Qureshi suits NDA gambit
NEW DELHI, Dec 30 — The stunning return of Mohammed Hashmi Qureshi to the land of his birth has added an entirely new dimension to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s peace initiative in troubled Jammu and Kashmir.

Differences on team to Pak
JAMMU, Dec 30 — The All-Party Hurriyat Conference is not ready to accept the Central Government’s selection of the Hurriyat delegation that will be permitted to visit Pakistan for talks with militants and the government there.

• Pressure to include Geelani

• Honour ceasefire, USA tells Pak

No tripartite talks, says Advani
NEW DELHI, Dec 30 — Home Minister L.K. Advani today ruled out any possibility of the Line of Control ever being accepted as the international border and said India would always reject tripartite talks involving Pakistan and militants in Jammu and Kashmir.

RSS, Panthic bodies head for showdown
AMRITSAR, Dec 30 — Various Sikh organisations came out strongly against the RSS move that could lead to an ugly confrontation between Panthic organisations and RSS workers.

• RSS denies joint celebration report
  (Punjab page)

L.M. Goyal is Haryana Chief Secy
Twentyeight IAS officers shifted
Chandigarh, Dec 30 — Mr L.M. Goyal, Financial Commissioner and Secretary Revenue, Consolidation and Rehabilitation Departments, was today named as the next Chief Secretary of Haryana, in charge of Protocol, Hospitality, Training, Grievances and Vigilance Departments succeeding Mr Vishnu Bhagwan who would be retiring on December 31.

Series of blasts rock Manila 
Suspect held, communists’ hand suspected
MANILA, Dec 30 — A series of bombs exploded in the Philippines capital Manila today killing at least 11 persons, wounding scores and plunging the city of 12 million people into panic. A suspect was taken into custody later in the evening.

Soldier’s funeral turns violent
kolhapur, Dec 30 — the funeral of a soldier killed in Monday’s Lashkar-e-Toiba’s attack on the Army’s 15 Corps headquarters in Srinagar sparked off rioting in this city today, the police said.

Tourists wait for the snow HP hotels bursting at the seams SHIMLA, Dec 30 — There is a sudden rush of New Year revellers in all tourist destinations of the state where most of the hotels which have offered special packages for the eve are packed to capacity.