PM invites Karunanidhi
The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, today invited the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, to Delhi for consultations on the military developments in Sri Lanka. It is learnt that after he arrives from Chennai tomorrow, Mr. Karunanidhi will meet Mr. Vajpayee.

Chandrika vows to defend Jaffna
In an all-out effort to defeat the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Sri Lankan Cabinet, headed by the President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, met today and decided to suspend all non-essential development work for the next three months, the state media said tonight.

Sinha's sops for investors
The Union Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha, today proposed more concessions for investors, venture capital funds and those availing of the Employees Stock Option Plan (ESOP). He also announced changes in excise and customs duties from those proposed originally in the 2000-2001 Budget.

Another disaster in Army depot averted
A major disaster was averted when a fire that broke out near the Army's Dehu road ammunition depot was put out without any casualty or damage to the ammunition, fire brigade sources said here today.

BJP against probe into Sankhya Vahini project
The Bharatiya Janata Party today echoed the Government's view when it objected to the demand for a probe into the Sankhya Vahini project. The matter is to be discussed in the Rajya Sabha through a calling attention motion tomorrow, and that should be enough, the party seemed to suggest.

Talks end with Bodo group
The first round of tripartite talks between the Centre, the Assam Government and the Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) ended last evening.

Bad news on monsoon front
The monsoon is likely to be below normal this year across the country and not in just some regions. Official sources conceded that the preliminary findings of experts at the India Meteorological Department had indicated that there could be a shortfall in rain this summer.

New CJ for Delhi HC
Mr. Justice Arijit Pasayat will be the new Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court. Mr. Pasayat, at present, the Kerala High Court Chief Justice, has been directed to assume charge of his office on or before May 19, according to a press communique of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Free diesel for tankers
The Government today said that it had decided to supply diesel free of cost for lorries and tankers transporting drinking water to the drought affected areas of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Karimov deplores interference in Afghanistan
The visiting Uzbek President, Mr. Islam Karimov, today called upon India to fight the threats that are common to both nations. Deploring the arms supply and external interference in Afghanistan, Mr. Karimov said, ``confrontation prevails in Afghanistan between Taliban and the Northern Alliance. We are aware of who is backing whom. Arms are being supplied and there is external interference.''

Peacekeepers detained
As many as 11 Indian Army personnel, including seven officers, were among 45 United Nations peacekeeping personnel detained by the dissident Revolutionary United Front (RUF) forces since Wednesday in Sierra Leone.

Betting by players banned; Life ban for match-fixing
Out in the middle at Lord's this afternoon the age-old game went on as usual. A Justin Langer century; a slow Mark Ramprakash fifty. Meanwhile, 40 yards beyond the boundary, ICC was putting in place a series of propositions which will, so they say, ``ensure that public confidence in the game is restored as quickly as possible.''