tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Monday, June 7, 1999
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Sharif properties
LONDON, June 6 (PTI) — A London law firm has moved the local High Court for attachment of vast properties allegedly owned by Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif’s family in Britain for outstanding debts to the tune of $ 31 million. The firm, working on behalf of two leading Saudi banks, is seeking to attach four luxury apartments allegedly bought through offshore holdings on the British Virgin Islands in London’s exclusive Mayfair area, the BBC reported.

Discovery returns
CAPE CANAVERAL (Florida), June 6 (DPA) — The space shuttle, Discovery, returned to earth early today after completing its mission to the International Space Station. The shuttle touched down for a night-time landing on a floodlit runway at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The landing, shortly after 0600 (GMT), was only the 10th of 93 space shuttle flights that touched down in the darkness. During the mission, Discovery's astronauts spent six of their 10 days in orbit preparing the international space station for its first long-term occupants next year.

Slobodan trial
LONDON, June 6 (Reuters) — The United Nations war crimes tribunal in the Hague is confident that Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic will be brought to trial however long it takes, deputy prosecutor Graham Blewitt today said. "I’m confident that sooner or later he is going to be brought to justice here in the Hague," Mr Blewitt told BBC television’s Sir David Frost in an interview. "It’s hard to imagine when it could be. It could be as long as five years. It could be much sooner. But there is that old expression — the long arm of the law," he said.

Buthelezi
JOHANNESBURG, June 6 (Reuters) — South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) hovered near a two-thirds majority today amid reports that top black Opposition leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi could be given the key post of Deputy President. The Sunday Times reported that President-in-waiting Thabo Mbeki could offer Mr Buthelezi the post of Deputy President in exchange for the ANC grabbing the Premier’s chair in the hotly contested province of Kwazulu-Natal.

INL snaps ties
CHENNAI, June 6 (PTI) — The Indian National League (INL), a long-time ally of the DMK in Tamil Nadu, has announced breaking of its ties with the DMK, following the latter’s decision to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) headed by the BJP. The INL all-India General Secretary and state President, Mr M.A. Latheef, made the announcement at a public meeting here last night to mark the 104th birth anniversary of the late Muslim League leader ‘Quaid-e-Milleth’ Mohammed Ismail.

Gelatine sticks
MADURAI, June 6 (UNI) — The police seized 270 gelatine sticks and 290 electronic detonators and arrested two persons during a check on vehicles at Thoppampatti bus stop on the Palani-Dharapuram road in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu early today. A team of police personnel effected the seizure from a tractor which was compounded, the police sources said.

Stormy session
DHAKA, June 6 (DPA) — The Budget session of the Bangladesh Parliament got off to a stormy start today after a senior Opposition legislator was barred from speaking. Rowdy scenes erupted when Deputy Speaker Abdul Hamid, who was presiding over 330-member chamber, switched off the microphone of Mr Badrudozza Chowdhury, accusing him of speaking out of order. "The government wants the Opposition to shut up", Mr Chowdhury alleged, accusing the ruling Awami League of trying to run a rubber stamp Parliament.