Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) Ahead of the crucial meeting of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in Vienna next week, India Friday made it clear that it will only accept “a clean waiver without any conditions” from the cartel that controls global export of nuclear fuel and knowhow. “We ... Read more...

New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) India and Norway will expand cooperation by signing an agreement on the development of the fisheries sector, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said here Friday. “The cabinet today gave its approval for the signing of a memorandum of understanding on bilateral cooperation in ... Read more...

New Delhi, Aug 29 (ANI): External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said that New Delhi is working with the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) countries to secure a clean waiver on the India-US civilian nuclear deal. "We have made it quite clear that we are interested in the clean waiver from ... Read more...

Washington, Aug 27 (IANS) The US says there are no plans to change the India-US civil nuclear deal to get a waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), but would not rule out the possibility altogether."There are no plans that I know of to change the agreement. But you know, ... Read more...

New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) India and the US Monday discussed issues relating to changing the language of the waiver sought in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as Washington assured New Delhi that it will “stand shoulder-to-shoulder” in pushing for “a clean exemption” in the NSG.US Assistant Secretary of State ... Read more...

On board a special aircraft, Aug 23 (ANI): External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday said that India will not accept any "prescriptive conditionalities" to get an exemption from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to operationalise the Indo-US civil nuclear deal. Mukherjee said so to reporters while accompanying President Pratibha ... Read more...

Washington, Aug 23 (IANS) A major critic of the India-US nuclear deal has asked the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to insist on termination of nuclear trade if India conducts a nuclear test as a minimum condition for giving New Delhi a waiver."At a minimum, the NSG make clear that nuclear ... Read more...

Vienna, Aug 23 (IANS) The two-day meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group ended here Friday with the 45 members failing to reach a consensus to lift the ban that will allow nuclear commerce with India even though Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said there has been a "narrowing of differences" among ... Read more...

New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) The US Friday assured India that it would push for “a clean waiver” in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and underlined that while there may be changes in the draft of exemption, it would not allow changes that could “block” nuclear cooperation with New Delhi. ... Read more...

New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) Exactly a month ago, when some opposition politicians tossed wads of currency notes in parliament claiming they were bribed, they did not know that one of their tribe will freeze this moment of "betrayal and trust" in his mobile and turn it into a poem. ... Read more...

Vienna, Aug.22 (ANI): New Zealand diplomats are said to have played a major role in attempting to block a nuclear deal between India and the United States late on Thursday night. Wellingtons stance over the deal has won front-page headlines in the Indian media. The 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), ... Read more...

Washington, Aug 21 (IANS) As the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) Thursday met in Vienna to consider lifting a ban on trade with India to facilitate its civil nuclear deal with the US, critics stepped up efforts to derail the historic pact.A US proposal to exempt India from restriction on ... Read more...

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 20 (IANS) Leader of the opposition in Kerala assembly Oommen Chandy Wednesday lashed out against the V.S. Achuthanandan government for giving "full protection to hooligans" during the nationwide general strike called by Left trade unions against rising food prices and the India-US nuclear deal."Never before has such irresponsible ... Read more...

Agartala, Aug 20 (IANS) Normal life came to a standstill Wednesday in Tripura as the ruling Left Front called a general strike to protest against the India-US nuclear deal and rising prices among other issues.Most markets, shops and business establishments, government and semi-government offices and educational institutions were closed in ... Read more...

Kolkata, Aug 19 (IANS) West Bengal's Left Front (LF) will hold a rally Sep 1 to protest issues like rise in prices of essential commodities, union government's foreign policy and the India-US nuclear deal. "We have taken a decision to take out a state-wide protest rally Sep 1. The rally ... Read more...

New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) Switzerland sees India as "a rising economic power" and backs its efforts to develop civil nuclear energy, Swiss envoy Dominique Dreyer said here, days before a key meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in Vienna Aug 21. "Switzerland is in favour of India ... Read more...

New Delhi, Aug 19 (ANI): Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon will leave for Vienna today to attend the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) meeting. Menon will lead a high-level team at a formal meeting with the NSG troika of Germany, South Africa and Hungary. The team includes Prime Ministers Special Envoy ... Read more...

New Delhi, Aug 18 (ANI): Ahead of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) meeting in Vienna, National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan is to chair a high-level meeting today to decide on the strategies to be followed by India on August 21 and 22. The NSGs plenary session is expected to discuss ... Read more...

New Delhi, Aug 17 (IANS) US Under Secretary of State for political affairs William Burns, who was scheduled to arrive here Monday ahead of a crucial meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), has postponed his visit at the last minute. “Burns has postponed his visit to India. He is ... Read more...

Lucknow, Aug 16 (IANS) Two powerful criminal-turned-politicians from eastern Uttar Pradesh Saturday joined the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) following parleys with state Public Works Department Minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui in Allahabad and Mau jails. Atiq Ahmed, the suspended Samajwadi Party MP from Phulpur, and Mukhtar Ansari, an independent legislator from Mau ... Read more...

By Arun Kumar Washington, Aug 16 (IANS) Non-proliferation hawks have roped in "more than 150 experts and NGOs from 24 countries" to derail the India-US civil nuclear deal at the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) meeting next week. In a letter Friday to the foreign ministers of the 45 NSG member states, ... Read more...

Kozhikode, Aug 15 (IANS) Organisations like the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) launched a campaign against the India-US nuclear deal on Independence Day Friday, saying the pact compromised India's sovereignty. The DYFI, the youth wing of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), organised ... Read more...

New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Friday announced that the government will provide world class training to budding sportspersons to enable them to win maximum medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG). “The government will provide world class training to its students and sportspersons to ensure ... Read more...

By Arjun Sen New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) With India's nuclear isolation likely to end soon, energy major Tata Power is busy planning and studying a minimum $3 billion (Rs.120 billion) foray into nuclear power. "Tata Power will initially venture into nuclear power either on its own or through a joint ... Read more...

(Lead) New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) With less than a week to go before a crucial meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday pitched for nuclear energy as a "clean" alternative that would enable India to meet the twin challenges of energy security and climate ... Read more...

Agartala, Aug 15 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar lashed out at the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for going ahead with the India-US nuclear deal in his independence day speech Friday. "The UPA government is going to sign the nuclear deal, jeopardizing the country's prestige, sovereignty and independent foreign ... Read more...

New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) The following are the highlights of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's address to the nation on India's 62nd Independence Day Friday: * Seeks cooperation to end Amarnath shrine row * Vows to strengthen intelligence agencies * India determined to meet terror challenge * Pakistan's support to terrorism ... Read more...

New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) The India-US nuclear deal will open "new pathways to accelerate industrialization of our country", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Friday. The deal would not only end India's nuclear isolation but also "open up new opportunities for trade in dual-use high technologies and nuclear materials and ... Read more...

(Commentary) By Amulya Ganguli It is not beyond the realms of possibility that this year's Independence Day will prove to be, in retrospect, more memorable than any in the recent past. The claim may seem exaggerated in the context of the bomb blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad last month and the ... Read more...

By Arun Kumar Washington, Aug 14 (IANS) The Washington based Arms Control Association (ACA) has asked nuclear exporting countries to flatly reject "as unsound and irresponsible" a US proposal to exempt India from the group's guidelines without any additional conditions. "One of the most notable and troublesome features" of the US ... Read more...

DPA Vienna, Aug 14 (DPA) Diplomats from several nuclear-exporting countries were critical Wednesday of the US move to seek no additional conditions in international export guidelines for India to receive foreign nuclear supplies. Under its 2005 nuclear deal with India, the US pledged to seek changes in international export norms that ... Read more...

By Amulya Ganguli India's 61st Independence Day Aug 15 this year will prove to be, perhaps in retrospect, more memorable than any in the recent past. The claim may seem exaggerated in the context of the bomb blasts in the cities of Bangalore and Ahmedabad last month and the fear of ... Read more...

New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS) India's energy equipment manufacturers are ready to supply to a burgeoning nuclear power industry once the India-US nuclear deal is approved, a senior industry leader said here Wednesday. “Only the approvals are required, but we have the capacity to be the major suppliers (for equipment)," ... Read more...

New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS) Amid continuing ambivalence about Switzerland's position in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a Swiss parliamentary delegation Wednesday met Vice President Hamid Ansari and discussed with him a host of bilateral issues. Christoffel Brandli, speaker of the upper house of the Swiss parliament, the Council of ... Read more...

By Arun Kumar Washington, Aug 12 (IANS) It could take "another" meeting to get a waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for the India-US civil nuclear deal if an "easy agreement" does not come at its Aug 21 meeting, according to a top US official. "If we find an easy ... Read more...

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Ahead of the crucial meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan said China has “indicated it will not be a problem” and expressed hope that even “smaller countries who have worries about non-proliferation” will join their peers to support the ... Read more...

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) The three-day assembly of Indian heads of mission scheduled to begin here from Aug 20 has been called off because the forthcoming meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) in Vienna is "priority one" right now for the foreign policy establishment. Heads of Indian missions ... Read more...

By K. Subrahmanyam US President George W. Bush reportedly intends to write individually to heads of governments of 44 other member nations of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), urging that India be given a clean waiver from the present NSG guidelines which do not permit nuclear commerce with any non-signatory to ... Read more...

Patna , August 11 (ANI): Communists Party of India-Marxists (CPI-M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said on Monday that more political parties have joined them in their campaign against India-US civil nuclear deal. Addressing a meeting in Patna today, Karat said that as a part of the Left parties'' nationwide political ... Read more...

Lucknow, Aug 9 (IANS) Congress MP Rahul Gandhi may have earned much appreciation for his speech in defence of the nuclear deal during the trust motion debate in the parliament. But Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati is not amused. In a scathing attack on the scion of India's first political ... Read more...

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) With some hawks in the NSG likely to prove difficult customers at its first meeting on Aug 21, India is bracing for the second meeting of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in early September, that could be decisive in swinging the remaining sceptics to ... Read more...

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh has said he was not interested in joining the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) but maintained that without the support of his party the Congress "has no future in Uttar Pradesh". "I don't want to join the government. But workers ... Read more...

By T.S.V. Hari Chennai, Aug 9 (IANS) The two major Left parties, CPI-M and CPI, announced Saturday that they will no longer support the minority DMK government in Tamil Nadu - a development that has left the Congress, a major supporter of the ruling party, jubilant. The decision by the Communist ... Read more...

By Arun Kumar Washington, Aug 8 (IANS) The US says it's working hard to get Congressional approval for its civil nuclear deal with India by the end of this year after hopefully getting the Nuclear Suppliers Group's (NSG) clearance by early September. "We're working with Congress to discuss the issues and ... Read more...

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was "shattered" by the conduct of three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs who flashed bundles of cash in the Lok Sabha during the trust vote debate alleging they were bribed, a high level source said Thursday. "The prime minister was shattered ... Read more...