Sivaganga, Oct 25 : Finance Minister P Chidamabram today said that the government will take care to see that the global recession did not have any direct impact on the Indian economy that will continue to grow at eight percent this fiscal.

The eight percent growth rate achieved in the previous years would be sustained this year, he said at the inauguration of the renovated spinning mill of the National Textile Corp at Kalaiyarkoil in his constituency.

Though the Indian economy was linked with the world economy, the global recession would not have any direct impact on the country''s economy, he said.

Soelden, Austria - Austria's Kathrin Zettel claimed victory in the opening

Beijing - Asian and European Union leaders on Saturday committed their 43 nations to agreeing new goals on climate change by the end of next year.

The 16 Asian and 27 EU leaders issued a joint statement saying they planned to finalize a post-Kyoto Protocol deal on climate change goals to 2012 at talks in Copenhagen scheduled for December 2009.

New targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions would build on the December 2007 climate change conference in Bali, Indonesia, they said, calling on developed nations to show "strong leadership".

London, Oct 25 : Flavio Briatore is now ready to put his money on Lewis Hamilton to win this year’s Formula One title - just a week after writing off his chances.

The Renault boss played down Hamilton’s chances ahead of last week’s Chinese Grand Prix, but the McLaren ace stormed to victory to leave himself on the brink of becoming F1’s youngest world champion.

Briatore claimed the fact that Hamilton let a 17-pointlead slip away last season with two races remaining was “worthy of the Guinness Book of Records.”

Putrajaya (Malaysia), Oct 25 : The action against the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) should not be construed as a clampdown on Indians or Hinduism by the government, said Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar.

He said the action taken so far against the outlawed movement was simply because of their association with militancy and their extremist views, the NST Online reported.

Wellington , Oct 25 : New Zealand is looking to help North Korea pay for imports of heavy fuel oil as a reward for Pyongyang’s disablement of the Yongbyon nuclear facility.

Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reports that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Wellington said that the country was discussing offering financial assistance for heavy oil aid for North Korea through six-party talks.