New Delhi, Jan 29 : Government on Wednesday night cut petrol price by Rs five per litre and diesel by Rs two per litre, while the domestic Liquefied Petroleum Gas
(LPG) are slashed down by 25 rupees per cylinder.

Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said, "The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee decided to reduce petrol, diesel and LPG prices to pass on the benefit of softening international oil prices to consumers."

The new prices came into effect from Wednesday midnight.

New Delhi, Jan. 28 : Sri Lanka has assured India that the safe zone for Tamil civilians caught in the crossfire between the Sri Lankan armed forces and the LTTE would be expanded.

Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee, after returning from Colombo, told reporters here on Wednesday, that the assurance was given during his talks with the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse.

New Delhi, Jan. 28 : A better management of health-related initiatives has been recommended by the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) second Common Review Mission. However, it admits to some improvements having taken place in this sector.

Outpatient cases, institutional deliveries, impatient cases, diagnostic services, emergency transport services have all registered an improvement in a majority of the States.

New Delhi, Jan. 28 : Former President R. Venkataraman, who passed away on Tuesday after a prolonged illness, was cremated at Ekta Sthal with full state honors on Wednesday.

President Pratibha DeviSingh Patil, Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari, former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Leader of Opposition L. K. Advani along with several other leaders laid floral wreathes on the body of the late President before it was consigned to flames.

New Delhi, Jan. 28 : Prasar Bharati CEO B. S. Lalli and UNICEF India Representative Karin Hulshof have signed a broadcast agreement for Phase 2 of the Facts for Life entertainment-education drama serial, Kyunki. Jeena Issi Ka Naam Hai (Because. That's What Life Is).

In an unprecedented partnership between India's public broadcaster and UNICEF, the signing is a go ahead for the telecast of an additional 130 episodes of Kyunki. The series is a prime time telenovela that promotes crucial messages from the UN publication Facts for Life, messages that can change and even save the lives of many children and women.

New Delhi, Jan 28 : A report by the Chinese State Oceanic Administration (SOA) has suggested that the sea level along China's coastal areas will rise 0.13 meters in the
next three decades.

The average increase in sea level has been about 2.6 millimeter per year in the past 30 years, 0.8 millimeter higher than the world's average, according to the
administration's report of China's sea level changes.

According to the report, among all the coastal seas, the East China Sea saw the fastest rise in sea level, with an annual increase of 2.9 millimeter over the past three
decades.