New Goa CM meets Sonia, says he will prove majority
New Delhi, February 5
With the BJP mounting an offensive against the Congress for the “illegal dismissal” of the Manohar Parrikar government in Goa, the newly-appointed Chief Minister, Mr Pratapsinh Rane, and PCC President Louisinho Faleiro arrived here today to counter these charges and deny reports of dissidence in its ranks over ministerial berths.
Goa Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane speaks at a press conference in New Delhi on Saturday. — PTI photo

4 ex-ministers held in Nepal
Kathmandu, February 5
Continuing its crackdown on political activities, Nepal’s new Royal government has arrested four ministers of the ousted Deuba cabinet and has decided to set up a commission to probe corruption cases against politicians and others.

Nation page: Sikhs protest turban ban in France Sikh children shout anti-French government slogans against a law banning the wearing of religious symbols in schools, during a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Mukesh Aggarwal

Poll in Anantnag, Pulwama today
Litmus test for ruling coalition
Srinagar, February 5
While the people’s verdict in the civic poll has been delivered in north Kashmir and the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, it is to be decided in the twin districts of Anantnag and Pulwama in South Kashmir tomorrow.

Repoll at 368 booths in Bihar, Jharkhand today
New Delhi, February 5
The Election Commission today ordered repoll at six polling booths in Haryana and over 350 polling booths in Bihar and Jharkhand, which witnessed large-scale electoral malpractices during the first phase of polling.

Nine candidates held in Bihar

Girija strong contender for NCW top post
New Delhi, February 5
Ms Girija Vyas, chairperson of the AICC media department, appears to have edged out other contenders to emerge as front-runner for the post of the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW).

Govt to refund money to 2.5 lakh job applicants
Chandigarh, February 5
A government job is a cherished desire of every unemployed youth. But an indescribable tragedy awaits many such youth, who have been waiting for years for jobs they had applied for long back. Failing to give employment to them, the Punjab Government has decided to refund their money charged as fee along with applications for jobs.

SP MP surrenders in MLA murder case
Allahabad, February 5
Samajwadi Party MP Atiq Ahmed, whose brother was arrested in the BSP MLA Raju Pal's murder, today surrendered before a local court and was remanded to 14-day judicial custody.
Samajwadi Party MP Atiq Ahmad comes out of the Allahabad District Courts where he surrendered before the Chief Judicial Magistrate on Saturday. Ahmad was named in an FIR in connection with the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal on January 25. — PTI photo

18-month-old abducted in Delhi, found in Orissa Rourkela/New Delhi, February 5 Eighteen-month-old Arpit Dewan was today rescued from the clutches of his maid, a tribal, who had kidnapped him from his New Delhi residence five days ago, after she was recognised by a passerby from posters put up at Rangpur town in Orissa’s Sundergarh district. Arpit Dewan Engineer goes missing