New Delhi, Jan 2 : The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today approved the project of construction of deep draught iron ore berth at Paradip Port on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis at an estimated cost of Rs. 591.35 crore.

Out of total cost, Rs. 506.25 crore will be borne by the BOT operator while Rs. 85.10 crore will be borne by the Paradip Port Trust.

The length of the approved BOT iron ore berth would be 370 meter, alongside depth of (-)17.1 meter which will be capable of handling vessels of 1,25,000 Dead Weight Tonnage (DWT) and will have developed stacking area of about 82,125 sqm.

The project is to be implemented within a period of 36 months from the date of award of the concession.

New Delhi, Jan 2 : The government of India today allowed global snack and beverages maker PepsiCo Inc to retain full ownership of its local bottling arm, and invest up to 50 million dollars.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the cabinet presided over by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh here today.

Munich - Bayern Munich president Franz Be

Rabat, Morocco - The Moroccan authorities managed to cut illegal cannabis production by 65 per cent in 2008, the Interior Ministry said Friday.

Morocco is the world's second biggest grower after Afghanistan of cannabis, from which hashish is made.

The goal now is to reduce cannabis cultivation land from 60,000 hectares in 2008 to 50,000 hectares this year, the ministry said in a press release.

The government has fought cannabis cultivation by destroying crops and with an information campaign trying to persuade farmers to replace the drug with other crops.

The Moroccan authorities have been accused of failing to develop the economy of the northern Rif region, which relies heavily on cannabis cultivation.

Sana'a - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh ordered a major fundraising campaign for the Palestinians as Israeli air strikes on the Gaza strip continued Friday, the official Saba news agency said.

Saleh entrusted a local pro-Palestinian NGO with leading the country-wide campaign, the agency said.

He urged Yemenis to "open-handedly contribute for their Palestinian brothers in the Gaza Strip who are subjected to the barbaric aggression and atrocities by the Zionist occupation forces," Saba said.

Saleh also ordered an "urgent shipment of medical and food supplies" to Gaza through Egypt.

Jakarta - Indonesian prosecutors will appeal the acquittal of a former intelligence agency official accused of masterminding the murder of a leading human rights activist, a spokesman for the Attorney-General's Office said Friday.

Activists have criticized the acquittal of Muchdi Purwoprandjono in the murder of Munir Said Thalib as proof that powerful figures remain above the law, despite a pledge by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to get to the bottom of the case.