Mumbai, Dec 8: Ashok Chavan will be sworn-in as the 24th Chief Minister of Maharashtra today.

Besides Chavan, NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal along with several other cabinet and state ministers will also sworn-in at a ceremony to be held at Raj Bhavan here.

Though much changes are not expected in Chavan''s cabinet, NCP state unit president Arun Gujarathi and brother of outgoing chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Dilip Deshmukh are expected to be inducted in the ministry with cabinet rank.

New Delhi, Dec 8: The counting of votes in the assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Delhi began this morning.

According to initial reports, Congress is leading in Delhi and Rajasthan while BJP is ahead in Madhya Pradesh.

The final results are expected to be out by the evening.

The fate of several stalwarts like Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Bharatiya Janashakti chief Uma Bharti and senior BJP Minister Babulal Gaur will be decided in Madhya Pradesh which witnessed a 60 per cent turnout during elections to the 230-member Assembly.

Chicago, Dec. 8: US President-elect Barack Obama has said that he expects the country’s economic performance to worsen before it improves, and has pledged to pursue a recovery plan “equal to the task ahead.”

Talking to Tom Brokaw on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Obama said that the current economic crisis looks nothing like the Great Depression.

“This is a big problem, and it’s going to get worse,” the New York Times quoted him, as saying.

Beijing, Dec. 8: China has announced plans to construct its first inland nuclear plant in the central province of Hubei.

The cost of the first two phases of the project, with an installed capacity of 4 million kilowatt is estimated at 50 billion Yuan (7.3 billion dollars). The third phase could cost 45 billion Yuan, the official news agency Xinhua reports.

The construction of the plant is expected to start after an environmental assessment report is approved.

The China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (CGNPG) and the Hubei provincial government agreed in March to jointly build the plant. CGNPG and Hubei Energy Group established a joint venture, known as Hubei Nuclear Power Ltd. Co., in June to develop nuclear power in the province.

Brisbane, Dec. 8 : Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds is preparing for another feisty Test summer against the South Africans, following last year’s run-ins with Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.

According to the Daily Telegraph, there is no love lost between Symonds and South Africans, whom he has labelled as "humourless".

Several of the Proteas top players have vivid memories of clashing with Symonds during Australia''s 2006 tour of South Africa, and some privately admit they cannot stand the controversial all rounder.

Abu Dhabi, Dec. 8 : England''s cricketers have decided to undertake the tour of India for a two Test series beginning from December 11, but not before some reported high drama behind closed doors.

According to former Test player Derek Pringle, the drama surrounding the tour ratcheted up around 8.15 p. m. in the evening on Sunday with the late arrival of the two Morrises, Hugh the general manager of the England team and Sean the chief executive of the Players Cricketers Association, and security officer Reg Dickason, the Test squad, and coaches decamping to the team room.