tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Thursday, September 3, 1998
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Derailment
MANSA, Sept 2 (PTI) — Hundreds of train passengers were stranded and several trains were diverted following derailment of a goods train last evening at Sadasingh Wala railway station near Maur Mandi. Janata Express had to be diverted via Jakhal to Bathinda, while local trains Jind Shuttle and Sirsa-Jind got stranded at Sadasingh Wala and were later curtailed, railway sources said. Villagers of Sadasingh Wala held a langar for the stranded passengers, who later walked up to Maur Mandi to reach their destinations.

Pak reaction
ISLAMABAD, Sept 2 (PTI) — Pakistan today reacted sharply to the test-firing of Akash missile by India and called upon the international community to pressurise New Delhi to refrain from provoking a new arms race in South Asia. The reported firing of the surface-to-air missile by India yesterday would disturb regional security, Pakistani Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Pakistan's reaction to the test-firing of Akash is being termed as "surprising" as the missile is meant for striking intruding enemy aircraft.

Hunger kills 100
FREETOWN, Sept 2 (AFP) — Hunger and disease have killed at least 100 persons mostly children, in the rebel-held Kailahun district of Sierra Leone, health officials in the eastern part of the country said today. The authorities in Kenema, 240 km east of Freetown, said the deaths form starvation and diarrhoea had occurred over the past two weeks. Kailahun district is a bastion for troops of a routed military junta and other rebels, and health staff said most of the victims had fled atrocities by these forces around Gandorhun in Kono district.

Benazir case
ISLAMABAD, Sept 2 (PTI) — The indictment order of a Swiss judge against former Premier Benazir Bhutto and her husband Asif Zardari in the corruption and money laundering case was today handed over to the Pakistani authorities. The Swiss Charge d’Affaires handed over the original indictment order of judge Daniel Devaud, to a senior official of the Foreign Ministry to be served on Ms Benazir tomorrow, Mr Saifur Rehaman, Chief of the Accountability Bureau, said.

'Nishant' flown successfully
BALASORE, Sept 2 (PTI) — "Nishant", the pilotless training aircraft (PTA) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), was successfully flown from the interim test range (ITR) at Chandipur near here today, according to official sources. The remote-controlled vehicle was launched from the ITR base at 11.45 a.m. the sources said.

Mustard oil
BHUBANESWAR, Sept 2 (PTI) — The police today seized four tankers carrying 36,000 litres of mustard oil near Cuttack and sent its samples to the government laboratory for examination, according to official sources. Three of the tankers had arrived at Jagatpur near Cuttack from Rajasthan while the other had come from Delhi. The drivers of the four vehicles and other occupants had been detained for questioning.

Phoolan's arrest
NEW DELHI, Sept 2 (PTI) — The Supreme Court today stayed till further orders the arrest of Phoolan Devi against whom a Kanpur court had issued a non-bailable arrest warrant in connection with the 1980 Bhoginpur dacoity case. A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice K.T. Thomas and Mr Justice M. Srinivasan, while staying the execution of the arrest warrant issued against Phoolan Devi by the Kanpur (Dehat) special Court on August 4, also issued notice to state of Uttar Pradesh on special leave petition filed by the accused.

NHRC Secretary-General
NEW DELHI, Sept 2 (PTI) — Mr N. Gopalaswami, a 1966 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre, today took over as the Secretary-General of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Mr Gopalaswami, who succeeds Mr R. V. Pillai, has held a number of senior positions in the Gujarat Government as well as at the Centre and brings to the commission his diverse experience in different capacities, an NHRC spokesperson said.