Postnoon E-Paper for 27 January 2013 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

ALGERIAN BEAUTY PG 16&17

lgeria, a country that has a magnificent history to it, is just as beautiful to visit. If the civil war of 1992 saw tourism plummet, the recent kidnapping and killing of foreigners by militants has only made it worse. But that should not mar the intrinsic wonder of this country. There are many places that must be visited.

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ON SUNDAY NOT ALL-AMERICAN ANYMORE OU ERUPTS IN VIOLENCE... WEATHER: A MIX OF CLOUDY AND CLEAR SKIES; 25°C

JANUARY 27, 2013 HYDERABAD

PG 15

AS THE CITY’S

PARALYSED

While pre-emptive action by the police made for a fairly peaceful but deserted Sunday morning, violence erupted on the Osmania University Campus and teargas was used. M ANIL KUMAR

REPORT ON PG 3

CITY SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

Rural Excerpts

REPUBLIC DAY CELEBRATIONS N SHIVA KUMAR

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

categories at Shoppers Stop, HomeStop and Mothercare outlets with Shoppers Stop. Where: Shoppers Stop outlets When: Ongoing Contact: www.shoppersstop.com

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

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

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

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

Hot Dog food festival

Buy Art

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

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

Just For Women

Big Hyper Sale

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

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

The River Moving Within It is an exhibition of art work by Koeli Mukherjee Ghose. It is inspitred by Rumi‘s works and

CINEMAS

A boy plays with balloons at Gachibowli Stadium. 'Narda Bhakti Sutra,' and reflects a love for life. Where: Truffles Cafe, Plot No. 376, Road No. 10, Jubilee Hills When: January 8, 11am- to 11pm Contact: (040) 2355 0105

Fastrack discounts

Tribute to Khanna

Numaish is the 73rd All India Industrial Exhibition is an ongoing event in the City. Where: Exhibition Ground, Mukarramjahi Road, Nampally When: Up to February 15, 4pm to 11pm Contact: (040) 2460 3015

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

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

Numaish

Shoppers Stop sale Sale up to 51 per cent off on international and Indian brands across

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

Confluence Perfect Harmony Productions and Cisne for Arts bring together Zakir Hussain, Bela Fleck & Edgar M for a trio concert. Where: Shilpa Kala Vedika, Hitec City When: February 8, 6:30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2311 2707

Yudh Sai Shree Arts presents Yudh, a Bharathanatyam solo by Savitha Sastry on war. Where: Ravindra Bharathi When: February 19, 7pm to 8:15pm Contact: (040) 2323 1245

Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally, 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills, 447677770, Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 08800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973

CITY SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

Sharmila to resume yatra?

CM visits horticulture expo

hief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, along with Ramreddy Venkat Reddy, minister for horticulture and sericulture; M Mukesh Goud, minister for marketing and MT Krishna Babu, commissioner, GHMC, visited the GHMC stall on Biodiversity Exhibition with regard to the Horticulture Expo being held at People’s Plaza.

decision on Sharmila’s padayatra is likely to be taken in a couple of days.”Doctors will examine her and give their opinion in a couple of days,” party advisor DA Somayajulu told the media. After the doctors give their clearance, the padayatra will resume, he said. Sharmila had covered the Rayalaseema region, and some parts of Telangana so far.

Begumpet house burgled

nidentified persons on Saturday broke into the house of Mohd Pasha, a resident of Rasoolpur in Begumpet, and stole seven tolas of gold, 20 tolas of silver and some cash. Pasha and his family were attending a function when the break-in occurred. The burglary came to light when they came home. The Begumpet police have registered a case.

OU keeps its violent reputation While preemptive action by the police made for a fairly peaceful but deserted Sunday morning, violence erupted and teargas was used on protesters at Osmania University.

Postnoon Team

feedback@postnoon.com

Racing on

he 36-hour T-Samara Deeksha has crippled City life. The T-leaders were seen playing hide-andseek with the police at many places. Fear was palpable everywhere and by noon, OU students, prevented from taking out a bike rally, began pelting police with rocks. The police responded with tear gas and firing in the air. While the Telangana Joint Action Council (TJAC) and its political arm, TRS, could not put up a show of strength, their 36hour Telangana bandh call has succeeded in paralysing normal City life on Sunday. Most parts of the City’s arterial roads came under heavy police bandobast and barricades, restricting vehicular movements. Fearing trouble and it being Sunday, most businesses preferred to keep their shutters down. The government and police were determined. Besides the City constabulary, police top brass had summoned 20 AP special police to man the trouble spots. Barricades were seen erected in and around OU campus, Tarnaka Crossroads, Manikeshav Nagar, Vidyanagar Road, Vadder Basti, Gun Park and on roads leading to Raj Bhavan, Assembly, Bowenpally Checkpost, Kumpally Road and Medchal Crossroads. Meanwhile, the police have arrested Telangana leader and MLA KT Ramarao and JAC leader Swamy Goud at Gun Park while they attempted to take out a rally. Also held are vice-presi-

he Telangana bandh had no impact on the Hyderabad Winter Derby scheduled to start this afternoon at Malakpet. General manager, Hyderabad Race Club, Lt Colonel Rtd N Ravi Chowdhary expects an even bigger crowd at the race course for the Hyderabad Winter Derby today. “We are in one of the most peaceful areas of Hyderabad and all the races today will be conducted as per the schedule.”

dent, T Praja Front, Ratnamala, T-JAC leader Venkateshwarulu, and Hameed Mohd Khan, leader of Movement for Peace and Justice from Indira Park. At the Assembly gate, TRS MLA Hareesh Rao jumped over the fence and tried to do a dharna before the Gandhi statue. He was evacuated from the spot and the

party’s floor leader in Assembly, E Rajender, was seen arguing with the police. At Indira Park, the police set to work by noon when they began rounding up people and serving lathi blows to onlookers. Three people suffered minor injuries, while many ran to safety. As the situation was not con-

ducive to stage rallies or dharnas in scheduled places, T-JAC leader Kodandaram and TRS leadership asked the cadres to organise protests wherever they were. Kodandaram himself, along with T-JAC supporters, staged a dharna before the MLA quarters in Banjara Hills. Consequently, the whole City witnessed traffic

PHOTOS: M ANIL KUMAR & S BALAKRISHNA

blocks, dissuading people from venturing out. City roads, usually choc-a-bloc, have been virtually deserted on Sunday. The usual shopping crowd kept away, causing losses to merchants and hoteliers. At OU, some 200 students on bikes tried to take out a rally, but seeing the heavy barricades and armed police ready with riot guns at the campus gate, they stopped and began shouting slogans denouncing the Centre and State governments. However, by 11.30am, their patience ran out and a group of determined protesters began throwing rocks at the police. With inputs from Anubha K Singh, Rahul Ramakrishna, Inkeshaf Ahmed, Syed Shoaib, Mohd Subhan, M Anil Kumar and S Balakrishna.

CITY SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

Voters’ Day woes anger public Sloppy handling of voters’ cards caused lot of trouble to people who had come from far to vote. N SHIVA KUMAR

Md NIZAMUDDIN

nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

REDUNDANCY UNCHECKED

lectoral officials have made many voters Guinness eligible. Here is a woman voter who is 130 years old! And there are even magical sex changes and funny surnames among many other weird things. The voter in question is a resident of Navodaya Colony, Yousufguda. Her year of birth is shown as 1883 instead of 1983. There are cards with same serial numbers, adding to the confusion and troubles of voters. This is just one instance of discrepancies that came to light after denizens received their voter identity cards on National Voters’ Day on January 25.

HARDSHIPS

ALL THE WAY

The much hyped event has left people chagrined. Most of them who came from far-off places to zonal offices were a confused lot and there were few who could explain things or sort

things out. “I came from Uppal to this office and I am being told to go to Hari Hara Kala Bhavan,” lamented a senior citizen, after having argued with the employee in-charge. Some of them were told to wait till next

month. When people tried to meet senior officials at the zonal office (central), they were told that the officials would be visiting the booths as part of the Voters’ Day arrangements. The Citizen

Still young at heart Nearly 200 senior citizens participated in ‘Ek sham buzrugon ke naam,’ a contest organised on Republic Day for the elderly. N SHIVA KUMAR

Anubha K Singh anubha.k@postnoon.com

n the eve of Republic Day celebrations, a unique and fun filled antakshri was held for senior citizens at Moksh Banquets. There was no entry fee. Around 200 citizens above 55 years of age participated in the event. Registration was done on first cum first basis. They were seen singing, dancing and enthralling the audience with their many talents. “We have retired but we are

ees who were assigned the task were equally harassed. “I do not have experience in this work but what can I do when I am assigned this?” said a lady, who was assigned work in Citizen Service Centre.

still strong at heart. Any effort put in to entertain the senior citizens is laudable. The format was

unique as compared to normal antakshri. There were many creative and innovative rounds,”said P Natraj, a participant. “In their ripe age our elders suffer from loneliness and isolation. They need entertainment and a feeling of being needed. Events like these are unique opportunities for them and celebrating Republic Day with the elderly is the best thing we can do on the day,” said Khan Ali Khan, a well known ghazal singer from the City. Senior citizens were seen dancing to the tunes of recently released Bollywood and Tollywood songs. They were divided into groups, which were named after rivers in our country, and the Yamuna team won the contest. For many participants, it was not a matter of winning or losing the competition. They had just come to enjoy. “Antakshri for our senior citizens is a tribute we pay to our elders. It is an indirect blessing. Our elders are our pride and let us respect them,” said Ashwin Palaparthi, a budding singer from City. He also released an exclusive song for the day for the senior citizens, which received many accolades from those present.

Service Centre in Khairtabad Office was visited by scores of individuals, but there was none to guide them. Anguished voters were seen throwing the forms around in disgust. Interestingly, some employ-

Recalling how he fought for correcting the cards, SHH Mujtaba, general secretary, Kamalapuri Colony Welfare Association, pointed out that outsourced employees working on enumeration were rarely interested in public grievances. “I had to take the help of deputy zonal commissioner after having argued my case,” he recalled. Figures as of January 15: Hyderabad district has 31,59,231 voters, of which 16,56,962 are male and 15,02,269 female. Observers point out that many of these could be redundant. A retired government employee V Kashinath said, “The employees working on this should be careful and should double check the details. One of the biggest problems I feel for this redundancy is nondeletion of old ones after new entry.”

A tribute to the ‘original superstar’ City remembers acting legend Rajesh Khanna, who lives through his immortal movies till today. Nidhi Bhushan nidhi.b@postnoon.com

‘A

nand mara nahi, Anand marte nahi...’ Who knew then that one of the most iconic lines in the history of Indian cinema would be so apt to the superstar for whom they had originally been spoken? On India’s 62nd Republic Day, Rajesh Khanna was posthumously awarded India's third highest civilian honour Padma Bhushan. “Rajesh Khanna is the original superstar of the Hindi film industry. Based in Mumbai, we were aware that the late actor would be awarded the honour this year. The tribute has been organised to celebrate the actor’s talent that still lives on,” said Aslam Khan, managing director of Panache Productions, a company that has organised a 210minute song and dance programme in the City today to

pay tribute to the superstar. Nayan Rathod, winner of K For Kishore, will be singing some of the greatest tunes pictured on the yesteryear heartthrob. “More than 90 per cent of Rajesh Khanna songs have been sung by Kishore Kumar. Keeping this in mind, we agreed that Nayan would be the apt choice for the tribute” added Khan. “Mohammed Irfan, playback singer from Murder 2, will also be performing.” Choreographer Mahesh L Munde, who has assisted celebrities like Farah Khan, has choreographed some scintillating performances.

What: Tribute to superstar Rajesh Khanna Where: Lalitha Kala Thoranam, Public Gardens When: Today, 6-9.30pm Contact: 9700008997

CITY SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

THE FEAR FACTOR

The ban on Vishwaroopam is just the tip of the iceberg of a growing trend in India, where several groups have raised objections to films. Are we becoming overtly sensitive? Or does this herald a new era of a heady mix of politics, religion and moral police where filmmakers are arm-twisted to drive home a point?

HEMANTH KUMAR

hemanth.k@postnoon.com

amal Haasan, who has dedicated his entire life to cinema, is moving heaven and earth to ensure that his latest film, Vishwaroopam, gets released in Tamil Nadu. It came as a rude shock to not only him but to the entire film fraternity when the film was banned, albeit temporarily, by the Tamil Nadu government based on objections raised by several Muslim groups. A shocked Kamal Haasan, in his letter to the media, termed it as ‘cultural terrorism’ which has to end. He has a valid point. If this is the treatment meted out to one of the greatest actors in Indian cinema, imagine the plight of scores of other filmmakers, actors and writers who have or will have to face the wrath of a section of the public for various reasons. Have we become overtly sensitive as a society or are we caught in the middle of a war between freedom of expression and being politically correct?

A long time ago, filmmakers like K Balachander explored themes which, going by the situation prevailing today, would seem outrageous. Most of his films went on to become cult favourites for movie aficionados. Considering we are in the 21st century, wouldn’t it be reasonable to expect people to talk about religion, race, caste, politics and homosexuality among other issues with a little more wisdom? It certainly doesn’t seem so. At least, not yet in Telugu or Tamil cinema. “Back in 1972, Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha and Mehmood acted in a film titled Bombay to Goa. It was a hilarious film where people from different

backgrounds and regions were ridiculed. I don’t know how we would react if the same film released today. We have a become overtly sensitive and even filmmakers don’t want to touch themes or issues which might invite trouble. It’s a result of the fear psychosis fostered by politicians to promote their vested interests over the years,” singer Anuj Gurwara says. Historically, Telugu films have rarely been banned, although objectionable scenes were censored ahead of the film’s release. “Raithu Bidda, which was made in 1939, was banned by the British government, but post-Independence, we haven’t had films which were

banned altogether, because films were largely within the framework of what was acceptable in the society. In fact, Cameraman Ganga Tho Rambabu is the first Telugu film to be censored once again after its release due to the objections raised by Telangana activists,” film historian Harikrishna Mamidi said, adding, “In the past, filmmakers used to ignore objections raised by a certain section of the society because people accepted the films. Unless there’s an overwhelming outrage over certain scenes or portrayal of people from a specific community or region, no one really cared.” There’s also another interested trend which gives us a glimpse of how the government chooses to react every time there’s a controversy. Religion is often the trump card which catches everyone’s attention. Women organisations have been protesting for decades against the objectification of women in cinema, but the issue is almost always brushed aside; however, the moment religious groups get involved, the way the government deals with the issue changes completely. Vote-bank politics is the order of the day. So what happens to the filmmakers and writers who want to make films on touchy issues? Is the fear of backlash so overwhelming that they decide to play safe? “Day by day, we are losing freedom of expression. The moment we begin considering who might get offended by a particular scene or dialogue, it’s difficult to even write. Even the government is trying to please certain sections of the society for power and in turn, they are hurting many more,” writer Kona Venkat said. It’s not that films haven’t genuinely hurt the sentiments of the audience, but that’s purely subjective. After all, it’s unreasonable to expect everyone to think alike. “Some people might have got offended with certain scenes in Cameraman Ganga Tho Rambabu or Dhenikaina Ready, but the issues were blown out of proportion and 99% of the time, such protests are politically motivated,” Venkat added. Amidst all this chaos, the censor board has become the battleground for filmmakers who vouch for freedom of expression and the other side which expects the censor board

Films which could have been banned, but weren’t 1. Religion: Bombay, Khadgam 2. Homosexuality: My Brother Nikhil, I Am, Bombay Boys 3. Caste: Saptapadi, 1940 Lo Oka Gramam 4. Terrorism: Roja, Dil Se 5. Politics: Iruvar, Rajneeti, Rang De Basanti 6. Regionalism: Gulaal 7. Spoof: Tamizh Padam 8. Reservations: Aarakshan 9. Erotica: Rathinirvedam 10. Communalism: Parzania, Firaaq

to cut every possible scene or dialogue which might hurt their sentiments. A censor board official, on the condition of anonymity, said, “We can’t really judge what might be considered outrageous. Films with more than two or three fight sequences get ‘A’ certificate, but kids these days watch far more violence and gore on TV. In the past, people never raised objections over films like Bombay or Khadgam, but now, they have a problem with films like Dhenikaina Ready. It’s almost as if some groups have a personal vendetta against filmmakers. There are norms which we adhere to, but it’s not practical to appease the sentiments of each and every person.” Tammareddy Bharadwaj, the president of AP Film Chamber of Commerce, said, “It has become a fashion to protest for everything and no one knows when and why people want to protest against what’s shown in films. Sometimes, there’s absolutely no reason behind these protests. The censor board exists for a reason and its duty is to protect the interest of the public. Once a film is certified by the censor board, it’s unfair to impose further restrictions on a film’s release or call for a ban. It’s almost as if some people want to get some mileage by protesting against films.” Will the government wake up to protect the freedom of expression of writers and filmmakers or will it continue to bow to protesters for reasons best known to political and religious groups? Only time will tell, but we sincerely wish this fear factor ends soon. Let ideas thrive. Not fear.

NATION SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

All NE open for foreigners

Sonia apologised for midnight input: Verma

Naxals abduct 8 villagers

NEW DELHI: To boost tourism in the

NEW DELHI: Suggestions of the Congress on changing

JAMUI: Naxals abducted eight per-

Northeast, the government has withdrawn restrictions imposed on foreign tourists travelling to the picturesque region. However, citizens of Pakistan, China, Afghanistan and Myanmar will not enjoy the benefit of the latest order, which would initially be applicable for a year, a senior home ministry official said here.

anti-rape laws were delivered past midnight to Justice JS Verma leading to party chief Sonia Gandhi tendering an apology to him for the odd timing. "Past mid-night, someone came to my residence, woke me up and wanted to hand over personally (the Congress party's suggestions). But somehow the Congress president came to know of it. She was very gracious and next day she rang me up personally and profusely apologised to my great embarrassment. I had to tell her do not do this," he told a television channel.

sons engaged in a road bridge construction in a village in Bihar’s Jamui district, police said today. The labourers were working in a road bridge construction work on NawadaJamui road. District police team has rushed to the village to rescue the abducted persons, superintendent of police Upendra Sharma said.

Bangla visa pact likely in 2 days

CYNOSURE

NEW DELHI: India is all set to sign a liberalised visa agreement and an extradition treaty with Bangladesh during Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s two-day visit to Dhaka beginning tomorrow. The new visa pact, named revised travel arrangement, will remove restrictions on visit of each other’s businesspersons, students, patients, senior citizens above 65 years and children below 12 years on the lines of the liberalised visa regime between India and Pakistan. “Both the treaties will be signed during the home minister’s visit to Bangladesh,” a Home Ministry official said. The extradition treaty will pave the way for deportation of jailed ULFA ‘general secretary’ Anup Chetia, Tripura insurgent

Cross-LoC trade, travel to resume Jammu: The signs of business along the LoC between the two sides of Jammu and Kashmir have started re-appearing, and the cross-border trade and travel would likely be resumed on Monday, said an official source Sunday. This dramatic turn around came after the Indian and Pakistani armies exchanged sweets along the LoC Saturday as a mark of goodwill gesture on the occasion of India’s 64th Republic Day. leader Vishwa Mohan Deb Barman, NDFB leader Thulunga alias Tensu Narzery and PTI many other insurgents.

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or SMS „Postnoon‰ to 56161 Bhutan’s Queen Jetsun Pema during an At-Home reception hosted by President on the occasion of 64th Republic Day at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Saturday. PTI

Not lucky anymore oye! ‘Bunty Chor’ nabbed in Pune THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Delhi’s notorious ‘Bunty Chor’, who was involved in over 500 burglaries across the country, has been nabbed by Kerala Police from a hotel in Pune early Sunday, within days of looting the house of a businessman here, a minister said. State Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan confirmed that Bunty is in the custody of the Kerala Police. Devinder Singh, alias Bunty Chor, reportedly broke into a high security house of Gulf NRI businessman Venugopalan Nair on January 21. ‘Bunty’ allegedly deactivated electronic surveillance devices and drove off with an SUV worth `28 lakh, a laptop and two mobile phones from his house. ‘Bunty’ was spotted speeding on the

SUV on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border Wednesday afternoon by three motorists from Kerala. Media reports said that Kerala Police informed their Karnataka counterparts who intercepted an SUV, allegedly driven by ‘Bunty’, while its occupants were seeking directions for Bangalore. According to the reports, ‘Bunty’ was allegedly nabbed by Karnataka Police after he initially managed to escape after attacking three policemen. Karnataka Joint Commissioner of Police Pranab Mohanty Thursday confirmed to the media here that ‘Bunty’ had not been arrested. A Bollywood movie, Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye starring Abhay Deol, was made in 2008 on the life IANS of ‘Bunty’.

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Leopard kills eight-year-old MUMBAI: Barely 24 hours after a prowling leopard was trapped alive, an eight-year-old boy was mauled to death by a wildcat in Goregaon late Saturday, police said here on Sunday. The incident happened Saturday evening when the victim, Saurabh T. Yadav was playing with his friends in Adarsh Nagar, bordering the thick

forests of Aarey Milk Colony in Goregaon east of north-west Mumbai. Suddenly, a leopard leaped out and attacked Saurabh even as his shocked friends managed to escape and alert the family and police. After more than two hours search by the forest department and police rescue team, the boy’s IANS mangled remains were found.

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WORLD SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

March in US for gun control

Fruitvale wins honours

WASHINGTON: Thousands of people

LOS ANGELES: Fruitvale, about a

marched in Washington on Saturday to demand stronger gun control legislation, in a solemn rally six weeks after the shock massacre of young children at a Connecticut school. Protesters, backed by senior officials, marched in silence for around 30 minutes along the National Mall near the US Capitol and Washington Monument.

4 die in Indonesia landslide JAKARTA: Landslides triggered by

young black man shot by police in a gritty California neighborhood, won the top prize Saturday at the Sundance Film Festival, America's premier independent movie showcase. The movie by first-time writer and director Ryan Coogler won the US drama Grand Jury award, as well as the US drama audience award.

heavy rain killed four people and left 18 others missing on Indonesia's Sumatra island while burying more than a dozen houses, an official said Sunday. "Heavy rains caused landslides in Agam district in West Sumatra," National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a text message.

Last rebel bastion falls to French

Legionnaires in Africa

chronology of key events in the West African state of Mali since France sent troops to take on armed Islamist groups.

After the fall of Gao, France’s Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the nation’s troops were also advancing on Timbuktu. Serge Daniel

Jan 11: With French support, Malian government troops launch an offensive against Islamist rebels.

BAMAKO: French-led troops recaptured the Islamist stronghold of Gao on Saturday, a major boost to their 16-day offensive against Al Qaeda-linked rebels holding Mali's vast desert north. France's Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the nation's troops were also advancing on Timbuktu, another key northern town held by the insurgents. A fabled caravan town on the edge of the Sahara, Timbuktu served as a centre of Islamic learning for centuries. France said troops from Niger and Chad "will pick up the baton". "A first contingent of Malian, Chadian and Niger troops are presently in Gao to help secure it," a Malian security source said. Another Malian security source said, "There is popular rejoicing and everyone is very happy." Soldiers from Chad and Niger, meanwhile, were moving toward the Malian border from the Niger town of Ouallam, 100 kilometres southeast of Gao. French-led forces had seized overnight Gao's airport and a key bridge on the southern entrance of the town, held by

Jan 10: About 1,200 Islamists capture the government-held central town of Konna and say they will push farther south. Mali’s interim president Dioncounda Traore asks France for help.

Jan 13: French airstrikes target Islamist bases in the northern regions of Gao and Kidal. Jan 14: Rebels abandon key northern bases. Residents in the towns of Gao, Douentza and Timbuktu report all Islamists have fled, though a rebel spokesman calls it a “tactical retreat”. Jan 15: France engages ground troops for the first time, to retake Diabaly.

Malian people ride a bike past a sugar cane field on fire before the harvest on the road to Massina. AFP/FLORIAN PLAUCHEUR

the Al-Qaeda-linked Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO). There had not been substantive fighting around Gao, said the French military command, but there was sporadic gunfire from "terrorist elements." Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal were seized by Islamists after a coup in April last year by an alliance of Tuareg rebels who wanted an independent nation in the north.

US to refuel French jets Mali top of AU agenda WASHINGTON: The ADDIS ABABA: African United States has agreed to refuel French fighter jets waging war against Islamist militants in Mali, officials said Saturday, after weighing the decision for more than two weeks. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, that the Pentagon was ready to offer its refuelling tankers.

leaders will discuss the conflict in Mali and will seek to speed up the deployment of an African force there as well as discussing the political standoff between the Sudans when the African Union summit opens Sunday. The AU resolved to bolster the strength of the African-led force in Mali, or AFISMA.

Jan 16: The crisis takes on a new international dimension with a massive hostage crisis at a gas site in Algeria’s remote southeastern desert, perpetrated by Islamists claiming to avenge France’s military intervention in Mali. Jan 17: In Algeria, the army carries out an assault on the gas site, freeing some 600 Algerian hostages, according to the Algerian news agency APS, but killing many hostages, according to a kidnapper. Paris announces that some 1,400 French soldiers are deployed on Mali’s soil. The number of French troops involved in Operation Serval is expected to reach at least 2,500. About 100 Nigerian and Togolese soldiers, the first contingents of the African-led AFISMA force, arrive in Bamako. The Malian and French armies retake Konna.

AFP

Raging floods hit northern Oz

US not exempt from laws: Philippines Prez

China tests army transport plane

SYDNEY: A man was missing in raging floodwaters

MANILA: Philippine President Benigno Aquino has welcomed the US Navy's apology for a minesweeper that went aground on a World Heritage-listed coral reef, but said they would not be exempt from penalties. The priority was to remove the damaged USS Guardian from Tubbataha Reef even as an investigation was under way to determine why it strayed into the area, Aquino told reporters in Davos, Switzerland, according to transcripts released Sunday. "We'd like to thank them for respecting our sovereignty and are very careful about our sensitivities," Aquino said of the apology last week by the US embassy and the US Navy. "But that doesn't exempt them from having to comply with our laws," said the President.

BEIJING: China has carried out a test flight of its biggest-ever army transport aeroplane, state media said Sunday, as the country strengthens its military capabilities. A successful test flight of the Y-20, a longrange heavy transport jet, took place on Saturday in the northwest of the country, the People's Daily newspaper reported on its website. The plane was developed in China to transport military combat and support vehicles and can carry up to 66 tons, the report said, making it China's biggest home-grown military transport plane to date. The Y-20 would be a "huge boost to the intercontinental strategic projection abilities of China's air force", the Beijing News cited an army expert as saying.

and hundreds of homes were evacuated in northeastern Australia as storms pelted Queensland state Sunday, with the army put on standby as the weather worsened. Towns and cities devastated by floods in Queensland two years ago which claimed 35 lives were bracing for another devastating inundation as ex-tropical cyclone Oswald hammered the northern state. A 27-year-old man was missing after he attempted to cross a swollen creek near Gympie north of Brisbane and a swift-water rescue team lost their boat trying to retrieve him, according to the town's mayor Ron Dyne. Dyne said a number of people had been forced to retreat to the roofs of their homes to await rescue.

COMMENT SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

Snakes need love too

Don’t strike in our name

n reference to your article, Few Takers for T-Strikes (Jan, 26). I think what politicians fail to understand that is many of us are just looking to be allowed to do our jobs and make a living, and are not really interested in their agendas. Also the cosmopolitan make-up of today’s cities means local politics is not that important. Hitesh Joshi, via e-mail

EDITORIALS THANKS, HAFIZ, but no thanks LeT founder Hafiz Mohammed Saeed has invited Shah Rukh Khan to come to Pakistan if he felt insecure about living in India. It’s laughable: one of the most dangerous and decrepit men is inviting an artiste to live in the most dangerous place on earth because he felt the latter felt insecure living in a land that’s made him what he is, gave him name, fame, gaadi bangla... sab kuch. Sure, Khan has had to suffer at the hands of some lunatics in the saffron brigade, who attacked the actor’s tolerant attitude towards Pakistani players. First off, Khan like every Indian has his right to opinion; he is an artiste and people in the world of art have big hearts and clear eyes to see beyond borders when it comes to sport and art — despite soured India-Pakistan relations. Everyone knows why only the “outspoken” Khan has been the butt of many rebukes of political leaders — it’s easy to target a man who is frank and does not fear speaking his mind. There are people of his religion who take out processions holding Pakistan’s flag and burst crackers when Pakistan beats India in matches, but no one can point fingers at Khan, who takes pride in being the son of a freedom fighter and an Indian. Khan is targeted because he panders to no one. Such people are targets for zealots, bigots and rabble-rousers. But Shah Rukh Khan won’t feel safe in the land where Osama bin Laden had taken shelter, where a girl was shot because she said she wanted to study, where Hindus and Christians face many degrees worse persecution than Muslims in India, where women are a suppressed lot, where political stability is a remote possibility, where the nation’s leadership is worried what the Army might be thinking, when the next coup is coming.

our article, Snake, rattle and roll (Jan 26) made for an enlightening read. Most time we tend do disregard snakes and other reptiles as creepy and don’t spare a thought for their well-being. I’m glad, however, that Snake Cell Andhra Pradesh is doing such a stellar job for these animals. Good work! Hillary Marlowe, via e-mail

EDITORIALS Readers’ views We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 040-4067 2222.

The beautiful game

am really impressed with Postnoon’s football coverage. You’ll seem to have understood the fact that in urban India, football is slowly eroding the popularity of cricket. A few days ago I was in a sports bar in Mumbai and the patrons actually asked the management to turn off the cricket and switch on the football. Heady days! Lalit Sharma, Banjara Hills

Is it commission or omission in India? From the hip

SYED SHOAIB

o response from those meant to act on my report, complains Justice JS Verma, who submitted a report on laws on sexual crimes to the government this week. The committee’s lauded report on rape laws could just bite the dust like the works of several other committees constituted for study or suggestions on social issues in India. It is a fad for those in power to constitute a committee when an event is in the heat of a public debate and then conveniently forget about it. Politicians, in fact, use the time taken by the distinguished group to do ground work to buy time. And the public, which has a short memory or is forced to flit from one occurrence to the other, heightened by media trials, ponders little over the wellresearched and resource-consuming work of these ad hoc groups that are appointed for a specific purpose. They cease to exist, literally and figuratively, when they finish the task assigned to them. Committees and commissions for research and recommendations is a deliberative assembly subordinate to politicians. Hence from the controversial Mandal commission to the recent one-man committee to probe into the lobbying activities of Wal-Mart, the recommendations of most of these expert panels is sometimes not even read fully, forget the implementation. The elaborate finding of these inquiry groups is often a reflection of the legal expertise of the limited number of members appointed to study a current situation in neutrality. You decide what has come out of the following reports. Some retired or sitting judges have had to head more than one commission, rather painfully! Palekar: Journalists’ pay

reforms UC Banerjee: Godhra carnage Sarkaria: Centre-State relations Srikrishna: 1992 Bombay riots Thakkar: Indira Gandhi assassination case Phukan and Saharya: Tehelka tapes Malimath: Criminal justice Upendra: Rape and murder of Thangjam Manorama Devi Malhotra: Insurance reforms Janaki Ram: Security scam Ajay Vikram Singh: Faster promotions in army Rajinder Sachar (1): Companies and MRPT Act Rajindar Sachar (2): Social, economic and educational status of the Muslims of India Jyoti Basu: Octroi abolition Balwant Rai Mehta: Decentralisation system Sawant: Corruption, charges against ministers and Anna Hazare Chelliah: Eradicating black money Kothari: Educational reforms Wanchoo: Tax enquiry Bhanu Pratap Singh: Agriculture Aggarwal: Nepotism in granting petrol pump, LPG connections Rangarajan: Reforms in private sector Naresh Chandra: Corporate governance Chakravarti: Banking sector

reforms Rekhi: Structure of indirect taxation GV Ramakrishna: Disinvestment in PSU shares Kelkar: Backward castes PC Hotha: Restructuring of civil services Justice BN Kirpal: National forest commission Godbole: Enron power project JC Kumarappa: Congress agrarian reforms Swaminathan: Population policy Rangarajan: Statistics Wardha: Murder of Graham Staines NN Vohra: Criminalisation of politics Kelkar Committee (2): DirectIndirect taxes Alagh: Civil service examinations Abid Hussain: Small scale industries Narasimham: Banking sector reforms Chelliah: Tax reforms Mashelkar: National auto fuel policy Boothalingam: Integrated wages, income and price policy Omkar Goswami: Industrial sickness Yashpal: School education system Ram Nandan Prasad: Ceamy layers among backward castes Kelkar Committee (3): Kargil

defence deals. MM Punchhi: Centre-State relations Thorat: Caste-based discrimination against students in AIIMS RK Raghavan: Ragging in colleges James Lyngdoh: Student politics and student-body elections in colleges EMS Nachiappan: Reforms in the higher judiciary Soli Sorabjee: Police reforms Ganguli: Health facility planning and healthcare engineering and management Percy Mistry: Making Mumbai an international financial centre KT Thomas: Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act Fali S Nariman: Destruction of public property Satwant Reddy: Registration of pharmaceutical drugs and clinical trials Raghuram C Rajan: Financial sector reforms Shah: Reorganisation of states Tarkunde: Composition of the election commission and other electoral reforms Dinesh Goswami: Electoral reforms Butler: Relation between Indian states and paramount power (the queen of Britain) Hurtog: Growth of British India education and its effects Muddiman: Working of diarchy Montague Chelmsford reforms.

BUSINESS SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

‘India growth 5.5% in FY’13’

ndia is likely to clock economic growth rate of 5.5 per cent in the current financial year, which would accelerate to 6.5 per cent in 2013-14, driven by demand in domestic consumption. According to a DSP BlackRock Mutual Fund Economy and market outlook for 2013, in the next fiscal, growth is likely to accelerate to 6.5 per cent (from 5.5 per cent expected for FY’13).

Haryana seeks `137 cr from Maruti

aruti Suzuki India has said it received an additional demand for `137.58 crore during last quarter as an enhanced amount for the land of the Manesar plant by the Haryana government. The company said it is already fighting a legal battle against Haryana State Industrial & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (HSIIDC) for a demand of `501.24 crore as an additional compensation by landowners at Manesar. The order has been reserved by the Supreme Court.

Power meet on February 5

he power ministry has convened a meeting of state energy ministers on February 5 to seek their support for its financial restructuring plan to bailout ailing electricity distribution companies. Last year, the government announced restructuring the `1.9 lakh crore debt of power distribution companies in an attempt to improve their financial health.

Japan policy sparks fears of currency war Richard Carter

feedback@postnoon.com

apan’s controversial new economic policy emerged as one of the hot topics at this year’s Davos forum, with talk of currency wars and strong rebuttals from Japanese officials. The new government in Tokyo, led by Shinzo Abe, has pushed the Bank of Japan to step up efforts to battle nearly two decades of deflation and sluggish growth in the world’s third-largest economy. The BOJ on Tuesday unveiled a new inflation target of two percent and a massive programme of asset purchases to pump money into the economy, sparking accusations it had bowed to political pressure and compromised central bank independence. The new government policy has also led to a steady decline in the value of the yen against other currencies — boosting exports — but other countries have expressed concern that Tokyo is pursuing a beggar-thyneighbour approach. No less an authority than German Chancellor Angela Merkel got the ball rolling in Davos when she complained —

HE ALSO STRESSED “IT WAS UP TO THE MARKETS” TO SET THE APPROPRIATE EXCHANGE RATE. in typically under-stated fashion — that she was “not without some concern about Japan right now.” She also appeared to warn Tokyo that its actions were not going unnoticed on the world stage, saying there was an increasing awareness of what she called “political influences or manipulations of the exchange rate.” This sparked a furious reaction in Tokyo with Finance Minister Taro Aso (pictured) telling reporters that such accusations were “completely off the

mark.” In an unusual ministerial comment on foreign exchange rates, French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici also told a panel at the Swiss ski resort that the level of the euro “is high and it creates some problems.” But Japanese officials hit back, arguing that some intervention was required to reverse years of an overly strong yen harming the economy. Japan’s minister in charge of economic and fiscal policy, Akira Amari, travelled to Davos to insist that the BOJ had “voluntarily” decided to introduce the new target. He also stressed “it was up to the markets” to set the appropriate exchange rate. One leading Japanese businessman complained: “The yen appreciated by 40 percent against the dollar and 50 percent against the Korean won. How can we compete under such circumstances? Some macro-economic management is key.”

Carlos Ghosn, one of the world’s richest people and boss of Japanese automaker Nissan, said it was important “to eliminate the obstacles that the strength of the yen gives to the economy.” “It is an attempt just to bring the level to a normal price, it is good for Nissan,” he said.

TREADING

A FINE LINE

But an independent arbiter, the head of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), said Japan was treading a “fine line” between defending its currency and putting trading partners at a disadvantage. “The only question is where do you draw the line between what is genuine self-defence and then something that would be a beggar-thyneighbour policy? This is a thin line and it’s a difficult line to walk,” said Angel Gurria. While fears that such a powerful country as Japan was

intervening to control its exchange rate exercised the minds of some Davos participants, others warned it was an overblown fear. Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of Canada, stressed that the group of seven top industrial countries had vowed to refrain from interfering in exchange rate policy “for the benefit of the global economy.” Jin Liqun, chairman of the China Investment Corporation, told a Davos panel: “Don’t believe this myth about a currency war. I think there would be no winners in a currency war.” But another analyst, Nariman Behravesh, of thinktank IHS, said such policies could lead to what he termed an “epidemic of competitive devaluations” with potentially devastating consequences. “This is a dangerous scenario, which was played out at a huge cost to the global economy in the 1930s,” AFP judged Behravesh.

RIM bets on BB10 for 2013 comeback

lackBerry maker Research in Motion begins its comeback bid on Wednesday with a new platform launch in a make-or-break move for a firm that is rapidly sinking in the smartphone market it once dominated. The Canada-based company unveils its BlackBerry 10 operating system and handsets in what some see as its last, best chance to remain a major player in an already competitive sector that is nevertheless attracting new entrants. The company website home page depicts a sleek black device against a black background, alongside the words: “The Blackberry Experience. Re-designed. Reengineered. Re-invented.” More than 150 carriers worldwide have been testing the new platform, and RIM has given more than 8,000 prototypes to application developers. BlackBerry 10 devices will be offered in an alltouchscreen version as well as in a model that keeps a physical keyboard. RIM says the system will break new ground by creating a user space that allows customers to flip between applications seamlessly and without first passing through a home page, to boost efficiency and multitasking. Another key asset of BlackBerry 10 is what RIM dubbed the “BlackBerry balance,” a system that allows users to separate professional communications and applications from music, photographs and other personal items. Such an option means that if a user changes job, his or her former company can disable the device’s corporate side without affecting personal data. BlackBerry, which until a few years ago was the dominant smartphone, has seen its market share slip to under 5 percent. AFP

INTERVIEW SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

‘Accountability is low in India’ Tell us about Terre des hommes and your activities in India.

DEEPASHRI VARADHARAJAN

deepashri.v@postnoon.com

In a country where 40 per cent of the population are children, Lopa Bhattacharjee, child protection officer at an international child rights NGO Terre Des hommes tells Postnoon about abuse faced by children, the need for stricter implementation of existing laws and Tdh’s ongoing projects.

for her/his care and protection. This led to the compilation of this resource directory. The resource directory provides a quick overview of several key stakeholders involved in child protection in Delhi and their roles and responsibilities. Subsequently, relevant contact information (district wise) is presented. This covers key district level functionaries, CWCs, JJBs police stations and key police officials, shelter homes, CHILDLINE and child adoption agencies. We hope that this will help strengthen coordination between the key stakeholders responsible for and working on child protection in the state. A similar Resource Directory has already been developed for West Bengal earlier in 2012 within the scope of the same anti-trafficking intervention. A third one is also being developed for Andhra Pradesh. All these 3 directories have been endorsed by Dr Shantha Sinha, Chairperson of the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Government of India, through her message in the document supporting and encouraging such an initiative. These resource directories will be disseminated amongst all the relevant stakeholders of child protection as mentioned above. These will be available with Tdh and you may write to info@tdh-foundation.in for copies of these publications.

Terre des hommes Foundation (Tdh), with its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, operates in more than 30 countries across the world with a mission to protect the rights of children. Tdh works with communities, focusing its action on the younger generation. As an international NGO specialising in health and protection, we support children and communities in becoming actors in their own right in order to make the necessary changes in their lives, thereby gaining autonomy and self-determination. Our aim is to avoid and prevent any relationships of dependency in both the medium and long term. The Indian delegation office of Tdh is based in Kolkata, managing programmes in India through local partners. We are currently implementing programmes in Andhra Pradesh (AP), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) and West Bengal. In AP and ANI, we have Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programmes. In West Bengal we are carrying out Anti Trafficking, Mother and Child Health and Nutrition, and WASH projects. Since 2009, Tdh has been implementing an anti trafficking intervention titled Protection and Quality of Care Anti trafficking Action (PAQCA), with Sanlaap in West Bengal. The project is cofunded by the European Union and Oak Foundation. It supports trafficked children in regaining physical and emotional health, developing a repertoire of personal and economic skills and returning to their community/home country, in a protective environment.

What are the major child right violation issues that plague India, in your opinion? Based on our work experience, many children in India are denied their rights to health and protection. However, putting it in a larger context of protection, majority of children in India are subject to abuse and exploitation, particularly sexual, which is rampant in every form.

What is that one case study or project undertaken by Tdh that has had a huge impact on you and the community? It is the current anti-trafficking project which has been going on for four years. The project has so far been able to provide direct assistance through care and protection services to more than 700 children. Of these, 80 per cent were trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation, while the remaining 20 per cent were subject to other forms of abuse. Through this project, the families and the communities are being capacitated to receive their children after being returned to the community. While on one hand, care and protection services in NGO and government-run shelters in West Bengal and Nepal were improved, on the other hand, the children were supported through direct assistance through individual case management system to help integrate them into the society.

Human trafficking ranks very high in the list of criminal activities in India and most of the victims are children. What work has Tdh undertaken in this regard? For Tdh, two key learning points that will help us design our future strategies in India include: n The need to strengthen the implementation of the existing child protection systems which are laid out in the acts, policies and schemes related to care and protection of children, such as Juvenile Justice Act and Integrated Child Protection Scheme. n To strengthen community-based care systems for the vulnerable children and those who are victims of abuse and exploitation.

Where do you think India stands, compared to other countries where Tdh works, when it comes to child rights? It is very difficult to make a comparison between the situation in India and other countries where Tdh is currently working. Situations and contexts are very different. India has its own limitations and advantages of being a large country with an estimated 40 per cent child population. However, comparatively India

THE FOCUS IS CANTERED AROUND VICTIM ASSISTANCE AND IMPROVING THE CARE STANDARDS OF NGO AND GOVERNMENT RUN SHELTER HOMES.

has stronger laws and policies in place, but their implementation, monitoring and accountability is very low as compared to other countries of Tdh’s intervention. Again, due to its diverse nature, it is difficult to have a uniform strategy while operating in different communities, sometimes within the same state or even within the same local community. There is a lot of work that is currently being done by civil society organisations on child rights issues. However, there is a huge gap in mutual collaboration and sharing. There is a lot of potential to jointly advocate child rights issues in India if these gaps are bridged by these organisations.

What prompted you to release a resource book on child protection services? Where will these books be available? While working with trafficked children, a major gap in coordination among stakeholders such as the child welfare committees (responsible for the care and protection of children under the Juvenile Justice System of the country), juvenile justice boards (responsible for children in conflict with the law), police, judiciary, civil society organisations was observed, which was due to lack of information related to available services and structures on child protection in the different districts and states of India. This often resulted in delayed or no action in terms of ensuring that children were able to access a particular service necessary

In India, Tdh has been implementing anti trafficking interventions in West Bengal since 2005. The prime focus of intervention is cantered around victim assistance and improving the care standards of NGO and Government run shelter homes. The final objective has been to support these children in their successful mainstreaming into the community and reducing their stay at shelters. Tdh has developed several tools towards strengthening care and protection systems for trafficked children based on the practical experiences within the framework of its anti-trafficking interventions in West Bengal. These include: 1) Staff Development Training Manual for Institutional Care; 2) Resource Directory on Child Protection Services and Structures in West Bengal endorsed by the Government of West Bengal at the state level and the Government of India; 3) Child Protection Policy for the partner in West Bengal focusing on prevention of further abuse of trafficked children in institutional care.

What changes or amendments would you like to see in the law to better protect child rights in our country? In our opinion, it is more about the implementation of the existing laws rather than amendments. Of course amendments are also necessary, however as stated above there is a need for stronger implementation and monitoring.

WELLNESS SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

Every girl dreams of looking her best on the D-day. However, the amount of make-up you apply will not make you look truly magical unless you have flawless skin. Make-up artiste Suman Agarwal gives a few tips for getting oh-so-perfect skin.

MAKE-UP READY!

GET YOUR SKIN

our wedding day marks the beginning of a whole new chapter. It is one of those days that you will have vivid memories of all your life. All the cameras flash, everyone’s eyes are on you. As women, we like to look our best even in pajamas. So when it is your wedding day, you obviously want to look your very best. You appoint a make-up artiste, of course, and leave it entirely on her to make you look resplendent. What one must understand is although make-up can transform your look, make-up can be absolutely magical only if your skin is healthy. To get that great skin, follow these tips. Eating the right kind of food is advisable over depending on medicines and artificial supplements. This goes a long way in strengthening your body’s self-healing forces. It is truly said that ‘you are what you eat’ — what you take inside will show on your skin. Eat a balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables, especially plenty of yellow- and orange-coloured ones. These contain beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A. Add nuts, like almonds and walnuts, to your diet. They are rich in vitamin E and omega fatty acids, which bring a youthful glow to your skin. Drink at least five litres of water a day. A cliched mantra this may be, but most of us tend to neglect this very basic, inexpensive natural method to detoxify the body. Try to drink some coconut water every day as well. Coconut water is nature’s purest drink. Research has shown that cytokinins and trans-zeatin have significant anti-ageing effects.

KANCHAN AGARWAL

kanchan.a@postnoon.com

EXTERNAL C ARE

he first rule of thumb is cleansing, toning and moisturising your skin on a daily basis. Extra care is required during winters to combat dry flaky skin. Simple home remedies can be incredible for your skin. n Massage your face and body with olive oil for 15-20 mins daily before your bath. You can combine it with 4-5 drops of essential oils like lavender and rose for a rejuvenating and relaxing experience. This will nourish your skin. n Make a pack with 3-4 tbsps of besan (gram flour), 2 tbsp of curd, raw organic honey, olive oil and a few drops of lime juice. Gently scrub before shower. This is as effective as it is inexpensive, removing dead skin and retaining the softness of your body. n For the face, use soda bicarbonate (baking soda) weekly once. Mix 1 1/2 tsp of baking soda with a mild cleanser like cetaphil (available at any pharmacy). Scrub it gently in circular motion. n Massaging your face with a good nourishing cream once a week is

excellent for your skin. Use shea butter or avocado cream, meant for facial massage and have natural ingredients. If you have oily skin, use aloe vera gel instead. n Face packs with oatmeal powder, egg white, honey, freshly mashed fruits like banana, strawberry and papaya can be applied after the massage. n Dead Sea mud pack has high amounts of minerals and salts which your skin needs in plenty. It also pulls out impurities from skin caused by pollution and is a strong anti-ageing agent. Several skin disorders such as psoriasis, eczema, acne and wrinkles can be taken care of, too. n Argan oil, also known as ‘moroccan gold oil’

is elixir for your skin and hair. It is a rich source of vitamin E and contains phenolic acids (antioxidants), omega fatty acids which help neutralise free radicals. It is agreeable with any number of skin conditions. n Use makeup products of reputed brands only. n Before applying foundation base, apply moisturiser, sunscreen if it is for the day, and primer. This will ensure you look fresh for long hours. Brides-to-be should follow this regime for at least a month before the wedding. Make-up reflects better on well-maintained skin. It is only to accentuate your already existing beauty. The healthier your skin is, the more flawless your make-up will be. Most importantly, if you feel happy and beautiful from within, it will enhance your look manifold. As the late Kevin Aucoin had said, “No amount of make-up can mask an ugly heart.” Courtesy: Suman Agarwal, make-up artiste.

PICK YOUR

Across Stores

ities Twin C

ART AND CULTURE SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

Egypt artists protest

Obama on canvas

“L

ong Live Free Art”, the rallying call title of an exhibition that closed in Cairo, expressed the Egyptian art world’s growing resistance to the new constitution, which was approved at the end of December, Artists, curators, critics and academics have united against president Mohamed Morsi and his controversial charter, which they say threatens freedom of expression.

British artist, Nicola Green, has done a series of sketches, prints and paintings examining Barack Obama's 2008 presidential election. Her collection, In Seven Days, begins with Obama's nomination acceptance speech and ends with his inauguration in Washington DC. The exhibition is now on at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.

Oldest art on display

new exhibit at London's British Museum features a collection of the world's oldest known sculptures, drawings and portraits, created by some of the earliest professional craftsmen nearly 40,000 years ago. Titled Ice Age Art: The Arrival of the Modern Mind, the array of artifacts presents the first figurative art produced in Europe during this evolutionary time.

‘He is my bamboo boy’ Artist Karuna Gopal and Vikram, her autistic son, displayed their works at Muse Art Gallery in an exhibition titled Abstrautisry (autism, abstraction, artistry). The proud mother talks about her artistic and famous son, his signature style and more. AMY ROSE THOMAS

amyrose.t@postnoon.com

rtist Karuna Gopal calls her son Vikram a “bamboo boy” for he has found his signature style, bamboos, at an age of 20, which many artists toil years together to achieve. The motherson duo’s paintings were on display at Muse Art Gallery, Marriott, in an exhibition titled Abstrautisry (autism, abstraction, artistry). Vikram, who is autistic and was asked to take up art as therapy, has come a long way since, with his paintings adorning the walls in more than five countries. “While artists take years to find their style and signature, my son has picked up his signature very quick. It is difficult to comprehend what he expresses through his works. However, I find them immensely calming since bamboos have a calming effect,” she says. She cites those paintings that he did with her as her favourites. “It was a wonderful experience painting with my son. I had no idea how each canvas was

going to turn out in the end. We would sit together and work on each side, sometimes he did the background and I did the foreground and at other times, vice versa,” she says. Karuna says that Vikram’s transition from the time of his first exhibition, before turning 19, has been tremendous. “It is through painting that both he and I overcame the challenges we faced. He expresses a lot through his paint-

ings. He has always enjoyed painting. Now, the difference is that he has come to realise that it is his paintings that are bringing him fame, friends and money. He is no longer bullied and he is nothing short of a celebrity among his friends. He has been earning a lot of money for his paintings and I can see that he is very proud of this,” she says. Since he is very unpredictable when it comes to his daily schedule, Karuna says that it is hard to know when he paints. “Months pass by without

My painting, Fear and Fury, is dedicated to her (the Delhi rape victim). There shouldn’t be ‘bhaya’ after ‘nirbhaya’. The nation is in a state of shock and fear. But now, it is time for fury; we have to lash back and not sit quiet.

him touching the brush and then comes one day when he acts like a possessed person and sits day and night to finish his work on a canvas,” she says. Karuna, who focuses on urbanisation and globalisation in her paintings, has also dedicated a painting for victim X, the Delhi rape victim. “My painting, Fear and Fury, is dedicated to her. There shouldn’t be ‘bhaya’ after ‘nirbhaya’. The nation is in a state of shock and fear after the Delhi incident. But now, it is time for fury when we have to lash back and not sit quiet,” she says.

Spiritual realisation

Pick up some art

ead to Truffles Cafe for more than dinner this week. The walls of the restaurant have been adorned by paintings by Koeli Mukherjee Ghose, as part of her The River Moving Within series. The exclusive selection of art work is based on the artist's understanding and exploration of her spiritual evolution. A combination of reading Rumi's works and Narda Bhakti Sutra by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar inspired Koeli to paint the figurative abstracts that occur as a recurring theme. A love for life and the nature of rhythm is manifest. The River Moving Within n Where: Truffles Cafe n On Till: February 8 n Timings: 11am-11pm

lways wanted to start your art collection but were intimidated by the prices? Head to Iconart Gallery on Road No 12, Banjara Hills, and take your pick from the art pieces, priced between Rs 1,000 and Rs 10,000. The works of 30 artists, including Avani Rao Gandra, Jinson and Tailor Srinivas, is up on sale. Buy Art Anniversary Sale n Where: Iconart Gallery n On Till: February 18 n Timings: 11.30am-7pm

ENVIRONMENT SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

Triggers for global warmning Black carbon, commonly described as soot, may play a larger role in global warming than previously estimated, according to a new study. The fine material absorbs sunlight almost as well as carbon dioxide — a well-known greenhouse gas — and may contribute to accelerated snowmelts and increased global temperatures.

Early bloomers in US In 2010 and 2012, plants in the eastern US produced flowers earlier than at any point in recorded history, a new study says. This result, according to the research team, has a bit of a literary twist: It comes from data collected by US environmental writers Henry David Thoreau and Aldo Leopold. Thoreau began observing bloom times in Massachusetts in 1852, and Leopold began in Wisconsin in 1935.

Climate changes in Pak Data presented at a seminar on climate change in Pakistan highlighted trends where this country, which stretches from high, snow-capped mountains to a deltaic coast, could be in for a sharp rise in average temperatures and extremely erratic weather. Data gleaned from 56 meteorological stations showed heat waves increasing from 1980 to 2009.

Civilians fell rare Syrian trees for firewood

AAMIR QURESHI / AFP

Marc Burleigh feedback@postnoon.com

eset by a freezing winter and stifling fuel and electricity shortages, Syrian civilians desperate to stay warm in a northern forest have no choice but to cut down trees for firewood. Once a tourist destination for Syrians and other Arabs across the Middle East, the formerly pristine national park to the north and west of the city of Idlib is being systematically stripped bare. Bald, muddy swathes of fresh-cut land now stretch in many directions, with men using chainsaws to bring trees down and dozens of pick-up trucks coming and going for loads of lumber.

“My heart burns to see all the trees cut down. But there’s no choice. People need to stay warm,” says Hamad alTawheed, one of more than a dozen pick-up drivers waiting in the town of Darkush to go out for another load. The area being cleared is renowned in Syria for its beauty. Sheer cliffs tower over the magnificent Orontes river. Conifers, oaks and shrubs grow over the mountains, with narrow winding roads linking the villages perched among them. Before the war, a special unit of forest rangers protected the area. Their vigilance underlined just how precious this forest is to Syria. In all, just 1.4 per cent of the country is covered with woodland, according to an esti-

THE LOCALS KNOW THE LASTING DAMAGE THEY ARE DOING TO THE AREA, AND REGRET IT. BUT THEY SAY THE WAR HAS LEFT THEM NO CHOICE. mate by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. But with Syria’s conflict causing a spiralling fuel crisis and power cuts across the country, people are now resorting to hacking at living wood to provide fuel for their stoves to ward off the freezing winter. And with bread shortages even affecting residents of Syria’s main cities, the wood

has also become necessary to fuel bakers’ ovens. The heating oil that used to arrive from other parts of Syria has disappeared, and substitute fuel from nearby Turkey is substandard and too expensive, locals say. Even children in the region can be seen using picks or axes to split logs for their families. “This area was famous for its forests. Now, almost everybody in the town is cutting down the trees,” Tawheed says. The activity is also virtually the only economic prospect available in a region where businesses have been forced to shut. A chainsaw operator receives the equivalent of $5 to chop down a tree, and a truck driver gets around $150 per tonne of lumber.

The locals know the lasting damage they are doing to the area, and regret it. But they say the war has left them no choice. “I feel very bad,” says Abu Saleh, a 64-year-old, as he helps men bring branches and logs down a steep slope to be chopped up. “Before this was a very beautiful forest — now it’s like a desert.” The United Nations says more than 60,000 people have died in Syria’s 22-month conflict, which broke out after a peaceful uprising morphed into an armed insurgency when the regime unleashed a brutal crackdown against dissent. More than 650,000 people have been forced to flee the AFP fighting, the UN says.

FOOD SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

Foodstagramming banned

estaurant chefs are fed up with patrons taking photographs of every meal and posting it on social media sites, a trend that has been dubbed ‘foodstagramming’. According to The Independent, several top New York chefs have now banned photography in their restaurants, reasoning that pulling out a smartphone and taking photos really spoilt the experience.

Pizza’s a favourite

Tough times, high calories

urns out Americans really love their pizza. A survey done by GrubHub, an online food delivery service in the US, shows that pizza was the most ordered dish in the country, followed by chicken wings. Crab rangoon was also a hot favourite, which surprised many. French fries and pad thai also made it to the list, as reported by Huffington Post.

hen the going gets tough, the tough stuff themselves with high calorie foods. That’s what a study published in Psychological Science magazine suggests. People tend to seek higher-calorie foods when they hear bad news about the economy. A "live for today" impulse is triggered, causing people to consume nearly 40 percent more food than usual. S BALAKRISHNA

If you want to catch a break from the hustle and bustle of city life, a peacefully sinful business lunch at Tre-Forni, Park Hyatt Hotel’s authentic Italian restaurant, is your best bet.

DOING BUSINESS WITH

PLEASURE NIDHI BHUSHAN

nidhi.b@postnoon.com

Orange Theory n Ingredients: 8-10

mint leaves, 5ml of mint monin syrup, 120ml of fresh orange juice, 30ml of sweet and sour mix and 2 spoons of honey. n Method: Muddle mint leaves in a shaker, add all ingredients and ice cubes, shake well and pour straight into a tall drink glass (Pilsner).

alking into a five-star hotel in the middle of the day might feel like a bit much on a weekday for most of us. Limited by time and worried about the subsequent hole in the pocket are some of the probable factors that would hold us back from gratifying our food cravings at that time of the day. Park Hyatt’s authentic Italian restaurant Tre-Forni, on the other hand, is an exception. The Monday-Friday business lunch at the Italian restaurant is a perfect combination of a pocket-friendly indulgence coupled with prompt service. Promising delicacies from the heart of Italy, Chef Matteo Grandi delivers his best to the foodies in Hyderabad. “Our aim is to create authentic Italian dishes for our customers. Unlike other Italian restaurants in the City, we do not Indianise the taste of our food. Our objective is to bring true Italian flavours to the Indian palette,” says Chef Grandi, adding that takers for real Italian cuisine in the City are consistently growing in number. “While we do have the occasional customer who doesn’t understand the true cuisine and dislikes what we do, most who come to Tre-Forni expect non-Indianised Italian food,” he said. From its in-house breads to fresh leafy salads, Tre-Forni is one of the few places in the City that lives up to its Italian promise. The newly introduced Monday-Friday business lunch at the restaurant offers a variety of Italian delicacies that are enjoyable in the afternoon. A threecourse set menu, at `1,000 plus taxes, includes salads, soups, a main course, desserts and a tea or coffee at the end of the meal. Another interesting aspect of the lunch is an in-house drink — the

Orange Theory. As part of the set menu, you can have as many Orange Theories as you like. While the drink is only one among other mocktails and soft drinks that the restaurant offers, it is certainly the best. The starter or antipasti includes three variations of the very Italian bruschetta — mushroom, tomato and olive and chicken. The salad or insalata also offers a variety of three leafy and colourful indulgences — insalata misti, baby octopus salad and the vegetarian salad. While the mushroom bruschetta is a musthave from the antipastis, your business lunch would remain incomplete without the insalata misti. You can also dig into the evenly-flavoured baby octopus salad to gratify your slightly exotic appetite. Among the main course pastas, an appetising variety, the lamb ravioli is by far the best. While the homemade ravioli retains the softness of the minced lamb, the cheesiness of the white sauce makes the dish an absolute delight. Another thing worth mentioning here is its presentation. In fact, the neatness with which the six to seven pieces of ravioli filled with minced lamb are arranged makes you sigh a little before devouring the pretty dish. Like an authentic Italian meal, the business lunch at TreForni, too, ends on a sinful sugary note. While the menu does include some of the best from the heart of Italy like panna cotta, Tre-Forni’s tiramisu is to die for.

What: Business lunch When: 12-3pm, Monday to Friday Where: Tre-Forni, Park Hyatt Cost: `1,000 + taxes for one

FOOD SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

Tahini Dog together the cabbage and vinegar with a teaspoon of salt, and a teaspoon of black pepper. In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, tahini, and 2 tablespoons of water. Place a hot dog in each bun and, dividing evenly, top with the cabbage and yogurt mixtures, spring onion and crushed red pepper.

INGREDIENTS n

n n n n n n n n n

4 hot dog sausages (pork/chicken/vegetable soy) 120 gm blue cabbage, shredded 45 ml red wine vinegar 45 gm hung curd 30 gm tahina (sesame paste) 4 hot dog rolls 15 gm spring onions, chopped 5 gm crushed red pepper 3 gm salt Freshly milled pepper

Pizza Dog

INGREDIENTS n

n n n n n n n n n

METHOD n

n n

together the cabbage and vinegar with a teaspoon of salt, and a teaspoon of black pepper. In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, tahini, and 2 tablespoons of water. Place a hot dog in each bun and, dividing evenly, top with the cabbage and yogurt mixtures, spring onion and crushed red pepper.

n n

Cook the hot dog sausages: Blanch it in boiling water for five minutes. Grill the sausages. In a medium bowl, mix

SRINIVAS SETTY

Not all-American anymore JYOTSNA NAMBIAR

jyotsna.n@postnoon.com

he quintessential American hot dog got a glamorous makeover at ITC Kakatiya this month. On offer were delicious sausages tucked into crisp, freshly baked buns and topped with a variety of sauces and seasonings — no wonder the festival left diners asking for more. As the festival draws to a close, we caught up with P Sekar, executive chef, ITC Kakatiya, and got him to share his secrets for a perfect hot dog. Apart from instructing us not to add any more sauces to the hot dog — “It will not taste the way it was intended to” — he has only one request: Put down your forks and knives, pick up the hot dog with your hands and relish it. “You might feel awkward eating with your hands at a five-star restaurant, but that is the only way to truly experience and enjoy the hot dog,” he adds. Chef Sekar also parted with his recipes for two unusual hot dogs that he created.

FROM THE MASTERS

orporate chef, Ohri’s, Vikram Simha parts with the recipe for his favourite dish Handi Meat. Marinated overnight, lamb is slowly cooked in yogurt and onions. This dish forms an integral part of the Punjabi cuisine.

A MUTTON DELIGHT TAASH MEAT, also called HANDI MEAT INGREDIENTS n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n

Lamb Cubes 1 kg Sliced Onion 1 kg Ginger and Garlic Paste 100 Gms Red Chilly Powder 25 Gms Coriander Powder 50 Gms Coriander Seeds 30 Gms Turmeric Powder 5 Gms Refined Oil 200 Gms Salt to Taste Curd 100 Gms Mutton Stock 1 Lts Chopped Green Chilly 15 Gms Chopped Ginger 15 Gms Mace 10 gms Milk Malai 50 gms Garam Masala pwd 5 Gms Lemon 1 No

n n

Noor’s Kitchen

NOOR JAFRI Ingredients Mutton or chicken curry pieces medium sized : 1/2 kg n Ghee or oil : 100 ml n Garam masala 1 of each of Black and green cardamon, cinnamon sticks, bay leaf, 3 to 4 cloves, black pepper & 1 star anise (phool chakri). n Garam masala powder: 1 and a 1/2 tsp n Aniseed powder: 1/4th tsp n Chilli paste (made with red hot chillies): 2 tsp n Kashmiri chilli powder: 1 and 1/2 tsp n Dhania powder: 2 tsp n Salt to taste : n Fried golden brown onions: 2 tbsp n Red ripe tomatoes (chopped): 2 tbsp n Chopped ginger-garlic: 1 tbsp n Curd : 1/2 a cup

Procedure 1. Heat the ghee or oil in a deep pan add the whole garam masala and stir for a while till it starts cracking. 2. Add the washed and clean mutton pieces and fry them till slightly brown in colour. 3. Keep stirring on a slow flame. 4. Add chilli paste, chopped tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste and salt while cooking it on a slow fire constantly stir it till the gravy turns deep in colour by caramelising . 5. Constantly stir it again by scrapping the bottom of the vessel and cook on a slow flame for 10 to 15 minutes, till the meat is tender. 6. Add dhania powder, kashmiri chilli powder and aniseed powder, mix it well and add water to make the gravy. 7. Add the crushed brown onions with curd and cover it for sometime and again mix it well by constantly stirring till the curd is cooked. 8. Cover and cook it for some more time and sprinkle whole garam masala powder before putting off the gas.

(PUNJABI – REGIONAL)

METHOD n

Exotic, spicy mutton or chicken curry with rich gravy which is famous in Kashmir.

METHOD

Cook the hot dog sausages: Blanch it in boiling water for five minutes. Grill the sausages. In a medium bowl, mix

Roghan Josh

Fry half the onions till golden grown, crush them and leave it to cool. Marinate the lamb with fresh sliced onions, turmeric powder, coriander powder, ginger-garlic paste and red chilli powder. Refrigerate it for a minimum of eight hours In a heavy pan, add oil and heat it, add whole coriander seeds, when it crackles, put the mutton along with the onion mixture. Cook well on a slow flame until the onions are cooked completely. Add water, mutton stock.

n n

Cover the pan with a lid and cook the mutton with garam masala powder and red chilli powder. Add curd when the mutton is almost done. Remove the mutton pieces from the gravy. When cooked, strain the gravy. Give a tadka of heated oil and crushed whole coriander to the gravy. To the gravy, add chopped green chilli, ginger, coriander, crushed brown onion and mace powder. Add the cooked lamb and simmer for five minutes. Check seasoning. Add little malai and lemon juice.

CHEF’S NOTE:

Roghan josh is with thin gravy and more of ghee or oil (Roghan). It is served with hot steamed rice. n Being more rich with oil it's high in calorie content. It's also cooked with mustard oil. Contact Us @ -Noor Kitchen, Banjara Hills. Mobile - 9441282318, Residence - 23356947 Like Us @ -http://www.facebook.com/Noorkitchen

HISTORY SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

Jan 28

1980: Six Americans who had escaped from the US embassy in Tehran, Iran, on November 4, 1979, leave Iran using false Canadian diplomatic passports. They had been hiding at the Canadian embassy in Tehran. Their escape inspired the recent Hollywood movie, Argo.

Jan 29

1986: Space shuttle Challenger lifts off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. A mere 73 seconds after take-off, the shuttle explodes. There were no survivors. Among the astronauts killed was a teacher, Christa McAuliffe, who was to be the first US civilian to travel into space.

2002: In his State of the Union address, President George W Bush describes "regimes that sponsor terror" as an ‘Axis of Evil’, in which he includes Iraq, Iran and North Korea. The term was used to pinpoint the common enemies of the United States.

Jan 30

1948: Mahatma Gandhi is assassinated in New Delhi by Nathuram Godse, a right-wing fundamentalist. Godse and other Hindu extremists were upset that Gandhi was trying to bring peace between Hindus and Muslims post Independence.

Jan30

1969: The Beatles perform for the last time together at an impromptu concert on the roof of Apple Records in London. The concert had to be broken up by the police.

Jan 31

Feb 1

2010: Avatar, James Cameron’s epic science fiction film, becomes the first film ever to gross over $2 billion worldwide. Avatar was nominated for nine Academy awards and won three, including best special effects.

2003: Space shuttle Columbia disintegrates during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard. Among those killed was Kalpana Chawla, an Indian-born aerospace engineer who was on her second space mission.

Feb 2

1979: At the age of 21, ex-Sex Pistols bass player Sid Vicious dies of a heroin overdose in the New York City apartment of his girlfriend, Michelle Robinson. He was known more for his wild antics than his playing.

Feb 3

1950: Klaus Fuchs, a German-born British scientist who helped develop the atomic bomb, is arrested in Great Britain for passing top-secret information about the bomb to the Soviet Union.

Feb 3

1959: A plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, kills musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, and pilot Roger Peterson in an incident that becomes known as 'The Day the Music Died'.

SPOTLIGHT SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013 S BALAKRISHNA

Dressed to kill

Finalists of Mr & Miss Andhra Pradesh beauty pageant took part in a fashion show organised at Chiraan Fort Club on Saturday. 1

ART FOR A CAUSE 2

Artist Tarab Khan displayed her artwork at a charity art show organised by Heal a Child foundation at Muse Art Gallery.

3 4

1 Tarab Khan

7 Gulshan

2 Archana 3 Shalini

8 Swathi 9 Zara, Aman

4 Neha Gandhi 5 Sara

10 Radhika,

6 Sara, Neha

Kanchan 11 Rina, Anisha

S BALAKRISHNA

1 Madhavi

3 Vijaya

5 Isha, Harish

2 Suryasree

4 Prashanti

6 Sona

CINEMA SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

Greeku Veerudu nears completion

LAVANYA

set to romance Manchu Vishnu

agarjuna’ s upcoming film Greeku Veerudu is in the final stages of principal shooting. Dasaradh is directing the film and D Sivaprasad Reddy is producing it. The film’s shooting is expected to be wrapped up by mid February. “We are planning to wrap up the film by February 15. The talkie part of the film will be completed by February 9 and after that a song will be shot abroad,” D Sivaprasad Reddy said. Nagarjuna is playing the role of an NRI who falls in love with Nayanthara’s character. The film’s first look was launched recently and Nagarjuna looks more dashing than ever. “After Shirdi Sai, I wanted to change my look completely for Dasaradh’s film. I must thank my friends Sachin and Padmini Raja from Manea Salon who suggested that I spike my hair,” Nagarjuna had told us in an earlier interview. Meera Chopra, K Vishwanath, Brahmanandam and Kota Sreenivasa Rao have played important roles in this romantic, family entertainer. Most part of the film has been shot in Hyderabad, Europe and Thailand. Thaman has scored the music and Anil Bhandari is the cinematographer. The film is likely to hit the screens in March.

avanya, who was last seen in Andhala Rakshasi, has finally signed her second Telugu film. She’ll set to romance Manchu Vishnu in an untitled film to be directed by Veeru Potla. “Andhala Rakshasi was a special film for me and after that I was keen on doing films where I have a substantial role. I loved the script of my upcoming film with Vishnu and it has a lot of scope for performance,” Lavanya says. The film will hit the floors in mid February. She has also signed a Tamil film which will be launched soon.

Gundello Godaari to release in Feb

akshmi Manchu, Taapsee, Aadhi and Sundeep Kishan starrer Gundello Godaari will finally hit the screens on February 21. The film’s theatrical release was withheld for almost two months since Lakshmi Manchu was keen on releasing both Telugu and Tamil versions simultaneously. Gundello Godaari is set in mid 80s when a flood wrecked havoc in the Godavari region.

CINEMA SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

JOHN ABRAHAM

I know how to add that extra edge to a character:

he role has to have an edge, says John Abraham, who made sexy look sexier in Jism and grey even greyer in New York. After a decade in movies, the Bollywood heartthrob believes his middle-class roots have helped him balance his personal and professional life. “I have grown up in a middleclass family; so my value system and lifestyle are also very regular,” John, who features in the just-released Race 2. When it comes to choosing

roles, he is very clear that he doesn’t “like being normal, romantic ‘pyaara sa gaata rehta hai’. “I have mastered the art of understanding what my audience wants... I know how to add that extra edge to a character,” he added. John, who turned producer with the superhit comedy Vicky Donor, doesn’t want to stick to “funny” films. His next film “could be a political thriller like Madras Cafe and a human story like Hamara Bajaj”. “If Vicky Donor is a bench-

Rama Naidu’s win motivates Rana

outhern actor Rana Daggubati, grandson of producer D Rama Naidu, is extremely happy about his grandfather being awarded the Padma Bhushan, saying it is a motivation for him too. “It is a great moment for all of us in the family. He has been a guiding force for all of us and such achievements make us proud and motivated,” Rana said. The veteran producer was named for the award on the eve of the 64th Republic Day. He was nominated for the prestigious award by the Andhra Pradesh government in November last year. In 1963, Naidu produced his first Telugu film titled Anuragam starring Jaggaiah and P Bhanumathi. Later, he made Telugu films Ramudu Bheemudu, Papa Kosam, Prem Nagar, and Ahana Pellanta among many more. He has also produced movies in Hindi, English, Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, Oriya and Assamese, all under his banner Suresh Productions. His son, Telugu actor Venkatesh, is one of the leading heroes in the industry while his eldest son, Suresh Babu manages their home banner IANS Suresh Productions.

mark, I have to make films in that space, which are commercially entertaining. By that it doesn’t always mean that it has to be funny, it could be a political thriller like Madras Cafe and human story like Hamara Bajaj. I have a lot of confidence in my content, my directors and my writers and stars I will create. Like Ayushmann Khurrana became a star after Vicky Donor. It is essential to create more stars such as him,” he says. IANS

Race 2 collects `15.12cr on opening day D

irector duo Abbas-Mustan’s action thriller Race 2 minted `15.12 crore at the box office on its opening day. “We are very happy with the opening of Race 2. To ensure we get maximum numbers, the film was released in 3,200 screens — third largest till date. We are expecting a great weekend,” Gaurav Verma, director, India Theatrical Distribution, Studios, Disney UTV, said in a statement. IANS

CINEMA SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

Neetu proud of her work in Tamil cinema

Sridevi says thanks to her family, friends

ctress Neetu Chandra, known for her work in Hindi films such as 13B, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! and Rann, is satisfied with her work in Tamil cinema. “Tamil cinema has given me better opportunities and I am proud of it. All my three films in Tamil gave me immense satisfaction,” tweeted Neetu. Her Tamil films include horrorthriller Yavarum Nalam, Theeradha Vilaiyattu Pillai and Yuddham Sei. Aadhi Bhagavan is her fourth Tamil film, which is currently in its post-production stage. IANS

ctress Sridevi, who has been named for the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award, says she is honoured, and thanks her family, friends and fans for supporting her throughout. “I am honoured and humbled by the Padma Shri samman (honour). Would like to thank all my wellwishers for their continuous support and faith in me,” tweeted Sridevi. Sridevi, known for movies like Nagina, Mr. India, Chandni and ChaalBaaz, made a successful comeback to the big screen after a 15-year hiatus with English Vinglish IANS in 2012.

ANUSHKA

TAGS SHAH RUKH ‘MOST ROMANTIC ACTOR’

he romanced him in her first movie Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and then wooed him in Jab Hai Jaan. Anushka Sharma says that superstar Shah Rukh Khan is the most romantic actor, both on and off-screen. “Do you have to ask me that question? Obviously Shah Rukh Khan. On screen and off-screen, everywhere, it’s Shah Rukh Khan,” she said when asked to name the most romantic hero. She was speaking at the unveiling of Geetanjali’s Valentine jewellery collection. “He (SRK) respects women a lot and I

think that is something extremely nice. He is also charming,” added the modelturned actress who is fiveyear-old in Bollywood. Expression of love may be larger-than-life in movies, but in real life, Anushka feels love is all about small gestures and not grand displays. “It (love) is a very subjective thing. To me, I prefer simplicity. I find love in very small gestures and not in big displays like booking a whole restaurant for dinner and the like,” Anushka said. Often seen as a chirpy and bubbly girl on celluloid, Anushka’s last outing was Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola where she was featured as a spunky girl. Her forthcoming projects are Bombay Velvet and PK with Aamir Khan. IANS

CINEMA SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

Liberty Ross files for divorce from Rupert Sanders

o fairy tale ending for Liberty Ross and Rupert Sanders. Ross filed for divorce from the Snow White and the Huntsman director in LA Superior Court today, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split after more than 10 years of marriage, People reports. Sanders filed his response at the same time and they are both seeking joint custody of their children, son Tennyson and daughter Skyla, per documents obtained by TMZ.

Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Before Midnight

ichard Linklater’s third dramatic go-round with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, Before Midnight, has been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics for North American and UK release. The eagerly anticipated Premieres-section title had its first screening Sunday at the Eccles Theatre at the Sundance Film Festival. Linklater, Hawke and Delpy wrote the script together. Linklater, Christos V Konstantakopoulos and Sara Woodhatch produced.

e didn’t fully realise until today just how angry Kris Humphries was about whole Kim Kardashian divorce drama. How mad, you ask? Mad enough to turn down $10 million. So yeah, that’s pretty mad. According to RadarOnline, Kim offered the Brooklyn Net a $10 million settlement to end the legal stalemate in their divorce. Yes, $10 million. But Kris turned her down, because he’s not out for money, he’s out for some cold courtroom vengeance. “After Kim filed for divorce, she offered Kris a $10 million payoff with the agreement that he would not continue to pursue an annulment to their marriage on the grounds of fraud,” an insider told the website. An annulment is basically the marriage-equivalent of a “freebie oops” card (that’s a thing, right?), which voids a marriage in any spiritual or religious capacity. “He wants to be able to marry in a church again, with a clear conscience, when he finds someone special. Kris is deeply religious and he believes that the only way he can do that is if his marriage to Kim is annulled.”

KRIS TURNED DOWN KIM’S $10 MILLION

CHAI TIME SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

SUNDAY CROSSWORD

ACROSS

Winners!

Play & Win voucher from VENKEY’S VEG Restaurant, Nampally

112 Like a teacup 114 Underworld network 117 Kind of meditation 118 Spy’s communique 119 Sea turtle 124 Old cattle town 126 — de vie (brandies) 128 Galaxy locale 130 Saffron dish 131 Queenlike 132 Toss here and there 134 Edit, as text 136 Little Richard’s hometown 137 Playing marble 138 Pied-a- — 139 Landlords’ income 140 — -garde 141 Derek and the Dominos classic 142 Big Board letters

143 Foot the bill 144 Suit fabric DOWN 1 Tunes from an opera 2 Peter, in Panama 3 Familiar quintet 4 Tiptoe’s opposite 5 Villa 6 Web suffix 7 Exam smudge 8 Price ceilings 9 Brain parts 10 River hazard 11 PC button 12 Pharaoh’s amulet 13 Veranda 14 Benchmark 15 ‘Wild Bill’ 16 Dye-yielding plant 17 Brought to ruin

Play & Win

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

FOLOWING ARE THE

18 Pop singer — Marie 19 Blew it 23 Violent storms 30 Planting crops 32 Make laws 36 Geeky type 38 Furniture wood 40 Pie a la — 43 Kirk’s helmsman 44 — Island Red 45 Pouch 46 Venus — — 47 Forms a merger 48 Exit 49 Not chubby 51 Borscht veggie 52 Rough cabin 54 Online info 55 Perched on 56 Actress — Schneider 58 Reply to a ques 59 Mme’s daughter 60 ‘Then — will guide the planets ...’ 63 Unit of a modem speed 64 Like a cool fall day 67 Malamute’s load 68 Unwritten on 69 Attired

VOUCHER LUCKY WINNERS FOR THIS WEEK:

70 Not a Sen 71 Boise’s st 73 Son, in Verdun 74 Phobias 75 Herr’s spouse

77 ‘— — Man Answers’ 78 Vain fellow 79 Nip in the air 80 Linen vestments 81 Zimbabwe capital 82 King of the fairies 83 Most rational 85 Holland export 86 Rubberneck 88 PC owner 89 Zilch 90 Sudden ouster 91 Canning jar size 92 Office asst 93 Mousse alternative 94 Feels grateful 96 Most obvious 97 Canine noises 98 Sheep loser (2 wds) 100 Household member 101 Not run from 102 Ore deposits 103 Tennis great Bjorn — 106 Bossy’s chew 107 Vivid color 110 Flowering shrub 111 Men’s underwear 112 Tertiary epoch 113 Stage productions 114 Fable ending 115 Rolex rival 116 Loose-fitting 118 Pungent spice 119 Weaker, as an excuse 120 Lift with effort 121 Dana of ‘MacGyver’ 122 Moving right — 123 Beatrice’s admirer 125 Flag down 127 Two fives for — — 129 Sassy 133 Microscopic 135 Summer hrs

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

1 Lickety-split 6 Monks’ quarters 11 Sports channel 15 Kind of cuisine 20 Movie spools 21 Hunter constellation 22 Rush off 24 — circle 25 Ignoramus 26 Venomous black snake 27 Keep in stock 28 Type of vinegar 29 Savory smells 31 Attack on a castle 33 They monitor BC and NWT 34 ‘Dave’ actor 35 All-inclusive (3 wds) 37 Webster or Beery 39 Insurance gp 41 Scout leader, often 42 Big pitchers 43 Auto import 44 Pawn takers 46 Country-club fees 50 High dudgeon 51 Dollar 52 With one’s boots on 53 Nowhere near 57 Chunnel terminus 59 Soften 60 Monthly bill 61 Noted Roman censor 62 Bogging down 63 Roquefort hue 64 Droplets 65 City near Tehran 66 Objects 67 Cellar item 68 Shore up 69 Brittle 72 ‘— Girls’ 73 Outlet for smoke 74 Wrist movement 75 Skedaddled 76 Became rigid 79 — and desist 80 Sun Dance 84 Finish the laundry 85 Be gracious 86 Very pleased 87 Goat’s-hair garment 88 Opens, as toothpaste 91 A — of fate 92 The ‘Elephant Boy’ 93 Bridge expert 95 — Paulo 96 Yanks at 97 Hedge shrubs 98 ‘Watch out!’ 99 Cabinet dept 101 Thrash about 102 Dearth 103 Matadors’ wear 104 — Nui (Easter Island) 105 Seniors’ org 106 Plagiarise 107 Swab the deck 108 Forced to go 109 Unvoiced 111 Leaves before opening

1. Swati S 2. Avinash Sharma 3. P Ankita 4. B Sumaira 5. R Ravikumar

CHAI TIME SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

STAR POWER Date 28-1-2013

As per Hindu panchang

THIRUVAIKUMAR

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

TAURUS

GEMINI

Self-confidence level will be at its high. Real-estate deals will end with decent gains. Businessmen will have sudden and unexpected fortune opportunity. Exporters and importers will gain.

Your success is certain as you work hard and sincerely. Court verdict will go in your favour. Money will come from expected sources. VIPs befriend you. Politicians move to the limelight.

Some will undertake a pilgrimage. Speculation will yield decent gains. You hesitate to enter others’ personal matters. Minor accident is likely; you need to be careful while driving.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

You will be responsible and complete all work with complete focus. Govt. sops likely for businessmen. Financial position will be strong and you relax. Children make you proud and happy.

With your surprise and swift action you will be able to put your enemies in check. Your maturity and knowledge show in your talk. All appreciate you for an innovative and different approach.

You will cheerfully involve in new efforts and succeed. Purchase or selling of house or land will be profitable and end smoothly. Those waiting for a job will get favourable news.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Confusion will disappear and you will get a clearcut vision. Held-up work will resume now and end successfully. Misunderstanding and cold war with neighbour will come to an end.

You look very happy and cheerful. Money will come from expected sources. Your clever talk and creativity will earn appreciation all around. You stay cool and work with a lot of patience.

Heat-related ailments likely to affect you; take good care and treatment. Avoid committing to anything for anyone. Your harsh talks might hurt other’s feelings; try and avoid such acts.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You will take a firm stand and get allwork done successfully. Real-estate transactions will bring favourable gains. Blood relatives extend financial and physical help, which will courage you.

You will be generous and at the same time stubborn in your decisions. You might worry over the future. Sudden travel likely but will yield desired results. Expected money will come.

Persons who benefit through you may not respect you; do not worry. Take care of spouse’s health. You may be deprived of sleep over an event; a wise action will drive away the problem.

SUMAA TEKUR

tarotreadhyd@gmail. com

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

Six of Swords – Overseas contacts come to your rescue, especially if you’re looking for a job change or if you’re looking to moonlight. Be diplomatic.

Knight of Pentacles – You’re focused and determined to get a job out of the way. But you’re also very stubborn about accepting others’ ideas. Be open.

Four of Swords – You want stability in your life and you find it in a new relationship that has changed the way you’re looking at the world and relationships.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Six of Pentacles – A senior at the work place will give you invaluable help and advice with something important. You learn and grow with this new mentor.

Five of Wands – Be on your guard and watch your back all the time. Someone is out to stab you in the back. But don’t worry. Just cover your tracks well.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

King of Swords – A project will require your intellectual inputs. Be careful about coming across as too critical, especially while analysing a peer’s ideas.

Eight of Swords – Peace of mind should be your top most priority now. Don’t be taken in by what society will think. Just do what you feel is right for your life.

The Chariot – Travel is indicated. Plan your journey yourself and don’t leave it to someone else. Expect travel plans to go smoothly. You meet interesting people.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Knight of Swords – You may come across as being quite ruthless when it comes to matters of the heart. Be sensitive when dealing with potential romantic partners.

Page of Pentacles – You’re focused on making more money and are thinking of ways to make this happen. Your principles may have to be compromised.

Five of Cups – You cannot win all the time. Some plans may go awry and it’s likely that you may feel embarrassed in front of your coworkers. Move on!

Nine of Swords – If you have been having bad dreams, it may be because of excessive stress about a project. Take it easy; plan well and relax.

NON SEQUITUR PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

Unedited parental excuses ~ John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face. ~ Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was hurt in the growing part.

POOCH CAFE

STRIP TEASE

AGNES

ARIES

TAROT READ Date 28-1-2013

~ Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very close veins. ~ Please excuse Ray from school. He has loose vowels. ~ Please excuse Tommy for

being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea and his boots leak. ~ I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping because I don't know what size she wear. ~ Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it on Monday, we thought it was Sunday. ~ Sally won't be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend her funeral.

Vol: 2, No 191 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

CINEMA SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

HOLLY MADISON H TO GET MARRIED THIS SUMMER?

olly Madison has hinted that she and boyfriend Pasquale Rotella might marry later this year. The former Holly’s World star is currently pregnant with the couple’s first child and is expected to give birth to her daughter in March. Madison recently hinted to People that she and Rotella are very much plan-

ning to tie the knot, but will likely wait until their baby is born. “One thing at a time… We totally want to [get married], probably in late summer,” the reality star explained. She went on to say: “We’re going to wait until the baby comes and we get moved into the house before I start planning any of that.”

SOFIA VERGARA’S

‘KILLER WOMEN’

ADAPTATION

BC is expanding its relationship with Emmy nominee Sofia Vergara — ordering to pilot an adaptation of Argentine series Killer Women — and is adding a drama from Awake creator Kyle Killen. Killer Women is a soapy procedural revolving around a female Texas Ranger, with the Modern Family star attached to executive produce the hour-long project. The soapy drama landed at the network with a script commitment in October. The drama is based on the POL-KA Productions’ Argentine series Mueres Asesinas, which itself is based on the book trilogy of the same name by Marisa Grinstein.

MILA KUNIS

WANTS TO STAR IN FIFTY SHADES OF GREY? NOT SO FAST…

ila Kunis may be the world’s sexiest woman alive, but that doesn’t mean she’s ready for some S&M on the silver screen. A report from UK’s The Sun supposedly quoted the Black Swan beauty saying she could have a “good time” playing the racy role of Anastasia Steele in the big screen adaptation of EL James’ sex-filled novel, Fifty Shades of Grey. The tabloid claims that Ashton Kutcher’s gal said she was interested in the role because “there

are times when you just want to do something fun because you’re going to have a good time doing it.” But don’t pull out your whips and chains just yet, because a source tells E! News that Mila never even gave an interview to The Sun, meaning the quotes have no merit. Kunis is the latest sexy star to pop up on the Fifty Shades casting couch. Emma Watson is rumoured to be the current front-runner for the erotic franchise, and Anna Kendrick and fan favourite Alexis Bledel have also been named as potential hopefuls.

SPORTS SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

Myanmar hosts marathon YANGON: Hundreds of runners streamed through Yangon on Sunday for Myanmar’s first international marathon in decades, in another sign of the dramatic changes sweeping the former army-ruled country. Gathering before dawn in the shadow of the iconic Shwedagon Pagoda, runners flashed victory signs as they pounded the streets of the former colonial capital.

White accepts D-League post

Anand held by Yifan Hou

HOUSTON, TEXAS: Tensions between the Houston

WIJK AAN ZEE (THE NETHERLANDS):

Rockets and first-round draft pick Royce White eased Saturday when the NBA team lifted White’s suspension and he would report to the Developmental League. White had originally refused to accept an assignment to the D-League, but will now report to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on February 11. The Rockets said in a statement the parties had “reached an agreement that addresses the major issues that they have been discussing, provides a new start.”

Viswanathan Anand mishandled a winning endgame and drew with former women’s champion Yifan Hou in the 11th round of 75th Tata Steel Chess tournament. Anand outplayed Yifan right from the opening but a shocking blunder in what appeared to be a winning position cost the Indian an important half point.

Vijayshaurya eyes feature LVR Deshmukh-trained Vijayshaurya, who won decisively in his last start, can repeat the feat in the AP Race Horse Owners Association Trophy, the main attraction of Monday afternoon races here at the Malakpet racecourse. 1st Race: The Sardar Mohansingh Bagga Memorial Cup (about) 1400 Metres, Cat-II. Terms for horses 4-year-olds and upward; 1-10pm 1 Ashwa Shakti 61 (Deshmukh) P S Chouhan 1 2 The Leader 61 (S Abbas) A Imran Khan 4 3 Hero’s Choice 59 (Sequeria) K Anil 5 4 Strides Of Glory 57.5 (Prasad R) S John 2 5 Ruffiano 53.5 (Sequeria) M Mark 3 Selections: 1 Ashwa Shakti 2 The Leader 3 Ruffiano 2nd Race: The Allez Vite Plate (Div-II) (about) 1000 Metres, Cat-II; Terms for Maiden horses, 3-year-olds only; 1-40pm 1 Aventus 55 (S’naryan) I Chisty 2 Fairy Boy 55 (Prasad R) S John 3 Kohinoor Desire 55 (Vatsalya) N Rawal 4 Ciel Blu 53.5 (S Abbas) Kiran Naidu 5 Flip Side 53.5 (Satheesh) Deep Shanker 6 Looking For Love 53.5 (S Abbas) Ravinder Singh 7 Palm Springs 53.5 (D’Silva) Christopher 8 Tejaswini 53.5 (Laxman S) Harinder Singh Selections: 1 Palm Springs 2 Ciel Blu 3 Fairy Boy 3rd Race: The Allez Vite Plate (Div-I) (about) 1000 Metres, Cat-II; Terms for Maiden horses, 3-year-olds only; 2-10pm 1 Amazing Weapon 55 (A Sharma) Nitin Singh 2 Deal Maker 55 (Sahtheesh) K Anil 3 Jamie 55 (S’narayan) NS Parmar 4 Beau Ideal 53.5 (D’Silva) Christopher 5 Flames of Forest 53.5 (Laxman S) Deep Shanker 6 Golden Art 53.5 (Vatsalya) Ajit Kumar 7 Most Impressive 53.5 (Netto) I Chisty 8 Promotion 53.5 (Satheesh) B Dileep Selections: 1 Most Impressive 2 Beau Ideal 3 Flames Of Forest

8 5 7 6 2 4 1 3

4 5 6 1 7 3 2 8

4th Race: The Hovercraft Plate (about) 1100 Metres, Cat-III; A handicap for horses, 4-year-olds and upward, rated up to 25; 2-40pm 1 A Horizontal Urge 61 (A Sharma) J Vikas 12 2 Inspiring Tunes 61 (N Rao) G Sai Vamshi 5 3 Mukhtar 61 (H’ibulla) C Henrique 10 4 So Be It 61 (Satheesh) B Dileep 1 5 DeccanQueen 60 (Prasad R) S John 2 6 Sugar Deal 59.5 (Hassan) M Mark 3 7 High On Life 58.5 (Kassam) Ajit Kumar 11 8 Itsy Bitsy 57 (Netto) S Sreekant 4

9 Max Baby 55 (Hassan) A M Tograllu 13 10 Red Magic 54 (H’ibulla) Harinder Singh 14 11 Bold Brigade 52.5 `(Kassam) A Ramana 6 12 Star Sensation 52.5 (Prasad R) N Rawal 8 13 Genius Queen 49.5 (Prasad R) Ravinder Singh 9 14 Aaradhya 49 (Srinagesh) Nitin Singh 7 Selections:1 So Be It 2 Genius Queen 3 Mukhtar 5th Race: The Makalu Cup (about) 2000 Metres, Cat—III; A handicap for horses, 4-year-olds and upward, rated up to 50; 3-10pm 1 Smrithiman 60 (A Sharma) C Henrique 5 2 Star Striker 59.5 (Satheesh) B Dileep 6 3 Wunderbar 54 (Z Shaikh) Nitin Singh 2 4 Superb 53.5 (A Sharma) N S Parmar 7 5 Amber Flame 53 (S’narayan) I Chisty 1 6 Novaya Zemlya 53 (NRao) G Sai Vamshi 4 7 Royal Bird 51.5 (Fayaz) P Venkat 3 Selections: 1 Amber Flame 2 Superb 3 Royal Bird 6th Race: The Brown Sugar Plate (Div-I) (about) 1000 Metres, Cat-II; A handicap for horses, 4-year-olds and upward, rated up to 75; 3-45pm 1 Ice Lolly 62 (D’Silva) Christopher 8 2 Dream Deal 61.5 (Hassan) S John 3 3 Molla 55 (A Sharma) C Henrique 2 4 Elegant Approach 53.5 (Prasad R) A M Tograllu 7 5 Prince Paladin 53 (S’suddin) Nitin Singh 5 6 Marquise 52 (Fayaz) P S Chouhan 4 7 Brianna 51 (A Sharma) Ravinder Singh 6 8 Ice Rain 51 (Satheesh) K Anil 1 Selections: 1 Dream Deal 2 Ice Lolly 3 Molla 7th Race: The Brown Sugar Plate (Div-II) (about) 1000 Metres, Cat-III; A handicap for horses 4-year-olds and upward, rated up to 75; 4-15pm 1 Garibaldi 60.5 (D’Silva) S Nayak 3 2 Secret Angel 57.5 (Laxman S) A M Tograllu 6 3 True Friend 53.5 (Hassan) M Mark 5 4 Phenomenal Speed 53 (S’suddin) J Vikas 7 5 Compromise 52.5 (Satheesh) Deep Shanker 1 6 Cannon Law 52 (Prasad R) N Rawal 2 7 Desert Bloom 51 (Srinivas R) P Venkat 4

8 Sun Bird 51 (Netto) Harinder Singh Selections: 1 Secret Angel 2 Garibaldi 3 Desert Bloom

8th Race: The A.P.Race Horse Owners Association Trophy (about) 1800 Metres, Cat-I; A handicap for horses 4-year-olds and upward; 4-45pm 1 Vijayshaurya 60 (Deshmukh) P S Chouhan 2 2 Golden Palace 59.5 (D’Silva) Christopher 4 3 Golden Queen 59.5 (Laxman S) Deep Shanker 7 4 Mystical Knight 58 (Deshmukh) P Venkat 3 5 Front Line 55.5 (Laxman S) Harinder Singh 8 6 Golden Rule 52 (D’Silva) N S Parmar 5 7 Nano Storm 52 (Vatsalya) NRawal 6 8 Handsome Hawk 51 (Fayaz) G Sai Vamshi 1 9 Jabel Queen 50.5 (Srinivas R) Dasrath Singh 9 Selections: 1 Vijayshaurya 2 Jabel Queen 3 Mystical Knight 9th Race: The Sunny BlossomPlate (about) 1400Metres, CatIII; A handicap for horses, 4-year-olds and upward, rated up to 50; 5-20pm 1 Bang On Target 61.5 (Kassam) Ravinder Singh 11 2 Cannon Ten 61.5 (Prasad R) N Rawal 12 3 Kohinoor Angel 58.5 (Vatsalya) Ajit Kumar 4 4 Over Shadow 58 (Netto) A Imran Khan 3 5 Symbol Of Beauty 56 (ASharma) NS Parmar 1 6 Chemeli 55 (Netto) Christopher 14 7 Noble Honour 54 (S’narayan) I Chisty 5 8 Sweet Child O Mine 53.5 (S’narayan) S Sreekant 6 9 Grand Challenge 52 (NRao) G Sai Vamshi 7 10 In Reality 50.5 (Netto) J Vikas 2 11 Joel 50.5 (LaxmanS) Deep Shanker 10 12 Bold Reason 49.5 (Kassam) A Ramana 8 13 Hamilton 49.5 (Satheesh) P Venkat 9 14 Incredible India 49 (H’ibulla) Harinder Singh 13 Selections: 1 Over Shadow 2 Noble Honour 3 In Reality

Days Best: Ashwa Shakti n n n n n

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

Tiger caged in book

Actress Sharmila Tagore with former cricket captain Rahul Dravid (L) and S Sresanth chat up at the Jaipur Literature Festival in Jaipur on Saturday. PTI

JAIPUR: Rahul Dravid and Sharmila Tagore, wife of the late Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, today launched a book on the former India captain titled ‘Pataudi: Nawab of Cricket’, at the Jaipur Literature Festival. The release of the book, written by Wisden India Almanack editor Suresh Menon, received a cheerful applause from a huge crowd present at Diggi Palace. Sharmila Tagore thanked the gathering and the writer of the book.

“I am glad to be here for this unforgettable occasion and deeply indebted to Mr Menon for this book. I read each word of this wonderful book and it made me emotional. I hope readers will like it also,” she said. Dravid said, “I am very happy to see a book on legendary cricketer M.A.K. Pataudi and this book will surely encourage readers to know more about cricket and cricketers. We are thankful to Mr. Menon and I wish we will see more

books on this sport and life of cricketers” Menon said Pataudi was a great cricketer and, above all, a great team man. “MAK Pataudi was a great batsman, fielder, captain and above all, a great cricketer. Moreover, he was a great team player and knew how to bring all players together to play as a team. Because of his team building, India registered their first Test series win overseas against New Zealand in 1968,” stated Menon.

SBH wallop Galaxy A-1 & 2 Division one-day knockout tournament The State Bank of Hyderabad team steamrolled Galaxy, winning as they did by 10 wickets their pre-quarter match here on Saturday. Galaxy 136 (Indershekar Reddy 3 for 5) lost to SBH 139 for no loss (T Suman 53no, Anirudh Singh 80no)

SPORTS SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

Djokovic, Murray lock horns

Novak Djokovic, the 2011 and 2012 champion, is bidding for the event’s first hat-trick of the professional era, while US Open winner Andy Murray can become the only player to open his Grand Slam account with back-to-back major titles. Talek Harris

MELBOURNE: World number

This combo photo shows Serbia’s Novak Djokovic (L) and Britain’s Andy Murray (R) in action during the 2013 Australian Open in Melbourne. Djokovic and Murray will compete for the men’s singles title today. AFP

one Novak Djokovic faces Andy Murray in the Australian Open final later on Sunday as they renew a rivalry which has become the premier match-up in men’s tennis. Djokovic, the 2011 and 2012 champion, is bidding for the event’s first hat-trick of the professional era, while US Open winner Murray can become the only player to open his Grand Slam account with back-to-back major titles. The Serb and the Briton, both 25 and born only a week apart, have already met in two Grand Slam finals with Djokovic destroying Murray in straight sets in Melbourne two years ago. However, an increasingly athletic Murray outlasted

Djokovic in five sets in the US Open decider in December, when he finally landed a Grand Slam title after being runner-up four times. The result broke a 76-year major drought for British men — and it gave Murray added belief that he can win at the highest level, after also beating Roger Federer in last year’s Olympic final. Murray confirmed his new stature with a five-set defeat of Federer in the Melbourne semifinals, his first ever Grand Slam win against the Swiss, and goes into Sunday’s title match with his confidence high. “I’ve been questioned for large parts of my career about physically would I be strong enough, mentally would it be strong enough, do I listen to my coaches, blah, blah, blah, blah,

Azarenka downs Li Na Will Swanton

Blacked out during the final: Li Na

MELBOURNE: Victoria Azarenka won an incidentpacked final against an injuryhit Li Na to successfully defend her Australian Open title and retain the world number one ranking on Saturday. After a scrappy match marked by boos for Azarenka, a break for Australia Day fireworks and two painful falls for China’s Li, the Belarusian top seed dissolved in tears when she sealed the 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win. Li required two medical timeouts, when she twice twisted her left ankle and also banged her head on the court, in a match also interrupted for nine minutes at a crucial stage by the fireworks. Azarenka also overcame a pro-Li crowd that was clearly unimpressed by her controversial medical timeout in the semi-finals, which she took after blowing five match points. It was a gutsy effort from

MELBOURNE: Li Na was left cursing her luck after she twice took a tumble and briefly knocked herself unconscious in a disastrous Australian Open final on Saturday. Li was a set up against Victoria Azarenka when she first went over on her left ankle, and she fell again in the third set, immediately after a break for Australia Day fireworks, smashing the back of her head on the court. Li Na did not blame her misfortune for the 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 defeat, but she admitted she was a “little bit worried” when she blacked out after banging her head. AFP Belarus’s Victoria Azarenka poses for photographers at a presentation ceremony on day fourteen of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Saturday, after her victory over Li Na in the women’s singles final. AFP/GREG WOOD

the 23-year-old as she came back from a set down and sealed it on her first match point in 2hr 40min to clinch her second Grand Slam title. “It’s been a real long two weeks,” Azarenka said. “I will always keep very special memories of this court. It will be in my heart forever. The last thing I want to say is, happy Australia Day everybody.” Meanwhile Li will count herself desperately unlucky after she twisted her ankle in the second set, and then went over heavily on it again after the fireworks, banging her head and appearing dazed before continuing. “Congratulations to Victoria,” said Li, who had tears in her eyes after the match. “Fantastic result here for two years, so well done.” Li, 30, first twisted her left ankle while leading 6-4, 1-3. She hobbled to her courtside chair for the ankle to be strapped. AFP

blah, whatever it is, can I handle pressure,” Murray said. “I think those years of having all of those questions and then finally to be able to answer them I think, yeah, it was all part of the process. So I hope on Sunday I can play a good match.” Murray is into his third straight Grand Slam final but he is rated by many observers as second-favourite to Djokovic, who has again shown his amazing resilience and played tennis of the highest order in Melbourne. Djokovic, who outlasted Rafael Nadal in last year’s record, 5hr 53min final, won a punishing five-setter with Stanislas Wawrinka in the fourth round but showed no ill effects when he beat Tomas AFP Berdych two days later.

Delighted to shrug off boos: Azarenka MELBOURNE: Victoria Azarenka said she was delighted with her response after shrugging off a gamesmanship controversy and a hostile crowd to retain her Australian Open title. The world number one suffered a stormy build-up over a controversial medical timeout she took in the semi-finals, and was castigated by Australian media and the Rod Laver Arena crowd. But Azarenka, who maintained focus despite two injuries to her Chinese opponent, Li Na, and a nine-minute break for fireworks during the match, said she was pleased with her reaction. “It isn’t easy, that’s for sure,” the Belarusian said. “But I knew what I had to do. I had to stay calm. I had to stay positive. I just had to deal with the things that came to me. I was actually really happy that I went through so many things, to know I can still AFP produce the tennis.”

Twins win record 13th Slam title MELBOURNE: American twins Bob and Mike Bryan claimed a record 13th Grand Slam title with an astonishing win over Dutch pairing Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling in the Australian Open final on Saturday. The left-hand, right-hand top seeds won 6-3, 6-4 in less than an hour on Rod Laver Arena to outstrip the 12 major wins compiled by Australian pairing John Newcombe and Tony Roche in the 1960s and 1970s. In an indication of their dominance, the Bryans did not

TWINS BOB AND MIKE BRYAN CLAIMED A RECORD 13TH GRAND SLAM TITLE WITH AN ASTONISHING WIN OVER

HAASE AND SIJSLING.

make a single unforced error in the match as they cantered to victory. “Obviously, it feels real good to have that record. To be a part

of history is pretty special,” Mike Bryan said. “We weren’t thinking about it much out there, but now that we have it, it’s going to be fun to look back on our career and say we have the most Grand Slams. It’s a big record, so we’re pretty excited about it.” The Bryans, 34, won their first Grand Slam title at the 2003 French Open and they have now contested 23 major finals. In total, they have won a record 83 doubles trophies including AFP Olympic gold last year.

Mike Bryan (L) and his brother Bob of the US celebrate after their victory over the Netherland's Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling during the men's doubles final of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Sunday. AFP/PAUL CROCK

SPORTS SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

Dramatic win for Wood in Qatar Benedict Johnson

DOHA: Chris Wood stroked in an eagle on the last hole to win his first European Tour title in spectacular style at the 2.5 million dollar Qatar Masters on Saturday Amid great tension and drama, the 25year-old Englishman who needed two birdies over the final four holes, held his nerve to shoot a 69 and beat George Coetzee and Sergio Garcia for a one-shot victory at Doha Golf Club. Wood finished on 18 underpar 270 edging Garcia and Coetzee who both carded an aggregate of 271 and were hoping to go into a playoff before the decisive eagle upset their plans. England’s Steve Webster and Sweden’s Alexander Noren finished in joint third place four shots down on 275. Wood became only the second player to win the Qatar Masters having made an eagle three on the final hole of regulation play, following Retief Goosen in 2007. “There’s an enormous weight lifted off my shoulders today,” he said. “I feel like I can go on and win more. “I knew it was going to be hard no matter how I played winning on The European Tour is not easy.” Wood did win the Thailand Open last August for his first professional success,

Chris Wood of England poses with the winner’s trophy after the final round of the Qatar Masters AFP/ AL-WATAN Golf Tournament on Saturday.

Sri Lanka defeat hosts SYDNEY: Sri Lanka downed Australia by five wickets to win the opening T20 international at the Sydney Olympic Stadium on Saturday. Two towering sixes on consecutive balls from Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perera sealed a comfortable win for the visitors, who have now beaten Australia in their last four T20s. The win was set up by some superb bowling from Sri Lankan pair Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara, who earlier restricted the Australians to 137-3 from their 20 overs. The Sri Lankans reached the target with seven balls to spare and are now guaranteed of retaining their number one ranking regardless of what happens in the second and final match in Melbourne on Monday. Australia earlier won the toss and chose to bat, but apart from big-hitting opener David Warner they found scoring difficult. The Sri Lankans always had the target well in hand, once openers Kushal Perera (33) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (16) put on 46 runs in 38 balls for the opening wicket. Kushal, making his international T20 debut, showed no signs of nerves as he took to the Australian fast bowling attack with relish. He outscored Dilshan, who was hit in the head by a Ben Laughlin bouncer and needed AFP treatment for a cut above his eye.

but is mostly remembered for failing to deliver when it matters, including at the 2010 BMW PGA Championship with a closing 77 and the 2011 Iberdrola Open with a 76 after leading by four shots going into the final round. “It feels good. Blimey, I’ve seen a few mates picking up trophies and I’ve been waiting patiently for my time,” he said. “I felt like I was due to win for a couple of years.” As for the eagle, Wood added: “Nice way to finish!” Victory came the hard way for Wood. On the par-three third, he hit his tee-shot to the right of the green into the desert scrub. Faced with a stone wall surrounding the green, he hit his chip into the top of the wall and ball bounced back to Wood’s right. And with his third shot further back from the wall, he chipped the ball over the wall past the flag and two putted. Joint runner-up Garcia was happy for Wood. “Of course, fantastic three shots. Hit a great drive and a great 6 iron and then a wonderful putt. So happy for him,” Said Garcia . “Obviously he’s been trying for a while and he deserves it, and you know, after the start he had today, it’s quite impressive for him to come back the way he did and win. So I gave it my best effort.” AFP

Fog plays spoilsport LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA: Tiger Woods’s pursuit of yet another title at Torrey Pines was put on hold Saturday, as fog disrupted the third round of the US PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open. Woods, hoping to build on a two-stroke overnight lead, never even got on the course, and officials said they expect the tournament to finish on Monday. The start of the round was delayed for three hours, then suspended after five minutes as fog rolled in again just after the first groups had teed off at the first and 10th holes of Torrey’s South Course. “There is nothing we can do about it,” Mark Russell, vice president of rules and competition for the US tour, said. “Hopefully it gets better and we can play some golf.” That didn’t happen, and after keeping the players on tap through the afternoon just in case the fog lifted, officials at last announced that the game would resume on AFP Sunday.

Alberto witness in ‘Operation Puerto’ Christophe Lehousse

MADRID: Former Tour de France winner Alberto Contador will be among those who will give testimony to a Spanish court which will open hearings on Monday into the ‘Operation Puerto’ doping scandal, seven years after it erupted in 2006. The trial in Madrid, will do little to boost the credentials of a sport still reeling from Lance Armstrong’s admission that he cheated his way to a record seven Tour de France wins. In the separate Spanish case, a sophisticated doping network was blown wide open on May 23, 2006 when Spanish police raided several apartments and a laboratory in Madrid and seized around 200 bags of blood. A number of top cyclists, including Spaniards Alejandro Valverde and Contador, and Italian Ivan Basso, were implicated. On the same day, police arrested doctors, sporting directors and trainers suspected of

taking part in the doping scheme. From Monday, five people will have to answer charges of an “offence against public health”, including the suspected mastermind of the network, 57-year-old doctor Eufemiano Fuentes.

The other four are Fuentes’ sister Yolanda; former Liberty Seguros cycling team director Manolo Saiz; and former Comunitat Valencia cycling team chief Vicente Belda along with his deputy Jose Ignacio AFP Labarta.

England win Cricket teaches one to toss, elect to bowl be humble: Dravid

Agitation loses steam in Odisha

DHARAMSALA: England captian Alastair Cook won

JAIPUR: It’s not very often that cricket considered to be

the toss and elected to bowl in the fifth and final ODI against India here today. India, who have already pocketed the series with a 3-1 lead, are unchanged for the match. There was one change in the England team with Chris Woakes coming in to replace an off-colour Jade Dernbach. At the end of 30 overs, India were struggling at 117 for the loss of five wickets.

a religion in India, and literature come together on the same platform, but when it happens it’s bound to create magic and that is exactly what happened once Rahul Dravid took to the stage at the Jaipur Literature Festival. The 40-year-old Dravid, one of India’s finest batsmen who scored close to 25,000 international runs before announcing his retirement early last year, said the game teaches one to be humble. “Cricket teaches you to be humble. You fail more than you succeed in the game,” Dravid told a packed audience at the Diggi Palace here today. Dravid was speaking in a session titled ‘Highway to Nowhere’ before which he and Sharmila Tagore, launched a book on the late MAK Pataudi.

BHUBANESWAR: In a major turn of events, a leading protesting group in Odisha on Saturday gave up its stir against participation of Pakistani players in the Women’s World Cup at Cuttack. “We have cancelled agitational programmes we had planned outside airport and other places against the Pakistani payers,” said Hemant Rath, president of Kalinga Sena, a local political outfit. Rath said as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had been supporting OCA and allowing Pakistani players in the state, there was no point in opposing the match. “It is sad that the Odisha Chief Minister allowed Pakistani players while other states refused to host matches involving Pakistan in view of beheading of Indian solders (by Pakistani troops),” Rath said.

Brief Scores: After 30 overs, India were 117/5 (Gautam Gambhir 24, Suresh Raina 46 n.o., Tim Bresnan 2/22, Steven Finn 2/20) vs England

SPORTS SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

Norwich, QPR stunned!

Luton, of the fifth-tier Conference National, won 1-0 at Norwich through an 80th-minute Scott Rendell goal to become the first non-league team to eliminate top-flight opposition in 24 years. A history of upsets

Wenger looking for firepower

Hereford United 2 Newcastle United 1 (1972)

Arsene Wenger admits his Arsenal squad is short of firepower despite in-form Olivier Giroud’s double in the 32 FA Cup fourth round win at Brighton. “It’s good for Giroud’s confidence," Wenger said. But asked whether he had sufficient strikers, he added: “Quality-wise no, number-wise, we could be a bit short.”

Arguably the most evocative of all FA Cup upsets, this third-round replay took place on a mud-covered bog of a pitch and followed a 2-2 draw between the sides in their first encounter. Bournemouth 2 Manchester United 0 (1984)

Harry Redknapp hit the headlines for the first time in his managerial career by guiding third-tier Bournemouth to a stunning win over FA Cup holders United.

Ferguson looking to do it for Rio

Liverpool 0 Wimbledon 1 (1988)

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed his desire to help his club add to their record 11 FA Cup successes this year. “Rio Ferdinand has never won an FA Cup and we’ve got to do something about that.”

The biggest cup final shock in the tournament’s history saw Wimbledon’s ‘Crazy Gang’ upset newly crowned league champions Liverpool. Sutton United 2 Coventry City 1 (1989)

Coventry travelled to non-league Sutton in January 1989 hoping it would be the first step on the road to retaining the trophy that they had won 18 months previously when they overcame Tottenham Hotspur in the 1987 final. Wrexham 2 Arsenal 1 (1992)

Arsenal went into this game as English league champions and Wrexham had finished the previous season at the foot of the old Fourth Division, but it was the Welsh side who prevailed on a famous night at the Racecourse Ground.

Tom Williams

LONDON: Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers joined Aston Villa on the FA Cup scrapheap after famous wins for non-league Luton Town and third-tier Milton Keynes Dons in the fourth round on Saturday. Luton, of the fifth-tier Conference National, won 1-0 at Norwich through an 80th-minute Scott Rendell goal to become the first non-league team to eliminate top-flight opposition in 24 years.

QPR, the Premier League’s bottom club, will be able to focus all their efforts on avoiding relegation after a humiliating 4-2 defeat at home to MK Dons of League One. Premier League leaders Manchester United enjoyed a much more straightforward fourth-round assignment, sweeping past Fulham 4-1 at Old Trafford to reach the fifth round with ease. Arsenal needed a late Theo Walcott goal to record a 3-2 win

at second-tier Brighton and Hove Albion, conquerors of Newcastle United in the previous round. Olivier Giroud twice gave Arsenal the lead, taking his tally to four goals in two games, but Brighton hit back to equalise on each occasion through headers from Ashley Barnes and Argentine debutant Leonardo Ulloa. Arsenal had the last word, however, with Walcott netting in the 85th minute to spare Arsene Wenger’s men the inconvenience of a replay. Everton, fifth in the Premier League, also had a narrow escape against second-tier opposition and needed an injury-time winner from John Heitinga to prevail 2-1 at Bolton Wanderers. Macclesfield Town were unable to match the exploits of fifth-tier rivals Luton, going down 1-0 at home to Wigan Athletic courtesy of a seventhminute Jordi Gomez penalty. Earlier, a late goal by Pablo Zabaleta earned Manchester City a 1-0 win in an attritional tie at bogey team Stoke City. The English champions had not won at Stoke in six previous visits and they lost captain and centre-back Vincent Kompany to a calf injury in the first half. However, Zabaleta struck in the 85th minute to send Roberto Mancini’s men into round five, finishing deftly from Sergio Aguero’s low cross to complete a move that he had started. “Today we were solid at the back, and up front we were very aggressive,” said Zabaleta, an FA Cup winner with City in 2011, when they beat Stoke. “The Stoke crowd push the team a lot and we knew it was going to be difficult for us. We want to win the FA Cup again.”

I gave them a chance because they knock on my door and say they should be playing and other people tell me they are all good players. Well, they got their chance today and they blew it. It answers questions — not for me, because I already knew the answer, but for other people. Today they saw the answers. QPR manager Harry Redknapp, after his team’s loss to MK Dons

It was an unbelievable day. This is where I started my career, this is where I wanted to play as a young boy, so to come back here and keep a clean sheet means the absolute world to them and my family. The whole day was emotional. I could have filled a stand with people who wanted to come here. Mark Tyler, Luton goalkeeper The fourth round had opened with an upset on Friday when Villa lost 2-1 at Championship club Millwall.

Ivory Coast bring on the class… finally While the Ivorians and Togo celebrated a good night’s work, there was gloom in the Algerian camp. Nick Reeves

RUSTENBURG, SOUTH AFRICA: Ivory Coast (right) — with considerable help from Togo — turned on the style to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals on Saturday as Algeria were knocked out. Day eight’s action came from Rustenburg, where the Ivorians bounced back from a below-par opening performance to power past Tunisia 3-0, the goals coming from Gervinho, his English Premier League colleague Yaya Toure, and late substitute Didier Ya Konan. With Togo stunning former champions Algeria 2-0 in the late

game, Ivory Coast were assured of top spot in Group D — irrespective of results when the curtain comes down on this first round mini-league next Wednesday. Togo, who had goals from Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor and substitute Dove Wome to thank for their shock win over Algeria, now need only a draw against Tunisia to bag the runners-up spot. While those two teams celebrated a good night’s work at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace, there was understandable doom and gloom in the talented but inexperienced Algerian camp. Coach Vahid Halilhodzic arrived at the traditional post-

match press conference looking as glum as someone who had just won the lottery, only to discover his dog had eaten the ticket. “It’s a total disaster,” he said. “I feel deeply ashamed. I do-

n’t know what happened tonight, it’s hard to analyse. “Perhaps the players weren’t mature enough to compete at this level. “But I won’t accuse anyone, I made the choices. I just

feel shame. “My future as coach is not relevant, what is relevant is that we work out how we played that kind of football without scoring. Earlier, Ivory Coast coach Sabri Lamouchi had sprung a surprise, dropping talismanic captain Didier Drogba as he rotated his squad. “Why didn’t I play Didier Drogba? Because it seemed to me that the 11 players I picked were the best to overcome this good Tunisian side,” explained Lamouchi. Sunday’s menu sees hosts South Africa face Morocco knowing a win or a draw will see them qualify, and Cape Verde take on Angola.