• McCain Suspends Campaign
  to Work on Financial Crisis 
• Stability of US Financial System
  Under 'Grave Threat': Bernanke 

Senate Panel Approval Injects More Uncertainty to N-deal by Arun Kumar
As the US "works hard" to get the nuclear deal with India done during Prime Minster Manmohan Singh's visit, a key senate panel has injected another element of uncertainty by adding a few new conditions. While the Senate Foreign Relations Committee endorsed the India deal 19-2 Tuesday, the approval legislation sent to the full Senate makes it clear that "...it is the policy of the US to seek to prevent the transfer to India of nuclear equipment, materials, or technology from other participating governments in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) or from any other source". Read On

World Leaders Attack US Financial Oversight 
Wall Street's and the Bush administration's record of financial oversight has come under attack at the UN, with world leaders gathered here for the General Assembly session pointing out that the market turmoil in the US threatened the global economy. Read On

Putting NSG Row Behind,
India and China Talk N-cooperation
by Manish Chand
Putting behind them the mistrust sparked by China's perceived negative role in the NSG, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Wednesday and agreed to push cooperation in civilian nuclear energy between the countries. Read On
► Manmohan, Wen Talk 'Aam Admi',
    Exchange Copies of Book 

India Needs $99 bn a Year Investment
in Infrastructure: UN
India will need an investment of $99 billion per annum for the next five years in six major infrastructure segments to support its planned annual economic growth of nine percent, according to the latest report of a UN agency. Read On

• WTO Chief Warns against Protectionism
• Kashmir Core Issue,
  says Zardari Ahead of Meeting Manmohan 
• British Businesses Eye Emerging Markets
• North Korea Set to Start Plutonium Reprocessing

Markets Drop as World Worries
about US Financial Meltdown
World leaders gathered at the UN General Assembly in New York were worried about the US financial turmoil as stock markets around the world shed value and Wall Street titans pleaded with Congress to give rapid approval to a bailout plan. Read On
► Wall Street Continues to Shed Value
    on US Bailout Uncertainty 

'Washington Chalo' by Indian Americans
for N-deal by Arun Kumar
A key Senate panel's approval for the India-US civil nuclear agreement came amid hectic efforts by Indian American community leaders on Capitol Hill to get the deal done before lawmakers break for the Nov 4 elections. Read On

Russia to Set New Border Line in Arctic 
by Maxim Krans
Recent discussions about national geopolitical concerns and spheres of interest have predictably reached the issue of Russia's northern border. According to experts, that part of the Arctic Ocean, which Russia has always considered within its national territory, contains about 25 percent of the world's shelf hydrocarbon resources. Huge offshore deposits of natural gas have been discovered in the Barents and Kara seas. Read On

Bush Meets Zardari,
Discusses US Incursion of Pakistan
US President George W. Bush met his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari Tuesday and acknowledged tensions between the two countries over US military incursions into Pakistan territory to target militants operating in neighboring Afghanistan. Read On

India, Pakistan can Jointly Combat Terror: PM
by Manish Chand
A day before he meets Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari here, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Tuesday he would will ask Zardari to address the issue of cross-border terror, but underlined that both countries could covert this "common challenge" into an opportunity to jointly combat terrorism. Read On

Pakistan Probes Mystery of US Marines'
Steel Boxes in Marriott
Pakistani authorities are trying to "solve the riddle" of US Marines and their mysterious steel cases that were shifted to the Marriott Hotel four days before it was razed in the worst terrorist attack in the federal capital, a media report Tuesday said. "The authorities want to ascertain if it was a routine exercise or part of some special mission that does not have the approval of the government of Pakistan," The News said. Read On

India N-deal may Support 250,000 American Jobs: US Chamber by Arun Kumar
The powerful US Chamber of Commerce has come out in strong support of the India-US civil nuclear deal, saying a modest share of the potential $150 billion business could support 250,000 high-tech American jobs. Asking the US Congress to approve the implementing 123 Agreement before its term expires by the end of this year, the "world's largest business federation representing more than three million businesses of every size, sector and region" said the deal offered US companies a "tremendous opportunity". Read On

Five Terrorists Nabbed,
Mumbai was Next Terror Target: Police 
Five suspected activists of the shadow terror group Indian Mujahideen (IM) were arrested for their alleged involvement in the Ahmedabad and Delhi serial blasts. Police said the group is controlled by a high-ranking functionary based in Pakistan and had planned to carry out serial bombings in Mumbai next. Read On
► Indian Mujahideen Group Controlled
    by Functionary Based in Pakistan: Police 

POTA a Failed Law, We Need a Strong Terror Law: Rahul Gandhi
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Wednesday took on those demanding a strong anti-terror legislation in India, saying that "POTA was a failed law". Advocating the need to have a "strong terror law" in the country, Gandhi said that instead of having a law like POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) "which was ineffective", what was required was "a strong political will from the government". Read On

• Orissa Flood Toll Rises to 48,
  Advani Carries out Aerial Survey 
• Opposing Privatization,
  800,000 Bank Employees in India Strike Work 
• Tatas Start Shifting Equipment Out
  of Nano Factory

Indian Aviation Industry Second Biggest Loser
after US
India's civil aviation industry is the second largest loser after the US due to the recession worldwide and the government can, indeed, help by hastening its decision-making process, says the chief of a global airline association. Read On

• Markets Close with Gains on Roll-over of Futures Trade
• Intelligence Agencies More Active
  in Political Espionage: Brajesh Mishra 

Indian IT Sector Sees Limited Impact
of US Meltdown by Fakir Balaji
The global financial meltdown following the collapse of US investment banks will have limited impact on the Indian IT sector in the short and medium terms, but poses a challenge in the long term, says Som Mittal, president of IT-BPO industry body Nasscom. Read On

Fill Up Police Vacancies,
Secure Hinterland to Fight Terrorism by Ajay Sahni
This time there appears to have been something of a break with past patterns of response to major terrorist attacks in India, which have tended to be much sound and fury, followed by nothing. Read On

Church Attacks Dent Karnataka's Civilized Image
by Fakir Balaji and Maitreyee Boruah
Karnataka's reputation as a communally harmonious state has taken a severe beating following brazen attacks on churches widely blamed on rightwing Hindu groups. The widespread revulsion over the vandalism that began Sep 14 in Karnataka is giving way to concern that the violence as well as allegations that Hindus are being converted may be used by fringe groups to create a gulf between Hindus and Christians. Read On

Manmohan Singh Arrives in US,
Senate Panel Approves N-deal by Arun Kumar
As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in the United States, a key Senate panel approved the landmark India civil-nuclear deal raising hopes it may yet be done before he meets President George Bush Thursday. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 19-2 in favor of the accord at a business meeting Tuesday. Read On
► With N-deal on Menu,
    Bush to Host Manmohan in Family Room 

PM Calls for Strengthening Multi-lateral
Financial Institutions by Manish Chand
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday called for strengthening "surveillance" of multilateral institutions to avert the crisis triggered by the global financial meltdown and stressed that it will not have any significant impact on India's economic health. Read On

CEO's Murder Sends Negative Signals to Industry
The murder of the Indian CEO of an Italian company Monday in this fast growing industrial township has sent shock waves among businesses with many saying such incidents will send negative signals to overseas companies wanting to operate in India. Read On

• Air India Pilot Beaten Up,
  Apology Demanded from CISF 
• Somnath Chatterjee for Total Ban on Defections
• Supreme Court Asks Government
  to Change Archaic Land Law 
• Orissa Flood Toll 35, Patil Announces Rs.5 bn Relief

Another Day of Misery Wrought by Rain, Floods
Destroyed crops, snakebites, disease-stricken cattle and, most of all, hundreds of thousands of people flushed out of their homes - stories of the misery inflicted by torrential rains and overflowing rivers across India continued to replay themselves Tuesday. The gates of the Gobind Sagar reservoir of the Bhakra-Nangal dam were opened for the first time in 10 years to release excess water. Read On

• Markets Close in Red on US Bailout Plan Concerns  
• Security Guard at Tata's Singur Plant Beaten Up
• Police Raid Uttar Pradesh Village for Terror Clues

Corruption a 'Humanitarian Disaster'
in Poor Countries: Report
Persistently high corruption in low-income countries amounts to an "ongoing humanitarian disaster," global watchdog Transparency International said Tuesday. "In the poorest countries, corruption levels can mean the difference between life and death, when money for hospitals or clean water is in play," said the organization's chairperson, Huguette Labelle. Read On