Accidents & Disasters – Newsletter for November 19, 2010

IAF chopper crashes in Arunachal, 11 feared killed

GUWAHATI – An MI 17 helicopter of the Indian Air Force (IAF), carrying 11 defence personnel, crashed due to dense fog in Arunachal Pradesh Friday, a defence official said. All those on board were feared killed.

The accident took place at 12.05 p.m. near Bombdir, at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh bordering China, at an altitude … Original article on : IAF chopper crashes in Arunachal, 11 feared killed.

Two absconding minors traced in Punjab

HOSHIARPUR – Two of the six minors who had escaped from a juvenile home here in Punjab were traced Friday, police said.

The six minors fled Thursday after breaking the grills of the barrack where they were lodged. One was a Bangladeshi.
“We have nabbed two of the minors and sent police teams to …. Source article  : Two absconding minors traced in Punjab.

Ex-chief of China’s n-firm gets life for corruption

BEIJING – A Chinese court Friday sentenced the former head of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) to life imprisonment for corruption, reports Xinhua.

Kang Rixin, former general manager of CNNC, was punished for accepting about $1 million in bribes between 2004 and 2009, the Beijing No.1 intermediary court said in a statement.
… Read more >>.

Briton killed baby girl who interrupted his video game

LONDON – A man playing video games was so enraged by the crying of a 15-month-old girl who was seeking his attention that he hit her hard, rupturing her internal organs and leading to her death.

Gary Alcock was angry with his girlfriend’s daughter, 15-month-old Violet Mullen, when she began to cry. He hit …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Briton killed baby girl who interrupted his video game.

Four more held for Shanghai high-rise blaze

SHANGHAI – Four more people have been detained in connection with the blaze in a Shanghai high-rise that left 58 people dead, Xinhua reported Friday.

So far 12 people have been detained in connection with the case, police said. The managers of the firms involved in the building’s construction are among those detained.
Fifty-eight … Original article on : Four more held for Shanghai high-rise blaze.

Fumes force Australian plane to land

MELBOURNE – A Sydney-bound Virgin Blue aircraft with 122 passengers on board made an emergency landing at the Melbourne airport Friday morning after fumes were detected in the cockpit, a media report said.

About 20 minutes after the flight DJ807 took off from Melbourne at 6.30 a.m., the captain reported an unusual odour in …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Haitians, UN troops clash over cholera; epidemic spreads

Port-au-PRINCE – Protesters clashed with police and UN peacekeepers in Haitian capital Port-au-Prince over the spreading cholera epidemic, as US health experts warned of a substantial increase in cases.

More than 1,100 people have died from cholera and an additional 18,000 have been sickened by the disease, which is contracted through contaminated water and causes … Original article on : Haitians, UN troops clash over cholera; epidemic spreads.

Brazil busts human trafficking ring

Rio de Janeiro, Nov 19 (IANS/EFE) Twelve people were arrested in Brazil Thursday in an operation against a gang accused of smuggling people into the US and then holding them to extract ransom from their families back in Brazil, authorities said.

The gang charged emigrants up to $15,000 each for false documents to enter the …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Brazil busts human trafficking ring.

Argentine cops charged with kidnapping

Buenos Aires, Nov 19 (IANS/EFE) Two Argentine policemen are under arrest and a retired cop is being sought on charges that they took part in the kidnapping of a Peruvian citizen in Buenos Aires, official sources said Thursday.

While patrolman Gaston Eduardo Aragon and Deputy Inspector Mariano Comello Potes were detained at their respective precincts … Original source on Gaea Times at : Argentine cops charged with kidnapping.

China n-firm’s ex-chief gets life for corruption

BEIJING – A Chinese court Friday sentenced the former head of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) to life imprisonment for corruption, Xinhua reported.

Kang Rixin, former general manager of CNNC, was convicted for taking bribes and abusing his power while in office, the Beijing No. 1 intermediary court said in a statement.
… Read more »»».

Granny, 54, caught with big drug haul

WELLINGTON – A 54-year-old New Zealand grandmother on welfare benefits was caught with a suitcase full of crystal methamphetamine and other drugs which she planned to deal from her state house in Wellington, police told a court.

The 220 grams of the drug known as P in New Zealand was the biggest seizure in Wellington …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Abducted youths released after 66 days

AGRA – Two youths, kidnapped by a dacoit group which sent a parcel containing four severed fingers to the family to pressurise them to pay the ransom, returned home Thursday after 66 days in captivity. Their fingers were intact.

Sources, not wanting to be identified, said the efforts of the family members and a possible … Read more »».

Planes prevented from colliding over Israel airport

TEL AVIV – An alert air traffic controller at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport prevented what could have been a major air disaster Thursday, when he spotted a flight which had just taken off straying into the path of an airplane preparing to land.

According to reports in the Israeli media, the Air Berlin plane, …. Original source  : Planes prevented from colliding over Israel airport.

Swedish court approves detention of WikiLeaks founder

STOCKHOLM – A Swedish court Thursday approved a prosecutor’s request to detain the founder of whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, as part of a probe into alleged rape.

The decision was announced after a closed-door hearing at the Stockholm district court.
Assange is suspected of “rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion”, Marianne Ny, director of …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Swedish court approves detention of WikiLeaks founder.

Violence near Osmania varsity, police fire rubber bullets

HYDERABAD – Police fired rubber bullets near Osmania University Thursday night as students demanding postponement of examination for recruiting sub-inspectors of police in Telangana turned violent.

Police fired teargas shells and rubber bullets at Tarnaka as students tried to take out a procession and resorted to violence, hours after Chief Minister K.Rosaiah ruled out … Original article on : Violence near Osmania varsity, police fire rubber bullets.

Building collapse toll 69, political blame game goes on (Night Lead)

NEW DELHI – Three days after a building collapsed in east Delhi, the toll has risen to 69, and political recriminations have broken out in full force over the tragedy, while authorities have yet to make arrangements for hundreds of people who have been asked to vacate their homes in dangerous buildings.

The debris of … Read more »».

Domestic help murdered in Gurgaon home

GURGAON – A domestic help was found murdered in a Gurgaon house where she worked for the past one month, police said Thursday.

“We are also exploring the angle of rape and waiting for the medical examination report,” said a senior police officer. A murder case has been registered.
The victim, Sangeeta, was hired through …. Read the original article  : Domestic help murdered in Gurgaon home.

Rathore’s pension: Home ministry seeks time to file reply

CHANDIGARH – The union home ministry Thursday sought three weeks’ time from the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) here to submit its reply on release of former Haryana police chief S.P.S. Rathore’s pension, withheld from June, after his conviction in the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case.

Rathore had moved the tribunal Sep 2 against the ministry’s decision … Read : Rathore’s pension: Home ministry seeks time to file reply.

Six minors escape from Punjab juvenile home

HOSHIARPUR – Six minors, lodged in the juvenile home in this Punjab city, escaped Thursday, police said.

The accused children, lodged in the same barrack, ran away after breaking the grills. One of them is a Bangladesh national, according to the police.
We were informed by the juvenile home about this incident. We have sent …. Original article  : Six minors escape from Punjab juvenile home.

Indian American woman embezzled $34 mn for ‘wild shopping sprees’

WASHINGTON – Indian American Sujata “Sue” Sachdeva, a former executive of Koss Corp has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for embezzling $34 million from the Milwaukee stereo headphone manufacturer for “wild shopping sprees”.

US District Judge Lynn Adelman imposed the sentence Wednesday after Sachdeva made a tearful statement – her first public comments …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Indian American woman embezzled $34 mn for ‘wild shopping sprees’.