Duma confirms Primakov as Russia Premier
The State Duma confirmed Yevgeny Primakov as new Prime Minister of Russia with 315 Deputies voting in his favour. A total of 63 Deputies voted against Primakov, who was nominated by President Boris Yeltsin to break a tense standoff with the Communist-dominated Lower House of Parliament.

PM unlikely to dismiss Rabri in wake of Bezbaruah row
Despite pressure from the Samata Party and the Bihar unit of the BJP and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's statement in Lucknow that a decision on the fate of the Rabri Devi government will be taken soon, the Centre is unlikely to act in haste. The loss of face suffered by the ruling coalition in the M K Bezbaruah transfer case is still too fresh in the Prime Minister's mind to compel him to take a decision that may invite flak.

Union Cabinet will be expanded in a short while, avers Vajpayee
Prime Minister A B Vajpayee has announced an imminent expansion of his Cabinet. Vajpayee, however, declined to give the details.

Letters to the editor

LEISURE
  Madonna, Aerosmith bag MTV awards
  Hari gets Meera, so does Krishnan in Fazil's Harikrishnans

SPORTS
  Govt probe may delay Pak action against Akram, Ijaz and Malik
  Moya to be bombarded by `scud' in semis

EXPRESSIONS
  What the Starr says
  Rallying cry

BUSINESS
  IDBI floats Rs 1,500 crore Flexibond issue
  Wall Street, Asian markets dive again

GENERAL
  Argemone finds way into ITBF stock
  CBI probe into TN blasts ruled out

POLITICS
  Congress may introduce unofficial bill on Vidarbha: Deshmukh
  MDMK against dismissal of duly elected State Govts