Firstpost Editor's Picks: Balakot air strike; trafficking in Jharkhand; Bhumi Pednekar on Sonchiriya; today's top stories

Opposition walking into Narendra Modi's trap by questioning the validity of Balakot air strike There might be sound ground for scepticism and the government will eventually have to come up with evidence instead of feeding “source-based” reportage on Balakot air strike. And even though the open display of scepticism against the government at this point might be a political necessity for the Opposition, it will likely be counterproductive, and a step closer to the trap set by Narendra Modi. Jharkhand's Khunti village rife with tales of human trafficking, but threats keeps villagers from approaching police Khunti district in Jharkhand is probably the most affected in terms of human trafficking, yet only a very small number of cases get registered with the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the district police. The major reason being threats from traffickers. In some cases, traffickers lure the girls and their families with a meagre amount of Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 and take the girls to Delhi, Mumbai and other cities, where these girls are then exploited. Winter break extension for schools in Kashmir seen as Centre's way to thwart campus protests The two-month-long winter break has come to an end in Kashmir and the lifeless educational institutions are waiting to come to life as students plan to return to their classes. But this time around, students across the Valley might have to wait a bit more, after the government extended the winter break. This extension is majorly seen as the government’s way to thwart the possible campus protests over harassments of Kashmiri students outside the Valley and the ban on the Jama’at-e-Islami (JeI)-run Fala-i-aam Trust schools. **Manchester United produce vintage late show; defending Machester City rule the roost** Liverpool squandered their opportunity to stay on top of the Premier League with a draw against Everton while Tottenham brought out their feisty best to claw their way back and earn a draw against London rivals Arsenal in what could be an important match in the race for the final Champions League spot. A late comeback victory against Southampton will have Manchester United faithful jumping with joy again. Here is how last week shaped up in European football. 'The terrain and experience of shooting in Chambal added to my character': Bhumi Pednekar   “I was amazed with the director’s (Abhishek Chaubey’s) courage because there are no frills attached to the film. There is no cushioning. He has so much faith in his characters in his story and narrative that he didn’t feel the need to put in commercial ingredients,” says actress Bhumi Pednekar on filming for Sonchiriya, which is set in the Chambal region during the 1975 Emergency.