tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Saturday, April 10, 1999
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Arafat reaches Delhi
NEW DELHI, April 9 (PTI) — Palestine President Yasser Arafat arrived here tonight to exchange views with the Indian leadership on matters of mutual interest including the middle-east peace process and the situation in the region. Mr Arafat will meet President K R Narayanan and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee tomorrow during his day-long official visit. He is also scheduled to call on Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Mr Vajpayee will host a lunch in honour of Mr Arafat. According to an AFP report from Dhaka, the Palestinian leader held talks with Bangladeshi leaders earlier today as part of his tour to assess world opinion on whether he should declare an independent state on May 4.

LDF leader dead
KOZHIKODE, April 9 (PTI) — P V Kunhikannan, former Left Democratic Front convenor in Kerala, died of respiratory ailment at the Cooperative Hospital here this evening, family sources said. Kunhikannan, 78, leaves behind his wife and four children.

Laloo's interim bail extended
NEW DELHI, April 9 (FOLC) — The Supreme Court today further extended, for three months, the interim bail granted earlier to former Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav and others accused in the fodder scam cases, on the same terms and conditions. The Bench comprising Mr Justice G.T. Nanavati, Mr Justice S.P. Kurdukar and Mr Justice K.T. Thomas extended the bail as the earlier bail period was to be over today. The court also issued notices to the CBI on bail petitions filed by eight other accused in the same case.

Niger President killed
LOME, April 9 (AFP) — Niger’s President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara was killed today at a military base in Niamey, a reliable source in the Togolese capital said. Mainassara was killed at around 10.30 a.m. (3 p.m. IST), the source said. It was unclear why Mainassara was at the military base, but it was thought possible that he was seeking to leave the country when he was killed.

30 taken ill
KOZHIKODE, April 9 (PTI) — At least 30 persons were taken ill following a gas leak at a private oil mill at Kakkanchery in neighbouring Malappuram district yesterday, the police said today. The victims, living in the vicinity of the mill, reported sick following a leak in one of the tanks at the mill and were admitted to the medical college hospital here, the police said. The cause of the incident was not known. Hospital sources said 27 persons, who were admitted to the hospital yesterday, were discharged on Friday after treatment.

Bus set afire
KARACHI, April 9 (AFP) — Two children were burnt alive when an angry group set afire a bus carrying devotees in the suburbs of Karachi, the police said today. They said the five attackers followed the bus in a car after it hit and killed a motorcycle rider last night. They sprinkled petrol and torched the vehicle. As the attackers beat up the driver, about 50 passengers ran for safety, forgetting they had left Abus Sattar (8) and Mohammad Fahim (7) sleeping on the bus roof.

Corporal punishment
NEW DELHI, April 9 (PTI) — The Delhi High Court today admitted a petition challenging corporal punishment in schools after the Delhi Government counsel stated it was in favour of retaining the provisions in the Delhi Education Act against such measures. The next day of hearing has been fixed on August 9. The provision of corporal punishment was challenged by the Parents Forum for Meaningful Education (PFME) saying such measures in the Delhi education rules were contrary to the national education policy formulated by the Centre.

Electoral rolls
NEW DELHI, April 9 (PTI) — A countrywide revision of electoral rolls barring Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Bihar had been ordered by the Election Commission from April 20 to May 20, commission sources said today. The month-long "summary" revision exercise would help update the rolls through registration of new voters. The final list is expected to be published in early June.