Tuesday, June 26, 2007, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Shiv Sena to back Pratibha
Thackeray breaks ranks with BJP
Mumbai, June 25
The Shiv Sena today finally decided to end all speculations and formally announced its support for Pratibha Patil in the forthcoming presidential elections. Party supremo Bal Thackeray today said the Shiv Sena’s elected representatives, who are part of the electoral college would back Patil in the interests of Marathi unity.

Shekhawat files papers
New Delhi, June 25 Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat today filed nomination papers as an NDA-backed independent candidate to challenge UPA candidate Pratibha Patil for the July 19 presidential election in the presence of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani.
Independent Presidential candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat hands over the nomination papers to Lok Sabha Secretary-General P.D.T. Achary (left) at Parliament House in New Delhi on Monday. — PTI

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Life term for nine in Pandya murder case
Ahmedabad, June 25
The designated POTA court today sentenced nine persons to life imprisonment in the Haren Pandya murder case, wherein the senior BJP leader and former Gujarat home minister was shot dead in the city, here on March 26, 2003. In video (56k)

City Centre Scam
Raninder, kin get more time to reply
New Delhi, June 25
The Supreme Court today gave two weeks’ further time to former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s son Raninder Singh and one of their kin for filing reply to the state government’s petition seeking cancellation of their bail in the multi-crore Ludhiana city centre scam case.

Punjab Vidhan Sabha
Memories of Emergency echo
Chandigarh, June 25
As bitter memories of the Emergency, which was imposed on this day in 1975 by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, today echoed in the Punjab assembly, the main opposition, the Congress, did not react strongly on the issue.

China jams DD, AIR signals in border area
New Delhi, June 25
After China upped its ante on Arunachal Pradesh last month, India has discreetly conveyed to China that it could not be pushed beyond a point on the boundary dispute. The message was conveyed last week. The perception of the Indian government is that India-China relations have been so far on an even keel despite their rivaling strategic pursuits in and around the region.

45 killed in Iraq bombings
Baghdad, June 25
Suicide bombers struck a Baghdad hotel and police targets today in a wave of insurgent bombings in Iraq that killed at least 45 people, including a lawmaker, policemen and tribal leaders. (Details on World page)

Panel for repeal of AFSPA
New Delhi: In a recommendation that could face stiff resistance from the states, the Administrative Reforms Commission today favoured sweeping powers to the Centre to deploy armed forces in case any state faced ‘major public order problems’ and the repeal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Power Act.
(Details on Nation page)

Flu-hit India face SA today
Belfast, June 25
Even before locking horns with the world’s No. 2 ODI team South Africa — who thrashed them in the winter — Indian cricketers have been confronted with the shock of switching from temperatures in the mid-40s to the mid-teens, which has provoked a touch of the flu among at least six of the 15 players.
(Details on Sports page)

HIV kids face boycott in Kerala school Pampady (Kerala), June 25 Five HIV positive children in Mar Dionysius Primary school in Kottayam district face a boycott with most of the parents today refusing to send their wards to the institution and even threatening to withdraw the kids.