tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Friday, May 7, 1999
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Sasikala files petition
CHENNAI, May 6 (PTI) — A special judge today posted to May 11 a petition filed by Sasikala Natarajan, a close associate of AIADMK leader Jayalalitha, to discharge her from the "TANSI land deal" in respect of the case against "Sasi Enterprises," in which Jayalalitha and she were partners. In her petition, Sasikala contended that it was in peculiar circumstances that the case was foisted on her after accepting a "bald" statement. There was nothing specific against her. Even if there was any little averment it would never be considered sufficient for the prosecution to proceed against her.

Hillary's remarks
NEW DELHI, May 6 (PTI) — Indian Mountaineering Foundation President M.S. Gill today took exception to the remarks of Everest climber Edmund Hillary that he and not late Tenzing Norgay had stepped on the world's highest peak first on May 29, 1953. "All along since they climbed Everest, both Hillary and Norgay maintained they stepped on the peak together. I, therefore, regret that Hillary has broken his pact with Tenzing who is no more," Mr Gill said.

LS dissolution case
NEW DELHI, May 6 (PTI) — The Delhi High Court was today informed by a non-governmental organisation that its petition challenging the dissolution of 12th Lok Sabha, was based on Rashtrapati Bhavan press communique, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's interviews to media and Doordarshan news bulletin quoting official sources. Dr K. Ranjan Sharma, an activist of Association for Social Health Action (ASHA), which filed the petition yesterday, in a fresh affidavit told a Division Bench headed by acting Chief Justice Devinder Gupta that the basis of the petition included communique issued by the Press Secretary to President on April 26 to the press which was not a classified document.

Sensitive countries
WASHINGTON, May 6 (PTI) — The USA has listed India as one of the "sensitive countries" and was considering a proposal to ban Indian scientists from visiting US nuclear laboratories, a move flayed by Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone. Chairman of the Senate select committee on intelligence Richard C. Shelby has introduced a Bill in the Senate seeking a moratorium on the "visit of any individual, who is a citizen of a nation named in the US energy department's list of sensitive countries", to any US national laboratory facility. The Energy Department had listed India along with Pakistan, China and Russia as "sensitive countries". Mr Pallone, however, characterised it as a "witch hunt" which would be "detrimental" to both New Delhi and Washington.

Russia, G8 agree on Kosovo peace plan
BONN, May 6 (AFP) — Russia, the USA and their G8 partners agreed today on a set of principles to resolve the Kosovo crisis and allow hundreds of thousands of ethnic Albanian refugees to return to their homes. The principles were agreed during a meeting here of Foreign Ministers from the group of eight industrialised countries. The plan provides for the return of the refugees under international supervision although the foreign ministers did not agree on the scope and composition of a force to help returning refugees. It called for the "deployment in Kosovo of effective international civil and security presence endorsed and adopted by the UN". The text did not explicitly mention NATO troops despite western insistence that alliance forces should form the core of the peacekeeping mission.