San Francisco - Voters in the US states of Michigan and Massachusetts on Tuesday approved medical marijuana initiatives, while those in South Dakota and Colorado rejected draconian limits on abortion, in a further sign of the triumph of centre-left politics in the 2008 election.

Voters in Massachusetts approved a measure to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana, making the offence punishable with a citation and a fine of 
100 dollars.

In Michigan voters approved the legalization of marijuana.

Mexico City - Mexican President Felipe Calderon expressed "enormous sorrow" over the death of his interior minister and close friend Juan Camilo Mourino in a plane crash late Tuesday in Mexico City.

With his voice breaking, Calderon recalled that Mourino had been his companion in politics for several years and that they dreamed together of "a new homeland."

In a formal announcement, one of the leading financial services groups of India, Religare Enterprises (REL), confirmed that it has agreed to acquire Lotus India asset management company (Lotus India AMC) from its majority shareholders - Alexandra Fund Management and Sabre Capital.

Informing the Bombay Stock Exchange of the intended proceedings, REL said that its board of directors has approved a proposal to discuss, negotiate and finalize the terms for acquiring 100 per cent or majority equity shareholding of Lotus.

Washington/Chicago - Democratic candidate Barack Obama has won a historic US presidential election, television networks projected Tuesday, making him the first African-American ever to lead the United States.

Obama, 47, had a commanding victory over Republican rival John McCain, 72, capturing a series of reliable Republican states including Virginia and Ohio that voted for President George W Bush in the last two elections.

Washington - Democrat Barack Obama was elected the next president of the United States over Republican John McCain, capturing the 270 votes needed to prevail in the Electoral College, according to projections by major US news networks.

The complex electoral college system awards each of the 50 states' and the District of Columbia's electoral votes to the candidate who prevails in the state's popular vote. A candidate needs 270 votes to clinch the White House.

India's largest telecom major, Bharti Airtel has set a target of $10-bn revenue by next year. It is asserted by chairman and managing director, Bharti Enterprises, Sunil Bharti Mittal in the sidelines of a function, organized to launch new brand identity and logo of Bharti group.

He said that Indian telecom sector is emerged as a strong sector and it is hardy impacted by slowdown. Indian telecom companies provide call services at very low prices and they are increasing by volumes. Bharti Airtel is the largest telecom company of the country, having nearly 80 million customers. It contributes about 85% in the revenue of Bharti group.