Accidents & Disasters – Newsletter for November 15, 2010

Former BJP MP shot dead, driver injured

MEERUT – Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Amarpal Singh, who had recently joined the Congress, was Monday shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut district, police said.

Amarpal Singh, a three-time BJP MP, was killed in Mawana town, police said, adding that his driver was also injured by the assailants who managed …. Read the original article  : Former BJP MP shot dead, driver injured.

Indian-origin woman on honeymoon killed in South Africa

LONDON – An Indian-origin woman, who was on her honeymoon with her wealthy British husband after they married in India, was murdered in a South African township, it was reported here.

Anni Dewani, 28, and her husband 31-year-old Shrien had left a restaurant with a driver in a car when they were hijacked by two …. Source article  : Indian-origin woman on honeymoon killed in South Africa.

Mexican drug cartel hires boy to cut victims’ genitals

Mexico City, Nov 15 (IANS/EFE) A 12-year-old boy has been hired by a drug cartel in Mexico and put in charge of cutting off the heads and genitals of his victims, a media report said.

The boy, known as “El Ponchis”, was detained recently by the army, but it later released him because he was … Read more >>.

Air India flight suffers tyre burst, passengers safe

LUCKNOW – An Air India flight arriving here from Mumbai suffered a tyre burst during landing at the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport here Monday, but all passengers on board were safe, an official said.

“Air India Flight IC-195 had a tyre burst during landing this afternoon. All the passengers have been safely deplaned,” Airport … Read : Air India flight suffers tyre burst, passengers safe.

Rs.20 lakh ransom demanded for Bihar student

PATNA – A Rs.20 lakh ransom has been demanded for the release of a school student kidnapped from Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district, his family members said Monday, even as the police remain clueless more than three weeks after the abduction.

Abhisek Kumar alias Kittu, studies in class 12 of a school in Muzaffarpur, some 70 km … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Rs.20 lakh ransom demanded for Bihar student.

Australian man slices partner’s mouth

SYDNEY – An Australian man sliced open both sides of his partner’s mouth, cut her tongue in half and beat her with a rum bottle after she refused to repair their relationship, a court was told Monday.

Mohamed Tasleem Tahir, 21, is now in custody and faces charges of torture, committing acts intended to disfigure …. Read the original article  : Australian man slices partner’s mouth.

Fire damages 99-year-old varsity building in China

BEIJING – A fire broke out in a 99-year-old building at Tsinghua University that was built on the site of a former royal garden here.

Tsinghua University, located in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing, was established in 1911 on the site of “Qing Hua Yuan” – a former royal garden of the Qing dynasty.
The …. Read the original article  : Fire damages 99-year-old varsity building in China.

Grand Riviera Princess, Playa Del Carmen Blast Kills 7

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO (GaeaTimes.com)- For people residing at the Grand Riviera Princess hotel which is located in the Mexican resort city of Playa del Carmen, holiday mood turned into their worst nightmare when an explosion ripped through the resort claiming seven lives. According to Mexican authorities, as many as seven people which includes … Original source on Gaea Times at : Grand Riviera Princess, Playa Del Carmen Blast Kills 7.

Hizbul commander arrested from Delhi

NEW DELHI – A man described as a commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen militant group was arrested after a gunfight in the capital, police said Monday.

The man was caught after a brief firefight around 9.30 p.m. in Hauz Khas area, a police officer told IANS. “He fired at us and tried to escape, but …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Hizbul commander arrested from Delhi.

Walky-talky too costly! British cops asked to send SMS

LONDON – As a cost-cutting measure, police officers in Britain are being asked to send text messages and avoid speaking on radio to contact each other on duty.

The tariff charged by Airwave Solutions’, which operates the police communication network, is said to be putting a severe strain on police budgets. Officers from forces all … Read : Walky-talky too costly! British cops asked to send SMS.

What is the 2G spectrum scam about?

NEW DELHI – Here is a background on the 2G spectrum controversy that resulted in Communications and IT Minister A. Raja of DMK resigning Sunday:

The issue dates to 2008 when nine telecom companies were issued scarce airwaves and licences for second generation (2G) mobile phone services at Rs.1,658 crore (less that $350 …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Four girls terrorise Mexican city with massacre joke

Mexico City, Nov 15 (IANS/EFE) Four high school girl students have been sent for psychological treatment after their joke about an upcoming massacre created panic in a Mexican city, officials said.

Police found a message written in the front of a bank building that warned of a coming massacre in Ciudad Aldama city in Chihuahua … Original article on : Four girls terrorise Mexican city with massacre joke.

Man charged with tattooing genitals on friend’s back

SYDNEY – A 21-year-old Australian man was charged by a court Monday with committing grievous bodily harm to a friend by getting the male genitalia tattooed on his back.

Matthew Francis Brady, from Ipswich near Brisbane, appeared in the Ipswich magistrates court Monday, after he allegedly had a tattoo of a 40cm-long image of male …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Man charged with tattooing genitals on friend’s back.

Qantas’ woes continue, jet returns to Sydney

SYDNEY – Australia’s Qantas airlines was hit by another problem Monday when a jumbo jet bound for Argentina was forced to return to Sydney after smoke came out from the cockpit’s electrical system. This is the airline’s fourth such incident this month.

The flight QF17 – with 199 passengers and 21 flight crew on board …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Qantas’ woes continue, jet returns to Sydney.

Over 100 trafficked people rescued in Mexico

Mexico City, Nov 15 (IANS/EFE) Mexican marines have rescued 103 people, including three newborns and a pregnant 12-year-old girl, who were held captive by human traffickers at a banana plantation in Mexico, officials said.

Eight suspects have been arrested and will be charged with people trafficking, the attorney general’s office said Sunday.
The rescue operation … Read more >>>.

Argentine kidnaps girl he met on Facebook

Buenos Aires, Nov 15 (IANS/EFE) A 39-year-old man in the Argentine capital was arrested on charges of kidnapping a teenaged girl he met on social networking website Facebook, authorities said.

The kidnapper was arrested in La Tablada area on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, where he had taken the teenager after abducting her at the …. Original article  : Argentine kidnaps girl he met on Facebook.

18 killed in Peru road accidents

LIMA – At least 18 people died and many injured in four separate road accidents in Peru, police said.

Thirteen people were killed and 13 more injured Sunday morning when a vehicle fell into a 50-metre deep gorge outside Camana city in Arequipa region, south of the country, Xinhua reported.
Another accident occurred Sunday … Read this article on Gaea Times at : 18 killed in Peru road accidents.

Four killed in Mexico gas explosion

MEXICO CITY – Four people were killed in a gas explosion that demolished part of a luxury hotel near the Mexican Caribbean resort of Cancun Sunday, a German consular official said.

Eight people were injured in the blast, which is believed to have occurred in one of the restaurants of the Princess Hotel, located on … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Four killed in Mexico gas explosion.

Clashes in Lucknow after Shia clerics arrested

LUCKNOW – Tension gripped large parts of the old city Sunday following prolonged clashes between the police and agitated mobs protesting against the arrest of leading Shia clerics Maulana Kalbe Jawaad and Maulana Agha Roohi.

Apart from pelting stones at police, the mob also resorted to arson, vandalism and staged road blocks for more than … Read more »»».

Seven dead in blaze at French foreign-worker housing complex

PARIS – At least seven men died early Sunday in a blaze at a residence for foreign workers in eastern France.

Four people were also seriously injured, while another 130 sustained minor injuries.
“They are mostly people who had to be treated for smoke inhalation,” Jean-Louis Marc of the CODIS dispatch centre told journalists.
Three … Original article on : Seven dead in blaze at French foreign-worker housing complex.