#Huawei To Set Up R&D Centre In Bangalore; Invest $ 150 Million

Telecom gear maker Huawei will set up a new research and development (R&D) centre in Bangalore with an investment of $ 150 million (about Rs 813 crore) in the second half of this year.

“Since 2004, we have invested around $ 200 million in activities around research and development. We are setting up new R&D centre in Bangalore with an additional investment of about $ 150 million to consolidate our operations under one facility,” Huawei Technologies Head (International Media Affairs) Scott Sykes told PTI.

He said it will be set up in the second half of this year. In India, Huawei employs around 6,000 people out of which it has close to 2,500 people are working at its R&D.

This new facility will have capacity to house 5,000 people but the company is yet to firm up its hiring plan for India.

“Huawei is building capacity in India. Hiring will be done as per business need. We expect to see better business there in second half of this year” Sykes said.

The company peaked revenues of $ 1.2 billion in 2011, registering a growth of around 30 per cent compared to the previous year. The company’s business had been almost flat in 2012, he said.

Huawei is also evaluating to shift its Indian global network operation centre (GNOC) to this new facility.

“We are looking to centralise our GNOC in India. Under the plan we may shift our GNOC under this new facility,” Sykes said.

The company has about 500 employee at GNOC and manages services for Idea Cellular, Aircel, Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices.

Apple dumps 8 million defective iPhone5

 

Apple Inc.’s Chinese manufacturer Foxconn recently got a very expensive lesson in quality (and a rude shock too) when the Cupertino-based technology giant shipped back, with a return-to-sender note, a consignment containing up to 8 million defective iPhone 5 smartphones.

[Representation Image]

While that has triggered online speculation about another delay in the unveiling of the much-awaited and hugely rumoured transparent iPhone 6 smartphone, the rejected consignment most probably belongs to the current generation of the smartphone, the iPhone 5, and not the upcoming iteration.

Nevertheless, the rejection of the entire consignment, first reported by China Business News is estimated to cost Foxconn upward of $250 million in just labour costs, not to mention the cost of the parts and inventory that will go into replacing the defective devices.

The report (translated by Google Chrome) maintains that, on March 15, 2013, Apple returned five million mobile phones citing “non-compliant” and “dysfunction” issues with the devices. Considering that Foxconn will have been, by now, fairly adept at manufacturing the iPhone 5, this lends further credence to rumours that the rejected lot might well be of the upcoming iPhone 6 or iPhone 5S devices.

Quoting unnamed “Foxconn insiders,” the report says that the number of rejected phones could go up to as much as 8 million. It says that Terry Gou, Chairman and President of Hon Hai Precision Industry (a.k.a. Foxconn) walked onto the shop-floor of the manufacturer on April 16, and urged supervisors and workers “to enhance the yield, professional training, the promotion of morale” while announcing the setting up of a quality control office after the latest debacle.

China Business News maintains that Foxconn stands to lose 200 yuan ($32) apiece in labour costs, which would add up to $256.8 million for 8 million faulty iPhones. It adds that this would imply that two-thirds of Foxconn’s profits for 2012 “will go down the drain”.

The portal did not clarify which model of the iPhone failed Apple’s quality tests, and this is fuelling rumours about a delay in the upcoming iPhone 6. But if it’s the iPhone 5 that Foxconn got wrong, we’ll soon know because an 8 million hole in the supply chain will not go undetected at the retail front, where customers will be told to wait longer than usual for the arrival of the device.

In addition, keep an eye out on ‘scrap sales’ in China for iPhones if they can’t be salvaged to Apple’s liking by Foxconn.

Kerry in China to Seek Help in Korea Crisis

Secretary of State John Kerry flew to China on Saturday and sought to elicit China’s help in dealing with an increasingly recalcitrant nuclear armed North Korea by saying that American missile defenses could be cut back if the North abandoned its nuclear program.

Mr. Kerry’s trip to China, his first since taking office, is part of an intensive three-day push to try to calm tensions on the Korean Peninsula that have threatened to spiral out of control and rattled world leaders.

In a news conference, Mr. Kerry suggested that the United States could remove some newly enhanced missile defenses in the region, though he did not specify which ones. Any eventual cutback would address Chinese concerns about the buildup of American weapons systems in the region.

After back-to-back meetings between Mr. Kerry and China’s top leaders, the two countries announced that they endorsed the principle of ridding the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons, though China did not state publicly what steps it might take to achieve that goal after years of reluctance to crack down on Pyongyang.

“We also joined together in calling on North Korea to refrain from provocations and to abide by international obligations,” Mr. Kerry said.

Worries spiked last week as the South Koreans predicted the North could launch a new missile test any day and after the disclosure that an American intelligence agency concluded for the first time with “moderate confidence” that North Korea learned how to make a nuclear warhead small enough to be delivered by a ballistic missile. The administration has since said that it was premature to conclude that Pyongyang had a fully tested weapons system.

Mr. Kerry’s stance on newly fortified missile defenses appeared to be a selling point to get China, the only country presumed to have any real influence over North Korea, to do what it has long resisted — crack down hard enough that North Korea’s leaders will give up an increasingly sophisticated nuclear program.

In recent weeks, the administration has dispatched two ships outfitted with Aegis antimissile defenses to the region and said it will speed up the positioning of land-based missile defenses on Guam to protect allies in the region after North Korea’s threats to rain missiles on United States troops there and on South Korea.

Many Chinese believe the antimissile systems are part of a containment strategy against them at a time when the United States is pursuing a “pivot” to Asia.

In the past, China has been motivated by a different fear: that any move to destabilize the North would lead to a collapse of the regime and deliver the entire peninsula to the United States’ sphere of influence, possibly bringing American troops in South Korea closer to its border.

China’s cooperation is essential to the Obama administration’s strategy of holding a tough line on Pyongyang in an attempt to achieve the type of long-lasting solution on the nuclear program that has eluded a string of United States presidents. Previous administrations responded to North Korean provocations by eventually offering aid to tamp down tensions, only to see the North’s promises to relinquish its nuclear program evaporate once the aid had been delivered.

Mr. Kerry said he explained to China why the United States felt it needed more missile defenses in the region.

“Obviously if the threat disappears — i.e. North Korea denuclearizes — the same imperative does not exist at that point of time for us to have that kind of robust forward leaning posture of defense,” he said. “And it would be our hope in the long run, or better yet in short run, that we can address that.”

Mr. Kerry’s remarks are likely to stir concern among staunch advocates of missile defense in the United States, who also see antimissile systems as a means of responding to China’s growing military might. His aides say any changes would require the input of the Pentagon.

Even if China were to take a strong position with its longtime ally, possibly cutting back essential aid and fuel, North Korea might not fall into line. Under its new leader, Kim Jong-un, the North has snubbed China several times, including refusing Chinese entreaties to cancel the recent nuclear test that set off the war of words on the Peninsula.

At the core of the issue is the United States’ inability to draw North Korea into a serious round of nuclear talks. North Korea’s apparent determination to expand its nuclear weapons program and the American demand that it commit up front to eventually relinquishing those arms have raised the question of whether there is even any basis for negotiations. “China has an enormous ability to help make a difference here,” Mr. Kerry said on Friday in Seoul.

The Chinese stance on North Korea has never been a simple one. On one hand, the Chinese prize stability and are eager to avoid a crisis that would spawn a flood of refugees or prompt the United States to shift more forces to the Pacific. On the other hand, that same concern for stability has meant that it is reluctant to take steps that would undermine the North Korean government’s hold on power and eliminate a friendly buffer between Chinese territory and South Korean and American forces.

In Beijing, Mr. Kerry met with the new president, Xi Jinping, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Premier Li Keqiang and State Councilor Yang Jiechi.

Mr. Yang said at a dinner with Mr. Kerry on Saturday night that China was committed to “the denuclearization process on the Korean Peninsula.” But the Chinese state councilor also stressed that the “issue should be handled and resolved peacefully through dialogue and consultation.”

To encourage the Chinese to deal with the North Korean nuclear problem, Mr. Kerry said that he had shared “very in-depth” information illustrating the danger of how a nuclear North Korea could promote the proliferation of nuclear arms in Asia and the Middle East.

Mr. Kerry said his aim was to find a way to revive the goals of the six-party talks on the North’s nuclear program, which have been stalled since 2009 when North Korea withdrew. The talks have included North and South Korea, China, Russia, Japan and the United States.

He also portrayed cooperation on North Korea as just one element of a “model partnership” the United States hoped to build with China on diplomatic, economic and environmental issues.

Mr. Kerry said there would be additional discussions in the weeks ahead with the Chinese that would involve American intelligence experts including Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The two sides also called on North Korea to refrain from provocations, an apparent allusion to a potential missile test the South Koreans said could happen soon.

Bonnie S. Glaser, a senior adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said China was very frustrated with Mr. Kim and was taking some action, like cracking down on the flow of illicit North Korean funds through Chinese banks. At the same time, she noted, the Chinese fear the United States’ recent actions, including a test flight of B-2 bombers over South Korea, would further incite the North.

The United States “keeps sending more fighter bombers and missile defense ships to the waters of East Asia and carrying out massive military drills with Asian allies in a dramatic display of pre-emptive power,” the state-run news agency Xinhua said Saturday.

 Jane Perlez contributed reporting.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: April 13, 2013

 An earlier version of this article misidentified the Chinese official who stressed that “the denuclearization process on the Korean Peninsula” should be “handled and resolved peacefully through dialogue and consultation.” It was State Councilor Yang Jiechi, not Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

By MICHAEL R. GORDON

Six Indian Women Who Dared to Make a Difference

“The strength of a woman is not measured by the impact that all her hardships in life have had on her; but the strength of a woman is measured by the extent of her refusal to allow those hardships to dictate her and who she becomes,” said author C. JoyBell C. This indeed stands true as being a woman is certainly not easy! A woman toils all day long and she is the one who touches the lives of many with her ways. This Women’s Day its time yet again to honor and appreciate the spirit of womanhood. Here are 6 Indian women activists listed by MSN, who have done their little bit to contribute to the society and dared to be different.

Irom Sharmila

Also known as the “Iron Lady of Manipur”, Irom is a civil rights activist, political activist, and poet from Manipur. Irom has been on a hunger strike since 2 November 2000, to demand that the Indian government repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), which she blames for violence in Manipur and other parts of northeast India. She has refused food and water for more than 500 weeks, and has been called “the world’s longest hunger striker”.

Recently she was also charged with Section 309 (attempt to commit suicide) of IPC for fasting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The courts have used an absurd law in the case and it only makes the matter more baffling. Appearing before the court she said “I am not committing suicide. This is my way of protest. I am protesting by non-violent means,” reported PTI.

Mallika Sarabhai

Mallika is an activist and Indian classical dancer from Ahmedabad. She is the daughter of classical dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai and renowned space scientist Vikram Sarabhai. She is also a talented Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dancer. She has received many awards, Padma Bhushan being one of them in 2010.

Mallika says women should change but good men should speak up against the violence and make a change in society. She was quoted by the Hindu, saying, “It is because good men have been silent that these other men have not been shamed. The good men should stand up and publicly tell them that their acts of violence are not a sign of manhood but of cowardice.”

Mallika is also known to have protested against Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi during Sadbhavna Mission in September, 2011.  She accused Modi of scampering the petition filed in Supreme Court by her on the 2002 Gujarat violence.

Arundhati Roy

This name needs no introduction. Roy is an Indian author and political activist who also won the 1998 Man Booker Prize for Fiction winning novel ‘The God of Small Things’. She is actively involved in environmental and human rights causes. Roy has also been on numerous lists of the most beautiful women in the world.

Roy is a spokesperson of the anti-globalization/alter-globalization movement and a passionate critic of neo-imperialism and of the global policies of the U.S. She also criticizes India’s nuclear weapons policies and the approach to industrialization and swift development as currently being practiced in India, including the Narmada Dam project and the power company Enron’s activities in India.

Roy was once quoted saying “I say I am letting my fame use me. The space for disagreement, not only in this country, but also abroad, is shrinking. Critics say we are urban elites and so can’t comment on rural problems, as if being urban is a crime. What they really want is that only powerless people in the village should protest, because they know such people can easily be crushed underfoot,” as reported by The Christian Science Monitor.

Vandana Shiva

Vandana is an Indian environmental activist and anti-globalization author. She has authored more than 20 books and was also trained as a physicist and received her Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, in 1978 with the doctoral dissertation “Hidden variables and locality in quantum theory.”

Vandana is one of the leaders and board members of the International Forum on Globalization and a figure of the global solidarity movement known as the alter-globalization movement. She has argued for the wisdom of many conventional practices, as is evident from her interview in the book Vedic Ecology (by Ranchor Prime) that draws upon India’s Vedic heritage.  She is also a member of the scientific committee of the Fundacion IDEAS and the International Organization for a Participatory Society. Shiva was also awarded the Right Livelihood Award in 1993.

Aruna Roy

Aruna Roy is a political and social activist and founder of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathana. She is best known as an outstanding leader of the Right to Information movement through National Campaign for People’s Right to Information, which led to the enactment of the Right to Information Act in 2005. She has also stayed as a member of the National Advisory Council.

Aruna in 2000 received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership, while in 2010 she received the prestigious Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence in Public Administration, Academia and Management.

Roy most recently was in news talking about the MNREGA scheme. She said “The government says they want to end MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) as it is becoming a source of corruption. It is the officers who do corruption so why should the poor bear the brunt of it. We, therefore, demand that this APL-BPL divide should be dissolved and universal pension scheme be employed,” as reported by OutlookIndia.com.

Medha Patkar

Medha is an Indian social activist. She is well-known for her role in Narmada Bachao Andolan. She has also filed a public interest petition in the Bombay High Court against Lavasa together with other members of National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), including Anna Hazare. She comes from a politically and socially active family as her father had actively fought in the Indian Independence Movement, while her mother was a member of Swadar, an organization setup to help and assist women suffering difficult circumstances arising out of financial, educational problems, etc.

Patkar was often known for her extreme views on growth of country and liberalization. Author Jacques Leslie devoted a third of his book, Deep Water: The Epic Struggle Over Dams, Displaced People, and the Environment, to a portrait of Patkar as she planned to drown herself in rising reservoir waters behind the Sardar Sarovar Dam, against whose construction she fought for two decades.

 

10 Women Friendly Industries of India

The modern day’s empowered women are on a mission to conquer the world and are giving stiff competition of men in every possible field. But unfortunately, not all the industries are female friendly and offer the same perks for greater work-life balance.

Here is a list of female-friendly industries that offers flexible working hours, good maternity policies, help with child care and most of all, healthy working environment, as listed by Ankita Shreeram on ItsMyascent.

#10. Education:

Teaching is a career that screams out for women’s touch. It is a line of work that is easy to get into and in addition offers utmost flexibility in terms of schedules. The demand for quality education and the subsequent rise in the number of schools and colleges across the world is bound to create new opportunities for women who aspire to utilize their time effectively.

#9. Sports:

Sports may seem like a dubious choice for many, but the fact is that, it is a highly lucrative career option that offers stardom and fame. With the emergence of youth icons such as Mary Kom or Saina Nehwal, and increased backing by Government, a large number of women definitely ought to be encouraged to take up this field as a viable career option.  

#8. Human Resource:

This industry has been traditionally dominated by women. The percentage of men working in this profession is very little, with most of them occupying the top notch positions, while the lower level is predominantly under the control of females.

HR is a profession that craves for the ability to understand the underlying issues, face the challenges, and respond to them rationally, that are traits most women are intrinsically born with. The ability to apply their inherent skills to take tough decisions and manage emotions can be an added bonus for women in this profession.

#7. Food & Hospitality:

This field provides an opportunity to unleash women’s touch and creative potential to the highest degree. It is a good career that offers a high degree of flexibility and autonomy, and in addition, does not require much investment.

Women’s inherent flair to establish constructive relationships with the customers and management capabilities can prove its worth in this line of work. 

#6. Health & Fitness:

This field is in fact the best line of work for the women. Opportunities in this field are plenty, especially in health related sectors such as beauty, physiology or fitness. Kindhearted, intuitive and people centric nature of women can be a big plus in this industry. Though the initial years can be quite challenging, the flexible and accommodative nature of this field makes it an ideal and the most desirable career option for women.

#5. Social Work:

Women are generally caring, loving and compassionate by nature, which makes them a perfect-fit for this profession. Here they get do a lot of service to the humanity, especially the underprivileged.

Over the past decade the number of women in this field has risen drastically and the rise is primarily attributed to the higher intensity of social service needs. This trend towards sharp employment growth is expected to continue in the coming years.

#4. Entrepreneurship:

Presently, an increasing number of women are turning to entrepreneurship in a pursuit for greater flexibility. Artistic entrepreneurship is currently the booming line of work for women that are offering autonomy and good income opportunities.

Women have a greater chance of being successful in this field due to the fact that most women have a strong academic background, tend to be neither pushy nor rude and most of all, have a strong drive for initiating activities.

#3. Fashion and Style:

Fashion and style has always been and shall continue to be the most desirable field for women.

This field demands artistic flair and creativity that comes naturally to most females. This is an ideal option for women, since it is something they generally enjoy and understand to minute details. Flexibility and work-life balance are other perks of this field, which most women are craving for.

#2. Public Relations and Marketing:

This is an ideal profession for women because they have a natural flair for keeping others happy. The work-life balance, huge pay packages and most of the autonomy make this the most sought after field by women in the job market.

#1. Media:

Media is a glamorous and promising field, especially for women. This field demands creativity, intelligence, good communication and most of all, the artistic flair, which most women are inherently born with. Huge pay packages and the added perks are some of the factors that are luring women into this field.

 

Future Chinese Naval Bases Overseas – What Would They Be Like?

The recently realized but long in its planning, transition of the Pakistani port of Gwadar to the Chinese management company has led to a series of negative reactions from the Indian experts. India is concerned about a gradual increase of the activity of the PLA Navy in the Indian Ocean and the transition to Chinese port authorities in countries such as Pakistan or Sri Lanka and sees it as a move to encircle India within a chain of Chinese military bases. But in reality, the creation of permanent military bases here is unlikely, says the expert of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, Vasily Kashin.

According to the expert, military bases, located in the neighboring countries of India will be almost useless in case of a military confrontation between China and India. Being isolated from its mother country, the bases will be within range of Indian aviation and cruise missiles and therefore be quickly destroyed. On the other hand, the presence of a constant and a large military base in Pakistan would in turn make China a hostage of the unstable Pakistani domestic politics.

At the same time, the growing global presence of Chinese Navy will sooner or later raise the issue of establishing an appropriate global infrastructure. Already Chinese naval ships that are involved in anti -pirate patrolling off the coast of Somalia are actively using the ports of Oman, Yemen and Djibouti for restocking. Each Chinese squad, along the Somalian coast, also includes transport logistics. Usually these cargo ships restock fuel and other supplies at the local ports and then transport these to the warships at sea .The Chinese navy pays a great deal of attention to the detailed procedures involved in the transfer of fuel, food and water in the open sea.

In 2011, the Government of Seychelles directly proposed China to create a permanent military base in the islands. In response, China’s Defense Ministry stressed that the database will not be created so as not to damage the unique ecology of the islands. Although some Chinese military experts, such as Rear Admiral Wu Shengli, directly called for the establishment of foreign military bases to support operations of the fleet, the Foreign Ministry and the Defense Ministry of China have always denied the existence of such plans. At the same time they do not exclude the possibility of overseas supply points, without deployment of troops on the territory of other countries.

So, we can assume that China will adhere to a step by step approach to the creation of an infrastructure of global military presence. For the start, probably, they will follow the tried and tested tactic of the USSR- to start with the development of infrastructure of the bases overseas by creating logistics points.

An example of such an object can be considered the similar Russian point in the Syrian city of Tartous. It consists of a few warehouses and workshops onshore and a pier to which a floating workshop can be docked. Only a few permanent ground staff members are required to maintain this point. The creation of such structures avoids attracting too much attention and also avoids accusations of expansion.

This work can be developed after the implementation of some of the more important programs of the Chinese navy, in particular the formation of battle ready aircraft carrier groups. It is unlikely that for the supply bases, ports in friendly countries in the region that are already under the control of Chinese companies, such as Gwadar, will be used. Already, The Chinese Navy has no obstacles in using these ports. On the other hand, the creation of special infrastructure for the Chinese navy may be more practical in the less developed countries on the eastern coast of Africa.

7 Innocent Gestures That Can Get You Killed Overseas

 

If you’ve ever had your penis cut off and/or been executed while on holiday, you’ll probably know that it’s easy to offend people from other cultures. Unless you learn the ways of the place you’re visiting, even the most well-meaning tourist can regularly find his oesophagus stuffed with burning goat. But surely just plain common sense and good manners will save you, right?Wrong.

Extend Your Hand, Palm Outward in Greece

What you think you are saying:
“Phew! That was a heck of a moussaka. I’d eat another portion, but I’m completely stuffed.”

What you are actually saying:
“Phew! That was a heck of a moussaka. I’d eat another portion, but I’m too busy rubbing handfuls of shit in your face.”

What the hell?
In Greece, the “hand out” gesture is known as the moutza, and it dates back to the time of the Byzantine Empire, when criminals would be paraded through the streets on horseback, their faces blackened to indicate their shame. If they were lucky, the blackening agent would merely be charcoal. If they were unlucky, it would be a substance much, much worse …

SHIT, is what we’re saying here. Their faces would be covered in SHIT.

If you really want to piss a Greek person off, you can go for the double moutza, which features both hands splayed above your head. However, this will also make you look like a backup dancer from Cats, so it’s your call.

Give the Thumbs-Up In The Middle East

What you think you are saying:
“Ayyyyy! I’m the fuckin’ Fonz!”

What you are actually saying:
“Ayyyyy! I’m going to jam my thumb in your anus!”

What the hell?
It’s not just the Middle East. This seemingly universal gesture is also hideously offensive in West Africa and South America, whose citizens would doubtless get really confused if they ever watched Ebert and Roeper. “This movie is great, Bill! So great that I’d like to anally rape it with my thumb!”

The thumbs-up sign has been confusing people for thousands of years. Contrary to Hollywood legend, Roman gladiators were not spared by a thumbs-up, but by a hidden thumb. If the origins of both gestures are linked, we can only assume this meant, “Do not kill the prisoner, he seems the perfect solution to the emperor’s arthritic finger.”

Finish Your Meal In Thailand / The Philippines / China

What you think you are saying:
“This is a delicious meal. I mean it. I’m not the kind of guy who would lie about something like this. In fact, your meal was so fucking fabulous that I am going to finish every last morsel and then lick the plate so bright that it reveals the face of God.”

What you are actually saying:
“You call yourself a host? I came here for a meal, not some Lilliputian hors d’oeuvre that wouldn’t satisfy a mouse after a sizable brunch. Look at me. No, in the eyes. You disgust me.”

What the hell?
It is always important that the host provides you with tasty food. However, in countries where steak in bleu cheese sauce costs approximately the same as a lung transplant, it is more important that the host provides you with enough food.

In China, if you finish every last bite of your meal, you are implying that you weren’t given enough. Therefore, even if the meal is the most sexually delicious thing that has ever slid down your throat, you should still leave one last morsel on the plate to stare up at you mournfully while you eye it with ill-concealed resentment.

That said, the Orient isn’t as uptight as this example suggests. In China it’s considered perfectly good manners to talk with your mouth full and to burp after your meal. Farting seems to vary according to the situation and your current company, so ask ahead of time. Lighting the fart is frowned upon in almost all provinces.

Say “Hi” to a Member of the Opposite Sex in Saudi Arabia

What you think you are saying:
“Hi Steve! How’s things? Fancy getting a decaf latte?”

What you are actually saying:
“Hi, Steve! How’s things? Fancy booking a hotel room so that I can do immoral sex acts on you in the name of Satan?”

What the hell?
According to sharia religious laws, it is deeply immoral for a woman to greet a man in public, or associate with any man other than her husband without an escort. In February 2008, one American woman openly conversed with a man in Starbucks, and was promptly arrested, strip-searched and forced to sign false confessions.

Though, perhaps this is nitpicking considering women are not allowed to drive, vote, own shops, testify in court or ride bicycles there. Bizarrely, it’s perfectly fine for women to fly high-powered jet planes, although they’re clearly fucked if they feel like taking a bicycle to the airport.

The point being, if you’re a woman and are planning a move to Saudi Arabia, offending them with the whole public greeting thing is probably the least of your problems.

Give an Even Number of Flowers in Russia

What you think you are saying:
“Darling, this week has been the most wonderful of my life. Since I first felt the sweet joy of your caress, I have truly come to know what it is to love and to be loved. Please accept these half-dozen roses as a symbol of my eternal tender devotion.” (Lean forward for kiss.)

What you are actually saying:
DEATH! DEATH! DEEEEEEAAAAAAAATH!!!!!!

(Lean forward for kiss.)

What the hell?
In Russia, even numbers of flowers are only ever given at funerals, and such a gift is seen as inviting death, which you obviously don’t want to do unless you’re banging a goth chick.

Choosing the right gift seems to be a minefield of morbidity everywhere you go. Never give a clock to a Chinese person, as the word “clock” is almost identical to a word for “death.” Don’t wrap your present in white paper there either, as this suggests funerals. And for God’s sake, don’t give anyone in Bangladesh white flowers or they will presumably be obliged to buy a spade and bury themselves while muttering at you reproachfully.

You know what, screw giving a gift. You may come across as a selfish douchebag, but at least no one will hail you as the fourth horseman of the apocalypse.

Give a Gift With Your Left Hand, Pretty Much Anywhere

What you think you are saying:
“Thank you very much for letting me marry your daughter. She is very beautiful. In gratitude, please accept this dainty, yet tuneful instrument. Did I mention that I’m left-handed?”

What you are actually saying:
“Thank you very much for letting me marry your daughter. She is the most worthless heap of dog vomit I have ever encountered, and I dearly wish that she would die. In gratitude, please accept a generous portion of my own effluence. Did I mention that I hate you?”

What the hell?
Toilet paper may have been around in China since 589 AD, but for much of the world, it remains a prohibitively expensive luxury. In places such as India, Sri Lanka, Africa and the whole of the Middle East, doing anything with your left hand is seen as unclean, as it is (as least symbolically) your ass-wiping hand.

Eating out? Don’t even think about using your left hand. It’s better to come across as some kind of retarded monkey child than to imply that you rate your host’s food on the same level as a lightly-steamed assburger.

Of course, poop is not the only reason left-handedness is bad. According to the Qur’an, Satan himself was a southpaw, which is why he was able to successfully fool the right-handed batter that is mankind.

Give the “OK” Sign in Brazil

What you think you are saying:
“Hi Brazil, I’m US President Richard Nixon, and I’m feeling terrific!”

What you are actually saying:
“Hi Brazil, I’m US President Richard Nixon, and I’m feeling that you should all go fuck yourselves!”

(Note: The above examples are only valid if you are US President Richard Nixon)

What the hell?
In Brazil, the “OK” gesture is roughly equivalent to the finger in the US, which means you should not use it when your hotel manager asks you how your room is, unless you want to tell him that it’s purple and velvety and recently molested his wife.

The most famous incident of a misapplied “OK” sign was, in fact, Nixon’s visit to Brazil in the ’50s. While alighting from the aircraft, he lifted both hands to the cameras and double-fingered the entire nation. Nixon went on to greet the Brazilian Prime minister with a savage kick to the testicles, and concluded his visit by urinating from the window of a moving limousine.

If you’re visiting Brazil, you should also never touch any food with your fingers. Even stuff like pizzas and burgers should be eaten with a knife and fork. Not that you’ll ever need to apply this knowledge, because after reading this article, you’d be insane if you ever travel abroad again.

By: Tim Cameron

Sri Lanka opposes UN screening of critical film

Sri Lankan diplomats are working to block a British-made documentary about the Asian country’s civil war from being shown on the sidelines of a United Nations human rights meeting this week, arguing that it is part of a concerted campaign by the defeated Tamil Tiger rebels to destabilize the peace.

In a letter obtained Monday by The Associated Press the island nation’s ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva said the film contained a narrative that was “discredited, uncorroborated and unsubstantiated.”

The letter sent Sunday by Sri Lankan ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha to the head of the U.N. Human Rights Council, warns that the global body could be violating its own rules if the film is screened March 1 in Geneva at a meeting hosted by rights groups.

The 90-minute documentary, titled “No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka,” alleges government troops and Tamil Tiber rebels engaged in war crimes during the final stages of the conflict in 2009.

The film shows interviews with eyewitnesses and original footage of alleged atrocities against civilians including summary execution, sexual violence and torture. Its backers include the non-profit Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and Britain’s Channel 4 television, which aired two previous documentaries on the Sri Lanka’s civil war.

“The timing and the venue of this screening clearly demonstrates that it is aimed at influencing the debate in the council on Sri Lanka,” Aryasinha said in the letter, citing the two previous films that were also shown during meetings of the Geneva-based rights body.

He said the film contained “morphed and diabolical” material aimed at undermining the process of reconciliation between Tamils and the nation’s ethnic Sinhalese majority.

The film’s director Callum Macrae acknowledged that the documentary’s release had been timed to coincide with one of the council’s three regular annual meetings, but denied that it distorted the facts.

“We believe that our film contains very important evidence about the terrible events in the last few months of this war and we believe we have a duty to make that evidence available to the diplomats and country missions at the U.N. Human Rights Council who must make important decisions about how to ensure accountability and justice in Sri Lanka,” Macrae said.

Earlier this month the U.N.’s top human rights official faulted Sri Lanka for failing to properly investigate reports of atrocities during the war and said government opponents continue to be killed and abducted.

The United States has said it will introduce a resolution at the meeting urging a full accounting of what happened at the end of the war. A U.N. report says tens of thousands of civilians were killed in the final five months of the fighting.

By FRANK JORDANS
Associated Press

CHESS CORNER

The masked battery

From the publishers of THE HINDU

The Best Anti-Aging Foods

             

Photo Credit fruit and vegetables image by photo25th from Fotolia.com

Diet can have a profound affect on how we age. The basic ingredients of a healthy, anti-aging diet are not too surprising: a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, some protein, and a small dose of healthy fats. Beyond that, however, there are some foods that exhibit truly remarkable anti-aging properties.

Blueberries

Blueberries contain vitamins C and E as well as antioxidants called anthocyanins which are known to neutralize free radicals and provide support to the cardiovascular system, the eyes and the digestive system.
In a 1999 study at the Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, rats that were fed blueberries in addition to their regular chow scored better on tests of balance and coordination as they aged. In a study at the University of Michigan, after 90 days of eating blueberries, rats had better insulin sensitivity and lower fasting blood sugar–important indicators of a reduced risk for diabetes, one of the most common diseases of aging. A University of Reading and Peninsula Medical School study showed that rats that ate blueberries had less cognitive decline with aging as well.

Olive Oil

Olive oil’s protective qualities for both the heart and in regard to cancer come from polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants. These findings have been reported in The Journal of Nutrition and the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, among others.
In addition to other benefits, a Journal of the American College of Nutrition study suggested olive oil and other Mediterranean diet staples may be connected to less wrinkling of skin.

Green Tea

Green tea is another food loaded with antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, zeaxanthin and catechins. As reported in The Journal of Nutrition, Cancer Prevention Research and elsewhere, a growing number of studies indicate that it has some protective effects in regard to certain cancers as well as liver damage.
A study reported in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry suggests that green tea antioxidants called catechins travel to the tissues of the eyes where they may reduce oxidative stress for up to 20 hours. A German study improved the effects of LED skin treatments for wrinkles by adding a lotion made of green tea extract.

Red Wine

The results from numerous studies have been reported in Carcinogenesis, Nature and Clinica Chimica Acta: the International Journal of Clinical Chemistry. Red wine contains several antioxidants, including a polyphenol called resveratrol that may help ward off age-related illnesses. In one study, resveratrol appeared to prevent cancer by limiting tumor growth in rats. In another study, resveratrol extended the lifespan of mice on a high-calorie diet.

 

References

• Journal of the American College of Nutrition: Olive oil’s anti-aging benefits
• Science Daily: Green tea may help fight glaucoma
• Science Daily: Green tea may reduce wrinkles
• Tufts study abstract: blueberries provide aging-related benefits in rats
• U-M study: blueberries provide aging-related benefits in rats

KATH BEE