NEW DELHI: Prime Minister I K Gujral has constituted a three-member committee of ministers to deal with the issue of release of innocent detenues under the now defunct TADA. Home Minister Indrajit Gupta, Railway Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and Environment and Forests Minister Saifuddin Soz will be the members of the committee that would primarily go into the question of detenues held in connection with the Mumbai riots of 1993, sources said.

Indian fishermen

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, today appealed to Prime Minister I K Gujral, to lodge India's ``strong protest'' with the Sri Lankan government for its indiscriminate shooting at Indian fishermen. ``Besides this, a suitable system may also be evolved to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future,'' he said in a fax message sent to the Prime Minister.

Nepal polls

KATHMANDU: The United Marxist-Leninists are set to sweep the third and final round of local elections conducted in Nepal yesterday, analysts said as results trickled in today. The Communists are expected to win the indirect elections in at least 30 districts on their own strength and 10 more in alliance with the National Democratic Party. Voting took place in 56 of the country's 75 districts.

China miners

BEIJING: A search is continuing for the bodies of 29 miners presumed killed after a section of a coal pit in central Hunan province flooded with water, the official media reported at the weekend. The disaster occurred at about 1800 hrs (local time) on July 10 at the little river mine near Dengfeng city, when a section of the pit suddenly flooded, trapping 29 miners inside, the Yangcheng Evening News said.

Illegal immigrants

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia has launched a country-wide crackdown to flush out about 100,000 illegal immigrants, mostly Asians, from the kingdom and threatened those who help them overstay with jail term and huge fines. The crackdown is expected to continue will mid-October.

Saudi missile

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia has test fired its first domestically produced surface-to-surface missile during the inauguration of a military complex, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.