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Relief stepped up as quake toll touches 20,000
Hillary sweeps West Virginia
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London's top transport job for Indian origin expert
Two Britons guilty of killing NRI
Food security high on agenda of four-nation meeting
Jaipur blasts
PML-Q not to join govt
Pak to forward clock from June 1
Free judiciary needed: Sharif
9 killed as trains collide in B’desh
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Relief stepped up as quake toll touches 20,000
Beijing, May 14 As troops reached the quake-battered areas, the state media reported that the death toll in Mianyang city alone rose from 3,629 to 5,540 with 18,486 more buried and 1,396 missing. In Yingxiu of Wenchuan County, only 2,300 persons were believed to have survived out of 10,000 residents, official Xinhua news agency said. The toll was expected to rise further once rescuers reach other towns in Wenchuan. Some towns near the epicentre have been "razed to the ground" with no houses left standing, a police official was quoted by the state media as saying. Damage tied to
corruption: expert
Corruption and lax enforcement of stringent building codes could be important factors behind many of the collapsed buildings in China’s worst earthquake in decades, an expert said today. Monday’s tremor levelled factories, homes, schools and hospitals across China’s southwest Sichuan province. “Enforcement costs money and local officials at many levels are involved,” Ashley Howlett, a partner with Jones Day, who heads the Greater China construction practice, said. “China’s building codes are very clear,” he said. “If a similar earthquake hit near Beijing, I don’t think you would see this kind of damage.” His comments echo similar complaints aimed at China in the wake of recent product safety and healthcare scares that alarmed consumers around the world. Oldest irrigation
system saved
An over 2,000-year old irrigation system in Sichuan province has escaped any major damage to its structure in the earthquake, state media has reported. The quake caused cracks in the V-shaped dike of the Dujiangyan, the world’s oldest operating water project, with collapses in a sluice control room and a standby power generation room, but the operating system was “not compromised,” the ministry of water resources said. Other major water projects in Sichuan such as the south-to-north water diversion project and the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric project, too, have suffered no impact from the earthquake, Xinhua reported. The irrigation infrastructure built in 256 BC during ‘Warring States Period’ of China by the Qin kindgom, is 50 km from the provincial capital of
Chengdu. India offers support
NEW DELHI: India today condoled the death of people in the recent earthquake in China and expressed readiness to provide any assistance for rehabilitation and relief of the victims. External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee wrote to his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi and expressed deep shock at the devastating earthquake that hit the Sichuan province on Monday killing thousands and causing widespread destruction. Pregnant woman, mother pulled from rubble
DUJIANGYAN: Exhausted rescuers and earthquake victims celebrated today when they pulled an eight-months pregnant woman and her mother alive from the rubble of their home, a rare moment of joy in this shattered city. But relatives were soon throwing themselves at the feet of the rescue chief as she pulled her team out with three family members still trapped in the wreckage. In Dujiangyan, a city close to the quake’s epicentre in Wenchuan County, Sichuan province, stricken relatives watched as firemen plucked Zhang Xiaoyan and her mother from the flattened remains of their six-storeyed apartment block. Zhang and her mother were taken by stretcher to an ambulance and rushed to hospital. — Agencies
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Hillary sweeps West Virginia
There were no surprises on Tuesday as Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton pocketed a big win the West Virginia’s Democratic presidential primary contest trouncing Senator Barack Obama by a huge margin. With 100 per cent of the precints counted, Clinton had 67 per cent to Obama’s 26 per cent. But Obama, who of his slim chances had all but ignored the state, built momentum in his quest to become the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee in November’s general election. Since his big win in North Carolina and narrow defeat in Indiana last week, Obama has picked up more super delegates than Clinton. He also leads in the popular vote, states won and pledged delegates. Facing increased pressure to quit the race and with media analysts and political pundits all but writing her political obituary, Clinton said she was determined to go the distance. “After tonight’s tremendous victory here in West Virginia, it’s clear that the pundits declaring this race over have it all wrong,” the New York senator said in a message to supporters. “We’ve proved conventional wisdom wrong time and again in this race. We did it again tonight in West Virginia. Let’s keep going.” Obama had written off the state well before the contest. “There is no question that Senator Clinton is going to win by huge margins in the upcoming primaries in West Virginia today and Kentucky next week. She has poured resources into both states, and she, former President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton have all campaigned extraordinarily hard there,” the Obama campaign wrote in a memo before West Virginia polls closed. The defeat in West Virginia underscored the problem Obama, a black, has in attracting the white, working class vote. "This is our chance to build a new majority of Democrats and Independents and Republicans who know that four more years of George Bush just won’t do,” Obama said in Missouri. With her campaign funds drying up, Clinton has poured over $11 million of her personal fortune into the race. Obama appears to have shifted his focus to the contest against Senator John McCain, the Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee. The next Democratic primaries will be in Oregon and Kentucky on May 20.
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London's top transport job for Indian origin expert
London, May 14 A prominent figure among young members of the Conservative Party, Kulveer Ranger(33), contested the Makerfield, Wigan, election in 2005, but lost. Ranger, son of Indian parents, was born and brought up in Middlesex.He says his parents worked hard and struggled throughout his formative years. Kulveer will lead on policy direction for Transport, on behalf of the Mayor. He will also oversee the relationship between the Greater London Authority and Transport for London. — PTI
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Two Britons guilty of killing NRI
London, May 14 The victim was working at his family building firm in Stratford in east London, when the incident occurred on January 12, 2006. Matharu chased the thieves, who ran and jumped into a waiting Ford Mondeo and knocked him as he tried to stop their getaway. Brothers Albert Willett (26) and Tommy Willett (24) were the occupants of the Mondeo. Albert admitted manslaughter but his brother Tommy denied the charge. Albert, who was driving the car, which killed Matharu, told the court that he did not mean to hurt the building worker. The court heard Tommy, who was in the passenger seat, urged his brother to drive on even as the victim stood in front of the vehicle and asked them to wait for the police. —
PTI
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Food security high on agenda of four-nation meeting
Yekatarinburg (Russia), May 14 This fourth meeting of BRIC foreign ministers will commence on Friday (May 16) after foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee wraps up his three-day visit to the UAE. The BRIC foreign ministers are meeting to enhance cooperation on global and economic issues among the four rapidly growing economies. The meeting will be the first stand-alone meeting of BRIC foreign ministers. Mukherjee will meet his counterparts, Russia’s Sergei Lavrov, Brazil’s Celso Amorim and China’s Yang Jiechi and discuss with them a broad range of issues aimed at deepening economic and strategic cooperation among the four emerging economic giants. — ANI
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Jaipur blasts
New York, May 14 As they watched pictures of ghastly incidents on their TV sets, Indians stood shocked and many who had their loved ones in Jaipur tried frantically to contact them. Condemning the yesterday's blasts,the Indian National Overseas Congress (INOC) appealed to all communities to maintain communal harmony. INOC president Surinder Malhotra called it a crime against humanity and urged state and central law enforcement authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice. Expressing sympathies for the victims, he urged the people to be vigilant against those who might try to take advantage of the situation to damage the pluralistic framework of India.
— PTI
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PML-Q not to join govt
The pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) today said it would not take advantage of PML-N’s exit from the coalition and urged the PPP and the PML-N to tide over their differences and stay together for resolving the problems facing the country. “We will not join the government but continue to sit in the opposition,” Mushahid Hussain Sayed told reporters after a top-level meeting of the party. He further stated that the PML-Q would not do anything to destabilise the PML-N-led coalition in Punjab. He said it was time the coalition quickly got over the tangle on restoration of judges and focus attention on issues like hike in prices, wheat shortage, power outages, growing unemployment and law and order. The PML-Q will play a positive role to help the government in tackling these issues instead of aggravating the situation, he said. And in a related development, the All Parties’ Democratic Movement (APDM) in a meeting here also stopped short of announcing a promised agitation and decided to convene a national conference of all stake holders, including political parties, lawyers, civil society activists and media to devise a common strategy for the restoration of judges. APDM convener Mahmood Achakzai, Jamat-e-Islami (JI) chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Imran Khan at a joint news conference said the APDM does not want to create problems for the new government or derail the democratic process. But Imran said there would be no compromise on the issue of reinstatement of all deposed judges, including Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. He denounced the latest move to divide the judges by offering re-appointment to selected deposed judges. Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani also presided over the Cabinet meeting and reiterated resolve to bring back the PML-N ministers, who had resigned. Mushahid also announced that the PML-Q forward group in the Senate has returned to the parent body. He hoped that a similar group formed in Punjab would reunite. He condemned what he described as a campaign of victimisation in the bureaucracy and criticised latest termination of services of Shireen Mazara as head of Institute of Strategic Studies for opposing the government move to seek UN probe in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Earlier, foreign secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan was removed for the same reason, he added.
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Pak to forward clock from June 1
The federal cabinet on Wednesday decided to forward the clock by one hour from June 1 in a bid to save energy. “All commercial centres and shopping plazas will shut business at 9 pm, which means the present 8pm, minister for power Raja Pervez Ashraf told reporters after the meeting. He said the purpose was to ensure that business centres operated in sunlight and saved energy to overcome power shortage. He said this practice was followed in several countries of the world. He further promised to end load shedding by the close of next year revising earlier estimate of three years. For this purpose several short-term plans for power generation and import of electricity from Iran would be launched, he said. The government will distribute one million energy saver bulbs to the poor within a month, he added.
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Free judiciary needed: Sharif
PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has said he has no desire to become leader of the House or Opposition and vowed to struggle for the restoration of judiciary by becoming part of Parliament. Talking to a private TV channel, Nawaz said no one would be allowed to put the issue of judges’ restoration on the backburner as the country immensely needs independent judiciary. He stated that the PML-N would sit on the treasury benches and support every measure that strengthens democratic process. He said both PML-N and PPP had vowed to put their rivalry behind them and work together for a prosperous and progressive Pakistan where judiciary is independent and Parliament supreme. He expressed confidence that the deposed judges would be restored one day but regretted that the coalition could not meet the May 12 deadline. He said the lawyers’ fraternity, civil society and political segments had made great sacrifices for the restoration of judges. “We are with them,” he said, adding the PML-N would actively support their movement. He said he has filed nomination papers for contesting by-elections. Last time, Musharraf had conspired to get his papers rejected. If this were repeated, he would not move the present court because he does not recognise these judges as they are not legitimately installed.
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9 killed as trains collide in B’desh
Dhaka, May 14 The Northeast Sylhet-bound Upaban Express hit the waiting Noakhali Express at Ashuganj railway station from rear, killing eight persons on the spot and damaging its own engine and six coaches of the two trains, said district police chief Ataul Kibria. Both the trains had started their journey from Dhaka late last night. Kibria said the injured passengers, some of them with critical head injuries, were being treated at Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital and other nearby facilities. Army troops and policemen joined hands with fire brigade rescuers to retrieve the bodies and rescue the injured. — PTI
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‘Rocket salad’ to tackle global food crisis Oldest bust of Emperor
Caesar found Indian artworks to feature
at Christie’s Power from rice husk
for Bihar villages 
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