tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Wednesday, August 25, 1999
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Russia test-fires missile for India
WASHINGTON, Aug 24 (PTI) — Russia has successfully test-fired an export variant of the active radar-guided Vympel R-77 medium-range air-to-air missile as part of a fighter upgrade programme it is developing for India. The test, conducted in August for the first time, is part of the MiG-21-93 fighter upgrade programme that Russia is developing for the Indian Air Force, "Defence News" said in its latest issue. The test was conducted at the Ahktubinsk test centre in southern Russia.

Plea against Sushma
BANGALORE, Aug 24 (PTI) — The Karnataka unit of the Congress today said it would move the Election Commission, seeking the disqualification of BJP’s Bellary candidate Sushma Swaraj for allegedly referring to Congress President sonia Gandhi’s "race" in her election speeches. The party would also file a police complaint, demanding Ms Swaraj’s prosecution, state Congress spokeman B.K. Chandrasekhar said.

Phone tapping
NEW DELHI, Aug 24 (PTI) — A new controversy broke out today over Ms Sonia Gandhi’s trip to Bellary for her maiden electoral foray with demands being made for a CBI inquiry into the alleged tapping of her telephone by the ruling BJP. Congress ally, the Rashtriya Lok Dal, led by Mr Ajit Singh today issued a statement that the Prime Minister should come out clear and order a probe into the alleged tapping.

Indonesian clashes
JAKARTA, Aug 24 (AFP) — Fresh Muslim-Christian clashes in Indonesia’s spice Moluccas Islands have left up to 12 persons dead, scores injured and several churches torched, sources and reports said today. A member of the Church Advocacy team in Maluku’s provincial capital of Ambon said about nine persons died when Muslim mobs attacked nine churches in Seram Island, in central Maluku on Wednesday last week.

BJP candidate jailed
JAMSHEDPUR, Aug 24 (PTI) — The BJP candidate from the Singhbhum Lok Sabha constituency, Mr Laxman Gilua, was sent to jail in connection with two murder cases after he surrendered at Saraikela court in West Singhbhum district. Mr Gilua, the sitting BJP MLA of Chakradharpur, was wanted in connection with two murder cases under Kuchai and Saraikela police stations in 1990 and 1991 and for possessing illegal fire arms, police sources said today.

"India’s Most Wanted"
NEW DELHI, Aug 24 (PTI) — Producer-director Suhaib Ilyasi of "India’s Most Wanted" (IMW) fame today alleged Zee TV had stopped telecast of new episodes of the serial, including one on the sensational Gulshan Kumar murder case, as the network wanted to safeguard certain names for its own business interest. "The episode on Gulshan Kumar had many exclusive details about the involvement of underworld don Abu Salem, music director Nadeem Saifi and music baron Ramesh Tauran, and as Zee TV’s business interests could have got hurt, they stopped showing all new episodes," he said.

N-doctrine
ISLAMABAD, Aug 24 (PTI) — The Defence Committee of Cabinet (DCC), Pakistan’s highest decision making body on security affairs, will meet tomorrow and discuss India’s draft nuclear doctrine and the "threats" emanating from Delhi, media reports said.