Thursday, April 19, 2007, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Human trafficker-MP held
Katara was misusing his wife’s passport to take a Punjab woman, son to Canada

New Delhi, April 18 A BJP MP from Gujarat was today arrested at the international airport here along with a woman and her son, who were trying to go to Canada on the passports of his wife and son, officials said.
KABOOTARBAAZI: Babu Bhai Katara, BJP MP from Dahod (Gujarat) along Paramjeet after they were detained before boarding a flight to Toronto at the IGI airport in New Delhi on Wednesday. — Tribune photograph BJP suspends Katara It shows BJP character: Cong Deal was struck for Rs 30 lakh Punjab page: Paramjeet’s in-laws paid money to agent Nation page: Spotlight on diplomatic passport

Virginia Tech Shootings
Minal’s death confirmed
An Indian student who had been reported missing after a deadly shooting spree on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, is dead.                             Minal Hiralal Panchal
World page: Another scare rattles Virginia Tech campus
Police hunt for Virginia Tech killer’s motives
‘Hello, how are you?’ said gunman before shooting
Nation page: Prof’s family to attend funeral
In video: Blair and Ban Ki-Moon express shock at university massacre (56k)

Freak weather hits farmers

Hit a second time by hailstorms, a farmer pleads for divine intervention as he waits for his soggy wheat to be lifted at Khanna mandi in Punjab on Wednesday. — Tribune photograph (Details on Punjab page) In Himachal Pradesh, raging hailstorms over the past 20 hours have destroyed between 50 and 70 per cent of the crop in the major apple areas in Kullu and Shimla districts. (Details on Himachal page)

OBC Quota
SC not impressed by govt plea
New Delhi, April 18
The signals to the Centre from the Supreme Court on the OBC quota issue was not encouraging today with it expressing doubt on the maintainability of the government application for vacating the stay on implementing the reservation for them in central education institutions (CEIs).

Counsel admits discrepancies in Maj-Gen’s affidavit
Chandigarh, April 18
Counsel for the Union of India has reportedly submitted before the Delhi High Court that there were discrepancies in the counter-affidavit filed by the Judge Advocate-General (JAG), Maj Gen Nilendra Kumar, vis-à-vis the counter-affidavit filed by the government.

China snows on Tibet
Beijing, April 18
China today claimed success in creating artificial snow in the northern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region for the first time, saying it proves that it is now possible for humans to change the weather pattern in the world's highest plateau.

Rejects Rs 25-lakh prize money Golden boy Jaspal Rana wants more Dehra Dun, April 18 Controversy over prize money in case of country's ace shooter Jaspal Rana has become a major cause of embarrassment for the BJP government in Uttarakhand, especially, because he and his family are closely associated with the ruling party.