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EXCLUSIVE
Allotment cancellation PM's masterstroke: Naidu
'Does the Congress have the moral courage to ask for the cancellation of all the allotments made in last ten years to their favourites?' the BJP president asked.

TOP REPORT
Militants kill 9 Amarnath pilgrims, injure 32
The militants attacked the heavily guarded base camp for the pilgrims at Nunwan on the outskirts of Pahalgam.

Amarnath pilgrims resume journey
Authorities had evacuated the pilgrims to Pahalgam after the terrorist attack at Nunwan base camp.

New LeT outfit responsible: Advani
The Union home minister asserted that the Amarnath yatra would continue.

Woman immolates herself on husband's pyre
Police tried to stop the 65-year-old in a village in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh, but were attacked by the villagers.

BJP slams attack, Sena blames govt
The VHP, on the other hand, accused J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah of failing to protect the lives of innocent citizens.

Pakistan condemns attack
But the J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah held Pakistan responsible saying the destruction of training camps across the border was the only option for India to uproot terrorism.

Swami calls it a security lapse
The minister of state for home affairs admitted that the government was 'foxed by the attack'.

Attack meant to foil solution to Kashmir problem: US
State Department officials said that such attacks are clearly aimed at escalating tensions in the region and preventing movement towards a political resolution of the Kashmir conflict.

Don't mistake restraint for weakness, India warns Pakistan
The external affairs ministry said India had every right to defend its security and would act firmly against anyone threatening it.

VHP warns of reaction to attack on pilgrims
The organisation urged the government to put on hold its diplomatic offensive against Pakistan and destroy the terrorist training camps in occupied Kashmir.

Parties condemn attack on Amarnath pilgrims
Even the extremist Hizbul Mujahideen said `whosoever has done this incident has left a scar on the movement in the state'.

INTERVIEW
'The state government does not want us to be effective'
Thupstan Chhewang, chairman of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, on the problems and achievements of local self-government in the remote region. The second and concluding part of an interview.

INDO-PAK TENSIONS
Armitage to visit India, Pak next month
The United States deputy secretary of state will travel to India on August 23 and Pakistan on August 24.

Suicide attack on Rashtriya Rifles bunker kills soldier
The attack took place in the main Handwara town in the north Kashmir district of Baramulla.

GUJARAT
Haren Pandya resigns from Gujarat ministry
Recently, he had been accused of criticising Chief Minister Narendra Modi and was slapped with a show-cause notice.

PETROL PUMP SCAM
Oppn demands Naik's head; Parliament adjourned
Congress and Samajwadi Party members in the Lok Sabha stormed the well after Speaker Manohar Joshi disallowed a notice for suspension of Question Hour.

BJP to come out with list of Congress pump allotments
A BJP Member of Parliament told rediff.com that the central leadership was sending instructions to the state units to compile a list of Congress members who had received allotments.

PAK ELECTIONS
Benazir vows to contest presidential poll
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is reportedly planning to get elected as president by parliament and provincial assemblies after the general election.

Bhutto's new party submits documents to the EC
The Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians was formed on August 5 in Islamabad, as a separate entity, to meet the requirements of the new laws passed by the military regime.

OTHER REPORTS
Circular branding RSS 'terrorist outfit' creates ruckus in Karnataka assembly
The BJP claimed that a circular issued by the intelligence wing of the state police equated the RSS with the LTTE, JKLF and Muslim League.

Navleen Kumar murder probe by CID: Thakre
Navleen Kumar, a social activist fighting for the rights of the tribals, was murdered in her house in Nallasopara in Thane district.

UK asks nationals not to travel to Pak
It has advised British nationals against holiday travel to Pakistan and to leave that country unless they had a compelling reason to stay and had confidence in the security arrangements.

Shivani case: R K Sharma's bail plea rejected
However, much to the chagrin of the Delhi police, the man they have been seeking reportedly attended a party in the national capital on Monday night.

Ex-judge J W Singh, accused of underworld links, acquitted
The police had claimed that Singh had approached Chhota Shakeel to recover money invested in a chit fund business.

Ex-judge says he was victimised by Mumbai police
Former sessions court judge J W Singh, who was on Tuesday acquitted of charges of maintaining links with the underworld, blamed 'police raj' for his two-year ordeal.

Nepal SC upholds Parliament dissolution, election in November
The court said the Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's recommendation to dissolve the House was not 'ill-intended'.

Digging may not throw up all answers in Ayodhya
Archaeologists say the contending parties can still raise questions over the results of the excavations.

Suburban, long-distance train on schedule in Mumbai
A minor disruption at railway bridge number 144, situated between Palghar and Boisar railway stations, on Monday night caused a few long-distance trains to be delayed.

Rains wash away fear of drought in Bihar
Patna city alone has recorded 259.8 mm rainfall in the last four days. Large parts of western and eastern Bihar have also received heavy rainfall.

Monsoon shows signs of revival
The met office said good rainfall is expected in central India and adjoining areas in the next couple of days.

Bihar too bans the sale of 'gutkha'
The chief minister had earlier asked the health department and the chief secretary to study the steps taken by other states to ban the product.

Sept 11 hate crime victim's brother killed
Sukhpal Singh Sodhi, brother of Balbir Singh Sodhi, the first South Asian killed in the hate crimes following the September 11 attacks was going home in his car when someone shot him.

SPECIAL
'There was absolute chaos in the country'
M V Kamath recalls the heady days when the Quit India Movement began.

COLUMNS
Uncle Sam, don't lecture us
'Colin Powell's remark that "Kashmir is on the international agenda" was a veiled threat so typical of the New World's master bully named Uncle Sam,' says Arvind Lavakare.

The tape goes round and round
'For his murky deeds, Sanjay Dutt faces the law. For his, Madhukar Sarpotdar spent years actually making our laws. Do you see a difference? This time, I do,' says Dilip D'Souza.

August 05, 2002

PETROL PUMP SCAM
PM cancels all petrol pump allotments
All allotments of petrol pumps, liquefied petroleum gas and kerosene agencies made after January 2000 stand cancelled.

Government has admitted guilt, says jubilant Congress
The party continued to insist on Petroleum Minister Ram Naik's resignation, saying he had appointed the chairmen of the dealer selection boards.

RS adjourned amidst slogan shouting
The trouble arose as soon as the House met for the day with a determined opposition raising anti-government slogans.

PM's niece to fight cancellation of petrol pump allotment
"I got it [the allotment of petrol pump] through free and fair means. Therefore, there is no question of it being cancelled. But if it is done, I will fight it till the end," she told Star News.

SHIVANI MURDER CASE
R K Sharma applies for bail in Panchkula
The IG (Prisons) has been untraceable after a few persons told the Delhi police about his involvement in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case.

One more suspect held in Gurgaon
Vijay Sharma was arrested on charges of providing a mobile phone to accused Sri Bhagwan.

AYODHYA TANGLE
SC issues notice to Centre, others
In a petition Mohammad Aslam Bhure alleged that the parties were not honouring the 1994 SC order to maintain status quo at the disputed site.

VHP opposes excavations at disputed site
Excavations at the site would mean removing the statue of Lord Ram, which would violate the sanctity of the temple, VHP international secretary general Pravin Togadia claimed.

GUJARAT ELECTIONS
EC team briefs commission on situation in Gujarat: PTI
The team was despatched to Gujarat to review the existing situation and preparedness of the state machinery for the conduct of free and fair assembly polls.

VHP gets into election-mode in Gujarat: PTI
The outfit is to launch an awareness campaign to ensure victory of 'those who respected Hindu sentiments', VHP international general secretary Pravin Togadia said.

NEIGHBOURHOOD
6 killed in attack on Christian school in Pakistan
Four armed gunmen fired indiscriminately at a missionary school catering to children of expatriates near Murree, 70 kms from Islamabad.

Benazir nominates new leader for polls
Springs a last minute surprise by nominating a new wing of her Pakistan Peoples Party -- the Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians -- to run for the polls.

Pak not to allow Shahbaz Sharief to return
The former premier Nawaz Sharief's brother was elected as the chief of the Pakistan Muslim League on Saturday.

Pak revises history textbooks to remove biases
"We should not hide the truth from our children, whether it is good or bad," Education Minister Zubaida Jalal told The News daily.

'Osama may not be behind Sept 11'
'I didn't think it possible that Osama sitting up there in the mountains could do it', the Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf told 'The New Yorker'.

Kargil was a disaster of Musharraf's making: former teacher
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's former teacher said he had 'personally rebuked the General for his role' in Kargil.

50 Pak societies apologise to Dhaka for 'atrocities'
The apology comes days after Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf expressed his regrets for the events of 1971 in Dhaka.

COLUMN
The need for para-diplomacy
'Our experience with para-diplomacy through Pakistan's intelligence agencies has been unsatisfactory. However, memories of the past exercise need not deter us from trying it again,' says B Raman.

NEWS ANALYSIS
Benazir keeps Musharraf guessing
The prospect of Benazir Bhutto's return galvanises the Pakistan People's Party, while the Musharraf government insists she will be jailed the moment she lands on Pakistani soil.

JAMMU AND KASHMIR
No plans to quit Hurriyat, says Bilal Lone
The elder son of the slain separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone and the People's Conference representative to the APHC, however, was critical of the 'boardroom style politics' of the outfit.

Hurriyat welcomes Kashmir Committee, rejects polls
Shabir Shah of the Democratic Freedom Party said the committee should rope in as many separatists as possible to find a lasting solution to the Kashmir problem.

10 people injured in grenade blast at Rajouri
The condition of one of the injured is critical and he is being brought to the Jammu Medical College Hospital for specialised treatment.

Hurriyat welcomes Kashmir Committee, rejects polls
Shabir Shah of the Democratic Freedom Party said the committee should rope in as many separatists as possible to find a lasting solution to the Kashmir problem.

India, Pak continue shelling along LoC
Sporadic small arms firing also took place along the Kanachak, Akhnoor and Khour sectors of Jammu district.

INTERVIEW
'No point in keeping Ladakh as part of J&K'
Thupstan Chhewang,, chairman of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, says Ladhakis have been used as scapegoats to balance the demand for azadi in the valley.

BOLLYWOOD-UNDERWORLD NEXUS
Parveen Babi fails to testify against Dutt
The yesteryear actress says she is in possession of 'some highly incriminating, documentary evidence' against Sanjay Dutt that can expose his role in the 1993 Mumbai blasts.

Cong wants drought to be declared as national calamity: PTI
Congress-ruled states have complained of step-motherly treatment by the Centre in the disbursement of drought relief funds.

Ruckus in Maha assembly over Sanjay Dutt issue
The son of Congress MP Sunil Dutt has been in the news for his alleged telephonic conversations with underworld elements.

COLUMN
Bad Company
'Too many people, even among the affluent and educated families, have terrifying experiences. But few wear it on their sleeves, and fewer still sink to the depths Sanjay Dutt did. His father's psychobabble nauseates me,' says Varsha Bhosle.

OTHER REPORTS
Three arrested for Jogeshwari murders
Four people, including two children, were strangulated in a flat at Jogeshwari on July 31.

Police seek permission to search Vaiko's houses: PTI
The MDMK leader had been arrested in July under POTA in July for his pro-LTTE views.

Flood toll in Bihar rises to 157
Crops worth Rs 20 million and houses worth Rs 400 million have been destroyed in the flood even as the army stepped up relief measures.

Bodo outfit, ULFA at loggerheads over creation of tribal council
The Centre and the Bodo Liberation Tigers have agreed in talks to set up a Bodo Tribal Council, which is opposed by the pro-Assamese ULFA.

Violence mars Trinamool sponsored Bengal bandh
Over 1900 party activists, including four MLAs, were arrested for trying to enforce the bandh.

HC grants bail to convicted RJD minister
Ramashray Sahni had been sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the killing of a policeman.

Bihar blames Nepal for devastating floods
Whenever it rains heavily in Nepal, the excess waters are released downstream into north Bihar.

WB govt suspends 6 cops in undertrials' death case
Two undertrials died after 262 of them were herded into two windowless lock-ups of the Malda court designed to accommodate 45 prisoners each.

SC stays Allahabad HC ban on gutkha
A bench headed by Justice G B Pattanaik while staying the Allahabad high court order of July 18 issued notice to state government after hearing batch of petitions challenging the high court order.

Jolt to transporters' strike in Bihar
Auto-rickshaw and mini bus unions have unilaterally withdrawn from the agitation by transporters in protest against the hike in road taxes.

No case against person held for bid on Paramhans's life
The CBI closure report said that there was no evidence to link Tanveer with the May 15, 2000 bomb explosion outside the Faizabad hospital, which injured the Mahant, as claimed by the Uttar Pradesh police.

Seven acquitted in TADA case after 10 years
'I consider the prosecution story of the arrest of the accused people as not worth believing...' Special Judge S N Dhingra said.

Heavy rains lash North India, end dry spell
Torrential rains hit Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttaranchal, and Rajasthan, providing much-needed relief to the people.

August 04, 2002

J&K poll announcement hasty: Jethmalani
Without the participation of big separatist groups, voter turnout could be quite low, the former Union law minister warned.

Kashmir Committee invites Hurriyat, others for talks
The committee comprising eminent citizens said the announcement of the election in the state had complicated efforts to ensure the broadest possible political participation.

Two more separatists to boycott polls
'We are not against the democratic process, but when it is carried out over dead bodies, it loses all meaning,' Hashim Qureshi said.

Lone's party may leave Hurriyat
'Times have changed and we'll have to change too,' the People's Conference leader said. 'Hurriyat has to rise above holding meetings and issuing press statements.'

J&K terrorists to step up violence
Kill a politician a day to keep the election away, the cadres have apparently been told.

Police raid Sharma's house twice, draw a blank
They, however, took possession of a telephone diary belonging to the Haryana police officer as well as some other documents.

Naidu rules out stern action against Pandya
The Gujarat revenue minister denied a charge of indiscipline and sought protection from the chief minister's ego, likes and dislikes, and envy.

Vajpayee's China visit may be delayed till Dec
The Communist Party of China is likely to hold its five-year congress in September-October where top leaders, including General Secretary Jiang Zemin, are expected to retire.

8 missing in Arunachal after flash floods
Meanwhile, major rivers continued to flow above the danger mark in Bihar and 10 more persons died, taking the toll in the state to 129.

Govt to add 2 more embarkation points for Hajj
Last year 120,000 Indians performed the pilgrimage, the largest number after Indonesia and Pakistan.

THE BJP NATIONAL COUNCIL
BJP unrepentant about Gujarat; PM looks on
The national council meeting heralded a generational change in the party with newly nominated president M Venkaiah Naidu and Gujarat CM Narendra Modi drawing the most applause.

INTERVIEW
'We should not press the panic button'
'We have enough grain to take care of the people of India.' Union Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh on the drought.

SLIDE SHOW
The Week's Images
Appeasing the rains gods, Vice-President's funeral, Indo-Pak tensions and a cricketer is honoured.

Lakme India Fashion Week
The 3rd edition of the event, which aims to showcase the best of the Indian fashion industry, took off on Friday August 2.

August 03, 2002

THE BJP NATIONAL COUNCIL
Faux pas leaves Advani red-faced
While narrating the ideological history of the Jan Sangh and the BJP, the deputy prime minister forgot to mention Vajpayee's full contribution in the party's growth.

'Congress incapable of forming coalitions'
The Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani said the National Democratic Alliance experiment had strengthened federalism.

Naidu calls opposition irresponsible
'We are progressive in our thinking. Now let us be aggressive in our action,' the BJP president said.

BJP moots introspection to contain indiscipline
In the draft 'Delhi Pledge', the party resolved to develop the mindset of a ruling party.

Venkaiah formally takes charge of BJP
The national council ratified his appointment amid chants of Vande Mataram.

JAMMU & KASHMIR
5 killed in Pak shelling along LoC
Two dozen buildings have been damaged in Machil, Kernah and Keran sectors of Kupwara district and Gurez in Baramulla district in the last 24 hours.

Militants kill 2 National Conference leaders
Though none of the militant outfits have claimed responsibility, the police suspect the involvement of the Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen.

Suspected Qasim Nagar attacker arrested
Police said he had been hiding in the forest near Qasim Nagar after the July 13 carnage, awaiting an opportunity to escape to Poonch district.

'No sovereign nation can agree to foreign observers'
Defence Minister George Fernandes said separatists could participate in the election if they swore allegiance to the Constitution.

Poll an acid test for Pakistan: Digvijay
The minister of state for external affairs said the elections have provided Pakistan an opportunity to prove its commitment to fight global terrorism.

Poll schedule a hasty step: Mufti
The Peoples Democratic Party chief said the Centre should have built the 'confidence of voters' before asking the Election Commission to notify the dates.

SHIVANI BHATNAGAR MURDER CASE
IPS officer plotted Shivani murder: police
The police said Pradeep, arrested on Friday, confessed to killing Shivani with the help of his associates.

OTHER REPORTS
No caveats, Musharraf will end infiltration: Villepin
The French foreign minister told a press conference in Islamabad that Musharraf had expressed determination to fight terrorism in all its manifestations.

Paramhans opposes excavation
The Ram Janambhoomi Trust president said excavation is against vaishnav dharma.

Unregistered pilgrims also allowed to visit Amarnath
Priority will be given to registered pilgrims, but the others will also be allowed to proceed to the shrine till the upper ceiling of 3,500 pilgrims a day is reached.

Mayawati sees threat to life, seeks central help
The Uttar Pradesh chief minister has named Atiq Ahmed and Brijesh Singh as the brains behind the conspiracy.

Miffed Mayawati refuses to send 300 buses to strike-hit Bihar
Official sources said the BSP leader was angry with RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav for splitting her party unit in Bihar in June.

Malda affected by 'bandh' over lock-up deaths
The deceased had been detained along with 260 others in two cells designed to accommodate 40 each.

'Rights violation in Gujarat lesser than in J&K'
The BJP claims that election can be held in Gujarat, if it can be held in Jammu and Kashmir.

6 Pakistanis in US list of terrorists
They figure in a new list of specially designated nationals and other persons released by the US treasury's office of foreign assets control.

Slain army captain cremated in Hyderabad
R Veera Raja Reddy was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday evening.

Goa politicians fined for using court to score political points
Three politicians had challenged the state cabinet decision recommending dissolution of the Goa assembly.

Shahbaz Sharief to head PML in Oct poll
The move is a setback to the PPP's Benazir Bhutto who was expecting the PML to join her in defying the military regime.

Iraq's invitation to UN weapons inspector evokes mixed reaction
While the US and the UK described it as a 'ploy', France and Russia described it as a 'positive step'.

FLOOD SITUATION
Overflowing rivers threaten north Bihar
Over 10 million people have been affected by the floods.

Flood situation in Assam improves
The current wave of floods has claimed 30 lives and damaged more than 20,000 houses.

INTERVIEW
'We should not press the panic button'
'We have enough grain to take care of the people of India.' Union Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh on the drought.

SLIDE SHOW
The Week's Images
Appeasing the rains gods, Vice-President's funeral, Indo-Pak tensions and a cricketer is honoured.

Lakme India Fashion Week
The 3rd edition of the event, which aims to showcase the best of the Indian fashion industry, took off on Friday August 2.

August 02, 2002

TOP REPORTS
'India, Pak willing for US role on Kashmir'
The US Secretary of State Colin Powell also said: 'It is important, though, for the US not to try to insert itself as negotiator or intermediary or broker. There is a long history of failure trying to do that'.

HC wants excavation of disputed Ayodhya site
A three-judge bench of the Allahabad high court said, 'If there was any temple or religious construction on the disputed site, or if it ever existed, its foundation can be traced by excavation'.

'No disqualification of candidate unless convicted'
An all-party meet discussed the draft Representation of People (Amendment) Bill designed to bypass the EC order asking candidates to disclose their educational, financial and criminal antecedents.

India to launch military satellite soon: Aatre
The scientific adviser to the defence minister said the satellite to be built by the Defence Research and Development Organisation would be launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation.

ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS
J&K poll on Sep 16, 24, Oct 1, 8
Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh said that while adequate security would be provided, it would take some courage on the part of the voters too to exercise their franchise.

No place for 'international observers': Lyngdoh
The era when the 'white man could come and tell you what you are doing is right or wrong is over', the CEC remarked.

Gujarat is not on my mind now, says Lyngdoh
As for holding elections under governor's rule, the CEC remarked that if the governor is a partisan person, he could be worse than the elected government.

Ensure violence-free J&K poll: India tells Pak
'It is incumbent upon Pakistan to ensure that violence and terrorism is not generated, created or fomented before the election', an MEA spokesperson said.

EC going all out to ensure free, fair J&K poll
The commission has also decided to set up polling booths in Delhi, Jammu, and Udhampur to enable Kashmiri Pandits and other migrants from the valley to cast their votes.

Separatist leaders firm on not participating
'Our position is what it is. Election does not provide any answers', All-Parties Hurriyat Conference chief Prof Abdul Gani Bhat said.

BJP show cause notice to Pandya
A BJP press release in Gandhinagar said party state chief Rajendrasinh Rana issued the notice three days back and wanted a reply within a week from the state revenue minister about his critical remarks about Modi.

J&K VIOLENCE
BSF commandant, constable killed in J&K
The incident occurred at Malpora village in Budgam district. Security forces gunned down 4 militants in the village.

Ultras open fire in Jammu's high-security area
The shootout took place around 1700 hrs IST. As the security personnel on duty returned fire, the militants jumped into a drain for cover.

Militants attack Congress office in Srinagar
Witnesses said a grenade was lobbed into the building, but it exploded without causing any damage.

INDO-PAK TENSION
Musharraf to do his 'best' to ease tension
'Pakistan does not want to be involved in a war and will not start a war', the Pakistani president told Chinese President Jiang Zemin during their one-hour meeting in Beijing on Friday.

Pak should stop violence for talks: Villepin told
The National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra told the visiting French foreign minister that the international community should first study the ground realities in J&K before demanding 'free and fair' polls.

NEIGHBOURHOOD
Musharraf wraps up three-nation tour
While the Pakistani president claimed that his tour was not against India, in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and China he accused India of increasing tension and not accepting the 'internationalisation' of the Kashmir issue.

Pervez disqualifies absconders, loan defaulters
Former premier Benazir Bhutto has been declared an absconder by a court, while Nawaz Sharief is accused by the government of defaulting on massive loans taken during his tenure.

Row with Chandrika may force Lanka PM to seek fresh mandate
'There is no point continuing in office if we cannot fulfil the people's aspiration for peace,' Ranil Wickremesinghe reportedly told his ministers.

US reopens arms smuggling case involving Pak govt
Initially, the US government had tried to hush up the embarrassing incident, which occurred in June 1991 in the state of Florida, pleading 'diplomatic' and 'national reasons'.

SLIDE SHOW
The Week's Images
Appeasing the rains gods, Vice-President's funeral, Indo-Pak tensions and a cricketer is honoured.

Lakme India Fashion Week
The 3rd edition of the event, which aims to showcase the best of the Indian fashion industry, took off on Friday August 2.

OTHER REPORTS
Kerala is world's first baby-friendly state
The recognition came from WHO and UNICEF under the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative the global agencies launched a few years back.

Crucial BJP national council meet on Saturday
The strategy to be adopted for the upcoming assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat will dominate the meet.

BJP searching for new Jharkhand CM
Sources told rediff.com that the BJP leadership was upset with Babulal Marandi's inability to help the party retain the Dumka Lok Sabha seat.

King George's Medical College renamed after dalit icon
The Lucknow-based hospital will now be called Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University. Shahuji, a former ruler of Kolhapur, was the pioneer of the reservation policy in India.

More BSF troops to guard Amarnath Yatra
Over 100,000 pilgrims have already had 'darshan' at the cave shrine since the start of the 'yatra' on July 19.

Manipur courts resume business
This marks an end to the judiciary-legislature row in the state that had threatened to derail the working of the courts.

Samata, JD-U members stage LS walkout
The agitated members were demanding a special financial package for the flood and the drought affected in Bihar.

Nine children drown, three missing in Bihar
Araria District Magistrate Mani Kant Azad said the mishap occurred when 17 children from Gaiyari and adjoining Kisauna village were trying to cross a river.

2 undertrials die of suffocation in court lock up
350 undertrials were herded into two windowless lock ups of West Bengal's Malda court designed for accommodating 45 prisoners each.

Bihar crippled as transport stir enters 2nd day
Thousands of commuters and schoolchildren were left stranded and life in the state was crippled even as there appeared no end to the stalemate.

'Dismiss Kannappan from Union ministry'
In a letter to Prime Minister Vajpayee, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said Kannappan is openly supporting the LTTE.

2 ULFA militants killed in encounter
The extremists were killed by troops of the Red Horns division in Darrang district of lower Assam.

ULFA opposes Bodo tribal council
The latest ULFA salvo is likely to queer the pitch in the already volatile western Assam, intelligence officials say.

Cops search for 4 suspects in Shivani case
A senior IPS officer is also believed to be involved in the case though the exact details are as yet unclear.

Fire at arms depot in Jodhpur
The cause of the fire, the fourth such blaze at army depots in Rajasthan, was not immediately known.

Iraq does a volte face, invites UN arms expert for 'review'
Foreign Minister Naji Sabri wrote to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan asking for the chief weapons inspector to visit Baghdad and discuss the return of arms inspectors into the country.

INTERVIEWS
'POTA will be used to crush political opponents'
Tamil Nationalist Movement leader P Nedumaran -- the second politician to be arrested for pro-LTTE leanings -- says he is willing to face any eventuality for his cause.

'I Believe in Love. Not Fundamentalism'
'The easiest way to destroy a nation is to not criticize the prime minister. Only when criticism comes will the flaws be highlighted.' Mata Amritanandmayi tells Chindu Sreedharan.

SPECIAL
US in a spot over wrong bombing, botched cover-up
According to a UN report, the US sought to erase evidence and downplay the number of casualties of the wedding party it had bombed, says Rahimullah Yusufzai.

August 01, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Nedumaran arrested under POTA
The Tamil Nationalist Movement leader had made pro-LTTE speeches at a conference in Chennai on April 13 earlier this year.

Suspected Jammu killers attack CRPF men
The militants opened fire from inside a thick forest on a hill just two km from the Qasim Nagar slums at a CRPF patrol triggering the encounter.

Musharraf echoes Powell on Kashmir
'They just juggle around with the semantics of words like mediator, facilitator and interlocutor, but the reality... is that Kashmir has already been internationalised,' the general said of India.

Army chief's visit to China called off
The external affairs ministry claimed that the visit would only show unwarranted enthusiasm on the part of the Indian military leadership to visit China.

Sunil Dutt stands by his son
The film star-turned-MP said Sanjay could 'make mistakes, but he cannot harm any individual or the country'.

DROUGHT/FLOODS REPORTS
61 UP districts declared drought-hit
Faizabad, Barabanki, Basti and Sant Kabir Nagar were added to the list on Thursday, leaving just nine 'drought-free' districts in the entire state.

IAF launches relief operations in Bihar, Assam
Its helicopters are dropping food packets and medicines, and rescuing marooned people from flood affected districts.

J&K RELATED REPORTS
Advani rejects foreign monitors for J&K poll
He said Kashmir is an internal problem of the country and the only international dimension is that of cross-border terrorism.

Gujral welcomes Powell's statement on J&K
`If we say that we have nothing to hide, why not accept international observers? This would lend credibility to our elections,' the former prime minister argued.

Army captain killed in Rajouri encounter
Four of the seven terrorists who had attacked a high-security residential complex in the town were also killed.

Srinagar SP escapes bid on life
Militants attacked Mukesh Singh's motorcade with hand grenades seriously injuring five policemen.

Killing innocents always unjustified: Sorabjee
The attorney general told a UN human rights panel in Geneva that neither a freedom struggle nor a fight against terrorism could be used as excuses to kill innocent people.

Six militants killed in Jammu and Kashmir
Four of the seven terrorists who had attacked a high-security residential complex in the town were also killed.

Amarnath: Fewer pilgrims undertake yatra after attack
Two persons were killed and five injured on Tuesday when militants hurled a grenade at a taxi carrying pilgrims.

OTHER REPORTS
Shinde meets Jaya, seeks support
He said the contest would be a fight between secularism and the RSS and Jayalalithaa 'is one of the strong supporters of secularism'.

Remark against Sonia sparks uproar in LS
The Samata Party's Prabhunath Singh has promised to place before the House documents in support of his charge that the Congress president was involved in a case of smuggling statues to Italy.

All-party meet to discuss George's boycott
With the Business Advisory Committee of Lok Sabha scheduling a discussion on national security for Thursday, the government wants the boycott to end as soon as possible.

BARC scientist's suicide raises questions
Department of Atomic Energy officials claim that Ambarish Bose jumped from the third floor of Kamet building, landed on his head and died immediately.

Normal power supply restored in Maharashtra
By Wednesday evening, Maharashtra was receiving about 1,700 MW against the schedule of 1,600 MW.

Mayawati jettisons Periyar statue
The UP BJP had said the Mayawati government would not survive if it went ahead with the installation of the Tamil dalit leader's statute in Lucknow.

Pursue case against Advani: Congress
In fact, Chief Minister Mayawati, along with the Congress, had demanded revival of the Babri masjid demolition case when UP was ruled by a BJP-led coalition government.

Tandon is BJP legislature party leader in UP
The post had fallen vacant after Rajnath Singh resigned to take up his new assignment as party general secretary.

Azmath's wife's plea for visa extension adjourned
The Andhra Pradesh high court adjourned the hearing till August 5 after the counsel for the Indian government failed to inform the court about the fate of the visa extension application of Tasleem Murad.

Judiciary-legislature row ends in Manipur
Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has regretted the attacks on judges' houses and the court complex in Imphal.

'Pro-LTTE speech no ground for disqualification'
'Support to the LTTE does not mean that their functioning should be allowed on Indian soil,' the Union Minister and the MDMK leader Kannappan said.

6 Naxalites killed in AP police encounter
Two encounters took place in Prakasam and Warangal districts. Among those killed was a PW district committee member.

One arrested in Shivani murder case
Shivani, wife of Times of India's legal editor Rakesh Bhatnagar, was murdered in her flat in Patparganj in east Delhi in January 1999.

Transporters strike paralyses Bihar
The Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi has threatened the striking transporters with revocation of their national permit licenses if they did not end the strike immediately.

Cong MLA threatens to paralyse rail movement in Orissa
Suresh Kumar Routray wants the East Coast Railway zone to come into existence from October 1, 2002, along with the other new zones, instead of on April 1, 2003 as proposed by Railways Minister Nitish Kumar.

Orissa to release 14 convicts on I-Day
The selected convicts are old and considered harmless to society. They are being released for good behaviour.

Over 7,000 arrested in overnight raids in WB
A large quantity of arms were seized from them and police are ascertaining whether any of those arrested have links with militant organisations.

HC issues notices to Thackeray, two others
The notices have been issued in connection with a defamation case against them.

'Rajneeshites were earliest users of WMDs'
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence Marshall Billingslea said 'the potential for terrorists and other non-state actors gaining access to weapons of mass destruction has raised the cost of failing to contain proliferation'.

NEIGHBOURHOOD
Musharraf in Beijing for consultations
Musharraf is likely to apprise the Chinese leadership about Indo-Pak tensions and discuss issues of common concern.

No immediate plan to retire, says Musharraf
The Pakistani president said that he still had a role to play, including in ushering democracy in his nation.

Benazir plans to stage a dramatic comeback
Her entourage is likely to include prominent US and European politicians as well as lawyers who will rush directly to the Supreme Court with a bail plea.

COLUMN
Beyond the lull
'The army is keeping its powder dry. It knows that the leadership is unlikely to give it the go-ahead to cross the LoC. But it is banking on Musharraf to do something for the balloon to go up,' says Major General (retd) Ashok K Mehta.

SPECIAL
Peace is more important than Hindutva'
Bhupendrasinh Chudasama on how he managed to keep Dholka an oasis of calm even as communal violence consumed Gujarat.

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