M A I N   N E W S

Clinton, Putin to continue cooperation

OKINAWA, July 21 (Reuters) — The Presidents of the United States of America and Russia pledged to continue cooperation in the field of arms control on Friday on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Group of Eight on the Japanese Island of Okinawa.

“The United States and Russia are prepared to renew and expand cooperation in the field of theatre missile development and to consider the possibility of involving other states,’’ Bill Clinton and Vladimir Putin said in a joint statement after their meeting.

The statement comes amid strong Russian pressure on the USA to abandon plans to deploy an anti-missile defence shield Moscow says would violate the 1972 Anti-Missile Missile (ABM) Treaty and spark a new global arms race.

Washington says the proposed shield would provide limited defence against possible attack from what it calls ‘’rogue states’’ like North Korea.

Abhinav Bindra for Sydney
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 21 — Chandigarh shooter Abhinav Bindra has been given one of the 16 hardship quotas for the shooting events of the Sydney Olympics, according to a communication received from the International Shooting Sport Federation. The communication has been sent to the National Rifle Association of India and the Indian Olympic Association. A copy of the communication has also been received here.

Abhinav, who holds the world record in his event —10-metres air rifle for men —has been selected from a large number of applications received by the federation. He will be the youngest rifle shooter in the world to participate in the Olympics. The communication from the international body says the president and the secretary-general of the International Shooting Sport Federation evaluated the performance of the claimants and decided “to distribute one wild card to your federation”. As champion shooter of India it is Abhinav Bindra who has got the wild card.

Abhinav Bindra has qualified in all the World Cups held in Milan, Munich, Sydney, Atlanta and Barcelona held in the past two years with maximum qualifying score laid down by the Olympic Standard Committee. He also established a world record with a score of 596/600 in the Munich World Cup held on June 11 last.