NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha has decided that he's going to make a definitive break from the colonial practice of presenting the Union Budget at 5 pm. Sinha's forthcoming budget will be presented, according to Finance Ministry officials, at 11 am, giving sufficient time for the media to understand its full ramifications. February 28 being a Sunday, the Budget will be presented on February 27.

Gawli aide killed

MUMBAI: In what is regarded as the biggest encounter since the gunning down of Sada Pawle in late 1997, Santosh Adivalekar alias Bandya the topmost lieutenant of the don-turned politician Arun Gawli, was shot dead near Sion on Friday night.

Sabari mishap

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Government today ordered a judicial inquiry into yesterday's stampede at Sabarimala as the toll in the worst-ever tragedy at the famous hill shrine was put at 52 by official sources. .Police said the toll was likely to go up further as some of theabout 50 injured were stated to be in a serious condition.

Passport board

CALCUTTA: The Centre will shortly form a passport advisory board designed to simplify procedures and improve functioning of the passport offices for redressing grievances of the people, Minister of State for External Affairs Vasundhara Raje has said.

Arundhati book

KOZHIKODE: Booker Prize winning author Arundhati Roy today authorised the Kerala Dalit Sahithya Academy to publish the Malayalam version of the God of Small Things and use the royalties from that to help Dalit writers to tell their stories to the world.

Pak gets IMF loan

ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund on Thursday approved a $US 575 million loan payment for sanctions-hit Pakistan, restarting a lending programme frozen after the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif conducted a series of nuclear tests in May, 1998.