NATO does not intend to bribe Taliban guerrillas to defect to the Afghan government side as a way to end the war, NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said yesterday, dismissing concerns over the latest plan to end the country’s growing insurgency.

The European Union and the Nato alliance hailed Boris Yeltsin today as a healer of the Cold War divide who opened up Russia to the rest of Europe.

A New Year sales drive by airlines helped British airports operator BAA to hike passenger numbers last month, it said today.

AER LINGUS made operating profits of €63.8m against losses of €50m in 2001.