HP village buried in landslide
SHIMLA, June 9 — The Chirgaon area of Rohru in Shimla district suffered widespread damage today when about 14 residential houses, 80 bighas of agricultural land and many roads and bridges were washed away due to a flood in the Pabbar river. In Kinnaur 30 houses in Barya village were buried under debris. But with the area cut off there were no details of casualties.

2 school kids gagged to death
JALANDHAR June 9 — In a gruesome incident two school-going kids were kidnapped and gagged to death before being stuffed in a bag and thrown in an abandoned house in the backyard of the Doordarshan Kendra transmission tower on the Jalandhar-Nakodar road early this morning.

A wailing Bimala, mother of nine-year-old Hena and six-year-old Abhishek (inset), who were murdered in Jalandhar on Friday, is consoled by relatives at her Dhobi Mohalla residence. —photo by Rajan Sethi

Assets case against Laloo, Rabri
CBI court frames charges
PATNA, June 9 — A CBI court today framed charges against Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and former Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav for having amassed, by way of criminal misconduct and corruption, properties disproportionate to their income while in public office.

Church blasts: Advani agrees to probe
NEW DELHI, June 9 — Home Minister L.K. Advani today agreed to depute central intelligence agencies to make a through probe into the recent bomb blasts at various churches in the country.

Williams accepted bribe offer
CAPE TOWN, June 9 — South Africa fast bowler Henry Williams admitted today he had accepted an offer of $ 15,000 from former captain Hansie Cronje to play badly in an international match, the South African Press Association (SAPA) reported.

PU Controller of Exams held
CHANDIGARH, June 9 — In yet another turn to the paper leakage episode concerning the question papers of the B.Sc (III) honours class of the Department of Mathematics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, the Controller of Examination, Mr Sodhi Ram, was remanded to the custody of the CBI for two days till June 11 by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Sant Prakash. He was earlier arrested this evening.

WB okays $ 516m loan
WASHINGTON, June 9 — The World Bank has sanctioned a loan of $ 516 million to India to upgrade its long-neglected national highways in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and improve the management of its road networks.