Wednesday International News 1

France and India vow to boost civil nuclear cooperation
Afp, Marseille
Indian and French leaders vowed yesterday to boost nuclear energy cooperation at an annual summit on EU-India ties dominated by trade, global warming and the world financial crisis.

 
India extends defence coop pact with Russia
Pallab Bhattacharya, New Delhi
India will buy 347 T-90 tanks from Russia and manufacture another 1,000 tanks under transfer of technology as the two countries yesterday gave a major boost to bilateral defence cooperation by extending the tenure of the Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation by 10 more years on the expiry of its present term in 2010. 

 
Pakistan, India close to conclude a pact on Sir Creek: Kasuri
Pti, Islamabad
Pakistan and India are close to concluding an agreement on the Sir Creek maritime boundary dispute, which has been hanging fire for decades, with all issues having been resolved, former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri has said.

 
Nepali Maoist govt, not priests, select 'living goddess' 
Afp, Kathmandu
Nepal's new Maoist government has taken over the task of selecting a girl to be a "living goddess," ousting royal priests from a role they fulfilled for centuries.