Sunday, July 27, 2003, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Japan clears troops for Iraq
Tokyo, July 26
The Japanese Parliament has cleared a law to send troops to Iraq. Japan is an extremely close ally of the US and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi had assured US President George W Bush of sending Japanese troops. According to NDTV failure would have meant a huge loss of face for Koizumi, possibly forcing him to call a snap general election — something analysts doubted the opposition was prepared to risk.

USA in touch with India
Washington, July 26
The USA is still in touch with India on sending its troops to Iraq because New Delhi has not said a ‘flat no’ to deploying its forces in the war-ravaged country, according to US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

World page
Saddam’s bodyguards captured
Three US soldiers killed in Iraq

Vijay Divas: govt ignores, kin remember

New Delhi, July 26 The government did not come forward with celebrations to mark Vijay Divas today. The day, which marked the `final eviction’ of Pakistani troops from Indian territory four years ago after a 50-day war, had no official function in place to remember the sacrifice of over 500 men who had pushed back the aggressors.
Harbhajan Kaur, mother of Capt Satnam Singh Parmar, who laid down his life in the Kargil war, weeps in front of her son’s picture at the Hall of Fame, War Memorial Museum, Jalandhar, on Kargil Divas on Saturday. — PTI photo Nation page Expedite cases of kin of Kargil martyrs, says Naik Punjab page Tributes paid to martyrs on Kargil Divas

	East Bengal make football history Jakarta, July 26  East Bengal became the first Indian club to win an international tournament on foreign soil when they beat favourites BEC Tero Sasana of Thailand 3-1 to lift the LG Cup ASEAN Club Football Championship in a thrilling final here today. (Details on Sport page)
Mike Okoro (L) of East Bengal challenges Thanongsak Pajakkata of BEC Tero, Thailand, during the final of the ASEAN Club Football Championship in Jakarta on Saturday. — AFP photo

Devgan bags National Award for Bhagat Singh
New Delhi, July 26
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s mega budget film ‘Devdas’ and Aparna Sen’s film ‘Mr & Mrs Iyer’ emerged as the jury’s final choice for the best popular film of 2002 providing wholesome entertainment and the Nargis Dutt Award for the best feature film on national integration, respectively.