New Delhi - India on Wednesday launched its first-ever mission to the moon, with the unmanned Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft blasting off from the Sriharikota spaceport in southern India on a two-year exploration.

The 44-metre tall Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV C11) carrying the Chandrayaan probe lifted off at 0622 local time (0052 GMT) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, 80 kilometres north of Chennai.

The Indian Space Research Organization said the launch and the performance of the rocket was going "perfectly."

The Chandrayaan, which means moon craft in Sanskrit, is on a 3.86- billion-rupee (79-million-dollar) mission.

New Delhi, Oct. 22: Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora will meet with representatives of state-run oil companies and private airlines here today in a bid to resolve their dispute over unpaid fuel bills.

According to sources, Deora and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel have reportedly been asked by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, who is currently away on an official visit to Japan and China, to resolve this issue at the earliest.

Pune, Oct 22: An International workshop on Advances in processing of Solid Propellant Rocket motors (IWAPS 2008) will be held at the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory 
(HEMRL) here today.

The two-day workshop is being organised as part of the Golden Jubilee celebration of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Centenary Celebrations of HEMRL.

The objective of the workshop is to bring eminent scientists and technologists from across the globe together on a common platform to discuss the advances in the field of solid propellant processing in order to meet the challenges ahead for advanced futuristic propulsion systems needed for high pay loads.

New Delhi - At least 17 people were killed and 30 injured in a bomb blast suspected to be carried out by separatist militants in India's north-eastern state of Manipur on Tuesday, news reports said.

The bomb was planted on a motorcycle and exploded near the police commando barracks in Imphal, the state's main city.

Imphal police sources told the PTI news agency that 13 people were killed on the scene, and four succumbed to injuries at the hospital.

Most of the victims were civilians, but some could be policemen.

New Delhi - At least 14 people were killed and 16 injured in a bomb blast suspected to be carried out by separatist militants in India's north-eastern state of Manipur on Tuesday, a news report said.

The bomb was planted on a motorcycle and exploded near the police commando barracks in Imphal, the state's main city, the IANS news agency reported.

Imphal police superintendent Radhe Shyam told the news agency that 11 people were killed on the scene, and three succumbed to injuries at the hospital.

Most of the victims were civilians, but some could be policemen.

Srinagar, Oct 21 : As many as 28 pick-up vans loaded with goods crossed the “Aman Sethu” (peace bridge) on Tuesday as cross-LoC trade resumed between the divided parts of Kashmir after decades of closure.

In all, 13 truck loads moved across from this side carrying apples and spices while 15 pick-up vans loaded with rice, spices, rock salt, dry dates and raisins drove to this side from across the border.