Truce extension draws flak
The extension of the four-year-old ceasefire with the NSCN (I-M) for another year without territorial limits in Naga inhabited areas in the north-east has evoked sharp criticism from political parties in Assam and Manipur, which have blamed the Centre for rushing through it without consulting them.

Red alert in Manipur
Security measures have been beefed up on an unprecedented scale in all parts of Manipur to ensure that there is no untoward incident in the aftermath of the extension of the ceasefire with the NSCN(IM) to the Naga-populated areas in north- eastern States.

Hurriyat leaders under house arrest
Apprehending large-scale demonstrations in response to the All-Party Hurriyat Conference call for protests against ``state terrorism'' after Friday prayers, the authorities placed the APHC chairman and a few other leaders under house arrest while some others were detained as a precautionary measure.

Hurriyat to be checkmated
The decision to house-detain two senior leaders of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference, Prof. Abdul Gani Bhat and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, is being described here as part of a decision not to let the separatist voices vitiate the atmosphere in the run-up to the Vajpayee-Musharraf summit next month.

Speculation over Musharraf visit dates
There is intense speculation in the media here about the dates of the Pakistan military ruler and Chief Executive, Gen. Pervez Musharraf's visit to New Delhi for a summit meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee.

Musharraf quid pro quo to Pak. parties?
In what appears to be a quid pro quo deal with political parties in the build-up to the coming New Delhi summit meeting, the military government has virtually ended its ban on political rallies.

Bid to blow up U.S. Embassy in New Delhi; 2 held
An attempt by international terrorist, Osama bin Laden, to blast the United States Embassy here has been foiled by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police in coordination with the Intelligence Bureau after the arrest of two suspected terrorists, including a Sudanese national, and recovery of high- intensity explosives.

Pak. condemns arrest
Pakistan today alleged that the arrest of the Hurriyat leaders and incidents of increased violence by the security forces in Kashmir demonstrated that New Delhi continued to ``rely on brutal use of force to suppress the just struggle of the Kashmiri people.''

Will Bush play the Russia card?
There is only one man who can salvage what from all indications has been a disastrous maiden political venture into Europe for the U.S. President, Mr. George W. Bush. And that man is his Russian counterpart, Mr. Vladimir Putin.

India, Russia to market missile
The successful test-firing of the PJ-10 supersonic cruise missile is an ``element of strategic partnership'' between India and Russia, a senior Russian Government member said.