Bangalore, Nov 20 (IANS) A prototype of the light combat helicopter (LCH), designed and developed by the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), is set for its maiden flight soon, a top company official said Friday.

“The prototype LCH is getting ready for a maiden test flight in the coming weeks. We are waiting for the final checks to be completed to commence flight trials,” HAL chairman and managing director Ashok Nayak told reporters here.

New Delhi, Nov 20 (IANS) Scientists Friday said that the government was in the process of formulating guidelines for regulation of probiotic foods, which have flooded the Indian markets, and the guidelines would be in place by January 2010.

A task force set up by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is formulating the guidelines that would ensure product safety, quality, reliability and level playing for all companies introducing probiotic products.

Bangalore, Nov 20 (IANS) Global technology and manufacturing major Honeywell International is upbeat on growing its business in India in the light of opportunities emerging in aerospace, homeland security, environment and infrastructure.

“We are upbeat on growth opportunities in India, where the economy is buoyant and the government is pro-active in encouraging investments in high-technology sectors,” Honeywell India president Anil P. Gupta told reporters here.

Washington, Nov 20 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is pretty confident that the US will recover from the global economic crisis, thanks to the skills of the US business class and the US educational system.

“I hope the United States will recover from last year’s disaster,” he said in an interview with Newsweek-Washington Post in New Delhi ahead of his state visit to the US for a summit with President Barack Obama Nov 24.

Lahore, Nov 20 (IANS) The Human Rights Committee of the Lahore High Court Bar Association has condemned suicide attacks and the use of violence against innocent lives, saying there is no justification in Islam for terrorism.

“All acts of terrorism targeting civilians are haram (forbidden) in Islam. It is haram for a Muslim to cooperate with any individual or group that is involved in any act of terrorism or violence. It is the civic and religious duty of Muslims to cooperate with law enforcement authorities to protect the lives of all civilians,” the committee said in a statement Friday.

London, Nov 20 (IANS) The Oprah Winfrey Talk Show will come to an end in 2011 after more than two decades on air, BBC reported Friday.

From her early career as Nashville’s first African-American TV correspondent to global superstar, Oprah Winfrey has well and truly conquered the US.

New Delhi/Washington, Nov 20 (IANS) India and the US are set to unveil a new template for expanding their partnership by firming up a new counter-terror framework and signing a clutch of agreements in areas ranging from agriculture and green energy to trade and health when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets US President Barack Obama in Washington Tuesday.

New Delhi/Washington, Nov 20 (IANS) India and the US are set to unveil a new template for expanding their partnership by firming up a new counter-terror framework and deepening their strategic dialogue on key global issues, including non-proliferation and climate change, when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets US President Barack Obama in Washington Tuesday.

New Delhi, Nov 20 (IANS) India has a legislation prohibiting child marriage, but latest household surveys indicate that 47 percent of women, who are now aged 20-24 years, were married before the legal age of 18, a Unicef report released Friday said.

The survey also found that nearly 16 percent of men, who are now aged 20-49, were also married as minors.

New Delhi, Nov 20 (IANS) The health ministry will spend Rs.9.2 billion this financial year for promoting Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) – the Indian systems of medicine – in the country, Minister of State for Health S. Gandhiselvan told parliament Friday.

“Steps have been taken for standardisation of drugs, production and quality control of raw material (medicinal plants), production of quality assurance of drugs, raising the standards of research and education and spreading awareness,” he said in reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.