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June 30
All 21 Indian peacekeepers freed
Sierra Leone's RUF rebels still have nearly 250 other UN personnel surrounded. The released peacekeepers were on Liberian soil and were expected to arrive in the capital Monrovia.
Jyoti Basu puts up a brave face
The West Bengal chief minister said his party's dismal performance in the Calcutta and Lake Salt municipal elections would not affect its poll prospects in next year's assembly elections.
Chandrashekhar's party, HVP derecognised
The Election Commission has derecognised six political parties. Notices have also been sent to the Communist Party of India-Marxists and the Janata Party prior to their derecognition.
Pranab criticises 'propaganda' on emergency
The BJP is criticising the emergency only to distract attention from the burning issues of the day and its inability to govern, says Pranab Mukherjee.
Mystery blast kills two in Jalandhar
There was no evidence of any iron or plastic splinter, no piece of any battery, detonator or any triggering device and not even fuse wire at the site. But a very loud explosion was heard.
THE BETTING SCANDAL
Delhi police seek Cronje tapes
It is awaiting the deportation of London-based businessman Sanjeev Chawla, whom it wants to question, to India.
Match fixing: The entire coverage
OTHER NEWS
Advani to share platform with pro-LTTE party
While MDMK sources claim that nothing will be said or done to embarrass the Centre or ministers and their parties, some Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in Tamil Nadu are not too sure.
Child welfare tops Maneka's agenda
The minister of state for social justice and empowerment has resolved to amend the Juvenile Act and make it more child-friendly.
Gujarat gears up for car festival
The 123rd rath yatra of Lord Jagannath will be taken out with traditional gaiety and fervour, on chief priest Rameshwardasji Maharaj said in Ahmedabad today.
PTI REPORTS
Indian democracy, a role model: UN
United Nations today acknowledged that New Delhi's track record on human rights promotion and development has sweeping significance for a rights-based approach to progress.
US Congressmen want address by Vajpayee
The growing economic relationship with India is being built on, for better or worse, the reality of India being a nuclear power, they said.
AUTONOMY DEBATE
Panun Kashmir flays autonomy demand
The leaders said that the demand was nothing more than a stepping stone for secession. They also lambasted the Bharatiya Janata Party for succumbing to talk of autonomy.
INTERVIEWS
'The church is running hate campaigns'
Vishwa Hindu Parishad international general secretary Dr Pravin Pogadia says that incidents of attacks on Christians are being blown out of proportion to discredit Hindu organisations.
'We also want to save the Vikrant'
Leader of Bombay's fishermen's union Damodar Tandel accuses the state government of projecting them as villains.
'Every party can air its opinion'
BJP Tamil Nadu unit general secretary L Ganesan says that Prime Minister A B Vajpayee is known for accommodating different views.
SPECIAL: Warriors of peace
'Sometimes mistakes will be made, but in Sierra Leone it is much more than a mistake'
"The forces should have been prepared for the worst case scenario. They should have gone in with maximum equipment, tanks, artillery, and air support," feels Lt General (retd) Satish Nambiar.
COLUMN
Batting for the Hurriyat
'The more I think, the more I'm convinced: It is high time that India becomes truly secular,' says Varsha Bhosle
June 29
Is this shankaracharya for real?
The Govardhan math in Puri says its shankaracharya has not gone to Kashmir and is, in fact, touring UP. While he is aged about 60, the person in the news lately is about 28 years old.
Hung verdict in Calcutta civic polls
The Trinamul Congress emerged as the single largest party winning 64 of the 141 seats in the house. The CPI-M was a close second with 62.
Army confirms migration from Jammu
An army spokesman said the ISI has been luring residents of border villages in Jammu and Kashmir to act as guides for facilitating infiltration.
Defection: Propaganda material for Pakistan
Such incidents provide grist for human rights organisations, like Amnesty International, to portray the alleged insensitivity of Indian security forces while tackling anti-national elements.
Pak fishing in troubled waters: Moscow Radio
Russia's state-controlled radio said the edifice of religious extremism would collapse the moment Islamabad ceased to aid and abet the terrorists.
LTTE rejects ceasefire offer
The LTTE said cessation of hostilities would occur only if the 30,000 troops were withdrawn from northern Jaffna peninsula.
Five killed in Assam floods
The situation continued to remain grim as the Brahmaputra and its tributaries still flowing above danger level, official sources said.
THE BETTING SCANDAL
Mukesh Gupta surfaces in CBI headquarters
Gupta admitted to his interest in cricket, of knowing Cronje and Azharuddin.
Forgive match-fixers, says Ram Jethmalani
The Union law minister is unimpressed by the vigorous media coverage of the scandal and the intensive probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Match fixing: The entire coverage
ATTACKS ON CHRISTIANS
Stop violence against Christians: Pope
The Pope said he hopes that the masterminds realise that the manipulation of religion to satisfy one's own interests is not possible.
'Foreign hand behind anti-Christian violence'
Home Minister L K Advani points out that some of the attacks had taken place in areas that had no previous history of communal violence.
UP asked to explain anti-Christian violence
The National Commission for Minorities has, however, expressed dismay at small incidents being blown out of proportion.
Attacks pose challenge to govt: Naidu
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said that the Guntur incident "is a lesson for us. It is high time we catch the culprits".
AUTONOMY DEBATE
Resolution will pave way for debate: Abdullah
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah Tuesday announced that a ministerial team will visit New Delhi and other state capitals to brief all political parties on autonomy.
Resolution sent to Centre: J&K Speaker
The Jammu and Kashmir assembly resolution on autonomy is as significant as the Delhi Agreement 1952, said Abdul Ahad Vakil.
OTHER REPORTS
Tohra's autonomy demand draws flak
But even his detractors supported the setting up of, what they called, a true federal structure in the country.
Tohra clarifies about autonomy demand
Former SGPC chief G S Tohra clarified that his demand for autonomy is based on the recommendations of the Justice R S Sarkaria Commission, not the Anandpur Sahib resolution.
Sikkim panel to study constitutional amendment demands
The opposition wants 16 seats each reserved for the tribals (Bhutia and Lepcha together) and the Nepalese, as was prevalent during the rule of the Chogyal.
Vikrant issue still unresolved
Though several sites for berthing were discussed, the navy maintained that the ideal place is Jamshed Bunder, near the Gateway of India.
Top Bombay cop arrested in corruption case
The Bombay high court rejected suspended Additional Police Commissioner A K Jain's bail plea saying the nature of offence was serious and granting him bail would send wrong signals to the people.
Student's death: No bail for policeman
Ajmer Judicial Magistrate Naresh Chugh rejected station house officer Har Sahaya Meena's bail application without going into the merits of the case since the accused was facing serious charges.
UP minister blamed for poll observer's death
The mysterious death of an Uttar Pradesh panchayat poll observer in Pratapgarh has opened the Pandora's box of rivalry between political groups.
Guntur arson: 15 more arrested
Leaders of all political parties are making a beeline to the place of worship where the explosion took place to express their grief and sympathy.
Suspended Orissa MLA is unrepentant
Harihar Karan of the Congress said he and his associates will continue to demand a change in the CLP leadership.
DMK legislator joins AIADMK
M Muthuramalingam, a ruling DMK legislator from Tirumangalam constituency, has crossed over to the AIADMK, in a move that could kick-start the campaign for assembly elections next year.
Widow kills children, attempts suicide
Police said Meena Arvinda Gaikwad (23), who lived with her two children and mother-in-law at Shahupuri, had struggled to come to terms with her husband's death six months back.
Armed forces tribunal awaiting cabinet nod
An independent statutory body, the tribunal will speedily address grievances of service personnel.
HC stays CAT order on Delhi cops' promotion
The cops were affected when CAT quashed the union home ministry's ad-hoc promotion of 110 officers in 1999 and also that of theirs, though they were promoted in 1994 itself.
Goa parties leave language choice to Delhi
Major national parties in Goa have asked their high commands take a decision on the language issue.
Pak spy gets eight years in jail
Munir Khan was caught in Sriganganagar in 1993. He was in possession of maps of defence installations along the Indo-Pak border and the Ganga Canal in western Rajasthan.
SPECIAL: Warriors of peace
'Our boys will get released soon'
Should the Indian soldier shed his blood on alien shores? The first of Josy Joseph's three-part series on New Delhi's role in UN peacekeeping.
COLUMNS
Highway scars
If you thought rumblers and speed-breakers on a national highway were strange, you don't know Maharashtra's recent political history,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
Mumbai versus Bombay
'Like India, Mumbai has split itself wide open. We had India versus Bharat. Now you have Mumbai versus Bombay. With both sides pretending the other does not exist,' says Pritish Nandy.
June 28
RELIGIOUS ATTACKS
Explosive material seized in Nellore
The driver of the truck carrying the material told police he was instructed to deliver the material in Narasannapeta in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, on the Orissa border.
Temples ransacked in Andhra Pradesh
Locals found idols damaged and thrown outside one temple. Clothes adorning a deity in another temple were found torn and burnt.
Another Christian cemetery vandalised in AP
Four graves were vandalised in all. While one was destroyed, the top cover of another was removed. The cross on two other graves was knocked off.
Church in Maharashtra town ransacked
The Catholic vicar general of the Amravati diocese said a church built for migrants at Pusad town in Yavatmal district was found ransacked on June 25.
J&K AUTONOMY
Centre's stand predictable
The BJP, which heads the ruling coalition, is staunchly opposed to autonomy for J&K.
Parliament will decide: Advani
The home minister, however, pointed out to the composition of Parliament and the viewpoint of various political parties on the demand.
THE BETTING SCANDAL
Nation-wide hunt for Mukesh Gupta
The agency procured Gupta's photograph from his father and circulated it to other CBI branches and main railway stations, bus stations and airports to prevent his possible escape.
Another cheating case against Prabhakar
The complainant alleged that Apace India Finance Company, in which Prabhakar is supposedly a director, had failed to return his money on maturity.
Match fixing: The entire coverage
SPECIAL
Peace eludes Nagaland
Witness to Asia's longest-running insurgency, it has been at the centre of an endless chain of violence since 1956.
OTHER REPORTS
Hostages will die, say Fiji rebels
Ilisoni Ligaiari, the brain behind the coup, was speaking in response to speculation that the military may storm the parliamentary complex in the capital Suva.
Now Tohra wants autonomy for Punjab too
He has recommended an autonomy resolution on the lines of the one passed recently by the Jammu and Kashmir assembly.
Court rejects CBI report on nun's murder
The Ernakulam chief judicial magistrate's order in the Sister Abhaya case spells trouble for several senior police officers and an Indian Administrative Services officer of Kerala.
Defence file concerning middlemen missing
The all-important file contains the government order eliminating middlemen in defence purchases, says Central Vigilance Commissioner N Vittal.
Violence mars repolling in Calcutta
What started off as a verbal duel between supporters of the CPI-M and Trinamul Congress in central Calcutta ended up as a bloody battle with bombs being hurled.
US promises to help India in Sierra Leone
The assurance came from Secretary of State Madeleine Albright during her hour-long meeting with Jaswant Singh in Warsaw on Monday.
Shoot-at-sight orders in Tamil Nadu
Communal clashes led to road blockades and people setting fire to public and private property. Even policemen and revenue officials were not spared.
Blast greets Norwegian envoy in Colombo
It is not clear whether he carried any fresh proposals from the LTTE to declare a ceasefire and start a fresh round of talks. Norwegian and Sri Lankan officials are tight-lipped.
Surat tense after bootlegger's death
The victim died in police custody. This when the city is yet to fully recover from the shocking death of eight youngsters in police firing on the day of the Ganesh immersion.
Veerapan takes to opium cultivation
With opium fetching Rs 200-250 per kilo in the underground market, he is believed to be using local tribals in the borders of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala to cultivate and market it.
Mishap leads to massive jam in Bombay
An angry mob obstructed traffic and pelted stones soon after a boy was knocked down by a speeding car in Bandra (East), the 16th accident on this stretch of the Western Express Highway.
Piyush Mankad favourite for top Cabinet post
Speculation about Cabinet Secretary Prabhat Kumar's successor has begun. Kumar retires in October.
MP governor, Lokayukt in ugly spat
Governor Bhai Mahavir and Madhya Pradesh Lokayukt Justice Faizanuddin have traded insults and even held out veiled threats against each other.
Musharraf calls for self-restraint
But Pakistan's chief executive reaffirmed his country's determination to maintain minimum credible deterrence to meet any aggression.
South Asia is not Indian subcontinent: Pak
A Pakistan foreign official said the use of Indian subcontinent to describe South Asia betrays India's hegemonistic designs.
Alleged sorcerer stripped, killed by mob
She was stripped, paraded naked, then beaten to death by a mob on suspicion of practising sorcery, on the outskirts of Nagpur on Sunday.
Marriage registration at states' discretion
The governments of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka have made it compulsory to register all marriages.
INTERVIEW
'So, who needs IAS officers anyway?'
B S Baswan, director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, says the trend is for specialised departments to be headed by trained personnel, not generalists like IAS officers.
COLUMNS
14-point programme for the NCRC
Following the invitation of the National Commission to Review the Constitution to the public to send in their suggestions for changes, Arvind Lavakare pens his contribution.
A Nation in motion
'Indira G perfected the art of making us believe one thing when the truth -- the stuff that was actually happening out there -- was entirely another,' says Dilip D'Souza.
June 27
KASHMIR'S DEMAND FOR AUTONOMY
J&K assembly adopts autonomy report
The BJP, JD-U, Panthers Party and independent member Kuka Parray staged a walkout. The Congress also voted against the motion, but did not join them.
The implication of autonomy
An explanation of what the Delhi Agreement of 1952, autonomy, Article 370 and the Instrument of Accession mean and what the SAC report says.
BJP, Congress dismayed
The BJP views the adoption of the autonomy resolution as a betrayal by Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah.
NEWS
Last-ditch attempt to save INS Vikrant
The central government has already invited tenders for scrapping the warship. The process would take another two months, which is the time the state government has to save the ship.
Rs 2.5 million reward for clues on AP blasts
Curfew has been clamped in three police station limits of the coastal city of Guntur even as two companies of the Rapid Action Force were deployed to maintain law and order.
Festive end to Vajpayee's Italy visit
Officials say the high point of the visit is the renewal of the existing friendly bilateral ties in a cordial atmosphere, and expression of resolve by the two governments to strengthen the ties.
Vajpayee assures Pope of protection for Christians
The prime minister also held a series of high-level discussions with Italian leaders on a wide range of economic and political issues.
ISRO planning mission to the moon
The mission will demonstrate to the world that India's capable of taking up a complex mission that is at the cutting edge of technology.
Bajrang Dal to crusade against cow slaughter in Orissa
State Bajrang Dal chief Bhuban Mohan Jena said hundreds of cows are transported from Orissa packed in trucks in extremely unhealthy conditions that blatantly violate the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960.
Six telecom unions to strike
Four other unions have backed out of the proposed strike on June 28 to protest against corporatisation of the services of the Department of Telecom.
Three injured in Pak shelling
Pakistani troops fired mortar and artillery shells in the Uri sector, targeting civilian areas and security force installations.
Madras court sentence in TV case suspended
The Supreme Court suspended the five years' RI sentence on former Tamil Nadu chief secretary N Hari Bhaskar, one of the seven convicted in the Rs 100 million colour TV scandal.
7 killed in LTTE attack on supply ship
The Tigers suspected that the ship was carrying arms and ammunition for troops in Jaffna. The ship was completely destroyed.
'Diana's romance with Dodi was a ploy'
Diana orchestrated the Mediterranean holiday yacht photos of her kissing Dodi as part of a ruse to win over Pakistani-born heart surgeon Hasnat Khan.
THE BETTING SCANDAL
King non-committal on summoning Azhar
'If there are people in the cricketing world in India who could give me information that is relevant, I would appreciate it very much,' Justice Edwin King was quoted as saying.
Match fixing: The entire coverage
THE EMERGENCY
Turkman Gate can't forget the bulldozers
Residents of the area were dispossessed of their houses, beaten up and jailed so that 'somebody' could enjoy a clear view of India Gate from the Jama Masjid.
'Rajan's mother died asking for him'
For Keralites, P Rajan - the student who died in police custody - symbolises the excesses during Emergency. But, the then home minister K Karunakaran is unrepentant.
Journalism's share of dissenters and toadies
Intrepid reporters risked the government's wrath to get at the truth, while others spied on them to curry favour with the powers-that-were.
PTI REPORTS
Nine passengers gunned down in Manipur
Police are probing whether the incident was a fallout of renewed ethnic violence or the work of criminal gangs out to loot passengers.
SC issues notices on Paswan's phone bounty
Common Cause, the petitioner, alleges that the decision will cause a one-time loss of Rs 1.26 billion and an annual recurring loss of Rs 1 billion.
COLUMNS
A whole different ball-game
'Why should we single cricketers out to be great, shining paragons of moral cleanliness? After all, ours is a democratic country and cricketers have the same rights as anyone else. The right to be corrupt happens to be just one of them,' says Anvar Alikhan
Friend and all-weather friend
'Narayanan should not have minced words. As a person who is considered a friend in China, he would not have been misunderstood. Beijing would have least known the depth of the hurt among Indians,' says Kuldip Nayar.
June 26
Vajpayee arrives in Italy to hardsell India
The European tour will intensify existing contacts and focus attention on expanding trade in newer areas.
Bajrang Dal gives arms training in Ayodhya
Though the current exercise is being carried out with air-guns, Bajrang Dal state chief Ved Prakash Sachan said he plans to give volunteers a feel of real guns.
Sporadic violence during Calcutta civic polls
The Congress, Trinamul Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party accused the ruling Left Front of using the state machinery to its advantage.
Telecom strike called off
The government today bowed to pressure from agitating telecom employees and agreed to bifurcate the Department of Telecom Services into two departments: Department of Telecom Services and Department of Telecom Operations.
Musharraf defends terrorist groups
Pakistan's military ruler said jihad (holy war) is a tolerant concept. He said terrorism and jihad are absolutely different.
Pressure mounts on NC to pass resolution on autonomy
National Conference members are in favour of passing the resolution and throwing the ball in the centre's court, party sources said in Srinagar today. They say there can be no peace without autonomy.
INS Vikrant to be scrapped
The decision was taken after a Rs 760 million project to convert her into a maritime museum by the Maharashtra government ran into rough weather. It is now headed for a junkyard in Bangladesh, the country it helped liberate.
June 25
Everyone was too busy to help Vidya
A day after a woman was burnt alive by a man she had spurned, people say such incidents are routine in Bombay.
Rasik Solanki's condition critical
The condition of the spurned suitor, who set fire to Vidya Prabhudesai (41), a typist with the RBI, is critical.
THE AUTONOMY DEBATE
Shankaracharya to gauge mood in Kashmir
The swami will hold talks with Syed Ali Shah Geelani and other separatists politicians on resolving the crisis in the state.
Our people betrayed us, says Abdullah
The J&K chief minister said there were people in India who encouraged dialogue and supported the demand for autonomy. 'Here lies the difference between India and Pakistan,' he said.
THE ATTACKS ON CHRISTIANS
Send Christian haters to jail: Sorabjee
The Attorney General said that irresponsible statements and acts like the recent vandalisation of a cemetery in AP would damage the secular image of the country.
Fiji talks end in deadlock, fresh efforts Sunday
Martial law spokesman Colonel Filipo Tarakinikini told reporters that negotiations with coup leader George Speight had stalled over the issue of the future presidency of the country.
BETTING SCANDAL
No evidence that can nail Indians
Hansie Cronje's lawyer has said that Cronje has no evidence that can implicate any Indian cricketer, including Mohammed Azharuddin, directly in match-fixing.
SPECIALS
A whole different ball-game
Why should we have a separate moral code for our cricketers? Why single them out to be great, shining paragons of moral cleanliness, asks Anvar Alikhan.
Kuwait returnees still await compensation
Nearly 50,000 Indians are yet to receive promised compensation nearly 10 years after they left their hard-earned money and belongings and fled a war-ravaged Kuwait.
RAINS: SOME WANT, SOME DON'T
Delayed monsoon worries Rajasthan
The state's resources have been stretched to the extreme battling severe drought and famine after the failure of rains for two consecutive years.
Assam reeling under floods
Continuous rains have virtually laid siege to Guwahati and more than 200,000 people in lower and upper Assam districts have been hit by this second wave of floods.
India gets $1 m for drought relief
In India, NGOs in Rajasthan will receive the money to implement cash-for-work projects to enable affected people to meet their families' needs, such as food, animal fodder and water.
OTHER REPORTS
10 of marriage party electrocuted in Bihar
Ten members of a marriage party were killed, while 50 were injured when a bus came in contact with an overhead high-voltage electric cable at Tulha village in Bihar's Forbesganj district yesterday.
Putin coming to India on October 2
The Russian president announced in Moscow that he would pay a three-day visit.
Medstar stowaways leave for their countries
However, how they would be dealt with in their countries is not yet known,
though sources indicated that the law of the land was likely to be applied.
Jadeja denies marriage to Jaitley's daughter
The flamboyant cricketer said the day he gets married, he would be the first person to let the world know.
Amrita Pritam defends former Osho secretary
Eminent litterateur and former member of Parliament Amrita Pritam has criticised the move to ban Ma Yoga Neelam, former secretary to Osho Rajneesh.
Communists didn't support Emergency: Basu
West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu has angrily denounced recent reports that the Communists tacitly supported the Emergency.
Brown wants PM to address US Congress
Top Democratic Congressman Sherrod Brown has urged House Speaker Dennis Hastert to invite Vajpayee to address a joint session of Congress when he visits Washington later this year.
Unprecedented security for Calcutta civic polls
However, opposition parties are not convinced. They are accusing the ruling CPM of hiring hoodlums to manipulate the polls.
CBI may probe Ajmer NSUI leader's death
The Rajasthan government will request the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe the death of a student leader in Ajmer, earlier this week.
Indian hostages in Sierra Leone shifted
Twenty-one UN peacekeepers held hostage by rebels in the eastern Sierra Leone town of Pendembu have been moved to a Red Cross compound in the town.
COLUMNS
A great game should not suffer
Due to past incidents and certain unsavoury happenings, cricket lovers are gradually losing interest in the game, which is a very dangerous indication, says Rajiv Shukla
Jaswant Singh breaks the ice
Much to Sri Lanka's relief, Jaswant Singh has formally laid the ground for India's involvement in Sri Lanka's political process, even if only in a supportive role, says Major General Ashok K Mehta (retd).
Nobody likes me, everybody hates me...
'The media, Ram Vilas Paswan feels, is after his blood. Or else, why was he criticised so severely for his decision to grant free telephones to all telecom employees?' Capital Buzz. Gossip from the Delhi Durbar.
June 24
THE ANTI-CHRISTIAN ATTACKS
Cuttack collector issues notice to Sangh groups on reconversions
Apparently many of those who were reconverted failed to inform the district administration before the event as required by law.
Cemetery desecrated in Andhra Pradesh
Vandals struck at a Christian cemetery in Rajahmundry town in coastal Andhra Pradesh and desecrated 40 graves by damaging the crosses on them, police said.
Celeste expresses concern
The American ambassador said the attacks were sending confusing signals about India's 'commitment to secularism and tolerance'.
OTHER REPORTS
Army major killed in shootout near Tangmarg
Two militants, a bus driver and conductor were also killed while five soldiers were critically wounded in the exchange.
PM gave tongue-lashing to Farooq?
'My understanding is that the chief minister was summoned to Delhi and given a piece of his mind by the prime minister for raising the issue of autonomy. That is why the chief minister has sought to soft-pedal the issue,' the BJP's J P Mathur said.
Rebels hold the key in Calcutta polls
The problem, however, is most acute in the Trinamul Congress, which faces a formidable challenge from rebels in over 20 wards.
Fiji rebels strike deal to end crisis
The accord will pave the way for the release of 30 members of the Mahendra Chaudhry government held hostage by Speight's group in Parliament for 37 days.
Quack held for woman's death after abortion
The accused, Rita Jayasheelan, had a flourishing practice and reportedly performed thousands of such operations. She told the police that she had studied only till the fifth standard.
Mild tremors in Nagpur, Chandrapur
Chandrapur and Nagpur in Vidarbha region experienced mild tremors yesterday between 1542 hours and 1547 hours, the Regional Meteorological Centre said in Nagpur today
'Jinnah' fails to impress Pakistanis
Pakistan's ambitious effort to honour its founder M A Jinnah does not seem to have gone down well with the people. While the movie's premiere was packed with officials and foreign dignitaries, the public has stayed away.
Jaya Jaitley denies Jadeja marriage
Samata Party national president Jaya Jaitley today described news in a section of the
press that her daughter had married cricket star Ajay Jadeja, who is also a heir of the Jamnagar royal family, as a rumour.
Today's Images
PTI REPORTS
Woman set afire on Bombay street
Vidya Prabhudesai, an RBI employee, was doused with kerosene and set ablaze by Rasik Solanki, her acquaintance and a tailor by profession.
NCW demands action against cops for parading rape victims
'A rape victim is a rape victim. It doesn't make a difference whether she is an Indian or not,' said member-secretary Binoo Sen.
Russia backs India for Security Council seat
Russia considers India a strong and worthy contender for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said.
Offending news item irks NHRC
The report quoted a Bajrang Dal leader from Mathura declaring Christians to be bigger enemies than Muslims and saying that his organisation was ready to use any means to counter them.
Congress to boycott Constitution review panel
The Congress will organise a nationwide boycott and protest similar to the anti-Simon Commission movement of 1927, spokesman Ajit Jogi said.
My signatures were forged: Jaya
She accused prosecution witnesses of giving false testimony in the TANSI land deal case and being hand-in-glove with the present government.
Lankans agree on Interim Council
The LTTE's participation is subject to the condition that it stops its war against the government.
Media ban on WB polls lifted
The State Election Commission revoked its earlier order in the wake of protests from media circles as well as opposition by the Left Front government.
No special rights for scribe: law panel member
He was reacting to sharp criticism of a proposal in the Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2000 requiring a journalist to disclose his source of information on stories relating to terrorism.
Stowaways to go back
Nine Iranians, out of 14 stowaways aboard the Italian cargo vessel mv Medstar, berthed off Bombay, will be flown back to their country.
Indian counter-terrorism experts for London
Counter-terrorism experts from India will visit London to discuss concrete measures of cooperation with their British counterparts to deal with terrorism, particularly Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir
UP backs down on minimum marks for post-graduation
This followed protests by all political parties other than the ruling BJP. Even other constituents of the Sangh Parivar like the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad had expressed reservations.
COLUMNS
Ponytail in a twist
'People have used and will use the discrimination plea as a defence because India has *never* espoused secularism. To be politically and socially secular, an individual and a government need to disregard everything concerned with religion or religious belief -- including reservations on caste/religion lines and parallel-running civil and criminal codes,' says Varsha Bhosle.
Return to an abhorrent past
'If the VHP and shankaracharya really cared for those who seek to become Hindus, the way is not to push them into separate temples but to welcome them into the existing temples, to treat them equally,' says Amberish K Diwanji.
Don't ignore the trouble in Tripura
'Tripura combines some of the worst traits of Bihar and Jammu & Kashmir. There has been a general breakdown in the machinery of the state, and there has been a simultaneous rise in militant activity,' says T V R Shenoy.
June 23
KASHMIR'S AUTONOMY DEMAND
Autonomy bill may not be voted on
Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah told Prime Minister Vajpayee the issue would be discussed with the Centre and his government had no plan to get a resolution adopted first in the state assembly.
Bhim Singh flays autonomy bill
The Panthers Party chief also accused the BJP of being hand-in-glove with the National Conference in the latter's demand for greater autonomy.
'Bacher's charges are senseless'
Anshuman Gaekwad says the 1999 World Cup match between India and Pakistan could not have been fixed.
THE BIHAR MASSACRE
All-party meeting refers problem to PM
With important decisions having already been taken at the co-ordination committee meeting of the ruling combine on Wednesday, there was little to discuss at Thursday's conclave.
NDA divided on protests against massacres
The NDA's constituents, each aiming to emerge as the main opposition in the state, have drawn up separate protest programmes. THE SRI LANKAN CRISIS
LTTE may be consulted on devolution plan
Contrary to the rigid stand adopted by the government, a senior minister said the proposed package is to be presented to the Tamil rebels, who may even find a place in the proposed interim council for the Northeast.
THE CRISIS IN FIJI
Fiji hostage crisis drags on
The 31 hostages being held in Fiji's Parliament will spend another day in captivity as talks between the interim military government and the rebel group stretch into the night.
OTHER REPORTS
UP dissidence worries Congress
The continuing defiance by Congress dissidents in Uttar Pradesh has left the party high command apprehensive of organisational polls scheduled for September-end.
CPI-M says 'no' to Muslim League
After dilly-dallying for more than two months, Kerala's Marxists officially spurned the idea of the League joining the Left Democratic Front government.
Big trouble in Osho Commune
Ma Yoga Neelam, who was stopped at the gates, says crass commercialisation rules the place and she may move the Charity Commissioner's office.
Orissa kids to be taught 'right' values
School and Mass Education Minister Bhagabat Behera said meditation, yoga and general knowledge would be the priority.
Conservation plan for Chilka's dolphins
The dolphins in the lake are threatened by the growing prawn culture business and the use of mechanised boats by fishermen.
Mediatory efforts on to get Sharief out
Pakistan's military leadership has offered to release the former prime minister's brother Shahbaz and other jailed members of his family if he quits politics and emigrates.
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PTI REPORTS
25 militants killed in J&K
A National Conference block president and 25 militants were among 29 people killed in Jammu and Kashmir Thursday while five others were arrested, official sources said today.
Delhi cops bust sex scandal
The accused befriended tourists, mostly Japanese girls, took them for sight-seeing and raped them.
Four ISI men chargesheeted in Assam
The court had granted bail to one of them, Javed Waqar, on Wednesday as the police had failed to indict him within the stipulated 90 days. He was rearrested under the NSA.
Stowaways told to leave Indian shores
The Coast Guard in Bombay has asked the Italian ship mv Med Star to leave Indian shores even as the 14 stowaways on board have begun a hunger strike.
De Lastic's funeral to be held on Tuesday
The archbishop's body will be brought to India on Saturday and kept in the Sacred Heart Cathedral in New Delhi for a couple of days.
ICJ rejected Pak plea on four counts
No plea of Pakistan in the Atlantique downing case found favour with the International Court of Justice, which rejected the case after accepting India's argument that it had no jurisdiction in the matter.
COLUMNS
Preserve the values of our Indic civilisation
'There is a widespread belief that ISI agents invariably belong to the Muslim community. But information from relevant agencies indicates that many are Hindus belonging to fanatic organisations that seek to introduce a Taliban-style society in India,' says Monu Nalapat.
The cook, some murderers, a PM and the ISI
'Even if we are to believe that nobody from the BJP and its friends actually murdered that priest and bombed those churches, the climate they have built with their incessant insinuations and accusations can only lead to crimes like these. It's called incitement,' says Dilip D'Souza.
June 22
ICJ dismisses Pak claim for compensation from India
The court in The Hague accepted India's argument that it did not have the requisite jurisdiction to hear the case.
Paswan's free-phone scheme stayed
The Kerala high court today directed the Union government and the secretary, Ministry of Telecommunications, not to issue free telephones to telecom employees, pending disposal of a writ petition.
Archbishop Alan de Lastic dies in accident
The archbishop's car met with an accident in Poland on June 20 (June 21, 0230 hours IST) while he was returning from Krakow after visiting a shrine of the Virgin Mary.
THE AUTONOMY DEBATE
Farooq wants national debate on autonomy
'If the Centre could think of talking to those who want to secede, why cannot the opposition give a hearing to National Conference members,' the Kashmir chief minister asked.
Farooq's plan based on 1952 agreement
From mainstream opposition parties to the separatist Hurriyat politicians, everyone is gunning for Dr Abdullah and trying to shoot his plan down.
V B Gupta will challenge suspension in court
'I plan to expose the finance ministry in the Delhi high court,' Gupta told rediff.com.
REDIFF CHAT
'I'll give hell to the finance ministry'
Controversial income tax official Vishwa Bandhu Gupta says finance ministry officials are hand-in-glove with the corrupt in the Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme or VDIS.
DIARY
'Yes, madam, I am a sex worker'
"Haven't you heard vegetable vendors shouting, 'Carrot, tomato, brinjal for sale!' We are also like that, like vegetables." Shobha Warrier's encounter with a pro.
THE CRISIS IN FIJI
Indians are safe: Jaswant Singh
Government has done everything possible to ensure Fiji-Indians' security, according to External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh.
SIERRA LEONE
United States offers help
This was conveyed by Under Secretary of State Thomas Pickering and Assistant Secretary of State Karl Inderfurth to an Indian delegation in Washington.
Vajpayee in touch with Liberian president
Worried over the continued detention of Indian peacekeepers by the rebels, the prime minister has now taken the initiative to secure their release.
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OTHER REPORTS
CBI files chargesheet in IC-814 hijack
A CBI spokesman said the agency has identified seven Pakistanis "who were responsible for the planning and execution of the hijacking."
State govt to arm Dalits in central Bihar
Youths will be imparted training on the pattern of home guards and given arms so that they can keep a vigil on their villages.
Compensation seekers exceed Bhopal's population
Bhopal's population when the gas leak mishap occurred was 8.50 lakh, while 10.26 lakh persons have filed compensation claims.
Fed up of world, lovers commit suicide
Two Delhi youngsters, Sandeep and Sunila, were found dead in a car with a bullet each in their heads. In their suicide note, they said they were fed up with the world.
Bandh successful in central Bihar
The Bihar bandh, called by Left parties today, has been successful in central Bihar, when reports came in this afternoon.
Inspector held for NSUI leader's death
Ajmer city and neighbouring areas are tense, with stray incidents of violence, following the death of a student leader in police custody.
Ayodhya commission summons Kalyan Singh
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister was summoned again by the Liberhans Commission after he failed to appear before it today.
Security, economic issues to top Jaswant's Moscow agenda
He will also kick off preparations for the visit to India of Russian President Vladimir Putin in October this year.
Kargil war heroes get plots in Leh
The war heroes comprise mostly residents of Ladakh district. A few of them belong to the neighbouring Kargil district.
20,000 pilgrims stranded due to landslides
Incessant rains and landslides have rendered large parts of the Rishikesh-Badrinath national highway unmotorable.
Lankan Muslims do not want a part of Eelam
The Sri Lankan Muslim Congress, a powerful partner in the Chandrika Kumaratunga government, has said the party was for devolution within a united Sri Lanka.
PM non-committal on aid to northeast
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Wednesday told chief ministers of the northeastern states that fighting insurgency was the joint responsibility of the centre and the states.
COLUMNS
Bad laws make bad people
'The purpose of many of our laws is to terrorise, loot and extort. They have been devised specifically for that purpose,' says Pritish Nandy.
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