tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Wednesday, November 25, 1998
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Minister in coma
AHMEDABAD, Nov 24 (PTI) — Gujarat Road and Building Minister Savji Korat was hospitalised here following a brain haemorrhage this evening. Doctors in the civil hospital here said Korat was in coma.
Notices against Arjun quashed
JABALPUR, Nov 24 (UNI) — In a significant order, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has set aside the notices issued by the income tax authorities for initiating proceedings for the revaluation of the cost of the Kerwa bungalow, near Bhopal, owned by Congress Working Committee member Arjun Singh, his wife and son. The court also quashed other notices issued by the Income Tax Department to them for reopening their income tax and wealth returns filed for the year 1987-88. Mr Justice D.P.S. Chouhan yesterday allowed with cost the two separate petitions moved by Mr Arjun Singh, his wife Saroj and son Ajay Singh "Rahul".

Yeltsin in clinic
MOSCOW, Nov 24 (Reuters) Russia’s anti-Communist elite turned out in force today for the funeral in St Petersburg of murdered Liberal politician Galina Starovoitova and paid homage to her courage in speaking out for democracy. But President Boris Yeltsin, who rose to power on hopes of freedom inspired by the likes of Starovoitova, was hundreds of kilometres away in Moscow, confined to hospital with pneumonia and no more able to travel than to stem a deep economic crisis that has left many Russians bitter at his post-Soviet market reforms. There was no immediate word from the Kremlin on Yeltsin’s condition today.
Probe ordered
LUCKNOW, Nov 24 (PTI) — Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh today ordered a high-level inquiry by Principal Secretary (Home) Naresh Dayal into the alleged raid by some unidentified armed persons at the ancestral residence of noted Islamic scholar Ali Mian on Sunday night. The Principal Secretary has been asked to submit a report at the earliest, an official spokesman said.
Tourism task forces
NEW DELHI, Nov 24 (PTI) — The Tourism Ministry today set up four task forces to prepare action plan for the development of tourism. The task forces, consisting of representatives of industries and tourism experts, would study the problems, interact with the people involved in tourism activities and undertake comparative study of tourism plans of various countries, an official release said here. Each task force would prepare a specific action plan in respect of the area allotted to it within a month and submit it to the ministry.
Food poisoning
CALCUTTA, Nov 24 (PTI) — Twentyfour persons were hospitalised with symptoms of food poisoning after they had taken food, cooked in adulterated mustard oil, at a marriage party at Nabadwip in the state’s Nadia district, the police said today. The victims were hospitalised immediately last night where their condition was said to be improving, the police said. The oil retailer was arrested and stocks of the local brand of mustard oil were seized this morning.
Temple security
MADURAI, Nov 24 (PTI) — Security at the famous Sri Meenakshi Temple here has been tightened following a bomb threat in the temple precincts last night, the police said today. The police said an anonymous caller to the temple's office warned the officials that a bomb planted in the temple would explode any time, if it was not immediately defused.
Lebanese President
BEIRUT, Nov 24 (AFP) — Former Army Commander Emile Lahoud was sworn in as Lebanon’s 10th post-independence President today, replacing Elias Hrawi, who oversaw the end of the country’s 15-year civil war from 1975 to 1990. Lahoud (62) took the oath of office in the legislature pledging "to respect the constitution and the laws of the Lebanese state and to safeguard the independence and the sovereignty of the Lebanese homeland."