tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Thursday, December 31, 1998
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Bhutto allowed to go abroad
LAHORE, Dec 30 (AFP) — A Pakistani court today ordered authorities to allow former Premier Benazir Bhutto to travel abroad, after she was prevented from leaving the country on Monday, court sources said. The order was passed by a Bench of the Lahore High Court on a petition by Benazir Bhutto, who was stopped at Karachi Airport and prevented from travelling to Dubai to see her three children studying in the Gulf state.
10 fishermen kidnapped
RAJKOT, Dec 30 (UNI) — Sixty Indian fishermen on board 10 mechanised fishing boats were kidnapped at gun point from the Indian waters of Jakhu Port in the border district of Kutch by Pakistani Marine Guards during the past six days. President of the Fishermen Association of Mangrol in Junagadh district Veljibhai Masani informed Gujarat Fisheries Minister Babubhai Bokharia about the kidnapping today.

PM in Port Blair
PORT BLAIR, Dec 30 (UNI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee arrived here on a three-day visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Prime Minister began his tour of the union territory after landing at Car Nicobar Island, where he was given a rousing and colourful reception by chiefs of various tribal councils. Mr Vajpayee announced a grant of Rs 5 lakh for the cultural groups. He was received by Lt Governor I.P. Gupta and local MP Manoranjan Bhakta.
9 chargesheeted
COIMBATORE, Dec 30 (PTI) — Nine Al-Umma members have been chargesheeted for the murder of a traffic constable, Selvaraj, here on November 29, 1997, which had triggered off four days of communal clashes and police firings in the city claiming 23 lives. In the 400-page charge sheet before the fifth judicial magistrate today, the Tamil Nadu CB-CID which probed the case, charged five persons with the specific offence of murder and unlawful assembly.
'Prosecute' Gujral
PATNA, Dec 30 (PTI) — The Samata Party today requested Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to order a CBI prosecution of his predecessor Inder Kumar Gujral for allegedly exerting "undue pressure" on the investigating agency to "shield" RJD President Laloo Prasad Yadav in the fodder scam case. General Secretary of the Samata Party's Bihar unit Prem Chandra Mishra said the CBI should probe Mr Gujral's alleged links with Mr Yadav, an accused in the scam case. Joginder Singh, former chief of the investigating agency, had admitted that the former Premier had put "pressure" on him in a fodder scam case against the RJD chief, he said.
Wang Ce to be tried
BEIJING, Dec 30 (AFP) — China has extended a crackdown on domestic dissidents with plans to put detained overseas-based activist Wang Ce on trial for "endangering state security", dissident sources said today. "We have received a letter from Wang Ce asking the family to find him a lawyer," his sister Wang Xiren told AFP over telephone. "Wang Ce is likely to be tried for endangering state security in the near future," the Information Centre of Human Rights and Democratic Movement in China said in a statement.
Tripura alert
AGARTALA, Dec 30 (PTI) — A general alert has been sounded throughout Tripura apprehending that NLFT insurgents might intensify violence during the harvest season, official sources said here today. The state Home Department had information that the banned outfits in the state would force people to pay subscription during and after the harvesting of crops in the first week of January and intensify extortion, arson, kidnapping and killing activities, the sources said.
9 LTTE men killed
COLOMBO, Dec 30 (PTI) — Nine LTTE Guerrillas were killed in separate encounters with the Sri Lankan army overnight while suspected rebels blew apart a telecom complex in North Central Ampara town causing extensive damage, sources said here today. Five rebels were killed by troops at northern Vannivilankulam yesterday, an army press note said. Four more were killed at Oddusuddan, Paranthan and Maadiru areas, the press note added.