It was a mock session in which Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gopinath Munde became "speaker" and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav became "prime ministers", but the exercise drew disapproval from Speaker Meira Kumar.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday received an unexpected, yet pleasant, gift from Pakistan when a box of choicest mangoes arrived at his office, sent with the best compliments of his counterpart from across the border.

Thousands of farmers converged at Tappal, the epicentre of their agitation against inadequate compensation for the Yamuna Expressway land, to listen to Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) chief Mahendra Singh Tikait Friday, but the ageing veteran's lacklustre speech failed to enthuse the crowds.

Bowing to demands from the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the cabinet Friday approved changes in the draft civil nuclear liability bill to include tripling the accident compensation cap to Rs.1,500 crore and cleared the ambiguity about the liability of suppliers.

Seven drug peddlers, who operated in various states, were arrested with morphine and opium worth Rs.1 crore in this Uttar Pradesh's district Friday, police said.

Orissa has been advised to take remedial measures to address agrarian distress, Minster of State for Agriculture K.V. Thomas said Friday.

Indian Army Chief General V.K. Singh Monday left for Australia on a four-day visit that is expected to boost defence cooperation between the two countries.

The Indian Army has ordered the court-martial of a lieutenant general for wrongdoing in the transfer of a 71-acre tea estate adjacent to the Sukna military station near Siliguri in West Bengal to a private dealer in what has come to be known as the Sukna land scam.

Karnataka Social Welfare Minister D. Sudhakar lost his portfolio late Friday in the wake of 22 beggars dying in this city since Wednesday due to negligence and suspected food poisoning, a senior official said.

Terming the water resources ministry's response "casual", a parliamentary panel Friday hoped it would "ensure full utilisation of allotted funds".