Anger at Argentina airport delays

Passengers at Argentina's main airport have damaged ticket counters and thrown objects at staff after an airline cancelled flights for a second day.

TV pictures showed broken glass in the terminal of the national carrier, Aerolineas Argentinas, at Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires.

The protests were against delays caused by a baggage handlers' strike and a walk-out by ticket counter workers.

Witnesses said the stoppage began after a passenger abused an airline employee.

The passenger was said to have stormed into the offices of Aerolineas Argentinas on the second floor of the terminal and demanded the employee help resolve the situation.

The protests came after several thousand passengers were stranded overnight at the airport after the airline cancelled all its international flights on Thursday.

"There's no one from the company, no one is showing their face or telling us when we're going to fly. We're stranded with children and the elderly," a woman whose flight to Venezuela was cancelled on Friday told local television.

The delays to international flights are expected to continue throughout the weekend.

News Source : BBC News

Australians arrive in NZ by kayak

Two Australians have become the first people to paddle to New Zealand across the Tasman Sea in a kayak.

The 62-day, 3,300km (2,050-mile) journey from New South Wales was half as long again as they had planned.

Strong winds and tides meant James Castrission, 25, and Justin Jones, 25, were swept in huge circles, and had to abandon hopes of reaching Auckland.

Instead, they landed at New Plymouth in the west of New Zealand, greeted by a fleet of Maori canoes and a beer each.

"NZ, thank you, thank you, you guys rock," said Jones, acknowledging the 2,000-strong crowd which gathered at Ngamotu Beach to welcome the pair.

"This is bloody strange, but I am liking this feeling," he added, as he downed the beer.

Too rough

The pair's specially-designed kayak was hit by powerful winds as it crossed the Tasman Sea, and spending three weeks longer than planned at sea left their food supplies low.

Some days they stayed inside the kayak's tiny cabin and put out a sea anchor, when the conditions were too rough for effective paddling.

The Australians celebrated their feat with beer and Waltzing Matilda

Their transponder stopped working in early December, and they were reduced to tiny navigation lights at night.

Castrission and Jones paid tribute to another Australian kayaker, Andrew McAuley, 39, who disappeared while attempting the same crossing solo last February.

His kayak was later found, but his body was never recovered; his camera showed that he had come within sight of New Zealand before he vanished.

"We have only got a small, small idea of what Andrew went through out there," said Castrission.

"Some nights when we were out there, we had each other to hold through the difficult moments."

After a celebratory chorus of Waltzing Matilda, the pair were taken for medical checks, but they appeared to be in good health, correspondents said.

News Source : BBC News

Body found in Alabama bridge case

Lam Luong faces four murder charges The body of an infant has been found on the coast in the US state of Alabama, near where four children were allegedly thrown off a bridge by their father. Lam Luong, 37, initially confessed to throwing the children off the Dauphin Island bridge on Monday, but later retracted his confession. He has now been charged with capital murder, and the search for the bodies of the other children continues. "Why didn't he kill me instead?" said his wife, Kieu Ngoc Phan, 23. "It's too much hurting." Search extended The children went missing on Monday The body of four-month-old Danny was found on Saturday morning by a duck hunter, about five miles (8km) west of the bridge from which the children were allegedly thrown into Mobile Bay. Divers were searching the area, but called off the operation at nightfall, to be continued on Sunday. The search has been extended westward towards Pascagoula, across the state border in Mississippi, in the belief that currents might have carried the bodies that far. "The inevitable nightmare we have feared has now been confirmed," said Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran, after the body was found. "We believe, certainly now, that the father of these children threw these children off the Dauphin Island bridge." Lam Luong went to the police with his wife to report the children missing on Monday. Kieu Ngoc Phan had gone with Luong to report her children missing But when questioned, he said that he threw the children into the water after an argument with Kieu Ngoc Phan. Later, he denied this, insisting that two women had taken the children. He appeared in court on Thursday, where he was formally charged. If convicted of capital murder, he could face the death penalty or life in prison without parole. The three younger children are Lam Luong's, while the eldest, three-year-old Ryan, is Kieu Ngoc Phan's from an earlier relationship. Mr Luong came to Alabama from Vietnam in 1984 when he was a teenager and worked as a shrimper. News Source : BBC News

Meet the yogi avatar of Shilpa Shetty

Her perfume S2 continues to top the sales charts in Britain, while the tour of her musical ‘Miss Bollywood’ has met with stupendous success in 16 cities across Europe.

Now, there is yet another move by Shilpa Shetty.

The ever-so-beautiful lady has now released a special edition of a DVD called ‘Shilpa’s Yoga’ targeted at the European market. Here, she reveals her fitness secrets to create a lean and toned body while retaining all the feminine curves. The DVD outlines various benefits of yoga, including stress and tension release, increased energy and vitality, weight loss, improved circulation and digestion, and comes with a free audio-CD of chill out ambient music to help unwind and relax after practicing the yoga techniques.

Shilpa’s publicist Dale Bhagwagar aptly said, “Shilpa is the sexiest yogi the world has ever seen. In ‘Shilpa’s Yoga’ she demonstrates simple techniques against the stunning coastal backdrop of Kerala.”

“Go for it. It might even improve your sex life,” he adds.

Yoga Video By Shilpa Shetty

News Source : Bollywood-Star

Neha Dhupia has a lot to expect from 2008

Neha Dhupia had enough releases in 2007 and she has even more to expect from 2008. 2007 saw her in an item number in ‘Nehle Pe Dehla’, with substantial roles in ‘Delhi Hieghts’, ‘Ek Chaalis Ki Last Local’, ‘Shootout At Lokhandwala’, ‘Dus Kahaniyan’ and a special appearance in ‘Heyy Babyy’.

2008 too will see a similar trend for Neha with her ‘Rama Rama Kya Hai Dramaa’ hitting the theatres on 18th January. Her next ‘Mithya’ is set for 8th February release which also stars Naseruddin Shah, Ranvir Shorey, Harsh Chhaya, Saurabh Shukla and Vinay Pathak.

Directed by Shivam Nair (Ahista Ahista fame), her expected next release is ‘Chala Murari Murder Karne’. This was earlier titled ‘Maharathi’ and also boasts of a heavy weight star cast comprising of Naseruddin Shah, Om Puri, Paresh Rawal and Boman Irani.

Another big venture from Neha to hit theatres on 15th August will be Anees Bazmee’s eagerly awaited ‘Singh is King’ starring Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Javed Jaffrey, Ranvir Shorey and Om Puri along with Neha.

Neha is also busy with her sole female lead role in Saurabh Shukla directed ‘I AM 24’. An Arindam Chaudhri production, the film stars Neha along with Ranvir Shorey, Rajat Kapoor, Vijay Raaz, Lilette Dubey, Delnaz Paul and Manjari Phadnis.

With all these in her kitty, the lady is surely glowing these days!

News Source : Bollywood-Star

Mallika Sherawat - Escalating demands?

Mallika Sherawat is turning out to a nightmare for her producers these days. First, she made it clear to the producers of ‘Welcome’ that she would not promote the film if the promos carried Mallika Arora Khan’s item number. The producers gave in and the promos of ‘Hoth Rasile’ item number went on air much after the release of the film. Then, she walked out of Kundan Shah’s ‘Masquerade’ owing to differences with the director leaving the film’s destiny in mid-air as the producers too quit the film owing to Mallika’s exit. Next, it was the rift with Rangita Nandy on the sets of ‘Ugly Aur Pagli’ that was doing the rounds.

The latest buzz that’s doing the rounds is that Mallika Sherawat wants her film ‘Fauj Mein Mauj’ to be re-shot and that too when 70 % of the film has already been canned. It was apparent from the beginning that the gal wasn’t too happy with the film but she continued with it as she was and is the only known star in the film.

Now, the debutant producer, though totally zabbed with this, has given in to Mallika’s demands to re-shoot the entire film. Mallika states that she has asked this as she is unhappy with the way she looks in the film. This way, Madamme Mallika will not be able to run for long, coz, this is Bollywood where ‘I m the best’ attitude applies for nobody except SRK.

News Source : Bollywood-Star

Beating Google not main objective of ‘Wikia Search’

London, January 12: Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has said that his main objective behind the launch of new search engine ‘Wikia Search’ is to provide netizens with a viable, transparent alternative to Google, rather than beat it.

He himself doubts whether his new search engine will ever be able to replace Google.

"What we’re saying is we would be thrilled if we had 5 per cent of the search market. That would be a fabulous success," Nature magazine quoted him as saying.

While it is well known that Google is based on a system called PageRank, Wales insists that they do not explain their algorithms and make editorial decisions behind closed doors.

He has revealed that the backbone of Wikia Search is the open source Nutch search engine, and claimed that it is an open, democratic and participatory search engine.

Wikia Search, which has received frosty response from netizens since its launch on Monday, has a provision for internet users to comment on the search results.

Wales hopes that these comments will allow the searches to improve to a level that mean the 'low quality' statement on the homepage can be removed.

How exactly user data will be used isn't yet known.

However, Wales says: "What we’re going to do first is to make those kinds of suggestion publicly available … and basically see what that data looks like. It’s very open ended. That’s really something for the community to decide upon."

When asked what is going to be Wikipedia’s next project, Wales said that he was too occupied at the time with Wikia Search to think of anything else.

"I haven’t really thought beyond this project, which is absorbing all my time," Wales said.

News Source : Samachar

A Windows virus can steal bank login information

London, January 12: Security experts are urging internet users to be alert against a stealthy Windows virus that can steal login details for online bank accounts.

About 5,000 machines, most of which were from Europe, were found to be infected by the malicious program between 12 December and 7 January.

The experts say that it is via booby-trapped websites — which use vulnerabilities in Microsoft's browser to install the attack code — that many people fall victim to this virus.

Since the virus has the ability to bury itself deep inside Windows, it is hard to detect it.

It tries to overwrite part of a computer’s hard drive called the Master Boot Record (MBR). When a computer is switched on, it scans the same portion for information about the operating system it will be running.

Upon installation, the virus called Mebroot usually downloads other malicious programs like keyloggers to steal confidential information.

"If you can control the MBR, you can control the operating system and therefore the computer it resides on," the BBC quoted Elia Florio as writing on security company Symantec's blog.

He pointed out that most of the viruses dating from the days before Windows used the Master Boot Record to get a grip on a computer. They lie in wait on a machine until its owner logs in to the online banking systems of one of more than 900 financial institutions.

Mebroot has been written by a Russian virus-writing group, which specialises in stealing bank login information.

Security firm iDefense said that Mebroot was discovered in October, but it was used in a series of attacks in early December.

Computers running Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 that are not fully patched are all vulnerable to the virus. Mebroot cannot be removed while a computer is running.

News Source : Samachar

Pacino and De Niro. 'Nuff said.

YOU TALKIN’ TO ME? Robert De Niro, left, and Al Pacino team again, this time as veteran New York City policemen.

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Directing the two greats was like a master class, says Jon Avnet.

ROBERT De Niro and Al Pacino -- the names alone conjure a certain kind of streetwise intensity, an acting style of emotional soul-bearing right out of film's '70s heyday. Both rather famously appeared, if separately, in "The Godfather Part II," and it wasn't until the 1995 film "Heat" that they finally arrived on screen together, albeit briefly.

In "Righteous Kill," opening this fall, Pacino and De Niro at long last share the screen for a significant amount of a movie's running time. Coming from new studio Overture Films and directed by veteran Jon Avnet ("Fried Green Tomatoes") from a screenplay by Russell Gewirtz ("The Inside Man"), the latest outing with these legendary actors finds them playing a pair of grizzled New York City cops. With its serial killer through-line and undercurrent of kinky sex, the film could come across as a grubby, late-'90s erotic thriller were it not for the two stars who have three Oscars between them, making "Righteous Kill" something akin to watching two virtuoso jazz musicians work their way around an old standard.

Speaking recently in his West Los Angeles production offices, Avnet said it was the project's mix of lowdown genre and high-style acting talent that appealed to him. "What I thought the twin masters were, and what interested me, was that it's a genre piece and you have to satisfy the whodunit and the procedural elements, but the purpose of that was to serve the characters and the drama. And what better actors than Bob and Al to do a character piece?"

As someone who considers himself a fan of acting, Avnet said the experience of watching Pacino and De Niro at work did not disappoint.

"In a way 'master class' is not a big enough word. I've watched Al do numerous takes, and I've seen his imagination turn into behavior in a way that is astounding. That's what makes him Al Pacino. I've watched Bob do stuff that's so small and then go large in a way that catches you totally off-guard.

"They're both very opaque, you don't know whether they're going to kiss someone or kill them. And that suspense is what makes their performances so intense in the moment."

Though the actors may have their own trademarks -- Pacino's funky bravado and De Niro's interiorized angst -- in "Righteous Kill" they seem to have transferred some of their quirks back and forth as if by osmosis. Pacino brings forward a strain of seriousness that he often steamrolls over, and De Niro looks to actually be enjoying himself.

Highlighting the actors' interactions was Avnet's main goal, hoping for some on-screen alchemy. "They have very different processes," Avnet said. "Al is a trained theatrical actor who can rehearse and rehearse and improve and improve. Bob likes the spontaneity of coming in and doing it. They adjusted to each other, but it's very different styles of working. Which is not that atypical a problem for a director. Often some actors get it all in the first take, some like eight or 10. You're always trying to deal with that."

Avnet found the best way to deal with the differing styles of his stars was to just capture as much as he could simply and directly, keeping them both in the frame whenever possible.

"There were no laws, there were no obvious conclusions," he said. "I wanted to shoot two-shots whenever possible, because I was hoping their timing was going to be really special and I wouldn't have to tinker with it. I wanted to allow them to play off each other. To be able to watch two people who are great at what they do, you feel a responsibility to observe and appreciate it and to whatever extent possible let it brand itself on your brain and your soul and then to share it. There's a tendency to think what they do is easy, but there's a lot of work that goes into it."

Making a movie that will invariably be mentioned in the same breath as "The Godfather Part II" and "Heat," films frequently given the "modern classic" sobriquet, as well as following in the footsteps of directors Francis Ford Coppola and Michael Mann might seem daunting to some but not for Avnet.

"You don't do this job if you're not used to pressure and dealing with anxiety and anxious people," he said. "I happen to be a fan of Michael Mann's, I enjoyed 'Heat' and I really enjoyed the big scene with Bob and Al together. This kettle of fish is a whole movie of the two of them.

"When you say they're good, it's not like they're doing Shakespeare, they're playing New York City detectives; they are as New York as it gets. De Niro and Pacino the way you want to see them." Sounds like Overture's found its tag line.

News Source : Samachar

Family break-up opens the way to kids' adventure

Look Out: Nolte says he got in touch with his inner monster to play the villain in “The Spiderwick Chronicles.”

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Nick Nolte sees turmoil as 'Spiderwick's' launchpad.

ONCE upon a time, orphans were the preferred protagonists in tales of fantasy and adventure, whether they were named Cinderella, Superman or Harry Potter. But in "The Spiderwick Chronicles," which opens Feb.15, the young heroes are grappling not just with goblins, but with the wrenching split-up of their parents.

That's been a trend lately -- "The Golden Compass," "Enchanted," "Night at the Museum" and "Zathura" are just a few of the recent popcorn adventures for youngsters with parental turmoil as a backdrop.

"It's the bridge into creativity in the stories with young heroes," said Nick Nolte, the actor who plays the shape-shifting villain Mulgrath in "Spiderwick."

"The disruption and dissolving of the family covenant opens the door in the stories to adventure, darkness, independence and trials. It's hard to have adventures, really, in the lock-down of the family unit."

Nolte spoke with a world-weary, raspy chuckle that he has used through the years in plenty of grown-up films ("Affliction" and "The Prince of Tides" among them) and independent or foreign films. Lately, though, the man who has in the past mocked mind-numbing Hollywood blockbusters has been playing beastly bad guys in such films as "Hulk" and "Over the Hedge."

"I've been getting in touch with my monster -- although it's not like I've ever been far from my own inner monsters," said the 66-year-old actor who was living life on the Hollywood wild side for decades before that infamous police mug shot and DUI arrest in 2002.

What drew him to "Spiderwick" are the "archetypal characters, which can hold everything a human can be," the two-time Oscar nominee said.

"It's a great story and this is a great time for fantasy films."

"Spiderwick" begins with a frazzled mom (Mary-Louise Parker) and her twin sons, Jared and Simon (both played by Freddie Highmore), and daughter (Sarah Bolger) moving into an inherited mansion with, of course, a spooky history. Jared finds a curious old book in a secret room that teaches him about the unseen world of fairies, goblin and ogres, a book that the brutal Mulgrath covets.

"It was great fun for me," Nolte said. "But the research was a challenge. In 'Over the Hedge,' I played a bear and I spent all this time listening to the sounds they make when they fight and mate, when they're angry or happy. It's a lot harder to track down the sound of ogres."

News Source : Samachar

They're in good company on the side of evil

VILLAINOUS: Ledger plays Batman nemesis the Joker in “The Dark Knight.” . “Heath has given an amazing performance in the role, it’s really extraordinary,” director Christopher Nolan says.

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Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart join a line of high-profile actors who battle Batman.

HEATH LEDGER and Aaron Eckhart, welcome to Hollywood's elite and gaudy Arkham club.

In the highly anticipated new Batman film "The Dark Knight," which opens July 18, Ledger is stepping into the purple suit of the Joker, while Eckhart will portray Gotham City Dist. Atty. Harvey Dent, who starts the movie as a handsome lawman but ends up as Two-Face, the villain driven insane by disfiguring wounds.

"Harvey Dent is a tragic figure, and his story is the backbone of this film," says Christopher Nolan, the director of the acclaimed franchise-rejuvenating 2005 film "Batman Begins," who returns with Christian Bale again playing the caped crusader. "The Joker, he sort of cuts through the film -- he's got no story arc, he's just a force of nature tearing through. Heath has given an amazing performance in the role, it's really extraordinary."

Ledger and Eckhart will be joined in "Dark Knight" by "Batman" veteran Cillian Murphy, who reprises his role as the Scarecrow.

There's a long and colorful screen history of Gotham bad guys who all seem to die violently or end up imprisoned (if only briefly) in the bleak towers of Arkham Asylum. The scenery-chewing roles -- as well as some staggering paydays -- have attracted a gallery of Hollywood's biggest names, including four Oscar winners (Jack Nicholson, Tommy Lee Jones, Jack Palance, Christopher Walken) and half a dozen Oscar nominees (Michelle Pfeiffer, Liam Neeson, Jim Carrey, Uma Thurman, Ken Watanabe, Danny DeVito) and, um, one frosty-looking governor (Arnold Schwarzenegger).

Don't expect a lot laughs in this summer's return to the cave. "It's a dark and complex story," Nolan said, "and the villains are dark and complex as well."

News Source : Samachar

`Taare Zameen Par` makes L K Advani cry

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L K Advani showed his emotional side when he could not control his tears after watching Bollywood star Aamir Khan's directorial debut 'Taare Zameen Par', a movie about a dyslexic child.

Aamir had arranged a special screening of the film for Advani, a Hindi film buff, and a few MPs at Prasar Bharati's Film Division auditorium here Friday.

Advani was all praise for the movie and its director. According to informed sources, he said he had not seen such a good movie for a long time.

Praising Aamir, Advani said the dyslexic child's struggle to overcome his shortcomings was a difficult subject that had been handled well.

'Both the director and the scriptwriter must be complimented. After years, I have seen such a film. Congratulations to the filmmakers,' Advani told reporters later.

In 2001, Advani had seen 'Lagaan', again an Aamir starrer, and liked it immensely. The movie was nominated for the Oscar but lost to 'No Man's Land'.

The sources said Aamir flew down from Mumbai for the screening when one of his relatives, close to Advani, informed him that the leader of the opposition was keen to watch his movie.

Advani has been a film critic and used to write about movies during his days as a journalist. He continues to be a movie buff.

Advani's compliments should come as a boon for Aamir for another reason. He had invited the wrath of the BJP government in Gujarat when he supported the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) in 2006, leading to an informal ban on his films in that state for a while.

News Source : Samachar

Anil says no to starring with daughter Sonam

Mumbai, Jan 12: Actor Anil Kapoor is the latest to join the list of Bollywood parents who are wary of being seen with their star children when the children make their screen debut.

Anil has turned down a chance to co-star with his daughter Sonam in her second film - Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's much talked-about 'Dilli 6'.

'It's true Rakeysh Mehra offered me a role in 'Dilli 6', but I declined it,' Anil said.

'Who wouldn't want to work with Rakeysh after 'Rang De Basanti'? Sonam is lucky to be working with him in her second film after (working with) Sanjay Leela Bhansali.'

For now, Anil has decided to stay away from offers to share screen space with his daughter. 'In fact, there have been 8-10 offers, but nothing that would tempt me into sharing space with her right away. Unless something really exceptional comes up, I wouldn't like to work with my daughter at the moment. In fact, she is opposed to it much more than I am. She feels even more strongly about it. So I'd rather wait.'

He lights up at the mention of 'Saawariya'. 'The figures have come in straight from Sony Pictures in the US. And they're very heartening. I'd have been happier if the film had done better in India. But it has done well enough.

'Sonam has been appreciated unanimously. People like Amitabh Bachchan and Dilip Kumar have praised her. Sonam couldn't have hoped for a better debut. I'm very proud of my daughter. She has a long way to go. I think her second film is as exciting, if not more.'

Added Sonam: 'I've shot twice with my father and have done an AIDS feature. He was more worried about me than himself throughout the shoot. So, I don't think it's fair to him to have me as a co-star. Right now, I am too raw to remove my father from the character he'd play with me.

'Besides, I wouldn't want to play all and sundry characters with him. It has to be something special for both of us. But if he produces a film that has a role for both of us, I'd definitely want to do it because he produces only quality-conscious products.'

In the past, Dimple Kapadia had said no to Bhansali's 'Khamoshi - The Musical' with daughter Twinkle. Dharmendra agreed to play Sunny and Bobby Deol's father in 'Apne' after so many decades in the industry. Dharmendra played Sunny's dad in his second film 'Sunny', but they didn't have any scenes together.

News Source : Samachar

Bhajji for Brad, an Indian offer

The Indian team's pleasant stay here is over. After days of acrimony and controversy, the locals welcomed them warmly by appreciating good deeds on the field and thronging the hotel in the evenings for autographs and photographs.

As they head for Perth after visiting the Indian High Commissioner on Saturday evening, the team has already started thinking of what lies ahead, on and off the field. With the prospect of facing four fast bowlers on a bouncy track looming large, they are also getting ready for the battle to overturn the three-Test ban on Harbhajan Singh.

No date for the hearing of the appeal has been finalised yet but some in the team management confirmed that they want it to get over before the third Test starts on Wednesday, though none were willing to go on record. "It should be done away with before the match because the players shouldn't go into such a crucial game thinking about what might happen on this front," said a senior member of the tour party.

He said the team's argument before John Hansen, appointed to hear the case, will remain the same as it was in front of match referee Mike Procter. "We have always maintained that he didn't use any foul word and will continue doing so." The member, however, hinted at a compromise wherein India would withdraw their complaint against Brad Hogg if Australia didn't push the Harbhajan case.

"Talks are on, I can't say more at this moment. You are free to interpret it the way you like," said the member. After reaching Perth, both teams will also have a session with Ranjan Madugalle, appointed by the ICC to broker peace. This meeting is expected on Monday, though it's not clear when.

Kirsten in Perth

India's coach-designate Gary Kirsten will also meet the players in Perth. The former South African opener was expected to reach the city on Saturday evening, according to members of the team management, though it couldn't be confirmed whether he would stay back for the Adelaide Test.

News Source : Samachar

Our seven ‘step-sisters’?

Dip Kakati, a Guwahati-based graphic designer, would get cheesed off whenever his “fellow northeasterners” were greeted with “chini alaa re” on the JJ School of Art campus and beyond in Mumbai. “I was probably spared the taunts because of my near-Aryan features, but my accent would often invite a few quips,” says the 1986 JJ graduate.

Things are apparently better today. Monica Basumatary, a 23-year-old executive from western Assam’s Kokrajhar, says, “At least my friends and I did not come across anyone who called us names or gave us the looks.” But at times she did feel an invisible wall between “people who look like us” and “them”.

The wall does exist, says Shillong-based social activist Patricia Mukhim, but the feeling is mutual. For instance, non-Khasis are branded ‘dkhars’ (outsiders) in Meghalaya, non-Mizos are ‘vais’ in Mizoram, the Hindi-speaking often carry the “Dirty Harry” tag, and Bengalis are derided as Bongals in Assam. Worse, northeasterners who band together elsewhere in India often undermine each other back home. There is an Assamese propensity to prefix ‘naga’ to anything extreme — ‘naga jolokia’ for the hottest chili or ‘naga tenga’ for the sourest vegetable.

The Nagas of Nagaland refer to their tribespeople from Manipur as ‘kachcha Naga’ (of inferior descent). At the extreme there have been ethnic bloodbaths such as the Kuki-Naga clashes in Manipur in the 1990s and the Karbi-Dimasa animosity in Assam in 2005.

Inside out

“We are racist across the country because of the ‘other’ factor, but it is more palpable between the Northeast and the mainland. Call it racism, negative stereotyping or whatever. Maybe it’s the seemingly incompatible cultures, or the inability to understand the minority, or our tendency to think we are always at the receiving end,” says Mukhim. “Being insular, various ethnic groups are suspicious of bigger cultures. It doesn’t help that the rest of India appears to tolerate us as a backward step-sister who needs condescension.”

Assamese scholar Hiren Gohain prefers the term ‘prejudice’ to ‘racism’, which he says is an inheritance from the British. “Leaders of the freedom struggle were more or less free of prejudices, and they assumed the common people to be alike. The educational and cultural media thereafter did not do much to erase this prejudice. The younger generation has learnt to rely more on these prejudices owing to economic pressures.”

Agrees Manas Chaudhuri, editor of The Shillong Times. “Socio-economic stress seems to have undone the racial repair job of not so long ago, and respect for cultures among the young adults is at a discount,” he says. There is also the tendency of dwelling on the Northeast’s negatives, and positives such as greater gender equality and casteless societies are often overlooked, he adds. But then, inter-tribal or tribal-non-tribal divide or animosity between ‘indigenous groups’ and ‘settler communities’ make up for the apparent absence of casteism. An example was the stripping of a 16-year-old Adivasi girl on the streets of Guwahati on November 24 last year.

Up in arms

To some extent, ethnic affinity dictates militancy in the Northeast. Apart from outfits such as Ulfa, most militant groups are tribe-specific. They often resort to ethnic cleansing to “create space” or ensure “larger homogenous population”. “For those adhering to the Northeast’s militant ideologies, an India dominated by Hindi speakers has replaced the colonial British after 1947,” says political analyst Noni Gopal Mahanta. Hence the reluctance of one race to be ruled by another.

News Source : Samachar

Get set for hybrid cars this year

Get ready for a punch of electricity while you drive around. Hybrids, that alternate between a fuel and battery to power your car, are set to roll on Indian roads and carmakers like Honda and Mahindra & Mahindra are already displaying the green cars at the Auto Expo.

And, Volvo could join the carmakers with a hybrid truck in the next three-four years.While the auto certification agency Automotive Research Association of India works out homologation norms for the dual-power cars that promise higher efficiency, companies are busy planning roll-out strategies and preparing the service back-up .

Hybrids are powered by two different sources: an electric motor and an internal combustion engine that propels the car and recapture energy through a process known as regenerative braking - where the energy normally lost through braking or coasting goes to power the electric motor. To help save energy, the internal combustion engine is switched off when the car comes to a stop, that helps reduce fuel consumption and emissions, particularly in city traffic.

For Honda, hybrids are not new and the company has been selling them in the US and Japan. "We plan to bring the hybrid Civic in India soon and have sent the vehicle to ARAI for testing," Honda Siel Cars India Senior General Manager Marketing Jnaneswar Sen said. He said the vehicle was likely to be a whopping 60% more efficient than a single fuel version.

However, the bad news is that a hefty price tag on hybrids can make their mass adoption a virtual non-starter. Honda plans to import as a completely-built unit, which means it will attract a duty of 110% before you can park it into your garage. Expected price of the Civic hybrid could be above Rs 20 lakh, almost double to the price you pay for the locally-built petrol-only variant.

Interestingly, a subsidy of as much as $2,000-3,000 is offered in the US and Japan on purchase of a hybrid as it is clean on the environment, says Sen. Toyota is believed to have raised the matter of concessions with the government for getting its blockbuster 'Prius' hybrid to India.

But it is not only the foreign carmakers eyeing the segment. Mahindra has taken a lead in in-house R&D and has displayed diesel-electric versions of its 'Scorpio'. "The R&D for the development of the hybrids is both in-house as well as with assistance from consultants in Europe and the US," said Arun Jaura, senior VP, R&D and Global Product Development.

While the full hybrids would be available in around two years, the company plans to shortly offer 'micro hybrids' - with less advanced features - in the next few months on both the Scorpio and the Bolero. Jaura said the company has made "substantial investments for technology, though full indigenisation of parts was not possible.

News Source : Samachar

Lakshmi Mittal `summoned` to Kazakhstan after mine blast

Abai (Kazakhastan), Jan 12: The CEO of ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steelmaker, is to visit Kazakhstan on Monday following a blast that killed at least seven people at one of his Kazakh mines, officials said.

Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Umirzak Shukeyev told reporters near the scene of the accident that ArcelorMittal CEO Lakshmi Mittal had been "summoned" by the government and was expected to arrive on Monday.

The explosion at the Abai mine in central Kazakhstan on Friday killed seven people. Officials said on Saturday that the chances of finding 23 more miners missing after the blast were "minimal."

Rescue work at the mine was halted on Saturday because of fears of another explosion following a build-up of methane gas, as a fire sparked by Friday's blast continued to rage underground.

The blast was the latest deadly incident in this former Soviet republic involving Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal. Blasts at another Mittal-owned mine in the region in 2004 and 2006 killed a total of 64 miners.

Trade unions have criticised ArcelorMittal for failing to ensure adequate safety in the mines. The company was forced to pay extra compensation to the families of miners killed in one of the blasts after a lawsuit last year.

But Mittal defended his company's record in a statement issued on Friday.

"The safety of our workers is our number one priority and there has been a significant capital expenditure, change in operating practices and a change in management to improve health and safety at our mines in Kazakhstan," he said.

ArcelorMittal uses coal from the mines to feed its Temirtau iron and steel mill in Karaganda, an industrial region located in the centre of this resource-rich Central Asian state.

The company's Kazakh unit produced four million tons of steel in 2006 and announced last year that it would invest 500 million dollars (338 million euros) in improving conditions at mines in the country.

News Source : Samachar

Having sex after false promise of marriage is rape: Court

Establishing sexual relationship with a woman on a false promise of marriage amounts to rape, a court here has held while sentencing a man to seven years in jail for sexually exploiting her neighbour.

"The so called consent under a false promise to marriage is no consent. Accordingly, the consent obtained in establishing physical relationship like husband and wife under false promise to marry the latter is no consent as per law," Additional Sessions Judge Mahavir Singhal said.

Enumerating the difference between "will" and "consent," the court said that a nod for sexual relations obtained by a man on the false pretext would not amount to a "legal or valid" consent to save him from punishment for rape.

Even if the woman is assumed to be a willing partner in the physical relations, the fact that the accused had no intention to marry her would make it a case where the consent was given under a misconception of fact, nullifying the efficacy of the nod, it observed in an order on Wednesday.

In the present case, convict Chhotey Lal, father of six children, had eloped with her neighbour in east Delhi on September two, 2004 and took her to various places including Jaipur and Chandigarh.

According to the girl, the duo established sexual relations after Lal assured that he would get married to her very soon. Meanwhile, the girl's father got a missing report lodged with the police.

Lal and the girl were detained by the police on March three, 2005 at Sarai Kale Khan Bus Terminal here while they returned to Delhi and the accused was prosecuted for the offences of rape after abducting the victim.

While the court acquitted Lal of the charge of abduction after noting that the girl had eloped with him on her own will, it found him guilty of the crime of rape.

"The girl was under misconception of fact that Lal would marry her, though he had no such intention despite having made promise in this regard," the court said, awarding him a seven year jail term.

News Source : Samachar

Six months behind bars for disgraced sprinter Jones

Disgraced former athletics star Marion Jones was sentenced on Friday to six months in prison for lying about taking steroids in a scandal that cost the sprinter her five Olympic medals.

US District Court Judge Kenneth Karas ignored an emotional plea from the former track star and her lawyers for Jones to be given a probationary sentence, handing down the maximum term requested by prosecutors.

"The offenses here are serious," Karas said. "They each involve lies made three years apart to federal investigators conducting serious investigations and I think that has to be a factor here."

Jones's humiliating fall from grace began when she admitted in October to lying to federal agents about being a dope cheat and her role in a check fraud scheme, at the time offering a tearful apology and pleading for forgiveness.

In passing sentence, Karas said Jones had not made "a momentary lapse in judgment, a one-time mistake, but instead a repetition in an attempt to break the law," adding "nobody is above the legal obligation to tell the truth."

Soon after the sentence was passed, a visibly distressed Jones fell into an embrace with her husband, Barbados sprinter Obedele Thompson.

She later spoke briefly outside the courthouse, saying: "I respect the judge's orders and I truly hope that people will learn from my mistakes."

Jones, 32, admitted in a statement to the court before sentencing that she was "scared and nervous about today's outcome," breaking down in tears as she pleaded with the judge to spare her jail time for the sake of her two sons.

"Yes, I made mistakes by lying," she said. "I have admitted these mistakes much later than I should have done but hopefully not too late to elicit from you the milk of human kindness."

"We all make mistakes," she added. "But I really believe that a person's true character is determined by their admission of those mistakes."

Jones was also sentenced to two years' supervised release and 400 hours of community service and must surrender by March 11 to begin a sentence that Karas said was meant to deter other athletes from following down Jones' path.

"Athletes in society have an elevated status. They entertain, they inspire and perhaps most importantly they do serve as role models for children around the world," the judge said.

"When there is this widespread cheating ... it sends all the wrong messages to those who follow the athlete's every moves."

Jones's cousin Andrea Andrade said Karas sent a different message to athletes by imposing the prison sentence.

"The message to professional athletes is to not tell the truth because you will be dealt with more harshly if you tell the truth than if you deny and you are found guilty," she said.

"We were very disappointed by the sentence. We felt it was much, much too harsh," George Hulse, Jones's grandfather, told AFP.

"We were hoping for community service. She could have used this time much more effectively rather than spend that six months in prison."

USA Track and Field president Bill Roe and chief executive Craig Masback said in a joint statement that the sentence "concludes a sad series of events."

"The revelation that one of the sport's biggest stars took performance-enhancing drugs and repeatedly lied about it, in addition to being a party to fraud, has no silver lining," they said.

US Olympic Committee chief executive Jim Scherr said Jones' sentence showed "just how far-reaching and serious the consequences of cheating can be."

The World Anti-Doping Agency described the case as "a very sad example of an athlete who has cheated but denied it for years.

"We hope that athletes who may be tempted to cheat will take to heart this lesson and that this case will serve as a strong deterrent," the agency said.

Soon after admitting in October to doping following years of denials, Jones returned the three gold medals and two bronze medals she won at the 2000 Sydney Olympics to the International Olympic Committee.

Jones captured gold in the 100- and 200-meters at Sydney and helped the 4x100m relay to gold as well. She was also a five-time world champion.

All Jones' results since September 1, 2000, have been stricken from the records and Jones has been banned from competition by the IAAF, the sport's governing body, even though she announced in October her decision to retire.

News Source : Samachar

Australian team shaken by reaction at home

Years ago a sage described cricket as the most controversial game around.

It might seem a gentle pastime involving a bat and a ball and conducted along lines imposed by carefully written laws and sustained by honoured traditions.

But scrape away the surface and it bears a close resemblance to a bare knuckle brawl.

Romantics might celebrate its glorious moments but cricket also has its darker side. Cricket is played at close quarters with a hard ball. Moreover it is played by humans.

Nothing in the events of the last few days has been likely to force the sage to rethink his view. Instead the game has charged towards an unknown destination. The result could be a purging of the bad blood that has been circulating through the veins of the competing nations. Or it could leave wounds that a statesman alone can heal.

Only one thing is certain. The current confrontation has forced Australia to define itself and most particularly to examine its approach to its national game.

Australia has been startled by the frenzy that has followed a single article critical of the Australian captain and calling for his head.

Widespread outcry

Ordinarily such an opinion might have provoked debate for a day or so before the author was consigned to the madhouse. But this time the row refused to die down.

Newspapers arranged polls on their websites and were overwhelmed by the response. Editors received an avalanche of correspondence.

Past players joined the fray, with several speaking out against the Australian team. It was as if a pressure valve had been released.

Nor was it merely a local dispute between two nations. The story was published prominently in newspapers all over the cricketing world. Much against his will, your correspondent became a cause celebre.

In part this may have been due to the delight the defeated naturally take in seeing their conquerors put under pressure. But it went deeper.

The outpouring revealed the widespread unpopularity of the Australians, a fact the team remains loathe to recognise.

But it has been the reaction at home that has shaken the players. Enraged by an admittedly overstated viewpoint, they expected strong support from the local cricket community. Instead they have been criticised by respected elders from other sporting disciplines, including Herb Elliott, Robert Di Costella and John Bertram. As far as Australian sport is concerned it does not get any bigger. Geoff Lawson and Tom Veivers have also spoken out, proud wearers of the baggy green cap dismayed by the approach of the current team. Others have talked privately of their hurt.

No Australian in his right mind takes any joy from these discomforting developments. Tensions will build between protagonists. Although difficult, it is important to remove the personalities from the debate and to focus on the issues.

Unhappy with attitude

Two facts stand out. A large proportion of Australian cricket lovers were unhappy with the attitude of their team. And the players were unaware of their reputation. After all they spend their time surrounded by sympathisers. But now they know.

Dissatisfaction was not born of some lingering inferiority complex, the anxiety of a new nation to make a good impression.

It was caused by a straightforward dislike of bragging. Australians love sport. Australians love sportsmanship. It is not the same thing.

Over the last few days Ricky Ponting and company have discovered that locals expect more than victory from their representatives.

They had lost touch ... Australia has reclaimed them.

Better days may lie ahead.

News Source : Samachar