Northern Alliance closes in on Kabul
Bagram (Afghanistan), Oct. 23. U.S. jets swooped down to strike Taliban frontlines and an Osama bin Laden stronghold north of Kabul on Tuesday, watched by Northern Alliance fighters hoping the American bombardment will open the way for their advance.

India not for `sterile' debate
New Delhi, Oct.23. India today declined to rebut last evening's remarks by the Pakistan's President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, by pointing out that it did not wish to enter into a ``sterile debate'' with Islamabad. (Gen. Musharraf had warned against ``anti-Pakistan rhetoric by Indian leaders'' and said that Islamabad would pay New Delhi in the same coin if it were to indulge in any misadventure across the border.)

Pak. 'demarche' to India
Islamabad, Oct. 23. Pakistan today formally handed over a `demarche' to India over the alleged provocative `anti-Pakistan statements' from New Delhi and the reported additional movements of troops on the Line of Control and the International Border.

IAS officer to head cell on Ayodhya
New Delhi, Oct.23.The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, today took the first step towards setting up an Ayodhya cell in his office when he signed a file clearing the name of an IAS officer Mr. Shatrughan Singh of the Uttaranchal cadre, as the man who would head it.

Six ITDC hotels to be sold
New Delhi, Oct. 23. The Government has decided to sell six hotels owned by the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) while the two five-star Ashoka Hotels in Delhi and Bangalore will be offered on a 30-year lease to private parties. In addition, the three Centaur hotels run by the Hotel Corporation of India in Delhi and Mumbai will be hived off along with the Chefair subsidiary and a small hotel in Rajgir.

Anthrax scare at Home
New Delhi, Oct. 23. Two letters received at the Home Ministry today, one addressed to the Union Home Minister, Mr. L. K. Advani, created an anthrax scare as they contained a powdery substance.

IIT Director attacked
Chennai, Oct. 23. An armed gang attacked Dr. R. Natarajan, Director of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, near a marriage hall in south Chennai on Monday night. Dr. Natarajan will be taking charge as Chairman of the All-India Council for Technical Education in a couple of weeks.