H1N1 claims five more
After Pune, Mumbai shuts down schools, malls
Mumbai/New Delhi, August 12
Continuing its deadly march, the H1N1 virus today claimed five more lives, including four in the ‘epidemic city’ Pune, taking the death toll in the country to 17. The fifth casualty was reported from Nashik.

Health cards for passengers must, airlines told
PIL on Ganesh Utsav can wait, rules SC
3 confirmed cases in UP

Passengers wear protective respiratory masks as a precaution against swine flu while travelling in a Mumbai local train on Wednesday. — PTI

Apollo refuses to screen, treat
Says can’t put its patients at risk
New Delhi, August 12
Two days after Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad invited private hospitals to help the government with screening, testing and treatment of swine flu patients, private healthcare major Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals bowed out of the process, becoming the first private facility to refuse such testing.

New tax code unveiled, to replace I-T Act
New Delhi, August 12
Making the process of paying taxes simpler for the common man has always been on top of the UPA’s agenda. This was amply demonstrated today with the government initiating radical tax reforms by releasing the direct tax draft code that aims to moderate tax rates and at the same time tries to make it easier for a layman to understand and calculate his tax liability.

Power cuts get longer in Punjab
Only Badal village gets regular supply
Chandigarh, August 12
Power consumption in Punjab reached a never before figure of 2,022 lakh units (LU) today, forcing the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) to enforce power cuts ranging from seven to 12 hours on all category of consumers, including the general industrial sector that faces three off days in a week now.

Editorial: Punjab, Haryana reeling

26/11 terrorists came from Karachi: FBI
Mumbai, August 12
Reinforcing the Pakistan link to the Mumbai terror attack, the FBI in a crucial testimony at the trial of the lone surviving gunman Ajmal Kasab said today the global positioning system (GPS) devices used by terrorists showed they had come from Karachi.

Finally, Shopian case goes to CBI Srinagar, August 12 The state government has decided to refer investigations in the Shopian case to the CBI following reports that the two vaginal samples sent to the CFSL had been tampered with. The issue came up in the state Assembly, at present in session, prompting the Speaker amid noisy scenes to suspend Question Hour.