Quicktakes

Clinton lifts farm curbsWASHINGTON: US President Bill Clinton signed a legislation passed by the Senate and the Congress today to lift sa...

Clinton lifts farm curbs

WASHINGTON: US President Bill Clinton signed a legislation passed by the Senate and the Congress today to lift sanctions on farm exports and credits to India and Pakistan. The bill signed by Clinton last night would pave the way for American farmers to sell 13 million bushels of wheat to Pakistan.

Bihar PCC chief

NEW DELHI: Sadanand Singh, a backward classes leader from Bihar, was on Wednesday appointed state PCC president with immediate effect, a party spokesman said. Singh replaces Sarfaraz Ahmed who had voluntarily resigned, Ajit Jogi told mediapersons. Jogi said Singh was a vice-president in the outgoing PCC.

43 soldiers killed

ITANAGAR: Forty-three personnel of the Border Road Task Force BRTF were killed on Sunday near Toto on Tato-Mechuka road in West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh when their vehicle plunged 1,000 metres into river Siyum, latest official reports reaching here on Wednesday said.

Pak offer rejected

NEW DELHI: Indiaon Wednesday rejected Pakistan8217;s proposal for a regional test ban on the grounds that New Delhi8217;s avowed goal was global disarmament. Describing the Pakistani proposal as 8220;redundant8221;, an External Affairs Ministry spokesman said that addressing the issue of nuclear disarmament in the regional context 8220;wouldn8217;t really work8221;. The MEA reaction came in response to Islamabad8217;s offer to discuss a regional test ban treaty at the SAARC Summit in Colombo later this month.

Stir may end

NEW DELHI: The Joint Council of Action JCA, spearheading the nationwide postal strike, tonight said that consensus had been reached on all except one of the ten demands, indicating that calling of the strike was imminent.

Help for Mary

NEW DELHI: India8217;s sports fraternity expressed shock over the plight of the widow of 1936 Berlin Olympics hockey hero, Joe Philips and offered to help her. The Indian Express carried a report today on 74-year-old Mary Philips who cleans utensils in Pune houses to live.