IMPHAL, April 15: The All Manipur Students Union, AMSU has decided to appeal to the concerned authorities and others to make it possible for Catholic schools based in the valley to reopen immediately in the interest of the students. This was one of the resolutions adopted at a meting between AMSU and guardians of students studying in the Catholic schools in the valley of the state today at the conference hall of DM College of Arts from 11.30 am to 2.30 pm in connection with the suspension of regular classes in eight Catholic schools. A statement issued by the general secretary, AMSU H/Q, after...

IMPHAL, April 15: A fierce gunbattle broke out between a combined force of suspected NSCN(IM) and KRA and the KNF (MC) in the wee hours today at Heijang village atop a hill, 3 kms south east of Kangpokpi police station. One militant was killed when Assam Rifles troops who rushed to the spot opened fire towards the militants. The gunfight reportedly lasted five hours. Villagers told this reporter, who went for a spot report, that the gunbattle began from 2 am and dragged on till 8 am. Police said they heard the loud gunshots from 1 am onwards. They said 21 Assam Rifles stationed at Kangpokpi...

IMPHAL, April 15: The Manipur State Congress Party-Nipamacha group is unlikely to field a candidate for the by-election of Kshetrigao assembly constituency to be held on May 11. On the other hand, the Chaoba-led MSCP group will discuss whether the group will put up a party candidate or not after hearing the verdict of the Election Commission of India to be delivered on April 17 with regard to the factional dispute in the MSCP. While talking to this newspaper, the Union Minister of State for Food Processing, T Chaoba yesterday said that since there was enough time for filing the nomination...

GUWAHATI, April 15: The term 'friendly contest' is creating confusion among the rank and file of both the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). According to an agreement arrived at by the parties, they would go for 'friendly contest' in 10 constituencies but the concept of such a contest is not clearly described by the leaders of the parties. The Chief Minister and AGP president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta recently told this correspondent that all the 10 constituencies where they have decided to go for friendly contest, were the strongholds of the AGP. He said that the AGP...

GUWAHATI, April 15: Setting all speculations at rest, State's Cooperation Minister Nurul Hussain and Sericulture Minister Ramendra Narayan Kalita today categorically said that they would remain with the ruling Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) come what may. The names of Hussain and Kalita were in the news for the last about four days for their reported moves at currying favour with the Congress leaders subsequent to the AGP's forging an electoral alliance hurriedly with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). AGP MLA from Jonai Pradan Barua's joining Congress on April 12, in the aftermath of the AGP-BJP...