Russia recognises Georgian rebels

President Dmitry Medvedev has declared that Russia formally recognises the independence of the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The move follows a vote in both houses of parliament on Monday, which called on Moscow to recognise the regions.

The move, in defiance of a specific plea from the US president, provoked a wave of protest from Western countries.

Russia and Georgia fought a brief war this month over the provinces, which already had de facto independence.

Analysts say the move is likely to further escalate tensions between Russia and the West.

“I have signed decrees on the recognition by the Russian Federation of the independence of South Ossetia and the independence of Abkhazia,” Mr Medvedev said in the announcement.

“That was no easy choice to make, but it is the sole chance of saving people’s lives,” Mr Medvedev added.

He blamed Georgia for failing to negotiate a peaceful settlement to the problem and called on other states to follow Russia’s example.

Violation

Georgia’s deputy foreign minister Giga Bokeria responded angrily, saying: “This is an unconcealed annexation of these territories, which are a part of Georgia.”

Western countries, including the US, Germany, Britain and France immediately condemned the move.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, speaking from the West Bank city of Ramallah, said the decision was “regrettable”.

Late on Monday, the US state department had warned that recognition of the two provinces’ independence would be “a violation of Georgian territorial integrity” and “inconsistent with international law”.

In a statement, Mr Bush had called on Russia’s leadership to “meet its commitments and not recognise these separatist regions”.

In the two breakaway regions, however, Moscow’s move was warmly welcomed.

Residents in Abkhazia took to the streets to celebrate the news, firing into the air, Reuters reports, and in the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali there were scenes of jubilation.

“We feel happy. We all have tears in our eyes. We feel pride for our people,” said Aida Gabaz, a 38-year-old lawyer in the Abkhaz capital Sukhumi.

‘New understanding’

Earlier on Tuesday, Russia cancelled a visit by Nato’s secretary general, one of a series of measures to suspend co-operation with the military alliance.

Russia’s ambassador to Nato said the trip would be delayed until relations between the two were clarified.

Dmitry Rogozin said a “new understanding” needed to be reached between Russia and Nato.

The BBC’s Humphrey Hawksley, in Moscow, says the recognition is bound to dramatically heighten tensions in Russia’s already fragile relationship with the West.

He says this and a series of other announcements indicate that Russia is preparing itself for a showdown.

Although most of Russia’s forces pulled out of the rest of Georgia last Friday, it is maintaining a presence both within the two rebel regions and in buffer zones imposed round their boundaries.

Port control

Some Russian troops also continue to operate near the Black Sea port of Poti, south of Abkhazia, where Russia says it will carry out regular inspections of cargo.

The US said on Tuesday that its warships would deliver aid to Georgia’s port of Poti, which is under Russian control. The move could mean US and Russian forces coming face-to-face.

Earlier, the head of European security organisation, the OSCE, Alexander Stubb, accused Russia of trying to empty South Ossetia of Georgians.

Speaking to the BBC’s Europe Today programme, he said: “They are clearly trying to empty southern Ossetia from Georgians, which I don’t think goes by any of the books that we deal with in international relations”.

At a checkpoint in South Ossetia, the BBC’s Gabriel Gatehouse said a South Ossetian commander said many Georgian civilians had already left of their own accord, because they were scared of the guns.

From : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7582181.stm

DNA tests for Madrid air victims

DNA tests will be needed to identify many of the 153 people killed in Wednesday’s plane disaster at Madrid airport, the Spanish government says.bedroom furniture | cheap dvd movies | buy dvd uk | buy gps uk | buy cheap guitar | cheap laptop
Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega said experts had so far only been able to identify 59 people using fingerprint analysis.

The air disaster, in which a departing jet caught fire after veering off the runway, was Spain’s worst in 25 years.

Vigils were held on Thursday to remember those who died.
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Spanish media reports suggest an as-yet unreleased video taken by Spain’s Civil Aviation Authority (AENA) shows the plane taking off and then crashing moments later just past the runway at Madrid’s Barajas airport.

AENA officials quoted in El Pais newspaper suggest the jet may have suffered a chain of faults, and only caught fire after it hit the ground, contradicting witness accounts that an engine was ablaze during take off.
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See details of the crash site

It will be weeks, maybe months, before the truth is known about what caused the plane to crash, the BBC’s Johnny Dymond reports from Madrid.

There has been much criticism of the flight operator, Spanair, but there is little to back it up at present, our correspondent says. Until the contents of the flight recorders are analysed, the final minutes of the flight will remain a mystery, he adds.

Nineteen foreigners

The remains of the dead have all been taken to a mortuary at Madrid’s Ifema congress centre, which was used to collect victims of the Madrid train bombings of 2004.

“All of them have undergone autopsies,” said Ms Fernandez de la Vega. “The investigation commission is working very intensively, and hand-in-hand with foreign experts.”

Of the survivors of the Spanair flight JK 5022 crash on Wednesday, several remain critically ill. Four are in a “very serious” condition, with another listed as “serious”, Spanish media reported.

But five of six people classed as “serious” showed signs of improvement on Thursday, according to Spanish news agency Efe. Eight of the injured remain under observation with one only slightly injured, Spanish media said.

Harrowing reports of the crash have been emerging from among the survivors.

“The plane was rocking from one side to another,” said Ligia Palomino, who survived with leg injuries and cuts to her face.

“I don’t know what happened next. I saw people, smoke, explosions – I think that is what woke me up because I had lost consciousness.

“I lifted my head and all I saw were scattered bodies,” added the 41-year-old doctor. “I thought that if help did not arrive soon I would die.”cheap watches | citizen watches | digital camera | discount watches | cheap earrings | engagement rings
Two babies and 20 children were on board the flight, which was heading from Madrid to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, according to Spanair, which released the official passenger manifest. Three children survived the crash.
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Nineteen foreigners from at least 11 countries were on the plane, the Spanish government said. The countries include Germany, France, Sweden, Mauritania, Turkey, Brazil, Indonesia, Bulgaria, Italy, Colombia and Gambia.

Spanish leaders met relatives of the victims on Thursday as the country observed national mourning.

The Spanair flight, bound for Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, took off on Wednesday at lunchtime with 172 people on board, including 10 crew members.

Engine theory

Initial reports suggested a fire had broken out in one of the MD82 plane’s engines during take-off, and the plane ended up in a field.

Spanish Transport Minister Magdalena Alvarez said the plane had earlier begun taxiing to the runway, before turning back because of a technical problem, which had caused an hour’s delay in take-off.

The pilots had reported a fault with a temperature gauge, Spanish media reported, but it was thought to have been fixed before take-off.

El Pais newspaper quoted experts as saying that fault was unlikely to be responsible for the crash.

“The fault fixed by Spanair’s maintenance technicians could not have had an influence on the crash,” Jose Maria Delgado, the head of Spain’s Association of Aeronautic Maintenance Technicians told the newspaper.

Manuel Batista, the head of the AENA, told El Pais there was “more than one breakdown”.

He added that engine failure alone would not have been enough to bring the plane down.

“I am not so sure that the engine failed,” said Mr Batista.

El Mundo newspaper suggested parts of the engine may have broken off and damaged the plane’s tail.

A special independent commission has been established to investigate the cause of the crash.

Speaking on Thursday, Ms Alvarez said the investigation would examine flight recorders and available pictures, but added that it was very early to draw conclusions about the crash.

The plane which crashed was a 15-year-old McDonnell Douglas MD82 plane previously owned and operated by Korean Air. Reports said it was serviced regularly and had been pronounced fit to fly.
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The MD82 is known as a versatile and reliable aircraft, with some 432 planes currently in service around the world, Efe said.

John Terry named as permanent England captain

John Terry has retained the England captaincy with Fabio Capello preferring to keep faith with the Chelsea defender in preference to Rio Ferdinand, who has been named vice-captain.bedroom furniture | cheap dvd movies | buy dvd uk | buy gps uk | buy cheap guitar | cheap laptop
The Chelsea defender admitted he had been nervous before he was told of the coach’s decision. “I think everybody realises it means the world to me, to retain the armband,” Terry said. “To get it back is a huge achievement.buy nintendo wii | discount shoes | buy wii | cheap cameras | canon cameras | casio watches
“The manager called the squad together and told us as a whole. For me to get it above the likes of him [Ferdinand] and the other players in the squad is a great honour.”cheap books | cheap cameras | cheap computers | cheap dvd movie | cheap furniture | cheap glasses
Terry admitted his surprised at being selected ahead of the Manchester United defender. “I’d never given up on the armband and never will do,” he said. “I’d heard the whispers Rio got the armband so I was a little bit shocked, but I’ve got to make the most of it.”cheap golf clubs | cheap gps | cheap guitars | cheap laptop | cheap lcd tv | cheap printers | cheap shoes
Capello revealed that it was Terry’s “big personality” that was the deciding factor in his decision. “Rio, when he was captain, played very well – the same level as John,” the Italian said. “It was not easy for me to choose because they are very good players. The big personality of John was the reason I chose him, but Rio is very important to the team.”
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Terry will lead England in their World Cup qualifying campaign starting in Andorra on September 6. “We need to concentrate on qualifying and we have got the squad to do that,” he said. “We just need to do it on the pitch.”discount watches | cheap earrings | engagement rings | furniture london | garden furniture | discount garmin | guitars for sale | ladies shoes | mens shoes
Capello agreed that the team can make a fresh start after the disappointment of not qualifying for Euro 2008. “I think the season just starts for us. For the national team, it’s a very important season,” he said. “We have to work and play every game like a final.”cheap microwave | cheap nintendo wii | cheap running shoes | timberland boots | timberland shoes
Steve McClaren named Terry captain once David Beckham stepped down after the 2006 World Cup, but his position was put in doubt when Capello took charge and delayed naming his on-field lieutenant. Steven Gerrard, Ferdinand and Beckham – as well as Terry – were all given one game each to demonstrate their credentials and Ferdinand appeared to be the favourite.watches uk | cheap webkinz | discount webkinz | wedding ring | wii for sale
That Capello decided to persevere with Terry is a big lift for the Chelsea defender, who was distraught after missing the crucial penalty in the Champions League final shoot-out against Manchester United in May.

From : http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/international/article4565496.ece

Singh is Kinng – Movie Review

Singh is King (directed and written by Anees Bazmee) isn’t copied, but it has to be inspired by something, right? This one was apparently inspired by a tag line read by Akshay Kumar at the back of a truck – Singh is King! And viola! A film was born. Considering that we have many such lines at the back of trucks, rickshaws and taxis, you can imagine the fodder Bollywood script writers have to chew on. In fact it got me wondering whether Bazmee, who also directed the hit No Entry, got his idea from this rickshaw…

Script writers are also often helped along by pre-decided venues (not to mention songs). In Singh is Kinng the venues chosen were Egypt and Australia. The film is almost entirely shot in these two countries

What’s it about? (no spoilers)
The film is about a group of friends (mostly Sikhs) from a village in Punjab. Some have made it big (in Australia) while others are at the village doing nothing much with their lives. Akshay Kumar plays a rustic character at this village and his character is “Happy”, both in name and spirit. The successful munda is in Australia and is called Lucky (played by Sony Sood) but as we find out he isn’t very lucky, although he is King (of the underworld), and nor is he happy. In fact Happy isn’t lucky to have around either, although he does become King. If that doesn’t make sense, it isn’t meant to. There is no attempt at realism in the film and that results in some ludicrous situations which provide the comedy. Some hilarious moments there.
       This movie portrays Sikh culture, their bravery and their helpful and kind nature. Although this is showcased in the form of a comedy I don’t think it denigrates Sikhs in anyway. The movie was shown to some religious authorities before its release and some scenes re-shot. We don’t know which parts were re-shot but perhaps it was the scene where Happy Singh explains why he had to partially shave off his beard. Well, not everything that was demanded was re-shot and some people still have objections to the film. As a non-Sikh, but someone who has known Sikhs since childhood, I think the film is a superficial portrayal of Sikh culture, but well, it wasn’t meant to be anything else. It’s a comedy after all. But I think for those who don’t know Sikhs, it will send a positive message.
In fact there were positive messages throughout the film. Underneath the ridiculousness of the convoluted story, there is a strong message about Good vs. Evil.

The music is alright but unfortunately in the cinema hall we saw it in (PVR) the audio was on too loud. At times we had to put our fingers in our ears…I think cinema theatres in India are going to make a lot of people go deaf.

Characters and actors
There is a plethora of characters in this movie, but ofcourse Akshay Kumar is the hero. He is certainly not one my favourite actors, but he does alright as a comic. It is also difficult to deny his screen presence and charisma. Ditto Katrina Kaif. If she had nothing much to do in this film but play the pretty (though spirited) girl-friend Sonia, it wasn’t a surprise. Om Puri, who plays Rangeela, a childhood friend of Happy’s, does a good job, but Ranvir Shorey has a much smaller role which as usual he does justice to.

There are two other women in this movie: Julie, played by Neha Dhupia and the Rose Lady by Kirron Kher. It was refreshing to see Julie not portrayed as a moll, but as one of the “gang” members. She is as trigger happy as any of the boys. Kher was resplendent in her overacting.

Is the movie really all that funny?
Well, the situations are ludicrous enough to be funny although the audience didn’t really go ballistic with laughter, except once. It was nice to see that there were no sexist jokes in the movie! Perhaps that was why I found this comedy very relaxing. Overall, I found the audience enjoying the movie and people were actually reluctant to get up when the movie ended!

So is it worth a see?
I see a movie from the entertainment point of view, not a critic’s point of view, although I am critical if one reads between the lines. And when it comes to entertainment, a lot depends on your own preferences (for genre), and also whether you are able to tolerate the main actors in the movie, or whether you have a tight schedule, whether you are a student and prefer to save the theatre experience for special movies, or whether you like to see movies at all. This certainly isn’t one of those special movies that one saves to see in a theater…it’s okay for time-pass.

(The picture of the rickshaw is copyrighted to me (taken in Agra) and the second is a movie poster)