New Delhi, Dec. 3 : Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan has apologized to the family of slain commando Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan.

Under immense pressure from all the political parties and general public, Achuthanandan said “I deeply regret my comments.” “If my comments have hurt Major Unnikrishnan’s family, I’m sorry,” he added.

Cutting across party lines, all major political parties of the country had demanded anunconditional apology from Achuthanandan.

Earlier, Achuthanandan spoke before the Kerala Assembly, today, amidst immense pressure to take back his comments, he said that his comments were misinterpreted and he was quoted out of context.

Dhaka  - The defeated American presidential candidate Senator John McCain said Wednesday he hopes Pakistan will assist India in its probe into the Mumbai terror attacks that left 187 people dead last week.

"We expect soon the government of Pakistan will cooperate fully with transparency and efforts to track down and bring to justice the evil-doers and those behind this terrible tragedy and outrageous act of terrorism in Mumbai," McCain said in Dhaka.

Six American were killed in the brazen 60-hour attacks on key Mumbai landmarks.

"Lessons learned here is a compelling argument for all of us to work together," he said, wrapping up his 11-hour trip to Dhaka as part of a regional trip to Asia.

Washington, Dec. 3 : The Bush administration has claimed that it had warned the Indian government beforehand that terrorists appeared to be plotting an assault on Mumbai.

The Daily Times quoted a senior State Department official as saying that information was passed on to New Delhi that a waterborne attack on Mumbai appeared in the works.

This official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of intelligence information, said both India and Pakistan have acted "in a wise manner" so far, noting there has been no buildup of troops along the India-Pakistan border or other overt signs that sometimes-sharp rhetorical exchanges will escalate to military confrontation.

New Delhi  - US Secretary of State State Condoleezza Rice arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following last week's Mumbai terrorist attacks.

Rice was scheduled to meet with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and opposition leader LK Advani in the afternoon.

Rice said the chief purpose of her visit was to "express solidarity" with the people of India.

New Delhi, Dec. 3 : The global economic meltdown has started to influence the expansion plans of the world''s biggest steel producer, ArcelorMittal in India.

According to Vijay Kumar Bhatnagar, the Chief Executive Officer-India of ArcelorMittal, the company has opted to adapt a cautious approach, keeping in view the new dynamics of the present economic situation being faced around the world.

"The kind of macro-economic environment which has come suddenly, now…is allowing us to pause and be cautious."

Mumbai, Dec. 3: The sole surviving terrorist that attacked Mumbai last week, killing about 195 people and injuring 295 others, has revealed that his father was paid by a Pakistan-based militant group to hand him over.

Azam Amir Kasab, 21, a Pakistani national from Faridkot in Punjab province, said that his father, Amir, introduced him to a Lashkar-e-Taiba commander. The commander, known as "chacha" (uncle), paid his father, The Times quotes Kasab, as saying.