New Delhi: The empowered group of ministers (eGoM) on special economic zones (SEZs) has given a clean chit to Essar's steel SEZ in Hazira and Adani's port SEZ in Mundra.

Speaking on this, a government official said, “The EGoM has taken a stand favouring the SEZs. The zones will not have to be de-notified.”

With this, the total land area for the combined SEZ has increased to more than 5,000 hectares, which is more than the present land ceiling. However, the eGoM made it very clear that the port SEZ would not be eligible for tax sops for the area falling inside the port, which is an old construction.

As part of its pan India launch, one of the country’s leading direct-to-home (DTH) service provider, Sun Direct Pvt Ltd, launched its services in Delhi and the national capital region (NCR). With a current subscriber base of 1.5 million, the DTH company targets to reach 3-million subscriber base by the end of this year.

Largely based in the southern states, the company had launched its services in Gujarat, Rajasthan, HP, Punjab and Haryana in September 2008.
For a basic package of 130 channels, the company charges Rs 1,999 towards 10 months of subscription fee and installation charges. Besides this, the company also provides add-on packages to its customers which are charged at Rs 10 to Rs 115 per month.

Finnish mobile handset maker Nokia has launched a new CDMA mobile phone, Nokia 2228.

Washington, Oct 25: European scientists say that emerging nanotechnologies, based on designer molecules with long complex tree-and branch structures, may pave the way for wide ranging applications in disease therapy and novel materials—such as resins, electronic displays, and energy storage.

Called hyperbranched polymers, the molecules open the doors for design of bespoke compounds that may revolutionise materials science and the pharmaceutical industry.

A recent workshop organized by the European Science Foundation (ESF), revealed the great scope of hyperbranched polymers.

Washington, Oct 25 : Actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie was in tears after visiting poverty-stricken families in Afghanistan.

In her role as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Jolie spent two says with former refugees, who have returned to the country and are attempting to build new homes.

At one point, she gets choked up after witnessing the refugees'' poor living conditions.

Paris - A 14-year-old Moroccan boy rode 1,300 kilometres from Tangiers right across Spain to the French city of Biarritz hiding and clinging in the axle area of a truck.