S P O T L I G H T

50 killed in plane crash
Kiev, December 24
All 50 passengers and crew aboard a Ukrainian plane died when it crashed upon its final approach to an airport in Iran, Ukraine’s Transport Ministry said today. The An-140 twin-engine turboprop crashed yesterday near a village while preparing to land in Isfahan, some 400 km south of Teheran. AP

Al-Qaida leader
Dubai, December 24
After keeping it under wraps for over two months, the UAE today disclosed that Al-Qaida’s top Gulf operative A bdel Raheem al Nashiri was arrested and handed over to the USA, saying that he was planning to blow up vital installations in the Emirates. Al Nashiri, also known as “the prince of the sea”, was one of the most dangerous men on a list of 20 Al-Qaida members prepared by the USA and he was arrested in October, the UAE’s official news agency WAM reported today. PTI