tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Monday, January 18, 1999
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Minor blast near US Embassy
MOSCOW, Jan 17 (Reuters) — A small explosion slightly damaged a car and a police sentry box outside the U.S. Embassy in Moscow today, witnesses said. The police at the scene declined to comment on whether anyone had been injured or to say what caused the blast, which appeared to have been centered in the car’s boot. A white Lada Saloon stood empty at a street corner beside the main embassy building on the Central Moscow’s Garden Ring road. Its rear bumper had been dislodged and the area around the rear was blackened. Otherwise, it seemed undamaged.

5 die in plane crash
KATHMANDU, Jan 17 (Reuters) — A small plane belonging to a private Nepali airline caught fire today at an airport in West Nepal, killing five persons and injuring seven, an airport official said. The plane was carrying eight passengers and two infants in addition to two pilots. The cause of the accident was not known.

6 killed in violence
GUWAHATI, Jan 17 (PTI) — Six persons were killed today in separate incidents of ethnic violence which rocked Assam's Kokrajhar district, official sources said. The sources said three Bodos were killed by a group of Adivasis who swooped down with bows and arrows on a Bodo village near the Kachugaon Bazaar under Gossaigaon. A Santhal was also killed in the clash. In another incident, two Santhals were hacked to death by suspected Bodo militants at Ranikata under the Sidli police station.

Pak leader shot
ISLAMABAD, Jan 17 (PTI) — Muhammad Ali, leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami, was gunned down along with his brother in the Punjab province yesterday where 17 Shias had been massacred earlier this month. It was the fourth terrorist attack in Punjab this month. Just two days ago a toy-bomb attack on a primary school in Rawalpindi had left at least 12 children injured.

Agni-Plus
WASHINGTON, Jan 17 (PTI) — India is preparing for the first test launch of the Agni-Plus, an intermediate range ballistic missile, the Washington Post quoting intelligence reports said. A test of the Dhanush, a Naval version of the Prithvi short-range ballistic missile is expected in early 1999 at a test range near Balasore. Pakistan is also ready to test the Shaheen-II missile, with an expected range of 1,240 miles, the Post said.

Gang of dacoits busted
NEW DELHI, Jan 17 (PTI) — The police today claimed to have smashed a gang of dacoits with the arrest of five miscreants last night from an East Delhi colony, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Muktesh Chander said. He said the police was in pursuit of this gang for quite some time as they were allegedly involved in several cases of robberies and burglaries in South and New Delhi areas.

6 hurt in clash
JAIPUR, Jan 17 (PTI) — Six persons were injured in a group clash over a dispute on the donation collected at a religious place here. The clash among members of the same community took place last evening, the police said. Adding 30 persons were booked under the criminal procedure code.

Sena MLA threatens fast
NASIK, Jan 17 (PTI) — Shiv Sena MLA Kalyanrao Patil has threatened to go on an indefinite fast next month in front of mantralaya in Mumbai if the Maharashtra Government failed to announce support price for onion and lift the ban on the export of vegetables. Mr Patil, who is also the Chairman of the Agriculture Produce Market Committee, told mediapersons yesterday that he had met the Chief Minister and discussed the issues with him.

India to buy T-90 tanks
MOSCOW, Jan 17 (PTI) — India will buy 300 state-of-art T-90 battle tanks equipped with latest high-precision armaments and enhanced protection levels from Russia to maintain its armour superiority, media reports here said. "India and Russia are to clinch a 750 million U.S. dollar deal for sale of 300 T-90 battle tanks to the Indian Army next week," influential Russian Daily Izvestia said yesterday.

CPI leader dead
LUCKNOW, Jan 17 (PTI) — A veteran freedom fighter and the CPI leader Dr Z.A. Ahmad died here today after a protracted illness. He was 92 and is survived by his wife, son and daughter. Ahmad had been a member of the Rajya Sabha and also of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly a number of times. He participated in the freedom movement and was closely associated with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.