Union Commerce Minister Kamal Nath on Thursday announced the interim Foreign Trade policy, which offers sops to exports in leather, textile, gems and jewellery and food product sectors.

The government has scaled down the export target to 175 billion dollar for this fiscal from the earlier target of 200 billion dollar.

Former Pakistan's Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League (N) Chief Nawaz Sharif said today, the people would not accept the Supreme Court ruling. He said no undemocratic action would be tolerated and the mandate of the people should be respected.

Addressing a massive public rally here, Nawaz said Pakistan is passing through hard times because of verdicts of the PCO judiciary.

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari had deceived the nation and did not honour his commitments, The News quoted, Nawaz as saying.

Antananarivo - The opposition in Madagascar returned to the streets Thursday following the breakdown in talks between President Marc Ravalomanana and opposition leader Andry Rajoelina on the island's month-long political crisis.

Rajoelina, the sacked mayor of the capital Antananarivo, announced Wednesday he was breaking off the talks after Ravalomanana ducked a meeting with him in order to meet with representatives of the military in two regional towns.

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray was admitted to

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on Thursday assured that India would not suffer extensively from the ravages of the global economic meltdown.

In a statement, read out by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the Lok Sabha, Singh, who is recuperating from a cardiac bypass surgery, said," Today we are addressing the global downturn with the same resolve and imagination. Let me assure this House, that India would emerge the least affected among the countries of the world from the current economic crisis."