Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, is on a four-day official visit to Brazil. During the visit, the Air Chief, will discuss bilateral issues of defence cooperation towards broader military ties. He will also call on Minister of Defence, Mr Celso Amorin to discuss these issues.
Mr Browne is also scheduled to visit the Brazilian Air Force Academy located at Pirassununga, Sao Paulo, its First Training Squadron and other training facilities, besides interacting with the cadets.

In Brazil, the number of deaths caused by the H1N1 flu this year rose to 221. The Brazilian Health Ministry said yesterday that most of the deaths occurred in three states of the southern region -- Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Parana. 

It said that there was a reduction in the number of deaths in recent weeks. The pandemic was officially declared ended by the World Health Organization in 2010

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh will leave New Delhi tommorrow on a week long visit to Mexico and Brazil. Dr Singh will be participating in the crucial G-20 Summit in the Pacific resort of Los Cabos and will also attend the Rio + 20 conference on Sustainable development.

Briefing newsmen in New Delhi today, the External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Mr Syed Akbarudin said the Prime Minister will have bilateral meetings with the President of Mexico Felipe Caledron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Dr Singh will also hold talks with the French President Francois Hollande on the sidelines of the G-20 summit.

He said the Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs Mr R.Gopalan , chief interlocutors of the Prime Minister are already in Mexico negotiating with member countries.

The summit begin held in the back drop of the Euro Zone crisis will deliberate on need to strengthen the financial system and foster financial inclusion to promote economic growth. Mr Akbarudin said the host country has listed 5 areas on which the G-20 countries will deliberate.

Mr Akbarudin said on the sidelines of the RIO Summit the Prime Minister will also have talks with his Nepalese counter part Baburam Bhattarai, Srilankan President Mahinda Rajapaksha besides meeting the former President of Brazil Lula da Silva.


Padma Vibhusan India's second highest civilian award.

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The US President, Barack Obama, has told his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, that both their countries have an interest in addressing the nuclear programme in Iran and North Korea.  President Obama urged Beijing to do more to restrain his Communist ally.

Mr Obama said that America would not allow more and more regimes to possess the world's most deadly weapons. He also said that the United States would work with Russia to pursue further reductions in their nuclear arsenals.

Global challenges to tackle international terrorism, climate change, food and energy security, developmental issues and the international financial crisis will dominate the agenda of the fourth BRICS Summit taking place in New Delhi next week. Presidents of the BRICS countries including Russian President Dimitry Medvedev, Chinese President Hu Jin Tao, President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil and President Jacob Zuma of South Africa are expected to participate in the summit. 

India will assume the Chairmanship of the BRICS Grouping at the Summit on the 29th of this month. the summit envisages to increase trade and investment between the members of the grouping and also reflect on global peace, security, stability among other issues. He said, two Frame work Agreements including one on Interbank Cooperation Agreement are also to be signed by the member nations. An Action plan and a Delhi Declaration will be issued at the end of the Summit. 

 He said, the President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff will also be extending her stay after the Summit on a State Visit to India.