The U.S. government now projects that the total cost to develop, buy and operate the Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will be $1.45 trillion over the next 50-plus years, according to a Pentagon document obtained by Reuters. The Pentagon's latest, staggering estimate of the lifetime cost of the F-35 -- its most expensive weapons program -- is up from about $1 trillion a year ago, and includes inflation. While inflation accounts …

The government today stepped up efforts to iron out differences on contentious aspects of the Lokpal Bill, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meeting leaders of various parties during which it was decided that the legislation could be taken up during the second half of the Budget Session. At the all-party meet of Rajya Sabha members convened by the Prime Minister at his residence here, it was agreed that the government will work for a consensus …

The opposition including the Left today lashed out at Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for his Budget proposals seeking to hike Service Tax and Central Excise, saying it would add unbearable burden on the aam aadmi (common man). "This is a coma budget from a coma govt", said BJP deputy leader Ananth Kumar. Kumar said, Rs 40,000 crore burden has been dumped on the common man by hiking service tax and central excise. "Even in the rail budget and …

As the government prepares to face the opposition in Parliament, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today exuded confidence that the UPA has “all the numbers” that are needed to tackle issues. “I think pressure is part of parliamentary life. We are willing to discuss and debate all issues on the floor of Parliament,” he said ahead of the start of the Budget Session. “I am confident that we have all the numbers that are needed,” the Prime Minister …

The United States is "very concerned" about the latest assault by Al-Qaeda militants in Yemen but does not believe the government's survival is in jeopardy, a Pentagon spokesman said Monday. In one of the single deadliest attacks against Yemeni forces, more than 100 government soldiers have been killed in fighting after suspected Al-Qaeda gunmen attacked military posts in Yemen's south on Sunday, medical officials in Yemen said. "We view Yemen …

The world's oceans are turning acidic at what could be the fastest pace of any time in the past 300 million years, even more rapidly than during a monster emission of planet-warming carbon 56 million years ago, scientists said on Thursday. Looking back at that bygone warm period in Earth's history could offer help in forecasting the impact of human-spurred climate change, researchers said of a review of hundreds of studies of ancient climate records …

A stolen US space agency laptop containing codes that control the International Space Station did not put the orbiting lab in peril, a NASA spokesman said on Friday. The unencrypted notebook computer went missing in March 2011 and "resulted in the loss of the algorithms used to command and control the International Space Station," NASA Inspector General Paul Martin told lawmakers this week. But the US space agency insisted that international astronauts …

China's top leader in Tibet has ordered increased controls over the Internet and mobile phones, state press said Thursday, ahead of upcoming sensitive anniversaries in the restive region. Chen Quanguo, Communist Party head of Tibet, said maintaining stability in the Himalayan region was of utmost importance during the meeting of China's National People's Congress which opens its annual session on Monday, the Tibet Daily said. "Mobile phones, Internet …

The White House Wednesday asked Congress to pass a temporary spending measure to head off the prospect of a government shutdown as a bitter pre-Christmas standoff escalated with Republicans. The vast functions of the US government will creak to a halt unless a new one-trillion-dollar spending plan to fund operations through fiscal 2012 is agreed by Friday, but the bill has fallen foul of more angry partisan gridlock. The late night maneuvering …

South Korea is planning to add air-launched cruise missiles capable of destroying high value targets in North Korea to its arsenal, reports and officials said Wednesday. The plan is awaiting parliamentary approval, a defence ministry spokesman told, adding that the air force wanted to buy some 170 missiles. South Korea wants the air-to-surface stealth missiles as a deterrent against provocation by North Korea, the Korea Times said. "It can be …