Sarabjit's sister threatens self-immolation

    Amritsar: Sister of Sarabjit Singh on Saturday threatened self-immolation if the governments of India and Pakistan failed to formulate means for Sarabjit's release within a month. Sarabjit Singh was sentenced to death in 1991 for allegedly spying and carrying out four bomb blasts, killing 14 people in Pakistan. Pakistan's top court on Thursday dismissed the first of four review petitions filed on behalf of Sarabjit Singh. "Both the Indian and the Pakistani governments have not taken the matter seriously. Till the time they have never come on a single platform to discuss Sarabjit (Singh's) issue. I would like to gave an ultimatum to both the governments that if they do not solve this issue with honesty and within a month, I will immolate myself on the border," said Dalbir Kaur, Singh's sister. Singh's defence team had filed four separate petitions for review, one for each of the four bomb blasts, after Pakistan Supreme Court rejected his appeal against his conviction last year. His lawyer, Rana Abdul Hameed, said in Islamabad a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court dismissed the first petition on technical grounds, saying it had been filed too late. Singh's family says he is a poor farmer from a border village who accidentally wandered into Pakistan in 1990 in an inebriated state. Pakistani officials say Singh was arrested while trying to slip back into India after the bomb blasts. The Indian government has pressed for clemency for Singh but has not made a formal request on his behalf.

Supporters of Sarabjit organise rally to rescue him

     Bhikhiwind (Punjab): Family members and supporters of Sarabjit Singh, who is facing death sentence in Pakistan, took out a rally here for his release on Friday. Both the ruling and opposition parties urged New Delhi to appeal to the Pakistani Government to pardon Sarabjit Singh convicted of spying and bomb blasts in Pakistan. He was sentenced to death in 1991 for allegedly spying and carrying out four bomb blasts that killed 14 people in all. Pakistan Supreme Court on March 9 dismissed the first of four review petitions filed on his behalf. Singh's defence team filed four separate petitions for review, one for each of the four bomb blasts, after Pakistan Supreme Court rejected his appeal against his conviction last year. His lawyer, Rana Abdul Hameed, said in Islamabad that a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court dismissed the first petition on technical grounds, saying it had been filed too late. Dalbir Kaur, Singh's sister, said that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf should look into the matter and help in the release of his brother. "Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had promised that though he was an army man but he was not devoid of sentiments and would look into the case whenever it came to him. Therefore we request him that it is time for him to fulfill his promise and pardon Sarabjit," Kaur said. "We are hurt by the way they have treated an innocent person. It has been proved that my father is innocent, but still they are treating him like this. We are indeed hurt at this news," said Singh's daughter Swapandeep said. Singh's family says he is a poor farmer from a border village who accidentally wandered into Pakistan in 1990 in an inebriated state. Pakistani officials say Singh was arrested while trying to slip back into India after the bomb blasts. The Government has pressed for clemency for Singh but has not made a formal request on his behalf.

Varanasi SSP Navneet Sikera transferred  (Go To Top)

     Lucknow: Four days after twin blasts rocked the city, Varanasi Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Navneet Sikera, was today transferred. According to Principal Secretary, Home, Alok Sinha, Sikera has been replaced by the Senior Superintendent of Police of Moradabad, G K Goswami. However, sources said that the Uttar Pradesh Government has decided to do so following a heavy political pressure from Opposition parties. Earlier, Sikera had been attached to the office of the Director General of Police. Sikera became the first casualty of the "post-Tuesday crisis" as on the evening of March seven, when twin blasts occurred, Sikera along with his deputy SP Anant Dev, was away from the city to attend a marriage ceremony at Saifai, ancestral village of the Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, sources said. It is also noteworthy to mention that the District Magistrate of Varanasi, Nitin R Gokarn was on leave on the same day.

Maharashtra doctors' 12-day strike ends  (Go To Top)

     Mumbai: Resident doctors in Maharashtra called off their 12-day-old strike on Saturday after a marathon round of talks with the State Government where it agreed to raise the monthly stipend from existing Rs 9000 (200 dollars) to Rs 12,000 (288 dollars) and provide additional security cover to the doctors. The truce came last night after hectic nine-hour long talks between the authorities and doctors that had crippled medical facilities in the majority of state run hospitals, a lifeline for millions of poor. The strike, which began in Mumbai with the doctors demanding more security following repeated attacks, also sought better working conditions. Doctors from several state-run hospitals in major cities like Nagpur, Pune, Sholapur and Aurangabad had joined the agitation in a show of solidarity. The striking doctors, undeterred by the expulsion and invoking of the tough Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) 2005, had refused to bend. "Government has agreed to all our demands, so we have taken back the strike and resumed work," said one of the striking doctors. Meanwhile, people heaved a sigh of relief as the news of the end of strike spread. "It is good that the doctors are back as patients will now feel relaxed," said Hema, a patient. But it will take a while before their demands can be put on papers, as the cabinet is yet to approve the stipend issue. A four-member committee has also been set up to look into their demands for better work hours and living conditions. Local reports said over 20 doctors have been assaulted in the past six months. Over 2,500 doctors were on strike for the past 12 days.

Ganguly says no to politics  (Go To Top)

     Kolkata (West Bengal) / New Delhi: Former captain Saurav Ganguly who is making a bid to come back to the team rejected reports that he would campaign for communists during the forthcoming elections in West Bengal. Ganguly told reporters here that though he had cordial relations with most of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI (M)) leaders, political campaigning was not on his mind. Ganguly acknowledged that he had received a call from CPI (M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury. "I got a call from Sitaram Yechuri, in the evening. All I want to say that I am not campaigning for anybody in the present moment I have a personal relationship with all the CPI (M) members, like Sitaram Yechuri, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, Urban Development Minister Ashok Bhattacharya and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee. I know them personally and I have an outstanding relationship with them which does not include any campaigning for them," Ganguly said. Ganguly's comeback bid suffered a setback on March 9 when he was dismissed for a first-ball duck in a premier domestic limited- over competition. Opening the batting for East Zone against North in Jaipur, he was caught behind off medium-pacer Joginder Sharma. East lost by 52 runs. Ganguly remained upbeat about his career saying he would definitely make a comeback to the team. He said: I want to play for the country at the present and I am trying to make a comeback by playing domestic cricket." However, Yechuri said in New Delhi that the Ganguly was star campaign material. "There are no bowlers for Ganguly to bat. He will bat for us but there are no bowlers against us," he said. It has been a forgettable fortnight for the Bengal cricketer. Dropped from the team for the first two home tests against England, he was also criticised by Coach Greg Chappell in a British newspaper. The selectors signaled the end of Ganguly's international career after dropping the former captain from the squad for the first Test against England on March 1.

Kumble celebrates 501 wickets (Go To Top)

    Mohali: It could be a numerical co-incidence that in his 105th Test match Anil Kumble got his 501th Test wickets but life has come full circle for Anil Kumble as he achieved this landmark of his career playing against England, the country against whom he had also made his scintillating debut. Fifteen years have passed since then as this thirty -five year old spinner spent a major portion of life to what his critics' term as "straight spinning". Today as he joined the 500-plus wicket takers club that proudly proclaims Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan, Aussies, Glen McGrath and Shane Warne and West Indian Courtney Walsh as its members, Kumble said:" That is the way I get most of my wickets. Yeah, it was very special to get there". It was indeed a Kumble way to get there as between four balls he not only crossed 500 wickets mark but had also added one to that number. Of the first ball in his 30th over, Geraint Jones goes and 499 wickets was in Kumble's kitty. And in next ball, Stephen Harmison becomes the 500th test victim of Kumble, earning a place in the several general knowledge books that would be remembered by numerous cricket enthusiasts all over the world. With cheers of once more reverberated as Kumble was on a hat- trick, Monty Panesar did not oblige Kumble with a dream run. However, in the next delivery Monty was out leaving Kumble with his 501 tally and enough happiness and satisfaction to return the pavilion with a grin in his face. Kumble's achievement is also the second fastest to enter the elite group only just after the 'doosra' bowler Muralitharan. Kumble beats Warne, McGrath and Walsh to rank second in the list of fastest 500 wicket takers club as he achieved this in his 105th Test match. Warne had it in his 108th match, McGrath in 110th Test, while Walsh in his 129th match. It was only Murali who achieved this landmark of his career in his 87th Test match and a day before he had crossed the 600 mark with ease. As second only to legendary Jim Laker to scalp all ten wickets in an innings of a Test match, Kumble's cricketing career have witnessed and withstood, dramas and challenges that few can even envy to have one. Playing for a country, that worships their batsmen more than their bowlers, Kumble still have a large fan following not as maverick as of Sachin's and Sehwag's but enough to cherish with his glory and weep with his failure. It was a day to pay tribute to this living legend whose pictures of a heavily strapped jaw and still bowling to dismiss Brian Lara will always be remembered more as a warrior who fought against all odds to get make his mark. Born on October 17, 1970 in Karnataka, Kumble made his Test debut in 1990 against England in Manchester and within the next 21 Test matches he had dismissed 100 of them. His ODI career may be over but this "old man" of team India inspires a whole new generation to have a never say die attitude. To be a player who in his words "do not play in a selfish manner" and to always be prepared to test by fire to bring back a zeal that makes everyone to put a more coherent and better performance. As the audience of the rain washed Mohali stadium who till yesterday could scorn over the weather Gods, today jubilantly waved the tricolour as they witnessed to what someone said: "Historic and mesmerising".

NASA Orbiter enters Mars orbit  (Go To Top)

     London: The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, after a seven-month journey, successfully made orbit around Mars joining a trio of orbiters already circling the Red Planet. The mission to study the Martian surface is "the most technologically advanced payload" NASA has ever sent to another planet, Newscientist quoted Jim Graf, project manager for MRO as saying. It will explore Mars in low orbit for four years and should produce detailed information about the planet. Along with taking pictures of the planet, it will also record the weather, geology and mineralogy, and also probe about a kilometre beneath its surface to hunt for water. It will then begin a two-year science phase, during which it will collect more data than all of the previous Mars missions combined 34 trillion bytes of data or about as much as contained by a video store. During the relay phase MRO will continue to take some science data but will give priority to relaying data from future Mars missions. It carries an antenna which will be able to transmit 10 times as much data per minute as any previous spacecraft. The probe's expected operational lifespan is 10 years.

Milosevic found dead in prison  (Go To Top)

     Belgrade: Former Yugoslav President Slobodon Milosevic was today found dead in his prison cell at The Hague tribunal. He was 64. His death was confirmed by the UN tribunal which in its statement said that "he was found dead in his bed on Saturday morning and died apparently from natural causes". Undergoing trial at the tribunal for his alleged role in the wars in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo during the 1990s, the former President had earlier requested the tribunal to allow him to go to Russia for medical treatment since he was suffering from high blood pressure, which the tribunal rejected. The tribunal today also ordered an enquiry to look into the reasons for Milosevic's death. Milosevic was facing genocide charges over the 1992-95 Bosnia war that left two lakh people dead. He was the President of Yugoslavia for 13 years till October 5, 2000, when large scale demonstrations by the oppositions led him to flee. Six months later, an armed standoff outside Milosevic's mansion ended with the arrest of the former president.

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