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NCP sticks to claim for Chief Minister post

        Mumbai: The NCP today reiterated that it had not given up its claim for chief ministership in Maharashtra. "We have not (not) given up our claim for the post of Chief Minister," NCP spokesman Vasant Chavan was quoted as saying. The party it's believed had called for the latest round of meetings to discuss the Congress party's proposal of two more portfolios and three additional ministerial berths to resolve the deadlock over the coveted post. As per the report, party MLAs have however, refused to discuss the proposal saying, that they had already passed a resolution authorizing party chief Sharad Pawar to take a decision in this regard.

Court acquits Chandraswami in St. Kitts forgery case (Go To Top)

       New Delhi: A Delhi Court today acquitted Godman Chandraswami in the St Kitt's forgery case. Special Judge Dinesh Dayal acquitted him on the ground that there was no evidence against him. Swami who was visibly happy with the verdict said that he was pleased that the VP Singh government's motive to drag in former PM Rajiv Gandhi's name in the conspiracy did not succeed and in the end it was truth that emerged victorious. "I am happy that the way V P Singh government tried to drag in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's name did not work. I am more happy for Rajiv Gandhi. The truth has triumphed," Chandraswami was quoted as saying. Chandraswami had been accused of hatching a conspiracy to defame former Prime Minister V P Singh apparently by forging certain documents to show that his son Ajeya Singh had secret bank accounts in St Kitts islands.

No middlemen involved in Mirage deal: Krishnaswamy (Go To Top)

       New Delhi: Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy today said that no "middlemen or agents" were involved when India had signed the deal for the purchase of ten Mirage 2000 H fighters with French Company Dassault in Septmeber, 2000. "Clearly there were no middlemen or agents involved. That is a fact," he was quoted as saying. Earlier there had been reports that a Panamanian company named Keyser had acted as a middleman in the deal and tried to swing the deal in favour of the French arms giant Dassault.

ISRO, Boeing to jointly develop satellites (Go To Top)

       Bangalore: India's premier space research organization ISRO has entered into an agreement with Boeing Satellite Systems to jointly develop and market two-tonne class communication satellites for third-world countries. ISRO officials said that the organization would in this regard soon enter into a formal agreement with Boeing once government formalities get cleared. As per the agreement Boeing would make use of ISRO's satellite bus and some of the its own payload components to integrate a satellite that will be subsequently launched for a third country. "We have come to a broad agreement with Boeing. We have exchanged some notes. But the concrete proposal has to come from the US side now. I have told Boeing to find a customer. They say they are trying to look around. They are having a few proposals. When that's sharply tuned, we will take it up", ISRO Chairman G Madhavan was quoted as saying.

Singapore DPM meets Arjun Singh (Go To Top)

       New Delhi: Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan today met India's Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh in New Delhi, as part of his 10-day visit aimed at boosting economic and political ties. Tan, who also heads a Ministerial Committee reviewing Singapore's Research and Development strategy, is on an extensive investment mission for increasing bilateral flow of business and trained professionals, mainly in Information Technology. Tan, who is expected to visit Hyderabad, Bangalore and Bombay, will inaugurate the Pacific Medical Centre, a project of Singapore's Pacific Healthcare Holdings, and open a new building at the International Tech Park.The leader will also call on Indian Ministers for Defence, External Affairs and Interior during his stay.

Sunil Dutt to head CW Games organizing committee (Go To Top)

       New Delhi: Union Sports Minister Sunil Dutt was today made the chairman of the 2010 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee here. At a meeting headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and HRD Minister Arjun Singh, which was also attended by Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Lt. Governor of Delhi B L Joshi and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Gulam Nabi Azad among others, it was decided to appoint Dutt as the Chairman of the Games' organizing committee.

Bhopal gas victims still awaiting compensation (Go To Top)

       New Delhi: Hundreds of victims of worst industrial disaster that hit Bhopal in 1984 took to the streets here on Monday seeking compensation. Activists have been holding protests in Bhopal demanding compensation. In December 1984, tonnes of toxic gas leaked from U.S.-based Union Carbide's plant in Bhopal, killing thousands of people almost immediately and injuring tens of thousands. Union Carbide, now owned by Dow Chemical Co., paid 470 million dollars in compensation to residents in 1989, but only some of that amount has been distributed due to legal and bureaucratic tangles over categorisation and the genuineness of claims. At the time of the settlement with Union Carbide, it was estimated around 3,000 people had died and 102,000 were ill as a result of the deadly methyl isocyanate gas leaking into the air. But the Supreme Court in July ordered the disbursement of the remaining Rs. 15.03 billion compensation given in 1989 and also accepted the latest government figures that around 15,000 had died and over 550,000 victims were eligible for compensation due to exposure-related illnesses. In a verdict in 1991, the Supreme Court said if the extent of the tragedy -- and number of victims-was found to be more than initially estimated, the Indian government would make good the shortfall in compensation. Activists say the government should try to get more money from Union Carbide to pay the extra compensation they are seeking. They also demanded that Anderson should be extradited to India to stand trial.

India, Myanmar sign three accords (Go To Top)

        New Delhi: India and Myanmar today signed three accords as part of the bilateral measures to step up cooperation in trade, economic and other key areas. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and visiting Myanmarese leader Than Shwe signed agreements on non-traditional security issues, cultural exchange programme for 2004-06 and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Tamanthi Hydroelectric Project in Myanmar. The two leaders also held wide ranging discussions on a host of bilateral, regional and international issues.

       Earlier, Myanmar's military ruler, on a landmark six-day visit to India to strengthen economic and political ties, was accorded ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The visit comes days after a major political shakeup in the former Burma, which saw the removal of Prime Minister Khin Nyunt, the reformist military intelligence chief, who supported talks with detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The six-day trip is the first time in 24 years a Myanmarese head of state visited New Delhi. New Delhi, one of the few countries to have close ties with Yangon's military regime, considers the visit as a culmination of more than a decade of wooing its eastern neighbour. Than Shwe's visit has assumed special significance for New Delhi after insurgent groups in India's northeast -- many of them hiding in jungles across the border in Myanmar and Bangladesh -- stepped up violence with a wave of bombings and shooting, killing 63 people earlier this month. Though Myanmar has helped India by coming down on some of these rebel groups in the past, New Delhi is expected to press Than Shwe for fresh military action to evict the guerrillas.

Protest against India's red carpet welcome to Than Shwe (Go To Top)

       New Delhi: Over one hundred of Myanmar's pro- democracy exiles waved black flags, shouted slogans and burnt an effigy of Senior General Than Shwe on Monday to protest his visit to India in nearly a quarter-century. The agitation comes as India pitched for better business ties with Myanmar and rolled out the red carpet for Than Shwe despite facing condemnation for welcoming the strongman of a junta shunned by much of the world for its repressive policies India sees the six-day visit of the Than Shwe as a culmination of a decade-long engagement with its eastern neighbour to offset China's influence in the strategic region. India, one of the first countries to condemn Yangon for its repression of pro-democracy activists after a 1988 crackdown, says it remains committed to the cause of democracy in Myanmar, but has been pushing trade, investment and security ties.

Madan Lal Khurana resigns as Rajasthan Governor (Go To Top)

       New Delhi: Rajasthan Governor Madan Lal Khurana today Handed over his resignation to the President, A P J Abdul Kalam to join the politics of Delhi. He said that he is quitting from the post of Governor to solve industry related problems and other problems faced by the residents of Delhi. "I do not want any high- portfolio or post. I am just leaving the post of Governorship because of industry problems and other problems. I want to solve the problems of Delhi people," said Khurana. Khurana was appointed as Governor by the NDA government in January.

Pak proposes FS talks on Dec. 21 and 22 (Go To Top)

        Islamabad: Pakistan has formally requested the Indian government to hold foreign secretary-level talks on December 21 and 22 in Islamabad. Sources told the Daily Times that the foreign secretaries would meet against the backdrop of a meeting between President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in New York. Both leaders had then

Bangladesh FM to visit India on October 31 (Go To Top)

       Dhaka: Bangladesh Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan will make an official visit to India on October 31. Informed sources here told ANI that Khan would be visiting New Delhi to invite Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to attend the 13th SAARC summit to be held in the Bangladesh capital between January 9 and 11. The Bangladesh Foreign Minister will return home on November 1.