Monday, August 7, 2006, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Natwar gives privilege notice against PM
Gets Opposition support
New Delhi, August 6
Former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh, indicted by Justice R.S. Pathak for misusing his position, today virtually charted a route of confrontation with the Congress leadership by giving a notice of privilege motion against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and meeting various Opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party’s Amar Singh and CPI’s A.B. Bardhan. In video (56k)

4 die as boat capsizes in Yamuna
24 rescued or swim to safety in Ballabgarh tragedy
Faridabad, August 6
At least four persons, including two women and a girl, drowned in the Yamuna near Chhainsa village in Ballabgarh subdivision of the district when their boat capsized this morning. Around two dozen passengers were either rescued or were able to swim to safety.

Divers search for survivors after a ferry accident in Ballabgarh, 25 km south of New Delhi, on Sunday. — AFP photo

Alert sounded as Pareechu level rises
Reckong Peo, August 6
The water level in the Pareechu rivulet rose by over 8 ft this evening. An alert was sounded by the district administration of Kinnaur to all those living in the low-lying areas along the Sutlej to shift to safer places.

Nation page: Mumbai paralysed

Woman killed, 15 hurt in grenade attack
in J&K
Srinagar, August 6
A woman was killed and 15 persons, including six policemen, were injured when militants lobbed a grenade on a police party in Sopore town of Jammu and Kashmir today.

An injured person being taken to hospital after militants attacked a police patrol party at the main chowk, Sopore, in Baramulla district of north Kashmir on Sunday. — PTI photo

Suraj Bhan dead New Delhi, August 6 Mr Suraj Bhan, senior BJP leader and Chairman of the National Commission for SC/STs, died at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences here this evening following a cardiac arrest, sources close to the leader said.                  Suraj Bhan
Haryana page Obituary: Suraj Bhan — a  down-to-earth politician

Indo-Pak ‘peace meeting’ put off
Islamabad, August 6
An Indo-Pak "peace conference" that was to begin in Lahore today was put off due to the Pakistan Government's reluctance to grant visas for 182 Indian delegates, including Magsaysay winner Sandeep Pandey and documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, its organisers said.

Pak aiming at third-party mediation New Delhi, August 6 Pakistan’s unprovoked move of initiating a tit-for-tat game with India of expelling diplomats on espionage charges is being seen here as Islamabad pitching for a third-party mediation in the Indo-Pak talks. Editorial: Tit for tat