Friday, January 3, 2003, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Cell operators slash STD charges
Long-distance call to cost Rs 2.99 per minute
New Delhi, January 2
Cellular operators today slashed STD rates to Rs 2.99 per minute from a peak Rs 9 charged for distances above 500 km that may trigger a price war with basic telecom operators.
In video (28k, 56k)

Mortar shelling by Pak troops
Editorial: War clouds over 2003

BJP to oppose Kelkar report
New Delhi, January 2
In a significant development having a bearing on the coming Union Budget, the Bharatiya Janata Party is seriously considering to oppose the contentious tax reform proposals to reduce and eliminate incentives for housing, small savings and standard deductions, pitting Finance Minister Jaswant Singh against his economic adviser Vijay Kelkar.

Vedanti opposes the orthodox
Pleads for kirtan by women in Golden Temple
Amritsar, January 2
Jathedar Akal Takht Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti today admitted that disallowing women devotees from participating in seva to clean sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple in the morning was against the tenets of Sikhism which did not preach discrimination on the basis of gender.

NSG, IAF help sought to nab Veerappan
New Delhi, January 2
The Centre today agreed to extend help to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, including despatch of the elite National Security Guards (NSG) to nab Veerappan.

Petrol, diesel prices hiked
New Delhi, January 2
The prices of petrol will increase by more than a rupee across the country from midnight tonight as oil companies executed an upward revision of retail prices of the transportation fuel following strong increase in international prices of crude oil.

Icy winds, fog throw life out of gear Chandigarh, January 2 Cold weather has claimed at least four lives while icy winds and intense cold wave with dense fog sweeping across north-west India disrupted air, rail and road services for another day today as people in and around Srinagar shivered with minimum dipping to the lowest of minus 5.4°C, three degrees below normal.   Nation page: Fog disrupts air, rail traffic   Punjab page: Fog leaves porters high and dry