National News: General

The CBI informed the Delhi High Court on Friday that no evidence of payment of kick-backs in the Scorpene submarine deal was found after conducting the preliminary investigation.

New Delhi, May 16 (IANS) It has not been easy for Harkishan Singh, 70, to come to the capital from Punjab in the scorching summer heat to fight his 10-year-old cheque bounce case, but he has been attending every hearing diligently. The lawyers' strike Friday at the Tis Hazari courts turned his periodic visit futile.

By Rajkumar Ray
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's annual inflation rate headed towards 8 percent in early May, clocking a 3-1/2-year high, but analysts said it was unlikely to provoke more monetary tightening for now as economic growth appeared to be slowing.

New Delhi, May 16 (IANS) The Supreme Court Friday suspended the Calcutta High Court's anti-quota order, which restrained the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIM-C) from admitting backward category students against the 27 percent seats reserved for them by a central law.

Agra, May 16 (ANI): In a serious jolt to high security arrangements at the Taj Mahal, at least 15 closed circuit TV cameras, which were installed at vantage points to monitor activities of all visitors, have been found missing .

Kohima, May 16 (ANI): In a clash between two rival underground groups of Nagaland on the outskirts of Dimapur on Friday, twelve people lost their lives. he cadres from the Government of the People's Republic of Nagalim (GPRN)/NSCN Unification reportedly launched an offensive on the camp of National Socialist Council of Nagaland Isak-Muivah NSCN (I-M).

Dharamsala, May 16 (ANI): Tibetans-in-exile in Dharamsala prepares to host parallel Olympics beginning May 22 with the aim to give its youth a sporting exposure without focusing on the Chinese atrocities on their fellow citizens.

By Bappa Majumdar
JAIPUR, India (Reuters) - Police probing bombings in Jaipur that killed 63 people said on Friday that new evidence pointed increasingly towards Indian Islamists backed by a Bangladeshi militant group as being behind the blasts.

New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) The Supreme Court today allowed the Andhra Pradesh government to go ahead with counselling process for providing four per cent reservations to backward Muslims in

Jaipur, May 16 (IANS) The police said Friday they were questioning 18 suspects in connection with Jaipur's bomb attacks and had identified the sellers of eight of 10 cycles on which the bombs were placed and exploded in crowded areas.

New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) Maintaining that prospects of operationalising the nuclear deal as per the American deadline were fading away, the CPI(M) today said a "desperate" attempt was being made

Bangalore, May 16 (PTI) An estimated 45 percent of the 1.10 crore electorate in Karnataka today exercised their franchise till 1500 hours during the second phase of polling which was marked by minor incidents of voters boycotting the polls over 'mix-up' in voters list and lack of basic amenities, police said. However, the poll process remained incident free so far, the sources said.

Maintaining that the role of Pakistani Rangers in the recent infiltration bid could not be ruled out, the BSF on Friday said it would enhance its force strength by 1,000 in this sector and deploy high-tech gadgets.

Jaipur, May 16 (ANI): Communist Party of India National Secretary D Raja today opposed the Bharatiya Janata Party's demand for the enactment of a Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA)-like law in the wake of Jaipur serial blasts saying that terrorism could be tackled if people remained alert and not through any special statute.

Khora (International Border near Jammu), May 16 (IANS) The Border Security Force (BSF) will deploy more men and sophisticated gadgets along Jammu and Kashmir's 200 km-long International Border (IB) with Pakistan after being rapped for recent infiltration bids by militants that it claimed to have 'completely foiled'.

The second phase of Karnataka polls witnessed brisk polling in several assembly segments with about 30 per cent of an estimated 1.10 crore electorate casting their ballot till noon.

Voters in four villages in three districts have boycotted polling during the second phase of Karnataka assembly elections in progress in Karnataka on Friday, protesting lack of basic amenities and "mix-up" in voters list, police said.

Residents of Jammu & Kashmir are drinking more and more alcohol, excise officials said, after years of intimidation by Islamist militants.

The Central Information Commission has turned down a plea of a student accused of sexual harassment in Jawaharlal Nehru University to provide audio tapes of statements recorded during the inquiry against him.

Bellary City assembly constituency has the highest number of 30 candidates testing their political fate in the second phase of elections being held in Karnataka on Friday.