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2014, ഓഗസ്റ്റ് 1, വെള്ളിയാഴ്‌ച

Powerful Taiwan gas explosions kill 20, injure 270

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TAIPEI: Gas leaks triggered a series of powerful explosions in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung, killing at least 20 people and injuring up to 270, officials said Friday, warning that the toll is expected to rise.

The explosions sparked a massive inferno that ripped through the city´s Cianjhen district, sending terrified residents fleeing a huge ball of flames.

The blasts late Thursday killed at least 20 people and left 270 others injured," the National Fire Agency said, adding that the injured were being rushed to various hospitals in the port city.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing dead bodies littered on the streets.The explosions, believed to have been triggered by gas leaks, were powerful enough to upturn cars and rip open paved roads.

"The explosions were like thunder and the road in front of my shop ripped open. It felt like an earthquake," Taiwan´s Central News Agency quoted an eyewitness as saying.

The exact cause of the gas leaks that triggered the explosions is still unclear.

2014, ജൂലൈ 29, ചൊവ്വാഴ്ച

Two more arrested for Bangalore school child's rape

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Bangalore: Two more men were arrested Tuesday for the rape of a six-year-old student at an elite school here, which had caused public outrage and massive protests across the state, police said.

'We have arrested the two culprits - Lalgiri, 21, and Wasim Pasha, 28 - working as gymnastic coaches in Vibgyor High school, on the basis of vital information the first accused (Mustafa) gave during interrogation, as well as investigation by the special team set up for the case,' Bangalore Police Commissioner M.N. Reddi told reporters.

Mustafa alias Munna, 30, was arrested July 20 and sent to judicial custody till Aug 2. A mobile and a laptop containing videos of children being raped were seized from him.

Lalgiri and Pasha were arrested under Section 376D of the Indian Penal Code - which deals with taking advantage of a person through a position of authority - and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

They were sent to 14-day judicial remand by a local magistrate.

'During preliminary investigation and interrogation, Pasha and Lalgiri admitted to have committed the heinous crime July 3 in the school premises, which has turned out to be a case of gang-rape,' Reddi said.

Lalgiri hails from Nepal, while Pasha is a native of Gulbarga in the state's northern region, about 650 km from Bangalore.

In a twist to the sensational case, Police Commissioner Reddi ruled out Mustafa's direct involvement in the actual crime on the basis of interrogation of the student and investigation of circumstantial evidence, including footage from CCTV cameras in the school premises.

'The child identified the main culprits and the CCTV footage shows them (Lalgiri and Pasha) forcing her to stay back for committing the crime, after all other students left the gym classroom,' Reddi asserted.

Police registered another case against Mustafa, who belatedly admitted to have sexually assaulted another minor in a school he was working in two years ago.

'The case involving the sexual assault on the minor has been solved to the extent of identifying the culprits. We will intensify the investigation to find out the complicity of the school management, which hushed up the incident and failed to inform either the girl's parents or lodge a complaint against the accused with local police,' Reddi added.

The school, which remained shut since July 17 when hundreds of parents staged protests, re-opened Monday with new security measures to ensure the safety of students.

20 killed in Himachal bus accident

________ A to Z kerala .......... [kvk] [www.atozkerala.in , or www.atozkerala.blogspot.com]

Shimla: At least 20 passengers were killed when a state roadways bus rolled down a hill and fell into a gorge Tuesday in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla district, police said.

Rescue operations are on and the toll could rise, said officials.

The bus was on way from Shimla to Savera Khad in Sunni area of the district when the accident occurred near Kadhar Ghat in Basantpur area, around 40 km from here.

Superintendent of Police D.W. Negi told IANS that the bus fell into a 400 m deep gorge. He said the cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained.

Locals said the accident spot has been experiencing continuous rainfall for the past many days, making the road slippery.

The injured have been taken to the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital in Shimla.

IANS

Israel strikes house of Hamas Gaza leader, digs in for long fight

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GAZA/JERUSALEM: Israel knocked out Gaza's only power plant, flattened the home of its Islamist Hamas political leader and pounded dozens of other high-profile targets in the enclave on Tuesday, with no end in sight to more than three weeks of conflict.

Health officials said at least 30 Palestinians were killed in some of heaviest bombardments from air, sea and land since the Israeli offensive began in response to Hamas rocket fire.

The Israeli assault intensified following the deaths of 10 Israeli soldiers in cross-border attacks on Monday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning of a long conflict ahead.

Thick black smoke rose from blazing fuel tanks at the power station that supplies up to two-thirds of Gaza's energy needs. The local energy authority said initial damage assessments suggested the plant could be out of action for a year.

Electricity was cut to the city of Gaza and many other parts of the Hamas-dominated territory after what officials said was Israeli tank shelling of the tanks containing some 3 million cubic litres of diesel fuel.

'The power plant is finished,' said its director, Mohammed al-Sharif. An Israeli military spokeswoman had no immediate comment and said she was checking the report.

Gaza City municipality said damage to the station could halt many of the area's water pumps, and it urged residents to ration water consumption.

A number of rockets were fired from Gaza toward southern and central Israel, including the Tel Aviv area. At least one was intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system. No casualties or damage were reported.

Outside pressure has been building on Netanyahu to rein in his forces. Both U.S. President Barack Obama and the U.N. Security Council have called for an immediate ceasefire to allow relief to reach Gaza's 1.8 million Palestinians, followed by negotiations on a more durable end to hostilities.

Efforts led by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry last week failed to achieve a breakthrough, and the explosion of violence appeared to dash international hopes of turning a brief lull for the Muslim Eid al-Fitr festival into a longer-term ceasefire.

Netanyahu said on Monday the military would not end its offensive until it destroys a network of Hamas tunnels, which Israel says serve as the group's bunkers, weapon caches and cross-border infiltration routes to attack Israelis.

The Israeli military said 70 targets were struck in Gaza during the night, including four weapons caches it said were hidden in mosques, and a rocket launcher near another mosque. Residents said 20 houses were destroyed and two mosques hit.

More than 1,100 Gazans, most of them civilians, have been killed in the conflict. On the Israeli side, 53 soldiers have been killed as well as three civilians.

HAMAS LEADER'S HOME DESTROYED

The main U.N. agency in Gaza, UNRWA, said more than 182,000 displaced Palestinians had taken shelter in its schools and buildings, following calls by Israel for civilians to evacuate whole neighbourhoods ahead of military operations. Thousands more have been taken in by friends or family.

Before dawn, Israeli aircraft fired a missile at the house of Hamas Gaza leader Ismail Haniyeh, a former Palestinian prime minister, destroying the structure but causing no casualties, Gaza's Interior Ministry said.

'My house is not dearer than any of the houses of our people,' Haniyeh was quoted as saying on a Hamas website. 'The destruction of stones will not break our will and we will continue our resistance until we gain freedom.'

Hamas, whose internal political leadership is in hiding, said its broadcast outlets Al-Aqsa TV and Al-Aqsa Radio were also targeted. The television station continued to broadcast but the radio station went silent.

The military said the stations were used to 'transit orders and messages to Hamas operatives and to instruct Gaza residents to ignore IDF (Israel Defence Forces) warnings regarding upcoming military activity in specific areas.'

In a televised address on Monday, Netanyahu said Israel 'must be prepared for a lengthy campaign'. The military warned thousands of Palestinians to flee their homes around Gaza City - usually the prelude to major army strikes.

Israel launched its offensive on July 8 saying it wanted to halt rocket attacks by Hamas and its allies. It later ordered a land invasion to find and destroy a warren of Hamas tunnels that criss-crosses the border area.

Hamas and Israel have set conditions for a ceasfire that appear irreconcilable.

Israel wants Gaza's armed groups stripped of weapons. Hamas and its allies want an Israeli-Egyptian blockade lifted.

Tension between Netanyahu's government and Washington has flared over U.S. mediation efforts, adding another chapter to the prickly relations between the Israeli leader and Obama.

In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon deplored what he said was a lack of resolve among all parties.

'It's a matter of their political will. They have to show their humanity as leaders, both Israeli and Palestinian,' he told reporters.

Gaza's sole power plant down after Israel attack: Authority

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GAZA CITY: The Gaza Strip's sole power plant shut down due to a large fire caused by Israeli shelling on Tuesday morning, after at least 40 were killed in a series of Israeli strikes from land, air, and sea since midnight.

The strikes brought the death toll in Gaza to 1,128, with more than 6,200 injured in 22 days of Israeli assault, as the Israeli military said it launched strikes on 70 "targets" across the Strip.

The military also announced its deadliest 24 hours since the beginning of the conflict, with 10 soldiers killed on Monday alone, bringing the total to 53.

The military admitted early Tuesday that five Israeli soldiers had been killed in a Palestinian militant attack through a tunnel into the southern Israeli area of Nahal Oz on Monday afternoon, after al-Qassam Brigades had claimed 10 dead.

Meanwhile, Israeli shelling on the Gaza Strip power lead to a major fire at the station, shutting down production for the coastal enclave's 1.8 million people.

Fathi al-Sheikh Khalil, deputy head of the power authority in Gaza, said that one shell had hit a fuel container, setting fire to it, after another shell had hit a steam engine in the plant.

Khalil said that teams on site were unable to control the fire.

Even before the plant shut down, electricity was severely rationed in eight hour increments, a result of the eight-year long Israeli siege on Gaza that has led to frequent shortages of basic necessities including the fuel needed to run the plant.

Israeli warplanes on Tuesday struck the house of Hamas' top leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, inside the al-Shati refugee camp.

The Hamas leader responded angrily to the attack, pointing out however that the strike would not break the will of the people of Gaza.

"My house is not more valuable than the house of any other Gazan, and destroying stones will not break our determination and resistance," he said in a statement. "We will resist until freedom."

His son Abed Salam Haniya said the house had been struck twice in the attack.

Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning also hit a number of governmental institutions, mosques, and Hamas-related media centers.

The Israeli military said in a statement that they had hit "two sites used as command and control centers belonging to Hamas, four weapon storage sites concealed within mosques, a concealed rocket launcher located near a mosque and an offensive tunnel."

Al-Amin Muhammad mosque was struck by Israeli warplanes in western Gaza City, and al-Salihin mosque in Rafah and al-Shujaiyeh.

At least two airstrikes were fired at the International Gaza Airport in eastern Rafah, and another targeted the offices of the Hamas-affiliated al-Aqsa TV in al-Sheikh Radwan neighborhood.

Israeli warplanes also launched an airstrike at the "financial supervision" offices in western Gaza City.

According Ministry of Health spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra, nine Palestinians were killed in a series of strikes on Monday morning.

10 were injured in Israeli airstrikes targeting the Abu Jame and Abu Daqqa houses in Khan Younis.

Three Palestinians, two of them brothers, were killed in shelling targeting al-Hashash family house in Rafah City.

Suheil Hussein Nassar was killed and three others were injured in Israeli shelling targeting his family house in Beit Lahiya.

11 Palestinians were killed in shelling targeting al-Bureij refugee camp, three of them are children, and 15 others were injured.

Journalist Izzat Duheir, 23, Turkiya Duheir, 80, Yasmin Duheir, 25, Mary Duheir, 12 , and Tasnim Duheir, 8, were killed in Israeli airstrikes targeting the Duheir family house in Rafah.

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Gaza's sole power plant down after Israel attack: Authority
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Minor girl gang raped at gunpoint in Delhi

________ A to Z kerala .......... [kvk]

New Delhi: A teenaged girl was allegedly gang raped at gunpoint by five people known to her in a west Delhi house, police said Tuesday.

The victim, a resident of Uttam Nagar and a student of class X, was taken to a house in west Delhi a week ago by the accused -- all of whom are known to her -- when she was going to school and raped in turns, police said.

Of the five accused, three are minors.

In her complaint, the victim told the police that one of the accused was carrying a pistol and threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed the incident to anyone.

She added the accused also recorded the incident on a mobile phone.

Incidentally, the police have not yet found the gun.

The victim's parents got to know about the incident, a week after it took place, when she complained of uneasiness and was taken to a hospital.

'Two minors have been apprehended while a 20-year-old accused was arrested from their respective houses after the girl's parents approached the police. The hunt for the other two accused, who are on the run, is on,' a police official said.

He added that the police are verifying all the allegations.

Transformative Moment in Ties', Says John Kerry Ahead of India Visit

________ A to Z kerala .......... [kvk]

Washington: Calling India an indispensable partner for the 21st century, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday that the dynamism and entrepreneurial spirit of this bilateral relationship is needed to solve some of world's greatest challenges.

Laying out a roadmap for a long-term strategic partnership between the largest and oldest democratic countries, Kerry said that deepening America's ties with India is a strategic imperative.

Noting that the India-US ties is yet to 'blossom' together, Kerry said, 'This is a potentially transformative moment in our relationship with India.'

Kerry was referring to the post-election scenario and the formation of the new government, which he said has received historic mandate from its people to deliver change.

'The US and India can and should be indispensable partners for the 21st century. The dynamism and entrepreneurial spirit of our relationship is needed to solve some of world's greatest challenges,' he said.

He said the two countries can work together to tackle global challenges from climate change to clean energy and others.

Kerry, who heads to New Delhi tomorrow to co-chair the fifth India-US Strategic Dialogue on July 31 with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj, said, 'This is a potentially transformative moment and we are determined to deliver on opportunities we can create together.'

Kerry will be accompanied by the US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, as well as other members of the inter-agency, including Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security and NASA. The trip will mark the first US cabinet-level visit to New Delhi since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over office.

'The new Indian government plans 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' -- together we all development for all -- is a vision that we want to support,' the Secretary of State said this in his address on 'The United States and India: A Shared Vision for 2020 and Beyond' at the Center for American Progress (CAP), a major US think-tank.

'We believe this to be a great vision,' Kerry said as he praised the vision and developmental concept of Mr Modi.

Kerry said it is time to adopt Mr Modi's vision of development.

'Innovation and entrepreneurship is both in our DNA,' he said, adding that the US and India can't afford to rest back on these advantages.

More American companies would come to India if the new Indian government goes ahead on its promise of liberalisation and economic reform, he said.

Mr Modi, as the Gujarat Chief Minister has already provided a model of ambitions growth, he said, and sought to increase the bilateral trade between the two countries to USD 500 billion per annum.

Kerry in his speech supported India's vision of an integrated South and Central Asia and that with the South East Asia.

The Obama Administration is ready to help India in this regard, Kerry said as he praised Modi's steps to establish peace and improve relationship with the neighbouring countries.

By inviting Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to his inauguration, Kerry said Mr Modi has taken the 'first step' to establish peace and friendship with its South Asian neighbour.

Supporting the move to increase India-Pak economic relationship, Kerry said improved trade is a win-win for both countries, both economies, and both peoples.

Reiterating support for India's place in the UN Security Council, Kerry in his speech said India is a global power.

The Secretary of State listed out the progress made between the two countries in various areas including economy, clean energy, and counter-terrorism.

The India-US collaboration on counter terrorism, in particular real-time information sharing, helps confront common threats and bring terrorists to justice, he said.

Describing climate change as a biggest challenge not only for the world, but also India, Kerry called for increased collaboration between the two countries on this issue.

'Of the 10 cities in the world with the worst air quality, six are in India,' he said.

In his speech, Kerry also spoke about monsoon deficit and Uttarakhand floods.

Climate change is already a catalyst for instability, he said, adding that climate vitality is already taking a toll on Indian population.

'Forging the solutions are a huge economic opportunities for both India and the US,' he said.

'The solution to climate change is energy policy...It's a huge market,' he said, adding that today's energy market is USD 6 trillion market.

Kerry in his speech supported the call of 'saffron revolution' by Mr Modi and said that US is ready to do all it can with all its technology and resources in this regard.

'We are two confident nations connected by core values, optimistic nations?,' he said, as he spoke on women?s issues.

'This can be a moment where our destinies do converge,' he said, referring to the history speech by India's first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru.

Kerry said US President, Barack Obama would welcome the Indian Prime Minister at the White House in November. PTI

2014, ജൂലൈ 28, തിങ്കളാഴ്‌ച

Kerala to celebrate Id-ul-Fitr Tuesday

________ A to Z kerala .......... [kvk]

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kazis in Kerala have declared that Monday would be the 30th day of Ramadan and Id-ul-Fitr will be celebrated Tuesday as the moon was not sighted Sunday after Iftar.

Muslims in Kerala account for around 24 percent of the 33 million population.

Id-ul-Fitr will be celebrated both in Oman and Kerala Tuesday.

Kazis like Panakad Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal and Palayam Imam Yousuf Muhammed Nadvi, besides others, decided late Sunday that since the moon was not seen, Id will fall on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, arrangements are in full swing across the state as Idgahs are being set up at big playgrounds, halls and open places.

As the weather office has forecast rainfall, many have decided to put up Idgahs in halls for Tuesday morning prayers.

All state government offices will be closed Monday and Tuesday.

Shift work can worsen asthma, pneumonia

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London: A research has found that drugs widely used to treat lung diseases like asthma or pneumonia work better with the body clock.

Once the ancient rhythm of our body clock is disturbed owing to artificial light, shift work and jet lag, medication to treat asthma and pneumonia can become ineffective, scientists said.

The research led by professors David Ray and Andrew Loudon from University of Manchester found that cells lining the lung airways have their own body clock which is the time-keeper for lung inflammation -- both conditions cause swelling in the lungs.

Researchers further discovered that more severe lung inflammation happens as a result of the loss of the body clock working in these cells.

'We found a key molecule known as CXCL5 that facilitates lung inflammation which is a key regulator of how immune cells get into tissues. The loss of CXCL5 completely prevents the time of day regulation of lung inflammation which opens up new ways to treat lung diseases,' Loudon said.

During the research, the team uncovered how glucocorticoid hormones from the adrenal gland are vital in controlling the level of inflammation in the cells lining the airway.

'This hormone works through the glucocorticoid receptor, a major regulator of gene expression. We wanted to find out, therefore, if glucocorticoid medicines would also show a time of day effect. Our research shows they do,' Ray added.

The team concluded that the rhythm of the clock in the lining of the cells in the lungs is important for lung diseases like asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Our bodies anticipate the change from day to night by having an internal, or circadian clock.

This explains why it is hard to adjust to shift work.

The body clock regulates sleep but now has been discovered to also regulate our immune system.

The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine.

IANS

Debutant lifter Sivalingam strikes gold, Ravi fetches silver

________ A to Z kerala .......... [kvk]

Glasgow: Indian weightlifter Satish Sivalingam scripted history in just his debut Commonwealth Games, breaking the Games record en route to a gold medal, while compatriot Ravi Katulu took the silver in the men's 77kg event here.

The 22-year-old Satish, the 2013 Commonwealth Championships gold medallist, lifted a total of 328kg (149+179) to pip the 2010 CWG gold medallist Ravi, who had to be content with a silver medal following an effort of 317kg (142+175).

Australia's Francois Etoundi bagged the bronze with a lift of 314kg (137+177) at the Clyde Auditorium here.

Satish's 149kg lift in Sntch lift erased the earlier record of 148kg in the name of of Yuko Peter of Nauru while winning gold in 2010 Delhi.

India ran away with the day's honours in weightlifting as Punam Yadav had won a bronze in women's 63kg earlier in the day with a total lift of 202kg (88+114).

India have now bettered their 2010 CWG performance in weightlifting. India have won nine medals (3-2-4) in weightlifting, one more than the eight (2-2-4) in Delhi.

Both Ravi and Satish performed tactically and began their snatch after most of the other competitors had made their three attempts by keeping the starting weight at 142kg.