• US Stocks Drop on Worsening Outlook
  for Banks, Industry 

EU Parliament Backs Dalai Lama,
Opposes Olympic Boycott 
European Parliament lawmakers threw their weight behind exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama and urged China to begin constructive talks on the issue of Tibetan autonomy. But they stopped short of calling for a boycott of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, to be held in Beijing in August, arguing that this would not be an effective response. Read On

Sarkozy Begins State Visit to Britain
Britain and France should begin a new era of cooperation, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British PM Gordon Brown said Wednesday as Sarkozy arrived in Britain on a two-day official state visit, the first by a French head of state in 12 years. Read On

Pakistan to Continue to Fight Terror:
Gillani tells US by Muhammad Najeeb
Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani told US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte that Islamabad "would continue to fight" terror but called for a broader approach to the problem. Read On

Australia Urged to Sell Uranium to India
by Neena Bhandari
The Kevin Rudd-led government's firm resolve not to export uranium to India will put Australia out of step with the approach of the other leading nations, says one of India's most distinguished diplomats. Read On

Tata Pleases, Ford 'Disappoints'
British Workers' Union by Dipankar De Sarkar
The head of Britain's largest workers union Wednesday reiterated his support for Tata's acquisition of the luxury car brands Jaguar and Land Rover, but said he was disappointed by seller Ford's failure to retain a stake. Read On

• Oil Could make Cambodia Asia's Norway: Diplomat
• EU Launches Anti-trust Probe into Visa 
• China Criticizes French Officials' Remarks on Tibet

India's Tatas Seal Deal to buy Jaguar,
Land Rover for $2.3 bn
by Quaid Najmi and Dipankar De Sarkar
Tata Motors said Wednesday that an agreement has been reached with Ford Motor Co to buy two iconic British auto brands - Jaguar and Land Rover - for $2.3 billion in yet another high-notch acquisition by a globally ambitious Indian company. Read On
► Major Overseas Acquisitions by Tata Group

• EU may Boycott Olympics over 'Cultural Genocide'
• Reporters Without Borders
  to Keep Protesting against Olympics  

Admiral Gorshkov:
The Ship that Launched a Thousand Rumors 
by Ilya Kramnik
For months now, a Soviet-era warship has been making waves - and filling countless column inches - in both Russia and India. The ship at the centre of the storm is an aircraft carrier called the Admiral Gorshkov - or the INS Vikramaditya - which Russia has been refitting for sale to the Indian Navy. Last year the Gorshkov was the subject of controversy after the Russians announced that they could not complete the refit within budget or on schedule. Read On

All Options Open about Olympics Boycott: Sarkozy 
French President Nicolas Sarkozy suggested he was prepared to boycott the 2008 Olympic Games because of the Chinese handling of Tibetan protests. Read On

Tata Deal Shows 'India has Arrived': Sunil Mittal
by Dipankar De Sarkar
Tata Motors' acquisition of the prestigious Jaguar and Land Rover car brands shows that "India has arrived" on the world scene - something American politicians now need to wake up to, Indian industrialist Sunil Bharti Mittal said Wednesday. Read On 

Mystery of Delhi Cop's Murder Deepens 
Delhi Police's ace sharpshooter Rajbir Singh, killed Monday night in the office of a property dealer, had reportedly loaned more than Rs.12 million to him at a high interest rate, the Gurgaon police said Wednesday even as the autopsy report raised new questions about the killing. Read On

• Three-Year-Old Rescued from Bore Well
  after 27 Long Hours 
• China, Pakistan Pose
  Contrasting Security Challenges 
• Opposition to N-deal Unfortunate: Narayanan  
• 'Ageing' Rahul Beckons Youth to Join Politics  

N-deal: Too Early to Cry 'Now or Never'
says Reassured US by Arun Kumar
As India reiterated its keenness to implement its stalled civil nuclear deal with the US, the White House responded with a reassurance that there was still some time before one could say "now or never". Read On

Manmohan to go to a Democratic Bhutan in May
by Manish Chand
As Bhutan becomes the newest democracy in India's neighborhood after over 100 years of absolute monarchy, PM Manmohan Singh is readying to go to Thimphu in May - the first visit by an Indian prime minister to that country in more than a decade. Read On

NRIs often Tormented,
Cheated Out of Their Properties by Kul Bhushan
Non-resident Indians' property experiences in India can put any horror film to shame. An NRI couple from the US came to Mumbai on vacation and when they visited their ancestral farm, the illegal occupiers refused to vacate the land. The NRI was brutally beaten and his wife molested and hounded out of their property grabbed by neighbors. Read On

• Indian Markets End in Red amid Mixed Global Cues
• South African Batsmen Take Day One Honors

India Keen on Nuclear Deal,
but Not at the Cost of Government: Mukherjee
by Arun Kumar
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee Tuesday reiterated India's desire to implement its stalled civil nuclear deal with the US, but made clear that the ruling coalition was not prepared to sacrifice the government for it. Read On
► Mukherjee Invites Rice to Visit India

Supreme Court Forms Special Team
to Probe Gujarat Carnage
Acting on petitions by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), rights groups and individuals affected by the 2002 communal carnage in Gujarat, the Supreme Court Tuesday decided to constitute a special team to probe 10 cases. Read On

• Manmohan Greets New Pakistan PM,
  Hopes for 'Best Ever' Ties 
• ACP's Killing Kicks Up Awkward Questions
  for Delhi Police  
• Bhajan Lal Disqualified from Assembly Seat
• Advani was the Weakest Home Minister Ever:
  Congress 
• Redefine Poverty Line Level, says Raman Singh
• Bachchan Retracts Land Surrender,
  Will Get Ownership