Kochi, Dec. 8 : It's going to be a daunting task for V. S. Vijayaraghavan, the newly appointed Chairman of the Coir Board, to help out the coir industry which is presently undergoing a difficult phase due to the global economic slowdown.

The appointment of V. S. Vijayaraghavan, a former Member of Parliament, holds significance in the wake of the fact that the rupees 2,000 crore industry is in dole-drum with over 200,000 traditional workers directly affected by the prevailing economic situation round the world.

Chandigarh, Dec. 8 : Visiting a traditional Dhaba on the highways is a unique experience. In Punjab, highways are dotted with these Dhabas, the roadside eating joints or local restaurants.

A lifeline for the travellers, these outlets are known for serving delicious local cuisine in a cosy place for all visitors, especially the truckers.

Visiting any such Dhaba on the Delhi-Amritsar highway gives an insight about their actual feel. Besides, these Dhabas offer a homely ambience and are mostly preferred by truckers for Punjabi food on the highways.

Ludhiana, Dec. 8 : A group of innovative farmers in Punjab is now looking for ways to improve efficiency, productivity and sustainability by adopting diversification.

Growing vegetables is now a viable alternative for Punjab farmers. Davinder Singh of Mushkabad village is today an example in Ludhiana district who grows quality vegetable in his 10-acre farmland and today supplies the produce to retail giants like Reliance and Field Fresh.

Seven years ago, Davinder and his friends set up Innovative Farmers'' Group and started marketing agro-produce on their own.

Chennai, Dec 8 : For the first time, instead of raising voices for their own issues, hoards of transgender gathered here today to served a hunger strike to show solidarity with the ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Almost all transgender associations in Tamil Nadu participated in the protest to voice their concern over the alleged atrocities on ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Berlin - The marathons at the 2009 world athletics championships will pass Germany's parliament, the Reichstag, with the start and finish as planned at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, organizers said on Monday.

It will be the first time in world championship history that the marathon races don't end in the stadium used for the other competition.

The walks will also start and finish at the Brandenburg Gate, with a two-kilometres course for walkers to be set up on the Unter den Linden avenue.