tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Wednesday, December 1, 1999
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Sardinha wins trust vote
PANAJI, Nov 30 (PTI) — The Francisco Sardinha government in Goa today won the confidence vote by a margin of 25-14 in the 40-member state assembly. The one line motion ‘‘this House expresses its confidence in the Council of Ministers headed by Mr Fancisco Sardinha’’ was put to vote after a brief debate. The Sardinha government, which assumed office on November 24 after Mr Luizinho Faleiro tendered the resignation of his five-month-old Congress government, was asked to prove its majority within 21 days by the then Governor Lt-Gen (retd) J.F.R. Jacob.

14 die in Pak blasts
MULTAN, Nov 30 (Reuters) — At least 14 persons were killed and 15 injured when explosions ripped through a warehouse storing 350 gas cylinders, the police said today. The police ruled out sabotage as the cause of explosions which shook the small town of Hasilpur, 120 km south-east of here, overnight. Gas is widely used for cooking and heating in Pakistan.

9 kidnapped
AGARTALA, Nov 30 (UNI) — At least nine persons, mostly traders, were kidnapped by the outlawed tribal guerillas in Tripura during the past 24 hours. The police said here today that militants abducted seven small-time traders from Killa when they went there for business purposes. Later, three of them managed to escape. In another incident yesterday two persons were kidnapped by militants from Baikhora in South Tripura.

Sociologist dead
BANGALORE, Nov 30 (UNI) — Internationally renowned sociologist M.N. Srinivas remembered for his pioneering works, died after a brief illness in the city early today. He was 83. He is survived by his wife and two daughters. The last rites were performed in the city, family sources said. He was professor emeritus of ISEC and a Fellow of the National Institute of Advance Studies.

Najma Heptullah
NEW DELHI, Nov 30 (UNI) — Dr Najma Heptullah, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha who has been elected as the Chairperson of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), has been accorded the status of a Cabinet Minister.

S D Sharma
NEW DELHI, Nov 30 (PTI) — The condition of former President Shankar Dayal Sharma continued to remain critical but his vital organs are functioning with the help of medicines, hospital sources said here. Doctors attending on him said they would try to remove the ventilator support if there was improvement in ;his condition. At present there was no improvement in his condition.

BJP appointment
NEW DELHI, Nov 30 (PTI) — Former President of BJP’s Bihar unit Ashwani Kumar has been appointed Secretary of the BJP Parliamentary Party. Announcing this here today, party spokesman Venkaiah Naidu said he was appointed to the post following the death of incumbent Rajendra Sharma.

‘Sholay-II’
MUMBAI, Nov 30 (PTI) — Bollywood’s all-time blockbuster "Sholay" has completed 25 years and to commemorate the event its veteran producer G.P. Sippy today announced making of another film "Sholay-II" in the new millennium. Sippy told a crowded press conference here that the silver jubilee of the film would be kicked off by a talent search for the stars and technicians for his next mega film, from January 2000.

Proxy voting
NEW DELHI, Nov 30 (PTI) — The Union Cabinet tonight proposed to bring a legislation in Parliament to provide the right of proxy voting to the personnel of armed forces and paramilitary forces. Informed sources said after a three-hour meeting of the Cabinet that a fresh Bill to amend the election laws to include proxy voting would be brought in Parliament.