tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Sunday, November 28, 1999
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Orissa official suspended
BHUBANESWAR, Nov 27 (PTI) — Orissa Special Relief Commissioner DN Padhi was today suspended for alleged irregularities in the purchase of polythene rolls for the cyclone-affected people. According to official sources here, Mr Padhi "flouted the orders of Chief Minister (Giridhar Gamang) in the matter relating to purchase of polythene rolls". Mr Gamang signed the suspension order just before he left for Delhi this evening, the sources said.

Foreign nurses banned
LONDON, Nov 27 (PTI) — Hospitals in Britain have been banned from recruiting Asian, African or Caribbean nurses. The Department of Health imposed the ban yesterday to solve the staff crisis in Britain. This is the first time hospitals have been prohibited from recruiting people from developing countries. The move will cut off an important source of employees when 15,000 nursing and mid-wifery posts are vacant in England, the leading London daily 'The Times' reported today.

Doctors' strike
MUMBAI, Nov 27 (PTI) — The stalemate over an indefinite stir called by 4,000 doctors and 1,000 interns of the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) continued for the sixth day today following the failure of talks between the striking medicos and the state government. According to a MARD spokesperson, the talks failed after the representatives of MARD refused to accept the government's offer of hiking the stipends between Rs 7,000 and Rs 7,600 for junior resident doctors.

Insurance strike if bill comes up
NEW DELHI, Nov 27 (UNI) — Thousands of insurance employees will go on strike on November 30 if the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) Bill is taken up for discussion in Lok Sabha on Monday, the opening day of the winter session of Parliament. "All insurance employees will strike work to protest against the opening up of the sector to foreign and private sector’’, Mr B.S. Rawat, Joint Secretary, All-India LIC Employees Federation, said here.

12 dead in earthquake
SYDNEY, Nov 27 (DPA) — At least 12 persons died when an offshore earthquake unleashed a tidal wave that slammed into Vanuatu’s Pentecost island, news reports said today. The buildings washed away included the island’s biggest church, Australia’s ABC Radio reported. Father Celestine Tali from the Catholic church in Port Vila said Ena and Vemagely were the villages worst hit when the Tsunami rolled in just after midnight.

S.D. Sharma
NEW DELHI, Nov 27 (PTI) — The condition of former President Shankar Dayal Sharma remained critical though he showed "minimal" improvement today, hospital sources said. "There is a minimal improvement, but his condition remains critical and he is still on respirator," the sources at the Heart Command Centre of the Escorts Heart Institute said here.

Diesel price
NEW DELHI, Nov 27 (PTI) — Petroleum Minister Ram Naik today said the government was likely to make the next diesel price revision on December 5 after reviewing the international oil price movement. "Now the next review would be on December 5 when this two-month period (October-November) would be over. Some 15 or 20 days later we would take a decision (on the diesel price revision), "Mr Naik said in an interview to a private TV channel.