New Delhi, Mar 27 : The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Election Commission to allot common symbols to the Praja Rajyam, Lok Satta and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) for upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

A bench headed by Chief Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, said that the directions were only for the present elections.

Praja Rayam founder Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi moved to the Supreme Court on March 20, challenging the EC's refusal to allot his new political party a symbol.

New Delhi, Mar 27 : Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will have his first meeting with United States (US) President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in London on April 2.

Singh, who is leaving for London on March 31 to attend the summit, will meet Obama and heads of other developed and developing nations and representatives of International Monetary Fund, World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

New Delhi, Mar 27 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi has decided to withdraw his anticipatory bail application from the Delhi High Court.

The Uttar Pradesh Police now has no legal bar to arrest Gandhi. The Delhi High Court had granted him anticipatory bail on March 20.

Gandhi took the decision to withdraw the bail application after the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday rejected his petition seeking quashing of two FIRs registered against him for his speeches in Pilibhit on March 7 and 8.

New Delhi, Mar 27 : Dispelling apprehensions over the future of the two-wheeler segment with the launch of Nano, Pawan Munjal, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hero Honda Motors, said that it will have no bearing in the two-wheeler market.

"I am not saying there will be no impact at all. Some two-wheeler aspirants definitely move to a car. But there will be no major impact. There is not change in the market," Pawan said this on the sidelines of a meeting hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here on Thursday.

New Delhi, Mar 27 : The nation is celebrating Ugadi, Chaitra and Navratra, the official beginning of summer according to the Hindu calendar on Friday.

President Pratibha Devisingh Patil has sent her best wishes to the people on the occasion.

In her message, she said that these festivals celebrated in a wide variety of ways in different parts of the country, reflect our diversity and yet underline the unity of the nation.

New Delhi, Mar 27: The Delhi High Court will today hear the anticipatory bail application of BJP leader Varun Gandhi in an alleged case of making inflammatory and communal speech while campaigning in Pilibhit constituency.

On March 20, the court had granted anticipatory bail to Varun. He has got bail on a personal bond of 50,000 rupees.

According to sources, Varun has decided not to approach the court to seek an

extension of his anticipatory bail, and instead court arrest in the district headquarters of his constituency.