tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Tuesday, November 17, 1998
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China unveils fighter plane
TAIPEI, Nov 16 (AFP) — The Chinese-made FBC-1 fighter bomber has made its international debut appearance at an air show in south-eastern Guangdong province, it was reported here today. In an interview with Taipei-based China Times in Zhuhai, senior Chinese aviation expert Li Hongyi said the plane, designed in the late 1980s, was aimed at the disputed South China Sea chain. Li said the plane was already in use by the Chinese navy and could be deployed on aircraft carriers after only slight alterations.

Soren’s plea
NEW DELHI, Nov 16 (PTI) — A Delhi court today dismissed the anticipatory bail application of former JMM MP Shibu Soren, chargesheeted by the CBI in connection with the murder of his private secretary Shashi Nath Jha. "In view of the facts and circumstances of the case and gravity of the offence for which the applicant (Soren) is charged, I do not find it a fit case for grant of bail," Additional Sessions Judge S.M. Gupta said.

Soil export ban
NEW DELHI, Nov 16 (PTI) — The government has banned export of soils and sands to avoid adverse economic and environmental consequences. The ban was imposed through a notification on November 12, an official press note said today. The ban on these non-renewable natural resources had been incorporated in the 1997-2002 export-import policy.

Tamil medium
CHENNAI, Nov 16 (UNI) — In a major step to promote Tamil at the school level, the state government today made Tamil the medium of instruction for arts subjects and mathematics from the nursery to Class VIII in schools affiliated to the state Directorate of School Education from the next academic year. Announcing this at a press conference here, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said teaching of Tamil language would also be made compulsory in all primary schools in the state from the next academic year. Schools in which Tamil was the medium of instruction would have to pay only 50 per cent of the fee for official recognition.

Narasimha Rao in AIIMS
NEW DELHI, Nov 16 (PTI) — Former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao is undergoing treatment in All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here following neurological deficiency, an AIIMS spokesman said today. Rao was admitted to the Neurosciences Centre of the institute on November 12 after he complained of weakness in the right side of his body. His condition had improved and he is under observation.

Tripura stir
AGARTALA, Nov 16 (UNI) — More than 600 Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) workers, including several top leaders, were arrested while participating in a rasta-roko agitation here this morning to press their eight-point charter of demands. According to the police, the Assam-Agartala national highway and the Agartala-Sabroom highway were cleared following their arrests.

UP poll results
LUCKNOW, Nov 16 (PTI) — Independents bagged three seats while the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the BJP secured one each out of six seats of graduates and teachers’ constituencies in the Uttar Pradesh legislative council polls, the results for which were declared last night.

Indo-Pak talks
ISLAMABAD, Nov 16 (UNI) — India and Pakistan will discuss the whole gamut of bilateral issues in the forthcoming rounds of talks between the two countries, Pakistani Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz has said. Talking to newspersons yesterday on the eve of his departure for a three-day visit to Japan, he said,. "There is a possibility that the next round of talks on six issues will be held in Islamabad." Asked about the proposed bus service between New Delhi and Lahore, he said, "The two countries have exchanged proposals in this regard."

DD blackout
NEW DELHI, Nov 16 (UNI) — Doordarshan and several satellite television channels are to switch off their programmes for a few hours tomorrow night to stave off any effect of the meteoroid shower accompanying the Tempel-Tuttle comet at a relative velocity of 71 km per second. Doordarshan sources told UNI that the Primary Channel (DD1), the Metro Channel (DD2) and Doordarshan International (DDI) are to be switched off at 11 p.m. tomorrow night although the meteor showers associated with the comet are to be at the peak around 2 a.m. on Tuesday-Wednesday night and last for a couple of hours.

Pullback off
JERUSALEM, Nov 16 (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced today that he is suspending an Israeli troop pullback in the West Bank until the Palestinians drop plans to declare unilateral independence in May. Mr Netanyahu made the announcement to Parliament at the start of a two-day debate on the agreement under which Israel is to withdraw from 13 per cent of the West Bank by the end of January.

NHRC panel
NEW DELHI, Nov 16 (UNI) — The nearly two-year-old vacancies in the five-member National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was filled today with the joining of Justice K. Ramaswamy and Mr Virendra Dayal as members.