LONDON: A bomb exploded in a crowded pub in the Soho area of central London. Thirty people have been injured, some of them seriously. The Admiral Duncan pub is a well-known gay bar. This is the third explosion this month in the British capital.

20 die in mishap

NAGPUR: Twenty members of a marriage party, mostly Gowari and Kolam tribals, were killed when their truck carrying 92 persons overturned near Hiwari village, 11 kms from Pandharkawda town of Yavatmal district early today. The bride and the groom, who were in the driver's cabin survived the mishap.

Heatwave toll 68

NEW DELHI: The national capital today baked at 43.8 degrees celsius as five more people perished in the stifling heatwave tormenting parts of the country pushing the toll to 68. Two persons each in Orissa and UP and one in Andhra died of sunstroke since on Thursday evening.

Novel poll

NEW DELHI: Book lovers can now cast votes for choosing India's `Novelist of theCentury' through a Internet poll which starts on Saturday and continue till Dec 25, is being launched by Meghdutam, a literary magazine on the net. The vote can be cast by visiting www.Meghdutam.Com.

Cup telecast

NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati would soon urge the government to hold a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the alleged financial bungling in the deal for telecasting rights of World Cup Cricket '99, its chief executive officer O P Kejriwal has said.

C'wealth prize

WELLINGTON: Murray Bail of Australia won the 1999 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for his gum tree fairy tale novel Eucalyptus, organisers said on Friday.