D Y Vyas
Myanmar could become the rice bowl of its region and provide energy to other countries if “immoral” sanctions against it were lifted, the country’s Foreign Minister told the General Assembly today.
Speaking to the final day of the Assembly’s annual General Debate, U Nyan Win said the sanctions imposed by certain States against Myanmar were unwarranted.

“Unilateral sanctions are also against international law,” he said. “They are not only unfair but immoral. They are counter-productive and deprive the countries of their right to development.”

Political Desk
The Government of India have decided to confer the Kabir Puraskar (Grade-III) for the year 2008 on Shri Abdul Gani Abdullabhai Qureishi S/o Shri Abdullabhai Ahmedbhai Qureishi r/o Qureshi Manjil, Mill Road, Yakutpura, Vadodara, Gujarat and Shri Ghulam Ahmed Bhat S/o Shri Mohd. Akbar Bhat r/o Hokletri Khan-sahib, Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

Business Desk
The Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh, while addressing the Indo-EU Business Summit, on "India - EU: New Synergies for Partnership", jointly organized by CII, FICCI and MEDEF, France, in Paris today, emphasized the need to restore confidence in the international financial system. He said that the target set in yesterday's summit was to increase the annual India-EU trade volume to 100 billion Euros within the next five years.

UN Desk
With the crisis of contaminated milk products in China having driven over 54,000 children to seek medical treatment, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has issued preliminary guidance to help authorities decide on the health concerns of melamine levels in food.

Kidney stones and renal failure has been reported in children in China, where three have died and a further 13,000 hospitalized, believed to be associated with the ingestion of melamine-contaminated infant formula.

R.C. Rajamani
“Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man”.

Mahatma Gandhi

Business Desk
Infrastructure investments are on track, said 67% of the CEOs of major infrastructure developers and financiers of infrastructure projects in an Infrastructure outlook survey conducted by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). However, the results of the CII survey also revealed that the increase in inputs and interest costs have lead to cost overrun and is a cause for concern.

Business Desk
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a change of pace and direction in Afghanistan, where the worsening security situation is hampering the efforts of the Government, the United Nations and international partners to rebuild the strife-torn nation.

“Despite the enhanced capabilities of both the Afghan National Army and the international forces, the security situation has deteriorated markedly,” Mr. Ban writes in a new report released today.

Business Desk
Tata Motors today announced the launch of three new fully loaded variants on its popular Tata Indigo CS range. The Tata Indigo CS – Compact Sedan, launched at the Auto Expo at New Delhi in January 2008, has received an overwhelming response from customers across the country making the Indigo range clock over 84 per cent growth this fiscal at an average of 4,400 units per month.

Political Desk
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari restored to a whooping lie to cover the incident of firing NATO helicopters. He said that Pakistan’s security forces fired “flare” to signal to the NATO helicopters that they had crossed the border line into Pakistani territory. They are flares just to make sure that they know that they have crossed the border line.

He also said the border is often difficult, a comment Secretary Rice corroborated by saying “yes, the border is very, very unclear.” However, the truth is very different.

Lifestyle Desk
Fever 104 FM brings to its listeners a truly unique opportunity to visit a dream destination – Britain! Fever 104 FM in association with British Airways presents England Jao, Right Now or Chitke Hodi, England Nadi, as its being called in Bangalore!

Business Desk

Political Desk
Keeping in view the continuing incidents of violence against the members of a minority community in Kandhamal district, the Central Government has asked the Orissa govt. to take effective, focussed and firm measures to stop the violence and restore peace and normalcy.

Business Desk
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has enhanced the existing rates for the DAVP advertisements by 24 per cent. The revised rates would be applicable for the advertisements released on or after September 01, 2008. All categories of newspapers and periodicals empanelled with DAVP have been covered under the revised rates.

IT Correspondent

Business Desk
The 3rd Runway of the Indira Gandhi Airport, Delhi will become operational from 6 a.m. tomorrow . The first flight to land at the airport will be an Air India Flight, scheduled to land at 6.15 a.m. These decisions were taken at a meeting of the Ministry of Civil Aviation with all stakeholders, chaired by Joint Secretary, Shri K.N. Srivastava.

The other decisions also taken at the meeting are:-

Business Desk
Reacting to the death of Mr L K Chaudhary, CEO of Italian MNC, Graziano Trasmissioni in Greater Noida, a member company of the Confederation of Indian Industry, Mr Salil Singhal, Chairman CII Northern Region said today "It is tragic , unwanted and gory act of violence and we strongly condemn the actions which led to Mr L K Chaudhary's death.

Such instances of industrial violence cannot be a solution to any problem and must not be tolerated". CII urged the authorities to take exemplary action against those persons who had engaged in this senseless murder.

Business Desk
"Aerospace Industry cannot be managed as just a public sector outfit in the years to come. Indian aerospace and defence industry calls for an immediate need to develop a conducive environment facilitated towards energizing the Aerospace industry" said Air Chief Marshall F M Major, PVSM, AVSM, SC, VM, ADC, Chief of Air Staff, Indian Air Force, addressing the member of the industry, during a session organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Business Desk
Outlining a three-point agenda for taking Indo-US ties to a new level, Ms Indra K Nooyi, Chairman, US-India Business Council, said that inclusive growth, investment in education and health, and boosting infrastructure should drive the agenda for industry in both the countries.

Business Desk
"The global crisis resulting from high oil prices and declining traffic is hitting India hard. Growth has slowed from 33 per cent in 2007 to 7.5 per cent for the first six months of this year," said Giovanni Bisignani, Director General and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

He was speaking at an interactive session organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi today.

Business Desk
Etutelage Eduservices, a fast growing e-learning provider has been nominated for the coveted TATA NEN Hottest Startups Awards.

The First ever ‘Public Choice’ awards to recognize India’s new wave of growth, the TATA NEN Hottest Startups is an online contest where people can nominate companies & vote for them both on internet & through SMS.

The Awards are a unique collaboration between the Tata Group, India’s most respected business conglomerate and National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN), the largest representatives of new & future entrepreneurs in India.