tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Saturday, May 1, 1999
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20 of marriage party killed
NAGPUR, April 30 (PTI) — Twenty members of a marriage party, mostly Gowari and Kolam tribals, were killed when their truck overturned near Hiwari village, 11 km from Pandharkawda town of Yavatmal district in Maharashtra early today. Eighteen persons were killed on the spot, while two died on way to Vasantrao Naik Medical College Hospital at Yavatmal, Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti president Kishore Tiwari told PTI here.
Cong activists held
HYDERABAD, April 30 (UNI) — More than 150 activists of the Youth and Mahila Congress were arrested when they staged a dharna in front of the state secretariat here today to protest against Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's remarks about Congress (I) President Sonia Gandhi. The arrested activists, who were taken to the Nampally police station, went on a rampage and damaged furniture and window panes at the police station.

8 killed in mishap
ALIBAG, April 30 (PTI) — Eight persons of a marriage party, including three women, were killed and nine others were injured today when the tempo in which they were travelling collided with a truck at Pandapur, 35 km from here, in Maharashtra, the police said.
Case against Solanki
NEW DELHI, April 30 (PTI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has said his government has sought permission from President K.R. Narayanan for launching a case against former External Affairs Minister Madhavsinh Solanki in connection with the Bofors scam. Replying to a question on grant of permission to the CBI to begin prosecution in the case, Mr Vajpayee told "India Today" magazine in an interview that "we gave permission for the prosecution of former Defence Secretary S.K. Bhatnagar before our government fell. We also wrote to the President requesting him to grant permission for launching a case against Madhavsinh Solanki", he said.
Heat wave toll
NEW DELHI, April 30 (UNI) — The toll in the heat wave sweeping the country has now crossed the 100-mark, with more than 20 deaths reported today from various states. Orissa with reports of 35 deaths accounts for the maximum, one more person died on Khurda district during the past 24 hours. Twenty-one persons have died so far in Andhra Pradesh and 20 deaths have been reported in Bihar. Temperature rose to 43.8°C today in Delhi.
UN staff entitled to immunity: ICJ
UNITED NATIONS, April 30 (PTI) — The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has held persons performing tasks entrusted by the UN are entitled to immunity to legal process while performing them. In an advisory opinion, approved by 14-1 votes, the court said the convention on the privileges and immunities of the UN is applicable to the case of Param Cumaraswamy, a Malaysian jurist who was facing lawsuits filed in his country regarding an interview he took as UN rapporteur.
ISRO instrument
BANGALORE, April 30 (PTI) — The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) yesterday successfully launched a cryogenic sampler payload -- an instrument to measure ozone depleting substances in the earth’s atmosphere -- using a balloon for Germany-based Max Planck Institute. The instrument enables measurement of most of the ozone depleting substances contained in Montreal protocol to which India is a signatory, an ISRO the release said. India is one among the few countries in the world to develop and successfully employ this advanced cryogenic technique, it added.
IAF plans
SHILLONG, April 30 (UNI) — The Indian Air Force (IAF) is considering to acquire French Alpha jet and British Hawk aircraft for training of fighter pilots. Talking to UNI at the Eastern Air Command (EAC) headquarters here today, Air Chief Marshal A.Y. Tipnis, who arrived here yesterday on a two-day programme, said the MIG-21 aircraft, inducted in 1968 for training of fighter pilots in Tezpur, Chabua and Bagdogra air bases, were not suited for the purpose in the present context.
7 killed in mishap
HAVERI, (Karnataka), April 30 (UNI) — Seven persons were killed and 15 others injured when the mini bus in which they were travelling dashed against a tree on the Haveri-Hangal road, about 30-km from here, today. The police said, the bus, which was on its way to Haveri, hit a wayside tree near Gouripur killing five on the spot. Two others, who were seriously injured, died later at a hospital in Hubli.
Rare courage
BEIJING, April 30 (PTI) — Chinese legislators have showed rare courage to defy the wishes of the government by rejecting the controversial highway law, highlighting tension between Beijing and regional authorities. The rejection came as a snub to Premier Zhu Rongji, who had hoped the law would give him the power to abolish the hundreds of toll fees levied by local officials on highway users and replace them with fuel taxes.
ASEAN member
HANOI, (Vietnam), April 30 (AP) — The dream of full membership for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations was to become reality today with Cambodia’s belated admission to the group that focuses on promoting regional economic development. Foreign ministers flew in for the day to sign documents making Cambodia the 10th member of 32-year-old ASEAN. Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Nam Hong also was to sign commitments for his country to abide by the organisation’s existing agreements.
10,000 held
DHAKA, April 30 (DPA) — More than 10,000 persons were arrested by security forces in Bangladesh in the past week as the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stepped up its campaign against underground political extremists, crime syndicates, human traffickers and drug dealers, the police said today. The combing operation was carried out in 10 southern districts and four major cities, including Dhaka, by a combined force of paramilitary border troops and armed police rangers.