Robed Obama picture ignites row February 25, 2008

The photo of Barack Obama was taken during a 2006 trip

US Democratic front-runners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have traded accusations over a photo of Mr Obama circulating on the internet.

The picture, sent to the Drudge Report website, shows Mr Obama wearing traditional African dress during a visit to Kenya in 2006.

The Obama camp said it was circulated by Mrs Clinton’s staff as a smear. Mrs Clinton’s team denied the accusation.

The row comes as the rivals campaign for two crucial primaries next week.

The photograph shows Mr Obama – whose father came from Kenya – wearing a white turban and a white robe presented to him by elders in the north-east of the country.

According to the Drudge Report, which published the photograph on Monday, it was circulated by “Clinton staffers”.

Some Clinton aides have tried in the past to suggest to Democrats that Barack Obama’s background might be off-putting to mainstream voters.

A campaign volunteer was sacked last year after circulating an email suggesting, falsely, that Mr Obama was a Muslim.

But the BBC Justin Webb in Ohio says the photograph – coming at this pivotal moment in the campaign – is being seen by the Obama team as particularly offensive.

His campaign manager, David Plouffe, accused Mrs Clinton’s aides of “the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering we’ve seen from either party in this election”.

The accusation was dismissed by Mrs Clinton’s campaign manager Maggie Williams.

“If Barack Obama’s campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed,” she said.

“Hillary Clinton has worn the traditional clothing of countries she has visited and had those photos published widely.”

Mrs Williams did not address the question of whether staffers circulated the photo.

Analysts say Mrs Clinton needs to win the contests, in Texas and Ohio, to remain in the race to choose the Democratic candidate for November’s presidential election.

‘Fear-mongering’

Free online Streaming For SriLanka v India February 25, 2008

The all important match is being brought to us through sopcast here are the links:

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Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha to star in same film? February 25, 2008

Reports are that the electrifying pair of Bollywood, Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha is expected to hit the silver screen after a long gap of 27 years.

Though its not confirmed yet whether they will have any scenes together, but reports say that Bachchan and Rekha will again come together in Sujoy Ghosh ’s Aladdin .

The film will also star Sanjay Dutt , Ritesh Deshmukh and Juhi Chawla .

Big B will play the role of a genie and Ritesh will be playing Aladdin. Rekha will have an equally important role in the movie.

The shooting of the film will start from next month.

Though Bachchan and Rekha were not available to comment on the film, the news about both starring in ‘Alladin’ is confirmed by a close source of the film.

Keeping pace with tradition February 25, 2008

George Binoy in Kuala Lumpur

February 25, 2008

	Adil Raza has been the pick of the Pakistan bowlers © Getty Images

 

Pakistan’s lavishly talented new-ball attacks have set the Under-19 World Cup alight in recent tournaments: Riaz Afridi finished near the top of the wickets table in 2004, and the trio of Anwar Ali, Jamshed Ahmed and Akhtar Ayub sensationally dismissed India for 71 while defending 109 to retain the trophy in 2006. Inevitably, their squad for 2008 had a potent pairing as well, formed by Mohammad Aamer and Adil Raza.

 

However, that partnership has been on view only once in the World Cup, when Pakistan destroyed Malaysia for 75 with Raza taking 6 for 29 and Aamer 3 for 12. Since then, Aamer has been hospitalised with a dengue virus and will not play any further part in the World Cup. His absence has added to Raza’s responsibility and, encouragingly for Pakistan, he has stepped up and delivered. Raza is only 16 and is the third highest wicket-taker in the tournament so far with 11 at 8 runs apiece. His first-over dismissals of both the Australian openers for ducks played a significant role in Pakistan qualifying for the semi-finals.

The quarter-final against Australia was Pakistan’s first game at the Kinrara Oval, and the conditions were different from those in Johor, where they played their group matches. Imad Wasim, the Pakistan captain, said that the pitches in Johor were wet and Raza agreed that there was far more assistance for the fast bowlers there.

“There was more moisture in the pitches in Johor for about 20 overs so the ball moves a lot,” Raza said. “Here there is moisture for about 5-7 overs and after that it’s a flat wicket.

“My plan was to first check what the conditions are like, get an idea of how much the ball is swinging and bowl accordingly. If the ball was moving [off the pitch] too much then I try to make the batsmen come on the front foot, and if it doesn’t move much I try to keep the batsmen in the crease.”

Evidently he did not take long to understand the conditions at the Kinrara, for he induced an edge from the left-handed Phillip Hughes with his third ball and trapped Marcus Stoinis lbw with his sixth. Both deliveries were sharp offcutters, which Raza calls his “main ball”, one that he learnt from Mohammad Asif during a three-month stint at the National Cricket Academy in Pakistan.

Demonstrating his technique for the delivery, Raza says that the secret of the incutter is getting the wrist position right, and one can’t help but notice the ring finger on his right hand is oddly shaped. The portion after the DIP joint (the joint closest to the fingertip) is almost at a right-angle to the rest of the finger.

“I injured my finger when I was four,” Raza said. “It got jammed in a door but I can grip the ball well because of this finger. It helps support the seam position.”

While several U-19 cricketers in this tournament have said that they made their first forays into the game at the ages of nine and ten, Raza, who is from Gujranwala, started relatively late. It’s been only three years since he began playing seriously.

“When India came to Pakistan after the previous U-19 World Cup, Raza just came for the trials and was selected because he was the best among the lot,” Mansoor Rana, the Pakistan U-19 coach, said. “He had not played any district or regional cricket before that. Raza was one of the finds of the year but he got injured and didn’t play against India.”

Raza made his U-19 limited-overs debut in the last of five one-dayers against Australia in October 2007 and scalped 4 for 36. He remembered that he had bowled Kumar Sarna, who opened for Australia in that match and fell to Raza in today’s quarter-final as well. Since then he has gone on to represent Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy. “I played four matches this season and took 18 wickets which included Faisal Iqbal and Wajatullah Wasti.”

Ironically, Raza said that he began as a batsman and batted at No. 6 or 7 in the line-up. “When I was a batsman nobody used to play me in the team. There was a senior called Adnan Farooq who made me understand that I bowl well and that’s when I started working on my bowling. Then people started taking an interest in me.”

Several Pakistan bowlers have turned heads at the Under-19 World Cup but few have gone on to establish themselves in the national team. Afridi, a star in 2004, made his Test debut that same year but hasn’t played since. Ali, Ahmed and Ayub from the class of 2006 are active on the first-class circuit but haven’t taken the next step yet.

“There’s a big gap,” Mansoor said. “Apart from exceptions such as Wasim Akram, Javed Miandad and Salim Malik, who played right after U-19, cricketers need to play two to four years of first-class cricket to mature.” Raza has at least one more opportunity to perform in front of a world-wide television audience before he slips back into the rigours of domestic cricket.

George Binoy is a staff writer at Cricinfo

© Cricinfo

Pakistan election dictates a new day February 25, 2008

By Asif Ali Zardari

Despite massive pre-election and election-day rigging, the people of Pakistan voted their confidence in democracy and rejected the forces of dictatorship. The Pakistan People’s Party won a convincing victory, along with the democratic Pakistan Muslim League led by my friend, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The party cobbled together a few years ago by the security services of President Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistan Muslim League-Q Party, often dubbed the King’s Party by Pakistanis, was so decimated that their party president and several ministers in Musharraf’s government lost their seats in parliament. Monday’s election was a clear vote of no-confidence in Musharraf’s regime, and a vote of hope for Pakistan’s democratic and terror-free future.

My wife, Benazir Bhutto, came back to Pakistan in October last year to lead this fight for freedom, and she gave her life for democracy. We fought this battle empowered by her spirit and we achieved her goal.

We were terribly troubled by the level of rigging and violence. Indeed, 29 of our party officials and activists were killed, more than 200 were injured and 150 of our polling agents were kidnapped. Violence during the days preceding the election exclusively targeted Musharraf’s secular opposition; there were no terrorist attacks on the offices or rallies of the ruling party. Despite all of this, and despite the intimidation of the government for people not to turn out, Pakistanis defied the forces of authoritarianism and voted for change.

Let there be no ambiguity to the message of the people of Pakistan: They repudiated the status quo. They rose, almost as one, and said “enough” to dictatorship which has exacerbated terrorism in Pakistan.

Under the constitution of Pakistan, it is now required that Musharraf allow the leaders of the winning parties to form the next government. This will be the first indication of Musharraf’s good faith in accepting the mandate of the people.

It is the intent of the Pakistan People’s Party to form a broad-based, democratic, liberal government — an umbrella of reconciliation and consensus.

We have suffered from the politics of personal destruction; we have been battered by dictatorship; we have seen civil society taken apart and a free and independent judiciary destroyed. We have seen religious extremists empowered to justify continuation of dictatorship. We have seen the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. We have seen progress on education, health and women’s rights stopped and reversed.

Now is the time for miracles in Pakistan.

I see a Pakistan that leads 1.5 billion Muslims all around the world into a new era of peace, reconciliation, progress and innovation, a Pakistan that leads an Islamic renaissance. In other words, I see the Pakistan that my wife lived and died for.

The international community, especially the United States, must support us in this endeavor instead of continuing with the erroneous belief that alliance with a strongman is its best bet to bring stability to Pakistan.

The task ahead will not be easy, but the Pakistan People’s Party is prepared to work in good faith with our fellow democratic parties to restore the constitution to its original state, without the distortions introduced by a dictator’s diktat.

Shahrukh to gift son a superhero flick February 25, 2008

Shahrukh Khan’s son Aryan is a great fan of superhero flicks. King Khan is all set to gift his son a superhero flick in which he will star himself. The movie will be directed by Anubhav Sinha in what will be one of the most expensive movies ever made in Bollywood. Hunt is currently on for a 12 year old boy who will be flying in the sky along with Shahrukh.
The movie will not be an animation but a full length movie shot on the scale of Spiderman. It will involve a huge number of special effects never before seen in Bollywood. Shahrukh will also be involved in the scripting process along with Anubhav. The movie will be produced by Shahrukh’s Red Chillies Entertainment. Anubhav who has directed Cash and Dus in the past is confident of the film doing well.

The 53rd Fair Film Fare Awards- A Big Hit February 25, 2008

   

53rd Fair Film Fare awards were indeed a grand ceremony. However, one could not help but notice that only those stars were present at the gathering who won certain awards, those who didn’t win anything did not bother to turn up at the show.

The happiest of the lot were those who took home the lovely black lady – the Filmfare trophy. Shah Rukh, Kareena, Aamir Khan, Imtiaz Ali, Tabu, Darsheel Safary, Konkona Sensharma, Irrfan Khan, AR Rahman, Shreya Ghoshal, Shaan, Rishi Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone… had reason enough to celebrate.

These were the stars who brightened the Award Show, which was hosted at the Yash Raj studios.

The best part was when Sharukh and Saif got naughty using satirical remarks on people of the film industry. This duo are real wicked, but are loved by the audience.

These guys dressed up so whackily too, check them out in that blue wrap up !!!!!!

Happy were those who won the awards and they indeed had a blast that day.

Ash And Abhishek Together Once Again February 25, 2008

  

After “Guru”, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai will team up once again for Mani Ratnam’s next venture.

According to a source close to the project, “It’s going to be a very intense love story. ‘Guru’ was more of a biopic with a cavalcade of characters claiming screen space, but this film will focus primarily on the romance. It’s a very intense film and Mani’s most romantic film to date. It is based on real life characters.”

Well Junior Bachan must be fed up of listening how great a pair Ash and Hrithik were in Jodha Akbar.

So to get the scores equal Abhishek and his wife Aishwarya will work together in a Mani Ratnam film, this movie is going to be an intense love story and it is based on real life characters.

Ratnam will start shooting for the film in Sep with Abhishek and Aishwarya.

Hammond ‘battles with depression’ February 25, 2008

Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond has spoken of suffering “mortally with depression” since his near-fatal crash in 2006. “I damaged all the complicated bits of the brain to do with processing and emotional control,” he was quoted as saying in The Sunday Times.

A damaged tyre caused his dragster to crash while he was driving at speeds of up to 288mph at an airfield near York.

He was airlifted to hospital and treated for swelling to the brain.

Richard Hammond was driving a jet-powered dragster

He spent just weeks in hospital instead of 15 months, as doctors had predicted.

He told the newspaper that afterwards, he was “prey to every single emotion that swept over me and I couldn’t deal with it”.

“I had to relearn things from scratch,” he said.

“I’ll still have a week when I’m freaking out about something and I’ll realise it’s because I’m encountering a new emotional state and I have to evolve a new strategy to cope with it.”

‘Trouble parking’

The article said he still “talks regularly with his psychiatrist”.

Hammond also said he had damaged the part of his brain “to do with spatial awareness”.

This affected his ability to park and also his memory, he said.

“My memory is a lot better but the other day I forgot the Pin numbers to all my cards. All of them. Completely gone.”

Hammond said in December 2006 that the two weeks after he was in the crash are a blank.

Although he told The Sunday Times he returned to BBC Two’s Top Gear “too early”, he said: “I thought the worst thing I could do was stay at home and continue feeling like a patient.”

His “long journey” of recovery was still going on and his brain was “as mended as it’s likely to be”, he said.

“Now it seems to be more a case of rewiring itself,” he added

Watch Jodhaa Akbar online February 25, 2008

Jodhaa Akbar – directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. Staring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai. Music by AR Rahman. A sixteenth century love story about a marriage of alliance that gave birth to true love between a great Mughal emperor, Akbar, and a Rajput princess, Jodha. It is a great movie for people like me who loves historical stories.This is a great movie to watch.
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