Saturday, March 8, 2003, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Women’s Reservation Bill in current session
New Delhi, March 7
A consensus on the women reservation issue appears to be evolving as the government made clear its intention to bring the Women’s Reservation Bill in the current session of Parliament at an all-party meeting today. The consensus seems to be building around the Election Commission’s proposal to leave it to political parties for giving tickets to women, according to a certain percentage, sources said.
In video (28k, 56k)

  Nation page: Kalam lauds women’s contribution

Sports page: India overcome spirited Kenya Indian captain Saurav Ganguly (facing the camera) and team-mate Yuvraj Singh embrace after winning their first World Cup Super Six match against Kenya in Cape Town on Friday. India won by six wickets.   — Reuters photo

Osama’s sons arrested?
Quetta, March 7
A provincial minister in Pakistan’s south-west province of Baluchistan today said he had been informed that two sons of Osama bin Laden were captured in a joint US-Afghan-Pakistan operation.

TRIBUNE SPECIAL
Pakistan shielding Al-Qaida men
New Delhi, March 7
The effortless arrest and handover of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the mastermind behind September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, to the earlier in the week has raised speculation that Pakistani authorities were in the know of the whereabouts of Al-Qaida operatives.

  World page: Khalid predicts attacks on USA

Osama alive, but not in Pak: Pervez
Islamabad, March 7
President Pervez Musharraf said Osama bin Laden seemed to be alive but was unlikely to be in Pakistan where suspected September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was arrested at the weekend.

Virbhadra retains key portfolios
Stokes gets Power, Technology
Shimla, March 7
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today allotted portfolios to the 15 cabinet ministers but retained some important one’s, including Public Works Department, Home, Finance, General Administration and Personnel.

  Himachal page: HP House session from March 10

SIT: four cops involved in kidney racket
Amritsar, March 7
Additional Director-General of Police A.A. Siddiqui heading the Special Investigation Team probing the kidney sale scam today disclosed that the SIT had recommended action against four police officers including two IPS officers for their “misconduct”.

MC ELECTIONS Poll panel orders deployment of CRPF Jalalabad (Ferozepore), March 7 The state Election Commissioner, Mr C.L. Bains, today ordered the Deputy Commissioner to transfer the Station House Officer, City police station, and directed the Chief Secretary, Punjab, Mr Y.S. Ratra, to deploy personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force in Abohar, Fazilka and the town for maintaining law and order situation on March 9, when the polling for the municipal council elections will take place.