Colombo - Tamil rebels used a crude light aircraft to penetrate air-defence systems and drop two bombs on a power station in the capital, killing one employee, military officials in Sri Lanka said.

Despite warnings by the military and civilians that the low-flying aircraft was heading towards the capital, it managed to drop the bombs at the Kelanitissa power plant and escape, officials said.

In an apparent diversionary tactic, rebels bombed a military base in the coastal district of Mannar, 310 kilometres north of the capital, less than one hour before the attack.

Beijing - The Chinese central bank, the People's Bank of China, on Wednesday announced a cut in its benchmark interest rates by 0.27 per cent as a spur to economic growth.

Nairobi/Kinshasa - Around 30,000 people fleeing battles between United Nations-backed Congolese troops and Tutsi rebels are pouring into refugee camps near the eastern city of Goma, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said Wednesday as fierce fighting continued.

UN helicopter gunships and armoured vehicles have been supporting Congolese troops north of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, as renegade Tutsi general Laurent Nkunda's troops drive for the town.

Nkunda's National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) says it has driven the Congolese army back from the town of Kibumba, which lies about 20 kilometres north of Goma.

New Delhi, Oct 29 : The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has sought a ban on Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) for their alleged involvement in communal riots in Indore in July this year.

The Commission also demanded a judicial enquiry into the violence and de-recognition of political parties inciting communal riots.

In its report submitted to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh the Commission emphasized the need for devising a national policy to discourage communal polarization.

The NCM, while terming the VHP''s shutdown call on the Amaranth issue as the root cause of the violence, called for fixing the responsibility on politicians, officials and other key persons behind organizing the shutdown.

Riga - Citizens of the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will be able to travel to the United States without visas from November 17, a senior US official said Wednesday.

US Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff confirmed the date while visiting Riga. The announcement comes a day after making a similar announcement in Bratislava and two days after doing so in Prague.

"I am pleased to tell Latvians today that the first day of the new programme will be November 17, which is the day before Latvia's independence day, so it's a great opportunity to celebrate," Chertoff told reporters.

Riga - The three small Baltic stock exchanges stayed in positive territory Wednesday, with some excitement sparked by news of a takeover of a Lithuanian ceramic tile manufacturer.

Trading in the company, Dvarcioniu Keramika, was temporarily suspended after its price soared on the back of news that majority shareholder Cersanit, a Polish maker of bathroom furniture, would implement a mandatory takeover.

At the end of the day, Dvarcioniu Keramika shares had gained more than 26 per cent in value.

The NASDAQ OMX Tallinn exchange was up 0.43 per cent, Vilnius was up 1.77 per cent, and Riga enjoyed a 3.57 per cent rise.