tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Thursday, February 11, 1999
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Hooch claims 11 lives
CHENNAI, Feb 10 (PTI) — Eleven persons, including a woman, died after consuming illicit liquor at Puttalur village near Chevvapet in Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu today. The police said 14 persons, who were hospitalised after consuming the hooch, were stated to be out of danger. While some of the victims died at their residence, the others died in the hospital. Those responsible for brewing the illicit liquor were still at large. Meanwhile, the state government suspended seven police officials including a Deputy Superintendent of Police in connection with the tragedy.

Strike in Bihar
PATNA, Feb 10 (PTI) — Work in state government offices, schools and hospitals continued to be affected in Bihar as the indefinite strike by gazetted officers, teachers and non-gazetted employees entered its sixth day today with no sign of a settlement. The striking employees are demanding central pay scales and raising retirement age from 58 to 60. They held demonstrations before state Secretariat and several district Collectorates.

Fog hits flights
NEW DELHI, Feb 10 (PTI) — Hundreds of passengers were stranded at airports and railway stations here as a thick blanket of fog disrupted air and railway services. Several flights, both domestic and international, were rescheduled as bad weather condition with ‘zero’ visibility affected air services between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., airport sources said. Passengers were stranded at New Delhi, Old Delhi and Nizamuddin railway stations as several trains passing through Delhi were running late.

Bangladesh-Russia pact
DHAKA, Feb 10 (DPA) — Russia and Bangladesh have signed a military technical cooperation agreement providing for bilateral collaboration between the armed forces of the two countries, a Defence Ministry statement said today. The agreement was signed by the visiting Russian Deputy Minister for Trade V.A. Pakhonov and Secretary of the Bangladesh Defence Ministry Syed Yusuf Hossain yesterday. No details of the agreement were given but western diplomatic sources said the accord would enable increased sales of Russian arms to Bangladesh.

7 LTTE men killed
COLOMBO, Feb 10 (Reuters) — At least seven Tamil Tiger rebels and one government soldier were killed in fresh clashes between guerrillas and the military in Sri Lanka’s northern Wanni region, the Defence Ministry said today. The troops in an ambush had killed four LTTE guerrillas and wounded two near the northeastern town of Oddusudan yesterday.

US attack
BAGHDAD, Feb 10 (AFP) — An Iraqi civilian was killed and several others were wounded today when "enemy planes" bombed an Iraqi air defence installation in the southern no-fly zone, the Iraqi news agency said. U.S. military authorities said earlier that U.S. and British aircraft struck Iraqi air defence sites in southern Iraq today in response to "provocations." The U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Florida, said the aircraft used precision-guided weapons to strike targets near the cities of Talil and An-Najaf.

President’s rule in Goa
Tribune News Service and PTI
NEW DELHI, Feb 10 — President’s rule has been imposed in Goa and the dissolution of the Assembly has been approved. The Union Cabinet had made a recommendation to this effect yesterday, and official spokesman said here tonight. Home Minister L.K. Advani met Mr Narayanan this evening and informed him that Mr Vajpayee had formally endorsed the decision of the Union Cabinet to clamp President’s rule in the state.

Announcers’ stir
NEW DELHI, Feb 10 (UNI) — Problems facing the All-India Radio worsened today on the sixth day today with the programme announcers deciding to continue their strike and fast unto death, and with the strike by foreign language programmers entering the second day. To make matters worse, all the fourth class employees of Prasar Bharati formed a combined association which commenced an agitation which could culminate into a two-day token strike if their wages are not revised by February 23. Meanwhile, a gate meeting was held today at Akashvani Bhavan in the Capital and will be followed by meetings tomorrow on February 17, 18, 22 and 23.