tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Tuesday, August 25, 1998
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Tripura no-trust motion defeated
AGARTALA, Aug 24 (PTI) — The no-trust motion, brought against the five-month-old Left Front Ministry in Tripura, was defeated to by voice vote after a five-hour debate. In the 60-member House, the ruling front which assumed power on March 11 has 41 legislators. The motion, moved by Congress member Sudip Roy Burman, was supported by all 19 opposition members of the Congress, the TUJS and the Tripura National Volunteers (TNV). Mr Burman alleged that the government had failed to protect the lives and property of innocent people of the state and check the breakdown of the law and order situation, maladministration and misuse of government funds.
Doctor gets 10-yr RI
MUMBAI, Aug 24 (PTI) — Mohammed Jalees Shakil Ansari, who had masterminded several blasts in and around police stations and Shiv Sena offices in the metropolis during 1992-1993, was today sentenced to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment by a designated court for offences under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). Ansari, a medical practitioner, was found guilty of offence under Section 3 (2) (ii) of TADA Act and sentenced to 10 years’ RI. He was further convicted under Section 5 of the same act and ordered to undergo five years’ RI and pay a fine of Rs 5,000. Besides, he was found guilty of offences under Section 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act.

Netanyahu gives nod
JERUSALEM, Aug 24 (AFP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has for the first time agreed in principle to a 13 per cent further withdrawal from the West Bank as demanded by the USA, his spokesman said today. However, the spokesman David Bar-Illan, said Netanyahu’s proposal included limits on Palestinian powers in 3 per cent of the land under offer, a condition Palestinian officials have so far rejected.
Rajiv case
NEW DELHI, Aug 24 (PTI) — The Supreme Court today directed the constitution of a three-Judge Bench to begin hearing from September 15 on the death references of 26 persons convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and their appeals. This direction was given by a Bench, comprising Chief Justice M.M. Punchhi, Mr Justice M. Srinivasan and Mr Justice S. Rajendra Babu, which refused the prosecution plea to defer the matter for eight weeks to facilitate inspection of voluminous records brought from a Chennai special court, which had awarded death sentence to all 26 convicts.
50 taken ill
BHARATPUR, Aug 24 (PTI) — As many as 50 persons suffered from vomiting and loose motion after drinking polluted water yesterday at Loharpur village in Dholpur district, official sources said today. The sources said 12 of them were reported to be in serious condition. All affected people have been admitted to a hospital.
Hooch toll rises
DHARMAPURI, Aug 24 (UNI) — The toll in Saturday’s hooch tragedy at Paruvoothi and Yenasolai villages in Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu rose to 54 with 14 more persons succumbing to the killer brew today. The police said 30 more persons were admitted to a hospital at Krishnagiri yesterday. In all, 200 persons, who attended a funeral on Saturday, had consumed the illicit arrack.
Suharto's kin
JAKARTA, Aug 24 (Reuters) — Lt-Gen Prabowo Subianto, a son-in-law of former President Suharto, has been sacked from the army following investigations into the abduction of political activists, Indonesia’s military chief said today. General Wiranto was speaking at a news conference on the outcome of an investigation by a special military board into the abduction of political activists by the army’s special forces (Kopassus) late last year and early this year.
Aircraft missing
YANGON, Aug 24 (Reuters) — A Myanmar airways Fokker F-27 turboprop aircraft was missing with 39 passengers on board today, a Transport Ministry official said. The aircraft was on a regular two-hour domestic flight from Yangon to the eastern border town of Tachilek on the Myanmar-Thai border. Most passengers on the missing aircraft were Myanmar citizens. The F-27 plane normally carried a four-member crew.
MP Assembly
BHOPAL, Aug 24 (PTI) — A two-day special session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly would be convened here from August 31 to discuss the Bill on the proposed separate state of Chattisgarh. State Assembly Speaker Sriniwas Tiwari told newsmen today that the session would be devoted exclusively for discussing the Bill on the proposed state. The president had sought the assembly's opinion on the proposal for granting separate statehood to Chattisgarh.
Bail for Sheila Kaul
NEW DELHI, Aug 24 (PTI) — Former Union Ministers Sheila Kaul and P.K. Thungon, accused in a housing scam-related case, were today granted bail by a Delhi Court. Special Judge Ajit Bharihoke granted bail to Kaul, Thungon and another accused Sri Krishna on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 each and a surety of the like amount after they appeared before him. The court fixed October 7 for further proceedings in the case.
Pak violence
KARACHI, Aug 24 (AFP) — Five persons, including a lawyer and two political activists have been shot dead in Pakistan’s violence-plagued city of Karachi, the police and party sources said today. The lawyer was killed in the main business district of Saddar, while two activists from the MQM-Haqiqi, a breakaway faction of an influential ethnic party, were shot dead in the eastern Shah Faisal colony. Two persons were killed elsewhere in the city overnight.
US jet crash
SEOUL, Aug 24 (AFP) — A US pilot was rescued by a fishing boat after his F-16 fighter jet crashed today off the east coast of South Korea, the Defence Ministry said. The pilot, who was alone in the jet, was said to be uninjured following the crash into the sea off the eastern seaboard Port of Anin, the official said.
Blast at Guwahati
GUWAHATI, Aug 24 (PTI) — Several people were feared killed in a powerful bomb explosion triggered by suspected Bodo militants at Guwahati Railway Station tonight, officials said. The bomb exploded at the crowded platform number seven, originating point of all trains to New Delhi and Calcutta, officials said.
Plane crash
YANGON, Aug 24 (DPA) — A Myanmar Airways passenger plane with at least 35 persons on board crashed this afternoon about 10 minutes before it was due to land in the town of Tachilek near the Thai border, government sources said. The Fokker F-27 plane, carrying 31 passengers and several crew members, departed from Yangon (Rangoon) at 10.30 a.m. And had a stopover in Heho before travelling on to Tachilek in northeast Myanmar. It was unclear whether there were survivors.