Guwahati, June 6 - Reserve Bank of India today said food prices will remain at a higher level despite average inflation in the country being expected to moderate to around 5.5 per cent this fiscal. "We see food prices continue to remain high, partly because income levels have gone up.

Srinagar, June 6 - The 19-hour gunbattle between militants and security forces in Pulwama district of south Kashmir ended this afternoon with the killing of a holed-up ultra, taking the number of militants killed to two. Divisional Commander of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit Altaf Baba alias 'Gazi Baba' was killed in the encounter yesterday, while his associate Mohammad Abbass Nengroo was shot dead today, police said.

Colombo, Jun 6 - At least 49 Indian fishermen have been arrested by Sri Lankan navy when they were fishing in the waters off the country's northern coastal areas. Ten trawlers of the fishermen were also seized by the Sri Lanka Navy yesterday. Sri Lankan Navy spokesman Kosala Warnakulasuriya said 49 fishermen had been arrested on two separate occasions off the northern coastal areas of Kankesanturai and Talaimannar.

Islamabad, Jun 6 - Five militants were killed and 16 security personnel injured during a clash in the restive Quetta city of southwest Pakistan today, officials said. The clash broke out when security personnel were conducting a search operation in Kharotabad area of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, this morning.

New Delhi, Jun 6 - Rajasthan Royals' owner Raj Kundra's passport has been seized by Delhi Police which questioned him for about 10 hours in connection with the IPL spot-fixing scandal and allegations that he was into betting. Police have asked Kundra not to leave the country. Delhi Police sources said that Kundra was quizzed for about 10 hours yesterday.

Kolkata, June 5 (PTI) Buoyed by Trinamool Congress victory in the Howrah Lok Sabha bye-election in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said her party did not require Congress and through their verdict, people have given a message to go it alone. "Congress requires us. We don't need Congress. The people in Howrah have given the message that we should go alone. Our victory reflected the mahajot (grand alliance) of people against all immoral alliance. Our's was a solo fight. It ushered in a new arithmetic, a new chapter," Banerjee told reporters after TMC candidate Prasun Banerjee's victory.

New Delhi, Jun 5 - Rejecting Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's contention that NCTC is a "poorly conceived" idea, the Centre today said the country will have to pay heavy price if the anti-terror hub does not come into existence. Finance Minister P Chidambaram, the architect of the NCTC, said it was "deeply regrettable" that a few chief ministers opposed even the modified version of the National Counter Terrorism Centre.

Islamabad, Jun 5 - PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif was today formally elected Pakistan's Prime Minister by an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly, setting the stage for an unprecedented third term as premier. Sharif, 63, received 244 votes in the 342-member lower house of parliament during the election conducted through a division of the House.

New Delhi, Jun 5 - India today blamed Pakistan for trying to revive Sikh militancy and said youth are being trained in ISI facilities to carry out terror attacks in the country. Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said there have been significant developments on the Sikh militancy front and its commanders based in Pakistan are under pressure from the ISI to further the Pakistani intelligence agency's terror plans not only in Punjab but also other parts of India.

New Delhi, June 4 - Ruling out any dialogue with naxalites, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh today said that fight against Left wing extremists will be intensified in the coming days. "The recent Naxal attack in the state has ruled out any option of dialogue with them. There will be no talks. The fight against naxalites will be intensified," Singh told PTI in an interview here.

Aurangabad/Sasaram, June 4 - Nine persons were killed when lightning struck them today in Bihar's Aurangabad and Rohas districts, official sources said. Four persons, including two girls died, in Rajabigha village and another person died in Vishunpur village after lightning struck on them in Aurangabad district, the sources said.

New Delhi, June 4 - In the backdrop of recent violations of banking norms by some public sector as well as private banks, RBI Governor D Subbarao believes that penalties for such offences in India amounted to "peanuts" compared to those in the western countries. Erring banks can face a maximum penalty of Rs one crore in India, he told PTI, adding that it was upto the lawmakers to decide whether this should be increased.

New Delhi, June 4 - The spot-fixing scandal in IPL turned murkier with the names of global terrorist and India's most wanted man Dawood Ibrahim and his close aide Chotta Shakeel surfacing in the case. Delhi Police today slapped stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against all the 26 accused, including three cricket players of Rajasthan Royals, and claimed bookies like Ashiwani Aggarwal were working at the behest of Dawood gang.

Dhaka, Jun 4 - Bangladesh's cabinet has approved a draft law for development of Hindu religious properties and to protect them from encroachment and land grab, a move welcomed by the country's minority community. The cabinet yesterday gave final approval to the draft and officials said the government would make a list of the Hindu charitable endowments or 'Devottar' property, and constitute a management board once the law is passed by the parliament expectedly during the current budget session.

New Delhi, Jun 4 - The CIC order on bringing parties under RTI ambit today divided the political class, with Congress and few others rejecting it while main Opposition BJP saw nothing wrong in such a move. A day after the CIC gave its ruling, Congress termed it as an "adventurist" approach that would harm democractic institutions. Its view was echoed by CPI(M) and BJP's ally JD(U), which also rejected the order passed by the quasi-judicial body.