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Mattel Brands Showcases Best-in-Class Partnerships across an Industry-Leading Portfolio of Boys and Girls Brands at 2010 Licensing International Show

June 8, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

New Girls Franchise “Monster High” is Unveiled with Key Partnerships across
Multiple Categories including Apparel & Accessories, Publishing, Live-Action
Entertainment and More
LAS VEGAS–(Business Wire)–
Today at the 2010 Licensing International Show, Mattel, Inc., the world`s
leading toy company, unveils its multi-category line-up of best-in-class
partners with new apparel and footwear alliances, as well as global personal
care collections, products that inspire an active lifestyle and original branded
play experiences for boys and girls of all ages.

For the first time in company history, Mattel will roll out a new intellectual
property, Monster High, across a number of diverse consumer products categories
simultaneously. This new franchise targeting teen and tween girls brings
together the hip teenage descendants of the world`s most famous monsters to
brave the trials and tribulations of high school. Monster High reaches girls via
multiple touch points through strategic partnerships year-one with Little, Brown
Books for Young Readers, best-selling author Lisi Harrison, Universal Pictures,
Justice® and Party City.

“Mattel is a leader in providing meaningful brand experiences that translate
into innovative and successful cross-brand partnerships,” said Neil Friedman,
President, Mattel Brands. “Our ability to secure best-in-class category experts
to introduce teens and tween to the Monster High property is a testament to our
brand management expertise and reinforces our long-standing legacy as one of the
world`s premier licensing partners.”

Across its larger portfolio of entertainment brands, Mattel also continues its
strategic licensing agreements with licensors of many popular kids` properties,
including Disney, Warner Bros., World Wrestling Entertainment® and HIT
Entertainment.

In 2010, Mattel Brands announces licensing agreements with new partners
including:

Publishing

* Little, Brown Books for Young Readers: Fitting in is out and freaky is about
to get fabulous! Mattel and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers have entered
into a multi-year, multi-book global partnership to publish a series of books
written by #1 New York Times best-selling young adult author Lisi Harrison. Best
known for her hit tween series “The Clique” and “Alphas,” Harrison will release
one to two books each year. Monster High, the first book in the series, goes on
sale September 2010.

Apparel, Footwear and Accessories

* SKECHERS: It’s easy to complete the perfect head-to-toe look in a pair of
fashionable new Barbie by SKECHERS footwear. The collection infuses iconic
Barbie imagery with high-quality SKECHERS designs that girls love. From an
assortment of nine different styles, girls can find their favorite trendy fleece
boots, athletic sneakers, Mary Janes, wedges and more! (available Fall/Winter
2010)
* Harveys Original Seatbeltbags: Barbie introduces a new partnership with
Harveys Original Seatbeltbags. This line of seatbeltbags combines Harveys
signature seatbelt design with iconic Barbie style. Available at department
stores and specialty boutiques nationwide as well as Harveys retail stores and
seatbeltbags.com. (available 2011)
* Fast Forward: Boys will race back to school with a new line of Hot Wheels bags
and backpacks.Featuringmotion-patented technology with light-up features, boys
will look forward to the first day of school. (available Fall 2010)
* C-Life: Hot Wheels and C-Life keep men in style with a new line of vintage
t-shirts. The line features the iconic images, colors and designs which Hot
Wheels is known. (available now)
* Dr. Scholl`s: Barbie and Original Dr. Scholl`s – join forces to offer a
limited edition collection of 5 original exercise sandals featuring iconic
Barbie images. (available now)
* Justice: Mattel joins forces with Justice, the largest premier tween specialty
retailer in the world, to launch a full line of back-to-school apparel for
tweens. Justice has developed an edgy cool line of clothing featuring Monster
High`s signature Skullette on tops, bottoms, sleepwear, cosmetics and
accessories. In addition, Justice will support an integrated marketing campaign
featuring Monster High webisodes on the Tween Network in-store media screens,
brand ads, and products in the Justice catazine and on the company`s website.
(available July 2010)
* High IntenCity: Mattel and High IntenCity team up for the first time ever to
introduce a line of drop dead gorgeous jewelry & hair accessories inspired by
Monster High. High IntenCity, a leader in the girls` accessories industry, has
designed accessory items that mix Monster High`s signature Skullette and edgy
style with softer lace, bow and charm accents. (available Fall 2010)
* Accessory Innovations: Accessory Innovations,a recognized leader in the
accessories industry,has partnered with Mattel on their new scary cool Monster
High franchise.Accessory Innovationswill offer a complete collection of tween
fashion handbags.The handbag line, designed to play up the monster chic style
uniquely distinct to the Monster High brand, includes clutches, totes, messenger
and cross body bags. (available Fall 2010)
* Ashko Group: Mattel and Ashko have come together to introduce a new line of
Monster High inspired hosiery and fashion footwear for tween girls. The
collection includes everything from socks, knee highs and leg warmers to
sandals, jellies and flip flops, giving girls a variety of ways to show off
their killer style. (available Fall 2010)
* ACI International: Continuing a successful long standing partnership, Mattel
and ACI International have come together once again to create Monster High
slippers for tween Girls. Girls can choose from two unique styles, each
featuring the brand`s signature Skullette icon. (available this Fall 2010)

Outdoor Play/Sporting Goods

* Accu-Length: Barbie and Hot Wheels team up with Accu-Length to offer the
ultimate golf collection for “growing” girls and boys. Utilizing innovative,
patented “spacer” technology, Accu-Length clubs make it fun and easy for kids to
experience the game of golf. The Barbie pink-inspired collection speaks to the
active fashionista in each of us. Fathers and sons can spend time together with
the Hot Wheels line, bringing speed, power and performance to golf. (available
August 2010)
* Dynacraft: Encouraging girls to be active, Barbie partners with Dynacraft to
offer a fun and fabulous line of sporting goods for scooting and riding in
style. Barbie Bikes and scooters available this summer provides a new fun way to
play outdoors. Barbie Bikes and scooters also come with a mini (Barbie-sized)
version so girls can take Barbie dolls along for the ride. (available now)

Party Planning/Gifting

* becker & mayer! Books: In celebration of the 50th birthday of Ken, Barbie and
becker & mayer! Books present the Ken 50th anniversary book I ♥Ken: My Life as
the Ultimate Boyfriend. This humorous book is written from the perspective of
Ken and provides insider details on his 50 year on-and-off relationship with
Barbie and tips on how to be the `ultimate` boyfriend for every occasion.
(available March 2011)
* Evite: This year, boys and girls of all ages can throw the ultimate party and
invite all their family and friends with new Barbie and Hot Wheels themed
invitations from Evite. For birthday boys, Hot Wheels brings cool cars and
flame-inspired graphics to life in two categories; Birthday for Kids and
Birthday for Adults. Featuring the very best of Barbie style, these fashionable
Evites are available in four categories; Birthday for Kids, Kids Corner,
BacheloretteParties and Girls Night Out. (available now)
* Vandor: Barbie partners with Vandor to bring a unique collection of gifts and
collectables celebrating the 50th anniversary of Ken. Specialty items vary from
travel mugs to notebooks and key chains. (available January 2011)
* Party City/ Amscan: Halloween will be extra frightastic this year with the
beastly student body of Monster High on the loose. Amscan and Mattel expand
their partnership, beyond their Barbie and Hot Wheels party collections, to
introduce an exclusive line of Monster High costumes for Party City. Tween girls
can bring Frankie Stein, Clawdeen Wolf and Draculaura to life with costumes that
look just like the character, complete with a wig. (available Halloween 2010
exclusively at Party City)

Health / Personal Care

* Nexcare: Hot Wheels and Nexcare bring fast relief for cuts and scrapes with
Hot Wheels waterproof tattoo bandages. Incorporating stylish Hot Wheels designs
ensures that boys of all ages are protected with power and performance.
(available now)
* Dr. Fresh: Hot Wheels expands its partnership with Dr. Fresh to offer a new
light-up timer tooth brush. Educating boys in proper brushing habits, each
toothbrush lights up for 60 seconds when you push on the bottom of the brush.
Featuring a molded Hot Wheels car, brushing your teeth was never this fun.
(available now)
* Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc.: The
world`s premier consumer healthcare company is partnering with the world`s most
iconic doll to encourage healthy habits for girls. This September, the makers of
LISTERINE and REACH will introduce Barbie themed oral care products. This is
just the beginning of a partnership that will make good oral care more fun and
fashionable than ever before. (available September 2010)

Electronics

* Digital Blue: Barbie has partnered with Digital Blue to bring style to
consumer electronics. The new line is designed for girls ages 4-7 years old and
includes a portable boom box with CD player, alarm clock radio, Karaoke Machine
and a Sing A Long player. Audio devices have never looked so fabulous.
(available in Fall 2010 with more items to launch in Spring of 2011)

Toys

* Neat-Oh:Hot Wheels teams up with Neat-Oh to introduce a new lineof portable
play experiences — Hot Wheels ZipBin Products. Hot Wheels. ZipBin Products
transform from play mats to carrying cases, giving kids a fun and convenient way
to play with and store their Hot Wheels cars. (available June 2010)
* Russ Berrie: Girls can now play with Barbie doll and her pets through a new
partnership with Russ Berrie. Introducing Sequin Blissa, and Lacey — three
lovable, huggable plush animals which come with their own assortment of fashions
and stylish carriers. Girls will now be able to carry their animal friends
around just like Barbie. (available Fall 2010)
* Enterplay: Game on! Hot Wheels and Enterplay offer a fun and exciting
collection of trading cards and fast-paced games. The Hot Wheels Trading Card
Game and the FunTracks Card Game feature fun facts and fan trivia, perfect for
collecting. And with FunTats Decals, you can customize yourself, your car, or
just about anything! (available now)

Food

* U & Me Marketing: Hot Wheels teams up withU & Me to introduce a first-ever
juice pouch beverage. Featuring 100% natural flavored juice and Hot Wheels
imagery, boys are able to race to the finish line like never before. (available
September 2010)

About Mattel, Inc.

Mattel, Inc., (NASDAQ: MAT) (www.mattel.com) is the worldwide leader in the
design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. The Mattel family
is comprised of such best-selling brands as Barbie, the most popular fashion
doll ever introduced, Hot Wheels, Matchbox, American Girl, Radica and Tyco R/C,
as well as Fisher-Price brands, including Little People, Power Wheels and a wide
array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. In 2010, Mattel was named as one of
FORTUNE Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” for the third year in a row,
and was ranked among Corporate Responsibility Magazine`s “100 Best Corporate
Citizens.” Mattel also is recognized among the “World’s Most Ethical Companies.”
With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs approximately
27,000 people in 43 countries and territories and sells products in more than
150 nations. At Mattel, we are “Creating the Future of Play.”

BARBIE, HOT WHEELS, MONSTER HIGH and associated trademarks and trade dress are
owned by, and used under license from, Mattel, Inc. © 2010 Mattel, Inc. All
Rights Reserved.

From June 8- June 10, Mattel executives will be in Las Vegas attending the
Licensing International Show, media interested in meeting with Mattel can
contact Rachel Cooper at rachel.cooper@mattel.com or (310) 426-4413

MAT-CORP

Mattel, Inc.
Michelle Chidoni
310-903-3412
Michelle.Chidoni@mattel.com
or
Rachel Cooper
310-426-4413
Rachel.Cooper@mattel.com

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Action Entertainment, boys and girls, Brand Experiences, brown books, class category, Class Partners, Cross Brand, Entertainment Brands, Famous Monsters, Licensing Agreements, Licensing Partners, Management Expertise, mattel inc, Neil Friedman, New Girls, Party City, Strategic Partnerships, trials and tribulations, World Wrestling Entertainment, year one

Away from gunshots in Valley, they build a future

June 6, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Mumbai, June 6 — Kausaruddin Najjar is sure that had he continued living in Kashmir he would have been waylaid by militants or picked up by the army on suspicion. The 21-year-old native of Phulwama in Jammu and Kashmir now stays in Pune where he is pursuing a degree in Commerce.

Najjar is among the several young boys and girls who have left the violence of the valley to come to Maharashtra’s education capital where, they say, the environment is conducive to studies. “Strikes are so frequent in J&K that even teachers don’t come to school regularly and our studies get affected,” said another student, Noor Mohammed Basu.

One of these students, Abu Khan (name changed), was one kidnapped by militants back home. He is now going to the US to complete a post-graduate diploma in media studies.

NGOs based in Maharashtra, the first state to reserve seats in colleges for students from the valley, help students like Khan and Najjar get away from militancy and pursue academics. “Generally, Kashmir is selling point [for tourism] and people only know about the stunning scenery and the extremism there.

But nobody wants to do anything for the children there,” said Sanjay Nahar of Sarhad, an NGO that has adopted and educated more than 105 children from J&K since its inception in 1997. Sarhad also facilitated a Memorandum of Understanding between the Srinagar Municipal Corporation and Pune Municipal Corporation for an exchange of ideas on civic issues.

Other Pune NGOs, Jnana Prabhodini and Borderless World Foundation, are also working with Kashmiri youth. Sarang Gosavi of Jnana Prabhodini said, “When we first showed children in Kupwara, Badgoan and Bijbihara a computer in 2003 they mistook it for a television.

” Gosavi said the aim is to bridge the gap between J&K and other states. “We want to bring them into the mainstream.

” Some children who undertook computer training from Jnana Prabhodini are now teaching computers at Anantanag University and are also part of the government-run Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan. Stories from the valley Zahid Bhatt He almost picked up a gun I have seen the blood,” said 16-year-old Zahid Bhatt, who grew up in Badgoan.

Bhatt, whose father rears sheep for a living, understood the meaning of terrorism at the tender age of eight. He always said he wanted to become a terrorist.

“They [the army and police] used to trouble the villagers and harass them for no fault of theirs,” Bhatt recalled. “They would abuse them and beat them mercilessly.

I could not tolerate this and would think I could stop this only if I had a gun.” Schools were bad, Bhatt said, and he lost interest in studies.

His parents, concerned about his way of thinking, sent him to Sarhad in Pune. Bhatt recently took his Class 10 examination.

And his ambitions have undergone a sea change too. “I want to enter politics,” he said.

“I am sure one day I will become Chief Minister.” Ateq Khan (name changed) Decided to leave home Eighteen-year-old Ateq Khan (name changed) grew up in an atmosphere of extremism.

His father was a militant and he took young Khan to terrorist training camps with him. His father was killed in 2004.

A resident of Anantanag, Khan decided to leave the Valley and come to Pune, Maharashtra’s education capital, three years ago. That decision saved him from becoming a terrorist, he said.

Khan has now completed Class 10. He enjoys theatre and wants to be an actor some day.

Aslam Khan (name changed) He is heading to America Thirty year old Aslam Khan (name changed) said he never thought he would get an opportunity to go to the United States of America. Khan is leaving for the USA on Monday to pursue a postgraduate diploma in media studies.

Life would have been different for Khan if would not have shown his valour 15 years ago when he was abducted by militants in Kashmir. Khan, the son of a religious leader, grabbed an opportunity to escape and returned home from the terrorist training camp.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Abu Khan, Borderless World, boys and girls, civic issues, degree in commerce, Education Capital, extremism, gunshots, Jammu and Kashmir, Jnana, memorandum of understanding, militancy, Nahar, najjar, Post Graduate Diploma, s education, Sarhad, Stunning Scenery, Teaching Computers, World Foundation

Militants attack U.N. Gaza summer camp

May 24, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Masked gunmen attacked a U.N.-run summer camp for children on Sunday after militants in the Gaza Strip accused the United Nations of promoting immorality in the religiously conservative enclave controlled by Hamas Islamists.

About 20 men, some carrying assault rifles, tore up large plastic tents and burned storage facilities at the site, where tens of thousands of children are due to attend camp sessions, said Ibrahim Elewa, a private guard who was on duty when they struck.

Two days earlier, a previously unknown militant group, “The Free of the Homeland,” issued a statement criticizing the camp’s organiser, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), for “teaching schoolgirls fitness, dancing and immorality.”

Fundamentalist Muslims, or Salafis, whose agenda of global or holy war against the West is against Hamas’ nationalist goals, have stepped up attacks in the Gaza Strip over the past several months, targeting Hamas security men and offices.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack as “an attempt to intimidate and harm the most defenseless in Gaza. … The Secretary-General calls upon the de-facto authorities to ensure the safety of the U.N.’s operations and to allow UNRWA to carry out its work unhindered,” said a statement issued by Ban’s office in New York.

John Ging, UNRWA’s director of operations in Gaza, told reporters at the damaged camp there was “no doubt in my mind that it is vandalism linked to a certain degree of extremism.”

Taher al-Nono, spokesman for Gaza’s Hamas government, condemned the attack “by a group of gunmen” and pledged authorities “will track down the perpetrators.”

HIP-HOP CONCERT

Last month, Hamas made its own move against what it viewed as immoral conduct, sending police to break up the Gaza Strip’s first major hip-hop concert. It said organizers failed to obtain a permit.

Ging pledged the summer camp, in which boys and girls will be separated in accordance with traditions and values in the religiously conservative territory, would be held as planned.

“The good news for children is and the good news for their parents is UNRWA will not be intimidated by such attacks,” Ging said, adding that Gaza’s youngsters “deserve to have a smile on their faces.”

Hamas wrested control of the Gaza Strip from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s secular Fatah movement in fighting in 2007.

The Gaza Strip is under an Israeli-led blockade and the West shuns Hamas over its refusal to recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept existing interim Israeli-Palestinian peace deals.

(Additional reporting by Patrick Worsnip in New York; Editing by Peter Millership and Todd Eastham)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: 20 Men, Assault Rifles, Ban Ki Moon, boys and girls, Camp Sessions, director of operations, doubt in my mind, Gaza strip, holy war, Immoral Conduct, islamists, militant group, no doubt, Plastic Tents, Private Guard, Salafis, security men, Storage Facilities, taher, unrwa

Orissa”s Bonda tribals keen to integrate with mainstream society

May 20, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Malkangiri (Orissa), May 20 (ANI): The Bonda tribe in Orissa”s Malkangiri District is gradually moving towards development, and the credit for this should go to the Central Government”s Integrated Tribal Development Agency.

The Bonda tribe resides in several villages in the Khairput, Rasbeda, and Mudulipada Districts, and thanks to better roads and connectivity, constructions of schools and colleges, integration with the social mainstream is becoming a reality.

Over the next three years, the newly constructed educational complex is expected to produce 250 college graduates. Tribal lifestyles are also undergoing a change.

“Here, boys of our age are getting education, and in another two years, they will be done with their education. Our parents are still leading their old lifestyle, but we do not want to be like them after two years,” said Bhola Sikka.

“Earlier, we used to eat cow meat, but now we don”t. The government is providing training to the boys and girls, and, we hope to bring a change in our lives,” he added.

Government officials are strongly focused on promoting education and have undertaken several training programmes.

“We have taken an economic estimate of the Bonda tribe, the educational development of children under the Bonda Development Agency (BDA), and, we have taken training programs like IEC – Information, education and communication,” claimed Jagunath Soren, project leader of the Bonda Development Agency.

There are, however, some hiccups in the setting up of an educational system in the district, as some locals feel the government is not providing enough facilities to them.

“Children are going to school and appearing for the exams. The teachers are also coming to the school, but midday meals are not provided. So, children often don”t go to schools because they are not getting food,” claimed Dambru Sikka.

The Bonda tribe is said to be one of the most primitive of Orissa”s 62 tribes. Development is not uniform, as some of the villages” benefit, while others do not.

According to anthropologists, the Bondas are descendents of the Austro-Asiatic tribes, the original inhabitants of Jeypore hills in Orissa. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Bda, Bonda, boys and girls, Central Government, College Graduates, Constructions, Cow Meat, Educational Development, educational system, getting food, hiccups, Information Education, Mainstream Society, midday, Orissa, project leader, promoting education, Social Mainstream, soren, tribal development

Kids as young as 3 questioned about kissing, flirting by Oz researcher

May 18, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Melbourne, May 18 (ANI): A Melbourne university researcher grilled children as young as three about kissing and flirting as part of a project.

Dr Mindy Blaise from Monash University spent five days at the unnamed centre undertaking research into gender, sexuality and homosexuality.

As part of the research, boys and girls as young as three were asked questions such as “Are you a flirt? and “Have you ever kissed a boy?”

Psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg said the research was inappropriate and he was surprised it had got past the university”s ethics committee.

Australian Family Association spokeswoman Terri Kelleher said pre-school children should not be questioned about sexuality.

“We”re surprised such research would be carried out drawing the attention of pre-school children to such matters. Children of that age would not be thinking of sexual or gender issues,” News.com.au quoted her as saying.

Dr Blaise trains childcare, kinder and early primary school teachers at Monash University.

She concluded that pre-school children have an understanding of sexuality.

She told the Herald Sun: “These discussions happen when they are outside playing, playing Lego and at the sand table. when it does happen, what are you (teachers) going to do?”

Her experiment has been described in a paper published in the latest Australasian Journal of Early Childhood. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Australasian Journal, Blaise, boys and girls, early childhood, Gender Issues, Gender Sexuality, herald sun, homosexuality, Issues News, Kelleher, Melbourne University, michael carr gregg, Mindy, monash university, news com au, pre-school, Sand Table, school teachers, Undertaking Research, University Researcher

Macho Viking men were ”softies” when it came to choosing children”s names

May 11, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, May 11 (ANI): Vikings, who are usually linked to weapons and warfare, derived female names from the names of males like any other society, according to a study conducted by Leicester University researcher.

The sixth Midlands Viking Symposium on April 24 offered a variety of talks by Viking experts from the Universities of Leicester, Nottingham and Birmingham.

The symposium took place at the University of Nottingham, and was open to all Viking enthusiasts.

Dr Philip Shaw, a Lecturer in English Language and Old English, offered his expertise on how the Vikings named their children.

He discussed the practice of giving names derived from male names to female children, which was commonplace in the Viking Age.

“My paper on ””””Viking Thomasinas”””” examines the use of female names developed directly from male names, similar to the more recent name Thomasina. Viking Age Scandinavia saw a remarkable surge in the creation of such names, reflecting in some cases a need for a new way of signalling relationships between female children and their fathers. In other cases, the female versions of new male names are actually more popular than the male originals, suggesting a more conservative attitude to naming boys than girls,” Science Daily quoted Shaw, as saying.

He added: “Such conservatism is, in fact, still with us today. Anxieties about the masculinity of names are very much alive and well: witness the switch of Evelyn from male to female during the twentieth century — and expect Jo(e) to follow suit in due course. This says a lot about our — and the Vikings”””” — attitude to the importance of male children, and the relative impact of experimental/cross-gender naming on boys and girls.”

The symposium sought to broaden the picture of Viking men, opening up the range of ways in which men were men in the Viking world.

Shaw said: “The Midlands Viking Symposium brings cutting edge research to a wider public, but it””””s just as important that it brings the wider public to the researchers — looking beyond academia opens up ways of thinking about the Vikings and their legacy that feed back into and enrich research.” (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: anxieties, boys and girls, conservatism, Conservative Attitude, Cross Gender, Cutting Edge Research, Female Versions, Girls Science, leicester university, Male Names, masculinity, philip shaw, Relative Impact, Softies, university of nottingham, University Researcher, Viking Age, Viking Men, Viking World, Weapons And Warfare

Discrimination linked to depression among minority kids

May 3, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, May 3 (ANI): A new research has shown that children who experience discrimination are more susceptible to becoming depressed.

Lee M. Pachter, co-author of the study and professor of pediatrics at Drexel University College of Medicine and St. Christopher”s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, and his colleagues surveyed 277 minority children ages 9-18 years to determine the contexts in which they perceive racism and the relationship between discrimination, depression and self-esteem.

Participants filled out questionnaires that included 23 scenarios in which they might perceive discrimination, such as being followed by a store security guard, getting poor service in a restaurant or being accused of doing something wrong at school. About two-thirds of the children were Latino or African American, and 19 percent were multiracial.

Results showed that 88 percent had at least one experience with racism, and nearly 12 percent had experienced racial discrimination in at least half of the situations described in the survey.

The most common forms of discrimination were racial remarks, being called insulting names and being followed by security guards in stores.

Experiences were similar for Latinos and African Americans, boys and girls, and younger and older children.

“Not only do most minority children experience discrimination, but they experience it in multiple contexts: in schools, in the community, with adults and with peers.” Pachter said.

“It”s kind of like the elephant in the corner of the room. It”s there, but nobody really talks about it. And it may have significant mental and physical health consequences in these children”s lives,” Pachter added.

Researchers also administered the Child Depression Inventory and the Rosenberg Self Esteem Questionnaire to 52 minority children.

They found a significant correlation between perceived racism and depression, self-esteem and depression, but not between racism and self-esteem.

Pachter said that the next step is to look at whether discrimination creates stress that leads to racial/ethnic disparities in physical and mental health.

The study has been presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: boys and girls, Child Depression, Children Experience, co-author, college of medicine, Depression Inventory, Drexel University College, Drexel University College Of Medicine, health consequences, Insulting Names, Minority Children, Minority Kids, Pachter, physical health, Racial Discrimination, Racial Remarks, s hospital, security guard, security guards, Store Security

Vienna Cardinal: church must accept guilt on abuse

April 1, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Thu, Apr 1 08:30 AM

The Catholic Church as a whole must accept its guilt and its collective responsibility for sexual abuse committed by its members, Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn said on Wednesday.

Schoenborn was addressing 3,000 believers in an emotional and unconventional mass ahead of Easter entitled “We are furious, God!” and devoted solely to the theme of abuse. The church has been shaken by revelations of sexual abuse by priests several European countries and of coverups by the hierarchy.

“Some of us have talked about the gracious God and yet done evil to those who were entrusted to them,” Schoenborn said in Vienna’s gothic St. Stephen’s Cathedral in a ceremony held with the critical lay group “We Are Church” and abuse victims.

“Some of us have used sexual violence… Some of us have robbed boys and girls of their childhood,” he said in a part of the service he read together with an Austrian theologian.

Schoenborn, who was brought into the prominent Vienna position after his predecessor quit amid sexual abuse charges in 1995, also admitted cover-ups. “For some of us, the church’s immaculate appearance was more important than anything else.”

“We, the people of God, His church, carry this guilt together,” he said. “We confess our guilt to the many whom we have wronged as church, and whom some of us have wronged very directly.”

A wave of reports of child sexual abuse in Austrian Catholic institutions was triggered by the resignation of the arch-abbot of Salzburg’s St Peter’s monastery earlier this month after admitting to sexually abusing a boy 40 years ago.

CHURCH HOTLINES

During the Wednesday evening service, accounts of abuse victims or their relatives were read that told of their suffering, even years or decades later, of anger against the perpretrators and the Church who did not hold them accountable.

Similar revelations in church and secular institutions in Germany have also encouraged more Austrian victims to report cases, many of which happened decades ago. More than 500 have called regional church hotlines for victims this year so far.

“It’s a painful experience for the church. But what is this pain compared to the pain of the victims that we have ignored,” he said. “When those victims now speak, then God is speaking to us, to His church, to awaken and to cleanse us.”

Recent abuse scandals in European countries including Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands have shaken the Vatican and led to calls for an end to priestly celibacy, a cleanout of the Catholic Church hierarchy and the resignation of the Pope, although this is seen as unlikely.

Schoenborn, a close advisor and former student of Pope Benedict, has already called for the Church to openly discuss taboo issues such as celibacy, priestly training and more liberal social attitudes to sex.

Schoenborn has been one of the most open prelates towards victims’ abuse groups and has dismissed tendencies in the Church to sidestep criticism by blaming anti-catholic media bias and pointing to abuse in secular context.

“Abuse within the Church is particularly severe because it disgraces the holy name of God,” he said.

(Writing by Boris Groendahl; editing by Ralph Boulton)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Abbot, Abuse Victims, boys and girls, Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, Catholic Institutions, Child Sexual Abuse, collective responsibility, Coverups, Gracious God, guilt, Hotlines, monastery, Secular Institutions, Service Accounts, Sexual Abuse By Priests, Sexual Abuse Charges, sexual violence, st peter, theologian, Wednesday Evening Service

Banish the cell phone, says ‘baba’ MP

March 17, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) The ubiquitous cell phone is the epitome of all evil that would bedevil your sex life, damage your brain and make you a liar! That is the view of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Lok Sabha MP Prasanna Kumar Patasani, once a Maoist guerrilla and now a saffron-clad ‘baba’.

The MP from Bhubaneswar, who holds a mace even inside the house and is married with three children, advises young boys and girls to banish the mobile phone from their lives because even one year of its use could be harmful.

‘I have seen young boys and girls using the mobile phone for hours for romantic chat. If you continue this for one year… you will fail at the time of having sex,’ Patasani told IANS.

That’s not all.

‘Continuous usage of mobile phone will cause damage to the brain. Its radiation is harmful and it causes sexual problems,’ said Patasani, a renowned Oriya poet who spent some time in the Himalayas in the 1970s.

‘Don’t keep it in your pocket. Its radiation will harm your heart and other organs,’ said the man who was an Orissa cabinet minister in 1990-95.

Patasani says proudly that he refused to accept a mobile provided to all MPs from parliament.

Labelling it an ‘instrument of liar’ and a ‘time killing’ instrument, he said: ‘I have not taken it because of these scientific reasons.’

People carrying mobile phones, he went on, are compelled to lie to their family members and bosses when asked about their whereabouts.

‘So, it is an instrument of liar,’ said the MP, who studied in Singapore.

He said he meditated for more than eight years in a cave in Himalayas after accepting Maharshi Mahesh Yogi as his guru. He went underground after the then Congress government slapped the Maintenance of Internal Security Act on him for associating with Naxalites.

Patasani, who is president of more than 50 educational institutions and organisations, was first elected to Lok Sabha in 1998. He served as a legislator in the Orissa assembly for 18 years, from 1980 to 1998.

He has travelled to more than 100 countries and delivered a speech on various subjects, including on yoga and transcendental meditation.

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New ACT police chief

March 16, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

The ACT Government has announced Assistant Commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg is the new ACT Chief Police Officer.

Assistant Commissioner Quaedvlieg has worked with the former national crime authority and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in the area of covert enforcement.

He is replacing Michael Phelan who was promoted to AFP Deputy Commissioner.

Assistant Commissioner Quaedvlieg says he has been thinking hard about his new role.

“My priorities are dealing with anti-social behaviour particularly that which is alcohol-fuelled, dealing with property crime, car thefts and break and enters,” he said.

“Obviously road safety, maintaining our focus, our aspiration to keep the road fatalities to a single digit for the annual figure.”

He says he wants his police officers to be a visible presence in the capital .

“Community policing is all about being at the coal face getting our boys and girls on the front-line and visible to the community particularly in areas where there are high manifestations of anti-social behaviour ,” he said.

“I’m talking about the inner-city precincts at particular times in the weekend and night time.

“I have every intention of insuring we have the maximum number of police at the front-line.”

‘Up to the task’

The Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA) has thrown its support behind Assistant Commissioner Quaedvlieg.

Spokesman Jim Torr says the new chief officer is up to the difficult task.

“Canberra’s a very challenging place to police, it’s unlike any other jurisdiction in Australia,” he said.

“It’s the home of many of the nation’s treasures, it has a influx of important people three or four or five times a year and so he’s got a big responsibility in front of him.”

Mr Torr says the AFPA supports having more front-line officers.

“While there have been inroads of recent times the operational front-line is what policing is all about … that’s where public safety and police safety are affected,” he said.

“That’s where you need senior people with less experienced newer recruits in the right numbers and with the appropriate backup when emergencies evolve.”

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Unemployed Sikkim youth receive traditional Buddhist art training

March 15, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Gangtok, Mar 15 (ANI): Sikkim”s Handicrafts and Handloom Department is imparting training to the unemployed youth in an attempt to promote and preserve ethnic Buddhist arts and crafts.

The institution is a unique combination of training-cum-production spread over 20 centres in Sikkim.

Boys and girls in the age group of 14 to 24 years, learn the skills of this traditional art to earn a living out of it and make their future bright.

“There are less opportunities in village. So in order to make our future bright I have come to this institution to learn the art. In this institution we are learning the basic skills and also receiving stipend at the same time,” said Passand Bhutia, a trainee.

“After receiving training, we can work in this institution on a contract basis. We are learning more about our traditional art and also making our future bright,” he added.

The youths are being trained in hand-woven carpets with traditional motifs, blankets, Angora and Lepcha woven shawls, ”thangka” paintings, woodcarvings, hand-painted masks and toys.

According to the Assistant Director Chozang Lepcha, the trainees receive a stipend of 700-900 rupees, which helps them become self-independent.

“All the trainees come either from our own city or from far-flung areas. They are either unemployed or school dropouts because of their poor economic conditions. Therefore government is providing them stipend depending on their period of training,” said Chozang Lepcha.

“During the first year of their training, trainees receive a stipend of 700 rupees per month and after one year they receive 900 rupees per month. The stipend is given to them so that they can become independent and confident to earn a living,” added Lepcha.

Directorate of Handloom and Handicraft, which was earlier known as the Palden Thondup Cottage Industries, was established in the year 1957 by the then king of Sikkim, Sir Tashi Namgyal. (ANI)

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Canada’s first winter cricket league becomes an Indian carnival

March 8, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

TORONTO: After getting official recognition as national sport from the Canadian government in 2008, cricket in Canada has now got its first winter league.

Launched here by the Cricket Champions League, the league has drawn a huge response from the South Asian community.

It features 14 teams, including three women’s teams, and will run till April 24. Called ‘Cricket for Haiti,’ it will donate all its money to the victims of the January earthquake in Haiti.

Interestingly, it is the first league in the world where cricket is being played indoors, and women pitting against boys.

League promoters have turned the event into a South Asian carnival by using emails, going on radio and TV, dropping fliers at grocery stores, temples and gurdwaras, and convassing in the community to enrol boys and girls for the event.

The promoters, headed by Indian-born Atul Ahuja, former CEO of Cricket Canada , say their aim is to use the winter months to take the sport to new cities of the country.

“We have got a huge response. Now that we have got the status of national sport from the government, leagues are the way to develop cricket in Canada ,” Ahuja told IANS.

“Since we have a growing South Asian and Caribbean community in Canada who follow cricket, not NHL (National Hockey League), cricket has a bright future in this country.

“As the winter here is very long here, the league will provide continuity in skill development for our boys and women,” said Ahuja.

“Hopefully, we will soon take cricket to every corner of Canada by replicating the Toronto experiment everywhere,” he said.

Rita Jethi, promoter and former member of the Indian women’s cricket team in the 1970s, said, “Cricket will be number one sport here soon. There is a tremendous fascination with the sport, but till now people had no platform to show their potential.”

Nineteen-year-old Tarun Pothugunta, who immigrated with his family from Hyderabad to Canada in 2007, said the winter league couldn’t have come at better time for him.

“I played little cricket in India . But winter months have enabled me become part of this cricketing event. Lots of south Asian youngsters like me are now taking cricket seriously,” said the Hyderabad-born player.

Since its official recognition in 2008, cricket has made big progress in Canada.

The country, which is an associate member of the ICC, staged its first T20 national league in May 2008 and the Scotiabank-sponsored triangular series featuring the West Indies, Bermuda and the hosts in August.

Later, it staged the world’s first Twenty20 Canada Cup quadrangular series featuring Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Zimbabwe and the hosts.

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Kashmiri youth keep Quranic calligraphy tradition alive

March 6, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Srinagar, Mar 5 (ANI): Youth in Kashmir keep the centuries old tradition of Quranic calligraphy alive with their utmost devotion to this great art form.

Calligraphy, known as “Khatati” in Persian and “Khoshnevisi” in Urdu, was popular all over the world especially Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and different parts of India, including Hyderabad, Lucknow and Mumbai.

But in today”s world this precious art form has lost its importance. However, in Kashmir valley, the art is still alive, thanks to the initiative of Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art Culture and Languages under whose supervision and guidance, young Kashmiri youth are learning this art form.

Young boys and girls get themselves enrolled for a three-year calligraphy diploma course at the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art Culture and Languages.

Students say that since calligraphy is a part of rich Kashmiri tradition and culture, they want to keep the art alive and pass it on to the future generation.

“The art of calligraphy has been going on since the time of Mughal king and our teacher out here also encourages us to learn the art so that the art remains alive in Kashmir valley and we can also pass it on to the coming generation,” said Showkat Bhat, a calligraphy student.

“Both boys and girls are interested and it is a good thing. But yes, as for boys they can learn the art and can go outside like they can write on the tombs in graveyards. But for us, we cannot go out but if anyone wants his/her book to be handwritten, we can do that by sitting at home,” said Shaheen Khan, another student.

Quranic calligraphy is a form of artistic writing using the Arabic script. It dates back to the seventh century when calligraphy was written on parchments or papyrus to make copies of the Islamic holy book, the Quran. (ANI)

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Megan Fox’s lesbian kiss in ‘Jennifer’s Body’ surfaces on net

September 6, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, September 6 (ANI): Actress Megan Fox is apparently livid after her steamy lesbian scene in new film ‘Jennifer’s Body’ surfaced on the net.

The horror flick has the Transformers star and Amanda Seyfried locking lips, which has now become one of the hottest videos on YouTube even before the movie’s release.

Fox had revealed in an interview last month that she kisses a woman in the movie, reports the News of the World.

She had said: “I eat and seduce everyone. There’s a lot of kissing everyone – boys and girls. You better put on your sexy shoes for this one.”

The official trailer only has a brief glimpse of the particular scene. (ANI)

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One of the saddest moments of my political career: Andhra Governor

September 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Hyderabad, Sep.3 (ANI): Andhra Pradesh Governor N.D. Tewari on Thursday described the tragic death of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajshekhera Reddy and four others in a helicopter crash about 40 nautical miles east of the Kurnool mountaineous area as one of the saddest moments in his career, and added that it would take him some time to recover from it.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Yerran Naidu said: We are shocked by YSR’s death”.

Senior Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury said: “He was a very hands on chief minister. He did not hesitate to work hard, fight hard for issues dear to him. It is really very difficult to talk about him in the past tense.”

Asad Owaisi, the sitting MP from Hyderabad and president of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), described Reddy as a down to earth man, a person with a great temperament, a man of the masses. He said that he appreciated the good work done by YSR. He said that he was the first chief minister of Andhra Pradesh to do a lot of work for Muslims in the state.

He was also the first to provide reservation of educational seats for thousands of Muslim boys and girls.

The overall sentiment was that he was a man who focused very keenly on development-related issues and achieved many of his objectives. Not only people within his own party respected him, but also by the opposition. He was a very tall leader in Andhra Pradesh politics. (ANI)

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Oz parents still oblivious to kids’ burgeoning weight

July 16, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 16 (ANI): An Australian study has shown that many parents fail to recognize their children’s burgeoning weight, despite constant warnings about childhood obesity.

The disturbing results of the national MBF Healthwatch survey showed that only 7.9 percent of kids were considered to be overweight by their parents.

However, this is a gross underestimation according to the recent Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report, which showed almost a quarter of all children (aged two to 12) are overweight or obese.

“Parents need to be extremely conscious that their failure to recognise these weight problems can be potentially damaging to their children in the long-term,” Bupa Australia* Chief Medical Officer Dr Christine Bennett said.

“Even taking into account recent suggestions that measures of overweight might be including some children on the border, many parents don’t pick up on the risk.

“And once children become overweight, it’s often extremely difficult for them to shed these excess kilos, particularly if their diet is incorrect and they are living a sedentary lifestyle.

“Therefore, it’s incumbent upon us as parents to help ensure our children embrace healthier lifestyles,” she added.

Bennett also found that parents’ inability to recognise weight issues was markedly more pronounced with their sons.

This was typified by the fact that considerably more parents believe their daughters are overweight (10.3 percent), compared to their male siblings (5.5 percent).

However, the AIHW data showed there was little difference in the prevalence of overweight or obesity between boys and girls.

Bennett said that she was particularly concerned regarding parents’ perceptions of infants (aged up to two years old), with not one parent recognising that their son was overweight, compared to 8 percent for daughters.

“It is genuinely concerning that parents are more conscious of their daughters’ weight than their sons, and this has to change,” Bennett said.

“Unfortunately, this may mean an overwhelming number of boys experiencing weight problems will not receive timely assistance to rectify the problem as a direct result of their parents’ failure to recognise and address the problem at a young age,” she added. (ANI)

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Daniel Radcliffe says he won’t date Emma Watson

July 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, July 7 (ANI): Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has revealed that he won’t date his co-star Emma Watson.

The 19-year-old actor has said that a relationship between him and Watson, 19, who plays Hermione Granger, would be “everything the fans ever wanted”, but it was just not happening.

He said that there has been ‘something really incestuous’ about the idea of him dating Watson.

“There was never anybody I fancied that much in the cast, though the conspiracy theorists always like to say that me and Emma are dating,” the Independent quoted him as telling Esquire magazine.

“We know it’d be everything the fans ever wanted.

“I’m sorry guys, it’s not happening. It’s just not. There’s something really incestuous about the idea of it,” he added.

However, Radcliffe said that the teenage stars of the boy wizard films were all “unbelievably horny” between the filming of the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and the fifth, Harry Potter and the Order of the

“There was a period when we were the only boys and girls any of us knew,” he said.

“And so, you know, we were all unbelievably horny from about the third film to probably about the end of the fifth; then it all settled down,” he added. (ANI)

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Tribal children being trained as boxers in Jharkhand

July 6, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Dhanbad, July 6 (ANI): Several tribal boys and girls are being motivated to develop skills in boxing sport at a boxing club at Chalkari in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad region.

These teenaged boys and girls belong to Birhor, a tribal community of Jharkhand.

Under the auspices of the Dhanbad District Amateur Boxing Association (DDABA), the club has been instituted as part of a plan to take the sport to the village-level.

The boxing coach at the club believes that these kids are much stronger than urban kids and capable of performing well in the competitive ring, if trained and groomed well.

“I think the village children especially the tribal children are stronger than the city children. I chose the Birhor children because they are the least educated and deprived. I want to help them in getting noticed and bring them onto the map of India through boxing,” says Paritosh Kumar, Coach-cum-Secretary, DDABA.

The coach hopes to train the kids for district and State-level boxing competitions and further help them find a platform to showcase their talent as scientific boxers.

Each trainee has been provided with a boxing kit worth rupees a thousand rupees, including two pairs of mittens and gloves, two head-guards and two punching bags.

Budding pugilists are thrilled to learn the sport for professional purpose in future. They believe that even they can do something remarkable in the ring, if given an opportunity.

“We learn boxing in the mornings and evenings. This is going to help us move ahead in life,” said Mahesh, a trainee from Birhor community, Chalkari.

On their part, the parents too are a delighted lot. Sharing their enthusiasm, they believe that learning the sport is supplementing their children’s education.

“Our children are studying and also learning the sport of boxing. Such things were not there earlier. It feels very good,” said Phoolchand, a local resident of Birhor.

Birhor tribe is one of the primitive tribes of Jharkhand. Today, it is a small, nomadic tribe which is on the verge of extinction.

The members of the tribe make a living by hunting, gathering honey and making ropes from tree fibres. Life expectancy among the Birhors is as low as 38 years. (ANI)

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Kids’ physical activity improves when parents back vigorous team sports

July 6, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 6 (ANI): A new study has shown that parents who value strenuous team sports are more likely to influence their kids to join a team or at least participate in some kind of exercise, and spend less time in front of the TV or computer.

For the study, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Duke University examined a sample of 681 parents of 433 fourth- and fifth-graders from 12 schools in Houston.

They found that those parents who conveyed the importance of high-intensity team sports to their children had more active children.

Both the boys and girls watched less TV and spent less time on their computers.

However, the study also found that endorsing all types of exercise – both team sports and individual sports – increased boys’ activity levels but not girls’.

“The difference between activity levels in the girls and boys had to do with the parents’ attitudes toward the types of activities. Parents encouraged sons to partake in vigorous- and moderate-intensity team and individual sports, and vigorous-intensity home chores, such as heavy yard work, more than they encouraged these activities for their daughters,” said lead author Cheryl Braselton Anderson, PhD.

“There still is gender bias on encouraging boys to participate in certain sports and strenuous activities more than girls,” Anderson added.

The findings appear in the July issue of Health Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association. (ANI)

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Visually impaired kids perform adventure sports with ease

July 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Barapatthar (Uttarakhand), July 2 (ANI): A group of visually challenged kids amazed everyone with their grit and determination when they performed activities like rock climbing, river crossing and trekking with apparent ease.

At a camp in Barapattar of Uttarakhand, the group of around 25 school kids showed real grit and determination as they overcame their fears to climb the rocks and perform river-.

The experience left the boys and girls on a high.

“I’m enjoying a lot. The instructors are good and are helping us a lot. They are guiding us at every step,” said Ramesh, a performer.

“The instructors and teachers are good and help us a lot. We did not face any difficulty in performing these activities,” said Sushma, another performer.

The instructors had to take a little extra care while training the kids. But they lauded the enthusiasm shown by the boys and girls.

“We have to take extra care with them… The kids have shown excellent capability. It is through their efforts that they have been able to do it. We can only try and guide them. They have to make the effort… Their enthusiasm is worth praising,” said Jayanto Pal, instructor.

The exercises were aimed at providing the kids with a taste of adventure and give them an enjoyable experience just like other kids.

The exercise also instilled in them, confidence of overcoming their physical impediment and achieve something in life. By Vipul Goel (ANI)

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