Bomb scare in Parliament
*Both Houses vacated * Jostling MPs rush to exits
New Delhi, December 16

An e-mail threat to bomb Parliament in the forenoon today sent shock waves all around and created chaos leading to the abrupt adjournment of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and all other ministers and MPs being evacuated to a safe zone.	A security personnel takes position at Parliament House after a bomb scare on Friday. — Tribune photo by Mukesh Aggarwal
In video (28k, 56k) E-mail’s origin point identified

Cold wave claims two lives
Chandigarh, December 16
Intense cold wave, currently sweeping north-west region, claimed two lives, one each in Punjab and Haryana, during the past 24 hours. Sirajudin died while he was going to his home at Plangi village in Gurdaspur district in Punjab. He had reportedly stopped there for night halt. His body was found next morning, a report from Pathankot said.

Weather page: Pilani coldest

Hooda asks CBI to probe charges against Chautala
Chandigarh, December 16
Tired of criticism by the public and its own MLAs for not doing anything against the alleged misdeeds of the previous regime, the Hooda Government has written to the CBI to inquire into the memorandum submitted by the Congress to the Governor against the then Chief Minister of Haryana, Mr Om Prakash Chautala.

Jagat claims Iraq trip was official
New Delhi, December 16
The oil-for-food scam today took an interesting turn with Jagat Singh, the son of the former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh claiming that the trip to Iraq was official and was sanctioned by the then Indian Youth Congress president Randeep Surjewala and present Haryana Minister, and he also handed over a copy of the sanction letter to the Enforcement Directorate.

Poll plea against Amarinder: SC orders fresh hearing
New Delhi, December 16
In a setback to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, the Supreme Court today directed the Punjab and Haryana High Court to hear fresh a petition challenging his election to the Assembly on the ground that two senior civil and police officers of the state government had actively campaigned for him.

Chappell, Dravid behind Sourav’s exit?
New Delhi, December 16
The Selection Committee’s decision to sack Sourav Ganguly from the Test squad was understood to have been largely influenced by coach Greg Chappell’s views on team composition for the Ahmedabad match aided by those of captain Rahul Dravid.
In video (28k, 56k)

Panda agrees to pay maintenance
Allahabad, December 16
Controversial senior IPS officer D.K. Panda, in the news for dedicating himself as ‘Radha’ to Lord Krishna, today said he was willing to pay Rs 7,000 per month to his estranged wife and would withdraw a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the same. Panda made the announcement after NCW Chairperson Girja Vyas met him and his wife Veena separately here.

Nation celebrates Vijay Divas New Delhi, December 16 Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee today led the nation in celebrating the Vijay Divas by paying homage to the martyrs who laid down their lives during the war for liberation of East Pakistan at the Amar Jawan Jyoti here. Related Stories in  Punjab, Chandigarh, Jalandhar and J&k pages