Inflation rate inches up a tad to 1.85 per cent
After touching a 17-year low in the previous week, the annual rate of inflation rose marginally by 0.02 percentage points to 1.85% for the week ended July 10.

Five sacked state ministers join NCP
The Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar received a shot in the arm with the entry of five independent ministers who had resigned on Saturday from the Narayan Rane ministry.

Anti-dumping charges take toll on plastic export targets
Exports of plastic and plastic products in the country have fallen short by 27.50% of the targeted Rs 2,952 crore for 1998-99 following the anti-dumping charges initiated by developed countries against Indian plastics.

  Tea industry to register dip in exports this year
  Villagers around Indo-Pak borders resume farming
  Monsoon failure in Rajasthan to hit kharif crops
  Good monsoon in Gujarat improves castor sowing
  India to export one million tonne of petrol
  Cotton exports in '98-99 may fall by over 50%
  Global shortfall pushes up local cashew prices
  Traders resort to ginger imports to meet shortfalls
  Indian tea delegation meets Russian agro ministry
  Freight rates likely to be steady
  Speedy diffusion of R&D to top Rubber Board's agenda
  Southwest monsoon distribution spreads evenly
  Therapeutic enzymes usher in a new trend of medical biotechnology
  Polyester yarn export norm violation continues
  Capacity expansion curb by Posco to help arrest decline in steel prices
  Leather body wants business-friendly policies to stay
  Two more textile mills down shutters in May
  China increases Oman August crude exposure, buys less West
  Rains seen cutting Jakarta cocoa output by 30%
  Vietnam '99 rice exports seen at 4 million tonnes
  Writing, printing paper come out of recession
  Indonesia rules out joining cocoa body
  Pakistan cotton stays steady
  Crude throughput touches 1.34 lakh t, POL products at Haldia
  Refineries to upgrade technology for environment-friendly fuel
  Western world's iron ore production to dip 6%
  India telecoms to boost copper use -- Indo Gulf
  Stones exports fall far behind potential
  China's appetite for iron ore a boon for India
  United States mulls over ways to use IMF gold
  IMF gold fight delays debt relief to poor nation
  Marketplace Briefing
  Rebel Sena leader in Pawar camp
  DMK, BJP reach understanding on seat-sharing
  New marketing norms for petro goods on the cards
  Gloomy realty market puts paid to banks hopes to sell collateral
  Briefing
  BJP units face daunting task on final candidates lists
  BJP renominates three ex-MPs in Himachal, in talks with HVC
  Paswan to support Vajpayee as PM
  Interconnectivity glitches prevent mobile radio trunking from taking off
  DTH is too important to be hastened -- Mahajan
  "We will be ruled by the `change the rules' motto"
  First basic provider to accept revenue share
  Verma panel mulls management body for 3 weak banks
  No PMO pressure on revenue-sharing -- Sorabjee
  HSBC -- Poaching the competition for new credit members
  FRN debacle -- Essar group failed to pick funding options right
  Executive Briefing
  Government has the right to change policies from time to time -- Sorabjee