India halts genetically modified eggplant release

India halted the release of the world's first genetically modified eggplant Tuesday, saying further study needed to be done to guarantee consumer safety before it could be cultivated in the country.

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said more independent research must be conducted to ensure the hybrid eggplant was safe for human consumption, after a government committee approved the commercial release of the genetically modified, pest-resistant crop in October.

"It is my duty to adopt a cautious, precautionary principle-based approach and impose a moratorium," he said.

Changes for former Venture Bank customers to be gradual

Former Venture Bank customers can expect more changes in the coming months as the bank transitions from Venture to First Citizens, the North Carolina-based bank that bought Venture after it was closed by state and federal regulators on Friday.

Tuesday was the second full day of business for First Citizens in South Sound and the transition continues to go smoothly, First Citizens spokeswoman Barbara Thompson said.

“Everything we are hearing has been very positive,” she said. “Customers have done their research and looked us up online.”

Venture Bank takeover said to be smooth

DuPONT - Former Venture Bank customers can expect more changes in the coming months as the bank makes the transition to First Citizens, the North Carolina-based bank that bought Venture after it was closed by state and federal regulators Friday.

Tuesday was the second full day of business for First Citizens in the South Sound, and the transition has gone smoothly, First Citizens spokeswoman Barbara Thompson said.

PayPal's India transaction block could last months

Online payments service PayPal says its suspension of certain transactions in India could last months.

In a post on PayPal's blog Tuesday, spokesman Anuj Nayar wrote that the company will keep blocking personal payments to and from India as it works out questions that Indian regulators have posed. The payments were initially suspended Jan. 28, after regulators questioned whether PayPal payments should be regulated like wire transfers of cash.

However, local bank withdrawals, which had also been suspended, should be available within a few days, Nayar said.

Gandhi's ashes scattered off South Africa coast

Six decades after his death, some of Mohandas K. Gandhi's ashes have been scattered off the coast of South Africa, where he was confronted by racial discrimination and developed some of his philosophies of peaceful resistance.

An early morning service Saturday in a harbor in the eastern city of Durban on the 62nd anniversary of Gandhi's death included the laying of flowers and candles on the water's surface.

Gandhi, known as the Mahatma or "great soul," was shot and killed by a Hindu hard-liner in 1948 in New Delhi. His ashes were divided, stored in steel urns and sent across India and beyond for memorial services. It was not unusual for some of the ashes to have been preserved instead of scattered as intended.