Cabinet nod for judicial council
Reserved SC, ST posts won’t be
de-reserved; new bill to be framed
New Delhi, October 8
At a meeting of the union cabinet held here today, cabinet decided to set up a judicial council to probe cases against higher judiciary, put a ban on publication and telecast of exit polls during the election process, reframing of the SC/ST draft Bill, clearing the amendment of the Indian Trust Act and setting up of a plasma centre.

Advani: Nun’s rape shameful
New Delhi, October 8
BJP’s prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani today came out in the open and condemned the anti-Christian violence in Orissa and other states. He went on to describe the rape of a Catholic nun in Orissa as “a shameful crime against humanity.”

No consensus on Bajrang Dal ban

Cabinet Meeting
Plasma centre approved, Trust Act to be modified
New Delhi, October 8
Patients in public hospitals will soon have access to life-saving plasma derivatives at affordable process. The union cabinet today cleared the proposal of the Health Ministry to set up a plasma fractionation centre that would process plasma to make components like albumin, gammoglobulin and prothrombin used in the treatment of life-threatening diseases.

More for farmers in suicide-prone areas

‘Don’t air news that endanger lives of witnesses’
New Delhi, October 8
Taking a serious note of news channels airing interviews of a key witness in the September 13 bomb blast in New Delhi, the government today asked the broadcasters not to telecast any news item which may endanger the life of a person.

2 Americans, Japanese win Chemistry
Nobel Prize
Stockholm, October 8
Two Americans and a Japanese researcher won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry today for the discovery of a glowing jellyfish protein that makes cells, tissues and even organs light up - a tool used by thousands of researchers around the world.

A physicist ahead of his time
Chandigarh-born Bindu A. Bambah recalls her supervisor, Nobel winner Yoichiro Nambu
COME October and the science junkies and academic geeks login to the site nobelprize.org to see the live announcement of Nobel prizes. For Indians, the first thing we check is whether an Indian got the Nobel prize and then we rejoice in the vicarious glory.

Bhajji as Ravana earns Takht’s wrath
Amritsar, October 8
Expressing dismay over the behaviour of cricketer Harbhajan Singh (Bhajji), who danced in the television show, “Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena”, with Mona Singh, wearing a tilak and dressed as Ravana, Jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Gurbachan Singh has said he (Harbhajan) should tender an unconditional apology to Guru Granth Sahib and the Sikh Sangat for hurting the sentiments of the Sikhs.

Stocks tumble globally, Sensex down 367 Mumbai, October 8 Concerns of global liquidity crunch sent the stocks world over on a tailspin today and the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex, too, in tandem tanked massive 954 points but recovered more than half of the losses to end the day weaker by nearly 367 points.