The future of farmers lies in big cities

When the Doha global trade negotiations collapsed in July, many countries shared the blame. But one of the more surprising culprits was India.

With inflation over 12 % for some commodities, removing agricultural trade barriers would surely have helped get cheaper food to India’s millions of poor citizens, says an article by Salil Tripathi

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Michael Jackson-one of pop music's biggest stars died

Michael Jackson, one of pop music's biggest stars, have died in Los Angeles, aged 50. Paramedics were called to the singer's Beverly Hills home at about midday on Thursday and was rushed to a Los Angeles-area hospital as he stopped breathing.

He was pronounced dead two hours later at the UCLA medical centre. Jackson's brother, Jermaine, said he was believed to have suffered a cardiac arrest. The TMZ website reported later he had died. There was no official confirmation of the reported death, and spokesmen for Jackson could not be reached for comment.Jackson, who had a history of health problems, had been due to stage a series of comeback concerts in the UK on 13 July.

Here are some key facts about Jackson.

EARLY LIFE: Jackson was born on Aug. 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, the seventh of nine children. Five Jackson boys -- Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael -- first performed together at a talent show when Michael was 6. They walked off with first prize.

Their group later became The Jackson Five, and when it was signed by Motown Records in the late 1960s it underwent its final metamorphosis to become The Jackson 5. Jackson made his first solo album in 1972.SUCCESS: Jackson released "Thriller" in 1982, which became a smash hit that yielded seven top-ten singles. The album sold 21 million copies in the United States and at least 27 million worldwide.

The next year, he unveiled his signature "moonwalk" dance move while performing "Billie Jean" during an NBC special.

Jackson's lifetime record sales tally is believed to be about 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he has received, makes him one of the most successful entertainers of all time.

BIGGEST HITS:I Want You Back, Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, Billie Jean, Bad, Black or White, Earth Song

ACCUSATIONS:In 1993, Jackson was accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy, and police raided his California ranch "Neverland."

The same year, Jackson announced he had become addicted to painkillers and abruptly canceled a world tour to promote his album, "Dangerous."

He reached a settlement in 1994, later reported to be $23 million, with the family of the boy he was accused of abusing.

MARRIAGE & FAMILY: In 1994, Jackson married Elvis Presley's only child, Lisa Marie, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1996. Jackson married Debbie Rowe the same year and had two children, before splitting in 1999. The couple never lived together.

Jackson has three children named Prince Michael I, Paris Michael and Prince Michael II, known for his brief public appearance when his father held him over the railing of a hotel balcony, causing widespread criticism.

MORE CONTROVERSY: A television documentary "Living with Michael Jackson" was aired in 2003, saying that Jackson still had sleepovers with young boys and had his third child with a surrogate mother. Jackson aired his own rebuttal.
Jackson went on trial in 2005 on charges of molesting a 13-year-old boy in 2003, as well as conspiring to abduct the boy. The singer faced nearly 20 years in prison if convicted.

The four-month trial ended in June 2005 with his being acquitted of all charges. Jackson has spent time in Bahrain, Ireland and France since the child molestation case ended.

COMEBACK: After several false dawns, Jackson and music promoter AEG Live announced he would perform 50 concerts at London's O2 Arena. Jackson had been due to start the concerts on July 13. Jackson had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the London shows, which sold out within hours of within hours of going on sale in March.

Want to know more about him. Follow bellow BBC news links:

• Some Lifetime Photos
• Michael Jackson: Highs and lows
• Jackson's contribution to music

Lets pray for Him

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What is the significance of lanterns in Chinese culture?

Signalling the close of the Chinese New Year celebrations, the lantern festival occurs on the first full moon. Lanterns represent the completion of this period of harmony and 'roundness' because they lead the way home for festival guests. The day of lanterns sends the blessing of harmony, order and unity to remain with everyone for the rest of the year. Like the glowing orbs of the lantern festival, the eating of rice dumplings called 'tang yuan', glutinous rice balls with a sweet filling, also symbolises the wish that life runs sweetly and smoothly.

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Word of the Week: Rape

Word of the Week that was: Rape

Meaning: Rape, sometimes called sexual assault, involves sexual intercourse with another person without their consent

Etymology: From the Latin verb 'rapere' which means to seize or take by force

Origin: Rape originally had no sexual connotations. The word is still used generically in English. In ancient times, rape was viewed less as an assault on a woman and more as a serious property crime against the man to whom she belonged, typically the father or husband. The loss of virginity was an especially serious matter. A raped woman's prospects of finding a husband and an appropriate bride price reduced.

Current Significance: On Thursday, Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja, who is accused of raping his maid, was remanded to judicial custody till July 2. Rape is increasingly reported, giving rise to the perception that its incidence is rising across the world. A recent survey in South Africa found one in four men admitting they had raped someone at least once. Nearly half admitted more than one attack. The study, by the country's Medical Research Council, said practices such as gang rape were common because they were considered a form of male bonding.

History: The history of rape and its changing meaning is complex. In Roman times, rape was considered a 'public wrong' or iniuria publica, as opposed to a 'private wrong' or iniuria privita. Rape-along with arson, treason and murder-has always been a capital offense. Till the colonial period, rape along with arson, treason and murder was a capital offense. In England in the early fourteenth century, a rape victim was expected to gouge out the eyes and sever the offender's testicles herself. Mediaeval theologian Thomas Aquinas argued that rape, though sinful, was much more acceptable than masturbation because it fulfilled the procreative function of sex, while the other acts violated its purpose.

Public perception of rape arguably changed with the 1988 film 'The Accused', starring Jodie Foster. The film explored issues pertaining to the legal and moral responsibility of witnesses. It also challenged the prevalent view that a scantily clad woman in a bar on her own was "asking for it".

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Words of the week : Cricket Test

Words of the week : Cricket Test

Meaning: Bloodied by a fearsome terrorist attack and badly hit by economic fraud, cricket is being tested like never before. This is a cricket test rather than Test cricket

Origin: Test cricket has had a remarkably smooth run for a 132-year-old game. But two disparate events appear to have plunged it into a crisis - the sudden disappearance in disgrace of Texan billionaire Robert Allen Stanford and the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team touring Pakistan. Stanford's abrupt exit - without paying the bills - has arguably left world cricket without too many options about how to create a new order that would reconcile the various forms of the game and its warring parties. Just a few months ago, in the West Indies, Stanford had played benefactor to an English version of the Twenty20. It was meant to compete with the new and, until now, hugely successful Indian Premier League (IPL). Then Stanford disappeared. And now, there are fears over security in the sub-continent, which means South Asian cricket can never really be the same again, at least for the foreseeable future. Already, insurance premiums for cricket matches are spiralling. It may become impossibly expensive for organizers, broadcasters and cricket boards to buy the special contingent policies they take out to cover loss of revenue when a match is cancelled because of adverse weather or terrorist attack

Etymology: Before Stanford and Lahore, Test cricket was already in a crisis. Even fanatical fans of Test cricket admitted the five-day game was, well, a bit too long. Many reluctantly agreed it was the sporting equivalent of an epic novel. Twenty20, cricket's 21st-century avatar, was meant to let the game chime with an age that demanded instant gratification. It's thought that there simply aren't enough days in the year and dollars in Test cricket to preserve Test calendars

Current significance: The cricket test is hard-going because Test cricket is in the doldrums and it's getting harder even to conduct an IPL Twenty20 match. Till Saturday, it was feared that security concerns would force the IPL to be postponed or not held at all this year. But it's going ahead, albeit with a revised gameplan.
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What is the Calcutta Cup?

On Christmas Day in 1872, a game of rugby between 20 players representing England on one side and 20 representing Scotland, Ireland and Wales on the other, was played in Calcutta. The match was such a success that it was repeated a week later. These matches led to the formation of the Calcutta Football Club in January 1873. The Calcutta Club joined the Rugby Football Union in 1874, and since then it is called the Calcutta Cup.

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Why are hats a rage at the races?

Fascinating hats are worn in Royal enclosures at Ascot and other horse races during Ladies’ Day when women come out in force and the venue turns into a fashion ramp. History shows that popularity of hats and kerchiefs dates back to early 1800s. Outrageous hats, generally made out of a bowl of fruits, were sported by singer/actress Carmen Miranda in the 1940s. Hats indicated a status symbol, adorned with coloured feathers that only the elite and courtiers could afford. Victorian tea hats were also very popular.

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What is the origin of the term 'earmark'?

Earmark, which we now use to mean 'to designate' or 'to set aside for a particular purpose', actually has a very simple origin. For centuries, farmers marked their livestock as their property by cutting distinctive notches in the animals' ears. Earmark in this literal sense, first appeared in English around 1591. But the use of 'earmark' in the figurative sense arose only in the late 19th century.

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Word of the week that was : Summit

Meaning: The highest point; the top; the highest level or degree that can be attained; a conference or meeting of high-level leaders, usually called to shape a programme of action. Summited, summiting, summits is its verb form Etymology: Middle English somet, from Old French sommette, diminutive of som, top, from Latin summum Current significance: This is turning out to be the summer of summits. Here are two that made headlines this week

SUMMIT OF HOPE

With the world facing the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s, there was much hype and hoopla about the G 20 summit in London on April 2. Some called it the summit that would save the world, which may seem an overdone claim for a grouping of finance ministers and central bank governors. But US president Barack Obama attended and the leaders agreed a trillion-dollar stimulus for the world economy. Sections of the world's press were suffused by hope. Le Figaro lyrically said it was "The symphony of a new world”. French business paper Les Echos expressed relief the leaders had put aside divisions and egos to create a new powerful grouping, commenting "If it's not exactly a world government ... it's much more than a summit”.

SUMMIT OF SHAME

For India the week was the very summit of shame with the CBI giving Congress leader Jagdish Tytler a clean chit in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The case against Tytler, Congress candidate for the north-east Delhi parliamentary constituency, relates to a mob arson attack on a gurdwara on November 1, 1984 after Indira Gandhi's assassination. The all-clear for Tytler is seen to be the low point for the rule of law. And that's when it had started to seem things would be different with Gujarat's Maya Kodnani becoming the first government minister anywhere in the country to be arrested in connection with communal violence. Tytler, however, seems to underline Kodnani's unique status – she is more the exception than the rule.

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Who invented the speech bubble and when was it first used?

One of the earliest antecedents to the modern speech bubble was the speech scroll - wispy lines that connected first person speech to the mouths of speakers in Meso-American art. In Western graphic art, labels that reveal what a figure is saying have appeared even in the 13th century. Word balloons began appearing in 18th century printed broadsides and political cartoons from the American Revolution often used them.

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Which is the oldest civilization?

The Sumerian civilization is the oldest civilization known to mankind. The term ‘Sumer’ is today used to designate southern Mesopotamia. In 3000 BC, a flourishing urban civilization existed. The Sumerian civilization was predominantly agricultural and had community life. The Sumerians were adept at building canals and in irrigation. Excavated objects such as pottery, jewellery and weapons show they were also skilled in the use of metals like copper, gold and silver and had developed artistry and technological knowledge. China is the oldest surviving civilization.

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How was the first world map drawn?

The first world map was chiselled on a clay tablet in ancient Babylon in 6 BC. The Greeks in 4 BC had similar maps though they correctly believed that the earth was not flat, but a sphere. The first reasonably accurate world map was drawn by hand on paper by Gerardus Mercator, a Flemish geographer. His first world map was produced in 1538 and improved upon in 1585.

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What is the Peking Opera?

The Peking Opera, which originated in the late 18th century, is a synthesis of music, dance, art and acrobatics. It is the most influential of all operas in China, and can be divided into 'civil' pieces characterized by singing, and 'martial' ones featuring acrobatics and stunts. Some operas are a combination of both. The operatic dialogues and monologues are recited in the Beijing dialect.

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What is Jeu de Paume?

Jeu de Paume is also called ‘real tennis’ or ‘court tennis’. It is the precursor of modern tennis and was a rage in Renaissance Europe. Jeu de Paume traces its history to the 11th century when French monks played the sport using their bare hands to volley cloth bags of hair or cork. Translated, it means ‘Game of palm’. It was played on an indoor court with angled walls and netted windows and involved smacking the ball. It was regarded by the upper classes as a provincial pastime initially.

In time, young nobles educated in monasteries brought the game to palaces and urban areas. By the early 1500s, the game embraced battoir (racquets) and introduced a cord (later a net) to separate players into two halves of the court, to take shape as modern tennis. Though men dominated the sport, the most celebrated player of the 15th century was Margot of Hainault, who defeated some of the best men in the game in 1427 in Paris.

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When did Malaysia get its independence from the British?

Malaysia got its independence from the British on August 31, 1957 in a very peaceful manner through talks. Additionally, Malaysian independence was realised by three people of different cultures and religions. On August 31, 1957, Malaya's first Prime Minister Allahyarham Tunku Abdul Rahman proudly declared the independence of Malaya (now Malaysia) by shouting out 'Merdeka' seven times at the Merdeka Stadium.

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Why are the Emmy Awards so called?

The Emmy Awards were instituted by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) as a television equivalent for the Academy Awards for films. The first Emmy Award ceremony was held in January 1949. The name ‘Emmy’ chosen by ATAS is the feminization of ‘Immy’ — the nickname for the image of the orthicon camera tube that led to the development of television. The name Emmy was complemented by the award statuette design that depicts a winged idealized woman holding an atom. The wings represent the art and the atom represents the science and technology of the television medium.

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Marketing macau: Las vegas of the East

MACAU: East meets west here. As Special Administrative Region of China, Macau was earlier a colony of Portugal and reverted to Chinese rule on

December 20, 1999. It's the only city in the world where Las Vegas joins hand with continental Europe while being in the lap of the Oriental. Confused? Well don't be - Macau has a distinct flavour to its pulse and feel.

On one hand, casinos, pubs and bars crowd its coastline, adding to the Las Vegas touch. On the other, there are Roman cathedrals, forts, canals and museums that bring in the European flavour in a city that's carved out of mainland China.

With many Asian countries opening their doors to the gaming industry (revenues touched $13 billion in 2006 as per a report by Globalysis, a Las Vegas-based consultant), the biggest names are interested in it. These include Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Mirage and Harrah's Entertainment and they hope to generate about 20% of their revenues from Asia alone in the next decade.

Little wonder then that Macau is throbbing with casinos like the indigenous Lisboa, The Grand Emperor and the Vegas Import. It's the only Chinese city where gambling in a casino is legal. As a result, the city has not only lured business travellers and tourists alike, but also a niche clientele dubbed as entertainment travellers.

Not surprisingly, Macau's night life dons a carnival look. There are casinos where Latino music and dance forms like the Samba, Mumba and Salsa enthral the traveller. For the more adrenaline-charged, there are pubs with pole dances. Otherwise, the city turns quiet at midnight.

With an area of 29.2 sq km, mostly got from reclaimed land, Macau, like big brother Hong Kong, benefits from the principle of one country, two systems. But unlike Hong Kong's Manhattan-like mania, Macau has a leisurely pulse with a happy blend of Macanese (Chinese and Portuguese) culture. One can see this all around, from sepia-tinted colonial architecture to A-Ma, Na Tcha and Kai Vui Kun temples. From one street looking traditionally Chinese, to the other looking distinctly European.

Indian tourists, for whom South East Asia has become a much favoured destination, have taken to Macau in a big way. With the opening of the over 10.5 million square feet Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, their travel experience has become luxurious. The Venetian (as it's popularly called) is Asia's answer to Las Vegas and is the property of Las Vegas Sands Corp, headed by Sheldon G Adelson, chairman and CEO.

Considered a virtual city under one roof, The Venetian is the second largest building in the world and the largest in Asia. It has 3,000 suites, 1.2 million square feet of convention and exhibition space and a 1,800-seat theatre (Cirque do Soleil). Considered the crown jewel of the Las Vegas Sands Corp, the hotel also boasts a 15,000-seat arena that can be transformed and customised to accommodate any event providing world-class entertainment.

Another first for the hotel is the one million square feet retail space with a false sky ceiling that's home to 350 stores selling renowned brands. And then there are three 490-ft long canals holding 22,000 m cube of water (equivalent to 11 Olympic pools), followed by a complete replica of European landmarks such as St Mark's Square and canals and gondolas of Venice. The Grand Canal is complete with serenading gondoliers and arched bridges and is an out-of-the world experience right inside mainland China.

What makes the visit more heart-warming is Indians who've found vocation in the hotel. Santosh, who hails from Darjeeling, has been working in a restaurant in the hotel for over a year. Speaking in chaste Hindi, he says, "I came here because the job opportunity and money was good." And lest one doubts his awareness of national events, he's quick to assert that Gorkhaland is a just demand of his fellow men. " Desh ka sawal hai, ektaa to chahiye is struggle mein ," he smiles. And then he goes on to recommend the best menu here.

Budhiraja Mahasingha is another Indian who serves as a security officer at the hotel. With an Indian sister-in-law in Hong Kong, he exchanges notes on the latest Bollywood films.

A little India bang in the middle of Macau. It sure is a small world out there.

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What’s unique about the Art Cologne Fair?

Art Cologne is an art fair held annually in Cologne, Germany. It is Germany’s leading art fair and was established in 1967. It bills itself as the ‘world’s oldest art fair’ although the 57th Street Art Fair was founded in 1948, almost two decades earlier. For six days each year, the fair brings together a large number of leading dealers drawn from dozens of countries showcasing the very best that the international art market has to offer. It attracts both the trade and public, including private collectors, curators, artists and art lovers.

  
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How old is the Internet?

The Internet is 35 years old. J.C.R. Licklider of the Massachusetts of Technology first proposed a global network of computers in 1962, and moved to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop it. Leonard Kleinrock developed the theory of packet switching, the basis of Internet connections. On September 2, 1969, Stephen Crocker and Vinton Cerf, two graduate students at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), linked two large computers using a 15-foot cable and tested a new way to exchange data. In January, three other "nodes" were added to this network. The earliest idea of a computer network intended to allow general communication between users of various computers was the ARPANET, the world's first packet switching network.

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How did the expression 'an albatross around one's neck' originate?

The origin of the term lies in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s classic ballad, ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’. It means to carry the burden of guilt. In the poem, the mariner’s ship gets stuck in ice at the South Pole.

At that juncture, an albatross flies over the ship and eventually guides the sailors to safe waters. But once they are safe, the mariner impulsively shoots down the divine bird with his arrow.

Soon after this, the ship stalls again, a heat wave occurs and the sailors are starved of water. The sailors then hang the dead albatross around the mariner’s neck to remind him of his criminal deed.

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