New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) Delhi's sixth economic census began Thursday with enumerators visiting the official residence of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for collecting information about her household.

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) The Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) Thursday told the Supreme Court that if beliefs and faiths were allowed to weigh on the statutory and environmental clearances for big ticket projects, then there would be no development.

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) The final day of a two-day all-India industrial strike crippled industrial and financial sectors here and hit hard public transport Thursday, inconveniencing tens of thousands.

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) Outlining the major steps taken to improve fuel availability for power generation, President Pranab Mukherjee Thursday said the government is in the process of allocating 17 coal blocks to state-run companies.

Noida, Feb 21 (IANS) A day after violence rocked this suburb of the national capital, 400 of the 1,200 industrial units resumed work Thursday on the second day of a nationwide strike called by major trade unions to check inflation, ensure jobs and enforce labour laws, an official said.

Gurgaon, Feb 21 (IANS) More than one lakh workers joined the all-India industrial strike in the sprawling industrial belt here Thursday, with all four Maruti Suzuki plants closing down.

Mumbai, Feb 21 (IANS) A benchmark index for Indian equities markets fell more than 300 points or 1.62 percent Thursday, ahead of the union budget and a day after data showed decline in loan growth and on weakness in global bourses. Bank, metal, capital goods, automobile and oil and gas stocks were the hardest hit.

Moscow, Feb 21 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Massive spending on transport infrastructure combined with measures to lure more foreign direct investment and improve the business climate could help boost Russia's flagging economic growth, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said Thursday.

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) The Supreme Court Thursday set up a six-member team to scan the transcripts of former corporate lobbyist Niira Radia's telephone intercepts to determine if there was any conversation that violated the law and warranted prosecution and asked it to submit its report in four months.

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) The government will come out with a new policy on the capital goods manufacturing sector, heavy industry secretary M.F. Farooqui said Thursday.

Washington, Feb 21 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The US military is bracing for a looming wave of across-the-board budget cuts known as the "sequestration" that Pentagon officials say would dangerously erode the United States' defences.

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) Condemning the violence in Noida, Assocham secretary general D.S. Rawat Thursday pressed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to immediately tighten security in the city.

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 21 (IANS) Patience of people in Kerala is apparently wearing thin as the two-day nationwide strike called by major trade unions continued Thursday.

Chennai, Feb 21 (IANS) TVS Logistics Services has acquired Britain-based Rico Logistics paying about Rs.100 crore and will buy out a couple of more firms, a top company official said Thursday.

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) India will need to take "difficult decisions" to revive economic growth that slumped to a decade-low of 5.4 percent in the first half of the current financial year, President Pranab Mukherjee said Thursday.

Shimla, Feb 21 (IANS) Oberoi Group's Wildflower Hall, a luxury spa on the outskirts of this popular hill resort, has been caught in spot again, as the state government has decided in favour of the audit of the hotel by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, say officials.

Raipur, Feb 21 (IANS) The second consecutive day of trade union strike Thursday took a heavy toll on iron ore and coal mine output in Chhattisgarh as workers stayed away, officials said.

Agartala, Feb 21 (IANS) A two-day nationwide strike called by major trade unions crippled life in Left-ruled Tripura for a second day Thursday.

Mumbai, Feb 21 (IANS) A benchmark index for Indian equities markets was trading lower by nearly one percent in mid-afternoon trade session Thursday, as metal, bank and capital goods stocks plummeted.

Wellington, Feb 21 (IANS) Telecommunications giant Ericsson is to build its second fiber ducting plant in New Zealand, the New Zealand government announced Thursday.

Cultural and scholarly fascination has ensured that India and France remain deeply engaged as societies. Relations between them as states have proved enduring since Charles de Gaulle's era due to a fundamental affinity born of common values and a shared passion for independence in foreign affairs. This vital relationship, showcased astutely during President Francois Hollande's recent visit to India, is characterized by three Ss - Synergy, Sovereignty and Stability. A concise 21-paragraph joint statement reflects the two governments' faith in independence, strategic autonomy and strengthened multilateralism.

Washington, Feb 21 (IANS) US Secretary of State John Kerry has called the looming spending cuts as the "greatest challenge" to America's foreign policy.

Brasilia, Feb 21 (IANS) Brazil's economy grew 1.35 percent in 2012, well above the market forecast of 1 percent, estimated the country's central bank.

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) Commuters in Delhi faced a tough time Thursday as autos and taxis remained off the roads and metro trains and buses were packed to capacity with the two-day Bharat bandh called by 11 major trade unions entering its last day.

Kolkata, Feb 21 (IANS) Normal life was partially affected in West Bengal Thursday on the final day of a two-day nationwide strike called by central trade unions.

Bhubaneswar, Feb 21 (IANS) Road traffic remained disrupted across Odisha Thursday, the second day of the two-day countrywide strike called by major trade unions against central government economic policies, police said.

Washington, Feb 21 (IANS) US wholesale prices posted a slight monthly gain in January due to an increase of food prices, the Labor Department reported.

Stockholm, Feb 21 (IANS) Volvo Car Company announced that it will lay off 1,000 employees by the end of this year to help implement its saving plan of 1.5 billion Swedish kronor ($238 million).

Mumbai, Feb 21 (IANS) The city remained peaceful with business as usual for private establishments Thursday, the second day of the nationwide shutdown called by major trade unions.

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) Acknowledging that the past year was difficult on the economic front, President Pranab Mukherjee Thursday said the government responded by taking measures to revive the investment climate.

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) India is expected to produce more than 250 million tonnes of foodgrain this fiscal, President Pranab Mukherjee said Thursday.

Cape Town, Feb 21 (IANS) The South African government has said it will push the African agenda at the 5th BRICS summit to be held in Durban March 26-27.

San Jose, Feb 21 (IANS/EFE) Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla and her Mexican counterpart, Enrique Pena Nieto, agreed to bolster bilateral relations, emphasizing trade, cooperation and investment, while maintaining a regional focus.

Bogota, Feb 21 (IANS/EFE) Colombia only has enough oil to last another eight years and must urgently step up exploration efforts to locate more reserves, Finance Minister Mauricio Cardenas said.

Brasilia, Feb 21 (IANS/EFE) Brazil and Russia signed a series of agreements Wednesday aimed at increasing annual trade flows between two of the world's largest emerging economies from $5.9 billion to at least $10 billion in the coming years.

Washington, Feb 21 (IANS) One solution may not fit all, but challenges to agriculture and food security are similar in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa requiring action by governments to grassroots, experts said here Thursday.

Paris, Feb 21 (IANS/EFE) France's exports of ready-to-wear clothing rose 3.4 percent in 2012, compared to the previous year, with market share growing in the US and Asia, while sales continued to decline domestically and across Europe, media reports said.

Lucknow, Feb 21 (IANS) A two-member panel has been formed to probe the violence in Noida that broke out on the first day of the two-day countrywide shutdown, leaving many people injured and property worth crores gutted, said authorities.

Madrid, Feb 21 (IANS/EFE) Spain's budget deficit came in below 7 percent of the gross domestic product last year, while the target agreed to with the European Commission was 6.3 percent, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said.

New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS) The Delhi Metro saw a huge rush of commuters during office hours Wednesday due to the nationwide strike, leading to delays and chaos.

Bangalore, Feb 20 (IANS) Normal life was partially affected from dawn-to-dusk across Karnataka Wednesday on the first day of the two-day nationwide strike called by central trade unions.

New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Wednesday directed Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to decide the matter of illegal sale and purchase of residential plots under the scheme of large scale acquisition, development and disposal of land.

New Delhi/Mumbai, Feb 20 (IANS) India's financial sector was crippled and transport hit as large parts of the country ground to a halt Wednesday in response to trade unions calling a two-day strike demanding measures to check inflation, ensure jobs and enforce labour laws.

New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS) The Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) Wednesday approved the setting up of the 1,980 MW North Karanpura Super Thermal Power Plant in Jharkhand by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).

Mumbai, Feb 20 (IANS) The nationwide shutdown call by trade unions evoked a mixed response in Maharashtra, crippling the financial sector and most industrial units. However, private establishments and other services remained unaffected.

Mumbai, Feb 20 (IANS) A team of experts and officials from New Delhi will tour drought-hit regions of Maharashtra to assess the situation next week, officials said here Wednesday.

Kolkata, Feb 20 (IANS) To reward government employees, transporters and traders who defied the shutdown call by unions, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday announced longer Durga Puja holidays and tax sops for them.

Bhubaneswar, Feb 20 (IANS) A two-day nationwide strike called by major trade unions hit normal life across Odisha on the first day of the stir Wednesday, disrupting road and rail traffic, officials said.

Jammu, Feb 20 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir has sought allocation of coal blocks from the central government to set up a pithead thermal power plant of 1,000 MW capacity to meet its energy needs, an official said Wednesday.

New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS) The central government Wednesday told the Supreme Court that it would not blink and grant permission to Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) to mine Niyamgiri hills to source bauxite for the Vedanta Aluminium refinery.