tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Sunday, December 27, 1998
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12 coalminers killed
DHANBAD, Dec 26 (PTI) — At least 12 coalminers of the BCCL were killed and six injured when goods train rammed into their bus at a manned level crossing, eight 8 km from here, last night, Dhanbad Divisional Railway Manager V.N. Mathur said. Unofficial sources, however, put the toll at 40. The accident occurred between Bhuli and Tetulmari stations of Dhanbad division of Eastern Railway when the bus was trying to pass through the level crossing, he said. The train, after ramming into the bus, dragged it to about a km on the track.
TULF leader shot
COLOMBO, Dec 26 (UNI) — Prominent Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) leader P. Madhimuha Raja was gunned down by the LTTE, near Nallur temple in Jaffna today. Mr Madhimuha Raja is the Secretary of the Jaffna branch of the TULF. He was 50. He was shot when he was addressing a public meeting.
Armed gang kills 8
PATNA, Dec 26 (PTI) — Eight persons including seven members of a family, were killed and a woman seriously injured, when a group of unidentified people attacked Bilbila village in Bihar's Rohtas district early today, the police said. The heavily armed group fired indiscriminately at the villagers, killing eight of them on the spot. Land dispute was believed to be the reason behind the incident.

Scientist dead
BEIJING, Dec 26 (AP) — Mr Wang Ganchang, the scientist credited with founding China's atomic bomb programme, has died of an unspecified illness in Beijing state-run media reported today. He was 90. The Xinhua news agency reported that Mr Wang died on December 10 and was cremated yesterday at the Babaoshan cemetery here, the final resting place of many of China's revolutionary heroes.
Flights on schedule
NEW DELHI, Dec 26 (PTI) — Flight operations to and from the Capital returned to normal today with the city having a clear sky for the second day after over a week of dense fog which disrupted flight schedules. The Delhi airport, which remained closed due to bad weather during the night, opened in the morning with the first flight taking off at 10 a.m. airport sources said, adding that, most of the planes were being operated as per schedule.
Shiv Sainiks protest
VARANASI, Dec 26 (PTI) — Hundreds of Shiv Sainiks today staged a demonstration in front of a cinema hall in protest against the screening of the controversial film, "Fire" which depicts lesbianism, party sources said here. The agitated Shiv Sainiks later submitted a memorandum to the SP, demanding that the screening of the film be put off in view of the public anger against its theme.
7 kidnapped
BERHAMPUR (Orissa), Dec 26 (PTI) — Seven persons including a constable, have been allegedly kidnapped off the Gopalpur coast here by some trawler operators of Andhra Pradesh, the police said today. A group of trawlers from Andhra Pradesh were illegally fishing off the Orissa coast when they were chased away by local fishermen, police and staff of the Fisheries Department.
15 hurt in clash
VALSAD, Dec 26 (PTI) — Fifteen persons including 13 policemen, were injured in a clash between members of two communities at Ahwa in the tribal-dominated Dangs district of Gujarat last night, the police said. Police fired tear-gas shells and resorted to lathicharge to disperse the rioting mob as they set ablaze a state road transport bus, a government jeep and also threw stones at the venue of a congregation and a place of worship.