tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Tuesday, September 29, 1998
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194 LTTE men killed in fresh fighting
COLOMBO, Sept 28 (PTI) — Sri Lankan Army today said that it had killed 194 LTTE rebels while losing 43 of its own personnel in fighting with the guerrillas after a military garrison was attacked yesterday at Paranthan near northern Kilinochchi. Stating that sporadic fighting between the troops and the LTTE guerrillas, holed up in the area, continued for the second day today, a defence press statement said the death of 194 ultras had so far been confirmed by the LTTE.
The Defence Ministry had yesterday said that 40 rebels and nine soldiers were killed in the fighting which erupted after the LTTE attack. But the figures rose steeply on both sides today as fighting continued.
7 Vaishno Devi pilgrims killed
JAMMU, Sept 28 (PTI) — Seven pilgrims were killed and 35 were injured on their way to the Vaishno Devi shrine when the bus in which they were travelling rolled down from a hill near Mamayee on the Jammu-Katra highway, 47 km from here, in the early hours of this morning. The bus, on its way to Katra, base camp of the holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi, from Amritsar, rolled down while negotiating a sharp curve near Mamayee at 3 a.m., the police said. Three injured persons were in critical condition. The injured had been admitted to the Jammu medical college hospital.

IA raises fares
NEW DELHI, Sept 28 (PTI) — The Indian Airlines today decided to increase the passenger fares by 11.2 per cent across the board, but exempted the north-eastern sector from this raise. The increased fares would be effective from October 1. This was decided at the Indian Airlines Board meeting. The board’s recommendations would be sent to the ministry for final approval.
Rushdie fatwa
TEHRAN, Sept 28 (Reuters) — A grand Ayatollah in Qom, stronghold of Iran’s Shi’ite Muslim clergy, said it was the duty of all Muslims to carry out the death decree against Salman Rushdie, daily newspaper Jomhuri Eslami reported today. "This fatwa is by no means revocable or changeable and it is the duty of all Muslims of the world to carry it out," it quoted him as saying in the message.
ULFA ambush
GUWAHATI, Sept 28 (UNI) — At least seven persons, including five CRPF personnel, were killed on the spot and seven others critically injured in an ambush by suspected ULFA militants in Goalpara district of Assam today, official reports said. The injured were shifted to the Medical College Hospital here. Meanwhile ULFA has claimed the responsibility for killing the former Kamrap unit assistant secretary Anjanjyoti Gogoi, even as the police 'picked up' two persons in connection with the killing.
Mumbai riots
MUMBAI, Sept 28 (PTI) — The Mumbai High Court today adjourned to November 16 hearing on a bunch of petitions that sought a direction to the Maharashtra Government for taking action against those held responsible by Srikrishna Commission of inquiry for the city riots of 1992-93. The petitions have been filed by Tushar Gandhi, vice president of Samajwadi Party’s city unit, pa Sebastian of the Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights, the Maharashtra Minorities Front (MMF) and the Bombay Aman Committee.
RJD stir
PATNA, Sept 28 (PTI) — The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) will chalk out an action plan to launch a struggle against the Centre’s move to create a separate state out of Bihar, party secretary general Ramkripal Yadav said here today. Mr Yadav told reporters that a meeting of all district rjd presidents in South Bihar will take place on October 7 to draw up "agitational programmes". RJD national president Laloo Prasad Yadav will also participate in the meeting.