Govt. to promulgate fresh ordinance on Land Bill
Even as the opposition to the Land Acquisition Bill continues in different quarters, the NDA government is determined to bring to Parliament its amended Bill through a fresh Ordinance. The amended NDA
Hindu
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Boucher visit to focus on deal
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher will undertake a two-day visit here from Tuesday during which the two sides are expected to review progress on implementation of the civil nuclear deal. Mr. Boucher, who is in charge of South Asia, will hold talks with his counterpart, Gayatri Kumar, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, and is expected to meet Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, sources told PTI on Sunday. The civil nuclear agreement issue is likely to dominate the discussions and the Indian side is expected to provide an update on its talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the safeguards agreement. After the fifth round of negotiations between India and IAEA that concluded in Vienna last Thursday, the two sides reported "considerable progress' and moved closer to the agreed text of the agreement. Finalisation of the safeguards agreement with the IAEA is a key step towards operationalisation of the India-U.S. nuclear deal. This has to be followed by the waiver by the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) to allow India to have civil nuclear cooperation with the international community. The government is expected to spell out its plans on the issue in Parliament on Monday when External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee makes a statement. The sources said that Mr. Mukherjee, who would be making the statement on
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"U.S. recession can have cascading impact'
Global oil prices may decline if recession in countries that are major consumers lasts long, according to Karin Kneissl, an energy analyst and freelance journalist based in Vienna, Austria.
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Global pressures on prices
On Monday morning, crude prices touched $111 a barrel in Asian markets. It was only last week that they reached an all-time high of $110.
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We've to develop nuclear energy potential: Manmohan
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh being presented a plant by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit after he laid the foundation stone for the Gas Power Project at Bawana in New Delhi on Monday.
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A bird-watcher's tips for conservation goals
Not very optimistic about return of Siberian cranes to Keoladeo park JAIPUR: Ornithologist Peter Kaestner has suggested reaching out to the "aam aadmi' (common man) through "charismatic mega fauna' such as the tiger and the elephant for long-term conservation goals in India. Conservation should be presented to the public in such a manner that they would understand it and relate it to their lives and ethos, he said.
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U.N. warns of climatic disasters
The recent snowstorms in China have signalled that "freak weather' is becoming increasingly more common, a United Nations body that seeks to mitigate the impact of natural disasters has warned. The unprecedented scale, cost, and human impacts of China's snowstorms, its worst in 50 years, herald a need for the world to get ready for "new kinds of disasters,' said the Geneva-based International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR).
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U.N. warns of climatic disasters
The recent snowstorms in China have signalled that "freak weather' is becoming increasingly more common, a United Nations body that seeks to mitigate the impact of natural disasters has warned. The unprecedented scale, cost, and human impacts of China's snowstorms, its worst in 50 years, herald a need for the world to get ready for "new kinds of disasters,' said the Geneva-based International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR).
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New mining policy on anvil: Subbarami Reddy
Union Minister for State for Mines T. Subbarami Reddy (third left) greets the president of the All-India Granites and Stones Association, Munavar Basha, (second left) at the valedictory function of "Stona 2008' on the Palace Grounds in Bangalore on Saturday. Bangalore: Union Minister of State for Mines T. Subbarami Reddy has said the country will have a new mining policy shortly.
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Water Commission fails to secure agreement
The Central Water Commission failed to secure an agreement between Delhi and Haryana over sharing of water and power from the Renuka Dam at meeting here on Monday. With Delhi refusing to give in to Haryana's demands and depart from the agreement signed in 1994 on sharing of water and power, the matter is now likely to be referred to the Planning Commission for a resolution. Haryana's demand for a share from the water and power that will be generated once the Renuka Dam is commissioned has struck a discordant note as Delhi has objected to the change in agreement.
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Call to include "cold wave' in the disaster list
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Tuesday called upon the Centre to include "frost' and "cold wave' in the notified disaster list of the Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) and sought prompt disbursal of financial assistance to the affected farmers in the State. Ms. Raje, who met Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil at his North Block office in New Delhi, pointed out that the cold wave sweeping North India had severely damaged rabi crop in many districts of Rajasthan and affected agricultural economy. Ms.