Port Of Spain, November 29, 2009 (ANI)

 

India is not changing its goal posts on the issue of climate change and is ready to contribute to the global campaign for emission reduction on the “principle of equity”, said Shyam Saran, the Special Envoy of the Indian Prime Minister on Climate Change here.

 

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that New Delhi favours an equal sharing of the global emission burden reduction. Seeking to bring clarity to the Prime Minister’s statement, Saran said: “It is okay to talk about those global targets, but unless you accompany those global targets with a clear understanding about how a burden is going to be shared among developed and developing countries, this will not confirm to the principle of equity.”

Port of Spain, November 28, 2009 (ANI)

 

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's bilateral interactions with French President Nicholas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown held here on Friday on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) primarily focused on counter-terrorism, sympathy for the victims of last year's 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai, the first anniversary of which was observed two days ago, and the next steps to be taken for arresting the threat of climate change.

While the working lunch meeting with President Sarkozy lasted for about an hour, the interaction with Prime Minister Brown lasted for about 40-minutes, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash revealed to the media on Friday.

"The discussion with President Sarkozy, they also had a fruitful exchange of views on the outgoing cooperation in this area of counter-terrorism. President Sarkozy and Prime Minister Singh expressed satisfaction on the cooperation in the civil nuclear cooperation sector," Prakash said.

Port Of Spain, November 28, 2009 (ANI)

 

That the issue of climate change has hijacked the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meet (CHOGM) with every other global issue being put on the back burner. It began with the sudden and mysterious arrival of French President Sarkozy here and then on from the inaugural ceremony onwards every speech, meeting, discussion has focused on the upcoming climate change meeting in Copenhagen. Indian government officials have gone into a huddle to work on the issue with the muddying of waters that has taken place in the past 48 hours. According to reports coming out of China, the IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) and China have agreed to a strategy that involves jointly walking out of the Copenhagen conference if the developed nations try to force their own terms on the developing world. The new term coined by this grouping is BASIC, to include China. The BASIC draft said the Kyoto Protocol should continue to have effect and rich countries should assume the responsibilities to cut emission in accordance with the target of the second commitment period from 2013. "The outcome of the summit should include long-term cooperative actions on climate change, mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation to the impacts of climate change, as well as provision of financial and technological support," the representatives said in a statement.

Port Of Spain, Nov. 28, 2009 (ANI)

 

Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi today said that given the popularity of soccer in India and the fact that the country will soon have international class stadia, India will soon make a bid to host the World Cup in football. A trifle ambitious it may seem going by the titters of laughter the claim made among the Indian reporters covering the press conference. But foreign journalists said, they wouldn't put it past India to whip up a magic wand and make it possible. "You guys just manage to make the impossible possible. Look what you do on the cricket field."

Port of Spain, Nov. 28, 2009 (ANI)

 

A white floor length embroidered dress, a necklace of giant pigeon red rubies and diamonds and a magnificent tiara.... the Queen was dressed to impress at the state banquet given by Trinidadian President George Maxwell Richards on the first day of the two-day Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM). The tiara was the one she wore at her wedding in 1947.

 

However it was her dress that evoked maximum attention. The hand beaded ball gown had Trinidad and Tobago's national birds, a scarlet ibis, cocrio and chaconia stitched on to it. But clearly its recessionary times and it showed. Despite the ostentatious tiara that she wore the silver bag she carried was splitting at the seams. Ah a fashion faux pas by the Queen. How did that happen, considering that she has been immaculately turned out in the past two days?

Yesterday when the Queen Elizabeth arrived here she was dressed in a green silk dress, which had a chiffon sheath on it. A green hat complemented the well-cut outfit. Today at the inaugural she was dressed in a beige silk dress with a matching hat. A bit heavy on the lace and embroidery element, the dress was appropriate nonetheless as it was a morning event.

New Delhi, Nov.26, 2009 (ANI)

 

Once can be termed a fluke. The second makes a point and the third time its validation. Aishwarya Rai, then Shilpa Shetty and now Deepika Padukone, the three damsels from Karnataka have captured the imagination of the Bombay film industry.

 

Their dancing skills, chiseled bodies, large limpid eyes, perfect diction and dialogue delivery, dignified demeanor has the industry and viewers accepting the fact that Kannadigas have more to offer than Deve Gowda and rava dosai.

 

There is yet another K factor. If you combine a KK (Karnataka Kudi) with another K (khan) well you get sparkles. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam had the KK plus K combine of Aishwarya Rai and Salman Khan and that raked in huge moolah and Om Shanti Om has the KK plus K of Deepika Padukone and Shahrukh Khan, and what a blockbuster that one is.

Port of Spain, Nov. 26, 2009 (ANI)

 

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, arrived on Thursday afternoon from Washington to attend the three-day Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) here.

The CHOGM will be formally declared open at the National Academy for Performing Arts in Port-of-Spain today.

The focus of this meeting is expected to be on the internationally troubling issue of climate change. Representatives of member nations are expected to establish the Commonwealth’s position on the problem ahead of next month’s United Nations Climate Change Talks in Copenhagen.

 

Washington DC, Nov. 24, 2009 (ANI)

 

Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi today thanked India for extending hospitality to the Dalai Lama saying, "India is a country that is value based. " These were welcoming remarks that she made while receiving Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Capital Hill. She said that from Martin Luther King who received inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi, to the present generation, Americans has learnt "about non violence and how to get results (by using non violence).

 

Ms Pelosi invited the Prime Minister to revisit the US soon and address the joint session of Congress. She also made a mention of the Mumbai attacks saying, "Almost one year to the day when India suffered the terrible loss of Mumbai, we gather today today to see how we can learn from that experience." An awkward statement but nonetheless an acknowledgement that the Mumbai attack is not being ignored in America.

Washington, Nov. 24, 2009 (ANI)

 

Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao has told media persons here that the Indian Government has expressed its concern to Washington over US arms supply to Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference here last night, Rao said Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh has expressed his concern over the misuse of arms supplied to Pakistan by the United States. Rao, who is accompanying Dr. Singh on his four-day visit to Washington, said that until Pakistan takes meaningful action on tackling India's concerns on terrorism, bilateral relations couldn't be normalised.

Washington, Nov.24, 2009 (ANI)

 

Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has said that Iran must not go down the nuclear weapons path, and added that New Delhi has unambiguously and consistently said that it does not support such a step.

 

Interacting with noted diplomat and president of the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR) during a question and answer session that followed a speech to the august gathering, Dr. Singh said: “As far as Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions are concerned, I have unambiguously said that I don’t support it. Iran is a signatory to the NPT (Nuclear Proliferation Treaty), and has a right to peaceful use of nuclear energy.”

Washington, November 23, 2009 (ANI)

 

To involve Indian and American industries in enhancing investment flows between both countries, the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh on Monday said that Indian private sector defence suppliers are now allowed to have up to 26 percent foreign investment, opening a new avenue for Indo-US collaboration.

The Obama kids will be quite happy they aren’t attending Tuesday’s banquet hosted by their parents - Barack and Michelle — in honour of the Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh.

It is going to be high on veggies and low on meat. Why? ‘Coz MM Singh is coming to town! (apologies to Santa Claus).

The Indian Prime Minister is a vegetarian and teetotaler to boot. He rarely goes beyond kadi chawal or dahi chawal. Not one to experiment much with his food, he sticks to Punjabi bland food at best. Now is there something called Punjabi bland food? Yes its called BORING!

But back to the menu, more closely guarded than the health bill or the Afghan troop movement.

 

IT has always been Team Advani vs Team Vajpayee. And now as former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is too ill to intervene in the bloodletting in his party, he watches his former team has got together once again to wage that final assault on their perpetual enemy, Lal Krishna Advani.

Jaswant Singh, Arun Shourie, Brajesh Mishra and Yashwant Sinha have a common cause. To oust Advani. And their Brahmastra is the Kandahar hijacking episode. Did Advani know or not that Jaswant Singh was accompanying the released terrorists to Afghanistan and bringing back the hostages with him?

Advani had said on several occasions that he was unaware of the details. Team Vajpayee says he knew everything. Isn’t there any note taking that happens at these meetings?