The police on Saturday laid siege to camp of the People’s Democratic Party leader, Mr Abdul Nasser Madani, in Kollam as a prelude to arresting him in connection with the Bengaluru blasts of 2008.

“The decision to keep the three orphaned cubs of the Jhurjhura tigress, killed on May 19 by a rashly driven vehicle inside the Bandhavgarh tiger reserve, in an enclosure at the same spot where they had been found as they were familiar with the area was taken during the visit of member secretary of National Tiger Conservation Authority to Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve on May 31 and June 1.”

The 434-km vital Srinagar-Leh road damaged by the recent flash floods and landslides triggered by cloudbursts has been restored after days of hectic work done by the engineers and men of the Army, Border Roads Organisation and allied agencies.

The government on Saturday announced awarding of the Ashok Chakra — the highest gallantry award during peacetime — posthumously to Major Laishram Jyotin Singh of the Army Medical Corps for his act of gallantry in Kabul during an attack by terrorists in February this year. The government also awarded the Kirti Chakra — the second-highest gallantry award during peacetime — posthumously to another Army officer — Capt. Davinder Singh Jass and also to superintendent of police, Chhattisgarh,

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has announced 50,000 government jobs to be offered to the unemployed youth of the state whose number has already touched the four-lakh-mark. The move is also seen as the chief minister’s attempt to woo the youth often seen confronting the security forces on the streets of the Valley.

Union minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday rejected reports in a section of the media that he had sought clarification from Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on her speech in Maoist dominated Lalgarh.

A BJP delegation, led by former party chief Mr Rajnath Singh on Saturday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The BJP leaders, concerned over the political situation in Nepal, sought to know from the Prime Minister the “structured view” and the policy of the government with regard to Nepal.

We enjoy being citizens of an independent, democratic country and for this we must be ever grateful to the people who fought for this, but as individuals are we independent? How many of us can boast of doing and saying what we truly want? They say in life the only thing you actually have complete power over is the power of making decisions regarding your life, but are we actually allowed to do so?

On the eve of the nation’s 64th Independence Day, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil urged Maoist rebels to abandon the path of violence. She asked them to come to the negotiating table to work out a solution to their problems.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took strong note of the “slippages” in preparations for the 19th Commonwealth Games, handing overriding powers in matters concerning the Games to a committee headed by Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar after a meeting here on Saturday.