Saffron is gone leaving Maharashtra hopelessly in the red
Three days after he took oath as Maharashtra's 21st chief minister on Monday, Vilasrao Deshmukh was given an overview of the economic situation of the state by the department of finance and planning on Thursday. It must have instantly taken the zing out of his electoral victory.

CTBT -- India, US not in harmony yet
The United States has unexpectedly reverted to its tough posture towards India on the nuclear issue saying the tone and content of President Clinton's upcoming visit ``hinge on the progress we make in our security and non-proliferation dialogue.''

Army imposes curbs on Jamaat chief
Barely days after Jamaat-e-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed criticised the new military regime in Pakistan, he was banned from entering the frontier province on Saturday and a senior religious leader of his party was arrested by police in Peshawar.

  Quicktakes
  Row over Mahajan's parting gift to loyalists
  Priest found dead in Virar
  Venezuelan President's plane develops snag, lands in Mumbai
  Truckers' stir -- Deadlock over diesel hike rollback
  IES strikes wrong note with Amonkar
  Major reshuffle in Maharashtra bureaucracy likely soon
  Filmdom's flopshow -- Star MPs miss glamour, crowd at honour
  Mumbai Notes
  Split ministry has teething problems
  Goa to liberalise casino rules
  Student docs threaten to strike in Maharashtra
  Convict kills self, daughter
  Democracy never had a chance in Pak -- Experts
  Wife pardons husband's killers
  Woman found murdered
  Sonia's SPG cover ends in Nov
  Fifth Pulse Polio programme launched
  Trader in Mysore buys soiled notes
  State Scape
  Ex-Italian PM cleared of mafia links
  Pakistan Islamic body to discuss`honour killings'
  Russian troops block entry into Chechnya
  E Timor - More refugees return; families barred
  Indonesian cabinet formation a tough job
  Jiang vows `democratic' China in 50 years
  UN damns Taliban, but mum on Pak
  Pune Beat
  Vegetable shortage hits markets
  Top athlete dies of burns; spouse held
  NRI quota issue rocks varsity senate meeting
  Four school kids held with four stolen mopeds
  With canines around, the disabled sit easy
  In Brief -- Pune
  Experts from Pune to look for tribal civilisation at medieval site
  Tehsildar takes possession of wheat confiscated by police
  Chief Minister to inaugurate Pune IT.COM'99
  Foreign made artificial limbs
  Surgery for cleft lips
  P L Deshpande award for Gabale
  NDA cadets display creative talents
  B.Tech degree awarded to 35 CME students
  Pune Notes
  Chain snatchers on the rampage