New structure for Indo-U.S. military ties by year-end
The United States today welcomed the revival of the India-Pakistan dialogue and said a new architecture of military cooperation between Washington and New Delhi would be in place by the year-end.

The Agra journey must continue, says Pak.
Expressing disappointment over India's decision to ``disavow the understandings'' reached between the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, at Agra, Islamabad tonight appealed to New Delhi to carry on the caravan of peace on the basis of the progress made at the just-concluded summit.

Koirala resigns as Nepal PM
Beset by growing Maoist insurgent activities, a bribery scandal and recriminations over the June 1 massacre at Kathmandu's Narayanhiti Palace, Nepal's Prime Minister, Mr. Girija Prasad Koirala, resigned today.

NSG cover for Karunanidhi
The former Chief Minister and DMK president, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, is to be provided security cover by the National Security Guards (NSG) very soon.

Shibu Soren loses RS seat
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (S) suffered a major blow today with the Supreme Court setting aside the party president, Mr. Shibu Soren's election to the Rajya Sabha. It dismissed his petition challenging a Patna High Court order.

50 lakh people affected in Orissa floods
Orissa was on the verge of another spell of devastating floods with more water being released from the Hirakud reservoir on the Mahanadi, and heavy rains lashing the catchment areas of the river on Thursday.

Insat launch delay likely
The launch of India's Insat-3C, scheduled between September 10 and 15, may be delayed after the French agency, Arianespace, suffered a rare setback last week when its `flight 142,' which took off from the Kourou

Chandrika desperate to stay in power, says Ranil Wickremesinghe
Two persons died when police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at several places in and around Colombo today to disperse protesters defying a ban and marching towards the city centre for a joint Opposition rally against the prorogation of Parliament by the President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga.

Jeffrey Archer gets 4-year jail sentence
Best- selling novelist and controversial politician, Lord Jeffrey Archer's career was in ruins today after he was jailed for four years for concocting a false alibi to win a &Pound 500,000 libel case against a tabloid 14 years ago.

Rocca sees end to sanctions on India
The Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Ms. Christina Rocca, has expressed optimism that the Bush administration will get through the issue of sanctions against India, but cautioned that as far as Islamabad was concerned the punitive measures under Section 508 will have to remain in place until the President certified that `full' democracy has been restored in that country.