tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Wednesday, April 7, 1999
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13 killed
BARIPADA (ORISSA), April 6 (PTI) — Thirteen pilgrims, including five women, were killed and six others seriously injured when their vehicle collided with a truck near Bhursani in Mayurbhanj district today. The police said 11 of them died on the spot, while two succumbed to their injuries in hospital.

Bus trial run flagged off
DHAKA, April 6 (PTI) — The trial run of the first-ever Dhaka-Calcutta bus service was flagged off this morning with commercial operations expected to begin by the end of April. The multi-coloured luxury bus with officials and journalists on board left the Kamalapura bus depot in central Dhaka at 0750 hours (0720 hrs IST) amid much fanfare and was expected to reach Calcutta after a nine and a half hours journey traversing 360 km.

Staines case
BHUBANESWAR, April 6 (PTI) — The Justice D.P. Wadhwa Commission of inquiry, appointed by the Centre to probe into the killing of Australian missionary Graham Stewart Staines and his two sons at Manoharpur village of Orissa's Keonjhar district in January, commenced its hearing here today. Four witnesses, including Dr Subhankar Ghosh, who had accompanied Staines from Baripada to Manoharpur and was present at Manoharpur on the fateful January 22-23 night, deposed before the commission.

Shillong rocked
SHILLONG, April 6 (PTI) — An earthquake of moderate intensity measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale rocked the city and its adjoining areas at 0403 hours today, according to the Central Meteorological Observatory Centre here. There was no report of damage to life or property. The epicenter of the quake was located at latitude 24.8 degree North and longitude 92.1 degree East on the Bangladesh, Tripura and Assam border.

Border fencing
MOREH (Bordering Myanmar), April 6 (PTI) — The Centre would fence a stretch of 4 km along the international border with Myanmar in Manipur's Chandel district, Joint Secretary to the Union Home Ministry G.K. Pillai said today. He said border fencing would be erected from gate number one to four along the international border in the Moreh border town area.

Resignation demand
MUMBAI, April 6 (UNI) — Opposition leaders today demanded the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde to facilitate a "fair" and "impartial" inquiry into the Maharshtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) retrofitting contract. Leaders of the Opposition in the state legislation Madhukar Pichad and Chhasan Bhujbal, heading a delegation of legislators, called on Governor Dr P.C. Alexander and submitted a memorandum demanding Mr Munde's resignation.

Provincial poll
COLOMBO, April 6 (UNI) — Despite elaborate security arrangements for the Provincial Council elections in Sri Lanka, the turnout was estimated less than 50 per cent due to a heavy downpour since morning. Official sources said voting was by and large peaceful barring sporadic incidents of minor clashes. No major incident was reported from any of the 12 districts forming the five provinces where elections were held to elect 263 members of Administrative Councils.