Home Ministry Clears Cairn-Vedanta Deal: Source

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><root available-locales="en_US," default-locale="en_US"><static-content language-id="en_US"><![CDATA[<p>The home ministry has cleared British oil firm Cairn Energy's $6 billion deal to sell a stake in its Indian business to Vedanta Resources in the final government approval needed, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Monday.<br><br>Cairn Energy has been waiting for more than a year to conclude the deal which will see miner Vedanta buy a majority stake in oil producer Cairn India.<br><br>Vedanta said in November it expected to complete the deal within this quarter. <br><br>A spokeswoman for the interior ministry could not comment immediately.<br><br>(Reuters)</p>