After the heat, a face-saver
Copenhagen accord sealed after 7-hr impasse, to be turned into legally-binding global treaty
Copenhagen, December 19
The UN climate summit finally passed the Copenhagen accord Saturday after two days of intense negotiations and backroom manoeuvres. The accord, proposed by India and four other countries, is now “operational”, a relieved UN chief, Ban Ki-Moon, said.
Demonstrators shout outside the Bella Centre as they protest against the draft text on climate change produced by negotiators at the Compenhagen Climate Change Conference on Saturday. — Reuters

How Obama’s surprise meeting with BASIC leaders helped...
Copenhagen, December 19
It was high drama at the venue of climate talks here last night with US President Barack Obama making a surprise entry into a room where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and leaders from China, Brazil and South Africa were in a huddle discussing strategy on negotiations.

Gadkari is BJP’s youngest chief
New Delhi, December 19
Nitin Gadkari today took over as national president of the BJP with outgoing president Rajnath Singh announcing his decision to quit his post forthwith at a parliamentary board-cum-press meet here.

CHANGE OF GUARD: BJP parliamentary party chairman LK Advani congratulates Nitin Gadkari while ex-president Rajnath Singh looks on during a function at the party’s head office in New Delhi on Saturday. Tribune photo: Mukesh Aggarwal

Day 10: Telangana protests rage on
Hyderabad, December 19
The regional flames, set off by the Centre’s move to carve out separate Telangana state, showed no signs of abating with hunger strikes and street protests rocking Andhra Pradesh for the tenth consecutive day today.

2 ODI ban on Dhoni
Nagpur, December 19
Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was today slapped with a two-match ban for slow over-rate during the second one-dayer against Sri Lanka, dealing a huge blow to the home team’s prospects in the ongoing series.

This rice doesn’t need cooking New Delhi, December 19 India is conducting further trials on Aghonibora, a rice variety that can be eaten merely after soaking in water for around 40 minutes, to find how this economical and environment-friendly rice variety grown in Assam fares in other climate conditions.