TIGblogs TIG | TIGblogs GROUP TIGBLOGS LOGIN SIGNUP
Nepal
« previous 15


Sushilaryal   Sushilaryal sushil's TIGblog
sushil's profile

Advice to businesses on swine flu
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Various UK organisations have issued advice to businesses about what preparations to think about now, and what to do in the event that the swine flu outbreak becomes a pandemic.

These are some of their recommendations.


DEPT FOR BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM (BERR)
•Employers should make their own individual judgements about whether to stay open
•Businesses should plan for a possible outbreak as they do all health and safety issues
•Prepare a business contingency plan
•The Cabinet Office has published a leaflet: Introductory advice to staff on planning for pandemic influenza •It has also released a checklist of things businesses should be considering
•The checklist suggests firms should identify which parts of their business are critical and consider having a pool of workers who could complete such tasks if necessary, such as contractors of retirees
•Consider how they would limit face-to-face contact among employees or between employees and customers
•Think about whether you computer systems or communications equipment need upgrading to allow staff to work from home or engage with customers via video conferencing
•Get the latest information on the Department of Health's swine flu website
BUSINESS LINK
•Recommends e-mailing all staff the NHS leaflet on swine flu
•The key advice is to always carry tissues, use them to cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze and bin the tissues after one use
•Wash your hands often with soap and hot water or a sanitizer gel
•Avoid non-essential travel to Mexico and be aware of other countries having outbreaks
•Business link has a page of advice on what businesses can do to deal with swine flu
EMPLOYERS' ORGANISATIONS
•The CBI recommends that companies consider reviewing their sickness and emergency planning procedures
•It suggests firms stay across the latest medical and travel advice through the Department of Health and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office •The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) have a page of information for business travellers •They also suggest keeping up to date with the information on the World Health Organisation's website
LONDON SCHOOL OF HYGIENE & TROPICAL MEDICINE

•Consider measures to allow employees to work further apart within the workplace
•Establish clear criteria for employees returning to work - at what stage will they cease to be infectious?
•Plan for disruption to suppliers, even those providing basic facilities such as power or water
•Consider health screening for employees when they enter the office

July 4, 2009 | 1:29 AM Comments  1 comments
Tags:


yashoda   yashoda Yashoda's TIGblog
Yashoda's profile

Can masks help stop flu spread?
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

One of the abiding images of the swine flu outbreak is the pictures from Mexico of people wandering the streets wearing masks.

And as the disease has spread from country to country, reports have emerged of people purchasing all sorts of products on the internet.

But while the scramble is understandable, experts are sceptical about just how useful they are.

Professor John Oxford, a virologist at leading London hospital, The Barts and the London, said: "Really, there is very little evidence that masks actually offer much protection against flu.

"I think handing them out to the public as has happened in Mexico just destroys confidence."

Health staff

It is these sorts of issues that has prompted officials from groups such as the World Health Organization and England's Health Protection Agency to steer clear of calling for them for general public use.

While Mexico has handed them out to members of the public, most other countries, including the UK, are just reserving them for health staff.

Others, such as Belgium, have bought some for flu patients, while several, including Spain, have handed them out to passengers on planes returning from affected areas.

It is believed there are enough masks for half the NHS workforce, but officials are already in discussion with suppliers about ordering another 30m to help cope if a pandemic develops.

Health workers have been told to wear them, along with special gloves, if they are in contact with potential victims.

Professor Oxford believes this approach is right.

"They are the people who will be most likely to be coming into contact with the virus and the ones who could be passing it on."

The Department of Health has focused on getting what are known as respirator masks. These have filters, which stop a person breathing in some particles in the air.

They are much more effective than the standard surgical masks or dust masks that are sometimes used by builders.

However, none of the masks can stop 100% of the particles getting through and become less effective once they become moist.

Instead, they are better at stopping the virus getting out.

Spread

Dr Ronald Cutler, deputy director of biomedical science at the University of London, said: "If you sneeze with a mask the virus will be contained so from that point of view if everyone wore them it might stop the spread.

"Or you could get the people with flu wearing them, but by the time they are diagnosed it could be too late.

"And the problem is that when someone sneezes they tend to take a mask off. I think masks give people a false sense of security.

"They are not bio-chemical suits. Masks are obviously just covering one part of the body so your hands and clothes could all have the virus on and when you take them off you will infect yourself.

"However, because people are wearing a mask they will think they are protected and may go into crowded areas.

"The best advice is to wash your hands and cover your mouth when sneezing."

Gail Lusardi, an infection control specialist at Glamorgan University, agreed.

"Masks alone will not prevent spread of the influenza virus and basic hygiene measures like hand washing, safe use and disposal of tissues and cleaning of environmental surfaces are key to preventing infection transmission."

She also said it was important they were correctly fitted - some of the more expensive respirator masks are molded to fit the face unlike standard masks that can be bought on the high street.

And she added: "A mask can be worn continuously for up to eight to 10 hours, but must be replaced if it is taken off at any stage."




July 4, 2009 | 1:19 AM Comments  0 comments
Tags:


yashoda   yashoda Yashoda's TIGblog
Yashoda's profile

WHO warns swine flu 'unstoppable'
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

The UN's top health official has opened a forum in Mexico on combating swine flu by saying that the spread of the virus worldwide is now unstoppable.

World Health Organization head Margaret Chan added that the holding of the meeting in Cancun showed confidence in Mexico, which has been hard hit.

The WHO says most H1N1 cases are mild, with many people recovering unaided.

As the summit opened, the UK alone was projecting more than 100,000 new cases of H1N1 a day by the end of the summer.

As the peak of the flu season approaches in South America, some areas have declared a public health emergency.

El Salvador reported its first death from swine flu, a day after Paraguay reported its first fatality.

'Mild symptoms'

"As we see today, with well over 100 countries reporting cases, once a fully fit pandemic virus emerges, its further international spread is unstoppable," Dr Chan said in her opening remarks.
She stressed that the overwhelming majority of patients experienced mild symptoms and made a full recovery within a week, often in the absence of any form of medical treatment.

The exceptions, she said, were pregnant women and people with underlying health problems, who were at higher risk from complications from the virus and should be monitored if they fell ill.

"For a pandemic of moderate severity, this is one of our greatest challenges: helping people to understand when they do not need to worry, and when they do need to seek urgent care," Dr Chan said.

Turning to the summit venue, the WHO chief added: "Mexico is a safe, as well as a beautiful and warmly gracious, place to visit."

Leaders and experts from 50 countries are in Cancun for the two-day meeting to discuss strategies for combating the virus.

It has been more than two months since the initial alert over swine flu.

Since then, the H1N1 virus has entered more than 100 countries, infected more than 70,000 people and killed more than 300 worldwide.

Authorities across South America are becoming increasingly concerned as the peak flu season approaches, the BBC's Andy Gallacher reports from Cancun.

Schools across Argentina have sent students home and pregnant women have been told they can take two weeks off work to avoid contracting the virus.

It is hoped the Cancun meeting will address many of the issues that might help slow the spread of swine flu but, our correspondent adds, many people are concerned that an effective vaccine has still not been developed.



July 4, 2009 | 1:17 AM Comments  0 comments
Tags:


yashoda   yashoda Yashoda's TIGblog
Yashoda's profile

Flu risk for indigenous peoples
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Indigenous peoples, such as Aborigines and Native Americans, have low quality health which puts them at higher risk from swine flu, experts have warned.

There are around 400m people around the world who are classed as indigenous.

Australian researchers, writing in the Lancet, warn flu risk is increased because they are more likely to be malnourished and living in poverty.

One Aboriginal man has already died from swine flu, and Native Indians in Canada have seen many cases.

Established diseases are more common in indigenous populations, from skin infections to HIV/Aids.

Factors such as tobacco use, alcohol, drug use, physical inactivity, low intake of fruit and vegetables and high blood pressure increase health risks.

And the "Westernisation" of indigenous peoples, including their adoption of high-calorie, high-fat, high-salt diets, when combined with decreasing physical activity and genetic predisposition has increased the risk of conditions which were previously not a significant problem.

Children in indigenous communities often experience malnutrition, and poor living conditions and diarrhoeal diseases and respiratory infections are common.

Illness that can be prevented by vaccination, such as measles, mumps diphtheria and tetanus are also still rife.

'Looming catastrophe'

Writing in the Lancet, Professor Michael Gracey, of Perth's Unity of First People of Australia (an Aboriginal research group) and Professor Malcolm King of the University of Alberta, Canada, said indigenous health shoulf be "a priority for action" by governments and non-governmental organisations.

"This is looming as an international public health catastrophe," they wrote.

Professor Gracey added: "The first Australian death from swine flu occurred very recently in a young desert-dwelling Aboriginal man.

"He had underlying medical conditions and his demise highlights the susceptibility of large numbers of Indigenous people to such infections.

"Many Aboriginal people died even in very remote parts of Australia during the great influenza pandemic of 1918."

The World Health Organization has already expressed concern over the progression of swine flu in indigenous groups.

In a speech on global health needs this week, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said: "I firmly believe that this pandemic will reveal, in a highly visible, measurable, and tragic way, exactly what it means, in life-and-death terms, when health needs and health systems have been neglected, for decades, in large parts of the world."



July 4, 2009 | 1:16 AM Comments  0 comments
Tags:


suneboy   suneboy Pr@su,सूर्य's TIGblog
Pr@su,सूर्य's profile

WHO stands by Tamiflu against swine flu
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Existing anti-viral treatments are effective against swine flu, the World Health Organisation insisted on Wednesday, describing a reported case of resistance to Tamiflu as an isolated case.
“We are not changing our recommendations regarding the antivirals existing today,” a WHO spokeswoman told AFP.
The WHO’s comments came after Danish health officials on Monday reported the first case of resistance in an A(H1N1) patient treated with Tamiflu, an antiviral drug that is one of the key influenza treatments recommended
by the WHO.
The WHO spokeswoman described it as an “isolated case with no implications
on public health.” She also pointed out that instances of resistance to Tamiflu were previously documented for avian flu.Swiss pharmaceutical firm Roche, which manufactures Tamiflu, had also said that the Danish case was expected and likely to be isolated.
“This was very much expected,” said David Reddy, Roche’s pandemic task
force leader.

July 2, 2009 | 10:04 AM Comments  0 comments


suneboy   suneboy Pr@su,सूर्य's TIGblog
Pr@su,सूर्य's profile

Flu awareness drive begins
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Epidemiology and Disease Control Division at the Department of Health Services has started a media campaign to spread awareness about A (H1N1) in several parts of the country.
Dr Senendra Raj Upreti, director of the EDCD, said on Wednesday that they were coordinating with several NGOs for the campaign to battle against the influenza. “We will raise awareness among the people using TV commercials, radio jingles and brochures,” Upreti said.

July 2, 2009 | 9:48 AM Comments  0 comments
Tags:


yashoda   yashoda Yashoda's TIGblog
Yashoda's profile

Sound waves offer prostate hope
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

An experimental therapy using sound waves may offer people with early stage prostate cancer an alternative treatment option, doctors believe.

The technique, called High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), uses sound waves to heat and kill cancerous cells.

The researchers from University College and Princess Grace hospitals in London used it on 172 men with high rates of success and low levels of side effects.

But experts said long-term follow-up was needed to confirm its potential.

The men taking part in the trial were discharged on average five hours after receiving the HIFU treatment, the British Journal of Cancer reported.

Typically men with the aggressive form prostate cancer, which kills 10,000 people a year in the UK, are treated with either surgery or radiotherapy.

There is also a benign version of the disease, which is rarely life-threatening and sometimes so slow-growing it never causes any problems.

Surgery usually requires a two to three-day in-patient stay and radiotherapy requires daily treatment as an outpatient for up to one month.

Of the initial group, 159 men were followed up a year later and 92% did not have any recurrence of prostate cancer.

Both surgery and radiotherapy have similar success rates.

But the sound waves treatment showed lower levels of side effects than would be expected for the other two.

Just one man had incontinence, none had any bowel problems, while a third of the group had impotence - low in terms of prostate treatment.

'Needs evaluation'

Guy MacPherson, 73, from Oxfordshire, who took part in the trial, was full of praise.

"I was very happy about the treatment. I had no side effects.

"The day following the treatment I was walking the dog, washing the car and going Christmas carolling."

Dr Hashim Ahmed, who led the trial, said the results were very encouraging.

"This study suggests it's possible that HIFU may one day play a role in treating men with early prostate cancer with fewer side effects."

HIFU can target cancerous tissue down to a millimetre accuracy.

It literally boils the cells until they are destroyed.

Since this first group underwent the treatment another 800 men around the UK have also entered trials, although results are not available yet.

It has also started to be tested on other forms of cancer, such as liver and kidney.

The technique is already used in other parts of Europe and Japan.

But experts still want to see long-term results before they give it their backing for NHS use.

Professor Peter Johnson, of Cancer Research UK, said HIFU needed "careful evaluation".

And John Neate, chief executive of the Prostate Cancer Charity, added long-term data was required.

But he said: "HIFU potentially offers a 'third way' approach to the treatment of localised prostate cancer."

July 2, 2009 | 4:55 AM Comments  0 comments
Tags:


brabim   brabim Brabim kumar K.C's TIGblog
Brabim kumar K.C's profile

National Blog Posting Month


Remember National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) back in November? You all used the opportunity to take a swing at churning out a 50,000-word novel on your blogs in only one month — some with great success!

There’s also NaBloPoMo, which has nothing to do with post-modernism, but with blogging! It stands for National Blog Posting Month.

It’s an even more fitting occasion for posting regularly to your blog on the topics that interest you. And maybe the best part is that it starts whenever you want it to! The only objective is to post every day for a month. So why not begin with July? To make it official, sign up here. It’s open to anyone with a blog, anywhere in the world.

The NaBloPoMo team provides a theme for each month, which isn’t mandatory, but is a nice way to gain inspiration that can kick off your daily updates.

Not into that? Then we suggest sticking to the stuff you’ve been blogging about all along — the things you experience and love — with the added caveat of keeping it on the regular.

If you run out of steam, you can always find ways to blog about the dozens of weird celebrations and holidays that take place in July, in addition to Independence Day in the U.S. — like Ice Cream Soda Day, Video Games Day, or Bugs Bunny’s Birthday.

To plug the WordPress community into your endeavor, we suggest using NaBloPoMo09 as a tag on each post you publish to your blog. They’ll show up on the tag results page, which is also a great place to get inspired by your fellow bloggers.

A note: Please refrain from commenting with questions about NaBloPoMo in response to this post. It’s not a WordPress project. Instead, check out their FAQ to learn more about its objectives and requirements.

Happy (daily) blogging!

July 2, 2009 | 4:07 AM Comments  0 comments
Tags:


idkrishna   idkrishna Krishna Giri's TIGblog
Krishna Giri's profile

a short geet
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

dg leq s] s'/f 5 < v';'Ss t elg x]/ .
nhfpF5f} lsg t];} dgsf s'/f vfnL u/ .

lbnsf] 3fp dgdf km]/L gd]l6g] vf6f aGnf
leqleq} u'lD;P/ cfkm}+nfO{ gdf/

July 2, 2009 | 3:14 AM Comments  0 comments
Tags:


brabim   brabim Brabim kumar K.C's TIGblog
Brabim kumar K.C's profile

June Wrap-Up


Last month we launched the Yahoo! App and 360 importer so you can migrate your content to WordPress.com quickly and easily. And we introduced the SocialVibe widget, which helps you earn donations for the charity of your choice. July will bring more feature updates, and more of the themes and customizations you’ve been asking for. We’re listening.

Here are the stats for June:

  • 388,580 blogs were created.
  • 5,845,417 posts were published.
  • 411,540 new users joined.
  • 5,800,941 file uploads.
  • 3,633 gigabytes of new files.
  • 810 terabytes of content transferred from our datacenters.
  • 8,330,617 comments.
  • 6,841,633 logins.
  • 1,245,935,191 pageviews on WordPress.com, and another 1,245,882,985 on self-hosted blogs (2,491,818,176 total across all WordPress blogs we track).
  • 2,153,176 active blogs where “active” means they got a human visitor.
  • 1,447,021,840 words.

Plus:

You published 37,894 posts using the WordPress for iPhone app.

The new GigaOM Pro launched, powered by BuddyPress.

WordCamps in June: WordCamp Chicago, WordCamp RDU, WordCamp Brasil, and WordCamp Dallas.

WordCamps coming up in July: WordCamp Montreal and WordCamp UK.

July 2, 2009 | 1:07 AM Comments  0 comments
Tags:


Sushilaryal   Sushilaryal sushil's TIGblog
sushil's profile

Bank says banking crisis easing
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

The Bank of England says conditions in the financial system are easing, although the banking system is fragile and vulnerable to disruption.

In its Financial Stability Report, it said the total losses from the financial crisis reached $15tn (£10tn).

However, that is a substantial improvement from March's estimate of a $25tn fall in the value of such assets.

The Bank also calls for further regulation to prevent banks getting too big and tougher controls on lending.

Prevention and cure

With the debate now shifting on how to prevent future financial crises, Paul Tucker, the deputy governor for financial stability said: "The policy debate now underway matters enormously if we are to achieve a more stable financial system in the future."

Recent statements by Governor Mervyn King have highlighted differences between the Bank of England, the Treasury and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) about how to regulate the banks in the future.

Mr King would like the Bank of England to have a larger role in any future regulation, and in the Financial Stability Report the Bank sets out its stall.

It would like to see:


•Strengthened market discipline: Greater disclosure by banks backed by a credible threat that the government will close failing banks
•Greater self-insurance: Banks required to hold more capital and liquidity reserves, including putting extra money aside in good times
•Improved management of risk within the financial system as a whole, not just of individual banks
•Size and structure of banks to be limited
•Clear principles of public support, avoiding future moral hazard, which encourages banks to take more risks because they know they will be bailed out
In some of its conclusions, the Bank still seems at odds with the chancellor, who for example, is not in favour of limiting the size of banks.

And although the Bank of England is in broad agreement with the FSA on many of these principles, there is a dispute over who should be the lead enforcer.

Mr King said earlier this month that he did not just want to preach "sermons" to the banks without having the power to enforce them, and he appears to have won the backing of the Conservatives in his bid for a more central role.

Large losses

The Bank says that the unprecedented policy action by governments and central banks had prevented disaster when "the financial system came close to collapse in the autumn of 2008, following the collapse of Lehman Brothers".
But the consequence was that the banking system received some $14 trillion in support or guarantees by central banks in the US and Europe, equivalent to half of their GDP.

Almost half of the world's largest 20 banks received direct government investment, and central banking lending to the economy more than doubled.

And although losses are less now than they were in March, the world financial system has taken a huge knock.

Losses at major UK banks soared from £150bn to £400bn between October and December, and have outpaced bank attempts to raise additional capital of around £100bn.

However, in recent months the Bank says that "sentiment has improved", with stock markets recovering some 25% to 35%.

Key bond markets have also recovered, with losses on residential mortgage backed securities (RMBS) -the key instrument that hit banking balance sheets - now estimated at $1.3tn compared with $1.8tn, and total losses on all debt instruments down $4.6tn compared with $2.7tn it estimated in March.

Funding gap

However, the huge losses have made the banks more reluctant to lend.

The Bank of England estimates that UK banks had a "large and rising funding gap" of £800bn, half of which was backed by securitisations which will be difficult to refinance.

And they are finding it more difficult to bridge that funding gap (the difference between what they lend and the amount they get in from savers).

The Bank warns that when the emergency support it is providing expires, some banks may find it difficult to raise enough funds.

And it says the difficulty in raising money cheaply on capital markets could be made worse if the UK and other governments still have huge budget deficits, which could make the cost of borrowing more expensive for everyone.

July 1, 2009 | 2:51 AM Comments  0 comments
Tags:


yashoda   yashoda Yashoda's TIGblog
Yashoda's profile

Swine flu strikes Nepal
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Kathmandu, June 29 (IANS) Nepal Monday reported its first case of swine flu with three members of the same family testing positive.
The health ministry called a press conference to indicate that a 48-year-old man, a 38-year-old woman and an eight-year-old boy had been found to have contracted the Influenza A(H1N1) virus.

The trio, whose identity was not revealed, has been kept in isolation, health ministry spokesman S. Upreti said.

The family had reached Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport June 16 when they were diagnosed with fever. They had travelled from the US via Doha.

Further tests confirmed they had contracted swine flu.

While the government stepped up vigil at its lone international airport after the outbreak of the disease in more than 100 countries, there are however growing fears that the land routes are not adequately manned.

Nepal is connected by land route to China in the north and India. Both neighbours have reported rising incidence of the new epidemic.

This year, Nepal was also struck by bird flu (H5N1), believed to have been caused due to the smuggling of contaminated poultry from India across the open border.

Thousands of birds were culled in the Jhapa district in the southeast where the strain was detected, hitting poultry farmers.

However, there were no human casualties and last month, the government indicated there was no further trace of the disease.

July 1, 2009 | 12:18 AM Comments  0 comments
Tags:


suneboy   suneboy Pr@su,सूर्य's TIGblog
Pr@su,सूर्य's profile

Swine flu: symptoms and precaution
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Symptoms of Swine Flu
The symptoms of swine flu are usually like those of regular seasonal flu and include:
•headache
•chills
•cough
•fever
•loss of appetite
•aches
•fatigue
•runny nose
•sneezing
•watery eyes
•throat irritation
•nausea and vomiting
•diarrhea
•in people with chronic conditions, pneumonia may develop
Precautions Against Swine Flu
Good standard flu prevention techniques are recommended to protect yourself against swine flu:
•Get a regular seasonal flu vaccination. It might not help against this specific strain, but it won't hurt.
•Wash your hands frequently with soap and hot running water. If hot water is not available, use an alcohol-based hand gel.
•When you cough and sneeze, cover your mouth and nose. Wash your hands afterwards.
•Avoid being near others who might be sick.
•Stay home if you are sick, to avoid affecting others.
Precautions for Travellers
•Before you travel, find out what vaccines you will need and where to get them. Visit your family doctor or a travel health clinic at least six weeks before your departure date.
•If you get sick when you are travelling, seek medical assistance.
•If you are sick when you return to Nepal, or have been near someone who is, you must tell a customs or quarantine office, who will decide if you need further medical assessment.
•If you get sick after you return to Nepal, see a health care provider. Be sure to tell him/her the countries you visited, if you were sick while away and any medical care or treatment your received.

June 30, 2009 | 9:47 PM Comments  1 comments


suneboy   suneboy Pr@su,सूर्य's TIGblog
Pr@su,सूर्य's profile

Plane with 153 crashes off Comoros
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

A Yemenia jet with 153 people on board crashed into the Indian Ocean on Tuesday as it tried to land during strong winds on the island nation of Comoros. Officials said one child was plucked alive from the sea.
There was no word on other survivors. At least three bodies were recovered, authorities said.
The crash comes two years after aviation officials reported faults with the aircraft, an Airbus 310 flying the last leg of a journey from Paris and Marseille to Comoros, with a stop in Yemen to change planes. Most of the passengers were from Comoros, a former French colony. Sixty-six on board were French nationals.
A child was rescued from the water after the crash, according to Rachida Abdullah, a police immigration officer who works at the operations center in the Comoros, and Yemeni civil aviation deputy chief Mohammed Abdul Qader.
Qader said he was told the child was 5 years old. Further details on the rescue and the child's condition were not immediately available.
Three bodies from the flight were retrieved along with debris from the plane, Abdullah said.
Qader said it was too early to speculate on the cause and the flight data recorder had not been found, but the wind was 40 miles per hour (61 kph) as the plane was landing in the middle of the night.
"The weather was very bad ... the wind was very strong," he said, adding the windy conditions were hampering rescue efforts.
The Yemenia plane was the second Airbus to crash into the sea in as many months. An Air France Airbus A330-200 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean May 31, killing all 228 people on board, as it flew from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.
A crisis center once again was set up at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. Many passengers were from the French city of Marseille, which has a large Comoros community.
"There is considerable dismay," said Stephane Salord, the consul general of the Comoros in the Provence-Alps-Cote d'Azur region of France. "These are families that, each year on the eve of summer, leave Marseille and the region to rejoin their families in the Comoros and spend their holidays."
In France, this week is the start of annual summer school vacations.
The Comoros is an archipelago of three main islands situated about 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometers) south of Yemen, between Africa's southeastern coast and the island of Madagascar. It is a former French colony of 700,000 people.
Gen. Bruno de Bourdoncle de Saint-Salvy, the senior commander for French forces in the southern Indian Ocean, said the Airbus 310 crashed in deep waters about 9 miles (14.5 kilometers) north of the Comoran coast and 21 miles (34 kilometers) from the Moroni airport.
French aviation inspectors found a "number of faults" during a 2007 inspection of the plane that went down, French Transport Minister Dominique Bussereau said on i-Tele television Tuesday.
In Brussels, EU Transport Commissioner Antonio Tajani said the airline had previously met EU safety checks and was not on the bloc's blacklist. But he said a full investigation was now being started amid questions why passengers were put on another jet in the Yemeni capital of San'a.
An Airbus statement said the plane that crashed went into service 19 years ago, in 1990, and had accumulated 51,900 flight hours. It has been operated by Yemenia (Yemen Airways) since 1999. Airbus said it was sending a team of specialists to the Comoros.
The A310-300 is a twin-engine widebody jet that can seat up to 220 passengers. There are 214 A310s in service worldwide with 41 operators.
Christophe Prazuck, French military spokesman, said a patrol boat and reconnaissance ship were being sent to the crash site as well a military transport plane. The French were sending divers as well as medical personnel, he said.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy "expressed his deep emotion" about the crash and asked the French military to help in the rescue operation, particularly from the French islands of Mayotte and Reunion.
Yemenia airline officials say the 11-member crew was made up of six Yemenis, including the pilot, two Moroccans, one Indonesian, one Ethiopian and 1 Filipino. The officials asked that their named not be used because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

June 30, 2009 | 9:44 PM Comments  0 comments
Tags:


suneboy   suneboy Pr@su,सूर्य's TIGblog
Pr@su,सूर्य's profile

Full ticket refunds: Jackson's concert
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

The organisers of Michael Jackson's comeback tour dates in London have announced they would offer full ticket refunds following his death last week.
"AEG Live (UK) Ltd, concert promoters, announced that full refunds will be available to fans who purchased tickets through authorised agents for any of the 50 Michael Jackson 'This Is It' concerts which were to take place at The O2 Arena in London," AEG Live announced in a statement.
Jackson's fans from around the world had rushed to snap up tickets for the performances, which were due to start on July 13.
British media reports said about 50 million pounds (59 million euros, 83 million dollars) has been spent on 750,000 tickets.
Fans had also queued for hours to watch the reclusive star's final public appearance when he unveiled the gigs here in March, promising to play his classic tunes.
"The world lost a kind soul who just happened to be the greatest entertainer the world has ever known," said Randy Phillips, president of AEG Live.
"Since he loved his fans in life, it is incumbent upon us to treat them with the same reverence and respect after his death."
AEG Live said the refunds would include all ticket service charges and said all details would be available at www.michaeljacksonlive.com from July 1.
Fans who would prefer to keep the ticket as a piece of memorabilia will have the option to be sent the actual piece of paper, which AEG said had been "inspired and designed by Michael Jackson".
Trading website eBay, where tickets had fetched prices of up to 1,300 pounds, has already said that fans who had bought seats for the shows through its website would receive a refund.

June 30, 2009 | 12:27 PM Comments  0 comments
Tags:


« previous 15



Change Language


Categorized Archive
Child & Youth Rights
Culture
Education
Environment
Globalization
Health
Human Rights
Media
Peace & Conflict
Poverty
Sports
Technology


Important Disclaimer