Bhubaneswar, Nov 5 (IANS) Orissa’s sponge iron industry has been hit hard by the economic slowdown, notwithstanding a rush for new projects in the state, forcing existing players to cut production and downsize workforce, government and industry officials said.

Trujillo (Peru), Nov 5 (Xinhua) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has said it would help Asian economies deal with the world financial crisis.

Toronto, Nov 5 (IANS) Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper Wednesday congratulated Barack Obama on his election as the 44th president of the US.

Wellington, Nov 5 (Xinhua) New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark Wednesday congratulated Democrat Barack Obama on his victory in the US presidential election.

Tehran, Nov 5 (IANS) Iran Wednesday hailed the election of Barack Obama as the president of the US, saying the victory of the first black American dismantled the last racial barrier in the country’s politics.

Chicago, Nov 5 (IANS) It had been a long time in coming but change had come to America, Barack Obama, the man who would be the first African American president in the White House, said Wednesday after his historic landslide victory to tens of thousands of wildly cheering crowds.

London, Nov 5 (IANS) British Home Office guidelines for the new points-based immigration system to be introduced from Nov 27 say that prospective immigrants will have to show hefty bank balances up to three months before even applying for their visas.

Washington, Nov 5 (DPA) US Senator Hillary Clinton called the election of Democratic nominee Barack Obama as US president “an historic victory for the American people.”