Washington, Dec 17 : US consumer prices in November plunged by the largest amount on record going back 61 years, as energy costs posted nearly double the decline of the previous month.

The Labor Department reported on Tuesday that consumer prices fell 1.7 percent in November, surpassing the previous record decline of 1 percent set in October. The drop was the largest one-month decline dating to February 1947, CBS News reported.

The huge decreases reflect the severe recession gripping the country and raise the pressure for the Federal Reserve to act decisively to guard against a debilitating bout of deflation.

The state owned banks has finally announced special relief measures for home loan buyers and small scale enterprises (SME) after deliberations of more than a week. All 28 state-owned banks have revised home loan interest rates at 9.25% below Rs 20 lakh and
8.5% for loans up to Rs 5 lakh.

The move would prove helpful to lower and middle-income class besides increasing demand in the reality sector. Reality sector is facing the heat of global slowdown with significant decline in growth rate.

Washington, Dec 17: Scientists in the UK have successfully demonstrated energy recovery on the ALICE advanced particle accelerator design, creating a beam with a total energy of 11 million electron volts.

ALICE's superconducting linear accelerator accelerated electrons to 99.9 percent of the speed of light, creating a beam with a total energy of 11 million electron volts.

This was the first time the ALICE beam had been successfully transported around the entire circuit.

ALICE is operated by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) at its Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire.

Yesteryear actress Khushboo is going to shake legs with Vijay in a song of its forthcoming flick Villu. 
 

New Delhi, Dec. 17 : Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has termed Chattisgarh's anti-naxalite group, 'Salva Judum' as a non-state actor.

Replying to queries during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Chidambaram said the Centre is not in favour of "non-state" actors taking the job of law enforcement into their hands.

"We are not in favour of non-state actors taking law enforcement in their hands," he said.

After cricketer Kapil Dev, Malayalam superstar Mohanlal has been conferred with the honorary title of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army.

Territorial Army (TA), is a citizen's force of the Indian army.

According to sources, the veteran actor had a fascination for the armed forces and wanted to join the army after college.

The 48 year old actor has also donned the roles of army officers in two of his flicks- KeerthiChakra and Kurukshetra.

Since then he has taken a fascination for the Indian Army. He has huge fan following not only among south Indian men of the forces but even among the North Indians.