'Feud' to set mood for PMQs : Tony Blair will today face his first prime minister's question time of the new year, with Michael Howard certain to capitalise on the recent outbreak of feuding between the PM and his chancellor.  

The Conservatives are set to unveil a quickly turned around poster campaign soon after PMQs, which is thought to feature Gordon Brown's now infamous alleged jibe at Mr Blair: "There is nothing that you could say to me now that I could ever believe."

Microsoft Research now in India :Microsoft Research on Wednesday launched its operations in India and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the ministry of science and technology and ocean development to partner in research projects.

SC moves to streamline admissions : To avoid confusion in admissions to professional courses and streamline the same for medical colleges, the Supreme Court of India on Wednesday directed all states and Union territories to declare Class XII examination results by June 10 and provide the mark sheets to students by June 15 every year.

US, EU to resolve Boeing-Airbus dispute in three months - Update 1 : NEW YORK - The European Union and the United States have agreed to seek a settlement within three months through bilateral talks on the dispute related to government subsidies to Boeing (BA.NYS) and Airbus. The two sides have also agreed to freeze all new subsidies and litigation for a three-month period.

Paris Club Discusses Debt Relief : The Paris Club creditor countries kick off a three-day meeting on Wednesday to discuss relief measures for tsunami-struck South Asian countries. The government creditors are set to agree on freezing debt repayments.

Abbas shows promise, but his words may haunt him : It's official. Mahmoud Abbas is the successor to Yasser Arafat as head of the Palestinian Authority. Abbas -- and the Palestinian people -- deserve credit for the relatively smooth transition that seems to be taking place.

Abu Ghraib Inmates Testify About Abuse : US Army Spc. Charles Graner, leaves during a break in day two of his military trial at Fort Hood, Texas, Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2005.

Aid workers restricted in Aceh : Indonesia is standing firm on tough restrictions requiring military escort for foreign aid workers in its tsunami-hit Aceh province, insisting the threat from armed rebels is genuine.

Deep Impact is ready for take-off : It is not often that NASA intentionally crashes multi-million dollar spacecraft, but Wednesday should see its Deep Impact spacecraft set off on a suicide mission to collide with the core of a comet.

Rach steps down as hockey coach : Under attack following a string of failures, India's chief hockey coach Gerhard Rach quit his job. The German-born Rach, whose future hung in balance following a string of poor performances by the Indian team in various events including the Athens Olympics and the Champions Trophy last year, has taken up a new assignment with the national team of Egypt, the Indian Hockey Federation said on Wednesday.

Intel chips in with its best ever revenues : INTEL, the world’s biggest microchip maker, today gave the tech industry a much-needed fillip with news of a better-than-expected 9.8 per cent rise in sales to £5.1 billion - marking its best ever quarterly sales performance.

Infosys aims to add 6,000 staffs in Q4 : Mumbai - Infosys Technologies Ltd has made 6,000 job offers for hiring later in 2005, a company official told a news conference.

Yahoo Joins Desktop Search Party : After Microsoft and Google, its now Yahoo's turn. The global Internet company today unveiled a beta version of its desktop search application.

Amrish Puri: Character actor of class : MUMBAI - Versatile actor Amrish Puri, whose role as 'Mogambo' in movie Mr India became the metaphor for ugliness and greed lurking behind the psyche of every man, was not only a trademark villain but a character actor of class.

If Fahrenheit 9/11 can, so can Amu : In the age of cellphone-sutra and bellybuttons, it is a difficult to make an enjoyable film which talks about right and wrong, justice and injustice.

Gunmen Kill Israeli in Gaza Ambush, Jolting Abbas : Palestinian militants ambushed an Israeli army jeep in Gaza on Wednesday, killing a Jewish settler, wounding three soldiers and jolting new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas's hope to revive peacemaking with Israel.

Guantanamo Britons to be released : Four British men being held at the controversial US detention camp in Guantanamo Bay are to be released. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said they will return "in the next few weeks".

Websites fail to give information : The latest report into mobiles also attacked government and phone manufacturers' websites for being too complicated. Telecoms regulator Ofcom was singled out for failing to provide up-to-date information about the location of mobile phone masts.

Elvis set to make chart history : Elvis Presley is on course to claim the 1,000th UK number one chart single, according to the latest sales figures. A reissue of his song One Night is outstripping sales of nearest rivals the Manic Street Preachers by as much as 9-1 in some music retailers.

Parliament Urges EU Nations to Back Constitution : The European Parliament gave its overwhelming endorsement to the EU’s first-ever constitution today and urged member governments to quickly follow suit.

BMI joins contest for NHS patient contracts : BMI, Britain's biggest private hospital group, is to create a public health division to bid for contracts to treat National Health Service patients.

Still hope for Brad, Jen : Los Angeles - There's still hope for Hollywood's golden couple Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, their friends believe. The two are still in love, but took a temporary "step back" to see if they want to stay together, according to a US magazine.

A one-in-a-'Million' success story : In an era of multimillion-dollar Oscar campaigns, Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby" may be heading for success with an old-fashioned formula: Keep a poker face until you reveal your winning hand.