Bangalore, Sep 11 : The Chandrayaan-I satellite has successfully undergone the thermal vacuum test even as Indian space scientists achieved a major milestone inching closer to the country’s first mission to the moon.

A formal announcement on the date of the eagerly awaited launch is expected to be made by Chairman of the Bangalore-headquartered Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) G Madhavan Nair next week.

The two-week vacuum test to evaluate the thermal design of the spacecraft and to verify its endurance in the harsh environment of space, has just been completed at ISRO Satellite Centre here, sources in the space agency said.

Chennai/Bangalore, Sept 11 : Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and president of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) J. Jayalalithaa has charged the Central Government with compromising the country''s sovereign right to conduct further atomic tests.

Leading financial services group in Asia, DBS Bank, has announced the opening of its branch in Bangalore, five months after getting sanction from the RBI, to expand its footprints across the country.

The bank will stretch its products and services to multinational corporations, public sector undertakings, blue-chip corporates, SMEs and individual customers in the city.

Bangalore, Sept.

Sanyo Electric has informed that the company is likely to call off the 50:50 joint venture with Bangalore-based BPL, for manufacturing cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions by the year-end.

Further, the company stated that it has made the decision as it wants to focus on plasma and LCD televisions, batteries, industrial cooling systems while not being saddled with conventional colour televisions.

Sobha Developers Ltd, Bangalore-based realty developer, is planning to raise Rs 350 crore through a rights issue.

According to sources, the company will conduct an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on September 22 to get the required shareholders approvals for the rights issue. It plans to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes, including working capital, acquiring land and other needs.