30 January 1998
No extension for CBI chief The CBI director R C Sharma will not be able to continue in office following completion of his tenure on January 31. The Supreme Court yesterday rejected Sharma's plea which sought deletion of the Supreme Court ruling in the hawala case where it has asked the Centre to not continue him in office. This ruling has effectively put paid to Sharma's prospects of receiving an extension beyond his stipulated tenure.	Cabinet overrules minister's objections, upholds pharma price cuts The Union cabinet has upheld the price cuts proposed by the department of pharmaceuticals in ranitidine and rifampicin and shot down the objections raised by the minister, M Arunachalam, to these cuts. A one-man committee will also be appointed to investigate Arunachalam's objections to the denial of price exemption to Cipla's bulk drug salbutamol sulphate. FIPB clears Ballarpur Industries plan to let Saudi firm pick up 17% stake The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has cleared Ballarpur Industries's proposal to give a 16.7% stake to AL Murjan Trading & Industrial Company of Saudi Arabia. The Thapars are expanding the equity base of the company from Rs 50 crore to Rs 60 crore to allot one crore equity shares to the Jeddah-based company at a premium of Rs 80 per share.
WEEKLY SNAPSHOTS MID: Men in Drag Drag acts in Hindi cinema have been extremely popular over the years. Now more than ever, men in drag are in the news, with a recent spate of films featuring men dressed as women. A look at the new phenomenon of drag appeal. The great car shake-out A fierce blaze has started to sweep across the sub-continent called India. The heat caused by India's reckless concessions to finance and investment firms and by the disregard its economic planners have paid to framing a policy before embarking upon what they described as economic liberalisation is likely to see many enterprises getting roasted on the spit. One of the major casualities could very well be the automobile industry.   TOP STORIES FOR JAN 30 BOC group sells Ohmeda wing for $1 billion Huls AG gets FIPB nod to set up 100% subsidiary Shinde, Antulay, Muttemwar, Naik figure in Congress list Tytler's out of race for Lok Sabha polls EC ban on exit poll challenged in court	Web Posted at 07:28:08 IST INDIA UPDATE - Jain panel hearing no bar to trial court verdict The designated TADA court has rejected the defence contention that it cannot give a finding on plot to kill Rajiv Gandhi as the Jain Commission was also probing the conspiracy aspects. WORLD Gore unleashes rip-roaring defence of Clinton Even as U.S. President weathers a sex scandal, vice-president Al Gore uncharacterically deliver a full-throated defence of his boss that energised the gathering. World Economic Forum opens in Davos with human rights appeal The 1998 world economic forum officially opened today in Davos with Swiss confederation president Flavio Cotti calling for human rights to be given top priority in the 21st century. SPORTS AUSTRALIAN OPEN - Paes-Bhupathi go down fighting Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi crashed out of the Australian Open tennis doubles tournament when the Indians were beaten in a five-set thriller by fifth seeds Jonas Bjorkman and Jacco Eltingh in Melbourne today. An Express view of Elections '98