EC gets 3 days to finetune ad guidelines
New Delhi, April 5
The Supreme Court today gave three days time to the Election Commission to finetune its guidelines to control the telecast of slanderous political programmes on TV as part of poll campaign and even indicated that telecast of offending advertisements can be made an electoral offence, if the commission so desired.

Lucknow, April 5

AK-47 deal: BJP rubbishes Cong claim
New Delhi, April 5
The government as well as the BJP today dismissed the Congress allegations of irregularities in the purchase of AK-47 assault rifles and accused it of stooping low in a “conspiracy to malign India and the security forces.”

 BJP questions Sonia’s competence to be PM

Pak proposes May 25, 26 for N-issue talks
Islamabad, April 5
Pakistan today proposed two-day talks next month with India on nuclear confidence-building measures in pursuance of the road map worked out by the foreign secretaries of the two countries.

 India to respond

Chandigarh boy Yuvraj hits first Test century
Lahore, April 5
India gambled in batting on a lively wicket and nearly collapsed before a fighting maiden century by one-day specialist Yuvraj Singh took it to a respectable 287 on the opening day of the second cricket Test against Pakistan here today.

 Sports page: This century means lot to me, says Yuvraj and more

Yuvraj Singh raises his bat after scoring a century during the opening day of the second Test match between India and Pakistan in Lahore on Monday. — Reuters photo

53 hurt in Pulwama blast
Srinagar, April 5
Fiftythree persons, including three Border Security Force men, were injured, eight of them seriously, when suspected militants lobbed a grenade in a market place of Pulwama this afternoon. The injured included five children and 10 women.

Calcutta offers to quit as SGPC Secy
Amritsar, April 5
A piquant situation arose when Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta today offered to step down as SGPC Secretary in the presence of Mr Parkash Singh Badal, President, Shiromani Akali Dal, when Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar, a former SGPC chief, raised objections over the presenting of ‘siropa’ (robe of honour) to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh by him (Mr Calcutta) during his recent visit to the Golden Temple.

Sikh dies of starvation in US jail
Washington, April 5
An elderly and wheelchair-bound Sikh inmate, who was a former head granthi at a local gurdwara, died of starvation in a California state prison, where he also faced brutal abuse by security guards, a media report alleged.