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ELECTION 99
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80 more peace-keepers freed in Sierra Leone
But mediator Liberia said the capture and arrest of their veteran leader Foday Sankoh could complicate efforts to secure the release of those still held.

Heavy rains disrupt train services in Bombay
'Unseasonal' overnight rains continued to play havoc with the residents of Bombay, as Central Railway's main and harbour lines as well as Western Railway trains came to a grinding halt.

Tired CBI may go to Prabhakar to get the info
Speaking to rediff.com, the sports minister said the government was not keeping a day-to-day tab on the investigations, but if need be it would ask for a report from the agency.

OTHER REPORTS
'Dowry demand, no. Wife-beater, maybe'
Gyanendra Pandey's family members, who do not acquit him of the charge of assaulting his wife, flatly ruled out the possibility of the cricketer making any dowry demands.

J&K's first census in 20 years begins
The census, which is being completed in two phases, began on Tuesday with the first stage due to end on June 5. The last census in the troubled state was conducted in 1981.

Tigers claim army base, many dead
The LTTE said in a statement that heavily armed commando units, backed by artillery and mortar bombardment, wrested control of the Kaithadi army base after 12 hours of ferocious combat.

Lankan defence chief in India to discuss war
Sri Lanka's defence chief General Rohan De Silva Daluvatte is in India on a four-day visit to discuss the war between Tamil Tiger rebels and government troops in the island.

CBI to approach Interpol in IC 814 hijack case
The investigating agency will approach Interpol in the coming days and request it to facilitate the arrest of the main accused in the hijack of Indian Airline's IC 814 flight.

AFP REPORTS
Rs 1m reward for info on hijackers
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday offered a cash reward of $ 24,000 for information about five men who hijacked Flight IC 814 in December and are suspected to be in Pakistan.

German FM renews plea to software experts
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer on Thursday met India's top political leaders on the second day of his visit and urged Indian computer experts to work in his country.

COLUMN
The ugly Indian
'How can New Delhi even entertain the idea of equating the Chandrika Kumaratunga government with Prabhakaran's LTTE when the latter is a fascist, brutal, set-up which India has already banned,' asks Kuldip Nayar.

Hard decision on Sri Lanka
'The time has come to put our money where our mouth is. By helping Sri Lanka militarily now we would have once and for all demonstrated our determination to preserve the territorial integrity of not only our neighbouring states but also of India itself,' says Admiral J G Nadkarni (retd)

• 'I can't wait to get home'
Miss Universe Lara Dutta tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
• 'Mahesh, Leander agonised for over a year'
'They will have to first rekindle their trust in each other and if they click in the Olympics, who knows, in 2001 they could probably be together again,' says Leander's father Dr Vece Paes
• 'There is no strife between me and the PM'
Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel counters the many charges ranging from corruption to apathy levelled against his government.
• More Interviews

•'I am scared. Please don't leave me here'
•Laloo as a prisoner
•The ambassador will return as president
•Jingoism at the JNU
•Seeking water in the desert
•"When crops perish, farmers have no option but 'die' "
•An oasis in Gujarat
•The missiles are absolutely safe
•This drought is not the worst ever
• Of crooks, cons and credit card
• For a few drops of water
•Drought is the season to make money
• Mom's the word
•To go blindly where no man has gone before
•Passage to Lanka
•The attack on Christian school
•More Specials