tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Friday, October 1, 1999
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Nobel Prize for Guenter Grass
STOCKHOLM, Sept 30 (Reuters) — German novelist Guenter Grass won the 1999 Nobel Prize for Literature, the Swedish Academy said today. The academy said in its citation that it had awarded the prize to Grass, "whose frolicsome Black Fables portray the forgotten face of history".

SC directive
NEW DELHI, Sept 30 (PTI) — The Supreme Court today expressed serious concern over the Centre’s non-representation in important cases involving constitutional questions and said the Attorney-General should ensure effective representation in this regard. A five-Judge Constitution Bench, headed by Mr Justice S.P. Bharucha said on two occasions involving important questions of law either none was present on behalf of the Union Government or a junior advocate without any knowledge of the issue was present.

Mahathir’s comments
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 30 (Reuters) — The Malaysian Opposition leader today called for an investigation into whether Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad had committed contempt of court by calling his former deputy a homosexual. Mr Lim Kit Siang, head of the Democratic Action Party, urged Attorney-General Mohtar Abdullah to open an investigation into whether Mr Mahathir had committed contempt of court in making two statements in New York this week.

Birla fellowships
NEW DELHI, Sept 30 (UNI) — Hindi writer Prem Shankar and Tamil scholar Ashokamitran have been offered the K.K. Birla Foundation fellowships in comparative Indian literature. Prof Shankar, former Head of the Hindi Department of Sagar University, will make an indepth study of the poems of Shri Sumitranandan Pant whose centenary is being celebrated this year, a foundation press note said today. Mr Ashokamitran will do a study on the origin and development of the Indian novel in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Bangla.

Report on nun’s case
PATNA, Sept 30 (PTI) — The three-member joint committee of National Commission for Women (NCW) and the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) inquiring the atrocities on a nun in Bihar’s Chapra district would submit its report to the government within a week, committee members said today. "We have almost completed our investigations and will finalise the report within a week seeking stringent punitive action against the culprits, " vice-chairman of the NCM Bawa Singh and member of the NCW Purnima Advani said on return from Chapra.

Disaster averted
CALCUTTA, Sept 30 (PTI) — A major air disaster was averted here this evening when a Delhi-bound Indian Airlines flight, with 198 passengers on board, returned from the runway take off point after developing a mechanical problem at the N.S.C. Bose International Airport. Airport sources said the stranded passengers were later accommodated in another aircraft specially arranged from Delhi for this purpose at around 11 p.m.

Quake hits Mexico
MEXICO CITY, Sept 30 (DPA) — A powerful earthquake struck central Mexico today forcing residents of Mexico City fled their homes and offices, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. Local news reports said the quake measured 7.4 on the Richter scale and the epicentre was located near Punta Maldonado between the southeastern states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, along the Pacific Coast. Radio reports said there was likely to be damage from the quake, which struck at 11.35 a.m. local time, in the regions closest to the epicentre. Numerous people fled their apartments and offices in Mexico City, according to television reports, which said it was one of the strongest quakes of the year.

Akash test-fired
CHANDIPUR (Orissa), Sept 30 (PTI) — India today successfully test-fired its multi-target surface-to-air missile Akash having a range of 25 km from the Interim Test Range (ITR) here. Akash hit Nishant, a pilotless training aircraft (PTA) flown earlier from the ITR, with desired accuracy, defence sources said. The test was exclusively meant to measure the timing and range of Akash, compared to Patriot missiles, and also its ability to hit a moving object in different range.

Minister attacked
GUWAHATI, Sept 30 (UNI) — Assam Minister Zoinath Sharma had a miraculous escape when suspected ULFA militants attacked his convoy at Dhalpur near Mangaldoi today injuring two of his bodyguards. Official sources here said the minister, however, escaped unhurt. He was on his campaign trail when the incident took place.

Life term for 3
NEW DELHI, Sept 30 (PTI) — A city court today sentenced three brothers to life imprisonment for killing a woman and injuring her brother-in-law in the Sultanpuri area of the Capital three-and-a-half-year ago. Additional Sessions Judge Satnam Singh, who found accused Satish, Subhash and Mangal Sain guilty of stabbing Maya Devi to death and attempting to murder her brother-in-law Kitab Singh, also slapped a fine of Rs 1,000 each on the convicts.

Church burnt down in Tamil Nadu
NAGERCOIL (TN), Sept 30 (PTI) — A thatched shed housing a CSI church at Melakrishnanputhoor in Kanyakumari district was allegedly set afire by a group of unidentified miscreants in the early hours today, the police said. No one was injured in the blaze which was soon put out by the fire brigade from here. No arrest had been made so far. Meanwhile, police sources at Chennai said that there was a long-standing dispute between two groups regarding construction of a church building on a plot near the shed. The district administration was holding a peace meeting to prevent the situation from flaring up.