Quicktakes

MM Joshi8217;s assurance to teachers
NEW DELHI: Union Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi on Monday reiterated his appeal to the university teachers to call off the strike and create a conducive atmosphere for resolving their problem relating to pay scales. He assured that demands relating to giving the revised pay scales with retrospective effect from January 1 1996 will be submitted for consideration of the union cabinet. He however clarified that it would be possible for him to take issues only if the teachers called off their strike immediately.

3 killed in firing
BELGAUM: Three people were killed and over 100 others, including fifteen police personnel, injured when two groups of a temple trust committee clashed forcing the police to fire in the air at Hulakund village in Belgaum district of Karnataka today. Police fired in the air after lathicharge and bursting of teargas proved ineffective, police sources said.Senior officials of the district, including DeputyCommissioner G V Kongawad and superintendent of police S Ramakrishna rushed to the spot.The situation in the area was now under control.

Americans quit Pak
ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON: The United States has begun evacuating all its citizens from Pakistan, save essential diplomatic staff, following the arrest in Karachi of a suspect in the Nairobi bombings and the fear of reprisals against American targets. Mohommad Sadiq, 34, was arrested when he arrived in Karachi from Nairobi on the day of the bombing. He was held when it was found his face did not match the picture in his Yemeni passport.