Nepal Government Fears Revolt
by Soldiers Loyal to King
With the election postponed indefinitely to appease the Maoists and King Gyanendra's fate to be decided in parliament in six days, it is speculated that Nepal's government could be fearing a fresh revolt by soldiers still loyal to the palace. Read On
► India Expresses Disappointment
    Over Deferment of Nepal Poll

• Musharraf Signs Ordinance for Bhutto Amnesty  
• Ahmadinejad Sticks to Iran's Nuclear Right
• Russian Giant to Build Indian Hydropower Plants  

Pakistan Supreme Court Permits Presidential Poll
by Muhammad Najeeb
The Supreme Court of Pakistan gave its go-ahead for polling in Saturday's presidential election but restrained the Election Commission from notifying the result till it takes a final decision on petitions filed against President Pervez Musharraf's candidature. Read On
► Bhutto Accepts National Reconciliation Ordinance

Nepal's Sherpas Join Monks
to Condemn Myanmar Crackdown
by Sudeshna Sarkar 
They are famous for their climbing skills and have produced some of the world's best mountaineers. Now Nepal's Sherpas, who are largely apolitical, have come out of their shell to join the growing protests against the crackdown on Buddhist monks in Myanmar by the ruling junta. Read On
► Myanmar Junta Sets Conditions
    for Meeting Suu Kyi 

• Contradictory Reports About US Raid in Iraq  
• Israel's Move No Threat to India's NSG Bid  
• Bush Excludes a Military Strike Against Iran
• Give Iran Time to Come Clean on Nuclear Issue
• US readies for 'Mass Exodus' from Cuba after Castro
• Bill Clinton Boosts Hillary's Presidential Campaign
• South African Mine Drama Ends,
  All Workers Rescued
• Anand Jon Faces 59 Sexual Assault Charges

Nepal Poll Vault Comes Crashing Down
After waiting for five decades for an election that would empower people to write their own constitution, Nepal's dreams came crashing down yet again as its multi-party government decided to defer the crucial polls a third time to stave off a deadly confrontation with the Maoist guerrillas.

US Think Tank Launches
Major New India Programme by Arun Kumar
The Peterson Institute for International Economics, a leading US economic think tank, has announced a major new programme of research devoted to India, "one of the most important emerging economies in the world". Led by Arvind Subramanian, one of the world's leading experts on Indian economy ... Read On

Doctor Shortage in Australia Leads to Fast-tracking Overseas Applicants by Neena Bhandari
The shortage of doctors in Australia is so critical that the authorities are resisting compulsory checks on medicos trained overseas lest they fail the test, a study has revealed. Read On

Sri Lankan Minister Seeks Interim Councils for War-hit Northeast  by M.R. Narayan Swamy
A prominent Sri Lankan Tamil minister visiting India is advocating an interim administration for the country's war-battered northeast and says he wants to play a key role in the region's governance. Read On

China's Border with India is Quietest in Years: Chinese Experts 
China has signed land border treaties with 12 of its 14 neighbors, with most of the border disputes settled - and is currently negotiating with India and Bhutan to resolve boundary issues. Read On

Hundreds Still Awaiting Rescue
from South African Mine
Hundreds of workers were still trapped 2.4 km underground in a South African gold mine Thursday, a day after one of the most dramatic accidents in the country's mining history. Read On

Myanmar Junta Ready for Reconciliation Talks
Myanmar's junta announced that it was ready to start reconciliation talks with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi if she would stop her "confrontation" tactics & support of sanctions against the country. Read On

India-US Ties Go Beyond Nuclear Deal:
Pranab Mukherjee by Arun Kumar
The India-US civilian nuclear deal is not the only thing going in the relationship between the two countries and its collapse for any reason would not imply a return to a "negative situation", according to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee. Read On

• India-US Pact for Low-cost Medical Technologies
• Ozone Over South Pole Shrinks 30 Percent

Nepal Polls Likely to be Postponed
By Sudeshna Sarkar
The Nov 22 election in Nepal, regarded as a key step in restoring peace and stability in the strife-torn nation, is likely to be deferred a third time with the multi-party democratic government reaching an agreement Thursday night with the Maoist guerrillas to put on hold all preparations. Read On

Deve Gowda Meets Rajnath Singh 
Janata Dal-Secular chief H.D. Deve Gowda held informal talks with Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh here Friday evening to end the stand-off between the coalition partners in Karnataka, even as the JD-S ruled out transfer of power in the state. Read On

'Tainted' Cops Removed in Rizwanur Case,
More Heads to Roll Soon
Bowing to intense pressure from the public and the Left Front, the Buddhadeb Bhattacharya government in West Bengal removed two police officers from their posts Friday and hinted at similar action against three senior IPS officers, including the Kolkata Police Commissioner, for their alleged involvement in the mysterious death of Muslim youth Rizwanur Rahaman. Read On

• Andhra Pradesh Defends Quota for Muslims  
• Yuvraj's Ton in Vain as Australia Win by 47 Runs 
• Road Accidents Cost India Rs.550 bn Annually 
• Government tells Left
  It has had Informal Talks with IAEA 

JD-S, BJP Move Towards Formal Split Saturday
Coalition partners Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were on the verge of a formal break-up of their 20-month alliance in Karnataka Friday with the JD-S calling for a legislature session on Oct 18 and the BJP setting Saturday as deadline for power transfer to it. Read On

Economy Chugs On
Despite Karnataka Political Impasse
by V.S. Karnic
Karnataka's political soap opera has everyone in its grip. The administration is at a standstill and the man on the street in the IT capital asks for the latest twist in the drama that shows no sign of early resolution. But the economy chugs on, though the investment climate may be vitiated. Read On

Pesticides Taking Huge Health Toll
in Punjab's Malwa Region by Ranjana Narayan
Punjab's Malwa region, once referred to as 'Makheon meetha Malwa' (sweeter than honey) for its rich agricultural produce and cotton farming, is today battling environment-related health problems ... as a result of large-scale use of pesticides and fertiliser. Read On

• Assam Floods, Pests Hit Indian Tea Production
• India, Philippines Sign Nine Agreements
• Manipur Encounters: Seven Separatists Killed 

Two Senior Kolkata Cops May be Sacked
Over Rizwanur's Death
Two deputy commissioners of Kolkata Police may be removed from their posts for their alleged involvement in the mysterious death of city youth Rizwanur Rahaman, who had married industrialist Ashok Todi's daughter, state Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy said Friday. Earlier two other policemen were removed from their posts. Read On

JD-S Sets Terms, BJP says Deal Non-negotiable 
The Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) Thursday said the Bharatiya Janata Party could not be trusted to maintain peace and communal harmony in Karnataka even as the BJP maintained their 20-month-old power transfer deal was not negotiable. Read On

AIADMK Moves Apex Court with Contempt Plea Against Karunanidhi 
Tamil Nadu's opposition AIADMK party Thursday moved the Supreme Court seeking initiation of contempt to court proceedings against state Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and union Shipping Minister T.R. Baalu for enforcing a shutdown in the state ignoring the apex court's order banning it. Read On

• Left Not to Withdraw Support Over El-Baradei Visit  
• Gujarat BJP Dissidents Ready to Leave Party
• Court Questions CBI for Clean Chit to Tytler
  in 1984 Riots Case
• Italy Honours Fallen Indian Soldiers of World War II
• Yuvraj Confident of Levelling ODI Series
• Kalam Back to His Favourite Work Place
• Kabul School Celebrates Gandhi Jayanti

Intelligence Apparatus Must Improve: PM 
Underlining the need to shore up the country's internal security machinery, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for superior intelligence capabilities that could prove as timely alerts to impending threats. Manmohan Singh also pointed to the global face of terrorism and how police forces needed to go far beyond conventional responses in facing terrorist threats. Read On
► Text of PM's Speech to Top Police Officials 

Death for Former MP Isn't Effective Justice: Experts
by Rana Ajit
India's first death penalty to a former MP and minister is just "symbolic deterrence" for criminals in politics as it isn't a case of effective justice, coming as it does 13 years after the murder and will take another five years to reach the higher courts, say experts. Read On

Sethusamudram Will Only Help LTTE: Swamy
Janata Party chief and former union minister Subramanian Swamy said that the Sethusamudram shipping canal project would only help the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and its sympathisers, posing a security problem for India. Read On

India's Vast Retail Market Beckons,
but Challenges Aplenty by Karen Yap Lih Huey
Retailers and consumer goods majors are trumpeting their moves to target the vast untapped rural markets in India, but experts say success will not come without a rough ride and will involve repurposing products and packaging for a different kind of consumer. Read On