Asia, Europe close ranks
Beijing/London, October 25
Asian and European leaders closed ranks on Saturday to try to bolster confidence among investors who fear that a global credit crunch has ushered in a deep and damaging world recession.

Growth should be inclusive: PM
No recession: RBI
Business page: Yet another US bank falls
Iceland’s SOS to IMF
US govt to buy stake in insurance Cos: Report

(From Left) Chinese President Hu Jintao, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, French President Nicolas Sakozy, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the seventh Asia-Europe meeting in Beijing on Friday. — AFP

HIV tests compulsory for Punjab transport workers
Chandigarh, October 25
The Punjab government has asked truck and taxi owners in the state to ensure that their drivers and other employees undergo tests for HIV at least once a year. Amending the Punjab Motor Transport Workers Rules, 1963, the government has added a clause making it compulsory for all transport workers to undergo the tests at civil hospitals.

Water Scam
Ex-Sikkim CM jailed for 6 months
New Delhi, October 25
Former Sikkim Chief Minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari was today convicted along with nine others, including an IAS officer, by a designated CBI court in Gangtok in the state water scam, leading to a loss of Rs 4 lakh to the state exchequer.

Gaps in Air Surveillance
We failed to provide radars to IAF: Antony
Bangalore, October 25
A day after the comptroller and auditor general of India pointed out that there were serious gaps in air surveillance of the country, defence minister A.K. Antony today admitted that the problem was due to a shortage of radars.

Chandrayaan’s orbit further raised
Bangalore, October 25
The second orbit-raising manoeuvre of Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft was carried out at 5:48 am today by firing the spacecraft’s 440 Newton Liquid Engine for about 16 minutes from the spacecraft control centre (SCC) at the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) at Peenya, Bangalore.

CCTV footage: Bihar boy died in accident
Mumbai, October 25
In a new twist to the death of a Bihar boy, Railway police today released a footage of closed circuit TV to claim that it was a case of accidental death and not due to attacks by MNS activists during agitation against North Indians last week. “Based on the footage received by CCTV, Pawan Kumar died in a railway accident at Andheri station in the morning,” GRP commissioner A.K. Sharma told the media.

Devout flock Nanded Sahib Hazur Sahib, October 25 Unprecedented upsurge of devotional fervour has been witnessed during the tercentenary celebrations of Guru Granth Sahib’s Gurta Gaddi Diwas here even as Sikh babas from Punjab, Haryana and Delhi set up separate langars.