saleem

Patient flees from hospital fearing swine flu

by

Malda, August 15: A 17-year-old boy suffering from cold and fever, has fled from a district hospital in Malda as he was not admitted in the isolation ward meant for swine flu patients.

Anikul Sheikh, resident of Sujanpur area, was admitted to the Malda District Sadar Hospital on Thursday after he complained of swine flu symptoms for the past few days, officials said Saturday.

Sheikh had returned from Mumbai about 20 days back and suspected that he was suffering from the viral infection As the hospital did not admit him in the isolation ward, he fled, police said.

–Agencies

Detaining SRK at US airport not justified: Ambika Soni

by

New Delhi, August 15: Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni Saturday reacted angrily to Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan being detained at a US airport, saying it was not justified.

“I don’t think that this manner of detaining the name of religion is justified. But in the United States of America several examples have surfaced where frisking takes place more than required, according to us,” Soni, who was the tourism minister in the previous government, told reporters here.

13 fresh Swine flu cases in city

by

Hyderabad, August 15: Swin e flu is spreading alarmingly in the State, with the capital reporting 13 confirmed and four suspected cases today alone, the largest number in a single day since first case was reported in Andhra Pradesh three months ago.

Wi t h the National Institute of Communicabl e Diseases (NICD), New Delhi confirming 13 fresh cases, the total number reported in the State has gone up to 92.

YSR to tour AP in September

by

Hyderabad, August 15: The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, will tour villages from September 2 in a bid to take the administration to the farmers during the looming drought.

Dr Reddy took a decision in this regard on Friday with the state almost teetering on the brink of its worst drought in recent times. He reviewed the situation with the chief secretary, Mr P. Ramakanth Reddy, and senior officials.

Boy quizzes Obama on school lunch, basketball

by

Washington, August 15: Damon Weaver has a new homeboy — President Barack Obama.The South Florida boy finally landed his coveted interview with Obama, who fielded questions about his basketball skills, education funding, and whether students could have mangoes for lunch everyday.

Weaver became an Internet sensation during the 2008 presidential campaign and has long sought an interview with Obama. He even went to Washington for Obama’s inauguration in January, but was unable to get through the security lines for the ceremony.

Pak lifts ban on tribal politics for assimilation

by

Islamabad, August 15: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari unveiled political reforms in the country’s tribal belt Friday in a bid to extricate the lawless region from the grip of Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants.

Pakistan’s seven federally administered tribal areas (FATA) have become a stronghold for hundreds of extremists who fled after the US-led invasion toppled the hardline Taliban regime in neighbouring Afghanistan in late 2001.

Delhi magistrate killed in Himachal accident

by

Shimla, August 15: A Delhi metropolitan magistrate was killed when his car collided with an oil tanker in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, police said Saturday.

Special Metropolitan Magistrate Varinder Kumar Sharma, 57, was on his way to Manali with his family when the accident took place near Sundernagar town Friday, Deputy Superintendent of Police Raj Kumar told IANS by phone.

“Sharma’s wife Jyoti, his son Vikas and daughter-in-law Shivani were seriously injured in the accident. They have been referred to the Post-Graduate Institute and Hospital in Chandigarh,” Kumar said.

Suicide attack kills three in Pakistan

by

Islamabad, August 15: Three security personnel were killed and five others injured when a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-packed vehicle into a check post in northwestern Pakistan, TV reports said Saturday.

The incident took place in the Khawazakhela area of Swat.

This is the first suicide attack in Swat since Pakistani security forces launched an operation against the Taliban in April.

–IANS

Maoists posters found on school premises during I-Day function

by

Birbhum, August 15: Maoists posters asking students and teachers to boycott the Independence Day celebrations on Saturday were found pasted on walls of a
couple of schools in Rajnagar area of Birbhum district, police said.

School authorities informed the police which removed the posters from Nabakrishna High School and Tantipara Girls School in Tantipara village here.

As many as 10 posters asking villagers to boycott the Independence Day and raise an armed struggle for the Maoist movement were seized from the schools, they said.

PM announces new measures for women, housing, energy, education

by

New Delhi, August 15: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday announced a series of new schemes for women and for the housing, energy and education sectors.

“Our government will make sustained efforts for social and economic empowerment of women. We have decided to launch a National Female Literacy Mission, through which female illiteracy will be reduced by half in the next three years,” he said in his Independence Day address to the nation.

Four militants killed in gun battle with army

by

Jammu, August 15: Four terrorists have been killed in a gun battle with the Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir, a defence official said Saturday.

The army raided the militants’ hideout in the forested area of Mahore, 175 km from here, Thursday. The terrorists were killed Friday night, the source said.

“The gun battle is still on,” the official told IANS.

Early this week, security forces had gunned down four militants, three of them of the Hizbul Mujahadeen outfit, in the same area.

–IANS

Efforts to be made to control rising food prices: PM

by

New Delhi, August 15: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday said all efforts would be made to control the rising prices of foodgrains, pulses and other goods of daily use.

“We have adequate stocks of food grains. All efforts will be made to control the rising prices of food grains, pulses and other goods of daily use. I appeal to all state governments to exercise their statutory powers to prevent hoarding and black marketing of essential commodities,” Manmohan Singh said in his address to the nation on Independence Day.

Taslima to return to India in January

by

New Delhi, August 14: Armed with a six-month extension of her visa to stay in India, controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen said on Friday that she
is travelling to the United States this month to work as a research scholar at the New York University and will return to her “adopted country” in January next year.

Taslima expressed her gratitude to the Indian government for extending her visa till February 16 and said she would return to the United States to continue to work as a research scholar at New York University.

Ishrat case: Anguished mother deserves truth

by

Ahmedabad, August 14: Shamima Kauser has demanded a CBI investigation into the encounter in which her daughter, Ishrat Jahan, was killed. Her plea is that the police officers involved in the encounter, had also investigated it later.

How did the police officers know the names and addresses of all the four persons killed in the encounter? Shamima’s petition says the investigation was flawed right from the beginning.

President addresses nation on I-Day eve; cautions against corruption

by

New Delhi, August 14: Cautioning against corruption in flagship welfare programmes, President Pratibha Patil on Friday favoured reform of governance for effective delivery of public services for which administrators must be responsive to the needs of the people.

In her address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day, Patil said that the country has to be prepared to face the situation arising out of poor monsoon and asked the citizens to cooperate with the government in handling the swine flu situation.

Shiney Ahuja stays in the film!

by

Mumbai, August 12: There is a big shadow of doubt over jailed actor Shiney Ahuja’s film career. DNA s has learnt through sources that he was about to lose a special cameo that he did for Vinod Pande’s forthcoming film Chaloo Movie being funded by Reliance Big Pictures had the director not put his foot down.

No ‘specific’ terror inputs ahead of I day: HM

by

New Delhi, August 12: Home Minister P Chidamabaram today said there are no “specific” inputs about any possible terror attack in run up to the country’s 63rd Independence day celebrations.

Asked if the government has any specific intelligence inputs suggesting possible terror attack in wake of independence day celebrations, the Minister said, “No specific inputs”.

‘China blocking sanctions against JeM chief’

by

New Delhi, August 12: With China blocking UN Security Council sanctions against Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar, India has provided detailed information to it about his involvement in terror activities and hopes Beijing would support the move.

The issue figured during the talks between Special Representatives — National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and Chinese State Councillor Dai Bingguo — here last Friday and Saturday.

Plot to assassinate Lankan President unearthed

by

Colombo, August 11: An alleged plot to assassinate Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a suicide bombing with the help of LTTE has come to light during the course of investigation into the killing of a local councillor.

A suspect identified as Madusha Lakshman, who was arrested in connection with the killing of Southern Provincial Councilor Danny Hiththetiyage, would now be grilled by the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) sleuths over the alleged plot to assassinate Rajapaksa in his hometown in southern Madamulana.

Seven years on, trial begins in a post-Godhra riot case

by

Ahmedabad, August 11: Trial in the Gulburg Society riot case of 2002 began in the special court here today with framing of charges against the accused in the incident, in which 69 persons including ex-MP Eshan Jaffery was killed.

Designated Judge B U Joshi today framed charges against 62 of the 63 accused and directed the investigating officer to submit the original document of the case in the court by August 20, date for next hearing.

Hackers can ‘steal’ ballots from electronic voting machines

by

Washington, August 11: Computer scientists have demonstrated how criminals could hack an electronic voting machine (EVM) and ‘steal’ votes using a malicious programming approach that had not been invented when the voting machine was designed.

The team of scientists from the Universites of California, San Diego, Michigan and Princeton employed “return-oriented programming” to force an electronic voting machine to turn against itself.

Andhra on alert following swine flu deaths

by

Hyderabad, August 10: Andhra Pradesh, which reported the first swine flu case in India, is on alert to check the spread of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus that has affected 74 people in the state and claimed six lives in the country.

Health Minister D. Nagender told reporters Monday that the health authorities were fully alert and all precautionary steps were being taken to ensure that the virus does not spread. He asked people not to panic in view of the deaths reported from Pune, Mumbai and Chennai.

Maharashtra Closes schools & Colleges

by

Pune, August 10: The Government today ordered closure of schools and colleges in Pune, where swine flu has claimed three lives so far.

“All schools, colleges and private coaching classes in Pune and neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad would remain closed for seven days,” district guardian minister Ajit Pawar told reporters here.

“We will compensate for the gap by reducing Diwali holidays by a week,” he said.

Schools and colleges should use the week’s period to get their premises disinfected and sterilised, Pawar said.

Michael Jackson burried in Hollywood

by

London, August 10: ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson has finally been laid to rest without any grand ceremony.

The ‘Thriller’ hitmaker, who died at the age of 50 on June 25, was buried at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood Hills without a fan in sight, Mirror online reported.

Jackson’s family has gone to extraordinary lengths to keep the exact location secret as they are reportedly worried that his followers will throng the resting place of their idol.

They are even considering moving Jackson’s body if security becomes an issue, the newspaper said.

Sania goes down to Dubois in Vancouver final

by

Vancouver, August 10: India’s Sania Mirza failed in her attempt to win back-to-back International Tennis Federation (ITF) titles as local girl Stephanie Dubois outlasted her in three sets to become the first Canadian to capture the Vancouver Open women’s singles title here.

Top-seeded Sania, who jumped nine places to be 74 in the latest world rankings released Monday after wining the Lexington Open the week before last, was beaten by the 22-year-old second-seeded Quebec girl 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the $175,000 tournament here Sunday.