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(OCTOBER, 2002) Hoax
Call Again, This Time It's Air India (Go
to Top) NEW DELHI: All 178 passengers on board an Air India flight bound for Hong Kong were evacuated from the aircraft at New Delhi airport on Thursday morning after a threat that turned out to be a hoax, an aviation official said.
An AI spokesman said a threatening call - that there were two terrorists on board carrying explosives - was received by Hong Kong immigration authorities who in turn informed Air India about it. Passengers were off-loaded from the flight, which was travelling to Hong Kong from Bombay via New Delhi, after the plane landed at the IGI airport at 7.15 a.m. They were subjected to a thorough check but neither of the two travellers whose names had been mentioned in the annonymous call was in the travellers' list. Two days ago, a British Airways flight from Singapore to London with 178 passengers made an emergency landing in the Indian Capital after a package containing a toothbrush sparked a bomb scare. Hoax
Call Grounds BA Plane at Delhi (Go
to Top) NEW DELHI: A British Airways flight from Singapore to London carrying 178 passengers made an emergency landing in New Delhi on Tuesday, October 29, after a package containing a tooth brush sparked a bomb scare which later turned out to be a hoax. "A crew member saw a suspicious packet on the plane and thought it was a bomb", said SK Kain, special police commissioner. "But it was found to be a gift packet containing some items like a toothbrush", he added. Civil Aviation Minister Shahnawaz Hussain told newspersons the plane, Boeing 747 flight BA 16, was ready to depart for London after a thorough search was conducted. It was a hoax call, he said. The aircraft landed at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport at around 2.00 am (2030 GMT) and was taken to a "cooling pit". The aircraft was in Indian air space when the pilot diverted it to New Delhi. The passengers were moved to a hotel after they were given temporary visas to enter India. Hoax
Call Grounds Patna-Delhi Flight (Go
to Top) PATNA: A bomb hoax on board a Patna-Delhi Sahara Airlines flight sent airport officials into jitters on Sunday, October 27. The aircraft had to be grounded here following the scare. All the passengers were evacuated before the bomb disposal squads searched the plane, but found nothing on board. The Sahara Airlines office in Lucknow had reportedly received the threat call. Later the plane took off for Delhi. Ferry
Service Between India, Sri Lanka to Resume (Go
to Top) COLOMBO: Regular ferry services are all set to commence between India and Sri Lanka for the first time since a civil war broke out in the island republic almost two decades ago. In a statement issued here on Friday, October 25, Sri Lanka's Ministry of Port Development and Shipping said that restoring the seven-hour ferry service ride to Tuticorin would not only help tourists but also benefit traders as well as Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims. "Private firms are ready to commence services once an agreement is signed between the two countries in the first week of next month," it said, adding that two firms, Expolanka Co and Greenlanka Shipping Limited, have already shown interest in running services. Double-decker
Buses for Tourists in Jaipur (Go
to Top) JAIPUR: The Rajasthan State Tourism Department has introduced high-tech double-decker buses called Jaipur Pride to attract foreign tourists. Tourism Minister BD Kalla inaugurated the first ride here recently. A passenger, Asha Patel, who boarded the bus, said, "It's good fun. This `Pride' is a good ride, be it for foreign tourists or domestic tourists because it gives a chance to explore Jaipur city's beauty through the top of the double-decker." It has no roof. With a capacity of 55 passengers, `Jaipur Pride' would provide access to telephone, internet and a detailed information about major tourist spots. Another benefit is that tourists can book their tickets online. The bus plying twice a day covers almost all tourist spots in the city. Each ride will cost somewhere around 6-7 dollars. Food and beverages will be complementary. The new joy ride aims at giving the tourists the luxury of seeing the historic pink city with all comforts without being too heavy on the wallet. 4
Die as Building Collapses in Cracker Blast (Go
to Top) PATNA: Four persons, including a child, were killed and three others injured when a building collapsed after an explosion in a cracker shop in Bhagalpur in Bihar on Wednesday night, October 23, police said. Dhaka-Agartala
Bus Service to Be Revived (Go
to Top) DHAKA: Both India and neighbouring Bangladesh have agreed to re-start the Dhaka-Agartala direct bus service, which began last year but had to be stopped due to some "technical problems", official sources said. After meeting Tripura Chief Secretary V Tulsi Das, Bangladesh official Taimur Alam Khandkar told reporters that both the countries are ready to run the service. It will start operation once both the Governments take a final decision. Hyderabad
Fire-cracker Shop Gutted: 13 Killed (Go
to Top) HYDERABAD: Thirteen people were killed after an explosion ripped through a fireworks shop in Hyderabad early on Wednesday, October 23. Shops selling fire-crackers spring up in many parts of India ahead of Diwali, a festival of lights, which falls early next month. Accidents are common in the cramped shops, which often lack basic safety facilities or are poorly managed. "Thirteen people succumbed to the fire. There is only one staircase for the lodge which added to the problem. In future, cracker shops will be relocated outside the city limits," Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who visited the site, said. Most of the dead were people staying in a lodge on the top floor of the building that housed the shop. There were around 40 people staying in the lodge when a short circuit in the cracker shop resulted in the fire that caught lodgers unawares. A similar blast in a fireworks factory on Tuesday killed at least ten people and injured eight in the neighbouring State of Tamil Nadu. Mahathir
Fears Bali-type Attacks in Malaysia (Go
to Top) NEW DELHI: Malaysia could suffer similar devastating bomb attacks like the ones in Bali and Philippines this week that killed nearly 200 people, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad has said. Mahathir told a news conference here on Friday, October 18, that countries of the ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) region needed to work together to combat the threat of terrorism, specially in the wake of recent attacks in Bali and Philippines. "The level of cooperation between the countries may differ, the perception of terrorism may also differ but generally there is consensus on the need for us to handle terrorism together because terrorists respect no borders. They will operate in any country. Even the countries least involved might find themselves the targets of terrorist attacks. As you know, Bali was the most peaceful part of Indonesia and yet they chose Bali in order to launch the attacks," he said at the end of a three-day visit to India. More than 180 people, including about 119 Australians, were killed in Saturday's attack on night clubs in Bali, a popular Indonesian resort island. Mahathir denied that the main suspect in the attack was a Malaysian, and said Indonesia was free to take any action against the suspect. 23
Drowned in Jharkhand Boat Mishap (Go
to Top) RANCHI: Police and rescue workers scoured Rukha river on Tuesday morning searching for the bodies of those who died in a boat mishap on Monday, October 14. Twenty-three people, mostly women and children, were feared drowned after two boats carrying 50 passengers collided and capsized in the river. Officials said 27 passengers managed to swim to safety. Ten bodies were retrieved and search is on for the other 13. Amitabh
Bachchan Turns 60 (Go
to Top) NEW DELHI: India's most famous film star Amitabh Bachchan celebrated his 60th birthday on Friday, October 11, at Venkateshwara temple in Tirupathi, in Andhra Pradesh, by praying at the temple's sanctum sanctorum during early morning 'abhishekam'. In Mumbai, the celebration was marked by the release of his biography, To Be or Not to Be Amitabh Bachchan, published by his actress wife Jaya Bachchan. The giant B'day cake was also cut at the venue, Marriot Hotel. India
Goes Festive Amidst Tight Security
(Go
to Top) NEW DELHI: The festival season has begun in northern India, this year in the background of a series of stepped up militant attacks at several places and communal disturbances in Gujarat. The police therefore are on their toes everywhere. Special security arrangements are being made, especially at the venues of the current 10-day celebrations of Dussehra (Ramlila) and Durga Puja, culminating on Tuesday, October 15. (Dussehra, Ram Lila, Durga Puja: Details) Akshardham
Temple Re-opens (Go
to Top) AHMEDABAD: Devotees were allowed to enter the Akshardham Swaminarain temple on Monday, October 7, 2002, after a 13-day closure following terrorist's attack on September 24, as Navratri festival has begun.
According to reports, the gates were opened in the morning after a traditional ceremony. The exhibition hall of the main shrine was also thrown open. A large number of devotees were present during the occasion. Security personnel were positioned at strategic locations to ensure the safety of the visitors. Twenty-nine people were killed in the terrorist attack. Kargil
Extravaganza (Go
to Top) KARGIL: , Oct 6 (ANI): Ill-timed and lacking planning, a nascent cultural extravaganza held recently in Kargil region high up in the Himalayas, failed to attract visitors. Despite efforts made by the Jammu and Kashmir Government, the recently concluded 'Festival of Peace' in Kargil was a complete washout. It was launched in 1996. Kargil lies in the remote Ladakh region which is relatively free of militant activities but lying close to the military ceasefire line with Pakistan, has often been the scene of intense shelling. It was the central spot of the recent Indo-Pak conflict. Bill
Gates to Lead AIDS Mission to India (Go
to Top) NEW DELHI: , Oct 6 (ANI): As part of the `Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,' Microsoft chief Bill Gates will lead a high-level AIDS delegation to India for a four-day visit, beginning November 11. According to a statement issued by the Seattle-based Foundation here on Sunday, the mission will see first-hand progress made by projects on AIDS, funded by the Foundation. During his visit, Gates is expected to announce a long-term strategic commitment to support the country's efforts to check the spread of HIV/AIDS. He will also visit sites of Foundation's 25-million-dollar grant to the Partnership Project in Andhra Pradesh, a venture between Children's Vaccine Programme at PATH (Programme for Appropriate Technologies in Health) and the State Government. The project aims at introducing hepatitis B vaccine. Proof
Through Internet Must for US Visa (Go
to Top) NEW DELHI: The US has introduced mandatory electronic authentication for issuance of visa to non-immigrant visitors like students, academicians and businessmen with effect from October 11, 2002 as a security step to prevent entry of terrorists. Applicants have to submit evidence of their sponsorship or acceptance as a candidate in a US institution through the Internet. The new system is called Interim Student and Exchange Authentication Syatem (ISEAS). Encroachments
at Monuments to Go (Go
to Top) NEW DELHI: On a petition against encroachments around the monuments of Zafar Mahal and Qutab Minar, the Delhi High Court has ordered the concerned authorities to demarcate the area around the monuments and demolish any illegal construction which may have come up. Zafar Mahal is where the last Mughal emperor Bahadurshah was kept in confinement by the British after the 1987 revolt against the rule of the East India company collapsed. It was declared a national monument in 1919. It is situated near the shrine of Qutab Sahib in Mehrauli, South Delhi, where the world famous Qutab Minar and the amazing Iron Pillar stand as important tourist attractions. New
Helicopter Service to Start in Tripura (Go
to Top) AGARTALA: A helicopter service will begin from the Capital, Agartala, to Dharmanagar to promote tourism and improve communication. The trip will cost Rs 1,000. The five-seater Pawan Hans helicopters will also fly to remote areas, provided there is good response. This service will also make remote areas accessible and help in their development as well. Mr V Tulsidas, Chief Secretary, said. -ANI October 1, 2002
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