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US will lift restrictions on
nuclear exports to India
What is India News Service,
Saturday, September 18, 2004, 2200 hrs IST
Ahead of a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George W Bush next week, Washington has
agreed to lift export controls on equipment for nuclear facilities to India and liberalise high-tech trade, including those related to space science.
US export licensing policies will be eased to foster cooperation in commercial space programmes and certain exports to power plants at safeguarded nuclear facilities, a joint statement titled 'The Next Steps in Strategic Partnership between India and the United States' said yesterday.
The first phase of this partnership was concluded yesterday following two-days of intensive talks between External Affairs Secretary Shyam Saran and senior US officials in Washington. The joint statement described the agreement as "major progress."
Cabinet nod for repeal of POTA:
The Union Cabinet today approved ordinances to repeal the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002 (POTA) and amend the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
Both the ordinances will be issued soon, simultaneously, and followed up by introduction of two Bills in the next session of Parliament to replace these two ordinances.
PM meets Left leaders, gives assurance on CMP: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said that the government would take into confidence all UPA partners and "fulfil their expectations".
India liberalises visas for Pak nationals: India on Saturday announced further liberalisation of visas for Pakistani nationals covering doctors, academicians and accredited journalists, setting a positive tone for the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in New York next week.
PM
worried over growing corruption in judiciary: Manmohan Singh on Saturday said it
was for the judiciary to do "soul searching" to bring about accountability and transparency in its functioning.
3 per cent hike in DA of Central staff, pensioners:
The Union Cabinet today approved the proposal to hike dearness allowance for the Central Government employees and dearness relief for pensioners by three per cent. The DA has been revised from July 1. The government cited rise in inflation as the reason behind the decision to hike DA.
SC notice to Centre on flag code:
The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Centre on a petition seeking formulation of a comprehensive national Flag Code for stopping the use and abuse of the Tricolour for personal and political gains.
Manmohan Singh to press for reforms in UN:
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will make his maiden address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 23 during which he would stress the need for international community to redouble its efforts to combat the menace of terrorism.
Anti-terror
law on lines of MCOCA in Gujarat: BJP-ruled Gujarat Saturday said it has decided to bring in a law to control organised crimes and terrorist activities on the line of a Maharashtra law even as Congress-led UPA Government decided to repeal
POTA.
Tamil to be a classical language: In keeping with the promise made in the Common Minimum Programme, the Union Cabinet today decided to create a new category of languages as "classical languages" and declare Tamil as the first language under the category.
States
Expansion of
Karnataka cabinet put off: The Election Commission's model code of conduct
has come in the way of cabinet expansion. Elections are due for the Bidar Lok
Sabha seat on October 13.
Punjab to get 150 MW power from Rajasthan:
Conceding Punjab\92s long-pending request for more power to help it reduce the gap between demand and supply, the Centre has decided to provide the state
an additional 150 MW from the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station.
Witch doctors join battle against AIDS: In Chhotaudepur,
an NGO takes the help of bhuvas to create awareness about safe sex practices.
Neighbours
'No idea where Osama is': Gen Pervez Musharraf has claimed that "a vast majority of the Pakistani people want me in uniform". In an interview with the Washington Post,
he also said he had no idea where Osama was hiding.
Maoists abduct political activists for 'consultation':
Maoist rebels have abducted nearly one dozen senior political activists of opposition Nepali Congress and Nepali Congress (Democratic) from the eastern district of
Jhapa.
US to send more troops to Afghanistan:
The United States will send 1,100 troops from its elite 82nd Airborne Division to Afghanistan to beef up security for the Oct 9 presidential elections, the Pentagon said on Friday.
Govt grants travel documents to Bhutanese refugee leader:
The Nepali government has granted travel documents to Bhutanese refugee leader Tek Nath Rizal to visit any country for his treatment.
View from abroad
Kalam
calls for fight against 'multi-dimensional enemy': President A P J Abdul Kalam
ended his four-day visit to South Africa with a call that both the nations now have to fight poverty.
Anti-Pakistan amendment passed by Congress:
Congressman Gary Ackerman, a powerful legislator and a leading supporter of India, tagged on a Pakistan-specific amendment to the Intelligence Authorisation Act for
Fiscal Year 2005.
General will
break western dress code: Gen Pervez Musharraf guessed it right. Washington may not mind terribly if he broke the western democratic dress code and went back on his promise to shed his military uniform.
Overall:
US said it would lift controls on N-exports:
Ahead of Manmohan Singh's New York visit, US indicated it could lift
restrictions on equipment for India's nuclear installations.
Tamil
got classical language tag: The UPA government had
promised it would elevate the southern language to classical status.
Musharaff won't
give up his uniform: He may renege on the promise he had made the US.
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