Apparently in a desperate need for a face-saving escape route, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung on Wednesday welcomed West Bengal governor M.K. Narayanan’s “announcement” to play the role of a mediator to resolve the crisis in the hills. He expressed hopes that Mr Narayanan would take necessary steps as early as possible. Mr Gurung posted this message on the popular social networking site Facebook.

The media war between the Congress and the BJP could intensify further with the Sonia Gandhi-led party holding a one-day national workshop for its select 300 activists on Thursday to foil the saffron party’s design.

Indian and Pakistani troops have again exchanged small and medium arms fire at a couple of places along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, including Kargil, killing a Pakistani Army official and injuring another.

Amid unabated violation of ceasefire by Pakistan on the LoC, the Indian deputy high commissioner in Pakistan, Gopal Baglay, was summoned to the Pakistan foreign office on Wednesday who registered its strong protest over what is claims is Indian aggression on the LoC.

When Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki arrives here on Thursday, he will become the first head of government from his country to set foot on Indian soil in 38 years.

President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday batted for Afghanistan being turned into a regional hub for economic growth and pointed out that Indian companies were interested in bidding for its natural resources.

Soldiers of China’s People’s Liberation Army intruded over 20 km into Indian territory in the Chaglagam area of Arunachal Pradesh on August 11 and stayed there for about four days before returning. This ironically became known on a day when the Indian Army and the Chinese PLA were discussing the modalities of conducting a joint military exercise in November in China.

The rupee nosedived to a record low on Wednesday after a sustained demand for dollars from oil importers and banks while the equity markets witnessed a rollercoaster ride as investors turned cautious ahead of the release of the minutes of the US Federal Open Market Committee meeting.

With the Vishwa Hindu Parishad determined to go ahead with its contentious 20-day Ayodhya yatra, differences have started emerging within the BJP. A section of party leaders feel the VHP planned the yatra after consulting Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in an attempt to polarise the UP votebank on communal lines.

The Maharashtra government decided on Wednesday to promulgate an ordinance against black magic, blind faith and superstition, a day after activist Narendra Dabholkar, who was campaigning since the 1990s for such a law, was shot dead in Pune by unidentified gunmen.