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NEW DELHI, Jan 21 ? The shifting stands of the Assam Government and hawks within the Bodo leadership have emerged as the prime factor for the breakdown of peace talks with the Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) leading to a stalemate. While both the Assam government and the BLT packed their bags and left for Assam, the sudden turn of events, however, left the Central Government peeved. The draft Bodo Accord was kept ready and an appointment with Deputy Prime Minister, LK Advani was fixed for his presence in the accord signing ceremony before the deadlock forced the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)...

NEW DELHI, Jan 21 ? The formal round of negotiations between the Union Government and the NSCN (IM) got underway here today, even as the Central Government has shelved plans of immediately appointing a political interlocutor. The day-long talks between the Government of India and NSCN (IM) was held in two rounds at a secret location away from the media glare. The NSCN (IM) delegation was led by chairman, Isak Chisi Swu and included Th Muivah, their spokesman R H Raising, Grinder Muivah and Samson Jajo among others.

The Government of India was represented by its chief interlocutor, K...

GUWAHATI, Jan 21 ? In the Sanjay Ghosh killing case, seven prosecution witnesses today deposed before the ad-hoc Additional Sessions Judge Kamrup P K Phukan here, reports PTI. The witnesses were all residents of Majuli river island in upper Assam where social worker Sanjoy Ghosh of Avard-NE was working and abducted by the ULFA on July 4, 1997.

None of the witnesses turned hostile. One of the accused, ULFA cadre Kaniya Hazarika, who was charge-sheeted by the investigating agency CBI and is in judicial custody now, was also present in the court. The next recording of another witness would be...

Imphal, January 21: India and Myanmar have decided to set up a Joint Trade Committee (JTC) between the two countries at the Ministerial level and the inaugural meeting of the JTC would take place very soon. This was indicated in a meeting between Mr U Win Aung, Foreign Minister of Myanmar and Shri Arun Shourie, Minister of Disinvestment and Commerce & Industry here today. The issues of bilateral trade, border trade and economic cooperation will be discussed in the inaugural meeting of the JTC for which Shri Shourie has been invited by Myanmar side. Shri Vinay Bansal, Additional Secretary...

Imphal, January 21: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Tuesday assured an all-party delegation from Manipur that the boundaries of the state will not be affected in the wake of the ongoing peace talks between Centre and Nagaland. The delegation leader and Chief Minister of Manipur Okram Ibobi Singh told newsmen that this assurance was given when the team met Vajpayee to discuss the impact of the talks on the state. Singh said Manipur also wanted a constitutional amendment for the maintenance of territorial integrity of the state. "We welcome Centre's peace talks with Nagaland but the...