tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Friday, October 15, 1999
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Julius Nyerere dead
DAR ES SALAAM, Oct 14 (Reuters) — Tanzania's former President Julius Nyerere died in a London hospital at 7.30 a.m. GMT (1 p.m. IST) today, current President Benjamin Mkapa said in a national television and radio address. "Dear Tanzanians, it is with great shock and sorrow that I announce our beloved father of the nation, Julius Kambarage Nyerere, is dead," Mr Mkapa said. Mr Nyerere (77) one of Africa's most charismatic post-colonial leaders, was diagnosed with chronic leukaemia last year. He led his country to Independence from Britain in 1961 and was its President from 1962 until 1985.

Lyngdoh ministry
SHILLONG, Oct 14 (UNI) — Meghalaya Governor M.M. Jacob today administered the oath of office and secrecy to 12 ministers, eight of them of Cabinet rank, taking the total strength of Mr B.B. Lyngdoh's (United) Democratic Party) Council of Ministers to 29, excluding himself, in a House of 60.

36 die in Chechnya
GROZNY (Russia), Oct 14 (AFP) — Thirtysix persons were killed in heavy overnight Russian air and artillery raids on the breakaway republic of Chechnya, the Chechen general staff said. Two Russian Sukhoi-25 jets bombed Grozny today, hitting oil installations, an AFP correspondent reported. A thick pall of smoke could be seen above a district of the city where several small oil refineries are located, he reported.

Award for Staines
KUTTAYAM, Oct 14 (UNI) — Slain Australian missionary Graham Staines will be posthumously awarded the second Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios Puraskar. Announcing this at a press conference here today, Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorious Foundation secretary Fr Cherian Ramanalil said Staines was chosen for this outstanding contributions, particularly for the care of leprosy patients in Orissa.

Clerk convicted
NEW DELHI, Oct 14 (UNI) — The Special CBI Judge, Bhubaneswar, has convicted clerk-cum cashier of the branch of Gramya Bank and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment for two years along with a fine of Rs 5000. The accused official, Mr Debadutt Mishra, had allegedly misappropriated Rs 65, 400 received from depositors on 17 different accounts.

Ayodhya darshan
AYODHYA, Oct 14 (UNI) — The period for darshan of Ram Lala has been extended by two hours in view of the increasing rush of devotees during Dasehra and Kartik Mela. An official Spokesman here said the idols would be open for darshan from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The new timings will come into effect from tomorrow.

9 Tigers killed
COLOMBO, Oct 14 (PTI) — Nine LTTE rebels were killed and a Sri Lanka soldier injured in different incidents of fighting in the island even as rebels raided a bus station in eastern Kalmunai town today and blasted three buses. A group of LTTE rebels attacked the main bus terminus at Kalmunai early today and damaged three luxury buses and the building by detonating explosives.

Trainee pilot killed
HYDERABAD, Oct 14 (PTI) — A trainee IAF pilot was killed when the small aircraft which he was flying crashed near Allirajpet village of Andhra Pradesh today. The identity of the pilot could not be ascertained immediately, the police said. He took off from Hakimpet Air Force station on a routine training sortie when the aircraft crashed.

UN hostages freed
TBILISI, Oct 14 (Reuters) — Four UN hostages kidnapped by gunmen in the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia were freed today, a Georgian Security Ministry source said. A Russian General was quoted earlier, however, as saying that the gunmen had threatened to shoot all six of their captives. The ministry source said the four were freed in the Kodori valley region some 350 km northwest of here.

Indian hanged in Pak
MULTAN, Oct 14 (AFP) — A 43-year-old Indian man was executed by hanging today in a Pakistani jail almost 10 years after his arrest on charges of spying for his country, the police said. Sheikh Shamim was caught "red-handed" near the border with India in 1989, the police said, adding that a transmitter he was allegedly using to communicate military secrets was also seized.