Dhekial (Golaghat), Jan. 5: Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) president Brindaban Goswami and his predecessor, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, today put up a rare show of unity at the launch of a mission to regain the party’s “lost touch”. Goswami and Mahanta sat next to each other on the dais during the party’s annual convention here, setting at rest speculation about a showdown between AGP factions owing allegiance to the two leaders.

Both leaders hit out at an unnamed faction, saying it was trying to cause a rift in the AGP. “An anti-party lobby has become very active, trying to divide party workers. This...

GUWAHATI, Jan 5 – Though the security agencies are well aware of links between the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the Pakistani intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for the first time, the security forces have come to know about the links between the ISI and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) following the arrest of the outfit’s vice-chairman Dhiren Boro in Gangtok.

Highly placed security sources said that the security agencies always had doubts about links between the ISI and the NDFB, but the doubt was confirmed after the arrest of Dhiren Boro...

Agartala, Jan. 4: A major expansion and infrastructure upgradation drive has been taken up at the Agartala airport, the only one in the state. Located close to Bangladesh, the distance between the edge of the runway and the international border is 150 yards, the airport will be made equipped to handle international flights. Senior airport manager Prashanta Kar said the airport was built by the British during World War II but its importance grew after Independence as Tripura lost access to the heartland following the emergence of the then East Pakistan.

Kar said the last phase of modernisation...

Calcutta, Jan. 4: Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar today said the border areas of Tripura have become a terror hub because of the neglect of the northeastern state’s natural resources and the lack of development projects initiated by the Centre. Sarkar said the biggest worry has been the emergence of al Qaida in the Northeast with the support from the NSCN (Khaplang), the Ulfa and other militant groups. “They are using the Northeast as a base to work their way into the heart of the country, using local militant groups as pawns,” he said.

Sarkar asked Bangladesh to hand over “terrorists”...

GOLAGHAT, Jan 4— Depredation of the wild elephants is becoming a common feature at Marangi Revenue circle within Golaghat district. A herd of wild elephants have been continuously damaging dwelling houses and standing crops of the people of the area since 2000. The elephants have so far killed more than 30 people and this has made the people of Fallangani, Fulbari, Balizan, Porajanghal Thuramukh, Kdoju and Symraipur areas spend sleepless nights.

Recently, a herd of 50 to 60 elephants had damaged — the dwelling houses of Modon Gogoi, Bopai Bora, Ghanasyam Gogoi and Sashidhar Konwar of Rangbong...