Thursday, March 9, 2006, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

LeT ultra shot as cops probe Varanasi blasts
Bombs in pressure cookers
Varanasi, March 8
Even after 24 hours the Special Task Force entrusted to crack the Varanasi serial blasts killing about 20 and injuring 100 could claim only leads. They admitted that it was yet to be established if the LeT terrorist shot down on the outskirts of Lucknow on Wednesday morning was in anyway connected with the serials blasts in Varanasi.
In video(28k, 56k)

Sonia in tears
Explosives hidden in pressure cooker: Patil
Tourists unfazed as Varanasi bounces back
Blast victims’ agony continues
2 LeT militants shot
Editorial: Killers on the prowl

Nation page: Varanasi blasts issue rocks Parliament Howard expresses anguish over blasts Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil with officials at the blast site of Sankatmochan temple in Varanasi early on Wednesday. — PTI photo

1-year jail for Zahira in Best Bakery case
New Delhi, March 8 The Supreme Court today found Gujarat’s Best Bakery case key witness Zahira Sheikh guilty of committing contempt of court by making false statement before it that she had not filed any affidavit in the appeal for retrial in the case and sentenced her to one year’s imprisonment with a fine of Rs 50,000 on her.	Zahira Sheikh

Police for check on anti-national telecasts
Chandigarh, March 8
Peeved by a 90-minute telecast of a talk show on a TV channel on March 6, the Punjab Police not only arrested Dr Jagjit Singh Chauhan, a participant in the programme, but has also sought a central regulatory body for screening of sensitive programmes before their telecast on different channels.

Punjab page: Chohan held from Tanda
Furore among Sikh bodies over TV programme
Delhi page: DSGMC protests against television programme

India: The Tasks Ahead
   SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

125TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS,
INAUGURAL SESSION

	PUNJAB: Illicit cotton seeds seized from Cong leader’s godown
	HARYANA: Haryana to recruit 4,000 constables
	HIMACHAL: Kol Dam workers resume duty
	J&K: Denied travel papers, Geelani to skip Pak conference
	CHANDIGARH: Blow to liquor cartel; Admin allots vends
	LUDHIANA: 3 die as jeep rams into closed rail barrier
	DELHI: Stray cattle menace: HC displeasure at govt’s attitude
	OPINIONS: Killers on the prowl
	BUSINESS: Tata Tele sells 9.9 pc equity to Temasek
	NATION: Violation of duty time limits by A-I poses safety threat
	WORLD: Kalam arrives in Myanmar
	SPORTS: India ready for challenge

HOROSCOPE

WEEKLY

Quote

We have also intensified security in nuclear plants, space facilities, sea ports and oil refineries. — Shivraj Patil

On Sundays

On Saturdays

Left points out holes in N-deal
New Delhi, March 8
Left parties today expressed apprehensions in the nuclear separation deal reached between India and the USA by asking the UPA government whether it has decided to close down CIRUS (Canadian-Indian-US) nuclear reactor by 2010 and shift Apsara from the Baba Atomic Research Centre under pressure from Washington.

BSNL cuts ISD tariff
New Delhi, March 8
BSNL today slashed international long-distance call rates to Rs 6 a minute, with 10 seconds pulse, for users opting One India tariff plan. Under the new tariffs, ISD rates to the US, UK and Canada would be Rs 6 per minute (10 second pulse) against the rate of Rs 7.20 per minute under other plans.

Sensex sheds 216 points
Mumbai, March 8
With FIIs and domestic funds offloading shares across the board, the Sensex took a battering today falling by more than 2 per cent or 216 points to close at 10,508.85 points.

Banking strike deferred
New Delhi, March 8
The all-India banking strike called tomorrow to press for restoration of compassionate ground appointment scheme has been deferred, the United Forum of Bank Unions said today.

OPINION Jaya Bachchan is in good company Inzamam-ul-Haque, the Pakistan cricket captain was declared out in the recent Lahore Test because his not-too-small body prevented a throw from travelling towards the wicket — obstructing a fielder is one of the nine ways of getting out in cricket.