India attained 50th place in the annual Global Competitiveness 2008-09 ranking. It was at 48th place last year. The list is compiled by the World Economic Forum with its network of Partner Institutes in various countries. 

China has improved its ranking and got 30th spot in the latest list. It attained highest rank among the BRIC economies. US topped the list of 134 countries. The country got the first rank despite financial crisis in the economy.

Brussels - The European Union on Friday approved a Danish plan for restoring confidence to the country's financial sector, saying that it was the "most appropriate" response.

"The scheme would provide liquidity facilities for banks operating in Denmark and protect depositors and ordinary creditors in case of insolvency," the EU's executive body, the European Commission, said in a statement.

Stockholm/Copenhagen  - Sweden and Denmark on Monday joined the growing group of European countries that have raised state guarantees for bank deposits amid the ongoing financial turmoil.

The Swedish government said it planned to double the state guarantee to 500,000 kronor (70,000 dollars) for deposits in Swedish- owned banks.

"The measure aims at ensuring that savers continue to trust the financial system," Finance Minister Anders Borg and Local Government and Financial Markets Minister Mats Odell said.

Copenhagen - Danish politicians were willing to consider deploying F-16 jet fighters in Afghanistan, if there was need for the planes, according to reports quoting them Wednesday.

The comments came in response to an article in the Berlingske Tidende newspaper where Danish Air Force personnel appeared frustrated over not being considered as an option in the Danish contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

"We want to be sure that the politicians are aware of our capability," Colonel Niels Svaerdborg was quoted as saying in Wednesday's edition of the daily.

Washington, Oct 1: The brain, just like muscles, works harder during strenuous exercise and is fuelled by lactate, rather than glucose, according to a study by researchers from Denmark and The Netherlands.

According to the authors, not only does this finding help explain why the brain is able to work properly when the body's demands for fuel and oxygen are highest, but it goes a step further to show that the brain actually shifts into a higher gear in terms of activity.