India's Envoy Meets Prachanda over
Government Formation by Sudeshna Sarkar
As Nepal's former guerrillas stepped up consultations over government formation following their landslide victory in this month's election, India'S ambassador to Nepal Shiv Shankar Mukherjee met Maoist supremo Prachanda to enquire about the process as well as the fate of embattled King Gyanendra. Read On

Nepal Market Rebounds as Maoists Pledge Economic Revolution by Sudeshna Sarkar
After suffering heavy jitters last week following the stunning victory of the former Maoist guerrillas in the first national election after 9 years, Nepal's stock market has recovered as the reconciliatory rebels pledged to promote a capitalist economy. Read On

• Global Food Crisis Could Hit
  Caribbean's Millennium Goals 
• Next US President May Not Push N-deal: Blackwill
• Revision of Pakistan By-polls Schedule
  Raises Eyebrows 
• Protests against 'Tibet Independence' in China

World Food Prices
Put Latin America Against the Ropes
By Veronica Sardon
The impact of rising food prices on world markets is already putting Latin America against the ropes: as regional giant Brazil insists its focus on biofuels has nothing to do with the price increases, Mexico is bracing itself for a hard time, and others are dealing with riots. Read On

• China Invites Taiwan's Leader to Beijing 
• Bush Wants India, China Fully
  in New Climate Change Regime  
• Pope to Pray for Sep 11 Victims at Ground Zero

Energy Saving to be Key Issue at Hanover Fair 
by Jean-Baptiste Piggin
When the Hanover Fair, the world's principal exhibition for industrial machinery, opens next week, one of the principal talking points will be ways to save scarce energy. Read On

Maoists bag Majority,
Prachanda to Lead Government
by Sudeshna Sarkar
Nepal's Maoists, who are fighting an election after nearly two decades, finally reached simple majority in the first phase of the crucial poll held this month, with their jubilant chief Prachanda saying he himself would lead the new government. Read On

Bush Spurred Action on Climate Change
in India, China: US by Arun Kumar
The US has suggested that President George Bush's initiative on climate change has acted as a catalyst for major developing countries, including India and China, to create plans for dealing with the issue. Read On

• Missing Pakistani Ambassador to Afghanistan
  in Taliban Captivity 
• Clinton Official and Friend Endorses Obama  
• Canadian PM favors Aggressive Immigration Policy
• Homeless Person Finds
  World Trade Center Blueprints in Trash 
• Saga of Accused Terrorist's Escape
  to be Revealed Monday 
• Third of Million Afghan, Iraq War Veterans
  are Depressed  

India, US Engaged in Bid
to End India's Nuclear Isolation by Arun Kumar
India and the US are working together to correct the "historical anomaly" of New Delhi being treated as a target of international instruments to prevent proliferation of nuclear weapons, says the Indian ambassador Ronen Sen. Read On

• Melbourne's Eureka Skydeck
  a Hit with Indian Tourists  

• Bangalore Royal Challengers Beat Mumbai Indians
• Hussey Steers Kolkata Knight Riders to Another Win
• Power Outage Fails to Dampen
  Eden Garden Audience

India to Ink Biggest $2.2 bn Defence Deal with US
India is set to sign a $2.2 billion deal, its biggest with the US, for eight long-range maritime reconnaissance (LRMR) aircraft, even as the Indian Navy chief opposed "intrusiveness" in the use of military hardware the country purchases. Negotiations for the purchase of the Boeing-P8I LRMR aircraft are in the final stages and are likely to be wrapped up during Indian Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta's visit to the US. Read On

• Munde Quits BJP Posts, says No Democracy in Party
• Inflationary Expectation Causing Price Rise:
  Chidambaram

India says Treat Iran with Respect
Ahead of Ahmadinejad Visit
Ahead of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad coming to India this month on his first visit, National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan Sunday asked the international community to treat Tehran in consonance with its "tremendous influence". Read On

• Quota may Take Away Funds meant for New Institutes
• Dual Currency Idea not a Poll Stunt: Sayeed
• One Arrested for Post-Godhra Carnage  

Arunachal to have Unified Command
to Combat Insurgency by Syed Zarir Hussain
Arunachal Pradesh is soon expected to have a Unified Command structure to combat separatists from neighboring Assam and Nagaland who are using the mountainous region as a base to carry out their hit-and-run guerrilla strikes. Read On

BSP Gains in Uttar Pradesh at BJP's Cost 
by Faraz Ahmad
The results of the Uttar Pradesh byelections have shown the plummeting electoral graph of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the country's most populous state. The BJP's showing in the April 16 poll was dismal with the exception of the Azamgarh Lok Sabha constituency where it ended the runner up. Read On

India Seeks More Saudi Investment in Infrastructure, Oil Sectors by Aroonim Bhuyan
India will seek more Saudi participation in developing its infrastructure sector besides changing its current buyer-seller relationship with the Gulf nation in the petroleum sector to a more participatory one, according to India's External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee. Read On

• Gambhir, Dhawan Steer Delhi Daredevils to Easy Win
• 16 Sixes by Chennai Equal World Twenty20 Record
• Hussey's Century Guides Chennai to Win over Punjab
• Doctors' Strike Forces Woman to Deliver in Taxi 
• 30 Child Domestic Workers Rescued in Hyderabad
• Mayawati issues Threat to Withdraw Support to UPA

Central Government Willing
to Set Up More Courts in States
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday indicated the central government's willingness to set up courts in states to deal with cases under central laws, though law and order is a state subject. Read On

India Hopeful of N-deal, Open to Fuel Bank Idea
As anxieties mount over the future of its nuclear deal with the US, India Saturday said it was hopeful of bringing the deal "to fruition soon" and indicated its willingness to provide a home for an international nuclear fuel bank for other countries. Read On

Market Posts Gains This Week
Boosted by Infosys Results
The Indian equities market ended with a modest gain this week in a truncated trading session boosted by good results of IT major Infosys. The Sensex gained in all the three trading session of the week. The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sensex surged 673.56 points or 4.26 percent to 16,481.20 in the week. Read On

• Have More Courts to Tackle Graft Cases: PM
• Businessmen should cement India-Mexican Ties: Patil
• Putting Up Statues Part of BSP's Dalit Assertion   
• Mayawati's 'Booster Shot'
  for Agra's Dying Shoe Industry