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Pro- and anti-Gorkhaland parties have called for consecutive bandhs for three days in Darjeeling. Bangla O Bangla Bhasa Bachao Samiti...

Darjeeling braces for 72-hour bandh

SILIGURI: Pro- and anti-Gorkhaland parties have called for consecutive bandhs for three days in Darjeeling. Bangla O Bangla Bhasa Bachao Samiti,an anti-Gorkhaland organisation,called a 24-hour Bengal bandh Friday to protest government holding talks with Gorkha Janamukti Morcha,which in turn has called a 48-hour bandh from Saturday to protest the deadlock in the talks.

Sibal gets award for supporting education

NEW DELHI: Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal has been conferred the Stephen P Duggan Award for Mutual Understanding by the New York-based Institute of International Education. In a letter to Sibal,Allan E Goodman,CEO,IIE has written the honour is being conferred for the ministers resolute support of global collaboration in education. The award will be presented at their 2010 International Awards Gala,to be held this September in New York.

Jamp;K panchayat polls in Sept-Oct

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the much awaited panchayat polls in the state will be held in September or October this year. The state is losing Rs 400- Rs 500 crore due to non-conduct of the elections. Once the elections are conducted,it would bring a new era of development in rural areas, Omar Abdullah said addressing a one day Maha Graham Saba in Srinagar on Thursday. The panchayat polls is the state were last held in 2001.

Batla House accused case transferred

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Thursday after scrutinising the chargesheet filed against an alleged Indian Mujahideen militant in the Batla House encounter case,transferred the case to a sessions court for framing of charges and subsequent proceedings. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kiran Bansal ordered the file to be sent to the District and Sessions Judge concerned. Accused Shahzad,who according to the Special Cell,was absconding after the September encounter and was arrested later. District and Sessions Judge Gurdeep Kumar will hear the matter on May 26.

Indian commits suicide in Abu Dhabi

DUBAI: Kanti Beku Tandil,35,captain of a fishing boat from Gujarat allegedly hanged himself from the bow of his boat in UAE,where he was working for the past two years,Gulf News reported on Thursday. Tandils body was found by fellow fishermen. Forensic investigations later confirmed suicide. Police are trying to find out what led Tandil to commit suicide.

Indian on Interpol list held in US

CHICAGO: Anis Gulamras Vohora,39,an Indian who was on an Interpols Lookout List after he was sentenced in absentia to four years in jail by a UK court for smuggling cigarettes,was arrested at Chicagos OHare International Airport when he was about to board a flight to India over the weekend,Chicago Customs and Border Protection said Thursday.

BJP CMs meet on good governance
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NEW DELHI: The BJP will soon organise a conference of chief ministers of BJP-ruled states to promote good governance. The meet is tentatively scheduled for June 5 and 6. The party had recently created a new cell to promote good governance. The cell is headed by former Goa CM Manohar Parrikar. When reached for comments,Parrikar confirmed that a conference was on the anvil,but added that a detailed schedule was yet to be finalised. PTI