December 16, 2006

Today's news contains a bit of good news from the U.S., some bad news from America and India, and a couple very ugly tidbits from India.

The good.  The Census reports that Americans now drink more bottled water than beer, while the National Cancer Institute reports that breast cancer rates have declined sharply in recent years.

The bad. The Census also reports that Americans spend about 1/6 of the year, 64 days per annum, watching television. Around the globe in India, less than 6 months after U.S. embassy warnings over the summer of potential bomb attacks in Delhi surrounding India's celebration of independence, the Israeli embassy now warns that Goa is a potential target over the New Year's holiday.  The tourist destination in southwest India is popular with Israelis.

The ugly. The Hindustan Times reports that the speaker of India's parliament argued against the notion that the body was "dominated" by criminal elements because only  40 of 545 MPs in the body have serious criminal cases against them.  The paper notes that if minor offences are counted, however, the number rises to 140.  Meanwhile, in the Indian state of Orissa, a standoff has developed over the entrance of Dalits (formerly known as Untouchables) into a temple from which they had been banned for 300 years.  On December 5, the Supreme Court ordered that they be allowed to enter the temple, which they did a couple days ago.  Now, the temple has been closed, and upper-caste Hindus are threatening a hunger strike.

Here's hoping things improve tomorrow.