Friday, September 8, 2006, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

5 pc DA hike for Central staff
New Delhi, September 7
The Union Cabinet today approved 29 per cent dearness allowance, five per cent more than the existing rate, with retrospective effect from July 1 this year to over 10 million Central Government employees and pensioners.

50 miners feared dead
Blast triggers gas leak, fire in Dhanbad
Dhanbad, September 7
At least 43 of the 50 miners trapped in a coalmine here have died due to inhalation of carbon monoxide following an explosion underground and the authorities virtually ruled out the survival of the remaining.

A crowd gathers outside the 17th seam of Mahuda Mines of BCCL at Dhanbad in Jharkhand on Thursday where over 50 miners were trapped underground after an explosion on Wednesday night. — AFP photo

Controversies mar Vande Mataram celebrations
New Delhi, September 7
Controversies marred the centenary celebrations of Vande Mataram today with the BJP raking up the absence of Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a Congress-organised group singing while Muslim institutions in BJP-ruled states by and large defied the government directive for reciting the national song. In video (56k)

Vande Mataram row unfortunate: Vajpayee
New Delhi, September 7
Terming the controversy over the rendition of Vande Mataram as ‘‘unfortunate’’, former Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee today said the national song was not aimed at idol worship and all Indians should sing it. ‘‘The song is a symbol of devotion towards the motherland. (Details in Nation page)

Nation page: Clash over Vande Mataram
Punjab page: SGPC chief’s volte-face on song criticised
Ludhiana page: Schools ignore directive on Vande Mataram
Chandigarh page: BJP takes out Vande Mataram Shatabdi Yatra

CBI pleads for death sentence in Mattoo case
New Delhi, September 7
Pointing out that they have enough circumstantial evidence, the CBI today asserted before the Delhi High Court that Santosh Singh, accused of raping and killing Priyadarshani Mattoo, should be awarded death sentence for the offence.

Sanction for prosecution not proper: Badal’s counsel
New Delhi, September 7
Former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today argued in the Supreme Court through his counsel on the issue of sanction for his prosecution, saying he could not be put to trial without proper sanction from a competent authority, even if it was assumed that the charges against him were correct.

Militant escapes from police custody
Srinagar, September 7
A policeman was injured in an attack leading to the escape of an arrested militant of the Hizbul Mujahideen from the court premises at Pulwama today. Five militants were among six killed in separate incidents in the Kashmir valley since yesterday.

2 boys throw acid on girl in Jalandhar
Jalandhar, September 7
In a gruesome incident, two motor-cycle borne boys in their early twenties allegedly threw a glass full of acid on the face of a 21-year-old girl in Model House locality this evening, resulting in 30-35 per cent burn injuries to the girl.

Lankan minister’s outburst against Indian envoy Colombo/New Delhi, September 7 In an unusually scathing attack, a senior Sri Lankan Minister has accused India’s High Commissioner Nirupama Rao of meddling in the island nation’s affairs, a charge outrightly rejected by New Delhi.