NEW DELHI, 3 October 2008 – International cricket sensation Sachin Tendulkar has joined forces with UNICEF to get Indian children to wash their hands for better health and hygiene as part of the first ever Global Handwashing Day 15 October.

Tendulkar is featured in a public service announcement that will broadcast this month in 14 languages on television channels across the country to drum up support for the campaign targeting students in more than six million schools across India.

Nainital, Oct. 3 : Though boating has been the prime attraction in the hilly Nainital town in Uttarakhand, of late, the local residents and visiting tourists from different parts of the country here have also started cherishing eco-friendly cycle-rickshaws these days.

Being a hilly terrain, initially, no one ventured to own or operate a cycle-rickshaw here until a couple of enterprising minds gave it a thought to ply these eco-friendly vehicles.

Popularity of cycle-rickshaws could be gauged from the fact that locals and tourists patronising the pre-paid rickshaw stands, set up at vantage points in the city.

New Delhi, Oct 3 : The Union Cabinet today gave its approval to notify interim enhancement of the rates of wages at the rate of 30 per cent of basic wage for the working journalists and other newsp

Jammu, Oct 3 : Border Security Force officers on Friday lodged a strong protest with the Pakistani Rangers over the latest ceasefire violation and infiltration bids in Jammu.

"BSF has lodged a strong protest with Pakistan Rangers at Border Outpost on international border in Jammu frontier over an attempt to push in ultras under the cover of Pak firing in Tent Post in Kanachak area of Jammu district on October 1," BSF officials said.

New Delhi, Oct 3: The fifth meeting of the India-Ethiopia Joint Trade Commission will be held in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) on October 6.

Union Minister of State for Commerce and Power Jairam Ramesh will be leading the Indian delegation comprising of senior officials, businessmen, export promotion councils and bankers.

A number of important bilateral agreements are expected to be signed during the meeting which include to expand the supply of raw skins and hides that are abundantly available in Ethiopia for India’s growing leather manufacturing industry and to set up an apparel fashion design institute in Ethiopia with the assistance of the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC).

New Delhi - Indian shares fell more than 3 per cent after mid-session Friday, tracking weak global cues despite the approval of the US bail-out package for the banking sector.

The country's benchmark Sensex was quoted at 12,658.21 points at 2 pm (0830 GMT), a loss of 3.04 per cent from its previous close.

Reliance Industries, the country's biggest private conglomerate led the losses in the 30-share sensitive index.

Similarly, the broader S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange was trading at 3,842.85 for a midday loss of 2.73 per cent.