NEW DELHI, May 28 ? Naga problem is a ?complex issue? but progress is being made in the right direction, Centre?s interlocutor K Padmanabhaiah said today, reports PTI. After briefing Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani here on his recent ?informal? parleys with NSCN (I-M) leadership in Bangkok late last week, Padmanabhaiah told reporters that the talks, aimed at furthering the peace process in Nagaland, would continue.

?It is a complex issue and we are inching forward,? he said adding more rounds of parleys were necessary for the peace process to take a final shape. Asked to comment on a recent...

GUWAHATI, May 28 ? Financial constrain has seriously affected the functioning of the North Eastern Council (NEC) set up for the development of the region, admitted the Governor Lt Gen (Retd) SK Sinha. In an interview with The Assam Tribune, Lt Gen Sinha, who also served as the chairman of the NEC, said, ?we tried to activate the Council as much as we could within the limited financial allocations. I also ensured equitable allocation to all the States, particularly Assam.? He said that the NEC had been doing commendable job but it is difficult to achieve results overnight. He expressed the view...

IMPHAL, May 28 ? Manipur government has decided to deploy security forces round-the-clock in strategic points in view of the increasing abduction of civilians by militants, official sources said today, reports PTI. The decision to deploy forces at strategic locations was taken last night during a Cabinet meeting which also discussed the kidnapping and killing of a local cloth merchant Manoj Kumar Sethi by unidentified gunmen yesterday, the sources said.

The State Cabinet also discussed at length the increasing cases of kidnapping of people for ransom and decided to adopt various security...

TURA, May 28 ? In a gruesome incident, suspected Garo militants belonging to the banned A?chik National Volunteers Council (ANVC) executed a village headman and another villager in East Garo Hills on Monday night. In yet another incident, a hardcore ULFA militant surrendered before Tura police in West Garo Hills. A group of heavily armed ANVC militants went to the house of Malindro M Marak, the Lasker (Headman) of Raja-A?pal village, near Bajengdoba, shortly after 10 pm on Monday. They took him out of the house and fired a single shot into his head killing him on the spot. Similarly another...

Agartala, May 28: Mathia, a film directed by Catholic priest Joseph Pulinthanath in the tribal Kokborok language, has bagged the best feature film award at the international film festival held in Warsaw from May 19 to 25.

The film is based on the prevalent custom of witch-killing in Tripura?s tribal community. Zygmunt, chief organiser of the festival, conveyed the news in a message to Sampari Pictures of Bishramganj in Bishalgarh subdivision yesterday.

Since nobody on behalf of Sampari Films could attend the festival, the organisers will send the award, consisting of a citation and statuette...