tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Tuesday, January 5, 1999
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15 LTTE men killed
COLOMBO, Jan 4 (PTI) — At least 15 ltte militants were killed and 10 wounded when Sri Lankan troops bombed ltte boats and smashed a rebel bunker in different encounters in the country’s north, defence sources said today. Eight ltte sea tigers were killed and 10 wounded today when Sri Lankan naval craft attacked a flotilla of six rebel boats, naval sources said, adding that, four ltte boats were badly damaged in the attack.

28 die in attack
MOGADISHU, Jan 4 (AFP) — At least 28 persons were killed and 10 wounded when an anti-tank rocket was fired at a bus near the southern Somali town of Baidoa, the Xogogal newspaper reported today. The bus was transporting civilians from Baidoa to Mogadishu at the time of the attack, which, the paper said, was carried out by the Rahanwein Resistance Army.

Amartya Sen
NEW DELHI, Jan 4 (PTI) — Nobel laureate Amartya Sen today said he was planning to seek tax exemption from the US Government on his prize money to make use of it for the trust to be set up by him. The trust to be launched with his Nobel prize money would carry out intellectual research on improving schooling system in India and Bangladesh. The $ 9.83 lakh secured as prize money was too small to have any major impact in a vast country like India, he said.

Embassy reopens
TEL AVIV, Jan 4 (AFP) — The US Embassy here reopened today after an unspecified terrorist threat forced its first-ever closure for security reasons last week, a spokesman said. "After further investigation of the threat, the Ambassador said we can return to work today", said Embassy spokesman Larry Schwartz, speaking of Ambassador Edward Walker. "The threat does not appear to have materialised", he said, adding that no special security precautions were in place.

13,000 homeless
BEIJING, Jan 4 (AFP) — An earthquake that hit remote southwestern China at the weekend caused little damage but raised fears among the 13,000 persons homeless after a previous tremor, officials today said. "The yesterday’s quake was not so serious. It left two persons injured", said Mr Mao Jingui, Deputy Director, Ninglang Civil Affairs Bureau in southwestern Yunnan province.

Severe flooding
COLOMBO, Jan 4 (Reuters) — Heavy showers in north and eastern Sri Lanka have caused severe flooding and made thousands homeless, government officials said today. "According to the information we have so far thousands have lost their homes in the northern and eastern region", said an official at the Social Services Department who declined to be identified. The official said nearly 8,000 persons had been displaced by floods in the northeastern Trincomalee district and in northern Vavuniya.

Envoy to Denmark
NEW DELHI, Jan 4 — Mr Shashank will be India's new Ambassador to Denmark. Mr Shashank, who succeeds Mrs Neelam Rao, is expected to take his assignment shortly, a press note of the Ministry of External Affairs said here today.