Monsoon: With good showers hopes revive
Chennai/Mumbai: Hopes of a better kharif production, especially of oilseeds and cotton, have been revived with the northwestern and western parts of the country receiving good showers from the weekend. According to industry sources the showers will certainly help the standing crop and would encourage growers to sow in more areas. Good monsoon showers in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat are key to good kharif oilseed and cotton crops since these both States contribute significantly to the national production.

While Madhya Pradesh is the soyabean hub of the country, Gujarat has turned out to be the key groundnut and cotton-growing State. Key growing areas in Rajasthan too have begun experiencing rains since tuesday evening. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, heavy rainfall is likely to continue in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat among other States. Recent downpours in Gujarat have saved groundnut, cotton and other pulses crops in the state. But to date the state has received only a quarter of it average annual rainfall.
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Third round of Indo-China border talks conclude
New Delhi: India and China have concluded their third round of talks aimed at expediting resolution of the border question. A brief statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry at the end of the two-day parleys said the meeting "was held in a friendly, constructive and cooperative atmosphere".

The meeting was held between National Security Adviser and India's Special Representative J N Dixit and his Chinese counterpart and Executive Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo. The two sides agreed to hold the next meeting in Beijing at a mutually convenient date. The earlier two rounds of border talks with Dai were held with the then National Security Adviser of NDA Government Brajesh Mishra.
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