Month: June 2014

MERS toll surges to 282 in Saudi Arabia

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The death toll from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus in Saudi Arabia has surged to 282 after recalculations, the health ministry announced Tuesday.

A total of 688 cases have been confirmed in the Gulf kingdom since the first case was registered in 2012, according to the ministry’s rigorous review. Of those infected, 53 are reportedly receiving treatment, Xinhua reported.

Before the review, the ministry’s latest tally of cases reached 575, with 190 deaths.

22 killed in China mine accident

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Twenty-two people were killed in a coal mine accident Tuesday evening in southwest China’s Chongqing municipality, authorities said.

Rescuers have retrieved the bodies of all the missing miners, Xinhua quoted the officials as saying.

The accident occurred at 5:40 p.m. at the Yanshitai Coal Mine in Wansheng district, according to the Chongqing Municipal Administration of Coal Mine Safety, which said it was a “gas incident”.

At least 28 miners were working down the shaft at the time of the accident, it added. Six of them managed to escape, with two injured in the process.

Death toll in eastern Ukraine uprising touches 181

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The death toll from a separatist uprising in eastern Ukraine has climbed to 181 with over 300 people injured so far, the country’s acting Prosecutor General Oleg Makhnytsky said Tuesday.

“Terrorists’ actions in Donetsk and Lugansk regions killed 181 and injured 293 people. At least 59 Ukrainian soldiers are among those killed,” Xinhua quoted Makhnytsky as saying Tuesday.

Since the beginning of the unrest, Ukrainian authorities have opened 675 protest-related criminal cases, Makhnytsky said.

Syria extends presidential voting period

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Syria’s electoral committee Tuesday extended the presidential voting period for another five hours in view of a high voter turnout, the media reported.

“The closing time for voting has been pushed to midnight in all provinces due to high turnout,” the official SANA news agency quoted Syria’s Higher Judicial Committee for Election as saying, according to Xinhua.

Syria’s general election started at 7:00 a.m. Tuesday amid criticism from Western countries and threats from the armed opposition. It was previously scheduled to end at 7:00 p.m.

Hear out common people, workers, Karat tells Bengal party leadership

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CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat Tuesday advised the West Bengal party leadership to patiently hear criticism and suggestions of the common people and draw lessons from them to build up movements despite the “tough situation” that the party was passing through.

Addressing the concluding session of the state committee here, Karat said the party leadership’s immediate focus should be on standing by the people who are the victims of atrocities let loose by the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Death toll in Nepal bus crash now 20, seven Indians identified

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The death toll in Monday’s bus accident in Gothibang in Nepal increased to 20 Tuesday, and seven of them have been identified as Indians, an official said.

Ram Bahadur Kurumbang, chief district officer of Pyuthan district, said the Indians were identified as Suresh Kumar Sahu, 16, Gop Raj Gupta, 70, Saraswoti Sahani, 62, Suresh Sau, 15, Urmila Pandey, 66, Suvadra Yadav, 65, and Pinku Ojha, 24.

At least 17 people were killed Monday when a jampacked bus swerved off the road and plunged into the Madi river in Gothibang.

Sharapova fights back to enter French Open semis

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Maria Sharapova made a superb turnabout as she fought back from one set down to reach the French Open semifinal with a 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory over Garbine Muguruza.

Seventh seed Sharapova, the 2012 winner, seemed in trouble as she lost the first set in 27 minutes to 20-year-old Muguruza, the winner over defending champion Serena Williams in the second round.

But she produced an inspiring fight back to grind down the Spanish player to win in two hours and six minutes.

Egypt’s al-Sisi officially declared president

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Egypt’s former military chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi was Tuesday officially announced as the new president of the country by the presidential election commission.

Al-Sisi achieved a landslide victory over leftist candidate Hamdeen Sabahy in the three-day presidential polls held last month.

“Presidential candidate Abdel-Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil al-Sisi got 23,780,104 votes, which represents 96.91 percent of the votes,” Xinhua quoted Judge Anwar al-Assi, chairman of the election commission, as saying in a press conference Tuesday.

23 students fall ill after mid-day meal in Dholpur

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Twenty three students fell ill after consuming mid-day meal in Rajasthan’s Dholpur on Tuesday and were admitted to hospital, officials said. All had recovered and were discharged in the evening.

The incident occurred at Panjipura Anganwadi centre in Kanchanpur area in Dholpur, over 250 km from Jaipur.

“A centre worker was serving meal (porridge) to students in the morning. After consuming it, the students started to complain of stomach pain and a few vomited. The children were rushed to a local hospital immediately,” a district administration official said on phone.

Fed up of wife’s medical treatment, elderly man kills her, then commits suicide

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A 72-year-old man allegedly committed suicide after giving poison to his ailing wife in Bagunhatu locality in Jamshedpur, police said on Tuesday. Lakhinder Mukhi, a retired Tata Steel employee, hanged himself after making his wife, Sabitri, who was seriously ill for several months, consume Phenyle last evening, police said.

Police recovered a suicide note in which Mukhi had stated that he was fed up with the treatment of his wife as there was hardly any improvement despite spending all the savings. No one should be held responsible for the incident, the note said.

Russia to reorganise troops to counter NATO activities

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Russia would reorganise its armed forces to strengthen their mobility as NATO was increasing military activities near the country’s western borders and in Ukraine, a senior Russian official said Tuesday.

“Due to the conflict in Ukraine and considerable NATO reinforcements on our country’s west, we are currently working on proposals related to reorganising troops and army and fleet forces to increase their mobility,” said Vladimir Komoyedov, head of the Defence Committee of the parliament’s lower house, the Duma, reported Xinhua.

Yashwant Sinha sent to jail in electricity official assault case

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Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, a former Union Finance Minister, was sent to jail for two weeks by a court in a case of alleged assault of an electricity official whose hands were tied during protests against blackouts in Jharkhand.

Judicial Magistrate RB Pal sent Sinha and 54 others to judicial custody for 14 days after they refused to take bail.

19 killed in attacks on Iraq’s Fallujah

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At least 19 people were killed and 43 injured Tuesday in shelling in the militant-seized city of Fallujah in Iraq’s western province of Anbar, a medical source said.

Air strikes, artillery and mortar shelling on several neighbourhoods in the city of Fallujah, some 50 km west of the capital Baghdad, left 15 people dead and 40 wounded, Xinhua quoted a source from the city hospital as saying Tuesday.

In addition, a barrage of mortar rounds hit the city municipal office, killing four people and wounding three others, the source said.

All issues will be discussed within the party: Prakash Karat

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Amidst a strong demand within the party for leadership change in the wake of its electoral rout, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat on Tuesday said the questions raised over the party’s political line will be discussed in its next Central Committee meeting.

Another minor girl found hanging from tree in UP, 6 booked

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A 15-year-old girl was allegedly murdered and her body was found hanging from a tree in Misrikh area of the district, police said on Tuesday.

The girl went missing last night from Benipur village and her body was found today in Misrikh area, police said.

While ruling out possibility of rape, police said that the body has been sent for post mortem examination.

Six persons, including a neighbour and his three sons were booked on a complaint filed by the girl’s father, Circle Officer JP Singh said, adding that a hunt has been launched for the accused who are absconding.

—PTI

Air Asia India gets off to a flying start on booking front

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Low-cost carrier Air Asia India, all set to launch operations from next week with a Bangalore- Goa flight, today said tickets for its inaugural service were sold out within 10 minutes.

Tickets for the maiden flight (Bangalore-Goa) were sold out within 10 minutes of opening of bookings. Also, Air Asia India sold out 25,000 promo seats within 48 hours of opening for bookings, the airline said in a release.

Nurse accuses senior doctor of molestation

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A staff nurse posted at primary health centre in Hujoorpur area in Bahraich has accused a senior government doctor and in-charge of the centre of attempting to molest her in an inebriated condition, prompting the health department to order a departmental inquiry.

“Further action will be taken after report of the inquiry comes,” Chief Medical Officer of Bahraich, RK Tandon said on Tuesday, adding that deputy CMO is conducting the probe.

Scorching heat grips New Delhi

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Scorching heat lashed the national capital on Tuesday as the maximum temperature was recorded at 41.7 degree Celsius, a notch above normal.

The minimum temperature of the day settled at 26.5 degree Celsius, a notch below normal.

Humidity levels oscillated between 22 and 69 per cent.

The MeT department has predicted a mainly clear sky for Wednesday but the mercury is expected to soar to 43 degree Celsius and the minimum temperature is likely to settle around 26 degree Celsius.

Sporadic violence in Karachi after MQM chief’s arrest

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Unidentified persons torched four vehicles in the Pakistani commercial hub of Karachi Tuesday following the arrest of MQM leader Altaf Hussain in London on money laundering charges.

Altaf Hussain, the self-exiled leader of the Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), who lives in London, was taken into custody Tuesday by Scotland Yard, Xinhua reported.

Reports earlier suggested that Hussain, 60, was being investigated for money laundering to the tune of nearly 400,000 pounds.

Delhi gangrape case: 2 death row convicts move SC against HC verdict

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Two death row convicts in the December 16, 2012 gangrape case on Monday moved the Supreme Court against the Delhi Helhi Court verdict in the case.

The high court had upheld the death sentence awarded to the four convicts on March 13.

In the horrific gangrape, a 23-year-old physiotherapy student was gnagraped by six men inside a private bus on the roads of Delhi.

Obama reaffirms US security commitment to Central, Eastern Europe

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US President Barack Obama Tuesday said that his country would honour its commitment to the security of Central and Eastern European nations.

“Our commitment to Poland’s security as well as the security of our allies in Central and Eastern Europe is a cornerstone of our own security,” Xinhua cited Obama as saying Tuesday.

Obama inspected a joint unit of US and Polish F-16 pilots with his Polish counterpart, Bronislaw Komorowski at Warsaw’s Chopin Airport.

The president described Poland as “one of the greatest friends and allies” of the United States.

BJP attacks Mamata for not paying homage to former union minister

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The BJP Tuesday condemned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s attitude of mixing “political rivalry with death” after the state government ignored the cremation of its leader and former union minister Tapan Sikdar.

State Bharatiya Janata Party president Rahul Sinha charged Banerjee, who during the day attended a grand ceremony to felicitate Indian Premier League champion Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens, with intentionally ignoring paying homage to her former ministerial colleague.

250 Bangladeshi tribals seek refuge in Tripura

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Over 250 Bangladeshi tribals, mostly Buddhists and Hindus, have entered Tripura seeking refuge after ethnic clashes with non-tribal Muslims in their country, an official said here Tuesday.

“Over 250 men, women and children of Chakma and Tripuri tribes have taken shelter in northern Tripura’s Gandachara area along the international border since Monday after fleeing their villages in Khagrachari district,” Gandachara sub-divisional magistrate Bhaskar Dasgupta told IANS over phone.

Google search will show Badaun-type incidents in other places too: UP CM

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Under intense criticism over Badaun gangrape and murder incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today said a Google search would show such crimes occuring across the country. Yadav made the assertion as he accused the media of playing up incidents taking place in UP.

“When such incidents occur it is publicised a lot…Such incidents don’t occur only in UP and if I give you statistics
across the country you will again ask me questions. It’s Google era. If you go online and check you will see where else such incidents occur,” he told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.

RBI took calibrated approach to balance growth, inflation: FM

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Describing the RBI’s status quo policy as a calibrated approach to strike a balance between growth and inflation, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said the government on its part will address the problem of price rise by improving supplies.

“It is a priority for the government to maintain a balance between growth and inflation …