3 holed-up militants shot in valley
Srinagar, January 31
Three militants, who had taken shelter in a village mosque, were killed today by Army troops after nearly a seven-hour-long siege of the shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Badgam district, an Army spokesman said.

Jammu & Kashmir incentives to tame terrorists
Jammu, January 31
In a bid to make terrorists return to their homes, the Jammu and Kashmir Government today announced an incentive of Rs 1.50 lakh and a monthly stipend of Rs 2,000 to each one of them who shuns the gun and returns to the mainstream. Besides, interest-free loans will be provided to them for self-employment.

Suraiya is no more
Mumbai, January 31
Heartthrob of yesteryear, Suraiya, who kept generations of cine-goers spellbound with her acting and singing, died here today after a brief illness, hospital sources said. She was 75.

Best-ever singing heroine
PM condoles Suraiya’s death

Acid thrown on women in train
Mumbai, January 31
Three women and a man suffered burn injuries when unidentified persons threw acid at a first-class compartment of a local train between Bandra-Khar railway station of the Western Railway here late last night. The victims, which included a pregnant woman, suffered 25-30 per cent burns, according to the Railway control room here today.

Pak asked to reform madarsaas New Delhi, January 31 A leading international think-tank has asked Pakistan to undertake reforms in madarsaas and asked the international community to hold the Pakistani Government to its commitments on the subject. The Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) in its recent report “Unfulfilled promises: Pakistan’s failure to tackle terrorism” dated January 16, 2004, has recommended to the Pakistan Government to immediately establish a madarsaa regulatory authority headed by the Interior Minister to cleanse the proverbial Augustean stables — madarsaa in context of Pakistan.