S P O T L I G H T

Port strike called off
NEW DELHI, Jan 22 (PTI) — The five-day old strike by port and dock workers in 11 major ports in the country was called off tonight following a written assurance by Surface Transport Minister Rajnath Singh to settle the pending wage-related issues, trade union leaders said.

Makhija
LUCKNOW, Jan 22 (PTI) — Jai Ram Makhija, who had suffered 70 per cent burns injuries while attempting to immolate himself due to alleged police atrocities on January 18 here, tonight died at the KGMC Hospital, the police said. Makhija (44) had attempted suicide alleging police harassment following the filing of an FIR against his wife under the SC/ST Act last month. Makhija is the second case of self-immolation in Uttar Pradesh this year. Earlier, Manjeet Singh Sodhi immolated himself before the state assembly on January 10.

Minister resigns
IMPHAL, Jan 22 (PTI) — Manipur Minister of State for Power Thangminlien has resigned from the Council of Ministers and membership of the state assembly, official sources said today. Mr Thangminlien submitted his resignation to the office of Chief Minister W. Nipamacha Singh as he was in Shillong attending a two-day security meeting of Chief Ministers of the North-Eastern states with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, the sources said.

National Flag display
NEW DELHI, Jan 22 (UNI) — The government has decided to authorise the unrestricted display of the National Flag throughout the country on January 25 and 27. However the display of the national flag on motor cars on these days shall be strictly in accordance with the flag code, an official press note said here today.

Putin sacks Gen
MOSCOW, Jan 22 (PTI) — Acting Russian President Vladimir Putin today sacked the Commander-in-Chief of Interior Ministry Troops, Gen Ovchinnikov and replaced him with a regular Army general as the Chechnya military campaign ran into troubled waters with Moscow’s failure to overrun the provincial capital Grozny and escalation of the guerrilla war in the breakaway republic.

Mother kills children
MADURAI, Jan 22 (PTI) — Recurring family squabbles drove a mother to poison her three children to death and later commit suicide at Appapillai Patti in Dindigul yesterday, the police said here today. The woman had administered poison-mixed coffee to her three children and later took it herself, the police said.

Sky marshalls
HYDERABAD, Jan 22 (UNI) — Air Marshal Raj Kumar, Chief Test Pilot of the Indian Air Force, today said 37 air routes in the country had been identified for deploying sky marshalls on board civilian aircraft to prevent hijacking.