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27-year-old
dies of swine flu in Bangalore, toll rises to 27
Bangalore:
The death of a woman named Shilpa Hegde, 27, due to swine
flu virus in Bangalore on Sunday, pushed the country’s swine
flu death toll to 27. With the death of Shilpa, the number
of deaths due to swine flu in Bangalore has risen to five.
On Saturday, 26-year-old Shamshad Begum had died at the
Baptist Hospital late. According to Health officials, Shilpa
Hegde and Shamshad Begum fell prey to the infection at different
hospitals and their test reports confirmed they had swine
flu virus. The other three H1N1 virus victims were Rupa,
26, Shivanna, 55, and Manjunath, 28. Terming the incidents
as 'unfortunate', Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa
said his government was looking into what could have gone
wrong in the four cases of swine flu deaths so far. Incidently,
in all these cases, the patients died before medical test
results could confirm swine flu. On August 15, during his
Independence day speech, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh
said that the Central Government was coordinating with the
State Governments to control the swine flu situation and
stated that there is no need to panic or disrupt daily life.
Dr. Singh has said some parts of India are facing increased
cases of swine flu, but there was no need to panic.
India
to raise Shahrukh detention issue with US Govt: Patel Top
Bikaner:
The Government on Sunday said that it intends to strongly
raise the incident related to Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan’s
detention at the Newark International Airport in US, with
the United States. Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel,
reacting to the incident, said that such incidents were
unacceptable. “We will take the issue with the United States
government strongly. Such incidents involving Indians due
to their religion or nationality should not happen. We will
not accept it,” said Praful Patel. Khan was detained for
about two hours on Saturday morning at the airport in New
Jersey , USA , where he had arrived to attend a South Asian
related event. Khan was released after Congress MP Rajiv
Shukla spoke to the authorities in the US and the Indian
consulate. He was detained after his name flashed on a computer
and was asked several questions about the purpose of his
visit.
Muslims
stage protest against Salman Khan’s comment in Mumbai Top
Mumbai: Muslims
on Sunday staged a demonstration against the comment made
by Bollywood actor Salman Khan in Mumbai on Sunday. Reacting
to the detention of Shahrukh Khan at Newark International
Airport in USA, Salman Khan on Saturday said: “Just because
of a few Muslims, billions of the community members face
problems, which is not right,” after playing a celebrity
football match in Mumbai on Saturday. The reaction didn't
go down well with a section of community, as they reached
Shahrukh's house as to show solidarity with him and to express
anger against Salman's comment. Protesters raised slogans
against Salman and were planning a protest march from Shahrukh's
house to Salman's house. But, the police didn't allow it
and detained a few protestors. Meanwhile, Bollywood actress
Priyanka Chopra termed Shahrukh's detention at US airport
as ‘unfortunate’. “It is something I feel terrible about.
When such things happen racism and hatred increases. Even
President Kalam (former President A P J Abdul Kalam) was
frisked. I am not saying that you should not frisk-do your
job or check. But without any reason detaining a person
for two hours-Shahrukh Khan is Shahrukh Khan,” said Priyanka
Chopra. “He is probably the one of the greatest most famous
known Indian celebrity ever in this generation. For any
person I think it is unfortunate, It is shocking and very
disgraceful if he detained for two hours just because of
his name or without a reason,” she added.
I
don't feel like stepping into the US again, says King Khan
Top
Chicago
(USA): Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan said on Sunday
that he does not feel like stepping on American soil any
more, but it is the love and affection of millions of his
fans in that country which would bring him back again and
again. The American Indian audience were stunned when Khan
announced this. Khan also ruled out seeking an apology for
the incident. Khan was detained and questioned by US immigration
officials on Saturday after his arrival in Newark International
Airport, in New Jersey. Khan was in the US to attend a South
Asian related programme. Driving straight to the venue of
the function in Atlantic City, Khan told the audience "I
was treated shabbily just because I happened to have Khan
as my last name." Khan expressed displeasure at immigration
official for not allowing him to use the cell phone to contact
and inform local organisers. Meanwhile, the United States
has denied the allegations that Khan was detained and questioned
for two hours at the airport because of his name or Asian
identity. US Customs and Border Protection spokesperson,
Elmer Camacho said the allegations were untrue and added
that Khan was inspected because his baggage had not yet
arrived. "His documents and papers were checked and found
to be in correct order," Camacho said. Khan performed at
the South Asian Film Carnival in Chicago along with other
Bollywood stars such as Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Katrina
Kaif and Diya Mirza.
Pak
nukes can fall into wrong hands inside labs: US experts
Top
Washington:
An investigative reporter of long standing and specializing
in U.S. intelligence has said Washington is not that worried
about Islamic terrorists blasting their way into a Pakistani
base where nuclear weapons are stored, but more concerned
about the access scientists and technicians have to highly
enriched uranium (HEU) before it is delivered in weaponised
form to the Pakistan Army. According to Jeff Stein, who
often reports and writes for the Congressional Quarterly
(CQ), the majority among American experts is that the terrorist's
modus operandi would be stealth and not a frontal assault
that would leave most of them dead. He quotes a top non-proliferation
consultant as saying that there are some scientists and
technicians who are rigorous Muslims, and that is cause
for worry to them. According to some published reports,
such civilians are not vetted nearly as heavily as the military
personnel responsible for protecting nuclear sites and materials.
"In Pakistan, the military provides generally respected
security for the (mostly) HEU-based nuclear weapons material
in their possession, and carefully vets the responsible
personnel," Stein quotes the non-proliferation expert, who
cannot be identified because he works on sensitive U.S.
government programs, as saying. "However, there's concern
over security at the civilian plants where the HEU is actually
produced. HEU is far easier to fashion into a nuclear weapon
than is plutonium and easier to slip off the base," he warns.
He further says that the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier is
a border in name only, and its border guards can easily
and routinely be bought off. And from there, it's not a
hard shot to the United States. According to Stein, there's
not a Predator in the sky that can find a device smaller
than a bowling ball, hidden in a truck or a wooden cart.
Furthermore, a barrel of water or fiberglass can conceal
the weapon's radioactive emissions and all the satellites
whirling the globe cannot detect a carefully laid plot to
smuggle spheres of HEU out of Pakistan and onto a ship headed
for the United States.
PIA
plane returns mid-flight to find singer's handbag? Top
Rawalpindi:
A Lahore-bound flight of Pakistan International Airlines
(PIA) was reportedly forced to return to the Benazir Bhutto
Shaheed International Airport on Saturday after renowned
singer Shabnam Majeed claimed to have lost a handbag in
the departure lounge. Sources at the airport told Daily
Times that 15 minutes after take-off, the singer informed
the flight attendant that she had misplaced her bag. They
said the flight crew searched the plane, but were unable
to find the missing bag. They said Shabnam informed the
crew that her handbag contained several valuables, including
gold jewellery, cash and a mobile phone and insisted the
flight return as the bag might still be in the departure
lounge. Learning this, the crew informed the ground operators
of the situation, who permitted the flight (PK-653) to land
the plane back at the airport half-an-hour after take-off.
The plane then landed at the Islamabad airport and allowed
Shabnam to search for her missing handbag, a private TV
channel reported. It claimed her efforts had proven futile
and she lodged a complaint with PIA authorities before again
boarding the flight for Lahore. However, a PIA spokesperson
denied that any such incident had occurred. She said it
was against protocol for a plane to return to its point
of origin without having completed its journey. She said
the flight crew could delay the take-off after the plane
finished taxiing to accommodate a passenger but a plane
could not return mid-flight.
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