tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Monday, May 31, 1999
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Cholera toll nears 100
BANLUNG (Cambodia), May 30 (AP) — With the death toll from a cholera outbreak in North-East Cambodia nearing 100, health workers said today the epidemic has highlighted the vulnerability to communicable diseases of isolated and uneducated hill tribes. At least 89 persons have died from cholera in the sparsely-populated Ratanakiri province since cases first began appearing in late April, and an additional seven deaths have been reported in neighbouring Stung Treng province, aid agencies and hospital staff reported. A total of 1,538 cases of cholera infection have so far been reported during the epidemic.

Chidambaram awarded
BANGALORE, May 30 (UNI) — The Pacer award-1998 has presented to the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairman, Dr R. Chidambaram, at a function here yesterday. The award was in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the field of atomic and nuclear technology. Speaking on the occasion, the Pacer Foundation Chairman, Dr Gururaj Karajagi said the award was instituted to honour persons of outstanding merit.

Drug cartel busted
CUTTACK, May 30 (UNI) — The Orissa police has busted a drug cartel and seized brown sugar worth Rs 9 crore, the biggest narcotics haul in the state. The drug cartel operates through the golden crescent of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, the police. On Friday, the police raided the residential premises of one Hemant Singh, alias Dungur, at Mahidas Bazar and recovered 9.3 kg of brown sugar. While Dungur managed to escape, his wife and the brother-in-law were taken into the police custody.

Miss Albania
TIRANA, May 30 (AP) — A 19-year-old student from Kosovo, Ms Venera Mustafa, one of more than 840,000 ethnic Albanians who have fled or been forced out of the war-torn province, has been crowned Miss Albania '99. She added that her greatest desire was to return to Kosovo as soon as possible. Her hometown is Pristina. It was the first time an ethnic Albanian from neighbouring Kosovo had taken part in a Miss Albania contest. Ms Mustafa's mother, Muradije Ramiqi, a Pristina poet and painter, hugged her daughter on stage as the audience applauded. After a month, Ms Mustafa will represent Albania in a Miss Europe contest.