What on Mars is that?

Life on Mars? Well, bizarre images have emerged showing a mystery female figure walking down a hill on the arid planet.

The photo of what looks like a naked woman with her arm outstretched was among several taken on the red planet and sent back to earth by Nasa's Mars explorer "Spirit," Britain's Daily Mail reported on Wednesday, citing an unnamed website.

Though no official confirmation has come from Nasa on whether the figure is an alien or an optical illusion caused by the landscape on Mars, it has set the Internet abuzz about the possibility of life on Mars.

As one enthusiast put it on the website: "These pictures are amazing. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw what appears to be a naked alien running around on Mars."

The news of the mystery woman on Mars came just days after a team of French scientists claimed to have discovered proof that the red planet possesses...

Heath Ledger's death an accident: Family

The death of Heath Ledger was a tragic accident, his Australian family said on Wednesday after the actor was found dead at his New York apartment.

"We, Heath's family, can confirm the very tragic, untimely and accidental passing of our dearly loved son, brother and doting father of Matilda," his father Kim said, reading from a statement outside the family home in Perth, in Western Australia.

Ledger, the gifted leading man acclaimed for his role as a gay cowboy in the film "Brokeback Mountain", was found face down and naked at the foot of the bed after what police said was a possible drug overdose. A autopsy is to be conducted.

Ledger's mother Sally and sister Kate gathered with Kim Ledger at the family's suburban home and said they wanted to be left to grieve in private.

"We would like to thank our friends and everyone around the world for their well wishes and kind thoughts at this time," Kim Ledger said. "Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life that few had the pleasure of truly knowing him."

People and neighbours left flowers and cards outside the house where Ledger spent much of December and January on holiday, visiting friends in his birth city.

image and article source : www.reuters.com

E-books read well, but readers prefer paper

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - The number of people subscribing to newspapers may be shrinking as they flock to the Internet, but electronic book readers won't shred the market for ink, paper, glue and binding anytime soon.

After years of promises and false starts, booksellers and technology companies are diving into the world of digital books. Sony Corp is selling the Reader Digital Book for $299, while giant online shopping company Amazon.com offers the Kindle for $399.

New readers are lighter than the average hardback fiction bestseller, easy on the eyes and let readers carry around as many as 200 titles in hardware that weighs less than a pound.

But to some people, there's something missing.

"It's, I guess, the feel of holding a book that someone really put a lot of effort into writing, and you kind of lose that a little bit with a digital product," said Katy Farina, 21, of Montgomery, New Jersey.

Farina, a student at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design, was browsing at the Borders bookstore near Madison Square Garden. As shoppers lined up at closing time, the subtle, comforting aroma of books permeated the store.

"It feels real, whereas (the reader) kind of separates you a little bit from the story," Farina said.

Harry Howe, who had picked up "Surrender Is Not an Option" by former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, said he might use an e-book reader for blog or Web site material that he wanted to read while away from home, but not for reading a novel.

"It's just not a physical experience that I'm yet comfortable with," said Howe, 55, who teaches accounting at the State University of New York's Geneseo campus and lives in Rochester. "On the other hand, I didn't grow up reading things on various Web sites."

Farina said she would like a reader for traveling because she would not have to transport so many books. This is something that HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide Chief Executive Jane Friedman said is a prime advantage.

"To put 10 books on your Sony reader or on your Kindle is a lot better than carrying 10 books," she said.

Yahoo partners with Reliance Comm for mobile search

Yahoo! India has extended its tie-up with Reliance Communications to make its mobile search service, oneSearch, available on Reliance mobile phones. Yahoo! Mail and Yahoo! Messenger have been available on Reliance Mobile World, its mobile web portal, for the last two years. The tie-up will enable Reliance Mobile users (both CDMA and GSM) to access news, financial information, weather conditions, flight status information, Flickr photos, Yahoo! Answers and Wikipedia and perform local search on Reliance Mobile World.

Around 10-15 million people access Reliance Mobile World out of a total 38 million Reliance mobile phone subscribers (CDMA and GSM).

Mobile phone subscribers who access Yahoo!’s oneSearch facility will be charged according to the amount of data transfer that takes place.

Yahoo!, which launched the Indian edition of oneSearch in May 2007, has already tied up with Idea Cellular, BPL Mobile and BSNL for the search service. The company uses both search and display advertising on the mobile portal.

BigAdda.com to open up site for advertising

BigAdda.com, the social networking site of Reliance Entertainment, is ready to get advertisers on board. Speaking to agencyfaqs!,
The company is planning to launch mobile features in the first quarter of 2008, This will include both SMS and GPRS features, BigAdda recently announced that it has attracted 1.24 million members since its launch in August 2007. According to the company, 78 per cent of the users on the site are in the age group of 16-27 years, 78 per cent are male and 40 per cent of them are from Tier II towns such as Bhilai, Amritsar and Surat.

Nano: Small wonder or big blunder?

As Ratan Tata drove to the ramp what was perhaps the most-hyped four-wheeler of the year, excitement was palpable at the Auto Expo show in New Delhi. Christened Nano, and famously priced at Rs 1 lakh (about $2700), the car was unveiled on Wednesday to a thunderous applause.

Designed for the mass market, the Nano has been hailed as the defining moment of the history of the Indian automobile industry and the one that will make possible a consumer revolution of sorts.

However, it has only a 624 cc petrol engine and can’t run effectively on the highways. Even the famed Rs 1-lakh tag is not really that. The car will cost the consumer close to Rs 1.2 lakh after all taxes have been levied.

CNN-IBN show Face The Nation asked the question: Is Tata’s Rs 1-lakh car more of a marketing hype than real consumer value?

On the panel to try and answer the question were Chairwoman VGC, Preeti Vyas Gianetti, Director CSE, Sunita Narian and editor, Autocar India, Hormazd Sorabjee.

Is Nano truly a people’s car?

Since the Nano is the next big thing and there has been huge media hype over the car, should an automobile be hyped in this way? Should it be given this much glamour given the costs of car in today’s times?

Preeti Vyas Gianetti was of the opinion that if one had such story to tell then the punches shouldn’t be held back. She felt that the Tata Group had made an appropriate display of the kind of product they had come out with.

“The hype matches with the promise made by the product and what is supposed to be serving in terms of consumer needs. The design of it is excellent and I would want to own a car, which looks so smart and sexy,” said Gianetti.

The critique is that the Nano and the new cars are imposing a huge social curb on society. The society is subsidising the car. The society is already paying for the cost so is another car not going to add to the coat of the car owner?

Agreeing that the question asked was a valid one Gianetti however, said that the manufacturer was to be posed with the question or the government was to be asked the same question.

“I think that it goes beyond a car and it is a much larger issue. We are facing that at every level of our interaction in the social world in India today. Since incomes are rising there is clearly a demand on the kinds of products and services each consumer wants for himself or herself,” said Gianetti.

Sunita Narain did acknowledge the fact that consumers couldn’t be stopped, but according to her, one couldn’t have “cheap and dirty motorisation either,”

“The bigger point that we have been raising is the regulatory system and therefore my argument is not really with Mr Tata or with any other car manufacturer. My argument singularly is with the government. I think that the government has completely compromised with the regulations that should govern the car industry and have compromised them to such an extent that today it is creating trouble for the public,” said Narain.

Hillary wins New Hampshire

US Senator Hillary Clinton claimed a come-from-behind victory in New Hampshire's Democratic primary late Tuesday, edging out her Senate colleague, Barack Obama, after placing third in the Iowa caucuses.

Flanked by her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and daughter Chelsea, the New York senator told supporters she "found her own voice" in the five days since her third-place showing in Iowa, and promised them "we are in it for the long run."

"Now let's give America the kind of comeback that New Hampshire has just given me," she said.

Solid support from registered Democrats and women were crucial, results from exit polls suggest.

With 72 per cent of precincts reporting, CNN projected Clinton the winner of the first-in-the-nation primary with 39 per cent of the vote to Obama's 36.

Self-styled independents, who made up 43 per cent of all voters polled, said they voted for Obama by a margin of 43 per cent to 31 per cent for Clinton.

But Clinton was ahead of Obama 45 per cent to 34 per cent among those who said they were registered Democrats.

Those voters made up a majority -- 54 per cent -- of all those respondents. Clinton also claimed the majority of women's votes, according to the polling.

That's in contrast to last week's Iowa caucuses, in which Obama surprised observers by stealing the female vote from Clinton. According to the exit polls, Clinton had a sizable lead over Obama among women, 47 per cent to 34 per cent. Analysts say that shift was crucial to the Clinton turnaround.

"If I had a single word, the word would be 'women,' " said CNN political analyst Bill Schneider. "She got the women back."

Meanwhile, US Senator John McCain won the New Hampshire state primary in the race to become the Republican party's presidential candidate.

Despite New Hampshire's comparatively small population, the state carries an importance disproportionate to that size as it is the first state to go to the polls -- rather than caucus -- in the presidential election race.

In exit polls, voters from both parties rated the economy their top issue and the war in Iraq second -- but concerns about illegal immigration rated third among Republicans, while Democrats said health care was just behind Iraq.

In his victory speech Tuesday, McCain made joking reference to a similar speech by Bill Clinton, who coined the term "Comeback Kid" when he did well in New Hampshire as a presidential hopeful.

"I am past the age when I can claim the noun kid ... but tonight we sure showed them what a comeback looks like," he said.

As supporters chanted "Mac is back," McCain said his victory was down to telling the truth even if it was not what voters wanted to hear.

Over the summer many had written off McCain, who had alienated the party's conservative base with his support of a controversial immigration reform bill, and poor fund-raising prompted him to shake up his staff.

Ballots ran low in some polling stations six hours before the last polling stations closed at 8 p.m., indicating a larger-than-expected turnout, representatives of New Hampshire's secretary of state said.

image and article source : www.ibnlive.com

Tokyo taxis no longer a haven for smokers

Once smoker-friendly Japan got less sympathetic to tobacco lovers on Monday when a ban on lighting up in Tokyo taxis went into effect, part of a nationwide trend. Two Tokyo taxi groups instituted the ban out of concern over lawsuits from drivers suffering the effects of second-hand smoke and in response to demands from passengers.

"There were lots of complaints from passengers about the smell," said Tokyo Taxi Association spokesman Keiichi Sato.

Japan was once a haven for smokers but a growing number of municipalities and companies have banned smoking on the streets and at the workplace in recent years.

A Tokyo court in 2005 rejected drivers' demands for compensation for health damage from second-hand smoke, but ruled that taxi operators should consider ways to protect drivers.

Some Tokyo smokers said they opposed the latest move.

"As a matter of free competition, I think there should be taxis where it's OK to smoke," said Masayuki Oda, a 41-year-old insurance company employee.

"Sometimes I used to catch a cab just to have a cigarette," added the pack-a-day smoker.

Others, though, were resigned.

"It's getting harder to find a place to smoke, but it can't be helped. It's bad for your health," said Rie Owashi, 25, who works in a traditional "ryotei" Japanese restaurant, where she said once ubiquitous ashtrays are now supplied only on request.

For passengers who can't hold out, Tokyo drivers will carry tiny portable ashtrays and pull over at a safe place to let their customers have a smoke, the Tokyo Taxi Association's Sato said.

One 50-something taxi driver who confessed to a three-pack-a day habit said he'd cut late night riders a break.

"Late at night, many people have been drinking and want to smoke, so I'll let them," he said.

The proportion of Japanese adults who smoke has slipped to 26 percent from 34 percent a decade ago and a peak of 49 percent in 1966, Japan Tobacco said last October.

About half of Japan's taxis are now smoke-free, Kyodo news agency reported, adding similar steps were planned elsewhere but faced passenger opposition in some places including the western metropolis of Osaka.

article source: www.reuters.com

Santeria priests mum on Castro, warn on climate

Priests offering New Year's prophecies from Cuba's Afro-Cuban religion on Wednesday gave few hints on the future of convalescing leader Fidel Castro and instead warned about dangerous climate change and epidemics.

Many Cubans eagerly await annual predictions from the Santeria religion, which is practiced by 3 million people in Cuba and uses animal sacrifices to contact Yoruba deities originally worshiped by slaves brought from Africa.

Santeria priests, known as babalawos, steered clear of politics in this year's prophecies, instead warning about an environmental crisis, disease and crime.

They noted an improving economy and said they planned sacrifices to better the lives of the majority of Cubans.

"The challenge at this historic moment is not a political challenge ... It is not a social challenge, but the challenge of nature," Victor Betancourt, a Havana priest, said at a news conference.

Fidel Castro has not appeared in public since handing power to his brother Raul after undergoing emergency stomach surgery more than 17 months ago.

While there was no direct reference to Castro in the Santeria priests' cryptic forecasts, many Cubans traditionally scan over the "letter of the year" for interpretations of how the government might develop.

Raul Castro's call for a review of the island's problems has fueled speculation about possible economic reforms to ease Cubans' struggle with high food costs and low wages.

Fidel Castro has only appeared in official photographs and pre-taped videos and it is not clear whether he will resume office. Most analysts say a smooth transition of power has already taken place.

His brother says Castro is recovering, consulted on key decisions and that Communist Party delegates back his nomination to run again for a National Assembly seat, a requirement for the presidency. But in letters and statements, the older Castro has hinted he might not cling on to his posts but instead "contribute ideas" from his experience.

Santeria experts say the New Year predictions offer a glimpse into popular sentiment. This year's batch came after a meeting of more than 1,000 priests, including babalawos visiting from Venezuela, Peru and Italy.

Obama and Huckabee win first 2008 vote

Barack Obama took a big step on Thursday toward becoming the first black U.S. president as his campaign for change caught fire in Iowa and swept him past Hillary Clinton in the opening Democratic nominating contest.

Republican underdog Mike Huckabee capped a stunning political rise to beat rival Mitt Romney in Iowa, despite being dramatically outspent by the wealthy former Massachusetts governor and venture capitalist.

Obama, an Illinois senator, captured the first Democratic prize on the road to the White House with a comeback triumph over former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who edged out one-time front-runner Clinton for second. "We are choosing hope over fear, we are choosing unity over division and sending a powerful message that change is coming to America," Obama, 46, told thousands of cheering, chanting and foot-stamping supporters.

Turnout among Democrats topped 220,000, smashing the previous record of 124,000 in 2004 -- testament to the high enthusiasm among Democrats heading into November's election.

For the winner in Iowa, the prize is valuable momentum and at least a temporary claim to the front-runner's slot in the battle to win the party's presidential nomination in the November election. All eyes now turn to New Hampshire, which holds the next contest on Tuesday and where Romney and Clinton will face high-pressure bids to revive their candidacies.

The third-place finish was a huge blow for Clinton, 60, the former first lady who a few months ago was considered in some quarters the almost certain Democratic nominee. She now faces immense pressure to turn around her campaign in New Hampshire over the next five days.

"Today we are sending a clear message that we are going to have change, and that change will be a Democratic president in the White House," Clinton, with husband and former President Bill Clinton at her shoulder, said in Des Moines.

Edwards, 54, who at one time led polls in Iowa and finished a strong second here during a failed 2004 presidential bid, also faces questions about the viability of his candidacy as he goes forward.

Obama's win effectively makes him the candidate to beat among Democrats, and a win next week in New Hampshire could put him in prime position to capture the nomination. After Nevada on January 19, the next big contest would be in South Carolina, where more than half of the voters in the Democratic primary are likely to be black.

Both Obama and Huckabee, 52, a former Arkansas governor and ordained Baptist minister, once trailed better-known rivals Clinton and Romney in their race to be on the November election ballot.

But they rode a wave of grass-roots enthusiasm to victories by touting an outsider's message of change in Washington. The 2008 campaign is the most open presidential race in more than 50 years, with no sitting president or vice president seeking their party's nomination, and the Iowa contest was the most hotly contested in the state's history.

Obama finished with 38 percent of the vote, easily beating Edwards at 30 percent and Clinton at 29 percent. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson finished fourth at 2 percent.

Huckabee finished with 34 percent of the vote, ahead of Romney's 26 percent. Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson were tied at 13 percent, with Texas Rep. Ron Paul at 10 percent.

For Republicans, Huckabee's upset reshaped a race where no candidate has been able to claim front-runner status. Iowa, where a sizable bloc of religious conservatives had fueled Huckabee's rapid rise, represented the best chance for the former Arkansas governor to break through with a win.

He will face tougher going in New Hampshire, where there are fewer evangelicals, and he has lingered well behind Romney and McCain in polls.

Romney, 60, a former governor of Massachusetts who has faced questions about his Mormon faith during the campaign, launched aggressive advertising campaigns against Huckabee and McCain in recent weeks.