New Delhi, Nov 4 : The Co-Chairperson of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates lauded India’s initiatives on polio eradication here today.

He and his father William Gates Sr. called on Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss in New Delhi, today.

The senior members of the foundation met the Health Minister individually as well as in a Polio Round Table meeting.

During the meeting wide ranging issues from the health sector were discussed. Gates was apprised of strides made in key areas of Polio, National Rural Health Mission, Aids Control and Anti-tobacco efforts.

New Delhi  - There is excitement in the air in Thimphu, capital of the tiny Himalayan nation of Bhutan, as it prepares for the coronation of its fifth king - the 28-year-old Oxford-educated Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk on Thursday.

"The mood is festive. Everybody is getting ready. The lights are up as are the flags," Khandu-om Dorji, special programme officer in the Bhutanese prime minister's office said over telephone

The new king's father, Bhutan's much-loved monarch Jigme Singye Wangchuk, 53, shocked his people in December 2006, when he announced he was abdicating in favour of his son and Bhutan would become a democracy under a new, young king.

New Delhi, Nov. 4 : Union Minister of State for Science and Technology and Ocean Development Kapil Sibal has said the country needs an Information Communication and Technology (ICT) revolution if it has to move forward.

Speaking at the 55th Convocation Day of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE) here over the weekend, Sibal said that ICT should be recognized as the vehicle of success and growth of the nation and initiatives should be taken at political level.

New Delhi, Nov 4 : Walt Disney''s most popular creations Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse who are in India to celebrate the festive season at a special live event titled "The Mickey Mouse Show" interacted with their fans in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Dressed in traditional Indian attire, both Mickey and Minnie enthralled their young fans by dancing to the popular numbers from the Bollywood films.

The attempt is aimed at creating more awareness about the Disney characters amongst Indian children.

New Delhi, Nov 4 : Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath today said that India and Belgium are keen on strengthening the bilateral relation by diversifying and boosting trade between the two countries.

While addressing the Luncheon Session on “India and Belgium Partners in a Globalised World” with His Majesty Albert II, King of the Belgians, here, the Minister said that the bilateral trade between the two countries during 2007-08 was US 8.6 dollars billion representing a growth of 13 per cent over the 2006-07 trade which stood at US 7.6 billion dollars.

New Delhi, Nov 4 : The Government today decided to declare River Ganga as a ''National River''.

A high powered Ganga River Basin Authority will also be set up to protect the ancient river from pollution and other degradation.

The proposed Authority would be headed by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and would have as its members Chief Ministers of states through which the river flows.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting chaired by Dr. Singh, which reviewed the Ganga Action Plan.