Rudy in soup as EC seeks information on air passes
New Delhi, March 25
Union Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy could find himself in hot waters once again with the Election Commission today initiating a probe about the reported issuance of free air passes to “high-profile political functionaries to travel to London by Air India” during its direct inaugural flight from Ahmedabad to London on March 28.

Sea of devotees at Golden Temple kar seva
Amritsar, March 25
The first day of the kar seva of “Amrit sarovar of Harmandar Sahib here today witnessed unprecedented rush of devotees here. Devotees from far-flung areas including abroad visited the Golden Temple to participate in the kar seva.

Sarovar to have ornamental fish

Tagore’s Nobel Prize stolen
Kolkata, March 25
The Nobel Prize won by Rabindranath Tagore and his other valuable belongings, which were kept at Rabindra Museum, near Uttarayan at Santiniketan, were found stolen this morning.

Tohra suffers massive heart attack
Amritsar, March 25
Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, president, Shiromani Akali Dal, today suffered a massive heart attack after the historic kar seva of the sarovar of the Golden Temple began here today.

India unruffled as USA waives sanctions
on Pak
New Delhi, March 25
The Government of India is unruffled over the George Bush administration’s waiver of post-coup sanctions against Pakistan even as Washington continues to mollify New Delhi over its decision to grant Major Non-NATO Ally status to Islamabad and talks about “de-hyphenating” its relationship with the sub-continent’s arch-rivals.

Special article: Pakistan a non-NATO ally
Oped: Major non-NATO ally status for Pakistan

Advani seeks decisive, not simple majority
Jalandhar, March 25
The Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, today exhorted the people to vote for the BJP for getting a decisive majority instead of a simple majority during the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections to help the BJP-led alliance complete its unfinished tasks.

Ludhiana page: Advani seeks another term for NDA
Chandigarh page: Ram Temple no poll issue: Advani

4 ISI agents to die for RDX smuggling 
Ahmedabad, March 25
Four Pakistan nationals working for the ISI were today sentenced to death by a local court in Bhuj for smuggling arms and explosives, including 24 kg RDX, from across the border in 1999.

Madhumani surrenders before CBI court
Lucknow, March 25
After staying elusive for about four months, former Uttar Pradesh Minister Amarmani Tripathi’s wife Madhumani Tripathi, an accused in the poetess Madhumita Shukla murder case, today surrendered before a CBI court here which remanded her in 14 day’s judicial custody till April 14.