AIADMK hints at role
of PM's ex-aide
Jaya's rejoinder to letter
CHENNAI, Aug 19 — The AIADMK supremo, Ms Jayalalitha, today hit back at Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee asserting that he had himself made "serious allegations" against the newspaper group which she had accused of having paid "hefty bribe" to persons close to him for the transfer of Enforcement Director M.K. Bezbaruah.She had AIADMK party office secretary P. Mahalingam reply to the letter by Mr Vajpayee’s Principal Secretary.

New Agni can hit up to 3,000 km
NEW DELHI, Aug 19 — The new version of Agni, the development of which was recently approved by the government, is to have a range of 3,000 kms.
37 killed in fresh landslides
LUCKNOW, Aug 19 — At least 37 persons were killed in fresh landslides triggered by heavy rains in Uttar Pradesh today even as hopes faded of finding any survivors in yesterday's landslide.
Mansarovar pilgrimage called off
NEW DELHI, Aug 19 — The Government today called off any further pilgrimage this year to Mansarovar following the Pithoragarh landslide tragedy and said the two batches of yatris returning from China would be airlifted.
Kurukshetra insures pilgrims
KURUKSHETRA, Aug 19 — Every pilgrim visiting Kurukshetra for the Solar Eclipse on August 22 will be insured by the district administration. This is the first time that pilgrims visiting a mela will be insured.
Congress picks holes in Jain Commission ATR
NEW DELHI, Aug 19 — The Congress today picked holes in the Action Taken Report on the Jain Commission’s report and trained its guns on the DMK Chief, Mr M Karunanidhi, former Congress President and Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, and others who have been exonerated by the Commission.
Many Chamba areas sans security
SHIMLA, Aug 19 — The government is yet to take serious steps to tackle the growing activities of Kashmiri terrorists in the Chamba district.