Monday, July 8, 2002, Chandigarh, India
 Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Thousands bid adieu to Ambani
Mumbai, July 7
Thousands of mourners from different spheres of life today bid farewell to India’s business legend Dhirubhai Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd, who died yesterday aged 69. His mortal remains were consigned to the flames at the Chandanwadi crematorium here this evening. The pyre was lit around 6.40 p.m. by his elder son Mukesh Ambani, amidst the chanting of vedic hymns.
In video (28k, 56k)

    Editorial: Death of a corporate king
    Nation page: President, PM condole Ambani’s death
  

Business page: Dhirubhai Ambani rewrote India’s corporate history Mukesh Ambani (left) and Anil Ambani (right), sons of India’s industrialist Dhirubhai Ambani, carry their father’s body past a crowd of mourners to a crematorium in Mumbai on Sunday. — Reuters photo

Rly division talks today
Advani hints at another reshuffle in BJP
Ahmedabad, July 7
Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani today said he would discuss the issue of fresh divisions of the Railways with Railway Minister Nitish Kumar tomorrow in New Delhi.

    Nation page: Country divided into 16 rly zones

Further de-escalation put on hold
New Delhi, July 7
India’s categoric refusal to take anymore de-escalatory measures following Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s somersault on ending the cross-border infiltration has again put the USA and the United Kingdom on the edge, forcing the British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to rush back to New Delhi later this month.

     Pakistan may launch war in four years: report
      Nation page

Parties discuss EC order today
New Delhi, July 7
In view of the Election Commission having decided to implement the Supreme Court verdict of making it mandatory for all candidates to file an affidavit furnishing details of their criminal antecedents, assets and liabilities and educational qualification, the Centre has convened an all-party meeting tomorrow to discuss the issue.

Thakur Ram Lal dead
Shimla, July 7
Thakur Ram Lal, a veteran Congress leader and former Chief Minister, died of a heart attack here last night. He was 73. He complained of severe chest pain at around 11 p.m. and was immediately rushed to Indira Gandhi Medical College where doctors unsuccessfully tried to revive him.

Minimum price for export basmati rice up
New Delhi, July 7
To ensure that no spurious quantity is exported and the rates fetched are in line with the premium that brown basmati rice commands the worldwide, the government has decided to revise the minimum price range for export of the commodity.

VHP demands law on temple construction in Ayodhya
Ranchi, July 7
The Vishva Hindu Parishad today demanded enactment of a law by Parliament for construction of a Ram Temple at Ayodhya. A resolution to this effect was adopted on the second day of the two-day managing committee meeting of the VHP here.

CM’S ADVISORY PANEL REPORT-I Proactive industrial policy favoured Chandigarh, July 7 The Punjab Chief Minister’s advisory committee on industrial growth and development of relevant infrastructure has recommended a proactive industrial policy and stressed on refurbishing government credibility and confidence-building among entrepreneurs to attract investment.