Militants step up attacks
Hours after Monday's fidayeen (suicide squad) attack, in which six Central Reserve Police Force soldiers and two militants were killed, militants stepped up attacks on the security forces today.

A welcome half-step, says Sattar
The Pakistan Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdul Sattar, today dubbed the Indian initiative on Kashmir a ``welcome half- step'' and said the question of a permanent ceasefire on the Line of Control depended on the prospect of successful negotiations starting in the near future.

Lashkar, Hizb reject Pak. LoC move
Three days after the Pakistan Government announced ``maximum restraint'' on the Line of Control, the initial feeble response from militant organisations based here is getting crystallised with more outfits expressing reservations about the move.

Azhar, Sharma debarred for life
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has come down heavily on players either found involved in match- fixing or having a nexus with bookmakers.

Ayodhya issue rocks Parliament
Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day soon after question hour as the Opposition, led by the Congress, pursued its demand for the resignation of the Union Home Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani, and two other Ministers charged in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

Constituencies may be frozen till 2011
A political consensus appears to have emerged that for the moment the total number of Lok Sabha constituencies should be frozen not till 2026, as earlier proposed by the Government, but till 2011.

Stir hits postal services
Postal services were affected throughout the country today with 90 per cent of the staff abstaining from work on the first day of the indefinite strike called by the three main postal federations.

New CJ for AP High Court
The President has appointed Mr. Justice Satya Brata Sinha, Judge of the Calcutta High Court, as the Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.

Duty extended
The Government will continue with anti-dumping duties on caffeine and theophylline imports from China for one more year and impose provisional anti-dumping duty on seamless grade alloy and non- alloy steel billets, bars and rounds from China and Russia.

Directive to Haryana DGP
The controversial Director-General of Haryana Police, Mr. S. P. S. Rathore, was asked by the State Chief Minister, Mr. Om Prakash Chautala, this evening to proceed on leave.