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Weekly News in a Nutshell

IndiaXroads.com has decided to make life easier for its readers. We now present to you . . . Weekly News in a Nutshell. This would be useful for those of us who don't have much time to read the news thoroughly. We'll give you the major Indian and United States news in brief. You can follow the links if you'd like more info. So, go ahead, exercise you fingers over the weekend . . . click your mouse and read on.

Well, the headlines in India have been filled this week with the elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The elections in Jammu and Kashmir were completed yesterday with the Congress and the People's Democratic Party(PDP) being the major players in the future State government. During the elections, the Congress Party had projected the J&K PCC president, Ghulam Nabi Azad, as the party's Chief Ministerial candidate but discussions for the final choice of the Chief Minister will be finalized in a couple of days.

The electoral results will allow Vajpayee dialogue with Pakistan and separatist groups as both the Congress and PDP are in favour of it. Sonia Gandhi too is pleased with the elections as its results show that the number of Congress-ruled states has gone up from 14 to 15. Vajpayee commended the Kashmiri's bravery in coming out to vote despite threats by militants to boycott the elections and promised that the center would work with the elected representatives. However, the Indian security forces too have been accused of forcing people out to vote. The U.S. State Department has asked the Indian government to look into these allegations.

Most of the international community too commended the elections in Kashmir. The US is happy about the elections but hopes for talks between Pakistan and India . However, the third India-EU summit in Denmark ended on a bitter note when differences over dialogues with Pakistan and cross-border terrorism could not be reconciled. It was said that the Danish Prime Minister and the E.U. President, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, expected the Indian government to agree to talk to Pakistan. The Indian government's refused to do so until cross-border terrorism was recognized.

Across the border, Pakistan too held democratic elections yesterday. Benazir Bhutto's party, the PPP looks like it may lead a coalition. Makhdoom Amin Fahim has been chosen by Benazir Bhutto to lead the coalition. However, the hardliners in Pakistan have won in the Northwestern Frontier Province.

On a national level, first there were disagreements between the BJP and the RSS. Now there are differences within the RSS too. Recently an editorial in the mouthpiece of the RSS, severely criticized and ridiculed the government. The RSS distanced itself from the editorial saying that it does not subscribe to its views.

Onto the masala side, it's been a rough week for Salman Khan who ran over a person while drunk driving at night. In addition to this, he's in trouble now for buying his Toyota illegally. Papers say that he couldn't come to terms with his break up with Aishwarya Rai. Amitabh Bachan turned 60 today.

In the United States, the congress has given Bush the power to wage war on Iraq. However, a slightly disturbing article came out in the NYT yesterday about the CIA's difference of opinion with Bush on possible Iraq's actions. They do not support the White House's view that Iraq poses an immediate threat.

New York city has once again has been put on high alert after videotaped threats. In one of the tapes, Osama bin Laden's chief deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, threatened attacks on the United States economy.

The Sniper killer who is taking victims at random in the suburbs of Washington D.C is still free and roaming about. So far seven people have been shot dead and three people wounded.