Chinese Grand Prix

SHANGHAI: Jenson Button profited from another canny tyre strategy to win the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, beating his teammate Lewis Hamilton in a 1-2 finish for McLaren.

Button, the reigning World champion, vaulted to the top of the Formula One championship by employing some cool-headed decision making amid the chaos of changing conditions which forced most drivers to pit at least four times. Button, by contrast, made only two stops.

Rain began to fall just before the race started, yet all cars started on dry-weather tyres. A dampening track soon forced a critical decision. Many of the leaders elected to change to wet-weather tyres after a couple of laps, while Button, and third-place finisher Nico Rosberg chose to stay out on dry-weather tyres.

Drivers who had changed to wet-weather ones soon found the treaded tyres were degrading quickly and after three or four more laps, returned to the pits to change back. That allowed Button, Rosberg and Renault's Robert Kubica to dash well clear in front.

Best win

“It was my best race victory,” Button said. “This one was pretty special because it was very tough conditions.

“It was a tricky race out there and again we called it right,” Button said. “It was not just about being quick, it's about reading the conditions.

“Sometimes you have to take those risks. That is what won us the race — being on the right tyre and the right time made all the difference.”

Hamilton was among those forced into a double pit early, but charged through the field from ninth after nine laps to second after 39. He looked capable of overtaking Button, who ran off the track with five laps to go as his tyres wore away, but Hamilton's tyres also soon became unmanageable.

“It was really the wrong call for us and it ruined the race a little bit,” Hamilton said of the decision to switch tyres twice early.

“It was definitely an exciting race. To climb my way back up to second was great.”

Rosberg led until lap 19 when he ran wide on his worn tyres and allowed Button through.

“It was a really good choice at the beginning,” Rosberg said. “I thought I would give it a go and stay out.”

Late in the race, when all the drivers' tyres were worn, Rosberg was challenged by Fernando Alonso, but the German held firm and kept the Ferrari driver in fourth.

Alonso penalised

Alonso led into the first corner of the race, but was soon penalised for jumping the start and given a drive-through penalty. That sanction, plus his four tyre changes meant the Spaniard made five trips to the pits. His compatriot, Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari, outdid that with six visits — one short of the F1 record, illustrating how hard it was for teams to read the track and the changing conditions.

Renault's Robert Kubica finished fifth and his teammate Vitaly Petrov earned his first F1 points by taking seventh.

Strategy error

Separating the Renault pair was pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel. The Red Bull driver was shuffled back by his hasty change to wet tyres and then back to dry ones, and was never in contention.

His Red Bull teammate Mark Webber made the same strategy error and finished eighth, ahead of Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Mercedes' Michael Schumacher, who again struggled for much of the race, forced into defensive driving to hold off quicker rivals.

After four races this season, Button leads the drivers' standings on 60 points, ahead of Rosberg's 50. Hamilton and Alonso are level on 49 points in third.

McLaren also took over the lead in the constructors' standings, with 109, ahead of Ferrari with 90. Mercedes jumped to third with 78, ahead of Red Bull with 73.

The race also featured two pitlane incidents. The first saw Hamilton and Vettel race in the entry to the pits, and after their stops the pair drove wheel-to-wheel along the pitlane, prompting a stewards' investigation.

The second incident involved Alonso passing teammate Massa on the tight pit entry, leading Ferrari chief Stefano Domenicali to throw his hands into the air.

The next race will be the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on May 9.

The results:

1. Jenson Button (McLaren), 1:46:42.163 secs.,

2. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) 1:46:43.693,

3. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), 1:46:51.647,

4. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) 1:46:54.032,

5. Robert Kubica (Renault) 1:47:04.376,

6. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 1:47:15.473,

7. Vitaly Petrov (Renault) 1:47:29.763,

8. Mark Webber (Red Bull) 1:47:34.335,

9. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 1:47:39.959,

10. Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) 1:47:43.912,

11. Adrian Sutil (Force India), 1:47:45.037,

12. Rubens Barrichello (Williams), 1:47:45.828,

13. Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) 1:47:53.579,

14. Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus) 1:47:52.460,

15. Nico Hulkenberg (Williams) 1:48:01.537,

16. Bruno Senna (Hispania), 1:48:28.179,

17. Karun Chandhok (Hispania) 1:47:39.011.

Not classified: 18. Jarno Trulli (Lotus), 19. Lucas di Grassi (Virgin), 20. Pedro de la Rosa (Sauber), 21. Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso), 22. Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber), 23. Vitantonio Liuizzi (Force India), 24. Timo Glock (Virgin).

Drivers' championship standings:

1. Button 60 points,

2. Rosberg 50,

3. Alonso & Hamilton 49,

5. Vettel 45,

6. Massa 41,

7. Kubica 40,

8. Webber 28,

9. Sutil & Schumacher 10,

11. Liuzzi 8,

12. Petrov 6,

13. Barrichello 5,

14. Alguersuari 2,

15. Hulkenberg 1.

Constructors' championship standings:

1. McLaren 109,

2. Ferrari 90,

3. Mercedes 78,

4. Red Bull 73,

5. Renault 46,

6. Force India 18,

7. Williams 6,

8. Toro Rosso 2

. — Agencies

Shoaib Malik weds Sania Mirza

Checkout here Sania Mirza Wedding Photos or Sania Mirza/ Shoaib Malik Marriage Photos as our Indian tennis player Sania Mirza and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik exchanged wedding vows today on April 12, 2010, after the divorce of Malik to his first wife, Ayesha Siddiqui.

Mirza’s spokeswoman Rucha Nayak told reporters that the pair, two of the region’s biggest sporting names, signed an Islamic matrimonial agreement in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad.

Television footage showed the 23-year-old bride wearing a traditional red saree as she stepped into a car for the wedding venue.

The nuptials follow a stormy courtship for the pair, with anger among hardline Hindus over Mirza’s relationship with a Pakistani man matched by a scandal over bigamy allegations against Malik.

Last week, Malik divorced his first wife, Ayesha Siddiqui, an Indian woman whom he had earlier accused of tricking him into what he described as an invalid wedding.

Siddiqui claims Malik married her by telephone eight years ago, but Malik maintains he was deceived and the marriage was invalid, saying the agreement was based on photos sent to him which he insists were not of Siddiqui.

Asked earlier this month if she was unnerved by the controversy surrounding her wedding, Mirza said, “Of course I am upset. But we are happy that we are together.”

Mirza divides opinion in India, drawing criticism from strict Muslim groups for her short tennis skirts and jewelry, while gaining praise and fans for her achievements on the court.

She became the first Indian to win a WTA Tour title in 2005, she reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open later that year and won the Australian Open mixed doubles in 2009.

The announcement of the marriage between the two Muslims came two months after Mirza broke off her engagement to a childhood friend, saying in a statement: “I have been in the constant glare for too long and would appreciate the privacy at this very personal moment in my life.”

Malik, 28, a former Pakistani cricket captain, is currently serving a year-long ban from the Pakistan Cricket Board due to indiscipline on a tour of Australia.

Sebastian Vettel wins Malaysian GP

Sebastian Vettel led Mark Webber in a 1-2 finish for Red Bull at the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday, claiming an overdue victory after mechanical failures had cost him wins in the opening two Formula One races.

Vettel passed pole-sitter Webber in the run to the first corner and held that lead throughout, with Nico Rosberg finishing third for Mercedes as forecast rain stayed away from the Sepang circuit.

Renault's Robert Kubica was fourth and Force India's Adrian Sutil took fifth.

“A very good result for us, especially for me, after two races where we didn't finish where we wanted to be,” Vettel said.

Webber said he had a little wheel spin trying to get off the line, ceding the lead to his teammate, and was forced to settle for second after a close fight through to corner four on lap one.

“A 1-2 finish for us was sensational,” Webber said. “It was a nice comeback by us after some tough races. We blew everyone away, which is great.”

McLaren pair Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button fought their way through the field from rear grid positions to finish sixth and eighth respectively, either side of Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

Hamilton had stormed up from 20th on the grid to third before he pitted.

He then couldn't get past Sutil, who was too fast on the straight sections.

Massa leads the championship by two points from Vettel and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who would have topped the standings but for an engine failure on the penultimate lap as he attempted an ambitious passing move on Button.

Red Bull's victory on Sunday meant it was the first time in 20 years that three different teams had won the opening three races of a championship.

The closeness of the competition was reflected in the standings, with the top seven drivers separated by only nine points. Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari and Williams' Nico Hulkenberg were ninth and 10th respectively, with both earning their first F1 points.

Schumacher retires

Mercedes' Michael Schumacher retired on the 10th lap with a wheel nut failure, extending his unhappy start to his comeback season compared to his teammate. He has nine points from three races. Rosberg has 35.

“It's a shame,” Schumacher said. “We were in a good position ... I believe we could have had two cars in very good points.

“To be honest, I'm right on schedule, in my opinion. The car is not quite on schedule.”

Williams' Rubens Barrichello was slow off the start line and never in contention for the points, and Sauber's Pedro de la Rosa was affected by an engine failure on the installation lap.

Ferrari leads the constructors' championship with 76 points, ahead of McLaren on 66, with Red Bull surging up to 61.

The results: 1. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 1 hr 33 mins 48.412, 2. Mark Webber (Red Bull) +4.849 s, 3. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes GP) 13.504, 4. Robert Kubica (Renault) 18.589, 5. Adrian Sutil (Force India) 21.059, 6. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren 23.471) 7. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 27.068, 8. Jenson Button (McLaren) 37.918.

9. Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) 01:10.602, 10. Nico Huelkenberg (Williams) 01:13.399,

11. Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso) 01:18.938, 12. Rubens Barrichello (Williams) 1 lap, 13. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) 2 laps, 14. Lucas Di Grassi (Virgin) 3 laps, 15. Karun Chandhok (HRT) 3 laps, 16. Bruno Senna (HRT) 4 laps, 17. Jarno Trulli (Lotus) 5 laps r.

Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus) 10 laps r., Vitaly Petrov (Renault) 24 laps r., Vitantonio Liuzzi (Force India) 44 laps r,

Michael Schumacher (Mercedes GP) 47 laps r, Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) 48 laps r.

Timo Glock (Virgin) 54 laps dns, Pedro de la Rosa (Sauber) 56 laps.

(r-retired, nc-not classified, dns-did not start)

Vinnaithandi Varuvaya : Review

‘Vinnaithandi Varuvaya’, (VTV) and you know what its like to cross the sky and get into another dimension called love. ‘Vinnaithandi Varuvaya’ is a popular lyric from the ‘Vennilave Vennilave’ song from ‘Minsara Kanavu’ directed by Rajeev Menon and all of you know that. So director Goutham Vasudev Menon has rightly acknowledged Rajeev Menon in the first card of the Titles. How humble!

Right from the time, the word ‘action’ was told, the film has been creating the ripples of expectation among director Goutham’s fans. He has surely tried his maximum to live up to the expectations. Captain Goutham and his team- comprising of editor Antony, art director Rajeevan, director of photography Manoj Paramahamsa and music by A R Rahman, just look at that combination, have always given us that feeling of modern cinema.

Well technically, the movie is made with high values- Exceptional music, background score, re-recording, classy camera work, foreign locations, etc. All the technicians involved must receive that imperative appreciation for they have done their work with much finesse.

The first in the list of technicians who have to be appreciated would be, undoubtedly, A R Rahman. Man! Isn’t he a creative genius! His 1st movie after the Oscar phenomenon. His music is one of the main reasons to the much acclaimed hype. The re-recording and the background score are really amazing. If you’ve listened to his songs in your personal stereo, then its only half of the magic you have experienced.

The picturisation of the songs is simply remarkable and they complete the magic. God knows how Goutham gets his ideas and the eye of Manoj Paramahamsa who’s done ‘Eeram’ before, not just his eye that thought of those exotic locations but his ‘lens eye’ as well that caught all those beautiful locales. Watch those videos even with half opened eyes and you’ll realize he hasn’t used a camera but a paint brush with the palette of colours from Mother Nature. The colour tones in the movie have been brought out quite amazingly. The songs especially, ‘Hosana’ and ‘Omanna Penne’ shot at Malta, are worth the watch at the cinemas. Songs get major attention in the movie and the other technician we are going to talk about is Rajeevan and his art-work in the sets of a few songs is fascinating. The D.O.P (director of photography) Manoj has used minimal artificial lighting in the movie, showing his signature style.

We’ll come back to the people behind the camera a little later. Now is the time for the people in front of the camera. Trisha and Silambarasan as the lead pair, and quite a few veterans in the movie like Kitty as Silambarasan’s father and Bob Antony as Trisha’s father. All artists have done well especially Ganesh, also one of the producers, who plays Silambarasan’s friend, has acted well, and his dialogue delivery must be appreciated. Lets talk about- Silambarasan! We’ve seen him as a college student, as a mass character and we’ve seen him dance in the middle of the road, typical Chennai style, but can you imagine Silambarasan in formals, as a simple, regular guy-next door, decent and at his best behaviour? Well, he has proved he is not just the normal run-off-the-mill commercial hero but an actor who will mould himself into any character that a story demands. He’s come out of that commercial image with VTV. All were apprehensive about the fact that Silambarasan working with a classy director like Goutham. But the director has been persistent about Silambarasan and he hasn’t let the director down. Silambarasan has been in front of the camera since he was a kid and such a role as ‘Karthik’ in this movie is really not demanding or impossible to him. He hasn’t acted in this movie, but has been himself. His dialogue delivery appeared to be simple, just like how he would talk to anyone in his real life. He is an ambitious and aspiring film maker in the movie and in real life, he really is.

Opposite Silambarasan is pretty lass Trisha. Trisha as Jessie has portrayed her character brilliantly, she hasn’t over acted or under acted, and she’s done it perfectly. Director of Photography, Manoj has prettified Trisha, and she looks prettier than her previous appearances. Saree clad in most of the movie, Trisha has pulled off a terrific performance. Nalini Sriram’s costumes might start a cult with the ladies from now on.

Now we’re moving in to the ‘story, screenplay and dialogues’, by Goutham. Don’t expect us to be spoilsport and reveal the storyline and the cute screenplay of the movie. The first half till the interval will grab your attention as it has been nicely written and well taken. Some cute scenes between Silambarasan and Trisha look really candid and the camera man has managed to capture that cheeky chemistry between the two. According to the film promos, theatrical trailers, etc ‘VTV’ is a love story ‘with a difference’. There wasn’t anything particularly different to talk about, except for Simbu being younger to Trisha by one year, and the screenplay that won’t tell you till the end if they’ve fall in love and live happily ever after?

Silambarasan wooing Trisha, their second pairing after ‘Alai’, is not at all impractical and you can relate their characters to real life. Their chemistry is enticing and they actually appear a cute pair. Silambarasan’s attitude in the movie is straight forward while Trisha is homely and conservative. The one thing you can’t relate to life or even agree is the hero meeting the heroine at her house, at his will without anyone noticing. Cinema has grown of age, or have people!?

The screenplay in the first half is slow and cute but the screenplay in the second half is even slower.

A faster screenplay might spoil the feel of a romantic movie. Back to technicians, Editor Antony has done a decent job but could have advised his Captain to chop off a few reels. Some of the audience thought the movie got over and they got off their seats when a song was being played! but the movie continued for 10 more minutes after that.

Silambarasan, we all know fights well and dances amazingly. There is just one stunt sequence in the movie and that’s designed by Shiva who’s handled the fight scenes very well and Silambarasan is the demi-god we know, sustains not a single scratch on him. Silambarasan’s dance is admirable. Keeping in mind that most of the songs are not dance numbers, you’ll still see him sway to those tunes convincingly.

Dialogues in the movie and especially Silambarasan’s dialogue delivery is worth mentioning. The dialogues make you giggle at times, and sometimes they make you feel- how one can be so romantic.

Director Goutham has tried something ‘different’ but the audience is perplexed at the end. You wouldn’t know how to react after the climax. Weird! If you’ve been following all his movies and know his style of film making, then you would appreciate his work. There were rumours about two climaxes to the movie. The version the audience saw on the first day is not really lively.

Finally a disclaimer: If and only if, you have all the time in the world, and you like the slow romantic genre, you’ll enjoy this one.

Pune and Kochi became new team in IPL 2011

The financial might of the IPL was on display again on Sunday when Pune and Kochi became the league's two new franchises, being sold for a value in excess of the original eight franchises combined.

The Sahara group, the biggest patron of sports in the country, became owners of the Pune franchise after offering a staggering US$370m. The other new franchisee is a consortium of five companies called Rendezvous Sports World, which bid US$333.33m for Kochi. There were three other qualified bidders, including Adani Enterprises and VC digital solutions Pvt Ltd (Videocon), who were in the fray to become part of the IPL, which will be heartening for any existing franchise owners looking to offload their stake.

"It only shows there is no recession for the IPL and it is on the upswing," Lalit Modi, the league's commissioner, said after announcing the new franchises in Chennai.

Sahara, who have been sponsoring Indian cricket for the past 15 years, had bid for the same amount for three cities, but ultimately chose Pune over Ahmedabad and Nagpur. "When we considered the cities, in terms of infrastructure and logistics, Pune came first," Abhijit Sarkar, the head of Sahara's corporate communications, said. "Ït is also close to Mumbai - the commercial capital of India - and Aamby Valley (an upmarket township owned by the Sahara group)."

Ajay Shirke, president of the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) and a prominent businessmen from Pune, said he was obviously happy about Pune being rated as the most popular venue at the auction with three out of the five bidders preferring Pune as their home base over the rest of the 11 cities. Puneites have been hungry for top-quality cricket for nearly half a decade now. The last international match played in Pune was in the 2005 ODI series between India and Sri Lanka.

"MCA has always maintained that we will support all bids that are made for Pune," Shirke, who was present at the auction venue in Chennai, told Cricinfo. "That only increases Pune's association with cricket manifold.

"What they [the bidders] would have kept in mind was the market of Mumbai and Pune are nearby. Then there are private cities like Lavasa and Aamby Valley, which are about 20 kilometres from the ground."

According to Shirke, the Sahara franchise would have its home ground situated on the outskirts of Pune city, in Gahunje, which is on the Mumbai-Pune expressway. The ground construction is already underway with Shapoorji Pallonji being the main contractors.

He was confident that the ground would be ready in time for the IPL's fourth season when Sahara would unveil its team. "The construction work has already started and it should be ready by March 2011," Shirke said.

While Sahara have a long history of sports sponsorship and are a high-profile corporate group, little is known about the winners of the Kochi franchise. It is a consortium with five partners - the Rendezvous group, Parini developers, Anand Shah Estate, Anchor Earth Private Limited and Film Waves. Minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor was involved in bringing the group together, but has no stake in the franchise.

In fact, Tharoor clarified to Cricinfo that he had no stake in the Kochi franchise and that his role was limited to encouraging the consortium that bagged the team. "My role consisted only of encouraging and blessing the venture, and steering it to Kerala," he told Cricinfo.

"Tharoor was involved in facilitating and trying to get a team for the state," Modi confirmed. "He is an ardent fan of cricket and he has been trying to get people from Kochi to bid for it. I think his involvement ends there."

Modi said the tournament's organsiers would provide the Kochi franchise a home ground till the Kerala Cricket Association completes construction of its new stadium. "Kerala Cricket Association is in the process of building the infrastructure and as when the stadium is ready teams will play there," he said. "But till the structures are ready, the IPL will provide them with an alternate venue."

Speaking to reporters, Shailendra Gaikwad of Rendezvous World Sport said, "We have closely been following every development within the IPL, right from the inaugural year. Today, I am very happy for our consortium of Rendezvous World Sport and the people of Kochi as we finally have a team to call our own in this amazing city-based sports franchise"

While the huge money offered by the new franchisees shows the health of the IPL, Modi said there were no plans in the near future to further increase the number of teams involved. "We also have no plans to expand further immediately. In fact I don't foresee an expansion in many, many years to come but then you never know."

The IPL will now feature 10 teams and - if the current format is retained - a total of 94 games, from the existing 60. After the first season in 2008, the league has already expanded its reach to other centres such as Cuttack, Ahmedabad, Nagpur and Dharamsala.

The franchise auction process was to have been completed on March 7 but was postponed by two weeks after the bidders and the BCCI objected to stiff financial clauses.

Jenson Button wins Australian Grand Prix

Formula One World champion Jenson Button timed his pit stop to perfection to chalk up his first win for McLaren in a rain-affected and entertaining Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.

The Briton, a winner in Melbourne with Brawn GP last year, took the lead when Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, starting on pole position, was pitched into the gravel mid-race by a brake failure.

“It feels so good... guys, amazing job, I think we got that pit stop pretty much perfect,” Button, who went for an early change to slicks that proved crucial, shouted over the team radio after beating Renault's Robert Kubica by 12.034 seconds. “It was the right time. Fantastic job, this is a great way to start the year.”

Kubica second

Poland's Kubica was comfortably clear of Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa, who nosed out Spanish teammate Fernando Alonso for third. Seven times World champion Michael Schumacher finished 10th for Mercedes after being effectively ruled out of the running at the first corner.

Button's left front tyre hit Alonso's right at the first turn, causing the Spaniard to spin and collide with Schumacher and break the Mercedes' front wing. Both then had to fight back from the rear. Only 14 cars finished the race as intermittent showers made tyre selection, and the timing of pit stops, a key factor on the bumpy street circuit.

Early appearance

The safety car made an early appearance when BMW Sauber's Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi rebounded off a barrier at turn six on the first lap, crashing into Williams's German driver Nico Hulkenberg. The incident also forced Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi out.

Double World champion Alonso, who won on his Ferrari debut in Bahrain last week, stayed top of the standings after two races with 37 points, in front of Massa who has 33.

Button's victory allowed him to claw back to 31 in the championship race and allowed McLaren to close to 54 points, second behind Ferrari on 70 in the constructors' standings.

The results:

1. Jenson Button (McLaren) 1 hr 33 mins 36.531 secs;

2. Robert Kubica (Renault) +12.034;

3. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 14.488;

4. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) 16.304;

5. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 16.683;

6. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren); 29.898.

7. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Force India) 59.847;

8. Rubens Barrichello (Williams) 1:00.536;

9. Mark Webber (Red Bull) 1:07.319;

10. Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) 1:09.391;

11. Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) 1:34:47.832;

12. Pedro de la Rosa (Sauber) 1:34:50.615;

13. Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus) 1:34:49.139;

14. Karun Chandhok (HRT) 5 laps;

18. Adrian Sutil (Force India) 49 laps (retired).

Not classified: 15. Timo Glock (Virgin);

16. Lucas di Grassi (Virgin);

17. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull);

19. Vitaly Petrov (Renault);

20. Bruno Senna (Hispania);

21. Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso);

22. Nico Hulkenberg (Williams);

23. Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber);

24. Jarno Trulli (Lotus).

Drivers' standings:

1. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) 37 points;

2. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 33;

3. Jenson Button (McLaren) 31;

4. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) 23;

5. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 20;

6. Robert Kubica (Renault); 18

7. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 12;

8. Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) 9;

9. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Force India) 8;

10. Mark Webber (Red Bull) 6;

11. Rubens Barrichello (Williams) 5.

Constructors' standings:
1. Ferrari (70 points);

2. McLaren (54);

3. Mercedes (29);

4. Red Bull (18),

Renault (18);

6. Force India (8);

7. Williams (5);

8. Toro Rosso (0), Lotus (0), HRT (0), BMW Sauber (0), Virgin-Cosworth (0) .

India's Sania Mirza weds Pakistan's Shoaib Malik

There's a lesson to be learnt as Hyderabad's Sania Mirza readies to exchange vows with Karachi's Shoaib Malik.

After the media frenzy over the wedding of the poster girl of Indian tennis dies down, someone will figure out that the couple will be based in Dubai, where, presumably, they will be away from the pressures of blowhot, blow-cold India- Pakistan relations.

And perhaps, no one will ask Mirza which side she supports during an India-Pakistan cricket match - that is only a milder instrument of the pressure ordinary citizens who chose to marry across the border have to contend with.

Acclaimed author Amitava Kumar, who teaches English at Vassar College in the US, had to write a book about his experience of marrying Pakistani national, Mona Ahmad Ali.

The author of Evidence of Suspicion , which exposes the dark side of the war on terror, wrote Husband of a Fanatic in 2004, after he married Ali in 1999, when the Kargil War was raging. Kumar, who was born in Arrah, Bihar, was even blacklisted by a Hindutva group for positions he took on contentious issues in the Indian media. In an e-mail interview, he says, "The Hindutva man who had put me on the blacklist had a special anger against Muslim celebrities marrying Hindu women - he mentioned Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan." Kumar and Ali continue to live in New York, away from the countries of their origin. "The border between the US and Mexico holds far more meaning here than the border that divides India from Pakistan," says Kumar. "We don't have to live with the day-to-day pressure of questions and mutual suspicion," he adds.

Delhi-based hotelier and restaurateur Saeed Sherwani, who married Farida in 1986 in Lahore, says the key to a happy cross- border marriage is to be immune to this pressure. "You'll see a great deal of Pakistanbashing in the Indian media and vice-versa. But you have to be thick- skinned and not let it affect you. Marriage is hard enough, anyway," he says.

Sherwani says the troubles begin when they have to get a visa for Farida to travel to Lahore to see her parents (Farida did not apply for an Indian passport because she has property in Lahore), yet he makes a case for north Indians marrying across the border.

"There is a great deal of cultural affinity between north Indians and Pakistanis. Culturally, I have more in common with a Pakistani Muslim than a south Indian Muslim," he says.

Artist Sumedh Rajendran, who married Masooma, a fellow artist from Lahore, in 2008, flitted from one art camp to another - in Sri Lanka, London and New York - to avoid diplomatic hurdles.

The two courted for five years after meeting at a residency programme organised by the Triangle Arts Trust in Delhi.

The couple is now based in Delhi. Rajendran points out that no cultural boundaries ostensibly exist for artists, "but in reality we still have to go through some painful processes. Lower officers in the government often behave harshly with us, though the intelligentsia and other artists are always very supportive."

He recalls the times his wife had to come to India via Dubai because no direct flights were available between the two nations. But the situation on the ground, he says, has changed for the better, especially for artists like him who cannot afford to shift their studios elsewhere.

"Sania and Shoaib are not bound to a place," he says.

"They can live in Dubai and continue to play for their countries." Unlike Rajendran, who could not shift his studio, graphic novelist Sarnath Banerjee was certain he did not want to stay away from the country. Banerjee, who married video artist Bani Abidi from Karachi, had an inter-continental romance. The two had met in Delhi in 2001 after which Abidi moved to Chicago and Banerjee went to England. The two came closer in Spain before getting married in 2006 in London.

It was when the two decided to come back home from Germany, that their life started getting complicated. "You have to eke out a life," says Banerjee of their existence, where Abidi has to shuttle between the two countries.

"The temptation to leave India is great, but our work is very central to our context," he adds.

Banerjee says the problem stems from the fact that most people on our side of the border have no exposure to the middle class in Pakistan. "We grew up with Nazia Hassan and everyone was in love with her," he says.

"Suddenly, the unifiers were gone and the relationship between the two nations turned hostile. Luckily, we haven't been affected by the tension, but then, who knows what will happen?" It is this dark shadow that keeps lurking in the background of cross-border romances, but the lovebirds don't let these shadowlines cross their emotions.

The Pritzker Prize goes to Japanese duo Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa

The Pritzker Prize, considered the highest honour in architecture and regarded by many as equivalent to the Nobel Prize, has been awarded to the Japanese duo Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, partners in the architecture firm SANAA.

The two architects, who got the award for 2010, have been working together for more than 15 years. They have designed many critically acclaimed buildings across various cities in the world. Notable among them are the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art at Kanazawa in Japan, DeKunstlinie Theatre, Almere, in Netherlands, Rolex Learning Center, Lausanne, in Switzerland and the New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York.

Rolex Learning Center, Lausanne, in Switzerland

Unlike other contemporary architecture that is bombastic and rhetorical, the works of Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa are refreshingly straightforward and seek the essential qualities of architecture, commended the jury. Their buildings may appear deceptively simple, but behind their economy of form and lightness in the facade, is the unique, ingenious, experientially rich and inspirational fresh design approach. It always offers “new possibilities within the normal constraints of an architectural project as it systematically takes the next step. They use common, everyday materials while remaining attuned to the possibilities of contemporary technology,” the jury further appreciated.

The current works of these two architects include the Hyundai Factory, Seoul, in Korea and the House for China International Practical Exhibition of Architecture, Nanjing.

New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York

Sejima was recently appointed director of the famed and prestigious Venice Biennale's 12th Annual Architecture Exhibition. The duo has earlier won many awards, including the Mario Pani Award, Mexico.

“With this prize I will continue to make wonderful architecture,” responded Sejima to the news about the award. Pointing to the openness in their design, she added that it “is important for a new generation of architecture.” Nishizawa finds the award motivating. “Every time I finish a building I revel in possibilities and at the same time reflect on what has happened… this wonderful prize has given me a dynamic energy that I have never felt before,” he added.

21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art at Kanazawa in Japan

The Pritzker prize carries $100,000 in grant and bronze medallions and will be awarded to Sejima and Nishizawa on May 17 in New York.