Beijing - Envoys from North Korea and five other nations began a new rou

The union government has announced Rs 30,700-crore package to propel economic growth of country. The move is aimed to increase local demand in various economic segments including housing, automobile, export and various labor incentive industries.

The package came just a day after revision of key interest rates by reserve bank. It would help to mitigate the impact of global slowdown on Indian economy.

Washington, December 8 : Kate Hudson has revealed that she could not ignore the hard-hitting credit crunch, and so decided to spend less extravagantly on Christmas presents.

The ‘Almost Famous’ actress said that she could not help but feel the ‘weird’ time and was restraining from shelling out too much in the economic adversity.

“I think it’s a really weird time and I think that everyone is feeling it,” People magazine quoted her as telling reporters at a LA press conference.

The Oscar nominee further said that she and her family preferred handmade gifts that provided that extra personal touch.

On Thursday, the scientists reported that an analysis of rings on a stalagmite from a cave near Jerusalem reveals a drier climate in the region at a time in history when the Roman and Byzantine empires were in decline.

The chemical composition of individual rings as small as one-hundredth of a millimeter across was analyzed by University of Wisconsin geologists, which formed the stalagmite growing up from the floor of the Soreq Cave near Jerusalem between 200 BC and 1100 AD.

“The climate was drier in the eastern Mediterranean between 100 AD and 700 AD, with steep drops in rainfall around 100 AD and 400 AD.; a period of waning Roman and Byzantine power in the region,” said Geologists John Valley and Ian Orland.

Ace poet, lyricist and film producer Gulzar has received the coveted Akshaya Samman for 2008 by Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare on the occasion of the 10th annual Akshaya Utsav at Utkal Mandap open-air auditorium on Saturday.
 
After receiving the award, Gulzar said, “I can only try to do what the much loved Khoka Bhai had done in the field of music, writing and philosophy.”

“But I do not think I can go beyond half of what he had achieved.”

The first Akshaya Samman was awarded to legendary playback singer Manna De.

Athens - Anorthosis Famagusta can extend their unexpected European Champions League adventure into the knockout stages if they do well against a Greek side again on Tuesday.

Anorthosis became the first team from Cyprus to qualify for the group stage of the elite event when they knocked out Olympiakos Piraeus in the third qualifying round.

Now a victory at Panathinaikos Athens is required to join Inter Milan in the round of 16 from group B.