S P O T L I G H T

Smoking banned on trains, platforms
New Delhi, January 19
The Railways today announced a ban on smoking on trains and its other premises, including railway platforms and the Rail Bhavan here. Anyone violating the ban would be fined upto Rs 100. This has been done following the direction of the Supreme Court in a public interest case, Northern Railways Chief Public Relations Officer D.P.S. Sandhu said here today. Railway stations, platforms, coaches and railway production units will be covered by the ban, he said. UNI

US Secretary of State Colin Powell (L) is welcomed by US Ambassador to Japan Howard Baker (R) on his arrival at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Saturday.  — Reuters photo

Powell in Tokyo                               
Tokyo, January 19
US Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in Japan today for an international conference where donors are set to pledge billions of dollars to rebuild war-torn Afghanistan. Mr Powell met Afghanistan’s interim leader Hamid Karzai in Kabul earlier this week, seeking to ease worries in the Afghan capital about the strength of Washington’s commitment to the country. Reuters

Pak Rangers
Jaisalmer, January 19
Pakistani Rangers deployed on the Indo-Pakistan International Border adjoining Rajasthan have not been paid for past three months, defence sources said today. This was due to the “financial-crunch’’ being faced by Pakistan, sources added. The Rangers were also not getting adequate and better quality foodgrain Pakistan had deployed more than one lakh soldiers and Rangers on its border along that of Rajasthan, the sources said. UNI

Another Pak fire
Islamabad, January 19 
Fires began raging again today in the state-owned building which was gutted in a major blaze on January 15 destroying sensitive records of the Federal ministries in Pakistan, including that of the Interior Ministry. The files lying abandoned on various floors of the 16-storey building caught fire, APP news agency said quoting a police official. Pakistan’s Director, Municipal Administration, Mustafeen Kazmi told the media that the blaze which broke out on different floors today, remained an unresolved mystery. He said fires jumped from 16th floor to 11th floor bypassing four floors in between. PTI

Minister, son held
Nawada, January 19
Bihar Minister of State for Animal Husbandry Aditya Singh was today arrested along with his son and three supporters in connection with the killing of a supporter of a mukhiya candidate in Bihar’s Nawada district. Superintendent of Police J.S. Gangwar said soon after the killing, which took place at Narha village, the police took Aditya Singh, his son, Sourav and their three supporters into custody at Hisua in the district. — PTI

FBI Director
New Delhi, January 19
The visit of officials from the United States of America to India continues with the latest in the line being FBI Director Robert Mueller who will pay two-day visit to India from Monday. Mr Mueller will be in India specifically to hold talks with Indian security officials strengthening on further cooperation. TNS

Neha crowned
Hyderabad, January 19
Twentyone-year-old Miss Neha, a graduate from Delhi, has been crowned as “Fa Femina Miss India Universe 2002” in the finals held here at the hi-teck city late tonight. UNI