tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Monday, March 1, 1999
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Albright in China
BEIJING, Feb 28 (AFP) — US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright arrived here today with officials insisting her visit was not for "crisis" talks to ease strained Sino-US relations. "This is not a crisis-related trip," State Department spokesman James Rubin told reporters travelling with Ms Albright. "We don’t feel like we’re in a crisis atmosphere." Yet at the same time he moved to dispel the crisis notion, Mr Rubin lashed out at China for arresting one dissident and sentencing another on the eve of Mr Albright’s two-day visit. "We deplore (the) detention of Wu Yilong and sentencing of democracy advocate Peng Ling for running a debate forum for intellectuals," Mr Rubin said, calling the moves "unfortunate" pieces of a familiar pattern. They "signal that China has been going in the wrong direction on key human rights concerns," he said. Wu Yilong was arrested at his home in eastern Hanqzhou city on Friday. Dissident Peng, founder of the China Development Union was sentenced without trial to 18 months detention, his family said yesterday, after being arrested for allegedly frequenting prostitutes in Beijing.

Cosmonauts back from Mir
LONDON, Feb 28 (ANI) — Two cosmonauts, a Russian and a Slovak, today landed safely in the steppes of Kazhakstan after a successful flight from the Mir space station. An Interfax news report received here said the Soyuz capsule's landing was "soft". The capsule had detached from the station at 2252 GMT and landed on Earth over three hours and 20 minutes later. The two cosmonauts, Russia's Gennady Padalka and Slovakia's lvan Bella, entered the capsule at (1953 GMT). Padalka has been in space since August but Bella has spent less than a week on Mir. He left Earth last Monday with two other cosmonauts on what could be the last mission to the 13-year-old Mir before it goes out of service.

16 dead in mishaps
CHAMPAWAT (Uttar Pradesh), Feb 28 (PTI) — Sixteen persons were killed and 31 injured in two road accidents in Uttar Pradesh, the police said today. Eight were killed and 16 injured when a state roadways bus fell into a 200-metre gorge near Ratapani in Pithoragarh district last night. A magisterial inquiry was ordered into the accident. Eight persons were killed and 15 injured in a bus and truck collision on the Lucknow-Jaunpur road today. While seven died on the spot, one succumbed to his injuries on way to hospital, the police added.

Delhi rocked
NEW DELHI, Feb 28 (PTI) — An earthquake with slight intensity was felt in the Capital this afternoon. Measured 1.7 on the Richter scale, the tremor occurred at 2.48 p.m., meteorological office said.

12 die in accident
BANGALORE, Feb 28 (PTI) — Twelve persons were killed when the lorry in which they were travelling collided with another vehicle in Borgal village in Belgaum district today, the police said. The mishap occurred around 8.30 a.m. when the lorry hit a Health Department vehicle and overturned killing nine persons on the spot while another succumbed to his injuries in hospital. The victims belonged to Pimpla village in Maharashtra.

Apology from Pak
DHAKA, Feb 28 (PTI) — Four leading Bangladesh organisations have urged Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif to make a public apology for crimes perpetrated by the Pakistani troops on unarmed people during the 1971 liberation war. "Bonds of friendship will strengthen once Pakistan seeks apology for the war crimes," the groups fighting for justice to millions killed in the war said in a joint statement on eve of Mr Sharif's arrival here to attend the D-8 summit. An estimated three million persons were killed and more than 200,000 were raped during the nine-month war between India-backed Shanti Bahini fighters and the Pakistani forces.

Taj mahotsav ends
AGRA, Feb 28 (PTI) — Taj mahotsav, the 10-day cultural festival held here in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal, ended last night on a sour note as the police intervened to drive back a mob trying to gatecrash into a show in which noted playback singers Sonu Nigam and Sadhna Sargam were performing. A number of persons including policemen, were injured in the melee, while a teenaged boy became unconscious after he fell from a tree where several spectators had perched themselves, the police said.

Iraq gives report
BAGHDAD, Feb 28 (Reuters) — Iraq today said it had submitted a report on the destruction of its prohibited weapons to the UN Security Council but asserted it would not deal with a UN panel on disarming the country. "We have sent these documents to make the Security Council aware of what Iraq has implemented in all the different areas of prohibited weapons," Iraq's Soil Minister Amir Muhammed Rasheed told reporters here.

Congo conflict
HARARE, Feb 28 (AFP) — Diplomatic efforts to end the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo continued today with a top US envoy due to meet Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, officials said. A US embassy spokesman said Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Pickering would hold talks with Mr Mugabe today morning, while the Zimbabwean leader was scheduled to leave later in the day for the DRC.