The riot-hit Kandhamal district of Orissa is slowly returning to normalcy. District authorities have lifted the prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPc from entire district from today. But the night curfew in five worst affected police stations will continue. 

District collector of Kandhamal Dr. Krishan Kumar said, "The night curfew would be lifted at any time from these areas while reviewing the law and order situation. There is no news of any untoward incidents in last fortnight."

New Delhi, Oct 24 : India and Pakistan will hold a special session of the Joint Anti-Terror Mechanism (JATM) here today, in which investigations in the terror attack on Indian Mission in Kabul are likely to figure prominently.

The Indian side will be led by Vivek Katju, Special Secretary (International Organisations) in the External Affairs Ministry while the Pakistani delegation will be headed by Aizaz Ahmad Choudhary, Additional Secretary (South Asia) in the Pakistan Foreign Ministry.

Moscow - Some 15 people were kidnapped by alleged Islamic militants in Russia's strife-torn North Caucasus region, while at least eight police officers were injured in mine explosions, media reports said Friday.

Masked gunmen abducted up to 15 civilians in the Russian republic Ingushetia, the Interfax news agency reported the republic's Interior Ministry as saying.

In Chechnya, eight police officers were injured when two mines exploded in buildings, the agency said. Both incidents took place late Thursday evening.

Tokyo - Japanese parliament on Friday approved a government nominee to fill a vacancy at the central bank's deputy governorship.

Hirohide Yamaguchi, 57, who currently serves as the Bank of Japan's executive director, was appointed as the bank's deputy governor after the opposition-controlled upper house supported the government's choice.

Washington, Oct 24 : The US has reportedly welcomed the offensive launched by Pakistani security forces in the tribal areas in the recent weeks, saying that as a result of the move, fewer foreign fighters were now slipping into Afghanistan.

In a media briefing, US Defence Department spokesman Geoff Morrell welcomed “stepped-up operations” by the Pakistani military in Peshawar, and in Swat in particular, over the past two months.

“It is stepped up not just in terms of tempo, but in terms of effectiveness. As a result, we have seen some improvement in the flow of foreign fighters across the border into Afghanistan,” the Daily Times quoted Morrell as saying.

State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that state health department has already taken several steps to control population.

He said that the health department has accorded top priority to population control for 2009-10. There has already been a decline in the population growth rate of Assam, and the next survey will make this clear.

He added that that the Janani Suraksha Yojana, which provides financial incentive of Rs 1,400 to a mother in the event of a delivery in a government hospital, would now offer another Rs 1,000 if the family concerned opted for family planning.