Brussels - The European Union, China and the United States said Monday they were committed to creating common safety standards for toys and other consumer products.

While "we may come from different angles" on safety, "we are moving in the same direction," said Meglena Kuneva, the EU's consumer protection commissioner, after a meeting in Brussels with top consumer protection officials from the US and China.

"If we speak with one voice... industry will listen," said Nancy Nord, head of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

New Delhi, Nov 17 : Minister of State for Industry Dr. Ashwani Kumar stressed upon the need to increase the level of trade and economic engagement between India and Belarus on Monday.

He was speaking at the bilateral meeting between him and Rusetsky, Minister of Industries, Republic of Belarus in New Delhi today.

Nashik/Bhopal/Lucknow/Ambala, Nov 17 : A court in Nashik in Maharashtra on Monday extended the judicial custody of Sadhavi Pragya Singh, arrested in connection with the September 29 Malegaon blast case, till November 29.

The judicial custody of seven others, apart from Singh were also extended

The accused were produced before Joint Senior Civil Judge H. K. Ganatra after their remand to judicial custody expired today.

New Delhi, Nov 17 : India and Ecuador signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Agricultural Research and Education and Cultural Exchange Programme for 2009-11 here today.

The agreement was signed by the officials of the two countries in the presence of visiting Ecuador Minister of Foreign Affairs Trade and Integration Maria Isabel Salvador and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi today.

Ecuador Minister Salvador is on a two-day visit to India.

informed the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) that it has bagged three orders worth Rs 937 crore in water business, during September and October 2008 in Delhi and Andhra Pradesh.

This order is in addition to the EPC project worth Rs 582 crore that the engineering major secured from the Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board; and two EPC projects worth Rs 355 crore from the Delhi Jal Board.

Beirut

 - A new Lebanese magazine that Focuses on body art, science and literature and aims to tackle subjects such as eroticism and fetishism, is due to hit the stands in the Arab world next month.

Joumana Haddad, editor-in-chief of Jasad (the Arabic word for body), said the publication aims to break taboos and will provide its writers, researchers and artists with the freedom they deserve.