India cut off talks: Sattar
Pakistan wishes that India would follow up on the Lahore process, which among other things, had called for an intensification of efforts to resolve all outstanding issues, including Kashmir, says the country's Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdul Sattar.

Players under a cloud must quit: Dhindsa
The Union Sports Minister, Mr. S. S. Dhindsa, today said all current Indian cricketers including Mohammed Azharuddin and team coach Kapil Dev should stay out of the national team until cleared of match-fixing allegations.

Masood Azhar met Osama in May?
Masood Azhar, Pakistani cleric released in the hostages-for-terrorists deal in Kandahar on December 31 last year, met the wanted Saudi dissident, Osama bin Laden, and Mullah Omar, Taliban chief, in Afghanistan last month and sought their continued support for the ``Kashmir jehad'', the independent Newsline monthly has reported.

'Sri Lankan reforms package by June-end'
The much-awaited package of Constitutional reforms that envisages devolution to the Tamil and Muslim minorities of Sri Lanka could be up before Parliament within weeks, the State-owned Daily News indicated today.

Sinha concerned over decline in rupee value
The Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha, has expressed concern over depreciation of the rupee against the dollar and said, ``If the situation persists, there may be cause for concern.''

C'Wealth team hopeful of Fiji's return to democracy
A Commonwealth delegation, which held day-long talks with the Fijian leaders on crisis-busting, left by nightfall after striking a note of expectation that the promised ``rough road- map'' to the renewal of democracy in the island- Republic would not turn into a mirage.

Israel offers help to tackle terrorism
Israel today shared India's concern over cross-border terrorism and offered all cooperation to tackle the menace.

UK help in Indian hostages release in Sierra Leone
Britain has expressed its readiness to assist India in getting release of 21 Indian peacekeepers now held hostage in Sierra Leone.

Is 'MK' gone into hiding ?
The CBI today identified `MK' or Mukesh Gupta, the bookie named by Hansie Cronje in his confession, as a South Delhi jeweller who has a shop in the Capital's posh marketplace in South Extension.

Why should I quit: Azhar
Azharuddin sees no reason why he should quit from the national team in the wake of Cronje's allegation.

Bishops, PM talks 'successful'
Several Christian leaders today asserted that they were not in any kind of confrontation with the Government for its `failure' to provide protection to Christians, who had become targets of violent attacks in the recent past.

India not out of the Islamic world: Wahid
The visiting Indonesian President, Mr. Abdurrahman Wahid, today delivered an important message to Pakistan - that India with "more than 80 million Muslims" - could not be considered "out of the Islamic world".