Eradicate terror, India tells SAARC
Islamabad, July 20
A two-day SAARC ministerial meeting kicked off here today with Pakistan insisting on some mechanism within the grouping to resolve political differences and disputes, a veiled reference to Kashmir, even as India called for collective efforts to eradicate terrorism from the region.

External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh (left) with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shujaat Hussain (second from left), Pak Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz and Foreign Minister Kursheed Kasuri at the inaugural meeting of Foreign Ministers of the SAARC in Islamabad on Tuesday. — PTI photo

Political will needed to tackle border issue, says China
China’s Assistant Foreign Minister Shen Guofang has said that his country attaches great importance to the forthcoming third round of border talks between special representatives of India and China to be held in Delhi although it knows that settling the border question won’t be smooth.

Power crisis: Centre may bail out Punjab
Chandigarh, July 20
The power crisis in North India created by the failure of the south-west monsoon today echoed in the Union Cabinet Secretary’s meeting where Punjab was reportedly singled out as the worst affected area.

5 of family massacred in Rajouri
Jammu, July 20
A retired soldier and four members of his family, including a three-year-old child and two women, were shot dead by terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit in Rajouri district today.

SGPC’s U-turn; reinstates granthi on Badal’s intervention
Amritsar, July 20
In a surprising volte-face, Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee today reinstated Giani Mohan Singh as additional Head Granthi, Golden Temple, after two days of his unceremonious sacking.
Details on Punjab page

Thousands of fish poisoned in Beas Chandigarh, July 20 Poachers have struck yet again, this time on aquatic life in Punjab. In a shocking incident of gross disregard for animal life, several thousands of fish have been done to death due to severe poisoning of river waters in Gurdaspur. Children of Aulakh Bet village busy netting dead fish from Sarri, a tributary of the Beas in Gurdaspur, where thousands of fish and few turtles have perished following poisoning of rivers waters.