New Delhi, Dec 5 : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is cutting short his visit to India and returning home as Russian Patriarch, Alexei-II, head of the Orthodox Church died in Moscow.

Medvedev, who arrived in New Delhi last night on a three-day visit will leave for Moscow on Friday evening.

According to Russian officials, he has also cancelled his tour to Italy.

Russian Patriarch Alexy-II was instrumental in the post-Soviet spiritual revival of the country.

Medvedev was scheduled to leave on Saturday morning.

New Delhi, Dec 5 (ANI): Union Minister of Science, Technology and Earth Sciences Kapil Sibal has emphasized the need for low cost technological solutions to overcome the challenges of terrorism, poverty and climate change.

Delivering the inaugural address at the 14th Technology Summit and Technology Platform in New Delhi today he called upon the scientists and technologists to do science globally and implement technology locally.

News of gunshots at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport, at 1:00 am on December 5, set the alarm bells ringing once again.

Operations were cut short for 45 minutes during which the police and CISF swept through the terminal but could not find any proof of firing. The operations recommenced after an all-clear was issued. The police are still carrying on the investigation of the cause of the scare.

New Delhi/Mumbai, Dec. 5 : The Congress party today announced that Maharashtra Industries Minister Ashok Chavan will be the next chief minister of the state, even as signs of an open rebellion surfaced from the Narayan Rane camp.

Formally announcing the decision in New Delhi, senior party leader Pranab Mukherjee said that he and A. K. Antony, the General Secretary in charge of Maharashtra had gone to Mumbai to attend a meeting of the Maharashtra unit of the Congress as observers.