Cauvery: PM to speak to Krishna
New Delhi, Sept. 10. The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, today assured an all-party delegation from Tamil Nadu that he would speak to the Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr. S.M. Krishna, on Tamil Nadu's demand for the immediate release of the Cauvery water to save standing crops in the delta.

'We prefer water to tea'
New Delhi, Sept. 10. The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee's remarks reflecting courtesy extended to guests saw some lighter moments, when the all-party delegation from Tamil Nadu called on him calling for his intervention for the release of Cauvery water from Karnataka.

5 dead in Kolkata cinema collapse
Kolkata, Sept. 10. Five persons were feared killed and over a dozen seriously injured when a large porch of a central Kolkata cinema hall collapsed this evening.

Is Masood dead?
United Nations, Sept. 10. The United States believes that the Afghan Opposition leader, Mr. Ahmad Shah Masood, has died in an explosion on Sunday. ``We believe he died,'' is the general refrain.

Fishermen released
Colombo, Sept. 10. Another batch of 13 Indian fishermen arrested by Sri Lanka for trespassing into its northern waters have been ordered released by a court in Jaffna.

Hewit wins U.S. Open
New York, Sept. 10. Relentless Lleyton Hewitt chased down nearly every shot Pete Sampras fired across the net, demoralising the humbled legend in a stunning Grand Slam final debut to capture the U.S. Open title here on Sunday.

Bihar flood situation worsens
Patna, Sept. 10. Breaches in the embankments of the Gandak and Burhi Gandak has worsened the flood situation in north Bihar even as the Army stepped up relief operations in the worst-hit Gopalganj and Saran districts, official sources said today. With the recovery of three more bodies - two from Saran and one from Gopalganj - the flood toll rose to 48.