Sunday, May 11, 2008 (Mumbai): Making a strong case for the Indo-US civil nuclear deal facing stiff opposition from the Left, former President A P J Abdul Kalam on Sunday said the country is dependent heavily on nuclear power in the future for which it will need the uranium supplies that the pact will facilitate.

''We need the uranium supply and definitely the pact is important if we want to meet the target of nuclear energy's contribution in the total energy production,'' Kalam said.

He was speaking at a function in the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the `Shakti' series of the Pokhran nuclear tests. ...Read More

Raipur, May 11: To study Naxal-hit areas more deeply, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil is on a one-day visit to Chattisgarh.

He is scheduled to visit the Naxal affected Bastar region of the States to get a first hand knowledge of the gravity of the naxal menace and the steps being taken to fight it.

The Governor and the Chief Minister of the State along with Director General of police Chattishgarh and the Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force will accompany Patil. ...Read More

New York, May 11, 2008: After being chosen as one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine, Ratan Tata of Indian conglomerate Tata Group has been named among the biggest brains in business by another US publication.

The list of '73 Biggest Brains in Business', compiled by business publication Conde Nast Portfolio, features Tata for his 2,500 dollar car--Nano, along with the likes of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and chief executive of investment bank Goldman Sachs Lloyd Blankfein.

"Brilliance comes in many forms, whether it is founding a startup that kicks sand in Microsoft's face or creating an affordable car for the developing world. A small number of innovators influence the rest of the influencers in business," the magazine said in the accompanying report. ...Read More

BANGKOK - The number of people reported missing in the Myanmar cyclone was about 220,000, the United Nations humanitarian agency said on Sunday, warning of environmental damage, violence and mass migration.

It said assessments of 55 townships in the Irrawaddy delta and other disaster areas found up to 102,000 people could have been killed in Cyclone Nargis, which struck flimsy dwellings with fierce winds and waves on the night of May 2.

"Based on these assessments, the U.N. estimates that 1,215,885 to 1,919,485 million people have been affected by the cyclone, the number of deaths could range from 63,290 to 101,682, and 220,000 people are reported to be missing," the report by the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.

Myanmar state-run TV reported on Sunday night that the death toll had risen to more than 28,458 and 33,416 people were missing. ...Read More