Coimbatore/New Delhi, Dec 16 : Female students gathered here to hold a candlelight vigil as tribute to victims of the recent militant attacks on Mumbai.

They sang songs communal harmony songs and called on the government to take steps to ensure the safety and security of all citizens.

"As we are youth and citizens of India, we expect a lot from the government. We expect that the government would introduce steps for better participation in our future lives also," said Vinithra, a student.

Meanwhile at another function hosted in New Delhi, yoga guru Baba Ramdev donated cheque of rupees five lakhs each to the family of the 18 security personnel who had lost their lives fighting militants in Mumbai.

Kochi, Dec 16 : Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi has lashed out at the Mumbai attackers, by saying that they would have to pay a price for their barbarism.

"There is a price to be paid for these barbaric attacks. Let nobody take us for granted and, let nobody underestimate our resolve to defeat these diabolic designs of these forces," said Gandhi at a Congress rally here on Monday.

This was Gandhi''s first public meeting after the party''s success in Assembly polls in three states.

Washington, Dec. 16 : The outgoing Bush administration has one final gift for federal employees - a paid holiday on December 26, which will cost the national treasury
450 million dollars in holiday pay and salary for lost productivity.

The National Taxpayers Union, a watchdog on working practices in government and allied fields, was quoted by Fox News as saying that President Bush issued an executive order on Friday, declaring the day after Christmas a holiday and excusing all, but essential executive branch employees from work, with pay.

Wasilla (Alaska, US), Dec. 16 : A member of Sarah Palin''s church in he hometown Wasilla has aid that the spirits of its congregants has lifted in the wake of it being destroyed by a fire.

Though Palin was not at the Wasilla Bible Church when the fire broke out last Friday, but she visited it the day after.

Springfield (Illinois, US), Dec. 16: Lawmakers in Illinois have taken the first step towards activating impeachment proceedings against State Governor Rod Blagojevich, who has been accused of trying sell the Senate seat vacated by US President-elect Barack Obama.

Illinois lawmakers descended on the state capital of Springfield Monday to consider whether to hold a special election to fill Barack Obama''s vacant Senate seat.