or the second successive week, the foreign exchange reserves dipped on account of Reserve Bank of India's dollar selling in the market. The forex reserves dipped by $113 million to $33.17 billion for the week-ended June 25. In the previous week, the reserves fell by $200 million. Of the total reserves, foreign currency assets were to the tune of $30.3 billion.

`Godfather' author Mario Puzo dead

Best-selling author Mario Puzo, creator of the fictional Corleone crime family and winner of two Oscars for his screen adaptations of his book "The Godfather," died on Saturday. He was 78. Puzo died, apparently of heart failure, at his home.

TMB posts Rs 35 crore net

Tamilnadu Mercantile Bank has registered a net profit of Rs 35 crore in the last financial year, topping all private banks, according to the bank chairman S Krishnamurthy. The gross profit stands at Rs 59 crore and after allocating funds towards tax, bad debts and capital investment, thebank earned a net profit of about Rs 35 crore.

Nedungadi net up 11.33%

Nedungadi Bank's net profit has risen 11.33 per cent to Rs 8.08 crore for 1998-99, while the total business of the bank crossed Rs 1,827 crore. The bank has proposed a dividend of 25 per cent for the year. The total deposits of the bank registered a growth of 41.74 per cent.

Action plan for science on cards: Joshi

A national action plan to address issues affecting Indian science like traditional knowledge preservation and brain drain will be prepared as a follow up to the recently-concluded world conference on science at Budapest, science minister Murli Manohar Joshi announced on Saturday.

Government upgrades posts

In a bid to woo the bureaucracy before the general election, the BJP government has upgraded the posts of more than 20 central services which fall in the group `A' category. Page 12 China gearing up for missile testChina is making final preparations for a mobile intercontinental ballistic test,according to a paper published on China's growing nuclear and missile strength. The Heritage Foundation published a paper on China's growing nuclear and missile strength, based on the Cox report and other sources.

VSNL donates Rs 1 crore

Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd on Saturday handed over Rs 1 crore to Prime Minister AB Vajpayee as contribution to the national defence fund. In addition to this, VSNL has in three days collected Rs 15 lakh under its scheme which gives a 25 hour Internet connection free of cost for contributions of Rs 5,000 towards the national defence fund. The employees of VSNL have also contributed Rs 7.40 lakh through a day's salary.

HPCL contributes Rs 10 lakh

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd has contributed Rs 10 lakh towards establishment of a fund to provide scholarships for higher education to wards of jawans belonging to the Indian army. In a press release, HPCL said employees of the corporation had contributed a day's salary towards the national defence fund.Besides, HPCL had recently given a sum of Rs 10 crore towards the fund.

IOC donates Rs 15 crore

Indian Oil Corporation contributed Rs 15 crore to the national defence fund, while the employees of the company contributed their one day salary amounting to Rs 96.73 lakh. Chairman of the Indian Oil MA Pathan handed over the cheque for the amounts to the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.Vijaya Bank offers free remittances Vijaya Bank will issue free of charge demand drafts, MTs and TTs in respect of all such instruments drawn by public favouring Kargil relief fund and national defence fund. The bank has said that this will be done with immediate effect. Deep into depositoriesA large number of investors are ignorant of the recently introduced depository services to replace the present scrip-based system with paperless trading.

Helping the disabled

The ITDC has announced special discounts for the physically challenged. It has also decided to alter the design of some of its hotels.

Greyorders clog green spaces

SC's order asking the Delhi Development Authority to convert the land surrendered by hazardous industries into green belts is yet to be implemented.