Finance Minister P Chidambaram's speech.

Gary Ackerman, New York Democrat, while acknowledging that he has been one of the strongest critics of President George Bush on his foreign policy, has said however, that in the case of India, Bush had got it "absolutely right."

The Bush administration has earmarked $300 million for Pakistan from nearly $300 billion that the White House is seeking from the Congress for the global war on terror.

Union Minister Anand Sharma Wednesday said the suspended leader was a "rank opportunist having no political relevance".

"It was a conspiracy of US in which Congress and the media were also involved," he alleged.

McDermott last co-chaired the Caucus from 2000-2002 and Wilson from 2002-2004. They will succeed Representatives Gary Ackerman, New York Democrat and Ileana Ros Lehtinen, Florida Republican.

The subcommittee, a key panel of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has jurisdiction over United States policy towards all countries in the two regions, including important US allies Israel and India.

The UK Hindu organizations are urging the European parliament to adopt the report in its entirety, without making any of the 400 and off amendments sought by the Pakistan government.

President George W Bush signs the first part of the enabling legislation into law today.

Meetings with nuclear scientists likely.

'If, God forbid, India decided it was in its interests to reach a more robust military agreement with Iran, that would be enough to ruin the [India-US] relationship.

No dilution of language in the House and Senate bills is likely during the House-Senate conference that will meet on the United States-India civilian nuclear agreement when Congress reconvenes this week.

The US appears to be using the Indo-US nuclear deal as a vehicle to facilitate a formal entry for the US National Nuclear Security Administration, widely suspected to be involved in a variety of covert nuclear interventions, into India

The United States Senators and Congressmen, Saran interacted with, assured him that the US Congress is committed to the India-US civilian nuclear agreement and the enabling legislation to facilitate the deal would be taken up by the Senate early next

'It's important to keep this on the level of a rational friendship and not look at it as a love affair, because that always carries the risk of disappointment.'

Housing finance leader HDFC's bid to cash in on India's booming real estate got a boost with the government on Thursday allowing a global realty fund sponsored by it to invest up to $720 million (Rs 3,240 crore) in the country.

Statements of Assistant Secretary of State For South and Central Asian Affairs Richard A Boucher, Congressmen Tom Lantos and Gary Ackerman on F-16 sale to Pak.

India on Friday expressed confidence that its nuclear deal with the United States would win US Congress approval following the Bush administration's pledge to support a bi-partisan legislation on the pact.