London, April 9 Britain’s Prince Charles today married his long-time sweetheart Camilla Parker Bowles, making official a relationship that endured off-and-on for more than 30 years. Britain’s Prince Charles waves as he and Camilla Parker Bowles leave the Guildhall in Windsor, southern England, after their civil wedding ceremony, on Saturday. — Reuters photo

Kashmir, not cricket, tops Pervez’s agenda
Islamabad, April 9
There is more to watching cricket than what is said to be on the cards during Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s three-day visit to New Delhi from April 16.

Three dead in Haryana panchayat poll violence
Gurgaon, April 9
Elections to Gram Panchayats, Block Samitis and Zila Parishads in the district were today marred by violence at many places, resulting in two deaths and injuries to more than 50 persons.

SA man admits to illegal export of devices to India, Pak
New York, April 9
A Pakistani businessman has been charged by American prosecutors with illegally exporting devices from the country that could be used to develop nuclear weapons while his alleged South African partner has pleaded guilty to arranging illegal export of US-made equipment to Pakistan and India.

Poor to groan under VAT
Chandigarh, April 9
A factory or farm worker, a daily wager or a rickshaw-puller in Punjab will pay Value Added Tax on most all items he buys. Living in either a rented room or his own “kucha house”, he will now be required to pay 4 per cent VAT for ash bricks or refractory bricks or earthen tiles and on lime and lime stone for white washing a new structure.

Nitish gives up on govt formation
New Delhi, April 9
A two-day National Executive meeting of the JD (U) starting here tomorrow is likely to debate the party’s future course of action in Bihar even as its senior leader Nitish Kumar said he was abandoning efforts to form government.

Army to hand over fort to Punjab Amritsar, April 9 The military history of the legendary Mahraja Ranjit Singh and the British that remained behind the iron curtain for more than one and a half century, will now be thrown open to the public following the formal handing over ceremony of the 250-year-old historic Gobindgarh Fort, to the state government by the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, to mark Baisakhi here. A view of the official residence of General Dyer, responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, at Gobindgarh Fort in Amritsar. The fort is to be handed over to the Punjab Government as a major tourist spot. — Photo by Rajiv Sharma