India's PM presses on despite scandals

NEW DELHI - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh vowed on Wednesday to stay in office to press ahead with further reforms, denying a series of massive corruption scandals had made him a lame duck leader.

Allegations the government may have lost up to $39 billion in revenue after companies were awarded telecoms deals at rock-bottom prices in return for kickbacks have caused months of parliamentary paralysis, rocked the ruling coalition and rattled India's markets.

"Whatever some people may say, that we are a lame duck government, that I am a lame duck prime minister, we take our job very seriously," Singh, 78, said in a rare media roundtable with TV editors to improve his worsening image.