The suicide note of Nikki Kumari, a 15-year-old school student who committed suicide in Patna on Friday, was addressed to her brother, said sources. The note read, “You must take good care of our parents. I want them and you to live happily after I am gone.” Police officials conducting investigations at Nikki’s home on Road No.

Nine Maoist cadres were gunned down by the police in Jharkhand in a five-hour encounter in the state’s western Latehar district early on Friday morning. With no policeman getting injured and sophisticated arms seized from the rebels, this was dubbed as the district’s most successful anti-Maoist operation yet. The Barwadih

Thousands of goats in northern Bihar have been drinking rum this winter to battle the bitter cold. Too afraid to lose their goats to the foggy chill in December and early January, many poor families gave the herbivores alcoholic drinks to keep them warm and alive.

Beginning this Republic Day, it will be Bihar’s ministers and not the IAS officers who will hoist the tricolour at government-organised functions at the state’s district headquarters on national days.

Even as the ruling JD(U) and other parties in Bihar observed dalit and socialist icon Karpoori Thakur’s birth anniversary on Monday, a dharna by Rajya Sabha member and senior JD(U) leader Upendra Kushwaha against the state government and his party leadership stuck out like a sore thumb.

The disciplinary committee of Bihar’s ruling JD(U) has started a month-long formal hearing of complaints of anti-party activities against hundreds of leaders and functionaries from across the state to further its stated aim of strengthening the state party unit by taking action against disloyal leaders.

Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda on Wednesday filed his nomination papers for the Assembly bypoll as the common candidate of the ruling alliance, thereby crossing the first big hurdle threatening his continuation in the top post.

Bihar’s ruling JD(U) is now witnessing the beginning of a turmoil whose roots lie in chief minister Nitish Kumar’s recent bold anti-corruption initiatives. The party’s Rajya Sabha member Uprendra Kushwaha, once very close to Mr Kumar, has stirred up a hornet’s nest after being targeted by some leaders.

Holding the centre responsible for the rise in the prices of essential commodities, Bihar agriculture minister Narendra Singh on Friday demanded that it evolve a national price policy.

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi would participate in the state-level workshop of the Congress’ youth wing in Bihar in February.