• Hizb not to lay down arms
  srinagar, Dec 25 — Pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen today ruled out laying down arms to participate in talks with the Centre...
  
  

• Pullout has paved way for talks: Pak
  islamabad, Dec 25 — Pakistan’s military regime has claimed that its partial withdrawal of troops from the Line of Control has paved the way for talks with India on the Kashmir issue.
  
  

• J&K page: Motivate fidayeen, ISI tells militants

Series of blasts in Pak, 45 hurt
lahore, Dec 25 — A series of bomb explosions rocked Pakistan today, injuring 45 persons, authorities said.

No differences in NDA: Advani
NEW DELHI, Dec 25 — Home Minister L.K. Advani has ruled out instability or differences within the NDA in the wake of the Ayodhya controversy and said the recent defeat of the censure motion in the Lok Sabha had given a “sense of stability”.

Sleuths sent to Haryana, UP
HC had pulled up Centre on Red Fort
NEW DELHI, Dec 25 — More than 72 hours after the attack on the Red Fort, both the Army and the Delhi Police are groping in the dark and still searching for vital clues which could result in a breakthrough.

Paroda reinstated
New Delhi, Dec 25 — The government has reinstated Dr R S Paroda, as Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education.

Jor Mela begins
FATEHGARH SAHIB, Dec 25 — The three-day annual shaheedi Jor Mela held in memory of martyrs Baba Zorawar Singh, Baba Fateh Singh and Mata Gujri began here today with an Akhand Path at Gurdwara Jyoti Swarup Sahib.

Golden Forests duped 25 lakh investors
JALANDHAR, Dec 25 — The Golden Forests, eight directors of which have been arrested by the Vigilance Bureau for defrauding investors of Rs 4,000 crore, had more than 25 lakh investors, spread all over the country. They had each invested money ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 1 crore.

• Police remand for Golden Forest directors (Punjab page)
  

Ganvi hydel project opened
SHIMLA, Dec 25 — One more feather was added in the field of hydel power generation today, when Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal dedicated the 22.5 MW Ganvi hydel project to the people coinciding with the birthday of the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee.