Left-wing extremism biggest test: PM
New Delhi, December 20
Terming Left-wing extremism as single biggest security challenge to the nation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today asked states to establish specialised and dedicated forces to eliminate this virus.

‘Al-Qaida’ threatens terror at Delhi HC
New Delhi, December 20
As the Chief Ministers deliberated on strengthening the internal security in the wake of terrorism and Naxalite problem, the Delhi High Court has received a threat by a purported e-mail from Osama bin Laden’s international terror network Al-Qaida to its judges.

Stay out of Kolkata, Centre tells Taslima
New Delhi/Kolkata, December 20
The central government today barred controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, living in an undisclosed location in the national capital for the past one month after she was hounded out of Kolkata, from coming out in public or freely meeting people, restrictions described as “house arrest” by her.

Cops lathicharge ITI students
Bathinda, December 20
Students of the Industrial Training Institute (ITI), here who were protesting against alleged misbehaviour of the bus operators were lathi charged by the police here this afternoon after they had damaged the police control room motor cycles.

LATHI-HAPPY: A student under police attack during a protest on the ITI campus in Bathinda, Thursday. — Tribune photos by  Kulbir Beera

Proceedings against DGP Virk stayed
Chandigarh, December 20
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed till January 10 further proceedings in two FIRs registered against Punjab’s former Director-General of Police (DGP) S.S Virk.

Ailing student dies, father says he was forced to run
Karnal, December 20
A class XI student of the local Government Senior Secondary School, Arvinder (15), collapsed and died at the school today. The father of the deceased, Gurmail Singh, alleged that his son died because he was forced to run in the school as punishment for coming late.

A Tribune Debate Judges vs Judges An article by Virendra Kumar, “Nothing wrong with judicial activism”, appears on the editorial page today. This is the fourth in the series. More articles by eminent advocates and experts will follow.

Finnish Woman’s Rape
Five suspects questioned
Mumbai, December 20
A woman from Finland, residing in Mumbai, was allegedly raped yesterday after she left a pub in Navi Mumbai, according to the police. As per the complaint filed by the victim, she left the pub and hitched a ride in a passing car to get home.

Probe Scorpene deal again, HC tells CBI
New Delhi, December 20
In a setback to the CBI which maintained that there was no kickback involved in the Rs 16,000 crore Scorpene submarine deal, the Delhi High Court today directed it to conduct a fresh preliminary inquiry and file a report before it.