Communist Ally Quits Government
after Nepal Poll Debacle by Sudeshna Sarkar
The first fallout of Nepal's historic election on the coalition govt of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala came Wednesday with one of the major partners in the alliance quitting the cabinet after a humiliating poll rout at the hands of the Maoists. Read On

• Sarabjit's Family Gets Visa to Travel to Pakistan
• US Stocks Surge Ahead on Earnings
  from Intel, JP Morgan

Bush Sets Goal to Control Emissions by 2025
US President George W. Bush announced Wednesday that he was setting a goal to halt the growth of greenhouse-gas emissions by 2025 to combat global warming. Bush's announcement came ahead of a G8 meeting in Paris this week to discuss climate change among the world's leading democratic industrialized nations ahead of a G8 summit set to take place in Japan in July. Read On

• Torch Relay goes off Peacefully in Islamabad 
• Dalai Lama's Talk on Compassion
  has 144,000 US Listeners

Malaysia 'Not an Islamic State', say Ethnic Indians
Comments by the royal chief of the Kelantan state and by its chief executive have brought forth contradictions from leaders of Malaysia's ethnic Indian and Chinese minorities. Read On

Nepal Market Trembles as Maoists Edge
Towards Majority by Sudeshna Sarkar
With Nepal's former Maoist guerrillas edging towards majority after last week's election and uncertainty over the fate of Girija Prasad Koirala's coalition government, Nepal's share market began suffering jitters triggering a dip in stock prices. Read On
► Nepal King Misjudged Poll Results

• Australia Talks Tough over Torch Relay
• Zubin Mehta Enthralls with his Musical Genius
• Hundreds Moved to Safety
  as Colombian Volcano Erupts 

France Threatens Doha Talks Amid Food Crisis
by Dipankar De Sarkar
With only months to go before it takes over the European Union presidency, France has set itself on a potentially confrontational strategy to seek more - rather than less - agricultural subsidies for European countries. Read On

US Fears Emission Exemptions
Would Send Jobs to India, China by Arun Kumar
The White House has suggested that exempting emerging economies from restrictions on carbon emissions would not only not solve the problem of climate change but also send many US jobs to India and China. Read On

US will Help Pakistan Reconcile with India 
by Arun Kumar
The United States will support Pakistan's efforts to reduce tensions and reconcile with India as well as for closer economic integration with the nations of South and Central Asia, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says. Read On

• World's Third Largest Oil Field Discovered off Brazil
• From Muscat, Olympic Torch Heads for Pakistan
• US Still Mum on Doing Business
  with Maoists in Nepal 
• Tibetans Run Mock Olympic Torch Relay in Delhi
• Nepalese Monarchy Set to Go Within a Month:
  Prachanda
• Maoist Victory gives New Hope to Sobhraj

Nepal Maoists Surge Ahead
in Proportional Race Too by Sudeshna Sarkar
The intense desire in Nepal for a change, which saw its former Maoist guerrillas headed for a landslide win in the historic constituent assembly election, continued to propel them ahead Tuesday as vote counting continued for the fifth day. Read On
► Nepal Army Ready to Work under Maoist Govt

Sikh Judge Pans US War on Terror
- in US Embassy by Dipankar De Sarkar
Britain's most senior Indian-origin judge scolded the US for its 'War on Terror' while delivering an address at a unique Baisakhi day event at the American embassy in London. Read On

UN Calls for Concerted Efforts
to Control Rising Food Crisis
The UN called Monday for a long-term policy on food grain production in order to avert famine amidst steeply-rising prices that threaten to undermine anti-poverty programmes. Read On

• Canada Gives New Role to Indian-origin Minister
• Berlusconi to make Comeback as Italy Premier
• Financial Stocks Lead US Markets Lower 
• Fourth Largest US bank Posts Losses,
  Seeks $7-bn Infusion 

BSP Sweeps By-Elections in Uttar Pradesh  
Uttar Pradesh's ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Wednesday proved its supremacy in the state by winning both Lok Sabha and all three assembly seats by huge margins in by-elections held in the state. The Congress was wiped out in Uttar Pradesh but it won an assembly seat each in Orissa and West Bengal. And the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) salvaged some pride in Madhya Pradesh by handsomely winning the Betul Harda assembly seat. Read On

• Ahead of Torch Arrival, Delhi Secured against Tibetans
• IITs to Implement OBC Quota, Demand More Funds
• Monitor Prices Regularly to Check Inflation: Minister
• Patil Praises Lula´s Zero Hunger Programme
• Beautiful Cities in Brazil Impress President Patil   
• 44 Killed as Bus with Schoolchildren
  Falls into Canal

Markets End with a Decent Gain Mid-week
For the second consecutive day, the Indian equities market notched a decent gains Wednesday with IT stocks leading the gaining rally. Positive cues from the global markets boosted the domestic bourses in the early trade. Read On

Beat Back Inflation: Chidambaram
Asking people not to panic and "beat back inflation", Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Wednesday assured parliament that the government will take more steps to rein in prices, which is rising at the fastest rate in 41 months. Read On

• BJP Wins Lok Sabha By-poll in Madhya Pradesh
• Mumbai's Anti-migrant Clashes Echo in Parliament
• 63 Tibetans Attempting to Storm
  Chinese Embassy Detained  
• Indian Autopsies in Scarlette Case
  'Absolutely Illegal' 

Rahul Gandhi: From Diffident MP
to PM Candidate by Monobina Gupta
Rahul Gandhi has retreated to the pavilion, at least for the time being. But the prince of the Gandhi-Nehru family stays at the stumps, waiting to play his innings - perhaps at an appropriate time in the not too distant future. Read On

Patil Addresses Empty Chairs in Brazil's Senate 
by Liz Mathew
Indian President Pratibha Patil found herself addressing a near empty Brazil Senate with only 20 of the 81-member house in attendance, leaving the president's office fuming and Brazilian authorities as well as Indian embassy officials struggling for an explanation.
Read On
► India, Brazil should Work for UNSC: President Patil

• Mufti Repeats Demand for Pakistani Currency
  in Kashmir  
• Anna Hazare, Indian Green Pioneer,
  Wins World Bank Award  

Urban India Backs Legal Shield for Live-in Couples
by Madhusree Chatterjee
Meena Bhattacharya, an executive with an MNC, says light-heartedly that her boyfriend Tanmay Mukherjee, with whom she lives in Noida, has not been throwing his weight around ever since January. That was when India's Supreme Court ruled that couples cohabiting together for a long time - the instance cited by it was 30 years - could be treated as husband and wife and their children would not be branded illegitimate. Read On

Sacrificing Government for N-deal Would be Futile
by Arun Kumar
India's ruling coalition very much wants the civil nuclear deal with the US, but it would be futile to sacrifice the government for its sake, says Abhishek Singhvi, spokesperson of the Congress Party. Read On

Sonia Moves to End Talk of Rahul Becoming PM
Upset with some of her party colleagues for suggesting that her son Rahul Gandhi could be India's prime minister, Congress president Sonia Gandhi summoned Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh for "an explanation", party sources said. Read On

Left, Opposition Flay Government
Over Soaring Prices
The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was Tuesday criticized sharply by the opposition and Left parties for what they termed as its gross inability in taming prices that have pushed India's annual inflation rate to a 41-month high. Read On

President Patil Talks Business in Brazil
by Liz Mathew
Keen on strengthening trade ties between India and Brazil, two emerging economies of the world, President Pratibha Patil broke convention and ignored protocol to reach out to Brazil's business community during her maiden trip to Latin America's largest nation. Read On

• Markets Swing Back Following Infosys Results
• Infosys Workforce to Cross 100,000 Mark 
• Infosys Projects Flat Growth Rate this Fiscal Year
• Men in Khaki Swamp Olympic Torch Relay Route
• Tiff in Apex Court over Ram Sethu
• Surat Farmers Venture into Flower Farming
• Priyanka Admits Meeting Key Convict
  in Father's Killing 
• Indian Team in Pakistan to Discuss Pipeline Project
• Dalit Panel to Issue Notice to Tikait