties said that the issue was not properly handled. They wanted to know if the card could be used by people as an identification to prove that they were below the poverty line (BPL). The Minister said that the card would have a unique number with all the details of the family members, and financial stratum. But it does

not specifically mention about BPL category. TDP member Payyavula Keshav said that a lot of irregularities were happening during the issue of cards and wanted the minister to arrest the malpractices. The minister assured the House that all steps would be taken to ensure that all of them would get the Aadhar cards. He also said that the lowest bidding companies were given the contract to issue the Aadhar cards.

are shouting at the top of their voices. How will we be able to teach in such conditions?” she asked. “This needs to end, at least for the students who have to brace up for their examinations,” said a teacher. What is clear here is that the students and teachers are irritated, if not agitated, as it is taking a toll on academics. Is the government listening?

Rao sets deadline for CM ouster

Postnoon News

hief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who was engaged in a spat with leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu, in a protracted discussion on the floor of the Assembly. Both leaders may be thinking that they scored a brownie point each. So what? The Chief Minister, among many other serious issues, is also facing embarrassment of sorts from within his own party. One such thorn in the proverbial flesh is P Shanker Rao, who was recently sacked from the Cabinet. He keeps on halting at any gathering of three-four persons and “confidentially” tell them that Kiran Kumar Reddy would be removed from office by August 15. “If he sacks me, he will also be sacked,” Rao said. Standing right in front of the CM’s office in the Assembly, Shanker Rao told a group of media persons that Kiran would be out by August 15. He said that if Kiran Kumar Reddy conducted municipal elections, he would be kicked out soon after the results were announced. The belligerent Rao also predicted that four more were on their way to jail. “What I said about excise minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana and home minister Sabita Indra Reddy are now being proved right,” he claimed.

TRS may stay away till bypolls Postnoon News

fter being suspended for two days, members of the TRS, who were supposed to have attended the session this morning, apparently decided to stay away until the byelections are over. Some of the MLAs were seen saying that they may not attend the question hour. Some Congress members opined that the TRS members are busy with the elections and they have to struggle in this election as the BJP may cut into TRS vote bank. TRSLP office staff say that the

MLAs have gone to their constituencies for the election preparations. Even the number of MLAs coming to the House is coming down drastically. When Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy was giving a reply on the motion thanking the Governor for his address, the back benches were empty. It is reported that the Chief Minister has advised the whips to see that the attendance of the MLAs be good . The whips were now advised to see that the Congress members and the PRP are in attendance when a reply on the liquor syndicates is given.

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Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

N SHIVA KUMAR

CLASSIFIEDS FABRICATION

Zoo gears up to beat the heat WILDLIFE Sudeshna Koka sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

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TDP SC, ST MLAS meet CM

he TDP SC and ST MLAs met Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy in the Assembly on Thursday. They have submitted a memorandum to him urging that steps be taken to ensure that SC and ST sub-plan funds were not diverted and misused.

he mercury has been soaring and how! With the City already grappling with shooting temperatures and the sweltering summer months just around the corner, Hyderabadis are doing their best to avoid sunstrokes and sun burns. And authorities at the zoo are also gearing up to take special care of their inamtes in the coming months. Officials at the Nehru Zoological Park have been coming up with unique arrangements to ensure that the animals are able to survive the heat wave. Starting from April, officials will switch on the fogging machine every few hours. This machine will emit a fog that will help cool the place. Fogging machines have been installed in almost every animal and bird’s cage to ensure comfort. For the tigers and cheetahs, the machines have been installed in their night enclosures. According to the zoo authorities, the tigers and cheetahs need special care. Even the medical team is doing

its best to protect them from the dry and hot weather. Polydin and glucose are added in the water meant for the animals to drink. For birds, food supplements and honey are mixed and given in double the quantities during summer. B-complex tablet is given to all the animals as they tend to get dehydrated and weak thanks to the heat. According to the veterinary doctor, when the atmospheric temperature goes up, the metabolic rate of

THE FACES OF HYDERABAD Narsimha, gardener N SHIVA KUMAR

Aishwarya Yerra A city is defined by the people who live and work in it. Here we take a look at the human threads that make up our urban tapestry

the animals goes down. The first sign that the animals have been gripped by the summer heat is a reduced appetite. “We are giving plenty of liquids and seasonal fruits, such as watermelon and cucumber to the animals. Special care has to be provided to the old animals in the zoo during the summers to help them stay healthy,” said Dr Srinvias P, veterinary doctor at the zoo. About 10 doctors keep a con-

t the very first glance, one can see that Narsimha is a man who is endowed with a vast reserve of patience. It is obvious from the way he stands and waters the plants, making sure that each plant receives equal attention. He has been a gardener for the last 10 years. Earlier, he used to be a mason but switched to gardening because it meant less physical strain. Was there any specific reason why he chose just gardening? He says that he loves plants and he has always been attracted towards them. He never unnecessarily cuts or trims his plants because according to him even plants are living things and feel pain. He knows most of the basics of gardening, including use of pesticides and medicines. He apparently got trained under a person who is an expert in this field. Ask him what his favourite tree is and he replies, “Bramhakamalam.”

stant check on the animals during the summers. Apart from this, they constantly spray water in the zoo and also place mats made of palm leaves to cool their enclosures. “The animals are very dull and are always inside their shelters during the day as well in the summer. They prefer to rest and stay close to water bodies. From our annual budget, we have a large amount set aside for their summer care,” said K Sekhar Reddy, Zoo curator.

‘Dismiss Parthasarathy’

DP senior leader and MLA Devineni Umamaheswara Rao has alleged that the government has issued GO No 33, with an intention to allot Indiramma houses to the workers of the ruling party. Devineni said that Secondary Education Minister K Parthasarathy had insulted them in the Assembly on Wednesday, when they raised the issue. Demanding that the minister should unconditionally apologise for his behaviour, he said they had complained to the speaker. He said the CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy should immediately dismiss Parthasarathy for his inappropriate behaviour. Earlier, Chandrababu Naidu had alleged that the minister had sent an email to officials to honour the recommendations of the Congress leaders.

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

India unveiled

NSG hub inaugurated in Mumbai MUMBAI: Memories of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack came alive as Home Minister P Chidambaram inaugurated the new regional hub of the elite National Security Guard (NSG) on Thursday. The NSG unit in Mumbai was launched on June 30, 2009 - eight months after the, 2008 terror attack - at Kalina, Santacruz East, as part of the overall security measures implemented to secure the country’s commercial capital. Chidambaram said the government has allocated `12 billion during the 12th Plan to modernise and develop the NSG. “It is among the best com-

mando forces in the world and the government is committed to strengthen it,” Chidambaram said, asking the NSG to work closely with similar forces in Russia, France, Israel and keep abreast of the latest counter-terrorism techniques. The fully equipped new NSG

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unit is located on a 23-acres plot in Andheri East, with the aim of reducing the response time and reaching the area of operations quickly in case of a terror attack. The NSG had played a crucial role during the Mumbai terror attack by neutralizing the nine of the 10 Pakistani terrorists who held the city to ransom for three days. However the state and central governments had faced flak for the delayed arrival of the NSG squad popularly known as Black Cats from New Delhi to Mumbai, and a need was felt to set up a regional unit here. Similar facilities have been set upin Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad. IANS

A sand sculpture of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on the eve of her 64th birthday at Puri beach on Thursday. PTI

‘Don’t trust Maya and Mulayam’ Another Karnataka babu in criminal tangle BANGALORE: Hours ahead of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari’s arrival, the party faced more embarrassment on Thursday as another Karnataka minister was slapped with cheating and fraud cases. The scam predates his induction as a minister. Forest Minister CP Yogeshwar faces 14 cases for allegedly cheating scores of people by promising sites on Bangalore’s outskirts.The cases were filed by the union corporate affairs ministry after a probe by the serious fraud investigation office. Taking cognizance of the cases, additional chief metropolitan magistrate Kiran Kini ordered Yogeshwar and four others to appear in his court in two weeks.

Yogeshwar and the four others are accused of cheating investors of `39 crores by floating a real estate firm Mega City Developers and Builders Limited in 2005-06. Yogeshwar was its managing director. He was at that time in the Congress. He quit as Congress legislator in 2009 and joined the BJP. Yogeshwar is the third minister in the DV Sadananda Gowda cabinet to face criminal cases. The others are Murugesh Nirani (industries), and V Somanna (housing). Gadkari arrived on Friday to give party leaders and lawmakers a talk on morality and discipline following the involvement of three ministers in the porn viewing incident in the Assembly on February 7. IANS

Rahul Gandhi at an election rally in UP. GHAZIABAD: On the day of the fifth round of polling for a new Uttar Pradesh assembly, Congress star Rahul Gandhi on Thursday told thousands not to trust Chief Minister Mayawati or

Antony condoles soldiers’ families in Kashmir avalanche NEW DELHI: Defence Minister AK Antony on Thursday expressed profound grief at the loss of precious lives of army personnel in two separate avalanches that hit Sonamarg and Gurez in Jam mu and Kashmir on Wednesday night. In a message, Antony said his thoughts were with the families and friends of the killed armymen in this hour of tragedy. He wished speedy recovery of those injured in the natural disaster, and promised relief and rehabilitation measures to the affected families. At least 16 armymen were killed in two avalanches that hit Sonamarg and the Brigade Headquarters at forward post at Gurez when they were in the line of duty. Several others were also injured in the disaster. IANS

A Kashmiri villager holds a relative after their huts were buried under snow due to avalanche at Ramwari in Srinagar.

AFP

PTI

Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav. The Congress general secretary went hammer and tongs against Mayawati, Mulayam Yadav and also the BJP, holding

them responsible for the lack of Uttar Pradesh’s development since 1989. Repeating allegations he has made countless times, Gandhi said that the only way forward for Uttar Pradesh was to have a government of the Congress and Rashtriya Lok Dal. “They come in choppers, fly out in choppers, get the votes and then forget the voters for five years,” Gandhi said of the other parties.” He accused Mayawati of siphoning several thousand crore of rupees. Gandhi accused Mulayam Yadav of doling out false assurances to farmers. He went on to bring out visible differences between Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, and asked the crowds if they could make differences in governance. When the crowds roared in approval, he said the credit for a better Delhi went to the Congress. IANS

Custody of Italian ship guards extended KOCHI/NEW DELHI: A Kerala court on Thursday extended by one week the police custody of two Italian Marines arrested for the killing of two Indian fishermen. Italy offered to cooperate in the investigations, but said that the weapons of the two arrested marines should be examined in their presence and underlined that the vessel was in international waters when the incident took place. Italy’s Deputy Foreign Minister Staffan de Mistura voiced appreciation at the way the two Marines were being treated by the police, but inspite of this there was no end to the unprecedented diplomatic row between Rome and Delhi. A court in Kollam extended the police custody of the Marines Latorre Massimillano

and Salvatore Girone after police told the judge that they needed more time to interrogate them. Their three-day period for police interrogation expired Thursday. The next hearing will be February 28. With the Italians agreeing to cooperate with the investigation, they are likely to be taken on Friday to the cargo vessel Enrica Lexie, from where the Marines fired at the Indian fishermen on February 15 mistaking them to be pirates. The weapon used in the shooting of Ajesh Binki and Jelestine is likely to be seized by police. A Kollam court Monday had permitted the police to search the Italian ship to seize the arms allegedly used by the two naval guards to shoot and kill the fishermen. IANS

Focus

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

The story behind the news

THE OSCARS STORY The 84th Academy Awards is just around the corner and so, we present to you some of the best Oscar moments in history

First time on TV The 25th Academy Awards ceremony, which was held on March 19, 1953, became the first ever shown on television, earning the largest audience in the five-year commercial history of the medium. This also marked the last time ever that the best picture winner would take home two Oscars.

Animation season The Disney classic Beauty and the Beast (1991) made history as the first animated feature to be nominated for Best Picture and also won two Oscars. Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman’s partner, Bill Lauch, accepted the Original Song award.

Turn coat How Bugs Bunny was born At the 7th Academy Awards, It Happened One Night (1934) became the first film to win Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Directing and Writing. Several aspects of the film (including Clark Gable’s carrot munching and the name ‘Bugs’) inspired the creation of Bugs Bunny.

An epic winner The first film to win a record-breaking 11 Oscars, Ben-Hur (1959), also earned a firsttime Best Actor award for Charlton Heston. Titanic (1997) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) were the other Best Picture winners to accumulate 11 total wins each.

The first and only person with an Oscar for playing a character of the opposite sex, Linda Hunt won Supporting Actress for playing the male photographer Billy Kwan in The Year of Living Dangerously (1983). She can most recently be seen on the TV series NCIS: Los Angeles.

Kiss and show The youngest Best Actor winner in Oscar history at age 29, Adrien Brody surprised presenter Halle Berry with a sudden smooch upon accepting his award for The Pianist (2002). The following year, he was on the receiving end of a kiss from Charlize Theron when presenting her with the award for Best Actress.

Billy on a ride Meryl’s sweet sweep Sixteen-time nominee Meryl Streep won her first Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for Kramer vs Kramer (1979), making her the second of four consecutive winners in the category with the initials MS (along with Maggie Smith, Mary Steenburgen and Maureen Stapleton).

With nine appearances as host (including the 84th Academy Awards), Billy Crystal has become known for his elaborate opening monologues and show departures. In one famous moment seen in this picture, he exited the 63rd Academy Awards in 1991 astride a horse to tie in with his film City Slickers.

Halle makes history Brando’s bold move Marlon Brando won Best Actor at the 45th Academy Awards for his role in The Godfather (1972), but he sent Sacheen Littlefeather to decline the award.

Halle Berry won Best Actress for Monster’s Ball (2001) and delivered a tearful and impassioned speech as she became the first AfricanAmerican woman to win the award. Her next film, Die Another Day (2002), also made her the only Best Actress winner to play the female lead in a James Bond film.

SOURCE: WWW.OSCAR.ORG

Around the World

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Beyond Borders

Annan is Syrian crisis envoy

GLOBE AT A GLANCE Eight bodies recovered from shipwreck

UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations on Thursday named its former leader Kofi Annan as the international troubleshooter to try to end the Syrian government’s deadly crackdown on protests. As special envoy for the UN and Arab League, Annan will “provide good offices aimed at bringing an end to all violence and human rights violations, and promoting a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis,” the two bodies said in a statement. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Arab League chief Nabil el-Arabi said they were “grateful to Mr. Annan for accepting this important mission at a critical time for the people of Syria.” A deputy envoy from the Arab region is to be named soon, the two added in the statement. More than 7,500 people have been killed in 11 months of protests against President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, activists say, and there is growing international pressure for an initiative

ROME: Search teams have found another eight bodies in the wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship which sank off the Italian coast last month, a media report said quoting officials. The body of a fiveyear-old girl was among the four bodies recovered. Bad weather in the area has not allowed rescuers from the Italian fire brigade to recover the other four bodies. Another seven people are still missing.

Kofi Annan

AFP

seeking to end the deadly crackdown. Annan served two terms as UN secretary general from 1997 through 2006. After standing down he was called in as a mediator to end deadly unrest in Kenya in 2008. The Ghanaian will now act under a mandate set out by a UN General Assembly resolution passed last week and Arab League resolutions on Syria, the UN and Arab League chiefs said. Annan “will consult broadly and engage with all relevant interlocutors within and outside Syria in order to end the violence and the humanitarian crisis,”

‘Friends of Syria’ to meet in Tunisia TUNIS: Western and Arab powers are to push Syria to allow in desperately needed humanitarian aid at an international conference Friday aimed at boosting pressure on President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. More than 60 nations are gathering in Tunisia for the crucial

conference, which will also seek to further isolate Assad’s regime and support the country’s opposition. But the conference of Arab and Western officials, including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, will be marked by a Russian boycott and the absence of China.

said the statement. He will seek to “facilitate a peaceful Syrian-led and inclusive political solution that meets the democratic aspirations of the Syrian people through a comprehensive political dialogue between the Syrian government and the whole spectrum of the Syrian opposition,” it added. Ban announced Annan’s appointment after final talks in London with el-Arabi and other international leaders on the next steps to take to end the Syria violence. Dealing with Assad will however be one of the toughest challenges taken on by Annan in more than four decades as an international diplomat. Richard Gowan, of the Center on International Cooperation at New York University, said Annan’s work as a mediator in Kenya “is widely viewed as one of the finest pieces of preventive diplomacy in recent years, so there will be hopes he can pull off another coup here.” AFP

WikiLeaks suspect declines plea

World pledges new help for Somalia

FORT MEADE: WikiLeaks

communique vowing action against anyone obstructing the peace process. But even as the leaders discussed the Horn of Africa nation’s attempts to end the chaos that has reigned since 1991, Somalia’s Al-Qaeda-allied Shebab insurgents vowed to “wage war” against any international peace drive. British PM David Cameron said the problems faced by Somalia’s transitional government had global implications, “After two decades of bloodshed and some of the worst poverty on Earth, there are the first signs of fragile progress in Somalia,” he said. “Supporting these efforts is not just right for the people of Somalia, it is right for the world. AFP

suspect Bradley Manning declined to enter a plea at his arraignment on Thursday on charges of turning over a massive cache of classified US documents to the secretspilling site. Bradley Manning, a 24year-old US Army private, is charged with 22 counts in connection with one of the biggest intelligence breaches in US history. Manning deferred entering a plea, which he is not required to do until the start of the court-martial. He also declined to say whether he preferred to be tried before a single military judge or a military jury. AFP

British PM and PM of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia take part in a joint press conference in London. AFP LONDON: International powers pledged on Thursday to boost aid for Somalia to tackle Islamist militancy, piracy and political instability, warning that failure to help now could hurt

the rest of the world. At a London conference attended by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, UN chief Ban Ki-moon and more than 50 other top figures, they issued a

Qaeda attacks kill 42, wound over 250 in Iraq BAGHDAD: A wave of attacks blamed on Al-Qaeda killed at least 42 people on Thursday, in what Iraq’s parliament speaker said was an attempt to derail an Arab League summit planned for the end of March. Security officials and medics said more than 250 people were wounded in the attacks, which hit six different provinces and came just days after a suicide blast near a Baghdad police academy. “The terrorist Al-Qaeda Iraqi security forces collect debris following AFP organisation is trying to a blast in Mansur in west Baghdad.

send messages to its supporters that it is still operating on Iraqi soil, and that it has the capability to strike in the Capital and the cities and both big and small regions,” said a statement on the interior ministry website. Attacks occurred in religiously mixed Baghdad in central Iraq and Babil to its south, and in Sunni-majority Diyala, Salaheddin, and Nineveh provinces. Violence also hit Kirkuk, an oil-rich province that the autonomous

Kurdistan region wants to incorporate. At least 16 car bombs and eight roadside bombs exploded, in addition to several shootings and a mortar attack. It was Iraq’s deadliest day since January 14, when 53 people were killed in a suicide bombing outside the southern port of Basra. Parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi said the attacks aimed to derail the Arab League summit in Baghdad and a planned national conference for political reconciliation. AFP

15 die in Afghan Quran burning protests KABUL: At least 15 people have died in violence over the past three days in Afghanistan following reports of burning holy Quran by foreign soldiers. Afghans in various provinces staged demonstrations that entered its third day on Thursday. At least 15 people died and dozens of others were injured in clashes, Xinhua reported.

Activists taking part in a protest by impaired people for special treatment bonus struggle with riot police in La Paz. AFP

Presidential candidate wounded in robbery CAIRO: A prominent Egyptian presidential candidate was wounded in an apparent carjacking late on Thursday in Cairo, his campaign manager and police said. The Islamist Abdelmoneim Abul Fotouh suffered a concussion after three men armed with rifles assaulted him on Cairo’s ring road and stole his car, his campaign manager Ali al-Bahnasawy told reporters.

Obama on offensive over gasoline comment MIAMI: US President Barack Obama tried to head off Republican criticism over rising gasoline prices on Thursday, ridiculing their responses as bumper-sticker policies designed to win an election, not to solve the problem. A feisty Obama responded to a barrage of Republican criticism that has accompanied a 13 per cent increase in gasoline prices.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez waves to supporters during ceremony in Caracas on February on Thursday. AFP

17,955.95 122.55

5,440.90 42.40

BSE

NSE

Business

10g= `29,000

GOLD

1kg= `58,700

SILVER

Matters of saving and spending

`49.06

DOLLAR

`77.17

POUND FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012 11

KING-SIZE FISSURES The financial fuselage of flashy flight carrier is now fraught with the follies of its flamboyant face, Vijay Mallya, furious financiers and frenzied passengers. Airline industry, as a whole, is now bleeding. Air India’s losses are all too well-known. Kingfisher joined the bandwagon, after flaunting its all-frill aircraft as the best carrier in the country. Jet Airways did not pay January salaries. One argument is that the government doesn’t support the aviation industry. It is partly true and partly debatable. Peak hours are not allotted to the private carriers, thus affecting their revenue. But a reality check says the authorities concerned ensured a balance between Air India and other carries in terms of timings. In fact, the bleeding Kingfisher is now worried about losing the prime time slots which would further deflate the airy airline operator. Postnoon spoke to aviation analysts on the present scene.

hile fares across the board increased four per cent last quarter, domestic fares within India increased more than any other fare type, at 18 per cent. And there is a proportionate patronage by travelers. Conversely, fares to the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region and Americas were flat last quarter, according to American Express Business Travel Monitor. In comparison, in the Asia-Pacific region, fares overall were up by two per cent and domestic fares were up by four per cent. “High inflation rates and network disruption narrowing supply in the market have increased fare types across the board. Economic pressures and supply variance has meant low-cost carriers have also increased airfares, which, has pushed the price of domestic travel up significantly, particularly during the last quarter.” according to Sandeep Shastri, vice-president and general manager of Global Business Travel, India. Fares from India to EMEA sector remained flat last quarter, though has seen a significant increase in fares (9 per cent YoY in fares compared to the region’s 3 per cent), which can be attributed to high inflation rates, as well as lack of supply and rising fuel costs. Likewise, the weakness of the US economy has contributed to fares from India to the Americas being flat in the last quarter. Variances in fare prices to the Americas also had a plateau effect on fares to the region in the last quarter. In India, the airfares to Americas grew marginally by two per cent compared to the same period in 2010. Airfare from India to Intra-Asia Pacific grew two per cent quarterly, but grew strongly at 10 per cent annually.

Key trends for October – December 2011 n n n n

High inflation rates, economic pressure, network disruption push domestic fares up Economic uncertaining last quarter responsible for fares remaining flat Weak US economy kept fares to US flat last quarter Domestic fares in India likely to stay up in Q1, 2012

PICTURE FOR REPRESANTATION PURPOSE ONLY

Domestic air fares up 18 pc W

Why are they bleeding? Karthik Subramani, Aviation analyst, Unifi Cap Aviation is a high capital-intensive industry. Purchase of an aircraft costs a bomb. The governments support airline industry elsewhere, while it is not so in India. They let it bleed. Look at Air India. The other factors include: Very high fuel (ATF – air turbine fuel) cost that takes 40 per cent of operational expenditure and tax. Since it is mostly imported, rupee fluctuations do impact the books. The players have spent huge sums in the purchase of new aircraft. Highly-skilled labour is required. They need to be perfectly trained. Pilots salary ranges from Rs. 2-3 lakh and a senior guy comes for Rs 8-9 lakh. For this reasons, there are not many pilots from India are available for employment. The demand is very high, and the supply is very low. This again takes 40-50 per cent of revenues. There is no difference between

low-cost and all-frills airlines. Low cost is beneficial for leisure traveler, but a business traveler must make travel decision in the last minute and rush to catch a prime time all-frills flight. Cost of debt for servicing is very high. The landing charges at airports are exorbitant, for airport infrastructure in terms of landing space is minimal. Meanwhile, competition is killing the industry. Everybody went in for expansion, while the economy did not grow the way it was expected. While 40 per cent of new aircraft were added to the fleet since 2007, the demand growth in terms of passengers has grown only by 7-8 per cent. Coming to Kingfisher, Vijay Mallya is very lavish and flamboyant. It became an ego issue for him to continue all the facilities. Best air hostess, best time slots, best facilities, TV for every seat, what not. He accumulated very high debt on his books. Cost of operations was naturally much high.

This resulted in the company failing to pay salaries and the operational expenditure shot up. The storage facility of ATF by airline companies too became unbearably expensive. The decision to allow 49 per cent of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the aviation sector will help the industry to a great extent. Convincing the investors is difficult in a politically-charged market like India. Sharan Lillaney, research analyst, Angel Broking Indian aviation Industry is at the low end of the growth stage. There are only 45 out of 1000 people travel in Aircraft in India which is set grow in coming years. The airline companies have invested heavily in infrastructure development and buying aircraft to be part of this growth story. Reasons for losses: Heavy taxation on fuel and cheap fares amidst intense competition. Losses accumulated as the industry is growing at 17-

18 per cent. It all started with the global recession. Debts increased due to high opex. The recession was followed by a hike in fuel prices, which was a blow to the industry. GoAir, Indigo and Spice jet have also expanded rapidly creating intense competition in the Industry. Fare could not be rationalised. Unless it is a matter of urgency, the customer is not ready to travel with a costly airline. The companies have opted to run on full capacity at cheap prices rather than to fly half empty, he said. Industry may get back to pink of its health in the next two quarters. Kingfisher priced tickets at very cheap price to get the cash inflows and pay salaries to employees. It already grounded 44 aircraft which resulted in capacity reduction. This would be an advantage to the other carriers. The demand would also be high with the increased costs due to capacity reduction.

Comment

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Fair, free and forthright

Editorials REPUBLICAN MIRE gets thicker

t’s official, the GOP are officially up the creek without a paddle. If the Arizona debate proved anything it’s that not one of the four men left standing have any hope of beating Obama in November (well Romney could just pull a rabbit, but that hat is getting smaller each day). Rift-ridden thanks to those manic street preachers who call themselves the Tea Party and a political elite so hell-bent on taking the White House that they fail to see the Oval for the Office. Pundits across the US are now predicting something so alarming that it could well see Obama win by a landslide... a brand new Republican candidate. Such has been the revulsion at the lack of spine shown by Messrs Romney, Santorum, Gingrich, and Paul that mutterings have begun that Jeb Bush (just the surname should quash that) and Chris Christie could make a surprise rush for the ticket at the convention. The Democrats are loving this, but what’s really got them licking their lips is the rumour about another ‘surprise’ candidate. Someone, somewhere, mentioned a former Alaskan governor.

WHY WE LOVE The apology

o Elton John sorry seemed to be the hardest word, but the apology still carries weight. All Man City pariah Carlos Tevez said he was sorry, and he’s into the team like the proverbial Flynn. Saying sorry may give your pride a whacking, but it’s still the best way to solve a problem.

It takes an open mind to grow as a people Mini Singh feedback@postnoon.com

t’s déjà vu time — February 2011 saw the arrest of a couple of DJs who catered to the A-listers of Hyderabad. Panic spread among the rich and famous, who worried about what would happen if the DJs spilled the beans and named them as clients. Fast forward to February 2012 — another popular DJ is arrested, and the wealthy are yet again crapping bricks. I must say, I am impressed with how proactive and alert the authorities are, in nabbing criminals. Then again, are all these people criminals? While some actions are universally condemned as immoral and illegal, such as murder, stealing, child abuse and sexual harassment; there is no unified view about several other behaviours. A whole lot of human behaviour falls into this gray area. For instance, downloading free music, driving before you are 18 years old, consuming alcohol before you are 21, swallowing cough syrups and painkillers by the dozen, sniffing whitener, watching porn, bar dancing, stripping for money, mating for money. Some of us, at some point in time may have behaved in a manner that could be perceived as illegal, though we know that the behaviour in question is not antisocial and is pretty harmless. At worst, we are entertaining ourselves. Most of us need an anchor that works as a feel-good factor and buoys us to face the day. For some of us, it is a cup of tea or coffee, for others it may be a bar of chocolate, for yet others, it may be comfort food. While these indulgences are not usually judged by society, the fact is that these substances can be addictive. Habits such as smoking and drinking are judged to some extent, but are legal. Some of us choose alcohol and cigarettes as our feel-good fix. The words on the cigarette cover are warning enough — we are all adults, and can decide whether or not we wish to do something that harms our health. If we choose to go ahead and hurtle towards the grave by overindulging in our drinking or smoking, well, it’s our call, isn’t it? We were warned! Most of us, however, are able to strike a balance and exercise modera-

Weekend editions a hit

People make the City

I have been particularly fond of your weekend editions. It has been an interesting read and this weekend I think the rabbit story was interesting. However, there was a lot that could have been written about rabbits. I for one know so many simple habits that could be implemented that were not mentioned. Request you to run a sequel to that story. Apart from that, the special stories that you run on the weekends are interesting and sets your paper apart from the rest. The new layout too is clean and free of clutter making it a pleasure to browse through Postnoon. A few more pictures capturing daily life in the City will be appreciated. Ambika Sethi Kukatpally

Of all the columns that you have in your newspaper, I love the faces of Hyderabad column. I pick up the paper everyday just for that column. It’s not just informative and interesting, it is also heartening to read how despite the adverse situations many Hyderabadis face they still remain optimistic and cheerful. I would want to see that column broken into two parts and I would like to read more about these interesting people that constitute the grass root level of Hyderabad. Ganshi Srinivas Fatehnagar

tion. In my opinion, the same goes for drugs. There are people who may use weed or pot to pamper themselves once in a while. And then there are those who go overboard. But this is where the law draws the line. Most nations won’t sell heroine or hashish over the counter with a ‘statutory warning’. Urbandictionary.com defines weed as, “God’s gift to the world. Brings peace when used wisely”. To each his own! As a nation, we’re pretty judgmental and conservative. But this is also the country where cannabis has historical and religious significance. But then ours is a nation of contradictions. We have the Khajuraho temple that celebrates the beauty of the human form; and we have Pooja Bhatt and Mamta Kulkarni getting on the wrong side of the law with their indecent exposure. We traditionally practiced swayamwara,

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

and yet balk at the idea of our kids choosing their own mates. Confusing? Yes. Logical? Yes. Fluidity suggests flexibility. Ours is a country that is maturing — the proof is the decriminalisation of homosexuality in July 2009. It takes an open mind to grow, and we are in the process of growing as a people. The bottom-line is that legal and illegal are fluid and can change with the times. Most of the city folk who use drugs probably consider themselves as upright, law-abiding citizens and wouldn’t dream of doing anything antisocial. Are we barking up the wrong tree, and letting the real criminals go scott-free while we are focussing on the gray area; people whose offences are inconsequential at best? The writer is a city-based commentator. The views expressed are her own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication.

Chapatis for tigers!

When will it end?

Today’s article on the Zoo titled ‘When will we learn’ is a good one. It is a reminder of the indiscriminate exploitation of resources. I am a great lover of the zoo, and go whenever I get a chance to. And yes, I have witnessed a lot of people throw something as ridiculous as chapatis into the tiger pens! As I grew older, I started to protest against the misdeeds and was met with gaalis many times. I do not intend to stop though, and hope many other educated friends of mine join in to teach the unruly lot a lesson or two! Kudos to your article! Shalini P Bowenpally

Tantris outshine mantris definitely says it all. I wonder how long the plunder of public wealth will continue. I cannot even say now is the right time to curb the activities of the useless political leaders. It’s amazing that even if we want to put an end to the corrupt guys, we are too afraid to raise our voices against them, and even if they do, the system itself is so corrupt, that you won’t even know where to start! I am just curious to see how long this will continue, and what will happen in the end (whenever it comes). Dhruv Rajan Begumpet

H‑Factor

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Babies ready for solids by month four

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Have you checked that needle? Hepatitis C is said to be killing more Americans than HIV. And in India too the risk is significant. Read on to know what spreads the virus and what you’re in for once you contract it

Ranjani Rajendra ranjani.r@postnoon.com

ccording to a recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Hepatitis C kills more Americans than even HIV. Shocking? But consider this — both the virus spread in a similar fashion. Although Hepatitis C attacks the liver and is often dismissed as a gastroenterological disorder, the fact remains that the virus spreads primarily through shared needles, sexual contact and unsterilised surgical equipment. Hepatitis C is basically a viral disease that leads to swelling of the liver. While the threat of this viral disease may loom large in the US, it’s risk is rather significant in India too. “While Hepatitis B remains a huge threat in our country, Hepatitis C comes a close second. This virus is not spread by food and water. Although Hepatitis B is more contagious, what makes Hepatitis C more dangerous is the fact that there is no vaccine against this virus yet,” says Dr Sundeep Lakhtakia, senior consultant gastroenterologist at the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology. The virus primarily spreads through blood transfusion (when the blood hasn’t been screened), unsterilised surgical equipment, sexual transmission, re-used syringes and using a common syringe during intravenous drug abuse. People who’ve been on dialysis for kidney problems are at risk of contracting the virus too since the equipment is often re-used. “It is important that medical practitioners follow the international precautionary guidelines to keep the spread of this virus in check,” he explains.

Dr Kiran Krishnamurti

What is a good age to give my baby semi solids. I am a little confused because some say that babies are ready for semi solids by 4 months of age. But I have read that it should be done only around 6 months of age. Please advise. We do recommend that babies should be exclusively breastfed for 6 months. Babies may be ready for semisolids by 4 months but early introduction of semisolids can increase the risk of allergic disorder and indigestion. It also increases the load on the kidneys and puts the baby at slightly higher risk of developing hypertension and coronary artery disease in later life. You could start by introducing fruit like banana, stewed apple or pear or seasonal fruits like mango and chikoo. This can be followed by the introduction of home cooked cereal using either ragi or sooji or rice powder and pasteurised toned milk. Later you could substitute this with a homemade powder using rice, wheat, moong dal, sprouts and some nuts. By the time your baby is 7-8 months old she can eat all fruits and vegetables and should be encouraged to do so. Also, allow your child to eat on her own after 1 year of age even if she messes up the place completely.

Symptoms Unlike most other diseases, when a person contracts the Hepatitis C virus there are no pronounced symptoms. In fact, most of the time the diagnosis of this disease is incidental. “Most people who are afflicted by the virus rarely display any symptoms till the disease progresses. The virus affects the liver gradually over the years. Often patients with Hepatitis C display non-specific symptoms like a mild fever and fatigue. It is only when patients go for master health check ups or a liver function test that it gets diagnosed,” says Dr Sundeep. In its later stages the symptoms include nausea, abdominal pain, jaundice, itching and loss of appetite etc.

(The writer is a paediatrician practising at Andromeda Centre. You can write in to her at kiran_krishnamurti@hotmail.com)

Treatment

Pamela Anderson was diagnosed with Hepatitis C and it was reported that she got the virus from her former husband Tommy Lee

If detected early, the treatment is easier. Hepatitis C is usually treated with a combination of injections and tablets for a period of about 6 months to one year. However, these drugs have side effects and are expensive.

H‑Factor

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Cellphone holding shows your dominant side of brain WASHINGTON: If your left brain is dominant, then you are likely to hold your cellphone in the right hand and place it against the same side ear, says a new medical research which finds a strong link between brain dominance and the ear used to hear the cell phone. The study by Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, finds a strong link between brain dominance and the ear used to hear cell phones, with more than 70 percent holding it up to the ear on the same side as their dominant hand. “Our findings have several implications, especially for mapping the language centre of the brain,” says Michael Seidman, director of the division of otologic and neurotologic surgery at Henry Ford. Left brain dominated people those whose speech and language centre is on the left side of the brain - are more likely to use their right hand for writing and other everyday tasks.

Likewise, the Henry Ford study shows most left brain dominant people also use the phone in their right ear, despite there being no perceived difference in their hearing in the left or right ear. And, right brain dominant people are more likely to use their left hand to hold the phone in their left ear, according to Henry Ford statement. “It may be possible to develop a less-invasive, lower-cost option to establish the side of the brain where speech and language occurs rather than the Wada test ... that injects an anaesthetic ... to put half of the brain to sleep in order to map activity,” said Seidman. If there was a strong connection, he says there would be far more people diagnosed with cancer on the right side of their brain, head and neck; the dominate side for cell phone use. But it’s likely that there is a time and “dosedependence” to the development of tumours, he notes. These findings will be presented Sunday in San Diego, US, at the 25th MidWinter Meeting of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology. IANS

Injectable gel to heal damaged hearts WASHINGTON: A new injectable hydrogel could safely and effectively heal any damage caused by heart attacks and help minimise invasive surgeries. The hydrogel would open a new line of treatment for heart attacks, with the US alone reporting 785,000 new cases every year, with no established treatment for repairing the resulting damage to cardiac tissue. The hydrogel is made from cardiac connective tissue that is stripped of heart muscle cells through a cleansing process, freeze-dried and milled into powder form, and then liquefied into a fluid that can be easily injected into the heart, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reports. Once it hits body tempera-

ture, the liquid turns into a semi-solid, porous gel that encourages cells to repopulate areas of damaged cardiac tissue and to preserve heart function, says Karen Christman, professor of bioengineering at the University of California, San Diego, who headed the study. The hydrogel forms a scaffold to repair the tissue and possibly provides biochemical signals that prevent further deterioration in the surrounding tissues, according to a California statement. What is more, the researchers’ experiments show that the gel also can be injected through a catheter, a method that is minimally invasive and does not require surgery or general anaesthesia.

Eating citrus lowers women’s stroke risk WASHINGTON: Women who regularly eat citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit may have a lower risk of blood-clot related stroke, according to a US study published on Thursday. Researchers looked at 14 years of data from a US nurses survey that included 69,622 women who reported what they ate, including details on fruit and vegetable consumption, every four years. The aim was to study the effects of flavanoids — a class of compounds present in fruits, vegetables, dark chocolate and red wine — on health. While total flavanoid consumption across all six main types found in the typical US diet did not show a benefit in preventing stroke, those who ate lots of orange and grapefruit and their derived juices showed a 19 percent lower stroke risk than their counterparts in the study. “Studies have shown higher fruit, vegetable and specifically vitamin C intake is associated with reduced stroke risk,” said Aedin Cassidy, lead author of the study in the Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. “Flavonoids are thought to provide some of that protection through several mechanisms, including improved blood vessel function and an anti-inflammatory effect,” added Cassidy, a professor of nutrition at Norwich Medical School in the University of East Anglia. The researchers called for more studies to better understand the apparent link, and urged women to consume oranges and grapefruit rather than their juices to avoid high sugar content from drink additives. AFP

Rhythm Nation Who says random sounds are not music? If you do, then we have just one word for you — beatboxing Maryam Sultana feedback@postnoon.com

e talked to a brigade of young Hyderabadi boys who have taken a fancy to this innovative style. Farhan Shahid, a first year engineering student from Muffakham Jah has been doing beatboxing for over two-and-a-half years now. He’s performed all over the city, from malls and pubs to college fests. “I watched beatboxers jamming on television, and I thought that it was simply incredible! I saw videos on YouTube and picked up the technique, kept improvising and after that there was no stopping! Beatboxing is very famous in Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad; it’s a rage among the college goers of our city,” says Farhan. Lalit Devraj, a student of class XII from Oakridge International School has been beatboxing since he was in class VII. “I got inspired by my friend back in America and started to learn beatboxing, but my actual growth happened here in India. There is no formal institution for learning beatboxing, but yes, there is an internationallyrecognised beatboxing community. The rate of growth of beatboxing in India is faster than in China, mainly because of our multi-cultural base,” says Lalit, who’s currently preparing to participate in the Beatboxing World Championship. An ardent admirer of Reeps One, an English beatboxer, Lalit can beatbox in genres like Rock, Dog step and many more. Koushik, a student from Little Flower Jr College, started beatboxing in 2009. “I was an introvert before I started beatboxing, but after I learnt this art, I became quite famous. It has helped me open up and grow as a person. My parents supported me a lot, bought me whatever equipment was required, mikes and even the loop machines. Many people have come up to me and asked me to teach

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

OUT OF THE BOX

eatboxing is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. The term beatboxing is derived from the mimicry of the first generation of drum machines, then known as beatboxes. Human beatboxing in hip-hop started in the 1980s. The history of beatboxing is blurry. The beginnings of hip-hop are well known — DJs spinning the breakbeats in records with MCs rapping over the top. When MCs starting to rap over drum machine (beatbox) beats, in the ghettos such as the Bronx, drum machines and synthesisers could not be afforded (samplers were at this time well out of the reach of even well-paid musicians). Necessity is the mother of invention, and without machinesupplied beats to rap over, a new instrument was created — the mouth — and thus human beatboxing was born.

ccording to the Guinness World Records, the current record for the largest human beatbox ensemble involved 1,246 participants and was achieved by Vineeth Vincent and Christ University (India) in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, on February 5, 2011.

– Fun 2. Part of me – Katy Perry 3. Stronger (What Doesn’t

Bollywood Top 10

Billboard Top 10 Now 41

Kill You)

1. We are young (feat. Janelle Monáe)

them beatboxing. I just love doing it. Krnfx, Beardyman, Slo Mo are my favourite beatboxers,” says Koushik. For Adnan, it’s all about the sheer love for beatboxing. An engineering student from Al-Habib College, Adnan has been beatboxing for two years now. He says, “I picked up the basic techniques from YouTube and the rest was improvisation, and through this process I’ve invented new sounds. I was a part of a crew, Soul’ace; it doesn’t exist anymore. Even girls do beatboxing abroad, but Indian girls are too conscious to try it. It makes you look funny, is what girls say.” These boys are simply passionate about beatboxing, they are popular in their respective schools and colleges, have their own share of performances in several places, on several events and they also seek to learn, grow and share their knowledge. And with their love towards this form of art, beatboxing is here to stay!

How it all began

iTUNES Top 10 – Kelly Clarkson 4. Set fire to the rain – Adele 5. So good – B.o.B 6. Glad you came – The Wanted 7. Turn up the music – Chris Brown 8. I will always love you – Whitney Houston 9. Somebody that I used to know (feat. Kimbra) – Gotye 10. Rolling in the deep – Adele

– Ek Main Aur Ek Thu – Various Artists

O saiyyan

21 – Adele Whitney: The greatest hits – Whitney Houston

– Adele 2012 Grammy nominees – Various Artists A different kind of truth – Van Halen Kisses on the bottom – Paul McCartney Doo-woops & hooligans – Bruno Mars Own the night – Lady Antebellum Barton Hollow – The Civil Wars

Hosanna – Ekk Deewana Tha Auntyji

– Agneepath Tu mohabbat hai – Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya Ek main aur ekk tu – Ek Main Aur Ek Thu Sunlo zara – Ekk Deewana Tha Thehree si zindagi – London Paris New York Jeene de – Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya Sarphira – Sadda Adda Vo dekhnay mein – London Paris New York

F‑Folio

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Because you are what you wear

Rahul Mishra Simple yet detailed

Akaaro Gaurav Jai Gupta Understated elegance

ahul Mishra is another designer known for his technique of fabric and craft. This time around he dabbled with sportswear and blended in the element of comfort and performance to stunning dresses and jackets. If Indian wear could pioneer a zen look, then this was it. Styles such as trench coats, dresses, light jackets, trousers, shirts, even sari in tones of black, pink, blue, silver, and white encompassed the presentation. Indian fabrics and treatments played peek-a-boo as he had combined the use of sheer and solid fabrics highlighting the female form. The collection was ageless and would make a teenager or an 80-year-old woman feel confident, and elegant.

kaaro collection died a bit on the runway. But that was perhaps because of the lighting and presentation. With simple dresses and easy separates in colours of black, teal, purple and grey, the models were given extremely clean hair and make-up style and very basic accessories. What did get the interest was the treatment on fabrics like the Swarovski stones woven in the fabric (as opposed to applied on the fabric) and the use of winter fabrics like mohair, wool, silk and felt. Akaaro show was perhaps the only one where winter wear was of primary focus. Perhaps the attention to silhouettes would graduate next season when dresses, skirts and shirts could be elevated to more unique designs.

Anand Kabra The romantic

he young designer hailing from Hyderabad has ensured people sit up and take note of his shows by creating a line with the right mix of contemporary and Indian. This collection was inspired by Misogiharai, which is an act of purifying or cleansing of impurity in Japanese spiritual practice of Shinto. Similar to the act of Ganga ‘snaan’, the models had clean swept hair drenched in water and minimal make-up. The Japanese influence was also seen in the silhouettes like the austere necklines and sleeves, combining with Indian fluid lines and drapes. The prints comprised of rippled water, lotus leaf, and grass seamlessly blend in with a colour theme of aqua, forest green, orange, black and white. Surabhi Chauhan

he recently concluded Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, which is held biannually in New Delhi showcased the trends for Fall-Winter 2012 by leading fashion designers from the country. Here are a selection of five shows that left a lasting impression with a diverse range of trends and styles to take note of for the coming season

Rohit Bal L’Enfant terrible

ohit Bal is infamous for bringing the drama and opulence to fashion week or any event he makes an appearance at. This fashion week the designer decided to showcase off — site at

Abraham and Thakore Modern traditionalists

he duo David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore have a clear sense of sartorial style, which they depict successfully season after season. Treated with a fresh take on embroidery, block printing, bandhani and mirror work on Indian silhouettes like churidar, sari, kediya jacket, choli, and bundi and dresses in a minimalist-modern way made the garments more easily wearable and most definitely original.

THE RIGHT TOUCH OF FASHION

his open-air restaurant Cibo. Having showcased a collection in water, on top of tables, with other designers as models, Bal was expected to make a presentation to wow the audience. And that is what the designer did. His show started with models dressed in simple white floor-length dresses climbing up the

rooftop in ornate face art. Soon the curtained parts of the venue were unveiled where the real collection was displayed in an art-show manner giving each garment its due importance. While showing an obvious couture collection (at a ready-to-wear or prêt fashion week)

was not enough to ruffle the feathers of the organisers, the designer chose a style of presentation, which would not pass as a fashion show but more of an exhibition. Beaded dresses, feathered skirts, Swarovski-laden tops; each garment from the collection is a collector’s item.

Spotlight

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

SRINIVAS SETTY

Sahana

Dr Ankit & Amrutha

Ashok Agarwal & wife

Ankitha

Somya

Sharun

Nithin & Vickey

A glittery affair Guests at the engagement ceremony of Dr Ankit Agarwal and Amrutha Agarwal at Summer Green resorts in Shameerpet on Thursday.

Shraddha

Sheetal & Vishnavi

Megha DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Rajshree & Nidhi

Sohail & Achan

Nitesh & Anupama

Sonia

Footloose Just like the song goes, the young ladies and gentlemen at Bottles and Chimney Begumpet danced the night away on Thursday. Richa & DJ Jay

Vibhuthi

Mounica

Geet

Alicia

Magic Screen

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Gabbar Singh

T-TOWN TWEETIES

@sneha_ullal “@paulocoelho: Dreams and love are just words - until you decide to experience them” true but world doesn’t exist if u don’t experience them.

first look unveiled

@shraddhadas43 Back from the show! Now time for some hectic packing! M soooo tired! Even cafe mocha isn't helping ! But super-excited to go to Hyd, my 2nd home!

he first look of Pawan Kalyan-starrer Gabbar Singh was unveiled yesterday morning and immediately the teaser went viral. Pawan Kalyan is playing a cop’s role in this film, which is an official remake of Dabangg. After a long time, he’s going to be seen in a mass entertainer. Shruti Haasan is reprising Sonakshi Sinha’s role in the film and she’ll be seen as a village belle. Most part of the film is being shot in Hyderabad and Pollachi. Harish Shankar is directing the film and Ganesh is producing the film. Devi Sri Prasad has composed the music and the film will hit the screens in summer this year.

@Actor_Siddharth Moulin Rouge has been my pick-me up film for years. Understood tonight it works even better when you’re already up! What an experience:)

@me_sushanth @geneliad all the best for your special film G! A lil confused with real and reel life while watching promos and celebrations together :)

@shrutihaasan I know i love my job and was born to do this though I complain about trivial things like the weather etc there's no place I’d rather be :)

PARUTHIVEERAN

DUBBED IN TELUGU K arthi’s debut film in Tamil Paruthiveeran is finally going to release in Telugu. The film’s Telugu version has been named as Malligadu and it stars Karthi and Priyamani in lead roles. Ameer Sultan is the directer of the film and the Telugu version has been produced by Gnanavel Raja and Tanga Prabhakar. Except for this film, three out of four films in Karthi’s filmography were dubbed

in Telugu and all of them did well at the box-office. No wonder, he has become quite popular in Andhra Pradesh as well. Yuvan Shankar Raja had composed the music. SS Rajamouli and Srinu Vaitla launched the film’s audio recently in Hyderabad. The film has attained a cult status in Tamil Nadu and the guests present at the audio launch praised Karthi for his dedication. Malligadu is expected to release on March 8.

Thaman forms a rock band S

S Thaman has formed a new rock band along with his close friends. We hear that he’s teaming up with popular singers Ranjith, Rahul Nambiar and Naveen for this new venture. The band has been named as Thakali

(tomato) and it will be launched this summer. The past couple of years have been extremely fruitful for Thaman and he has been bagging big projects back-to-back. Currently, he’s working on Ram Charan, VV Vinayak’s film, Shadow and a SiddharthSamantha film.

@actressanjjanaa Packing up in an hour, lots of shopping to do :-) lovely hectic day of shoot, love life... Bliss :-) supp wid u al ppl ?

@RGVzoomin “@rtraviteja709: The great thing about TV and internet is that they keep most of the dumb and delusional people off the streets.”

@ramsayz Hearing GREAT stuff about #TNLHG ... Congratulations to @Riteishd @geneliad in advance...they are gonna rock.

Magic Screen

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

I CAN’T BE A

DOLL

Nithya Menen is back after a brief hiatus from Telugu films and she’s as effervescent as ever. Postnoon gets talking to the extremely talented actress at her candid best

ALL THE TIME Hemanth Kumar hemanth.k@postnoon.com

ithya Menen has remained something of an enigma. Last year, she made her debut in Telugu with Ala Modalaindi and she won the Nandi Award for Best Actress for this role. It seemed like the world was at her doorstep but she kept on rejecting offers and had to deal with a couple of controversies as well. Yet, she doesn’t feel the need to clarify her stand on several issues. “It does hurt when people misunderstand me, but I don’t have the energy to clarify things. Acting is a very personal thing for me. I am an actress, not a public figure,” Nithya says. She doesn’t like being in the limelight either and she rarely is in news, except when her films are about to release. “I find it really difficult to conform to certain ways, which everyone accepts. Since I don’t do that, I get into trouble,” she clarifies without going into too many details. Of late, she has been doing quite a lot of Malayalam films and will soon be part of a couple of Kannada films. “I have been getting good projects in Malayalam. I really want to be part of good films where I have a substantial role,” she says and goes on to add, “In Bachelor Party, I had a very different look. In another film, I played a Muslim girl. So there’s something I could do in those films. I can’t be a doll all the time.” We ask her if she regrets her decision to reject several films in Telugu. “I have no regrets. Most of the films I have said no to had nothing for me and I don’t want to be part of such films. In fact, I should be doing lesser films. One of the reasons why people say that Ishq has a fresh look is because I haven’t done 100 films already,” she smiles. We couldn’t agree more. She has lost oodles of weight and looks more charming than ever before. “Really? I don’t think so. I am tired and exhausted since I have been working a lot in

the past few months,” she argues. After Ala Modalaindi, Ishq was one of the few films she had signed besides Sega and 180. What was so special about Ishq? “Vikram narrated the first half of the film and I could see that there’s a lot of spunk in the story and there’s a lot of heart in it like in Ala Modalaindi. I like the way he treated my character in the film. Besides, PC Sreeram was part of the film,” she replies. So how was it working with one of the finest cinematographers in the country? “The experience was unbelievable. He understood me very well and I could relate to it because he’s also misunderstood most of the times. I don’t know why people are scared of him because he’s extremely sweet and down to earth,” Nithya says with a sparkle in her eyes. Any fond memories? “I really had a great time shooting for the songs. There was no choreography and everything we did was quite impromptu. Besides, I sang a song in the film and it feels nice to get a credit along with Adnan Sami, although we didn’t sing it together.” If given a choice between acting and singing, what would she pick? “Singing, of course. It’s less controversial,” she says, while laughing. She’s currently acting in Srinivas Raga’s Okkadine where she’s paired with Nara Rohit. For someone who never wanted to be an actress, she has done quite well in the past few years. Has she finally accepted her new career? “I think I have reached a point where I am making peace with it. I still want to do other things, but I realised that it’s better that I am happy with what I am doing,” she signs off.

Magic Screen

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

I’ve become face of change: Vidya V

idya Balan, whose film count includes mostly female-oriented themes, says the film industry has changed over the years and co-incidentally she has become the face of this change. “I believe that change doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time. I am lucky that today when we are feeling the change, it’s a co-incidence that I have become a face of this change,” she said in an interview. Vidya gave strong performances in Ishqiya, Paa, No One Killed Jessica and The Dirty Picture. The 33-year-old, who will be seen next in Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani, feels lucky to be present at a time when such stories are being written. “I am lucky to be a part of Indian cinema at a time when such stories and roles are being written and I am getting a chance to be a part of such good films. I try to do my work honestly. It feels great to get so much love from the people,” said

B-TOWN TWEETIES

@TheShilpaShetty Just watched Warrior and cried my eyeballs out! What a fab film... must watch tweetos.Gr8 story, performances, action and emotions. All in one!

Vidya who had stormed the industry with her very first film Parineeta in 2005. Releasing March 9, Kahaani is a thriller and shows a pregnant woman’s struggle to find her missing husband in Kolkata. IANS

@sonakshisinha Making the most of Kolkata! Met up with my friends Dev and Nil today! Picked up some goodies from their lovely studio as u can see ;) i walked the ramp for the first time for these guys!

@SrBachchan T 663 - Abhishek drives down 5 hrs from location Wai just to see me home ... drives back early tomorrow to join crew ... !! So touched !!

@udaychopra Tweetbot for iPad is here...it’s the best twitter app ever... and u can sync between iPhone and iPad... thanks @tapbots Joy is back in my life.

I could have used ‘Gandhigiri’: Saif

@iamsrk On a lighter note realized u can't wear warmers if u want to do romantic scenes...they come in the way of ur coolness... or is it just me???

aif Ali Khan, who is in the midst of a controversy after a scuffle with an NRI businessman, says he could have used Gandhigiri to sort out the matter peacefully, provided the situation allowed him to do so. “I think I could have reacted to the incident using Gandhigiri. But that time the situation was worse. I am not saying that I am totally innocent but I was not guilty alone,” Saif told reporters here late on Wednesday night. The 41-year-old was arrested Wednesday evening with two others — Shakeel Ladak and Bilal Amrohi for assaulting Iqbal Sharma, an Indian-origin businessman from South Africa, early on Wednesday at the Taj Mahal Hotel. The trio was released on bail after being interrogated. IANS

@AnupamPkher The cast of SPECIAL CHHABEES includes Akshay Kumar, Jimmy Sheirgil, Manoj Bajpai and so many other brilliant actors. Mazaa Ayega.:)

Shekhar to move & shake again O

ver a decade after tickling the funny bone of the audiences with Movers & Shakers, Shekhar Suman is set to return with the entertaining celebrity chat show, but this time on Sab TV. The original show went on air in 1997 on Sony. It was widely watched, and catapulted Shekhar to

immense popularity. But he bade adieu to it in June 2001. Now he is set to return, a source said. An official announcement will be made later this month. Since the past week, a teaser campaign Shekhar ab dobara karega has been on the air. IANS

@sonamakapoor Was at the @Ferragamo HQ yesterday and met the CEO Mr Norsa who was nice enough to have me design my own shoe ...

@priyankachopra On set!! Fun times... @basuanurag , Ranbir, DP Ravi verman, @priyankaborkar1 and pragati.

Magic Screen

D I S P L A YA

D S RATE ` 150 sq. cm

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

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Magic Screen

The glamour behind the glitz

Die Hard 5 has a new lead

ai Courtney will play John McClane’s son. Die Hard 5 has announced some big news today, with Spartacus: Blood and Sand actor Jai Courtney confirmed as the new star of the upcoming action sequel. Don’t worry though, Bruce Willis hasn’t been condemned to the scrapheap just yet — he’ll be back on board as maverick cop John McClane, while Courtney will play his son, Jack. Courtney reportedly beat out The Hunger Games’ Liam Hemsworth to play a character described by the official press release as, “an apple that has not fallen far from the tree.” Indeed, the release goes on to claim that, “Jack may even be more of a hardass than his father.” The film will see John and Jack relocated to Russia, with the McClane men looking to thwart some kind of global terrorist plot operating out of Moscow. Slightly glibly, the release describes out hero as a “true NYC fish out of water”. Die Hard 5 will be directed by Max Payne’s John Moore, and will open under the somewhat cringeworthy title A Good Day To Die Hard on 14 February 2013.

Seinfeld actor critical after suicide attempt

ctor Daniel von Bargen, who played George Costanza’s boss Mr Kruger in Seinfeld, was hospitalised this week after a failed suicide attempt in Ohio. Von Bargen, 61, shot himself in the temple in his Cincinnati apartment on Monday morning and then called the police, according to TMZ.com, which obtained audio of his 911 call. “I’ve shot myself in the head... and I need help,” he tells the operator. The actor, who is diabetic, says he was distraught because he was scheduled to go to hospital to have “at least a few toes” amputated. Von Bargen was said to be in critical condition at an Ohio hospital.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Magic Screen

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Hangover star Justin Bartha joins comedy

ustin Bartha is to star in a new comedy from the co-creator of Glee Ryan Murphy. The Hangover actor, who played Doug in the movie and its sequel, will appear in NBC’s pilot The New Normal, about a gay couple and a woman who becomes their surrogate. Bartha will play David, while his husband Bryan will be portrayed by The Book of Mormon’s Andrew Rannells. Scottish actress Georgia King from BBC’s Little Dorritt plays Goldie, the surrogate mother. NBC won the rights to the 30minute show following a multiple network bidding war in January. Ali Adler — who joined Glee as a writer this season — will pen the comedy alongside Murphy, who will also direct the pilot.

Ben Affleck joins Facebook B en Affleck is on Facebook! More and more of our favourite celebrities are joining the world’s largest social media network, and Ben is the latest to launch his own timeline page. Ben shared photos from Africa that were taken during one of his many philanthropic trips to the continent. He founded a nonprofit organisation, Eastern Congo Initiative, in 2009 on behalf of the people living and working to rebuild the area following years of armed conflict. His group provides those living in the region with economic and social development to sustain and maintain a successful society. Ben says he’s “inspired” by the work being done there and is sharing the same uplift message with his own family. He’ll have one more little one to inspire pretty soon with Jennifer Garner expecting their third child this Spring.

Michelle Williams plans Oscar day with daughter Matilda

ichelle Williams isn’t the only one in her family who’s excited for the Academy Awards. We hear the My Week With Marilyn star’s 6-year-old daughter, Matilda, is also getting in on the Oscar fun. Get ready for some major cuteness... Williams’ Bff Busy Philipps tells us Matilda will be helping her mama prep for the red carpet on Sunday. “Both of our daughters will be around, that’s always a little chaotic,” Philipps said at last night’s Sir Charlie Chaplin Oscar party at Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood. “The little girls like to see their moms get dressed up and then they don’t want us to leave.”

Is Britney Spears joining The X Factor?

irst Janet, now Britney? Less than a week after Janet Jackson sparked speculation that she may be joining The X Factor as a judge, Britney Spears is now the subject of casting buzz. “Are we flattered that there could be interest? Yes,” Simon Cowell told reporters on a conference call on Wednesday, but wouldn’t discuss what he thinks

Spears would bring to the show as a judge. “I’ve learned a big lesson; keep your mouth shut. Don’t give it all away.” Fellow judge LA Reid also played coy about the Spears rumours. “The only thing you can count on,” he said, “is that we will likely have two girls.” (The two newcomers would replace ousted judges Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul.)

Chai Time

KAKURO

How to Play Kakuro Kakuro is a popular game similar to sudoku in some ways. But is also suitably different. The key question: “How do you play Kakuro?”, well here are the rules of kakuro. The answer: The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers. However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number. Within each collection of cells - called a run - any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once. Let’s have an example to explain this concept more clearly: In the image above, which shows a section of a kakuro puzzle, you will see the numbers ‘26’ and ‘14’ in the top row. Look at the 14. This means that the total of the three cells underneath must sum to 14. Therefore 9, 4, 1 could be the answer, or perhaps 7, 4, 3 and so on... So, how do you work out the actual combination? Well, this is done through elimination and cross-referencing. For instance, as you work out the answers for other kakuro clues, this will naturally limit the valid combinations, and hence the answer for this particular run. Note the second cell in row two - it contains two numbers, 30 and 11. The 30 refers to the vertical run underneath the number 30 and the 11 refers to the two cells to the right, horizontally, of the number 11.

SCRIBBLING PAD

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Commotions of Shakespearean proportions? 5 "Clumsy me!" 9 Bikers' bummers 14 Delta deposit 15 Hill, in Scotland 16 Tidal flood 17 Turkey 20 Place for a record, briefly 21 How bedtime stories are read 22 Breakfast cereal grain 23 Small section of a dictionary 25 CIO's partner 26 They prey at night 27 Turkey 32 Corn spike 33 Trains overhead 34 Reporter's badge 38 Opposite of "let sleeping dogs lie" 41 Bypasses one's bedtime 43 "Doonesbury" reverend 44 One was civil in America 45 Kickoff aid 46 Turkey trot 51 Complete failure 54 Ending for "rad" 55 Lao-tzu principle 56 Quick to learn 57 Shrek and Fiona, for two 59 Hair net 63 Talking turkey 66 Plant yielding a cathartic drug 67 "That smarts!" 68 Present-day Persia 69 Common literary device 70 Wall Street org. 71 Gutter site DOWN 1 Immediately 2 Chef's creation 3 Collection of miscellaneous things 4 Poem division 5 Sash 6 Black-and-white predator 7 Bets the works

8 Accompany to the airport, e.g. 9 Long-standing quarrel 10 Guinea pig's milieu 11 Shining 12 Court proceeding 13 Theological branches 18 ___ the line (obeyed) 19 Door sign 24 Fancy water holder 26 Grand Ole attraction in Nashville 27 River bottoms 28 Guard on the deck? 29 Approximately 30 White vestment 31 ___-Locka, Fla. 35 "Como ___ usted?" 36 Canal leading to the Red Sea 37 He went down with the Scharnhorst 39 Fruity pastry

40 A as in Argentina? 41 "Cheers" character Malone 42 Shipping weight allowance 44 Mafia member 47 Caron classic 48 Become suddenly hostile to 49 Spanish house 50 Reagan's nickname 51 Low men at the opera 52 Word with "berth" or "deck" 53 Shorthand, for short 57 Rubberstamp 58 Army NCOs

SUDOKU

60 A soup base 61 Name of five Norwegian kings 62 .00001 newtons 64 ___ Arbor, Mich. 65 Baseball scoreboard initials PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing — that’s why we recommend it daily. – Zig Ziglar

Chai Time STAR POWER

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

As per Hindu panchang

FOR 25-2-2012

thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9177596118

TAURUS

GEMINI

Women will feel happy as good events are to take place at home. Income too is satisfactory so that life will pass on sm‑ oothly. Artists will sign new and rewar‑ ding agreements; they will be respected.

Financially a sound position likely. You will be stubborn to achieve whatever you want and will be successful. Busi‑ nessmen can contemplate investments and expand their business.

Working women will perform well at work and get appreciation from management as well as from friends and blood relatives. Students will score well due to hard work. Keep your health ﬁt by doing exercises.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Artists will get good opportunities. Though there will be minor issues during signing of agreement, your efforts and good appr‑ oach will bring success. Women will be successful as spouse will support them.

Your self‑conﬁdence and decision‑making power are at a new high. Income from dif‑ ferent sources likely. Cordiality with blood relatives is good. Artists will have opportu‑ nities knocking their door; they will work.

A good news to be received. Students' wishes get fulﬁlled. They will take part in games and feel cheerful. Women will be more affectionate towards their spouse. Businessmen adopt innovative methods.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Employees are happy to receive plum post and increase in income. Competi‑ tions will be cut throat for businessmen but they will manage wisely and achieve success. Artists will have to work hard.

Women are wise enough to get their wor‑ ks done through affectionate talks. Stude‑ nts' hard work will secure them good marks. Businessmen need to be careful as there will be competition and jealousy.

Financial position seems to be sound. A good position and status likely to keep you happy. You will manage op‑ position well and win them over. Blood relatives will shoulder responsibilities.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Your self‑conﬁdence makes you take bo‑ ld decisions and implement them with determination. Good gains likely throu‑ gh speculative deals. Businessmen will expand their business to more areas.

Escaping unhurt from problems is your cleverness. Your status and prestige in society are on a steady raise. Family members too support you very well and co‑operate.

Women will feel happy with the happy atmosphere prevailing at home. Childre‑ n's health may be a cause of concern; take immediate and good care. Artists may feel unhappy as good chances slip.

SUMAA TEKUR

FOR 25-2-2012

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

The Moon – Pay att‑ ention to your moo‑ ds. Are they swing‑ ing because of some‑ thing that happened a long time ago and you havenʼt come to terms with yet?

Two of Swords – The tendency to stick only to the extremes and avoid the middle path or a practical compromise may be causing you more harm than you know.

Ten of Wands – You may be feeling bur‑ dened by the amount of work you have on your plate. Make a list and organise yourself better. Itʼll work out ﬁne.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Page of Swords – Youʼre young at heart and adventurous, too. You also have an inte‑ llectual streak, which very few people know of. This streak is out in the open today.

Judgement – A raise or promotion are in the ofﬁng. It is not totally unexpected either. But you dec‑ ide to either stay in the current job or move based on this.

Three of Cups – Celebration time! A project you worked on has done well and the bosses are happy with your contribu‑ tion. Take your team out for a celebration.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Queen of Pentacles – Finances need your attention. You may have enough for your needs but your port‑ folio can be improved upon by moving your investments.

Nine of Pentacles – Y‑ ou like to be surroun‑ ded by things you li‑ ke – books, art, music, movies, etc. Make the effort to socialise once in a while so youʼre connected.

The High Priestess – Your intuition is heightened. But learn to store this powerful energy by keeping it close to you. Speaking about it too openly may not be good.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

The High Priest – You have the key to happiness within you. All you need to do is open the lock and ﬁnd yourself on the highway to bliss.

Seven of Pentacles – There is some form of secrecy and conspira‑ cy going on around you. Be on your guard and donʼt trust easily. But donʼt be rude or aloof either.

Four of Cups – A job offer will set you thi‑ nking about the choi‑ ces before you. Donʼt jump into something new without ﬁrst ch‑ ecking out what you‑ ʼre expected to do.

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

SOLUTIONS

Boggle SOCK SANDAL SLIPPER SNEAKER

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

ARIES

TAROT READ

Vol: 1, No 222 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

Chai Time 1400 Naadi Aadajanme 1430 Pavitra 1500 Movie 1800 Kodala Kodala Koduku Pellama 1830 Vasantha Kokila 1900 Chinnari Pelli Kuturu 1930 Anna Chellelu 2000 Missamma 2030 Edureetha 2100 Dammu 2200 CID 2300 Challenge 0730 Maa Punyakshetralu 0800 Ayurvedam 0830 Real City 0900 Movie 1200 Movie

1400 Kannavaari Kalalu 1430 Maavichiguru 1500 Sumangali 1530 Movie 1800 Jai Shri Krishna 1830 Shraavani Subramaniam 1900 Mandhara 1930 Auto Bharthi 2000 Swathi 2030 Mogali Rekulu 2100 Aparanji 2130 Devatha 2200 Mamathala Kovela 2230 Nippu Special 2300 Gemini Vaarthalu 0700 News 0730 Subhalagnam - Live 0800 Gemini Talkies 0830 Special Programmes 0930 Movie 1130 Adhi Matter 1200 Movie

1400 [V] Vignettes 1430 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1500 [V] Humse Hai Life 1530 [V] Trailers 1600 [V] Steal Ur Girlfriend 1700 [V] Zabardast Hits 1800 [V] Fresh Songs 1830 [V] Humse Hai Life 1900 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1930 [V] Humse Hai Life 2000 Love Kiya To Darna Kya 2100 [V] Vignettes 2130 [V] Trailers 2200 [V] My Big Decision 2300 [V] Humse Hai Life 2330 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 0700 [V] Trailers 0730 [V] Zabardast Hits 0800 [V] Mind Blasting Mornings 1100 [V] Fresh Songs 1200 [V] Humse Hai Life

‘[V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance’ at 1900 Hrs on CHANNEL [V]

1300 News Now At 1 1330 News Now 1800 6 PM 1830 Live Report 1900 Primetime 1930 The Game 2000 News Now At 8 2030 Live Report 2100 The Newshour 2200 10 PM 2230 E Now 2300 News Now At 11 2330 News Now Overnight 0900 News Now 0930 The Hidden Truth 1000 News Now

‘The Newshour’ at 2100 Hrs only on TIMES NOW

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Telly sitcoms, news and movie listings

1400 Abhishekam 1430 Aadade Aadharam 1500 Antahpuram 1530 Aakasa Ganga 1600 Prema Mandiram 1630 Jagadeeswari 1700 Paduta Teeyaga 1800 Devimahathyam 1830 Puttadi Bomma 1900 Kumkuma Rekha 1930 Manasu Mamata 2000 Chandra Mukhi 2030 Bharyamani 2100 Etv News 2130 Wow 2245 Movie 0700 Etv News 0730 Subhamastu 0800 Jeevana Jyothi 0830 Tollywood Time 0900 Movie 1130 Abhiruchi

1400 Ardhangi 1430 Movie 1800 Meera 1830 Kalavari Kodallu 1900 Chinna Kodalu 1930 Pasupukunkuma 2000 Muddu Bidda 2030 Radha Kalyanam 2100 Kanyadanam 2130 Baghyalakshmi Bumper Offer 2230 Shree 2300 Chitrapuri 2330 Latest Songs 0800 Subhamastu 0830 Bhakti Samacharam 0900 Movie 1230 Mee Inti Vanta 1300 Movie

1440 Whacked Out Sports 1510 Wipeout 1605 Guinness World Records Smashed 1700 Supernatural 1800 Chuck 1900 Wipeout 2000 Whacked Out Sports 2030 E Buzz 2100 Minute To Win It 2200 Movie - Disturbia 0900 Whacked Out Sports 0930 Wipeout 1020 Minute To Win It 1255 Movie - Disturbia

‘Disturbia’ at 2200 Hrs on AXN

‘Baba Aisa Varr Dhoondo’ at 2200 Hrs on IMAGINE 1400 Haar Jeet 1500 Baba Aisa Varr Dhoondo 1600 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 1630 Baba Aisa Varr Dhoondo 1700 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 1730 Haar Jeet 1800 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto 1830 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 1900 Haar Jeet 1930 Gyaan Guru 2000 Dwarkadheesh 2030 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto 2100 Beendh Banuga Ghodi Chadhunga 2130 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 2200 Baba Aisa Varr Dhoondo 2230 Haar Jeet 2300 Gyaan Guru 2330 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb

1400 The F And O Show 1430 Closing Trades 1600 Business Day 1730 Your Trades 1800 Rush Hour 1830 Tee Time With Shaili Chopra 1900 Global Business Report 1930 Business Express 2000 Business First 2030 Your Trades 2100 Business Tonight 2200 Top 10 At 10 2230 Et Insight 2300 Et Interview 2330 Your Trades 0700 Starting Up 0730 Et Insight 0800 Tee Time With Shaili Chopra 0830 The Market Makers 0900 Your Trades 0930 Investor's Guide 1000 Talking Technicals

1430 Clash Of The Titans 1655 American Pie Presents - The Book Of Love 1825 The Mummy 2100 Jonah Hex 2245 The Messengers 0800 Baxter 0900 Megamind 1105 The Messengers 1305 The Mummy

1400 Hitler Didi 1430 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 1500 Afsar Bitiya 1530 Yahaaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 1600 Pavitra Rishta 1630 Punarvivah 1800 Hitler Didi 1830 Punarvivah 1900 Afsar Bitiya 1930 Choti Bahu 2 2000 Hitler Didi 2030 Yahaaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 2100 Pavitra Rishta 2130 Ram Milaye Jodi 2200 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 2230 Punarvivah 2300 Afsar Bitiya

‘Kuch Toh Log Kahenge’ at 2000 Hrs on SONY

‘Saath Nibhaana Saathiya’ at 1700 Hrs on STAR PLUS 1400 Sajda Tere Pyaar Mein 1430 Mann Ki Awaaz… Pratigya 1500 Navya 1530 Diya Aur Bati Hum 1600 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behnaa Hai 1630 Sasuraal Genda Phool 1700 Saath Nibhaana Saathiya 1730 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 1800 Navya 1830 Ruk Jana Nahin 1900 Saath Nibhaana Saathiya 1930 Sasuraal Genda Phool 2000 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 2030 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behnaa Hai 2100 Diya Aur Bati Hum 2130 Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai 2200 Sajda Tere Pyaar Mein 2230 Mann Ki Awaaz… Pratigya 2300 Maryaada ... Lekin Kab Tak?

Punar Vivah Storyline - Aarti apologises to shobha and satyendra for the mall incidence and all of them decide to go out of town (Dargah).... Yash and Aarti’s families travelling in the same train. ‘Punar Vivah’ at 2230 Hrs on ZEE TV

Saas Bina Sasural Storyline - Time to smile for Toasty! Kiya will finally fall in Toasty’s trap. Kiya will steal the money which she has to give to Jai from Chedi’s room. ‘Saas Bina Sasural’ at 2100 Hrs on SONY ‘Jonah Hex’ at 2100 Hrs on HBO

1400 May Wife And Kids 1430 Scrubs 1500 Rizzoli And Isles 1600 Rookie Blue 1700 May Wife And Kids 1730 Scrubs 1800 E News 1900 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 2000 My Wife And Kids 2030 America's Funniest Home Videos 2100 Rizzoli And Isles 2200 Rookie Blue 2300 My Wife And Kids 2330 Scrubs 0800 Rookie Blue 1000 18 To Life 1100 Less Than Perfect 1200 Gary Unmarried 1330 Just For Laughs

‘Man Woman Wild’ at 1900 Hrs on DISCOVERY 1400 I Should'nt Be Alive 1600 One Man Army 1700 Discovery Showcase 1800 Wild Discovery 1900 Man Woman Wild 2000 Man Vs Wild 2100 We Built This City 2200 One Man Army 2300 The Survivors 1000 Medical Anomalies 1100 One Man Army 1200 Masters Of Survival 1300 Wild Discovery

‘Phulwa’ at 2100 Hrs on COLORS

‘Punarvivah’ at 2100 Hrs on ZEE TV

1400 Saas Bina Sasuraal 1430 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 1500 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 1530 Kyaa Hua Tera Vaada 1600 Crime Patrol - 3 2000 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 2030 Dekha Ek Khwaab 2100 Saas Bina Sasuraal 2130 Parvarrish - Kuchh Khatti Kuchh Meethi 2200 CID 2300 Crime Patrol - Dastak 2330 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 0700 Telebrands 0730 Sky Star Advertising 0900 Crime Patrol - 2 1230 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai

MOVIES OF THE DAY AND OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

1450 The Matrix Reloaded 1720 It's A Boy Girl Thing 1905 I Am Legend 2100 Tactical Force 2235 Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire 0910 Friends 1010 Crocodile Dundee 1155 Mortal Kombat 1350 Tactical Force

‘Top 10 At 10’ at 2200 Hrs only on ET NOW

1400 Parichay 1430 Balika Vadhu 1500 Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha 1530 Uttaran 1600 Phulwa 1630 Parichay 1700 Bournvita Quiz Contest Season 2 1730 Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha 1800 Uttaran 1830 Balika Vadhu 1900 Hawan 1930 Sasural Simar Ka 2000 Balika Vadhu 2030 Veer Shivaji 2100 Phulwa 2130 Parichay 2200 Uttaran 2230 Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha 2300 Na Aana Is Des Laado 2330 Balika Vadhu

‘Rookie Blue’ at 2200 Hrs on ZEE CAFE

‘Supernatural’ at 2100 Hrs on STAR WORLD 1400 Supernatural 1500 Achievers' Club 1600 The Big Bang Theory 1630 The Simpsons 1700 The Shield 1800 Supernatural 1900 Desperate Housewives 2000 Two And A Half Men 2030 The Simpsons 2100 Supernatural 2200 The Shield 2300 The Big Bang Theory 2330 Two And A Half Men 0700 Dexter 0800 The Shield 1000 Pan Am 1100 Friends 1200 The Big Bang Theory

1400 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1430 Chidiya Ghar 1700 Gutur Gu 1730 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1900 R. K. Laxman Ki Duniya 1930 Lapataganj 2000 I Luv My India 2030 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 2100 Chidiyaghar 2130 R. K. Laxman Ki Duniya 2200 Lapataganj 2230 F.I.R 2300 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 2330 Chidiyaghar 0700 Religious Slot 0900 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1430 Chidiya Ghar

‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’ at 2030 Hrs on SAB TV

‘Race’ at 1400 Hrs on ZOOM 1400 Movie - Race 1730 Star Bonanza 1800 Letz Go! 1900 Planet Bollywood News 1930 The Zoom Review Show 2000 Let's Design 4 2030 Letz Go! 2100 Telly Talk 2130 Link'D 2200 B - Tonite 2230 Link'D 2300 Bollywood Bonanza 0700 Letz Go! 0800 Red Carpet 0805 Letz Go! 1100 Zoom Box 1200 Garma Garam 1230 Bollywood Big Story 1300 Zabar 10 1330 Telly Talk

1400 Megascience 1430 Extreme Engineering 1530 Discovery Science Classics 1630 The Indestructibles 1700 Million 2 One 1730 Surviving The Cut 1830 Best Of Discovery Science 1930 How The Universe Works 2030 Sports Science 2130 Greatest Ever 2230 Weaponology 2330 Everything You Need To Know About 1030 The Indestructibles 1100 Million 2 One 1130 Extreme Engineering 1230 Best Of Discovery Science 1330 How The Universe Works

‘Greatest Ever’ at 2130 Hrs on DISCOVERY SCIENCE

‘Lucha Libre’ at 2200 Hrs on BIG CBS PRIME 1400 Frasier 1430 Jerry Springer 1530 Aspire 1600 Galileo Extreme 1700 Survivor 1800 Entertainment Tonight 1830 Galileo Extreme 1930 Frasier 2000 Entertainment Tonight 2030 Galileo Extreme 2100 Hawaii 5.0 2200 Lucha Libre 2300 Jerry Springer 0700 Aspire 0730 Galileo Extreme 0800 Survivor 1000 Lucha Libre 1100 Galileo Extreme 1130 Big Wheels 1200 Aspire 1230 Galileo Extreme 1300 Movie

Playing Field

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

The games people play

Tiger tamed at WGC Match Play Ben Everill

Tiger Woods looks over a shot during round two of SAM G/ AFP the WGC Match Play Championship.

MARANA: Putting woes doomed Tiger Woods’s World Golf Championships Match Play Championship on Thursday as Nick Watney bounced the former world number one in the second round. Watney dismissed Woods 1-up in the Arizona desert, meaning threetime champion Woods hasn’t moved past round two since 2008. Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer all advanced comfortably on a day where only three of 16 matches went against the seedings. Woods almost came back from 2 down with three to play to force extra holes, but couldn’t make a five-footer on the 18th to extend the match. It was one of half a dozen short misses for the 14-time major champion, who was unhappy with the greens at the Dove Mountain course. “They are grainy, there’s no doubt,” he said. “I’ve asked some of the guys this week, are you struggling, and they said, yeah, they’re hard to read. “Sometimes the grain takes it, but sometimes you’ve got to factor in the valley, as well. They’re tricky and they’re very difficult to read.” Woods also admitted his technique with the flat-stick also needed work. “I was fighting the blocks all day with my putter,” he said. “The putter was going back a little bit shut and sub-

sequently I let it go and it goes left and I block it right.” Despite witnessing Woods’s troubles, Watney admitted he was “in shock” that the match didn’t go to extra holes. “I’m very happy to move on and I feel a bit fortunate as well,” he said. “We don’t see him miss putts like that very often, and there were a few of them.” Northern Ireland’s McIlroy never trailed on the way to a 3 and 2 win over Denmark’s Anders Hansen, leaving his chances at ascending to world number one alive as he set up a third-round tie against Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez. “We both didn’t have our best stuff with us,” McIlroy said. “I needed to grind out a few pars and I won a few holes with pars so I’m just happy to be through to the third round.” McIlroy admitted the prospect of rising to the top of the rankings with a victory this week was on his mind. “Everyone keeps telling me, so it’s hard to put it out of my mind,” he said. “It’s a little bit of extra motivation this week knowing that if I can get through four more matches, I could go to the top of the world rankings which is obviously a huge moment for my career.” Westwood destroyed Swede Robert Karlsson over the first 10 holes to lead 5 up and despite a few hiccups coming in the Englishman held on for a 3 and 2 win. “I’ve played great over the first

couple of days,” Westwood said. “I’ve been solid, come out quick, made a lot of birdies early on and not really give each of the opponents too much of a chance.” The three upsets of the day belonged to Australian John Senden, South Korean Bae Sang-Moon and Jimenez. Senden, ranked 41st, hammered fellow Australian and world No 7 Jason Day 6 and 5. Bae ranked 44 in the world, took down Masters champion and world No 11 Charl Schwartzel of South Africa 1 up. Jimenez, ranked 52nd, surprised America’s Keegan Bradley 2 and 1. Scottish pair Paul Lawrie and Martin Laird eliminated young guns Ryo Ishikawa (1 up) and Matteo Manassero (2 and 1) to set up a third round duel. Steve Stricker celebrated his 45th birthday with a 1 up win over South African Louis Oosthuizen while fellow American Dustin Johnson provided the biggest hiding of the day by belting Italy’s Francesco Molinari 7 and 5. First day hero Ernie Els, who eliminated world number one Luke Donald on Wednesday, couldn’t maintain his form and was given a 5 and 4 lesson from Swede Peter Hanson. World number four Kaymer of Germany continued on with a solid 2 up win over American veteran David Toms.

Maldonado leads test pace for Williams BARCELONA: Venezuela driver Pastor Maldonado dominated the third day of Formula One testing on Thursday, giving Williams a timely boost ahead of the season opener next month. Maldonado clocked the day’s best time of 1min 22.391sec after completing 106 laps, having also been the quickest driver in the morning session. “It was a good day today, as we completed all of our planned programme with no issues,” said the Venezuelan. “We have put more mileage on the car which is great for everyone here and back at the factory as we now have a lot more data to analyse. The car is progressing well and I feel everything is going in the right

direction.” Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher was second fastest with 1min 23.384sec in his Mercedes while Japan’s Kamui Kobayashi, in a Sauber was third best with 1min 23.582sec. “I’m very happy with the race simulation that we ran this afternoon. It confirmed what we have seen from the first tests with our new car, and that we don’t seem to have any big issues with reliability,” said Schumacher. “The small things from the last two days I would rate as typical testing issues. So from my

side, I am happy with our first full testing session, and we have definitely improved our game which is what we wanted to achieve. “To what extent, we can only see later, but I am finishing with a positive feeling.” Kobayashi also expressed satisfaction with his time, coming on his first day behind the wheel of the 2012 Sauber. “It was my first day of driv-

ing the new car in Barcelona, and it was a good one,” he said. “We had no noteworthy problems all day and went through a lot of test items. I can feel we have made some progress compared to the test in Jerez. But, of course, we have a lot more work to do and there is room for improvement.” Meanwhile, Lotus were granted permission on

Thursday to test at Silverstone next week after being forced out of the ongoing pre-season test here because of a problem with the car’s chassis. Testing concludes here on Friday with a final series at the same track again on March 1-4, before the teams travel to Australia for the opening race of the season in Melbourne on March 18. AFP

Playing Field

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

The games people play

Lin may train US for Olympics NEW YORK: USA Basketball executive director Jerry Colangelo says New York Knicks star Jeremy Lin is not in US plans for the London Olympics but could be invited to train with the team, reports said. Colangelo told the New York Times and Time magazine that Lin is unlikely to be placed on the US Olympic squad despite his breakout performance over the past three weeks. But an ESPN Twitter posting said Colangelo says Lin might be invited to train with the US Olympians during preparations for the Americans to defend their gold medal at the London Olympics in July and August. "The players who already have time invested in the system have equity built up," Colangelo told the Times. Lin, a 23-year-old US point guard whose parents are from Taiwan, would have trouble cracking the Olympic lineup ahead of reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose of Chicago, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, New Jersey’s Deron Williams and Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers. That does not even include Chauncey Billups, who was removed from a list of 20 finalists due to an injury. USA Basketball decided not to name a replacement given the depth already in place at the point guard position. "It’s hard to go from A to Z in one quick swoop and maintain the credibility of what you’ve put in place in the way of infrastructure," Colangelo. The finalists included 18 players who were members of the US 2010 world championship or 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medal squads. Colangelo did not rule out Lin playing in London, hedging bets in case of injuries to point guards during the remainder of the NBA season and playoffs. But he told that Lin is a candidate to be among younger players who are invited to train

Jeremy Lin (with ball) of the New York Knicks battles it out with opponents during a game at American Airlines Arena on Thursday in Miami, Florida. and scrimmage against the Olympic squad and take their first steps toward possible Olympic inclusion in 2016. Lin was a benchwarmer who had been cut by two other NBA teams before being given a chance to play when the Knicks lost two starters and Lin responded by scoring nearly 24 points and making nine assists in 10 starts. The Knicks went on a seven game win streak upon his arrival and have split four games since. "There are players who have sat on the bench and come in and surprised people before, but this is more than a surprise — he shocked people," said Colangelo. While Taiwan has not qualified for the Olympics, China has a place in London and Lin has a grandmother from China, but such a move is considered unlikely at best.

AFP

Lin files to trademark ‘Linsanity’ phrase

ew York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin has filed to trademark the term ‘Linsanity’ with the US Patent and Trademark Office, a move that would give the rising NBA star sole rights to use the term on products. According to the trademark regulators’ website, Lin filed his application to trademark the term on February 13, about 10 days after he burst into the spotlight as an unlikely benchwarmer turned hero for the Knicks. Lin, whose parents are from Taiwan, was cut by two NBA clubs but given a chance to play when two Knicks starters were sidelined. Lin produced the most points and assists of any NBA player in their first 10 starts since 1976. His high-scoring games, lastsecond heroics and precise passing helped the Knicks win seven games in a row upon his arrival, sparking

a phenomenon dubbed ‘Linsanity’ by New York media that turned into a global following for Lin. Lin’s application is only one of seven that have been submitted to the US trademark office and indicates his interest in using the phrase on balls, toys, action figures, shirts and other clothing, shoes, caps, water bottles and bags. While Lin is not the lone applicant, his efforts and fame have given the phrase its marketing value and thereby figure to make him the winner of the term. Merchandise of Lin has become popular worldwide, including game-worn shoes and uniforms and trading cards. Tickets to Knicks games have leaped by more than 120 percent in resale markets, courtside seats going for thousands of dollars. AFP

Lin, Knicks feel the Heat in Miami loss MIAMI: Newly minted NBA star Jeremy Lin proved no match for Miami’s “Big Three” on Thursday as the Heat handed Lin and his New York Knicks a 102-88 defeat as the league heads into the AllStar break. Miami’s swarming defence saw Lin deliver his worst numbers since his breakout run began, scoring eight points on 1of-11 shooting with three assists and eight turnovers. Meanwhile, Chris Bosh scored 25 points, Dwyane Wade scored 22 and LeBron James added 20 for the Heat, who won their eighth straight game and will take a league-leading 27-7 record into the All-Star weekend that starts on Friday. “The speed and the athleticism... credit to them,” Lin said. “Hopefully when we play then next time, it can be a different story.” Lin has been the NBA’s biggest story this month, coming off the Knicks bench after being cut by two other clubs to put in the best performance of any NBA player in his first 10 starts since 1976. Lin, whose parents are from Taiwan, became a phenomenon because of his scoring, averaging nearly 24 points a game, his passing skills and his clutch shooting ability, including a last-second game winner at Toronto. Even President Barack Obama publicly expressed his regret that he wouldn’t be able to extend his stay in Miami on Thursday to watch the Knicks and Lin take on the Heat’s established stars. Plenty of other celebrities were in attendance, including boxer Floyd Mayweather and film-maker Spike Lee. Lee scolded Mayweather earlier this month after the fighter complained that the buzz surrounding Lin was due to his Taiwanese and Chinese heritage, rather than his basketball skills. “The atmosphere was great,” said Miami center Joel Anthony. “We wanted to step up.” The Heat defence certainly did, forcing 15 turnovers in the first half and limiting New York to 4-of-15 shooting in the third quarter. “It’s not a specific plan,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Miami’s strategy to neutralise Lin. AFP

Playing Field

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

The games people play

Madrid, Barça face away tests of title credentials Dermot Ledwith

MADRID: Defending champions Barcelona attempt to hang onto the coattails of runaway leaders Real Madrid on Sunday with Pep Guardiola’s team insisting they do not deserve to be 10 points behind their bitter rivals. All eyes will be on the Spanish capital on Sunday when the race for the title continues with Real making the short journey to neighbours Rayo Vallecano while Barcelona visit Atletico. Barcelona captain Xavi Hernandez (below) believes the gap is not a fair reflection of the league so far. “If we compare the play of Madrid and ours the gap is too big, but we have not had the best of luck. Football is like that, sometimes it’s the smallest details that matter and we have not been able to control those as much,” he said. “We won the World Club Championship and without realising it probably lost a bit of rhythm due to that, but we are keen to win back those 10 points. “I watch most Madrid matches but I don’t follow what (Jose) Mourinho says. I’m more interested in the football,” he continued, perhaps in a bid to increase the tension between the two rival clubs. Madrid have been criticised in the last week for their decision to not offer their Santiago Bernabeu stadium as a stage for the Spanish Cup final that Barcelona will

contest with Athletic Bilbao in May. Although work on the stadium is the official reason given as to why the game cannot be played in the Bernabeu, it is thought that Madrid’s management do not want to run the risk of Barcelona lifting a trophy on their home ground. Two key players for Madrid this season, Angel Di Maria and Karim Benzema, are unavailable for the game at Rayo Vallecano. The absence of Benzema gives Gonzalo Higuain, recently linked with a summer move to Manchester City, the chance to establish a place in Mourinho’s starting eleven.

I watch most Madrid matches but I don’t follow what (Jose) Mourinho says. I’m more interested in the football. Barcelona captain Xavi Hernandez The Argentine international enjoyed Mourinho’s faith at the beginning of the season but has since had to battle with Benzema for the chance to lead the forward line. Rayo have won their last three games and sit in eighth position, only two points behind a potential Champions League place next season. Their compact stadium, located in the south Madrid area of Vallecas, will be full for the visit of their illustrious neighbours who have not been to the venue since Rayo’s last appearance in the top division in the 2002/03 season. Equally difficult is the task facing Barcelona. Third-placed Valencia host Sevilla in the pick of the other games.

Tevez return could spark title bid says Silva Graham Chase

MANCHESTER: David Silva (below) believes that Carlos Tevez’s return will boost Manchester City’s title push ahead of their home game against Blackburn on Saturday. City host relegation-threatened Rovers with the opportunity to move five points clear of Premier League champions United, who travel to Norwich on Sunday. Roberto Mancini’s team are top of the table despite being without Tevez for five months. The Argentina forward, 28, fell out with Mancini after refusing to come off the bench in the 2-0 defeat at Bayern Munich in September and subsequently returned to Argentina without permission in November. But, having returned to Manchester last week, he has apologised to Mancini and will be available for selection again once he can prove his fitness. Mancini has only had Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko to pick from for much of the season. Aguero has scored 20 goals in his first season in English football, Dzeko has chipped in with 17 and Balotelli has also contributed 12. But Spain midfielder Silva feels that having four top forwards for the run-in could give City an advantage. “It is very important to have those four great strikers with us,” Silva said. “It makes it easier for the people playing behind them. We all know they are great players and it could be an important factor to help us win the title race. “Carlos has shown before he has great character and determination, and for someone like him it would be easier to get into form than for others. “Carlos is a great player, and if he is physically fit he would be a very good player to have. But it will be down to the coaches and the technical team to decide who plays and who doesn’t. “Aguero is a great player. There is not much more you can say about him. He is just fantastic.” City face United in the third last Premier League game of the season as they look for a first league title since 1968. United have fought hard to

keep pace with their neighbours and Silva expects the race for the title to go the distance. “If we get to that match on the same number of points then it could be decisive, but we have to get there first, we have to win every match,” he said. “To win the Premier League would be an incredible thing to achieve with Manchester City, and for the people of Manchester after so many years.” Mancini could give Yaya Toure and Kolo Toure, who have been away for the African Nations Cup with Ivory Coast, first Premier League appearances since the start of January. And other than Tevez and Owen Hargreaves, who are both short of fitness, he has a fully-fit squad to select from. While City faced a two-legged Europa League tie against Porto, Blackburn have had two weeks off since their 3-2 win over QPR due to their exit from the FA Cup. That victory moved Steve Kean’s side out of the relegation zone but midfielder Morten Gamst Pedersen accepts that the battle to avoid relegation to the Championship has plenty of distance left to run. Pedersen, who thinks United will win the title, feels his team have to build a buffer to the bottom three, with a trip to Chelsea looming on the final day in May. “I said before the season starts it would be between United and City and it’s tight,” Pedersen said. “It will be tough but I’m more red than blue. “It will be very tough and I hope we can get things sorted before the last game away at Chelsea. “We’ve got some important games coming up and were scoring goals, if we can touch up a bit at the back, everyone wants to stay in the Premier League. “It’s a tough game against City and if we can get away with something it will be a good bonus for us.” Chris Samba, who failed in his attempts to earn a move away from Ewood Park in January, may come into contention for the game at Eastlands and Kean has no other injury worries.

Playing Field

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012

The games people play

Villas-Boas seeks relief against Bolton Ian Winrow

LONDON: Andre Villas-Boas admits he was forced to answer questions from owner Roman Abramovich about Chelsea’s Champions League defeat in Naples. And the Chelsea manager can expect another interrogation if his side fail to take advantage of the opportunity to strike a blow in the battle for fourth place by beating

Ajax fans light a flare during the UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg football match between Manchester United and Ajax at Old Trafford in Manchester, England on Thursday. AFP/ ANDREW YATES

United in, Atletico, PSV cruise along PARIS: Manchester United squeezed through to the Europa League last 16 on Thursday despite losing 2-1 to Ajax at Old Trafford while former champions Atletico Madrid became Spain’s third team in the next stage. Sir Alex Ferguson’s United went through 3-2 on aggregate and will face Athletic Bilbao in the next round. Mexican star Javier Hernandez scored his 10th goal of the season after six minutes but Ajax threatened to spoil the party when Aras Ozbiliz levelled in the 37th minute and Toby Alderweireld headed a 87th-minute second leg winner. “I’ve got to accept I’m responsible for picking the team and tonight I picked too many young players in the back four positions - that was a big problem in terms of experience. It was a big risk I took,” admitted Ferguson. “Ajax are fantastic in terms of keeping the ball. Their first goal I thought was a handball (in the build-up) but although they had a lot of possession they didn’t look like scoring. “But that goal gave them confidence and we only had one shot in the second half. I thought we were very poor in the second half.” Valencia joined Bilbao and Atletico, who saw off Lazio 4-1 on aggregate, in the next round when a 1-0 win over Stoke City gave them a 2-0 aggregate win. Brazilian Jonas struck the only goal in the 24th minute which was never challenged by the English Premier League side. The Spanish side now face PSV Eindhoven, who should prove formidable opponents after a 4-1 hammering of Trabzonspor for a 6-2 aggregate over the Turks. Already trailing 2-1, Trabzonspor’s task got even tougher as early as the 15th minute when Dries Mertens converted from the spot. Goals from Tim Matavz and Kevin

Strootman piled on the pressure and despite Burak Yilmaz hitting back for the Turks they were left in dire straits when ‘keeper Tolga Zengin was redcarded before the break. After the interval Matavz beat replacement goalkeeper Onur Kivrak to score his second and seal a comprehensive victory over the visitors. Athletic Bilbao had an arguably bigger challenge against Lokomotiv Moscow following a 2-1 defeat to the Russians in the first leg last week. But their away goal in the Russian capital proved to be crucial as the Spaniards eked out a 1-0 win in Bilbao thanks to winger Iker Muniain’s 62nd minute winner. Belgians Standard Liege also had the away goals rule to thank for their qualification after a scoreless draw at home against Wisla Krakow, having drawn 1-1 in Poland last week. They will now meet Hanover, after the Bundesliga side beat Club Brugge 10 in Belgium to secure a 3-1 aggregate victory. Udinese turned on the firepower to escape potential disaster in Greece, the Italians scoring two first-half goals and adding a second after the break for a 3-0 away win against PAOK Salonika. After Lazio’s failed attempt to overturn their 3-1 first leg defeat to Atletico, Udinese remain the only Italian club in the competition. Steaua Bucharest’s dream of making it to the May 9 final in their own National Stadium was brought crashing down by a 1-0 defeat to FC Twente. A opportunistic goal just before the half hour from Nacer Chadli was enough to send Steve McClaren’s side through 2-0 on aggregate. Klaas Jan Huntelaar scored a hattrick including two goals in extra-time as Schalke nudged past Viktoria Plzen 31 and 4-2 on aggregate. Schalke will tackle Twente in the next round. AFP

struggling Bolton at Stamford Bridge. Villas-Boas’s team currently lie fifth, trailing Arsenal on goal difference, but will leap-frog their London rivals if they avoid defeat 24 hours before Arsene Wenger’s side take on Tottenham. In previous seasons, few would have backed against anything other than a home victory, but after another difficult week, nothing can be assured.