The Prime Minister in his letter to Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse wrote: “Our two governments have, over the last three years, engaged intensively in the immediate tasks of relief and rehabilitation for those displaced by the conflict, as well as the more long-term effort of reconstruction of national infrastructure.

As India and Pakistan work to bridge the “trust deficit” that exists between them, India has once again voiced concern about the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear programme and materials. The concern has been expressed as the Prime Ministers of the two nations prepare to participate in the second Nuclear Security Summit which kicks off in the south Korean capital on Monday.

The CBI on Saturday conducted a lie-detector test on Dhruv Narayan Singh, a BJP MLA from Bhopal, in connection with the Shehla Masood murder case. The role of the BJP MLA is under the scanner of the agency because of his alleged closeness with Zahida Parvez, a Bhopal-based interior designer and a prime suspect in the case.

The outlawed CPI(Maoist) on Saturday alleged atrocities by security forces on tribals during the last week’s anti-Naxal operations in Abujhmad, a densely forested area extending from south Bastar in Chhattisgarh to Gadchiroli in Maharashtra.

Abducted BJD legislator Jhina Ekaka had overlooked the standard operating procedure (SOP) prescribed by the state home department after the February, 2011 abduction of R. Vineel Krishna, ex-collector of Malkangiri.

A ray of hope for release of the two Italian nationals held hostages by the Maoists in Orissa emerged on Friday with the two interlocutors and state government representatives declaring that they would reach “some conclusion” by Saturday evening.

Ahead of its President’s visit to New Delhi next week, China, for the first time, indicated that it has discontinued the policy of issuing stapled visas to residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

In what is being billed as the biggest crackdown on illegal mining in Aravalli Hills under Bharatpur district in Rajasthan, the police arrested over 100 people and seized a number of equipment and vehicles used in the illegal mining activities. Nature enthusiasts expressed their concern over the unabated illegal miming in restricted Aravalli Hills.

Two BJP MLAs accused of watching obscene pictures during House proceedings were on Friday given a clean chit by the Gujarat Assembly Speaker after the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) here found nothing objectionable in their iPad having over 4,000 pictures and 11 video clips.

Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs from Uttarakhand, who secretly arrived at Ujjain on Thursday, offered prayers at the sacred Mahakal Temple early morning on Friday and spent the remaining part of the day visiting the holy town of Omkareshwar.