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Beijing, April 23 China has declared a nationwide alert against the possible resurgence of SARS epidemic, with the Ministry of Health confirming one suspected case in Beijing and another case of viral pneumonia in east China’s Anhui province.
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FBI chief warns of terrorist attacks
in Asia
Nurse who fed tranquillisers to infant nabbed
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Sharon pledges to continue killing ‘murderers’
White powder sparks alert at BBC firm
Man survives 18-floor plunge
2 killed, 13 schools burnt in Thailand
Photos of war dead anger Pentagon
Sect leader jailed for
molesting kids
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Beijing, April 23 Local health institutions have been asked by the ministry to resume the “zero” report mechanism on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) immediately, namely to deliver daily surveillance report even though no cases were reported. The ministry asked local health authorities to enhance SARS preventative measures and spare no efforts to prevent hospital infection and protect the safety of health workers, Xinhua news agency reported. Local health departments should also conduct strict epidemiological investigations in case of reporting of suspected cases of SARS emerged, senior health ministry officials said during an emergency nation-wide teleconference yesterday. Other measures included tightening laboratory safety and improving information sharing among government departments. The state administration of quality supervision, inspection and quarantine has also ordered the border quarantine departments to take strict quarantine measures. China was widely criticised for withholding information when SARS first broke out last year. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) China office suggested the public “be sensible” to the possible reoccurrence of SARS, but “do not overreact.” — PTI |
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FBI chief warns of terrorist attacks in Asia
Beijing, April 23 “Just because you have not seen substantial terrorist attacks in China does not mean there could not be in the future or in other countries in Asia,” Mueller told journalists in Beijing. Terrorists were “individuals who may subscribe to a greater or lesser degree to extremist Islamic fundamentalism,” he said, including Al-Qaida, the group behind the September 11 terrorist attacks in the USA in 2001. “There are certainly individuals in China who could be described as having that same mindset as well as a desire to utilise terrorist acts to further their agenda whether you call it Al-Qaida or a group
loosely affiliated with Al-Qaida or Al-Qaida’s leadership,” he said. During his three-day visit, Mueller sought to expand cooperation with China’s Ministry of Public Security and its secretive Ministry of State Security to build a global anti-terrorism network. He refused to comment on whether he specifically discussed with his Chinese counterparts Muslim groups in China’s westernmost Xinjiang region, or a recent demand by Beijing for Washington to list several groups linked to a Xinjiang independence movement as international terrorist groups. “Al-Qaida, or Al-Qaeda-affiliated groups, are spread throughout the world at this point,” Mueller said.
—AFP |
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Nurse who fed tranquillisers to infant nabbed
Beijing, April 23 The police in the Taihe township police station in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, said the case was still under investigation, ‘China Daily’ reported. Ms Yang, the infant’s mother, hired the nurse, surnamed Ms Zeng, three days after she gave birth to a girl on February 13, in Guangzhou’s Shahe people’s hospital. Though Zeng was hired for a month, Yang renewed the contract for one more month in March. However, the infant girl’s behaviour was characterised by sleeping during the day and crying throughout the night, which was extremely vexing to Ms Yang. Sometimes, the baby slept for 20 hours after she had been fed, Ms Yang said. On April 8, Ms Yang tasted the milk which had been prepared for the baby by Ms Zeng, and found the milk was bitter. When she threatened to call the police, Ms Zeng admitted she had added tranquillisers to the milk. The baby was then shown to doctors of three hospitals in the city and the results from the three hospitals showed that the girl was fine. Ms Zeng said her work was “very difficult”, she had to nurse the baby for almost a whole night, and during the day, she had to finish the housework. The sleeping medication was brought for her personally in the first place. When she was extremely tired one night, she decided to give some to the baby. Ms Zeng said she only added one-eighth of a pill once. “I just hoped the child would sleep well, I did not have any evil ideas,” Ms Zeng said.
— PTI |
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Sharon pledges to continue killing ‘murderers’
Jerusalem, April 23 “We got rid of murderer number one and murderer number two and the list is not short,” he said in a speech in the city of Ashdod, gearing his campaign to a high pitch in the preparation for the Likud party referendum on his disengagement plan. “We have proven to them that our spirit will not break under pressure, and they will have to hide from the hand that will hunt them down,” Mr Sharon said. The Prime Minister is trying to seal these actions to re-affirm his image as the tough uncompromising leader on terror while facing his party members mustering support for his disengagement plan that goes to vote on May 2. Israel killed Hamas leader Abdel-Aziz Rantisi in a missile strike on Saturday and its spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in a similar attack on March 22. Hamas has vowed to avenge the killings with “100 reprisals”. The Prime Minister devoted a large part of his speech to the disengagement plan directly. “I know the settlements and I know how hard it is to leave the place where you grew up, the field you cultivated. Nevertheless, I have the responsibility to care for the entire nation, and to find a way to protect everyone and to enable the country to grow,” he said. Sharon also came upon hard on his critics saying, “it is easy to criticise he who acts. The disengagement will benefit the development of the country, it is good for security and will bring about quiet and prosperity.” Buoyed by the support expressed by US President George Bush for his plan, the Prime Minister has embarked upon
belligerent campaign within his party with senior leaders gradually announcing support to the plan. In a major boost to his campaign, arch-rival Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced his support to the plan. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom who had been quite vocal in his opposition also followed suit.
— PTI |
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White powder sparks alert at BBC firm
London, April 23 Emergency services said none of the workers appeared to be ill and tests would now be carried out on the powder found yesterday at Galleon, a company based at Sittingbourne in Kent, southeast England. More than 60 firefighters were called to the scene and the area was cordoned off. The police and ambulance units were also summoned. At least 70 employees were in the building when the suspicious package was opened in a post room and six were believed to have come into direct contact with the powder, according to the Kent police. A spokeswoman said: “All of the staff are undergoing decontamination procedures, but it is hoped that they will be able to go home in the next few hours.” None of the staff appeared to be unwell, and emergency teams are also fine, she added.
— AFP |
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Cape Town, April 23 Mr Nicholas du Plooy broke both arms and a leg and also injured his neck late on Tuesday after he toppled out of a 19th-floor window at the Cape Town Ritz Hotel late on Tuesday. Nearby restaurant worker Gino Del Giovine told the Cape Argus newspaper he was alerted to the accident by passers-by who burst into his business yelling “Hey, we’ve just seen a guy flying off the top of the Ritz!” “I was expecting a real mess,” Del Giovine told the newspaper. Instead, he and others rushing to the scene found Du Plooy had crash-landed on the roof of the hotel’s ground floor reception, his fall apparently broken by metal roofing sheets. He was conscious and speaking. “He said, ‘I need help, my neck is in pain’,” Del Giovine told the newspaper. After treatment at a nearby hospital, medics pronounced du Plooy “stable, talking and fine.” The police said they believed Du Plooy’s plunge was accidental but would not speculate on the circumstances. “There’s no foul play suspected. The guy just fell out of the window,” police spokeswoman Priscilla Ndongeni said.
—Reuters |
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2 killed, 13 schools burnt in Thailand
Bangkok, April 23 A village headman was shot dead in his car and a fireman died in hospital after being shot while trying to put out a blaze at one of the targeted buildings in the southern province of
Narathiwat, police said. “The fireman who was shot last night has now died in hospital,’’ an officer at Narathiwat police headquarters told Reuters by telephone. At least 10 suspected arsonists, mostly youths under 18, were arrested after the rampage. They were now in military custody, a Defence Ministry spokesman told a Bangkok radio station.
— Reuters |
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Photos of war dead anger Pentagon
Dover (USA), April 23 The photographs were released last week to First Amendment activist Russ Kick, who had filed a Freedom of Information Act request to receive the images. Air Force officials initially denied the request but decided to release the photos after Kick appealed their decision. After Kick posted more than 350 photographs on his website, the Defence Department barred the further release of the photographs to media outlets. “They’re not happy with the release of the photos,” Dover Air Force base spokesman Col Jon Anderson said. The photos were taken at the Dover base — home to the mortuary — and most of the images are of flag-draped coffins. The Defence Department rules prohibit media coverage of human remains arriving at Dover and Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Gary Keck said on release of the mortuary photos appears to be in conflict with the department policy. Defence officials said the purpose of the policy is to protect the privacy of the soldiers’ families — not to circumvent or violate the Freedom of Information Act or any other law. “Quite frankly, we don’t want the remains of our
service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice to be the subject of any kind of attention that is unwarranted or undignified,” said John Molino, a Deputy Undersecretary of defence.
—AP |
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Sect leader jailed for
molesting kids
Atlanta, April 23 He was convicted in January of child molestation and racketeering after a trial in which 14 boys and girls from the sect said York molested them from 1998 to 2002. He was sentenced in Macon on Thursday.
— AP |
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