India blasts off in race to Mars
‘Mangalyaan’ clears first hurdle in its 4 crore-km journey to Red Planet
Sriharikota, November 5
As the afternoon sun shone brilliantly over India’s spaceport in Sriharikota off the coast of Bay of Bengal, the PSLV-C25 launcher took off for its historic 44-minute journey to put the precious 1,350-kg Mars orbiter (Mangalyaan) in an elliptical orbit around the Earth, the orbiter’s first stop on its 4 crore-km journey to the Red Planet.

The PSLV-C25 lifts off from Sriharikota on Tuesday.

Special to the tribune
Mission Mars: Critics slam ‘delusional quest’
London-based The Times newspaper has launched a withering attack on New Delhi for launching a space mission to Mars at a time when “a third of the population has no private lavatory” and “every year 1.7 million Indian children die from preventable diseases”. Half the children who live suffer from malnutrition, the newspaper says in its biting editorial.

Restore properties to HPCA, Himachal HC tells govt
Court orders ‘status quo ante’; pulls up state govt
Shimla, November 5
In a major setback to the Himachal Pradesh Government, the high court today directed the state authorities to immediately restore possession of the Dharamsala cricket stadium and other properties taken over on October 26 to the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA).

The HPCA stadium at Dharamsala. File photo

Punjab CM gets 100% raise
Salary hike of Cabinet ministers, MLAs to cost Rs 6.96 cr extra annually
Chandigarh, November 5
The Punjab Government may have postponed the release of 30 per cent arrears of the new pay scales to its employees citing a resource crunch, but when it comes to those in power, there seems to be no dearth of funds.

CM’s Industrial Adviser among ‘encroachers’ of Punjab irrigation land
Bathinda, November 5
Around 1,100 acres of prime government land belonging to the Punjab Irrigation Department has allegedly been encroached upon by various influential persons, including political leaders  and industrialists.

India may ramp up military ties with Kabul post-troop pullout
New Delhi, November 5
India is set to partially step into the expected void that will be created once the US-led security forces start withdrawing from Afghanistan in June 2014.

At present, India trains Afghan Army personnel. File photo

152 B’desh soldiers get death for 2009 mutiny
Dhaka, November 5
At least 152 Bangladesh soldiers were today sentenced to death by a special court in one of the world’s biggest-ever mass criminal trials for their role in a 2009 mutiny and massacre of 74 people, including top army officers.

Mahatma Gandhi’s charkha goes for £1.1 lakh in UK auction London, November 5 Mahatma Gandhi’s over eight-decade old “charkha” (spinning wheel), one of his most prized possessions that he used in Yerwada Jail during the “Quit India Movement”, was today auctioned in the UK for a whopping £1.1 lakh, nearly double the expected price.