Beijing, Nov 18 : China has reportedly denied the media reports claiming that it were planning to send its troops to participate in the ISAF in Afghanistan.

The country’s foreign ministry said that it does not send its troops for peacekeeping operations except those approved by the UN Security Council.

Melbourne, Nov 18: The typical Aussie male who loves beer, barbecues and watching the footy are dying a slow death, for a new survey has shown a rise in the number of champagne-drinking metrosexuals more interested in hair products than their mates.

The shocking research was commissioned by Barons Brewing.

According to the study of 500 Australians, fathering and relationships had affected mateship –also 75 per cent surveyed said men were more likely to bring champagne and cheese to a barbecue than beer and meat.

"If the trends continue there''ll nothing but weak handshakes and pink frocks," the Daily Telegraph quoted Barons Brewing CEO Scott Garnett, a s saying.

New Delhi, Nov 18 : Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath has said that there is a need to step up cooperation to meet the India-Belarus bilateral trade target of 500 million dollars by 2010.

During the bilateral meeting with A. Rusetskey Minister of Industry, Belarus, here last evening, Nath stated that although there has been a growth in India Belarus bilateral trade, it is far below the potential.

The indefinite strike by thousands of executives of public sector oil companies from Tuesday till December 2, has been deferred by one week.

In a press release, Amit Kumar, President, Oil Sector Officers Association (OSOA), said an understanding had been reached between the association and the Union cabinet. He said that the association has received assurances from the central government that their demand for wage revision will be taken up for consideration by the Union Cabinet in this period.

“The Cabinet will meet on November 20 to take up the proposal for higher wages for PSU staff. In view of this, we have deferred the strike by one week,'' said Kumar.

Washington, Nov 18 : Using recent NASA satellite data, researchers have estimated more precisely than ever the heat-trapping effect of water in the air, validating the role of water vapor as a critical component of climate change.

Andrew Dessler and colleagues from Texas A and M University in College Station confirmed that the heat-amplifying effect of water vapor is potent enough to double the climate warming caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Coimbatore, Nov 18: After the success of Chandrayaan-1, India''s first moon mission, country is ready for its second lunar mission as it started work on Chandrayaan-2, says M. Annadurai, Project Director, Chandrayaan-1.

Talking to media here on Monday, Annadurai said the Central Cabinet has already given its approval for the second moon mission.

"Chandrayaan-2 has been already approved by the cabinet. And we have been given the budget of rupees 4.25 billion," he added.

Chandrayaan-2, which will be a joint effort between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Russia, is planned for 2011.

The mission will consist of a lander and a rover for a soft landing on moon.