tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Wednesday, August 18, 1999
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USA, Russia begin talks on arms cuts
MOSCOW, Aug 17 (AP) — The USA and Russia opened three days of talks today on the prospects of additional nuclear weapons cuts and the possibility of modifications to the 1972 anti-ballistic missile treaty. The consultations, agreed upon by US President, Bill Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin, will raise the issue of a START III treaty that could cut arsenals to 2,000 to 2,500 warheads on each side.

BJP MLA dead
LUCKNOW, Aug 17 (UNI) — Sriniwas Mani Tripathi, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Gauri Bazar (Deoria) constituency, died here late last night after a prolonged illness. He was about 65. According to BJP state spokesperson Shyamnandan Singh, his last rites will be performed at Varanasi in the evening. A condolence meeting was held at the party’s state headquarters.

Pak minister held
ISLAMABAD, Aug 17 (PTI) — Chaudhury Yasin, minister in the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir Government, and two of his associates were arrested on Monday for allegedly misbehaving in a drunken state on a PIA flight from Manchester to Islamabad, a local newspaper reported today. They have been booked for drinking and possessing liquor, strictly prohibited in Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the English daily, The Nation, quoting airport officials said.

Army Chief to open academy
LUCKNOW, Aug 17 (UNI) — General V.P. Malik, Chief of the Army Staff, will inaugurate the Junior Leaders Academy (JLA) at Bareilly on August 20, a defence release here said. The aim of the academy is to develop junior leaders into confident, self-reliant and high calibre leaders. The JLA at Bareilly would train more than 1,000 junior leaders from all branches of the Army every year.

Salman Khan
JODHPUR, Aug 17 (PTI) — Film star Salman Khan today appeared in person for the first time before a city court in connection with the case relating to the shooting of black bucks and chinkaras, endangered wildlife. Six others accused in the case also appeared in person before Chief Judicial Magistrate Pramodh Vashist as per directive of the Jodhpur District and Sessions Judge while transferring the case to the CJM's court. The court fixed the next hearing in the case on September 10.

Jail term cut
JAKARTA, Aug 17 (Reuters) — Indonesia today cut the 20-year jail term of East Timor rebel leader Xanana Gusmao by five months in a symbolic gesture on Indonesia’s 54th anniversary of Independence, the official Antara news agency reported. The government has already said that Xanana, confined under guard to a Jakarta house, will be freed after East Timor’s UN-run independence vote on August 30.

Journalist dead
JAIPUR, Aug 17 (UNI) — Eminent journalist Kailash Mishra passed away last night. He was 65 . Mr Mishra who was suffering from pneumonia, was admitted to Sawai Man Singh Hospital. He was shifted to the ICU where he breathed his last yesterday. He had been associated with the field of journalism for the past four decades. He was working in Rajasthan Patrika for the past 25 years and held the position of Associate Editor.

19 Iraqis killed
BAGHDAD, Aug 17 (AFP) — Nineteen Iraqis were killed and 11 wounded in attacks today by British and US aircraft in north and south Iraq, a military spokesman said. "Eleven Iraqi citizens were slain and another was seriously wounded in the enemies' bombing of homes in the Jassan area of the southern province of Wasit," he said, quoted by official INA news agency. "The number of martyrs in today's bombing thus rises to 19," he added.