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Tripura insurgents linked with ISI: State police

       New Delhi: Tripura DGP GM Srivastva today said that the tribal insurgents fighting in the state have links with Pakistani intelligence agency, the ISI. "Who could be behind them ...see the common interest is to fight against India and then to keep the northeast disturbed, turbulent. Who is interested in it ... obviously the ISI. You know the money, training, support, everything comes from them ... this time and again has been coming. Of course, you can't say it in so many words but the fact is that the commonality of interest at the support system, modus operandi-if you analyse all of it you will find it's just one and same agency," Srivastava said in an interview in the Capital.

Opposition for Central probe into Orissa mining contract (Go To Top)

       Bhubaneswar: Opposition parties in Orissa have demanded a Central probe into a mining contract which triggered a mayhem in the state assembly last week after a lawmaker threw slippers at government benches during a debate over the controversial issue. The violence in Bhubaneshwar was sparked when Opposition members began protesting against the grant of the mining lease to a company that plans to set up an Alumina refinery in the impoverished state. They said the government had ignored environmental norms. State Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik insisted that there was no scandal in the deal.

Patil inspects fencing at Pak border (Go To Top)

      RS Pura: Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil today inspected the fencing along the border with Pakistan. His visit to the border area came amid reports of increased infiltration from across the border. This was Patil's first visit to the state Kashmir since the Congress-led UPA government took power in May. On the occasion, Patil said that despite the recent increase, overall intensity and number of guerrillas moving into Kashmir had been greatly checked by the fence. "The number of people coming from the other side of border has reduced which means that we can take care of our goods and the lives of our people," he said. The minister also called for greater public and media participation in the fight against terrorism. "They (insurgents) should be made to understand and with your (media) help if we can do that, then there is no need for intensifying insurgent operations. If that does not work, you people will only tell what should be done," Patil said.

India considering new road link with Pak (Go To Top)

      Jammu: Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil today said that the Centre was considering opening up a road link between Suchetgarh and Sialkot. Patil currently on a three-day visit to the state said that should the Pakistan government agree to India's proposal, India would go ahead with the project. It's understood that if the latest move by India, fresh on the lines of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus link goes through, then it would tremendously improve Indo-Pak relations and increase more people to people contact.

Maharashtra ministry expansion on Nov 9 (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: The expansion of Maharashtra cabinet, which was earlier scheduled for tomorrow, would now be held on Tuesday, State Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said in the Capital today. He told this to reporters just before meeting party chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence to finalise the exercise of expanding his cabinet. AICC general secretary and in-charge of the state affairs Margaret Alva and Maharashtra PCC chief Prabha Rau were also present at the meeting. A row has been going on between the Congress and the NCP over inclusion of ministers in the Deshmukh government. Congress' Deshmukh was sworn in as CM and NCP's RR Patil as his deputy on November 1 after many days of confusion, and the same uncertainty has been prevailing again now for the past seven days.

One Armyman, two Pak militants killed in Poonch (Go To Top)

      Jammu: As many as two top Pakistani militants, belonging to Lashker-e-Taiba, and an army officer were killed in a gun battle in Poonch district today. Acting on specific information about the presence of the LeT extremists in Gujjar village, the security forces raided the place. The militants opened fire and the defence personnel retaliated in response. In the According to reports, two militants were killed in the ensuing gunbattle. A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) was also killed and another wounded in the exchange of fire. The slain ultras were identified as Abu Hafiz, a self-styled LeT sector commander, and Abu Alhumd. Some arms and ammunition were recovered from their possession.

Rice to continue as Bush's Security Adviser (Go To Top)

      Washington: Former US envoy to India Robert D. Blackwill, who is currently in-charge of US administration in Iraq and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice's junior, is not likely to replace her in George Bush's second stint. He is expected to get a new assignment outside the White House, The News quoted a Washington Post report as saying today. It said that Blackwill would soon resign from his current posting, go on for leave for several weeks, and then return to Washington to probably take on his new assignment. Blackwill (64) worked with the NSC under Rice since mid-2003 and remained at the White House taking charge of the administration's Iraq policy at a time when it was strained by disputes between the Pentagon and the State Department, the report added. The paper further added that he spent a total of three months in Iraq this year, focusing on ending the US-led occupation, establishing an interim Iraqi government and ensuring that Iraq holds election by the end of January 2005.

Bush to visit India, Pak next year (Go To Top)

      Karachi: US President George Bush will visit India and Pakistan in 2005. His visit will greatly help resolve the dispute between the two South Asian neighbours, said a report in The News today. The paper said that Bush, who won consecutively second time as US President, would also be travelling to some other nations in the region. His itinerary is yet to be decided. According to the paper, Bush had made the promise of visiting Pakistan in September if he won his second presidential election, during his meeting with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in New York when the latter visited the UN headquarters to address the UN General Assembly session. Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has also invited the US president to visit his country. Singh extended the invite to Bush during his telephonic conversation recently to congratulate the latter for his presidential win. Bush will be the first US Republican president after late President Nixon to visit Pakistan in more than 30 years. His father Bush senior visited Pakistan as vice-president of his country in the 80's.

Ponting to lodge formal protest over Mumbai wicket (Go To Top)

      Sydney: Australia captain Ricky Ponting has asked Indian acting captain Rahul Dravid to join him in a formal protest over the Mumbai wicket which saw Aussies suffer a 13-run defeat in the fourth and final cricket Test in Mumbai. Australia were bowled in less than a session for 93 off 30.5 overs to lose the fourth Test as 20 wickets fell on a Test day for the first time in history. He said he would talk to Dravid over the issue. Ponting said his displeasure would be spelled out in his official captain's post-match report, and that he was hoping to enlist the support of Dravid, who stood as captain in the Mumbai Test, to impress on the need to have more genuine Test pitches. Ponting, who arrived from Mumbai yesterday, said the Wankhede Stadium wicket was blatantly sub-standard and his side's second innings batting effort could be almost exclusively attributed to the dodgy deck. "It's the sort of wicket where you're always in two minds about what to do," he reportedly said. He added: "If you try to stand there and defend you're eventually going to get out. If you try to play a shot here and there you're a good chance of getting out as well. You can't fault any of the guys. We tried our hardest and we ended up getting pretty close."