A bid to tarnish my reputation: Fernandes
The former Defence Minister, Mr. George Fernandes, has asserted before the Justice Venkataswami Commission that the allegations and insinuations made against him in the `Tehelka tapes' were false and meant to tarnish his reputation.

MPs get the message
The decision taken at an all-party meeting convened yesterday by the Speaker, Mr. G. M. C. Balayogi, to penalise members moving to the well had an impact today and a semblance of order was witnessed in the Lok Sabha.

Enron using pressure tactics?
In what is seen as pressure tactics, the U.S. power company, Enron, has warned that Washington could impose new sanctions against India if it does not pay up the full $1 billion that Enron claims it spent on setting up a power plant in Maharashtra.

Criticism scaring PSU bidders: Shourie
The Government today warned that the ``avalanche'' of allegations against potential buyers of public sector undertakings was scaring them away and this had led international credit agencies to downgrade India as an investment destination.

MFN status alone 'pointless': Pak. Minister
The Pakistan Commerce Minister, Mr. Abdul Razzak Dawood, today said granting the most favoured nation (MFN) status to India was ``pointless'' unless some of the obstacles in bilateral trade were removed. On other contentious issues, he said the ban on sugar imports would continue but the embargo on textile machinery imports would soon be lifted.

NDA coordination panel meet on Monday
A meeting of the NDA coordination committee is scheduled for Monday to take stock of the political situation in the wake of the Tehelka tapes revelation and the handling of the issue, NDA sources said here today.

Pak. 'jehadi' outfits protest crackdown
The reverberations of the Sindh Government's crackdown on sectarian outfits and enforcement of a ban on collection of `jehadi' funds continued to be felt across the length and breadth of Pakistan.

Musharraf keen to meet PM
The visiting Pakistan Commerce Minister, Mr. Abdul Razzak Dawood, has conveyed to the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, his President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf's keenness to confer with the Indian leader on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly session next month.