CMP a neat balancing act
Focus on agriculture and employment

New Delhi, May 27 After days of intense discussions, the new United Progressive Alliance today unveiled its Common Minimum Programme which, as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, lays down the broad guiding principles and programmes of the new government. In video (28k, 56k)
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi at the release of the Common Minimum Programme of the UPA in New Delhi on Thursday. — PTI photo
Ban on Iraq recruitments

CJI-designate satisfied with existing powers
New Delhi, May 27
The Chief Justice-designate, Mr Justice R.C. Lahoti, does not subscribe to the view that the corruption in the judiciary has attained alarming proportions and the CJI needs more powers to deal with the alleged indiscipline among the judges.

Editorial: Tackling errant Judges

Rebel BJP MLAs seek Modi’s ouster
Ahmedabad, May 27
Bringing to a virtual head the rising tide of dissidence in the ruling BJP in Gujarat against Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the wake of the party's slide in the Lok Sabha elections in the state, 58 of the saffron outfit's total of 127 MLAs tonight demanded the change of leadership.

Robberies, snatchings on the rise in Punjab, Haryana
Chandigarh, May 27
Robberies and snatchings are costing Punjab and Haryana Rs 1.5 lakh a day, a human life every ninth day, besides leaving a victim grievously injured every other day.

Punjab approves merger of 50 pc DA
Chandigarh, May 27
The Punjab Council of Ministers today approved the merger of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief equal to 50 per cent of the basic pay, pension with pay, pension and treat this amount as Dearness Pay, Dearness Pension effective April 1, 2004 to its employees and pensioners on the Central pattern.

SAD lobbies for Deputy Speaker’s post; suggests Atwal
New Delhi, May 27
Even though there was no indication yet from the Congress whether it would follow the tradition of offering the Deputy Speaker’s position to the Opposition, the Shiromani Akali Dal had already started lobbying to corner that position.

Colonel denies charge of fake killings
Jodhpur, May 27
Deposing before a military court in the first open trial, Colonel K.D. Singh, Commanding Officer of the battalion, allegedly involved in Siachen fake killings, today denied the charge saying that during the deployment of his regiment on higher reaches of Himalaya 45 Pakistani soldiers were killed in ‘real’ encounters.

Pak allows Punjabi language in Assembly Wagah (Amritsar), May 27 Punjabi has finally found a foothold in Pakistan, with the state Assembly allowing the use of the language in the House for debates, discussions and presentation of views etc. There would also be no restriction on oath-taking in the language. Octogenarian Pakistani Punjabi writer (75) A.J. Josh, who was born in Amritsar, enters India through the Wagah checkpost on Thursday. — Photo Rajiv Sharma