Jaswant reassures Lanka
COLOMBO, June 11 — India is understood to have conveyed its “position and perception” on the Sri Lankan crisis and stressed the need for an early political settlement to the ethnic problem without affecting the unity and territorial integrity of the island nations.

Uniform Central ST soon
Value added tax from April 1
HISAR, June 11 — As part of its ongoing tax reforms campaign, the Centre now proposes to introduce uniform rates of Central Sales Tax in all states, it is learnt. This will be the second most important tax reform after the introduction of uniform sales tax rates last month.

Christian preacher murdered
JALANDHAR, June 11 — A young preacher of Christianity was found murdered in his rented house in Kaniawali village located amid upmarket Urban Estate residential locality in the city yesterday, reports today said.

Phone bonanza at “subscribers’ cost”
CHANDIGARH, June 11 — The "free-telephone bonanza" package for the serving employees of the Department of Telecom (DoT) and the Department of Telecom Services (DTS) will be at the cost of subscribers.

Bashar set to succeed Assad
DAMASCUS, June 11 — Syria’s ruling Baath Party nominated President Hafez al-Assad’s son, Bashar, for the job of President during a late-night session, a Syrian political source said today.

Vessel hijackers seek asylum
AHMEDABAD, June 11 — Stowaways of the Italian cargo vessel ‘MV Medstar’ which was to anchor at Kandla, today sought political asylum in a European nation even as the Protection and Idemnity Club (PIC) of shippers assumed the role of intermediary to end the hijack drama.

CBI in spot over Sikh library issue AMRITSAR, June 11 — The CBI is in a spot after the startling disclosures by its former inspector that the rare manuscripts, ‘hukamnamas’, books and material were taken in gunny bags and big trunks to an unknown place after Operation Bluestar in 1984.