We should move quickly to resolve our boundary issue: PM tells China

We should move quickly to resolve our boundary issue: PM tells China

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday outlined a new vision for the future of ties with China, detailing seven practical principles of engagement that called for greater sensitivity to core issues such as the boundary question and trans-border rivers.

We were not destined to be rivals, and we should show determination to become partners, Dr. Singh said in a speech at the Communist Party Central Committee s Party School.

Dr. Singh in his speech highlighted India s specific concerns over the boundary issue - particularly in the wake of April s three-week face-off following a Chinese incursion in Depsang, Ladakh - and on the management of trans-boundary rivers, such as the Brahmaputra, as two key areas that would determine the future course of relations.

Peace and tranquility in border areas was a cornerstone of the relationship, Dr. Singh said, adding that We should do nothing to disturb that and at the same time should move quickly to resolve our boundary issue .

Dr. Singh also called for increased consultation on complex issues such as trans-border rivers and trade imbalance .

The five other principles of engagement outlined by the Prime Minister were: greater sensitivity to each other s core concerns; a spirit of transparency to eliminate misunderstandings on issues concerning the region and periphery; greater policy coordination on global matters to increase strategic trust; taking forward economic ties; and widening people-to-people contact.

At the same time, Dr. Singh made clear that unresolved concerns on both sides - whether it is incidents in the border region, trans-border rivers or trade imbalances could become impediments to the full exploitation of the opportunities for bilateral and multilateral cooperation between India and China .

In an apparent reference to Chinese anxieties about India s relations with the United States, Dr. Singh said, Our strategic partnerships with other countries are defined by our own economic interests, needs and aspirations. They are not directed against China or anyone else.

India, he said, expect[ed] a similar approach from China , obliquely referring to New Delhi s concerns over Beijing s ties with Pakistan. During Wednesday s talks with the Chinese leadership, Dr. Singh reiterated India s concerns over Chinese investments in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

In his speech, Dr. Singh highlighted terrorism, extremism and radicalism emanating from our neighbourhood as affecting both of us directly and can create instability across Asia.

The Prime Minister also described maritime security in the Pacific and Indian Oceans as essential to India s energy security, and said it was in India s interest to see an inclusive and rule-based security architecture in Asia.

India welcomes China s emergence, Dr. Singh said. Frankly, old theories of alliances and containment are no longer relevant.

India and China cannot be contained and our recent history is testimony to this, he added. Nor should we seek to contain others.

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White House aide fired over Twitter account

White House aide fired over Twitter account

A White House national security official was fired after it was discovered that he was behind an anonymous Twitter account that criticized the Obama administration.

Jofi Joseph was non-proliferation director on the National Security Council and was involved in nuclear negotiations with Iran.

One tweet said: "More people should be asking why John Kerry installed two former aides, both with ZERO foreign policy experience, into top posts at State."

Another tweet said: "That Obama only called Kerry/Hagel AFTER he made decision with his WH aides on going to Hill underscores how all foreign policy is WH-based."

The tweet referred to Mr. Obama's surprise decision in late August to seek congressional authorization for military strikes against Syria as punishment for a chemical weapons attack in August.

Mr. Joseph could not be reached on Wednesday for comment.

In a statement to Politico, Mr. Joseph took "complete responsibility" for the Twitter feed, saying it started as a "parody account." He apologized to those he insulted.

A White House official confirmed that Mr. Joseph no longer works for the administration, but declined further comment on personnel matters.

It was not immediately clear how officials determined that Mr. Joseph was behind the Twitter account.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Wednesday he had no additional information to provide.

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India v Australia one-day international washed out

India v Australia one-day international washed out

• Australia set India a target of 296
• George Bailey scores 98

Australia's hopes of regaining the one-day No1 ranking washed away in Ranchi on Wednesday.

It didn't take any monsoon weather, but more persistent rainfall – and a less-than-effective drainage system – killed off the fourth one-day international just 4.1 overs into India's chase.

The hosts were 0-27 and eating away at Australia's target of 296 when they walked off the field and didn't return, leaving Australia up 2-1 in the series with three games to play.

To regain top spot on the ICC rankings Australia needed to win the series 6-1 but with rain expected to threaten game five in Cuttack as well, Australia are potentially just one victory from another series win on the subcontinent.
George Bailey was left frustrated by the abandonment of the game, after playing another starring role to lift the tourists to 8-295 after walking to the crease at 3-32.

"We were confident but I'm sure India probably were as well," said Bailey, who scored 98 off 94. "Given the way the series has gone ... strong batting lineup, I'm sure they would've been [but] we just felt there was enough movement in the wicket, particularly early on.

"We were hoping if we could get a couple of wickets you could make that quite challenging and certainly the pace that Mitch [Johnson] was getting it through early on, it looked like that was going to be quite difficult to play at different stages at the game."

Bailey combined beautifully with allrounder Glenn Maxwell to dig Australia out of a massive hole created when young Indian seamer Mohammed Shami (3-42 off 8) cleaned up the top order.

The pair put on a 153-run fifth-wicket partnership to undo much of Shami's early work.

It trumped Australia's previous best fifth-wicket partnership against India, the 144 compiled by Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin at Bengaluru in 2007.

The home side's fielding cost them badly, dropping six catches including Bailey twice and Maxwell (92 off 77) once – and both batsmen made India pay but not to the tune of three figures, continuing a frustrating trend of Australian batsmen not converting into centuries.

Bailey should've been out first ball, if not for Virat Kohli making a meal of a relatively simple edge from Shami. He could've been dismissed a second time, but Ravi Ashwin spilled a much tougher chance at midwicket when Bailey was on 35. Perhaps the luckiest break of all came when he was on 64 and appeared plumb lbw to occasional offspinner Suresh Raina - but was given a life by the umpire.

"I was a bit frustrated out there and found it quite difficult," Bailey said. "I think Maxy's innings was absolutely superb."

Bailey's series tally now stands at 318 runs at an average of 106. Maxwell, batting with the bravado which earned him a $1m IPL contract, switch-hit a six and a four off consecutive Ravindra Jadeja deliveries in his entertaining knock.

The umpires had one final check of the wicket at 8.35pm local time, with a view to turning India's chase into a 20-over slog, but the ground was deemed far too wet underfoot.

That was a lucky break, according to Bailey. "Certainly 50 overs we were confident ... I think the way Duckworth/Lewis is set up, I think if it had become a 20-over game it probably would've suited India quite a bit," he said.

Manna Dey, one of Indian cinema's golden voices, dies in Bangalore

Singing legend Manna Dey, who was suffering from lung infection, died in Bangalore on Thursday. He was 94.

The singer was taken to the hospital on Wednesday after his health deteriorated. He has been in and out of hospital for the past few months. "Manna Dey who was under treatment for the last four months breathed his last around 4am," KS Vasuki, a spoekesman Narayana Hrudayalaya said.
Dey, who started his playback career with 1943 film Tamanna, has sung nearly 3,500 songs in Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada and Assamese films.

His all-time hits include Sur na saje kya gaun main, Na to karanwa ki talash hai na to humsafar ki talash hain, Puchho na kaise maine rain bitayee, Laga chunari main daag, Aaja sanam madhur chandani mein hum, Dil ka haal sune dilwala, Ye raat bhigi bhigi, ye masta fijzayen, Jhanak jhanak tori baaje payaliya, Tu pyar ka saagar hai, Chunari sambhal gori udi chali jaye re and Ay meri Zohara.

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the country's highest honour in cinema, was given to the veteran singer in 2007. The Indian government has also honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1971 and the Padma Bhushan in 2005. He is survived by his two daughters.

(With inputs from agencies)

Thailand offers new deal on export of gold to India

Thailand offers new deal on export of gold to India

Thailand, on Wednesday, proposed that exporters from that country and importers from India could forego the duty benefit under the Indo-Thailand free trade agreement (FTA) and pay full duty to allow unhindered movement of yellow metal.

Worried over the restrictions on import of gold jewellery by India from Thailand, the Thailand Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Commerce, Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan, discussed the issue with the Commerce and Industry Minister, Anand Sharma, here.

"We have proposed that exporters from Thailand and also importers in India agree that they will pay tax on the gold (including gold jewellery) and things like that," Mr. Niwattumrong told reporters after the meeting.

In March, the Commerce and Industry Ministry had advised the Revenue Department to suspend preferential import of gold jewellery from Thailand. This suggestion came in the wake of doubts raised over the accuracy of information given on the Certificates of Origin issued by Thailand under the Early Harvest Scheme (a kind of free trade agreement).

Mr. Niwattumrong said that Thailand's exports of gold to India were only 3 per cent of total imports of India. "This is a private sector agreement. The FTA is still there. But in practice exporters and importers agree so that we solve the problem," he added.

The FTA with Thailand allows gold jewellery imports at a concessional customs duty of 1 per cent. This concessional rate makes gold imports attractive, especially when considering that the duty for importing standard gold bars, gold coins and non-standard gold stand at up to 10 per cent. The Department of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had alleged that some traders were bypassing rules of origin norms to import gold under the FTA with Thailand.

Under the rules of origin norms, a trader can import gold from Thailand if the value addition is 20 per cent. If strictly followed, sources said, the import of gold jewellery from Thailand should become less attractive as prices of gold in India and Thailand were the same. India, a big consumer of gold, has imposed restrictions on gold import due to rising current account deficit.

In April-December 2012, gold imports stood at $38 billion, as against $56.5 billion in the whole of 2011-12 fiscal.

Earlier, Mr. Sharma said trade between India and the four Southeast Asian nations was well below potential. The two-way commerce between India and these nations stood at $8.5 billion in 2012-13. "We need to do more. We have to look at not only increasing economic relation but deepening and diversifying the priority sectors which hold potential like IT, agri, healthcare, oil and gas and textile," he added.

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Floods pose threat to Srikakulam district

Floods pose threat to Srikakulam district

Several low lying areas of Srikakulam district were inundated, on Wednesday, for the third consecutive day following heavy North-East monsoon rains.

Kaviti, Mandasa and Kanchili received rainfall of 178.2. mm, 171.4 mm and 171.2 mm respectively till 8.30 am on Wednesday.

Rain water entered houses in Sompeta and Kanchili areas, causing inconvenience to residents.

This is for the second time in a fortnight that heavy rains hit the farmers who were yet to recover from the Phailin cyclone that damaged horticulture crops to a large extent and paddy in some areas.

District officials estimate paddy crop extending to nearly 25,000 acres could have been damaged in the latest rains.

Srikakulam Collector Saurabh Gaur directed special officers to monitor the flood situation. Irrigation officials were asked not to move from head quarters as floods posed major threat to the district. Mahendratanaya, Nagavali, Vamsadhara rivers are receiving huge inflows with a downpour in their catchments.

Fisheries department has been asked to arrange boats to evacuate people to safer places in Mandasa mandal.

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Oreo Cream Cookies Can be Harmful as Cocaine, Say Scientists

Oreo, one of the most popular cream biscuits across the globe, can affect the brain the same way as some illegal drugs, new research reveals.

Professor Joseph Schroeder and his colleagues from the Connecticut College in New London conducted experiments on rats and found that the cookies stimulated neurons in the brain's pleasure center as cocaine.  He added that all foods containing high levels of fat or sugar have the same effect on the brain.

"Our research supports the theory that high-fat/ high-sugar foods stimulate the brain in the same way that drugs do," Neuroscientist Schroeder said in a news release. "It may explain why some people can't resist these foods despite the fact that they know they are bad for them."

For their experiment, the researchers fed hungry rats Oreos and rice cakes in two sides of the maze. They allowed the animals to roam around the maze and stay in either side of the maze. Researchers recorded the time the animals spent on each side. Later, they repeated the same experiment on another group of rats, injected with drugs like cocaine, morphine and fed them saline.

The rats injected with cocaine and those which received Oreos spent equal time on the drug side of the maze. Surprisingly, while measuring the expression of a protein called c-Fos in the pleasure centre in the brain, the researchers found that Oreos triggered more neurons than cocaine or morphine. "This correlated well with our behavioral results and lends support to the hypothesis that high-fat/ high-sugar foods are addictive," said Schroeder.

"Even though we associate significant health hazards in taking drugs like cocaine and morphine, high-fat/ high-sugar foods may present even more of a danger because of their accessibility and affordability," researcher Jamie Honohan added.

The findings will be presented at the Society for Neuroscience conference in San Diego, California, next month.

The real health aspect of cookies has been a question often left unanswered. In June, a team of researchers from the Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) at Queen Mary and University of London tested 479 biscuits available in UK markets and found that a majority of the biscuits contained alarming levels of salt, and can place the younger generation at greater risk of high blood pressure later.

According to medimanage.com, cookies contain unhealthy ingredients like wheat flour, hydrogenated oils that contain Trans-fat and high levels of sugar, making it a high-calorie snack, without having any fiber or nutritious value.

Krrish-3 team in Salman Khan’s Bigg Boss!

Krrish-3 team in Salman Khan's Bigg Boss!

Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra will make their entry in to Salman Khan's Bigg Boss show for the promotion of their upcoming movie, Krrish-3. Things were not great between Sallu Bhai and Piggy Chops after she refused to act in a movie in the actor's home productions. Looks like it is the time for a patch up. The actor also recently praised her for the single she released.

Bigg Boss unit is waiting for Hrithik Roshan dates to go on with the shoots. The episode may be aired just before the movie release. It is interesting to see how the TRPs soar up to see two super star on a common dais!

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Hurdles before the release of RGV’s Satya-2

Hurdles before the release of RGV's Satya-2

Ram Gopal Varma's Satya-2 which was scheduled for release this Friday is now postponed. The differences between Ram Gopal Varma and one of the producers, Dr Arun Kumar Sharma is the reason for the postponement. The movie may be released on November 8th. While we do not know what exactly happening behind this, RGV tweeted saying "Due to issues of an issue of L R active's Arun Sharma we were strongly advised to disassociate from him..so am postponing release of Satya 2".

The movie is about a youngster who comes to Mumbai for the revival of mafia in the city after all the existing mafia gangs were subdued by Mumbai Police.Satya 2 is a bilingual and was simultaneously shot in Telugu and Hindi. Sharwanand is the hero of the Telugu version and Anaika Soti is cast opposite him.

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Petition in Pak court seeks opening of Taliban office

Petition in Pak court seeks opening of Taliban office

A petition has been filed in a Pakistani court requesting it to allow the Taliban open their office in the country in order to hold peace talks with the Nawaz Sharif government.

Advocate Kashif Mahmood Sulemani filed the petition on Tuesday in the Lahore High Court, making ministries of interior defence and finance respondents in the case.

Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf chairman cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan had asked the federal government to allow Taliban to set up their office in Peshawar so that peace dialogue with them could be facilitated.

He had cited the example of establishing Afghan Taliban's office in Qatar.

The petitioner says allowing Taliban to set up their office in Pakistan would help start and facilitate the dialogue process.

According to charter of United Nations, no sanctions can be imposed on Pakistan for holding talks with Taliban, he asserts.

He says: "Surgical strikes against Taliban in Pakistan is a grave mistake. Pakistan has been suffering a huge economic and human loss since it joined the US war on terror after 9/11."

The petitioner prays to the court to direct the federal government to allow Taliban set up their office in Pakistan and start peace dialogue with them without any delay.

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