Bush reaches out to Democrats
The Vice-President, Mr. Al Gore, conceded defeat in the U.S. presidential election to the Texas Governor, Mr. George W. Bush, in a generous and patriotic speech, saying, ``may God bless his stewardship of this country.''

VHP firm on temple construction
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad is not worried about the survival or fall of the Vajpayee Government even as it remains firm on its ``promise'' to the ``Hindu community'' that it will build the Ram temple on the very site where the Babri Masjid stood, and where the makeshift Ram temple exists.

Allies still upset
A dissatisfied Trinamool Congress today made it clear that although it had voted with the Government on the motion in the Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister had not fully addressed the question uppermost in its mind, and that he had failed to retract his controversial statements of last week.

Postal strike declared illegal
The Government today announced that the postal strike, which entered the 10th day, had been rendered illegal according to the provisions of Section 22 of the Industrial Dispute Act. The section lays down that no person employed in a public utility service shall strike work while conciliation is on.

Plea for worship dismissed
The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a writ petition seeking a direction to the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh Government to permit Hindus to perform worship and other religious rites at the disputed site in Ayodhya.

Company MD abducted
The managing director of Hindustan Malleables, Mr. Ashok Jalan, was today abducted by armed miscreants while he was on his way to the factory.

'PM statements, not resignation the issue'
The Telugu Desam Party today said ``it was not a question of satisfaction with the Prime Minister's explanation on his controversial Ayodhya statements in his reply in the Lok Sabha'', but the party has taken note of the ``assertion of his Government's commitment to the National Democratic Alliance agenda'' and ``his affirmation that he would abide by the court verdict on the Ayodhya issue''.