Mathrani questioned by ED
RAW, IB join interrogation
New Delhi, December 4
Even as Minister without portfolio K. Natwar was being increasingly isolated in the Congress for being adamant in not resigning from the government, India’s erstwhile ambassador to Croatia Aneil Mathrani was being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate and other agencies about his controversial statement pertaining to the UN’s
oil-for-food scam in Iraq.
Natwar vehement on not resigning

Nation page: Dwivedi blasts BJP over Mathrani episode

Cabinet reshuffle after winter session, says PM
On Board Prime Minister’s Special Aircraft, December 4
Although there is growing pressure in the Congress that former External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh steps down from the Cabinet following fresh revelations in the Volcker case, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh remains evasive on the issue.


Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inspects Russian honour guards upon his arrival at Vnukovo II airport outside Moscow on Sunday.
— AFP photo

Advani to act on Uma’s reply soon
New Delhi, December 4
The BJP today said party President L.K. Advani will act on suspended leader Uma Bharti’s reply to the show-cause notice in a couple of days.

No breakthrough in BJP MLA murder case
Lucknow, December 4
Even six days after the murder of Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai, along with his seven supporters in Ghazipur, the state police was yet to get a major breakthrough in the case.

Hurriyat keen to discuss options
Self-rule, joint control can be considered
Jammu, December 4
Notwithstanding their support to the idea of self rule, to be preceded by demilitarisation, for resolving the Kashmir issue, leaders of All-Party Hurriyat Conference wish to make it clear that the “idea is not our baby.”

Punjab wants 5 SSPs to have powers of ED
Chandigarh, December 4
Claiming that organised crime of kidnapping, hawala transactions and drug money were interlinked, the Punjab Government has asked the Central Government to give powers of the Enforcement Directorate to five SSPs in Punjab.

Amitabh security up after journalist sneaks in
Mumbai, December 4
Security has been tightened for Amitabh Bachchan for a television journalist sneaked in to film the interiors of his hospital room. Sources at Lilavati Hospital, where Bachchan has been admitted, said two security guards at the hospital had been sacked for not preventing the journalist from sneaking into Bachchan’s room.
In video: Big B recovering. (56k)

Torrential rains flood Chennai 75,000 lodged in relief camps Chennai, December 4 Hundreds of thousands of people in this Tamil Nadu capital have been rendered homeless after rain-fed rivers and lakes inundated almost three-fourths of the city, even as the administration struggled to provide succour amidst rising water level and forecast of more rains on Sunday night. Residents are transported by a makeshift raft in Chennai on Sunday. Cyclone Baaz, which was hovering in the Bay of Bengal, weakened into a depression but brought rain to drench the southern metropolis. — AFP photo