IMPHAL, January 21: The NSCN(IM) has stated that it now sees a glimmer of sincerity on the part of the Government of India in the Revised Agreed Ground Rules which was finalised on January 13 as it contains the clause that the ceasefire will be extended to all Naga inhabited areas. In a release faxed to The Sangai Express this evening the Secretary of the Naga rebel outfit, V Horam said that though the NSCN is not fully satisfied with the revised ground rules it is the best option in the prevailing condition. The release added that a little sacrifice here and there between the parties was...

AGARTALA, January 21: National Liberation Front of Twipra militants have started snatching telephones installed in tribal households in the interior areas so that their movements cannot be reported to police. The tribals are also keeping silent for fear of reprisals. Officers of the telecom department came to know of the incidents from some tribals and made inquiries. Sources in the telecom department said in the first week of December, a group of armed NLFT rebels raided tribal houses having telephone connections in the Madhavpur area under Jirania police station and looted 18 telephone sets...

DIMAPUR (Rangapahar), January 22: Though a semblance of peace has returned to Nagaland following the ongoing ceasefire, factional fights among the two warring Naga groups NSCN(IM) and NSCN(K) are going to rock the State and parts of Manipur in the near future. What is a more significant development is that largescale extortion by the militants has also gone alltime high. Although unlike Tripura militants, NSCN militants do not indulge in indiscriminate kidnappings, sustained extortion during ceasefire has certainly been a matter of apprehension for all the Army deployed in the State. The...

IMPHAL, January 20: Former Chief Minister and the lone Congress MLA in the Assembly, Rishang Keishing has accused the Opposition alliance, Manipur Democratic Front and Radhabinod Koijam of thwarting the Centre's move to impose PR in the State. Speaking to The Sangai Express, the veteran Congressman said that Centre had already started the process of imposing PR in the State. He said that Union Home Minister LK Advani had sought the opinion of AICC president Sonia Gandhi's view on the matter. The AICC chief in turn asked Pranab Mukherjee and Ambika Soni visit the State and assess the situation...

GUWAHATI, January 20: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has ruled out possibility of having any electoral understanding with the regional AGP, Congress or BJP during the next Assembly election in the State. The general secretary of the party and former Lok Sabha Speaker, P A Sangma today informed that the NCP working committee would meet here on January 30 to discuss the political situation in the State and finalise the party's strategy for next round of Assembly polls in the State. Top ranking party functionaries including the national president, Sarad Pawar, Tariq Anwar, Devendra Dwivedi...