Tribals storm Guwahati
1 killed, 200 hurt in clashes
Guwahati, November 24
Curfew was imposed in a part of Guwahati city after mob violence claimed at least one life and left as many as 200 persons injured near the Capital Complex here this afternoon. The toll is likely to increase as the condition of some of the injured was stated to be critical.

Nation page: Goa Governor survives bid on life in Nagaland

Tribal protesters being beaten up after activists of the All-Adivasi Students Association of Assam (AASAA) clashed with local residents in Guwahati on Saturday. — AFP

Twin blasts kill 30 in Pakistan
Islamabad, November 24
Two near-simultaneous suicide bombings killed at least 30 people, most of them military personnel, and injured many others in Pakistan’s garrison city of Rawalpindi today, triggering tensions ahead of the return of exiled former premier Nawaz Sharif to the country tomorrow. Military spokesman Major-Gen Waheed Arshad said the blasts occurred almost simultaneously at 7.45 am local time.
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Near-total bandh in UP over blasts
Lucknow, November 24
Near-total bandh was observed in Uttar Pradesh today following a call given by the VHP and the BJP to protest against yesterday's serial blasts in the state. The bandh was near-total in Varanasi, Basti, Sant Kabirnagar, Jaunpur, Firozabad, Kanpur and Faizabad with shops and business establishments remaining closed.

Nation page: Ex gratia hiked to Rs 5 lakh
Well-trained terrorist outfit suspected
Forensic experts sent to UP

Sharma new C’wealth secretary-general Kampala, November 24
India today scored a major victory when Commonwealth Heads of Government at their meeting here decided to choose New Delhi’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom Kamlesh Sharma as the next secretary-general of the Commonwealth.	Kamlesh Sharma

Ethnic Indians reject Badawi’s plea
Kuala Lumpur, November 24
The ethnic Indians in Malaysia today rejected Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi’s appeal not to go ahead with their planned protest tomorrow which has been declared “illegal” by the government. The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), an influential non-governmental group of ethnic Indians, said it will go ahead with its gathering.

HP Votes
Please-all Cong list; new man likely for Theog
New Delhi, November 24
The Congress has retained most of the sitting MLAs in the list finalised by for the assembly poll in Himachal Pradesh. While new faces have replaced MLAs on four seats, the party has decided to give tickets to a few young leaders in the constituencies it had lost in the previous polls.

Idris Ali arrested
Kolkata, November 24
The president of All India Minority Forum Idris Ali, alleged to be behind the large-scale violence during a strike here to press for revocation of visa for controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, was arrested today on the charge of rioting.

Row over Taslima’s departure from Kolkata
Taslima may be handed over to Centre