100 Indian fishermen in Pakistani jails to be freed soon

GANDHINAGAR - Hundred of the over 600 Indian fishermen held in Pakistani jails will be released soon, a fishermen’s forum official said here Tuesday.

Sugar Mills should ensure ethanol to oil companies: Pawar

NEW DELHI - Union Agriculture and Food Minister Sharad Pawar on Tuesday appealed to the sugar mills to ensure continuous and adequate supplies of ethanol to the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) not only to make ethanol blending programme a success in India, but also to ensure adequate price for ethanol as well as sugar in all the years.

Kashmiri Pandits celebrate Pushkar festival after 11 years near Srinagar

SHADIPORA - After a gap of 11 years, Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district are celebrating Pushkar festival with fervour and gaiety in the Shadipora area.

Railways to introduce pilot ‘Yuva Trains’

NEW DELHI - Union Railways Ministry on Tuesday said that it will soon introduce the first ever ‘Yuva Trains’ which are targeted mainly for the unemployed youths of the country.

Protest staged to halt construction of a hydel-power project in Assam

GERUKAMUKH - Hundreds of people assembled in Gerukamukh region located in Assam’s Dhemaji district to demand an immediate halt in the construction of 2,000-MW hydel power plant, fearing catastrophic impact of the big dam.

Kapil Sibal briefs Lord Mandelson on India’s education sector

NEW DELHI - Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal on Tuesday called on U.K. Business Secretary Lord Mandelson in the national capital and underlined India’s intent to expand education sector without compromising the quality.

Bikers embark on a rally in Bangalore to protect heritage

BANGALORE - Sixteen enthusiastic bikers, all cadets of the National Cadet Corps, embarked on a bike rally in Bangalore on Tuesday to spread awareness about historical monuments and the need to protect heritage.

Four policemen injured in terrorist attack in Pulwama in J-K

PULWAMA - At least one Special Police Officer and three other policemen were injured, two of them critically, when a police team came under a terrorist attack here on Tuesday evening.

3 Hizbul Mujahideen militants arrested in Srinagar

SRINAGAR - Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested three militants of Hizbul Mujahideen from Srinagar.

Miliband wishes Krishna to attend Conference on Afghanistan in London

NEW DELHI - British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Tuesday invited External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna to attend the Conference on Afghanistan to be held in London on January 28, 2010.

Meitei Manipuris celebrate Lai Haraoba in Tripura

AGARTALA - The Meitei Manipuri people in Tripura, who have settled and made this State their homeland, celebrated Lai Haraoba recently with pomp and show after a gap 30 years since peace has started returning to Tripura.

BSF foils infiltration bid at International border in Sambha

SAMBA - Alert Border Security Force (BSF) personnel successfully foiled an infiltration bid by militants at the International Border (IB) in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.

Jairam Ramesh makes statement in RS on climate accord at Copenhagen

NEW DELHI - Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday said that the climate change accord presented in Copenhagen was not legally binding.

China bent upon cutting India down to size: Mishra

NEW DELHI - Describing China as hegemonistic and very aggressive, former National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra today called on the Indian Government to adopt the right combination of strategic and diplomatic policies to counter Beijing’s dangerous designs.

Sex workers’ children becoming school dropouts

Kolkata, Dec.22 (ANI): A large number of children of sex workers drop out from school at the secondary level out of embarrassment over their family background or lack of financial support and remedial tuition.

Patil to visit INS Viraat on Wednesday

MUMBAI - India’s only aircraft carrier-the INS Viraat-will have a special guest on Wednesday-President Pratibha Devisingh Patil.

TRS activists’ protest against Congress lawmaker

HYDERABAD - Pro-Telangana activists protested outside a medical institute against a Congress Member of Parliament who has opposed the creation of Telangana.

Anti-plastic drive in Himachal Pradesh gets a shot in arm

DHARAMSALA - Himachal Pradesh Government has launched a mass week-long campaign to make the State free of plastic by removing all polythene bags from residential areas and hillsides.

Cinema artistes felicitated with V. Shantaram award in Mumbai

MUMBAI - Various artists and technicians from the Indian film industry were felicitated with the prestigious V. Shantaram award here on Monday.

Unexplored facets of Gayatri Devi’s life revealed

Jaipur, Dec 22 (ANI): A photo exhibition drew fans from all over the country to see many unexplored facets of Late Gayatri Devi the princess of Jaipur.

Climate change ripens mangoes early in Uttar Pradesh

Amroha (UP), Dec 22 (ANI): Seasons are no bar now for mango-aficionados as it is making an early appearance in Amroha district of Uttar Pradesh.

Driver arrested for IIM lady professor’s murder

INDORE - Indore police claims to have solved the murder of Amrita Pancholi, a lady professor at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore, with the arrest of her driver.

Infiltration bid foiled, Pakistan opens fire at the Jammu and Kashmir border

SAMBA - The Border Security Force (BSF) hindered major infiltration bids by militants to enter Indian territory on Tuesday as Pakistani troops fired at two forward posts in the Samba sector.

Shillong hails X’Mas with a music concert

SHILLONG - Shillong recently played host to the Family Music Concert to hail the arrival of Christmas.

Vintage aerial bombs recovered from Poonch

POONCH - Two bombs dropped during India’s war with Pakistan in the 1960s and 1970s were recovered in Jammu and Kasmir’s Poonch district on Monday.

Russia demands probe into rape of its national in Goa

NEW DELHI - Russian Ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin has asked the Indian government to investigate and punish the rapists of his country’s national in Goa. n this context, the Russian envoy visited Ministry of External Affair and met the concerned officials.

Pro-Maoist villagers torch range forest office in West Bengal

PALASIA - Hundreds of villagers owing allegiance to People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA), a pro-Maoist organisation, stormed the premises of the Range Forest office near Palasia in west Midnapore district of West Bengal and set it on fire on Monday.

Efforts to preserve 2000-Year old Tulu culture(Article)

NEW DELHI -The month of December was marked by agitations in different parts of the country for the carving out of separate states like Telangana in Andhra Pradesh, Gorkhaland in West Bengal, Bodoland in Assam, Vidharbha in Maharashtra and Harit Pradesh in Uttar Pradesh.

Onus on Pakistan to make grounds for dialogue to take place: Shashi Tharoor

New Delhi, Dec 22 (ANI): Reacting to the comments made by Pakistan’s High Commissioner in India, Shahid Malik, that India is not fulfilling its commitments to de-link the composite talks from action on terrorism, Minster of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said the onus is on Pakistan to make the ground for a suitable dialogue.

Ruchika case: Rajya Sabha discusses the matter as accused DGP gets six-month jail term

CHANDIGARH - The Rajya Sabha discussed the Ruchika molestation case on Tuesday, as accused former Director General of Police (DGP) of Haryana, SPS Rathore got a six month jail term for the heinous act committed 19 years ago.