Fresh firing from across the border
BSF, Pak Rangers hold flag meeting
Jammu, September 18
Even as firing from across the border continued this morning also in the Akhnoor sector, BSF officials held a flag meeting with the Pakistan Rangers. The meeting took place at 11:30 am today and went on for 15 minutes.

Lt Gen does aerial survey along border
Jammu, September 18
A senior Army Officer did an aerial survey in the Akhnoor sector along the International Border (IB) following the third infiltration bid in the past five days.

Israel warns of terror attacks in India
New Delhi, September 18
After the US, Israel has warned its citizens against travelling to India, sending a chilling reminder to the security agencies about the threat to the country from Pakistan-based terrorist groups during the current festive season. Israel’s counter-terrorism bureau, which operates under the country’s national security council (NSC), has issued a warning that militants were preparing attacks in India similar to those in Mumbai last year.

Cong in no mood to forgive Tharoor
New Delhi, September 18
Even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today played down the Shashi Tharoor episode, an angry Congress appears to be in no mood to forgive the Minister of Sate for External Affairs for his “cattle class” and “holy cows” remarks. Chorus within the party for easing out Tharoor, fuelled further by efforts of his aide Jacob Joseph to defend him, is building up.

Memorials case can’t be dropped, says
apex court
New Delhi, September 18
Terming as “unsatisfactory” the Uttar Pradesh government’s response to the show-cause notice, the Supreme Court today made it clear that it would not “drop” the issue of construction of memorials in Lucknow spending “so much of” public money.

Nation page: Fresh trouble for Maya
Editorial: Splurging on memorials

SAD likely to spread wings in Haryana
Chandigarh, September 18
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is likely to contest the Sikh-dominated assembly seats in Haryana on its party symbol. Although no formal announcement has been made so far, sources said the SAD is all set to forge an alliance with the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD and dump its alliance partner in Punjab, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The SAD would most likely field its candidates for a few seats and support the INLD on the others.

Mongolia airbase plan shelved? New Delhi, September 18 An Indian proposal to have an airbase in Mongolia to increase its strategic outreach in the Central Asian region appears to have been shelved, an official said, amid concerns that it could exacerbate tensions with China. Mooted in 2004 during the visit of then Mongolian Prime Minister N. Enkhbayar in January 2004, the idea elicited a positive response in Mongolia, a country with which India has been rapidly developing ties in the space and defence fields.