India, Pakistan to continue composite dialogue process
New Delhi, September 8
India and Pakistan today decided to continue the composite dialogue process and took a number of decisions which indicated an important shift in Pakistan's hitherto policy of "Kashmir-first-trade-later".

Punjab page: Pak not abetting terrorism, says Pervez’s adviser

Editorial: Step by step

Along with millions of readers and admirers, The Tribune pays homage to its founder, Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, who passed into eternity on this day 106 years ago (A special article on Opinions page).

Fresh charges to be framed in
Best Bakery case
Mumbai, September 8
The special court set up in Mumbai to hear the Best Bakery massacre case said today that it would frame charges afresh on September 15. Judge Abhay Thipsay of the court directed prosecutor P.R. Vakil to submit the drafts of charges against all 21 accused by September 13.

Complainants drop Ponty Chadha’s name
Punjab liquor auction case
New Delhi, September 8
The Supreme Court was today informed by the unsuccessful bidders in the Punjab’s liquor vends auction case that the name of contractor Ponty Chadha, who was accused of “manipulating” the bids through some “benami” vendors, has been deleted by them from the list of respondents.

CBI to probe sleeper scam
Patna, September 8
Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today asked the CBI to probe the Rs 200 crore sleeper purchase scam with “full speed and honesty” to bring the culprits to justice without much delay.

Soren released from jail
Jamtara, September 8
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha supremo Shibu Soren was today released on bail in connection with the 1974 Giridh twin murder case.

Govt clarifies stand on inclusion of
foreign experts
New Delhi, September 8
Within hours of the stringent criticism from the Left parties on the UPA government's move to include experts from the World Bank and others in the plan panel, the Planning Commission said the views of the "outside bodies" would be used only for consultation and had nothing to do with the working of the organisation.

Nation page: Kalam for involving children in literacy campaign

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam during the International Literacy Day celebration at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Wednesday. — Tribune photo by Mukesh Aggarwal

Sikhs in Punjab have lower literacy rate than
in other states
New Delhi, September 8
Sikhs could well be happy about having a better literacy rate than the majority community, but surprisingly in Punjab, the state with maximum number of Sikhs (over 70 per cent) the literacy rate of this community is lower than the national average of literacy among Sikhs.

Nation page: Muslim growth rate amplified in census
Editorial: Nonsense and census

Concern over low percentage of
Sikh children
Chandigarh, September 8
Low fertility, as enunciated by proportion of children (0-6 years) to the total population, and the wide disparity of the absolute and relative number of male and female population in society, has prompted the National Commission for Minorities to constitute a cell of demographic experts for talking to leaders of various religious communities, intellectuals, officials and others to analyse the latest census report on religion.

Punjab page:
Maan blames ‘genocide’ for population trend

Sports page: Indian stars shine at ICC Awards night London, September 8 Stylish batsman Rahul Dravid was the toast of the inaugural ICC Awards with three glittering picks, including the most coveted Player of the Year award, at the Alexandra Palace here. In video (28k, 56k) It’s unbelievable, says Dravid Rahul Dravid kisses one of his two awards for Player of the Year and Test Player of the Year at the ICC awards ceremony at Alexander Palace in London on Tuesday. Irfan Pathan was awarded the Emerging Player of the Year award. — AP/PTI photo