tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Friday, October 22, 1999
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B.R. Chopra
NEW DELHI, Oct 21 (UNI) — Veteran filmmaker Baldev Raj Chopra, now in his mid 80s, is to receive this year’s Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his lifelong contribution to Indian cinema. Mr Chopra, who began his career as a journalist, is currently remembered most for his megaserial "Mahabharat", set new trends with his films, which include "Naya Daur", "Kanoon", "Dhool ka Phool", "Waqt", "Nikaah" and "The Burning Train".

300 feared dead
JAKARTA, Oct 21 (AFP) — Nearly 300 persons are believed dead after a 72-hour search failed to find any more survivors from a boat which sank off eastern Indonesia on Monday, a port official said today. Mr Yohannes Topon of the port authorities in the town of Merauke said many believed there was only a slim likelihood of survivors because the nearest coastline they could have swum to was vast expanse of swamp.

Somnath Chatterjee
NEW DELHI, Oct 21 (UNI) — Veteran parliamentarian Somnath Chatterjee has been elected Leader of the CPM Parliamentary Party and Mr Rupchand Pal the Chief Whip, at a meeting of the MPs of the party held here. Mr Basudev Acharya and Mr N.N. Krishna Das will be deputy leaders and Mr T. Govindan, the Whip, a party statement said today.

115 officials booked
NEW DELHI, Oct 21 (UNI) — The CBI has registered 115 cases against public servants during August this year under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and other laws. The public servants who were caught red-handed while demanding and accepting bribe included an assistant commissioner, Office of Regional Commissioner, Provident Fund, Jodhpuri, an assistant sub-inspector, Delhi police.

Bangladesh strike
DHAKA, Oct 21 (DPA) — Shops and businesses remained shut and public transport was off the streets in Dhaka and three other major cities today as violence marked a general strike enforced by the leading opposition alliance left at least 50 injured. A four-party alliance led by the main Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party called the dawn-to-dusk strike.

Landslips in Manipur
KOHIMA, Oct 21 (UNI) — Parts of Nagaland and Manipur remained cut off due to landslides from the rest of the country by road for the fourth day today causing hike in the prices of all essential commodities in this capital town. Kohima Superintendent of Police I. Toshitsungba Aier said five places of a stretch of 7 km were damaged due to landslides.

Hurrican Jose
ST. JOHN’s (Antigua), Oct 21 (Reuters) — Hurricane Jose blew off roofs, downed power lines and knocked over trees in Antigua as its 160-kph winds pummelled the tiny islands of the north-eastern Caribbean. The eye of the storm and its fiercest winds passed directly over Antigu a tourism-dependent island yesterday.