Today's PUBLISHED Newspaper
Edition update time 2:30 am (IST)

EC clearance sought for naming new Army Chief
* Decision after approval
* BJP opposes appointment by UPA
New Delhi, May 2
Amid strong opposition by the BJP to the appointment of the next Army Chief, the government today said the matter had been referred to the Election Commission and any decision will be taken only after getting its nod. “The matter is before the Election Commission. We want to strictly follow all the procedures before taking any final decision on the issue,” said Defence Minister AK Antony when asked about the status of appointing the next Army Chief.

Haryana highway liquor loss Rs 1,340 cr
Chandigarh, May 2
With the closure of nearly 1,400 liquor vends along the national and state highways on the direction of the Punjab and Haryana High Court across Haryana, the fund-starved Haryana Government will be facing a excise revenue loss of about Rs 1,340 crore.

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Bodo militants kill 23 in Assam; Army out; curfew in 4 districts
Guwahati, May 2 At least 23 persons, including children and women, were killed and 14 seriously injured by heavily armed militants of the NDFB(S) — National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbijit) — in communally sensitive districts of Kokrajhar and Baksa of Assam in the past 24 hours.	Security personnel at Narsingbari where some people were killed by militants in Baksa district of Assam on Friday. PTI

Gujarat snoopgate panel before May 16: Shinde
Shimla/New Delhi, May 2
A judicial commission to probe snoopgate, allegedly involving Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will be in place before the Lok Sabha poll process comes to an end on May 16, the Union Government said today, rejecting questions raised by the BJP over it. The assertion by Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Law Minister Kapil Sibal evoked a sharp reaction from BJP that said it only reflects the "arrogance" of the UPA that would soon be “voted out of power”.

NSG at Chennai blast scene, looks for clues
New Delhi, May 2
Bomb experts of the National Security Guard (NSG) are trying to ascertain if the composition of the two bombs that went off inside a train at the Chennai Central railway station on Thursday were similar to those that exploded at BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s rally in Patna in October last year.
(Details on Nation page)

350 dead as landslide hits Afghan village
Mazar-i-Sharif, May 2 
A landslide in northern Afghanistan killed at least 350 persons today, officials said, with hundreds also feared missing as a major rescue operation was launched to find survivors in villages buried under mud.
(Details on World page)

Poll heat peaks in high-altitude Ladakh battle Kargil, May 2 With three days for the end of campaigning, candidates for the May 7 Lok Sabha election are sweating it out in the cool climes of Ladakh. It’s an uphill task to reach out to the segment’s 1.59 lakh voters scattered across 1.73 lakh sqkm in the Himalayan ranges and all four candidates are racing against time. Party workers take a lunch break during poll campaign at Sospul village on the Leh-Kargil highway on Friday. Photo: Anand Sharma J&K page: Congress faces stiff challenge from party rebel in Ladakh