Pakistan giving nightmares to the US
By H.K. Dua, who was recently in Washington
While the recent violations of the Line of Control demand greater vigil by India on its western front, the US is getting increasingly worried about the way the situation is shaping for it in Pakistan. In its fading days, the Bush administration’s policy on Pakistan is falling apart and no one in Washington really knows how best to control events or save American interests in Pakistan as well as in Afghanistan.

3rd ceasefire violation in a fortnight
Jawan dies in Pak firing
Poonch, May 19
In yet another ceasefire violation, the Pakistani army resorted to indiscriminate firing from across the Line of Control (LoC), killing an Army jawan in Nangi Tekri area of Mendhar in Poonch sector this morning. (Pakistan has denied as "baseless" the Indian Army's assertion that one of its soldiers was killed in cross-border firing in Jammu and Kashmir, saying there was "no such incident".)

World page: Time ripe to resolve Kashmir issue: Bush
Nation page: Indo-Pak talks begin today
Army takes serious view of unprovoked firing
Time ripe for talks with Hurriyat: Soz
J&K page: All eyes on crucial Indo-Pak talks

Vijay Tendulkar dies at 80
Mumbai, May 19
Noted Marathi playwright Vijay Tendulkar died in Pune after a long illness. Tendulkar (80) is survived by two daughters. He had shifted to Pune some time ago, had been admitted to a local hospital after being diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, a muscular disorder.

Amritsar Bypoll
Deploy central forces: CEC
Amritsar, May 19
The Chief Election Commission today accepted the demand of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) to deploy central forces for the Amritsar South constituency by-election on May 22. CEC Gopalaswami said the Punjab Police would be there to maintain the law and order while the election would be held under the supervision of central forces.