1. County supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said emerg ency workers had been "stressed almost beyond the point of reason". Mitch Mendler, a San Diego fireman, said: "It was nuclear winter.

2. Influential elements wi–thin the rebel membership oppose the granting of a long–term lease for comprehensive development as "selling off the family silver". However, "we have the strong support of the East Midlands Development Ag–ency and other local authorities – but only for a comprehensive, holistic plan", Mr Rolt said yesterday.

3. Dera Ismail Khan—Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly and secre–tary general Muttahida Majlis–e–Amal (MMA) Maulana Fazlur Rehman has threatened any attack on Iran will be taken as direct assault on Muslim Ummah. «The entire non–Muslim community is hatching conspiracies against the Muslims and the publica–tion of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is tantamount to sprinkle salt on the wounds of Ummah and it is high time for Muslim to forge unity among their ranks and the month of Muharram–ul–Harram also teaches us this lesson,» Fazl expressed these views in his chat with media–people in his home constitu–ency on Wednesday.