Month: August 2009

Three new swine flu cases in Chandigarh

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Chandigarh, August 30: Three new swine flu cases — an NRI and two teenage boys — have been reported here, taking the number of people infected with the H1N1 virus in this city to 15, health officials said here Sunday.

A 14-year-old boy, a resident of neighbouring Panchkula town who returned from Hong Kong a few days back, is one of the patients. He had contacted doctors of the government hospital here in Sector 32 Thursday with complaints of a runny nose and high fever.

Junior doctors’ strike claims 32 lives in Bihar

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Patna, Augsut 30: Thirty two patients admitted to the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) have died amid a strike by junior doctors that entered its fourth day Sunday, authorities said.

‘Eleven patients died in the last 24 hours alone (Saturday and Sunday) due to lack of doctors and treatment in the hospital,’ a government official said.

Six patients died during the first 12 hours of the strike beginning Wednesday, followed by 15 on Thursday and Friday, he said.

Back up while driving to avoid damage to neck, spine

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Delhi, August 30: On a frightful Friday evening in mid-August when stormy winds blew away a portion of the roof at Delhi Airport, 41-year-old Preetha Nair was stuck at the wheels for four hours, like thousands of others.

The rains played havoc with traffic and Nair, on her way home, was among the tide of office-goers trapped on the roads. The next day saw Nair, a media professional, confined to her bed with an excruciating back pain brought on by her hours in the car.

Police crack down on Gujarat small chemical units

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Ahmedabad, August 30: A day after three people died here after consuming methyl solvent mistaking it for locally-brewed liquor, police have started a drive against small industrial units manufacturing such chemicals, officials said Sunday.

A senior crime branch official said police were identifying such small industrial units who make chemicals that are misused by bootleggers.

The official said the three people who died in Ahmedabad Saturday had not consumed illicit liquor but methanol solvent which they bought from a bootlegger.

CM asks officials to issue GO by Aug 31

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Hyderabad, August 30: Expressing surprise for keeping an issue (relating to police personnel) pending for a long time, Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy today ordered senior officials concerned to issue a GO by Monday (August 31) effecting 30 percent hike in salaries of the staff working in Crime Investigation Department, Andhra Pradesh Police Academy, Intelligence Bureau and Police Training Centres in the State.

No games with people, please!

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Hyderabad, August 30: CPI State secretary K Narayana has advised Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy not to play games with people as they are already suffering on all fronts.

“Let the Chief Minister and TDP president Chandrababu Naidu play games with each other. There is no objection to it but let the both refrain from playing games with people which will be highly objectionable’’ Narayana said.

TD backs State’s efforts to get K-G gas royalty

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Hyderabad, August 30: Alleging that the Centre was looting the State’s money, Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu today said that the State Government should get 50 per cent of royalty on the gas produced in the Krishna-Godavari Basin.

Satyam fraud is a system failure: CM

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Hyderabad, August 30: Stating that the Rs 7,800 crore accounting fraud at Satyam Computer Services Ltd., is a blot in the entire system, Chief Minister Y S Rajashekhara Reddy urged the practising chartered accountants to be cautious while auditing the books of accounts.

Newspapers have bright future, says Jaipal

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Hyderabad, August 30: Though the TV news channels have been mushrooming, the print media has an eternal value for its analytical news, Union Minister for Urban Development S Jaipal Reddy has said.

Addressing a gathering after releasing a book `India Gate’ here today, Jaipal Reddy said that it is not easy for TV channels to present analytical news like the newspapers.

“The newspapers have a bright future,” he predicted. He further said that in an hurry to give latest news updates every hour, the TV news channels were in fact churning out news.

‘Maoists cannot claim human rights’

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Hyderabad, August 30: Those who believe in and follow the `gun philosophy and culture’ in a democratic country like India have no right to take shelter under human rights, Parliament member M Venkaiah Naidu has said.

Speaking at a fucntion to mark the release of a book, `Internal Security _ Maoists’, written by Krishna Patrika editor Piratla Venkateswarlu, the senior BJP leader said that following the democratic system was the only solution to achieve overall development of any society.

‘VVIP’ threatens to raise a ‘bumper’ issue

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Hyderabad, August 30: What would be the cost of a car bumper? A few thousands. But a young Sardar, whose four-wheeler hit a Santro belonging to a VVIP had to pay much more. The illustrious man in question forced the youngman to cough up Rs 10,000, snatched his Nokia mobile worth Rs 13,000 and to top it all, seized his Maruti van.

All this, besides detaining him for two hours. The Sardar was given a Rs 100- note and asked to go home at midnight.

The Banjara Hills police, who are investigating this rather unusual case, are hunting for the Santro owner.

‘Use green, Bengal gram instead of red gram’

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Hyderabad, August 30: In the light of rise in prices of red gram and rice, Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy has suggested the officials concerned to take steps for usage of green gram and bengal gram etc in place of red gram in the meals provided to schoolchildren under the mid-day meal programme.

He also wanted them to use wheat along with the rice to schoolchildren.

‘Advani to continue, no second term for Rajnath’

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New Delhi, August 30: Rajnath Singh will not get another term as BJP president, says party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar.

He also said there would be no change in leadership in Lok Sabha. L K Advani will continue as Leader of the Opposition.

Rajnath Singh has also written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking him to stop worrying about BJP and instead tackle drought and price rise, said Javadekar.

–PTI–

YSR, Babu ‘colluded’ with Modi: Chiru

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Kakinada, August 30: Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) president Chiranjeevi today alleged that Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy and former chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu have `colluded’ with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on the production of gas and its royalties issue in the KG Basin.

Because of the `match fixing,’ the duo were not uttering a word on the gas share from Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC), he remarked.

Swine flu now going straight to lungs: WHO

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Washington, August 30: Doctors are reporting a severe form of swine flu that goes straight to the lungs, causing severe illness in otherwise healthy young people and requiring expensive hospital treatment, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday.

Some countries are reporting that as many as 15 percent of patients infected with the new H1N1 pandemic virus need hospital care, further straining already overburdened healthcare systems, WHO said in an update on the pandemic.

KIA launches Ramadan sales

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Jeddah, August 30: KIA Motors-Al Jabr Automotive Saudi Arabia has launched an unprecedented campaign to promote sales of KIA vehicles during the summer season, which this year includes Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr.

Leaders condemn attack on Prince Muhammad

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Jeddah, August 30: Thursday evening’s attack on Prince Muhammad Bin Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Assistant Interior Minister for Security Affairs, came in for strong condemnation by leaders of the Muslim World, religious figures and several other Islamic organizations.

Qaeda attack on Prince part of wider plot

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Riyadh, August 30: The failed assassination attempt on Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, Assistant Minister of Interior for Security Affairs, Thursday night was planned by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula which operates from Yemen, sources confirmed.
The suicide bomber was recruited by Yemeni Nasser Al-Wohaishi, known also by the nom de guerre Abu Baseer, the sources said.

Al-Wohaishi is the head of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which had announced in an Internet posting last January the merger of the Saudi and Yemeni branches of Al-Qaeda.

Hunt for 2 Black men in abduction of Saudi woman

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Ohio, August 30: Police are on the look out for two African-American men wanted in connection with the kidnapping of a Saudi woman at knife-point while out shopping in Houston two weeks ago, sources said.

The woman was kidnapped on Aug. 14 by two knife-wielding men who forced her into a van where she was bound, the Saudi consulate said Tuesday.

PRINCE MUHAMMAD BIN NAIF RECEIVES REHMAN MALIK

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Jeddah, August 30: Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, Assistant Minister of Interior for Security Affairs, receives Rehman Malik, Pakistan’s Interior Minister at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saturday.

King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is expected to receive the Pakistani minister in Jeddah Sunday, according to Pakistani media reports. Prince Muhammad was the target of an assassination attempt by a suicide bomber Thursday night at his home in Jeddah.

Alternative punishments for juveniles in the offing

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Jeddah, August 30: The ministries of Justice and Social Affairs are looking into alternative punishments for juvenile offenders with a test case due to be started at one correction center.

The ministries want to see a reduction in the number of inmates at juvenile correction houses and, according to an official at the Ministry of Social Affairs, will be looking at alternatives to jail sentences with judges, the Commission for Investigation and Prosecution, the police, prison authorities and the Emir’s Office to see the results of the test case.

High costs fuel Mideast district cooling market

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Jeddah, August 30: In a region where the temperature frequently exceeds 45 degree Celsius and air conditioning requirements consume 70 percent of the power during peak electricity demand, district cooling is emerging as the most viable cooling solution in the Middle East, Frost & Sullivan’s new report titled “Analysis of the District Cooling Market in the Middle East Region” said.

It noted that by 2013, the district cooling market in the region is expected to have an additional capacity of 4.5 million tonnage of refrigeration (TR).

Consular services for EP Filipinos canceled

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Dammam, August 30″ Philippines Embassy consular services in the Eastern Province, Qassim, Hail and other regions outside Riyadh have been postponed indefinitely due to lack of funds, a press statement said.

The monthly consular services included passport renewal, attestation of documents and labor counseling.

The disruption in services came in an embassy announcement canceling the scheduled “Embassy on Wheels” event in Al-Khobar Sept. 3-4 to provide consular services to Filipinos in EP, which includes the Dammam Greater Area, Jubail, Khafji, Hafer Al-Batin and Al-Ahsa,

TOGETHER AGAINST TERRORISM

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Kabul, August 30: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown shakes hand with Gulab Mangal, governor of Afghanistan’s Helmand province during their meeting in Lashkar Gah south of Kabul. Brown flew Saturday to the city of Lashkar Gah, where British troops have been waging a tough fight against Taleban.

–Agencies–

Abandoned in care homes, elderly people live in misery

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Madina, August 30: Ramadan is a time when people unite in the mosques and at homes, and so is an especially tough time for those who have been forgotten or abandoned, as many elderly people feel has happened to them after being placed in care homes.

Some may say they are the victims of the erosion of values and Islamic traditions, as they have been left by their children to what one person describes as “a fate worse than death”.