A severe earthquake jolted eastern Turkey killing at least 500 people, injuring hundreds more and destroying more than 50 villages. Provincial officials estimated that the final death toll will top 1,000. The quake struck Erzurum province, the second largest town in eastern Turkey with a population of 8,00,000. The tremor measured at least six on the Richter scale.
India dissapoints
The Indian middle-order batting did not prosper even under the most favourable conditions against the West Indies. Two blatantly faulty decisions by umpire Dotiwala, against Dilip Vengsarkar (159) and Ravi Shastri (49), notwithstanding, they could muster only 165 runs from 44.1 overs (average 3.7 runs per over) and raised their total from 299 for three wickets overnight to 464 at the Ferozshah Kotla stadium in New Delhi.
Boundary talks
The fourth round of official-level talks between India and China concluded with both sides agreeing to consider rival approaches for resolving the long-standing boundary dispute between the two countries. While a settlement of the dispute is still distant, it is significant that China has agreed to consider India’s sector-by-sector approach and India has agreed to consider — if not accept — China’s much talked about
package plan.
Akalis’ no to proposal
Akali Dal Chief Harchand Singh Longowal bluntly turned down Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s offer to refer the territorial dispute including that of Chandigarh, Abohar and Fazilka to a tribunal to settle the Punjab tangle. Talking to reporters in the Teja Singh Samundri Hall, Longowal said, “Chandigarh always belongs to Punjab. It was built for Punjab. And the claim of Punjab on Abohar and Fazilka can never be doubted…”
