AGARTALA: Banned NLFT militants have threatened to kill all seven people held hostage after Wednesday's kidnapping of bus passengers in disturbed Dhalai district if ransom was not paid. The ransom demand was conveyed to the police by bus driver Bachhulal Sarkar whom the militants released yesterday. The ultras also demanded immediate halt to the combing operation in the area. The NLFT had hijacked a private bus on the Assam-Agartala highway and took all the passengers about five kms into deep forest, later releasing twenty persons after looting their belongings.

Militant strike

AGARTALA: A non-tribal man and his six-year old daughter were killed during an attack by unidentified militants at Pitrabazar area under R K Pur police station in South Tripura district early on Sunday. Sasadeb Sharma and daughter Aparna died on the spot while an injured person was rushed to Udaipur district headquarters hospital.

New Nepal PM

KATHMANDU: King Birendraof Nepal today appointed as Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, the leader of the Nepali Congress, after the party decided to form a minority government, State radio announced. Koirala is expected to announce a new government tomorrow, after the NC decided to go it alone following the resignation on Friday of former premier Surya Bahadur Thapa.

Boat capsize

PATNA: At least 20 persons were feared drowned when a country boat capsized midstream in the Ganga in the Mokama police station area of Patna district on Sunday. The police said that the boat, carrying about 30 labourers, was trapped in a whirlpool and overturned while crossing the river from Chintaman Chak ghat. Three bodies have been fished out so far. An intense search is on to locate the remaining missing persons.

Paes-Bhupathi win

CHENNAI: Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi retained the doubles title beating Oliver Delaitre (France) and Max Mirnyi (Belarus) 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-2 in the final of the Gold Flake Indian Open at theNungambakkam Stadium on Sunday. The winners and the losers got US $29,400 and $17,100 respectively.