Monday, April 21, 2003, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

7 LeT men shot while crossing border
Vohra leaves for talks in valley today
Jammu, April 20
Seven militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) were killed by the Indian troops at Nala Balnoi village in Mendhar sector of Poonch today. According to the police, the seven were infiltrators and were shot while crossing over into the Indian territory.

2 test negative for SARS
New Delhi, April 20
Reports of the sequencing tests of a 42-year-old New Zealand national and a seven-year-old girl have been found to be negative for SARS, a Health Ministry official said here today.

World page: China admits 339 SARS cases

3 Sikh youths detained by Pak
Wagah, April 20
The attempt of three Indian Sikh youths to sneak into India along with pilgrims returning from Pakistan after facing harrowing times in jails of various countries today proved futile much to the dismay of their relatives awaiting re-union at the Wagah check-post.

Surinder Kaur (right), mother of Joginder Singh, awaits the return of her son from Pakistan. Joginder was detained by Pakistan at the Wagah checkpost on Sunday. — Photo Rajiv Sharma

Govt offers to consider truckers’ demands
New Delhi, April 20
In a bid to end the week-long truckers strike, the government today offered to consider a majority of their demands, including the key issue of keeping the sector out of the VAT regime and repeal of the ban on old trucks, and appealed for a halt to the stir.
In video: Seven-day-long truckers' strike hits the construction business in Mumbai. (28k, 56k)

TRIBUNE IMPACT
CBSE exam scam: banks told to seal accounts
Amritsar, April 20
Taking serious note of the prevailing nexus of CBSE officials, politicians and middlemen in leaking out PMT entrance papers, the Union Minister of State for Secondary and Higher Education, Mr Valabh Bhai Kathiria, today announced that a fresh set of papers would be released for the scheduled entrance test on April 27.

George arrives in Beijing
Beijing, April 20
Defence Minister George Fernandes arrived here today on his maiden trip to China during which he is likely to discuss bilateral ties, the situation in South Asia, war on Iraq and other issues of strategic importance to both nations.

Punjab page: “PUNJABIS OVERSEAS” Sikh religious leaders in USA Sikh men march down Broadway during the annual Sikh Day parade in New York on Saturday. — Reuters

India reopens Embassy in Iraq
New Delhi, April 20
India has reopened its Embassy in war-ravaged Iraq, with Mr M.C. Pandey, First Secretary in the Mission, taking over as the Charge d’ Affaires, informed sources said tonight.

World page: USA plans long-term access
to Iraqi bases