India test fires nuclear-capable Prithvi missile

BALASORE: India on Wednesday test fired the nuclear capable surface to surface Prithvi-II missile from a test range in Orissa, defence sources said.


The missile, tested from the Integrated Test Range of Chandipur in Balasore district at 10.21 am., has a range of about 350 km, officials said.

Prithvi is India's first indigenously built ballistic missile. It is one of five missiles being developed under India's Integrated Missile Development Programme.

Prithvi is capable of carrying a payload of between 500 kg and one tonne, including nuclear weapons. Two versions of the missile have already been deployed with the army and air force.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/N-capable-Prithvi-missile-test-fired/articleshow/4403699.cms

Pharma exports cross $1bn-mark

NEW DELHI, April 12 (PTI): The exports of pharmaceutical products were valued at 1.01 billion dollars in December, the highest in the first nine months of 2008-09.

According to Pharmaceuticals Exports Promotion Council (PHARMEXIL), total exports in December surged by 46.3 per cent to 1.01 billion dollars from 609 million dollars in the same month of the previous fiscal.

The overseas sales in the first nine months of 2008-09 went up by 21 per cent to 8.44 billion dollars against 6.97 billion dollars in 2007-08. ASSAM TRIBUNE

Dy Commandant among 10 CRPF men killed in Naxal attack

Raipur, Apr 10 (PTI) Ten CRPF personnel, including a Deputy Commandant, and three suspected Naxalites were today killed and 11 jawans injured in a fierce encounter in Dantewada district of Chattisgarh, an attack which comes barely a week ahead of the Lok Sabha polls here.

The incident took place in the forests of Kotampalli in Dantewada when the troops of the 55th

battalion of the force, who were on a patrol in the area, walked into an ambush set by Naxalites, sparking a gun battle.

Deputy Commandant Diwakar Tiwari, a sub-inspector, four head constables and four constables were killed in the encounter while 11 others including an Assistant Commandant were injured, a CRPF officer said in New Delhi.

At least three Naxalites were also killed.

One AK-47 rifle and a few wireless sets have been recovered from the site of the encounter, the officer said.

Dantewada Superintendent of Police Rahul Sharma told PTI that Naxalites attacked the patrol unit near Minta village under Chintagufa police station, about 200 km from the district headquarters.

The combing operation in the area is still going on to nab the fleeing attackers and further information is awaited, the CRPF officer said. PTI

India-ASEAN summit postponed

New Delhi, Apr 11 (PTI) The India-ASEAN summit scheduled for today at Pattaya has been postponed following anti-government demonstrations in Thailand.

Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath had reached Pattaya yesterday, representing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the summit.

The summit was to review the progress of signing the free-trade agreement between New Delhi and the 10-nation South East Asian trading bloc, an official said here.

Nath was also to participate in the East-Asia summit.

India-ASEAN and the East-Asia summit, comprising countries like Japan and China, were to coincide with the ASEAN summit at the Thai Holiday Resort which saw anti-government demonstrations. PTI