US Pak crisis deepens, Gillani summons Khar back from New York

NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee holding an hour long meeting in Washington, is prominently reported in today's papers. The Hindustan Times writes that Pranab Mukherjee sought to 'de-link' the meeting from the political issue of 2G spectrum back home, calling P. Chidambaram 'a valued colleague'.

The other major story covered by the Press is of the stand-off between Pakistan and the US, over ISI links with the Haqqani network. "US Pak crisis deepens, Gillani summons Khar back from New York", writes the Times of India.

The Pioneer reports that Nirupama Rao, Indian Ambassador to the US has said that "almost a year after the US took some key Indian 'defence' establishments off the Entities list - 'realignment of the remaining export controls, is next on the agenda".

The Tribune and the Asian Age give glowing reports of the Delhi Metro. The Tribune writes that the Delhi Metro has become the world's first Metro Rail system to earn Carbon Credits - worth 47 crore rupees annually for the next 7 years - under the Kyoto Protocol, a UN initiative aimed at fighting Global Warming.

The Times of India writes that the controversial 3 and 1/2 year long medical degree, called the "Bachelor of Rural Medicine and Surgery (BRMS) has now got the backing of the Planning Commissions "powerful high level expert group on Universal health coverage". This would be a unique training programme aimed at the basic health care needs of the rural population.

The Business Standard reports that the rush for gold seems to be keeping pace with the sharp increase in prices of the yellow metal. India Post is targeting to sell about one tonne of gold coins during this Diwali season alone.

And finally the Asian Age informs us that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh turns 79 today, and that he will be spending yet another birthday outside the country - as he flies homewards on Monday - on board Air India One.