GEOTHERMAL

GEOTHERMAL

What is Geothermal Energy?
The word geothermal comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and therme (heat). So, geothermal energy is heat from within the earth. We can use the steam and hot water produced inside the earth to heat buildings or generate electricity. Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source because the water is replenished by rainfall and the heat is continuously produced inside the earth.

Direct use of Geothermal Energy: The direct use of hot water as an energy source has been happening since ancient times. The Romans, Chinese, and Native Americans used hot mineral springs for bathing, cooking and heating. Today, many hot springs are still used for bathing, and many people believe the hot, mineral-rich waters have natural healing powers.

GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANTS: We also use geothermal energy to make electricity. A geothermal power plant works by tapping into steam or hot water reservoirs underground; the heat is used to drive an electrical generator.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Renewable Energy

What is renewable Energy?
All the energy we use comes from the earth. The electricity we use every day doesn't come directly from the earth, but we make electricity using the earth's resources, like coal or natural gas.

Both coal and natural gas are called “fossil fuels” because they were formed deep under the earth during dinosaur times.

The problem is that fossil fuels can't be replaced - once we use them up, they're gone forever. Another problem is that fossil fuels can cause pollution.


Renewable energy is made from resources that Mother Nature will replace, like wind, water and sunshine. Renewable energy is also called “clean energy” or “green power” because it doesn’t pollute the air or the water.

Why don’t we use renewable energy all the time?
Unlike natural gas and coal, we can’t store up wind and sunshine to use whenever we need to make more electricity. If the wind doesn’t blow or the sun hides behind clouds, there wouldn’t be enough power for everyone.

Another reason we use fossil fuels like coal and natural gas is because they’re cheaper. It costs more money to make electricity from wind, and most people aren’t willing to pay more on their monthly utility bills.

The five renewable sources used most often are:
Geothermal

Biomas- including wood and wood waste, municipal solid waste, landfill and biogas, ethanol, and biodiesel,

Water (Hydropower)

Wind

Solar

Nations with highest per capita income

Nations with highest per capita income:
According to the World Bank categories: Nations with per capita income (PCI) less than $935 are 'low income;' nations with PCI from $936 to $3,705 are 'lower middle income;' those with PCI from $3,706 to $11,455 are 'upper middle income;' and those with PCI from $11,456 or more are 'high income. This has been calculated using the World Bank Atlas method that employs official exchange rates for conversion.

1. Liechtenstein: So the nation with the highest per capita income in the world is Liechtenstein, a small country bordering Switzerland and Austria. Liechtenstein's per capita income is about $80,000 per annum. personal income tax rates in Liechtenstein too are exceedingly low: basic income tax rate is 1.2 per cent on income up to 200,000 Swiss Francs, and maximum is 5 per cent on income over 2 million Swiss Francs a year.
2. Bermuda: Bermuda is tourist's delight, located in the North Atlantic Ocean. Bermuda's per capita income is almost 50 per cent more than that of the United States. The tiny island nation's per capita income stands at just above $78,000. It has the second highest PCI in the world.

3. Norway: Norway's per capita income stands at $76,450, which is the third highest in the world. Norway has a mixed economy consisting of state-owned businesses and a robust free market. It's a high developed and industrialized state. Fishing, petroleum, hydel power, minerals contribute heavily to the nation's GDP.

4. Luxembourg : Luxembourg's per capita income is at $75,880. That makes it the world's fourth highest PCI. Luxembourg is located in Europe and is bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. The nation has highly developed industrial and financial sectors.

5. Qatar : The per capita income of Qataris is $60,000, the fifth highest in the world. Qatar is an Arab emirate located in the Persian Gulf. The nation's economy mainly depends on its huge oil and natural gas reserves. There is no income tax in Qatar.

6. Switzerland : The Swiss enjoy a financially comfortable life, with a per capita income of $59,880. Switzerland ranks sixth in the World Bank's per capita income rankings. Switzerland, a truly capitalist economy, has many giant banks and multinational corporations. It also has highly developed industries in sectors like pharmaceuticals, chemicals, machine parts, electronics, precision instruments, banking, tourism, etc. Dairy farming too is an age old industry in Switzerland. It has very low tax rates

7. Denmark: Denmark's per capita income is at $54,910. According to World Bank rankings, it is the world's seventh highest PCI. Denmark has a highly industrialised economy, with robust agricultural and corporate sectors. Despite being one of the most competitive nations, the nation has a very weak financial regulatory system. Also, its labour laws are very lax and tilted heavily in favour of the employers.

8. Iceland: At $54,100, the per capita income of Iceland is the world's eighth highest. Iceland has a very healthy power sector which helps it be a highly industrialised country.

9-10-11. Cayman Islands: The per capita income of Cayman Islands is more than $48,140 and less than $54,100, as per World Bank figures. It has the 11th highest PCI in the world. It has the 11th highest PCI in the world. At number 9 is Channel Islands and in the 10th spot is Andorra. It is a major financial centre and also one of the world's best known tax havens

12- Ireland : The Irish have a per capita income of $48,140, ranking them twelfth in the world.

13-14 Sweden: Sweden's per capita income is $46,060, making its PCI 14th-highest in the world. San Marino, with a PCI of $45,130 is the 13th-highest. Sweden has a very well developed industry in sectors like engineering, telecom, power, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, etc. The nation's economy is heavily dependent on foreign trade. It also has highly skilled work force.

15- United States of America: America's per capita income is $46,040. It's the 15th-highest in the world. The United States is mostly a capitalist economy, with huge mineral and oil reserves, apart from fantastic infrastructure, skilled work force, and the highest number of the world's largest corporations

132- China: China's per capita income is $2,360. It ranks 132nd in the world. China is the world's second largest economy, with its GDP standing at slightly more than $7 trillion. China, the world's factory, has a highly developed manufacturing sector. It has a huge market which acts as a magnet for big multinationals who pour in billions of dollars into the economy to grab a chunk of the massive Chinese market.

Courtesy: Rediff

SCHOOLBUS SAFETY

To Students:
Get to the school bus stop five minutes early, so you won’t have to run across the road to catch the bus.

When waiting for the bus, stay away from traffic. Line up at least five giant steps away from the the roadway to wait for the bus.

Never run after the school bus if it has already left the bus stop.

Never push when getting on or off of the school bus.

Always walk at least 10 feet in front of the bus when crossing so that the school bus driver can see you.

Be aware – Cross with Care! Wait until the school bus has stopped all traffic before stepping out onto the road.

When the school bus is moving, always stay in your seat. Never put your head, arms or hands out of the window.

Talk quietly; do not distract your school bus driver.

If your school bus crosses railroad tracks, be calm and quiet so that your driver can listen for a train. Always obey your school bus driver’s instructions, so that he or she can make safe decisions.

Never play with the emergency exits. Backpacks, band instruments, or sports equipment may not block the aisle or emergency exits. If there is an emergency, listen to the driver and follow instructions.

When getting off of the school bus, make sure that all drawstrings and other loose objects are secure so that they don’t get caught on the handrail or the door.

If you leave something on the bus or drop something outside of the bus, never go back for it. The driver may not see you and begin moving the bus.

Stay away from danger zones around the bus. The blind spots where drivers cannot see. Always be sure you can see the driver that means the driver can see you.

Never speak to strangers at the bus stop and never get into the car with a stranger.

TO PARENTS:

Have your children put everything they carry in a backpack or school bag so that they won't drop things along the way.

Have them wear bright, contrasting colors so that they will be more easily seen by drivers. Better still, attach a piece of high visibility fluorescent and reflective material to their clothing or backpack.

Make sure they leave home on time so that they can walk to the bus stop and arrive before the bus is due. Running can be dangerous.

Teach your children to secure loose drawstrings and other objects that may get caught in the handrail or door of the school bus as they are exiting.

Warn children that if they drop something near the bus they should never ever pick it up. Instead, they should tell the bus driver and follow the driver's directions. If they bend over to pick up a dropped object, they might not be seen by the driver and could be hurt if the bus pulls away from the stop.

Go to the bus stop with a young child and have older children walk in groups. There's safety in numbers because groups are easier for drivers to see.

If you decide to meet your child at the bus stop after school, wait on the side where the child will be dropped off, not across the street. Children can get so excited at seeing you after school they might forget safety rules and dash across the street.

IMPORTANT DAYS

July-11

World Population Day


World Population Day is an annual event, observed on July 11, which seeks to raise awareness of global population issues. The event was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989. It was inspired by the public interest in Five Billion (500 crore) Day on July 11, 1987, approximately the date on which the world's population reached five billion people.

This year’s World Population Day reaffirms the right of people to plan their families. It encourages activities, events and information that will help make this right real – especially for those who often have the hardest time getting the information and services they need to plan their families, such as marginalized populations and young people. This year’s World Population Day reaffirms the right of people to plan their families. It encourages activities, events and information that will help make this right real – especially for those who often have the hardest time getting the information and services they need to plan their families, such as marginalized populations and young people. When people can plan their families, they can plan their lives. They can plan to beat poverty. They can plan on healthier mothers and children. They can plan to gain equality for women. Plan to support World Population Day this year!

More than 1.5 billion people are between the ages of 10 and 25. This largest-ever generation of adolescents is approaching adulthood in a world their elders could not have imagined. But more than half of young people live in poverty, on less than $2 (Rs.80) per day. Often they lack access to the technology and information. Many also face social inequality, poor schools, gender discrimination, unemployment and inadequate health systems. They deserve better. And investing in them is an investment in the future leaders of families, communities and nations.

UNFPA (United National Fund Population Activitie) promotes and protects the rights of young people. It envisions a world in which girls and boys have optimal opportunities to develop their full potential, to freely express themselves and have their views respected, and to live free of poverty, discrimination and violence. Empower adolescents and youth with skills to achieve their dreams, think critically, and express themselves freely. Promote health, including by giving them access to sexual and reproductive health information, education, commodities and services. Connect young people to livelihood and employment programmes. Uphold the rights of young people, especially girls and marginalized groups, to grow up healthy and safe to receive a fair share of social investments. Encourage young people’s leadership and participation in decisions that affect them, including the development plans of their societies.

Courtesy: Wikipedia

SAFETY

SEVEN COMMON ACCIDENT CAUSES

Consider this statistic: 80 out of every 100 accidentsare the fault of the person involved in the incident.Unsafe Acts cause four times as many accidents &injuries as unsafe conditions.

Accidents occur for many reasons. In most industriespeople tend to look for "things" to blame when anaccident happens, because it's easier than looking for"root causes," such as those listed below. Considerthe underlying accident causes described. Have youbeen guilty of any of these attitudes or behaviors? Ifso, you may have not been injured-but next time youmay not be so lucky.

Taking Shortcuts: Every day we make decisions we hopewill make the job faster and more efficient. But dotime savers ever risk your own safety, or that ofother crew members? Short cuts that reduce your safetyon the job are not shortcuts, but an increased chancefor injury.


Being Over Confident: Confidence is a good thing.Overconfidence is too much of a good thing. "It'llnever happen to me" is an attitude that can lead toimproper procedures, tools, or methods in your work.Any of these can lead to an injury.

Starting a Task with Incomplete Instructions: To dothe job safely and right the first time you needcomplete information. Have you ever seen a worker sentto do a job, having been given only a part of thejob's instructions? Don't be shy about asking forexplanations about work procedures and safetyprecautions. It isn't dumb to ask questions; it's dumbnot to.

Poor Housekeeping: When clients, managers or safetyprofessionals walk through your work site,housekeeping is an accurate indicator of everyone'sattitude about quality, production and safety. Poorhousekeeping creates hazards of all types. A wellmaintained area sets a standard for others to follow.Good housekeeping involves both pride and safety. Ignoring Safety Procedures: Purposely failing toobserve safety procedures can endanger you and yourco-workers. You are being paid to follow the companysafety policies-not to make your own rules. Being"casual" about safety can lead to a casualty!

Mental Distractions from Work: Having a bad day athome and worrying about it at work is a hazardouscombination. Dropping your 'mental' guard can pullyour focus away from safe work procedures. You canalso be distracted when you're busy working and afriend comes by to talk while you are trying to work.Don't become a statistic because you took your eyesoff the machine "just for a minute."

Failure to Pre-Plan the Work: There is a lot of talktoday about Job Hazard Analysis. JHA's are aneffective way to figure out the smartest ways to worksafely and effectively. Being hasty in starting atask, or not thinking through the process can put youin harms way. Instead, Plan Your Work and then WorkYour Plan!

"It is better to be careful 100 times than to getkilled once." (Mark Twain)

BASIC MACHINE SAFETY

BASIC MACHINE SAFETYIt's tough to imagine modern society without machineshard at work all around us. New and improved machineryleads to increased productivity, higher quality, andmore affordable production. But misused machines canbe as harmful as they are helpful. Machines that cutmetal can cut off fingers. Machines that punch throughsteel can punch through flesh. Such injuries can causecareer-ending disabilities as well as severe pain andsuffering.

Be alert to these areas when working around oroperating machinery:

The point of operation: That is where the work of themachine takes place. It's where the pressing, cutting,punching and boring takes place. It's a place where nopart of the body should be. If any part of the body isin the way at the point of operation, the force of themachine can cause a serious injury. The point ofoperation may also produce sparks or fragments thatcan fly toward the operator. Safety glasses areimportant for this type of work.

The power train: That is where energy is transferredthrough moving parts like gears, shafts, belts,cables, hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders. No bodyparts should be in these areas either. When working onthis type of machinery, always follow thelockout/tagout procedures and replace all guards whenrepairs are complete. Employees should report anymissing guards to their supervisor before operatingthis equipment.

Workers must control machines carefully. In additionto avoiding the power train and point of operation,employees should always:

Make sure machines are anchored securely to prevent"walking," tipping, excessive vibration or othermovement that could be hazardous.

Never reach blindly into areas that may containenergized parts.

Be sure there is enough lighting to clearly see allpoints of operation.

Keep conductive items -- watches, rings, steel wool,belt buckles -- away from exposed electrical parts.

Never plug or unplug electrical equipment with wethands.

Follow all lockout/tagout procedures. Always wear the proper protective equipment for eachjob.

Material handling equipment: Power lifts, forklifttrucks, etc. are not considered to be productionmachinery, but their points of operation and powertrain can be just as hazardous. Employees must beproperly trained in the operation of this type ofequipment before they are allowed to use it.

Mechanical hazards may come from many different areasand have potential for serious injury. Beware of the danger zones located within your operation and respect the power of machinery.

BizNew:080617

July Launch for India's $100 Billion Industrial Corridor: (IndustrialInfo.com) ANGALORE, INDIA--June 16, 2008--Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The government of India is in the process of appointing a team of consultants for participation in the ambitious $100 billion Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project. The DMIC is a trade and business development initiative spread over 436,486 square kilometers and is being built with the upcoming 1,483-kilometer dedicated freight rail corridor between Delhi and Mumbai.



Anil Ambani sets sight on more than 40 % stake in MTN: ONDON: Reliance Communications, the flagship company of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG), is keen to acquire more than 40 percent of South African telecom company MTN. Anil Ambani, chairman of Reliance Communications, is considering buying more than 40 per cent of MTN, Africa's biggest wireless company. The Paper reported if the shareholders agreed, Ambani might end up owning 40-45 per cent of MTN, said one person close to the talks.


Indian origin scientist develops potential hydrogen storage material: Washington: A scientist of Indian origin has led an international research team to demonstrate an atomistic mechanism of hydrogen release in magnesium nanoparticles - a potential hydrogen storage material. The scientist in question is Professor Rajeev Ahuja from Uppsala University in Sweden. It is becoming clear that cars of the future will have to move from using the combination of petrol and a combustion engine in order to combat global warming and potential oil shortages. Storing hydrogen gas in a compact way is, however, still an unsolved problem. Much research effort has been directed at absorbing hydrogen in metal powders, forming so-called metal hydrides. Magnesium may absorb up to 7.7 weight per cent of hydrogen, and has commonly been studied for this purpose, especially since fast loading and unloading of hydrogen can be accomplished by adding catalysts like iron and nickel particles. It has been speculated that the catalysts act as shuttles, helping to transport hydrogen out of the material. With the help of computer simulations of magnesium clusters at the quantum mechanical level, the Uppsala researchers and their colleagues have now been able to show in atomic scale how this happens and why only a small amount of catalysts are necessary to improve the hydrogen release.

Taliban seizes several Afghanistan villages (AP): NATO, Afghan forces redeploy to meet threat near Kandahar: KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Hundreds of Taliban fighters invaded villages just outside Afghanistan's second-largest city Monday, forcing NATO and Afghan troops to rush in and frightened residents to flee. The Taliban assault on the outskirts of Kandahar was the latest display of prowess by the militants despite a record number of U.S. and NATO troops in the country. Click here for more


India’s RIL IND eyeing stake in Jet Airways': MUMBAI: Reliance Industries Ltd is in talks with Jet Airways Ltd to buy a 6-7 percent stake in the private airline, a news daily said, citing a source familiar with the development.




Second Tejas aircraft breaks sound barrier on maiden flight: BANGALORE: The second indigenously developed light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas flew at supersonic speed on its maiden test flight over Bangalore skies on Monday evening. This is the second time a Tejas aircraft has flown at a speed of 1.1 Mach (1,320 km per hour) up to an altitude of 9.5 km in a maiden flight lasting 43 minutes," the state-run Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) said in a statement on late Monday.


India’s Ashok Leyland invests in Germany-based Albonair: Mumbai, June 17: Hinduja flagship company Ashok Leyland on Tuesday said it has made a strategic investment in Germany-based group firm Albonair GmbH for development of vehicle emission treatment systems and products.

'India's GDP to grow at 9.5% in FY 09': Mumbai, June 16: India's real GDP is expected to grow at an impressive 9.5 per cent in FY 09, the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) said in its monthly review in Mumbai.

Western players face threat from emerging markets: PARIS: The traditional western business model is likely to face immense challenge from the growth of multinationals from emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC nations), said a report released from Cambridge University’s Institute of Manufacturing by Capgemini.

Japan’s Daiichi may revise open offer price for India’s Ranbaxy: Japanese drug-maker Daiichi-Sankyo, which entered into a binding deal with the Ranbaxy Laboratories [Get Quote] promoters to buy the latter's 34.8 per cent stake at Rs 737 a share, on Monday said it may revise the open offer price in the case of a competitive bid.

Russian 'sheikh' for Indian investment in oil production: Khanty-Mansiisk (Russia): A major oil rich autonomous region of Russia looking to diversify its economy beyond oil production, is keen to welcome Indian investments in high-tech sectors including IT and pharmaceuticals. Governor of Ugra region Alexander Filipenko, a former Soviet Communist Party 'apparatchik', regretted the withering spirit of 'Hindi-Roosi Bhai-Bhai' and has invited Indian businesses to invest in his Siberian 'Emirate', which is keen to divert the flood of petro-dollars for creation of hi-tech industrial potential for economic diversity. In old days we used to have very good relations with India, but unfortunately the spirit of 'Hindi-Roosi Bhai-Bhai' has disappeared. From time to time I see some Indian goods and commodities coming to our region through third parties, but I am yet to see an Indian businessman here," Filipenko said receiving a group of Moscow-based foreign journalists. “For several years now I have been unsuccessfully trying to woo Indian IT-itians, but perhaps they are afraid of Siberian cold. I will arrange valenki (felt boots) and sheepskin coats to keep them warm," he said. (PTI)



Phil Gov’t expects more Chinese, Indian visitors with new visa system: MANILA, Philippines - The government expects more investors and tourists — especially from China and India — visiting the Philippines as it implements a “liberalized" system of granting visas to foreigners. In a statement released on Monday, Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said the agency had put in place the PVUA or the pre-arranged visa upon arrival system wherein visas of foreigners traveling to the Philippines would be processed from their countries of origin. According to Libanan, out of some 30 million Chinese tourists, only about 60,000 visit the Philippines yearly. Meanwhile, out of the 10 million Indian tourists, only 15,000 visit the country annually. –


Canada’s University of Alberta and India’sTCS sign global partnership : The University of Alberta has entered into a five-year partnership agreement with Tata Consultancy Services, which is to provide student internship and co-op education placements within Tata Consultancy Services and create research collaboration and exchange between the university and TCS researchers. University of Alberta President Indira Samarasekera calls this partnership truly exceptional for a Canadian university. With this collaboration, the opportunity for international internships and training programs for U of A students will increase as they will now have access to TCS's operations in many business sectors, including engineering services, research and development, and information technology. There will also be prospects for research exchanges between TCS's industry professionals and the U of A's researchers and students.



Now, natural disaster alerts on TV: Bangalore: Indian satellites will alert state agencies and the public about imminent natural disasters through direct-to-home (DTH) television broadcasts, a top space agency official has said. In the next six months, (state-run) Doordarshan will relay warning signals from INSAT transponders in Ku-band on impending disasters through a DTH receiver linked to the national disaster management support system in New Delhi," Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman G. Madhavan Nair said.


Forgot password? Banks plan to make you pay for it: MUMBAI: If you have a poor memory, your bank might well make you pay for it. Most bank customers assume that if they forget an internet banking or ATM password, their bank will send them a new one. Don’t bet on it. Some banks –—HDFC and ICICI Bank among them — are planning on charging you Rs25 for the retrieval of the password you forgot. Banks also seem to be discouraging customers from visiting branches and dealing in cash. ICICI Bank charges Rs50 per transaction for cash transactions exceeding 12 a quarter.




US investment Bank Lehman Brothers post USD 2.8 bn loss in second quarter: New York, June 16 : US investment bank Lehman Brothers said Monday it suffered a net loss of some $2.8 billion, or $5.14 per share, in the second quarter of fiscal 2008.


Fuel shortage drives people off roads in Britain London, June 17 (IANS) Fuel shortages across Britain have forced people off the roads and left them looking for alternative fuels like vegetable oil as hundreds of petrol pumps have closed down and private stations profiteer by hiking prices.


Newspaper publisher McClatchy axes 1,400 jobs: New York, June 17: McClatchy Co, the No 3 newspaper company in the country, said it is slashing 1,400 jobs in the latest effort to cut costs amid rapidly dwindling advertising revenues. The cuts represent about 10 per cent of the company's work force. McClatchy, which publishes 30 daily newspapers including The Miami Herald and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, also reported a 15.4 per cent decline in advertising revenues in the first five months of the year on Monday.

British retailer rejects Indian clothes made by child labourers ( 11:19:42 Hrs )By Venkata Vemuri: London, June 17 (IANS) Britain's leading clothes retailer Primark has cancelled the contracts of three suppliers in India's Tamil Nadu state for using child labour and has also withdrawn the garments from its shelves.



Indian Army To Train Its Officers For US-Style War In Space: Set to make forays in use of space applications, the Indian Army will take a leaf out of US forces' experience to train its officers in optimising the effective use of space-based resources to meet its operational requirements. Set to make forays in use of space applications, the Indian Army will take a leaf out of US forces' experience to train its officers in optimising the effective use of space-based resources to meet its operational requirements. "The establishment of a Tri-Services Space Command for persistent surveillance and rapid response is required in future and we need to continue with capability development through a synergistic approach between three Services," General Kapoor said. "The Indian Army recognises space as an emerging arena for important military applications and is increasingly being identified as the ultimate military high ground for battle of space dominance," he added. Earlier, Defence Minister A K Antony had announced the setting up of an Integrated Space Cell at the Integrated Defence Staff headquarters to act as a single window for military use and security of space resources, apart from performing the role of interface among Army, Navy and Air Force.

India Govt allots Rs2,500 cr for Agni-V : NEW DELHI :The Union government has sanctioned Rs2,500 crore for developing the country’s most ambitious missile, a nuclear-capable Agni-V with a range of 5,000 kilometres — one step short of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). N-capable missile will have range of 5000km n Shanghai, Beijing will be in striking distance. Sources indicate, as reported earlier by DNA, the government is not willing to consider development of a full-fledged ICBM that has a range of over 8,000 kilometres. Along with Agni V, the DRDO is venturing into a series of new generation missiles, and several of them are going to be joint ventures with foreign partners, on the lines of the BrahMos cruise missile, an Indo-Russian project. Among the key partners for DRDO would be Israelis and some European firms.

Despite Pak protest, Army plans civilian trek to Siachen: NEW DELHI: Notwithstanding Pakistan's vociferous protests, Indian Army will organise a civilian mountaineering and trekking expedition to the forbidding Siachen Glacier for the second year in a row in October-November this year. Both the expeditions are meant to show to the international audience that Indian troops hold both the Siachen and Khatling glacial heights and neither Pakistan nor China were anywhere near the two Glaciers.

Russian envoy urges India to sign n-deal with US: NEW DELHI: "India should sign the nuclear deal (with the US) sooner rather than later," Russia's ambassador to New Delhi Vyacheslav I Trubnikov said here on Tuesday. Speaking on the eve of crucial talks between the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and Left parties on the stalled civil nuclear deal between India and the US, the Russian envoy observed that opposition to the deal was "a matter of internal policy rather than external policy".

US negotiating to build new air base in Peru :Lima, June 17 (IANS) The US is negotiating with the Peruvian armed forces to build an air base in the Andean country, EFE said quoting media reports.

Red wine compound may help fight obesity: Washington, June 17 (ANI): A glass of red wine a day not only helps keep the heart healthy, but as it turns out, it can also help battle obesity. Researchers at the University of Ulm in Germany carried out a study to see whether past research of resveratrol protecting laboratory mice from the health problems of obesity, also applied to humans by changing the size or function of fat cells.

Japan's prime minister says G-8 not place to decide carbon targets: TOKYO: The Group of Eight summit next month is not the proper forum for settling the contentious issue of midterm targets on carbon emissions because it is being tackled by the United Nations, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said on Tuesda


US needs to lean on Saudi to pressure Pakistan: It is no secret that the Taliban has been using the Pakistani Frontier Tribal areas, which are inhabited by the same or kindred Pakhtun tribes as their sanctuaries to launch attacks on Afghan territory. The US had been pressing Pervez Musharraf to deploy the Pakistan Army and paramilitary forces in the FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) region to drive away the Taliban. Though Musharraf deployed 80,000 troops and paramilitary forces they did not succeed in their mission. There were heavy casualties and a significant number were taken prisoners. The Pakistani forces, both the regular army and the paramilitary forces, have been trained to fight India and not counter insurgency operations. The US has perhaps the best-equipped intelligence collection machinery in the world. Their problem is their inability to assess that intelligence in a balanced fashion and formulate policies on such sober assessments. The intelligence assessment is often corrupted by cronyism between the middle-level US establishment and the dictatorial establishments in the countries of concern or by ideological extremism like that of the neo-conservatives. The probability in this case is neither Pakistan nor the US is likely to change its ways.

In the coming months, it is likely there will be more such incidents on the Pakistan-Afghan border with adverse consequences on US-Pakistan relations. The degree of effectiveness of US pressure on Pakistan will also be dependent on Saudi financial support to Pakistan. Owing to high oil prices, Saudi Arabia is flush with money and the US has to control Saudis if it is to succeed in applying pressure on Pakistan. In India we need to assess the consequences