Iraq vows to hit back
Iraq today reacted to Friday's air raids on the capital by American and British planes with a statement that it would fight the United States and Israel in the air, land and sea. A statement issued by Iraqi leaders said the attack was orchestrated by the U.S. administration in cooperation with Israel.

AIADMK resents Cong. attitude
The AIADMK general secretary, Ms. Jayalalitha, agreed to meet the Congress emissaries on February 19, but she delayed consent to indicate her displeasure to the Congress high command for having demanded an ``explanation'' from the AIADMK for admitting the pro-LTTE Paattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) into the electoral front.

Protests engulf Valley
Massive demonstrations against the killing of six civilians at Haigam and one in Maisuma have engulfed the entire Kashmir Valley with people taking to the streets. This, and the Hurriyat Conference-sponsored general strike, threw normal life put of gear for the second straight day.

Pak.-Sri Lanka talks on reviving SAARC
The Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, called on his Pakistani counterpart, Mr. Abdul Sattar, here today and held talks on matters of interest between the two countries.