Verdict on Bhopal gas tragedy on Monday

June 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Bhopal, June 6 (ANI): The judgement on Bhopal Gas tragedy, one of the most horrific industrial disaster which killed thousands of people, would be pronounced on Monday.

Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Mohan P Tiwari will pronounce the judgement.

During the trial, a total of 178 prosecution witnesses were examined and 3008 documents were produced while eight defence witnesses deposed in the court.

Out of the nine accused tried for the offences, R B Roy Choudhary, then former Assistant Works Manager Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL), Mumbai, died during the trial.

The remaining eight accused are Keshub Mahendra, Vijay Gokhle, Kishore Kamdar, J Mukund, S P Choudhary, K V Shetty and S I Quershi.

In the early hours of December 3, 1984, around 40 metric tonnes of toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked into the atmosphere and was carried by wind to surrounding slums.

The government says around 3,500 died in the disaster. Rights activists, however, claim that 25,000 people have died so far. (ANI)

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White Houses examining circumstances of Gaza clash

June 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

May 31 (Reuters) – The United States said on Monday it deeply regretted the deaths and injuries caused when Israeli commandos stormed a convoy of Gaza-bound aid ships leading to 10 deaths.

“The United States deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries sustained, and is currently working to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragedy,” said White House spokesman William Burton. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, editing by Alan Elsner)

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Schoolkids trapped in landslide rescued

May 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A major tragedy was averted in Ladakh as Army troops, battling adverse weather conditions, rescued 11 schoolchildren who were trapped in a major landslide near Turtuk village in Nubra Valley on the Line of Control (LoC).

Giving details, a Defence Ministry spokesman at the Northern Command in Udhampur said on Sunday that a school bus carrying 15 children to Tyakshi — an Army Goodwill School ? was trapped in a landslide around 9.45 am on Thursday. Eleven of them were seriously injured.

Rescue operation was launched immediately under supervision of senior Army officers, the spokesman said and the children were taken out of the school bus trapped in the landslide. An Army medical team rushed to the site despite continuing landslides, and provided immediate first aid and treatment to the injured children.

Three Army helicopters were launched despite bad weather conditions to evacuate eight seriously injured children to Military Hospital at Hunder.

Three children were evacuated to Military Hospital, Leh by Air Force helicopter. Two of these children have been further air evacuated to an Army hospital in Delhi.

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An ‘instinctive’ offer to quit

May 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel’s offer to resign from the Cabinet, taking moral responsibility for the air crash in Mangalore last week, took even his party leader, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, by surprise. Pawar was abroad at the time and Patel had not informed him before offering to quit, an offer that was declined by the Prime Minister.

When Pawar inquired about it later, Patel is reported to have told him that he was so overwhelmed by the sight of the tragedy that he somehow felt responsible for it. Offering to resign was an instinctive decision, taken on the spot, he told his leader.

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Explosive defused in Jammu and Kashmir

May 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Doda (Jammu and Kashmir), May 20 (ANI): A major tragedy was averted following the detection of an improvised explosive device (IED) on the Doda-Batote Highway in Jammu and Kashmir.

The explosive was detected on Assar, around 150 kilometers from Jammu on Tuesday afternoon. The traffic was immediately stopped on the highway.

The Bomb Disposal Squad, which immediately rushed to the spot, later defused the explosive. (ANI)

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Tibetans pray for Chinese earthquake victims

April 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Suja (Himachal Pradesh), Apr 24 (ANI): Tibetan students in India offered special prayers for Chinese earthquake victims in Himachal Pradesh’s Suja village.

Over 2,000 people died last week as tremors rocked Qinghai Province.

Tibetans in India expressed shock over the news.

“Ever since this unfortunate incident, we have organized prayers. The Karmapa has visited our school to perform prayers, and recently, they had a private audience with the Dalai Lama. His Holiness is very concerned about what happened to people inside Tibet,” said Namkhang, a teacher at the TCV School in Suja.

Over 40 students of different age groups are reported to have lost their family members and relatives in the tragedy.

The students, offered prayers for the peace of departed souls. (ANI)

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Benazir’s assassination result of failures at number of levels: US

April 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr.17 (ANI): Backing the UN enquiry commission’s report over former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, the United States has said that the slain leader’s murder was a result of ‘failures at a number of levels.’

Interacting with media persons during a regular press briefing, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip Crowley said: “Benazir Bhutto assassination was a result of failures at a number of levels where she did not have the protection that she deserved and obviously needed.”

Noting that Washington “cooperated fully” with the UN investigation team, Crowley said the US is committed to help democracy flourish in Pakistan.

“The assassination was a tragedy for the people of Pakistan. We will continue to work with Pakistan to make sure that we build the institutions of democracy going forward,” The News quoted Crowley, as saying.

The UN enquiry commission’s report has blamed the then Musharraf government of ‘deliberately’ failing to probe the December 2007 gun and bomb attack, saying the tragedy could have been averted if adequate security arrangements would have been made.

“The Musharraf government failed to provide foolproof security to Ms. Bhutto which ultimately allowed a lethal assault on her. The security breach left wide-open room for an attack to happen,” the report said in its opening remarks. (ANI)

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Benazir’s assassination result of failures at number of levels: US

April 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr.17 (ANI): Backing the UN enquiry commission’s report over former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, the United States has said that the slain leader’s murder was a result of ‘failures at a number of levels.’

Interacting with media persons during a regular press briefing, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip Crowley said: “Benazir Bhutto assassination was a result of failures at a number of levels where she did not have the protection that she deserved and obviously needed.”

Noting that Washington “cooperated fully” with the UN investigation team, Crowley said the US is committed to help democracy flourish in Pakistan.

“The assassination was a tragedy for the people of Pakistan. We will continue to work with Pakistan to make sure that we build the institutions of democracy going forward,” The News quoted Crowley, as saying.

The UN enquiry commission’s report has blamed the then Musharraf government of ‘deliberately’ failing to probe the December 2007 gun and bomb attack, saying the tragedy could have been averted if adequate security arrangements would have been made.

“The Musharraf government failed to provide foolproof security to Ms. Bhutto which ultimately allowed a lethal assault on her. The security breach left wide-open room for an attack to happen,” the report said in its opening remarks. (ANI)

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Community grief-stricken over murder-suicide

April 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The principal of a school attended by some of the victims of a suspected murder suicide in Melbourne’s north says they were lovely and bright children.

The bodies of 37-year-old Rajesh Osborne along with his 12-year-old daughter Asia, 10-year-old son Jarius, and seven-year-old daughter Grace were found in the bedroom of their Roxburgh Park home yesterday afternoon.

Roxburgh Park Primary principal Iain Garfirth has worked at the school for eight years and knew all the children.

He says the teachers are devastated and counselling will be offered to any of the school’s teachers, parents or children who feel they need it.

Mr Garfirth says Asia, Jarius and Grace were lovely children.

“They all went through our thinkers program. They were all very bright and I do remember especially the younger ones who are here now because they always used to come and say hello to me,” he said.

“Some children are a bit in awe of principals, but they used to love coming past and saying hello.”

“Bright, bubbly, well adjusted kids, yeah fantastic kids. So no indication whatsoever that a tragedy like this was just around the corner.”

Mr Garfirth broke the news to the children’s teachers and says they are devastated.

“I rang them and just heard if they had heard the news and they both had heard it on the radio so they both had a bit of a gut feeling that it could have been,” he said.

“I guess when they heard my voice – it’s not often that the principal rings you during the holidays – so it was very, very hard to break and it took them a long time to take the news in and I’m sure they’re feeling even worse this morning as they’ve processed it.”

Mr Garfirth says the school may hold a memorial for the children.

“I think that will be an important part of the grieving process but I’ll have to wait and contact the principal at the secondary college where the older girl was and certainly the family,” he said.

“I’ll have to liaise with the family and see the appropriate way that we can remember these children.”

The children’s mother does not live at the house but has been notified of the deaths.

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Police investigate Melbourne murder-suicide

April 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Police will spend the day investigating yesterday’s murder-suicide of a man and his three children in northern Melbourne.

The bodies of 37-year-old Rajesh Osborne and his three children were discovered yesterday afternoon in the bedroom of their Roxburgh Park home.

The children are 12-year-old Asia Osborne, 10-year-old Jarius Osborne and seven-year-old Grace Osborne.

A gun was found next to the father – they all suffered gunshot wounds.

It is believed the children went to Roxburgh Park Primary School and neighbours described them as happy and bubbly.

Lloyd Chelvaratnam lived opposite the father and says the tragedy will have a huge impact on the local community.

“It’s gonna be very sad. And we’re sad to miss the father’s wave to me in the morning before he goes to work or when he comes back from his gym, he’s a very friendly guy,” he said.

Their mother does not live at the house but has been notified of the deaths.

Police and the coroner are investigating.

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Memorial to honour Busselton residents

April 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Member for Vasse, Troy Buswell, will unveil a memorial tomorrow which is dedicated to Busselton residents who have died in tragic circumstances.

Busselton Senior High School teacher Carol Johnson was killed in the 2002 Bali bombing.

A student from the school, Brendan Fitzgerald, 16, died in another bombing in Bali in 2005.

Mr Buswell says the Circle of Life Community Memorial will honour those whose lives have been lost.

“This memorial was conceived following the 2005 tragedy in Bali when a young local man lost his life and his friends at the time found that they really had nowhere to come together to say their goodbyes to Brendan,” he said.

“It really is a testament to the character of Busselton that people have been able to come together and over time develop, in a careful and respectful way, this memorial.”

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Bennett wants grand final in Sydney

April 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The push to keep the NRL grand final in Sydney has an unexpected fan with devout Queenslander Wayne Bennett claiming it would be a “great tragedy” if the decider was sold off to Brisbane.

Bennett, who famously helped coach New Zealand to a World Cup win over Australia but said he would never coach New South Wales against Queensland in the State of Origin, said Sydney was the game’s home.

The Queensland Government had weighed in with a big offer to move the grand final to Lang Park before its New South Wales counterparts presented the NRL with a reported $50 million offer to keep the match at ANZ Stadium until 2022.

Currently the NRL pockets only $500,000 a season to play the match in Sydney, with that deal to expire at the end of the 2012 season.

Bennett described as “ludicrous” the thought of Sydney losing the grand final.

“It would be a great tragedy for the game if they took it out of Sydney, it’s ludicrous,” Bennett said after watching his St George Illawarra side go down 17-4 to Melbourne on Good Friday.

“Sydney’s got nine teams in the competition. Sydney has been the heartland of rugby league since day one, it was first played in Sydney.”

Bennett’s Storm counterpart Craig Bellamy – who has guided his Melbourne side to the last four grand finals – said he was not fussed where the decider was played, even suggesting that the Victorian Government should throw its hat in the ring.

“If it’s a commercial decision and goes to the biggest bidder you’d like to think Melbourne’s a chance, but I’d think you’d have a lot of people in Queensland and New South Wales up in arms,” Bellamy said.

“That’s the NRL’s decision, the only comment I’d like to make on it is that I hope we’re there, wherever it’s held.

“They can play it on Mars, that’d be great too, as long as we’re there.”

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Ferry disaster findings handed to Tongan king

April 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Tonga’s Chief Justice has ruled the former head of the country’s Shipping Corporation of Polynesia cannot leave the country because it is feared he might never return to face charges over last year’s ferry disaster in which 74 people died.

John Jonesse was the CEO of the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia when it bought the Princess Ashika, a badly corroded ferry which sank on only its third voyage in Tonga.

A six-month long commission of inquiry report into the tragedy was presented to the King of Tonga today.

Jonesse has already been charged with manslaughter.

He had booked a flight out of Tonga to New Zealand tonight and won approval from a magistrate for his passport to be returned.

The Attorney-General appealed and the Chief Justice Anthony Ford said he faced a lengthy prison sentence if convicted and that would present a powerful incentive for him to abscond.

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Australia lagging in clean energy investment

March 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A global analysis of clean energy investment has found that Australia ranks 14th on the list of G20 countries, behind Mexico and Turkey.

The US-based Pew Foundation study found China was the biggest investor in projects such as renewable energy plants – including solar and wind – investing $34 billion last year.

Australia invested $1 billion, which is up by 50 per cent on 2008, while the United States spent $18 billion.

John Connor from the Climate Institute says the Federal Government needs to drive greater investments in projects like renewable power.

“It’s a tragedy that we have got such rich resources in renewables in solar, wind, biomass, waves – you name it,” he said.

“But without clear directions, and the course of the political squabbling that we’ve seen, we’re not seeing that investment come forward.

“We need a limit in price on pollution and we need other incentives as well.”

Globally clean energy investments have increased by 230 per cent since 2005.

Renewable power produces 6 per cent of global energy needs.

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Investigators examine black boxes from fatal crash

March 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The black box recorders from the burnt out wreckage of an Airnorth plane that crashed on Monday have arrived in Canberra for analysis.

Two Airnorth pilots, Shane Whitbread and Greg Seymon, were killed after their 30-seat Embraer 120 aircraft crashed into trees shortly after take-off.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau says it will release its preliminary findings into the crash in a month.

Meanwhile, one of the pilots killed in Monday’s plane crash in Darwin has been described as a “true Territorian” who loved the outdoors.

Shane Whitbread’s friend, Anthony Harrison, says it has been difficult dealing with the tragedy.

“He loved his fishing and his outdoors,” Mr Harrison said.

“He loved his boys and his wife big time.

“So yeah, basically, that’s the make up of the man.

“He was a true Territorian. A very nice man.”

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‘Russian roulette’ at wedding turns tragic after guest shoots himself

March 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, Mar 23 (ANI): A wedding turned into a tragedy, when a guest was seriously wounded playing “Russian roulette” in front of a horrified bride and groom.

The police arrested a wedding guest, who had been giving a toast when he pretended he was playing the deadly game with a gun.

According to the Daily Mail, the guest claimed that he thought that the gun was entirely empty.

But then he gave the gun to another guest, who in his turn also fired the handgun against his head – and dropped to ground as a rubber bullet exploded into his skull.

And the video of the incident has sparked horror after being posted on the web.

The unnamed man”s condition was later described as “very poor” after doctors removed a bullet from his skull.

He suffered brain damage and paralysis, according to Russian reports.

The man who produced the handgun at the Astrakhan wedding was arrested.

“I wanted to perform my party trick. I expected lots of applause after I did it and never guess someone would repeat it,” the Herald Sun quoted him as saying.

He insisted he had taken out all the bullets before doing his party “trick”.

The police said that the man is due to appear in court over the incident. (ANI)

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Two pilots killed in plane crash

March 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Two pilots have died after their plane crashed at the RAAF base in Darwin just after 10am (CST) today.

Police say the 30-seater Airnorth Embraer 120 had just taken off when it banked sharply to the left and crashed onto the RAAF runway.

It immediately burst into flames.

Airnorth spokesman David Gooch says the pilots’ families are being informed of the tragedy.

Mr Gooch says both were experienced pilots and he does not know why the plane crashed or whether a mayday was issued.

He says the accident has devastated the airline.

“It’s a tragedy to advise that during a routine training flight this morning one our Embraer Brazilias had an accident at the end of the runway,” he said.

“It has crashed onto RAAF ground in this accident and unfortunately two pilots have lost their lives.”

The cause of the crash is still unknown.

Assistant Commissioner, Mark Payne, says police will begin investigating the crash as soon as they can get near the site.

Fire crews have been working to put out the flames but witnesses say the wreckage keeps re-igniting.

The crash scene is some distance from the Darwin International Airport terminal and all flights are running normally.

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West Midlands man underwent sex change op to escape debt collectors!

March 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, March 20 (ANI): While researching for her role in new play ‘Forever in Your Debt’, actress Sarah Thom discovered a man who changed his sex to avoid debt collectors.

The beauty learnt about the man, from the West Midlands, while interacting with workers at the Wolverhampton Credit Union.

The man owed around 50,000 pounds after falling behind on his mortgage payments and credit card bills after losing his job.

It is believed he has gone through with the operation, but is still trying to sort out his debts.

The union, which provides financial advice and loans to members, also narrated to her the tale of an owner of a 99p store in Wolverhampton who had to shut down after penny-pinching customers demanded 1p change.

“The thing I picked up was the humour people have at the point of tragedy,” the Telegraph quoted Thom, as saying. (ANI)

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Let in boat blast accused, says refugee group

March 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A refugee advocate says three asylum seekers should be allowed to stay in Australia, even if it is found they were part of a plan to cause a boat explosion that killed five people last year.

The Opposition is calling on the Government to cancel the permanent protection visas granted to three Afghan men who the coroner said were part of a plot to disable the SIEV 36.

Coroner Greg Cavanagh found that crimes may have been committed in relation to the explosion, which occurred off Australia’s north-west coast, and referred his findings to the police and the DPP.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says it would be inappropriate to act before police have finalised their investigation.

Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul says regardless of what police find, the asylum seekers should be allowed to stay in Australia.

“If there was a deliberately lit fire, they certainly didn’t intend for anyone to be hurt. It would have been the last thing on their minds,” he said.

“Desperate people do desperate things.

“It’s an absolute tragedy that lives were lost, but when you look at the whole picture the blame lies much more on the circumstances that those asylum seekers were placed in.

“So cancelling someone’s visa on the basis of that would be extraordinary.”

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Obama asks Americans to be careful for potential Tsunami

March 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama said his administration is preparing for a tsunami that could hit American shores later today, particularly in Hawaii, American Samoa and Guam.

“A tsunami warning is in place, and people have been alerted to evacuate coastal areas.

I urge citizens to listen closely to the instructions of local officials, who will have the full support of the federal government as they prepare for a potential Tsunami, and recover from any damage that may be caused,” Obama said.

The US is preparing for a tsunami that could hit American shores later today, particularly in Hawaii, American Samoa, and Guam, Obama said.

“I also urge our citizens along the West Coast to be prepared as well, as there may be dangerous waves and currents throughout the day.

In the hours ahead, we’ll continue to take every step possible to prepare our shores and protect our citizens.

And we will stand with the people of Chile as they recovery from this terrible tragedy,” said the US President.

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