Accidents & Disasters – Newsletter for December 26, 2010

Eight US tourists killed in Egypt accident

LUXOR – Eight US tourists were killed and 21 injured Sunday when their bus collided with a truck in southern Egypt, security sources said.

Two Egyptians – the bus driver and the tour guide – were also injured.
The bus, carrying 37 US tourists, was heading to Abu Simbel temple, when it collided with the …. Original article  : Eight US tourists killed in Egypt accident.

Indian student shot dead in US

HYDERABAD/WASHINGTON – An Indian student hailing from Andhra Pradesh has been shot dead during a robbery at a convenience store in the US, his family and US media reportS said Sunday.

Elaprolu Jayachandra, 22, was shot dead by unidentified robbers early Sunday at the store in Pasadena in Texas where he was working. He was … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Indian student shot dead in US.

Andhra student shot dead in US

HYDERABAD – A student hailing from Andhra Pradesh has been shot dead in the US by unidentified robbers, his family said.

Elaprolu Jayachandra, 22, was shot dead by unidentified robbers at a gasoline bunk in Texas, according to information received by his family in Vijayawada.
The family received the shocking news from his friends late …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

They still wait for their children lost in tsunami

NEW DELHI – It has been six years since his daughter went missing in the December 2004 tsunami, but Sergeant Ravi Shankar continues to keep the waves of hope rising inside him.

Apurva was eight when the tsunami waves that hit the Car Nicobar shores took her away from her father’s arms. Shankar is … Read this article on Gaea Times at : They still wait for their children lost in tsunami.

Haryana man booked for daughter’s ‘honour’ killing

ROHTAK – In another case of honour killing, a man in Haryana got his 14-year-old daughter killed for having an affair with a boy of the same village. An accomplice has been nabbed while the father of the girl is on the run, police said Sunday.

Umed Saini is accused of killing his daughter … Read : Haryana man booked for daughter’s ‘honour’ killing.

Sri Lanka remembers tsunami victims on sixth anniversary

COLOMBO – Sri Lanka marked the sixth tsunami anniversary that claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people with a host of religious events Sunday.

A two-minute silence was observed throughout the country at 9.25 a.m. (0355 GMT), the time the killer waves first hit the eastern coast.
Most coastal areas in the island … Read more : Sri Lanka remembers tsunami victims on sixth anniversary.

Chinese cops offer money to netizens to hunt criminals

BEIJING – In an effort to curb crime, Chinese police have started offering money to encourage internet users to inform about suspected criminals.

Earlier this month, the public security bureau in Sayibak district of Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, posted a photo on its website showing a crime scene. It said anyone … Read more »»».

300 women killed in 2010 in Mexican border city

Ciudad Juarez, Dec 26 (IANS/EFE) The number of women killed in 2010 in Mexico’s northern border city of Ciudad Juarez has risen to 300, official figures show.

The tally was based on figures from the Chihuahua state Attorney General’s Office. Ciudad Juarez is located across the US border’s El Paso city in Texas.
The city …. Source  : 300 women killed in 2010 in Mexican border city.

WikiLeaks details US drug agency’s relations with allies: Report

WASHINGTON – US allies in the fight against drug trafficking have an uneasy relationship with the US Drug Enforcement Administration, The New York Times reported late Saturday based on leak documents released by website WikiLeaks.

The documents provide details of long-known tensions in the fight against drug trafficking, showing a range of cooperation with US … Original source on Gaea Times at : WikiLeaks details US drug agency’s relations with allies: Report.

Four drug gang members get death penalty in China

BEIJING – A Chinese court has sentenced four members of a drug gang to death, while four others were sentenced to life imprisonment, a media report said.

Wu Zhijian was sentenced to death by the Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court for running a criminal gang involved in producing, selling and transporting drugs.
Three other gang … Original source on Gaea Times at : Four drug gang members get death penalty in China.

34 killed in Uttar Pradesh accident

LUCKNOW – Thirty-three members of a funeral procession and a driver were killed when their mini-truck overturned and was hit by a bus in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun district Saturday night. At least 12 people were also injured, police said.

“A DCM mini-truck, carrying members of a funeral procession, overturned on the sandy road in Unjhani [..] Read the original article: here.

Punjab BJP leader injured in road accident

CHANDIGARH – Punjab’s senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Avinash Rai Khanna escaped with minor injuries after his car was hit by another vehicle here Saturday night. A woman and a child travelling in the other car were seriously injured, police said.

According to the police, Khanna was returning from Garshankar town in Punjab to … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Punjab BJP leader injured in road accident.

28 killed as buses collide

LUCKNOW – At least 28 people were killed and 14 injured as a bus ploughed into a mini-bus which had overturned in Badaun district of Uttar Pradesh Saturday, police said.

The mini-bus lost control as the road was sandy and overturned, Senior Superintendent of Police D.K. Choudhary told IANS on phone from Badaun, some 250 … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : 28 killed as buses collide.

Three held with fake currency in Delhi

NEW DELHI – Three men were arrested here with counterfeit notes of Rs.13,700, police said Saturday.

Shabbir Alam, 42, Sunil Kumar Singh, 46 and Karamat Hussain, 45, all hailing from Bihar, were arrested Friday in central Delhi.
“The three were nabbed from Chawri Bazaar metro station. A total of 274 fake currency notes of Rs.50 … Read more »»».

Strong quake shakes Vanuatu

WASHINGTON – An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale Saturday shook an area 135 km west of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu.

“Sea level readings confirm that a tsunami was generated,” the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said on its website.
The tsunami warning had applied to Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia. However, …. Original article  : Strong quake shakes Vanuatu.

Extortionist gang posing as reporters arrested

NEW DELHI – A gang of four posing as press reporters was arrested in Delhi for extorting money, police said Saturday adding that a woman holding a journalism degree was the leader of the extortionist group.

Rajan, Sonu Kumar, Mamta Chopra and the mastermind of the racket Simran Gupta used to pose as press reporters. …. Source article  : Extortionist gang posing as reporters arrested.

Pirates seize Thai ship in Indian Ocean

BRUSSELS – Pirates early Saturday seized the MV Thor Nexus general cargo ship in the Indian Ocean with its crew of 27 Thai nationals, the European Union’s Atalanta mission reported.

The EU Naval Force (NAVFOR) Operation Atalanta said that the 20,377-ton Thai-owned and flagged vessel was pirated about 450 nautical miles northeast of the Indian … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Pirates seize Thai ship in Indian Ocean.

Two drug peddlers, supplier arrested in Delhi

NEW DELHI – Two drug peddlers and a supplier were arrested in Delhi in separate incidents, leading to the seizure of heroin worth lakhs of rupees, police said Saturday.

According to police, Rahman, 22, was arrested from Kalyan Puri area of east Delhi Dec 16 when he was about to supply the drug.
At …. Read the original article  : here.

Two Nepali women nabbed with cannabis

LUCKNOW – Two Nepali women were arrested Saturday carrying cannabis worth around Rs.20 lakh in Uttar Pradeshs Maharajganj, police said.

The two women, aged around 40 years, were held from the Sunauli town near the Indo-Nepal border in a joint operation carried out by the district police and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
Preliminary investigations [..] Read the original article: here.

15,000 pirated CDs, DVDs seized, seven held

PANIPAT – In a major breakthrough, nearly 15,000 pirated CDs and DVDs were seized and seven people were arrested following raids at various places in Haryana’s industrial city of Panipat, police said Saturday.

The raids were conducted following a complaint from Delhi-based Sunil Sukheja who alleged that the accused were violating the Anti-Piracy Act. The …. Source  : Gaea News Network.