Beijing - China and India on Friday ended their latest two-day round of talks on border disputes with an agreement to continue dialogue but no sign of progress.

"Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Indian National Security Adviser MK Narayanan headed their delegations for the talks, which were pragmatic, candid and friendly," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement released through the government-run Xinhua news agency.

The talks were the 12th round since China and India appointed special representatives in 2003 to explore solutions to their long-standing border disputes.

The ministry statement said the two sides "exchanged in-depth views on a framework to solve the issue," the agency said.

New Delhi, Sept 19 : The Indian Navy on Friday sought the Government’s approval for establishing a system to provide a befitting response to such situations after a
22-member crew of a merchant tanker with 18 Indians that was abducted by Somali pirates recently.

On the sidelines of a seminar on defence accounts here, Vice-Admiral of the Navy R P Suthan said: “The Navy is working along with the Government to find a way to respond to situations like ship hijacking by sea pirates.”

Amritsar, Sep. 19 : With winters approaching, the over two centuries old Amritsar Shawl industry is experiencing a boom in the domestic as well as international market.

The industry, which was known for traditional hand-woven and embroidered shawls, has now mechanized its production by installing world class machines.

Though the Kashmiri shawls that are popularly known to have dominated the Indian shawl industry for ages, shawls from Amritsar have also grown to earn a distinct recognition on national and international level.

It is said that Kashmiri migrants established the shawl industry here during 19th century. With political patronage, the industry flourished.

Washington, Sept 19 : The US seems to be caught between India and Pakistan as far as upgrading the F-16 jets is concerned. While the US Congress has already okayed the programme, one major risk for the US involved in the exercise of letting the programme to go through could be straining the ties with India, Thomas Houlahan, the Director of “Military Assessment Programme” has written in an article.

He added that this risk is “offset, and possibly outweighed” by the risk of strained relations with Pakistan if the programme were to be sidetracked.

“The risk that the increasing capability gap between India and Pakistan may increase the possibility of war must also be considered,” the Daily Times quoted Houlhan as saying in the article.

New Delhi - At least two suspected Islamic militants wanted in connection with recent bombings in Indian cities were killed by the police in national capital New Delhi on Friday, officials and news reports said.

The gunbattle erupted after the militants holed up inside a flat in the Muslim-dominated Jamia Nagar area in southern Delhi fired on a police team conducting searches in connection with the blasts.

New Delhi, Sept 19 : Atiq, a militant wanted in connection with the serial blasts in Delhi and Ahmedabad, and his associate were killed while two Delhi police personnel were injured in a fierce encounter in Jamia Nagar of south Delhi today.

Talking to reporters, Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Karnail Singh said that acting on intelligence inputs, the police raided the house where Atiq and four other militants were holed up. In the exchange of fire that ensued, Atiq and another militant were killed.