• UK to freeze Benazir’s assets

• Edit: Musharraf's master-stroke
  

Nawaz Sharif offers prayers at a mosque in this file photo and (right) Kulsoom Sharif (centre), wife of Nawaz Sharif, poses with her daughter Mariam Safdar, (left) son-in-law, Mohammed Safdar, (right) and granddaughter Mehrun Nisa (left in front row) and grandson Junaid Safdar on Sunday in Islamabad, before leaving for the airport. — AP/PTI

NDA backs Vajpayee
Meeting skirts remark on temple
NEW DELHI, Dec 10 — The Supreme Court’s order on the Ayodhya issue would be implemented by the NDA government and the Prime Minister’s statement on the temple issue had been quoted out of context — these declarations appeared to have pacified the NDA allies, who met here today at the residence of Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee and extended “full support” to his leadership.

US SC stops manual count
WASHINGTON, Dec 10— In a stunning blow to Vice-President Al Gore’s revived hopes, the US Supreme Court stopped the counting of “undervotes” — ballots not counted by machines — in Florida and agreed to hear Mr George W. Bush’s case against a state court’s ruling which allowed manual recounts.

Army transit camp attacked
SRINAGAR, Dec 10 — Militants of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad struck at midday today and fired at least five grenades at an Army transit camp at Toto Ground here.

Rift in Hurriyat comes to fore
Scuffle over Lone’s remark
SRINAGAR, Dec 10 — Differences within the Hurriyat Conference surfaced openly at a seminar on human rights held here today, where a majority of speakers opposed the much-hyped dialogue with the Centre following the ongoing unilateral ceasefire.

Pak response may lead to tripartite talks
WASHINGTON, Dec 10 — Pakistan Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf’s offer to observe restraint along the Line of Control (LoC) could set the stage for serious tripartite negotiations between India, Pakistan and militant leaders aimed at resolving the Kashmir issue, media reports said.

Mosque attacked, one killed
CHENNAI, Dec 10 — A group of miscreants hurled hand grenades and hacked to death a person inside the precincts of a mosque at KTC Colony near Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu early today.

Puran Singh in catch-22 situation AMRITSAR, Dec 10 — The appointment of Giani Puran Singh as Head Granthi, Golden Temple is likely to create problems. He faces a catch 22 situation as he will have to attend meetings of Sikh high priests — Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar Takht Kesgarh Sahib, Giani Kewal Singh, Jathedar, Damdama Sahib, and Giani Bhagwan Singh, Head Granthi, Akal Takht — who were ‘excommunicated’ from the Panth by him through a controversial ‘hukamnama’ on March 12. Takes charge