France keen on defence supplies to India
France has again conveyed its keenness on defence supplies to India. The response, as given by the President, Mr. K. R. Narayanan, is highly positive. However, issues such as the price factor have to be sorted out.

Commonwealth may further isolate Pak.
The failure to come up with a credible road- map for the restoration of democracy in Pakistan could soon accentuate the international isolation of the military rulers in Islamabad. The Commonwealth, which took the first diplomatic initiative against Pakistan after the military coup there last October, might once again take the lead in turning the heat on Islamabad.

Suicide bomber killed in blast
A car-borne suicide bomber attacked the 15 Corps headquarters here this afternoon and was killed. In another incident in Sopore, a powerful blast left two school children dead and 28 injured.

Philippines' worst air crash kills 131
A Philippine airliner packed with Easter holidaymakers crashed and burst into flames on a resort island near the southern city of Davao today, killing all 131 passengers and crew, officials said.

Every match is fixed: Bindra
In yet another twist to the match-fixing scandal, a former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Mr. Inderjit Singh Bindra, today claimed that ``every single match in cricket is fixed'' and named a former top official of the Board as also being involved.

PM indisposed, reply put off
The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, has taken ill and has been advised rest, the Lok Sabha was informed today shortly before he was to have replied to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President's address to Parliament.

'ULFA in touch with Pak. officials'
The ULFA leadership in Assam is in touch with some officials of the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka, the Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr. Ajit Kumar Panja informed the Lok Sabha today.

Jamia students released
All 161 persons, including students and outsiders, detained after the April 9 incident in the Jamia Milia Islamia campus, have been relased, the police said today.

Samata leader killed in court premises
Dreaded criminal and undertrial prisoner, Madhusudan Singh, alias Bhuttan Singh, who is also the Samata Party district president of Purnea and husband of Samata MLA, Mrs. Lesie Singh, was killed at the gate of the Purnea court premises today.

French editor apologises to Narayanan
The editor-in-chief of Le Figaro, a leading French daily, has conveyed his apology to the President, Mr. K. R. Narayanan, for an offensive headline on a story of the latter's arrival for talks with his French counterpart, Mr. Jacques Chirac.