Tough Budget ahead: President
Calls for phasing out subsidies
NEW DELHI, Feb 23 — A broad outline of the Union Budget, 2000, which was discernible in the President, Mr K.R. Narayanan’s Address to Parliament today, confirms that it is going to be a tough Budget.

• Union Budget at 2 p.m.

Narayanan endorses CRC
NEW DELHI, Feb 23 — The President, Mr K.R. Narayanan, today endorsed the Government’s decision to set up a broad-based Constitution Review Commission (CRC), saying it had become necessary to examine the experience of the past 50 years to better achieve the ideals enshrined in the Constitution.

The President, Mr K.R. Narayanan, accompanied by the Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr G.M.C. Balayogi, Vice-President Krishan Kant, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pramod Mahajan, arrives to address a joint session of Parliament on the first day of the Budget session on Wednesday.
— Photo by Sondeep Shankar

Clinton may face threat in Pak
WASHINGTON, Feb 23 — The US secret service fears President Bill Clinton’s life would be in danger if he visits Pakistan next month because the nation’s security service has been heavily infiltrated by anti-American militants, says the Washington Times quoting a senior US official.

USA may lift more sanctions against India
WASHINGTON, Feb 23 — US President Bill Clinton may lift some of the post-Pokhran nuclear tests sanctions against India before his visit to New Delhi next month, The Washington Times reported today.

Jathedar forms panel for WSC
AMRITSAR, Feb 23 — In a significant move, Giani Puran Singh, Jathedar Akal Takht, has constituted a 12-member executive committee to run the affairs of the World Sikh Council. With this, the two warring factions of the WSC stand disbanded. The newly-constituted committee would start functioning immediately under the patronage of Akal Takht.