Petrol price increase deferred
New Delhi: The Government has decided not to raise the prices of petrol and diesel. The decision apparently follows the Left parties' suggestion that the Government wait for the outcome of the November 2 United States Presidential election. International crude oil prices are expected to ease after the election.

The market has seen a 33 per cent rise in cost of raw material (crude oil) since August 1, when the prices were last revised. This warranted that the prices of petrol be raised by Rs.1.22 a litre and those of diesel by Rs.2.24 a litre.

Though the oil companies are allowed to revise petrol and diesel prices within a 10 per cent band every fortnight, they have so far raised prices only twice - on June 15 and July 31 - since the United Progressive Alliance Government came to office.
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Deadline for news channels uplinking extended
New Delhi: The Government has extended the current uplinking arrangement of news and current affairs TV channels till December 31 this year in order to examine various issues related to revising the guidelines.

The current deadline for the existing norms, which had been extended earlier, was to end today.

The government is in the process of revising the guidelines related to eligibility criteria for uplinking of news and current affairs TV channels from India.

It is examining various issues, many of which seek amendments in the existing guidelines, in consultation with other ministries concerned, before placing it before the Cabinet.
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Kerry, Bush tied in latest opinion polls
Washington DC, USA: According to the latest Reuters/Zogby poll, John Kerry and George Bush were deadlocked at 48 per cent in their race for the White House. The three-day national tracking poll included one day of polling taken after the airing of a videotape from Osama bin Laden.

Only two per cent of the voters remain undecided as Bush and Kerry engage about ten remaining battleground States to find the 270 electoral votes they need to win on Tuesday.
Each State has a different number of votes in the electoral college that are related to population; a candidate needs 270 of the 538 electoral votes to win the presidency.

According to an Associated Press analysis, 26 States are solidly behind Bush or lean his way for 222 electoral votes. Kerry has 16 States plus Washington, D.C. secured or leaning his direction for 211 electoral votes. Bush now needs to scrape together at least 48 of the remaining 105 electoral votes to keep his job while Kerry needs 59 to move into the White House.
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