Monday, April 14, 2003, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Fierce fighting near Tikrit
Saddam’s half-brother captured; joint patrol in Baghdad
Tikrit, April 13
Fierce fighting was heard late tonight on the edge of Saddam Hussein’s traditional northern stronghold of Tikrit after Iraqi tribal leaders offered to surrender as coalition forces closed in. Exchanges of artillery and automatic weapons fire were taking place, witnesses told AFP, adding that helicopters were overflying the governor’s offices.

US troops drive through a crowd of Iraqis in central Baghdad on Saturday. The US Army has been struggling to restore law and order in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities. — Reuters photo

Barbed wire to check infiltration in J&K
Curbs on movement of nomads
New Delhi, April 13
As part of its new strategy to check infiltration from across the border, the government is understood to have given its nod to erect barbed wire fence at several points along the Line of Control, besides prohibiting nomads from going to higher reaches for greener pastures during the coming summer.

Nitish loyalists oust George men from posts
Patna, April 13
Dealing a blow to the George Fernandes camp, supporters of Railway Minister Nitish Kumar today removed Mr Umashanker Singh and Mr P.K. Sinha from their respective posts in the state Assembly and Legislative Council.

Togadia defies ban, arrested
Ajmer, April 13
VHP leader Praveen Togadia was tonight arrested shortly after he distributed tridents to Bajrang Dal activists here, defying ban and prohibitory orders. Mr Togadia distributed the tridents among a gathering of 3,000 Dal activists amid chanting of hymns and slogans at the Subhash Udyan.

Badungar to issue calendar today
Talwandi Sabo, April 13
Prof Kirpal Singh Badungar, President of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, will make a formal announcement for the implementation of Nanakshahi calendar after issuing it from Takht Damdama Sahib on Baisakhi tomorrow.

Debate (Edit page): WHY THE NANAKSHAHI CALENDAR?

Stage set for showdown in Congress
over poll
Thiruvananthapuram, April 13
The stage has been set for a show of strength between senior Congress leader K. Karunakaran and the party high command over tomorrow’s crucial election to the Rajya Sabha from Kerala, with Mr Karunakaran refusing to pull out his nominee from the fray.

Cabinet panel okays LCA plan
Bangalore, April 13
The Union Cabinet Committee for Approvals has cleared the Rs 1,000 crore programme for development of three Naval variants of the indigenously developed state-of-the-art multi-role light combat aircraft (LCA).

India appoints lobbying firm in USA
New Delhi, April 13
Keeping in view the fast-changing global scenario, India has appointed a top-ranking new lobbying firm in the USA on a monthly remuneration of $ 50,000 to present its position in proper perspective.

VB seeks Badal’s resorts bank records Chandigarh, April 13 Did the Punjab Vigilance Bureau register a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act against former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in August last year? “Yes” if a letter written by the bureau to a local branch of a nationalised bank is to be believed.