Bihar’s turf war shifts to Union Cabinet
New Delhi, March 8
A turf war is looming large in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Cabinet amid hopes that a realignment of political forces in Bihar brought under President’s rule yesterday will lessen its impact. The problem essentially stems from the bitter rivalry between RJD chief and Union Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav and LJP leader and Union Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan in their backyard of Bihar where the fractured verdict has necessitated keeping the newly constituted assembly in suspended animation.

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Seamers send Pak packing
Chandigarh, March 8
Indian medium-pacer Laxmipathy Balaji signalled his return to Test cricket with a career-best figure of five for 76 as Pakistan, after losing three quick wickets before lunch, did well to recover to end day one of the first Test against India at the PCA Stadium at Mohali today at 312 all out.
(More stories on Sports and Chandigarh page)

Musharraf for cricket series?   In video (28k, 56k)

“It’s a great feeling” for Laxmipathy Balaji as he picks up the fifth Pakistani wicket to finish with a haul of five for 76 in the first Test at the PCA Stadium in Mohali on Tuesday.  — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

Rice visit to boost Indo-US ties
New Delhi, March 8
A week from now, until next month end, India will play host to leaders of three major international powers — US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice on March 16 and 17, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in the first week of April and Japanese Premier Junichiro Koizumi in late April.

Hooda meets Sonia, PM New Delhi, March 8 The Congress has got down to the task of Ministry formation in Haryana with Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda having a 75-minute meeting with party chief Sonia Gandhi today.

Bhupinder S. Hooda

Haryana page: Hooda to ensure fair canal water distribution Ministerial hopefuls may have to wait another day

Pilot dies as MiG crashes in Bikaner
Jaipur, March 8
In yet another mishap involving accident-prone MiG-21 aircraft, an Indian Air Force fighter veered off the runway soon after landing at Naal Airbase in Bikaner and crashed into a building under construction killing the pilot and injuring eight others on the ground.

Former Chechen President Maskhadov killed
Moscow, March 8
Former Chechen President and rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov was killed by Russian forces in Chechnya today. “I confirm that Maskhadov was killed in the village of Tolstoi-Yurt today,” a spokesperson for the Russian forces said. (Details on World page)

Student held for links with slain militants
New Delhi, March 8
The Special Cell today made yet another arrest from Dehra Dun in the Lashkar-e-Toiba plot to target the Indian Military Academy in Dehra Dun and software installations in Bangalore.

SC: assault on boss ground for dismissal
New Delhi, March 8
Close on the heels of its recent verdict upholding dismissal of an employee by the employer for abusing his superior during duty, the Supreme Court has ruled that firing a worker for assaulting his boss could not be interfered upon by the courts as maintaining discipline at the workplace “is not slavery”.

Pak docs to adopt village near Wagah New Delhi, March 8 A group of physicians of the Pakistani descent is working on a project to adopt a village near the Wagah border in India and provide it with all basic amenities and facilities. Chairman of Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America Hussain Malik told The Tribune that APPNA was planning to adopt Khurmnian village near Amritsar in collaboration with the Escorts group.