New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Tuesday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi to take steps for the relief and rehabilitation of Tamils in Sri Lanka following reports of the killing of LTTE chief V. Prabhakaran.

Karunanidhi made the request to Gandhi during his meeting with her at 10, Janpath. The DMK chief had come to Delhi to formally extend his party’s support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance in government formation. The DMK has got 18 MPs in the new Lok Sabha.

New York, May 19 (Xinhua) The Wall Street opened lower Tuesday as the record plunge of the housing sector in April overshadowed the better-than-expected earnings of the Home Depot.

The US Commerce Department said the construction of new homes and apartments fell 12.8 percent in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 458,000 units. Economists had expected the construction sector to post a modest increase in April.

Kemerovo (Russia), May 19 (RIA Novosti) Officials here seized three five-month-old calves from the owner who had failed to repay his mounting debts.

Many Russians who took credit during the economic boom in the country are struggling to repay their loans amid rising unemployment, as the financial crisis continues.

New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) A man was allegedly beaten to death after a row between two families over a love affair, police said Tuesday.

Rajesh Thakur, 35, was beaten to death with rods and sticks after a clash broke out Monday between the families of a boy and a girl, who are in a relationship.

Visakhapatnam, May 19 (ANI): After keeping in mind the safety and protection of civilians in Sri Lanka, Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta on Tuesday said that the Navy was ready to help in resolving the situation as a humanitarian issue.

New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) Indian health authorities Tuesday said the 23-year-old Hyderabad resident, who was detected with influenza A(H1N1) on his arrival from the US, has been found symptom free.

“The passenger who had tested positive for the swine flu is presently symptom free and recovering,” a statement issued here said. He was the first positive case of the influenza in India.

Patna, May 19 (IANS) Now that he has ceased to be railways minister, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad has lost out on some of the trappings that go along with the senior position. The security cover of the Railway Protection Force has been withdrawn from his Patna residence, official sources said Tuesday.

An order to withdraw the security cover was issued to the RPF from the concerned department. An RPF official here said that the security cover to Lalu Prasad was withdrawn following an order from above. “We have to follow the order, it is our duty,” he said.

Islamabad, May 19 (IANS) The Pakistani military Tuesday wrested two towns in the restive northwest from the Taliban on a day President Asif Ali Zardari asserted the entire country was united in the struggle against terrorism.

The military said Maidan in Lower Dir and Matta in Swat had been cleared of militants and the civilians who had fled the fighting could now return home.