S P O T L I G H T

Black panther killed
COOCHBEHAR (WB), Dec 27 (PTI) — Forest Department personnel killed a black panther of rare species after it injured five villagers and all efforts to trap it did not succeed at Balasundar village in West Bengal’s Coochbehar district last evening, a senior official said today. The black panther, which had strayed into human habitation from a nearby forest area, attacked five villagers injuring them seriously, senior officer of Coochbehar forest division Samir Chaudhury said. He said forest officials had to kill the animal to save villagers as all other options were exhausted.

Missile test-fired
MOSCOW, Dec 27 (DPA) — The Russian nuclear-powered submarine Novomoskovsk successfully test-fired an intercontinental missile from the Barents Sea today, navy officials said. The missile hit its intended target on the Kamchatka peninsula in the Russian Far East, spokesman Igor Dygalo told the Interfax news agency. There was no more information about the launch from the Artic waters where the Russian submarine Kursk sank in the summer with its crew of 118 men.

Cyclone’s pace slows down
CHENNAI: Dec 27 (PTI) — The pace of the “very severe” cyclonic storm heading towards South Tamil Nadu coast slowed down today and appears to have changed its course a little bit even as the authorities evacuated hundreds of fishermen and their families from low-lying areas fearing high tide. The storm lay centred 100 km east south-east off Tuticorin on the South Tamil Nadu Coast at 3.30 p.m. today, and the Met office here said it was expected to cross the coast only tonight between Tuticorin and Kanyakumari. Area Cyclone Warning Centre Director S.K. Subramaniam said the cyclonic storm’s movement was “sluggish” and it was moving in a westerly direction towards the coast.

Indian porters
ISLAMABAD, Dec 27 (PTI) — Pakistan has handed over two Indian porters to the Indian authorities, said an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) release. The release said the porters, employed by the Indian Army for carriage of supplies at the forward posts, had crossed over the Line of Control (LoC) in Batalik sector recently. They were later apprehended by the Pakistani troops deployed in the area, it said.