tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Tuesday, August 18, 1998
weather today's calendar

Crew's release delayed
COLOMBO, Aug 17 (PTI) — The much-awaited release of the 17 Indian crew members of a Jaffna-bound merchant ship hijacked by the LTTE was delayed further today due to a logistical problem. Setting aside all rumours about the delay of the release of the crew, a spokesman for the International Committee of Red Cross said they would be released in a day or two. The spokesman said lack of transport availability in the rebel held area was delaying the release.
Train derailed
SONEPUR (Bihar), Aug 17 (PTI) — Four passengers were injured when four coaches of the Guwahati-bound Awadh-Assam Express today derailed near Karpoori Gram on the Hajipur-Samastipur section of the East-Central Railway, official sources said. Four breakdown trains from Barauni, Jhajha, Samastipur and Sonepur reached the mishap site to haul the train on the tracks. Trains on the Barauni-Hajipur section were being diverted through Patori station as thousands were stranded at Hajipur, Sonepur, Muzaffarpur and Barauni stations.

Flood situation grim
SILIGURI, Aug 17 (PTI) — The flood situation continued to remain grim in North Bengal, affecting over 2 lakh people in the region during the second spell of the natural calamity. Malda District Magistrate M.V. Rao said today that most of the rivers were in spate in the district. Country boats were pressed into service for relief and rescue operation, he said. The situation remained grim in Jalpaiguri with all the rivers in spate because of incessant rain in the district.
5 children drowned
MUMBAI, Aug 17 (PTI) — Five school children, who had gone for swimming, drowned at Aksa Beach, Malad, yesterday. The police today said the bodies of the children had been recovered. The children have been identified as Vijendra Chalalema (11), Sunny Solanki (13), Kiran Duli (14), Ashish Bhatt (13) and Kalpesh Solanki (10), all residents of Iraniwadi in Kandivli, north-west Mumbai, the police said.
Gurdev Badal awarded
TORONTO, Aug 17 (PTI) — The Canada unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has honoured Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurdev Singh Badal for his services towards protecting human rights of the Sikh community in Punjab and North America. President of the SAD Canada wing Gian Singh Langeri presented the minister a gold medal and a memento in the presence of several prominent members of the Indian community here.
Curfew relaxed
AHMEDABAD, Aug 17 (PTI) — The curfew imposed in a village of Dahod district in Gujarat after Saturday's group clash was relaxed for three hours today following improvement in the situation, the police said here. The curfew was relaxed from 12 noon to allow people of Sanjeli village to buy essential items. Thirteen persons were injured in the clash and subsequent stone throwing between two groups over the installation of kiosks at a fair organised on Janmashtami.
17 hurt in blast
COLOMBO, Aug 17 (PTI) — Seventeen persons were injured when suspected LTTE militants blew up a motorbike packed with high-power explosives in front of a state-owned bank in eastern Batticaloa today. The motorbike, parked in front of the Ceylon Bank branch in Batticaloa, exploded causing heavy damage to the front portion of the building and several nearby shops. The injured included a bank employee, official sources here said.
Editor remanded
NEW DELHI, Aug 17 (PTI) — A Delhi court today sent the Chief Editor of a Hindi Magazine to a 14-day judicial custody in a case involving alleged extortion of Rs 5 crore from a Lakhani Shoes Company owner. The accused Nafees Siddiqui, Chief Editor of ‘Swatantra Media, published from Kanpur and Faridabad, was remanded to custody by Metropolitan Magistrate K.S. Mohi. Siddiqui had allegedly threatened Parameshwar Dayal Lakhani with kidnapping and murder unless he paid Rs 5 crore.
Notice to Rabri Devi
PATNA, Aug 17 (PTI) — Patna High Court today issued notice to Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, on a public interest litigation challenging recent nominations of nine members to the state Legislative Council. Admitting the PIL, a Division Bench comprising Justice B.N. Agrawal and Justice Indu Prabha Singh, asked the Chief Minister to explain her position within three weeks on the matter.
CPI expels 4 MLAs
PATNA, Aug 17 (PTI) — The CPI has expelled four of its MLAs on charges of anti-party activities, party’s state unit secretary Jalaluddin Ansari said today. The MLAs who were expelled by the party leadership a couple of days ago are Ramchandra Yadav, Prayag Chaudhary, Lal Bihari Yadav and Abhay Raj Kishore. The four had recently joined hands with two other expelled MLAs to float the Krantikar Communist Vichar Manch.