New Delhi, Oct 23 : BJP''s prime ministerial candidate and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, LK Advani, has initiated Track-II diplomacy with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajpaksa to save the lives of ethnic Tamils living in the island country.

Advani wants Tamils to be safe in Sri Lanka and also wants Rajpaksa to be pragmatic and fully understand Indian concerns over the issue, politicsparty. com reported.

Varanasi, Oct 23 : Dozens including women were injured when Samajwadi party activists demonstrating against Mayawati Government clashed with police here today.

Police baton charged and used water canons to disperse the party workers who were staging a demonstration.

Samajwadi party, which was dislodged from power in the state by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) during last elections, has been accusing Mayawati as "anti development."

As per reports, police asked party workers to be calm as they were raising slogans against Mayawati as part of their three-day statewide campaign.

New Delhi, Oct. 23 : Activists of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) today demonstrated before the Rail Bhawan here to voice concern against the frequent killing of elephants due to speeding trains along the tracks in or skirting forest areas.

PETA activists during their protest also enacted an accident in which ‘Bholu’, an elephant is fatally knocked down by a ''locomotive''. It was to highlight the pain of elephants being routinely killed by speeding trains in the forest areas, particularly in Assam and West Bengal.

Activists alleged that the Indian Railways has been the reason for the death of several Bholus in real life and the government should ensure preventive steps to protect the wild elephants.

New Delhi, Oct 23 : Riding on back of lower prices of food and non-food items inflation fell to 11.07 per cent for the week ended October 11, from 11.44 per cent a week ago.

The prices of fruits and vegetables and eggs declined during the week. And in the non-food category, sunflower and raw cotton became cheaper.

On account of lower prices of furnace oil the index of fuel group too declined marginally by 0.1 per cent.

During the week, the prices of other goods that declined were imported edible oil, oilcakes, polyester, staple fibre and ingots of lead and zinc.

Ganderbal (J-K) Oct 23 : Two Hizbul Mu

Varanasi, Oct 23 : Seers in Varanasi offer prayers to holy river Ganges and vow to cleanse it of all the pollutants.

Residents, environmentalists and religious groups, who have formed a ''Ganga Sena'' (Ganges Army-for protection) to save the River Ganga from pollution, took part in the prayers that marked the completion of the first phase of action against pollution.

The plan of action has been divided into three phases. To begin with, the devotees said that they have succeeded in convincing the authorities about the steps that are required to be taken.