'Unprecedented destruction'
For nearly eight hours from 4 a.m. on Tuesday, the Bandaranaike International Airport and the adjoining airbase at Katunayake, 35 km. north of here, became a virtual battlefield as commandos of the military's elite Special Forces fought back LTTE cadre who seemed to be on a mission to destroy the complex.

Pak. reluctant to address cross-border terrorism: PM
Asserting that India would ``continue to seek dialogue and reconciliation'' with Pakistan, the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, today informed the two Houses of Parliament that if a ``joint document'' could not be signed at the Agra summit, it was because of ``Pakistan's insistence on `settlement' of the Jammu and Kashmir issue, as a precondition for normalisation of relations.'' Also, according to Mr. Vajpayee, Pakistan was ``reluctant to acknowledge and address cross-border terrorism.''

Govt. does not influence decisions of UTI: Sinha
The Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha, today told the Rajya Sabha that the then Unit Trust of India (UTI) chairman had informed the Government about the freeze option of US-64.

PM rules out Sinha's resignation
The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, today ruled out the resignation of the Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha, over the UTI scandal, even as he told his party MPs that they ``need not be apologetic about the outcome of the Agra summit.''

Totally false charges: Jayalalithaa
Accusing the DMK of instigating writ petitions against her in the Supreme Court, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalithaa, today denied that IAS officials in her office had ``confessed'' in ``secretly-taped telephone conversations'' that her Government had foisted cases of heroin possession against certain people to retrieve from them cash and jewellery, allegedly taken away by her disowned foster son, Mr. V. N. Sudhagaran.

Take back land: SC
The Supreme Court today directed the Haryana Government to take back 500 acres of land gifted to the former Prime Minister, Mr. Chandra Shekhar, for his Bhondsi ashram, as the land was being misused.

Disinvestment panel reconstituted
The Government today reconstituted the Disinvestment Commission, appointing Mr. R.H. Patil, chief of the Clearing Corporation of India (CCI), as the new chairman.

U.S. to support sustained India-Pak. engagement
Calling the recent Agra summit a step forward in the relations between India and Pakistan, the Bush Administration today extended strong support to the continuation of the peace process in the subcontinent.

Rocca seeks Centre's intervention in Enron dispute
The United States today sought the Central Government's intervention in the Enron imbroglio in view of its impact on the bilateral investment climate.

VHP detains five for conversion; police refute charge
A Christian missionary was among five persons detained by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists on charges of forced conversion to Christianity. They were handed over to police on Monday, a senior police official said.