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Monkey noises give clue to understand origins of human language

Scientists believe they have taken a step closer

A team of Scottish scientists found the Campbell’s monkey can add a simple sound to its alarm calls to create new ones and then combine them to convey even more information.

One of the defining features of human language is the process of adding another unit – a prefix or suffix – to a word to change its meaning. For example, adding “hood” to the word “brother” to form “brotherhood”.

Another group of scientists team looking at the same species of monkey in the Ivory Coast’s Tai National Park made a similar finding. Read the full story in Telegraph.

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Michael Jackson’s father asks for $20,000 monthly allowance

Michael Jackson’s father will have to wait until next month before a judge decides whether he’ll get a monthly allowance from the pop star’s estate. Joe Jackson, who was not included in his son’s will, is asking for as much as $20,000 a month.

At a hearing, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff delayed arguments until January 28, because not all of the lawyers involved had been notified.

The judge also threw out a petition by a British woman who claims she was married to Michael Jackson when he died and is the mother of his three children. ”You have no evidence you were married to Mr. Jackson,” the judge said.

Her legal efforts to claim Jackson’s children as her own began three years ago, but she filed her probate claim soon after his death last summer.

Billie Jean Jackson, another woman claiming to be the mother of Jackson’s children, also was in court, but her long-standing claim was not heard.

The estate executors have not filed any objections to Joe Jackson’s request for a monthly allowance, although lead lawyer Howard Weitzman did not rule out the possibility it would be contested. Katherine Jackson, 79, supports her husband’s request for a monthly allowance.

The petition of Joe Jackson, the 81-year-old patriarch of the Jackson family, said he has been financially dependent on Michael Jackson for years. It estimated that his monthly expenses come to $15,000. Jermaine Jackson said it was ridiculous that his father even had to ask. “That shouldn’t even be,” Jermaine Jackson told CNN. “The fact is my father is the estate. He created the estate.”

Michael’s mother and his three children, who live with her now, share an $86,000 monthly allowance.

Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, from what the coroner ruled was “acute propofol intoxication,” referring to an anesthetic. A criminal investigation is continuing.

A 2002 will placed Jackson’s estate — estimated to be in the hundreds of millions — into a trust that benefits Michael Jackson’s mother, his three children and charities to be chosen later. Joe Jackson told CNN earlier this year that he was not surprised or hurt to learn Michael left him out of his will. “That’s the way he wanted it,” he said. “And it’s not going to hurt me that I was left out of his will. But it happened.” Read full story here.

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Queen issues warning over paparazzi photos, writes to editors

The royal family have long had strained relationship with media after Diana’s death in a car crash while being pursued by paparazzi photographers

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth has written to newspaper and magazine editors over the issue of paparazzi photographers intruding on the royal family’s privacy.

“The letter was sent to editors in response to many years of the royal family being hounded by photographers on the Queen’s private property,” her press office said. There were no details of the contents of the “private and not for publication” letter, sent by a royal lawyer on the queen’s behalf, or when it was sent.

But the Sunday Telegraph said the royals were now ready to take legal action if photographers took pictures of them while they were “off duty”.

It said they could sue for breach of privacy or take action under protection of harassment laws.

“Members of the royal family feel they have a right to privacy when they are going about everyday, private activities,” said Paddy Harverson, spokesman for the queen’s son Prince Charles. ”They recognise there is a public interest in them and what they do, but they do not think this extends to photographing the private activities of them and their friends.” The royal family have long had a strained relationship with the media, especially after the death of Charles’s first wife Princess Diana in a Paris car crash in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi photographers. Read more here.

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Shoe-throwing Iraqi journalist has shoe thrown at him

Zaidi’s brother grappled with and slapped the man

An Iraqi reporter imprisoned for throwing his shoes at George W Bush, the former US president, had a taste of his own medicine when he was forced to duck a flying loafer hurled at him in Paris.

Muntader al-Zaidi’s footwear assault on President Bush last December became a symbol of Iraqi anger against “the occupier”. But during Mr Zaidi’s press conference to promote his campaign for the “victims of the US occupation in Iraq”, a fellow Iraqi critic turned the tables on him, shouting: “Here’s another shoe for you”.

Before throwing the shoe, the man made a brief speech in Arabic, defending US policy and accusing Mr Zaidi of “working for dictatorship in Iraq”.

His aim was spot on but Mr Zaidi proved to be as fast on his feet as Mr Bush: he dodged the projectile, which bounced harmlessly off a curtain.

Mr Zaidi’s brother grappled with and slapped the man, whom witnesses later described as an asylum-seeker they know only as “Khayat”, before staff and bystanders separated them and the aggressor was escorted out of the room. Read more here.

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Police warn women of Christmas drinking rape danger

“We want to prevent rape from occurring in the first place, by arming potential victims with key advice on how to keep themselves safe.”

Women heading out for Christmas drinks have been warned by police not to make themselves easy prey for rapists.

Senior officers in England and Wales warned of the risks as the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) launched a campaign to raise awareness.

Poster, radio and TV advertisements will urge women to “let your hair down, not your guard”, while warning men, “Rape: short word, long sentence.”

Many forces record an increase in sex attacks over the festive period.

It comes as thousands of people head to pubs, bars and clubs.

The Acpo campaign was launched in Manchester where it is thought that alcohol plays a part in two thirds of all rape cases. Full BBC story here.

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I don’t even move when Sachin is batting: Anjali

“For me, it’s very easy because I’ve known Sachin for 19 years now. I understand him so well. So whether I am his girlfriend or his wife, it’s the same thing, just an extension of that bond. I don’t find it very difficult and I’m used to it. Maybe, it’s also because I’ve not known any other person in my life except Sachin. Of course, there are many challenges and difficulties to being his wife but the whole family, including my children, has learnt to deal with it. The only regret, even though we’ve learnt to cope with it, is that he’s not at home most of the time. I think even Sachin has realised this, now that the kids are growing up fast. Sara is 12 and Arjun is 10. We sometimes wonder where all the years have gone. Since he used to be away most of the time when they were growing up, now he tries to come home as much as possible. If a match gets over early, he’ll come home, stay overnight and then leave again in the morning. Though he’s trying his best to spend more time with the family, sometimes he’s not at home for birthdays, special occasions or even for the kids’ annual day at school. It matters a lot to the kids.” Read the full interview in The Times of India, dated Nov.14, 2009, or click here.

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Twitter user Penelope Trunk who Tweeted her miscarriage sparks media storm

A Twitter user whose message telling the world that she was having a miscarriage during a board meeting has provoked a media storm.

Penelope Trunk, who describes herself as an author, blogger and entrepreneur, wrote: “I’m in a board meeting. Having a miscarriage. Thank goodness, because there’s a f——up 3-week hoop-jump to have an abortion in Wisconsin.”

Within a few hours, via the 20,000 followers of her Twitter account, the news made it on to CNN, The New York Times, ABC news and even Oprah. Read full story here.

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A handy resource on the events surrounding China’s invasion of Tibet

Since the time of Kang Hsi, every Chinese schoolboy has been taught to look on Tibet as a province of China … Nehru is reported as saying that no one questioned the legality of the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950 … The Chinese are already, with the coming of spring, pouring in fresh troops from east and north and restricting movements in areas under their control … The widespread demonstrations against Chinese rule began peacefully, but evidently are not so now … Interesting Reading. Click here.

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Michelle Obama’s Secrets to Finding a Great Guy

When it comes to landing a top-notch guy – say, the future president of the United States – Michelle Obama is one of the few women out there with experience. And she’s letting other women in on the secret.

“Cute’s good. But cute only lasts for so long, and then it’s, ‘Who are you as a person?’ ” Obama, 45, says in the December issue of Glamour, out Nov. 10. “Don’t look at the bankbook or the title. Look at the heart. Look at the soul. When you’re dating a man, you should always feel good. … You shouldn’t be in a relationship with somebody who doesn’t make you completely happy and make you feel whole.”

Also important, according to the pop-culture-loving First Lady, who’s been married to President Barack Obama since 1992: Getting your priorities straight.

“I have always tried to put my kids first, and then put myself a really close second, as opposed to fifth or seventh,” she says. “One thing that I’ve learned from male role models is that they don’t hesitate to invest in themselves.”

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A tongue-in-cheek look at how parents are raising their kids these days

TOP 10 BIGGEST BRAIN DAMAGING HABITS

1.No Breakfast

People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level.

This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.

2.Overeating

It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.

3.Smoking

It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.

4.High Sugar consumption

Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.

5.Air Pollution

The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body.

Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.

6.Sleep Deprivation

Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.

7.Head covered while sleeping

Sleeping with the head covered, increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.

8.Working your brain during illness

Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.

9.Lacking in stimulating thoughts

Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.

10.Talking Rarely

Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain.

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Mothers-in-law campaign for protection

In a campaign against “abuse of laws favouring daughters-in-law”, about 50 mothers-in-law have launched a group to stay united and fight for their rights. ”There are a number of laws to protect daughters-in-law in India, but there is none to protect us,” said Neena Dhulia, coordinator of the newly-launched All India Mother-in-Law Protection Forum. The group has been formed in Bangalore. “Our primary aim is to raise awareness in society about the state of mothers-in-law,” she said.

Dhulia regretted that Indian films and soap operas too portrayed mothers-in-law mostly as vamps. “The stereotyping of mothers-in-law as evil and blood thirsty by media and popular culture. This violates the civil liberties and the constitutional provisions of right to liberty and right to life,” the group said in its launch statement.

I am a cricketer, not a terrorist: Parvez Rasool

When Jammu & Kashmir batsman Parvez Rasool walked up to the middle at the fall of the second wicket in their C.K. Nayudu U-22 tie against Karnataka, the youngster was visibly overwhelmed by a sea of emotions. Surely, cricket alone wasn’t on his mind. As he went on to admit later, “I had to prove that I am a cricketer and not a terrorist which I had to show with my bat.”

The budding batsman from J&K was in the news for all the wrong reasons on a fateful Saturday mid-Oct. after he was detained by Karnataka police for several hours after his kit bag allegedly showed traces of explosives. The incident received nationwide attention even as a Champions League match scheduled at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium got delayed by a couple of hours due to security reasons.

Even before he could recover from the shock, Rasool had on hand another crucial job – to hold his team together in a tough contest at the very same venue, the M Chinnaswamy stadium, where the drama had panned out last week.

“I could hardly sleep on the first night after the incident. I couldn’t believe something like this had happened in my life. I had even thought of quitting the game. But once I started knocking the balls in the nets, I felt better and I decided to play this game,” explained Rasool. Read more here.

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MUZAFFARPUR’S SHIVI SUDARSHAN BAGS INDIA NEWS BROADCASTER AWARD

My Friend Shivi Sudarshan has made everyone including ‘News 24’ proud. He’s been adjudged the best News Videographer of the Year 2009 at the India News Broadcaster Awards Night. Nerves ran high as the nominees for the best News Videographer of the Year were announced at New Delhi’s Intercontinental Hotel amidst young and seasoned professionals from the journalistic fraternity. And finally, the videographers who captured the devastating Bihar floods of August 2008 for News 24- Shivi Sudarshan, Rishi Nath and Shailesh kumar were announced winners.

The trio travelled traverse terrains to capture the agonizing tragedy of the victims of the flood. Simultaneously, in keeping with the mission of the channel to bring relief to the victims, they distributed food, water and clothes to the devastated people. They waded through neck deep waters, tiptoeing many a times to keep their heads above drowning waters. But they stood firm enough to hold their cameras and seize the disaster for the rest of the countrymen to witness. The pictures they shot of the devastating deluge impacted News 24’s audience deeply. Relief poured into News 24’s head office at Noida, Uttar Pradesh, all of which were transported to the victims subsequently. At the risk of their well- being and health, the trio worked to tell a story. An effort that has been lauded and appreciated at the glittering event of India News Broadcaster Awards over the weekend.

“I’d like to thank News 24, Managing Editor Ajit Anjum and all my colleagues who supported me to do such a challenging job. I have no words to express my feelings. Thanks to all,” Shivi told Greater Voice.

Anjum said: “We are all proud of the feat of our videographers. It was a tough moment for all of us as an entire team was stationed at the flood stricken area for a month. We provided relief and aid to the victims and the entire experience stands as an unforgettable time in our careers and lives. We hope to continue to provide our viewers authentic news that matters like we have in the past.”

Hailing from Muzaffarpur in Bihar, Shivi lives in Delhi and works for News 24. He’s earlier worked for Sahara Samay and ETv among others. He can be reached on 09873022407.

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Sawan Dutta - Delhi to Mumbai for music!

Sawan Dutta - an architecture graduate, ex member of rock band Architypes, fusion band Indian Ocean and Western Classical choir CCM.

She has a diploma in piano from the Royal School of Music London and has been trained in operatic vocals. She has 1 award, 2 feature films, 4 international projects, 10 albums, 10 TV channel signature IDs, over 200 TV serials, programmes, IDs, commercials and corporate film soundtracks and 1 Limca Book Record to her credit. Watch her, to believe her>>

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