tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Monday, May 3, 1999
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Nepal goes to the poll today
KATHMANDU, May 2 (UNI) — Exhorted by their monarch King Birendra, some 5.8 million voters are expected to exercise their franchise tomorrow to select 90 members to the Nepali Parliament in the first-phase polls spread over 36 districts of the Hindu Himalayan kingdom. This is the third general elections being held since the restoration of multiparty parliamentary democracy in the country nine years ago.
Opinion poll
NEW DELHI, May 2 (ANI) — An opinion poll by a Delhi-based newspaper showed today that Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee remained the voters' top choice to lead the nation and head the next government. According to Times of India poll, Mr Vajpayee was found the most suitable candidate with 48 per cent of the urban voters supporting him.

PML's campaign to restore image
ISLAMABAD, May 2 (PTI) — Unnerved by growing media focus on allegations of corruption by premier Nawaz Sharif's family, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League has launched a counter campaign through the state-controlled media to repair its tarnished image. The image of the two-year-old Sharif government took a severe beating recently after local media prominently splashed reports of a London court decree declaring premier Sharif's family "defaulters" leaving many red faced around.
8 killed in encounter
GUWAHATI, May 2 (PTI) — An Army Major and seven ultras of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland were killed in an encounter in Sonitpur district of Assam today, official sources said. The hour-long encounter took place when troops of 11th Sikh Regiment under 21st Mountain Division operating in Sonitpur district raided an NDFB hideout in the jungles of Bishwanath Chariali reserve forest bordering Arunachal Padesh.
Gehlot flays BJP
CHENNAI, May 2 (PTI) — Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot today said the BJP's attempt to create a sympathy wave would not materialise as the people were fully aware that the Vajpayee government had "sacrificed the country's interests to cling to power". He says the attempt may get the BJP some additional votes in cities but it will not have any impact especially in rural areas.
Amarinder Singh
NEW DELHI, May 2 (UNI) — Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Captain Amarinder Singh today said his party would prefer to go it alone in the state for the Lok Sabha poll. Speaking to mediapersons after presenting a book, "Lest We Forget", on the history of the Indian Army till 1965, he said the Congress was fully prepared to contest the Lok Sabha elections on its own. The party would perform far better this time by winning all the Lok Sabha seats. Therefore, no alliance was being considered now, he added.
Nayanar stable
DUBAI, May 2 (PTI) — Kerala Chief Minister E.K. Nayanar, admitted to a hospital in Kuwait following breathlessness is stable and is likely to return to home tomorrow if doctors permit, an Indian diplomat said. Mr Nayanar, who is still in cardiac care unit in the prestigious Amiri Hospital in Kuwait city was examined this morning by his personal physician, Dr Bahulayan.
Iraqi sites bombed
ANKARA, May 2 (AFP) — US-F-15 warplanes bombarded Iraqi anti-aircraft sites in "self-defence" in the northern no-fly zone today, the US military said in a statement at the Incirlik air base in Turkey. The F-15s were targeted by Iraqi anti-aircraft artillery northeast of the city of Mosul and fired back with GBU-12 laser-guided bombs at 0630 GMT and 0800 gmt this morning.
Allegation rejected
ISLAMABAD, May 2 (AFP) — A Pakistani Minister has spurned as baseless former premier Benazir Bhutto's allegations that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif conspired with Saudi dissident Osama Bin Laden to topple her two years ago, official sources said today. "No one agrees with this baseless allegation." Information Minister Mushahid Hussain told the state-run radio.