Thursday, July 18, 2002, Chandigarh, India
 Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Ultras may target J&K leaders, Parliament, SC
New Delhi, July 17
The government has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to tackle ISI activities in the country even as ISI-backed terrorist organisations operating in Jammu and Kashmir are moving in a systematic manner with a purpose of disrupting the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state and in the process could target the political leadership and activists of various political parties, besides picking on soft targets and minorities.

• Graphic: Terrorist killings in Jammu & Kashmir

• Editorial: Raking up Chhattisinghpora

BSF Asst Commandant killed
Houses of 2 NC leaders attacked
Jammu/Srinagar, July 17
An assistant commandant of the Border Security Force and two militants were killed while three soldiers sustained injuries when security forces clashed with a group of heavily-armed exfiltrators in the Dhanna area of Poonch district this afternoon, even as houses of two National Conference leaders were fired upon.

World page: Kashmir violence worries Bush The wife of an Ikhwani militant cries after her husband was killed in a bomb explosion at Aishmuqam, 80 km south of Srinagar, on Wednesday. The police said three members of a pro-India militant group, Ikhwan, were killed and nine wounded on Wednesday when a bomb exploded at their camp at Aishmuqam.  — Reuters  photo

Shekhawat NDA choice
Congress to field nominee for VP’s post
New Delhi, July 17
Senior BJP leader Bhairon Singh Shekhawat will be the National Democratic Alliance candidate for the August 12 vice-presidential election. In video (28k, 56k)

Blast near Godhra leaves 1 dead, 11 hurt
Godhra, July 17
A person was killed and 11 others were injured when a bomb planted in a motor cycle outside a school exploded in a town, 17 km from here, today, hours after a similar blast 15 km away damaged a house. The police said the powerful blast outside the school in the Sutharvada locality at Delol town in Kaalol tehsil at 6 pm killed a youth and injured 11, three of them seriously.

Laloo meets Advani on railway bifurcation issue
New Delhi, July 17
Rashtriya Janata Dal President Laloo Prasad Yadav today urged the Centre not to change its earlier decision about creation of new railway zones. 

Namaz, mahayajna to appease rain gods
Lucknow, July 17
Though the monsoon has failed to keep its date with Uttar Pradesh, the common man has not yet lost hope. Muslims and Hindus today performed special prayers in various parts of the state capital to appease the rain gods.

Weatherman sees rain in 2 days Punjab page: Desperate for rain, people turn to gods Due to the continuous drought for three years, people in Madhya Pradesh continue to face water scarcity. (28k, 56k) A farmer inspects what's left of his crop owing to lack of irrigation near Patiala in Punjab on Wednesday. — Reuters photo

Punjab to hold talks with staff on pay cut Bathinda, July 17 To avoid any confrontation, the Punjab Government has decided to engage itself in a dialogue with its employees over the issues pertaining to cut made in their salaries, including freezing of DA, for about one year to tide over the financial crisis which it has been facing from day one. JCM on July 26