New Delhi, Jan. 31 : The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has expressed sadness at the death of five infants in an accident at a hospital in Patiala.

A PMO release said he has directed that assistance be provided from the Prime Minister''s National Relief Fund.

A sum of Rs. 1 lakh from the fund has been sanctioned for each of the families of the victims.

The five new born babies were burnt alive and two others were seriously injuried when the incubators they were kept in caught fire at a private hospital in Patiala.

Chandigarh, Jan 31 : The Punjab and Haryana High Court, on Saturday, extended the date for filing the chargesheet against Justice Nirmal Yadav, in connection with the ''cash at judge door'' scandal as the Central Bureau of Investigation failed to present it on time.

Meanwhile, the defence counsel has moved an application seeking the release of materials and documents at the time of arrest of the other accused in the case, former Haryana Additional Advocate General Sanjiv Bansal and Parkash Ram.

The cash at judge door scandal broke on August 13, 2008, when Rs 15 lakh was delivered at the residence of Justice Nirmaljit Singh Kaur.

Patiala, Jan 31: Five new born babies were burnt alive and two others were seriously injuried on Saturday, when the incubators they were kept in caught fire at a private hospital in Patiala.

A total of 10 children, undergoing treatment for jaundice at Rajinder Hospital, were kept in phototherapy units. Reportedly, a short circuit in the wires of the machine resulted in the fire, charring five infants to death including three boys and two girls.

Ludhiana, Jan. 29 : Sikh preacher Bhai Pal Singh is today mentioned in social circles as the man who objected to the State ban on the wearing of turbans in schools of France terming it as an attack on the religious freedom of Sikhs.

Today, Bhai Pal Singh travels around the world propagating Sikh customs and beliefs. Recalling his initial days, Singh remembers how on February 24, 1978, he started his journey by road to reach Germany on May 21.

The superstar bubbly actress of bollywood, Preity Zinta, who also happens to own Kings XI Punjab of the Indian Premier League (IPL), is planning to give a chance to promising cricketers at the grass-root level.

A cricket seminar and a T-20 tournament would be held by her team in Chandigarh and Mohali where teams from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir will participate.

Priety informed, "My aim is to promote cricket at the grass-root level and to nurture new talent. I also want everyone involved to have fun."

Mohali, Jan. 27 : The northern State of Punjab promises a huge business potential for those willing to invest in the Information Technology (IT) sector.

The State is fast emerging as an information technology destination.

Thanks to pro-IT policies of the State government, Punjab is globally competitive and a leading State in the field of information technology. Availability of needed infrastructure and skilled manpower has attracted multinationals to invest in Punjab.