ANNOUNCEMENTS

Outcome uncertain in India ONGC $2.5 bln share sale:

                    MUMBAI - The government's $2.5 billion auction of its shares in Oil and Natural Gas Corp ended in chaos, with TV channels saying it had generated bids for just two-thirds of the shares on offer, but both of the country's main stock exchanges saying they were still counting orders.

 

Third time lucky for nuclear watchdog in N.Korea?

           VIENNA - North Korea's agreement to allow inspections of its Yongbyon nuclear plant is a welcome emergence from isolation, but far from enough to reassure the world it will give up its ambitions for nuclear weapons, diplomats and experts say.

 

UK media inquiry preparing to call Rupert Murdoch

           LONDON - The judicial inquiry into alleged media abuses is preparing to summon British newspaper owners, including Rupert Murdoch, to give public testimony in late April or early May, according to sources close to the inquiry.

 

Key political risks to watch in India

            NEW DELHI - India's weak economy is exposed to an extended euro zone crisis, the coalition government is under great strain, and a massive corruption scandal is raising the still unlikely scenario of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's second term being cut short before a general election due in 2014.

 

Licence scandal rattles India's telecom nirvana

             BARCELONA - The scandal convulsing the telecoms market threatens to deter foreign companies from investing in India and could call into question the business case for expanding into emerging markets in general.

 

Two U.S. soldiers "killed by Afghan soldier, civilian"

      KABUL - An Afghan believed to be a soldier and another in civilian clothing shot dead two American soldiers on Thursday, Western and Afghan officials said, an attack likely to deepen doubts over the effectiveness of Afghanistan's struggling security forces.

Syrian rebels quit besieged Homs stronghold

              BEIRUT - Defeated Syrian rebels left their shattered stronghold in Homs on Thursday after a bloody 26-day army siege aimed at crushing a symbol of the year-long revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.

 

N.Korea-U.S. deal revives hopes of nuclear disarmament talks

               WASHINGTON - North Korea has agreed with the United States to suspend major elements of its atomic weapons programme in a surprise breakthrough that could pave the way for the resumption of long-stalled nuclear disarmament talks with the secretive state.

 

James Murdoch gives up News International role

              James Murdoch resigned as executive chairman of News International on Wednesday, raising new doubts he can succeed his father Rupert as CEO of parent company News Corp in the wake of a phone hacking scandal at the unit he oversaw.