S P O T L I G H T

Israeli troops’ pullout begins
DUBA, May 23 (UNI) — Israeli troops started evacuating one of their largest bases in south Lebanon last night, at least five weeks ahead of their planned withdrawal from the region. Regional news agencies said the Israeli troops began pulling out of Bint Aljubayel outpost after Israel’s Security Cabinet late last night authorised hastening of the withdrawal. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak was quoted as saying over Israel radio that the withdrawal would be completed within a few days. "We will redeploy on the international border in the next few days. This 18-year-old tragedy is over", he said.

Trishul test-fired
NEW DELHI, May 23 (UNI) — Trishul, a surface-to-air missile (SAM), was successfully flight tested against an aerial target flown by the Navy at INS Dronacharya, Cochin on May 20. The test was successful and the interception was within specifications, an official statement said here today.

Pilot killed in crash
JAIPUR, May 23 (UNI) — An Indian Air Force MIG-21 fighter plane crashed near Sarhad Nimbala in the border district of Barmer in Rajasthan this morning, killing its pilot.Rajasthan Director-General of Police (ADM) Ashok Bhandari said here the plane was on a regular sortie from Jaisalmer.

Death sentence
TEHERAN, May 23 (AFP) — A Teheran court has passed a death sentence on an Iranian found guilty of hijacking a plane in November 1993, the government newspaper Iran reported today. The sentence on Ali-Reza Karami Kheirabadi, who is in his 50s, was confirmed by the supreme court.

Left Front to oppose strike
CALCUTTA, May 23 (UNI) — The ruling Left Front in West Bengal has decided to oppose Thursday’s general strike called by the Congress in protest against the recent political clashes at Keshpur in Midnapore in which at least 12 persons were killed. The government will take necessary action to ensure normal life," Deputy Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said.

16 killed in bus mishap
RATNAGIRI, May 23 (PTI) — Sixteen passengers were killed and 54 injured, some of them seriously, when a private luxury bus fell from a bridge into a ravine at Kalambani village in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district today, police said. The bus was proceeding to Mumbai from Devgad in the district when the accident took place on the Mumbai-Goa highway at around 3.45 a.m., police said here. Seven of the deceased have been identified as Rajesh Lokegoankar, Krishna Bhikaji Loke, Ramji Mhapankar, Nandkishore Laxman Khot, Pramod Anant Jadhav, Paresh Shriram Kusha and Pravin Gajanan Vetoskar.

4 HC Judges appointed
NEW DELHI, May 23 (PTI) — The President, Mr K.R. Narayanan, today appointed four judges to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. They are Mr Justice Romesh Chander Kathuria, Mr Justice Krishan Chand Gupta, Mr Justice Nirmal Singh and Mr Justice Kamaljit Singh Garewal.