Saturday, May 3, 2003, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

India renews peace initiative
To appoint envoy to Pak, restore air link
New Delhi, May 2
In yet another effort to normalising ties with Islamabad, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today renewed his peace initiative by announcing in Parliament that India had decided to appoint a High Commissioner to Pakistan and restore civil aviation links on a reciprocal basis.
In video (28k, 56k)

Advantage Vajpayee
Ball now in Musharraf’s court
New Delhi, May 2
Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee has played the most important gamble of his more than half a century long political life and the mood in South Block here is that this time Pakistan will find it difficult to do another Agra on Mr Vajpayee.
In video (28k, 56k)

  Pak to restore full diplomatic ties
  Musharraf for ‘meaningful’ talks
  Indo-PaK move promising: Powell
  UK praises PM’s ‘true statesmanship’
  Graphic: Subcontinental seesaw
  Pak wants proof on US terror list

A NEW BEGINNING IN POLITICAL COOPERATION: Capt Amarinder Singh is flanked by Capt Kanwaljit Singh and Gurdev Singh Badal of the Shiromani Akali Dal at the concluding session of the Punjab Legislative Assembly’s golden jubilee celebrations in Chandigarh on Friday. — Tribune photo Manoj Mahajan

Banking services in the country were severely crippled today as officers of public sector banks observed a one-day token strike demanding an increase in wages, among other things.

  Strike hits bank services

Sonia revamps Congress
Appoints PAC, 2 more gen secys, Ambika relieved
New Delhi, May 2
Gearing up the party for the Assembly elections later this year and the Lok Sabha poll, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today inducted two more general secretaries, expanded the Congress Working Committee and created a 12-member Political Affairs Committee for regular interaction on the party’s political strategy.

Verma new Punjab Governor, Kokje Himachal’s
New Delhi, May 2
Ending prolonged suspense, the Centre today appointed Lt-Gen S.K. Sinha (retd) as Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, shifting him from Assam, and named senior BJP leaders Kailashpati Mishra and Ram Prakash Gupta as Governors in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh along with new faces for Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.

  Verma Punjab’s 30th Governor

India remains China cautious
New Delhi, May 2
Despite Defence Minister George Fernandes' claim that his recent visit to China was "very good" and great interest was being generated about the forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to the northern neighbour, New Delhi continues to be cautious of Beijing.

SARS boosts tourism in Himachal, claims minister Shimla, May 2 The scare of SARS notwithstanding, summer revellers have been making a beeline to the hills. The tourist season has begun on an encouraging note with a record number of tourists arriving in the state during April. Major Vijay Mankotia (retd), Tourism Minister, told reporters here today that hotels in the state recorded 50 to 80 per cent occupancy against the normal 25 to 30 per cent.