The foreign reserve of India decreased $9.94 billion during the week ending October 10, 2008. It stands at $274 billion right now. The fall in foreign reserve is mainly due to selling of dollars by the Reserve Bank of India. The reserve bank is taking many measures to control the depreciation of rupee against the dollar. The sale of dollars also aimed to check rupee depreciation. Country’s reserves in international monetary fund also posed decline of $3 million during the previous week.

New Delhi, Oct 19 : Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will arrive here today.

During his visit, Lavrov will meet External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee. Both are expected to review bilateral relations in diverse spheres and discuss regional and international issues of mutual interest.

A protocol on holding regular consultations between the Ministry of External Affairs of India and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation during 2009-2010 is expected to be signed during the visit.

New Delhi, Oct 19: President Pratibha Patil will begin her five-day tour to Assam and Meghalaya from today. 

In Guwahati, the President will present the Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Award to noted film personality Shabana Azmi and Journalist Shekhar Gupta today.

On Monday, she is scheduled to give away the Nirmal Gram Awards. Gram panchayats comprising from 13 states of the Eastern and North Eastern part of the country will receive these awards formally.

New Delhi, Oct 19 : At least two people were dead and several others injured after a part of under-construction Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) flyover collapsed in Shakarpur area in East Delhi early this morning.

A blueline bus with several passengers on boards is trapped under the debris. The front part of the bus has received the maximum damage and the bus driver is feared dead.

Rescue operations are on.

Fire teams and ambulances have already reached the accident site.

The injured are being taken to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital.

Nuclear power can meet 20 percent of energy needs of India by 2050. The country is trying to increase per capita availability of electricity to 1000 units by the year 2012. It is maintained by union Power Minister, Sushilkumar Shinde.

He was in Washington to address 'Green India Summit'. The summit was organised by the US-India Business Council and the Confederation of Indian Industry. It was also addressed by the US Secretary of Commerce, Carlos Gutierrez, Special Envoy to the Indian Prime Minister on Climate Change, Shyam Saran, former US Secretary of Defence and USIBC Board Member William S. Cohen.