tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Thursday, August 27, 1998
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Boris Yeltsin 'should quit'
MOSCOW, Aug 26 (PTI) — As the Russian Central Bank today expressed its inability to support the rouble which continued to nosedive against the dollar, state Duma Chairman Gennady Seleznyov said President Boris Yeltsin should resign soon to hand over power to caretaker Premier Viktor Chernomyrdin. "Yeltsin has exhausted the credit of trust," Seleznyov said and underlined that the President should heed Friday’s recommendation of the lower house overwhelmingly urging him to voluntarily relinquish the top post.
Threat to quit
COLOMBO, Aug 26 (AFP) — A Leftist partner in Sri Lanka’s fragile ruling coalition today threatened to withdraw support to the government over the use of emergency laws to indefinitely postpone crucial local elections. The Equal Society Party, or the LSSP, said it was bitterly opposed to President Chandrika Kumaratunga resorting to draconian legislation to delay the Provincial Council vote due on Friday.

20 die in mishap
LUCKNOW, Aug 26 (PTI) — Twenty persons were killed and 50 injured in a head-on collision between a tractor trailer and a UP roadways bus in Bahraich on Tuesday night, official reports reaching here said today. The tractor trailer was taking 60 pilgrims to Bahraich when it collided with the bus which was reportedly packed with passengers, near Sarriya village on the Bahraich-Lucknow road, the report said.
Encounter
GUWAHATI, Aug 26 (PTI) — Four hardcore ULFA militants were killed and one injured in an encounter with security forces today at Chabua in upper Assam’s Dibrugarh district, official sources said. An Army jawan was also injured in the encounter which took place after militants hiding in a house in Jeraigaon opened fire on troops, who had asked them to surrender while raiding the house after receiving a tip-off during patrolling.
Accident
KARACHI, Aug 26 (PTI) — At least 11 persons were killed and 17 injured when two buses collided in Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi, the police said today. They said one man was injured critically. The accident happened in the city’s eastern Korangi district late on Tuesday.
16 LTTE men killed
COLOMBO, Aug 26 (UNI) — Troops killed 16 Tamil Tiger militants and lost one soldier in continuing clashes in northeastern Sri Lanka yesterday, the military said today. A military communique said troops engaged a large group of rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) with mortars and small arms at at Killinochchi, killing nine nilitants. It said five more rebels were killed when troops ambushed a group at Pothunakarn in Jaffna peninsula, two militants and a soldier were killed and two soldiers injured during a search and clear operation at Halabe in Trincomalee district.
80 liquor deaths
NAIROBI, Aug 26 (AFP) — At least 80 persons have died after drinking strong illicit liquor believed to have been laced with methylated spirit to make it more potent, local newspapers reported today. The toll has steadily risen in the disaster as more persons seriously ill after consuming the liquor 10 days ago in the Central Narok and Nakuru districts succumbed to its highly destructive effect on the body. Dozens of other persons have suffered partial or total blindness after drinking the brew which was nicknamed "power alcohol".
Delhi master plan
NEW DELHI, Aug 26 (PTI) — The master plan for Delhi has been modified with immediate effect through a notification issued by the Urban Affairs Ministry, officials said today. Through the notification, issued under the Delhi Development Act, 1957, the zonal development plan of the national capital also stands modified, the sources said. They said the modification included changes in the land use norms for hospitals, both for pet animals and birds and hospitals at district level serving about five lakh population.
Smoking banned
AIZAWL, Aug 26 (PTI) — The Mizoram Government has banned smoking and consumption of tobacco products in government offices and public places including educational institutions, buses, hospitals and state public sector undertaking offices, official sources said. Any deviation or violation of the order shall constitute behaviour unbecoming of a government servant and attract disciplinary action.
AIADMK leader held
SALEM, Aug 26 (PTI) — An AIADMK councillor, Selvam, who was allegedly involved in the distillation and sale of poisonous brew that claimed 47 lives in Tamil Nadu’s Dharmapuri district, has been arrested, according to the police. Selvam was arrested at Krishnagiri bus stand yesterday, DIG (Vellore range) C.V. Rao said. Meanwhile, a team of doctors from Salem, Namakkal, Chennai and Vellore has rushed to the Hosur government hospital where over 120 persons are undergoing treatment.