New Delhi, Aug 1: To promote transparency, open competition and impartiality in procurement for the defence sector, India today unveiled its new Defence Procurement Policy (DPP) 2008 which will become operational from September 1 this year.

Speaking on the occasion, Defence Minister A K Antony said: “We are very clear that we will not allow middlemen in defence contracts and suppliers whether foreign or domestic, will have to strictly adhere to the requirement of the armed forces.

New Delhi, Aug. 1: Afghan President Hamid Karzai will pay a three-day state visit to India from August 4.

A spokesman of the Indian External Affairs Ministry said that Karzai would be visiting New Delhi after attending the 15th SAARC Summit in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Afghan Foreign Affairs Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta and the country’s National Security Advisor Dr. Zalmai Rasoul.

The visit assumes significance in the wake of the recent bombing of the Indian Embassy in Kabul in which over 50 people, including an Indian diplomat and an Indian Army brigadier were killed.

New Delhi, Aug 1 : The condition of Union Minister for Human Resource Development Arjun Singh, who is suffering from a stomach infection, is improving, the doctors attending to him said today.

The veteran Congress leader was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) two days ago following complaint of severe stomachache.

“His condition is stable and he is improving,” said Dr. D K Sharma, Medical Superintendent, AIIMS.

New Delhi, Aug 1 : Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today left for Sri Lanka Capital Colombo on a two-day visit to attend the 15th SAARC Summit.

On the sidelines of the two-day Summit, Dr. Singh is likely to meet his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gillani on Saturday.

In his departure statement last evening, Dr. Singh said that in the 23 years since SAARC was established, the South Asian region has traversed a long distance.

New Delhi, Aug 1: A total eclipse of the sun will occur on Friday afternoon and it will be visible as a partial eclipse throughout India.

In general, the total eclipse will be visible in the region covering northern and eastern parts of North America, Greenland, northern Europe and Asia except Japan.

Considering the earth as a whole, the eclipse begins at 1:34 IST when the shadow of the moon first touches the earth at local sunrise near a point in the North Atlantic Ocean close to New Found land in Canada.

New Delhi - In the aftermath of bombings in the key Indian cities of Bangalore and Ahmedabad, various countries have warned to their citizens to exercise a "high degree" of caution while travelling in the country.

The US government appealed to its citizens travelling or residing in India to be watchful in the backdrop of the terrorist attacks, the IANS news agency reported Thursday.

"American citizens are encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance, remain aware of their surroundings, monitor local news reports, avoid crowded places, and take appropriate steps to bolster their personal security," a special advisory said.