One step closer -- Women's Bill gets nod from parties
The BJP-led government has moved a step closer towards fulfilling its commitment to reserve 33 per cent seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies after receiving formal endorsement from an all-party meeting. Buoyed by the development, Union parliamentary affairs Minister Madan Lal Khurana announced that the Constitution (84th Amendment) Bill, 1998, will be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

Next Talbott-Jaswant meet in Delhi
India and the US will continue their dialogue in New Delhi on July 20-21, when US deputy secretary of state Strobe Talbott arrives here to take up the thread with Jaswant Singh, a key aide of the prime minister.

ECB norms relaxed further
The Centre has relaxed guidelines for external commercial borrowings by reducing the period for reapplication to one month from three months with immediate effect and gave a month's fresh lease of life to applications lapsed before July 1. It has also withdrawn the existing facility available to corporates of pre-payment to an extent of 20% in the company's outstanding balance.

LEISURE
  Two legends for the price of 1 film ticket
  The warring wives of Abiola

SPORTS
  Not a dime in hand but smiles on Croation faces
  Clash for consolation pride

EXPRESSIONS
  PM as goalkeeper
  A tribute to vitality

BUSINESS
  FM hints at tax sops for core sector
  RBI hikes coupon on T-bills

GENERAL
  Government staff stir on August 7 planned
  Protest against hike in Surat power tariff

POLITICS
  TNCC divided over new chief
  Vajpayee Govt is "anti-farmer", accuses Congress president