Pune, Dec 17 : Wine lovers from across the country recently thronged Pune to attend Wine Tasting Festival where more than 50 varieties of wine from 12 leading Indian wineries were on display.

The festival was hosted for the second time by the Pune Gourmet Club. Besides showcasing the different varieties of wine, the event also emphasized that the consumption of wine has positive effects on health.

"The whole idea of wine tasting and wine drinking with meals is a beverage and it is a luxury drink. It is something to do with lifestyle choice. It also has some positive effect for your health," said Paul Bailey, a winemaker.

Winemakers and wine trainers were also conduct a special class for the visitors.

New Delhi, Dec. 17 : Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has termed Chattisgarh's anti-naxalite group, 'Salva Judum' as a non-state actor.

Replying to queries during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Chidambaram said the Centre is not in favour of "non-state" actors taking the job of law enforcement into their hands.

"We are not in favour of non-state actors taking law enforcement in their hands," he said.

Islamabad - US Senator John Kerry urged India and Pakistan to keep the channels of diplomacy open to counter terrorism and remove misunderstandings that could threaten regional peace, media reports said Wednesday.

Kerry, the next chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the remarks Tuesday in Islamabad, where he arrived from New Delhi as part of Washington's efforts to defuse tensions stemming from last month's Mumbai terrorist attacks.

New Delhi, Dec 17 : Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JUH) leader Mehmood Madani has criticised the act of militancy, calling it a curse on mankind.

Addressing reporters here last evening, Madani praised Indian Muslims for openly condemning the barbaric act of militancy and said that for the first time general public have come out of their houses in huge numbers.

"This is the specialty of India and Indian Muslims who come out and openly condemn the terror attacks. We are doing that job which has not been done by anyone in the world. Those who are promoting the acts of terror and terrorism are enemy of both the humanity and Islam," said Madani.

Islamabad, Dec. 17 : The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has reached a conclusion that the attackers had come to Mumbai from Pakistan.

The dawn quoted FBI sources as saying that the plan was hatched in Pakistan and terrorists were provided necessary training by Laskar-e-Taiba, according to the investigators.

US investigators also concluded after interrogating the lone captured suspect, Ajmal Amir Kasab, that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence was not involved in the Mumbai attacks.

Diplomats said agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation were allowed to interrogate Kasab for nine hours during which they had established that he was a Pakistan national.

New Delhi, Dec 17 : India and Iran will hold talks on the proposed 7.4 billion dollar Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project here today.

The two sides are expected to discuss ways to break the deadlock over the project during a high-level meeting.

The Foreign Office Consultations are also expected to deliberate on ways to step up cooperation in various other fields.

Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon will lead the Indian delegation while the Iranian side will be led by Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Mehdi Akhoundzadeh.

Earlier, both sides had decided to set up a trilateral Ministerial mechanism to resolve various issues related to the project.

New Delhi, Dec 17 : Lok Sabha will hold a discussion on the bills aimed at setting up the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and another legislation to strengthen the existing laws against terror.

On Tuesday, Home Minister P Chidambaram introduced the two draft legislations in the Lok Sabha.

Introducing the Bill, Chidambaram said there is need for setting up an agency at the Central level to investigate offences related to terrorism and certain other acts, which have national ramifications.

New Delhi, De 17 : Sheila Dikshit will be sworn-in as the Chief Minister of the national capital for the third successive term today.

Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna will administer the oath of secrecy to Dikshit, including her six cabinet ministers at the Raj Bhawan.

According to sources, the new government is likely to have some ministers from the previous cabinet. They are A K Walia, Arvinder Lovely, Raj Kumar Chauhan and Mangat Ram Singhal.

Dikshit had staked claim yesterday for the formation of government in the city.

Karachi, Dec. 17 : Pakistan cricket vice-captain Misbah-ul-Haq believes India has risen in Test stature primarily on the back of their prolific batters, and especially because of Sachin Tendulkar.

Haq was quick to add that Pakistan have the firepower in their bowling arsenal to tame the Indian batsmen if and when they tour Pakistan.

"All of the (Pakistan) team players are hoping that the series (against India) does take place," the Daily News quoted Misbah as saying at the National Stadium here after a match of the Pentangular Cup One-day Championship on Tuesday.

New Delhi, Dec 16 : Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Anbumani Ramadoss has said that the Centre will look into the requirements of medical infrastructure in Puducherry and will render all possible support.

A delegation of the State Ministers, Legislators, led by Chief Minister V. Vaithilingam met him along with Narayansamy, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Professor M. Ramadass, Member of Parliament from Puducherry.

Srinagar, Dec. 16 : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday said that Pakistan must act on the demands made by India with regard to the investigations in last month''s terror attacks on Mumbai, and on the charges levelled by New Delhi thereof, rather than giving mere assurances.

Interacting with reporters here, Mukherjee said: "I have already said this in Parliament. Words (by Pakistan) must be followed up with action."

New Delhi, Dec 16 : Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora today said that as India imports over 75 per cent of its crude oil requirement, the international oil prices have a decisive role in the domestic pricing.

In a written reply to a question by Raj Mohinder Singh Majitha and Shivanand Tiwari, Members of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha today, the Minister said, "Indian Basket of crude oil, which averaged $79.25 per barrel during 2007-08, had gone up to $142.04 per barrel on July 3.

Jammu, Dec. 16 : The sixth phase of elections, for which polling is being held tomorrow, has two former chief ministers of the state in fray, besides a number of ex-ministers and legislators.

Sixteen Assembly constituencies in five districts of Kulgam, Anantnag, Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban will vote in the penultimate phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections on Wednesday.

New Delhi, Dec 16 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today slammed the decision of the government to slash interest rates as part of its initiative to spur demand amid a global crisis.

Government banks lowered interest rates to 8.5 per cent on home loans for buying a new home costing up to 500,000 rupees and 9.25 per cent for loans between 500,000 rupees to two million rupees.

Kohima, Dec. 16 : Large number of tourists belonging to different parts of the country and abroad attended the annual Hornbill festival here.

Organised every year to promote tourism and highlight the socio-cultural panorama of the Nagas, the week-long festival had "Progress through culture" as its theme.

This festival, which brings together various Naga tribes on the occasion, is also a tribute to the hornbill, the most revered bird of the Nagas.

Imphal, Dec. 16 : Several people in Manipur despite living in a challenging environment marred by militancy are steadily exploring possibilities for economic advancement.

Union Minister of Development of North East Region (DONER), Mani Shankar Aiyar, recently paid a visit to various parts of Manipur to oversee projects taken up by North East Region Community Resource Management Project (NERCORMP).

Ferozepur, Dec. 16 : The attack on Taj Mahal and Oberoi-trident hotels in Mumbai during the last week of November hit the headlines in newspapers all over the world, and the issue was raised in the United Nations Security Council, but for the Punjabi Durbar programme of Radio Pakistan the attack was a `small incident!'

Radio Pakistan also blamed the Government of India for falsely blaming Pakistan and its intelligence agency for promoting terrorism.

New Delhi, Dec 16 : The Government today introduced a Bill in Lok Sabha to formally set up a National Investigation Agency (NIA) and another legislation to strengthen laws against terror.

Introducing the Bill, Union Home Minister, P Chidambaram said there is need for setting up an agency at the Central level to investigate offences related to terrorism and certain other acts, which have national ramifications.

New Delhi, Dec. 16 : The Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Josette Sheeran, today praised the close co-operation between the Government of India and WFP in pioneering innovative hunger solutions to combat global malnutrition.

Kochi, Dec. 16 : Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday urged all party workers to tighten their belts and work hard to get victory in next year''s general elections.

Addressing the inaugural function of the KPCC state conference here, where thousands of local and state Congress party workers were attending, Gandhi said that the people now want a change, they are fed up of governance. She urge Congress party workers to put all they can to win in the Lok Sabha elections.