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Omar: amend or withdraw Armed Forces Act from some areas
Ensure peace on the ground, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister at a 45-minute-long, one-on-one meeting, here on Wednesday, even as Omar Abdullah sought amendments to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) or its partial withdrawal from the State. Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Security will meet on Friday to take a view on the AFSPA, the possibility of appointing a Special Interlocutor for Jammu and Kashmir, as well a special package for the State. Informed sources said this might be followed by an all-party meeting.

Decision on expanding alliance after talks with Congress: Karunanidhi
Ties between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Congress remain strong and a decision on expanding the alliance will be taken after consultations between the two parties, said Chief Minister and DMK president M. Karunanidhi. The question of alliance would arise only at the time of the elections. “However, the DMK-Congress alliance is strong and friendly. A decision on including other parties in the alliance will be taken after talks with the Congress,” Mr. Karunanidhi said addressing a press conference here on Wednesday.

Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah meets Prime Minister
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday met PM Manmohan Singh seeking amendments in the Armed Forces Special Powers Act or its partial withdrawal from the state. Omar met Singh also urged him to kickstart a political dialogue with the separatists at the earliest.

President Patil embarks on two-nation visit
President Pratibha Patil left for a ten-day state visit to Laos and Cambodia on Thursday during which some important agreements, including those in the field of culture, are expected to be signed as part of India's efforts to strengthen ties with the two ASEAN countries. Patil is accompanied by a high-level business and official delegation, which includes Minister for Tribal Affairs Kantilal Bhuria. The visit is aimed at giving a further boost to India's "warm and cordial relations" with Laos and Cambodia.

Cong to finalize Bihar assembly poll candidates in a fortnight
Congress will finalize its candidates for Bihar assembly polls within a fortnight with greater representation to youth in line with Rahul Gandhi's plans to infuse fresh blood in the organization.
An indication to this effect was given by Congress state chief Mehboob Ali Kaiser who met Congress President Sonia Gandhi today.

PM to review progress of infrastructure projects today
PM Manmohan Singh will conduct a first quarter (April-June) review on the progress of five infrastructure sectors, including roads, railways and power, vis-a-vis the targets fixed by the Plan panel in a Cabinet meeting on Thursday."The Prime Minister would review the first quarterly report of the five infrastructure targets prepared by the Planning Commission in a Cabinet meeting," a source said.

Nitish has turned 'Ranchhor', says Lalu
RJD supremo Lalu Prasad today made fun of his arch rival and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his reported statement that he was unlikely to contest the Assembly elections and said it proved beyond doubt that Kumar has turned a 'Ranchhor' (battle-deserter). "Yeh kahna ki woh chunav nahin lad sakte hain yeh Nitish ko Ranchhor sabit karta (by stating that he may not contest, Kumar has proved beyond doubt that he has turned a battle-deserter," Prasad told reporters while reacting to Kumar's statement earlier.

Nitish slams Congress over Central assistance claims
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today accused top Congress leaders, including party chief Sonia Gandhi, of misleading people by falsely claiming that the Centre had increased financial assistance to the state. Congress president Sonia Gandhi, AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and union ministers went on claiming the UPA government had increased central assistance to Bihar, Kumar said.

RTI activist case: BJP MP's nephew in police remand till Sep 20
A magisterial court today sent the nephew of BJP MP from Jundagadh, who was arrested in connection with the murder of RTI activist Amit Jethwa, to police custody till September 20. Shiva alias Pratap Solanki (40), nephew of BJP MP Dinu Solanki, was arrested yesterday from Rajkot airport, by the city crime branch which is investigating the killing Jethwa. The RTI activist was shot down by two motorcycle bound assailants near Gujarat High Court on the night of July 20.

Case against Sena MPs, Rane's sons for clash at Dadar
Twelve persons, including eight policemen, were injured when workers of Shiv Sena and Congress clashed outside Dadar railway station here in a bid to pocket credit for a new train service, prompting the police to cane charge them. A rioting case was registered against about 250 workers of Shiv Sena, including its MPs Sanjay Raut and Bharat Kumar Raut, and a separate case was filed against 240 Congress activists, including Nilesh and Nitesh Rane, two sons of Revenue Minister Narayan Rane, police said.

Ayodhya verdict: UP govt seeks 63000 Central security personnel
The Mayawati government has asked the Centre for 63,000 additional paramilitary personnel to deal with any law and order problems that may arise after the court verdict on Ayodhya title suits is pronounced on September 24. The BSP government has requested the Home Ministry to make available central forces before the verdict day to strengthen security and thwart any attempt to disturb peace.

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Sonia Gandhi re-elected Congress President
Sonia Gandhi, 63, was chosen as the President of the ruling Congress party for the fourth time on Friday. Gandhi, who was flanked by the PM Manmohan Singh, thanked her party colleagues for the “great responsibility”. This has made her the longest serving party president in the 125-year history of the Grand Old Party of India.

Central, state ministers in illegal mining: BSY
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa said on Friday many central and state ministers were involved in promoting illegal iron ore mining in the state in the last 10 years and he would expose them. "If a thorough probe is held into the illegal mining in the state in the last 10 years, it will expose several central and state ministers. This will be done," said Yeddyurappa. "I am not the one to keep quiet when baseless allegations are hurled against me. I am not Yeddyurappa if I do not expose them," the chief minister asserted.

Tharoor-Sunanda reception: PM skips, wife blesses
Shashi Tharoor may have lost his ministerial job, but he has not fallen out of favor with the Prime Minister. Gursharan Kaur, Manmohan Singh’s spouse, was among those who came to wish Tharoor and his wife Sunanda Pushkar good luck on their marriage, the third for both, at a power-packed reception Friday night. All roads virtually led to the India habitat Centre as the capital’s poweratti and glitterati trooped in to felicitate the couple. Tharoor married Dubai-based Pushkar in his ancestral home in Kerala Aug 22.

UP govt announces rehabilitation policy for farmers
The Uttar Pradesh government today announced a rehabilitation policy with the provision of annuity for farmers against acquisition of their land. "The state government has decided to implement a new rehabilitation policy under which a host of facilities will be offered to the farmers against acquisition of land," Cabinet secretary Shahshank Shekhar Singh told.

Dipankar asks Nitish to make Lalu mediator
The CPI-ML (L) Friday urged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to appoint RJD president Lalu Prasad to negotiate with Maoists for the release of the policemen being held hostage by them since Sunday.
"Nitish should make Lalu Prasad the mediator for negotiation with Maoists," the naxal outfit's general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said. He urged the state government to take appropriate steps for the resolution of the crisis.

Saroori's supporters block road demanding his reinstatement
Supporters of dismissed Jammu and Kashmir minister G M Saroori Friday blocked Kishtwar-Srinagar National Highway here demanding his reinstatement. Hundreds of his supporters staged sit-in protests, which lasted for five hours, on Kuriya Bridge and Mughal Maidan, restricting vehicular traffic on the National Highway, officials said. Raising slogans in favour of Saroori, the agitators demanded reinstatement of the Roads and Buildings and Mechanical Engineering minister into the state cabinet.

'Talks between India, Pak, JK people can resolve Kashmir prob'
Chairman of Moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq on Friday said decisive talks between India, Pakistan and people of Jammu and Kashmir can resolve the Kashmir issue. "Decisive talks between New Delhi, Islamabad and people of Jammu and Kashmir are needed to resolve the Kashmir issue and establish peace in South Asia," he told a gathering at Jamia Masjid here.

Sonia re-elected Congress President
Sonia Gandhi on Friday became the Congress President for the record fourth consecutive term with a message to party colleagues that they should not forget the "big responsibility" of working for all sections of society irrespective of whether the party is in power or not. 63-year-old Gandhi was declared re-elected unopposed at a ceremony which was attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and host of other senior party leaders.

PM to head council on tribal welfare
A national council headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been constituted to provide broad policy guidelines for welfare of tribals and monitor schemes for their uplift.The 18-member National Council for Tribal Welfare will comprise Union Ministers for Tribal Affairs, Finance, Home, Agriculture, Health and Family Welfare, Environment and Forests, HRD, Rural Development, Woman and Child Development, Culture, Mines and Coal and Power.

Three Bihar cops still in Naxal custody
It will soon be 24 hours since the second deadline set by the Naxals ended but there is no word from them on the fate of the three policemen who are still in their custody. Four policemen were taken hostage during an encounter with Naxals in Lakhisarai, 150 kilometres east of Patna on Sunday. One of the policemen, Hawaldar Lukas Tete, was killed by the Naxals after the first deadline ended and his body was found in on Friday morning in the jungles of Lakhisari district.

Pakistan blames Pawar for ICC action against tainted trio
With Bihar elections likely to be announced soon and the verdict on the Ayodhya title suit expected later this month, BJP on Friday decided to postpone its national executive meeting that was planned from September 17 in Jammu. The fact that the party is planning to take up the issue of J&K at national level is also one of the reasons, according to party sources, for not holding a national executive meeting now and divert attention on anything other than taking on UPA in a focussed manner.