Giant banner to bid adieu
The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, who underwent a knee- joint replacement surgery at the Breach Candy Hospital here on October 10, will be discharged on Sunday.

CPI(M) reverts to third front theme
The CPI(M) leadership is reverting to the third alternative theme. The politburo member and West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr. Jyoti Basu, indicated as much while addressing delegates of the three- day special conference which began here today to update the party programme.

Sushma seeks report on 'dues' from Mahajan's kin
The Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ms. Sushma Swaraj, said here today that she had asked for a report from her Ministry over media reports that a company of which the Union Minister for Information Technology, Mr. Pramod Mahajan's wife, Ms. Rekha Mahajan, and his son, Mr. Rahul Mahajan, are director and chairperson respectively, owes Rs. 6.5 crores to Prasar Bharati.

Rajkumar's sons meet Karunanidhi
In an apparent bid to contain the negative fallout of the row over including the pro-LTTE Tamil leader, Mr. P. Nedumaran, in the expanded team of negotiators to help free the Kannada actor, Mr. Rajkumar, held hostage by the brigand Veerappan, the thespian's three sons came here today on a peacemaking mission.

`Nedumaran went on his own accord'
Though the Tamils Nationalist Movement leader, Mr. P. Nedumaran, obtained the consent of the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Governments for his mission to the forests, he had refused to take any official letter authorising him as an emissary, sources close to Mr. Nedumaran clarified today.

Govt. ready for talks with militants: Advani
The Union Home Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani today claimed that the security forces have ``neutralised'' as many as 1,210 militants in Jammu and Kashmir.

SSP work to start on Oct. 31
The Gujarat Chief Minister, Mr. Keshubhai Patel, today reviewed the implementation of Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada river in the light of the Supreme Court verdict and decided that work would start on October 31.

Rao deposits Rs. 2 lakhs fine in bribery case
The former Prime Minister, Mr. P.V. Narasimha Rao, who was sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment along with his Cabinet colleague, Mr. Buta Singh, in the JMM MPs bribery case, today deposited Rs. two lakhs fine imposed on him by the special court.