Tickets for Indo-Pak cricket series online: http://pcbtickets.cricket.org, http://pcb.cricket.org, www.cricinfo.com.

 

Iran says Osama is captured, Pakistan denies report (Go To Top)

          Tehran: Iran's state radio, quoting an unnamed source, said on Saturday that Osama bin Laden was captured in Pakistan "a long time ago." However, a Pakistan army spokesman denied the report. The report said that US Defence Secretary Donald H Rumsfeld's visit to the region this week was in connection with the arrest. The state radio said a reporter for its Pushtun service in Peshawar "confirmed the news" that bin Laden had been captured in a tribal region in Pakistan. He said the news was from "a very reliable source in Peshawar, but the source was not identified.

          Pakistani Army spokesman General Shaukat Sultan told the Associated Press that the report is completely untrue. "That information is wrong," he said. A Pakistani military operation has been under way in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan and a Pakistani official said previously that members of Al-Qaeda are being sought there, although Bin Laden was not a specific target. Iranian state radio quoted its reporter as saying the arrest happened a long time ago. "Osama Bin Laden has been arrested a long time ago, but (US President George W) Bush is intending to use it for propaganda manoeuvring in the presidential election," he said.

28 killed in Uttaranchal bus crash (Go To Top)

          Badliyakhan (Uttaranchal): Twenty-eight 28 people were killed and two injured when a bus plunged into a gorge in the Badliyakhan area of Uttaranchal on Friday. Delayed reports reaching Uttaranchal capital Dehradun said the bus fell about 150 metres after it skidded off the road near the tourist town of Nainital. Brake failure could be the likely cause of the accident. The victims included three women and a child.

Indo-Pak ferry service soon: Pak (Go To Top)

          Karachi: Efforts are being made to start a ferry service soon between India and Pakistan. This was stated by Communications Minister Ahmed Ali during a chat with newsmen. The minister called for the need to improve maritime ties and said that the shipping lines of both the countries should have the liberty to lift third country cargo from each other's ports'.

225 CRPF companies to be deployed during polls (Go To Top)

          Hyderabad: At least 225 companies of CRPF personnel would be deployed in various states, Director-General of Central Reserve Police Force Jyothi Kumar Sinha said on Saturday. He, however, said the deployment of CRPF personnel on election duty would not affect the functioning of its force, already discharging their duties fighting against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, insurgency in the north-eastern states and extremism in Naxal-infested states. The CRPF had played a vital role in containing terrorism last year, in which 194 extremists were killed and 2096 apprehended in different encounters in various parts of the country. Fighting against terorrists, insurgents and Naxalites 40 CRPF personnel had laid down their lives on the call of duty and 141 were injured in 350 encounters, the DG said.

Thirteen Naxals surrender in Hyderabad (Go To Top)

          Hyderabad: Thirteen outlawed leftist rebels surrendered before police in Hyderabad on Saturday. Police said the Naxals, on whom the authorities had declared a reward of Rs one million each, belonged to the banned People's War Group. S.R.Sukumara, Director-General of Police, Andhra Pradesh, urged more Naxals to surrender and join the mainstream. "I would like to once again call upon those who want to come out, please feel free to come. The government is here to take care of you, to give you a helping hand to lead a normal life, so that you can join the mainstream and be happy with your families and lead a normal life and not move about like wanted criminals in some remote forest," Sukumara told reporters. Sukumara said the surrendered rebels included two district commanders, two commanders and one deputy commander.

          The Andhra Pradesh government has launched a rehabilitation scheme for the extremists who give up arms to join the social mainstream. The rebels said the armed movement was losing people's support. "Ideologies are not at all good now. And we are not sure of what they are offering us now," said Satish, a surrendered Naxalite. All the surrendered Naxals, including four women, are residents of Warangal and Medak districts of the state. The Naxals believe in the Maoist ideology of violent struggle for the establishment of peasant rule. Operating in several states across India, their movement aims at radical redistribution of land, an issue which is bitterly opposed by the upper caste landlords. Naxalites derive their name from the eastern town of Naxalbari where their movement began in the 1960s. The Naxalites operate in several states across India and have pitted their campaign against landlords and the state administration whom they accuse of exploiting the poor.

Chhagan Bhujbal's nephew quizzed again in stamp paper scam (Go To Top)

         Mumbai: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Maharashtra on Saturday interrogated Sameer Bhujbal, nephew of former state Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, in a multi- million dollar fake government revenue legal papers scam. This was the third time Sameer Bhujbal was quizzed by the SIT. He was earlier questioned on January 19 and February 25 and was called again as the questioning was incomplete. Heavy security arrangements were made when Sameer arrived at the SIT offices in Central Mumbai, where he was grilled for over two hours. The kingpin of the scam, Abdul Karim Telgi had during his brain mapping tests indicated that Chhagan Bhujbal was also one of the beneficiaries. More than 100 people across several states, including policemen, politicians and government officials, have been arrested for fraud in connection with the forged paper that is used for such transactions as property and business contracts. The near decade-old scam involves paper used in legal documents, known as stamp paper. Police and prosecutors say although $660 million worth of the paper has been found across nine states, the real figure could be 10 times more than that.

Congress, Najma Heptullah trade charges (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Congress party came in for yet another blow on Saturday when a senior leader openly spoke against the top leadership and symbolically endorsed the views of ruling Hindu nationalists. Najma Heptullah has been in the eye of a storm since earlier this week after she criticised party president Sonia Gandhi, accusing her of high-handedness. Heptullah, who is the deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, also praised Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for his good governance.

          "It is a weakness of the leadership of the Congress that it cannot appreciate somebody's good work...Atal Behari Vajpayee, he is the Prime Minister of our country, if he releases a religious book.in which I also take part, then it is interpreted that I am joining the BJP. Please raise your standards, at least hear his speech, what he said...it is for the people, for the nation," Heptullah told reporters here on the sidelines of a book release function attended by both Vajpayee and his Deputy Lal Krishna Advani. Media reports have indicated that Heptullah could join the BJP ahead of national elections, the dates for which are likely to be set by this month.

          With elections round the corner, several senior Congress leaders have recently shifted to the ruling BJP. Heptullah, a key Muslim leader, has been associated with the Congress for over three decades. The Congress lashed out at Heptullah saying she had betrayed the party that actually gave her political career. "The Congress is party in which she began her political career. The party the leadership which respected her, gave her high posts, sent her to the Upper House of Parliament for 24 years ... those opposing the ideology of this party ... Godse and Savarkar, she is endorsing them," Congress spokesman Anil Sharma told reporters in New Delhi.

Life term for 15 train blast accused (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: A court sentenced 15 people accused of serial train blasts that sent shockwaves around the country in 1993 to life imprisonment on Saturday. Two people were killed and several others injured when serial blasts rocked five uptown trains on December 6, 1993, on the first anniversary of demolition of a 16th century mosque in Ayodhya. Federal investigating agency spokesman G. Mohanty said an anti- terrorism court in Ajmer pronounced the verdict. "Today 15 accused of serial blasts were sent to life imprisonment by a TADA court made possible by CBI's (Central Bureau of Investigation) methodical investigation. We had to do a lot of hard work in this case. We believe justice has been done," Mohanty told reports in New Delhi. Mohanty said the blasts were triggered to instil fear and terror in the minds of the people. He said arrest of one of the accused Jalees Ansari had led to further arrests in the case. Hindu zealots razed the Babri mosque on December 6, 1992, triggering the country's worst religious riots in which 3,000 people were killed. The anniversary still raises Hindu-Muslim tensions across the country. Many Hindus are of the opinion that the mosque was built at a place they believe to be the birth- place of Lord Ram.

Attacked Bangladeshi novelist Humayun Azad in critical condition (Go To Top)

         Dhaka: Bangladesh's leading novelist and controversial free thinker Humayun Azad, 57, was on Saturday stated to be in critical condition a day after unidentified assailants attacked him inside the Dhaka University complex. Azad, a professor of Bengali language, received severe injuries on his jaw, head and hands. Reports said that he was being treated at the Combined Military Hospital here. According to witnesses, two assailants swooped down on the professor while he was heading towards his residence on Fuller Road after attending a book fair on the campus at about 9.30 p.m. The attackers exploded several crackers and left him in a pool of blood. The incident sparked off angry protests on the university campus. Teachers, students and cultural activists took to street to demand the arrest of the attackers. Police sealed all thoroughfares on the campus immediately after the incident.

         Over the years, the controversial writer has repeatedly received threats from pro-Islamist elements to curtail his writings, especially from the Nari, Dwitiya Linga, Pasksar Zameen Saad Baad. But, he has never bothered about his safety and continued expressing his openness. Recently a lawmaker of the radical Jamaat-e-Islami had demanded that his books be banned on the charge that they were blasphemous. Four of Azad's books, which were published this year, have featured in this year's book fair that has been organized by Bangla Academy in memory of the martyrs of 1952 Language Movement.

Awami League paralyses life in Bangladesh (Go To Top)

          Dhaka: Life came to a complete standstill in Bangladesh today following a dawn-to-dusk shutdown call given by the Opposition Awami League. Demanding mid-term polls, activists of the Awami League staged their fourth shutdown of the month, alleging that the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was doing nothing to curtail the police atrocities against their leaders and the party cadre. The party had earlier organized nation-wide strikes on February 12, 14 and 16. Reacting to Saturday's strike call, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has warned her arch political rival and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina of tough action if her supporters turn destructive in the name of Opposition movement.

Cricket tickets protected against fraud: PCB (Go To Top)

          Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board has printed special security bars on tickets that will be sold for the India series to check fraud, counterfeiting and duplication of tickets in all the matches. Announcing the policy for sale of tickets for the series of five One-dayers and three Tests, PCB chief Shaharyar Khan said for both the sale of tickets online and through booths, the Board had printed special security bars on the tickets and ticketing would be done through an electronic computerized system.

          "When a person buys a ticket (s) his name, NIC number, address will appear on his ticket and his photograph would also be available to us in our computer data. When he goes to the stadium he has to pass the ticket through a special access bar which will recognize the ticket and identify the holder and allow him in." Khan was further quoted by the News as saying that the Board was looking forward to an income of Rs.7 to Rs.8 cr from just sale of tickets for the series. "This is beside the 21 million dollars we have earned through sale of television, sponsorship and merchandising rights," Khan said.

           "We will put tickets on sale at booths at the match venues a week before the match and we are confident there will be no need to sell tickets on the day of the match. Because the initial reports show there is a great demand for the tickets," he said. Shaharyar said the Board had only put 20 percent of the total tickets for sale online for mostly those people living abroad and wanting to watch the series.

          "We have got amazing response and in the next few days the tickets should be exhausted on the Internet." Shaharyar said that while a person could buy maximum 10 tickets on the Internet, through booths he could buy maximum of five tickets. "But our advice to the ticket-holders would be to come to the stadium at least two hours before a match because there will be a complete security sweep and check and he has to go through the special access bars which will consume some time." Asked about the steps taken to prevent black marketing, he said: "We will check black marketing through manual methods and we would be able to trace through our computer data from where a ticket has come.