Venkey On Your Side

While China has blamed New Delhi for trying to provoke Beijing by orchestrating Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama's controversial visit to Arunachal Pradesh, India has rubbished the allegation.

"The Dalai Lama went to southern Tibet at this critical moment probably because of pressure from India. By doing so, he can please the country that has hosted him for years," the People's Daily quoted Hu Shisheng, a researcher at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, as saying.

The report published in China's state-run newspaper Global times even said that India seems to have forgotten the lessons of 1962 war.

"India may have forgotten the lesson of 1962, when its repeated provocation resulted in military clashes warning. India is on this wrong track again...When the conflict gets sharper and sharper, the Chinese government will have to face it and solve it in a way India has designed," Hu said.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor, on Monday denied Chinese charges, pointing out that New Delhi does not deal with the travels of religious figures.

"The Dalai Lama is free to travel anywhere in India... I have not heard the suggestion comes from us as we do not deal with the spiritual travels of spiritual leaders. He has to visit his flock as he sees fit," Tharoor told the India Economic Summit.

He added that he was "sure that the initiative (to visit Tawang) would have come from him".

Tharoor also said that India had been "very generous" by giving over "58,000 business visas" to the Chinese.

"As far as our basic policy is concerned, we would certainly be hesitant to offer employment to a foreigner for a job which could be done by an Indian in India," said Tharoor.

Earlier, addressing the mass at Arunachal's Tawang, Dalai Lama said Beijing's accusations that his visit was anti-China and damaging to India-China relations are "baseless".

"My visit to Tawang is non-political and aimed at promoting universal brotherhood and nothing else," the Nobel Peace laureate had said.

Source: http://sify.com/news/china-says-india-has-forgotten-lessons-of-1962-war-news-international-jljrOccgbae.html

At least 40 world leaders have said they will attend climate change talks in Denmark next month, but there are still fears that there will be few tangible results after preparatory meetings ended with scant progress.

The weeklong talks in Barcelona, which ended on Friday, exposed the divide between rich and developing nations on sharing the burden of proposed cuts in emission of gases believed to cause global warming.

Yvo de Boer, the head of the UN Climate Change Secretariat, said that inviting the world leaders to Copenhagen for the December 7-18 talks could help overcome any unresolved issues.

"My understanding is that 40 heads of state have indicated their intention to be present," he said.

They include Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, and Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, as well as leaders of African and Caribbean nations.

Delegates have suggested that any deal could include a statement of long-term objectives, along with a series of supplemental decisions on technology transfers, rewards for halting deforestation, and building infrastructure in poor countries to adapt to global warming.

'Political deal' row

But developing nations have been angered by suggestions from rich nations at Barcelona that a "political deal" be done in Copenhagen, with another six to 12 months then taken to draw up a legal binding text.

"Developed countries are acting as a brake towards any meaningful progress" Lumumba Stanislaus Di-Aping of Sudan, the chair of the Group of 77 and China, representing poor nations, said.

African nations had boycotted some of the talks on Tuesday in protest at the suggestion.

Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher, reporting from Barcelona, said: "The polar ice caps are receding, Africa is likely to face more droughts, other places will face floods, coastal states are looking at rising sea levels.

"With a legally binding agreement at least a year away scientists are warning every delay makes a solution even harder."

Dessima Williams of Grenada, which was representing small island states which say they risk being swamped by rising sea levels, said that any deal would have to be legally binding.

"Lives and the very existence of whole nations are at stake," she said.

De Boer said that there was too little time to produce a full legal text at Copenhagen.

But he said that the meeting should at least set 2020 emissions goals for all rich nations, agree on actions by the poor to slow their rising emissions, and approve ways to raise billions in funding.

"I believe that the US can commit to a number in Copenhagen," he said.

Slow progress

The US is still to present its position or suggest emissions targets because of the slow progress of climate legislation through congress.

The aim of the negotiations has been to broker an agreement building on the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. Without a new one, there will be no international regulation governing carbon emissions.

Speaking on Friday, Kevin Conrad, the Papua New Guinea delegate at the Barcelona talks, said: "Part of the frustration is that a deal is so close ... all the elements are there.

"But it's absolutely conceivable for senior people to come together and spend a week and clean all this up."

UN scientists say that rich countries must cut carbon emissions by 25 per cent to 40 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020 to prevent the Earth's temperatures from rising two degrees Celsius above its average temperature before the industrial era began 150 years ago.

in depth

Divided over a climate deal
'Climate change a conflict risk'
Malawi's winds of change
Burning issue of Spain's wetlands
Staying in tune with the planet
Haitians face climate despair
India's disappearing coastline
Kenya drought 'has spared no one'
The 'ground zero' of climate change
Central Asian lake under threat

World total CO2 emissions

Since 1751, roughly 315 billion tonnes (metric tons) of carbon have been released to the atmosphere from the consumption of fossil fuels and cement production. (1)

Half of these emissions have occurred since the mid 1970s
The 2004 global fossil-fuel CO2 emission estimate of 7,910 million tonnes of carbon is an all-time high
The 2004 number is a 5.4% increase over 2003

NOTE: This chart shows carbon emissions, not CO2. The atomic weight of carbon is 12 and oxygen is 16. Therefore, the atomic weight of carbon dioxide is 44. Based on that ratio, and assuming complete combustion, 1 kilo of carbon combines with 2.667 kilos of oxygen to produce 3.667 kilos of carbon dioxide.

Source: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2009/11/200911741650511736.html

She is known for her unconventional choices and now US first lady Michelle Obama is setting another precedent by the first presidential wife to appear on a reality TV series. The First Lady will make a guest appearance on the popular series ''Iron Chef America'' which features British cook Nigella Lawson as a judge, reported Daily Mail online.

The episode of the popular series, which pits well-known chefs against each others, has been filmed at the White House and will be aired in the New Year. Many of the ingredients for the meals prepared in the show were chosen from the recently planted White House vegetable garden.

Michelle agreed to take part in the show to promote her campaign of healthy living. During the show, which attracts an audience of 1.5m in the US, she will be seen talking to the chefs about the importance of getting children to eat vegetables.

It is the first time a First Lady, or even a member of the White House staff, has featured in a TV reality show. The move is likely to open up the White House to more criticism over its increasing links to Hollywood.

Last week it was revealed that a list of visitors to the White House in the first nine months of the Obama presidency was peppered with celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Denzel Washington. PTI KKR VSS.

Source: http://in.news.yahoo.com/20/20091106/388/ten-michelle-obama-to-star-in-reality-sh.html

U.S. President Barack Obama was voted in as America's 44th President one year ago, on a balmy evening on Nov 4th, a decision that was hailed by world leaders, global citizens and a country that was reeling under the after effects of the Bush administration. Though this decision met with disapproval by a fair percentage of detractors, mostly those who had praised John McCain's candidacy as the answer to America's myriad problems, Obama won the hearts of millions of Americans and billions of people the world over, who watched his acceptance speech peppered with liberal (pun unintended) doses of "Yes, we can" with moist eyes and hands on their hearts.

Obama's foray into the public eye was his interview on Oprah, where she was quick to proclaim him as the answer to all the ills and malaises that plagued the country, much before he announced his candidacy to the office of the most powerful man in the world. Seen as an articulate, well-read man who could hold the audience's attention with just one line, Obama's popularity during the Presidential elections was on display not only on traditional media like TV and newspapers, but also extensively felt across the net. There was the Obama fan girl phenomenon on Youtube, the Vote for Obama campaign on Facebook and his own Twitter account, which sees thousands of new followers everyday.

One year after that historic election, Republicans took back two states run by Democrats. Obama followers would say that this is not a reflection of President Obama's policies or the decline of the honeymoon period with American voters. Does President Obama continue to resonate with the American public? The optimism of Obama's aides may not be stretched as evidenced by the huge fan following he commands on the net.

Some of the decisions he's taken while in office like giving aid to Pakistan and the ongoing health reform debate have been widely criticized and questioned, but his popularity doesn't seem to be waning at all. On the contrary, it seems to be on the upswing. His secret mantra is his ability to reach out to people, say experts. He connects with men and women, young and old, domestic and foreign, rich and poor - be it any divide, he's managed to bridge every one, because he listens, even to his detractors. He took to Twitter on his first anniversary to tweet about the messages pouring in, be it congratulatory or criticism. He seems to have understood that there are various platforms on which to connect with people and doesn?t restrict himself to the four walls of the White Office and its dais. And he uses every single one of them to reach out.

He still has a good 3 years left in which he hopes to bring in a lot of reform and bring back the country to its old glory, but that aside, Barack Obama is all poised to go down in history as the net savvy leader of our times.

Source: http://in.news.yahoo.com/242/20091105/1342/twl-obama-the-net-savvy-prez.html

For the beauty and cosmetics industry, it seems but a short leap from Hippocrates' ancient dictum 'Let thy food be thy medicine' to the new-age fad of facelifts through foods and beverages laced with substances like collagen.

This route to beauty has been gaining ground over the last two years and is being accorded the status of a miracle worker. It even goes under the fancy tag of 'nutri-cosmetics'.

Foods that come under this label are also often called internal beauty aids. And the list of such aids is getting longer by the day.

A country such as ours will be the next stop for such products. Currently in some other parts of the world, water enhanced with plant extracts and vitamins is marketed as 'drinkable skin care'. It is purported to moisturise the skin and to improve its elasticity. Other fellow travellers on the bandwagon include collagen marshmallows (to plump the skin), anti ageing jam and "skin treatment infused" gummy bears that supposedly make the skin more elastic.

The new kid on the block is collagen coffee. It is touted as a wrinkle remover. Among the substances being added to foods and beverages for beauty enhancement are pomegranate, green tea, biotin, niacin and Omega-3 fatty acids.

Of course, the cosmetics and beauty industry will try any gimmick to boost revenues. The moot point is whether the addition of collagen and other substances to foods and beverages is simply a gimmick or does it lead to an enhanced and youthful look? And does it have any harmful side effects?

There is no reliable data to either refute or to justify the claims. The beauty industry is not renowned for conducting rigorous clinical trials. On the other hand, nutritional science says that collagen when ingested orally as a food will be reduced by the digestive process into small bits of protein. These small bits of protein do not have any special benefit for the skin. The same inferences seem valid for many of the other nutri-cosmetics.

Some experts believe that the presence of these special substances occurs in mega doses in the internal beauty aids and they feel that this could be harmful for healthy people who are otherwise in good nutritional condition.

The best course of action for healthy individuals looking to preserve their looks past their youth is to stick to a balanced diet and to get regular exercise. Additionally, they need to sleep adequately and follow some methods to de-stress. This time-tested regimen will probably ensure the same results that they expect from the use of the nutri-cosmetics and at far lower costs. The added advantage is that it will certainly be safer!

Source: http://in.news.yahoo.com/48/20091024/1248/twl-mirror-mirror-on-the-wall-which-is-t.html

Incidents of violence against women on mainstream U.S. television has increased by 120 percent in the past five years, with the depiction of teen girls as victims rising by some 400 percent, the Parents Television Council said in a report on Wednesday.

The media watchdog said it was particularly disturbed by the use of violence against women in comedies and said it hoped TV networks and advertisers would stand up against the trend.

"I hope the industry will look at our data and be as shocked as I was," PTC president Tim Winter told reporters.

The report suggested that violent acts against women and teen girls was increasing at rates that far exceed the two percent increase in overall violence that the study found existed on TV between 2004-2009.

The PTC compared prime-time programming on networks ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox in February and May 2004 and the same months in 2009. It said every network except ABC showed a dramatic increase in stories that included beatings, violent threats, shooting, rape, stabbing and torture.

The PTC findings reflect a sharp rise in the number of crime series on TV, such as the popular CBS franchise "CSI" which is one of America's most-watched drama series.

But the report singled out Fox, saying the network allowed violence against women to be trivialized through punch lines in its satirical animated comedies "Family Guy" and "American Dad." It cited one May 2009 episode of "Family Guy" in which a character gets divorced under a fictional 18th century procedure -- by shooting his wife dead.

The Parents Television Council, founded in 1995 to highlight children's exposure to sex, violence and profanity on television, said it was concerned that U.S. television was contributing to an atmosphere in which violence directed at women was viewed as normal.

"The fact is that children are influenced by what they see on TV and that certainly includes media violence," said Melissa Henson, the group's public education director.

A second TV pressure group, TV Watch, accused the PTC of seeking to expand government control over TV output and said parents should have the final say on what their children watch.

"This so-called 'study' is...an attempt to force all television contents to conform to their own beliefs. Parents have the tools to enforce the decisions about their children's viewing," Jim Dyke, executive director of TV Watch said in a statement.

Source: http://in.news.yahoo.com/137/20091029/1509/tls-violence-against-women-female-teens.html

India today made clear its opposition to China''s participation in projects in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, saying it treats any such activity as "illegal". External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said India has also taken up with China the matter relating to issuance of visas to Kashmiris on loose sheets instead of passports and asked it to apply uniform visa norm for all Indian nationals.

"Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Any activity by any country in Jammu and Kashmir is illegal and this has been made known to all concerned," Krishna told reporters here in response to a question about Chinese participation in developmental projects in PoK. China is assisting Pakistan in building a mega power project and construction of a highway in Karakoram range in PoK. Chinese President Hu Jintao, during his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani in Beijing recently, emphasised his country''s commitment to these projects.

Krishna, who held talks with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi here yesterday, said the matter relating to issuance of visas to Kashmiris was discussed. "They (Chinese side) said they made no discrimination.

We are insisting that there should be a uniform visa norm for Indian nationals," Krishna said. To a poser about India not being seen as assertive vis-a-vis China, he said New Delhi seeks relations with everyone as equal and based on mutual respect, regardless of any nation''s economic or military might.

Source: http://in.news.yahoo.com/20/20091028/1416/tnl-chinese-participation-in-pok-project.html

Iraqi officials have raised the death toll from Sunday's bombings in Baghdad to 155 and they say another 500 people were wounded in the explosions.

The co-ordinated attacks, near the justice and local government ministries and the provincial government HQ, were Baghdad's bloodiest since April 2007.

Suicide bombers detonated two vehicles, a lorry at a busy junction near the two ministries and a car in a parking bay.

US President Barack Obama branded the attacks "hateful and destructive".

These bombings serve no purpose other than the murder of innocent men, women and children

Back to the bad old days for Iraq?

American troops have been called in to help the investigation and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has pledged that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

Mr Obama said in a statement: "I strongly condemn these outrageous attacks on the Iraqi people, and send my deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones.

"These bombings serve no purpose other than the murder of innocent men, women and children, and they only reveal the hateful and destructive agenda of those who would deny the Iraqi people the future that they deserve."

Iran's foreign ministry joined international condemnation, saying such actions "aim to wreck stability and the process of reinforcing democratic structures".

'Cowardly terrorism'

The bombs exploded in quick succession at 1030 (0730 GMT) near the heavily-fortified Green Zone, Baghdad's administrative centre, as people headed to work during the rush hour.

Army spokesman Maj Gen Qassim Atta said the lorry was loaded with a tonne of explosives and the car was carrying 700kg (1,500lb) of explosive material.

Traffic restrictions in the street which was hit were eased six months ago and blast walls repositioned, as part of a programme which Mr Maliki had said showed progress in countering insurgents.

Dozens of the dead were said to be employees at the two offices. No-one has yet said they carried out the attack.

DEADLIEST ATTACKS SINCE 2003

Aug 2007: More than 500 killed in attacks on villages near Sinjar
Jul 2007: 150 killed in truck bombing in Tuz Khurmato
Apr 2007: 191 killed in car bombings in Baghdad
Mar 2007: 152 killed in truck bombing in Tal Afar
Feb 2007: 135 killed in truck bombing in Baghdad
Nov 2006: 202 killed in multiple blasts in Baghdad
Mar 2004: 171 killed in bombings in Baghdad and Karbala

Source: News agencies, BBC

As Mr Maliki visited the scene of the attacks on Sunday, he blamed al-Qaeda and supporters of former president Saddam Hussein.

"These cowardly terrorist attacks must not affect the determination of the Iraqi people to continue their struggle against the remnants of the dismantled regime and al-Qaeda terrorists," he said.

Overall, violence has dropped dramatically in Iraq compared to a year ago, although sporadic attacks still continue in several parts of the country.

But correspondents say there are fears that violence may increase as the country heads towards parliamentary elections scheduled for the beginning of next year.

The bombs went off as senior politicians were meeting in central Baghdad to try to break the deadlock over a draft law that would enable elections to take place in January.

The meeting ended without agreement, but will re-convene on Monday.

Last week the Iraqi parliament failed to meet a deadline to pass the legislation because of differences on a number of issues, among them whether to tell voters which candidates are on the party lists.

The US government, which has around 120,000 soldiers stationed in Iraq, says it wants all combat troops out by the end of August 2010 in preparation for a full military withdrawal by 2012.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8325600.stm

Afghan crashes kill 14 Americans

At least 14 Americans have been killed in a series of air crashes in Afghanistan, military officials say.

Four US soldiers died and two were hurt when two helicopters collided mid-air in the south, Nato-led forces said.

In a separate helicopter crash, in western Badghis province, seven US soldiers and three US civilians died.

The US said hostile fire was not believed to be to blame for either incident, but the Taliban said it was behind the Badghis crash.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmedi told the AFP news agency militants had shot down the US helicopter in the Darabam district of the province.

Another 12 Americans and 14 Afghans were also reported to have been injured in that crash.

Col Wayne Shanks, a spokesman for the Nato-led force in Afghanistan, said the authorities were still investigating the incident in Badghis, but "do not believe that enemy action was responsible".

He said the crash happened as troops were carrying out a successful anti-drugs trafficking operation in which 14 "enemy fighters" were killed.

The exact location of the crash in the south of the country has not been confirmed by the US military.

This year has seen the highest death toll of international troops in Afghanistan since the Taliban were overthrown in 2001.

There have been dozens of American soldiers among those killed, making up more than half the total foreign troop deaths in the country.

The worst single loss of US life in Afghanistan occurred in June 2005, when a Chinook helicopter was shot down in eastern Kunar province, killing 16 military personnel.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8325362.stm

Enjoying a glass of white wine on a frequent basis can damage the teeth, something many wine makers and tasters will know first-hand, experts say.

Pale plonk packs an acidic punch that erodes enamel far more than red wine, Nutrition Research reports.

It is not the wine's vintage, origin or alcohol that are key but its pH and duration of contact with the teeth.

Eating cheese at the same time could counter the effects, because it is rich in calcium, the German authors say.

It is the calcium in teeth that the wine attacks.

If you're going to have a glass of wine do so with your meal and leave a break of at least 30 minutes afterwards before you brush your teeth and go to bed
Professor Damien Walmsley of the British Dental Association

In the lab, adult teeth soaked in white wine for a day had a loss of both calcium and another mineral called phosphorus to depths of up to 60 micrometers in the enamel surface, which the researchers say is significant.

Riesling wines tended to have the greatest impact, having the lowest pH.

A "kinder" tooth choice would be a rich red like a Rioja or a Pinot noir, the Johannes Gutenberg University team found.

Power of saliva

Even if people brush their teeth after a night of drinking, over the years repeated exposure could take its toll, say Brita Willershausen and her colleagues.

Indeed, excessive brushing might make matters worse and lead to further loss of enamel.

But they said: "The tradition of enjoying different cheeses for dessert, or in combination with drinking wine, might have a beneficial effect on preventing dental erosion since cheeses contain calcium in a high concentration."

This helps neutralise and boost the remineralising power of saliva to halt the acid attack.

But eating strawberries while supping on your vino or mixing sparkling whites with acid fruit juice to make a bucks fizz may spell trouble because this only adds to the acid attack.

Professor Damien Walmsley, of the British Dental Association, said: "The ability of acidic foods and drinks to erode tooth enamel is well understood, and white wine is recognised as being more erosive than red.

"But it's the way you consume it that's all important. If you're going to have a glass of wine do so with your meal and leave a break of at least 30 minutes afterwards before you brush your teeth and go to bed.

"Consuming wine alongside food, rather than on its own, means the saliva you produce as you chew helps to neutralise its acidity and limits its erosive potential.

"And leaving time before brushing teeth gives the enamel a chance to recover from the acid attack and makes it less susceptible to being brushed away."

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8314802.stm

Captain Ricky Ponting admits he will have to take on extra responsibility with the bat during Australia's seven-match one-day series in India.

The Champions Trophy winners start the series in Vadodara on Sunday ranked as the number one side in the world.

But they are missing injured batsmen Michael Clarke and Callum Ferguson.

"I've played some of my best one-day cricket over the last few months. A lot of responsibility is on my shoulders as the number three batsman," he said.

Australia thrashed England 6-1 in a one-day series before heading off to the Champions Trophy in South Africa, where they beat New Zealand in a one-sided final.

The challenge will be how our middle-order batsmen cope with playing spin bowling

Ricky Ponting

"We could not have done better than we did in the last few one-day games, but we have a fresh set of challenges here," added Ponting, who turns 35 in December.

"India has a very good and strong one-day team and we are not underestimating them.

"We are the number one and number two teams in the world and this points to an entertaining and good contest.

"The challenge will be how our middle-order batsmen cope with playing spin bowling."

Ponting also hopes left-arm spinner Jon Holland, who is currently playing for Victoria Bushrangers in the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 competition in India, will have an impact after being selected as Nathan Hauritz's understudy.

The 22-year-old has a modest domestic record but has been given a chance to gain international experience.

India, meanwhile, will be boosted by the return of key batsmen Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh from injuries.

India squad: Mahendra Dhoni (capt & wk), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Harbhajan Singh, Sudeep Tyagi, Munaf Patel, Amit Mishra, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Ashish Nehra.

Australia squad: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Hussey, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (wkt), Shane Watson, Cameron White, Doug Bollinger, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, Jon Holland, James Hopes, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Peter Siddle, Adam Voges.

First one-day international: India v Australia
Venue: Vadodara Date: Sunday, 25 October Time: 0330 GMT

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/other_international/india/8318301.stm