BARC and all laboratories and facilities associated with it and ISRO are among 63 firms put under US sanctions and listed by the department of energy to deny any aid to India for nuclear, missile or other military programmes. The interim list incorporated in a memorandum by US energy secretary Federico Pena includes names of even some agricultural and medical institutions. "This list is not exhaustive and will be updated at a later date," said Pena's memorandum.

Forex reserves rise:
India's forex reserves rose to $27.07 billion for the week ending July 17 from $27.04 billion in the previous week, the RBI weekly statistical supplement said on Saturday. This is the first time in many weeks that forex reserves have reported a rise. Analysts attribute the turnaround in forex reserve position as reflective of the FIIs' return to the stock markets. The supplement added that year-on-year M3 growth rose to 17.2 per cent in the two weeks to July 3from 17.1 per cent on June 19.

NTPC CMD term extended:
The government has extended the term of the chairman and managing director of National Thermal Power Corporation, Rajendra Singh, for another two years. Singh has been the CMD of NTPC for the last six years, prior to which he was director, personnel, in NTPC.

Losses pile up:
India Steamship has reported a net loss of Rs 87 lakh for the year to March 31, 1998 despite a profit of Rs 5.49 crore on sale of vessels. The accumulated losses of the company have piled up to Rs 188.65 crore. Net sales in 1997-98 amounted to Rs 47 crore (Rs 51.73 crore). The profit before interest, depreciation and tax was Rs 2.74 crore.

Mock trading at ASE:
Mock trading at the Ahmedabad stock exchange on the Tata-IBM on-line system, which had collapsed six times in the last three months, was "successful" on the third trial on Saturday, claimed executive director Rajiv Desai. Mock trading was necessitated owing to frequent breakdowns in thesoftware.

Bullion down:
Both the precious metals declined moderately on the Mumbai bullion market on Saturday. Silver .999 and raw crashed by Rs 80 and Rs 90 to Rs 8,335 and Rs 8,210, respectively, due to weak overseas advice coupled with lack of buying from industrial units. Gold standard mint and 22 carat also decreased by Rs 20 each to Rs ,4260 and Rs 3,940 on slack demand from local operators.

Port, dock staff bonus:
Port and dock workers and officers would receive productivity-linked reward at 20 per cent of their wages/salaries for the financial year 1997-98. However, the salaries/wages of each employee would be subject to a maximum of Rs 2,500 per month, president of All India Port and Dock Workers Federation, SR Kulkarni said.

Nuclear scientists' entry:
In a belated move, Britain has cleared the entry of two nuclear scientists from the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research at Kalpakkam into the country after the meeting they were scheduled to attend there hadconcluded on July 18, IGCAR sources said on Saturday.

"Breakthrough in Indo-US talks likely":
Defence minister George Fernandes does not rule out some kind of a breakthough at the next round of Indo-US talks at Washington in the second week of August. The fourth round of talks between Planning Commission deputy-chairman Jaswant Singh and US deputy-secretary of state Strobe Talbott should see things "move forward as the previous three rounds had resulted in softening of attitudes," he said on Saturday.

Phdcci plea:
The aluminum industry should be allowed to avail of the Modvat credit on capital goods and inputs used in captive power plants so as to enable the industry achieve higher exports, the Phdcci has demanded on Saturday. The chamber pointed out that the aluminum industry in India is handicapped in its export efforts by higher costs arising from an "unjust denial" of Modvat credit on capital goods and inputs used in captive power plants.

GM enters Kia Motors race, saysDaewoo:
General Motors has joined an international race to take over South Korea's two troubled carmakers, a Daewoo Motor spokesman said on Saturday. "GM told us that it submitted the letter by fax," said a spokesman of Daewoo, which submitted a separate letter of intent to participate in the bidding for Kia Motors and its sister Asia Motors Corp.