The US men kabaddi team has been banned from the ongoing World Cup in Punjab after the players refused to take doping tests, an official said Wednesday.
The disciplinary action has been taken after the refusal of US team players to give urine samples to National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) officials in Hoshiarpur Monday. "Taking a serious note of the refusal by the players, the technical committee (of World Cup kabaddi) held a meeting and decided to impose ban on the US team for rest of the matches," a spokesman of the organising committee said.
The US team is leading Pool-B of the tournament in the men's section and the ban imposed on it will have a bearing on the event. The team is in line to make it to the semi-finals of the tournament. Five players from the team have been suspended after they tested positive in dope tests conducted randomly on players of various teams from 14 countries.
So far, over 30 players have tested positive in doping tests in the 20-day tournament which ends Nov 20. Hosts India and Canada have already made it to the semi-final. Neighbouring Pakistan is also likely to reach the next round. The opening ceremony was held in south-west Punjab town of Bathinda while the final match and the closing ceremony will be organised at Ludhiana

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on that it has reopened its window to accept petitions for H-2B visas with immediate effect for the year 2009.

In a statement USCIS said about 25,000 of the Congressional mandated 66,000 H2B visas are still left to be filled out for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009.

On January 7, 2009 USCIS had announced to have received enough applications to fill Congressional mandated cap of 66,000 H2B visas. However, the Department of State received far fewer than expected requests for H-2B visas and as a result, has issued only 40,640 H-2B visa for the fiscal year 2009.

Since there is much less time left between now and September 30, before which all these visas have to be used, USCIS has advised prospective employees and applicants to submit their petitions in the premium processing by depositing an additional fee of USD 1,000.

Dhadi Sant Singh Paras interview by Amarjit Khela for Apna Panjab TV

 Those who have revealed the details of complaints against Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his ministerial colleagues before the Punjab Lokpal and published the content of the complaint, may be jailed upto six months for breaching "in-camera" proceeding provisions of the Punjab Lokpal Act.

The veil of secrecy in the law at a time of the clamour for a transparent Lokpal and then its violation by complainants just ahead of the assembly election is intriguing.

As per Sections 18 and 19 of the Punjab Lokpal Act 1996 (as amended in 2004), the proceedings have to be completely "in-camera" with even revealing or publishing the names of the complainant, its details and the suspect becoming punishable.

When asked about the "in-camera" provisions of the Lokpal Act, the Punjab Lokpal Justice (retd) DS Dhaliwal refused to confirm any details about the complaint saying, "As per the Punjab Lokpal Act, even a list of court appearances of the two parties is not displayed as it happens in normal courts to maintain proceedings completely secret till either the complaint is closed or the investigation has been completed."

Harsh treatment by police depressed him: Family
Chandigarh, November 14
In a major twist to the Rs 8-lakh daylight armed robbery that occurred on November 12, the 26-year-old victim has mysteriously gone missing. Abir Malhotra, the complainant who is believed to be suffering from depression, has been missing since yesterday evening and his phone has been switched off.

ਬੀਜਿੰਗ , ਚੀਨ ਦੇ ਜਿਆਂਗ ਸ਼ਹਿਰ 'ਚ ਅੱਜ ਇਕ ਫਾਸਟ ਫੂਡ ਰੈਸਟੋਰੈਂਟ 'ਚ ਹੋਏ ਧਮਾਕੇ 'ਚ ਤਿੰਨ ਸਾਲ ਦੀ ਬੱਚੀ ਸਣੇ ਘੱਟੋ-ਘੱਟ 7 ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਮੌਤ ਹੋ ਗਈ ਅਤੇ 32 ਜ਼ਖਮੀ ਹੋ ਗਏ। ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਸਮਾਚਾਰ ਏਜੰਸੀ ਸ਼ਿਨਹੁਆ ਨੇ ਦੱਸਿਆ ਕਿ ਜਿਆਨ 'ਚ ਫਾਸਟ ਫੂਡ ਰੈਸਤਰਾਂ 'ਚ ਕਿ ਧਮਾਕਾ ਹੋਇਆ। ਧਮਾਕਾ ਇੰਨਾ ਜ਼ੋਰਦਾਰ ਸੀ ਕਿ ਰੈਸਤਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਸ਼ੀਸ਼ੇ ਟੁੱਟ ਗਏ ਅਤੇ ਪਥਰੀਲੇ ਟੁੱਕੜਿਅਆਂ ਦਾ ਢੇਰ ਬਾਹਰ ਆ ਡਿੱਗਾ। ਇਸ ਧਮਾਕੇ 'ਚ ਤਿੰਨ ਸਾਲ ਦੀ ਬੱਚੀ ਸਣੇ ਘੱਟੋ-ਘੱਟ ਸੱਤ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਮੌਤ ਹੋ ਗਈ ਅਤੇ 32 ਲੋਕ ਜ਼ਖਮੀ ਹੋ ਗਏ। ਇਸ ਧਮਾਕੇ 'ਚ ਜ਼ਖਮੀ ਹੋਏ ਲੋਕਾਂ 'ਚ ਬੱਚੇ ਵੀ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਹਨ। ਇਹ ਬੱਚੇ ਧਮਾਕੇ ਸਮੇਂ ਸਕੂਲ ਜਾਣ ਲਈ ਰੈਸਤਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਬਾਹਰੋਂ ਲੰਘ ਰਹੇ ਸਨ।

ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ, 14 ਨਵੰਬਰ (PMI News):--ਜ਼ਿਲਾ ਪੁਲਸ ਨੇ ਅਫੀਮ ਦੇ ਦੋ ਸਮਗਲਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਕਾਬੂ ਕਰ ਲਿਆ, ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕੋਲੋਂ ਸਾਢੇ 5 ਕਿਲੋ ਅਫੀਮ ਬਰਾਮਦ ਕਰਕੇ ਪੁਲਸ ਨੇ ਐੱਨ. ਡੀ. ਪੀ. ਐੱਸ . ਐਕਟ ਤਹਿਤ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਦਰਜ ਕਰ ਲਏ ਹਨ। ਅੱਜ ਇਕ ਪ੍ਰੈਸ ਮਿਲਣੀ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਖੁਲਾਸਾ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਪੁਲਸ ਕਮਿਸ਼ਨਰ ਆਰ.ਪੀ. ਮਿੱਤਲ ਨੇ ਦਸਿਆ ਕਿ ਸੀ. ਆਈ. ਏ. ਸਟਾਫ ਸ਼ਹਿਰੀ ਦੀ ਟੀਮ ਨੇ ਨਾਕਾਬੰਦੀ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਇਕ ਅਫੀਮ ਸਮਗਲਰ ਨੂੰ ਕਾਬੂ ਕਰ ਲਿਆ। ਏ. ਸੀ. ਪੀ. ਕ੍ਰਾਈਮ ਨਿਰਲੇਪ ਸਿੰਘ ਦ

In more trouble for Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Punjab Lokpal on Tuesday ordered an inquiry into an alleged land grab complaint filed against him and his ministerial colleague Ranjit Singh Brahmpura.
 The inquiry was ordered on a petition filed by an NGO here which alleged that 282 acres of common land at Badaphul village in Ropar district of the state was illegally taken over by the two. The NGO alleged that Badal in connivance with Brahmpura ignored the state government's notification of 2007 that village common land cannot be sold to anyone or it cannot be transferred in anyone's name.
 Badal took the land in its possession and planted popular and other crops on it in violation of rules and regulations, the NGO alleged. The Lokpal recorded the statements and evidence given by the NGO to support its contention. It asked its IG to inquire into the complaint and file a report by December 20. Meanwhile, Badal was not available for comment. Party sources said that they will not speak on the issue till the inquiry is completed.
 In September, the Lokpal had ordered inquiry into allegations of irregularities against Badals in plying of private buses in Punjab while in August the ombudsman ordered a probe into a complaint on "illegal occupation" of prime government land in Kapurthala district by former Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee chief Jagir Kaur allegedly at the behest of Chief Minister Badal.

Shiromani Akali Dal today strongly condemned the statement of the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asking the UP youth to desist from visiting Punjab and Maharashtra for earning their livelihood and said that the statement was a nefarious attempt to disrespect the hardworking labour class of the UP and also aims at creating a regional divide in the country for petty political gains of the Congress party.
It is clear that the Indian National Congress which always pretended to be a nationalist party has stooped down to create regional fissures in the country. In a statement issued from party headoffice here today party Secretary and Spokesman Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema said that this act of the scion of the Gandhi family has proved that those living the political royal houses are unaware of the problems of the poor, needy and hardworking labour class. After the Congress has dismally failed to do anything to help the labour and working class in the UP, now it was misleading them and preventing them from exploring job avenues in other states.
He said that instead of taunting the hardworking youth of the UP state, Mr. Gandhi should come out with thetruth as why the Congress party failed to deliver when it remained in power for so long at the centre ? It should also explain that what it had done for the welfare of the people and for containing the widespread unemployment in the whole country ? The SAD leader said that the hidden agenda of the Congress party is to create a regional division in the country by inflaming the regional emotions of the people an act which Mr. Gandhi tried in his Phulpur rally yesterday.
He said that instead of addressing burning problems like that of record-breaking corruption and unprecedented inflation in the regime of the Congress led UPA government which has played havoc with the lives of the common man, the party has now formulated a plan to divide the people, a rule which the founder of the Congress party had always followed.
Strongly denouncing the act of the Union Cabinet Minister Mr. Jatin Prasad for kicking a commoner in front of Mr. Rahul Gandhi, Dr. Cheema said that Congerss party wants the common man to fall in line with its policies by hook or crook and the hooliganism of the Congress leader has once again established that the High Command of the Congress party has approved these very acts as the same policy was being followed by Punjab Congress Chief Capt. Amarinder Singh who is openly asking his partymen to ‘pick up the lathis’ for enforcing their agenda on the people of Punjab.
The SAD leader advised the Congress leadership that instead of the trying to divide the society and ‘crush’ the common man, it should realize its constitutional responsibility of safeguarding the interest of the people and start working for the welfare of the people “even if it is too late now”.

NBA Commissioner David Stern reiterated Sunday that the proposal on the table was the best players would get and agreeing to the terms was the best shot to salvage a 72-game season.

"This is a proposal that does not call for a reduction on contract (no rollback), does not call for a hard cap, does not call for the absence of guaranteed contracts," Stern told USA TODAY, "and will see salaries go from over $5 million to between $7 million-$8 million during the length of the deal. We think it's a very fair deal for the players."

The NBA's revised proposal, outlined in a seven-page document obtained by USA TODAY, is essentially a 50-50 split of basketball-related income (BRI) with a soft salary cap and many changes to the system to distribute that money. It addresses the league's financial issues and, in the owners' view, gets them closer to competitive balance.

Stern, who later went on Twitter to answer lockout questions, acknowledged the financial and system changes were not favorable for players to accept but necessary: "It's time for a change. That is an economic reality."

The players union's executive committee and team player representatives will discuss the offer today in New York. Executive director Billy Hunter, who does not think highly of it, wants player input before rejecting the offer or bringing it to a vote.

The union could mull the offer and return it with revisions, even though Stern has said the league will replace the offer with a worse one if not accepted. That would be a 53-47 percentage split of BRI in favor of owners; a hard salary cap with no exceptions to exceed it; rollbacks in current player salaries and other extreme system restrictions.

"We're finished negotiating," Stern said. "As a matter of labor law, we're obligated to meet and negotiate and stay at the table generally. We've told the players that after 2 years of negotiating, this last offer is where we find ourselves -- and our next negotiations are going to begin off of the 47%. This is the best shot to start the season on Dec. 15 and have a 72-game season."

If rejected, the union could dissolve, players could file antitrust lawsuits on the lockout and chances of a lost season increase. "I don't want to comment on it, think about it, posit it or respond to it," Stern said of a lost season.

Other points he did touch on:

Will B-list issues -- drug policy, conduct code, age limit for rookies -- prevent a deal? "Do I think there'll be tradeoffs on both sides that will ultimately be able to be settled? Of course. I don't think either side will blow up the season over the B-list issues."

On repairing the player-owner relationship: "I have no doubt that that will continue after the ruffled feathers on both sides get patted down if we manage to save the season."

On repairing the relationship with fans: "If we get to a 72-game schedule, I'm confident fans who are justified in feeling disappointed and disgruntled and even angry with both sides will be won back by our efforts to win them back and present great basketball."

On what he has learned: "If the union begins the rhetoric from Day 1, the numbers aren't true, the owners are greedy, the NBA is trying to break the union, all of which are fabrications, then it's very, very difficult to change the attitudes of the players who depend upon the union for their information and gestalt. And that's very unfortunate, because it leaves us with situations like we're now facing."