FL ASH
JEDDAH NIGHTS
MINISTER’S HIT?
The undisputed commercial capital of Saudi Arabia, Jeddah is not only known for food and shopping but also for its warm hospitality.
A vehicle in the convoy of Minister for Roads & Buildings Dharmana Prasada Rao hit a two-wheeler near PS Colony in Srikakulam this morning. The rider’s condition is said to be serious.
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WHERE’S THE BEEF?
THE LIVES FIGHTING OF OTHERS PIRATES The recent biopic on Paan Singh Tomar throws light on the life of an athlete turned dacoit. Are there more Paan Singh Tomars in our society? If yes, then why are their lives so far from the glory which was once promised to them? PG 5
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Telugu Film Industry has inked an MoU with MPA to fight online piracy. We find out more about this deal and other initiatives. PG 4
MICHELLE D
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CITY SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
TRAVELLING ON THE EDGE
Salt of the earth
M ANIL KUMAR
An exhibition of paintings by Tailor Srinivas are being displayed at Iconart Gallery. The exhibition — Salt of the Earth will be on display till April 4. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No1 When: Ongoing, 11am-7pm Contact: 984996797
Spanish food festival The Square plays host to a Spanish food festival. Taste a variety of delicacies such as tapas, chorizos and tortillas. The event is on till April 1. Where: The Square, Novotel, Madhapur When: March 24 - April 1 6.30pm Contact: (040) 6682 4422
Mystic Chords Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his two talented sons Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan will perform live at Shilpakala Vedika. Where: Shilpakala Vedika, Madhapur When: March 25, 7pm Contact: (040) 23112704
Asian barbeque The Square, Novotel, Madhapur plays host to an Asian barbeque. Sample grilled specialities from around the world — from Lebanese to Japanese. Where: The Square, Novotel, Madhapur When: Every Saturday, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 6682 4422
Sunday brunch This Sunday, head to Xtreme Sports Bar for a unique Sunday brunch with live music, a football documentary and, unlimited beer & vodka shooters during brunch. Where: Xtreme Sports Bar, Banjara Hills, Rd No 2 When: March 25, 8pm onwards Contact: (040) 6458 6166
Wraps and rolls Rolls — boring did you say? Head to Promenade at Ameerpet for a wide variety of rolls that will suit everyone’s taste, from the vegetarians to the non-vegetarians. Where: The Promenade, Ameerpet When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 6678 8888
The Help English film The Help will be screened by Moving Images at Secunderabad Club. Where: The Secunderabad Club, Secunderabad
CINEMAS
When: March 25, 6.30pm Contact: 2780 4840
Tradition and innovation An exhibition showcases 58 designs which are a combination of tradition and innovation. Where: Salarjung Museum, Afzal Gunj When: Ongoing, 10am onwards Contact: (040) 2452 3211
Classical music Alliance Francaise and Hyderabad Western Music Foundation present a lecture cum demo on Classical music appreciation. Where: Alliance Francaise, Aurora Colony, Banjara Hills When: March 25, 6.30pm Contact: (040) 2355 4485
Kebab and grill festival Relish a feast of Kebabs and Grills as chefs from the Indian and continental kitchens take the challenge to serve you a myriad of Indian kebabs and western grills Where: Okra, Marriott Hotel and convention centre, Tank Bund When: Ongoing, 7pm Contact: (040) 2752 2568
Ugadi weekend Truffles Cafe celebrates Ugadi
Weekend Specials with a variety of special mains, Ugadi special beverages, mocktails and much more. Where: Truffles Cafe, Rd No10, Jubilee Hills When: Ongoing, 8am-11pm Contact: (040) 2355 0105
The refund Lamakaan plays host to the play titled “The Refund.” The play takes a dig at the education system and how they tend to stress more on rote learning than in actually preparing them for the real world. Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Rd No1 When: March 24-25, 7.30pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329
Miniature traditions Miniature Traditions — An Artistic Endeavor, will be held at Alankritha Art Gallery. It’s an exhibition of miniature paintings by Mahaveer Swami. Where: Alankritha Art Gallery, Kavuri Hills, Madhapur When: March 24 - April 4, 11 am onwards Contact: (040) 2311 3709
Sale time Good Earth plays host to an end of season sale. The sale is on a variety of products such as home textiles, crockery, decor, silver plated acces-
sories etc. Where: Good Earth, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: March 21 to March 25 Contact: (040) 2333 8000
Cotton and silk mela Bring out your shopping bags. Lepakshi Cotton and Silk Mela is on at Satya Sai Nigamagamam. Where: Satya Sai Nigamagamam, Srinagar Colony. When: March 18 to March 25 Contact: (040) 2323 5028
Unique buffet Yellow Chilli is offering a lunch buffet which is truly different. The Buffet which costs `199 (Monday to-Friday) and `249 (Saturday and Sunday). The dinner buffet costs `299 and `349. Where: Yellow Chilli, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 2338 3838
Go Splash Splash lounge is the perfect leisure destination for you to unwind. During the evenings, there is also great music, martinis and aperitifs. Where: The Westin, Mindspace, Madhapur When: Weekends, 8am - 10.30pm Contact: (040) 6767 6828
Big Cinemas, Ameerpet: 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills: 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally: 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills: 44767777; Prasads, Tank Bund Rd: 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta: 8800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur: 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad: 27844973
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CITY SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
Idol thief arrested
T
he Sanathnagar police nabbed a thief who had been involved in over five cases of stealing temple idols in the City. Sheikh Ali, alias Raju alias Babu, 27, from Godavari district was nabbed yesterday while he was found moving suspiciously at Allapur. The police team recovered four panchaloha idols, three Sai Baba idols, a silver crown and ornaments.
Implement RWH in GHMC
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Trouble cooking on OU campus? Osama Salman and Sudeshna Koka feedback@postnoon.com
A
splinter group, posing as champions of Dalits’ ‘food rights,’ plan to make an encore of last year’s mayhem on Ambedkar Jayanthi. On April 14, they plan a protest meal made of beef to denounce ‘vegetarian only meal’ served on festivals. But most student unions have disassociated with it, and the ABVP, the agent provocateur last year, has dismissed it as sheer baloney. Nevertheless students are tense. Attempts are being made by a minuscule group on Osmania University campus to kick up a row on ‘food rights’ of Dalits by hosting a ‘beef festival’ on April 14 to protest what they call discrimination against food habits of Dalits. Last year the same issue invited trouble and many were injured. “The food culture on campus is biased against Dalits, and we want to break this. During Ganesh puja and Dussehra festival for 10 days there was no non-vegetarian food. Most students are Dalits whose food include meat. Why this discrimination?” asks Sudarshan Bala Boina, a PhD student. Dalit students form the second largest caste group with 2,000 members in OU. The campus which has a total student strength of 8,000 has about 4,000 OBC and 1,000 tribal students. However, the Dalit students seem least interested in this protest. Many when contacted said students were not
Gas leak kills toddler
I
DP floor leader in GHMC S Srinivas Reddy demanded that the Mayor immediately intervene to ensure proper implementation of the mandatory rules of installation of Rain Water Harvesting Pits (RWHP) in residential buildings. In a memorandum Reddy reminded the Mayor of the resolution that had been passed and sought to know the status.
keen on inviting trouble. “The beef protest is headed and led by just one man (Sudarshan). We are not part of it. Last year many students were affected in a similar protest at EFLU and hence this year most groups have decided to stay away from this,” said Krishnak Manne, student leader OU. Ruling out its involvement, the ABVP national executive member, Ramakrishna, told Postnoon, “It’s a tiny group. Some students want to cause trouble. We have no connection and will not give any importance to this. Anyway, I don’t think they have the permission to conduct the so-called beef fest.” Ramakrishna added, “Last year we got involved in it due to some other agenda but this year we want to stay away. Today they are protesting for beef tomorrow they will ask for pork. I am a Dalit myself but I don’t feel discriminated against.” The management is also not expecting any problem. “I have not been informed by the students or management hence I am not making arrangements. I don’t think it is a big issue,” said the newly appointed Dalit principal Malesham. But, Sudarshan Bala and his group are bent on creating a ‘food revolution.’ They will cook beef in front of OU Arts College on April 14. “Meat is a basic food for most Dalits, and we want the upper caste hostility towards it to end. We will go ahead with the festival and fight against the discrimination. No one including the ABVP can touch us,” so boasts Sudarshan.
n a tragic incident, a domestic gas leak led to the death of 1-year-old Karthik under the Chatrinaka police station limits. The incident occurred when the boy’s mother Narasamma tried to light the stove not realising there was a leak. Both mother and child sustained burns and were shifted to Osmania General Hospital, but Karthik succumbed to his injuries.
TDP blames loss on its candidates Postnoon News
W
hile the Congress camp has not yet recovered from the shock it received at the hustlings, the Opposition TDP has gone ahead and done it. Only, the party found fault with the choice of candidates, not with leaders! Reviewing the party performance in the recent by-elections, the TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu has set in motion some corrective measures to win back people’s trust in the ensuing by-election for 18 Assembly seats, says the party spokesman. “Babu is focussing on selecting the right candidates, the lack of which is held as one of the reasons for setback in the by-election held in Telangana. Naidu
began the exercise of selecting suitable candidates for the next phase of bypolls following vacancies caused by disqualification of Congress MLAs for supporting the YSRC chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy,” says the party’s online statement. It is learnt that the candidate’s age, his caste and community will be thoroughly examined to ensure that the next by-election results are more favourable. In a series of review meetings on the party’s debacle held by Naidu, senior leaders expressed anger over the selection of candidates. Sources said that Naidu took the issue seriously and asked the party leaders of districts, where the bypolls are scheduled, to send a report on the winning prospects of the party and suggest suitable candidates.
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I
n May last violence broke out at the English and Foreign Languages University campus. Students, who tried to make beef, were attacked by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists. About 15 Dalit students were injured. The violence resulted in injuries and the police had to intervene.
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CITY SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
TFI all set to take on pirates Telugu Film Industry has inked an MoU with MPA to fight online piracy. Postnoon gets talking to Rajkumar, chairman of the Anti-Video Piracy Cell to find out more about this deal with MPA and other initiatives to curb piracy SOMADJINN
HEMANTH KUMAR
Hemanth.k@postnoon.com
I
n a significant move to fight online piracy, AP Film Chamber of Commerce (APFCC) signed an MoU with Motion Picture Association (MPA) on March 23, 2012. It’s the first time that a film industry in India is collaborating with MPA to protect intellectual property rights of its content. Ever since APFCC launched an Anti-Video Piracy Cell in 2005, a lot has been done to curb video piracy across the State. Right from conducting raids on shops selling illegal CDs, DVDs to setting up a special court to prosecute culprits who indulge in piracy, the Anti-Piracy Video Cell has been doing everything it can to tackle the issue. However, when it comes to fighting online piracy, the Anti-Video Piracy Cell is yet to make a significant impact. “It’s a frightening scenario and there’s no denying that the online piracy has taken the whole industry by storm,” Rajkumar, chairman of AntiVideo Piracy Cell, acknowledges. To get a better perspective of how online piracy is affecting the Telugu film industry, Rajkumar reveals more about a study that his team conducted to understand the losses incurred by the industry. “In 2008, we collected a list of top 100 websites that upload illegal content and then we found what the number of downloads from each website was. If we ascertain the value of each download as `100, the total loss incurred by Telugu film industry in 2008 was `146 crores. In 2009, this number jumped to `226 crores and in 2010, the loss incurred was as much as `340 crores,” Rajkumar reveals. It’s a staggering number and it’s bound to increase significantly over the next three years
because of the astronomical increase in the number of mobile users in the country. “After China and the US, India has the third largest number of internet users. Currently, there are about a 100 million users in the country, although the internet penetration is just 8.4 per cent. On the other hand, there are almost 900 million mobile phone users in India and with the introduction of 3G, your mobile phone is as good as a computer. We are looking at a scenario, where there will be 1 billion internet users in the next three to four years,” Rajkumar
avers, adding, “As much as 73 per cent of the total netizens use internet to download music and movies. Most of it is illegal because either film studios don’t upload legal content immediately or even if they do, the content is not affordable. We can’t even imagine the repercussions and the losses which film industries across India will incur if a billion internet users start downloading illegal content.” In June, 2011, a list of 32 of the most notorious websites was drawn up and handed over to the Central government to take necessary action to curb online
piracy. “India is a huge market for Hollywood and they have realised that pretty late. Since we are all fighting against a common enemy, it was important that we share information, collaborate and fight jointly. It’s a matter of pride for us to see that Mike Robinson, global enforcement officer, Motion Pictures Association (MPA) and Edward Neubronner, regional operations director were highly appreciative of our efforts. We even launched an anti-piracy app, which is the first of its kind in the world. We are going to use this app as a tool to promote
awareness about piracy and police officers across the State can access all the information through this app,” Rajkumar adds. The MoU is expected to pave way for better legislation and protecting the content of Hollywood studios in India as well. “The MoU is just the beginning of several joint initiatives which we plan to start in future. Andhra Pradesh has the required IT expertise to put up a strong fight against piracy and in future, we will protect content of other film industries as well,” Rajkumar signs off.
Water crisis hits govt U Srinivas
srinivas.u@postnoon.com
C
hief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy had launched a water facility with purified water supply in front of the D block of the Secretariat back in May 2011. The move came as a welcome relief for most people and they were all praise for the Chief Minister for this act of kindness.
The facility came as a boon for drivers, attendants and lowly employees, who used to have a cool fill in the summer — a luxury for those who can’t afford the mineral water bottles that cost `16 a litre. However, this year with the scorching heat, the tap has gone bone dry. All a desperately thirsty gets on turning on the tap is a loud hiss, but not a drop to drink. “There is no water supply to the
overhead tank,” says the maintenance staff. Was it because the water bill was not paid? No answer — a high likelihood considering often government offices neither pay rent nor utility bills. The tap is now closed with a fitting. The board placed during the heyday, however, still advises people to “Save Water.” If this is the situation at the seat of power, what it is it like for the common man, we wonder.
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FOCUS SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
The lives of others
The recent biopic on Paan Singh Tomar throws light on the life of an athlete turned dacoit. Are there more Paan Singh Tomars in our society? If yes, then why are their lives so far from the glory which was once promised to them? HEMANTH KUMAR
hemanth.k@postnoon.com
O
ur obsession with cricket needs no introduction. The glitz, glamour and money involved in the sport perhaps doesn't come close to the passion people have towards the game; however, it takes a heroic effort from other sportsmen, especially hockey players, to remind the country that cricket is not the national game. Long before people got obsessed with cricket, legendary players like Dhyan Chand were making waves all over the world on the hockey turf. And then there were other athletes like Milkha Singh who won laurels at the Olympics and other international events. So what hap-
pens to them after they retire from sports? Is it not our responsibility to put them at the highest pedestal for the rest of their lives for bringing honour and glory to our country? Except for handful of sportsmen, who have managed to be in the limelight long after they retired, the lives of others present a heartbreaking picture. Tigmanshu Dhulia highlighted the life of one such athlete with his recent biopic on Paan Singh Tomar, who broke the national record twice in the 3,000m steeplechase. He was serving in the Army back in the 50s and after he retired, he was disappointed to see that his medals and efforts to bring glory to the nation didn't come handy when he approached authorities to help him in solving a family feud. The only solution he could think of was to turn a dacoit to avenge the injustice done to him. Towards the end of the film,
names of several other sportspersons were mentioned— some who died penniless and others who couldn't afford proper medical care despite winning medals. In its promotional campaign, UTV highlighted the lives of swimmers like Kutraleeswaran, who was once offered citizenship of Italy to swim on their behalf in Olympics and Premjit Lall, a tennis legend who was restricted to a wheelchair following an accident and subsequently forgotten. Just days after the film's release, Tigmanshu announced that he was planning to set up a project named SOS (Save our Sportspersons). How exactly they plan to reach out to sportsmen in our country remains to be seen. It's a crying shame that both our people and our government can so quickly forget the heroics of sportsmen like Paan Singh Tomar. In November 2011, the bus in
IT'S A CRYING SHAME THAT BOTH OUR PEOPLE AND OUR GOVERNMENT CAN SO QUICKLY FORGET THE HEROICS OF SPORTSMEN LIKE PAAN SINGH TOMAR. which the national women's kabaddi team was travelling, caught fire and 14 players were injured. They were on their way to meet the Chief Minister of Punjab. Two days later, the team won the World Cup. Despite all this, the team members had to wait for hours on the roads because the team management and the sports authorities didn't bother to provide them with any conveyance to return to their hotel rooms. It's one of the several examples of the way portsper-
sons are treated in the country despite all the hard work they do. Over the last few years, there have been several initiatives across the country to encourage new talent and consequently, several sportsmen especially from rural areas came to the limelight. While ample efforts are being made to nurture young talent, no one talks or bothers about their lives long after they do their bit for the nation. Although several rules are relaxed when a sportsperson applies for a job, the pension which most people receive is still meager and for some people, that's the only source of income. Parduman Singh, former Asian Games shot put and discus champion, was forced to sell his medals because of his poverty. There are several other Pardumans all over the nation but their stories might never surface. Isn’t that a point worth pondering?
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NATION SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
CLASSIFIEDS FABRICATION
Motive must to convict
Lokpal is need of hour
Jailed for lying to court
NEW DELHI: An accused cannot
NEW DELHI: The government
be convicted for murder, if a person dies of simple injuries sustained in an attack by him without a motive to kill, the Supreme Court has ruled. A bench of Justices TS Thakur and Gyan Sudha Mishra gave the ruling while upholding a Rajasthan High Court judgement.
has failed in protecting people who are fighting against corruption in the country, said activist Anna Hazare on Sunday ahead of his day-long fast to push for a stronger Lokpal bill at the Jantar Mantar here. "Today we are going to Jantar Mantar for a day-long fast," Hazare said.
NEW DELHI: A man has been
BJP no match even for a weak Congress T Amulya Ganguli
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sentenced to a month's imprisonment by a Delhi court for falsely implicating his 20-yr-old daughter's lover in an abduction case as he did not approve of their inter-caste union and forcibly got her married for the second time. He deposed before the court that she was a minor.
here does not appear to be much hope for the BJP to emerge as a challenger to the Congress in 2014, although the latter is now much weaker than it was at the time of the last general election. It isn't only that no front-runner has appeared in the saffron outfit in the leadership tussles between LK Advani, Narendra Modi, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj, the latest developments in Karnataka and Gujarat confirm that where lust for power is concerned, the BJP has become a mirror-image of the party it loves to hate — the Congress. Arguably, this fall from grace of an organisation claiming to harbour spiritual-minded Rambhakts — devotees of the Hindu deity —
was inevitable considering that its rise was based on the pseudo-religious plank of temple building and minority-baiting. Since there was no ideological inspiration other than the flaunting of a provocative Hindu agenda and demonising of Muslims and Christians, it was only to be expected that the BJP would comprise elements, not all of whom could be
regarded as true representatives of virtuous conduct. Nowhere has this evidence of degeneration been more evident than in Karnataka, which first saw the BJP members being accused of corruption — BS Yeddyurappa and the Bellary brothers — and then, after their eviction from office following a Lokayukta verdict, continuing to find ways and means of
regaining their lost authority. Hence, Yeddyurappa was first dragged kicking and screaming from the chief minister's post and now the same spectacle may be witnessed if and when his successor, Sadananda Gowda, is asked by the BJP "high command" — as in the much-maligned Congress — to make way for his predecessor. The only difference between the two parties is that the BJP top brass, unlike its Congress counterpart, is a house divided and, therefore, far more vulnerable to pressure tactics by groups wielding the caste — Yeddyurappa belongs to the Lingayats who constitute 18 percent of the electorate — or the party's standard communal card. The fractures in the BJP's top echelons of power are the result of inability to find a suitable replacement for Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Forget auto, hire a cycle instead Madhusree Chatterjee
NEW DELHI: Cycling to work may soon become a reality in Delhi, and not just for the poor. With pollution and shrinking road space, the capital is under pressure to adopt the Netherlands model that promotes cycling as an alternative to driving. "Cycle is the future in India but the voice has to reach out," said Pankaj Munjal, presidentdesignate, All India Cycles Manufacturers' Association. Every Sunday, Munjal and a group of 150 cyclists from across walks of life assemble at the Lutyen's Bikers' Zone between Rashtrapati Bhavan and India Gate in the capital for 45 minutes of vigorous biking and bike-related discussions — which end with a small feast. "We drive to India Gate at 6 am, offload our bikes and cycle on the biker's tracks," Munjal, also the managing-director of Hero Cycles, told IANS. The bikes roll in every category from the regulation black bikes at `10,000 to the designer models priced `1.5– `2 lakh,
Munjal said. His company manufactures nearly six million of the nearly 13 million bicycles in India annually. A new study unveiled on March 22 by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) says Delhi has to wake up to the mobility crisis with non-conventional, eco-friendly and easier systems of transport. "Increased use of car in the capital has reduced the carrying capacity of roads and by 2020, if the capital has to meet its target of 80 per cent of public transport share, it will have to spend more on cycling and walking," the study said. The report says with the "new biking and walking facilities in some parts of Delhi like the BRT stretch between Ambedkar Nagar and Pragati Maidan, Vikas Marg from ITO to Laxmi Nagar, the Tughlaqabad stretch and the Noida Link Road — built post-Commonwealth Games — cycling is still seen as a street-scraping rather than continuous well-designed usable system". "We have political commitment, will and interest, but it is
DEEPAK DESHPANDE
actually work on the ground that all this has to transform into. We are not looking at cycling and walking as a small solution, but on a scale which actually works on the ground in the capital," Sunita Narain, director-general of the CSE, said at a forum, Our Right of Way: Walk and Cycle. Citing figures for the capital,
Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of the CSE, said, "Delhi has one of the highest walk-and-cycle trips in the country at around 2.8 million". "Even on car-dominated roads like the Outer Ring Road, the share of cycles is quite close to that of autos — 7 and 9 per cent respectively," she said quot-
ing figures. At least 34 per cent Delhi homes own a bicycle and the domestic bike market has expanded by 3 per cent every year," she said. But the cycling lanes have remained discontinuous and the intricate designs of the tracks have created barriers for cyclists, Roychowdhury said. High-speed motorised traffic often impedes into the cycling lanes and there is no penalty on motor vehicle owners for encroaching on non-motorised roads. Cycling access to metro stations is also poor, he said. The high rate of fatal accidents in the capital has been a stumbling block to increase in cycling and walking in the capital, and there were no efforts to make the roads safe for anybody, Satyendra Garg, the joint commissioner of police, said. In 2011, nearly 104 cyclists were killed on the streets of the capital, he said. "One cannot have proper cycling without the involvement of the city's governing bodies," said Rajesh Kalra, the initiator of Pedalyatri, a cycle initiative in the NCR region.
7
WORLD SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
Tuareg rebels advance
Leung wins HK elections HONG KONG: Former government
More treatment for Chavez
BAMAKO: Tuareg rebels closed in on
adviser and property consultant Leung Chun-ying won Hong Kong’s leadership election on Sunday, according to official results. Leung, 57, will replace outgoing chief executive Donald Tsang in June after winning 689 of the votes from the 1,200-strong election committee that chooses the southern Chinese city’s leader.
CARACAS: Venezuelan President
a key city in northern Mali on Sunday, taking advantage of a power vacuum in Bamako where putschists insisted they were in firm control after ousting the government. As the junta condemned widespread looting in the capital and struggled to restore order, soldiers in the distant north recruited militia to help them fight Tuareg rebels.
Hugo Chavez flew back to Cuba late on Saturday for more radiation treatment after his latest cancer surgery. Earlier in the day, Chavez said in a message broadcast on media that he was planning to start radiation therapy in Havana, adding that his treatment was expected to continue four or five weeks.
Day of the underdog: Santorum wins Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS: Underdog Rick Santorum captured Louisiana on Saturday in a largely symbolic victory that won’t dent rival Mitt Romney’s commanding lead in the race for the Republican presidential nod. “Our campaign is making history,” Santorum said in an email to supporters moments after he was projected the winner of this southern US state by US media. Written off early on in the campaign, Santorum has steadily notched up wins — now 11 out of 34 contests — largely with the help of evangelical Christians and the party’s most conservative members. “Not since Ronald Reagan in 1976 has a conservative candidate won as many states as we have,” Santorum said. “The reason why our campaign is winning in state after state is because people want an authentic, strong conservative leader to take on (President) Barack Obama and not someone who just talks a good conservative game.” But Santorum’s failure to win over more moderate voters — and his focus on divisive culture war issues like abortion and birth control — has called into question his ability to beat Obama in the November 6 election. “We liked Santorum for a while, but lately he has gotten too radical,” Betty Harper, 76, told AFP after casting a ballot for Romney at a New Orleans polling station.
Republican presidential candidate, Rick Santorum hugs his daughter Sarah Maria Santorum after speaking during a campaign stop at the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference yesterday in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. AFP/JESSICA KOURKOUNIS
Pressure is mounting from the Republican establishment to rally behind Romney, whose 21 wins include Florida, Ohio and Michigan. Obama had an eight-point lead over Santorum in a hypothetical matchup that had him in a statistical tie with Romney, according to a national survey. But Santorum insists the only way to beat Obama is to pick a conservative candidate who can energize the party’s base rather than tapping an “Obama-Lite” in the hopes of winning over moderates and independents. And the party’s conservative base isn’t listening to the establishment anymore, said Steffen Schmidt, a political science professor at Iowa State University. “Since 2010 GOP incumbents and ‘establishment’ have been declared to be RINO’s (Republican In Name Only) challenged in primaries, and generally excoriated by almost 2/3 of the Republicans voting or going to caucuses,” Schmidt told AFP. “Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, the ‘conservative first’, Obama hating, faith-based, and Rush Limbaugh (voters) are not on board with Mitt Romney, Romneycare, “Romney Waffles,” and other powerful symbolisms.” Turnout has been low in the hotly contested, topsy-turvy Republican nominating race, but Romney has dismissed any concerns about an enthusiasm gap as he amasses an increasingly insurmountable lead.
Santorum has vowed to take the fight all the way to the Republican convention in August if Romney fails to win the 1,144 delegates needed to clinch the nomination. Romney currently has an estimated 560 delegates, while Santorum has won 246, according to the website Real Clear Politics. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, who has won two states, has 141 delegates, while Texas Representative Ron Paul, who has not won a single contest, has 66 thanks to the proportional distribution of delegates in some states. Just 20 delegates were at stake in Louisiana on Saturday and the race now shifts to more delegate-rich states where Romney has the advantage. The former Massachusetts governor was ahead by 13 points in a Rasmussen survey of voters in the midwestern state of Wisconsin, which heads to the polls on April 3 along with Maryland and Washington — where Santorum’s shoe-string campaign failed to get on the ballot. Santorum is expected to carry his home state of Pennsylvania in the following contest on April 24, but the victory will be overshadowed if Romney is able to sweep New York, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island, which also vote that day. Santorum’s campaign says it is looking ahead to May, when the southern states of North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky, Arkansas and Texas AFP will vote.
Dick Cheney gets Germany goes to heart transplant polls, Merkel secure
Airstrike soldiers to go scot free
WASHINGTON: Former US vice president Dick
WASHINGTON: The US military has decided that
Cheney was recovering in hospital on Saturday after a long-awaited and “lifesaving” heart transplant from an unknown donor to whom he will “be forever grateful.” Cheney, 71, a central figure in the “war on terror” launched by the US in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks and who remains a prominent figure in the Republican Party, has a long history of heart trouble. He had been on a list for the transplant for more than 20 months. Cheney has suffered several major health scares. He suffered his first heart attack in 1978 at the age of 37 and underwent quadruple bypass surgery in 1988. He has since had two artery-clearing angioplasties AFP and in 2001 was fitted with a pacemaker.
BERLIN: German voters go to the polls today in the first of three quick-fire state ballots which could hand Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition ally a drubbing ahead of the 2013 national election. After a gruelling seven regional votes last year, Merkel and her junior Free Democrats were only slated to fight one in 2012, but that unexpectedly swelled to three after the sudden collapse of two state governments. Analysts say the three votes, taking place over a eight-week period, pose no direct challenge to the chancellor, whose conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is riding high in the polls. However, all eyes will be on the fate of her junior coalition partner, the probusiness Free Democratic Party (FDP), who, polls suggest, could be kicked out of all three regional parliaments. AFP
no service members will face disciplinary charges for a NATO airstrike in November that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. A Pentagon investigation found late last year that both US and Pakistani troops were responsible for the exchange of fire. But it noted that the Pakistanis had fired first from two border posts not on coalition maps, and that they kept firing even after the Americans tried to warn them that they were shooting at allied troops. Pakistan rejected these conclusions. The US military launched a second inquiry to determine whether any American military personnel should be punished. This recently completed review AFP had come up with a negative conclusion.
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COMMENT SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
Okay to be ignorant
Education changes lives
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F
he urban jetsam column yesterday was hilarious. Not many of us stop to think about little changes that have crept into our language over the years. Earlier I used to be confused and ashamed that I did not know what Lol or Rotfl or Lmao meant, but this article proved me wrong. Harshith Secunderabad
or a few days your paper carried articles on witchcraft and black magic saying that people were still plasticising such things and now this article on Bujji being a victim of a devious plot involving black magic. It is sad that some people just do learn, especially the uneducated ones. Anjum Khan Banjara Hill
SUPERBUGS NEED our attention
WHY WE LOVE... Rick Santorum We love a believer, but Santorum has taken it to a whole new level. Rick just refuses to wake up and smell the roses. Rick you ain’t going to the White House, drop out already.
Readers’ views We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 040-4067 2222.
Learning never stops
T
he article on Shahin Moidu was a really well written. This woman has truly mentored many people in our city; now they are in some of the biggest names of society. She is definitely an inspiration for people as she truly justifies the saying that learning never stops. Swathi Shastri Ameerpet
When diplomacy emphasises realism
EDITORIALS
An alarming report released this week by the World Health Organisation (WHO) states that the fight against drug-resistant strains of diseases like Tuberculosis has already been lost in some parts of the world. What is more shocking is that the highly infectious TB has begun to rear its head once again in the developed world. The war against disease has always been long and arduous, and one that has waged for centuries. As Siddhartha Mukherjee’s The Emperor of All Maladies elucidated so succinctly, fighting back a disease requires a multi-pronged attack; one that involves governments, local health agencies and the people. For too long now, medical research has been put on the backburner and given short shrift in the media as the focus has increasingly zoned in on politics and war. In labs across the world scientists and doctors are working tirelessly to find cure for cancer and Aids, and the fact that diseases that we thought we had beaten are coming back more vicious than ever must be regarded as an imminent and existential threat. Under developed countries in Africa and Asia will be the first to bear the brunt of the superbug invasion, and their people will be on the frontline of a new, more horrific war than we have ever seen before. The developed world must make it clear to them that they are not alone, and the entire machinery of the First World is thrown into the fray.
EDITORIALS
EDWARD M
From the Hip SYED SHOAIB
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ndia’s decision to vote against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC was to “ensure that concern was expressed to enable minority Tamils in that country to get justice” is what Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated. It almost sounds like a simplistic explanation used by a parent or teacher to punish one erring school child to please another. It makes us wonder at the immature foreign policy adopted by the UPA as a sacrificial offering to coalition exigencies. The United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution on Sri Lanka censuring Sri Lanka on alleged human rights violations during the war against LTTE. The resolution passed the council by a vote of 24 to 15, with 8 abstentions. Member countries voting for the resolution included India, Nigeria and the United States. Sri Lanka has fought a bitter and violent separatist war for three decades that brought the country to the brink of ruin. The war saw an estimated 70,000 casualties, 3,00,000 Tamils fled the country and the infrastructure of the Northern region was totally destroyed. Real peace cannot come overnight as the trauma of the war is still to fade on both sides. It will be of great concern to India if there is instability in Sri Lanka. It is a fact that Human Rights violations were committed by both the LTTE and the Sri Lankan army during the war and it is now time for the battle-weary survivors to be given a chance of peace. It would perhaps not be wise to corner a beleaguered nation that lost as much as its opponent in the war. We would be committing the same mistake that Versailles did to Germany during the I World War. By voting for the resolution,
India may have lost an opportunity to leverage its influence on the island nation to push for the resettlement of the Tamils. It has also pushed the island country into the arms of the Chinese who are seizing the opportunity by way of giving loans for the infrastructure development of the country with no strings attached. By this, the Chinese hit two birds with one stone. Ostensibly, it is furthering its ambitions for maritime trade, but it is also successfully building a ring of fire round India that will contain us so that we may not be able to extend our influence beyond our borders as we will be busy dousing flames that are surrounding us. Both Sri Lanka and India are SAARC members. We should remember the euphoric
IT WOULD PERHAPS
NOT BE WISE TO CORNER A BELEAGUERED NATION THAT LOST AS MUCH AS ITS OPPONENT IN THE WAR. WE WOULD BE COMMITTING THE SAME MISTAKE THAT VERSAILLES DID TO GERMANY DURING THE I WORLD WAR. Dhaka Declaration that promised “...to co-operate regionally, to work together towards finding solutions towards their common problems in a spirit of friendship, trust and mutual understanding and to the creation of an order
based on mutual respect, equity and shared benefits”. India should have used the forum of SAARC to help Sri Lanka transition to peace and support it to move on to political reform and economic renewal by way of building in economic, political and security incentives. With its institutionalised democratic experience India could have guided Sri Lanka towards a constitutional accommodation of its ethnic minorities, leading to greater power sharing and devolution. Helping Sri Lanka to embrace Human Rights, will in the long run, do more for the Tamils than what a mere vote in the UNHRC would gain. The writer works for Postnoon
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BUSINESS SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
Patent requests on rise
Iberia Express launched
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atent requests in the Europe reached a record high in 2011, in a telling sign that companies are determined to stay on the cutting edge despite a debt crisis and an uncertain economy. In total 244,437 requests for patents were filed in 2011 at the Munich-based European Patent Office, the body’s annual report showed, 3.7 percent more than 2010.
panish airline Iberia launches its new low-cost carrier for Europe, against a backdrop of angry protests by workers who fear for their salaries. “This is a fundamental project for the Iberia group,” chief executive Rafael Sanchez-Lozano said. The group behind the venture is the International Airlines Group formed by merger of Iberia and British Airways.
China ‘likes’ Jim Yong
U
S President Barack Obama’s nomination of a Korean-born Ivy League college head to lead the World Bank was “encouraging”, a commentary in China’s state news agency Xinhua said on Saturday. Obama named Jim Yong Kim, a USraised physician, as the US nominee to succeed Robert Zoellick, who is scheduled to leave the World Bank in June.
Is Singapore the new NGO? The government says it is keen to broaden Singapore’s international appeal and tap into a growing environmental and charitable consciousness among its wealthy populace
Philip Lim
S
ingapore has long courted international banks and companies in its drive to become a financial hub. But it is also wooing a very different sector: non-profit groups including campaign charities. Singapore has attracted more than 130 “international non-profit organisations” such as the charities Mercy Relief and World Vision International, and the International Air Transport Association, an avia-
tion lobby group. This is triple the number of regional or global non-profits that were based in Singapore when a campaign to lure them with tax breaks and other incentives started in 2007. The government says it is keen to broaden Singapore’s international appeal and tap into a growing environmental and charitable consciousness among its wealthy populace. But the welcome does not extend to every campaigning organisation that has attempted
to set up shop in Singapore, whose no-nonsense government is routinely accused by foreign and local activists of squelching dissent. Those who have made it in include the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), one of a clutch of non-profits housed in a dedicated three-building complex called the Tanglin International Centre. Elaine Tan, chief executive of the Singapore branch of WWF, said the group appreciates the generous allocation of office
space in the complex, a luxury hard to find in Singapore’s costly business districts. Tan said companies were increasingly incorporating sustainability and other environmental measures into their business practices. Earth Hour, which is moving to Singapore from Sydney, plans its next annual lights-off event on March 31. But more radical groups such as Greenpeace, which has a long history of high-profile environmental activism, have so far
been shut out. When asked about the absence of groups like Greenpeace, the EDB’s Quek said approval for foreign nonprofits to be registered as legal entities “is subject to the relevant regulatory framework”. That framework “reflects the social norms and legal structure of Singapore,” he said. Justin Harper, a markets strategist for IG Markets Singapore, said “nothing too controversial, no one too risky” would be allowed into Singapore. KIRK HILLE
EU set for global punch-up China has reportedly threatened to retaliate against the plan to tax its airlines by suspending orders for $14 billion worth of jetliners from European plane-maker Airbus
State of the Union
PAUL AMES
S
till bruised and bloodied by three years of domestic brawling over the debt crisis, the European Union is now flexing its muscles for a spot of international pugilism. Since the start of the year, the EU has been hurtling towards a trade war with China over Brussels’ demand that all airlines flying into Europe pay a levy to offset carbon emissions.
“The EU should no longer be naïve,” said Michel Barnier, the EU’s internal market commissioner. “The commission will remain vigilant in the defense of European interests.” There is fear, however, that the newly macho EU has taken on fights it just can’t win. China has reportedly threatened to retaliate against the plan to tax its airlines by suspending orders for $14 billion worth of jetliners from European planemaker Airbus. Facing a recession and record unemployment, Europe just can’t afford to take hits like that. Airbus was so worried it
teamed up with bitter rival Boeing to urge the EU for a rethink. “Stop it now. Don’t go down the road of a trade war,” Airbus CEO Tom Enders urged the EU on Friday. “This is not a question of wanting a fight, it’s a question of being serious about climate change,” says Isaac Valero Ladron, the EU’s climate change spokesman. Faced with overwhelming international opposition however, it’s hard to see how the EU can emerge victorious in this battle. However worthy its ideals, Europe no longer has the economic or political clout to
cajole emerging powerhouses into following its views. While the Europeans look certain to be pushed into a compromise on airline emissions, Shada Islam, head of policy at the Friends of Europe thinktank, recognises they have a point on the potentially much bigger issue of government contracts. Barnier told reporters this week that the EU has opened over 80 per cent of its market for public tenders to international competition. The figure in the US is just 32 per cent and in Japan 28 per cent, he complained, while China barely gives European firms a toehold.
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SPECIAL REPORT SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
The people of Afghanistan have been confronted with multiple narratives of what happened in the early hours of March 11, when 16 civilians — including nine women and children — were killed in their homes in the restive southern province of kandahar. The US military says it was a lone, rogue soldier. Bur villagers swear they saw multiple attackers, remember the sequence of events in the two villages unfolding.
What really happened at Kandahar? Did other US soldiers help Staff Sgt Robert Bales? Here’s an investigation into the evolving narrative of the Kandahar shootings
Bette Dam
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onflicting reports from eyewitnesses, US officials and local leaders show, if anything, how little is known for certain about what happened in the early morning hours of March 11, when Staff Sgt. Robert Bales allegedly massacred 16 Afghan civilians, including nine women and children. About the only facts the US military and local Afghans agree on is the number of people killed during the shooting — which took place in two remote villages in Kandahar Province, a half-mile from a US military outpost — and that the killings occurred sometime in the early morning hours. While Sgt. Bales is in custody in the United States for the shooting, locals swear that multiple soldiers participated and that they communicated via walkie-talkies, indicating the attack might have been a more organized operation. Such accounts, however, stand in stark contrast to the
story being told by US officials of a lone US soldier, Bales, who snapped under the pressures of multiple deployments. A spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, the coalition of US and NATO troops operating in Afghanistan, said the investigations were still ongoing. “ISAF is looking into all the witnesses accounts who are deemed credible and we will investigate that,” Lt. Brian Badura said. Credible is the key word. Most of the “witnesses” so far interviewed are from the villages, or are family or friends of the victims. But very few actually saw the shooting unfold. Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who summoned several villagers to Kabul to get their side of the story, has ardently supported their claims. GlobalPost, however, interviewed the same people in Kandahar before they flew to meet Karzai, and found that either they didn’t see the shooting or that they couldn’t recall key details.
CREDIBLE IS THE KEY WORD. MOST OF THE “WITNESSES” INTERVIEWED SO FAR ARE FROM THE VILLAGES, OR ARE FAMILY OR FRIENDS OF THE VICTIMS. BUT VERY FEW ACTUALLY SAW THE SHOOTING UNFOLD. Habibullah, a 28-year-old farmer who saw parts of the massacre unfold, was one of those who met Karzai. He told GlobalPost he saw several soldiers in his compound when his father was shot. But he also admits he can’t remember everything that happened. “My mind is too confused. But this is a night raid,” he remembered. Night raids — surprise attacks by US soldiers on houses they suspect are associated with the Taliban, are common in this volatile region. “The Americans usually pick one house to raid,
and then they leave.” But a few moments later residents from neighbouring houses began fleeing to Habibullah’s, telling everyone to hide. The attacker — or attackers — soon followed, he said. “I didn’t hear a lot of shooting and I didn’t hear helicopters,” Habibullah recalled. But he did see “two or three Americans” enter his compound, “using lights and firing at my father, who was wounded.” Based on hard-to-verify testimonies like these, local and national politicians in Afghanistan claim publicly to have definitive accounts of the massacre — making public statements that have further increased tensions among Afghan civilians, the Taliban and the Americans. Massoud Akhundzada, a member of a prominent religious family in Kandahar who lost relatives in the massacre, said he is angry about the attack. But he has appealed for calm, warning against a rush to judgment by those who claim to know what happened.
“There are a lot of assumptions,” Akhundzada said. “But we still don’t know the truth. We have to be very careful.” Local Afghan journalists are among those searching for the truth. While several local reporters have visited the scene, they said actual eyewitnesses have been difficult to find, because most villagers are reluctant to talk and authorities have prevented journalists from visiting wounded survivors. US officials in Afghanistan gave several Afghan journalists permission last week to visit survivors of the massacre, who are being treated at the hospital at Kandahar Airfield, a major military base in southern Afghanistan. But when the journalists arrived they ISAF officials only allowed them to take a few photographs and then asked them to leave. “The wounded survivors, who saw everything of the massacre, are crucial to the story,” said one of the frustrated reporters. “But the Americans didn’t allow us to talk to them.” GLOBAL POST
11
INSIGHT SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
AFP/WILLIAM
WEST
Red Bull- river Renault d Sebastian Vettel of Germany the slides off track in ne’s Formula O Australian in Grand Prixe on Melbourn . March 18
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II (C) gives a speech in response to Loyal Addresses marking her Diamond Jubilee presented to her from both Houses of Parliament at Westminster Hall in London on March 20, as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (CR) sits.
AFP/ BEN ST ANSALL
Masked Beauty
From Parsi New Year celebrations in Baghdad to F1, we take a look at the week in pictures
AFP/ SAFIN HAM
ED
A woman takes part in a carnival rally along Reforma Avenue to celebrate spring day in Mexico City, on March 18.
AFP/ YURI CORTEZ
A
LLAH DOM
AFP/ABDU
AFP/ CLARA PRIMA
Baghdad on Zoroastrian trMarch 20. The Persian Ne coincides withadition celebrated by Ira w Year is an ancient the solar cale the vernal (spring) equi nians and Kurds which nox and is ca nder. lculated by
Hindu devotees carry an effigy locally called “Ogoh-ogoh” a demonic representation, ahead of the Silent Day or Nyepi in Klaten, Central Java on March 22. The Silent Day is the Hindu way of celebrating the new year.
, e of them armed as “angels”, on e eastern city of ite wh in d se es th Libyan girls dr for victory during a rally in ated the anniverflash the V-sign ch 19, as locals commemor e Libyan dictator ar Benghazi on M nting the armed forces of lat uammar Gaddafi M sary of confro
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ART AND CULTURE SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
Posthumous award
Art dedicated to Putin
NEW DELHI Late singer Bhupendra
Kumar Hazarika was on Thursday posthumously conferred India''s second highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan by President Pratibha Patil.The other two who received the prestigious award were former Uttar Pradesh governor TV Rajeshwar and renowned orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Kantilal Hastimal Sancheti.
At war with books
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ver the last three decades, at least 100 books have been banned by the Chinese government. They are books that never see the light of day; books that alter lives of writers and publishing houses; books that were published and then retracted and destroyed. It all happens under the authority of the General Administration of Press and Publication (Gapp).
dealised paintings of political leaders are nothing new - think Joseph Stalin or Chairman Mao - but perhaps few have been as kitsch as the paintings dedicated to Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.The clue is in the title of the exhibition in Putin's northwestern home city of Saint Petersburg - which is called A Man with a Heart of Gold.
A tryst with colour Artist Hari Srinivas’s works are a sight to behold. Each of the pieces in his exhibition, Expressions speak a thousand words DEEPAK DESHPANDE
Jaiwantika Dutta Dhupkar feedback@postnoon.com
“I
live for others,” says artist Hari Srinivas. What does he mean? “When I paint, I try to think of what the person buying the painting will want. The focus of the exhibition (Expressions at Beyond Coffee) is mainly on the variety of paintings, keeping everybody’s choice in mind.” Each of the canvas at the exhibition is unique. If Garden Gate, an acrylic on board, merges bright blurs of colour, reminiscent of the works of French Post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin, Waiting Room, an acrylic on canvas, shows a seminude in repose in bright oriental colours. Both works are radically different that it’s hard to believe the hand that painted Garden Gate belongs to the man who did Waiting Room. Isn’t imprinting his own particular style important? Doesn’t he feel the need for some artistic consistency? “I want to paint in different styles for different paintings,” says Hari. “Each painting requires a different style. The art of painting itself has no style: it is the artist who adds his style to his work.
First impressions can be deceiving. Few know it better than Op artists, who specialise in paintings that are nothing like what they initially seem
Ultimately, all people want to see is a beautiful painting; I’m giving them that.” I look at Moods of a lady, a beautiful, framed pastel work of blacks and greys sketched roughly against handmade paper. It shows a woman’s arched back, her head between her knees. In sharp contrast to that is the ethereal Green Garden, water colours blending softly on paper. As I chance upon some paintings that are clearly inspired from photography, I can’t help thinking that sacrificing artistic identity is like abandoning something truly special. Yet Hari has preferences about style. While pointing out a canvas in mauve, white and blue, Hari confides that his preferred personal style is painting live models. His mastery over oils is truly admirable and when asked about it, there seemed a glow in his face when he recounts painting still lifes for this exhibition. “I just chose some objects from my kitchen, and created still lifes,” he says. “Each one took about three months to complete, given the nature of the medium.” Nowadays, artists don’t have the patience for oil painting, Hari says. “They want to build a
house in just a few days.” When he is not painting, the artist is busy with philanthropy and his school, VSL Visual Art Gallery. “We conduct workshops regularly and we bring people together through
the medium of art.” His future plans? “Promoting upcoming artists by curating exhibitions and holding competitions.” The writer is a filmmaker and an artist.
More paintings are available at Plot no 100, AP Text Book Colony, Gunrock Enclave, Secunderabad
The Illusionists
ART FOR DUMMIES
A
movement of art emerged in the 1960s that later came to be known as op art, short for 'optical art'. Though it took off from the constructivist practices, it soon became a movement in its own right. Interestingly, the first time the term was used was when TIME magazine described it as 'Op art' to describe the new style of art. John Lancaster perhaps said it best when he described
optical art as a method of painting concerning the interaction between illusion and picture plane, between understanding and seeing. It was an abstract style that is based on the illusionistic effects of line, shape, pattern and colour. Some of the popular artists of the time were Victor Vasarely, Bridget Riley and Richard Anuszkiewicz who specialised in playing with the perception of the observer. So
essentially, when a viewer looks at the art, they get the impression of movement, hidden images and convolutions which are achieved through creating an unstable picture surface with ambiguous shapes, shifting tones and dynamic colour relationships. Needless to say, Op Art was so artistic and creative, it became very popular and was even commercialised by the design and fashion industries.
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ENVIRONMENT SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
Nigerian villagers sue Shell LONDON: Around 11,000 Nigerian vil-
lagers who say their livelihoods were ruined in oil spills launched a legal battle Friday to seek compensation from Shell.The case marks the first time any oil firm has faced claims in the UK from a community in the developing world for environmental damage caused by oil extraction operations, the villagers' lawyers said.
Earth-friendly air freshners
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obody likes stale, unpleasant odours, but if you're still using traditional air freshener sprays or plug-ins, you're getting more than you bargained for with every whiff. Most of the perfumed sprays, cartridges and candles that fill your home with toxic chemicals. Fighting odours with earth-friendly and organic air fresheners is safer for people and pets, and it's healthier for the planet, too.
More water for fish
A
drought in California’s San Joaquin Valley has farmers boiling mad over how much water they should draw from the Sacramento Delta. A courtordered protection of the Delta smelt, an endangered sliver of a fish, has reduced the amount of water farmers may use to 30 per cent of their contracted amount. This means an estimated half million acres could be unplanted next season.
Filling the water bowl N SHIVA KUMAR
Looking at the state of our natural resources, there may come a time when we will be struggling to find water. So it’s best we find a way to stall this crisis now. R Gopalakrishna, a rainwater harvester tells us how
RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA
rahul.r@postnoon.com
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Gopalkrishna, an energy auditor and a rainwater harvester has been working for the last 15 years as a rainwater conservation activist. In a city that experiences about 800 to 900 mm of rainfall every year, he says, rainwater harvesting is simply the most inexpensive way of making sure the ground water levels stay intact. “It is simple and inexpensive and the cost of maintenance is very low. This system was implemented and supported by the State Government a few years back, but until now people are hardly aware of it as a simple but powerful tool to combat water problems,” he said. He then goes on to tell us
more about the system. “When a city receives rainfall, a lot of it is left to drain out into the sewages. And with roads and concrete coating the city's ground surface, water does not seep into the ground. Thereby, every year a lot of potential ground water is lost. Rainwater harvesting aims at conserving all this water. The rooftop of a building is piped and these drain pipes are connected to a small underground pit. This pit is filled with three layers of stones and finally one layer of loose sand that ensure that the water seeps into the ground. This ground water replenishes the groundwater table and can be used for any purpose,” he explains. The cost of constructing a rainwater harvesting pit is cheap and affordable. It ranges from `8,000 and 10,000 and varies with the size of the pit one wants to dig. “This effective sys-
Factfile
n Rainwater harvestating was used effectively to replenish the entire groundwater levels of villages like Ralegaon Sidhi, Maharashtra. n It is very useful in summer as groundwater can be diverted to borewells and can be used for all purposes.
tem has shown many positive results. We have installed several of them in our housing colony and a study proved that the groundwater tables have indeed been replenished,” Gopalkrishna
said. This system hardly requires any maintenance. Once in every two years, the pit can be cleaned and all the collected water can be safely used for drinking or other purposes. Gopalkrishna had, through his initiative, installed around three rainwater harvesting systems in Shantinagar colony neighbourhood, Masab Tank. He had also initiated the same system of water conservation and supply at the Shantinagar Club, where umpteen residents have benefited from it. But not everybody is ready to agree and accept this system of water conservation. “If only people were aware of this system, this city wouldn’t have faced so many problems with water by now. For instance, the Gandhi Hospital buys water every day, costing the government `16 lakh When approached regarding this issue, they said they could spare no space for
RAINWATER HARVESTING ainwater harvesting is perhaps the most important process of water conservation that our society has overlooked. This system involves collection of rainwater from building rooftops and allowing its seepage into the ground thereby making sure that the ground water levels are maintained.
R
this system, when this hardly takes up any space at all! The GHMC has now made it compulsory for all apartments to have rainwater harvesting systems failing which they are not permitted and the building's license is cancelled. It is a wonderful initiative but a lot more awareness about this subject should be raised for people to effectively realise its worth,” he said.
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FOOD SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
Khandani Rajdhani in city
K
Chia seeds the next superfood?
handani Rajdhani, a Thali restaurant that offers authentic Rajasthani and Gujarati meals, is now in Banjara Hills. According to a release, this unit is the flagship unit of Khandani Rajdhani in Hyderabad. Khandani Rajdhani has been on expansion spree and has opened its outlets in several parts of Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Chennai and planning to expand in more cities.
C
hia seeds, once worshipped by the Aztecs as the food of the Gods, could be allowed into products after a review by the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes – an expert panel that helps the Food Standards Agency. That isn't to say they're dangerous. Chia is sold at Holland and Barrett at £12.05 for 400g, but it is advertised as a bread ingredient. and sold at stores in Fresno, Monterey, San Rafael, San Ramon and Santa Cruz.
New beverage by Starbucks
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tarbucks, the leading coffee chain, on Thursday announced plans for global entry into the energy category with Starbucks Refreshers beverages — making it the first to bring green coffee extract innovation to customers on a global scale. According to the company, the new product delivers refreshment from real fruit juice and a boost of natural energy from a new source.
CATHAL ARMSTRONG
Top Chef Specialty: American regional cuisine orn into a family with a passion for food and travel, Cathal Armstrong grew up in Dublin, Ireland, where he spent his days in the family’s fruit and vegetable garden. Through the Armstrong family’s travel business, young Cathal was exposed to different cultures and cuisines throughout Europe. At the age of seven, Armstrong began an annual summer student exchange with a French family. These summers were spent amid truffle farms, peasant food, and local vineyards. The chef developed strong values for fresh ingredients, humane animal care, and concern for the land. After working in various Irish kitchens, Armstrong met his wife and business partner, Meshelle. The two moved to Virginia to create Restaurant Eve, where the farmland and atmosphere would be similar to“home”. The goal at Eve is to create straightforward, ingredient-based food. In 2006, the Armstrongs, with their business partners, opened Eamonn’s, A Dublin Chipper, which is, naturally, a fish-and-chips shop, as well as PX, the hip speakeasy lounge upstairs. Most recently, Cathal and Meshelle restored The Majestic in Old Town Alexandria, featuring Virginiainspired fare. Armstrong was a James Beard Foundation Best Mid-Atlantic Chef nominee in 2007 and 2008. He was also honoured as one of “10 Best New Chefs” by Food & Wine magazine and Star Chefs Rising Star in 2006.
B Good food comes to those who wait and with sous-vide, all you need is a pinch of creativity and a bowl full of patience
The taste of patience Sana Mirza
sana.m@postnoon.com
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ost of you may seldom see the term sous-vide on menu cards in India, but in fact the cooking technique has gained familiarity in international kitchens. Developed by Dr Bruno Goussalt in the 1970’s, it was later adopted by top chefs all across Europe. The technique which literally translates to ‘under vacuum’ has been gaining popularity and is now being used in order to prepare and serve classic recipes. Sous-vide, for the unfamiliar, is food wrapped in a vacuum-sealed plastic bag and immersed in a water bath at precisely controlled temperatures. It is cooked for long hours which allows the marinades
and herbs to permeate each layer of meat perfectly. As a result, the food remains tender and retains its original colour, nutrients and texture. Chef Mandaar and his team at Verandah, The Park, have been working on it for the past two years in order to master the technique of sous-vide. “Depending on the size, the shape and the weight of the food item, it is cooked at a certain temperature. For example, you can cook vegetables in about 5-7 minutes while fish takes 12 minutes and meats such as lamb, pork and chicken take about 14-17 hours to cook. With this sort of technique, the food is never undercooked or overcooked and retains its flavours perfectly as it is cooked in its own juices,” Mandaar informs. The menu comprises many of the classic recipes,
handpicked and restored, to suit the Indian palate. We decided to cool down with a glass of chilled mock lavender cooler which is a herb infused orange juice with the appeal of lavender (there is a little surprise in there, so watch out!). Even though I consider myself a religiously meat eating carnivore, I couldn’t help but wipe clean the spicy mushroom, bajji chillies and zucchini cream with basil scented buttered rice. The vegetables are so crunchy and juicy and the flavours seem to just explode in your mouth. The New Zealand lamb-
chops were absolutely divine. Not too chewy and perfectly cooked, they are a delicious shade of light pink deep inside. The moment you sink your teeth into them, you can taste layers of flavours. The Thai spiced stuffed breast of chicken with red curry sauce and stir fried vegetables is a perfect pick if you aren’t in the mood for lamb. You should also try the much talked about gingersoy pork belly served alongside a portion of stir-fried vegetables with shiitake, toban djan sauce. “You can also cook Hyderabadi dum-ki Biryani, Roghan gosht with the sousvide technique,” informs Chef Mandaar stressing that purchasing the equipment may be a tad too heavy on the pocket. However, the price takes a backseat as it is the taste that leaves a lasting impression.
15
FOOD SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012 M ANIL KUMAR
When there’s a food festival at Marriott, we know better than to miss it. So we went to the Kebabs and Grills festival at Okra, and sure enough, we came back happy souls
Noor’s Kitchen NOOR JAFRI Ingredients
Delight on a platter SNEHA SUNDER
feedback@postnoon.com
T
antalising Indian kebabs and western grills coupled with unlimited beer, al fresco dining by the pool and a warm summer night setting. Sounds perfect? If you have a hard day’s work behind you, a weekend ahead and are looking to make it worthwhile, then make sure you include the Kebabs and Grills festival at Marriott on your list. For starters, the aroma of barbecue beckons you even before you enter the restaurant. The refreshing ambience makes you feel more than welcome. The appetising part is
that the food festival entices you with a host of succulent kebabs ranging from Tandoori Murg, Mutton Seekh kebab to scrumptious grills like Chicken breast, Indian Salmon, Fried Fish and Peppered Sausages. But it’s really the eclectic sauces and chutneys complimenting the grills that are worth noting. Ranging from wildberry, orange reduction, mint, roasted tomato with sesame to basil pesto, barbecue, monkey gland (apricot) and pepper jus, you are spoilt for choice. Don’t miss the caper lemon butter sauce with fried fish. Also, their barbecue sauce, in particular is removed from the usual and is quite unique. We asked Chef Saroj to reveal a few ingredients that went into making it. (Hint : apple juice, tomato juice and some coffee decoction are a
few to name). Sounds interesting? It tastes absolutely divine as well. That said, we suggest the vegetarians sit this one out . While they have the usuals like Tandoori Gobi, Mushroom Skewers, Haryali Paneer Tikka, Tandoori Baby Corn etc., which are even quite tasty, this is a gastronomic adventure designed for the meat eaters. Our recommendations: Go for the Indian Salmon grilled to perfection, the spiced pepper sausages and the zesty tawa paneer. Seafood lovers will be more than thrilled at the fare in store in them. The ambience and the excellent service are just a few more reasons, you should give the Kebabs and Grills festival a visit. The writer is a PR professional who routinely travels to different countries just to eat.
T
he Kebabs and Grills food festival is priced at `800 (exclusive of taxes) per person. On opting for the buffet plus the food festival, it is priced at `1,500 (exclusive of taxes).
A
decade ago, a dish of spicy egg curry — cooked to a shade of angry red — with parantha was a staple in homes across states like Bengal and Kerala and in the Parsi broods of Mumbai and Gujarat while the ‘bhurji’ was common on north Indian platters. But its sheer versatility is egging on gourmet cooks to create dishes as tantalising as egg jellies, egg sausages and fried egg dessert. Actor Shah Rukh Khan finds his eggs sunny side up "a delicacy" for breakfast as he posts on twitter. And in awardwinning Delhi-based chef Saby’s (Sabyasachi Gorai) deft hands, the homely egg turns magical, the most basic of
which the chef describes as "the perfect omelette — white on the outside and runny inside like a perfect half moon glued around the edges, an art which requires six to eight months on a average to master". Celebrity chef Shaun Kenworthy, who is currently working with Metro Cash & Carry, says "Egg is important to classical cuisine" — which he grew up with. "A classical and popular French dish is eggs cooked in a bowl with truffles on top,” Kolkata-based Kenworthy said. Another dish which I liked was boiled egg in rock salt or set in a rich veal consomme (jelly) and served with truffle. I loved gulls’ eggs —
1. Boneless mutton- 500 gms. 2. Black Pepper- 1/2 tsp 3. Papaya - 2 tsp 4. Salt to taste 5. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp 6. Ginger garlic paste- 2 tsp 7. Red chilli powder to taste 8. Garam masala - 1 tsp 9. Green Chillies - 3 to 4 10. Cashew, poppy seeds, chironjji and roasted channa powder - (Grind to paste) - 1 tsp. 11. Deep fried crushed onions - 2 tbsp 12. Thick curd - 1tbsp 13. Oil - 30 ml 14. Melted butter - 1 tbsp
Procedure 1. Flatten the boneless mutton with a
mallet. 2. Marinate with the above ingredi-
ents for 3-4 hours. 3. Heat oil in a pan, add the mutton
and cook till tender.
For a Smoky flavour n
Name: Okra Place: Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre Time: 6.30 pm till 11 pm
Humble egg in exotic avatars
Times have changed for the humble egg. Gone are the days of bhurji and egg curry; it is the age of ‘personalised omelettes’ and egg jellies for dessert
Smoky Galawati Kebab
small and blue eggs. I have cooked ducks’ eggs for years," said. At Jaypee Hotel’s "Eggspectation" in the capital, the egg gets an American and continental makeover with its signatures like "ThreeOmelette Eggspectation", "Triple Treat Tortilla" and "Egg Chilada," — drawing hundreds of youngsters every day. "Like in India, it is one of the most popular foods in my native Italy and in North America from where I started my chain. It is one of the most basic breakfast dishes and widely accepted in India postglobalisation with more exposure to world cuisines," cofounder of Eggspectation IANS Enzo Renda said.
Place a small bowl with ghee in the middle of the vessel in which the mutton is cooked. Dip a hot burning coal in this bowl and cover the vessel to give the smoky flavour. Grease the grill plate and put the mutton and grill it till it is slightly brown on top. Brush the grilled pieces with melted butter before plating. Garnish with mint leaves, lemon wedges and onion slices. -Raw papaya used as tenderiser or Galawat Chef’s note: Low fat Content & rich in protein can be a better option for fried stuff.
Contact n Noor ‘s Kitchen n Residence - 91-40-23356947
Mobile - 91-9441282318
18
HISTORY SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
March 24
March 26
1898 - The first automobile was sold.
March 24
1932 - Belle Baker hosted a radio variety show from a moving train. It was the first radio broadcast from a train.
March 25
1998 - A cancer patient was the first known to die under Oregon's doctor-assisted suicide law.
March 26
March 27
1971 - Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared East Pakistan to be the independent republic of Bangladesh.
March 27
1860 - The corkscrew was patented by M.L. Byrn.
March 25
0421 - The city of Venice was founded.
1977 - About 570 people died when a KLM 747 and a Pan Am 747 collided with each other on a foggy runway on the Canary Island of Tenerife.
March 29
1987 - Hulk Hogan took 11 minutes, 43 seconds to pin Andre the Giant in front of 93,136 at Wrestlemania III fans at the Silverdome in Pontiac, MI.
1937 - Spinach growers in Crystal City, TX, erected a statue of Popeye.
March 28
1990 - Jesse Owens received the Congressional Gold Medal from U.S. President George H.W. Bush.
March 29
1993 - Clint Eastwood won his first Oscars. He won them for best film and best director for the film "Unforgiven."
March 30
1842 - Dr. Crawford W. Long performed the first operation while his patient was anesthetized by ether.
March 30 1964 - "Jeopardy" debuted on NBC-TV.
19
SPOTLIGHT SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
The Indian Medical Students Association organised a 3 km health marathon called the MEDITHON at People’s Plaza at Necklace Road on Sunday morning
On the road to fitness
WOMEN IN BLACK
DEEPAK DESHPANDE
All the pretty ladies of the city were seen letting their hair down at Rain on Saturday evening
Nidhi
Charmene
Sonia
Lighting up the skies
Sania and Taparie
Sonia
Jasmine and Sheena
The Annual sky lantern festival will kick off today at Hitex Grounds starting 5 pm. The aim of the organisers is to break a Guinness record currently held by Indonesia
20
CINEMA SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
T-TOWN TWEETIES @vennelakishore
@prakashraaj
@shraddhadas43
@sneha_ullal
Thx a lot for all the wishes. It has been a great week. BTW How is "agent vinod"? Also heard some great reviews about "ee rojullo"..
Overheard my daughter asking my uncle......"Uncle how big were you when my dad was small "....ha ha Just wanted to share with u
Strong people stand up for themselves, but stronger people stand up for others.
Good night for me n good morning to u..
@shrutihaasan
@sayalibhagat
@RanaDaggubati
@sundeepkishan
And the score by the chemical brothers for this film is pure genius :)
Watching a small girl outside d window enjoying an ice cream;simple pleasures of life;whoever says we need a lot..keep It simple silly!
#NaaIshtam takes straight release in telugu in more towns outside AP than I ever had. Excited!!
Shooting for the 1st oora mass kuthu song of my career..that too a song by the Isaigynani Illaiyaraja garu himself :) #GundelloGodari
A narrow escape
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bhimanyu Singh had a narrow escape on the sets of Gabbar Singh. He’s playing the main villain’s role in the film,which is a remake of Dabangg. Revealing more about the incident, Abhimanyu Singh said, “We were shooting in the fields near Pollachi and I spotted a horse on the sets. I wasn’t told that it was not a trained horse and when I started riding, he just flew. I couldn’t control the horse for a long time and he wasn’t ready to stop either. And then all of a sudden, he stopped! It was quite a narrow escape.” Earlier, Abhimanyu Singh almost had a heart attack on the sets of Bezawada when carbon monoxide began leaking into his vanity van from a generator.
Sundeep Kishan’s new film launched
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new film starring Sundeep Kishan was launched recently in Hyderabad. Lakshmikanth Chenna, who’s currently directing the Telugu version of Johnny Gaddar, is going to direct this film. Manjunath is going to produce the film under the Mallikarjuna Swamy Creations banner. Talking about the film Sundeep Kishan said, “It’s my seventh film and I am glad to be collaborating with my long time friend Lakshmikanth for this film. It’s going to be a full-fledged family entertainer.” The film is expected to go on floors in May and the makers are planning to wrap up the entire film in a single schedule. More details about the cast and crew will be announced soon. Apart from this film, Sundeep Kishan is also acting in Gundello Godaari and Raj Pippala’s upcoming bilingual film.
Shruti Haasan is a big fan of Adele
S
hruti Haasan is a busy bee these days with back to back big ticket projects and when she’s not acting, Shruti is busy composing music and writing songs. She confesses that she has been listening to a lot of her own music so that she can rewrite and rehash it. We hear that she’s planning to come up with her own album and of late, she has been spending quite some time in Mumbai for this. When asked which singer has caught her attention of late, she says, “I love Adele. There are very few singers both in India and abroad who write their own music or who have a story to tell. All of what Adele is singing is something which she feels from inside. And that is not genre specific. You don’t have to love her style of music. I think it’s the human emotion which I love the most.” She’s awaiting the release of her film 3. Another film of hers, Gabbar Singh, is scheduled to release on May 9.
21
CINEMA SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
B-TOWN TWEETIES @udaychopra
@priyankachopra
@sonamakapoor
@AnupamPkher
PIWD - Post Intense Workout Depression..caused by an unusually euphoric state after an intense workout, followed a low feeling.
Such a long day!!!!! Shoot for krrish3 then rehearsal for big young entertainment awards Tom! Phew! 7 am shift Tom! Gosh! Too much!
Happy birthday to worlds greatest mom! I swear to god she has super powers.. Love u mom!
This is the link to the audio poem I tweeted earlier. Please let me know how you like it?:) http://snd.sc/GHn0e5
@konkonas
@SrBachchan
@NeilNMukesh
@realpreityzinta
We're helping families get sustainable clean water for life. Raise your voice http://bit.ly/GHkk2Q #WaterDay
T 693 - Getting a feel of the music for my Father's poem .. such a rewarding exercise ! Been 80 years since Madhushala was written ..
Back home ! From an interesting day of look tests for the next film. My makeup artist had a blast trying new products on my face ! Grrrr !
Why do V find strength in groups or numbers but never have the guts 2 stand alone & fight or take up a cause alone ?
Akshay-Sajid Khan make deadly combo: Mithun
Katrina to resume shooting new film K
M
ithun Chakraborty, who is a part of the Housefull 2 dirty dozen cast, says when it comes to pranks, Akshay Kumar and Sajid Khan make a deadly combination. "Combination of Akshay Kumar and Sajid Khan is dangerous. They used to get together after shots and plan some pranks and I used to warn them," the 61-year-old said here. He says Akshay is a big prankster, but the younger actor's mischief seldom worked on him. "I didn't try to pull a prank on Akshay, but he tried to on me. But whenever he tried something on me, he got caught because I am also an equally big prankster," he added. Mithun plays one of the four fathers in Housefull 2 alongside Rishi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor and Boman Irani. Directed by Sajid Khan, the film releases on IANS April 5.
atrina Kaif has revealed that she will recommence filming commitments on Ek Tha Tiger when she arrives back in India. The star had previously filmed in Mumbai, Cuba and Dublin with Salman Khan for the project, before taking a break from the movie to work on her Shah Rukh Khan collaboration. "I go back to India on the 27th and will start shooting again for Ek Tha Tiger," Kaif told Digital Spy. Before leaving for Mumbai, the actress will complete her final day of filming on the current schedule of Yash Chopra's film, at an indoor location in East London.
Shah Rukh Khan fan in UK waits a week for kiss
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Shah Rukh Khan fan in the UK has revealed that she waited a week to receive a kiss from the actor. Dancer-actor Vishwani Sharma had been working with lead stars Khan and Katrina Kaif, on the London schedule of the Yash Chopra-directed film. Sharma revealed to Digital Spy: "After the wrap, I waited for SRK outside the room that he was apparently sitting in with Kat. "He came out and looked at me, then I shouted through the door, 'SRK can I get a hug, kiss and a photo from you? I have been waiting patiently
and impatiently for this moment'." The 19-year-old had been filming on the Yash Raj Films production across a number of locations in central London and Surrey. Sharma went on to add: "He came up to me and hugged me, gave me a kiss, and told me to give him one as well. He said 'God bless you' to me, "I also told him that I want to work opposite him one day, and he politely said, 'Sure honey, we will', which made my night." Khan is expected to return to India at the weekend when the film's UK schedule finishes.
22
CINEMA SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
Celina Jaitly gives birth to twin boys
Sonam mum on film with Dhanush T
he industry is abuzz with news of Sonam Kapoor’s pairing with southern star Dhanush in Raanjhanaa, but the actor prefers to keep mum on the project. “I think Dhanush is very, very cute looking. I am looking forward to working with him. But right right now I am not confirming any film,” the 26year-old said here at an event. Sonam’s last film Players bombed at the box office. She is currently working on Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Dhanush has also complimented her for her “expressive face”. According to reports, Sonam has been roped in for Raanjhanaa for the role of a Varanasi girl, who comes to New Delhi to study at IANS JNU.
A
ctress Celina Jaitly became the proud mother of twin boys in Dubai on Saturday. “Yes our angels from heaven are here and we are very happy. Celina and the boys are doing very well healthwise too. We just want everyone to bless our handsome boys,” Celina’s husband Peter Haag said in a statement. They have already named their twins Winston and Viraaj. Celina married hotelier Haag last year in July at a 1,000-year-old monastery in Austria. Ever since her wedding, she has been living in Dubai. The new parents will visit Mumbai soon. The former beauty queen made her Bollywood debut with 2003 film Janasheen and was seen in films like No Entry, Zinda, Golmaal Returns, Thank You and most recently Will You Marry Me?. ANS
Riteish praises Kapoor brothers R iteish Deshmukh says he felt overwhelmed to work with veterans like Randhir and Rishi Kapoor, who shared insights about their personal and professional life on and off the sets of Housefull 2. “The experience was (too good). I mean to work with Chintuji (Rishi) and to see him act... besides acting, the thing is that this is the first time I have got an opportunity to work with actors whose films I have grown up watching. So you talk about what had happened then (in their times),” the 33year-old said in an interview. “There are so many stories, be it Dabbooji (Randhir), Chintuji or Mithun da (Mithun Chakraborty)...off-sets it was nostalgic to know about how things were at that time, how was his (Randhir’s) father, how was his relationship with his father, how did he turn director...” he added. In Housefull 2, directed by Sajid Khan, there are a total of 12 actors in key roles. Apart from Rishi, Randhir, Mithun and Riteish, the cast includes Akshay Kumar, Shreyas Talpade, John Abraham, Boman Irani, Jacqueline Fernandes and Asin Thottumkal, Shazahn Padamsee and Zarine Khan. IANS
CINEMA SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
D I S P L A YA
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For Further Details Please Contact Abhinay 9989399972 Nandlal 9951467988 Ravi Chander 8106039919
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CINEMA SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
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25
CINEMA SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
I didn’t fall off the wagon, says Charlie Sheen
C
harlie Sheen is ashamed about his sloshy behaviour at a recent Guns N’ Roses concert ... but not because he did anything wrong ... it’s because he realised he can’t handle his booze like he used to.
Alyssa Milano to be cast in Mistresses
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lyssa Milano, the Who’s the Boss, Melrose Place and Charmed star, is returning to primetime next year. She’ll be one of four leads in ABC’s summer 2013 drama Mistresses, a network rep tells TheWrap. The series, adapted from a British drama of the same name, revolves around four friends with angst-filled love lives. Milano’s character is Sarah, a successful — and married — lawyer who spends a lot of her post-9 to 5 hours with her handsome law partner. Lost alum Yunjin Kim, Rochelle Aytes (Detroit 1-8-7) and Jes Macallan (Justified) also star in the series, which is being written and produced by Gossip Girl producer KJ Steinberg. Milano, who also starred in New Year’s Eve and Hall Pass on the big screen, is set to reprise her role as Amy, the ex-wife of Christian Slater’s Oz, on Fox’s Breaking In later this season.
Sources close to Sheen tell TMZ — the Warlock realised people were concerned he had fallen off the wagon ... but he is adamant ... he never gave up booze. Sheen is telling friends he does drink occasionally ... and had a
few drinks at the concert ... but they hit him “pretty hard” ... because he simply doesn’t have the tolerance he had in his heyday. Charlie told one friend, “This is what happens when you don’t drink very often.”
Mischa Barton launches her fashion line
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ischa Barton hasn’t exactly been heralded by the fashion elite over the years, but that’s not going to stop her from sharing her, um, unique sartorial sense with the world. That’s right, due to popular demand the erstwhile O.C. actress had gone and launched not only her own clothing line, but her own e-tail site as well. Ladies and gentlemen, we give you Mischa’s Place... Says the British-born starlet: “Together with the help of my Mum Nuala, my inspirations are brought to life using elements of my personal style. Our Collection has grown and developed to reflect the consumer and myself over the seasons, whilst maintaining a consistent theme. I hope you enjoy my designs and have as much fun wearing them as I did designing them!” We’ll give her this: Mischa left no consumer stone unturned. Or unbranded, for that matter.
26
CHAI TIME SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
SUNDAY CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Albacore 5 Light rain 11 Italian town 17 Bay at the moon 21 Moby Dick foe 22 Roman magistrate 23 Tropical fruits 24 Ottoman title 25 Gossipy — Barrett 26 Kind of union 27 Stand in the Rockies 28 Have to have 29 Type of fertiliser 31 Those opposed 33 Cul-de-sac (2 wds) 35 Scoundrels 36 Loose-limbed 37 Fleeting 38 Urban transport 41 Norm, for short 42 Model-airplane wood 43 New Zealand parrot 44 Desk-drawer item 48 House sellers 50 Media star 51 Pentagon VIP 52 Gulfport neighbour 53 Bank offerings 54 Wisdom tooth 55 Actress — Griffith 57 Fem soldier, once 58 Clare Boothe — 59 Tendon 60 Mystifying 61 — support 62 Word form for ‘ear’ 63 Carved pole 64 Black — (Kahlua drink) 65 Fake diamonds 66 Napa Valley stops 68 Scoundrel 69 Always, in verse 70 Pollux’s twin 71 Mousse alternatives 72 Energy 73 PSAT takers 74 Cowboy’s bed 75 Proverbs 78 Thing, in law 79 Vegas lead-in 80 More stylish 84 Inlets 85 ‘Lilies of the Field’ Oscar winner 87 Sudsy 88 Wood ash product 89 Angled a nail 90 Major-domos 91 Man in a mask 92 Sheet-music symbol 93 Pay for 94 Nannies from abroad (2 wds) 95 Urgency 96 Look happy 97 Wakens rudely 99 Spike, once 100 Ease of manner 101 Word inventor 102 Devoted, as time 103 Toga-party order 104 — Haute 105 Cartoonist — Keane 106 Not his or hers 107 Sighed with delight 109 Desist 110 Lets property 112 Jawless fish
115 Vicar’s residence 116 Alms asker 120 Woe is me! 121 Mexican moolah 123 Kind of benefit 125 Long-legged wader 126 Neighbor of Bolivia 127 Mouse or beaver 128 Like certain equations 129 Greek-salad topper 130 Baby chick sound 131 Discharges 132 Alpine refrains 133 Road for Caesar DOWN 1 Waterproof canvas 2 Oops! (hyph) 3 Billionth, in combos 4 Disconcert 5 Perfumed pouches 6 Usher in 7 Playwright Clifford — 8 Far-flung 9 Bulldogs backer 10 Mall tenant 11 Hercule’s creator 12 ‘If you knew — ...’ 13 Weakens 14 Common contraction
15 Dee or bullock 16 Japanese immigrant 17 A few 18 Kind of molding 19 Invitation info 20 Alan or Cheryl 30 Genuine nuisances 32 U.S. travel watchdogs 34 Falcon’s home 36 TV courtroom drama (2 wds.) 37 Pop singer Pat — 38 Immature 39 Sugar cane rodent 40 Lighthouse light 42 Amazon port 43 Sheepdogs 45 Bottommost 46 Hobby knife 47 More wealthy 49 SSW opposite 50 Ice-cream holders 51 Steamy displays 52 Razor brand 54 Wee parasites 55 Newlywed title 56 Author Anais — 59 Gets dirty 60 Bossie’s chew 61 Chores 63 Bird abodes
64 Zodiac beast 65 Bright flower 67 — on (incited) 68 Reservoir 70 Former New York governor 72 Concealing 73 Vase, often 74 Boombox sound 75 Role players 76 1950s music style (hyph) 77 Street crosser 78 Took turns 79 Guitarist — Paul 80 Long suit 81 Urbana eleven 82 Grommet 83 Alludes to 85 Kind of tent 86 1040 org 87 ‘Sweet Charity’ director 90 Travel choice 91 Congo, formerly 92 Livy’s 901 94 Rose-petal oil 95 Troublesome insect 96 Hungarian-born conductor 98 Grabs (2 wds)
100 Green veggies 101 Hot coals 103 Entering data 104 Male voices 105 — tiger 108 Row of shrubs 109 Insert mark 110 ‘Walk Away —’ 111 UFO movie (hyph) 112 Reindeer herder
113 Toward shelter 114 Oats enthusiast 115 Pet pleas 116 Object to 117 Help with a heist 118 Evening, in ads 119 Industrial giant 122 Lassie’s refusal 124 Where Ipanema is PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
27
CHAI TIME SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
STAR POWER Date 26-3-2012
As per Hindu panchang
THIRUVAIKUMAR
thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9949870449
TAURUS
GEMINI
Separated couples will unite again and start leading a happy life. Worries about old debts will disappear. Pregnant women need to avoid journeys and eating outside food items.
Misunderstanding with blood relatives will be resolved. Spouse might face menstrual and spinal cord problems; take immediate care. Loan will get sanctioned. Politicians will get support.
Litigation in ancestral property will be resolved. House construction plan will get approved. Marriage of daughter will be finalised. Mother's health will be cause for concern.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Money from expected source will come. Chances of going abroad will materialise for those who are putting serious efforts. Misunderstanding with blood relatives likely.
Your value in society is set to go up. You have to execute important tasks on your own. Minor accident, litigation and confusion likely. Deal with situation with patience; result will be good.
Tension and memory loss likely. Avoid intake of alcohol or any other intoxicating items. Share market may bring decent gains. Foreign friends will extend help. Be careful while driving.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Children will act with responsibility. A good opportunity to clear major portion of old debt will come through. Plot or house will be bought. Businessmen will market products cleverly.
Your self-confidence level will increase which ensures that you deal with the situation boldly. Court issues will turn in your favour. Friendship with VIPs likely. Never believe unknown persons.
You will understand importance of life. Savings might get eroded; avoid wasteful expenditure and monitor the same to avoid a future financial crisis. Politicians will receive plum positions.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Chances of buying new property by selling an old one. Mother's health needs attention. Minor accidents likely, hence be careful while driving. Strained friendship will blossom again.
Govt work will get delayed. Never deal with real-estate transactions in a hurry. Politicians have to struggle hard to fulfill commitments. Businessmen will be lucky enough to get back lost fortune.
Indirect opposition likely. Find an amicable solution to property litigation. Businessmen will expand their horizon by opening new branches and increase profits. Employees will gain importance.
ARIES
Nine of Swords – You’re feeling edgy, restless and irritated. It might be a good idea to tell people around you to stay away till you cool off.
SUMAA TEKUR
tarotreadhyd@gmail.com
TAURUS
Eight of Swords – Some bonds from the past are being severed. You may not see it but it is for your own good. You see things clearly.
GEMINI
Ace of Pentacles – You’re at the right place at the right time. Synchronicity has a way of making good things happen. You find solutions to difficult problems.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Seven of Cups – There’s confusion about your relationship with someone close to you. Expectations to be set right and need to decide how much to invest.
Three of Cups – Time to celebrate your success. Your plans are working and you need to just keep at them. Be open to advice, but let decision be yours.
Two of Cups – Doing a job with a partner is likely to be a bigger success than trying to do it on your own. Be open to partnerships.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Nine of Pentacles – You’re happy in your own space created by things you hold dear. You don’t want this to be disturbed. You’re not exactly lonely, but alone.
Page of Cups – Matters of the heart are in focus today. If you have been putting off some relationship-based decision, today may be a good day to decide.
The Sun – Good day to start new projects. Everything works well and all doubts will be cleared. Those you work with will communicate much better.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Eight of Wands – A project you have been working very hard on goes to the next level. You are appreciated for your efforts. Time to open the champagne bottle.
Justice – An important decision is putting the brakes on your current living situation. Till that decision, you feel restless and are unable to get on with life.
Eight of Pentacles – You need to enhance your skills and make the most of bookish knowledge, applying it to the daily job routine. It will take you a long way.
For Better or for Worse Stone soup
Republicans and Democrats
R
Ink pen
COMICS
Fred Basset
ARIES
TAROT READ Date 26-3-2012
epublicans help the poor during the holidays by sending 50, one buck at a time, to panhandlers on the street. Democrats get back at the Republicans on their Christmas list by giving them fruitcakes. Republicans re-wrap them and send them to in-laws. Democrats let their kids open all the gifts on Christmas Eve. Republicans make their kids wait until Christmas morning. Cheapskate Republicans buy an artificial Christmas tree. Democrats buy a real tree, but they wait until the week before Christmas when prices are low.
Green Democrats buy a real tree with roots, and then replant it after New Years. Republicans see nothing wrong with letting their children play ‘Cowboys and Indians’. Democrats don't either, as long as the Indians win. Republicans began thinking like Republicans when they stopped believing in Santa Claus. Democrats became Democrats because they never stopped believing in Santa Claus. Democrat men like to watch football while the women fix holiday meals... on this, Republicans are in full agreement.
Vol: 1, No 252 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
28
WACKY WORLD SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
Glow in the Dark Sushi
Japan’s withdrawal disorder
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ikikomori (Japanese for “pull in”) is a term that refers to reclusive adolescents and young adults who choose to isolate themselves from social life. About a million people in Japan suffering from Hikikomori. About 80% of hikikomori are young males and do not leave the confines of their rooms. They don’t go to school or to work, spending their days at home.
He can’t stop laughing!
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t’s the latest food craze all over the US. Glofish is a brand of genetically modified fish designed to glow in the dark. These fluorescent fish are available for purchase in pet shops. People weren’t content with just watching the glofish swim about, so they decided to try them out in recipes. And that’s how glow in the dark sushi was invented.
eet Huug Bosse, a Dutch man who had hip surgery a couple of years ago, and hasn’t stopped laughing since. His wife finds it annoying, his brother and daughter have become exasperated, but all Bosse can do in response is slap his knee and laugh uncontrollably. The cause for his condition is due to the anaesthesia he was placed under, during the operation.
LEMME AT HIM
AFP/ANDY BUCHANAN
A Gentoo penguin pecks at the elbow of a handler as they are carried to a new home within Edinburgh Zoo in Edinburgh. 29 Gentoo penguins were carried by Edinburgh Zoo’s experienced team of animal keepers from the normal penguin enclosure to their new home for the next few months as maintenance work is carried out.
Is this massage scary or what?
4 places where dying is not allowed
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Entire city made from tubers
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or the people of Hsinchu, in northern Taiwan being tapped with the sharp end of a cleaver is actually a form of therapy that is known to cure many ailments. The treatment is said to increase blood flow, release the body’s stored energy and wash away harmful toxins. The therapist holds a couple of cleavers and strike the patient repeatedly with the sharp edge. The trick is to bring down the cleaver with just the right amount of force, and then to not push or pull it once it touches skin.
rtist Peter Root spent three weeks carving 80 kilograms of potatoes into office buildings, homes and various other structures, using only a knife and a bicycle repair kit. His unique potato city model is called Plot. Although Plot was created in Istanbul, Root says his creation wasn’t modelled on the Turkish city, but rather influenced my various aspects of it. The artist says he chose the popular vegetables because they are available in abundance and are “amazing to work with”.
W
hen something as natural and inevitable as death is banned, it does seem a tad illogical. There actually are quite a few places on Earth where death has been forbidden, and deemed illegal. In fact, it seems that this is actually an age-old practice; the earliest known instance of the prohibition of death was in the 5th century BC, when dying wasn’t allowed on religious grounds at the Greek island of Delos. Each place has a reason of its own, varying from religious beliefs to environmental factors. The four places are: Itsukushima — Japan, Longyearbyen — Norway, Falciano del Massico — Italy and Sarpourenx —France.
29
SPORTS SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
Carter back but Slade out
Scott must sort life: Warren
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ll Blacks ace Dan Carter emerged from his first game since his World Cup-ending injury unscathed at the weekend, orchestrating crucial touches to the Crusaders Super 15 win over the Cheetahs. But the news was not all good for New Zealand’s fly-half stocks as Carter’s understudy in the 10 jersey, the injury-prone Colin Slade, suffered another serious break and will be sidelined for three months
Power claims pole position
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romoter Frank Warren reckons troubled fighter Scott Harrison must sort out his life before he enters the ring, reported the BBC. The Glaswegian ex-WBO world flyweight champion’s proposed comeback fight in Blackpool was cancelled following his arrest for alleged shoplifting. “Before he even considers boxing, he has these demons to conquer outside of the ring,” Warren said.
ustralia’s Power clocked one minute, 1.3721 seconds around the 1.8 mile, 14-turn street circuit Saturday to earn pole for the IndyCar Grand Prix of St. Petersburg for the third consecutive year. Power won two years ago and was runnerup to Dario Franchitti last year. Ryan Briscoe, who won the race three years ago, qualified 0.16 seconds behind his Penske teammate Power to give their team the front starting row.
Djokovic, Federer advance MIAMI: Defending champ Novak Djokovic and world No. 3 Roger Federer both advanced through the Miami Masters second round in straight sets, but crowd favourite Kim Clijsters crashed out of the women’s draw. Top seed Djokovic easily defeated Marcos Baghdatis 6-4, 64 at the ATP/WTA Miami Masters hardcourt tournament on Saturday. Third-seeded Federer recorded his 23rd win of 2012 by beating 19-year-old American wild card Ryan Harrison 6-2, 7-6 (7/3). “I felt like I had to win the match three times at the end, so I was relieved to come through,” Federer said. “And beating an American in America is always a big deal, because this is here where they usually play their very best.” The Swiss superstar is bidding to capture his third Indian Wells-Miami title double, having also won the back-to-back US hardcourt Masters events in 2005 and 2006. Federer has now won 40 of his past 42 matches since the 2011 US Open semi-finals. “I guess I’m more confident now. I have been playing really nice as of late,” Federer said. The 24-year-old Djokovic now has 15 wins and just two losses on the year. This was his first
Men 2nd rd Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) 6-4, 6-4 Richard Gasquet (FRA x17) bt Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (GER) 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-2 David Ferrer (ESP x5) bt Bernard Tomic (AUS) 6-4, 6-4 Juan Monaco (ARG x21) bt Lu Yen-hsun (TPE) 5-0 - retired Andy Roddick (USA x31) bt Gilles Muller (LUX) 6-3, 6-2 Fernando Verdasco (ESP x20) bt Bjorn Phau (GER) 6-3, 6-0 Viktor Troicki (SRB x27) bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 Marin Cilic (CRO x23) bt Igor Kunitsyn (RUS) 6-3, 7-6 (7/1) Julien Benneteau (FRA x30) bt Benjamin Becker (GER) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) Roger Federer (SUI x3) bt Ryan Harrison (USA) 6-2, 7-6 (7/3) Gael Monfils (FRA x14) bt Sergei Bubka Jr. (UKR) 6-4, 6-4 Kevin Anderson (RSA x28) bt Sam Querrey (USA) 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3 Albert Ramos (ESP) bt Feliciano Lopez (ESP x15) 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) Mardy Fish (USA x8) bt Frank Dancevic (CAN) 6-3, 7-6 (7/1) Nicolas Almagro (ESP x12) bt David Goffin (BEL) 6-4, 6-2 Juan Martin del Potro (ARG x11) bt Ivo Karlovic (CRO) 7-5, 6-4
match since losing in three sets to American John Isner in the semis of the the Indian Wells Masters tournament. “I am really trying to have a positive attitude,” Djokovic said. “I’m here to fight for the title just as all the other players are and not to defend it.” Top seed Djokovic finished with two aces, one double fault and won 80 percent of his firstserve points in the 91 minute night match. “I was working very hard these days to get ready for this tournament, so every win means
to me a lot,” Djokovic said. “So I’m really looking forward to the next match.” Djokovic advances to the third round where he will square off against fellow Serb Viktor Troicki who rallied to beat qualifier Guillermo GarciaLopez 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. Andy Roddick, the number 31 seed and 2004 and 2010 champion in Miami, dropped nine points on his serve and hit 10 aces to beat Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller 6-3, 6-2. The American, who is at his lowest ranking since July 2001,
ROUGH RIDE
Women 3rd rd Serena Williams (USA x10) bt Roberta Vinci (ITA x21) 6-2, 6-1 Li Na (CHN x8) bt Iveta Benesova (CZE) 7-5, 6-2 Sabine Lisicki (GER x12) bt Peng Shuai (CHN x17) 6-4, 7-5 Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) bt Mona Barthel (GER) 6-2, 6-4 Yanina Wickmayer (BEL x23) bt Kim Clijsters (BEL) 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x4) bt Petra Cetkovska (CZE x29) 6-3, 7-5 Maria Sharapova (RUS x2) bt Sloane Stephens (USA) 6-4, 6-2 Samantha Stosur (AUS x6) bt Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 won in 74 minutes. Roddick advances to face third seed Federer. Fifth seed David Ferrer, who reached the 2005 and 2006 semi-
AFP
Tebow flies to Jets NEW YORK: Tim Tebow, the
USA’s Ralph Backstrom competes on the Bec de Rosses mountain during the Xtreme Freeride World Tour final on Saturday above the Swiss Alps resort of Verbier. AFP/FABRICE COFFRINI
finals, converted four of 10 break-point opportunities to beat 19-year-old Australian Bernard Tomic 6-4, 6-4.
quarterback phenomenon who led the Denver Broncos on an unlikely run to the NFL playoffs last season, was traded to the New York Jets on Wednesday. One day after signing Peyton Manning to a five-year contract, the Denver Broncos parted ways with the instigator of “Tebowmania”, who attracted the attention of American football fans by reviving the Broncos. Denver was mired in a 1-4 slump to open the season when the Broncos turned to Tebow as their starter seven games into the season. Tebow went 7-4 and took the team into the playoffs. But Tebow was not done. He sparked Denver to a 2923 over-time upset of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round before the clock struck midnight AFP on his fairy-tale story.
30
SPORTS SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
Bangladesh come of age Twelfth Man BABU KALYANPUR
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wo teams clinging to the bottom of the ladder sprung surprises on those at the top with spirited displays. Bangladesh nearly pulled off an amazing win in the final of the Asia Cup while the West Indies are giving Australia a run for their money. This is indeed good for cricket. The Great Divide needs to be bridged to revive the interest in the game that seems to be on the wane. Bangladesh had a fine run in the Asia Cup. They fully deserved to be in the final and even win it. The team showed unity in effort which was always lacking in the past. Every Bangladesh player contributed at one time or another to give the cricket-crazy nation something to cheer for. Things had not got off to a good start after the controversial omission of opener Tamim Iqbal. Thankfully better sense prevailed and Tamim went on to be among the top scorers. He is a class player and he proved it after a lean trot. The best player in the side, for once, got some help from the team. Shakib Al Hasan walked away with the Man of the Series award yet again. He made crucial contributions with both bat and ball. Bangladesh lost the final due to a few tactical blunders. Using Shahadat Hussain for the last over was a big one as he tends to bowl too short. Those 19 runs made a huge difference to the outcome. Also a couple of Bangladeshi batsmen became too cautious and consumed too many balls for very little. Still Bangladesh must capitalise from this new high and learn from it. By not being reckless they displayed their talent to the maximum. The Asia Cup may not matter much in the wider picture but can still be the beginning of better things to come for Bangladesh.
FLASHES
FROM THE PAST
In another part of the world, the West Indies have been challenging the Australians to the maximum. The West Indies are 2-1 up in the five-match one-day series
Bangladeshi cricketer Nazmul Hossain (2R) celebrates with his captain Mushfiqur Rahim (C) after the dismissal of the unseen Pakistan’s batsman Mohammad Hafeez during the one day international (ODI) Asia Cup cricket final match between Bangladesh and Pakistan at The Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday. AFP/MUNIR UZ ZAMAN with a tied match. If they had kept their nerve, they would have been celebrating a rare series win over the Australians in recent times. The clock seemed to have turned back briefly as the West Indies smashed their way to success instead of crawling towards it. Kieron Pollard certainly brought back glimpses of the glorious era of the the 1970s and 80s as he smashed eight sixes in a 70-ball hundred in the fourth one-dayer. Darren Sammy has brought rare enthusiasm in a team which does not have many big names. The return of Dwayne Bravo has also helped. Spinner Sunil Narine has confused the Australians with his wily bowling and their cau-
WI cricketers Dwayne Bravo (L) and Kieron Pollard celebrate their victory in the second ODI against Australia at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown on March 18. AFP/JEWEL SAMAD
tious approach towards him has been their downfall. Still West Indies have a long way to go before they can climb up the ladder again. Their best batsman, Chris Gayle, is still wandering around the universe peddling his wares in Twenty20 tournaments. A world-class batsman like Ramnaresh Sarwan has been banished into the wilderness. Both players must be fasttracked to help the team. Unfortunately, there are a bunch of idiots who are selecting the West Indies team. They seemed to be ruled by personal grouses rather than objectivity. They must be sent to the mental asylum for the good of West Indies cricket.
31
SPORTS SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
Petersen gives SA edge S
outh Africa declared their first innings at 474-9 during the final session on the third day of the final cricket Test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve on Sunday. Earlier, at tea, South Africa were 437-7 with Mark Boucher on 30 and Vernon Philander on 18. The remarkable innings of Alviro Petersen came to an end soon after the lunch break when he fell lbw to Chris Martin for 156, his highest Test score and third century. The wicket ignited the New Zealand attack with Martin following up with the dismissal of AB de Villiers and Mark Gillespie, the most successful New Zealand bowler, claiming Jacques Rudolph and Dale Steyn. De Villiers, who came in during the morning session after JP Duminy was dismissed for 103 to end a 200-run stand with Petersen for the third wicket, reached 38 before he was bowled by Martin. Martin had gone wicketless over the first two days before picking up two for 10 in a four over spell. Rudolph reached a tentative 11 before he was removed by Gillespie with a ball that moved across the batsman and was edged to wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk. Gillespie then had Steyn caught at second slip by Martin Guptill without scoring to have the figures of four for 109. Graeme Smith then declared in the final session of the day with the aim of bowling New Zealand out twice in the remaining two days of the match.
SCORE BOARD
South Africa’s Alviro Petersen celebrates reaching his 150 on the 3rd day the 3rd Test against New Zealand on Sunday. AFP/MARTY MELVILLE
South Africa first innings Smith c †van Wyk b Bracewell 5 A Petersen lbw b Martin 156 Amla c †van Wyk b Gillespie 63 Duminy c Taylor b Gillespie 103 AB de Villiers b Martin 38 Rudolph c †van Wyk b Gillespie 11 Boucher c Williamson b Gillespie 46 D Steyn c Guptill b Gillespie 0 Philander c Flynn b Gillespie 29 M Morkel not out 10 Extras (b 6, lb 1, w 3, nb 3) 13 Total (9 wick dec) 474 Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-106, 3306, 4-362, 5-381 6-388, 7-404, 8459, 9-474 New Zealand Bowling : CS Martin 28-5-95-2, DAJ Bracewell 30-3-106-1, MR Gillespie 33.4-7-113-6 DL Vettori 42-11-98-0, DG Brownlie 2-0-20-0, KS Williamson 13-1-35-0, New Zealand First Innings D Flynn not out 31 M Guptill not out 27 Extras (lb 1, nb 1) 2 Total 60 without any loss. South Africa Bowling: D Steyn 7-3-11-0, V Philander 6-0-30-0, M Morkel 6-3-6-0, M de Lange 3.4-0-14-0, JP Duminy 1-0-2-0
Woods takes lead at Bay Hill ORLANDO: Tiger Woods, who is chasing his first win on the USPGA Tour in 30 months, fired a one-under par 71 Saturday for a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The 14-time major champion Woods has won a record six times on the Bay Hill course and is aiming for his first PGA Tour victory since the 2009 BMW Championship. “I enjoy it,” Woods said. “It’s not like I’m slashing it all over the place and happened to be at 11-under par. “If you’re in the lead, you’ve done some good things. That’s how I’ve always looked at it, and it’s a nice position to be in.” Woods finished three rounds at 11-under par 205. He could have had a bigger lead but he posted a double bogey on No. 15 after hooking a
tee shot out of bounds. He led by as much as four shots on the back nine in the third round. Woods will be paired on Sunday with 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell, who shot a one-under 71 to reach 10-under 206. South Africa’s Ernie Els fired a five-under 67 to move into a share of third place at eightunder 208. He was joined by Ian Poulter, who shot 68. Johnson Wagner (69) and Charles Howell (68) are tied for fifth at sevenunder. South Korea’s Charlie Wi stumbled to a four-over 76 to move into a share of seventh with Kevin Na (69) at six-under 210. Wi shared the second-round lead with Woods. Woods and McDowell were the only two golfers in the final five groups to break par AFP Saturday.
Tiger Woods plays a shot during the 3rd of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on Saturday. AFP/GREENWOOD
Ireland win T20 qualifiers DUBAI: Ireland defeated Afghanistan by five wickets in the final of the World Twenty20 qualifying tournament on Saturday, in a battle between two sides who had already booked their places at the global showpiece in Sri Lanka. Afghanistan, who had won all eight matches at the qualifiers going into the final, were restricted to 152 for seven off their 20 overs before the Irish reached their target with seven balls to spare. Ireland will now be placed in the same pool as Australia and the West Indies in the finals, to be played in September and October, while Afghanistan will face defending champions England and India. The Irish had Paul Stirling to thank for the win, after he hit a 38-ball 79, including nine fours and three sixes, in the process scoring the secondfastest half-century in T20 history. Man-of-the-match Stirling’s effort eclipsed that of Afghanistan wicket keeper Mohammad Shahzad, whose 77 off 57 balls included seven fours and two sixes. Stirling, who ended the tournament as the highest run scorer with 357 in 11 games, ahead of Shahzad in second on 352 in nine, praised Ireland’s positive attitude and said the conditions contributed to his blistering knock. “Under the lights, the ball came up well. Afghanistan have strong bowling, they’ve got one of the strongest team attacks in the tournament. The wicket suited my style,” he said. “It was my first time playing under lights and tonight showed that the runs go up when you play later in the day.” Ireland’s William Porterfield said he was delighted with the tournament victory but warned that the win was just the AFP start of a hard fight.
32
SPORTS SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012
City cry Cr’ouch’! Stoke hold Manchester City to a draw
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Stoke City’s Peter Crouch (2nd L) wins a header during the English Premier League football match between Stoke City and Manchester City at The Britannia stadium, Stoke-on-Trent, England, on Saturday. AFP /PAUL ELLIS
anchester City’s title challenge suffered a setback as the leaders came from behind to rescue a 1-1 draw at Stoke after Peter Crouch’s stunning goal threatened to upset the leaders on Saturday. Yaya Toure’s deflected equaliser late in the second half cancelled out a sublime longrange effort from Crouch and took City above arch rivals Manchester United on goal difference. But, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s men hosting Fulham on Monday, there is every chance City will soon be back in second place and three points off the top. The Britannia Stadium has been an unforgiving venue for City ever since Stoke’s promotion to the top flight and boss Roberto Mancini might have feared the worst when Sergio Aguero pulled out through injury, with Edin Dzeko making his first league start since early February. Tony Pulis’s Stoke relish toughing it out against the bigger clubs and Cameron Jerome was only inches away from connecting with Crouch’s flick-on in
Real show who’s real MADRID: Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad 5-1 on Saturday to restore their six-point lead over Barcelona at the top of La Liga and then staged a media blackout. Two goals each from Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, and one from Gonzalo Higuain, gave the home team a comfortable victory with Xavi Prieto grabbing a consolation for the team from San Sebastian. Ronaldo’s brace put him level with Lionel Messi on 35 league goals after the Argentine and Gerard Pique scored earlier in Barcelona’s 2-0 win at Mallorca, the champions’ seventh successive league win. The result will come as a relief to Jose Mourinho’s Real who had dropped four points in two 1-1 draws with Malaga and
Villarreal, scorelines which had helped Barcelona eat into a lead that stood at an imposing 10 points a week ago. Afterwards neither Mourinho, his backroom staff nor any player spoke to the press in response to what the club considers to be unfair treatment by the referee in Wednesday’s draw with Villarreal where they had two players sent off. Mourinho was also red-carded in that game and was forced to watch Saturday’s game from the stands. “It was a good choice to say nothing after Villarreal which was a strange game. We have said nothing about the referees and we hope that in the nine games left there are no mistakes,” said club legend Emilio Butragueno, now a club director.
Real Madrid’s forward Cristiano Ronaldo (L) looks at the ball after scoring against Real Sociedad on Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. AFP/ PEDRO ARMESTRE
The result will come as a relief to Jose Mourinho’s Real who had dropped four points in two 1-1 draws
the early stages. And Mancini was furious with the hosts’ abrasive approach when Dean Whitehead appeared to catch David Silva with his elbow as the pair went up for a header. Dzeko wasted two chances to cement a starting place, heading a Silva free-kick wide before fluffing an even better chance from an inch perfect Gael Clichy cross at the back post. But Stoke came closest to taking the lead four minutes before the break when Pablo Zabaleta spared Gareth Barry from heading Matthew Etherington’s corner into his own net. The visitors started the second period with more rhythm and Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic wac called into action to make saves from Dzeko and Samir Nasri. Stoke were making chances of their own and England goalkeeper Joe Hart had to be alert to claw away a header from Ryan Shawcross. It needed a moment of genius to break the deadlock — and it was the unlikely figure of Crouch who delivered it spectacularly in the 59th minute. AFP