CHENNAI: Notorious sandalwood smuggler Veerappan, eluding security forces for nearly a decade, made a fresh offer to surrender within a specific time-frame as his three associates gave themselves up before police here today.

The outlaw, who in the past made repeated offers to surrender only to make a turnaround setting forth new demands, had made a fresh offer to surrender, high-level police sources said in Bangalore. They said Veerappan had sent an audio cassette containing the offer through the three associates who dramatically appeared in Chennai this morning and surrendered before police commissioner P Kalimuthu.

Paes in semis

CHENNAI: Leander Paes made the semi-finals of the Gold Flake ATP Open tennis championship here this evening, overcoming a strong challenge from Gerard Solves of France. Paes won 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 7-5.

In a marathon duel lasting 143 minutes, Paes rallied from a first-set loss to down the Frenchman, who had caused a majorupset on Thursday by defeating former Wimbledon champion Becker.

Duma decision

MOSCOW: In a major blow for Boris Yeltsin, Russia's lower house, Duma, today rejected his nominee, Sergei Kiriyenko, as the country's next prime minister, but the President immediately re-nominated him for the post.