Skip to main content

Posts

117 schools closed due to disease in Bangladesh

Local administration has declared all the 117 schools of Hatibandha upazila under Lalmonirhat District of Bangladesh closed for six days from Saturday to control the spread of unknown disease, sources said. Meanwhile 24 people died where most of them are children beginning from 31st January 2011 in the two districts of the country-Lalmonirhat and Rangpur.   Locals said the sign of the disease is very high fever which is going out of control and the patients embrace death. 

Unknown disease claims 24 lives in Bangladesh

Is it Nipah encephalitis? It is not sure till now as the death toll is out of control from the disease which has been continuing for the last six days beginning on 31 January 2011 in Bangladesh, local sources said. The first case of death was happened at Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat district on Monday last (31st  January 2011 ). The deceased were identified as Sabina, 3, daughter of Mokbul Hossain of Saniazan Char village, Sajjad Hossain, 3, son of Belal Hossain of Tongvanga village, Rajjak Miah, 32, son of Abbas Ali of Genduguri village under Hatibandha upazila, and Aronno Ghos, 8, son of Ashok Ghos of 'bus stand' area of Hatibandha town. As the symbol of the disease locals said, with high fever, they were taken to Hatibandha upazila health complex where Sabina died on Monday night. The patient gets high fever ranging from 103 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit and it has no treatment except symptom management, IEDCR sources said. More eight people died on 2nd February 2011. O

US employment rate marking economic recovery

Employment probably shifted into a higher rate in January to post a fourth straight month of gains , offering more evidence of a broadening economic recovery in United States of America (USA), though the jobless rate likely rose. The government is expected to report on Friday that nonfarm payrolls grew 145,000 , according to a Reuters survey, after adding 103,000 in December. But severe snow storms that slammed large parts of the nation could result in a much lower figure. All of the anticipated job gains are expected to have been generated by the private sector and would add to other data suggesting that the manufacturing-driven recovery is now spreading to other sectors of the economy. The Labor Department will release its closely watched employment report at 8:30 a.m. ET. " All the signals are pointing to a much improved labor market compared with last year and a strong payrolls report would be a nice confirmation that things are certainly headed in the right directi

WikiLeaks nominated for 2011 Nobel Peace Prize

The whistle blowing and anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks has been nominated for the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian politician behind the proposal said on Wednesday, a day after the deadline for nominations expired. The Norwegian Nobel Committee accepts nominations for what many consider as the world's top accolade until February 1, although the five panel members have until the end of the month to make their own proposals. Norwegian parliamentarian Snorre Valen said WikiLeaks was "one of the most important contributors to freedom of speech and transparency" in the 21st century. "By disclosing information about corruption, human rights abuses and war crimes, WikiLeaks is a natural contender for the Nobel Peace Prize," Valen said. Members of all national parliaments, professors of law or political science and previous winners are among those allowed to make nominations. The committee declined to comment on the WikiLeaks proposal or any other nominations.

Yemen President Saleh expects to quit in 2013

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has said he will not seek to extend his presidency when his current term expires in 2013. Mr Saleh, who has been in power for three decades, also pledged that he would not pass on power to his son. He spoke to parliament ahead of a rally in the capital on Thursday which, echoing protests in Tunisia and Egypt, has been dubbed a "day of rage". Mr Saleh came to power as president of North Yemen in 1978. When the country was united with South Yemen in 1990 he became president of the new republic. Speaking during an emergency session of the country's parliament and the consultative council on Wednesday, Mr Saleh laid out his plans to move aside. "No extension, no inheritance, no resetting the clock," he said. "I present these concessions in the interests of the country. The interests of the country come before our personal interests." He also called on the opposition to "freeze all planned protests, rallies

Demonstrations for democracy in Egypt, 300 died

Clashes have erupted in the Egyptian capital between supporters of President Hosni Mubarak and demonstrators calling on him to step down immediately. Rival groups of protesters are fighting pitched battles in and around Cairo's Tahrir Square. Many people have been wounded and shots have been heard. Earlier, the army urged people to return home after nine days of anti-government demonstrations. Mr Mubarak has pledged he will not stand for re-election in September. On Tuesday, hundreds of thousands had protested across the country against Mr Mubarak, the culmination of more than a week of demonstrations that have left about 300 people dead according to UN estimates.

120 died, 80 percent area under disaster in S Africa

A thick stench fills the air, there is no proper sewage system in the South African township of Themba Khoza - heavy floods have destroyed all the make-shift drains and bacteria infected water is flowing through the tiny pathways between the shacks. Eight of the country's nine provinces have been declared disaster areas after floods killed more than 120 people. Residents of the informal settlement north of Johannesburg are bracing themselves for more floods. The settlement is home to more than 2,000 people - many of the houses here are built near a river, the Kaalfontein. The river burst its banks last week, flooding many shacks in the process. Tharafosa Molapo, 92, is hard at work, trying to build a sand barrier around his home. The old man is frail but he says he needs to do this to prevent further damage to the home he shares with his wife. "We cannot sleep when it is rains, because we need to remove the water from our houses," he says. "I have been up f