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Imphal, May 30: The Union home ministry has made it tougher for foreigners to visit Manipur, where militants had taken a German national hostage two months ago.

The ministry recently issued a new set of guidelines on granting protected area permits, which every foreigner must obtain before entering the state. The whole of Manipur is a ?protected area? under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958.

Foreigners are allowed to visit only a few places, including this capital town, Loktak lake, the memorial to Indian National Army soldiers at Moirang, Keibul Lamjao National Park, Waithou lake...

New Delhi, May 30: After nearly a decade, crude oil production may be revived in Nagaland. Plans are being chalked out for a joint agreement between the Neiphiu Rio government and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

But this would bear fruit only if Naga village councils get a share of the royalties shelled out by theONGC. A question mark would still hang over the fate of oil exploration in the state since insurgent outfits had earlier stymied it.

At a high-level meeting today between representatives of ONGC and the Nagaland government, the corporation agreed to look into some of the...

TURA, May 30?Financial institutions such as the State Bank of India (SBI) are slowly closing their branches in the interior areas of Garo Hills because of continuous militant threats for failing to pay up to the ultras, State Bank of India, which has the largest network of banking services in the Garo Hills extending way into the interior areas, has already closed down its third branch in the region. The SBI has a total of 44 branches in the entire Garo Hills though 24 are loss making in terms of profit making for the institution.

The first branch to be closed down due to militant threats was...

AGARTALA, May 30 ? A feature film in Tripura?s tribal language (Kokborak), Mathia, has been awarded the first prize in the feature film category at the 18th International Film Festival held in Warsaw from May 19 to May 25, the director of the film Joseph Pulinthanath said here on Thursday.

Festival director Ardrzej Jonuszewski in a communique from Poland informed director of the film Joseph Pulinthanath that Mathia had been awarded the first prize in the feature film category for its ?realistic depiction of the culture and heritage of a community in India?, the director said.

The story of...

AIZAWL, May 30 ? Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga has distributed some of his portfolios among his ministerial colleagues, according to an official statement here Tuesday, reports PTI.

Zoramthanga gave District Council Affairs department to Home Minister R Tlangghmingthanga, Information and Public Relations to Health Minister F Malsawma and Fisheries department to Excise Minister K Vanlalauva.

He also gave Secretariat Administration department to the Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies C Lalrinsanga. The Chief Minister?s present portfolios include Finance, Public Works department...