Friday, August 23, 2002, Chandigarh, India
 Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

First-phase J&K poll notified
Srinagar, August 22
The Jammu and Kashmir Governor today issued notification for the first phase of Assembly elections for 26 constituencies spread over six districts of the state, thereby setting in motion the four-phase elections in the state.


  J&K page: NC releases list of 25 nominees
  Militants begin efforts to sabotage poll process

Delhi police questions Madhu, daughters
Panchkula, August 22
A team of the Delhi police today questioned Madhu and Komal, wife and daughter of Mr Ravi Kant Sharma, the prime suspect in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case, at their Sector 6 residence here. 

   Haryana page: Ravi Kant should surrender: Chautala

A Delhi police team questions Madhu and Komal , wife and daughter, respectively, of Mr Ravi Kant Sharma, the prime accused in the Shivani murder case, at their residence in Panchkula on Thursday. — Tribune photo Manoj Mahajan

India ‘at war’ with Pak, says Advani
London, August 22
India considers itself “at war” with Pakistan over Kashmir, though there is no formal declaration of hostilities, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani said here. “When people ask me ‘will there be a war between India and Pakistan?’, they are obviously referring to a declared war like that which happened in 1971 or 1965.

PM to attend SAARC summit in Pak
Kathmandu, August 22
Despite the high level of Indo-Pak border tension, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee will travel to Islamabad next January to attend the SAARC summit, demonstrating India’s commitment to the growth of the seven-member grouping.
In video: 28k, 56k

SPECIAL REPORT
Women not safe on Delhi roads
New Delhi, August 22
Working women returning home past sunset have learnt to cope with a daily dose of terror unleashed by some miscreants on the Capital’s not-so-women friendly streets. The unpleasant experiences faced by women at bus stops do not just end at obscene overtures, offers of a lift and indecent proposals by nouveau riche men at the wheels of fancy cars. 

Badal’s ex-Media Adviser suspended
Harcharan Bains violated PAU code, says VC
Chandigarh, August 22
Mr Harcharan Singh Bains, Assistant Professor of English at PAU, who was Media Adviser to Mr Parkash Singh Badal, former Chief Minister of Punjab, was placed under suspension today at the instance of the Punjab Government to give effect to a veiled threat given to him at Longowal village on August 20 to severe his association with his political masters within 24 hours or face the consequences.

Son of cobbler among 63 sacked Batala, August 22 Mr Krishan Chand, a cobbler who plies his trade at one of the chowks of this industrial town, did not know that the name of his son, Mr Joginder Paul, a tehsildar (posted at Nihalsinghwala in Moga district) had figured in the list of the 63 sacked PCS (allied) officers.