Govt favours unified command to tackle Naxals
New Delhi, February 6
The government today favoured the formation of a unified command comprising the Central and state law enforcement agencies to tackle the Naxalite problem. “The Centre encourages states to form unified commands of their own, under the respective chief ministers, consisting of the state police and central paramilitary forces to deal with the Naxal menace,” Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said.

31 die as bus falls into gorge near Udhampur
Jammu, February 6
As many as 31 persons were killed and 32 injured when an overloaded bus rolled into a deep gorge near Udhampur this morning. Condition of six of the injured is critical and they have been shifted to the medical college here. Other injured were getting treatment at the Udhampur district hospital.

Celebrations on in Dewan household New Delhi, February 6

Family and friends of Bharti and Arvind Dewan today celebrated the arrival of their rescued child Arpit from Orissa, who was kidnapped by a maid servant from their Sriniwarpuri residence on January 31.
Eighteen-month-old Arpit Dewan from Delhi, who was kidnapped by the house maid Savitri and later rescued from Rajganjpur village of Orissa, with his parents Arvind and Bharti at Srinivaspuri Police Station after Delhi police personnel brought him back on Sunday. — PTI photo In video: (28k, 56k)

Another child abducted in Bihar

President slips, suffers shoulder fracture
New Delhi, February 6
President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam suffered a minor fracture in his right shoulder after he slipped while taking a walk in the Herbal Garden of Rashtrapati Bhavan here this afternoon. The 73-year-old Kalam is being admitted to the Research and Referral Hospital.
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Srinagar, February 6 The ruling coalition of the People’s Democratic Party and the Congress today swept the third phase of municipal polls in Pulwama and Anantnag districts of Jammu and Kashmir, where around 44 per cent of the electorate turned up for voting.

Securitymen keep tight vigil at Anantnag in South Kashmir region as people exercised their franchise for the third phase of civic election on Sunday. — PTI photo In video (28k, 56k)

Make intelligence agencies ‘accountable’ to Parliament
New Delhi, February 6
A former Intelligence Bureau official has stressed the need for invoking Acts of Parliament and constitutional modifications for making the intelligence and investigating agencies accountable to the supreme constitutional bodies of the nation.

Dalit beaten to death by police
Jalandhar, February 6
In a blatant violation of human rights, the district police today tortured a Dalit youth to death after he refused to accept his involvement in a theft case.

India to ask Pak to review stand on Ahmedabad
New Delhi, February 6
India will ask Pakistan to reconsider its cricket team’s reservations over playing in Ahmedabad.
(Details on Sports page)

Himachal reels under intense cold wave Shimla, February 6 The mid and higher hills of Himachal Pradesh continued to shiver under freezing cold wave conditions as the entire tribal belt and other higher reaches had intermittent snowfall while the mid-hills were lashed by strong velocity icy winds accompanied by drizzle and snowflakes.