Khurana relieved of party post
Mr. Madan Lal Khurana was this evening relieved of his position as vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party for daring to question the thrust of the Vajpayee Government's economic policies. Mr. Khurana was sacked within twenty-four hours after the leakage of his letter (dated April 21) to the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajapyee, in which the senior BJP leader had given vent to his feelings.

Major fire at ammunition depot
A major fire broke out in one of the largest and oldest ammunition depots in the western sector, housing ammunition for the Bofors gun and other sophisticated defence equipment, here this afternoon sending panic waves among the people as clouds of thick smoke engulfed after a huge explosion.

Get over Kargil and talk: U.S.
The Clinton administration has asked India to get over Kargil and start the now-stalled dialogue with Pakistan.

Minorities panel rules out communal angle
The National Commission for Minorities has described the recent attacks on Christian educational institutions in Agra, Mathura and Rewari as being cases of ``robbery and law and order problem'' with no communal tinge to them.

CBI to probe match-fixing
The Government today announced a CBI inquiry into charges of match-fixing in cricket and promised protection to those who had evidence and were willing to cooperate.

S.C. stays bail to Kishan Kumar
The Supreme Court today stayed the Delhi High Court order granting anticipatory bail to actor, Mr. Kishan Kumar, an accused in the cricket ``match-fixing case''.

President's China visit discussed at JWG
India and China hope the President, Mr. K. R. Narayanan's visit to Beijing next month would give a big boost to bilateral relations that have been on the upswing in the recent months.

Centre for fresh talks on Periyar dam issue
The Centre today submitted to the Supreme Court that it would persuade the Kerala and Tamil Nadu Governments to hold further talks in the presence of the Union Minister for Water Resources with a view to reaching an amicable solution on the Mullaiperiyar dam issue.

U.S. links ties with India to NPT
The U.S. Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Mr. Thomas Pickering, has said that the multi- dimensional potential in the U.S.-India relationship cannot come about unless the two countries made further progress on the issue of non-proliferation.

45 killed in road mishap
Forty-five people were killed and 15 injured when a bus, carrying a marriage party, fell into a 250-metre deep gorge on the Shashikhal-Ramnagar road, about 140 km from here, yesterday.