Wednesday, December 4, 2002, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Putin arrives to forge new axis

New Delhi, December 3 Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived here this evening on a crucial three-day state visit which is going to catapult Indo-Russian relations to newer heights and during which the India-Russia-China trilateral strategic relationship is going to come for serious discussion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin waves to photographers on his arrival in New Delhi on Tuesday, as his wife Lyudmila and Minister of State for Small Scale Industry Vasundhara Raje Scindia look on. — AFP photo

Informal talks held
Russian minister meets George

Videos: Russian Science and Technology Minister Ilya Klebanov meets Defence Minister George Fernandes in New Delhi, hours before Putin's visit to India. (28k, 56k) Russian President Vladimir Putin urges all countries to join hands in combating terrorism. (28k, 56k)

Sonia kicks off poll campaign

Flays Modi’s ‘gaurav yatra’ Hadod (Gujarat), December 3 After offering prayers at the famous Ambaji temple near here, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today launched her party’s election campaign in Gujarat, accusing the BJP of trying to retain power through “communal divide” and creating a terror syndrome. In video (28k, 56k) Congress President Sonia Gandhi waves to the crowd at an election rally in Hadod village in Gujarat on Tuesday. — PTI photo

THE TRIBUNE MAGAZINES

On alternate Mondays

On Sundays

On Saturdays

THE TRIBUNE LAST WEEK Tuesday, December 3 Monday, December 2 Sunday, December 1 Saturday, November 30 Friday, November 29 Thursday, November 28 Wednesday, November 27

  Advani sees BJP wind in Gujarat
  Himachal page: Sonia’s Shimla rally on Dec 11

Gujarat VHP leader shot at, hurt seriously
Ahmedabad, December 3
Two motorcycle-borne gunmen shot at and wounded Gujarat VHP general secretary Jaideep Patel from point-blank range while he was travelling in a car near his house here this evening.

J&K mosque siege ends
Lashkar ultra surrenders
Srinagar, December 3
With the surrender of a militant of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, a 20-hour-long siege of a mosque in Achabal area of Anantnag district ended this afternoon. Elsewhere, at least nine persons, including five militants were killed and four injured in separate incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mufti seeks aid for ‘healing touch’
New Delhi, December 3
In getting down to the task of “healing physical, psychological and emotional wounds” of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has presented the Centre with a list of demands which would enable his government continue its “healing touch.”

  Blackwill lauds Mufti policy
  J&K page: Robert Blackwill visits LoC

Malaysian HC moved
Hearing on plea in Bofors case today
Kuala Lumpur, December 3
The Malaysian authorities today moved the High Court here challenging a lower court verdict rejecting a plea for the extradition of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi to India to stand trial in the Bofors case.

  Editorial: The ghost of Bofors