Saturday, December 21, 2002, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

PDP MLA Mir shot dead
3 girls fall victim to ultras’ diktat
Srinagar, December 20
In the first direct attack on ruling PDP members, gunmen shot dead Abdul Aziz Mir, MLA from the Pampore constituency, about 15 km from here, in Pulwama district this afternoon. The incident took place when he was coming out of a mosque after offering Friday prayers at Konibal at about 2.30 p.m.

Nation page: Use POTA in J&K: BJP

Polaris chief, colleague released
New Delhi, December 20
Ending a week-long incarceration, the CEO of Chennai-based Polaris Software, Mr Arun Jain, and his colleague Rajiv Malhotra were released today from a Jakarta detention centre following hectic diplomatic parleys.

MCC ultras gun down 18 cops
Ranchi, December 20
Striking in a big way, Maoist rebels ambushed a police convoy and shot dead 18 policemen and seriously wounded 20 others in the dense Saranda forest.

Mother Teresa to be beatified
Vatican City, December 20
The late Mother Teresa will be beatified on October 19, Brian Kolodiejkhuk, the main supporter of her beatification, the last stage before sainthood, said on his Internet site today.

In video: Missionaries of Charity hold a special prayer ceremony in Kolkata ahead of Pope John Paul's approval of a miracle of Mother Teresa. (28k, 56k)

Imparting hightech education, PTU style
Chandigarh, December 20
They neither have proper books nor are sure about the course syllabuses. There are no proper laboratories and adequate teaching faculty. There are, by and large, out-dated computer systems for them to operate.

Modi ‘charisma’ to be used in HP New Delhi, December 20 Irrespective of whether or not the BJP plays the Hindutva card in Himachal Pradesh Assembly poll, the party has decided to use the “charisma” of Mr Narendra Modi to galvanise party cadres and cut the anti-incumbency factor ahead of elections.   Himachal page: ‘Hindutva not to be BJP’s poll plank’