GLOBAL COCKTAILS

Following the Christmas Day bomber incident, London's Heathrow airport issued a warning, that all passengers randomly selected to be scanned by the x-ray technology must do so, or risk not boarding the plane. Travelers were concerned about their privacy because the machines churn out near-naked photos of passengers in order to expose any harmful objects under the clothing. The UK Transport Secretary Lord Adonis, however, assured that the images were immediately deleted. Yet, recently the naked body scans of Indian actor, Shahrukh Khan, were printed and later presented to the star by airport staff hoping for autographs. "You've got to see them. It makes you embarrassed - if you're not well endowed," said Khan, commenting on how the scans produce clear images of a person's genitals. The body scanners were already under dispute, and considered by opponents as a breach of privacy and the basic notion of innocent until proven guilty. Now in addition, international radiation safety groups are also warning about the health risks they pose. Overall, it seems the ugly aspects of these controversial scanners are becoming more and more exposed. [PP]