NEW DELHI, Dec 24 – The visit of leaders of major Naga insurgent group NSCN (IM), who were expected here this weekend for crucial peace talks with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, has been postponed by about ten days because of ‘logistical reasons’, official sources said today, reports PTI. NSCN (IM) chairman Isak Chisi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah “are expected towards the end of the first week of January,” official sources told PTI. Asked as what were the logistical reasons, the sources said that among them were availability of the top Indian leaders for the talks besides Swu and Muivah...

DHAKA, Dec 24 — Bangladesh has denied Indian charge of the existence of terrorist camps within its territory, terming it as “baseless”, according to a media report, reports PTI. “The government of Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia after a thorough and detailed investigation has intimated Delhi that there was no truth to the charge made by India,” vernacular newspaper The Daily Jugantor said today.

Quoting officials, it said “the door is open for any diplomat to verify what the government insists (that there is no terrorist camp). This is for the first time that investigations were carried out...

Imphal, December 24: Police today dispersed the large numbers of rallyists who came to participate in the protest rally. The rally organized by the JAC against brutal murder of Kumari Mayengbam Sumatibala Devi today began at Sagolband Tera Tongbram Leikai. The JAC today condemned the police action. The JAC today said in a press statement that the action shows that the government is trying to protect the perpetrators of the gruesome killing of the woman. The JAC had planned a silent rally and to submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister O Ibobi it said. After the police disallowed the silent...

Guwahati, Dec. 23: The Nagaland unit of the BJP today got into the poll mode, demanding an intensive revision of the state?s electoral rolls before the February Assembly elections.

The BJP raised the demand in a representation to the chief electoral officer, a copy of which was also sent to the Chief Election Commissioner, following detection of ?serious anomalies? in the electoral rolls, which it said needed ?immediate? rectification.

Seeking deferment of the elections till a proper electoral roll was in place, the BJP, in its representation, sought assessment of the ?ground realities? by a...

Guwahati, Dec. 23: When Assam-based ornithologist Anwaruddin Choudhury sighted a blue-and-white bird during a recent visit to the interiors of Arunachal Pradesh, he had a gut feeling that it was not just another feathered beauty.

Hours of painstaking research later, he knew for sure that the bird he had seen was a male Japanese blue flycatcher. In ornithological terms, it meant the addition of another species to the avifauna of the Indian subcontinent.

Recounting his experience, Choudhury told The Telegraph that the bird he had spotted did not resemble any of the known species of flycatchers...