Saddam Hussain

Saddam Hussain was executed yesterday - the 30th of December, 2006. He was hanged to death. Today, his body was laid to rest besides the bodies of his sons Uday and Qusay.

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India's Historic Win Over South Africa In The First Test Match

After receiving a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of the Proteans in the 5 match 1-day series, Indians returned to form in the Ist test match. This was the come-back match for Saurav Ganguly who was out of the team for nearly an year. He justified his selection by proving his worth with the bat in the first innings and making a valuable 20 odd runs in the second.
Here is what the  Deccan Chronicle has had to say about India's win -
Leg-spinner Anil Kumble took three wickets as India completed a historic triumph by beating South Africa by 123 runs on the fourth day of the first Test against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium on Monday. A defiant 97 by Ashwell Prince could not prevent India from achieving their first Test win in three tours of South Africa.
Prince and Shaun Pollock, virtually the only South Africans who shone in the match, put on 67 for the seventh wicket, their team‘s highest partnership of either innings, to delay India‘s victory celebrations. The stand was ended by Kumble, who bowled Pollock for 40. Kumble then trapped Andre Nel leg before before bowling Prince when the left-hander went down the pitch and misjudged the flight. Kumble took 3/54.
India‘s win was set up when they bowled out South Africa for 84 in the first innings when opening bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth took 5/40. Sreesanth, who followed up with three top order wickets in South Africa‘s second innings, was unable to add to his wicket tally as South Africa‘s last five wickets fell for 115 on Monday. Sreesanth had match figures of 8/99.
South Africa‘s slim hopes of pulling off a miracle win suffered an early blow when Mark Boucher was out to the 15th ball of the morning without adding to his overnight score of 23. Boucher played across a full-length ball from left-armer Zaheer Khan and was given out leg before. Pollock played an attacking innings, hitting Khan out of the attack with some powerful blows, including a hooked six. He made his runs off 41 balls with six fours and a six. But the introduction of the experienced Kumble effectively snuffed out South Africa‘s hopes of getting anywhere near a victory target of 402. Following the dismissal of Nel, Prince played some attacking shots and seemed on course for his fifth Test century before being bowled three runs short. He defied the Indian bowlers for 327 minutes, faced 223 balls and hit 11 fours. It was his second nearmiss at the Wanderers. Last season he was out for 93 against Australia. South Africa were bowled out for 278, the highest total of the match, when Makhaya Ntini was caught at point off Zaheer Khan after the second new ball was taken.

INDIA VS S. AFRICA - INDIA CRUSH SA, SCRIPT HISTORY

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Sidhu gets 3 years RI for culpable homicide not amounting to murder

Former cricketer and BJP MP Navjyot Singh Sidhu was today sentenced to three years' rigorous imprisonment in the case involving him in a road rage incident which resulted in a death 18 years ago.Giving the quantum of punishment, Justice Mehtab Singh Gill and Justice Baldev Singh of Punjab and Haryana High Court suspended the sentence till January 31 to enable Sidhu file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court.

Extending similar relief, the court also sentenced the other convict in the case, Rupinder Singh Sandhu, to three years' rigorous imprisonment.Both of them were fined Rs 1 lakh each, and were directed to furnish a bail bond on or before December 8.

Party leaders indicated that they would be using him extensively inPunjab and that Sidhu would be pitched against Punjab Chief MinisterAmarinder Singh. Sidhu said he would appeal in the Supreme Court.

Askedif he would have considered running for the chief minister's post hadhe not been convicted, he refused to consider any ifs. “If my aunt hada moustache wouldn't she have become my uncle? These are imponderables,” he said.

The district and sessions judge at Patiala had on September 22, 1999acquitted Sidhu in a case registered under Section 304 and 34 IPC.

It was at a parking lot in Patiala that Gurnam Singh died on December 27, 1988.

Sidhuwas about to get inside his Gyspy when Gurnam and his two nephews,Jasvinder and Avtaar, drove into the parking lot in their Maruti.

Since the road was narrow, a heated argument broke out on who would move their car first.

Gurnam's nephews claim Sidhu dragged the 65-year-old out of his car and began hitting him.

Gurnam fell and Sidhu's friend Rupinder Singh Sandhu started beating one of Gurnam's nephews.

Theother nephew ran for help, but by the time they could take Gurnam to ahospital, he had died. Doctors said it was due to a heart attack.

Sidhu and his friend apparently fled from the spot.

Sidhu in his defence has always claimed that it was a minor scuffle, but the incident derailed his cricket career.

"If you get into an argument with some one on the street, you don't intentionally kill him. You cannot change destiny, but everyone feels bad for the loss of their loved ones," said Sidhu.

Initially, he got a verdict in his favor from the sessions court, but today, more than seven years after his acquittal, the court said there was enough evidence to prove he was guilty of culpable homicide, though it did not accept a murder charge.

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Shibu Sorain gets life-imprisonment

JMM chief Shibu Soren, who became the first Cabinet minister to be convicted for murder, was today sentenced to life imprisonment by a sessions court for his role in the kidnapping and murder of his private secretary 12 years ago.Soren, 62, who was brought to the court of additional sessions judge B R Kedia from Tihar jail, turned pale when the sentence was pronounced. He was also fined a sum of Rs five lakh which will go to the mother and two daughters of the victim, Shashinath Jha. The prosecution had earlier sought the death sentence for Soren.The other accused - Nand Kishore Mehta, Shailendra Bhattacharya, Pashupati Nath Mehta, Aay Kumar Mehta - were also handed life terms.On November 29, the judge had convicted Soren and others under IPC sections relating to murder, kidnapping, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence.According to CBI, Shashinath Jha's knowledge of an alleged deal between the Congress and JMM to save the Narasimha Rao government during the January 1993 no-confidence motion had led to his murder. The CBI said that Jha demanded money from Soren to suppress facts relating to the no-confidence vote. This finally led to his murder.Reacting to today's verdict, Jha's mother Priyamvada said life imprisonment for Soren and the others was not enough and they should have been hanged. "If Soren appeals in a higher court, we will ask for his death," she said.

Murder, abduction get Shibu Soren a life term in prison

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Shibu Soren Convited of Murder!

Shibu Soren, Union Minister for Coal, has been convicted for murderof his former Private Secretary, Shashinath Jha, twelve years afterShashinath Jha was kidnapped and murdered, becoming the first incumbentUnion Minister to be convicted of criminal charges.

This is thefate of Indian Democracy. Murderers, kidnappers and proven criminalshave come to occupy political positions due to the intellectual paucityof the great Indian public.

Jha was kidnapped from Delhi in May of 1994 and taken to Ranchil. He was killed by six people but his body was never recovered.

Twoyears later, when Jha's mother approached the Delhi High Court, thecase was handed over to the CBI and then the long and complicatedinvestigation started.

What's interesting is that two DNA testswere done in the case but both failed. CBI sources say that they gotthe conviction on the basis of strong circumstantial evidence.

In 1998, Jha's skeleton was exhumed and Jha's photograph matching with the skull also provided further evidence.

Soren's supporters however are ready to fight the CBI. The Jamshedpur MP said they'll approach the higher court.

CBI is seeking death sentence for Guru, as Shibu Soren is called by his acolytes.

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