Bangalore, July 6
The Congress, opposition in Karnataka, suffered yet another blow with party legislator J. Narasimha Swamy quitting the state Assembly today to join the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Swamy, son of Congress MP from Chikkaballapur R.L. Jalappa, is the second Congress MLA to resign from the Assembly after another party legislator Anand Asnotikar from Karwar resigned yesterday to join the BJP.

“Swamy has submitted his resignation letter to Assembly speaker Jagdish Shettar. He has also resigned from the primary membership of the Congress to join our party. He will contest from the same constituency again in the by-election,” Karnataka BJP chief Sadananda Gowda told mediapersons here.

The speaker’s office confirmed that Shettar had accepted Swamy’s resignation. Swamy retained the Doddaballapur constituency in the recent Assembly elections by a margin of over 3,000 votes.

Swamy said he was joining the BJP in the interest of his constituency. The constituency remained neglected during the previous term due to political instability, he said and added that he resigned as the Congress legislator after consulting the electorate. “I am confident of winning in the by-election on the BJP ticket,” Swamy told reporters.

Two Janata Dal (secular) legislators -Balachandra Laxmanrao Jarkhiholi from Arabhavi and K. Shivana Gouda Naik from Devadurga - had also announced that they would be joining the BJP yesterday after submitting their resignations to the Assembly speaker.

With the resignation of the four legislators, the strength of the newly constituted Assembly has been reduced to 221 from 224.

In the May Assembly elections, the BJP won 110 seats, the Congress 80 and the JD(S) 28. Independents won the remaining six seats. Falling short of a simple majority by three seats, the BJP roped in the six independents to cross the halfway mark (113) in the Assembly and form its own government for the first time in the state.

Five of the six independents were made Cabinet ministers in the B.S. Yeddyurappa government.The recent resignations have reduced the Congress strength in the House to 78 and that of the JD (S) to 26.

By-elections to the four constituencies will have to be held in the next six months. 

New Delhi, July 6
Without naming the United States, Iran has expressed confidence that ‘external elements’ would not be able to block the much talked about Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project, emphasising that the three countries were close to clinching the deal.

“We are close to an agreement…But external elements start creating hurdles whenever we are about to arrive at an accord. Those opposing development in Asia are making every effort to prevent the deal from materialising,” Iranian Ambassador to India Seyed Mehdi Nabizadeh said in an interview to The Tribune.

He was hopeful that the three countries would finalise the broad contours of the agreement on the project when external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee visits Teheran later 
this month to attend the NAM ministerial meeting.

Notably, the US has publicly opposed the 2,775 km pipeline, also known as the ‘peace pipeline’, which would deliver natural gas from Iran to Pakistan and India, saying it would bolster Tehran. Negotiations have been on among the three countries since early nineties to implement the project.

Indian foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon recently stated that India wanted assured supply of gas and security of the pipeline guaranteed.

Asked if in Tehran’s view India was succumbing to the US pressure by going slow on the project, he said: “Since India is an independent country, we don’t expect it will come under any pressure. However, in the past one year, whenever we were close to an agreement, it was delayed due to unknown reasons. I would not say they (India) are under pressure but there are certain considerations. I hope this time the opportunity will not be lost.”

On the Indo-US nuclear deal, the Iranian envoy said: “Opposition to the agreement in society is high. There are many questions in the minds of people regarding the deal. We expect such deals may be considered carefully so that they don’t affect the independent foreign policy of India.’’

Regarding the growing defence relationship between India and Israel, Nabizadeh said, “We are not optimistic about India-Israel ties.”

On the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said although both the countries were being governed by the local people, American presence and pressure made things difficult for any government there to run the country. “We believe that if foreign troops withdraw from the two countries, it will be easy for the governments there to manage their countries.”

On Washington’s charge that Iran’s nuclear programme was not for peaceful purposes, he said, “The Americans have not provided any evidence to substantiate their allegation. All our activities are carried out under the supervision of the IAEA. The IAEA has not reported any deviation by us in pursuing our peaceful enrichment programme. The IAEA has certain technical queries which we have answered satisfactorily.” 

New Delhi, July 6
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is all set to participate in a multinational air exercise, "Red Flag 08", at the invitation of the United States Air Force (USAF), which is scheduled to be held at the Nellis Air Force base in the US from August 9.

The IAF will participate in the exercise with eight SU-30 MK-1 aircraft, two IL-78 air refuellers and one IL-76 transport aircraft.

The contingent comprising 156 personnel below the officer rank and 91 officers, including 10 members of the Gurud IAF Special Force team, is being led by Group Capt D. Chaudhury along with Group Capt Ajay Rathore as exercise coordinator.

The IAF will participate in the exercise alongside the South Korean Air Force with F-15k and the French Air Force with its latest Rafale aircraft, apart from the USAF.

The exercise holds tremendous learning opportunity for all the participating air forces. —  PTI

Mumbai, July 6
A proposal mooted by Maharashtra's Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh to provide quotas in housing schemes undertaken by the Maharashtra Housing Development Authority (MHADA) for Muslims and other minority communities has kicked up a storm in Mumbai.

The Shiv Sena has threatened to take to the streets to oppose the plan suggested by Deshmukh at a gathering of Muslim leaders last week. Its ally, the BJP is also planning to oppose the move, sources within the party said.

During the meeting, Deshmukh said the MHADA was building more than 16,000 more houses across the city. These houses would be allotted to eligible buyers under a lottery system. However, to improve the chances of members of the minority communities in getting these houses, a special quota would be made available to the Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and others, Deshmukh said.

At present, the Maharashtra government allows quotas for the Scheduled Castes (11 per cent), Scheduled Tribes (6 per cent), and physically challenged (2 per cent) in the housing projects undertaken by the MHADA.

A proposal to include journalists, bureaucrats and other sections of society in this quota is also making rounds of the Mantralaya, the secretariat of the state government. The Shiv Sena has, however, threatened to take on the proposed move.

Party leader Subash Desai, publisher of mouthpiece Saamna, was among the first to hit back. He told media outlets that the party would file a public interest litigation petition against the move. Other Shiv Sena leaders, however, said they would take to the streets on the grounds that the Chief Minister was "appeasing Muslims" just before the 2009 assembly elections.

The BJP too has threatened to oppose the move. According to sources, the MHADA has undertaken major housing schemes in different parts of Mumbai. One of the biggest such schemes is happening at Pratiksha Nagar in south-central Mumbai where the government has mooted quotas for some segments of society. However, the paper work has been moving at a slow pace.

Only residents of Maharashtra domiciled in the state for more than 15 years are eligible to obtain a house under the MHADA scheme. In addition, those already owning residential premises in their own names or in the names of their spouses are not eligible to apply. This scheme has, however, proved to be a boon for those living in rented accommodation. Additionally, those living in the outlying areas of Mumbai like Vasai-Virar, Thane and Navi Mumbai are eligible to apply.

New Delhi, July 6
Has your child ever tried to replicate a dangerous stunt performed by his icon, or displayed tendencies of imitating his peers' unhealthy addictions? Or, worse has he ever tried to inflict harm on himself on the lines of a suicide committed by an acquaintance? If yes, it's time for the parents to get cautious for their wards as "copy-cat tendencies", famously known as "Werther Effect", are on the rise, according to experts. "Teenagers, in evolving stage of their personality, are malleable and easily influenced, hence to look 'cool' they follow their idols blindly assuming them to be correct always," said Dr Samir Parikh, a noted psychiatrist of Max Healthcare hospital here.

Indulgence in smoking, bunking, thefts and speeding are some of the common ‘misacts’ due to these tendencies. Without realising its consequences, they follow it, which gives them a momentary thrill.

But, experts feel, this very act of imitating a renowned character or a living personality and then beginning to put themselves in their shoes, requires to be dealt with due care and patience as it can also have an adverse effect in the form of "copy-cat suicides".

"Every teenager experiences such tendencies at some point of time, but it's important that they are tackled both by parents as well as teachers. They should focus on skill-building of the child, so that he has a strong self-esteem," said Parikh. — PTI

Dehra Dun, July 6
Having failed to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state government, led by Chief Minister Maj. Gen B.C. Khanduri (retd), Uttarakhand Congress leaders are busy in an internecine war amid their own ranks.

While the ruling BJP has already announced Lt. Gen TPS Rawat (retd) as its candidate from the Pauri Garhwal seat for the next general elections, Congress leaders are allegedly trying to sabotage the chances of each other.

In a latest development, a section of the party leaders from Hardwar have demanded a ‘ban’ on the entry of former state Congress chief Harish Rawat in Hardwar district. Dhirendra Pratap, a one-time close lieutenant of Rawat, has requested R.K. Dhawan, in charge of the party unit, to debar Rawat from entering Hardwar.

On the other hand, Rawat, who originally hails from Kumaon region, finds himself in a piquant situation following reservation of his home Lok Sabha constituency of Almora. Of late he has been active in Hardwar, much to the consternation of local party leaders. It was believed that Rawat wanted to stake his claim for the Hardwar Lok Sabha seat. But he is facing stiff opposition from within.

Similarly, for the Pauri Garhwal seat, which the Congress lost by a small margin in the bye-elections held in February this year, the leader of opposition Harak Singh Rawat has staked his claim, opposing Satpal Maharaj, a senior party leader.

Sitting Member of Parliament Vijay Bahuguna is also facing stiff opposition from party legislators from his own parliamentary constituency. A conclave held by the Rawat camp at Chakrata last month, which was attended by many party legislators, was an attempt to focus on “anti-Bahuguna” campaign.

It seems that all senior Congress leaders, with an eye on the next assembly polls in 2012, are trying to defeat each other in the coming Lok Sabha elections. It is believed that if anyone from Harish Rawat, Vijay Bahuguna or Satpal Maharaj manages to make it to Lok Sabha in the 2009 elections, the winner could be projected as the next Chief Minister for the 2012 assembly polls. The distant scenario has, indeed, made the Uttarakhand Congress leaders start their political battles as of now.

New Delhi, July 6
The Congress may have built a new friendship with the Samajwadi Party (SP), but the leader of its minority cell sometime back brought out a document attacking Mulayam Singh Yadav and his outfit for misleading Muslims for ‘petty political gains’.

In the booklet titled “Why Muslims with Congress?” AICC minority department chairman Imran Kidwai also accused the SP of exploiting the situation caused by demolition of the Babri Masjid.

The Congress, in the document, has sought credit for providing an amenable atmosphere to the minority community in India as seen from the emergence of Azim Premji as one of the richest industrialists; frontline actors ranging from Dilip Kumar to Shahrukh Khan; artistes like Bismillah Khan to Amjad Ali Khan and a host of players, including Sania Mirza.

“May it be the Samajwadi Party or the BSP, they did nothing for the Muslims but only made tall claims, mislead the Muslims by creating confusion in the community and took advantage of Congress failures,” the document states.

Kidwai has said it was Jawaharlal Nehru and the Congress government which ensured that the minorities have their personal laws. They also ensured equal rights to Muslims despite the demands from certain quarters that minorities should be discriminated against in view of the creation of Pakistan.

In the recently brought out document, the AICC office bearer regretted that the first non-Congress rule at the Centre, in the form of the Janata party experiment, proved that the Congress could be defeated if attempts are made to drive away Muslims and Dalits from the party. — PTI

Roorkee, July 6
With mushroom farming growing as one of the fastest horticultural industry in the world, the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) here has evolved a design of environment controlled mushroom cropping rooms to abet high-quality of production round the year.

The CBRI has devised the design for marginal growers for seasonal cropping under natural and controlled environment in the hilly regions.

Scientists here believe that due to high electricity cost and acute shortage of energy, there is an urgent need for development of mushroom farm buildings to achieve desirable indoor environment through judicious planning and design of buildings and utilising natural sources. Keeping this in mind, the CBRI has devised the design of the rooms based on minimum consumption of conventional energy.

“In hilly region, the environmental conditions favourable for cultivation of button mushroom prevails for four months (from November to February), but by using the evolved design this period could be extended for six months (from October to March )for button mushroom while for Oyster and other varieties the period can be from (September to April),” says, CBRI official, Dr Atul Agarwal.

“The design prevents undesired heat entry through building envelope and extracts out heat generated by compost used for cultivation. The structure consists of 23 cm thick brick walls with 5cm EPS insulation player covered with chicken mesh and 2 cm cement plaster on the outer surface. The roof is a 12.5 cm thick thatch covered with polythene sheet on its two surfaces. The performance of the shed has been the theoretically evaluated,” he said, adding that the heat gain through the building fabric depends upon the outside climatic conditions and the thermo-physical properties of construction material.

Guwahati, July 6
Militants from ‘A’ and ‘C’ companies of the 28th battalion of the banned ULFA, who have declared unilateral truce, have rejected the call from the government to give up arms and take shelter in designated camps.

The leaders of the militants, Mrinal Hazarika and Jiten Dutta, who are talking to noted personalities from all walks of life in Assam gathering their opinions about the ULFA, its demands and peace talks, told the media here that they did not call for unilateral truce to give up arms or surrender, but to try to facilitate direct talks between the ULFA and the Government of India without any pre-conditions by mobilising public opinion for it.

The state government earlier had taken a firm decision that from now onwards any militant groups willing to have dialogue with the government would be first required to declare truce and surrender arms. In the light of this decision the government also asked the ‘A’ and ‘C’ companies of the ULFA militants to surrender arms and move to designated camps within three weeks as they had declared truce.

However, the leaders of the ULFA companies said they had made it clear that they would not surrender arms, as they did not call truce to sit for dialogue with the government themselves, but to mobilise public opinion for ‘unconditional’ talks between the top leadership of the ULFA and the Government of India.

They said for holding of direct talks both the sides must stop putting pre-conditions. The ULFA had been insisting that the government must commit to discuss its demand for restoration of sovereignty of Assam while the Government of India has been saying that the ULFA must agree to talks within the framework of the Indian constitution.

The leaders of the ‘A’ and ‘C’ companies of the ULFA demanded that the government must show its sincerity to solve the problem through dialogue with the ULFA by first releasing senior ULFA leaders Bhimkanta Buragohain, Prodip Gogoi, Mithinga Daimari, Pranati Deka, Prabal Neog and Pallab Saikia.

Aizawl, July 6
Mizo Jews, who call themselves Bnei Menashe and claim descent from the tribe of Mannasseh, one of the 10 tribes exiled from Israel by the Assyrians 2,700 years ago, may soon leave for the 'Promised Land'. Jeremiah Hnamte, a local leader of the Jewish community here said a group of a hundred or at least 50 'converts' may soon leave for Israel.

The United Messianic Youth Council (UMYC), India, the apex body of the Messianic in the country headquartered in Imphal (Manipur) also recently announced that in April 2008 the Supreme Court of Israel allowed 'Indian Jews' to secure Israeli citizenship.
The Israeli Supreme Court on April 16 this year overturned its previous ruling and ruled that Mizo Jews could get the Israeli citizenship according to the 'Law of Return' as per a petition filed by the US-based United Messianic Jews Congregation.

The Israeli law defines a Jew as 'a person who was born of a Jewish mother or has converted to Judaism'.

Hnamte said many Mizos 'belonging to the lost tribe of Israel' have formally converted themselves to Judaism after being 'baptised' at 'Mikvahs' or spiritual baths by rabbis visiting Mizoram and Manipur during the past few years.

"More than 1,200 people from Mizoram migrated to the Holy Land during the past years, with over 500 going in 2006," Hnamte said, adding that around the same number of people also went 'home' from Manipur.

Michael Freund, leader of an Israel-based organisation, responsible for finding Mizo Jews, was quoted as saying, “These people were the lost tribe who left the Holy Land 2,700 years ago and are finally coming home." Freund claimed the Israel Interior and Absorption ministry earlier approved the 'home coming' of the Mizo Jews and Rabbi Hanoch Avizidik and two representatives of the organisation arrived here in October, 2006, after which around 500 Mizo Jews left for Israel.

A Mikvah or spiritual bath of the Jews was erected at Hnamte's bamboo industry premises at the Zuangtui locality near here, where they were formally converted in 2006 to Judaism by the rabbis.

People like Hnamte claim that there was a sizeable population in the North-Eastern region, particularly among the Chin-Kuki-Mizo communities following the Jewish faith who have been migrating to Israel. — PTI

Guwahati, July 6
Bowing to the mounting public outcry against the Friday’s death of state CPI leader Manoj Deka after he had been bashed by the police in Marigaon on July 1, the state government has decided to order judicial probe into the incident.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi announcing the government’s decision to order a judicial probe into the death and pledged stringent action against anyone found guilty of killing the CPI leader.

He said the officer in charge of Marigaon police station had been suspended and his PSO arrested. The Assam unit of the CPI has termed the death of its leader a ‘pre-planned murder’ carried out at the behest of a section of the ruling Congress.

State CPI president Promode Gogoi had earlier rejected the magisterial probe ordered by the government and demanded a high-level probe by a high court judge.

Several opposition parties in the state have expressed their solidarity with the CPI to launch an agitation demanding security to them in the wake of ‘murder’ of the CPI leader.

Kasaragod, July 6
A team of crime branch sleuths, who is investigating the sensational Safiya murder case, today recovered her all body parts, including skull, hands, leg, chest and hair and pieces of cloth from near a check dam at Molam, Ponda in Goa.

Crime Branch SP K.P. Philip, who is heading the team, told UNI that the team had recovered the skeletal remains of the girl, except skull, last night from Sangoda check dam.

The officials reached Goa on Friday along with the prime accused in the sensational case, C.K. Hamsa, to recover the skeletal remains of Safiya, who was allegedly murdered by him on December 16, 2006.

According to preliminary forensic investigation, it was found that the girl's leg and body were amputated before she died, he said and added that there was some foul play, including attempt to rape, was also suspected.

The police had earlier arrested Hamsa on July 2 from Kasaragod and claimed that on interrogation he had confessed that he cut the 14-year-old girl, who was staying with the accused as a domestic help with his family in his apartment in Madgoan town, into three pieces and buried the body in a polythene bag.

The police had arrested his wife Mymoona in this connection. — UNI

Mumbai, July 6
Pilots and cabin crew of civil air-carriers with confirmed hypertension would be grounded, unless their blood pressure is certified as satisfactory. This is one of the several new guidelines on disposal of the cases of hypertension in civil crew, announced in an Aeronautical Information Circular (AIC) by the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) recently.

The AIC is applicable to the students and private licence-holders (SPL and PPL) holding a class II medical certificate as well as for initial issue of licence medical examination.

"In case hypertension is confirmed by 24 hours ambulatory BP monitoring, the pilot will be taken off flying duties and treated by his Authorised Medical Attendant (AMA) till satisfactory control of blood pressure is achieved," the guidelines posted on the DGCA website stated. In case the flight crew is confirmed to have hypertension, he/she will be placed under observation and declared temporarily unfit for flying duties, the DGCA circular said.

The AIC assumes significance in view of the recent reports suggesting that cockpit and cabin crew were working under conditions of stress, leading to fatigue and other related diseases like hypertension. DGCA guidelines say a recording of 140/90 will be accepted as the upper limit of the normal phase. — PTI

New Delhi, July 6
Maulana Jamil Ahmed Illyassi, president of the All-India Organisation of Imams of Mosques, today sought better security for the pilgrims travelling to Ajmer for ‘Urs’ which marks the day of the Khwaja’s death and falls on July 9.

In his appeal to the government, Illyassi decried the threats earlier issued by the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, which said they would disrupt the pilgrimage unless the promised land was restored to the Amarnath Shrine Board in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The Khwaja represents peace and communal harmony,” Illyassi said, while saying that thousands of people from across the world travel to Ajmer to take part in the Urs.

“People from all religions go for Urs. The government should therefore make arrangements for everyone’s safety,” he said in his appeal today.

The VHP and the Bajrang Dal had on Wednesday threatened the pilgrims in the wake of withdrawal of orders regarding transfer of forest land to Amarnath Shrine Board in Jammu and Kashmir.

They had vowed to block bus services to Rajasthan. The protestors have also been asking for Army’s withdrawal from the state along with the withdrawal of subsidy of Rs 22,000 being given to Haj pilgrims.

The Urs marks the death anniversary of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti. It features six days of musical celebrations at the dargah and is observed in the seventh month of the lunar calendar.

New Delhi, July 6
The overall acreage of major foodgrain and oilseed crops grown this kharif with pulses and bajra is witnessing a big jump, the agriculture ministry has said.

Rice (paddy) has so far been planted in 55.95 lakh hectares (lh) as compared to 47.08 lh by the end of June last year.

Bajra has covered 29.97 lh as compared to 11.64 lh last year, and maize 26.47 lh against 21.57 lh by June-end last year. However, the area under jowar has so far been 7.61 lh, lower than last year's 9.84 lh.

Otherwise the total of coarse cereals coverage has so far been 66.68 lh against last year's figure of 47.04 lh.

Groundnut sowing has covered 20.67 lh against last year's 19.34 lh and soybean has been sown in 24.82 lh against last year's coverage of 22.07 lh by June-end.

Total of oilseeds is higher at 50.01 lh than that of last year's 49.52 lh. The area under pulses is also higher than last year at 20.03 lh. However, sugarcane and cotton areas have come down at 42.82 lh compared to last year's 51.74 lh and 18.23 lh to 51.74 lh.

The area under jute is up at 8.66 lh than that of last year's 7.03 lh. 

New Delhi, July 6
Film-maker Yash Chopra, who has been honoured with 'Officer de la Legion d'Honneur'- the highest French civilian award- has asked the French authorities to open the doors for Indian films and called for a joint script workshop based in Mumbai.

''I request the Ambassador to use his good office to open doors for Indian films in France and I will do my best to get French films released in India,'' Chopra told a press conference after receiving the award from French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont last evening.

Announcing his new films, Chopra said 'Bachna Ai Haseenon' will be released on August 15 and 'Roadside Romeo'- a full-length animation- on Diwali.

The Legion of Honour award was bestowed on Chopra for promoting cultural exchanges and Indian cinema in the world, putting him in the league of such greats as Satyajit Ray, Amitabh Bachchan and Steven Spielberg.
''Facilities should also be given to Indian film-makers to make films based in France,'' he said and added that Indian films only had locational shots of Paris.

The director of all-time hits such as 'Deewaar', Trishul', 'Waqt' and 'Dil to Pagal Hai' also called for a script workshop, based in Mumbai, with contributions from the two countries. ''There is no dearth of talent. What we are lacking in are good scripts,'' he said and added that the workshop could be held every one to three months.

''There is intellectual bankruptcy in Indian films. I get a bad story, I make a bad film,'' he said, laughingly. ''We should combine our forces in an artistic way,'' he said, to which the Ambassador said the French authorities would consider it ''very seriously''.

''An award is not the end of a career, but a beginning of a new responsibility,'' he said.
Bonnafont described Chopra as an embodiment of Indian cinema, Bollywood in particular, who had always been helpful in building bridges between the Indian and the French entertainment industries. — UNI

BRIEFLY

Diamond worker dies in police fire
BHAVNAGAR: A worker employed in a diamond-polishing unit was killed and six others were injured here on Sunday, when a security guard allegedly opened fire on the workers, who were protesting for wage hike. The protest was organised following 20 per cent hike given to diamond workers of Surat. "We have detained the security guard who opened fire on the diamond workers," said superintendent of police Anupam Singh Gehlot. — PTI

Rashtrapati Bhawan to get Nature Trail
NEW DELHI: The palatial Rashtrapati Bhawan will soon have a 'Nature Trail,' on the lines of a mini-ecosystem at the official residence of the Delhi Chief Minister. The nature walk would be organised every Saturday for the visitors arriving to watch the ceremonial changing of the guard organised at the forecourt of the bhawan. As per plan, around 2 km walkway would be developed starting from Dahikhana till the Golf Course. — PTI

3,000 hectares to be protected forest
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government will notify 3,000 hectare mangroves area in Mumbai and suburbs as “protected forest”. Following the notification, the area will come under the purview of the Indian Forest Act and in the possession of the forest department, a forest official said. It will boost the efforts to protect the eco-sensitive mangroves, which are disappearing due to rampant construction activity, the official said. — PTI

Wax Museum for Goa
PANAJI: Old Goa, dotted with several world heritage monuments, including churches of the colonial Portuguese era, has got another international tourist attraction - Wax Museum. Former minister Pandurang Madkaikar formally inaugurated the museum on Saturday. Encouraged by the tremendous success of his Wax World project in Ooty, engineer-cum-businessman Shreeji Bhaskaran has initiated the second project in Goa. — UNI

2 killed in Nagaland clashes
KOHIMA: The unabated clashes between the rival factions of the NSCN have claimed two lives in Dimapur district when the NSCN-IM cadres attacked a camp of NSCN/GPRN in S Hetoi village under Niuland subdivision, an official said here on Sunday. Heavy build-up was reported in both the camps and the authorities fear another showdown. — UNI

Maoist killed in Orissa
MALKANGIRI (ORISSA): A Maoist was killed on Sunday in an exchange of fire with the police in Malkangiri district, the police said. The encounter took place at a time when the focus of the security force was on retrieving the launch sunk in the Balimela reservoir after being attacked by Maoists when it was carrying personnel of the elite Greyhound Force of Andhra Pradesh to Chitrakonda on June 29. — PTI

Kidnapped Cong leaders rescued
Raipur: The Chhattisgarh police on Sunday rescued three persons, including two Congress leaders, from Bilaspur district and arrested four of their alleged kidnappers. The police rescued Amit Agrawal, Anup Agrawal and Yugal Sharma from Sarkanda area of the Judicial Capital of Chhattisgarh, Bilaspur DSP Pradeep Kumar Gupta said. While Amit is a senior Youth Congress leader, Sharma is the NSUI state secretary. All three were abducted on Saturday night. — PTI