Agartala, Feb. 3 : Many farmers in west Tripura are taking to growing cashew nut, as it offers better prospects to earn bigger profits.

Farmers get good returns for their produce. The ''Maa Tara Cashew Processing Industry'' initiated by Parimal Chanda Saha has been encouraging.

The unit has given employment to over a hundred people. Ninety-five per cent of them are rural women coming from the lowest strata of the society.

Moscow - The chief executive of German engineering giant Siemens said Tuesday the company was considering a cooperation with Russia's Atomenergoprom in the civilian nuclear industry after a break-up of its partnership with France's Areva.

Siemens head Peter Loescher told journalists in Moscow the Russian state company was a "possible partner" ahead of regular talks with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on the company's investments in Russia.

Imphal, Feb. 3 : Militant groups in Manipur have started targeting hospitals and educational institutes with extortion demands. The latest institution threatened by them is the S. Kumar Hospital.

Students and staff of S. Kumar hospital at Porompat in Imphal demonstrated in protest against the extortion demand of 50,000 per year, as was made by the People''s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (or PREPAK), a militant outfit.

The fear factor gripped many when a patient was made to deliver a live bullet to the Managing Director of the hospital.

New Delhi, Feb 3 : Rifat Masood, Pakistan''s Deputy High Commissioner to India met External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee here today.

Rifat is Pakistan''s Acting High Commissioner to India, as Shahid Malik (Pakistan''s High Commissioner to India) left for Pakistan following summons reportedly from the Foreign Office to help finalise Pakistan''s response on last year's Mumbai terror strikes.

However, sources in the Pakistan Mission in New Delhi informed that it was only a courtesy call.

New York - Mobile device maker Motorola Inc. on Tuesday reported a net loss for 2008, as the company continued to report troubles in selling its handheld devices.

For the year, the company reported a loss of 4.2 billion dollars. That compares to a loss of 49 million dollars in 2007. For the final quarter of 2008, the company reported 3.6 billion dollars in losses, versus earnings of 100 million dollars for the same period in 2007.

Guwahati, Feb. 3 : Various members belonging to intelligentsia, peace workers, academicians and social activist groups from different states of the northeast India recently participated in a seminar on issues related to peace and development.

The two-day workshop-cum-seminar had a theme ''Peace Alone Leads to Development and Prosperity''. It was held to provide various representatives from northeastern states, a platform to interact and share views on the futility of violence and discuss how to bring peace in the region.