News in Brief

India cuts fuel subsidy to Bhutan
Tnn, New Delhi

India has withdrawn all subsidy on cooking gas and kerosene being provided to Bhutan -- arguably India's only unquestioned friend among its neighbours -- creating a huge crisis in the tiny, landlocked kingdom and bringing the bilateral ties under strain.
Gas and kerosene prices have more than doubled in Bhutan, and predictably, this will hit the poor the hardest. The subsidy cut has come as Bhutan gave sign that it would give more importance to China irking many in New Delhi.

US missile defense test fails
AFP, WASHINGTON

America's missile defense system failed on Friday in a test over the Pacific, with an interceptor failing to hit an incoming ballistic missile, the Pentagon said.
The miss represented yet another setback for the costly ground-based interceptors, which have not had a successful test result since 2008. The United States has 30 of the ground-based interceptors in Alaska and California, at a cost of about $34 billion to counter threats from North Korea.

BJP won't oppose Food Security Bill
Pti, Nagpur

Terming the ordinance promulgated by Union Cabinet to implement Food Security Bill as a "cruel joke" on democracy, BJP president Rajnath Singh yesterday said his party would not oppose the passage of the Bill in Parliament but seek amendments to it.
The scheme is likely to benefit 800 million people and the government will have to spend Rs 1,25,000 crore on the scheme, making it the biggest food security programme in the world.

Pakistan train accident kills 14
Afp, Lahore

At least 14 people, including two children, were killed yesterday when a train collided with a packed motorcycle rickshaw in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province, officials said.
The passenger train travelling from the country's financial hub Karachi to Punjab capital Lahore crushed the rickshaw on a road crossing which had no barrier.
Officials said at least two children were among the dead.
Police said the rickshaw was over-capacity and drove onto the train track moments before the Lahore-bound train passed through, smashing into it.