Lucknow, Jan. 28: The entire Opposition on Thursday strongly criticised the ruling BSP’s sweeping victory in the recent elections to the Vidhan Parishad through local bodies.

Lucknow, Jan. 28: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi began a two-day tour of his parliamentary constituency on Thursday by inspecting various developmental projects in his constituency.

New Delhi, Jan. 28: An upset Army chief Gen. Deepak Kapoor has communicated — to defence minister A.K. Antony — his desire to renounce any disability pension that he is eligible for after his retirement (on account of his hearing problem). The move was confirmed by defence sour-ces. Gen. Kapoor was diagnosed last year with “sensorineural hearing loss” in his left ear after witnessing gun-firing during a visit to the US in July, 2009.

New Delhi, Jan. 28: The Prime Minister and foreign minister of Pakistan, unsure of the steps they should take to recommence dialogue with India, have spoken in different voices on how to take the process forward. The differences came out in their separate interviews to two Indian TV channels.

New Delhi, Jan. 28: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday stated that inimical forces “both inside and outside India” were trying to stunt the country’s growth and called for defeating the “twin threats” of terrorism and Communalism.

Patna, Jan. 28: Fears of a possible terror plot in Bihar became sharper on Thursday when a truck loaded with detonators and gelatine sticks was seized in a posh area near the Patna airport. The lethal contents of the truck have engaged the police in trying to unearth the mystery it has caused.

New Delhi, Jan. 28: The Coast Guard is planning to install radar on top of lighthouses to monitor movement of vessels in Indian waters close to the coast. This is being done to bolster coastal security in the wake of the threat of terror attacks from the sea route. Top Coast Guard officers said on Thursday that radar, cameras and sensors would be installed atop 38 lighthouses along the coast in the first phase to begin with, which is part of the Coastal Surveillance Network (CSN) programme along the Indian coastline that is being established. The programme is expected to cost the government about Rs 350 crores. Coast Guard officers said the radar on the lighthouses will help detect all movement on the waters at a distance of five miles from the coast.

Bengaluru, Jan. 28: The Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) on Thursday was put on high alert after a national news channel received a mail saying that a woman passenger will be travelling with liquid explosives from Bengaluru to Mumbai between January 28 and 29. The news channel, which received the email from one Raheem late Wednesday late night, immediately alerted the city police, which in turn got in touch with the BIA authorities asking them to maintain high alert. The sender of the mail stated that since he was a “law abiding citizen” it was his duty to pass on the information to the police.

New Delhi, Jan. 28: The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of India has expressed concern over what it has said is the growing lack of information about the status of 10 Baha’is who were arrested earlier this month in Iran.

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 28: The Union government has sought details on mining activities from the mineral bearing states. The move follows recent detection of large-scale illegal mining activities in certain states, including Orissa.