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Lethal Sars virus kills more people in Asia, Canada

          Hong Kong, Apr 13: The lethal SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) virus has shown few signs of its pulling out with more deaths reported from across Asia and Canada. The largest outbreak of SARS outside Asia killed ... (Contd)

Three Malaysian journalists kidnapped in Iraq

          Kuala Lumpur, Apr 13: Three Malaysian journalists covering the war in Iraq have been kidnapped by armed assailants in Baghdad, Malaysia's acting prime minister said on Sunday. The team included a reporter, a photographer and a camera crew member, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was quoted as saying by the national news agency, Bernama. The incident occurred Saturday morning, but no other details were immediately available.

          The journalists were part of a 28-member batch that left for Iraq last week. They were funded by the Malaysian government, which entrusted them with balanced coverage of the war after accusing Western news organizations of biased reporting in Iraq. Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim Southeast Asian nation, has unstintingly opposed the U.S.-led war in Iraq, saying it would harm innocent civilians, fuel international terrorism and worsen the global economy.

Syria rejects US allegations (Go To Top)

          Damascus, Apr 13: Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Farooque Shara roundly rejected the US accusations that Damascus had provided a hiding place for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and supplied Saddam's army with military equipment to resist the three-week-old US-led invasion. The Americans know perfectly well that these accusations are without basis, the Syrian minister said. They have found no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. How can the Americans accuse Syria of having what they can't find on Iraqi territory, he asked.

Threat of attack on allied forces in Basra, Mosul (Go To Top)

          London, Apr 13: The coalition forces could face bigger attacks in Basra and Mosul in coming few days, the world media repoted. The cities are tense with clouds of smoke and roads littered with the burnt vehicles. People have taken arms for protection of their properties and lives in the arson and looting ravaged post- war Baghdad. Meanwhile, a British daily said that Saddam Hussein had invited hundreds of Arab fighters to wage holy war against the US-led coalition. They had links with Osama Bin Laden and his Al Qaida network, a US official claimed.

Weapons of mass destruction could be unearthed in Iraq: Blix (Go To Top)

          London, Apr 13: United Nations chief arms inspector Hans Blix said weapons of mass destruction could be unearthed in Iraq and it is premature to call Iraq free of the WMDs, a press report said on Sunday. In an interview with a Swiss newpaper, he said perhaps Saddam had not used the weapons of mass destruction in the war in view of the international public opinion.

Split in Bihar unit of Samata Party widens (Go To Top)

          Patna, Apr 13: The split in Bihar unit of Samata Party was wide open during an important meeting of the party executive.The meeting was called by Nitish loyalist and M.P Vashisth Narayan Singh. Not even a single member from George faction participated in the meeting. In the meanwhile, members of George faction called for a separate meeting in Darbhanga. It is believed that in the next meeting of party executive the split would be formally announced.

Congress workers destroy VC Shukla's name plates (Go To Top)

          Raipur, Apr 13: The news of VC Shukla joining Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party did not go well with Congress workers in Chhattisgarh. In order to express their anger towards Shukla they broke down all the name plates and things associated with Shukla in the Congress office. Congress workers said that Shukla has betrayed the Congress and therefore there should be nothing in the Congress office to signify his association with Congress.

           "When he (Shukla) is no more with Congress,we think that there should not be any thing related to him in Congress Party. That is why we broke his name plates," said Ezaz Debar, NSUI president.

BJP leaders remember god at election time: Sonia (Go To Top)

          Bhopal, Apr 13: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying its only aim was to grab power by hook or by crook. "For (Bharatiya Janata Party) and its allies, politics is merely a game of power. That is precisely the reason why they always try to come up with new issues before each election. The BJP leaders remember God only when the elections are approaching," said Ms Gandhi, while addressing a huge rally in Bhopal.

Orissa Minister resigns (Go To Top)

          Bolangir, Apr 13: Orissa Minister for Industries K.V. Singh Deo resigned from the state government on Saturday night. Sources close to him said he stepped down as a mark of protest against the misuse of money meant for development projects in his assembly constituency in Bolangir. The minister reportedly faxed his resignation letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

War Memorial likely in Capital (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, Apr 13: The Centre is looking for a piece of land in the Capital to build a national war memorial in memory of those who laid down their lives fighting for the country. According to sources, the land would be somewhere near Rajpath. Defence Minister George Fernandes was quoted as saying that the Government was on the lookout for a piece of land measuring around 17 acres in the heart of the national capital. The project is said to the brainchild of Fernandes, and would be the first of its kind after Independence.

Beijing too affected by Sars (Go To Top)

          Beijing, Apr 13: The World Health Organisation has added Beijing to the list of cities affected by the new killer pneumonia. It has come as a blow to the Chinese government which has been claiming that the outbreak of the killer disease that has claimed nearly 120 lives worldwide has been "effectively contained" on the Chinese mainland. "Besides Beijing, other 'affected areas' in China include Guangdong province, Hong Kong special administrative region, Shanxi province, and Taiwan province," WHO said in a press release.

Lethal Sars virus kills more people in Asia, Canada (Go To Top)

          (Contd) ... three more people in Toronto, taking the toll in Canada to 13, according to a report in BBC. Two people in China's remote northern region of Inner Mongolia have died from the mysterious virus, reinforcing fears about the spread of the disease. It has infected more than 3,000 people and killed 117 across the world since it first appeared in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong in November.

          The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that the epidemic is being contained elsewhere in the world, but they are worried about China. The WHO's head of global alert and response co- ordination, Mike Ryan, said surveillance systems in many provinces were not strong enough to pick up all of China's cases, the report said.

           Earlier, the Chinese news agency reported that 10 cases were reported in the regional capital of Hohhot. China said on Friday that 58 people had died in six provinces around the country and another 1,300 were ill.

           In Canada, an 80-year-old woman died on Friday night, while an 86-year-old woman and a 73-year-old woman died on Saturday. Moreover, 274 probable or suspect cases have been reported, up from 266, Health Canada said on Saturday. The WHO has launched its first ever global alert because of the disease which has created panic in much of Asia, the worst-hit region. But the organisation says there are signs that Sars may have peaked, the report added.

          David Heyman, head of communicable diseases, said that even in Hong Kong, which has the highest incidence after mainland China, there were signs that local health authorities were beginning to win the battle. This was despite the fact Hong Kong reported 61 fresh cases on Friday, more than double the previous day.