tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Monday, October 12, 1998
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11 killed in explosion
VIJAYAWADA, Oct 11 (UNI) — Eleven persons were killed and three others seriously injured, when crackers stored in a house exploded in the Bhavanipuram area of the city early today. According to the police, 10 persons died on the spot while another succumbed to injuries at the Government General Hospital here, where the injured had been admitted. The crackers had been stored in nine gunny bags. Of the 11 deceased, three were women and six children. The tiled house, which had five residential portions, collapsed in the explosion.
8 massacred
AGARTALA, Oct 11 (UNI) — The Tripura Government today sounded a red alert in the vulnerable Khowai subdivision in view of the mounting ethnic tension triggered by a tribal attack last night that killed eight persons and a retaliation attempted this morning. Suspected National Liberation Force of Tripura (NLFT) militants gunned down eight persons, including two women and a child, in Trishabari village in Tripura’s west district last night. Meanwhile, the BJP has called for a 24-hour state-wide bandh tomorrow in protest against the state government’s "failure" to curb militancy.

18 LTTE men killed
COLOMBO, Oct 11 (AFP) — Troops have killed 18 Tamil tiger guerrillas and three soldiers died in scattered skirmishes in north-eastern Sri Lanka, the military said today. The LTTE also killed four members of a rival Tamil group near Kathankudy in the eastern district of Batticaloa early today.
Ten rebels were killed when the troops fired at a group in Killinochchi.
PM operated upon
NEW DELHI, Oct 11 (PTI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee underwent a cataract operation on his right eye at AIIMS here today. According to official sources, it was a "routine cataract surgery." Mr Vajpayee was discharged after the surgery and has returned home.
Taliban strikes
KABUL, Oct 11 (AFP) — Heavy fighting was reported north of Kabul today as independent sources confirmed that Taliban warplanes had launched a wave of raids at the apparent start of a long-awaited autumn offensive against remaining opposition troops. Fighting was understood to be raging about 100 km north of Kabul. Former Afghan Defence Minister Ahmad Shah Masood, previously claimed that cluster bomb attacks by the Taliban had claimed at least 10 lives.
JDLP meeting
BANGALORE, Oct 11 (UNI) — Karnataka Chief Minister J.H. Patel today said the issue of change of leadership raised by a section of partymen would be decided at a meeting of the Janata Dal Legislature Party (JDLP) here on October 28. Speaking to newspersons he denied any knowledge of a signature campaign launched by a section of legislators demanding the convening of a JDLP meeting.
Quake in Indonesia
JAKARTA, Oct 11 (AFP) — An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale rocked the eastern Indonesian province of central Sulawesi early today, destroying a market and two houses, meteorological officials said. There were no immediate reports of casualties in the quake, which shook the provincial Capital of Palu as well as the towns of Donggala, Poso, and Kabonga.
CPI dharnas
NEW DELHI, Oct 11 (PTI) — The CPI will organise dharnas and demonstrations across the country tomorrow in protest against the price rise and the Vajpayee Government’s "lack of commitment" to people. The agitational programme is aimed at creating awareness particularly about "failure" of the government "as far as economic management was concerned," CPI national secretary D. Raja told PTI.
"Rail roko" stir
TIRUPATI, Oct 11 (UNI) — The police resorted to a lathi charge to disperse more than 1000 unemployed youths, who staged a "rail roko" at Tirupati railway station in protest against the abrupt cancellation of the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) examination here today. The youths squatted on the track detaining the Tirupati-Katpadi passenger train for more than two hours.
Blast accused
HYDERABAD, Oct 11 (UNI) — Seven accused, including the son of S.A. Basha, chief of the banned fundamentalist outfit "Al Umma,’’ involved in the February 14 Coimbatore serial blasts were arrested at Rajahmundry town in Andhra Pradesh today. A top police official said they were arrested from a rented house where they had been staying. He said six of the accused carried a reward of Rs 20 lakh on their heads.
Sonia visit today
CHANDIGARH, Oct 11 (PTI) — Congress President Sonia Gandhi will pay a day-long visit to Haryana tomorrow to discuss the distress conditions prevailing in the agriculture sector which led to suicides by farmers early this year. A party’s state unit spokesman said here today that during her visit to Narwana she would interact with experts of the agricultural university at Hisar and academicians from Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak.

Immigration Bill
WASHINGTON, Oct 11 (PTI) — An effort to secure quick passage of an immigration Bill to bring more Indian, Chinese and other computer programmers to meet severe shortages in the USA failed yesterday in the Senate following an objection raised by Senator Tom Harkin in the House. "It is probably dead for this year and may have to be revived in the next congress to meet industry demands," a Senator said, adding that unanimous consent of all members is needed for the passage of such measure.
7 foresters killed
GUWAHATI, Oct 11 (PTI) — Thirteen people including seven Forest Protection Force personnel were killed and four others injured in attacks by ultras and tribals in lower Assam last night, official sources today said. Seven Forest Protection Force personnel were killed in an attack by about 50 Adivasi miscreants on the remote Borobandha forest beat office in Kokrajhar district.