tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Sunday, December 19, 1999
weather today's calendar

‘Trishul’ test-fired
KOCHI, Dec 18 (PTI — The naval version of ‘Trishul’, India’s prestigious indigenous quick reaction short-range surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missile, was successfully test-fired from INS Dronacharya here this evening. “The test-firing was 100 per cent successful,” Dr Siva Thanu Pillai, Chief Controller, Research and Development, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), said shortly after the launch. Today’s test-firing was to test its anti-sea skimmer capability, he said.
LTTE claim denied
COLOMBO, Dec 18 (PTI) — The Sri Lankan Army said today troops were in control of the strategic Paranthan army complex, denying LTTE claims about the contrary, and added that 115 rebels and 18 soldiers were killed in yesterday’s battles for the control of the northern Jaffna peninsula.

2 dead in Pak blast
ISLAMABAD, Dec 18 (DPA) — Two persons were killed and five wounded today in a bomb explosion in Pakistan’s eastern border town of Sialkot, the police said. An apparently remote-controlled device went off in the middle of the city bordering India. The device was planted on the carrier of a bicycle, witnesses told the police.
Stir deferred
NEW DELHI, Dec 18 (PTI) — The All-India Station Masters’ Association today announced deferment of its proposed agitation on December 20 with the railway authorities agreeing to its demand for better wages. The association secretary said the decision had been taken following “fruitful” talks between the management and the association office-bearers.
Sen honoured
DHAKA, Dec 18 (PTI) — Bangladesh’s premier Dhaka University today conferred honorary doctorate degrees on Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at its first-ever general convocation after the formation of the country.
Osama bin Laden
KABUL, Dec 18 (AP) — Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers vowed today to protect Saudi fugitive Osama bin Laden following the arrest of several of his followers. At least 14 alleged members of Laden’s Al Qaida group have been detained in Jordan in connection with possible attacks against US targets in the kingdom during millennium celebrations.
West Asia talks
JERUSALEM, Dec 18 (Reuters) — Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat will meet in the West Bank town of Jericho tomorrow to discuss obstacles in their peace negotiations, a senior aide to Mr Arafat said today.
S.D. Sharma
NEW DELHI, Dec 17 (PTI) — The condition of former President Shankar Dayal Sharma, who was admitted to the Escorts Heart Institute here on October 9 remained critical today, his private secretary J.N. Kashyap said.
Earthquake
NEW DELHI, Dec 18 (UNI) — An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale occurred in the Bay of Bengal at 0621 hours near the Andaman Islands, the Meteorological Department here said. There has been no report of damage or casualties so far.