Tuesday, July 30, 2002, Chandigarh, India
 Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Pak pumping in terror
13,000 getting training to disrupt J&K poll
Jammu, July 29
Contrary to the claims of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, the infiltration of trained terrorists from across the border has started on a large scale to disturb the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and there are reports of at least 58 terrorists, most of them Afghan mercenaries, infiltrating here from the Sunderbani area in Rajouri district.

Masked supporters of the Awami National Conference attend an election rally at Chadoora, 18 km west of Srinagar, on Monday. Supporters of different political parties hide their identities to protect themselves against militants who have threatened to sabotage the elections. — Reuters

Govt stung by Powell’s remarks
New Delhi, July 29
The Vajpayee government is deeply upset by US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s remarks over Jammu and Kashmir at his press conference here yesterday. 

    Editorial: Powell’s foot in mouth

MEA does fire-fighting on Powell’s comments
New Delhi, July 29
The Ministry of External Affairs today got busy in fire-fighting over US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s controversial remark that Kashmir was on the international agenda and interpreted it as saying that Jammu and Kashmir was the focal point of terrorism.

    Sinha leaves for Brunei today
    World page: Indo-Pak talks after Oct, hints Powell

Tapes expose Sanjay-Shakeel links
Mumbai, July 29
Tapes in which conversation between Chhota Shakeel, the Karachi-based underworld don, and film star Sanjay Dutt, producer Harish Sugandh and directors Mahesh Manjrekar and Sanjay Gupta was recorded in December, 2000, were released by the police here on Monday.

VB links Langah to ‘money, women’
Chandigarh, July 29
Former PWD Works Minister Sucha Singh Langah has allegedly confessed during investigation by the VB that he received money from officers of the department for transfers, postings and promotions to their desired places.

    Punjab page
      DIG denies allegations of Langah’s counsel
      VB’s action criticised

Hanspal likely to be PPCC chief
New Delhi, July 29
Mr H.S. Hanspal, secretary of the AICC media department, has emerged as the front-runner for the post of PCC president in Punjab.

35 students flee from school
Ropar, July 29
Thirtyfive students of the Chamkaur Sahib-based Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya today fled from the school hostel. According to the sources, the children who were allegedly ill-treated by school staff escaped scaling their hostel wall at about 2.30 am.

Crops wilt as monsoon is delayed A farmer shows the cracks on his drought-hit paddy field in Hassanpur Naggal village in Kaithal district on Monday. — Tribune Photo Karam Singh

Many states yet to name drought-hit areas Chandigarh, July 29 Though various states are making a lot of hue and cry over drought in their respective areas, they have not officially declared their states as drought-hit. In fact, no state government has offered any substantial help to drought-affected farmers.     Emergency meeting     GRAPHIC: Dry spell in major parts In video: All districts of Chhattisgarh are declared drought-hit after failure of monsoon. (28k, 56k)