The Tribune...Spotlight

			Wednesday, July 15, 1998
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Magsaysay award for Pak doc
SINGAPORE, July 14 (PTI) — A Pakistani surgeon, who provides free access to modern medical technologies for the poor, won the 1998 Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service, it was announced today. Adibul Hasan Rizvi, Director of Karachi’s Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, has been cited for "transcending the limits of a public service hospital to make kidney dialysis, renal transplants and other life-saving medical services available free to thousands of Pakistani citizens", the award body announced in Manila. Rizvi studied medicine at Dow Medical College in Karachi and for nine years honed his surgical skills in Britain.
R. Chidambaram
WASHINGTON, July 14 (PTI) — The head of India’s Atomic Energy Commission, Dr R. Chidambaram, has been denied visa by the Clinton Administration to visit the USA, Indian Embassy sources said here today. A leading nuclear scientist, Dr Chidambaram had applied for visa to attend an international conference of crystallographers as its vice-chairman at Alabama. He has been denied visa apparently as the administration has put restrictions on the entry of scientists and researchers holding Indian passports.
Assam staff stir
GUWAHATI, July 14 (PTI) — Work in Assam Government offices was paralysed for the second day today following the 120-hour non-cooperation agitation called by the Sadou Asom Karamchari Parishad (SAKP) demanding pay parity with the Central scale. Attendance in the state secretariat was thin and reports from district headquarters said work in offices had come to a standstill. Official sources, however, claimed that the agitation had evoked lukewarm response with a majority of the employees reporting for duty.
Lakhubhai case
NEW DELHI, July 14 (PTI) — Hearing of the Lakhubhai Pathak cheating case against former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, godman Chandraswami and his aide K.N. Agarwal alias ‘mamaji’ will resume tomorrow after a gap of over four months. The CBI has to inform the court what step it had taken regarding sending a commission to record evidence of Canadian citizen W.E. Miller, a key witness in the $ 1 lakh cheating case. Special Judge Ajit Bharihoke has already ordered sending of a commission to Canada to record Miller’s evidence.
8 CRPF Jawans killed in ambush
IMPHAL, July 14 (PTI) — In the second major ambush in two months, eight CRPF jawans were killed and five wounded seriously when Manipur insurgents fired from the forests on them in the Langching area, 25 km west of here today, official sources said. The CRPF personnel were on petrol when the ultras, armed with sophisticated weapons, emerged from thick jungles and attacked them on Imphal-Silchar national highway at around 8.10 a.m., killing eight of them on the spot. The security personnel, belonging to the 12th battalion, returned the fire.
Pak restores rights
ISLAMABAD, July 14 (UNI) — A presidential order last night restored all but four of the fundamental rights suspended in Pakistan following imposition of emergency on May 28. The amendment to the emergency provisions came after a Supreme Court Bench yesterday observed that the imposition of emergency and suspension of fundamental rights are two separate things to be examined by the court. The Bench was hearing a bunch of petitions against the emergency.
8 die in plane crash
DUBAI, July 14 (UNI) — An Azerbaijani cargo plane crashed into the sea soon after take-off from the Ras Al Khaimah airport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last night, killing all eight members of its crew, an official announcement said today. The Ilyushin-76 aircraft, bound for Nikolayev in the Ukraine, burst into flames shortly after take-off and came down about 1200 metres off the Ras Al Khaimah coast, it said. The aircraft, owned by the Hawa Yollari Airline, was carrying about 40 tonnes of cargo.
EC records sought
HYDERABAD, July 14 (PTI) — The Andhra Pradesh High Court today directed the Election Commission (EC) to produce by July 27 its records pertaining to the grant of registration certificate to the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) headed by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. The Division Bench comprising Justice B. Subashan Reddy and Justice V. Vaman Rao passed the order in reponse to a writ petition filed by film actor and Rajya Sabha member M. Mohan Babu questioning recognition of the TDP as a political party.
Gujarat rain toll 24
GANDHINAGAR, July 14 (PTI) — The toll in the monsoon in Gujarat has mounted to 24 with one more rain-related death reported from Gandhinagar since yesterday. Six deaths were reported from Junagarh, four from Navsari, two each from Surat, Dahod and Sabarkantha and one each from Gandhinagar, Bhavnagar, Baroda, Anand, Jamnagar, Banaksantha, Amreli and Broach districts, official sources said.