Nitish stunned in Bihar
Bypoll drubbing for NDA; Lalu, Paswan stage a comeback
Patna, September 17
The Bihar bypoll results have come as a big shock to the ruling NDA — spearheaded by Nitish Kumar — which has just managed to win five out of the 18 Assembly seats. At the same time, they have brought cheer to the opposition — Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and its ally the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) — that has bagged 9 seats.

Capital gains for BJP, RJD

PG made easy for docs in rural service
New Delhi, September 17
The government has decided to offer extra weightage in postgraduate entrance exams to those MBBS students who go for rural postings. The Health Ministry, in consultation with the Medical Council of India, has agreed to give 10 to 30 per cent weightage in PG entrance to medical graduates depending on the years of service they offer in villages.

Nation page: Stricter punishment for illegal organ trade

Diversion of US Aid
Mush has ‘weakened’ Pakistan position
Pervez Musharraf"s admission that US military aid given to Pakistan during his tenure was diverted to strengthen defences against India has created ripples in the US Congress where lawmakers are finalising an aid package that would triple US assistance to Pakistan. Congressional sources and analysts say the former Pakistani president has done his country a great disservice by raising a red flag about future US aid to Pakistan.

Pak books JuD chief
Two FIRs registered against Hafiz Saeed for allegedly inciting people to wage jehad
Lahore, September 17
Under pressure from India and the US to act against Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, the mastermind of Mumbai terror attack, the Pakistani police today registered cases against him and one of his close aides Abu Jandal under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
                             Hafiz Mohammad Saeed

Sohrabuddin Case
Ready for narco test on cops: Gujarat
New Delhi, September 17
The Supreme Court today reserved its verdict in the Sorhabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case after the Gujarat government offered to conduct narco-analysis test on the police officials allegedly involved in his killing. Senior counsel Mukul Rohtagi assured a Bench comprising Justices Tarun Chatterjee and Aftab Alam that the state had so far not conducted the lie-detector test on any unwilling accused, but was ready to do so in this case if the court wanted it.

Downturn hits SEZs Chandigarh, September 17 Reeling under a financial crunch and slump in demand for commercial space, at least two special economic zone (SEZ) developers have now approached the SEZ Board of Approval for withdrawal of their SEZs proposed in Punjab. These developers — Mridul Infrastructure Private Limited and Vividha Infrastructure Private Limited - have sought the withdrawal of the formal approval granted to them in August 2006 for setting up their tax-free enclaves at Rajpura near Patiala.