tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Wednesday, July 7, 1999
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Sanctions on Taliban
WASHINGTON, July 6 (AFP) — U.S. President Bill Clinton has imposed sanctions on the Taliban faction that controls Afghanistan for its support of suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden, the White House said today.
Netanyahu retires
JERUSALEM, July 6 (AFP) — Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's defeated Prime Minister, bowed out of politics today, handing the reins of power to his Labour Party rival Ehud Barak. "I announce my retirement," Mr Netanyahu told Parliament immediately after Mr Barak presented his new government to the chamber.
Mahdhani's remand
COIMBATORE, July 6 (PTI) — The court today extended by 15 days the custody period of People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader Abdul Nasser Mahdhani, arrested on charges of his involvement in last year's serial bomb blasts here. The magistrate extended the judicial custody period till July 20, the police said.

Greening Delhi
NEW DELHI, July 6 (UNI) — Home Minister, L.K. Advani today called for making Delhi the greenest city of the country. Launching the Green Delhi campaign of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Mr Advani suggested that non-governmental organisations be involved in the efforts. Urban Development Minister Jagmohan said the Centre had begun work on development of several parks in the Capital. Parks were developed in Bhogal and Lodhi Garden areas last year.
Satellite broadcast
NEW DELHI, July 6 (UNI) — The Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) has commenced satellite broadcast operations on the Insat-2E satellite through its newly commissioned advanced standard — an earth station located at Chennai. This becomes the third satellites on which VSNL is providing broadcast facilities. The other satellites on which broadcast facilities are being provided by VSNL are the Intelsat 66 satellite and the new skies Satellite at 57 degrees, a release said today.
Sharif's effigy torched
NEW DELHI, July 6 (UNI) — The All-India BJP Minority Morcha today held a rally to voice the resentment of the minority community against Pakistan's "naked aggression" in Kargil and burnt the effigy of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Led by morcha president Mir Ahmad Ali, rally was attended by several Maulvis and hafizs including Maulana Abdul Khaliq, Maulana Nasiruddin and Qari Abdul Salam, a morcha release said.
Intelligence chief
BEIJING, July 6 (AP) — China has replaced its military intelligence chief in a shift that may be related to his having allegedly given $ 300,000 to help re-elect US President Bill Clinton, a western source said today. Gen Ji Shengde's shifting from head of Chinese military intelligence to the Academy of Military Science was believed to have taken place last month, said the source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Economic blockade
KOHIMA, July 6 (PTI) — Traffic on the national highway 39 in Nagaland was affected as the Naga Students' Federation (NSF) today launched an indefinite ‘economic blockade’ of the road demanding resignation of a senior Cabinet Minister owning moral responsibility for the death of a youth in May 29 shootout. The town areas of Kohima and Dimapur through which the highway passes have been exempted from the purview of the blockade, the NSF said.
Mahila Cong chief
HYDERABAD, July 6 (PTI) — Close on the heels of her removal from the post of Andhra Pradesh Mahila Congress president last week, N. Rajakumari today quit the party. A formal letter announcing her resignation from the post of president and from the primary membership of the state Mahila Congress was being sent to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Rajakumari told reporters here.
PM to open project
SHIMLA, July 6 (PTI) — The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee is likely to lay the foundation stone of 2051 MW Parvati Hydel Project on July 14 next, official sources here said. Earlier, the foundation stone of the mega power project in Seraj valley of Kulu district was to be laid on June 5, but it was deferred due to the situation in Kargil. The project would be executed by the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) and Himachal Pradesh would get 12 per cent free power and 18 per cent power at general cost from the project. The total power generation from the project was expected to be around 85 million units.
Goods train derailed
From Our Correspondent
FEROZEPORE, July 6 — A goods train was derailed on the Amritsar-Ludhiana section, near the Phillaur yard, at 6.30 a.m. today. A total of six coaches were derailed. According to sources in the office of the Divisional Railway Manager, here efforts are afoot to restore the rail traffic between Amritsar and Ludhiana as soon as possible. The sources added that an inquiry would be conducted to find out the reasons behind the derailment.
Brdjanin held
LONDON, July 6 (DPA) — British soldiers today seized one of the most senior Bosnian Serb politicians to be accused of war crimes, officials said. The troops arrested Radislav Brdjanin in the North western town of Banja Luka. After his arrest, Brdjanin was transferred to the US military base in Tuzla before being flown to The Hague, the seat of the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal for former Yugoslavia.
Bid on minister's life
COLOMBO, July 6 (UNI) — Deputy Defence Minister Gen Anuruddha Ratwattee narrowly escaped an attempt on his life by LTTE terrorists this afternoon when he was on an inspection tour to the liberated areas in Welioya in Embattled northern Sri Lanka. Artillery and mortar shells fired by the LTTE fell a few feet from Mr Ratwatte, who was accompanied by the three service chiefs in areas captured by the army.
Yeltsin’s decision
MOSCOW, July 6 (PTI) — Amid rumours that ailing President Boris Yeltsin was planning to ban the Communist Party and declare a state of emergency to prolong his tenure in office, the Russian leader has said he would relinquish office when his term expires in 2000 "with an easy mind." In a rare interview published in Izvestia today, Mr Yeltsin shrugged off rumours that he intended to cling to office saying "for the first time Russia’s history, power will be transferred not in a revolutionary way but in a constitutional and civilised way."