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8 hurt in Gujarat communal flare-up

         Ahmedabad: Police in Ahmedabad's sensitive Gomptipur area were reported to have tightened security on Thursday after a communal flare-up late on Wednesday night resulting in eight people getting hurt. Thirty-six persons were also arrested for their role in the incident, which was brought under control through the lobbying of 85 teargas shells. The scuffle broke out during the birth anniversary celebrations of Dr. BR Ambedkar, the father of the Indian Constitution. The injured have been admitted to the city's L G hospital for treatment.

Militants order TV ban in Kashmir (Go To Top)

         Kishtwar: Militant outfits in Kashmir have ordered cable operators to stop distribution of satellite television channels. Handbills pasted on walls warned operators defying the ban would face dire consequences. Cable operators said the militants also destroyed the office of one of their colleagues. "When a cable operator went for his lunch, some people attacked and destroyed everything. The police and fire brigade came, but by that time everything was destroyed," Rayaz Ahmed, a cable operator, said. Authorities said the militants resorted to the cable ban to hold sway over the people by keeping them ignorant.

N-E insurgents ready for dialogue (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: A prominent insurgent group fighting in the north-east has offered talks with the Central government. Leaders of two important factions of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) met Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani in New Delhi for the first time to seek a solution to their problems. "There have been no talks but they have agreed to abandon the path of violence and come to the negotiating table. Therefore they had come to meet me. But the talks will take place. This is another good development in the northeast," said Advani after the meeting. Nayanbasi Jamatia and Montu Koloi, who command 250 to 300 cadres of the NLFT, in a press release demanded rehabilitation. The NLFT has been one of the main insurgent groups of Tripura. It was formed in 1989 and ever since has been responsible for a large number of violent incidents and killings.

          Tripura, plagued by insurgency for two decades, shares an 870- kilometre long border with Bangladesh, accused of sheltering militant groups active in India's northeast. The group, along with dozens of other separatists are fighting for autonomy in India's heavily forested and hilly north-eastern region where many political movements are linked to tribal feuds or ethnic fights. The tribals blame the Central government for plundering the region's rich natural resources and flooding the area with outsiders.

Fake chemical factory busted in M-P (Go To Top)

          Morena (MP): Police in Madhya Pradesh have busted a huge factory producing fake sulphas and other poisonous chemicals. Police say the chemicals were being used to manufacture pesticides, fertilizers and also some cheap medicines, which were then supplied to villages near Delhi and Agra. The most alarming seizure was of BHC or Benzene Hexachloride used in pesticides. BHC has been banned or severely restricted in at least 11 countries across Europe because of high toxicity and serious environmental damage caused by it. In addition, exposure to BHC on workers and other persons near it can also lead to serious oncogenic effects or chromosomal abberations possibly causing cancer and other life threatening diseases.

         "We have found a factory where fake sulphas was being made and have also seized fake BHC (Benzene Hexachloride) powder.This illegal business was happening on a large scale. They were mixing sulphas with other cheap and fake chemicals and selling them illegaly," said Vijay Khatri, superintendent of police, Morena, where the seizure was made. Police have sent teams to various places where the supplies were being made, to prevent further use of the deadly chemicals, particularly in medicine. Fake medicines kill an unknown number of people each year and rob legitimate drug companies of almost one billion dollars annually -- 15-20 percent of the industry's total turnover. India had last year approved death penalty for people dealing in fake medicines.

Indian, British Navies to hold joint exercise (Go To Top)

          Chennai: Indian and British naval fleets are all set to begin their first major joint exercise in 20 years, off the Bay of Bengal in southern India from Saturday. Titled "Konkan", the three-day venture will have two British warships HMS Exeter and RFA Grey Rover join a series of Indian Navy ships, submarines and aircraft of the Eastern Naval Command for the combat manoeuvres. Britain's High Commissioner to India, Sir Michael Arthur, said defence cooperation between the two nations had never been better.

         This is the first high-level defence exchange between the nations since they inked the $1.46 billion dollar Hawk deal. India last year said it would buy Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers (AJTs) from British Aeronautics Systems, needed to end a string of accidents in the Indian Air Force. Britain has also agreed to train Indian pilots as part of the deal.

Man held for links in Purulia arms drop case (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Indian police on Thursday arrested a man they claim could lead to possible leads in a sensational arms drop case, which rocked the nation in 1995. Police had seized a huge booty of arms and ammunition, which included 215 AK-47 and AK-56 rifles, 16,582 rounds of ammunition, 78 anti-tank grenades, 59 hand grenades, 3,840 rounds of 9 mm.pistol cartridges, 877 empty magazines of AK-47 and AK-56 rifles, seven 9mm pistols and four olive green parachutes, in Purulia district of West Bengal in 1995. Interrogations had indicated that the arms were meant for the West Bengal-based Anand Marg religious sect. The group has headquarters in Anandnagar, not far from the areas where the arms were dropped. The cult, viewed with much suspicion in India due to their unusual lifestyle that includes spending time in graveyards and cremation grounds, has consistently denied any link with the arms dropping.

          Unconfirmed reports say the arrested man, Tatbhavanand Avdhoot, dressed in flowing saffron robe, is a topline member of the cult. "The allegations are that the arrested man is involved in the case," S.K Upadhyay, counsel for Adhoot, told reporters outside a court complex in New Delhi, where the accused was to be produced before magistrate. The question of where the arms were headed has never been clearly established. India's northeast, which borders West Bengal is home to dozens of insurgent groups fighting for secession or greater autonomy. A former British Army officer and five Latvian nationals were convicted in the case but all have subsequently been released after being granted celemency.

Big B's mother in hospital (Go To Top)

          Mumbai: Teji Bachchan, mother of superstar Amitabh Bachchan, was on Tuesday admitted to Leelavati Hospital in Bandra for a string of health related problems. According to the vice-president of Leelawati Hospital, Dr Narendra Trivedi, "She has been brought to the hospital for investigations relating to her complaint of lower back pain, pain in the leg and intestinal infection". The 86-year old Teji Bachchan would be put through an MRI test and a test for the colon. She was accompanied among others by her daughter-in-law, Jaya Bachchan and grandson Abhishek Bachchan.

Powell talks to Musharraf, missive from Pallone (Go To Top)

          Washington: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is reported to have sought information from Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf about the progress being made between Islamabad and New Delhi in addressing their differences. State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said the two leaders discussed a number of issues on April 13, including matters relating to the ongoing investigation into nuclear proliferation. Meanwhile, New Jersey's Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone has urged Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to allow American intelligence agencies to interview the disgraced nuclear scientist A Q Khan. In a letter to the Pakistani President, Pallone said "I am writing to you because I am concerned that you are not permitting further inquiry into this situation and in particular, that you are refusing to allow US intelligence agencies to directly question Dr Khan."

Indian envoy to Nepal coming for consultations (Go To Top)

          Kathmandu/New Delhi: India's Ambassador to Nepal Shyam Saran is likely to fly back to the Indian Capital today for consultations about the ongoing political developments in Nepal. Informed sources and radio reports said that Saran had met Nepal's King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev yesterday and a cross section of leaders of various political parties in Nepal to discuss the prevailing political situation in the Hindu Kingdom. The discussions assume significance in the light of an ongoing tussle between the King, the political parties and the rebel Maoists over the type of governmental system to be put in place to curtail weeks of violence arising out of a deteriorating political and law and order situation.

Former Nepalese PM arrested, released (Go To Top)

          Kathmandu: Former Nepalese prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala was on Thursday arrested and released by police here. Koirala, 82, was among a number of former ministers who were briefly detained. Hundreds of protesters had assembled to demonstrate against the king over his assumption of executive powers after he sacked the elected government in 2002. The police used batons to disperse the demonstrators, wounding several protesters who stoned police, said a BBC report. Demonstrations against the king have become a daily routine in Kathmandu. The protests have been staged by five opposition parties who all had MPs in parliament before it was dissolved by the king in 2002.

Bangladesh tornado death toll rises to 59 (Go To Top)

          Dhaka: Fifty nine people were reported killed and hundreds of others were injured as tornadoes lashed northern Bangladesh on Wednesday and early on Thursday, blowing away thousands of flimsy huts. A foreign news agency quoted Bangladesh officials as saying that the twisters swept through nearly two dozen farming villages in Netrokona and neighboring Mymensingh districts on Wednesday night. At least 26 people, including children, were killed in Netrokona, 130 km north of the Bangladesh capital Dhaka. Nearly 700 people were injured in Netrokona and some of them were taken to hospital in serious condition, rescue workers said. "The death toll could rise because some of the injured were in serious condition," a Netrokona rural council member was quoted as saying.

India strike after sending Pak on leather hunt (Go To Top)

          Rawalpindi: India were firmly in the drivers' seat on Thursday in the third and final Test having Pakistan pinned to the ropes at 38 for 2 in their second innings. After scoring a massive 600 all out with the help of a Rahul Dravid knock of 270, Indian bowlers L.Balaji and Irfan Pathan claimed a wicket each to have Pakistan battling to save the match and avoid a series loss for the first time on Pakistan soil. Still at the crease were Yaseer Hamid and night watchman Kamran Akmal. The scores so far: Pakistan 224 and 38 for 2 India 600 all out (R Dravid 270; S Ganguly 77; VVS Laxman 71, Patel 69; Akhtar 3- 47).