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Saudi Arabia reports second A/H1N1 flu death

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Riyadh, July 31:Saudi Arabia Thursday reported the second A/H1N1 flu death in the country, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said citing the health ministry.

A 28-year-old Indonesian woman was taken to Dammam central hospital Monday and died Thursday, the ministry said.

This is the third A/H1N1 death report in Arab countries since July 19.

Egypt confirmed July 19 the first influenza A/H1N1 death, a 28-year-old Egyptian woman who came back from Saudi Arabia after making Umrah (pilgrimage to Makkah at any time of the year).

Shah Rukh buys 20 mn pounds apartment in London

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London, July 26 : Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has reportedly bought a 20 million pounds apartment in a posh area of London.

The actor, who was recently awarded a doctorate by the University of Bedfordshire for his contribution to Indian cinema, is a regular visitor to the city and spends a good amount of time there with his family.

He had been hunting for a house for a long time and has finally zeroed in on an apartment in the Park Lane area of central London, reports theasiannews.co.uk.

WHO: 700 deaths from swine flu recorded

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Geneva, July 22: The World Health Organisation Tuesday said the death toll from swine flu had risen to 700 globally.

By comparison, seasonal flu, the common variety of influenza which normally hits during the winter months, kills about 500,000 people each year.

An official at the WHO headquarters in Geneva said the organisation did not have a death ratio for the virus and was still compiling data.

The disease was first reported to have broken out in mid-April in North America, which remains the hardest-hit region.

Cloudy skies mar solar eclipse

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New Delhi, July 22:Cloudy skies in large parts of northern and western India Wednesday marred a clear view of the century’s longest total solar eclipse but the celestial spectacle was clearly visible over Varanasi.

Tens of thousands of people across the country rose early to see the eclipse that was to begin at the earliest at 5:29 a.m. and end at 7:41 a.m. in India.

It was to have been cleary visible in places like Surat, Indore, Bhopal, Varanasi, Patna, Taregna near Patna, Daman, Darjeeling, Dibrugarh, Gangtok, Gaya, Itanagar, Ujjain and Vadodra.

No need to worry about Solar Eclips:Expert

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Hyderabad, July 20:The Energy and Radiation Research Foundation president, Dr K V Ranga Rao, has stated that the people of the country need not worry about the July 22 eclipse as it is a natural phenomenon in the solar system.

Scientists tune world’s brightest X-ray beam in Germany

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Hamburg, July 20:The most intense X-ray beam of its type in the world has been generated inside a 2,300-metre circular tunnel under the German city of Hamburg, the Desy research institute said Monday.

The machine, which cost 225 million euros ($297 million), was switched on in April, but unlike a light bulb it takes weeks to tune up.

The X-ray light came Saturday. More months will now be spent adjusting measuring devices. Next year, scientists can begin actually using the machine to peer at atomic structures in proteins, cancer cells and the like.

Two cops suspended after man’s death in custody

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Kolkata, July 20 (IANS) Two policemen were suspended Monday after a 22-year-old man allegedly committed suicide in lock-up, police said. The family of the victim, however, allege that he was tortured to death in custody.

“The incident took place at Alipur police station in Kolkata Sunday night when Sambhu Das, a resident of Chetla’s Gopalnagar locality, committed suicide in the police lock-up after he suffered from withdrawal symptom,” Deputy Commissioner (Detective Department) Jawed Shamim told IANS.

Apex court refuses to stay gay sex verdict

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New Delhi, July 20:The Supreme Court Monday refused to suspend a Delhi High Court ruling decriminalising consensual homosexuality in private between two adults, maintaining that the ruling has no “penal consequences” and also does not approve of adultery or incestuous sex as is being feared.

A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice P. Sathasivam refused to suspend the high court verdict after Attorney General Goolam E. Vahanvati indicated lack of keenness by the government in seeking a stay on the ruling.

Notice to Varun on petition challenging his election

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Lucknow, July 20:The Allahabad High Court Monday issued notice to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Varun Gandhi on a petition by his uncle challenging his election from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh.

Varun Gandhi’s uncle V.M. Singh had filed the petition July 1 and the court asked the BJP MP to clear his stand over the issue and listed the case for Aug 25 for the next hearing.

Singh, a Congress leader, had lost the election to Varun Gandhi.

Three telecom operators under government scanner

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New Delhi, July 20:The government has sought clarification from three private sector telecom operators for not reporting income from selling handsets along with their connections, a union minister said Monday.

“The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has sought clarification from Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Esar and Idea Cellular for not showing income from bundling handsets along with connections, for the purpose of calculating revenue share payable to the exchequer,” Minister of State for Communications and IT Gurudas Kamat told the Lok Sabha.

14 Afghan civilians killed in bomb blast, mistaken shooting

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Kabul, July 20:Eleven civilians including a woman and a child were killed in a bomb blast in southwestern Afghanistan, while NATO-led German forces killed three civilians after mistaking them for Taliban militants in the northern region, officials said Monday.

The 11 civilians were travelling in a minibus in Gulistan district of Farah province Sunday when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb, Abdul Raouf Ahmadi, spokesman for police forces in the western region, said.

Suspend all talks with Pak, demands Advani

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Pune, July 20:Leader of Opposition L K Advani today demanded suspension of all official talks with Islamabad until a credible proof of necessary action against perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attack was given to it.

India should seek extradition of all those involved in cross-border terrorism, including Dawood Ibrahim, who has been given shelter in Pakistan, he said at a function to release Marathi translation of his autobiography “My country, My Life” here.

Indian pop star Sunidhi Chauhan wows South Africans

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Johannesburg, July 20:Indian pop queen Sunidhi Chauhan enthralled South Africans with a whirlwind tour of two cities at the weekend, belting out all her frenetic-paced hits with a stage energy to match.

After performing in Durban the night before, the troupe played into the early hours of Sunday at the Carnival City arena here.

Imran Khan’s ‘Luck’ promises death-defying stunts

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New Delhi, July 20: He became popular right after his hit debut, but his last film “Kidnap” didn’t do him much good. Now Bollywood’s latest heartthrob Imran Khan is hoping to hit the bull’s eye with the edge-of-the-seat thriller “Luck”, which releases Friday.

The film is important for not only Imran but also director Soham Shah and its debutante leading lady Shruthi Haasan.

Centre not to take hasty decision on gay sex: Moily

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Chennai, July 20: Taking note of sentiments expressed by different sections of the society, the Centre today said it would not take a hasty decision on legalising homosexuality.

“We have taken note of sentiments expressed by cross sections of people and that is why the government is not hasty to form its opinion to be submitted to Supreme Court,” Union Law and Justice Minister M Veerappa Moily told reporters here.

I used to be a terrible actress: Priyanka Chopra

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Mumbai, July 20:She is one of the reigning stars in Bollywood, but Priyanka Chopra says she was a very bad actress when she debuted with “Andaaz” six years ago. While the former Miss World has set high goals for herself and is experimenting with roles like never before, she is also clear about what she is looking for in her ‘Mr. Right’.

Iran frees British embassy staffer on bail

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Tehran, July 20:Iran Sunday freed a British embassy staffer, the last of nine arrested on suspicion in fomenting dissent after alleged fraud in Iran’s June 12 presidential elections.

Hossein Rassam, chief analyst of the British embassy, had been detained for more than three weeks. He was released on a bail amounting to almost $100,000.

Rassam was picked up from the notorious Evin prison in northern Tehran by his wife and lawyer.

Rassam told his wife that he was well and happy to get back home.

RPF jawan accidentally fires at Metro station

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Kolkata, July 19:An RPF jawan “accidentally” fired from his gun at the Rabindra Sarobar Metro station here this evening but nobody was injured, Metro sources said.

“A bullet went off from a Railway Protection Force jawan’s carbine gun at 6 pm. He was on duty at the installation section and there was no people around so nobody was hurt in the incident,” Metro PRO P Dutta said.

Chhattisgarh police had idea of Maoist attack, says chief miister

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Raipur, July 19:Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh Sunday rejected reports that spurt in Maoist violence in the state was basically due to failure of intelligence network.

Singh, who travelled Sunday to the site in Rajnandgaon district where Maoists killed 29 state policemen in an ambush July 12, said police had prior information of Maoists’ possible attack in the district but police suffered casualties as it was a “well coordinated flash attack” of the rebels.

Engineer robbed and killed in Ghaziabad

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Ghaziabad, July 19: An engineer working with the Uttarakhand Public Works Department (PWD) was robbed and killed here, police said Sunday.

The incident occurred late Friday night, but the victim Shish Pal Negi’s body was only found Saturday night in Sector 5 of Vasundhara locality under Indirapuram police station of Ghaziabad, police said.

Negi was a junior engineer with the Uttarakhand PWD.

Pakistan, terrorism to figure in Hillary-Krishna talks

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New Delhi, July 19:India and the US are expected to launch a new chapter in the strategic partnership tomorrow when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton holds talks with External Affairs Minister S M Krishna during which Pakistan and terrorism are likely to figure prominently. Clinton, who arrived in Mumbai on Thursday on her first trip to India as head of the State Department, reached Delhi this afternoon.

If new tax law comes, I won’t give money, Swraj Paul tells Labour

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London, July 19:Indian-born steel tycoon Lord Swraj Paul, a high-profile supporter of Labour, says he will stop bankrolling Britain’s ruling party if he is forced to give up his non-domicile tax status under a proposed legislation. He is supported by other high-profile Indian-origin businessmen like Sir Ghulam Noon.

Billionaire Paul, founder and chairman of the Caparo Group of industries, is a long-standing Labour backer, and had promised to bankroll the cash-starved party at the coming general elections due by June 3, 2010.

Meaningful dialogue will depend on Pakistan’s action against terror: Manmohan

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New Delhi, July 17 (IANS) With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staging a walk-out in parliament in protest against “capitulation” to Pakistan over cross-border terrorism, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday said action on terrorism by Pakistan should not await other developments, including resumption of the composite dialogue.

Nepal’s oldest green resort closes

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Kathmandu, July 17:Nepal’s oldest green resort, founded in the early 1960s by a legendary British tourism entrepreneur who also gave this country its famous elephant polo tourneys, has been forced to shut down after its lease expired and the new government was not able to extend it immediately.

The Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge, located in the heart of the national park in southern Nepal’s Chitwan district, a major tourist attraction, was founded by Jim Edwards, who came to Nepal via Iran, Afghanistan and New Delhi, and decided to make it his home.

Exide plans Rs.100 crore investment in this fiscal

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Kolkata, July 17:The country’s largest lead acid battery maker, Exide Industries, will invest around Rs.100 crore in 2009-10 on augmenting its capacity by 15 percent, a top company official said here Friday.

“The investment will go into our plants in Haldia and Hosur and 50 percent of the money will be spent on increasing our industrial battery output,” Exide managing director T.V. Ramanathan told reporters on the sidelines the company’s annual general meeting.