tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Thursday, September 9, 1999
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50 killed in Greek quake
ATHENS, Sept 8 (DPA) — The official death toll in the worst earthquake to hit Athens for two decades rose to 50 today with 12 children among the victims, Greek radio reported, quoting authorities. The grim tally rose after emergency services toiled through the night to rescue people buried under wrecked homes and factories in the north of the Greek capital where the damage was worst. So far 78 persons have been pulled free alive. Work was being hampered by layers of thick concrete slabs.

Boris Yeltsin
WASHINGTON, Sept 8 (AFP) — Swiss investigators have linked President Boris Yeltsin and other high-ranking Russian officials to $ 10 million to 15 million in kickbacks paid by a Swiss firm, The Washington Post reported today. It was the first time the size of the alleged payoffs to Russia's first family was disclosed in the so-called Kremlingate scandal in which a Swiss firm allegedly paid bribes in exchange for lucrative contracts to refurbish the Kremlin.

Candidate held
NAGPUR, Sept 8 (PTI) — A candidate, who contested last Sunday's first phase of Assembly elections from the East Nagpur constituency, and three others were arrested for allegedly looting a hotel in an industrial estate at MIDC Hingana early today. Anil Dawade contested as a joint candidate of the Janata Dal (Secular), the Nationalist Congress Party, the Samajwadi Party and the Republican Party of India (Athwale).

RI for bank officials
NEW DELHI, Sept 8 (UNI) — Two officials of Allahabad Bank have been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment (RI) for three years for swindling loan amounts meant for the purchase of buffaloes. Branch Manager R.N. Singh and Agricultural Field Officer R.S. Choudhary, both posted in the bank's Satna branch (Madhya Pradesh), have been convicted by the designated court at Jabalpur for siphoning off Rs 67,230 meant for lending as loans under the SFDA scheme, a CBI press note said here today.

West Bank pullout
JERUSALEM, Sept 8 (Reuters) — Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak's Cabinet today approved the first handover of West Bank land to Palestinian self-rule under a breakthrough deal he signed three days ago, a Cabinet statement said. It said the vote was 17-1 with one abstention and four ministers absent. The 23-member cabinet was being asked to approve the transfer by Monday of a further 7 per cent of the territory from full Israeli control to Palestinian civil control.

11 Tigers killed
COLOMBO, Sept 8 (PTI) — Eleven LTTE rebels and a civilian were killed in clashes with security forces in separate incidents in the north and east of Sri Lanka, the army today said. While six rebels were killed in northern Jaffna by the army in two different incidents, five LTTE militants died in encounters with the troops in three different incidents in northern Vanni yesterday, an army press note here said.

MLC shot dead
LUCKNOW, Sept 8 (PTI) — Mr Bhagwan Bux Singh, MLC, from Teachers' Group in Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Parishad, was shot dead today by some unidentified assailants at his house in Samar Vihar colony here, the police said. Assailants first knocked at the door of his house and fired at him when he came out of his house, the police said, adding he was immediately taken to PGI, where he was declared brought dead.

Greek quake toll 61
ATHENS, Sept 8 (AFP) — Sixtyone persons were killed in the powerful earthquake that struck the northern Athens area, the Health Ministry announced today. Most of the victims were crushed by building debris, it added, after saying earlier that 63 persons were still listed as missing. A total of 2,006 persons were treated for injuries, but only 25 were hospitalised in critical condition, government spokesman Dimitris Rappas said earlier.

CBI sends papers to Canada
NEW DELHI, Sept 8 (UNI) — The CBI has provided documents to the Canadian Department of Justice for sending a judicial commission to Canada to record the statement of a witness in the $ 100,000 Lakhubhai Pathak cheating case against former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and two others. The documents had been sought by the Canadian department following a request for sending a commission, CBI counsel J.S. Wadia told the trial court of Additional Sessions Judge Ajit Bharihoke today.